The Walkmen Release Digital Advance of You & Me to Benefit Cancer Research

The Walkmen have released an advance of their new disc You & Me as an exclusive digital download on AmieStreet.com with all proceeds going to charity.

The new disc will be available exclusively through AmieStreet for the next three weeks as a $5.00 download and “[a]ll donations go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in honor of Luca Vasallo, a friend to the band and a current patient who is seven months old and doing a great job fighting a very difficult disease. This is a very good organization that certainly deserves the attention.” Here is the link to purchase You & Me

The Walkmen are kicking off an August/September tour with two dates at the Bowery Ballroom on August 18 & 19th.

Apes & Androids @ Bowery Ballroom, May 30, 2008

After catching The Canon Logic at Arlene's, I headed over to Bowery Ballroom to see Apes & Androids. The show was sold out and the place was jam packed even before Reggie Watts took the stage.


After now having seen the band play live, I'm completely sold on them. I haven't seen anything quite like A&A. There are all these reviews on the 'net that compare Apes & Androids to Bowie or Queen but this comparison doesn't do justice to the band's live show.

Apes & Androids really know how to put on a show and they seem to be one of the few bands that appreciate the theatrical aspect of the show. At Friday's performance, there were strobe lights, glow sticks and glow balls, go-go dancers with day-glo hula-hoops and monsters. I have no idea what all the people in the white tunics were doing on the stage and the end of the set but they were interesting to watch as well. This was really a production (in the best sense of the word). The only other act that I have seen put on such an elaborate stage show is Alice Cooper.

There are some more pictures from the show posted over at Stereogum.

Links:
Apes and Androids' MySpace Profile
Apes and Androids' Website

"Rock Over London" Showcase Returns to NYC on March 11

Britian's traveling new music showcase, Rock Over London, is playing three cities in the US this month. This showcase takes over Piano's, Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom on March 11th before heading out for shows at SxSW and Los Angeles.

The big show is at Bowery Ballroom which hosts a "buzz" lineup of agit-pop bands The Pigeon Detectives and Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jongs, along with folkie Emmy the Great. Tickets are only $10.

Mercury Lounge hosts a night of British rap/hip-hop artists. The lineup includes Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Sway and Riz MC. Tickets are only $14.

Piano's is hosting an eclectic mix of singer/songwriters. The lineup includes Liz Green, Declan Bennett and Son of Dave. This show starts at 10PM and tickets are only $10.

Ingrid Michaelson Releases Video for "The Way I Am" and Sells Out Bowery Ballroom

Ingrid Michaelson
Originally uploaded by Somnonaut

At the end of September, I caught Ingrid @ Rockwood Music Hall. The club was sold out but, as most people know, Rockwood isn't that big. Since then, Ingrid sold out the Knitting Factory last week and has now sold out the Bowery Ballroom for an upcoming show on December 19th.

Ingrid's DIY rise has been nothing short of amazing - in a previous post in late September, I commented on that the songs on her MySpace page had gotten 3 million plays. About 7 weeks later, the number of plays is now up to 5.4 million. All I can say is more power to her...

Ingrid has a post on her MySpace page entitled "To Sell Out or Not To Sell Out...that is the question...". Below is a snippet of the post:

my question to you all is, when do you call it "selling out" and when do you call it "succeeding"? i have gotten a few emails and comments saying that now that my songs are on TV and mainstream radio programs, that i have become "a sellout". i suppose i should have stayed in my basement playing concerts for my dolls all my life.... i have seen this before. it makes me a bit upset because it seems that some people love knowing about an indie artist, but as soon as they garner some attention, these people get mad! but you have to understand that this is how we make a living!

I really get tired of the indie/hipster backlash when any artist starts to get a following. I have seen this with too many artists and it is really just silly posturing. If an artist is only playing to you and your five friends night after night, they are going to find a different line of work. You can't afford to live in NYC and not make some money. We all have a "I remember when [fill in the blank with your favorite indie artist] played my living room, high school gym, McDonald's parking lot" story but both time and people move on. Get over it kids - no one needs to apologize for being successful.

To get back on point, Ingrid released the official video for "The Way I Am" on YouTube last week. The video was directed by Autumn de Wilde (Rilo Kiley, Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith).



Ingrid puts on a great show so, if you can get tickets for the Bowery Ballroom show, she is really worth checking out.

Links:
Review of Ingrid Michaelson's September 25th show at Rockwood Music Hall
Review of Ingrid Michaelson's November 16th show at Knitting Factory
Ingrid Michaelson's Website
Ingrid Michaelson's MySpace Page

The Notorious MSG are Playing Bowery Ballroom w/ Satanicide on Sept. 7th

These guys are way too funny -- why am I not surprised that they are playing with Satanicide?



