BrooklynRocks: NYC Music Blog

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - White Lunar CD Review (Mute)

2009-11-21T21:41:00.003-05:00

Nick Cave and long-time The Bad Seeds/Grinderman/The Dirty Three collaborator Warren Ellis have released a hauntingly beautiful 2-CD set of predominately instrumental soundscapes. This set is compiles tracks from various soundtracks that Cave & Ellis have scored over the last five years along with four previously unreleased pieces from the Cave & Ellis archives.

Disc One contains selections from The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The Proposition (2005), and the forthcoming The Road (which is based on Cormac McCarthy's novel of a father and son's trek across a vast wasteland in the aftermath of global catastrophe). While the song arrangements are fairly minimalist, Nick Cave winds piano melodies around Warren Ellis' violin to create a warm but desolate landscape. Cave sings on "The Rider Song" and provides whispered vocals on "The Rider No. 2" (both from The Proposition) and both of these songs could easily fit with later-day material from The Bad Seeds.

Disc Two is a bit more eclectic and perhaps schizophrenic; it contains material from two lesser known documentaries along with the four tracks from the vaults. The two documentaries are The English Surgeon (2007) which traces Dr. Henry Marsh's struggle to bring neurosurgery to post-Soviet Ukraine and The Girls of Phnom Penh (2009) which is an investigative documentary of sex workers in Cambodia's "virginity trade". The material on this disc is claustrophobic, urban and (at times) intense. The four vault tracks fit within this musical structure and all of the tracks are named after craters. While all of the tracks are solid compositions, "Daedalus" is one of the more interesting as it segues from a sunny flute and piano-driven piece into a jagged hidden-track instrumental.

While instrumentals never seem to get a lot of repeat play, this set may well replace Sunn O)))'s Monoliths & Dimensions in my late-night listening queue.

Links:
Nick Cave

Lissie Plays an Early Show At Mercury Lounge on November 9th (Fat Possum)

2009-11-07T21:28:00.002-05:00

DOWNLOAD: Lissie - Little Lovin' (MP3)

Lissie Maurus is a singer/songwriter in the old-school tradition of Rosanne Cash and Nanci Griffth. Similar to these artists, Lissie's songs are fully developed narrative stories of love, loss and heartbreak.

Lissie's debut EP, "Why You Runnin'", is out Tuesday (on Fat Possum) and she is taking a break from the Ray LaMontagne tour to play an early show at the Mercury Lounge this Monday. Doors are at 7PM and supposedly the opening act, Aerial East, is going on at 7PM as well (which probably means 7:30PM). Lissie is listed on the Merc's website as taking the stage at 8PM. Tickets are $10.

Links:
Lissie's MySpace Profile

The Dig Headline Mercury Lounge on Nov. 19th; Pictures and Video Interview from Oct. Show at Maxwells

2009-11-07T20:08:00.003-05:00

DOWNLOAD: The Dig - Three Song Demo

The Dig have been gaining a lot of attention on the local rock scene and have been playing some high profile shows with both The Walkmen and White Rabbits. The Dig released an EP ("Good Luck and Games") in 2007 which one reviewer described as "short, sweet and eminently satisfying". The band just finished up their full-length debut which is due out early next year.

The band often gets compared to The Beatles crossed with one of many recent alt-rock bands (Jet and Radiohead are two of the more popular). I'm going to go in a different direction though as I was thinking more of later-day T. Rex (right around the period where Marc started embracing 'Class of '77' punk) after watching the band perform live. Whatever the comparison - The Dig's music certainly stands out from the crowd.

Here is an interview that I did with the band prior to their show with White Rabbits last month at Maxwell's.

The Dig are currently finishing some show with White Rabbits and then are back home for a headlining show at Mercury Lounge on Nov. 19th. Here is the upcoming tour dates:

Nov. 09 2009 -- 8:00PM, Cedar C.C. w/ White Rabbits, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nov. 10 2009 -- 8:00PM, Turner Hall w/ White Rabbits, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov. 13 2009 -- 9:00PM, Lincoln Hall w/ The Walkmen, Chicago, Illinois
Nov. 14 2009 -- 8:00PM, University of Illinois w/ The Walkmen, Urbana, Illinois
Nov. 15 2009 -- 8:00PM, The Basement , Nashville, Tennessee
Nov. 16 2009 -- 8:00PM, Local 506 w/ The XX, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Nov. 17 2009 -- 8:00PM, DC9, Washington, DC
Nov. 19 2009 -- 10:00PM, Mercury Lounge, New York

Here are more of the pictures that I took at Maxwell's...

Links:
The Dig's MySpace Profile

Tournament Announce Nov/Dec Tour Dates; Show at The Charleston on Nov. 20th

2009-11-06T22:35:00.002-05:00

DOWNLOAD: Tournament - "Washcloth", Live on WFMU 4/23/09

Tournament's debut CD Years Old came out earlier this summer and the band kicks up a wall of noise that falls somewhere between Big Black and many of the old AmRep bands. (See previous review)

Tournament is off on a Nov/Dec tour that includes a stop at The Charleston on Nov. 20th.

