Review: Heypenny "Cop Car" EP

Heypenny [Photo by Laura Dart, from their facebook]

 After all of my talk about Heypenny and their amazing live shows (such as their NBN performance), you might be wondering, what about their recorded stuff?
 Well, it's pretty good. I ran into a copy of their "Cop Car EP" at the NBN show and have since been listening to it quite a bit.  As for a run down on the EP, here it is track by track...

 The first 2 tracks, "Cop Car", followed by "Oh No", have the feel of a live show by the band; they have the funky, party vibe going on. On the track "Oh No", I'm somewhat reminded of Middle TN's own SELF, due to the xylophone and playfulness, yet it varies enough with the horns and fast paced "it'd be hard to kareoke to the verses" lyrics. Personally, I think the hard to decifer lyrics add to the almost non-sensical feel of the songs (did I mention they are in robot costume mode these days? Check out the video below for a visual...).

The third track, "Emperor's New Clothes" is a different story, however. The song is a slower one with no real danciness, but that's nothing to fault anyone about. Yet, between the Bowie-esque vocals and Elton John-esque piano, it is quite easy to pick out where Ben Elkins & crew possibly gather inspiration. The vocals during the verses of the song sound less natural, but when Elkins hits the chorus, it sounds more like the rest of their songs. I know it's only one song (and I have heard it live and had no issues), so I'd be very interested in hearing some more slower tracks on their forthcoming full length (you can catch updates from the band on their twitter to stay up to date).

 The final track is a demo version of "Cop Car", which I can only deduce is a trick to make sure teh song stays stuck in your head forever- it sounds pretty similar to the final version.

That being said, I do indeed love Heypenny. It's nice to finally have a hard copy of some of their tunes instead of sitting around, repeatedly listening to the myspace (seriously folks, you can't listen to this songs just once).  The EP is definitely a  good way to tide people over until the full length, yet I have a feeling people are counting down the days til the LP is all tidy and finished.

My advice is if you dig the band and their live show, pick up at a show (or order at their website) the EP. It even comes with a coloring book. Yes, a Heypenny themed coloring book.

And I will rephrase my blanket statement about how I feel about them, after sitting on the cd and also a live show:   This band is the best live show in Nashville right now and one of the most creative groups that I have ever had to the pleasure of listening to and seeing live.


Heypenny - "CopCar" from Paper Beats Rock on Vimeo.

An Interview with Dent May

[Note: I've been planning on starting including interviews on the blog for a while now, and since it's "take it serious, oh crap I'm graduating very soon" time with this stuff, I figured it's time to do it up right. So, I bring you the first of what will hopefully be quite a few interviews. Thanks for reading.]

Dent May [photo yanked from his myspace]

 Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele came through Nashville earlier this year and played one of my most anticipated shows in recent memory. Little did I know before I arrived at the show, the Mississippi native was not even going to headline that night, leaving that duty to another Nashville band that has since disbanded.  There were a handful of folks on hand, admittedly mainly girls, that were up front while the man & his uke played, singing along to the words, and the set seemed very short, more than likely due to the fact that his voice was starting to go out a bit.

Well, he's coming back to town and it's something that I hope more folks are interested in this time around. He'll become your favorite crooner with his charm and wit - check out what he had to say to some questions via email below, listen to some tunes, then try to deny it....

Conglomeration Fabrication: How did you get hooked up with the Paw Tracks folks to release your full length earlier this year?

 Dent May: I met the guys in Animal Collective, who run Paw Tracks, when they were recording their latest album in Mississippi.  We hit it off and kept in touch, and they ended up asking me to release music on their label.  It's kind of a boring story, really.  But I'm super honored to be on the label.  I've been a fan of Black Dice and Ariel Pink for a really long time, so being in their company is still crazy to me.  And touring with Animal Collective was so dreamy.
  
CF:You’ve been touring all over the place this year. What are some of your favorite places that you’ve gone so far?

DM: That's a really hard question.  We had a day off in Barcelona and were really blown away by what we experienced.  There's an energy to the people and the lifestyle there that is so exciting and inspiring.  We checked out all the Gaudi architecture and swam at the beach.  Other places we've fallen in love with include Berlin, San Francisco, the Czech Republic, and pretty much everywhere in France.

