Old Music Time

Elizabeth Doyle hails from South Dakota. She was brought up around all kinds of music from an early age, thanks to a truly musical family. Three of her four grandparents were professional musicians, (including one radio performer and singing cowboy). Her father had played saxophone and clarinet in the Navy during World War II and her mother was an avid singer and pianist. Both parents were fans of big band music, jazz, and the show tunes of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.

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Every generation has it’s own soundtrack. The Silent Generation (people born in the ’20s and ’30s) had big band and swing. Baby Boomers (born in the ’40s and ’50s) had rock and soul. Generation X (born in the ’60s and ’70s) had grunge and hip-hop. On this edition of All Songs Considered, we look back at the defining music of those generations and ask what the soundtrack is for the current generation, Generation Y (or Millennials). Bob Boilen talks with Carrie Brownstein (Monitor Mix blogger and former guitarist for Sleater-Kinney), Stephen Thompson (editor for NPR’s Song of the Day), and Amy Phillips (senior editor with Pitchforkmedia.com) about the most memorable music of the past 40 years.

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Tilly and The Wall have released new details about their forthcoming new album, the enigmatically ‘titled’ ‘O’. The follow-up to critically-acclaimed ‘Bottoms of Barrels’ is going to be pre-released in the UK from June, with the official release arriving late September on Moshi Moshi. The official Moshi version of ‘O’ will feature different artwork, plus an extra track, ‘Beat Control’.

The album, produced by the acclaimed Mike Mogis, technically has no title. It could be called ‘O’ because its cover is just that: an oval-shaped frame for the artwork that will go inside of it. As a band who surround themselves not only with artistic friends, but also artistic fans, Tilly and the Wall have invited everyone in their community to contribute to the cover art for their record. In the States, ‘O’ will have limited edition runs of handmade prints available by different artists that will act as the record’s cover, giving the band’s fans a unique piece of art for both their album and their walls. Each month, the record will have a different cover or fans can create their own.

Formed by erstwhile Simian front man Simon Lord and former Wiseguy Theo Keating, The Black Ghosts have been steadily establishing their unique vision of black hearted beats and eldritch tales with a series of superlative club cuts and their lauded ‘Mixtape’ compilation which recently gained high praise from all quarters, including Compilation of the Month accolades in Mixmag and DJ Magazine. Now with the advent of their eponymous debut artist album on July 7th the pair are about to reveal the underbelly of their ethereal electronic soul. Built from the foundations of their pointedly pure dance floor approach, the Black Ghosts add in a host of new elements with Simon’s disquieting lyrical narrative coating Theo’s Machiavellian pop progressions, creating a set that slips effortlessly between visceral electro noir and psychotic torch songs.

Accompanied by a series of bespoke films, one for each track of the album and a some truly striking artwork that evokes the very spirit of The Black Ghosts, Simon Lord and Theo Keating’s debut outing is an all-consuming affirmation of their ghetto-gothic aesthetic.

Mumford & Sons release their debut EP, “Lend Me Your Eyes“, on 7th July through Chess Club Recordings.

It is the presence, the joy and the unbelievable talent of Mumford & Sons that stops people in their step. They represent a youthful spirit and communicate it with an intensity and integrity wise beyond their years.

Signed to A&M Records in the US in the late eighties, Denise Lopez is an artist who is better remembered for her spectacular vocal range than her US chart success, despite an impressive discography which includes two solo albums to proudly boast of. In 1990 her infectious single “Don’t You Wanna Be Mine” peaked at #86 on the Billboard Dance Chart, with the awesome remix from talented production duo Robert Clivillés and (the late) David Cole (better known to most as C&C Music Factory) almost going unnoticed.

Transformers has taken the top prize at the 2008 MTV movie awards, after being named best movie of the year.

The Michael Bay actioner beat stiff competition from I Am Legend, Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End, Juno, Superbad and National Treasure: Book of Secrets to claim the trophy, which comes in the shape of a golden tub of popcorn.

The movie’s leading lady Megan Fox, recently named sexiest woman in the world by the readers of FHM magazine, accepted the award on behalf of the film, the sequel to which begins shooting this year.

Teen comedy Superbad had been the favourite to sweep the board, having accrued five nominations, including for best movie.

The film’s leading men, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, were up for the best male performance gong as well as being nominated in the best newcomer category alongside their co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

However, Will Smith claimed the male award for his performance as the last man, Robert Neville, in I Am Legend while High School Musical star claimed the breakthrough prize for his role as Link Larkin in Hairspray.

Briana Evigan and Robert Hoffman won the best kiss award for their clinch in Step Up 2 The Streets while the best fight gong was claimed by Never Back Down stars Sean Faris and Cam Gigandet for their mixed martial arts clash.

Johnny Depp was a surprise winner in the best comedic performance category and also took the best villain prize for his turn as the demon barber of Fleet Street in Sweeney Todd.

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Supermodel NAOMI CAMPBELL is returning to the fashion house that kick-started her catwalk career - she’s to replace KATE MOSS as the face of Yves Saint Laurent.
The British beauty has signed a $400,000 (GBP200,000) deal with the French designer and will front the company’s autumn/winter 2008 campaign.
She says, “I’m blessed and grateful to be working with YSL again, a house that gave me a start in my career.”
Her first project for Yves Saint Laurent was in the 1990s when she was a fledgling star.
The move comes just days after she was charged with allegedly assaulting a police officer following her arrest at London’s Heathrow airport in April (08).

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On today’s electro-obsessed dancefloors, original Italo disco is now a big deal, a regular fixture with DJs and dancers seduced by the the epic, spacey energy, the brash synths and heavy percussion breaks leaping from the grooves. Acts as diverse as Metro Area, Hot Chip, Pet Shop Boys and Ricardo Villalobos owe much to late ‘70s and early ‘80s Italian music. John Travolta as Tony Manero, it is not.

Italo-disco has boasted a major role in dance music heritage since it first surfaced. New York and Chicago clubland held a close affinity as Italo productions sat perfectly alongside early boogie and Latino freestyle at feted spots like Paradise Garage, The Funhouse and The Music Box. Labels like Emergency regularly licensed tracks and cemented a presence Stateside. The music’s roots can be traced back to early Moroder and Cerrone and, later, Mauro Malavasi’s productions for Change and BB&Q Band, a spacious, tight production style that still sparkles with its electro touches and warm, jazzy arrangements.

Paul McCartney is to perform to 36,000 in Liverpool this evening as part of the city’s European Capital of Culture celebrations.

The concert at Anfield football stadium, home of Premier League club Liverpool, will receive support from the Kaiser Chiefs and the Zutons.

Foo Fighters star Dave Grohl is also expected to make an appearance. However, the McCartney told the Liverpool Echo former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr would not be taking part, saying “that was never going to be on the cards”.

The concert will raise money for the charity McCartney set up - Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (Lipa) – and the Nordoff-Robbins music charity.

McCartney told the BBC: “About 12 years ago when we were looking to start Lipa, Liverpool was a bit on its knees - it was not in good shape at all.

“But now there’s quite a resurgence.”

He promised to play all his hits, and said he would also throw in a few surprises.

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