Holy Cow, We're 5 Years Old Today!

Five years ago, in the wee hours of the morning, I got a crazy notion to start a blog.  Given my propensity to procrastinate, get bored and in general lose interest in things, I didn't expect to have a first anniversary let alone a fifth anniversary!

So, yay QNYC!  Happy anniversary to me.  This calls for cake and booze and music and cute men folk...perhaps not in that order.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed in some way to keeping my little corner of the blog world alive.

And, for the record, I'm still quirky...oh, and still female!

Cheers,
LaNita / Quirky NY Chick

Swear and Shake Kick Off Tour Next Week

Brooklyn based indie folk rockers Swear and Shake will be kicking off their fall tour next Thursday, October 10 in New York.  They'll be taking the stage at Drom.  Full show details are below as well as a list of tour dates.  Go show them some love when they're near you or heck, take a road-trip and show them some love.

Swear and Shake is fronted by the guitar wielding Kari Spieler and the guitar and banjo playing Adam McHeffey, the two expertly blend their vocals, melodies, and confessional lyrics. Rounding out the quartet are old friends Ben Goldstein on drums and Shaun Savage on bass guitar. The group released their debut LP, Maple Ridge, in 2012 and have their sophomore album set for release in 2014 (date tba).  

Swear and Shake

Drom

85 Ave A (b/w 5th & 6th)

New York, NY

Doors: 7PM

Show: 8 PM

Tickets: $8 adv / $10 dos

• 10/10               Drom                              New York, NY          
• 10/11              Fall for Greenville         Greenville, SC         
• 10/12              Newport Music Hall       Columbus, OH        
• 10/16              The Forvm                   Buffalo, NY   
• 10/17              The Saint                    Asbury Park, NJ      
• 10/18              Church                        Boston, MA               
• 10/19              World Cafe Live           Philadelphia, PA                 
• 10/20              Stage One                  Fairfield, CT             
• 11/01              Rombello                    Miami, FL     
• 11/08              9:30 Club                   Washington, DC
• 11/09              The National               Richmond, VA         
• 11/15              Baby Grand                 Wilmington, DE               

You can check out the video for "Brother" over at Diffuser.fm.

Archer & Light - "Melbourne (I Used to Be Your All)"

Australian band Archer & Light released their video for the track "Melbourne (I Used to Be Your All)" last month.  The song is from their record Our Love Is Confetti which was released this past August.  Check out the Michael Maclean directed clip below.  

 
Archer & Light - Melbourne (I Used To Be Your All) Official Film Clip from Archer & Light on Vimeo.

Upcoming: The Golden Furs at The Bitter End This Saturday, 10/5

The Golden Furs are doing a show this Saturday, October 5 to celebrate the release of their Strand EP. You should go and show them some love.  Full details are at the bottom of the post.

The Golden Furs

The Bitter End

147 Bleecker Street

(between Thompson and LaGuardia)

New York, NY

8PM

Upcoming: Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors featuring Joe Lovano at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

The Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors featuring Berklee professor and saxophonist Joe Lovano will take the stage at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola tomorrow night, Monday, September 16 at 7:30PM and 9:30PM.  Full show details are below.

The Jazz Ambassadors, six students from Berklee’s prestigious Berklee Global Jazz Institute, will join Lovano in performing John Coltrane’s Interstellar Space. Though it was originally recorded primarily as saxophone and drum duets, Lovano and his students have re-imagined Interstellar Space for sextet and will perform it during the week prior to Coltrane’s birthday, which is September 23.

The Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors are pianist Witness Matlou (Johannesburg, South Africa), drummer Jharis Yokely (St. Louis, MO), bassist Jared Henderson (Sisters, OR), trombonist John Egizi (Ventura, CA), trumpeter Mao Sone (Tokyo, Japan), and saxophonist Edmar Colón (Coamo, Puerto Rico). 

The show is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Coca-Cola Generations in Jazz Festival, which showcases an array of up-and-coming musicians alongside some of today’s most established jazz masters.

Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors featuring Joe Lovano

Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

10 Columbus Circle

New York, NY

Doors: 7:30PM and 9:30PM

Tickets: $35 

Students: $10 w/valid student ID

Around New York ... September 15 - September 21, 2013

Upcoming Shows in the New York area ...

