photos by Tim Griffin

Robert Ellis @ ACL Live

Jay Farrar plays his third NYC show in a row at City Winery on Sunday night (10/16). Laura Cantrell opens and tickets are still on sale. Check out a picture of the setlist from Saturday's show below. More Jay dates HERE.

The alt-country at City Winery continues when labelmates James McMurtry & Jason Isbell begin a tour there on Wednesday (10/19). All of their tour dates are listed below.

The 10/19 City Winery show is further enhanced by the addition of Robert Ellis on the bill. It's Robert's first of three NYC shows during CMJ week. The next two are 10/20 at Living Room (again with Jason Isbell) and 10/21 at Living Room. The 10/20 show is one of three Paste Magazine CMJ shows at Living Room. Full lineups, a set of pictures from a 10/6 show Robert played at ACL Live in Austin, and all dates, below...

Continue reading "Jay Farrar is here, Jason Isbell, James McMurtry & Robert Ellis will be soon (dates, CMJ shows & pics of Ellis @ ACL Live)"

DOWNLOAD: Jason Isbell - Codeine (MP3)

Drive By Truckers

Drive-By Truckers are currently on the road in support of their new album Go-Go Boots which is out now. Their last swing through NYC happened not that long ago - they played the intimate-for-them Bowery Ballroom on 2/15, the same week the album was releasaed. The band returns to the area to hit Wellmont Theatre on June 11th with Alejandro Escovedo! Tickets go on sale at noon. Drive-By Truckers appeared on Conan on 3/8 to perform "Everybody Needs Love" from Go-Go Boots. VIdeo of that and all tour dates are below.

Meanwhile, Escovedo is preparing to head down to SXSW to pepper the city of Austin with shows. But Escovedo hasalso scheduled another area show. It happens on 4/29 in Port Washington, NY at Landmark on Main Street. Tickets are on sale.

Former trucker Jason Isbell will bring Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit to SXSW as well, and is scheduled to play four shows including the free BrooklynVegan/Knitting Factory/Partisan party at Barbarella/Swan Dive on 3/18. The band is also scheduled to hit Bowery Ballroom on 4/22 with Hayes Carll as part of an April tour.

Isbell's new album Here We Rest is out April 12 via Lightning Rod Records. Sample it with "Codeine" above. All dates and stuff below...

Continue reading "Drive By Truckers & Alejandro Escovedo playing NJ & other places, Jason Isbell releasing 'Here We Rest' (dates & MP3)"

DOWNLOAD: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Seven-Mile Island (MP3)

Jason Isbell @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Fresh Bread)

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit are going on tour from July up to September. They'll stop at NYC's City Winery for an "acoustic evening" on Tuesday, August 4th - part of the winery's NightCap Series.

NightCap Series at City Winery
6/29 9:00 p.m. Snailhouse and Sharon van Etten $12.00
7/6 9:00 p.m. Sydney Wayser and Emily Brodsky $10.00
7/8, 7/9 9:00 p.m. Joe Purdy $15.00
8/4 9:00 p.m. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit $20.00

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit's new self-titled album came out in February on Lightning Rod Records (MP3 from that above). It was the band's debut -- Jason, a former Drive-By Trucker, had one previously by himself. Current Trucker Patterson Hood also just released a new album and was just in NYC for some shows himself.

All tour dates, a mini-doc on Isbell, and a live video of the song "Soldiers Get Strange," below...

Continue reading "Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit tour dates & other 'NightCap' shows coming to City Winery (Sharon Van Etten tonight)"