Weekly Music Roundup: Havana Maestros & LCD Soundsystem's Return
Week of May 8: This week, LCD Soundsystem Is Back, Plus Old English, Old Cuban, and New African Sounds.
LCD Soundsystem Return With Two Songs and SNL Performance
When James Murphy announced the end of his beloved, influential dance band LCD Soundsystem in 2011, he did in style – with a series of sold-out shows at Terminal 5 and finally at Madison Square Garden, a concert that was recorded and released on DVD as Shut Up And Play The Hits. But Murphy has never been one to say never, and sure enough, after a couple of false starts, the band has come roaring back. This past weekend they released the first two songs from their forthcoming album and performed both of them on Saturday Night Live. The power ballad “American Dream” sees Murphy in a melancholy mood, occasionally leaping into his highest vocal register; the other song is a total club banger entitled “Call The Police,” which I think probably made a great first impression on any SNL viewers who hadn’t come across the band before. Watching the scruffy 47-year old Murphy sing “the old guys are frightened/and frightening to behold,” summed up the song’s arena-sized anxieties and its indomitable attitude. Still no word on the new album’s title or release date, though…
The Meadows Music And Arts Festival Announces Second Year Lineup
On the one hand, it seems like another summer music festival is the last thing we need. On the other, the inaugural Meadows Music and Arts Festival, held at Citi Field in Queens last year and named for Flushing Meadows Park there, got rave reviews for its music and its sampling of the many ethnic cuisines of what is probably the most geographically/culturally diverse place on Earth. This year’s festival will extend to a third day, running from September 15 to 17, and tickets go on sale tomorrow. The lineup will feature Jay Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Gorillaz, but look further down the list and you’ll find Queens natives like Nas, Heems (formerly of Das Racist and now with Swet Shop Boys), LL Cool J, and more. Also on the bill are indie rockers like TV On The Radio, younger rappers like Future, power pop from Weezer, and whatever it is that M.I.A. feels like doing then.
The Decemberists + Olivia Chaney = Offa Rex
Colin Meloy and his merry band of progressive folk/rockers, The Decemberists, have been touring around with a special guest, the English folk singer Olivia Chaney. So the announcement that the two acts have joined forces for a record this summer is not a surprise. Their collaboration will be called Offa Rex, a typically (for them) obscure reference to Offa, the king – or in Latin, “rex” – of Mercia, who ruled much of southeastern England in the 8th century. The album will be called The Queen of Hearts, and is full of British folk songs, although there seem to be some originals in the tracklist as well. So far, we have only the title track to listen to – played in a live studio version with layers of harpsichords and Chaney’s willowy vocals.
The Queen of Hearts comes out on July 7; Offa Rex plays in New York’s Town Hall on July 26.
Havana Maestros To Release Debut Album – You Know All The Songs
The Havana Maestros is yet another collection of gifted Cuban musicians who are finally getting a chance to be heard widely in the States. Like the Buena Vista Social Club (a couple of whose members appear here), the Maestros are – as the name implies – masters of such classic Cuban forms as the son, mambo, and filin. Unlike the BVSC, though, their debut album, called Americuba, is largely comprised of popular American songs with new Cuban arrangements. In fact, the band is playing along to the original vocal tracks of those American songs, from Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope” to Otis Redding’s voice singing “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.” It seems, frankly, like a somewhat dubious idea to me, but the band’s video of Ben E King’s “Stand By Me,” with a videotape of King himself singing the song on a TV in the background, sounds too good to dismiss. So probably best to reserve judgment until the full album comes out on May 26. (Havana Maestro is also a brand of rum, by the way. Just in case you’re wondering what to drink while listening.)
Amadou & Mariam Release New Single
The so-called Blind Couple of Mali, Amadou & Mariam are both blind and a couple – but their reach extends far beyond Mali. They’ve toured with U2, recorded with Santigold and Damon Albarn of Blur, and played at the soccer World Cup opening ceremony. So if their songs have become increasingly Western-sounding, well, that’s to be expected. They’ve just released a new single, called “Bofou Safou,” and a simple, genial video to go with it. Mariam’s voice is front and center, with Amadou’s guitar, redolent of the West African highlife and Afropop styles, supported by a slick Eurodisco beat. The video has lyrics so an international audience can sing along.