September 16 -- Cultfever / Hot Sardines at Mercury Lounge

Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion at Mercury Lounge, 9/17

September 16 -- Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors with Special Guest Joe Lovano at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola
September 17 -- Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion / The Melodic at Mercury Lounge
September 18 -- Adam Stoler at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2
September 18 -- Sophie Auster at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2
September 18 -- Hank & Cupcakes / Pink & Blue at Cameo Gallery
September 19 -- Lucy Rose / Julia Easterlin / Katie Costello at Cameo Gallery
September 19 -- Norman Vladimir at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3
September 19 -- Michael Franti & Spearhead / Kopecky Family Band at Terminal 5
September 19 -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Har Mar Superstar at Barclays Center
September 20 -- Vampire Weekend / Solange / Sky Ferreira at Barclays Center
September 20 -- Jenny Owen Youngs / Mal Blum / Stephen Brodsky at Union Hall
September 20 -- Oh Land at Music Hall of Williamsburg
September 21 -- Savoir Adore / The Suzan / Ski Lodge at Music Hall of Williamsburg

Four Little Girls with Original Music & Arrangements by Kathryn Bostic

Something for folks in the DC area to check out...

Video: Jihae with Dave Stewart - "I Put A Spell On You"

Jihae and Dave Stewart jammed on "I Put A Spell On You" at the Viper Room back in May...check it out below.  Jihae's new album, Illusion of You, is scheduled for release in January 2014.

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray Begin Fall Tour

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray began their fall tour today.  They'll be unveiling material from their upcoming studio album which is scheduled for release in March 2014.  Check the list of dates below and go show them some love.

Tour Dates

• Sep 12 - The Prospector, Long Beach, CA
• Sep 13 - Press Restaurant, Claremont, CA
• Sep 14 - Chopper John's, Phoenix, AZ
• Sep 17 - Old Texas Brewing, Burleson, TX
• Sep 18 - The Cavern, Russellville, AR
• Sep 19 - TBA Nashville, TN
• Sep 20 - Lab Listening Room, Asheville, NC
• Sep 21 - Soundhole, Myrtle Beach, SC
• Sep 22 - The Milestone, Charlotte, NC
• Sep 23 - The Box, Charlottesville, VA
• Sep 24 - Hill Country BBQ, Washington DC
• Oct 5 - Art On The Avenue street festival, Alexandria, VA
• Oct 9 - Grand Victory, Brooklyn, NY
• Oct 10 - 193 Degrees Coffee, Kingston, RI
• Oct 11 - Red Hook Bait N Tackle, Brooklyn, NY
• Oct 12 - Bus Stop Music Cafe, Pittman, NJ
• Oct 18 - The Sparrow, Charleston, SC
• Oct 21 - Alleycat, Carrolton, GA
• Oct 24 - Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY
• Oct 25 - Mag Bar, Louisville, KY
• Oct 31 - The Black Cat, Washington DC
• Nov 2 - TBA Brooklyn, NY 

What You May Have Missed: U.S. Royalty at Mercury Lounge

U.S. Royalty - September 6, 2013 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY 

It has been a while since I've seen U.S. Royalty live so, I made it a point to make it out to see them last Friday at Mercury Lounge.  I even dragged my hip-hop lovin' cousin along for the ride. 

U.S. Royalty play rock 'n' roll and they do it exceptionally well.  Why aren't these guys massively huge?  Friday, we got a mix of old and new songs in a set that was precise and shake your ass fun.  Based on what they played, the new record is going to be a good one.  I was happy to hear their new single "Blue Sunshine".  I'm already fond of that track.  And, I was thrilled that old favorite, "The Desert Won't Save You", is still in the set; I've been listening to that track a lot lately.

The last time I saw them they set the bar high. They were raw in a intensely wild, hot, sweaty, leave all on the floor sort of way.  This time, they met the bar and dare I say, surpassed it.  They still left it all on the floor, they were just more subtle about it this time. Well, maybe not frontman John Thornley, he's still delightfully unrestrained. His vocals were clear and spirited.  The steady force of bassist Jacob Michael and drummer Luke Adams provided a tight driving rhythm that refused to let you stand still.  Guitarist Paul Thornley played with a cool, unassuming confidence yet maintained enough swagger and bite to say the non-verbal equivalent of, we're 'U.S. Bloody Royalty, That's Who'!

Their set left me thoroughly entertained and exhausted; damn I really love rock 'n' roll.

This is what it looked like.

More photos HERE