Nearly everyone has heard about Woodstock and the US Festival, but the same can’t be said for the Memphis Country Blues Festival. Depending on the year, the annual gathering held in Memphis between 1966 and 1970, was the place to see and hear genre icons. Country-blues guitarists Furry Lewis and Mississippi Fred McDowell, along with blues and R&b character Rufus Thomas, all played there, as did folk and rock guitar heroes Johnny Winter and John Fahey. The Rolling Stones were even invited to appear (more on that later), and some...
- 10/1/2023
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
That haunted voice we keep hearing these days belongs to Billie Holiday. More than six decades after her death, the legendary singer is experiencing a moment in the culture: She’s the subject of a recent documentary (director James Erskine’s Billie) and a soon-to-be released biopic (director Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday, starring Andra Day, out later this month), and “Strange Fruit,” the anti-lynching protest song that she popularized in the late Thirties, has been remade, sampled, and revived. One of her songs even popped up in HBO’s Watchmen.
- 2/1/2021
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Ben Harper has announced his new album Winter Is for Lovers, a solo effort that features Harper and his Monteleone lap steel guitar across 15 original instrumental compositions.
As a preview for the album, Harper released a performance of the song “Inland Empire” in his home studio, surrounded by his collection of other instruments. The musical arrangement highlights the lap steel’s versatility and range of musical stylings, all compacted into three minutes. According to Harper, the album explores the American Primitive movement pioneered by Leo Kottke and John Fahey and...
As a preview for the album, Harper released a performance of the song “Inland Empire” in his home studio, surrounded by his collection of other instruments. The musical arrangement highlights the lap steel’s versatility and range of musical stylings, all compacted into three minutes. According to Harper, the album explores the American Primitive movement pioneered by Leo Kottke and John Fahey and...
- 9/1/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
This time around, punk rock is reborn in Dublin, Ireland; an American experimental institution comes to a striking end; and two archival releases affirm, again, that there is still astonishing music out there from the Sixties and Seventies that has never been heard before — and great stories to go with it.
Fontaines D.C., Dogrel (Partisan)
“My childhood was small/But I’m gonna be big,” singer-lyricist Grian Chatten declares in “Big,” the tight, fast blast that starts Dogrel, the debut album by these young post-punk sensations from Dublin, Ireland.
Fontaines D.C., Dogrel (Partisan)
“My childhood was small/But I’m gonna be big,” singer-lyricist Grian Chatten declares in “Big,” the tight, fast blast that starts Dogrel, the debut album by these young post-punk sensations from Dublin, Ireland.
- 4/26/2019
- by David Fricke
- Rollingstone.com
In the mid-2000s, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Scott Conner became something of an anti-hero in the heavy-music underground. Recording entirely on his own under the pseudonym Malefic and the “band” name of Xasthur, the California artist created dense, plodding black-metal tracks that, even in a subgenre known for its sonic bleakness and history of real-world crime, stood out as particularly severe.
Some held him up as a figurehead of a movement dubbed (certainly not by the artists involved) Depressive Suicidal Black Metal. Considering Xasthur’s anguished sound, song titles such...
Some held him up as a figurehead of a movement dubbed (certainly not by the artists involved) Depressive Suicidal Black Metal. Considering Xasthur’s anguished sound, song titles such...
- 2/16/2019
- by Hank Shteamer
- Rollingstone.com
There’s a tradition of experimental music in which avant-garde ideas are also tender and inviting – think Clara Rockmore, Pauline Oliveros, Laurie Speigel, Laurie Anderson, Robert Wyatt, John Fahey. This duo project feels rooted in that notion. Lattimore’s already made one of the year’s best LPs, the deliciously hypnotic Hundreds of Days, an all-instrumental set built around her Lyon and Healy concert harp. Baird is a dreamy folk singer and fingerstyle guitarist with a long collaborative resume (Kurt Vile, Bonnie Prince Billy, Espers, Heron Oblivion, etc.).This mini-lp...
- 11/13/2018
- by Will Hermes
- Rollingstone.com
Ryley Walker is a fluid guitar player whose songs rarely take you in any expected direction and a proud torch-bearer for the vaunted croon-through-your-beard school of indie-rock singer-songwriters. His very fine 2018 LP Deafman Glance is definitely worth your time, setting warmly abstruse mumblings to delicate avant-woodsy guitar magic, updating the Nineties experimentalism of David Grubbs, Jim O’Rourke and Smog’s Bill Callahan the way those guys modernized John Fahey, Sandy Bull and Michael Hurley for the post-Slint era.
