Sammy of The Mooney Suzuki at Stones Fest 2012 (more by Stephen Yang)

Stones Fest, a tribute to the Rolling Stones, is returning to NYC this year on May 22 to 23 at Bowery Ballroom. As usual, the show is hosted by The Cabin Down Below Band and it features many of the usual guests like Norah Jones, Patrick Carney (of The Black Keys), Jason Isbell, Butch Walker, Delta Spirit, Cory Chisel & Adriel Denae, Johnny T, Adam Green, Jesse Malin, Ruby Amanfu, Petter Ericson Stakee (of Alberta Cross), Nicole Atkins, Justin Long, Jack Dishel (of Only Son), Seth Herzog, Sammy James Jr. (of The Mooney Suzuki), Danny Clinch & The Tangiers Blues Band, Steve Schiltz (of Hurricane Bells), Har Mar Superstar, Josh Lattanzi (of The Candles), The Uptown Horns, Jamie Burke & Mikki James, and many more. Tickets for both nights go on sale Friday (4/26) at noon and proceeds will benefit Sweet Relief and The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

Meanwhile, the actual Rolling Stones will be on their own tour (Mick Taylor included) around that same time. A number of North American dates have been announced but still none in NYC. Also, their kickoff show in LA has been pushed back a day due to NBA playoffs. Updated Stones dates are listed below.

Har Mar Superstar - 'Bye Bye 17'

In other related news, Har Mar Superstar, who plays Stones Fest, is on tour now and plays his own NYC show a week earlier at Le Poisson Rouge on May 15 with The Young Things and Nightbox. He then returns the following month to play Grand Victory on June 14 with The Boxing Lesson, Purple Spires, Supercute!, and NVUS as part of Northside Festival. Tickets for the LPR show are on sale now. No advance tix for the Grand Victory show, but admission is $12 at the door and you can also try to get in with your Northside badge.

Har Mar's new album, Bye Bye 17 just came out this week (4/23). You can stream it in full over at The Current and the track "Lady, You Shot Me" is also streaming below. Har Mar also just interviewed Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. You can stream/download the entire 52 minute conversation over at Earwolf.

All Har Mar Superstar and Rolling Stones dates are listed, along with the song stream and Stones Fest 2013 flyer below...

Continue reading "Stones Fest returning to NYC in 2013; Har Mar Superstar on tour, released an LP, interviewed Julian Casablancas"

Adele's theme song from Bond flick Skyfall was one of the five nominees for Best Song in the 85th Academy Awards which were announced this morning (1/10). Other nominees include Norah Jones' "Everybody Needs a Friend" from Ted; Scarlett Johanssen and Joshua Bell's "Before My Time" from documentary Chasing Ice; "Pi's Theme" from Life of Pi; and "Suddenly," one of the new songs penned for the new version of Les Misérables. Not the most exciting list (songs by Karen O, Fiona Apple, Arcade Fire, and Rick Ross were on the eligible list) but at least we got five noms this year -- only two songs were nominated in 2012 (they changed the eligibility rules after that happened). Videos and streams for all five are below.

Also nominated was Searching for Sugar Man, the terrific documentary about '70s cult musician Rodriguez. The DVD of that film is out January 22.

Steven Speilberg's Lincoln and Ang Lee's Life of Pie led this year's nominations with 12 and 11 each, respectively. Nine films were nominated for Best Picture this year: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, and Zero Dark Thirty.

The 85th Academy Awards will be given out February 24th in Los Angeles. A full list of nominees are below.

Continue reading "Oscar reveals 2013 nominees (Adele's "Skyfall" included)"

Puss N Boots @ Rockwood Music Hall, 5/9/2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Puss N Boots, the "Sex, love, and Country music" trio featuring Sasha Dobson, Catherine Popper, and Norah Jones, who play out in NYC every so often, begin a three-week Thursdays residency at The Bell House tonight, playing with So Brown with The Robs. Then on January 17 they play with The Parkington Sisters and on January 24 they're with Tall Pines. All three shows feature "special guest dancer" Minnie Tonka. Tickets to all three shows are still available.

Video of Puss N Boots playing City Winery this time last year below...

