Quiet Riot - NYC Tour Dates and Rehab CD Review

I have been a Quiet Riot fan for years and one of my frustrations is that the band never seems to play in Brooklyn or Manhattan. I think the band's last show in the city was 2003 at B.B. King's. I rarely go to shows outside of the area but last year I drove to Staten Island to see the band's show at the St. George Theatre and it was a fabulous show. The band looked and sounded better than they did in 2003.

Finally, Quiet Riot are playing a show in the city. They are playing the Canal Room on April 6th. (There is another show in the area on April 7th at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ)

The band is continuing to tour behind their CD Rehab, which was released late last year on Chavis Records. This CD has been on my iPod for the last few weeks and I really like the band's change in sound. The glossy production and party-rock sound of past releases is gone and the band's current sound is harder and more blues oriented. A point of comparison would be Humble Pie or the David Coverdale lineup of Deep Purple. The Deep Purple comparison seems particularly appropriate as Glenn Hughes sings and plays on a few cuts, including a fabulous cover of Evil Woman (which was recorded by Spooky Tooth in the late 60s).

The band sounds in great form on this release. There is one track that is a throwback to "party rock" sound (It Sucks to be You ) but, other than this, the band's sound is firmly routed in early 70's British Rock. Some of my favorite cuts are South of Heaven, Black Reign and Old Habits Die Hard. The later song even features a gospel chorus which fits perfectly within the song.

The band has an integrated sound on this disc and all instruments and vocals flow together. Prior to listening to this disc, I hadn't heard of session guitarist Neil Citron before. He plays some amazing leads and Tony Franklin (x-The Firm), Frankie and Kevin all sound great. As great as the band sounds on disc, the touring lineup that includes Alex Grossi and Chuck Wright sounded even better at the Staten Island show last year so Neil and Tony's contributions aren't necessarily missed. (I still would like to see Kevin sing live with Glenn Hughes though).

You can find all Quiet Riot news through Frankie Banali's website. There are a couple of interesting interviews posted to Frankie's site that are worth checking out.

- Frankie discusses Rehab track-by-track - Link
- KNAC.com interviews Frankie on the (then) new release - Link

Robyn Hitchcock - Legal Music Downloads

I continue to be amazed at the high-quality legal downloads that I am finding on the net.

Here is a 25 minute show on which Robyn Hitchcock and the band appeared last November. The full band plays Adventure Rocketship and Ole! Tarantula live in the studio and Robyn gives a pretty interesting interview.

Here is a link to the WNYC page where you can download the podcast. I also ran across a series of live videos from Ole! Tarantula on RollingStone.com and here is a link to the page.

Robyn is playing with Venus 3 at the Knitting Factory on March 27th and 28th. Tickets are still available for both shows and are $25.00.

Additional Tickets for The Pipettes' Show at Luna Lounge Just Released

Luna Lounge just released a handful of tickets to The Pipettes' sold out shows on Sunday and Monday. Get 'em quick!

Tickets are available through Ticketweb.

Too Much Joy Reunites for First Show in Ten Years

We sleep on floors and live on crumbs,We're a bunch of ugly bums.
A great idea when we were smashed...
Turning anger into cash.
To create, you must destroy.
Smash a glass and cry... Too Much Joy

Too Much Joy is playing a one-off all ages show at the Knitting Factory on May 4th. The band will be playing as a five-piece which will include both original bassist Sandy Smallens and later-day replacement William Whittman. This show is to celebrate Tommy Vinton's retirement from the NYPD.

Everyone has a band that was the soundtrack to their youth. Too Much Joy (along with Material Issue) were major parts of mine. Living in DC at the time, Too Much Joy seemed to headline quite a number of WHFS shows and you couldn't turn on the radio in the mid-90s without hearing a track from Cereal Killers. For whatever reason, the band never seemed to turn the corner and they ended up "fading away".

With the band members now living in different cities, this is probably the only chance to see this great band back together.

Check out some of the audio and video links below...buy a ticket to the show! I don't know if the show will sell out but the band certianly has the talent to pack the room.

Too Much Joy's website: http://www.sayhername.com/index.php

From the CD Cereal Killers: William Holden Caufield
From the CD Cereal Killers: Crush Story

The Hazey Janes are Playing Union Hall Tomorrow Night (March 9th)

I don't know how I didn't see this before tonight as this looks like a great show.

Scotish power-pop band (think Big Star, not today's alt-pop nonesense) The Hazey Janes play their second ever New York show tomorrow night at Union Hall. The band got a great writeup from The Big Takeover for their show last week at Pianos. Tickets for the Union Hall show are only $8.

