The Napster Blog

The Flatlanders, Hills and Valleys

Here's a "supergroup" that's actually a band whose members went solo before their collective career ever took off. If that sounds complicated, it is: Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock are each well known and respected Texas songwriters and performers, but some 37 years ago, the three boyhood friends formed The Flatlanders and made a record that somehow was released only on eight-track tape and very nearly wasn't released at all. The wind out of their sails, they went their separate ways, each making a name for himself in the intervening years. But the Flatlanders name endured—so much so that their neglected 1972 debut was eventually re-released in the early '90s with the telling title More a Legend Than a Band.

Remarkably, Gilmore, Ely, and Hancock have remained fast friends, and as such it was only a matter of time—in this case, a lot of time—before their musical paths crossed again. They first reunited to write a song for The Horse Whisperer soundtrack, "South Wind of Summer," which led to 2002's Now Again, which in turn led to 2004's Wheels of Fortune. Now we have the excellent Hills and Valleys, and all the years and living that led up to it are evident in the seasoned beauty of the music. As the first chorus of "Thank God for the Road" goes, "Thank God for the road / And the miles that come between us / The little rains that come to clean us / The guardian angels who have seen us."

Another supercool thing about this album is that it owes its warm, gorgeous sound to the production of The Flatlanders' Texas buddy Lloyd Maines, a legendary steel guitarist and producer who's also known for being the father of Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks. The elder Maines guests on a number of stringed instruments (including steel), while another Dixie Chick, Martie Maguire, contributes fiddle parts. And if that isn't enough, there's even musical saw on several tracks. Yes, musical saw, and it's worth listening for all by itself.

Zoo Adventure: Napster Playlist

The last of our adventure playlist series for kids is Napster's "Zoo Adventure." The songs range from the serious, such as "What Does a Zoologist Do All Day?" to the just plain silly, like "Why Does the Zebra Wear Pajamas?" from albums such as A Day at the Zoo, The Crazy Zoo: An Animal Songfest, and Miss Ellie's We're Goin' to the Zoo. Children of all ages can join in to sing songs about monkeys and giraffes, the sounds the animals make, and even learning the ABCs at the zoo. If these adventure playlists have inspired dreams of fun outings for children and you'd like to see a new playlist in the series, feel free to suggest them in the comments.

Peter Bjorn and John, Living Thing

The followup to 2006's Writer's Block, which contained the infectious "Young Folks," is a step into new territory for Peter Bjorn and John. The breezy pop classicism of earlier releases has been augmented with electronic textures and a more somber lyrical perspective. Hooks that jumped out so readily the last time around still lie beneath the surface of tracks such as "Nothing to Worry About," "Living Thing," and "Blue Period Picasso," but they're now colored by a melancholy that should go over well with audiences when the group embarks on their upcoming tour opening for Depeche Mode. They might even have an unlikely stadium anthem with the chorus of "Lay It Down." All together now: "Hey, shut the..."

Rodney Atkins, It’s America

Even before pressing "play" on It's America, you know what to expect. Rodney Atkins' new and long-awaited Curb Records release is most definitely cast from the same mold as was his huge 2006 album, If You're Going Through Hell, which spawned four #1 singles and is still in the Top 20 of Billboard's Top Country Catalog Albums chart. The similarity between the two is even illustrated by their cover images, which are virtual mirrors of each other.

With It's America, Atkins, along with returning producer Ted Hewitt, continues to winningly showcase his authentic heartland personality, and his fans, which are legion, will not be disappointed. Song topics are universally positive and are pretty much based upon the virtues of  simple rural family life, along with reflections on the many blessings that come with it. In out next post, we'll talk more about It's America and will focus more on specific songs. Meanwhile, it's worth spending some time with It's America, a fine addition to Atkins' discography.

This is the first of two posts on this album. To see the second post, click here.

Winter Music Conference: The Final Event

On our last night in the adventure known as the Winter Music Conference, our friends at OM records invited us to experience OM:MIAMI with them at the club Karu & Y. This breathtaking club is designed like a multi-room health spa on some futuristic planet. Indoors and outdoors, they’ve counterbalanced the wild revelry with a Zen atmosphere. We began our adventure with the beautiful and gifted vocalist Samantha James. Ms. James performed behind a DJ setup in the Buddha Gardens, serenading the crowd with a lovely tone that started us out on the right foot. Next, we watched Chromeo’s DJ set, which rocked the crowd until Diplo took over the decks and administered his own sonic barrage of selected pleasers. Elsewhere, the lineup included appearances from Kruder & Dorfmeister, Mark Farina, Radio Slave, Mike Monday, Chuck Love, Fred Everything and more. It was a wonderful experience for our last hoorah in Miami.

