Spotlight Artists: The Suzan

Our next spotlight artists are the Japanese female rock group, The Suzan. Their latest album, "Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat", was produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John. They recently performed at the Concert for Japan at the Japan Society, and are included in the line-up for Brooklyn ♥ Japan benefit tonight at The Bell House. Thanks to Dana Meyerson of Biz 3 for arranging the interview.

photo by Mamiko Miyakoshi

Lineup:
Rie: Keyboard
Saori : Vocal/Guitar
Ikue : Bass
NICO : Drums

How did your band's name come about?
We have sisters in the band. And their nick name is SUZAN which come from their last name.

How long have you been performing?
Almost 7 years

Musical influences:
The Beatles

Linkage:
website: TheSuzan.com
facebook: THE-SUZAN
Youtube: michelletTHESUZAN
Twitter: @thesuzan
myspace: thesuzan

Where can we buy your music?
iTunes

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
Our new album "Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat" makes you feel happy whenever you listen to it!

How long did it take to record the new album, "Golden Week for the Poco Poco Beat"? What does the title mean?
It took almost 2 weeks. We did recording in Stockholm. As for the title, "Golden Week" is actually Japanese-English, and we Japanese have "Golden Week" in May: long holidays. And our producer Bjorn loves that word. "Poco Poco" is expressing our sounds.

How is the tour going? How are American audiences different to performing in Japan.
There's not much different to enjoy their feelings for our performance between American audiences and Japanese ones. But American audiences are good to express their excited feelings and also have attitudes to receive what they like honestly even if they don't know us. Japanese audience's passions are so strong, same as American audiences. They need enough time till they express their feelings after show is started.

Favorite venues to play:
9:30 club in D.C. and Rock Shop in Brooklyn
The Rock Shop
249 4th Ave.
Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 230-5740
TheRockShopNY.com

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
When we finish every show, many audiences try to talk to us and shoot photos. They make lines to shoot photos. It's good for us and makes us feel like being idols. So funny!

Any advice to someone just starting out?
YOU CAN DO IT! YOU MUST DO IT!

What are your plans for the future?
We have some gigs in NYC. And, we hope to trip around the world to play gigs!

Can you recommend any other act(s) we could feature on MurphGuide?
We want to recommend "Peter Bjorn and John"!!!! Their new album "GIMME SOME" is amazing. We listen to it every morning in our home.

Upcoming gig:
The Suzan will be performing at a benefit for Japan tonight, Friday, April 15.

Friday, April 15, 2011
Bklyn ♥ Japan (Part II)
Comedy from:
Wyatt Cenac (Daily Show with Jon Stewart)
Kristen Schaal (Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Letterman, Conan, Flight of the Conchords)
Kurt Braunohler (IFC, Tell Your Friends! The Concert Film!)
Tim Harrington ("Beardo"/Les Savy Fav)
Arden Myrin (MAD TV/Chelsea Lately)
and more

Music by:
Mike Doughty (formerly of Soul Coughing)
Hard Nips (from Japan)
The Suzan (from Japan)
and more

All night dance party with:
DJ Aaron Lacrate and a special celebrity DJ (t.b.a.)
7:30pm Doors / 8pm Show
$15 adv / $20 doors
at:
The Bell House
149 7th St. (between 2nd & 3rd Ave.)
Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY
718 643-6510
TheBellHouseNY.com



The Suzan will also perform on Saturday, April 30 at The Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Below is a video from Suzan TV, chronicling their first days in NYC:

Spotlight Artists: The Young Things

Our next spotlight artists are the NYC rock band The Young Things. I first found out about this band because they are participating in Cathyland's Rock 4 Japan benefit concert next week. Guitarist Josh answers our questions below.
Lineup
There are four members of the youngthings:
Josh - guitar
Mikey -guitar and vocals
Neil - bass
Jonny - drums
We all sing a little bit too. but TYT is much bigger than the four of us. We've got an amazing manager (Brandon) and group of guys around us.

How did your band's name come about?
Ahhhh the name. You know I don't actually remember. I think we wanted something kinda vague but also kinda catchy. It's nothing nearly as cool as 'The Velvet Underground' or 'Television', but we do think it's pretty fucking awesome.

How long have you been performing?
We've all been friends for years. Some of us played together as kids, some later in life. Officially, The Young Things played their first shows about a year ago. We've had loads of ups and downs on stage (yes, alcohol is usually involved for both), but right now I think we're cooking with the perfect temperature.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
God, too many to count. I've got 3 or 4 skeletons in the closet, Neil's got a few. Jon also.

Musical influences:
I can only speak for myself, but you gotta go down the list:
Velvet Underground, The Clash, The Libertines, The Strokes, The Beatles, The Stones, etc etc. I'll even toss Guns n' Roses on that list. Why not? Slash definitely had an impact on my guitar solos.

Favorite venues to play:
We're NYC boys through and through, so we gotta say Bowery Electric on Bowery, Pianos on Ludlow, Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
We got a huge spring summer lined up. Details are still in the works, but we're gonna be leaving the country for a few, recording some new tracks, playing all over NYC, and basically just having a fucking party. Specifically, we hope everyone can make it out to our Japanese benefit at Brooklyn Bowl on April 12, also our show at Bowery Electric on May 19th.
You are performing at the Rock 4 Japan Benefit concert. How did did you become involved?
I honestly don't know. My manager came to us and asked if we wanted to play. We were obviously happy to do it. It's gonna be a great night for a great cause. They're matching donations at the door, so whatever you give, consider it doubled! that's pretty amazing.

