1.
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
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The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is a museum in a converted factory building complex located in North Adams, Massachusetts. It is one of the largest centers for visual art. The complex was built by the Arnold Print Works, a business operated on the site from 1860 to 1942. MASS MoCA opened with 19 galleries and 100,000 sq ft of space in 1999. In addition to housing galleries and performing arts spaces, it also rents space to commercial tenants and it is the home of the Bang on a Can Summer Institute, where composers and performers from around the world come to create and perform new music. The festival, started in 2001, includes concerts in galleries for three weeks during the summer, starting in 2010, MASS MoCA has become the home for the Solid Sound Music Festival, curated by Wilco. The three-day-long festival takes place all over MASS MoCAs campus, the buildings that MASS MoCA now occupies were originally built between 1870 and 1900 by the company Arnold Print Works. These buildings, however, were not the first to occupy this site, since colonial times small-scale industries had been located on this strategic peninsular location between the north and south branches of the Hoosic River. In 1860 the Arnold brothers arrived at this site and set up their company with the latest equipment for printing cloth and they began operating in 1862 and quickly took off. Aiding their success were large government contracts during the Civil War to supply cloth for the Union Army, in December 1871, a fire swept through the Arnold Print Works factory and destroyed eight of its buildings. Rebuilding started almost immediately and a complex was finished in 1874. Despite a nationwide depression during the 1870s Arnold Print Works purchased additional land along the Hoosic River, by 1900, every building but one in todays Marshall Street complex was constructed. At its peak in 1905, Arnold print works employed more than 3,000 workers and was one of the leading producers of printed textiles. Arnold produced 580,000 yards or 330 miles of cloth per week, Arnold had offices in New York City and Paris. Spragues Sprague Electric Company was a local North Adams company, in addition to manufacturing electrical components, Sprague had a large research and development department. This department was responsible for research, design, and manufacturing of the trigger for the atomic bomb, at its peak during the 1960s Sprague employed 4,137 workers in a community of 18,000. Essentially the factory was a city within a city with employees working alongside friends, neighbors. In the 1980s Sprague began to face difficulties with changes in the electronics industry
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Chicago
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Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the state of Illinois, and it is the county seat of Cook County. In 2012, Chicago was listed as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Chicago has the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the United States—about $640 billion according to 2015 estimates, the city has one of the worlds largest and most diversified economies with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. In 2016, Chicago hosted over 54 million domestic and international visitors, landmarks in the city include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Campus, the Willis Tower, Museum of Science and Industry, and Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicagos culture includes the arts, novels, film, theater, especially improvisational comedy. Chicago also has sports teams in each of the major professional leagues. The city has many nicknames, the best-known being the Windy City, the name Chicago is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as Checagou was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir, henri Joutel, in his journal of 1688, noted that the wild garlic, called chicagoua, grew abundantly in the area. In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by a Native American tribe known as the Potawatomi, the first known non-indigenous permanent settler in Chicago was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was of African and French descent and arrived in the 1780s and he is commonly known as the Founder of Chicago. In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed in 1812 in the Battle of Fort Dearborn, the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes had ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, on August 12,1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within seven years it grew to more than 4,000 people, on June 15,1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as U. S. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4,1837, as the site of the Chicago Portage, the city became an important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States. Chicagos first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, and the Illinois, the canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad, manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing the American economy. The Chicago Board of Trade listed the first ever standardized exchange traded forward contracts and these issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the national stage
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Illinois
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Illinois is a state in the midwestern region of the United States, achieving statehood in 1818. It is the 6th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area, the word Illinois comes from a French rendering of a native Algonquin word. For decades, OHare International Airport has been ranked as one of the worlds busiest airports, Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics. With the War of 1812 Illinois growth slowed as both Native Americans and Canadian forces often raided the American Frontier, mineral finds and timber stands also had spurred immigration—by the 1810s, the Eastern U. S. Railroads arose and matured in the 1840s, and soon carried immigrants to new homes in Illinois, as well as being a resource to ship their commodity crops out to markets. Railroads freed most of the land of Illinois and other states from the tyranny of water transport. By 1900, the growth of jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted a new group of immigrants. Illinois was an important manufacturing center during both world wars, the Great Migration from the South established a large community of African Americans in Chicago, who created the citys famous jazz and blues cultures. Three U. S. presidents have been elected while living in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, additionally, Ronald Reagan, whose political career was based in California, was the only U. S. president born and raised in Illinois. Today, Illinois honors Lincoln with its official slogan, Land of Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the capital of Springfield. Illinois is the spelling for the early French Catholic missionaries and explorers name for the Illinois Native Americans. American scholars previously thought the name Illinois meant man or men in the Miami-Illinois language and this etymology is not supported by the Illinois language, as the word for man is ireniwa and plural men is ireniwaki. The name Illiniwek has also said to mean tribe of superior men. The name Illinois derives from the Miami-Illinois verb irenwe·wa he speaks the regular way and this was taken into the Ojibwe language, perhaps in the Ottawa dialect, and modified into ilinwe·. The French borrowed these forms, changing the ending to spell it as -ois. The current spelling form, Illinois, began to appear in the early 1670s, the Illinois name for themselves, as attested in all three of the French missionary-period dictionaries of Illinois, was Inoka, of unknown meaning and unrelated to the other terms. American Indians of successive cultures lived along the waterways of the Illinois area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, the Koster Site has been excavated and demonstrates 7,000 years of continuous habitation
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United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
5.
Alternative rock
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Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s and 2000s. In this instance, the word refers to the genres distinction from mainstream rock music. The terms original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their debt to either the musical style or simply the independent. Ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for alternative music, Alternative rock is a broad umbrella term consisting of music that differs greatly in terms of its sound, its social context, and its regional roots. Most of these subgenres had achieved minor mainstream notice and a few bands representing them, such as Hüsker Dü, with the breakthrough of Nirvana and the popularity of the grunge and Britpop movements in the 1990s, alternative rock entered the musical mainstream and many alternative bands became successful. By the end of the decade, alternative rocks mainstream prominence declined due to a number of events that caused grunge and Britpop to fade, emo attracted attention in the larger alternative rock world, and the term was applied to a variety of artists, including multi-platinum acts. Post-punk revival artists such as Modest Mouse and The Killers had commercial success in the early, before the term alternative rock came into common usage around 1990, the sort of music to which it refers was known by a variety of terms. In 1979, Terry Tolkin used the term Alternative Music to describe the groups he was writing about, in 1979 Dallas radio station KZEW had a late night new wave show entitled Rock and Roll Alternative. College rock was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980s due to its links to the radio circuit. In the United Kingdom, dozens of small do it yourself record labels emerged as a result of the punk subculture, according to the founder of one of these labels, Cherry Red, NME and Sounds magazines published charts based on small record stores called Alternative Charts. The first national chart based on distribution called the Indie Chart was published in January 1980, at the time, the term indie was used literally to describe independently distributed records. By 1985, indie had come to mean a particular genre, or group of subgenres, at first the term referred to intentionally non–mainstream rock acts that were not influenced by heavy metal ballads, rarefied new wave and high-energy dance anthems. The use of alternative gained further exposure due to the success of Lollapalooza, for which festival founder, in the late 1990s, the definition again became more specific. Defining music as alternative is often difficult because of two conflicting applications of the word, the name alternative rock essentially serves as an umbrella term for underground music that has emerged in the wake of punk rock since the mid-1980s. Alternative bands during the 1980s generally played in clubs, recorded for indie labels. Sounds range from the gloomy soundscapes of gothic rock to the guitars of indie pop to the dirty guitars of grunge to the 1960s/1970s revivalism of Britpop. This approach to lyrics developed as a reflection of the social and economic strains in the United States and United Kingdom of the 1980s, by 1984, a majority of groups signed to independent record labels mined from a variety of rock and particularly 1960s rock influences. This represented a break from the futuristic, hyper-rational post-punk years
6.
Experimental rock
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Experimental rock is a subgenre of rock music which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. From its inception, rock music was experimental, but it wasnt until the late 1960s that rock artists began creating extended, in 1967, the genre was as commercially viable as pop music, but by 1970, most of its leading players had incapacitated themselves in some form. In Germany, the krautrock subgenre merged elements of improvisation and psychedelic rock with avant-garde, later in the 1970s, significant musical crossbreeding took place in tandem with the developments of punk and new wave, DIY experimentation, and electronic music. Funk, jazz-rock, and fusion rhythms became integrated into experimental rock music. The first wave of 1980s experimental rock groups had few precedents for their sound. Later in the decade, avant-rock pursued a psychedelic aesthetic that differed from the self-consciousness, during the 1990s, a loose movement known as post-rock became the dominant form of experimental rock. As of the 2010s, the experimental rock has fallen to indiscriminate use, with virtually every modern rock band being categorized under prefixes such as post-, kraut-, psych-. Although experimentation had always existed in music, it wasnt until the late 1960s that new openings were created from the aesthetic intersecting with the social. In 1966, the boundaries between pop music and the avant-garde began to blur as rock albums were conceived and executed as distinct, self-taught rock musicians in the middle and late 1960s drew from the work of composers such as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Luciano Berio. In addition, The Quietus Ben Graham described duos the Silver Apples, calling attention to the very recordedness of the album. This would also be reflected in contemporary experimental rock LPs, such as the Beach Boys Pet Sounds and Smile, the Whos The Who Sell Out and Tommy. The Velvet Underground were a group in experimental rock, according to Rosenberg. Peppers inspired a new consideration for experimental rock as commercially viable music, as progressive rock developed, experimental rock acquired notoriety alongside art rock. By 1970, most of the musicians which had been at the forefront of rock had incapacitated themselves. Groups such as Can, Faust, Neu, the ideas of minimalism and composers such as Stockhausen would be particularly influential. During this era, funk, jazz-rock, and fusion rhythms became integrated into experimental rock music, some groups who were categorized as post-punk considered themselves part of an experimental rock trajectory, with This Heat as one of the prominent players. Anderson claims that the no wave scene represented New York’s last stylistically cohesive avant-rock movement, steve Redhead noted the resuscitation of New Yorks avant-rock scene, including artists such as Sonic Youth and John Zorn, in the 1980s. In the late 1980s, avant-rock pursued a frazzled, psychedelia-tinged, blissed out aesthetic that differed from the self-consciousness, the UK shoegaze scene was seen by some as a continuation of an experimental rock tradition
7.
