photos by Chris La Putt

Nina Persson covering Kate Bush @ Le Poisson Rouge

In exciting new album news:

"The legendary singer KATE BUSH will release her brand new studio album 50 Words For Snow via Anti-Records this November 21st. You can preview the record beginning today, November 14 when it streams in its entirety care of NPR's First Listen series.

50 Words For Snow features 7 new tracks set against a background of falling snow, with a total running time of 65 minutes; through a highly evocative musical and lyrical landscape this haunting album once again pushes the boundaries. This is KATE's second album release of 2011, following Director's Cut which was released in May to massive critical acclaim.

The new album features a small number of special guest musicians including Elton John.

On Saturday night, 11/12, in NYC, Kate Bush was the subject of a Losers Lounge tribute show at LPR, presented by Joe McGinty and Amy Miles, and with special guests Karen Elson, Nina Persson, Corn Mo, etc.. You can see everyone that did a cover via the setlist which is under the rest of the pictures and two videos from the event below.

Losers Lounge's next victim is Diana Ross who they'll be paying tribute to at Joe's Pub at five shows in three days in December.

More pictures, video & setlist from the Kate Bush show below...

Continue reading "Losers Lounge & friends paid tribute to Kate Bush whose new album is streaming now (pics, setlist, video)"

by Klaus Kinski

Doug Gillard @ Irving Plaza NYE (more by Chris Gersbeck)

I got heavily obsessed with Guided By Voices after the demise of the "classic '93 - '96 line-up" which featured Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, and Greg Demos (a line-up that reunited in 2010 and has been blazing a sweaty, beer soaked trail across the US since) (this past weekend's Sasquatch Festival included).

I've now seen the classic line-up twice thanks to the reunion, but prior to that my live experience was always delivered by Robert Pollard, Nate Farley, Doug Gillard, Kevin March, Tim Tobias and, later on, Chris Slusarenko. I often had to be rolled out of those shows in a wheelbarrow, and memories of those shows are muddied and schizophrenic, but two things I always took away from a GBV experience was A) that I had had the time of my life and B) that lead guitarist Doug Gillard was, and is, easily one of the most agile guitar gods in rock 'n roll. I mean, forget about shredding and other wanky guitar-athleticism bullshit. What Doug brings to the table is a prodigal level of rock-solid, rock guitar purity and proficiency. Doug is an absolute master of his craft, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone out there these days who can get such a thunderous onslaught from his Les Paul and his amps. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to find that your man Klaus has been following Doug's solo career with great interest and it is because of non-GBV-related Gillard news that I write to you fine people today.

On Saturday June 4th, Doug will be part of an ensemble of musicians paying tribute to Captain Beefheart at Bowery Poetry Club.

Gary Lucas (Beefheart alumni, Jeff Buckley), Nona Hendryx (Labelle, Talking Heads), Nina Persson (The Cardigans), Nathan Larson (Shudder To Think), Cynthia Sley (Bush Tetras), Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices), Eric Slick (Dr. Dog), & Weasel Walter (Behold The Arctopus), will be joined by musicians from the rock, jazz, metal, progressive, blues, experimental, & classical worlds to perform faithful and interpretive versions of songs from Beefheart's entire catalog, from his 1966 debut "Safe As Milk" to his final record "Ice Cream For Crow", released in 1982.

Captain Beefheart died on December 17, 2010 from complications from multiple sclerosis, so it's fitting that ALL PROCEEDS from this show (a reasonable $10) will go directly to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. If you can't make it to the show, watch the live stream. And consider donating to the MS Society.

Besides the MS/Beefheart show, there are many more opportunities to catch Doug live. Speaking of beef, on Saturday June 11th, get your non-vegan ass to the Big Apple BBQ in Madison Square Park at 1:00pm on Saturday June 11th. While you're feasting on various forms of carrion with gristle and BBQ sauce dribbling from your lips (editor's note: Klaus!), the band Bambi Kino will be performing. Bambi Kino features Mark Rozzo (Maplewood), Ira Elliot (Nada Surf), Doug Gillard (Ex Guided By Voices), Erik Paparazzi (Cat Power) and were formed to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles' first concerts in Hamburg Germany. Back in those days, the Beatles were essentially a cover band themselves, and Bambi Kino's setlist is culled from the Beatles' set list from back in those days. So it's like a cover band covering a cover band who were doing their own versions of the whole blues thing. And it's free! More about who's playing the Big Apple BBQ, HERE.