Here is the band's bio from their press kit:

Blasting out of the streets of Chinatown, THE NOTORIOUS MSG have arrived with a vengeance. Serving up deep-fried beats straight from the Chinese ghetto, they will not stop until they achieve complete musical destruction. This is the story of three renegade restaurant workers from the reputed streets of Chinatown, New York City. Pursuing their dreams of musical superstardom, Hong Kong Fever, Down-Lo Mein and The Hunan Bomb fled the harsh ghettos of Asia only to face more hardships as second-class citizens in America. They struggled to earn a living, toiling in the kitchens and risking their lives as Chinese restaurant delivery boys. Facing robberies and beatings on a daily basis, their fight for survival came to a head when an unknown assailant killed one of their original band members. This was the last straw; it was time to fight back. Rising up with a fury, the trio were reborn and The Notorious MSG exploded onto the NYC music scene with a new calling

This promo video should tell you everything that you need to know:


The band has been around for a couple years and below is part of a review from Asian Weekly of the band's first West Coast show.

The trio from New York City’s Chinatown poses as a group of restaurant workers who moonlight as musicians, gangsters and pimps. It may sound confusing, but it can also keep you doubled over laughing. Somehow the formula of wig-donning, gangsta-talking, wonton-cooking employees works. At least it does for MSG’s growing fan base of Asians and non-Asians alike.

MSG in the house, and we’re feelin’ really hot / Yeah, East Side Chinatown, bitch / You gonna die /Just comin’ out the ghetto with an egg roll / Got a .57 magnum feelin’ loco / And you know / I never go — solo / Got your homie funky Buddha and your boy d-lo

Read the full text of the interview/review

Tickets are $13 (in advance) and doors are @ 7PM

Links:
The Notorious MSG's Website
Bowery Ballroom's Website

Pelican @ Bowery Ballroom, July 24, 2007

Here is the last of the pictures from the MTV Urge Nights show at the Bowery Ballroom last Tuesday. Pelican was the headliner and played a long, sweaty set. The band is touring behind their latest release, City of Echoes, which was released on Hydrahead in June. Aside for a nasty review from Pitchfork, the new CD is getting great reviews.

The band puts on a great live show -- they are certainly worth checking out next time they come through town. (Unfortunately, I am not familiar enough with their music to attempt to put together a set list.)





Links:
Pelican's Official Website
Pelican's MySpace page

Priestbird @ Bowery Ballroom, July 24, 2007

Priestbird kicked off the Urge Nights ambient metal show at the Bowery Ballroom last Tuesday. The band was formerly know as Tarantula AD and their sound has evolved quite a bit since the name change. The songs were mostly instrumental in the psychedelic vein of early Pink Floyd or Hawkwind. The song structures were ambitious and the sound was rich and full. I would imagine it to be quite the experience to catch these guys in a small room.

The band has a new CD, In Your Time, out on Kemando Records.

Saunder Jurriaans
Gregory Rogove
Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans
Tomorrow is the last night of the tour with Pelican and the band is then playing some dates with Helmet next month.

Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:

Jul 30 2007 8:00P Cat's Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina
Aug 27 2007 8:00P Ravari Room w/ HELMET Columbus, Ohio
Aug 28 2007 8:00P Peabody's w/ HELMET Cleveland, Ohio
Aug 29 2007 8:00P The Magic Stick w/ HELMET Detroit, Michigan
Aug 30 2007 8:00P The Vogue w/ HELMET Indianapolis, Indiana

Check out Season of the Sun from the new Priestbird CD.

Links:
Priestbird's Main Website
Priestbird's MySpace page

Urge Nights Presents Pelican at Bowery Ballroom on July 24th

Pelican bring their hypnotizing live show to New York City as part of URGE Nights – an extension of MTV Networks’ digital music service URGE.


With songs that graze in the range of ambient metal while remaining boldly instrumental, Pelican have refined their sound and reach new heights on their third full-length, City of Echoes, which features, more melodic musical peaks and valleys.

“There is epic music and there is epic music. Chicago instrumental quartet Pelican is proudly guilty of producing the latter, penning tunes so ambitious and triumphant that your everyday life seems insignificant in comparison”. - XLR8R

This special performance is presented by MTV Networks’ URGE digital music service, as part of URGE Nights -- a concert series connecting music lovers with both emerging and acclaimed artists in a variety of musical styles and settings. URGE is available for free download at http://www.urge.com.

