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Alex McMurray may be the hardest-working man in New Orleans show business. His myriad projects include the Alex McMurray Band, the Tin Men (a sousaphone-washboard-guitar trio), the Valparaiso Mens Chorus (a sea chanty group), the Tom Paines (a folk duo) and 007 (an all-star ska band). With a schedule that would make a conventionally employed … Continue reading →
THURSDAYS AT TWILIGHT SERIES: 5 p.m., gates open; 6 p.m., performance begins, New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Park, 1 Palm Drive, New Orleans. With Alex McMurray. $10, adults; $3, children ages 5-12. http://www.neworleanscitypark.com/garden. OGDEN AFTER HOURS: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans. Featuring Seth Walker. (504) … Continue reading →
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s tempting to say Daft Punk has gone Hollywood. The influential French electronic duo crafted its first film score, for “Tron: Legacy,” three years ago and are now releasing a well-financed, smartly hyped pop album featuring what they call an ensemble cast of contemporary singers and veteran musicians. There’s long been a … Continue reading →
The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra-linked Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation Great Performers in Concert series has presented many great performances during its first 10 years. But probably no performer in the series at the River Center Theatre has combined the usually separate worlds of classical and popular music better than Friday’s guest star, Tony- and … Continue reading →
As the first anniversary of the June 2012 release of Delta Rae’s powerful Warner Bros. album debut, Carry the Fire, looms, the band from Durham, N.C., can look back at a good year. Delta Rae, an unclassifiable but undeniably soulful sextet that includes singing siblings Ian, Eric and Brittany Holljes, plus a dynamic fourth vocalist in … Continue reading →
Monster Truck, a heavy riff-rock band from the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, found a future in a name. “As soon we came up with the idea to call it Monster Truck, after our drummer’s big old van, everything took off,” guitarist Jeremy Widerman said. After the band named itself after … Continue reading →
You may have seen Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby. Now get ready to see the originals. That is, the original screen idols and flappers who played out stories on the silver screen when F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was published in 1925. The only difference is their world was silent. Only music accompanied the onscreen action, most … Continue reading →
New Orleans funk-rock band Flow Tribe dispenses painkillers in musical doses. The group’s new EP, Painkiller, is the best recorded example yet of Flow Tribe’s self-described “backbone crackin’ music.” “We’re musical chiropractors,” singer-trumpeter K.C. O’Rorke explained. “We want to loosen you up.” Last month, Flow Tribe played the first set of … Continue reading →
The Shows to Watch calendar is a listing of events taking place in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas from May 17-23, 2013. It covers rock, reggae, jazz, country and everything in between. Continue reading →
The biggest spirit in the room for Tom Jones’ new album is, of course, the mighty Welshman himself. Jones, now 71, retains his powerful vocal presence. He doesn’t go full throttle for his Spirit in the Room album’s songs the way he did, for instance, in … Continue reading →
The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo has become one of New Orleans’ favorite free festivals since it kicked off in 2006. And this year’s fest, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will likely make the annual event more popular than ever. The 2013 Boogaloo is hosted on the banks of Bayou St. John by the MotherShip Foundation, a local group … Continue reading →
When the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Institute (NOCCA) began putting together plans for a “Broadway at NOCCA” series, organizers had big dreams as to whom they wanted to bring to Lupin Hall, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts’ main performance venue. They dreamed big, and they got big, as in five-time Tony Award-winner Audra … Continue reading →
Many high school kids dream of graduating and spending their lives hanging out, making music with friends and traveling the world. Flow Tribe is living that dream. The six friends, born and raised in New Orleans, are classmates from Brother Martin High School who see themselves as cultural ambassadors for the Big Easy. Flow Tribe’s lead vocalist, … Continue reading →
It isn’t your typical fundraiser, at least as far as the entertainment is concerned. Rather than spend thousands of dollars on top-name talent, the NOCCA Institute would rather show off the talent it has within its own walls. So when guests gather at the annual Art & Soul gala May 19 at the … Continue reading →
In a city famous for larger-than-life entertainers and great horn players, drummers and pianists, Andrew Duhon is a rarity: A poet turned singer-songwriter. Duhon appreciates the New Orleans music he grew up with, but the songs he writes are more in the vein of Jim Croce, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan than … Continue reading →
