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.

Live in NYC Thursday: Dum Dum Girls in Brooklyn, GoGirls Music Fest in E. Village

Fans of female-powered rock will be interested in two shows on Thursday night that will be starting December off with a bang, on both sides of the East River.

One of my new favorite bands, the Dum Dum Girls, are back from a brief European swing and will play Brooklyn Bowl in a show starting at 8 p.m. Brooklyn's Dive and Xray Eyeballs open the gig. Doors are at 6 p.m.; admission is just $10. Brooklyn Bowl is at 61 Wythe Ave. in Williamsburg between N. 11th and 12th Streets (directions).

If you miss this show, the DDGs will be returning to Brooklyn Bowl for another show on Dec. 17th. (UPDATE: It doesn't say this on their tour page, but the Dec. 17th show is not a DDG show; rather, the band will be spinning a DJ set during the Stylofone reunion show. They will be playing a solo acoustic show with Crocodiles on Dec. 22nd at Glasslands.)

More than a half-dozen female indie rockers play the GoGirls Music Fest Thursday.

Across from Williamsburg in Manhattan, a line-up of women indie rockers will play at the GoGirls Music Fest at Otto’s Shrunken Head (538 E. 14th St.). On the bill: ReW, Lachi & Meridian Gold, Inky Glass, Melissa Clark, Luciar, Rachel Lee Walsh, and Tiik (from the band G.U.T.S.). You can hear songs from the GoGirls Music Fest here (my favorite is the poppy "Bug Out" by Lachi & Meridian Gold).

The show is a benefit for the Red Thread Movement, which is dedicated to fighting sex trafficking in Nepal. The show is set for 7 p.m. and admission is only $5.

The Muffs Celebrate 20 Years Together

Sad Tomorrow

The Muffs | Myspace Music Videos

L.A. rock trio The Muffs last week celebrated the 20th anniversary of their first show together with—what else?—a couple of concerts. They came east to play two gigs last weekend, in Brooklyn and then at Maxwell's in Hoboken (which, sadly, I was unable to attend). On Feb. 5th they'll continue the anniversary celebration with a hometown show at The Satellite in L.A.

The Muffs have been making fun indie pop for two decades, and for most of that time that band has consisted of its current lineup of singer and guitarist Kim Shattuck, bassist Ronnie Barnett, and drummer Roy McDonald. They've put out a handful of albums over the years, but you may know them best for their version of "Kids in America," from the movie "Clueless." I've see The Muffs twice at Maxwell's in Hoboken, once when a CD of the show was being sold immediately after it was over, so I fortunately have a memento of that gig.

The Muffs last month re-released their album "Kaboodle," which according to the band's website includes part of their "Hamburger" album and also features singles, demos, B-sides, cover songs, and more, as well as some new tracks. You can order "Kaboodle" from The Muffs website here.

After all these years The Muffs still have bring their fun, goofy attitude to rock & roll, I'm glad to see they're still at (though I wish they'd play more live shows). Happy anniversary, and here's to many more.

Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Announced: Dave Matthews, Weezer, Jay-Z, Jimmy Cliff, and Much More

The folks at Bonnaroo announced their 2010 schedule today, and as usual it's a great lineup. Among the most well-known names are the Dave Matthews Band, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck, Weezer, John Fogerty, OK Go, Norah Jones, Phoenix, and The Flaming Lips (performing Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon").

This year's Bonnaroo Festival will be held June 10th to 13th, and as always will take place in Manchester, Tennessee. You can get your Bonnaroo 2010 tickets here.

Among the many, many performers announced today: The Avett Brothers, Medeski Martin and Wood
, 
The Black Keys, Calexico, Blues Traveler, Blitzen Trapper, Brandi Carlile, Cross Canadian Ragweed, 
Ingrid Michaelson
, 
The xx
, Regina Spektor, 
Mayer Hawthorne & the County, 
Wale, 
Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
, 

Thievery Corporation, 
GWAR, 
She & Him, 
Jimmy Cliff
, Tokyo Police Club, Kid Cudi
, Japandroids, and Dr. Dog.

And here's an interesting combination I wouldn't have foreseen: Daryl Hall (yes, half of Hall & Oates) and Canadian hip-hop duo Chromeo.

