Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Where We Live - Hartford

Where We Live @ Real Art Ways, LIVE
Wednesday, October 7

8 AM: reception with John Dankosky and the Where We Live production staff
9 AM: Live recording

If you listen to WNPR, chances are you've heard the program Where We Live, which discusses all kinds of local CT issues and happenings. On Wednesday, you can be a part of a live radio broadcast of WWL, hosted by the excellent John Dankosky. The topic is Hartford – where it's been and where it's going. Bring your stories, thoughts, questions and ideas to share on air.

Hopefully a lot of the discussion goes into the arts and music community of Hartford, why it's been stagnant for so long, and where we can go from here to revive it more. I've heard numerous discussions on reviving Hartford and talks of cleaning it up and changing the face of the downtown area, but I'm just not very optimistic about it. What I find strange is that a city that's so deeply seated in the art world, and has so many amazing art theaters and venues is such a cultural void. Why does it have to be that way? I live close to Hartford, and yet I hardly ever have a reason to go, the city itself basically shuts down at night. The local music scene in Hartford is hardly worth mentioning, there are only a handful of bands, and there are almost no venues that sponsor local independent music. All that seems to come out of Hartford are classic rock cover bands and nu-metal WCCC 106.9 garbage. Just about the only places worth visiting in the entire city are Real Art Ways and the Charter Oak Cultural Center - I think they're great, and Hartford needs more places like that.

I don't mean to rant so much, but something definitely has to change before I'll look at Hartford differently. Maybe I'm just being negative here, and maybe I'm missing out on a lot of things that are just sliding under my radar. Seriously, Hartford has the chance to actually be worthwhile: there's a train station downtown, and a lot of small little clubs and bars within walking distance of each other. There's a huge amount of infrastructure for the arts and music, with tons of theaters and venues all over the city. Where are the bands? Where are the crowds? Where is the support? How can we spark a change to the Hartford mentality? Does anyone even care anymore, or is everyone just looking elsewhere?

WHY?, AU, DARK DARK DARK


In case you forgot. TONIGHT

LOCATION:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford CT

$12 - 7:00PM - All Ages

Head to Rudy's Oct. 3 for a Decapitating Show


It's October. Is this not the time for gloom to set in? Kalte Sterne anyone? Well, um, nope. Eula and FayRey carve through such sentiments like Jason Voorheese slashes through bimbos. They've been sharpened on the grind wheel of punk, and there's no outrunning the frenetic energy these two will be bringing on October 3rd. to Rudy's.

Rudy's
372 Elm St
New Haven, CT

Oh My God @ The Space

The fools want noise and Oh My God are here to bring it. October 19th Oh My God will be at The Space not only bringing the noise they'll be bringing a live show which likes haven't been seen around these parts in months.

To get a taste of what these guys will bring check out a little snippet from their time at a public access show:





Also playing will be indie pop band Holiday Shores.

This show is a sponsored by The Needle Drop, Manic Productions, and Adorea Studio.

The Space - October 19,2009
All Ages
Tickets= $8
oh my god
holiday shores

click here for more info

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Ciao My Shining Star

Ok, so I got Ciao My Shining Star in the mail today and can't stop listening to it. I figure I'd share some thoughts for you guys. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, read my previous post. It's an album of Mark Mulcahy covers - but it's also a tribute to his wife. I suggest you snag this album, because it's totally worth it, and it's for a really good cause.

After opening the case it becomes clear that this isn't a normal compilation. The booklet is full of photos, and opens with a really touching story written by Mulcahy. It's the call of a man in deep heartfelt sadness, and that call is gentle and tender. Listening to the songs, I can safely say that all the tracks are excellent. I was worried seeing some big names like Josh Rouse and Ben Kweller, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's weird to hear all these bands playing his music, but it's kind of cool as well.

Everyone's talking about Thom Yorke singing "All For The Best," and with good reason - it's freaking sweet. It begins with some electronic backbeat and progresses through some interesting changes. He really took the song and made it his own. The video is intense:



Dinosaur Jr.'s cover of "The Backyard" is just awesome. I always loved that song, and hearing that crusty vocal part and J. Mascis' signature guitar bends rip this song up is phenomenal. They absolutely rocked the hell out of it. And of course Vic Chesnutt doing "Little Man" is great - that guy can do no wrong. I even like Ben Kweller singing "Wake Up Whispering," especially the slide - and I never liked Ben Kweller.

I do have to say that my favorite cover is Elvis Perkins playing "She Watches Over Me." There's just something about it that really works and it seems like he really gets the song. All the melancholy, sadness and shimmering beauty of the original is captured. The original is a very short ballad from Mulcahy's grossly unappreciated and extremely hard to find album Love's the Only Thing That Shuts Me Up.

