Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Video: Goodbye Human by The Mountain Movers!


Video by Scott Amore / The Regal Drug. Song off The Movers' The Day Calls Out for You

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Jukebox The Ghost @ The Space 1/28



This Friday night, the 28th, Philly indie pop band, Jukebox The Ghost will play at The Space in Hamden. The show starts at 7pm and will be supported by CT band The Guru, NJ band Goodman Brown and NY band Great Dane.

During a conversation with Jukebox´s Ben Thornwill he told me that the five week long tour is just starting and a part of it will be on a cruise liner opening up for Barenaked Ladies. Needless to say they´re looking forward to getting away from the cold for a while and who could blame them.

The band has released two records 2008´s Let Live and Let Ghost and Everything Under the Sun that came out on Yep Roc last fall. Their first record was pretty successful by indie standards and Ben credits that to the fact that the band was relentless on the road and played over 300 concerts to promote it. Its highest chart position was #38 on Billboard´s Top Independent Albums. So it´s clear that their hard work paid off and they have been able to give up their daytime jobs.

Everything Under the Sun was recorded here in Connecticut by Peter Katis in his Bridgeport Studio. They didn´t see much of the city since they came here and stayed for about five days at a time. Most of that time was spent working on the record which took them two months in total to make. It was recorded on both tape and hard drive, drums and some guitar were analog and the rest digital.

Last September they were asked to do the David Letterman Show 12 hours in advance. Ben was in Philly when the offer came and the rest of the band in NYC. They jumped on the chance and according to Ben it was an amazing experience to do the show.

So come Friday night put on your snowboots and get yourself to The Space in Hamden and enjoy the show. Admission is $12 or better yet $10 if you buy your ticket in advance.

Jan. 29th - Blank Dogs, The Soft Moon

Saturday, January 29 2011 BLANK DOGS, THE SOFT MOON, APSE



Blank Dogs, The Soft Moon, Apse


Meet at Redscroll Records (for SECRET LOCATION) (map)
24 North Colony Road
Wallingford, CT

8:00pm - All Ages - $8

Blank Dogs
Mike Sniper (aka Blank Dogs) never meant to be one of Brooklyn’s ‘most mysterious musicians’. Things just ended up that way, as the singer/multi-instrumentalist released a steady stream of limited singles and EPs on such reputable indie labels as Sacred Bones, HoZac and Woodsist. Not to mention’s Sniper’s own Captured Tracks imprint—a carefully-curated roster that’s grown as quickly as Blank Dogs itself, thanks to such buzz-stirring releases as Dum Dum Girls’ debut EP and recent records by Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing and Minks.
Captured Tracks
Mp3s: http://www.myspace.com/blankdogtime



The Soft Moon
Raised under the burning sun of the Mojave desert, Vasquez channels both his punk upbringing and Afro-Cuban heritage to sculpt decidedly dystopian soundscapes for a new generation of torn romantics. It’s a record set somewhere in the near post-apocalypse where technology enchants as much as it destroys.
Captured Tracks
Mp3s: http://www.myspace.com/thesoftmoon




Apse
Apse (pronounced /‘apps/) is a cadre of ghosts wailing into the cold New England wind. In recent years the group has channeled itself through ATP Recordings, reaching a larger audience so all can immerse themselves in its dark realms. Its sounds are heard on the tribal atmospheric swamp of Spirit, the drug-addled lo-fi montage Eras, or recently on Climb Up’s more rousing gesture toward the light. The group's live performances - often known for their unmistakable dark intensity and shamanic conjurings - are not to be missed.
Mp3s: http://apsecraft.tumblr.com

Jukebox The Ghost, The Guru, Goodman Brown, Great Dane

Friday, January 28, 2011, Manic Productions presents

Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden, CT

7:00pm - All Ages - $12 ($10 advance)

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

bios from Manic's page

DC's Jukebox the Ghost writes a fresh breed of melodic pop tunes driven by fiery rock momentum. With quirky lyrics and inventive songwriting, fans and critics have drawn parallels with the pop sensibility of Elvis Costello, the flamboyance of Queen, the wit of They Might Be Giants, and the creative rock of The Flaming Lips.



