by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Widowspeak - Harsh Realm (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hoop Dreams - XCPR (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crinkles - I'm a Dog (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: VHS or Beta - I Found a Reason (MP3)

Widowspeak

After last week's crazy abundance of sonic riches, this week is nicely slim on choices (at least for thing's that interest me.) But even a fallow week has plenty to do.

Tonight (8/2) at Glasslands is the record release party for Widowspeak's self-titled debut, which is out on Captured Tracks. This local trio gets compared to Mazzy Star a lot -- and I am as guilty as anybody -- which is to say singer Molly Hamilton has the same smoky vocal quality as Hope Sandoval. And the band make vaguely '60s-ish pop, dreamy and twangy with lots of vibrato.

I pulled out She Hangs Brightly last night and, really... Widowspeak doesn't really sound all that much like Mazzy Star. Hamilton's voice is more breathy and effervescent than Sandoval's (and an undeniably powerful weapon live, a subtle knife), and their music isn't nearly as drowsy or patchouli-soaked. Beyond that, the band are good songwriters and performers -- the album is quite good. Though I still say their cover of "Wicked Game" is a little too on-the-nose.

Hoop Dreams

The Glasslands show also is NYC live debut of new Captured Tracks signing Hoop Dreams. The six-piece are from Blacksburg, VA, same as fellow C/T band Wild Nothing. (The label has a stronghold on Southwest Virginia talent it seems.) The A-side to their Captured Tracks single, all two minutes of it, is hook-filled in a Spencer Krug kind of way, and you can download it at the top of this post. (The b-side is a little more dour.) It doesn't sound like six people made it, so I'm curious to see them play tonight.

You can also catch the shoegazy sounds of Burlington, VT's Crinkles (check out "I'm a Dog" at the top of this post) and Excops (new band from Hymns frontman Brian Harding).

Big Audio Dynamite @ Coachella 2011 (more by David Andrako)

The newly reformed Big Audio Dynamite, who last played a somewhat prohibitively expensive (but awesome) show at Roseland back in April, are back in town to play Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow night (8/3). Tickets, a more reasonable $35, are sold out but there will be "limited admission" at the door, which will open at 6PM. Here's some of what I wrote about the Roseland show:

Getting nearly every single the band released plus some choice album cuts, the NYC show was a pretty perfect showcase for what made B.A.D. so great: killer dance songs ("C'mon Every Beatbox," "E=MC²," "Just Play Music"), hip hop and reggae-influenced jams ("Sightsee MC," "BAD"), the band's love of film ("Medicine Show"), and genuinely affecting pop ("The Other 99," "V. Thirteen"). We also got "Beyond the Pale," one of the best songs Jones has ever written, dedicated last night to Joe Strummer (who cowrote much of No. 10 Upping St.).

Apart from the tip of the hat to Strummer, Jones didn't do a whole lot of "remember when" talk and kept things mostly free of drippy nostalgia. He was, however, jovial and chatty, joking with the audience between songs or when things went askew, like a false start to encore number "E=MC²."

Band co-founder Don Letts is just one of the coolest dudes on the planet, and B.A.D. really came alive on any song that featured him, of which there was a fair amount: foreign war critique "A Party," the hard-hitting London travelogue that is "Sightsee MC!" and the band's theme tune, "BAD." (Also the reggae hoedown "Battle of All Saints Road," though I would've prefered No. 10 Upping St.'s "Ticket.") Letts, who's inching towards 60, jumped around the stage, dreads hitting the ground, like it was 25 years ago.

Also playing is Bad Brains frontman HR, and onetime Smiths bassist Andy Rourke will DJ in between sets.

And that's the big stuff for this week in the TWIIverse. (Told you it was a quiet week.) As usual, some more daily picks, starting at Wednesday, are below.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3

Though it's been a while since they've been in the spotlight, Fountains of Wayne continue to write winning powerpop about everday minutae. That includes their just-released Sky Full of Holes. Hear songs from that -- as well as probably "Stacy's Mom" and "Radiation Vibe" -- tonight at Bowery Ballroom with Nicole Atkins opening. It's sold out, as is their acoustic show on Friday (8/5) at City Winery.

This week's Summerscreen in McCarren Park is '90s classic Clueless, with the sultry and danceable Zambri opening the show.

Music streaming service Spotify is sponsoring a free show at Mercury Lounge with Suckers and Headless Horseman at Mercury Lounge. First come first served, no RSVP necessary.

continued below...