There's so many great artists and so much going on throughout this disc, it's something that you can't let pass you by. It's a beautiful tribute album to an amazing musician and his wife. All I can really say right now is get your hands on this CD as soon as you can. There's also a digital version with 2 extra discs worth of covers, including stuff by A.C. Newman, Winterpills and The Late B.P. Helium. I haven't heard any of them yet, but I'm excited to give them a spin too.

Hartford Parties

A special message from the Hartford Party Starters Union:

This Thursday October 1st we've got Tanlines and Roman Wolfe at the Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main Street in Hartford. It's an early show, 6pm to 8:30pm, with an after party at the Warehouse. If you come to the Wadsworth you'll get a stamp that makes all your drafts and well drinks $1 at the after party. It's $5 to get into the Wadsworth. [there's also going to be a lecture by artist Mark Dion and a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture show at the Wadsworth for you freakos out there. - JH -- LIKE US. - JD]


Then Friday, October 2nd at Mad Dawgs, 76 Union Place in Hartford. $2 to get in. Dollars beers. Big dance party with PK Partytime and Dirty D.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Closely Watched Trains CD release

Closely Watched Trains are announcing the official album release gig at Cafe 9 for their self-titled first release sponsored in part by Twin Lakes Records. They have pressed a limited run of 200 and will have them on hand so you can take one home. Admission is $5.

Saturday, October 10
9:00 PM
Cafe 9, New Haven


Sunday, September 27, 2009

Thursday @ Heirloom Arts

Thursday, Oct 1st at Heirloom Arts in Danbury, get ready for a night of awesome folk punk with:

Toby Goodshank (of the Moldy Peaches)
Indra Zen Versus The World
Barry Bliss
Six7
Major Matt Mason USA

This show's only going to set you back 5 big ones!

Marianne Dissard and Kath Bloom

Friday, Oct. 2nd @ New Haven's Cafe Nine:

Marianne Dissard
Kath Bloom


Kath Bloom is a folk, country, and avant-garde legend from CT. She has been making records since the late 70s, and has had her music featured in the movie Before Sunrise by Richard Linklater. Mark Kozelek and Devendra Banhart have covered her songs. She's released tons of well-written songs for so many years it's really too much to even name. She has over 15 albums released, and there's an upcoming tribute album to her to be released later this month.

Marianne Dissard is a French musician playing music somewhere between Americana and French pop. Her debut album "L'Entredeux" was just released, and produced by Calexico's Joey Burns. She'll be playing a HUGE number of shows this fall all throughout the country for her American tour.

Apparently, Marianne and Kath met when filmmaker Caveh Zahedi asked Marianne to cover one of Kath's songs for the Kath Bloom Tribute album featuring Devendra Barnard, Bill Calahan, Scout Niblett, Mark Kozelek... released earlier this year.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Alan Bisbort on Mark Mulcahy in New Haven Advocate


Check out Alan Bisbort's article on Mark Mulcahy from this week's New Haven Advocate:

Mark's Backyard
The miraculous music of Mark Mulcahy

Thursday, September 24, 2009

By Alan Bisbort (ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE)

When the writer Nick Hornby picked Mark Mulcahy’s “Hey Self Defeater” to be one of 31 songs featured in his bestselling Songbook (2003), he was announcing to the world what New England has long known: Mulcahy, who grew up in a small Connecticut town, was once a fixture on the New Haven rock scene and is now a Springfield, Mass., resident and solo artist, is one of the great singer-songwriters anywhere. Though he still toils in relative obscurity compared to others featured in Hornby’s book — Ben Folds, Paul Westerberg, Patti Smith — Mulcahy deserves to stand in their company.

Sadly, the event that has raised his profile in the past year is an unimaginable personal tragedy: One year ago, his wife Melissa died suddenly, leaving the heartsick musician to care for their infant twin daughters. (The cause of her death has not been disclosed.) Since then, unbeknownst to Mulcahy, the music community — regionally and globally — put the wheels in motion to lend an old friend support. Musicians from around the region will gather at Toad’s Place on Friday, Nov. 13 for a celebration of, and tribute to, Mulcahy’s music.

The highest-profile tribute is Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy (Shout! Factory), a CD that features a veritable who’s who of alternative music. The album, for example, opens with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke tackling “All for the Best,” one of the earliest songs of Mulcahy’s old band, Miracle Legion, co-written with Mr. Ray Neal, whom Mulcahy calls “my truest friend.”

“It’s just so hard to imagine what he has gone through,” says Neal. “Melissa was just gone in a second. But he has two incredible little girls who keep him going.”

And, of course, there is his timeless music. Ciao is not just a tribute album but an unusually creative work in its own right. In the liner notes, Mulcahy calls it a “giant love letter” to his wife. “Never in all her most fantastic imaginings,” he writes, “would she believe that a record with her picture on the cover, made in her honor by such an amazing group of lovely people, would be a reality … Thank you from the bottom of our broken heart.”