CF: You live in a small Mississippi town- is this where you grew up? How does this environment influence your songwriting?

DM: I grew up in Jackson, which is the biggest city in Mississippi, but now I live in Taylor.  Population there is about 300, so it's quite a bit smaller.  For one thing, I have a lot of space.  I live on 2 acres, and we have a big garage for music recording.  My roommates are also artists who played on my record but are too busy with their own stuff to tour with me.  Michael Bible is a writer and he started a literary magazine called Kitty Snacks.  Konrad Bevilaqua has a new project called Flight, which is amazing.  So it's kind of the best of both worlds, living in a super chill place where I have complete freedom, yet still being surrounded by lots of creative people.

CF: You wrote the song, “At the Academic Conference” about faking being an English major (and being not the greatest English major myself, I love it), do you have any suggested reading?

 DM: Oh, definitely.  I've also worked in bookstores on and off for a while now, so literature is super important to me.  As a Mississippian, I have to recommend Barry Hannah first.  Check out Ray and Airships.  He's kind of like a southern Beckett, and his language is beautiful but still a bit filthy.  Some of my other favorite writers are Donald Barthelme, James Tate, Amy Hempel, Charles Simic, Etgar Keret, and of course my hero Samuel Beckett.  Oh, and William Faulkner is pretty legit too.

CF: What’s the plan for the near future? More touring, writing and recording soon?
   
DM: I'm trying to take a break from touring, but it keeps piling up.  I'm going to Australia and New Zealand in January, and I can't wait.  I'm working on new stuff, which has a little more of an analog electronic feel.  A big influence is the ELO record Time, which a lot of people think sucks but doesn't.  It'll be similar songwriting, just with a more expanded musical palate.  There won't be much, if any, ukulele on the new stuff.  I wanted to come out with another record in 2010, but it's increasingly looking like it might be the following year.  I'm also about to record an EP with my country-western band Cowboy Maloney's Electric City.

-----

To Get an even better idea of what Dent's all about, this video for the song "Howard" speaks volumes...


Dent & his crew are hitting the End in Nashville this Monday (Oct. 26th), with Bows & Arrows opening, for only $6 at the door.

What to do in the Boro: SWAG party

So I don't know if  anyone's noticed, but this girl likes to dance (for a slight bit of  proof: here and here).

Well, there's a reason to do so this Friday night in Murfreesboro at 527 (and not a typical "drink or drown" rap music night)- the folks who put on Happy Valley dance parties in Nashville are getting a new monthly party going on, and from just looking at the flier, it looks like a good time.

This week it's Justin Kase & Coach running the show and I hope a good lot of you happen to make it out to this party and get it going the right way. Check back for a review of the event and the related going-ons on Saturday!

Ahh...Fall Break ( a recap: Keep On Movin' Party/Har Mar Superstar)

Even though I feel as though college fall breaks aren't quite as nice as lower levels of school breaks  (example: my mom and dad are on the way to Tybee Island, GA right now, seeing as she has a whole week off, being a high school teacher and all), I enjoyed my 2 days off  by taking in some awesome tunes.

    First on the list was the 5 Spot's weekly dance party, hosted by Electric Western. Reno Bo and the gang never disappoint, and with Jacob Jones doing his solo music tour thing, that's been leaving an open third spot on Monday nights lately.  I was extra excited, and with good reason, to catch Doyle from Grimeys throw down an awesome set of funk and soul, adding to the already fun mix of 50's & 60's rock and roll, funk, soul, garage rock and more. If you dig any of these genres and like to get down, check out the party one Monday night and just try not to get addicted to them.  If dancing isn't your thing, still check out what all the guys and gals at the 5 Spot have going on...it's easily one of the best places in town to hang out, catch a show and get to know your neighbors on the east side (or practically adopted neighbors, if you're like me and don't live in the city...).

Har Mar Superstar 

  For the second half of what can only be called a tease of a fall break, the Har Mar Superstar show I had been looking forward to for a few weeks, was on Tuesday night.