Here are the upcoming tour dates:

11/07/2009 The Shop - Ithaca, NY w/ Sepsis, Hiroshima Vacation
11/08/2009 Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY w/ Fucking Hot Lights, Co- Workers
11/09/2009 *NEED HELP!! PA / OH / MI
11/10/2009 Now That’s Class - Cleveland, OH
11/11/2009 The Bishop - Bloomington, IN w/ Racebannon
11/12/2009 Ronny’s - Chicago, IL w/ Raise The Red Lantern, Tongues, The Muzzler
11/13/2009 The Smiling Skull - Athens, OH w/ We March
11/14/2009 Jimmy’s Haus - Pittsburgh, PA w/ Virgin Birth, Secret Tombs, Red Foxx
11/15/2009 Crayola House - Harrisonburg, VA w/ Inter Arma, Kill Your Brain, Earthling
11/16/2009 The Ox - Philadelphia, PA w/ The G, Fight Amp
11/20/2009 The Charleston - Brooklyn, NY w/ Count Von Count / Ape!
12/03/2009 Pilam House - Philadelphia, PA w/ The Wayward, Regional Ditch, Fuck Attack!
12/04/2009 Strange Matter - Richmond, VA w/ The Waward, Inter Arma
12/05/2009 *TBA - Wilmington, NC w/ Pavlichenko, The Scowls
12/06/2009 *TBA - Savannah, GA w/ Dead Yet
12/07/2009 *TBA - Gainesville, FL
12/08/2009 *TBA - Miami, FL w/ Capsule
12/09/2009 Transitions Art Gallery - Tampa, FL
12/10/2009 The Go Bar - Athens, GA w/ Music Hates You
12/11/2009 The Milestone - Charlotte, NC w/ Caltrop, Sled, Decoration Ghost
12/12/2009 Casa Pizza - Virginia Beach, VA
12/13/2009 The Spot - Wilmington, DE W/ Ape!, Weed Jesus, Powerstance, Fuck Attack, Spiritbird

Links:
Tournament's MySpace Profile

Jazz/Electronica Project J.Viewz Plays the Blue Note on Nov. 6th

2009-11-05T22:33:00.001-05:00

Israeli producer Jonathan Dagan's award winning electronica project J.Viewz will perform a late set at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City this Friday night. The live outfit of J.Viewz, featuring lead vocalist Noa Lembersky & MC Urijah, has a unique combination of vocals, electronic beats, live drums and turntables, flowing from Breakbeat to Jazz, Electro and Reggae. They take the stage at 12:30am on Friday, November 6, 2009.

Based in Brooklyn, J.Viewz is a multi-genre, multi-media music project with revolving band members. Electronic-music producer Jonathan Dagan first formed the group in 2002, and has since produced two albums under J.Viewz: Muse Breaks (2005) and The Besides EP (2008). The project’s first single “Your Country” off Muse Breaks entered several music charts abroad (including DJ Mag's hype chart, the Ministry of Sound's radio chart and the DMC UPDATE Chart) and hit several international radio stations, including Kiss 100 FM, Ministry of Sound radio, and Radio One.

The current J.Viewz single, from The Besides EP, is a jazz cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”.

The single was included on the playlists for U105 (Ireland) and KISS FM (UK) and was an A-List song on Jazz FM (UK). It also earned a coveted spot on the recent cover compilation by the Tru Thoughts label (Tru Thoughts Covers). Impose Magazine calls this J.Viewz cover “the show stopper of the bunch,” and says “this cathartic version is as original and memorable as the performer who left us far too soon.”

J.Viewz Live (the “live” division of the project) currently includes the following five musicians:
Jonathan Dagan, production/computers/turntables
Noa Lembersky, vocals
Urijah, vocals & guitar
Eran Asias, drums
Daniel Koren, keys

Links:
J.Viewz' MySpace Profile

Gama Bomb: Download Tales from the Grave in Space for Free (Earache Records)

2009-11-05T21:30:00.004-05:00

After my recent "Marcy Playground fiasco", I love seeing bands who 'get' leveraging the internet to get their music out to the masses.

Irish thrashers, Gama Bomb have released their new album, Tales from the Grave in Space, as a free download that is 100% approved by Earache. Click on the album cover (above) to go directly to the download site. Earache notes - "No catches, no DRM. Just pure, adrenaline pumping thrash with wit to spare that will be yours forever."

"Produced by Scott Atkins (Behemoth, Cradle of Filth) and featuring artwork by Jeff Jordan (The Mars Volta), Tales From the Grave in Space is an album steeped in traditional thrash that also signifies the future of music to come. We encourage everyone, fans and non-fans to download the album and enjoy this historic gift of free metal presented by Earache Records, Rapidshare and Gama Bomb."

Links:
Gama Bomb
Earache Records

Phantom Family Halo Release 'Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die'; Play Bowery Ballroom on Dec. 1st.

2009-11-04T23:49:00.004-05:00

DOWNLOAD: Phantom Family Halo - "Blackouts and Runaways" (MP3)

What caught my attention with Phantom Family Halo's last release was Julian Cope's review - "I’m also right blown away by the catchy and compelling all-purpose psychedelia of THE LEGEND OF BLACK SIX by power trio The Phantom Family Halo. I say ‘all purpose’ because this stuff is useful and should be available by the vat on prescription, because it’s good for the mental health. I say power trio, but this lot are greedy motherfuckers with a hefty set of auxiliary members. The sound is totally reminiscent of that 1970 period when no fucker could control the number of overdubs, and these guys pass through every stage from The Youngbloods and Kalackakra to a kind of Amon Duul PARADIESWARTS DUUL-informed take on David Voorhaus’ White Noise project via early (very early) Chrome on their way to the proto metal of ‘Electric God In Your Galaxy’."

