The wait is over for streaming one of the most anticipated albums of the last few months: Fiona Apple's first album in seven years, "The Idler Wheel..." (the full title is more than 20 words long). We first got a taste of some of the songs when she performed at SXSW earlier this year, and as more songs have been heard the album has been making a number of critics' best-of-the-year-so-far lists.
Watch the video for "Every Single Night" below, which starts with Apple wearing an octopus on her head and goes on to show her cavorting with snails and other sea creatures. Oh, and what looks like a human brain.
Video for "Every Single Night" by Fiona Apple.
Apple comes from a stellar singing and show-business background: her
grandfather was vocalist for the Harry James Big Band, and her parents
literally met on Broadway (they were both performing in the musical
"Applause"). Apple's sister, Maude Maggart, is an in-demand cabaret singer who appears on "The Idler Wheel..." (and is performing at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in New York through Saturday, June 16th).
Also new this week is a solo album by Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, a member of The Frames but better known as half of The Swell Season, the stars and musicians from the movie "Once" (which had quite a good week as a Broadway musical, winning eight Tony awards on Sunday).
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are back with a new album, as are The Bouncing Souls, Wintersleep, These United States, and more. You'll also get another chance to stream Metric's new album "Synthetica," and Hot Chip's "In Our Heads," which are available on Spinner this week.
Many of these acts are out on the road promoting their new albums, so watch for them at a concert call or festival near you.
NPR First Listen:
"The Idler Wheel..." by Fiona Apple
"Rhythm And Repose" by Glen Hansard
"The Cherry Thing" by Neneh Cherry and the Thing
Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Synthetica" by Metric
"The Lion The Beast The Beat" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
"Comet" by The Bouncing Souls
"In Our Heads" by Hot Chip
"The Plot Against Common Sense" by Future of the Left
"Traps" by Jaill
"Hello Hum" by Wintersleep
"These United States" by These United States
"The Elle King EP" by Elle King
"Ode to Sentience" by Emily Jane White
"O'Doubt O'Stars" by Ruby Throat
AOL Music Listening Party:
"Life Will Write the Words" by The Rocket Summer
"Songs From the Laundromat" (EP) by Drivin' and Cryin'
"Heartbreakers" by Phoebe Jean & the Air Force
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Today: "Sounds of Hoboken" All Day, All Over Town
Not sure how I didn't hear about this before, but today (Sunday) is the day for "Sounds of Hoboken," an all-day event featuring free musical performances all over the Mile Square City.
Beginning in the late 1970s, a wide range of bands have either formed in Hoboken, recorded there, or gotten a boost there, most often by performing at clubs such as Maxwell's and the long-departed Beat 'N Path.
"Sounds of Hoboken" started at 11 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. The musicians will be performing in venues ranging from inside stores and bars to out in the parks. Check the link for the artists participating, and download the full schedule (PDF document), which lets you see all the goings-on two different ways. You can view all the venues in alphabetical order, or look for musicians (also listed alphabetically).
I haven't heard of a lot of the musicians who are participating, but some of them include:
2011 Hoboken Sinatra Idol Greg Myers * Drums of Thunder * Emily Turonis and the Ideals * Gene D. Plumber * Jack Skuller * Jon & Deena (from The Cucumbers) * Preschool of Rock * SummerStage Pro’s cast of "Les Miserables" * members of The Fave * and many more
If you're in or around Hoboken, by all means check out "Sounds of Hoboken." It's a beautiful day to be out and about, and all the music is free.
 |
| Download the "Sounds of Hoboken" guide below to see what's happening. |
Beginning in the late 1970s, a wide range of bands have either formed in Hoboken, recorded there, or gotten a boost there, most often by performing at clubs such as Maxwell's and the long-departed Beat 'N Path.
"Sounds of Hoboken" started at 11 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. The musicians will be performing in venues ranging from inside stores and bars to out in the parks. Check the link for the artists participating, and download the full schedule (PDF document), which lets you see all the goings-on two different ways. You can view all the venues in alphabetical order, or look for musicians (also listed alphabetically).
