The Hold Steady at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more)

Last month, we announced that Truck America is returning to the Catskills in September (the 9th through the 11th) and will be headlined by The Hold Steady and Okkervil River. The only other confirmed bands at the time were Ra Ra Riot and Wye Oak. The lineup has since been updated to include Fruit Bats, Vetiver, The Felice Brothers, CItay, Gary Higgins, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Takka Takka, Hospitality, The Low Anthem and others. Check out the full list below. Early bird tickets are still on sale.

For The Low Anthem, it's one of many dates they just announced including one at Terminal 5 with Iron & Wine.

Speaking of The Hold Steady, frontman Craig Finn posted to his Tumblr that he's making a solo album:

"I'm in Austin TX for a few weeks. Making a record. Staying in a friend's guest house. Got here yesterday. So far so good. I'll be tracking the progress here."

Check out the full Truck America lineup update below...

Continue reading "Truck America expands lineup, Craig Finn working on solo LP"

by Andrew Sacher

A Dream A While Back

Psychedelic songbird Gary Higgins reissued the beautiful artifact Red Hash on Drag City back in 2005. The album was originally recorded in 1973 but Gary was jailed for drug charges before it was finished. His friends completed mixing the album, titled it, and released it on the small label Nufusmoon. The album was recorded with members of two of Gary's previous bands, Random Concept and Wooden Wheel. Upon Drag City's discovery of his music, with the help of Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance), Gary began playing shows with members of Random Concept and his son Graham, and eventually recorded Red Hash's follow up Seconds in 2009.

This past March, Drag City released the EP A Dream A While Back; six songs of pre-Hash material recorded soley by Gary Higgins and his guitar. It might just be because I tend to prefer my folk with minimal accompaniment, but while Red Hash is forever-brilliant material, hearing these six songs was even heavier. Pick up a copy (LP/CD/MP3) at Drag City's site.

Gary Higgins has one upcoming show scheduled this summer, and it's a NYC show on July 16 at Monster Island Basement with Oneida, Notekillers, and Call of the Wild.

Six Organs have shows coming up too. Oneida recently completed a tryptych.

Check out the EP's tracklist. some songs from the album and more Brooklyn show info below...

Continue reading "a new old Gary Higgins EP, an upcoming show w/ Oneida"

Oneida's "Ocropolis" at ATP (more by Ryan Muir)

Oneida will play a pair of shows in their famous "Ocropolis" practice space on Saturday to benefit Japan...

Saturday, April 2 · 1:00pm - 11:30pm

Location : The Ocropolis (128 River St @ Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY_

NOTE: 1pm Show is now SOLD OUT, but Plenty of room at the 9pm show.

Oneida's Ocropolis Series are an opportunity for maniacs and friends to share in an intimate live performance by the O inside the confines of their practice space in Williamsburg. The O will be doing 2 concerts of three sets each. Each concert is $10 - of which 100% will go to a Japan relief fund established by Shinji Masuko of the Boredoms. If you would like to attend the event you MUST WRITE TO THE ADMIN OF THIS EVENT OR to kid@enemyhogs.com to get on the list. Each show is limited to 40 people. We often supply some beers and lots of good times. Ask anyone who's been to a previous one!

BRAHS AND SAHS - TO BE CLEAR - IF YOU DON'T WRITE TO kid@enemyhogs.com to confirm a spot - YOU WON'T GET IN. The early show is sold out as of this writing. If you didn't write to me - get awn it!

Show number 1 starts at 1pm and goes to approximately 5pm. Then the O will take a break.
Show number 2 starts at 9pm and will prob go to about 1am.

Please specify which show you want to go to in your email!

Love the O. . .

Continue reading "Oneida playing benefits, Man Forever playing Monster Island"

Continue reading "Gary Higgins playing free show today (Bowery tomorrow)"

Phosphorescent @ Emo's Annex, Austin, TX (March 13, 2008) (Ryan Muir)

Ryan Muir took the above shot when Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent) jumped into the crowd at the BrooklynVegan day party at Emo's Annex on March 13th. His band stayed on stage - the same stage that Holy Fuck played on right after they were finished.

Phosphorescent is playing a solo show with Nina Nastasia & Jim White and Gary Higgins at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on April 7th. Tickets are on sale. Check out the new 'Phos' video, and all tour dates, below.....

Continue reading "Phosphorescent - new video, NYC show, tour dates & SXSW"

DOWNLOAD: Danielle Stech Homsy - Ferris (MP3)

Rio En Mende

"Gnomonsong is the new record label formed by Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic in parnership with Revolver USA. Banhart and Cabic do not push the paperwork in the label as much as work with the artists.....The label's first release was Texan singer/songwriter Jana Hunter's album, entitled Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom, released in October 2005. The second release was a CD version of the self-titled debut of Feathers (April 2006). Releases are expected from ABRA, a NYC family band, as well as Michael Hurley and Danielle Stech Homsy." [Wikipedia]

Gnomosong will also be releasing the new Papercuts album, but I want to talk about Danielle Stech Homsy for a second. She, like Sarah Assbring (El Perro Del Mar), has a high voice and a pseudonym:

Rio en Medio is the musical adventure of Brooklyn-based singer/ukulelist Danielle Stech-Homsy......Rio en Medio's debut album for Gnomonsong The Bride of Dynamite is an intricate collage of layered vocals, delicately plucked ukulele, ghostly samples and gritty, deconstructed electronics, all performed by Rio. Final production and remixing was done by Thom Monahan (of the Pernice Brothers) at his home studio in Los Angeles aided by Vetiver's Andy Cabic. Special touches were contributed to some tunes by Andy, Sierra Casady (CocoRosie), Tim Fite and David Coulter among others.

Rio En Mende | 2007 Tour Dates
Feb 10 - Southpaw Brooklyn, NY w/ Vetiver & Vashti Bunyan
Feb 13 - The Kitchen New York, NY (Ugly Duckling Presse 6x6 Magazine release)
Feb 14 - Union Hall Brooklyn, NY (album release party) w/ Tim Fite, Feathers & Pepi Ginsberg

P.S. Gary Higgins is tonight.

Previously
Vetiver & Vashti Bunyan | 2007 Tour Dates
Tim Fite @ Joe's Pub, NYC | Pics
CocoRosie @ La Tulipe | Pop Montreal | pics
The Family | Devendra Banhart Sick of Freak-folk Label

DOWNLOAD: Gary Higgins - I Can't Sleep at Night (MP3)

"During one forty-hour period in 1973, folk musician Gary Higgins and his band of five -- guitarist Jake Bell, cellist Maureen Wells, keyboardist Terry Fenton, mandolin/flutist Paul Tierney and bass player Dave Beaujon -- laid down one of the saddest, loveliest acoustic recordings you'll ever hear, the now semi-legendary Red Hash...." [Splendid]

Gary's story resembles in many ways fellow re-emerged folkie Vashti Bunyan (who also has some shows coming up). Gary's first show "in decades" took place on July 23rd, 2005 at Tonic in NYC. He played at least one more show in Chicago later that year. The shows coincided with the Drag City reissue of Red Hash.

This month Gary is playing three more shows:

GARY HIGGINS | 2007 TOUR DATES
Fri, Jan 19 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (TIX)
Fri, Jan 26 - New London, CT @ Oasis
Sat, Jan 27 - Providence, RI @ AS220

You can buy "Red Hash" @ Amazon.