John K. Samson on a boat (more)

Speaking of frontmen of punkish bands playing solo shows at Maxwell's, John K. Samson of The Weakerthans added a show at the Hoboken venue scheduled to take place one day before his tour hits Bowery Ballroom (tickets). He plays Maxwell's on March 14. Tickets are on sale now.

We recently premiered the track, "Letter in Icelandic from the Ninette San," off his upcoming solo album, Provincial.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "John K. Samson adds Maxwell's show to tour (updated dates)"

John at Bowery Ballroom in December (more by Kurt Christensen)

As mentioned, Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson is releasing his first proper solo full length, Provincial, on January 24 via Epitaph. You've already heard one of the tracks, "When I Write My Master's Thesis". Another, "Letter in Icelandic from the Ninette San," is making its premiere in this post. As opposed to the rock of "When I Write My Master's Thesis," it's a softer country-tinged song, filled out with some melancholic violins. Stream it below.

John's tour in support of the album hits NYC on March 15 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are still on sale. Stream below...

Continue reading "listen to new John K. Samson (song premiere)"

photos by Kurt Christensen

John K Samson @ Bowery Ballroom

As previously discussed, The Weakerthans completed their four-night stint at Bowery Ballroom on 12/10. We talked at length about the third show, which Rah Rah opened, but only posted pictures from night one and night two. Here are some pics from night three.

If you missed these special shows, you can still catch The Weakerthans' John K Samson on tour, including Bowery Ballroom on March 15th with Shotgun Jimmie (tickets are still on sale). Look for his new LP Provincial on January 24th via Epitaph. Listen to the first track released from that album, with more pictures from Bowery, below...

Continue reading "more pics of The Weakerthans @ Bowery Ballroom, a new song from John K. Samson"

photos by Amanda Hatfield words by Andrew Sacher

When The Weakerthans walked on stage at the sold out Bowery Ballroom Friday night (12/9) to play their 2003 album, Reconstruction Site, you could see the appreciation of the crowd's enthusiasm on John K. Samson's face before he even picked up his guitar. And from the first chord of album opener "(Manifest)," it was obvious that the band were going to feed off of that enthusiasm for the entire show. Things picked up even more on the very memorable "The Reasons," which left no one out of the venue-wide sing-along.

As Ted Leo has pointed out, often times when bands play their older albums in full, it can come off as a cheap attempt at nostalgia. But what The Weakerthans did at Bowery Ballroom was the exact opposite of that. They played through the 2003 album's songs with the energy of a band touring their debut. And they were in great spirits all night, cracking jokes and coming off as totally genuine. Reconstruction Site is also the most carefully orchestrated of all their records, which came across flawlessly as they interwove pedal steel, trumpets, and glimpses of folk rock into the power chord driven fun they were having throughout the show.

After a couple slower cuts, the band and crowd hit their highest peak on "Plea From a Cat Named Virtute." When the distortion-charged song led into its much softer ending, the crowd's energy was still so high that they were even louder than John Samson as they belted along, "I swear I'm going to bite you hard and taste your tinny blood." When the band got to the second of the three hospital sonnets, "(Hospital Vespers)," they appropriated the reverse guitar of the album version to crashing chords and cymbals, turning the song from one of the album's most introspective tracks into something way more anthemic. They did keep things toned down a few songs later, when the band minus John left the stage so he could play "One Great City!" on his own. Before he began the track, he thanked NYC for our Occupy Wall Street movement and said it has inspired many others around the world, himself included. He opted to play the track on his electric guitar, despite having an acoustic on stage, and if anyone wasn't singing along with him the whole time, they definitely joined in on the refrain, "I hate Winnipeg."

The band closed their set with a few songs off of their other albums which they played in full on one of the other three nights, the last of which was last night (12/10) when they played their 2007 album, Reunion Tour.

The Friday show opened with a set from fellow Canadian band Rah Rah. Their set was full of upbeat indie pop songs culminating in pretty huge choruses, which often brought to mind I'm From Barcelona (if they had like, 23 less members). The members did a lot of instrument switching and almost everyone in the band sang lead on at least one song. And just in case their catchy songs weren't enough, their stage antics are sure to be remembered, which included throwing "R" "A" & "H" ballon letters into the audience, shooting out confetti, and breaking open a piñata at the end of their last song.

Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson will be back at Bowery Ballroom as part of a tour in support of his forthcoming solo album.

We didn't take any pictures at the last two nights of the Weakerthans Bowery residency, but we did post some from the first night, and we took some on the second night when Dinosaur Bones opened. Those continue, along with a shot of the limited edition NYC poster, below...

Continue reading "The Weakerthans played 4 NYC shows at Bowery Ballroom (night 2 pics, night 3 review)"

photos by Kurt Christensen

The Weakerthans @ Bowery Ballroom - night 1

The Weakerthans played their first of four shows at Bowery Ballroom last night (12/7). Last night's featured album was "Fallow" which they played in its entirety like they did in San Francisco....

"There were only a number of times when the crowd wasn't singing along with John K Samson who came out in a plaid shirt and jeans (so Canadian) proclaiming they would be playing songs from their debut album "Fallow' which features some of the "worst lyrics I've ever written" but that didn't stop the packed Independent to sing along with the humble front man who thanked the loving crowd to death for the all the support.

Some of the biggest cheers actually came when Samson acknowledged and praised the Occupy Oakland/Occupy San Francisco protests as "one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen... " this obviously would lead in to "Confessions of a Futon-Revolutionist" which despite the very politically driven lyrics got the biggest response during Samson's cry "leave the apartment to buy alcohol"

The title track "Fallow" finished the set containing the Weakerthans first album, then John K Samson seemed to breathe a little easier and lead in to a set and encore filled with fan favourites, all of course would be present over the next 3 evenings."
[Walk Left, Stand Right]

Tonight (12/8) they play "Left and Leaving". More pictures from last night's show below...

Continue reading "The Weakerthans played 'Fallow' @ Bowery Ballroom show #1 w/ Said the Whale (pics)"

Weakerthans frontman (and ex-Propagandhi bassist) John K. Samson is releasing his first proper full length solo album, Provincial, on January 24 via Epitaph (eight years after his 15 song demo Slips and Tangles was released). The album will feature re-recorded material from his two most recent EPs, City Route 85 and Provincial Road 22, and some new stuff as well. According to a press release, "Provincial travels four routes woven into the prairie landscape of Manitoba, the Canadian province where Samson lives. It finds familiar landmarks and forgotten ones; it mines the precise and particular." Check out a video of that landscape with an album preview below, along with the artwork and tracklist. The album is available for preorder at the Epitaph webstore.

John and his band, The Provincial Band, will tour the US and Canada in support of the album with fellow Canadian Shotgun Jimmie. That tour hits NYC on March 15 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets go on sale Friday (12/2) with an artist presale and an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (11/30) at noon.

Meanwhile, The Weakerthans will be playing four albums in four nights in San Francisco this week, and NYC next week from December 7-10. All of those shows are sold out.

All dates, video, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "John K. Samson announces solo album & tour dates ---- (special Weakerthans shows much sooner)"

The Weakerthans at Bumbershoot 2008 (more by Chris Graham)

Winnipeg indie rock favorites The Weakerthans are playing all four of their incredible full length albums in four nights in NYC and San Francisco. NYC gets their treatment of the albums with 'Fallow' on December 7, 'Left and Leaving' on December 8, 'Reconstruction Site' on December 9, and 'Reunion Tour' on December 10 and San Francisco gets theirs the week prior. Each set includes the album being played in full plus a set of favorites. Tickets for all four NYC shows, which are taking place at Bowery Ballroom, go on AmEx presale Wednesday, and then on general sale Friday (7/15) at noon. A four day pass will also go on sale Friday and it comes with a limited edition show poster.

The Weakerthans also play Vancouver Folk Fest this month as Jim Bryson's backing band and FYF Fest in September.

The Bouncing Souls just played double the amount of albums in the same amount of days in NYC and will do the same in Philly this week.

