TheState.com: Music

Songwriter Ashley Monroe finally has her moment

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:00 EST

John Grady recently handed Ashley Monroe a box filled with copies of her new album, "Like a Rose." He'd rushed out of the building and caught her in the parking lot. The arrival of the CDs was a milestone moment for the country singer-songwriter and her manager, the culmination of nearly a decade of work together.

To be honest, Grady was a little misty.

Not Monroe. She tossed the box in her car, put the vehicle in drive and headed right on down the road. Just like she's always done. Throw out any obstacle and Monroe will deal with it.

"I'm just now learning that there is a master plan," Monroe said. "Because there's been many times where I've looked up at the sky and thought, 'Really? What am I doing? What am I supposed to be doing?' But now I'm seeing all the good and the bad that I've lived and experienced just kind of come together. OK, all that was supposed to happen."

Need proof?

The Riff Report: New music this week

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:40 EST

Son Volt - "Honky Tonk": With Wilco now seemingly on the downward slide, and "Honky Tonk" showing just how much of a vital force Son Volt is, this might be the perfect time for Farrar's band to reclaim the promise of their wildly successful debut. Son Volt may never overtake "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" in the best post-Uncle Tupelo sweepstakes, but "Honky Tonk" is a record of careful strides that wears its heart deliberately on its sleeve. And that heart is distinctly rooted in a time and place that is mesmerizing in its folklore, and without slagging another fine band, that's something Wilco has never really been able to capture. The bell curve for Son Volt has just notched another uptick. - Zachary Houle

Chelsea Light Moving - "Chelsea Light Moving": Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore seems to want to claim the mantle of rock for himself. Everything about his new band Chelsea Light Moving so far, from the band's announcement and mission statement to "blow up" birthday parties and bat mitzvahs to the primal songs on their debut album implies that Moore - now freed from the shackles of being in an "art" band - just wants to rock. "Chelsea Light Moving" showcases probably the first instance of Moore pursuing a musical aesthetic somewhat close to black metal and, taken with the various nods to '80s hardcore, the album can easily be seen as an attempt to return to youth via the paring down of Moore's musical vocabulary. - Kevin Korber

Bastille - "Bad Blood": Bastille purveys in what might be best described as "apocalyptic pop." Though "Bad Blood," the band's major label debut, operates within the safe realms of verse-chorus structure, everything is amped up to 11, creating a sense of urgency that makes what could have been a collection of ordinary electronic indie pop sound like a battle cry for the end times. Booming male choirs, string effects, echoey pianos, allusions to Greek mythology and the Bible - Bastille brings out all the artillery on "Bad Blood," and the result is nothing less than earth-shattering. - Brice Ezell

The Men - "New Moon": Now we have the Men, that most urban of things - an art-punk band from Brooklyn - running for the hills. Their new album, "New Moon" was recorded in two quick weeks in the Catskills, in upstate New York. It's immediately apparent that the rural vibe has influenced the music. I guess making music out in the wilderness just doesn't feel right unless there are acoustic guitars, harmonicas and lap steel involved. The album is even being accompanied by a six-track EP called "Campfire Songs," which they'll be giving away on their upcoming tour and which they, literally, recorded around a campfire. - Matt Messana

Boz Scaggs - "Memphis": Boz Scaggs travels to Memphis to do a record informed by that city's unparalleled soul and R&B culture. Like others before, he booked Royal Studios, where Willie Mitchell and Al Green recorded the most beautiful pop music ever made by anyone at any time in history. So, you're probably thinking worthy-but-snoozy nostalgia trip, right? Something that's so middle-of-the-road that it might as well have yellow lines painted on it? Well, Boz Scaggs - even at age 68 - has too much soul for that. In fact, "Memphis" is lean and tight, deeply felt but never boring. - Matt Cibula

FBI releases its records on Whitney Houston

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:13 EST

The FBI has released its files on a trio of investigations the agency conducted on behalf of Whitney Houston.

The records released Monday show the agency conducted one investigation into an alleged extortion attempt in 1992, but agents and prosecutors determined no crime occurred.

Agents also found no evidence of criminal threats to the singer in fan mail that was sent to the FBI for investigation in 1988 and 1999.

