Phil Elverum will bring his Mount Eerie project, formally known as Microphones, back to Buffalo this spring on Thursday, April 17th with a performance at Babeville's Ninth Ward. Mount Eerie most recently played the Buffalo venue back in September of 2012. The prolific musician was quite busy in 2013, releasing a string of albums, including November's Pre-Human Ideas. Tickets for the show will go on sale this Friday, March 28th, for $13 in advance/$15 day of.

Greg Klyma has been part of Buffalo's music scene for over 20 years now, winning fans over with his mix of virtuoso guitar and banjo picking and lighthearted lyrics. On Friday night, Klyma appeared at The Ninth Ward at Babeville for the release party for his new album Another Man's Treasure. It was an uproariously fun evening that featured a great deal of crowd participation. If you didn't know who Klyma was going into the show, you were likely a fan of his when you left.

Opening the show was folk singer-songwriter Savannah King. King saw her profile increase considerably last year due to The Alphabet Project, a once-a-week video project where she released a cover (and a few originals) for every letter of the alphabet. King will be releasing her third EP in the spring, and while it doesn't have a name yet, if Friday's performance was any indication, it will be very strong. New tunes like "Habit" and "Bonnie And Clyde" were huge hits with the crowd, and illustrated how King has matured as a lyricist.

Klyma took the stage without introduction (he didn't need one) and quickly launched into a raucous rendition of the bluegrass standard "Cripple Creek," which had everyone clapping and dance by the time it was over. From there, he went into the original composition "How's It Goin'," the lead track from Another Man's Treasure. Klyma was energetic enough that while he was playing by himself, it often felt like there was a full band with him.

Klyma's ability to combine the silly and the serious was best evidenced with a song left off his new album (he wants to get it just right when he records it) in which he contrasts his Grandfather's more quirky traits with his reluctance to talk about his experiences in World War II. The song is genuine, heartfelt, and likely relatable for a wide portion of the audience.

In Klyma's second set, he dipped into his back catalog, and the crowd sang along with older tunes such as "One Foot In The Grave (Ballad Of The Self-Abusers)," a song that could be a theme for anyone who has a few too many drinks now and then, and "Ex-Girlfriends Are Cheaper Than Ex-Wives," a tune that was sung along to with equal gusto by the men and women in the crowd. The heart of set, and arguably Klyma's signature song "Two Degrees In Buffalo," in which he laments that our fair city's achievements in art and culture will never been as well known as the chicken wings.

The show was uproariously fun from start to finish; a real hootenanny if there ever was one. Hopefully, this excellent gig will lead to some strong sales for Klyma's new album. He's one of the finest artists in Buffalo's folk scene, and after 20 years in the business, he's honed his craft as well as anyone else.

Pontiak is a tricky band to categorize; they've put out 9 records in that many years, and when the three musician brothers from some weird, sketchy farm in Virginia plopped on the national music-scape around 2009, they were putting out some mostly straight-forward doom metal. Mostly. It was some tummy-rumbling doom/grunge metal for sure, but the trio seem to have a solid command over overt, genre-defying textures. Maker, for instance, was a seminal record, and showed a stoner group that wasn't afraid to be super-stoner-ey, and still pop back into strange Americana territory for an occasional delta blues riff-out before some distorted, grumbly bass and a droney voice would viscerally remind the listener that "oh, yeah, you are definitely having a ghastly weed nightmare, you smoked too much weed, but oh yeah guess what, Freddy Krueger is here." 

Since, the band has expanded on it's folkier influences, but hasn't abandoned its propensity for loudness - like if Will Oldham had Kyuss backing him on some Sleep covers. And they are playing the Ninth Ward in Buffalo tonight (341 Delaware Ave., 8PM, $8), with Buffalo's own Maitre D's of doom, Malarchuk. Be sure to check it out, especially if you regularly have to search for your Sabbath LPs in your Neil Young record sleeves.

Winnipeggers Indicator Indicator are stopping by Babeville's Ninth Ward for a night of catchy-in-a-good-way electro-pop. Their self-titled debut EP has already been making waves throughout Canada, gaining comparisons to artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Wilco. Structured with well-realized pop songwriting, the band's shimmery sound is perfectly suited for the Ninth Ward's intimate space. Grab tickets for only $7; doors open at 7pm.

