The National’s live album is a refuge for New Music Friday
Between the new album by Snoop Dogg, that of the phenomenon Stray Kids, the joint album by thasup and his sister Mara Sattei, the live album by Max Pezzali, that of the National for rock lovers will in all respects be a refuge for this week’s New Music Friday. Matt Berninger and his associates are finally releasing this Friday the live album recorded this summer on the occasion of their concert in Rome, on the stage of the Cavea del Parco della Musica: the show will be relived through the twenty-one songs included in the album, which will bring the atmospheres of the concerts of the National in fans’ headphones.
National – “Rome”
The National have long had a wonderful bond with their Italian fans. This live album, simply titled “Rome”, celebrates it: Matt Berninger and his companions recorded it last June 3rd on the occasion of the concert held on the stage of the Cavea of the Auditorium Parco della Musica named after Ennio Morricone. The album contains 21 live songs, including “I need my girl”, “Lemonworld”, “The geese of Beverly Road” and “Lit up”, which bring to life the atmosphere of the National concerts, among the most fascinating bands to see since live.
Gianni Morandi – “The attraction”
At 80 – he will turn 11 December – the “eternal boy” of Italian music returns with a new album of unreleased songs.
Again in the name of Jovanotti, with whom Morandi had already worked on the previous “Evviva!”, released last year. The single of the same name, written by Lorenzo Cherubini, preceded “L’Attraction”. The song starts with an irresistible riff played by the strings, which quotes the incipit of the arrangement of “In kneeling you”, then the four-piece bass drum enters and in an instant, between funky guitars and dance pop sounds, it ends in a suspended between “Le freak” by Chic, “Love me again” by John Newman and “Future nostalgia” by Dua Lipa, between past, present and future. In the text Morandi sings with the usual tenderness of the love without distances that transcends physical and temporal boundaries, “bigger than the ocean, sea / smaller than an electron”, and the invisible force that unites those who love each other, filling the song of life: “He’s been doing it for sixty-five years and the magic remains intact and mysterious: witnessing this thing and being part of it is cool,” smiles Jovanotti.
Snoop Dogg – “Missionary”
The cover is “shaped” like a condom.
This is how Snoop Dogg presents “Missionary”, the album that marks the rapper’s return to the scene two years after the previous “BODR”. Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, the album brings together a lineup of legends of the hip hop scene: from Eminem to 50 Cent. Not only that, the album also features Sting, who plays bass and guitar on “Another Part of Me”. Speaking about the album, Snoop Dogg teased: “It’s the grown-up version of Snoop Dogg. Dr. Dre uses me like a fucking robot and I love it because I love being produced and challenged.” Musically irrelevant for at least two decades, after having made the revolution in the 90s with albums like “Doggystyle” and “Tha doggfather” with those funk sounds and that “relaxed” style, Dogg has long understood that he can monetize in other ways. In 2015 he launched his own brand of cannabis products “Leafs by Snoop” (raising a whopping $45 million in 2018 to grow the industry). And then fashion, commercials, TV, cinema. “I realized that to stay relevant in the industry I had to be myself,” he told the New York Times. Fans have been waiting for a long time to find the old Snoop on records: will he please them this time?
Max Pezzali – “Max Forever vol. 1”
Max Pezzali’s is a rebirth destined to become a case study (or perhaps it already is): a real rebranding based on the monetization of nostalgia, carried out on the one hand through karaoke concerts like those that have been taking place for the past two years they see stadiums and sports halls filled, on the other through operations such as the phenomenon series “They Killed Spider-Man: the legendary story of the 883”.
The last noteworthy unreleased album remains “Astronave Max” from 2015, while the subsequent “Something new” soon disappeared from the radar: Pezzali has long accepted, after all, that it is now a classic, having on his side repertoire which – as they say – can allow him to make a living. More or less “Forever”, as this live album is called, taking up the title of the tour. “It’s meant to be the first chapter of a long series,” he says. Inside there are 16 tracks recorded between the concert at the Circo Massimo in 2023 and the one at the Olimpico in Rome last summer. But there are also songs taken from the archives, such as the duet with Cesare Cremonini on “Gli anni” originally contained in “Max 20” from 2013 and an acoustic version of “Thank you very much”.
thasup and Mara Sattei – “Gospel House”
“Casa gospel”, the joint album by thasup and Mara Sattei will be released on December 13th. A record that is a return to their origins, to the visceral love for music that has characterized their lives since childhood. Born from the need to tell their story, together, starting from where it all began, within the walls of the house where they grew up as brother and sister. At just 23 years old, thasup now has two albums under his belt (plus one, “sFaCioLaTe miXTaPe” – Gold record -, under the yungest alias Moonstar) and over 3 billion total streams (audio and video). His first album “23 6451” achieved five platinum records, while his second “c@ra++ere s?ec!@le” went triple platinum. Mara Sattei’s musical history began to take shape at just 13 years old, her debut album was “Universo”.
Bello Figo – “Package”
“Pacco” is Bello Figo’s new Christmas project. Consisting of four songs that reinterpret some great Christmas classics, the album mixes traditional elements with the typical irreverent touch of the singer who, starting from the web, has managed to conquer his own audience. With its provocative and irreverent style, Bello Figo invites us not to take ourselves too seriously during the holidays: an opportunity to reflect lightly on consumerism and traditions, while at the same time celebrating the warmth of family and friendship. This project comes in the wake of the “Martellare Tour”, a show that takes Bello Figo around Italy.
Stray Kids – “Hop”
The record-breaking band Stray Kids continues to churn out music and returns with the new project “Hop”, it is the second this year after “Ate”. Stray Kids, often shortened to SKZ, are a South Korean musical group formed in Seoul in 2017 through the reality show of the same name. Stray Kids debuted on March 25, 2018 with “I am: NOT,” a mini-album that explores the theme of identity and marks the beginning of a career on the rise.
