Norah Jones at LPR w/ Doveman in 2011 (more by Vincent Cornelli)

Stones Fest 2012, a tribute to the Rolling Stones similar to Petty Fest and Dylan Fest, is going down on February 22 at Webster Hall. Billed as "A Night To Get Drunk And Celebrate The Music Of The Rolling Stones," the fest will feature appearances by most of the same people who usually play these events, Norah Jones, Adam Green, Jesse Malin, Nicole Atkins, Jason Sudeikis (of SNL), Jessie Baylin, Tad Kubler (of The Hold Steady), The Sheepdogs, Jon Herrington (of Steely Dan), Jody Porter (of Fountains of Wayne, Sammy James Jr. (of the Mooney Suzuki), Jack Dishel (of Only Son), Todd Youth, Alec Higins (of Alberta Cross), Danny Clinch and the Tangiers Blues Band, Steve Schiltz (of Hurricane Bells/Longwave), Justin Long, Antony Ellis (of 5 O'Clock Heros), Jason Roberts, Petter Ericson Stakee, The Uptown Horns, and many more surprise guests. Tickets go on sale Thursday (1/26) at noon. $2 from each ticket will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

The show happens about three weeks before a different Stones tribute happening on March 13 at Carnegie Hall with The Mountain Goats, Glen Hansard, TV on the Radio, and others. Tickets for that show are still on sale.

Speaking of Norah Jones, she's set to release her Danger Mouse-produced LP, Little Broken Hearts, sometime this year and follow it with a tour. Norah Jones and Danger Mouse previously collaborated on 2011's Rome. Check out an acoustic performance of the song "Black" from that album below (via Rolling Stone).

Video below...

Continue reading "Stones Fest happening @ Webster Hall w/ Norah Jones & more (not long before the tribute @ Carnegie Hall)"

Chain & the Gang @ Secret Project Robot in Feb (more by Harriet Roberts)

Like many other venues have been doing, Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg is hosting a Jonathan Toubin benefit which is taking place on January 12. The benefit's got a stacked bill including Chain and the Gang (whose frontman Ian Svenonius DJ'd a JT benefit at Zebulon on Christmas Eve), Eleanor Friedberger (who recently played the BV Holiday Party at the same venue), Shilpa Ray, Nicole Atkins, Two Tears, 5 Dollar Priest, Dorit Chrysler and Theremin, and An American Dream. There will also be DJ sets by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds/Grinderman) who both play the Here Comes the Warm Jets show at Joe's Pub in January and a DJ set by Mick Collins, who fronts The Dirtbombs, and whose other band The Gories are playing two shows in NYC this January. Tickets for the MHOW show are on sale.

DOWNLOAD: The Antlers - "VCR" (The xx cover) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Korallreven - "Sa Sa Samoa" (ft. Julianna Barwick) (MP3)

The Antlers at Moogfest (more by Diana Wong)

We recently mentioned that Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater are planning a tour together that hits NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 24 and Bowery Ballroom on February 25. Tickets for both NYC shows are available for AmEx presale now, and general sale starts Friday (11/11) at noon. All dates have also since been announced and are listed below.

After the tour, Sharon will go on a string of dates with The War on Drugs, who open for The National at Beacon Theatre the night before Sharon does. Sharon's new album, Tramp, comes out February 7 via Jagjaguwar.

Sharon's friends and fellow Brooklynites The Antlers are following their release of Burst Apart, which came out earlier this year, with the (together) EP, which features material from the Burst Apart sessions. It includes collaborations with Neon Indian, Bear In Heaven, Nicole Atkins, and a cover of The xx's "VCR," which you can download above. The EP's tracklist is below. The Antlers are currently on a European tour and will return to NYC for a Webster Hall show on December 10 with Suuns. Tickets for that show are still available.

Speaking of The xx, they've recently begun working on a new album and have started a blog, where they've posted the message:

We have started recording our second album! We have also started this blog where we will post our inspirations + pictures + favourite songs. We hope you enjoy it! Lots of Love, The xx

---

The Walkmen, whose drummer Matt Barrick guests on Sharon's new album, are also working on a new album with producer Phil Ek which will be released next year on Fat Possum/Bella Union.

Julianna Barwick, who is also a guest on Sharon's album, recently released the Matrimony Remixes EP, which features remixes of two of the tracks off of her most recent LP, The Magic Place, which came out earlier this year. The entire EP is available to stream and download for $5 on bandcamp and features remixes by Diplo & Lunice, Helado Negro, Alias Pail, and Prince Rama. Julianna also provided guest vocals to Korallreven's debut LP, which comes out November 15 via Acephale. Her vocals appear on the song "Sa Sa Samoa," which you can download above.