You can also catch Doug when he goes on tour with Tommy Keene and Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves. Doug recently wrote and recorded songs on Sally's upcoming 5-song EP "Transmit/Receive". Tommy is touring in support of his new LP, and Doug Gillard will have a new vinyl 7" he'll be promoting. The tour lands at the Rock Shop on September 10th, 2011. Complete tour dates below.

Oh, and before I forget... Doug is recording tons of guitar for the upcoming Nada Surf LP, which is due out in Fall of 2011. Look out for that as well as a tour in support of said LP. Nada Surf's Matthew Caws joined Doug on stage at Irving Plaza on New Years Eve when he opened for GBV.

Catch Guided By Voices, Wavves, and Surfer Blood during the Northside Festival on June 18th, yo.

Catch Bush Tetras (Cynthia Sley is also playing the Beefheart show) at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday, June 10th.

Gary Lucas's other upcoming shows include a July 3rd appearance at Iridium Jazz Club and a July 9th show at the Rubin Museum of Art.

Doug tour dates and the Beefheart flyer below...

Continue reading "Doug Gillard is doing stuff (Captain Beefheart show w/ Gary Lucas, Beatles band, Tommy Keene tour, Nada Surf LP)"

"There's nothing "normal" about New York Fashion Week, but if the incoming flood of models, designers, and celebs isn't cool enough, this might just make you gasp:

For LnA's first presentation in New York City, they're going all out, showcasing their trademark streetwear (including the famous, best-selling, NYLON approved Dani legging), while bringing along some special guests.

Besides a performance by Metric, LnA will have a special guest at their afterparty - Patti Smith. The singer, poet, artist, author, icon, fill-in-the-blank will appear onstage at Milk Studios during LnA's big Manhattan bash." [NYLON]

Metric and Patti Smith play the LnA party. The Cardigans' Nina Persson appears at the Peter Jensen party on Valentine's Day. That's the setlist (invite?) full of covers above.

NYC band Preacher and the Knife have been "chosen to perform at famed designer Cynthia Rowley's runway show during NY Fashion Week, next Friday, February 12th at Gotham Hall. The band will also be performing on February 14th at the Cake Shop for'"Panache & Cake Shop's V-Day Love In.'"

Alberta Cross are performing Thursday in the John Varvatos store.

You can catch Amanda Blank, Ebony Bones & Daniel Merriweather at Hudson Hotel on 2/10.

Tickets are on sale for Naomi Campbell's Fashion For Relief Haiti at The Tents at Bryant Park (2/12).

What else?

Continue reading "NY Fashion Week kicks off (music events include Metric, Patti Smith, Nina Persson, Alberta Cross & more)"

by Andrew Frisicano

A Camp, the trio fronted by Cardigans singer Nina Persson, has announced a full European tour and (so far) one US date in support of its second album, Colonia, out April 28th via Nettwerk. The band will be playing the Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, May 26 (on sale Friday at noon, Am Ex presale on Wednesday) - which will be a hometown show of sorts for Persson and husband/ex-Shudder to Think member Nathan Larson (who, with ex-Atomic Swing musician Niclas Frisk, make up A Camp).

An article in the UK's Independent discusses Persson's life, The Cardigans, and the move:

[After recording The Cardigans reunion album Super Extra Gravity,] Persson finally spread her wings, moving to New York with Larson. "I was feeling positive, strong," she says. "It was a nice sensation."

Eighteen months ago, Persson and her husband decided to get on to Manhattan's property ladder. They couldn't afford much by themselves, so decided to go in with Larson's parents. They now share a four-storey brownstone in a part of Harlem that has yet to undergo full gentrification.

"We've been burgled three times in 18 months," Persson notes, "but that's just something that happens. And besides, the police are really helpful. They know us by name now..."

The band, which won four Swedish Grammys for its 2001 self-titled debut, performed at this year's ceremony, video below. One of A Camp last NYC shows was at Union Hall in August 2007.

All tour dates, plus a live video/interview, below...

