Free Concerts: Madison Square Park and RiverRocks (Pier 84)

Here's information on two very different free-music series going on in NYC this summer, the Mad. Sq. Music series and the RiverRocks concerts at Pier 84.


Bettye LaVette plays Madison Square Park on Aug. 8th.

* Mad. Sq. Music features roots music on the lawn on Wednesday nights (usually), from June 20th to August 8th (oops, I'm writing this too late for the first show).

• June 27th, 6:30 p.m.: Gretchen Parlato and Gregory Porter (jazz vocalists)
• July 4th, 3 p.m.: Noam Pikelny and Friends, The Sweetback Sisters, and Spuyten Duyvil (folk/roots music)
• July 11th, 7 p.m.: Nellie McKay (pop)
• July 18th, 7 p.m.: Jeff "Tain" Watts Quartet (jazz)
• July 25th, 7 p.m.: Regina Carter’s “Reverse Thread” (jazz)
• Aug. 1st, 6:30 p.m.: An evening with Suzzy and Maggie Roche, Sloan Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche (folk)
• Aug. 8th, 7 p.m.: Bettye LaVette (blues)

* RiverRocks, whose concerts skew towards indie artists, is once again limited to a small number of shows (three), but it has a good lineup of popular, in-demand acts. Shows take place Thursday nights at Pier 84 (Hudson River at 44th Street).

• July 12th, 6 p.m.: Dan Deacon and John Maus
• July 26th, 6 p.m.: Oberhofer and The Soft Pack
• Aug. 9th, 6 p.m.: Wild Nothing, Grimes, and DIIV (formerly Dive)

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from M. Ward, Cowboy Junkies, Paul Weller, & More

Whatever kind of music you're into, you'll find something to like among this week's free album streams. There's the return of established artists like M. Ward and the even more established Cowboy Junkies and Paul Weller (of The Jam and Style Council).

Indie rockers Bear in Heaven, Oberhofer, and Of Monsters and Men are back with new releases, and in the singer-songwriter vein I'm enjoying the new release from sisters Allison and Catherine, The Pierces. (Note: The Pierces are the musical guest on Jay Leno Tuesday night; I'll post the video tomorrow. Update: you can watch The Pierces doing "You'll Be Mine" on Leno here.)


Video for M. Ward's "The First Time I Ran Away," from his new album.

For a change of pace, check out the new EP by the group Poor Moon, which features two members of Fleet Foxes and Crystal Skulls... the new album by the psychedelic/progressive band Astra... and Macy Gray singing Radiohead.

Yes, that's right, the R&B/soul singer-songwriter tackles "Creep," the band's first single on new album of covers. The collection also features several funny skits, making this more creative than your average cover album.

It's a diverse line-up this week; dig in and enjoy!

NPR First Listen:"A Wasteland Companion" by M. Ward
"I Love You, It's Cool" by Bear in Heaven
"My Head is an Animal" by Of Monsters and Men

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Sonik Kicks" by Paul Weller
"Time Capsules II" by Oberhofer
"You, Anniversary" by Lindsay Fuller
"Rob Me Blind" by Jay Brannan
"Illusion" EP by Poor Moon
"The Black Chord" by Astra
"Wave Sleep Wave" by Wave Sleep Wave

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"You and I" by The Pierces
"Covered" by Macy Gray
"Wilderness" by Cowboy Junkies
"Into the Sky" EP by TJ Courtney
"Divide the Blackened Sky" by The Veer Union

Live Music Tonight: Japandroids Wrap Up Their Tour at Maxwell's; Oberhofer Opens

Japandroids, Canada's dynamic duo of garage rock, bring their glorious lo-fi racket to Hoboken with a gig at Maxwell's. Brooklyn-based Oberhofer opens the show, which begins at 9 p.m. This is the last stop on the Japandroids' 250-show tour, NJ.com says.

You can listen to 20 Japandroids songs at the CBC Radio 3 website to get a taste of the band. Brian King (guitar and vocals) and David Prowse (drums and vocals) formed the group in 2006 and have released a number of EPs and 7" singles since then. And they've done a lot of touring—supposedly 250 dates since mid-2009 (the tour was supposed to start earlier, but was delayed when King needed emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer).

I first heard of Oberhofer last month when their WNYC radio featured them in their "gig alert" series and offered a free download of their song "OOooOOooOO." The group, led by 19-year-old Tacoma, Washington native Brad Oberhofer, was among those that CMJ Showcase Director Matt McDonald suggested checking out.

As of this afternoon, tickets were still available for the show.

Japandroids with Oberhofer
Maxwell's, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken
Doors: 8 p.m.; show: 9 p.m.