All Weakerthans tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "The Weakerthans playing 4 albums "and more" in 4 days in NYC & San Francisco (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Mister Heavenly - "Pineapple Girl" (MP3)

Descendents at FFFFest (more by Tim Griffin)

Much like last year, FYF Fest 2011 is poppin' off with some incredible bands, many of whom recently reunited. This year the LA fest will host a coveted Descendents appearance, a Death From Above 1979 show, Guided By Voices, another Kid Dynamite reunion, The Dead Milkmen, Explosions in the Sky, the return of The Weakerthans and many, many notable others. Full lineup is below. The show goes down at 1st and Main in downtown Los Angeles on September 3rd. Tickets are on sale.

Future Islands plays FYF Fest and plays Death By Audio in Brooklyn TONIGHT (6/28).

For Kid Dynamite, which features members of Lifetime, Paint it Black and None More Black, the reunion is their first since re-emerging for This is Hardcore last year with Ink & Dagger. The band called it quits in 2000 and reunited in 2005 at CBGB and some other times too. I hope they schedule another NYC show, but it's just LA for now.

This is Hardcore THIS YEAR features an appearance from Ressurection, which also featured Dan Yemin on guitar. Tickets for This is Hardcore 2011, taking place in Philly's Starlight Ballroom, is mostly sold-out, with tickets for the Sunday show still available.

The Descendents appearance at FYFest is one of several dates scheduled for the reunited band, NYC's Roseland, Chicago Riot Fest, and Philly's Riot Fest included. Tickets are still available for the 9/23 Roseland show.

Mister Heavenly will hit the road for a string of dates on the West Coast leading up to FYF Fest. Check out their full tour schedule below, and look for their new LP Out of Love on 8/16 via Sub Pop. Check out "Pineapple Girl" from that record above.

The Death From Above 1979 appearance is one of several slated for the band in the coming months, including a 7/22 appearance at Williamsburg Waterfront. Tickets are still available OR, you can try your hand by winning a pair at our Facebook. The full set of DFA1979 dates are below.

The Weakerthans have a few other dates slated for Europe and Canada in the coming months. Hopefully they add more US dates too. All dates for now are listed below.

A few bands on the FYFest lineup (namely, Cults, Off!, and No Age) will also appear in NYC at the House of Vans this summer, and for FREE. The FYF-presented House of Vans series of shows starts this Thursday (6/30). You just have to RSVP to get in (and maybe get there early).

All Weakerthans, DFA1979, and Mister Heavenly dates, some video, and the full FYF Fest lineup is below.

Continue reading "FYF Fest in LA, This is Hardcore in Philly, Future Islands in BK, Mister Heavenly on tour, a DFA1979 contest & more"

Olof Arnalds @ Prospect Park in June (more by Chris La Putt)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* The Rapture @ Matchless
* Blood Orange @ Bruar Falls
* We Are Ivy League @ Union Hall
* Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
* Son Volt, Sera Cahoone @ Irving Plaza
* Aretha Franklin @ Radio City Music Hall
* The Horrors, Crocodiles @ Bowery Ballroom
* The Sounds, Foxy Shazam @ Roseland Ballroom
* Ramona Falls, Music Video, We Are Country Mice @ Pianos
* Olof Arnalds, Nadia Sirota, Emilyn Brodsky @ Union Pool
* Face to Face, Pegboy, Polar Bear Club @ Gramercy Theatre
* Richard Lloyd & The Sufi-Monkey Trio @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Datarock, Esser, JDH & Dave P, Karin Park @ Highline Ballroom
* Fun., Miniature Tigers, New Numbers, DJ F-Word @ Mercury Lounge
* The Weakerthans, Rock Plaza Central, Tomte @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Drink Up Buttercup, The Art of Shooting, Candle Of Paradise @ Glasslands
* Country Music Fest w/ The Defibulators, Sammo, Alana Amram @ Southpaw
* Grooms, Videohippos, Starring, PC Worship, Anamanaguchi, Dome Theater @DBA
* Nudie Jeans Fashion Party w/ Lykke Li (DJ), Bjorn of Peter Bjorn & John (DJ) & Lemonade (DJ) @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* New Languages Fest w/ Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, House of Mirrors, The Respect Sextet @ McCarren Hall

There's a free VICE / Nudie Jeans Fashion Party with DJ sets from Lemonade, Lykke Li and Bjorn of Peter Bjorn & John at Le Poisson Rouge.. RSVP. 11PM doors, 21+ Free Colt 45 and Well Liquor Open Bar from 11PM-12:30AM. Flyer below. There's a VICE / something else party with a set by the Rapture in Brooklyn.

