New Year's Eve 2012: Some Live Music Choices in NYC

Looking for something music-related to do on New Year's Eve to welcome 2013? There are plenty of choices in the NYC area, as always. A good place to start is the Oh My Rockness guide to New Year's Eve gigs.

 Amanda Palmer plays "Purple Rain" and more at Terminal 5 on New Year's Eve.

Having been out of town for the last week, however, I haven't had time to check on which of these shows still have tickets available. Some are definitely sold out, including the Punch Brothers and Michael Daves at Bowery Ballroom and the Felice Brothers at Mercury Lounge.

Others still seem to be on sale as of this writing, a few of them being:

• The Hold Steady (at Montclair's Wellmont Theatre)
• They Might Be Giants (at Music Hall of Williamsburg) 
• Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra (at Terminal 5) playing Prince's "Purple Rain" all the way through, as well as their own original songs
• Gov't Mule (at the Beacon Theatre)
• Blonde Redhead, Beach Fossils, and Bubbles (at Irving Plaza), Oh My Rockness's own show

If you're in Hoboken and want a cheap evening with free tunes, head to Maxwell's for a FREE night of two DJs spinning tunes (including Maxwell's co-owner Todd "Todd-O-Phonic" Abramson).

If you're staying in and want some musical accompaniment that swings, WNYC Radio will once again broadcast a John Pizzarelli Radio Deluxe special for New Year's Eve. The show starts at 10 p.m. and can be heard on 93.9 FM and 820 AM. You should be able to listen online from the station's website too, if you're out of the station's listening area.

The description of Radio Deluxe from WNYC's website:
"Radio Deluxe
Airs Monday, December 31 (New Year's Eve) at 10pm on 93.9FM & AM820
Radio Deluxe returns for another New Year’s Eve program on WNYC.  Join musician John Pizzarelli and singer Jessica Molaskey, as they get together in their "deluxe living room" to make music, play CDs and have fun with their musical guests and introduce listeners to a new generation of performers who know the greatness of the American songbook."

Free Streaming Christmas & Holiday Music - Something Traditional, Something Different

Looking for some options for listening to Christmas tunes and other holiday music free online? Last year I wrote about some options for listening to holiday music online, but didn't manage to post the article until the day after Christmas. I'm slightly ahead of the game this year, getting the information to you just before the clock marks the arrival of Dec. 24th in the Eastern U.S.

Web-Radio.fm offers a sleighfull of streaming Christmas radio stations.

As with last year, Web-Radio.fm has an extensive selection of all kinds of Christmas radio stations, from traditional to rock, classical, country, and R&B. And AOL Music's album-streaming service once again is featuring holiday music at this time of year, including "Glee: The Music: The Christmas Album Volume 3" and "Now That's What I Call Christmas 5," featuring seasonal songs by Carly Rae Jepson, Justin Bieber, Sara Bareilles, Lady Gaga, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, and many more. AOL's other two streaming holiday albums this year are "Bing Crosby Christmas" and "A Rat Pack Christmas."

For more information on Christmas music listening, you can check out the music section of the bulletin boards of Christmas 365.(see in particular the posts "Christmas Music/Radio Odds and Ends" and "The Week Link - Yule Audio Sources all year!").

If (mostly) classical music and carols are more your taste, check out the special 24-hour stream of seasonal music from New York's classical radio station, WQXR. (It'll be running until Jan. 6th.)


Darlene Love performing "Christmas, Baby Please Come Home" on Letterman last week.

One of the most sought-after Christmas music collections from last year was Bill Adler's "Christmas Jollies," a mix CD of off-the-beaten-track songs that the New York City record collector and former record-company executive put together for his friends.

I've searched online a number of times in recent weeks but can't find mention of what songs are on the 2012 edition of "Christmas Jollies"—perhaps the publicity over last year's collection brought too much media attention to Adler's door, intruding on his own holiday enjoyment. In any case, you can hear the 2011 version of Bill Adler's "Christmas Jollies" here (playing each tune one at a time). P.S. If anyone reading this knows where to hear the 2012 edition of Adler's mix, leave a comment for us below.

Though you may not be lucky enough to spend Christmas in Hawaii with the President of the United States and his family, you can enjoy a bit of an island holiday with another item I featured in last year's post, "Aloha, Merry Christmas From Hawaii" by Ian Stearns (disclosure: we're related).

  Aloha, Merry Christmas From Hawaii by IanStearns

Choose your favorite holiday music stream, grab a mug of spiked eggnog, and enjoy. Merry Christmas, all!

Recap: "A Loveletter to New York" Show at City Winery

It was a great night of music Tuesday night at City Winery, with about a dozen acts (and various backing musicians) playing a benefit to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Despite all the talent that took the stage, the event, called "A Loveletter to New York," had the relaxed feel of a coffeehouse concert. Some artists sang and played guitar, while others performed with only one or two additional players, rather than the full band that might otherwise accompany them.

Jesse Malin (right) at Tuesday's show.

For me, this was a plus: the low-key, mostly acoustic setting meant that there was no downtime between acts for hauling amps, drums, etc. on and off the stage. So the performers got to spend a maximum amount of time singing and playing.

Each artist did two or three songs, and I got to see performances by acts that I'd heard of for years but had never before seen (Sasha Dobson, Ari Hest, Alberta Cross, and most of all, Nicole Atkins), as well as artists I'd seen before and enjoyed (Joan Osborne, Jesse Malin, and Matisyahu). And there were some performers who were new to me: Kevin Devine, Chris Ayer, Lesley Pike, and Bobby Long.