Walker recently showed off his Deep Nineties erudition with a Spotify playlist called “van jams,...
Walker recently showed off his Deep Nineties erudition with a Spotify playlist called “van jams,...
- 10/25/2018
- by Jon Dolan
- Rollingstone.com
1963
Johnny Cash: Blood, Sweat and Tears (Columbia)
Some of Cash's '60s concept albums were burdened with much too talking between tracks; here the tribute to the American working man gets to mostly stand alone on its musical merits, and shines. Notably, it incluces the top version of the traditional "John Henry"” about the most legendarily heroic working man ever, and the version of "Casey Jones" here is classic as well. Politically and psychologically, Cash was the perfect man for this job.
1968
Byrds: Notorious Byrd Brothers (Columbia)
Sometimes transitional albums, confusing listeners expecting a group's earlier style, are underrated. Not so with this classic. It's true that it didn't sell as well as earlier Byrds LPs, nor did the single from the album chart very high, but for decades Notorious Byrd Brothers has been widely revered, and not just by fans; some critics have even anointed it as the band's best album.
Johnny Cash: Blood, Sweat and Tears (Columbia)
Some of Cash's '60s concept albums were burdened with much too talking between tracks; here the tribute to the American working man gets to mostly stand alone on its musical merits, and shines. Notably, it incluces the top version of the traditional "John Henry"” about the most legendarily heroic working man ever, and the version of "Casey Jones" here is classic as well. Politically and psychologically, Cash was the perfect man for this job.
1968
Byrds: Notorious Byrd Brothers (Columbia)
Sometimes transitional albums, confusing listeners expecting a group's earlier style, are underrated. Not so with this classic. It's true that it didn't sell as well as earlier Byrds LPs, nor did the single from the album chart very high, but for decades Notorious Byrd Brothers has been widely revered, and not just by fans; some critics have even anointed it as the band's best album.
- 1/30/2013
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association, Petra Buchanan, has announced she will step down from the role next year. Andrew Maiden has been appointed to take Buchanan.s place, which she has held for the past three years. Maiden joins Astra after twelve years at Telstra, where he worked in senior public policy and communications roles including Executive Director and Corporate Affairs. Before this he acted as an advisor, press secretary and chief-of-staff to state and federal political figures including the Minister for Finance and Administration, The Hon John Fahey AC. .I am excited to have the opportunity to lead Astra and represent an industry that employs more than 6,000 Australians and invests $667 million in Australian content each year,. Maiden said. Andrew will officially take over the role after the conclusion of the.Astra Conference, which commences on March, 14 2013. As CEO, Andrew will join the Astra...
- 12/18/2012
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Brooke Runnette has been named president of National Geographic Television (Ngt). The announcement came Monday from John Fahey, National Geographic Society chairman and CEO, to whom Runnette will report. She succeeds Maryanne Culpepper, whose departure was announced earlier this year. Runnette joined Nat Geo earlier this month from Discovery where she was executive producer and director of development for specials, including Discovery’s popular Shark Week franchise. She will transition over the next month from her current position as vice president, development and special projects, at Nat Geo into the role at Ngt. Story: National Geographic Channels' Howard T. Owens to be Keynote
read more...
read more...
- 11/26/2012
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: That is a very fast rise. Less than a month after Brooke Runnette joined National Geographic Channel as VP Development and Special Projects, the former Discovery executive and Shark Week executive producer has been named president of National Geographic Television, the studio/documentary arm of the National Geographic Society. Runnette succeeds Maryanne Culpepper, who left in July after 16 years at Ngt and 15 months as president. Runnette will transition to her new role over the next month. One of her first assignments at NatGeo was to oversee the network’s high-profile spring 2013 series The 80’s: The Decade That Made Us, which she will continue to executive produce. At Ngt, Runnette will oversee the development and production of series, special events and live programming, reporting to John Fahey, National Geographic Society chairman and CEO. Fahey has been shaking up the upper ranks at the 124-year-old nonprofit scientific and educational institution in...
