Janelle Monae - "Tightrope" Video

Here's a fun video from Janelle Monae. I can totally see the "Tightrope" becoming the next big group club dance - and this actually deserves it because it looks cool and is an awesome song (unlike that stupid Cha Cha Slide song). I do have to say that parts of the video are a little weird and don't seem to fit with the rest (particularly the end where these two hooded, faceless figures are following her around). But overall the video (and the song) are pretty much guaranteed to get you dancing, so check it out.

Communist Daughter

I cannot post this one fast enough - I've been waiting for this track to be released for MONTHS. The band is Minneapolis' Communist Daughter and their upcoming album Soundtrack To The End drops April 6th. Simply stated, the song is stellar and a must download.

Not The Kid [mp3]

The Heart is a Drum Machine trailer

Here's a trailer for a documentary film about music that looks pretty interesting. The trailer itself isn't so great, and for some reason it runs through twice, but hopefully the film is better than the trailer. The film features a rather long list of celebrities talking about why music is important or why they love music and it looks like the film addresses the neurological/biological aspects of why we love music so much, as well. The film came out earlier this month and is already available on Netflix.

Seasick Steve

Due to time constraints, I'm going to let the music speak for itself today - check out the gritty country blues of Seasick Steve. Sorry I don't really have time to elaborate, but go to his website where you can stream a bunch of his music and download a free live EP. His album is coming out tomorrow, and you can pre-order it on iTunes now.

KaiserCartel & Chris Garneau @ the Living Room

Tuesday evening I popped over to the Living Room to catch my favorite Brooklyn duo, KaiserCartel, who I haven't seen in way too long. They played mostly stuff off their upcoming new album, Secret Transit, due out in June. The album sounds like it's going to be a little bit of a departure from KaiserCartel's usual quiet, calm sound - almost every song they played at the concert was totally rockin'! Picks with Ivan on them were flying everywhere as Courtney threw them into the audience in fits of Rock 'n' Roll euphoria! But don't worry, they're still the same KaiserCartel you know and love. They still have chillingly beautiful harmonies, they still collaborate with each other in an amazingly equal and adorable partnership, they still have charming banter in between songs, and they still go out into the audience and sing the last song acapella while staring into your eyes (the song is just a different song). And that's why you should go support their new album - they're going DIY this time, so they're raising money on PledgeMusic. You can get anything from a pre-order CD before it hits the stores to KaiserCartel underwear (signed I believe) to your name in the credits to a private serenade to a song written by them with your name it. Man, if only I was rich because I want all of these things! So go, check it out, support the music. This kind of thing is an increasingly popular way for artists to fund art, and I think it's really cool.

Oh No [mp3] - (iTunes)

I had already made up my mind to go to the show when I found out that Chris Garneau was playing there too! So that was a happy surprise. In between KaiserCartel and Chris Garneau was Howard Jennings (or as my slightly tipsy friend kept calling him, Harold Jenkins...). Howard Jennings is like every teenage girls' dream - his songs are so romantic. Every single one was about just loving another person so much or missing another person so much or longing for another person so much. While he wasn't exactly my cup of tea (you guys should know how I feel by singer-songwriters by now), he seemed like a really nice down-to-earth guy and I think he could actually make it in the big time. He has a rich voice and his songs are catchy as hell. His sound is a little generic (meaning there's nothing about his sound that really sets him apart from the large number of other talented singer-songwriters out there), but in some ways that - along with the teenage-girl-heart-melting romantic lyrics - might help him make it in the mainstream. I could definitely see him becoming the next John Mayer or Jack Johnson. And the faux hawk was working for him, I gotta say.