Fun. is Nate Ruess (The Format), ex-Anathallo multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dost and Steel Train's Jack Antonoff.

Son Volt dropped a new album this summer, and now they come to NYC's Irving Plaza for a show with Sera Cahoone.

The Horrors play with Crocodiles at Bowery Ballroom tonight. Both bands return in October.

The Weakerthans play two nights in NYC now. Tonight is at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Rock Plaza Central and Tomte. A live Weakerthans video from 2006 below...

Menomena guy Brent Knopf fronts Ramona Falls, which comes to town this weekend, starting with Pianos tonight. Menomena played ATP NY on Sunday.

Olof Arnalds winds up her recently NYC trip with a show at Union Pool that also includes Nadia Sirota and Emilyn Brodsky.

Face to Face, Pegboy (ex-Naked Rayguy) and Polar Bear Club are currently on a tour that stops at Gramercy Theatre tonight.

Television's Richard Lloyd plays with The Sufi-Monkey Trio at (Le) Poisson Rouge tonight.

Scarlett Johansson is playing a benefit at Carnegie Hall with lots of interesting people. Scarlett and Pete Yorn played "Relator" on French TV. That's below.

Tim Heidecker stars in Clues' new video for "You Have My Eyes Now," which is posted below.

Little Boots was in town last night. Coverage of that coming soon. In the meantime, her interview with Nardwuar below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

The Weakerthans' upcoming tour dates have been updated with openers and additional shows. Those plans include a West Coast run in July and an East Coast second leg in September. Jason Collett of Broken Social Scene opens for the band in July, with Rock Plaza Central (who have a new album out) and Tomte opening the band's September dates. The latter include the Weakerthans' NYC dates on September 17th and 18th, when they play the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom, respectively. Tickets for those are on sale.

An acoustic session and interview with Weakerthans' John K. Samson (whose great lyrics have been repped by Craig Finn and others), with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "The Weakerthans - updated tour dates & openers (Jason Collett in the West, NYC w/ Rock Plaza Central & Tomte)"

Well, it's not even June yet, but it has been announced that The Weakerthans will be playing two NYC shows this September. September 17th will be at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and the 18th at Bowery Ballroom. Both shows go on sale Friday.

In July the Canadian band will be doing a short tour of the West Coast, a stop at the Vancouver Folk Festival included. More dates will probably be announced, but for now, all known ones, and their newest video (I think), below...

Continue reading "The Weakerthans - 2009 Tour Dates (2 NYC shows) "

The Mountain Goats @ Webster Hall (more by Faith-Ann Young)

"We are going to light out for the Territories in a van with two acoustic guitars, some notebooks, our soundman Brandon and a pouch full of charms against ill omen. We are going to get elemental. We are going to stomp our feet and hammer at the strings until we get what we want from them. We, a couple of guys named John, are going to tour, is what we're going to do. We're going to stand alone onstage and play our guitars and sing old songs & new, and then we'll probably play together. We are going to sit side by side with our acoustic guitars like two out of the five guys on the Five Man Acoustical Jam album, only with fewer Tesla songs. Because the whole point of playing an acoustic guitar is not to unplug. It's to get raw and draw blood."
[John Darnielle aka The Mountain Goats]

The Primitive tour kicks off on March 18th in Asheville, NC, and the NYC show will take place at the Society For Ethical Culture on March 27th. It's part of the Wordless Music Series. Tickets are on sale. John and John each also have some other interesting shows lined up between now and then...

Ten years ago John Vanderslice founded the Tiny Telephone recording studio in San Francisco, CA. To celebrate the occasion, John will be performing a show at the Great American Music Hall on January 30 with The Magik*Magik Orchestra in a 30-piece configuration. "Together they will pull favorite tunes from his catalog, and introduce new songs from a forthcoming album currently being recorded at Tiny Telephone." Special guest DJ Aesop Rock will spin records before and after the performance. All proceeds from the event will benefit Magik*Magik, the house Orchestra of Tiny Telephone.

