Alec Gross kills 'em dead at Canal Room. Cassidy rocks out..

What a great night of friends, fans and music we had at the Canal Room this past week during Alec Gross' EP release party- featuring an earlier set by The Cassidy Project.

I've included a couple of shots below, and will post up some of the music and video when it becomes available, but if you missed the show- well.. that's your bad.


These photos were provided by Alec's friend Nicole Caldwell and edited by MW. Her blog is: kobiashimaru.blogspot.com

The show also proved to be a who's who of local musicians showing their support including Todd Alsup, Katy Pfafll, Phil Galitzine of Atomic Tom, Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil, Nate Campany, and more..

More Alec Gross Hilarity

Alec has found (easily) the funniest way to promote his gigs. Take this one for example. It's a "commercial" for his upcoming gig at The Canal Room on February 26th.


Alec Gross at Canal Room from George Gross on Vimeo.

This is Alec's EP release party and an opportunity to see him with a full band- horns, dobro, bv's, electrics, acoustics and drums. Its sure to be a great hour of music! We would love to see you there..

Alec will go on at 9, following a set by Cassidy from Antigone Rising.

The Orion Experience

Jon Weber (drummer) plays guitar on The Orion Experience's 'Nipon Ga Die Ski'. Single to be released on a hot pop label in Japan this Spring.

Steve Lillywhite visits Road Recovery and MajorWho

We were thrilled to host Road Recovery's most recent guest, uber-producer Steve Lillywhite.

Here's some of the text from Road Recovery's press-release about the event.

New York, NY: MajorWho Media (www.majorwho.com) graciously hosted Grammy Award Winning Record Producer Steve Lillywhite for his second Road Recovery Master Class!

For more than ninety minutes, Steve Lillywhite, the man behind so many historical rock albums, ‘produced, mixed and mastered’ a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Road Recovery’s young adult program participants and staff.

Steve Lillywhite captivates Road Recovery youth & staff sharing his personal and professional life experiences

Steve Lillywhite started his career in the recording studio in 1972 at the bottom rung of the ladder as a tape operator at Phonogram's Marble Arch studio in England. Soon enough, however, he became an engineer himself and began producing bands on the side.

Lillywhite has produced some of the most successful albums from such internationally acclaimed artists as U2, the Talking Heads, and the Rolling Stones, and some of the most trend-setting albums by such musical pioneers as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Ultravox, the Psychedelic Furs, XTC, the Pogues, World Party, Morrissey, Dave Mathews Band, Phish, Matchbox Twenty, and Ours. In 2006, Lillywhite was awarded producer of the year at the Grammy Awards.

Without missing a beat, Steve Lillywhite turned the tables on the dozen Road Recovery young artists who call themselves Crazy James and invited them into the recording studio control room of Major Who Media. Once in the comfortable setting of the recording studio’s control room, Lillywhite listened to rough mixes of new Crazy James material. After exploring all the elements of the young artists’ work, Lillywhite urged everyone to take chances within themselves and never settle both musically and personally!

Steve Lillywhite at work, listening to rough mixes of new Crazy James material

Steve Lillywhite (center) surrounded by a grateful
Road Recovery and Major Who Media staff

Be on the lookout for Steve Lillywhite’s latest projects he helped produce that are due for commercial release in March 2009:

Blue October – Approaching Normal (Universal)
U2 - No Line On The Horizon (Interscope)

March Madness Music Gigs

So you thought fun was over in February? Guess Again! March is just as hoppin! Get ready for some great performances by Alec Gross, Diane Birch, Paula Valstein, Todd Alsup and many others!

March 2nd
8pm: Diane Birch @ Ella Lounge

March 3rd
9pm: Paula Valstein @ Joe's Pub

March 6th
8pm: Alec Gross @ Think Coffee

March 10th
8pm: Supove @The Stone

March 12th
8:30pm: Diane Birch @ Cornelia Street Cafe

March 13th
9pm: Wes Hutchinson @ Rockwood Music Hall

March 19th
7pm: AtomicTom @ Pianos

March 26th
8pm: Casey Shae @ Union Hall

March 27th
8pm: Todd Alsup @ Rockwood Music Hall
8:30pm: Katy Pfaffl @ Bar4 in Park Slope
9pm: Shayna Zaid @ Rockwood Music Hall

March 30th
3pm: Alec Gross @ Eastern Connecticut State University

Upcoming Shows! Fun-filled February!!!

Here are some of the hottest Indie performers you don't want to miss! The weather starts to warm up and people come out from hibernation, what better way to enjoy it than with some music...

February 10th
7pm: Diane Birch @ Irving Plaza

February 12th
8pm: Risa Binder @ Westpoint Military Academy
8:30pm: Diane Birch @ Cornelia St. Cafe
9pm: AtomicTom @ Canal Room

February 13th
8:30pm: Katy Pfaffl @ Living Room
9pm: Wes Hutchinson @ Rockwood Music Hall

February 14th (Valentine's Day, don't forget those flowers!)
11am: Paula Valstein on WPKN Radio
12pm: Shayna Zaid on WPKN Radio
8pm: Todd Alsup @ Mattison Park

February 16th
8pm: Diane Birch @ Ella Lounge

February 17th
8pm: Wes Hutchinson @ Pianos

February 22nd
7pm: Lights Resolve @ Mercury Lounge

February 23rd
8pm: Diane Birch @ Ella Lounge

February 26th
8pm: Alec Gross @ The Canal Room (Record Release Party!!!)