- 11/26/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: The shakeup at the National Geographic Society continues. I’ve learned that this afternoon National Geographic Society president Tim Kelly announced internally that he will leave the company at the end of the year after three decades. His departure comes on the heels of the July exit of Maryanne Culpepper, president of National Geographic Television, the studio/documentary arm of the National Geographic Society. Kelly joined National Geographic in 1982 and rose through the ranks to president, a title he’s held since January 2011. I hear there is no plan for a direct replacement, with National Geographic Society chairman and CEO John Fahey slated to discuss the transition in a company-wide staff meeting tomorrow. I hear the departure of Kelly is part of Fahey’s plans to overhaul the 124-year-old non-profit scientific and educational institution, bringing it faster into the digital age. In his memo to the staff today, obtained by Deadline,...
- 9/18/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Note: The following article has been provided to HuffPost Entertainment by Songza, an innovative website that provides listeners with countless playlists. Each playlist is hand-curated and free, and no log-in information is required to start listening. In this post, Songza's editors present a comprehensive collection of playlists for studying or working. Enjoy.
It’s a well-known fact: Music makes a long day at the office or a long night in the library approximately 1000x better. It’s also generally accepted that lyric-less music is better for maintaining focus and boosting efficiency. While we love the rich and varied traditions of classical and jazz music, we want to open your ears to rest of the performance-enhancing, concentration-retaining, success-inspiring world of lyric-free music. Enjoy these carefully curated playlists while you work or study.
Acoustic Guitar
These beautiful and richly-textured acoustic guitar playlists offer impressive, but not distracting, background sounds.
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals...
It’s a well-known fact: Music makes a long day at the office or a long night in the library approximately 1000x better. It’s also generally accepted that lyric-less music is better for maintaining focus and boosting efficiency. While we love the rich and varied traditions of classical and jazz music, we want to open your ears to rest of the performance-enhancing, concentration-retaining, success-inspiring world of lyric-free music. Enjoy these carefully curated playlists while you work or study.
Acoustic Guitar
These beautiful and richly-textured acoustic guitar playlists offer impressive, but not distracting, background sounds.
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals...
- 9/10/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
Raindance have just announced their line-up for their 20th annual film festival. The 2012 festival will, like every year showcase some of the best independent movies that we can expect in the coming year and beyond. Raindance 2012 will take place 26th September to 7th October at the Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly Circus in London. This year we can expect to see 105 features, more than 138 shorts, 64 UK Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 5 European Premieres, 19 World Premieres and 24 Directorial Debuts from 38 countries.
Scroll down to see the full press release as well as all the feature films that will be showing at the festival. To find out more, click here to visit their official site.
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana.
Scroll down to see the full press release as well as all the feature films that will be showing at the festival. To find out more, click here to visit their official site.
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana.
- 9/4/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
New York City writer/director Kevin Barker’s Last Kind Words – which gets its first hometown screening June 8 and 10 as part of the Brooklyn Film Festival – is a supernatural thriller with a Southern Gothic setting, starring Deadwood’s Brad Dourif, Spencer Daniels (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Sarah Steele (Spanglish). Barker has a parallel career as a musician, having worked with Devendra Banhart, Antony & The Johnsons, and Joanna Newsom, in addition to recording his own music. Ghosts, violence, and murky atmosphere abound in the multi-talented Brooklynite’s film, in which music unsurprisingly plays a key role.
Filmmaker: You’ve said that part of the inspiration for Last Kind Words came from the Delta blues tune “Last Kind Words Blues,” by Geeshie Wiley, which also happened to provide the soundtrack to a particularly creepy moment in the Crumb documentary. What’s the song’s relationship to the film?
Barker:...
Filmmaker: You’ve said that part of the inspiration for Last Kind Words came from the Delta blues tune “Last Kind Words Blues,” by Geeshie Wiley, which also happened to provide the soundtrack to a particularly creepy moment in the Crumb documentary. What’s the song’s relationship to the film?
Barker:...
- 6/6/2012
- by Jim Allen
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Nathan Salsburg, being both a solo acoustic guitar player and a champion of vernacular music (his Twos & Fews label, an imprint of Drag City, collects under-heard work by artists like Hamper McBee and Nimrod Workman), has already endured a slew of comparisons to the esteemed fingerpicker and noted record fiend John Fahey. But Affirmed, Salsburg’s solo debut, is more a counterpoint to Fahey’s rhythmic early work than an explicit homage: Bright and elastic, his songs are less concerned with pulses and scales than with the ripples they kick up in your gut. The Louisville-based Salsburg can be a ...