Other artists who donated their talents include R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, who has called Mulcahy “one of the great voices of our time,” and who performs a reconfigured “Everything’s Coming Undone”; punk stalwarts Rocket from the Tombs offer a Beefheart-like “In Pursuit of Your Happiness”; Frank Black lurches through “Bill Jocko”; Juliana Hatfield does a sprightly “We’re Not in Charleston Anymore”; the Autumn Defense simmers on “Paradise”; and Dinosaur Jr. chips in a guitar-laden version of “The Backyard” (guitarist J. Mascis added some studio licks to Mulcahy’s most recent solo record as well). The album has some surprises, too, like Vic Chesnutt’s haunting “Little Man,” Mercury Rev’s multi-layered “Sailors and Animals,” and Frank Turner’s plaintive “The Quiet One.” Then there’s the aptly named title cut. Though nicely done by the Unbelievable Truth, it is, like all the others on the disc, just a reminder of the depth of Mulcahy’s songs. Indeed, as great as many of the cuts are, they will not supplant Mulcahy’s versions on his solo recordings (hint, hint: Miracle Legion’s back catalog screams out for a proper reissue).

The most extraordinary part of Mulcahy’s musical odyssey may be how humbly it began. Back in the day, Mulcahy was known as a drummer. Period. No singing, no guitar, no songwriting. After growing up in then-rural East Hampton, he enrolled in Southern Connecticut State University, which brought him to New Haven. There, he answered an ad for a drummer placed by the seminal punk band the Saucers (the Saucers and even some footage of Miracle Legion are both featured in a new documentary film about the New Haven scene, It Happened … But Nobody Noticed). He and Ray Neal played in the band Stray Divides, then formed Miracle Legion in 1983. Not just a musician, Mulcahy was also a tireless promoter of the music scene, booking acts in New Haven venues like Ron’s Place, the Grotto and Brothers Three.

“We noticed that the guys who write the songs always seem to leave, so we thought we should write our own songs,” recalls Neal. Though Neal insists that “we had no idea what we were doing,” the talent must have been close to the surface, because some remarkable songs emerged in that first batch for Miracle Legion, including “All for the Best,” with which Yorke opens Ciao. “That was one of the originals,” says Neal. “A version of this song was on our first cassette and somehow one of the 200 copies of the thing made it to the U.K. where it was reviewed favorably in Sounds. We were convinced some mystical thing had occurred.”

Their songwriting process was equally unorthodox. “I came up with some guitar parts and Mark, still a drummer, would jam with me until we had the form of a song. He always had a notebook of lyrics with him, and we would mush my guitar parts and his lyrics together,” says Neal, who was well aware of the power of Mulcahy’s words. “I didn’t want to know the full meaning of his lyrics, to keep it fun for me,” says Neal. “But I knew the songs were either autobiographical or observations about somebody he knew.”

The power of the songs may be due to this elusive quality. “Obviously, they’re about things important to Mark, but the words are open-ended enough to allow listeners to be drawn in, to find different things that appeal to them on different days.”

“The Backyard” was a Miracle Legion signature song. “We got exhausted from the number of requests for us to play that song,” says Neal, laughing. A video for it made it into “light rotation” in the earliest days of MTV, which generated an invitation to play on “Late Night with David Letterman.”

Despite their critical success, multiple tours of the U.K. and rabid fan base, Miracle Legion bit the dust in 1993, due largely to massive record label screw ups. Mulcahy then formed Polaris, the house band for the Nickelodeon series “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” (1993-96), attracting a cult following with songs like “Hey Sandy” and “Waiting for October”. After that, he has largely flown solo across the musical landscape, and the quality of his work keeps blossoming. The music is inventive, crossing genres and taking unexpected twists and turns, but is always engaging. The words are alternately witty, mordant and desperately romantic. His song titles give the game away: “I Just Shot Myself in the Foot Again,” “A Cup of Tea and Your Thoughts,” “Love’s The Only Thing That Shuts Me Up” and “Hey Self Defeater.”

The latter song opens Mulcahy’s first solo album, Fathering (1997), and sets the tone for a melancholy stroll down his own back pages. “Hey Self Defeater” is as much a pep talk to himself as it was for anyone else. “I think that you think too much,” he gently croons, then backtracks, so as not to seem so harsh: “OK, that’s my opinion, but everybody agrees.” And then, he warbles his classic song hook: “Hey self defeater, you’re underrated by yourself, so quit looking down … look up.”

Ray Neal stands in awe of Mulcahy’s development as a musician. “He has gotten so good at guitar now, but back then he didn’t even play, he was mostly the front man for Miracle Legion,” says Neal. “For a solo career he had to do it all on his own, and he just did it.”