You and Me [mp3] - (iTunes)

Last up was Chris Garneau, who was great, as before. It was just him and cellist this time, but that was plenty. The Living Room is the perfect venue to see him in because it's so intimate and so it really feels personal. His music is so dark, solemn and melancholy. It doesn't make sense not to see him perform it in an intimate setting. The City Winery was intimate too, though not as much and I had TERRIBLE seats. He didn't play Dirty Night Clown again on Tuesday, which made me sad. That's his one uptempo song, and while it still is dark it's probably not quite as sad. He did play Fireflies, which isn't so melancholy on the album but he played a slowed-down, sadder sounding version of it at the Living Room. But don't let it seem like I'm complaining that the songs are slow and sad, because I'm not. Chris' performances are very nuanced and completely entrancing. So entrancing in fact that people forgot to clap at the end of one song - everyone was hanging on his every note and he moved on to the next song rather quickly so we didn't even have time to come out of our little music trances and clap for him. All in all, it was a great show. Chris will be playing at the Living Room again this Tuesday with a baby orchestra (and as he felt the need to clarify for us that is "not an orchestra made up of babies but is rather a small orchestra"). And I think the show is free (well, if you don't the one drink per set minimum). You should definitely go check him out if you haven't seen him live.

Fireflies [mp3] - (iTunes)

Quick Links - Tracks & Upcoming Releases

Hollywood- Codeine Velvet Club [mp3] (myspace) A new project from The Fratellis' John Lawler and songwriter Lou Hickey, this is a track coming off of their self-titled album that drops April 6th. It's wonderous 60's-esque rock-pop with echo-y strings and male/female harmonies. They are currently touring with Metric.

Big Escape - Pearly Gate Music [mp3] (myspace) Another 60's rock-infused number, this time with toe-tapping strums and a good hook, this track is from their self-titled debut full length, in stores May 18th.

Surrounded By Your Friends - Hooray for Earth [mp3] (myspace) The track starts off with tambourine and gritty synths, but gentle male vocals quickly rush in to make the electro-pop a bit more spacious. This is the lead off track from their upcoming re-packaged MOMO EP, out June 1st.

Crocus - Br'er [mp3] (myspace) Okay, so this track is more my style this time of year, with delicate baritone ukulele picking, lullaby-like melody and a little accordion flair. The song is part of a compilation called "A Cure For The Broken-Hearted," which releases in May. Each compilation is going to be packaged in its very own accordion book, with printed watercolor illustrations and information about the songs. You can read more about it here.

Driving To LA - Household Names [mp3] (myspace) A four-piece band from Austin, Household Names will be self-releasing their third record, Stories, No Names on May 11th. It's mainstream friendly with clean guitars and sweetened alternative pop production.

The National - free mp3

Here's the first single off The National's upcoming album, High Violet (due out May 11th on 4AD). Apparently there's a "busted" version floating around, but this is the correct version.

Bloodbuzz Ohio [mp3]

Yukon Blonde

Canadian pop-rock band Yukon Blonde dropped their self-titled debut today, full of 60's-influenced tight harmonies and folk-rock jangles that ease into the ear and resonate trouble-free journeys. They've been compared to Fleetwood Mac and Crosby Stills Nash and Young, but we'll let you be the judge of that. We've got two tracks for you, and if you like what you hear, you can purchase the album on iTunes.

Wind Blows [mp3]
Blood Cops [mp3]

Download The Idyllists EP for free!

You can download Les Singles for free by signing up for The Idyllists mailing list here. I am starting to become a huge fan of their retro pop sound. I can't seem to help but bop my head back and forth. So check 'em out.

Show review: Choir of Young Believers @ Bootleg Theater, 3/12/10

I went to the Bootleg Theater to see Danish indie rockers Choir of Young Believers last Saturday night, mostly out of curiosity after reading a Rolling Stone review that compared them to "hearing Radiohead's Thom Yorke in the middle of a Sixties Roy Orbison single..." I was also curious about locals Great Northern, who've been recommended by friends in the past.

I arrived sometime in the final 3 songs of Great Northern's set and wasn't as impressed as I'd expected to be...kind of disappointing, but I'm going to chalk it up to the evening and still check out their recorded tunes. The psychedelic rock duo thing can be hit or miss sometimes.

Next, the Choir of Young Believers took the stage at 11:30 sharp, in a half-incarnation of the band's regular lineup which apparently is a septet at its full capacity. Tonight we were hanging with singer/songwriter Jannis Makrigiannis, cellist/backing vocalist Caecilie Trier, bassist Jakob Milung and drummer Casper Henning Hansen.

