Initially, we placed Sara Haze in the attractive-blond-marketing-ploy album pile due to pictures of her posing on the beach.

Then we listened to the album, and like finding a somewhat healthy meal at a fast-food restaurant, we were surprised. Sure, her voice isn’t the strongest, but there’s earnest in there and it’s complemented by her skills on the piano.

And her new album, My Personal Sky, doesn’t dip into the Top 40 sound all that easily (though it’s a shoe-in as background music for those introspective scenes on various TV dramas).

In the end, she’s here because she showed up looking like an American Idol and left us thinking that there might be more to her than a blonde who looks good sitting at the beach.

March 14 2010 8:45P Thunderbird Cafe – Hello Music Presents: Sara Haze Full Band Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Mar 16 2010 9:00P Hard Rock Cafe – Hello Music Presents: Sara Haze Full Band Nashville, Tennessee

Mar 18 2010 6:30P One 2 One Bar – Hello Music Presents: Sara Haze Full Band – SXSW w/ Chris Pierce austin, Texas

Apr 1 2010 12:00P Stork Plaza at University of California, Santa Barbara – Sara Haze Full Band Santa Barbara, California

Apr 10 2010 7:30P Studio 519 – Sara Haze Full Band Redondo Beach, California

May 7 2010 8:00P The Crepe Place – Sara Haze Full Band Santa Cruz, California

May 8 2010 8:00P Frog And Peach – Sara Haze Full Band San Luis Obispo, California

Jul 18 2010 12:00P Queen Mary – Sara Haze Full Band at LA Calendar Motorcycle Show 1st Show w/ Katie Cole and Long Beach, California

Jul 18 2010 3:15P Queen Mary – Sara Haze Full Band at LA Calendar Motorcycle Show – 2nd Set Long Beach, California

Sara Haze – Every Heart
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/04-Every-Heart.mp3]

From the 52 Shows editors: Every once in a while, we get someone to participate in our ongoing Turn the Page project, where we ask musicians to write about an experience on stage. Below, we have an entry from one of our recent finds, Anniversary Club. As we tell people before they do these, all we ask is that the write-up be honest. Enjoy. (And apologies for taking a while. The site was down for some reason).

Millhill Basement, Trenton, NJ, Jan 23rd 2010

Trenton, NJ is a tough town…toughest i’ve ever played for sure. i don’t do particularly well there but i’ve played that damn town at least 4 times this last year for some reason. crowd wise, tonight’s really not any different than the other shows i’ve played here. There are three or four familiar faces in the bar of people who have actually come to see me. the rest of the bar is filled with people who would just rather drink their beers in peace without some kid from Pennsylvania yelling folk songs at them.

the first half of the set goes great. dave, the guy who runs this bar, has been an amazing dude as long as i’ve known him so playing for him is always great…the free beer helps too. then right in the middle of a song change i hear some dude screaming “you’re trying too hard!!!” i ignore this at first but when he says it again i realize he’s talking to me. “you’re trying too hard!! just fucking sing already and stop yelling!!” i had my first heckler, who i guess has just noticed that i don’t have what one would call a very “conventional” voice.

i’ve got a pretty thick skin so i was able to just laugh this guy off. when i was done he bought me a shot and apologized…he was just really drunk. in actuality he was a pretty cool guy and this is kind of a reflection of the people i’ve met in trenton: seemingly really mean at first and then you love em by the second beer. jersey takes a lot of crap in general and say what you want about trenton, but those people are real.

Anniversary Club – The Dead
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Anniversary_Club_-_the_dead.mp3]

It’s nice to hear of someone trying to go up against Colin Meloy of the Decemberists in the literary-indie folk song world.

With Anniversary Club, we get a 4-song concept album called “the devil you know” about a civil war soldier from Texas named John Worth.

The band is the brainchild of Chris Stowe and the new album does not require any previous knowledge of historical facts. Instead, Stowe takes the backdrop of a country getting torn to shreds to tell the story of love, separation and the inevitable pain of a lost loved one.

There’s also something else going on with these songs. The minimalistic songs are complemented with Stowe’s gruff voice, which has the perfect blend of that whiskey-shot, Marlboro-smoked tone that makes songs about war that much more engaging.

You get the feeling that Stowe, somehow, has lived through his own civil war and has found a way to sing about it.

