This weekend, I visited a church with a ham-fisted drummer. He played busily when the song required a skeletal beat. He ignored song structure and any notion of dynamics with a toothy grin. And just as the chorus of a beautiful hymn prepared to soar, he played an entire bar of gut-wrenching hi-hat fills. Despite the obvious fact that he was new to the instrument, a stranger thought irked me. Something about the clumsy beats was disarming, even appealing. The drummer's mistakes lent the entire affair a [...]
There are many artists out there that really give me a tough time getting used to their sound. Granted, once I do, I don't understand how I didn't like the music before (yes, Dirty Projectors, you are finally in that category for me.) So it's surprising when I'm smitten almost instantaneously by a certain band/artist/sound/whatever, especially when I'm least expecting it. Such is the case with Beth Bombara and the Robotic Foundation , a pop folk trio from St. Louis. The group relies on the strength and experience of Beth Bombara, a former touring member of Samantha [...]
Well, it's not really me doing the soliciting, I'm just asking for a friend. Really I am! What? You don't believe me? Oh shush! Here, I've copied Tim's email request exactly: "November is almost upon us again, so it's time to think about the Contrast Podcast Festive 50. This year it will be on episodes 194, 195 & 196 from the 15th to the 29th of December. So here is what I need you, your friends, the readers of your blog, your milkman and anyone else you know to do: 1. [...]
Last night I had the pleasure of being joined in the studio by Samantha Crain just a few hours before she took the stage for a performance on Tennessee Shines . Samantha has been out on the road for some time now promoting her debut album Songs in the Night . She'll get to rest a bit now as last night was her final show on her current tour. If you missed her this time around though, don't worry. Samantha says she hopes [...]
It's that time once again... Wednesday night at 7:00 (Eastern), WDVX and wdvx.com will broadcast this month's edition of Tennessee Shines live from the Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. This month's lineup is a pretty solid one featuring Americana stalwart Dave Alvin, former Nickel Creek fiddler Sara Watkins, Band of Horses guitarist Tyler Ramsey, and up and coming Oklahoma songwriter Samantha Crain. Obviously, the biggest name on this month's bill is Dave [...]
This New York based trio's electronica/dream pop debut, Alpinisms , was released about 2 weeks ago and has been in surprisingly heavy rotation since then. The single "Iamundernodisguise" somehow manages to lodge itself in my head everyday, which probably creeps people out as I constantly chant the chorus under my breath. The rest of the album is equally as hypnotic, with lots of emphasis on rhythm and layered vocals. Let it make your ears bleed. School of Seven Bells "Iamundernodisguise" Related posts: Back to [...]
Weathering the road since February, Samantha Crain played the penultimate show of her latest tour at Off Broadway last night--and she wrapped it up as the boss. The Boss, that is--donning a folded... Continue reading "Review: Samantha Crain and Theodore at Off Broadway, Sunday, October 25" >
Chicago! Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers are playing tonight at the Empty Bottle and you really should come out. I've seen her four times now and each is completely wonderful and different each time. If you've not heard her sing, you've truly missed out on one of our greatest treasures in folk/rock music today. Her voice has been described as so many things from "gorgeously odd" to "haunting." I just think it's beautiful. This young woman has found a way to sing in a nuanced and folkish manner that is both charming and a bit unnerving and [...]
Here are the Wisconsin and Chicago shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you'll be attending or ones you think should really make our list . This week's recommended new releases includes Elvis Perkins in Dearland - The Doomsday EP , Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard - One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur , Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependance [...]
Here's what's going on in Chicago this week. As usual, my picks are in bold . If I'm missing anything interesting, let me know in the comments. Sunday, 10/18 Abbey Pub: Beast with X-Wife, LookBook, Punky Fresh, more Beat Kitchen: The Frantic, The Insecurities, Brown Town, The Delivery Boys Double Door: Inspector Owl, Geronimo!, A Million Years, Picture Books Empty Bottle: UUVVWWZ, Sadhu Sadhu House of Blues: MuteMath, As Tall As Lions Riviera: Boys Like Girls Schubas: Timothy B. Schmit [...]
