words & photos by Chris La Putt

"You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories." - Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

For the past couple of months Canadian singer/songwriter Basia Bulat and her band have travelled every nook and cranny of North America to promote her new album Heart of My Own. The stage is fronted by an autoharp and a pianoette - two rarely seen instruments. With a feverish wail, Basia recounts a tale of love lost and found in the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 19th century. The brisk spring wind tries to barrel through the door. Katz's Deli and the drunk Lower East revelers are a million miles away. She clutches the autoharp frenetically rocking back and forth to the drumming of her brother, Bobby. It feels like you've just opened a diary that's not been touched for over a hundred years. You're taken aback that heartache still feels like this. It's agonizing and wonderful at the same time.

Saturday night marked the last leg of Basia's North American tour. She'll be heading off to Europe next month and will be testing some new songs (at least one in Polish) for her upcoming album. Samuel Izdat (aka Gabe of Takka Takka), opened for Basia. Check out her future tour dates, the Mercury Lounge setlist, and photos from Saturday's show plus La Blogotheque's spectacular video of Basia Bulat's "The Shore", below...

Continue reading "Basia Bulat & Samuel Izdat @ Mercury Lounge in NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Takka Takka - Silence (MP3)

(the new) Takka Takka @ Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn - CMJ 2009

photo by Erin Molitor

Brooklyn band Takka Takka are playing a show in DUMBO tonight (11/5). This gig follows a few shows that the band played in town during CMJ. You can see them playing at one of the showcases in the picture above. If you're familiar with the band, you may notice some changes including one less member, and no it's not front-man Gabe Levine aka Samuel Izdat. Gabe/Samuel has started playing solo, but that's in addition to being in the band.

In light of all this, I asked Takka drummer Conrad Doucette if he would answer a few questions...

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BV: Name and position?

Conrad: Conrad Doucette, second base

BV: Did you watch the last game of the World Series last night?

Conrad: I did.

BV: Were you jumping up and down and screaming really loudly when the Yankees won?

Conrad: I was jumping up and down and screaming loudly in the alternate universe where the Cincinnati Reds have a chance to win a World Series.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Conrad Doucette of Takka Takka (who have a new lineup & a free show in DUMBO tonight) "