The 128-page file covers the height of the Grammy-winning singer's popularity but does not contain any new personal details.

Records on the FBI's extortion investigation in which Houston was interviewed at the New Jersey offices of her management company are heavily redacted.

Reviews of new pop music releases

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:14 EST

JOHNNY MARR "The Messenger" (ADA, 2 1/2 stars)

Johnny Marr has built up so much goodwill over the years - as the guitar genius who gave musical shape to the Smiths, as a sideman with everyone from Tom Jones to Talking Heads - that it feels a bit mean to give "The Messenger" a lukewarm review. In fact, the 49-year-old jangle-pop master's first proper solo album is pleasant, polished, and full of the clean, understated playing that's been Marr's hallmark for decades. But while Marr makes strides as a front man, whooping it up on the galloping "Upstarts" and telling a coming-of-age tale in "New Town Velocity," he lacks pizzazz as a singer and lyricist. For legions of longtime fans, "The Messenger" will be a most welcome arrival. But while he's an adequate singer, Marr's "voice" is most clearly heard in his guitar playing, and none of the songs here leap out and grab the unconverted.

- Dan DeLuca

THE MAVERICKS "In Time" (Valory, 3 1/2 stars)

The Mavericks were operating at their artistic peak when they split up in 2003. With "In Time," they pick up right where they left off - that is, weaving a vibrant tapestry of sound that soars gloriously behind the borders of country music, where they began.

Stella McCartney restyles pinstripes; Paul is late

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:41 EST

Stella McCartney did some spring cleaning for her fall-winter show in Paris, replacing her old wardrobe standbys with a ready-to-wear collection that was more textural and sculpted than usual.

With exaggerated lapels, it was the British tailoring staple - the dark pinstripe suit - that was reimagined.

"I wanted a refresh in a classical way," the designer said backstage at Paris' neo-baroque Opera Garnier. "Women have a masculine side and if you tap into that, you find another part of yourself."

But for McCartney, the most feminine of designers, the menswear allusions were only hinted at. The signature remained relaxed, with soft silhouettes and circular cuts in silk duchess and silk cloquet jacquard.

The show began half an hour late. Hold-ups like that unusually annoy the fashion crowd, but not when the designer is waiting for her dad, Paul McCartney.

Review: Newcomers Midi Matilda show major talent

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:33 EST

Midi Matilda, "Red Light District EP" (Five Seven Music)

San Francisco-based electro pop duo Midi Matilda pulls the rug out from under your feet with their six-track debut EP, "Red Light District." Having joined forces just a year ago, with names like Logan Grime and Skyler Kilborn, they couldn't have been anything other than a pair of poets in disguise as musicians. Their peppy sound strides the line between modern pop and homage 1980s with aplomb and manages to capture a certain joie de vivre and a youthful hopefulness without sounding derivative.

"Day Dreams" transports you to a wistful day of reverie and "Love and the Movies" veers into a strange time-bending territory where you feel you've heard bits and pieces of the synth, yet you're dislocated into the unknown. And "Ottawa" pulses through your feet with lyrics like: "Unsure lady, if there's room for you and I, you're pouring your concrete and it's taking time for it to dry."

Put on your dancing shoes.

Review: Kate Nash's 3rd album is desultory

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:45 EST

Kate Nash, "Girl Talk" (Have 10p Records/Fontana)

It must be tough enough going through your 20s without worrying whether the pop machinery that built you up at age 20 has spit you out completely.

Seems that way for Kate Nash, one of a number of strong young British artists to emerge in the last decade and a writer with sass, who now sings lines like "I'm a waste of space." Courtney Love's grungy rock provides the musical blueprint for "Girl Talk," and a fresh romantic breakup gives Nash material to mine in her third album. The result is desultory, often tuneless, and the kind of disc that would be forgotten in a long career.

Trouble is, she may never get the chance for one.

Review: Ashley Monroe displays Dolly-sized persona

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:48 EST

Ashley Monroe, "Like a Rose" (Warner Bros.)

"You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter)," a single from Ashley Monroe's album, "Like a Rose," finds her trading tongue-in-cheek lines with country star Blake Shelton on a witty duet soaked in Nashville traditions.

