The Independent - Music RSS Feed

Wilco, Forum, London

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Where you been?" responds an amused Jeff Tweedy to a punter's call to "play the hits", midway through Wednesday's show at the Forum. "These are the hits!"

Lou Reed: Photographer

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Lou Reed may be a rock legend, the founding member of the Velvet Underground, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a man so cool that fans keel over in the reflection of his mirrored shades. Yet he has an alter ego, a solitary figure, a man who retreats quietly into nature to observe the light and make elegant, romantic photographs, far removed from his life at the heart of New York City. The process could not be more different but there are parallels between his music and his photographs. Putting together a book of photographs is, says Reed, like sequencing a CD. It is intuitive, an indefinable way of working where things happen not through planning and preordained ideas, but because they feel right. He approaches photography with the qualities of a musician. "The response is emotional. That's all I want; they are taken with emotion and put together with emotion, equal emotion," he says.

Steve Martin with The Steep Canyon Rangers, Royal Festival Hall, London

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

"It's always been a dream of mine to play banjo at the Royal Festival Hall," says Steve Martin, banjo in hand, from the stage of the Royal Festival Hall. The briefest of pauses, and then: "And tonight, I feel one step closer to realising that dream." Written out like that, it doesn't seem quite as funny as it did earlier this evening – but then, comedy is all about timing and delivery. And jokes. And some other stuff too humorous to mention, probably.

Russian rock band plans worldwide tour dates

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Russian rock band Mumiy Troll has a huge following in its native country, where it plays more than 100 gigs a year. Now, the band is selling out shows in North America, and Variety Magazine reports that 2010 tour dates are expected throughout Europe and Asia.

Michael Bublé plans re-release of 'Crazy Love'

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canadian singer Michael Bublé plans to reissue his album Crazy Love in 2010, announced Billboard.com on November 9. The release will include additional songs Bublé recorded during the album recording sessions, among them "Hollywood Dead," which will be released as a single after "Have I Met You" and "Hold On."

Britney Spears 'upset' over Australian tour complaints

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:40:04 GMT

Britney Spears has done it again, hitting the headlines during her first Australian tour over a row about lip-synching and a lacklustre performance that her tour promoter said had left her "extremely upset".

I Love Techno, Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:30 GMT

Techno has acquired a reputation somewhere between Eurotrash and Madchester in recent years in the UK, but Ghent's annual I Love Techno festival is proof that neither the music nor the fans are as naff or as addled as either of these connotations unfairly suggest.

Nneka, ULU, London

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:08 GMT

Although one of the Mobo's less heralded awards has always been Best African Act, the 2009 winner, Nneka Egbuna, could well break the trend for underachievement set by previous recipients 9ice and Batman Samini.

UN to receive proceeds from John Lennon hit

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

John Lennon's family has agreed to donate all proceeds from downloads of the hit single "Give peace a chance" to UN peace initiatives, an official said Monday.

Stone-playing Zen master gives rare Paris concerts

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

He turned his back on the music business in the 1970s to practice Zen Buddhism, but a very special stone lured renowned Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamashta back into melody-making.

Japanese cellist wins world's top competition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Japan's Dai Miyata, 23, won the Ninth Rostropovich cello competition at the final on Saturday in Paris, among the 64 musicians who competed in this year's event, organisers said.

Disappointment as Morrissey axes concert during second song

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:47:38 GMT

Thousands of Morrissey fans were left disappointed when the star axed a concert mid way through the second song.

Album: Robbie Williams, Reality Killed the Video Star (EMI)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

"It ticks all the boxes,"says Williams of hiseighth solo album. And itdoes – at times joyously(the first three tracks), atother times mechanically(pretty much the rest ofthe album). Trevor Horn'sproduction is blessingand curse: when thematerial's strong enough,Horn is more than up toit; when it's not, thewhole thing sounds a bit1980s (and not in a good,retro way). Essentially, aswith Russell Brand, it all comes downtowhatyou think of Robbiealready. A comeback ofsorts, then. But is theaudience still there?

Album: Nguyen Le, Saiyuki (ACT)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The Japanese title means "Journey to the West", which in this case indicates a journey – led by the Paris-based Vietnamese Nguyen – with the Japanese koto-player and singer Mieko Miyazaki, tabla-player Prabhu Edouard and the great Hindustani flute player Hariprasad Chaurasia. Each is conversant withtransnational modernstyles. The resulting musicchanges its cultural centreof gravity from track totrack. Sometimes it's northIndia; sometimes it linksJapan and San Francisco.Asparky experiment.

Album: AA Bondy, When the Devil's Loose (Fat Possum)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Too understated and unoriginal to find its way on to anyone's albums of the year lists, the second solo effort from the former Verbena (nope, never heard of them either) singer will, none the less, tickle these ears more frequently than many a "worthier" contender. It'sa gentle work of simplepleasures: Bondy's bruisedbut never broken voiceproviding the perfect foilfor his melancholic butnever miserable songs.Think Ryan Adams' Heartbreakerif it had songsabout vampires andwerewolves. True Bloodmakers take note.