Featuring original and exclusive music programming, first-rate editorial and innovative music-discovery features, URGE is an immersive entertainment experience for music fans to connect with their favorite artists and discover new ones. Leveraging the music programming expertise of MTV, VH1 and CMT, URGE celebrates all music, from Afro-beat to zydeco. URGE offers subscription and a la carte access to nearly 3 million songs across all music genres.

Pelican is playing with Earth (Dylan Carlson rules) and Priestbird. This is a great lineup and tickets are only $15.

Doors open at 8PM and the Bowery Ballroom is located at:

6 Delancey Street
New York, NY

Links:
Urge (link)
Bowery Ballroom (link)

Pelican (link)
Earth (link)
Priestbird (link)

The Kin @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC April 28, 2007

The Kin held the crowd riveted at their sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom last Saturday night. The band is releasing their first CD Rise and Fall on Aletheia Records later this summer but the crowd seemed to know the words to all of the band's songs. This looks like a band that is going to break out.








Here is what the band posted to their MySpace page after the Bowery Ballroom show:

Bowery Show

Monday after the bowery show - wanted to thank everyone who came and made it such a fun show to play for - its all you!

Thanks to Pat Madden who painted a painting for every song on the new album - we raised over a thousand for savedarfur.org on the night with the sale of paintings.

Thanks to Ken Rockwood for getting up on stage with the accordian on 'Great Divide'.
Thanks to the Voyces for being on the bill with us.
Thanks to all the bowery staff for dealing with the hordes

Thanks to all the people for dealing with the line around the block

Check out the live version of 'photographs' up on myspace....

xxik

Links:
The Kin's MySpace Page (link)
The Kin's Main Website (link)

Set Lists from Patti Smith's 3 Shows at Bowery Ballroom on April 24th

Patti Smith played three sessions at the Bowery Ballroom on April 24th to celebrate the release of her new CD, Twelve. Each show was supposed to be 30 minutes but the second and third shows were about an hour each.

Here is the set list for the night:

SESSION ONE
1. Intro
2. Changing the Guard
3. Midnight Rider
4. Pasttime Paradise
5. Smells Like Teen Spirit

SESSION TWO
1. Intro
2. Everybody Wants to Rule the World
3. Helpless
4. Soul Kitchen
5. Perfect Day
6. Free Money
7. Smells Like Teen Spirit

SESSION THREE
1. Intro
2. Gimme Shelter
3. Everybody Hurts
4. Within You, Without You
5. Midnight Rider
6. White Rabbit
7. Intro --> Smells Like Teen Spirit
8. Gloria

The Voyces @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC April 28th

I only caught the last couple songs by The Voyces but they were quite enjoyable. They had sort of a mellow roots-rock/Neil Young thing going on.



The band's new EP Kissing Like It's Love will be released on May 8th and there is a listening party on May 9th at Hi-Fi in the East Village. Here are the details on the listening party.

Hi-Fi
The "Kissing Like It's Love" Listening Party - 9:00pm
169 Avenue A
New York NY 10009
212- 420 - 8392
Come and celebrate the release of "Kissing Like It's Love" with the band. Have a few drinks while we listen to the new album over and over again. $3.00 Beers until midnight; 21 & over; RSVP here: thevoyces@aol.com

Links:
The Voyces MySpace page (link)
The Voyces Main Site (link)

The Kin - Exclusive Interview and Pictures from Pre-Show Party

There was a pre-show artshow at Pure Project Art Space before The Kin's show at the Bowery Ballroom last Saturday night. The pre-show featured a showcase of paintings by artist Patrick Madden who painted these works while listening to The Kin's music.

I took a few pictures at the pre-show and had a chance to interview The Kin backstage at the Bowery Ballroom.









Note to Self: Bring a video camera next time to film interviews -- the built-in video capabilities of my Fuji aren't that great.

Art Brut Afterparty @ R Bar Tonight, April 17th (12AM - 4AM)

After tonight's show at the Bowery Ballroom, check out the afterparty at R Bar. The party starts at 12AM and you can hang out with the band and hear the new CD It's A Bit Complicated in its entirety. Bar R is at 218 Bowery (btwn. Spring & Broome).




The band has a show at Club B in Brooklyn tomorrow night (Wednesday, April 18th) and the new CD will be released on June 26th.

