Backwords @ Southpaw, Brooklyn, NY 5/1/08

There was a small but attentive crowd at Southpaw when Backwords took the stage. Backwords plays with a low-key, mellow energy that reminds me of the Dead's Americana period or Neil Young alt-country songs. The talent of the musicians in the band was obvious and I really enjoyed watching the musical interplay between the members. For being a new band, Backwords already has a full-set of original material so it will be interesting to watch what's next for the band.


Backwords' next local show is at Coco 66 (66 Greenpoint Ave) on June 6th.

Links:
Backwords Website
Backwords MySpace Profile

Backwords Are Headlining Southpaw on Thursday, May 1st

Brooklyn's Backwords are headlining Southpaw on May 1st. Backwords is a fairly new band on the scene. The band played their first live show (Pete's Candy Store) and released their first disc ("Factory Angel") in January of this year.

The band's sound is rustic Americana and there are elements of Dylan, Neil Young and Nebraska-era Springsteen in the music. There are a number of tracks from "Factory Angel" streaming on the band's MySpace page and main website (links below).

On the bill with Backwords are Lord Classic and Broken Trees. Tickets are only $8.00.

Links:
Backwords Website
Backwords MySpace Profile

Amplify - Rehearsal Studio Interview, Brooklyn, NY 1-18-08

Amplify is a NYC-based alt-metal band made up of longtime music-scene vets. Members have worked with a range of musicians from Peter Gabriel to Fahrenheit 451 and are able to leverage these diverse influences to create Amplify's sound. The band's sound falls somewhere between prog-rock and the hard rock sounds of some of the 80's/90's metal bands (Soundgarden and 'Use Your Illusion'-era Guns N' Roses are the immediate comparisons).

The band released its debut CD, Beneath the Beauty Lies...Heaven to Burn, earlier this year and are starting play some shows around town in support of this disc.

Last month, I had the opportunity to sit in on one of the band's practice session and film some live video and an interview with Bobbie Rae (vocals) and Joe Rodriguez (guitars).

Here is the interview and the live footage will follow in the next few days.



Amplify has a couple upcoming shows:

March 6, 2008 9:00PM @ Fat Baby, NYC
March 14, 2008 10:30PM CD RELEASE SHOW @ The Cutting Room NYC
April 17, 2008 8:00PM @ Luna Lounge Brooklyn

Links:
Amplify's MySpace Page
Amplify's Website

Automatic Children Live @ Rockwood Music Hall, NYC January 22, 2008

I have always felt that a good live show should both hold your attention and leave you wanting more. Automatic Children's show at Rockwood Music Hall hit the mark on both fronts. The band seems to really enjoy themselves on stage which made for a fun live show.

Here are a couple live songs from the band's set:



Automatic Children are working on scheduling some shows for next month so watch the band's MySpace page for details.

Previous Posts:
Pre-Show Interview with Automatic Children

Automatic Children - Rockwood Music Hall Pre-Show Interview, January 22, 2008

I caught up with Automatic Children last Tuesday night before they went on stage at Rockwood Music Hall. Here is the first video from the night - a video interview with the band that we filmed at a diner on Houston Street.



The band put on a great show and was kind enough to let me film a few songs so I'll be posting a live video and some pictures from the show in the next few day.

Automatic Children are in the process of lining up some shows for March (watch the video for more details) so keep an eye on the band's MySpace page for updates.

For anyone who hasn't heard Automatic Children before, the band released an EP, "It's Not Me, It's You" late last year. You can check out the EP as most the tracks are streaming on the band's MySpace page. I reviewed the EP last year (link) and here is another review from The Deli Online Blog:

“Automatic Children's music is playful and aggressive, but not cold as you might expect from a band with a name like that. Their songs are rooted in traditional songwriting, with recurring references to pop and rock'n'roll, but the sound is gritty and distorted, reminding the unpolished tunes of Jesus and Mary Chain and The Pixies (alternating male/female vocals and a cover of Gigantic also tie this quartet to the Boston legends).”

Bugs In the Dark Return to Southpaw This Thursday (Jan. 24th)

I've been wanting a chance to see Bugs In The Dark play live having missed their shows at Luna Lounge and Southpaw at the end of last year.

The band is coming back to Southpaw this Thursday with Kid Beyond & Mike B. Bugs In The Dark's EP is streaming on their MySpace page and the band will be playing two new songs during their set which will be on a new CD coming out in April.

If you need more details, check out the band's MySpace page or the writeup that I posted on the band late last year (see previous post). I am expecting this to be a great show.

