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Music
"The Magical Point of Contact of Man with Nature": WADADA LEO SMITH, SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS (CUNEIFORM RECORDS)
By David ShirleyIn the ongoing struggle between theory and performance in avant-garde music, theory has increasingly assumed the upper hand.
Boy Meets Girl: LINDSTRØM & CHRISTABELLE, REAL LIFE IS NO COOL (SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND) CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, IRM (BECAUSE)
By Kate SilverWhen New York experienced its first snowfall of the season, there was nowhere to go but in. The temps may not have dipped dramatically, but with the radiator hissing and comfort in the air it was hard to leave the house.
Some Kinds of Love: THE VELVET UNDERGROUND IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
By Kurt GottschalkLast summer, my childhood pal Eric asked me who my favorite rock band was. Growing up together in central Illinois, this was something we spent much time discussing—most dramatically at around the age of 10 when I changed mine from Kiss to Aerosmith, causing a brief rift between us. But at least back in grade school I had an answer. Now I was at a loss.
Low Art and High Drama at the Met
By George GrellaThe 2009–2010 Metropolitan Opera season began with arguments over Luc Bondy’s new production of Tosca. The most aggrieved party was Franco Zeffirelli, whose work Bondy’s replaced.
Jazz in New Places: THE JOHN ESCREET PROJECT/TAYLOR HASKINS & RECOMBINATION AT DROM
By Harper WillisNYU senior Adam Schatz and recent Brown graduate James Donahue have set out to prove that jazz is still alive and vibrant. Together, with the help of a few eager interns, they run Search and Restore, a non-profit company that promotes and books live jazz and improvised-music shows in New York City.
OUTTAKES
By Steve DalachinskyFirst off, I can’t believe that while in Paris I got busted by the Métro cops for the second time in five years. The fine went up to a whopping forty euros.
Revival Times at Union Pool
By Michael Cohn-GeltnerMany young bands either sound unoriginal by copying their influences too closely, or end up making disorganized and unstructured music in an effort to sound wholly original. Revival Times doesn’t make these mistakes
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