Wu's Next
Rap's most potent crew returned in December with a wallop. Wu-Tang Clan's first album following the 2004 death of headline-making member Ol' Dirty Bastard, 8 Diagrams maintains a morose yet tough tone. The remaining eight original MCs pay tribute to their fallen comrade on the intensely poignant "Life Changes." Containing seven verses by as many MCs, the flow delivered over subdued beats and stately piano, the cut reveals the surviving members' guilt for not helping the hard-living ODB get clean before he fatally collapsed while working in the Wu studio. The album's first single, "The Heart Gently Weeps," also has a mournful feel. Figuring prominently is an extrapolation of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which works as a brilliant backdrop for the detailed street tales of Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Method Man. John Frusciante and George Harrison's son Dhani offer expressive guitar licks on the track, while Erykah Badu sings the chorus. Producer RZA is in top form, the entire album ranking as his most mature and diverse creation. All original eight MCs are on the bill for Wu's highly anticipated return to Jannus.
Wu-Tang Clan w/TampaHipHop.com's DJ Sandman and several local rappers of his choosing, Sat, Jan. 26, 7 p.m. (doors), Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, $39.50 (advance), $45 (day of show). —Wade Tatangelo
Different Kind of Republican
A pop band with an intriguing alternative bent manifested through ambient flourishes and surging guitars, OneRepublic blew up on MySpace last year and then gained even greater attention when Timbaland remixed their ballad "Apologize." At deadline, the song was No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart. OneRepublic's debut album, Dreaming Out Loud, came out in November and features both the original and remixed versions of "Apologize," which will likely elicit a predominantly female sing-along in concert. Also on the roster is blue-eyed soul singer (and songwriter) Eric Hutchinson. His grabby tunes vary between earnest and playful, often in the same number. Hutchinson's third and newest album, Sounds Like This, benefited from reviled but widely read celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's ringing endorsement, which pushed the full-length to the top of iTunes' bestsellers tally.
OneRepublic w/Eric Hutchinson/The Daylights, Tues., Jan. 29, 7 p.m. (doors), State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $16 (advance), $18 (day of show). —WT
Rhythm for Your Blues
Most of the nine artists in this blues fest are more associated with Southern soul and rhythm-and-blues than the guitar-dominated stuff we commonly understand as blues. Shirley Brown has a powerhouse voice that bears comparison to Aretha Franklin. Marvin Sease has long been known for his bawdy songs, the most popular of which is "Candy Licker." He has one song on his MySpace site, and it's called "Put Your Condom on Your Tongue" (comes with a safe-sex message, of course). The most legendary name on the bill is Bobby "Blue" Bland, who's enjoyed a long career straddling the line between straight blues, R&B and gospel.
The 2nd Annual Tampa Blues Festival, Sun. Jan. 27, 6 p.m., Blue Line Theatre at the St. Pete Times Forum. $49.50 and $42.50. sptimesforum.com. —Eric Snider
This article appears in Jan 23-29, 2008.