All dates and (together) tracklist below...

Continue reading "new Antlers EP, an xx cover, updated Sharon Van Etten dates, Julianna Barwick & more"

Color Me Obsessed, a film about The Replacements, will be screening at a number of film festivals and other venues this year and next year. The film was produced by Gorman Bechard (of What We Were Thinking Films) and features interviews with Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Tommy Ramone, members of Husker Du, Robert Christgau, Jim Derogatis, Ira Robbins, Tom Arnold, and others. The film will premiere in NYC on November 16 and 17 at Bowery Electric.

We're excited to announce that, along with Bowery Electric, we're presenting MATS CITY, a Replacements tribute show that will take place at Bowery Electric after each screening. The show, which will be hosted by Matt Pinfield features a number of guests including Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), Jesse Malin, Steve Wynn, Ted Leo, Chuck Ragan, Charlie Mars, Dave Hause (The Loved Ones), Matthew Ryan, Willie Nile, Tommy Ramone, Alejandro Escovedo, Dave Pulkingham, Walter Lure, Kevn Kinney, Don DiLego, Joe D'Urso, Danny Sage, and Nicole Atkins, and many more to be announced. Those singers will be backed by a band which includes Todd Youth, Matt Romano, and Johnny T. Tickets for the 11/16 and the 11/17 shows are on sale now (ticket options include movie only and show only, and both). A portion of the proceeds will go to Musicians On Call. Note that exact lineups for each date are TBA. Some performers may only be playing one day.

A list of cities the film will screen in and teaser video below...

Continue reading "new Replacements movie 'Color Me Obsessed' screening @ Bowery Electric before 2 special tribute concerts (on sale now)"

William Basinski at Issue Project Room (more by Lori Baily)

William Basinski's "The Disintegration Loops" will illuminate the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday, as part of a FREE show "for the people of New York City on September 11". Basinski will not be in attendance but Maxim Moston's live orchestration of his piece, as well as works by Ingram Marshall, Osvaldo Golijov and Alfred Schnittke, will be highlighted by the Wordless Music Orchestra (as previously mentioned). If you can't make it to the 3:30PM showing, then catch the webcast.

After the webcast slide on over to VH1 (on the web or on your telly) to catch a rebroadcast of the 9/11 tribute concert that originally aired on TV 10 years ago.

Also slated in rememberance of 9/11 is Music After, a marathon of music that kicks off at 9:18AM and lasts until midnight at Joyce SoHo (155 Mercer Street). The show is FREE, and will feature a plaethora of performances from names like Laurie Anderson and Nicole Atkins performing works by David Bowie, David Byrne, Lou Reed, and many many others. Full list of performers and the composers are below.

And finally, opera singer Jessye Norman will not sing but speak spoken word at "A Concert of Commemoration, Honoring the 10th Anniversary of 9/11" at 2PM on 9/11 at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. More than 600 musicians will join the not-singing vocalist including England's Really Big Chorus, with the concert highlighting "iconic music of war and peace". Tickets are on sale.

Patti Smith played a concert to remember 9/11 last night. How was that?

More details on the Music After marathon, and its considerable list of contributors, below...

Continue reading "musicians remembering 9/11 on 9/11 (shows at the Met, Linoln Center, in SoHo, on your computer...)"

Petty Fest is returning to NYC this October, though unlike previous years, this year there will be "Two Nights To Get Drunk And Celebrate The Songs Of Tom Petty." The fest is taking place October 5 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and October 6 at Bowery Ballroom. The fest is (almost) the same lineup of musicians that usually get together for things like this, like Norah Jones, Nicole Atkins, Jesse Malin, Sammy James Jr. (The Mooney Suzuki), Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne), Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady, Josh Lattanzi of The Lemonheads, and others. Interesting additions inclue Har Mar Superstar and Jonny Corndawg. I hope they do a duet. And of course there will be "surprise guests". Tickets for both nights go on sale Thursday (9/1) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (8/31) at noon. $2 from each ticket will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Jonny Corndawg meanwhile will also be in NYC TONIGHT (8/30) for his record release show at Union Pool.

Full Petty Fest lineup, flier, and a recent video of Neko Case and My Morning Jacket covering "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" together, below...

