Music Listings
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14
Ministry/Revolting Cocks
Braver than even the Dixie Chicks for taking on Bush in the college-rock scene, Ministry can't be bothered to add anything to the industrial scene.
B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42 St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-997-4144; 8, $49.50/$50.
Zoysia is a smart move from an aging Americana act, as frontman Brian Henneman reflects on a rich musical heritage culled from '60s FM radio. Bare, Jr. remains young enough to contrast hardcore country with '70s AM tunes and gorgeous psychedelic mutterings.
Maxwell's, 1039 Washington St. (at 11th St.), Hoboken, 201-798-0406; 8, $10.
Country Teasers
Scotland's greatest country-rockin' act does art better than Sonic Youth and drunkenness better than The Pogues-and doesn't need art or liquor to be confrontational bastards.
Tonic, 107 Norfolk St. (betw. Essex & Suffolk Sts.), 212-358-7501; 10, $8.
Saturday Looks Good To Me
A precious and schizo beginning makes an accumulative fine impression with Sound On Sound, a sprawling collection of joyous songs from a sprawling band that can make Broken Social Scene look like a power trio.
Northsix, 66 N. 6th St. (betw. Kent & Wythe Ave.), Brooklyn, 718-599-5103; 8, $10.
Gretchen Wilson/Blaine Larsen
The headliner proves that it's not just yokels who get ripped off by soulless country stereotypes. The opener, however, is a Pacific Northwest teen with the rural worldliness of Mac McAnally-along with rich touches worthy of Harry Nilsson and Chris Isaak.
Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Ave. (betw. 50 and 51 Sts.), 212-307-7171; 8, $46.50-$96.50.
The Orion Experience
Once fronting the best glam-rock act in town, Orion Simprini now leads a dream team of lite modern popsters-all out to imagine the world in which Ray Davies would've been obsessing over fly girls.
Piano's, 158 Ludlow (at Stanton St.), 212-505-3733; 10:30, $8.
The Figgs are why most people think power-pop fans are virgins; opener Tommy Keene spent the '80s making power-pop safe for adults, and Crashing The Ether preserves the sound for the middle ages.
Maxwell's, 1039 Washington St. (at 11th St.), Hoboken, 201-798-0406; 9, $10.
Melanie
She can't even draw a crowd in Austin, but this grandmother was one of the few '60s artists to take on the corporations (she won, then lost) and made flower-power seem almost innocent. Saved her best work for '76, too, and never became a hippie.
Through June 17. The Cutting Room, 19 W. 24th St. (betw. B'way & 6th Ave.), 212-691-1900; 7:30, $40.
A good day for teen stars, as Sonya Kitchell puts on a free show of subdued acoustic tunes. Words Come Back To Me is pure Lady of the Canyons of Northampton, but that's not a lesbian reference. We think.
Naumberg Bandshell, Central Park at 72nd St., 2:45, free.
Lola Ray/The Adored
The day's second all-ages show at the Knitting Factory, with Lola Ray as Brooklyn's most unheralded MTV-punk act. They sound almost Canadian. The Adored open as L.A.'s least MTV-punk act, which some might consider a positive.
Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St. (betw. B'way & Church St.), 212-219-3132; 10:30, $8/$10.
Mr. Lif
Phil Ochs wanted the revolution to combine Elvis and Che; Mr. Lif combines Quentin Tarantino, Chris Tucker and Pam-oh, wait, that's Jackie Brown. Still equally cinematic, violent and seductive. Cage and El-P open.
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie Sts.), 212-533-2111; 8, $15/$17.
Most world music can't compete with the joys of dubbed television in the hotel room. Takfarinas, however, applies his Algerian heritage-and dialect-to influences ranging from French pop to pounding Motown. Or maybe that's all Algerian, too. We don't pretend to be experts.
Central Park Summerstage, Rumsey Playfield, 72nd St. at CPW, 212-360-2756; 3, free.
Blue Cheer
They dethroned Eddie Cochran as king of the summertime blues, but are even more important as founding fathers of the retarded garage-rock blues scene. Not only is it 2/3 of the original '68 line-up, but it's the all-important rhythm section.
Maxwell's, 1039 Washington St. (at 11th St.), Hoboken, 201-798-0406; 8, $15.
Bliss Blood and her cohorts may simply be too...um, interesting with all the Hawaiian, ragtime and Tiny Tim aspects. Not part of the JVC Jazz Festival for the same reason they have no friends on their MySpace page.
Rodeo Bar, 375 Third Ave. (at 27th St.), 212-683-6500; 10, free.
Brett Dennen
The biggest androgynous freak in the current music scene is a humble singer/songwriter with a squeaky voice and shambling songs that barely avoid floating into the ether. Really amazing, like a white Paul Simon.
Canal Room, 285 West Broadway (at Canal St.), 212-941-8100; 8, $10.
Keeping it primitive and fey, Midlake follow up 2004's flawed full-length debut with the (comparatively) fine sell-out of The Trials of Van Occupanther-where we learn that rustic lo-fi sounds a lot less crappy than sophisticated lo-fi.
Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. (at Ave. A), 212-260-4700; 10, $10.
Los Lonely Boys
Well-loved by a broad strata, since they can play everything from stadium rock to desert blues to Tex-Mex ballads. That adds up to a band that would have a good chance of winning on Hispanic Idol.
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie Sts.), 212-533-2111; 8, $25.