The Buzz Bin

Local Bands Rule Thanksgiving Week/end

Brian Lee — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:27:58 GMT

Thanksgiving is upon us and with it, of course, comes some of the biggest bar nights of the year. There are some great big shows to choose from on Wednesday night (Brand New at the Oakdale and Jay Reatard at Pearl Street, to name a couple), but–as is the case most years–local bands rule the week/end. Here's a rundown of a few highlights of the action that's on tap in the coming days. Feel free to post your picks in the Comments...

Wednesday
– Deep Banana Blackout brings "Funksgiving" back to Toad's for its annual Thanksgiving Eve throw-down.
– The shoreline's other big jam-rock export, the Breakfastm plays Sully's (and returns to play the Fairfield Theatre on Friday).
– If hard rock is more your game, Fear the State headlines Gobble Fest '09 at Up or On the Rocks.
– Cover kings Darik & the Funbags play Daniel Street in Milford.

Thursday
There isn't a whole lot to choose from on Thanksgiving proper, but if you're looking to get out of the house we recommend Cafe Nine's annual "Vomitorium," a 12-year tradition described as being "flush with the traditional holiday upheaval of friends & enemies battling their way through unknown songs, and the horrors of audience members being unwillingly dragged on-stage to sing." Intrigued? Check out www.myspace.com/annualvomitorium.

Friday
– Two of the Hartford area's finest pop-rock acts descend on the Hungry Tiger. Article 19 gets things started at 8:30 p.m., followed by a set from Columbia Fields.
– Brava Spectre celebrates the release of their new album at the Oasis Pub in New London, with Total Bulsheviks and Trillion Gallons of Gas.

Saturday
– Rane hasn't been heard from at all this year, but the Hartford prog-pop band comes out of hibernation for its annual Thanksgiving gig at the Main Pub. Kevin Howard and H perform as an acoustic duo in the opening slot.
– One of the Valley's all-time favorites likewise renews its annual reunion, as the Sighs return to play Pearl Street with the Ray Mason Band.

Indie Music Showcase Tonight in Hartford

Brian Lee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:27:47 GMT

Looking for something to do on this fine Tuesday evening?

When one mentions Downtown hotspot Up or On the Rocks, indie rock is far from the first thing that comes to mind. But if you're a Hartford-area indie music fan, that's just where you'll want to be tonight. The 21+ venue is hosting a showcase featuring Echo and Drake, Sea Shades, Laura Ganci and Hi-Planes Drifter. Showtime is 9 p.m.

Recap: 311 & State Radio at Mohegan Sun - Nov. 22, 2009

Brian Lee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:12:24 GMT

311 may have released its first album since 2005 early this year, but you wouldn't have guessed it from the band's set at Mohegan Sun Arena last night–the Omaha quintet was more than 10 songs deep before sniffing any material from "Uplifter."

Check out photos of 311 and State Radio at Mohegan Sun Arena.

With 20 years of steady touring in the bag, 311 knows its audience better than most bands, and after a spring of steady touring in support of the new stuff they laid their focus squarely on the classics. Two-thirds of the setlist was pulled from the band's first three widely release albums, giving the enthusiastic crowd a heavy dose of "Music," "Grassroots" and their self-titled "Blue Album" along the way.

311 has done more than outlast most of its rap-rock '90s peers–they outgrew even the largest of clubs nearly a decade ago and continue to fill theaters and arenas across the country. Though the band is starting to show signs of age, a 311 show in 2009 isn't a whole lot different than it was in 1999. Front men Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez are still all over the stage, rocking the same signature moves; Tim Mahoney happily shreds on guitar stage-left; and P-Nut and Chad Sexton still hold it down as one of the most bad-ass rhythm sections in modern rock.

Though older tracks like "Freak Out" and "Omaha Stylee" and singles like "Down" and "All Mixed Up" got the biggest charge out of the crowd, 311's new material held up surprisingly well live. The band followed up the momentum of a massive percussion binge in "Applied Science" with a solid take on "India Ink" and kicked things up another notch when tearing through "Jackpot." The show closed in relentless fashion, with a pit-inducing "Unity" to close the main set followed by a mash-up of a trio of crowd-pleasers ("Do You Right," "Don't Stay Home" and "Hive") and "Feels So Good" to end the night.

State Radio followed up a successful area Halloween run in the opening slot with a well-received set of politically charged reggae-infused rock.

