All Over Albany

Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned live

Sgt Dunbar and the people from the Grand Street Arts were nice enough to let us come by Saturday night and record the show. The first song from the set is embedded above. A second song is embedded after the jump (see if you can catch the cameo by Matthew Loiacono). These clips are also available in HD here and here.

Sgt Dunbar is going on tour later this summer, but they'll be back in town September 19 to play the Albany Public Library's Garage Series. You should definitely check them out.

Many thanks to Frank, Jeff and Alex for their help.

(there's more)

Aficionado

Aficionado -- all ten of 'em.

Tonight kicks off a regional tour for ten-piece local progressive rock band Aficionado at Savannah's. Yes, there really are ten full-time members, including a flautist and a member who plays the lights. If you haven't heard them yet, just wait until they play tonight. Apparently, listening to them without the visual experience is like "going to see Cirque du Soleil with a blindfold on."

(there's more)

We are Jeneric

Jen and Eric from We are Jeneric. (Get the name now?)

We were lucky enough to catch a set from local duo We are Jeneric at the Grand Street Arts on Saturday night. We'd heard them a little bit on their MySpace page, but this was our first time seeing them live. And it was great -- funny and charming and more exuberant than we would have expected after hearing them online. Sgt. Dunbar was also there and they played along on a few songs, which was a lot of fun.

So, check 'em out. They have a bunch of songs on MySpace -- we recommend "O Albany We Hope" and "Deeper Than Our Love." NPR's site has a song they wrote for last year's RPM Challenge. And they're playing at Red Square on July 26.

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Dance With Me - Old 97s
2. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
3. Glad It's Over - Wilco
4. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
5. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
6. No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
7. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
8. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
9. 1492 - Counting Crows
10. Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
11. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball ft. Peter Gabriel
12. Do You Wanna - The Kooks
13. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
14. Fear - Paddy Casey
15. Frankie's Gun - The Felice Brothers

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including stuff from Beck, Santogold and Mates of State.

(there's more)

Thurston Moore in town tonight

Thurston Moore (you know, from Sonic Youth) will be playing an Albany Sonic Arts Collective show tonight at the Upstate Artists Guild on Lark Street. A few other acts are also playing, including A-Town's Century Plants. The show starts at 8 pm. It's a $10 suggested donation.

It's a short trip for Moore. He lives in Northampton.

(Thanks, Jessica!)

photo: Flickr user gaelenh, used under a CC license

Last Vestige- Saratoga

It's a more-hit-than-miss kind of beat-up musical boutique thing that makes Last Vestige in Saratoga an essential weekly stop. Every trip is different because most of the stock is a rotating bundle of used media. So while you might not find the season three DVD of Weeds this week, there's a likely chance you'll stumble on a coveted Black Flag album or even a Tommy James and The Shondells cassette.

Still, in the age of Amazon, why bother with a vintage record shop?

(there's more)

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
2. Dance With Me - Old 97s
3. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
4. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
5. Only Memory - Matthew Loiacono
6. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
7. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
8. No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
9. Glad It's Over - Wilco
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball ft. Peter Gabriel
12. Do You Wanna - The Kooks
13. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
14. Fear - Paddy Casey
15. Frankie's Gun - The Felice Brothers

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including stuff from Radiohead and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.

(there's more)

The Collar City Records June Bundle

The Troy record label is releasing four new albums this month -- and you can score all four for just $20. The June bundle includes albums by Matthew Loiacono, Ben Karis-Nix, Ike Snopes and Princess Mabel.

Looking for a preview spin? Here's a muxtape of songs from the four albums. (What's a muxtape? Check it out -- it's cool.)

The 2008 At The Plaza schedule

The schedule of concerts and festivals this summer at the ESP came out today. The full schedule, with a bunch of links, is after the jump. Here are a few things that caught our eye:

Swing Night with the Count Basie Orchestra and Royal Crown Revue
July 30
This should be fun -- the CBO will kick it old-school and RCR will bring something a little more modern.

The Temptations Revue and Grand Master Flash
African American Family Day - August 2
OK, it's not the real Temptations but they sound pretty close. And Grandmaster Flash is a walking, mixing piece of hip hop history.

KT Tunstall and Martha Wainwright
At The Plaza Food Festival - August 6
Yep, Tunstall is the one who sings that "Suddenly I See" song that's been played on something like half of all TV shows and film trailers over the last year. And Martha Wainwright is Rufus' sister and Loudon's daughter.

