One of the things we keep hearing these days is that with the death of the record industry as we knew it nobody is doing artist development anymore. Although this is generally true, there still are some organizations out there committed to developing musical artists in the early stages of their professional careers. Ars Nova is one of them, and it’s currently showcasing the all NYC based "products" of the last few months of hard work through their "54/10 Music Marathon" fest, happening entirely at the 54 10th ave venue in Manhattan.
Ars Nova – also active in the development of comedy and theater acts – seems to have a keener eye for singer songwriters and artists with a theatrical attitude. The fest started yesterday (Tuesday June 14) with bold old time folksters The Tillers, eclectic rootsy quartet Roosvelt Dim, and delicate singer songwriter Rags Parkland. Today, June 15, Toys and Tiny Instruments (pictured) will showcase their peculiarly festive rootsy pop that’s perfectly described by their name, sharing the stage with singer songwriters Nick Blaemire and The Eclectic. The day after singer "rockwriter" Rebecca Hart will be joined by hilariously witty and masterfully jazzy Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra and delicate pop combo Blue Bottle Collection.
On Friday June 16 it’s male singer songwriter night with Rueben Chess, Freddy Hall and Julian Peterson.
The gran finale on Saturday features artists more adventurous in the sonics department, including Unicornicopia (which could be described like a mix of Laurie Anderson and Fiona Apple), Clydesdale Erotic (an exercise in "electronica with soul") and conceptual artist/musician Omar Zublair