Despite what the lyrics contend, Monroe shares many traits with Dolly Parton. She comes from a struggling family in East Tennessee. She sings in a fetching, tender-yet-strong warble. She writes story-songs steeped in real-life drama, yet with a sunny underpinning. And she has a natural, down-home charisma that shines through on everything she does.

A member of the Pistol Annies, Monroe's big-name supporters are many: Vince Gill co-produced her album and she's already collaborated with Jason Aldean, Ronnie Dunn, Wanda Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, Jack White, Dwight Yoakam and the rock band Train. No wonder "Like a Rose" has the audacious sound of a newcomer whose talent is already in full bloom.

Report: Australian miners fired for 'Harlem Shake'

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:35 EST

Up to 15 miners were fired from their high-paying jobs in an Australian gold mine after a "Harlem Shake" performance underground was deemed a safety hazard, a newspaper reported on Monday.

A YouTube video shows eight miners wearing safety gear while performing the convulsive dance in the Agnew Gold Mine last week. The West Australian newspaper quoted a sacked worker who wouldn't give his name as saying up to 15 people were fired, including some who watched the performance but did not participate.

Mine owner Barminco considered the stunt a safety issue and a breach of its "core values of safety, integrity and excellence," according to a dismissal letter cited by the paper.

The letter noted that Barminco would not allow the dancing workers "to be subcontracted by Barminco at any site domestically and globally."

It's not clear from the video what safety issues are raised. The dancing miners wear helmets, but five are shirtless. The sacked worker told the newspaper that shirts had been removed to ensure the Barminco name did not appear in the video.

Rising in rock: Imagine Dragons making moves

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:37 EST

When he first started working with Imagine Dragons, music producer Alex da Kid was looking for some inspiration for the Broadway musical, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."

"I thought they would be great to help me come up with ideas for U2," the Grammy-nominated English producer said.

There was just one problem: The demos they recorded were too good.

So instead of using the alternative band to collaborate on the score by Bono and The Edge, Alex da Kid - the creator of Eminem and Rihanna's colossal hit "Love the Way You Lie" - immediately signed the Las Vegas-based foursome to his label imprint KIDinaKORNER Records, distributed through Interscope Records.

Imagine Dragons released its debut album, "Night Visions," in September and so far has reached gold status, selling more than 600,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band currently has two songs in the Top 25 with "It's Time" and "Radioactive" and they are on a sold-out U.S. tour that wraps June 3 in Phoenix.

Van Cliburn remembered as gifted pianist

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:00 EST

Legendary pianist Van Cliburn was remembered Sunday as a gifted musician who transcended the boundaries of politics and art by easing tensions during the Cold War and introducing classical music to millions.

About 1,400 people attended a memorial service for Cliburn, who died Wednesday at 78 after fighting bone cancer. As the service began, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra accompanied a choir while pall bearers carried his flower-covered coffin into a Fort Worth church.

Several speakers referred to what made Cliburn famous: winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, when he was just 23. At the height of the Cold War, the win by the pianist who grew up in Texas helped thaw the icy rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union.

"Over the course of many years, during the most difficult historical times, the art of Van Cliburn brought together people from different countries, different continents and united them," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement that was read during the service. "We shall always remember Van Cliburn as a true and sincere friend of the Russian people."

Former President George W. Bush told mourners that Soviets at the competition didn't find the expected stereotypical Texas cowboy but a gracious, humble young man who was "beloved, even by the enemy." Cliburn continued to spread peace and love through his music, Bush said.

Turkish singer Muslum Gurses dies

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:45 EST

The popular Turkish singer Muslum Gurses, adored by many for his melancholic, Arabic-inspired songs, has died. He was 59.

Deniz Sener, a cardiologist at Istanbul's Memorial Hospital said the singer, nicknamed "Muslum Baba" or "Papa Muslum," died of heart failure on Sunday. He had been hospitalized since by-pass surgery in November.

Gurses, who recorded more than a dozen albums, was best known for his mournful tunes blending Turkish folk instruments with Arabic melodies. Some fans have been so enthralled by his songs they earned a reputation for cutting themselves with razor blades at his concerts.

He had acquired a cult following among the young with his interpretation of Turkish pop and rock sounds.

