photos by Chris Gersbeck

DOWNLOAD: Clare & the Reasons w/ Van Dyke Parks - "He Needs Me" (Harry Nilsson cover) (MP3)

...remarkably, until now Parks had never toured.

"I've had some incredible recognition for a person who has always really treasured the blessings of anonymity. But this is the first tour," Parks says on the phone from a tour stop in Grand Rapids, Mich. "Why now? Because I'm 67. 'If not now, when?' is the question I would ask. And 'Why not?' is the next one. Because it's there!"

Opening for Parks [on the tour] is the Brooklyn chamber-pop band Clare and the Reasons, who lured the Los Angeles resident to the road. Clare is Clare Muldaur Manchon, daughter of folksinger Geoff Muldaur, whom Parks knew in the '60s, and some of the Reasons' string section will back Parks during his set.

Clare and the Reasons, according to Parks, are part of a new crop of "young moderns," artists who have "no fear of trying to acknowledge that music can still have a street sensibility and appear in a parlor. That hyphenate of plain and fancy, that's where I've found a lot of fieldwork in my life."

Parks has several projects in the works, and the tour is a prelude. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Van Dyke Parks' rare tour with Clare and the Reasons, which passed through Pop Montreal and Philly, and is now over, brought him to The Bell House in Brooklyn on Saturday (10/2), More pictures from that show, and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Van Dyke Parks & Clare & the Reasons played the Bell House (pics) "

Van Dyke Parks - legendary collaborator, producer and songwriter - has already been noted as on the schedule for Pop Montreal, which runs September 29th-October 3rd and also includes Swans. And like Swans, he'll also play a Brooklyn show in October. It happens at the Bell House on Saturday, October 2nd. Tickets go on sale today (soon, by noon).

That show is with Clare & the Reasons, a group Parks played with on the West Coast earlier this year. Clare & the Reasons also play May 12th at Joe's Pub (tickets) and have more shows in Europe with Van Dyke Parks this summer.

Van Dyke Parks performed at the Hal Willner-produced "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues!" show at Lincoln Center last January. Videos of VDP playing a few songs (including one with Brian Wilson), with all currently known dates, below...

Continue reading "Van Dyke Parks & Clare & the Reasons playing Brooklyn (and other shows)"

Pop Montreal 2009 (more by Ryan Muir)

POP Montreal, sort of like the CMJ of Montreal, but less industry-like, returns for the 9th time from September 29th to October 3rd. Check out the sneak peak of their intial lineup below...

Continue reading "Pop Montreal 2010 dates & initial lineup - includes SWANS"

photos by Chris La Putt

"Nouvelle Vague show, Webster Hall. French bossanova pop. Wasn't too sure coming in, so far, very impressed. (Hot singers too.)" - Scott Bleicher

Nouvelle Vague @ Webster Hall

Saw Nouvelle Vague at Webster Hall in NYC last night.
It was good, rather than great (they seem to rotate the vocalists - this pair were the least good of the three pairing we've seen . . . at the last gig at Irving Place in NYC last year one of the singers climbed the scaffolding to the balcony, almost got ejected, and then spat a mouthful of warm beer all over me). [Less, But Better]

Though special guests were promised, Chris doesn't recall seeing any at Saturday night's Nouvelle Vague show (1/23) at Webster Hall in NYC. The French group's new album of new wave bossa nova covers does feature help from Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Ian McCullough (Echo and The Bunnymen), Barry Adamson (Magazine), Terry Hall (The Specials), Samy Birnbach (Minimal Comact) and Chris Bailey (The Saints) though.

Opener Clare & The Reasons, who is currently donating profits from their albums sold to Haiti, will continue on tour with Nouvelle Vague for a few days and then they play West Coast shows with Van Dyke Parks...

The legendary musical genius will be playing some rare (as rare as a good baguette in a small US city) concerts of his very own songs - not anyone else's - his masterpieces. I'm assuming you will want to come to these shows, I know we would - wait, we are!

Some Reasons will be joining Van Dyke on stage. [Frog Stand Records]

All tour dates and more pictures from Webster Hall below....

Continue reading "Clare & the Reasons touring, played NYC w/ Nouvelle Vague - pics & 2010 dates (some w/ Van Dyke Parks)"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Keren Ann played shows at City Winery (Sunday) and Knitting Factory (Monday). The latter was with Clare & the Reasons, and there are more pictures from that one, below...

Continue reading "Keren Ann, Clare & the Reasons @ Knitting Factory - pics & setlist"

DOWNLOAD: Vic Chesnutt - Chain (MP3)

"This fall Vic Chesnutt will embark on a six-week North American tour in support of At the Cut, the Athens, GA-based singer-songwriter's latest effort. The touring band features Fugazi's Guy Picciotto and members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion, all of whom collaborated with Chesnutt on the new album which is out September 22 on Constellation Records."

A track from the new record is posted above.

Vic Chesnutt's North American tour will be coming to NYC for a show on Monday, October 26th at the Bowery Ballroom and another the next night (10/27) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for both go on AmEx presale Wednesday, July 29th at noon. General sale starts Friday, July 31st at noon. Clare and The Reasons open both gigs.

Vic Chesnutt played the same NYC venues in June as part of a summer solo tour with Jonathan Richman. And not long before that he was at Bowery Ballroom with Elf Power.

New album artwork, tracklist and info on the new record, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Vic Chesnutt - new album, an all star band, 2009 tour dates "

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

My Brightest Diamond and opener Clare and the Reasons shared band members, and played to a seated crowd at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on Saturday night (12/13). Kyle enjoyed both sets. MBD played mostly stuff from their/her new album "A Thousand Shark's Teeth". They "also incorporated many stories, a short magic show by the French guitarist/multi-instrumentalist dude, and a puppet play to complement a song Shara played solo". More pictures below...

Continue reading "My Brightest Diamond @ (le) poisson rouge, NYC - pics"