311's Setlist (courtesy of setlist.com):
1. Sick Tight
2. Jackolantern's Weather
3. All Mixed Up
4. Homebrew
5. Offbeat Bare Ass
6. From Chaos
7. Plain
8. Freak Out
9. Down
10. Applied Science
11. India Ink
12. Prisoner
13. Daisy Cutter
14. Random
(Bass Solo)
15. Beautiful Disaster
16. Amber
17. Jackpot
18. Creatures (For a While)
19. Lucky
20. Omaha Stylee
21. Unity
Encore:
22. Do You Right -> Don't Stay Home -> Hive
23. Feels So Good

Recap: Metric at the Webster Theater - Nov. 18, 2009

Brian Lee — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:32:45 GMT

"Whoa Hartford CT show tonight was off the hook! Out of nowhere!"

Sometimes self-reflection is equal parts hyperbole and reality, but when Metric posted this comment to Twitter shortly after finishing their set at the Webster last night, they were merely stating what was obvious to anyone who was in the room.

Check out photos of Metric and Band of Skulls at the Webster.

This one didn't have the early makings of one of the top local shows of the year. A modest crowd filtered in slowly and largely took up residency at the back bar during a howling opening set from bluesy British garage-rock trio Band of Skulls. But the instant Emily Haines and company emerged, the audience descended on the stage and the room was transformed into an all-out dance party.

Metric spits in the face of the typical hands-in-pockets, head-nodding indie rock live experience. Haines covered every square inch of the stage, alternately rocking out at her keyboards, pogoing from side to side and getting down with her band-mates. The crowd erupted into a sea of bouncing bodies when they played material from their latest album, "Fantasies." They sang along enthusiastically to forages into 2005's underrated "Live It Out," predictably going nuts when Haines broke from "Empty" into a seductive sampling of "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)" (a subsequent tease of Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My" wasn't as widely recognized). And they saved perhaps their biggest ovations for a pair of tracks from the band's breakthrough, "Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?"–including an acoustic take on "Combat Baby" to close out the show.

Metric's Setlist:
1. Twilight Galaxy
2. Help, I'm Alive
3. Satellite Mind
4. Handshakes
5. Gold Guns Girls
6. Collect Call
7. Empty
8. Gimme Sympathy
9. Sick Muse
10. Dead Disco
11. Stadium Love
Encore:
12. Monster Hospital
13. Combat Baby (acoustic)

Recap: Blind Pilot at the Iron Horse on Nov. 14, 2009

Brian Lee — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:43:01 GMT

If you didn't know that Saturday night marked Blind Pilot's first visit to Northampton, you would've been hard-pressed to guess it. On a rainy night, the Iron Horse was filled with a cozy-and consistently enthusiastic-crowd that gave the band a hero's welcome.

Check out photos of Blind Pilot and Laura Veirs at the Iron Horse.

The Portland, Ore. band has grown from a duo to a six-piece in recent years, turning singer and songwriter Israel Nebeker's simple songs into elegant, stunningly arranged live numbers. Despite a stage crowded with everything from vibraphone to stand-up bass and trumpet, the band somehow managed to effortlessly stay true to the songs' airy, intimate roots.

Blind Pilot concentrated on material from their debut album, last year's "3 Rounds and a Sound," for the bulk of the show, throwing in some unreleased tracks (including the percussion-fueled barn-burner "We Are the Tide" to close out their main set), a choice Gillian Welch cover ("Look at Miss Ohio") and a traditional song ("Ghost Woman Blues") to flesh out their 16-song set.

Fellow Portlander Laura Veirs and her band, the Hall of Flames, opened the show with an equally irresistible set that included charming, catchy songs from her upcoming album, "July Flame."

Blind Pilot's Setlist:
1. Paint or Pollen
2. Go On, Say It
3. Get It Out
4. Two Towns From Me
5. Poor Boy
6. I Buried a Bone
7. White Apple
8. The Story I Heard
9. Things I Cannot Recall
10. Look at Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch)
11. Oviedo
12. The Bitter End
13. 3 Rounds and a Sound
14. We Are the Tide
Encore:
15. Ghost Woman Blues
16. One Red Thread

5 Questions With... Glen Phillips of WPA

Brian Lee — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:16:27 GMT

From Them Crooked Vultures to Monsters of Folk, supergroups are getting plenty of attention this fall.

Flying under the radar, there's a distinctly American band made up of a huge cast of players with equally famous pasts. Works Progress Administration is, at its core, Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett's band) and Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), with further contributions from members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello and the Imposters and Soul Coughing. Check out the band's debut single, "Always Have My Love," below, or download a free live EP here.

