love shack, baby » piano

Marco Benevento @ Martyrs May 14

Tart — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:26:58 +0000

Wow, just wow…. see, sometimes I think I need one of those tumblr accounts…. This was an amazing evening, I wish I had filmed some of the lesser known parts with a real video camera because Marco is truly a legend. This encore is a crowd-pleaser and unlike much of his usual work. But just look what he does to it! Buy his new record, Between The Needles And Nightfall, it’s gorgeous!

Tour Dates
May 20 2010 8:00P the 8×10 Baltimore, MD Find Tickets
May 21 2010 9:00P North Star Bar Philadelphia, PA
May 22 2010 7:30P Bowery Ballroom Manhattan, NY
Jun 15 2010 7:30P Nightcat Easton, MD
Jun 16 2010 7:00P Sellersville Theater Sellersville, PA
Jun 17 2010 9:00P River Street Jazz Cafe Wilkes Barre, PA
Jun 18 2010 8:00P Bearsville Theater Woodstock, NY
Jun 24 2010 8:00P Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
Jun 25 2010 9:00P Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
Jun 26 2010 7:00P Axe and Fiddle Cottage Grove, OR
Jun 27 2010 11:30P Rachel Browne Theater Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA
Jun 28 2010 7:00P Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
Jun 29 2010 7:00P The Church of Holy Trinity Toronto, ON, CANADA Find Tickets
Aug 12 2010 7:00P Dazzle Restaurant Denver, CO
Aug 13 2010 7:00P Dazzle Restaurant Denver, CO

Rachael Dadd: Moth In The Motor, due out February 15, you just can’t be uptight and listen to this EP!

Tart — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:30:24 +0000

~~Table mp3~~ Rachael Dadd Moth In The Motor….. pre-order it here, from Broken Sound …. (those images above are just some of the images created for the collaborating, Moth In The Motor Arts Project. Also, the 300 limited edition 10″ vinyl pressings will have a unique liner designed by Rachael Dadd herself, wow!)

Rachael Dadd is my new calm-the-fuck-down music. Geeze, I feel guilty for even using the F-word in the presence of such pretty, airy, delicateness. Seven delightful, thoughtful tracks that even with her breathy, high voice, poke and prod your consciousness a bit just as they soothe you too. Moth in the Motor’s songs have phrases that float in and out of my head all night; from the title track, “Moth in the Motor,” she sings, “I’ve been voting for you… and I’ve been cheering for ya… and I’ve been counting on you,” for who counts on a moth? I’d like to know that person, maybe be that person. The piano, struck intensely takes you to that point of tension where you can finally sigh, exhale and listen again to her voice gently pierce through the silent pause. At other times, it quietly leads you into her swirling vocal storms. “Caught In The Weight” is (some other word for beautiful) and (some other word for haunting) and I love how Joni Mitchell/Kate Bush comes to mind but just can’t stay in there as Rachael Dadd is so much her own voice, her own songwriter. Just go listen, you’ll instantly relax, unloosen, and feel yourself thinking about what a cryptically enchanting woman this Rachael Dadd must be. Moth In The Motor is such a short record to have such a potent, creative force. xoxo
Tour Dates
Feb 3 2010 8:00P The Wilmington Arms (Kick the Plug) London
Feb 6 2010 1:00A Union Chapel (Daylight Music) Midday gig London
Feb 10 2010 8:00P Moles with Alessi’s Ark Bath
Feb 11 8:00P CARDIFF Buffalo with Alessi’s Ark /Lauren / Hail! the Planes
Feb 12 2010 8:00P The Cube with Alessi’s Ark Bristol
Feb 14 2010 8:00P Portland Arms Cambridge
Feb 18 2010 8:00P The Birdcage with Alessi’s Ark Norwich
Feb 20 2010 8:00P The Hope with Alesi’s Ark Brghton
Feb 21 2010 8:00P Nation of Shopkeepers with Alessi’s Ark Leeds
Feb 22 2010 8:00P Bungalows and Bears ((Unquiet Desperation Presents…) with Alessi’s Ark Sheffield
Feb 24 2010 8:00P The Basement with Alessi’s Ark York
Feb 26 2010 8:00P Cafe Oto – London (incl Moth In The Motor exhibition) – with Alessi’s Ark and The Mariner’s Children London
Feb 28 2010 8:00P Hamptons Southampton

Marco Benevento Trio: Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago

Tart — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:54:08 +0000

Well, last night was a fucking musical feast! Marco Benevento came to town with two friends in tow and made an entire evening of noise, gloriously wonderful melodic noise. With Reed Mathis on bass and the irrepressible Simon Lott on drums, the Logan Square Auditorium reverberated with energy to an intimate but enthusiastic crowd. I was transfixed, absolutely transfixed on the whole experience of it. Hearing it recorded is just a sliver of what it is like to physically be in the room with all that noise and that moment of creation. Half the time I nodded my head to the beat, half the time I had my head cocked to the side, eyes squinched, wondering what was going through Marco’s mind right then to produce what I was hearing. Of course it helps that he is engaging and just a bit self-effacing and incredibly emotive when he plays. It is play for this man. His piano is all tricked out with a bunch of reverb/distortion pedals and knobs of all sorts, and he’s constantly playing off his drummer or bassist. It was impossible to not be drawn into it as they exchanged those knowing looks, exaggerated smiles and nods and just straight up “yeah I get it, man!” shakes of the head. This was music to move to!

