The Queers - "Back to the Basement" CD Review // Early Show at Mercury Lounge on Jan. 22nd

STREAM: The Queers - Back to the Basement (click through to Stereokiller.com)

Every Christmas season brings out some of the most saccharine and nauseating holiday music so it is refreshing to hear the "never-grow-up" three-chord punk of The Queers during this time of year. The Queers released their twelfth disc, Back to the Basement, on Asian Man Records last month.

On this new disc, The Queers minimize the Beach Boys/pop-song influences which have dominated their most recent discs and return to their core three-chord Ramones style punk. The band bounces through the disc's thirteen songs in just over 22 minutes and most of the songs are anthems to punk rock, girls and getting f*cked up. The Queers even include a cover of Black Flag's "White Minority". This disc was recorded in one marathon session and the music ranges from melodic punk ("Everyday Girl") to angry screeds ("I'm Pissed") and there is even a surf-rock instrumental ("Rollerdog"). Joe King said "[w]e recorded it in about 23 hours from start to finish. That included writing a few songs in the vocal booth when we took a coffee break."

Defying all musical trends, The Queers continue to mine the same musical vein that they have for years. Songs like "Back to the Basement" and "I Knew GG When He Was A Wimp" will likely become live set staples and this CD will sit well with any fan of The Queers and/or The Ramones. After reading too many rock bands complain (aka whine) about how one musical trend or another killed their career, it is refreshing to hear The Queers plow forward with the same pop/punk sound well into their third decade as a band.

The Queers are playing an early show at Mercury Lounge on Jan. 22nd. Tickets are $15 and The Apers are also on the bill. Doors are at 7PM and The Queers are scheduled to play at 8:30PM.

Links:
The Queers

Die Krupps - "Als Wären Wir Für Immer” CD EP Review

After a thirteen year hiatus from the studio, Die Krupps just released a new eight-track EP “Als Wären Wir Für Immer” (I believe this translates as “When We Were Forever”) which serves as a teaser for a full-length that is supposed to follow sometime next year. The new EP contains five new tracks (with the track “Dr. Mabuse” being a remake of Propaganda’s 1984 single) and three remixes.

This release marks a return to Die Krupps’ EBM roots and the heavy-metal guitar sounds from the band’s past releases are either muted or gone. Three of the tracks are sung in English (“Beyond”, “The Chameleon Man”, “Dr. Mabuse”) and all three have memorable synth lines that are powered by pulsing mid-tempo darkwave, dancefloor beats. The most memorable of these three tracks is the catchy buildup and exploding chorus of leadoff track “Beyond” on which Die Krupps collaborated with Chilean industrial band Vigilante. The remaining two new songs (“Die Macht”, “Als Wären Wir Für Immer”) are sung in German and these tracks are clanging, angry industrial tunes (which never cross into heavy metal territory). All five of these tracks go a long way toward making this EP memorable. The problem comes at the end of the disc with the three remixes as, while they aren’t bad, they aren’t that different from the studio tracks.

While Die Krupps doesn’t break any new ground with this release, they continue to excel at their brand of industrial dance music which makes their forthcoming 2011 release something to look forward to.

Links:
Die Krupps Fanbase Site

Dio - "At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987" CD Review

Ronnie James Dio and his manager/wife Wendy formed the label Niji Entertainment early in 2010. Last month marked the label's first official release, Dio At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987. Both shows on this two-disc set are high-quality soundboard recordings and I believe these shows were also broadcast on FM radio.

The first disc comes from the Holy Diver tour and captures Dio's (the band) first UK show which took place at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington on August 20, 1983. The band had only played about a dozen shows prior to this, predominately opening for Aerosmith during the last gasps of their Rock In a Hard Place tour, but sound remarkably on their game for being so 'young'. Dio and band play an aggressive eight song set which sounds both raw and hungry. The set features four of the nine tracks from Holy Diver along with full versions of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Sea" and "Heaven and Hell" along with somewhat (to completely) abbreviated versions of Rainbow's "Stargazer", "Starstruck" and "Man on the Silver Mountain".

The second disc comes from Dio's return appearance at the Monsters of Rock Festival on August 22, 1987. This time around, Dio (the band) was a veteran touring act and this show took place early into the tour for Dio's fourth disc Dream Evil. The band's lineup is essentially the same as the 1983 show with the exception being that Craig Goldy (x-Giuffria) replaced Vivian Campbell on guitar which gives the band a harder-edged sound. This harder-edged guitar sound is reinforced by better sonic fidelity across the whole show which gives the band a fuller sound with more bottom-end than the 1983 show.