Continue reading "Puss N Boots begin January residency at Bell House (dates)"

Indian classical sitarist and legend Ravi Shankar has passed away at 92 years old.

Shankar has been performing since the 1930s and began receiving international attention by the '50s. Since then he's been an influence on Western music, having famously taught George Harrison (and later performed at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh), performed at Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, recorded a collaboration with Philip Glass, and more. Norah Jones is his daughter.

Rest in peace, Ravi. Your contributions to music of all cultures will always be remembered. Some videos below...

Continue reading "Ravi Shankar, RIP"

by Bill Pearis

Arriving on the mid-'70s London scene as a rough'n'ready product of the pub-rock era -- an R&B- loving Nick Lowe with a sharper, more ambitious pen, as it were -- Parker predated Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, both of whom would second his illustration that the singer/songwriter idiom could be recharged, giving intelligent rock fans an excitable and energetic alternative to (slightly) older guardsmen like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Randy Newman and Van Morrison. - [Trouser Press]

Graham and the Rumour are currently touring the record in America and will be playing the previously mentioned NYC show at Concert Hall at the NY Society for Ethical Culture on Saturday (12/1, tickets) with openers The Figgs, and then The Paramount Theatre in Long Island on Sunday (12/2, tickets) which is a co-headling show with Ian Hunter. All tour dates are below.

Parker's had a long career, and had college radio hits with his 1988 album The Mona Lisa's Sister and has kept on going since. He may be about to get another moment in the spotlight as fan Judd Apatow tapped Parker to not only contribute songs to his new film, This Is 40, but also appear in the film. The comedy, a sideways sequel to Knocked Up (about Paul Rudd's character from that film) will be out in theaters December 21. The soundtrack was produced by Jon Brion and also features Norah Jones, Fiona Apple, Lindsay Buckingham, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Paul Simon, Wilco, Loudon Wainwright and more. Tracklist is below, as is the trailer for the film.

A list of tour dates, album stream, videos, and the This Is 40 trailer and soundtrack tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Graham Parker reunited with The Rumour, made first new LP in 31 years, on tour, appearing in 'This Is 40' (dates, streams)"

Levon Helm at Summerstage, July 2011 (more by Chris La Putt)

The great Levon Helm will be paid tribute on 11/19 at Hill Country (30 w26th St, Manhattan), when Catherine Popper (of Levon Helm/Jack White/Ryan Adams/Grace Potter's bands) will assemble Puss 'n Boots (which probably means Norah Jones) to lead a benefit at the venue. Levon's charity 'Keep It Going!' will be the receipient of the proceeds, a charity designed to keep Midnight Ramble, the studio and associated properties up and running. Joining Popper will be performances from Suzanna Choffel, Fredro Perry, The Cheating Hearts, and Bug & Bru (of The Defibulators). $20 gets you in.

This isn't the first time that a member of Grace Potter's band has been involved in a benefit; the frontwoman herself performed at a Levon Helm tribute show in early October.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals meanwhile, who just hit Austin, play a pair of NYC shows this week starting at Beacon Theater, tonight, 11/16 (tickets) and again tomorrow, 11/17 (tickets).

Meanwhile check out pictures from the Austin show.

The 2012 New Yorker Festival happens October 5 - 7, bringing together writers, musicians, filmmakers, chefs, deep thinkers and all other sorts of creative types. Highlights for the 13th annual fest include "Portlandia Live" with Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and special guests performing sketches live; Atul Gawande and the band Vampire Weekend; Sasha Frere-Jones and the singer Norah Jones; Alec Wilkinson and the neo-bluegrass band Punch Brothers; Ariel Levy and the singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams; John Seabrook and the indie-folk band Beirut; and Ben Greenman and singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq.

Other notable events: the Wachowskis will present their new film Cloud Atlas with co-director Tom Tykwer; Mad Men's John Slattery hosts a panel on "period acting"; Paul Muldoon will interview Patti Smith and loads more meetings of minds.

Tickets to the 2012 New Yorker Festival will go on sale on Friday, September 14 at noon. Full line-up is below.

