Andy Friedman, a visual artist and contributor to this magazine, celebrates the release of his first album, "Live at the Bowery Poetry Club." Friedman, an erstwhile spoken-word artist who brings projections of his drawings onstage with him, counts the late folksinger Dave Van Ronk among his heroes. Lately he has given in to his passion for country music, singing (in a plainspoken way) with the help of a backing band, the Other Failures, and some shrewd harmonizing.