Those Darlins write songs that effectively mix country, pop, punk and rock. The trio—Kelley Darlin (bass), Jessi Darlin (guitar) and Nikki Darlin (baritone ukulele)—hails from Murfreesboro, Tenn., but they record their music here in NYC. So in a way, their show tomorrow night at The Bowery Ballroom (with the So So Glos and Pine Hill Haints opening) is a sort of homecoming. While it’s true that Those Darlins (above, playing “Wild One”) are a band comprised entirely of ladies, they’d rather be known for their rowdy performances (“There are fucking tons of dude bands out there and they’re not described as an all-male band,” says Nikki), which have charmed audiences across the country and have garnered them a fair amount of positive press. Find out for yourself why in person tomorrow night.
The House List is giving away two tickets to tomorrow’s show. Want to go? Then just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Those Darlins, 2/5) and a brief message telling us what you’d be doing if you weren’t at this show. The winner will be notified on Friday.
Sure, it’s taken the Saints more than 40 years to reach the Super Bowl, but you won’t need to wait anywhere near that long to get your own NOLA fix. Because where funk and jazz collide, you’ll find Galactic. And that collision will be at Terminal 5 this Friday. Virtuoso drummer Stanton Moore holds together this longtime instrumental group. But percussionist and vocalist Cyril Neville, of the Neville Brothers, and trombonist Corey Henry, of Rebirth Brass Band, will join Galactic onstage. (Henry also sat in on Galactic’s new album, Ya-Ka-May, out next Tuesday.) Plus, as an added bonus, the jammy Tea Leaf Green will be opening. So get there early—expect to hear at least one Zeppelin cover—and get your weekend started right.
We know you’ll have so much fun seeing Galactic (above, playing “Hustle Up” with Boots Riley) that The House List is giving away two tickets to the show. Want to win them? Then just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Galactic, 2/5) and a brief message telling us why you could use a free night of the funk. The winner will be notified on Friday.
As part of the Stories in High Fidelity series, tonight, The Bowery Ballroom hosts a cool round of storytelling, led by David Byrne, who will discuss “Creation in Reverse”—the ways that a venue and context can shape artistic creation. Additionally, Alan Light, the former editor-in-chief of Spin and Vibe, and Dan Kennedy, author of Rock On: An Office Power Ballad and Loser Goes First, will also join the panel to add their two cents. But, of course, you can’t have a night at The Bowery without some live music, so the real pride of the Jersey Shore, Nicole Atkins, backed by Brooklyn’s ECHOecho, will be on hand, burning down the house.
The young, talented New York City band the London Souls are a straight-up rock group with a little bit of the blues and soul thrown into the mix. And if you judge a group by their influences, you’ll be happy to know these guys are rather fond of Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers Band (“Eat a Peach in particular”), Stevie Wonder, James Gang and Derek and the Dominos. So as you can imagine, the London Souls like to play fast and loud. Find out just how loud tonight and next Tuesday at Mercury Lounge.
(Above, the London Souls play “Stand Up” for fearlessmusic.com.)
The self-proclaimed “East Village spaced-out R&B acid-house revivalist outfit Cubic Zirconia” is known for what singer Tiombe Lockhart affectionately calls “soul white-boy nerdy disco dance house fun party-time music.” Nick Hook, who starts their music with a beat, says, “I like to write things that invite maximum participation.” Guitarist Todd Weinstock writes the chord progressions, and Tiombe comes up with lyrics and melodies. Although each person focuses on one aspect of songwriting, they all end up tinkering with each aspect. The next few days are big for Cubic Zirconia because their new single, “Josephine,” comes out on Tuesday on Don’t Cry Records—with remixes by Waajeed, Greenmoney, Egyptrixx and DJ Sega—and they play Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow night. In advance of that show, Tiombe took the time to answer five questions for The House List.
What’s the toughest part of playing New York City?
The guest list.
What music or song always makes you dance?
Anything with some heart.
Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better when it really happened to you?
You don’t need to be depressed or in love to write about those subjects. It does help to have experienced these things, whether in a mild or extreme capacity.
It’s 4 a.m. and last call has come and gone. What’s your next move?
