Category Archives: music

theresa andersson is awesome

Posted on by

i know this isn’t usually a music blog, but i did vow to shake up the content of my blog when i switched over to wordpress… so every now and then when i’m excited by something, i’ll be sharing it here.

this music video showed up in my inbox this morning via theresa andersson‘s publicist, and i thought you might like it too. it’s from her forthcoming live dvd theresa andersson: live at le petit, shot here in new orleans at le petit theatre in the french quarter.

i fell in love with theresa andersson when i first saw her one-woman-band kitchen video for “na na na” from her latest album humingbird, go! (basin street records) which became an overnight viral hit. i’d seen her at jazz fest before and enjoyed her performances, but her most recent album really cemented it for me and has become one of my favorites. and now that i’ve seen this clip from the forthcoming dvd, i might just need to get me a copy. word has it the legendary allen toussaint guest stars on it. (oh, and check her performance schedule – she’ll be out at jazz fest again this year and playing around town a bit later this month. she’s great live.)

now back to writing my july music column. (i finally settled on featuring sia, k.d. lang, and lucy woodward, for those of you who just can’t wait until july to get the scoop.)

almost april!

Posted on by

well, last weekend was a busy one, between the friday night show at one eyed jack’s (toshi rocked the house, of course, with a surprise appearance by ani difranco!), the elysian fleas market on saturday (slow sales but a gorgeous day), and the road food fest on sunday. yes, fae and i decided to be tourists in our own town and ride the streetcar down to the quarter to partake in the road food fest, walk around a little, visit with our friend s’aint n.o. lady at her cute jewelry boutique filthy rich, and enjoy yet another picture-perfect spring day in new orleans.

road food festival

we ate and drank ourselves silly: hand-cut seasoned fries from que crawl (aka the purple truck), a meat pie, the most delicately-battered fried catfish and crawfish rice from dunbar’s, and a pulled pork w/purple cabbage po-boy from que crawl again. oh and a delightful turtle to top it all off. fae got a yummy daiquiri and i enjoyed a few tasty local beers. it was a good day.

pulled pork po-boy

this week, for me, has been all about listening to cds for my upcoming music column. i think i have it narrowed down to a handful, including new ones by sia, pieta brown, a greatest-hits collection from k.d. lang, and a few others. i’ve still got a ways to go, though, on the stack of discs on my desk. fae’s been on spring break, which is nice for her. usually we travel to louisville to see friends and family on her breaks from school, but we just didn’t have it in us this time; that 12-hour drive is intense and with fae having been so sick over the first part of the semester, we just decided it would be best for us to stay home, to allow her to rest, relax and get caught up on school. so far, i’d say it was a good choice. the weather has been perfect, we’ve done some spring cleaning, she’s done some gardening, and i’m hopefully going to turn my music column in relatively on time. yay!

and now it’s almost april, which will be a crazy-busy month. i’ve got tons of markets/festivals scheduled, and of course jazz fest is almost here – my favorite time of year. here’s a brief overview of my schedule, for future reference:

this coming saturday, the 3rd, i will be vending at the freret market, my regular monthly appearance. it’s my favorite regularly-occuring local market, with a good mix of flea, art, craft, and food vendors plus community organizations, free live music, kids activities, good beer (abita!) and just a great general vibe. lots of the new orleans craft mafia gals will be there, so come by and say hello if you are out and about.

the following weekend is french quarter fest and i’m thinking about picking up a day vending at elysian fleas again, as it is well-situated close to the quarter.

the third weekend in april is both the alternative media expo and crawfest at tulane; sadly, i had to make a choice about which one to vend at this year since they are both on the same day, but there was no way i could turn down the opportunity to be at crawfest. i had such a successful day there last year and it was a blast, so that’s where i will be. the craft mafia will, however, be well-represented at the alternative media expo: we are co-sponsors again this year and will be giving out the free swag bags loaded with goodies to the first 100 paid attendees (so get there early!), and several of our members will be there vending. if i could figure out a way to be in both places at the same time, i would.

that friday night, the 16th, is also the opening party for my friend jen biniek’s annual jazz fest art show. this is the fifth year she’s opened up her living room to all her artist friends’ “funky lil art,” as she calls it – small-sized, affordable, eclectic folk art, photography, jewelry, crafts and all other kinds of stuff. i’ll post more details about the opening in a separate blog entry, but pencil it in on your calendar now or at least make a point of stopping by during the two weeks of jazz fest, because it’s quite a sight to behold.

then on the 22nd, which happens to be earth day, the new orleans craft mafia is cooking up a fun event at whole foods on magazine street. we’re still ironing out the details, but it will be both a vending situation as well as a recycling demo, teaching folks how to turn old t-shirts into new funky reusable grocery bags. again, more details coming once everything is worked out.

