Expertly Selected
Hand Picked for You
Sunday 9/26 at:
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Oh Land
On the Rise right Now
Someone You Need to Know
Boston, MA w/ Mates of State
ELECTROPOP - NYC's Oh Land originally hailed from Denmark, the product of a musical family. Now state-side, she got snapped up by Epic Records after 2009's SXSW - where she made big waves.
Oh Land is currently putting the finishing touches on her US debut album and an EP to be released this fall. Right now she's out on tour with the lovable Mates of State. We think audiences in Boston on Sunday will very much like this show. Here's a bonus Oh Land remix, also available for free download. Thank me later.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Airborne Toxic Event at the Somerville Theatre
Photographic Evidence
by Kira Doucette
by Kira Doucette
Airborne Toxic Event
RSL Streaming Photo Album
Airborne Toxic Event
Somerville, MA - 9/8/10
Airborne Toxic Event
Somerville, MA - 9/8/10
Having just wrapped up their well-received tour with the Calder Quartet, we wanted to share the photos of The Airborne Toxic Event performing at the Somerville Theatre. I think you'll agree with me in applauding the efforts of our latest addition to the blog team: photographer Kira Doucette. She's very talented and we're happy to have her working with us and we're anxious to bring more of her work to light.
photographs by Kira Doucette
DOCUMENTARY FILM - There's a new documentary film about Airborne Toxic Event available now, that you might want to look into. Filmed last December in front of a sold out audience at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, All I Ever Wanted, features an eclectic mix of musicians and performers-ranging from a children'schoir, a world-class string quartet, a high school marching band, horn players, visual artists, and Mexican folkórico dancers. Yes, Virginia - it's an ambitious project. The show features selections from the band's eponymous debut album, songs from their new effort (early 2011 release) and some new and never before heard covers: the Ramones' "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" (with the Belmont High School Marching Band), the Magnet Fields' "The Book of Love," and Q Lazzarus's "Goodbye Horses."
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Erin McKeown
One to Watch in 2010
by Emmery Brakke
Fri 9/24/10 - 2 Shows
When Erin McKeown traveled from her hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia to attend school at Brown University, there was no way she could have predicted that her career path would be that of an incredibly diversely talented singer-songwriter; but ten years and ten album releases later - that’s exactly what she is. *That's a hell of a lot of live shows.
Erin’s career is one of the most satisfying success stories out there. With her wide range of musical styles, from her early folk albums, to the successful alternative-rock album “We Will Become Like Birds” and even all the way to “Sing You Sinners”, her album of classic jazz covers, her skill set as both an artist and a writer are undeniable.
Distillation, released in 2000, was McKeown’s debut. The concepts behind McKeown's album "Anniversary Tour" is wonderful, and the execution is sure to be even better; the tour consists of a select number of shows in select locations where McKeown will perform the entirety of Distillation from start to finish, as it was recorded. For the second part of the set she has selected songs that she feels represent how she has grown from that album, both older and newer material.
It’s really wonder to have such an intimate opportunity to glimpse into a favorite artist's development. The tour kicked off last week in North Carolina, but the next stop will be right here in Cambridge on Friday at Club Passim, one of the places McKeown performed at early on in her career. It should be a magical experience, one that I recommend you do not miss.
Fri Sep 24 - Cambridge MA
- Club Passim
Fri Oct 08 - Portland ME - One Longfellow Square
Sat Oct 9 - Northampton MA - Iron Horse
Sun Oct 17 - New York NY - Highline Ballroom
Wed Oct 20 - Chicago IL - Lincoln Hall
Fri Oct 22 - Pittsburgh PA - Rex Theatre
Sat Oct 23 - Arlington VA - IOTA Club & Cafe
Sun Oct 24 - Philadelphia PA - World Cafe Live
Mon Nov 08 - Seattle WA - Triple Door
Thu Nov 11 - Los Angeles CA - Largo at the Coronet
Sun Nov 14 - San Francisco CA - Cafe DuNord
Fri Oct 08 - Portland ME - One Longfellow Square
Sat Oct 9 - Northampton MA - Iron Horse
Sun Oct 17 - New York NY - Highline Ballroom
Wed Oct 20 - Chicago IL - Lincoln Hall
Fri Oct 22 - Pittsburgh PA - Rex Theatre
Sat Oct 23 - Arlington VA - IOTA Club & Cafe
Sun Oct 24 - Philadelphia PA - World Cafe Live
Mon Nov 08 - Seattle WA - Triple Door
Thu Nov 11 - Los Angeles CA - Largo at the Coronet
Sun Nov 14 - San Francisco CA - Cafe DuNord
eels - tomorrow morning
New Music this Week!
Someone You Should Know
Boston Date this week!
Mark Oliver Everett is "E"
EELS RETURN - One of the most distinctive, unique bands of the last quarter century has a new album I want to share with you today. Tomorrow Morning is the new effort and you can find it online, in stores or at the band's tour (more on this in a minute) these days. There are a few important things about this band worth indicating - then I'll let you get into the cool new video. First, Mark Everett is one of most captivating, unconventional singers in music. Mark Everett has one of the most interesting artist back stories of all time. Ultimately, there is no removing E from Eels - and nobody would want you to anyway.
