Julia Kent (photo by Hillary)

If you missed Dirty Projector Nat Baldwin last night, 1/29, at Union Pool in Brooklyn (where he played with Callers and Teen), you can also catch Nat on Thursday, 2/10, at Knitting Factory Brooklyn with In One Wind and Cuddle Magic.

Nat also has a show coming up in March. He, along with Elfin Saddle and Toronto's Picastro, will open for Julia Kent (ex-Rasputina, Antony & the Johnsons) at a cello-heavy show at Littlefield on March 4th, four days before Julia releases her 2nd solo album, "Green & Grey," via Important Records who write...

"Using looped and layered cello, electronics, and recordings of natural sounds, she explores in this new instrumental record the melding of the technological and the organic, the patterns and repetitions that exist in nature and are mirrored in human creations, and the complexity and fragility of our relationships with one another and with the natural world. Without collaborators--other than the insect, weather, and wind sounds that create a sort of exoskeleton for the music--she has created an intensely personal landscape that references the way nature, however subverted and endangered by our modern world, still retains its power."

Continue reading "Nat Baldwin playing shows, one with Julia Kent (who is releasing "Green & Grey")"

photos by Ryan Muir

The show was/felt short, but sweet.

Clocking in at under 90 minutes (he started around 8:15, and we were definitely on the street by 9:45), Antony brought down the house at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem last night (Oct 16, 2008). Dressed all in white, Antony stood (the whole time) on the hardly-lit stage with a full orchestra playing behind him. Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) played piano (a job Antony used to have in addition to singing), and two regular members of the Johnsons (Julia Kent and Maxim Moston) played with the orchestra that had roughly 20 members and a conductor (Robert Moose) who looked like Nico Muhly from the back (the side we saw of Robert throughout the whole show as he eloquently moved his baton and body behind Antony). He wasn't Nico though. That was most evident when Nico, the co-arranger for the show, came on stage for a bow with everyone else at the end.

Speaking of the end, it came way too soon and after an encore that only lasted for one song. Heavy on new songs, and light on the 'hits', highlights of the setlist included a jazzed up, re-arranged version of the classic "Cripple and the Starfish", a cover of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love", and a beautiful, beautiful, old-school-Antony-full-of-emotion-and-magic, minimalistic-with-not-too-much-orchestra (aka I loved it the best) version of "Another World" which is the title track from Antony's new EP. There were no special guests, though Antony's friends Nomi and Lou Reed were both spotted in the audience. More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Antony & the Johnsons & orchestra @ the Apollo, NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Songs To Drink And Drive By - Walk On By (MP3) (Scott Matthew)
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Julia Kent

As usual, I fell behind and never got to fully write about how excited I am for the lineup upstairs at Pianos this afternoon (free - starts @ noon, @ Pianos, BrooklynVegan party). So real quick: You've got singer-songwriter/GNR cover band member Dave Godowsky opening up the show - his ony area appearance. Following him is Orba Squara, who among other things, is known for the song in the iPhone commercial. Then Marla Hansen of Sufjan/National/Kanye fame. Then Scott Matthew - known for having songs in soundtracks like Shortbus & Ghost in the Shell - he has a beautiful, beautiful voice. Then JULIA KENT - an amazing, solo cello player that is gaining popularity in Europe, and who also happens to be a member of Antony & The Johnsons, and who was in Rasputina, etc, etc... Then DOVEMAN. Then Tim Bracy of the Mendoza Line (who was supposed to play later). Then Craig Wedren - formerly of Shudder to Think. Then finally Erik Friedlander (who was supposed to play earlier) - "now one of the world's top cellists".

And on top of all that - great bands playing downstairs for free too - like Turbo Fruits, Foals, and The Maccabees! go now. bye.