Continue reading "Petty Fest returns in 2011, 2 nights, 2 venues"

photos by Tim Griffin

Nicole Atkins @ Stubb's

Nicole Atkins plays the free Hudson Square Music and Wine Festival on August 9th as part of an added leg to her previously announced tour. Nicole's new dates also include support slots for Fountains of Wayne on their headlining tour. Her City Winery show is the only recently added show without Fountains of Wayne, though they play a show together at the same venue four days earlier (which is now sold out).

Both Nicole and Fountains of Wayne have other separate tri-state area dates on their tours too. Nicole plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 8 with Workout & My Best Fiend, Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, NJ on July 21, and The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ on July 28. Fountains of Wayne play Maxwell's on 7/21 with Mike Violia and Maxwell's on 7/22 with Oranjuly, The Stone Pony on July 23 with Marah (tickets), and Bowery Ballroom on August 3 (tickets). No opener has been announced for the Bowery show, and note that the Maxwell's dates have slightly changed since the original announcement.

Nicole Atkins recently made a video for "My Baby Don't Lie." Check that out along with updated tour dates and pictures from Nicole's Austin show at Stubb's in Austin on June 15 (where she was joined by Robert Harrison for a song), below...

Continue reading "Nicole Atkins played Stubb's Indoor (pics), touring with Fountains of Wayne and playing other dates"

The third annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival kicked off in the courtyard behind City Winery on 6/21 with a 'Make Music New York' show featuring Mike Doughty and Emily Wells. The series continues every Tuesday through August 16. All shows take place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, admission is free, and wine, made on the premises, will be served.

Other performers this year include Vernon Reid (of Living Color), WIlliamsburg Salsa Orchestra, Nicole Atkins, and others. City Winery is also hosting the Summer BBQ Blowout Festival with Midnight Magic and others in the same outdoor location on August 6th, but that is not free. Check out the full free lineup below.

Continue reading "Hudson Square Music and Wine Festival -- 2011 lineup of free shows outside City Winery"

Nicole Atkins during SXSW 2011 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

If you like Bob Dylan and booze-soaked singalongs, you might want to consider hitting Bowery Ballroom on May 26th and 27th for Dylan Fest, a two day extravaganza in celebration of the 70th birthday of musical deity. Much like the one-night fest last year (and at the similar Petty Fest), both nights boast familiar names like Norah Jones, Adam Green, Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis of SNL, Jesse Malin (who has other shows coming up), Nikolai Fraiture of the Strokes, as well as members of Little Joy, The Hold Steady, Fountains of Wayne, Mooney Suzuki, The Lemonheads, and many more, with Nicole Atkins on board for the first night (5/26). Tickets are on sale for both the 5/26 and the 5/27 shows at noon today. The full linuep is below.

Nicole Atkins and her band The Black Sea have also added a headlining show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 8th. Tickets go on sale Friday April 29th at noon. The show is one of a few scattered dates scheduled for Atkins in the coming months. Check out her whole schedule below.

In related news, Norah Jones has been announced as the special guest for Saturday's previously discussed Doveman show at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are still available. The show is one of three more scheduled for Doveman at LPR, with other appearances occurring on May 26th and June 24th. Details on guests for those shows are still forthcoming.

In also related news, Nicolai Fraiture's day job, The Strokes, have announced that they will appear at the sold out T In The Park festival in Scotland in July along with Pulp, Coldplay, Slash, and Foo Fighters. The band also recently appeared on Conan O'Brien (on 4/20). Check out a video of their performance of "Games" alongside a Nicole Atkins video of "Cry Cry Cry" from SXSW and all tour dates and stuff, below.

Continue reading "Dylan Fest returns , Nicole Atkins adds shows, Norah Jones adds appearances, The Strokes played Conan (video & dates)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Misteur Valaire @ BV Day Party

Casiokids @ The Parish

Deer Tick @ Terrorbird Media Day Party

Catching up a bit. Here's what Dominick saw in Austin on Saturday, March 19, 2011....

Continue reading "SXSW 2011 Day 4 pics"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

DOWNLOAD: Daniel Martin Moore - Dark Road (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Daniel Martin Moore - In the Cool of the Day (MP3)

Jessica Lea Mayfield @ SXSW

Jessica Lea Mayfield's new Dan Auerbach-produced album, Tell Me, was released by Nonesuch Records on February 8, and since then she's tourned with Justin Townes Earle, and the Avett Brothers, and played a few shows in Austin for SXSW, one of which was an American Songwriter showcase which is where the pictures in this post come from. Another one of her sets from SXSW is for sale on iTunes, and another is streaming at KEXP. I wanted to book her on one of the many BrooklynVegan parties as well, but it ended up not working out.