The Mountain Goats are keeping busy before March comes too. First of all there's Ships & Dip V...

Barenaked Ladies and Sixthman are up to some more shenanigans! It's the real McCoy - Introducing Ships and Dip V, sailing through the Caribbean February 1-6, 2009. We're bringing you the goods again, in what's sure to be the craziest, zaniest time at sea!

Join Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea, The New Odds, Boothby Graffoe, The Weakerthans, and more bands to be announced throughout the year, as we set sail on the Norwegian Jewel for 5 days of revelry, recreation and boatloads of musical fun! With NCL's Freestyle Cruising, you won't get the bum's rush for doing exactly what you want! You can get dolled up, or keep it casual. With 12 restaurants and 11 bars and lounges to choose from, a luxurious spa, a full service casino, and plenty of other features, there won't be any trouble making your cruise experience the cat's pajamas. We set sail from Miami to NCL's private island of Great Stirrup Cay and Cozumel, Mexico- two great places to get some sun on those gams!

When you're not jiving to the amazing artists, relaxing by the pool or dining in one of the many hot spots on board, you can be sure to find tons of other activities to keep you on your toes!

Continue reading "the Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice: Gone Primitive (2009 Tour Dates), Ships & Dip & Tiny Telephone too"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

The time has arrived to crown another Polaris Music Prize winner. Last year's Canadian award was met with mixed response as relative unknowns (outside of Canada) Patrick Watson beat Arcade Fire, Feist (my pick to win), and seven others for the top spot.

This is the most open field in the brief history of the award. There are no big acts, though Stars certainly has a large following. Most of the artists on the shortlist have been playing since the beginning of the decade or longer. Coincidently or otherwise, the two youngest artists on the shortlist, Shad (27) and Basia Bulat (24), are two of the favorites this year. With that said, there will be no real "upsets." I can see any of the nominees walking away with the prize. It seems the award has positioned itself more to elevate someone then legitimize a popular artist's success (past losers include the aforementioned Arcade Fire along with Broken Social Scene, and Wolf Parade).

Like last year, I will go over the ten nominees in order of who I think has the best chance of picking up the prize on the 29th. We start with who I think has the least chance...

Continue reading "The 2008 Polaris Music Prize is about to be awarded"

photos by Chris Graham

The Weakerthans

Continue reading "Weakerthans, Black Keys, other Bumbershoot day two pics"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

Day 1, Day 2....

The Go! Team @ Osheaga (Doùdoù)

It is an open secret that the Osheaga festival is on shaky ground. It is rumored that the festival lost money the last two years. This year was make or break. When I spoke with somebody connected with the festival, he commented that they really only need one big day to turn it around and come back next year. With a combination of big names (Jack Johnson, Broken Social Scene, The Weakerthans) and a string of artists with a rep for killer live performances (MGMT, The Go! Team, Gogol Bordello), Osheaga organizers seemingly set Day 2 (Monday August 4) as that day....

Continue reading "Osheaga 2008 - day 2 (a review with pics)"

words by BrooklynVegan Mike, photos by Ryan Muir

The shortlist for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize was announced last week.

a not-for-profit organization that annually honours, celebrates and rewards creativity and diversity in Canadian recorded music by recognizing, then marketing the albums of the highest artistic integrity, without regard to musical genre, professional affiliation, or sales history, as judged by a panel of selected critics and experts.

Crystal Castles, Born Ruffians, Destroyer, and Sandro Perri are conspicuously absent from this year's shortlist, although they did make the original 40-album long list. I think they should have also made the final cut. As we approach the awards, I will once again give my two cents on who I think will win, looking to avenge picking Feist over Patrick Watson, last year's eventual winner.

Basia Bulat also made the shorlist this year. Basia Bulat opened for Devotchka at Terminal 5 in May. Ryan took some pics that we haven't posted yet, so here they are. More of them and the entire 2008 shortlist, below...