The band's new 2LP release, Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die, is simply a brilliant, brain-melting slab of acid rock which should strike an immediate chord with fans of Hawkwind and Spacemen 3. The band is playing Bowery Ballroom on December 1st with Russian Circles and Young Widows.

Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 DOS.

Links:
Phantom Family Halo

Capgun Coup - Maudlin CD Review (Team Love Records)

2009-11-04T21:48:00.003-05:00

DOWNLOAD: Capgun Coup - "Sitting on the Sidewalk" (MP3)

Capgun Coup’s sophomore release Maudlin (Team Love) is a near perfect slice of lo-fi garage rock that owes an equal debt to both late 60’s era Bob Dylan and The Modern Lovers.

The band’s music is raw and energetic and, over the course of this new disc, skips across styles and genres seamlessly. Musical styles range from the languid, ‘Pavement-ish’ “Farnam Street” to the indie-pop melodic harmonies of “Pretty City” to the raw garage-punk of “Bad Bands”. Capgun Coup has built a strong reputation a high-energy live act and all of the songs on this new disc should translate well to the live stage.

Going back to the Jonathan Richman/Bob Dylan reference earlier, vocalist Sam Martin can certainly turn a lyrical phrase. He isn’t exactly the most politically correct with songs like “Wish I Was A Fag” and “Bad Bands” but these aren’t Fear-style lyrics here. The band is rather reflecting on reflecting on the current state of society. Songs like “Sitting On The Sidewalk” and “Now That I’m Home” are essentially updated takes on the Dead Boys “Ain’t Nothing To Do” and The Ramones “Now I Want To Sniff Some Glue”.

Maudlin is compelling album that has been growing on me with each repeated listen.

Capgun Coup is out on tour with Cursive starting at the end of the month. Here is the upcoming tour dates:

NOV. 24 -- LAWRENCE, KS, BOTTLENECK
NOV. 25 -- SPRINGFIELD, MO, OUTLAND BALLROOM
NOV. 27 -- DENTON, TX, HAILEY'S
NOV. 28 -- AUSTIN, TX, MOHAWK
NOV. 29 -- MCALLEN, TX, CINE EL REY
DEC. 01 -- BATON ROUGE, LA, SPANISH MOON
DEC. 02 -- NEW ORLEANS, LA, ONE EYED JACKS
DEC. 03 -- MOBILE, AL, ALABAMA MUSIC BOX
DEC. 04 -- PENSACOLA, FL, SLUGGO'S
DEC. 05 -- ORLANDO, FL, THE SOCIAL
DEC. 06 -- GAINESVILLE, FL, COMMON GROUNDS
DEC. 07 -- ATLANTA, GA, LENNY'S
DEC. 08 -- OXFORD, MS, PROUD LARRY'S
DEC. 09 -- LITTLE ROCK, AR, THE REV ROOM
DEC. 10 -- FAYETTEVILLE, AR, GEORGE'S MAJESTIC LOUNGE
DEC. 11 -- COLUMBIA, MO, MOJO'S
DEC. 13 -- OMAHA, NE, WAITING ROOM

Links:
Capgun Coup's MySpace Profile

801: Live Collectors Edition CD Review (Expression Records)

2009-11-03T22:07:00.003-05:00

The Collectors Edition of 801 Live is the crown jewel of the recent set of 801 Live CDs.

The original 801 lineup came together in 1976 for three shows. This release includes the complete recording of the last of the these shows, recorded at Queen Elizabeth Hall on 9/3/76. Similar to the 1999 reissue, this release includes the bonus tracks "Golden Hours" and "The Fat Lady of Limbourg" but this is the first time that the proper ending to set-finale "Third Uncle" has been released.

The original lineup of 801 featured Eno on lead vocals and Phil Manzanera on guitar along with an all-star prog-rock cast (many of whom played on Manzanera's Quiet Sun project and/or Eno's Here Come The Warm Jets LP) that consisted of Bill MacCormick (Bass), Lloyd Watson (Slide Guitar), Francis Monkman (Fender Rhodes/Cavinet) and Simon Phillips (Drums). The set list features material from Eno's solo projects, Manzanera's Quiet Sun LP Mainstream and his solo disc Diamond Head along with covers of The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and The Kinks "You Really Got Me".

Over 30+ years have passed since the original recording of 801 Live and both the band's songs and quality of the recording sound incredibly vibrant and relevant by today's standards. The was one of the best sounding live albums when in originally came out on LP in 1976 (according to Wikipedia, this was due to the use of the then new Direct Injection technology where all outputs from the vocal microphones, guitar amps and others instruments (except the drums) were fed directly to the mobile studio mixing desk). This is one of those live shows where anything seems possible as the band moves from swirling psychedelia to Eno-driven deconstructionism to a off-kilter reworking of "You Really Got Me". The band then ends the set with an aggressively punked-up version of "Third Uncle" and more than likely leaves the audience exhausted after having been on this almost hour-long mind-blowing roller coaster.

What makes this Collectors Edition really special is the inclusion of a bonus CD that captures a live rehearsal from two weeks prior to the 801 Live show. The sound quality of the rehearsal is great and it captures the band working out their set in a loose and raw atmosphere. A number of songs are longer in length, with the most noticeably being Eno's "The Fat Lady of Limbourg" which runs for just over nine minutes.

There aren't many CDs, much less live CDs, that hold the test of time for thirty+ years but 801 Live Collectors Edition is a strong winner.

