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.
Posts Tagged ‘Video’
Dawes: A View
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Shake It with Dan Black Tomorrow Night
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010Dan 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.
A Double Shot of New Orleans Music This Saturday
Friday, February 12th, 2010
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.
Three Chances to See Jonathan Richman
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
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.
See Harlem on the Lower East Side
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
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.
Download Josh Ritter’s “Change of Time”
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
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.)
See Those Darlins Tomorrow Night at The Bowery Ballroom
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
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.
A Funky Friday at Terminal 5
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
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.
A Double Dip of the London Souls in February
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
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.)
Two Nights of Mission of Burma at The Bowery Ballroom
Friday, January 29th, 2010Mission 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.)
State Radio at The Wellmont Theatre This Friday
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
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.”)
Japanese Hip-Hop Comes to Delancey St.
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
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.
Go Bowling with Heloise & the Savoir Faire Tomorrow Night
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
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.”)
Cut Loose with Free Energy
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
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 Play The Bowery Ballroom on Saturday
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010People 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.”
A Music Icon Comes to Terminal 5
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
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
Try to Win Tickets to See Fanfarlo
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009Their 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.
© 2009
