More Cowbell

The Middle East hail from Australia and are set to re-release their debut EP ‘The Recordings of The Middle East’ on June 8th. Their gorgeous brand of acoustic folk should find plenty of interest with fans of Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, etc.

More Cowbell & Sneak Attack Media would love to send one of our lucky readers and a friend to see the SOLD OUT show with Australia’s The Middle East and the UK’s Mumford & Sons tomorrow night at the Varsity Theater.

To enter to win, send your FULL NAME and PHONE NUMBER to contests@morecowbell.net with the subject line: “Middle East Tickets”  by 8am tomorrow. The winner will be notified by Noon.

Good Luck!

Local electro-pop duo Lookbook will embark on a 2.5 week west coast/midwest tour next month that will have them playing Schuba’s in Chicago on June 17th and a homecoming headlining gig at First Avenue on June 18th.

05/30 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
06/01 – Missoula, MT – The Badlander
06/02 – Spokane, WA – Empyrean Coffeehouse
06/03 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
06/04 – Kennewick, WA – Red Room Coffee House
06/06 – Portland, OR – Rontoms
06/08 – San Francisco, CA – Elbo Room
06/09 – Los Angeles, CA – Silverlake Lounge
06/10 – San Diego, CA – Bar Pink
06/11 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rogue
06/12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
06/13 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
06/14 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
06/15 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird
06/17 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
06/18 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue Mainroom

Stream ‘True To Form’

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Video for ‘Over and Over’

photo: Alec Hanley Bemis

Thanks to the Southern Theater, More Cowbell are honored give away a pair of tickets to see Clogs (feat. Bryce Dessner & Padma Newsome of The National) along w/ Bryce’s brother Aaron (also from The National) and special guest Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond / The Decemberists) this Friday AND Saturday night at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. Even if you don’t win, these shows are going to be very special and are not to be missed. Clogs have a fantastic brand new album entitled ‘The Creatures In The Garden of Lady Walton’ due out March 2nd that features guest vocals from Sufjan Stevens, Aaron Dessner & Matt Berninger (The National), and Shara Worden.

Clogs – ‘On The Edge’ (from the upcoming ‘The Creatures In The Garden of Lady Walton’ out March 2nd)

Clogs – ‘Three-Two’ (from the recently released ‘Veil Waltz’ EP)

The Southern Theater in partnership with the Weisman Art Museum present

Bryce Dessner, Clogs and Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond
With special guest Lorne Watson

Two unique programs: February 19 & 20, 2010

“It might be better to forgo any genre distinctions and head straight for the thesaurus so you can find fresh and exciting ways to say ‘sublime’.” – Pitchforkmedia.com (on Clogs)

“Ms. Worden lets the personal reverberate across the cosmos…There are delicacy, passion and spiraling intensity in her openhearted songs.” —New York Times

Clogs’ powerful and nuanced chamber compositions leave “no question that the classical and indie realms can share a border where music turns pensive, knotty, and otherworldly” —New York Times

Bryce Dessner of international indie rock acclaim The National has a penchant for bringing together disparate musicians, musical styles, and artistic genres. This February he presents two uniquely programmed evenings of music featuring work from various side- and not-so-side-projects.

The first night will feature selections from Clogs’ repertoire and individual works and collaborations among group members and special guests Shara Worden and Lorne Watson. Ms Worden will also perform a solo set of selections from the My Brightest Diamond repertoire. Night two brings a sneak preview of Clogs’ soon to be released The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton along with selections from the recently released Veil Waltz, with support from Worden and Watson.

Clogs is Bryce Dessner (guitar), Rachael Elliott (bassoon), Thomas Kozumplik (percussion) and Padma Newsome (violin, viola, voice).

Performance dates: February 19 & 20, 2010
Fri. & Sat. at 8pm
Pre-show reception each night sponsored by The Red Stag Supperclub
Tickets: $22
Southern Theater box office: 612.340.1725
1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454
www.southerntheater.org

Auxiliary events at Weisman Art Museum

Sat. February 20, 5:30-6:30pm –
A discussion with Bryce Dessner of The National/Clogs, Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Padma Newsome of Clogs, Weisman Art Museum curator Diane Mullin and 89.3 The Current’s Steve Seel

Free. Advance RSVP to rsvp@southerntheater.org or 612.340.0155 ext.310.

This discussion with members of The National and Clogs, along with My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden, explores parallels between the musicians’ work and the Weisman exhibition Common Sense: Art and the Quotidian. The problem of “the everyday” is central to much of the most enduring and challenging twentieth century art, design, and craft. The exhibition features works from the Weisman collection that reveal how this period engaged, celebrated, and investigated ideas of the everyday and the common. In a conversation with the musicians about their philosophies, practices, and resulting music, the discussion will examine connections between the rarified and the everyday and between high and low culture in both music and art.

Saturday Feb. 20, following the performance –
Meet the artists at a casual post-show reception at the Weisman Art Museum. View the exhibition Common Sense: Art and the Quotidian, and enjoy complimentary refreshments while listening to tunes from musicians’ self-selected playlist.

BUY TICKETS

To enter to win a pair of tickets, please send an email to: contests@morecowbell.net with the SUBJECT: ‘Clogs Tickets’. In the body of the email, please include your FULL NAME, PHONE NUMBER, and which show you’d prefer to win tickets for (if no preference just state EITHER NIGHT).

The contest ends on Thursday at 9pm and you will be notified shortly thereafter on Thursday evening, so get your entries in ASAP.

GOOD LUCK

Dawes – Western Skyline

Listen to tracks from all 3 bands:

More Cowbell would love to give away a pair of tickets to see a fantastic triple bill of Americana at the Triple Rock this coming Friday (February 12th).

