Emiliana Torrini stopped by WFUV studios to perform “Me and Armini” last week. Emiliana has a new record out on Rough Trade and is currently touring in the UK. Enjoy!

Brett Dennen stopped by Studio A last Friday and performed a couple tunes off his new record.  Some very lucky WFUV Members joined Brett in-studio for “Make You Crazy”. Brett’s new record “Hope to the Hopeless” is out October 21st.

91 degrees and more pure Texas sun did not keep us away from a full day of music–everyone from the Fleet Foxes to Beck. Fleet Foxes drew a big early crowd and won us over with spot on harmonies that I might have only expected from their recordings. They were pretty funny too joking about Plant/Krauss headlining and asking ‘who’s Alison Krauss?’ or explaining the long breaks between songs by saying ‘we’re not a festival band, maybe next year we’ll be better at this’.

Jose Gonzalez was next, again huge crowd for some of the most intimate music. I was psyched to catch Austin rapper, Bavu Blakes, who got our attention by coming on stage in a Obama mask and closed his excellent set with an unexpected cover of Bad Moon Rising. Friends from Nashville were raving about Black and White Years but I missed them to get the complete Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings experience. Basically we danced our bodies silly for an hour.

We also saw a bit of Scottish band The Fratellis and CSS who I really want to see again. More global sounds with a Senegal trio of brothers who sang like Simon and Garfunkel with a very Knopfler sounding guitar–beautiful, worldly stuff. Then a great Cuban band reminded me once again I really *can’t* dance. And there was still free beer backstage at Wamu so that was good.

Erykah Badu was next on the big stage and managed to get pretty close up. I’ve always been a fan. Great songs, great band, great singer (but really bad hair). She stood up with some political statements too–Obama, racism, humanity-it was great to hear someone saying something. Then it was Conor Oberst, Iron and Wine, and Beck! That’s a great day of music.

I’m starting this blog entry on the plane coming home from ACL 08, and the days of music have left me with a really sweet soundtrack. As a marketing and promotion person, I am forever impressed with the organization of the Fest: stages with scattered start times, shuttle bus service that is constant, water misters for those 100 degree days, large variety of food, shade tents, Kiddie sections and more. There are 8 stages and over 130 bands over 3 days.

But just like FUV, its about the music and the music had something for everyone. Favorites for me this year included M Ward, Jamie Lidell, Jenny Lewis, David Byrne (this was my fave), G Love, Old 97’s, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (my other fave), Conor Oberst, Iron and Wine and Beck. Honorable mentions include Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Robert Earl Keen and the Fratellis.

Highlights included David Byrne’s Dancers during his set, learning some Cubano dances from the Nachito Herrera All-Stars, watching lucky guys being pulled up on stage to dance with Sharon Jones (she showed them a thing or two!) and festival-goers watching the Presidential debates with the soundtrack of The Mars Volta in the background (crazy!) I heard Bill Murray was at this set, too…

Me and Rita shaking our groove things to Sharon Jones

I also bumped into (literally) Eryka Badu, shopping for jewelry in the marketplace – sportin a little Diana Ross vibe with big hair and an elegant dress. And the festival food was the best. The dust storms were a little much, but in my opinion, a small price to pay.

The event is for folks of all ages and backgrounds. I overheard kids talking about their new year of high school (how old do I feel!) and we met a WFUV member whose daughter (a Fordham grad) moved to Dallas and now the father/daughter team meets at ACL every year. So cool. I wanted to thank the folks at C3 Presents – the people who put this on every year and work with WFUV to promote it and let us give away a trip to a lucky pair (congrats Jon and Risa Stein of Bellmore)! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

A Texas-size BBQ feast – BEFORE

And After

A satisfied group of carnivores!

See you next year, ACL!

David Byrne

Here’s what i did today –

Patty Griffin, Jamie Lidell, Vampire Weekend, M Ward, Jenny Lewis, Delta Spirit, David Byrne and Alejandro Escovedo! All in day one at the Austin City Limits music fest in Austin.

The festival is a music lover’s dream, with a broad, nearly complete lineup (they’re missing Gomez, Lucinda and Radiohead to be perfect for me), held in a great town, with easy access to and from the festival grounds.

The midday Texas sun can be brutal and the shuttle bus lines daunting but that’s as bad as it gets. With over 100 bands on 8 stages, this is the perfect setting for my restless, wandering spirit and big ol’ appetite for music.