Art rock
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Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from teen entertainment to an artistic statement, influences may be drawn from genres such as experimental rock, avant-garde music, classical music, and jazz. The genres greatest level of popularity was in the early 1970s through British artists, art rock is most associated with a certain period of rock music, beginning in 1966–67 and ending with the arrival of punk in the mid 1970s. After, the genre would be infused within later popular music genres of the 1970s–90s, in the rock music of the 1970s, the art descriptor was generally understood to mean aggressively avant-garde or pretentiously progressive. Art rock is used synonymously with progressive rock. Historically, the term has been used to describe at least two related, but distinct, types of rock music, art rock emphasizes Romantic and autonomous traditions, in distinction to the aesthetic of the everyday and the disposable embodied by art pop. Common characteristics include album-oriented music divided into compositions rather than songs, with complicated and long instrumental sections. Its music was used within the context of concept records. Compared to progressive rock, art rock is more challenging, noisy and unconventional and less classically influenced, art rock can also to refer to either classically driven rock, or a progressive rock-folk fusion. S. Eliot than to Carl Perkins or Willie Dixon, the boundaries between art and pop music became increasingly blurred throughout the second half of the 20th century. The first usage of the art rock, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. As pop musics dominant format transitioned from singles to albums, many rock bands created works that aspired to make grand artistic statements, as it progressed in the late 1960s – in tandem with the development of progressive rock – art rock acquired notoriety alongside experimental rock. According to biographer Richard Williams, created a new concept, the producer as overall director of the creative process, Spector transformed rock music as a performing art to an art which could only exist in the recording studio, which paved the way for art rock. The Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson is also cited as one of the first examples of the music producer. Like Spector, Wilson was known as an eremitic studio obsessive who laboriously produced fantastical soundscapes through his mastery of recording technology. Biographer Peter Ames Carlin wrote that Wilson was the forerunner of a new kind of art-rock that would combine the transcendent possibilities of art with the accessibility of pop music. According to journalist Richard Goldstein, many musicians from California desired to be acknowledged as artists. They yearned for fame, as only needy people can, but they wanted to make art
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Indie rock
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Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Originally used to independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with alternative rock. In the mid-1980s, the term began to be used to describe the music produced on punk and post-punk labels. Some prominent indie rock record labels were founded during the 1980s, during the 1990s, Grunge bands broke into the mainstream, and the term alternative lost its original counter-cultural meaning. The term indie rock became associated with the bands and genres that remained dedicated to their independent status, by the end of the 1990s indie rock developed subgenres and related styles including lo-fi, noise pop, emo, slowcore, post-rock and math rock. In the 2000s, changes in the industry and in music technology enabled a new wave of indie rock bands to achieve mainstream success. In the early 2000s, a new group of bands played a stripped-down. The commercial breakthrough from these scenes was led by four bands, The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, emo also broke into mainstream culture in the early 2000s. By the end of the 2000s the proliferation of bands was being referred to as indie landfill. The term indie rock, which comes from independent, describes the small and relatively low-budget labels on which it is released, the influences and styles of the artists have been extremely diverse, including punk, psychedelia, post-punk and country. Allmusic identifies indie rock as including a number of varying musical approaches compatible with mainstream tastes, in fact, there is an everlasting list of genres and subgenres of indie rock. Many countries have developed a local indie scene, flourishing with bands with enough popularity to survive inside the respective country. However, there are still indie bands that start off locally, Indie rock has been identified as a reaction against the macho culture that developed in alternative rock in the aftermath of Nirvanas success. However, Cortney Harding pointed out that this sense of equality is not reflected in the number of women running indie labels. The BBC documentary Music for Misfits, The Story of Indie pinpoints the birth of indie as the 1977 self-publication of the Spiral Scratch EP by Manchester band Buzzcocks, Indie pop and indie were originally synonymous. In the mid-1980s, indie began to be used to describe the music produced on post-punk labels rather than the labels themselves. The indie rock scene in the US was prefigured by the rock that dominated college radio playlists. In the United States, the term was associated with the abrasive, distortion-heavy sounds of the Pixies, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr
9.
Alternative country
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Alternative country is a loosely defined subgenre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music. It has been used to describe country music bands and artists that have incorporated influences ranging from rock, bluegrass, rockabilly, honky-tonk, alternative rock, folk rock. Attempts to combine punk and country were pioneered by Jason and the Scorchers, members and figures associated with Uncle Tupelo formed three major bands in the genre, Wilco, Son Volt and Bottle Rockets. Other influential bands included Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, and Blood Oranges, lyrics may be bleak or socially aware, but also more heartfelt and less likely to use the clichés sometimes used by mainstream country musicians. No Depression, the magazine dedicated to the genre, declared that it covered alternative-country music. Another major influence was country rock, the result of fusing country music with a rock & roll sound, the artist most commonly thought to have originated country rock is Gram Parsons, although Michael Nesmith, Steve Earle and Gene Clark are frequently identified as important innovators. The third factor was punk rock, which supplied an energy, the bands Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Blood Oranges and Drive-By Truckers further developed this tradition before most began to move more in the direction of rock music in the 2000s. List of alternative country musicians Heartland rock Red Dirt Southern rock Texas country music Notes Bibliography Alden, Grant, & Blackstock, no Depression, An Introduction to Alternative Country Music. Modern Twang, An Alternative Country Music Guide and Directory, kasten, Roy, Fifteen Things You Might Not Know about The Bottle Rockets, on Their Fifteenth Birthday, Riverfront Times. Hogeland, William, Emulating the Real and Vital Guthrie, Not St. Woody, so what is insurgent country anyway. From American Studies at the University of Virginia
10.
Nonesuch Records
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Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Bros. Records, and based in New York City, founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch has developed into a label that records critically acclaimed music from a wide range of genres. Robert Hurwitz has been president of the company since 1984, Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce fine records at the same price as a trade paperback, which would be half the price of a normal LP. To achieve this he initially licensed European recordings of music as it would be too expensive to record new material. Originally the label concentrated heavily on chamber and baroque music, often with unique repertory, upon its formation, Nonesuch operated as a subsidiary label of Elektra Records, which Holzman had launched in 1950. In 1970, Holzman sold Elektra and Nonesuch to Kinney National Company, in 2004, Warner Music Group became an independently owned, publicly traded company. Sterne oversaw several firsts for the label, including early electronic releases, under Sterne, Nonesuch helped spark a ragtime revival in the United States with the release of a series of Scott Joplin piano rags performed by Joshua Rifkin. Sterne also launched the groundbreaking Explorer Series, building the foundation for the field of world music, Sterne was replaced by the founders younger brother, Keith Holzman, a production chief who, for the next five years, operated the label from Los Angeles. Records-distributed jazz label ECM Records, to run Nonesuch Records, within the first two years under Hurwitzs leadership, Nonesuch released albums by such new music pioneers as Steve Reich, John Adams, Philip Glass, John Zorn, and Kronos Quartet. Hurwitz established a roster at the label, which included Zorn, Wayne Horvitz. In 1994, Hurwitz hired David Bither, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Elektra Records, bithers first signing, Emmylou Harris, signaled a new direction for the label. Harris, previously signed to Warner Bros. Records and Elektra Records, though she had long been a highly regarded interpreter of other writers’ songs, her Nonesuch debut was distinguished by being her first album to primarily feature self-penned compositions. In the decade that followed, k. d, laurie Anderson has put out three discs with the label, and Nonesuch reissued her seminal Big Science album, an avant-garde project that became an unlikely pop hit in 1982. That recounting of the life and loves of former Filipino leader Imelda Marcos, was turned into an Off-Broadway musical at The Public Theater in the spring of 2013. Forward-thinking traditional groups Carolina Chocolate Drops and Punch Brothers also joined the label, the Chocolate Drops, a group exploring the African-American roots of old-time music, won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album for its Nonesuch debut, Genuine Negro Jig. Mandolinist and composer Chris Thile of Punch Brothers was named a 2012 MacArthur Fellow, receiving one of 23 “genius” grant awards to extraordinary practitioners in a variety of creative fields. As a solo artist, he has joined the classical ranks of the label. Nonesuch has been building a catalog of Broadway cast recordings, including works by multiple Tony
11.
