Shawn Fogel to Play Two Solo Shows with Avi Wisnia

Flying solo is no sweat for Golden Bloom’s Shawn Fogel. While he often performs live with a band, Fogel’s used to going it alone in the studio, where he creates all of Golden Bloom’s music himself. He’ll be playing a solo set of his soaring power pop at New York's Googie’s Lounge on February 24th and Legendary Dobbs in Philadelphia on February 25th. Avi Wisnia will also perform a solo set.

Last year was a big year for Shawn Fogel, who joined the likes of Ben Kweller and Guster's Ryan Miller in Brooklyn and at SXSW, shared the stage with Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Hey Marseilles, Telekinesis and Sea Wolf and played sold out Neutral Uke Hotel shows across the country.


Thursday, February 24th
Googie's Lounge (Upstairs at The Living Room)
154 Ludlow, New York, NY
Doors: 6 PM
Show: 7:30 PM
21+
$5 suggested donation
With: Avi Wisnia

Friday, February 25th
Legendary Dobbs (Upstairs)
304 South Street, Philadelphia, PA
$10
21+
Doors: 7:30 PM
Show: 8:00 PM
With: Avi Wisnia Click Here to Read More..

News Roundup from Indie Rock Cafe, The KEPX Blog, The Record Dept. and more

My Rare Guitars offers an exclusive video of Neutral Uke Hotel's live in-store performance at Eastwood Guitars.

Avi Wisnia's new releaseSomething New is announced on Indie Rock Cafe and The KEPX Blog

Bill's Music Forum reviews Sara Radle's Four. "Her intensely personal lyrics and the trademark sweetness in her voice invite the listener into her world, which is supported by a soundtrack of indie pop and rock."

The Bay Bridged includes Gwyneth and Monko's "Good Old Horse" on Monthly Mix Podcast.

The Record Dept. reviews Golden Friends, saying, "With this latest release, "Leopold and His Fiction have really upped the ante and set out to reinvent all the best things about rock n’ roll."

Surviving the Golden Age reviews Avi Wisnia's Something New. "On songs like “New Year” and “I Wish That I Could Stop Writing Songs About You”, Wisnia writes heart-string tugging songs about love that really stand out."

The KEPX Blog lists The True Jacqueline's Nice Bird on Out This Week.

The Anorexic Food Critic previews Avi Wisnia's July 11th show at Club Passim.

Click Here to Read More..

News Roundups from Blender, The Washington Post, Indie Rock Cafe and more

The Blender Blog's article on "The Ukulele's Unlikely Renaissance" is all in favor of Neutral Uke Hotel's mission to "to unite obsessed fans of Neutral Milk Hotel for a live performance of their critically acclaimed "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" album, played in its entirety on ukulele" and says, "The album's beloved songs have reached canon status, so why not interpret, and reinterpret, and why not on a ukulele?"

Jersey Beat raves about The True Jacqueline's Nice Bird, saying "Oh, yeah baby! Bring it on! You ever listen to an album that’s so delightfully bouncy, upbeat, and flat-out insanely appealing fun that it just makes you wanna say all sorts of wacky nice stuff. Well, man, this is exactly that kinda album."


Aol Music is currently featuring Avi Wisnia's Something New on Full CD Listening Party.

The Washington Post lists No Second Troy's Iota show on its Going Out Guide.

Magnet's MP3 At 3PM posts "California Run" and "Highways" from Neil Nathan's upcoming The Distance Calls. They say of "California Run," "The country-inflected single breezes by like a convertible cruising down the PCH, sounding like a long-lost Old 97’s track that was recently unearthed."

Tympanogram says of Neutral Uke Hotel's NXNE performance, "The group is obviously reverential, and they impart their love for an album that was formative for them, and one that they personally cherish in the way they know best. ...not everyone can express their appreciation for them in such a stirring manner."

The True Jacqueline's "Monde Green" (from their release Nice Bird) is posted on KEPX's Out This Week and on Indie Rock Cafe.

Listen Dammit posts "Song for Adam," a track from Sara Radle's upcoming full-length, Four.

Buzzgrinder and Electric Mustache list the release of The True Jacqueline's Nice Bird.
Click Here to Read More..

News Roundups from Aiding & Abetting, FensePost, The Owl Mag and more...

Aiding & Abetting reviews The True Jacqueline's Nice Bird, saying that it's, "Understated indie pop that never gets too ambitious", and The White Raven's Gargoyles and Weather Vanes calling it's songs, "...quite engaging, but Amy Bennett's vocals are what kicks this over the top."

