Ace Cowboy

There’s one absolute in music: When something’s free, it’s usually pretty good. Last night’s gratis performance at the Knitting Factory, however, would have been worth whatever price of admission management attached to the ticket. A little bit of Joe Russo and a lot of Scott Metzger goes a long way, especially with a full slate of ironic alt-country songs about drinking, fighting and fucking.

Armed with a brand new guitar, his octopus-like house band and a captive room full of musicians, bloggers and old standbys, Metzger set up shop in the Knit’s Old Office for a glorious evening of solo material and Danjaboots tracks. Their first show of the new year, the lowercase duo provided the same creative musical tomfoolery that which fans have grown accustomed since the band’s debut. Read on below for a full taste of the New York night, the intensity and the wholesome fun…

Everyone’s favorite glorified cover band is back…for a few shows, at least. Bustle In Your Hedgerow returns for a four-night engagement in late February and March, stopping in three states

Who says God is dead? The Canadian indie rock outfit followed up its recent announcement of five February dates at Manhattan’s Judson Memorial Church by playing a semi-secret show last

I’m off to Miami for two days of beach-free work, but as always you’re left in the capable and sensitive hands of Scotty B. He’ll have his usual Thursday edition

Check out this cool (not for them) clip of real-life bumper cars in Portland, Oregon, the incredible result of a crazy ice and snowstorm. And since this is a music

So much has happened since Jack Bauer shaved his playoff beard and spoke his first word in two years…and in that time all of these videos came to my attention. Reunion

After a slight delay, the clearly overwhelmed and oft-hounded winner of the Phish-Sirius “Live In Brooklyn” Barn Tour Contest has teamed up with the popular rock band’s management to offer

Back in November we celebrated Rhino’s decision to begin releasing great shit from the Grateful Dead archives that they acquired in a recent licensing deal.

Live at The Cow Palace: New Year’s Eve 1976 hits stores on January 23rd, but as part of our recurring Everybody Wins When I Plug Something And In Return They Offer Me Free Shit To Give Away contests, we’re riding in on our white horses with our assless chaps and giving one of these bad boys away. Yeah.

Even though I should just fake an entry and award myself the winner under an assumed non-affiliated alias, I guess we’ll just give this thing away instead. Some blogs like to throw trivia out there, but I’d rather get your creative juices flowing and allow everyone an equal opportunity to participate. We’re good like that.

So in order to win this stellar three-disc set, all you have to do is provide your answer to this thought in the comment section below: With strict parameters of 25 to 50 words, give us your most serious, headiest explanation for why anyone, however many years removed from the actual show, would ever want to listen to “Space” instead of just skipping from Drums to the next song. Convince me.

Follow these links below to stream some the tracks from the release, and read on for a full track listing and sveral YouTube teasers.

• Click here for the official Grateful Dead Live at The Cow Place E-Card
• Listening Party: Grateful Dead – Live at The Cow Palace NYE 1976 (click that link to stream Set II: Sugar Magnolia > Eyes of the World > Wharf Rat > Drums > Good Lovin’ > Samson & Delilah, Scarlet Begonias)

What a difference a week makes…Last Sunday, eight NFL teams thought they had a realistic chance to win the Super Bowl, Suzanne Somers still owned a fire-free Malibu beach house

I spotted David Byrne in the hipster crowd at South Street Seaport in August ’05. Awaiting Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s gratis summer showcase, the former Talking Head was just