All too often the best things in life are fleeting. Such is the case with Tragedy, the all metal tribute to the Bee Gees. And so with just one more show to play, it’s best to let the band speak for itself:
“We, Tragedy, the No. 1 heavy-metal tribute to the Bee Gees in the tristate area, were founded in 2007 with one purpose and one purpose only: to fill a vast need within the hearts and minds of society—the need for heavy-metal versions of Bee Gees songs. We have accomplished this, and our work is done. Please come celebrate our incredible legacy as we play our LAST SHOW EVER at New York City’s famed Bowery Ballroom. This is it, folks. If you want to see us again, you must come to this show! Special guests Upper Crust, Les Sans Culottes and the Blondest (tribute to Blondie).”
So come say goodbye to Tragedy (above, covering “Stayin’ Alive”) when the band plays its final show on Friday at The Bowery Ballroom.
Ori Kaplan, formerly in Gogol Bordello, and Tamir Muskat, of Firewater, were born in Israel and met in Brooklyn. They were united by a love of music, and playing together—as Balkan Beat Box—they blend Balkan, klezmer and Mediterranean sounds with dub, electronica and hip-hop. The duo, joined by a rotating group of musicians, has put out a couple of albums since 2005. The third, Blue Eyed Black Boy, will be released next month. But you won’t need to wait that long to check out their new music because Balkan Beat Box (above, playing “Hermetico”) is playing Webster Hall on Saturday. Want to go? The House List is giving away two tickets. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Balkan Beat Box, 3/13) and a brief message explaining what you like so much about the band. The winner will be notified on Friday. Good luck.
Copeland will play The Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (this is sold out) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Monday as part of the emo indie-pop rockers’ last-ever tour. Just a few months ago, the members of the loosely Christian band announced that they felt Copeland had run its course and were breaking up amicably.
Copeland, above, playing “You Have My Attention,” burst onto the scene in 2003 with its acclaimed debut album, Beneath Medicine Tree, released on the well-regarded independent label the Militia Group. Starting with this album, and continuing up until its most recent, You Are My Sunshine, released on Tooth & Nail, Copeland’s name has been synonymous with sweet, loving and powerfully melodious songs. Recent press has touted the sounds on You Are My Sunshine as the band’s most mature, intricate and darkest to date.
On this last trek, Copeland has brought along genre cohorts I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business and Person L. Both groups are side projects of former Drive-Thru Records bands that have become each frontman’s main work. The Early November’s Ace Enders is the man behind ICMAMLNB, which hasn’t released an album in six years due to Enders’ involvement in other projects. ICMAMLNB’s The World We Know, out later this month, is 40 minutes of nonstop music, a product of Enders’ desire to create a work in entirety and not just songs strung together. Person L is the current project of former the Starting Line singer Kenny Vasoli. Its current album, The Positives, released in November, has been receiving rave reviews for its mature prog-rock-y and ethereal sounds. —Kirsten Housel
You may remember the four-piece OK Go from their stellar “Here It Goes Again” video (think treadmills). And in this day and age, when we’re constantly bombarded with 24-hour news and an array of viral videos, it’s often hard to stay in the public’s conscience for any length of time. But OK Go is back with a new album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky—their third studio LP—and this very cool video for the catchy “This Too Shall Pass.” And if that weren’t enough, they’ll also be back in New York City, playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, 4/30. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon. Get in there.
Some people use the method to figure out their porn name, but Andrew Mayer Cohen, who grew up on Hawthorne Road, added his middle name to that of the street he grew up on to become the soul singer Mayer Hawthorne. He’s most influenced by Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson and the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland writing team, but Hawthorne is much more than a singer and writer. In fact, he’s also a producer, arranger, audio engineer and a DJ, plus he plays a variety of instruments and has even been known to rap. His soul music began sort of as a goof, but the tunes were no joke and they eventually led him to Stones Throw Records. And now Mayer Hawthorne—above, playing “Maybe So, Maybe No” for Suite903.com—starts a new tour at Webster Hall on Thursday. Want to go? Fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Mayer Hawthorne, 3/4) and the name of your favorite soul song. The winner will be notified on Thursday.
The Toronto-based quartet the Sadies—brothers Dallas and Travis Good (the sons of Bruce Good, who performed with his two siblings as the Good Brothers, Canada’s preeminent country-rock band in the ’70s) alongside drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean—have been putting out music since 1998. But their sound is a little hard to pin down because they cover so much musical terrain: bluegrass, rockabilly, surf music and psychedelic rock. Plus they’ve earned even wider appeal by recording an album with R&B legend Andre Williams, serving as the backing band for Neko Case and having an instrumental featured on Adult Swim’s 12. oz. Mouse. There’s a lot going on with this band, which is why they’re doing two sets when they play Mercury Lounge on Saturday. So check them out, above, playing “Anna Leigh,” and then double your pleasure in person this weekend.
Originally, this was intended to be a preview for Dawes, the young L.A.-based band with a terrific debut album, North Hills (complete with tightly written songs, quality harmonies and some good old-fashioned guitar love), and even better live show, headlining The Bowery Ballroom tonight for the very first time—with Corey Chisel & the Wandering Sons and Jason Boesel. But it seems unfair to preview a show that’s already sold out. And a review of tonight’s show is, quite frankly, a bit premature since it hasn’t happened yet. So, instead of a preview or a review, think of this as just a view: Check out Dawes, above, playing the sure-to-get-stuck-in-your-head “When My Time Comes” and, below, covering the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.” And then you’ll know that the next time Dawes comes to town you shouldn’t be so slow in deciding to get a ticket because, seriously, these guys kick ass.
