photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

DOWNLOAD: Sharon Van Etten @ The Greene Space (MP3)

Sharon Van Etten @ the Greene Space

As you know, Sharon Van Etten played a show at WNYC's Greene Space in Tribeca back on 1/17 (with Audra McDonald & Norm Lewis), one day before she played her entire new album in full at Mercury Lounge. Not only do we have some pictures of that show, you can listen to and download the whole thing too. MP3 above. More pictures and the embedded audio player below.

We recently posted a reminder that the 2012 Ecstatic Music Festival is beginning in NYC on 2/4, but what we didn't mention was that a festival preview event was going down at the Greene Space on 2/1:

Hosted by WQXR's Terrance McKnight, Q2 Music's preview concert features music and conversation with Ecstatic Music Festival composer-performers Jason Treuting, Angélica Negrón, and Jherek Bischoff as well as a conversation with composer and festival founder and curator, Judd Greenstein.

If you'd like to experience that show live (as opposed to watching/listening to it online), tickets are on sale now. We also have a pair to give away. Details on how you can win are below.

Jherek Bischoff's actual Ecstatic Fest show happens on 2/4 with the Wordless Music Orchestra and special guests David Byrne, Craig Wedren, Greg Saunier, Mirah, Zac Pennington, Carla Bozulich, Charlie Looker & Sam Mickens.

WQXR has also announced that they'll be streaming and archiving select Ecstatic shows as part of their Q2 Music series.

Greene Space pics & audio and contest details below...

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten played the Greene Space (pics & audio); Ecstatic Music Fest hosting a show there (WIN TIX!)"

Sharon Van Etten @ BV-SXSW 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Sharon Van Etten, who recently opened for and played with The National, contributed backing vocals to a song The National wrote for the movie "Win Win". That song, "Think You Can Wait", is on the shortlist of 39 songs eligible to be nominated for an Oscar. That list, reprinted in full below, also includes songs by Jonsi and She & Him.

In other Sharon news, after the show sold out today, it was revealed that she is the secret guest playing with Ted Leo at Maxwell's on New Year's Eve! (not the first time they've shared a bill). She's also appearing on WNYC's Soundcheck on January 17th. You can buy tickets to attend the afternoon taping at the Greene Space. You can also still buy tickets for other shows she has coming up which will be in support of her new album.

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten is Ted Leo's special guest, playing the Greene Space, shortlisted for an Oscar (sort of)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Garbus, who records under the name Tune-Yards (or, as she prefers, tUnE-yArDs), was joined on stage by a bassist and a two-person saxophone section, but the most critical interaction was the one between her right foot and the pedals clustered around her microphone stand.

Beating time on her hip with a drumstick, she acted as the conductor of her own personal orchestra, using the pedals to record snatches of song and stray drum hits that magically coalesced in perfect unison.

On "Gangsta," from her second album, w h o k i l l, she began by mimicking the sound of a police siren, adding the distorted thump of a bass drum and the off-beat click of a drumstick on her microphone stand. Her voice took on the gravelly patois of a Jamaican rude boy as she sang, "What's a girl to do if she'll never be a Rasta?"

On "Bizness," Garbus played a staccato melody on a ukulele, evoking the clipped sound of a West African thumb piano. She was steeped in the region's music during years spent in Kenya, and has acknowledged the influence - "Any African music it sounds like I'm stealing, I'm stealing," she told one interviewer - but her one-woman approach shields her from any risk of copying her source material too closely. On "Hatari," she sang in Swahili, but the song's hectic overreach seemed to emanate from a country wholly her own.

Garbus' tourmates Buke and Gass, who joined her for the herky-jerk of "Es-So," share her handmade approach. [Philadelphia Enquirer]

Buke and Gass and tUnE-yArDs played a tour-ending show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday night, one night before both artists took part in the 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' show at Bowery Ballroom (more on that in a bit). Garbus killed it as usual. Pictures from that show are in this post.

Back on 5/18, tUnE-yArDs appeared on WNYC (listen below). As pointed out in "What's Going on Monday", Merrill will again perform for WNYC but this time live in their Greene Space. The short performance is sold out, but it will be streaming live on thegreenespace.org at 7pm tonight (5/23).

tUnE-yArDs' next proper NYC show is a big free one on Pier 54 this summer. Since the initial announcement, Austra was also added as opener for that July 14th outdoor show (which makes it extra awesome). Meanwhile you can catch Austra at Mercury Lounge TONIGHT (5/23), if you have a ticket (it's sold out). Austra also returns in August as part of a tour with Cold Cave.

More Music Hall pictures, and last week's WNYC appearance stream, below...

Continue reading "tUnE-yArDs played MHOW w/ Buke & Gass (pics), playing Green Space (stream) & Pier 54 w/ Austra (who is here now)"

photos by David Andrako

The Mountain Goats stopped by NYC's Greene Space on Wednesday (earlier in the day than his third in a row Bowery Ballroom show) for a live WNYC "Soundcheck" radio appearance along with Suzanne Vega. Each artist performed three songs, Suzanne's were from her new play, and John's were from his new album "All Eternals Deck." Listen to the whole show, check out the setlist, and see more pictures from it, below.