Continue reading "A Camp (Nina Persson of the Cardigans) - new album & 2009 tour dates (Bowery Ballroom)"

THE CITIZENS BAND presents "The Panic is On" - Sept. 7th / 8th / 9th @ Spiegeltent

Visionary musical troupe The Citizens Bandare taking over the Spiegeltent for a three-night extravaganza. The Citizens Band is a sexy, ribald musical troupe renowned for their dazzling song and dance performances. "The Panic Is On," their sixth original show in three years, finds the troupe trapped in a makeshift bomb shelter, where they're forced to find common ground and hope in a terror filled world. Performing a spirited mix of classic songs and original compositions, they ponder such issues as fear mongering, war, immigration, xenophobia, poverty and their own dreams for political change. These shows also mark the troupe's debut performance with director Gordon Greenberg (Jacques Brel is Alive and Well, Assisted Loving), and features special guests Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond and Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls.

The good news: Nina, Becky and Amanda. The bad news: neither CB regulars Craig Wedren or Angela McCluskey appear in this show.

Craig is probably too busy working with Nina's husband.

Amanda Palmer also performed her own show at the same venue earlier this year.

Craig Wedren @ Pianos, NYC (BV CMJ), NYC - Oct 20, 2007 (Bao)

Craig Wedren helped put together this "Get Up And Vote" show at Bowery Ballroom on February 4th. All his friends from Stella will be there, his former bandmate Nathan Larson, Nathan's wife Nina Persson, Joan as Policewoman, AND: OK GO (of YouTube fame) are headlining. More details below.....

Continue reading "Barack Obama "Get up and Vote" show @ Bowery Ballroom"

Shudder to Think broke up in 1998. Almost ten years later, and there still hasn't been a reunion. Frontman Craig Wedren - known to sing a STT song now and then - remains an active member of the NYC music scene. He has a solo album out on Team Love, has various bands, contributes to almost anything State/Stella-related, and gets all artsy when he's doing his thing with the Citizens Band.

Shudder to Think guitarist Nathan Larson is married to Nina Persson of the Cardigans. Together they make music in their recently-active newer band A Camp. Shudder to Think "drummer for hire" Kevin March is currently drumming with Craig again (he isn't the original STT drummer, but he did play with them).

Other members of the Citizens Band (Craig's artsy thing) include Craig's sometimes-band-member Amy Miles, Jack White's wife Karen Elson, Angela McLuskey, and Rain Phoenix. Rain Phoenix also has a band called Papercranes. Last week I alerted you to a Papercranes residency going on at Mercury Lounge in NYC. At tonight's residency show (Sept 17, 2007), Papercranes (8:00) will be joined by Luke Schurman (whose apt recently burned) (7:00), Craig Wedren (9:00), and A Camp (10:00).

Not only does that mean that three members of Shudder to Think will be in the house, Craig is in fact promising the closest thing to a Shudder To Think reunion in history - all three members playing together, and more importantly - playing STT songs together. The Mercury Lounge bill still just says Craig Wedren, so I asked again, and they said, "Yep - all shudder (and a handful of craig's solo songs, I'm assuming)".

Nina and company were playing to a packed house. They played all the big songs from the s/t album - "Frequent Flier," "I Can Buy You," "Walking the Cow," "Algebra," "Song for the Leftovers," "Rock n' Roll Ghost," and a couple of others. They also played something called "Where the Wild Animals Are," or something like that, which started with the whole band making animal sounds and clapping in the air. Very nice. The encore (one song) was another really wonderful new one with just Nina and the Keyboardist playing it - simple, seemed to be a lamentation about being married (we can hope, can't we!!) Nina kept reaching into a little canvas bag to pull out harmonicas, water, percussion sticks...and she also professed to a deep fear of instruments. She sure did play them
nicely though. [trent wolbe]

More pics like the above, also @ Trent's Flickr. Knitting Factory tix still on sale.

Nina Perrson brings her side-project A Camp from Sweden to NYC soon (or maybe she already lives here, I'm not sure). This coincides with news of a new album...

Six years after the solo debut with A Camp, Nina Persson has started working on a new album with Niklas Frisk and her husband Nathan Larson. She has started with a bang with half a dozen songs that are going to get lyrics about everything from Chinatown in New York to "animals in Africa". [Cardigans.com]

Tickets are on sale for a show at Union Hall on August 6th, and for one two days later at Knitting Factory - both with Cat Martino. Their next scheduled show after that is at Mercury Lounge w/ The Paper Cranes & Craig Wedren on September 17th. Songs from their 2001 album are streaming at MySpace.