November 2 -- TV Baby / Otterclan / Neo Soul Trio at Pianos pianosnyc.com November 2 -- Sister Helen / Mother Courage / Phony Ppl / Bad Teeth at Public Assembly publicassemblynyc.com November 2 -- Fuck Buttons / Growing / These Are Powers at Bowery Ballroom www.boweryballroom.com November 2 - 4 -- Noah & The Whale / Robert Francis (pictured) at Mercury Lounge www.mercuryloungenyc.com November 2 - 4 -- Shawn Colvin & Matthew Perryman Jones at City Winery www.citywinery.com November 3 -- Tim Noyes / Joy Dragland / Elijah Tucker at Spike Hill www.spikehill.com November 3 -- The Blakes / The Diggs / Pablo at Glasslands Gallery glasslands.blogspot.com November 3 -- She Keeps Bees / The Mumlers / The Fisherman Three at Bruar Falls www.bruarfalls.com November 3 -- The Glowflies / Eveni / Doubleverything at Sullivan Hall www.sullivanhallnyc.com November 3 -- Annie Crane / Photon Dynamo at The Sidewalk Cafe www.sidewalkmusic.net November 3 -- Milk & Blood / Nilsa & Seve / Ends of The Earth / Flotilla at Fontana's www.fontanasnyc.com November 3 -- Laura Izibor (pictured) / Heston at Highline Ballroom www.highlineballroom.com November 4 -- Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Beacon Theatre www.beacontheatre.com November 4 -- Gil Scott-Heron at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill www.bbkingblues.com November 4 -- Liam Finn & Eliza Jane at The Bell House www.thebellhouseny.com November 5 -- Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Brooklyn Bowl www.brooklynbowl.com November 5 -- Chemical Reaction / Father of Sam / Kathy Fleischmann Band at Ace of Clubs www.aceofclubsnyc.com November 5 -- Ray LaMontagne at Beacon Theatre www.beacontheatre.com November 6 -- Caitlin Krisko at Bitter End www.bitterend.com November 6 -- Ryan Leslie / Melanie Fiona at Nokia Theatre nokiatheatrenyc.com November 6 -- Joseph Arthur & Shilpa Ray at City Winery www.citywinery.com November 6 -- Glenn Tilbrook at Union Hall www.unionhallny.com November 6 -- Alberta Cross at Mercury Lounge www.mercuryloungenyc.com November 6 -- The Mary Onettes / Kordan at Webster Hall www.websterhall.com November 7 -- Hesta Prynn / Workout! / Bad Girlfriend at Cake Shop cake-shop.com November 7 -- The Heavy (pictured) / Illinois at 92nd Street Y Tribeca www.92y.org/92yTribeca November 7 - 8 -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden www.thegarden.com November 8 -- Wolfmother / Heartless Bastards / thenewno2 at Terminal 5 www.terminal5nyc.com November 9 - 10 -- Ray LaMontagne at Beacon Theatre www.beacontheatre.com
A while back, I came across Memphis based The Sheriffs of Nottingham on Twitter, I think. I can't remember if they found me or I found them but we're now doing the mutual follow thing. It doesn't really matter who found whom, does it?
At any rate, I gave them a listen and liked what I heard. I made an inquiry about whether they had a record out and they kindly responded that they would have one out in October or November. Well, it's October and true to their word, there is a record! The record, by the way is titled Hard Places: The EP and it's a solid piece of rock 'n' roll.
The Sheriffs of Nottingham consists of Justin Jamerson (vocals, rhythm guitar), Kevin Lipe (lead guitar), Curry Smith (bass, vocals) and Kyle Fagala (drums). They have this whole funky, soulful, blues rock thing going on. Hey now! Y'all know I like that kind of stuff. The EP kicks off with "Running Man." The music reminds me of some funkified Led Zeppelin. As I continued to listen, I kept thinking they reminded me of another band that had the same sort of vibe, the now defunct Brand New Immortals to be specific. Not remind in a, they're ripping them off sort of way or anything but, remind as in it's a familiar and comfortable sound that I enjoy having in my collection. Anyway, this record has been in frequent rotation on my iPod since I picked it up.
Check 'em out for yourselves. You can stream and or buy Hard Places: The EP using the handy widget below.
This past Tuesday, October 27, Metric released their acoustic Plug In, Plug Out. I like Metric. One of my favorite songs of the year and certainly my favorite Metric song is their "Sick Muse." Sadly, that song isn't on this EP. But, you know what I discovered? While I like Metric, I discovered that I REALLY like them acoustic. There's something more earnest in their acoustic readings of their songs.