Reprise Records
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Reprise Records /rəˈpriz/ is an American major record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It was mostly inactive from 1976 to 1987 and it is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Bros. Reprise Records was formed in 1960 by Frank Sinatra in order to more artistic freedom for his own recordings. Hence, he garnered the nickname The Chairman of the Board, having left Capitol/EMI, and after trying to buy Norman Granzs Verve Records, the first album Sinatra released on Reprise was Ring-a-Ding-Ding. As CEO of Reprise, Sinatra recruited several artists for the label, such as fellow Rat Pack members Dean Martin and Sammy Davis. The original roster from 1961 to 1963 included Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, Nancy Sinatra, Esquivel, the label still issues any Sinatra work recorded while on the label and, after his death in 1998, it had great success with his greatest hits collections. One of the founding principles under Sinatras leadership was that each artist would have full creative freedom. This is the reason why recordings of early Reprise artists are distributed through other labels. In Martins case, his Reprise recordings were out of print for nearly 20 years before a deal was struck with Capitol Records, in 1963, as part of a film deal, Warner Bros. purchased Reprise from Sinatra, who nonetheless retained a 20% interest in the label. Many of the artists on the label were dropped by Warner Bros. Reprise president Mo Ostin was retained as the head of the label, warner-Reprise executives began targeting younger acts, beginning by securing the American distribution rights to the Pye Records recordings by the Kinks in 1964. Reprise would soon add teen-oriented pop acts like Dino, Desi & Billy to the roster, as well, Franks own daughter Nancy Sinatra would be retained by Ostin, becoming a major pop star starting in late 1965. The label moved almost exclusively to rock-oriented music in the late 1960s, rex, the Meters, John Cale, Gordon Lightfoot, Michael Franks, Richard Pryor, Al Jarreau, Fleetwood Mac, Fanny, and the Beach Boys. In 1976, the Reprise label was deactivated by Warner Bros. an unconfirmed explanation for this move is that Sinatra wanted to be the only artist on Reprise, and Young is said to have been the only Reprise act who refused to agree to a change in labels. In late 1985, some copies of the Dream Academys hit single Life in a Northern Town were pressed with Warner Bros. labels bearing a Reprise logo,1986 saw releases bearing Reprise labels from the Dream Academy as well as Dwight Yoakam. Vice President of Promotion Rich Fitzgerald was appointed as label Vice-President and it was formerly home to the Jimi Hendrix and the Barenaked Ladies catalogs in the U. S. When the Bee Gees back catalog was remastered by Rhino Records in the 2000s, neil Young stated in a documentary about his life that Marilyn Manson was turned down by Reprise. In September 2011, several took place at Reprise Records
12.
Uncle Tupelo
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Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the singer of their previous band, The Primitives. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece, shortly after the release of the bands major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo split on May 1,1994, after completing a farewell tour, following the breakup, Farrar formed Son Volt with Heidorn, while the remaining members continued as Wilco. Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The groups first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential, Farrar and Tweedys lyrics frequently referred to Middle America and the working class of Belleville. Jay Farrar, along with his brothers Wade and Dade, played in an early 1980s garage band named The Plebes, hailing from Belleville, Illinois, The Plebes sought to enter a battle-of-the-bands competition but needed another high school student as a member to perform. They invited Jeff Tweedy, a school friend of Jay Farrar, to join the band. Despite a lack of skill with his instrument, Tweedy played an important role in the band by booking early gigs, while The Plebes had been playing music in a rockabilly style, Tweedy wanted to play punk rock like the music that he originally heard the group perform. This caused tensions between Tweedy and Dade Farrar, who left the two months after Tweedy joined. Before leaving the band in 1984, Dade Farrar introduced its members to Mike Heidorn, the Plebes then decided to change its name to The Primitives, a reference to a 1965 song by psychedelic rock group The Groupies. Due to the unpopularity of punk rock in the St. Louis area and they performed regularly at a wedding hall in Millstadt, Illinois, where Tweedys mother Jo Ann would collect the cover fee. They also performed regularly at B St Bar in Belleville with bands such as The Newsboys, Charlie Langrehr, additionally, Heidorn broke his collarbone during a concert in 1986, which caused the band to go on hiatus. Jay Farrar and Tweedy continued to write songs and perform at Heidorns house while he recovered, the Primitives temporarily added Tony Mayr as a bassist so that Tweedy could play guitar, but a month later the band decided to keep Tweedy on bass and remain a three-piece. To avoid confusion with a successful British band also named The Primitives, they decided to change their name once again, although they performed only 1960s cover songs as The Primitives, the trio decided to take a new approach and write their own music under their new name. The Primitives renamed itself Uncle Tupelo after a character in a cartoon drawn by Chuck Wagner, the name was created by combining two randomly chosen words from the dictionary, inspired by the name, Wagner drew a picture of an old, fat Elvis. The trio recorded a demo tape, which won them supporting roles at the concerts of artists such as Johnny Thunders. Tweedy met Tony Margherita while moonlighting as a clerk in St. Louis
13.
Loose Fur
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Loose Fur is an American rock band comprising Wilco members Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche, and Wilco collaborator Jim ORourke. The trio first convened in May 2000 in preparation for a Tweedy performance at a festival in Chicago, Tweedy was offered the opportunity to collaborate with an artist of his choosing, and he decided to work with ORourke. ORourke brought Kotche to a session, and the trio recorded an albums worth of songs. The trio have released two albums, 2003s Loose Fur and 2006s Born Again in the USA, for Drag City. The band has only toured once, the band is noted for its influence on Wilcos fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Tweedy was unhappy with how music from the recording sessions for the album was sounding, resulting in a lineup change for the band. Both ORourke and Kotche replaced members of Wilco during the sessions for the album. Kotche remains a member of Wilco as of 2016, in the winter of 1999, Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy acquired a copy of Jim ORourkes 1997 album Bad Timing. The album featured four tracks that juxtaposed guitar parts with orchestration. Tweedy liked how ORourkes music was varied and not easily categorized, according to Tweedy, Tweedy was invited to perform with a collaborator of his choice for the 2000 Noise Pop Festival in Chicago. The festival promoter offered to him with members of the Mekons. The pair met at ORourkes apartment a few days before the festival. They listened to records by T. Rex, Phil Niblock. ORourke invited Glenn Kotche, a drummer who played in a musical style. Tweedy found lyrical inspiration from word exercises, for example, he picked out words from a copy of TV Guide and formed abstract lines such as you boil hearts. He also sought to improve as a guitarist, taking influence from free jazz artists such as James Blood Ulmer, on May 14,2000, Jeff Tweedy played the Noise Pop Festival at Double Door in a concert that polarized Wilco fans. Natalie Merchant joined the band onstage, but left after Tweedy requested that she perform Utah Phillips murder ballad Rock Salt and Nails. Among the new material performed at the concert was Laminated Cat, the trio decided to name their band Loose Fur and recorded a six-song album in the summer of 2000
14.
Billy Bragg
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Stephen William Billy Bragg is an English singer, songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of music, punk rock and protest songs. His music is centred on bringing about change and getting the younger generation involved in activist causes. Braggs father died of cancer in 1976, and his mother in 2011. Bragg was educated at Northbury Junior School and Park Modern Secondary School in Barking, however he developed an interest in poetry at the age of 12, when his English teacher chose him to read a poem he had written for a homework assignment on a local radio station. He put his energies into learning and practising the guitar with his neighbour, Philip Wigg, some of their influences were the Faces, Small Faces. He was also exposed to folk and folk-rock music during his years, citing Simon and Garfunkel. The experience of the gig and preceding march helped shape Braggs left wing politics, in 1977 Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff with Wiggy. The band decamped to rural Oundle in Northamptonshire in 1978 to record a series of singles which did not receive wide exposure, after a period of gigging in Northamptonshire and London, they returned to Barking and split in 1980. Taking a series of odd jobs including working at Guy Norris record shop in Barking high street, Bragg became disillusioned with his stalled music career and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queens Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After completing three months training, he bought himself out for £175 and returned home. Bragg peroxided his hair to mark a new phase in his life and began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar under the name Spy Vs. Spy. His demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record demos for music publisher Chappell & Co. so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Lifes a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy was released in July 1983 by Charismas new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed. Within months Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, stiff Records press officer Andy Macdonald – who was setting up his own record label, Go. Discs – received a copy of Lifes a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy and he made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go
15.
The Minus 5
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The Minus 5 is an American pop rock band, headed by musician Scott McCaughey and most frequently featuring R. E. M. Formed in 1993, McCaughey designed the Minus 5 as a pop collective and their full-length debut album Old Liquidator was released in 1995, and the Minus 5s lineup consisted of McCaughey, Buck, and Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies. After releasing Old Liquidator on East Side Digital, the group reconvened in late 1996 to record their Hollywood Records debut, The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy, also in 1996, McCaugheys 1989 solo album My Chartreuse Opinion was reissued by Hollywood as a Minus 5 album. Yep Roc later issued an EP dominated by Down With Wilco outtakes, At the Organ, and reissued In Rock, the Minus 5 appeared on John Wesley Hardings 2009 release, Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead and released Killingsworth later that year. In 2012 recorded a version of the 1976 hit single by the Sutherland Brothers, the band played at SXSW in 2013. In January 2017 The Minus 5 joined Alejandro Escovedo for a short tour, for each concert Scott McCaughey, Kurt Bloch, Peter Buck, and John Moen played one set as the Minus Five, and then a second set backing Escovedo, sometimes with Kelly Hogan, too. All of them had performed on Escovedos 2016 album Burn Something Beautiful, for which Escovedo, McCaughey. The Minus Five - A Hello selection Dec.93 - Jan.94
16.
