BROOKLYN’S Ollabelle is named after Ola Belle Reed – the North Carolina singer/ songwriter and mean banjo player whose song, “High on a Mountain,” is a bluegrass standard.
Finding recordings of Reed singing her own songs is difficult, but Hoboken’s Demolition String Band just released a straight-up old-time acoustic tribute to her, and now here comes Ollabelle.
With a name inspired by the singer, the sextet fell together to become the Sunday night gospel band at 9C, the defunct East Village club which was a cornerstone for New York country music.
Its members are of varying backgrounds – guitarist Jimi Zhivago was a mainstay of the city’s avant-garde scene, organist Glenn Patscha studied with jazzman Ellis Marsalis and vocalist Amy Helm played the blues with her dad (The Band’s Levon Helm) – but a kindred spirit of sorts drew them to this gospel music. The group has released their self-titled debut, steeped in traditional gospel and infused with exuberance, lush, soulful vocals and blues.
Ollabelle performs at the Living Room (154 Ludlow St.; [212] 533-7237) on Tuesday. Demolition String Band is one of several playing the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival Sunday afternoon, along Washington Street. Call (201) 420-2207 for a complete lineup.
TONIGHT PLUS: The Knitting Factory (74 Leonard St.; [212] 219-3006) has a pair of fun tributes this week (or they could be train wrecks).
Tonight is the “Night of a Thousand Stevies: A Tribute to Stevie Nicks.” Performers include Tony-nominated Boy George, Justin Bond and others. On Wednesday, the Knit features 801, an all-female Brian Eno cover band (as in “We are the 801”), Ida and Naysayer, in a benefit to raise cash for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Girls Camp.
TOMORROW: 50 Foot Wave features Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses) with her new harder rockin’ band, which will release a mini-album every nine months or so. The band will perform at Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St., Hoboken; [201] 798-0406).
Opener the Standard, from Portland, Ore., has a new album, “Wire Post to Wire,” which rises with urgent choppy punk instrumentals and falls to piano-speckled delicateness, held together by Tim Putnam’s quivery, expressive vocals.
The three members of Ex-Girl may wear rubber wigs or frog-head masks to accent their custom-designed costumes (space-age outfits, perhaps?). From Tokyo, these rockers are an avant-garde pop punk treat and perform at the Knitting Factory along with Skeleton Key and Asian Orange Sound System.
MONDAY: The Bo-Keys, an old-school Memphis soul instrumental group inspired by the Mar-Keys and Booker T & the MG’s, perform at Pianos (158 Ludlow St.; [212] 505-3733) on Monday, opening for Rene Lopez, and then at Lucille’s Grill at the B.B. King Blues Club (243 W. 42nd St.; [212] 997-4144) on Thursday. The group also played on Al Green’s latest album, “I Can’t Stop.”
Kenward Cooper, who made the wise choice of leaving Las Vegas for New York, also appears at Pianos on Monday. The rocker’s sound is clearly influenced by ’70s Bowie and ’80s new wave (a la Echo & the Bunnymen).
TUESDAY: Tim Easton is from the land of tires, Devo, and Chrissie Hynde – Akron, Ohio. The rootsy rocker’s latest album, “Special 20,” has captivating songs, sprinkled with banjos, mandolins and washboards – perfect for a hot summer road trip.
In the meantime he performs at the Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston St.; [212] 260-4700) Tuesday with Ray Lamontagne and Rosavelt and at Maxwell’s on Thursday with Okkervil River and Shearwater.
