Everest Cale & Stone Cold Fox - Live Photos from Show at Pianos, Jan. 4, 2013

Last Friday, Brooklyn band Everest Cale premiered the video for their song "Beast" (title track from the band's latest EP) and followed this with a full live set. I reviewed "Beast" last year and compared the band's roots-rock sound to artists like Kevn Kinney and Connor Oberst but the band hits much harder when playing live. While Everest Cale haven't abandoned their core country-blues sound, their live interpretation is closer to Crazy Horse than either of the artists that I mentioned earlier. I was speaking to bassist Aaron Nystrup after the show and he said that the songs on "Beast" date back a number of years and the band is going into the studio early this year to record some of these harder-edged numbers.



My one regret of the evening is that I only brought a still camera and left my video camera at home but there will be other nights - Everest Cale is playing next at Tammany Hall (152 Orchard St) on Saturday, Jan. 19th.





Stone Cold Fox also has a fuller live sound than their new EP, "The Young", would suggest. When reviewing their disc, I compared them to Radiohead and The Walkmen - thinking their sound leaned toward Radiohead - but, live, Stone Cold Fox is closer in sound to The Walkmen and/or later period Replacements.



Check out the indie-pop side of Stone Cold Fox with this stripped-down studio performance of "Give Up The Kids".



Stone Cold Fox is playing next at The Paper Box (in East Williamsburg/Bushwick) on Sat., Jan. 19th. Also on the bill are Nightmare River Band, Watermelon, Rich Mahogany, D. Gookin and Aotearoa. Tickets are $10 and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Everest Cale
Stone Cold Fox

Read More

Charlotte Sometimes: 'The Voice' Finalist Hosts Birthday Bash and Free Show at Norwood Club on Tues., Jan.15th

New York alt-rock singer (and Warped Tour veteran) Charlotte Sometimes is hosting a birthday bash for her 25th birthday along with playing a free show on Tuesday, Jan. 15th at Club Norwood (241 West 14th Street). [Note: the email to RSVP is on the show poster]

Before celebrating her 25th birthday, pop songstress Charlotte Sometimes has already found herself praised by critics and superstars alike. As Blake Shelton, her coach on NBC's The Voice recently put it, "She's a true artist and true artists have visions".

This vision is perfectly captured on the new EP, "Circus Head", a 5-song gem showcasing the signature style which "earns her instant attention". (The New York Times) From the infectiously catchy opener, "Brilliant Broke and Beautiful," to the sentimental "Paint The Sky," "Circus Head" puts Charlotte's strong and attention grabbing vocals on display atop perfectly crafted pop hooks.





In addition to making the top 24 on Season 2 of The Voice, Charlotte Sometimes has been named a VH1 "You Oughta Know" artist and one of the "Top 100 Bands You Need To Know" by Alternative Press magazine. She has toured in support of Butch Walker, Gavin Degraw, Pat Monahan and The Hush Sound.

Links:
Charlotte Sometimes

Read More

Steve Howe Leaves Asia (band) / Newcomer Sam Coulson Named as Replacement

Guitarist Steve Howe has announced his departure from Asia and he will be replaced by Sam Coulson (who has the reputation as a shredder, so I'm not sure I see the fit). Remembering back to something that Geoff Downes had posted circa 1999 - 2000, one of the reasons he pulled out of the then Asia reunion was that Steve Howe wasn't invited to participate. I had always heard that Howe didn't get along with John Wetton so Steve's departure doesn't come as a shock but...the Asia lineups with Mandy Meyer and Pat Thrall replacing Howe always seemed to be missing 'something' as Howe's playing is a prominent part of Asia's sound.

Here is Steve Howe's quote: "I have left Asia to concentrate on Yes, my solo work & my Trio. I've enjoyed the 6 years of touring and recording with Asia, but now it's time to focus more on the above mentioned formations. —Steve"

Here is the quote from the remaining members of Asia: "John Wetton, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer are delighted to announce that not only do they have an incredible talent in place to step into Steve Howe’s shoes, but also that their first international show with newcomer Sam Coulson will be a high profile performance at Sweden Rock 2013. Sam is a wonderful player, world-renowned amongst guitar virtuosos. Additionally, a new studio album, to be entitled ‘Valkyrie’, will be recorded for Frontiers Records during 2013 continuing the band’s relationship with the label.

John Wetton said, “ASIA is ready to take its next steps along this remarkable road. We cannot wait to perform again for the fans and also to unveil some of the new material, of which we are very proud”. Geoff Downes said, “We look forward to writing another chapter in Asia’s history”. Carl Palmer commented, “We’re all looking forward to the next decade of great ASIA music”."

