New York City Live Music Calendar Plus Other Events for January and February 2009

Hey – this isn’t the most recent calendar here! This is!

As usual, weekly events first, followed by the daily calendar. Because we get some of this info weeks in advance, it’s always good to check with the club (see our venues page) to make sure the show you’re interested in seeing is still happening…

 

Sundays from half past noon to 3:30 PM, bluegrass cats Freshly Baked (f.k.a. Graveyard Shift), featuring excellent, incisive fiddle player Diane Stockwell play Nolita House (upstairs over Botanica at 47 E Houston).  

The 2008-09 series of organ concerts at St. Thomas Church continues most every Sunday (holidays excepted) at 5:15 sharp, featuring a whole slew of world-renowned performers. Concerts continue through May 17.

 

Every Sunday the Ear-Regulars, led by trumpeter Jon Kellso and (frequently) guitarist Matt Munisteri play NYC’s only weekly hot jazz session starting around 8 PM at the Ear Inn on Spring St.  Hard to believe, in the city that springboarded the careers of thousands of jazz legends, but true. This is by far the best value in town for marquee-caliber jazz: for the price of a drink and a tip for the band, you can see world-famous players (and brilliant obscure ones) you’d usually have to drop $100 for at some big-ticket room. The material is mostly old-time stuff from the 30s and 40s, but the players (especially Kellso and Munisteri, who have a chemistry that goes back several years) push it into some deliciously unexpected places.

 

Sundays Sasha Dobson plays Pete’s at 8:30 PM. Warm, casual, tropicalia-inflected jazz-pop. Imagine Norah Jones but mature and battlescarred with both a bossa nova and Americana fixation.

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Sundays in February Stephane Wrembel plays Barbes, 9 PM. The guitarist has few if any equals as an interpreter of Django Reinhardt, but it’s where he takes the gypsy jazz influence in his own remarkably original, psychedelic writing – and what he brings to the Django stuff – that makes all the difference. One of the most interesting players in any style of music, anywhere in the world. He also plays Fridays at Bar Tabac on Smith St. in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn at 8. 

 

Every Sunday, hip-hop MC Big Zoo hosts the long-running End of the Weak rap showcase at the Pyramid, 9 PM, admission $5 before 10, $7 afterward. This is one of the best places to discover some of the hottest under-the-radar hip-hop talent, both short cameos as well as longer sets from both newcomers and established vets.

 

Monday nights Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, a boisterous horn-driven 11-piece 1920s/early 30’s band play Sofia’s Restaurant, downstairs at the Edison Hotel, 221 West 46th Street between Broadway & 8th Ave., 3 sets from 8 to 11, surprisingly cheap $15 cover plus $15 minimum considering whaat you’re getting. Even before the Flying Neutrinos or the Moonlighters, multi-instrumentalist Giordano was pioneering the oldtimey sound in New York; his long-running residency at the old Cajun on lower 8th Ave. is legendary. He also gets a ton of film work (Giordano wrote the satirical number that Willie Nelson famously sang in Wag the Dog).

 

Also Mondays the Barbes house band, Chicha Libre plays there starting around 9:45. Chicha Libre are the sole American practitioners of chicha, a style popular in the Peruvian Amazon ghettos in the 70s and currently experiencing a renaissance thanks to these guys. With electric accordion, cuatro, surf guitar and a boisterous rhythm section, their hypnotic, reverb-drenched mix of obscure psychedelic surf/cumbia/rock classics and originals is one of the funnest, most danceable things you’ll witness this year. Lately they’ve been expanding their repertoire to include not only their often hilarious, hypnotic originals but also covers of period pieces as well as chichafied rock songs. If you get lucky they’ll play their amped-up version of the Clash classic Guns of Brixton.

 

Also Mondays in January (and pretty much every month, when he’s not on tour), Rev. Vince Anderson and his band play Black Betty in Williamsburg, two sets starting around 10:30 PM. The Rev. is one of the great keyboardists around, equally thrilling on organ or electric piano, an expert at Billy Preston style funk, honkytonk, gospel and blues. He writes very funny, very politically astute, frequently salacious original gospel songs and is one of the great live performers of our time. Moist Paula from Moisturizer is the lead soloist on baritone sax.

 

Tuesdays the boisterous and very popular brass-heavy gypsy jazz band Slavic Soul Party plays Barbes at 9. Get here as soon as you can as the opening act is usually popular as well.

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Every Wednesday, Michael Arenella & the Dreamland Dance Band play sly yet boisterous oldtimey hot jazz during a brunch set at the Clover Club, 210 Smith St. (Butler/Baltic) in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, 7:30 -10:30 PM  

 

 

 

Every Wednesday, Will Scott and drummer Wylie Wirth play mesmerizing, hypnotic, completely authentic Mississippi hill country blues along with Scott’s own melodic, tuneful blues originals at 68 Jay St. Bar in Dumbo, starting around 8:30 PM. Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside and Asie Payton are sadly gone but Scott continues their tradition of music that is as danceable as it is trance-inducing, and does his influences justice.

 

Smart, purist, female-fronted ska/reggae’rocksteady crew the Big Takeover plays Sun Jan 4 at Trash at 9 and then Wednesdays in January at 10 at Arlene’s. 

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Also Wednesdays starting 2/18 the John McNeil Group featuring Noah Preminger has a residency at Puppet’s Jazz Bar, 481 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn through March 25.  Joining trumpeter/composers McNeil and Preminger are drummer Jochen Rueckert and bassist Mike McGuirk.  Three sets from 9 – 1 AM along with an intermission piano player each week, cover is $6.

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Also every Wednesday at Drom it’s Cuban night with a new, hot dance band every week, 9:30 PM – 2 AM, just $12 at the door  

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Starting Thurs Jan 15 and continuing every Thursday, at the Delancey on the main floor Botanica frontman and master of menace Paul Wallfisch is booking what might turn out to be the best weekly music series in town, plus OPEN BAR ON BEER AND WELLS 9-10 PM. The series debut on 1/15 features pensive, ambiently inclined Irish singer Fionn Olochlainn, amazingly multistylistic, playfully fun theremin composer/virtuoso Pamelia Kurstin & similarly inclined ex-Tys Tys frontwoman Maria Laurette Friis doing improvisations and more plus Diego Garcia from Elefant

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Thursdays in January at 9 PM at Pete’s: Heather & the Barbarians, sort of the quintessential Pete’s Candy Store band but smokier and loungier in a nice Eleni Mandell kind of way.

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Fridays starting January 30 through Feb 27 sensational oud player Mavrothi Kontanis performs with bouzouki specialist Antonis Tsimounis, Giorgos Kolias and fellow oudist Sotiris Tsourekis for a late night of wildly beautiful, authentic Rebetika, Entehna, and Smyrneika sounds at the wonderfully named ELO restaurant, 12-14 31st Avenue, Astoria

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1/2/09 oldtimey banjoist and fiery, politically aware songwriter Curtis Eller at Highline Ballroom, 8 PM, $10.

 

1/2/09 another historically aware band, Brooklyn “historical orchestrette” Pinataland at Barbes, 10 PM

 

1/2/09 ancient, satirical punk rockers the Dickies at Southpaw 10 PM

 

1/2/09 popular rock en Espanol band Ernesto and their first NYC show in 8 years at Bowery Poetry Club, midnight, $8

 

Sat Jan 3 another Unsteady Freddie surf music extravaganza at Otto’s starting at 7 with Strange but Surf followed by Hang Daddy, the Tarantinos NYC, Mr. Neutron, 9th Wave and Vivisector Gulag Tunes (?!?)

 

Also Sat Jan 3 a good guitar doublebill: Bobby Radcliff at Terra Blues, 7 PM followed by the equally good Johnny Allen (great singer too) at 10.

 

Also Sat Jan 3 lush, romantic French chanson revivalists les Chauds Lapins followed by throwback country hellraisers the Jack Grace Band at Barbes, 8 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 3, 8 PM guitarist Ron Jackson’s cd release show with his Hammond organ jazz group at Rose Bar, 8 PM

 

Sun Jan 4 original rockabilly/surf band Catspaw at Otto’s, 7:30 PM 

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Also Sun Jan 4 innovative Balkan jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel at Barbes, 9 PM.