Oh, and speaking of the Greene Space, "Battle of the Boroughs", the Bronx edition, goes down at the venue tonight (4/1).

Continue reading "Mountain Goats & Suzanne Vega played a few songs @ Greene Space (pics & WNYC stream)"

Mountain Goats @ Planned Parenthood Rally (more by Chris La Putt)

The Mountain Goats will kick off a tour on March 24th in Richmond, VA. That includes THREE SOLD OUT Bowery Ballroom shows with Megafaun on March 28, 29 & 30, and now a March 30th WNYC Greene Space appearance with Suzanne Vega as well (I think Billy Bragg was originally on the bill too). Tickets for that 2pm appearance which will be broadcast on WNYC, are on sale.

All tour dates, a UK run included, below....

Continue reading "Mountain Goats sell out 3 Bowery shows, add Greene Space (updated 2011 tour dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Thomas Dolby is releasing his first album of new material in 20 years this summer. The album is called A Map of the Floating City and features an array of guest musicians including Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, Mark Knopfler, and Eddi Reader. Dolby is giving an exclusive sneak preview performance of songs from the album this Friday (2/25) at The Greene Space at 2 PM. He's performing the songs with New York string quartet Ethel and accordion player Rachelle Garniez. Opening the show is the Jamaican group The Jolly Boys. Tickets are still available. If you can't make it you can always listen on WNYC.

Despite being one of the pioneers of electronic pop music, in a press release on his website, Dolby has said of the new album:

"I marvel at the new landscape of the music business - distribution via the Internet and recording technologies I barely dreamed of when I started out," he continues. "But this album does not sound electronic at all. I have zero desire to add to the myriad of machine-based, synth-driven grooves out there. The Net has made a music career approachable for thousands of bands - but I hear too few single-minded voices among them. What I do best is write songs, tell stories."

Dolby's initial plan was to release three EPs leading up to the release of the album. His first EP, Amerikana, was released last June and his next EP, Oceanea, comes out officially on March 28. A music video for "The Toadlickers" off of the Amerikana EP is featured below. The third EP, entitled Urbanoia, is no longer coming out. Instead he has chosen to create an "online multiuser event entitled 'The Floating City,' where you "won't need to buy a download of the 'Urbanoia' EP; but to hear it, you'll need to play the game and find your way to the party." Looks like Thomas Dolby is blinding us with science.

Currently, Dolby's performance at The Greene Space is his only announced date, but his press release says, "A multi-city live tour is likely for 2011."

Videos and the next EP's cover art is below...

Continue reading "Thomas Dolby releasing EPs & a guest-filled album, performing live in NYC on Friday (and on the radio)"

photos by Aaron Epstein

Iron & Wine @ Greenespace

"The [Mercury Lounge] gig felt like a loose rehearsal, with Beam taking gaps to figure out which guitar he'd use. "It's nice to play new songs, but it's nerve-wracking," he admitted at one point. "You never know what's going to happen, and we don't exactly practice."

Wearing a charcoal blazer over a sweater and sporting a large, bushy beard, Beam still looks like the film professor at the University of Miami he once was (he now lives in Austin, Texas with his five daughters). Strapping on his acoustic guitar, backed by a seven-piece band, he kicked off with the new "Tree By the River," a nostalgic, heavy-strumming ode to a high school sweetheart with vocal harmonies.

"A lot of people I talk to say it has an AM Gold feel to it," Beam tells Rolling Stone of the track. "They remember hearing in their parents' car growing up, and I love that music."-[Rolling Stone]

Sam Beam & co (aka Iron & Wine) played NYC three times in the past two days, including the Greene Space on Wednesday (1/5, where these pictures come from) and Jimmy Fallon/Mercury Lounge yesterday (1/6). The Mercury Lounge, which was private, was reviewed by Rolling Stone (see above). Its setlist is below.

Iron & Wine's surprise appearance at the Greene Space, as well as the two appearances the following day, were to promote the new LP Kiss Each Other Clean (out January 25th via Warner Brothers) which was played in its entirety at Greene Space, and if you missed it, you can watch the entire Greene Space show at NPR's site.

For more public shows, catch Iron & Wine on tour later this month.

More pictures from Greene Space, as well as video from Jimmy Fallon (note the introduction of Iron & Wine by the "golden voice" of Ted Williams.), below...

Continue reading "Iron & Wine played Greene Space, Fallon and Mercury Lounge (pics & video)"

Iron & Wine were just revealed as the mystery band playing The Greene Space (44 Charlton at Varick) in NYC as part of NPR's "First Listen" series, TONIGHT (1/5). Not only that, but Sam Beam and band will be playing the new Iron & Wine album, "Kiss Each Other Clean," in its entirety. It's out January 25. Tickets for the show are on sale UPDATE: Sold out. UPDATE 2: On sale again (keep trying). If you don't get one in time, or you can't be there, you can also watch the webcast hosted by John Schaefer of Soundcheck.