Here in Connecticut, there are plenty of chances on the horizon to catch WPA live. Tonight they play FTC's StageOne in Fairfield (7 p.m. doors, show details here), Saturday they're at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass. (8 p.m. show, info here) and Sunday they wrap up their area run at the Iron Horse in Northampton (7 p.m. show, tickets here). The band returns in early '10 for a show at Infinity Hall on Jan. 7.

When we caught up with Glen Phillips, he talked about WPA's genesis and emphasized why they don't fit into the "supergroup" mold.

1. When we talked to you last spring about your solo work, you were deep in the process of trying to decide on a name for this project. How did you come to agree on Works Progress Administration?
The Shackletons was taken, as were all my favorite Luddite/worker's revolution groups. WPA was the next in line.

2. There's a great amount of musical diversity amongst the eight of you, yet you managed to record 17 tracks in just 5 days. The resulting album sounds like an effortless collection of songs from a seasoned band with years of experience together. Did it really come together that easily, or was it at times a challenge to reconcile all of the talent in the room and get everyone moving in the same direction?
It came together extremely easily. Everybody was there because they wanted to be and because they respected each other deeply, and everyone is mature enough to play to the song instead of showboating. If eight people are fighting to take up space, it's unlistenable, but if eight people are trying to create space it works quite well.

3. There's a ton of big label experience in the group, but you're very up-front about WPA being an independent band, and you're really leaning on a grassroots sort of effort to spread the word about the project. Do you find that your relationship with your fans is being redefined at all through this experience?
It's hard to tell. There's a lot of stories being told out there right now with social media and the whole new quiver of communications arrows. While we're utilizing them as much as we can, I don't think any of us live too deeply in that world. You can reach more people directly now than ever before, but so can everyone else, so I think there may be a little information fatigue going on. I hope that those who have managed to discover us feel like we're there for them, though. There's been nothing in national music magazines or TV, and we don't have the money to buy ads, so the only reason anyone is showing up is because they read about it in a local paper or found us through a friend. We appreciate that.

4. You describe WPA as an "expandable collective." Who can we expect to see performing at your upcoming Northeast dates?
The group has solidified around a five piece–Luke, Sean and Glen (me), with Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing) on bass and Jerry Roe on drums.

5. WPA is bound to be constantly saddled with the "supergroup" label. Do you feel like that cheapens the project at all, or is it something you're comfortable with?
None of us like the supergroup label. We're just a band, and some of us have a past. We're here because we want to be, not because a marketing team threw us together. And supergroups don't tour in a minivan with no tour manager or crew.

5 Questions With... Mike Doughty

Brian Lee — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:37:26 GMT

Mike Doughty made a bold move in the wake of the breakup of beloved '90s group Soul Coughing, transforming from experimental hipster rock band front man into acoustic-guitar-toting singer-songwriter.

Over the course of four increasingly solid solo albums this decade, Doughty has morphed from one-man show to pop-rock band leader and back again. He's got a lot on his plate right now–from a long-in-the-works electronic music album to a memoir centered around his struggles with addiction–but his pop music career continues to evolve with the recent release of the stripped-back "Sad Man Happy Man."

Thursday night, Doughty will answer your questions when his acoustic "Question Jar" tour with cellist Andrew "Scrap" Livingston comes to Northampton for a pair of shows at the Iron Horse. Here, he found the time to answer ours...

1. After a couple albums of full-band arrangements, what was the biggest inspiration behind going back to a more "small rock" approach on "Sad Man Happy Man"?
My audience was demanding the acoustic stuff. I was enjoying touring as a duo with Scrap so much that I was leaning towards a sparer sound anyway.

2. What's the most common question you get at these Question Jar shows? Do you find that fans are more interested in music-related questions, your personal life or just completely random stuff?
They're usually pretty weird. Stuff like, "Would you rather play Twister with Dick Cheney, or punch a kitten in the face?"

3. What makes Scrap Livingston an ideal tour mate?
He's a chilled-out yet bizarre individual. And onstage, he's a tremendous, tremendous musician–he improvises what he plays! He's inventive and surprising.

