A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:
6 cool things in music this week include the National, Bruce Springsteen and Bobbie Nelson
Shout outs, too, to Joe Henry, José James and MTV News.
May 12, 2023 at 10:00AM
Greg Herder of Blaine:
1 Joe Henry, Parkway Theater. The exemplary songwriter/singer/producer presented a master class in making poetic sense of our cultural moment, including timely tributes to Harry Belafonte and Gordon Lightfoot. A beautiful, intimate and insightful show from a longtime friend/favorite of the Twin Cities.
2 "Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska" by Warren Zanes. Through interviews with his music peers and the Boss himself, Zanes explores the creation and context of Bruce's most enigmatic album. Ask any working songwriter/performer and 99% of them will tell you that this is their favorite Springsteen album (Bruce said the same in a recent CBS interview).
3 "Loving You," Bobbie Nelson and Amanda Shires. Shortly before her passing, pianist Nelson, accompanist of little brother Willie, completed a duet record with current Americana queen Shires. It's a tribute to both Bobbie's sometimes underrated piano prowess and her longtime example of a woman successfully navigating the "boys club" of side musicians. The album is due June 23.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 "Sad Dads," the New Yorker. Writer Amanda Petrusich does a deep dive into the National, the beloved indie-rock band from Brooklyn. She gets outside perspective from Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Phoebe Bridgers and goes deep into therapy with depressive frontman/lyricist Matt Berninger. Then in the last section of a long piece, Petrusich discloses that she was sad during the reporting because her husband recently and suddenly died, leaving her with a 1-year-old.
2 RIP MTV News. Before the hegemony of the Internet, MTV News, which started in 1987, was an essential vehicle for breaking music news, such as Kurt Cobain's death, and discussing politics (meet Bill Clinton) with a younger generation. Although it often became little more than a PR vehicle for stars, it was a must-see source for music lovers.
3 José James, the Dakota. "On & On," the Minneapolis native's tribute to Erykah Badu, is one the year's best albums. Hearing the songs live was even more remarkable, thanks to James' occasional improvised scratching vocals and his band's extended and compelling solos, especially by 18-year-old alto saxophonist Ebban Dorsey.
to contribute: popmusic@startribune.com
Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead.
