A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:
Max Nolan of Minneapolis:
1 "The Revenant" soundtrack. The movie came out in 2015, but the composer who scored it, Ryuichi Sakamoto, died two weeks ago. He gifted us with a captivating soundtrack that is somehow both chilling and soothing. It's a great listen when you're fully engrossed in your work or left stranded in a forest.
2 Ezra Collective, the Dakota. The funky London jazz band that manages to blend numerous genres together brought down the house. They exuded happiness on stage, brought the energy directly to our seats as they paraded through the crowd, and had the whole club standing and dancing by the night's end.
3 Mac Miller's upcoming record. Hip-hop producer and DJ Madlib said on the "Sway in the Morning" radio show that he was finishing his work on "Maclib," an EP that he and Miller had collaborated on years ago. He also confirmed that the late rapper's estate approved the project. There's no word on a release date.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune:
1 "A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys." This CBS special featured many solid rote renditions by a younger generation of stars but the standouts were those who reimagined things: the stunning LeAnn Rimes finding the heartbreaking disappointment in "Caroline, No," Norah Jones bringing jazzy vocals and countrypolitan piano to "The Warmth of the Sun" and the ubiquitous Brandi Carlile and John Legend duetting on "God Only Knows" with wonderful riffing in the home stretch.
2 Hardy, Fillmore Minneapolis. There's no doubt he's the next big thing in country music. Showing he's ready for arenas, Hardy was energetic, enthusiastic, authentic and proudly redneck. He rocked with stout aplomb, crooned country with sing-song cadence and let boisterous fans sing lyrics by themselves, including on deep cuts. Special guest Lindsay Ell unexpectedly joined Hardy for "One Beer" whereas openers Jameson Rodgers and Blame My Youth's Sean Van Vleet were not surprising duet partners.
