The Nico Blue Release New Video for "Folk Song Number Two" / Show at Hiro Ballroom on July 1st with Blind Mellon

Local band The Nico Blues have a knack for crafting the perfect indie pop song and they have just released a new "guitar cam" video for "Folk Song Number Two" (from Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements).



Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements, along with a a demo and the band's 2009 EP are posted as free downloads on their website (Nico Blues). It is somewhat sad how bad the music industry has gotten as this is the sort of music that people once paid for.

The Nico Blues have a number of upcoming shows in the area, including a slot opening for Blind Melon at Hiro Ballroom. Here is a run-down of the band's upcoming shows:

- June 18: Northside Festival Whatever Blog Showcase, Red Star Bar, Brooklyn
- June 25: Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ (Cover is $8)
- July 1: Hiro Ballroom, NYC (w/Blind Melon - Tickets are $25)
- July 7: Bar Matchless, Brooklyn
- July 28: Bruar Falls, Brooklyn

Links:
The Nico Blues

Lissie: Live Photos & Set List from Hiro Ballroom, NYC 10-22-10

At last night's sold-out show at Hiro Ballroom, Lissie came off like a veteran performer. Lissie and her two-piece band delivered a high-energy show and there was no sign of the vocal problems that plagued her over the past week. The two things that I immediately noticed about Lissie's live performance is her big voice (which doesn't come across as such a focal point on her two discs) and her relaxed stage presence. Lissie was completely at ease with the standing-room-only crowd and her stories and narrative seemed to be things that everyone could relate to.



Lissie played the entirety of her "Why You Runnin'" EP and six tracks from Catching A Tiger. While Lissie has been getting a lot of publicity for her cover tunes (which include songs by Lady Ga Ga, Led Zeppelin, Metallica), Lissie included only two covers in her set. The first was a cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Waiting Around to Die" on which she duetted with opening act Dylan LeBlanc. (If you look closely at the photos above, you can see LeBlanc reading the lyrics off his iPod). The second was a cover of Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness".

Set List:
- Wedding Bells
- Worried About
- Here Before
- When I'm Alone
- Waiting Around to Die (w/ Dylan LeBlanc)
- Bully
- Cuckoo
- Record Collector
- Everywhere I Go
- In Sleep
- Little Lovin'

Encore:
- Oh Mississippi
- Pursuit of Happiness

Lissie kicks off a UK tour next week which will keep her in Europe until the end of the year. Here is a link to her complete set of tour dates.

Links:
Lissie

Bloody Social - Radio Maniacs EP Review

I've been wanting to check out Bloody Social for some time as I've been reading the 'future of rock and roll' hype around this band for the last few months. I got to the Mugison show at the Hiro Ballroom last month just as Mugison was taking the stage so I completely missed Bloody Social...but I did get a copy of their new single, "Radio Maniacs".

The two songs on this single are interesting but certainly not groundbreaking. Both songs are AOR/K-Rock style alt-rock tunes. The first song, "Radio Maniacs", is an upbeat rocker and the other, "Curtain Call", is a stereotypical post-Nirvana rock ballad. A good point of comparison would be the Stone Temple Pilots. The production is a bit slick on these tunes and the band (unfortunately) loses some of the rawness that they captured on their Sharpshooter EP. I'd like to hear more from the band before making any real conclusions.

I'm intrigued by the extreme "love" or "hate" comments (there is no middle ground) about the band that have been posted to various internet sites. I remember reading an interview by the guy who signed Motley Crue in the early 80's and he described them as the most hated band in California and went on to say that any band that can get people that emotionally involved in their music (either postively or negatively) has a lot of potential.

I'd like to catch Bloody Social's live set to see what they are all about. 20+ years ago, I had a buddy in the industry who insisted that Gn'R was going to be the biggest band in the world based on "Live Like A Suicide" and I just couldn't hear the potential in that disc (but I never caught the band live while they were playing the clubs).

Bloody Social is playing Piano's on July 3rd so...check 'em out for yourself. Drop me an email after you do as I'll be curious what you think.

Links:
Bloody Social's MySpace Profile

Mugison @ Hiro Ballroom, NYC 5/15/08

Mugison is definately a force of nature...he and his band played a one-off show two weeks ago at the Hiro Ballroom. You really have to see Mugison to appreciate him. The music ranged from bourbon-soaked Tom Waits style blues to Hank Williams style country ballads.

“Mugiboogie,” his third official solo release, was recorded in his home studio, which offers views out onto silent, ancient fjords. Mugi put everything he had into the project. He worked 16 hours a day, started drinking and smoking again, and didn’t just flirt with a nervous breakdown but got into bed with one and spent quite a bit of time fighting to get back out.

Mugison @ Hiro Ballroom, NYC 5/15/08


I came away from the show thinking that everyone need to experience some Mugison once.

Here is a video from Iceland Airwaves where Mugi plays the song "Jesus Is A Good Name to Moan" (which is from Mugiboogie) and he also explains the background behind the song. I don't think I need to say anymore than this...



There are also a couple tracks from the new release on Mugison's MySpace profile.

Links:
Mugison's Website

Albert Hammond Plays Free @ Hiro Ballroom on May 10th

Click on the flyer to go directly to the page where you can RSVP