They played for a whole hour -- a perfect combination of lofty, soaring vocals (the Thom Yorke comparison is definitely not far off), dramatic songwriting and a faultless sound system. Each tune was slow and building, the cello and occasional synth riff creating the base atmosphere while the dapper Milung pulsed away in his skinny jeans and Hansen pounded the drums louder than everyone else played, though in a way that added much more than it detracted - no ten-minute drum solos here. Everything was reverb-drenched and really kind of beautiful in a Dark Side of the Moon way, or like Radiohead's "Lucky," always resolving nicely on one of Makrigiannis' guitar flourishes.

The latter isn't really big on stage banter, except for announcing how happy the band was to be in California. It didn't matter though; the music spoke for itself and the set was better as a free-flowing and uninterrupted piece of work, like a series of movements in a classical composition. The only qualms I had were that 1) I couldn't understand the lyrics if you offered me a million bucks and a trip to Paris, and 2) with the exception of maybe two or three songs, after awhile every one had the same slow, lilting tempo -- that is, until the final half of the set when Hansen broke out the maracas and laid down a tasteful little drum groove on the mid-toms, a nice little break in the mood.

Like everyone else who loves good music in America, Choir of Young Believers are eating BBQ and drinking beer in Austin this week. Check em out there before they cross the pond again.

Hot Chip - "I Feel Better" (video)

I go back and forth on Hot Chip. They have some fantastic ideas for beats, melodies and sounds, but they aren't always able to distill those ideas into songs effectively enough to do them full justice. Musically, they jump around a lot, sometimes changing things up too frequently to settle into a groove, which can be frustrating when a song initially teases you as danceable. And the vocals and lyrics can drift beyond cheesy into grating. Sometimes they strike me as genius, and sometimes I feel like they're just a whiny indie rock band dressed up like a dance act. But perhaps in those times I'm just foolishly and unfairly wishing they were something that they're not. Maybe I should just find a remix when that's what I'm looking for.

I'm still getting acquainted with their new release, One Life Stand, but they've clearly exercised some extra focus and restraint, and the result is a more consistent and satisfying album. I find this to be most noticeable on mellower tracks like "Alley Cats" and "Keep Quiet," which manage to establish a groove and fully develop it, making use of natural propulsion rather than jarring twists and turns. The use of live drums on some of the tracks helps make them more cohesive as well, and they've preserved their lyrical identity while seriously cutting back on the wholesale ridiculous.

They've just released the video for their latest single, "I Feel Better," and it's an interesting one. While they didn't direct the video themselves, it's actually representative of my general issue with some of their work – I enjoy the initial premise, but then they compulsively shift direction, layering in more ideas and twists that are progressively less successful. Check it out below, along with some dates for their upcoming US tour.

April 16 / Fox Theater / Oakland, CA
April 17 / Coachella / Indio, CA
April 19 / Riviera / Chicago, IL
April 22 / Terminal 5 / New York, NY
April 23 / Terminal 5 / New York, NY
April 24 / 9:30 Club / Washington, D.C.
April 25 / Theatre of the Living Arts / Philadelphia, PA

ARMS

ARMS, the Brooklyn trio that create indie folk-rock shoegaze numbers, are gearing up for SXSW by releasing a free download of their new EP. Full of sweetened reverb, crashing gritty layers and and dry pulsing ticks, take a listen to the track below, and if you like what you hear, download the full EP here.

Heat & Hot Water [mp3]

Seabear

Icelandic 7-piece Seabear just released a new indie-folk album called We Built A Fire as well as a companion EP entitled When The Fire Dies. I've been a fan of Seabear for a while now, and these albums do not disappoint. Initially a lo-fi solo project, Seabear has become an experimental indie-folk-pop adventure, full of floating suites built on acoustic guitar and sprinkled with beautiful cello, light bells and gentle lush vocals. "Lion Face Boy" is the lead-off track of the album, but "Cold Summer" is also a stellar track and can be heard on their myspace.

Lion Face Boy [mp3] (iTunes)

Emanuel & the Fear's album release show

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending Emanuel & the Fear's album release show at the Gramercy theater.