I haven't heard of a lot of the musicians who are participating, but some of them include:
2011 Hoboken Sinatra Idol Greg Myers * Drums of Thunder * Emily Turonis and the Ideals * Gene D. Plumber * Jack Skuller * Jon & Deena (from The Cucumbers) * Preschool of Rock * SummerStage Pro’s cast of "Les Miserables" * members of The Fave * and many more
If you're in or around Hoboken, by all means check out "Sounds of Hoboken." It's a beautiful day to be out and about, and all the music is free.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Concert Notes: The Walkmen, Neil Young, M83, Gotye, Melvins Lite, & More On Sale
Tickets for another batch of great shows goes on sale this weekend, including Neil Young and Crazy Horse (with Patti Smith and Everest as openers, no less), The Walkmen, Gotye, a second show for M83, and Melvins Lite. Most of these shows go on sale Friday, June 8th; here's what's coming up:
On sale Friday, June 8th:
* Gotye at Radio City Music Hall (with Missy Higgins and Jonti), Tues., Sept. 25th. On sale: 10 a.m.
* Gotye at Williamsburg Park (with Givers and Zammuto), Thurs., Sept. 27th. On sale: 10 a.m.
* Social Distortion at Roseland Ballroom (with Lindi Ortega & The Biters), Fri., Oct. 26th. On sale: 11 a.m.
* Grizzly Bear at Radio City Music Hall, Mon., Sept. 24th. On sale: 11 a.m.
* Bobby Womack at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Tues., July 3rd. On sale: 12 Noon.
* M83 at Hammerstein Ballroom, Wed., Oct. 3rd. On sale: 12 Noon.
* Melvins Lite at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Thurs., Oct. 4th. On sale: 12 Noon.
* The Raveonettes at Webster Hall (with Melody's Echo Chamber), Fri., Oct. 5th. On sale: 12 Noon.
* The Walkmen at Terminal 5, Thurs., Oct. 18th, On sale: 12 Noon.
* Esperanza Spalding: Radio Music Society at the Apollo Theater, Fri., Oct. 26th. On sale: 12 Noon.
On sale Saturday, June 9th:
* Ben Folds Five Reunion at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, Fri., Sept. 14th. On sale: 10 a.m.
On sale Sunday, June 10th:
* Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Madison Square Garden (with Patti Smith and Everest), Tues., Nov. 27th. On sale: 12 Noon.
 |
| Neil Young and Crazy Horse play the Garden on Nov. 27th. |
On sale Friday, June 8th:
* Gotye at Radio City Music Hall (with Missy Higgins and Jonti), Tues., Sept. 25th. On sale: 10 a.m.
* Gotye at Williamsburg Park (with Givers and Zammuto), Thurs., Sept. 27th. On sale: 10 a.m.
* Social Distortion at Roseland Ballroom (with Lindi Ortega & The Biters), Fri., Oct. 26th. On sale: 11 a.m.
* Grizzly Bear at Radio City Music Hall, Mon., Sept. 24th. On sale: 11 a.m.
* Bobby Womack at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Tues., July 3rd. On sale: 12 Noon.
* M83 at Hammerstein Ballroom, Wed., Oct. 3rd. On sale: 12 Noon.
* Melvins Lite at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Thurs., Oct. 4th. On sale: 12 Noon.
* The Raveonettes at Webster Hall (with Melody's Echo Chamber), Fri., Oct. 5th. On sale: 12 Noon.
* The Walkmen at Terminal 5, Thurs., Oct. 18th, On sale: 12 Noon.
* Esperanza Spalding: Radio Music Society at the Apollo Theater, Fri., Oct. 26th. On sale: 12 Noon.
On sale Saturday, June 9th:
* Ben Folds Five Reunion at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, Fri., Sept. 14th. On sale: 10 a.m.
On sale Sunday, June 10th:
* Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Madison Square Garden (with Patti Smith and Everest), Tues., Nov. 27th. On sale: 12 Noon.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Music Notes: New Bob Mould Album & Tour, Amanda Palmer Raises $1 Mil; IUMA Revived;
Veteran rockers are back on the road and a newer artist has raised a record-breaking bundle of cash online in this edition of Music Notes:
* Bob Mould has announced a new set of tour dates, as well as more details on his new album. The new release, "Silver Age," will be released Sept. 4th on his new record label, Merge. Mould's website say the 10 new tunes on the album are "in the punishingly loud melodically sparkling pop/rock vein of the Sugar catalogue being reissued on Merge July 24."
