As far as hip-hop artists go, T.I. may lack some of the family-friendly cultural capital that gets guys like Jay-Z or Pharrell Williams into commercials for Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. In T.I.'s nearly 10-year career, which started when he was discovered in a barbershop by his longtime manager, Jason Geter (also the current manager for Outkast's Big Boi), he's never been one to pull punches or bite his tongue. A brusque performer, he lacks the ironic rage of Lil Jon or the repetitive ad libs of so many snap-happy trap rappers from the South. Although a small, wiry guy, he casts a huge presence onstage and rightfully holds down his claim to being King of the South.
Backed by the raspy-voiced mix-tape entrepreneur DJ Drama, T.I. went onstage at Key Club at about 10 p.m. for the MySpace show, and already he had the crowd wound up. Starting with a litany of the best from his last six albums, "24s" from his "Trap Muzik" album was a huge crowd-pleaser at the start. And it was evident, even before he got to taking his shirt off, that he had a penchant for arousing mass hysteria in the ladies --- the stuff of LL Cool J legend. ...
The REDCAT stage looked like a rehearsal room Friday night when Lou Reed, Ulrich Krieger and Sarth Calhoun took the stage. Effects boxes, pedals and other sound manipulation tools were strewn here and there in cluttered arrangements. In the center, a row of guitars sat next to a vintage amp. The set-up was practical, not symbolic, but it also carried a message: Tonight's performance by the trio, going by the name "Unclassified," would be informal and almost private, an act of creation first and a show second.
Not all improvisers adopt this casual aura. Some are highly theatrical, other quietly mystical. Still others are aggressive punks. But for Reed, one of the most venerated leather-jacket-clad pioneers of the rock era, this evening offered something particular -- the chance to put aside his image along with his songbook, and turn inward. He had his collaborators and the intimate room downstairs in Disney Hall to thank for that.
Reed has been in an arty mood lately. His latest release is the DVD of "Berlin Live at St. Ann's Warehouse," the Julian Schnabel-directed concert film of his super-heavy 1973 song cycle of that name. He recently performed with fellow New York boho potentate John Zorn, and earlier this year he wed his longtime partner, performance art doyenne Laurie Anderson. Tonight's concert is part of this move away from having to recap "Sweet Jane" for drunken nightclub nostalgics, and toward a serious legacy.
For that, Krieger is an excellent match. The saxophonist, composer and CalArts professor did what Reed had deemed impossible when he transcribed and arranged the Velvet Underground co-founder's epic 1975 feedback experiment, "Metal Machine Music," for chamber orchestra in 2002. The two men met at the premiere; Friday's performance and the two that preceded it Thursday were their first public gigs together.
My hubby Eric and I got into an argument about T.I. driving back from the Neil Diamond concert the other night. (I know, it's not typical to mix the Jewish Elvis and Atlanta's illest, but that's the poptimist life we lead.) "Paper Trail," Tip's sixth album, was in the car stereo, and we were admiring the shiny-sharp production from Drumma Boy, Toomp, Just Blaze and others, which sets up the rapper's coolly commanding flow on hit after soon-to-be hit -- the album's already produced three Billboard Top 100 winners, and it's been out only a week.
Foremost among T.I.'s current successes is "Whatever You Like," pop-rap's latest ode to throwing money around. The sing-song rap was produced by Jim Jonsin, who also coproduced Lil' Wayne's smash "Lollipop"; like that song, it's a rough guy's come-on, deceptively light in tone but with an undertow that represents its hero's driving need for conquest. With five nonconsecutive weeks topping the charts, it's T.I.'s most successful single ever.
It also just might be the perfect soundtrack for a nation in an economic tailspin.
Van Morrison is nothing if not a patient man -- at least when it comes to his landmark 1968 album "Astral Weeks."
The work established him as one of rock's most revered singers and songwriters after his initial bout with fame and commercial success a few years earlier with his band Them. But it wasn’t a big hit -- it never cracked Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart -- and took 33 years to reach gold record status, denoting sales of 500,000 copies. It has, however, consistently shown up on critics' lists of the greatest albums of all time, alongside the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" and Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde."
Come November, to mark the 40th anniversary of the album’s release, he’s doing a pair of shows at the Hollywood Bowl performing the album in its entirety, something he never did originally.
“In the '60s and '70s the record companies did not support the music, so I never got to take these songs on tour, and I certainly did not have the money to do it,” the mercurial 63-year-old said in a news release announcing the shows. “These songs are as timeless and fresh right now as the day they were written and I am happy about taking them to the Hollywood Bowl."
Tonight's show at Royce Hall for McCabe's 50th anniversary show is already pretty stacked: Jackson Browne, Richard Thompson, Odetta, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Ricky Jay, Ditty Bops and lots more. But guess who else is coming. Hint: She's got something in her pocket.
