Monkey – Journey To The West

To most of us, ‘monkey’ means “furry little creature” or “furry little former Brit-rock darling” (see: The Monkees). But to Blur frontman Damon Albarn and British comic book artist Jamie Hewlett (creator of the Tank Girl comic strip), “monkey” means an elaborate stage adaptation of a 16th century Chinese novel, Journey To The West, and their first major collaboration since their groundbreaking work on Gorillaz. An artistic dream team in their own right, Albarn wrote the score while Hewlett’s duties includes set design, animation and costumes. With the help of Chinese actor/director Chen Shi-Zheng who wrote the adaptation, Monkey: Journey To The West has wowed audiences in the theatres of England and Paris, as well as stateside in the Spring of 2008 at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston.

The production is completely over-the-top, but I suppose grandeur is anything but discouraged in modern art. With a deluge of Chinese martial artists, almost 100 acrobats, Shaolin monks and vocalists, Monkey is a carnival for the senses. Plus, there’s additional help in the music department from Demon Strings and Sense of Sound, as well as members of the UK Chinese Music Ensemble. Judging from reviews of this show, it seems like an explosion of color, music, art and dance that is as dazzling to the eye as it is aurally pleasing. To the acclaim of critics, Albarn, Hewlett and Shi-Zheng will continue showcasing ancient Chinese culture with a modernized spin for all to experience.

And of course, a soundtrack has been released to accompany this ambitiously creative endeavor that will, no doubt, invigorate the world of musical theatre in ways that have yet to be seen. Boasting 22 songs with titles that coincide with specific scenes, some tracks are full length soundscapes that tell a story while others serve as intros, outros, interludes and little musical vignettes.

On “The Dragon King,” the musical arrangement could easily work best during a climactic battle scene on the big screen; in fact, it would not be surprising if Hollywood came knocking on Albarn’s door to compose scores for untitled animation projects, or even big-budget, artistic action movies similar to King Kong, 300, and films of that ilk. The beauty of the soundtrack is that, stylistically-speaking, the music spans a multitude of genres right before the next costume change.

Several tracks border on [Far East] Asian underground (“Monkey’s World”), while others feature beautiful string arrangements set to serene Chinese vocals (“The Living Sea”) that instantly transports listeners back to the ancient times described by Hans Christian Andersen in his fairy tale “The Nightingale.” To contrast some of this album’s darker electronica, “Heavenly Peach Blanket” showcases soft-spoken female vocals laced with Chinese dream pop (perhaps, a new musical genre?) that is ethereal and atmospheric. Pretty soon you’ll feel like the Emperor of China entranced by the mystical song of the nightingale, ordering his courtiers to seek the exotic bird for his palace.

From the success of Gorillaz to Monkey, Albarn is doing more than spreading his simian love. Lush, rich, and conceptually grand, Monkey: Journey To The West demonstrates Albarn’s desire for opportunities that push the musical envelope further. From lead singer of a now defunct Brit-rock outfit to brilliant composer, Albarn shows the boundless creativity that comes from having such lofty goals.

If inventive musical stage productions pique your interest, I recommend listening to this record but caveat emptor: this is not everyday tunage for your morning commute. Instead, this album may inspire future plans of witnessing firsthand the marriage of Auburn’s Asian-inspired orchestrations with Hewlett’s avant garde visuals, just to hear the music in its proper context. Until then, let’s hope Journey To The West makes it to your favorite Opera house because I will definitely be there, ticket in hand.

Monkey: Journey To The West is available now on XL Recordings.

Tracklisting:
01. Monkey’s World
02. Monkey Travels
03. Into the Eastern Sea
04. The Living Sea
05. The Dragon King
06. Iron Rod
07. Out of the Eastern Sea
08. Heavenly Peach Banquet
09. Battle Into Heaven
10. O Mi to Fu
11. Whisper
12. Tripitaka’s Course
13. Confessions of a Pig
14. Sandy the River Demon
15. March of the Volunteers
16. The White Skeleton Demon
17. Monk’s Song
18. I Love Buddha
19. March of the Iron Army
20. Pigsy in Space
21. Monkey Bee
22. Disappearing Volcano

Monkey: Journey to the West: website

Written by: Mona Sheikh

New American Music Union – Recap

I feel bad for anyone who was unable to attend American Eagle Outfitters’ first ever New American Music Union festival in Pittsburgh’s South Side Works.

That being said let me relay what you missed.

The festival differed from most in many ways. First of all, it was set right in the middle of the city. Concertgoers could shop and dine at any of the South Side Works’ many shops and restaurants, including American Eagle, BCBG, Tosca and The Cheesecake Factory. Upon entry, any general admission or student ticket was given a voucher for a festival t-shirt and a BPA-free water bottle, bearing the festival’s logo. I found this fantastic. Not only did we receive a fantastic musical experience, but there are free goodies, too! To go along with the water bottles, NAMU had two free water stations available, where you could fill your bottle with fresh, clean water at no charge whatsoever.

NAMU -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The setting was fantastic for more than just dining and shopping in the city. Once you entered the main stage area, you had the stage before you and turning behind you, were greeted with a breathtaking view of Pittsburgh’s hills and sky, University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning jutting majestically from the lush greenery. One also could not have asked for better weather. Before the festival began on Friday, rain showers made it seem as through we’d have a soggy experience, but by 3 PM, the clouds parted and the rain had cooled the city, giving us a cool, clear, and calm 2 days to enjoy NAMU’s phenomenal line-up.

