DOWNLOAD: Nathaniel Rateliff - Early Spring Till (MP3)

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel @ BV CMJ at MHOW (more by Vincent Cornelli)

Nathaniel Rateliff and The Wheel opened all of Laura Marling's last, brief North American tour in February, including a show at (Le) Poisson Rouge.

UPDATE: It's official. No more "The Wheel". (just Nathaniel Rateliff) (there's still a full band - just no more "The Wheel" in the name).

He has a great new record, In Memory of Loss, coming out on April 27th on Rounder Records (cover art below), and more shows on the way. Most of his upcoming shows - ones with Low Anthem, a Daytrotter Barnstormer tour (aka Delta Spirit, Ra Ra Riot, Pearly Gate Music, and Free Energy playing in barns) and Tallest Man on Earth - are in the Midwest. He comes east for shows around the beginning of June, and will play a pair of NYC gigs: (Le) Poisson Rouge on June 2nd and Union Hall on June 3rd. Tickets for LPR are on sale. Union hall tix are TBA.

His former tourmate Laura Marling (who the Wheel also backed on some songs at the shows) will be in NYC for a pair of shows this May on her upcoming tour.

All tour dates and video of Nathaniel Rateliff at SXSW, LPR and playing from and talking about his new album are below...

Continue reading "Nathaniel Rateliff - debut album out soon, 2010 tour dates w/ 2 NYC shows & Daytrotter Barnstormer gigs"

by Andrew Frisicano

I think I might be one of the last people to have heard about Laura Marling. I saw her for the first time at the BV-CMJ show at MHOW in October, and from the first note there her voice commanded absolute attention. If that was the bait, the songs themselves were the hook. The folk songs she puts together are delicately structured and tightly packed with fierce determinism, personal conflict and wisdom that belies her young age.

At (Le) Poisson Rouge on February 12th, Marling was accompanied by her piano/banjo player Pete Roe (who opened the show unannounced) and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel (who also opened). The band provided a chorus of harmonies and a beat to the songs. They burned through the hoedown of "Devil's Spoke," the first single off her new record, I Speak Because I Can, out April 6th in the US (March 22nd in the UK). On the record, the song is backed by Mumford & Sons, who are her band for the whole LP (the first of two planned for the year, the second being just her and Pete). Mumford & Sons play a sold-out Bowery show with Freelance Whales tonight (2/18). Mumford were on Letterman last night (with their signature harmonies mixes much too low). Video is below.

Back to Laura Marling, she commanded the packed audience at LPR with both her newer and older material (and a Neil Young cover). She described how wintery single "England Covered in Snow" was inspired by a snowy walk with her father, who told Laura, then 10, to take him back before his death (a place visited in a Times UK profile on Marling). There was humor too - Pete played a purposefully off-kilter version of "The Entertainer," then forced Laura to restart a song with a mistake on his banjo. What was the problem? "Just playing the wrong notes..." he apologized. Laura wasn't the slightest bit frustrated, a testament to her onstage maturity, and kicked things back into the closing "Alas I Cannot Swim."

editor's note: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel also killed it!

Marling tours the UK in April and is on the bill for Sasquatch Fest, happening over Memorial Day weekend. More pictures, album art and videos are below...

Continue reading "Laura Marling & Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel played LPR (pics), Mumford & Sons played Letterman (video) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Laura Marling @ Music Hall of Williamsburg BV-CMJ (more by Tim Griffin)

UK folk singer Laura Marling, who performed a breathtaking set at CMJ 2009, will be putting out two records this year. The first of those, I Speak Because I Can, comes out April 6th (March 22nd in UK/Europe) on Astralwerks. On the album, her backing band is Mumford & Sons, a quartet of expert harmonizers who are playing a sold-out Bowery show in February. The record also features production from Ethan Johns (who's worked with Kings of Leon & Ryan Adams). He'll also be recording her second 2010 album (scheduled for fall) in the coming months.