5 P.M. TO 7 P.M.: Tasha B & DJ Jubilee w/ Partners N Crime & Big Easy Bounce 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Rebirth Brass Band Continue reading →
Rihanna’s “Diamonds” world tour comes to the New Orleans Arena Friday, Nov. 15. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, May 20. Tickets will be available at http://www.livenation.com, http://www.ticketmaster.com, the New Orleans Arena box office and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Rihanna has received six Grammy Awards and sold more … Continue reading →
PJ Morton’s major label debut, “New Orleans,” offers an introspective take on his life and internal desire to return to the roots of the music that made him happy years ago. To that end Morton has made the album he set out to make. Still, it falls short in terms of songwriting and depth. Tracks featuring Maroon … Continue reading →
George Strait is amid a two-year tour before retiring from the road, but new album “Love Is Everything” proves he still has plenty of great new country music in him. As usual, he proves he can stay contemporary, nicely handling the modern romantic ballad “I Believe,” with its orchestrations and organ accents, and the tricky melody of … Continue reading →
Trace Adkins works with five different producers on his 11th album, suggesting the country music veteran and reality TV star is searching for an infusion of fresh energy. And “Love Will .” does find Adkins occasionally trying out new sounds. There’s the soul-country vibe of “So What If I Do,” which features a saxophone to play up … Continue reading →
During his high school years in northern Michigan, Luke Winslow-King, a practitioner of vintage blues and jazz, majored in serious mid-20th century jazz at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He moved to New Orleans in 2001 to study classical music at the University of New Orleans. But there’s no symphonic, string quartet, choral music … Continue reading →
Quentin Tarantino, the Oscar-winning director of Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and more, loves to place cool music in his movies. Tarantino’s latest film, Django Unchained, contains vintage scores from spaghetti-western maestros Ennio Morricone and Luis Bacalov as well as new songs from Morricone, rapper Rick Ross, rhythm-and-blues star John Legend and Lafayette’s Brother … Continue reading →
The next generation of soul-infused indie folk singers is making its way onto the stages of America, and one of the most ambitious of those young voices belongs to Emily Kopp. Though relatively new on the music scene, Kopp already has released an EP and a full-length album, and has opened for big names such as Eric Lindell, Brandi Carlile and Matchbox 20. Continue reading →
The Audubon Zoo staged its first Mother’s Day celebration 30 years ago, starring one of New Orleans’ musical heroines, Irma Thomas. L. Ronald Forman, president and CEO of the Audubon Nature Institute, was director of the Audubon Zoo when he got the idea of staging a Mother’s Day event there. He hoped it would draw families to … Continue reading →
THURSDAY THURSDAYS AT TWILIGHT SERIES: 5 p.m., gates open; 6 p.m., performance begins, New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Park, 1 Palm Drive, New Orleans. With Leah Chase and Cindy Scott. $10, adults; $3, children ages 5-12. http://www.neworleanscitypark/garden. OGDEN AFTER HOURS: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans. Featuring Jimmy … Continue reading →
“The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain.” Daisy Buchanan from “The Great Gatsby” gets to be reincarnated on the film’s soundtrack under the guise of artists such as Beyonce, Lana Del Ray, Sia and Florence Welch. Their honeyed charm work on the listener in the same indiscriminate, intense manner that Buchanan’s does on the narrator and her entourage. Continue reading →
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill stood in federal court Monday and compared her experience in the music business to the slavery her ancestors endured before a judge sentenced her to three months in prison for failing to pay about $1 million in taxes over the past decade. “I am a child of former slaves … Continue reading →
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hip-hop may need a checkup. The culture that in the 1990s lost its brightest stars to gun violence has in recent years seen a series of notable rappers die of drug- and health-related causes. Since 2011, hip-pop pioneer Heavy D, singer and rap chorus specialist Nate Dogg and New York rapper Tim Dog … Continue reading →
After pulling out the stops with the heavily orchestrated grandeur of 2011’s platinum-selling album “Own The Night,” Lady Antebellum heads in the opposite direction with the stripped-down sound of “Golden.” The country vocal trio hinted at its new direction with the sparse, soul-strutting groove of “Downtown,” one of the spring’s most engaging country hits. As usual, Hillary … Continue reading →
Ben Taylor tried every possible alternative he could think of to a life in music. “Yeah, if I’d had the talent that I have and the love for music that I have without the parents that I have, no one could have stopped me from doing anything … Continue reading →
