05.19.06 (MusicPortal.com) From Tricky to Franz Ferdinand, from Cat Power to The Rakes, from Placebo to Michael Stipe, from Portishead to Marianne Faithfull and from Jarvis Cocker to The Kills, "Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited" (to be released in June) is the latest compilation from Verve Forecast featuring the aforementioned artists. In the past few years, a new name, albeit an unpronounceable one, has appeared on the lips of English-speaking musicians - SERGE GAINSBOURG. The singer/songwriter/Pygmalion actor/filmmaker/author/entertainer/agitator/gambler/ladies' man is an individual whose many facets reflect in each other to form one of the most dazzling prisms in twentieth-century French culture, and whose sparkle now spreads well beyond both France and the century. A few years ago both Madonna and the underground prophet John Zorn declared their admiration for Gainsbourg - separately, but with the same zeal. The English group Portishead lifted the heady atmosphere of Cargo culte from the Melody Nelson album for their stunning remix of Massive Attack's "Karmacoma." De La Soul sampled Gainsbourg, Beck borrowed wholesale ('Paper Tiger'), and countless artists cover his songs. In France and worldwide (from Air to Sonic Youth) artists by the dozens claim him as an influence, to the point that the first proper Gainsbourg biography in English, A fistful of Gitanes by the journalist Sylvie Simmons ended up establishing Gainsbourg on the international scene both as a musician and cultural icon. Yet for a long time, all the British knew about Serge Gainsbourg was his romp on vinyl with Jane Birkin on 'Je T'aime Moi Non Plus,' a single banned by the BBC, condemned by the Vatican, and yet which topped British charts in 1969. They also knew that he got Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani and Vanessa Paradis -- four landmarks of the French feminine ideal seen from outside France -- to sing, and that he shocked Whitney Houston on live television. He is therefore widely remembered in Britain as a sex maniac with -- as his album title says -- a cabbage for a head. But those used to pacing the avenues and alleys of his expansive repertoire know very well that Gainsbourg cannot be summed up in a bit of famous heaving and panting. In fact, Gainsbourg cannot be summed up at all - he is enlarged and appreciated from various angles with the helpless realization that none of... [full story]
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05.11.06 (AP) Soundtrack composer LALO SCHIFRIN's original theme to "Mission: Impossible" ranks high in the pantheon of catchiest songs ever crafted. The New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane recently called it "only the most contagious tune ever heard by mortal ears." The 75-year-old pianist continues to be in high demand, as has composed more than 100 scores, soundtracks and themes in his career - landing him four Grammy awards and six Oscar nominations. Among his most famous: "Bullitt," "Cool Hand Luke," "Dirty Harry," and TV shows "Mannix" and "Starsky & Hutch." Schifrin started out as a Jazz pianist and played for several years with Dizzy Gillespie. He's done extensive Classical work and has conducted various philharmonic orchestras as well. From his home in Beverly Hills, he's remained active. After scoring the first two "Rush Hour" films, he's currently composing the third. And on May 23rd, he'll release "Letters From Argentina," a pulsating album of Tango-influenced works that he calls "musical memories" of his homeland. "Mission: Impossible III" works off of Schifrin's theme, but has been composed by Michael Giacchino - who has previously worked with "M:I3" director J.J. Abrams on "Alias" and "Lost." But "Mission: Impossible" still runs in Schifrin's blood: his website begins with a burning fuse tracing his silhouette as the "M:I" theme plays. Following are some excerpts from an interview recently done with Lalo Schifrin by The Associated Press: Q: Does it surprise you how the theme to "Mission: Impossible" has become so famous? A: "Yes, I am pleasantly surprised because I didn't know when I wrote it that it was going to have such an impact. It was a marriage between the success of the television series, plus the success of the music. If the television series hadn't been successful, maybe nothing would have happened." Q: "Did you write it to match the burning fuse?" A: There was a graphic design company that was supposed to do the titles, and they didn't do it in time. So the producer called me and told me, 'You're going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and it's going to start with a fuse.' I don't know how many seconds he told me. So I did it and there was nothing on the screen. And maybe the fact that I was so free and I had no images to catch, maybe that's why this thing has become so successful - because I wrote something that came from inside me." Q: "Would you say it's a piece that's in your style?" A: "Yes, absolutely. The mixture of classical and jazz; I had a symphony orchestra together with jazz musicians and electronic instruments - which altogether was part of what I had been doing. 'Mannix,' 'Dirty Harry,' 'Bullitt' - they all had that kind of rhythmic and jazz fusion influence. Q: "Are you comfortable always being best known for 'Mission: Impossible'?" A: "No, when I see a fuse I stay away from it (laughs)! The funny thing is I've been hired to do very violent movies and I'm not a violent man at all."