Speaking of the Sugar releases, this is the 20th anniversary of the band's "Copper Blue," and Mould and his band (Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy) will be performing the album in its entirety, as well as songs from other Sugar albums, Hüsker Dü tunes, and selections from Mould's solo albums, depending on the date.
The Bob Mould tour comes to New York on September 7th with a gig at Webster Hall.
* Like many musicians these days who split from major labels, Amanda Palmer set up a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for her new album. Unlike most of them, however, Palmer (who now seems to be calling herself Amanda F*cking Palmer) not only exceeded her funding goal but blew it out of the water. Instead of raising $100,000, the campaign raised over one million dollars (from close to 21,000 different backers). She passed the initial $100,000 goal on the campaign's first day, and raised a Kickstarter record $379,000 in two days.
What's the money being used for? For one thing, manufacturing and promotion. And artwork: Palmer says she's "been working in secret with OVER THIRTY visual artist friends of mine... to create a massive explosion of song-inspired album art, in all different kinds of media."
As with any Kickstarter campaign, people can choose to contribute a variety of dollar amounts, and get progressively more valuable goodies as the amount increases. (Palmer's campaign was distinctive for offering nearly two dozen donation amounts and accompanying goodies.) If you just want the MP3 version of the new album (which is what I chose), the cost is only $1.
* Before MP3.com, eMusic, etc., the Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) was the place to discover new music with licensed downloads. As a "GigaOm" article notes, "the site also struggled to pioneer a business model for online music, and eventually shut down in 2006, with hundreds of thousands of songs going offline – until now." (At one point, IUMA was actually bought by eMusic, which is still going today.)
Jason Scott, the man behind Textfiles.com, eventually rescued IUMA by uploading a large portion of it to the Internet Archive, Archive.org. Browse through IUMA and take a trip back in time, musically speaking. To learn more about IUMA's history, read Scott's description here, which includes a link to a CNN video on IUMA (from 1994!).
* Bob Mould has announced a new set of tour dates, as well as more details on his new album. The new release, "Silver Age," will be released Sept. 4th on his new record label, Merge. Mould's website say the 10 new tunes on the album are "in the punishingly loud melodically sparkling pop/rock vein of the Sugar catalogue being reissued on Merge July 24."
 |
| The cover of Bob Mould's new album, "Silver Age." |
Speaking of the Sugar releases, this is the 20th anniversary of the band's "Copper Blue," and Mould and his band (Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy) will be performing the album in its entirety, as well as songs from other Sugar albums, Hüsker Dü tunes, and selections from Mould's solo albums, depending on the date.
The Bob Mould tour comes to New York on September 7th with a gig at Webster Hall.
* Like many musicians these days who split from major labels, Amanda Palmer set up a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for her new album. Unlike most of them, however, Palmer (who now seems to be calling herself Amanda F*cking Palmer) not only exceeded her funding goal but blew it out of the water. Instead of raising $100,000, the campaign raised over one million dollars (from close to 21,000 different backers). She passed the initial $100,000 goal on the campaign's first day, and raised a Kickstarter record $379,000 in two days.
What's the money being used for? For one thing, manufacturing and promotion. And artwork: Palmer says she's "been working in secret with OVER THIRTY visual artist friends of mine... to create a massive explosion of song-inspired album art, in all different kinds of media."
As with any Kickstarter campaign, people can choose to contribute a variety of dollar amounts, and get progressively more valuable goodies as the amount increases. (Palmer's campaign was distinctive for offering nearly two dozen donation amounts and accompanying goodies.) If you just want the MP3 version of the new album (which is what I chose), the cost is only $1.
 |
| It's baaack: The Internet Underground Music Archive returns! |
* Before MP3.com, eMusic, etc., the Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) was the place to discover new music with licensed downloads. As a "GigaOm" article notes, "the site also struggled to pioneer a business model for online music, and eventually shut down in 2006, with hundreds of thousands of songs going offline – until now." (At one point, IUMA was actually bought by eMusic, which is still going today.)