The Owl Mag posts video of Neutral Uke Hotel's North by Northeast festival performance. They said of the show, "The crowd at the tiny bar The Painted Lady sang, clapped and stomped along with glee as the band played the whole album."

FensePost reviews The Alan Cohen Experience's track, "Einstein". They call it "a quick and awesome little ditty...".

The White Ravens are nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award in the Best International, Best USA & Best Out-Of-Province category.

Bill's Music Forum reviews The Alan Cohen Experience's Space and Time. "...dares to be different but strives to remain musically accessible."

Largehearted Boy posts Avi Wisnia and Neil Nathan mp3s.

The Jewish Week asks Avi Wisnia about his roots.

Today's Modern Pop shows the trailer for Neil Nathan's The Distance Calls.

Wildy's World reviews Gargoyles and Weather Vanes, saying, "It's been awhile since rock n roll sounded this fresh or this good....You won't be able to get The White Ravens out of your head."

Chromewaves previews Neutral Uke Hotel's set at NXNE.
Click Here to Read More..

Thank You, Good Night: Avi Wisnia at The Triad Theater

Only with Avi Wisnia will you get a concert that includes limited-edition kazoos (!), Magnolia Bakery cupcakes, and Cyndi Lauper covers all in one night. In his own words, Wisnia shares with us his own personal review of his NYC CD release show for Something New, June 3 at The Triad Theater (national release date for the album is June 29).

"One of the many reasons I love New York City: New Yorkers are not afraid to kazoo. I had one of the best crowds I ever had at my CD release party. We started off the evening with a kazoo-along (everyone who attended received limited-edition Avi Wisnia kazoos) to the song "Rabbit Hole." There were even some people who brought their bunny ears from the video premiere a few months back (catch it now on YouTube!). The band and I played songs from the new album, some from my first EP and even a brand new world-premiere of a Cyndi Lauper cover. It helped that we had saxophone, flute, cello and trumpet to round out the evening and make it a huge party."



"The vibe in the room was incredible, and the space was the perfect venue for this celebration, though we all agreed that the theater looked like something from the Muppets - and I certainly would not have minded a cameo from Gonzo. We ended the evening with the title track "Something New," with the males singing Chicago, over-lapping the females singing Sade, while the band jammed and wailed on the tune. If it would have fit, I would have invited every single person up on stage. and bless the soul of whoever brought Magnolia cupcakes, which were passed around as we all hung out afterward to party down in the theater. There's nothing I like more than making good music with good people, and New York, you made it one of the most fun shows I've ever played. Thank you, and good night."

photos by Becky Dorwin-Kipnis

"Thank You, Good Night" takes a birds eye view of what it's like for a band to play a show that can only described as a pinnacle experience for the band themselves.

Click Here to Read More..

News Roundups from Brooklyn Vegan, Prefix, Jewcy and more...

Brooklyn Vegan announces Neutral Uke Hotel dates.

Prefix Magazine deems the Naked Hearts an Artist to Watch, stating "they make bare-bones indie rock more in the mold of the Breeders than the Vivian Girls."  StereoActive NYC reviewed their recent album, Mass Hysteria, saying it "left us with a full heart and a happy glint in our eyes."


Jewcy profiles Shawn Fogel of Golden Bloom, Neutral Uke Hotel, The Leevees, Macaroons, and The Zambonis in The Big Jewcy. (I'm telling you, this guy has E.N.E.R.G.Y). 

FernTV asks Shawn Fogel a few questions about Neutral Uke Hotel in anticipation of the NXNE shows.


Jersey Beat's Jim Testa plays The White Ravens' "Tick Tock" and Alan Cohen Experience's "Einstein" on his weekly radio station "Rock & Roll Gas Station." Listen on BlowupRadio.com - Thursday nights at 10 pm, Sundays at 7 pm, Mondays at 6 pm and ThePenguinRocks.com - Mondays at 1 pm and 8 pm, Tuesdays at 7 pm

Snob's Music announces the release of Neil Nathan's This Distance Calls due out August 24th. They say of the singer-songwriter, "Nathan is one of the most promising songwriters I've heard in years.  His lyrics are clever and he manages to pens hooks that are so sharp you could go fishing with them."

Record Dept reviews Naked Hearts album saying, "the entire album is incredibly strong. Alternating turns on vocals, Cooper and Wheeler complement the evocative, grungy guitar lines that sound both familiar and fresh."