05.10.06 (MusicPortal.com) Avant Garde Technical Instrumental trio DYSRHYTHMIA continue to press on with an extensive string of U.S. tour dates with YAKUZA and BEHOLD...THE ARCTOPUS (with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN beginning 7/15) throughout the Spring and Summer in support of their new album. Having established themselves as one of the finest instrumental bands in the world, DYSRHYTHMIA make the standard trio (guitar, bass, drums) setup sound like so much more, and complex, innovative music sound easy. On "Barriers And Passages," the band's new release on Relapse Records, the band raise the bar once again with their exceptional playing and unwavering dedication to forward-thinking song craft. Time signatures bend and shift intuitively as rich washes of melody and layers of noise are the voices that punctuate crisp musical constructions on the new album. Engineered by Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Dresden Dolls, Swans, Helmet, Brian Eno), "Barriers And Passages" is simply a modern technical tour de force. Tour Dates: 05/25 Philadelphia, PA [Khyber Pass] • 05/26 New York, NY [Tap Bar @ The Knitting Factory] • 05/27 Allston, MA [O'Brien's] • 05/28 New Haven, CT [Bar Nightclub] • 05/29 Fredericksburg, VA [The Bourbon Room] • 05/30 Charlotte, NC [The Milestone] • 05/31 Charleston, SC [Cumberlands] • 06/01 Myrtle Beach, SC [The Social] • 06/02 Athens, GA [Tasty World] • 06/03 Memphis, TN [Hi Tone] • 06/04 New Orleans, LA [One Eyed Jacks] • 06/05 Beaumont, TX [Vortex] • 06/06 San Antonio, TX [Sanctuary] • 06/07 Austin, TX [Emo's] • 06/08 Dallas, TX [Darkside Lounge] • 06/09 Albuquerque, NM [Launch Pad] • 06/10 Phoenix, AZ [The Tribe House] • 06/11 Los Angeles, CA [Alterknit Lounge @ The Knitting Factory] • 06/12 San Francisco, CA [Elbo Room] • 06/13 Portland, OR [Rock N Roll Pizza] • 06/14 Seattle, WA [El Corazon] • 06/15 Boise, ID [Grove St] • 06/16 Salt Lake City, UT [Club Vegas] • 06/17 Denver, CO [Larimer Lounge] • 06/18 Lawrence, KS [Replay Lounge] • 06/19 Minneapolis, MN [Triple Rock] • 06/20 Dubuque, IA [Busted Lift] • 06/21 Madison, WI [High Noon Saloon] • 06/22 Milwaukee, WI [Vnuks] • 06/23 Chicago, IL [Beat Kitchen] • 06/24 Dayton, OH [Elbo's] • 06/25 Columbus, OH [High Five] • 06/26 Cleveland, OH [Beachland Ballroom] • 06/27 Rochester, NY [Bug Jar] • 06/28 Williamsburg, NY [Union Pool Bar] • 07/14 Tucson, AZ [Skrappy's] • 07/15 Albuquerque, NM [Launch Pad] • 07/18 Houston, TX [Walter's On Washington] • 07/19 Dallas, TX [Gypsy Tea Room] • 07/20 Austin, TX [Emo's] • 07/21 Fayetteville, AR [The Music Hall] • 07/22 Des Moines, IA [House Of Bricks] • 07/23 Madison, WI [The Annex] • 07/28 Papillion, NE [The Rock] • 07/29 Wichita, KS [Headway Skatepark]
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05.09.06 (MusicPortal.com) The UK's biggest selling star, KATIE MELUA, is releasing her album "Piece By Piece" in the U.S. on June 6th. Following sold-out performances all over Europe, the young vocalist will be joining Il Divo on tour in North America to support the release. Still riding high on the success of her multi-platinum debut album, "Call Off The Search" -- which spawned the genre-crossing megahit 'The Closest Thing To Crazy' -- the Georgian-born, Belfast-raised Melua's "Piece By Piece" has already sold over 2.5 million copies and holds steady at the top of the charts throughout Europe since its release there. A Pop, Jazz and Blues chanteuse with talent to burn and a voice and songs to melt any heart, she is currently Britain's biggest-selling female artist for two consecutive years now (2004 and 2005), selling out London's Royal Albert Hall and appearing at Buckingham Palace last year. At just 21 years of age, this international singing sensation's