She is currently back out on the road, but this time as a headliner, with Daniel Martin Moore. They play Glasslands on March 30th (AKA TONIGHT) (tickets are still available) and, after a stop in Philly, Bowery Ballroom on April 1st (tickets available too). All tour dates are listed below

Daniel Martin Moore recently dropped In The Cool Of The Day via Sub Pop in January. Two MP3s from that record are above, and the title track is also below.

Moore's companion on the recent, um, Dear Companion LP has been at work too. Ben Sollee has a new LP, Inclusions, due in May and was SUPPOSED to support Billy Bragg on his cancelled tour that was supposed to be at City Winery this week, but instead will play City Winery as part of a Japan benefit on March 31st with Rachael Yamagata, Tift Merritt, Marshall Crenshaw, Dar Williams, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Nicole Atkins, classic pianist Taka Kigawa, and the New York based big band Morning Musuko. Ben will also play with Tracy Bonham at Cameo in Brooklyn one day later.

All Jessica Lee Mayfield and Daniel Martin Moore, tour dates, some videos and more SXSW pictures, below...

Continue reading "Jessica Lea Mayfield played SXSW (pics), on tour w/ Daniel Martin Moore ++ Ben Sollee playing shows, a Japan Benefit"

photos by Chris La Putt

Friday night show at Maxwell's marked the last show of Nicole Atkins' tour with Cotton Jones. Some pictures from that show are in this post. And though she kicks off a round of dates in Austin on Wednesday, she said from the NJ stage that she will be making an appearance with her fellow Black Sea band member Jared Samuel at Cameo Gallery tonight (3/15) as part of his other band Minerva Lions (El, Wendy, and Belleweather are also on the bill).

As previously mentioned, Nicole's next public NYC show is at Rockwood Music Hall on 3/30 as part of the Sweet Divines who formed after the Dansettes broke up. Other members of the Dansettes formed the Nouvellas whose members, along with members of Cotton Jones, backed Nicole & the Black Sea when they performed "Cry, Cry, Cry" on Conan in February. The video of that, is under the rest of the pics, below....

Continue reading "Nicole Atkins played Maxwell's w/ Cotton Jones (pics), catch her with Minerva Lions (tonight)"

Nicole Atkins @ SXSW 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

The Tea Party-hating NPR will be streaming Nicole Atkins' recent show at World Cafe Live online as of 3pm EST today (3/11). It's a consolation prize for those who were hoping to see her play tonight at Maxwell's, but don't have a ticket (the NJ show with Cotton Jones is sold out).

On March 16th Nicole plays her first of at last five SXSW shows in Texas (a festival she also visited last year). After that she has various shows scheduled including Bonnaroo, Concerts in the Studio in Freehold, The Union County Performing Arts in Rahway, and two gigs at Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan. The first is one of those private WFUV-Members Only shows on 3/22 that will be aired on the radio station, and the next is actually a Sweet Divines show that says "w/ special guest singers TAMI LYNN and NICOLE ATKINS." That one has tickets on sale and goes down over the course of two sets on 3/30. All dates below...

Continue reading "Nicole Atkins streaming at NPR, playing Maxwell's before SXSW (tonight) & other dates (like Rockwood Music Hall) "

Bonnaroo (June 9-12 in Manchester Tennessee) has announced the 2011 lineup (slightly early), and like the rumored Lollapalooza lineup, Eminem is among the headliners. Bonnaroo also has Grammy winners Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, in addition to Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, The Decemberists, Florence & the Machine, Girl Talk, Beirut (haven't seen them in a while), and many more. Full list below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is here"

DOWNLOAD: Rhett Miller - Live at Fez 4/4/01 (Zipped MP3s)

"Happy to be in the same room with live Rhett Miller lyrics...." - Michelle Snyder

"Dear lord, rhett miller is effing amazing. #citywinery #rhettmiller" - Chris Crapanzano

Rhett Miller at City Winery (theDoogan)

Rhett Miller, who next plays a solo show at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT on 2/11, spent Friday night (2/4) at City Winery, and was joined on stage by Nicole Atkins for a few songs. Video of the pair performing "Four Leaf Clover" and "Fireflies" is below. Catch Nicole Atkins at her own headlining show at Bowery Ballroom this Wednesday night with The Gay Blades and Mon Khmer. Tickets are still available.

Rhett's band Old 97's had no NYC dates when we recently posted dates, but now there's one happening on April 9th at Webster Hall with Kevin Devine. Tickets for that go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon and on regular sale Friday.