Tickets are $8.00 (I received an email from the band that said "other bands are charging $10--make sure to tell them you're there for Bugs!") and the band goes on at 8:30PM.

Links:
Bugs In the Dark MySpace Page

A Camp (featuring Nina Persson from The Cardigans) Plays First US Show in Brooklyn

A Camp makes their US debut at Union Hall on August 6th and follow this up with a CMJ show at the Knitting Factory on August 8th. A Camp is the side project of The Cardigan's Nina Persson and these two shows will likely highlight new A Camp material as Persson is is working on a follow up to her 2001 debut solo CD.

Below are some highlights from a recent interview with Persson in Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter:

Right now I'm super-inspired by Adam & the Ants trying to recreate their wet drum-sound on my coming solo record. I'm even thinking about making a cover of "Prince Charming", I love it. From childhood all I remember is a poster with "Adam Ant" and thinking he was cool, says Nina Persson, visiting Sweden to hand out DN's culture award.

Six years after the solo debut with A Camp, Nina Persson has started working on a new album with Niklas Frisk and her husband Nathan Larson. She has started with a bang with half a dozen songs that are going to get lyrics about everything from Chinatown in New York to "animals in Africa".

When we rehearsed with A Camp we felt immediately that the music is taking a new direction. There will always be a little "folksiness" in me, but I don't dig in my country-drawer anymore. Right now what amuses me most is girl-pop from the 60s, 80's punk and David Bowie, she says.

Tickets for each show are only $12 and are (surprisingly) still available.

Links:
A Camp's Myspace Page

Ticket Scalping (OzzFest, Patti Smith and more)

Occasionally, I'll buy heavily discounted tickets off of eBay to shows I am sort of neutral about and don't care enough about the band(s) to pay for a full price ticket. I can't think of anything (outside of The Jam or At The Gates reuniting) where I would pay scalpers prices.

I get a kick out of looking through eBay to see what tickets are going for:

- OzzFest tickets (at PNC Arts Center) are getting no bidders at .99 cents a pair
- Beastie Boys tickets (at McCarren Pool, Brooklyn) are going for $175+ a pair
- Patti Smith ticket (at Music Hall of Williamsburg) are going for $175+ a pair

I'd love to see the Beasties and Patti Smith but just I can't see paying almost $100 per ticket. OzzFest ticket prices are a bit closer to my speed. I'll have to check out the lineup of bands to see if it is worth driving out to NJ for the show.

Last year, I was sitting in the Brooklyn Brewery on a Saturday afternoon and they were trying to give away a free pair of OzzFest tickets (to the show on Randall's Island that same day) and I don't think they had any takers.

Links:
OzzFest (link)

Umami is Hosting a Friday the 13th Party in Bushwick

Nothing like a free beer party close to home...

10pm-3am, Friday July 13th
free party, free keg beer (additional drinks welcome and encouraged)

bands: 11pm The Press, 12am UMAMI, 1am Diet Kong
plus DJs, Ms Pacman and pool table


27 Arion place (basement of Opera House lofts) Bushwick Brooklyn
JMZ trains to Myrtle Ave, go 2 blocks west on Broadway, turn right on Arion)

Music Hall of Williamsburg Announces Initial Lineup of Shows

A few weeks ago, The Music Hall of Williamsburg announced Patti Smith as the opening night show (and the show sold out very quickly). Bowery Presents has just released the initial bookings for the club and there looks to be a number of solid acts.

The initial Fall lineup for the Music Hall of Williamsburg is as follows:

September

4: Patti Smith and Her Band (previously announced)

7: Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts

8: Vampire Weekend

10: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
*fan presale July 10

14: The Walkmen

15: Bonde do Rolê with Plastic Little

19: The Black Lips with The Selmanaires and Nice Boys

21: Les Savy Fav
*tickets on sale July 18, presale July 14

27: Medeski, Martin & Wood

28: Fujiya & Miyagi with Dirty on Purpose

29: Jose Gonzalez
*tickets on sale July 17

October

3: BORIS and Damon & Naomi with Michio Kurihara

8: Sunset Rubdown

9: High On Fire with Mono, Panthers, Coliseum
*tickets on sale July 20, presale July 13

Tickets for the initial September and October shows will go on sale Friday, July 13 at noon, unless otherwise noted. Additional Music Hall of Williamsburg shows will be announced soon.

Through the new agreement with Ticketmaster, fans will be able to purchase tickets for events at all Bowery Presents venues at a fee structure virtually the same as that of former ticketing partner, TicketWeb.