You can find more information at the Bonnaroo home page and the Bonnaroo MySpace page. The official site has a new Bonnaroo information guide with details on how to get there, where to stay, what you can and can't bring, etc.  

The first two price levels sold out during a pre-sale in December, so make your plans now for Bonnaroo 2010!

Coachella 2009 is Here: Previews, Streaming Video, and More

The Coachella festival is underway in Southern California, and Santa Monica's excellent radio station KCRW is all over it. The festival seems to be set to have another successful year, despite the economic downturn that has led other festivals to scale back or cancel this year.

The station's Web site features videos of performances that artists at this year's Coachella festival have made at KCRW's studios... including Franz Ferdinand, The Black Keys, M.I.A., the Thievery Corporation, Paul McCartney, Band of Horses, and many more.

KCRW also plans on having exclusive performances from Coachella at ita Web site ... check there for updates throughout the weekend.

AT&T Music is also showing live performances from Coachella throughout the weekend, which you can view online for free. Right now (11 p.m. Eastern time, Friday night) I'm watching the set from The Hold Steady. Later to come tonight are Conor Oberst, Morrissey, and Paul McCartney; check the AT&T Music Coachella page for the schedule for the entire weekend.

Ann Powers of the L.A. Times gives a guide to her must-see acts of Coachella 2009.

Neko Case All Over the Radio Sunday; New CD Out Tuesday

As I've written before, Neko Case's new CD Middle Cyclone comes out on Tuesday, March 3rd, and the whole album is streaming free online at NPR Music. And speaking of radio, Neko Case has been making the rounds and was heard on two radio programs today.

She was interviewed on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday in the morning, and in the afternoon was on Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions show, which featured some of the new songs as well as discussion with Neko and other members of the band. At their Web site you can stream the show or download it as an MP3, and also just listen to Neko and her band performing the tunes.

In these interviews you'll learn about why weather events figure so prominently in her new songs, why she's been collecting old, free pianos from Craigslist, and why the new CD ends with a 30-minute field recording of crickets chirping.

Shop for Neko Case albums and downloads at Amazon.com

Neko Case Back With a New Album; Here It Streaming Free

Neko Case is probably best known as a member of the indie rock band The New Pornographers, but in her time away from that group she's been making albums that lean more toward country and alt-country. She's set to come out with her sixth solo album, "Middle Cyclone," on March 3rd. You can hear Neko Case's new album streamed free online starting on Monday, Feb. 23rd.

Neko Case is doing a few shows in Europe in mid to late February, then playing the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas before embarking on a nationwide U.S. tour. Check the Neko Case tour dates here. Case's Web site mentions that there is a new music podcast called Sleepers coming from the artist, but it doesn't say when.

Neko Case's haunting voice is a throwback from another era, reminiscent of classic crooners Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. If you like female country singers of the past, with a modern twist, check out any of Neko Case's previous albums.

Shop for Neko Case albums and downloads at Amazon.com

The CBC Summer Road Trip Mix Tape is Out

If you want some great traveling music, head over to the CBC Radio 3 podcast Web page and download the Summer Of 2008 Roadtrip Mixtape Special (show #163). As in years before, it's a virtually nonstop playlist of great Canadian indie music tunes just right for driving down the endless highway with the windows down. Host Grant Lawrence keeps the talk to a minimum so you can enjoy the songs almost nonstop, nearly one and a half hour's worth.

U.S. audiences may recognize artists like Sloan, Kathleen Edwards, and Matt Mays on the mix tape, but there are also great lesser-known (in the 50 states, anyway) Canadian indie artists such as Ladyhawk, the Wet Secrets, and Malcolm Bauld.

And while you're at the CBC Radio 3 site, download podcast #164 too, which announces the 10 finalists for the Polaris music prize, and features a song from each artist that made the final cut.

Feist's "Reminder" Gives Her Label a Lift

Here's a rare good-news story about record labels, the business that everybody loves to hate. But there are some good labels out there, and Canada's Arts & Crafts is certainly one of them. That's why I was glad to see this Billboard article saying how Feist's latest album "The Reminder" had given the label its biggest hit ever.

"The Reminder" has sold more than 200,000 copies in Canada according to SoundScan, and the use of the single "1-2-3-4" in an iPod commercial made the song ubiquitous on TV for a while. (The album has sold 600.000 copies in the U.S., but A&C doesn't hold the rights there.)