Son Volt
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Son Volt is an American alternative country group, formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour, together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and recorded in the Minneapolis area in late 1994. The group performed its first concert at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on June 16,1995. While half of the band was rooted in the Minneapolis area, Farrar and Heidorn lived in the St. Louis area, Son Volts first album, Trace, met with critical acclaim and topped many best-of lists in 1995, despite not being a large commercial success. Two follow-up albums continued in the same vein, a Retrospective, 1995-2000, released in 2005, gathered highlights from this era, along with previously unreleased recordings. Farrar announced a hiatus from Son Volt after their 1999 tour, beginning in 2001, Jay Farrar released several solo efforts that postponed further releases from Son Volt. Farrar reformed with the members of Son Volt to record a song for a tribute album for Alejandro Escovedo. The sessions reportedly went so well that Farrar and the band members intended to record once again in the autumn of 2004. Just prior to the sessions, however, Farrar and the band members abruptly ended negotiations. Farrar formed a new version of the band with a different line-up and released an album on Transmit Sound/Sony Legacy, Okemah,2006 saw the release of a live DVD called Six String Belief, which was recorded at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. In 2007 the band released an album called The Search. American Central Dust followed, released by Rounder Records on July 7,2009, honky Tonk was released March 5,2013 also by Rounder Records. A large scale tour followed the release of the album, on February 17,2017, the band released Notes of Blue on Farrars label, Transmit Sound. Son Volts music ranges from quiet folk/country ballads reminiscent of Bob Dylans John Wesley Harding, often considered a staple band of the alternative country movement, their music is perhaps better described as genre-spanning traditional American music. Records No.166 Straightaways, Warner Bros. Records No.44 Wide Swing Tremolo, Warner Bros. Records No.93 A Retrospective, 1995-2000, Warner Bros
17.
Golden Smog
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Golden Smog is a loosely connected group of musicians comprising, at various times, members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs and Big Star. Golden Smogs lineup has changed, but relative constants who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy and Gary Louris. The group took their name from a given to Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones episode Hot Lips Hannigan. The definitive beginning of Golden Smog is hard to pinpoint given the nature of the bands lineup. This band consisted of Dan Murphy and Dave Pirner, Jim Boquist, the show ended with a cover of then Bangles hit song Walk Like an Egyptian. This same group later played a Rolling Stones-themed show in 1989 under the band name Her Satanic Majestys Paycheck, the group first came together under the name Golden Smog in the Minneapolis area in 1989. The band was conceived as a reaction to the punk. Eventually Golden Smog became something of a fixture at local clubs, all of the band members were credited under pseudonyms for this release as a result of contractual obligations to other record companies. Guest vocalist Bill Sullivan just didnt want his name on the project, in 1995, the group released its full-length debut, Down by the Old Mainstream, consisting of mostly original songs, with a handful of covers. By this time, Mars had left Golden Smog and the band consisted of Johnson, Murphy, Louris, as with the bands debut EP, all of the band members were credited under pseudonyms as performers—although they all used their real names in the writing credits. At a New Years Eve show in 1996/97 Jody Stephens took over for Noah on the drums, Golden Smog then released their second full-length studio album Weird Tales in 1998, with all band members credited under their real names as both writers and performers. After a period of inactivity, in 2005 a new incarnation of Golden Smog formed and recorded the Another Fine Day album in the village of El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, produced by Paco Loco. In the summer of 2006, the Johnson/Louris/Murphy/Perlman version of Golden Smog undertook a tour, augmented by a touring keyboardist. On Golden Smog – A covers EP, Looking Forward to Seeing You on the Alt. Country Exposed Roots Compilation album Looking Forward to Seeing You on the Rykodisc 20th Anniversary Compilation album. Magazine Country Standard Time Feature story and reviews of Golden Smog
18.
Jeff Tweedy
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Jeffrey Scot Jeff Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. After Uncle Tupelos fourth studio album, the broke up in 1994 due to conflict between Tweedy and Farrar, prompting Tweedy to form Wilco, with Farrar forming the band Son Volt. Tweedy was born in Belleville, Illinois, on August 25,1967, Bob Tweedy worked at Alton & Southern Railroad in East St. Louis while Jo Ann was a kitchen designer. Tweedy siblings had a brother, Greg Tweedy, who died in 2013, brother Steven Tweedy. Tweedys mother bought Tweedy his first guitar when he was six years old, apparently Tweedy told people that he knew how to play the guitar once he got his first guitar, even though he couldnt. When he was twelve, Tweedy was injured in an accident and was put up for the summer. He decided to learn how to play a few chords before somebody called him out on the lie, in 1981, when Tweedy was fourteen years old, he befriended Jay Farrar in an English class at Belleville Township High School West. All of the members of Farrars family enjoyed playing music, so Farrar already had knowledge of the elements of rock. By this time, Tweedy was a fan of The Ramones, Tweedy attended Belleville Area College and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Tweedy pushed The Plebes away from the music that they had been playing. The band renamed themselves The Primitives in 1984, taking their name from a song by rock band The Groupies. Wade Farrar sang lead vocals and played harmonica, Jay Farrar played guitar, Tweedy played bass guitar, in late 1986, the band decided to change their name to Uncle Tupelo, because a more popular British band was also using the name The Primitives. Mike Heidorns liner notes for No Depression, which were included in the 2003 re-issue of the album, the Primitives went on hiatus in 1986 after Wade Farrar left the band to finish his engineering degree at Southern Illinois University. While waiting for Wade to return from campus, Farrar, Tweedy, at his parents request, Tweedy enrolled at several universities, but dropped out of them so that he could concentrate on Uncle Tupelo. While moonlighting as a store clerk at Euclid Records in St. Louis. After Margherita saw the band perform at a concert in 1988. The band began playing shows at Ciceros basement bar in the Delmar Loop near Washington University with other bands playing in a similar style. Uncle Tupelo recorded a demo tape entitled Not Forever, Just For Now in 1989
19.
John Stirratt
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John Chadwick Stirratt is an American bassist and multi-instrumentalist for Wilco, and The Autumn Defense. Stirratt was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 26,1967 and he attended Mandeville High School and the University of Mississippi, and is a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He played regularly around the Southeastern US with The Hilltops, a band based in Oxford, Mississippi that included his twin sister Laurie Stirratt, during this time he met and befriended the band Uncle Tupelo and supported them on tours of the East and Midwest. After the breakup of Uncle Tupelo Stirratt rejoined Jeff Tweedy, Ken Coomer, since the founding of Wilco, Stirratt and Tweedy are the only members to contribute to all Wilco releases. Stirratt also joined Wilco members Jay Bennett and Ken Coomer to form Courtesy Move, Stirratt formed The Autumn Defense in 2000 with friend and fellow New Orleanian Pat Sansone. In 2001 they recorded their debut The Green Hour in New Orleans and Nashville with former Wilco members Bob Egan and Ken Coomer, the Autumn Defense released Circles in 2003 with Greg G. Wiz Wieczorek on drums and Nashville-based bassist Brad Jones. When Sansone joined Wilco in 2004, The Autumn Defense had more time to collaborate, resulting in their third, the Autumn Defense focused on Sansones orchestral production style. November 2010 brought the world the groups fourth album Once Around, the groups fifth album Fifth was released on January 28,2014. Stirratt and his sister, Laurie, also recorded a duet Laurie & John on the folk-rock album Arabella and this was the twins first recorded material in 12 years
20.
Glenn Kotche
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Glenn Kotche /ˈkoʊtʃi/ is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 40th greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008, prior to working with Wilco, Kotche released a four-track album entitled Introducing. In 2003, he released a solo album titled Next. A third solo album was released in March 2006 on Nonesuch Records and this album featured a broad range of compositions for percussion. Kotche wound up joining Wilco because of Jim ORourke, who caught him playing a show with Edith Frost. He went on to several records with ORourke including two Loose Fur albums. He has appeared on over 70 recordings to date, Kotche collaborated with the Kronos Quartet on a piece written for them along with drumset titled Anomaly, premiered at the San Francisco Jazz Festival in October 2007. And in 2011 he worked with So Percussion on a series of pieces called Drumkit Quartets as part of Meet the Composers Three City Dash, Kotche has also collaborated with Chicago contemporary chamber music sextet Eighth Blackbird. In 1997, Kotche began collaborating with Portland, OR folk singer/songwriter Bill Santen a. k. a, Kotche recorded three CDs and toured with Birddog until 2001. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UKs College of Fine Arts in 2007
21.
Mikael Jorgensen
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Mikael Jorgensen is lead pianist and keyboardist for the band Wilco as well as a member of the band Pronto. He first appeared on Wilcos 2004 release, A Ghost Is Born, on that album, he received songwriting credit for Hell is Chrome and Theologians. In 1999, he released the album Western Hamlet with the group Movere Workshop, as the tour rolled on, Jorgensen gradually moved onto the stage itself, manning his laptop as well as taking on more and more keyboard duties. Since his days in Chicago, Mikael has relocated to Brooklyn, NY and it became apparent that Mike was a very proficient piano player that could do a lot more than we were using him for, says Wilco singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy. At that point, he started becoming a member of the band, contributing parts to the new songs. Prior to his days in Chicago and with Wilco, Mikael honed his skills in New Brunswick, NJ, developing his production skills, collaborating with local musicians. He has earned a degree at DeVry University in North Brunswick, Mikael Jorgensens father was born in Denmark but moved to the United States in the 1950s, and his mother was born in Norway, Hedmark
22.
