Bay Area transplant Chris Stroffolino is a former Silver Jews member, a Ph.D.-holding Shakespearean scholar, published author of eight books of poetry, AND a one-time Amoeba Music Home Grown Artist of the Month. Now in Los Angeles, Stroffolino and his rescued, upright piano reside and perform in his 1980’s Ford Econoline van. The van serves as his part-time stage, rehearsal space, recording studio, and full-time living quarters. A prolific singer/songwriter, a chalkboard paint-covered sliding van door announces his influences: Indie, Punk, Brill Building, Motown, and Velvets.

This guy is the real deal and he's mobile. You can catch him playing wherever the van takes him -- Griffith Park, outside a Trader Joe's, in parking lots of music venues -- but we suggest following him on Twitter at @Piano_Van to get updates on his next coordinates.

Jeff Feuerzeig, the director of the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, is recording a series of videos with Stroffolino. Here's the latest, his infectious interpretation of Toby Keith's "I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight."

Big news! The lineup has just been announced for the inaugural weekend of the First City Festival, which takes place at the Monterey County Fair and Event Center on Saturday, August 24th and Sunday, August 25th.

Join Goldenvoice and Amoeba Music in welcoming Modest Mouse, Passion Pit, MGMT, Neko Case, Beach House, Toro y Moi, the west coast debut of Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks (featuring Dave Portner of Animal Collective), and so many more.

Two-day General Admission and VIP tickets go on sale Friday, May 31st at 10am at FirstCityFestival.com!

 

 

To read more Behind The Grooves, go to http://behindthegrooves.tumblr.com.

On this day in music history: May 20, 1967 - "Groovin'" by The Young Rascals hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks (non-consecutive), also peaking at #3 on the R&B singles chart on the same date. Written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, it is the second chart topping single for the New York City-based blue eyed soul/pop rock quartet. For the band's sixth single release, they will venture into new musical territory. Taking an interest in Afro-Cuban music, keyboardist and lead vocalist Cavaliere along with percussionist Brigati will come up with a leisurely paced groove with that sound in mind, and begin crafting a song around it. Lyrically, it will be about how the only time the two busy musicians could spend with their respective girlfriends was on Sundays. When they get into the studio to cut the track, they will enlist the assistance of veteran studio bassist Chuck Rainey to play on the song. Once it's completed, the band will present the song to Atlantic Records, who at first are unsure of the song's commercial potential. Famed New York DJ Murray "The K" will convince the label to release song after he expresses his enthusiasm for it. Released on April 10, 1967, it is an immediate smash. Entering the Hot 100 at #79 on April 22, 1967, it will rocket to the top of the chart just four weeks later. "Groovin'" will prove to have major staying power once it reaches the summit. After two weeks at the top, it will be bumped from the #1 spot by Aretha Franklin's "Respect" for two weeks, then it will return to the top for an additional two weeks. "Groovin'" will be certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

Orchestra Da Camera from Quiet ensemble on Vimeo.

As witnessed by the positive reaction to the YouTube cat videos and the recent Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival clearly felines (as well as canines) have been hogging the popularity polls when it comes to viewer hits of online videos of creatures. But that stronghold by kitties may soon witness some competition if mice videos, like the one above uploaded a couple of months ago by the Rome, Italy based Quiet Ensemble, start to gain in popularity. That video above is the intricate Orchestra Da Camera musical installation that shows the "forty elements of the chamber" - mice running on their wheels with each wheel connected to a carillon.  When the wheel turns (activated by each mouse) it in turn triggers the carillon to begin playing its corresponding musical note. As the Vimeo video description for the video notes, "The great number of carillons and the random actions of the living creatures makes unrecognizable the melodies (lullabies by Brahms, Schubertand Mozart) creating an unexpected musical carpet determined by the mice."

Amoeba has entered into a partnership with L.A.’s Moheak Radio to provide the Amoeba Song of the Week every week for a recorded segment to air on Moheak’s online radio station.

This week it’s The Cyclist’s “Visions,” from the U.K. producer’s latest album, Bones in Motion, on Stones Throw Records. “Visions” combines clanging percussion, analog synth sounds and bits of white noise for a song that tunnels down new corridors in your mind. The track also was included on the album Dual Form, a double-disc compilation to kick off L.A.-based label Leaving Records’ distribution via Stones Throw that also features Sun Araw, Dntel and others. 

A bit about Amoeba’s Song of the Week: Every week we’ll provide a song hand-selected by our own staff to Moheak Radio for a recorded segment that will run four times a day (at around 8 a.m., 1 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and once overnight). Besides hearing what our expert staff is into, you’ll get the chance to win prizes from Amoeba Music. The giveaways will happen once a week with announcements at least once every four hours leading up to the giveaway, which will take place on Moheak’s Facebook page. Check it out, support local/online radio and win some prizes along the way.