WILD FLAG @ BOTH, S.F. ~ 12/02/10

Lake Tahoe In January

Friday, January 21

Harrah's South Shore Room

$27.50 + tax

https://shop.prestigeticketing.com/harrahstah/store.jsp?autonav=P500110713#ceShop

Saturday, January 22
Harrah's South Shore Room
$38.50 + tax
https://shop.prestigeticketing.com/harrahstah/store.jsp?autonav=P500110719#ceShop

Greg Dulli Solo ~ 11/17/10 ~ Sweedish American Hall, S.F.

1,000 Years

A snazzy review of the new Corin Tucker solo show can be read over at Bitch Magazine.

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/music-matters

The xx @ Oakland's Fox Theatre on 9/23/10

Bobby Bare Jr. @ The Underground 9/2/10

Blue Giant Pics

Blue Giant opened for and played with Bobby Bare Jr. at The Underground on 9/2/10.

It was a fantastic show. Why weren't more of you Reno-ites there?

You make me sad, you really do.

Support good music when it comes to town dammit!

Did you know that Blue Giant has a female lead guitarist? Hell yes they do and she is kick ass.

Also, she and her husband make up the band Viva Voce.

What?

I love Viva Voce.

BBJ Pics to follow.

Have you heard this new album by JUNIP yet? You might wanna.

The story that leads to Junip’s 2010 release is one of patience and perfectionism, frustration and persistence, sheer bloody-mindedness, inspiration and success. The place to which it takes you, however, is one of pastoral contemplation, autumnal grace and inscrutable, haunting serenity. A cosmopolitan three piece from Gothenburg, Sweden – featuring Tobias Winterkorn (keyboards), Elias Araya (drums) and José González (vocals & guitar), the latter of whom you’ll be familiar with from his solo work – Junip have existed since 1999, maybe even 1998. It’s so long, frankly, that none of them are quite sure. FIELDS, however, is the album that they’ve been itching to make ever since. González and Araya have been playing together since they were 14.

Loving this today ~ Maximum Balloon.

Some of my favorite NYC singers guest on this album, love these pics too.

http://www.maximumballoon.com/

Check this Band Out: Tired Pony

“A gentle and mellifluous set of songs, it’s an album that’s haunted by a deep and evocative sense of fragile melancholy…an album for lost, lonely times.” – Clash

“The instruments and textures enter, drop out, augment, hold back, enter again, with a subtlety that, without warning, will burst suddenly into violent visceral life.” – Sunday Times Culture

“It’s the best work Lightbody has done….” – Q Magazine

Tired Pony, spearheaded by Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, is a collaborative project featuring the talents of R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Belle and Sebastian’s Richard Colburn, acclaimed producer Jacknife Lee and more. Their debut album – The Place We Ran From (which released September 28th; Mom + Pop) was born after Gary Lightbody decamped to Portland, Oregon’s Type Foundry studio. He invited along Troy Stewart, a regular touring member of Snow Patrol; Iain Archer, a longtime Snow Patrolcollaborator; Richard Colburn, Belle & Sebastian’s drummer and former collaborator with Lightbody in Reindeer Section; and producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee (U2, Bloc Party), who helped to recruit Tired Pony’s final two members: Peter Buck from R.E.M. and Scott McCaughey, R.E.M.’s full-time auxiliary member since 1994.

Inspired by his love of Wilco, Calexico, Lambchop, Palace, Smog and more, Gary set out to make what could be called an American gothic album, a country-tinged gem that looked at the darkness of America. Bringing in She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward and The Editors’ Tom Smith for guest turns, the album was made quickly, with the entire recording session lasting only a week. At the end of it all, the players felt so close and so connected, they decided to take Tired Pony out of the studio and into the world.

Grass Valley in October

Tuesday, October 26

The Center for the Arts and (((folkYEAH!))) present

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy plus very special guest TBA

8:00PM, $15 in advance, $18 at the door

Saturday, October 30

The Center for the Arts presents Punk / Folk Legend

Billy Bragg

8:00PM, $30 General Admission

Ra Ra Riot in Reno!