And while "Sick Muse" isn't on this effort, the songs that are on this record, are stellar acoustic renditions of five songs from their highly enjoyable Fantasies album. As much as I like Fantasies, right now, I find myself preferring this acoustic record over that one. The acoustic version of "Satellite Mind" is worth the price of the EP on its own. It's the song that might end up replacing "Sick Muse" as my favorite Metric song. "Gimme Sympathy" is a song that I hadn't really paid much attention to. But, when I sat down to listen to this record, it demanded my attention. I'm not sure why it grabbed my attention now but, it did and I'm glad it did.
I'm really enjoying Plug In, Plug Out. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have a few more songs on it!
I've had Sean Kershaw and the New Jack Ramblers' Coney Island Cowboy in and out of my player for about a week or so now. People who know me know this, well, maybe some don't but they will now if they read this. I've been known to spin a fair share of country records when I'm listening to music. I'm a big fan of the bluegrass delight that was known as Flatt and Scruggs. Heck, their At Carnegie Hall record is one of my favorite live records. I'm also a fan of the fine writing skills of Miss Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton among others. It's the small town country girl in me that dives for the country records.
So, with my country girl side on display, I tossed Coney Island Cowboy into my player and listened. It's honky tonk Brooklyn style. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that just yet though. A part of me wants to be snobby and say 'I only want country from the country.' The other part of me says, 'hey now!' The first thing I noticed and was glad of was, that it wasn't the pop country stuff that plagues the charts. That in and of itself was a plus in my book. Score one for Kershaw and his Ramblers. There's nothing worse than country music that is so non-country that you can't tell it from your run of the mill annoying pop act du jour.
The second thing I noticed was that you get the sense, listening to the record, that the band is probably one of those bands that are fun to see live. I can envision rollin' into a local honky tonk on a Saturday night and kickin' up some dirt on the dance floor. There are five songs on the disc that stand out from the pack to me. The song that gets me to tap my feet, clap my hands and leaves me on the verge of dancing is "Little Mr. Train Man." "Already Cheatin'" was working for me until it got to the yodeling bits. I'm not a big fan of the yodel and there are very few I can listen to. Questionable comparison time ... something about the music on "Already Cheatin'" reminds me of the song Stewie does from the Family Guy episode "To Love and Die In Dixie." The title track, "Coney Island Cowboy" as well as the closing track, "Six Days On The Road," also caught my ear. But, the track I like most on the record is, "Crackerjack Delight."
Would I recommend Coney Island Cowboy? Sure I would. But, I'd mainly recommend it for those who already like non-pop country music and to listeners who are open minded and willing to checkout something outside their norm. For my personal tastes and though I've never witnessed a performance, I think I'd rather see them live than listen to them on record. Some things feel better live and my gut says to me, that Sean Kershaw and the New Jack Ramblers would get me more excited live. My expectations were a bit high for this effort. I was hoping for something a bit more rip roaring and electric. Electric meaning that shocking feeling one gets that sends shivers up your spine. I didn't quite get that electric feeling I had hoped I would.
Metric has a new acoustic EP, Plug In, Plug Out out today. I find that I'm rather enjoying Metric in plug out state. You can check out a preview of it with the handy little widget below. I like widgets and I like the word widget, but I digress. Metric, kind band that they are, are also offering up a download for you good folks in the Internet world. Japanese DJs, 80kidz, have remixed "Help I'm Alive" which you can grab HERE. I'm not big on re-mixes but I'm diggin' this one.
Mark November 17 on your calendars as Macca Day. Why? That's the day Paul McCartney releases Good Evening New York City. I confess to having a soft spot for McCartney, actually all of the former Beatles. Okay, that's not really much of a confession especially if you've seen my music collection. To be honest, I hadn't realized how much McCartney music I owned until I set about trying to organize my collection. Being extremely unorganized and easily bored by such tasks, I failed miserably ... at least all of his music is kinda sorta in the same general vicinity now! But, I digress.
Good Evening New York City immortalizes McCartney's historic three-night wing ding (July 17, 18 & 21) out at Citi Field. For trivia buffs, historical reference and whatnot, Citi Field is the site of the former Shea Stadium which is somewhat hallowed ground for Beatles fans. That's where the Fab Four played a 34 minute set in 1965 to a screaming mass of fans, not that those same screaming fans actually heard the show due to well, their screaming! We've all seen the footage, it's one of those big deal Beatles US moments. Some 44 years later and armed with a much better sound system, Macca returned to the scene of the crime and did his thing.