   After seeing Mr. Superstar a year or two back, I was pumped to find out he dropped a brand new album last week and was coming through town on the earlier part of his tour.  If you haven't listened to any of his music, it's very pop and dance oriented- ie a party.  The lyrics tend to be over sexualized, as is his on stage performance, but it will make you dance, even if you back away a few feet from the stage when he jumps into the crowd and starts dancing.

    Yes, he has the charisma of an ace performer and uses almost the whole venue as a stage (there was a big circle in the middle of the underwhelming crowd for almost half of the set, along with a song or two taking place mostly at the bar).  Basically, Har Mar's goal is to make you move. If you aren't moving, he will do everything he can to make this happen.

   Personally, I love stuff the dancey, poppy/electro stuff and can't get enough of it; my main complaint about this show was I wished it had gone on for longer. He played for a little over an hour and went through a mix of new and older tracks, including the songs with Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Cut Me Up") and Beth Ditto from the Gossip ("Powerlunch"), their vocals on the backing tracks that were used throughout the set, along with live guitar, bass and drums.

   Some of the gags that he used were the same as the last time he hit Nashville (such as when he closed with an acapella song that was the same as the first time), but that's the only thing I have to say bad about the show, which wasn't even a terrible thing, it just lacked the punch of the first time around.

  All I really have to say is that Har Mar has got it going on- he's got the skill, the gimmick, the charm and the talent to get it all across- when someone gets on stage and says "Scream because I'm awesome", then everyone does (and means it), that's a feat.

  If you don't think this man can do it, check him out live- you might could learn a thing or two.

[Check out a few more Har Mar photos here]

NBN Saturday Night Wrap Up

Saturday night started out a little faster than the rest of the week, as I was already feeling cozy and more at home at the 5 Spot, first stop of the night, on the one night of venue hopping.

We arrived right before Hands Down Eugene started playing (missing Bows and Arrows, who I’m excited tosee open for Dent May at the end of the month), running into a few Murfreesboro alum (HDE is from here and has done some stuff with Grand Palace records) and just chilling to their new songs, which have a similar vibe to the earlier tunes. I was slightly let down to not hear any songs I recognized after listening to their full length quite a lot, but change is a good thing and they need to put an album out asap. That aside, they haven’t played out a lot lately, so I was very happy they did play and I got to check it out.

Next up at 5 Spot was And the Relatives, who I finally got to check out after a close friend wouldn’t stop twittering about them. Well, those tweets were right. There’s a definite taste of Dinosaur Jr. in the songs(but not too heavy or crunchy) and just an overall good rock and roll sound. Once they played a few songs, with Caitlin Rose singing on a few different ones, most of the folks who were at the show, really for the music, were on their feet and in front of the stage. Keep an eye on And the Relatives, folks.

I was admittedly a little excited about the next concept: riding the shuttle, which I never was informed was going to be at 5 Spot, to Mercy Lounge. Of course, as NBN is never boring, neither was the ride across the river. Let’s just say there were guys dancing in the middle of the bus and a group sing along to the song “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. I won’t be forgetting that one anytime soon…

Once we unloaded in front of Mercy Lounge, Kyle Andrews was in his last few songs and I made my way to the front to scope out a spot for the Protomen set (I know how their crowds tend to work- they’re younger and hardcore). I was right to go ahead and get up front, seeing as the flood of X-ed up (on their hands, folks) were up front pretty quick.

Protomen 

I got in the normal spot I nab at Mercy and was very pleased by the new tunes and new guys in the band, who I hadn’t seen play since both of them, Cobra T. Washington and Sir Robert Bakker, joined the band as of late. The new songs sound awesome live, especially Dr. Wiley’s vocals on “The Hounds” (you may or may not be able to link him back to another band, say, Cheer Up Charlie Daniels…).

The boys and girls closed out their set with a new cover, the Roy Orbison (Celine Dion covered) “I Drove All Night”, which somewhat confused the audience, but they’ll adapt. A valiant effort was presented by the band and they continue to be some of my favorite people in all of Middle Tennessee.