Tuesday, April 12
Cathyland & PackratPlanet present..
Rock 4 Japan A benefit concert
Live rock show featuring:
Cheap Trick or Treat's tribute to Live at Budokan
Acey Slade & the Dark Party
The Orion Experience
High Teen Boogie
The Youngthings
Guest DJs Dario Speedwagon, Michael T & Amber Martin
Raffle prizes include:
an Ibanez electric guitar, a 5-piece set of Sound Percussion drums, Cheap Trick Budokan DVD/CD sets and Rick Nielsen-designed Ipod and Ipad cases

RSVP via facebook
$10 suggested donation
All proceeds go toward Japan earthquake/tsunami relief efforts
doors 6pm.
Show 8pm - midnight
at:
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave. (between N 11th & N 12th St.)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 963-3369
BrooklynBowl.com

Linkage:
website: theyoungthings.net
facebook: facebook.com/theyoungthings
Youtube: youtube.com/theyoungthings
Twitter: @theyoungthings
Myspace: theyoungthings

Where can we buy your music?
You can download our entire EP for FREE on our website, theyoungthings.net. We don't want your money… not yet at least.

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
Oh man we've got anecdotes. My favorite would have to be the first time we went to play in LA. We went out there with our engineer and basically tore the town down. One night in particular, we ended up going to a house party thrown by the cast of CSI, then ended up in some shithole bar in Hollywood. We're sitting at the bar having some cocktails, and I look to my left: a Hasidic rabbi dancing with a prostitute. I look to my right: a mother with a couple of young kids. Needless to say that we all hung for quite a while. Lovely people. I love LA.

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Drink and smoke a lot of cigarettes. Go out as a band as much as possible. If you're playing shows once every 2 or 3 weeks, spend the other nights meeting other bands and other people. It's awesome, everyone is super friendly, and you never know who you're gonna meet. Early on, we started the night handing out flyers in front of Bowery Ballroom. The night ended at an insane industry after party at 4 am. You never know where it takes you.

Can you recommend any other act(s) we should feature on MurphGuide?
we got a million friends in a million bands, so i don't wanna piss anyone off by forgetting a mention. it's like forgetting to thank your mom at the Grammys.

What are your plans for the future?
We've got big big plans coming up in the spring. But we don't wanna tip our hand.

In addition to the Rock 4 Japan benefit, you can see The Young Things on May 19 at Bowery Electric...

Thursday, May 19
The Young Things
at:
The Bowery Electric
327 Bowery (between 2nd & 3rd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 228-0228
TheBoweryElectric.com

Below you can learn more about the band in:
The Young Things 10-minute Documentary:

Spotlight Artist: Aunt Ange

Our next spotlight artist is the Aunt Ange, They are one of the bands performing at GFW2011, the benefit concert for The Global Fund for Women. Thanks again to Stephen Bailey for the introduction. The band's co-founder and co-songwriter Jack Kearney answers our questions below.


Lineup
Patrick O'Brien - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Accordion, Violin, Percussion
Jack Kearney - Guitar, Ukelele, Sitar, Accordion, Piano
Adam Kushner - Guitar, Keys, Percussion, Background Vocals
Dean Hartofilis - Bass
Alex Major / Attis Clopton - Drums
How did your band's name come about?
The name originates from Jack's Aunt. Aunt Angela let us record our first record at her house in New Canaan, CT. She packed up and moved out for ten days to let us record our first EP Fliptop Circus. Since, we have returned to Aunt Ange's house to track bass and drums for our third and latest album Olga Walks Away.

How long have you been performing?
Aunt Ange has been performing for 8 years, but the only members that have remained constant are the two song writers Patrick O'Brien and Jack Kearney.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
Before Aunt Ange, Patrick O'Brien, Jack Kearney, and Adam Kushner played in a rock band called Clinton Road with Exit Verona's front man Michael DiFilippi. Pat and Jack sat in with Exit Verona a few years later and provided a the rhythm sections. Alex Major plays in the band
Ellis Ashbrook, a psychedelic progressive rock band based in Brooklyn.

Musical influences:
Tom Waits, Radiohead, Danny Elfman, Neil Young, The Beatles, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Pink Floyd

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
We'd definitely like to plug the release of Olga Walks Away, our latest album, which is available exclusively at bandcamp.com as a digital download. Physical and iTunes release to come. Also, we just released three videos of us playing live at our rehearsal space in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The videos are available as a free download on our website (the audio tracks are also available for free with a fourth bonus track).

Linkage:
Website: AuntAnge.com
facebook: aunt.ange
Youtube: auntange1
Twitter: @auntange
Myspace: aunt.ange
Reverb Nation: auntange

Where can we buy your music?
You can buy our most recent album Olga Walks Away exclusively at auntange.bandcamp.com. Our last album Apathia can be purchased at the iTunes Store.

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
The last time we got to play CBGB's, our drummer at the time, Mark Ettingoff, called about an hour before the show and said he didn't think he was going to make it. We were forced to to go on with out him. We started our first song Raining Ashes in an unusually tame style. As the second verse started, we heard the crash of the cymbal and there was Mark. He jumped right in without missing a beat. The crowd was none the wiser, but his introduction set them off. As we
kick in to the second song Cracks, people got out of hand and a fight broke out. The cops cleared everybody out and we finished our set to a closed venue. After hearing this story, you might think we were a metal band...nope gyspy folk rock.