Matisyahu, one of the Tuesday's crowd favorites.

There were many highlights; among them: Jesse Malin rocking the crowd with "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" and "Burning on the Bowery"; Ari Hest singing "The Wake"; and Matisyahu (backed with guitar and stand-up bass) doing "Crossroads," "Live Like a Warrior," and "Happy Hanukkah."

The last two acts were Nicole Atkins and Joan Osborne, and they lived up to what amounted to headline billing. Accompanying herself on guitar, Atkins sang with a voice full of emotion as she did two of her songs, including "Neptune City" (the ode to her Jersey Shore hometown), and a cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying."

Most of the evening's musicians take the stage for the night's finale.

I had seen Joan Osborne once before, maybe a decade or so ago, and last night her voice sounded as good as it did before. I haven't kept up with her album releases since then other than hearing a tune or two on WFUV, so I was glad that two of the three songs she did were from her first album, "Relish": "St. Teresa" and her ubiquitous hit, "One of Us."

The show ended with most of the musicians returning to the stage to perform "Silent Night" and the Beatles' "In My Life," a beautiful and fitting pair of songs considering both the time of year and the concert's occasion, about seeking peace and recalling the people and places that are special to us. All in all, it was a fine concert featuring a great line-up of experienced artists.

The concert was webcast live, and an emcee at the show said some of the songs would be released on an album (no specifics yet on where or when).
 
All proceeds from "A Loveletter to New York" were to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a charity set up in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who perished in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Matisyahu, Joan Osborne, Nicole Atkins, & Many More Playing Sandy Benefit Tues. at City Winery

Matisyahu has been added to what was already a great Hurricane Sandy benefit show at City Winery Tuesday, Dec. 18th, the venue announced Monday. The show, called "A Loveletter to New York," features a lot of artists who either live in the City or have close connections to it. [Update: Matisyahu announced today on his Twitter account that he will be performing three acoustic songs at the show.}

Lots of musicians with an NYC connection play a benefit at City Winery.

On the bill are Joan Osborne, Ari Hest, Nicole Atkins (who recently recorded a new version of her song "Neptune City" as a benefit), Alberta Cross, Bobby Long, Kevin Devine, Sasha Dobson, Jesse Malin, and Chris Ayer, as well as what City Winery is billing as "many more VERY big surprise guests."

Matisyahu, the international rap-reggae star, is a native of the NYC area, and performed at Terminal 5 this past Saturday.

There are still tickets available for "A Loveletter to New York," ranging from $35 to $65. The concert is listed as starting at 7 p.m. The show benefits the Tunnel to Towers foundation.

Another talent-packed with a local flavor takes place on Thursday, only this time "local" means the Hoboken/north Jersey area. Maxwell's is the site for the Holiday Banding concert, which features performances by Chris Butler, Tammy Faye Startlite, Julio Fernandez, The Gefkens, Abbe Rivers, Karen Kuhl, Jack Skuller, Dave Calamoneri, The Cucumbers with Jon & Deena, Lloyd Gold, Bianca Bob, Gene Turonis, Emily Turonis & The Ideals, Sputnik, Jim Testa, AnnaLee Van Kleeck, and Tom Vincent & The Holiday Banding House Band.

The show starts at 7 p.m., costs only $7, and all sales will benefit Rebuild Hoboken.

Photos: Matisyahu at Terminal 5, Dec. 15th

Matisyahu rang out the final night of Hanukkah with a bang Saturday night, Dec. 15th at New York's Terminal 5. With his solid three-piece band and several guest musicians and rappers, he skipped the acoustic songs he's been doing on a number of dates on his "Festival of Lights" tour and kept the set rocking.

Matisyahu on stage at Terminal 5.

Performing in front of a large blow-up of the child's face seen on the cover of his latest album, "Spark Seeker," Matisyahu did his best to create a festive holiday atmosphere in the cavernous venue on the eighth night of Hanukkah. A disco ball shaped like a dreidel hung from the ceiling and there was a giant menorah on stage, which was lit by a young child (with some help from the Matisyahu) that the singer called up from the audience.

The set, which lasted nearly an hour and forty minutes, included a couple of staples of Matisyahu performances: a dive into the audience for some crowd surfing, and the singer pulling audience members up on stage to dance during the final song of the evening.

Matisyahu was no doubt in a good mood because of the holiday, but in the two times I've seen him live he seems to perform with a joy that's contagious. Nobody knows where his spiritual and life journey will end up, but he's sure enjoying the trip—and wants everyone else to, as well.

Matisyahu on stage...

...and surfing in the crowd.

Matisyahu and fans on stage during the concert's finale.

Photos & Setlist: Yo La Tengo Hanukkah Show, Night 6

Yo La Tengo finished its six of eight straight Hanukkah shows at Maxwell's on Thursday, but the band shows no signs of slowing down. Beginning with a semi-acoustic version of "Big Day Coming" (with Ira Kaplan playing keyboard), the trio played an hour and a half set before another sold-out crowd (which Kaplan said included many old friends). See photos from Night 6, and a setlist below.

Sadly, the Yo La Tengo 2012 menorah is almost complete.

San Francisco-based indie singer-songwriter Barbara Manning was the music opener, accompanying herself on a beautiful old silver Gretsch guitar. She has been in a number of bands, including World of Pooh. Manning noted that she had known YLT for a long time, and that they flew her back east just for this show.

