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The Guardian
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The New Eves: The New Eve Is Rising review – imagine if the Velvet Underground scored Midsommar …
Over the past year or so, you would have been hard pushed to read any of the New Eves' interviews without feeling at least a little intrigued by what the Brighton quartet are reportedly up to. Said features usually discuss their onstage theatricality – there is talk of improvised dance and indeed 'experimental ballet', and of fake blood and their all-white homemade costumes, equal parts cottagecore and Midsommar. There are indications that the music the band make is merely part of a broader artistic practice that also involves painting, writing, photography and 'traditional female crafts', among them knitting. Then there's mention of their curious instrumentation, in which violin, cello and flute have as much role to play as guitar, bass and drums. And there's a frequent suggestion that the band are sonically sui generis: 'We weren't consciously inspired by any other musicians … it was like we created a new universe of paradise without even realising that's what we were doing'; 'The Velvet Underground are the only band I can compare us to – there's a similar spirit there, but the New Eves aren't about genre'. Claiming you are, as Duke Ellington liked to say, 'beyond category' is part of any new band's standard attention-grabbing arsenal. And in this case, in one sense at least, it isn't true. Any alternative rock band who deploy strings to scrape and drone are almost inevitably going to attract some kind of comparison to the John Cale-era Velvet Underground. But, intentional or not, there are also plenty of other reference points you might reasonably mention to describe the music on the New Eves' debut album The New Eve Is Rising. Something of the Raincoats' rickety post-punk explorations seem to haunt its sound, albeit relocated from Notting Hill to a more pastoral setting. So does the lo-fi avant-garage rock of the early-80s Fall, which is audible amid the simple riffs and relentless drumming of Highway Man. There is occasionally a bleating quality about the vocals that automatically summons the ghost of Tyrannosaurus Rex-era Marc Bolan. Equally, at their most full throated, they recall the powerful but ascetic harmonies of folk family the Watersons. When the vocals tend to spoken word declamation – as on opener The New Eve – you might think not only of Patti Smith but those moments in Crass's oeuvre when the microphone was ceded to Eve Libertine and Joy De Vivre. And yet, if there are plenty of artists other than the Velvet Underground whom you could compare the New Eves to – from trad folk to distaff anarcho-punk to hippy whimsy – the band's central point still stands. Whatever ingredients went into the recipe, the result doesn't ultimately sound like much else, and there is often something rather thrilling about being in its presence. The weird blend of glam drums, sawing strings and folky vocal roar on Cow Song, for example. Volcano's slow surge from gentle fluting bucolia to a potent sense of menace. The moment on Rivers Run Red when the scrabble of strings and guitars dramatically finds an urgent percussive shape. It's given an extra frisson by the fact that, whatever the circumstances of its recording, The New Eve Is Rising sounds as if it's being played live, by a band who prize immediacy over virtuosity, with all the teetering potential for disaster that suggests. There's a certain white-knuckle intensity to the moment when Circles shifts its rhythm, and given that the change is counted in with such vociferousness, perhaps it hasn't always come off in the past. Said disaster never strikes, although you do occasionally wonder if something may have been lost in translation from live show to studio, despite their best efforts. The spoken-word manifesto of The New Eve probably feels more viscerally powerful delivered in front of your eyes than it does coming out of your speakers. But the moments when the album doesn't quite work are tempered by the sense that this is a band still in a state of flux and progress, working out where they might go next – the 'rising' in the title seems the operative word – rather than a perfectly finished product with all of the doubts about how to move on which that would entail. That the New Eves are overflowing with ideas is obvious from their interviews and their debut album alike. The latter presents them in rough hewn and occasionally chaotic style: it feels exciting, as does their future. Cate Le Bon – Is It Worth It (Happy Birthday)?An equivocal title for an equivocal song – the dreaminess of whose sound is undercut by a strange, sickly quality. It's both addictive and slightly disturbing.