February 27th
8:30pm: Katy Pfaffl @ Bar4 in Park Slope

February 28th
8pm: Casey Shea @ Pianos (with special guest Wes Hutchinson on bass)
11pm: Shayna Zaid @ Rockwood Music Hall

*More info regarding addresses and cover charge at bottom of blog*

Warsaw - The Arrival Part I

Music by Warsaw Village Band


Warsaw - The Arrival Part I from Stefan Markiewicz on Vimeo.

Great Article about Alec Gross

Alec Gross making waves in the blogosphere! Check out this great article.

Highlights:

"Rose Tattoo has been on my playlist non-stop for a fortnight. Alec is one of the most beautiful singers I have heard in a long time, with a distinct tone, and the innocence that he can convey through his songwriting makes him my favorite folk singer performing right now...

...With Alec we get all of the pure sensibility and the tradition of the genre, but with songs that aren't from the public domain! "Carver Spring Massacre" reminds me of cruising in my old truck with only one folk tape in the dash - some Irish singer I've never heard of - but the song creeps inside as though it's been in the air for a century. It's very impressive. I can already tell that "Rose Tattoo" will be on my best of 2009. Well done, Alec!"

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

1981 primitive Internet report on KRON San Francisco

This whole internets idea seems very far fetched...

Deja Vu for Jeff Buckley’s Mom, Drummer & Road Recovery

Here's the text from Road Recovery's last newsletter. Its been quite a couple weeks for them and we're proud to have been a part of it.

Deja Vu for Jeff Buckley’s Mom, Drummer & Road Recovery

New York, NY – 14 years later, Major Who Media’s recording studios, once the rehearsal space for the late artist Jeff Buckley, became the backdrop for Buckley’s mother Mary Guibert and Buckley band drummer Matt Johnson to participate in Road Recovery’s Master Class Series.

January 2009 kicked off for Road Recovery uniting Road Recovery’s Jack Bookbinder of Jeff Buckley's management team and Gene Bowen, Buckley’s tour manager, with Mary Guibert and Jeff’s band mate Matt Johnson inside the late artist’s rehearsal space now the home of Major Who Media.

(L-R) Jack Bookbinder (Road Recovery), Major Who Media’s – James Walsh & Sheldon Steiger together with Gene Bowen (Road Recovery) surround Mary Guibert (Jeff Buckley Music) come together for Road Recovery young people.

In 1995, James Walsh of Major Who Media owned a recording studio that was originally located next door to the Jeff Buckley band rehearsal cave. As neighbors occupying a Dungeness basement in a residential NYC apartment building, a friendship developed between Buckley, Bowen and Walsh. After Jeff Buckley’s accidental drowning in 1997, Gene Bowen knocked on Major Who Media’s door and offered Walsh Buckley’s old space...the rest is history…

(L-R) Jack Bookbinder (Road Recovery), James Walsh (Major Who Media), drummer - Matt Johnson and Gene Bowen (Road Recovery) reminisce about days ago…

During the two Master Class Sessions Matt Johnson and Mary Guibert wove an intimate conversation with a small group of Road Recovery teens and young adults illuminating the twists and turns of their life and career story. Independently, Guibert and Johnson described in great detail their daily quest toward ever finding meaning, understanding and purpose in what drove them; their inner passion toward a life with meaning.

Above: Drummer – Matt Johnson (right corner) ‘kicking it’ about his life with Road Recovery young folks during his Master Class session.

(center) Mary Guibert (Jeff Buckley Music) sharing the love with Road Recovery’s young people, staff and Major Who Media’s James Walsh (far right) after her Master Class.

Even in the wake of great tragedy and loss, Guibert summoned everyone to ‘be their own hero’ by being accountable to themselves through evolving an honest relationship within and the outside world intersecting them.

At the conclusion of each Master Class session with Matt Johnson and Mary Guibert, an unending musical exchange erupted in true Buckley style!

Matt Johnson (center) building a beat with Road Recovery’s young people during his Master Class session.

Matt Johnson finishes his Master Class behind the kit jamming with Road Recovery’s house band Crazy James inside Major Who Media’s recording studio.

"I recommend this experience for people on both sides. I got to meet new people, play music, and talk with others about life…The gift of life!!! Road Recovery is about sharing. I love this organization." – Matt Johnson, drummer

"I have so much respect for these young people. They are constantly dealing with daily challenges to their sobriety with so much courage and integrity. I am in awe of them." – Mary Guibert (Jeff Buckley Music)

For more info about Road Recovery, visit www.roadrecovery.org

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Thursday, January 29th – Metallica’s James Hetfield hosts Road Recovery Master Class

* Caron is presenting their own Concert & Silent Auction to benefit Road Recovery (for the Keeping It Real Program) on Thursday, February 19^th at 8:30 PM at the John Varvatos store (previously the legendary CBGB’s).

Caron is selling tickets for $50.00 each and their phone/email address is provided below.

There are NO complimentary tickets as it’s a 100% fundraiser. This is an open-bar event and alcohol will be served.

Crazy James is performing a short set, along with three other bands. Please read and feel free to circulate the below e-flyer to all those interested to help push ticket sales for February 19^th! If you prefer the flyer in another format, please let us know. More information to come about Road Recovery’s own fundraiser concert in the Spring 2009 for those who enjoyed last year’s concert at the Nokia.

Frederick '11 Years'

I just love this video. The song, the concept, the design.




Fredrik - '11 Years' from Iris Piers on Vimeo.

11 years is the second music video to be released of Fredrik's Na Na Ni album.
The video was shot in an abandoned train station in rural southern Sweden by Dutch experimental filmmaker Iris Piers, and later merged with landscapes of black and white trees.
For more information about the artists please visit:
sagomusik.com
irispiers.com
thekorarecords.com