Eels - Railroadman
a classic from Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Once famous for their authentic, gritty but yet still ethereal, lo-fi music - the band have evolved before our eyes. The lo-fi, staticy feel is still there (removing criticism that all of the band's early efforts were anything other than intentional) on these - but changes in band membership and new songwriting directions have steered the band to where they are today. There's no doubt that Everett is heading towards being a fully actualized musician. Eels music isn't at the center of my being but I can see the band representing an entire trunk on the modern indie evolution chart. Remarkably, they are still doing what they did best years ago - better than anyone. I stop and consider that Morphine might have made the same point had Mark Sandman survived and played today. Here's the new video. Check out the album. If you're in town this weekend, I recommend attending the EELS set at Royale on Friday night. It'll be top notch.
Sept 24 - Boston, MA at Royale
Sept 25 - New York, NY at Terminal 5
Sept 26 - Washington, DC at 9:30 Club
Sept 28, 2010 Montreal, Canada at Le National
Sept 29 - Toronto, Canada at The Mod Club Theater
Sept 30 - Detroit, MI at The Crofoot Ballroom
Oct 1 - Chicago, IL at The Metro
Oct 2 - Milwaukee, WI at The Pabst Theater
Oct 3 -Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue
Oct 5- Denver, CO at The Odgen Theater
Oct 6 - Salt Lake City, UT at The Complex
Oct 8 - Portland, OR at Roseland
Oct 9 - Seattle, WA at The Moore Theater
Oct 11 - San Francisco, CA at The Fillmore
Oct 12 - Los Angeles, CA at the Henry Fonda Theater
Sept 25 - New York, NY at Terminal 5
Sept 26 - Washington, DC at 9:30 Club
Sept 28, 2010 Montreal, Canada at Le National
Sept 29 - Toronto, Canada at The Mod Club Theater
Sept 30 - Detroit, MI at The Crofoot Ballroom
Oct 1 - Chicago, IL at The Metro
Oct 2 - Milwaukee, WI at The Pabst Theater
Oct 3 -Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue
Oct 5- Denver, CO at The Odgen Theater
Oct 6 - Salt Lake City, UT at The Complex
Oct 8 - Portland, OR at Roseland
Oct 9 - Seattle, WA at The Moore Theater
Oct 11 - San Francisco, CA at The Fillmore
Oct 12 - Los Angeles, CA at the Henry Fonda Theater
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Alex Brown Church (Sea Wolf)
Acoustically Speaking...
Tonight in Town:
BEST of 2009 SELECTION - Alex Brown Church , typically accompanied by his five-piece band, Sea Wolf, will scale back his performances and instead, don the stage with just a guitar and his singular voice on tour. Church arrives in Boston today playing a date at the Middle East in Cambridge. Joining him on his solo serenade will be fellow troubadours Patrick Park and Sera Cahoone.
DATES
Sept 21 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
Sept 22 Montreal, QC - Il Motore
Sept 23 Clinton, NY - Hamilton College
Sept 24 Pittsburgh, PA - The Altar Bar
Sept 25 Toledo, OH - Mickey Finn’s Pub
Sept 26 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
Sept 27 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
Sept 28 Omaha, NE -Waiting Room
Sept 29 Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theater
Sept 30 Colorado Springs, CO - Stargazers Theatre
Oct 1 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
Oct 2 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
Oct 4 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
Oct 5 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw
Oct 6 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Oct 7 Arcata, CA - Humboldt State University
Oct 8 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Oct 9 Fresno, CA - Franks
Oct 10 Los Angeles, CA - Echo Park United Methodist Church
Sept 21 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
Sept 22 Montreal, QC - Il Motore
Sept 23 Clinton, NY - Hamilton College
Sept 24 Pittsburgh, PA - The Altar Bar
Sept 25 Toledo, OH - Mickey Finn’s Pub
Sept 26 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
Sept 27 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
Sept 28 Omaha, NE -Waiting Room
Sept 29 Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theater
Sept 30 Colorado Springs, CO - Stargazers Theatre
Oct 1 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
Oct 2 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
Oct 4 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
Oct 5 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw
Oct 6 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Oct 7 Arcata, CA - Humboldt State University
Oct 8 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Oct 9 Fresno, CA - Franks
Oct 10 Los Angeles, CA - Echo Park United Methodist Church
BONUS NEWS: Coinciding with the Sea Wolf acoustic tour, new single “Turn the Dirt Over” from Sea Wolf’s acclaimed sophomore release, White Water, White Bloom (Dangerbird Records), will be pressed on 7” vinyl and made available digitally. The 7” will be backed with a remix by Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning, who radically pushes the limits of the original by injecting a steady disco beat, a flourish of keyboards, inventive percussion and extending the song nearly two and half minutes.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Nor'easter Festival
New England This Week!