Opening for them was Elizabeth Ziman (of Elizabeth & the Catapult) and Jeff Taylor. At every one of Elizabeth's shows that I've seen, Jeff has come up and performed a song or two with her, but it was cool to see them perform a whole set together. In fact, no offense to Elizabeth's band but I think I liked it better just the two of them. They're both immensely talented songwriters with incredibly nice, very natural voices that complement each other very well and they seem to energize each other and play off of each other in a really great way. Plus I think the combination of Elizabeth's playfulness and Jeff's folkiness makes for a really great pairing. They just light up when playing with each other and it looked like they were having so much fun the whole time. I highly enjoyed their set, although I will say that I thought it was cut quite short (they had to skip something like four or five new songs and I think they only played for about half an hour), and that made me sad.

Emanuel and the Fear, already a huge 12-piece band as it is, took the stage with the NYU symphony orchestra behind them (or at least part of it - there were maybe 25ish or so additional musicians. I tried counting but I couldn't see them all, there were so many people). It was quite the sight and I'm surprised they managed to fit so many people on that stage. It was to celebrate the release of their debut full-length album, Listen. Emanuel came out dressed in a red suit (according to him, Ru Paul owns the same one) and had everything a frontman should - high energy, memorable hair (oh that hair) and clothing, a unique voice, an eccentric poet MC to introduce him, plenty of rockness, and lots and lots of talent. He's a multi-instrumentalist whose songs seem to be influenced by so many genres that it's easy to lose count and his in-between song banter was simultaneously self-assured and self-deprecating, so it was a great show all around.

Of course, the whole band (and the back up orchestra) were all quite good, but there's so many of them that I don't really have time to comment on each of their individual performances. They played a nice long set, about an hour and a half including the encore (which they couldn't get off stage for and back on so Emanuel pretended to walk away for a second and then came right back. It was awkward but funny). All in all a very strong set and a solid album.

Dear Friend [mp3] - (iTunes)

More pictures here:

Emanuel & the Fear Album Release Show

Dr. Dog

Quite frankly, I'll be shocked if you haven't downloaded this track yet, but we must cover our bases. On April 6th, Dr. Dog releases Shame, Shame, an album built on fears, doubt, confusion and unanswered questions, all the while being packed with upbeat melodies, euphoric harmonies and granulated guitar riffs. Dr. Dog is already headed out on tour and conquering many a city, so check out their full city list here. Below is their first single off the album, a folk-rock jangle full of sunshine that drips retro pop off the edges.

Stranger [mp3] (iTunes)

Kyle Tigges & Xylofaux

Originally a solo project by Illinoisan transplant Kyle Tigges, Xylofaux now has a full lineup and surprisingly makes quite a racket. The atmospheric quality that comes across as simply moody in the solo recordings has become dark and dissonant. The band draws more energy out of Tigges while effectively elaborating on the tone set by his impressive, effects-laden guitar work and fragile vocals. They had been playing sporadic shows in Brooklyn and Manhattan but I'm guessing are now holed up recording their first (hopefully not self-titled) full length as a completed outfit. I’m very much looking forward to see what they emerge with.

The sample tracks below span the group’s two iterations and its brief recording history, which comprises two EPs and a full-length album, all inconveniently titled “Xylofaux.” “Usual” is from Tigges’ original EP, self-produced and self-released in 2008, and is my favorite track of the bunch. It was more professionally recorded for his 2009 album with some female backing vocals and ambient effects, but I still prefer the original version. That album is a very good one but does suffer from a bit of overproduction in a couple of other areas as well. The track I’ve included from it, “Cleveland,” is one of his bouncier songs but has what I find to be an unappealingly distant quality due to the compressed vocals. Finally, there’s a full-band track, “Violent Violet,” from their most recent EP, which has a rough, live sound. It's three tracks actually might have been recorded live entirely, in one go. It starts with “Violet,” and from there segues seamlessly into more aggressive territory with the other two.

Kyle Tigges - Usual [mp3]
Kyle Tigges - Cleveland [mp3] - (iTunes)
Xylofaux - Violent Violet [mp3]

Show Review - 826LA Chickens In Love mini-music festival

Last Saturday I spent the afternoon at the Echoplex for the 826LA Chickens In Love mini-music festival/benefit. I'd been to some of 826's events and writing workshops in the past so I headed over in search of a fun time for a good cause, and was definitely not disappointed.