Eugene Mirman served as the comedic guest, doing routines that included Abraham Lincoln/Daniel Day Lewis calling tech support to get a Blu-Ray player working, and Mirman "marrying" a couple from the audience.

The night's mix CD was created by Three Lobed Recordings.

James McNew, with part of Georgia Hubley at left.

James McNew

Ira Kaplan

Musical opener Barbara Manning.

Eugene Mirman was the night's comedian.

Setlist:
[Courtesy of Frank & Earthy blog; Twitter: @bourgwick]

Yo La Tengo at Maxwell’s
13 December 2012
*(Hanukkah, night 6)*

Barbara Manning and Eugene Mirman opened
benefit for the Ali Forney Center
mix disc by Cory Rayborn of Three Lobed Recordings

Big Day Coming (quiet)
Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop
Frenzy (The Fugs)
Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House
Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)
Winter A Go Go
I’m On My Way
I’ll Be Around
Cherry Chapstick
Styles of the Times
Sugarcube
Little Honda (The Hondells) (no noise jam)
Blue Line Swinger

*(encore)*
Christmas Is Lonely (When You’re A Jew) (The Yule Logs) (with Barbara Manning on guitar and vocals and Dan Vargas on vocals)
B4 We Go Under (Barbara Manning) (with BM & DV)
Tried So Hard (Gene Clark)

Concert Notes: Tickets for Bob Mould, Fleetwood Mac, Stars, & More Going on Sale Soon

Now that the 12/12/12 Concert is over (and what did you all think of it?), you're probably revved up to go and see some live music. And at prices a bit more affordable than that big show at the Garden. Fortunately, there are a lot of great shows going on sale in the coming days, including Bob Mould, Stars, Fleetwood Mac, two nights of the Don Giovanni Records Showcase, and an added show of Tegan and Sara.

Below is information on just some of the quality shows going on sale this weekend.

Don Giovanni Records presents a two-night showcase in Feb.

* Tegan and Sara at the Beacon Theatre, Jan. 28th (already on sale) and Jan 29th (on sale Friday at 11 a.m.)

*  Don Giovanni Records Showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Feb. 8th (featuring Laura Stevenson & the Cans, Jeffrey Lewis, Waxahatchee, Lemuria, and Hilly Eye) and Feb. 9th (featuring Screaming Females, Black Wine, Stormshadow, Home Blitz, and Shellshag) (both on sale Friday at 12 Noon)

* Bob Mould at Bowery Ballroom, Feb. 26th and 27th (both on sale Friday at 12 Noon)

* Stars at Music Hall of Williamsburg, March 8th and March 9th (both on sale Friday at 12 Noon)

* Brandi Carlile at the Beacon, March 22nd and 23rd (rescheduled dates; original shows postponed due to Hurricane Sandy) (on sale now)

* Frightened Rabbit at Terminal 5, April 4th (on sale Friday at 12 Noon)

* Fleetwood Mac at Madison Square Garden, April 8th and the Prudential Center, April 24th (on sale Monday, Dec. 17th, 10 a.m.)

* Rod Stewart with Steve Winwood at Madison Square Garden, April 19th, and Prudential Center, April 21st (both on sale Sat. at 10 a.m.)

* Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band with the Felice Brothers at Terminal 5, May 18th (on sale Friday at 12 Noon)

In case you didn't stay awake for the ending of the 12/12/12 Concert, Alicia Keys finished "Empire State of Mind" sometime after 1 a.m., with Paul McCartney and a large gathering of are police, fire, and other workers on stage. And the much-dreaded teaming of Paul McCartney with the members of Nirvana actually was pretty rocking. The combo some have dubbed "Sirvana" played just one tune, a new song called "Cut Me Some Slack."

(See a recap of the 12/12/12 Concert by Spinner's Dan Reilly, and a review by veteran music writer Caryn Rose.)

The concert is said to have raised $30 to $35 million in ticket sales alone (though it's not clear if that's the total take or the amount that will go to charity). Figures aren't yet available for how much money was raised by people offering donations via phone or Internet (you can still make contributions at www.121212concert.org).

Stones Add Guests to Their Sat. NJ Show; Yo La Tengo are Rocking Maxwell's; More

It's pretty quiet again on the streaming-album front this week, so we'll focus on other musical goings-on (particularly live shows) in today's post.

The 800-pound-gorilla of rock & roll comes to Newark this week.

As we mentioned last week, the Rolling Stones have been added to Wednesday's blockbuster 12/12/12 concert, and now the Stones have announced that some big-name special guests will be joining them at their NJ concerts this week (the 13th and 15th at the Prudential Center in Newark): Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, and Lady Gaga. [Update: It sounds like these special guests may only be at the concert on the 15th, which the Stones will televise on pay-per-view on many cable/satellite systems.]

(Speaking of the 12/12/12 concert, it's estimated that it's televised presentation will now be available to as many as two billion people. It will be shown on countless websites and TV stations, including PBS, MTV, and many others in the U.S. Good news, since tickets have been listed on StubHub for as much as $36,000 each for floor tickets.)

Another multi-night stand is now underway in Hoboken, though one on a much smaller scale: Yo La Tengo's annual Eight Nights of Hanukkah at Maxwell's. For those counting, tonight is night three, and if you didn't score tickets to any of the sold-out shows, you can follow allow on the band's tour diary. Part of the fun is finding out who the special guests will be, and here's the roster so far: the Raybeats on Saturday, Sun Ra Arkestra Sunday night, and The Feelies tonight.