Wed-Oct-13 Reno, NV

The Alley

GET TICKETS

Sing To Survive

I got a CD in the mail from Dan of The Fancy Dan Band. The Fancy Dan Band is based out of San Francisco, CA. After giving “Sing to Survive” about 5 spins now I can resoundingly say, I like this band. Hey Fancy Dan, bring your band to Reno, Nevada for a show or two, won’t you?

I hear a lot of influences on this record: The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis and even a little Tom Petty however; The Fancy Dan Band is able to take a lot of those influences and make a sound that is truly their own. While doing a bit of research on the band I came across anSFGate article that said The Fancy Dan Band’s sound is like “pushing the girl you love on a swing.” What could be better than that? I could not agree more, its great music to listen to in your car at the end of a long hot summer.

I hope to catch this band live sometime soon, “Sing to Survive” is a fun record, go out and pick yourself up a copy. Support local (bay area) musicians. If I lived in S.F. I would surely attend their cd release show at Café Du Nord tonight.

Happily Cho Dependent!

I got a copy of the new Margaret Cho album Cho Dependent from Danny at the Planetary Group. Thanks Danny! I knew before popping it into the cd player that Cho paired up with a bunch of musicians to make a rock record, but what I did not know is how fantastic it was going to sound. I thought it might be a record full of shtick comedy over three cords and a lot of Cho screaming. This record is much more than that, sure there is a bit of shtick and a Cho scream here and there, but there are some great hooks, and catchy tunes as well. The songs themselves are lovely and beautifully produced. Cho adds a sprinkling of her comedy on top of that music in a masterful way. She has quite a lovely voice at times, especially when paired with Tegan & Sara, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco.

I feel al little weird saying this, being a thirty something lesbian in America but my favorite track on the album is “Your Dick” in which she collaborates with A.C. Newman. I found myself singing along with the song after a few spins of the record and then laughing out loud at myself for singing along to a song called “Your Dick”. Bravo, Cho!

Cho punctuated the songs brilliantly, just as you are getting into a tune, she throws in a hilarious line that jolts you out of the song and makes you belly laugh, then you are seduced right back into the song until the next belly laugh comes along.

I really enjoyed this album by Margaret Cho; I recommend it to anyone who loves music and a filthy joke or two. You won’t be disappointed.

I hope to be doing a giveaway of some Margaret Cho tickets for her show in SF in December on this blog soon. More information about the album and a full list of tour dates below:



“I want to create a new genre of music that is hilarious but also seriously good, so I turned to some of my music heroes to help me out,” says Margaret Cho in reference to her forthcoming album Cho Dependent. “I have wanted to make an album like this forever. I love comedy music!”

The lyrics on Cho Dependent, which tackle issues of sex, drugs, rock & roll – and lice, may be laugh-inducing, but Cho has made no compromises when it comes to the quality of the songwriting and production. After “My Puss,” a hilarious rap parody Cho recorded impromptu-style with friends, became a surprise YouTube hit, Cho began to integrate more comedy music into her live stand-up shows. With Cho Dependent, her first comedy music album, Cho got a chance to hone her craft with some of the top names in the business.

“There are so many amazing people I got to work with on this album," Cho recounts. “Jon Brion, Fiona Apple, Tegan and Sara, Andrew Bird, Ani DiFranco, Garrison Starr, Meghan Toohey, Brendan Benson, Rachael Yamagata, Carl Newman, Grant Lee Phillips, Patty Griffin, Ben Lee, Kevin Barnes -- I still have to pinch myself!”

Ultimately Cho hopes to raise the bar for the genre as a whole – and get a little recognition for her contribution to the cause. Her motivations for this latter goal however are naturally as subversive as her humor. “I want to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and on Elvis Costello's Spectacle so I can talk all serious about my songwriting ‘process’ -- which is basically trying to figure out what rhymes with ‘dick.’”