When I arrived fashionably late at 1:30 there were clumps of people milling about the dark space eating pizza from the bar and chatting -- this was (obviously) a family-friendly affair, and there were a lot of young kids and parents mixed in with the normal twentysomething hipster milieu (not that I have anything against the normal twentysomething hipster milieu, guilty as charged) I moseyed over to the merch table and bought a little zine-type book, Make It Punk, which was written by 826LA students, cause there's nothing cooler than when kids write about punk music.

Although this show featured four local bands who had contributed to the Chickens In Love compilation -- Summer Darling, The Pity Party, Thao Nguyen and The Submarines (love them) -- I have to say that The Bombs were the hands-down highlight. You probably haven't heard of them...because they are a group of elementary school-aged 826LA students, and they took the stage a bunch of times during the show to hang with MC Dianna Agron (of Glee fame, who was an awesome choice for hostess and great with the kids) and just generally entertain us with their alternating enthusiasm and mic-shyness.

At various times, The Bombs sang their own rendition of "Down By The Bay" - with accordion backing provided by Nora Kirkpatrick from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' - improvised a story in response to the question "what would you do if you ran away from home?" (fight against Barney and trees made of snakes, obviously), and humored a request for Salt 'n' Peppa's "Push It," after realizing it was a band and not a seasoning. So much for makin' the rest of us feel old, guys. They also read from a book of student-written Valentine's Day poems; looking at love through a 7-year-old's lens puts everything in perspective, I'll tell you that.

The only band I was really looking forward to seeing was The Submarines, and I unfortunately had to leave 3 songs into their set to go to a family dinner. It was my first time seeing Thao Nguyen of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, and she had a nice Feist thing going on with a little bit of Jenny Owen Youngs thrown in. But nonetheless it was a successful afternoon and I hope they raised a lot of money to keep 826LA going strong. If you live in LA and haven't checked out any of their events I recommend that you do. And you can still sponsor one of the student-written Chickens In Love compilation songs and pre-order a copy of the full-length album here.

(Photographic evidence forthcoming...)

The Belleville Outfit

One of the best things about living in South Carolina is the amazing radio station of WNCW. They feature all types of music from Bluegrass to Jazz and everything in between.

Every year they do a list of the top 100 Albums of the year and number 9 this year was the Belleville Outfit which incorporate every style you could can think of.

Check out these 2 tracks and decide if they are alt-country or gpysy jazz or something all there own. And if you happen to live in South Carolina see them this Friday night at Hub Bub!

Sunday Morning [mp3] - Bellville Outfit (iTunes)

Wandering [mp3] - Bellville Outfit (iTunes)

The Avett Brothers @ First Ave

On Friday night the Avett Brothers performed at First Ave. Since tickets sold out over a month ago, the place was packed. The opener was The Low Anthem, who played sweet harmonious slow folk jams. When they were done, the Avett Brothers got right to it, jumping on stage alongside an uproarious welcome and kicking things off with the bob-along "And It Spread." Joining the brothers Scott and Seth were bassist Bob Crawford, cellist Joe Kwon and the new touring drummer Jacob Edwards.

It must be said at this point that without Crawford, Kwon and Edwards, the performance would not be as anywhere near entertaining or visually spectacular as it was. Kwon, who only plays his cello standing up and thrashes his long hair with such glee that you just know he grew up in a strict home, often plays it up with Crawford, going back-to-back as if they were heavy metal rock stars shredding their guitars. Leaving no man behind, Crawford doesn't let the weight of his bulky bass get in his way from traveling across the stage to do the same to Edwards at the drums. Quite frankly, it's already a delight to watch a concert like this.

Scott played his banjo so hard during the first song that he broke a string. This was apparently not unusual, for immediately there was someone just off stage, brandishing a fresh banjo at the ready. Although Scott didn't bust any more banjos for the evening, he rocked it so hard that it had a difficult time staying in tune for more than one song. While Scott climbed on top of speakers playing his banjo, Seth was right there up with his brother in enthusiasm, jumping with each strum of his guitar and knowingly smiling at the audience at every romping number. The two of them were in perfect synchrony throughout the concert, from the double-time fast rap in "Slight Figure of Speech" to the playful hoedown moves during "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms."