Links:
Expression Records

The Mary Onettes: CD Released Today, Show at Union Hall Tomorrow (11/4)

2009-11-03T07:13:00.004-05:00

DOWNLOAD: The Mary Onettes - "Puzzles" (MP3)

Jesus and Mary Chain/Smiths inspired Swedish four-piece band The Mary Onettes release their sophomore album Islands today (Labrador Records) and the band is playing three local shows over the next week.

Here are the upcoming shows:
- Nov. 4th - Union Hall, Brooklyn (w/ Blacklist and Submarine Bells)
- Nov. 6th - Studio @ Webster Hall (w/Kordan)
- Nov. 8th - Mercury Lounge (w/The Art of Shooting, Coyote Eyes and Werewolves)

Tickets for each of the shows is $10 in advance. The Union Hall and Webster Hall shows are $12 DOS.

Links:
The Mary Onettes

801: latino CD Review (Expression Records)

2009-11-02T17:35:00.003-05:00

In 1999, Phil Manzanera reactivated the 801 name and concept for a show in Newark, Lincolnshire UK. "The original 1976 ‘801′ concept of bringing together different musicians from a wide musical spectrum,for a short time,recording them in a live concert, still seemed valid some 25 years later. This time I wanted to see if 801 would work with Latin players." (-Phil Manzanera)

There is no overlap with any of the material from the previous 801 releases as this 50+ minute disc features high-energy Latin music which Manzanera describes as "a snapshot of the music that has accompanied [his] musical journey" from the 40's to the 90’s. Unlike previous 801 releases where Phil Manzanera's guitar work was highlighted in the mix, there are no real guitar solos on 801: latino and Phil's guitar work fits beneath and complements the rest of the band. Other members of this one-off project include vocalist Yamile (who was main vocalist for the most relevant salsa band of the 90's called PG Poder de la Generación), Havana composer/jazz musician Aldo Lopez-Gavilan, critically acclaimed drummer Carlos "Mosca" Valde and bassist Chucho Merchán (who has played with Pete Townsend, David Gilmour and The Eurythmics).

Links:
Phil Manzanera/Expression Records

801: Live @ Hull CD Review (Expression Records)

2009-11-01T22:28:00.004-05:00

In 1977, Phil Manzanera took a new version of 801 on the road to support the band's then current release Listen Now. While there are a number of songs that overlap with 801 Live, without Brian Eno's art rock eccentricities, the new members give the band almost a pub-rock feel.

Aside from Manzanera, the only hold-over from 801 Live is bassist/vocalist Bill MacCormick. This new lineup includes a number of Roxy Music sidemen - Eddie Jobson, Paul Thompson and Dave Skinner -- along with newcomer vocalist/guitarist Simon Ainley. The material is a mixture of songs from the two 801 albums, Manzanera's solo work, cover versions of The Beatles ("Tomorrow Never Knows") and Kinks ("You Really Got Me") songs and a 8 minute run-through of Roxy Music's "Out of the Blue".

This is a spirited ragged-but-right performance that has some great guitar work by Manzanera and Eddie Jobson's violin adds to the reinterpretations of these songs. There is no high-gloss production work here; the show is complete with bum notes and the band doesn't seem to take themselves too seriously. The downside of this release is that it seems to be sourced from an audience bootleg. The sound is ok as bootlegs go but it will likely leave audio purists holding their ears. Give a listen to the sound samples on Amazon so that you know what you are getting into with this.

Links:
Phil Manzanera's Website

Skip Matheny (vocalist for Roman Candle) Premiers 'Drinks With...' Column

2009-11-01T20:13:00.003-05:00

Skip Matheny, vocalist for North Carolina indie-rock band Roman Candle's singer, just started doing a new online feature for American Songwriter. The new column, 'Drinks With...', is where "two or more songwriters have a drink and talk with each other (almost exclusively) about writing".

With this debut column, Skip interviews U.K. band Wild Beasts.

Links:
Roman Candle

Crescent Shield - The Stars of Never Seen (Cruz Del Sur)

2009-11-01T19:28:00.001-05:00

Does anyone remember the movie "Airheads" where the S.W.A.T. guy tries embarrassing Chazz (Brendan Fraser) by telling the crowd what a D&D dork he was in high-school? When hardcore came around in the early 80's, many of prog-rock geeks tried to quickly distance themselves from their recent past (my older sister will swear that she was born clad in black and listening to Joy Division). Crescent Shield takes a major slice of 70's style prog-rock (Yes and Rainbow are some of the bands that come to mind) and combines it with the metal influences of bands like Fates Warning and Dream Theater.

Los Angeles' Crescent Shield released their second disc, The Stars of Never Seen, early this summer on Cruz Del Sur and the first pressing comes with a bonus DVD of the band's performance at the Keep It True festival in 2008.

Crescent Shield's new release follows their well-received 2006 debut, The Last of My Kind, and shows the band's maturing song writing heading in an epic power-metal direction. Lyrically, most of the songs are Edgar Allan Poe-like stories of the macabre. These range from "The Bellman", which tells the tale of the ghost of a mate, a sailor on a ship that sank due to the arrogance of the crew who is now cursed and trapped in a port of call in the early 18th century to "Tides of Fire" (which is based on the novel “A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller Jr.) which tells the story of what happens when a civilization experiences a worldly holocaust and then gets stuck in a primitive state. With a number of the songs clocking in at over five minutes, vocalist Michael Grant has the opportunity to build a virtual world for each of these stories. The band follow suit and the music ebbs and flows across this disc. There is the raw aggression of songs like "My Anger" and the twisting guitar solos on "Under Cover of Shadows" which are then offset by the melancholy and heartfelt guitar, bass and mandolin work in “Temple of The Empty”. The disc ends with the epic song "Lifespan" which made its live premiere at the Keep It True festival last year (which you can check out on the bonus live DVD).

