Exciting new band to come out of NYC. These girls can sing.

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!)

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 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.

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?

As always and ever, watch in HD + fullscreen mode
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There’s also a video of These United States from the same show, if you missed it.

Websites: Rural Alberta Advantage Myspace, Rural Alberta Advantage Official

Union Hall
Park Slope, Brookyn
February 6, 2009

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).

The acoustics at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue was a bit weird for this kind of show–everything somehow thinned out, making it sound like we might’ve been in a school gymnasium.

These United States, “Rough and Ready”
I loved it as soon as they started playing it. From the very first stomps, and then the very first word, Mexico…

Middle Distance Runner, “Such a Marvelous Dream”
I was surprised by the choice to make this song a quiet one, and it turned out really pleasant and sad! It kind of reminded me of “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens–I’m not sure where all these Sufjan comparisons are coming from, but in this case it may have been the immensely loving treatment of figures you normally wouldn’t think of as entirely lovable or vulnerable. There’s one part where the way the word “marvelous” is sung just sounds heart-breaking.

Laura Burhenn, “When Ike Walked the Land”
This version isn’t much different from the original, but Laura’s voice sounds great. And those old animations look adorable.

All photos (These United States) by Kashish

I’ll post the opening set from These United States at a later date.

Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
Washington DC
Jan 17, 2009

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!

There were quite a few things happening at Pianos that night: Sharon’s set was squeezed between a comedy show and Camper Van Beethoven’s double-set secret show, followed by a whole different late show, which meant that she had time only for five songs, out of which 3 1/2 are captured here. They dimmed the lights halfway through, for whatever reason, but she sounds gorgeous–not necessarily “pretty” in the “everything’s going to be okay, the world is so beautiful, I am so sweet” way; more like she was wallowing from the depth of her entrails, which is way better. She’s up for “Best NYC Based Artist of 2008″ over at The Deli Magazine, if you’d like to vote.

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ps. I put the last song twice. I’ll fix that later.

Websites: Sharon Van Etten

Pianos,
New York, NY
Jan 11, 2009