The Guardian
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The New Eves: The New Eve Is Rising review – imagine if the Velvet Underground scored Midsommar …
Over the past year or so, you would have been hard pushed to read any of the New Eves' interviews without feeling at least a little intrigued by what the Brighton quartet are reportedly up to. Said features usually discuss their onstage theatricality – there is talk of improvised dance and indeed 'experimental ballet', and of fake blood and their all-white homemade costumes, equal parts cottagecore and Midsommar. There are indications that the music the band make is merely part of a broader artistic practice that also involves painting, writing, photography and 'traditional female crafts', among them knitting. Then there's mention of their curious instrumentation, in which violin, cello and flute have as much role to play as guitar, bass and drums. And there's a frequent suggestion that the band are sonically sui generis: 'We weren't consciously inspired by any other musicians … it was like we created a new universe of paradise without even realising that's what we were doing'; 'The Velvet Underground are the only band I can compare us to – there's a similar spirit there, but the New Eves aren't about genre'. Claiming you are, as Duke Ellington liked to say, 'beyond category' is part of any new band's standard attention-grabbing arsenal. And in this case, in one sense at least, it isn't true. Any alternative rock band who deploy strings to scrape and drone are almost inevitably going to attract some kind of comparison to the John Cale-era Velvet Underground. But, intentional or not, there are also plenty of other reference points you might reasonably mention to describe the music on the New Eves' debut album The New Eve Is Rising. Something of the Raincoats' rickety post-punk explorations seem to haunt its sound, albeit relocated from Notting Hill to a more pastoral setting. So does the lo-fi avant-garage rock of the early-80s Fall, which is audible amid the simple riffs and relentless drumming of Highway Man. There is occasionally a bleating quality about the vocals that automatically summons the ghost of Tyrannosaurus Rex-era Marc Bolan. Equally, at their most full throated, they recall the powerful but ascetic harmonies of folk family the Watersons. When the vocals tend to spoken word declamation – as on opener The New Eve – you might think not only of Patti Smith but those moments in Crass's oeuvre when the microphone was ceded to Eve Libertine and Joy De Vivre. And yet, if there are plenty of artists other than the Velvet Underground whom you could compare the New Eves to – from trad folk to distaff anarcho-punk to hippy whimsy – the band's central point still stands. Whatever ingredients went into the recipe, the result doesn't ultimately sound like much else, and there is often something rather thrilling about being in its presence. The weird blend of glam drums, sawing strings and folky vocal roar on Cow Song, for example. Volcano's slow surge from gentle fluting bucolia to a potent sense of menace. The moment on Rivers Run Red when the scrabble of strings and guitars dramatically finds an urgent percussive shape. It's given an extra frisson by the fact that, whatever the circumstances of its recording, The New Eve Is Rising sounds as if it's being played live, by a band who prize immediacy over virtuosity, with all the teetering potential for disaster that suggests. There's a certain white-knuckle intensity to the moment when Circles shifts its rhythm, and given that the change is counted in with such vociferousness, perhaps it hasn't always come off in the past. Said disaster never strikes, although you do occasionally wonder if something may have been lost in translation from live show to studio, despite their best efforts. The spoken-word manifesto of The New Eve probably feels more viscerally powerful delivered in front of your eyes than it does coming out of your speakers. But the moments when the album doesn't quite work are tempered by the sense that this is a band still in a state of flux and progress, working out where they might go next – the 'rising' in the title seems the operative word – rather than a perfectly finished product with all of the doubts about how to move on which that would entail. That the New Eves are overflowing with ideas is obvious from their interviews and their debut album alike. The latter presents them in rough hewn and occasionally chaotic style: it feels exciting, as does their future. Cate Le Bon – Is It Worth It (Happy Birthday)?An equivocal title for an equivocal song – the dreaminess of whose sound is undercut by a strange, sickly quality. It's both addictive and slightly disturbing.