Note: You can download the first two nights of the Yo La Tengo shows (and possibly more later on) from NYC Taper at www.nyctaper.com. The sets by the comedians and the opening musicians aren't available.

Another way to get a Yo La Tengo fix if you can't be at Maxwell's is to read Jesse Jarnow's book, "Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock."Jarnow is a freelance writer and a DJ at famed freeform radio station WFMU, where YLT has played many times.


Matisyahu plays in NYC on Saturday.

Also this week, Matisyahu plays Terminal 5 on Saturday with his full band (surprisingly, tickets are still available). And New York's Nada Surf plays twice at Bowery Ballroom, on Friday and Saturday. (Saturday's show sold out, but there are tickets available for Friday. And there are tickets for both shows available from brokers, some selling for below face value.)

There's lots of great pre-holiday live music out there, get out and enjoy it...

Music Notes: Stones Added to 12/12/12 Concert; Breeders to Tour; Grammy Nominations; Shazam Predicts 2013 Hits?

Here's a round-up of music news from the last few days:

* The star-studded 12/12/12 concert got another star today, as it was announced that the Rolling Stones will be joining the line-up. But if you didn't get in on tickets and don't want to pay the ridiculously high prices being charged at ticket broker websites, don't worry: the show will be televised on CBS and streaming on many websites. (via Consequence of Sound). If you're willing to spend $900 and up per seat, check out the 12/12/12 tickets for sale on StubHub.

[UPDATE, Dec. 11th: Concert organizers have announced that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will open the 12/12/12 concert, and will go on at 7:30 p.m. sharp]




* Dang, has it really been nearly 20 years since the Breeders' "Last Splash"? Apparently so, and the band is re-assembling its line-up from that album and undertaking a play-the-album-in-its-entirety tour next year. (That means drummer Jim MacPherson and bassist Josephine Wiggs, in addition to the Deal twins, Kim and Kelley.) So far the only confirmed Breeders dates are the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in the U.K., in June. There'll be a 20th-anniversary reissue of "Last Splash" too, to be called "LSXX." (via Brooklyn Vegan)

* The Grammy nominations were announced the other night, and despite the usual head-scratchers and predictably bland choices, there was some good news. The Black Keys got five nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album, and Dan Auerbach (who produced not only his own band but Dr. John and Hacienda) was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. (via Rolling Stone)

In other worthy Grammy nominations, The Lumineers and Alabama Shakes got nods for Best New Artist, Jack White picked up a few nominations, and even Aimee Mann's "Charmer" was nominated (though it was for Best Recording Package). See the full list of Grammy nominations here.

* While everyone is assembling their best-of-2012 lists, the people behind the music-tagging software Shazam are issuing their predictions for the top songs of 2013. Several of its predictions for 2012 did well, so there's some science behind the prognosticating. Read the article to see how they make their predictions. Among their top 2013 songs: Haim, Angel Haze, and Tito Lopez. (via Billboard)

Concert Notes: Titus Andronicus Ends Tour in NYC; Nick Cave, Fleetwood Mac Announce Tours; Another Sandy Benefit; More

Some concert notes from the (near) past and the future:


* New Jersey's Titus Andronicus rocked Webster Hall Sunday night to wrap up its Fall tour. It was tough to get good photos, with the band members in constant motion (especially frontman Patrick Stickles). And fans were stage-diving throughout the show; a few times, there were four fans on stage at the same time. This is only my second time seeing the band, and as before, they delivered a great, high-energy show. They played a good mix of songs from their three albums, as well as a couple of fun covers: the Dave Clark Five's "Do You Love Me" and the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar."

Hardcore band Ceremony played before Titus and revved the crowd up (and Stickles wore the band's t-shirt during the Titus Andronicus set). See photos below and at the bottom of the page.

Titus Andronicus at Webster Hall Sunday night.

* Tickets are still available for Wednesday's WFUV Holiday Cheer benefit concert at the Beacon, featuring Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne, Shawn Colvin, special guest Steve Earle, and Lake Street Dive.

* Pitchfork is presenting a Hurricane Sandy benefit Dec. 14th featuring The Men, Widowspeak, Lust for Youth, and Waxahatchee. More guests will be announced later. The show will take place at St. Vitus in Brooklyn; tickets are $12.

* Fleetwood Mac will tour next year, playing 35 dates beginning in April (including Madison Square Garden on April 8th). Some sources say a new album is in the works, too. (via Pitchfork)

* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are headed out on tour, too, and will do two nights at the Beacon March 28th and 29th to support their upcoming album, "Push The Sky Away." Sharon van Etten will open on the U.S. dates. A presale will be held Dec. 5th from 12 Noon to 10 p.m. (promo code: CAVE) before the general public sale on Dec. 6th at 10 a.m. (via CMJ and MSG)

* Arcade Fire tried out some new songs in a Montreal club show over the weekend, performing under a pseudonym. Expect a new album from them late in 2013. (via Spin)

More Titus Andronics photos:

Concert Notes: 12/12/12 Tickets Go on Sale Monday; Neil Young Plays Brooklyn; More

Heads up, live music fans: tickets for the star-studded "12/12/12" concert supporting Hurricane Sandy relief go on sale this Monday, Dec. 3rd at 12 Noon Eastern via Ticketmaster. As the logo above indicates, the concert features Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, The Who, Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, and Kanye West. See more details on the concert at its website, 121212concert.org.

