Amy Speace

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

~photo Crackerfarm

LOCATION:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$7 - 9:00PM - 21+

DIRECTIONS: CLICK


Folk singer/songwriter Amy Speace is coming to Café Nine in New Haven on July 7.

Her new album The Killer In Me, out June 30, is Amy's second on Judy Collins' Wildflower Records, and the legendary folk singer is so fond of Amy's new song "The Weight of the World" that she's been singing it at her own shows.

Amy wrote the songs on The Killer In Me following the end of her ten-year marriage during a period of isolation in the Catskills. The result is a "deep, dark album full of lush, emotive lyrics, masterful acoustic guitar work and just the right mix of percussion...If you bemoan the lack of solid singer-songwriters in the folk world who can bridge inner turmoil with universal experience, Speace is just what you need to hear" (Washington Post, 6.12.09).

And NPR.org describes the title track as "twangy and tragic...and her velvety, achy voice recalls an early Lucinda Williams. Sounding grounded but wounded, Speace exudes the vulnerability of someone who's loved and lost."

The Static Jacks

Sunday, June 28, 2009 - The Static Jacks come to Bill Baloney's Bar in Danbury. Cover $10, doors open at 7:00PM.

"It's hard to find a piece of press on The Static Jacks that doesn't mention the Strokes, but aside from the band's young age (19) and affinity for tight denim and boxy guitars, that comparison is tenuous. For one, the Strokes hardly ever play in the 6/4 cadence you hear in "The Waltz". They also never sounded like they were having as much fun thrashing bar chords and singing soul melodies as these guys do on "Stay A Lover." Finally! An indie band with optimism! We just picked up these Jersey natives for our in-house label, so dip into the tunes below and be stoked that there are kids still buying guitars out there instead of Ableton."
----RCRDLBL.com

Birds of Avalon

photo~ Gary Copeland

Thursday, June 25, 2009 - Cafe Nine New Haven, CT $6 COVER - 21+

Birds of Avalon already have a full length and an EP under their belts that have both been very well received, especially amongst some of the raddest bands who have asked the band to support them on tours. In the past two years, they have been asked to open on tours by the Raconteurs, Black Mountain, Flaming Lips, Monotonix, and Ted Leo. The band recorded the upcoming album themselves with all analog equipment in their rehearsal space and Mitch Easter (REM, Wilco, Pavement) helped mix the album.

"a swirl of "angular” (Siler) and "linear" (Kumar) guitar work and driving drums accompanied by dreamy lyrical pop sensibilities (Tilley) that have reviewers throwing around words like "swaggering" and "magnetic," and citing Birds of Avalon as "potent proof" that intelligent guitar rock does, indeed, exist." - Venus

"…twin-guitar blast of scuzzed, fuzzed, and buzzed Cheap Trick cheekiness" - Spin Magazine

"The bouncy, dual-guitar riffed "Measure Of The Same" comes from said six-song EP, but it could've also come from a six-song EP released in the late '60s… Perhaps (Mitch Easter is) onto something with this analog thing." – Stereogum

“Mr. White or not, I pity the Racounteurs for having to follow Birds of Avalon. Anyone that’s seen BoA, or Paul and Cheetie’s former band Cherry Valance, knows the heat them dueling North Carolina guitars bring. They make melodic, progressive 1970s rock sound so fucking immediate.” – The Stranger

“The guitar flourishes and flights that the Birds of Avalon peck out are mountainous and dexterous, smacking of all of the glories that the instrument can produce with a suitable dance partner and the very things that make players contort their faces into orgasmic scramblings in front of complete strangers like my neighbor here… Birds of Avalon give a reminder that huge guitars can never go out of style and that Thin Lizzy and Tom Petty used to be as big as it got. Going back to that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” – Daytrotter

“Birds of Avalon are flying high with their new EP, Outer Upper Inner (Volcom), which sounds like a lost classic-rock album from the ’70s with its deftly tangled guitars and melodically spacy vocals” – LA Weekly