Nels Cline
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Nels Courtney Cline is an American guitarist and composer. He has been the guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004 and he first came to prominence in the 1980s playing jazz, often in collaboration with his twin brother Alex Cline, a drummer. Since then, he has worked with a range of musicians in punk and alternative rock, notably Mike Watt. He also leads the groups the Nels Cline Singers and Nels Cline Trio, Cline was named the 82nd greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in November 2011. Cline began to play guitar at age 12 when his twin brother, the pair developed musically together, playing in a youth rock band they dubbed Homogenized Goo and both graduated from University High School. He cites hearing a recording of Jimi Hendrix performing Manic Depression as a moment in his decision to become a guitarist. Cline is known for his work and for the diversity of his musical projects, as well as his use of effects pedals. In 1983, Nels was asked by drummer Chris Mancinelli and bassist Steuart Liebig to join the formation of BLOC. The trio developed musical ideas for about a year, at this point they added another guitarist Nicholas Kirgo and vocalist Camille Henry. The quintet became a Los Angeles club favorite and garnered praise from the local press. Practically every major label was interested at some point but no major label seemed to have a clue how to promote the multi-talented group, in 1990 with Tony Peluso producing, they were signed with A&M Records after turning down a previous offer from Atlantic Records. The album In the Free Zone was released in early 1991, A&M at this point was in the middle of being sold to Polygram and there was little support at the label for the band. They were bought out of their 2-album deal and promptly dropped a month after the albums release, after 8 years of performing and recording the group decided to break up and move on. In the years 1984-1986 Nels was a member of the JAH Band, members of this group were Julius Hemphill, Alex Cline, Jumma Santos and Steuart Liebig. In 1984 they recorded Georgia Blue, also Bill Frisell and Allan Jaffe played some gigs as additional guitarist with the JAH Band. He frequently participates in projects with his twin brother, Alex, however their first actual duo together was in Culver City, California. Clines first appearance on an album was on Vinny Golias 1978 record, Openhearted, in the late 1980s, Cline formed the Nels Cline Trio, which featured his guitar playing complemented by Mark London Sims at bass and Michael Preussner at drums. The trio released several 7 inch demos and one album, before replacing Sims with Bob Mair at bass
23.
Pat Sansone
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Patrick Anthony Pat Sansone is an American multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense. Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi, Sansone played guitar for Beagle Voyage and then Stretch Armstrong, a rock band influenced by Black Sabbath and the Butthole Surfers. Soon after, Sansone formed the band Birdy, which included fellow Mississippians Trey Batson, Ike Marr and Glen Graham, in 2000 he joined Rogers Stevens to play the bass in the band Extra Virgin. Sansones own project The Autumn Defense was formed in New Orleans in 1999 with friend John Stirratt of Wilco, the band recorded four full-length albums, The Green Hour in 2000, Circles in 2003, the self-titled The Autumn Defense in 2006, and Once Around in 2010. Sansone lived in both Nashville and New York, working as a producer and studio musician and he contributed to albums by Joseph Arthur, Andrew Bird, Josh Rouse, Mavis Staples, Swan Dive, Jenifer Jackson, Ryan Adams, The Clientele, and others. In 2004 Sansone joined Wilco before a tour in support of their album A Ghost Is Born, on tour Sansone plays guitar, keyboard, maracas, and several other instruments, as well as singing backup vocals. He was also involved in the writing and recording of Wilcos 2007 release Sky Blue Sky, 2009s Wilco, Pat Sansone received a co-production credit for his work on The Whole Love. He also received credit for arranging strings for the track Black Moon, in 2009 Sansone made a guest appearance on Dawess album North Hills. In 2010 he appeared on the albums Familial by Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, Compass by Jamie Lidell, in 2010 Patrick Sansone released a book of photography called 100 Polaroids. The book is a collection of photographs taken with an SX70 camera. Sansone began photographing with the SX70 in 2006, and shot extensively over the several years while traveling with Wilco. The book is self-published by his own Sansonica Books, in April 2012, Sansone co-produced an EP, Weird Weather, for the Chicago-based band Future Monarchs with Josh Shapera. Currently, Pat is Co producing what will be the album for Linda Perhacs. A single was self-released in 2016 called The Dancer which features Pat on Mellotron and Backing Vocals
24.
Max Johnston
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Max Johnston is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work on fiddle, Dobro, banjo, and mandolin with the bands Uncle Tupelo, Wilco and more recently, The Gourds. Johnston is the brother of singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked and has supported her in concert tours as well. Johnston left Wilco shortly after their album, Being There in 1996 to form his own short-lived band. Johnston was offered a position in The Gourds and immediately accepted it after sitting in with the band at their South by Southwest showcase, after years of performing mainly as a sideman for great songwriters, Johnston at last felt himself to be a contributing member of the band. This is more mine than anything Ive ever been involved with, Johnston stated, with Tupelo, it was like, Wow, Im in Uncle Tupelo, you know. But I didnt have much input, here, I finally found a group of guys who listen to me, we communicate on a level I havent before. By the time of his recording with the band, Bolsa de Agua, Johnston had found his voice contributing the tracks, Jesus Christ. Johnston has continued to remain active with The Gourds, whose most recent release is 2011s Old Mad Joy, on October 7,2014 Johnston released a solo album, Dismantling Paradise. Dismantling Paradise Anodyne 89/93, An Anthology A. M, being There Springtime Ghosts of Hallelujah Bolsa de Agua Shinebox Cow Fish Fowl or Pig Blood of the Ram Heavy Ornamentals Noble Creatures Haymaker. Old Mad Joy with Clocker Redbury and Dusty Slosinger, Slosinger/Redbury, cold Wars Hot Water Shower, as Trevor Rivera with Kevin Russells Junker, Buttermilk & Rifles Arkansas Traveler, Michelle Shocked, guitar. Rocking Horse Head, Steve Forbert, banjo, Dobro, fiddle, soulages, Lazy Sunday Dream, banjo, background vocals. Jay Bennett & Edward Burch, banjo, official biography of The Gourds Max Johnston at AllMusic Max Johnston interview
25.
Jay Bennett
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Jay Walter Bennett was an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the band Wilco from 1994 to 2001. Jay Bennett was born November 15,1963 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Bennett was a founding member of Titanic Love Affair. The band recorded three albums in the 1990s, Titanic Love Affair, No Charisma, and Their Titanic Majestys Request and he also played guitar with Steve Pride and His Blood Kin and Gator Alley. Nearing a masters degree in education at the University of Illinois, Bennett became a teacher at Urbana Junior High. Bennett was a full-time middle-school math teacher in 1986 at the then redesignated Urbana Middle School and he also worked for several years as an electronics technician for a local audio-video repair store. From 1994 through 2001 Bennett was a member of Wilco, conflicts between front man Jeff Tweedy and Bennett that would contribute to Bennetts split with Wilco are visible in the Sam Jones film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, A Film About Wilco. Although Bennett sought to act as both mixer and engineer for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Tweedy was unsure of Bennetts abilities against those of producer Jim ORourke. Bennett claimed he tried to stay away from the mixing, having been reminded that Jim didnt like a lot of folks around when he was mixing. Tweedy and Bennett frequently argued over whether the album should be accessible to a general listener, unbeknownst to Bennett, Tweedy invited ORourke to remix I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, and the results impressed the other band members — even Bennett. Tensions grew between Bennett and ORourke because Bennett wanted to play an integral role regarding the mixing of the album. ORourke cut the contributions of members on several of the songs, some songs, such as Poor Places, only featured the Loose Fur trio of Tweedy, ORourke. The album was completed in 2001, and Bennett was dismissed from the band immediately afterwards, after leaving Wilco, Bennett released five solo albums. The first, entitled The Palace at 4 a. m. was a collaboration with Champaign musician Edward Burch, 2004s Bigger Than Blue was a more stripped-down set of personal songs. In the same year he released The Beloved Enemy, which saw Bennett exploring his personal turmoil in even more intimate detail, the Magnificent Defeat was released by Ryko Records in September 2006. He released Whatever Happened I Apologize in November 2008 on rockproper. com, Bennett had been working on a sixth record, titled Kicking at the Perfumed Air. It was released posthumously for free on May 24,2010 on the Jay Bennett Foundations website. in May 2009, Bennett sued Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy for breach of contract stemming from his work for Wilco. On May 24,2009 Bennett died unexpectedly in his sleep, when Bennett failed to show up for festivities, they posted a picture on the Play or Pose website, brandishing a placard reading Jay Bennett, were here, where are you. The Champaign County coroner reported about one month later that Bennetts death was accidental and he was wearing a Duragesic patch on his back when his body was found, said Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup
26.
Blue Rodeo
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Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have been signed with Warner Music Group since their album, Outskirts. Including Outskirts, they have 15 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, cuddy and Keelor met in high school and became friends. After university, when all their friends were starting to get jobs, they decided to form a band. They put together a several bands without commercial success and they released a single as Hi-Fis in 1980. Cuddy and Keelor moved to New York City to help their music careers, when they came back to Toronto in the summer of 1984, they decided to put another band together. They had already thought of the name for the band when before they met Anderson, Anderson introduced Donovan, and these musicians became the band Blue Rodeo. In 1985 Blue Rodeo played their first show together at The Rivoli in Toronto, one week later, by 1999 the band had sold more than two million albums in Canada. Cuddy, Keelor, Donovan and Cripps have all released solo albums, Keelor has also gone on to produce for other artists, notably alt-country group Cuff the Duke, who have also toured as support for Blue Rodeo. They have won many Canadian music awards, including seven Juno Awards, on June 16,2009, it was announced that the band would receive a star on Canadas Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony was held on September 12,2009 and they are the fifth band to receive the honour. ”In May 2014, the band received a Governor Generals Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canadas highest honour in the performing arts. At the Gala honouring GGPAA recipients on May 10, the band delivered the evenings surprise finale, on August 5,2013, former keyboard player James Gray died as the result of a heart attack. Canadian guitarist Colin Cripps joined Blue Rodeo as a member in 2013, due to Greg Keelors inability to play electric guitar live any more. Blue Rodeos song Flying appears on the soundtrack to the television show Due South as track 10, the song Hasnt Hit Me Yet is played in the 2015 British documentary The Fear of 13 about exonerated death row inmate Nick Yarris. The songs Try and Heart Like Mine are played in the episode Cupids Quiver of the TV show Friday the 13th The Series, the song Bad Timing is played towards the end of the season 4 finale of the hit Canadian show Corner Gas. Blue Rodeo is the band appearing at the end of the 1990 film Postcards from the Edge, the song Try is played in the background of the bar in the film Navy SEALs. Greg Keelor, one of the founding members, composed the soundtrack for the 2010 film Gunless. The soundtrack for the Canadian Western comedy also featured an original ballad by Blue Rodeo titled Dont Let the Darkness in Your Head, the set is included on the DVD In Stereovision, Blue Rodeo
27.
