2009 Sneak-Peak (Airborne Toxic Event, Action Painters, Orion Experience, X, Black Keys, more)

2008 isn't quite over yet - the Year in Music review has yet to be compiled (though anyone who reads this page can gather it'll be a little slimmer this year than last) but we're already getting a taste of what's coming in the pipeline for 2009, at least in terms of some early gigs (see the concert calendar for details):

• The Rosebuds and the Raveonettes are playing on January 16th, separately but hey.
• If you can't go more than a few months without your Hold Steady fix, Franz Nicolay is playing with World Inferno Friendship Society on the 9th and a solo show on the 11th
• Frightened Rabbit made a good mark in '08 with "The Greys" and they'll be at the Bowery B on Jan 17th.
• SP faves Action Painters and the Orion Experience team up again at the Mercury Lounge on Jan 22nd...with Billy Joel's daughter opening. Yep.
• Devotchka. Webster Hall. Saturday, January 24th. I may have an excuse but you won't.
• In Feb, the Black Keys return to Terminal 5. In case you didn't hear, they are one of the biggest bands in the world.
• On March 11 - the Airborne Toxic Event headline the Bowery Ballroom, going from playing Pianos to the Bowery in 13 months. That's not Vampire Weekend-fast but that is still pretty fast.
  

Franz Nicolay at the Mercury Lounge

Franz Nicolay; Erik Petersen; The Cotton Jones Basket Ride
@ Mercury Lounge
December 9, 2007

It was a night of solo acoustic sets by musicians known in bands (the headliner was Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawumba). Franz Nicolay is as verbosely rich as he is visually and musically rich. Displaying a strong octave range, Franz strummed folk-pop whimsy and observation. A little work on the accordion and it was a great set.

Accordion Insta-Clip

Erik Petersen is from a Philly punk band, Mischief Brew and by his style and the fans who showed up, we're talking the Social Distortion vein. Some of the sentiments in his originals were a bit murky but his covers of "Midnight Special" and "Fairytale of New York" were fun.
The Cotton Jones Basket Ride, themselves a spinoff of some project, are a sharp rock n' roll band who sound musically a lot like Holly Golightly - meaning a little go-go 60's blues rock. The ballads stand out more than the snappy ones, which all sort of blend together but no matter - they were very, very good.