and then it’s jazz fest and hopefully i get to relax for a bit. i won’t be doing any markets during the two weekends of jazz fest (though my stuff will be up at jen’s) and freret market’s may market has been pushed back to the 8th, the weekend after jazz fest, so as not to conflict. so hopefully i will have made enough $ at all the april markets to be able to partake a bit in jazz fest revelry, if not inside the fairgrounds at least on jen and mary ann’s porch.

i have, however, applied for a job with the census. i go to take the entrance test tomorrow and then find out more details. not sure if it will be a good fit for me or not, particularly since i have so much going on april on the weekends, but i guess i’ll see how it goes and if i can work it out schedule-wise. because goodness knows i could use the money.(i’m all ears for other job tips and offers if you know of anything.)

so that’s what’s going on for me. i’m sure there will be intermittent updates throughout the month, but if you don’t hear quite as much from me, you’ll know why. i’m just busy, hustlin.

toshi+jill sobule+more on friday 3/26 @ OEJ

Posted on by

ok, here’s some breaking music news (i know this blog is not known for its breaking music news, but i can’t find this press release info anywhere online so i’m posting it here so i have a url to refer to): toshi reagon, jill sobule, thao nguyen and a whole bunch of other folks are playing a benefit this friday night for sweet home new orleans.

i get the idea this might have been put together pretty quickly, since i haven’t seen any other info about it anywhere, but toshi just sent fae the press release, so it’s happening. we already ordered our tickets online at one eyed jack’s website. (they are $10 each + service fees.)

here’s the full press release with all the deets. hope to see all you locals there!

“MUSICIANS BRINGING MUSICIANS HOME VI”:

ECLECTIC CONCERT SERIES RETURNS TO NEW ORLEANS

Thao Nguyen (Thao with the Get Down Stay Down), Ryan Dobrowski + Israel Nebeker (Blind Pilot), Rebecca Gates, Toshi Reagon, Matana Roberts, Jill Sobule, Jon Theodore (One Day As A Lion) and New Orleans’ very own Bonerama to Perform at One Eyed Jacks on March 26th

Musicians from around the country celebrate New Orleans’ rich musical heritage & the community working to sustain it.

NEW ORLEANS, LA—Ryan Dobrowski + Israel Nebeker (Blind Pilot), Rebecca Gates, Thao Nguyen (Thao with the Get Down Stay Down), Toshi Reagon, Matana Roberts, Jill Sobule, Jon Theodore (One Day As A Lion) and New Orleans’ very own, Bonerama and more will celebrate New Orleans, her community and its musical ambassadors for “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home VI,” at One Eyed Jacks (615 Toulouse Street) on Friday, March 26 at 10pm.

Admission is $10; tickets for the event are now on sale on-line at www.oneeyedjacks.net and in-person at One Eyed Jacks box office. Proceeds from the show benefit Sweet Home New Orleans (SHNO) a nonprofit that helps musicians, Mardi Gras Indians, and Social Aid & Pleasure Club members get on their feet, earn money from their art, and pass on America’s most unique cultural traditions (www.sweethomeneworleans.org).

Musicians Bringing Musicians Home presents talented artists on their own and in unique combinations, whether its J. Tillman and Nicole Atkins backing Will Oldham or R.E.M.’s Mike Mills and Bonerama joining Corin Tucker on a Depeche Mode cover. The camaraderie established during both the retreat and concert continues well after participants have left the city, as evidenced by recent collaborations like OK Go and Bonerama’s You’re Not Alone benefit EP for New Orleans musicians and Steve Berlin and Alec Ounsworth’s collaboration on Ounsworth’s recent Mo’Beauty EP.  The show is the celebratory finale of the sixth three-day activist retreat hosted by Air Traffic Control (www.atctower.net) and Future of Music Coalition (www.futureofmusic.org).

“If you care, educate yourself,” says Wayne Kramer, legendary guitarist for MC5 and Artist Activist Retreat alumni. “Go to New Orleans and meet the folks down there. Talk with them, eat with them, work alongside them and then play music with them and for them. Anyone that calls themselves a musician owes a debt to New Orleans, and these retreats are a superb opportunity make a payment. You’ll be richer for it.”

Since the Gulf Storms of 2005 the retreats have brought over forty musicians from around the country to New Orleans to tour affected neighborhoods, visit with the city’s notable musicians and community leaders and participate in strategy sessions about integrating activism and philanthropy into their musical lives and careers.

Past retreat and concert participants include Steve Earle, Tom Morello, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Boots Riley (The Coup) Nicole Atkins, Damian Kulash (OK Go), Erin McKeown, Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie), Wayne Kramer (MC5), Martín Perna (Antibalas, Ocote Soul Sounds), Jim James and Patrick Hallahan (My Morning Jacket), Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers), Vijay Iyer, and many, many more.

The efforts of many groups and individuals — including Sweet Home New Orleans, Future of Music Coalition and Air Traffic Control — have had a major impact on Big Easy musicians like Mardis Gras legend Al “Carnival Time” Johnson. Funds raised by retreat participants helped Al buy a new Habitat for Humanity home after having lost his property and belongings in Hurricane Katrina. “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home VI” and the retreats are part an ongoing commitment to helping musicians like Al get back to their communities where they’ll help sustaining New Orleans music and culture for generations to come.  

