Plain Jane Automobile - The Starlight Sessions Live Recordings

Plain Jane Automobile recently released the  Starlight Sessions Live Recordings -an acoustic recording of 3 songs - two of which are on the new album and were just stripped down, and the third is a great cover of Lykke Li's I Follow Rivers. I Follow Rivers opens the EP and it's a great upbeat tune to kick it off with. I honestly have never heard the original song, but I really dig their interpretation.

Stones is up next and if I didn't already love this song so much, the acoustic version would have sealed the deal. I love how gorgeous it is stripped down. Lead man Duke Crider's vocals just bring a sense of longing and wanting to the song, while the piano just takes it to a completely different place. This is hands down my absolute favorite track off the EP.

We Live in the Dark, Part 1 rounds out the three song set, and while its not stripped down as much as Stones, I love it. The acoustic track just brings a completely different vibe to the song while keeping the PJA sound that they're known for. I'd love to hear them do a completely acoustic album, and this EP is a great start. Also, did I mention that you can download the Starlight Sessions Live Recordings for FREE from Plain Jane Automobile's web site? While you're there getting the 3 acoustic songs, check out the rest of their music on their web site. Because that's free too.

Plain Jane Automobile - Fontana's, NYC 6.25.11

Photo Credit: Lisa Gansky Photography

I was really glad I was able to catch this show since Plain Jane isn't coming to Boston on this tour, and I love seeing them live. When it turned out they were playing in NYC the same weekend that I was already in the area, I decided to stay an extra night for the show. Fontana's is an interesting venue - its tiny, first of all, and second of all, the music room is downstairs, so its almost like being in someone's basement. PJA wasn't playing until 11, so Lisa and I got there around 10:30, right in the middle of the opener's set. Liat was really interesting - very folksy and bluesy, and sang a great medley of the Cranberries' Zombie and Dreams, along with her own original music. From what I heard, I liked a lot. She finished and Plain Jane got ready to take the stage.

Plain Jane Automobile - Bowery Electric, NYC 5.14.11

Saturday night was Plain Jane Automobile's last CD release show at the Bowery Electric to celebrate the release of Your Tomorrow, and I was glad I got to be there. The turnout was really fantastic - I had arrived a bit early (doors were at 730) and there was really no one there by the time the first opening band, Two Lights, played to an almost empty room (too bad, they were quite good) and then the second opening band Sons of George continued to warm the crowd. By the time Plain Jane was ready to come on, it was pretty full. They never fail to put on a great show, and Saturday night was no exception. The set started off with the single, You Were Only a Song and it did the exact thing that it does on the album - really set the tone for the rest of the night. I loved hearing these songs live - they are so fabulous on the album, and live the songs just came to life.

Plain Jane Automobile Your Tomorrow Available TODAY

Today's the day folks! Plain Jane Automobile's highly anticipated new album, Your Tomorrow is now available at their web site. Definitely go and check it out, it has a distinct sound that carries from a small club to an arena setting (someday) without losing the PJA twist. My full recap of is here and you can go here and order it.

Also don't forget about the upcoming release shows!

May 11 - Center Stage/Vinyl, Atlanta GA • Tickets/Info
May 12 - 12th and Porter, Nashville TN • Tickets/Info
May 14 - Bowery Electric, New York,  NY • Tickets/Info

Plain Jane Automobile - Your Tomorrow - First Reaction

Plain Jane Automobile’s new album, Your Tomorrow, is set to be released on May 9, and it’s probably one of my most anticipated for this year. I’ve loved PJA since I saw them on tour with Ours 3 years ago, and not only are they fantastic musicians, they are fantastic guys. I had heard some of the new stuff last September/October, but this is the first time I’ve heard the cohesive album. And it’s really fantastic. Overall, it tells a complete story from beginning to end, and brings it full circle with the radio edit of the lead single You Were Only a Song. The album has a very U2-esque sound without losing the distinctive Plain Jane sound that fans have come to know and love.

Jimmy Gnecco w/Plain Jane Automobile - Don Hills, NYC 10.2.10

I was pretty stoked when this show was announced, as I try to get down to NYC/NJ for Jimmy's shows when I can swing it, and being on a Saturday night, there was really no excuse not to make plans to go. I talked Lisa into coming with me (it didn't take much convincing, honestly) and that Saturday once she got out of class, we headed to NYC. I called Bill when we arrived so he could come down and show us where to park as he let us park in his neighborhood- and let me tell you, trying to find a parking space in New York is an entertaining experience. After driving around for about a half hour, we finally found one and parked and hightailed it to the subway to get where we were staying.

Plain Jane Automobile - Bowery Electric, NYC 10.3.10

Plain Jane Automobile played a special 'secret' show in October 3 at the Bowery Electric in NYC - that I was lucky enough to be at. It wasn't really that secret - if you RSVP'd to the invite that they'd been circulating for weeks prior, you were in. The Bowery Electric is a tiny venue on the Lower East Side - and the room we were in holds maybe 100 people - and that's being generous. As Lisa and I were in NYC already that weekend to see Jimmy, we decided to stay for PJA's show and make the 3 hour drive home at midnight. We actually finished up dinner early and ended up heading over to the venue a bit early before doors opened, where the guys had just arrived and were loading in. Tiffanie was with them, and announced she wanted coffee or something, so we went with her to keep her company and it was great to just hang out with her and talk about everything and nothing.

Jimmy Gnecco w/Plain Jane Automobile - Hard Rock Cafe, Boston 9.28.10

I was excited about this show when it was first announced as it's been about 2 years since Jimmy's played in Boston and headlined. He was here opening for Greg Laswell in May, but the last time Jimmy was in Boston with his band was September 24, 2008. Fun fact about that date - it was the first time I'd ever seen Jimmy play live - and as you can see, it certainly hasn't been the last. The fact that this show was almost 2 years to the date of my first show made it a bit more special. Michelle came up from Philadelphia to go to the show with me, and it was fun to see her - I really can't believe she did the trek from Philly for a day - but I'm glad she did!

I met up with her around 5:30 and we went, had dinner and caught up before heading over to the Hard Rock. We arrived a bit early and doors weren't open just yet, so we poked around in the store and wandered outside to see if we'd run into anyone we knew. Instead, we found that we could see Plain Jane soundchecking and watched them for a few minutes before Duke turned around, saw us standing there and waved. We hung for a little while longer before heading back into the Hard Rock where doors had just opened, so we made our way into the venue and grabbed a couple of seats on the floor close to the stage. There were plenty of tables which started to fill up, but we wanted to be close enough to stand up close to the stage later.