The post-punk UK band Editors—singer-guitarist Tom Smith, guitarist Chris Urbanowicz, bassist Russell Leetch and drummer Ed Lay—released their first album, The Back Room, in 2005. The buzz from that earned them appearances at Coachella and Lollapalooza the following year. The band’s second disc, An End Has a Start, released in 2007, went platinum in the UK the very day it was released. Not wanting to rest on their laurels, the guys in Editors (above, playing “Papillon” on Later…with Jools Holland) opted to take their sound in a different direction in choosing to use synthesizers on 2009’s In This Light and on This Evening rather than sticking with the dark guitar rock they’d employed on their previous two albums. But you can judge which style you like best when Editors (with the Antlers and the Dig) play Terminal 5 tomorrow night.
Want to go but don’t have tickets? Then try to win two from The House List. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re to win tickets to (Editors, 2/19) and a brief message explaining which Winter Olympic sport is your favorite and why. Eddie Bruiser, who does not care for figure skating, will notify the winner tomorrow. Good luck.
Dan Black is a multitalented electronica musician at the forefront of Wonky Pop. He sang and played guitar with the Servant until they disbanded in 2007, and he’s also sung with the Italian electronic-dance group Planet Funk. But he began to gain more attention a couple of years ago when he moved into solo work. He first found success with “HYPNTZ”—mixing lyrics from Biggie Smalls’ “Hypnotize” over a sample of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”—and then later with the singles “Alone” and “Yours.” And just two days ago, Black’s debut album, UN, finally came out in the U.S. Which, of course, brings us to the point: Dan Black (above, playing “Symphonies” on the French show Le Grand Journal) plays Mercury Lounge tomorrow night. You should be there.
Art Neville was the keyboardist and a singer for the Meters, one of the most influential bands in American-music history—and quite possibly the greatest funk band of all time. Later on, his youngest brother, Cyril, joined the group as a percussionist and vocalist. Something must’ve clicked because when the Meters broke up in the late ’70s, Art and Cyril, along with their other brothers, Charles (sax) and Aaron (singer), formed the Neville Brothers. With their delicate harmonies and predilection for funk, they became one of the top purveyors of the NOLA sound.
Mac Rebennack was born in New Orleans in 1940. His musical career, as a guitarist, took off in the late ’50s. But following an accident, he had to drop the guitar, so he focused on playing the bass and then, with Professor Longhair as an important influence, turned to the piano. Several years later, in the early ’60s, Mac Rebennack moved from LA to L.A. and somewhere along the way, with time and the help of his winning combination of blues, jazz, pop, boogie-woogie and Zydeco, the singer-songwriter was reborn as Dr. John. His live shows, known for R&B, psychedelic rock and a little a bit of voodoo hoodoo, earned him a cult following—and the attention of Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger. Ultimately, though, he’ll probably always be known for the albums Gris-Gris, Dr. John’s Gumbo, In the Right Place and Desitively Bonnaroo (a name music-festival fans might recognize).
And the best news of all is that both the Neville Brothers and Dr. John (above, playing “Iko Iko”) are playing The Wellmont Theatre tomorrow night, and The House List is giving away two tickets. Want to go? Then fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Nevilles/Dr. John, 2/13) and a brief message telling us what you love about New Orleans music. The winner will be notified later today.
Singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman began playing the guitar at the age of 15 and was playing in public just a year later. He relocated from Boston to New York City in 1969, but his music didn’t get a lot of love, so he headed back north and formed the influential protopunk band the Modern Lovers. Wanting a quieter sound, Richman eventually turned the Modern Lovers into an acoustic group, most notable for their doo-wop sound and the funny lyrics that would remain a hallmark of his later solo work. Richman earned the most attention his career would get thanks to the Farrelly brothers featuring him and his music essentially as a comedic Greek chorus in There’s Something About Mary. But, believe it or not, that flick came out nearly 12 years ago, and Richman (above, playing “Everyday Clothes” on Late Night with Conan O’Brien) still has plenty left to say. So come check him out this weekend, when he plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Let’s get the first question answered right away: No, Harlem is not a band from Harlem. In fact, the self-proclaimed “tiniest band in the world,” began in Tucson, Ariz., before heading to Austin, Texas, where they made a name for themselves with their fantastic live shows, a Cover of the Month Club and their self-issued LP, Free Drugs. The band consists of dual vocalists Michael Coomers and Curtis O’Mara, who switch between guitar and drums, and bassist Jose Boyer. Their specialty is in fun-loving, lo-fi music with interesting song titles, like “I’m on Drugs” and “Psychedelic Tits.” They’ve got a new album coming out later this year. But you can hear the trio’s new music when Harlem plays Mercury Lounge tonight. Check them out, above, playing “Witchgreens,” and then brave the snow and come see them play live.
Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter’s seventh album, So Runs the World Away, comes out in May. And later that month, he and the Royal City Band will play Town Hall on the 19th (on sale Friday at noon) and 20th. But since that’s way too long from now to wait to hear his new music, check it out for yourself by downloading “Change of Time” here.
(Josh Ritter, above, plays “To the Dogs or Whoever” on Late Show with David Letterman.)
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.
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.)
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.”)
