DOWNLOAD: Neutral Uke Hotel - King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 (MP3)

Singer & guitarist/ukuleleist Shawn Fogel of the band Golden Bloom is Neutral Uke Hotel, a ukulele-based project that covers Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over the Sea in its entirety. He has a short tour lined up for the end of June with stops in NYC, NXNE in Toronto, upstate NY and a few other North East cities. He plays Mercury Lounge with The Handsome Family on Tuesday, June 15th where he writes, "We've got at least one special guest joining us for a song." Tickets are still on sale.

Fogel previously participated in "Beatles Complete on Ukulele" project, which performed at SXSW earlier this year.

Jeff Mangum played some of his Neutral Milk Hotel songs earlier this year at a benefit for Chris Knox.

Download "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1," the uke & melodica cover which is posted above. Videos of the NMH cover and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Neutral Uke Hotel is coming (2010 dates) "

DOWNLOAD: Marissa Nadler - River of Dirt (MP3)

The Handsome Family

Taking place under bowed branches and deep within winding corn mazes, The Handsome Family released their latest album, Honey Moon, through Carrot Top Records on April 14, 2009. Celebrating the duo's twentieth year of marriage and eighth studio release, the record plays out as a series of love songs that sharply contrast the dark themes of their previous seven releases.

Marissa Nadler also just put out a new album, Little Hells, on March 3rd on Kemado Records. An MP3 from that awesome record is posted above.

The two acts are touring together, and will play NYC's Highline Ballroom on Saturday, April 25th. Tickets are still on sale. We also have TEN pairs of tickets to give away.

Contest details, with all updated tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Handsome Family & Marissa Nadler - updated dates, free tix"

DOWNLOAD: Marissa Nadler - River of Dirt (MP3)

In addition to the previously announced February 27th show at the Lutheran Church in Greenpoint, Marissa Nadler will play her own intimate show at Joe's Pub on March 4th. Tickets are on sale.

Many describe Nadler's songs as having American Gothic leanings; her stories often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation. Yet, in recent years, it has emerged that the characters are less make believe than listeners thought and are based on real people, and their real lives. Her links to American Gothic are reinforced by "Annabelle Lee," the last song on her debut album, Ballads of Living and Dying, which puts the poem of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe to a musical backing. Singing in a haunting mezzo-soprano, the foundation of her songs are her delicate acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, ranging from organ to theremin to electric guitar. [Wiki]

In April, Marissa will go out on the road with The Handsome Family. That tour has her back in NYC to play Highline Ballroon on April 25th. Tickets for that are also on sale.

Marissa Nadler's new album Little Hells is out March 3rd on Kemado. MP3 from the album above. A video for the same song, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Marissa Nadler - 2009 tour dates, new Kemado album & MP3"

Creating and performing music for the past eleven years, The Handsome Family act comprises the talents of Brett and Rennie Sparks, who continue to draw critical praise for their decidedly distinct make of music. The eclectic duo are currently working on their eighth full-length release to follow-up last year’s Last Days of Wonder on Carrot Top Records.

They're playing upcoming shows at Mercury Lounge & Maxwell's. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Handsome Family - 2007 Tour Dates"