Hey, did you hear? A long-absent, wildly influential act out of Britain is playing a handful of highly anticipated and absurdly well received gigs. No? Well, the first of My Bloody Valentine's two nights at the cavernous steel echo chamber that is the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium took place last night, and while we'll have a complete wrap-up on Friday after Margaret checks out tonight's show, I just had to weigh in on one of the more talked-about aspects of their shows. Namely, the 10-odd-minute white-noise excursion MBV launches into midway through the pounding "You Made Me Realise" at the close of an admittedly jaw-dropping set.
First thing: bring your earplugs. No really. BRING THEM. If you happen to have your pair whisked away by the overzealous door security because their carrying case resembles contraband (thanks, guys!), grab a pair from the box by the entrance, and then grab another pair as a backup. Seriously. There's a reason why they're free and available. There's loud, there's Kiss circa 1978-loud, and then there's "You Made Me Realise."
Well guess what? She is also a musician. Alyssa Suede, who shares a father with Beck, dropped her debut EP, "Black & White in Color," this week (although technically it came out last month, according to her MySpace blog, where she previously posted that the disc was on sale at "this dope men's clothing store called Traffic" inside the Beverly Center).
Make no mistake: Suede did not get Beck's innovative songwriting gene. Tracks like "Ferris Wheel" are far too conventional and certainly won't win over serious fans of her brother's work. Still, Suede got a nice assist from her (and Beck's) dad, noted composer-arranger David Campbell, who produced and co-wrote songs on "Back & White in Color," making the EP worth a listen.
"Fallout" in particular shows potential; with impossibly understated minor-key string arrangements and Suede's measured vocals. But the rest of the offering reveals that Suede, who was once a competitive figure skater, may have spent more of her formative years listening to the Cranberries and Sarah McLachlan instead of her brother's work (not that there is anything wrong with Sarah McLachlan or the Cranberries, mind you). Regardless, Suede has chops that show promise in the future -- if paired with the right song, that is.
Last night I caught the first of six consecutive Rancid shows at the Fonda, on which you can peruse a windy opinion here. But one of my favorite moments from the set was when they slyly covered Operation Ivy's "Knowledge" and sent the crowd into paroxysms of glee.The endurance of Op Ivy in the punk consciousness is pretty astounding -- I'd wager a sizable portion of Rancid's fan base was born after Op Ivy broke up in '89, yet every Warped Tour and trek down Hollywood Boulevard yields more and more T-shirts and jacket patches of the leaping ragged hat guy.It got me thinking how completely awesome and relevant it would be if Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman found Jesse Michaels and Dave Mello and made one goodwill victory lap. It won't happen, especially because of Rancid's long-awaited new record, but here are some reasons why they should.
Rap entertains, rock pays -- is that the message from a pair of politically motivated pop music events?
Rapper and music mogul Jay-Z will perform for free this weekend -- on Saturday in Detroit and on Sunday in Miami -- in concerts aimed at urging fans to register to vote, and then to vote for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. The concerts come just ahead of next week's voter registration deadline for the Nov. 4 presidential election.
But although 18-and-over rap fans will be able to hear one of their heroes for free, rock aficionados will have to pony up for two of theirs who are joining forces to aid Obama's campaign.
Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel will share a stage for the first time on Oct. 16 at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom at a fundraiser for Obama's campaign. Tickets for that benefit will run from $500 to $10,000. It's still rock 'n' roll, indeed.
-- Randy Lewis
Photo of Jay-Z by Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times
In response to the debate over the CD's sonics, which has spawned an Internet petition now carrying more than 13,000 signatures asking for an improved version to be released, Ulrich tells Blender: "Listen, there's nothing up with the audio quality.
"It's 2008, and that's how we make records. [Producer] Rick Rubin's whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it to sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I've heard that there are a few people complaining. But I've been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds ... smokin'."
As far as hip-hop artists go, T.I. may lack some of the family-friendly cultural capital that gets guys like Jay-Z or Pharrell Williams into commercials for Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. In T.I.'s nearly 10-year career, which started when he was discovered in a barbershop by his longtime manager, Jason Geter (also the current manager for Outkast's Big Boi), he's never been one to pull punches or bite his tongue. A brusque performer, he lacks the ironic rage of Lil Jon or the repetitive ad libs of so many snap-happy trap rappers from the South. Although a small, wiry guy, he casts a huge presence onstage and rightfully holds down his claim to being King of the South. 
My hubby Eric and I got into an argument about T.I. driving back from the Neil Diamond concert the other night. (I know, it's not typical to mix the Jewish Elvis and Atlanta's illest, but that's the 
Van Morrison is nothing if not a patient man -- at least when it comes to his landmark 1968 album "Astral Weeks."
Did you know Beck had a half-sister? Neither did we. 