Gurses is survived by his wife. His funeral was scheduled for Monday in Istanbul.

Company in Ky. crash had 17 tickets in 2 years

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:02 EST

A trucking company involved in a crash that killed six people in Kentucky had accumulated 17 traffic violations over two years before the accident, leading federal authorities to advise states to closely inspect its vehicles.

Despite the warning to states, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gave Highway Star Inc., a satisfactory rating based on its overall performance during that two-year span ending March 3. The rating factors in both traffic stops and safety inspections, and the company had a slightly better record of passing the inspections than the national average.

The 17 traffic violations were for speeding, improper lane change, following too closely to another vehicle and failure to wear a seatbelt.

Duane DeBruyne, a spokesman for the agency, said the warning is meant to notify inspectors in each state when a trucking company's vehicles deserve closer inspections, but the notification doesn't require them to do so. Inspectors at weigh stations, state troopers and other authorities have access to the notices.

Phone and email messages left for Highway Star in Oak Park, Mich., were not immediately returned Monday.

Kellie Pickler drummer among injured in Ky. crash

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:24 EST

The drummer for country music star Kellie Pickler was in serious condition Sunday as one of five people hospitalized in two crashes that happened within minutes at the same spot on Interstate 65 in central Kentucky and killed six.

Pickler's manager, Larry Fitzgerald, said 36-year-old Gregg Lohman of Goodlettsville, Tenn., suffered serious injuries in the wreck Saturday. He remained in serious condition Sunday at University of Louisville Hospital.

Kentucky State Police Master Trooper Norm Chaffins said Lohman, who also works as a music instructor at Tennessee State University, had head and neck injuries after a four-vehicle wreck in the southbound lanes. It happened about 15 minutes after a fiery crash involving a tractor-trailer and an SUV on the northbound side of the highway.

On her Facebook page, Pickler said Lohman wasn't just a drummer, "he is family."

"I believe in the miracles and the power of prayer, so it would mean the world to me, my band and Gregg's family if you would please keep him in your prayers," Pickler wrote. "Thank y'all so much."

Rogers, founder of Motown group The Miracles, dies

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:08 EST

Bobby Rogers, a founding member of Motown group The Miracles and a songwriting collaborator with Smokey Robinson, died Sunday at his suburban Detroit home. He was 73.

Motown Museum board member Allen Rawls said Rogers died about 6 a.m. in Southfield. Rogers had been ill for several years.

Rogers formed the group in 1956 with cousin Claudette Rogers, Pete Moore, Ronnie White and Robinson. Their hits included "Shop Around," ''You've Really Got a Hold on Me," ''The Tracks of My Tears," ''Going to a Go-Go," ''I Second That Emotion" and "The Tears of a Clown."

"Another soldier in my life has fallen. Bobby Rogers was my brother and a really good friend," Robinson said Sunday in a statement. "He and I were born on the exact same day in the same hospital in Detroit. I am really going to miss him. I loved him very much."

Roger's cousin Claudette told the Detroit Free Press that everyone was drawn to his personality.

Madonna to present GLAAD award to Anderson Cooper

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:11 EST

Gay advocacy group GLAAD says Madonna will present CNN's Anderson Cooper with an award for openly gay media professionals.

GLAAD told The Associated Press on Saturday that the singer has been chosen to give Cooper the Vito Russo Award at the 24th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on March 16.

GLAAD President Herndon Graddick says Madonna and Cooper are longtime friends who have both used their careers to support lesbian, gay and transgender people.

Cooper declined to speak publicly about his sexuality for years. But last July he gave blogger Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email in which Cooper said he was gay and "couldn't be more happy."

Russo helped found GLAAD and wrote a book about gay people in the movies called "The Celluloid Closet."

Italian composer of Rome theme song dies at 95

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:05 EST

Armando Trovajoli, an Italian who composed music for some 300 films and whose lush and playful serenade to Rome is a much-requested romantic standby for tourists, has died at age 95.

The city's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, mourned Trovajoli's passing, saying in a statement that ''the voice of Rome has been extinguished." The Italian news agency ANSA said widow Maria Paola Trovajoli announced the death Saturday, saying her husband had died a few days before in Rome but declining to give the exact date.