The Avett Brothers have a gift of being endowed with an endless supply of energy, which fuels all their foot stomping, body bouncing and heartfelt bellowing throughout the evening. While in most situations these physical exertions would take away from the musical prowess of the performance, the Avett Brothers maintained a remarkable hold, singing their songs emphatically on pitch and playing as if they were one comprehensive being instead of five members of a band. Yes, Scott did grab the wrong harmonica at one point and the band had their scattered moments in between songs, but the numbers themselves had unbelievable flow. Their transitions and cadence were flawless. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might have thought that it had all been pre-recorded in a studio and mixed properly.

Slower songs were placed perfectly in between fast songs so the energy never got too low, with Seth manning the piano for calmer ballad-anthems like "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" and "I and Love and You." One thing that stands out about Scott, and even more prominently during the slower songs, is that he sings the words so vehemently, it's as if he's singing them for the first time. The honestly behind each and every word makes it impossible not to moved by his emotion. What Scott has in charisma, Seth has in intrigue - when Seth looks out into the crowd your way, you want nothing more in the world than to stare straight back at him, eyes locked and head bouncing along so he can see that you're loving it. You want him to know that you accept him and his music in the hopes that he accepts you back. It's a bit of an odd desire, I won't lie, but it's one I found to be common occurrence from feedback of those standing around me.

The brothers had a fun time with the crowd and never had to ask them to sing along. It was as if the entire audience had gone to this concert multiple times and knew their parts. Highlights of the show are difficult to pin down, as each of the 21 songs were fantastic in their own right, but favorites obviously included the two cover songs,"Laundry Room" and "Go To Sleep" (Kwon was key with the "la la la" singalong here, practically conducting the audience with his cello). Things closed off with just one encore number, the lovely "I and Love and You," where Seth flourished the melody with Mozart-like interpretation for a delightful twist.

Going to the Avett Brothers concert is like being inside a cacophonous typhoon of emphaticism and musical joy. You'll stomp your feet and find yourself hoot and hallerin' with the best of them, totally enraptured with all the magical hallmarks the Avett Brothers have to offer. Their energy is contagious, their sound is true, and their audiences are steadfast in response. Quite frankly, if you've ever wanted to be part of a hootenanny, all you need to do is see the Avett Brothers live. It was an amazing show. If they come to your town, you best be there for it.

Setlist:
And It Spread
Shame
Slight Figure of Speech
Traveling Song
Tear Down the House
Pretty Girl from Annapolis
Head Full of Doubt/ Road Full of Promise
Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms (Buck Owens Cover)
January Wedding
The Perfect Space
I Killed Sally's Lover
November Blue
Kick Drum Heart
Laundry Room
Will You Return
Where Have All The Average People Gone (Roger Miller Cover)
In The Curve
Backwards With Time
Go To Sleep
Matrimony
Encore: I & Love & You

This Saturday - 826LA's CHICKENS IN LOVE Mini Music Festival

Alright LA readers, it's time to put on your do-goodin' hat and come out for the kids!

Local nonprofit 826LA -- one chapter of Dave Eggers' nationwide circuit of nonprofits that offers after-school tutoring and writing workshops to kids and teens ( future bloggers! ) -- is hosting a cool mini music festival this Saturday afternoon at the Echoplex to raise some money and promote the release of Chickens In Love.

Chickens In Love is the result of 826LA's recent songwriting workshop, where a bunch of awesome LA musicians came in to teach the students about lyrics and melody and the power of verse/chorus/verse. In the end there were 12 little ditties about everything from Mexican food to Things That Are Boring to turning pigs into bacon (not even kidding).

12 LA-based bands were enlisted to cover the songs for the full-length Chickens In Love, including She & Him, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Happy Hollows, among others.

Go here to listen to the original and cover versions of the songs, watch videos of the songwriting process, and if you're feeling inspired you can donate a couple bucks in honor of your favorite tune -- all proceeds go back to 826LA, and the band whose song raises the most money by April 30 gets "unrestricted bragging rights and an ice cream party"... oh, how I long for the days when ice cream was used as a reward...

