Friday's Playlist: New Jazz

"Jazz isn't dead, it just smells funny"

Frank Zappa

Jazz has been declared dead every year since hard bop. Jazz Nazis refuse to acknowledge its evolutions and mutations. This American tradition has used European classical music, Rock, Funk, Latin, Electronica to rejuvenate, adapt, survive and today, the idiom is richer than ever.

Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi @ Café de la Danse, Paris - December 9th, 2019

Rhiannon Giddens is probably the best ambassador of American roots music today. Through her various projects and the multitude of instruments she masters, including her spellbinding voice, she tells the stories of the people and the myths that have informed America, wherever they may be from.

Delain @ Cabaret Sauvage, Paris - December 6th, 2019

The Netherlands are one of the world's foremost purveyors of the musical style that has come to be known as Symphonic Metal: epic, heavy riffs, soaring (usually female) vocals, and bombastic arrangements that evoke the string and brass sections of an orchestra. Check out our playlist HERE if you want to hear what that sounds like. 

In the decade-plus since their creation, Delain has become one of the front bearers of a genre that include such acts as Within Temptation, Nigthwish and The Gathering.

Greatest Hits Live (2011-2019)

We've just updated this page with some of our most recent favorite shots. There's quite a few legends in here... Click on the captions to check out the full galleries.

Angus Young (AC/DC)

Friday's Playlist - Awesome Guitar Solos (part one)

This Friday's Playlist is the first of several instalments. Most of the solos featured here are classics. Some might call them overplayed. Don't listen to them. You don't need these people in your lives. The next instalments will feature more obscure ones but in the mean time, feel free to rock out to these fist pumping, head-banging, face-melting, air guitar-wielding solos.

Butt Rock is back, baby!

"The Stadium Tour" was just announced a few days ago after weeks of speculation thanks to new Black Crowes' manager (I use the term "Black Crowes" loosely...) Mark Didia, who spilled the beans on the Live Nation venture a little too early.

Joan Jett & the Black Hearts, Poison, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe. Here we are. Hairspray, mascara, bandanas, ugly pink guitars and sophomoric songs about strippers and cocaine are bankable again.

ENOUGH WITH THE BACKING TAPES ALREADY!

This trend is getting out of hand. Sure, it's nothing new. But it's getting worse. It used to be that bands used tapes, DATs, samples, triggers, etc. to help replicate the sound effects on their records. That's perfectly acceptable. Some use it to flesh out their sound. Add some soundscapes here, a little infra bass there... no harm done.

Eluveitie @ Élysée-Montmartre, Paris - December 1st, 2019

Headlining this diverse Metal package, with support from Infected Rain and Lacuna Coil, is Swiss Celctic/Folk/Pagan Metal outfit Eluveitie, touring in support of their latest record the epic Ategnatos.

Lacuna Coil @ Élysée-Montmartre, Paris - December 1st, 2019

A very interesting line-up, with three very different Metal bands, each prominently featuring a female vocalist. First was Infected Rain, a Metalcore band from Moldavia. We were a little late, therefore didn't get to take any pictures but still were able to see the whole set.

Friday's Playlist: Let's Jam!

The title of this Friday's Playlist is pretty self-explanatory. These aren't songs, really. Those are some hot jams. Long, exploratory noodling guitar solos. Maybe even bass solos. I know this is the stuff of nightmares for a lot of people. What's wrong with them?

D-A-D- @ Petit Bain, Paris - November 24th, 2019

Danish rock n'roll lifers D-A-D are back with A Prayer for the Loud, their first new record in almost a decade, and it's a banger.

The album is full of their usual brand of killer boogie rock, but that's not even the best news. The best news is that they're touring to promote this new rock and roll statement and I was lucky enough to catch them last night at Le Petit Bain, a cool Parisian venue located on a barge on the river Seine.

Suprême NTM @ Accorhotels Arena, Paris - 23 novembre 2019

Une fois n'est pas coutume, cette chronique est rédigée en français. Parce que Suprême NTM (que, dans un souci de concision nous abrévierons en NTM pour le reste de cet article) est un produit de son environnement et de son époque. Ce qui veut dire que si vous n'avez pas connu la France du début des années quatre-vingt-dix, il y a peu de chances que vous soyiez ému à l'idée que NTM ait donné hier soir son dernier concert. Si, si. Juré, promis, glavioté! On ne les y reprendra plus.

Friday's Playlist: Last Week's Originals (part two)

This is the companion to last Friday's Playlist: these are the original versions of the songs we featured last week.

Devin Townsend @ Salle Pleyel, Paris - November 15th, 2019

After dissolving his Devin Townsend Project a couple of years ago, Devin Townsend wasted no time in recording and releasing one of the more bonkers records in his catalogue, which is both an accomplishment and a compliment. Empath is a sensory overload from beginning to end, a dizzying flux of ideas and sounds that can leave the listener a little overwhelmed. The big question was, how would this transfer to the stage?

Friday's Playlist: Awesome Covers (part two)

This is another playlist comprised entirely of covers. We did that a few weeks ago and it was a big hit, so we're doing it again. Also it buys us time while we think of new themes for future playlists.