Check out Sam Coulson's playing and see what you think...





Links:
Asia

Read More

Mission of Burma Plays Bowery Ballroom on Friday, January 18th

DOWNLOAD: Mission of Burma - "Second Television"

(Photo: John Foster)

Mission of Burma are coming back through town next Friday night, Jan. 18th for a show at Bowery Ballroom. The band is touring behind their gloriously noisy and rumbling disc Unsound, which came out last summer on Fire Records, and the band is bringing along a full horn section for this show.

Opening for Burma is Exclamation Pony (featuring Ryan Jarman from The Cribs and Jen Turner from Here We Go Magic) and the show starts at 9PM. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 DOS.



Unsound is Mission of Burma’s fifth studio album, continuing their remarkable legacy. It seems redundant now to even call it a comeback because they’re a dynamic, current band, but having disbanded just four years after they formed in 1979, when they reformed eighteen years later and went on to record ONoffON in 2004, no one expected them to keep putting out records; let alone records that were every bit as vital and influential as their seminal early recordings. Their first album, Vs, is down in the annals of music as being one of the most important post-punk records of all time. Their subsequent recordings continue to expand on that and grow in scope, depth and accomplishment with every step.

As part of the manifesto to stretch musical boundaries, Roger wrote two of his songs “Opener” and “ADD in Unison” on the bass rather than guitar, and another ("Dust Devil") was based on an acoustic guitar improvisation. Both Clint and Peter also tweaked their writing just enough to make them feel it was actually worthwhile making another record. They also decided to use trumpet on the record, so Bob pulled out his trumpet playing skills to oblige.

Peter Prescott describes the experience: “We are a four headed hydra trying to create unity without canceling or censoring each head. So we juggle melody, groove, noise, depression, disruption, ecstasy… tension, release. I guess it’s thrilling for us to walk that musical plank.”

Clint Conley describes being in the studio: “There were certain technological advances as well, that might have been unthinkable just a few short years ago, in a distant time and century. During the mix at Woolly Mammoth, Peter occasionally opted for a virtual presence. From time to time a hologram of his head would appear, hovering in a darkened corner, issuing directives and encouragement. Not to say there weren't occasional glitches in the system. For a few days the hologram seemed locked in a mystifying loop, calling for more cymbals, regardless of whether the band were working on a mix or ordering Vietnamese food.”

Links:
Mission of Burma

Read More

Wake Owl - 'Wild Country' CD Review (Vagrant) // Show at Rockwood Music Hall on Feb. 22nd

Wake Owl began with primary member Colyn Cameron, who started writing songs around age 16. The Vancouver, by way of Southern California, native traversed the world in his late teens and early 20s and his vast travels acted as a songwriting catalyst: after returning home to British Columbia and spending a brief period playing in other bands, Cameron began creating and recording his own songs as Wake Owl. Now also comprised of multi-instrumentalist Aiden Briscall and additional supporting players, Wake Owl has toured Canada supporting Bahamas, Zeus and The Jezabels, and have played a number of their own US shows. The band's debut EP, "Wild Country", comes out January 29th on Vagrant Records.

"Wild Country" is comprised of six tracks and has a distinctly Southern California sound. Cameron's lyrics are introspective but he breaks away from his alt-folk contemporaries by adding rich vocal harmonies and the band's pedal steel, violin, and brushed drums take on a mellow rock sound rather than alt-folk. The end result sounds like something that could have come out of Laurel Canyon in the 70's and has elements of both Crosby, Stills and Nash and the initial albums from the Lindsey Buckingham lineup of Fleetwood Mac.

The music is fairly varied across the disc's six tracks - opener "Wild Country" starts out with a acoustic guitar providing the foundation for a twisting and bending electric guitar line but other instruments kick in shortly thereafter and the song molds itself into a moody SoCal rock number. "You'll Never Go" is an upbeat number that is powered by Cameron's upfront vocals and the song has a repetitive, catchy rhythm that is likely to have a live audience swaying in place. This is followed by "Gold" which has a melancholy aura as the sparse piano and emotive vocals of the song's beginning build up to a sing-along chorus where Wake Owl sounds a sounds a bit like Fleetwood Mac. A demo version of "Gold" closes this disc and this is a nice counterpoint as this demo version is stripped down and rawly emotive. Overall, the six songs on this new EP pass by way too quick leaving me looking forward to a full-length release from the band.