The article quotes an Arts & Crafts co-founder as saying the the album's success "Has allowed us to build out our infrastructure ....We now have all the tools at our disposal that any much larger label has. We can do things that were previously outside our scope."

Arts & Crafts is also the home of respected Canadian indie artists Broken Social Scene, Stars, The Dears, and The Stills.

Lollapalooza 2008 Lineup is Set; Tickets On Sale Now

The Lollapalooza rock festival continues its single-city concept, and will be held once again in Chicago in 2008. This year's Lollapalooza will take place August 1st to 3rd in Grant Park, and tickets are on sale now.

The Lollapalooza 2008 lineup includes Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Wilco, The Raconteurs, Love and Rockets, Gnarls Barkley, Broken Social Scene, Flogging Molly, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, and many more.

The Thermals Heat Up Maxwell's

Portland, Oregon's The Thermals rocked a sellout show at Maxwell's in Hoboken Friday night, August 10th, even sparking a minor mosh pit at a couple of points. (This can be a somewhat unsettling event in a small room that holds only a couple hundred people.)

The trio, which calls its music "post-pop-punk," put on a set of relentlessly loud, fast, catchy tunes, including "Here's Your Future, "A Stare Like Yours," and "Pillar of Salt." The band's Web site says "The Thermals are well known for their joyously punishing live shows," and after seeing them, it's hard to disagree.

The combination of Hutch Harris (guitar and vocals), Kathy Foster (bass), and Lorin Coleman (drums) make a wonderfully tuneful racket. While it's not always easy to catch what Harris is singing, there's often a sharp-edged commentary on the world and society. The band's Web site says that their latest full-length, "The Body, The Blood, The Machine" (produced by Brendan Canty of Fugazi), is about "a young couple who must flee a United States governed by fascist faux-Christians." A couple of times Harris held up his guitar to show the crowd a message pasted on it that seemed to say "This machine kills fascists" — the same phrase that Woody Guthrie had written on his folk guitar.

As a big fan of music podcasts, I must note that it was podcasts where I first heard of The Thermals and their music. The IndieFeed podcasts, which feature daily downloads of one free track accompanied by a bit of description about the artist, introduced me to "Here's Your Future," I heard "A Stare Like Yours" on the defunct Free Radio Sub Pop, and a video podcast I used to follow featured a live performance of "Pillar of Salt."

After their show at Maxwell's, The Thermals are playing to a much bigger crowd today at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool, on a bill with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. That show should pack in about five or six thousand people, and should win The Thermals some new fans.

Canadian Singer Feist Takes New York City by Storm

Canadian singer-songwriter Feist came to NYC for two sold-out shows at Town Hall this week, and from all account the hard-to-impress natives went away impressed. I was at the first of the two shows Monday night and Feist and her band were certainly in good form.

I saw them a little over a year ago at a smaller, standing-only venue in the City, and the show transfers well to the bigger, seated format. As expected, Feist played most of the songs from her new CD, The Reminder, hot off the presses just last month. While I miss hearing songs from her previous album, I was eager to hear her do the new songs live.

One special treat was when the band left the stage and Feist was momentarily alone until she introduced special guest Kevin Drew who, like Feist,is a member of Broken Social Scene. Drew played piano and Feist sang on a nice two-person version of the BSS favorite, "Lover's Spit."

Coming out of Town Hall, I was handed a flyer for another Feist show in New York, this one in late August in Brooklyn. The flyer said Broken Social Scene will also be on the bill, playing a new work by Drew. Their record label's Web site says, "BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE PRESENTS KEVIN DREW, 'SPIRIT IF...'"

I have no idea what it is exactly, but this sounds like another show I'll definitely want to check out.

Free Indie Rock Concert Videos

As a fan of indie music, I was pleasantly surprised to come across a podcast called Schedule Two. It's a series of free concert videos, one song each, from a range of indie rock artists, filmed in concert in a variety of venues, many in Minneapolis.

Lately this podcast has featured videos of some of my favorite bands of recent vintage, performing songs I wasn't yet familiar with. (If you subscribe to the podcast you'll get once song by an artist, but you can view and download other videos by the artists at the Schedule Two Web site.)