Favorite venues to play:
Arlene's Grocery, Piano's Mainstage, Maxwell's

Aunt Ange at Arlene's Grocery

Any advice to someone just starting out?
The only advice that we'd have for people starting out is that you have to know in your heart that you want music to be your life. If that's decided, with hunger, motivation, and hard work you can make anything in this life happen. Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself, it's the only way to learn. Don't be flaky. Most of all, realize that the future of the music industry is what we as artist make it. Be Creative.

You are performing at the annual Global Fund for Women Benefit Show. How did did you become involved?
We found out about the annual Global Fund for Women Benefit Show from Adam's co-worker and friend Nelson Pla. Nelson has sat in with Aunt Ange at rehearsal sessions. Once we were aware of the show and the great work done at the Global Fund for Women, we were all about it. It great to be a small part of something this special.

Thursday, April 7, 2011
Clueless Events presents...
Global Fund for Women 2011
A Concert to Benefit Global Fund for Women

hosted by Stephen Bailey
featuring performances by:
Nick Wager, Aunt Ange, Clueless Allstars, Ice Wagon Flu
RSVP via facebook
$8 donation
Proceeds from the show will benefit Global Fund for Women, an international network committed to a world of equality and social justice. They advocate for and defend women’s rights by making grants to support women’s groups around the world.
7:30pmat:
Maxwell's
1039 Washington St. (11th St.)
Hoboken, NJ
(201)653-1703
MaxwellsNJ.com


What are your plans for the future?
We are looking to do a CD release show in a couple of cities in the Northeast in the near future. A private show/DVD plans are in the works. Otherwise, we hope to be on the road for the new album sometime soon.

Can you recommend any other acts we should feature on MurphGuide?
Ellis Ashbrook, Exit Verona, Survival Suit

Below is a video of Aunt Ange performing "To the Sun and Die":

GFW2011: A Concert to Benefit Global Fund for Women

The third annual benefit concert for the Global Fund for Women will be held Thursday, April 7, 2011 at Maxwell's in Hoboken.

Thursday, April 7
Clueless Events presents...
Global Fund for Women 2011
A Concert to Benefit Global Fund for Women
hosted by Stephen Bailey
featuring performances by:
Nick Wager
Aunt Ange
Clueless Allstars (with very special surprise guests!)
Ice Wagon Flu
RSVP via facebook
$8 donation
Proceeds from the show will benefit Global Fund for Women, an international network committed to a world of equality and social justice. They advocate for and defend women’s rights by making grants to support women’s groups around the world.
Video:
Public Serviced Announcement for GFW2011 by The Lost Girls

Maxwell's: photo by Laura DeSanits-Olsson

7:30pm
at:
Maxwell's
1039 Washington St. (11th St.)
Hoboken, NJ
(201)653-1703
MaxwellsNJ.com

The show's host, Hoboken based writer Stephen Bailey, is a long-time friend and contributor to MurphGuide.com. He took the time to answer our questions below...

Stephen Bailey at GFW 2010. photo by Laura DeSanits-Olsson

You are hosting the 3rd annual GFW benefit concert. How did you become involved?
I've known organizer and musician Nelson Pla since we were teenagers. I had helped to promote the first benefit in 2009 and attended as a fan of the bands and the cause. I just really wanted to be more involved, so I asked Nelson if I could host the next one. I guess I didn't say or do anything too embarrassing since he's letting me do it again this year.

What are the goals of the Global Fund for Women?
They're a nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that promotes the economic security, health, safety, education and leadership of women and girls worldwide. They do this by raising money for grants through an international network of donors.

What can we expect at the show? Will you be performing in addition to hosting?
Ah, I think me yapping away on stage will be performance enough. It's been a while since I've picked up a guitar in public. But the night will not be short of fantastic music. My nephew Nick Wager is opening the show, so this year is even more special to me and my family. Then we have a very cool gypsy/garage/psychedelic rock band from Brooklyn called Aunt Ange. Of course, no GFW Benefit would be complete with out the clueLess Allstars. A band of local heroes and special guests headed up by Nelson Pla on drums and his brother Joe Pla on guitar. Closing the night will be the always fun Icewagon Flu with their bouncing Irish flavor. Anyone who has seen them knows what I mean.

What is new and exciting in the Hoboken music scene?
I love watching this great bar called Northern Soul on the southwest part of town developing into a major player in the live, original music scene. We held the 2010 Hoboken Music Awards there (which I hosted) and the place was busting at the seams. I think the positive energy coming out of that place has sparked other places to rethink their moratorium on original music. I've definitely been seeing more of it and that just makes me very happy.

Do you have any other projects in the works?
I've been working very closely with the Hoboken Arts Center project. Back in 2006 the city approved the building of a multifaceted performance, theater, gallery and educational space. The designs are breathtaking and it's gonna be an amazing cornerstone of the Hudson County arts scene. Right now it's in the usual long period of planning and development, but if all goes to plan, it should open in 2014. I'm very excited about that. See hobokenartscenter.org

Do you still perform?
No. Like I said, it's been a very long time. But the other night I had to take out one of my guitars to bring to my nephew to use as a backup for the GFW2011 show. I tell ya, I plucked a couple of notes and started to get that itch. So, ya never know. I could be out there annoying ears everywhere again real soon.