Jay Farrar
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Jay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a guitarist, pianist, harmonicist, Farrar formed Uncle Tupelo with Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn in 1987 after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece, shortly after the release of the bands major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band owing to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. After the dissolution of Uncle Tupelo in 1994, Farrar formed the rock group Son Volt, in 1999, Farrar was invited to participate in the tribute album for Moby Grape co-founder Skip Spence, who was terminally ill with cancer. The album, More Oar, A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album, was an album of versions of the songs on Spences only solo album. In 2005, the band re-formed with a different lineup and has released four additional albums. In 1995, Farrar collaborated with Kelly Willis on the song Rexs Blues, as a solo artist, Farrar has released two full-length albums, two EPs, one film score, and various live recordings. His full-length albums are Sebastopol and Terroir Blues, the first released on the independent record label Artemis Records, an EP of songs from the Sebastopol sessions, entitled ThirdShiftGrottoSlack was released in 2002. His score for the independent film The Slaughter Rule was released in 2003 on the independent record label Bloodshot Records, Farrar formed his own independent record label in 2003, Transmit Sound. In 2004, Farrar released a six song live acoustic EP entitled Live EP, also 2004 marked the release of the live CD/DVD Stone, Steel & Bright Lights. Farrar worked closely with keyboardist Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips during the recording of Sebastopol, eric Heywood, Mark Spencer from the Blood Oranges, and the rock group Canyon have often accompanied Farrar in his solo recordings and performances. Spencer is now a member of Son Volt. In 2006, Farrar announced the formation of a new band, Gob Iron, the songs which would make up their debut album were recorded in autumn 2004, while Farrar was in the process of recording a new Son Volt album. Farrar collaborated with Ben Gibbard to create all of the music for the soundtrack for the 2009 documentary film One Fast Move or Im Gone, the soundtrack was released on October 20,2009. His musical style ranges from sparse, unaccompanied folk music to full rock and his solo recordings also often include sound experiments, reminiscent of psychedelia, with a distinctly Eastern bent. One of the hallmarks of his sound is the use of tunings on the guitar. His love for Woody Guthrie inspired a custom made by Creston Lea of Vermont
28.
Bill Fay
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William Bill Fay is an English singer, pianist and songwriter whose early releases were made on the Deram label in 1967. Following the release of his album in 1971, Fay was dropped by the label. His work enjoyed a cult status in the 1990s, and his older works were re-issued in 1998. Fays 2012 album, Life Is People, was his first album of material since 1971. His next album, Who Is The Sender was released on 27 April 2015, Fay was born in north London, where he still lives. His first single, Some Good Advice / Screams in the Ears, was issued on the Deram label in 1967, the recordings did not sell well, and Fay was dropped from Deram soon after the release of his second album. They were re-issued in 1998, and then again in 2005, despite returning to the recording studio in the late 1970s, the follow-up to Time of the Last Persecution was not released until January 2005, following the reissues of his earlier works. Bill Fays work enjoyed a cult status in the 1990s. His first two albums were re-issued in 1998, an event which Bill Fay described in 2012 as follows, Up until 1998, but then I got the shock that people remembered my music. I was doing some gardening, and listening to some of my songs on cassette, I thought, Maybe somebody will hear them someday. That same evening,14 years ago, I got a call from a music writer telling me that my two albums were being reissued, a shock is not gonna get much bigger than that, David It was astonishing to me. I wont ever really be able to believe that it happened, thats how I feel about it. I had come to terms with the fact that I was deleted, but that I had always kept writing songs anyway, in 2004, the British label Wooden Hill released a collection of demos recorded between 1966 and 1970 entitled From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock. In 2005 his late 1970s recordings were released January 2005, entitled Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow, it was credited to the Bill Fay Group and was released on the Durtro Jnana label. The compilation album Still Some Light appeared on the Coptic Cat label in 2010, Life is People, released 21 August 2012 on Dead Oceans, is his first new studio LP in over 40 years. A new album by Bill Fay was released in April 2015, the second album track, War Machine, came out as a single in February 2015. Fay has joined the band and Tweedy onstage for the rendition of the song at shows at the Shepherds Bush Empire in 2007, the English singer-songwriter and pianist John Howard recorded a cover version of the song Be Not So Fearful for his E. P. Songs for the Lost and Found, the song Be Not So Fearful was also covered by Ed Harcourt on the benefit compilation album Songs to Save a Life - In Aid of Samaritans
29.
The Beatles
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The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player. The core of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison went through a succession of drummers, including Pete Best, before asking Starr to join them. They acquired the nickname the Fab Four as Beatlemania grew in Britain the next year, from 1965 onwards, the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road, after their break-up in 1970, they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths. McCartney and Starr, the members, remain musically active. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of cancer in November 2001. The Beatles are the band in history, with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide. They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act, according to the RIAA, the Beatles are also the best-selling music artists in the United States, with 178 million certified units. In 2008, the group topped Billboard magazines list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, as of 2016 and they have received ten Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and they were also collectively included in Time magazines compilation of the twentieth centurys 100 most influential people. In March 1957, John Lennon, then aged sixteen, formed a group with several friends from Quarry Bank school. They briefly called themselves the Blackjacks, before changing their name to the Quarrymen after discovering that a local group was already using the other name. Fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined as a rhythm guitarist shortly after he, in February 1958, McCartney invited his friend George Harrison to watch the band. The fourteen-year-old auditioned for Lennon, impressing him with his playing, after a month of Harrisons persistence, they enlisted him as their lead guitarist. By January 1959, Lennons Quarry Bank friends had left the group, the three guitarists, billing themselves at least three times as Johnny and the Moondogs, were playing rock and roll whenever they could find a drummer. They used the name until May, when they became the Silver Beetles, before undertaking a tour of Scotland as the backing group for pop singer. By early July, they had changed their name to the Silver Beatles, allan Williams, the Beatles unofficial manager, arranged a residency for them in Hamburg, but lacking a full-time drummer they auditioned and hired Pete Best in mid-August 1960
30.
Television (band)
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Television is an American rock band considered influential in the development of punk and alternative music. Television was formed in New York City in 1973 by Tom Verlaine, Television was an early fixture of CBGB and the 1970s New York rock scene. The groups debut album, Marquee Moon, is considered one of the defining releases of the punk era. Televisions roots can be traced to the friendship between Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell. The duo met at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware, from which they ran away, both moved to New York, separately, in the early 1970s, aspiring to be poets. Their first group together was the Neon Boys, consisting of Verlaine on guitar and vocals, Hell on bass and vocals, the group lasted from late 1972 to late 1973. A 7-inch record featuring Thats All I Know and Love Comes in Spurts was released in 1980, in late 1973 the group reformed, calling themselves Television and recruiting Richard Lloyd as a second guitarist. Their first gig was at the Townhouse Theatre, on March 2,1974 and their manager, Terry Ork, persuaded CBGB owner Hilly Kristal to give the band a regular gig at his club, where they reportedly constructed their first stage. After playing several gigs at CBGB in early 1974, they played at Maxs Kansas City and other clubs, returning to CBGB in January 1975, initially, songwriting was split almost evenly between Hell and Verlaine, Lloyd being an infrequent contributor as well. However, friction began to develop as Verlaine, Lloyd and Ficca became increasingly confident and this conflict, as well as one of their songs being picked up by Island Records, led Hell to leave the group and take some of his songs with him. He co-founded the Heartbreakers in 1975 with former members of the New York Dolls Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, later forming Richard Hell, fred Smith, briefly of Blondie, replaced Hell as Televisions bassist. Television made their debut in 1975 with Little Johnny Jewel. Richard Lloyd apparently disagreed with the selection of song, preferring O Mi Amore for their debut. Reportedly Pere Ubu guitarist Peter Laughner auditioned for his spot during this time, upon its initial release in 1977, Roy Trakin wrote in the SoHo Weekly forget everything youve heard about Television, forget punk, forget New York, forget CBGBs. Hell, forget rock and roll—this is the real item and it was ranked number two in Uncut magazines 100 Greatest Debut Records and number 3 on Pitchfork Medias list of the best albums of the 1970s. Televisions second album, Adventure, was recorded and released in 1978, softer and more reflective than their debut album, Adventure was well received by critics despite modest sales. The members independent and strongly held artistic visions, along with Richard Lloyds drug abuse, both Lloyd and Verlaine pursued solo careers, while Ficca became the drummer for the new wave band The Waitresses. Television reformed in 1992, released a third album and have performed live sporadically thereafter
31.
