Ryan Adams Adds Midwest Dates to Tour...

Ryan Adams has added some solo dates to his brief sweep through the Midwest.
1/24 Bethesda, MD – Strathmore
1/25 Cleveland, OH – Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square
1/27 Ann Arbor, MI – Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor Folk Fest)
1/28 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
1/30 Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace
1/31 St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
2/1 Kansas City, MO – Music Hall
2/3 Denver, CO – Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre

Visit Ryan Adams website here.

Joshua James Brings Ten Buck Tour to Ann Arbor..

Joshua James & Honeyhoney have taken their Ten Buck Tour on the road and it is scheduled to make a stop in Ann Arbor at the Blind Pig on October 23rd.

From Honeyhoney's website:
With fiddles threading the melodies, big acoustic guitar sounds and banjos plinking as percussively as melodically, there is an old world feel to honeyhoney that is as fresh and right now as it is tube radios and old lace. And it is the disparity of how the two came up and came together that informs honeyhoney with their singularity of sound. Meandering through unique paths, converging in Los Angeles where everyone is chasing something and finally recognizing the chemistry they shared is no mean feat.

David Wax Museum Plans Ann Arbor Visit...

David Wax Museum from Dylan Trivette on Vimeo.

See the David Wax Museum at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 9th.

Recently anointed as Boston’s Americana Artist of the Year (2010 Boston Music Awards), the David Wax Museum has been called “pure, irresistible joy” (Bob Boilen, NPR) and hailed by TIME.com for its “virtuosic musical skill and virtuous harmonies.” It is no surprise that its acclaimed performance at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival was hailed as one of highlights of the entire weekend by NPR. The Museum fuses traditional Mexican folk with American roots and indie rock to create an utterly unique Mexo-Americana aesthetic. Combining Latin rhythms, call-and-response hollering, and donkey jawbone rattling, they have electrified audiences across the country and are “kicking up a cloud of excitement with their high-energy border-crossing sensibility” (The New Yorker).

Greg Brown Returns to Ann Arbor's Ark...

Folk singer Greg Brown, an extraordinary songwriter with an unmistakable voice, will be returning to Ann Arbor to play The Ark on May 6th, 2011. The venue is a fantastic space to hear the lush simplicity of the music he delivers on stage.

Click here for more info.

Take a Shot of Crown Royale in Ann Arbor...

Crown Royale (Buff 1 & DJ Rhettmatic) will play The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on December 9th.

From their site:
Crown Royale, the group which pairs veteran Michigan emcee Buff1 with World Famous Beat Junkie DJ Rhettmatic made perfect sense from the start. The brainchild of DJ Haircut (aka Mayer Hawthorne) and A-Side Worldwide’s own Jackson Perry, the pairing came to fruition after they were approached with an idea and discovered there was a mutual respect and admiration for each other’s work.

Rhettmatic, a forefather of today‘s burgeoning LA hip-hop scene, is a founding member of the Beat Junkie DJ crew, the DJ for hip-hop group The Visionaries, and an award-winning turntablist – having performed in numerous competitions across the globe and with upper-echelon artists such as J Dilla, Cypress Hill and Talib Kweli. Buff1, recently highlighted as a part of URB Magazine’s “NEXT 100,” brings two critically acclaimed full-length LPs to the table in 2008’s Pure and 2009’s There’s Only One, and has stacked up more than a decade of recording, international touring and honing “show stopping” stage skills both as a solo artist and with seven-man hip-hop arsenal Athletic Mic League (AML).

Two parts mixed from distant points on the map, Crown Royale is an MC/DJ combination blended so well it’s a wonder they haven’t been working together all along.

Sonically smooth. Shaken and stirred into rhythmic intoxication – Crown Royale stays in the mind like a hangover you weren’t expecting but never want to leave.

All Good in the Hood...

For the past three years, the Hood Internet have been chewing up the indie, pop, rap and R&B landscapes and spitting out pure fire. Like laptop-armed alchemists, they draw from their expansive interest in the many faces of modern music and re-imagine songs for mass public consumption through www.thehoodinternet.com.

The Hood Internet will be playing the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan on January 15th.