How did your old band Ya-Ne-Zniyoo get its name? How long were you together? Any chance of a reunion show?
We wanted a name in another language. Me, being a smart ass, thought it would be funny to have it in another alphabet. My bass player at the time Ed Zimmer was studying Russian, but all he could say was "I don't know." Since using the Cyrillic lettering proved difficult to say the least, Ya-Ne-Zniyoo was our lame attempt at a phonetic spelling. And then it stuck for 17 years and through many lineup changes. I had retired from performing after the band's last show at Maxwell's in 2006, but there is always a possibility of bringing together guys like Ed or Nelson who was our original drummer or my longest songwriting partner, Eric Schmitz. We were together for over 12 of those 17 years.

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
Hmmm. That's a tough one. If you've ever seen Spinal Tap, you know that anyone in a band for any amount of time has a plethora of stories to tell. I think one of my favorites actually dates back to one of the very first Ya-Ne-Zniyoo shows in 1989. We were playing a dive called Downtown Beirut II (yes, there were 2 of them). For a stage, they used a rickety old drum riser and my overly enthusiastic stage antics resulted in my foot going through the stage and me getting stuck. We finished the song and my reputation as a clumsy ragdoll on stage was born. I've never seriously hurt myself, but I've done my share of bruising and bleeding in the name of rock n roll.

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Don't let all this technology fool you. It may be easier to create your music and it may be easier to get yourself on to major retail sites like iTunes or Amazon, but the old marketing tricks are still the best. That may sound stupid, but it's the truth. Whether it's online or on stage, don't just hope and pray that someone finds you. Play out as much as you can. Have a decent website. Get on as many social sites as possible. Most importantly, engage your audience. Don't make it a one-way only communication. Oh, and always tip your bartenders! They will often be your greatest allies when trying to rebook at a venue.

Links:
Global Fund for Women
Donate to Global Fund for Women
Clueless Events
Stephen Bailey
Nelson Pla
Maxwell's

Below is a public service announcement for the GFW by Stephen Bailey:

Spotlight Artist: Nelson Pla

Our next spotlight artist is a drummer/percussionist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and creator of the 3rd annual Global Fund for Women Concert coming up on Thursday, April 7 at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Thanks to an introduction by our friend Stephen Bailey, Nelson Pla answers our questions below. Although Nelson has been a part of many bands, he will be performing in the benefit concert with his band known as clueLess All-stars.

Spotlight Artist: Nelson Pla & clueLess All-stars

photo by Debbie Hager

First, our mutual friend Stephen Bailey introduced us. How do you know Stephen?
We're from neighboring towns, I've know him since high school.

Band Lineup:
clueLess was originally a side project I started with my brother Joe as a 2 piece, a la White Stripes. While we don't perform much these days, we do a benefit show once a year for the Global Fund for Women at Maxwell's: we get a few musicians friends together and cover random variety Pop Rock from the last 40 years or so.

Here is the line-up for this year's clueLess benefit show band:
Alexandria Tava: vocals
Chris "Gibby" Gibson: guitar/vox
James "Lava" Boehmer: bass
Joe Pla: guitar/vox
Nelson Pla: drums/vox

What is the origin of your band's name?
While rehearsing/jamming with my brother and another friend, we jokingly referred to fellow musicians who have a naive perception of the industry as clueless, but who isn't? As I said in the first question it was a band we started as a side project.

How long have you been performing?
We released an EP in 2005, toured most of that year into 2006 then other endeavors took our attention but every now and then we do appearances under that name.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
As a musician I've played drums, keys, guitar and/or vocals for various bands/artists over the years. As a song writer I've released music under the band name Lazarus Effect, my most recent project is called Pompeii Pop, which I will include a 2 song sampler in a book of haiku, essays and artwork called: Lazarus' Ego. I've recorded and toured with Lazarus Effect, Mad Happy, Automatic Slim and The Badge. The first band I was in was a Pretenders tribute band called Precious (named after one their songs). The second band I was in was with Stephen Bailey's Ya-NeZniyoo.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
Benefit show for the Global Fund for Women this Thursday, April 7, 2011 at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ - it'll be a great night for a good cause! :)

Thursday, April 7
Clueless Events presents...
Global Fund for Women 2011
A Concert to Benefit Global Fund for Women
hosted by Stephen Bailey
Performances by:
Nick Wager
Aunt Ange
Clueless Allstars (with very special surprise guests!)
Ice Wagon Flu
RSVP via facebook
$8 donation
Proceeds from the show will benefit Global Fund for Women, an international network committed to a world of equality and social justice. They advocate for and defend women’s rights by making grants to support women’s groups around the world.
7:30pm
at:
Maxwell's
1039 Washington St. (11th St.)
Hoboken, NJ
(201)653-1703
MaxwellsNJ.com

The GFW Benefit Show is now in its third year. How did it all start?
A few years back as I started touring less and realized I missed performing, so I figure I might as well give myself a good b-day present by playing a show. I did not want to make it a "me" fest so I figured I'll do a benefit. Then I asked myself what do I support/who should I help? A friend helped me research all sorts of humanitarian organizations and my favorite is the Global Fund for Women, their main offices are in San Francisco but they have one here in New York. I met with the folks there, they thought is was a great idea and they support us every year in our endeavor to support them. Along the way others have helped in making this a great event for a good cause, one of them is Stephen Bailey and very talented photographer Laura Dessantis-Olsson.