I did stay put tho for the entire David Byrne set on the big stage in the sunset glow.  The show was a stylized, sophisticated, groove-rich production that was a dream for any old Talking Heads fan. I was a happy girl. The set opened with “Strange Overtones” from the new album and then out popped the BEST dancers for “I Zimbra” from Fear of Music. Byrne and company were dressed in all white,  creating a certain space age Clockwork Orange look (although my friend Janeen said Byrne looked like a cricket player). The dancers complemented each song, often evoking meaning beyond the music - no easy feat!

The funniest moment was during “Once in Lifetime” - the dancers comically did the infamous karate chop move. Byrne held the center stage on guitar and in great voice, especially on the new material, which can be vocally demanding. Background singers added to a gospel, big sound.

My only wish was that the new songs were more well known, as they are worthy of being sung along with, just like past anthemic lines like “this ain’t no party, this aint no disco.” Byrne is not necessarily regarded as a protest songwriter but i was surely feeling that, especially since this was the big debate night. Patty Griffin had her own take on that with a great live performance of “No Bad News,” but for Byrne it was “One Fine Day,” filling us with hope - or at least reminding us to think as we dance.

Jenny Lewis may be the voice and figure of a generation. An adoring crowd greeted her at the WaMu stage (or is that the FDIC stage). Funny that there was still free beer backstage here. Anyway, I love her new album with its minor chords and twang - no surprise to hear her cover “Love Hurts.” Plus you gotta love her hot pants. While i got lost in the mostly young, female crowd I was reminded of the artists i adored back in the day, like Chrissie Hynde or Deb Harry.

I have a feeling Jenny Lewis will be around making a mark for a long time. And hopefully she’ll age with more kindness and grace than Chrissie seems to (ask me about that someday). More later…

Yesterday, Tuesday September 23, 2008, was the day that David Gilmour, guitarist, vocalist and composer of Pink Floyd, released his new live solo album, Live In Gdansk. What was supposed to be a celebration of David’s triumphant 2006 solo tour to support his album On An Island, instead has become a melancholy tribute to the late Richard Wright, who died a little over a week ago. David Gilmour asked Richard, his Pink Floyd band mate, to play keyboards and sing in his On An Island touring band after Rick appeared on several of the songs on the album. Rick played a big part in David’s band and this is documented on Live In Gdansk (and the 2007 DVD “Remember That Night Live At The Royal Albert Hall”). Now, this album bearing the name “David Gilmour” has become a touching rememberance of Richard Wright.

Live In Gdansk was recorded on August 26, 2006 in Poland at the Gdansk Shipyard, a show which was the last one on David Gilmour’s tour.

Richard Wright and David Gilmour during rehearsals for David’s On An Island album, 2006.

70 years ago, a time capsule, to be opened 5,000 years later was buried on the grounds of teh World’s Fair - (Now known as Flushing Meadows park in Queens, NYC)

This prompts the question: What modern music would we put in our time capsule?  What modern music would you consider timeless?

Van Morrison is banning audiences from going to the lobby for a drink during his current U.K. tour.  “We have had a policy of no drinks being taken into the hall because certain artists find it off-putting to have the audience moving around,” said concert promoter Danny Betesh.    Whether fans will be allowed get up to pee or give a standing ovation is still being negotiated.  [telegraph.co.uk]

It is with deep sadness that I write about the death of one of my favorite musicians. I was totally shocked to hear the unexpected news of his passing. Richard Wright, keyboardist, vocalist, composer and founding member of Pink Floyd, died yesterday, Monday September 15, 2008. Rick was 65 years old. He died from cancer. His family did not reveal the type of cancer and wished to mourn in private. This news was a complete shock as no one was aware that Richard was sick.

Richard was my favorite member of Pink Floyd. To me, he was the underdog of the band. He was the unassuming, quiet member of Pink Floyd. Despite this, his playing was an absolutely critical piece of Pink Floyd’s sound. I would go as far to say his sound was possibly the most important aspect of what Pink Floyd was musically all about. The atmospheric qualities, the sonics, of Pink Floyd were equal parts Richard Wright’s keyboards and David Gilmour’s guitar. Add to that the words and vision of Roger Waters and the one-of-a-kind percussion of Nick Mason. Then there’s the smooth as silk vocals of David Gilmour that occasionally blended beautifully with Rick’s accompaniment. Let’s not forget Roger Waters’ manic singing and screaching and, of course, you can’t overlook the live shows and the visuals.