Tickets for the big 12/12/12 concert go on sale Monday.

People with Chase credit or debit cards will have access to a limited number of tickets for the 12/12/12 concert beginning at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3rd.

* Speaking of The Who, they're in town for a few shows this coming week to play "Quadrophenia" in its entirety plus other songs. They perform Wednesday at the Garden and Thursday at the Prudential Center in Newark; tickets are available for both.

* After jamming at the Garden on Tuesday, Neil Young & Crazy Horse play the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Monday night. As before, Patti Smith and Everest open. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.

* Eric Clapton is bringing his Crossroads Guitar Festival to the Garden for two nights, April 12th and 13th. This charity concert features a bunch of guitar greats including Albert King, the Allman Brothers, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and many more.

I completely forget when these were going on sale (it was yesterday), and they are sold out already. (Although StubHub lists about 1,200 tickets for each show, and the prices you see there may well come down as the dates approach).

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Bring the Fuzz to The Garden

Neil Young and Crazy Horse visited Madison Square Garden last night on their tour to promote their new album "Psychedelic Pill," and as you'd expect from hearing that disc, jamming and fuzzed-out guitar ruled the night. (See NPR Music's review of the album.)

Neil Young, Crazy Horse, and stagehands standing at attention during the playing of the national anthem.

With an album featuring two discs and one song of 27 minutes and another more than 15, it's no surprise that Tuesday's show probably featured fewer songs than you'd find in previous Neil Young shows, and that was the case. Even some relatively short older songs had a verse repeated twice. (See set list below.)

The good news is that Young and his old mates can still rock with power and lots of distortion. Hearing Crazy Horse, it's easy to see how grunge rockers such as Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam were inspired by the Canadian-born Young.

The bad news is that many of the songs would have been just as enjoyable if they hadn't been extended in length, and this would have allowed the band to fit at least a few more songs into the set. ("Fuckin' Up," in particular, went on much longer than we felt it should have.)

We would have preferred to hear more older songs, especially from Young's classic album "Harvest" (he played only one tune from it, a solo acoustic "The Needle and the Damage Done.") Other older tunes included "Powderfinger," "Cinnamon Girl," "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," and the Buffalo Springfield rocker "Mr. Soul."

Songs from "Psychedelic Pill" that were played included "Born in Ontario," "Ramada Inn," and "Walk Like a Giant."

Neil Young and Crazy Horse during Tuesday's show.

Neil Young doesn't seem like someone you'd necessarily expect to have a crazy sense of humor or eye for stagecraft, but the show featured some wacky touches. The stagehands were dressed either as construction workers (in orange vests and yellow hardhats) or as mad scientists, complete with white lab coats and Einstein-style unkempt hair. And they all stood at attention, side by side, as the national anthem was played (with an American flag projected on the back screen) before Young's set began. (We're not sure if he's doing this before every show, or just in ones played in sports arenas.)

The stage had a retro cartoon look; it was adorned by several large structures made to resemble giant Fender amps, and an oversized model of an old-style microphone stood at the front of the stage.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse play the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Monday, Dec. 3rd; tickets are still available here. 

Everest started off the show (I arrived too late to catch them), followed by a brief set by Patti Smith.

 Patti Smith during her opening set.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Madison Square Garden, Nov. 27th, 2012
Set list: (via Brooklyn Vegan)
"Love and Only Love"
"
Powderfinger"
"
Born in Ontario"
"
Walk Like a Giant"
"
The Needle and the Damage Done"
"
Twisted Road 
Singer"
"Without a Song"
"
Ramada Inn"
"
Cinnamon Girl"
"
Fuckin' Up"
"
Mr. Soul"
"
Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"

Encore:
"
Roll Another Number"

Now Streaming: New CDs from Graham Parker & The Rumour & More; Replays of Holiday CDs

There's a small list of streaming CDs for this between-the-holidays week, but there's one in particular that we'll be giving repeated listens: "Three Chords Good" by Graham Parker & The Rumour, the outfit that created the classic late-'70s rock album, "Squeezing Out Sparks."

Parker has played with a number of backing groups over the decades, but it's good to see him with back with his band The Rumour—for the first time in 31 years, according to his website. It's kind of fitting that he's got a new album with them the same year that Neil Young has recorded a new disc out with Crazy Horse.

Streaming this week: Graham Parker's first album with The Rumour in 31 years.

Also streaming this week: "XX 20th Anniversary" by Rage Against the Machine, marking 20 years since the debut of their first album, and a live recording from the Deep Blues Fest featuring Buffalo Killers, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Radio Moscow, and more.

Considering the date on the calendar, it's not surprising that a few of them address the tidings of the season. NPR Music is streaming three previously released holiday collections: volumes six through 10 of Sufjan Stevens's "Silver & Gold;" the Christmas album by pop singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn, half of the successful duo Everything But the Girl; and "What Christmas Means" by KEM, a collection of holiday standards that was released earlier this year.

