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Show Reviews
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Written by Lara Longo
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
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Much like their name-sake animal,
Crocodiles floated on to the stage, unassuming and silent before the first chord
was struck. And Brooklyn’s Union Pool couldn’t
have been more accommodating, its hall dank and musty from hours of rain; it
was a downright swamp. The garage-rock duo cranked out equal parts ethereal
synth-pop and fuzzy noise-rock, the sound capturing the zeitgeist of the late
2000’s.
With Crocodiles’ debut LP, Summer of
Hate, out this past April,
it seems its timing couldn’t be better as fellow lo-fi enthusiasts No Age and
Wavves are re-paving the road for the ‘80s dance-punk revival. Consider
Crocodiles vocalist Brandon Welchez and instrumentalist Charles Rowell to be
your purveyors of hipster groove, taking cues from The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Rapture and—after hearing the sunny, psychedelic-era jam, “Here Comes the
Sky”—even The Beatles. This is what differentiates the band in a scene
inundated by similar acts: They’ve encompassed a broad range which exceeds the
niche garage spectrum. As per Crocodiles’ live show, this range plus the
classic rock aesthetic provided a little something for everyone.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 )
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Written by Grace Beehler
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
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In a dimly lit room
glowing with candles, 63-year-old Leo Kottke walked unassumingly onto the
curtained stage and without saying a word, stood in front of the seated
audience and began to rapidly pick and strum his six-string. His fingerpicking
filled the entire room as if he had two or three guitarists supporting him.
After two songs, Kottke
began his third but stopped, groaned and, with a sly grin, said, “You write
this stuff and then you can’t play it. Why do I do that to myself?” The
audience laughed at him, clearly apathetic about the mistake. He appeared in
fine form, his fingers moved just as agilely as they did when he began his
career in 1969.
Kottke spoke to the
audience, embarking on bemusing but befuddling monologues. In the first, he
explained how he and his young friends used to sneak into theaters to watch
movies. There was always a guitarist in the theater, he went on, who would play
a moody tune whenever the vampire or the “girl in a sombrero with a tear in her
eye” walked into the scene. Kottke wanted to evoke the same emotions.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 )
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Written by Jonathan Kosakow
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
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Photo: Curtis Stiles
The Low Anthem, comprised
of Ben Miller, Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams came onstage at the Bowery
Ballroom looking a little surprised. Fresh off a two-show gig at the Bonnaroo
Music and Arts Festival, they might have not expected their CD release show to generate
a large audience. Miller even brought his leftover dumplings as an enticing
snack to draw people closer to the stage but fortunately, the room was full of
fans ready and willing to stand near (and far) for the performance.
With Miller on lead vocals and acoustic guitar,
Prystowsky on pump organ and Adams on crotales (a percussion instrument
consisting of small, tuned bronze or brass disks), the hour-long set began with
“Cage the Songbird,” a ballad which quickly quieted the room. Throughout the
night, the three multi-talented musicians switched between guitars, drums and a
pump organ, while also touting an electric bass, an upright bass, a harmonium,
crotales, clarinet, alto horn, cello, violin and harmonicas. On top of the
menagerie of instruments, all three lent warm vocals to each song.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 )
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Written by Drea Lee
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Monday, 08 June 2009 |
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Photo: schedivypictures.com
There is nothing quite like the freedom of
creative expression behind an independent artist. For singer/songwriter Alfonso
Velez, headlining a Memorial Day show at Mercury Lounge was just the beginning.
Dressed in all white for the occasion with war paint on his cheeks, Velez depicted
the perfect image of true Americana
folk, despite his Mexican-Cuban heritage.
“Sorry folks, I’m a bit nervous tonight,” he
admitted humbly as the room quieted. Opening solo with “The Need to Know,” a
dark and instantaneous attention grabber, it was obvious he needed no introduction. “Welcome
to my party, the devil’s in your town,” he crooned. Velez is as timeless as
some of his biggest influences—a culmination of Robert Johnson’s King of the Delta
Blues, Nina Simone’s Ain’t
Got No/I Got Life and Chet
Baker’s My Funny Valentine.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 June 2009 )
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Written by Drea Lee
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Wednesday, 27 May 2009 |
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Photo: Drea Lee
True greatness tends to go unrecognized until long after its
prime. For Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, a Hispanic singer/songwriter born-and-bred in Detroit, a gig at Bowery
Ballroom and first-ever American tour would bear all the usual qualities of a
comeback success—an unrecognized living legend and still-burning flame. The
only difference however, between Rodriguez and that of say, the Rolling Stones,
is that his music never made it to the mainstream.
Born in 1942 as the sixth child of Mexican immigrant parents, “Sixto”
(meaning the Sixth Prince) Rodriguez wrote politically aware songs for young
people. Although it should have been an ideal and welcoming period for his
psychedelia and social commentary, Rodriguez’s work remained in the shadows
through the ‘80s and ‘90s, never getting the attention it deserved.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 May 2009 )
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More...
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The Trio and The Bad Plus, Merkin Hall, New York, NY, 5/14/09
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Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Antone’s, Austin, TX, 5/1/09
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Pretty Lights, Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY, 5/13/09
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A Weekend at New Orleans Jazz Fest
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