Marling tours the US and Canada this February. That includes a show at NYC's (Le) Poisson Rouge on Friday, February 12th. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel, who first shared a bill with Laura at the BV CMJ show at MHOW in 2009, will open all North American dates for Laura including the NYC show which is still on sale.

For more Wheel, check out the Daytrotter session that was posted in December.

Laura is also scheduled to play the UK in April. All tour dates and album art & info, as well as the video for her new single "Devil's Spoke," are below...

Continue reading "The Wheel touring (dates) w/ Laura Marling who is releasing two new records this year (video)"

photos by Vincent Cornelli

Fanfarlo @ CMJ 2009

The 2010 CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival will take place in New York City from October 19 to 23. The 2009 CMJ Music Marathon began on October 20th which was the same night as the BrooklynVegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg. A new set of pictures from that show is continued below...

Continue reading "2010 CMJ dates, 2009 CMJ pictures (from the BrooklynVegan showcase @ Music Hall of Williamsburg) "

photos by Tim Griffin

"Nathaniel Rateliff and The Wheel winning over the Music Hall crowd in a huge way, and for good reason." - my Twitter

"I hadn't heard Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel before last night, but they were a very pleasant surprise. Rateliff's voice, which reminded me of the Tallest Man on Earth's Kristian Matsson, strikes the perfect and rare balance between soothing and powerful. I'm going to buy his record now, and I suggest you do the same. Assuming you like Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes and autumn." [L Magazine]

Speaking of his record, I found out last night that Nathaniel Rateliff has signed to Rounder Records who will probably release the debut album by "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel" sometime in the Spring of 2010. In the meantime, you have three more CMJ chances to see The Wheel. Those dates along with more pictures from their set at the BV showcase at Music Hall of Williamsurg last night (10/20), below...

Continue reading "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel played BV-CMJ @ MHOW (pics), signed to Rounder Records! ++ more dates"

DOWNLOAD: The Wheel - Whimper and Wail (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Records of a Flagpole Skater (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Kudos (MP3)

Dent May

Sharon Van Etten

Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Brooklyn Bowl in August (more by Oren Loloi)

By the time Saturday, October 24th gets here, six BrooklynVegan shows will have come and gone. The first is on Tuesday. Then there are two on Thursday (night and day), and three on Friday (day, night, and night). Finally, the seventh and final BV party of CMJ 2009 (which is not technically part of CMJ) is happening Saturday at Pianos, and the 2-stage lineup is:

DOWNSTAIRS @ Pianos on the afternoon of 10/24/2009

1:15 Surf City
2:00 The Moondoggies (Hardly Art)
2:45 Local Natives
3:30 Still Life Still
4:15 Deastro
5:00 Cymbals Eat Guitars

UPSTAIRS @ Pianos on the afternoon of 10/24/2009

1:00 Dave Godowsky
1:45 Sharon Van Etten
2:30 The Smith Westerns
3:15 Pete & The Pirates
4:00 JBM
4:45 Dent May
5:30 Nathaniel Rateliff and The Wheel

Those times are all P.M. It's an afternoon show and it's 100% free. Come hang out.

Not only is this show 100% free, there will be free Miller beer (High Life and Lite) and free Vitamin Water (first come, first served). Same free stuff at all three BrooklynVegan day parties this year (Thursday @ Pianos, Friday @ Fontana's, and Saturday @ Pianos aka this party). Flyer for this party, which was put together in conjunction with Bowery Presents who wanted the same space on the same day (Double Booked!), below.

We talked about Surf City who are from New Zealand, and a bunch about Pete & The Pirates from the UK.

For the Moondoggies, this is one of only two CMJ-time shows. Their other is the official Sub Pop / Hardly Art showcase at Mercury Lounge.

Two bands on this bill are playing two BV parties. LA's Local Natives are also in the loft. Denver's The Wheel are also Tuesday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Still Life Still are that band that new Arts & Crafts band that just came through town. You know Dent May from the roster of Animal Collective's label Paw Tracks.