Experimental music
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The practice became prominent in the mid-20th century, particularly in North America. John Cage was one of the earliest composers to use the term and one of experimental musics primary innovators, utilizing indeterminacy techniques and seeking unknown outcomes. Also, in America, a distinct sense of the term was used in the late 1950s to describe computer-controlled composition associated with composers such as Lejaren Hiller. Harry Partch as well as Ivor Darreg worked with other tuning scales based on the laws for harmonic music. For this music they developed a group of experimental musical instruments. Musique concrète, is a form of music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. Elements of experimental music include indeterminate music, in which the composer introduces the elements of chance or unpredictability with regard to either the composition or its performance. The Groupe de Recherches de Musique Concrète, under the leadership of Pierre Schaeffer, publication of Schaeffers manifesto was delayed by four years, by which time Schaeffer was favoring the term recherche musicale, though he never wholly abandoned musique expérimentale. John Cage was also using the term as early as 1955, according to Cages definition, an experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen, and he was specifically interested in completed works that performed an unpredictable action. Rebners lecture extended the concept back in time to include Charles Ives, Edgard Varèse, nyman opposes experimental music to the European avant-garde of the time, for whom The identity of a composition is of paramount importance. David Cope also distinguishes between experimental and avant garde, describing music as that which represents a refusal to accept the status quo. That is, for the most part, experimental music studies describes a category without really explaining it and this was an attempt to marginalize, and thereby dismiss various kinds of music that did not conform to established conventions. In 1955, Pierre Boulez identified it as a new definition makes it possible to restrict to a laboratory. He concludes, There is no such thing as experimental music … and it is therefore not a genre, but an open category, because any attempt to classify a phenomenon as unclassifiable and elusive as experimental music must be partial. Furthermore, the indeterminacy in performance guarantees that two versions of the same piece will have virtually no perceptible musical facts in common. The term experimental music was used contemporaneously for electronic music, particularly in the early musique concrète work of Schaeffer, a number of early 20th-century American composers, seen as precedents to and influences on John Cage, are sometimes referred to as the American Experimental School. These include Charles Ives, Charles and Ruth Crawford Seeger, Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles, for this music they both developed custom-built musical instruments often characterized as experimental instruments. La Monte Young is known for using this technique when he began working on his minimal drone pieces which consisted of layers of sounds in different pitches
32.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
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Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. The album was completed in 2001, but Reprise Records, a Warner Music Group label, Wilco acquired the rights to the album when they subsequently left the label. In September 2001, Wilco streamed the album for free on their website. Wilco signed with Nonesuch Records in November of that year, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was acclaimed by music critics, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000s. It is also Wilcos best-selling work, having reached number 13 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and it was the bands first album with drummer Glenn Kotche, and the last with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it 493 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Wilco was touring to promote Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in May 2000 when Jeff Tweedy was invited to play at the Noise Pop festival in Chicago. The festival promoter offered to pair Tweedy with a collaborator of his choosing, Tweedy frequently played ORourkes album Bad Timing in his car while he traveled during the previous winter. ORourke was a producer as well as a musician, and had produced over 200 albums by the time that Tweedy requested the collaboration. ORourke offered the services of drummer Glenn Kotche, and the trio performed at Double Door for the festival on May 14,2000, Tweedy enjoyed the performance so much that he suggested that the trio record an album together. They chose the name Loose Fur, and recorded six songs during the following summer, by the end of the year, Wilco had recorded enough demo tracks to release a fourth studio album, but the band was unhappy with some of the takes of the songs. This was attributed to the inflexibility of Ken Coomers drumming, according to American Songwriter Magazine, Virtually every attempt the singer made to steer Coomer toward the percussive sound he had envisioned for the record sparked a fight. The band decided to bring Glenn Kotche into the studio to record with the band, Wilco officially replaced Coomer with Kotche in January 2001, a decision originally proposed by Tweedy and almost immediately approved by the rest of the band. One of the conflicts, exhibited in the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, in order to achieve the bands musical goals, Tweedy invited Jim ORourke into the studio to mix I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, and the results impressed the band members. ORourke was then asked to mix the rest of the album, the cover of the album is a picture of Marina City in the bands adopted hometown of Chicago. The album was named after a series of letters in the alphabet that Tweedy had heard on the Irdial box set The Conet Project. On the fourth track of the album, a woman repeats the words Yankee Hotel Foxtrot numerous times, Irdial sued Wilco for copyright infringement, and a settlement was reached out of court. After the albums completion, Tweedy decided to remove Bennett from the band, the album was completed in 2001, and Tweedy believed it to be ready for release. Los Angeles photographer Sam Jones contacted Wilco in 2000 about producing a film about the creation of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
33.
Warner Music Group
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Warner Music Group is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. With a multibillion-dollar annual turnover, WMG employs in excess of 3,500 people and has operations in more than 50 countries throughout the world, the company owns and operates some of the largest and most successful record labels in the world, including its flagship labels Warner Bros. WMG also owns Warner/Chappell Music, one of the worlds largest music publishers, the film company had no record label division at the time and one of its contracted actors, Tab Hunter, scored a hit song for Dot Records, which was a division of rival Paramount Pictures. In order to prevent any repetition of its actors recording for rival companies, in 1963, Warner purchased Reprise Records, which had been founded by Frank Sinatra three years earlier so that he could have more creative control over his recordings. With the Reprise acquisition, Warner gained the services of Mo Ostin, the Canadian unit was opened in 1967 as Warner Reprise Canada Ltd, now called Warner Music Canada Co. After Warner Bros. was sold to Seven Arts Productions in 1967, it purchased Atlantic Records, founded in 1947 and WMGs oldest label and this acquisition brought Neil Young into the company fold, initially as a member of Buffalo Springfield. The Geffen catalogue, now owned by Universal Music Group, represents Youngs only major recordings not under WMG ownership, in 1969, two years after being purchased by Seven Arts, the Warner Bros. -Seven Arts company was sold to the Kinney National Company. Kinney combined the operations of all of its labels. An earlier attempt by Warner Bros. Records to create a distribution arm in 1958 didnt materialize. So in 1969, Elektra Records boss Jac Holzman approached Atlantics Jerry Wexler with the idea of setting up a joint distribution network for Warner, Elektra, an experimental branch was established in Southern California as a possible prototype for an expanded operation. Atlantic, its subsidiary Atco Records, and its affiliate Stax Records paved the way for Warners rise to industry prominence, the purchase brought in Atlantics lucrative back-catalogue, which included classic recordings by Ray Charles, the Drifters, the Coasters, and many more. But the sale led to Stax leaving the Atlantic fold because the new Warner owners insisted on keeping the rights to Stax recordings and it was soon apparent in 1969 that Atlantic/Atco president Ahmet Ertegün viewed Warner/Reprise president Mike Maitland as godlike. Maitland believed that, as vice-president in charge of the Warner Bros, in retrospect Ertegün clearly feared that Maitland would ultimately have more power than him and so he moved rapidly to secure his own position and remove Maitland. Following the takeover, Warners music group briefly adopted the umbrella name Kinney Music, erteguns campaign against Maitland began in earnest that summer. Atlantic had agreed to help Warner Bros. in its efforts to establish its labels overseas, Mike Maitland complained bitterly to Kinney executive Ted Ashley, but to no avail – by this time Ertegun was poised to make his move against Maitland. As he had with Hyman, Ertegun urged Steve Ross to extend Mo Ostin and Joe Smiths contracts, in response, Ertegun broadly hinted that Maitlands days were numbered and that he, Ertegun, was about to take over the recording division. Unlike the Warner/Reprise executives, Atlantics execs the Ertegun brothers and Wexler owned stock in Kinney, on Sunday January 25, Ted Ashley went to Maitlands house to tell him he had been dismissed, and Maitland declined the offer of a job at the movie studio. One week later, Mo Ostin was named as the new President of Warner Bros, Records, with Joe Smith as his Executive Vice-President
34.
Grammy Award
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A Grammy Award, or Grammy, is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of awards that have a more popular interest. It shares recognition of the industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Emmy Awards, the Tony Awards. The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4,1959, to honor, following the 2011 ceremony, The Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 59th Grammy Awards, honoring the best achievements from October 2015 to September 2016, was held on February 12,2017, the Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. The music executives decided to rectify this by creating a given by their industry similar to the Oscars. This was the beginning of the National Academy of Recording Arts, after it was decided to create such an award, there was still a question of what to call it, one working title was the Eddie, to honor the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. They finally settled on using the name of the invention of Emile Berliner, the gramophone, for the awards, the number of awards given grew and fluctuated over the years with categories added and removed, at one time reaching over 100. The second Grammy Awards, also held in 1959, was the first ceremony to be televised, the gold-plated trophies, each depicting a gilded gramophone, are made and assembled by hand by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado. In 1990 the original Grammy design was revamped, changing the traditional soft lead for a stronger alloy less prone to damage, Billings developed a zinc alloy named grammium, which is trademarked. The trophies with the name engraved on them are not available until after the award announcements. By February 2009,7,578 Grammy trophies had been awarded, the General Field are four awards which are not restricted by genre. Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a full album if other than the performer. Record of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a single song if other than the performer. Song of the Year is awarded to the writer/composer of a single song, Best New Artist is awarded to a promising breakthrough performer who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording that establishes the public identity of that artist. The only two artists to win all four of these awards are Christopher Cross, who won all four in 1980, and Adele, who won the Best New Artist award in 2009 and the other three in 2012 and 2017. Other awards are given for performance and production in specific genres, as well as for other such as artwork. Special awards are given for longer-lasting contributions to the music industry, the many other Grammy trophies are presented in a pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony earlier in the afternoon before the Grammy Awards telecast
35.
