After joining the Jonas Brothers on their 2009 world tour, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Jessie James is now busy promoting her new debut album. Last Thursday, the Nashville-based pop artist held an intimate concert at the Steven by Steve Madden store on Ludlow Street, where she performed a set of four songs, including her hit single, “Wanted.”

James’s performance was part of the Steve Madden Music campaign, a series of concerts where Madden showcases lesser-known artists before they make it big. He seems to have a knack for spotting talent, as past performers have included Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Killers.

Before the show, we talked to both James and the shoe mogul himself, who dubbed the Taylor Swift–esque singer America’s next big musical superstar. Skeptical? Watch our video for a brief interview with James and clips from her performance. Her self-titled album drops today (August 11) on Mercury.—Elizabeth Kreutz

Darkest Hour

Given that it’s so humid you can’t breathe outdoors, why not take yourself to the air-conditioned Fillmore tonight to catch some of the finest extreme-metal acts on the international scene? Yep, that’s right, it’s night two of the Summer Slaughter tour. While tonight’s bill doesn’t feature the phenomenal Suffocation (read Hank Shteamer’s album review here), Necrophagist, Ensiferum and Darkest Hour are sure to keep you entertained.

Unless you think that sounds like torture. In which case, how about the excellent outdoor Philly-soul bill at Wingate Field? It’s headlined by The O’Jays—the soul combo that pioneered Gamble and Huff’s silky string arrangements in tracks like “Love Train.” Plus, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes are sure to deliver a rousing version of their amazing “Don’t Leave Me This Way.”

Also tonight: Mark Eitzel rounds out a three-night local spree with a show at Maxwell’s, performing American Music Club songs.

Capillary Action and Skeletons make up a great avant-rock double bill at Zebulon.

And The Jonas Brothers spend another night with 15,000 screaming girls at Nassau Coliseum.

We’re proud to say that we were relatively early to jump on the bandwagon of Asher Roth, who headlines the Great Hangover Tour at Nokia Theatre Times Square tonight. After extending the impish Pennsylvania MC a shout-out during his mixtape days, we featured him on the eve of his breakthrough release, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. Additionally, we shot some live video at Roth’s last area appearance in April. Check out that footage below and get psyched for this evening’s festivities, at which Roth will be joined by fellow It rapper Kid Cudi.

If you’re not in the hip-hop mood, check out another deafeningly hyped young artist: Nathan “Wavves” Williams—playing at Bowery Ballroom tonight—who has recently seen his life turned into a perverse sort of reality show by the music blogosphere. Drama aside, Williams’s fuzzed-out, hook-filled punk tunes are among the catchiest on the current indie landscape. Opening is psych-folk-ish Volume fave Woods. (Check out our recent Woods Q&A here.)

And if you’re at all attuned to the jazz world, you’ve no doubt read tons of breathless press concerning Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, hitting (Le) Poisson Rouge tonight. Check out TONY’s take on the self-proclaimed steampunk big band here.

Elsewhere in the city, it’s all about the free, outdoor shows, and there’s something for every taste. Left-field guitar virtuoso Kaki King hits Stuyvesant Town Oval, eccentric jazz nostalgist Don Byron salutes Motown sax powerhouse Junior Walker at Madison Square Park, freestyle mainstays George Lamond and Judy Torres stop by the Bronx’s Crotona Park, and Count Basie associate Frank Foster helms his eponymous big band up at Grant’s Tomb.

At the clubs tonight, women rule. The raging female-fronted metal unit Jucifer takes no prisoners at Cake Shop. Nashville songsmith Sarah Siskind (who recently taped an exclusive outdoor a cappella performance for the Volume) brings her Bon Iver–approved tunes to Joe’s Pub. And thoughtful pop storyteller Aimee Mann takes the stage at City Winery.

It’s also a strong night for Latin-music fans, as Jamaican reggae crooner Beres Hammond performs at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, and the charismatic Sergent Garcia makes his U.S. debut at S.O.B.’s. Last but not even remotely least, the Jonas Brothers—a little up-and-coming band you may have read about in the pages of TONY—faces the adoring throngs at Izod Center.

SOURCE: Zimbio, Photo by Bauer Griffin

Well, sorta! Yes, TONY’s Jonas Brothers–edited issue drew a lot of chat across the Interwebs—but our biggest thrill came from seeing these shots of Drew Barrymore stepping out in NYC with her copy of Jonas TONY (she’s got her hand around Kevin Jonas in this pic). So in celebration of the issue, here’s some of our favorite bits of feedback.

Might as well start off with the most insane comment—as posted on our homepage:

“plz jonas brothers im even gonna try to make u answer me plz i went to many clubs and tryed to make u answer me but u never went there plz jonas brothers answer me and i forgot im getin a new ipod touch and im gonna download ur music movies and images i have a magazines about u guys”

Thanks, Aziz.

Celeb blogger Just Jared loved the issue, and picked up on our favorite quote, Kevin’s “You can’t deny the power that is Mutt Lange.” (Check out our Mutt Lange mixtape tribute here.)

The L Magazine’s Mike Conklin described the issue as “one of the greatest feats of gimmicky magazine bullshit I’ve seen in a very long time”—but conceded, “It turns out they seem like pretty decent kids. They don’t know much, of course, and they say lots of stupid things, but they’ve got a healthy curiosity about lots of different types of music, if not the musical vocabulary to speak about them with any real insight.”