Here's the full schedule...

(there's more)

The Mathematicians

Who says math geeks never get the girl?

Update: Their appearance has been canceled due to illness. But it looks like they'll be playing Glens Falls (for free!) on July 5.

Move over Schoolhouse Rock, The Mathematicians are taking "math rock" to a whole new level.

Yes, we said it. Math rock. It's coming to Art on Lark. And we promise it's far cooler than it sounds.

(there's more)

Saratoga Folk Festival

Bob Dylan and a bunch of other great folk/folk-rock acts (Conor Oberst, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle and others) will be playing SPAC on August 17. Matthew Loiacono's take: this show's a "doozy."

And check it out, you can buy a pack of four lawn tickets for $120.

photo: LiveNation

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Dance With Me - Old 97s
2. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
3. Violet Hill - Coldplay
4. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
5. Glad It's Over - Wilco
6. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
7. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
8. No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
9. Only Memory - Matthew Loiacono
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. Always Where I Need to Be - The Kooks
12. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball ft. Peter Gabriel
13. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
14. Fear - Paddy Casey
15. Frankie's Gun - The Felice Brothers

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including something from The Cure. And a note about why we run this list.

(there's more)

Rev Records live album release show

Remember when local record label The Rev Records put on a show during which they recorded a live album?

Well, that album is finally ready and it's being released this Saturday at Valentines. The show is $8 to get in, but that includes a copy of the CD.

The compilation features 12 local artists performing one song each, including singer-songwriter Laura Boggs and Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned. Boggs will be performing, along with We are Jeneric, The Woodstove and Bessam Sam. The show's scheduled to start around 8 or so.

All proceeds will go toward local arts collective the Capital District Federation of Ideas.

No more waiting for The Wait

The Wait, who seemed to be on the verge of become more than Albany-famous in the early 00's, is getting back together for a show tonight at Revolution Hall. You might remember them from "California" "Hollywood," a song that got a lot of airplay around here. It's been about three years since their last gig (we seem to remember them playing Larkfest in 2005).

The show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $10. The opening act is Strange Faces, one of the bands that now includes members of The Wait.

Tiffany at Waterworks

If a scheduling conflict somehow kept you from seeing Tiffany at Waterworks this past weekend, nine clips from the show have popped up on YouTube. Here's the one you're probably looking for:

It sounds like the crowd could have carried the song all by itself.

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
2. Glad It's Over - Wilco
3. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
4. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
5. Violet Hill - Coldplay
6. Dance With Me - Old 97s
7. No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
8. Only Memory - Matthew Loiacono
9. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. Always Where I Need to Be - The Kooks
12. Aretha, Sing One For Me - Cat Power
13. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
14. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball
15. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including stuff from Vampire Weekend and The Raconteurs.

(there's more)

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Dance With Me - Old 97s
2. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
3. Glad It's Over - Wilco
4. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
5. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
6. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
7. No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
8. Only Memory - Matthew Loiacono
9. Violet Hill - Coldplay
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. Always Where I Need to Be - The Kooks
12. Aretha, Sing One For Me - Cat Power
13. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
14. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball
15. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including one from Ben Karis-Nix.

(there's more)

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Dance With Me - Old 97s
2. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
3. Glad It's Over - Wilco
4. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
5. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
6. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
7. No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
8. Scare Easy - Mudcrutch
9. Violet Hill - Coldplay
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. Always Where I Need to Be - The Kooks
12. Aretha, Sing One For Me - Cat Power
13. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
14. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball
15. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including new stuff from The Hold Steady.

(there's more)

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Glad It's Over - Wilco
2. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
3. Scare Easy - Mudcrutch
4. Violet Hill - Coldplay
5. Dance With Me - Old 97s
6. Fighter Girl - Mason Jennings
7. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
8. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
9. 1492 - Counting Crows
10. Always Where I Need to Be - The Kooks
11. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
12. Aretha, Sing One For Me - Cat Power
13. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
14. Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball
15. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including new stuff from Flight of the Conchords and Katie Haverly.

(there's more)

Albany Sonic Arts Collective

And now for something completely different. Noise, avante garde and other so-called "weird" music have found a home in A-Town with a new experimental music org.