Continue reading "New Yorker Festival 2012 schedule (Portlandia, Beirut, Vampire Weekend, Lucinda Williams, Raphael Saadiq, Punch Brothers and more) "

Langhorne Slim & band (which does not include Danger Mouse)

Norah Jones, whose new Danger Mouse-produced album Little Broken Hearts is out now, is playing the Bell House Friday, May 11. Tickets for the Brooklyn show go on sale at noon today (5/8). Norah also has a much larger show coming up at Central Park Summerstage in July and other dates which are listed below.

Cory Chisel is one of the many artists playing the upcoming Dylan Fest at irving Plaza and the Do Division Festival in Chicago. He's also opening for Murder By Death at the previously mentioned Webster Hall show which is part of a larger tour for the two artists. In August he hits the road with Norah Jones. All tour dates are listed below.

Some of Murder by Death's dates are with Ha Ha Tonka, who just played the Kentucky Derby and meanwhile will hit the road with Langhorne Slim for a tour that visits Bowery Ballroom on June 14. All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Norah Jones playing Bell House, touring w/ Cory Chisel who tours w/ Murder by Death who tours w/ Ha Ha Tonka who tours w/ Langhorne Slim (dates)"

"Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents and Starr Hill presents, in a partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, are proud to announce the lineup for the fifth annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival. The world's only gourmet music festival will once again take place in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park August 10 - 12, 2012. Tickets will go on sale Thursday April 19 at 12 noon PDT via www.sfoutsidelands.com. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department."

Continue reading "Outside Lands 2012 lineup (Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Jack White, Foo Fighters, Beck, Skrillex...)"

Norah Jones at Stones Fest 2012 (more by Stephen Yang)

The Central Park Summerstage schedule for 2012, which already includes Beirut, M83, Danny Brown/Childish Gambino, Beach House, and others, is continuing to expand. They've now added a Norah Jones show which will take place on July 3. Tickets go on sale Friday (3/30) at noon with Artist, Summerstage, and AmEx presales starting Thursday (3/29) at 10 AM. More tour dates are listed below.

Norah's Danger Mouse-produced LP, Little Broken Hearts, will see the light of day on May 1 via Blue Note. You can stream two album tracks, "Happy Pills" and "Travelin' On" below, along with some videos from SXSW, the artwork, tracklist, and all dates...

Continue reading "Norah Jones added to 2012 Summerstage schedule, releasing new LP, touring, played SXSW"

photos by Stephen Yang

Stones Fest 2012 celebrated the Rolling Stones with appearances from a bunch of stars of music, film, and television including Adam Green, Will Forte, Norah Jones, Matt Vasquez from Delta Spirit, Evan Rachel Wood, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Jody Porter of Fountains of Wayne, Jesse Malin, Nicole Atkins, Sammy James Jr of The Mooney Suzuki, and many others. Pictures and video of a lot of the the show (but not including everyone), which went down on Feb 22nd at Webster Hall, below.

Continue reading "Stones Fest 2012 pics & video (Evan Rachel Wood, Norah Jones, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Adam Green, Will Forte, more)"

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)"

Megafaun at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

Megafaun are heading out on an extensive international tour this year, starting with a European run in February and then coming to the US in March and April. The tour hits NYC on March 17 at Highline Ballroom with support from William Tyler, who also opens a few of the other US dates. Tickets go on sale Friday (1/13) at noon. All dates are listed below.

Megafaun's Phil Cook is one of the guests, along with Justin Vernon and Norah Jones on Kathleen Edwards' Vernon-produced full length, Voyageur, which comes out this Tuesday (1/17). You can stream the entire album on NPR.

Phil and his brother/bandmate Brad Cook were in a pre-Megafaun band together called Amateur Love. Their album, It's All Aquatic, is being reissued on Justin Vernon's new label, Chigliak Records, which is an imprint of Jagjaguwar. According to a post on the label's website, which has since been removed, Chigliak will release albums that were "never commercially released" or "locally released and never put on vinyl," in addition to new recordings. So far the label is set to release the Amateur Love album, and albums by Sarah Siskind and 12 Rods. Check out an Amateur Love video below.

All dates and video below...