Hey Penny closed out the night and officially blew my mind. I had never gotten to see them, always opting out to leave shows early or missing them for a random reason here or there, but- man- I’m glad I saw them finally. I’d checked out some of their vimeo videos but that doesn’t do them justice: this band is a party.

The kind of party you see on tv that can’t really happen in reality (or, they could be compared to the kind of party from “The Office” last season or two, where they have the party room and they go down and dance…I think that kind would be fun). Hey Penny brings the funk but not in an overwhelming way, but you will dance if you see them live (or if you even just listen to their “Cop Car” EP), and then their songs will get stuck in your head. And then you’ll notice their little quirky, awesome touches, such as their stage set up of backdrops and old tvs with choreographed static and deers mouthing along to the words.

See, you don’t believe me. But trust me- check it out for yourself. They were absolutely the best band to close out NBN at Mercy and as soon as everyone thought they were done- they kept going.

Hey Penny's Encore

The trio moved over to a “side stage”, where a string quartet was set up and singer Ben Elkins, along with the awesome back up singers of the band, led the audience in Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”, while passing a strand of Christmas lights over their heads (see the photos to get the jist). Ben sang one more song, via megaphone, with the string quartet and then a projector (old school, 3rd grade style) turned on, projecting the lyrics to Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” onto a white backdrop. Guitarist Kevin Bevil jumped on top of something with an acoustic guitar and a venue wide sing along was begun.

After witnessing the lengths these guys went to, to entertain and showing all the creativity they have, I have to say whole heartedly: they are the best band in Nashville.

And with that, dear friends, another year of Next Big Nashville was in the books. All of the folks at NBN put together amazing shows, the bands who played them were amazing and I have to say, I can’t say that I can’t wait until 2010’s edition of the fest- I’m still trying to recover from this weekend.

Give it a few more days, though, and I know I will be saying “isn’t it time for NBN again?”

NBN Friday Night Wrap Up

Lucero [Yes this is a terrible photo. It is the "I Was There" photo. Just so you know.]

It probably won’t come as a surprise that Lucero’s Next Big Nashville appearance at Cannery Ballroom was my most anticipated show of the festival (especially after my thoughts of their new album, “1372 Overton Park”). Their two hour set took up most of my night, besides catching a little of Ricky Young’s set in Mercy while waiting for them to take the stage downstairs.


Lucero brought with them two openers on their “Ramblin’ Roadshow and Memphis Revue”, Cedric Burnside and Lightin’ Malcom, along with Amy LaVere. Admittedly, most of their sets were spent socializing and going in between the venues that were connected for the night (through the magical red doors that are to the left of the Mercy entrance. Awesome call, folks at Cannery/Mercy- that made it so much easier than having to go in and out and be checked for a hand stamp or pass every time you wanted to see what else was going on).

The crowd for the Lucero show was one of the bigger, more intense ones that I’ve seen as of late, and they were excited to see the band take the stage at 10:30. They opened with “Sounds of the City”, off of the new album, which was a perfect choice; the refrain “I’m falling in love to the sounds of the city” rang throughout and it was clear the boys were ready to put on an amazing show, that night being the first on the road date of the tour (obviously Memphis was the night before). The horn section was one of the most awesome parts of the set, making for more of a party mood than I would’ve thought beforehand. The set did seem to get a little long, an issue relate back to seeing bands play for 30-45 minutes all weekend, so it was a change, but they were on it. They knew the new songs well and the set wound up being a greatest hits-esque show, with most of the new album stirred in.

Some of the highlights of the set were finally getting to hear “I Can Get Us Out of Here Tonight” live, “Last Man Alive in the West”, which I had only ever heard solo on the “Revival Road” project with Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry, along with “Darken My Door”, arguably one of the best tracks from the new album. Singer Ben Nichols addressed the audience quite a few times, obviously excited about how they were singing along all night and showed a sense of being a genuinely good guy, which was cemented after I randomly ran into him a little while after they played.

Lucero definitely did not disappoint with their show and I highly suggest that you see them live if you have even an inkling of interest in the band and they come near you- I’m already wanting to see them play live again and thinking about possibly traveling to see another show on their tour.

Yeah, they’re that good.