The Guru is a four piece band from Watertown, Connecticut. They cut their teeth in small shows for handfuls of friends in the back of a main street coffee house. Soon they streamlined their psychedelic-influenced songs into songs with more focused melodies, slicker guitar parts, and dance-influenced conversations between the bass and drums. They grew comfortable playing shows after a summer of playing every show they could get booked on in New England. Along the way they developed a dedicated fan base that shows up to every show, to exchange energy, dance, and sing.



Goodman Brown is a NJ-based pop collective. Comprised of three singer-songwriters who grew up in the same town, the band formed over their mutual musical ambitions and interests. The band is best defined by their catchy melodies, tight harmonies, piano riffs, and gritty guitar. Goodman Brown's music has drawn praise from influential figures including Pat DiNizio (the Smithereens), Ray McVeigh (the Professionals), and Judd Lander (Culture Club).

The band recently finished recording their debut full-length Moon Digby, which was recorded in NYC and NJ, and mixed by Anthony "Rocky" Gallo (Cymbals Eat Guitars, The xx, The Killers) at the Cutting Room Studios in New York.



Great Dane:
Formed at SUNY Purchase, Great Dane was formed in September of 2009. Making their mark in Manhattans lower east side, the group has made a name for themselves with their piano based, indie rock sound accompanied with a powerful live show. Combining a natural folk sound with a driving rhythmic force, Great Dane will give you a show you can remember.

Jarrod Gorbel (The Honorary Title), MT Bearington (solo), John Parson

Wednesday, January 26, 2011, Manic Productions presents

photo: Matthew Kristall 2009
Location:
BAR
254 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - Free

bios from Manic's page

The Honorary Title began several years ago as a moniker for Brooklyn singer-songwriter Jarrod Gorbel's solo folk musings, but later evolved into the full-fledged quartet responsible for 2007's critically acclaimed Scream and Light Up the Sky (Doghouse/Warner Bros.) Gorbel has come full circle this year, stepping out from behind the Honorary Title name and recording two remarkable new discs. His recently-released tour EP, Ten Years Older and the upcoming Devil's Made A New Friend - Gorbel?s debut solo LP - mine classic soul, traditional folk and Americana, incorporating strings, horns and female backing vocals for a sound more lush and organic than any of his previous work. We recently saw him open for Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) and thought he was fantastic. We hope you do, too.



M.T. Bearington (solo)
Matt Thomas knows how to write a song. That much is certain. He's been the front person for many a band; In Vain, Leaves of Lothlorien, Weigh Down, Short Pants Romance, and the short lived but still talked about Orange Forest. Amidst the chaos of the last couple years, as one band fell apart and another reunited, Matt started writing songs for himself, bringing them home and recording them in his house at the end of late nights, early mornings, and whenever he found the inspiration. The end result, "Cloak Of Nouns And Loss" is a beautiful collection of pop psychedelic folk bliss, owing as much to Brian Wilson as to Roy Wood, complete with highs and lows, perfect harmonies and lush tones. With the exception of a bass line here and a drum track there, the album was recorded, mixed, and performed by Matt Thomas alone. Now, with Weigh Down on hiatus, Matt has assembled the Bearington band to bring his bedroom recordings to life. Safety Meeting Records



John Parson captures the same woodsy Northeast CT charm from which he comes, driving strong-yet-quirky guitar rhythms beneath dense, poetic lyricism and chanting choruses. John began playing alongside the trio String Theorie, has shared the stage with other CT emerging bands Heirlooms, Goodnight Blue Moon, and most recently supported Denison Witmer on a stop during his Autumn 2010 tour. Still commonly accompanied by Joel Weik of String Theorie, Weik incorporates his finger style harmonic and percussive layers to the performance. John Parson's voice is shockingly beautiful, like a New England snowfall in April. The hand sewn, limited edition EP "Coaster" is available at live shows only. Production is in final stages for a full-length album, due for release on Reel Tape Records in Spring 2011.

