Music Notes: Marissa Nadler Interview, More "Today" Show Concerts, Steve Cropper Talks About His Idols

Video for Marissa Nadler's "Alabaster Queen," from her self-titled album. 

Here's a mishmash of musical news, with notes on live performances, interviews with musicians, and more.

• Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper has played with many greats over the decades. On his latest album, he pays tribute to his idols, the 5 Royales. Hear an interview with Cropper here.
• Marissa Nadler is the subject of an interview in The Rumpus. I really like this singer-songwriter's new self-titled album, and will be interested to learn more about her.
• Two more shows have been added to the "Today" Show free concert series: Blondie (on Sept. 12) and Lady Antebellum (Sept. 13) will play the popular early-morning series in Rockefeller Plaza. (Info via NewYorkology.com)
• YouTube has signed a licensing deal with music publishers, ending a four-year legal battle. Under the deal, which covers songwriting rights, YouTube will pay licensing fees to the National Music Publishers Association. According to the L.A. Times, the deal "paves the way for YouTube and Google to begin monetizing user-generated videos that contain music written by artists represented by the NMPA."
• The 10th anniversary of the film "O Brother Where Art Thou" is being marked with the release of a two-CD collection featuring more old-timey music from the movie, featuring artists who weren't on the original disc (which is included as part of the set), such as Van Dyke Parks, Colin Linden, and Alan O'Bryant. It also features more songs from the performers who appeared on the 2001 album.

Concert Updates & Free Music Downloads for Hurricane Irene

Spend the hurricane weekend downloading free MP3 sampler albums, like this Kill Rock Stars 20th anniversary compilation.

I was set to write a post yesterday about free concerts coming up for this weekend... and then the news of Hurricane Irene broke. Needless to say, if the storm comes anywhere near shore, any outdoor concerts are going to be cancelled.

I wish that I had posted info about Thursday's free show featuring Wavves and Dee Dee from the Dum Dum Girls at the East River Amphitheater, since today's rain apparently held up and the concert indeed took place. (If anyone went to it, please post your reactions in the comments section below.)

This weekend's shows were to include the H-Mag Music Festival at Hoboken's Pier A park on Saturday, featuring The Walkmen and School of Seven Bells, among others. The good news is that the show will be taking place, and soon. A note on the H-Mag Music Festival website says, "The Music Fest WILL be rescheduled to an upcoming weekend in September with date TBA as soon as possible."

The Afro-Punk Festival in Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn is still a go, it seems... for now. Santigold, Das Racist, Gym Class Heroes, and others are scheduled to play on Saturday, while Cee Lo Green, Toshi Reagan, Janelle Monae, and others are set to take the stage on Sunday.

An update on the Afro-Punk site reads, "The program of the Afro-Punk Festival hasn't changed until further notice, as this is a rain or shine event. We care about your safety and we'll make announcements if we have to modify the program." For the latest weather updates, check the Afro-Punk Twitter account.

(Brooklyn Vegan notes that a couple of artists have said that the Afro-Punk fest is cancelled. Let's hope the organizers issue an announcement soon to sort this all out.)

For indoor free shows that may or may not be taking place this weekend, see the Oh My Rockness free shows list.

Regarding the big for-pay festival set to take place this weekend—the Dave Matthews Band Caravan on Governors Island—the show will take place as scheduled on Friday, but the Saturday and Sunday shows have been postponed.

If you're hanging out indoors this weekend and don't have to evacuate the premises, this will be the perfect chance to download some free music, and Amazon.com has a new batch of free samplers to choose from. Among them:

• 23 This Year: The Sub Pop Amazon Sampler, with tunes by artists such as Fleet Foxes, the Head and the Heart, Chad Vangaalen, Dum Dum Girls, J Mascis, and Sebadoh.
  
• Merge Records 2011 Sampler, featuring Times New Viking, Apex Manor, Mountain Goats, Wye Oak, and Destroyer, among others.
  
• Kill Rock Stars 20 Year Anniversary Sampler, with songs by performers including Elliott Smith, The Thermals, Bratmobile, Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Quasi, Corin Tucker Band, and The Decemberists.
  