soulful, acoustic sound has simply captured audiences around the world and more - having already performed for Nelson Mandela, rocked with legendary group Queen, and can honestly call the Queen of England one of her biggest fans. She even caught the attention of Hollywood when she was asked to record the title track for the feature film "Just Like Heaven" starring Reese Witherspoon. "Piece By Piece" Track Listing: 1. Shy Boy • 2. Nine Million Bicycles • 3. Piece By Piece • 4. Halfway Up The Hindu Kush • 5. Blues In The Night • 6. Spider's Web • 7. Blue Shoes • 8. On The Road Again • 9. Thankyou, Stars • 10. Just Like Heaven • 11. I Cried For You • 12. I Do Believe In Love Upcoming Tour Dates With Il Divo: June 14th Boca Raton, FL [Mizner Park Amphitheater] • June 15th Boca Raton, FL [Mizner Park Amphitheater] • June 16th Tampa, FL [Ford Amphitheater] • June 18th Atlanta, GA [Chastain Park Amphitheater] • June 20th Spring, TX [Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion] • June 21st Dallas, TX [Smirnoff Music Centre] • June 23rd Las Vegas, NV [Mandalay Bay] • June 24th Phoenix, AZ [Cricket Pavilion] • June 25th San Diego, CA [Bayside Concerts At Embarcadero] • June 27th Los Angeles, CA [Greek Theater] • June 28th Los Angeles, CA [Greek Theater] • June 30th Marysville, CA [Sleep Train Amphitheater] • July 1st Concord, CA [Chronicle Pavilion] • July 3rd Vancouver, BC [General Motors Place]
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05.04.06 (MusicPortal.com) CORINNE BAILEY RAE will release her stirringly soulful self-titled debut album via Capitol Records on June 20th. It becomes self-evident the moment you hear her sing her first note -- it's a slice of sublime Blues delivered with a voice that pins you in the most persuasive of ways -- a voice full of caress, subtlety and pure quality. And it belongs to a young woman not from somewhere musically exotic -- say, Mississippi or even Manhattan -- but just east of the M1: Leeds, UK. Her name is Corinne Bailey Rae, and she was born to do this. Inspired as much by Bjork and Massive Attack as, say, Jill Scott, she went into the studio and came up with her debut album. It is in her own words: "a little bit of everything: it's chilled out, acoustic, kooky, atmospheric and soulful. I'd also be tempted to say it comes from a very organic place, but that would sound pretentious, so I won't." The response has also been amazing. With her very first limited edition EP "Like A Star" entering the UK Top 40 in November of 2005 and the first single proper 'Put Your Records On' becoming a Europe-wide smash, the world is at her feet. Added to that a mountain of incredible press articles singing her many praises, magazine front covers, topping the BBC poll of "Sound Of 2006," sold-out tour dates across Europe, and the kind of radio and TV play that established artists can only dream of, there seems to be no stopping Corinne Bailey Rae. "I started off singing in church, I suppose, but people think it must have been a gospel church because of the whole, you know, black assumption," she says in reference to her mixed-race background. "But it wasn't gospel at all, it was just your regular brethren church, very middle-class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favorite part of the service, the singing." A move to a down-at-heel Baptist church followed, where the choir alternated between traditional hymns and the slightly less orthodox Primal Scream wig-outs. "We changed the words though," explains Corinne. "We didn't want to offend the regular churchgoers, now did we?" Singing in that way every week led to a broadening... [full story]
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[Jazz News: April 2006]
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