Middle Distance Runner @ Mercury Lounge This Friday!

DC band Middle Distance Runner will be in the city this weekend. They'll be over at Mercury Lounge on Friday, July 3. You can kick off your holiday celebrations early ... go check them out if you're hanging about the LES.

www.middledistancerunner.com

Anna Ternheim Announces Tour & Set To Release New Album

Sweden's Anna Ternheim has announced a fall tour. She'll be making a stop in New York at The Bowery Ballroom on Friday, October 16. Check out her website for dates in other parts. Terheim also has a new record, Leaving On A Mayday, which is scheduled to drop on August 11. In the mean time, check out the video for an acoustic version of "What Have I Done."

www.annaternheim.com
www.myspace.com/annaternheim

Video: Ash - "Return Of White Rabbit"

Ash has put out a video for their song "Return of White Rabbit" which was directed by Nico Jones. Check it out. If you haven't already grabbed it, you can still download the song for free from Ash's website.

www.ash-official.com

Around New York ... June 29 - July 5, 2009

Upcoming shows in the New York area ...

June 30 - July 5 -- Anat Cohen at The Village Vanguard
www.villagevanguard.com
June 30 - July 5 -- Hiromi (pictured) at Blue Note
www.bluenote.net
July 1 -- Harlem Shakes at Bowery Ballroom
www.boweryballroom.com
July 1 -- Scorpio Rising at Cake Shop
cake-shop.com


July 1 -- Gabrielle Wortman / Myra Flynn / Anna Rose at Pianos
pianosnyc.com
July 2 -- Maria Taylor at Union Hall
www.unionhallny.com
July 2 -- Jay Reatard at Music Hall of Williamsburg
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
July 2 -- The Germs (pictured) at Mercury Lounge
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
July 3 -- Sonic Youth at United Palace
July 3 -- Dionne Farris at Joe's Pub
www.joespub.com

New Song From Brendan Benson

A few days ago, I mentioned that Brendan Benson has a new record coming out. The record, My Old, Familiar Friend is due to drop August 18. Now, you can check out "Feel Like Taking You Home," HERE, from the upcoming effort.

www.myspace.com/brendanbenson

8 Questions With Dala

Canadian duo Dala, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine, released their fourth album Everyone Is Someone a couple of weeks ago. The album offers up a bevy of pristine harmonies. The lead single "Levi Blues" is one of those run barefoot in the grass, catchy songs that makes you smile when you listen to it. Curious to find out more about Dala, I sent over some questions and they were kind enough to answer.

Quirky NY Chick (QNYC): I know some basic facts about Dala. For instance, I know you met in high school, that your name comes from combining your names Amanda (da) and Sheila (la) and that you have a big buzz in your native Canada. For those of us here in the US, who may not be as familiar as our friends up North, how would you describe your music?

Dala: We like to describe our music as harmony-based acoustic pop. Think Joni Mitchell meets The Everly Brothers. We write all our own songs, and the writing is very personal. Our live show consists of two voices, two guitars and a piano. We like to travel as light as possible!

The Phenomenal Handclap Band's Debut Release Out Now!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about New York's The Phenomenal Handclap Band. Their debut album The Phenomenal Handclap Band was officially unleashed upon the world today. For those who go the digital route you can find it HERE. For those who what a nice shiny CD to hold in their happy little hands, you can get one from HERE.

If you haven't had a chance to check out The Phenomenal Handclap Band yet, what are you waiting for? Anyway, this is a great summertime record. Actually, it's a great anytime record but it just happens to be perfectly timed for summer groovin'. This is one of the albums you'll hear pumping from all of the good rooftop parties and backyard bbq's.

This record has an old school vibe to it. You almost feel as if you've been transported back in time while at the same time it feels and sounds fresh. It's a great mix of spaced out disco, electro, trance, psychedelia and rock.

The highlights for me, "Give It A Rest," which features lead vocals from Jon Spencer. Whenever I hear this song, I think old school Deep Purple. Y'all should know by now that I'm always coming up with some oft times questionable comparisons! And, the other highlight is "15 to 20," which features vocals from Lady Tigra. I've already declared this song my summer jam. This song beckons me to pull out my jump rope.

Overall, The Phenomenal Handclap Band is a good record. This is another one of those records that you don't have the urge to hit the skip button on any songs while listening. But, having just seen the band live, the record seems a bit confined in comparison. Of course, why compare a record to a live show? At any rate, check out the record and if they're playing near you, go see them. They're all kinds of bad ass live. Speaking of live, if you're in the New York area, The Phenomenal Handclap Band are throwing a record release party this Thursday, June 25 at Santos Party House.

Check out their video for "You'll Disappear" from the just released The Phenomenal Handclap Band.