Continue reading "Megafaun announce tour dates; Justin Vernon starts label; Kathleen Edwards streaming new LP"

Puss & Boots @ Rockwood in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Monday night at the Bell House:

Sex, love, and Country music! Puss and Boots brings to Brooklyn holiday cheer, many P and B special guests/santa's helpers, and hay stacks...lots of them!

Featuring burlesque by Nasty Canaste, and Minnie Tonka plus Speical guests Teddy Thompson, Kaki King, Seth Herzog, Sonia Brown, Michelle Casillas, Jeff Hill, Harper Blynn and more!

7:30pm Doors / 8pm Show / $15 Advance Tickets

Speaking of Norah Jones and Christmas, did you catch her playing the Ace Hotel on Anthony Bourdain's recently-aired Christmas show? Did you catch Fucked Up at the end of the same show?

words by Christopher Paragraph, photos by Veronica Luis

Thomas Bartlett's "Burgundy Stain Sessions" has carved out its own unique place in the NYC music scene, bringing tasteful, acclaimed songwriters together with some of the most skilled players in the city. The songwriters in the Burgundy spotlight have ranged from Beth Orton to St. Vincent to Rufus Wainwright to Glen Hansard. This night, however (last night, December 1st), seemed to be a new direction for Bartlett's ensemble, hosting Loudon Wainwright. Loudon rarely collaborates with other musicians and mostly performs solo, so the show was anticipated with cautious excitement and curiosity.

The night started out with the band quietly taking the stage, slowly melding into the opening song with a bit of a wink: Bartlett's "Drinking," which was navigated well by the group. Hannah Cohen joined as a guest vocalist on Bartlett's next song "Boy + Angel," foreshadowing her forthcoming set. Bartlett has mastered the art of making a wandering piano sound precise, and avoids musical clichés without abandoning them. He can wear many different hats on stage equally well, whether taking the reigns as lead singer or smattering notes carefully behind another.

The first guest of the night was Oren Bloedow. Bloedow is the instrumental half of Elysian Fields, but this performance focused on his abilities as a songwriter. He revealed a keen sense of well-crafted pop, in the Joe Jackson / Elvis Costello vein. But his lyrics showed a more complex sensibility, giving equal attention to the meaning and syntax of the phrasing and the actual phonetic sounds of the words themselves. This poetic nature of his songs proved to be the way in which they succeed and separate themselves from the pack. The band (which will be detailed later) provided a well-suited backdrop, displaying Bartlett's skill as the artistic equivalent of a live music A&R man.

Next up was Hannah Cohen, who just finished her debut record (with Bartlett). She played a few smooth, dreamy numbers from the forthcoming album before changing pace with a samba-ish cover of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love." Cohen shows a gift for carefully placing melodies rather than pouring out her soul. The songs are tastefully restrained, even when showing off a vocal run, ghostly and delicate. She seems a perfect candidate to work with Bartlett. Cohen sounded at her best when the arrangement was stripped down, allowing the songs to loosen and bend. It will be interesting to see where she goes as an artist in 2012 and how her debut record sounds. A video preview both morose and sexy can be seen HERE.

Before the anticipated Wainwright set, Justin Vivian Bond was invited up to perform an odd epic heartbreak ballad that challenged concepts from self-identity to deism. This seems to be a trend in how Bond builds a song, as the night's encore echoed the same conceptual structure, a "patriotic" story song that implied thoughts on sex, politics, and natural selection.

Wainwright took the stage, laughing at the fact that he was "back on Bleeker Street." (Wainwright started out here in 1968.) His set began in a rather unexpected manner, a duet with Bartlett on Frank Loesser's "More I Cannot Wish You," from Guys & Dolls. From there, however, Wainwright launched into a few of his old classics, backed seamlessly by the house band (a phrase which seems to instantly undermine their talent). First was "White Winos," a devastating song about alcoholism and his relationship with his mother, which transitioned nicely into "Dreaming," based on a quote of his mother's, "I'd rather be dreaming than living." Wainwright is the quintessential songwriter whose music is morbid under the microscope yet cheerful under a casual glance. The songs are masked in bright melodies and performed with nonchalance, but closer inspection will almost always present the listener with a sharp dissection of the human psyche. Wainwright then played "Motel Blues," (a personal favorite) and a roaring rendition of "Muse Blues" which was most "rocking" moment of the night.