Rick’s technique relied more on textures, moods and harmonics rather than solos. He was more interested in complementing each piece of music with his trademark organ and other synthesizers and pianos. He was a fan of jazz and classical first and he brought that sort of approach to Pink Floyd. That gave Pink Floyd a dynamic other bands didn’t have.

Richard William Wright was born on July 28, 1943 in Hatch End, London. At Regent Street Polytechnic College of Architecture, Rick met Roger Waters and Nick Mason and they were playing together in a band as early 1963. This band would be identified by numerous names - Sigma 6, the Abdabs, the Screaming Abdabs, the Architectural Abdabs and, by 1965, the Pink Floyd Sound. With Syd Barrett on board, Pink Floyd began developing a following in London, which led to a recording contact in 1967. The band debuted with the single “Arnold Layne”, composed by Syd Barrett, who, as the lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter, was recognized as the face of the Pink Floyd. At this early stage, Richard Wright was the second vocalist, behind Barrett. A second single, “See Emily Play” followed and then the ground breaking debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn in August 1967 (an altered version of the album, known simply as Pink Floyd, was how it was released here in the U.S.). Richard’s first solo songwriting credit came in late 1967 with the song “Paint Box”, which graced the b-side of Pink Floyd’s third stand alone single, “Apples And Oranges”. By early 1968, Syd Barrett’s well documented mental breakdown led to his departure and the addition of new lead vocalist and guitarist, David Gilmour. As the 1960s ended and the ’70s arrived, Pink Floyd was at the forefront of the progressive rock movement, creating challenging, innovative music all while searching for a direction that the band felt was where they wanted to be. During this time, the band member’s roles saw David Gilmour as the primary vocalist with Richard Wright and Roger Waters taking the occasional lead. It was usually Rick who sang the harmonies with Dave. Also during this time, Roger was slowly emerging as the primary songwriter, but all of the members were still making important contributions. In 1973, Pink Floyd released their eighth album - the album that would become their defining work, The Dark Side Of The Moon. Rick’s contribution’s were significant. His song “The Great Gig In The Sky”, which featured the wordless vocals of Clare Torry, along with “Us And Them”, are considered Rick’s crowning achievements. Several years later, Pink Floyd virtually duplicated their accomplishments with another landmark album, Wish You Were Here. The centerpiece of Wish You Were Here was “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, a nine part ode to their lost friend, Syd Barrett. Again, Rick Wright had a hand at composing the piece and played a major role in it’s execution. Unfortunatley, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” would be Richard’s last significant contribution to Pink Floyd. By the 1979 sessions for The Wall, Rick was no longer contributing anything to the band. This was due to a variety of personal and professional issues. The relationship between Rick and Roger Waters, who, by this time, had taken over artistic control of the band, had deteriorated to the point where Roger dismissed Rick from Pink Floyd. The circumstances of Rick’s firing suggested that he remain an “official” member of the band in the eyes of the public, but he would only be paid as a sideman during the live perfomances of The Wall, Pink Floyd’s other high watermark. Upon the completion of these live shows, Rick Wright would be dismissed. Rick’s departure would ultimately come in 1981, after Pink Floyd’s live perfomances of The Wall in 1980 and ‘81. But this would not be the last we’d hear from Rick regarding Pink Floyd.

In 1985, Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, feeling that the band achieved all it could achieve and was finished. He assumed that with his departure, Pink Floyd was no more. Much to his dismay and disbelief, David Gilmour and Nick Mason decided to continue as Pink Floyd. During the final stages of the recording of the band’s first album without Roger Waters, Rick Wright returned to the band, albeit in a part time role. He contributed a couple of very minor overdubs to the 1987 album A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. He went out on the road with the band on a trial basis, as Pink Floyd embarked on their first full blown tour in ten years. During this tour, which lasted well into 1988, Richard Wright was reinstated as a full time member of Pink Floyd! Their 1998 live album Delicate Sound Of Thunder proudly declared that Pink Floyd was now David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright.