The set list for the 1987 show is similar in spirit to the 1983 show with six tracks from Dio's solo albums (three from Dream Evil) along with a mix of Black Sabbath and Rainbow tracks. This time around though Dio included most of the Sabbath and Rainbow songs in medleys so these are abbreviated versions. There is a full-version of "Neon Knights" but, somewhat surprisingly, an abbreviated version of "Holy Diver" serves as a lead-in into "Heaven and Hell".



This set does an excellent job in capturing the experience of a Dio concert so hopefully this is the first of many archival releases. The disc's $11.44 price point (at Amazon) makes it a no-brainer to add to one's collection.

Links:
Ronnie James Dio

Lissie Announces Winter Tour Dates // Show at Webster Hall on Jan. 28th

Lissie played to a sold-out crowd at Hiro Ballroom during CMJ and she is now coming back through Canada and the States on a Dec/Jan Winter tour. The local tour stop is at Webster Hall on January 28th and tickets are $18 in advance and $22 (DOS).

At the Hiro Ballroom show, 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 below, you can see LeBlanc reading the lyrics off his iPod). The second was a cover of Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness". The full set list is below.



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 North American headlining tour dates:
DEC. 29 -- VANCOUVER, BC, THE BILTMORE CABARET
DEC. 30 -- PORTLAND, OR, DOUG FIR LOUNGE
DEC. 31 -- SEATTLE, WA, SNOQUALIMIE CASINO
JAN. 15 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, THE MUSIC BOX
JAN. 17 -- DENVER, CO, BLUEBIRD THEATER
JAN. 19 -- DAVENPORT, IA, REDSTONE ROOM
JAN. 20 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN, CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER
JAN. 22 -- CHICAGO, IL, LINCOLN HALL
JAN. 24 -- TORONTO, ON, THE OPERA HOUSE
JAN. 26 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA, FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH-SANCTUARY
JAN. 28 -- NEW YORK, NY, WEBSTER HALL
JAN. 29 -- BOSTON, MA, PARADISE ROCK CLUB
JAN. 30 -- WASHINGTON, DC, 9:30 CLUB
FEB. 01 -- CARRBORO, NC, CAT'S CRADLE
FEB. 02 -- ASHEVILLE, NC, THE ORANGE PEEL
FEB. 03 -- NASHVILLE, TN, MERCY LOUNGE
FEB. 05 -- ATLANTA, GA, THE LOFT
FEB. 07 -- BIRMINGHAM, AL, THE BOTTLETREE
FEB. 08 -- NEW ORLEANS, LA, THE PARISH AT HOUSE OF BLUES
FEB. 10 -- AUSTIN, TX, ANTONE'S NIGHTCLUB

Links:
Lissie

Jonquil - "One Hundred Suns" CD EP Review

Before sitting down to write a review of Jonquil’s new EP “One Hundred Suns”, I surfed Google to find some background on the band. Genre labels are apparently more fluid that I had thought as numerous sites reference Jonquil as part of the “math rock” scene but I hear none of the start/stop rhythms that I had (previously) associated with the genre. To my ears, the band’s new 8-track EP is closer in spirit to bands like The Annuals, Beach House and Vampire Weekend than Don Caballero and Jawbox. The band has described their music as “Paul Simon’s take on The Smiths” which seems to reinforce my point.

"One Hundred Suns" is Jonquil’s first domestic release (which is out on NYC-based Dovecote Records) and it follows two import-only releases. The new EP is currently available on iTunes and a vinyl release will follow early next year.

Jonquil captures the intricate sound of orchestral indie-pop bands like The Annuals and some members of the Elephant 6 collective but Hugo Manuel’s warm falsetto vocals helps Jonquil achieve some measure of differentiation. Another point of differentiation is that Jonquil doesn’t aim for the shambolic, lo-fi state of exuberance that some of their domestic contemporaries seem to thrive in. The overall disc bubbles with a mellow energy and uses some creative drumming and world-beat rhythms to reach beyond its folk-pop core.

The disc starts off strong with the fuzzed-out electro-pop of “Fighting Smiles” and the first single, “Get Up”, emphasizes poly-rhythmic drumming intertwined with some off-kilter guitar riffs. Beruit-style horns/brass is later added to the mix on the songs “Pillow Quest” and “I Know I Don't Know”. While this is the first studio recordings for seven of the disc’s eight songs, the band’s comfort with the material shows as many of these songs have been a regular part of the band’s live set. The last track, “Lions”, is a hold-over from the band’s prior LP.

Jonquil is already booked for SXSW next year and will probably end up “breaking out” next year. Below is a live video for "Fighting Smiles" so give a listen and see what you think.