The final encore brought everyone up on stage (including returning guest Norah Jones) to collaborate on an interestingly wobbly re-working of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," in keeping with the dreamy, melancholic theme of the night.

The band provided a thoughtful, dynamic backdrop for Wainwright (and all the evening's performers). Rob Moose's guitar was particularly great, at times supplying a bed of precise fingerpicking, other times creating a subtle dissonant distortion, reminiscent of his recent work with the Grammy-nominated Bon Iver. The rest of the band (Doug Wieselman on clarinet, Ray Rizzo on drums, Brad Albetta on bass) were just about all one could ever ask for in a backing band. They are well versed and experienced with the careful tactics of songwriter-accompaniment.

Bartlett revealed that this would be the last Burgundy Stain Session of 2011 but that they will be back in action early next year. They have created something that supports the musical community and promotes collaboration and songwriting. Here's hoping they continue to grow in 2012.

----

Catch Thomas, Doug and Loudon together again at Town Hall on December 15th.

I'm not sure what his first day back was, but after a short break, Jim Campilongo is back in his Monday night residency spot at The Living Room on the LES. Tony Scherr and Tony Mason will be there too, now through Oct 31st at least.

Jim Campilongo also plays in the band the Little Willies (so does Norah Jones). They have three dates scheduled for October, including one at the Bell House which is on sale now. All of Jim's dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Jim Campilongo back in residency @ Living Room, the Little Willies scheduled shows too"

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"

84 year old Tony Bennett w/ a 27 year old Amy Winehouse

The great Tony Bennett has a new album of Duets, titled Duets II, coming out on September 20th. The 17-track CD features boring names like Michael Buble, John Mayer and Sheryl Crow, and some interesing names like Willie Nelson and Lady Gaga, but most notably includes a duet with Amy Winehouse who unfortunately never had the chance to realize her full potential due to a sad past few years and her untimely death today (7/23/2011).

In a video interview (that you can watch HERE), Tony says "Amy Winehouse was my favorite to perform with on the whole album." He compares her to Dina Washington and says she had the butterflies and nervousness that all the greats like Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington had. He talks about how they clicked and says he thought she really loved to perform (though you might not know it from recent live videos) (too much butterfly medicine). RIP Amy.

Winehouse hasn't released an album since 2006 hit "Back to Black". The album won five of six Grammys it was nominted for including Record of the Year (and Best New Artist). She also won at the Brits that year. She was nominated for the UK's Mercury Prize twice. In 2004 "Frank" lost to Franz Ferdinand. In 2006 she lost to the Klaxons (check out who was nominated this year). Whether or not Amy has any other unreleased material remains to be seen, though there were rumors that she also recently recorded a track with Cee Lo Green.

Speaking of duets, in Amy Winehouse's too-short career she also performed with Mick Jagger, Mos Def, Mark Ronson, sort of Ghostface, and probably others I missed.

The full tracklist and cover art for Tony's "Duets II", and a video of Amy performing with The Rolling Stones, below...

Continue reading "Amy Winehouse appears on soon-to-be-released Tony Bennett 'Duets' album, Tony loved working with her"

Rufus Wainwright @ Prospect Park (more by David Andrako)

Despite the addition of Rufus Wainwright to the bill, and stellar past shows, tickets are amazingly still on sale for Doveman's show at LPR tonight (5/26). The Goastt, aka Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, were recently added to the show too. There's always surprise guests (like Justin Bond) and an all-star backing band too.

Rufus was also just added to another show too, one that also still has tickets on sale, and one that now boasts an extremely impressive lineup of gay icons. Rufus Wainwright, Justin Bond AND Liza Minelli (!) were all added as special guests to the Sandra Bernhard show happening June 8 at Town Hall. The date will be the world premiere of Sandra's new show "I LOVE BEING ME, DON'T YOU?" The poster confirming this info is below.