Jason Scott, the man behind Textfiles.com, eventually rescued IUMA by uploading a large portion of it to the Internet Archive, Archive.org. Browse through IUMA and take a trip back in time, musically speaking. To learn more about IUMA's history, read Scott's description here, which includes a link to a CNN video on IUMA (from 1994!).
Monday, June 04, 2012
Now Streaming: New CDs from Metric, The Hives, Alejandro Escovedo, & More
Some great albums are up for online streaming this week, including new releases from some of my favorites: Metric, Alejandro Escovedo, The Hives, Shawn Colvin, and Rhett Miller. And that's just for starters; you'll also be able to listen to the new albums by Pujol, The Temper Trap, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Melvins, Langhorne Slim, and soul legend Bobby Womack.
Above: One of the "Reflections" videos Metric produced for its new album, "Synthetica."
Speaking of legends, Womack isn't the only veteran artists with a new album on preview. This week you'll find the first new album by The Beach Boys in what seems like forever (see a New York Times review), a new release by Joe Walsh, and a special box set (and other commemorative editions) marking the the 25th anniversary Paul Simon's "Graceland."
I've been a fan of Shawn Colvin since I first saw her play with a rock band she had back in the early 1980s, so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing "All Fall Down," her first studio album in almost six years. It comes out tomorrow, the same day that Colvin's autobiography, "Diamond in the Rough," is released. (Colvin will do an appearance and book signing in New York Tuesday, June 6th at 6 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble in Tribeca.)
There's a second chance to listen to the new album from The Walkmen, Crocodiles, and Jherek Bischoff. And for all the fans of '80s rock and big hair, AOL Music is streaming the soundtrack of the "Rock of Ages" movie this week.
SoundCloud:
"Synthetica" by Metric
NPR First Listen:
"There's No Leaving Now" by Tallest Man on Earth
"'The Bravest Man In The Universe" by Bobby Womack
"In Our Heads" by Hot Chip
Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Lex Hives" by The Hives
"Big Station" by Alejandro Escovedo
"Endless Flowers" by Crocodiles
"Heaven" by The Walkmen
"The Temper Trap" by The Temper Trap
"That's Why God Made the Radio" by The Beach Boys
"Graceland (25th Anniversary Box Set)" by Paul Simon
"The Dreamer" by Rhett Miller
"United States of Being" by Pujol
"Freak Puke" by The Melvins
"The Way We Move" by Langhorne Slim
"Composed" by Jherek Bischoff
"Analog" Man by Joe Walsh
AOL Music Listening Party:
"Rock of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by various artists
"All Fall Down" by Shawn Colvin
Above: One of the "Reflections" videos Metric produced for its new album, "Synthetica."
Speaking of legends, Womack isn't the only veteran artists with a new album on preview. This week you'll find the first new album by The Beach Boys in what seems like forever (see a New York Times review), a new release by Joe Walsh, and a special box set (and other commemorative editions) marking the the 25th anniversary Paul Simon's "Graceland."
I've been a fan of Shawn Colvin since I first saw her play with a rock band she had back in the early 1980s, so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing "All Fall Down," her first studio album in almost six years. It comes out tomorrow, the same day that Colvin's autobiography, "Diamond in the Rough," is released. (Colvin will do an appearance and book signing in New York Tuesday, June 6th at 6 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble in Tribeca.)
There's a second chance to listen to the new album from The Walkmen, Crocodiles, and Jherek Bischoff. And for all the fans of '80s rock and big hair, AOL Music is streaming the soundtrack of the "Rock of Ages" movie this week.
