Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Remembering Cafe Montmartre






According to a press release sent out last night by True Endeavours, Cafe Montmartre is closing. The bistro and music club on East Mifflin has long been seeking a buyer that would also take on the venues hundreds of thousands in debt.

Madison Music Review crew witnessed some great shows there.

Check out the links of artists below to view photos and reviews from a couple memorable Momo shows...




Saturday, June 27, 2009

Wilco - Live Webcast Tonight















Wilco is webcasting tonight's show live from the sold-out Greek Theatre in Berkeley. It'll be available in Quicktime on http://wilcoworld.net and via the iPhone app. Tune in around 10 pm cdt tonight.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Dinosaur Jr. coming to Madison on 10/13








October 13th Fuzz-rock giants Dinosaur Jr. will play the The Majestic Theatre with opening act Lou Barlow and the Missingmen. This one will sell out.

Besure to sport a pair of these to the show!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Purplish Rain - Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Purple Rain




I can remember having a sixth grade "date night" to to see Purple Rain. The movie was o.k. but the soundtrack was great. And now Spin is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Best Movie (and Soundtrack) Ever Purple Rain with Purplish Rain, a song-by-song tribute to Prince's classic soundtrack album.

Of Montreal cover "Computer Blue"
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings cover "Take Me With U",
Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers take on"When Doves Cry" with an assist from actual Purple Rain star Apollonia.

The whole thing will go up for free download on Spin's website tomorrow (June 23).

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

TORTOISE - Free Song Download - Prepare Your Coffin

Tortoise are back and if this week's free song download of is any indication, their first new album in five years, Beacons of Ancestorship (which hits stores on Tuesday, June 23), is going to be a post-rock rocker. Album anthem "Prepare Your Coffin" gives Battles a serious run for their money, with drummer John Herndon leading the charge while guitarist does some serious shredding on top. Stay tuned for details on Tortoise's upcoming in-store at Other Music on Saturday, July 18 at 8PM.

Preview and Download the FREE song here.


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Dirty Projectors :: Bitte Orca

Every once in a while an album comes out of nowhere and blows me away. This is the case with the new Dirty Projectors long player titled, Bitte Orca.  It is so fresh; unlike anything I've heard.  Sure there are elements of David Byrne (THeads)  and Afro-pop interwoven in the fabric but it is their own unified brand of music which is all the more glorious for its strangeness.  The vocal harmonies are beautiful and angular guitar work as expected with Longstreth and company.  If you are fan of their previous stuff, you'll love it and if you have never heard them you will be even more in love with Bitte Orca.  This is my pick for album of the year so far....Get out and hear it.  Listen [mp3] to "No Intention"







Tuesday, June 09, 2009

The Big Surprise Tour

Not happening around these parts...but definitely worth traveling to see this "big surprise"....  

From The Felice Bros:
PROUDLY ANNOUNCING THE BIG SURPRISE TOUR AN OLD FASHIONED REVUE FEATURING OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE (FEAT. GILLIAN WELCH), THE FELICE BROTHERS, AND JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 

Born out of a deep running comradery built on countless tours and ties between a host of excellent musicians comes THE BIG SURPRISE TOUR, a traveling show of epic collaboration and good times. Kicking off in Hampton Beach, NH on August 4th, THE BIG SURPRISE TOUR is not your standard up down up down line up.  Shows will be composed of two 90-minute sets broken up by an intermission.  In a free form ramshackle flow the bands and artists will share the stage, taking part in each other’s songs, resurrecting old standards, and playing newly written collaborative material as they go.  Each evening is sure to be a unique experience as they all put their many combined years of musicianship and knowledge of song-craft and American music into play for these sessions.

Ketch Secor from Old Crow speaks of the special relationship these bands have and the parts they’ve played in their own individual journey as musicians. “Seven Years ago when Old Crow first met Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch at the Station Inn in Nashville, we stayed up till dawn singing Stan Rogers songs and playing AC/DC licks.  Three weeks later we were making a record.  They were that rusted sign at the fork in the road showing OCMS just where it was headed." With the Felice Brothers as Secor explains it, “with their rockin’ unruliness, we found where we had come from in the first place. Music is a mobius strip, contort all ya want and you’ll keep winding up where you started."  Justin Townes Earle is “looking forward to being on tour with folks that are kindred spirits. We all have similar influences, which will be reflected in the covers we do during the show and our collaborations on stage."  For their part, James Felice reminisces that they’ve “traveled around the country with Justin and Cory (of Justin Townes Earle) playing some pretty bizarre gigs.  We couldn’t love those guys more."  “As for Old Crow…" he says, “they cleaned us out playing dice more than once."  Perhaps they’ll get a chance to even the score on these dates.

