I caught this in the Facebook feed for my favorite Minneapolis music blogger, Greg Swan (he of Perfect Porridge fame) and, being slightly klepto about music, had to download it as soon as I got home. Long story – short, it’s really good.
Dope Lotus Records was founded by a musician and a multimedia artist as a way to digitally present their work. It grew from there into a proper artist collective and record label, with a roster of 20-some artists.
One of those artists, Beat Radio really caught my ear with their song, “Follow You Around.” I checked out their site – or his site, rather, as Brian Sendrowitz is the only constant member – and lo and behold, more free music! After giving it a spin, I would Safe Inside the Sound hits about a 7.5/10 for me.
Have a listen to “Follow You Around” below:
So check out the free sampler over at Dope Lotus. If you’re cool like me, check out Beat Radio’s album – also free. You can also purchase one of Beat Radio’s limited edition albums (only 250!) with handmade artwork.
Benjy Davis Project came to rock as they headlined a Rock Ridge Music showcase at Sullivan Hall last night. The often subdued Davis released his inner showman as his band wailed behind him complete with guitar solos and pulsating drums as they brought some southern heat to a chilly November night here in NYC.
It was a noticeably different lineup for BDP, which only included original members Benjy Davis (no brainer there) and Mic Capdevielle (drums). The new addition, Patrick Thorton (bass) and Brian Fechino (guitar), definitely brought a fresh sound to the group. Though, I’d venture to guess the liquored up college-crowd failed to notice the new lineup as they faithfully sang back all the lyrics while groping each other. Seriously, kids are talented these days and clearly have no shame.
But BDP managed to stay focused as they played the standard crowd favorites off their latest release Dust, including “I Love You,” “Same Damn Book,” “Sweet Southern Moon,” and “Still Sweet.” They also mixed in some older material in “Do It With The Lights On,” and “Louisiana Saturday Night.” Have to admit, though I enjoy BDP unplugged, witnessing them plugged in up made for a nice change of pace.
Calling all NYC music fans, Joe Firstman will perform tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 13th) at The Living Room at 8p. After migrating west from his home in North Carolina, the talented singer-songwriter found his muse in LA — a city of excess, ego and beautiful ladies — which fueled his songs.
It didn’t take long for Joe to gain notoriety, first came the big Hollywood gigs, then the industry buzz, then the big deal with Atlantic Records and national tours with big rock stars like Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and Willie Nelson. Next he landed a regular gig as the bandleader on the “Last Call with Carson Daly” show.
Sondre Lerche, the Norwegian born singer-songwriter and frequent topic on The Round Table, recently visited SPIN magazine’s office in NYC to serenade the staff. Never have I wanted to work at SPIN magazine more than on this day. For those of us unlucky folks who weren’t in attendence, SPIN has so graciously posted video footage of the performance as well as Sondre talking about his inspirations for the songs on his latest album, Heartbeat Radio.
One of the many reasons why I love NYC is that even on a Monday you can walk into a bar and see kick-ass musicians. Last night was no exception. We started the evening as planned, checking out Ashley Arrison perform at The Living Room.
From the moment Ashley stepped on stage, she owned the packed crowd with her rendition of Ryan Adams “New York, New York.” Honestly, if there’s ever a need to win over jaded New Yorkers, simply sing about their daily dysfunctional love of the city – it works every time.
From there she moved into her own material, which included a nice mix of newer songs as well as older songs from her EP, Talking Circles. Ashley noted that she was currently working on a new album with her fiancee,Aben Eubanks, who was also part of her backing band for the evening. So it seemed fitting for her to perform “Right Behind You,” with Aben seated to her right as she sang “No matter where you are/I will never be too far away from you.”
Leaving on a Mayday, the third studio album (second in the U.S.) from Swedish songstress Anna Ternheim, a beautiful collection of songs with an ethereal feel. Produced by Bjorn Yttling (Peter Bjorn & John), the overall album has a quiet, introspective theme present from the album opener “What Have I Done,” all the way through the closing song in “Black Sunday Afternoon.”
Ternheim’s lyrics are haunting by themselves, but when paired with Yttling’s production the songs have an epic feel such as on “My Heart Still Beats for You,” with delicate strings filled with longing and sorrow and a steady drum beat that backs Ternheim’s persistent declaration of “my heart still beats for you/afterall it’s always you/come back to you.”
(LtoR) Jill Pickering, Kelly Clarkson, and Kate Rapier)
Looks like all the VH1 Divas lovin’ is continuing post show as Kelly Clarkson joins her back-up singers, Jill Pickering and Kate Rapier, to cover Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.” While hardcore Clarkson fans are quite familiar with Jill and Kate’s own music, there’s quite a few of you out there who probably have no clue as to who the duo are, so we’ll do our best to school you.