“It is no wonder Ted Leo labeled Birds of Avalon one of his favorite new bands. The North Carolina-based band is all about the rock, and have plenty of punk attitude to boot. Pile (Outer Upper Inner) on top of their debut, Bazaar Bazaar, and this band is putting together some strong support for Ted Leo’s claim.” – Popmatters

Artspace Underground This Weekend

Don’t miss out on the last Artspace Underground of the academic year, Saturday, June 27th, from 8-11pm. ARTSPACE UNDERGROUND: 50 Orange Street • New Haven CT 06510

On June 27th, the last day of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, it’s all about good music and performance. For the first time ever, Artspace brings you three bands: If Jesus Had Machine Guns, The Cavemen Go and The Hush Now. As always, 116 Crown provides drinks, and specially priced “Art-2-Go!” will be available for purchase. Artspace Underground kicks your summer off to a good start. $5 admission includes one free drink ticket; $6 dollar drinks. Wear something really wild and get in for $3!

If Jesus Had Machine Guns, fronted by Jimi Patterson, is an intensely personal experience. With no formal training in music, he experiments with electronic sounds and traditional instruments, recording tracks in isolation from the influences of conventional sound. He speaks about love and decay, reinterpreting age-old folk themes and bending them to fit the contours of the landscape of now. He is a man with a vision of the world that is at once informed by the history of American music and at the same time immersed in avant-garde expressions of individuality. One man, standing on the shoulders of giants, howling at the future.

If that’s not enough, The Cavemen Go, an all-original New Haven/Boston based indie-pop quartet, is sure to get you riled up. Following the recording and release of their self-titled debut EP in 2003 and their follow up EP never part again in 2005, the band went to work on their debut full-length album new lives. Self-produced by the band in New Haven’s East Rock neighborhood, an area steeped in old houses and history, new lives presents the culmination of three hard years of songwriting, rehearsing, performing and recording.

The Hush Now will take the gallery by storm. The Boston indie-pop quintet has made an impression on music critics and fans by wedding the “lush sugar-spun melodies of shoegaze’s dreamy heyday” to “the hooky muscle of bands like Guided by Voices and Built To Spill.” The Indie Rock Cafe writes that “The Hush Now’s magical debut record is a boost for any band.” The band’s self-titled debut, released last October, climbed independent radio top 100 charts and drew comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Guided By Voices, Poole, and The Ocean Blue, among others. Blog buzz and radio play by legendary BBC 6 DJ Steve Lamacq further fueled interest in the band, who had yet to even play their first gig. The Hush Now is currently touring and finishing a follow-up to their self-titled debut, available for free download at www.myspace.com/thehushnow. The Hush Now is brought to you by Tweefort Productions.

Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band

Conor Oberst , of Bright Eyes fame, will be at Toads place the day before Independence Day with good ol' Americana tunes.



Friday July 3rd @ Toads Place New Haven, CT
Doors - 8:00pm
$22.50 adv / $25 day of show
Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band
Deep Sea Diver
Michael Runion

An Old Prince

photo ~ justin broadbent

Shad is an emerging hip hop phenom from Canada who's making his way through the States this summer in support of his new album, The Old Prince, while on the VANS Warped Tour. His style falls between Tribe Called Quest and Kanye West. He's even opened for Common and Lupe Fiasco. Simply put, Shad kills it. CT Indie doesn't get to cover hip hop as much as we'd like, let alone hip hop this good. Yeah, Shad is trying to break through, yeah, this is major label, yeah, the VANS Warped Tour has, like, zero indie cred. Whatever. It's about the music. There are a ton of acts that will come to Hartford on July 12, 2009 on the Warped Tour, but unlike the rest of them, Shad's PR people were grassroots enough to find our little local blog and send us a message. That can't be beat. So, whether or not you're going to Warped, be sure to check out Shad one way or another, and hopefully he'll come back around headlining his own tour.