Borrowing from the title of a Felice Brothers track, THE BIG SURPRISE TOUR will live up to its namesake.  As Secor states, the audience should “expect the unexpected!"  “Music is wild and not tame" he says, and with this tour the artists involved hope to fully unleash the true and unpredictable spirit of creativity.  Heaven knows that combined they have a wealth of it to draw from.

Tour Dates Below:

AUGUST 2009

04 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Casino Ballroom | more info
05 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues | more info
06 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre | more info
07 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory | more info
09 – Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavilion | more info
10 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre | more info
12 – Louisville, KY @ Waterfront Park | more info
13 – Nashville, TN @ Riverfront Park | more info
14 – Knoxville, TN @ World’s Fair Park | more info

A bit about the artists:

Old Crow Medicine Show have been on the road behind their latest album Tennessee Pusher since its release last September, headlining sold-out dates across the US, UK and Australia/New Zealand and making special appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, A Prairie Home Companion, World Cafe and more. Additionally, the fivesome were asked to open for Dave Matthews Band on recent dates, including upcoming shows in New York.  Known for their infectious live show, OCMS is also one of the headliners for Pete Seeger’s Clearwater Festival on Saturday, June 20, which celebrates 40 years of protecting and preserving the Hudson River.

Dave Rawlings Machine is a collaboration between David Rawlings and Gillian Welch.  David Rawlings knack for meticulously crafted arrangements helped earn a Grammy nomination as producer for Gillian Welch’s Time (The Revelator). He went on to produce Gillian’s 2003 release Soul Journey as well as records by Old Crow Medicine Show and Robyn Hitchcock.  David and Gillian are in the studio this summer working on a Dave Rawlings Machine record which may never be released.

The Felice Brothers (Ian and James) and their long time friends and band mates Greg Farley, Christmas Clapton, and Searcher, come to us from the Catskill Mountains, where a homegrown sound has been working its way through the bloodlines for generations. Their recent April ’09 release Yonder Is The Clock has gained wide spread critical acclaim from all corners including The New York Times, Boston Globe, Spin, NPR, and Entertainment Weekly among many others.

Justin Townes Earle's latest release, Midnight at the Movies, has been tearing things up. He's recently done sessions on WNYC's Soundcheck, KEXP, NPR's “World Cafe," and Daytrotter. Rolling Stone gave Midnight at the Movies four stars, and Esquire called standout track "Mama's Eyes" one of the 50 songs every man should be listening to. His new video, for the title track, will premiere exclusively with Amazon.com this week.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Radiohead's version of Ceremony (New Order/Joy Divison)

This was always one of my favorite New Order songs. I just had to revisit this one again and post it up on the Chautauqua. I will go out on limb here and say this is the best cover of Ceremony.

Check it out:

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Starlight Mints with Evangelicals :: Annex :: Tues JUN 09

Evangelicals who will be performing with the Starlight Mints at The Annex on June 9. Both Evangelicals and Starlight Mints are from Norman, Oklahoma a scene made famous by the Flaming Lips. However, The Flaming Lips are not the only band that is adept at zany highly theatrical psych pop, as both of these bands will prove. Below is a download of some songs from Evangelicals last album -The Evening Descends- a fantastic ride inspired by campy late night horror movies caught during bouts of insomnia. 


The show starts at 8PM - $10.00 in advance and $12.00 at the door, day of show.

mp3: Evangelicals "Skeleton Man"

video: Evangelicals "
Midnight Vignette"








Wednesday, June 03, 2009

DAVID BOWIE & KLAUS NOMI - TVC15 & BOYS KEEP SWINGING [1978]

Bowie in a dress with Klaus Nomi.  Apparently Bowie hired them as performers and back-up singers for his appearance on Saturday Night Live which aired on December 15, 1979. The band performed "TVC 15", "The Man Who Sold the World", and "Boys Keep Swinging". During the performance of "TVC 15", Nomi and Arias dragged around a large prop pink poodle with a television screen in its mouth. Classic.

Marquette Waterfront Warmup: Mad Eastern European Dance Party

Marquette Waterfront Warmup: 
Mad Eastern European Dance Party 
Thursday, June 11 
High Noon Saloon 
$8 cover 

9 pm Veseliyka (ve-se-LEE-ka), Balkan Folk 
10 pm Reptile Palace Orchestra (PAL-ass), Balkan Lounge Funk 
11 pm Yid Vicious (vih-SHUHS), Klezmer Mayhem

As Madison gears up for the 20th Anniversary Marquette Waterfront Festival, three powerhouses of local dance action team up for a midsummer night’s folk ball celebrating the sounds and savory dance stylings of Eastern Europe and beyond. Doctors recommend a proper limbering-up period prior to any festival-going experience. Whether you’ll be kicking up your heels or kicking back with a delicious beer, these 15-odd musicians will whip you into proper Waterfront shape in no time!