4. You've been developing your electronic "Dubious Luxury" project for the last few years. Will you be DJ'ing any after-parties on this tour, or did that endeavor not work out well when you tried it previously?
Doing afterparties worked great–but it was exhausting! I'm hoping to finish up Dubious Luxury and put it out soon. I keep coming up with more stuff to add to it. The sound isn't anything like my usual acoustic scene–it's all electronic, and the vocals are usually sampled from other records. It's dancey and weird.

5. You've been pretty active on Twitter lately. Do you have any guilty pleasures among the people you follow there?
MC Hammer is always a hoot. But most of the people I follow are comedians-–Paul F Tompkins, Christian Finnegan, and Dave Holmes, for instance. They're great tweeters.

Mike Doughty plays two shows at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Nov. 12. Show times are 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

5 Questions With... Blind Pilot

Brian Lee — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:52:04 GMT

In just a couple short years, Portland, Oregon band Blind Pilot has grown from an under-the-radar duo touring the West Coast on bicycles to a six-piece acoustic-rock powerhouse playing festivals like Lollapalooza, Sasquatch! and Outside Lands.

Front man Israel Nebeker, drummer Ryan Dobrowski and company scored a big break when iTunes "Single of the Week" honors helped push the band's debut, "3 Rounds and a Star," toward the top of the Top Digital Albums charts last year, and in 2009 the band has opened for the Decemberists and Gomez in the U.S. and a Counting Crows-Hold Steady arena tour abroad. They're currently on the road on an extended headlining jaunt that comes to the Iron Horse on Saturday night. Dobrowski–one of the founding members of one of this year's biggest independent music feel-good stories–answered our 5 Questions...

Following your Twitter feed, you seem to be loving every city you pass through on this tour. It sounds like the road is treating Blind Pilot well, even if your new bio-diesel bus wasn't quite ready for this tour?
We have been having a pretty great time on this tour. I should maybe tweet about something terrible to add a little drama to our Twitter. Despite the bus not being ready for this tour, we are really enjoying getting to see some new cities as well as some old favorites.

Within a year, the band grew from a duo to an ensemble as large as nine strong. What inspired that degree of growth, and do you expect the band will stay this big beyond the touring cycle for this album?
The touring group has been the six piece for a while now, and it is hard to imagine more or less people. It really feels like a band and not just us with backing musicians. The creating process will be interesting this time around. I'm really excited for the next album, and haven't ruled out any possibilties at this point.

"3 Rounds and a Sound" is nearly a year and a half old, but continues to find new listeners across the U.S. and beyond. Will you continue to work that album after this tour is over, or will 2010 bring Blind Pilot album No. 2?
We have wanted to get back into the studio since finishing "3 Rounds." If all goes well, we will be seeing a new album next year.

Despite the increased size of the band, you continue to have an interest in touring by bike in the future. Is it safe to say that enjoying biking is a prerequisite to being recruited to join Blind Pilot?
Ha! It's not required by any means. We would like to do another tour by bike at some point. Hopefully the whole band will want to come. I think everyone likes the idea, even if they aren't big bikers.

You got your first taste of the major festival circuit this summer. Besides Snoop Dog, who was the band most excited to run into at those gigs?
Seeing Gillian Welch at the Lyons Folk Festival was pretty amazing. We decided to do a cover of her song "Miss Ohio" after that, which will be released in December.

Blind Pilot plays the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on Saturday, Nov. 14 with Laura Veirs and her band, the Hall of Flames. Tickets for the 10 p.m. show are $10 at the door.

Dan Deacon's Poster Contest to End All Poster Contests

Brian Lee — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:15:54 GMT

Dan Deacon is back with a new album of noisy dance pop ("Bromst") and a new tour with pals Nuclear Power Plants, which rolls into Pearl Street in Deacon's veggie oil-powered bus on Tuesday.

Deacon's live show is a site to behold, and this fall he's got an insane tour poster–and accompanying contest–to match it, courtesy of Post Typography. It's become trendy for artists to ask fans to design tour posters for them, but not Deacon. This poster is complete, and your mission is to ID all 243 cartoon characters portrayed within it. If you're the first to do so by the Nov. 17 deadline, you'll score:

1. $500 cash
2. A portrait of you painted by Dan Deacon
3. One of the last copies of "Wham City" box set #1
4. A copy of each of Dan Deacon's first eight impossible-to-find releases (silly hat vs egale hat, meetle mice, goose on the loose, a green cobra is awesome vs the sun, porkypig, twacky cats, live 2003, acorn master)

For all the details and entry forms, check out Deacon's website.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band Returns with a Pair of CT Shows This Weekend

Brian Lee — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:55:33 GMT

It's been 25 years since the Dirty Dozen Brass Band released its landmark debut, "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now." Though the album has been out of print for quite some time, the legendary New Orleans band is celebrating with a three-week tour and plans for a digital re-release via Topspin.

