SOUNDS: BB King & Buddy Guy 2/12

BB King and Buddy Guy perform tonight at United Palace Theatre. Nuff said!

SOUNDS: A.A. Bondy @ Bowery Ballroom 12/9

It's 12:52 in the morning and I'm at a hotel in Springfield, Ohio.

My new record is called When The Devil's Loose. To me it sounds like a radio washed ashore after a shipwreck. This whole thing started in upstate New York with snow on the ground. I got out of there, drove around the country for a bit and landed in Water Valley, Mississippi, where I kept working. The days grew longer and the snakes began to wake up. I ate catfish and walked around a lot. We got a lot of rain. The weeds grew at an alarming rate and we finished work one night under a red moon. My last record was called American Hearts. I know people that like it. Fat Possum Records put it out and is releasing When The Devils Loose. My brothers and my friends helped me record this new one. I'd like to thank them for that.

This hotel may have been nice once.
- A.A. Bondy When The Devil's Loose is released on September 1, 2009.

A.A. Bondy performs live tomorrow (12/9) night at Bowery Ballroom with The Duke and the King, and Willy Mason. (source)

SOUNDS: Rhett Miller @ Housing Works tonight

Photo: LeannaTown

Texas-native Rhett Miller is the front man and main songwriter of the hard-charging rock ‘n’ roll quartet the Old 97’s, as well as an accomplished solo artist. In addition to his seven records with the band, he has released three highly regarded solo records; 2002’s The Instigator, 2006’s The Believer, and 2009’s self-titled Rhett Miller. Miller continues to balance his solo endeavors with his membership in the Old 97’s. The still-active quartet recently released the critically acclaimed album Blame It On Gravity in 2008 and were also prominently featured in the Jennifer Aniston/Vince Vaugn romantic comedy, The Break Up. Rolling Stone magazine stated that Rhett “is full of gracefully rocking arrangements and ace tunes.” (source)

He performs tonight (12/7) at 7PM with actress/musician Jill Hennessey at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe.

SOUNDS: Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown serves a little chicken fried to NYC tomorrow night (10/24) @ Terminal 5.

SOUNDS: Avett Brothers

The songs of the Avett Brothers are honest: just chords with real voices singing real melodies. But, the heart and the energy with which they are sung, is really why people are talking, and why so many sing along. They are a reality in a world of entertainment built with smoke and mirrors, and when they play, the common man can break the mirrors and blow the smoke away, so that all that's left behind is the unwavering beauty of the songs. That's the commotion, that's the celebration, and wherever The Avett Brothers are, that's what you'll find. (source)

The Avett Brothers perform at Terminal 5 tomorrow night (10/17).

SOUNDS: Lynyrd Skynyrd

Legendary rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd return to New York City for a CD Release Party and Concert at the Beacon Theatre on October 1.

Beyond the tragedy, the history, the raging guitars and the killer songs, ultimately, Lynyrd Skynyrd is about an indomitable will. About survival of spirit; unbowed, uniquely American, stubbornly resolute.

With their first set of new studio material since 2003's Vicious Cycle, the band returns with God & Guns, due out September 29 on Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records. Recorded in Nashville in 2008-2009, the project was interrupted (but, tellingly, not ended) by the deaths of founding member/keyboardist Billy Powell and longtime bassist Ean Evans earlier this year.

Driven by core members Gary Rossington (guitar), Johnny Van Zant (vocals) and Rickey Medlocke (guitar), along with longtime drummer Michael Cartellone, Lynyrd Skynyrd have recorded an album ("under duress, as usual," according to Van Zant) that very much lives up to the legacy begun some 35 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida, and halted for a decade by the 1977 plane crash that killed three band members, including Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines. Since then, the band tragically lost Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson and Huey Thomasson, yet they rock on.

With the passing of Powell and Evans, "a lot of people probably expected us to say enough is enough," admits Medlocke. But that would not be the way of this Rock & Roll Hall of Fame powerhouse. With a catalog of over 60 albums and sales beyond 30 million, Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to all generations, and God & Guns is a fitting addition to the canon. The Skynyrd Nation awaits.(source)

Rosanne Cash @ St. Ann's Warehouse

Photo: Annie Leibowitz

“If my father had been a martial arts master, he might have passed a martial arts ‘secret’ on to me, his oldest child. If he had been a surgeon, he might have taken me into his operating room and pointed out the arteries and organs. If he were a robber baron, he might have surveyed his empire and said, ‘Honey, some day this will all be yours!’ But he was a musician and a songwriter, and he gave me The List.” Rosanne Cash

St. Ann's Warehouse presents the World Premiere concert of ROSANNE CASH The List, the first album culled from a list of “100 Essential Country Songs” that Johnny Cash created for his daughter when she was 18. Alarmed that Rosanne lacked a deep understanding of country music, Johnny gave her the list and insisted she learn them all. Filtered through her own unique, sophisticated perspective, Rosanne covers songs from The List with her own stylish interpretations, paving their way to a permanent place in the American Songbook. Produced and arranged by Grammy-Award winner John Leventhal, The List includes masterpieces by The Carter Family, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Bob Dylan and more. (source)

These concerts are not until October 9 & 10 but tix are on sale now until 9/2 for St. Ann's members and then open up to the general public.

Feel Like Funkin' It Up

According to their Myspace page: "Simply put, The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans institution. Formed in 1983 by the now infamous Frazier brothers, the band has evolved from playing the streets of the French Quarter to playing festivals and stages all over the world. Rebirth is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while at the same time incorporating modern music into their show. Their signature brand of heavy funk has not only won over several generations of music lovers, it has become the soundtrack to an entire city. In the wake of the sometimes-stringent competition amongst brass bands, Rebirth is the undisputed leader of the pack, and they show no signs of slowing down."

They play BB King's tonight (7/8) @ 8PM.

Drop Me Off In New Orleans

Tonight (7/7) @ Midsummer Night Swing in Damrosch Park:

Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers

“With his shimmering tone, street-honed chops and over-the-top personality, Ruffins is a throwback to the days when entertainment and art were fast companions.” —The Star Tribune

With a knowing grin on his face and a smile in his voice, Kermit Ruffins kicks off the season with New Orleans flair. The trumpeter/vocalist and his band are sure to thrill with their unique sense of smokin’ swing. (source)

When:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 6:30
Dance Lesson at 6:30, Live Music at 7:30

Where:
Damrosch Park
62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam

Program:
New Orleans Jazz, Swing
Lesson: Paolo "P Lindy" Lanna teaching the Lindy Hop, Lindy Hop All-Stars, SavoyCentral.org
DJ: Ryan Swift, Yehoodi.com

Hmmm...

If you've ever wondered what the countrified version of "Maniac" or "Hot 4 Teacher" would sound like you're in luck. "The 80s Go South" is live tonight (and every Monday) at 8PM at Hill Country Barbecue. FREE!