Besides his three albums on Mezzotint and work for TV, Mulcahy has collaborated with MacArthur grant recipient Ben Katchor, creating musical stage revues based on the latter’s eccentric and noirish cartoons. He composed the music for and performed in Katchor’s 2004 musical The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island. He co-wrote (with Katchor) The Rosenbach Company and A Checkroom Romance, which premiered at the New York Public Library in May.

Still, his earliest songs for Miracle Legion planted the seed for the latest tribute, Ciao My Shining Star. Lauren Gaffney at Shout! Factory credited a college-aged fan named Nathaniel Smalley in West Virginia for having the original idea for the CD. “Nathaniel started to contact lots of people to ask if they would record a track for Mark for an album, and did an amazing job. It is without doubt because of Nathaniel that this record got rolling in such an incredible way. Mark told his manager, David Holt, about the record in November and he offered to help Nathaniel. David coordinated with all of the artists [and] management pulling the tracks in, and contacting labels to get a deal for the record … and Myles Mangino of Hartford’s Planet of Sound recording studios mastered everything on the record and contributed an awful lot of his own time doing an incredibly meticulous job. The reason the record sounds so sweet and consistent and hangs together so well is due to his professionalism.”

This past weekend, Frank Black, the Autumn Defense, the Winterpills and a handful of other bands all played a show of songs from Ciao at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The Nov. 13 tribute show’s guests haven’t been announced yet. But you can expect some surprises. Mulcahy has declined interviews regarding this tribute album. By all accounts from friends, he is devoted to his two daughters and working on new projects. Neal says, “Mark is flattered and moved by all of it.”

In the liner notes to Ciao My Shining Star, Mulcahy says, “I will always be grateful and humbled. … That everyone can love so much is moving and wondrous. Melissa would be proud of us all.”

Thursday, September 24, 2009

WHY? plays Daniel Street

WHY? draws influences from all over the map, playing indie folk hip-hop psychedelic rock. They've been playing for years and have a huge following. If you haven't heard them before, you're in for a treat.

Wednesday, Sept. 30th, they'll be playing Daniel Street thanks to Manic Productions.

AU (pronounced “Ay-you”) will also be playing. They are the songs of multi-instrumentalist Luke Wyland with Dana Valatka on drums (Jackie-O-Motherfucker, Mustaphamond).

Also playing will be Dark Dark Dark - a weird freak folk band, with haunting vocals and melodic instrumentation. It's strange and beautiful music.

Wednesday 30 September 2009 at 7:00pm

Daniel Street
Milford, CT
United States
$12/All Ages

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

He Ain't No Human Being

There’s no way of not taking sides in the social networking site war, is there? Facebook is killing MySpace, and so CT Indie now has a fan page here: CLICK. In terms of interaction, the fan page seems to work much better than MySpace. If you want your band, show, event, site, or even your MySpace page mentioned on there, then become a fan and post a link. The “Welcome!” section will soon be full of helpful links, too, so check it out.

Yeah, it’s fine if you don’t use these sites. One way or another I have done what I can to find tastings of tunes or links to any information I can dig up to share on the blog. I remember, though, reading somewhere on Book Your Own Fuckin’ Life a long rant about how lame it is for a band to have a MySpace page. I understand the principle behind not putting your music out there through these kinds of channels. But the internet has changed the game, changed it so much so that any old garbage recording can make its way online and be heard by anyone around the world, and in many cases even gain fans no matter how terrible. It’s a little weird. Anyway, even with MySpace limping along on its last leg, it’s tough to argue that it doesn’t help to have your music on there. If you don’t want that help because you’re too cool, too punk, too pissed off, too anti-consumer, too lazy, fine. Just remember that unless you are a purely a cappella act, then any gear you use, from guitars to drum sticks, all get into your hands via the evil capitalist system. Hey, I wish as much as the next guy that I could grow my own gear garden, maybe plant a Marshall seed in my backyard to sprout myself a nice new JCM 800 to piss my neighbors off with. I’m just saying, ask yourself if you’re subverting the system or shooting yourself in the foot before taking a stance against the internet. Keep in mind too that labels like Dischord that have soldiered on began in a different musical climate. Ever since counterculture was co-opted by the market, there's no escaping the fact that nowadays we're just a whole nation of rebels.

The better thing to do is all work together to get heard. That is the main motivation behind CT Indie, so even if you only release your music on cassettes and believe Rupert Murdoch is the devil, I say to hell with all that noise, get your music online. You’ll always be able to share your cassettes and complaints about the system at your shows.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Abraham King - Mark of the Mess

Snagged Abraham King's Mark of the Mess on Saturday - after listening to it a ton of times, I gotta say, it's pretty damn awesome. The artwork is really cool too, reminds me of Shel Silverstein. Jay's review is spot on - it's haunting, and it's one of those albums that won't let go. It's brilliant from start to finish. I won't bore you guys with another long review singing the praises of the album, but you slackers should really spend the measly $3 and pick this up at Hot Air Press.