Wake Owl Tour Dates:
Feb 08 - Sunset, Seattle, WA
Feb 09 - Bunk Bar, Portland, OR
Feb 14 - 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
Feb 17 - Old Town School of Folk / Szold Hall, Chicago, IL
Feb 20 - Cafe 939, Boston, MA

Feb 22 - Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2), New York, NY
* Tickets are $10 and this is an early show - 6:30PM doors.  Opening band is (probably) Andy Shauf

Feb 23 - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Feb 25 - Jammin Java, Vienna, VA
Feb 26 - Brillobox, Pittsburgh, PA
Feb 28 - Basement, Nashville, TN
Mar 03 - Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
Mar 04 - Hi-Dive, Denver, CO
Mar 07 - Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
Mar 08 - Hotel Utah, San Francisco, CA
Mar 09 - Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA

Links:
Wake Owl

Read More

Win Tickets to One of 16 Broadway Productions and a Gift Card to Tony's Di Napoli Italian Restaurant from Broadway's Season of Savings Book

Season of Savings and Broadway World present the “You Take The Town” Sweepstakes!

"To ring in the New Year, we’re giving YOU a chance to win dinner and a show on us! Visit our Facebook page each day from January 7 - 23 to enter for your chance to win! One lucky winner will be selected each day to receive two tickets to a different participating Season of Savings show and a gift card to Tony’s Di Napoli. Entries must be posted by midnight each day.  Each winner will be chosen at random and notified via email by 10AM on the day following each drawing."

Entry Process
Anyone who wishes to enter the drawing for any of the prizes will be able to do so on the Season of Savings Facebook page. Multiple entries can be earned by “sharing” the contest with their friends and followers. All winners will be chosen at random.

Prizes
/ 2 tickets to a participating Season of Savings show
/ A $75 gift card for dinner at Tony’s Di Napoli

Links:
Official Website: http://www.SeasonofSavings.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SeasonofSavingsBway
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SeasonofSavings

Read More

Camper Van Beethoven to Release 'La Costa Perdida' - First Studio Album in Nine Years / Show at Stage 48 on Jan. 19th with Cracker

(Photo: Jason Thrasher)

Camper Van Beethoven – the beloved, genre-mashing musical unit and one of the bands that created the indie rock genre – has confirmed its first album in nine years with La Costa Perdida (January 22 / 429 Records). The release will mark CVB's first album recorded as a unit with the band cutting songs organically with all in attendance and produced entirely by the band's members. La Costa Perdida vividly depicts untamed characters and bizarre experiences on northern California's coastline, where the band began its musical adventures.

On the making of La Costa Perdida, Victor Krummenacher says, "The coolest part was that everything flowed from the fact that these distinctive musicians and personalities sat in the living room. Four people are writing it. The songs have great energy, but we're more relaxed and stately and a lot more confident."

Camper Van Beethoven is: Victor Krummenacher (bass, baritone guitar), Greg Lisher (guitars), David Lowery (guitars and vocals), Chris Pedersen (drums), Jonathan Segel (violin, guitar, mandolin, organ, backing vocals) and new addition Michael Urbano (drums and percussion). [Joining the band for their winter tour dates is longtime CVB and Cracker drummer Frank Funaro.]



Also led by Camper Van Beethoven's frontman David Lowery, Cracker will be joining CVB's run of winter dates. Cracker has been described as a lot of things over the years: alt-rock, Americana, insurgent-country, and have even had the terms punk and classic-rock thrown at them. But more than anything Cracker are survivors. Cofounders Lowery and Johnny Hickman have been at it for 20 years now - amassing nine studio albums (their most recent, 2009's critically acclaimed Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey), multiple gold records, thousands of live performances, hit songs ("Low," "Euro-Trash Girl" and "Get Off This" to name just a few) that are still in current radio rotation around the globe, and a worldwide fan base - that despite the major sea-changes within the music industry - continues to grow each year. Along with longtime drummer Frank Funaro (since 1998's Gentleman's Blues) and bassist Sal Maida (since 2006's Greenland), this uniquely American band has no intentions of slowing down.

Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker Winter Tour Dates
Jan. 18 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
Jan. 19 - Stage 48 - New York, NY (Doors are at 6:30PM and tickets are $20)
Jan. 20 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
Jan. 23 - Sky City - Augusta, GA (CVB only)
Jan. 24 - 40-Watt Club - Athens, GA (CVB only)
Jan. 25 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC (CVB only)
Jan. 26 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA (CVB only)
Jan. 27 - Mountain Stage - Charleston, WV (CVB only with Calexico and Bonnie "Prince" Billy)
Feb. 23 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR (CVB only)

Links:
Camper Van Beethoven
Cracker

Read More