Mon Jan 5, 9 PM at Trash: Alexander Burnet, noir americana songwriter from Keene NH – good energy if not much of a singer “I can’t stay sober in this town,” he complains, and no wonder: his home state is #2 in the nation in per capita alcohol consumption

Also Mon Jan 5 at Rose Bar, 9 PM the Alper Yilmaz Project, bringing together a mix of New York and Istanbul musicians playing dark intriguing Middle Eastern inflected jazz with a wild free jazz feel at times.

Also Mon Jan 5  Hazmat Modine guitarist Michael Gomez and fusiony jazz group Wormwood at Pete’s, 9 PM followed by the East River String Band.

Tues Jan 6 and repeating 1/13 innovative violinist/composer Jenny Scheinman at Barbes, 7 PM followed by Slavic Soul Party.

Also Tues Jan 6 at Arlene’s, an improbable but good bill with Chicago smooth-grooves tenor jazzcat Joel Moore and his combo at 8 followed at 9 by solidily good North Carolina powerpop band the Naturals.

Also Tues Jan 6 slowly burning, dark indie noir trio the French Exit at the Mercury, 10 PM. Their show here a few months back made our top 20 NYC concerts of the year list. 

Also Tues Jan 6, 10 PM at Trash: the Feral Throes, a promising, darkly jangly female-fronted band who liken themselves to “Cat Power without the crazy, Neko Case without the cabaret, Conor Oberst without the stalker vibe, Feist without the happy clap-dance.

Also Tues Jan 6 through 11 Bill Frisell on guitar, Ron Carter on bass and Paul Motian on percussion at the Blue Note, $20 gen. adm ($30 at tables) plus drink minimum. Likely to be amazing if you can afford it and purist, soulful playing is your thing.

Weds Jan 7 at 7 PM an intriguing triple bill at le Poisson Rouge: brilliant, somewhat rustic, often amusing art-rockers the Snow (with Pierre de Gaillande from Melomane) followed by lush, gorgeous chamber-rock outfit Edison Woods at 8 and the impressively tuneful, imaginative lo-fi American/indie band Bowery Boy Blue at 9.

Also Weds Jan 7, 7 PM at Arlene’s: Dali’s Elvis playing rustic lo-fi stuff in the same vein as Iron & Wine. Some might call this freak-folk but it’s a lot better and more focused than that. Followed eventually at 10 by excellent roots reggae/rocksteady/ska band the Big Takeover

Also Weds Jan 7, 8 PM at Trash: Spicer Avenue – duo w/keys and vocals. Good stuff, like Air with more menace – they do a hilarious deadpan synthpop cover of Duke of Earl. 

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Also Weds Jan 7 intense, potently jangly lyrical rocker Matt Keating and his band at Southpaw, 9ish

Also Weds Jan 7 first-wave rockabillly revivalist Robert Gordon & iconic guitarist Chis Spedding at BB King’s, 8 PM, $25

 Also Weds Jan 7-11 legendary jazz bassist Dave Holland leads his Octet at Birdland, $30 gen. adm., shows 8:30/11 PM

Also Thurs Jan 8 brilliantly multistylistic, lyrical pianist/songwriter Greta Gertler followed by the Exotic Ponies and then fiery banjo player/rocker Curtis Eller – whose new cd Wirewalkers & Assassins made our top 10 list in 2008 – at Banjo Jim’s, 7 PM

Also Thurs Jan 8 low-key, smart pianist/songwriter Matt Kanelos and  his band at 9 preceded by a solo electric show by sensational lead guitarist Pete Galub at Barbes at 8 PM.

Also Thurs Jan 8, 8 PM at Trash: Hidden People, new wave dance revivalists with just bass/drums/vox.  Jarring at times but energetic and danceable as hell

Also Thurs Jan 8,  oldtimey ukelele chanteuse Sweet Soubrette at Sidewalk, 8 PM

Also Thurs Jan 8, killer oldtimey band the Wiyos at the Jalopy Café $12, 9 PM.

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Also Thurs Jan 8, 9 PM dark minimalist Americana with Andy Schuman & the Dark Horses followed by brilliantly torchy noir cabaret personality Little Annie, accompanied by equally noir keyboard mastermind Paul Wallfisch of Botanica at 9 PM at Zebulon

Also Thurs Jan 8, darkly glimmering southwestern gothic-tinged Americana rockers Tandy at Rodeo Rar, 10:30 PM,

Also Thurs Jan 8 at Arlene’s, midnight: the artsy, metalish, female-fronted Close2death.

Fri Jan 9 sensational Greek-American oud player/composer Mavrothi Kontanis and his band at Barbes, 7 PM

Also Fri Jan 9 a pretty good multi-band extravaganza at le Poisson Rouge starting at 6:30 with multistylistic violinist/composer Jenny Scheinman, followed by fiery Iranian-American rock siren Haale at 8 and eventually at 10 excellent roots reggae band John Brown’s Body 

Also Fri Jan 9, legendary punk-era songwriter Graham Parker – arguably at the peak of his formidably misanthropic powers right now – plays Joe’s Pub, 7:30 PM, $25 adv tix recommended 

Also Fri Jan 9, 8 PM at the new 92Y/Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street (off Canal St.) one of the best multi-band extravaganzas of the decade starting with Senegalese rock/hiphop act Gokh-Bi System, brilliantly playful romantic pan-Latin harmony group La Rubias Del Norte, fiery female-fronted janglerock en Espanol Cordero, sprawling bluesy/balkan improvisers Hazmat Modine, popular world music percussionist and Anoushka Shankar collaborator Karsh Kale and wild balkan brass band Slavic Soul Party, $15 and so worth it.

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Also Fri Jan 9, 9 PM at Arlene’s: the intriguing, lyrical, slightly quirky, smartly counterintuitive indie rockers Special Patrol Group.

 

Also Fri Jan 9 lush, romantic, harmony-driven oldtimey band the Moonlighters at Two Boots Brooklyn, 10 PM

 

Also Fri Jan 9 Mr. Action & the Boss Guitars play tasteful clasic and obscure surf music covers at Lakeside, 11 PM 

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Also Fri Jan 9-10/09 the Brilliant Mistakes – now doing a tasty nouveau-Byrds Americana thing – at the Canal Room, 9ish

Sat Jan 10, 6 PM Peruvian/American chanteuse Claudia Acuna and her absolutely kick-ass band kick off a multi-venue night of jazz in the West Village at le Poisson Rouge followed eventually on the bill at midnight by Jeff “Tain” Watts playing stuff from his upcoming cd Watts (a historical pun) with a killer band (Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, Prometheus Jenkins) - thanks for the update Georgia

Also Sat Jan 10, 8 PM at Trash: funny, energetic punk rockers Adios Mafia, followed eventually by energetic, entertaining one man acoustic bluespunk Guitar Bomb.

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Also Sat Jan 10, 8 PM at Arlene’s: expat Australian chanteuse Julia Darling (who used to book this place, hence the prime slot), with a darkly tinged, contemplative edge. Followed by Teddy Thompson (Richard’s kid), whose tuneful sensibility blends Crowded House catchiness with his dad’s murky Britfolk.

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 Also Sat Jan 10, 8:30 PM at 92nd St Y/Tribeca (Canal at Hudson): rousing fiddle-driven oldtimey quartet  Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, followed by the great Americana-inflected jazz guitarist/songwriter Matt Munisteri doing his own stuff for once.  

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Also Sat Jan 10 pianist Ryan Cohan and bassist Omer Avital playing tantalizing Middle Eastern-inflected jazz with their respective combos at Merkin Concert Hall, 8 PM

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Also Sat Jan 10, 9 PM, a benefit for oudist/pianist/composer Dimitri Mikelis at Alwan for the Arts (playing the oud with two working fingers but needing another operation to regain the use of all of them). Featuring an allstar 13-piece band incl. pianist Liz Magnes and violinist Sami Abu Shumays from Zikrayat plus dancers.

