Cafe Eleven

Oteil and the Peace Makers

Friday May 11th, 2007 - $TBA

Oteil and the Peace Makers Live

Papercranes

Saturday April 7th, 2007 - $TBA

Papercranes Live

Tommy Womack

Saturday June 23rd, 2007 - $10

Based in Nashville, Tommy Womack pens folk/ rock /county /alt-country/ indy songs — plays guitar and writes, a lot. He turns his true life experiences into song — witty, poignant and often self analytical. His writing style tiptoes the lines between punk and poet — crazy-man and genius — his heart-on-the-sleeve issues are influenced by many things — his strict Bible upbringing, the Rolling Stones, Dylan, the Kinks and the crazy world we live in — to name but a few.

From 1985 through to 1992 Womack played in the post punk band Government Cheese. They were known as a hard living, hard gigging, hard working band. They recorded a few albums and an eclectic collection of demos are available.

Another Day with Tommy Womack

Owen, John Ralston

Wednesday May 9th, 2007 - $12
w/ John Ralston
& Colorful Quiet

Mike Kinsella is a musical genius
–punknews.org

Kinsella’s talent and dedication to his own vision are commendable and undeniable. Those who have rightfully admired Mike within group settings should be impressed with his continued growth as a songwriter via this solo project.
–Jersey Beat

There is an earnestness that makes it hard not to identify with his music.
–The Badger Herald

Mike Kinsella is one of the most influential people in the independent music circle.
–Innocent Words

Kinsella confirms he is a supremely creative guitarist, a singer with a knack for beautifully understated melodies, and a lyricist who can tug at the heartstrings (without breaking them) with a simple line
–Splendid

Owen “One of These Days

John Ralston

As lead singer of the Legends of Rodeo, John Ralston, whose mother taught him how to play guitar when he was a child, found himself with no money and no contract soon after the 2003 release of his band’s first album, A Thousand Friday Nights, due to label problems. Fortuitously, one evening in his hometown of Lake Worth, FL, he met recording engineer Michael Seaman, who lived in Knoxville, TN. The two hit it off immediately, and soon after, Seaman invited Ralston up to his home. Bringing along former bandmate and drummer Jeff Snow, Ralston went to Tennessee, and in the span of a week had recorded what would be become his debut album, Needle Bed, for which he played almost every instrument. Shortly after, he went to Chicago with the intention of overdubbing the record with Wilco’s Jay Bennett, but instead ending up recording another album, There’s Always an Ambulance Around the Bend, which was issued just months after the June 2006 release of Needle Bed. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

Owen “One of These Days

The Six Parts Seven, A Slight Breeze

Sunday March 25th, 2007 - $7

However, maybe you should be slightly afraid of the contents embedded on the disc lurking beneath our Nordic friend. See, Casually Smashed To Pieces isn’t your typical “album.” No, Kent, Ohio’s Six Parts Seven haven’t so much redefined their sound as they’ve transcended it here, bringing in new sonic elements, textures and feelings to weave a tapestry as sprawling as the Himalayas. In other words, forget what you think the disc sounds like - because, chances are, you’re wrong.

“The thing about Six Parts Seven is we’re fans of music rather than musicians first,” explains guitarist/bassist/arranger Allen Karpinski, who - alongside his drumming brother Jay Karpinski, guitarist Tim Gerak and bass guitarist Mike Tolan - makes up the musical core of 6P7. “None of us are trained or anything like that; this band has always been a work in progress and over time we’ve just gotten better at assimilating all the things we love into the music.” Abstractly drawing from mid-90’s Touch and Go Records roster, the band have thoroughly recontextualized their influences to create something wholly unique with Casually Smashed To Pieces

Adrian Legg, Tony Smotherman

Tuesday March 13th, 2007 - $12

Impossible to categorize as a player, Adrian Legg incorporates virtually every genre on his guitar in a virtuosic instrumental style with effects. He brought electric approaches to acoustic playing, creating a modern cross-over amalgamation in the tradition of eclectic folk playing that goes back to the 1960s.”
- Guitar by Richard Chapman, 2000

“There are guitarists, there are axe-wielding maniacs, and then there are wizards. Adrian Legg is one of the wizards. He has enough technique to do just about anything he wants, but also the sensitivity to honour the contours of a melody.” - Philadelphia Enquirer, Aug. 5, 2000

Adriann Legg

Maria Taylor

Thursday March 8th, 2007 - $7
w/ Apollo Sunshine
Verde
Christine Wagner

From glistening piano pop to melancholy acoustic gems, Maria Taylor has come into her own as a solo artist, and nothing cements this fact like Lynn Teeter Flower. Having grown up in a house full of musicians, Maria Taylor first gave the masses a taste of her gorgeous, mellifluous voice in the band Azure Ray. In 2005, Maria branched out on her own with a critically-acclaimed album, entitled 11:11, which established her as a master story teller with a flare for perfect, harmony-soaked melodies. With Lynn Teeter Flower, she takes her songcraft one step further, mixing together soaring guitars, bubbly electronics, feathery farfisa organs and sugary layers of vocals into the sweetest confection of an album you’ll hear all year.