Not going home probably. —R. Zizmor
Mission of Burma began in 1979, but existed for just four years before intense hearing damage to lead guitarist Roger Miller gave them no choice but to call it quits. They left behind a few singles, an EP and their seminal album—Vs., a legacy of visceral guitar—to secure their legendary status, with bands like Sonic Youth to Nirvana citing them as an important influence on their own sound. Mission of Burma eluded a lot of rock and punk classifications in their early incarnation, taking an abrasive and extremely loud approach to experimental post-punk rock. They had no allegiances to any scene, and they were considered too punk for the New Wavers but too experimental for the faster hardcore set.
The most surprising and distinctive element of Mission of Burma’s sound was Martin Swope’s tape manipulations. It’s hard to imagine the physical effort it took in the early ’80s to sample the band’s own sound as it was being played live to a reel-to-reel recorder and then fed back into amps. He was the wizard behind the curtain who literally never appeared onstage, which was unheard of for a rock band. But Mission of Burma was this kind of amazing contradiction of esoteric arty garage rock. They were at the post-punk frontier. Fast forward to 2010: It’s not news that Burma has reunited to perform their groundbreaking material again, but rather that this reunion has resulted in three new albums, ONoffON (2004), The Obliterati (2006) and The Sound the Speed the Light (2009), proving that the band’s early brilliance was no accident.
With the help of Bob Weston, indie-rock engineer extraordinaire, in Swope’s role, Mission of Burma’s new material has shown that rock life after 40 can be more than greatest-hits compilations and benefit shows—experience and wisdom can bring innovation. It’s why October 4th was recently declared Mission of Burma day in Boston. This unlikely feat of endurance is on display at The Bowery Ballroom this Friday and Saturday. It’s more than a comeback, and please don’t forget to bring your own firing-range ear protection. —Jason Dean
(“1,2,3, Party!!” is the first single off The Sound the Speed the Light.)
Singer-songwriter Chad Urmston was previously in Dispatch. But he disbanded that group when he wanted to focus more on singing and the guitar rather than jamming and switching instruments. The new band he started, State Radio, combines socially conscious songwriting with roots-reggae rhythms. The Boston trio put out their fourth full-length (and first available on vinyl) album, Let It Go, last September and is currently touring the country. And while the music has an upbeat injection of punk sound, the guys in State Radio are about more than just having a good time. They’ve done work with Oxfam International and have founded their own organization, Calling All Crows, to mobilize “musicians and their fans to promote human rights.” But don’t worry, when you see them on Friday at The Wellmont Theatre, you’ll still have a blast.
(State Radio, above, plays “People to People.”)
Hideaki Ishi was born in Tokyo in 1962. He discovered hip-hop upon seeing Wild Style in the early ’80s. The next day he decided to become a DJ and—under the name DJ Krush—he became one of the pioneers of Japanese hip-hop. He formed the group Krush Posse in 1987 and then went solo when they disbanded in 1992. Soon enough, he earned his reputation as an artist, producer and turntablist on the international club scene, and he’s put out 12 albums since ’94, often dabbling in ambient music and trip-hop. DJ Krush continues to work as a producer, remixer and DJ, and he does plenty of music for TV shows, movies and commercials. But you can appreciate his multiple talents in person when he plays The Bowery Ballroom next Tuesday.
What began as Heloise Williams singing over prerecorded music with Sara Sweet Rabidoux and Joe Shepard dancing behind her in crazy costumes has turned into something bigger…and better. Heloise & the Savoir Faire, based out of Brooklyn, has blossomed into a full-on band, complete with James Bellizia on guitar, Jason Diamond on bass and Luke Hughett on drums. The band gained attention with the help of Elijah Wood’s Simian Records, and with their choreographed dance routines and debut album, Trash, Rats and Microphones, they continue to attract a wider audience. See for yourself when they play Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow night.
(Heloise & the Savoir Faire, above, plays “Odyle.”)
From the city that brought you blunts and booed Santa Claus—Philadelphia—comes the rock quintet Free Energy. Two of its five members, frontman Paul Sprangers and guitarist Scott Wells, were formerly part of the group Hockey Night. Following that band’s demise, they recorded some demos and found themselves in a studio with DFA Records cofounder and LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy. After adding Geoff Bucknam, Nick Shuminksy and Evan Wells to the mix, they had a whole new band with a hook-laden sound reminiscent of ’70s standouts Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy. “Dream City” earned a Pitchfork designation as one of the Best New Tracks of 2009, and Free Energy’s debut album is due out some time this year (you can stream three songs here). But you don’t need to wait for their disc to check out their sure-to-make-you-move music because they’re playing Brooklyn Bowl in just two days. So check out Free Energy, above, playing “Free Energy” and then go see them play live on Friday night.