The lovely Jill and Kate met while attending college in Massachusetts. The story goes, they were roommates who happened to be in the same music class. One day their teacher gave them an assignment to write a song – desperate to get the assignment over, the roomies opted to team up on the project. When they presented their song to their teacher he (or she) told them that their voiced sounded good paired up and that they should consider singing together more often. And so, Jill and Kate was born. Fast-forward a few years – the duo now support Kelly Clarkson, one of the biggest selling artists of the last ten years, on the road. Pretty sweet gig if you ask me! If you’re into songs about heartache and longing from girls armed with guitars who happen to provide beautiful harmonies, you should check out their latest EP, Finding My Own Way. (Review at the old Round Table hangout).
When not on stage with Kelly Clarkson, Jill and Kate find time to work on their own music. They like to give fans a little glimpse into the writing process by something they refer to as “New Song on the 17th.” On the 17th of ever month (or lately whenever they get around to it), Jill an Kate perform a new song they’ve been working on, play one of their older songs, or even cover a song they adore (Sheryl Crow’s “Strong Enough” cover). This 17th (actually 18th!) they opted for some Miley Cyrus love alongside the boss-lady, Ms. Clarkson. Check the performance after the cut – as well as a J&K original – let us know your thoughts.
The Canal Room was rocking as the Evening of the Feeling Song Tour touched down in NYC on Tuesday night. Matt Duke, Tony Lucca, and Jay Nash provided hours of incredible music, a mini-jam session, as well as a few surprise guests including the lovely Sara Bareilles and talented Curtis Peoples. While the clear headliner appeared to be Jay Nash, it was Matt Duke’s and Tony Lucca’s sets that stole the show.
So, who is Matt Duke? Well, he’s a pint-sized (in comparison to the towering Jay Nash), singer-songwriter who has an affinity for a four letter word that rhymes with “duck.” His songs were poignant and emotional, his delivery was intense and focused. He commanded the stage he even though a rather noisy audience didn’t give him the respect he deserved on stage, which seemed to be an issue for all of the performers. Tony Lucca and Curtis Peoples confided with us post show that “the audience thinks you can’t hear or see them when you’re on stage. You can and you do. Trick is finding a way to politely say ‘shut the f-ck up.”
Tony Lucca, or as I like to call him “the hardest working man in the indie music scene”, is back on the road again. This time, he’s teamed up with Jay Nash, Matt Duke and Roy Jay for the Evening of The Feeling Song Tour, which stops in NYC tonight, September 15th, at the Canal Room in Tribeca. And yes, I’ll be in attendance to see it all go down (happy birthday to me!).
I’ve seen Tony Lucca perform several solo gigs over the years, so it’ll be interesting to see him share the spotlight with his tour-mates. Meanwhile, in support of their 25-city US Tour, Lucca and Nash are releasing a series of video blogs from the road. The latest installment, vlog #6, finds an unshaven Lucca in Wyoming at Snowy Range Music Festival, checking out the local talent including 14 yr old guitarist, Michaela Rae, and clips from his set with Jay Nash. Always the crowd-pleaser, Lucca received quite a few compliments from his audience.
Check out the video below — also, if you haven’t seen him live in concert, it’s damn near time you did. Remaining dates for the tour can be found at Lucca’s official site. For NYC fans, catch a bonus performance and signing tonight, before the Canal Room gig, at Barnes & Noble located in Columbus Circle (1972 Broadway @ 66th Street), 5pm sharp.
Noah and The Whale, the U.K. indie folk band, is gearing up for the release of their next project The First Days of Spring, an album and a film from the group. The album already hit U.K. stores this past Tuesday, but its not for sale in the U.S. until October 6th.
The lead single “Blue Skies” is now available for purchase via iTunes. Thanks to our friends at Sneak Attack Media, you can download a remix to “Blue Skies” (Death to the Throne) for free. Be sure to grab it while you can, you won’t be disappointed by the beautifully underlying somber tones that are intensified by the tracks stuttered beat.
Also, be sure to heck out the trailer for The First Days of Spring after the cut.
We started as a three friends having conversations about music during lunches together at the office. Since then we have expanded to seven members, including a Chi-town native, and the conversations have gotten bigger and better. The Round Table has grown into a casual setting where music aficionados can gather to discuss all things music. Topics include (but not limited to) artists and bands, new music releases, concerts, recording industry news and concerns, and the occasional nugget of entertainment gossip. We have tastes that cover the entire music spectrum and love to share them (and our opinions) with each other. We are The Round Table! Come join the conversation!
I caught this in the Facebook feed for my favorite Minneapolis music blogger, Greg Swan (he of Perfect Porridge fame) and, being slightly klepto about music, had to download it as soon as I got home. Long story – short, it’s really good.
Benjy Davis Project
The Canal Room was rocking as the Evening of the Feeling Song Tour touched down in NYC on Tuesday night. 