Dave Godowsky and Sharon Van Etten are both singer-songwriters making their second appearances at BV parties in the upstairs room of Pianos. You may have caught Dave when he opened for Dave Bazan at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday night. You may remember Sharon's voice from the new Antlers record (The Antlers are another band playing the BV show at MHOW).

Ghostly International artist Deastro has a tour coming up with Max Tundra in 2010. Don't wait that long to see him.

The Smith Westerns. You remember them. JBM too. And Cymbals Eat Guitars. Maybe another band TBA (probably). I'm too tired to keep writing. Flyer below!

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents were Double Booked! ...........(free Saturday day party during CMJ 2009 @ Pianos)"

by Bill Pearis

Melbourne, Australia's The Temper Trap are currently on their first big tour of the States, and will head into New York later this week for two shows during the CMJ fest: Thursday (10/22) at Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets) and Friday (10/23) at Bowery Ballroom (tickets). Already huge in their own country, the band's debut album is currently in the UK Top 40 and their single "Sweet Disposition" (also featured in the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack) is just outside the UK Top 10. Their sound is stadium-ready (I'm talking U2 and Keane) but I do think they have some good songs. I especially like non-single "Down River" and there's no denying "Sweet Disposition" is catchy. So I wouldn't be surprised if the next time they hit town they skip straight to Terminal 5. We'll see.

The MHoW show is a pretty good show overall, where they play with three London bands: the folky, charming Mumford & Sons who were great at Cameo back in March; the underrated, hard-to-pigeonhole Golden Silvers, and Goldhawks who've toured with Temper Trap in the UK and have a somewhat similar sound.

The Bowery show is with Portland's hippy-friendly Portugal. The Man, Boston's country-ish Drug Rug, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel (who play our show at MHoW tomorrow night [10/20]), Cincinnati's anthemic, atmospheric All The Day Holiday, and singer-songwriter Julia Nunes.

A couple Temper Trap videos, plus tour dates, are below...

Continue reading "The Temper Trap from Australia - 2009 Tour Dates (CMJ shows w/ assorted bands @ Bowery & MHOW)"

Walter Schreifels, Laura Marling, The Antlers

"I went to see Walter Schreifels at the Studio in NYC. I didn't bring my camera because I had never been to the place and wasn't sure of the policy. I wound up regretting it. A few nights ago [August 11th] Wally played here in Hoboken [at Maxwell's] and I decided to bring the appendage along with me. Walter best known for his sheer genius as a song writer, guitar player, producer and singer for countless bands including Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Rival Schools, Walking Concert and countless others plays a stripped down version of various tracks from those projects. All while throwing in some tracks from his solo album which is due later in the year." [Photogeek]

The Walter Schreifels Band will play a special early set (like Sufjan did at ATP) to start the BrooklynVegan CMJ night at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. From there we'll go into Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel (Denver) followed by Laura Marling (UK) followed by The Antlers (NYC) which will then transition beautifully into Fanfarlo (UK) who will close out the night. Set times TBA.

The mutli-talented Dave Hill, who plays guitar for Walter, will also stick around to host the night (and tell some jokes). Tickets are on sale will go on sale Friday at noon, and a bunch of CMJ badges will be let in.

This will actually be one of two official CMJ shows we're doing this year. The other one will be much heavier and put together by Black Bubblegum. Day party announcements are coming too.

The Antlers are currently on tour with the newly-signed Holly Miranda who is also playing CMJ.

Laura Marling is playing solo at this show, and at a few more US shows that week. Those dates include a 2nd NYC show at Joe's Pub on October 23rd which is now unfortunately sold out. All dates, and some videos, below...