Also Sat Jan 10 John Doe & Exene play a rare acoustic duo show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, time TBA, adv tix $18 at the Mercury box ofc. They’re also at Joe’s Pub the following night 1/11 for $4 extra

 

Also Sat Jan 10 Cape Verde chanteuse Maria de Barros followed by Balkan/klezmer band Vagabond Opera at Barbes, 10 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 10 Dengue Fever at Maxwell’s, 10ish, $12 adv tix at the club and Other Music

 

Also Sat Jan 10 Simon & the Bar Sinisters at Lakeside, 10:15ish, maybe if you’re lucky he’ll have his Die Hipster Scum bumper stickers for sale again.

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Also Sat Jan 10 (actually the wee hours of 1/11), 1 AM Greg Tate’s sprawling, hypnotic groove megaplex Burnt Sugar at Kenny’s Castaways.

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Sun Jan 11 WNYC will be broadcasting live from Globalfest at Webster Hall. Meaning that instead of standing in line in the cold for hours because the bouncers won’t let you in – even though you have a ticket – you can now listen for free to such diverse artists as Chicha Libre, Femi Kuti, Watcha Clan, L&O, Hot 8 Brass Band, Tanya Tagaq, Shanbehzadeh, Calypso Rose, Marcio Local, Brooklyn Qawwali Party and others 

 

Also Sun Jan 11 it’s the Lucy Moses Music School’s annual student jazz concert at Merkin Concert Hall, 3 PM, free

 

Also Sun Jan 11 flamenco siren Maria Bermudez’ Chicana Gypsy Project in their only 2008 US performance at Drom, 7 PM, $15 – they make the Gipsy Kings sound like a bunch of amateurs.

 

Also Sun Jan 11 innovative Quebecois acoustic band Genticorum at Barbes, 7 PM followed at 9 by Stephane Wrembel

 

Also Sun Jan 11 jazz chanteuse Karrin Allyson – lately mining a Brazilian vein, with richly rewarding results – at Birdland, 7:30 PM, $25

 

Also Sun Jan 11 the Tom Beckham group playing deviously smart, sometimes scary vibraphone jazz at Cornelia St. Cafe, 8:30 PM, $10

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Also Sun Jan 11, 10 PM fiery gospel/garage rockers the Lost Crusaders at the new Loving Cup Cafe, 93 N 6th in Wburg playing songs from their excellent cd Have You Heard About the World.

 

Also Sun Jan 11, 10:35 PM at Trash: Vicki Spiral, a good punk trio w/a little reggae feel  

 

Mon Jan 12, 6:30 PM at Drom: innovative neoclassical string ensembles Brazz Tree and Metro Strings along with Italian chanteuse Alessandra Belloni & I Giuliari di Piazza.

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Also Mon Jan 12 a rare and killer guitar show at the Rockwood, 7 PM, Jim Campilongo and Steve Cardenas doing an acoustic duo performance.

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Also Mon Jan 12 speaking of killer guitar, if your taste runs more to electric than acoustic, fiery, improvisationaly-inclined power trio Devi is playing the Mercury, 7 PM.

 

Also Mon Jan 12, las Rubias del Norte – with their gorgeous harmonies, sort of the latin version of the Moonlighters – at Barbes, 8 PM

 

Also Mon Jan 12,  also at Drom, 9 PM, separate show, adv tix $15 at the box office: Hawaiian night with jazzy trio Kohala, Keale and swanky, romantic uke-lounge project Raiatea plus a jam with all three bands afterward

 

Also Mon Jan 12,  Kagero playing Japanese Balkan rock at Rose Bar, 9:30ish. They’re also at Caffe Vivaldi on 1/14, same time.

 

Also Mon Jan 12, guitarist Steven Bernstein’s Millennian Territory Orchestra – a Murderer’s Row of feisty, devious jazz talent – at 55 Bar, 10 PM

 

Tues Jan 13, sprawling, rustic, minor-key pan-global psychedelic improvisers Hazmat Modine at Terra Blues 7 PM

 

Also Tues Jan 13-18 at Dizzy’s Club, the Clayton Brothers Quintet – featuring John Clayton, bass; Jeff Clayton, saxophones; Gerald Clayton, piano; Terell Stafford, trumpet; and Obed Calvaire, drums, playing stuff from their impressive new CD Brother to Brother, which highlights the work of other brother acts (particularly Hank, Thad and Elvin Jones, and Cannonball and Nat Adderley). Sets at 7:30/9:30, also 11:30 on the weekend.

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Weds Jan 14 virtuoso organist Gail Archer (whose performances during the Messiaen centenary last year were transcendent) turns to the Mendelssohns (Felix and his virtually unknown but brilliant sister Fanny) among others in a free recital at Central Synagogue, Lexington at 55th St., 7:30 PM 

 

 

Also Weds Jan 14 jazz bassist/composer to the stars Jay Leonhart doing a rare solo show at Smalls, 7:30 PM

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Also Weds Jan 14 the history of comedy documentary series on PBS starts at 8 PM EST. What’s funniest is that the soundtrack was written by none other than Steve Ulrich, the guitarist mastermind behind one of New York’s alltime darkest, scariest bands, Big Lazy. Does this mean Steve has a lighter side (of course he does, but musically?), tune in and find out! The series continues 1/21 at 8.

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Also Weds Jan 14 caffeinated, Dylanesque Americana rock trio Whisperado, 8 PM at Kenny’s Castaways

 

Also Weds Jan 14 the Rale Micic Trio playing Balkan guitar jazz at Cornelia St. Cafe, 8:30 PM, $10

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Also Weds Jan 14, 9 PM it’s Swiss Music Night at the Canal Room with multi-stylistic cellist/keyboardist/guitarist Serena Jost, playing songs from her excellent new cd Closer Than Far, followed by Grand Pianoramax featuring sharp hip-hop artist Mike Ladd and Celena Glenn at 10.

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Also Weds Jan 14 it’s fiery, powerhouse bassist Moist Gina’s birthday and her killer low-register band Moisturizer (baritone sax, bass and drums) is celebrating at Black Betty, festivities start at 10! Everybody who’s anybody will be there!

 

Also Weds Jan 14 the Flying Neutrinos doing their fetching N’Awlins oldtimey stuff at Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM

 

Also Weds Jan 14 saw player/chanteuse Marianne Dissard plays southwestern gothic songs with French lyrics at Pete’s, 11 PM. She’s got a new album out backed by  members of Calexico, every bit as good and eerie as you would imagine.

 

Also Weds Jan 14 the boisterous, theatrical, self-explanatory Ukuladies followed by jazz/oldtime guitar genius Matt Munisteri at Barbes, 8 PM

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Starting Thurs Jan 15 at 8:30 PM at the Delancey on the main floor Botanica frontman and master of menace Paul Wallfisch is booking what might turn out to be the best weekly music series in town, plus OPEN BAR ON BEER AND WELLS 9-10 PM. The series debut features pensive, ambiently inclined Irish singer Fionn Olochlainn, amazingly multistylistic, playfully fun theremin composer/virtuoso Pamelia Kurstin & similarly inclined ex-Tys Tys frontwoman Maria Laurette Friis doing improvisations and more plus Diego Garcia from Elefant

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Also Thurs Jan 15 the always excellent Brooklyn What playing fiery, fun songs from their new cd The Brooklyn What For Borough President at Fat Baby, 9 PM

 

Also Thurs Jan 15 Delusions of Grand St. playing smart female-fronted Costelloish pop at Ace of Clubs, 9 PM

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Also Thurs Jan 15, 9 PM the debut of yet another good NYC brass band, Raya Brass Band featuring Matthew Fass on accordion, Greg Squared on reeds plus Chicago brass hellraisers Black Bear Combo at Mehanata.