This past Monday evening, Elephant Revival serenaded the halls of the Ninth Ward for a sold out show, debuting many songs off their new album These Changing Skies. Babeville is a solid venue for their delicate, mesmerizing tunes. The stage was lit with scented candles (a touch of popcorn, a touch of strong herb) that provided a luminescent and comfortable ambience.

Around 8 p.m., Bridget Law came out onto the stage, barefoot and glowing, to announce that her long-time friend Lindsey McGuire would be reading a few poems to kick off the night. McGuire read from three, the first titled, "I Fucking Love You," the second "Economy," and the third, pulling memories from a shared dream, "Bird Chest." Her lyrics spanned time, comparing her lover to an ancient sylvan jungle, the strength in Michelangelo's precision when he made the statue of David, and recalling how our lives are so small in lieu of the giantess, Mother Nature. She read with ease and precision directly from memory, emphasizing the lines we needed to hear, such as "spirituality was freed from the confines of religion," and "By the time I die, existence will have spent 36,750 pounds of rainfall, sunshade, soil, plant, and creature to keep me alive, so I think it's fair to say I indeed am in debt." McGuire's words urged the listener to think about balance, in love and in nature.

Bonnie Payne made a comment during the show about how uncanny their new album's title, These Changing Skies, certainly reflected the unexpected flooding that is happening over in Boulder, Colorado and the surrounding area. They came back one day to find their homes collapsed and destroyed, thousands of dollars of studio equipment lost. Elephant Revival's lyrics and songs seem to be in tune with the cycles of the seasons, slow and entrancing, or staccato and riveting. The first half of the evening, they pulled mostly from their new repertoire, with songs such as "Birds & Stars," "Remembering a Beginning," and "The Pasture." Compared to their studio recordings, I insist that their live pitches are equally as perfect, if not more enchanting. Each song built off the other, weaving a spell of inspiration.

Throughout the evening I noticed Sage Cook, Daniel Rodriguez, and Dango Rose switch on and off between double bass, electric banjo, and guitar. The shift in instruments seemed to show the bones of their composition process and varied the performance for me. Since Bridget's family from the area, was in town, the band made a few comments that in their honor they would play more "Irish" tunes. One is "Currach," sung at an andante pace, with haunting moans from Bridget's masterful fiddle and Bonnie's pensive washboard heralding a rising storm. Elephant Revival's intriguing range of harmonies and styles captured my steadfast attention the entire evening. Peace radiates from their aura. For their encore, in honor of the harvest moon, they sung "Ring Around The Moon." This featured Bonnie on the musical saw, an instrument that croons high-pitched wails with the smallest vibrations from her bow.

As they finished their performance, I noticed a few stickers on various instrument cases like "Fractivist" and "Ban Fracking Now." For sure they are conscious about what is happening on the Earth, especially concerning a controversial issue such as hydraulic fracturing. Coming from a musical act that is gaining in popularity as the moons wane and wax, I consider it reassuring and brave.

Sage Cook was kind enough to offer me the setlist:

After gracing the living room of Boratin/Tanner residence earlier this summer, Brooklyn's Graph Rabbit will be returning to Western NY this evening, this time to the comfy confines of the Ninth Ward. Fans of the Album Leaf, Dntel, and Radiohead at their most tender would be wise to check out the electronic folk duo, whose minimal analog sounds, autumnal guitar picking, and hushed vocals could not have been more perfect fit for the intimate setting of the Babeville basement. 

Local do-it-all musician Sonny Baker will open up the evening with a solo set of his ever growing catalog. Tickets are $10 at the door. Music begins at 8pm.

Joanna Barbera is an artist that can't exactly be placed into a specific genre. If we were desperate to classify her, we might put her in the world of folk, but that wouldn't be telling the whole story; as the Austin, Texas based has incorporated many sounds and styles into her music That fact is made abundantly clear on Barbera's new album, Forget, which will be released in August.

Barbera is celebrating the upcoming release with a show tonight at Babeville, in the Ninth Ward. Tickets are $8 in advance, and $10 at the door. This show will be a great chance to introduce youself to a very talented artist with an extremely bright future.

