Did you know Dee Dee Ramone released a hip hop album in 1989 under the pseudonym Dee Dee King? Did you know that somewhere out there a bluegrass outfit called The Cleverlys tours with sardonic covers of Beyonce, Katy Perry, and The Black Eyed Peas?

It's a sick sad world out there and once again I am baffled, intrigued, and unable to look away. Hold on tight readers because now it's time for something completely different.

Dee Dee King: Mashed Potato Time

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My favorite musicians are the ones who are not bound to the expectations of normative technique or repertoire. That being said I recently ran into a 'musical experiment' from Bill Harris where he performs a transcription of Leo Brouwer's Danza Characteristica for drum kit alongside Manuel Barrueco's recording.

Inventive, thought provoking, unique, cool. What's not to love?

Leo Brouwer: Danza Caracteristica

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The Peabody Camerata is performing the John Adams work Gnarly Buttons for FREE in Griswald Hall of the Peabody Institute in Baltimore MD this Saturday February 19th at 7:30pm.

The work features solo clarinet alongside 12 other musicians (including myself on banjo mandolin and guitar). It even features two sampling keyboards and an interrupting cow.

This concert promises to give you a glimpse into a side of classical music not often performed. Expand your horizons, come check us out!

Gnarly Buttons: Hoedown (Mad Cow)

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The maestro Reid Anderson is a jazz bassist and composer. He may be best know for his work with the trio, The Bad Plus, however, his solo work is nothing short of inspired and refreshing. 

His 1997 quartet release, Dirty Showtunes, is one of my favorite contemporary jazz records and is a breath of fresh air. Upon hearing this album I felt that same way I did when I heard Thelonious Monk play for the first time. The style was immediately defined and it took no longer than a minute to know that I could spend my life with this music and never grow tired of its sound.

Reid Anderson: Not Sentimental

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Philip Glass is an American composer of prolific stature and influence. I don't want to bog down this piece with commentary about theory or history, so I'll keep it simple. 

Philip Glass writes music that is worth hearing. It is accessible, evocative, and interesting. It is also repetitive, but that's half the point. 

Philip Glass: Music Box

Philip Glass: Neverwas

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Louis Andriessen is a living legend.

However, he has been living under the radar and odds are if you aren't into Dutch post-minimalism you haven't been fully exposed to the weird grandeur of his compositions.

Louis Andriessen: Hout

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Here's an interesting duo of DJs I'd like to share with you on this fine Friday morning. The act is called the Hood Internet. For those that are not already familiar with them, they have been making a variety of mashups and remixes for the past few years. And they're quite talented at it.

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I stumbled across this MySpace/SPIN presented Bad Religion tribute album a few weeks back, and although it has some questionable artist inclusions (Switchfoot?!), it also has pretty awesome covers from Those Who Dig favorites William Elliott Whitmore and Ted Leo. Hit the jump for more thoughts.

Ted Leo – Against the Grain

William Elliott Whitmore – Don't Pray On Me

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Aloe Blacc released a new song today in collaboration with Carhartt. Unsurprisingly, it is awesome. Not sure why Blacc is doing baby-makin' music for a blue-collar clothing company, but I'll take it.

Aloe Blacc – The Dark End of the Street

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Broken Bells has been one of my favorite acts of the year and they will most certainly take a spot on my upcoming end of the year best-of list. A couple of days ago they released a digital single for "The Ghost Inside" and it included the B-side "Meyrin FIelds".

Broken Bells – Meyrin Fields

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