Continue reading "the 2008 Polaris Prize shortlist, pics of Basia Bulat"

DOWNLOAD: A.A. Bondy - American Hearts (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: AA Bondy - There's a Reason (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Weakerthans - Sun In An Empty Room (MP3)

AA (big A big A)

Last time AA Bondy played NYC was also the first time I ever saw him play live. It was late on a Friday night, the sold out Mercury Lounge was fully packed with drinking patrons, and the Felice Brothers were coming on next - not the best conditions for a solitary man on stage by himself with just a microphone and his acoustic guitar.

As was to be expected, there was lots of talking and it made it hard to pay attention at first. His wife Claire Felice (who also took the above photo of him) joined him on keyboards, and that helped a little, but not enough. Then in walked a drummer, and not just any drummer - it was Russell Simmins of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (and Tiny Masters of Today) fame - and that was just the magic ingredient the music needed to turn things into a proper Friday night rock show. The drums helped bring the beautiful songs off "American Hearts" (which is being re-released by Fat Possum) alive, and kept all eyes focused on the front of the room while simultaneously keeping mouths shut (or at least drowning them out).

AA plays again this Wednesday night (March 12) at the BrooklynVegan official showcase at Club De Ville in Austin. I can't wait to see him again, and I'm equally stoked that The Weakerthans chose him to accompany them and Christine Fellows on tour this spring. Tickets are still on sale for the April 11th show at Music Hall of Williamsburg (the same night AA plays Conan O'Brien). All tour dates below.....

Continue reading "The Weakerthans & AA Bondy - 2008 Tour Dates (SXSW/NYC)"

DOWNLOAD: The Weakerthans - Last Last One (MP3)

Tickets go on sale Friday for a Weakerthans show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 11th - part of a still-unannounced tour. A few more dates below...

Continue reading "The Weakerthans touring, playing Brooklyn, SXSW"

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

Jonah Ray is a surprisingly tall comedian from LA. He's also got a pretty impressive resume. He's appeared in TV shows including The Sarah Silverman Program, Saul of the Molemen, Comedy Central's Live At Gotham, and Human Giant. He's also got tons of videos on Super Deluxe including his man-on-the-street style docs shot at SXSW, and his series "The Freeloaders Guide To Easy Living with Jonah Ray". He recently went on tour with Sean O Connor, Nick Maritato, and Andrew Wright which was billed as the (Still) Born in the USA Tour. Oh, and he has a 7" on AST records. What follows is what he dug in 2007. - Klaus

- - -

Lavender Diamond, Here Comes One - I couldnt stop listening to this song, over and over and over again i'd rock in my car, on my bike, in my house while cooking....everytime i listened to it it made me feel like i was in some kind of Romantic Comedy. Except when the song was over i wasnt with my quirky dream girl... i was still by myself mid-masturbate.

The Weakerthans, Reunion Tour - One of my favorite bands. They've made the same album three times now and i dont mind it. Each song has such a sweetness to it, and it doesnt hurt that the singer sounds a lot like Big Bird. Maybe thats why i like it? because it brings in these thoughts of a large, friendly bird bringing me in for a hug...then singing sweet political poetry into my earhole.

(strong language) continued below....

Continue reading "Best of 2007 By Jonah Ray"

DOWNLOAD: The Weakerthans - Plea From A Cat Named Virtue (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Hold Steady - Your Little Hoodrat Friend (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Hold Steady - live on KEXP (Oct 16, 2007) (MP3)

a coffee cup and some plastic daffodils (CRED)

I always stress how great the lyrics are when I introduce someone to the Weakerthans. The music might have to grow on you, but their words allow you to instantly follow along. So, this quote by Craig Finn of the Hold Steady was cool to read:

John Samson from the Weakerthans—he is the lyricist that I can say, without hesitation, is better than I am. But almost everyone else I think I'm in contention with. [Other favorites are] Blake Schwarzenbach from Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil, obviously Dylan, Springsteen—that kind of thing. But John Samson is the best right now. [Craig to the Stranger] (via)

Not surpringly, it wasn't that hard to find a few pictures of Weakerthan lyric-inspired tattoos. That one above with the plastic daffodils is the best. Two more tattoo pics, and some videos for you to sing along with, below....

