Wes, Jay Mankind, Matt Singer, Casey Shea, Derek James & others

Big announcement! Wes and I [Jay] have decided to make some big changes to Cross-Pollination. Amid a swirl of emotions, the last shows at Pianos are upon us. We'll be downstairs for the next six weeks wrapping up what some (we) would call a legendary era. We've invited back many old friends and faves. Here's how it looks so far:

AUG 3 :: Matt Singer & Sunroom
AUG 10 :: Cabin & Rana Santacruz
AUG 17 :: Misty Boyce & Luke Wesley
AUG 24 :: TBA & The Canon Logic
AUG 31 :: Chris Cubeta & Casey Shea
SEP 07 :: CROSS-POLLINATION 300!!

Just six more Cross Pollination shows at Pianos in NYC. For those not familiar, CP brings two singer-songwriter types together for individual sets followed by live collaboration (aka "cross pollination"), and they've done it 293 times so far and it's always 100% free. So what next? Well, they said Cross Pollination will continue, but where and when? "That's coming into focus. We'll let you know as blurry colors become sharp lines." Congrats in advance for 300 shows guys.

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) "

The ever-elusive Dave Deporis has been showing his face a little lately. Not only does he have a regular full show scheduled at Cake Shop, tomorrow February 4th, he is the special guest at tonight's free Cross Pollination show in the main space at Pianos (2/3). The venue's website says Sharon Van Etten, but it is Dave Deporis that will be playing a short set after The Warbles get done "cross pollinating" with Lacrymosa.

Dave also has a show scheduled at Freddy's Curry House in DUMBO on February 13th.

While Ruined Music is celebrating it's one year anniversary over at the Delancey tonight (and stuff), BV-contributor Undisputed Wes will be celebrating the three year anniversary of "Cross Polination" - his (Liberated Matter's) weekly, free singer-songwriter-mashup series that happens every Tuesday night at Pianos in NYC. Tonight's performers will be a special mix of past Cross-Pol performers from through the years. That includes musician (and Liberated Matter partner) Jay Mankind, Here Lies PA, Wakey!Wakey!,, Jeff Jacobson, Matt Singer, Derek James, Wynn Walent, and more.

Normally there are just two artists - each plays their own set, and then they get together on stage to "cross pollinate". Tonight will probably be a whole lot of short sets, and even more cross-pollinating. It's always 100% free. More on how it normally works in the interview I did with Wes and Jay back in 2005.

If you can't be there tonight (May 8, 2007), at least partake in this 100%-absolutely-FREE "Cross-Pollination: The Mixtape Vol. 1". By "partake", I mean download the free MP3s (you'll recognize a lot of the names from the performer list above as well).....

"Mixtape Vol. 1 was compiled to celebrate Cross-Pollination, a weekly concert series that brings together some of the most incredibly, and at times, undiscovered raw talent from across the country"...

Download the whole mixtape HERE, or track by track....

CROSS-POLLINATION: THE MIXTAPE Vol. 1
01. MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND - Hi, Remember Me? (MP3)
02. KEVIN DEVINE - You'll Only End Up Joining Them (Acstc) (MP3)
03. WAKEY!WAKEY! - Falling Apart (MP3)
04. UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHTS - Roll Your Windows Down (MP3)
05. THE BLOODSUGARS - Purpose Was Again (MP3)
06. MATT SINGER - Stacy J. (MP3)
07. DEREK JAMES - Love Me, Love Me (MP3)
08. CLOUD CULT - Pretty Voice (MP3)
09. CASEY SHEA - Quinzy Howzin (MP3)
10. JEFFREY LEWIS - Tell It To Your Heart (Lou Reed Cover) (MP3)
11. THE LLOYDS - Halfway (MP3)
12. JAY MANKIND - Western States (Demo) (MP3)
13. IAN THOMAS - SBB (MP3)
14. DAVE DEPORIS - Be Strong (MP3)

It's especially nice to see Dave Deporis releasing something somewhere. Maybe one day we'll actually get an album out of him. His MySpace still has the same old songs.

More info on the mixtape HERE. Pictures of Cloud Cult playing Cross-Pol HERE. An interview with My Brightest Diamond by Wes HERE.