People Under the Stairs came together when Mike Turner (Double K) and Chris Portugal (Thes One) met in mid-’90s Los Angeles and formed one of underground hip-hop’s most preeminent groups. Their relaxed sense of humor and a reliance on jazzy beats set them apart from their contemporaries. They’ve become well known for their live performances, and they continue to release new material, putting out seven full-length albums—beginning with their debut, The Next Step—since 1998. People Under the Stairs are currently amidst a U.S. tour, which brings them to The Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night (with Grieves with Budo and Kenan Bell opening). See them, above, playing “Acid Raindrops” and then head to the Lower East Side this weekend to find out why their tagline is “we make people dance.”
Levon Helm is a member of rock royalty. He grew up in Arkansas but headed to Canada after high school to join rockabilly-star Ronnie Hawkins’ backing band, the Hawks. Eventually he played alongside Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson before those five struck out on their own. By the mid-’60s, Bob Dylan was looking to go electric and he decided the Hawks were the perfect musicians to accompany him. While Dylan’s plugged-in takes on his folk classics would eventually gain widespread acclaim, it certainly didn’t happen overnight. As the audience’s booing and catcalls intensified, Helm decided to leave the band rather than face that negativity night after night.
In the meantime, Dylan and the Hawks headed to Europe and then to Woodstock after Dylan had a disastrous motorcycle accident there. While they were in upstate New York, they recorded a slew of material—eventually released as The Basement Tapes—at Danko, Hudson and Manuel’s house, affectionately known as Big Pink, in West Saugerties, N.Y. With things going so well musically, Danko invited Helm (playing “The Weight,” above, on PBS) to rejoin them and write their own music, and somewhere along the way the band became the Band. They toured and released seven studio albums—including their spectacular debut, Music from Big Pink, and their fantastic sophomore effort, The Band—and one of the greatest live albums ever, Rock of Ages.
With their supreme musicianship, vivid storytelling and three of the finest voices (Danko’s, Helm’s and Manuel’s) in the history of recorded music, the Band went on to influence countless musicians and songwriters, and their songs, including “The Weight,” “Ophelia,”“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creek,” are an enduring part of the rock canon. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. And so the Band closed up shop at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day 1976. It was, quite literally, The Last Waltz.
Following the Band’s breakup, Helm toured and recorded music and dabbled in acting, appearing in Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Right Stuff and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada among others. And after a successful but costly bout with throat cancer, he began to stage monthly Midnight Rambles at his home studio in Woodstock. Helm sings, entertains and plays the drums and mandolin, accompanied by an all-world backing band of his own, led by sideman extraordinaire Larry Campbell and Helm’s daughter, Amy. And if that weren’t enough, Helm has even put out two new albums, the Grammy-winning Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt, since 2007. But here’s the best part: Levon Helm is bringing his Ramble on the road—with special guest Donald Fagen of Steely Dan—to Terminal 5 this Thursday. Do your best to make it there. But be warned that your face will hurt on Friday from smiling so much the night before. —R. Zizmor
The tough thing about New Year’s Eve is that it’s amateur night. But that’s OK because you can avoid all the drama by spending the night rocking out with us. Patti Smith and Her Band at The Bowery Ballroom and Soulive at Music Hall of Williamsburg are already sold out, but no worries ’cause we’ve got plenty of other options for you to close out 2009 in style.
Have you been to Brooklyn Bowl yet? It’s pretty badass. They’ve got great food and local beers to go alongside 16 high-tech bowling lanes. And their sound system is fantastic, which works out great since Q-Tip (who also happens to be badass) will be spinning there. If you don’t want to be anywhere near Times Square, then do what feels right and head to Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow.
One good thing about New Year’s Eve is that places stay open later than usual, which means you definitely need some late-night music. You know this, and Titus Andronicus and their openers, the So So Glos, know it, too. After the Detroit Cobras’ show clears out, doors will open at 1:30 a.m. Titus Andronicus, whose name comes from Shakespeare and whose sound comes from Jersey, will ring in the New Year with energetic songs and a heavy dose of guitar distortion. What else are you gonna do—go to bed?