"The Hazey Janes played last night from 11:15 until 12 so you would've still been able to catch them. And you should've -- they were phenomenal. There were barely 20 people at Pianos to see them (including a couple from Michigan and some from Philly!), but they were so frickin' good that I almost wanted to run outside and gather more people to see what they were missing. The combination of hot playing and, quite frankly, mind-blowing harmonies (Alice Marra's amazing voice is even better live than on record) were too good to pass up. And despite the reputation for too loud sound at Pianos, the soundman had them mixed so well (especially the vocals) that it sounded like they were playing at Mercury Lounge. Despite the sparse crowd, they were extremely excited to be playing their first-ever show in NYC, and they played liked it. Of the ten songs they played, four were from Hotel Radio -- the rest were (I believe) all new. But all the new songs were incredible and sounded as if they'd been playing them for years (even though they said they were just "trying them out") -- if the show was any indication, their next release should be every bit as good as their last one. After the show, Alice was outside in the freezing cold w/no jacket, having a quick smoke. Since they are recording in Hoboken this week, and playing Brooklyn on Fri, she better protect that voice."

Sin-e is Closing on April 2nd

It is sad to see another downtown club closing. Sin-e is near and dear to my heart as I did some promo for them when they first re-opened on Attorney Street. I have been reading some of the commentary since The Continental and CBGB closed and it seems a popular response is "it is just a club - new clubs are opening". I don't know...for me it isn't the same.

These weren't just clubs but these were places where memories were made. I clearly remember seeing Joey and Dee Dee at The Continental, more acts than I can remember at CBGB, hanging out at Sin-e and talking with Steve Wynn until an ungodly hour of the morning.

So -- to all the people I have met at Sin-e over the years, I wish you the best.

Sin-e is going out with some strong acts. The third to last night features the following bands:

9pm Miss Guy
10pm Pretty Boys
11pm Theo & the Skyscrapers -- former front woman of the Lunachicks
12pm Glass Hand

21+, $10 cover

advanced tickets on ticketweb

The View & The Young Knives Reschedule Tour - Both are Playing Luna Lounge

Both The View and The Young Knives have seem to have resolved their visa issues and have rescheduled their respective US tours.

The View are playing the Bowery Ballroom on May 1st and the Luna Lounge in Brooklyn on May 2nd.

The Young Knives are playing Luna Lounge on March 20th, Mercury Lounge on March 22nd (sold out)and Annex on March 23rd.

I would expect both shows to sell out so get your tickets soon!

Haste The Day Starts Tour/New CD Released March 20th

Haste The Day is preparing for the release of their third album, Pressure The Hinges on March 20th on Solid State Records. They have released on their Myspace page their new single “Stitches” and are headed to LA to film the video for that song.

“Stitches” was written by Haste The Day members Brennan Chaulk and Stephen Keech and Keech states what the inspiration behind it is, “Everyone knows at least one person in their life who destroyed their life with drugs or alcohol. The song is about the need of intervention from a loved one (friend of family member), and the use of five words that can change that person’s life: you're worth more than this. Sometimes we, as the loved one, have a hard time saying those words creating stitches in our mouth.”

The video was shot in California and shows a powerful band performance with undercutting images between two different stories. Both stories will have the same theme; however each story will have an individual feel, characters and problems.

After selling over 100,000 copies of their combined albums, Haste The Day is prepared to have a blow out third release that includes not only the single disc album, but also a deluxe version with bonus tracks and DVD including 2 live shows, past music videos and more. You can also pre-order the new album at Interpunk and receive a limited edition 7" split featuring two songs from aste the Day and From Ashes to Autumn.

The band hits the road on tour co-headlining with From Autumn To Ashes starting March 6th in Buffalo, NY. The only show in the New York area is at Irving Plaza on April 20th.

Haste The Day is Stephen Keech (Vocals), Michael Murphy (Bass, Backing Vox), Devin Chaulk (Drums), Jason Barnes (Lead Guitar) and Brennan Chaulk (Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vox).

Anata - The Conductor's Departure CD Review

This CD made a number of "Best of 2006" lists and, while I never made a "Best of" list, I have to agree. This is one of those rare CDs where the vocals serve as an instrument and all the instruments serve a clear purpose. Clear production highlights the talent of the band and none of the instruments are mixed on top of others. Every note seems to have been chosen with precision and Fredrik Shalin's vocals go beyond the cookie-monster growl that is used too often in this genre. The technical precision of the band isn't to say this is "math metal" -- the tempos are a bit slower than some of Anata's contemporaries and there is no "speed for the sake of speed". The slower tempos add to the pounding brutality of the songs and yet every song is still melodic. My favorite tracks are Downward Spiral into Madness and The Great Juggler. I also enjoyed the disc's instrumental track Children's Laughter. There is a poll on Anata's website where visitors get to select their favorite songs and current fan favorites are Downward Spiral and Better Grieved than Fooled.

The lyrics are fascinating and complex. I was impressed with the response that Fredrik gave when asked about the lyrics to The Great Juggler (from Anata's web forum):

I'm glad to hear that there is at least one person who read my lyrics, thanks! The great juggler is like most of my lyrics about myself. Firstly, I am the great juggler. It's about how I was (dis)regarded by other people in my younger years, aspiring to achieve something musically. "Joined the circus at seventeen" stands for forming Anata. Later on it deals with getting so consumed by my music that I almost alienated from the rest of what is life. You prefer staying inside and doing your thing, while neglecting a lot of other things. And the thing is, that no matter how good you get at doing your thing, in this case playing alternative music, the circus tent will always be very small. You will forever be regarded an outsider and a freak. For most of the time I love it, but sometimes it hurts quite a bit.