Roman by birth, Trovajoli began his musical career as a pianist, playing jazz and dance music. He appeared with many jazz stars, among them Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong, Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt.

In the 1950s, his prolific relationship with the film world took flight. Travojoli composed for many of Italy's hit movies of the next decades, especially comedies.

He wrote the music for two of Sophia Loren's most famous films, ''A Special Day" and ''Two Women," which won her an Oscar. Others included the neorealist classic ''Riso Amaro (Bitter Rice)" and ''Marriage Italian Style," another Loren film.

Playboy Jazz Festival sets June 15-16 lineup

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:32 EST

LOS ANGELES - The lineup for the 35th annual Playboy Jazz Festival has been announced, and in addition to the weekend-long concert's signature mix of jazz, funk and R&B, the festival also revealed that comic and former late-night host George Lopez will take over for longtime host Bill Cosby this year.

Cosby had served as master of ceremonies at the festival since 1979, and last year the comedy legend stepped down after becoming as much a part of the show's fabric as the Hollywood Bowl, parasols and picnic baskets.

"It's a tremendous honor," Lopez said from the Playboy Mansion, where the announcement for the June 15-16 event was made Thursday. "I've always been around jazz through some of the hits that made it to the mainstream. ... I love music, it's a huge part of my life." Lopez added that he hoped this could turn into a regular hosting role, but for now only this year is confirmed.

Lopez will be surrounded by a typically eclectic lineup, which will feature a blend of familiar faces and intriguing newcomers. Smooth-jazz keyboardist George Duke with guest Jeffrey Osborne lead the first day of the festival, along with the a cappella vocal group Naturally 7, who will be joined by the L.A. Philharmonic's creative chair for jazz, Herbie Hancock.

In one of the festival's most fascinating turns, recent Grammy winner the Robert Glasper Experiment will also perform Saturday in another high-profile turn for the inventive jazz pianist after a breakthrough year.

Man charged in boating death of Usher's stepson

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:09 EST

An Atlanta man has been charged with killing the 11-year-old stepson of pop star Usher in a boating collision last summer.

Jeffrey Simon Hubbard was arrested Friday, the day after a Hall County grand jury indicted him on charges of first-degree homicide by vessel in the death of Kile Glover. Kile was the son of Usher's ex-wife, Tameka Raymond.

District Attorney Lee Darragh tells The Times of Gainesville (http://bit.ly/YPMC11 ) Hubbard is jailed without bond pending a court appearance Saturday.

Authorities say Kile and his father, Ryan Glover, were vacationing at Lake Lanier when Hubbard crashed a personal watercraft into the boy's raft July 6. Kile died at a hospital July 21.

Hubbard's father, Simon Hubbard, declined to comment. He said he didn't know if his son had hired an attorney.

Bon Jovi launches world tour 'Because We Can'

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:57 EST

ATLANTA - As a unit, Bon Jovi has sold more than 130 million records, repeatedly toured the globe and, on March 12, will release its 12th studio album, "What About Now." The band will also perform March 14 on "American Idol" and, in one of the more amusing notes on their resume, compete for favorite music group at Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards March 23, alongside Maroon 5, Big Time Rush and One Direction.

That's when you know your appeal is multigenerational.

Along with the accomplishments of Bon Jovi the band comes the rundown of their extracurricular activities of late: Jon Bon Jovi was nominated for a Golden Globe for his plaintive ballad "Not Running Anymore" from "Stand Up Guys" (he lost to Adele, just like everyone loses to Adele). Guitarist Richie Sambora released his third solo album, "Aftermath of the Lowdown," last fall. Drummer Tico Torres maintains a busy side career as an artist. And keyboardist David Bryan brought more prestige to the New Jersey-born band when "Memphis," the Broadway musical he co-wrote, nabbed four Tony Awards in 2010.

But no matter how potent the members of Bon Jovi are apart, together they're still that rare superpower that sells out arenas and stadiums like few of their ilk are still able to do.

This new tour, dubbed Because We Can, after the first single from the new record, will travel the globe through at least July. Since many shows take place before the new album arrives, Bryan said Jon Bon Jovi, who crafts the set lists, will sprinkle in a few new songs at every show, adding more once the album is released.