Continue reading "Widowspeak, Big Audio Dynamite, Hoop Dreams, Crinkles, VHS or Beta & more This Week in Indie"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: WATERS - "For the One" (MP3)

Van Pierszalowski, former lead singer of the recently broken-up Port O'Brien, now records under the moniker WATERS. Rather than the indie folk/pop Port O'Brien had become known for, in WATERS Van opts for a fuzzy '90s-lo-fi approach which can be heard above in the song "For the One." WATERS releases his debut LP Out In The Light on September 20 via TBD Records.

He's currently finishing up a tour in Europe with Wye Oak which he'll follow with three NYC dates. WATERS plays the Flavorpill/IROCKIROLL/The Bell House Northside showcase at Cameo Gallery on June 18 with Sean Bones, Neighbors, Zuzuka Poderosa, Young Adults, and Wojick. They also open for Deervana (aka Deer Tick as Nirvana) at their sold out Northside show at Brooklyn Bowl on June 19. WATERS then plays a headlining show at Mercury Lounge on June 21 with Exitmusic, Milagres, and Anni Rossi. Tickets are on sale.

The Cameo show is one of many that Sean Bones has happening at Cameo this month. He already played there last Thursday and he also plays there on June 23rd (with afro-funk band/collective Superhuman Happiness) and June 30th with the great New Moods. Full residency show lineups are below. Sean is playing new songs at the shows. Those songs will appear on the new record he's finishing recording with Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Cults, Vampire Weekend). Sean's last record came out on Frenchkiss.

New Moods have also been added as the opener on the July 1st Memory Tapes show at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are still on sale.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "WATERS (ex Port O'Brien) releasing debut LP (MP3), playing shows ++++ Sean Bones & New Moods too (dates)"

As posted in "What's Going on Wednesday?," Emmy the Great is playing Pianos in NYC TONIGHT (5/4). It's a rare, one-off appearance for the British folkie who has a new album coming out in the UK in June called "Virtue".

Emmy goes on before Anni Rossi who goes on before Ghostwise who go on before The Naked and the Famous who are opening for Foals and Freelance Whales at Terminal 5 tonight.

Maybe you remember Emmy from her opening set at the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at MHOW in 2008.

Deerhoof in Boston in October (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

today in NYC
* Mos Def @ Blue Note
* Jesse Harris @ The Stone
* Gross Relations @ Bruar Falls
* Mike Birbiglia @ Joe's Pub
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Gerald Kurdian @ The Stone
* Cowboy Junkies @ City Winery
* Tell Your Friends! @ Lolita Bar
* Slaughterhouse @ Highline Ballroom
* Petr Cancura's Down Home @ Barbes
* Gang of Four, Hollerado @ Webster Hall
* Favourite Sons, Mike Bones @ Union Pool
* Henry Rollins spoken word @ Joe's Pub
* the National @ the Studio @ Webster Hall
* Chris Thile, Michael Daves @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Miracles, Yvette, Adult Themes @ Death By Audio
* Malachi, The Dough Rollers, Dear Old Pals @ Zebulon
* Anni Rossi, Little Anchor, Deidre, Uncles @ Glasslands
* Deerhoof, Ben Butler & Mousepad, Buke and Gass @ Europa
* Doveman, Justin Bond, Beth Orton, The Poison Tree @ Le Poisson Rouge
* ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Takka Takka @ Littlefield
* Alina Simone, Wolff (McSweeney's Book Release Party for "Donald") @ Pianos
* Jon Glaser book release party w/ Paul Rudd, John Hodgman, more @ Bell House
* Jennifer O'Connor, Richard Baluyut, Kendall Meade, Charles Bissell of The Wrens @ The Rock Shop
* Dred Scott Trio, Twi The Humble Feather, Jon Darling, Dina RuDean, Night Shining, Utah Green, Rachel Brotman @ Rockwood Music Hall

Check out This Week in Indie for more.

Twi the Humble Feather return to the stage this evening, Tuesday, 2/8. Catch them at Rockwood Music Hall. They go on at 11pm on Stage 1, an hour after Chris Thile starts on Stage 2.

Twi also have a gig scheduled for March 31st at Joe's Pub with Brooklyn quintent Build who will be celebrating a CD release that night.

Speaking of Joe's Pub, Henry Rollins kicks off his 50th birthday celebrations at the NYC venue this evening. I thought tickets were totally sold out for all five night, but as of this writing they seem to be available for three of them.