Crescent Shield's latest disc should strike a positive chord with fans of traditional metal and epic/power metal. Long after the flavor of the month and one-hit-wonder bands have been forgotten, I expect Crescent Shield's music to stand the test of time.

Links:
Crescent Shield's MySpace Profile

Blondie: Photos and Set List from Brooklyn Museum, 10/29/09

2009-11-01T18:27:00.006-05:00

It is hard to go wrong with free beer and Blondie.

I'm not quite sure what the point of the "no cameras" signs that were postered around the Museum - Debbie made a comment about all the cameras during the intro to "Picture This". There are also about half-a-dozen videos from the show posted to YouTube. Blondie played some interesting version of some of their hits (including a long version of "Rapture") along with a few songs where I'm not positive that I have the titles correct.

Here is my best attempt at a set list:
- Call Me
- Picture This
- Two Times Blue
- Rapture
- You're Too Hot
- Heart of Glass
- Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
- One Way or Another

Links:
Blondie

Woodhand Play the Bell House on 10/31 with Junior Boys

2009-10-28T22:25:00.001-04:00

DOWNLOAD: Woodhands - "I Kissed A Girl" (Katy Perry cover)

Electro-rock duo Woodhands are in the midst of a 17-date tour with Junior Boys and are playing Bell House on Halloween. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 DOS.

Woodhands released their debut, Heart Attack, in April 2008 and they are going into the studio after this tour to complete their follow-up Remorsecapade which is due out in early 2010. The band also released a great documentary, where Dan and Paul revisit the site of their breakthrough illegal show in 2006 with Holy Fuck. Check out the clip below...

Links:
Woodhands' MySpace Profile

Galactic Bowling: iPod Touch / iPhone Game Review (Perpetual FX Creative)

2009-10-27T22:57:00.004-04:00

Galactic Bowling - App Store Link ($4.99)

Galactic Bowling is a well-done port of Perpetual FX Creative's inter-galactic bowling game for the PC. I have to give kudos to Perpetual FX Creative as this port maximizes the capabilities of the iPhone/iPod touch platform. The game has great graphics, four well-defined characters (all with full back-stories) and the 'inter-galactic battle with aliens' story-line actually fits within the framework of this bowling game.

Here is the official story line: "Since the dawn of time there has been a balance between light and dark energies. For as long as can be remembered each side had a planet that was tied to the fate of these energies. The "Dark Planet" Eosp-B served as the center of dark energy for the universe. It was ruled by one known as the "Dark Queen", Lucindall Evveril. Just as there was a Dark Planet, there also existed a planet of light energy. In order to maintain peace the Dark Queen placed her daughter, the Anubis Princess, in a position of power to watch over the planet of light. By doing so, the Dark Queen was able to have control over all of the dark and the light powers in the universe.

But, the day came when the dark planet began to decay and die. The dark planet beings began losing their energy and their powers. Out of desperate need for survival, the Dark Queen built a magnificent ship capable of harvesting all the power from entire planets. The queen knew she would not be allowed to destroy all life in the galaxy, so she created the ultimate tournament to decide which planets would be spared from death. Each planet would appoint one of their own to travel the galaxy and compete in the Galactic Bowling League. Earth had only four people brave enough and crazy enough to accept this heroic challenge: John Dire aka "The Air Strike"; Kendra Klein aka "The Striking Beauty"; Max Fortner aka "The Lucky Strike"; and Shaniqua Stevens aka "The Cobra Strike".

The winner of the Earth League will earn the right to compete against the clever and fierce aliens in the Galactic League, tough opponents, each trying desperately to save their home planets from total destruction."

The game has three distinctive play modes (solo, regular and battle) and eleven lanes to play on. On the first few levels, you compete against the other players from Earth on standard bowling lanes. As the game progresses, the locations change and the lanes get more complex. There are obstacles on the more complex lanes which include such things as fire, loops and worm holes.

The player controls are fairly straight-forward as you are able to position your player by using a horizontal slide bar at the bottom of the screen and you can set the angle of approach with a vertical slide bar. The physical bowling motion takes place by tapping a power meter to set the strength of the throw prior to tapping the bowler him/herself. Don't worry as this all probably sounds a lot more complex than it really is. The quick summary is that you can get bowling right away without having to learn any complex moves but there are features (like the vertical slide and the power meter) that allow you to finesse your approach. Once you throw the ball, you can use the the iPhone's accelerometer to put some spin on the ball while it is in motion.

With each throw, your "power-up" meter starts to fill - the more pins you knock down, the faster it fills up. Once filled, you can bowl a 'special' ball that automatically clears all the pins standing. You can unlock other special balls as you progress through the story which include extra speed, extra power and the ability to split your ball in two. Like Guitar Hero, you even can earn various types of 'whammies' which you can use to disrupt your opponent's game.

Galactic Bowling will hold your attention quickly but there is more than enough here to warrant many repeat plays.

Fairytale Fights - Porn Stars Ron Jeremy, Krissy Lynn and Andy San Dimas Appear in New Game Trailers (Playlogic)

2009-10-27T22:51:00.002-04:00

This has to be some of the funniest stuff that I've seen in a while. Fairytale Fights hit the stores today and is available for the PS3 and XBox 360 consoles.