Btw I initially wrote this as a short story "(taken from) A letter from The Great Juggler". It's about a person that travels with a circus, now writing a letter to his old friend. Later I wrote some music to fit parts of the story, and that is what you hear in The great juggler.

Feel free to ask about other lyrics! I'll try to check in once in a while.

Fredrik
ANATA

The band also posted to their web forum that they are recording a new CD this summer. Let's hope for a US tour to follow.

Nate Young's Brother Injured in Fire (Wolf Eyes)

Nate Young posted the following to the Hanson Records mailing list earlier this week. Please donate if you can...

Hey everyone,

On the morning of Feb 24th my brother Peter Young was in a fire. He was injured with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 30-44% of his body. Neighbors reported seeing him coming out of his apartment unharmed only to see him run back in to save his dog Little John. The smoke and heat over took Pete as soon as he reentered the apartment. Pete was found unconscious and burning by Brighton Police and Fire Department who rushed him over to the U of M hospital. His apartment was completely destroyed and Little John did not make it. Pete has no medical insurance or insurance on his apartment which he owns. He is undergoing surgery for skin grafts and has not been conscious yet. He will be in the hospital for at least 2-3 months.

I am asking for donations to help my family with some of the medical bills and the rebuilding of his apartment. I have set up a paypal account in Pete's name. There are over 1000 members on this board, if everyone donates at least $1 that will be a big help.

Please paypal donations to Peter.B.Young (at) gmail (dot) com
Please try to pay the paypal fee if paying from a credit or debit card.

Pete first introduced me to punk, psychedelic rock and noise - the music that inspired me the most as a kid. He also painted the cover for the first Wolf Eyes album released on Bulb. Without him Wolf Eyes may not have ever existed. I hope you'll help me give him something back.

With much thanks,
Nate Young

Yoko Ono on World Cafe, Feb. 16, 2007 Legal Music Download

Yoko Ono's interview on NPR's World Cafe has to be one of the more interesting things that I have run across on iTunes this past week. I am somewhat amazed that Yoko is in her early 70s as she remains current in today's music scene. The interview focuses on Ono's new release Yes, I'm a Witch on which 16 artists reinterpret and remix songs from Ono's back catalog. These artists included Flaming Lips, Cat Power, Peaches and many more. I haven't heard the CD but was impressed with the clips that were played during the interview (the Cat Power clip was especially compelling).

The full interview is available (for free) on iTunes and can also be streamed over the web from National Public Radio's website.

Yoko Ono's new CD was just released by Astralwerks and there are links to the Flaming Lips (covering Cambridge 1969) and Cat Power (covering Revelations) tracks from Ono's page on the Astralwerks site.

The Residents - Legal Music Downloads

I was excited when I found The Residents podcasts (bogcasts) as they are one of my favorite bands and I downloaded the first two to my iPod. After listening, unfortunately, these podcasts are pretty boring. The first two podcasts are basically one person answering some pretty boring questions (when will The Residents play my town, will there be a live release from "fill in the blank" tour, have any of The Residents left the band, etc.) and 1-2 minutes of unreleased live material. For fans, the live material is too brief to warrant downloading these podcasts. I am not certain these podcasts are a good starting point for those unfamilar with the band as the questions start from a "fan boy" perspective.

Recommendation: For fans and neophytes, The Residents main site is a better place to get up to speed with the happenings of the band.

Travis: New CD Scheduled for May Release (Epic Records)

Travis returns to the US to play Coachella on April 28th and Epic just announced that Travis' new CD, The Boy With No Name, will be released in May. This is the band's first new release in almost four years.

Travis, one of the UK’s most prominent rock bands are gearing up to release The Boy With No Name, their fifth studio album on May 8th. The highly anticipated new album – which was produced by the band and long time collaborator Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Paul McCartney) – shimmers with infectious melodies and timeless choruses wrapped around bittersweet songs of deep love and regret. The Boy With No Name bookmarks the band’s first new material since 12 Memories.

“This album has all the facets of us, and some new ones,” lead singer Fran Healy explains. “It’s rocky and then it’s pop but also sweet too. After a time of feeling stuck, we now feel we can do anything. We’ve come through the dark places and it feels like we’ve found our muse once more.”

Album highlights include the lead single, “Closer” which Fran says “bred the rest of the album”, “Big Chair,” with it’s restless bass line – debuted by Chris Martin while hosting the Zane Lowe Radio One show – whilst “Selfish Jean,” delivers Motown bass and expansive ‘Phil Spector’ production. An Ode to lead singer Fran Healy’s then unborn son Clay, “My Eyes,” is classic Travis; a joyful chorus journeyed to via an equally catchy prelude of ‘Welcome in, welcome in…” “Battleships,” meanwhile boasts a painfully honest lyric about relationship strife –a situation when two people in love just aren’t seeing eye to eye.

