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The Avett Brothers Play a Remarkable Show

May 10th, 2012

The Avett Brothers – Terminal 5 – May 9, 2012

With unending energy and plenty of rowdy, country-music-tinged moments, the Avett Brothers put on a remarkable show for a sold-out audience last night at Terminal 5. Their sound, which ranged from AM radio to markedly twangy, never fell flat to any of the dancing fans in the venue. And this was no post–I and Love and You bandwagon crowd. It was several thousand unabashed people unafraid to get their hoedown on.

The two-brother band, from North Carolina, started the two-hour set with peppier offerings like “Tin Man” and “The Traveling Song,” but quickly made full use of the rest of their expanded lineup by pumping out heavy doses of cello and upright bass to go along with Scott Avett’s banjo. The songs grew louder and wilder, leading to some of the best moments of the night during “At the Beach,” which slowly wound down and transitioned into darkness for “Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane.”

But as lively as the set often turned, it was the quietest few songs that really hit home. Scott and Seth Avett took turns at the front of the stage, guitars unplugged, to sing into a single microphone. The eerily still crowd watched Scott perform the painfully personal “If I Get Murdered in the City,” followed by Seth doing “The Ballad of Love and Hate.” Before the full band returned, third full-time member Bob Crawford joined them for the traditional gospel song “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” another anachronistic moment the band’s screaming fans embraced with open arms and wild cheers. —Sean O’Kane

Photos courtesy of Ahron R. Foster | ahronfoster.com

(The Avett Brothers play Rumsey Playfield on 9/18.)

Tags: Bob Crawford, I and Love and You, Photos, Review, Scott Avett, Seth Avett, Terminal 5, the Avett Brothers
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The Bowery Presents Live Features Band of Skulls

May 10th, 2012

The English trio Fleeing New York—Matt Hayward, Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson—began playing shows around London about eight years ago. At first blush, their songs might have come across as just your standard guitar-drums-and- bass fare. But the music was like a restaurant with a straightforward menu comprised of high-quality ingredients. And so what seemed simple was actually a bit more complex. This really began to become obvious following the group’s name change to Band of Skulls (in 2008) and the release of their debut album, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey (in 2009), with its lead single “Light of the Morning,” which later appeared in a Mustang commercial. Cut to this year, and Band of Skulls have put out another top-flight album, Sweet Sour. As the featured band today on The Bowery Presents Live, see them play the album’s title track, above, in a sculptor’s studio in Brooklyn and then watch them talking about letting their experiences into their music. And, of course, make sure you subscribe to The Bowery Presents Live for plenty of performances, interviews and live-streamed shows.

Tags: Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, Band of Skulls, Emma Richardson, Matt Hayward, Russell Marsden, Sweet Sour, The Bowery Presents Live, Video
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Two Nights of Rusko Is Twice as Nice

May 10th, 2012

Christopher Mercer grew up surrounded by music. So it seemed a natural fit for him to attend Leeds College of Music. He became immersed in that city’s dubstep community as a performer, producer and DJ under the name Rusko before moving to London. Since then, he’s been a part of a host of albums, EPs, remixes and singles, plus he’s appeared on plenty of other artists’ recordings. But most recently, Rusko (above, performing for djvibe.com) has been busy putting out his second LP, Songs, and collaborating with Cypress Hill. He’s got a wealth of material to move the masses, which he will do at The Wellmont Theatre tomorrow and Terminal 5 on Sunday.

Tags: Cypress Hill, Preview, Rusko, Songs, Terminal 5, Video, Wellmont Theatre
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Chairlift – Webster Hall – May 8, 2012

May 9th, 2012

Photos courtesy of Charles Steinberg | charlesolivierphoto.com

Tags: Chairlift, Photos, Webster Hall
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American Royalty Plays the Late Show Tomorrow Night

May 9th, 2012

It began as a studio experiment with no plans to take the music on the road. Singers Marc Gilfry and Billy Scher were interested in recording songs with elements of garage rock and electronica. “We came to the studio with these demos that were inherently very electronic, because we wrote them in our friends’ living rooms,” said Scher. But, ultimately, what they came up with was the psychedelic blues-rock trio American Royalty, an electronic take on classic rock. Since then, the band (above, playing “For the Record” for Austin Music Weekly) has put out a couple EPs, El Ardemo and Matchstick, and toured, finely tuning a high-energy live act, which you can see at the late show tomorrow at Mercury Lounge.