My Brightest Diamond, Emily Wells, Jonny Rodgers

Friday, January 28, 2011 Manic Productions presents

Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:00pm - 21+ - $14 ($12 advance)

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

bios from Manic's page

My Brightest Diamond is spearheaded by Shara Worden, granddaughter of an Epiphone-playing traveling evangelist, fathered by a National Accordion Champion, and mothered by a classical organist. Having a family of musical wanderers who migrated across the US every few years, the landscape and the musical influences were constantly changing. Spanish tangos, Sunday morning gospel, classical and jazz were the accompaniment to her home life. Her first song was recorded at age three and by age eight she was studying piano with her uncle, Donald Ryan, and performing in community musical productions.

The year 2009 has labeled itself in the Diamond calendar as the Year of Collaboration. My Brightest Diamond released three digital EPs of remixes of A Thousand Shark's Teeth by Alfred Brown, Son Lux and Roberto Carlos Lange (the fourth installment by DM Stith will be released in 2010 digitally, in conjunction with the release of 1,500 limited edition, signed cds). Other upcoming Diamond projects include a 7 inch with Dayna Kurtz, and an album of poetry, song and photographs with artists Clare and The Reasons, Rob Moose and Murat Eyuboglu.

Continuing with 2009's collaboration theme, as a solo artist, Shara found herself in the role of The Queen with The Decemberists for their album The Hazards of Love, performing with Bryce and Aaron Dessner in The Long Count, singing with St. Vincent on David Letterman, recording a duet with David Byrne for Here Lies Love and singing the songs of new music composer Sarah Kirkland-Snider in a collection called Penelope. Asthmatic Kitty Records



Emily Wells creates music by blending her many influences. She is a classically trained violinist with a penchant for hip hop production. Live, Wells creates a lush layer of 'symphonies' by looping and live sampling everything from her violin and voice, to her many toys and electronics.



Jonny Rodgers plays beautiful, quirky songs using guitars, tuned wine glasses, loops, electronics and a unique chamber orchestra. His eerily pure voice has often been compared to the straight, beautiful tones of singers in the choral tradition; this is coupled with intricate guitar playing and unusual melodies and harmonies. Whether solo or with his full chamber orchestra, Rodgers' shows are nothing less than transporting.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Outer Space Kick Starter campaign


The Outer Space has just launched a Kick Starter campaign. This campaign is for 60 days starting Dec 23; please consider donating as little as $1 to support the cause. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1645430146/build-the-outer-space-the-spaces-brand-new-sister.

The Outer Space is located in a separate building 130 feet from The Space in the same parking lot. It is a 79 capacity cafe, listening room and lounge. They are working through mountains of complicated paperwork so that The Outer Space will be able to serve Beer and Wine to their patrons who are OVER 21.

The Outer Space is a strong addition to what The Space already offers.

Booking for The Outer Space will begin on Jan 3rd and is available for Private Parties, Rentals, Art Openings, and Film Showings. Bring your ideas to help this venue grow.

The Outer Space will have a soft opening in mid January. The Grand Opening Splash will be held the first two weeks of February. Two full weeks of fundraiser shows with the purpose of helping to cover a portion of the project budget will be held. Various local promoters will be presenting a few of these shows and everyone is excited about the collaborative effort.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Record Release Show for Kimono Draggin' and Bobbie Peru

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Location:
Stella Blues
204 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

8:00pm - 21+ - $5

Had a listen to the new Bobbie Peru/Kimono Draggin' split 7" while fixing my toilet. All was going well until the Sesame Street riff broke out on Kimono Draggin's side, Cold Black Sea with Sunflower Oil. It distracted me enough to make me spill nasty toilet water all over the place. Thanks assholes. The song is total ADHD kid spacing out, angrily imagining Big Bird's yellow plumage oozing unctuous sludge after swimming through a British Petroleum disaster. Super tight, super nuts, and super good.

