Podcast: Play in new window
A more esoteric feel to this week’s show with a few particularly interesting, if slightly off-the-wall tracks from a few North American artists. Along with a couple of tracks that you just might have heard recently including one from Yael Naïm (right) that you’ll surely recognise. Only mystery – Parlour Steps (Vancouver, BC)This is your brain on rock. The Canadian quartet Parlour Steps serve up music they like to call "Thought Rock,? a potent combination of thoughtful lyrics and danceable pop rock beats. Their new CD Ambiguoso is their first release outside of Canada.March 29: Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC. (604) 681-1625April 4: Biltmore Cabaret, 395 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC. 604-676-0541www.parloursteps.comwww.myspace.com/parlourstepsLike You – The Callen Sisters (New York, USA)With their unique instrumentation (Jessa – harp and vocals and Beth – guitar and vocals), soaring vocal harmonies, and unforgettable original songs, The Callen Sisters make an impact from the first listen. More than a singer-songwriter duo, they are family, friends, and musical partners. They share each other’s lives, a closeness that informs their music and that is displayed to stirring effect on their self-titled debut album, which stands as a testament of shared experience, loss, and love.www.thecallensisters.com/www.myspace.com/thecallensistersHappy – Jimmie Bratcher (Missouri, USA)www.jimmiebratcher.comSCOTTY HARD BENEFIT SHOW @ HIGHLINE BALLROOM NEW YORK CITY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2008 FEATURING: JOHN MEDESKI / BILLY MARTIN / DJ LOGIC / JOHN SCOFIELD / SEX MOB / ANTIBALAS +Downtown NYC luminaries unite for one astonishing benefit concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on Wednesday, March 19 , 2008, coming to the aid of beloved record producer Scott Harding and the Scotty Hard Trust. Vancouver native and longtime New Yorker Scotty Hard has a long and varied list of production credits.At 3am on Friday, February 15, music producer Scott Harding was a victim of a car crash in which he was a passenger of a car service, returning home from a late night mixing session. The cab he was riding in was broadsided by a stolen car; the impact crushed Harding’s T5 vertebrae, leaving him partially paralyzed. Scott Harding’s condition is serious and like many dedicated musicians he is without health insurance and is facing very large medical and legal fees.The short term need to raise cash in order to handle Scott Harding’s affairs is very real. His friends and the dedicated musical community that Scott has long been a part of quickly united, offering performances in the form of a benefit concert for The Scotty Hard Trust, a special account that has been set up by friends of Harding which helps to handle Scott"s short-term financial needs through private monetary donations.A benefit show featuring DJ Logic, John Scofield, John Medeski, Billy Martin, Bill Laswell, Eric Krasno, Neal Evans, Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Antibalas, Sex Mob, John Ellis, Michael Blake, Vijay Iyer, Tommy Hamilton, Kevin Kendrick and more will be taking place at The Highline Ballroom, in NYC, on March 19th. 100% of proceeds will be going to the Scotty Hard Trust.www.highlineballroom.com/bio.php?id=427Army – Los Podonkos (Moscow, Russia)A street punk band formed in 2006 which I found on the PMN without a website that I can see. If you know better, let me know.Part-time Punk – Hey Gravity (London UK)Just a snippet from the wonderful Hey Gravity who I now remember that I saw (and interviewed for the show) at The Purple Turtle in Camden. www.myspace.com/heygravityAin’t no reason – Brett Dennen (Oakdale, CA)The infectious grooves of So Much More have spread far and wide since its release. With over 2 million plays on his myspace page, 100,000+ track downloads, 40,000 records sold, TV placements on Grey"s Anatomy, Scrubs, House, The Unit, Men in Trees and a Hilton commercial spot, Brett Dennen is poised for stardom.Brett Dennen has toured extensively with John Mayer, and has 3 fall tours with Guster, Colbie Caillet, and Jon Butler Trio.www.brettdennen.netwww.myspace.com/brettdennen DOreste DAdjace – Aesma Daeva (Wisconsin, USA)Aesma Daeva formed out of the early collaboration of N Copernicus (production) and John Prassas (guitars, composition) in LaCrosse Wisconsin circa 1988. Their original projects saw them working together on a remix of Darkness for COP International compilation disc Diva-X-Machina II.Operatic? Symphonic? Metal? I’d say all three in a fascinating combination with Lori Lewis taking the vocal part.www.symphonicmetalband.com/This is How You Spell "Haha ha, We Destroyed the Hopes and Dreams of A Generation of Faux-Romantics – Los Campesinos (Cardiff, Wales)They really need no more introduction from me!www.wichita-recordings.com/Blink and You’ll Miss ’em (2008 Mix) – DJOC (Oregon, USA)A band of One. ®regon Chad lives and breathes in Oregon, U.S. "Most of my experience is with electronic music making. For the past 7 years, I’ve been working with loop music (i.e. AcidLoops, Mixcraft); sometimes conventional, usually tongue-in-cheek." http://myspace.com/djorc http://oregonchad.com New Soul – Yael Naïm (New York, NY)"It’s a dream I almost gave up on along the way?, says Yael Naim about her first album released by Tôt ou Tard. Without meeting the multi-instrumentalist David Donatien, to whom she dedicated two years and who illuminated the artist with his talents as arranger and director, it’s true that this project would have been forgotten at the back of a cupboard. Blessed with an unsettlingly pure voice and an incredible agility at composition, the Israeli singer with her jet-black hair fumbled a long time before succeeding with this collection of ballads that meander through folk and pop, with an elegiac frugality and multi-coloured fantasy. If the creation of this record was long and painful, the birth of its author as an artistic personality seems even more miraculous today, in a domain where everything seems to have been already sung or played. To the point where with Yael Naim music that was once simply beautiful has now magically found a lost grace.March 19: The Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street between Bowery and Chrystie St., New York, NY. 212-533-2111www.myspace.com/yaelnaimwww.yaelweb.com/
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