Chicago indie rockers California Wives make their return to the Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight after playing there last September in support of their well received debut, Art History. With a sound that combines the jangly guitar riffs of early alternative rock and the smooth pop sensibility of 80's new wave, the band has gained notable blog attention from sites like Pitchfork and My Old Kentucky Blog following the release of the record. Co-headlining tonight's show is Chicago duo My Gold Mask, which consists of Gretta Rochelle and Jack Armondo, and whose dark, goth-pop sound on their first full length, Leave Me Midnight, earned them a "band to watch" distinction from Pitchfork. The pair's live show has been described as "powerful and engaging",the two thriving in a dense reverb-soaked soundscape likened to a metallic symphony. Tickets are available online for $12 advance and can be purchased at the door as well. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm.

To coincide with the release of her sophomore LP Personal Record, Eleanor Friedberger will play The Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight to share her latest collection of sun-drenched folk-pop sincerity with WNY. Following-up 2011‘s well-received Last Summer, The Fiery Furnaces co-frontwoman has returned to her prominent place in the indie landscape with a potent dose of love songs that will feel as personal as they do fresh. Opening the show is Brooklyn drone-pop outfit TEEN, which is fronted by former Here We Go Magic bandmember Teeny Lieberson. You wont want to miss this show as Friedberger kicks off her anticipated North American tour tonight in the cozy basement venue at Babeville. Doors are at 7pm, tickets are $15.

Watch the video for "Stare At The Sun" below:

Eleanor Friedberger, one half of the brother/sister duo The Fiery Furnaces, will be playing a solo show at Babeville's Ninth Ward on Tuesday, June 4th.  Brought to you by the concert promoters Dan Smalls Presents of Ithaca, NY, the retro pop singer/songwriter is touring to support her upcoming album titled Personal Record, also released on June 4th.  Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am for $12.  

Tonight, Rochester's Velvet Elvis is playing a special show at the Ninth Ward to celebrate their new full length album In Deep Time with Buffalo's Second Trip and Sleepy Haha's providing opening support. I chatted with one of the dude's in Velvet Elvis a few years back at a Vampire Weekend show in Rochester and I adjudged his rock and roll soul to be true, and Velvet Elvis's heavy duty Black Mountain vibe is sure to please, while blog favorites Sleepy Hahas will be playing cuts from their latest ep I Am Not A Happy Person (reviewed here) and raising the usual hell. It's always a good time when the Rochester and Buffalo scenes collide (ie the 2012 buffaBLOG Holiday Party), and tonight's killer riff fest has all of the ingredients for a memorable night. Doors open at 8 PM and tickets are $10.

The folk duo Brown Bird will be performing tonight at the Ninth Ward at Babeville. David Lamb and MorganEve Swain, based out of Providence, RI, have been growing in recognition over the past couple years  with their performances at the reputable Newport Folk Festival. Their newest album Salt For Salt is self-proclaimed to be all folk sans commercial characteristics. On a continuous rise, Brown Bird has opened for major acts like Trampled by Turtles, The Low Anthem, and Yonder Mountain String Band.  

Opening for them will be local Buffalo folk band, Hokan & Friends of the Sun. 

Tonight ESI Events brings NYC based indie electronic band Hooray For Earth to town for an intimate show at the Ninth Ward at Babeville with local bands Steel Keys and Brass and blog favorites All Blondes Go To Heaven. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Noel Heroux, Boston's Hooray For Earth has been described as "like M83, but weird," which is about right and more importantly, an excellent indicator of a good time to be had at one of the best venues in the city. Tickets are $10, and doors open at 7 PM.

Tonight is a big night across America for bar hopping, binge drinking and awkward run ins, or as Buffalonians like to call it: Wednesday. If live music tickles your fancy (and why the hell are you reading this if it doesn't), then Ninth Ward at Babeville is one of your best bets. Vancouver based pop quintet Said The Whale will be headlining the intimate basement venue with a smattering of solid local support. Named by Rockstar Weekly as one of the "Top 12 Rockstars to Watch in 2012", along with Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, and Rush (I think this may be Van Halen's year!), the band has been tirelessly touring in support of their most recent album, Little Mountain. Be sure to get there by 8 to catch monstrous math rock duo All of them Witches, who have promised a "freak out" set not to be missed. Also on the bill are four piece indie up and comers Searching for Dinosaurs and funk inspired alternative rock trio Fourwalls. If you're looking for live music tonight, this is the most bang for your buck. Show your family what a true hangover is.