With the recent release of Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson’s second album, Summer of Fear, on Saddle Creek Records, the Brooklyn-based artist fits in nicely among the label’s other acts, especially alongside the raw, emotional back catalog of Bright Eyes and the twangy confessionals performed by Neva Dinova’s Jake Bellows. Though Summer of Fear was recorded during a particularly rough time in Robinson’s life, and stories of heartbreak and hard times are woven throughout the music, when he takes the stage (following musical-melting-pot These United States) at Mercury Lounge on Friday, don’t expect a pity party. Summer of Fear finds Robinson expressing his ennui through righteous, roots-y songs in the tradition of artists like Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, full of cathartic choruses and foot-stomping beats. So please leave your tissues at home, for on Friday, as Robinson tells his tales of woe, we can work through some of our own troubles by singing along as loud as we can. It should be a bit like group therapy (but with the added bonus of a full bar). —Alena Kastin
(See Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, above, playing “Trap Door”—last month during CMJ—broadcast on Seattle’s KEXP radio.)
Eddie Argos of Art Brut is not kidding. That is the first thing to know: He is not kidding. At all. He is a new style of frontman in a new-style rock band, all aimed at being able to kill hype, crush backlash and traffic in an irony so deep that it finds pay-dirt seriousness. On Art Brut’s first record, the appropriately titled Bang Bang Rock & Roll, released in 2005, Argos waxed philosophical about this new approach: “And yes, this is my singing voice/ It’s not irony/ It’s not rock and roll/ We’re just talking to the kids.”
It wasn’t quite Will Ferrell’s Burgundy-isms (“Milk was a bad choice.”)—true statements that end up being funny. Argos was more in the market of convincing us that serious statements could actually be serious again. It was a challenge, how to take potentially ironic lyrics like “Modern art makes me/ Want to rock out” seriously, but anyone who has seen the band live already knows Argos is very much not kidding. Even when he is being funny, taking on the absurd rise of Kings of Leon, you get the sense that his goal is to do something more difficult: Acknowledge the absurdity of rock and roll without sneering at the kids he wants to move. All this manages to make the world safe for humor and straight faces each, but at no point is it a laughing matter. It’s just talking to the kids. —Geoff Nelson
(Art Brut plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight and The Bowery Ballroom on Sunday. See them, above, playing “DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake,” off their newest disc, Art Brut vs. Satan, in studio for Seattle’s KEXP.)
She started out acting (she even trained with Cate Blanchett)—first on TV, in the medical drama G.P., then as the host of a cartoon show and then, finally, in movies. But Lenka Kripac also had musical urges, so she joined the electronica band Decoder Ring in her native Australia. But even that wasn’t enough. So in 2007, like so many before her, she dropped her last name and decamped to Los Angeles seeking something bigger. Later on, and also like so many before her, she headed to upstate New York to record her debut solo album, Lenka, in Woodstock. Not only has her disc been well received but also several of the singles have made their way into commercials and TV shows. And now Lenka is making her way to Mercury Lounge tomorrow night. Check her out, above, playing “The Show” and “Trouble Is a Friend” on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and then go see Lenka in person and let her sunny music brighten your rainy Friday.
It began as a record label. Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley decided they no longer wanted past musical gems to “sit in a temperature-controlled room dying for a chance to be played.” They wanted the spotlight to shine on the writers and musicians who’d created this essentially unheard music. So they dug into their record collections to remaster and reissue a host of soul, pop and funk songs. But why stop there? Like the Stax Records revue tour of Europe in 1967, Numero’s Eccentric Soul Revue is made up of a revolving group of singers performing with a very talented backing band, in this case, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. Why are we telling you this? Because Numero’s Eccentric Soul Revue is playing Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow night. Check out the trailer, above, and then get your weekend started right by getting down to some sweet, sweet soul in the BK.
Twins Ryan (vocals and guitar) and Gary (bass and vocals) Jarman and their younger brother, Ross (drums), have been playing music together since they were kids in the late ’80s. But they’ve been doing it officially as the Cribs since 2001—although the lineup changed several years later when Gary, a Smiths fan, and Johnny Marr (formerly of the Smiths and currently of Modest Mouse), a Cribs fan, met and decided to collaborate. Eventually Marr, a talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, joined the band as a guitarist.
The Cribs’ first album as a foursome, Ignore the Ignorant, came out yesterday, and they’re playing two shows here before heading back to Europe. These lo-fi English rockers have toured heavily since releasing The Cribs five years ago, and their loud and rowdy shows have earned them a bit of a cult following and a loyal fan base, which is probably why Friday’s show is already sold out. But you’re in luck because there are still some tickets available to see the Cribs tomorrow at The Bowery Ballroom.