"This decision to move to Ticketmaster allows us to maintain our dedication to providing easy access to tickets and entry into clubs, given our recent expansion," said Michael Swier, a partner in The Bowery Presents. "Considering our solid history with Ticketmaster as the owners of TicketWeb, we believe they have come to know not only our market but also our commitment to low ticketing fees."

In September, The Bowery Presents will open a second box office at the Music Hall of Williamsburg that will sell tickets to all of The Bowery Presents' venues -- Music Hall of Williamsburg, Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge and Webster Hall - and to select Bowery Presents concerts. As at the Mercury Lounge box office, this outpost will offer cash-only ticket sales with no additional fees.

The Music Hall of Williamsburg will open on September 4th with a sold-out performance by Patti Smith and Her Band and will be the first Brooklyn music venue to be managed and operated by The Bowery Presents. Inspired by the look and feel of the Bowery Ballroom, and committed to providing the best experience possible for bands and fans, the 550-capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg will have a focus on acoustics, sightlines and space. The venue will feature state-of-the-art sound, lighting, broadcasting and recording systems, which will also have the capability to be used for Internet, TV and radio broadcasts.

Please visit www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com for ticket information and schedule updates.

About The Bowery Presents

The Bowery Presents is an independent promotion company based in New York City. With a core business based around great music, its mission is to bring the best bands to the NY metropolitan area and to provide the best concert experience for fans and artists, along with reasonable ticket prices. Over the years The Bowery Presents has worked with a vast cross-section of some of the most talented performing artists, including Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Bright Eyes, Billy Corgan, Guster, Interpol, John Mayer, Moby, Modest Mouse, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Sonic Youth, The Sea & Cake, The Shins and The White Stripes. Michael Swier and John Moore of The Bowery Presents have presented music at the Mercury Lounge, the Bowery Ballroom and Webster Hall over the past 15 years. Jim Glancy, former president of the New York division of Live Nation joined the company as partner in 2006. In addition to opening the Music Hall of Williamsburg in September 2007, The Bowery Presents, headquartered on Manhattan's Lower East Side, will open a larger venue in Manhattan in October 2007. For more information, visit www.bowerypresents.com.

The Kin @ Luna Lounge, Brooklyn, NYC June 27, 2007

The Kin continue to put on a fabulous live show. At last Wednesday's show at Luna Lounge, the band played as a three-piece (Isaac, Thorry and Shakerleg). Both the band and the crowd seemed very relaxed which made for a nice set. I only caught the end of the act before The Kin (and didn't catch their name) as I stepped out to find some dinner. For the few songs that I did see, the crowd chatter seemed as loud as the band. This wasn't the case for The Kin. The band played a 50 minute set and held the crowd's attention from start to finish.

Even though the band played as a three piece, the music didn't seem to lose any of its richness. The band seemed to have a lot of fun during the set and check out the picture below of Thorry on drums.


The band's next show is at Gramercy Theatre on July 28 2007 and the band will be opening for Lez Zeppelin (who has Helen Destroy [x-Lunachicks] on drums).

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

Thorry

Isaac

Shakerleg

Brian Grosz CD Release Party at Luna Lounge in Brooklyn on June 27th

Dogs of Winter frontman Brian Grosz is releasing his first solo CD this Tuesday and the CD release party is at the Luna Lounge the next night.

Musically, this disc is a departure from the hard-rock sounds of Dogs of Winter. Grosz heads into late-night, whiskey soaked territory occupied by Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Tom Waits and Everlast. There is a quote from Dee Snider on the press release that accompanied this CD that says "Tom Waits + Nine Inch Nails + a BAD attitude = One Cool Ass, Mutha F*cking CD". That is a pretty good description of what this disc sounds like. This is the kind of music that you can easily imagine coming off the jukebox in some down-and-out bar (think the Mars Bar in the East Village or Tommy's in Williamsburg) while the regulars are all trying to decide whether to drink all night or go home and sleep it off.

The songs on this disc cut across a range of styles and all of the tracks are held together by Grosz's strong voice, which ranges from a whiskey rasp to a whisper. The lyrical themes are all dark -- this isn't light stuff but rather tales of twisted relationships and murder/suicide ballads. The sound on this disc is full and open -- a welcome return to the days when music wasn't over-produced and the listener can really understand the driving forces behind the music. There is also some very interesting non-conventional instrumentation on this disc (cookware, cat purring, etc.) which adds to the atmosphere of the disc.


I am looking forward to seeing Grosz's show at Luna Lounge as the club has good sound and low lights which should make for a perfect atmosphere. Grosz goes on at 7:30PM and tickets are only $10.