Bo Burnham, Bo Burnham

When I was 18, I was just learning how to use the Internet.  To be fair, so was almost everyone else at the time—including, apparently, 3-year-old comedic proto-prodigy Bo Burnham. Ridiculous, you say? How else do you explain the teenager's command of the medium and meteoric rise through the ranks of YouTube celebrity? The 18-year-old began posting satirical songs about puberty a couple of years ago, and he's since parlayed his Web success into an EP and a full-length album, the eponymously titled Bo Burnham, on the prestigious (not in the "Nobel" or "Pulitzer" sense, but by comedy standards, anyway) Comedy Central label. Next up: writing the music and script for a Judd Apatow project, dubbed the "anti-High School Musical." I usually hate overachieving kids like this, but Bo has some chops, and given the right development, he could stick around for awhile—especially if he plays nice with the Apatow crew.

Easy Spring: Napster Playlist

Though much of the country continues to struggle with fierce winter weather, we're officially a couple of weeks into spring, and if it hasn't happened in your area yet, perhaps you can imagine it: You're a little warmer and drier, the sun has come out and rises a little higher in the sky, the breeze is a little more fragrant, and the sight of plants starting to bud and bloom spurs thoughts of rebirth and hope. Not a bad frame of mind for trying times, and to help in that department, we present Napster's "Easy Spring" playlist, full of lighthearted, optimistic songs of sunshine and romance from a variety of traditional pop and easy listening artists. From Ethel Smith and Judy Garland each offering a "Zing" song, to Michel Legrand's "Paris in the Spring," Mel Tormé's "Isn't It Romantic," Sutton Foster's version of John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulder's," Tony Bennett's "My Favorite Things, Natalie Cole's "The Best Is Yet to Come," and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," there's something for everyone. And if spring hasn't yet sprung for you, have a listen—maybe some of the good vibes will rub off on the weather.

Green Day’s American Idiot, the musical

The punk-pop band Green Day have announced that their 2004 concept album, American Idiot, will be staged as a musical at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre this fall. The Grammy-winning album tells the story of a man who leaves his hometown and goes on a journey of self-discovery in post-9/11 America; the story runs throughout the songs and makes the album an obvious choice for adaptation. While there were earlier rumors of a forthcoming film, instead we will see Tony award-winning director Michael Mayer collaborate with the band for on a stage production. And if it's a hit, there's the possibility of a Broadway run; an appropriate enough place to hear "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

Yanni, Voices

Yanni's music is known for its emotionally stirring arrangements, mostly instrumental. But this time around, the revered New Age composer and performer welcomed the addition of vocals for his new album, rendered in two different versions: Voices (featured here) and Voces (an alternate Spanish version). Nathan Pacheco, Leslie Mills, Ender Thomas and Chloe were invited to write their own words and melodies to some of Yanni's classics, as well as new songs. The result is a vibrant mix of seductive, Spanish-flavored downtempo ballads that strengthens Yanni's catalog with something a little different. And, let's face it, change can be a very good thing...

 
 

Winter Music Conference: A night out

Last night we toured a couple of spots and put our party skills to the test. If you’ve ever thought that any scene was dying, whether it be house, trance or anything in between, the Miami WMC nightlife will put those thoughts to rest. Every patio is packed, and the vibes are definitely being felt.

After taking in some tunes at an industry rooftop balcony party, we hit Hello Miami, where out front we ran into Taboo Nawasha from the Black Eyed Peas. Inside, Daedelus played a live set that worked the crowd into a frenzy, delivering them straight into the hands of a special guest appearance by DJ Craze. Then, as we moved through Miami once again, we came upon a party where House legend Johnny Fiasco was standing out front. In a matter of moments, we followed him inside for an inspirational performance. There are so many venues in Miami doing so many things with such wonderful talent, you can almost pick a spot at random and see something amazing.