 

Also Thurs Jan 15 Gorgeous George – Snow frontman Pierre de Gaillande’s English-language Georges Brassens project – plays Pete’s, 10 PM

 

Also Thurs Jan 15 somewhat eerie but funny bluespunks the Five Points Band at Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM

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Also Thurs Jan 15 moody, sometimes hypnotic, sometimes deviously playful groove/shoegaze rockers El Jezel play the Vanishing Point in Bushwick, 10:30 PM

 

Fri Jan 16 noir Americana guitarist Jim Campilongo and then sultry acoustic bluesmama Mamie Minch at Barbes, 8 PM

 

Also Fri Jan 16 the New Collisions playing their excellent, fiery indie/powerpop in the back room at Public Assembly, 8 PM, $10

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Also Fri Jan 16, 8 PM rocker Elisa Flynn plays the Roots Cafe, 639A 5th Ave. (18/19) in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Superior guitar player, counterintuitive songwriter, good singer too: kinda reminds of when Sleater-Kinney suddenly got real good.

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Also Fri Jan 16, 8:30 PM smooth, thoughtful soul/groove instrumentalists Soul Cycle play two sets at Groove in the west village.

 

Also Fri Jan 16, 8:30 PM, way uptown at Good Shepherd School, 620 Isham (near 207th St. and B’way) the first night of the always exhilarating Zlatne Uste Golden Festival of Balkan and related music with the Bay Area’s Brass Menazeri, Kolav Family Band (from Bulgaria), Macedonian percussionist Seido Salifoski and our own Zlatne Uste, $20/$15 stud., kids free. The program continues all day, same place Sat Jan 17, a bacchanal for the ears including Ivan Milev’s sizzling accordion-driven Bulgarian sounds, the Paradox Trio’s eerie jazz, legendary Armenian bandleader Souren Baronian, killer Levantine oud player Scott Wilson, scorching bouzouki player Avram Pengas and his group, amazing Brooklyn Bulgarian vocal quartet Black Sea Hotel, fiery guitar/horn improvisers Ansambl Mastika, schedule TBA, watch this space

 

Also Fri Jan 16 fiery guitarish new wave revivalists the Larch at Arlene’s, 9 PM

 

Also Fri Jan 16 Irish acoustic punks Box of Crayons at Sidewalk, 9 PM

 

Also Fri Jan 16, 11 PM at Trash: Tres Bien, a good retro 60s garage/psych riff-rock act. 

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Also Fri Jan 16, midnight, Sputnik bring their sultry vocals, purist janglepop/rock songwriting and devious sense of humor to Public Assembly.

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Sat Jan 17 the New York Arabic Orchestra under the direction of Bassam Saba play the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 W. 86th Street (at West End Ave.) Not sure what’s on the program, but it’s sure to be lush and beautiful. Reception at 7, show at 8; tix $25 at the door, discounted tix $20 through Alwan for the Arts.

 

Also Sat Jan 17, 8:30 PM the Manhattan Valley Ramblers duo play oldtime country/bluegrass at Orchard House Cafe at 58th and 1st in NYC, $15, $10 stud./srs

 

Also Sat Jan 17, 8 PM at Trash: Community Gun. Sick to death of Tom Waits wannabes? Here’s a band influenced by Waits that actually doesn’t suck. They’re  darkly bluesy and they rock a lot harder.  

 

Also Sat Jan 17 tongue-in-cheek, smart Americana duo Kill Henry Sugar followed by Smokey Hormel’s Roundup playing western swing at Barbes, 8 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 17 the Metro Chamber Orchestra plays Beeethoven’s Emperor piano concerto and 7th Symphony at Symphony Space, tix $35 at the box ofc 

 

Also Sat Jan 17 Spanking Charlene – NYC’s answer to X – at Lakeside, 11 PM

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Sun Jan 18 a surfy show at Otto’s starting around 6 with bizarrely skronky, comedically inclined Commercial Interruption, the Sea Devils, Reverb Galaxy, fun all-girl British new wave/garage revivalists the Priscillas, Witches In Bikinis a little after 10 and El Muchacho – who do Sabbath covers and have a kazoo –  at 11:30ish, streaming live here

 

Also Sun Jan 18 Flutterbox (bassist/allstar infielder Neill C. Furio’s duo project with singer Janine Nichols) doing ”vaporous antebellum noir pop” at Barbes at 7 followed by guitarist Stephane Wrembel at 9

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Also Sun Jan 18 fiery, politically charged jazz-funk keyboardist/composer Gil Scott-Heron - the godfather of hip-hop and one of the alltime great ones - resumes what used to be an annual tradition of MLK day shows at SOB’s, sets at 8:30ish and 11, adv tix $25 highly recommended at the box office 

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Also Sun Jan 18 drummer Tim Kuhl - whose debut cd was one of last year’s best – leads an uncommonly tuneful jazz group with horns and guitar at Rose Bar.

 

Also Sun Jan 18 dark pianist/chanteuse Kristin Hoffmann at Caffe Vivaldi, 9:30 PM.

 

Also Sun Jan 18, 10 PM at Trash: Steel Battalion, an amusing  5-pc melodic rock act. Check their myspace for a hilarious emo parody, The Emo Blues.

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Also Sun Jan 18 brilliant Chicago blues artist Lucky Peterson - equally good at the piano, organ or on guitar – at Terra Blues, 10 PM

Also Sun Jan 18 the Stagger Back Brass Band (the Spinal Tap of brass bands) plays the cd release show for their boisterously fun debut album at Union Pool, 11 PM

Mon Jan 19 the sunny, jangly, wickedly smart and catchy Mascott at Cake Shop, 9ish

Also Mon Jan 19 Strange Cargo feat. Skip Krevens from Western Caravan on steel plus guitarist Pete Smith from Hazmat Modine and Byron Isaacs from Ollabelle at 7 at Barbes followed by the incomparable Chicha Libre at 10ish

Also Mon Jan 19 the Mingus Big Band at the Jazz Standard, sets 7:30/9:30 PM, note that tix are “$25 PLUS tax”

Also Mon Jan 19 excellent, hypnotic Indonesian gamelan orchestra Gamelan Son of Lion at Galapagos, 8 PM, $10.

Also Mon Jan 19 Egyptian film music revivalists Zikrayat with Faisal Zedan on percussion at LIC Bar, 45-58 Vernon Blvd, LIC/Queens, G to Vernon-Jackson

 

Also Mon Jan 19, 10 PM at Trash: rousing punkabilly band the Dirt Luck Outlaws  

 

Tues Jan 20, 7:30 PM at Barbes: Black Bear Combo, “Chicago’s premier avant-gypsy punk brass band” followed at 9 by Slavic Soul Party

 

Also Tues Jan 20, 7:30 PM at Drom: Goran Alachki, his wife and killer band featuring Macedonian clarinetist Bajsa Arifovska (Dragan Dautovski Quartet, Pece Atanasovski Orkestar), and a New York rhythm section consisting of Reuben Radding (Ansambl Mastika, Zagnut Cirkus Orkestar) on bass and Seido Salifoski (Romski Boji, NY Gypsy All Stars) on percussion, playing fiery Macedonian accordion music, $15. They’re also playing Hungarian House, 213 E 82nd St. on 1/23 at 8 for $12.

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Also Tues Jan 20, 8 PM to celebrate the Obama inauguration Sounds of Taraab play the Leopard Lounge 248 E. 5th Street at 2nd Ave, $10/$7 if you rsvp . Haunting Middle Eastern melodies with oud, ney flute and accordion; rousing, danceable African beats 

 

Tues Jan 20 at the front bar at Public Assembly: the Avi Fox-Rosen band, bassist Mike Savino and Luminescent Orchestrii frontman Sxip Shirey, $8

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Also Tues Jan 20 the Real Live Show, a hip-hop act backed by a solidily good funk band (one of those bands who back in hip hop’s golden age would have a record deal and would be really welly known) play in celebration of the Obama inaugural at Rose Bar, 9ish

 

Also Tues Jan 20 and Weds Jan 21, two classic 60s style baritone country crooners and their excellent bands, Jack Grace and then Dale Watson at Rodeo Bar, 9 PM

 

Also Weds Jan 21, 7 PM, sizzling Montreal Balkan/Turkish band Shtreiml at Drom, $10

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Also Weds Jan 21, 8 PM, it’s not like we like to ordinarily like to encourage anybody to watch tv, but, the hell with it, you’re gonna do it anyway. If you must, your best best is the ongoing history of comedy in the 20th century on PBS which continues tonight and for the next few Wednesdays. The funniest thing is that the music for the series was written by Steve Ulrich from Big Lazy, the darkest, most menacing band on the planet

 

Weds Jan 21 through 24, Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander (Tony Bennett chose him to lead his band recently, which speaks volumes about his vivid lyrical style) at Birdland, gen. adm. $30, shows 8:30/11. With his trio 1/21-22; with his reggae jazz group 1/23-24.

