Jessie Harris’ New Album To Drop in Late February
New York-based Grammy winner Jesse Harris will release Mineral on Feb. 21. It's the debut on his independent label, Secret Sun Recordings, and his first recording using a trio instead of longtime backing band The Ferdinandos. The album contains virtually no electric guitar or bass, leaving room for an accordion and marimba line. Harris has written songs for Madeleine Peyroux, Lizz Wright and Tristan Prettyman and contributed guitar to the Bright Eyes album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. He's also known for writing several songs on Norah Jones' debut Come Away With Me, including the single "Don't Know Why," for... read more
Drive-By Truckers In The Studio
(Above [L-R]: Patterson Hood, Jason Isbell and John Agnello in the control room at Chase Park Transduction. Background [L-R]: Assistant engineers Mark Brut, Billy Bennett and Ben Holst. Photo by Jeff Snowden.) The Drive-By Truckers are finishing their seventh record, A Blessing and A Curse, at Mitch Easter’s studio, the Fidelitorium in North Carolina, and at Producer David Barbe’s studio, Chase Park Transduction, in Athens, Ga. The album’s planned release is April 2006 on New West. ... read more
Peter Himmelman Offers Free Download
Peter Himmelman's fifth collection of unreleased material, studio outtakes, live tracks and improvs is currently available as a free download. This is the fifth in a series of recordings called From The Himmelvaults. Download at peterhimmelman.com. ... read more
The Flaming Lips: Flaming Lips - V.O.I.D, 1992-2005
Okla-Home Movies: Oklahoma City art freaks buy Super 8 cameras, bunny costumes, run amok read more
Blind Arvella Gray - The Singing Drifter
Chicago street bluesman’s only LP finally available on CD read more
Josh Joplin - Jaywalker
A declaration of independence that betrays growing pains read more
Juliana Hatfield - Made in China
Songwriter eschews pop conventions and spews lyrical venom read more
Broken Spindles - Inside/Absent
Bass player for Omaha’s The Faint fleshes out decent side project read more
A Paste Conversation: Jeff Tweedy
Wilco’s leader finally gets comfortable in his own skin read more
Indie artists pay tribute to John Fahey
Sometimes influential and underrated artists get their due. Such will be the case on Feb. 14 when Vanguard Records releases I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey, a compilation of Fahey tracks re-imagined through the creative lenses of some of indie rock's best singer/songwriters. M. Ward produced the record, in addition to contributing a track, and several other artists including Sufjan Stevens, Devendra Banhart, Howe Gelb, Grandaddy and Calexico each put in a take on one of Fahey's songs. Additionally, Vanguard will re-release Fahey's 1968 album, The Yellow Princess. The fan favorite will be supplemented with three... read more
Gram Parsons Biography Out
Grievous Angel: An Intimate Biography of Gram Parsons is currently available from Thunders Mouth Press. The book, a collection of stories and images from Parsons' life, was compiled by music journalist Jessica Hundley and Parson's only daughter, Polly. Gram Parsons is credited with influencing many contemporary artists, including Elvis Costello, Norah Jones and Dinosaur Jr. Parsons was a member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. He died in 1973 at the age of 26. ... read more
Rush to release 30th anniversary retrospective
Coming soon to a record store near you: the ultimate Rush collection. On Nov. 22, Rush R-30, a multi-CD and DVD release celebrating the band's 30th anniversary, will be released on Zoe Vision/Rounder Records. In addition to concert and interview footage, the package includes limited edition Rush guitar picks and a souvenir backstage pass. For more information, visit Rush's official Web site at www.rush.com. ... read more
4 to Watch: Richard Swift
Richard Swift wants you to think his record collection ends in 1975. read more
Harry Connick Jr. makes an
Harry Connick Jr. is making an “Occasion” out of Christmas this year with a full slate of activities. On Nov. 16, Connick and Branford Marsalis debuted music from Marsalis’ new album Occasion, which features Connick. The duo performed a second time on Nov. 17 as part of the London Jazz Festival at the Shaw Theater. Stateside, Connick will appear at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Nov. 24 and at the Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony on Nov. 30, which will air live on NBC. He will then appear on the Today Show Nov. 29 and The Ellen Degeneres Show Dec. 2.... read more
The LeeVee's Launch Hanukkah Rocks tour
What would the holidays be without another instant indie-pop Hanukkah classic? The LeeVees—a side project of Guster’s Adam Gardner and The Zambonis’ Dave Schneider—go on tour with the Bare Naked Ladies to support their debut release, Hanukkah Rocks. And yes, every song is about Hanukkah—from the Beach Boys-esque "Latke Clan" and the punk crunch of the Ramones-inspired, "Gelt Melts" to "At the Timeshare," a Hawaiian-sounding ode to a retiree longing to be in Florida. Some say such a concept is a bit obsessive but Gardener and Schneider prefer the phrase "extremely focused." The Bare Naked for the Holidays Tour kicks... read more
National Book Awards Announced Yesterday
The 56th National Book Awards Ceremony took place last night in New York. Winners include Jeanne Birdsall for The Penderwicks in Young People's Literature, W.S. Merwin for Migration: New And Selected Poems in Poetry, Joan Didion for The Year Of Magical Thinking in Nonfiction, and William T. Vollmann for Europe Central in Fiction. For more information about the National Book Awards, visit nationalbook.org. ... read more
Sinead O'Connor Got Riddim
Some 15 years removed from the height of her commercial success and infamy... read more
Supergrass to tour in early 2006
Although the sassy Brit-poppers of Supergrass have already promoted their latest album, Road to Rouen, with an international, acoustic tour, it seems they just can't stay home for very long. In Toronto on Feb. 6, the band will kick off another tour, this time a smaller, 15-date trip. For more information, visit the band's official Web site at www.supergrass.com . ... read more
The Avett Brothers Tour With BR549
The Avett Brothers' new album, entitled Four Thieves Gone – The Robinsville Sessions, will hit stores on Feb. 7. In the meantime, they are preparing for a Jan. - Feb. tour with BR549. For tour dates, visit theavettbrothers.com. ... read more
New York Guitar Festival announces new concert season
For the sixth time in its storied history, the New York Guitar Festival's concert series is back again, this time being held from Jan. 14 to Feb. 8. Approximately 60 guitarists of myriad styles will perform at several different NYC venues over the course of more than 20 performances. Gun-slinging luminaries such as Taj Mahal, Vernon Reid and Daniel Lanois, amongst many others, are scheduled to perform. For more information, visit www.newyorkguitarfestival.org . ... read more
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