Bobbie Peru kills it with Mongering the Masses, a stick into the eye of the pharmaceutical industry. Meaty bass drives this balls to the wall garage beast. The beginning hints at Bauhaus or Joy Division territory before Bert starts barking, but after he makes his point, the band comes together to go full on rock-out. Seeing this live must be sick.

And of course, once again, these guys produce a flyer to end all flyers. Check up in the right hand corner, behind the afro, to get a glimpse of the 7"'s cover. BUY A COPY NOW from Spaynsive.

Kimono Draggin' is an American avant-garde Indie Rock band formed in 2003 from New Haven, Connecticut. The lineup consists of Joseph Nolan (Guitar,vocals), Joshua Hatton (Bass,vocals), and Chris Swirski (Drums,vocals). Their version of progressive rock is strongly influenced by bands of the 1970s and 1980s including The Stooges, The Mothers of Invention, Talking Heads and Minutemen. As Patrick Ferrucci quotes, "It’s party rock with an edge and an intelligence. There’s wit and wildness just swimming around in Kimono’s music." Mark Suppanz of The Big Takeover describes the music as "...noisy, souped-up rock saturated with a healthy dose of reckless abandon and a raw, unpolished and in-your-face sound."

Check out the recent interview Verbicide did with Josh.



CT-native Bert Genovese started Bobbie Peru in Manchester, UK around 2006 when he moved away from here to pursue a career in music. The band ended up opening have for bands like The Fall and Black Francis. Siro Soliani and Javier Canales were welcomed into the Bobbie Peru this January. Siro Soliani is a hard hitting drummer who practices Satanic magic and has played in many psychedelic progressive punk thrash bands in the underground scene of Hollywood (CA), while working in the film business between the years 1999-2007. In his spare time, when he is not writing, or constructing his own handmade drums, he reads philosophy and psychology. Javier Canales is a bass pumping Peruvian blooded Mariachi madman who has been promoting the punk, rock, metal, hardcore scene in Connecticut since 1995. With regional recognition as a kingpin manager and versatile musician, he currently gigs with the The Bad Lieutenants, Javier & Los DishDogs, as well as Bobbie Peru.



The Clearer: In 2009, Keith Shiv and Mike Mayo met again in a mid-30s couch surfing recession slump. They have been playing music (on and off) since high school in the 80s. Back in the day, Keith and Mike toured and recorded as Shiv from 1992 to 1996. They released two CDs and several seven inches and toured the US.

As The Clearer, Keith and Mike wrote amazing new songs, recruited Greg Sirianni to play guitar and Ryan Welcome on bass. The seven inch has four tunes recorded and engineered by Mike Mayo and mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. With head nodding beats and guitar amps cranked up to 10, The Clearer tightrope between obnoxiously loud and songwriting intelegencia.

Sharon Van Etten at Bar

Wednesday, January 19, 2011, Manic Productions presents



Where are you going to be this Wednesday night? Well, if I were you and I was in or around New Haven I would be heading down to Bar to catch Sharon Van Etten for free. Not because it's free, but because Van Etten is an up and coming musical talent and if she makes it big then you will be kicking yourself for not going to this show. I mean, you could also be one of those people that say I remember when she played a tiny bar in New Haven for free.

Van Etten plays lush, dreamy pop that has hints of Americana within it. On her newest record "Epic", Van Etten works with a full band and it's her best record yet. Don't take my word for it, though, she's gotten great press from the Chicago Sun Times and NPR. Or do you like Cat Power or Feist? Then you will like Van Etten.



Lyrically it's all about relationships, how they fall apart, how some work and how some don't. She manages to delve deeply into the nature of relationships and produce some deeply profound truths. Sometimes the truth is ugly, but her music is always beautiful and did I mention dreamy. Believe me, you'll score big points from your girlfriend or someone you hope to be your girlfriend if you take her to this show. Just don't mention it's free so you come off like a cheap skate.

So I know it's a Wednesday, but if you're one of those hipsters who seeks out the newest sounds, I'm sure you don't have a job where you have to be up early the next morning. Even if you do, it's time to take one for the team and enjoy an evening with Van Etten.
You'll be glad you did.