Speaking of Rufus (and Justin) at Town Hall, he and Martha just played the venue two nights in a row in honor of their mother with Justin Bond, Norah Jones, Antony Hegarty, Emmylou Harris, Teddy Thompson, Jimmy Fallon, and others. Rolling Stone was there the first night:

Although the three-hour concert was billed as "A Celebration of Kate McGarrigle," the prevailing mood was naturally somber. McGarrigle wrote and sang heartrendingly personal songs throughout most of her life; hearing them now that she's gone was emotional, to say the least. Performers and audience members alike could be seen tearing up during highlights like "I Eat Dinner (When The Hunger's Gone)" (a sweet duet between Harris and Thompson), "Go Leave" (a deeply felt rendition by Hegarty), "(Talk to Me Of) Mendocino" (sung by both Wainwright siblings with Jones), "Tell My Sister" (a wonderfully torchy performance by Martha Wainwright) and most of all "Proserpina" - the last song Kate McGarrigle wrote before her death, a sad, lovely, honest tune that brought nearly everyone back on stage to close the night's first set.

Continue reading "Rufus Wainwright (and Liza Minelli!) will join Sandra Bernhard @ Town Hall (where he recently played 2 nights for Kate)"

As previously talked about,

"The long-anticipated brainchild of producer-composer Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi, Rome benefits from a bit of context. More than five years in the making, the project assembles many of the surviving performers of classic '60s and '70s Ennio Morricone scores -- and, in half a dozen memorable cases, pairs them up with the vocals of Norah Jones or The White Stripes' Jack White."
[stream the whole new album @ NPR]

"I did a project with Bob Dylan: he put together 20 or 25 people to finish writing Hank Williams songs that only had lyrics and didn't have music ... I had to write music for Hank Williams' lyrics," White said. "I looked through all the piles of lyrics, and one of 'em just kept speaking to me. Sometimes you think it's gonna be really hard to find my spot, and then it picks it for you. You don't even have to choose it; it just picks it for you."

Continue reading "Danger Mouse+Daniele Luppi+Ennio Morricone+Jack White+Norah Jones = 'Rome' (listen) ++++ Jack White & Bob Dylan & Steve Earle pay tribute to Hank Williams too"

photos by Vincent Cornelli

Doveman played another guest-filled show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on Saturday night. The backing band was comprised of Brad Albetta (bass), Ben Perowsky (drums), Rob Moose (guitar, violin), and Doug Wieselman (clarinet, bass clarinet). Thomas Bartlett was joined by guests Martha wainwright, Justin Bond, Hannah Cohen (whose record Thomas is producing), Jennifer Charles of Elysian fields, Norah Jones (as advertised), Sara Quin (of Tegan and Sara), Nico Muhly, and Frames/Swell Season singer Glen Hansard. Pictures from the party are in this post.

No guests have been announced for Doveman's next shows yet, but this pats show's lineup has been the norm (read about past shows HERE and HERE), so get your tickets in advance if you want to go on May 26th or June 24th.

Meanwhile, Thomas/Doveman and Doug Wieselman will be two of the special guests at Jesse Harris's final residency show at the same venue this Tuesday night (4/26), as will the recently-added Kaki King. Tickets are still on sale.

Jesse, Doug and Martha Wainwright all share a bill, along with Elvis Perkins, at Cameo this Friday as part of the next edition of Noncerts which is still on sale.

You can also catch Martha on May 12 and 13 at the two shows honoring her late mother at Town Hall.

More pictures from Saturday's LPR show, below....

Continue reading "Doveman played another guest-filled show (pics), Martha Wainwright plays w/ Elvis Perkins & Jesse Harris Friday"

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)"

THURSTON MOORE
MATTHEW SHIPP
GYAN RILEY
MASADA STRING TRIO
NED ROTHENBERG
ALHAMBRA TRIO WITH ROB BURGER
ERIK FRIEDLANDER
LIZZ WRIGHT & AYA NISHINA
MIYA MASAOKA
JAMIE SAFT AND NEW ZION TRIO
IKUE MORI & JOHN ZORN
ELLIOTT SHARP
MARK FELDMAN & SYLVIE COURVOISIER
MILFORD GRAVES
JACK QUARTET

Thurston Moore is also headlining his own show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 20th. Tickets for that show are currently on AmEx presale, and go on general sale at noon.