Faronheit posts Alan Cohen Experience, Neutral Uke Hotel, and Neil Nathan mp3s.

Wildy's World reviews Gwyneth & Monko's upcoming EP Good Old Horse, saying "Gwyneth Moreland & Michael Monko carry with them old-time charm that's steeped in the Appalachian tradition. The comparison of Moreland to Lisa Loeb is apt if Loeb lived 100 years ago in the mountains of West Virginia. Don't be surprised if Gwyneth & Monko become darlings of the folk circuit over the next few years." 

Harris Radio features Avi Wisnia's "New Year"  on Podcast #12.

Women of Substance plays Gwyneth & Monko's "Lexington Ballad" on their Americana show. Click Here to Read More..

Avi Wisnia at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on June 11th

Philadelphia native Avi Wisnia will perform his Brazilian bossa nova on Friday June 11th at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Art After 5.”

Philadelphia Museum of Art says of the Art After 5 Series, “Friday evenings take on a whole new groove with Art After 5, a unique blend of entertainment from 5:00–8:45 p.m. in the Great Stair Hall. With an eclectic mix of international music on the first Friday of each month, and recognized and emerging jazz artists performing all other Fridays, it’s a stylish way to start your weekend.” Wisnia is likely to have the most interesting style of jazz music the Art After 5 Series has ever seen! Wisnia will follow up almost a month later when he hits Cambridge, MA on July 11 at Club Passim.

Wisnia releases his debut full-length album Something New nationally on June 29th. Recorded by Grammy-winning producer Glen Barratt (Amos Lee), Something New’s unpredictable cover songs only highlight the main attraction of his new collection of songs: his incomparable mish-mash of piano-pop meets bossa nova pop gems.

Having played major festival such as SXSW and CMJ, Wisnia says of his live performances, which always seem to be unpredictable and chock full of great stories to tell afterwards, “There have been shows where the band and I improvise songs on the spot, or ask audience members to come up and sing on kazoo. In one instance, the bartender who was shaking a martini at the bar ended up being an add-on percussionist. Another time, I had lost my egg shaker and asked the audience to pass me a pack of Tic Tacs. Instead, someone threw on stage a bottle of menstrual relief pills (it sounded fantastic). You have to be spontaneous and cater to the crowd and the moment."

Avi Wisnia Tour Dates

Friday June 11, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Art After 5 Event, Grand Stair Hall
Show: 5pm-9pm
Tickets: Free after Museum admission

Sunday July 11, Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
Door Time 5:30 PM
Show Time 7:00 PM
Opening Act: Caleb Hawley
Cover: $12/$10 (Club Passim Members) Click Here to Read More..

Favorite Friday with Avi Wisnia

Avi Wisnia's
Top 5 TV Theme Songs From My Childhood

No stranger to turning others' familiar songs into something entirely his own with his unique cover songs, Avi Wisnia finds his musical influences in all facets of pop culture, even cartoons. Wisnia believes strongly in where each of his "favorites" list are numbered, and he totally saw Neil Patrick Harris at the grocery store. Wisnia explains all....and believe us, you want to read it all. This piano man is a character. He not only provided us this fresh photo but an mp3 of a rough demo to his #1 Favorite TV theme. Amazing.

"As I have been compiling a set list for my upcoming NYC CD Release show on June 3 (at Triad Theater), I've been fooling around with some of my favorite songs - and it struck me how many of the most memorable melodies stuck in my head are the ones from TV shows I watched when I was a kid."

5. Muppet Babies
"There's something about Kermit's voice, I could listen to that frog sing all day."

4. Zoobilee Zoo
"How was I not totally freaked out by all the giant horrifying people-animals? The theme song!"

3. Doogie Howser, M.D.
"Also doubles as great ice cream truck soundtrack. It reminds me of when I bumped into Neil Patrick Harris at the grocery store. I bet that song just follows him everywhere."

2. DuckTales
"I challenge you to blurt out those two words and not have someone follow with 'WOO HOO!'"

1. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
"So I was backpacking around the Highlands of Scotland in late summer and I stopped into a local pub. I was by far the only foreigner. As I waited to get in on a game of pool, the guys playing asked me where I was from. 'Philadelphia.' They knew Philadelphia. 'Born and raised they asked. I countered, 'On the playground, that's where I spent most of my days.' It didn't take long for the ENTIRE PUB to join in with the entire song, including the sideways cap/head-bob finale. That's right, you heard it here first: Will Smith brings world peace."