June 26th @ The Space - Elizabeth & The Catapult , The Soldier Story , Cristina Harris and Christa Gniadek

Simple bliss. Check out the NPR chat here: CLICK



Thursday June 26th @ The Space, $10

Elizabeth & The Catapult
The Soldier Story
Cristina Harris
Christa Gniadek

Rock yer Socks Triple Kick

Rock yer Socks has a trilogy of shows this week:

6/17/2009 4:00 PM at GHOST MICE @ The Wrench In the Works Collective- ALL AGES
861 Main St., Willimantic, Connecticut
Cost: $5
GM is a 100% acoustic group. Ghost Mice’s lyrics mostly involve trying to hold onto a positive outlook on life in the midst of fear and depression. Common themes of their songs include riding bikes, eating healthy food, love, stealing, scamming, traveling, building sustainable radical communities, death, family, depression, and suicide. Opening band: No Jazz Tonight. This show is an early one, in fact, it starts in a little over an hour! Get your slacker ass moving!

6/19/2009 8:00 PM at Endless Mike and the Beagle Club! @ The Thunderdome- ALL AGES
Inquire Within, Manchester, Connecticut
Cost: Donations!!
This band was born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It writes songs about discouraging times and plays those songs with enough hope and joy to put a smile on even the most hardened cynic’s face. Even their own. Touring with friends The Sunflower Spectacle. Opening band: Mutiny Amongst Friends. Vegetarian/Vegan Poluck, bring a dish and a friend to share.

6/20/2009 9:00 PM at DJ REAL!! Indie Night at the Grady Tavern-21+
622 E. Middle Turnpike, Manchester, Connecticut
Cost: $2
Awesome show alert! DJ REAL (comedy rap stylings), The Unit Breed (psychedelia from Portland, OR), Night of the Rabbit (Slack from Willimantic), and Death to New England (members of the Battlecats, Lamb Bombs, and Joanie Loves Tchotchkes)

Figurehead

One of the fish that got away from us recently was the Figurehead Sticker Expo that went down on May 30, 2009. The Figurehead Experiment is a CT-based culture jam and the expo included local music. And we missed it. We suck.

Saturday @ Real Art Ways

CT Improvising Composers Chamber Project

Saturday, June 13, 8 PM
$15/$10 for students and members

Four amazing composers are going to get together this weekend at Real Art Ways. I'm not sure what to expect from this show, but it will probably be a really fun night...

From Real Art Ways:

David Darling is a Grammy-nominated composer, and cellist. Darling has collaborated with a wide variety of international artists, including Arlo Guthrie, Spyro Gyra, Bobby McFerrin, the Hong Kong Ballet, Baba Olatunji, and Jonathan Walken of Pilobolus.

Multi-instrumentalist Stephen Haynes currently performs with Bill Dixon’s Seventeen Musicians in Search of a Sound ensemble, Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra/NY and is a charter member of Cecil Taylor's AHA! Orchestra. Over the years Haynes has worked with a wide range of musicians: George Russell, LaMonte Young, Butch Morris, Rhys Chatham, Leroy Jenkins and the Dells. Haynes was Real Art Ways' Composer-In-Residence 2004-2005.

Mario Pavone has worked intensively within the New Haven scene. He was a founding member of the New Haven, Connecticut based Creative Music Improvisers Forum. He has worked with pianist Paul Bley, Thomas Chapin, Archie Shepp, Bill Dixon, and Anthony Braxton and is the founder of the record label Alacra.

Composer-trombonist Peter McEachern has toured and recorded three CDs for Polygram with blues legend Clarence Gatemouth Brown. He has worked and recorded with minimalist LaMonte Young, and The Thomas Chapin Trio. McEachern Played with the Mario Pavone Septet on Song for Septet.

With special guest drummer Satoshi Takeishi, who last played in the Real Art Ways theater in September 2008 alongside Dhafer Youssef and Nguyên Lê.