Continue reading "Craig Finn, John Samson's lyrics & Weakerthans tattoos"

the Canadian upward guitar thrust (CRED)

Tuesday night (Oct 30, 2007) I visited Webster Hall to check out the return of the Weakerthans. Last time they were in NYC, they played on a boat. I was probably too tired to be at the Webster show, so I don't have a lot to say about it except it was good, and that they played a healthy-sized set - clocking in at around 90 minutes. Jersey Beat has a little more insight...

The real star of a Weakerthans show is the songwriting. Samson’s songs tend to be extended narratives rather than hook-driven pop songs with repeated chrouses; as a lyricist, his attention to detail is impeccable and often arresting. The man does have an odd stage presence though. The band breezed through the hour-plus set with a minimum of banter; no stories, no set ups, very few introductions. Samson clearly expected his audience to already know all the songs. And while he certainly didn’t come across as disaffected or bored, he never seemed very excited to be there, either; mostly, he wore this serene grin that stopped just short of smugness. The crowd seemed to be more excited singing these songs than Samson. [Jersey Beat]

Indie rock fans should break out their wallets this week, with a stellar release list that has something for everyone. The Weakerthans' first album in four years, Reunion Tour is simply one of my favorite albums of the year. Also recommended this week: Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzales' In Our Nature, Iron & Wine's The Shepherd's Dog, Devendra Banhart's Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, Damon & Naomi's Within These Walls, Nellie Mckay's Obligatory Villagers, Matt Pond PA's Last Light, Magik Markers' Boss, Sea Wolf's Leaves in the River, Stars' In Our Bedroom After the War, and Georgie James' debut full-length, Places. My final indie rock recommendation is Bang Bang Boom Cake by Tiny Masters of Today, with an average age of 12 the band proves rock and roll has no age limits...

Outside the indie rock realm, other discs worth checking out include Erin McKeown's live album, Lafayette, R&B legend Bettye Lavette's masterpiece Scene of the Crime (which features the Drive-By Truckers as her backing band), singer-songwriter Karen Dalton's posthumous Cotton Eyed Joe (a two-CD compilation of unreleased recordings with bonus DVD), and Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade.

Notable reissues this week include two discs from seminal British folksters Pentangle, In the Round and Open the Door, as well as Tegan and Sara's This Business of Art and Two Cow Garage's Please Turn the Gas Back On.

Have I left anything noteworthy off the list? What new music releases can you recommend this week? What should I avoid?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

Tickets are on sale for the upcoming NYC Weakerthans show at Webster Hall. Brooklyn band The Last Town Chorus are touring with them, and opening that show.

The Last Town Chorus - who also have a whole concert streaming on NPR - are also opening for Mark Olson from the Jayhawks at Bowery Ballroom on August 30th. Mark's new solo album came out in June, and all of his tour dates are below....

Continue reading "the Weakerthans, Last Town Chorus, Mark Olson (Jayhawks)"

The Weakerthans on a boat - June 22, 2007 (MORE)

The Weakerthans' new album Reunion Tour is is out on Epitaph on September 25th, 2007, and it is on that exact date that they will go on the Reunion Tour Tour. They hit Webster Hall in NYC one day before Halloween. There's going to be a presale, and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "The Weakerthans - 2007 'reunion' Tour Dates & presale"

DOWNLOAD: The Weakerthans - Psalm for The Elks Lodge Last Call (MP3)

"Reunion Tour is the title of the fourth studio album by The Weakerthans, scheduled for release on September 25th, 2007 in the USA and a day earlier in Canada." [Wikipedia]

As I started to say the other day, the view from the Rocks Off boat cruises is great - you're really sailing on a boat around Manhattan. The Temptress - the larger of the two concert boats - sails from 41 St and West Side, and goes down all the way to the Statue of Liberty. The cruises are about 3-hours long. The band usually plays for about half that time. The rest of the time (or the whole time if you want to) you can be outside or looking out a window, or drinking (expensive drinks), or whatever.

As a big fan of the Weakerthans, I thought the Weakerthans show was super-duper. The set list was full of all the old hits and a bunch of new stuff off the new album (see above). I have a terrible memory when it comes to song names, set lists - even album titles...so I would love to list out all the songs, and especially name the one that I love and everyone sang along to at the end of the three-turned-four-song encore, but I'm too dumb, so.... More pics below....

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