Sharon Van Etten
Plume Giant
FREE, Doors at 9PM, 21 +
@BAR, 254 Crown Street, New Haven, CT
www.manicproductions.org

Monday, January 17, 2011

Ephemeroptera Quarterly LAUNCH!

Tuesday, January 18 · 7:30pm - 10:00pm:

Location:
Detritus at Project Storefronts
71 Orange Street
New Haven, CT

0+ to refresh, 21+ to imbibe

Celebrate the inaugural edition of "Ephemeroptera Quarterly", a micro edition publication featuring a 10-inch lathe cut record and contributions from crucial artists from New Haven and beyond.

Issue I, Volume I features sounds and pages by Paul Metzger, Stefan Christensen, Mark Geist, and Jon Eriksen; pages by Stephen Ross, Daniel Greene, Gabriella Svenningsen, and Rick Omonte; and covers by Phil Lique. Edition of 30.

Celebrate Ephemeroptera Quarterly with a listening party at Detritus featuring live music by Jon Eriksen, sides by Shaki, and the record. Copies of Ephemeroptera Quarterly will be available.

Refreshments courtesy of BRU Cafe.

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Capstan Shafts, The Backyard Committee, Fatal Film

Monday, January 17 2011, Manic Productions Presents:

The Capstan Shafts, The Backyard Committee, Fatal Film

Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:00pm - 21+ - $8

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

The Capstan Shafts

I first heard of The Capstan Shafts way, way back when my friend over at Beat The Indie Drum had his netlabel in full working order. The EP was called Halaluah Moancoaxers! and it opened my ears up to a whole slew of tiny, independent releases that Dean Wells has been releasing under this name for years. The EP is still available if you're interested: right here. So this led me to stumble across the tons of concise, brilliant albums he's released, all of which are consistently mindblowing. It was so awesome when just a few years later I started to see Environ Maiden pop up everywhere, from Pitchfork to some record stores I frequented at the time; I even saw it in some tiny record shop in Austin. Here's a guy from Vermont that no one's ever seen play live or met or even seen a picture of that's been recording albums for years and all of a sudden he skyrockets to popularity and starts playing shows. So it is a bit weird to see someone who went from being a complete enigma to putting together a 5-piece band and launch on a tour this year, but I am totally on board for this one. For most people, myself included, it will be a first glimpse into Wells' intensely personal music on stage. His latest album, Revelation Skirts, is a must for anyone who likes GBV (and I'm assuming everyone does) and The Gerbils. It's the first time that he's had any sort of full production, all of the previous albums are glorious lo-fi bedroom masterpieces, whereas this is clearly a studio production. It's a staggering change from his other works sonically, but it still retains that Robert Pollard feel, and lovely guitar riffs with enough changes to satisfy even the most intense ADHD.

Listen to some of his stuff on the myspace, and check out this awesome video for "She Makes Amazing Look Stupid" cut together by a fan:




The Backyard Committee

The Backyard Committee is a local collection of musicians headed by Mike Sembos. They have released their first album, a self-titled release. I just did a writeup of it right here, so read that and then report back. You can hear it for free by hitting play below:



Fatal Film

Fatal Film is from New London and plays straightforward catchy powerpop - distorted guitars, brash lyrics, and powerful rhythms. Chances are you've seen these guys, as they play a hell of a lot of shows, and really know how to fill a set. It's good to see them back in action after all the shit that Matt Potter had to deal with. You can stream everything they've released at their bandcamp site:

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Backyard Committee - s/t

The past few years have been a marked explosion of Americana bands in CT. There's been some great new bands emerging out of this, and one of the big players is The Backyard Committee.

The band is the brainchild of Mike Sembos, who is no stranger to the local scene. He plays guitar in the long-running Bridgeport band The Alternate Routes, played in Skipping Stones outfit superfallingstars and probably a bunch more projects that I'm forgetting at the moment. He sings beautifully, plays a mean guitar, and is a hell of a songwriter. This is the band's self-titled debut, and it shows he's more than capable of simply writing a tune, he's got a complete grasp on how the album should sound on a whole.

