Liam McClair - "Honest"

As a person that blogs about music, when going through my inbox, there are a variety of things that catch my eye and end up here on my little corner of the internet. Last week while reading various messages, a name jumped out at me. As a result, we have for you today, "Honest" from UK singer-songwriter Liam McClair. I don't know this young man personally but, I know a lot of McClairs. So, it seemed fitting that I share one of his songs; check it out below. It's from his EP, also titled Honest, released September 2015. It's a splendid record.

If you're in the UK, you have some opportunities to catch him live. See below for a list of tour dates.

Tour Dates

• May 7th Manchester, Deaf Institute
• May 9th Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
• May 11th Liverpool, Leaf
• May 12th London, The Slaughtered Lamb
• May 28th Ramsbottom, Irwell Works Brewery
• May 28th Glasgow, 13th Note

New Single From KIT

Check out the track "How Hard" from KIT. The song, her second single, was released February 26 via Marshmallow Pavement Records. I'm really digging this tune. Listen to the steam below and buy it HERE.

“The track originated from a drunken night with a best mate, and her experiences of never-ending heartbreak with an on- again-off-again partner. I wanted so badly to tell her to walk away, but I could see how much she loved this person. I used the words of a poem she shared with me to fuel the song. It was almost finished, when I found myself experiencing something similar with someone close to me. You love someone so much that you can't seem to break away, even though it's destroying every part of you. I used the last part of writing to get my own pain out and in front of me. It is now so personal for me as it holds a memory of so many people I love in it.” - KIT 

Frank Turner Releases Mittens EP + Tour Dates

Frank Turner released his Mittens EP yesterday, March 4. The EP features a new mix of the title track, "Mittens". The original version, is from his current album Positive Songs For Negative People. Check out the slow-motion, Ben Morse directed video for "Mittens" below.

Frank Turner will be in New York on Tuesday, March 15 at the NY Society For Ethical Culture. He'll take part in "An Evening of Conversation and Song" to celebrate his book, The Road Beneath My Feet. There will be an interview, Q&A with the audience and acoustic performance. See below for more details.

“’Mittens’ is a song about taking a risk for someone and letting your guard down,” Turner says. “It's based on a real experience I had where I was bothered about not getting a reply from someone, so I got obsessed with used postcards on a visit to a thrift store in New York. In the end she never did write back, but I like to think the risk was worth it, and I learned from the experience. With that in mind, I thought it would be cool to set up a website where people can send (virtual) postcards to each other, and use the opportunity to say something meaningful, to take a risk, and see what comes back. The video ties in with all of this — and my Elvis obsession — sometimes it's still worth it, even if you lose.”

Frank Turner

Tuesday, March 15

  Concert Hall @ NY Society For Ethical Culture

2 W 64th Street

New York, NY

Doors 6:45 PM / Show: 7:45 PM

Tickets: $35 - $40

All Ages

Tour Dates

• 03/27   Hinckley, MN - Grand Casino
• 03/14   New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall
• 03/15   New York, NY - NY Society for Ethical Culture
• 03/17   Gainesville, FL - High Dive
• 03/18   Miami, FL - Salty Dog Cruise with Flogging Molly
• 05/05   Brooklyn, NY - The Grid Music Festival @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Solo Acoustic)
• 05/06   New York, NY - The Grid Music Festival @ Webster Hall (Solo Acoustic)
• 05/21   Dallas, TX - Elm Street Music & Tattoo Festival

Upcoming: Aoife O'Donovan at The Bowery Ballroom, 4/14

Aoife O'Donovan will be taking the stage at the Bowery Ballroom, April 14. See below for more details

She released her sophomore album In The Magic Hour via Yep Roc Records, January 22. You can buy it HERE.

