Manhattan Inn Piano Bar & Restaurant (632 Manhattan Ave at Bedford Ave in Brooklyn) continues presenting free music all summmer. Upcoming shows include James Chance, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Aaron Pfenning, The Shivers, Only Son, Miguel Mendez & more. Full Summer 2011 schedule below...

Continue reading "free concerts @ Manhattan Inn (James Chance & many more)"

photos by Ryan Barkan

John McCauley, Jonny Corndawg, Matt Vasquez @ BV-SXSW

Jonny Corndawg is releasing his album Down on the Bikini Line on August 30. He'll celebrate the release of the album that same day (8/30) at Union Pool. Other bands TBA. John McCauley of Deer Tick provides guitar on the album. Check out the artwork and stream two tracks below.

The Union Pool show is 4 days after Jonny Corndawg plays The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ (8/26) with Jessica Lea Mayfield. Tickets are on sale now. Jessica Lea Mayfield recently contributed a cover of Nirvana's "Lounge Act" to Newermind. Kinda funny that Deer Tick isn't on that album.

Speaking of Deer Tick, friends, lovers and frequent tourmates Those Darlins are currently on an extensive tour that includes some dates this month with Old 97's. Those Darlins will hit NYC on October 14 at The Bell House. Tickets are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

As mentioned, Middle Brother (featuring John McCauley of Deer Tick) are not done yet and will play a rare set at Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island at the end of the month. It is their only scheduled date though. Delta Spirit (whose singer is also in Middle Brother) also play the SOLD OUT fest. Middle Brother, Dawes, Cordawg & Deer Tick played Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall in April, not long after Middle Brother and Deer Tick (and Corndawg) played a set at the Partisan Records/BV day party in Austin that The Old 97's also played. A belated set of pictures from that free show at Barbarella are in this post. More of them below.

Dawes (whose singer and drummer are also in Middle Brother) are currently touring overseas, but will return next week and head out on tour with Alison Krauss & Union Station (featuring Jerry Douglas). That tour hits Beacon Theater on August 2nd (the show is sold out though tickets are still available for the NJ show happening one day later). All dates are listed below.

Deer Tick also has dates coming up including a free show at Pier 54 (8/11) with DOM. More dates below.

Jo Schornikow of the John McCauley approved Shivers plays on Sunday (7/24) at Death by Audio as part of the "Permanent Wave's SOUND WAVE to Benefit the International Women's Health Coalition" at the all ages venue. Amy Klein of Titus Andronicus, Ian O'Neil of Deer Tick's previous band, is on the bill too.

More Middle Brother pics, tours of tour dates and stuff below...

Continue reading "Corndawg, Deer Tick, Dawes, Alison Krauss, Those Darlins & more -- 2011 tour dates & Middle Brother pics too"

DOWNLOAD: The Shivers - "Love Is In The Air" (MP3)

The Shivers (not to be confused with The Shivers) released the album More on May 10 via Silence Breaks...

"it is the first Shivers record released on a label. Everything the band's done previously--five records since 2004--has been recorded, produced, funded and distributed by the Shivers themselves. In that time the band has amassed a small, but devoted following (to which I belong), but little in the way of critical notice or material success. By any measure, this should be the Shivers' coming-out moment, a chance for the band to make a long-overdue move to the Next Level." [The Awl]

The Shivers play a CD release party tonight, Wednesday (6/29) at Glasslands. Trash Gut are on the bill too. Trash Gut's lineup includes an ex-member of Deer Tick, who are openly huge fans of The Shivers...

John wearing a Shivers shirt onstage with Deervana (more by Jessica Amaya)

Watch a video of Deer Tick's John McCauley covering The Shivers' "L.I.E." backstage at Music Hall of Williamsburg below.

The Shivers also play Seedstock at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on July 9 with The Sharp Lads, My Gay Banjo, Soft Black, Elizabeth Devlin, and Franz Nicolay.

All dates, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "The Shivers giving away LP, playing release show tonight"

John & Ian & barrels of wine

After a rousing opening set by duo The Shivers, Deer Tick frontman John McCauley and Deer Tick guitarist Ian O'Neil (who also used to be in Titus Andronicus) took turns playing completely solo and with each other at their show at City Winery in NYC last night (1/19). In front of an over-packed house, they each used their voices and guitars as instruments, and sometimes John sat down at the piano. Speaking of sitting down, that's what most of the crowd was doing, at their tables where food, beer, and especially wine were flowing. Others were standing around the edges of the spacious venue because there weren't any seats left.

The setlist was heavy on Deer Tick classics that I was especially happy to hear stripped down, included brand new unrecorded songs (often the ones Ian sang), Middle Brother songs (including the song "Middle Brother" with assistance from special guest and audience member Jonny Corndawg who helped write the song), a Replacements cover, and a John Prine cover. They closed with a festive cover of Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy." The only dissapointment was that John had a piano at his disposal and he didn't use it to play "Christ Jesus."

The merch table had Jonny Corndawg-created Beavis & Butthead (John & Ian) airbrushed shirts for sale, and the venue was selling limited edition bottles of City Winery-made John McCauley 'petit shiraz' wine (pictures below).

One night earlier, as I hinted they might, both John and Ian showed up and played sets at the final night of Corndawg's Union Pool residency in Brooklyn.

Go catch John and Ian on tour with each other now, catch Corndawg out on tour with Dawes, and see Middle Brother when they tour with Deer Tick and Dawes in March (tickets are still on sale for both NYC shows). Everyone's dates are listed HERE.

More pictures and some videos from City Winery, and videos from Union Pool too, below...

Continue reading "John McCauley & Ian O'Neil (and Jonny Corndawg) played City Winery (and Union Pool) "

He actually published this list in August, but in case you missed it...

Continue reading "Gorilla Vs Bear's favorite 'songs of the decade'"