Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'orchestral'

Obama Looks To Reagan For Transition Model

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:11:00 EST

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team is expected to take tips from Ronald Reagan's carefully orchestrated transition. James P. Pfiffner, professor of public policy at George Mason University and author of The Strategic Presidency: Hitting The Ground Running, says that Obama, like Reagan, seems to have started planning early.

Brooke Waggoner On Mountain Stage

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:33:00 EST

Louisiana native Brooke Waggoner studied composition and orchestration at LSU before moving to Nashville to advance her career as a performing songwriter. Her quirky sense of song structure and her experimental nature bring to mind the wide range of influences that Mountain Stage host Larry Groce mentions in his introduction: from Chopin to Simon & Garfunkel to Rogers & Hammerstein.

Boy Eats Drum Machine: 'Booomboxxx'

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:27:00 EST

Booomboxxx, the latest from Portland, Oregon-based Boy Eats Drum Machine, might take a while to sink in. At first listen, the seemingly random mash of glitchy drum samples comes off as disjointed and overwhelming. But after several spins, you can tell Jon Ragel, the solo force behind Boy Eats Drum Machine, is more calculated in his digital orchestrations.

North Carolina's Annuals: 'Such Fun'

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:22:00 EST

Intricate, melodic and vivid: The sound of North Carolina's Annuals is the epitome of sunny indie-pop. The band's thoughtful harmonies, anthemic orchestration and percussion, and bright electronics are given an excellent showcase on Annuals' new album, Such Fun.

Spam Allstars: Diverse Sounds Of Little Havana

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:06:00 EDT

Miami-based DJ Le Spam has been orchestrating Afro-Cuban beats for more than a decade. With a cadre of horn, guitar and flute players and a stack of old records, he and the Spam Allstars hold court weekly at the club Hoy Como Ayer. Here, he paints a picture of the Miami club scene and shares some of the stories behind the new album Introducing Spam Allstars.

Wachovia Becomes Latest U.S. Bank To Be Sold

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia has been bought by Citigroup. It is the latest major bank that has been sold in order to stave off collapse. The deal was orchestrated by the government's Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Bush Calls For Consensus On Bailout Package

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:09:00 EDT

President Bush on Friday tried to allay fears that his rescue plan for the nation's economy will not prevail. Intense partisan disagreement in Congress blocked the deal a day earlier. The government also orchestrated the sale of Washington Mutual, the nation's largest savings and loan.

Laurel, Miss., Mulls Immigration Raid Aftermath

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:07:00 EDT

No one was happier than union members when federal immigration agents raided a Laurel, Miss., manufacturing plant in August. Six hundred workers were detained. Some of those workers say union members orchestrated the raid.

Government Financial Rescues On The Rise

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT

The government stepped in to help Bear Stearns and recently orchestrated a takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. How far will the government go to rescue other firms like Lehman Brothers? Business journalist Joe Nocera talks with host Scott Simon about the moral and practical hazards.

Jeremy Messersmith: 'Franklin Avenue'

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:01:00 EDT

It's hard to listen to The Silver City, the new CD from Minnesota chamber-pop artist Jeremy Messersmith, without thinking of Sufjan Stevens. Both artists have similar voices and a love of richly orchestrated story songs. They also find inspiration in geography.

Jukebox The Ghost: Promise Of A 'Good Day'

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:16:00 EDT

Often compared to the likes of Ben Folds, or even a muted incarnation of Queen, Jukebox the Ghost makes music that's buoyant without leaving a saccharine aftertaste. Exhibit A: the flamboyantly orchestrated "Good Day."

Inara George Extends 'An Invitation'

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:33:00 EDT

For An Invitation, George wrote the songs with just her voice and a guitar, then sent them away to master arranger Van Dyke Parks. The result is a lushly orchestrated, theatrical song cycle, which buoys George's unique vocal phrasing with a small orchestra.

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:01:00 EDT

Isaac Hayes, the legendary soul singer and composer, died Sunday in Memphis, Tenn. He was 65. His signature sound laid the groundwork for the lush orchestrations of disco and the hip vocals of rap. He was known more recently as the voice of "Chef" on South Park.