(there's more)

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
2. Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson
3. Dirty City - Steve Winwood ft. Eric Clapton
4. Glad It's Over - Wilco
5. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
6. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
7. Scare Easy - Mudcrutch
8. Two Daughters & A Beautiful Wife - Drive-By Truckers
9. Violet Hill - Coldplay
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. Aretha, Sing One For Me - Cat Power
12. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
13. Crash into the Sun - Jim White
14. Dance With Me - Old 97s
15. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including new stuff from Portishead and Rogue Wave.

(there's more)

That's why, Kentucky!

Matthew Loiacono has announced the winner of his Why Kentucky? contest (as in, why did he name his album Kentucky?) -- and the only person to guess the correct answer was helped out by the hint Matthew dropped here at AOA! Be sure to check out both the answer and the back story. It's pretty cool.

But, wait, there's more. Matthew was also looking for the "most awesome incorrect" answer -- and the winning entry is great. It involves Barbie.

Replaying the Following Friday Super Show

The Capital District Federation of Ideas has been posting video from the Rev Records Following Friday show there in April. One of the videos is embedded below -- it's Eric Margan and The Red Lions playing "Until You're Here."

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. New Soul - Yael Naim
2. Two Daughters & A Beautiful Wife - Drive-By Truckers
3. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
4. Glad It's Over - Wilco
5. Hollow Man - R.E.M.
6. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
7. Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson
8. Scare Easy - Mudcrutch
9. Dirty City - Steve Winwood ft. Eric Clapton
10. 1492 - Counting Crows
11. A & E - Goldfrapp
12. Aretha, Sing One For Me - Cat Power
13. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
14. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
15. Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that will hit the playlist for the first time this week -- including new stuff from Coldplay.

(there's more)

Local Music at Albany Public Library

Want to check out the album of that great local band you saw at Valentines' last month but don't know where to get it? Soon you might be able to find it at the Albany Public Library.

The library is currently working on adding a local CD collection to their racks at the main branch at 161 Washington Ave. They're asking local musicians to consider adding their CDs to the collection, because "there are over 50,000 library cardholders who are your potential fans and supporters."

Musicians who want to add their album to the collection should stop by the Main Library to fill out an invoice and cataloging form, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Hand in the completed form and the CD (no demos!) and they'll send you a check. Library policy doesn't allow them to pay cash.

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Supernatural Superserious - R.E.M.
2. Dirty City - Steve Winwood ft. Eric Clapton
3. New Soul - Yael Naim
4. The Cheapest Key - Kathleen Edwards
5. The Righteous Path - Drive-By Truckers
6. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
7. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
8. That's Entrainment - Van Morrison
9. Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson
10. A & E - Goldfrapp
11. Swimming Pools - Thao
12. Beautiful Beat - Nada Surf
13. I Keep Faith - Billy Bragg
14. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
15. Malito - Senor Flavio

Last week's Top 15.

After the jump, songs that hit the playlist for the first time during last week -- including an Alanis Morissette sighting!

(there's more)

Drew D'Amelia, the Mathmaticious guy

The glasses were a prop.

After we saw Shen 9th grader Drew D'Ameilia's Mathmaticious, a math-inspired parody of Fergie's Fergalicious that's been viewed more than 1.1 million times on YouTube, we ran the numbers and figured there was a high probability that he'd be interesting.

That turned out to be true. And it's a good thing, because we didn't bother to check our work.

(there's more)

They Might Be Giants at The Egg: The Swearabration and the other show

TMBG will be playing not one, but two shows at L'Oeuf on Saturday. But check your program-- these shows are very different.

(there's more)

Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned

They're a local 9-member indie band. We don't really know how to describe Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned. Alt-folk? Neo-gypsie? Indie-busker-rock? Whatever you call their sound, it's great. (One music blog compared them to Beirut -- OK, sure, we can hear that.)

Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned are playing a trio of local shows over the next month that are definitely worth checking out: April 19 at Valentine's, April 28 at UAlbany, and then back at Valentine's on May 3. They're also playing a live set on WAMC later this morning at 11:30.

Talking with They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh about The Egg

That's John on the right. Of course, that's also John on the left.

The Egg is "exciting and old," so much so that it prompted They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh to write a song about it. TMBG is back in town this week to play a couple of shows at the "performance orb." John was nice enough to talk with AOA about one of the stranger venues the band has played -- and let us in on what they were thinking the first time they encountered our giant concrete egg.