What can we expect at this week's show? You are billed as the Clueless Allstars with surprise guests. Who are the surprise guests?
We plan to rock the crap out of the above mentioned songs and if I were to say who the surprise guest are it wouldn't be a surprise. I invited all my musician friends to come out to the show and they are welcome to jump up on stage (if there is room) sing/play hand percussion, etc...

See this Global Fund for Women public service announcement regarding the show, created by Stephen Bailey using xtranormal:


What are your future plans?
As long as I have b-days I'll be doing this. In between, I will be recording and releasing the next three clueLess albums. As I mentioned, I have a book coming out this year and then I'll start work on a Pompeii Pop album, release it then (most likely) tour.

Musical influences:
Way too many and varied to list, I am influenced by anything that can move my soul and/or feet. Here is this year's GFW2011 set:
Song 2 – Blur
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Suffragette City - David Bowie
Alex Chilton - The Replacements
Dancing Days - Led Zeppelin
World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope
Sour Girl - Stone Temple Pilots
Wrasse - clueLess
Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks
Girlfriend - Mathew Sweet
Getting Better - The Beatles
Go – clueLess:
--- Encore ---
Surrender - Cheap Trick

Favorite venues to play:
Maxwell's of course. In the NYC area I like Mercury Lounge in Manhattan and there's Union Hall in Brooklyn, a small but really cool room, good people.

Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston St.
New York, NY
(212) 260-4700
MercuryLoungeNYC.com

Union Hall
702 Union St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 638-4400
UnionHallNY.com

Linkage:
website: NelsonPla.com
clueLess: cluelessmusic.net
clueLess events: cluelessevents.org
facebook: nelsonpla
Youtube: user/sbcea
Myspace: clueless & sessionsatpla
Live Music: Clueless: myfoxaustin.com

Where can we buy your music?
I know The Best of clueLess: Volume I is available on iTunes, Amazon and/or through us.

You've had multiple roles in your music career: drummer/percussionist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. Which is your favorite?
I have had most fun as a drummer but the most soul satisfying experience (for me) is the creation of a new song. I am fortunate to work in an industry were one can express themselves from the subtle to the sublime.

Nelson Pla at GFW 2010. photo by Laura DeSanits-Olsson

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
As a drummer I've experienced the continental drift of the drum kit, meaning if said instrument is not on a carpet the bass drum will slide away with every hit and the snare and floor tom will bounce all over the place without something to absorb the energy of each strike. Of course, no one notices until they don't hear drums anymore because they have drifted too far for me to reach.
Any advice to someone just starting out?
With any passion one must be pragmatic as well, if they wish to have any marketable success/longevity. Do what you want to do and do it as best you can, try not to solely pursue what is perceived as commercially viable.

Can you recommend any other act(s) we should feature on MurphGuide?
I recommend featuring Aunt Ange, great band/killer songs, good attitude, good people-they're playing right before us at GFW2011.

Below is a video of clueLess performing "Go" at the first GFW Concert, in 2009:

Spotlight Artist: Hadar Noiberg

Our next spotlight artist is Hadar Noiberg, internationally known Israeli flutist and writer. She has toured the world with various classical ensembles. Currently residing in Brooklyn, Hadar answers our questions below:

Line-up:
Hadar Noiberg- flute and compositions
Edward Perez- double bass
Ziv Ravitz - drums and percussion
Special Guest- Yohai Cohen on Middle Eastern percussion

How long have you been performing?
The trio changed some musicians since we started - the concept exists about two years and this current band exists for about a year and a half.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
I grew up playing classical music in Israel and was a part of the Israeli Young Philharmonic Orchestra. In New York, I was very active in the Cuban scene and played with bands like Coco Mama (all female Salsa band) Charanga Soleil (Cuban-Haitian-African band where I'm the musical director). I'm also playing with a new cool band called Yemen Blues with Omer Avital, who's a great musician and a good friend. Lately I've been exploring and researching Middle Eastern music and I'm playing with a Moroccan band, Rachid Halihal and Layali El Andalus.

Musical influences:
Everything. Never had a favorite flutist growing up (even though Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is definitely a flute inspiration for me). I listened and was inspired by anything that touched me- from Dexter Gordon to John Coltrane to Fajardo y sus Estrellas to Bjork to Schubert to Oum Kalthoum and Farid El Atrash... You get the picture.

Favorite venues to play:
Locally I would say Joe's Pub and Cornelia Street Cafe. Even though I'm sure there are amazing room that I haven't yet explored. Internationally, I was lately on tour in North US and really enjoyed Triple Door in Seattle and School of Folk in Chicago.

Linkage:
website: hadarnoiberg.com

facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=565927825
Youtube: Hadarnoiberg
Myspace: hadarnoiberg

Great Review of my CD: insideworldmusic.blogspot.com

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug:
MY CD Release Party at Drom on April 13th at 9.30pm with my fabulous trio and some great guests! Come and bring friends!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Hadar Noiberg CD Release Party
featuring:
Hadar Noiberg - flutes, compositions
Edward Perez - double bass
Ziv Ravitz - drums, percussion
Special Guest: Yohai Cohen on Middle Eastern percussion
$10 admission
9:30pm
at:
at:
Drom
85 Avenue A
(between 5th & 6th St.)
212-777-1157
New York, NY
DromNYC.com

Where can we buy your music?

