New Classical Tracks: Rhapsody in BlueMarch 14, 2006 6:00 PMBy Julie AmacherA young pianist from the Dominican Republic teams up with a Spanish orchestra to play a piece that's got New York written all over it. For Michel Camilo, Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" has opportunity written all over it.
IV Thieves - live from South by SouthwestMarch 14, 2006 10:32 AMIV Thieves (formerly Nic Armstrong & The Thieves) come from Nottingham, England. Their first album, The Greatest White Liar, garnered ecstatic reviews. The Guardian UK raved, "Melodies so instant they could arrive in a jar."
Blackalicious - live from South by SouthwestMarch 14, 2006 9:58 AMBlackalicious has been performing their signature style of rap since 1992. Ever since the release of their debut single, they have been known for their smart, spiritual, and intense lyrics.
Play4min 32secMusic brings new life to the words of a fallen soldierMarch 10, 2006 6:00 AMBy Karl GehrkeThe Minnesota-based male chorus Cantus celebrates its 10th anniversary with a new work featuring a text from a poignant last letter home by a soldier killed in Iraq.
Private Givens' letterMarch 9, 2006 5:27 PMThis is the complete text of Private Jesse Givens' last letter to his family, sent from Iraq in April 2003.
Jim Derogatis and the long-lived "Lips"March 9, 2006 3:14 PMMusic critic Jim DeRogatis thinks that only a few people in the rock world qualify as geniuses, and that Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips is one of those people.
Play53min 50secInterpreting the last days of JesusMarch 8, 2006 12:00 AMA new Passion combines modern music traditions and poetry with Biblical language. The composer and librettist say their backgrounds in psychoanalysis helped them appreciate the emotions contained in the Gospels.
New Classical Tracks: Chapel of the PietaMarch 7, 2006 6:00 PMBy Julie AmacherJust like the Grand Canal that passes each of the districts in as it twists along the length of Venice, this new recording by La Serenissima takes us on a magical journey through Vivaldi's music for the Chapel of the Pieta.
Belle and Sebastian: The old within the newMarch 7, 2006 5:10 PMBy Sally McGrawSince their first release in 1996, Glasgow-based cult icons Belle and Sebastian have been crafting sweetly whimsical tunes that smack of sentimental '60s pop. However, the disquieting juxtaposition of the precious and the macabre will have you hooked.
Sustainable musicMarch 3, 2006 2:33 PMBy Chris RobertsWhen Minneapolis-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart needs another instrument to augment his sound, he invents it himself.