Tonight! Tristen + Ezra Furman & The Harpoons @ Webster Studio

Ezra Furman - Hard Time in a Terrible Land by Big Hassle Media
Tristen - Baby Drugs by AmericanMythRecordings

You'll know where to find us tomorrow night in NYC as Stark favorites Tristen and headliner Ezra Furman & The Harpoons take over Webster Studio. If lead-vocal fire power, crafty song-construction, lyrical complexity and on-stage charisma are your bag, then this show is for you.

Nashville's own Tristen, is fresh off the release of her debut album for American Myth titled, Charlatans at the Garden Gate. Her campaign is off to an amazing start landing her a Spring tour with Furman, a Rolling Stone feature, champions in the NPR world (All Things Considered) and much more. Touring is where Tristen finds comfort and it shows in her live performances -- she leaves nothing to the imagination and will floor you with her raw vocal power and indie-pop tunes; a seemingly perfect match with Ezra Furnman.

After cutting his teeth early with the release of Banging Down the Doors, following with Inside the Human Body, Furman & The Harpoons released their third album, first for Red Parlor Records titled, Mysterious Power, yesterday. Comprised of a myriad of music styles, Ezra and the crew have ramped up the electrics and produced was seems to be a pure, emotionally-fueled record. There is no restraint or attention to detail in Mysterious Power, just song-after-song of seemingly on-the-fly recordings. The "power" is there -- as other writers have said, think less Dylan, more Violet Femmes and don't miss this show.

Check out Tristen's tour dates with Ezra Furman as well as her new video for "Baby Drugs" after the jump...

Delta Spirit: History From Below

[mp3] Delta Spirit: "C'mon People"

We've been spinning the new Delta Spirit record, History From Below, for more than a week, and it's a marvelous step forward from their debut, 2008's Ode To Sunshine. While Ode was heavily lauded across the board, it failed to connect with us, despite falling right into our wheelhouse: home-grown, jangly country-tinged rock. Yet, there is something different about the songs on the new record. While not straying far from the formula of their first record, it's clear that the time between records spent with artists such as John McCauley (Deer Tick) and Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) as well as producers of 'History' Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket) and Eli Thomson has paid dividends on the songwriting front. Delta Spirit's new record is melodic to the core and equal parts intimate and huge. History From Below comes out June 8 on Rounder. We're still waiting for new approved music to post.

As an AMAZING bonus, our longtime favorites, Ezra Furman and The Harpoons will be opening dates on Delta Spirit's huge national tour. Here's hoping for some solid national exposure for our friends from Brooklyn. Dates after the jump.

June 8 / Solana Beach CA / Belly Up
June 9 / San Francisco CA / Independent
June 10 / Portland OR / Doug Fir
June 11 / Seattle WA / Neumo's
June 12 / Vancouver BC / The Venue
June 14 / Boise ID / Neurolux
June 15 / Salt Lake City UT / Urban Lounge
June 16 / Denver CO / Bluebird Theatre
June 17 / Omaha NE / Waiting Room
June 18 / Minneapolis MN / Varsity Theatre
June 19 / Chicago IL / Metro
June 21 / St. Louis MO / Firebird
June 22 / Indianapolis IN / Radio Radio
June 23 / Columbus OH / Basement
June 24 / Cleveland OH / Beachland Ballroom
June 25 / Pontiac MI / Pike Room
June 28 / Boston MA / Middle East Downstairs
June 30 / New York NY / Bowery Ballroom
July 1 / Brooklyn NY / Music Hall of Williamsburg
July 2 / Philadelphia PA / First Unitarian Church
July 3 / Washington DC / 9:30 Club
July 5 / Carrboro NC / Cat's Cradle
July 6 / Chaleston, SC / Pour House
July 7 / St. Augustine FL / Cafe 11
July 8 / Orlando FL / The Social
July 9 / Atlanta GA / Masquerade
July 10 / Birmingham AL / Bottletree
July 11 / Haittesburg MS / Thirsty Hippo
July 13 / Little Rock AR / Juanita's
July 14 / Tulsa OK / Cain's
July 15 / Dallas TX / The Loft
July 16 / Houston / TX Mango's
July 17 / Austin TX / Emo's Outside
July 20 / Santa Fe NM / Santa Fe Brewing Co
July 21 / Tucson AZ / TBD
July 23 / Los Angeles CA / El Rey Theatre
July 24 / Santa Barbara CA / Velvet Jones

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Video Reprise

http://vimeo.com/5825462 from Adam Holz on Vimeo.

"This song is called Mother's Day, it's about a whore I knew in Chicago. Here it goes, goes, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!"

Yes, that is Furman's prolific uttering made at the beginning of "Mother's Day" a key track off 2007's Banging Down the Doors. This album was our introduction found after filtering through a number of influential sources and landing in our lap, . Upon arrival, the record found a home on our iPods and in our (insert cheesy cliche beginning with "H" here.) Since moving on from 2007's release, Furman found different musical friends including the Clash, Green Day, and Johnathan Richman of the Modern Lovers. Influences abound, Furman began to sow his punk-rock oats, culminating in the release of 2008's Inside the Human Body.

Since then, Stark has become closer with Furman and his entourage, learning more about what makes the band tick, smile, cry, eat, the usual. Please enjoy the video above taken from the Stark-sponsored Ezra Furman & the Harpoons Show @ Piano's. See our interview here as well. Speical thanks of course to videographer, Adam Holz.

STARK PRESENTS EZRA FURMAN & THE HARPOONS TONIGHT! @ PIANO'S

Stark Online Interview with Ezra Furman and the Harpoons from Adam Holz on Vimeo.

[mp3] Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - "Halloween Snow"

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons -- "We Should Fight"

Stark will be presenting Ezra Furman & The Harpoon's last show of their Piano's residency TONIGHT. Showtime: 10 p.m. In preparation, Stark wanted to talk with Ezra, in person this time, and we did. Oh, how we did. REPOST!

STARK PRESENTS: EZRA FURMAN & THE HARPOONS, JUNE 30 @ PIANO'S

Stark Online Interview with Ezra Furman and the Harpoons from Adam Holz on Vimeo.

[mp3] Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - "Halloween Snow"

[mp3] Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - "We Should Fight"

Stark will be presenting Ezra Furman & The Harpoon's last show of their Piano's residency June 30. Showtime: 10 p.m. In preparation, Stark wanted to talk with Ezra, in person this time, and we did. Oh, how we did.

Stark had the chance to sit down with Ezra Furman and Harpoon's drummer Adam Abrutyn at Hi Fi in NYC's East Village. Topics of conversation included, New York City audiences, women, geese, a trip to Barcelona for the Primavera Music Fest (hence Spanish women,) new city apprehensions and more. Ezra is...well... a character in-and-of himself. Every statement made seems like a marathon as he plunges the depths of his consciousness for the best possible answer. He keeps you on your toes as you never know where the conversation will head next, or what will be said; Ezra's music carries the same mysteriously spontaneous quality. You never know which Ezra you are going to get from night-to-night, which makes it worth attending his concerts every time. So join us, Ezra, and the Harpoons on June 30 as the band finishes off their fourth Piano's show as part of their residency.

Special, special thanks to Adam Holz who filmed, edited and generally kicked video-ass for us, as you can see per the video above.

See you there!