Blog: EARVOLUTION

WNET 13, NYC PBS continues with another great Friday night music block tonight with Live from the Artists' Den featuring celebrated country music veteran Dierks Bentley at 9:30pm. Sun Studio Sessions follows at 10:30pm with the UK's Thea Gilmore. UnCut Magazine dubbed Thea "the best British singer-songwriter of the last 10 years, and then some." Joan Baez personally invited Gilmore to tour with

By: David Schultz NOW THAT THE STROKES are back, we can reflect upon recent period from the past when every band that seemed to have a bright future in front of them was deemed "The New Strokes." Given how prevalently the term was bandied about, it's a shame that The Strokes became a casualty of their own overexposure, imploding under the weight of inflated expectations. Ironically, with their

Katy Perry and Jann Wenner are both marketing geniuses - often for different reasons - but this time for the understanding the old adage: sex sells. Katy dips into that well more consistently than Wenner, but time and time again Wenner shows he's more than willing to play the naked breasts card. From Janet Jackson to Jennifer Anniston, Rolling Stone has moved multiple covers by going topless.

By: David Schultz EVERY SO OFTEN, I end up at a show where I am completely oblivious as to who's playing. It's a liberating experience to go see a band without a single preconceived notion of what I'm about to hear. This past Friday, Rinjo brought me to see The Gories, a Detroit-based late 80s garage rock band that has recently reunited much to the delight of a middle-aged throng sporting faded

By: Rinjo Njori On the 23rd Edition of the I Blog Econo Podcast we get a good idea what the Raunch Hands think of "Your Fat Friend," revisit 2009 flash in the pan's Tinted Windows and see what happens when Kevin Shields guests on Paul Weller's new album. By the way, Weller "hates" shoegaze-- My Bloody Hell! A (Power) Pop To The Face by Rinjonjori on Mixcloud

WNET 13, NYC PBS has another great music block tonight. Live from the Artist's Den at 9:30pm features the UK's Corinne Bailey Rae, who as been nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize for her album The Sea. Sun Studio Sessions follows right after at 10:30pm and will feature Catherine Feeny a Philadelphia-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter whose music has been featured in the motion

Kierstin Gray has been a favorite of mine for just over 5 years now since I first saw her play in NYC back in May 2005. She is an extraordinarily talented singer-songwriter and somehow still remains one of New York's best kept secrets. However, she's far from a complete unknown.Kierstin has cultivated a loyal following and played from coast to coast. Now fans are helping Kierstin record her fist

By: David Schultz UNLIKE THE TSUNAMI OF HYPE that accompanied any of The Hold Steady's prior releases, the clamor and commotion over their latest, Heaven Is Whenever, has settled down with disconcerting efficiency, failing to leave much of a mark. With its quick dissolve, it appears that, for the first time, our Midwestern bar band heroes have failed to meet the lofty expectations foisted upon

Arcade Fire, one of the first bands to ride to Pitchfork seal of approval to widespread acclaim, will release The Suburbs, their third studio album on August 3. The BBC has already kicked the hype machine in high gear by proclaiming it better than OK Computer. In contrast to their intimate 2007 kickoff for Neon Bible, which included 5 shows at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City, the

When alternative rock started to merge into mainstream rock in the late 80s/early 90s, SPIN Magazine, which had been covering that bands like R.E.M., The Replacements and Nirvana long before the other major publications, flirted with a credibility that rivaled Rolling Stone. Once the hair metal era pushed alternative rock back to the fringes, SPIN went with it, nearing bankruptcy and irrelevancy.

The Watson Twins will be heating up the road in August with a slew of tour dates in support of their latest record Talking to You, Talking to Me (Vanguard Records). The Twins gained recognition as the backing duo for Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins but have since broken out on their own. Filter Magazine is previewing a new video for "Saving You" here. August tour dates below:Aug 03 - San

By: Rinjo Njori On the 22nd edition of the I Blog Econo Podcast we have Blur's ode to British Petroleum, Pussy Galore nailing how Mel Gibson feels about his baby mama, a cover or two and Wayne Kramer and Marc Bolan lending their guitar talents to some great songs. Sit back under a tree, crank the iPod to 11, and crack open your favorite beverage-- It's time to rock! 93 In The Shade by

NYC area music lovers are in for a fun double bill of music on WNET 13, NYC PBS with David Gray on Live from the Artists' Den beginning at 9:30pm, followed by Sun Studio Sessions featuring the amazing David Ford. Ford continues to amaze audiences with his intimate, yet energy filled live shows both in the U.S. and back home in the UK. You can check out a preview of David's Sun Studio Sessions

Road warriors Backyard Tire are in Chicago tonight for a big bash at the Double Door which is being recorded for radio station WXRT's live "Sunday Night Concert" series, and then swings east to New York City at the Bowery Ballroom on August 3rd, opening Los Lobos' CD release show. A longtime Earvolution favorite, BTF is building some deserved momentum for their new record Good to Be, which was

Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp are both on the road and will join forces for select dates making for a dynamic double bill. Of course, this is not the first time the two have teamed up. And, like scores of musicians who've come after Dylan, Mellancamp has covered the legendary troubadour on more than one occasion. It'll be interesting to see if Mellencamp coves Dylan in front of him and what songs

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, praised by Rolling Stone as one of the "Best New Bands of 2010," delivers an intimate performance that includes never-before-released material – a song actually written and recorded during the taping. This half hour episode of Sun Studio Sessions provides a unusual behind-the-scenes opportunity to see the talented Grace Potter and her band work through new ideas on

The 3rd Annual BuzzUniverse Rocks Off Concert Cruise will take place this Friday, July 16. This is always a fun night and no one should have to work the next day. The Half Moon departs from the dock at 23rd Street and the East River at 7:30 p.m. Come beat the heat with a cool New York City cruise.

The two remaining Beatles shared the stage ever so briefly this week when Paul McCartney joined Ringo Starr on stage at Ringo's 70th birthday bash at Radio City. As the show was closing, Sir Paul surprised the crowd and joined the band for the Beatles' classic "Birthday." Paul and Ringo also reunited last year at Radio City when they joined forces for A Little Help from My Friends. Meanwhile,

NYC PBS affiliate WNET presents another great music lineup Friday night with Live from the Artists' Den with Ringo Starr and Ben Harper at 9:30pm. The music keeps rolling at 10:30 with Sun Studio Sessions, with Amber Rubarth joined by special guests Adam Levy (Norah Jones Band) and Alex Wong (Vienna Teng). Sun Studio Sessions premiered on WNET in the 10:30pm time slot this past Friday night and

Tom Petty and Heartbreakers are back with a great new record, MOJO, and are getting rave reviews on the road for putting one heck of an old school rock and roll show. Set lists have included Petty classics like Refugee, Runnin' Down A Dream and American Girl. After a brief break the band hits the road again July 10th:Jul 10 2010 Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis, Indiana Jul 13 2010