Click past the jump for the full roundup.

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The name Anthony Gonzalez might not ring any bells for you, but that’s because you know him better for his synth-pop revival band, M83. Tonight, Gonzalez (pictured) goes under his civilian moniker for a performance at the World Financial Center’s stately Winter Garden, in which he’ll spin out ambient sounds to accompany video imagery from artist Janet Biggs. The show starts at 9pm, and best of all: It’s free.

Elsewhere around town, erstwhile TONY music editors the Jonas Brothers come home to New Jersey for a big show in the Izod Center, shared with American Idol champion Jordin Sparks and nattily coiffed pop act Honor Society. (Admit it, by now you’re curious.)

Brainy Bronx rapper Mickey Factz lets the words fly tonight at S.O.B.’s, heading a bill that also includes pop diva Jade, Sunni rapper Stalley and quirky Atlanta duo FKi.

Out at Queensbridge Park, you can catch a free show by promotional stunt turned hip-hop-legacy act the Sugar Hill Gang. Rap along: “I said a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie / To the hip, hip hop a you don’t stop.…” You know the rest. Get going.

And at the Village Vanguard, puckish Michigan pianist Bill Carrothers kicks off a rare weeklong engagement with his trio, spinning out fistfuls of notes alongside bassist Nic Thys and drummer Dre Pallemaerts. Our full-length preview won’t be posted online until tomorrow, but you can catch a sneak preview right here.

“You cannot deny the power that is Mutt Lange,” said Kevin Jonas to TONY. “His production is incredible—from power pop to heavy metal. That’s a man who has an open mind to music.”

And who are we to disagree? The Volume presents its tribute to the AC/DC-producing, Shania Twain–marrying (and divorcing) musical polymath: The power that is Mutt Lange.

Click past the jump to hear a veritable landslide of hits, including Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Billy Ocean’s “Get Out of My Dreams (Get Into My Car),” AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Do it!

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So, in the couple of days since TONY’s latest issue hit the stands—with the Jonas Brothers as guest Music editors—we’ve gotten a lot of love and a lot of flak. Either way, one of our big aims of inviting the boys in was to get a sense of them as real people—y’know, messing around, fluffing lines, that kind of thing. Have a look at this video of bloopers from the Web greeting the JoBros recorded for us, and catch a glimpse of the boys as you’ve likely never seen them before.

Matt and Kim made a huge splash earlier this year when they streaked Times Square for a video. Musicians, take note: Want attention? Try taking off your clothes. It’s really that simple. Nevertheless, the duo has been popular in indie-land for a little while now. Tonight, they play a free show with Flosstradamus at Hudson River Park at Pier 54. Hate people named Matt and/or Kim? There are other concerts tonight:

Tools of War continues Crotona Park Jams, its free series of outdoor parties, with Grand Wizard Theodore, PopMaster Fabel and the one and only Biz Markie.

Adam Green, Lightspeed Champion and others raise money for the musician Jon Wiley at The Shank.

Matisyahu and Umphrey’s McGee, favorites of the Jonas Brothers, play Central Park SummerStage.

The punky five-piece string band Luminescent Orchestrii performs a free show at World Financial Center Plaza.

Paul Motian Trio 2000 Plus Three takes to the handsome Village Vanguard.

This week has pretty slim pickings, but there’s still some good stuff coming at you:

Big Star #1 Record / Radio City The first two records from the highly influential band get the remastered-reissue treatment. (Listen here.)

Jonas Brothers Lines, Vines and Trying Times The biggest band in the world releases a fourth record, and keeps a couple record stores in business for another few weeks.

Bettye LaVette A Change Is Gonna Come Sessions The soul queen drops a small batch of covers.

Major Lazer Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do Diplo and Switch bust out a new project. (Read our recent show preview of the duo here.)

Spinal Tap Back from the Dead The aging trio releases a record with mostly old songs—old songs that are still completely hilarious and awesome. (Listen here.)

Check Largehearted Boy for more of this week’s releases.

It had to happen. Everything about the Jonas Brothers phenomenon—from their avowed virginity to their silly onstage gym flips—made it inevitable that the South Park dudes would take a shot at them. (In a woodland combat situation, the JBs would be the moose with a massive target painted on its ass.)

And sure enough, Matt ‘n’ Trey launched season 13 of South Park last night with a JB-themed episode, wherein the boys ask the Disney company if they can please stop wearing their purity rings; and Mr. Disney is represented by a venal, filthy-mouthed Mickey Mouse, who not only calls the JBs little pieces of shit, but kicks the monobrowed singer to the ground so he’s spitting blood (“Get the fuck up!”). Oh, hilarity!

Thing is, it’s actually way less funny and ridiculous than the Jonas Brothers concert movie, which, although sanitized to within an inch of its life, reaches its climax with the boys spraying a crowd of screaming girl fans with sticky white foam. Read all about it here—and check out a clip from last night’s show here.

So, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift just did a duo together discussing being the age of 15, and now those damn Jonas Brothers are playing a song with one of pop’s first child prodigies, Stevie Wonder.

I have something very heartfelt to say to all of these middle-schoolers: Screw you.

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