SoundCloud:
"Synthetica" by Metric
NPR First Listen:
"There's No Leaving Now" by Tallest Man on Earth
"'The Bravest Man In The Universe" by Bobby Womack
"In Our Heads" by Hot Chip
Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Lex Hives" by The Hives
"Big Station" by Alejandro Escovedo
"Endless Flowers" by Crocodiles
"Heaven" by The Walkmen
"The Temper Trap" by The Temper Trap
"That's Why God Made the Radio" by The Beach Boys
"Graceland (25th Anniversary Box Set)" by Paul Simon
"The Dreamer" by Rhett Miller
"United States of Being" by Pujol
"Freak Puke" by The Melvins
"The Way We Move" by Langhorne Slim
"Composed" by Jherek Bischoff
"Analog" Man by Joe Walsh
AOL Music Listening Party:
"Rock of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by various artists
"All Fall Down" by Shawn Colvin
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Jimmy Cliff Kicks Off 2012 Celebrate Brooklyn Free Concerts June 5th (Schedule)
Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff takes the stage this Tuesday, June 5th to open the 2012 season of free concerts at Celebrate Brooklyn. Tuesday's show begins at 8 p.m.
The Celebrate Brooklyn concerts take place at the Prospect Park bandshell, near 9th Street and Prospect Park West. Although all the shows below are free, a $3 contribution is suggested. There are some great folk/rock/indie acts such as Cliff, Laura Marling, Keb' Mo, Wild Flag, and Lyle Lovett, but you'll also find Latin, gospel, soul, and R&B. I find that these free shows are good for checking out artists and genres that I might not ordinarily see live. (Listen to songs from the artists at the "Celebrate Brooklyn Shuffle" SoundCloud page.)
Here's the lineup; click on the links for each artist/show to see more details (and, in many cases, videos):
 |
| Celebrate Brooklyn returns this week. Mark your calendars! |
The Celebrate Brooklyn concerts take place at the Prospect Park bandshell, near 9th Street and Prospect Park West. Although all the shows below are free, a $3 contribution is suggested. There are some great folk/rock/indie acts such as Cliff, Laura Marling, Keb' Mo, Wild Flag, and Lyle Lovett, but you'll also find Latin, gospel, soul, and R&B. I find that these free shows are good for checking out artists and genres that I might not ordinarily see live. (Listen to songs from the artists at the "Celebrate Brooklyn Shuffle" SoundCloud page.)
Here's the lineup; click on the links for each artist/show to see more details (and, in many cases, videos):
- Tues., June 5th - Jimmy Cliff - 8 p.m. (NPR Music will webcast this show)
- Sat., June 9th - AfroCubism (a collaboration of all-star Malian and Cuban musicians / Alsarah & The Nubatones - 7:30 p.m.
- Thurs., June 14th - Laura Marling / Michael Kiwanuka / Willy Mason - 7 p.m.
- Sat., June 16th - Balkan Beat Box / Chico Trujillo / Nation Beat - 6:30 p.m.
- Thurs., June 21st - Mary Mary / Latice Crawford - 7:30 p.m.
- Fri., June 22nd - Keb' Mo' / Natalia Zukerman - 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., June 23rd - Bud Light Music Series: Lyricist Lounge 20th Anniversary featuring Ghostface Killah / Camp Lo / Astro / & More - 7:30 p.m.
- Fri., June 29th - Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue / The Brooklyn Steppers / Dayna Kurtz - 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., June 30th - Angélique Kidjo's Women Waging Peace with Special Guests Laurie Anderson / Sibongile Khumalo / Somi - 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., July 7th - Souad Massi / Simon Shaheen - 7:30 p.m.
- Sun., July 8th - Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert: Sweet Honey in The Rock - 4 p.m.
- Fri., July 13th - Bud Light Latin Music Series: Celebrate Brooklyn & LAMC present Calle 13 / Ana Tijoux / Ritmo Machine - 7 p.m.
- Fri., July 20th - Machel Montano / BélO - 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., July 21st - Bud Light Latin Music Series: Arturo Sandoval / Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - 7:30 p.m.
- Fri., July 27th - The Head and the Heart / Lost in the Trees - 7:30 p.m.
- Fri., August 3rd - Wild Flag / Mission of Burma - 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., August 4th - The Del McCoury Band / Cahalen Morrison & Eli West / Spirit Family Reunion - 6:30 p.m.
- Fri., August 10th - Bud Light Music Series: Little Dragon / Frankie Rose / Voices of Black - 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., August 11th - Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group / Aoife O'Donovan - 7:30 p.m.
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