Free Tickets to Patti Smith Shows at Bowery Ballroom with CD Purchase

The record company is really going all out to promote this new CD. More information was announced...I was wondering how Patti was going to play three separate shows and here is how it is going to happen:

The three 30-minute concerts will include acoustic music, spoken word performances, and in-concert surprises. The doors open for each "Bowery Sessions" show at 6pm, 8:30pm, and 10:30pm.

You can also get a free ticket to an of the shows (limit of 4 per customer) by purchasing the CD at any of the following stores:

Borders
461 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10022

Borders
576 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10016

Borders
100 Broadway
New York, NY 10009

Borders
The Shops at Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019

Borders
2 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10121

Virgin Megastore
52 E 14th
New York, NY 10003

FYE
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York NY 10104

J&R
23 Park Row
New York, NY 1003

It should go without saying that these free tickets are limited.

Roky Erickson - You're Gonna Miss Me Movie Premiers On June 8th

Kevin McAlester's documentary on Roky Erickson makes its premier at Cinema Village on June 8th. Cinema Village is at 22 E. 12th Street in the Village.

Chris Blackwell’s Palm Pictures will be releasing Keven McAlester’s directorial debut film YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME in theatres and on DVD. Recently nominated for a 2007 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary, the film details the rise and fall of rock legend Roky Erickson, whose band, The 13th Floor Elevators, coined the 1960’s term “psychedelic rock.”

YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME will have a limited theatrical release starting in New York on June 8, and the DVD release shortly following on July 10th.

Outside Austin, Texas, a 53-year-old man sits in an apartment with four radios, three televisions, two amps, a radio scanner, and a Casio electric piano playing all at the same time. Loudly. He has three teeth, his hair is matted into one huge dreadlock, and he has a notarized document on his wall declaring himself an alien, "so whoever's putting shocks to my head will stop."

This is the story of Roky Erickson: the manic singer and front man for the legendary band, The 13th Floor Elevators who are considered by many to be the creators of psychedelic music and muse to Janis Joplin. YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME is a disturbingly intimate portrait of an imploding family and the struggle between modernized medicine and religion. Known for his colossal heroin and LSD binges and an ongoing struggle with schizophrenia, Roky has become one of music's legendary tragic figures.

First arrested for carrying one joint of marijuana, Roky enters an insanity plea, which lands him in a minimum-security mental hospital. After numerous attempts to escape, the state of Texas transfers him to Rusk State Hospital for the criminally insane, where he undergoes a series of implausible shock treatments, leaving this rock virtuoso a scarce whisper of his former self.

Now kept under lock and key by his mother Evelyn---who refuses him any treatment beyond love, prayer, and a view of psychiatry gleaned from the shows that she has seen on television. Erickson becomes the centerpiece of a surreal family struggle and the blank screen onto which those around him project their re-imagined pasts and hopeful futures.

Roky appears to be getting back on his feet and is playing two shows in town this month (which are both sold out). Here is his current tour itinerary:

April 13 Brooklyn NY @ SOUTHPAW
April 15 New York, NY @ BOWERY BALLROOM
May 2 New Orleans, LA @ PONDEROSA STOMP
April 28 Indio, CA @ COACHELLA FESTIVAL
June 18 SWEDEN @ HULTSFRED FESTIVAL
Jule 6 DENMARK @ ROSKILDE FESTIVAL
July 8 FINLAND @ RUISROCK FESTIVAL
August 8-11 NORWAY @ OYA FESTIVAL

If anyone has an extra ticket for the Southpaw show, please drop me an email.

Links:
You're Gonna Miss Me Movie (www.rokymovie.com)
Roky Erickson's Main Site (www.rokyerickson.com)

Patti Smith Plays 3 Shows at Bowery Ballroom on April 24th

Patti Smith is playing three separate shows at the Bowery Ballrom on April 24th. This should be a wild night -- I have heard that each show will be a different set and Patti's new CD (Twelve - which is a CD of cover tunes) will be given free with each ticket purchased. Tickets for each show are only $17 and a "3-Session" ticket for all three shows is $51.

If you buy the 3-Session ticket, you get a bonus 7" single with two non-CD tracks which has Patti covering:
A: A Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
B: Here I Dreamt I was an Architect (The Decemberists).

You can also get the bonus 7" when you purchase Patti's new CD from select indie music stores (link).

The View Cancel US Tour

The View have canceled their US tour which included a March 3rd show at Luna Lounge and a March 20th show at Bowery Ballroom. The band apparently has visa problems but there aren't a lot of details online. The Bowery Ballroom show was postponed but the Luna Lounge show will go out without The View, who were scheduled to open for The Young Knives.

Hopefully this isn't the result of bad behavior with Pete Doherty and the like...