Marine Sharpshooter - iPhone / iPod Touch Game Review (Groove Media)

2009-10-27T21:56:00.006-04:00

Marine Sharpshooter is the latest first-person shooter (sniper) game added to the App Store. The game got a lot of attention when originally released as is was a free download and is now priced at .99 cents.

Marine Sharpshooter has a decent premise - "Dropped behind enemy lines, you must uncover and dismantle an elaborate terrorist plot to launch a series of co-ordinated attacks around the world. Your mission will take you from hidden outposts in desert cities to full scale military bases." There are five major missions within the game, each of which involve completing a series of objectives - clearing the enemy terrain of hostiles. In addition to having enemies who identify your position the minute you fire your first shot, you are also timed. You have to clear a set number of battlefields within the time alloted.

The problem is that a solid premise is marred by a flawed implementation -- the gun controls can often be sluggish and there is no zoom-in/zoom-out to help target your shots. Without having a zoom feature, you don't get a view of the whole terrain so your scope flashes red in the direction of enemy fire. While the key objective is to clear the enemy terrain, you are awarded points and the points system is somewhat bizarre. You lose 200 points for every missed shot but, when an enemy is hiding behind an object (window, etc.), these are the times where you have to point, rapid fire and hope for the best. My key complaint with Marine Sharpshooter is that the game play seems incredibly repetitive - every terrain has the feeling of 'sameness'.

While the game is certainly priced affordably, I'd recommend passing as I just couldn't find reason to keep playing this game. As a point of comparison, I played iSniper until I finished the game.

Marcy Playground: 90's Alt-Rock Dinosaur Seeks 5 More Minutes of Fame

2009-10-26T21:57:00.007-04:00

Marcy Playground
Originally uploaded by brandonzwa

Last week was an insanely long week -- I was working very long hours, had what felt like a touch of the flu, missed pretty much all of CMJ and received my second DMCA notice.

To back up, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) covers two things: 1) it "criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works" and 2) "it heightens the penalties for copyright infringement on the Internet". --Wikipedia

It is this second part of this legislation that is used to hammer bloggers as the burden of proof falls on the accused, not the accuser. Here is where it gets really fun (if you are the RIAA or one of their stooges) -- under the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA, the recipient (Google or otherwise) pulls down 'the offending content' immediate or they are "potentially liable". Think about this -- we pride ourselves as a nation on due process but -- in this particular instance -- Congress has bullied the internet service into blaming the accused. This is the equivalent of threatening to sue Ford or GM for selling a car to someone who is later accused of drunk driving. For anyone reading, filing a DCMA claim is really that simple -- you file a "good faith" notice that the content infringes on your rights and -- BOOM -- the content disappears almost immediately. You don't even have to prove you are the content owner. The accused then can either fight the take-down by filing a counter-notice (which involved supplying the accuser with your name, address and telephone number) or just letting it go.

Here is a real DMCA notice that I've copied from ChillingEffect.org. Note all the weasel words in the lead-up to the threats...'even if we are ultimately wrong, it looked like we were right at the time [based on good faith and 'data' available to us] so we aren't liable for false claims'.

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am contacting you on behalf of the Recording Industry Association of America, Inc. (RIAA) and its member record companies. The RIAA is a trade association whose member companies create, manufacture and distribute approximately eighty-five (85) percent of all legitimate sound recordings sold in the United States. Under penalty of perjury, we submit that the RIAA is authorized to act on behalf of its member companies on matters involving the infringement of their sound recordings, including enforcing their copyrights and common law rights on the Internet.

We have learned that your service is hosting the above web sites on your network. These sites are offering direct links to files
containing sound recordings for other users to download by such artists as Lady Gaga, Sting, Mario, Madonna, and Muse. These recordings are owned by one of our member companies and have not been authorized for this kind of
use. We have a good faith belief that the above-described activity is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law. We assert that the information in this notification is accurate, based upon the data available to us.

We are asking for your immediate assistance in stopping this unauthorized activity. Specifically, we request that you remove the sites or the infringing links from your system, or that you disable access to the sites or the infringing links, and that you inform the site operator of the illegality of his or her conduct.

You should understand that this letter constitutes notice to you that this site operator may be liable for the infringing activity occurring on your service. In addition, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, if you ignore this notice, you and/or your company may also be liable for any resulting infringement. This letter does not constitute a waiver of any
right to recover damages incurred by virtue of any such unauthorized activities, and such rights as well as claims for other relief are expressly retained.

Please note: We have submitted a signature to be placed on file with Google.

You may contact me at RIAA, [private], Washington, DC, 20004, Tel. [private], or e-mail [private]@riaa.com, to discuss this notice. We await your response. Kind regards.

Sincerely,

[private]
VP, Online Anti-Piracy
RIAA

Coming back to Marcy Playground -- a few weeks ago, I received notice that Marcy Playground had filed a DMCA notice against me and the review that I had written of their newest CD was gone - POOF. So, what was the problem here?? DCMA notices are equally 'fun' for the recipient as Google doesn't tell you what the infringing content was. Given that I don't have any hard facts (outside of the DMCA notice) to go on, all I can do is guess. Let's see...I used a stock picture of the CD (this falls under 'fair use' boys) and I linked (note: linked, not rehosted) to live tracks that Marcy Playground singer John Wozniak had posted on his MySpace blog. Once again, this shouldn't be a problem.

I originally shrugged this off as I found Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy" to be one of the more annoying songs of the 90's but - after receiving this second notice, I really started thinking that enough is enough. It also doesn't say much for me (Just sayin', I am from Brooklyn) if I let some 90's one-hit wonder file a bogus claim against me and get away with it.