Colin McGrath: Itinerant Folk Orchestrator

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:41:00 EDT

The combination of studying the classical tradition and traveling around the world informs the New York songwriter's brand of folk music. He visits WNYC to recount some of his experiences and perform music from his new album, Window Seat.

John Meeks: 'I See Your Lips'

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:08:00 EDT

John Meeks has been playing and recording for 15 years, but his new Three Song Demo is the pre-release EP to his first full-length album, due out this Fall. It isn't as if Meeks has spent more than a decade trying to come up with some complex musical formula. In fact, what is so compelling about Meeks' music is his simple, straightforward approach. The three acoustic, country-twinged songs are free of artifice, aren't overly produced or orchestrated, and sound effortless.

Stars Like Fleas: 'You Are My Memoir'

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:46:00 EDT

Stars Like Fleas' music is disjointed, meandering, chaotic, and wonderfully unique. The group's second full-length release, The Ken Burns Effect, is a gorgeous jaunt through experimental orchestral pop that is as engaging as it is utterly confusing. The record seems at times aimless and at other times perfectly composed, if insanely so. With a wealth of instruments (at the album's recording the group was a 12-piece collective) that clash as often as they harmonize and tracks that drift from beautiful symphonies to discordant pandemonium on a whim, the album stands as a work of mad genius. Stars Like Fleas have created a sound that, though certainly not easily digestible, is extremely rich.

Charges Filed At ICC Against Sudan's President

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:24:00 EDT

The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for the president of Sudan, who is accused of orchestrating a five-year reign of terror in the Darfur region.

Sudan's President Faces Arrest In Darfur Violence

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is expected to seek an arrest warrant Monday charging Sudan's president with orchestrating violence in the western region of Darfur. Hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have died in the violence since 2003. Deborah Amos talks with Jennie Matthew, a reporter with Agence France-Presse, about the proceedings.

Dosh: 'Don't Wait For The Needle To Drop'

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:14:00 EDT

Martin Dosh is a percussionist from Minneapolis, Minn., but his solo work is far from simple drum work. With Wolves and Wishes, Dosh's fourth full-length release on the Anticon label, Dosh has composed a series of richly orchestrated, mostly instrumental electronica tracks with a cinematic grandeur. With collaborative help from such well-known artists as Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Andrew Bird, the record finds a nice balance between Dosh's trippy synth, keyboard and drum work, and the album's guitars, violins, clarinets and saxophones.

Setting Sun: 'What We Wanted'

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:13:00 EDT

Setting Sun is a quintet led by frontman and producer Gary Levitt. The band's third album, Children of the Wild, evokes the laid-back simple life of Levitt's Upstate New York home. Driven by simple acoustic guitar lines, Erica Quitzow's graceful string orchestrations, and Levitt's hushed vocals, Setting Sun's arrangements are dramatic and poignant.

My Education: 'Bad Vibrations'

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:23:00 EDT

The Austin-based instrumental quintet My Education composes wordless songs through vast, gorgeously orchestrated soundscapes. From squealing electric guitar wails to screeching viola yelps, the band's music has all the vocals it needs, drawing its narrative tension from ambient dischord.

How to Orchestrate a Graceful Exit

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:32:00 EDT

At the end of a long party, what's the proper etiquette when you just want that last guest to leave? Lydia Ramsey, an etiquette expert in Savannah, Ga., explains.

The Media and Military Experts

Thu, 01 May 2008 17:05:00 EDT

A two-year investigation by The New York Times found that the Pentagon has orchestrated war analysis offered by military experts. What role did the news networks play in making the Pentagon's plan possible?

Indigenous American Ideas in Dvorak's 'New World'

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:41:00 EDT

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director Marin Alsop says Antonin Dvorak's symphony "From the New World" was one of the first big orchestral works to incorporate indigenous American musical ideas. She discusses the music with Scott Simon.

Al-Qaida Planner Masri Believed Dead

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

A key al-Qaida figure has died, U.S. intelligence officials say. The man known as Abu Obeida al-Masri, an Egyptian, was suffering from hepatitis. He may have orchestrated two of the terrorist network's most recent plots.