Maria Taylor “Song Beneath The Song”

Apollo Sunshine
Since the release of their 2003 spinART debut album, Katonah, Apollo Sunshine has thrilled audiences. Their unique and eclectic sound - from avant-garde noise experiment to ultra-melodic pop, to rock, to punk (sometimes all within one song), combined with quite possibly one of the best live shows you will ever see (a controlled rock chaos of pedal steel, guitar, bass, double necked guitar/bass combo, two handtaped-together keyboards/samplers, percussion, drums and how the hell does he play bass with his left hand, keyboard with his right and sing lead vocal?!), have left audiences screaming, dedicated, breathless and unable to hold still!

The New York Times says “…in its own songs, bouncy 60’s-style melodies crack wide open, breaking into outbursts of pummeling and feedback before jumping back into the tune. It’s all neatly and cleverly plotted, but with a looming chaos that’s anything but nostalgic.”

Apollo Sunshine @CMJ

Hot Buttered Rum String Band

Sunday March 4 th, 2007 - $12

In the short time since Hot Buttered Rum debuted its music, dubbed as a “High Altitude Acoustic Experience,” the band has been praised by fans, peers and national media alike, recognizing Hot Buttered Rum for their ‘stunning instrumental and vocal virtuosity.’ Hot Buttered Rum is attracting a truly multi-generational audience with its ability to create an undeniably hip and fresh sound that weaves together the grounded traditions of folk and bluegrass with the modern influences of rock-n-roll, reggae and acoustic singer/songwriters. Hot Buttered Rum’s musical evolution has not only defined their sound, with their extensive touring schedule,the band has become established as one of the nation’s hottest young touring acts since setting off as a group of friends on a trail in the high sierras in the early part of the decade to emerge as a band, appropriately named, Hot Buttered Rum.

Relix Magazine praised Hot Buttered Rum’s “stunning instrumental and vocal virtuosity.”

“Few things rejuvenate the soul like a warm fireside drink after an exhausting day in the snow. Hot Buttered Rum has that effect. Their original songs are instantly familiar and inviting, and their easygoing versions of timeless classics (the Beatles, Hank Williams) belie the intricacy of the arrangements.” –San Francisco Chronicle

The Hot Buttered Rum String Band Live

The Thermals

Sunday March 11th, 2007 - $10

The Thermals live on the beautiful, eastern side of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, where hordes of young “artists” are nurtured by foul weather and low-rent “houses.”
In the spring of 2002, The Thermals (songs) were created by singer Hutch Harris, in his kitchen.
By the fall, The Thermals had about ten shows under their belt, and almost half of those shows were on stage. They felt at this point that they had really paid their “dues,” and knew they had amassed a ton of “street cred(ibility).” In late October they signed a three-record deal with Sub Pop “Records.” Staying true to their “d.i.y. (do-it-yourself) ethics,” Harris recorded The Thermals’ debut record on a four-track cassette recorder in his one-bedroom house, lovingly dubbed “The Moss Motel.” Chris Walla, of Death Cab for Cutie “fame,” mixed the recordings to a quarter-inch two-track at The Hall of Justice studio in Seattle, Washington.
Sub Pop now brings The Thermals to you, in all their “no-fi” glory. Distorted guitars, distorted drums, distorted bass, and distorted vocals all collide into perfect, distorted pop songs. The sound is classic Sub Pop, with a “twist.” Imagine combining the best of the “grunge” bands from the label with some of the lo-fi geniuses who’ve worked with Sub Pop: like Mark Arm recording a basement record with Lou Barlow. The Thermals’ debut is called More Parts Per Million, and we think you will find this title very fitting, as this record pays absolutely no heed to any laws or generally accepted principles of sound recording. In fact, More Parts Per Million may force the listener to decide for him or herself what makes a record “listenable,” “unlistenable,” or “very fucking listenable.”