Aoife O'Donovan

Cassandra Jenkins

Thursday, April 14

The Bowery Ballroom

6 Delancey St

New York, NY

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM

Tickets: $20 adv / $25 dos

18+

If I Dropped By…with Dawn Drake + Show Details

Dawn Drake & ZapOte will be taking the stage at Brooklyn Bowl on March 7 as part as Mo'Beats Monday. Raye 6 will be performing that evening as well. Doors are at 6PM and it will cost you $8. Full details at the end of our visit.

Our curiosity led us to pay our customary hypothetical visit to Dawn Drake. This is what we learned.

Quirky NY Chick (QNYC): ... and brought a friend who didn't know your music, what song of yours would you play for them and why?

Dawn Drake (DD): I would play "Judgment Rumba" because it's new and it's Funky!

Upcoming: Ex Norwegian at Bowery Electric, 3/18

Ex Norwegian are hitting the road. They will be making a stop in New York at The Bowery Electric in the Map Room on March, 18…see below for more details.

Ex Norwegian released their latest album, Pure Gold, December 2015. To get your happy little ears prepared for the show, check out the recently released, Carlos Laylle directed video for the track, "On The Sidelines", below. I'm going to describe it as retro, garage pop.

Ex Norwegian

Friday, March 18

Bowery Electric, The Map Room

327 Bowery

New York, NY

Doors: 6:30PM / Show: 7PM

Tickets: Free

21+

Tour Dates

• Mar-10 The Hardback Cafe Gainesville FL 9:00 PM
• Mar-11 The Hi-Tone Cafe Memphis TN 8:30 PM
• Mar-12 Silvie's Lounge Chicago IL 8:00 PM
• Mar-13 Blind Bob's Dayton OH 9:00 PM
• Mar-16 Tree House Lounge Washington DC 7:00 PM
• Mar-18 Bowery Electric New York NY 8:30 PM

Upcoming: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, 4/13 + New Album

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will be taking the stage at Webster Hall on April 13. See below for more details.

The San Francisco based band are scheduled to release their fourth studio album, A Man Alive, March 4. It's their first new album in two years. You can pre-order it HERE.

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

Saintseneca, Little Scream

Wednesday, April 13

Webster Hall

125 E 11th Street

New York, NY

Doors: 7PM / Show: 8PM

Tickets $20

18+

Upcoming: Cate Le Bon at The Bowery Ballroom, 4/11 + New Album

Cate Le Bon will be taking the stage at Bowery Ballroom on April 11. See below for more details.

Her latest album Crab Day is scheduled for release on April 15. It can be pre-ordered HERE.

Cate Le Bon

Monday, April 11

The Bowery Ballroom

6 Delancey Street

New York, NY

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM

Tickets: $15

18+

Reed Turchi To Release New Album + 4 NY Shows

Memphis based musician Reed Turchi is scheduled to release his solo debut effort, Speaking In Shadows, March 4th via Devil Down Records. He previously released four albums with his blues rock trio Turchi.

Speaking In Shadows can be pre-ordered HERE.

Reed Turchi will be playing 4 shows in New York beginning TONIGHT! See below for more details.

• Tue. Mar 1 Reed Turchi & The Caterwauls (early show 7pm ) @ Piano’s, 158 Ludlow St, New York, NY (212) 505-3733 
• Tue. Mar 1 Reed Turchi & The Caterwauls 10pm @ Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY (212) 690-7807 -- INFO
• Wed. Mar 2 Reed Turchi & The Caterwauls w/ Handsome Jack 9:30pm @ Mercury Lounge, 217 E Houston St, New York, NY (212) 260-4700, $10 -- INFO
• Fri. Mar 4 Reed Turchi & The Caterwauls 9pm @ Bar Chord, 1008 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY (347) 240-6033 -- INFO

Charles Bradley To Release New Album + Video

Charles Bradley has released a video for his song "Change For The World". The track is from his upcoming album Changes.  Check out the Eric Feigenbaum directed clip below.

Changes is scheduled for release on April 1. You can pre-order it HERE.