Cage The Elephant
Cage The Elephant is the pristine punky-funky quintette founded by brothers Matt (vocals) and Brad (guitars) Shultz, in 2005. Jared Champion (drums), Daniel Tichenor (bass, vocals), and Lincoln Parish (guitars) round out this Bowling Green, Kentucky unit. "Back Stabbin' Betty," from the band's self-titled 2009 collection, Cage The Elephant, produced by Grammy winner Jay Joyce, has a rock-'n'-roll majesty. Currently on tour.
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Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Artist: Cage The Elephant
Song: Back Stabbin' Betty
Album: Cage The Elephant
Tour: Visit
Shuggie Otis
Rock-'n'-soul singer, writer, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, vibraphone, piano, organ, drums) Shuggie Otis was born in Los Angeles in 1953, the son of legendary blues master Johnny Otis. A child guitar prodigy, Shuggie started his career at the tender age of 12. By his mid-teens, he penned "Strawberry Letter 23," which became a big hit for The Brothers Johnson. Ahead of his time, Otis saw his 1974 masterpiece, Inspiration Information, sit on the underdog shelf for decades, but the album enjoyed a re-release in 2001 by David Byrne's Luaka Bop label. Collaborations include Frank Zappa, Al Kooper, Arthur Lee, Quincy Jones, and Etta James. Otis is a style-blazer with gravity and soul. "Sweet Thang," from his 1971 debut album Freedom Flight, is a mind-bender.
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Genre: Soul/Rock
Artist: Shuggie Otis
Song: Sweet Thang
Album: Freedom Flight
The Fall
Meta-punk mob The Fall was founded in 1976 by frontman/guitarist Mark E. Smith in Manchester, England. Martin Bramah (guitar), Una Baines (keyboards), Yvonne Pawlette (organ), and Tony Friel (bass) were the first on Smith's four-decade roller-coaster ride. Elena Poulou, Dave Spurr, Pete Greenway, and Keiron Melling back Smith in his current lineup. As the Mancunian punk rock/new wave scene hardened by the '80s, Smith's early finger-bleeding and uncategorizable sharkskin swagger drew him to form his own school. As a result, The Fall has given us more than two-dozen albums of eccentric, mad-versifying glee. "What About Us," from the 2005 release Fall Heads Roll, is an elegant headbanger.
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Genre: New Wave/Punk
Artist: The Fall
Song: What About Us
Album: Fall Heads Roll
Moby
Musician, producer, and creative entrepreneur Moby was born in NYC in September of 1965. Moby is an artist fueled by an illimitable imagination, and his constant metamorphosis is unfailingly interesting and always invigorating. He's recorded dozens of sides, and collaborated with David Bowie, Aerosmith, The Beastie Boys, Bono, and Lou Reed, to name a few. Accolades include numerous honors for charitable works and a 2002 Grammy nomination for Play: The DVD. With Moby's new album on its way, one should revisit "Run On," from his 2004 collection Play & Play: B Sides. Catch him on tour.
John Zorn
New York's avant-experimental pack leader John Zorn was born in September of 1953. Maturing in the artful East Village, Zorn moved from piano to guitar, flute, and alto saxophone, then traveled the globe creating his own musical movement. He's featured on hundreds of recordings both on his own label, Tzadik Records, and with artists as diverse as Bill Frisell, The Kronos Quartet, Erik Friedlander, Yamatake Eye, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and the Cracow Klezmer Band. "Miramar," from his 2009 release Alhambra Love Songs, overflows with gracious melody. Catch Zorn on selected summer dates with Medeski Martin & Wood, Laurie Anderson, and Lou Reed.
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Genre: Experimental Jazz
Artist: John Zorn
Song: Miramar
Album: Alhambra Love Songs
Tour: Visit
Simon Jeffes
Modern-classical composer, producer, and arranger Simon Jeffes was born in Sussex, England, in 1949. At the age of 12, Simon discovered guitar at boarding school, later moving on to piano and music theory. In the early '70s, Jeffes dreamed up and founded the The Penguin Café Orchestra. Collaborations include Brian Eno, Rupert Hine, Yvonne Elliman, Malcolm McLaren, and Sid Vicious, whose version of "My Way" includes Jeffes's string arrangements. Sadly and too soon, Jeffes passed away from a brain tumor in 1997. He leaves a weight of work behind. "Zopf: Surface Tension," from the 1976 release Music From the Penguin Café, is epic and gentle.
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Genre: Classical/Experimental
Artist: Simon Jeffes
Song: Zopf: Surface Tension
Album: Music From the Penguin Café