Thurston is also playing a show in Northampton with Dinosaur Jr. in June. Dinosaur Jr. then plays Terminal 5 in NYC two days later with Henry Rollins (who is speaking), Off! and Fucked Up. Tickets for that are on AmEx presale, and go on general sale at noon.

Jesse Harris is also on the bill of the sold out Japan benefit tonight with Norah who is also playing with him at one of his upcoming LPR residency shows.

Thurston Moore talks about records in the video below...

Continue reading "Norah Jones sold out, but you can still see Thurston Moore (at the Japan benefit tonight)"

Justin Bond & Doveman @ LPR (more by Dominick Matrangelo)

"It looks like another one of the city's shadowy artistic demoiselles is about to take a turn in the limelight. If anyone is the talk of New York City at the moment it is Justin Bond. A tall, blond, transgender cabaret signer, Bond worked his way up through the San Francisco and New York performance undergrounds as part of a duo lounge act called Kiki and Herb. The act, which centered around Bond's character Kiki, an aging, bitter, alcoholic singer who was as poignant, raucous and funny as she was tragic, developed a cult and critical following which led them to Carnegie Hall and a stint on Broadway, earning Bond a Tony nomination. Now he has a much-awaited debut album [out now], and he'll be performing his new solo show at the Bowery Ballroom to celebrate." [Another]

Support at Bowery will come from album contributor Doveman, who has another THREE 'salon' dates coming at Le Poisson Rouge as part of the ongoing Burgundy Stain Sessions that saw him teaming with names like Sam Amidon, Glen Hansard, Norah Jones, Tegan & Sara, St Vincent, Justin Bond, and others in previous sessions. No word on the guests at these shows yet, but tickets are available for shows on April 23rd, May 26th and June 24th.

Doveman will also be at LPR on April 26th, but as one of the "friends" listed for one of the nights of the Jesse Harris & Friends: "Through the Night" Series at the venue. On that night, the "Through The Night Band, a four-piece ensemble combining rock/brazilian/folk/jazz" will play the songs of Jesse Harris alongside Bill Dobrow, Guilherme Monteiro, Mauro Refosco, and Sasha Dobson. Tickets are on sale. The "Through The Night" series continues weekly in April, and includes a show TONIGHT with The Cosmo Band featuring Larry Goldings, Anthony Wilson, Tony Scherr, and others (tickets). Other upcoming dates include April 12 with The Through The Night Band featuring Bill Dobrow and special guests Norah Jones (his Grammy friend) and Vinicius Cantuária among others; and April 19th with The Cosmo Band featuring Kenny Wollesen, Eivind Opsvik, and special guests Tony Scherr and Antonio Villeroy among others.

Some videos and stuff below...

Continue reading "Doveman adds more shows at LPR (where Jesse Harris also has a guest-filled residency), plays w/ Justin Bond tonight"

NYC's Abrons Arts Center is hosting two Japan benefits on April 8th...

More than a dozen innovative artists at the intersection of indie rock, contemporary jazz, and avant-garde performance will come together at Abrons to present a benefit concert to support recovery efforts in Japan. "The tragedy and devastation is really overwhelming," says John Zorn, who has organized and will host the evening. "I've always felt a strong personal connection to Japan, and I'm just glad to be able to do my part to help. It should be an amazing night."

The lineup includes feature performances by Grammy award winning Norah Jones, Jesse Harris, and the influential Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth). An early and late show will feature two different sets by Ikue Mori and John Zorn, Vinicius Cantuaria, Masada String Trio, Buke and Gass, and many more.

Both the performers and the theater are donating their services, ensuring that 100% of proceeds from ticket sales will go to benefit the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit near Sendai on March 11. Funds will be donated to the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund.

And in case there was any doubt, Buke & Gass will in fact be opening for tUnE-yArDs on her upcoming tour that hits Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 21st, one day before Buke & Gass take part in the sold out "Our Band Could Be Your Concert" at Bowery Ballroom. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Buke & Gass touring w/ tUnE-yArDS, but first benefit shows w/ Thurston Moore, John Zorn, Norah Jones & more"