Tags: American Royalty, Billy Scher, El Ardemo, Marc Gilfry, Matchstick, Mercury Lounge, Preview, Video
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Florence + the Machine – Radio City Music Hall – May 8, 2012

May 9th, 2012

Photos courtesy of Joe Papeo | www.irocktheshot.com

Tags: Florence and the Machine, Photos, Radio City Music Hall
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Spiritualized – Terminal 5 – May 7, 2012

May 8th, 2012

Photos courtesy of Gregg Greenwood | gregggreenwood.com

Tags: Gregg Greenwood, Photos, Spiritualized, Terminal 5
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Don’t Miss Hundred Waters and Races Tomorrow at Mercury Lounge

May 8th, 2012

Hundred Waters sprung up out of the University of Florida music scene and undoubtedly has an interesting sound tucked into the small Venn diagram overlap of folk and electronica. And while that might seem like an odd mix, it definitely doesn’t sound like one. The coed Gainesville, Fla., band (above, doing “Boreal” for offtheavenue.tv) put out its heady self-titled debut in February, and now they’re out on the road with the Van Nuys, Calif., outfit Races. That group, formerly known as Black Jesus, has a jammy, psyche-tinged album, Year of the Witch, due out this fall. But they’re not resting on their laurels. Instead Races (below, playing “Year of the Witch” and “Year of the Child”) are already working on their next disc. And you can see them with Hundred Waters tomorrow night at Mercury Lounge.

Tags: Black Jesus, Hundred Waters, Mercury Lounge, Preview, Races, Video, Year of the Witch
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The Bowery Presents Live Features the Barr Brothers

May 8th, 2012

Andrew (drums and percussion) and Brad (vocals, guitar and keys) Barr, who have been members of the Slip and Surprise Me Mr. Davis, moved to Montreal after one of the brothers fell for a local waitress. Early on, Brad and neighbor Sarah Page (harp) could hear each other playing through the walls and struck up a musical friendship. Then, with the addition of Andres Vial (keys, pump organ and bass), the Barr Brothers were born. The band’s first album, a quality self-titled blend of folk and Americana, came out last year. And today The Bowery Presents Live features the Barr Brothers. Watch them, above, performing “Old Mythologies” and then see them on the roof of a building discuss growing up and how they flesh out songs. And, of course, make sure you subscribe to The Bowery Presents Live for plenty of performances, interviews and live-streamed shows.

Tags: Andres Vial, Andrew Barr, Brad Barr, Excuse Me Mr. Davis, Sarah Page, the Barr Brothers, The Bowery Presents Live, the Slip, Track + Field, Video
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Two Nights of Bear in Heaven

May 8th, 2012

Back in 1998, when he was still living in Atlanta, Jon Philpot began making music in a recording studio. A move to Brooklyn a few years later didn’t prevent the singer-songwriter from continuing his project. In fact as more people he knew from Atlanta and its surrounding areas also made the move to Kings County, Philpot had more musicians to record and perform with as Bear in Heaven (above, doing “You Do You” for KEXP FM). Red Bloom of the Boom came first, in 2007, with a prog-rock sound. Beast Rest Forth Mouth, with its psychedelic tendencies and a touch of synths, followed two years later. And now Bear in Heaven returns with the well-received I Love You, It’s Cool, out last month. The band now plays as a trio, with Philipot on vocals, guitar and keys, Joe Stickney on drums and Adam Wills on bass and guitar. And you can see them tonight at The Bowery Ballroom and tomorrow at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tags: Adam Wills, Bear in Heaven, Bowery Ballroom, I Love You, It’s Cool, Joe Stickney, John Philipot, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Preview, Video
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Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See M83 on 5/10

May 8th, 2012

M83 plays Terminal 5 on Thursday, and there’s a good chance you already heard because the show sold out quickly. But if you’re not already going, you’ve still got a chance to do so because The House List is giving away two tickets. So try to Grow a Pair. It’s easy. Just fill out the form below, making sure to include your full name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (M83, 5/10) and a brief message explaining why French shoegazing electronica is your thing. Eddie Bruiser, who has “Midnight City” stuck in his head, will notify the winner by Thursday. Bonne chance!