Jennifer O'Connor's Rock Shop residency continues tonight. Charles Bissell will be there and this is what he wrote about it:

Charles will be playing a little differently solo (than the usual loop-happy set, hidden behind a veil of electronics and studio trickery), as part of the wonderful Jennifer O'Connor's new monthly "Tower of Song" series at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Tues. Feb. 8th. Also on this one are the equally estimable Richard Baluyut (of Versus) and Kendall Meade (of Mascott).

It's sort of a round-robin affair with all four onstage, each playing their songs in a row, maybe talking a bit about them etc...

Then there's a homework assignment for each performer to write a new song based on a theme (this Tower of Song's theme is an anti-Valentine's Day or anti-love song, mostly due the early Feb. show date).

Additionally, each will be covering one of the other's songs.

Yikes, Charles will probably be closer to a Tower of Unpreparedness and copying of the paper of the singer next to him.

Anni Rossi is at Glasslands. Alina Simone appears upstairs at Pianos.

Don't for get that Deerhoof's show has moved to Europa. Check out their new video for " Super Duper Rescue Heads" below....

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Emily Wells

"The best musical news of the year is that Emily Wells moved to the East Village. On the east side of Tompkins Park, 9th Street is quite and peaceful, and that's where she moved. At least I imagine that's where she moved. Wells is so musical and energetic, I imagine she needs some tranquility to even herself out. I want to take her brain, project it on the building next door from my rooftop and enjoy her whole soul."
[Serial Optimist]

Weather reports indicate that tonight's snowfall in NYC won't be the whopper that the last snowstorm was, so making your way down to City Winery TONIGHT (1/7) SHOULD be a snap (the city may find a way to fuck it up anyway). It's there that Emily Wells, Portland Cello Project, Live Footage, and Henry Wolfe will team up for a show, a one-off APAP Showcase for all parties. Tickets are still available.

Emily Wells's impressive violin compositions won't be exclusive to City Winery though, as she has already announced a residency at Ace Hotel that will see her perform free shows every Sunday in February, AND a show with Anni Rossi at Southpaw this Wednesday (1/12). All tour dates are with some videos of Emily below.

Some of those Emily Wells dates will see her supporting My Brightest Diamond who separately plays the Time Warner Center in NYC on 1/27 as part of the 2011 Americana Songbook Season. There are other MBD dates too, and they are listed below too.

Alt-classical/alt-Cello band Portland Cello Project recently dropped their new LP Thousand Words (you can pick up a copy at their site)...

"PCP is known for tailoring their song choices to the collaborators who join them. Second only to the cello, collaboration is one of the group's defining features. The group has recorded or performed with Laura Gibson, Hurtbird, 3 Leg Torso, Horse Feathers, Thao Nguyen, The Builders and the Butchers, the Decemberists, and many more local and national artists, and has created their own renditions of artists from ABBA to Beethoven to John Williams to Justin Timberlake.

[A recent show's] list of collaborators will included the same high caliber of Portland-area artists: The Corin Tucker Band, Typhoon (of whom Jenkins said, "I really just don't understand how they aren't world famous by now," though recent features on KEXP shouldn't hurt their chances of world fame), Golden Bears, and the recently OMN-profiled PHAME Academy Choir." [Oregon Music News]

PCP's tour dates, as well as My Brightest Diamond's and Emily Wells's, are below alongside some video..

Continue reading "Emily Wells, Portland Cello Project & My Brightest Diamond are playing shows (some tonight) -- 2011 dates"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Anni Rossi

"Anni Rossi is not the first to use a classical instrument in a rock 'n' roll context. But this violist isn't playing polite chamber pop -- she's rocking her instrument, with covers of Aaliyah, Ace of Base and Radiohead, as well as original compositions.

To get this sound, Rossi has done some unorthodox customization of her instruments.

Where they came from: "I had a viola that was very special to me that I played through parts of college. And then I decided to trade it in. It was a bit of a sad day, but I decided to trade it in for four violas."

What she does: "Basically what I've been doing is installing guitar pickups on to violas that are of lower quality so that I can modify them with less risk."

How she does it: "It's really hard to run electricity through a wooden instrument, so I've been working with a few different people to create a buzz on the instrument, because there's not enough metal on the instrument to ground it when I put it through an amplifier. ... They do make electric violins and violas, but that's a whole other sound that doesn't really suit what I'm interested in right now."