Iron & Wine support the new album on a proper tour starting later this month with shows in LA and at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.

photos by Benjamin Lozovsky

MNDR & Mark Ronson

As previously mentioned, Mark Ronson will kick off two days of NYC shows starting tonight, Monday at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The second night happens on Tuesday, 10/12, at the larger Webster Hall. Both shows, and the two California ones that were since added (dates below) are in support of Ronson's new album Record Collection which is out now.

And: "While in New York, Mark Ronson, along with Q-tip and MNDR, will perform the hit track 'Bang Bang Bang' on The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday, October 11th." MNDR is also confirmed as being a member of Ronson's band (The Business Intl) at all shows. Whether Q-Tip will show up at MHOW or Webster Hall is still a mystery.

Tickets to the Music Hall show are gone, but tickets are still available to the one at Webster Hall. Both shows will be opened by Francis & The Lights. Tickets are also still available for a third NYC appearance, also taking place Tuesday but in the afternoon, at WNYC's Greene Space. It will probably be a short show, but as a bonus, Nellie McKay is playing it too.

For a longer Nellie McKay show, catch her when she returns to Highline Ballroom on December 11th. Tickets are on sale now.

Mark Ronson and MNDR appeared at the Creators Project event that took place at Milk Studios in June. An unposted set of pictures from that event (where Ronson was only DJing), along with all dates, continue below...

Continue reading "Mark Ronson playing Letterman w/ Q-Tip, LA & Greene Space w/ Nellie McKay (who added a show too) -- dates & new pics "

The National @ The Bell House in March (more by Bao Nguyen)

There's still no word on what will be happening at the The National-curated High Violet Annex May 11th-15th. But the band will be playing at another downtown space today at 2pm for WNYC's Soundcheck. Tickets are long sold out, but you can stream the band's performance at the Greene Space online (video and audio) at WNYC.org or listen on the radio at 93.9 FM and AM 820 (DJ Rob Swift performs too.)

The National's new record is still streaming and they've got other shows (NYC and beyond) on the way too.

Also coming up at the Greene Space are the Hold Steady, who's new album is streaming, on May 14th (which is sold out).

Moby and singer-songwriter Somi play the space on May 4th, and tickets are on sale.

Speaking of Moby, his LES vegetarian/vegan cafe Teany is officially reopening today after a being closed since last June because of a fire. Eater says, "The interior has been restored to its former look, and there's been no word of any menu changes."

Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle is opening for Neko Case on the summer leg of her Middle Cyclone-supporting tour. Lytle also has his own headlining shows planned. Those include NYC shows on July 10th at Union Hall and July 11th at Bowery Ballroom. Union Hall tickets are on sale now; tickets for the Bowery show go on sale Thursday (today) at noon.

Lytle released his solo debut, Yours Truly, the Commuter, in April on Anti (also Case's label). He'll be on NPR's Talk of the Nation this afternoon (6/11).

The Decemberists, who played Radio City June 10th, will also be on NPR today. They're broadcasting live at 2pm from the Greene Space in Manhattan for WNYC's Soundcheck. Tickets to watch the show "sold out" yesterday in 10 minutes after Colin Meloy announced the show on the air, however, Greene Space writes, "Doors will open at 1:15 and will close at 1:45. Any ticket not claimed by 1:45 p.m. will be released to the public."

All tour dates for Jason Lytle and Neko Case (who's playing APW, Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival and more) below...

Continue reading "Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) tour dates (with & without Neko Case) ++ Decemberists at WNYC Greene Space today "

Santigold is playing a benefit on Friday, May 1st at The Jane (113 Jane St). Her set is part of a fund-raiser for non-profit The Art of Elysium. According to the flyer (below), tickets run a $100 donation.

Today, Wednesday, April 29th at 2pm, Santigold will be appearing with Lou Reed and others at the WNYC's new Greene Space venue for a live broadcast of that station's Soundcheck program . That event, like the inaugural concert April 28th, is invitation-only. Both shows will be streaming live at the Greene Space's website though, and on WNYC 93.9 FM.

Santi has a whole slew of summer fest appearances coming up. Those include May 25th at Sasquatch! Festival, the Roots Picnic in Philly on June 6th, Bonnaroo on June 12th, a stretch of European fests & shows in July/August, and Lollapalooza on August 7th.

Her own headlining show at Terminal 5 with Amanda Blank and Trouble Andrew on Tuesday, June 9th appears to be sold out.

All updated Santigold tour dates, with Art of Elysium benefit flyer, below...

Continue reading "Santigold playing a benefit, WNYC's GREENE SPACE TODAY, lots of fests & other 2009 Tour Dates"