Two of the 19 shows on that tour happen in Connecticut this weekend. On Friday, the band plays the Fairfield Theater Company's StageOne with New England blues band the Delta Generators. On Sunday, they return play Infinity Hall in Norfolk. Expect to see the album performed in its entirety–from Dirty Dozen live staples like "Blackbird Special" to long-forgotten tracks “I Ate Up the Apple Tree” and “Mary Mary”–at both shows.

If you're not familiar with the band's first release, you can download the popular title track for free at www.dirtydozenbrass.com.

Dec. 3: Pop vs. Hip-Hop Radio Holiday Concert Throwdown

Brian Lee — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:55:47 GMT

Dec. 3 is shaping up to be an epic battle for your holiday concert-going dollar.

At the Oakdale in Wallingford, 96.5 TIC FM is resurrecting its All-Star Christmas concert series with a bill bursting with pop-rock hitmakers. Shinedown, Train, Uncle Kracker and Five For Fighting will perform alongside Aaron Lewis of Staind. All tickets are $36.50 and are on sale now. VIP ticket packages including a meet and greet with Train are also available for a cool $175.

That same night, Hot 93.7 is taking over the XL Center for the latest installment of its annual Jingle Jam. Artists announced thus far include Pitbull, Mario, Keri Hilson, Trey Songz and Fabolous. Tickets range from $29.50 to $75, or buy 3 tickets at the $49.50 level and get a fourth for free.

Halloween Weekend...In the Clubs

Brian Lee — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:40:57 GMT

Yesterday we took a look at the bands playing bars around the region on Halloween. Here's a rundown of the bigger names playing in the clubs.

Calvin Theater (Northampton) - State Radio - Preceded by the Northampton Halloween 5K Run/Walk for charity. Click here for details.

Webster Theater (Hartford) - Say Anything, Eisley, Moneen and Moving Mountains

The Space (Hamden) - The Dear Hunter, Annuals, Steven Brodsky (Cave In) and the Ghost Sonata

The Field (Bridgeport) - The Breakfast's 11th annual "Fonghoulish Freakout"

Pearl Street (Northampton) - Saul Williams, Living Colour and the Smyrk downstairs; Max Creek upstairs

Iron Horse (Northampton) - Liam Finn, Eliza Jane

If you're looking to get in the Halloween spirit a little early, here's a suggestion: check out musical comedy troupe Captured! By Robots at Daniel Street on Wednesday night.

Halloween Weekend...In the Bars

Brian Lee — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:07:24 GMT

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, there are shows of all shapes and sizes to take in over the weekend. Today, we'll check out a roundup of some of the bands descending on local bars. Tomorrow, we'll move on to the bigger club shows.

Up or On the Rocks (Hartford) - Fear Nuttin Band and Forget Paris

Sully's Pub (Hartford) - You Scream I Scream and Tongue & Cheek

Cafe Nine (New Haven) - Broken, the Black Noise Scam, Covin and 76% Uncertain

Main Pub (Manchester) - The Hippocampus

Oasis Pub (New London) - Brava Spectre, Fatal Film and the Hempsteadys

The Elevens (Northampton) - Angry Johnny & the Killbillies, Fancy Trash, Matthew Hebert and Bob Hennessey

Cousin Larry's (Danbury) - Saint Bernadette and Creepdust

Daniel Street (Milford) - Kicking Daisies

Party Starters Bring Neon Indian to the Wadsworth Atheneum

Brian Lee — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:33:40 GMT

The Wadsworth Atheneum may not seem like the most logical spot for live music, but the Hartford Party Starters Union appears to have found a new home there. Last month they brought in Brooklyn band Tanlines, and this Sunday they're upping the ante with multimedia buzz band Neon Indian.

For months, Neon Indian has been setting hearts aflutter across the blogosphere with its lo-fi, retro-flavored synth-pop. One of the more hyped underground bands of the year finally released its debut, "Psychic Chasms," last week. They'll be joined at the Wadsworth by Body Language, D.Gookin and Family Treasures. Showtime is 7 p.m. The event is free for Wadsworth members, or $5 for non-members. For details, check out the event page on Facebook.

