Nigerian drummer Tony Allen played for years beside Fela Kuti, who credited Allen with co-inventing Afrobeat. With Fela revivalism riding high from art galleries to Broadway, it’s refreshing to hear new music from Allen, who is almost 70 and in fine form, whether collaborating with Blur’s Damon Albarn or back in Lagos, where... |
British songbird Laura Marling may speak because she can, but she sings because she was born with a gift. On her sophomore album, the preternaturally mature 20-year-old proves her MySpace-powered buzz was no empty hype or beginner’s luck. Marling combines craft, instinct, and emotion for a collection of tunes that showcase a variety of... |
Coheed and Cambria has been using a complex sci-fi fantasy story line as its musical road map since arriving with a wild mash-up of prog-rock, punk, and metal. But a grasp of the so-called Amory Wars (better detailed in graphic novels) has never been required to appreciate Coheed and Cambria’s music. That holds true for “Year... |
When he appeared on “American Idol’’ in 2008, Jason Castro seemed like an affable guy who probably would be happy strumming his guitar on the beach while staring into a sky as blue as his eyes. His short, eight-song debut proves that he is an artist to be reckoned with, though. Instead of rushing out a record, he... |
The Boston Symphony Orchestra proceeded with plans to announce its 2010-11 season today, despite uncertainty about music director James Levine’s medical prognosis. Next year Levine’s official BSO schedule will be lighter, with 28 scheduled performances in Symphony Hall, down from the 37 performances that were planned for the... |
Boston Classical Orchestra, one of the city’s lesser known gems, capped its 30th anniversary season with two ambitious works: one a magnificent success, the other a magnificent mistake. |