Live Music Parties For The Holidays
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Artist:
As the Holiday Party season rolled on here in the month of December, three more noteworthy shows were attended on consecutive nights.
First up was the Wired Magazine event at their flagship store in the West Village, featuring a performance from one of this years breakout bands Cymbals Eat Guitars
I had been enjoying their debut album "Why There Are Mountains" ever since the good folks at TellAllYourFriendsPR brought it to my attention.
Having caught the bands live show at Webster Hall back on October 3rd, when they toured with The Depreciation Guild and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, getting to see them again in this unique setting was something of a treat.
The Wired Magazine store is an exceptionally hip-yet-nerd-cool environment to hang and see a band in. Netbooks, toasters, shoes, phones, bicycles, high def televisions and all the latest techie-type gadgets are at your disposal. Plus, on this particular night, an open bar and all the energy drinks you could handle.
As for the CEG boys, their performance seemed a bit more relaxed and less rushed than their opening slot at Webster Hall two and a half months earlier.
Have a listen here and you'll see what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WBr3-GulL8
They played a spirited set, incorporating at times, frantic guitar strumming, impassioned vocals, a variey of blended keyboards - moving from quiet passages to all out blustery jams - all within the same song.
As witnessed right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQp4YOg3kNI
I'm impressed with the way CEG have no apparent inhibitions about incorporating alternately noisy and/or atmospheric passages within their mostly traditional song structures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixLYVkvzm3w
It's a sound I've become rather fond of.
Find out more about Cymbals Eat Guitars here:
http://www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars
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The following night my buddy Davey and I headed down to the more fashion conscious area of Soho for an in-store peformance by a Texas born and now Nashville residing singer-songwriter named Erin McCarley
It was held at the Eryn Brinie clothing store and also billed as a "Holiday Celebration"
Erin McCarley has an instantly likeable, easy going way about her - and I can't attribute that entirely to her striking good looks.
Her voice is note perfect, the songwriting meticulously constructed and the passionate delivery immediately intoxicating.
Erin was accompanied by a keyboardist/backing vocalist named K.S. Rhoads, who provided just the right amount of support for her.
Listen here to her performance of "Sticky-Sweet"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBDN8PxnKk
Listen to her performance of "Blue Suitcase"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K__A_g2JIvs
Erin's voice alternates between pure and sweet and a slightly more "smoky" rasp. The song "Blue Suitcase" has a particularly hooky chorus that sticks in your head all day long.
It's hard to say what is Erin McCarley's most outstanding feature. A wonderfully melodic voice, finely crafted songwriting and striking good looks all seem to compete for the honors. One is tempted to say that she is the total package here.
Listen as she performs her song "Pitter Pat"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cAO8jAERfY
Haunted by angels on her shoulder.
Yours truly - with the artist
For further reference:
http://www.erinmccarley.com/
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The next night is was out-on-the-town again for even more holiday shows.
This time experiencing the full band electric show of Celia Chavez at Rockwood Music Hall.
Celia - a native New Yorker who now resides in California - had been performing almost nightly since touching down on the east coast the previous week.
Having already experienced her acoustic show on her first night in town, I was eager to hear how it all sounded within a full band setting.
As for Celia herself, she has the most amazing vocal quality. Her style is light and breezy, yet there is a serious depth to her nuanced phrasing.
The Rockwood has to be one of the most intimate, high-quality sounding clubs in all of New York. Celia and her band took full advantage of the vibe and delivered an outstanding show.
Listen once more, as Celia plays her own composition "Going To California", which she amusingly prefaced as "not the Led Zepplin song." Though I'm sure she could have done that version justice as well.
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Wonderful.
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A synth driven alternative rock band named The Ballet
Locating MOG account...
Comments (24)
Just another night for you, man and it seems like you were having a bit of a hard time masking your smile while posing with Erin. You were DEFINITELY smiling as you listened to Ethan sing his comically depressing tunes although there's still no photographic evidence. You're pretty smooth.
I had a fun time hanging with you in NY and I'm glad you got to meet a bunch of those musicians as well since you'll see many of them on stage as you continue to run from show to show.
Happy holidays. I'm headed west.......
I remember the good old days when I used to go out of the house..yeah, I'm a little jealous. Excellent reportage. Safe travels RD.
cheers to holiday fun and hip band crawls through our fair city!
and total packages, of course
there was on tune in ceiia's set, i think it was called "after the flood," that i dug highly
And to think that I was even within shouting distance of the big city just this past weekend. Of course, I was working 8-8 every day, but still would love to have met up for a show.
Happy holidays Dave!
Hi Dave, Robin, Cody B, Neil, and Dale!
Dave, I'm so grateful to have had you along on my musical adventures during my NYC visit! Thanks for the kind critiques. The indie world in the city is veeeery lucky to have you out scouting out and reporting on the night happenings.
Just a few notes from my end in the interest of accuracy:
I'm originally from Seattle, but New York is my second home. LA is my third.
The song in the first video you posted is "Hello Sunshine," in case anyone is curious :)
And, I actually did not write "Going to California" - the version I first heard was sung by Irene Kral, but I haven't been able to find the names of the songwriter/composer(s). AS soon as I do I will credit them properly! It's a groovy tune though, thanks for documenting our first experiment with this arrangement.
Neil, the song you cited is simply titled "Flood" - glad you enjoyed it!
Hopefully we'll have some band recordings in the new year - that's my goal.
