Author: rakemag

While dry, subliminally caustic comedy is not exclusive to Brits (see Arrested Development, for one), this BBC sitcom is proof that England need not yield its national claim on deadpan, documentary-style sarcasm. This satire of the soul-deadening workplace won an unexpected two Golden Globes this year, including one for creator and star Ricky Gervais’ pompous middle manager David Brent, one of the finest fatuous idiots since Basil Fawlty. Catch the original now before the American version, a possible replacement for NBC’s Friends, debuts next year.

Songwriter Adam Levy hits one out of the park on the local combo’s tuneful yet lyrically dark new disc. Musically, 10,000 Years is rich and complex in a laid-back Sgt. Pepper’s way, weaving threads of samba, German cabaret, and Middle Eastern rhythm into a sturdy fabric of alt-rock. (Our favorite song, for sentimental reasons, is “The Rake’s Progress.”) It’s so enjoyable that it’s easy to miss that it’s also a concept album about plague, famine, and mass murder in a dystopian future that might be coming very soon. It’s good to see Levy try something so ambitious, and it’s even better that it succeeds so well.

The Bad Plus introduced themselves to the world in fine style with their 2003 major-label debut, These Are the Vistas, which melded experimental jazz and the heavy thump of rock and roll. Smushed together by a Midwest piano trio, it all somehow sounds… great. Their new release, Give, should offer plenty for fans to chew over, from a cover of Ornette Coleman’s “Street Woman” to a version of the Pixies’ “Velouria” which ended up sounding… good. Yes, fans, with enough thought from the right people, rote pop production values and jazz spontaneity can perform meiosis.

They say that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil for his genius skill on the guitar. They also used to say that Clapton is God, so maybe the two will cancel out on Slow Hand’s new homage to fourteen of Johnson’s gems. Clapton is best known for his blues-rock fusion, but his affinity for the early stuff goes way back (of course, he had a huge hit with the Johnson tune “Crossroads”), and his work in the last decade has played up his traditional-blues credentials. From the Cradle and Riding with the King won Grammies, sold millions, and even got some of the yo-yos to stop yelling for “Layla” at his concerts.

The debut from this Glasgow art-school quartet is a burgeoning hit in the UK that deserves to be just as big in the States. Franz’s smart, spiky songcraft stakes out similar eighties-retro territory as Interpol, and should appeal to fans of the Fall or Fear of Music-era Talking Heads. But the band’s pop sensibility guides the ship. Catchy hooks abound, and nearly every song is about women they’re dating or would like to (well, except “Michael”). That may be one of rock ’n’ roll’s most basic tropes, but done this well you remember why.

You don’t hear about many orchestral works that incorporate a tribute to economics, but Emmy-winning St. Paul composer Steve Heitzeg’s massive symphony honoring the Nobel Prize does that and more. It’s an ambitious mix of choral music, unusual instruments like olive branches and artificial limbs, and words from the writings of sixteen Nobel laureates—an extended meditation on peace, justice, and the betterment of the human race. Vocalessence tackles the work with its full hundred-voice choir and guests from Minnesota Boychoir and Gustavus Adolphus, plus a new multimedia complement that translates the symphony’s themes into visual art. 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; (612) 371-5656; www.minnesotaorchestra.org

He faced down the giants at BMI and lived to tell the tale [see The Rake’s November 2003 issue], so acoustic troubadour and self-described “throwback” Richard Hayes Phillips is once again out on the concert trail. With a guitar, a 1917 mandolin, and an alto kalimba strapped to his back, he’s headed our way with a fistful of ballads. There’s no excuse to miss the man’s true, pure tenor, as he’s making seven appearances at local coffeehouses this month. If you’re wanting a pint, Acadia has the taps; at Old Man River, be sure to check out the world’s largest coffee stain. Gingko Coffeehouse, April 17; Cahoots, April 18; Acadia Cafe, April 22; Old Man River Cafe, April 23; Anodyne, April 24; Urban Harvest, April 24-25.

Considering his status as one of West Africa’s most important and compelling musicians, it’s ironic that Baaba Maal wasn’t born into the traditional griot musician’s caste of his native Senegal. But he’s earned his fame as both a preserver of traditional music and a leading force in its evolution and fusion with styles from the African diaspora, including reggae, hip-hop, and American soul. More to the point, Maal’s an impressively talented performer, possessed of a sweet (if slightly nasal) voice that’s granted him the nickname “The Nightingale.” He’ll be touring with his friend and longtime collaborator, the blind guitarist Mansour Seck, and the band from his 2001 disc Missing You, a lovely acoustic work recorded in the night air of a small rural Senegalese village. 416 Cedar Ave S., Minneapolis; (612) 338-2674; www.thecedar.org

Locksley Wellington “Slide” Hampton may have started in the biz because his dad’s band was short a trombonist, but from that humble beginning he’s become a living legend with forty years’ mastery of the instrument and the kind of original sound you can only get from, er, tooting your own horn. Last year’s live CD Spirit of the Horn was the first in twenty years recorded with his World of Trombones combo, a thirteen-piece orchestra made up entirely of trombonists. If that sounds gimmicky, you haven’t heard the wonderful brassy texture such a wall of sound creates. He’ll appear on the Bethel campus with the local JazzMn orchestra. 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul; (651) 638-6400; www.jazzmn.org

This is why we need to spend more time online. Here are two of the most exciting rock shows of the year, and both sold out within microseconds, thanks to Internet ticketing and fan-club Web connections. Though some might complain that the Strokes’ sophomore Room On Fire is a carbon-copy of the debut that got them named Saviors of Rock in all the coooolest magazines, we’re happy because it means the answer to who will be the next Strokes is—the Strokes. Meanwhile, Boston punk demigods the Pixies kick off their unexpected and most welcome reunion tour right here in Minneapolis. Memo to both bands: Swing by on the second leg, alright?