Recap: Silversun Pickups, Cage the Elephant at the Webster - Oct. 20, 2009

Brian Lee — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:38:30 GMT

It was a Tuesday night in Hartford, and tickets to see Silversun Pickups—an indie rock band making its first appearance in the city—were pushing 30 bucks. Despite the headliner's recent success on rock radio, this had the makings of a less-than-inspiring evening at the Webster, but enthusiastic fans of SSP and their pair of openers weren't having it. The room filled up nicely, and the energy was through the roof.

Check out photos of Silversun Pickups, Cage the Elephant and An Horse at the Webster Theater.

Australian girl-guy duo An Horse kicked things off with a 40-minute set of straight-ahead indie pop songs, concentrating on material from their debut full-length, "Rearrange Beds." It's easy to see why the pair has been picked to open tours for Tegan and Sara and Death Cab for Cutie; though the young band's stage presence is a bit underwhelming at this stage, songs like "Camp Out" and "Postcards" are fun, clever efforts that show a great deal of promise.

If the stage seemed a bit big for the openers, it wasn't big enough to contain Cage the Elephant. The Kentucky band ruled the room from the get-go, with lead singer Matt Shultz pogoing around the stage, headbanging, descending to mingle among fans at the barricade and crowd surfing with abandon.

The punky, funky rock band–the only act on the bill with a major-label deal–has the chops to back up its boundless energy, and new material played well alongside songs from their well-received self-titled debut. Fully expect these guys to be the headliner the next time they come through town.

It's always dangerous to choose an opener as dynamic as Cage the Elephant, but Silversun Pickups was hardly a downer in the headlining slot. Opening with the slow build of "Growing Old is Getting Old," the Los Angeles band unleashed a dense, cerebral sound that was simultaneously invigorating and uplifting. The crowd ate up "Well Thought Out Twinkles" early in the set, but predictably really went nuts with the main-set-closing one-two punch of the Pickups' biggest hits: "Panic Switch" and "Lazy Eye." SSP have drawn constant comparisons to Smashing Pumpkins for a laundry list of reasons, and after seeing them live one thing is clear: they're surely an arena-rock headliner in waiting.

The Webster brings in another big-name indie act when Metric plays the main stage on Nov. 18.

White Rabbits Show Moved to the Basement

Brian Lee — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:35:22 GMT

Tonight's White Rabbits show in Northampton has been moved from Pearl Street to the Basement. The good news? It's now FREE. If you bought tickets, refunds are available at point of purchase.

Correction: show starts at 8 p.m., with SwillMerchants opening. 21+ only.

Go "Left of the Dial" with NoHo Concert Series

Brian Lee — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:02:58 GMT

This fall, the Iron Horse Entertainment Group is returning "Left of a Dial" with its ongoing showcase of some of the more adventurous bands on the road today. Already behind us are shows featuring the Antlers, Man Man, the Lovely Feathers and Grand Archives at venues around Northampton, but there are plenty of great shows on the horizon.

This week alone, you can catch Califone (Iron Horse, 10/20), White Rabbits (Pearl Street, 10/20), Portugal. The Man (Pearl Street, 10/21) and Mum (Iron Horse, 10/25). Click here to download a free MP3 sampler featuring these artists and many others.

Some other dates to mark on your calendar:

10/28 - King Khan and BBQ Show @ Pearl Street
10/30 - Tigercity @ Iron Horse
11/1 - F*ck Buttons @ Pearl Street
11/2 - Hidden Cameras @ Iron Horse
11/5 - Fiery Furnaces @ Pearl Street
11/7 - Deer Tick @ Iron Horse
11/10 - Dan Deacon @ Pearl Street
11/13 - Amanda Palmer @ Pearl Street
11/14 - Blind Pilot + Laura Viers @ Iron Horse
11/19 - Minus the Bear @ Pearl Street
11/24 - Camera Obscura + Papercuts @ Pearl Street

East Rock West Rock Wraps This Weekend

Brian Lee — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:11:05 GMT

There are only a few days left to catch a show that's part of East Rock West Rock–the first crack at a "New Haven Music Week" leading up to CMJ in New York City–but there are plenty of solid acts still on the docket. Tonight, you can catch Tip the Van heading up a ska/reggae mega-bill at the Space in Hamden or Bitch and her band, the Exciting Conclusion, at Cafe Nine. If cover bands are more your style, cover-kings Darik & the Funbags are at Toad's. Saturday night's action is surprisingly light, though you can catch some CT-bred alt-rock with Murdervan at Cafe Nine, or local acoustic act Katie Wilson's CD release party at the Space. Sunday night, New Found Glory closes the action down in style at Toad's.