Folk Punk Night


Friday
Folk punk night
@ Billy Baloney's

Swear Jar, Drunken Boat, Foreign Objects, Dead Uncles

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

~Colby Dean


Drunken Boat:
Swear Jar
Foreign Objects
Dead Uncles
(Except for Drunken Boat, these tracks come your way via Dave's One Base On an Overthrow)

6:00 PM @ TFDZ
74 Dwight ST, New Haven
Cost: $5 donation

Here are the Dead Uncles playing TFDZ back in March of '09:


Monday, September 21, 2009

William Hooker

William Hooker is a drum prodigy from New Britain, CT. He has been trainined as a jazz drummer, but began branching out early in his career as an experimental improv precussionist. He's a pretty big name in the experimental jazz and noise scene. He has collaborated with Lee Renaldo, Thurston Moore, and DJ Olive, to name just a few.

Hooker returns on Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 to Real Art Ways with a new, multimedia percussion performance. This is improvisational drum genius at work here, people. It's going to be an awesome, brain-bending night.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Dinosaur Jr. at Toad's

Dinosaur Jr.
Lou Barlow and the Missingmen

Wednesday, October 7
9:00pm

Toad's Place
300 York Street
New Haven CT

$20 advance / $25 door


I don't think I need to say anything about this show that hasn't been said already.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Weird Beards

I was walking in New London the other day when I spied this flyer:

Jello wrestling, and The Weird Beards? How can you say no?

Surf Nite feat. The Clams


SURF NITE!
Thu Sept 24
with Go-Go dancers!!!

Featuring:

The Clams w/ Dan-o Clam on lead guitar are one of the most active surf-rock bands in the northeast. Recently, The Clams were on the beach in Milford performing for the CT Surfrider Foundation.

Rope
, led by guitarist Sal Paradis will play their set with some surf rock classics and dig out some instrumentals you may not have heard live before.

Surf Nite! is all ages.
at Two Boots
281 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport

Subarachnoid Space

Subarachnoid Space will be playing a free show at BAR in New Haven on Sunday night. Hailing from Portland, these acid/psych rockers are going melt minds. They just released their new album Eight Bells on Crucial Blast Records, which is cripplingly loud and spaced out. It's something that will take hold and not let go. Believe it or not, they've been around since 1996, and endured countless lineup changes, and put out some really fantastic material throughout all of it. It's really a great album, you should check it out if you're into harder post-rock or stoner bands like Grails or 5ive. I'm sure that their live show is going to kick serious amounts of ass. Also playing with them is OvO, an experimental black metal band from Italy, so get ready for a seriously intense night.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Nov. 14th


On Nov. 14th, we're teaming up with Tweefort to bring you Philadelphia's own A Sunny Day In Glasgow at the ArtSpace Underground in New Haven. ASDIG is a indie pop/shoegaze band that has been making a lot of waves on the scene. They play beautiful tunes. Opening for them will be locals The Tyler Trudeau Attempt.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow just released their new album Ashes Grammar on Tuesday, which has some really fantastic moments, and is a lot more experimental than their last. There's a lot of shimmering electronica undercutting some primal beats with gorgeous female vocals. Check out their myspace to give it a listen.

We'll be running sound and recording this show, so hopefully we'll have some good live material to post too. Stay tuned for future updates, as we will definitely be working with the good folks at Tweefort in the future to bring you some cool shows.

Nov 14th
ArtSpace Underground
New Haven
9Pm
$5

One other quick note: believe it or not, ASDIG is also currently looking for a new singer:

"Hi Everyone,

As you may know we have a new album coming out this month. We are planning to go on tour for a short while later this Autumn and then for a LONG while next year, all over the world. But before we do, we need another singer to fill things out and make us sound awesome. Specifically, we are looking for a female soprano who is up for an adventure (if you are not sure what a soprano is, just listen to our songs-- these are predominantly within a soprano range).

There are no geographic limits to this search-- you could live anywhere in the world (seriously)-- but special preference may be given to folks living in or around Philadelphia, USA or Sydney, Australia, cuz these are the cities where members of this band currently live. But really, don't let geography stop you or your friends from getting in touch if interested.

And if you are interested, please write us asap at hello@asunnydayinglasgow.com and we can fill you in on more specifics and answer questions and whatnot.

xoxo!
asdig"


Dead Meadow show

I went to see Dead Meadow at Daniel Street in Milford last night - it was a pretty good time. I've never seen them before, and I thought they were pretty decent. They were really raw and noisy, and played a ton of awesome riffs. I don't know how they manage to make their music feel so laid back while still thrashing it.