NBN: Thursday Night Wrap Up

It seemed like a normal night at Foobar on Thursday until you walked into the back room where the bands were playing.


I have to say that I am very glad the venue was added to Next Big’s line up last minute, seeing as I don’t think these bands would’ve gone over as well if they weren’t on the east side- they seem to be a little more accepting to the quirkier acts over there.

By the time we arrived, the first two bands, Goodbye Sons and James Wallace and the Naked Light, had already played and Happy Birthday Amy was finishing setting up.

Perhaps it was the crowd, or Raul Panther of Protomen on a few songs’ background vocals, Chris Click of Ascent of Everest on tuba or maybe the venue, but something in the air made this HBA set extra enjoyable. Also, after seeing the quite a few times the past 3 or 4 years, it was one of the best sets of theirs that I have seen.

Cheer Up Charlie Daniels was admittedly the reason I decided to take a chance on the one NBN night at Foobar (plus I happened to be staying with friends on that side of town). I’d only seen them play at the 1970’s themed 8 off 8th and randomly met the singer, Neil, a few nights before as he was flyering for the show; his personal appeal to me worked once I started seriously planning the night.

The band’s set was really good, tunes with a pop rock sound, a few other pinches of stuff thrown in, including stuff that you almost shouldn't like but kinda have to, pending on when you grew up (example: the Steely Dan cover). They put on quite a show, including a guitar getting busted during the set (I somehow missed this and figure I was next door or something…the remnants were on the floor near the end of the set). Simple costumes and fake facial hair were also in full effect, with the fake ‘staches available for the crowd if they so chose.

Cheer Up Charlie Daniels is quite a fun band to see live with some pretty good songs, so I’m really excited to hear their new release and also see how it sounds on record (yes, it’s coming out on vinyl- yum). Keep an eye out for an album review as soon as I can get my hands on the music.

Umbrella Tree played after CUCD, but I got a little distracted and the next thing I knew, their 40 minute set was over. I will say they are one of the most original acts in Nashville, though, and that says a lot.

By the end of the night one thing was clear to me- Foobar is a fun place to see a show and I hope there are more that are going on and people find out about- it could easily turn into the spot to be if the cards are played right.

NBN Wrap Up: Thursday-Saturday

So as a newbie to the blogging world (in a serious manner, atleast), I didn't realize how much Next Big Nashville could take out of a person, and updating is kind of difficult when sleeping on couches instead of driving back to Murfreesboro and running around town.

Alas, I did get the chance to check out some awesome bands and meet some pretty rad people, so here's a run down of what went down in the next few posts at NBN '09...

Album Review: "1372 Overton Park" by Lucero

Somehow it snuck up on me: Lucero released another album.


“1372 Overton Park” was released this week and it is good.



The album isn’t as dark as the last record, 2006’s “Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers” but still definitely has that Lucero sound. Ben Nichols’ gravely voice that can be picked out in any situation sounds a little more produced this time around, at moments, but the familiarity is sill there. The production is done by Ted Hutt, who also produced Chuck Ragan and the same sound is audible, so if you dig "Feast or Famine", the same feel is on the album.


Lyrically, most of the songs are about a lost love, along with some story songs, such as the opener, “Smoke” and, as the title suggests a story to go along with it, “The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo”. The latter even has a Hold Steady feel with the story about what can only be described as a crazy night.



“Darken My Door” is one of the heartbreaking tracks near the end of the album that particularly stands out, reliving how “there’s no finer mess to be found”. The relationship issues carry their way through the rest of the album on songs “Can’t Feel A Thing” and “Half Way Wrong”, which lets it be known “Too many nights of fighting/it ain’t worth it anymore/Too many nights of chasing you around downtown/ Too many night of me not even being around”.

The quick, fast review I have on this record: There's lots of horns on the record. The record does what, I feel, is crucial to having a productive music career: steps are taken to do something new with the music still sounding like the same band. Good call, guys.
--------
If you want to check out the new Lucero tunes live, tonite (Friday) at Next Big Nashville they're playing at Cannery Ballroom. It's $15 in advance or at the door or free with any wristbands/NBN passes. Hope to see you there!