How she plays: "I rarely bow my instrument; I pick it with a guitar pick. The warmth of the tone comes more from the amps that I'm using and where my pickup is located on the instrument. It's just, like, a different set of rules that I have to go by to get the tone that I want.""
[AM New York]

If it wasn't obvious by the number of times her name has been popping up on NYC show lineups lately (including the upcoming Shearwater / Damien Jurado show at Music Hall of Williamsburg), the fact that Anni Rossi's MySpace says she is from "Brooklyn, NY" confirms that the 4AD-signed Minnesotan recently moved from Chicago. Glad to have her.

Some of those shows I noticed her on recently happened during CMJ, including Saturday's I Rock I Roll/Nachos NY party at the Delancey where Anni shared a bill with 14 bands including Ravens & Chimes, Savoir Adore, and Miracles of Modern Science. All the bands I mentioned are the ones Amanda got pictures of, and they continue below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn's Anni Rossi played the Delancey roof w/ Ravens & Chimes, Savoir Adore & Miracles of Modern Science (pics)"

Screaming Females @ the 2010 Siren Festival (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

today in NYC
* Rene Lopez @ Southpaw
* Tim Keiper @ The Stone
* Herman Snertgart @ The Stone
* Sean Hayes @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Billy Idol @ Hammerstein Ballroom
* Aziz Ansari @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Translations, Heliotropes @ The Woods
* CocoRosie @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra @ Cameo Gallery
* The Bad Plus, Sam Newsome @ Bowery Ballroom
* Jackson Browne, David Lindley @ Beacon Theatre
* Happy Ending Music Series @ Joe's Pub
* Toadies, Gringo Star @ Gramercy Theatre
* Ben Frost, Ezekiel Honig, Borne (DJ set) @ Littlefield
* Marc Ribot ("Silent Movies" CD Release) @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Matt Mottel @ Zebulon
* Tommy Keene, Title Tracks, Valley Lodge @ The Rock Shop
* Mystery Jets, Dominant Legs, The Rassle @ Mercury Lounge
* Kria Brekkan, We Are All Romans (DJ set) @ The Manhattan Inn
* Vampire Weekend, Beach House, Dum Dum Girls @ Radio City Music Hall
* Frankie Rose & The Outs, Light Asylum, MINKS, Mirror Mirror @ Glasslands
* Nachtmystium, Zoroaster, The Atlas Moth, Dark Castle @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Janka Nabay, Highlife, Ali Kamiya Dit Ba, Lichens (DJ International Tapes) @ Shea Stadium
* Screaming Females, Shellshag, Big Eyes (Screaming Females Record Release) @ Knitting Factory

Vampire Weekend kick off their three-night run at Radio City Music Hall tonight.

Tonight at Joe's Pub: Happy Ending Music and Reading Series featuring Darin Strauss, Matthew Sharpe, Kristin Hersh and musical guest Anni Rossi.

Marc Ribot plays a release show for his new solo guitar record, Silent Movies, officially out September 28th on Pi Records (though you'll be able to grab it at the show). The sounds on the record are subtler than his Ceramic Dog trio; without the band he take cues from the pratfalls and heartbreaks of films like Charlie Chaplin's The Kid. Tickets are still on sale. - Andrew Frisicano

What else?

Marnie Stern will be one of the bowlers (but not one of the performers) at a Stereogum "Gumbowl" charity event tonight at Brooklyn Bowl. You can't watch her bowl yet, but you can go to the concert afterwards (that she is not playing)....

"While the doors have to be closed during the tournament in order to film it all for charitable posterity -- and be sure we'll present you with the footage -- we're celebrating afterward by throwing open the gates for a FREE CONCERT, headlined by Woods, and featuring an opening set from the 'Gum-beloved rising sextet Effi Briest, DJ magic from Ms. St. Vincent Annie Clark, and loitering by our celebrity bowlers, who may or may not still be wearing the sweet-ass bowling jerseys we're throwing on them. We want you there (if you're 21 or older (sorry, kids!))." - Stereogum

They had an RSVP for the concert part, but now they just say "THERE WILL BE SOME "TICKETS" AT THE DOOR! COME EARLY IF YOU WANT IN. DOORS OPEN AT 9PM". Brooklyn Bowl is a big place. The flyer is below.

Other charity bowlers include The Blow (who has a show coming up at Joe's Pub), Nick Islands Thorburn Diamonds (who has 3 NYC shows coming up), Alan Neon Indian Palomo (who has multiple NYC shows coming), and Tim Les Savy Fav Harrington (who has a scheduled Brooklyn show too). The full list of bowlers is also below.

