Rhapsody Radish

We Have Moved!

We Have Moved!

The Rhapsody Radish is moving. We plan to have the process complete within a couple of weeks. The new site will include a cleaner design with less ads, greatly improved search, and improved playlist categorization. Please visit the new URL below and update your bookmark:

www.rhadish.com

Holly and Hillary Williams Hurt Badly in Car Crash

Play It! (AP) -- MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The daughters of country artist Hank Williams Jr. were recovering Thursday in a Memphis hospital from a rollover traffic accident in northern Mississippi, the performer's publicist said. Hilary Williams, in her early 20s, underwent emergency surgery at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis until 4 a.m. CST Thursday and doctors were bringing her out of anesthesia around 9 a.m., spokesman Kirt Webster said. Holly Williams, 25, was in stable condition at the hospital Thursday, Webster said. She suffered broken wrists, a broken leg and cuts and bruises. [more]

Super Bowl XL

Play It! DETROIT (Feb. 5, 2006) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers can get one for the thumb. The Seattle Seahawks want the first one. Either way, the team winning rings for Super Bowl XL could be considered a surprise. The Steelers will go for their fifth championship, and what would be their most improbable one, and try to prevent the underdog -- but top-seeded -- Seahawks from winning one in their first trip to the biggest stage in American sports. [more]

Mozart in the Baroque Style

Play It! When Mozart was nine, he met J.S. Bach's son Johann Christian, who was a classical style composer. J.C. was not a master of the baroque, but he helped to shape Mozart's conception of the brand new classical styles to which he was fully committed. Baron Van Swieten, the Royal librarian in Vienna, provided Wolfgang with useful historical manuscripts in his early 20's. Mozart crafted his own arrangement of Handel's Messiah, fashioned J.S. Bach's fugues into string trios, and wrote a baroque mass for his wedding. Even though there are not many examples of Baroque styles in Mozart's work, these contrapuntal tools gave him a edge and he was using them again just before his death. Hat Tip: Pantagruel

Essential Vibraphone

Play It! This playlist hones in on the most accomplished vibraphone players in jazz history. From the swing vibes of Lionel Hampton, to the cool jazz vibes of Milt Jackson, to the Afro-Cuban vibes of Cal Tjader, to the modern vibes of Gary Burton and much more. This collection makes for a fantastic listen, with all the songs tied together by the hip, resonant sound of the vibraphone.

Album Review Flashback: U2 - Under A Blood Red Sky

Play It! This Irish band's incantatory power is no more vividly demonstrated than in concert, and this eight-song minialbum, culled from their last tour, gives ample evidence why people have been calling U2 the best live band of 1983. Producer Jimmy Iovine and his chief engineer, Shelly Yakus, have toned down the distorted guitar-and-drums sound of the band's previous boardman, Steve Lillywhite, without sacrificing the sheer rock & roll energy and slashing attack that have already made U2 popular. [more]
-Christopher Connelly, Rolling Stone Magazine, January 19, 1984

Bonnaroo 2006

Play It! The lineup for the Bonnaroo 2006 music festival in Manchester, TN has been released. I would really like to go this year. I'm just not sure how I would decide who to see. Any fellow music bloggers interested? Tickets go on sale February 11th for $170 each and includes all 3 days of music, parking and camping. This playlist includes songs by 55 of the artists performing this year.

Joe Jackson: A Musical Pilgrimage

Play It! The word "chameleon" often crops up in descriptions of him, but Jackson prefers to be thought of as "eclectic." Is he the new wave singer/songwriter with a belligerent attitude? The reggae-influenced Joe Jackson of 1980's Beat Crazy? The jump blues revivalist of 1981's Jumpin' Jive? The New York salsa-styled singer of 1982's "Steppin' Out"? The R&B/jazz-inflected Jackson of 1984's Body & Soul? Or is he David Ian Jackson, who composes and conducts instrumental albums of contemporary classical music such as 1999's Grammy-winning Symphony No. 1? [more] Hat Tip: Objecks

MerleFest 2006

Play It! MerleFest is the world's premier Americana music festival. It was started in 1988 as a tribute to Doc Watson's son Merle, who was killed in a tragic tractor accident. The festival now attracts over 78,000 roots music fans to Wilkesboro, NC, from April 27th through April 30 each year. Over 100 bands are scheduled to perform and this list contains songs by artists who have been confirmed for 2006.

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

Play It! The buzz around the Sheffield, England indie band Arctic Monkeys is now reaching a fever pitch in the USA. Their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, now holds the record for the largest first week of sales in the UK, ever. 363,735 copies in 1 week in the UK is pretty astonishing. Although the debut is not yet available on Rhapsody, the band's 3-song single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor will give you a taste of what all the hype is about.

Celebrity Playlist: She Wants Revenge

Play It! New indie darlings She Wants Revenge show a bit of intelligence with the playlist they put together for RealNetworks. The two-man act actually chose Beethoven and Nina Simone to go along with safe selections like Public Enemy, Prince, Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine and Pulp. An interesting and diverse playlist whether or not it was carefully crafted to have a high "hip-factor."