The song below, “The Walk,” is the third on the EP and presents the main character on the verge of death with the photo of his new bride in his hand. It’s an image that easily conjured up and an emotion that many can relate to immediately.

And some how, a song about a dying man thinking about love seems appropriate the day after Valentine’s Day.

Anniversary Club – The Walk
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Anniversary_Club_-_the_Walk.mp

Feb 16 2010 7:00P shady lane basement Johnstown, Florida

Feb 17 2010 8:00P shamrocks pub huntington, West Virginia

Feb 18 2010 8:00P the acoustic cafe johnson city, Tennessee

Feb 19 2010 7:00P the brycc house louisville, Kentucky

Feb 21 2010 7:00P Mixtapes w/ ANNIVERSARY CLUB, BURGER KINGDOM, HEY HELLO, SLAP & TICKLE East Moline, Illinois

Feb 22 2010 8:00P the elbow room chicago, Illinois

Feb 23 2010 5:00P black sheep studios warsaw, Indiana

Feb 23 2010 10:00P duffy’s pub and grub Syracuse, Indiana

Feb 24 2010 8:00P the clancy house grand rapids, Michigan

Feb 25 2010 9:00P cranky’s manatee cleveland, Ohio

Feb 26 2010 8:00P the brig blairsville, Pennsylvania

Maybe I have something for Irish chicks, but there’s a certain unshakable quality to Fight Like Apes that is immediately enticing and draws a listener in. Maybe it’s because the anger and rage I hear in the song “Lend me your face” is exactly the kind of sentiment I embrace on Valentine’s Day.

So rawk out…and be sure to mock the couples who think this is the only time of year to show love.

Fight Like Apes – Lend Me Your Face
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fight_like_apes-lend_me_your_face.mp3]

Shows

Feb 17, 2010, The Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

Feb 18, 2010, Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY

“Some people say…at the end of the day…that there’s a life that’s magnificent…”

Those are some lyrics from The Uglysuit‘s “The Magnificent Life,” which you can hear below. I dunno if it’s the fading pangs of a hangover or the fact that one is given a sense of clarity after a friend’s bachelor party, but this song really makes sense to me right now (and no, I can’t explain why).

It also gives an excuse to start our SXSW (or the music event I never get to go to) watch list a bit early this year.

Though I’m not one to heavily rely on press releases from a band’s PR company, something did ring true in this particular document. It mentions a word about honesty, and how these six Oklahoma friends approach music the same way most Okies react to pop culture: sans pretension.

Because of that, there is something different, almost Band of Horses-esque with songs “The Magnificent Life” and “…And We Became Sunshine.” Or maybe I’m just a fan of repeating chords and soaring vocals.

Either way, this is a band that has piqued my interest in 2010, and something tells me it won’t be the last. At the very least, they have reminded me to get off my ass and to try to find a way to get to SXSW on a meager budget (read: I can’t afford tickets).

The Uglysuit – The Magnificent Life
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/the_magnificent_life1.mp3]

Feb 13 2010 8:00P, Belle Isle Brew Pub Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Mar 4 2010 8:00P, Town Ballroom w/ Umphrey’s McGee Buffalo, New York

Mar 5 2010 8:30P, Newport Music Hall w/ Umphreys McGee Columbus, Ohio

Mar 6 2010 9:00P, Madison Theatre w/ Umphrey’s McGee Covington, Kentucky

Mar 10 2010 8:00P, Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario

Mar 11 2010 8:00P, Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario

Mar 12 2010 12:00A, Lee’s Palace – CMW Billion’s Showcase Toronto, Ontario

Mar 13 2010 12:00A, Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario

Mar 17 2010 8:00P, SXSW Austin, Texas

Mar 18 2010 8:00P, SXSW Austin, Texas

Mar 19 2010 8:00P, SXSW Austin, Texas

Mar 20 2010 8:00P, SXSW Austin, Texas

May 15 2010 8:00P, Private Event Kingston, Jamaica

Jun 5 2010 8:00P, WAKARUSA Ozark, Arkansas

Jun 6 2010 8:00P, WAKARUSA Ozark, Arkansas

There’s been something of a hiatus around here at 52 shows, which can be attributed to the holidays, a new PS3, a new Netflix account and cheering on Conan as he sticks it to NBC.

