Those of you who are old enough might remember Synapse magazine. When electronic music represented the brave new frontier of sound, Synapse was the leading source documenting this movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Zappa, Eno, Fripp, Stockhausen, Devo and other artists famous enough to be referred to only by their surnames, adorned…
Category: Reviews & Commentary
Reviews & Commentary
Pioneer Laurie Spiegel heard in The Hunger Games.
Fans of early electronic music will be interested in this tidbit from The Hunger Games, which uses an ancient piece from Laurie Spiegel. Read about it at wired.com I had some great interviews with Laurie in the 1980s for Totally Wired and maybe Electronic Musician. Always a smart and gracious artist. ~© 2012 John Diliberto…
Reviews & Commentary
Nearfest Exits, Farfest Enters
If you missed out on tickets for Nearfest Apocalypse, the final edition of this venerable festival, then hang on until October for Farfest, a four day progressive rock festival happening in Wilmington, Delaware at the Grand Opera House October 4-7. The festival has put together an impressive array of 70’s Progressive rock acts, all from…
Reviews & Commentary
Vangelis Speaks
In early December, 2011 the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Forum took place in Doha, Qatar and as part of the festivities, Vangelis was invited to perform. He gave a rare interview for Al-Jazerra English, although not as rare as the interviewer claims when he says it’s the composers first televsion interview in 20 years. …
Reviews & Commentary
DEAD CAN DANCE Return from the Grave.
It seemed like they’d never get together again. Even their 2005 reunion tour ended in acrimony, despite selling out every venue they played. But Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry are getting together again as Dead Can Dance. They’ve been recording new music since the middle of last year and are threatening an album, and have…
Reviews & Commentary
The Monkees’ Davy Jones Has Left the Set
DAVY JONES SINGS HIS LAST HEY HEY Davy Jones (30 December 1945 – 29 February 2012) passes at 66 from a reported heart attack. I dug Mickey Dolenz more and he definitely got the best songs, and I appreciated Michael Nesmith more later on, but in 1965, when I was in 6th grade, I loved…
Program Highlights, Reviews & Commentary
Rhian Sheehan vs Hammock
Rhian Sheehan is a wonderful ambient composer from New Zealand. His album, Standing in Silence was one of our favorites on Echoes a couple of years ago with his mixing of found sound and synthesizer cycles. He’s just collaborated with one of our favorite ambient guitar bands, Hammock, from Nashville. The original song is from…
Reviews & Commentary
Harold Budd Tribute
The OKTAF RECORDS label is putting out what looks to be a very promising tribute album to Harold Budd with people like Biosphere, Marsen Jules, and several artists I’m less familiar with. Here’s the Press Release: With “Lost In The Humming Air – Music inspired by Harold Budd” oktaf records announces an amazing collection of…
Reviews & Commentary
It’s 2009 and 2010 All Over As Grammy’s Goof Again in New Age.
In 2009 as the Grammy Awards were announced, I wrote a blog called Who is Henta and How Did She Get Nominated for A Grammy. With just a simple name-replacement and a couple of updates, I rewrote it in 2010 as Who is Zamora and How Did He Get Nominated for a Grammy? I didn’t…
Reviews & Commentary
Frankie Rose Goes Galactic.
Frankie Rose concocts a psychedelic mix of shoegaze moods, New Wave grandiosity and chorale serenity. Frankie Rose, previously recording as Frankie Rose and the Outs, was a drummer and singer in Dum Dum Girls and you can hear the Go-Gos-style summer of electro punk joyfulness that group had, but there is a darker more shoegazer…