The new date comes right in the middle of Old 97s' run of shows with Teddy Thompson who is not listed on the Webster bill but does have his own solo NYC shows happening at City Winery on March 18th (tickets) and Rubin Museum on March 25th (tickets).

Updated tour dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Rhett Miller played w/ Nicole Atkins, Old 97's add tour dates "

S. Carey @ Webster Hall in Sept (more by Jessica Amaya)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Mike Birbiglia @ Union Hall
* Paul McCartney @ the Apollo
* Joe Satriani @ Best Buy Theater
* Jim Campilongo, Tony Scherr @ Living Room
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen @ SoHo Apple Store
* Liz Phair, Chris Brokaw @ Bowery Ballroom
* S. Carey, White Hinterland @ Highline Ballroom
* Usher, Trey Songz, Miguel @ Madison Square Garden
* Hilly Eye, The Facts We Hate, Queening @ Cake Shop
* Civil Twilight, The Spring Standards @ The Rock Shop
* Body Language, Delicate Steve, Bluejay @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Linfinity, Appomattox, Monuments, The Courtesy Tier @ Mercury Lounge
* Masta Ace, Keith Murray, Pack FM, Emilio Rojas, I Am Many, Sleep Walkas @ Southpaw
* Run DMT, Nonhorse, Tooth Ache., Toby Aronson, Megafortress @ Silent Barn
* Rob Morseberger, The Bowmans, Tony Scherr Trio, Tony Mason @ The Living Room
* Taproot, Modern Day Escape, Dive, Disaster Fantastic @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Yellow Ostrich, Bottle Up & Go, The Twees, Robbers On High Street, Y/Y, Marc Pinansky @ Bowery Electric
* Citizen Dick (members of Suckers & Yeasayer), Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Moonwalk, The Beagle @ Glasslands
* The Shalitas, Nicole Atkins, Jordan Craig, The Nouvellas, Kendra Morris, Cudzoo and the Faggettes, DJ Vinyl Fog @ Knitting Factory

When I posted about the many upcoming and past Nicole Atkins shows over the weekend, I missed * the one happening tonight at Knitting Factory.

Does anyone know anything more about "Citizen Dick" featuring "members of Suckers and Yeasyer" who are playing Glasslands with MBAR tonight?

The show at Southpaw tonight is a benefit for Robin Hood.

Anthony Jeselnik, Karen Kilgariff, Tony Camin & Moshe Kasher are all confirmed for Whiplash tonight.

S. Carey is headlining Highline Ballroom tonight. Check out S. Carey performing "Mothers" into "Action" at Love Power Church for MPLS.TV's weekly live performance series, "City of Music," below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

DOWNLOAD: Nicole Atkins - Vitamin C (Can Cover) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nicole Atkins - Vulture (MP3)

Nicole Atkins covering Bob Dylan @ LPR (more by Chris La Putt)

With her new album, Mondo Amore, coming out Jan 25 (Razor & Tie), New Jersey-born, Brooklyn-based crooner, Nicole Atkins has just released the Vultures 7". The record features her first single of the same name backed with her beautiful cover of "Vitamin C," the classic hit from German kraut-rockers Can.

"'Vitamin C' is my favorite song from one of my favorite bands. I also wanted to record something that wasn't so centralized around the vocals but more about the overall feel of the band. It was like 'let's record a song that I wish was my own.'" - Nicole Atkins

Download Nicole's Vitamin C cover above.

Nicole Atkins recently took part in tributes to both Bob Dylan and John Lennon, and will honor yet another person with music at a show tonight (12/11), though this time it's the much sadder kind of tribute. Musician Zach Arrias passed away suddenly on Thanksgiving due to a blood clot that went to his heart. Friends, including Nicole Atkins, David Pattillo and Mollie King, will gather and perform in his memory upstairs at Pianos from 7-10pm.

Nicole Atkins kicks off a tour in support of her new record (see above) on February 9th at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are on sale. No openers are announced yet for that show, but she will be joined by Cotton Jones on the rest of the tour.

Cotton Jones just so happens to be playing in NYC tonight as well, at Mercury Lounge with Crooked Fingers.

All dates below...

Continue reading "a Zach Arrias tribute & other Nicole Atkins tour dates w/ Cotton Jones (who is in NYC now w/ Crooked Fingers)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Eleanor Friedberger / David Johansen

What Kind of Love Is This:
The Music of BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
w/ Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces. And special Guest Vocalists Chocolate Genius, and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

That's how Sunday night's Bob Dylan tribute show at Le Poisson Rouge was listed. The full setlist with performers listed, more pictures from the event, and two videos, below...