CD Baby- cdbaby.com/Artist/HadarNoiberg

Or even better contact me through my website and I will send one to you!

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
I always feel excited about playing my music on stage. Sharing such an intimate moment with people you might not know is great. It's teaching me to let go and to be able to bring what comes in the moment in the most natural way.

Can you recommend any other artist we should feature on MurphGuide?
Charanga Soleil - A musical ensemble that combines Cuban salsa, Congolese rumba-soukous and Haitian compas.
Kath Buckell - A singer/songwriter from Australia.

You are celebrating your new CD Journey Back Home. How long did it take to record. Tell us a little about it.
Well, the recording process was great. First of all, working with such great musicians as Ziv Ravitz (drums) and Omer Avital (double bass, oud) made the whole thing very easy. We went into the studio to record a demo - it was the first time we played as a trio, except for two rehearsals. We ended up keeping most of that session for the CD, it was just so great! There is magic in keeping the music very fresh before the studio. Then I booked another recording session for the rest of the tunes. Most of the takes are first or second takes.

How did you start the Hadar Noiberg Project, Connections?
Well, that was how it all began - I was playing a funk gig at a bar and was suddenly thinking about how everything I play or do in life is connected back to me and to one another. That lead me to think about making conscious connections in my music and try and create a new sound. That trio had other musicians and a live at Smalls recording. Now I call the project the Hadar Noiberg Trio.
I came to New York at age 21 and very quickly made a name for myself in the different scenes. In the last couple of years I've been on a journey to find my roots and the meaning of my music. I've been playing so much with people with strong roots and culture such as Argentinians, Cubans, Brazilians etc., and felt like I must dig deeper and see what is the meaning of being Israeli. I chose a bold setting on purpose - flute trio is not something you can hear every day and I must say we really rock.

My new CD, Journey Back Home, is also a journey of the flute as a lead instrument. The flute in Western improvised music has always been an instrument that was either used by doublers or was not considered a serious main instrument. In the Eastern and Middle Eastern musical traditions the flute, the Middle Eastern ney or the Indian bansuri are main influential instruments that hold the deep soul of the music. I want to bring that depth and richness into my music which is highly influenced by both West and East, featuring the flute as a strong leading instrument.

What are your plans for the future?
Well, I'm planning a US tour for my band in October and a European tour in November. I plan to record a third CD, perform in venues and festivals of jazz and world music, have my music played on the radio (already happening in several stations in the US) and make amazing music with my favorite people! Also, I'd like to contribute my musical talent to support important goals such as women's rights and gay rights.

I first learned about you when you wrote to list your upcoming show. How did you hear about MurphGuide.com?
I was actually recommended by another website and liked what I saw! Glad we got to know each other.

Below is a clip of Hadar Noiberg performing at Nessiah Festival in Italy:

Spotlight Artist - Homeboy Steve

Our next spotlight artist is guitarist Steve Antonakos, a.k.a. Homeboy Steve. Our description of Steve will be brief, just like his answers to our questions were brief:

Steve is a talented guitarist that plays in several bands, makes cool flyers for his gigs, reads MurphGuide.com on occasion and answered our questions below:
How long have you been performing?
35 years.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
Blue Chieftans, NY Loose, 5 Chinese Brothers, Greg Garing

Favorite venues to play:
Banjo Jim's, Hill Country, The Ear Inn, The National Underground

Musical influences:
First Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman, then a lot of other stuff . . .

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
The gig never ends, it's just that some breaks are longer than others.

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Don't stop.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
Look out for new records by Dirty Water Dogs, Love Camp 7, Homeboy Steve

Linkage:
website: homeboysteve.com
facebook: Homeboy-Steve
Youtube: homeboystevea
Myspace: homeboysteve
Reverb Nation: homeboysteve

Where can we buy your music?
Live gigs.

Here are some of Homeboy Steve's upcoming gigs...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Life
with Homeboy Steve
7pm
at:
The Local 269
269 E. Houston St. (Suffolk St.)
New York, NY

and then...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Drina Seay
with Homeboy Steve
no cover
9pm
at:
Banjo Jim's
700 E. 9th St. (Ave. C)
New York, NY
(212) 777-0869
BanjoJims.com
-----------------------
Steve plays acoustic guitar with the traditional Greek band Magges...
Friday, April 1
Magges at Lafayette Grill & Bar
10:30pm
at:
Lafayette Grill & Bar
54 Franklin St. (between Broadway & Lafayette St.)
New York, NY
212 732-5600
----------------------
Saturday, April 9
Magges at Teneleven
10pm - late
at:
TenEleven
171 Avenue C (between 10th & 11th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 353-1011
---------------------------
Steve plays guitar with Angel Drake...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Angel Drake at Banjo Jim's
8pm
at:
Banjo Jim's
700 E. 9th St. (Ave. C)
New York, NY
(212) 777-0869
BanjoJims.com
---------------------------
Steve plays guitar with the Cajun zydeco funk band Dirty Water Dogs.
They have a monthly residency at The Ear Inn...
Dirty Water Dogs
3rd Monday of every month
midnight - 3am
at:
The Ear Inn
326 Spring St.
(between Washington & Greenwich St.)
New York, NY
(212) 431-9750
EarInn.com

--------------------------
Saturday, April 30
Dirty Water Dogs at Percy's Tavern
no cover
10pm - 1am
at:
Percy's Tavern
210 Avenue A (13th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 228-4885
PercysNYC.com


Can you recommend any other act(s) we should feature on MurphGuide?
Dirty Water Dogs, Magges, Love Camp 7, Drina Seay, Wanda Phipps, Karen Hudson

Below is a clip of Homeboy Steve performing "Gunhill Road"with Dirty Water Dogs.

