The News Review:

- The dueling axes of Umphrey’s McGee: Jake Cinninger and Brendan…
- Notes from the underground.(Interview)(Sound recording review)
- Yawned in Bars page 1 – Music – Village Voice – Village Voice
- Contemporary Dance Showcase’s Tidbits from East Asia
- n Demand Webcast:
- Matt Costa.

The dueling axes of Umphrey’s McGee: Jake Cinninger and Brendan…
Free with registration – Guitar Player – AccessMyLibrary.com – Jan 1, 2008
(LESSNS: Master Class) WHEN IT CMES T DUAL-GUITAR JAM bands old school rock puritans may be reluctant to acknowledge much life existing beyond At Fillmore East and Europe ’72 (the epic live jam benchmarks set by the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead respectively). And while metal bands such as Iron Maiden and avant-garde prog rock pioneers such as ’80s-era King Crimson certainly brought an infusion of fresh blood to the twin-ax format the past several decades have seen precious few twosomes step outside the parameters laid down by their forebears. [ILLUSTRATIN MITTED] ne notably ear-catching exception is Umphrey’s McGee. A hardworking six-piece ensemble from Chicago with a singular blend of crunchy metallic riffs greasy country fills funky R&B grooves and odd-metered modal jazz jams Umphrey’s has won over the devoted minions of the jam-band scene. With their elaborate yet loose song arrangements musically democratic live excursions and sunny stage demeanor the band has made the jump from local phenoms to festival headliners with high-profile sets at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza already under their belts. Not surprisingly many listeners have championed the group as the heir-apparent to Phish’s legacy.

Notes from the underground.(Interview)(Sound recording review)
Free with registration – Thrasher – AccessMyLibrary.com – Jan 1, 2008
(Interview)(Sound recording review) HERE’S AN EXCLUSIVE inteview with the tipping death metal band Job for a Cowboy. This band isn’t to be taken lightly. Their new release Genesis from Metal Blade delivers hard-hitting riffs punishing guttural vocals and fast-paced drums that punch holes through the conventional wall of metal. From their complex riffs to steady doom tones every song is astoundingly epic. Their adrenaline-producing songs evoke an aggressive sinister sound that’s pleasing to listen to over stereo or on stage.

Yawned in Bars page 1 – Music – Village Voice – Village Voice
Village Voice – Jan 1, 2008
Not to say maturity has been entirely unkind to Marshall—the production here as on 2006′s The Greatest is remarkably intimate: You can practically smell the cigarettes fuming in the studio ashtrays. But also like The Greatest Jukebox’s few truly memorable moments—such as the shimmering “Silver Stallion” which takes the jaunty country-rock tune popularized by the Highwaymen and turns it into a late-night whisper à la her version of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”—are dwarfed by the merely adequate ones. The most captivating cover here isn’t a cover at all: “Metal Heart” first appeared on 1998′s Moon Pix arguably Marshall’s most clear-eyed expression of that mix of trepidation and intrepidity that once defined her music. n the original Marshall’s vocals are double-tracked fluttering timorously between plucked guitar chords and the song has a nervousness to it simmering but never boiling. n this version “Metal Heart” fits snugly amid the Billie Holiday and the Janis Joplin having been transformed into another smoky ballad with Marshall belting “Metal heart you’re not worth a thing. ” The transformation is more touching than powerful: condemning someone to a “very sad sad zoo” sounds silly here forcing us to compare the naive Marshall of years gone by with this awkwardly grown-up version. You can hear in her voice that she remembers those days of naked beguiling expression even if she can’t quite re-create them… Not to say maturity has been entirely unkind to Marshall—the production here as on 2006′s The Greatest is remarkably intimate: You can practically smell the cigarettes fuming in the studio ashtrays. But also like The Greatest Jukebox’s few truly memorable moments—such as the shimmering “Silver Stallion” which takes the jaunty country-rock tune popularized by the Highwaymen and turns it into a late-night whisper à la her version of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”—are dwarfed by the merely adequate ones. The most captivating cover here isn’t a cover at all: “Metal Heart” first appeared on 1998′s Moon Pix arguably Marshall’s most clear-eyed expression of that mix of trepidation and intrepidity that once defined her music. n the original Marshall’s vocals are double-tracked fluttering timorously between plucked guitar chords and the song has a nervousness to it simmering but never boiling. n this version “Metal Heart” fits snugly amid the Billie Holiday and the Janis Joplin having been transformed into another smoky ballad with Marshall belting “Metal heart you’re not worth a thing. ” The transformation is more touching than powerful: condemning someone to a “very sad sad zoo” sounds silly here forcing us to compare the naive Marshall of years gone by with this awkwardly grown-up version. You can hear in her voice that she remembers those days of naked beguiling expression even if she can’t quite re-create them.

Contemporary Dance Showcase’s Tidbits from East Asia
Village Voice – Jan 1, 2008
Since the title of Dulcinea (performed by the Japanese company Kingyo) reflects founder-choreographer Yukio Suzuki’s interest in Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote maybe the bicycle helmet that the choreographer dashes to the ground in this falling-apart piece as well as the one that Ryohei Yokoyama struggles to take off is a badge of knighthood. The only woman onstage (Nao Ashimine) is even more unstable than the two men and the closest either of them gets to her is by crawling on his belly and touching her ankle during one of the rare moments when she stops staggering. Not only do these three people hurl their limbs around like whips yanking themselves off balance the very ground seems to betray them and Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music Part 1 (the first sounds we hear) could easily knock a person down. It’s hard to believe that these three can briefly mesh such impulsive movements into unison. For a quixotic task Suzuki attempts to climb an unsupported vertical board via two round fat pegs and crashes to the floor. nly when he thinks to prop the board against a back wall can he climb it. But to what end? The glamorous woman who strides onstage to begin Inside ut is wearing a trim little black dress and high heels but a scarf covers her head and dark glasses mask her eyes (apparently she’s channeling Jackie Kennedy).

n Demand Webcast:
MIX – Jan 1, 2008
It symbolizes the group’s symbiotic marriage of darkness and light menace and melody in their self-described “love metal” — a combination of infectious hooks driving rhythms and passionate crooning vocals that wax poetic about the melancholy side of love. The music is Goth in spirit metal in attitude and pop in accessibility without losing its rough edges. The Finnish band has amassed a loyal following on both sides of the Atlantic during the past several years. Having a new song in the soundtrack for the movie Transformers movie certainly hasn’t hurt their visibility. HIM albums are like Star Trek movies: The odd numbered ones are good the even numbered ones are great. The quintet’s sixth album Venus Doom is their heaviest and darkest work yet contrasting with the 2005 more radio-friendly Dark Light.

Matt Costa.
Free with registration – Thrasher – AccessMyLibrary.com – Jan 1, 2008
I’m pretty lazy so I decided the best way to interview Matt would be to go to his house and well basically not interview him. I’d just hang out and chat and write while we were talking. I’d ask him about his life and music and try to piece it all together. This is what we came up with. When Matt Costa was a kid he wanted to be Jesus. “He was my first superhero. I was like ‘That guy can do anything!’ I wanted to be a magician and he seemed like a really good one.