Here is where Marcy Playground has a problem - the law holds for severe legal consequences for filing a false or bad-faith notice. There was an obvious lack of due care and good faith on Marcy Playground's part in filing this DMCA notice. I could also likely make a liable and defamation claim stick as DMCA claims are publicly posted.

So -- what's my point with all of this...

1) Downloading isn't what is killing the music industry - crappy product, mediocre bands and poor legislation seems to play a major part in this equation

2) Marcy Playground - What planet are your brains on? I gave your new CD a decent review and you filed a DMCA complaint against me for linking to content that your lead singer/songwriter had posted for free?? Now you have legal issues due to sloppy due diligence on your part. We are going to need to come to some sort of settlement on this. I have to ask you - was it worth it? After this fiasco, I will never work with you and I will also strongly and actively encourage other bloggers and journalists not to work with you.

Seriously - bullsh*t claims like this take away from bands who have legitimate claims when their new CD goes up on Rapidshare (or equivalent).

I like sex and candy as much as the next guy but Marcy Playground has left a really bad taste in my mouth.

Ned Collette + Wire Walker Release First Single 'Come Clean' from Forthcoming CD

2009-10-18T18:12:00.005-04:00

DOWNLOAD: Ned Collette + Wire Walker - "Come Clean" (from Over the Stones, Under the Stars)

Was anyone fortunate enough to have caught Ned Collette's shows at Joe's Pub or Arlene's Grocery when he was over in '07? The Joe's Pub show was understated brilliance.

Melbourne's Ned Collette + Wire Walker are releasing their third album Over the Stones, Under the Stars later this month. This disc was mixed in Brooklyn, New York by Joel Hamilton (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Nina Simone, The Black Keys and Sparklehorse) and it is coming out on the Australian Dot Dash label. A digital iTunes release will follow later this year.

Links:
Ned Collette

Capgun Coup Release New Single "Bad Bands" from Forthcoming Disc

2009-10-18T17:47:00.005-04:00

DOWNLOAD: Capgun Coup - "Bad Bands" (from Maudlin - out Nov. 3rd)

Omaha, NB indie-pop/punk band Capgun Coup are releasing their sophomore disc Maudlin on November 3rd on Team Love (home to Jenny Lewis, The Felice Brothers, etc.)

This disc is the follow-up to the band's 2007 debut, Brought to You by Nebraskafish, and its described as "a satiric commentary on the state of contemporary life, as well as a sonic homage to Capgun Coup’s reputed, dynamic live shows".

Team Love is currently taking pre-orders for the LP and CD.

Capgun Coup is on tour with Cursive starting next month and here are the upcoming tour dates:
11.24.09 -- Lawrence, KS, Bottleneck
11.25.09 -- Springfield, MO, Outland Ballroom
11.27.09 -- Denton, TX, Hailey’s
11.28.09 -- Austin, TX, Mohawk
11.29.09 -- McAllen, TX, Cine El Ray
12.01.09 -- Baton Rouge, LA, Spanish Moon
12.02.09 -- New Orleans, LA, One Eye Jacks
12.03.09 -- Mobile, AL, Alabama Music Box
12.04.09 -- Pensacola, FL, Sluggos
12.05.09 -- Orlando, FL, The Social

Links:
Capgun Coup's MySpace Profile

Sonic Syndicate Returns with New Singer and New EP (Nuclear Blast)

2009-10-17T22:16:00.002-04:00

Sonic Syndicate will be releasing a two-track EP entitled "Rebellion" (Nuclear Blast) on November 6th which will be the first materiel recorded with new co-vocalist Nathan J. Biggs (x-The Hollow Earth Theory). Biggs has been with the band since August and he replaces vocalist Roland Johansson who gave notice in March and left the band in August.

The new material sounds like a good follow-up to Love and Other Disasters. The lead-off single (video below) is a melodic radio-friendly tune that is comparable to songs like "Enclave" and "My Escape". The second track, "Rebellion in Nightmareland", is a good bit harder (significantly less clean vocals) and is comparable to songs like "Jack of Diamonds".

"Something incredible and totally unpredictable has happened here! Not only have I managed to land myself in one the most promising bands in the world, I've gained a new family too. The energy between Sonic and I is electric and its producing some breath taking results. We're taking it to the next level - Don't blink or you'll be running to catch up with us!" - Nathan J. Biggs

Sonic Syndicate is heading back into the studio in January to record their next full-length which will be out sometime in the spring.

Links:
Sonic Syndicate

Oh My God Play Lit Lounge on October 21st (CMJ - Chicago Roots Rock)

2009-10-16T22:54:00.003-04:00

DOWNLOAD: Oh My God - "Baby, Dream" (from The Night Undoes the Work of the Day)

The CMJ Music Marathon madness starts on Tuesday and Chicago's Oh My God is coming into town for a show at Lit Lounge on Wednesday, Oct. 21st.

Oh My God has just released their newest CD, The Night Undoes the Work of the Day, on Split Red Records and the disc is getting great reviews. Here is what Time Out Chicago said about the band: "Oh My God crafts music that employs the unlikely juxtaposition of Krautrock/prog architecture and Midwestern pop sensibilities....This hard-touring band has always been so good live that we've counted them as favorites....Onstage the trio sells it to the crowd with such energy, joy and power that we've often confused it for an actual noise or punk or hard-rock band--odd, considering that there are no guitars."

