Ain't No Hole in the Washtub!

holiday blooper reel from the best christmas movie ever made. i remember being 5 years old living in my grandparents attic while our house was being built and watching this while drinking a juicy juice juicebox and eating spaghettios. best times.

Bruuuuuuce!

Yep, thats me in the background singing and playing the bells. What an awesome night!

Merry Christmas Baby!

I just want to wish everyone a merry christmas, happy holiday, and a very awesome new year in 09. This year has been the most surreal thing that I've ever known. Just did the Hope Benefit at the Count Basie theatre with jon bon jovi and bruce springsteen. whoaaaaaaaaaaaa! the place was insane. it was just so awesome to see a few generations of jersey artists and see how much affect they have on people. i really can't even explain it. me and brian from the gaslight anthem were kinda just standing on the side like dude, this is insane. i'm really glad they included me and i think that it is so great that people like bruce and jon bon are beyond huge and busy and still make some time to give back to the local community and jam with their old friends.
then last night i did a benefit for the mercy center in asbury park over at the downtown in red bank. it was one of my little acoustic shows that we usually do over there and sikamor rooney, the black jesuses and rick barry joined me. these shows usually have like 30 or 40 people there mostly friends but last night it was so packed i couldnt even believe it. what a great time and we raised $600 from the basket pass for the mercy center! thank you guys so much for being so generous! Mercy Center is a great organization on main street in Asbury Park that helps families with job assistance, healthcare, parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, help for local homeless, and also has a program for teenage girls to help keep them on the path. Please help spread the word on all the great work they do for our town and visit them at www.mercycenternj.org
BLESS YA'LL!!!!!!!

ticket info for the downtown gig 12/23

hey there-

tickets for the downtown show are a first come first serve at the door basis. so be sure to get there around 8:30 so you dont get stuck out in the cold. its a great lineup all night. very laid back and fun. featuring rick barry, jeff and brad of sikamor rooney, dave and sam of the parlor mob with their side project the black jesuses, and yours truly. good times. the downtown is in red bank on west front street. holla!

Sweet Home New Orleans

Just got back from a three day artist activism retreat in New Orleans. It was one of the most eye opening and inspiring times of my life. I can't believe that it has been so long since Hurricane Katrina and there is still so much destruction down there. So many lives and homes ruined and so many people still displaced. We met with alot of truly amazing musicians down there. People whose stories will stay with me forever. They have seen their communities, homes and careers ripped apart and still they have so much spirit. They aren't people who just sit on their hands complaining about the cards that life dealt and complaining about how their government has failed them. They make the best of it and put their hearts and souls into perserving their traditions and helping eachother get back on their feet and back to their homes. There is a great organization called Sweet Home New Orleans that raises money to try to help displaced musicians, Mardi Gras Indians and Social and Pleasure Club members. The traditions of music in New Orleans shaped alot of the sounds that make up American music and it breaks my heart to see people who have done so much for us as a culture have to go through such hardship. You can visit their site at www.sweethomeneworleans.org and find out ways you can help out.
At the end of the retreat we did a benefit show at Tipitina's and played with New Orleans own Bonerama backing everyone up. Sickest band I've ever played with! Four trombones! It was such an magic night, show, everything. A handful of strangers brought together to see this mess close up and help us to figure out how we can help this and even things in our own communities. I saw alot of parallels to Asbury Park down there and I walked away from this knowing that it is possible for us musicians to be able to help our towns and others that really need it in the right way.
More stories and pictures from this trip on the way........

Musicians Bringing Musician Home - New Orleans Benefit Dec 4th

Musicians Bringing Musician Home - New Orleans Benefit Dec 4th

Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy), Nicole Atkins, Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad, Future Frequency), Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit (Flobots) and Waterflow (of Senegalese hip-hop band Wageble) join together for "Musicians Bringing Musicians Home IV" – a special evening of music at Tipitina's Uptown (501 Napoleon Ave.) on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 9pm. This show is a benefit for Sweet Home New Orleans, a coalition of non-profit organizations that helps find affordable housing and provides rental assistance for Katrina displaced musicians, Mardi Gras performers and other traditional New Orleans artists.

The "Musicians Bringing Musicians Home IV" concert is the celebratory and fundraising finale of the fourth three-day activist retreat hosted by Air Traffic Control and the Future of Music Coalition since the Gulf Coast storms of 2005. This retreat brings artists from around the country to New Orleans to tour affected neighborhoods, visit with some of the city's notable musicians and community leaders and participate in strategy sessions about how to integrate activism and philanthropy into their work as musicians.