The Word is kind of like a recipe: Add John Medeski on keys to Robert Randolph on the pedal steel to the North Mississippi Allstars (Chris Chew, bass, Cody Dickinson, drums, and Luther Dickinson, guitar) and you get a tasty stew of blues, funk and gospel, plus some cool covers (like the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”). Because these guys are all in their own bands, it’s been difficult for them to find enough time to play together. They put out a superb self-titled album of gospel instrumentals in 2001 and played shows to support it. But then they didn’t perform together again until around this time two years ago. And now they’re back at Terminal 5 on NYE. “Joyful Sounds” indeed.
Their reputation preceded them. Fanfarlo has earned comparisons to Arcade Fire and Broken Social scene, probably because they employ overlooked instruments in the indie-rock world, like the mandolin, trumpet and violin, and because of their swelling anthems. Simon Balthazar (vocals), Leon Beckenham (trumpet), Justin Finch (bass), Cathy Lucas (violin), Amos Memon (drums) and Mark West (guitar) came together as Fanfarlo mid-decade in London. And through a series of singles, the Internet and their frenetic live shows, word of mouth got out. So people knew to see the band before they’d even heard the band. Since their debut full-length album, Reservoir, came out this year, it’s even easier to hear the band. And now you can see them because Fanfarlo (above, playing “The Walls Are Coming Down”) plays Webster Hall on Friday.
They’re definitely worth checking out. And to prove it, The House List is giving away two tickets. Fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Fanfarlo, 12/18) and a brief message explaining why you deserve to cut loose for free on Friday night. The winner will be notified by noon on Friday. Good luck.
Her path toward a music career has been an unusual one. Elizabeth McChesney was born in Washington, D.C. But she moved to New York City in her teens and attended a performing-arts boarding school outside Boston before studying graphic design at Parsons. Somewhere along the way, she took the name Lissy Trullie and became an It girl, DJing at the infamous Beatrice Inn and dabbling in modeling. Time Out New York even referred to her as “Patti Smith crossed with Edie Sedgwick: a paragon of downtown arty cool.” But, truthfully, that’s just an interesting backstory (or not, depending on your view). What really matters is her music. Her EP, Self-Taught Learner, came out in February and was recently rereleased with a few added songs. She’s even got some famous fans in Courtney Love and Adam Green of the Moldy Peaches, with whom she covered Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend.” Check out Lissy Trullie, above, playing “Self-Taught Learner” and then see what all the fuss is about on Monday at Mercury Lounge.
This is the time of the year when people spend time—too much, perhaps—with their families. Well, imagine working with your sibling every day. That’s what brother and sister Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger do under the name the Fiery Furnaces. They grew up in a musical family in the suburbs of Chicago, but they started their band in, you guessed it, Brooklyn. Matthew handles the majority of the songwriting and in-studio instrumentation, while Eleanor is in charge of the vocals—but the group performs as a foursome in concert. Their debut album, Gallowsbird’s Bark, came out in 2003, and, with their garage-blues sound, the Fiery Furnaces instantly earned comparisons to the White Stripes. They’ve since released a handful of singles, a live disc and seven more studio albums (one featuring their grandmother), the two most recent of which, I’m Going Away and Take Me Round Again, came out in July and November, respectively. With plenty of new material, the Fiery Furnaces are spending their weekend in New York City, tomorrow at Music Hall of Williamsburg and on Saturday at The Bowery Ballroom. See them, above, playing “Ex Guru” in studio for KCRW and then go see them in person.
The L.A. pop-rock five-piece Rooney got started about a decade ago. Before ever releasing an album, they received plum spots opening for Weezer and the Strokes, in 2002. After more tours—with the Donnas and OK Go and then Pete Yorn and Grandaddy—Rooney’s self-titled debut disc finally came out in May of 2003. And, suddenly, the band that had previously been known for singer Robert Schwartzman’s famous lineage, was getting recognized for their fine music. They garnered even more attention when they performed on The O.C. in early 2004. A second album, Calling the World, followed the next year. And now Rooney is back with a new EP, Wild One. (Stream it here.) The album is only available for purchase at their shows, which works out well because they play Webster Hall on Friday.
(Check out Rooney, above, covering CCR’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and the Band’s “The Weight” in a hotel room.)