Oh My God is playing Lit Lounge on October 21st with The Black Watch, Binary Sunrise and Tiger!Shit!Tiger!Tiger!. Without a CMJ badge, cover is $6.00

Links:
Oh My God's MySpace Profile

Rookie of the Year: Interview with Ryan & Mike, Sept. '09 (One Eleven Records)

2009-10-16T22:08:00.006-04:00

DOWNLOAD: Rookie of the Year - "Feels Like New" (MP3)

Last month, Rookie of the Year was in town for a show at The Studio at Webster Hall. I had the chance to sit down and talk with lead singer Ryan Dunson and guitarist Mike Kamerman before the show about the evolution of the band, the current tour, and plans for the future.

BrooklynRocks: Let's start with the show tonight. How far into the current tour are you?

Ryan: This part is ending - we have two more shows left. We have been out for about two months this time around and we have been out on tour pretty much non-stop for the last five years. Over this time, I've probably been home for about eight months.

BrooklynRocks: Where is home for you?

Ryan: I live in Fayetteville, North Carolina and Mike lives in Freehold/Marlboro, New Jersey.

BrooklynRocks: So Mike was the one from (New Jersey power-pop band) All Right Reserved?

Ryan: They were a big New Jersey band and really good. That is how I met Mike...I was doing Rookie solo and had my van and trailer stolen in Columbus, OH so I had to fly home. I was friends with Mike and this other band and they had a tour coming up so I agreed to go out with them for two weeks if they let me ride with them. So I was out on the road with them for about a month, become friends with Mike and then his band broke up. I snagged Mike when they disbanded.

BrooklynRocks: Now are you and Mike the only 'formal' member of Rookie?

Ryan: Me and Mike have been in the band since the beginning. There was only one other guy who was in the band since the beginning and that was our bass player who left about six months ago. We have never had a permanent drummer since our first one who left right before our record came out. We have always had people like good friends fill in for a while while they are out of school or aren't busy at the time and they will end up playing 6 - 7 months with us before going back to their other commitments.

BrooklynRocks: How did you go from a solo project into the full band?

Ryan: I started solo and started writing full band songs that I couldn't perform live so I got friends join and help out. We put out a five-song EP on vice verse virtue Records that they made 800 copies of or something like that. The label that I was on was based in Cleveland, TN and they ran all the school events at Lee University and all of the shows in Cleveland and Chattanooga so I got to open for all of the bands every time there was a show. I played all the time and would sell these EPs for $2.00 so I got rid of all them super-fast. The label made another batch of 1,000 copies and I probably gave away half of this next batch of CDs at shows and to other bands.

Mike: There aren't that many EPs out there so it is kind of cool when someone comes up with one after the show - especially if they have had it since that time period. It is cool to see that people are still coming back.

BrooklynRocks: What's the audience on the tour look like?

Ryan: The audience is fairly mixed; we draw young, we draw a lot of college kids but we draw an older crowd too.

Mike: Some of the kids are bringing their parents who end up getting into the music. Our stuff is melodic and acoustic based so they seem to connect with it. We listen to a lot of older stuff so it is probably a comparable experience.

BrooklynRocks: Now I read that you guys are doing an acoustic EP...

Ryan: Yeah - we go into the studio in a week. We will be there for two and one-half weeks recording. We are recording at Marigolds and Monsters Studio in Atlanta where we did our Sweet Attention record.

BrooklynRocks: What are your plans for the next year or so? What do you want to do?

Ryan: We are going put out this acoustic EP and really push it. One thing we have lacked is not pushing so hard on the internet because we have been touring so much. We are going to take October and November and work on building out our internet presence.

Mike: We are going to tour less and focus more on promoting the tours that we do. Music is in such a different state now - when we first started it was like tour, tour, tour because that is how you got your name out. Now you can get your name out to the same number of people on the internet if you get the right exposure.

BrooklynRocks: With you guys driving between stops on this tour, what do you listen to in the van?

Ryan: I have my iPod and listen to a bit of everything. I've been listening to M83...I was disappointed with the new Imogen Heap.

Mike: I listen to a lot of 90's music like Smashing Pumpkins and Bush. I like the new Nada Surf album a real lot; it is a different sound from their hits from the 90's. The new Superdrag album is good too.

BrooklynRocks: What do you want people to know about you?

Ryan: Give us a listen - we like writing music, performing and letting people know who we are.

Mike: Give us a chance and come out and see what we are all about. We really don't have a huge message that we are trying to get out there. We just want to try and write music that holds a special place in people's hearts. Those are the songs that I still listen to that bring you back to a time and a feeling.

Here are Rookie of the Year's upcoming tour dates:
Oct. 31, 2009, 7:00PM, Crocodile Rock Halloween Bash, Allentown, PA
Nov. 08, 2009, 5:30PM, The Social (w/ In Passing), Orlando, FL
Nov. 11, 2009, 6:30PM, Jack Rabbits (w/ Shut up and deal), Jacksonville, FL
Nov. 12, 2009, 7:00PM, New Brookland Tavern (w/ In Passing), Columbia, SC
Nov. 13, 2009, 6:45PM, Tremont Music Hall Casbah (w/ In Passing), Charlotte, NC
Nov. 14, 2009, 7:00PM, Halligans (w/ Meet The Sky and In Passing), Charelston, SC
Nov. 15, 2009, 8:00PM, Greene Street Club (w/ In Passing), Greensboro, NC

Links:
Rookie of the Year's MySpace Profile