Signed in 1996 Travis have amassed four albums (including two number one albums), two Brit Awards, an Ivor Novello, several sold out tours across the US, and have been lauded by critics worldwide and embraced by their fans as the everyman’s band.

To kick things off, Travis will perform three UK club shows in March where the band will unveil tracks from the upcoming album, The Boy With No Name.

Ror-Shak -- Deep CD Review

Ror-Shak has their roots in electronica but the songs on this CD push beyond the limitations of the genre. The "electronica" label doesn't do this band justice as this disc goes beyond dance tracks and extended remixes. All the songs are distinctive and a number of the tracks merit repeated plays. While I am sure that the disc will do well in the dance scene, this is also the sort of music that would be well received at a late night show at the Mercury Lounge. As a point of comparison, Ror-Shak's music isn't that far removed from what Kid Congo Powers has been doing over the last few years with Annie Anxiety.

What really makes this CD for me are the vocalists and use of live musicians. I am not a fan of the bands use only pre-programmed backing tracks as they generally lack the warmth that Ror-Shak is able to achieve on this disc. The vocals are a real standout and here is a list of the vocalists on each track:

1. Lisa's Song - Feat. Lisa Shaw
2. Fate or Faith - Feat. Julee Cruise
3. A Forest - Feat. Chantel Claret
4. Golden Cage - Feat. Julee Cruise
5. Rescue Me - Feat. Wendy Starland
6. Interlude # 1
7. Be There
8. Love & Pride - Feat. Wendy Starland
9. Heist
10. I Don't Want (A Remake) - Feat. Julee Cruise
11. Window Pain - Feat. Julee Cruise
12. Trust (Alternative Mix) - Feat. Mark Holmes

The three tracks that stand out for me are Lisa's Song, Fate or Faith and a cover of The Cure's A Forest. The last two tracks are streaming on the band's MySpace page.

It looks like Ror-Shak is more than just a studio band as there is a booking contact listed in the CD booklet. It will be very interesting to hear how Ror-Shak translates this disc to the live stage.

Moby has been quoted as saying Ror-Shak is "great electronic music" and I completely agree.

Love as Laughter @ Club NME (Studio B), Brooklyn, March 1, 2007

Love as Laughter headlined the Club NME show last night and drew a strong crowd. The band sounded good despite some technical glitches and held the crowd's attention through out their set. NME.com posted a review of the show earlier today.

Unearthly Trance Playing Water Street Lounge Tonight (March 2nd)

Wow, I got the date of this show wrong. I was thinking it was tomorrow night.

If anyone is looking for something to do tonight, this should be a great show. Unearthly Trance just released their debut on Relapse and Constant played some strong shows when they came through the area in '05 (and I don't think they have been back since).





Here is the complete lineup for tonight's show:

8:30 - So Is The Tongue
The epic orchestrations of this progressive three piece from central New Jersey range from swirling psychedelia to fits of heavy doom laden cacophony.

9:30 – Chubby Behemoth
This New York progressive Jazz ensemble will take your preconceived notions of Jazz and grind them to a pulp.

10:30 – Constants
One of Boston’s best-kept secrets brings their forward thinking “space rock” to Brooklyn, to drown you in the most beautiful sea of sound.

11:30 – Unearthly Trance
The Trident, Unearthly Trance’s recent debut for Relapse Records is a tightly wrapped package of blackened doom and thrash. New York is still in the forefront of churning out the most exciting and fresh sounds from the underground.

The Stalkers @ Club NME (Studio B), Brooklyn, March 1, 2007

Club NME made its debut in Brooklyn last night with a show at Studio B that featured The Stalkers and Love as Laughter. The Stalkers played a great set that touched on influences from The Dolls to 1977-era British punk. The band is releasing their debut CD next month on Dollar Record Records.

The Stalkers are playing a number of shows in the area in the next few weeks. Here are the upcoming shows:

• March 9th @ Niagra (anyone catch The Stalkers opening for Jesse Malin at Bowery Ballroom)
• March 15th @ Don Hill's
• March 28th @ Lit (w/ Star Spangles)

Young Knives Show @ Luna Lounge Rescheduled

I was expecting this...

Luna Lounge has postponed Saturday night's Young Knives show until March 20th. The acts that were scheduled to open on Saturday, Foreign Islands and Soft, will be playing for free that night. I don't think I have ever seen a show canceled because neither of the co-headliners (The View were originally on the bill) couldn't get into the country.

For anyone looking for a great show on Saturday, check out Unearthly Trance (Relapse Records) at Water Street Lounge. Tickets are only $10.

Modest Mouse Dashboard Video Premiers Today on MTV2 and mtvU

Chavis Records Signs Canadian Rockers Sonic X

Chavis Records just announced that they have signed melodic hard-rockers Sonic X and will be releasing the band's new CD Thirteen in April. The band has some tracks from this release streaming on their MySpace page.