I'm winding up my NY visit and getting ready to unhook our wifi tomorrow, so here's wishing all my MOG friends a truly blessed holiday season full of joy, peace and music!
xo Celia
Boy you are just the show ho Dave, haha! I'm sure I'd be too living in NYC. Not heard of any of these artists except for CEG who've I've heard their name but not their music. Cool.
all of the above (in the accolades department)!
enjoyed this muchly
great job!!
thanks for the info Celia, great tuneage
since you are from there, but obviously been exorcised from the prentious Seattle attitude by your time in NYC and LA, perhaps you can explain where it comes from?
I've never gotten a straight answer on that from anyone, but most seem to agree, it is widely apparent
Celia - thanks for filling in the gaps in my reporting with additional precise details. I can appreciate the need to keep it all accurate.
Meeting up with you, Robin (his friends), Neil and all the other cool musicians has made the whole holiday show season a great experience.
Reading the other comments, I can see my fellow MOGgers understand how much fun this has all been.
I'm starting to think you spend as much time documenting and posting as you do on the town! All of these artists are worthy of more exposure. And speaking of exposure, have Erin call me for her special Christmas present ;-).
dermhy - I can't help myself. Gotta go out - and I gotta document!
And I'll try to pass your "Christmas wishes" on to Erin.
;-)
What a fabulous night! I've been laying low (well, actually, working too much) but I've big plans to continue my rock and roll night life v. 2010, in that well documented, widely apparently pretentious city I live in. :)
I, too, have been enjoying CEG unique energy lately. They made it on many a "Best of.." list for 2009 and I personally found their flat-out noise a refreshing change from many other highly touted artists this year.
Cecila I'd heard of, from you, and your coverage of her music is much appreciated. She seems to be a beautiful, talented, and if her comments are any indication, gracious woman. I look forward to hearing more from her.
The other bands were all new to me, and I have sampled freely from the buffet you presented us, so very nicely spread out for our musical snacking. Very nice. Thank you!
(and Happy Holidays, Dave! Here's to a very busy musical New Year!)
Thanks, Amber!
I find your culinary references quite appetizing! ;-)
I'm quite looking forward to reading all of your great coverage and recommendations in the coming year.
Now, that's coverage! And I'm especially happy to see Celia get her due. Her recordings are sweet, but, having watched a set online (thank you, technology), I've been really looking forward to seeing her in person. It shall happen soon. Would have certainly enjoyed hanging with you, Robin and Neil amid the holiday magic that is NYC...
I probably shouldn't MOG when hungry. :)
(now to the grocery--another thing you shouldn't do when hungry)
Hmm I feel like I need to move to a much hipper city.
Well, here I am, a day late & a quart low. Dave, your post brings back fond memories of city life. I remember (vaguely) the endless clubbing & though a part of me is envious...another part of me....prefers the quietude.
But certainly when it comes to the music.....yeah, I'm jealous alright, but as long as you keep bringing it all back home....i can live with that. Cymbals Eat Guitars I've heard & they're not bad.
But your introduction (to me) of Ms Chevaz's music i take as a gift. I don't wanna gush all over the page...but you're posts on her have turned my head. She's got a great voice from what i've heard thus far...supple & warm, whiplash sharp, expressive, I'm dying to hear more.
Dave, another fine post and more great new artists to check out. I do see that CEG and Erin are both in the MOG library, so I'll be checking out their studio work, for sure.
How great it must be to be able to troll the city, find the little known or out of the way hot spots and bring us these wonderful talents. You do us a service bringing the posts alive with your videos too.
Somehow, we need to get Celia's music in MOG. What a talent we have amongst us MOGgers- and I'm sure there are plenty more we'll come to know. Stick with it and I'll look forward to your next show review!
another great post been looking at CEG for a couple of weeks and I do like their sound. Celia is great.
As the MOG music library continues to expand, I expect to hear all of the artists I've covered here, fully represented.
it was great to read about CEG from a trusted source! you captured awesome video portraying their live sounds/attitude. love it! makes me wanna go check that album out now. cannot believe how many shows you get yourself to! rock on, dave!
Koolio! Why There Are Mountains is one of my most overplayed albums this year and I had Mogged about it rather enthusiastically before, but this is the first time I am seeing photos/videos of CEG. Another thorough coverage, Dave, thanks!
Dave!
Sorry it took me so long to surface. Its been a wild 3 weeks for me. I do appreciate you keeping me "in the know". CEG was good.. didn't care for the lead singer's voice. I guess that is just one of my pet peeves. IF you are gonna sing.. make sure you get to the notes. Is why I myself DO NOT and will NOT ever sing .. I may hum..or do vocalese.. but I will NOT sing a song... EVER. I might eat those words.. but I already have enough on my plate when I am on stage. hahaha.
Erin has a nice voice... she needs some help in enunciating. Course that could be just me cuz I am deaf in my left ear. I enjoyed listening.. and she has strong writing skills. I liked the keyboard player.. they were excellent together.
Ahh.. and Celia.. LOVE that girl's voice. She has it.. and has GREAT stage presence. She better come to California or I just might need to come on out the NYC . My friends that play out there quite regularly tell me that the music scene is WAY better than LA. It is always a debate here. When it comes down to it.. I have to agree.. NYC is so diversely scrumptious musically.. I gotta come out.
Anyway... I think my overall fav is Celia. She not only sings well.. she hits the notes and even tho I am deaf in my left ear.. I can understand what she is singing! YAY for me!
Again.. thanks for giving us the play by play.. literally!
Happy New Year!
Kor
Yeah, D.C......smile more!