Nels Cline: New Record, Yoshi's Oakland Tomorrow Night

While his solo work is a far cry from his musical endeavors with Wilco, Nels Cline certainly has a lot to offer on his own. For those who have taken the time to explore Cline's records, it's extremely clear that Jeff Tweedy handpicked him for a reason. His avant garde jazz material pushes many of the genre's boundries, and offers up some compelling insights into sonic experimentation.

This Spring (in addition to touring with Wilco) Cline has released a new solo record, Coward, and is touring in its support. Tomorrow night, Cline will be playing two shows at Yoshi's Oakland with his namesake band, The Nels Cline Singers. The show is a showcase for Cline's label, Cryptogramaphone Records, and will also include The Jeff Gautier Goatette. In our experience, Cline's live shows are something of a transcendent experience, and the night will definitely be do-not-miss. What's more, the new record is extremely acoustic-centric, so it'll be interesting to see how that works out in a live environment.

If that's not enough Cline for you, you're in luck! Nels' twin brother Alex will also be at Yoshi's as part of the Cryptogramaphone showcase. That show is tonight, and features the Alex Cline Continuation Quintet, with Alex on drums. What's more, you can hear the brothers talk a bit about their forays into jazz in this interview over at NPR.

mp3: Nels Cline - Epiphullum

Jose Gonzalez Contest Winner

Well, the random number generator has done its job, and Jonathan Yu has been selected as the winner of our Jose Gonzalez tickets for tonight's late show at Yoshi's. Congrats Jonathan!

Jose Gonzalez: 2 Nights At Yoshi's, Ticket Giveaway

If you find yourself desiring a more chill vibe than Spoon's rocktastic extravaganza at The Fillmore, might we suggest that you jump across the Bay and check out Jose Gonzales at the original Yoshi's? He'll be playing Tuesday and Wednesday nights, a late and early show for each.

The singer-songwriter brings to the table a pretty folky vibe, but with some clear (see above) roots in the world of rock music. His voice has been (understandably) compared to Nick Drake, but to our ears he puts his own spin on things with a bit more of a raw, gritty vibe than Drake ever had. Getting to see him in a small room like Yoshi's will no doubt be a treat, not only for the intimate vibe, but the awesome acoustics as well.

Here's an added bonus: we've got a pair of tickets to give away to the Tuesday night late show at 10 PM. All you have to do is email contests@hippiesaredead.com with the answer to the following question: What Gonzalez song was used for a commercial filmed in San Francisco? Please include your name and email address with the answer. Get your entries in by 10 AM tomorrow (9/23), we'll announce the winner soon thereafter. Good luck!

Video: Jose Gonzalez - Down The Line
Stream: Jose Gonzalez - Down The Line