The band had finished this recording prior to signing with Chavis and had been selling it via their website. What makes the Chavis release pretty cool is the inclusion of a bonus second disc with six additional songs.

The band has a killer guitarist Lawrence Falcomer who is a graduate of GIT. Fans of guitar-oriented rock should give the band a listen and hopefully the band will tour outside of Canada once this CD is released.

More Dirty Laundry Aired on MySpace (Harley Flanagan vs John Joseph)

MySpace is getting interesting with the public slams between current and former band members. First, Axl slams Tracii Guns, yesterday Taime Downe went after Brent Muscat and now Bloodclot (John Joseph's new band) broadcast the following message yesterday.

Don't look for a Cro-Mags reunion anytime soon...

The Great Harley Flanagan who has not only Robbed other Bands, but wanted Half of OHC-MMA without putting one DIME into it is a sponge.

He wanted Half of a company for use of his picture and when asked to contribute he screamed, and yelled and threatened but never came through HE IS A USER OF PEOPLE and once he gets what he wants or doesn't he shits all over you, and does posts to harm you

Harley straight up you re-nigged on everything you gave nothing, and used me until it did'nt suit your needs YOU ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL HARDCORE MMA, and YOU ARE THE RIP OFF ARTIST.

You are no Purple Belt, and you can't pummel you fucked up the Cro-Mags , and USE everyone around you. THOSE ARE THE FACTS. If anyone wants to delete us please do so, but know that Harley Flanagan is NOT WHAT EVERYONE THINKS HE IS.
1. You Steal From Sony
2. You Steal From Your Friends
3. You Steal From The State
4. You Stole from Paris
5. You Stole from John
6. YOU ARE NO PURPLE BELT Lets ask Renzo.
7. You drove the Cro-Mags apart

You threaten to hurt people when you don't get your way.... Grow up and stop being bitter...Just move on with your Life.

Iggy and The Stooges Live in the Studio on the NY Times Website

There is a pretty cool five minute video interview with Iggy and the Asheton brothers about the making of the new CD on the NY Times website today. It doesn't look like I can post a direct link so the clip is in the Video section, which is halfway down the left side of the page.

Weirdness, the Stooges first new CD since 1973's Raw Power will be released by Virgin Records on March 20th. The Stooges' are playing NYC on April 9th with a show at The United Palace Theatre.

Sydbarret @ Lit Lounge, NYC Feb. 19, 2007

I hadn't heard of these guys before I caught their set opening for Car Bomb last Monday at Lit Lounge. Their MySpace page isn't too descriptive but it appears that the band used to be called Arson. I really enjoyed their live set and the three-song demo that I got at the show. The demo tracks are streaming on the band's MySpace page.

Now There Are Now Two Bands Touring as Faster Pussycat

You can just feel the "love" in the post Taime Downe made on his MySpace page earlier today:

Faster Pussycat is NOT playing Europe in April & May. That is Brent Muscat doing his FP tribute band, playing my songs. We will be on tour in the US in May and Europe in the summer. Sorry it you already bought tickets.

See you soon fuckers! ;)

XxxTaime

PS... message to Brent: I didn't want it to turn into this... but I started the band, not you.... I wrote the songs, not you. I did the work.... NOT YOU!!!.... but that's you, always taking credit that's not yours!!!

The dB's (Chris Stamey, Peter Holsapple) - Legal Music Downloads

Everyone knows there is a lot of unauthorized music floating around on the internet. This is the first of a regular feature focusing on legal music downloads.

The dB's are back and played a great sold-out show last month at the Bowery Ballroom.



The band has one of the better website that I have seen and they have posted a number of mp3s to this site.

The earliest recordings posted are 6 songs from a December 1979 show in NYC at the Philospher's Club. This recording was made from the audience by a friend of the band and it sounds great. It is interesting to hear the band during this period as their sound is closer to Fear of Music-era Talking Heads than the Big Star-ish sound of their 1981 debut LP. What also keeps things interesting is that three of the songs from this show are embryonic versions of songs that ended up on Stands for deciBels.

One of the other interesting recordings is an outtake from The Sound of Music sessions from 1987 entitled Rains Around Here. This sounds like a fully produced recording and the song contains a great guitar solo by Gene Holder.

These mp3 are on the Multimedia page of the band's site.

The dB's are supposed to be working on a new CD so this should be something to watch for.

Car Bomb @ Lit Lounge, NYC Feb. 19, 2007

Car Bomb headlined at Lit Lounge last night and played an impressive thirty minute set. Car Bomb is touring behind their debut CD Centralia on Relapse Records which was released earlier this month. The band started the set with a smoking version of M^6 (check out the video for this song on YouTube) and left the crowd wanting more at the end of their set. This is one band that I will make a point of catching next time they are in town.

Update on LA Guns (Tracii Guns led version)

The Tracii Guns/Paul Black led version of LA Guns continues to go strong. The band is coming back through the US for some West Coast dates in March and are then heading to Europe in May.













