Ithaca Bottom Boys release debut album Also in Soundoff: Shonen Knife, Kwame Binea Shakedown, Kurt Riley, Mutron Warriors, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Tracy Grammer and more

JIM CATALANO | SOUNDOFF

Show Caption Hide Caption GrassRoots Vinyl Lounge spins booty-shaking grooves Located near the Grandstand Stage , the GrassRoots Vinyl Lounge features DJs spinning booty-shaking grooves to keep you dancing all day and into the night.

Since forming in 2011, the Ithaca Bottom Boys have built a following based on their raucous shows. With a sound that draws on country, folk and rock influences, and a penchant for quirky lyrics, the band has become a staple at local festivals and clubs.

After some lineup changes, the current roster — Tenor Caso (drums), Joe Hayward (banjo), Abel Bradshaw (bass), Leo Maniscalco (guitar) and Tris Ross (guitar) — has been together for the past two years.

Saturday, the Ithaca Bottom Boys will release their self-titled debut album with a show at Casita del Polaris. Recorded with Alex Perialas at Pyramid Sound Studios in Ithaca and with Hunter Davidsohn at Business District Recording in Johnson City, the album contains a dozen of the band’s best-known songs, including “Summer Beavers,” “Salvia Apple” and “Blues in a Bottle.”

“It has almost a mix-tape vibe,” Caso said. “All the writing is so different with four songwriters, and some vocals are recorded live, while other songs are more produced.”

Though the band’s writers each bring in their songs, “we arrange together a lot, and a few songs have been written very communally,” Hayward said.

While there are a variety of themes — vagrant travelers, rowdy bunches — running throughout the album, Maniscalco also noted that “just growing up in Ithaca comes through in the music, in our shared experiences and friendship.”

Though the band wrapped up recording the tracks months ago, it still needed the help of a Kickstarter campaign to get the album across the finish line.

“We launched it at GrassRoots right before we went on Thursday night, and by the next day it was already one-third funded,” Caso said. “It was just enough to help us master and press the CDs. I didn’t think it would work, but Tristan and Leo did a lot of work to get it running. It was cool and humbling thing to watch happening to have people come together to support us.”

“The release show wouldn’t be happening right now if it wasn’t for the Kickstarter,” added Maniscalco. “It would’ve taken another six months of playing to raise the money to put it out.”

The band is excited to have the CD done. “When we’ve played shows out of town, we’ve had nothing to leave behind,” Caso said. “Now we have this to remind people we were there.”

To learn more about the band, visit facebook.com/theithacabottomboys.

There’s a $10 cover ($20 also will get you the CD) for Saturday’s 9 p.m. show, which also will feature DJ Dijon spinning vinyl before and after the live show. (The show is free to anyone who supported the Kickstarter campaign.)

More: Cayuga Sound Festival expands to two days

Shonen Knife returns

It’s been a couple of years since Shonen Knife played Ithaca, but the legendary Japanese female punk trio will return to the Haunt on Thursday night.

Together for nearly 40 years, the band just released a DVD/CD titled “ALIVE! in Osaka,” recorded in their hometown in Japan, and is touring to promote it. According to founding guitarist Naoko: “Not only will we play songs from the record, but we are also preparing special rarely played songs from earlier albums to the present. Let’s have a fun time together!"

Local punk icons Mill Bastards will open the 8 p.m. show. Cover is $18. Visit www.thehaunt.com to learn more.

More shows

It’s hard to believe that September will arrive this weekend — where did the summer go? — but that landmark means that we’re about to dive right into the fall season. Though it’s a holiday weekend, there are still a few shows to check out in the coming days.

•Thursday, the Downtown Ithaca Summer Concert Series continues with Kwame Binea Shakedown, a New York City-based band that takes it name from his frontman. The band released its debut album “Roots Rock N Universal Love” last year and has continued to tour to build its fanbase around the country. Visit kwamebineashakedown.com to find out more. The band will play from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Commons.

•Thursday at 6:20 p.m., the Ithaca is Music Podcast series continues at Lot 10 with local space rocker Kurt Riley, who will discuss the stories behind a few of his songs and then perform with his band. The shows are being recorded for a fall release; visit facebook.com/ithacaismusic to learn more.

•Friday, Mutron Warriors will host and “End of the Summer Get Down” at the Range. Featuring the powerhouse vocals of Stephanie Agurkis, the local funk band has been added more originals to its repertoire in the past year. And Saturday, the Range will present Pebble, a regional psychedelic funk band. There’s no cover for the 9:30 p.m. shows. Visit therangeithaca.com to learn more.

•Saturday, Trevleaven Winery in King Ferry will host its fourth annual Field Day, with three popular local bands teaming up for a full day of music. The lineup includes classic rockers Bad Alibi at 1 p.m., blues-rockers City Limits at 4 p.m. and funk-soul-rock-R&B favorites the Destination at 7 p.m. Admission is $5; kids 12 and under get in free. Visit treleavenwines.com for details.

•Saturday, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will return to the Haunt. Hailing from Baltimore, the psychedelic-electronica-jam band has been drawing increasing larger crowds to its regular visits to Ithaca. Find out more at pigeonsplayingpingpong.com. Cover is $23 for the 8 p.m. show, which features Goose as opener. Visit thehaunt.com for more information.

•Sunday, Bound for Glory continues its 52nd season with folk favorite Tracy Grammer. She appeared on the show in 2001 with her longtime partner, the late Dave Carter, but this will be her first solo visit. Her latest album is “Low Tide”; visit tracygrammer.com to learn more. There’s no cover for the show, which runs from 8 to 11 p.m. and is broadcast live on WVBR (wvbr.com, 93.5FM) from the Durland Alternatives Library in Cornell’s Anabel Taylor Hall. Visit boundforglory.org for more information.

Jim Catalano has covered the local music scene since 1992. Follow him on Twitter @IthacaMusicNews and email him at jimcat@aol.com.