Note that no paper tickets will be issued. All ticket holders should check in at the café after 6 PM on Saturday, June 13

Get more info and buy tickets here.

Radio Interview on Homegrown w/Rob DeRosa

Thursday, June 11, 2009, Tweefort and CT Indie were featured on WESU's 88.1 FM radio show Homegrown. We blabbed mostly about the upcoming Two Boots show on this Saturday, June 13, how great a venue Two Boots is, and gave a heads-up about future Tweefort shows. I piped in about the CT Indie blog and talked a little about Werewolf Police. Plus, there was a call-in about the upcoming B.O.M.B Fest this weekend.

The whole show can be downloaded here: CLICK

Here is the play list:

Don't Ya Wanna by The Reducers
Birds They Chirp by Werewolf Police
Cadilac by The Cavemen Go
Lifetouch by Welcome
A Witness by Atrina
It Was Nice Meeting You Again by The Smyrk
Listen Everybody by The Manchurians
I Forget by The Peacock Flounders
Wicked Time by Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez
Prison Shrink by The Paul Brockett Roadshow
Monteal by Kristen Graves
No Dreams Complete by Zoo Front

Danielson, Woods at Toquet Hall

Friday, June 12th @ The Toquet Hall Teen Center, Westport CT
$12 ($10 adv)
7:00PM, all ages

Danielson
Woods
Midi & the Modern Dance
Sidewalk Dave

Kudos to Manic Productions for bringing the beardo psych-pop of Brooklyn's Woods to the Toquet Teen Center in Westport tomorrow night. Their latest, Songs Of Shame , has been in heavy rotation in CT Indie headquarters of late. It has all the hallmarks of experimental lo-fi recording (fuzzed-out doubled vocals, octave harmonies, questionable tuning, experimental leanings), but with enough catchy hooks to make it all worthwhile. Pitchfork.tv has a recent show from the Market Hotel that will certainly whet yr appetites. Perfect for all you hipster fucks.

Danielson is heading up from Clarksboro, New Jersey to play some indie pop gospel music. The group consists of frontman Daniel Smith and a number of various artists with whom he collaborates. The band is known for Smith's squeaky falsetto vocals, innovative musical arrangements, and matching nurse uniforms. For fans of Sufjan Stevens.

This is also a CD release show for local softies Midi & the Modern Dance. The alt.country strummings of New Haven's Sidewalk Dave start things off.

This show is at the Toquet Hall Teen Center. If you are not a student and wish to attend please call Kevin at 203-341-1155 and you will be put on a list to ensure entry (if the show doesn't sell out in advance) Tickets are available at the Toquet Hall box office only.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

They Might Be Giants are holding a free family concert on the New Haven green on Sunday.

Show starts at 6:00! Put your hand inside the puppet head and get your fangs down to the green right away. If you miss this, you'll be extra sorry. Bring your kids!

Maps & Atlases and more

Mixing math rock with pop vocals, Maps and Atlases are sure to bring some sunshine to you on this rainy day.




Tonight @ The Space , $10


Maps & Atlases
So Many Dynamos
Fang Island
The Ghost Sonata

Boy Genius, Werewolf Police, Surefire Broadcast

Saturday, June 13 at Two Boots


Bridgeport — Brooklyn, NY indiepop band Boy Genius will perform Saturday, June 13 at Two Boots, 281 Fairfield Ave., in Bridgeport, Conn. Opening for the band will be Connecticut-based indie rock band Werewolf Police and New Jersey pop band Surefire Broadcast.

Music begins at 10 p.m. Cost at the door is $5. The show is all-ages.

Boy Genius are fresh from playing a rocking set at New York’s annual Popfest with bands from all over the Unites States and from as far away as Sweden and Finland. They site such bands as Miracle Legion, Pavement, Teenage Fanclub and the Pixies as influences, and the ’90s college rock ethos is evident in their sound.