NBN: Wednesday Review/Thursday Preview

Wednesday Review
Night one was a slower start to get acclimated to what is NBN, which was totally cool with me.  No show hopping was done by this party, seeing as the End was a good place to be. 

After getting stuck on I24, with traffic down to one lane, I arrived to catch pretty much all of Caitlin Rose's set and I have to say she owned that crowd. Post Cailtin, a lot of the night was spent talking to people (meaning Alberta Cross' set was heard from outside. Not a bad feel to it, though), until Phosphorescent came on.

They had the hype, they lived up to it; this band is one to see.  They had somewhat of an ethereal sound to their longer songs, but they still rocked with them.  My favorite moment (before cutting out early and being told later I missed the Willie Nelson covers) was on a particular song that was probably 7 or so minutes long, played out really soft, then went into loud noise and controlled chaos. Love it. This band is the next big thing, I can tell.

Thursday Night Preview

   Tonite looks like the Elliston is going to be my area again.  Exit In has a sweet show lined up including headliner David Vandervlede, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Shoot the Mountian and the Dexateens which is catching my eye, plus the chance to run across the street at any sign of boredom to the End  to check out folks like El Cantador and Futurebirds. 

On the east side, Foobar has one nite of music going on with the likes of Cheer Up Charlie Daniels, Happy Birthday Amy and Umbrella Tree. It is on the other side of the world, in relation to the rest of the fest, but I could very easily be swayed to take a trek over and check out these more up and coming bands.

The afterparty tonite is a Mashville party (hip hop/etc.) that sounds like a pretty fun time, but if I were you, I'd save up the afterpartyign til tomorrow when Electric Western (the creators and weekly hosts of the Keep on Moving dance party at the 5 Spot- I'll surely ramble about that some more at another point).

Regardless, be safe, have fun, keep an eye out for the scavenger hunt and let me know if anything's really awesome that I have missed.

NBN Scavenger Hunt

    So it's that time of year again- ahhh yes, the age old questions to ponder: Will the shuttle show up already? Do I really want to leave my spot up front to go pee? Is it really possible to make it from Exit-In to Mercy Lounge in the 10 minutes inbetween these two bands?

    This is my third NBN, second that I can legally get into all of the venues and first with a VIP pass, also my first hitching a ride between venues with the shuttles the fest has for folks who have wristbands, so it's much more intense this year.  Due to this mobility and possible not trekking all the way back to Murfreesboro every night, I've decided to embark on a game for the duration of the festival: a scavenger hunt.  I'll be taking photos of what I see, when possible, and will be sure to report on said findings when no photo is available.

   Also, it is important to note that this game is presented in honor of the folks over at Nashvillest, an awesome local blog, and their "CMApocalypse Bingo" that's been two years running now.  Thanks for the inspiration, ladies.

   Now- onto the list...feel free to play along and let me know if you witness something that I might happen to miss....

1)Sparkly leggings, worn as pants (not worn by a member of a band)

2) College kids killing a party's free buffet and booze, due to the cheap student discount on VIP passes

3) Anyone, anywhere dressed in a bear, gumby or other random furry suit

4) Someone in a dark venue, trying to read an NBN guide, by cellphone

5) Overhearing someone asking a shuttledriver if it goes to the 5 Spot (it doesn't)

6) Someone with a notepad, feverishly scribbling notes, who doesn't have a southern accent

7) Hey Penny in costume before playing their set (See their Vimeo page for instructions on how to participate in their show Saturday night)

8) Mas Tacos truck somewhere not on the east side (crossing my fingers for this one)

9) Spotting 4 or more Nashville Cream writeres at a non-Nashville Scene party together

10) 10+ people smoking outside of Exit In, at one time

11) Someone just wasted, sprawled out in the middle of foot traffic in a venue or outside

12) Seeing someone you don't know but wind up recognizing by the end of  3 of the 4 nights

(More to come after I get a chance to get out and see what all's going on...I'm sure there's plenty of stories to tell.)

My Next Big Nashville Picks : Wednesday

Caitlin Rose

The opening day of Next Big Nashville is upon us and all I know is it's about to get crazy. 

