Playlist of the Day: Iraq — Four More Years?

It was four years ago today when Sgt. Bushie taught the band to play. And the song remains the same… “It’s Been a Great 3 or 4 Years” – My Morning Jacket “Forgotten Years” – Midnight Oil “No End In Sight” – Mudhoney “Still Crazy After All These Years” – Simon & Garfunkel “Goodnight, Well It’s Time To Go” – The Spaniels

Published: 2007-03-19 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Playlist of the Day

Paul Simon Welcomes Special Guests “Under African Skies” in Brooklyn

Nobody expected Paul Simon to release the best album of his career in 1986. Up until that point his only projects of the decade had been a disastrous movie (One Trick Pony), a cash-in oldies tour with Art Garfunkel and two poorly received studio albums (the soundtrack to One Trick Pony and 1983’s Hearts and Bones). When he headed down to Apartheid-era South Africa to record Graceland with local musicians he was called both a cultural imperialist and a political scoundrel for violating the boycott. When people actually heard the album — which combined American pop with Isicathamiya (South African a cappella) — it became abundantly clear that Simon had brilliantly bridged the cultures and taken a musical quantum leap forward. (Check out more photos from Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” concert.) He hasn’t been able to duplicate its commercial success or creativity in the years since (though he came close with 1991’s Latin America-infused Rhythm of the Saints). These two albums were celebrated by Simon and guests on Saturday night, the fourth of a five night Under African Skies concert series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It’s the second of three-part, month-long residency at the theater called Love In Hard Times: The Music of Paul Simon. The first part revived Simon’s 1998 Broadway musical The Capeman and it concludes next week with American Tunes, which honors his non-world music catalog. Much of the Graceland touring band was back for the concert, as well as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, South African folk singer Vusi Mahlasela, Cameroon vocalist Kaissa, Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Souza and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. Simon was onstage for much of the night, though he was often content to strum his guitar on the side of the stage and let other performers take the mic. Mahlesela sang a powerful version of “The Boy In The Bubble” backed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who later pla

Published: 2008-04-14 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Live Shows, Paul Simon

sondre lerche in real life.

It's a classic conceit: Film director taps a favorite band to score his new movie. When it works, the music leaves an indelible mark on the project --we'll include Simon and Garfunkel's moody songs for The Graduate and Badly Drawn Boy's subtle About a Boy soundtrack on that list, to which we'll add Sondre Lerche's 16-track contribution to Peter Hedges' Steve Carrell-Juliette Binoche dramedy Dan in Real Life (in theaters 10/26). The Norwegian singer-songwriter's niche was already hard to pin down -- his output since his 2002 debut Faces Down has moved from stripped-down jazz evoking Chet Baker's vocal work to synthy, punky Britpop -- and this collection is no exception: He duets with Regina Spektor, arranges A Fine Frenzy's Alison Sudol on a cover of Peggy Lee's "Fever" and covers Elvis Costello's "Human Hands," with a few more surprises along the way.

Published: 2007-10-17 Provider: GetTrio

Contest: The Lemonheads: It's a Shame About Ray!

The Lemonheads' second album for Atlantic Records was an unforgettable gem. Powered by infectious melodic hooks and a mix of sweet and subversive lyrics, It's a Shame About Ray  helped put the band on the map in 1992. Rhino honors the album with the label's special Collector's Edition treatment, remastering and expanding the original for a CD/DVD set that includes unreleased demos along with the DVD debut of the 1993 video Two Weeks In Australia. It's a Shame About Ray will be available March 25 at all physical retail outlets and www.rhino.com for a suggested list price $24.98. A digital version that includes all the CD content will also be available the same day for $10.99 from all digital retailers. Take a listen!We're giving away four copies of the CD/DVD! Click Continue Reading for more info! The album features the trio -- Evan Dando (guitar, vocals), David Ryan (drums) and Juliana Hatfield (bass, backing vocals) -- breezing through 13 songs in just under 30 minutes, including the title track, "My Drug Buddy," "The Turnpike Down" and a romping cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic "Mrs. Robinson." The 10 bonus tracks feature "Shaky Ground," which was originally released as the B-side to "My Drug Buddy." The remaining nine songs are unreleased demos that Dando recorded in 1991, including early renditions of album tracks "Confetti," "Rockin Stroll" and "Hannah & Gabi," plus "Bit Part," which includes vocals from Hatfield. The DVD contains 45 minutes of videos and live performances that were previously released only on VHS as Two Weeks In Australia. The disc features videos for several songs from IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY, including the title track, the breakout single "Mrs. Robinson," "My Drug Buddy" and more. Also included is a video for "Being Around," a song that would appear a year later on the follow-up to RAY and "Half The

Published: 2008-03-18 Provider: Celebrity Baby Blog Keywords: Contest