Mountains opened for them, and they were pretty excellent. I've never seen such a massive and expensive array of gear and pedals. They just pushed a bunch of walls of ambient sound at the crowd, and then expanded on those ideas until it was one explosive nightmare of delay and loops. Not bad, but it got a little repetitive.

Bottle Up & Go also played earlier in the night, but they looked drunk as hell and were having a lot of trouble keeping it together. They played real sloppy slide guitar with thundering drums, sax, and don't-give-a-shit signing. The drummer utterly destroyed his kit (literally) and I think he cracked a cymbal. He was definitely a one-trick pony though, and played everything with the same beat. I wasn't that into them but I guess they were having fun. The singer came around and drank people's beers at the end.

This photo sucks, but I forgot my camera and all I had was my phone with me. Not that I'm a good photographer to begin with. Anyway, good show - Daniel Street is a pretty awesome venue, so check it out.

A real website?

We're now the proud owners of:
http://ctindie.com/

So update those bookmarks, it's now 200% easier to find us on the web!*

*I made up this figure on the spot.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Dead Meadow with Mountains


Dead Meadow have graciously returned to Connecticut. And that's right, Mountains joined the lineup, but you were going anyway, so this is nothing but a bonus. The Brooklyn two piece slide blues band Bottle Up & Go kicks the doors in for this roof collapsing show.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 8:00pm
Daniel Street, 21 Daniel Street, Milford, CT
$12 ($10 advance) / 21+

(Yeah, this is a re-post/reminder - deal with it)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

CT Indie House Show

Thanks to everyone who came out to my house show on Saturday, and thanks to everyone who performed. We had an awesome turnout, with good tunes, and some great food! Thankfully the rain stopped, and it was the perfect temperature for our fireplace. I'll host another one of these sometime soon.

For those of you who missed it, you're in luck. We managed to record everyone's set, and the recordings came out amazing. Thanks to Jason for doing an amazing job on sound, you can hear every cricket, whisper and hiccup - it's crazy. I've made all the recordings available to download through MediaFire, so listen freely, and spread these around.

Blind Charles was up first, he played some really great solo acoustic fingerpicking tunes. He did a cover of Fahey's "Requiem for John Hurt," a traditional on the banjo, and closed out with an original. His music was meditative and pensive, and started the night off with a quiet, relaxed feeling.

Download the Blind Charles set here.


The Cartography Division went on next. For those of you who don't know, it's my band from long ago. We were a bit out of practice, this was the first time we played together in 2 years (no rehersal!). Anyway, check out our set, I think we did ok. Our harmonies weren't as sweet as they once were, and I forgot some lyrics; but as Matt said before the set, "don't blame us, blame time - time has rusted us."

Download The Cartography Division's set here.



Indra Zen Versus the World was pretty quiet before the show, but when he went on, he was explosive and intense. He thrashed through his set, shouting out his melodic punk songs with a ton of passion. I thought he kicked a ton of ass - he was up there giving it his all and it shows. At one point, he muscled right through a harmonica failure and rocked out a killer solo. He still maintained a great sense of humor (self-deprecation and sarcasm) the whole time. I was really impressed - I didn't know how he was going to be live, but it was awesome.

Anyway, he'll be playing some shows coming up soon, including Billy Baloney's in Danbury on Sept. 25th. Don't miss that show, he's really great live, as you can tell if you listen to the set. He'll be doing a few more shows later this year, so check out his myspace site for details.

Download the Indra Zen Versus the World set here.


Petite Mal sang some very quiet songs, which complimented the nighttime sounds very well. It was almost like an intimate poetry reading, with her reading out of a book as she sang. It was almost like she was belting out tiny anthems and stanzas with a quavering voice. It was impressive how quiet everyone was while she was singing. She ended with two covers - a Daniel Johnston cover and a Neil Young cover, both of which were sung like nothing you've ever heard before.

Download Petite Mal's set here.

Jesse Tobias closed the night with a great set. In addition to being a super nice dude, his music is fantastic. He started with a traditional song called "Silver Dagger" which was phenomenal. He played mostly acoustic, going from whispering lyrics to full on belting out melodies. He closed his set out with a few tunes on electric, which were just as great. He played a really reverby electric, which I was totally digging. Towards the end of the night, he was playing some noisy experimental things with a beer bottle, which was really cool. He was damn good.

Download Jesse Tobias' set here.


We'll be posting some videos on Youtube sometime soon as well, so you'll be able to check out some footage of the show. I'll keep you posted. Since things went so well, I think I'll be hosting a few of these in the near future (Halloween, anyone?) so expect some good things to come. If anyone has any suggestions or wants to play just let me know.

- John

Thanks to The Beat, Brian W. and Elodie E. for pictures! And thanks to Matt B. for doing interviews and being M.C. for the night.