The main action, I'm thinking for the night, is the Phosphorescent, Alberta Cross & Caitlin Rose show. It's going down at the End at 8 (check the NBN schedule to plan your weekend and see specific set times).  It's $10 at the door if you don't have a wristband for the festival already and I suggest if this is the case that you a) go ahead and buy a wristband or atleast b) get there early because- come on, you know how small the End is (tiny) and it's a big deal show.

If you haven't heard much about Phosphorescent, he's a solo artist who tours with a full band (from what I've been gathering) and recorded an album of Willie Nelson covers that I can't seem to quit hearing good things about. 

Pair that with Caitlin Rose and her old school country approach to songs, that have a good heaping of pop influence (in a good way, nonetheless). Let's put it this way: if you live in the Nashville area and haven't heard of this girl, check out her tunes and check out a live show. She's a talented one.

So, I hope to see you out at the End or that you atleast make it out to some of the other awesome events going on at NBN, including the Ten Out Of Tenn show which should also warrant a good time with so many talented folks getting involved.  Take Wednesday to ease into the madness that is NBN, get warmed up and get really ready to go on Thursday, with the panels, tons of shows and extra awesomeness that is NBN.

Stay tuned for the Thursday edition of my suggestions and be safe out there, folks.

Free Shows are the Best

Want to see an interesting cross section of people in Nashville? Free shows going on around town are the way to go to check out what's going on and who all is into it. Here's a rundown of some of the events that have been going on lately and also what's coming up in the (very) near future. :

1. Live on the Green Series

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (photo by Lance Conzett)

Last week I got the chance to finally catch a Live on the Green show that featured the always fun and on it Dynamites featuring Charles Walker and the amazing fireball that is Sharon Jones, with the Dap Kings (who worked on Amy Winehouse's record and are buds with producer extraordinaire Mark Ronson).
The series takes place in front of city hall in downtown Nashville and has a green slant (hence the name) and booths, plus free bike parking and environmental tips that abound from the speakers (suggesting show goers carpool, etc.). The sets start early, with the headliner going on around 9, stage changes are prompt and it is one of the coolest things I've seen in Nashville, ever.
This Thursday (10/8), Courtney Jaye, Ricky Young and Citizen Cope are set to play the last event of the series. All I know is Lighting 100 and all the other sponsors are pretty awesome for getting this going and I can't wait to see who they get lined up for next year's series- I don't know if they can outdance Sharon Jones, but it's going to be fun seeing if they do.

2) Grimey's Rocktober Outdoor Concert Bash and Sale

Grimey's can never do wrong, in my eyes. This weekend proved the same, once again. Even though this fall's outdoor show and sale seemed to yield fewer people than Record Store day did in the spring, there was still a good crowd on hand when I arrived a little before 3 pm. I had missed the chance to see Brooke Waggoner and Oblio play earlier in the afternoon, but arrived in time to hear some metal tunes and Heavy Cream bust out a short set of their Infinity Cat garage jams about lava lamps (these ladies and gent play all over town and I suggest you see them atleast once).
Of course the vinyl and cds were flowing outside for $1 each and sales were upstairs too, so people walked away happy and with their musical thirsts quenched. As with most free shows, there was the interesting cross section of people represented, my favorite being the little boy wailing on a water bottle like a guitar.
At the close of the tunes, a mention was made of the next outdoor show on record store day in April, and that, dear friends, is when the muscles are really flexed. Regardless, the Grimey's folks know how to throw a party and how to get everybody there. And for that I love them.

3) Next Big Nashville FREE Shows

Yes, you read right- FREE shows at NBN this week! On Friday night, the festival is taking over some of the honky tonks downtown. There's no need for a wristband to get into these shows and they could very easily be some of the best entertainment of the whole festival. The line up for Tootsies alone is one you might want to show up early for: We Were The States, Black Diamond Heavies AND the Clutters. Follow that up with what I've heard is a great country artist, Willie Heath Neal and that's a good night with just those four bands. More info on Next Big Nashville can be found at their website and keep an eye out for a big post highlighting what I'm deeming the can't miss list in the next day or so. Starting resting up for it, though- Wednesday night the shows start!