For the uninitiated, an Of Montreal show might look like some sort of a bizarre parallel universe instead of just a concert. Complex instrumentation and cryptic vocals come from stages often featuring elaborate sets, and even the audience gets in on the action, mimicking band leader and lead singer Kevin Barnes’s outlandish costumes. “It’s definitely become more … Continue reading →
Background: Black Joe Lewis broke into the music industry at 20 years old. Inspired by neighbors in a country band that was about to go on tour, Lewis pulled a guitar down from the pawn shop wall where he worked and learned how to play. The Band: Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears came together in 2008. … Continue reading →
Gov’t Mule, the Southern rock jam band that sprouted as a side project of The Allman Brothers in 1994, has collaborated with some of the most renowned musicians of the time, including Les Claypool of Primus, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jason Newsted of Metallica and George Porter Jr. of The Meters. When … Continue reading →
To the great surprise of French pop-rock band Phoenix, the group’s 2009 album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, became an international success. Following four far-less popular albums, Phoenix — singer Thomas Mars, guitarists Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalia, and bassist Deck D’Arcy — didn’t have much to be encouraged about regarding Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’s commercial prospects. … Continue reading →
John Oates, half of Hall and Oates, the Philadelphia pop-rock-soul duo that recorded more hits than it can play in a single show, is about to scratch some things off his bucket list. Oates and Daryl Hall, the duo behind “She’s Gone,” “Rich Girl,” “Kiss On My List” and many more, make their New Orleans … Continue reading →
After Holly Williams makes her New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival debut Friday, she plans to spend all of Saturday enjoying the city’s food and music. “There is nothing like the great food in New Orleans and the rich character all over the streets,” the third-generation country singer-songwriter said from Nashville. Continue reading →
Named after the recently-turned-80 singer-songwriter from Texas, Willie Nelson, the Little Willies, in the spirit of their namesake, play country music their way. The group’s second album, For the Good Times, includes classics written and/or performed by Nelson, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Lefty Frizzell, Kris Kristofferson and Ray Price. Continue reading →
Musician Dr. Lonnie Smith didn’t come from a wealthy background, but there was no shortage of music in his childhood. He grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., in a family with a passion for singing gospel and classical music. It’s wasn’t until Smith was 9 years old that his curiosity led him to play his first instrument. “I … Continue reading →
In a time when most celebrities find it difficult to be honest, New Orleans native Mykia Jovan is a refreshing change of pace. Although she found nothing extraordinary about herself when she was younger, it was music’s ability to bring people together that made her happy. “Growing up, my mother was a youth pastor, and I … Continue reading →
THURSDAY Widespread Panic Acura Stage 4:30 p.m. Jam band Widespread Panic headlines the Acura Stage for the opening day of Jazz Fest’s second and final weekend. From Athens, Ga., Widespread Panic returned to the road last month following an … Continue reading →
THURSDAYS AT TWILIGHT SERIES: 5 p.m., gates open; 6 p.m., performance begins, New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Park, 1 Palm Drive, New Orleans. With Patrice Fisher and Arpa with special artists from Mexico and Germany. $10, adults; $3, children ages 5-12. http://www.neworleanscitypark.com. JERMAL WATSON-WITH EDDIE ROBERTS WEST COAST SOUNDS: 8 p.m., Tipitina’s … Continue reading →
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A steady, sometimes heavy rain pelted fans Sunday at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, but the music flowed on. A soaked Dave Matthews and his band played through a strong downpour at the tail end of the closing weekend, much to the fans’ delight as they danced along with him and … Continue reading →
It’s not just a name change, but there’s a new take on life for Snoop Lion, who switched his stage name from Snoop Dogg after a trip to Jamaica where he embraced Rastafarian culture. And the new project works. Snoop’s first reggae album, “Reincarnated,” includes some fine production by Major Lazer (aka Diplo), with guest appearances … Continue reading →
Here’s more proof Nashville, Tenn., is saving rock ‘n’ roll one band at a time: The Weeks. The mostly Mississippi quintet moved to Nashville a few years ago after putting out a few promising albums, signed with Kings of Leon imprint Serpents and Snakes Records, and have been polishing the music and enhancing the songs on “Dear … Continue reading →
Kenny Chesney opens his new album “Life On A Rock” with the hit “Pirate Flag,” a rowdy beach-bum anthem reminiscent of his many fun-in-the-sun party songs of the last dozen years. While most of the rest of “Life on a Rock” references island life, instead of rocking out, the songs are about unplugging from the chaos of … Continue reading →