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At this stage in his storied career, it is hard to imagine there is anything left for B.B. King to accomplish. Arguably the most influential blues guitarist ever, he has been inducted into both the Blues and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame, has won 15 Grammys and been given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has received honorary doctorates in music from Brown and Yale University and has received awards from former President George W. Continue reading
American history is rooted in the spirit of revolution, and Fast Rattler wants you to remember that. Brendan Phillips sings: “Take it to the streets; the streets are where we win.” Continue reading
Does the band name Glitter Dick mean a penis covered with glitter? Or a jerk who likes to be sparkly? Does it matter? No, nothing matters but the music, having good stage names and perfecting your delivery of “Whoa yeah.” Continue reading
Odesza came about when BeachesBeaches and Catacombkid, two well-known Seattle-area producers, joined forces. The results have Pacific Northwest techno fans pretty excited. Odesza, who refer to themselves as a production duo, are glitch-y, dreamy techno, heavy on the chill-out; blending the cut ‘n’ paste minimalism of DJ Shadow, the slow rolling backbeat of hip hop, and indie-tronica like LCD Soundsystem — creating instrumental dreamscapes ideal for a post-club come-down or soundtrack to an overcast Northwestern afternoon. Continue reading
Channeling traditional, African vocal styles such as isicathamiya and mbube, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group that will not only challenge your preconceptions about world music, but will also have you grooving to something new. Continue reading
Matt & Kim Continue reading
While backward-gazing classical music institutions slip further and further into cultural irrelevance — see, for example, the Eugene Symphony’s season schedule, containing a total of two works by living composers — those who cherish the future of classical music can look to fountains of innovation such as the University of Oregon. Continue reading
Can vulgarity be artful? Can obscenity be beautiful? Who decides these things anyway? Who knows? Indie hip-hop/rock experiment Why? is pushing the boundaries, trying to find out. “I don’t see Why? as a hip-hop group,” says Josiah Wolf, who forms the core of Why? with his brother Yoni. Josiah says his brother grew up on rap, while his background is in jazz. The two combined these styles with a shared interest in rock ’n’ roll to form Why? Continue reading
Monday, March 4, at the UO’s Matthew Knight Arena is going to be a fizzy, indie-pop playground in three acts: Alt-rock-pop kings Passion Pit, indie-pop darlings Matt & Kim and Swedish DJ pop duo Icona Pop — too bad it’s a school night. Continue reading
There is a common misconception about conscious hip hop. “I don’t give a fuck, you can call us conscious, but rappers hit the stage spitting fucking nonsense,” Aaron Harris raps on the latest Eastern Sunz EP, Filthy Hippie Music, a sly retort on being labeled as environmental hip-hop artists. “I think of it as a compliment in some ways,” says Harris, a UO grad student studying urban planning. Continue reading