May the universe have mercy upon her. Madonna is in the holy land trying to connect with a sect of people she doesn't even understand. She was wearing jeans on a pilgrimage and didn't get out of the car to touch the wall. Tacky.
Speaking of tacky, Britney has tied the knot again for some reason. Well, not for SOME reason. Have you seen her hubby Kevin Federline? He LOOKS LIKE JUSTIN!!! Did anyone else notice that?
And finally, in a pink mumu, a cotton candy pink wig, and yellow and blue eye-shadow, Miss Shirley Q. Liquor hooted and hollered at the menz (and wimmenz) at Sound-Bar. For all of you who have never seen or heard Shirley, she can only be described as the comedy queen of ebonics. She's raw and raunchy, never holding anything back for one second. Except maybe her gigantic figure, which I suspect was strapped down tight like Hannibal on the way to the asylum. In any case, don't miss her if she comes back to Chicago.
Now let's make a 180 degree turn and veer into the world of Bjork. After nearly three years of anticipation, the iconic singer has unleashed her talent for creating cutting-edge soundscapes on her latest album Medulla.
The medulla oblongata, of course, is the part of our anatomy that connects the spinal cord to the brain and governs involuntary bodily functions. At it's most fundamental level, Bjork's Medulla is an organic collection of music that I'm coining "digital organica". My term, so watch for it.
This is an album unlike anything you have ever heard before. There are virtually no instruments used on the album with the exception of the human voice. Remixed, digitized, heavily effected vocals, and dark sweeping melodies, both in and out of harmony, are woven into the fabric of the music.
In some ways this collection of songs sounds more like Bjork than anything else because of it's unique composition. Beat-boxing, looped vocals, and the angelic choral sounds of an Icelandic choir are laced through many tracks.
Fans will most likely latch onto 'Mouths Cradle' because of the driving beats. But for most people, this is an album you'll either love or find puzzling. Once again, Bjork has created an individual sound in an ocean of music which will undoubtedly inspire creativity in the industry.
Digitally organic in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