Here’s a video of what folks in Brooklyn got on March 7th with some other supporting players, it’s much like what I heard last night. Just look at what he does, at that energy!

No, I can’t tell you a single title of what they played. It was jazz, it was improv/experimental, it went in all sorts of directions throughout and sometimes seemed to fall right off the cliff to be scooped up halfway down by the strong beat of a bass guitar or a fresh breath of a recognizable piano strain. This is not just a guy and a piano, it’s loud, it’s raucous, it’s jazzy and it grooves… women danced, “Marv” demanded it!

Sing It Again mp3 Marco Benevento Me Not Me

[edit: go and listen to NPR's song of the day today, by happy coincidence it's Marco Benevento's cover of My Morning Jacket's "Golden"]

This track isn’t very much like what I heard last night… well, I should preface that by saying it was a long set… and I heard so many tracks. They opened with a nice loud number, the third or fourth one in simply took me up to the ceiling and back again as it built and fell with a shimmer of cymbals and electronic noise. After that it was a series of songs, including one by George Harrison, a bit of chatter in between but not much. Toward the end, some requests taken from the meager audience and a pause for breath and some Maker’s Mark (this man had been literally hammering away for over an hour and a half!), and a few more, and then a beautiful closing number. I shook his hand afterward, thanking him for coming to our city; it was a warm, soft, tired hand that night.

official site……… buy the album, Me Not Me here! and hear a lot more music there too.

MySpace

[edit: I totally forgot to mention the amazing opening band that played last night! Liquid Beat Allstars are not to be missed!!! Last night they had Allie Kral on violin, with them, from Cornmeal, who was great! .... see down below for gig dates/times here in Chicago]

Go see this amazing artist on tour!:
04.10.09 Fri
Vaudeville Mews
Des Moines, IA
with Reed Mathis and Simon Lott

04.11.09
Dakota
Minneapolis, MN
with Reed Mathis and Simon Lott

04.12.09
CSPS
Cedar Rapids, IA
with Reed Mathis and Simon Lott

04.17.09
Ithaca, NY
Castaways
with Marc Friedman and others
Nathan Moore opens

04.23.09
New Orleans, LA
Tipitina’s
with Adam Deitch, Papa Mali and many others

4.24.09
New Orleans, LA
Riverboat
with Stanton Moore, Mike D and Skerik

4.25.09
New Orleans, LA
The Maple Leaf
with Johnny Vidacovich (late night)

4.29.09
New Orleans, LA
The Howlin Wolf
- solo early set -
-late set – with Stanton Moore, Mike D and Skerik

4.30.09
New Orleans, LA
The Maple Leaf
with Johnny Vidacovich and George Porter
11pm set

05.01.09
New Orleans, LA
One Eyed Jacks
with Stanton Moore, Mike D and Skerik
LATE NIGHT AT THE COLTON THEATRE -
Benevento Russo Duo – show starts 2am.

05.02.09
New Orleans, LA
Tipitina’s
with BUSTLE IN YOUR HEDGEROW
- late show -

05.03.09
New Orleans, LA
The Blue Nile
ME NOT ME CD Release Show
with Reed Mathis and Adam Deitch

05.06.09
Le Divan Orange
Montreal, Canada
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.07.09
The Wescott Theatre
Syracuse, NY
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.08.09
The Iron Horse
Northampton, MA
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.09.09
Portland, ME
Empire Dine and Dance
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.12.09
Hartford, CT
Real Art Ways
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.13.09
Philadelphia, PA
Johnny Brenda’s
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.14.09
Merkin Concert Hall
New York, NY
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr

05.15.09
Boston, MA
The Pardise
opening for TLG

05.29.09
Woodstock, NY
MOUNTAIN JAM

June 11th
NYC
The Stone
8pm and 10pm Solo

07.3.09
Quincy, CA
HIGH SIERRA MUSIC FESTIVAL

07.18.09
Sante Fe, NM
New Mexico Jazz Festival

——————————————-

Chicago! Go hear Liquid Beat Allstars

Apr 11 2009 9:00P
US Beer Co w/ Great Divide Chicago, Illinois
Apr 15 2009 10:00P
Tonic Room Chicago, Illinois
Apr 22 2009 10:00P
Tonic Room Chicago, Illinois
Apr 29 2009 10:00P
Tonic Room Chicago, Illinois
May 2 2009 8:00P
Illinois Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IL) w/ Raoul Duke Bloomington, IL
May 28 2009 9:00P
The Kinetic Playground w/ Steez & The Station Chicago, Illinois

special thanks to Adam Lindstaedt

Wherein Tart gets on the blog wagon, reveiw… review!! Favorite album #2 (in no particular order)

Tart — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:42:08 +0000

I’ve been sitting on this for awhile, no… too long now. And this band deserves much more than a bunch of lazy bloggers not covering their songs. I hope they’ve gotten some good breaks in 2008 and that they get even more in 2009 because The Midway State is a really talented pop group with such a great sound. Honestly, I can’t get this song out of my head for the past 4 days.

Never Again mp3 The Midway State from Holes

From the opening chords of this song, you want to ache for this boy… “well I’ll always love you, no matter how far you will run” … oh man, been there, done that! Nathan Ferraro sings about heartache loud and proud, and he brings me back to those angst filled days with such an angelic, clear, tenor voice that, well… makes me ache for heartache all over again. His piano playing isn’t half bad either. He’s been on the road since he was 16, and it shows, in a good way. This band is growing into it’s own, it’s learned a lot and is really ready for the success it’s finally enjoying.

With best friend Daenen Bramberger on drums, The Midway State’s pop influenced songs all showcase Ferraro’s emotive vocals but not at the expense of the other talented members of this band. Michael Wise on guitar is a talented and strong player, his work on “Fireflies” saves what could easily be a skip-over song. Lyrically and vocally, “Fireflies” is abit awkward and it starts off somewhat too melodramatic, but the guitar solos are wonderful (you know I like me some reverb), backed up by solid work by Bramberger. After the first third of the song, it gels into a solid pop tune that by the end has you singing along mournfully, “damn you for loving me.”

“Unaware” suffers from some phrasing difficulties, but they are very much forgivable when the chorus kicks in. Ferraro can just really kick out a chorus like nobody’s business and while songs on Holes have a similar sound, they don’t blur together like so many pop albums do. I love this song. The harmonies are beautiful too! “Can’t Stop Waking Up To You,” “Where Did We Go” and “I Know” have great bass lines thanks to Mike Kirsh. “Fire Keeps on Burning” shows Ferraro’s vocal abilities in the lower range with yet another great chorus, gorgeous harmonies and raw emotion evocative of, dare I say, some of the best Bee Gee’s work? Maybe you have to be over 40 to understand that last statement, but disco wasn’t just for fun, it had a fair amount of grit to it too.

Holes closes up with a really fantastic song, “No Crying” featuring melodic piano blending into a well built anthem for love as it should be, as we hope it will be. And that is what this band gives us, dear readers. The MIdway State is most definitely a band to watch out for, a band that shows not only promise but certainty of huge success. When their manager Myles contacted me with his excitement about where this band was going, it was genuine. I’ve been soaking in this album for a few months now and I share in that excitement too. I loved it from the start, and I’m damn sure you will.

buy their album, Holes it’s Number 2 in my list of favorite albums of 2008.

Go see The Midway State in their hometown, Toronto on December 19 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre with Justin Nozuka, I wish I could!

Shhhhh

Tart — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:13:00 +0000

I’m needing some peace and quiet here lately, and I’m finding myself turning to an interesting fellow named Volker Bertelmann, for you can’t really have a quiet house or you’d surely go mad. I stumbled across Hauschka, as he is more generally known, awhile back on someone’s blog, (before I knew better than to not keep track of where I was getting things so as to be prepared to thank them here.) I always loved piano pieces. Classical music was never a love, however. But piano music was somehow different and I could lose myself in anything that came out of a piano for hours or days. photo credit: bhollins

Hauschka does odd things to his piano. He plays a prepared piano, something created conceptually by the great John Cage. It’s adulterated by all sorts of objects, thrown in, tied into, and otherwise mucking up the striking of hammers and tweaking of strings inside the instrument, thereby creating an altered sound. I love the idea of that when I’m feeling rather mucked up inside. But more importantly I love the sound that Hauschka makes and the elements of other instruments he blends into these pieces. It’s good music for a quiet day, a day to just give my fucking head a rest.

Happy Wednesday, get over the hump with me, gently… save the exertions for this evening

Haushka Room To Expand 2007
~~La Dilettante mp3~~
~~Chicago Morning mp3~~

Hauskha’s webpage more downloads there
buy Room To Expand

photo credit: corrado.nuccini