Spotlight Artists: The Moonshiners

Our next spotlight artists are The Moonshiners. I first saw The Moonshiners on the recommendation of mutual friend James Quigley, of Hell or High Water. They were performing at Peggy O'Neill's tent at the Great Irish Fair in Coney Island. Lead vocalist Tom O'Callaghan answers our questions below.

Lineup:

Tommy O'Callaghan - lead vocals

Joe O'Brien - keyboards

Bobby Lee Moller - drums, bohdran

Tommy Burns - accordion, guitar, vocals

Frank Banafato - lead guitar, mandolin, banjo

Meredith Rachel - fiddle

Rick Shields - bass, vocals

How long have you been performing?

The Moonshiners have been together for 15 years. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long!

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):

I came home from the University of Nebraska in the 80's fresh from my first band and started an original rock group with my best friend, Joe. A few years later Joe put together an Irish band for St Patrick's Day for kicks. This became a nine piece off the hook Celtic/punk band, The Flailin' Shillelaghs. We were one of the few New York bands, besides the Pogues, doing that style of punked up Irish music.

We were very popular, played sold out gigs, but were all over the place. It was a crazy time. We ended up breaking up, but Joe and Bobby and I eventually regrouped as the Moonshiners. We recruited bassist Pat Lonzello from a very successful country band and played with a number of very cool players over the years. We went from being a rock band doing Irish music to a true Celtic rock band when we found Tommy B. He gave us a more tradition sound and added vocal and song writing diversity. We always had strong guitar players, but picking up Frank a couple of years ago refined our sound and added more traditional Irish instrumentation.

This is M's first year with the band, but I cannot overstate the impact she has had. She's a formally trained young violinist out of Chicago who has taken us to another level.
Pat recently left to spend time with his family, and we picked up an old friend, Rich Shields, as our new bass player.

Musical influences:

The Pogues, Saw Doctors, Flogging Molly, Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, the Beatles (obligatory), Clancys, Wolfetones.

Favorite venues to play:

Madison Square Garden! But unfortunately that hasn't happened. No, we play mostly festivals, weddings, and private parties these days, but we really enjoy the occasional bar gigs. Ulysses' and the Playwright Pub are always a lot of fun. Our favorite gig though has got to be the NYPD Emerald Society post-parade party on St. Patrick's Day at the pier on the Hudson. It's the largest indoor St. Patrick's Day party in the world. They average about six thousand people and you feel like you know each and every one of them.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?

We will headline the NYPD Emerald Society party on Pier 90 this St. Patrick's Day, and finish the day at the Playwright Pub on 35th St (bet. 5th & 6th) going on at 7:30. After the season is over, we will get to work on our next CD and prepare for the summer/fall festival season. We are also gonna be a part of a compilation CD called "Celtic New York" with Shillelagh Law, The Canny Bros. and other top flight New York Irish bands.

Thursday, March 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day with
The Moonshiners
7:30pm
at:
The Playwright
27 W. 35th St.
(between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 268 8868
PlaywrightIrishPubNYC.com

Linkage:

website: TheMoonshinersBand.com

facebook: The-Moonshiners-Band

Youtube: TheMoonshinersBand

Twitter: that for twits

Myspace: so last decade I forget the link

Where can we buy your music?

TheMoonshinersBand.com (best price)

CDBaby.com

Amazon.com

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.

We only work off a set list for the festivals and weddings. The bar gigs are fun because we never know exactly where we will go. Joe and I (mostly Joe) call songs out and eventually the audience tells us what to play whether we know the song or not. Playing with these guys is amazing because they will usually figure it out. They don't remember what they had for lunch but can recall a Stones song they haven't played in 15 years.

The Moonshiners performing at Ulysses'

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Write, write, write!!! Discover your creativity when others are screaming "Freebird!"

Can you recommend another act we should feature on MurphGuide?

The Headlocks out of Staten Island. They are the best original local act I have heard in years. Big following, too.

Below is a video of The Moonshiners performing "Brennan on the Moor":

Spotlight Artist: Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans

Our next spotlight artists are Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans. We were introduced by our mutual friend, Joe Janish, who writes an excellent blog about the NY Mets called MetsToday.com. Mike & his band have recently released their full length debut, "What's Yours is Mine". The singer & songwriter answers our questions below...

all photo credit: Sarah K. Andrew

Band Lineup:
Mike Ferraro--guitar/vox
Ralph Capasso--drums/vox
Jonathan Andrew--bass/vox

How did your band's name come about? Has it ever caused confusion with your audience, or with actual young Republicans?
It started as a gag. I don't remember why. At our first show someone suggested we introduce ourselves that way, and it sorta stuck from there.