Also, here's a link to download each piece of the show, if you're lazy like me.

Watch It Happened but Nobody Noticed

It Happened but Nobody Noticed is streaming all week at 10PM on Wallingford Public Access. Don't miss your chance to see this flick. It's a documentary on Connecticut's new wave and punk rock scene from 1978-1988. If you missed the screening at Channel 1 in New Haven, now's your chance to check it out.

Americana Music Festival

This weekend is the Americana Music Festival in New London's Hygienic Park. It's 2 days of fantastic roots music. For those of you who haven't been to Hygienic Park, it's totally worth checking out; it's really nice. Check out their link for the lineup.

Back to School Record Convention

Hey, what does your Saturday look like? Are you a vinyl junky like me? If you make it to the Hamden Elks Lodge, there will be thousands and thousands of records to dig through, thanks to Redscroll Records and Manic Productions! Come early and grab the good stuff.

Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
10:30AM-5PM
$3 Entry
(9AM Early Admission $10)

Hamden Elks Lodge No. 2224
175 School Street, Hamden, Connecticut 06518

This hall is off of both I-91 and Route 15 (Merritt). It's easy to find and there is a large parking lot.

There will be food (with vegan options), DJs and the bar will be open.

Monday, September 14, 2009

MB 89

Ex-local artist Craig Colorusso returns to CT with a never ending sound and light installation, entitled MB 89. On Saturday, the exhibit will be at Heirloom Arts in Danbury. There will be two showings: afternoon and evening. Colorusso played guitar and sang in a number of local bands, including China Pig and Static Press 19. He is also founder of MUDD Industries, a local record company that managed a ton of releases. Craig's latest work is MB 89.

MB 89 is an environment for people to enter into, a work of art that allows people to come into the room and interact with the artwork. There are three elements in the environment: light, sound and sculpture. There are three 10-foot cylinders of fabric that breathe in the room, while blue lights glow and fade to fill the space with light and shadows. Inside one of the cylinders, Colorusso plays a drone-based bass clarinet piece live. The music evolves slowly over time engulfing the participant, making subtle changes seem monumental. The whole room, including the participants, becomes the piece. Unlike a composition with a discrete beginning and ending that may be played over and over, MB 89 is a composition played once, continuously; spaces between performances are to be treated as musical rests. Instead of many starts and finishes there is constant music.

It should be an engaging exhibit, and a great way to spend your Saturday. There will be an early children's show from 2 to 5, and will run $5. The evening show is from 7- 11, and costs $10.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Levon Helm at the Klein Auditorium

Friday, Sept 25th, Fairfield Theatre Company presents Levon Helm at the Klein Auditorium in Bridgeport. Come see one of the most well-known voices (and drummers) in rock. For those of you who don't know, Helm was a member of The Band, who are probably one of the most legendary rock bands in history. Also, if you haven't heard it yet, his new album Electric Dirt is a total return to form after the man kicked throat cancer's ass. It's also got some really epic moments with Larry Campbell playing a ton of guitar and some of Allen Toussaint's signature horn arrangements. It's a really great album, and even though his voice may sound different, he's still got the same intensity he always had. Tickets will run anywhere from $45-$87 and you'll probably want to buy tickets ahead of time.

The Vultures Record Release Show



Sat. Sept 19th @ Daniel Street

The Vultures are celebrating the release of their new record, pressed on delicious 120 gram black vinyl. Also onstage are the fantastic Skeletonbreath and Milford's own Electric Bucket. The show starts at 9 and will cost $4. It will be an excellent night of Mike Patton-esque jazz punk, I guarantee it.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Jack Stafford

Jack Stafford is a modern troubadour in the truest sense of the word, singing fun and heartfelt folk songs while traveling the world. He grew up in Suffolk, England, playing in a myriad of local indie bands. After traveling in his early 20s he set up shop in Amsterdam, literally, selling his trademark zip suits. He eventually picked up a guitar and began singing songs of the people he might meet, the stories he's made up, and the adventures he wishes he'd had. Now, he's back on road, playing upwards of 200 gigs a year in Europe and America. He's playing two gigs in CT in September that will absolutely be worth seeing.

On Sept. 17th, he'll be at The Space, and on Tuesday, Sept. 29th. he will be at Cafe 9.

I've just been informed that the gig at The Space was canceled - sorry everyone. But he'll still be playing at Cafe 9, so don't miss it!

Homegrown



Remember to tune into WESU 88.1 FM on Thursdays from 5:05 PM to 6:00 PM for Homegrown with Rob DeRosa. Homegrown is the best crop of Connecticut-connected music presented for a global audience.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Pulp interviews CT Indie

I did an interview with Mia Becker at Pulp about CT Indie where we discuss blogging, the future of music in CT, and some wild comparisons and speculation. You should definitely check it out and read up on their site while you're there, because they've got some interesting articles.