The Hood Internet - Love Messes (Justin Timberlake x Post Honeymoon) by hoodinternet

Ben Kweller Set to Play Ann Arbor's Blind Pig...

Ben Kweller will be at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on November 14th.

Ann Arbor Seeing (Jackie) Greene in October...

Jackie Greene returns to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play The Ark on October 20th. Tickets go on sale Saturday, August 14th.

Punch Brothers To Play Ann Arbor's Ark...

Punch Brothers will bring their sweet harmonies to The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan on July 28th.

Punch Brothers' new album, Antifogmatic, is due out on Nonesuch Records on June 15th. Head to punchbrothers.com and sign up for the band's newsletter and receive a free download of the album track "Alex."

Megafaun To Play Ann Arbor's Blind Pig...

Fresh off of an extensive European tour, the bearded brutes of Megafaun are on their first headlining tour of the United States, which began in late March.

Megafaun will be playing The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 13th. Sam Quinn offers support on this tour.

Brothers Brad and Phil Cook along with fellow Eau Claire, Wisconsin native Joe Westerlund, continue to tour in support of the group's Hometapes-released and critically-acclaimed second album, Gather, Form & Fly.

After hundreds of dates touring with fellow North Carolinians Bowerbirds, former bandmates Bon Iver, and likeminded live collaborators such as Akron/Family, Arnold Dreyblatt, and The Dodos, Megafaun is poised to bring their album and live show to U.S. fans, old and new on a headlining tour.

These shows will also serve as the first opportunity to hear songs from the group's upcoming third release, the recently-recorded mini-album, Heretofore, which Hometapes will release this summer. Speaking to Bryan Reed in a recent interview for Independent Weekly, Brad Cook said of the new, six-song, 36-minute recording: "I feel like it's the best hooks and lyrics that we've done"..."But it also has the most far-reaching stuff we've ever put on a record."

The Budos Band Blowin' Into Ann Arbor...

If you can't get enough of the funky horn, check out The Budos Band when they play at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on July 13th.

"The Budos Band is the quintessence of Staten Island Soul. Their exciting new afro-influenced take on instrumental music has been captivating listeners from turntables as well as bandstands across the nation. Eleven pieces in all, their group consists of drums, bass, guitar, electric organ, two trumpets, baritone saxophone, and a percussion section employing bongos, congas, tambourine, guiro, clave, shekere and cowbell. Their music has been described as “compelling”, “unbridled”, “psychedelic”, “innovative”, and above all “soulful.” However, like many majestic things, their sound had humble beginnings."

A Little Dap Will Do Ya...

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings will be in Detroit, Michigan on May 18th for a performance at Majestic Theater. The Heavy, a strong band in their own right, will be opening for SJ&TDK. If you miss that show, the band will also be playing the next night, May 19th, a FREE in-store performance at the Borders in Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor show is scheduled for 7:00 pm. Expect a special performance and signing of their new album I Learned the Hard Way.

Acoustic Cafe Live @ Top of the Park...

Join Acoustic Café as it hits the road and travels to the Ann Arbor Summer Festival for a series of live concert tapings with host Rob Reinhart and surprise musical guests. Acoustic Café Live @ Top of the Park performances will air on the syndicated Acoustic Cafe radio show, heard around the country and worldwide on Voice Of America.

Hosted in a tent within the beverage garden at Top of the Park, these up-close-and-personal performances and interviews give patrons an intimate musical experience with national touring artists in the genres of folk, acoustic rock, roots, country, and more. Guest artists won't be revealed until day of show, so you'll have to show up to find out who's playing the tent each Sunday. Audience questions will also be taken, so come and help create each broadcast! June 20th, June 27th, July 4th & July 11th.

Admission is free, with a $5.00 suggested donation. Please note that tent seating is extremely limited, and is taken on first-come, first-served basis approximately one half-hour before each performance. A cash bar is available for patrons. Regularly scheduled entertainment on the Rackham Stage begins at 5:00 pm, immediately following the Acoustic Café tent performance.

Since 1994, Acoustic Café has been radio's best international showcase for new and classic acoustic music. Each week, the program airs two hours of exceptional songs from some of the best singer-songwriters in the business, plus live in-studio interviews and performances. Each of the guest sessions are recorded exclusively for Acoustic Café at its studios in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Acoustic Café is based.