(Above, the Cribs play “Cheat on Me” in studio for BBC Radio 1.)
From Baltimore, the place that brought you Omar Little and “The Star Spangled Banner,” comes singer-songwriter Cass McCombs, whose calling card is his distinctive voice, both lyrically and aurally. Prior to actually releasing any music, his dark, funny stories earned him a slot touring with Palace (a Will Oldham—of Bonnie Prince Billy fame—band) and the Oxes, which eventually led to McCombs putting out his debut EP, Not the Way, in 2002. Two LPs followed before he found himself on the road with Modest Mouse. But since releasing his fourth full-length album, Catacombs, in July, McCombs has been the headliner. He’s off to Europe at the end of the month, but before that, he’s playing one last U.S. show, with Acrylics and the Bad Girlfriends, on Monday at The Bowery Ballroom.
(Above, Cass McCombs plays “That’s That” live in studio at KCRW.)
The psychedelic-tinged hard-rocking Wolfmother’s debut album, Wolfmother, came out in 2006 to much acclaim. With Andrew Stockdale on vocals and guitar, Chris Ross on bass and keys and Myles Hekett on drums, the Australian band’s throwback sound earned comparisons to Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer, and their music was featured everywhere from Guitar Hero II to an iPod commercial to Shrek the Third. But despite the fact that things were riding high for the power trio, just like on Behind the Music, backstage things were falling apart.
Citing irreconcilable differences, Ross and Heskett left behind Stockdale and the group’s name in the summer of 2008. Undeterred, Stockdale got back in the saddle, recording new material—in L.A. this past spring—with Dave Atkins on drums, Aidan Nemeth on rhythm guitar and Ian Peres on bass and keys. The band, now a four-piece, then spent the summer opening for the Killers. But since releasing another heavy-rock disc, Cosmic Egg, two weeks ago, the newest version of Wolfmother is currently headlining a tour across two countries in North America and two boroughs in New York City—Sunday at Terminal 5 and Monday at Music Hall of Williamsburg.
(Above, Wolfmother plays “New Moon Rising” on Later…with Jools Holland.)
Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes), Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) and M. Ward have put together their significant talents to form Monsters of Folk and to record a terrific self-titled album (stream three songs here) that has taken them out on the road and earned them favorable comparisons to the Traveling Wilburys and Crosby, Stills and Nash. They recently played Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit, and tonight they’re performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. But if you want to see these MoFos in person—playing a mix of originals, covers and songs from their respective catalogs—you’re got two chances: They play United Palace on Friday and the Beacon Theatre on Sunday.
(Check out the the video for “The Right Place,” above.)
The multimedia music project Playing for Change brings together musicians from all over the world to “inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.” The project’s creators traveled across the globe to record local musicians performing the same song in their own style. Playing for Change has gone on to record other songs and to launch a foundation, which most recently opened a school of music and dance in Ghana. Playing for Change: Songs Around the World—featuring Mohammed Alidu (Ghana), Peter Bunetta (L.A.), Grandpa Elliott (New Oleans), Mermans Kenkosenki (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Louis Mhlanga (Zimbabwe), Juan Carlos Portillo (Venezuela), Jason Tamba (DR Congo) and Titi Tsira (South Africa)—comes to Town Hall on Sunday, October 25th.
(Check out Playing for Change, above, performing the Ben E. King classic “Stand by Me” on The Colbert Report.)
It’s hard not to like a band named after a Velvet Underground song. And the Austin, Texas, psychedelic rockers the Black Angels, whose name comes from the Velvet Underground & Nico track “The Black Angel’s Death Song,” do not disappoint. The band’s debut LP, Passover, earned them some well-deserved accolades, and their second album—following shows at Lollapalooza and SXSW—Directions to See a Ghost, got even better reviews. See what all the fuss is about when the Black Angels open for the Raveonettes tonight at Webster Hall and on Sunday at Music Hall of Williamsburg. (Meanwhile, check them out, above, playing “Better Off Alone.”)
Like a bastardized version of a Donny and Marie song, Lucero is a little bit country and a little bit punk. Led by charismatic singer-guitarist Ben Nichols, the band has been putting out albums since their debut, The Attic Tapes, was released in 2000. Their eighth album, 1372 Overton Park, came out last week. (You can stream it here.) And to celebrate, these road warriors are touring the country again. They bring their gritty, roots-y music to Webster Hall this Saturday—and they’ll have horns with them, so you know it’s gonna be good.
(See Lucero, above, playing “I Can Get Us Out of Here Tonight” on Fuel TV.)