• Bloodshot Indie-Pendants Sampler, with contributions from artists such as Exene Cervenka, The Detroit Cobras, Justin Townes Earle, Firewater, and Maggie Bjorklund with Mark Lanegan.

There are many more, so check them out and get downloading. Assuming your electricity doesn't go out...

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Dave Stewart, Stephin Merritt, CSS, & More

Video for "The Gypsy Girl and Me," from Dave Stewart's new album.

After last week's free preview of the debut album by Jeff Bridges, I was curious to see what album previews would be showing up online this week. Well, how about "The Blackbird Diaries," the first solo album in 13 years by Dave Stewart (of The Eurythmics), recorded in Nashville with guests including Stevie Nicks and Colbie Caillat?  Or a collection of outtakes and rarities from Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields? Patti Smith is also represented with "Outside Society," the first single-disc retrospective (18 songs) to span her entire career.

Some other new previews this week that I haven't heard yet but am looking forward to:
"Dos" by Andrea Echeverri, half of the Colombian rock band Aterciopelados ... a new CD from Canadian singer-songwriter Ana Egge ... the self-titled album by Committed, the gospel-singing winners of NBC's a cappella singing competition, "The Sing-Off" ... "La Liberacion," the latest album by the always entertaining Brazilian party-rock band CSS ... and "Tassili," the newest effort by Tinariwen, the guitar-based collective from Mali.

See the websites below for even more free album previews, since the titles below are just a sampling. Generally the albums stream online for one week; I give the date if the album is available longer than that.

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"The Blackbird Diaries" by Dave Stewart
"Obscurities" by Stephin Merritt
"La Liberacion" by CSS
"Rise Ye Sunken Ships" by We Are Augustines
"Bad Blood" by Ana Egge
"Outside Society" by Patti Smith (a greatest-hits album)
"Let Alone Sea" by Arrica Rose & the ...'s

NPR First Listen:
"Dos" by Andrea Echeverri

KCRW Album Preview: 
"Tassili" by Tinariwen (streaming through Sept. 20)

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Committed" by Committed

Which albums are you looking forward to hearing the most?

Singer Daria Musk to Play Live Google Hangout Concert Tonight

Singer-songwriter Daria Musk hosts her latest Google hangout concert tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Singer-songwriter Daria Musk has attracted thousands of curious viewers and many new fans with the two live concerts she has held on Google Plus (also called Google+ or G+), taking advantage of G+'s features for sharing and commenting on live video through the "hangout" feature. And she'll be holding her third "Google hangout concert" tonight, August 20th, at 6 p.m. Eastern time (you can watch above).

Sometimes a new technology can give an up-and-coming musician a big break; other times a performer can give a new technology a jump start. Both may be taking place in the case of Musk and Google Plus, the search giant's latest move into social media.

I heard of Musk when she held her second concert a few weeks ago and watched part of it. I had to run out and do errands for an hour or so, and was surprised that when I got back home Musk was still singing and playing… and using G+'s features to chat with viewers from around the U.S. and the world. (You can see Musk's Google Plus posts here, and add her to your circles.)

I found out the next morning that the Connecticut-based singer-songwriter's Google hangout concert had lasted seven and a half hours (including breaks to chat with fans and talk about her music, career, etc.). The promotions for tonight's hangout concert say it "Goes all night," so it sounds like you can expect another marathon evening of music from the engaging singer and songwriter. You can watch the concert at the window above or on YouTube.

You can chat with Musk during the concert at www.hangoutparty.com or reach her on Twitter using the hashtag #DariaMusk.

Musk was inspired by her hangout concerts to write a song, "+1 Me," that you can download free. And she has an EP (which includes "+1 Me") which you can buy on iTunes. You can see her videos at her YouTube page, youtube.com/dariamusk, and follow her on Twitter at @DariaMusk.

It's hard to tell what the future of Google Plus will be. But Daria Musk's career has certainly gotten a big boost from the technology's live hangout and sharing features.

Watch Daria Musk's hangout concert above starting at 6 p.m. Eastern, or watch on YouTube.


Daria Musk performing "You Move Me" during her second Google hangout concert.