Continue reading "Bob Dylan was celebrated @ Le Poisson Rouge (pics, video & setlist) -- David Johansen, Fiery Furnaces & many more"

Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus: Writings 1968-2010 was recently released, just in time for the holidays...

"The book begins in Berkeley in 1968, and ends with a piece on Dylan's show at the University of Minnesota--his very first appearance at his alma mater--on election night 2008. In between are moments of euphoric discovery: From Marcus's liner notes for the 1967 Basement Tapes (pop music's most famous bootlegged archives) to his exploration of Dylan's reimagining of the American experience in the 1997 Time Out of Mind. And rejection; Marcus's Rolling Stone piece on Dylan's album Self Portrait--often called the most famous record review ever written--began with "What is this shit?" and led to his departure from the magazine for five years. Marcus follows not only recordings but performances, books, movies, and all manner of highways and byways in which Bob Dylan has made himself felt in our culture.

Together the dozens of pieces collected here comprise a portrait of how, throughout his career, Bob Dylan has drawn upon and reinvented the landscape of traditional American song, its myths and choruses, heroes and villains. They are the result of a more than forty-year engagement between an unparalleled singer and a uniquely acute listener."

You can buy it at Amazon, or maybe pick up a copy at the Strand tonight, 12/1, where Greil will be speaking in conversation with Stephen Hazan Arnoff, Director of the 14th Street Y, "and special guests Matt and Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces, who will perform a few songs."

Eleanor & Matt Friedberger will also be on hand at the 14th St Y and Le Poisson Rouge on Sunday, December 5th, for a day of Dylan events. The concert at LPR is this:

What Kind of Love Is This:
The Music of BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
w/ Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces. And special Guest Vocalists Chocolate Genius, and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

$35 tickets are still on sale for that part, and $75 tickets which I guess get you into everything at both spaces, are on sale too. If you just want in the symposium happening at the Y, that's $45, described as "a one-of-a-kind exploration of Bob Dylan and the Band's work, featuring scholars, critics, writers, and artists"

Greil Marcus: Author of the definitive book on Bob Dylan and The Band, Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes.

Christopher Ricks: Renowned critic and scholar of English literature and poetry, and author of Dylan's Visions of Sin.

John Niven: Novelist whose book Music from Big Pink vividly imagines the world of Bob Dylan and The Band.

Dana Spiotta: Author of mesmerizing portraits of the 60's underground, including Eat the Document.

Matt Friedberger: Co-founder of the visionary rock band The Fiery Furnaces.

D.A. Pennebaker: Pioneering film documentarian, whose credits include Don't Look Back, the first film on Bob Dylan.

Stephen Hazan Arnoff: Executive Director of the 14th Street Y writes and teaches widely on music, art and religion.

Wesley Stace (John Wesley Harding): Singer-songwriter and award winning author of Misfortune.

William G. Scheele: Museum curator and former Equipment/Stage Manager for Bob Dylan and The Band.

Bob Dylan himself, who recently played three nights in a row at NYC's Terminal 5, is not listed anywhere. Maybe he'll come watch. More info on the whole thing at 14th St. Y's site.

John Wesley Harding also has a show coming up at City Winery.

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Mystery Jets - Flash a Hungry Smile (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mystery Jets - Dreaming of Another World (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dominant Legs - About My Girls (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Frankie Rose & the Outs - Candy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Red Mass - Saturn (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tony Castles - Black Girls in Dresses (MP3)

Blanche?

Looks like there are still a few tickets to go see Mystery Jets tonight at Mercury Lounge now that the band have sorted out their visa issues after having to cancel last night's show (which I was going to go to). Frank at Chromewaves caught them in Toronto on Monday night:

Over the course of an hour, they split their set evenly between Serotonin and its predecessor, 2008's Twenty-One, and gave the respectably-sized crowd something to get boisterous about - which they did, right through to the soaring encore-closer "Dreaming Of Another World". Any concerns about what would happen to the rest of the tour were set aside in favour of just enjoying the moment.

Looking through Frank's photos of the show, I was happy to see Mystery Jets aren't sporting any fashion disasters (see above) like when they played at Bowery Ballroom last year. That may sound superficial but it is distracting when a band you really like dresses like Blanche from Golden Girls. As I've said before, I was a huge fan of 2008's Twenty One and think their new one, Serotonin, is maybe better even if nothing on it quite reaches the highs of "Young Love" and "Two Doors Down."

If you're going, be sure to get there early for L.A.'s Dominant Legs whose new EP on Lefse records I like a lot. Any band that lists The Style Council as an influence is gonna grab my attention, at least enough to listen to it. They played last night at Mercury Lounge, their first NYC show, and reports on Twitter seemed to be pretty positive.