Clearly, the resolution for 2010 (and it’s twenty ten) is to listen to more music than I did last year. Posting is secondary, which is still an improvement from the abysmal display of blurjourlism (a blog masquerading as music journalism).

And now, on to my love of firsty firsties.

These are names that use only traditional first names. Doug Keith is prime example. So is Ashley John. One should always be on the lookout for the rarely seen firsty firsty, girlie girlie name, but for a dude. Think Kelly Shannon. As always, I digress.

Doug Keith was previously a member of the punk band The Gods Hate Kansas, and has apparently mellowed out with his solo efforts, one of which can be heard below in “The Lucky Ones.”

It’s always interesting to see someone who was reportedly in a punk band suddenly find a mellow patch in their soul. There is precedence for this with Nikola Sarcevic who was a part of the punk outfit Millencolin. His solo debut “Love-Sport-Kruk” is a collection of acoustic guitar, coffee house songs, most of which are about love and the pain that comes along with it.

While Doug Keith isn’t that dramatic in his efforts, the idea is the same: punk dude transitions into a new chapter. For the reason, it gives the music a slight edge, and forgives any off-key singing or strange choices, mainly because we place these musicians in a strange box, one that allows them a little more latitude to experiment, for better or for worse.

So when Keith sings “I must have done something pretty good in a past life/Cause now I got it made…” in “Now I’ve got it made” (#subtletitle), one has to wonder just how bad this guy may have been during his punk days. Sure, it could be conjecture and lies…but the narrative is already there, which allows it to live.

As for 52, Doug Keith represents another step onto the breach…and you can never go wrong with a firsty firsty.

More coming…I swear on 2010.

Doug Keith – Lucky Ones
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Doug-Keith-The-Lucky-Ones-The-Lucky-Ones.mp3]

Feb 10 2010 8:00P Howlers Coyote Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Feb 11 2010 8:00P The Treehouse Columbus, Ohio

Feb 16 2010 8:00P Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, Iowa

Feb 20 2010 8:00P Sunergos Coffee Louisville, Kentucky

Feb 22 2010 3:00P Wake Forest Radio Session Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Feb 22 2010 8:00P The Garage Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Feb 26 2010 8:00P The Green Bean Greensboro, North Carolina

Feb 27 2010 7:00P The Cave Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Mad at Tebow for dominating college football? Then maybe you should screw Florida State by stealing Weezer from them.

In what has seemingly become a new trend in marketing, Weezer is asking fans to vote via Facebook application to help them decide which college they should play at for free.

If it worked for “Paranormal Activity“…

And as it’s alluded to in the opening line, Florida State is currently in the lead with more than 10,000 votes, half of which were done by Tim Tebow on his Motorola phone during the game on Saturday* (yes, he can do everything).

Oh, why did I pick Motorola? Because it’s their Cliq Challenge and it’s their app you have to incorporate into your Facebook profile in order to vote.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE: November 30. Go HERE

The reward for your post-Turkey hangover is getting your school to host Weezer, who just released “Raditude,” an album that is as much fun to say as it is to hear (disclosure: I got the album from Youcast, the good people who are helping to get the word out about the contest. Happy FTC? ).

As for me, I think the band should earn the right to perform at a certain school by engaging in an obstacle course that includes feats of strength, an eating contest and having 45 minutes to create a table out of items found in a dumpster. It would mirror some of the challenges fans have gone through just to get to certain shows.

But, if ya’ll are good with Tebow and company winning something else this week, then by my guest and do nothing. As for me, I’m a Syracuse fan, a team that is only good at losing games and injuring the players on their opponent’s team.

Go Orange!

*not actually true

David Gray: Making it acceptable for PDA whenever his music is played

The Wang Theatre in Boston is an impressive place, with its vast lobby and impossibly high orchestra sections (there are three people). It has staged plays, musicals, opera singers and probably a few world-famous drunken rock stars.

All of this makes the appearance of Lisa Hannigan all the more magical. We wrote about her this past February on the strength of her song “Lillie” and the accompanying video that came with it. For a while, her track live on my iPod as the random track on my Nite playlist and the one my friends would inevitably ask “Hey, who is this?”

To see her play live in such a massive venue and opening for David Gray brought with it a strange sense of satisfaction and pride, as if anyone who had heard of her prior to this moment was with her on stage, singing to a massive audience who were all thinking the same thing: “Hey, who is this?”

