Based in the borough of Brooklyn, the seeming-home of the alternative/psychedelic rock movement currently seeing a resurgence, Yeasayer, made up by Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder at the core of the band, are starting to make their presence felt in the music business. Their latest single, O.N.E., can be heard and the video seen more and more. The band is so new, I have yet to discover that much information about them, only my own observations that this is music to keep a watch on.
The sound is somewhat hypnotic, taking the influences of Jimi Hendrix and Oingo Boingo, combining the sounds to make the experience of bringing trance to a new level, with a showmanship seldom seen. Here they performing Sunrise on the Jules Holland show in 2008.
Sunrise is from the 2007 album, All Hour Cymbals, the next video, Tightrope, was part of a 2009 compilation album, Dark Was The Night.
For more about Yeasayer, check out their official website here.
Mary J Blige, in my mind the best R&B singer of her [and the next] generation, is celebrating her 39th birthday today. She can take just about any style of music, distill it to the root emotion, and make it happen in the performance. It doesn't hurt she is a gorgeous woman, with amazing style and ability to keep herself looking and sounding current.
No where is this better exemplified than by her 2006 duet with U2 on the song One. Now the song is a great one, filled with angst and self-analysis, and the 1992 version by U2 is superb. But Mary J takes it to another level.
Happy birthday, Mary J, may we hear your voice for years to come.
Russian born Mikail Baryshnikov is considered by many to be one of the greatest ballet dancers ever, and was certainly someone who was great for dance. He headlined for Russia's premiere ballet company, the Kirov, astounding audiences the world over with his grace, good looks, and amazing athletic ability. His leaps were legendary, as were the tales of his womanizing. In 1974, while the Kirov was touring Canada, Baryshnikov, known as Misha to his friends, controlled the headlines throughout the world by defecting to Canada.
Once he had severed his ties to Mother Russia, he set out to make a name for himself, and fully embrace the freedoms and opportunities commercialism had to offer. He danced wherever he wanted, whatever style he wanted. He became a known figure in NYC nightlife, often seen in the company of Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger at places like Studio 54. He appeared in movies, including a brilliant turn as a former Russian ballet dancer in The Turning Point, as well in the movie White Nights.
Misha has been nominated for an Oscar, a Tony, and has won 3 Emmy Awards. One of those for a 1980 TV special, Baryshinkov on Broadway, co-starring good friend and party buddy, Liza Minnelli. The show had them performing together - dancing, playing the piano and singing - to many of the great Broadway show numbers of all times. This includes Too Darn Hot from the Cole Porter show, Kiss Me Kate.
Deciding he needs to have a big finale for the show, he finally decides on the most logical show for a dancer, A Chorus Line, and is joined by the Broadway cast of the show in the big number, One.
I think that I, like every other gay boy in the world at the time, had a massive crush [ie lust] for Baryshnikov, with his beautiful body and striking looks. But he boy was stridently str8, having a child with the gorgeous and talented Jessica Lange, and three more with former ballerina and current girlfriend Lisa Rinehart. In one of his latest acting roles, he played Aleksandr Petrovsky, the older love interest of Sarah Jessica Parker, in the series Sex and the City.