Honorable mention: The Smurfs
"This is the great all-time palette cleanser. If you have a song stuck in your head - the latest Gaga, let's say - just hum this tune, and you'll be fine to go about your day."


Avi Wisnia NYC Album Release Event
Triad Theater - 158 West 72nd Street New York, NY
A special concert event featuring full-band performance by Avi Wisnia, with special guests and tons of surprises.
7pm doors
Show: 7:30-9:30pm
$7 early-bird tickets available till May 4, 2010, $9 advanced tickets, $12 day-of tickets
This show is open to all ages, 21+ to drink
2 drink minimum, cash only
Reservations recommended
Meet and Greet following set

Each Friday, hence the name Favorite Friday - one GLG band/artist will send us a list and comments about their "favorites" of the week. It could be a list of albums they are listening to in the van, books they are reading, guilty pleasure TV, and so on. We hope these various "favorites" will give you unique glimpse into the lives of our bands. Click Here to Read More..

Brazilian Bossa Nova Comes to Best Buy Union Square

Avi Wisnia brings his Brazilian bossa nova to Best Buy Union Square with a special acoustic performance on May 27th to celebrate the release of his debut full-length album Something New. Recorded by Grammy-winning producer Glen Barratt (Amos Lee), Something New’s unpredictable cover songs only highlight the main attraction of his new collection of songs: his incomparable mish-mash of piano-pop meets bossa nova pop gems. Fans will have the unique opportunity to purchase Something New in advance of the national release on June 29th. In addition, all fans who purchase the CD will receive a limited edition kazoo, a trademark of a live Wisnia performance.

We also have it under strict confidence a cover of an 80s hit will be unveiled for the first time at this performance. For those of you who've followed the career of Sex & the City's Jessica Parker, she was in this great movie in the 80s with lots and lots of dancing. And by great, I mean 80's great. All we'll tell you is that the name of the movie is also the name of the hit song from the artist he'll be covering. If you have time on your hands, definitely hit Union Square on the 27th.
Thu May 27, 2010:
Live In-Store Performance
Best Buy Union Square 

One Union Square South New York, NY
Free and open to the public
Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm

Click Here to Read More..

Hear TLC and The Cure at Rockwood Music Hall Tonight

TLC and The Cure are just two things fans may hear tonight when they see Avi Wisnia's Brazilian bossa nova at the Rockwood Music Hall. Amongst the original songs off his upcoming album, Something New, Wisnia is known to sneak in TLC's "No Scrubs" and The Cure's "Love Song". You can get your own sneak peak of the TLC cover here, but the show is free tonight so there's nothing to lose.

Rockwood Music Hall
184 Allen Street New York, NY
FREE
All ages
7:00pm Chris Merritt
8:00pm The Smooth Maria
9:00pm The Dixons
10:00pm Michael Daves
11:00pm Avi Wisnia
12:00am Dred Scott Trio Click Here to Read More..

Avi Wisnia Celebrates Glen Barratt Produced NY Record Release on June 3rd

Avi Wisnia will be joined on stage with a full band performance at the Triad Theater to celebrate the release of his debut full-length album Something New. Recorded by Grammy-winning producer Glen Barratt (Amos Lee), Something New’s unpredictable cover songs only highlight the main attraction of his new collection of songs: his incomparable mish-mash of piano-pop meets bossa nova pop gems.

The Big Takeover's Jack Rabid, says of Wisnia, "Like a cross between Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Ben Folds, Joni Mitchell, and early Billy Joel. But his approach is refracted through the prism of Brazilian bossa nova, occasional acoustic guitar folk forays, and ‘70s singer/songwriter fare—“I Wish That I Could Stop Writing Songs About You” and “The Back of Your Hand” are especially Mitchell-esque, and “Goodnight” sounds like Art Garfunkel doing jazz—then sings with a smoothly smoky voice that recalls Elvis Costello and Joe Pernice both in sound and delivery.”

Wisnia uses the piano keys to create lush ballads, and his lyrics can be just as melancholic are they are whimsical, depending the song. He uses his quirky bossa nova-turned pop music in a variety of manners on Something New. His penchant to take the usual and flip it upside down can be heard on the album’s “cover” songs (The Cure’s “Love Song” and TLC’s “No Scrubs”). The title track of Something New could be the perfect song to sum up his mélange of genres that you’ve never heard mixed together before.