Concert Notes: Cheap Trick in Brooklyn Tonight, Black Eyed Peas Reschedule Central Park Show, & More

Tickets for Wild Flag at Bowery Ballroom on Oct. 18th are on sale now. Above, the band plays "Future Crimes" at South by Southwest 2011.

There's still plenty of punch left in the free summer concert season, and a slate of good shows for September and beyond is already shaping up. Here's what's happening with some selected shows:

* Cheap Trick in Coney Island at the Seaside Summer Concert series, tonight, 7:30 p.m. The Seaside site lists the opening act as Mickey Leigh's New Yorkestra, but I've seen another opening act mentioned elsewhere. West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, next to the Brooklyn Cyclones' baseball stadium.

* The Black Eyed Peas Central Park concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 30th. As you'll remember, their June show was cancelled before it started by heavy rain, high winds, and lightning. As before, the "Concert 4 NYC" will benefit the Robin Hood Fund. The site has info on how to attend if you won or bought tickets for the June show. You can also buy tickets for the Sept. 30th show (expensive, but it benefits the charity). 7 p.m., the Great Lawn, Central Park.

* Wild Flag tickets for Bowery Ballroom on Oct. 18th went on sale yesterday. If you're a fan of female-powered indie rock, you'll want to see the all-woman "supergroup" in October (especially if, like me, you missed their recent show at the Williamsburg Waterfront with Sonic Youth).

Wild Flag is also playing Maxwell's in Hoboken on Oct. 16th; get tickets here.The Oct. 15th show at Bell House is sold out.

The band consists of two-thirds of Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss), Mary Timony (Helium and her solo work), and Rebecca Cole (The Minders). Tickets will sell fast for Wild Flag, which drops its self-titled debut album Sept. 13th. (Pre-order "Wild Flag"at Amazon.com.)

* The Union County Music Festival in Clark, NJ will be held the weekend of Sept. 16th through 18th. I was impressed with the lineup at this free festival last year, and this year's has a fun roster of artists, too, including Blondie, Neon Trees, Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea, Southside Johnny, Ed Kowalczyk of Live, The Smithereens, Paul Rodgers, and Toad the Wet Sprocket. I'll have more info on this festival in a forthcoming post.

What shows are you looking forward to seeing this weekend? Leave your comments below!

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Jeff Bridges, Beirut, Muppets Covers, & More

Above: Preview the self-titled first album by Jeff Bridges this week (link below). In the album trailer above, Bridges talks about the album (which drops today), with snippets from some of the tunes.

There's an unusual mix of old and new musicians in this week's free album previews. Pavement member Stephen Malkmus is back with his latest solo album with his backing band The Jicks, and Beirut returns with its third full-length release.

But there's also the first album from Jeff Bridges—yes, The Dude abides with his own disc of tunes, produced by T-Bone Burnett. Although Bridges says he's been playing music since he was 13, playing a country singer in the movie "Crazy Heart" left him with some songs and the impetus to record them.

And if you're a fan of The Muppets, you'll want to check out the album of pop and rock heavyweights (including OK Go, Weezer, Amy Lee, and My Morning Jacket) covering tunes made famous by the soft-and-fuzzy stars of TV and film.

As usual, the albums are generally available for free streaming only for a week (sometimes more); the exact date is listed if known.

KCRW Album Preview: 
"Mirror Traffic" by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (available for streaming through Aug. 28)
"Ghostbird" by Zee Avi (streaming through Sept. 13)

NPR First Listen:
"The Rip Tide" by Beirut
"Apokalypsis" by Chelsea Wolfe
"Muppets: The Green Album" by various artists
"Neon Blue Bird" by Ollabelle

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin" by Breaking Benjamin
"Songs and Stories" by Guy Clark

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Jeff Bridges" by Jeff Bridges
"The Duke and the King" by The Duke and the King

And AOL Music and Spinner have many more new albums for free preview this week, including "Bright Lights" by Dead Man Winter (featuring Dave Simonett from Trampled by Turtles), "Shine" by Speed the Plough, "Burning Your House Down" by The Jim Jones Revue, "Out of Love" by Mister Heavenly (featuring members of Islands, Man Man, and Modest Mouse), and "Girl Graffiti" by Hotel Lights (featuring former Ben Folds Five drummer Darren Jessee).