All this really to avoid playing under just my name, which feels right for the songs, but is unfair to my bandmates, I think, since their contributions are significant and unique to the presentation of the songs...I mean, I have band names stockpiled, but none of them felt right for this band.
As the primary songwriter, I guess it’s natural I feel this way to some extent...a snappy band name feels somehow too impersonal for a project that revolves around my songs, which are typically written by me, alone, on acoustic guitar. That, and I guess I’ve always liked the sound of guy-with-band-name band names...Tom Petty, Neil Young, Ted Leo etc.
Hands down, Emmett Miller and his Georgia Crackers is my fave of that ilk. Anyway, given the name we chose, confusion is inevitable, and I welcome it, frankly. It’s certainly a conversation piece. I think it’s pretty clear from the album title alone, WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE, that the band name is tongue-in-cheek, but people are awfully literal-minded, to put it mildly.


How long have you been performing?
Been playing music publicly since fall 2003--starting right here in lovely downtown Manhattan, which looked pretty diff then than it does now, come to think of it.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
I’ve never been in anyone’s band but my own. and don’t have any real inclination to do so to be honest. There have been a few different incarnations, but it’s always been my songs that I’ve been interested in playing.
In ‘03 it was Jon and I, first as a duo, then as a trio, under the name Ciampi (pronounced champy; my mom’s maiden name). Jon, a non-drummer, played drums, which indicates the depths of our frustrations to find a competent player who wasn’t a total sub-human. Then a few years later after Jon and I went our separate ways, Ralph and I linked up and played together, mostly as a duo, and recorded an EP, AWFUL KILLERS. But MF/YR was born when Jon eventually returned to the fold on the eve of the release of the aforementioned EP.

My life growing up was your standard narrow-minded suburban existence, replete with all the intellectual and spiritual stagnancy such blight breeds. Being near the city helped--it provided a modicum of escape early on, at least. I read a lot, which widened my perspective considerably. For a kid of my temperament, this was crucial. Anyway, from there it seemed like a logical step to want to develop a voice of my own. That became really important to me and remains my focus, and so, here we are.
Musical influences:
My strongest influences come from my reading; the goal being, as Flaubert says, ‘to move the stars to pity.’ An impossible task, of course, but one worthy of the effort.
That sounds awfully pretentious but it’s the truth...and is the only reason for doing anything creative in my view. That said, there are too many bands to recite here as influences. besides, it’s not as my influences are not readily apparent to anyone with even a reasonable grasp of pop/rock music history of the last say 50-60 years.

Favorite venues to play:
I’m none too particular really--I’ll play anywhere, anytime; usually the stranger the setup the better for my taste--for example, we’re playing the Best Buy on Union Square this month in addition to regular club dates and I’m looking forward to it--should be a somewhat surreal experience at the very least.

As far as more traditional rock venues go--Maxwell’s in Hoboken is great, they treat bands really well. In the city proper, Sidewalk Cafe is a good joint...honestly I prefer smaller rooms, like local neighborhood bars, because they tend to operate differently. The meat market mentality that dominates the booking strategy of most NYC clubs is usually less severe or altogether non-existent.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
I’ve already done a fair bit of that already, haven’t I? Our record is now available online at most digital retailers. We’re really proud of it. please buy it online or better yet come out to a show and buy a CD from us. To that end, we will be at Best Buy in Union Square on Wednesday, 3/16 and Trash Bar in Brooklyn on Friday, 3/18. Check mikeferraro.net for more info.

Friday, March 18, 2011:
Mike Ferraro & The Young Republicans
Open bar from 8-9pm with $8 admission
8pm
at:
The Trash Bar
256 Grand St.
(bet. Driggs Ave. & Roebling St.)
Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
(718)-599-1000
TheTrashBar.com

How long did it take to record your new album "What's Yours Is Mine"?
Too long. we did it whenever our schedules permitted it--the next one will be much faster; I am raring to go on it, actually. Considering the span of time, it has a remarkably unified sound, which makes sense since we did it all ourselves on the cheap with the help of some talented and kind friends along the way.

Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans: What's Yours is Mine

Linkage:
website: mikeferraro.net
facebook: MikeFerraroYR
Youtube: mikeferraromusic
Twitter: @MikeFerraroBand
Myspace: mikeferraro
Reverb Nation: mikeferraro
Sonic bids: mikeferraro

Where can we buy your music?
iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, eMusic, CD Baby
Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
Our first show together, ralph and I randomly opened for el madmo, Norah Jones’ (now defunct?) glam-rock side project. We didn’t know till we loaded in to the club and her tech informed us. I of course was filled with dread and panic at the thought of sharing the mic with the esteemed chanteuse on such short notice. They were all super nice. The whole thing was really hush hush.

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Clearly, someone just starting out should be giving me advice. But I will say this: do it because you don’t want to do anything else. otherwise, don’t bother...the rest simply does not matter.

The Moon and the Yew Tree, 2002 by Mike Ferraro
(inspired by the Sylvia Plath poem of the same name)

I saw some of your paintings on your website, dated '00 and '02. Do you still paint? Is that your artwork on the album cover?
It is, thanks for asking. It’s an old acrylic from round that time. When we decided on the album title, of all the stuff I had laying around, it seemed to fit best.
I do still paint; though less than I would like to, for a variety of reasons. I mostly do oil pastels now; they’re cheaper and cleaner...it's all of a piece to me...art, music, writing, reading.
The doing is the thing, whatever the task at hand.

We were introduced via a mutual friend, Joe Janish. How do you know Joe?
I met Joe through my drummer Ralph. He’s been nice enough to ask us to do a version of MEET THE METS for his blog. We’re working on it now and it will be up and ready mid-March, just in time for opening day...

Below is a video for Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans' song "What's Yours is Mine":