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Also Weds Jan 21 9 PM at Alwan for the Arts, Music of Al-Andalus: Classical & Folk Traditions from Morocco, with amazing Moroccan oud ist Rachid Halihal & equally dazzling oudist/percussionist Brahim Fribgane

 

Also Weds Jan 21, 9 PM Kerry Kennedy’s Ghostwise at Rose Bar. Call her stuff southwestern gothic, noir Americana or Neko Case – aren’t they all the same thing anyway? - her songs are dark, twangy and haunting in all the best ways.

 

Also Weds Jan 21 timeless new wave chanteuse (and Clash collaborator) Ellen Foley at Joe’s Pub, 9:30 PM, $20 adv tix recommended

 

Also Weds Jan 21 fiery Chicago blues guitarist/crooner Johnny Allen at Terra Blues, 10 PM.

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Also Weds Jan 21 at Cake Shop, 11 PM, clever, witty, avant-bop jazz behemoth Mostly Other People Do the Killing, on tour in support of their third album This Is Our Moosic

 

Thurs Jan 22, 7 PM acoustic guitar multistylist Peter Calo downstairs at the National Underground.

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Also Thurs Jan 22 at Drom, 8 PM a killer doublebill with Metrofolk playing dark, rousing Balkan/klezmer stylings followed by Kakande, a 9-pc African jazz group led by balafon player Famoro Dioubate

 

Also Thurs Jan 22, percussion-oriented Greek jazz band Manhattan Vibes, led by vibraphonist Christos Rafalides at Queens Theatre in the Park, 8 PM, adv tix $35 at the box ofc 

 

Also Thurs Jan 22 artsy, smartly lyrical, rustic rockers The Snow followed by Brazilian dance band Nation Beat at Barbes, 8 PM

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Also Thurs Jan 22 8:30 PM at the Delancey on the main floor with open bar on beer and wells 9-10, darkly glimmering, supremely tuneful powerpop/noir rocker Abby Travis. If you like Sally Norvell you’ll love her. 

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Also Thurs Jan 22 9 PM hilarious, scatologically-inclined punk rockers Custard Wally return to their favorite haunt (and one of ours too), Don Pedro’s 

 

Also Thurs Jan 22 Buck Owens Cover night at Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM with Demolition String Band, special guests

 

Also Thurs Jan 22 hilarious, tongue-in-cheek punk rockers Custard Wally at Don Pedro’s, 11ish

 

Fri Jan 23 Rawles Balls, the hilarious cover band from hell at Sidewalk, 10 PM.

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Also Fri Jan 23 catchy, fun guitar-and-horns funk band Turkuaz at Bowery Poetry Club, 10 PM  

 

Also Fri Jan 23 a rare return Brooklyn appearance by brilliantly, deviously funny, counterintuitive soul siren Alice Lee at 9 followed eventually on the bill by hypnotic, noir Bee & Flower/Cordero spinoff And the Wiremen at Pete’s Candy Store, 11 PM

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Sat Jan 24, early, 4:30 PM Alana Amram & the Rough Gems (jangly, beautifully harmony-driven country/rock band) play Passout Records, 131 Grand St bet Bedford and Berry, Williamsburg

 

Also Sat Jan 24 Balkan jazz guitar monster Stephane Wrembel at Spikehill, 7 PM.

 

Also Sat Jan 24 oldtimey chanteuse Daria Grace & the Prewar Ponies followed by oldtimey Cuban dance band Conjunto Guantanamo at Barbes, 8 PM

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 Also Sat Jan 24, 8 PM the master of understated menace, Botanica keyboardist Paul Wallfisch plus special guests including French southwestern gothic siren Marianne Dissard at Monkey Town in Williamsburg

 

Also Sat Jan 24 Scott Alexander plays Trash, 8 PM. Solo acoustic. He’s cool, spot-on funny and he brings cookies to every show. And he gets extra points from us for being something of a luddite. Listen to his myspace greeting, it’s a hoot.

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Also Sat Jan 24, 8 PM, repeating on Sun Jan 25 at 3 PM, the Chelsea Symphony plays Dai – Con Furia (World Premiere); Glazunov – Violin Concerto; Wuorinen -Microsymphony (New York Premiere) plus Ives and Wagner at at St. Paul’s Church, 315 W 22nd St (8th/9th Ave)

 

Also Sat Jan 24 Bulgarian vocal music with Vlad Tomova’s Balkan Tales at Drom, 9 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 24 , 9 PM popular Boston garage band Muck & the Mires at Southpaw, $12 adv tix at the club box office

 

Also Sat Jan 24 pioneering new wave era dance/funk band ESG  (who sound a lot like Moisturizer) at le Poisson Rouge, $20, 10 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 24 ancient but reputedly undiminished artsy 70s metal band Blue Oyster Cult at B.B. King’s, adv tix $27.50 at the box ofc., shows 7:30/9:30 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 24 alt-country hellraiser Zane Campbell at Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 24 excellent, rousing Balkan dance band Luminiscent Orchestrii  play their cd release show at Union Pool, 11ish.

 

Sun Jan 25, Maria Cangiano plays classic Piazzolla tangos for a brunch show, half past noon at the Blue Note, $25

 

Also Sun Jan 25 the Americana Family Jamboree with Demolition String Band playing kid-friendly but cool country and bluegrass at Rodeo Bar, 3-6 PM, free.

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Also Sun Jan 25, 7:30 PM, free, fiery, smartly literate banjo player/songwriter Curtis Eller – whose latest album Wirewalkers & Assassins made our Top 50 list last year – plays Highline Ballroom along with hula hoop team the Gyronauts who ostensibly will not be singing.

 

Also Sun Jan 25 Louisville country songstress Alanna Fugate at Sidewalk , 9 PM

 

Also later Sun Jan 25 at Rodeo Bar, 10ish the Superfine Band with guitar monster Jim Campilongo plus Chris Cheek, Stephan Crump, Andy Borger.

 

Also Sun Jan 25 at Rose Bar, 10:30ish trombone monster Josh Roseman’s Execution Quintet: Josh Roseman, Ambrose Akinmusire, Myron Walden, Peter Apfelbaum, Rudy Royston

 

Mon Jan 26 the East River Ensemble plays traditional Chinese music to celebrate Chinese New Year at St. Paul’s Chapel, 1 (one) PM

 

Also Mon Jan 26 the Mingus Orchestra at the Jazz Standard, sets 7:30/9:30, tix “$25 PLUS tax”

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Also Mon Jan 26 at Galapagos a sensational all-female Americana lineup with the fiery and haunting Jan Bell, the sultry and very funny oldtimey blues chanteuse Mamie Minch, banjoist Hilary Hawke, fiddler Phillippa Thompson and a rare and welcome live appearance by darkly soulful songwriter Dina Regine  

 

Also Mon Jan 26, 10:30 PM at Roeo Bar, Daria Grace & the Prewar Ponies’ gorgeously romantic oldtimey stuff

 

Tues Jan 27, 7 PM adventurous jazz violinist Skye Steele followed at 9 by Slavic Soul Party at Barbes

 

Also Tues Jan 27, 9 PM popular Balkan singer Marta Topferova does songs in English at Rose Bar.

 

Also Tues Jan 27, 10:30 PM the uproarious Second Fiddles playing uptempo oldtime hokum blues at Rodeo Bar

 

Weds Jan 28, 7 PM the Megitza Quartet play their pioneering and often hauntingly noir mix of Balkan, tango and bossa sounds at Drom, $10.

