Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

Sea of Bees

SEA OF BEES – Friday Jan. 29 | 7pm at The Living Room

New York’s Julie Ann Bee is the name, brain, and voice behind the exquisite Sea of Bees. A mix of atmospheric compositions and grounded lyricism, Sea of Bees’ music is all the more transfixing due to Julie Ann Bee’s unique and truly charming vocal presence. FREE//154 Ludlow St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

Wildlife

WILDLIFE – Fri Jan. 20 | 7:30pm at Mercury Lounge

Hockey, public art, low crime rate … just a few of the things that Toronto is known for. Now we can add Wildlife to the list. Wildlife, the Band. Delivering a bright, driving indie-pop sound, the Canadian quintet stops off in NYC this weekend in support of their album Strike Hard – Young Diamond, and urge you to ignore any warning to keep hands and feet inside the vehicle. $10//217 E. Houston St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

ALTERNATIVE GUITAR FESTIVAL – Fri Jan. 13 | 7:30pm at Rockwood Music Hall

The New York Guitar Festival offers up something a little different this year with the likes of Pillow Wand, a project of Nels Cline & Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore – Ben Monder & Pete Rende covering music from 70’s songwriter Jimmy Webb – Joel Harrison & Anupan Shobhakar showcasing their skills on middle eastern Sarode and the iconic resonator guitar, National Steel Guitar – and virtuosos Mark Stewart & Gyan Riley. $20//196 Allen St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

ANDREW VLADECK – Fri Dec. 9 | 10pm at The Living Room

Andrew Vladeck

The last time we highlighted songwriter/banjo-picker extraordinaire Andrew Vladeck, he was performing as part of The Lo-Down’s CMJ showcase back in October. He’s back on the Lower East Side tomorrow, at the Living Room, and he’ll be followed by another great band (of which he is a regular member), Balthrop, Alabama. Formed by brother/sister team Pascal and Lauren Balthrop, Balthrop, Alabama offers up super-fun tunes, with left-of-center themes, and accompanies them with live illustratons. FREE//154 Ludlow St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

Goodnight, Texas

GOODNIGHT, TEXAS – Fri Dec. 2 | 10pm at the Living Room

Alt-country trio Goodnight, Texas are not from Texas. Their hometowns include San Francisco and Chapel Hill, N.C., and the nearly forgotten ghost town of Goodnight, Texas, sits smack in the middle. The three-piece pays homage to the romance of the past through their work, as much as through their name, with compositions that rattle with Jalopy rhythms, sway with weeping willow harmonies, and connect with lyrics of leaving and grieving. FREE//154 Ludlow St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this week:

Dujeaous

DUJEOUS – Fri, Aug 26 | 11:30PM at The Mercury Lounge

Pronounced [Doo-Jee-Us], New York’s Dujeous are keeping the flame of East Coast Hip-Hop burning brightly. With 7 members contributing equally to a sound full of horns, wah-wah pedals and city-centric lyrics, the band isn’t locked into any one way of creating a song. The group is very New York, and they’re more than happy to remind you of that with any mic, instrument, or tool within arms reach. It’s their creativity, along with the group’s energy on stage that has built them a hefty following over the last 8 years. $10// 217 E Houston St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

Emily Greene

EMILY GREENE – Fri, Aug 5 | 10PM at The Living Room

Growing up in Miami, one would expect pianist/songwriter Emily Greene to go the way of Son or Cumbia, but Greene found her voice early in life, and it sings soulful ballads. A natural talent on the keyboard, Greene sings with a confidence and soul about the eccentric people and bustling places that speckle the life of a young urban artist. FREE// 196 Allen St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

Hollis Brown

HOLLIS BROWN - Fri, Apr 29 І 7PM at the Mercury Lounge

Since their 2009 debut, Brooklyn’s Hollis Brown has been hard at work, touring the country. Delivering a steady stream of high-energy live performances along with their thoroughly enjoyable pop/rock material, their efforts have begun to pay off, getting them featured on several MTV television shows like the Real World, and an array of high profile festivals. $10//217 E. Houston St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:

Matt Singer

MATT SINGER – Fri. Apr 15 І 10PM at The Living Room

Matt Singer hits the Living Room this Friday with a fresh style of songwriting that packs in conversational lyrics about public restroom smells, foregoing alcohol at parties, and finding post break-up comfort in the spirit of John Madden. Equally refreshing, he manages to pair his comedic musical anecdotes with an unexpected mix of Folk, Klezmer and Calypso, with the help of a solid backing band of skilled jazz musicians. FREE//154 Ludlow St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this week:

The Defibulators

THE DEFIBULATORS – Fri. Apr 1 І 11PM at Rockwood Music Hall Freshly back from playing their butts off at SXSW, the barn-storming Defibulators play Rockwood’s 2^nd stage this Friday. Playing an excellent array of original songs with a vintage twang and a Brooklyn edge, the group is made up of six guys and one gal. The music from their current CD “Corn Money” is not exactly old style country, it’s a jumping, pumping, modern version of old style country. FREE//196 Allen St. St.

Weekend Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this weekend:

Aunt Martha

AUNT MARTHA – Fri., Feb 18 І 10:30PM at The Livingroom

Aunt Martha are in the middle of a busy 3-month tour, stretching from New England to California, and as far south as Tennessee. The trio from Wilmot, NH are travelling the highways with a van (though I’m imagining it as a rumbling 1970’s station wagon on 3 tires and a donut) full of earth n’ wood folk-rock songs that are nicely anchored in melody and lyrics. They’re not “traditional,” though they adhere to the time-tested tradition that — if the songs are good –everything else will take care of itself. The drums are steady, the strings and harmonies are textural, and the vocals tell a story, and they manage all of those things with plenty of skill and sincerity. FREE//154 Ludlow St.