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.

Free Concerts Galore! Buddy Guy, Neko Case, Eleanor Friedberger, Parliament/Funkadelic, & More

If you like free concerts, you're going to love this week. Coming on the heels of last Saturday's twin bill of CBGB Festival shows, there's a boatload more this week. In fact, there are so many concerts leading up to the weekend that I'll have to save Saturday's second 4 Knots Festival at South Street Seaport for a later post.

Neko Case plays the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival July 12th. Photo: Amanda Hatfield.

Speaking of second timers, tomorrow (Wednesday, July 11th) kicks off the second annual two-day Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival at the World Financial Center. And there are great shows in the various free series around the City. Here's the schedule:

Wed., July 11th: Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival: multiple Grammy winner Buddy Guy headlines a bill that also features 13-year-old guitar prodigy Quinn Sullivan and legendary British blues guitarist John Mayall, whose bands have served as the launching pad for the likes of Eric Clapton and many others since the 1960s.  6 - 9:30 p.m., World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street (between North End Ave. and West St.) 

Wed., July 11th: Mad. Sq. Music: In a totally different vein, you can see the quirky and fun singer-songwriter-actress Nellie McKay at Madison Square Park on July 11th. Known for her clever and often offbeat tunes like "David" and "The Dog Song," McKay also won an award for her turn in "The Threepenny Opera" (her Broadway debut). Tomorrow you can see her for free. 7 - 8:30 p.m., Madison Square Park, between Fifth and Madison Aves. & 23rd and 26th Sts.

Thurs., July 12th: Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival: Neko Case, known for her solo albums and her work as a member of The New Pornographers, headlines the festival's second night with her haunting voice and songs that range from country to blues to gospel to rock. I've been a fan of hers for years, and am hoping she'll be breaking out some new songs. Also on the bill: 63-year-old Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires and He's My Brother She's My Sister, a band that the festival says creates "a mix of folk, glam, and western swing." (Oh, and the band includes a tap dancer as well.) 6 - 9:30 p.m., World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street (between North End Ave. and West St.)

Thurs., July 12th: RiverRocks: It'll be loops, fuzz, and snyths galore at Pier 84 as Dan Deacon takes the stage in the first of this year's RiverRocks concerts. If you've been to one of Deacon's live shows or have seen the webcasts, you'll know how he can whip crowds into a wild, gyrating frenzy. Also on the bill are John Maus and Roomrunner. 6 p.m., Pier 84, Hudson River at West 44th St.

Thurs., July 12th: River to River Festival: If funk is more to your liking, catch the longtime master at work as George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic play the River to River Festival Thursday night, July 12th. Clinton and company have been creating their own unique version of soul and funk since the 1960s, crafting hits like “Flash Light,” “Give Up the Funk,” and "Dr. Funkenstein." This sprawling collective has included an amazing number of extremely talented musicians over the years, and Thursday's lineup should be no exception. 7 p.m., Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City at the corner of River Terrace and Warren St.

Eleanor Friedberger and band play a free show July 13th.

Friday, July 13th: River to River Festival: Your Friday the 13th might be a bit luckier if you go see Eleanor Friedberger play a free show at South Street Seaport. The lead singer for The Fiery Furnaces stepped out on her own last year with her debut solo album "Last Summer," which garnered a lot of acclaim (you've probably heard the catchy "My Mistakes.") She puts on a good show fronting her own band; I got to see her open for Wild Flag on a previous tour. Also on the bill is Ex Cops. 7 p.m., Pier 17, South Street Seaport (near Fulton St.)

Saturday, July 14th: SummerStage: Latin alternative band Kinky will heat things up at SummerStage on Saturday with its mix of funk, rock, and electronica. The Mexican band will be joined on the bill by Los Auténticos Decadentes, 3Ball MTY, and DJ Raff in a show presented in association with the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference. 3 to 7 p.m., Rumsey Playfield in Central Park

There are lots of great shows this week. And as a special bonus, the temperatures aren't expected to be anywhere near 100 degrees over the next few days (and may not even touch 90). Get out there and see some free live music, folks!

Free Album Previews: New St. Vincent and Ivy, the Latest "True Blood" Collection, & More

St. Vincent - "Cruel"

There aren't a lot of new albums for free preview this week, but there are some good ones available. One of the most anticipated is the new release from Annie Clark, the singer-songwriter and guitarist who performs under the name St. Vincent. She's back with "Strange Mercy," her first album in several years (release date: Sept. 13), and NPR Music is calling it her best yet. It's available for free streaming there and at KCRW (for a longer period).