The band itself is more of a rotating collection of artists that are all working on contributing to the album, bringing their own unique voices to the table, but still allowing Sembos' songs to shine.

The real joy of this album for me is the production. The instrumentation fits the vocals so perfectly it's mind-blowing. The songs have the ethereal undertones of a typical Daniel Lanois production, and still maintain the minimal folk sense of something Rick Rubin would do. Listen to the guitar solo in "Once in a Blue" and you'll find they dialed up just the right amount of crunch for a sharp single-coil pickup. Listening to "So Long Ago" the windy, gritty organ is absolutely perfect, and adds a low layer of ambiance and noise to what would otherwise be a squeaky-clean late era Jeff Tweedy-esque tune. The super low-end tones of piano on "Winter Trip" sound like they'd be right at home on Cash's American IV.

You can catch them Monday the 17th at Daniel Street playing with The Capstan Shafts.

Check out the full release right here:



All music ever released by the band will be made available for free in digital form in an attempt to make the band experience less of a business venture and more of an art collective.

All Of My Songs Are About Characters Named Daniel Gallo

Because I'm such a nice guy, I'll let you readers in on a little secret. There's a special one-off Christmas release from Daniel Gallo (of The Field Recordings) which you can hear on a special bandcamp site for his solo work (CLICK HERE). It's called "All Of My Songs Are About Characters Named Daniel Gallo"

If you're into fast-paced fun vocal experimentation laced with twee-pop instrumentation like organs, handclaps, twinkling xylophone, and lo-fi drums, this is something you should click on over to and download right away.

It's a free release, so I don't think Mr. Gallo will get too mad about me sharing this with you readers...

Listen here:

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Toxic Holocaust, Ipsissimus, Brass Caskets, Age of Deception

Thursday, January 13, 2010, Manic Productions presents:

Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

$10 - 21+ - 8PM

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records (except for this Wednesday because Redscroll is closed due to the snow).

Must read: CT Indie contributor Thomas Pizzola Ipsissimus article for the New Haven Advocate


bios from Manic

TOXIC HOLOCAUST mutated into existence in 1999, when Joel Grind merged his love for classic punk and metal and the flash of L.A. hard rock into his ideal band. Like his influences - Bathory, Venom, Onslaught, English Dogs, Possessed, Broken Bones - TOXIC HOLOCAUST featured blazing riffs, gravel-throated vocals, and a deadly fixation on the evil in man and a post-apocalyptic world. Grind wrapped all of these elements up with a DIY attitude and begin writing and recording material almost instantly. Relapse Records



Ipsissimus was founded when His Emissary (guitars) and Haimatokharmes (drums) met by providence on 6/6/06 in New Haven, CT, and found in one another worthy vessels of channeling the occult philosophies into ritual Black Metal.
In November of that year, Tichondrius (bass/vocals) completed the trinity. Within a month they were playing concerts and released the demo “Trampling the Host,” a potent exercise in raw, blasting Black Metal.

Over the following years, they established a reputation across New England for technical yet raw live performances, sharing the stage with both local and established Black Metal groups, such as Nachtmystium, Enslaved, Dark Funeral, Krallice, and Watain.

In February 2008, Ipsissimus independently released the “Three Secrets of Fatima” EP, Matching their music to orations of black piety that draw from esoteric traditions antique and modern, often composed in the dead tongues of the ancients themselves, Ipsissimus initiates the listener to a Left-Hand Gnosis with a unique and irrefutable statement of American Black Metal.
Metal Blade Records

Click Here To Watch The Video

Brass Caskets:
CT Hardcore featuring members of Phantoms, Cold Snap, and Crowns of Kings.

Age of Deception:
Reigning from Milford, CT Age of Deception came to be when members of the metalcore shredders Eyes of Creation and members of the New London old school death outfit Cadaversphere came together to conjure up a radical new progressive trash metal project in which there are no limits to our creative vision. In other words, anything goes as far as our sound is concerned.The best way to describe our music is traditional heavy metal combined with brutal death metal breaks spliced with a heavy dose of the European style progressive metal.