Frankie & the Outs @ SXSW 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

Mystery Jets' cancellation last night has thrown a wrench into my schedule. I had planned on spending the evening at Glasslands for the Frankie Rose & the Outs' record release party but now I'm gonna hope the show goes late enough that I can do both tonight (9/15). We'll see how this works out. If nothing else I can pick up the record a week early tonight at the merch table. It's a really good album that, if maybe a little economical in the lyrical department, definitely showcases Rose's ease with hooks and harmonies. Check out an MP3 of the single "Candy" above and you can watch the Carrie-inspired video for the song -- which just premiered -- at the bottom.

It should be a fun night all around. Light Asylum, who the Outs shared the bill for their first-ever show last Halloween, headline the party, with opening slots from psych mystics Mirror Mirror and Pigeon who I can't find any info on. (But there are at least three other bands currently called Pigeon so you might want to rethink the name.)  MINKS were originally supposed to play but seem to have fallen off the bill.

Dum Dum Girls

I have to imagine Frankie's pals Dum Dum Girls will be in attendance tonight (you can spot Dee Dee in the "Candy" video near the end) if they can make it in time following the first of their three gigs opening for Vampire Weekend this week at Radio City Music Hall. I would kind of like to see DDGs there, actually, as their echo-y girl group vibe could sound amazing with the venue's acoustics. But I'm not gonna. I might, however, try to catch them on Saturday night (9/18) at Knitting Factory where they'll play with Girls at Dawn and Reading Rainbow. Their self-titled Sub Pop debut has stayed in constant rotation since coming out out in March.

While we're on the subject of bands with whom Frankie Rose used to play drums, Crystal Stilts finally seem to be getting around to making a second record. A new single, "Shake the Shackles," is due out on Slumberland Records on October 21, their first new material in 18 months. The band have struggled a bit post-Frankie, and the last time I saw them play live (Fall 2009 I think) they seemed pretty out of sorts. But both sides of the new single is good -- you can listen to it at the bottom of this post -- and hopefully they've really shaked those shackles and rebounded.

You can find out for yourself when Crystal Stilts play Knitting Factory on Friday (9/17) with drony, motoroik San Franciscans Moon Duo.

Red Mass @ M For Montreal 2009 (more)

What else? Montreal art punks Red Mass will be here this weekend for two shows: Friday at Party Expo and Saturday at Death by Audio. Both shows are with X-ray Eyeballs. Somewhere between the Damned's goth-tinged punk and Nuggets era psych-garage, Red Mass also bring a sense of theatrics to their live performances. Frontman Choyce (late of CCP Gangbangs) has no problem with high concept and brings the Red to the stage -- both times I've seen them, the band dressed entirely in shades of crimson. But the music still does most of the talking. If you like this kind of thing at all, Red Mass are not to be missed.

Red mass are on their first real tour of the States -- well, the East Coast -- and they'll hook up with King Khan & the Shrines along the way. All tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

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And finally, Superchunk are here this weekend, playing Bowery Ballroom on Saturday (9/18) and MHoW on Sunday (9/19). Both shows are sold out, but you can still see them at Other Music on Sunday afternoon (1PM). I've also had good luck getting tickets at MHoW at the box office day of show, so if you're without a ticket it's worth a try.

Even if you don't get to see them, you've still got their seriously awesome new album, Majesty Shredding. No phoning it in here, this is classic Superchunk. Over at Emusic, Michaelangelo Matos wrote a great review of the record and the opening paragraph really nails it:

Superchunk sound like they've been listening to a lot of Superchunk. Well, of course -- what else would they sound like? But think about that for a second. Most bands slow down as they age because most people slow down as they age: Sonic Youth isn't about to start flirting with hardcore again; the Rolling Stones will never cut another "She Said Yeah." That's nature. But Superchunk 2010 could be easily mistaken for Superchunk 1991 -- the tempo hasn't moved and the scrappiness hasn't budged. And scrappy is what this band does.

Majesty Shredding is loaded with classic Superchunk Moments, from new single "Digging for Something" (you've seen the video by now, right?) to the manic "Crossed Wires" (a 7" from last summer) to my favorite song, the anthemic "Hot Tubes." It's so great to see a band 20 years into its career knock one out of the park.

Translations

That's enough for this week. A few more picks for the week, of things I didn't cover above, day by day:

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 15

I've been listening a lot to this Translations digital single which you can download for free. Both "sides" are really good, kind of Flying Nun/GbV style indie. Haven't seen them live but they play tonight at The Woods in Williamsburg. It's a free show.