Track Listing

• The Journey to Serra da Estrela
• All of the Above
• Testimony
• Give It a Rest
• You'll Disappear
• 15 to 20
• Dim the Lights
• I Been Born Again
• The Martyr
• Tears
• Baby
• The Circle is Broken

www.phenomenalhandclapband.com

Around New York ... June 22 - June 28, 2009

Upcoming shows in the New York area ...

June 22 -- New York Dolls at Music Hall of Williamsburg
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
June 22 -- Spinnerette / Band of Skulls / The Gay Blades at Bowery Ballroom
www.boweryballroom.com
June 23 -- Patrick Wolf / Livign Things / Plastiscines (pictured) / Jaguar Love at Highline Ballroom
www.highlineballroom.com
June 23 -- Patterson Hood and The Screwtopians at Music Hall of Williamsburg
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
June 23 - June 28 -- 3 Cohens Sextet at The Village Vanguard
www.villagevanguard.com
June 24 -- Fatboy Slim at Terminal 5
www.terminal5nyc.com
June 24 -- Camera Obscura / Anni Rossi at Webster Hall
www.websterhall.com
June 25 -- The Lemonheads at Bowery Ballroom
www.boweryballroom.com
June 25 -- Voodoo Funk / Pirate Love / Vivian Darkbloom at Pianos
pianosnyc.com
June 25 -- St. Vincent / Tim Fite at The Bell House
www.thebellhouseny.com
June 25 -- The Fray / Jack's Mannequin at Jones Beach
jonesbeach.com
June 26 -- The Smithereens at The Bell House
www.thebellhouseny.com
June 26 -- Aerosmith / ZZ Top at Jones Beach
jonesbeach.com
June 27 -- Ziggy Marley (pictured) at Blender Theatre at Gramercy
www.blendertheater.com

June 27 -- Pansy Division / Wormburner at Mercury Lounge
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
June 27 -- The XYZ Affair / Wheat at Mercury Lounge
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
June 27 -- Pearl & The Beard at Spike Hill
www.spikehill.com
June 28 -- The Motels at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
www.bbkingblues.com
June 28 -- Ledisi / Esperanza Spalding / Jonathan Batiste at Central Park SummerStage
www.summerstage.org

Vivian Darkbloom At Pianos This Thursday!

Boston band Vivian Darkbloom will be taking the stage on the LES at Pianos this Thursday, June 25.

For those unfamiliar with Vivian Darkbloom, they're an indie band made up of brainy guys. Founding members Rob Morris (vocals/guitar) and Brian Skerratt (bass/vocals) met at Princeton and are now doing the whole graduate degree thing at MIT and Harvard, respectively. They are joined by Cristiano Castellitto (drums) who's probably a brainy guy too. Anyway, I mention this not as a negative, but because it ties in with their music.

You see, Morris has used his braininess to created this crazy thing called the Wii Guitar. He's mounted a Wii remote onto a guitar and by pressing it's buttons and moving and gesturing with his guitar he's able to produce all kinds of insane sounds. You obviously can't get these sounds by just playing a guitar the old fashioned way. The guitar communicates with a computer running software Morris wrote and viola, you have on your hands, a mad scientist with a wicked cool guitar. Ok, Morris probably isn't mad but, I've always wanted to use that term. You can read a more detailed description of his invention in an article from The Boston Phoenix HERE.

Have a listen to Vivian Darkbloom's new single, "Cold War" from the EP of the same name.

The Wii guitar in action ...

So, if you're in the New York area on Thursday, drop by and check them out. I hear everyone who goes, gets a free "I Love VD" button. Well, look at that, good music, cool inventions and a sense of humor. These are all good things folks!

www.viviandarkbloomband.com
www.myspace.com/viviandarkbloomband
pianosnyc.com
thephoenix.com/Boston/Life/82943-Inventing-the-Future/

Brendan Benson Set To Release New Record

Well, it seems that singer/songwriter Brendan Benson has a album set to drop on August 18. This new effort is titled My Old, Familiar Friend and was produced by Gil Norton.

I became familiar with Benson back when someone gave me a promo copy of his debut album, 1996's One Mississippi. I listened to it, thought it was a nice enough record and tossed it on the pile of CD's I always say I'll get around to listening to again in the near future, but rarely do I. About five years ago, I was moving and came across that record I had long forgotten. I popped it in and thought to myself, this is a good record. But, it ended up back on the shelf collecting dust until I came across Benson's other gig, The Raconteurs and their album Broken Boy Soldiers. Benson is a talented songwriter. I'm interested to hear what My Old, Familiar Friend holds.

Track Listing

• A Whole Lot Better
• Eyes on The Horizon
• Garbage Day
• Gonowhere
• Feel Like Taking You Home
• You Make a Fool Out of Me
• Poised and Ready
• Don’t Want To Talk
• Misery
• Lesson Learned
• Borrow

www.myspace.com/brendanbenson