The band has just release a great new song I Do which is available as a .99 cent download through MySongStore. It is a blues-based rock tune that shows the band in great form. I am looking forward to hearing more from this lineup.

Check out this live video of the band performing I Do live in Agentina last year that was posted to YouTube.


Tracii will be a guest on the internet radio show Maximum Threshold which airs tomorrow night (Monday, February 19th) at 8:00PM (EST).

Matisyahu - No Place To Be CD Review

This release is a seven song CD EP plus a live DVD (approx. 90 minutes) of Matisyahu performing live in Israel. This CD has an interesting mix of songs. There is a cover of The Police's Message in a Bottle, three songs from previous CDs re-recorded with Sly and Robbie and Bill Laswell and three remixes. I really enjoyed the four new songs. The production is strong and it showcases both Matisyahu's voice and the talents of the band. Matisyahu's voice reminds me of both Sting and Bradley Nowell and the band seems to be a spot-on cross between a jam band and the more jazzier side of The Police. I am not quite sure what to make of the remixes though. The are very dance club oriented and take away from the band's strengths (i.e. I think Matisyahu's voice is one of the strong points of the song Youth and it is buried under dance beats in this particular remix.)

The DVD is simply great! Matisyahu and band put on a strong live show in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. The concert is intermixed with interviews with band and these interviews show the human side of the band and make them a bit more interesting as people. There is also an acoustic performance of the band playing Late Night in Zion on the streets of the old city (as passerbys don't quite seem to know what to think).

For new fans, this disc is a great introduction Matisyahu's music. For long-time fans, the DVD alone makes this a worthwhile purchase.

Augustana @ Webster Hall, NYC Feb. 2, 2007

I moved about a week ago and I didn't get a chance to post these pictures prior to packing up my desktop. I now have the computer unpacked and online so...

Augustana played a strong set at Webster Hall earlier this month and worked approx. six new songs into the set. The main floor of Webster Hall was full before the band took the stage and the band held the crowd's attention throughout their set. The band started the set off strong and I believe the opening song was Bullets (two weeks seems so long ago). Boston was played right before the band finished their set and the crowd went nuts. For the encore, Vega4 came out to join Augustana on an all-out version of All The Stars and Boulevards.

Incubus - Light Grenades CD Review

I don't know whether it is a good thing or bad that I am trying to write this CD review and I am almost completely unfamiliar with the band's back catalog. Based on the tracks that I previously heard, I had the impression that Incubus was somewhat of a Red Hot Chili Peppers clone. After listening to this CD, I was completely off the mark. I would categorize the songs on this disc as a radio-friendly "stadium rock" tunes.

While the band is obviously talented, this CD really highlights singer Brandon Boyd. His voice carries most of the songs and it is strong enough to even keep the one ballad on this disc interesting. After listening to this disc a few times, the band's sound reminds me of late-period Soundgarden. This CD obviously resonated with listeners as it debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.

I have never seen Incubus live but they strike me as a band that would be a lot of fun to see perform. I hunted around the 'net for any live videos and found a live performance from the band on the Walmart site (Who would have thought Walmart was that hip?) In this performance, the band plays 5 songs which includes Rouges, Anna Molly and Love Hurts from the new CD. These tracks, along with A Kiss to Send Us Off, are some of the stronger tracks from this disc.

Incubus just finished their US tour with Albert Hammond from The Strokes opening and the band is heading to Europe for a month-long tour in March.

Roky Erickson Is Playing Southpaw in Brooklyn

This has to be the show of the year for me. I know the year has just started but I can't imagine an artist that means more to me coming through town. Roky Erickson coming to town for his first East Coast show ever is the equivalent for me of seeing Captain Beefheart coming out of the desert and touring again or seeing Syd Barrett play live.

It kills me when I mentioned this show to some of the people I work with and they politely said "who's that". Everyone from Television to R.E.M. to the Jesus and Mary Chain cited Roky as an inspiration. For anyone unfamiliar with Roky, Wikipedia has a good overview of Roky and his career and Roky also has a new website.

Roky is playing Southpaw on Friday, April 13th. He has reunited with his 80's backing band The Explosives and Antietam and The Insomniacs are also on the bill. Tickets are $25 and I would expect them to go quickly.

Sunn O)))/Boris - Altar 3x LP On Sale Tomorrow or Friday

The triple record version of Sunn's latest release will be available for sale later this week.

















As expected, there will be a mail order version which will likely be very limited (details on the number of copies has not been released). Given the current investment speculation in Sunn and Boris releases, I'd keep a close eye on the Southern Lord site as these LPs are going to go very quickly (and will turn up on eBay for double the retail price).

