CURRENTSWhat to read and listen to now |
listen |
Doves, Kingdom of RustAfter a four-year break between albums, Doves quietly re-enter the scene with the opening notes of “Jetstream.” The track, which kicks off Kingdom of Rust (Astralwerks), builds with electronic- synth sounds and a kick drum, announcing an album that’s worth the wait. This is a different brand of Brit pop than you’ll hear elsewhere, as the three members of Doves combine an 80s vibe with modern atmospherics. The title track’s thumping bass line is infectious, carrying the song and listener forward into a layered album that won’t let you go. —CARLA JEAN WHITLEY |
MY tunes |
What people are listening to nowBarbara Silor, Birmingham freelance journalist and blogger While everyone else seems to be tuned in to their personal iPods, I’ve been listening to the radio non-stop. I’m pretty much addicted to our new station, Live 100.5 FM. It’s just a hodgepodge of goodies. I love it when they toss in some 90’s chick rock, like P.J. Harvey, or newer stuff like MGMT, Regina Spektor or the new Ben Folds album. We’ve finally got some decent tunes on air here in Birmingham, so I’ve put my CDs in the backseat for now. |
MUSIC |
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Orenda Fink and Scalpelist (aka Cedric LeMoyne) met in Birmingham and have carved out their own musical identities: Fink with Azure Ray and Art in Manila, LeMoyne with Remy Zero. Now the two release a self-titled debut album (Saddle Creek) as O+S. The album is a trippy, electronic experience, with Fink’s melodic voice set against atmospheric sounds. The plinky piano intro of the album closer, “Lonely Ghosts,” make this a song that sticks with you long after the music ends. Sometimes an album sounds more like an art project. That’s the case with O+S’s complex collaboration, and the same can be said of Dan Deacon’s Bromst (Carpark Records). The album combines Deacon’s typical electronic sounds with a variety of sounds—live instruments, samples, mechanical instruments—to create a layered, intriguing soundscape. Ben Harper is a favorite here, as evidenced by his enthusiastic reception at City Stages 2008. And Birmingham fans won’t be disappointed by Ben Harper and Relentless7’s latest, White Lies for Dark Times (Virgin Records). The addition of the Relentless7 adds a new dimension to Harper’s music, amping up the rock ‘n’ roll. Tracks like “Number with No Name” come at you full throttle, and the album doesn’t let go. Conor Oberst veers from his usual Bright Eyes routine when recording as Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. The latest effort, Outer South (Merge), offers accessible Americana. You might also spot a few familiar faces in the band—bassist Macey Taylor and guitarist Taylor Hollingsworth hail from Birmingham. |
Check this out
There’s always great music in Birmingham. Venues pack their schedules with talent, both local and national, and some days the question is not whether there’s someone worth seeing, but which band to choose. In 2008, Alabama Public Television added another effort to the mix with the halfhour music show We Have Signal: Live from Birmingham, created by brothers and APT employees Matt and J. Whitson. History: Fourteen episodes aired in fall 2008, and new episodes began running on April 23. Those will continue through the summer. Shooting will begin soon for a second season, and the Whitsons intend to add more local bands to their coverage. Location: The show is filmed exclusively at Bottletree, and J. Whitson says the venue itself and the quality of bands booked there were part of the show’s inspiration. “APT is all about what’s going on in Alabama and telling stories of what’s going on in Alabama,” he says. “Bottletree in and of itself is sort of an Alabama story.” Format: Each episode shows a band playing at Bottletree. The performance is broken up by interviews with the band, offering insight into the music. Choosing the bands: We Have Signal’s staff selects bands for the show in part based on their own preferences, and in part based on the importance of a band. If a band stands out as a representative of its subgenre, for example, they’ll approach the band about being recorded for the show. “I’m trying to make it as diverse a representation of the bands that come through there as possible,” J. Whitson explains. Watch it: We Have Signal airs weekly at 10 p.m. Thursdays and 11 p.m. Sundays. Encore episodes of the previous week’s episode air at 10:30 p.m. Thursdays. The show also streams in its entirety at wehavesignal.org. |
TOPSHELF: what you should be reading |
Devil’s Garden (Putnam, $24.95) is a chilling and dark look at the infamous Fatty Arbuckle trial, a new noir crime classic about one of the most notorious episodes in American history. Written by Ace Atkins, author of Wicked City, the book explores the early life of one of the author’s heroes: Dashiell Hammett, the originator of the hard-boiled crime novel. As a Pinkerton Agency detective, Hammett investigated the rape/manslaughter case against early Hollywood star Fatty Arbuckle, one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century. Atkins brings that story to life in a fascinating blend of crime and punishment, truth and fiction. Shadow and Light (Sarah Crichton Books, $26) is the latest installment in a new crime series by Jonathan Rabb set in Berlin between the world wars. The book, which features a mystery woven through the German film industry and the race to perfect technology for “talkie” films, is tightly wound and full of great atmosphere from a fascinating era of European history. In 26 new and collected stories from Jay McInerney, How It Ended (Knopf, $25.95) brings to life the swirling, sometimes sickening, carnival ride that was New York City between the Wall Street excesses of the 1980s (the Greed is Good decade) and 9/11. McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City and Story of My Life, is the perfect chronicler of that era, as these collected stories show. The characters are the prowlers of TriBeCa and the Meatpacking District—alive with early promise then compromised by disappointment, drugs and drink. They don’t always get what they want, but some of them get what they deserve. How could one concert, Marian Anderson’s historic Easter Sunday performance at the Lincoln Memorial 70 years ago, energize an entire movement against racism and injustice? Raymond Arsenault shows how in a meticulously written work, The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert that Awakened America (HarperCollins, $25.99). |
myShelf … what people are reading |
Dennis PillionSports producer, al.com The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson After living in England for 20 years, Bryson returns to the U.S. to find the perfect American small town. In his coast-to-coast road trip, Bryson makes you laugh and think, pointing out America’s greatest assets and biggest flaws. It almost inspired me to pack the car and wander the country myself. |
Scott SchablowChief Strategic Officer, Provenance Digital Media The Way of Innovation by Kaihan Krippendorff I read the book for the inaugural meeting of The Executive Book Club. Krippendorff draws on a collection of Chinese wisdom writings compiled over the course of 3,000 years. He presents a change framework that consists of four basic concepts that, if applied properly, will enhance your ability to drive innovation within your company or community. |
