Epic instrumental music
I'm not sure if it's the changing of the seasons, or a cause of another kind, but I've found myself listening to a lot of instrumental music in the last week or so. Luckily, I live in a city where this type of music has its own radio show.
Now Like Photographs, named after a Six Parts Seven track, airs on Radio K from 8 to 10 p.m. on Mondays. The hosts claim "We are epic instrumental music." And who could argue?
You can stream the two most recent episodes here.
Fans of the show, or of instrumental music in general, might want to head over to the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis on Friday, September 24th for an instrumental concert of epic proportions.
Artists include Lights Out Asia, The Autumn Project, and Nomia. You can read more about it at The Ritz web site.
Personally, I will have to convince The Main Figurehead to share the teleportation tips he learns this weekend hopping between The Cedar and The Walker Art Center. Because although I hope to be at The Ritz, the 24th is also the final night of The Cedar's Global Roots Festival, featuring Ethiopian-born Meklit Hadero and local M.anifest.
A few noteworthy artists who have been on repeat at my house:
Four Tet
Read a quick bio and download a mix he created here (mix available for three weeks): http://www.factmag.com/2010/09/06/fact-mix-182-four-tet/
Klondike
An incredible debut album from what I hope is an up-and-coming local artist. Be on the lookout.
Emeralds
Eagerly awaiting their visit to our very own First Avenue to open for Caribou on Monday, September 27.
Vic Chesnutt
Not an instrumental artist as such, but his album At The Cut (which I cannot stop listening to) features members of both Thee Silver Mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Fans of Vic Chesnutt take note: We will have a very special guest Cedar Blog contributor writing about Vic Chesnutt in the coming weeks.
Happy September and happy 22nd Cedar season!
M.anifest
M.anifest (Kwame Tsikata) is a charismatic and rapidly rising Hip-Hop artist born in Accra, Ghana and resident in Minneapolis. Voted City Pages Songwriter of the year (2008), M.anifest has captivated the attention of music fans and critics alike with literate lyrics, compelling grooves, moving narratives, and a refreshing perspective. He has been described as an artist with “an incredible gift” (the run off groove) who possesses “the kind of assured, joyful, ruminative voice that made Mos Def into Hollywood's favorite conscious-rap star." (City Pages). AllhipHop.com profiled him (along with K’naan) as one of four African Artists “Stormin’ into the Hip-Hop World” (2009).
Meklit Hadero
"[Meklit] is an artistic giant in the early stages. She sings of fragility, hope and self-empowerment, and exudes all three. What's irresistible, above all, is her cradling, sensuous, gentle sound. She is stunning." -San Francisco Chronicle
"Hadero's sound is a unique blend...there's jazz, there's Ethiopia, there's artsy San Francisco scene and a dollop of visceral poetry that paints pictures in your head as you listen." NPR