About Sweet Home New Orleans
Sweet Home New Orleans (www.sweethomeneworleans.org) is a nonprofit agency that offers social services and financial assistance to the city’s musicians, Mardi Gras Indians, and Social Aid and Pleasure Club members.

About Future of Music Coalition Future of Music Coalition is a national non-profit education, research and advocacy organization that seeks a bright future for creators and listeners. FMC works towards this goal through continuous interaction with its primary constituency — musicians — and in collaboration with other creator/public interest groups.

About Air Traffic Control
Air Traffic Control (www.atctower.net) exists to help musicians play an effective, unique and vital role in the promotion of social justice. Founded by musicians and managers, ATC has become an air traffic control for artists, developing capacity, efficiency, and coordination to produce stronger and more creative social change collaborations.

###  


toshi on tour!

3/20 NJPAC, Newark NJ

4/1 Music Hall Portsmuoth , NH

4/22 Charles H Wright Museum, Detroit, MI.

www.toshireagon.com

www.righteousbabe.com

got swag?

Posted on by

ok, now that my most recent writing deadline is behind me (quick tip: check out the shondes my dear one, sharon jones + the dap kings new one, and the mynabirds for some kickass new tunes – all new releases due to hit the streets in the next few months), back to the business of art + craft.

last night, the new orleans craft mafia had our monthly meeting and we spent a lot of time talking about our co-sponsorship and participation of the upcoming alternative media expo. as a co-sponsor, one of the things we do for the AME is put together the swag bags that are given out FREE to the first 100 paid attendees. for those of you who don’t understand what a swag bag is, it’s basically a bag of freebies: product samples (cds, earrings, zines, etc.), promotional goodies (like stickers, buttons, keychains, etc. with company logos on them), or even coupons – all from local (and even some national!) indie businesses and/or non-profits. we provide a fashionable tote bag of some sort with our logo on it (which is great to use year-round for groceries and other shopping!), and then fill it with all the fun stuff mentioned above that we accumulate from our wide-reaching call for swag.

and so, speaking of which, i’m here today to reiterate that call for swag. i’m going to just cut and paste what mallory of miss malaprop wrote for us, below, but please, if you are a local indie biz or even an artist, band/musician, etc. that would like some free targeted promotion, consider contributing to our swag bags for the lucky AME attendees. last year, i made 100 tiny pieces of cardboard stencil art, stamped with my website address, as my contribution… and i’ll be doing the same thing again this year, i think. (either that or making my own DIY stickers to include – haven’t decided yet.) so if i can HAND MAKE something promotional to include, surely you can come up with a button, sticker, pen, magnet or even just print out a coupon for your biz. it’s not that hard and it’s a great opportunity to reach folks that actually support and spend their money on indie and local businesses. do it. do it now.

alternative media expo

The New Orleans Craft Mafia is proud to once again sponsor the Alternative Media Expo, presented by Antigravity Magazine.  The Alternative Media Expo ‘10 is scheduled for Saturday, April 17th from noon-6pm at the warehouse in the Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA), and will feature tons of exhibitors with comics, ‘zines, fashion, crafts, music, film, design, community activism and much more!

Admission is $5, and the first 100 paid attendees through the doors will receive swag bags courtesy of the New Orleans Craft Mafia: a reusable shopping bag filled with freebies and product samples from various indie businesses. These bags present a great opportunity to get the word out about your business, band, or organization. Vendors exhibiting at the Expo are also highly encouraged to participate in the swag bags and leave a lasting impression on visitors.

Get the word out to this diverse group of customers who seek to support independent businesses by including your product samples in these swag bags. Product samples may include, but are not limited to: CD/DVD samplers, comics and magazines, small jewelry or accessory samples, t-shirts, blank notecards or stationery, sample size soaps or cosmetics, gift cards, or other small samples of your products. If you choose to send in samples, we ask that you send a minimum of 25 samples.

Some swag suggestions include, but are not limited to: coupons, stickers, buttons, magnets, pens, etc. We ask that you do send actual swag items and not just promotional materials such as business cards or flyers. You may attach business cards, etc., to any donated swag, of course. (If we receive ONLY business cards or fliers from you, they will NOT be included in the swag bags.) If you are interested in sending in swag material, we ask that you send in the full amount of 100 items.

The deadline for sending in swag & samples is Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Items may be sent to:

New Orleans Craft Mafia swag bags
c/o Kerry Fitts
P.O. Box 791922
New Orleans, Louisiana 70179-1922

Those interested in dropping off samples and swag locally in New Orleans may bring them by UP/ Unique Products at 2038 Magazine Street during regular business hours (Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday noon-5pm). Please make sure your items are marked as being for the New Orleans Craft Mafia / Alternative Media expo swag bags.

For more information on contributing to the swag bags, please email mallory [!AT] neworleanscraftmafia.com