TICKETS:
Tickets for "Musicians Bringing Musicians Home IV" are onsale now at www.tipitinas.com and in person at the Tipitina's box office. Admission is $12 with all proceeds going to benefit the important work of Sweet Home New Orleans.

WEBCAST:
If you are not able to attend the concert, we encourage you to tune into the free streaming webcast of the show at www.tipitinas.com and make a donation to Sweet Home New Orleans.

Stone Pony show now at the Wonderbar!

The Stone Pony is now going under repair for a leaky roof. So now our show for this Wed (Thanksgiving Eve) will be at the Wonderbar. Its one block from the Pony and has a big painting of Tillie's creepy ass face on the side of the building. The Wonderbar has really awesome burgers to just so ya know.

For those that bought tix already, the will be honoured at the Wonderbar. There are also still tickets online for sale at www.stoneponyonline.com, Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Tickets will also be available at the door so get there early to get yours.

Now here is the big bummer, the Wonderbar doesnt have the insurance to accomodate people under 21. So this show is gonna be 21+. We are really sad about this and are gonna try to come up with some way to make it up to the fans under 21.

Well, anyways, Happy Thanksgiving everyone and see you at the Wonderbar. Its gonna rage.

Austin........

When I was 23 I worked for this record label called Rainbow Quartz. It was mostly because I was freakishly obsessed with one of their bands, Cotton Mather. I was never fortunate enough to see them live and knew that they had broke up quite a few years ago. Anyways, when I did ACL a few months back i did a little interview with the Austin Chronicle and they asked me what the first thing i thought of when they said
"austin" so of course i said "cotton mather." A few weeks after that I got an email from the singer/songwriter Robert Harrison of that band. He thanked me for the namecheck and told me he liked my voice and songs. I bugged! So we met up for a chat during ACL. As it worked out, we clicked and now i'm down here in Austin yet again and we are working on some songs together. wonderful, weird, sincere, supernatural little ditties. I'm having the best time. Its so funny how the universe meets people up in these ways. We've spent the days writing at his studio, the star apple kingdom. A psychedelic little house studio with a pink piano and a big picture of alpacas swimming in the ocean. Then last night we headed out to Emo's and saw Nada Surf. We met them and they were such nice dudes. They said they'd heard my cover of Inside of Love and dug it. Yay! Opening for them was the Jealous Girlfriends. I love them! We played with them a year back in Philly. Holly, their singer and I went on a mission to find drinks after 2am in Austin to no avail but had a nice little hang with a homeless guitarist. She grabbed his guitar and sang some Lauren Hill song. So much fun. Woke up with a bad headache and spooning a boxer named Winona. Went back to the star apple kingdom and finished the lyrics up to three brand new tunes. Beautiful evil shit. I can't wait to play it for ya'll.
Anyways, Robert now has a wonderful band called Future Clouds & Radar and they have a new record out called Peoria. Its an adventure. Pick up a copy over at Amazon or somewhere. You'll love it. Also check out some tripped out videos at www.starapplekingdom.com

PJ Time

The shows last weekend were epic. Best times ever. Now my voice sounds like Marge Simpson and my liver hates me. But I have a good three days off before I have to do anything at all so I'm gonna catch up on Dexter and knitting. Get back to bike riding if its not too cold and work on some songies. So happy to be home.

TT the Bears & Bowery Ballroom this week!

tickets are still available to our shows in boston and nyc on thurs and fri. pick up some at www.nicoleatkins.com. see ya'll there!

Home from Carolina

Just got home from our shows this weekend in DC and Charlotte. I figured I'd write a little bit because i can't pretend i like football anymore. I really wish I could get into sports but I just can't. Sport night food is good though. Its nice to come home after an 11 hour drive and a pot of pulled pork on the stove.
So the shows were such a good time. Both the DC and Charlotte crowds were rowdy and fun and i'm so glad we're out doing these shows with our friends Salt & Samovar because they are just killing it. Their sound has such a vibe to it. Its evil and mysterious and layered and magical. You should check them out www.myspace.com/saltandsamovar.com I can't wait for our Boston and NYC shows together this week. NYC is gonna be raging. The Nouvellas are joining us that night too so i'm gonna actually have some real backup singers that night. Luxurious!
After the Neighborhood Theatre show i went out to Concord to crash with my buds Susan and Seth Avett. I woke up with the prettiest cat ever, Beatrice. She was pink and brown and white and only drinks out of a moving water fountain. I miss my cat. Its so nice out in Concord. Its so different from Asbury. Just rolling feilds everywhere. So peaceful. You can see how it would be easy to make alot of good art out there. You can hear yourself think.
Seth made this awesome little video of him covering my song "the way it is" I'm speechless. I've been singing that song for so long now sometimes I forget that I actually like the song. After watching this i'm in love with it again. Thanks Seth! Here is the video. If you go on youtube you can also find some videos of him covering our friend Langhorne Slim too. Its awesome...