Want a taste of what you can expect? Download "New Year" and Wisnia's cover of TLC's "No Scrubs". Like what you hear? Reserve your tickets before it's too late! Click Here to Read More..

Avi Wisnia Releases Something New with Glen Barratt, Grammy Winning Producer at Helm

Splitting his time between New York and Philadelphia, singer/songwriter Avi Wisnia follows up his 2007 EP with his first studio-full length album , Something New, which was recorded with Grammy-winning producer Glenn Barratt (Melody Gardot, Amos Lee). Set for release on June 29th, Wisnia mingles piano pop, fresh Brazilian bossa nova, acoustic guitar, contemporary - yet classic - jazz, and more, Something New is in a category all its own.

Wisnia uses the piano keys to create lush ballads, and his lyrics can be just as melancholic are they are whimsical, depending the song. He uses his quirky bossa nova-turned pop music in a variety of manners on Something New. His penchant to take the usual and flip it upside down can be heard on the album’s “cover” songs (The Cure’s “Love Song” and TLC’s “No Scrubs”). The title track of Something New could be the perfect song to sum up his mélange of genres that you’ve never heard mixed together before.

A modern piano man with zest and a penchant for unpredictable cover songs and subtle pop culture references, Wisnia recorded his first EP at the New Jersey synagogue where his father serves as rabbi.

Able to balance the somber “love-songs gone wrong” about ex-boyfriends next to upbeat breezy Brazilian piano jams, Wisnia never over does it. “The two major sides of me that constantly fight for my own attention are jazz and pop – the side that wants to improvise and go free form and let the moment take control; and the side that wants to hook you with something structured, catchy, accessible and relatable,” says Wisnia.

In 2009, Wisnia won an OutMusic Award for Outstanding Jazz Song of the Year, CMJ’s Zig Zag Live Competition as well as becoming a finalist in Rolling Rock’s National Band Search. A perfectly fitting title for his album, Something New is exactly that.

Something New Track Listing

1. New Year
2. More Than Me
3. I Wish That I Could Stop Writing Songs About You
4. Sink
5. Love Song (The Cure Cover)
6. Rabbit Hole
7. The Back of Your Hand
8. Prelude
9. Something New
10. Não É Coisa
11. It's Only Me
12. No Scrubs (TLC Cover) Click Here to Read More..

Avi Wisnia Debuts "Rabbit Hole" Music Video at Indie Film Jam

Today is your lucky day because we have not one, but two Seth Kroll produced videos for you. Earlier today we offered you a glimpse of his video produced for Neutral Uke Hotel--who is coincidentally covering Neutral Milk Hotel's "Communist's Daughter." Now we are offering you the debut music video for Avi Wisnia's "Rabbit Hole" which was also co-produced by Alan Cohen of the Alan Cohen Experience.  The video has been chosen as an official selection for the Indie Film Jam 2010, part of the Florida Music Festival in Orlando. The Film Jam features the winning selections with screenings of the videos and acoustic performances from the artists.



The singer/songwriter and piano man will play tracks off his new record. Recorded by Grammy-winning producer Glen Barratt (Amos Lee), Something New’s unpredictable cover songs only highlight the main attraction of his new collection of songs: his incomparable mish-mash of piano-pop meets bossa nova pop gems. Having played major festival such as SXSW and CMJ, Wisnia says of his live performances, “There have been shows where the band and I improvise songs on the spot, or ask audience members to come up and sing on kazoo. In one instance, the bartender who was shaking a martini at the bar ended up being an add-on percussionist. Another time, I had lost my egg shaker and asked the audience to pass me a pack of Tic Tacs. Instead, someone threw on stage a bottle of menstrual relief pills (it sounded fantastic). You have to be spontaneous and cater to the crowd and the moment. There's no reason for a live performance to sound exactly like the recording - you owe your audience a unique live experience as a reward for getting their ass off the couch instead of watching America's Next Top Model and coming out to see you perform.”

If you find yourself in the sunshine state this weekend be sure to catch Wisnia's performances at
Friday, April 23
at Club 57 West
(Indie Film Jam official selection - acoustic set)
7-7:30pm
FREE
21+
57 West Pine Street
Orlando, FL 32801

Friday, April 23
at Pine Street Live
(Florida Music Festival featured showcase performance - full band, with special guest Orlando drummer Mason Fox)
9-9:30pm
FREE
21+
66 East Pine Street
Orlando, FL 32801
www.floridamusicfestival.com Click Here to Read More..