The Advertiser
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Discover the untold story of Washington DC's legendary Black Broadway scene
In the 1950s, Black culture and artistry was thriving in Washington, DC. On the U Street corridor in the US nation's capital, then known as Black Broadway, the hottest performers of the day (Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Miles Davis) took the stage at packed music halls and upscale theatres.
Chicago Tribune
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
What to do in Chicago for Fourth of July weekend: Wu-Tang Clan, patriotic music in Grant Park and fireworks at Navy Pier
Our picks for events in and around Chicago this weekend. It's Independence Day weekend, and Chicagoland offers no shortage of ways to celebrate. If you're looking for just one recommendation, though, consider heading to Hyde Park for The 4th on 53rd. The grassroots efforts of a small group of neighbors has blossomed over 30 years into an ideal version of American patriotism: an inclusive parade where 'everyone marches,' children decorate bikes, and families gather for a fun festival highlighting local your Fourth of July celebration with the Grant Park Orchestra as it performs quintessential American music: Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, hits from Broadway, and flag-waving favorites. Can't get out of the holiday without a little Sousa. Principal percussionist Josh Jones will be featured in 'Yankee Doodle Fantasy.'Or maybe the stars and stripes aren't flying so high for you this year? Rejoice in our First Amendment freedoms with a few laughs. No one better to help with that than Sammy Obeid, a Lebanese-Palestinian American comedian who hails from Oakland, California. His act combines an affable persona, sharp storytelling and incisive political commentary. Regardless of whether you agree with all of his takes, he'll get you Clan rolls into town on what's been billed as their final tour — 'The Final Chamber' — more than 30 years after their founding on Staten Island in 1992. Run the Jewels opens, offering a whole other reason to Cole, another Oakland native, unleashes her defining blend of R&B, soul and hip hop at the United Center. 'The Way It Is' tour marks her 20th anniversary and also features Tink, Jeremih and Elijah influential Buffalo Grove emo band has reunited for a tour that stops for two nights at Thalia Hall. Formed in 1989 by brothers Mike and Tim Kinsella along with Victor Villarreal and Sam Zurick, perhaps you know them better from such later projects as Joan of Arc, Owls and American Football. Jump on this if you want to go; Saturday's show is already sold out. Also features Coffin Prick and Jenny Pulse. … but in this case, it's the fifth of July in Ravinia — close enough. Chicago, now marking its 58th year since its local founding, has long been a staple of the summer outdoor concert scene. This time, the band is joined by a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, Stevie Zanies show features a solid lineup of comedians well known to Chicago audiences: Adam Gilbert, Skyler Higley, Chris Higgins and Kristen Toomey. You've got three more chances to catch the show. 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. July 5 and 7 p.m. July 6 at Zanies Comedy Night Club, 1548 N. Wells St.; tickets $32.25 (ages 21+; 2 item minimum) at Fireworks 2025: All the Fourth of July shows in the Chicago areaExpect plenty of pyrotechnics all weekend long in the city's parks and boulevards, but for Chicago's official fireworks, head to Navy Pier.'Jurassic World Rebirth' not your speed? Consider the Music Box Theatre's mini festival of Federico Fellini films. It includes a new, 35mm print of '8½' as well as 'La Dolce Vita,' 'La Strada,' 'City of Women' and 'Amarcord.' Years ago, I saw 'Nights of Cabiria' on a steamy hot night, and it still lingers in my mind as a different sort of summer blockbuster.
Wall Street Journal
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Elemental' Review: Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap's Inventive Interpretations
The songs that constitute the Great American Songbook will bend, but they won't break. This body of music is infinitely flexible. You can take a number by Duke Ellington or Cole Porter and reinterpret it—or twist it around until it's barely recognizable—in a way I wouldn't advise trying with a composition by Beethoven or even John Lennon. On their new album, 'Elemental,' singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and pianist Bill Charlap push interpretation to its limits, starting with some very familiar jazz standards. Rather than digging down into their chord changes and devising new melodies on top of them, as has come to be the common practice in the modern jazz era, they create variations on the tunes as originally written.