Here is what was posted to the Southern Lord blog:

This is just a quick heads up that the sunn 0)))/Boris-Altar 3xLP will be on sale via the Southern Lord site by the end of the week (feb. 15th or 16th). This very special vinyl edition features completely over the top packaging that alot of time, care, love and $ went into. We hope you will find it worth the wait! It also features a bonus (3rd) Lp featuring the 28+min. epic track: “Her Lips Were Wet With Venom/(Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas) featuring sunn and boris with Dylan Carslon (EARTH). Mailorder customers will be receiving the baby blue version. More pressing, pricing, packaging etc.. details will be available soon. Please check the Lord site for more info!

Jamiroquai - High Times Singles 1992 - 2006 CD Review

I was a bit surprised how much I like this CD as I hadn't focused much on this band since the late 90's and Virtual Insanity.





The years have passed quickly as this is the band's seventh CD for Epic Records (with their final studio CD for Epic due sometime this year). This CD spans 19 tracks, covers the band's 14 year career and includes two new songs - Runaway and Radio.

Singer Jay Kay is frightenly good at channeling the disco/funk groove of the 70s and his Stevie Wonder-ish voice fits perfectly with the music. The tracks on this disc span the band's catalog and showcase how their sound has subtly evolved over the years without significantly changing the band's distinctive sound. The music is complemented by detailed liner notes by journalist Dan Gennoe.

The tunes on this disc are insanely catchy; is hard not to move or dance while listening to this.

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...

Cartel - Chroma CD Review

Let me start by setting expectations -- this is pop in the same genre as The Click Five, Sum 41, and Fall Out Boy. I am probably too old to appreciate this genre -- I still consider bands like Material Issue, Urge Overkill and Too Much Joy as power-pop (and call Cartel and similar sounding bands bubblegum) This isn't my usual or preferred style of music but I have tried to listen to this CD and write this review with an open mind.

This isn't a bad CD -- the majority of the songs are catchy and strong production adds to the band's sound. The leadoff track on this disc, Say Anthing (Else), is the strongest track on the disc and many of the tracks that follow have a similar sound and feel. The problem that Cartel has is that their songs aren't significantly different than other bands in this genre. For instance, the track Honestly makes me immediately think of Fall Out Boy's Sugar We're Going Down. Some of the other tracks seem like unfinished thoughts. The last two tracks Q and A is really one song stretched across two tracks. This song seems to have promise after the first few minutes but, after dragging on twelve minutes, someone should have been filtering the band's output.

Cartel has promise as a solid pop/bubblegum band but they need to show that they can break out of the crowd.

Spread Eagle Vocalist Ray West Playing Solo Show at Don Hill's

Ray West is playing a small number of solo shows in March which include a March 8th show at Don Hill's. At the Spread Eagle reunion show last year at Don Hill's, Ray showed that he still has every bit of the powerful vocal range that he had in the early 90s and he can still give Axl Rose a run for his money. Ray plays very infrequently in the area so this should be a must-see show.

Spread Eagle's MySpace page says that "Ray will be performing solo material along with a few classic favorites. Joining Ray will be guitarist Steve Ladd and bassist Chigger of the New Jersey based Smoke Star along with Scotti Dropoutz on drums."

For more info, check out:
- Rockeyez coverage of last year's Spread Eagle shows
- Ray's MySpace page

Grails - Redlight CD Review

Neurot Recordings included a copy of the Grails' 2004 release Redlightwith my last order. I hadn't heard the Grails prior to receiving this CD but was impressed with their sound. I find that it takes a lot for an all-instrumental band to hold my attention but the Grails succeeded.

The CD starts off with a cover of Dargai, a traditional Northumbrian bagpipe song, and this sets the tone for the majority of the disc. The Grails' songs are all mid-tempo and I would compare their sound to Piper-era Pink Floyd or John Cale's solo releases. While tracks like Redlight and Fevers seem to push up to the darkness and intensity that can be found in some of the Velvet Underground or post-Piper Pink Floyd releases, the Grails never cross over the line. Looking at the CD as a whole, it is an enjoyable listen. While the band's sound is consistent across tracks, they aren't boring. The only minor issue is that the songs aren't different enough for any particular tracks to stand out. This isn't a bad thing though -- I simply listen to this disc start-to-finish everytime that I pull it.

Grails are in town with Mono and World's End Girlfriend for a show at the Bowery Ballroom on May 17th.

The Thermals Are Playing a Todd P Show in Brooklyn on March 5th

Todd P has just announced a Brooklyn show with The Thermals on March 5th at Studio B. This looks like a fun show as the band is playing with The Big Sleep (French Kiss Records) and Meneguar (Troubleman Unlimited). Advance tickets are $12.