The Who: The Covers

Play It! This playlist contains 23 cover songs as performed by The Who. Use it to get a great perspective on this legendary band's influences. These Who interpretations include the songs of Mose Allison, Bob Dylan, Bo Diddley, Jimi Hendrix, Martha and The Vandellas, James Brown, The Everly Brothers, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and more.

Country Rock Essentials

Play It! The majority of the songs in this playlist are from the late 60's and early 70's when country rock really came into it's own. Since there is disagreement on what constitutes "Country Rock", let me just say, that these are the "classics". These songs are respected by country and classic rock fans alike. A very listenable hour of music by Gram Parsons, The Byrds, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Pure Prairie League, Poco, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others.

70's Funk Fusion

Play It! Entering the 1970's, we see interesting electric trends originating from the Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" sessions. Keyboardists are experimenting with electric pianos and Hammond organs while electric bassists are inventing funky percussive and hard driving approaches. This louder and more danceable medium wins over rock and soul fans alike without sacrificing the potent content of their masterful improvisation. Hat Tip: Pantagruel

Garaj Mahal - Blueberry Cave

Play It! Released in November, this white hot funk fusion album is the second from Garaj Mahal. This well-schooled outfit has toured extensively since their formation in 2000. Their highly potent improv is often combined with Indian instrumentation and they have shared the stage with greats such as Sting, Bela Fleck, and John McLaughlin. Hat Tip: Pantagruel

People Who Appear On The Cover Of Sgt. Pepper's

Play It! This playlist is composed of singers, composers, comedians and writers who appear on the cover of The Beatles 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This album was selected as the greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. The cover was created by by Jann Haworth and Peter Blake and it garnered them a Grammy Award for Best Album Cover in 1968. See a list of all images, which appear on the cover here.

Up, Up and Away

Play It! Well, that News.com article really helped the Radish last month. We broke 70,000 page views in a single month for the first time ever. Thanks for spreading the word! Our January stats are below. Total Sessions: 31,189.00 Total Pageviews: 70,902.00 Total Hits: 340,310.00 Total Bytes Transferred: 9.66 GB Average Sessions Per Day: 1,006.10 Average Pageviews Per Day: 2,287.16 Average Hits Per Day: 10,977.74 Average Bytes Transferred Per Day: 319.07 MB Average Pageviews Per Session: 2.27 Average Hits Per Session: 10.91 Average Bytes Per Session: 24.74 KB Average Length of Session: 00:08:43

R.I.P. Gene McFadden

Play It! (BBC NEWS) -- Soul star Gene McFadden, best known for singing and co-writing the 1979 hit Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now, has died from cancer at the age of 56. The R&B star, half of the songwriting duo McFadden and Whitehead, died at his home in Philadelphia, it has emerged. [more] This playlist contains songs that Gene McFadden has a songwriting credit on.

Coachella 2006

Play It! Last month, the anticipation of music fans made itself known when a fake Coachella 2006 lineup was posted on the Internet. Well, the official band roster has been released and Rhapsody has the majority of artists performing (Tool being the largest gap). This playlist features songs by aritsts performing over both days of the festival or you can choose to hear Day 1 or Day 2.

Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited - Jet Sound Inc.

Play It! What planet am I on? This may be the first question you ask yourself as you listen to the opening track of Jet Sound Inc. by Ernest Maeschi and Karen Diblitz, a mysterious Swiss act which call themselves Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited. SSSU is what you get when you transport Dick Dale and the Deltones to the 25th century and let them earn a masters degree in 25th century recording technique. [more]

Popular Music Inspired By Shakespeare

Play It! There are a lot of classical compositions inspired by the work of William Shakespeare, but this list focuses on popular music that has been inspired by Shakespearean writings. The inspiration for some of these songs is obvious, but for others you'll need a basic level of familiarity with the plays of Shakespeare. Includes Alice In Chains, Dire Straits, Fiona Apple, Sting, Lou Reed, The Eagles and more.

Yuri Temirkanov - Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony

Play It! Approaching the winter of 1941, The Nazi occupation force was approaching Leningrad where Shostakovich lived. Inspired by his heroic countrymen, Dimitri sought to write an epic symphony for a gigantic orchestra. The first movement, which was subtitled "Invasion," is the Russian's hardcore answer to Ravel's bolero. It marches to a remarkable climax of gut-wrenching harmonic tensions which symbolize the stuggle to come. The very nature of Shostakovich's turbulant music speaks out to the true human condition of the Russian people and reflects a transcendent spirit which could never be bottled for propaganda.
Hat Tip: Pantagruel

Americana Music Association Charts 02.01.06

Play It! The songs in this playlist are from albums currently on the Americana Music Association's top 40 radio play chart. A great way to hear what's hot in Americana and roots music. Includes Br549, Merle Haggard, Rosanne Cash, Delbert McClinton, The Gourds, Bonnie Bishop, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Marty Stuart, Bonnie Raitt, Ryan Adams, North Mississippi Allstars and more.

Matchpoint Mixtape #3

Play It! Back again for another mixtape. This one follows the true mixtape tradition of variety and unpredictability. Some slow, some fast. Some short, some long. Some are studio recordings, some are live. Give it a spin and let me know what you think. On a side note, the lineup for Coachella was announced today and I must say I’m a little disappointed--not as stellar as in years past. Nevertheless, I’ll probably end up going. (Via: matchpoint)