Also available this week are new albums from a number of singer-songwriters including A.A. Bondy, Joe Firstman, and Tom Russell (with contributions from Calexico, Lucinda Williams, and others) … the album by the Horrible Crowes, the side project of Brian Fallon from the Gaslight Anthem … and the latest album by Ivy (the trio including Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne).

One album I've been enjoying is "True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 3,"with music by Neko Case and Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and Gordon Gano, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nick Lowe, Massive Attack, and others. Some songs (or their performances/arrangements) don't do anything for me or seem like filler (does the album really need four versions of "She's Not There"?), but I really like some of the contributions, and there's a great range of artists on the album.  

Album previews from NPR Music and AOL/Spinner are usually available for one week, from Monday to Sunday; KCRW's album previews are up for a longer time and the date is given when known.

KCRW Album Preview: 
"Strange Mercy" by St. Vincent (streaming through Sept. 18)

NPR First Listen:
"Believers" by A.A. Bondy  

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Hanna - Original Soundtrack" by the Chemical Brothers
"True Blood - Music from the HBO Series, Volume 3" by various artists

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Mesabi" by Tom Russell
"Swear It Was a Dream" by Joe Firstman
"Elsie" by the Horrible Crowes  

Amazon.com Album Preview:
"All Hours" by Ivy

Which of these albums do you like, and which other new albums are you enjoying? Leave your comments below!

Music Notes: Free Soul at Summerstage; Case & Cave Cover The Zombies; Danny Amis Benefit; More

 

Neko Case and Nick Cave cover The Zombies' "She's Not There," and you can hear it at the link below.

Here's a collection of music news items from New York and Hoboken to Brazil and Croatia.

* Soul is on the menu at a free SummerStage show today, June 25th, at the main stage in Central Park. Lee Fields & The Expressions headline (6:30 p.m.), preceded by neo-soul band Fitz and the Tantrums (5 p.m.) and the trio KING (4 p.m.). Doors open for the show at 3 p.m. (See NY Daily News article on Fitz and the Tantrums)

* Neko Case and Nick Cave have teamed up to record a cover of the classic 1960s hit "She's Not There" by The Zombies, and you can stream it from KCRW. The song was recorded for use in the HBO TV show "True Blood," and at the blog post above you can hear the story of how the version came about by Gary Calamar, who is both a KCRW DJ and the music supervisor for "True Blood." The Case & Cave version of "She's Not There" will be for sale on iTunes after the June 26th premiere of "True Blood"'s fourth season.

* Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley Yo La Tengo will headline a show this Wednesday at Maxwell's to benefit Hoboken native Danny Amis, a member of the band Los Straitjackets. Amis was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of bone-marrow cancer, last year. Other bands playing at the show are The Individuals, The Schramms, Purple Knife, and Tall Lonesome Pines. Tickets for the show are $15. (Buy Danny Amis benefit tickets here.) Also, Los Straitjackets play Maxwell's on August 4th.

* I ended up missing the big Bottom Line tribute to New York show at the World Financial Center the other night, but it sounded like a great night of music, according to the review here. And the live show wasn't the only news: it was apparently mentioned at the gig that the defunct club's owners, Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, are near a deal on opening a new Bottom Line. That would be great news indeed, and I look forward to hearing more about where the club will be located and when it will open.

* Looking for some interesting rock/pop music from different countries? The L.A. Times has an article featuring songs from nations around the world (with streams of them), chosen by music journalists or critics from the home countries. You'll hear tunes from countries you may not have heard from in terms of music, including Germany, Austria, and Romania. I'm glad to see that the tune representing the U.K. is from Glasgow rockers Sons & Daughters, whom I'm a fan of.

Unofficial Neko Case Week in New York

No, this hasn't officially been declared "Neko Case Week" in New York City, but the redhead with the haunting voice has definitely the queen of all media in town the last few days.

First off, she played two shows at the Nokia Theatre Times Square on Monday and Tuesday, April 13th and 14th, to support her new album "Middle Cyclone" (see the video for "People Got A Lotta Nerve," from the new album, below). I was at Tuesday's show, and it was a great performance by Neko, her band, and a few guest vocalists.



On Tuesday, New York radio station WFUV featured Neko Case's music throughout the day during the station's regular weekday programming from 6 am to 10 pm. On Tuesday afternoon WFUV had Neko in the studio for a live performance and conversation, and this session will be archived on WFUV's Web site for later listening at www.wfuv.org.

On Wednesday Neko Case was on televisions throughout the U.S. on the Late Show with David Letterman, with her band and the additional vocal power at her New York shows: Rachel Flotard (of Visqueen), Nora O'Connor, and Lucy Wainwright Roche.

Yes, it's been all Neko, all the time in New York this week!

Shop for Neko Case albums and downloads at Amazon.com

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