TOUR
08.26.10 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
08.27.10 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
08.28.10 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver, BC
09.10.10 House of Blues Houston, TX
09.11.10 Verizon Theatre Dallas, TX
09.12.10 Paramount Theatre Austin, TX
09.17.10 The Pearl Concert Theatre @ the Palms Las Vegas, NV
09.18.10 Dodge Theatre Phoenix, AZ
09.23.10 The Grove of Anaheim Anaheim, CA
09.24.10 Humphreys Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA
09.25.10 The Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
09.26.10 The Uptown Theatre Napa, CA
10.01.10 Southern Alberta Jubilee Calgary, AB
10.02.10 Wimdspear Centre Edmonton, AB
10.09.10 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO
10.14.10 Overtrue Centrer for the Arts - Capitol Theatre Madison, WI
10.15.10 State Theatre Minneapolis, MN
10.16.10 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL
10.17.10 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI
10.22.10 Massey Hall Toronto, ON
10.23.10 Salle Wilfrid Pelletier Montreal, PQ
10.24.10 National Arts Centre Ottawa, ON
10.27.10 Scranton Cultural Center Scranton, PA
10.28.10 Wilbur Theatre Boston, MA
10.29.10 Warner Theatre Washington DC
10.30.10 Caeser's Atlantic City Atlantic City, NJ
11.04.10 Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ
11.05.10 TBA New York, NY
11.06.10 Fox Theatre Mashantucket, CT
12.03.10 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
12.04.10 Nob Hill Masonic Center San Francisco, CA
12.09.10 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL
12.10.10 Hard Rock Live @ Universal Studios Orlando, FL
12.11.10 Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater Miami Beach, FL
12.12.10 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA

LINKS
http://www.planetarygroup.com/newmedia/pages/margaretcho/
http://www.margaretcho.com/

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses

“whether he was singing or tuning his guitar, he grabbed the listener's attention wholeheartedly…while the crowd no doubt wanted to hear more from Bingham, the [45-minute] set was a more-than-adequate preview of what's to come for the soulful musician,” - Spinner.com

Former bull rider, Ryan Bingham, will be releasing his newest album, Junky Star on Lost Highway Records come August 31. Ryan catapulted to success with his work on "The Weary Kind" (Theme from Crazy Heart), and recently released the first taste of the new record with "Depression". The song, a love story set during the depression, has an amazing ability to pull at the heartstrings of any generation. The emotional resonance Ryan shares with listeners undoubtably makes it hard to comprehend his young age of only 29...

RYAN BINGHAM ON TOUR
AUG 25 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bootleg Theater (Record Release Show)

SEPT 01 - Los Angeles, CA - The Grammy Museum (Q&A with Museum Members)

SEPT 03 - Yosemite, CA - Strawberry Festival

SEPT 05 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 06 - Park City, UT - Snow Park Amphitheater

SEPT 07 - Boise, ID - Botanical Gardens (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 08 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 10 - Laughlin, NV - Harrah's Fiesta :

SEPT 11- Las Vegas, NV - The Cannery Casino (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 12 - Bakersfield, CA - B Ryder's

SEPT 13 - Livermore, CA - Wente Vineyards (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 14 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theater

SEPT 16 - Chico, CA - El Rey Theatre

SEPT 17- Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 18 - Troutdale, OR - Edgefield Manor (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 19 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 20 - Grants Pass, OR - Rogue Theater

SEPT 22 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 23 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl (w/Willie Nelson)

SEPT 24 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theater (w/Willie Nelson)

OCT 07 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues

OCT 08 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival

OCT 08 - Austin, TX - ACL Aftershow @ Momo's

OCT 12 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom

OCT 14 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

OCT 15 - Boston, MA - Royale

OCT 16 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar

OCT 17 - Albany, NY - Linda Norris Auditorium

OCT 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater

OCT 21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop

Artist: Ryan Bingham

Album: Junky Star

Release Date: August 31

Label: Lost Highway

Website: http://www.binghammusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RyanBinghamandTheDeadHorses

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ryanbingham

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/ryanbingham