Julian Koster

DOWNLOAD: Bowerbirds – In Our Talons (MP3) Bowerbirds, La Strada, Lost in the Trees and Bell played the Mercury Lounge on Monday, April 27th (one night before Bell and Bowerbirds played Monkey Town)…

The Music Tapes @ a CMJ show (more by Kyle Dean Reinford) The Music Tapes played Maxwell’s in Hoboken on Sunday (3/1), and for those who missed the criminally under attended show (maybe something to do with the weather), you’re in luck – they’ll be back in town on Tuesday (tonight, 3/3) playing the Bell House with the same lineup of opening acts: musical mad scientist Brian Dewan and upbeat Elephant 6-ers Nana Grizol…

The Music Tapes @ Mercury Lounge (more Kyle Dean Reinford) The Music Tapes, aka Julian Koster, “the 7 Foot Tall Metronome, Static the Television and other human bandmembers”, are hitting the road again in February…

words & The duo from New Mexico quietly emerged from the side of the stage and began playing to each other in the middle of the floor. The giddy audience started snapping photos and wondered out loud, “are they going to do the whole set here…

The European-folk-music-influenced duo of ex-Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jeremy Barnes and violinist Heather Trost, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, is set to play two upcoming NYC shows – January 10th at Mercury Lounge (tix), with Great Lake Swimmers, and January 11th at Union Hall (tix)…

DOWNLOAD: Julian Koster – Jingle Bells (MP3) Earlier this year, Seattle songwriter Rosie Thomas, who has collaborated with friends Damien Jurado, David Bazan and Sufjan Stevens in the past, again rounded up family and friends to put together A Very Rosie Christmas, a holiday-themed album that mixes traditional songs and covers (Peanuts’ classic “Christmastime Is Here” for one) with originals like “Why Can’t It Be Christmastime All Year” – a rolling indie-pop singalong truely worthy of release on Thomas’ own Sing-a-long Records label…

I was running late to the Merge showcase Saturday night (10/25), but luckily caught The Music Tapes in the middle the fantastic rendition of “An Orchistration’s Overture,” a duet between frontman Julian Koster and a TV-headed robot (who appeared on stage across from a 7-foot wooden metronome)…

Jeff Mangum plays in Pittsburgh on October 18, 2008 (Hughshows) Neutral Milk Hotel was performed with Jeff Mangum on vocals last night in Pittsburgh…

Yes, Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum appeared, but as someone pointed out, that was just five minutes of of a 2.5 hour Elephant 6 collective show that also included two other members of Neutral Milk Hotel, one of whom (Julian) also performed at The Music Tapes…

DOWNLOAD: Portastatic – Some Small History (MP3) DOWNLOAD: Julian Koster – Jingle Bells (MP3) Superchunk @ Bumbershoot – Sept 1, 2008Saturday 10/25/2008 Merge Records CMJ Showcase @ Mercury Lounge, NYC w/ * The Music Tapes * Wye Oak * Portastatic * The Broken West * The Rosebuds * Oakley HallThat’s a great lineup for Mercury Lounge…