AC Newman's "Get Guilty"

Over the last winter I had the pleasure of singing backup on a record written by a fine young man and songwriter named AC Newman. Or just Carl. Anyways, he is playing a show next week in Brooklyn at the Bell House and I'm gonna be singing backup with him there too, so if you guys want to go, ya'll should. It's gonna be a time! And the record is mad sweet too! Here is the info:

Show:
A.C. Newman
with special guests The Oranges Band and Bird Of Youth
Saturday, November 15th at 8PM
The Bell House
7th Street between 2nd/3rd Aves
Brooklyn, NY
thebellhouseny.com

CD:
Get Guilty
Available: January 20th, 2009

Halloween Pics!

GO-BAMA!!!!!!!!!!!

Back in the AP

Home and very happy about it. The Parlor Mob are finally home too after a 10 week tour. I have freinds again! Sam, Paul's drummer just moved into the apartment above ours so our building is like a dorm. Its gonna be great and now we have a sweet little beagle, Roger, to hang out with all the time. This also means Miss Lulu will be around more and that means more creepy cool sinister photos. yay!
The Carolina shows with the Avetts were so much fun. I'm so thankful to have such cool and funny friends like them. Their fans have this almost church-like devotion to their music and it just fills me up with so much proud joy everytime i see them play. My heart just poops all over itself. haha!
I also really enjoyed playing with my good friends from Charlotte in my band for these. DK, Matt, John, Shawn and Stephen, you are some talented motherfuckers and so much fun to be around to boot. Thank you!
Tonight Paul and I are gonna head down to the Count Basie Theatre and see David Byrne play. Really looking forward to it. He's one of my favorite songwriters and I've never seen him live. They also just remodeled the theatre so i'm excited to see what they did with the joint.
Me and the Sea play Philadelphia on Wed, DC on Fri, and Charlotte on Sat. Then on thursday, the Parlor Mob and I are recording Scott Walker's "the Seventh Seal" for a compilation they are putting out in conjunction with the release of the Scott Walker DVD, "30th Century Man" Gonna try to make our version of the song completely epic and evil as fuck.

November Show Dates!

East Coast tour dates!

Hey!  Just a reminder that my band the Sea and I are playing a few more shows before we head into the studio to start working on the new album.  It's not to late to buy tickets, so come and hear some of the new songs!

11/05/2008      Philadelphia PA  World Cafe Live  
11/07/2008  Washington D.C.  The Rock and Roll Hotel  
11/08/2008  Charlotte NC  Neighborhood Theater  
11/13/2008  Cambridge MA   T.T. The Bears  
11/14/2008  New York NY  The Bowery Ballroom  
11/26/2008  Asbury Park NJ   Stone Pony   

Joining us on these shows will be our good friends Salt & Samovar

Weekend with the Avetts!

So i decided to switch my blog over here from tumblr. There were alot of people asking about being able to comment and also, this layout is a bit easier to manage so here ya go.

Anyways, Halloween was last night and we played with the Avett Brothers in Greensboro at the War Memorial Theatre. Tonight we play with them at the Peace Center. War and Peace. Nice! The show was super fun. I didnt have my regular band with me so I pulled together some of my favorite players from various bands in my old stomping grounds of Charlotte. Matt of the Houston Brothers, John Phillips, DK & Shawn of Bushovski and Stephen of Secondhand Stories. It sounded great. The guys really pulled it together in such short notice and practice time and most of all it was just great to play a show with some good old friends. We dressed up as Dia De Los Muertos and i'll tell ya, if I could play every show dressed up like that i would. It really suits the sound. Stephen's friend Blair and I made this really gorgeous flower wreath for my headpiece and at the end of the show I threw it in the crowd. Afterwords I was a little bummed bc I really wanted to keep it but felt compelled. Ah well, hopefully someone caught it and will give it a good home.

That Rock of Love Charm School is on tv right now. So fucking frightening. I just don't know how people can live like that but most of all I don't know how it has this power over me to continue to watch it. Turning it off now.........

So tonight we play Greenville. The Avetts dad Jim is releasing his Gospel record he made with Scott and Seth so I'm excited to hear them do some songs off of that one live. I'm still trying to get some of this greasepaint off of my face from last night. Also my voice is feeling much better than it did last week and thanks so much for the well wishing. 

I'll put some pics up from Halloween soon yo.