Matt Jones at The Creek and The Cave

Last night I headed up to Queens to see Michigan singer-songwriter Matt Jones play at The Creek and The Cave. Everything about Matt Jones was pretty laid back. He was wearing jeans, a plaid button-up shirt and a hat. His music is laid back too - kind of whimsical and folky. It was just him and his electric guitar (apparently he often has a violin player and possibly some other string instruments accompanying him), but he was still a captivating performer. One of the main things I noticed about him was that he played his electric guitar the way most people would play an acoustic guitar - with no pick, and with a relaxed strumming or plucking. He has a really pleasant voice with a slightly haunting quality to it. His way of singing is much like his way of playing guitar - loose, easy going and almost playful at times. The haunting quality of his voice and the wistful guitar come together to create music that is honestly beautiful. I know that sounds cheesy, but there's not really a better word for it than that.

One of my favorite moments of his performance was when he announced that he was trying to do less "smile-makers" and he wanted to play more rockin' music, so he was going to do one of his only depressing songs. Shortly into the song he forgot the words and he smiled and said "I've forgotten how to be sad."

In talking to him after the show, he seems like a very friendly, chill person. Though he currently resides in/around Ann Arbor, Michigan, we bonded over the fact that he lived in Minneapolis for a year or two. He liked Minneapolis, but apparently the cold and snow was too much for him, so he left.

Below is a sample from his EP, "Right to Arms," but he informed me that he has a full-length album coming out in May(ish) that would blow this EP out of the water. So expect to hear more about that closer to the time.

Hand Out The Drugs [mp3]
"Silence!" He Told Her [mp3]

I also want to give some praise to The Creek and The Cave. I liked it the first time I went there (especially because they gave us all free drinks), but if it weren't so hard to get to from my home in Brooklyn I think it would quickly become one of my favorite bars. It has a nice atmosphere and a pretty terrace. They also added a shuffleboard table since the last time I was there, so I played hand shuffleboard for the first time, which was fun even though I kind of sucked. And they had a pretty good DJ, which I'm often quite picky about. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend you venture out there. It's worth the trip.

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Learning "The Hard Lessons"

A few Saturdays ago, my friend Laura invited me to this concert for some band I had never heard of from Detroit. It was at The Creek and The Cave, in Queens so I almost didn't go (for those of you who don't know you're NYC geography, getting to Queens from Brooklyn, where I live, without a car is a big pain in the rear.) Anyway, I decided to go, so I hauled my butt out to Queens and (despite almost getting terribly lost) it turned out to be SO worth all the trouble.

The band was called The Hard Lessons. They were great. The Hard Lessons are the perfect blend of rock and pop. The band is composed of two guys, one on drums, one on guitar and vocals, and a girl, who plays keyboards and sings - and let me tell you, I want to be her. That sounds creepy, but she has a really amazing voice. I think it might be one of the most perfect female rock-n-roll voices I've ever heard. Plus she was wearing a super cute black dress with white polka dots. She just made me wish I was super talented and cool like her. They were all pretty cool though. Very high energy performers. It was a lot of fun and since it was a small venue we were all of 4 feet away from them. And they're such nice people. They were hanging out with everyone before and after the show. I got numerous hugs from the guitar player. I bought both the CDs they were selling, and the drummer threw in a button and a photo just for me at no extra cost. And props to The Creek and the Cave because everyone got a free drink on the house after the show (much to the poor bartenders' chagrin). The Creek and the Cave is a pretty cool place. I really like their space a lot and they had a nice patio set up.

Anyway, so now that I've raved about The Hard Lessons, you should listen to their music. Although, they are one of the few bands I seem to like live better than on recordings. I think the recordings don't quite do the girl's voice justice. They're still really good though and you'll get an idea of how cool they are. Unfortunately, some of my favorite songs by them are not released yet, but they are up on their myspace. So, go here and listen to "See and Be Scene" a great song about Scenesters (which they prefaced at the show by talking about the horrible Scenester epidemic spreading through the country, haha). This is definitely my favorite song by them. Plus I think there was the audience participation of clapping, which was fun. My next favorite on their myspace is a calmer (at least at first) song called "Don't Shake My Tree." It starts out pretty and kind of haunting and then it turns into awesome rock, and her voice in this song is particularly perfect. My next favorite on their myspace is "Milk and Sugar" which is nice and simple but it just works so well. The vocal harmonies and the keyboard are great. "Milk and Sugar" actually has been released, but it's on a CD I don't have and is sold out on their website, so I have no way of obtaining it.

Please feel free to investigate them further on your own. This band is the epitome of indie though, and have refused to sign with any label because they are afraid of getting lost in the shuffle, which I can actually respect (normally I'm not an indie snob, but the way they explained why they haven't signed made sense, and I'm sure they've had lots of offers). So please, if you like them, show your support and pay for their music because they actually get that money (instead of like one tenth of a cent for every record, which they would get if they were signed to a label). Ok kids, that's all for today. Tata dahlings.

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