The indiepop blog Indie MP3 said about the band:

Boy Genius cast their influences a lot wider than simple Americana, they have an inner indiepop heartbeat and this is all adds up to a rather compelling mix of American college rock and British indiepop...I think this band are going to be something a little special.

Brooklyn Vegan said the following about Boy Genius:

Boy Genius are definitely within the indiepop realm but not too sugary, not too precious, relying on well-crafted melodies and gentle, mostly-acoustic instrumentation to carry the songs...Boy Genius deserve more attention than they've gotten, hopefully that will come soon.

Kensington indie-rock outfit Werewolf Police recently released their full-length album, “Ruin My Night,” to positive reviews. The band is inspired by the likes of Guided By Voices, Modest Mouse, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine.

Werewolf Police said this about themselves:

If you fail to come to this show, this cute kitten might be harmed:

Review blog “Even In The Future Nothing Works” said about “Ruin My Night:”

The influence Guided By Voices have had on Tynan Cooney’s singing are apparent, yet not oppressive, come to think of it, I’d recommend Werewolf Police to GBV fans who are looking for something slightly softer.


Surefire Broadcast is a three-piece indie pop band hailing from Southern New Jersey. Formed in 2003, SFBC has remained an active force in the independent music scene since their first show. In the past five years SFBC has been turning the locals on with their unique crash pop sound. The band points to Yo La Tengo, Rocketship, Unrest, Black Tambourine, The Velvet Underground and many other bands as influences.

Underground Productions said about Surefire Broadcast:

Beautifully crafted indie pop, a touch of shoegaze guitar, and a surprising knack to make you want to shake your ass, Surefire Broadcast are a trio ready to have fun. Strapped with Rickenbackers, this band pays tribute to Buddy Holly as much as they do to bands like Rocketship, The Shins, and Grandaddy.


For more information on Boy Genius:
http://www.myspace.com/boygeniuses

For more information on Werewolf Police:
http://www.myspace.com/werewolfpolice
http://werewolfpolice.com/

For more information on Surefire Broadcast:
http://www.myspace.com/surefirebroadcast
http://www.surefirebroadcast.com/

B.O.M.B. Fest

Saturday, June 13, 2009

B.O.M.B. Fest is this Saturday at Harkness Memorial State Park. Harkness is a beautiful, off the beaten path, beach park that is well worth the drive. What a killer park to host a music festival. The tickets are steep - $25.00 advance only - you can buy them from the website HERE - but all proceeds are going to two charities: SoundMusic CT, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing summer music back to Harkness Memorial Park, and Make-a-Wish Foundation, a truly amazing organization who really do make dreams become a reality for a lot of kids in need.

This is a multi-stage concert from 4pm-11:30pm.

B.O.M.B. Fest is also on MySpace here: CLICK.

The line up is as follows:

* Main Stage
o Say Anything
o The Cool Kids
o Roots of Creation
o Horse Feathers
o Christine Ohlman
o Clarias
o Thames Valley Youth Symphony

* Side Stage
o Vivacity
o Raquel
o Azael
o Raina Mullen
o Zach Lockwood and The Roseliners
o sayWhat!
o Doctor Rocktopus and The Nunks
o Helena Martin
o Ghosts of Pluto
o Sounds in Silence
o Sarah Peck
o Caitlin Nosal
o Kirsten Brink
o LOLHS Select Singers

You can click over to the B.O.M.B. Fest webpage for more info on most of these acts.

6 Bands, 6 Bucks

While we're on the subject of the Ideat Village festival, Saturday at Cafe 9, it's the Annual Ideat Village Kick-off Party, Music Marathon and "Chinese Auction."

6 BANDS, 6 BUCKS

Your support will help keep Ideat Village free and open to everyone! This is a great event, so come down and show your support.