[Added Dec. 1st: Ke$ha and Wayne Coyne]

NPR First Listen:
"Silver & Gold" by Sufjan Stevens
"What Christmas Means" by KEM
"Tinsel and Lights" by Tracey Thorn

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Three Chords Good" by Graham Parker & The Rumour
"XX 20th Anniversary" by Rage Against the Machine
"Big Dipper Crashes on the Platinum Planet" by Big Dipper
"The World Is Too Much For Me" by Challenger
"Runner" by The Winter Sounds
"Alive At The Deep Blues Fest" by various artists

iTunes:
"Warrior" by Ke$ha

KCRW:
"Wayne Coyne's Human Head Shaped Tumor" by various artists ("McSweeney's and KCRW present this radio drama in the style of Mercury Theatre's War of the Worlds, featuring the music from the Flaming Lips, Bill Callahan, Okkervil River, Eleanor Friedberger, Nico Muhly, and Oneida.")


AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Foreign Land" by A Lion Named Roar

Photos: The Breaktone at Scalo Bar in Albuquerque

Albuquerque indie rock band The Breaktone has been getting acclaim for a few years now in its hometown and beyond, and it showed why last night at the bar at Scalo restaurant in the city's Nob Hill neighborhood.

Performing a semi-acoustic show, the five-piece outfit played a mix of old and new original tunes and a selection of well-chosen covers, including Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." (Disclosure: one of the band members is my nephew.)

Three-fifths of The Breaktone: Peter Ver Brugge, Julian Corbin, Robert Hoffman.

 Led by singer/guitarist Julian Corbin, The Breaktone plays a brand of rock that, depending on the song, cab include elements of progressive rock, jazz, folk, and straight-ahead rock. Their debut LP, "Lines Divide,"was chosen "Best Pop CD" at the 2010 New Mexico Music Awards. Earlier this year they released a follow-up, the four-song "Summer Walls," and they're now at work on their second full-length album. (Listen to or buy "Summer Walls" at The Breaktone's BandCamp page, or listen to it or "Lines Divide" at their SoundCloud page.)

Find out more about The Breaktone at their ReverbNation page.

Geoff St. John, Julian Corbin, Robert Hoffman.

Peter ver Brugge, Robert Hoffman.

Now Streaming: New CDs from Bad Brains, Massive Attack, & More

There's a slim selection of albums streaming this week, but if you're a punk fan you'll definitely find some titles of interest. Spinner has the "Into the Future" by Bad Brains, a remastered release of The Smoking Popes' "Born to Quit," and "We Will Remain Sedate" by Midway in Wake. This week the site also features the 2010 remastered version of Massive Attack's "Blue Lines," and the new albums by papercranes, Kate Earl, and The Twilight Sad, among others.

And fans of the band Live will want to check out the new solo EP by frontman Ed Kowalczyk, "The Garden," streaming this week at AOL Music.



"Rubella" from the Smoking Popes' album "Born to Quit." A remastered version of the album was reissued last month.

As always, there are more albums streaming than those shown here: see the websites for full listings. We'll add albums streaming from other sites as we learning about them.

Happy listening...

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Into the Future" by Bad Brains
"Blue Lines (2012 Remaster)" by Massive Attack
"No One Can Ever Know - The Remixes" by The Twilight Sad
"Three" by papercranes
"Stronger" by Kate Earl
"Born to Quit (Reissue)" by The Smoking Popes
"We Will Remain Sedate" by Midway in Wake
"Beautiful Sharks" by Keith Canisius

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"The Garden EP" by Ed Kowalczyk
"Young Volcanoes" by Zac Clark

Music Notes: Sandy Benefit with Springsteen, The Who, & Many Others; Yo La Tengo Tour; New R.E.M. Video; & More

Here's a smattering of recent music news concerning bands big and small:

* It's the mother of all Hurricane Sandy benefit shows: Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Bon Jovi, Alicia Keys, and others will play the "12-12-12" concert at Madison Square Garden on, you guessed it, December 12th. Info on tickets, prices, etc. to come soon.

* Yo La Tengo announced a bunch of tour dates this week. If you got shut out of their eight nights of Hanukkah at Maxwell's, check these out to see when they're coming near you. (They'll play Town Hall in NYC on February 16th; no ticket info as of this writing.) The band's new album, "Fade," will come out on January 15th.



* Here's an odd thing that popped up this week: a new video by R.E.M. (who broke more than a year ago), starring Lindsay Lohan (above). It's for the song "Blue" from the band's last album, 2011's "Collapse Into Now." Oh, and it's directed by actor James Franco. We're hoping this is a sign that maybe the boys from Athens are thinking of reuniting for at least a few shows sometime soon.

* NPR did a fine story this week on the 50th anniversary of A&M Records, co-founded by trumpeter Herb Alpert. For decades it was the musician's label, putting out music by a wide range of artists without placing typical sales-oriented, corporate pressure on them.

Although A&M is no longer independent (and sadly has a more corporate approach to music), the label was the home to many great albums by everyone from Alpert's Tijuana Brass to Suzanne Vega, The Police, Peter Frampton, and Joe Jackson.

Now Streaming: New CDs from The Deftones, School of Seven Bells, Bush Tetras, & More

There are some tasty new albums streaming this week—as well as one that's nearly 15 years old but is seeing the light of day for the first time. The new ones includes the latest efforts by The Deftones, School of Seven Bells, El Perro Del Mar, and Ari Hest. And an old favorite of ours (see below).


You'll probably hear this Bush Tetras song, and a lot of their just-released "Happy," at their NYC gig on Nov. 29th.

The unreleased album is "Happy," the late-'90s collection from the influential New York post-punk band Bush Tetras. The album was apparently stuck in record-label hell as various companies were sold or merged. "Happy" is finally coming out of limbo as ROIR acquired the rights to is, and released it Nov. 13th. (Read an interview with Bush Tetras talking about the album, and a biography of the band.)