Album: Julie Fowlis, Uam (Spit and Polish)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

There is degree to which Scots Gaelic trad music must remain a mysteryto non-Celts, but only a small degree. It's a simple fact that much of what Fowlis does issimply beautiful,whether or not one hasthe language and thesentimentalism to get offon the content of thesongs. It's a thin, bright,silken voice and it lendsitself to long fluorescentmelodies. And if thearrangements occasionallyborder on theprecious, then, like thepretty dresses and coverart, it's a modest priceto pay.

Album: Karin Krog, Joy (Meantime)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

"Mr Joy", the opening song of this 1968 album by Norwegian vocalist Krog, still sounds startlingly contemporary, like a newwave folk-jazz project referencing Robert Wyatt and early John Martyn. It'sco-written by AnnettePeacock; Jan Garbarekplays tenor sax and ArildAnderson's dextrousdouble bass-pluckingrecalls Richard Davis'swork on Astral Weeks.Acouple of tracks, withKrog's voice distressedthrough electronic effects,will not be to everyone'staste but a live version of"Round About Midnight"is a killer.

Album: Jamie Cullum, The Pursuit (Decca)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

No one can accuse Cullum of resting on his laurels.The Pursuit finds the pint sized jazz-popper running the gamut of his musical meanderings from triphop to show tunes to a house number to straight up love balladry. It doesn'tall work, but none of it isa shambles and no onecould be left in any doubtthat Cullum is movingaway from novelty partyact into the realm ofserious artist. There's stilla suspicion that he's toocute and controlled ever topush an envelope, but he'sno one-trick pony and he'smore than a British Bublé.

Album: JLS, JLS (Epic)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

You already know what this sounds like. JLS, the they-seem-like-nice-boys losers (though probably, in the long run, winners) of the last X Factor, are being carefully slotted by LouisWalsh into a lucrative gap in the market.There hasn't been aBritish R&B boy band ofany note since MN8, andthe JLS project is beingpitched withmaximumsafety and minimum risk.Whichmeansvocoderintros, Primark-friendlymelodies and pained, fistclenchedover-emoting,facilitating the fantasythat JLS could be singingto you, yes you.

Album: Luke Haines, 21st Century Man (Fantastic Plastic)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The publication of his Britpop-based memoir Bad Vibes has increased the perception that all Haines' works, written or musical, are essentially autobiography laced with bitter socio-cultural critique. 21st Century Mandoes nothing to shake theAuteur's image as theangry man in the corner ofthe pub of pop. But angrymensometimes need to belistened to and the finalehere is a Harrison-esquetitle track that revisits thebleaker moments of the1970s and 1980swhilevowing he's going to "lay itall to rest". Believe that,you'll believe anything.

Album: Basil Hodge, Sound Reasoning (Seal)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Timeless (that is to say,emblematically 1960s sounding) and enjoyably unpretentious modal bop with strong themes, punchy choruses and spirited playing from the pianist/composer Hodge's London quintet of Tony Kofi on sax, Fulvio Sigurtaon trumpet, Larry Bartley on bass and the great Winston Clifford on drums.There's no real wow factorand nothing out of the box,but if you were luckyenough to hear this live ina club, you'd be in retrojazzheaven. It's exactly thesoundtrack a narrow tieand lapels ensemblerequires.

Muse, Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield3OH!3, Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

This band don't do small, and they don't do subtle. As the gig begins I am staring up at three giant illuminated tenement towers when they suddenly rip down the middle to reveal the three members of Muse – the bird-like Matt Bellamy, the elf-like Dom Howard and the dad-like Chris Wolstenholme – perched on podiums 20ft above our heads like the goodies inside the world's biggest Christmas cracker.

Swing the changes: A new generation of musicians will be turning the joint upside down at this month's London Jazz Festival

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

What's been happening to jazz? There's hardly a sharp-suited bopper to be seen in the line-up for the 17th London Jazz Festival, which begins on Friday. The great tradition is there if you want to look for it, with appearances by the veteran saxophonist Sonny Rollins and his contemporary equivalent, Branford Marsalis. But this year, such performers are in a conspicuous minority on an outrageously wide-ranging bill that takes in more than 1,500 musicians and 750 hours of music over 250 events at 50 venues in 10 days. The sense of stylistic openness is not only due to the presence of customary jazz festival performers who aren't really jazz at all, such as the Blind Boys of Alabama or Brazil's former Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil. This year, even the card-carrying jazz acts are getting frisky and mixing it up. That model of the modern jazz pianist, Chick Corea, for example, is appearing with a country-twanging banjo virtuoso, Béla Fleck.

Amazon.com releases picks for Best Music of 2009

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Amazon.com has published its choices for best music of 2009, with both editors' and customers' favorites for songs and albums of the year. U2: No Line on the Horizon was the bestselling album of the year in both CD and mp3 format, while Amazon.com editors chose Neko Case's Middle Cyclone as album of the year.

Elton John out of hospital after E. coli treatment

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Sir Elton John has been released from hospital after being treated for flu and E. coli. Sir Elton John is out of hospital and is feeling "fine" after being struck down with a bout of flu and an E.coli bacterial infection.