 

Also Weds Jan 28, 8 PM at Galapagos it’s NOT tango night, it’s lush, haunting, minimalist/classical/ambient all-female orchestrette Victrola with the So Ensemble, $10

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Also Weds Jan 28, 8:30 PM kirtan music performers Sruti Ram & Ishwari -  purveyors of hypnotic, quite beautiful devotional music with percussion and vocals – perform selections from their latest release Fire of Devotion and more at Jivamukti Yoga School, 841 Broadway , 2nd floor, free.

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Also Weds Jan 28 country hellraisers Yarn  - who have a horn section which actually works in this context – play Hill Country, 9 PM     

 

Thurs Jan 29, 8 PM, $30 at Merkin Concert Hall: Vox Americana: Oliver Lake, Joel Harrison, and Wendy Sutter performing Vox Americana: Suite for 7 Musicians; the world premiere of Sonata for Solo Cello performed by cellist Wendy Sutter, followed by the Joel Harrison String Choir performing the music of Paul Motian and concluding with an epilogue with choir.

 

Also Thurs Jan 29, 8 PM at Trash: Sex Pistols covers by God Save Queens at 8 followed eventually by Karen Curious & The New Professionals playing tuneful post-Velvets songs at 11.

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Also Thurs Jan 29, Nad at Shrine uptown, 8 PM. Argentinian expat singer/guitarist on the seriously Bob Marley tip. She sings in Spanish and English, has a real feel for a melody. Followed eventually at 10 by Koony, sensationally good expat Burkina Faso reggae songwriter with an equally good, oldschool band. Totally on the Culture/Lucky Dube/Peter Tosh tip; smart, politically charged lyrics in French.

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Also Thurs Jan 29 excellent, lyrical tenor player JD Allen and his trio at the Fat Cat, 9 PM. He just won a whole slew of awards – #1 jazz album of the year etc. – so early arrival highly advised.

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Also Thurs Jan 29 at Rose Bar, 9 PM, the Heleen Schuttevaer Jazz Trio/Quartet with the excellent Ron Jackson on guitar. Lyrical pianist/chanteuse from the Netherlands.   

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Also Thurs Jan 29 the Komeda Project plays jazz and soundtrack works by legendary Polish composer Krzysztof Komeda at the Cornelia St. Cafe, 8:30 PM, $10

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Also Thurs Jan 29 8 PM at  Bowery Poetry Club: uncommonly fun, tuneful, horn-driven  funk-jazz project Brad Farberman’s Expected Draw (the name is a NYC musician in-joke).

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Also Thurs Jan 29 Botanica keyboardist/frontman Paul Wallfisch plays a characteristically fascinating, possibly haunting, possibly absolutely wild solo piano show followed by performances by popular concert harpist/crooner Baby Dee and brilliant noir cabaret personality Little Annie at the Delancey, 8:30 PM

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Also Thurs Jan 29 reliably fun country/western swing cats Sean Kershaw and the New Jack Ramblers play Hill Country, 9 PM. 

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Also Thurs Jan 29 multistylistic Bay Area combo Gaucho play gypsy jazz, musettes and swing at Barbes, 10 PM. They’re also at Drom on Friday night, 1/30.     

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Fri Jan 30 a killer doublebill at Sidewalk at 9 with haunting siren sand southpaw guitarslinger Randi Russo,  followed by equally haunting, rustic  blues/Americana guitar genius Lenny Molotov – sort of the American Richard Thompson – who’ll also provide lead guitar for his longtime bandmate beforehand.  

 

Also Fri Jan 30, 8 PM the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra play new works by latin composers at Galapagos, $15

 

Also Fri Jan 30, 8 PM at Trash: smart, lyrical, melodic new wave-influenced jangle band the Nuerotics (yes that’s how they spell it - get it?).

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Also Fri Jan 30, 8 PM at Red Star in Greenpoint – improvisational bluegrass wildmen Thy Burden followed at 10 by uke player Elyse Buckley, reliably fearless female-fronted oldtime country act the Shithouse Lilies at 11 and then hauntingly tuneful acoustic punks the Last Internationale at midnight. The Shithouse Lilies are also at Hank’s after 1 AM sometime on Saturday night.

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Also Fri Jan 30, 8 PM propulsive, energetic garage rockers the Back CCs play Matchless

 

Also Fri Jan 30-31 Afrobeat wildmen Antibalas at Southpaw, 9 PM, adv tix $18 at the club box ofc

 

Also Fri Jan 30 a screening of the new Joy Division documentary The Atrocity Exhibition at Glasslands, 9 PM, $5.

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Also Fri Jan 30 Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. play Soundfix Lounge, 10 PM. Subtly hilarious and period-perfect with their matching 1953-style outfits, oldtime 1950s stage patter and deadpan, smart songwriting, hailing back to the era where country was just starting to get really restless with blues and jazz overtones.

 

Also Fri Jan 30 Gaucho play Balkan jazz at Drom, $10, 10 PM

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Also Fri Jan 30, 9 PM excellent, oldtimey (as in George/Tammy, 1960s) country throwbacks the Dixons play Hill Country, 10 PM. 

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Also Fri Jan 30, midnight, killer female-fronted, horn-driven ska band Across the Aisle play the Delancey, $12 and worth it.    

 

Sat Jan 31 sprawling minor-key Balkan/klezmer/reggae party band Hazmat Modine at Terra Blues, 7 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 31 sultry-voiced songstress/pianist Allison Scola at Drom playing the release show for her new cd, 7 PM

 

Also Sat Jan 31 low-frequency Cuban revivalists Gato Loco at Barbes, 8 PM.

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Also Sat Jan 31, 8 PM Jamie Lyn’s Honky Tonk Angels – a bunsc of hellraising female-fronted Brooklyn country bands – take over Hank’s Saloon starting at 8ish with Kitty Baby, Hilary Hawke and friends, Jamie Lyn & the Red Tail Hawk Band, Jessica Rose and the High Life, Cat Wagon and the Shithouse Lilies

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Also Sat Jan 31, 8 PM brilliant, haunting, danceable and pioneering all-female klezmer band Isle of Klezbos play the LGBT Center on 13th St. off Sixth Ave., $15; the equally devious and brilliant Joan Nestle, founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives co-emcees.

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Also Sun Jan 31 Kagero play their dark, spiky Japanese balkan rock at Spikehill, 9 PM. They’re also at Caffe Vivaldi on 2/11 at 7:30. 

 

 

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Also Sat Jan 31 Amy Allison plays Banjo Jim’s, 9 PM with the deviously brilliant Lee Feldman on piano and guitarist Rich Hinman. Although she’s one of the funniest performers around, lately she’s been one of the darkest songwriters. However, click the link above for her hilarious new crack-smoking anthem The Ballad of Amy Winehouse and her equally funny Drinking Thru Xmas. Followed at 10 by Tom Clark & the High Action Boys 

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Also Sat Jan 31 Sounds of Taraab play Alwan for the Arts, 9 PM, $20/$15 stud. Haunting Middle Eastern melodies with oud, ney flute and accordion; rousing, danceable African beats.

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Also Sat Jan 31 9 PM impressively multistylistic surf rockers the Tarantinos NYC play LIC Bar, 45-58 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, G/7 train to Vernon-Jackson

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Also Sat Jan 31 10 PM, WOW – one of the best bills of the year so far, obscenely cheap, $10 “a tribute to Argentinian rock” with rustic Queens Argentinian expat trio Los De Bajo Puente, jangly latin rockers Kanutto, scorchingly fun ska/reggae/reggaeton rockers Escarioka and savage Uruguayan punk surf rockers Electroshock at D’Antigua, 84-16 Northern Blvd., Queens.  According to the promoters, “if you like los Redondos, Soda, la Renga, Sumo, Calamaro, Karamelo Santo, los Rodriguez, los Fabulos, Todos Tus Muertos, los Piojos,” this is for you.

