Mia Doi Todd - Ten Views of Music Life - VINYL LP

Gary Clark, Jr. has been hailed by a number of critics as Inchthe New Hendrix,Inch which seems to be the fate of any guitarist who combines blues and rock styles at a considerable volume (particularly if they cover InchThird Stone from the SunInch). While that's a blurb that may look good in Clark's press kit, it rather misses the point; Clark isn't a visionary, game-changing artist like Hendrix, but instead he's a canny singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist who has learned from the past and present, fusing them into a style that's distinctive and exciting if not necessarily revolutionary. Warner Bros. Is also pitching Blak and Blu as Clark's Inchgroundbreaking debut album,Inch when in fact it's just his major-tag debut, with four indie releases preceding it, making the confidence and ambition of this set a bit less remarkable. But if Gary Clark, Jr. isn't likely to change the way we look at rock & roll or rewrite the aesthetic of the electric guitar, he is one of the most interesting talents to come out of the contemporary blues scene in quite some time. On Blak and Blu, most of Clark's tunes are solidly rooted in the blues, but he's also folded in hearty servings of hard rock, funk, retro-soul, and even a dash of hip-hop, and the way he let's the flavors mix is a big part of what makes this album work so well. There's an undertow of Northern Soul on the dance-friendly opener InchAin't Messin' Round,Inch InchTravis CountyInch is a no-frills rocker that recalls the Stones in fifth gear, InchThe LifeInch finds Clark moving back and forth between singing and rapping in a streetwise tale of drug addiction, InchNumbInch recalls the punk blues attack of the Black Keys and the White Stripes in it's fuzzed-out blast, and the title cut samples both Gil Scott-Heron and Albert King as Clark melds conscious themes with blues backdrops. While the typical modern-day guitar hero

By now everyone should know, John Carpenter is not only a celebrated filmmaker but also a musical maestro whose soundtracks have become synonymous with the genres of horror, suspense, and science fiction. His innate talent for composition and his deep understanding of how music can elevate storytelling have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema, and a haunting presence in people's record collections.Anthology II continues the celebration of his compositional genius via an excellently sequenced collection of some of his most iconic pieces of music from his extensive filmography, all newly recorded with his musical collaborators Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter.The compilation opens with InchChariots of PumpkinsInch from Halloween III that perfectly captures the eerie essence of the cult classic film with it's pulsating synths and haunting melodies. The listener is engulfed by a sense of unease and anticipation, before being thrust into Inch69th St. BridgeInch from Escape From New York, a dynamic track that encapsulates the futuristic and gritty nature of the film via the use of throbbing bass lines, driving rhythms, and electronic textures. The record has also an isolating tone as it skulks through ambient leaning tracks such as InchFuchsInch and InchTo Mac's ShackInch from The Thing, and InchWalk to the LighthouseInch from The Fog, all of which display a slower tempo, foreboding undertones and an ethereal atmosphere that feels like a distant whisper. All of which has been cautiously laid in preparation to the grand finale. The iconic and instantly recognizable InchLaurie's ThemeInch from the original Halloween. It's simple yet menacing piano melody which has become synonymous with the horror genre, concludes the album by striking fear into the hearts of listeners.These tracks represent just a fraction of John Carpenter's impressive musical repertoire. With eac