Les Shelleys (Fat Cat Records) is a duo of 2 top Los Angeles-based artists, Tom Brosseau and Angela Correa, who love a good song. Their sound has been described as a plait of voices. As a gift, Al Guerra, a San Diego music scene main-stay, bestowed the Les Shelleys a mini-disc recorder. Enamoured of field recordings and making their unique new arrangements of folk and American classic songs, Les Shelleys recorded on that mini-disc recorder with one condenser mic in 2003 & 2004 in Tom’s Angelino Heights bungalow. You can hear dogs barking from a neighbor’s yard or a man coming down the street with a cart full of bottles to recycle - and the catch of pure and simple moments. Les Shelleys’ (pronounced Lay Shell Ease) debut album will be released on Fat Cat in the early fall of 2010. This tour is a preview of all that was captured in that bungalow.

Shelley Short (Hush Records) is a native and current resident of Portland, Oregon, who grew up among characters and artists in a wood-heated home stocked with books, records, and well-cooked meals. As Short recounts: “It was like growing up in a time machine; in some ways we lived like it was 1896, chopping wood, growing our own food, wearing eclectic clothes in a Victorian home and singing our own songs. Other times it seemed like we were living in 1955, driving around Cadillacs and Hudsons and listening to Jonny Ray, Lester Young and The Flamingos. And yet it all felt like growing up in a movie made in 1963, full of these big personalities. Her most recent album, A Cave, A Canoo “captures that feeling of sidling up to the fireplace while waiting for the sleet to stop, pairing minimal instrumentation with Short’s soft, sweet voice, and hinting at an atmosphere both delicate and haunting.”

- Paste Magazine: Best of What’s Next

Saturday March 27th @ 9:30pm sharp (doors open at 9)
The Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave, Rochester NY 14607
Cost: $7

SPORTS - A brand new Rochester, NY band! Featuring ex-members of The
Sister Lovers, Baby Shivers Boutique, Power Douglas & Loud Magic. They don’t have any music up yet but we can say (because Kevin of Croquet Shows is in the band) that they are awesome! ;) If you are a fan of early Elvis Costello, The Cars, Talking Heads, STIFF Records or late 70’s New Wave/Punk, then SPORTS are right for you! Very dancey & fun rock and roll!

SPORTS on Facebook! - Go and add them.
SPORTS on Myspace! - Not much here yet, lame.

Bear Hands - This is the second time Croquet has had Bear Hands in
Rochester. They come from Brooklyn, NY they have a Modest Mouse feel to
them, very AWESOME band live! This is a warm up show before they hit the
road opening up for Passion Pit for a month. Needless to say we think they
will be getting much more press after this tour!

Bear Hands on Myspace! - Go Listen!
Bear Hands website!

Celebration of Man - Husband & Wife duo that just moved to Rochester a few months ago! Very cool live show!

Celebration of Man on Facebook! - Go add them!
Celebration of Man on Myspace! - Go Listen!

We are glad to have Glorytellers come to Rochester and share some of their sweet and beautiful music with us.

Geoff Farina has been making records and touring consistently since the early 90s, and he has carved out small enclaves of dedicated fans across the US, Europe, and Japan. His band Karate made 9 genre-bending records and toured extensively for 12 years, and the songs he penned with The Secret Stars have reached cult status, covered by the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Ida. Since 2006, Farina’s Glorytellers have combined Karate’s indie-rock urgency with the Secret Stars’ soft-spoken intimacy to evoke the best qualities of both bands. Atone, Glorytellers’ second release, is a collection of 9 unclassifiable gems that gently unfold with ease and dignity.

Here are a few reviews:

Farina’s brilliant guitar technique can, as it did in Karate, still threaten to make these folk songs sound mannered. But luckily, he’s learned to let his sweet, rolling vocals shoulder the emotional load on these tracks. It is quite a feat to see a guy, particularly one who left his last band at the height of its powers, try something completely different, and totally succeed.
–Pop Matters

In many circles, Geoff Farina is seen as a pioneer. As leader of the esteemed Karate, Farina used jazz as a template to create one of the most influential indie rock bands of the last 20 years. With Glorytellers…Farina moves into a quieter realm of innovative jazz invoking strong rustic American imagery. With influences as diverse as Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Jelly Roll Morton, Minutemen and Pere Ubu, the songs on Glorytellers’ debut may be difficult for the average listener to grasp on the first few listens. However, it is with each repeated listen that the songs’ strengths begin to shine, making this one of the best albums to come out of 2008 so far.–Artvoice

Wednesday, November 25th @ 8pm
German House, 315 Gregory Street, Rochester NY 14620
$15 advance all ages, $17 at the door

Everyone at Croquet is excited to announce that Camera Obscura is coming to Rochester with Papercuts this fall! Camera Obscura and Papercuts will be playing at the German House on November 25th, and I’m sure it will be a great show. More information and complete tour dates for the Camera Obscura fall tour have been posted at BrooklynVegan. Tickets for the Rochester show can be purchased in advance online by clicking here.

- Marc

Wednesday, September 2nd
The German House
7pm

$12 presale, $14 at the door

Presale tickets can be bought at The German House / The Keg, Abeline and Metro Retro.

