Monday, November 24, 2008

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.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

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

Monday, November 17, 2008

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.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

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!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

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...

Friday, November 7, 2008

AC Newman's "Get Guilty"

thubmnail icon: New A.C. Newman - "There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve"

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

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Monday, November 3, 2008

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.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

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.