this week in music

MORE OR LESS I AM

Multiple locations
Through May 14
www.colombari.org

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” So begins Walt Whitman’s epic poem “Song of Myself,” from 1855’s revolutionary LEAVES OF GRASS. New York–based Compagnia de’ Colombari is currently traveling across the city performing their brand-new musical theater adaptation of the master work, in a production conceived and directed by Karin Coonrod and featuring an original score by violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen of Brooklyn Rider and guitarist Kyle Sanna and flutist Alex Sopp. Leading the cast is Obie winner Michael Potts (LENNON), Jorge Rubio, Michael Rogers, Elliot Villar, and Sarah Heltzel. The company will be at the World Financial Center on May 7, Whitman’s Long Island birthplace in West Hills on May 8, the Wadleigh School in Harlem on May 10, the Old Stone House in Brooklyn on May 11, Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem on May 12, and Grant’s Tomb on May 13 before culminating with a special ticketed show ($15) at Joe’s Pub to round out the tour.

GIRLS IN TROUBLE

Aaron Hartman and Alicia Jo Robins of Girls in Trouble celebrate Shavuot and more in two free local gigs

Friday, May 7, Café Orwell, 247 Varet St., free, 7:00
Wednesday, May 19, Sidewalk Café, 94 Ave. A at Sixth St., free (two-drink minimum), 10:00
www.myspace.com/girlsintroublemusic
www.sidewalkmusic.net

Girls in Trouble is a band that started out as a musical project of fiddle player and composer Alicia Jo Rabins, who was intrigued by the idea of writing songs about — or from the perspective of — the women characters from the Old Testament. Elsewhere a member of klezmer mainstays Golem and old-time revivalists the Hoppin’ John Stringband, Rabins has crafted an album’s worth of tunes following these stories and has been bringing them to life in performance over the past three years. But fear not; this isn’t music for theologians only. Here, the songs are everything, the mood shifting from sultry to impassioned to festive to macabre, sometimes within the bounds of a single composition. In a live setting, Girls in Trouble can variously feature the songs as either interpreted by a four-piece band (including Jascha Hoffman on keyboards, vibraphone, and accordion, Tim Monaghan on drums, Aaron Hartman on upright bass, and other delights); in fiddle/guitar duet guise with Hartman; or even with the becoming Ms. Rabins occasionally performing to the simple accompaniment of her own voice layered with prepared tape loops of acoustic strings.

No matter the instrumental accoutrements, the haunting stories that unfold make for an interesting and rewarding evening of listening. Girls in Trouble will be at Café Orwell in Brooklyn on May 7, followed by a gig on May 19 at the Sidewalk Café, playing their self-described “post-biblical art pop” on the Jewish holy day of Shavuot — the day when tradition maintains that Moses was given the Torah atop Mt. Sinai. Expect an intimate evening of unique music.

sex & drugs & rock & roll

Andy Serkis gives many reasons to be cheerful channeling Ian Dury in biopic

sex & drugs & rock & roll (Mat Whitecross, 2010)
Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick St. at Laight St.
May 5-11
212-941-2001
www.tribecafilm.com

British actor Andy Serkis, who has appeared in such diverse roles as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Rigaud in the widely hailed 2008 LITTLE DORRIT miniseries, transforms himself into punk rocker Ian Dury in the biopic sex & drugs & rock & roll. Directed by documentarian Mat Whitecross (THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, THE SHOCK DOCTRINE), the film follows Dury as an adult desperate to make it in the music biz, putting his career ahead of his family. The first half is awkward to watch, as there is not much to like about the character, a nasty, self-centered brute with a huge chip on his shoulder who leaves his caring wife (Olivia Williams) for a young fan (Naomie Harris). But as Whitecross and actor-turned-writer Paul Viragh reveal more of Dury’s past, centering on his relationship with his father (Ray Winstone) and being confined to a poorly run hospital after he contracted polio, Dury becomes a more compelling figure, especially as success approaches. Serkis does all his own singing in the film, set to newly recorded versions of such Ian Dury and the Blockheads classics as “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick,” “What a Waste,” “Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3,” and the title song. The soundtrack was composed by Dury’s longtime collaborator, Blockhead Chaz Jankel (played by a bland Tom Hughes), who also served as a consultant on the film. It takes a while to get going, but once it does, sex & drugs & rock & roll grabs you, anchored by Serkis’s remarkable performance.

