Category Archives: Music

“Right. Let’s have a ding-dong…”

Alright, so this is a bit old, and therefore a bit late in coming. But then, we’re not called “A Slight Delay” for nothing. The piece is by Brian Eno, for NPR’s “This I Believe” series. As you’d expect from … Continue reading

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Ozomatli: Fire Away

 Throughout their fifteen-year career, Ozomatli have had plenty of musical surprises up their collective sleeve. Their template, from the beginning, has built on an energetic fusion of salsa, cumbia, rap, rock, banda, and pretty much anything else you can think … Continue reading

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The Flaming Lips: Embryonic

You very nearly have to feel sorry for one-hit wonders. In some rare cases, that single shot of fame eclipses the rest of a damn fine album, and in others, it’s viewed — very wrongly, as it turns out — … Continue reading

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Wale: Attention Deficit

 It can be hard writing about music, all the “dancing about architecture” stuff aside. You want to say something that will evoke what’s coming through the speakers sometimes, what it makes you feel other times. Actually, forget writing about music; … Continue reading

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Gustavo Cerati: Fuerza Natural

A couple of months ago in this space, I reviewed Gustavo Cerati’s “Deja Vu” as a teaser of sorts to his new album, Fuerza Natural. At the time, I included the disclaimer that it’s pretty difficult to extrapolate the sound of an … Continue reading

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Previews of Coming Attractions: Gustavo Cerati: “Deja Vu”

It’s been a long, strange trip for Gustavo Cerati. The guitarist and vocalist, who turned fifty yesterday, started out as the front man for the ridiculously popular¹ Argentine band Soda Stereo. In 1993, while Soda Stereo was still active, he released … Continue reading

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N.A.S.A.: The Spirit of Apollo

It certainly sounds like a great idea: bring together two DJ’s, one from North America and one from South America, along with about forty guests. Simmer for four years, and then unleash upon an eager public. In practice… well, that’s something … Continue reading

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Ozomatli at the Fillmore East, 3.20.09

Ozomatli in a nutshell: in 2007, the Bush State Department sent the L.A.-based combo on the road to locations as diverse as Jordan, Peru, and Nepal as cultural ambassadors. Yes, that Ozomatli, with its soundclash aesthetic, liberal politics, and antiwar stance; … Continue reading

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O Rappa: 7 Vezes

Years back, I remember reading an article in Musician magazine where they asked a couple dozen musicians what they hoped the music of the ’90′s would sound like (this would’ve been in late ’89 or early ’90). I don’t remember … Continue reading

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Carlinhos Brown: A Gente Ainda Não Sonhou

When an artist you don’t particularly like releases an album you don’t particularly like, it’s not exactly a big deal because the bar was set pretty low to start with. But when you generally like what someone’s done up to … Continue reading

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