A Musical Green Getaway in NH
Sept 24-26 / Loon Mtn
3-day Celebration Of Music, Sports + Conservation in Lincoln, NH
This Weekend / Sept 24 - 26: The 2010 Nor’easter Main Stage features an energetic and eclectic lineup that includes: The Gaslight Anthem, Dr. Dog, The Walkmen, !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk), Eli “Paperboy” Reed and the True Loves, Alberta Cross, Rubblebucket, The Constellations, Sean Bones, Javelin, Tan Vampires, AmPm, AdeeM and The Super Secret Project (Granite State of Mind).
As Festival Organizer Pete Ward explains “Like the outdoors community itself, the Nor’easter Main Stage is an energetic, fun and diverse home to folks from all walks of life.”
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The Nor’easter is the Northeast’s premiere mountain life festival, combining multiple outdoor sports, conservation efforts and the Northeast’s premier music lineup.
Nor'Easter = Adventure - The three-day event will include: two days of music, pro rock climbing at The Unified Bouldering Championships Pro Tour, An international Cyclocross race and even a costume “Fun run” with top musical acts, professional athletes and the Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School, a volunteer conservation project organized in partnership with the White Mountain National Forest, a social camping atmosphere for overnight guests, and more.
Dr. Dog
Perhaps most important, a portion of the weekend’s proceeds will benefit the Conservation Alliance, an outdoor advocate group that engages outdoor businesses to help protect and conserve threatened wild places for their habitat and recreation values.
Full Set: Walkmen at SxSW
Superchunk Really has Arrived
New Music this Week!
Boston Date this week!
What a great time to be a ‘90s hipster. Bands who were in their heyday at that time - Pavement, Guided by Voices, Teenage Fanclub, Swans – all seem to be touring this year. The latest in this wave of really cool bands of yore is the powerhouse foursome from Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Superchunk.
Loved by many and highly regarded for sticking to their indie roots, Superchunk released their first three albums on Matador Records, despite interest from the majors after their debut. When Matador decided to partner with Atlantic Records for distribution, they moved to their own label (founded by Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance), the now legendary Merge Records. DIY at its finest. They were at the center of a raging Chapel Hill music scene (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Ben Folds Five, Archers of Loaf), and in addition to putting out their own classics like Here’s Where the Strings Come In (recorded at Boston’s Fort Apache Studios) and Come Pick Me Up, Merge was also home to many notable artists, among them McCaughan’s Portastatic, Neutral Milk Hotel, Conor Oberst, Arcade Fire, and The Magnetic Fields.
Both pretty and powerful, striking a nice balance between ear-catching melodies and punk explosion, Superchunk’s music has an urgency and a vibrancy that gets the adrenaline going, propelled by McCaughan’s high-pitched, exuberant vocals. They’ve just released their 9th album, Majesty Shredding, their first full-length release since 2001’s Here’s To Shutting Up. If “Digging For Something” is any indication, they haven’t lost any of their youthful power. As they haven’t been in Boston since 2001, here’s a chance to relive some of that exciting past, and celebrate a true indie band as they scream into the future.
At Royale on Tuesday, Superchunk will be performing with fellow Merge Records band Versus, who recently released On the Ones and Threes, their first album in ten years. Tickets are still available online.
At Royale on Tuesday, Superchunk will be performing with fellow Merge Records band Versus, who recently released On the Ones and Threes, their first album in ten years. Tickets are still available online.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Look Out for Drug Rug
Support Live Rock
Believing in the Music
DRUG RUG
Embracing The Facts - So I had intended on writing you to ask for your support in one of my favorite bands in New England right now. Transportation and friendship are a band's most important tools. That's just the way it is. Sometimes instruments, even, take a back seat to the basics. So I decided to do something to help Drug Rug, who are sans-van (is the correct Latin?) and need to replace their old standby Pee Wee (yes indeed, the van was named "Pee Wee"). In an effort to stay viable as a band and continue their work, bands like Drug Rug are turning to web-based services like Kickstarter to help them reach fans who can help cover expenses. Who says the patronage system is dead?? (If I didn't think Drug Rug was so awesome, this whole piece would be about Kickstarter. Bands with supporters who have considering hanging it up may want to give this a look.)
Well, Sarah and Tommy turned to the fans. That's where I come in - to draw attention to the thing. With the support of fans both near and far, the new van has been funded. So, at this point we are talking about raising funds for their tour. (Which will kick auditory ass.)
Here's the Drug Rug Kickstarter campaign if you want to make a tour donation. Who knows, Tommy and Sarah may buy you a draft when they see you on the road. This is definitely One to Watch in 2010.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Jane Lui on a Zurich Rooftop
New Video from Zurich!
Someone You Need to Know
NEW MUSIC - Californian Jane Lui's third album Goodnight Company will see digital, online, release on October 5th. Here's a sneak peak. This video for "Illusionist Boy," directed by Steve Ellington, was filmed on the rooftop of a cafe over seeing beautiful Zurich, Switzerland. Goodnight Company was co-produced with Aaron Bowen (San Diego). Bursts of electronica, funk, old-timey, & folk give away her eclectic influences with uses of melotron, dixieland jazz, field recordings, gospel choirs, and music boxes. We're looking for to it!
Lui at Carnegie Mellon