Bush Tetras will play at NYC's Le Poisson Rouge on Nov. 29th (with Suicide, which will perform its first album in its entirety).

Although we don't write about Celtic music a lot here, we've long been fans of it, and so it's good news to see a fresh album from Irish folk singer-songwriter Susan McKeown. She's been a favorite since we heard her first album, "Bones," all the way back in 1995. She's got a great, expressive voice that's magnificent for singing Irish tunes as well as American folk tunes, but she can also rock. And she's also collaborated with musicians from other genres, including the Klezmatics.

The Dublin native, who's now lived in New York for more than 20 years, is out with her latest solo album, "Belong," this week. We're definitely looking forward to spending a lot of time with that one.

NPR First Listen:
"Instrumental Tourist" by Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin
"The Odds" by The Evens

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Koi No Yokan" by The Deftones
"Put Your Sad Down" EP by School of Seven Bells
"Pale Fire" by El Perro Del Mar
"Happy" by Bush Tetras
"Soft Eyes" by Bear Colony
"Transit of Venus" by Black Forest Fire
"Jan" by Jan

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"The Fire Plays" by Ari Hest
"Belong" by Susan McKeown
"Scrimshaw" by Nels Andrews

Today: Tinderbox Music Festival at Webster Hall

The annual Tinderbox Music Festival showcasing female musicians takes place today and tonight at Webster Hall. And as usual it's jam-packed with several dozen artists both established and up-and-coming, in genres from pop and folk to rap and electronica.

The Tinderbox festival goes on today, and tonight, at Webster Hall.

Tinderbox begins... well, right about the time we're posting this, before 1 p.m... but not to worry, the live music will be going on all day and night, on three stages. See the Tinderbox lineup (which includes links to the artists) and check out the set times.

Among the artists performing at this year's Tinderbox:

• Vagina Panther (2 p.m.)
• Hard Nips (3 p.m.)
• ZZZ's (4 p.m.)
• 9mary (4:20 p.m.)
• Bern and the Brights (8 p.m.)
• Selebrities (9 p.m.)
• Sirius Plan (9:20 p.m.)
• MANCIE (9:40 p.m.)
• Jean Grae (10 p.m.)
• Michelle Citrin (10:10 p.m.)
• Ducky (10:30 p.m.)
• CocoRosie (11 p.m.)
• Shuteye (11:20 p.m.)

Should be a great day and night of music.

Music Notes: Lucinda Williams Headlines WFUV Concert; Civil Wars Cancel Tour, Hear Prince Demos & New "Twilight" Soundtrack

A couple of musical items today, and a couple of sets of music for streaming.

* Lucinda Williams will headline this year's WFUV Holiday Cheer concert. The annual benefit for the Fordham University radio station will be held December 5th at the Beacon Theatre.

Other guests will be announced later, but this concert usually gets a good lineup of acts that the station's listeners will be familiar with. Tickets are priced at $40 to $120 and will go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. Or you can try the presale that started today (see the code to use at the WFUV announcement).



* What's going on with the Civil Wars? The Grammy-winning folk duo abruptly cancelled its world tour and then posted a cryptic note on its website and Facebook page, using terminology that made the development sound like a divorce:

"We sincerely apologize for the canceling of all of our tour dates. It is something we deeply regret. However, due to internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition we are unable to continue as a touring entity at this time. We thank each and every one of you for your amazing love & support. Our sincere hope is to have new music for you in 2013.  —Joy Williams & John Paul White"

People are scratching their heads over what's going on. Maybe a disagreement over how much commercial success to reach for, or venues to play, or how much touring to undertake? One factor may be the fact that Williams is a new mother—and that her husband is the duo's manager.

* Want to hear some demos and rarities from Prince? Check out Duane Harriott's show yesterday on WFMU. See the playlist and stream the show using several different options.

* Speaking of streaming, you can listen to the entire soundtrack for the forthcoming "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2" at Pandora. The soundtrack—which features contributions from Feist, Green Day, Passion Pit, St. Vincent, Skrillex, and more—will be released Nov. 13th, three days before the movie. (via Consequence of Sound)

Benefit Shows to Aid Hurricane Sandy Victims

Will Sheff is one of many artists appearing at Thursday's Brooklyn benefit.

Aaaand we're back. Although Podcast Party HQ has power and heat, a lot of people in the tri-state area are still suffering. So instead of our usual early-week post detailing streaming albums for the week, we'd like to spotlight some upcoming shows and events to benefit those affected by Hurricane Sandy. (More will be added as we hear about them.)

[UPDATE, Nov. 6th: Oh My Rockness has put up a list of Hurricane Sandy benefit shows, which will no doubt be growing; you may want to bookmark it. Among the shows added: a Bad Brains tribute tonight, Tuesday, benefiting Amnesty International and the Red Cross featuring H.R. (of the Bad Brains), Jesse Malin, Vernon Reid, Steve Earle, and others at Bowery Electric.]

This Thursday the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn is hosting East Coast Relief, which features a diverse lineup of great performers: Will Sheff (Okkervil River), Jared Evan, Kevin Devine, Jennifer O'Conner, Jean Grae, Holly Miranda, Geoff Rickly (Thursday), Bird of Youth, Jaymay, Brian Bonz, Zumo Kollie, Sonya Kitchell, and DJ Rajni Jacques. Tickets are $40 here, with all proceeds said to be benefiting the Red Cross. [Update, Nov 7th: see set times here.]