ATRINA, Eurisko, Ashes vs. Leaves

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Location:
Freight Street Gallery
170 Freight St
Waterbury, CT

8PM - $5 - BYOB

Event page

bios grabbed from Facebook event page

ATRINA (taken from a review in the New Haven Advocate):
It's nice to be disarmed. Atrina force you to meet them with openness and wonderment, rather than superficial expectations based on their clothes or equipment. And it ultimately pans out, since the feel of their music is iconic. Their set was marked by turbulent riffs in angular time signatures. L'Heureux's vocals were relentless, plaintive; she wasn't yelling or screaming, and yet her lyrics seemed to evacuate her voice before they ever reached the audience, leaving us with just the sound itself, a husk of something communicated. Chilling, morbid, and delicious.



Eurisko is a 5-piece rock band from the greater New Haven/Waterbury area that recently formed in early 2010. Since their inception they have developed a sound soaked in whiskey, multi-layered guitar riffs, and creatively grim lyrics. Influenced primarily by folk and indie rock, Eurisko’s music spans from quickly paced melodic ballads to deep, creeping songs carrying shipments of woe; and has drawn comparisons to the music of Tom Waits, The Decemberists, Murder By Death, and Bright Eyes. The combination of three guitars, bass, and drums gives Eurisko the flexibility to take a wide-ranging and detailed approach to their song-writing, which are then given more dimension through the use of poetic lyrics and storytelling.



Ashes vs. Leaves:
This indie-rock four-piece, hailing from Carrboro North Carolina, is bound to catch your ear. Their songs feature crunchy, swaggering guitar riffs matched with punching rhythms and heartfelt lyrics. They present a straight up rock sound that goes from toe-tapping to head-bopping in a matter of seconds, and they don't stop there. These guys are definitely a band that you want to bring home to mama!


Monday, January 10, 2011

Elizabeth & the Catapult, Even Artichokes Have Hearts

Wednesday, January 12 2011, Manic Productions presents

Location:
BAR
254 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - Free

New Wednesday FREE Manic series at BAR continues with:

bios from Manic's site:

Elizabeth & the Catapult:
Combining elements of jazz, pop and funk, this New York City-based group creates a singular sound with memorable melodies and unique, sophisticated harmonies. Fronted by the clear sultry voice of singer songwriter Elizabeth Ziman, they are attracting a buzz from the music press.


Even Artichokes Have Hearts:
Folk pop duo from New Haven with influences such as Ingrid Michaelson, Cat Power, and Bon Iver.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Evan & Juliana: Juliana Hatfield, Evan Dando (of The Lemonheads)

Sunday, January 23, 2011, Manic Productions presents

Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:30pm - 21+ - $18 ($15 advance) Tickets On Sale 1/7/11


bios from Manic's page:

Evan & Juliana:

Boston-based alt-rock stars of the ’90s and longtime friends are a temporary acoustic duo called Juliana and Evan. Hatfield is in semi-retirement, but Dando coaxed her into doing a few shows.



The Lemonheads are an alternative rock band formed in 1986 by singer/guitarist Evan Dando, who has been the band's only constant member. Since forming, recording, and touring lineups of the band have also included co-founders Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, John Strohm (Blake Babies), Doug Trachten, Corey Loog Brennan, Byron Hoag, Ben Daughtry, Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies), Nic Dalton (Godstar, Sneeze, The Plunderer...s), Dave Ryan, Patrick "Murph" Murphy (Dinosaur Jr), Bill Gibson (Eastern Dark), Mark 'Budola' Newman, Kenny Lyon, Vess Ruhtenberg, Devon Ashley, Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson (Descendents), P. David Hazel and various others. The Lemonheads' popularity grew in 1992 with the album It's a Shame about Ray which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers (Bruce Robb, Dee, and Joe), followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles. Cited as one of the most important alternative rock groups, The Lemonheads were active until 1997 and went on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads in the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons, in June 2009.



