Conlon Nancarrow (b. October 27, 1912, Texarkana - d. August 10, 1997, Mexico City) was an American-born composer who lived most of his life in Mexico. Nancarrow is remembered almost exclusively for the pieces he wrote for the player piano. He was one of the first composers to use musical instruments as mechanical machines, utilising their capacity to play complex polyrhythms at tempos far beyond human performance ability.
There are twelve different artists under this name: 1. Catharsis was an anarchist hardcore punk band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, releasing their albums through the CrimethInc. collective. Their singer, Brian, was editor of the political hardcore punk fanzine Inside Front and later went on with other ex-members of Catharsis to form the band Requiem. 2. Catharsis was a French art band who released albums during the 1970's. Their first album, "Masq" (1971), was a mixture of formless chanting, hypnotic melodies, prominent percussion, Arabic styles, and experimental songcraft.
The Claudia Quintet is proof positive that the pessimists were wrong: jazz is not dead, despite being embalmed by major labels and confined by the narrow-minded to dead-ends. The stunningly original and lyrical works of this NY based ensemble, led by composer/drummer John Hollenbeck, reveal breathtaking new vistas for jazz beyond genre walls. In compositions that meld mental challenge with charm, captivating audiences with austere beauty or propulsive grooves, jazz breaks through its rigid shell, recombines with a myriad of other musics, and is reborn in a transcendent new form.
Brian Nicholas McFadden (born on 12 April 1980 in Dublin, Ireland), is an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 90s as a member of the multi-million selling Irish male band, Westlife. He is now a judge on Australia's Got Talent. In June 1998, McFadden auditioned for the new Irish male band (at the time), Westlife with Nicky Byrne and eventually both joined the group alongside Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan.
Aranis is a Flemish quintet, playing music across the borders of classical, folk and (post)rock. They have released four full albums: Aranis (2005), Aranis (2007), Songs From Mirage (2009) and RoqueForte (2010). Depending on the project Aranis is working on, they call upon guest musicians to complete the sound. Aranis:
Liesbeth Lambrecht: violin
Marjolein Cools: accordion
Stijn Denys: guitar
Jana Arns: transverse flute
Joris Vanvinckenroye: contrabass & composition
Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje, composer and performer (born Dec. 29th 1973 in Trondheim, Norway), finished composition studies at the Norwegian State Academy of Music in Oslo in 2000. Her compositions have been performed by Oslo Sinfonietta, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Arve Tellefsen, Cikada and Vertavo string quartets, Quatuor Renoir, ticom, Crash Ensemble, Torben Snekkestad, Spunk, Frode Haltli and Poing among others.
Nels Cline (born in Los Angeles in 1956) is an American guitarist and composer. Currently he is the lead guitarist of the rock band Wilco. Nels began to play guitar at age 12 when his twin brother, Alex Cline took up the drums. Cline is not classically trained. This gives him a unique avant-garde style that many other jazz guitarists fail to match, due to their probable conventional training. He is noted for his apt use of effects pedals and looping devices, which enhances his style and gives his approach to guitar and music a distinct sound.
One of the most long lived Rock Against Communism bands in existence, fronted by Ken McLellan.
Kansas is a progressive rock band which formed in Topeka, Kansas, United States in 1970. The band is best known for their international hit singles "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band's classic lineup consisted of Steve Walsh (vocals, keyboards), Richard Williams (guitar), Kerry Livgren (guitar), Robby Steinhardt (violin, vocals), Dave Hope (bass) and Phil Ehart (drums). The band currently consists of Walsh, Ehart, Williams, Billy Greer (bass) and David Ragsdale (violin).
Around the late 60's/early 70's, this English folk-prog trio released four similar albums under four different band names: Alice Through The Looking Glass, TOMORROW COME SOME DAY, Agincourt and finally Ithaca. Ithaca's music is a combination of pastoral folk rock, psychedelia and progressive rock with gentle male/female vocal interplay. Their style is dreamy, very laid back and flows in a breezy, unassuming fashion. Lee Menelaus in particular, the female vocalist, projects a sweet (very sweet) serene tone yet not at all sappy.