Links:
Brian Grosz's Main Website (link)
Brian Grosz's MySpace Page (link)

Hunt Club Play Rock Star Bar in Brooklyn on Friday, June 29th

Just back from a West Coast tour, Brooklyn's Hunt Club is playing Rock Star bar next Friday. The band goes on at 8PM and tickets are only $10. Check out the poster for the complete list of bands playing this night.

Live video from Hunt Club's show in Long Beach last month

Links:
Hunt Club's MySpace page (link)

Care Bears on Fire @ Southpaw, Brooklyn, June 2, 2007

I have been trying to write a CD review of the latest release by an "established artist". Honestly, I can't get motivated to write a review of this disc [sorry, I am intentionally avoiding mentioning the artist's name] as music is just completely flat and uninspired. At this point, you are probably wondering what this has to do with the Care Bears. The Care Bears brought out the complete opposite reaction -- the band was warm, fun, talented and energetic. I have seen bands in major clubs who don't have the talent and enthusiasm that these three have. This will be a band to watch and, if I heard correctly, the band will be releasing a CD sometime this fall.







I have pictures of the other bands that played which I'll get posted in the next day or two. I also have a few pictures of host Martha Plimpton (her bio was included in the program that was passed out at the show and I noticed that she didn't include The Goonies when listing her past work.)

Links:
Care Bears on Fire MySpace page (link)

Frauke - CD/EP Review

Frauke is "interesting"; I have listened to their EP (which is streaming on the band's website) a few times and I am still not quite sure what to make of them. Frauke are a three piece (bass, guitar and drums) which play Ween-inspired lo-fi music that is oddly compelling. The band's musical style ranges from a post-punk 80's sound to a track (sung by the female Frauke) that could pass for low-fi Blondie song (aside for the lyrics about chicks with di*ks and beat downs). I haven't made out all of the lyrical themes but they seem to range from sluts to the yeti. The EP gets interesting/bizarre when the band tells bad jokes in pseudo-German accents for about 10 minutes. Obviously these guys have interesting day jobs and/or good drugs.

Frauke's website describes them as:

Frauke is formed by Frauke, Frauke, and Frauke. Frauke met Frauke in Germany, and Frauke introduce Frauke to Frauke in Germany. Frauke is a she. Frauke wants you to dance, stop dancing. Frauke wants to play love songs for you but they are songs of hate. Look at Frauke, look away from Frauke. Frauke loves the suit that is covered in blood and and is left alone in the snow so that a child may come across it and weep. Frauke sees pain in child's eyes. does frauke feel emotion? Frauke does not feel. The owl laments, stops lamenting, for it fears Frauke.

All-in-all, I think this is one of those bands that you have to see live to actually figure out what they are all about. I would suspect that they will either shake the earth or be mad-drunk. Either state could make for an interesting show.

Frauke plays the Trash Bar in Brooklyn on May 9th.

Links:
Frauke's Main Website (link)
Frauke's MySpace page (link)

With Passion Show Canceled Tonight at Club Europa

With Passion's show at Club Europa is canceled tonight. The band posted the following message to their MySpace page:

We had two shows cancelled on us due to all the other bands dropping off this tour. We are on the east coast right now so if you can help us with a show last minute hit us up, we will play your backyard, basement, living room - anywhere there is room. The 24th we play at El N Gee in CT, and the 27th we play at Yesterdays in Wheeling WV, so if you can book us in between those dates in that vicinity even if its a house party show please hit us up. All we want is an oppourtunity to sell some merch because having days off sitting in Wal Mart parking lots all day is no fun when we could be playing shows. Thanks a lot.

If anyone can help the band out, please contact them through their MySpace page.

Bonde Do Role @ Studio B, Brooklyn, NY April 13, 2007

Bonde Do Role opened for the Klaxons last Friday. (I am a bit embarrassed that it has taken me so long to post these pictures.) In short -- these people are wild. Rolling Stone magazine listed them as one of the "10 Bands to Watch" last month.


Below is a snippet from the Rolling Stone write up:

SOUND In complete disregard for U.S. copyright law, Bonde do Role (D'eyrot, 22, MC Marina Ribatski, 21, and producer and DJ Rodrigo Gorky, 25) pile super-recognizable samples -- AC/DC, the Grease soundtrack, Tone-Loc -- into an over-the-top party-starting mix. A typical lyric (from "Melo do Caldinho"): "I was at a party/And I saw a whore/I put my tongue into her asshole/And my tongue came out all dirty." "That's the shit we're doing, man," D'eyrot says. "Nasty stuff. Sex with food, general perversion."