These are straightforward concert videos shot in a conventional manner; you won't find any stage pyrotechnics, dazzling camerawork, or special effects in the podcast. But that's fine with me; I'm perfectly happy just hearing the songs straight up with no frills.

Some of the recent podcasts have included "Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals, Midlake performing "Young Bride," Asobi Seksu (formerly of Cibo Matta) doing a tune called "Strawberries," and the Hold Steady rocking out on "Stevie Nix," as well as performances by Tapes 'n' Tapes, Mates of State, and Jason Colett of Broken Social Scene (featuring a guest appearance by Feist).

If you like indie music, Schedule Two is a great little podcast of cool tunes performed live.

Sunday NY Times Profiles Canadian Songbird Feist

Canadian chanteuse Leslie Feist (who performs professionally using just her last name) may be poised to break into the next level of music biz success. She's set to release her third album with a fancy music video featuring nearly 50 dancers, and the New York Times is doing a fine profile of her tomorrow in its Sunday Arts & Leisure section.

I first heard of Feist a couple of years ago after hearing a couple of her tunes on various podcasts, and after hearing that she was a member of the popular Canadian music collective Broken Social Scene. Feist put on a great show in New York City about a year ago, combining the style of an indie-rock singer, pop tunesmith, and a classic French chanteuse in one. She seems to be spending less time in Broken Social Scene and more on her solo career, which is OK by me.

Her new album, “The Reminder,” will be out May 1, and she's touring this spring and summer to support it. She'll perform at New York City's Town Hall on June 11.

A Great Source for Free Music from The Pixies, Frank Black, and More

Some of the best Web sites about rock musicians have been put together by fans, and these days fans are applying their passion to podcasting. If you're a fan of punk pioneers The Pixies or their leader Frank Black (who has also called himself Black Francis and Francis Black at various times), you'll want to listen to the FrankBlack.net podcast.

Created and run by two Frank Black fans (one in New Jersey, one in Canada), this twice-a-month podcast has for a year now been offering a knowledgable collection of music and information about Black's musical output. It includes full-length selections--free and legal--from his work with the Pixies, his solo career, and his work with Frank Black and the Catholics.

Each episode runs from a half hour to 45 minutes.

Besides the album tracks that may be familiar to Frank Black fans, the podcast features B-sides, unreleased tracks, live performances, and more. Among other things, you'll find:
* live cuts that sometimes differ quite a bit from their original studio versions
* rarities from Frank Black's library that haven't seen the light of day (or the light of a CD player, or whatever the appropriate analogy would be)
* the hosts' choice of underrated songs that deserve more attention
* cover versions culled from tribute albums and elsewhere
* "Frank Black to Back"--alternate versions of songs, played next to each other for comparison
* guest interviews and songs from Frank Black collaborators and others associated with various Black projects

So the FrankBlack.net podcast is a good resource for both longtime fans and for new listeners.

The hosts joke around a bit but never lose site of the focus on Black and his music, so the banter is never annoying. These guys are dedicated fans first and foremost, and their goal is to expose listeners to the genius of Black.

Besides the podcast, the folks at FrankBlack.net run a fan Web site that includes extensive forums, news, tour updates, and more. The site and podcast are great resources for diehard fans and anyone looking to get into the vast output of Black in his various musical incarnations.

Podcast Review: Great Free Indie Rock from North of the Border

When people think of indie rock they probably think of the many innovative bands that have come out of the U.S. and England. But I've found that some of the best indie rock of recent years has come from just north of the American border. While Canada may only have one-tenth the population of the U.S., it's more than holding its own in producing great indie rock musicians.

A fantastic place to discover these bands, and get full-length songs by them for free, is the CBC Radio 3 podcast, which has become one of my favorite music podcasts. I've seen a lot of good Canadian acts in concert in the last two years--Broken Social Scene, the New Pornographers, Stars, the Dears, Metric, Sarah Harmer, and Feist, to name a few. All of these have been played on the Radio 3 podcast, and there are many artists that I've heard of through the show.

You'll also find tunes from indie rock artists including Destroyer, the Be-Good Tanyas, Great Lake Swimmers, Amy Millan, Emily Haines, Wolf Parade, the Arcade Fire, Jason Collett, the Joel Plaskett Emergency, and Pony Up. (It was a surprise to me, but maybe it shouldn't have been, that many of these artists can be found on the same indie record label, Arts and Crafts.)

