By Daniel Jumpertz
Special to DNAinfo
Wednesday November 23
Tonight's pick is a breezy indie-pop triple bill featuring Real Estate, Big Troubles and Liquor Store at The Bowery Ballroom. Rough Trade Records described my favourites on the bill, Big Troubles, as "a dreamy, head spinning blast of fuzzed-out bliss." Just what you need for a Wednesday night. Their debut album, "Romantic Comedy," was recorded by legendary mixman Mitch Easter (REM).
Thursday November 24
Sophie Milman is a Russian-born, Israeli-raised, and Toronto-based jazz singer. Still in her twenties, her 2004 debut album established her as a major artist in her adopted home country. Recently she topped the Billboard jazz charts in Canada, the U.S., France, and Japan. Expect to hear some tracks from her new album "In The Moonlight". At Blue Note.
Also: Jadakiss at Best Buy Theater.
Friday November 25
Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Beacon Theatre, The Cure are revisiting their earliest (more guitar-based) recorded material, playing from albums including 1979's sparse and wiry post-punk classic "Three Imaginary Boys," 1980's "Seventeen Seconds" (containing their first UK chart single "A Forest"), and 1981's long player "Faith." The encore will incorporate other songs from the period.
Also tonight: The musical backstory of techno producer Adam X dates back to 1990 when, with his brother Frankie Bones, he opened the first techno record store in America here in New York City. In 1995 he started the label Sonic Groove, and these days is based out of German techno hotspot Berlin. Tonight he'll be presenting an epic six hour set at National Underground, midnight.
Saturday November 26
A varied night is on the cards at Joe's Pub. 7:30 p.m. sees Willie Nile — the guy The New York Times once called "one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years." He writes anthemic rock 'n' roll, not unlike classic Tom Petty or Keith Richards, and has been active on the local scene since before his 1980 self-titled debut was released. His latest album is "The Innocent Ones," released last year. At 9:30 p.m., The Bernie Worrell Orchestra hits the stage. Co-founder of the original Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk), Bernie Worrell will feature songs from his latest record, "Bernie Worrell: Standards," as well as classics from his back catalog.
Sunday November 27 - GIG OF THE WEEK
Born in Iowa and raised along the Mississippi River, Little Scream, aka Laurel Sprengelmeyer, learned violin and piano as a child. She emerged onto Montreal's music scene alongside the likes of Atlas Sound, Stars, The Sea and Cake, and Handsome Furs. Her debut album "The Golden Record" features friends and guests as varied as Becky Foon (Silver Mt. Zion), Patty McGee (Stars), and Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire). The title refers to the 1977 Voyager Space shuttle time capsule recording that contains sounds, language and music intended to represent earth. Laurel says, "It is a poignant, if not futile, gesture of communication with some form of sentience that might intercept it in the distant future when we are the distant past." "The Golden Record" cover is one of Laurel's own original oil paintings. At Pianos.
Also tonight: New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint at Joe's Pub.
Monday November 28
Singer Frank Ocean evacuated from New Orleans to LA when Katrina hit, and ended up staying to pursue his music career. Ocean joined LA hip hop collective OFWGKTA in 2009 and has since written songs for Beyoncé Knowles and Nas. At The Bowery Ballroom.
Tuesday November 29
In the late '80s Suzanne Vega's second album, "Solitude Standing," was a global hit establishing her as one of the few rising stars of "new folk". Her big hits were "Luka", "Marlene On The Wall" and "Tom's Diner," the latter originally a cappella version remixed in 1990 by the British dance production team DNA.
The "Tom's Diner" referred to in the song is Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side. The same diner is also referenced as Jerry's hangout in Seinfeld.
Today, for both artistic and commercial reasons, Vega is revisiting and re-recording her varied back catalogue. Her most recent album, "Close-Up Vol. 3, States of Being," features a brilliant version of "Blood Makes Noise," a track originally recorded with her then husband (and producer) Mitchell Froom. At Joe's Pub. Two shows, 7.30 and 9.30 p.m. Also Wednesday night November 30.