ERWR has seen acts of all shapes, sizes and genres take over the New Haven area since Oct. 9. For a listing of all of this weekend's events, check out www.eastrockwestrock.com.

Bronze Radio Return, Columbia Fields Head Up Benefit for the Morrin Education Fund

Brian Lee — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:13:57 GMT

This Saturday, Hartford heavyweights Bronze Radio Return and Columbia Fields headline a benefit show for the Morrin Education Fund at the Warehouse.

Alice Morrin, an employee of WTIC Fox 61, was killed in an incident of domestic violence in June. Her two daughters, ages 10 and 14, were home at the time. This is the latest event being held locally to raise money for the Morrin Education Fund, which will help pay for their future educations.

Also performing is the band Forward Motion. Doors are at 8 p.m., and music starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. Anyone under 21 must be accompanied by a parent. If you would like to make a donation but cannot attend the event, checks can be sent to:

Morrin Education Fund
c/o Rockville Bank
1645 Ellington Road
South Windsor, CT 06074

For more details, check out the event page on Facebook.

5 Questions With... Mat Brooke of Grand Archives

Brian Lee — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:35:58 GMT

Mat Brooke is no stranger to hype, having played a major role in Seattle indie rock favorites Carissa's Wierd and being a founding member of Band of Horses. His latest band, the quieter Grand Archives, signed to Sub Pop after its first gig and played its second opening for Modest Mouse at one of the city's biggest theaters.

Now two albums in, Brooke insists in responses to our latest 5 Questions that he's not buying into the hype surrounding the Archives. "Keep in Mind Frankenstein" is, nevertheless, one of the more breathtaking releases of the year. Those songs will be on display when the bands plays the Iron Horse on Monday night with fellow much-buzzed-about West Coast band Port O'Brien.

1. Did your experience with Carissa's Wierd and Band of Horses make it easier for you to ease into things a bit with Grand Archives, when many people were maybe pushing it to instantaneously be the next big thing?
The thing with hype is that if you believe in it you force yourself to live up to it, and in the end you're not even doing it for yourself any more. I think it's easier just to assume that no one gives a crap, and then you can relax and actually have fun playing music.

2. You've got a bit of history with the folks at Sub Pop, so it seems like a natural landing place for Grand Archives. Was there any temptation to go with a different label, if nothing else than to distance yourself a bit from your previous projects?
The folks down at Sub Pop are great! They have always treated me wonderfully. I'm actually just glad they were willing to take a chance on this new project. I would say that, yeah, I feel very loyal to them. They've definitly earned it.

3. Everyone in the band sings, and one of the goals seems to be to share the "front-man" burden. Are you having better luck with that now that you're on your second album, or do you find that you're still the one doing all the interviews?
I would have to be a lot cooler to be any kind of "front man." I've been trying to get Jeff to take on some interviews, but he can never seem to think of anything to say.

4. You guys continue to go in some interesting directions with instrumentation, including a harp made out of wine glasses on this album. Did you try anything daring in the studio that just didn't work and ended up not making the record?
There are about 7 or 8 songs that didnt make it on the record! We really worked and worked to find out what kind of identity this album was gonna' have. A lot of "rock" songs got cut. We would finish recording them and listen back and just cringe. It would be like, "what the hell are we thinking," or "who are we pretending to be?" In the end, the finished product is a lot mellower than the first record – in a good way, I hope.

5. It's great to see some folkier acts from Seattle finding success. Have you felt the musical landscape changing there in recent years, or do many of America's grunge-related notions of the city still hold true at this point?
Yeah, I think that Seattle is coming out of the shadow of "grunge," but we still use and love all the clubs and studios and labels that grunge built. Seattle has always been a musical town, and we are lucky to have all of the tools that grunge left behind. But you know what, I just listened to the new Pearl Jam record and loved it. Go grunge!

CT River Musicfest Comes to Cromwell on Saturday

Brian Lee — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:19:32 GMT

Columbus Day is upon us, and festival season is quickly grinding to a halt, but this weekend you'll have a chance to mingle with a ton of local talent at the CT River Musicfest in Cromwell.