Here's the line-up:

West Rockers
Eula
The Simple Pleasure
Lamb Bombs
'Twas Windmills
The Roxies (rare acoustic appearance)

Village Ideats

Ideat Village is all action all June. In terms of tunes, I'm not sure who is playing when and where yet, but I spied this event while searching:

Tuesday, June 16 at Temple Street Plaza (Behind the Shubert Theater), Temple Street, New Haven

Wild Woman Radio / Ideat Village presents PROJECT WALKWAY w/ live music by Atrina, Welcome and DJ Bixby 7-10 pm

Pedestrian Deposit +

Friday, June 5, 2009 at 8:00pm


This Friday:

Pedestrian Deposit (mournful strings/electronics duo fresh off of no fun fest, NOT TO BE MISSED)
Open Star Clusters (skronk blasts & sundial drums)
Family Treasures (murky swamp haze from danny moore of heaven people/tellings)
Parakeets (mike + jp + daryl)
Joe Lentini (on tour from philly)
Satanized (on tour)

@ The New Hawaii (139 South End Rd. Southington CT)

--------8 seconds of Family Treasures at old New Hawaii show:

Deer Tick on July 23 VENUE CHANGE

Due to the recent problems at the Wallingford American Legion, the July 23rd show with Deer Tick has been moved to The Space in Hamden. All tickets will be honored.

Thursday, July 23

Deer Tick
Dawes
1 tba

$10, 7:00pm doors - All Ages

@ The Space
295 Treadwell Street (Hamden, CT)


Manic Productions is always looking for cool alternative spaces (halls, warehouse spaces, etc) to do shows, so if you know of anything in the area please send Manic Productions a message!

Eula Tour

Eula are packing up their gear and going off on a short East Coast tour. Here are the dates:

Public Assembly(Brooklyn)-Friday 12th
No Kids Night(Asheville, NC)-Saturday 13th
The Cave(Chapel Hill, NC)-Tuesday 16th
Wind Up Space(Baltimore, MD)-Wednesday 17th
Asbury Lanes(Asbury Park, NJ)-Thursday 18th
Danger Danger Gallery(Philadelphia, PA)-Friday 19th
Up Dog{house party}(Pennington, NJ)-Saturday 20th
Make Music Fest(Brooklyn)-Sunday 21st

Bon voyage!

Doomstar! at Cafe 9

Doomstar! is playing Cafe 9 on Thursday. If you're unfamiliar with Doomstar! then get over to their myspace and listen up. They're a really powerful three-piece from Massachusetts. They seem to be able to throw together plenty of meandering reverbed-out improv jams while still maintaining a coherent sound. To my ears, they're something of a blend of Broken Social Scene, Deerhoof and The Arcade Fire, but seem to be something completely unique. Anyway, they're really great, and by all accounts something that you've got to experience firsthand.

Also playing is the unclassifiable Skeletonbreath. They're also a three-piece: bass, drums, and and violin. This is their record release, they're on Safety Meeting Records. They seem to switch between metal waltzes to gypsy themes and back again and able to turn on a dime. From what I've heard they're a really tight group. They feature members from the fantastic O'Death, so if you're familiar with O'Death chances are you'll like Skeletonbreath.

Rounding out the bill is The Procedure Club. This duo is Adam Malec and Andrea Belair. Adam's no stranger to the CT music scene, as he was a member of the fantastic Groovski and Human Pontiac. The Procedure Club is psych-pop at it's core, sweeping mind-melting guitarwork and beautiful spaced-out female vocals. The Procedure Club's debut CD is out on Mexican online label Skribble Kite Records, and can be downloaded for free at scribblekite.com. What are you waiting for, download it right away!

I've never seen any of these bands, but am looking forward to this show. I'm pretty anxious to see all three. I hope I can make it, and I hope you can too...

Thursday, June 4th. Cafe Nine, 250 State Street, New Haven, CT

The show will cost $6 and begin at 9:00PM. 21+

Delay

It looks like life has caught up with us, sorry about the delay in posts for a while there, we'll resume thrashing out regular updates this week sometime.

Also, everyone wish JD a happy birthday!