Rick was back to playing a major role in the band for their second Roger-less album, The Division Bell, released in 1994. The album featured the first significant contributions from Rick since Wish You Were Here nineteen years earlier. Rick co-wrote about half of the songs on the album, including his “baby” - “Wearing The Inside Out” - which he sang lead vocal, his first lead since The Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973. Richard Wright was back to playing a major role again in Pink Floyd. After Pink Floyd completed their 1994 tour, which was documented by the 1995 live album Pulse, the band went into a period of inactivity. As time passed, it started to become apparent that the end for Pink Floyd may very well have come.

Live 8:

Bob Geldof’s second massive benefit concert, Live 8, ended up accomplishing something that no one thought was possible. Somehow, Bob, who played Pink, the main character in the 1982 movie “Pink Floyd The Wall”, managed to get David Gilmour and Roger Waters to agree to put all their differences aside and participate in Live 8. All parties agreed to bury the hatchet and put years of bad blood behind them. The cause was of the utmost importance and would serve as a great way to make peace. Hell, if Roger Waters and Pink Floyd could make nice, then anything was possible. On July 2, 2005, Pink Floyd - David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright - took to the stage for the first time in eleven years, and joining them would be Roger Waters, twenty years after he declared Pink Floyd a spent creative force and left the band. They performed “Speak To Me”, “Breathe”, “Money”, “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb”. Now, with Richard’s passing, that performance has become the final one for Pink Floyd.

Pink Floyd, early 1968. Top, from the left: Nick Mason, Syd Barrett (just before his departure), Roger Waters, Richard Wright. Bottom: newcomer David Gilmour.

The last time for the four man Pink Floyd…at Live 8, July 2, 2005. Roger Waters returns after leaving the band twenty years earlier. From the left: David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright.

Solo work:

In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Richard recorded two solo albums. In 1978, in between the Pink Floyd albums Animals and The Wall, Richard released Wet Dream. The album was a gentle, laid back, collection of songs, both vocal and instrumental. Light, breezy, jazzy progressive rock songs that mirrored the unassuming personality of it’s creator. Then in 1996, Rick released his second solo effort, Broken China. Broken China was a much more intense listen than the laid back Wet Dream. Rick was clearly inspired by being a full time member of Pink Floyd again and making significant contributions to their music (see The Division Bell). His renewed confidence and inspiration drove him to produce an album as complex as a typical Pink Floyd album. Broken China dealt with one of Roger Waters’ favorite subjects - mental illness. Inspired by his wife’s bout with depression, Broken China is a dense, challenging work that proved Rick Wright was capable of standing on his own.

Zee:

Following his dismissal from Pink Floyd in 1981, Richard teamed up with Dave Harris, formerly of the British new wave band Fashion, to form the electronic duo Zee. The lone album by Zee was called Identity and was released in 1984. (To my knowledge, Identity has never been officially released in the U.S.)

Rick’s final performances:

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour asked Richard to play keyboards on a new solo album he was planning to record. The resulting album was On An Island, David’s third solo album, released on his 60th birthday in early 2006. Richard played on several songs on the album. When it came time to support On An Island with a tour, David recruited Rick to play keyboards. Rick played a very prominant role in the band and on the tour. He had the spotlight to himself as lead vocalist on several Pink Floyd songs - “Arnold Layne”, “Wearing The Inside Out” and parts of “Comfortably Numb” as well as backing vocals and harmonies on other songs. That tour has since been been documented twice - on the DVD “Remember That Night  Live At The Royal Albert Hall” and David Gilmour’s brand new live album Live In Gdansk (to be released next week on September 23). Rick reportedly was working on a new solo project, potentially an instrumental album, at the time of his death. He declined an invitation to play in Roger Waters’ live band (alongside Nick Mason) during Roger’s recent tour featuring The Dark Side Of The Moon performed live in it’s entirety. Rick’s last live performance was with the Roger Waters-less Pink Floyd lineup (with Gilmour and Mason) on May 10, 2007 at a Syd Barrett tribute concert. Roger Waters also performed at the concert, but he performed solo.

RCA Victor debued the first 33-and-a-third RPM long-playing record in New York 77 years ago today.

So we want to chat about the record album. Is it a dead art form? Do you remember the last vinyl you purchased? Is vinyl making a comeback? And what about all those CDs you bought for just one song? Which was the worst record you bought for just one song?

Share you thoughts here and we’ll put together a song set for the ‘FUV Question of The Day.