watch this December 1, 2011
Preview: TEEN play Secret Garden series
Exciting new band to come out of NYC. These girls can sing.
Watch This
watch this October 17, 2011
Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps: “Denim Boy” at Union Pool
Off their new album Little Wind. This one’s from their last NYC show at Union Pool, Brooklyn (boy, people talk a lot at that place!)
watch this October 12, 2011
Caroline Smith & the Goodnight Sleeps: “Drown in My Tears”
You know who’s going to love this Ray Charles / Aretha Franklin cover? You. You’re going to love it. From last night at Rock Shop, Brooklyn. They’re playing 2 more NYC dates: today (Oct 12) at Cake Shop and tomorrow (Oct 13) at Union Pool.
watch this June 3, 2009
Video: These United States "Honor Amongst Thieves"
Here’s a music video I made for These United States‘ “Honor Amongst Thieves”, which premiered last week. In addition to live and candid shots, it features a few crafty scenes of theft we shot in Park Slope, Brooklyn, before their show at Union Hall that night.
Watch in full screen mode 
You can catch a free performance at Prospect Park’s bandshell when they open for Dr. Dog on June 27th, 7pm sharp.
watch this February 20, 2009
Video: Rural Alberta Advantage at Union Hall
While busyness continues behind the scenes here on this Hooves on the Turf, why don’t you watch a video of the Rural Alberta Advantage playing a song at the Union Hall when they were here earlier this month?
watch this January 21, 2009
Video: These United States and friends sing for Presidents
Download “Rough and Ready” by These United States | Though I didn’t catch the entirety of the Songs for Presidents show, it seemed on the whole that none of these 44 songs were particularly amazing–nothing like Sufjan Steven’s “Jacksonville” that alludes to the 7th American President, Andrew Jackson. But awakening this series of neutral-sounding songs–built on the repetitive task of celebrating an American President–to a more colorful life seemed easy to some of the artists who played that night: Jukebox the Ghost, Tim Fite, Middle Distance Runner and Laura Burhenn were some of those, amongst the ones I saw, but my absolute favorite was These United States’ version of “Rough and Ready”, which was written for the 12th American President Zachary Taylor, and which you can watch after the jump. Along with Tim Fite and Jukebox the Ghost, both of whom I unfortunately didn’t film, it was a rare instance where the performers seemed capable of wholly investing themselves in an okay song and making it sound just as good as their own (gorgeous). Go on, watch the video(s).
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
watch this January 14, 2009
A Mini Movie? 3 1/2 Songs from Sharon Van Etten at Pianos
The last time I saw Sharon Van Etten was when we filmed our very first Secret Garden show in July. Since then she’s been been touring and playing an endless number of local shows. When I saw her at Pianos this past Sunday, she had recently returned from Portland after the making of a music video for “For You”, and she said that she was planning to perhaps take it a little slow. I bet not that much slower, though, since there is a new album possibly coming out in May. Unlike the “home recordings” I’ve heard of her and the way she plays live solo, I hear this one is going to have a more produced instrumentation.
Onward for the movie feature presentation premiere exclusive blockbuster!
watch this June 30, 2008
Auguste Arthur Bondy at Union Hall, video
At Union Hall, AA Bondy asked that we call him Gus from that moment on. The two A’s in Bondy’s name stand for Auguste Arthur, however, and I ask: why the hell have we been diverted from using that fantastically royal birth name? He may have appeared to be more of a Gus that night, dressed in the most generic combination of shirt over t-shirt with jeans and boots (and a cap pre-show); he may have even sung like a Gus in that extra raspy voice of his, wailing on the harmonica every now and then, but his personaly sure as hell has the heroic poeticism of an Auguste Arthur. Opening band Two Dark Birds tried their best to hold the attention of the room, but going by the chatter that poured of that tiny space, they were unsuccessful. Bondy, on the other hand, with the might of his acoustic guitar and an array of harmonica options, claimed the spotlight. I would’ve liked to stay for Delta Spirit, but an incident before Bondy’s last song dictated I and my posse, shaking with fury, storm out into the pleasant arena of home sweet home as soon as Bondy’s set was done. (ps. I’ll add photos later today)