A large group of independent local musicians and artists are coming together on Saturday for what is predicted to be an annual event at the Cromwell Riverport Park at Frisbie Landing. A $10 ticket gets you in for sets by Mindful Percussion, Jennifer Hill & Co., One Trip Garden, David Martin Magic, AMORA, Scharisma, EMPIRE and others, as well as a healing/visual arts exhibition and more surprises.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and capacity will be capped at 1,000. Pets, alcohol and coolers are prohibited. Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 11. For more information and details on parking, check out CT River Musicfest's event page on Facebook.

Live Music at the Hartford Marathon

Brian Lee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:40:38 GMT

The 2009 Hartford Marathon takes over the area this Saturday, and once again there will be DJs and live music of every genre around each twist and turn. Here are some of the highlights for the spectators, from the course's beginning to end:

Call 2 Consciousness (punk rock) – CT Info Tech Bldg., 101 East River Dr, E. Hartford
Hungry, Hungry Hippocrates ("emotronic" rock) – Great River Park Entrance, E. Hartford
Stanley Maxwell (jazz-rock-funk fusion) – Savvi's Pizza, E. Hartford
Pete Scheips (rock-reggae) – Knights of Columbus, E. Hartford
Christopher John (solo guitar) – Market Street & I-84, Hartford
Kick Band (rock covers) – Bushnell Park Stage, Hartford

For a the full course entertainment schedule, check out www.HartfordMarathon.com.

Recap: Kelly Clarkson & Eric Hutchinson at Mohegan Sun Arena on Oct. 2, 2009

Brian Lee — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:26:06 GMT

Before Kelly Clarkson had even taken the stage to kick off her fall tour at Mohegan Sun, the mood for the night was set by her choice of house music. After listening to the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon and the Toadies (the headliner's favorite fellow Texas band) during a half-hour break in the action, the capacity crowd was ready for a rock show.

When the curtain finally went up, the original American Idol was flanked by an 11-piece band. They hit the ground running with a raucous romp through new album title track "All I Ever Wanted" and kept the momentum flying with "Miss Independent" and "I Do Not Hook Up." From the opening notes, it was clear that this wasn't going to be some sort of Idol-style fluff-fest.

Check out photos of Kelly Clarkson and opener Eric Hutchinson.

Of course, Clarkson has come to be held in higher esteem than perhaps any other Idol, and for good reason. Over the course of her 20-song, 90-minute performance, the singer proved adept at tackling any matter of vocal style with ease. There was the synth-pop rave-up "If I Can't Have You," mingling effortlessly alongside a sparse acoustic arrangement of "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and the pop vocal masterclass "Because of You." And, lest we forget that Clarkson can rock out with the best of them, there was the main set-closing "Since U Been Gone" and show-closing "My Life Would Suck Without You."

Perhaps the highlight of the set was an unexpectedly eclectic selection of cover songs. Early on, Clarkson morphed Alanis Morissette's "That I Would Be Good" into the recent Kings of Leon hit "Use Somebody." Then things got really inspired with a stripped-back, show-stopping take on the soulful Black Keys' song "Lies," which was followed directly by Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight." For good measure, Clarkson tackled the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" in the encore.

For the full setlist, check out Hartford Courant Rock Critic Eric Danton's review of the show.

Singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson did an admirable job getting the crowd on his side during a 45-minute opening set that was heavy on songs from his big-label debut, "Sounds Like This."

Kanye/Gaga Tour Canceled

Brian Lee — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:19:29 GMT

Holster your credit cards–the Kanye West/Lady Gaga "Fame Kills" tour is off.

Tour promoter Live Nation hasn't given an official reason for the cancelation, though rumors had been swirling that the tour was in trouble prior to yesterday's announcement.

Tickets for the duo's Dec. 26 date at the XL Center were set to go on sale tomorrow. If you got in on one of the tour's online presales earlier this week, you'll be refunded automatically.

Silk City Music Fest Set for Oct. 10

Brian Lee — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:56:48 GMT

The Silk City Flick Fest takes over Manchester from Oct. 8-11, but if music is more your thing take notice–a companion Music Fest is on the books as well.

Local musicians will take the spotlight at the MCC Bandshell on Saturday, Oct. 10 from noon until 6 p.m. Acts currently scheduled to perform include Billy Rogan, Desiree Bassett, Burning Natives, Broken Glow, Ariel Bellvalaire and Holding Pattern (featuring Tony Spada).

Several musicians will also be performing at the Silk City Arts Fest in Center Park in downtown Manchester the same day.

Rain date for the festival is Oct. 11. The event is free and open to the public. For details, check out www.silkcitymusicfest.com.