We would love to be able to say that the Donkeys are simply four California beach bums who love to surf, drink cheap beer and jam as the sun sets over the Pacific. The long legacy of music hailing from California – from Bakersfield to the Beach Boys, Sweetheart of the Rodeo through Slanted and Enchanted – has shaped our sense that everything and everyone “out west” is laid back, comfortable and cool.

And to be fair, when it comes to the Donkeys, some of this mystique is true – two of the band’s members are indeed surfers, and all four have been known to down a six pack or two. But like California, the real-life Donkeys (best friends from Southern California, Timothy DeNardo, Jessie Gulati, Anthony Lukens and Sam Sprague) are much more… real. If their backstory contains those top-down cars and suntanned utopian surf tableaus, it also contains the malaise and the escape fantasies familiar to all suburban kids of the 80s and 90s. Miraculously, the music manages to comfortably communicate both moods at once. Any expression of existential ennui – “is this all there is?” – is simultaneously soothed by an unrushed guitar lick and a harmonized twang that becomes almost, dare we say, meditative.

Part of this magic comes from the fact that there’s no artifice to the Donkeys’ songs, from the matter-of-fact breakup blues of “Boot on the Seat” to the playful recollections of a late, drunken night narrated on “Nice Train.” These are everyday lives in the postmodern world expressed with a deep respect for classic songs from the 70s through the 90s — for spacey grooves and soulful, jangly swagger — that elevates the subject matter beyond the ordinary. Living on the Other Side, the band’s second album, is not meant to hit you over the head with a flamboyant single – instead, imagine Ray Davies jamming with the Byrds, or a Gene Clark-fronted Buffalo Springfield — and you’ll get a sense of the tradition that informs this band.

Living on the Other Side is about rolling down the windows, cranking up the stereo, and hitting the open road. Maybe you’re running away, and maybe you’re not, but either way, everything’s going to be alright.

Sat. June 16, 2012 // 10p

Masta Ace //

Rhyme Cal //

She will be performing the early show May 30th

http://youtu.be/9SgJOFXl_5c

Bio // Diamond D
He started out as a DJ for Jazzy Jay back in the late 1980s and was at the same time perfecting his skills in beat making and turntablism, and together with rhyme partner Master Rob, he was one half of the group Ultimate Force. The group signed with Jazzy Jay’s Strong City Records, and Diamond and Rob started recording their debut album, I’m Not Playin’, in 1988 and released the 12-inch single with the same title, which spawned a buzz in the underground. The album was completed in 1990, but it got caught up in label politics, such as the shutdown of Strong City distributor Uni Records, and was shelved until 2007 when it was released through Traffic Entertainment. One of the last songs recorded for the album was a Diamond D solo song in which he actually picked up the mike for the first time. The song was called “The Best-Kept Secret.” As Ultimate Force dissolved, record executives got their eyes on the Bronx phenomenon, which eventually resulted in the release of Diamond’s debut album, Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop (released under the moniker Diamond & the Psychotic Neurotics), in 1992. The album is considered to be one of the finest D.I.T.C. solo LPs and features early appearances from Big L and Fat Joe, the latter of whose 1993 debut album, Represent, was mainly produced by Diamond D.[1]

South Philly Emcee who recontextualizes modern indie records with an undeniable swagger, then spits thoroughly over his own jaw-dropping productions with the unique ability to make Dilla, Katy Perry, Slowdive, and Drake feel like they’re part of one strangely, perfectly-connected lineage. His mixtape, ‘No More Golden Days’ explores increasingly eccentric sonic territory and has been praised by Stereogum and Okayplayer to name a few. His performances meld live instrumentation and projections, all curated by the artist himself, further pushing Lushlife is an artist interested in conveying feeling through sound. His new LP ‘Plateau Vision’ dropped on Western Vinyl April 17th. – Bond Music Group

Lushlife Signs with Western Vinyl +
Readies ‘Plateau Vision’ LP, available 4.17

Featuring tracks with Heems of Das Racist, Styles P of The Lox, Cities Aviv, and more, Lushlife is set to drop his second full-length effort (the first with Western Vinyl), ‘Plateau Vision’, later this spring, with gigs lined up at the Knitting Factory NYC 1.14 and SXSW.

MP3s:
“Adult Goth ft. Heems of Das Racist”
(via Spin)

+

“She’s A Buddhist, I’m A Cubist ft. Cities Aviv”
(via Pitchfork)

*Jack Wilson is added to the bill

featuring

DISTAL (Embassy Recordings, Tectonic Recordings – ATL,GA)

JOE NICE (Gourmet Beats, Dubwar NYC – BAL, MD)

DEPTH ONE (FUZZ!, HYPE!, P.O.P. – PGH, PA)

P.O.P (Pursuit of Perfection – STM, CT)

@ Shadow Lounge
5972 Baum Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA

$10 Cover

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R. Ring on Fri. May 11, 2012 – TICKETS

R. Ring is Kelley Deal & Mike Montgomery. It is voices, guitars, and keys. It is sparse, chaotic, abrasive and lulling, often within the same song. It is new. It is, at the very least, a stark departure from the music they make in their other bands (Kelley plays in The Breeders, Mike plays Ampline).

They are currently putting finishing touches on recordings for a 7″ single, due out on Misra Records. Kelley lives in Dayton, OH. Mike lives in Dayton, KY. Kelley makes and sells scarves and knitted items. She has her own font called Saltwater. Mike records music, rides skateboards, and builds things. He has knitted a dog collar, with great assistance.

featuring Mike Montgomery & Kelley Deal (of The Breeders)
$10 Adv / $12 DOS
6:30PM Doors
7:00PM Show
Over 18+

R.RING at South Park Tavern from glass on Vimeo.

This guy will be rocking the lounge on Sun. April 22, 2012

Facebook event (click Here)

// Urban Kontent Brand presents //
F. Stokes (Hip-Hop/Blues/Spoken Word, NYC)
People in the Red Balloon, Fortified PhonetX, and Folkland
doors @ 8p | Show @ 9p | 18+ Over | $7 Cover

Web http://www.fdotstokes.com/

Get to know F. Stokes:
Returning from a successful European tour, F.Stokes comes to the Shadow Lounge on April 22nd to continue the celebration of his newly released album, “Love, Always” A true artist, F.Stokes (pronounced F-dot-Stokes) does it all, from hip-hop to spoken word to blues; this versatility allows him to blend multiple styles into one, creating an unrivaled lyricist who speaks on topics from the everyday to the big picture. Whether you’re looking for a bumpin’ hip-hop show, a lesson in lyricism, or something to bob your head to, F.Stokes has it all.

With lyrics by Binary Star and beats that sound like they belong in a Rhymefest song, joints like F.Stokes’ Blessings are sure to get the crowd at the Shadow Lounge hype.

-Andrew Gretchko