Yuka Honda at Le Poisson Rouge (more by Chris La Putt)

If you still need something to do tonight (1/21), tickets are still available for an If By Yes (Petra Haden, Yuka Honda, Shimmy & Yuko) show at Living Room at 8PM tonight. Plus, Petra Haden announced that, "Yuka C. Honda and I will be performing with Trevor Dunn, Courtney Kaiser, Michael Leonhart, Billy Dobrow, Doug Wieselman".

Can't make it tonight? You can check out If By Yes at Mercury Lounge on March 25th instead. Tickets just went on sale. No word on who, if anyone, will join the band at Mercury.

Yuka recently played with Doug Wieselman, and Nels Cline & Mike Watt, as Floored by Four at LPR. Mike Watt also has shows coming with the Missingmen up at Maxwell's on 4/3 (tickets) and Mercury Lounge on 4/4 (tickets).

The Missingmen also recently toured as Lou Barlow's band, and now Lou Barlow is back with Sebadoh as his band, who have upcoming shows scheduled too.

Michael Leonhart (who plays Living Room tonight with If By Yes) and The Avramina 7 are scheduled to make a free appearance at David Rubenstein Atrium on Feb 3rd as part of a series of free events at the venue.

Video of If By Yes performing at the Stone, below...

Continue reading "Petra Haden & Yuka Honda's group If By Yes playing Mercury Lounge in March & the Living Room tonight w/ guests"

DOWNLOAD: Anais Mitchell - Flowers (Eurydice's Song) (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Anais Mitchell - Wait For Me w/ Justin Vernon (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Anais Mitchell - Cosmic American (MP3)

Speaking of The Low Anthem, The Low Anthem's Ben Knox Miller recently joined Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Greg Brown, Ani DiFranco, and Petra, Rachel, and Tanya Haden to play on the new record by Anais Mitchell, Hadestown, which is due out March 9th on Righteous Babe. The record is a concept album about the Greek myth of Orpheus & Euridice, and each of those singers plays a role...

Hadestown began its existence in 2006 as a live "folk opera" that the Vermont-based singer/songwriter created in collaboration with director Ben t. Matchstick (Bread & Puppet Theater) and arranger/orchestrator Michael Chorney. After loading the sets and the 22-member cast of Vermont performers into a former circus bus and touring New England during "full-on winter," it was time to rework a few songs. Next, Mitchell called upon a few fellow musicians to lend their voices to a recorded version--not a cast album, but a stand-alone, self-contained song cycle. The result is a veritable Who's Who of modern indie folk/rock: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver plays Orpheus; Greg Brown is Hades, Lord of the Underworld ("king of the kingdom of dirt"); and Ani DiFranco plays Hades' strong-willed, subversive wife, Persephone. Also on hand in smaller roles are the Haden Triplets (Petra, Rachel, and Tanya) as the Greek-chorus-like Fates and Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem as the messenger Hermes. Mitchell herself sings the part of Eurydice, the character whose (metaphoric) death propels Orpheus into "Hadestown."

The album's cover art is above along with two songs from the new album, one of which features Justin. Full tracklist below.

In other Justin Vernon collaboration news, he recently performed live with St. Vincent two times (one, two) in NYC, and one of his Bon Iver songs is covered on the new Peter Gabriel album.

Anais's upcoming shows include an April 23rd show at Joe's Pub billed as "Anais Mitchell & the Hadestown Orchestra". Tickets are on sale. All dates and a video of Anais performing with Justin, below...

Continue reading "Anais Mitchell playing shows, releasing 'Hadestown' - concept album w/ Justin Vernon, Greg Brown, Hadens, more (MP3s)"

"Come to Damrosch Park for a Lincoln Center Out of Doors season jam-packed with dynamic, free programs that offer something for absolutely everyone, from tributes to beloved cultural icons to cross-cultural collaborations that blur the lines of genre and geography.

This season is highlighted by a host of vibrant and eclectic musical experiences. Catch the rhythmic fever of a funk-filled African tribute to the late Godfather of Soul, James Brown, when Still Black, Still Proud celebrates the "hardest-working man in show business." Transcend 800 years of minimalism in a sublime triple bill presented in collaboration with Wordless Music.

Explore the power of multi-ethnic oral traditions with the return of the beloved La Casita festival, and celebrate our rich musical heritage from blues to New Orleans funk to bluegrass to punk with the 25th Annual Roots of American Music Festival.

Dance lovers will enjoy performances including the stirring Noche Flamenca, the premiere of Armitage Gone's collaboration with Burkina Electric, Summer of Love; Doug Elkins' witty take on The Sound of Music, Fräulein Maria, and David Dorfman's underground, a provocative look at political protest.

Bring the family outside this August for a lively Out of Doors season that celebrates the performing arts at a price everyone can afford -- absolutely free."