- 1/10/2012
- avclub.com
Attention animal lovers: National Geographic Ventures and Fox Cable Networks are launching the new Us channel Nat Geo Wild on March 29th. The channel will replace Fox Reality Channel on some cable lineups, and is the first to move from overseas into the Us market. John Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society, said in a statement, "Wildlife programming is core to our brand and with the urgent conservation challenges facing wildlife, this is the right time for us to focus on what is a favorite genre for ...
- 3/16/2010
- by tkrinsky
- International Documentary Association
George Winston, best known for his melodic rural folk piano style, has made no secret of the debt his playing owes to the musicians of New Orleans. Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions.A Hurricane Relief Benefit was inspired by Winston.s desire to support the Gulf Coast after the recent hurricane related devastation. This beautiful and vast region has a mystique all its own and he has been to it many times, from Corpus Christi, to Galveston, to Lake Charles, to New Orleans, to Gulfport/Biloxi/Bay St. Louis, to Mobile, to Pensacola, to Panama City, to the Tampa Bay, to Ft. Myers, to Naples.
Fri, February 5th, 2010 8:00 Pm (Doors open at: 7:00 Pm)
Mesa Art Center - Ikeda Theatre
One East Main Street, Mesa, Az 85201 (480-644-6500)
All Ages. Tickets available for $20.00, $24.00, and $33.00 in advance, all seats $3.00 higher day of show! Tickets available from Mesa Art Center Box Office...
Fri, February 5th, 2010 8:00 Pm (Doors open at: 7:00 Pm)
Mesa Art Center - Ikeda Theatre
One East Main Street, Mesa, Az 85201 (480-644-6500)
All Ages. Tickets available for $20.00, $24.00, and $33.00 in advance, all seats $3.00 higher day of show! Tickets available from Mesa Art Center Box Office...
- 2/3/2010
- Arizona Reporter
Mesa, Ariz. - George Winston, best known for his melodic rural folk piano style, has made no secret of the debt his playing owes to the musicians of New Orleans. Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions.A Hurricane Relief Benefit was inspired by Winston.s desire to support the Gulf Coast after the recent hurricane related devastation. This beautiful and vast region has a mystique all its own and he has been to it many times, from Corpus Christi, to Galveston, to Lake Charles, to New Orleans, to Gulfport/Biloxi/Bay St. Louis, to Mobile, to Pensacola, to Panama City, to the Tampa Bay, to Ft. Myers, to Naples.
Mesa Art Center - Ikeda Theatre
Fri, February 5th, 2010 8:00 Pm (Doors open at: 7:00 Pm)One East Main Street, Mesa, Az 85201 (480-644-6500)All Ages. Tickets available for $20.00, $24.00, and $33.00 in advance, all seats $3.00 higher day of show! Tickets available from Mesa Art...
Mesa Art Center - Ikeda Theatre
Fri, February 5th, 2010 8:00 Pm (Doors open at: 7:00 Pm)One East Main Street, Mesa, Az 85201 (480-644-6500)All Ages. Tickets available for $20.00, $24.00, and $33.00 in advance, all seats $3.00 higher day of show! Tickets available from Mesa Art...
- 11/12/2009
- Arizona Reporter
Every unjustly maligned genre deserves a three-disc savior, and for modern gospel music—often considered the exclusive terrain of bright-eyed church choirs wrapped in matching robes, swaying on risers—the redeemer is Fire In My Bones, a collection of scrappy, distorted, burning good news. Expertly compiled and produced by Mike McGonigal, who clawed through a slew of private collections and archives, Fire In My Bones: Raw + Rare + Other-worldly African-American Gospel [1944-2007] functions as a kind of postscript to John Fahey’s American Primitive Volume 1: Raw Pre-War Gospel (or Dust To Digital’s Goodbye, Babylon box), showcasing the breadth and ...
- 11/10/2009
- avclub.com
There's a new channel in town, adding to the excellent programming reputation already established by National Geographic Channel (Ngc). Fox Cable Networks (Fcn), National Geographic Ventures (Ngv) and National Geographic Channel U.S. (Ngc) last week announced the upcoming launch of Nat Geo Wild, a new cable network dedicated to bringing audiences extraordinary natural history programming . offering intimate encounters with nature.s ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air. Like National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild will be a joint venture between Ngv and Fcn. Rich Battista, president, Fox National Cable Networks; John Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society; and David Haslingden, CEO National Geographic Channels Worldwide and Fox International Channels made the...
- 10/18/2009
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
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