Not to say that this show from the Canadian Broadcast Corporation
only covers rock. The show plays independent Canadian music of all stripes, including hip-hop (such as Manitoba rapper Mcenroe) and electronica.

Host Grant Lawrence knows his Canadian music and brings a dry humor to the proceedings and tells listeners about the artists, but he never dominates the show with his banter or makes himself the center of attention. Which is good, because the music is excellent and Lawrence probably has a tough enough job trying to fit 12 or so songs into the approximately one-hour show. For my taste, there are just enough details about the artists and brief interview segments to introduce the musicians and give some insight on their songs, how long they've been together, and where they'll be touring.

You can find even more music at the CBC Radio 3 Web site, which gives news on the bands and lets you stream songs from dozens of artists. There's a lot of great music coming out of Canada, and CBC Radio 3 lets you hear it for yourself.

Free tunes: some great music podcasts

With all the hubbub about music being downloaded illegally from the Internet, podcasting has opened up a great way for artists, radio stations, and record companies to share their music legally. And since commercial radio is so bland and repetitive, podcasts have become the best way for me to discover new (and not-so-new) music.

I'm hoping artists and labels keep participating in podcasting. It's a good deal for them, since it has enticed me to buy the recordings and concert tickets of many artists I wouldn't have heard of otherwise. Here are some of my favorite music podcasts, covering different types of music. All can be found in Apple's iTunes.

KCRW.com: This public radio station from Santa Monica, California offers several music podcasts. The Morning Becomes Eclectic podcast presents live in-studio performance from the station's acclaimed show of the same name. Two sets of music enveloped by conversation. There have been performances from everyone from indie rockers to alt-country bands, from Spanish-language pop bands to electronica artists.

KCRW also features a Today's Top Tune podcast that features one song daily.

CBC Radio 3: Who'd have thought so much of today's innovative rock and pop music would come out of Canada? This one-hour (give or take) podcast from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation features full-length versions of songs from rock, pop, folk, and hip-hop artists from the well known to the unknown.

The Roadhouse: An hour of "the finest blues you've never heard"–old-style, contemporary, and everthing in between–comes your way in this podcast from Iowa City, Iowa. Host Tony Steidler-Dennison knows his stuff and plays a wide range of blues styles and artists. And with his deep voice and informal approach you'll feel like you're sitting next to a buddy on a barstool in a honky-tonk with a great blues jukebox.

Ritmo Latino: Like The Roadhouse, this podcast covers all styles and genres of its chosen form–Latin music, in this case. The host, an American living in Micronesia, spins tunes ranging from old-school music from Tito Puente and Carmen Miranda to modern Spanish-language rock and pop stars including Mana, Cafe Tacuba, and Shakira to reggaeton superstars Daddy Yankee.

The Tartanpodcast: Host Mark Hunter claims that Scotland is one of the leading centers of great music in Europe and, after listening to a few shows, it's hard to disagree with him. Singer-songwriters, pop bands, rock outfits, and more are all featured here, and while Hunter doesn't work in the music business, he nevertheless has a good ear for talented musicians.

All Songs Considered: Despite the clunky name, this podcast from National Public Radio offers a great wealth of pop and rock music in several forms. The weekly ASC podcast covers songs from about a half-dozen artists with snippets of each tune (you can hear full versions at the show's Web site). What I really enjoy are the archived live concerts that ASC Webcasts monthly from a Washington, D.C., also at the show's Web home. You can hear the full concerts from artists such as Sleater-Kinney, The New Pornographers, Toots and the Maytals, James Brown, and many more. For some you can even download the entire concert in MP3 form; the others you can stream to your computer.

Radio Without Borders: From radio station KUT in Austin, Texas comes this podcast of live performances from their studios, with one song each from several different artists. As you'd expect from its location, the program leans toward country, alt-country, and singer-songerwriter genres. It's often interesting to hear a song you know performed in a more stripped-down, live acoustic environment.

Indiefeed: This podcast gives you a free tune each day, along with a bit of introduction about the artist. Indiefeed has channels for alternative/modern rock, Americana/roots/folk, blues, electronic, and hip-hop music. Includes tunes from up-and-coming artists as well as established ones.