You'll have a few versions of Good Evening New York City to choose from. There's the standard edition 3-disc set (2 CD's + 1 DVD) and the deluxe 4-disc version (2 CD's + 2 DVD's). The deluxe edition includes extended packaging and McCartney's performance atop the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee (the theater the Beatles made their US television debut incase for some odd reason you lack that bit of music trivia) where he stopped traffic. Macca drew about 15 blocks worth of people along Broadway trying to witness the legend. I walked by the theater that morning, passing by all of the MPL equipment cases outside the building (if you hadn't already heard whispers of something big happening, you knew once you saw all of the equipment) and witnessed people already scouting out vantage points hoping for a glimpse of the man himself while on their way to wherever they were going. Parts of the marquee performance aired on The Late Show with David Letterman but the bonus DVD contained in this package will contain footage that didn't air on television and was previously only available on The Late Show's website. And, for the vinyl lovers of the world, of course there will be a vinyl edition package too.
The Citi Field concerts have been heralded by critics and fans alike. So, if you weren't there and want to experience the Macca Magic (Did I just write that? That's kinda corny!) or want to relive it, pick up a copy. As for me, I'm sure the deluxe version of Good Evening New York City will end up in the same general vicinity as the rest of my McCartney collection.
October 28 -- Matt Sucich / Jason Blum / Annie Keating / Piera at Southpaw spsounds.com October 28 -- Emilie Simon at Knitting Factory ny.knittingfactory.com October 28 -- Spider / Liz Durrett / Cabineta of National Curiosities / Golden Bonesat Cake Shop cake-shop.com October 28 -- Jay Farrar / Benjamin Gibbard at Webster Hall www.websterhall.com October 29 -- Blackmore's Night at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/411381 October 29 -- John Roderick / J. Wise at Union Hall www.unionhallny.com October 29 -- A Place To Bury Strangers / Dead Confederate at Bowery Ballroom www.boweryballroom.com October 29 -- Robert Earl Keen / Todd Snider at Town Hall www.the-townhall-nyc.org October 30 -- Living Colour at Highline Ballroom www.highlineballroom.com October 30 -- Bethany Saint Smith & The Gun Show / So So Human at Ace Of Clubs www.aceofclubsnyc.com October 31 -- The Misfits at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill www.bbkingblues.com October 31 -- Deer Tick Plays The Songs of the Sex Pistols at Brooklyn Bowl www.brooklynbowl.com October 31 -- Thievery Corporation at Terminal 5 www.terminal5nyc.com October 31 -- Karl Denson's Tiny Universe at Bowery Ballroom www.boweryballroom.com October 31 -- Junior Boys / Woodhands at The Bell House www.thebellhouseny.com October 31 -- Mike Doughty / Porter Block at Le Poisson Rouge lepoissonrouge.com November 1 -- Keegan DeWitt (pictured) at Rockwood Music Hall www.rockwoodmusichall.com November 1 -- Dana Piccoli at Bitter End www.bitterend.com November 1 -- Dysrhythmia / Stats / The Smother Party at Union Pool www.myspace.com/unionpool November 1 -- The Ghost of a Sabre Toothed Tiger / Doveman at Mercury Lounge www.mercuryloungenyc.com
The hardest working man in rock, Warren Haynes (guitar/lead vocals) along with bandmates Matt Abts (drums), Danny Louis (multi-instrumentalist) and Jorgen Carlsson (bass) collectively known as Gov't Mule, will release a new record October 27. The album, By A Thread, will be their first studio album in three years.
Haynes says ...
It feels like we’re moving forward and backward at the same time. Hardcore fans tend to not want us to move too far away from where we started, but the band never wants to stay in one place for very long.
While Jorgen brings his distinctive musical personality to the table, he also uncannily evokes some of (Allen) Woody’s spirit which inspired us to revisit our past.
I don’t know if we were willing to travel that road right after Allen died but this far down the line, it seems liberating and exciting.
By A Thread was recorded at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales Studio and is being released on Haynes' Evil Teen Records. The opening track, "Broken Down On The Brazos," features the bad ass fretwork of Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. It's an excellent opening and one that lays a solid foundation for rest of the record. In preparation for the release, stream "Broke Down On The Brazos" HERE and "Frozen Fear" HERE. Then first thing Tuesday, grab By A Thread, crank it up and declare October 27 Mule Day!
ster Helen / Mother Courage / Phony Ppl / Bad Teeth at Public Assembly
er 3 -- Laura Izibor (pictured) / Heston at Highline Ballroom
ercuryloungenyc.com