WHAT'S NEXT The group is planning a U.S. tour this summer and is working on an LP with Diplo. "We're going to try to use some samples that are not so recognizable and try to get a guitarist," says Gorky. But for now the trio is psyched to be playing increasingly raucous live sets at home. "The crowd at the last show was a mix of playboys and, how do you say, high-class whores," says D'eyrot. "That was crazy."

H20 & Negative Approach Added to Superbowl of Hardcore at Studio B on May 19th

The Superbowl of Hardcore is going to be a big show as H20 and Negative Approach were just added to the lineup. Below is the list of bands that have been announced thus far:

NEGATIVE APPROACH (first NYC appearance since the 80s)
H20
COLD AS LIFE
ONE 4 ONE
DARKSIDE NYC
ALL OUT WAR
COLDFRONT
FULL BLOWN CHAOS
BILLY CLUB SANDWICH
H8 INC
SAVANNAH

The show is at Studio B in Brooklyn. Doors are 2PM and tickets are $25.

The Klaxons @ Studio B, Brooklyn, NY April 13th, 2007

MTV Urge Nights sponsored The Klaxons at Studio B last Friday night. I haven't seen a crowd this ready to party since the closing shows at CBGB. The show was sold out and the club was at capacity.


The crowd started pogoing and dancing from the minute the band hit the stage up until the last song. With that many people moving, the temperature rose quickly and that jacket (in the above picture) didn't last long.


As I have heard The Klaxons' music described as "new rave" so I was expecting their live show to sound something like the Happy Monday's. This wasn't the case at all. Below is part of an interview that Urge did with singer/keyboardist James Righton:

URGE: What does the phrase "new rave" mean to you?

Righton: Jaime [Reynolds] invented the term for the band, just as a joke. Then NME got ahold of it, and what the NME says suddenly becomes gospel. So it spread. It's a misrepresentation of the music and misleading in a lot of ways.

URGE: So you're saying you don't take 10 ecstasy pills a day and wear a Dr. Seuss hat to bed?

Righton: No, no. [Laughs.] It's not happening. It's funny, because as soon as it got talked about, we tried to distance ourselves from it. I don't think any band likes a tag, let alone one that conjures up images that we probably don't adhere to.

URGE: What are the differences between the first generation of rave and what you're doing?

Righton: The differences are musical: We don't use electronics, we don't use 303s, we don't use any of that. We're a live band, an organic band, and that allows for human failures and elements. We don't go onstage dressed in neon out of our minds, either. Not every night.





If The Klaxons truely believe the world will end in 2012, they obviously aim to have some fun over the next five years. The new album's final song, "Four Horsemen Of 2012," references the final year of the Mayan Calendar, when some, including Klaxons (Reynolds, Righton and guitarist Simon Taylor-Davis), believe the world will end. But reveling in our worldly demise is cause for a party, according to Righton: "Celebrating that we all are going to die is great! Every gig, we give out the address to Simon's house, that's where the barbeque is going to happen on New Year's Eve 2012."

URGE: Do you really believe that the world is going to end in 2012?

Righton: Of course we do. We're going to design T-shirts that say "12 12 12." Then watches that say "countdown to apocalypse." They're not going to tell the time, just the countdown. You're all invited to Simon's barbeque, as well.

Klaxons Play Studio B in Brooklyn Friday April 13th

I was surprised to see there are still tickets available for the Klaxon's show next Friday at Studio B. The band is playing Bowery Ballroom this Tuesday and tickets for this show sold out fairly quickly. The band also drew a strong crowd as headliners on the just completed NME tour in the UK so I wouldn't count on getting tickets day-of-show for this one.

For anyone not familiar with the Klaxons' music, Wikipedia notes that "HMV describes Klaxons as "acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk", while their MySpace page touts 'Psychedelic / Progressive / Pop'. Though the band's sound is decidedly art rock, they draw upon some less common influences (notably the rave culture of the 1990s, which they appropriate and redefine in a post-modern fashion). This is perhaps most evident in their cover of novelty rave hit "The Bouncer" by Kicks Like a Mule and 'Not Over Yet' by Grace." The Klaxons were recently named the Best New Band at Shockwaves NME Awards and just released their full-length debut Myths of the Near Future on Polydor Records. The new CD and the band's live show have been getting great reviews and many of the band's UK show in May are already sold out.

The show at Studio B is part of MTV Urge Nights and should be a fun night. Bonde Do Role from Brazil and Surkin from France are also on the bill. Tickets are only $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Other Music (in the East Village) and at www.igetrvng.com.

Links:
Klaxons Main Website (link)
Klaxons MySpace Page (link)
Studio B, Brooklyn (link)