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Also Sat Jan 31 Brooklyn country troublemakers Miller’s Farm - whose song about the L train just gets more and more apt, the more fucked up the subway gets – are at Hill Country, 10 PM    

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Also Sat Jan 31 the totally original, very entertaining, frequently hilarious, meticulously choreographed horror-rock spoof Witches in Bikinis at the Delancey, 10 PM

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Also Sat Jan 31, imaginative, lyrically fiery violin/guitar/drums funk/rock/soul trio Brazz Tree – fronted by the powerful Mazz Swift – at 11 PM at the National Underground.

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Also Sat Jan 31 recently reinvigorated dark rockers Ninth House - arguably sounding better than ever, with the addition of ex-Gotham 4 guitarist Keith Otten – play the Delancey, 11 PM.

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Also Sat Jan 31 our favorite NYC rock band these days, the ultimate midnight Saturday night act right now, the always excellent Brooklyn What playing fiery, fun songs from their new cd The Brooklyn What For Borough President at Trash at the witching hour, dancing and disrobing always a possibility.

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Sun Feb 1 11 AM – yawn – 2 sets to wake you up fast by scorchingly fun klezmer encyclopedists Metropolitan Klezmer at City Winery, $10 pp, kids under 13 free!, food and show included (this means you can bring ten kids? not bad).   

 

Also Sun Feb 1 the Moonlighters and Coconami (a marvelous and sometimes very funny Japanese ukelele duo) at Joe’s Pub, 7 PM; the two bands are also at Barbes on 2/6 with Coconami opening the night at 8 PM.

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Also Sun Feb 1, 9 PM sultry oldtimey songwriter/chanteuse Mamie Minch - equally adept at delta blues, ragtime and antique pop songwriting – is at Spikehill.

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Mon Feb 2, 9ish with OPEN BAR 9-10 the Rose Bar anniversary party with devious latin jazz pianist Jason Lindner’s Now Vs Now  

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Tues Feb 3 Joe Pug at Joe’s Pub, 7 PM. Joe Pug at Joe’s Pub. Say that five times fast. He’s a fiery, wickedly literate, politically fueled songwriter out of Chicago and he absolutely kicks ass. He’s also very funny. Someday he will be very well known. Now’s your chance to stay ahead of the curve and see him now before it’s vastly more expensive to do so.

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Tues Feb 3 Emma Tringali and The Walk Ins at Stain Bar, 766 Grand Street, Williamsburg, L to Grand St., 8 PM. Two guitars and drums; distinctive voice, thoughtful lyrics and a fearlessness that’s so often missing from the singer-songwriter scene. She’s also at Arlene’s at 8 at 2/11 

 

 

 

 

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Also Tues Feb 3, 10 PM Community Gun play Spikehill. Dark bluesy Tom Waits influenced rock, but with louder guitars and more of a rock feel, sometimes edging toward country. This is the real deal, not a wannabe act. Good stuff.  

 

Weds Feb 4 Paolo Bordignon plays Pachelbel, Vierne and Mendelssohn on the antique 1830 Appleton organ in the musical instruments section at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 3:30 PM, free w/museum adm.

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Weds Feb 4 at the Cornelia St. Cafe, 8:30 PM  Ensemble Elektra playing haunting, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inflected jazz: Elektra Kurtis, violin;  Curtis Stewart , violin;  Lefteris Bournias, clarinet;  Brad Jones, bass;  Kahlil Kwame Bell, drums

 

Thurs Feb 5 the Sospiro Winds play Stravinsky, Villa-Lobos, Francaix, and others at Trinity Church, 1 PM

 

Also Thurs Feb 5 Sister Anne (solidly good, funny garage band with two bass players!), the Blackhearts (ostensibly minus Joan J.) and legendary Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome at Europa, 8ish, $12

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Also Thurs Feb 5 lush, atmospheric rockers the Quavers – who build songs live out of loops, a real feat to watch – play Barbes at 8 followed at 10 by hilarious, charismatic keyboardist and multistylistic songwriter/chanteuse Rachelle Garniez, whose most recent album Melusine Years was our pick for best of 2007.

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Also Fri Feb 6 the Cannabis Cup reggae band – who bring a 80s/90s dancehall feel to their mix of mostly classic roots reggae covers – play their annual Bob Marley bday show at B.B. King’s, 7:30 PM, adv tix $22 at the box office. 

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Also Fri Feb 6 Beluga at Union Pool, 9 PM – all-female lo fi garage/punk/funk/dance band with a big buzz going lately – check out what everybody’s talking about. The songs up on their myspace sound really cool.   

 

Fri Feb 6 second-wave ska with Bad Manners and the English Beat at Irving Plaza, 9ish, adv tix $26 at the box office

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Also Fri Feb 6 the Paul Carlon Octet play Drom, 9 PM. The melodies tend toward the latin side; the arrangements, toward Ellington. The tunes are always front and center and the playing is purist and way fun. One of the funnest jazz acts in town right now.

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Also Fri Feb 6 at Spikehill, a rare turn as frontman for Disclaimers bassist Andy Mullen at 9 PM followed by a scorching set by his regular band, the sprawling, brilliantly jangle/soul/new wave guitar-and-keyboard-and-violin rockers

 

Also Fri Feb 6 Simon & the Bar Sinisters playing surf, rockabilly and some punk probably at Lakeside, 10:15ish

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Sat Feb 7 Balkan jazz guitar genius Stephane Wrembel plays Django plus smart, sometimes Middle Eastern tinged originals at Spikehill, 7 PM. Later at 10 PM for $5 the club has Kentucky Nightmare, who claim to be Bloomington, IN’s third-best band. They’ve got the usual off-key, monotone, preteen indie vocals but some cool, even psychedelic songs.  

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Also Sat Feb 7 one of the most intense, fiery bands in NYC, retro garage punks the Mess Around play Trash, 9 PM. Show up early and drink for free for an hour so when they hit the stage you’ll be in the right frame of mind.

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Also Sat Feb 7 and also Feb 21 Irish-American rockers Black 47 play Connolly’s, 9 PM. Their latest cd Iraq was our pick for best album of 2008: fiery, catchy, counterintuitive and sympathetic everywhere it needs to be (and sparingly unsympathetic everywhere it needs to be as well).   

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Also Sat Feb 7 the always excellent oldtimey country crew M Shanghai String Band play their home base, M Shanghai Den, 129 Havemeyer St. (between Grand & S 1st St.) in Williamsburg, free, 9 PM ish. 

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Also Sat Feb 7 all-purpose Greek party band Magges – with their lush ballads, wild dance numbers, ouzo and allstar gypsy violinist Susan Mitchell – are at Mehanata, 10 PM, free before 10:30.

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Sun Feb 8, 3 PM at Bargemusic the debut performance of the Neos String Quartet featuring: Beethoven – String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1′ Mendelssohn – String Quartet No. 2 in a minor, Op. 13; Schumann String Quartet in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3 

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Mon Feb 9, 8 PM innovative oud virtuoso Dhafer Youssef – who blends atmospheric western sounds into his fiery Middle Eastern stylings – plays with his band at Highline Ballroom, gen adm tix $25

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Tues Feb 10, 2 (two) PM at Merkin Concert Hall the Io String Quartet playing Schubert/Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703;Webern/Six Bagatelles, Op. 9; Beethoven/Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 “Serioso”; Grido (“Scream,” String Quartet No. 3, 2001) by Lachenmann  $15, studs. half price

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Also Tues Feb 10 multistylistic, frequently haunting violinist/composer Jenny Scheinman – a frequent Bill Frisell collaborator – plays Barbes at 7 followed eventually at 9 by wild Balkan brass band Slavic Soul Party

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Also Tues Feb 10 7 PM Myles Turney plays Arlene’s. Not only is this guy a terrific acoustic delta blues guitarist, he also brings a hypnotically tasteful blues sensibility to classic oldtimey country and stuff like Hank Williams.      

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Weds Feb 11 Alec Berlin at Arlene’s, 9 PM. Smartly tuneful pop/rock, a lot of tunes that sound like something youv’e heard before and liked because it was good.