Blues guitarist Gark Clark Jr. is playing Brooklyn Bowl Tuesday night (tomorrow), Spinner says, with admission being a minimum donation of $20. Attendees are also urged to bring items such as nonperishable food, bottled water, blanket, clothing, and other similar items.

Dean Ween of the recently broken-up The Weens is playing a benefit show at The Saint in Asbury Park on Nov. 11th, says Brooklyn Vegan. [Update, Nov. 7th: Brooklyn Vegan says the show has now been pushed back to Nov. 28th.] Ween says the gig is to benefit "my good friend Nick Honachefsky who lost his home and all of his worldly possessions in the storm."

The show, called "Dean Ween and Friends," will include Claude Coleman, Glenn McClelland, Chris Harford, Dickie Moist, and others, and Ween says, " The evening will feature new music and old music by Moistboyz, Chris Harford, Jimmy Wilson, members of Ween, etc." Check the website of The Saint later for details; the show doesn't yet appear on their calendar.

There will no doubt be more benefit concerts announced later; we'll post these as we hear about them.

Also: Jersey Shore native Nicole Atkins talks with the Village Voice about the devastation in her home territory. She's planning on re-recording "Neptune City," the title song from her debut album, and donating the proceeds to relief efforts. [UPDATE, Nov. 6th: You can download "Neptune City (for the shore)" here for a minimum donation of two dollars.]

Podcast Party Is On Hiatus

Editor's note: Due to the flooding, power outages, spotty cell service, and other problems caused by Hurricane Sandy, Podcast Party will be on hiatus until electricity is restored. If you're 're also in an area affected by Sandy, hope you're staying warm and dry.

Gone sailing.

Aimee Mann Plays Town Hall; Other NYC Shows Up in the Air [UPDATED]

At the first of her planned three-night run of shows in New York, Aimee Mann displayed the catchy tunes and clever, intelligent lyrics that have made her a favorite among fans and fellow musicians alike. As expected, she played much of her new album, "Charmer,"while also including songs from her previous discs, including "4th of July," "Goodbye Caroline," and her cover of the Three Dog Night single, "One" (from the "Magnolia" soundtrack).

Aimee Mann at Town Hall Saturday.

Mann's wry sense of humor is also evident in some of her videos, most recently the one for the title track from "Charmer," in which Mann seeks to sidestep the grind of touring by buying a look-alike robot (played by Laura Linney) to go out on the road for her. (See video below.)

No doubt much of the credit goes to the video's director, Tom Scharpling (the legendary host of WFMU's "The Best Show"), but kudos to Mann for, at the very least, agreeing to go along with the wacky idea.

Opening act Ted Leo performed a set of songs solo on electric guitar. Also he did a fine job on his own, try to catch Leo playing with his band The Pharmacists, who provide a rocking background to Leo's literate lyrics.  

NOTE: Mann and Leo are scheduled to perform Monday at Bowery Ballroom (sold out) and Tuesday at Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets still available), but this is subject to change due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy in the New York area Monday. [UPDATE: Monday's show at Bowery Ballroom has been postponed; it will now be held Wed., Oct. 31st.]

(Apologies for the short post, but we're preoccupied with hurricane preparations here on the East Coast, and the few photos taken at the show didn't come out well.)

Aimee Mann and band at Town Hall.

A.C. Newman & The Mynabirds Bring Infectious Pop to Maxwell's

If you're a fan of catchy indie pop with lots of hooks, Maxwell's was the place to be Wednesday night for the doubleheader of A.C. Newman and The Mynabirds. Newman, of course, is the frontman for the New Pornographers, and a number of the songs on his solo albums sound similar to that group.


Videos of two songs from A.C. Newman's new album, filmed by La Blogothèque.
 
The tunes on his third solo disc, "Shut Down the Streets," feature his most personal lyrics to date, as he's mentioned in interviews: in the last couple of years he's experienced the highest of highs (the birth of his first child) as well as a devastating low (the death of his mother). (See the Pitchfork and MTV interviews.)

A.C. Newman at Maxwell's Wednesday.

There are, of course, elements of the familiar New Pornographers pop sound, but there are also echoes of an earlier era: Newman has said he was influenced by 1970s folk-rock singer-songwriters such as Jim Croce and Gerry Rafferty.

The instrumentation on this new album (and on the current tour) takes a new turn as well; the traditional guitar-bass-drums-keys sound is nicely augmented by clarinet, flute, and saxophone—instruments that can often add a sad or wistful touch to a song. (Download two songs from "Shut Down the Streets" at Newman's website.)

"Shut Down the Streets" is a beautiful album, and Newman and his band do a fine job of recreating its sound in concert. 

Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds.

The Mynabirds, led by Laura Burhenn and musician/producer Richard Swift (who is currently also a member of The Shins), got a lot of attention and critical acclaim with their 2010 debut album, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood." Like Newman's new album, it drew on '70s influences including soul and folk-rock.

The new Mynabirds record, "Generals," is a a more pop-oriented record, sometimes raucous, and with ample percussion and even some dance songs. This all makes for a fun live show, and though the lyrics to many of the songs are politically oriented, the show never feels preachy.

The Mynabirds were a good opener to A.C. Newman, and certainly a band worth seeing in their own right.