In the future, the Thermals hope to perform many national and international touring “gigs,” and to record at least two more albums, as dictated by their “contract.” They are also looking forward to graduating from the school of “d.i.y.” to enter the new and exciting world they refer to as “s.e.d.i.f.y.” (someone else does it for you).

* “No-fi,” “s.e.d.i.f.y.” and “very fucking listenable” are all registered trademarks of The Thermals, LLC. If you would like to license (for a nominal fee) any of these terms for use in “rock journalism,” please contact The Thermals.

The Thermals “Pillar of Salt”

Band Of Horses

Saturday March 10th, 2007 - $10

Band of Horses, known early in its life as simply Horses, is an American indie rock band formed in Seattle consisting of Ben Bridwell, Mat Brooke, Creighton Barrett and Rob Hampton. In February 2006 Joe Arnone joined the band. They are currently signed to Sub Pop. Their debut album, Everything All the Time, was released March 21, 2006 to a very positive review by Pitchfork Media. The band often draws comparisons to the indie rock band My Morning Jacket largely due to the vocal similarities between Bridwell and My Morning Jacket lead singer Jim James. Bridwell’s Vocals have also been compared to Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, early Neil Young, and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips by All Music Guide.[1]

Band of Horses Live

Cold War Kids

Thursday March 22nd, 2007 - $8

ullerton, CA’s Cold War Kids make music with roots that go deep and wide, embracing influences as diverse as Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley, and the Velvet Underground. Matt Aveiro, Matt Maust, Jonnie Russell, and Nathan Willett began crafting their soulful, blues-inflected take on indie rock as Cold War Kids in 2004, recording demos in Los Angeles soon after they formed. After signing to Monarchy Music, Cold War Kids released their debut EP, Mulberry Street, in spring 2005. The band’s unique sound and impassioned live act generated a buzz — particularly from bloggers — that grew with each tour and release. Maust’s clean but eye-catching designs for EPs like With Our Wallets Full and Up in Rags and the group’s website also added to Cold War Kids’ mystique. They spent much of 2006 on the road with Tapes ‘n Tapes, Figurines, Sound Team, and Editors and appeared at that year’s Lollapalooza. That summer, they signed to Downtown Records, also home to Art Brut and Gnarls Barkley. The band’s full-length debut Robbers & Cowards arrived that fall.

Cold War Kids “Hair Down”

Explosions in the Sky (at the Alcazar)

Performing at the Alcazar Monday - Mar. 12th, 2007 - $10

Explosions in the Sky was formed in Austin, Texas in 1999, originally called Breaker Morant. Hrasky is from Rockford, Illinois, and the rest of the band hails from Midland. They quickly gained a reputation for themselves among other established local bands such as Lift to Experience. Their label, Temporary Residence Limited signed the band on the strength of its demo - submitted by fellow Austin band The American Analog Set with a brief note saying “This totally fucking destroys.”
They also garnered a small amount of media attention as a result of their second album, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever, due to rumors linking it to the September 11, 2001 attacks, a rumor the band denied in interviews. The album art shows an airplane with the caption “This plane will crash tomorrow.” The belief arose that the album was released on September 10, 2001, adding to its coincidental mystique, but this belief is incorrect. The concept for the album art originated in 2000, and the album was released August 27, 2001.
Their music was used extensively for the soundtrack of the 2004 Peter Berg film, Friday Night Lights.
Their song “Remember Me as a Time of Day” was used extensively throughout the pilot of Friday Night Lights (the series) on 3 October 2006. Episode two featured “Your Hand in Mine”.
Explosions in the Sky has had two songs from The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place “Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean” and “Your Hand in Mine” played in the background of a Cadillac commercial.
Explosions in the Sky has finished recording their next album, entitled All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone. It has six songs, ranging from three to thirteen minutes each. The artwork, again by Esteban Rey, is completed.[citation needed] The band recorded the album in Minnesota in August with John Congleton. The album is due for release in February with both a one disc version as well as a two-disc special editions featuing remixes by artists such as Eluvium and Adem.

Explosions in the Sky Live

Tom Rush

Wednesday - Mar. 21nd, 2007 - $25

Tom Rush is a gifted musician and performer, whose shows offer a musical celebration…a journey into the tradition and spectrum of what music has been, can be, and will become. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.

Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor told Rolling Stone, “Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences.” Country music star Garth Brooks has credited Rush with being one of his top five musical influences. Rush has long championed emerging artists. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor, and in more recent years his Club 47 concerts have brought artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin to wider audiences when they were just beginning to build their own reputations.