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Thurs Feb 12 the Plunk Bros. – that’s Bob Jones and Boo Reiners from Demolition String Band – playing cool oldtime country/bluegrass virtuoso guitar picking stuff at Barbes, 8 PM

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Thurs Feb 12 the New Collisions at Arlene’s, 9 PM. Fiery female-fronted powerpop/new wave revivalists from Boston. Frontwoman Sarah Guild, “a 21st century Deborah Harry meets Poly Styrene” has the same kind of big powerful pipes as Martha Davis of the Motels but with more of a funny, quirky edge: if what’s on their myspace is any indication, they kick ass live. You can dance to this.

 

Also Thurs Feb 12, rousing klezmer-rock party band Golem at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, time TBA, adv tix $10 at the Mercury

 

Fri Feb 13 Moonlighters frontwoman Bliss Blood’s sensationally good barrelhouse piano blues band Delta Dreambox at Two Boots Brooklyn, 10 PM.

 

Fri Feb 13-14 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – you know them, right? Today’s greatest soul singer and her great band – at the Nokia Theatre, time TBA, adv tix expensive, $35 at the club box ofc.

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Fri Feb 13 Pinataland - who last year put out a marvelously lush, gorgeous album of songs about weird Americana – at Barbes, 10 PM

 

Also Fri Feb 13 Bulgarian vocal music with Vlad Tomova’s Balkan Tales at Shrine, 9 PM

 

Sat Feb 14 a marvelously counterintuitive Valentines Day show Southpaw with the reliably excellent, wickedly catchy female-fronted Mascott at 7 PM followed by fearless songwriter Jennifer O’Connor, $10.

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Also Sat Feb 14 Snow frontman Pierre de Gaillande’s English language Georges Brassens project Gorgeous George at Barbes, 8 PM. An iconic French songwriter from the 40s and 50s, Brassens is enjoying a revival for his witty, sometimes refreshingly dirty songwriting

 

Also Sat Feb 14. 8 PM Orchestra Otmani of Fes in their North American debut, playing Andalusian classical music at Merkin Concert Hall, adv tix $35 at the box ofc highly recommended.

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Also Sat Feb 14  multistylistic guitarslinging oldtimey siren Mamie Minch at 68 Jay St. Bar, 9 PM

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Also Sat Feb 14 fiery, danceable, gorgeously unpredictable ska/rock en Espanol juggernaut Escarioka at Aji Bar Lounge, 10 PM

 

 

 

 

Also Sat Feb 14 beautifully jangly, sometimes hypnotic, often southwestern gothic Americana rockers Tandy at Lakeside, 11 PM. Lately they’ve had Roscoe Ambel on lead guitar which is always a treat. 

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Also Sat Feb 14, 11 PM anthemic rock en Espanol band Contramano play Fontana’s. 

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Sun Feb 15 latin jazz sax player/ chanteuse Layla Angulo plays the cd release party for her new one Mientras at Drom, 9 PM $10 gen adm. Peruvian and Cuban beats, good band, some killer, remarkably subtle original songs. 

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Mon Feb 16, 9 PM excellent roots reggae band Meta & the Cornerstones open for ageless dub nutjob Lee Scratch Perry – who’s crazy like a fox –  at Highline Ballroom, adv tix $25 at the box office.

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Also Mon Feb 16 delicously low-frequency oldtime Cuban revivalists Gato Loco – with baritone guitar, bass, tuba and baritone sax – at Barbes, 9:30 PM subbing for Chicha Libre

 

Weds Feb 18 Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mtn. Boys – you know, Mr. Bluegrass, or, more accurately, Dr. Bluegrass - at B.B. King’s, 8 PM, adv tix $30 at the box ofc.

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Thurs Feb 19, 9 PM the Brown Rice Family plays Arlene’s. The best (and perhaps only) Filipino reggae band sounds nothing like that awful flavorless glutinous stuff: instead, they play fast, poppy reggae bordering on ska and have a ukelele in the band.

 

Also Thurs Feb 19 legendary indie/Americana/garage rockers the Silos  play Lakeside, 10 PM, most likely with the excellent Rod Hohl on bass and Roscoe Ambel on lead guitar.

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Also Thurs Feb 19 renowned pianist/composer Sumi Tonooka and her trio – bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Jonathan Blake at Bargemusic, 8 PM, tix expensive, $35 ($30/srs; $20/stud)

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Also Thurs Feb 19, 8 PM legendary producer/noir rocker Martin Bisi – whose latest cd is absolutely killer, and funnier than you would think – plays Death by Audio with his old 80s pal Bill Laswell sitting in.    

 

Fri Feb 20 New Orleans Meters founders the Neville Bros. and then the Night Tripper, Dr. John – without whom Tom Waits would not exist, and whose new cd The City That Time Forgot is reputedly his best ever -  at Terminal 5, 8ish, adv tix expensive, $35 at the Mercury

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Also Fri Feb 20 Jerry Teel & the Big City Stompers – who’ve gone back to their eerie, noir garage/glam roots – play Mercury Lounge, 8 PM open for noir country types and frequent Neko Case collaborators the Sadies, adv tix $12

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Also Fri Feb 20 sultry delta blues/ragtime/country guitarist/chanteuse Mamie Minch followed by the lush, romantic French chanson revivalists les Chauds Lapins at the Jalopy Theatre 9:30 PM

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Also Fri Feb 20 Prima Ballerina (Tammy Faye Starlite’s characteristically hilarious all-girl New York Dolls cover band) at Lakeside, 11 PM

 

 

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Sat Feb 21, 8 PM & Sun Feb 22, 3 PM “The first family of gypsy flamenco,” Los Farruco play the New York City Center, W. 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, cheapest tix are $35.

 

 

 

 

Also Sat Feb 21, 8 PM Orchestra of Tangier playing traditional and new Andalusian music including a world premiere at Merkin Concert Hall, adv tix expensive, $35 highly recommended at the box office

 

Also Sat Feb 21 Spanking Charlene - NYC’s answer to X – at Lakeside, 11 PM

 

Sun Feb 22 third-wave ska with the NY Ska Jazz Ensemble and the Toasters, 6:30 PM at Highline Ballroom, adv tix $15 at the box ofc

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Also Sun Feb 22, 9 PM at Alice Tully Hall Music of the Sephardic Diaspora – viola da gambist Jordi Savall plus early music ensemble Hesperion XXI plus Driss el Maloumi on oud, Dimitri Pswonis on santur and moresca and David Mayoral on percussion, adv tix $25 at the Lincoln Center box office

 

Weds Feb 25 haunting, noir rockers the French Exit  - whose show last September was one of the 20 best we saw all year – play Cake Shop at 10ish

 

Fri Feb 27 Patti Rothberg – whose latest cd Double Standards is a gorgeous powerpop masterpiece – plays Teneleven, time TBA

 

Also Fri Feb 27 multi-stylistic chanteuse/songwriter Rachelle Garniez and band at Joe’s Pub, 10 PM, also 2/28 at 9:30. Her cd Melusine Years was our pick for best of 2007; look for at least two of her albums in our upcoming best-of-the-decade list. She’ll give you chills and make you laugh and have you singing those songs all the way home in your head.

 

Sat Feb 28 Jesse Bates & His Flying Guitars featuring members of the Fleshtones play bar-band music with very funny lyrics at Lakeside, 11 PM

 

3/5/09, 7:30 PM Iraqi refugee oud virtuoso Rahim AlHaj at Symphony Space, adv tix $25 highly recommended

 

3/5/09 pan-latin guitar genius Aquiles Baez at the Jazz Gallery, $15, sets 9/10:30 PM

 

3/12/09 the Throwing Muses at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, time TBA, adv tix $20 at the Mercury, no idea if it’s Kristin and Tanya or one or the other or both…

 

3/13/09 Kings County Queens followed by the Reid Paley Trio downstairs at the National Underground, 9 PM

 

3/28 Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban Allstars at Town Hall, time TBA

 

4/18/09 latin jazz guitarist (and Red Sox nemesis) Bernie Williams’ cd release show at the Nokia Theatre, adv tix $24.50 very highly recommended at the box office, this will sell out very fast.