The multimedia music project Playing for Change brings together musicians from all over the world to “inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.” The project’s creators traveled across the globe to record local musicians performing the same song in their own style. Playing for Change has gone on to record other songs and to launch a foundation, which most recently opened a school of music and dance in Ghana. Playing for Change: Songs Around the World—featuring Mohammed Alidu (Ghana), Peter Bunetta (L.A.), Grandpa Elliott (New Oleans), Mermans Kenkosenki (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Louis Mhlanga (Zimbabwe), Juan Carlos Portillo (Venezuela), Jason Tamba (DR Congo) and Titi Tsira (South Africa)—comes to Town Hall on Sunday, October 25th.
(Check out Playing for Change, above, performing the Ben E. King classic “Stand by Me” on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.)
Brothers Arnaldo Baptista (bass, keys and vocals) and Sergio Dias Baptista (guitar and vocals) and Rita Lee (lead singer) formed Os Mutantes in São Paulo in 1966. The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone heavily influenced the band, and as part of the Tropicalismo movement, the Brazilian rockers became one of the first groups to mix psychedelia with Latin rhythms. They added a drummer and bassist to the mix and spent the next few years releasing albums and touring. Then Lee left the band in 1972 to start a solo career. And the following year, Arnaldo, battling LSD abuse, also left to go solo. (He was later institutionalized and survived a leap from a sixth-floor window.)
Eventually, in 1978, the band fell apart. And that’s the way things would remain for quite some time. Although, Os Mutantes’ music-industry cred still remained: Beck endorsed the band, and Kurt Cobain admired them so much that when Nirvana played Brazil, he sent a fan letter to Arnaldo, encouraging him to reunite the group. Since then, David Byrne has published and promoted Os Mutantes through his world-music label, Luaka Bop. The Baptista brothers, seizing on new interest in the band, reunited and played their first Os Mutantes show—since 1978—in 2006. They even have a new album, Haih Or Amortecedor, which came out last month. Check out the album’s trailer, above, and then go see Os Mutantes tomorrow night at Webster Hall.
If you were in an indie-rock fan in the ’90s, you’ve probably listened to Built to Spill. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Doug Martsch formed the band in Boise, Idaho, with Brett Netson on bass and Ralf Youtz on drums. Because he wanted to work with a variety of musicians, Martsch originally intended to change the group’s lineup for each album, so after their first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers, came out in 1993, bassist Brett Nelson replaced bassist Brett Netson and drummer Andy Capps subbed in for Youtz. The newer version of the band released Built to Spill’s second album, There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, the following year. Martsch continued to release albums, and somewhere along the way, Nelson and drummer Scott Plouf became permanent members of the band. Their seventh full-length album, There Is No Enemy, is out today. To celebrate, come out and see Built to Spill. You’ve got four chances: next Monday and Tuesday at Webster Hall and next Wednesday and Thursday at Music Hall of Williamsburg.
(Check out the video for Built to Spill’s “You Were Right,” above, and click on the links below to stream the new songs “Things Fall Apart” and “Hindsight.”)
Welsh schoolmates James Dean Bradfield (vocals and guitar), Nicky Wire (bass and vocals) and Sean Moore (drums and vocals) formed Manic Steet Preachers in 1986. Three years later, the trio added Richey Edwards (guitar and lyrics) to the mix, and together they were influenced by the Clash’s and the Sex Pistols’ revolutionary rock. When some doubted the Preachers’ authenticity, Edwards used a razor blade to carve “4 REAL” into his arm. But that wasn’t the last time he’d gain notoriety. In fact, Edwards disappeared altogether in 1995. But the remaining three band members trudged on, and the following year they released their fourth studio album, Everything Must Go, to huge acclaim in the UK. Since then, they’ve toured and put out five more albums, the most recent of which, Journal for Plague Lovers, came out this past May. Check out Manic Street Preachers, above, playing “Stop in the Name of Motown Junk” at the Exit Festival in Serbia, and then see them tomorrow night at Webster Hall.
The multimedia music project Playing for Change brings together musicians from all over the world to “inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.” The project’s creators traveled across the globe to record local musicians performing the same song in their own style. (You can check out the first single, “Stand by Me,” above.) Playing for Change has gone on to record other songs and to launch a foundation, which most recently opened a school of music and dance in Ghana. Playing for Change: Songs Around the World—featuring Mohammed Alidu (Ghana), Peter Bunetta (L.A.), Grandpa Elliott (New Oleans), Mermans Kenkosenki (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Louis Mhlanga (Zimbabwe), Juan Carlos Portillo (Venezuela), Jason Tamba (DR Congo) and Titi Tsira (South Africa)—comes to Town Hall on Sunday, October 25th.
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