Here is how Todd P describes the bands:

[ THE THERMALS ]The Thermals' Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster have been playing together for years. First, after meeting in Maine, they formed the acoustic duo Haelah - then, after moving to Portland, Oregon in the late 90's - they went rock with the Urban Legends - then - back to acoustic, simply, as Hutch and Kathy - and then, finally, in 2002, teaming with one-time drummer Jordan Hudson and (briefly) Ben Barnett (of Kind of Like Spitting) to create the Thermals. Ben left quick, and Jordan would later be replaced on the drum stool by Lorin Coleman, and then also, very recently, with new addition Joel Burrows on 2nd guitar. Through whatever incarnation, Hutch and Kathy churn out absolutely heartfelt, totally crunchy, slightly spazzy, rock and roll anthems. Joyful stuff that'll make you want to learn the words and scream along and jump up and down.
SITE --> http://thethermals.com
MYSPACE --> http://myspace.com/thethermals

[ THE BIG SLEEP ]"The Big Sleep are a trio that plays driving psych-rock that sounds similar to the forever-underrated Turing Machine, or Trans Am back when they were good. This band is extremely tight on the rhythms, creating walls of stunning guitar sound backed by precise percussion. Their songs definitely get a groove going, and you can almost hear each member's pure delight at how well they can rock it with each other. But their jams never cross that common threshold into ostentatious grandstanding. The Big Sleep know less is more, and 4-5 minutes is all they need to completely hook us and reel us right in." - OhMyRockness.com-- MYSPACE --> http://myspace.com/sonofthetig

[ MENEGUAR ]These angry boys jump around and yell and spit out catchy, intricate punk influenced rock songs - conjuring disassembled and disjointed memories of past bands along the lines of as Missions of Burma, Hüsker Dü. One of the best and most unique straight ahead rock bands in New York, for serious. Recent (re)release on Troubleman Unlimited. Shares a member with Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice. Killer riffs beneath intense, goosebump inspiring, on-the-edge of their vocal chords 3-part harmonies.
SITE --> http://angelfire.com/clone/sheryls/
MYSPACE / MP3s --> http://myspace.com/Meneguar

The Thermals will be on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly next Friday (Feb. 16th) performing A Pillar of Salt.

All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals CD Review

I originally overlooked this CD when it was released year but it has quickly become one of my favorites. This is great melodic hardcore and singer Phil Labonte has a vocal range that can easily transition from death-metal growls to melodic singing. After touring throughout 2006 behind this CD, it looks as though this release may be the band's breakthrough as they are currently selling out many of the shows on their first headline tour.

There is a lot to recommend this CD and Adam D's (Killswitch Engage) production work highlights the strengths of the band. Phil has grown as a vocalist since This Darkened Heart and newcomer Shannon Lucas' drumming propels the explosive intensity of many of the songs. Guitarists Mike Martin and Oli Herbert have a style that is very reminicent of the duo-lead guitars used by many of the late-70s British bands like Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy. Jeanne Sagan is no slouch either and adds a steady backbeat.

The lyrical themes of the CD deals with the fall of ideals and many song lyrics could almost be considered straight-edge. The themes focus around staying true to one's beliefs and picking yourself up after a relationship horribly dies. It looks like Phil (or whomever wrote these lyrics) was going through some hard times. Musically, the band hasn't lost any of their intensity so the melodic sections of the songs shouldn't fool anyone into thinking the band has gone soft. As compared to This Darkened Heart, there is more melody on this disc but none of the tracks are ballads. On most tracks, the melody is fit within an overarching trash/death-metal blast. The last song on the disc, Indictment, is the hardest track and its themes of anger and betrayal just boil.

Standout tracks are: This Calling, Become the Catalyst and The Air I Breathe. There are videos for This Calling and The Air I Breathe on YouTube.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Phil about a week ago (See previous post for interview) and he wasn't expecting the band to have a new CD until 2008. This looks like one to watch out for.

You can check out All That Remains at:
www.allthatremainsonline.com
www.myspace.com/allthatremains

Kory Clarke Restarts Warrior Soul

Kory Clarke has restarted Warrior Soul (aka Warrior Soul 2007) and will be touring the UK in March. This isn't a reunion as Kory has assembled a new band but it should be worth checking out if they come through New York. Kory is still one of the best front-men around and it has been too long since he has played any Warrior Soul songs live.

Kory is still singing for Dirty Rig and they have a show tonight at Don Hill's with Vains of Jenna. Dirty Rig is scheduled to hit the stage @ 10:45PM and tickets are $10.

Vega4 @ Webster Hall, NYC Feb. 2, 2007

Vega4 played a very strong 6 song set opening for Augustana on Friday night. The floor at Webster Hall was pretty full by the time the band took the stage and the band completely held the crowd's attention during their set. For this being the band's first tour, they already have a strong stage presence and their obvious enthusiasm was catchy. Vega4's CD hasn't yet been released in the US but the crowd seemed to know all of the songs. With this strong of a show, it seems likely that Vega4 will be headlining the tour on their next time through the area.

Exclusive Interview with Phil Labonte from All That Remains

I had the pleasure of speaking to Phil Labonte on Wednesday as the band was on their way to a show at The Whisky in Los Angeles. Phil was nice enough to allow me to record the conversation so here is a link to both the podcast and a direct link to the mp3.

All That Remains plays Irving Plaza on Wed, Feb 21, 2007. Tickets are only $14.50.



Many thanks to Shannon at Razor and Tie for setting up this interview.