The Low Anthem is Hitting a High Note...

Good Karma is touring side by side with The Low Anthem. Whether opening for The Avett Brothers or lining up an impressive list of gigs that puts them in heavyweight heaven...SXSW, Letterman, La Blogotheque, KCRW, NPR Tiny Desk Concert, a slot at Newport Folk Festival...the rising stock for this band is not to be missed.

If you missed them as The Avett Brothers opening act at Michigan Theater...fear not. They are scheduled to be back in Ann Arbor as a headliner at The Ark on April 7th. Surely they are destined to play larger venues with each passing tour, so catch them now at on e of the premiere "listening venues" in the midwest.

Low Anthem "Charle Darwin" from Lake Fever Sessions on Vimeo.

Low Anthem "This God Damn House" from Lake Fever Sessions on Vimeo.

The band's most recent release is Oh My God, Charlie Darwin (June 2009)

From Nonesuch:
From its hand silkscreened cover art to its meticulously crafted songs, The Low Anthem offers work meant to be held, savored, contemplated, and occasionally stomped along to. The Providence, RI, trio’s Nonesuch debut offers a distinctly human touch in an era of instant uploading and ephemeral expression. The mood of Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is melancholic from the start—quiet, intimate, full of longing, and often hauntingly beautiful. In its lyrics, a dog-eat-dog society is nearing collapse and relationships are bruised, broken, or irretrievably lost. Yet in their tenor there is a pencil shaving of hope.

The Low Anthem combines folk and blues arrangements with the elegance of chamber music and the fervor of gospel. Much of Oh My God is hushed and hymn-like, but the trio throws a clamorous curve with raw, stomp-and-holler tracks like “The Horizon Is a Beltway” and its version of “Home I’ll Never Be,” a Jack Kerouac song passed via Tom Waits. Members Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky, and Jocie Adams—all students of classical composition—bring a wide range of individual interests to the band. Prystowsky is a scholar of baseball, jazz, and American history. Adams, a classical composer and technical wizard, spent summers working an infrared spectrometer at NASA. And Miller, principle songwriter, painter, and general ruminator, can indeed expound upon the theories of Charles Darwin. They have a formidable work ethic, along with the ability to laugh at their maniacal intensity.

On stage and in its recordings, the trio uses a variety of unusual instrumentation—by its own count, the band mates took turns playing 27 different instruments on Oh My God—that gives its songs, at times, an otherworldly quality. For example, Miller and Prystowsky refurbished a World War I pump organ that had been dragged by chaplains into the battlefield and is now part of The Low Anthem’s arsenal of instruments. Adams plays the crotales, a rack of bronze, cymbal-like discs often used with mallets as a percussion instrument. Adams, however, wields a bow to elicit feedback-like sounds. Some critics have called The Low Anthem’s sound Americana, but what the group has really done is to conjure a varied and elusive sound of its own.

Martin Sexton Brings New Tour to Ann Arbor...

Sugarcoating, Martin Sexton’s new album due out April 6, finds the one-of-a-kind artist doing what he does best: locating larger truths within specific details of the life he’s living. “I write from personal experience - my own hang-ups and quirks, good times and bad times. That keeps it real.” The Syracuse-born artist tracked
Sugarcoating live off the floor in seven days with a remarkably cohesive studio band composed of what Sexton describes as “amazing players, the best you could find.”

“Each song is so stylistically different from the next,” adds Sexton, “I’ve always preferred records that range, sort of like the White Album, from ‘Black Bird’ to ‘Helter Skelter.’ At one time, industry types tried to convince me to stick with one genre, but it was like wearing a suit that didn’t fit.” “I recorded this album with no rehearsals, no pre-production, using all vintage gear from what went into the mics to what came out on the analog tape...I like making records like the old jazz guys did - they just showed up and worked it out.”