Tags: Eddie Bruiser, Grow a Pair, M83, Terminal 5, “Midnight City”
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Scissor Sisters – The Bowery Ballroom – May 6, 2012

May 7th, 2012

Photos courtesy of Joe Papeo | www.irocktheshot.com

Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Photos, Scissor Sisters
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The Consistency of Brendan Benson

May 7th, 2012

Brendan Benson – The Bowery Ballroom – May 5, 2012

In retrospect, it makes sense why Jack White chose Brendan Benson as his collaborator for the Raconteurs. Both musicians dabble in familiar rock sounds yet tweak them in a way that makes them sound unique and inventive. In the case of Jack White, it’s the blues guitar, one of the foundations of rock and roll, which he’s managed to turn on its head. In Benson’s case, it’s power-pop melodies, the accessible yet earnest rock sound that may well never wane in popularity. How Benson’s been able to bend the possibilities of a tried-and-true sound into a career spanning three decades is what makes him not just a musician, but also an artist.

Benson’s show at The Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night included a healthy sampling of songs from his five solo albums. The singer-songwriter played about as many tunes from his latest release, What Kind of World, as he did from his first, 1996’s One Mississippi. The difference in style between older material and newer stuff was minor, but this consistency was a good thing. How songs like the opener, “Maginary Girl,” off Benson’s debut album, sound like they could have been released yesterday speaks to how perfected his songcraft was from the start. The new “Bad for Me” shifted momentum. It began as a piano ballad before lifting off into the power-pop stratosphere, returning back to earth for a brief moment of just Benson’s acoustic guitar and stretched vocals before blasting off again.

Members of opening acts Howling Brothers and Young Hines joined Benson to provide a fiddle, harmonica and megaphone accompaniment for “Pretty Baby.” The Nashville singer-songwriter Hines came back to do “Keep Me,” a new song cowritten with Benson, who seemed genuinely excited to be back in New York City. (The two also collaborated on the album Give Me My Change, released last month.) Benson spent most of the time before his set in the audience, chatting and taking pictures with fans. It’s refreshing to see a veteran still as enthusiastic to meet the crowd as he is to perform. If he’s not tired of it by now, there’s a good chance he never will be. And that’s a good thing. —Dan Rickershauser

Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Brendan Benson, Howling Brothers, Jack White, One Mississippi, Review, the Raconteurs, What Kind of World, Young Hines
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The Cranberries Capture the Past

May 7th, 2012

The Cranberries – Terminal 5 – May 4, 2012

Back in the magical 1990s, the heyday of alternative-rock radio and MTV-heralded music videos, Ireland’s the Cranberries were one of the decade’s greatest successes, thanks in part to singer Delores O’Riorden’s lilting, ethereal voice and immensely catchy hits, like “Dreams” and “Linger,” powerful, emotive songs that were sweet but without a degree of sappiness. A constant string of hits sustained them through the millennium, but as times changed and their popularity waned, the band went on hiatus. The good news, of course, is that the newly reunited Cranberries’ now have a sixth studio album, Roses, and a reunion tour that on Friday night brought them to a sold-out Terminal 5, where fans were rewarded for the wait with a fully enjoyable, energetic and often nostalgic evening of music.

With a jet black pixie cut and shimmering silver minidress, O’Riorden danced, shimmied and high-kicked her way through fast-paced songs like “Waltzing Back,” “I Can’t Be with You,” “Desperate Andy” and “Ridiculous Thoughts.” The intensity conjured didn’t falter on the bands’ more introspective songs like “Just My Imagination,” “Free to Decide,” “Ode to My Family” and “Conduct” (the lovely, heartbreaking opening track from Roses) as the audience swayed and sang along with O’Riorden.

For fans who remember Cranberries’ concerts of their youth, or for those who discovered their music in karaoke bars or used-CD shops long after the group disbanded, there was a special feeling of collective amazement and disbelief as the band performed, sounding as polished and tight as they had in 1995. But just when you lost yourself in the strobe lights and fanfare of the major hit “Zombie,” out came the camera phones, snapping us back to 2012 and reminding us that times have in fact changed—despite the Cranberries’ impeccable ability to capture the sound of the past. —Alena Kastin