Results tagged “okkervilriver”

After over eight years of relentless touring and quiet musical evolution, Austin-based indie-rockers Okkervil River broke out in 2004 with Black Sheep Boy, a captivating album fueled in no small part by front-man Will Sheff’s lacerating vocals and careening compositions that thrillingly threatened to fall apart at every turn. But on the band’s latest release, The Stage Names, Sheff finds a different source of musical propulsion with a more subdued approach; the lacerations are often eschewed for a gentler sort of lyrical storytelling. This slight change in tack has perhaps alienated some in the fan message board camp, but other newer listeners have found the band more accessible. And more significantly, Sheff has firmly demonstrated his determination to let the band musically meander any way they like. Gothamist recently spoke to Sheff via telephone from California, where Okkervil River is once again on a tour that rolls through Webster Hall on Friday. (Tickets.)

THEATER: With his zany imagination and distinctive bass-baritone voice, Joseph Keckler (myspace) has been generating buzz throughout the gooey honeycomb of the downtown performance art cabaret scene. Tonight he sprinkles his particular blend of whimsical catnip at Dixon Place with Cat Lady, in which a man re-enacts an ordinary day with his mother, who runs a community theater with cat actors out of her home. “Past lives are recalled, songs are sung, and finally a trip to the vet's is made in this comedic and dark exploration of the relationship between art and trauma.” Part of the HOT! Festival. – John Del Signore

MUSIC: Didn't get enough partying done yesterday? Come out and see Shearwater (which includes Will Sheff of Okkervil River) play a free show. Hard tickets will be distributed two per person, outside the venue on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00pm on the day of the show.

NY Mag recently talked about the unexpectedness of the High Line brand. Of course venues are rebranding more and more, but the High Line is taking it to a new level - as it is, and started out as, much more than just a venue. With a festival curated by David Bowie, a neighborhood with proposed condos that allow residents to park their car on an elevator right next to their living space, and of course the park - 20 years ago no one would have dreamed all of this.

We haven't been listening to Sirius radio much, mostly (only) because we don't subscribe to it. Earlier this morning, however, one of the stations blogger/deejays, Jason Productshop NYC, posted a set of mp3's from the first of the acoustic in-studios on his Sirius show.

Looking for a list of free summer shows in the city this summer? Check out Prefixmag's guide to free concerts. There's a lot to take in, here's what we'll be heading to:

The Art Brut hype started around June when the critics universally praised the UK rock band's debut album. Tiny Mix Tapes wrote, "I feel strange writing this review considering how big Art Brut will become over the next few months. No American dates are scheduled thus far, but they’re doing the UK festival circuit this summer and are poised to win just about everyone over." Eventually American dates were scheduled, and as usual NYC gets to be one of the first to experience the overseas sensation. This week you have FOUR chances to catch them. (@ Maxwell's, Mercury Lounge, Northsix and Tribeca Grand)