If you want to catch Marnie Stern play live, her next show will be at Glasslands on Friday, June 18th along with White Hinterland, Anni Rossi, Translations and True Womanhood. It's not free, but you get a discount if you RSVP to that here.

Anni Rossi will also be playing Pianos the night before (6/17).

More info on the Gumbowl and flyers are below...

Continue reading "Marnie Stern bowls tonight (before the free Woods show), plays in June w/ Anni Rossi who has 2 upcoming shows"

The final lineup for Monolith Festival, which takes place at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, on September 12th-13th, is below. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Girl Talk headline Saturday night at the festival, and the Mars Volta and MSTRKRFT top the bill on Sunday. Deer Tick, Passion Pit, Doom, The Walkmen, The Thermals, and HEALTH are also some of the bands on the two-day bill.

Tickets and two-day passes are still on sale. We also has a pair of weekend tickets to give away. Details on that, with the full lineup, below...

Continue reading "Monolith Festival - final 2009 lineup ++ WIN a two-day pass"

words and photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

The perpetual rain provided a fitting backdrop to the melancholy pop of Glasgow's Camera Obscura at Webster Hall on Wednesday (6/24). The Scottish five-piece were more comfortable in the songs from their new record, My Maudlin Career, since March when they road tested new material at two warmup shows in New York.

Lead singer Tracyanne Campbell's voice was every bit as fragile-sounding as it is on the record always sounding as if she's ready to break into a good cry, especially on Maudlin's slow-moving "James." The band was without bassist Gavin Dunbar who left the tour last week following a death in the family. That resulted in the band cancelling two of their shows.

MTV, not so surprisingly, supplied the head-scratching moment of the night courtesy of a member of the game show Silent Library as he clattered in and knocked over people, and generally disrupted everyone's enjoyment of the show near the stage. Only the restraint of several in the audience kept him from getting pummelled. Campbell even took notice from the stage, shooting a wary eye, mid-song, toward the pushing and shoving going on before her.

Songs like "Let's Get Out Of This Country" and "Hey Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" received plenty of applause at their introduction and for the encore the band opened with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than The Rest" before the set-closing standard "Razzle Dazzle Rose" and its crescendo building flourish.

Anni Rossi opened the show. More pictures below...

Continue reading "Camera Obscura & Anni Rossi @ Webster Hall in NYC - pics "

DOWNLOAD: Anni Rossi - Ecology (MP3)

Tiny Mix Tapes: Any favorite experience [at SXSW], your own sets or someone else's?

Anni Rossi: Well, there's an artist whose out on Rough Trade right now called Micachu and the Shapes. Her and I played this show together, which was pretty notable for my set too; it was on this patio at this placed called Ms. B's. Her and I played back to back one day, and her live show is awesome. We actually played with her in New York, too.

TMT: How have your influences changed or matured, specifically in classical, on strings...?

AR: Um, well, I've always loved pop music more than classical music, from when I was little. But I think that's natural. I mean, that transitional point when I really started writing music and transitioning out of classical music was when I was playing chamber music, like quartet music. I really liked Bartók and more contemporary composers. Then I discovered Laurie Anderson and Meredith Monk -- that was maybe like 5 years ago. My musical taste now has really ranged from somebody like Modest Mouse -- I really like their recordings -- and, like, Black Sabbath I've been really into lately. I generally go through phases where I'll listen to one thing over and over.

Anni Rossi plays a one-off show tonight (6/23) on the main stage at Pianos weekly Cross-Pollination series. Joining Rossi will be Pearl & the Beards and Ezra Furman & the Harpoons (who have a residency at the venue). Tickets for tonight are on sale.

The show comes in midst of Rossi's tour with Camera Obscura. As part of that, both acts will play Webster Hall on Wednesday, June 24th. Tickets are still on sale. In March, Anni opened for Camera Obscura at the much smaller Mercury Lounge.

Anni will join Micachu on some of her July tour dates leading up to Micachu's appearance at the Siren Festival in Brooklyn. Maybe Anni will add another NYC show around then too.

Anni Rossi's second LP, Rockwell, came out in March on 4AD. In April she played "West Coast" off that record live at Permanent Records in Brooklyn. The video, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Anni Rossi on tour w/ Camera Obscura, plays Pianos tonight"

Cloud Cult and M Shanghai String Band @ Cross-Pollination 4/18/06 (more photos)

Free, weekly NYC music series Cross-Pollination is celebrating its 5th anniversary at Pianos tonight, May 12th. The night's bill pairs Brooklyn bands Dinosaur Feathers and The Bloodsugars.