Click here to read on.

Why? @ Daniel St - Sept 30th

Alt-Folk, indie-hop - whatever you want to label them WHY? will be at Daniel St mixing genres as bartenders are mixing drinks. Opening will be two bands that deserve their own headlining tours, Dark Dark Dark and AU. Dark Dark Dark is one of the most fitting names for a band. They will bring you in with a haunting orchestral percussion and a quivering female lead. Au is a one man multi-intrumental project by Luke Wyland, whose tunes will bring you around the world and back just in time for WHY?.





Daniel ST
Wed September 30th 2009
Tickets:$12
ALL AGES

Intellegence @ Cafe 9 - Sept 16th

No money and nothing to do on the 16th?

Well youre just in luck! Intelligence will be playing at Cafe 9 with no cover charges.




Cafe 9
Wednesday September 16th 2009
No Cover
21+



SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOUSE SHOWS

Dinosaur Jr @ Toads Place - Oct 7th

Schools started so here's a heads up for what may be the loudest show in the coming months. Dinosaur Jr., headed by arguably one of the most technical guitarists around, will hit up CT for a show at Toads on October 8th for a mind melting show. Opening will be on again off again Dinosaur Jr. bassist Lou Barlow and his band the Missingmen.



Toads Place
October 8th,2009
Tickets:$20 Advance $25 DOS
Time: 9pm
ALL AGES

Cars Can Be Blue

SHOW REMINDER, TONIGHT @ TWO BOOTS!!:

3 show in 1 week at 2 location ends tonight with 3 great pop duos at Two Boots in Bridgeport.

Tonight Tweefort's awesome show will be a short drive away from New Haven (and a pretty short drive away from NYC, and really not that far of a drive away from Boston or Providence) at Two Boots in Bridgeport!

Come out and support Two Boots ... they do a lot for original indie music in CT, and they make a killer pizza.

Thursday, September 10, 2009


Two Boots, 281 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport
9 P.M.
$5. All-ages

Cars Can Be Blue, from Athens, Ga., play simple, fun, catchy songs that combine bubblegum pop with a satirical, sometimes even naughty sense of humor. Think Dressy Bessy with Sarah Silverman singing, Tullycraft meets Adam Sandler, Beat Happening meets Tenacious D. Now you’re getting the idea. How do they do it? It all comes from the unique chemistry of Nate Mitchell and Becky Brooks. Cars Can Be Blue started during the summer of 2002 after the dissolution of Nate’s cover band and Becky’s improv comedy group. They have shared stages with bands like Mates of State, The Lucksmiths, Jason Anderson/Wolf Colonel and xBxRx, stand-up comedians Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale and even warmed crowds up for the hilarious Found Footage Film Festival.

The Lovely Eggs are a pop duo from Lancaster, UK. They like to play music together and share a drink. Holly likes books and historical things. David doesn't like books or historical things so much. He prefers cine light shows and fixing things that are broken. The music of the Lovely Eggs is mainly influenced by the ecstasy of the modern mind and all its trappings. They site such bands as The Velvet Underground, Daniel Johnston, Red Crayola, Sonic Youth, Scout Niblett, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, he Modern Lovers and the Moldy Peaches as influences.

School Safety Patrol is one of the many musical incarnations of Peter and Julie of the Sawtelles and Poptelles. They play Ramones-inspired punk pop on a fuzzed out electric uke and modified drum kit. Peter and Julie can be seen playing all over the state of CT from farmer's markets to rock shows.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

House Show Reminder

A reminder that my house show will be on Sat. 12th.

Rumor has it that Indra Zen Versus The World is also going to play, rounding out the show with a folk punk vibe.

That means they'll be 5 artists, so come on out!

- John


Hallelujah the Hills

Boston-based Hallelujah the Hills will be stopping in CT in preparation for their fall US tour to support their upcoming second album Colonial Drones (out on Misra Records September 22nd). The band is going to be playing a few local shows around the CT/MA area, and if you haven’t already heard of them, take a bit of time to check them out. They have some really killer pop tunes, reminiscent of some of the dreamier middle-era Modest Mouse with some Bright Eyes styled vocals mixed with just a hint of freaky Akron/Family sing(or shout)-alongs. I think they're pretty damn good, and these two shows are a great opportunity to see an up and coming band.

Check out their Daytrotter Session to hear some really great live tracks.

Shows:

Thursday, September 10, 2009 - The Space with locals Buried Next to the Horse (ethereal folk rock from Bethel) and Goodnight Blue Moon (huge group of roots rockers from New Haven.)

Saturday, September 12, 2009 - Cousin Larry's, with CA rockers Low Red Land and NYC post punkers Appomattox.