I'm coming up only to hold you under I'm coming up only to show you wrong and to know you is hard and we wonder..... The original Band of Horses song " The Funeral " is a shimmering, gorgeous cascade that always reminded me of watching waves break, or a beam of sunlight shoot through the clouds - direct and powerful. Breathtaking when it explodes around that 1:20 mark. But there's something in those lyrics that catches in the back of my throat, that I must [...]
Ahhh…October. Our indie hipster friends couldn't be happier – it's finally an appropriate temperature to wear skinny organic raw selvedge denim jean pants and Fleet Foxes-esque tight flannel shirts without accumulating anywhere near the amount of ball sweat they did all summer long. So pour yourself a nice warm cider spiked with George Dickel, take this opportunity to finally wash your jeans, and head on out to the rock show. October's going to be a great month! I'll be at the Monsters of Folk show October 30 and others… Lastly, on a more serious note, please consider attending [...]
The Guardian's books blog explains why we still read the novels of Charles Dickens. ChordStrike lists the 100 greatest live albums of all time. Amazon MP3 has 50 albums on sale for $5 apiece for the month of October, including: The Avett Brothers: Emotionalism Big Star: Nobody Can Dance Blackalicious: Nia [...]
The wife and I had the great pleasure of seeing The Avett Brothers perform live at Cain's Ballroom this past weekend. We were both truly blown away. I would feel cheap giving the concert some sort of grade on how good or bad the concert was. It's a such a subjective thing, that is completely relative to the individual attendee. Not to mention there are many variables outside of the artists control at each and every different show. But I'm going to give you all several reasons that I think you should attend the next Avett Brothers show that comes [...]
For the third year running, the PLAY:stl Music Festival and Conference will descend on the Delmar Loop for three days of live music and industry panels. (Think of it as a smaller, more manageab... Continue reading "PLAY:stl Music Festival Takes Place September 17-19, Features Atlas Sound, Owen, The Antlers, Samantha Crain, more!" >
Singer/songwriter Beth Bombara is probably best known for her work as part of Samantha Crain's touring band The Midnight Shivers. That is likely to change soon however as the St Louis-based Bombara steps out on her own with the new EP Beth Bombara and the Robotic Foundation.The EP is a collection of six tracks equally influenced by American roots music and '90s alternative rock. Country rockers
[poster art by Chad Carpenter] The ninth edition of the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is just a couple weeks away and what blows me away most (besides the incredible line-up set to perform over the three-day weekend) is the fact that I have yet to attend one of the festivals to this point. I honestly have no idea how I've let this happen?!? Regardless, I'm hoping to remedy that situation in 2009. Taking place in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia (long recognized as the Birthplace of Country Music) on [...]
Thanks to Twitter , I just got this update from Samantha Crain (@sjcrain, for those looking to follow her) " my work so far this morning http://bit.ly/1Cyf4 ". According to her tumblr blog : so i bought myself a little set up and am going to try to teach myself how to do this…i learned a little bit a few years ago but don't remember much of it and all the recordings i did were like 1 and 2 tracks…all these demos will be [...]
Between the lovely Neko and extremely talented Samantha Crain, some of my favorite albums of the year have been by female artists. Not only do both of these girls have amazing voices, but they also write all of their own songs. Another girl that fits all those categories is singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. I haven't had the chance to hear this record yet, but if her first to records are indicators of what we should expect, she'll join Neko and Sam in the top half of my year end list. The new record, Give Up the Ghost doesn't have [...]
The unique value of the setting became clear as the sun descended behind the hills. The sky turned a gentle pink, and Alela Diane 's crystalline voice and plucks on her guitar wafted across a mellow crowd. The previous day of heat and sweat was now within a lullaby, shifting slowly into dusk. The 2009 Pickathon Festival was suddenly in a category all its own, offering something uniquely tranquil in the face of chaotic contemporaries. Stranger Dance was fortunate enough to cover the Pickathon Festival in its eleventh year of existence; photos and review after [...]
new music from vampire weekend – cousins + music video
Friday Five: Surf Songs
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