Cross-Pollination was created by Jay Goettelmann and Wesley Verhoeve, the founders of creative collective Liberated Matter, with the hope of bringing artists together in a unique way. They came up with the concept of pairing two artists together, with each playing a 45-minute set, followed by a collaborative set in which both performers share the stage. These special sets are 'one time art' and have included everything from bands joining in on each others songs, collaborating on covers, and co-writing new songs for the event.

Back in 2005, Jay and Wes spoke with BrooklynVegan about their series...

What is your most memorable Cross-Pollination experience?

Wes: Hmm, I'd say the Kimya Dawnson/Paleface collaboration with a whole set of newly written songs was very special. Seeing Jaymay hold a note for about a full minute once during her performance was quite spectacular as well.

Jay: For me it was probably one of our big alumni shows where Casey Shea and Jeff Jacobson (of the Undisputed Heavyweights) did a rendition of the entire second half of Abbey Road. Or when Jason Trachtenburg ended his show in punk style, knocking the mic over and trying to bash these wooden flame decorations with his guitar.

We just asked Wes the same question (now almost four years later).
His answer this time:

Wes: There's a lot of memorable moments, but to highlight a few: Frightened Rabbit and The Brother Kite's performance was phenomenally packed and amazing. Casey Shea and Wakey!Wakey! covering Dick In A Box mere days after it was on TV was a big hit with the crowd. Cloud Cult playing with great intensity to a fire-hazard stuffed upstairs. Dave Deporis and My Brightest Diamond were so delicate and beautiful, then still at the Apocalypse Lounge. Jason Trachtenburg also played there early on and destroyed the stage and the wall behind the stage at the end of his set in front of a baffled audience. It was amazing, sort of a nebbish version of Terminator.

Cross-Pollination is currently streaming a 5th anniversary mixtape with new and exclusive tracks by Dawn Landes, Takka Takka, Twi the Humble Feather, Jaymay and others. You can stream it or download it below. They posted a similar mix in 2007 for their 3rd anniversary.

Both bands playing tonight are series regulars (The Bloodsugars even played the Cross-Pollination's 4th anniversary bash last year, video below.) They're both at other local-music celebrations this summer too. Dinosaur Feathers will be playing Saturday, May 16th at Park Slope's Bar 4 as part of the weeklong Local Correspondents Festival hosted by the venue. The Bloodsugars will play a Northside Festival show at Public Assembly on June 14th.

Cross-Pollination 5th anniversary mixtape (streaming and downloadable), with track listing, and all upcoming shows, below...

Continue reading "the weekly Cross-Pollination series turns five (party tonight, more upcoming shows & a free mixtape- stream & download) "

Anni Rossi

Brooklyn label Social Registry is presenting the show at 92YTribeca in Manhattan tonight (3/27). Sian Alice Group, Lights, Zs, and a group we recently featured, Mountains are on the bill. Updated Mountains tour dates below.

Speaking of NYC shows happening tonight and Mountains... the Mountain Goats, and John Vanderslice are here for their show at the Society of Ethical Culture.

Also related to today (3/27)... Having just played a few shows at SXSW, including the official showcase of her (and the Mountain Goats') label 4AD, Los Angeles/Chicago's Anni Rossi is currently on tour and plays a show at Union Pool in Brooklyn tonight with Midnight Masses and Wild Yaks. You may have also caught Anni when she opened for her label-mates Camera Obscura at Mercury Lounge the other night.

To say that Anni Rossi has given new life to the viola is an understatement. Together with her alternative folk style and lilting vocals, Rossi has reinvented the way this classical instrument is typically used and given new light to how Americana music is structured and presented.

Entrancing and beautiful, Rossi shared several songs with the Current from her upcoming CD, "Rockwell," out in March of 2009. [Minnesota Public Radio]

In April, Anni will go out on tour with Noah and the Whale. That puts her back in NYC, and at Bowery Ballroom, on May 1st. Tickets are still on sale. All dates and a video below.

Camera Obscura also played a show at The Bell House in Brooklyn the other night, and tickets are now on sale for the show they have coming up at Webster Hall.

Midnight Masses (playing Union Pool with Anni) just went on tour with, and share a member with, Trail of Dead (who we also caught at SXSW).

Continue reading "Anni Rossi, Mountains, Social Reg, Noah & the Whale & stuff"