Continue reading "2009 BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase @ MHOW (Walter Schreifels Band, The Antlers, Laura Marling, Fanfarlo, Wheel)"

DOWNLOAD: The Wheel - Whimper and Wail (MP3)

"The Wheel: Stark, eloquent Cash echoes." - NY Times

"Thirteen bands were scheduled to play the BrooklynVegan / Agency Group day party in Austin on Thursday, March 19, 2009. Twelve ended up playing - one of them twice. I think the story is that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, who had a zillion other shows also scheduled during the SXSW week, got confused about what their set time was. For that reason (and traffic), they showed up too late to go on in their slot. Instead, The Wheel, who was our last-minute addition as opener on the inside stage, immediately went outside and played a second set on the larger outdoor stage in the late band's place. We got at least one "boo" when the "scheduling mixup" was announced, but what could we do? (sorry!) It was awesome of the Wheel to fill on a moment's notice. Hopefully the people outside enjoyed him after they got over the awkwardness. I didn't watch his second set, but he sounded amazing inside." [me]

By "he", I meant Nathaniel Rateliff whose official band name is now "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel". The second Nathaniel left the stage (the first time) I ran up to him and asked if he would please play my CMJ show. He agreed, and now finally over six months later I'm happy to announce it that The Wheel will be appearing at the BV party at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 20th (the show Fanfarlo are also playing).

On July 22nd of this year, The Wheel opened for Bon Iver (the opener of my CMJ show in 2007) in Nathaniel's hometown of Denver...

"Openers The Wheel were playing to a hometown crowd, but nonetheless got the loudest prolonged-cheer reception I have heard for any local band in a long time. Their intricate, melancholy songs are steeped in goodness and ready for a larger stage. The band is magnetically led by the wry, exceptional voice of frontman Nathaniel Rateliff (Born In The Flood) who in the oddest coincidence that you ever think could sound good, vocally evokes a young and impassioned Neil Diamond minus the glitter. The technicolor songs pack a punch, yet sounded timeless through a symphony of strings, aching harmonica and guitars, piano, intuitive drumming, and vocal harmonies that cut through the venue and held everyone's attention." [I Am Fuel You Are Friends]

If you don't make it to the October 20th Music Hall show, don't worry, it's CMJ. The Wheel (sometimes solo, and sometimes with a band) will be playing more than one show that week. One of those shows is October 23rd at Bowery Ballroom with Portugal. The Man, The Temper Trap, Drug Rug, and All The Day Holiday (tickets). Another one of those shows is a BrooklynVegan day party on Saturday, October 24th, at Pianos (many more details TBA on that one).

One MP3 is above. More songs at MySpace. Dates & videos below...

Continue reading "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel (coming to BV-CMJ)"

photos by Leia Jospe

These Arms Are Snakes / Thao / Daniel Johnston & Hymns

Thirteen bands were scheduled to play the BrooklynVegan / Agency Group day party in Austin on Thursday, March 19, 2009. Twelve ended up playing - one of them twice. I think the story is that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, who had a zillion other shows also scheduled during the SXSW week, got confused about what their set time was. For that reason (and traffic), they showed up too late to go on in their slot. Instead, The Wheel, who was our last-minute addition as opener on the inside stage, immediately went outside and played a second set on the larger outdoor stage in the late band's place. We got at least one "boo" when the "scheduling mixup" was announced, but what could we do? (sorry!) It was awesome of the Wheel to fill on a moment's notice. Hopefully the people outside enjoyed him after they got over the awkwardness. I didn't watch his second set, but he sounded amazing inside.

Due to overlap on the two stages, it was hard to see everyone that played the party. The most painful two decisions were Cursive or the Wrens, and These Arms or Snakes or Daniel Johnston. I think we originally had it worked out a little better in terms of that, but the main stage started to run late. I went back and forth and caught pieces of as much as I could (and all of Daniel).

Thanks to everyone who came!

Leia managed to catch 8 of the 12 bands (she missed The Wheel, Avett Brothers, New Villager and Au Revoir Simone). Her pictures are below...

Continue reading "BV day party @ Radio Room in Austin - pics by Leia "