We’ve had some fantastic shows recently, and this next one is not to be missed. The Felice Brothers are coming back to Rochester for a night of Folk-Rock, Cajun and Carnivalia. Just two years old, the band has received quite a bit of notice on everything from NPR to Pitchfork to the best of the musical festivals. The five piece of three brothers and two friends hail from the Catskill Mountains of New York, and were discovered while busking in NYC subway stations. Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) quickly scooped them up to Team Love Records, where they released a 15 track, self titled album with songs like “Frankie’s Gun” and “Whiskey In My Whiskey” (my two favorites). They have toured extensively, and landed an album of the year nomination for the Uncut Music Awards. Their most recent album “Yonder is the Clock” is truly a little bit of Americana.

With accordions, harmonicas, washboards, and beat-up acoustic guitars, you might think you’re hearing an incantation from a certain classic album recorded in a basement in rural New York State with a certain gifted rambler from Minnesota and his scruffy backup band. Self described as true American Music; The Felice Brothers bring something familiar, yet totally original and modern to their songs. It’s the kind of new music that deserves to be played on an old record player… while friends sit on the front porch, drinking whiskey from a rubber boot.

Check out NPR’s five track recording of The Felice Brothers at the Philadelphia Folk Festival here.

Emma

Cale Parks is a favorite in Rochester, and if you have not had a chance to see him solo, you don’t want to miss him. He is the go-to drummer for bands like White Williams, Passion Pit and Chin Up, Chin Up, and a full time member of Aloha. Cale is a hugely talented percussionist with a fierce live show. Joining him will be Lemonade, a three piece from California, who also bring a dance-happy live show. Here’s a little bit about Cale…

His music is a foray deep into texture, rhythm, pure sound and onwards into the heart of the song. His 2006 album “Illuminated Manuscript” owes as much to his classically trained precision (He studied as an orchestral percussionist) as it does to his ear for melancholy, summoning comparisons with the repetition of Steve Reich, the sadness of Arvo Part & the electronic textures of Mum. 2008’s “Sparklace” builds all these aspects into a more structured whole indebted to the dark 80s British electronics of New Order and Depeche Mode. Never content to rest on his laurels, as Sparklace hit the shelves Cale has already finished the recording of his 3rd LP, “To Swift Mars” which will see release in 2009.

Cale Parks and Lemonade play Tuesday, August 25th at the Bug Jar.

-Marc

Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance is an experimental music group based out of NYC. Started as an improv band, Gang Gang Dance has gradually incorporated structure, melody and elements of pop into their music. In between touring with bands such as Animal Collective, TV on the Radio and Sonic Youth, Gang Gang Dance has released four albums under the label The Social Registry. Their most recent, Saint Dymphna, was described by UK’s Fact Magazine as one of the “best albums we’ve heard all year”.

Hex Message
Hex Message is an experimental music group, described as “a journey of sonic experimentation and positive juju.” Hex Message is based out of NYC, and features members Dan Hougland, Pascal Spengemann, Abigail Portner and Andrew Kuo.

Gang Gang Dance and Hex Message play Thursday, August 3rd at the Bug Jar.

-Marc

Cursive
Cursive is an indie rock band from Omaha Nebraska. Formed in 1995, Cursive has released six full length albums under the Saddle Creek label. In a review of their latest album, Mama, I’m Swollen, Cursive is described by Rolling Stone as “…a dizzying range of amped–up hardcore, horn–powered country rock, and angular balladry.” Cursive toured with The Cure on their 2004 Curiosa tour alongside Interpol, Mogwai, The Rapture and others.

The Love Language
Spin Magazine describes The Love Language’s Stuart McLamb as “…a casually stunning work of one-man-band lo-fi indie pop. McLamb’s songs - a mix of moody piano ballads and bouncy guitar rock - are aching love letters to his ex that combine the emotional directness of Big Star with the raw immediacy of Guided By Voices.” After recording The Love Language’s debut album, McLamb began touring along with six others.

Cursive and The Love Language play Thursday, July 30th at the Bug Jar.

-Marc

Yeasayer
Self described as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel” and “Enya with bounce,” Yeasayer is an experimental rock band from Brooklyn, NY. Yeasayer has played at such festivals as SXSW, Lollapalooza and Roskilde. Their 2007 debut LP, All Hour Cymbals, is described by Pitchfork as a “unique form of indie rock world music” with elements of new-age, spiritualism, and indie rock.

Ponytail
Named “Best Band” in 2008 by Baltimore City Paper, Ponytail is a four person experimental rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. Ponytail has received praise by Pitchfork and the BBC for their upbeat, energetic guitar work and unique vocal style.

Phantogram
Formed in 2007, Phantogram is the work of guitarist Josh Carter and keyboardist Sarah Barthel from Greenwich, NY. Described by Sarah as “a combination of Kanye West and Radiohead,” Phantogram has opened for bands such as Ra Ra Riot, Yeasayer, Brazilian Girls and The Slip.

Yeasayer, Ponytail and Phantogram play Wednesday, July 15th at The Bug Jar.

- Marc

Garotas Suecas (sao paulo, brazil)
+ DJing by LouLou & Michael

$8, 10 for unders