Then this Saturday head to the Echoplex between 12 and 7 for sets by local favorites Summer Darling, The Pity Party, Thao Nguyen and The Submarines, who'll perform their student songs and some originals. Bands start at 1 and play every hour on the hour until 4pm.

I'll be there to check out the music, pre-order a copy of the album and eat a burger from the Grill 'Em All food truck. If you've been convinced, follow this link and get a ticket, and pat yourself on the back for helpin' the kids.

Emily Jane White

Raised in a seaside town surrounded by woodlands, Emily Jane White composes pensive guitar picked folk numbers that reverberate with thick yet gentle weight for days on end. With her calming husky timbre and collaborative band, White creates atmospheric numbers tinged with philosophic wanderings that are completely organic. Her new album Victorian America drops April 27th.

 

She has two dates this weekend for you NYC readers:

Mar 5 - The Living Room

Mar 6 - Rockwood

 

Liza [mp3]

 

Ride, Rise, Roar & Roots Picnic 2010

If there's one thing David Byrne hates, it's the idea of performing a generic rock show. Fortunately, he continues to find new ways to keep it interesting for himself and his audiences. I'm still fairly upset that I missed his last tour, which focused on his collaborations with Brian Eno and featured a troupe of dancers, but at least I'll get to see the requisite tour documentary, Ride, Rise, Roar. The film apparently covers the development of the show itself, including the dancers' auditions and rehearsals, as well as the performances. Ride, Rise, Roar will première this month, with three screenings at SXSW:

March 15 / 1:30pm / The Paramount / Austin, TX

March 18 / Noon / The Paramount / Austin, TX

March 20 / 5pm / Austin Convention Center / Austin, TX

Another show not to miss would be this year's Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. In ?uestlove's announcement of the lineup yesterday, he strongly hinted that Run–D.M.C. will be reuniting to perform at the show, presumably backed by The Roots themselves. The rest of the bill includes Vampire Weekend, The Clipse, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew and Das Racist. The Roots will naturally play as well, plus there will be a set by the DJ/drummer duo of ?uestlove and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am EST at Live Nation.

The Third Annual Roots Picnic:

June 5 / 2pm / Festival Pier / Philadelphia, PA

I caught the final Roots Jam at Highline Ballroom late last year, during which Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew joined the Roots for a 15-minute set of their own songs and completely stole the show (which is saying a lot). I trust they'll be bringing a serious party to the Roots Picnic. Their proper album won't drop till this fall, but you can get a free mixtape at their website. Here's one of my favorite tracks:

Rapapumpum (feat. Jahdan Blakkamoore) [mp3]

Avi Buffalo Spring tour dates!

I've been rooting for these guys and gals for awhile now, and it looks like they're finally getting their due. They just signed to SubPop and are going to celebrate the release of the self-titled Avi Buffalo at the Troubadour in LA on May 1st, but there are plenty of other ways to catch them before then (including at SXSW!):

AVI BUFFALO Spring 2010 Tour Dates

with Rogue Wave
03/02/10 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
03/03/10 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
03/04/10 First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
03/05/10 Nightclub 9:30, Washington, D.C.
03/06/10 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
03/08/10 The Loft, Atlanta, GA
03/09/10 Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
03/10/10 Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
03/12/10 Harvest of Hope, Elkton, FL
03/13/10 The Social, Orlando, FL
03/15/10 One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans, LA
03/16/10 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
03/17/10 The Loft, Dallas, TX

SXSW 2010
03/18/10 Austin, TX
03/19/10 Austin, TX
03/20/10 Austin, TX

with Japandroids
04/06/10 Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
04/07/10 High Dive, Champaign, IL
04/08/10 Radio Radio, Indianapolis, IN
04/09/10 Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
04/10/10 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
04/12/10 Mojo’s, Columbia, MO
04/13/10 Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
04/15/10 Beauty Bar, Las Vegas, NV
04/19/10 Trunk Space, Phoenix, AZ
04/21/10 Casbah, San Diego, CA
04/23/10 Independent, San Francisco, CA
05/01/10 Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA (RECORD RELEASE SHOW)