A Ghost Is Born
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A Ghost Is Born is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Wilco. Released on June 22,2004, it features singer Jeff Tweedy on lead guitar more than any previous Wilco album, the band streamed the album online for free, and offered a five-song EP to purchasers. Tweedy entered a clinic shortly before the release of the album. It also shortened its promotional tour, despite this, A Ghost Is Borns opening week was the best sales week for the band at the time and the album was met with good reviews from major publications such as Rolling Stone and PopMatters. The album earned Wilco a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, Wilco signed a contract with Nonesuch Records in November 2001 after a lengthy dispute with Reprise Records over the release of the bands fourth album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Foxtrot was welcomed with positive reviews from The Village Voice—where the album was rated by the critics as the best album of 2002—and Rolling Stone and it sold over 590,000 copies, earning a Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. Recording for a new album began in November 2003 under the working title Wilco Happens, the album was produced by Jim ORourke, who mixed Foxtrot and was a member of Wilco side project Loose Fur. Tweedy sought to play solos on the album that were unlike those of jam bands such as Phish, instead, he performed composed solos influenced by Television such as the one during the coda of At Least Thats What You Said. Tweedy refers to the solo at the end of the track as a musical transcription of one of his panic attacks. Tweedy was excited about writing an album this way, An unusual feature of A Ghost Is Born is the long track Less Than You Think. The first part of the song begins as a ballad which references belief systems, for the song, each band member created a synthesizer noise that mimicked an electronic sound. The installations were simultaneously activated in the room and recorded, the noise, which served as the coda to the song, was remixed to provide dynamics to the track. Jeff Tweedy provided lead vocals and acted as lead guitarist for the time since the band formed. John Stirratt, the original member aside from Tweedy, played bass. Glenn Kotche and Jim ORourke, Tweedys associates from Loose Fur, acted as drummer and multi-instrumentalist, leroy Bach played a variety of keyboards as well as bass guitar. All members of the band contributed with a part on Less Than You Think. Wilco began touring in support of Ghost even before the album had been released, sansone had been playing with The Autumn Defense, a side project led by bassist John Stirratt. However, the tour to support the album had to be abridged, in May 2004, Tweedy checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic in Chicago, Illinois due to chronic migraine headaches, anxiety attacks, and clinical depression
36.
Best Alternative Music Album
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While the definition of alternative has been debated, the award was first presented in 1991 to recognize non-mainstream rock albums heavily played on college radio stations. In 1991, and from 1994 to 1999, the award was known as Best Alternative Music Performance, beginning in 2001, award recipients included the producers, engineers, and/or mixers associated with the nominated work in addition to the recording artists. As of 2012, Radiohead and The White Stripes share the record for the most wins in this category, two female solo artists have won the award, Sinéad OConnor and St. Vincent. With eight nominations to date, Radiohead holds the record for the most nominations in this category, björk also holds the record for the most nominations for a solo artist, as well as the record for the most nominations without a win. Beck and Coldplay have each received the award twice, the latter being the group to win two years consecutively. ^ Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year, independent music List of alternative rock artists List of Grammy Award categories Timeline of alternative rock Official site of the Grammy Awards
37.
Star Wars (album)
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Star Wars is the ninth studio album by American alternative rock group Wilco. It was self-released for free on July 16,2015 through wilcoworld. net and it is the second Wilco album that was released on their own label dBpm. A CD version of the album was released on August 21, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Jeff Tweedy explained the cover art and album title. Its kind of an extension of the process behind, I dont know, staying in touch with some sort of wild energy as much as possible. But that painting of that cat hangs in the kitchen at the loft, and every day Id look at it and go, You know, then I started thinking about the phrase Star Wars recontextualized against that painting — it was beautiful and jarring. The album has nothing to do with Star Wars and it just makes me feel good. It makes me feel limitless and like theres still possibilities and still surprise in the world, you know. The album debuted at No.105 on Billboard 200, and No.18 on Top Rock Albums for charts dated September 12,2015, the album has sold 21,000 copies in the United States as of August 2016
38.
Bassist
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A bassist, or bass player, is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments. Since the 1960s, the bass has been the standard bass instrument for funk, R&B, soul music, rock and roll, reggae, jazz fusion, heavy metal, country. The double bass is the bass instrument for classical music, bluegrass, rockabilly. Low brass instruments such as the tuba or sousaphone are the bass instrument in Dixieland. Despite the associations of different bass instruments with certain genres, there are exceptions, some fusion jazz groups use a lightweight, stripped-down electric upright bass rather than a double bass. Some composers of art music use the electric bass in a chamber music setting. Some jazz big bands use electric bass, some funk, R&B and jazz, fusion groups use synth bass or keyboard bass rather than electric bass. Bootsy Collins and Stevie Wonder used synth bass, some Dixieland bands use double bass or electric bass instead of a tuba. In some jazz groups and jam bands, the basslines are played by a Hammond organ player, electric bassists play the bass guitar. In most rock, pop, metal and country genres, the bass line outlines the harmony of the music being performed, in addition, there are many different standard bass line types for different genres and types of song. Bass lines often emphasize the root note, with a role for the third. In addition, pedal tones, ostinatos, and bass riffs are also used as bass lines, while most electric bass players rarely play chords, chords are used in some styles, especially funk, R&B, soul music, jazz, Latin and heavy metal music. A shortlist of the notable bassists in these genres includes, Barry Bales Herbie Flowers Willie Dixon Danny Thompson List of double bassists in popular music
39.
Drummer
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The term percussionist applies to a musician who performs struck musical instruments of numerous diverse shapes, sizes and applications. Most contemporary western ensembles bands for rock, pop, jazz, most drummers of this particular designation work within the context of a larger contingent that may also include, keyboard or guitar, auxiliary percussion and bass. Said ensembles may also include melodic based mallet percussion including, vibraphone, the rhythm section, being the core metronomic foundation with which other melodic instruments, including voices, may present the harmonic/melodic portion of the material. In popular music, the function of the drummer is to keep time or provide a steady tempo. There are many tools that a drummer can use for either timekeeping or soloing and these include cymbals, snare, toms, auxiliary percussion and many others. Also there are single, double, and triple bass pedals for the bass drum, before motorized transport became widespread, drummers played a key role in military conflicts. Military drummers provided drum cadences that set a marching pace. In some armies drums also assisted in combat by keeping cadence for firing and loading drills with muzzle loading guns, military drummers were also employed on the parade field, when troops passed in review, and in various ceremonies including ominous drum rolls accompanying disciplinary punishments. Children also served as drummer boys well into the century, though less commonly than is popularly assumed, due to the nature of the job. In modern times, drummers are not employed in battle, typically buglers and drummers mass under a sergeant-drummer and during marches alternately perform with the regiment or battalion ensembles. Military-based musical percussion traditions were not limited exclusively to the western world, in the Ottoman Empire, the size of a military band reflected the rank of its commander in chief, the largest band was reserved for the Sultan. It included various percussion instruments, often adopted in European military music, the pitched bass drum is still known in some languages as the Turkish Drum. The drumline is a type of marching ensemble descended from drummers, and can be arranged as a performance of a drum. Their uniforms will often have a style and a fancy hat. In recent times, it is common to see drummers in parades wearing costumes with an African, Asian, Latin, Native American, or tribal look. Various indigenous cultures use the drum to create a sense of unity with others especially during recreational events, the drum also helps in prayers and meditations. List of drummers Drum beat Drum machine Drum tracks Pipe band This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh
40.
Syd Straw
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Syd Straw is an American rock singer and songwriter. The daughter of actor Jack Straw, she began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then took her voice to the indie/alternative scene. She released her first album, Surprise, in 1989, it featured contributions by Stipe, Fier, Richard Thompson, Jody Harris, Peter Blegvad, a second album, War and Peace, appeared in 1996. Recorded with a relatively obscure Midwest rock group called the Skeletons, it chronicled a brief, in 2008, she released a new album, entitled Pink Velour, on her own label, Earnester Records. Straws role on The Adventures of Pete & Pete as a middle school teacher was introduced in the episode Valentines Day Massacre. Syd Straw can be heard singing harmony and backing vocals on the Rickie Lee Jones albums Traffic From Paradise and she is also featured on Leo Kottkes Peculiaroso, which Jones produced. Straw appears on What Am I Worth from the Dave Alvin album King of California, for a number of years she has given an annual Heartwreck live performance on Valentines Day. In 1994, Straw teamed up with Wilco to contribute the song The T. B, is Whipping Me to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country, produced by the Red Hot Organization
41.
Ernest Tubb
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Ernest Dale Tubb, nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, Walking the Floor Over You, in 1948, he was the first singer to record a hit version of Blue Christmas, a song more commonly associated with Elvis Presley and his mid-1950s version. Another well-known Tubb hit was Waltz Across Texas, which one of his most requested songs and is often used in dance halls throughout Texas during waltz lessons. Tubb recorded duets with the then up-and-coming Loretta Lynn in the early 1960s, Tubb is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Tubb was born on a farm near Crisp, in Ellis County. His father was a sharecropper, so Tubb spent his working on farms throughout the state. He was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and spent his time learning to sing, yodel. At age 19, he took a job as a singer on San Antonio radio station KONO-AM, the pay was low so Tubb also dug ditches for the Works Progress Administration and then clerked at a drug store. In 1939 he moved to San Angelo, Texas and was hired to do a 15-minute afternoon live show on radio station KGKL-AM. He drove a delivery truck in order to support himself during this time. In 1936, Tubb contacted Jimmie Rodgers’s widow to ask for an autographed photo, a friendship developed and she was instrumental in getting Tubb a recording contract with RCA. His first two records were unsuccessful, a tonsillectomy in 1939 affected his singing style so he turned to songwriting. In 1940 he switched to Decca records to try singing again and it sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc in 1965 by the RIAA. Tubb joined the Grand Ole Opry in February 1943 and put together his band, Tubbs first band members were from Gadsden, Alabama. They were, Vernon Toby Reese, Chester Studdard, and Ray Kemo Head and he remained a regular on the radio show for four decades, and hosted his own Midnite Jamboree radio show each Saturday night after the Opry. Tubb headlined the first Grand Ole Opry show presented in Carnegie Hall in New York City in September 1947, Tubb always surrounded himself with some of Nashvilles best musicians. Jimmy Short, his first guitarist in the Troubadours, is credited with the Tubb sound of single-string guitar picking, from about 1943 to 1948, Short featured clean, clear riffs throughout Tubbs songs. Actually a jazz musician, Byrd—no relation to Jerry—remained with Tubb until 1959, another Tubb musician was actually his producer, Owen Bradley