The title track, disturbing in its theme and audacious in its presentation, takes “keeping it real” to another level. An unsettling look at post-9/11 reality, the song is encapsulated in the lines “I wonder why nobody wonders why/with all the sweet sweet sweet sugarcoating/the nightly news gone entertainment biz/and politicians out showboatin’/One day somebody tell it like it is.” Which is exactly what Sexton accomplishes here. The fact that this urgent message is embedded in a danceable, happy-go-lucky arrangement complete with backing vocals by what Sexton calls his “cowboy trio” only serves to deepen the song’s impact.

Not every song is heavy. The first single, “Livin the Life,” is a buoyant joy-of-existence piece with achurning clavinet burrowing a deep soul groove right through it. “Stick Around” is a piano-driven Beatlesque bouncer complete with an Abbey Road reference in the lyric; and “Easy on the Eyes” is a finger-snapping, ragtime mating call with a voice trumpet solo from Sexton.

The New York Times noted that Sexton “jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man’s supple instrument . . . his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer’s goal: to amplify the sound of an ordinary heart.” And Rolling Stone adds, “His outstanding taste in songwriting as well as a soul marinated voice that can easily be compared to the likes of a young Steve Winwood or Van Morrison.” John Mayer calls him “one of the greatest singers of our generation."

Martin Sexton’s spring and summer tour dates have just been announced and include severalhighlights: appearances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Bonnaroo,plus a run of dates supporting Dave Matthews Band.

Martin will be doing two shows at The Ark in Ann Arbor on April 21st, in addition to a FREE In-Store performance & signing at Borders at 1pm.

TOUR DATES
April 15 - NEW HAVEN, CT - Toad’s Place
April 16 - WASHINGTON, DC - 9:30 Club
April 17 - BOSTON, MA - House of Blues
April 18 - SYRACUSE, NY - Wescott Theatre
April 20 - TRAVERSE CITY, MI - City Opera House
April 21 - ANN ARBOR, MI - The Ark (2 shows)
April 22 - INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Vogue
April 23 - CHICAGO, IL - Park West
April 24 - MADISON, WI - Majestic Theatre
April 25 - ST PAUL, MN - Fitzgerald Theatre
April 28 - NEW ORLEANS, LA - House of Blues
April 29 - NEW ORLEANS, LA - Jazz & Heritage Festival
April 30 - ATLANTA, GA - Variety Playhouse
May 1 - NASHVILLE, TN - Mercy Lounge
May 5 - PHOENIX, AZ - Compound Grill
May 6 - SAN DIEGO, CA - Belly Up
May 7 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Fillmore
May 8 - W. HOLLYWOOD, CA - House of Blues
May 9 - SACRAMENTO, CA - Harlow’s
May 11 - ARCATA, CA - Humboldt Brewery
May 12 - EUGENE, OR - W.O.W. Hall
May 13 - VANCOUVER, BC - Commodore Ballroom
May 14 - PORTLAND, OR - Crystal Ballroom
May 15- SEATTLE, WA - The Showbox
May 16 - SPOKANE, WA - Knitting Factory
May 18 - BOISE, ID - Knitting Factory
May 19 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Depot
May 20 - DENVER, CO - Ogden Theatre
May 21 - KANSAS CITY, MO - Crosstown Station
May 22 - ST. LOUIS, MO - The Pageant
May 23 - CINCINNATI, OH - 20th Century Theatre
June 5 - NEW YORK NY - Nokia Theatre
June 11 - MANCHESTER, TN - Bonnaroo
June 23 - CLARKSTON, MI DTE - Energy Music Theatre *
June 25 - CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH - Blossom Music Center *
June 30 - CAMDEN, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center *
July 1 - CAMDEN, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center*
* = w/Dave Matthews Band

Think Global, Act Local Natives...

Local Natives will be performing at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan on May 10th.

Words from Wiki:
Local Natives (formerly known as Cavil at Rest) are an indie rock band based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, USA. Their debut album, Gorilla Manor (which is also the name they gave to a house they all shared in Orange County) was released in the UK in 2009. The bands sound has been described as "afropop-influenced guitars with hyperactive drumming and hooky three-part harmonies". They started to attract the attention of the music press after playing nine shows at the 2009 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Initial reviews of Local Natives have drawn favorable comparisons to Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend.

Bela Fleck Plucking Through Ann Arbor...

