ArtBeat by day: Sat., July 19th

Music on the Elm Street Stage

12:30pm — Thea Hopkins & the Amazing Henry
Acclaimed performing songwriter Thea Hopkins and guitarist Henry Nigro combine forces to create a lively, rootsy Americana sound. Folk icons Peter, Paul & Mary, (who recorded one of her songs in 2004) described Hopkins as “one of the most literate, poetic and emotionally moving of the new singer-songwriters to arrive on the scene in the last few years.” Guitarist Henry Nigro is a master of country, bluegrass and blues styles.

1:30pm — Simon Brothers
Boston based trio The Simon Brothers are a strange sight upon the stage.  They trade instruments, sing and dance.  Lovers of Jonathan Richman and the Beatles, of Talking Heads and the Velvet Underground, they mix originals with an occasional cover—by the Raincoats, for example. Adam Simon on violin and bass, Ben Simon on piano, and Isaiah Davidson-Weiss on guitar and bass.

2:30pm — Liz Longley
Singer-songwiter Liz Longley, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, grew up listening to Joni Mitchell in rural Pennsylvania. Musician John Mayer, who surprised Liz and fellow Berklee music students when he broke into an impromptu rendition of Liz’s song ‘Queen’, has described her music as “Gorgeous…just gorgeous!”_Known for her engaging lyrics, she and Handy Blues award winner Jim Tullio, teamed-up to write the internet smash,“Naked Trees.” The song became the No. 1 all-time song (amid 3,400 songs) in Garageband.com’s acoustic S/S category in 2006.

3:30pm — The Holey Moleys
The Holey Moleys are a three-piece band from Somerville that marks a collaboration of tunefulness by Stephen Brodsky and Audrey Ryan, accompanied by Steve’s brother Matt Brodsky on drums. They play what they call “doom folk,” a kind of heavy folk music using a Rhodes keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums. Influences include Black Mountain, Black Sabbath, Buddy Holly, The Vaselines, Os Mutantes, Leo Kottke, Bert Jansch, John Fahey, and The Children’s Hour, among others.

4:30pm — Rakiya
Rakiya is named for the fiery fruit brandy that is popular in the Balkans, and mentioned in many songs of the region. Though sold in stores, the best rakiya is home-made, and this batch was brewed secretly in a cold, dark basement in Boston. Rakiya performs electric Balkan Rom (Gypsy) songs and dance tunes. Rakiya plays a mix of modern and traditional Balkan music, including music of the Roma (Gypsies), with jazz and rock influences, passionate singing, exotic harmonies, and a driving, offbeat, irresistibly danceable rhythm.