DRINK UP BUTTERCUP

Drink Up Buttercup is back in their second home to celebrate the release of their debut album (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Wednesday, May 5, Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., free, 8:00
Friday, May 14, Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston St., $10, 7:30
www.myspace.com/drinkupbuttercupband
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
www.brooklynbowl.com

On the first song on their debut album, Philly band Drink Up Buttercup sings, “Remember your seasickness pills,” an apt warning to listeners about to delve into the many giddy pleasure of BORN AND THROWN ON A HOOK (Yep Roc, March 2010). Over the course of fourteen songs, Jamers Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, Ben Money, and Mike Cammarata let loose with a barrage of sea shanties, garage rock, waltzes, Goth moments, and Beatles-esque harmonies on such infectious tunes as “Doggy Head,” “Even Think,” “Gods and Gentlemen,” and the gorgeous “Lovers Play Dead.” The record is anchored by DUB’s wild and crazy double shot of “Sosey and Dosey” and “Mr. Pie Eyes,” which glory in the raw energy of rock and roll. As strong as the album is — these guys really know how to write a hook, and they fearlessly take off in whichever direction the music takes them — it’s their live shows that make them special, as they bang on trash cans, trade off instruments, knock over mannequin heads, and play with a reckless abandon that will have you wasted and begging for more. DUB will be playing a free show at Brooklyn Bowl on May 5 with the King Expressers and Givers, then will head to Mercury Lounge on May 14 with the King Left, the upstate New York band who are finishing up their tour in support of their EP NEW YORK NOTHING.

MONEYBROTHER

Moneybrother will make his full-band New York City debut on May 5 at Mercury Lounge

Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St.
Wednesday, May 5, $10, 6:30
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
www.myspace.com/moneybrother

Earlier this year, Moneybrother played an acoustic gig with Rhett Miller at City Winery. The creation of former Monster Anders Wendin, Moneybrother is back in town, making its full-band debut at Mercury Lounge on May 5. A soulful mix of pop, punk, reggae, classic rock, and disco, Moneybrother’s latest album, REAL CONTROL (April 2010), is a musical tour de force, from the funky opener, “Born Under a Bad Sign,” to the rollicking gem “Get Some Tonight,” from the infectious choruses of “We Die Only Once” and “Just Another Part of Me That Breaks Down” to the power ballad “6 AM” and the lovely closer, “Showdown,” a song that would make Ian Hunter proud. At times, Wendin’s voice is a little Mick Jones and a lot Joe Strummer, turning REAL CONTROL into a Clash-like foray into love and heartbreak, with horns and strings and other accoutrements. Moneybrother is sharing the bill with Michael Leonhart and the Avramina 7, featuring the Antibalas Horns, and DJ Sean Lennon, which should make for quite an unusual night of cool music.

HA HA TONKA

Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St.
Tuesday, May 4, $16, 8:30
212-533-2111
www.myspace.com/hahatonka
www.boweryballroom.com

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources describes Ha Ha Tonka State Park as “the ideal place for the adventurous.” They could just as easily been talking about native sons Ha Ha Tonka, the four-piece Ozark band consisting of Brett Anderson on keyboards and guitar, Lennon Bone on drums, Lucas Long on bass, and Brian Roberts on guitar. Originally called Amsterband, Ha Ha Tonka has made a name for itself with its unique take on southern music on their two fine albums, 2007’s BUCKLE IN THE BIBLE BELT and 2009’s NOVEL SOUNDS OF THE NOUVEAU SOUTH, both released by Bloodshot Records. The group investigates the South’s “horrific past” while celebrating its reputation for “enormous hospitality” on gospel-tinged pop songs such as “Hold My Feet to the Fire” and “The Outpouring,” in which they proclaim, “We bled it out.” You might have missed the pride of Springfield, Missouri, on May 2 in Brooklyn, but they’ll be at the Bowery Ballroom on May 4, playing with Murder by Death and Linfinity. Check them out for a novel musical journey through the New South.

soloNOVA ARTS FESTIVAL

Performance Space 122
150 First Ave. at Ninth St.
May 5-22, $20 per performance, $55 passport for any five shows
Festival Pass: $100
After-parties: $10
212-352-3101
www.ps122.org
www.terranovacollective.org

The seventh annual soloNOVA Arts Festival begins this week, featuring eight one-person shows and three late-night after-parties. This year’s lineup ranges from bilingual theatrical cabaret (Karina Casiano’s ROOTLESS: LA NO-NOSTALGIA) and musical comedy (Erin Markey’s PUPPY LOVE: A STRIPPER’S TAIL) to storytelling and song (Shontina Vernon’s WANTED) and dance theater (Jesse Zaritt’s BINDING). Daniel Berkley gets personal delving into his schizophrenia and addictions in REMISSION, Avery Pearson takes on sixteen characters in the thriller MONSTER, Brian McManamon is an odd collector in the Frigid NY favorite IT OR HER, and comedian W. Kamau Bell attacks racism in THE W. KAMAU BELL CURVE: ENDING RACISM IN ABOUT AN HOUR. In addition, there will be three Ones at Eleven after-parties at P.S. 122, highlighting music on May 8, comedy on May 15, and storytelling and spoken word on May 22. And on May 21, terraNOVA Collective will honor Nilaja Sun as soloNOVA Artist of the Year at a benefit with clips, food, drink, and more ($30, 8:00).