From ThrowDownYourheart.com:

“Throw Down Your Heart” follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album. It’s a boundary-breaking musical adventure that celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa – an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in the media today.

As Ugandan folk musician Haruna Walusimbi states in the film: “There is this negative thinking about Africa. There is nothing good in Africa. They are beggars, there is HIV/AIDS, they are at war all the time. But that is just a very small bit of what Africa is.” Béla’s trip provides a glimpse into the incredibly rich and diverse musical traditions of Africa.

At first glance, it might seem odd that the banjo is the catalyst for this journey. But in fact, the banjo is originally an African instrument. And Béla Fleck’s passion for the banjo runs deep. In his trailblazing 30-year career, Béla has brought the instrument into jazz, pop, classical, and world music settings, and won eight Grammys along the way (not to mention the 20 nominations, in more distinct categories than anyone else, ever).



Now Bela Fleck will be taking the soul & energy of his African trip on tour. He will present the acoustic tour (Febraury & March) The Africa Project featuring a variety of African musicians, including Bassekou Kouate, Ngoni Ba, Anania Ngoliga and John Kitime. The tour will stop in Ann Arbor on February 17th at Hill Auditorium.

February 2010
2 - Durango, CO @ Fort Lewis College
3 - Santa Fe, NM @ Lensic Performing Arts Center
4 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater
5 - Aspen, CO @ Wheeler Opera House
6 - Grand Junction, CO @ Avalon Theater
8 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
10 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
11 - Oxford, MS @ Lyric Theater
12 - Murray, KY @ Murray State University
13 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
14 - Urbana, IL @ TBA
16 - Cleveland, OH @ Oberlin's Finney Chapel
17 - Ann Arbor, MI @ University of Michigan
18 - Athens, OH @ Ohio University
19 - Indianapolis, IN @ Butler University
20 - Omaha, NE @ Holland Performing Arts Center
21 - Chicago, IL @ Old Town School
22 - Hamilton, OH @ Miami University
24 - Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House
25 - Storrs, CT @ University of Connecticut
26 - Waterville, ME @ Opera House
27 - Lewisburg, PA @ Bucknell University

March 2010
1 - Ottawa, Ontario @ Ottawa Jazz Festival
2 - Brunswick, ME @ Bowdoin College
3 - State College, PA @ Penn State University
4 - Roanoke, VA @ Jefferson Center
5 - Frederick, MD @ Weinberg Center
6 - Atlanta, GA @ Georgia Tech University
8 - Orlando, FL @ Plaza Theater
9 - Fort Pierce, FL @ Sunrise Theater
10 - Jacksonville, FL @ Florida Theater
11 - Tuscaloosa, AL @ BAMA Theater
12 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel

Jackie Greene Steps into The Ark...

Jackie Greene will be at The Ark in Ann Arbor on February 9th & 10th. Tickets will be on sale Saturday, December 12th starting at 9 a.m. through the Michigan Union Ticket Office and at 10 a.m through Ticketmaster.





Here are some other videos that Jackie posted directly to YouTube.

DJ Rekha Brings Beat to Ann Arbor...

DJ Rekha will be in Ann Arbor on January 27th at The Blind Pig.

Rekha Malhotra, aka DJ Rekha is a producer, curator, educator and activist based in New York City. Called the “ambassador of Bhangra” by the New York Times and named one of the most influential South Asians by Newsweek, Rekha is among the first DJs to merge classic Bhangra and Bollywood sounds into the language of contemporary electronic dance music. Since establishing herself on the New York club scene with her inaugural event, Basement Bhangra at SOBs nightclub in 1997, Rekha has produced some of the longest running and most successful parties in New York including Bollywood Disco, Mutiny,and Beat Bazaar.

Swell Season Set Ann Arbor, MI Date...

According to The Swell Season website, the group is headed for Ann Arbor on December 2nd during the Fall Tour supporting Strict Joy, the latest release. Even more exciting is the fact that they selected the Michigan Theater as the venue (perhaps Ann Arbor's most acoustically fine tuned locations). Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. via LiveNation. Tickets will also be available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office and all Ticketmaster locations.

Listen to the Entire new Album, Strict Joy, on NPR.