The Current Music Blog: January 24, 2007 Archive

Rex Manning Day

Posted at 1:41 AM on January 24, 2007 by Jill Riley (4 Comments)

OK, it's not really Rex Manning Day, but I'm just as excited as Liv Tyler was in the movie Empire Records. It's The Current's birthday today! Did you know it's also Neil Diamond's birthday today? My favorite funny man John Belushi would have been 58 today as well.

Two years ago, on January 24, The Current hit the airwaves! I guess that makes us toddlers now? Seriously though, I can't even express my joy and the love for my job on this fine day! Thanks to everyone for supporting us. You all rule. Music rules.

Two years have gone by so fast! It seems like it was only yesterday when we launched with the Atmosphere song "Shhh."

Do you remember what you were doing when The Current was born?

Comment on this post

The Buffering Stream calls the neighbors, wakes the dog 1/24

Posted at 7:03 AM on January 24, 2007 by Hans Eisenbeis (3 Comments)

A Tragic Birthday for Aaron Neville

Posted at 9:11 AM on January 24, 2007 by Dale Connelly (2 Comments)

Not only is it Neil Diamond’s birthday today, but the warbly-voiced Aaron Neville is also 66.
Sadly, Mr. Neville and the Neville Brothers will miss this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, due to health concerns and the recent death of Aaron Neville’s wife, Joel. The New Orleans Times-Picayune told a lovely story about their long, sometimes tumultuous relationship. "She tamed me," he said.

Comment on this post

Herb Alpert: Problem or Solution?

Posted at 1:37 PM on January 24, 2007 by Steve Seel (4 Comments)

Playing Herb's "Hello Dolly" today took me back to a Musicheads discussion we had a little under a year ago, when Herb's "Whipped Cream and Other Delights - Re-Whipped" came out. Mark Wheat came down on the side of Herb being a forefather of contemporary down-beat instrumental music, whereas Tony Lopez wasn't having any of that argument -- proclaiming any Herb Alpert "totally appalling" (and that is an accurate quote I recall with some fondness). You?

Comment on this post

The Current birthday party exposes secret sisterhood

Posted at 2:11 PM on January 24, 2007 by Christina Schmitt (13 Comments)

The Current turns 2 today, so staff got together today for lunch and very rich cake. Yum.

Because The Current is staffed 24/7, I don't always get to see folks outside my normal weekday routine--like Brandt Williams, who DJs on Sunday evenings and is a hard-working reporter in the MPR Minneapolis bureau the rest of the week.

Staff parties, by the way, are where you learn very important things about your colleagues, such as who among us hates pickles. I hate them. DJ Jacquie Fuller hates them (Jacquie DJs weekdays 4-5 a.m.). The Current's reporter Nikki Tundell hates them. We don't like the way they're slipped into hamburger baskets and contaminate french fries. We are going to start a club for pickle haters. Do you hate pickles?

And do you love The Current? (Of course you do because you're reading this blog.) What's your favorite Current memory from the past two years?

Comment on this post

Some news

Posted at 2:14 PM on January 24, 2007 by Barb Abney (1 Comments)

Snow Patrol's drummer, Johnny broke his arm recently while snowboarding. He should be healed in time for their upcoming Australian dates. Between now and then Graham Hopkins (Therapy?) will be filling in fon the drumkit.

Still no word on whether James Iha will be a part of the next Smashing Pumpkins project. But he's keeping busy. He has written a soundtrack to the movie Linda Linda Linda.

Need a reason to visit the UK? How about a James reunion?

Comment on this post

Oh Ce Can You See

Posted at 3:47 PM on January 24, 2007 by Tony Lopez

There are only a few artists who inspire me to mark my calendar when I hear about a new release. The great Brazilian tropicalista Caetano Veloso is one of them. I hopped on the Veloso bandwagon full-time about 10 years ago when his album Livro caught my attention. I had heard a song or three before but hadn't really taken the plunge. His mellifluous voice, expert guitar-playing and musical arrangements were jaw-dropping. After only one listen I was hooked.

He's been making music for over 40 years; in Brazil he is absolutely revered. Part of that has to do with the fact that, in the 60's, the military dictatorship threw him in jail for his political views and his live shows, which were openly critical of the government. He's always been a "man of the people." Along with Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and Os Mutantes, he redefined popular Brazilian music. His discography is ridiculously big and the old stuff can be hard to find, but I highly recommend it. Here's vintage Caetano with another Brazilian giant, Chico Buarque, sometime in the early 80's.

Sasha Frere-Jones reviews Caetano's new album, Ce, in the latest edition of The New Yorker. By all accounts, and from the clips I've heard, it's got quite a bit of a "rock" feel to it. It hits stores January 30. My calendar's marked. How about yours?

What upcoming releases have you looking at your calendar?

January 25 addendum:
As if on cue, here's an article in today's Times on the release of a new box set documenting the roots of Brazilian music.