Opening the show were New York’s Tiny Masters of Today. The tween-aged family act left something to be desired, but was surprisingly adept for their age. Their songs were simple, but something you would expect from twenty to thirty-something hipsters, as opposed to a 12 and 14 year-old brother and sister. While the vocals seemed monotone and off-pitch to start, they improved as the set continued, leading me to attribute it to nerves. The crowd responded to them quite well, despite my suspicion that they are widely unknown to most of the concertgoers. Closing their set with a humorous, but accurate, cover of House of Pain‘s “Jump Around,” Tiny Masters of Today are, at this point, more of an endearing novelty group. However, I can see them evolving greatly with a few years time. Definitely one to watch out for.

Tiny Masters of Today: live at Death Disco -- Photo: Shara Shisheboran

I’ve expressed before the difficulty I have with watching a DJ spin a set and being able to review it like a band playing. Orange-jumpsuited duo NASA took this into account and made their set fantastically entertaining. Though the set was a bit too loud, it was far from disappointing. Weaving familiar songs such as Heart‘s “Magic Man,” Blur‘s “Song 2″ and Rage Against the Machine‘s “Killing In The Name Of,” they keep the audience interested in more ways than one.

NASA -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

NASA -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Not only were our DJ’s fantastically animated and interactive, a few minutes into their se, a pair of girls painted green with silver swimsuits emerged, dancing along as NASA introduces their “Martian Ladies.” Eventually, they are followed by a pair of astronauts in blue jumpsuits. One of these astronauts was a straight up b-boy, while the other is clearly proficient in popping and locking. Finally, some sort of space monster showed up; another dancer wearing what appeared to be a bear suit, topped by a reptilian mask. If you like electronic music, but find yourself bored just watching a DJ manipulate some turntables and a laptop, NASA is a group to catch.

NASA -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Just as dusk rolled around, The Black Keys took the stage. The Akron, Oh. duo managed to steal the show not only for the night, but for the entire two-day affair. Somehow, they manage to make a guitar and a set of drums sound like so much more as frontman and singer Dan Auerbach writhed around the stage. The guitars were bluesy, soulful, and even a bit crunchy, prompting solos that can only be described one way: face-melting. There are not a lot of words that can be said, other than the Black Keys brought the house down and Pittsburgh to its knees on Friday night.

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Black Keys: Dan Auerbach -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Black Keys: Patrick Carney -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Closing the night was Pennsylvania’s own hip-hop heroes, The Roots. While their set was flawless, they were still no match for The Black Keys but still managed to bring the crowd to frenzy; couples swayed and made out to their sultry beats and hands were in the air cheering them on. All in all, a good way to close the night.

The Roots -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Roots: Black Thought -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Roots: Owen Biddle and F. Knuckles -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Roots: Kamal Gray -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Roots: Capt. Kirk Douglas -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Roots: ?uestlove -- Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Saturday’s first big draw was Gnarls Barkley. The full band emerged in matching, burgundy prep-school style vests with Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse standing out in gold blazers. Throughout the set, Cee-Lo lost articles of clothing, ending with his white dress shirt unbuttoned over a white tee, claiming, “my shirt ripped while rockin’ out for y’all!” This group is phenomenal, with every bit of instrumentation live, right down to the xylophone riff on “Gone, Daddy, Gone.” The entire set, the audience was unable to hold still, dancing along to every song.

Gnarls Barkley: Cee Lo -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Gnarls Barkley: Danger Mouse -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Gnarls Barkley -- Photo: C.C. Chapman

Gnarls Barkley -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Gnarls Barkley -- Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Following was Spoon, who can only be described as hypnotic. In the same way it was impossible to ignore the group, it was also possible to completely lose yourself in them. The band had brought along live horns, which, frankly, I’m kind of a sucker for. The bass drum drove right into your core…

Spoon: Britt Daniel -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Spoon: Eric Harvey -- Photo: C.C. Chapman

Spoon: Rob Pope -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Spoon: Jim Eno -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Raconteurs took the dusk spot on Saturday night, ushering in the night with—well, frankly–awesomeness. As the highlight of that evening, people in the all-access crowd pulled themselves on top of tour buses to watch them play. Jack White and Brendan Benson share the stage well, each aware of when it’s the others turn to shine. Their songs got longer and longer, the group working their way into a slow, haunting, bluesy feel with every guitar solo being absolutely incredible.

The Raconteurs -- Photo: C.C. Chapman

The Raconteurs: Jack White -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

The Raconteurs: Brendan Benson -- Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: C.C. Chapman

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Finally, the biggest draw of the entire festival, Bob Dylan took the stage…and was utterly disappointing. Not once did he pick up a guitar, being known for being a guitar-based songwriter. Dylan stayed on keys and harmonica for his whole set, barely moving and letting his band do all of the work. Sure, he’s known for not being a great vocalist: he’s actually known for being quite a bad singer. This was worse. Age has lent an extremely gruff quality to Dylan’s voice, making him sound as though he’s channeling Tom Waits, and causing his lyrics to be even less intelligible than usual. It was difficult figuring out what songs he was even playing.
What. A. Letdown.

Festival curator Anthony Kiedis expressed interest in keeping the festival going in years to come and I pray to God that he does. I can only hope that something like this gets bigger and better with each year, and if this groundbreaking first try is any indicator.

Anthony Kiedis -- Photo: C.C. Chapman

Anthony Kiedis -- Photo: Melissa Franko for wyep.org

Pittsburgh’s big new music festival can only go up from here.

New American Music Union: website | performances

Photos: C.C. Chapman for A.E./NAMU and Melissa Franko for wyep.org