It was a nice precursor to David Gray, the Englishman who launched a thousand relationships with his songs of love, friendship and snow falling…slowly.

Almost immediately into his set, you could see the couples in the audience convene and embrace. I suspect most of them, like myself, have a personal memory attached to one of his songs.

Despite his punkish roots, Gray has emerged as the go-to guy whenever couples need something to wake up or fall asleep to together in bed on a rainy Sunday afternoon. These are songs that are simple and have a way of being realistic cinematic, in the sense that hearing them in a certain place and time can create a musical postcard people hold onto forever.

And though you may not understand how the two ugly people in front of you are caressing each other in public, you can appreciate it because, in this place and time, it truly is a beautiful thing to see love in its rarest and unbridled form.

For me, Gray will always remind me of the night my future wife and I connected, not as former lovers-turned friends-back to lovers again. This was two incredibly horny people who took out their frustrations on each other on a rainy Friday night with Gray playing in the background.

I’ve been listening to an album this weekend and I know it doesn’t do the musicians who are on it justice. This is usually the case with a recording of a live performance, but there’s something different with this album.

For one thing, the entire thing is free.

The album comes from a documentary by Bob Moczydlowsky, which features 72 musicians either performing or talking about life on the road. While I haven’t seen the film yet (it’s at some festivals at the moment), I can appreciate the music, at least from a fan’s perspective.

Lesser-known bands are usually given the opening slot at big venues and play to smallish crowds at popular clubs. Either way, it’s always a constant battle between fan and band. The musicians have to make a connection and the fan has to pay enough attention (between the sips of PBR and thinking about the hot hipster in the crowd) to get turned on by the music.

And when it happens, it’s beautiful. An aural orgasm that forces the music fan to run into the night to find more about the band to remedy their new addiction. And when they score, it’s never as good as that first time when they are witnessing the band on a sweaty stage playing the middle set of a long show.

That’s why, though this album is engaging, it doesn’t truly capture the feeling of being there or quite show how these bands carried themselves during the night.

What it does do is remind me why I love going to shows in the first place, for the potential of experiencing that aural orgasm and witness something only a handful of people will.

That’s what this album is to me: a manifesto about the love of music in all genres. The album will take you through a journey of genres, offering surprises and nuggets along the way.

Sure, you may not like all the bands since the music will go through alternative indie (The Life and Times) to hipster poetic (Sal Retta) to melt-your-face-off rock (Coalesce).

And while this is a good way to get introduced to new music (remember, it’s free), the purpose of the project, I suspect, is for people to remember why they brave the weather, pay for overpriced beer an stand in crowded rooms with strangers: it’s about finding that new high and overdosing on it later.

Here’s a little taste to get your appetite going.

The Appleseed Cast – On Reflection
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/11-On-Reflection.mp3]

Tracklisting for album

1. Que Sera, Sera – The Life And Times

2. Scatter Baby Spiders – Ad Astra Per Aspera

3. Fuego – Olympic Size

4. My Life After Death, Parts I & II – Roman Numerals

5. Don’t Call It A Ghetto – The Architects

6. We’re Just Temporary Ma’am – White Whale

7. Ice Machine – The Stella Link

8. The Handless Man – In The Pines

9. Pills – Sal Retta

10. Lesser Fates – Namelessnumberheadman

11. On Reflection – The Appleseed Cast

12. What Happens On The Road Always Comes Home – Coalesce

We were on our way to play our first show in Brooklyn, NY. Not knowing where the exact location of the venue was a bit of a problem, but thankfully with the power of modern technology…we found our way!

Once we got to the venue, we set everything up, and waiting till we got called to the stage. At the time that the first performer went on, the place was pretty much empty. But, as we went on..the place started filling up. We all took a quick breath and debuted our new song in front of everyone. Not knowing how they would react to our new song..they loved it! It was possibly one of the greatest feelings to ever experience!

The rest of the show went by smoothly & we were getting some really good vibes from the crowd. By the end of our set, people got really into it, which was great! haha. After we finished our set, the president of this website (gimmesound.com) came up to us and told us that we have a bright future ahead of us. That really made the night special, haha. Overall, it had to be one of the best shows we’ve played in a while!

The Twees

The Twees – Full Circle
[audio:www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Full-Circle.mp3]