Power pop fans should head straight to the Rock Shop for Tommy Keene, Title Tracks and Valley Lodge.

continued below...

Continue reading "Dum Dum Girls, Red Mass, Crystal Stilts, Superchunk, Frankie & the Outs, Radical Dads & more in This Week in Indie"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Like the Antlers before her, Nicole Atkins (and two new band members) played a sold out show at In Vino Wine Bar, on Sunday, 6/6. The "Vivo in Vino" show ran much like the Antlers show. There were some words about the wine (Brooklyn Oenology) followed by three songs by Nicole, then a break, then a Q&A with Nicole and winemaker Alie Shaper, and then three more songs by Nicole. More pictures from the show, some which were taken during sound check, below...

Continue reading "Nicole Atkins played Vivo in Vino as a three piece (pics) "

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

After opening sets by Grooms and Class Actress, Holly Miranda headlined her own show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC last night (5/27). Her setlist included covers of Yoko Ono and Etta James, and a Jealous Girlfriends song (her old band). There was a horn section consisting of Michael Irwin (trumpet) and Maria Eisen (sax) of the Woes, and a lot of other special guests on stage before the encore. She and TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone aka Rain Machine performed a duet, and then there was a sing-along in support of equal marriage rights for everyone. Guests on stage for the group number, in addition to Holly's band, included Kyp, Nicole Atkins, Scott Matthew, Ellie Everdell of The Hundred In The Hands, Billy McCarthey and Eric Sanderson of Pela (rip), French singer-songwriter Soko, Brendan Coon (co-writer of Holly's song "Forest Green, Oh Forest Green"), Sharron Sulami of Pink Noise, Holly's friend and tour manager Raimy Rosenduft, and Celebrate Brooklyn's Nadine Goellner.

More pictures from the show, some videos and Holly's entire setlist, below...

Continue reading "Holly Miranda, Class Actress & many special guests played Bowery Ballroom in NYC - pics, video & setlist"

Calexico...

Calexico have some shows scheduled this summer. Those include at Bonnaroo in June and other festivals like Newport Folk Fest and Ottawa Folk Fest. They'll also play City Winery in NYC for two nights: July 19th (tickets) and July 20th (tickets). All dates below.

Before that, songwriter Alejandro Escovedo & the Sensitive Boys with Bobby Bare Jr will also be doing two nights at the same NYC venue, with shows on June 29th (tickets) and June 30th (tickets). Alejandro's new album, Street Songs of Love, comes out June 29th. He also plays Central Park SummerStage's Simon & Garfunkel benefit night on June 8th. All dates below.

Also on the schedule at City Winery are Clem Snide, who play there on July 16th (tickets) and whose latest LP, The Meat of Life, came out February 23rd via 429 Records. The venue also has shows from Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, Rhett Miller (who have residencies) and Nicole Atkins coming up.

Calexico, Clem Snide and Alejandro Escovedo tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Calexico, Clem Snide & Alejandro Escovedo are all touring, playing shows @ City Winery - 2010 dates"

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals @ Rockwood in April (more by Chris La Putt)

XPoNential Music Festival will take place over three days, July 16th-18th in the waterfront Wiggins Park in Camden, NJ. The lineup includes Rosanne Cash, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Walkmen, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Free Energy, Nicole Atkins and Dawes. Tickets and three-day passes are on sale now.

The current lineup as of now (more are TBA) and more info are posted below...

Continue reading "XPoNential Music Festival in Camden - 2010 lineup & tickets"

In Vino Wine Bar in NYC (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Like the Antlers before her, Nicole Atkins will perform at In Vino Wine Bar as part of "Vivo in Vino" (they changed the name from Viewtopia in Vino). Tickets are on sale (all 40 of them) for the June 6th show. And they tell me:

"Nicole is going to play all new material (previewing songs that are going to be on the new album) and we've brought Brooklyn winemaker Brooklyn Oenology on board to be the wine sponsor. If you don't know much about Brooklyn Oenology they are a really incredible winery run by Alie Shaper, an extremely talented winemaker who sources all of her grapes from New York State and then makes the wines in Greenpoint.

Every person who comes to the concert will again get 4 tasting glasses of wine with their ticket."

Coincedentally I've only given away free wine at one BrooklynVegan show ever, and it was this past SXSW with both The Antlers and Nicole Atkins on the bill. All of Nicole's dates below...

Continue reading "Nicole Atkins playing In Vino & a couple other shows "