(there's more)

TMBG's video about The Egg

As we mentioned last week in our post about the origins of The Egg, the "giant cement performance orb" prompted a song by The Might Be Giants. Here's a fun video (with intro by John Hodgman!) that goes along with that song. It's definitely worth watching. And you never know, there might a little more discussion about all this a little later today.

The WEXT Top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
2. Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson
3. That's Entrainment - Van Morrison
4. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
5. New Soul - Yael Naim
6. The Righteous Path - Drive-By Truckers
7. Supernatural Superserious - R.E.M.
8. The Cheapest Key - Kathleen Edwards
9. Dirty City - Steve Winwood ft. Eric Clapton
10. 2080 - Yeasayer
11. Anyone Who Had a Heart - Shelby Lynne
12. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
13. Broken - Tift Merritt
14. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
15. Electric Feel - MGMT

Last week's Top 15.

New songs added to the WEXT playlist this week after the jump...

(there's more)

Why Kentucky?

Matthew Loiacono -- of Kamikaze Hearts and Collar City Records fame -- has a new solo album and he's called it... Kentucky. Why? Good question. He's hoping you have the answer.

Matthew has posted mp3s of the album at his site. Swing by, download them, have a listen and see if you can guess why he named the album Kentucky. The person who guesses correctly will win $50.

This seemed like a tough one, so we asked Matthew for a hint. Here's what he sent along:

(there's more)

Rev Records

For local music label The Rev Records, it's all about cooperation from friends, families and neighbors. Even founder Harith Abdullah's mother has pitched in, helping to sew fabric CD covers for one album.

Since it's official launch in November 2006 with singer-songwriter Laura Boggs' debut album, "Whiskey & Springtime," Harith says he's worked to maintain that community spirit.

"The original idea was always about cooperation, and helping artists do things they couldn't necessarily do on their own," he says.

(there's more)

Stephen Malkmus at MASS MoCA

That's him, in the front, post-Pavement.

To serve the AOA crowd better, we've split this post into age-specific sections. If you're closer to 45 than 20, here's your section. And if you're closer to 20 than 45, here you go.

(there's more)

Melissa St. Pierre

What comes after post-classicism?

We stumbled across this North Adams musician a few weeks ago and her music is kind of awesome. It's funky and mechanical in a way that reminds us of a hive of robotic bees. She's releasing an album, "Specimens," in June. Here's how her MySpace page describes her music:

MELISSA ST. PIERRE tosses classicism and post-classicism overboard, utilizing the prepared piano -- John Cage's notorious instrument of choice -- and electronic enhancement to sail resolutely in the direction of rock & roll. Peppering the strings, hammers, and dampers of the piano with a variety of objects, she transforms the instrument's typical timbre: sparkling gamelans chatter; harrowing voodoo drums call out in the night.

Check out this picture of St. Pierre playing the prepared piano. And there's a video for her song "Fig. VIII" embedded after the jump. It's a little mesmerizing.

(there's more)

The WEXT top 15

From our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT, the 15 most-played songs on the station during the last week:

1. Breakable - Ingrid Michaelson
2. Supernatural Superserious - R.E.M.
3. The Righteous Path - Drive-By Truckers
4. If I Had Eyes - Jack Johnson
5. Dirty City - Steve Winwood ft. Eric Clapton
6. New Soul - Yael Naim
7. New York - Cat Power
8. Whose Authority - Nada Surf
9. Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead
10. Broken - Tift Merritt
11. A & E - Goldfrapp
12. Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
13. Club Thing - Yoav
14. Electric Feel - MGMT
15. Funplex - B-52s

Last weeks top 15

Catching SXSW without the travel

Updated March 19 at 5:21 pm

All this week our friends at Exit 97.7 WEXT are playing shows from the South By Southwest music festival, which just wrapped up. There are a lot of great bands on the slate. We're particularly excited about sets by R.E.M., The Whigs, and the Catskills' A.A. Bondy. Full schedule after the jump.

(there's more)

Grammy Nominees and you

There could be just a few little degrees of separation between you and a Grammy nominee. Niskayuna resident Jason Bittner competed for his second Grammy in three years last night. Bittner is the drummer for the metal band Shadow's Fall. Their song, "Redemption" was nominated for a Grammy for best metal performance. No, they lost to Slayer. But it's an honor just to be nominated, right? And twice in three years. Bittner says they still get a really cool medal from the Grammy people . And we get to say we get to say we're only a few degrees of separation from a Grammy nominee. Now how many degrees can it be from there to Kevin Bacon?