To enter to win, send an email with your FULL NAME and PHONE NUMBER to: contests@morecowbell.net by Wednesday night at midnight. The winner will be notified Thursday afternoon.

Don’t miss what is sure to be one of the hottest local shows this winter. This show will also be a release party for the vinyl version of Lookbook’s fantastic album from last year ‘Wild At Heart’

89.3 The Current and City Pages ‘Picked 2 Click’ Present:

Sponsored by More Cowbell

Saturday, February 27th
Cedar Cultural Center
Doors: 7pm Music: 8pm
$10 advance / $12 door

Tickets now on-sale

Paragraphs have crafted a gorgeous debut EP and are one of the more promising young bands in the Twin Cities.

The show is tonight (Saturday, Jan 16th) at the 501 Club in downtown Minneapolis. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Listen to ‘It’s Sunset At Midnight’

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This is one heck of a great triple bill at the Entry, you’d be silly to miss it.

photo by Andrew Calder

More Cowbell would love to send one of our lucky readers and a friend to check out this up and coming songwriter at the Triple Rock next Wednesday (January 13th). Lissie recently finished up an opening slot for Ray Lamontagne and is generating quite a bit of excitement.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120011346

Singer-songwriter Lissie Maurus was born and raised in eastern Illinois, right beside the Mississippi River. The nature-loving, solitude-seeking Midwesterner began writing music in high school and quickly began performing at coffee shops and open mics.

Now residing in California, Maurus is about to release her debut, the Why You Runnin’ EP, which provides a five-song introduction to her bluesy folk. Shifting from upbeat tunes to soft-spoken country, hints of ’60s soul and subtle pop, Maurus’ sweet and rustic voice ties each track together seamlessly.

To enter to win, email contests@morecowbell.net with your full name and phone number with the subject ‘Lissie Contest’ by Monday, January 11th at Noon.

Watch Lissie cover Bob Dylan’s ‘Ramona’

Lissie Tour Dates

Jan 7 – 9:30 Club – Washington, Washington DC *
Jan 8 – Webster Hall – New York, New York *
Jan 10 – Somerville Theater – Somerville, Massachusetts *
Jan 11 – The Plaza Theater – Orlando, Florida *
Jan 13 – Triple Rock Social Club – Minneapolis, Minnesota (Headlining Show)
Jan 15 – Metro – Chicago, Illinois *
Jan 16 – The Fillmore Detroit – Detroit, Michigan *
Jan 18 – Cafe Bourbon Street – Columbus, Ohio (Headlining Show)
Jan 20 – The Red Stone Room (River Music Experience) – Davenport, Iowa
Jan 21 – Central Presbyterian Church – Austin, Texas *
Jan 22 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, California *
Jan 23 – Henry Fonda Theatre – Hollywood, California *
Feb 5 – HMV Festival (Jazz Cafe) – Camden

* with City and Colour

P.O.S. will continue his quest for world domination in 2010 and bring along his lovely Doomtree partner in crime Dessa for a 40 date tour across North America. Joining them for the first half of the trek will be Grieves, with Astronautalis taking over on the second leg.

Dessa’s first full length album ‘A Badly Broken Code’ will be released on January 19th and coincide with a CD Release show at The Fine Line Music Cafe with Jeremy Messersmith on January 22nd.

Pre-Order ‘A Badly Broken Code’

Every Never Is Now Tour

2/2/10 Lawrence KS Jackpot *
2/4/10 Colorado Springs CO Black Sheep *
2/5/10 Denver CO The Marquis Theatre *
2/6/10 Salt Lake City UT Kilby Court *
2/7/10 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge *
2/8/10 Boise ID Knitting Factory *
2/9/10 Missoula MT Badlander *
2/11/10 Vancouver BC CANADA The Biltmore Cabaret *
2/12/10 Seattle WA Nectar Lounge *
2/13/10 Portland OR Berbati’s Pan *
2/14/10 Eugene OR WOW Hall *
2/16/10 Reno NV Tonic Lounge *
2/18/10 San Francisco CA Bottom Of The Hill *
2/19/10 West Hollywood CA The Troubadour *
2/20/10 San Diego CA The Loft – UCSD *
2/21/10 Pomona CA The Glass House *
2/22/10 Scottsdale AZ Chasers *
2/23/10 Tucson AZ Club Congress *
2/24/10 Albuquerque NM Launchpad *
2/26/10 Austin TX Red 7 ^
2/27/10 Denton TX Hailey ^
2/28/10 New Orleans LA The Parish Room – HOB ^
3/2/10 Tallahassee FL Club Downunder ^
3/3/10 Orlando FL Backbooth ^
3/4/10 Atlanta GA The Masquerade ^
3/5/10 Chapel Hill NC Local 506 ^
3/6/10 Washington DC DC9 ^
3/7/10 Philadelphia PA First Unitarian Church ^
3/9/10 New York NY Bowery Ballroom ^
3/10/10 Cambridge MA Middle East Downstairs ^
3/11/10 Portland ME Space ^
3/12/10 Burlington VT Higher Ground Showcase Lounge ^
3/13/10 Montreal QC CANADA II motore ^
3/14/10 Toronto ON CANADA Sneaky Dee’s ^
3/16/10 Pontiac MI The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom ^
3/17/10 Cleveland Heights OH Grog Shop ^
3/18/10 Chicago IL The Bottom Lounge ^
3/19/10 Madison WI High Noon Saloon ^
3/20/10 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall ^

* w/ Grieves
^ w/ Astronautilis