Highlights also include a Hal Wilner and Adam Dorn tribute to Joel Dorn, the WFMU show with the Ex, and the many individual performers playing the two day 25th Annual Roots of American Music Festival. Examples include Pete Seeger, The Knitter, Chalie Haden with family (Petra) and friends, Patti Smith, and many more. Please leave your 'Out of Doors' recommendations in the comments.

Timo Ellis, Yuka Honda & Sean Lennon @ Tonic, NYC - August 2000 (CRED)

* Helenka = Sean Lennon, Yuka Honda & friends
* Helenka is opening for Marc Ribot tonight at Knitting Factory (Feb 27)
* Fred Armisen & Petra Haden are playing the Knit tomorrow
* Fred Armisen played Anton Chigurh on Saturday Night Live
* Petra Haden sometimes performs w/ Yuka Honda & Sean Lennon. videos below...

Continue reading "Sean Lennon, Yuka Honda, Marc Ribot, Petra Haden, KF"

The description of tonight's show at The Stone reads:

Petra Haden Solo voice experiments joined with Yuka Honda
Petra Haden (voice) Yuka Honda (electronics)

The January 12th show just says "Petra Haden with a Mystery Guest". I like mysteries. Her February 28th show at Knitting Factory is with her friend Fred Armisen. Check out Petra's version of "Thriller" streaming at MySpace. Dates in a list format (and a great video of one of Fred's favorite things in 2007), below......

Continue reading "Petra Haden - 2008 Tour Dates"

the fifth in a series where we asked comedians to tell us what was good this year....

Because the man does so damned much, Fred Armisen is one of the hardest individuals to sum up in a pre-list blurb. He's 50% of ThunderAnt (the other 50% is Carrie Brownstein of Sleater Kinney). He just released a DVD called Jens Hannemann: Complicated Drumming Technique. He has also been doing some live gigs. And in addition to being a senior member of SNL, Fred's mug can be seen in scads of movies and TV shows (check out his resume on IMDB). Being equal parts artist and entertainer, he's absolutely one of my favorite people in entertainment and I am triple-dog-delighted he took the time out to share with BV the things he enjoyed in 2007 - Klaus

- - -

10 things I bought/got/looked at this year that I love.

Paul McCartney, The McCartney Years DVD - It has live McCartney footage from 1976 that is amazing. He plays these really busy bass lines and sings at the same time effortlessly. I don't know how someone is able to do that so well. And I love that lefty Rickenbacker!

Petra Haden, Don't Stop Believin' - This is on a compilation album called Guilt By Association that came out this year. Her voice is just the greatest ever and the guitar solo part kills me. She's working on an acappella version of movie soundtracks right now that is unbelievable.

The Apple iPhone - It makes me feel like I am finally in the future. When I was a kid, this is what I imagined I'd be using in the 2000's. If you tap a business name into the map application, it finds it for you AND gives you the phone number AND gives you directions INCLUDING how to avoid traffic at that precise moment. I mean, are you kidding me? Thank you inventors who work at Apple!

God Of War 2 for Playstation - It's more complex than the first one but also more difficult. I liked it a lot, but couldn't finish it past the flying horse fights.

Steve Martin, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life - Mr. Martin writes about the part of his life when he was a stand up comedian. His focus on working on every detail of his act is fascinating. At age fifteen he was already giving himself notes in a notebook. "Relax. Don't shake."

dlisted.com - This celebrity gossip site seriously makes me laugh out loud. The guy who writes this is SO funny! I look at this probably ten times a day. I was going to quote some of his stuff but I say just go to it and read it.

continued below....

Continue reading "Best of 2007 by Fred Armisen"

DOWNLOAD: Petra Haden - Don't Stop Believing (Journey) (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: Tegan & Sara on AOL's Interface (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: Josh Rouse on AOL's Interface (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: Spoon on AOL's Interface (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: Art Brut on AOL's Interface (MP3) (info)

Justin Timberlake & Timbaland @ MSG, NYC - Aug 16, 2007 (CRED)

* Foo Fighters covered Arcade Fire
* Jaymay was featured on Perez Hilton
* WFUV creating a new streaming radio station
* Man punched for singing Coldplay song
* The Muggabears are playing Galapagos
* The National, The Forms & Takka Takka play for free @ South Street Seaport
* Sleepytime Gorilla Museum & Made out of Babies are @ Highline Ballroom
* John Vanderslice is playing a record store and a private show
* Pioneering Jazz Drummer Max Roach Dies at 83
* Amy Winehouse Cancels V Fest date, Lilly Allen Postpones Tour
* NPR was video taping the Hold Steady @ Prospect Park
* Tickets are on sale for GZA performing Liquid Swords in Brooklyn

It's raining. What else?