The daughter of Philip M. Hatfield (a radiologist) and The Boston Globe fashion critic Julie Hatfield, Juliana was born in Maine and grew up in the Boston suburb of Duxbury. She acquired a love of rock music during the 1970s, having been introduced by a babysitter to the music of the seminal Los Angeles punk rock band X, which proved a life-changing experience. She was also attracted to the music of more mainstream artists like Olivia Newton-John and The Police, perhaps explaining the dialectic in her later music between sweet, melodic “pop” songs and more hard rock oriented material. Visualizing herself as a singer since her high school years, Hatfield sang in school choirs and briefly played in a cover band called The Squids, which played Queen and Rush songs.




More dates:

January 2011
15th - Paradise, Boston MA (part of Hot Stove Cool Music event)
20th - Maxwell's. Hoboken NJ (Evan & Juliana)
21st - Bell House, Brooklyn NY (Evan & Juliana)
22nd - IOTA, Arlington VA (Evan & Juliana)
23rd - Daniel Street, Milford CT(Evan & Juliana)
24th - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia PA (Evan & Juliana)
30th - Wheeler Opera House, Aspen CO (Evan & Juliana)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Ponybird, Goodnight Blue Moon, M.T. Bearington (solo)

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Location:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - $5

Facebook event page

IPOD sets by DJ Ponybird, and MC BAM BAM throughout the night.

Ponybird will be playing as a four peice, featuring Jenn D. & Andre Roman (Old Man Lady Luck/Atrina), Rob Dauphinais (Mageepa Project), and Jay Bates (M.T. Bearington).

Ponybird has fully matured into a countrified rock ’n’ roll heartbreaking machine. -New Haven Advocate

One of my fave Ponybird tracks:



Here's her Hot Bitch Arsenal cover with lyrics that were put together by taking audience submissions given to the band on slips of paper during a performance.



Goodnight Blue Moon is an orchestral-acoustic-folk band from New Haven, Connecticut. The band cites influences ranging from Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel to Matt Pond PA and The Avett Brothers. But, thanks to their diverse musical backgrounds, the members of this 7-piece come together to deliver a sound that is uniquely their own.



M.T. Bearington creates pop music that's well rooted in psychedelia, combining beautiful harmonies, soft melodies, and pounding rhythms. Taking cues from such acts as Roy Wood, The Kinks, and Brian Wilson, the music is as much a nod to the past as it is a journey into modern songwriting.

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Beets, Wry, EULA

Wednesday, January 5, 2011, Manic Productions presents

BAR
254 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - Free

Manic Productions begins its FREE Wednesday night series at BAR on January 5, 2011. Not a replacement for the sorely missed Sundazed Series from Shaki, but nonetheless nice to have happening.

Also to come:
Jan 12: Elizabeth & the Catapult, Even Artichokes Have Hearts
Jan 19: Sharon Van Etten, Plume Giant
Jan 26: Jarrod Gorbel, MT Bearington (solo)

bios from Manic's page

The Beets are a garage rock/psychedelic band from Jackson Heights, NY. Lots of reverb, minimalistic drumming, some backwoods vibes, and shouted vocals sung by all three band members. Similar to Thee Oh Sees. They recently released their debut, Spit In The Face Of People Who Don?t Want To Be Cool, which was limited to 200 hand-painted copies, on Blank Dogs? label Captured Tracks.



Wry is a mid tempo indie rock band who started in circa April of 2008. At first it was Nick and Keith with a few other people and things didn't work out. However, things picked up again late 2008, early 2009 when Ryan and Jerry joined and solidified the group. For fans of Cursive, Pinback and Black Heart Procession.



EULA:
"Combining the quirky, awkward-but-sexy nature of CSS with a more defined loud-vs-soft side, EULA is a fun new wave group from New Haven. Their music is packed with the loud, pointed guitar riffs and rapid basslines that would make Northwest pseudo punk proud; think a blown out of proportion and hyped-up Kill Rock Stars release." -FensePost