Links:
Jonquil

Appomattox - "Appmttx" EP Review

I'm still scratching my head over a pre-CMJ review that I read that likened Appomattox to the Rolling Stones. After listening to the band's 5-song EP "Appmttx" (which was released last month), I'm hearing moody, atmospheric post-punk so I'd suggest that a closer point of comparison would be Gene Love Jezebel.

Appomattox are a three-piece band out of Brooklyn with a seemingly proletariat political agenda. Where some of their "political punk" contemporaries will pummel the listener with the intensity of their music and/or vocal delivery, Appomattox's music is refreshingly clean and precise. Vocalist/guitarist Nick Gaynier sings in a warble/wail similar to Gene Loves Jezebel's Michael Ashton and his guitar lines are reverb-drenched and sound similar to some of the 80's post-punk British bands like The Church and The Chameleons. Bassist Dave Nurmi keeps a steady rolling bass-line beneath the guitars and James Mello's drumming is extremely crisp. In a recent interview, the band described their music as "sweaty distorted political pop hooks echo".

Appomattox recently played an invite-only show at The Bunker Studio in Williamsburg and here is a live video of "Speculators" from the new EP.



In a recent interview with Ascap.Com, the band were asked "How does a Brooklyn band set themselves apart from all the myriad other bands in the most band-filled borough of New York?" Nick answered "One thing that makes us different is we sing about things that we think matter to people right now, [political content]. I just don't think many Brooklyn bands really address that stuff, and the ones that do tend to be 'all message, no hooks'." I have to have to give the band credit as I listened to the band's song "Olympia Snowe" which contains the lyrics "If I let go / Would you keep taking money from every lobby in town? / If I let go / Would you keep making money for everybody who keeps us down?" and spent some time tonight reading about Ms. Snowe's voting record.

Appomattox's post-punk, guitar-driven sound gives the band's music a distinctive ring and, based on the energy of their live videos, the band sounds like they would be a lot of fun to see live.

Links:
Appomattox

First Aid Kit Releases Full Live Set as Free Download // jack White Produced 7-Inch Single Out 1/18/11

DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - 10-Song Set Recorded Live in Sydney, Australia Sept. '10 (requires registration)

Rising Swedish folk-pop duo First Aid Kit are among the latest artists to take part in Third Man Records' Blue Series of releases. The special series of 7-inch records, produced by Jack White and recorded at his own Third Man Studios in Nashville, has featured releases from Wanda Jackson, Laura Marling and Secret Sisters, among others.

For their Blue Series 7-inch, First Aid Kit recorded covers of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier" (made famous in 1965 by Donovan) and classic blues standard "It Hurts Me Too", a song much loved by fans of Karen Dalton's 1969 folk-blues version. First Aid Kit, comprised of 17 and 20-year old sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, recorded the tracks with White during the Nashville stop on their US headlining tour in October. Joshua Hedley joins the duo on fiddle for both tracks, while touring drummer Mattias Bergqvist, their father Benkt Söderberg, and Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs), also contribute additional instrumentation on "It Hurts Me Too."

First Aid Kit's Blue Series single comes out on January 18th, 2011.



Links:
First Aid Kit

Dastardly (Chicago Indie-Americana) Released Debut Full-Length on Dec. 9th // Show at Arlene's Grocery on Jan. 6th

Sometimes a video is worth more than words -- below is the video for "Exercises in Self Loathing" from Dastardly's debut CD May You Never.... Chicago's Dastardly combines the influence of Roy Orbison and the Carter Family with an understanding of experimental indie-rock to create an eerie but exciting blend of new and old.

Chicagoist just wrote a piece on the band and said "[l]ocal sextet Dastardly may mockingly bemoan the fact that they’re neither pretty enough for the mainstream nor weird enough for the underground on their new EP, May You Never. But, based on the seven-track collection of jaunty, steadily satisfying tunes, they’ll soon have to ward off attention from both music factions, whether they’re ready for it or not."



The band is making their first trip to the East Coast and will be playing at Arlene's Grocery on Thursday, January 6th. Sharing the bill is Toby Goodshank and tickets are $8.

On a somewhat unrelated note - I've been interested in what people have been listening to this year so Dastardly was kind enough to send along a "Top 10" list of 2010.

1. Beach House - Teen Dream
2. Kanye West - My Dark Twisted Beautiful Fantasy
3. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
5. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
6. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot
7. Neil Young - Le Noise
8. Robyn - Body Talk
9. Morning Benders - Big Echo
10. Bad City - Welcome to the Wastelan

Links:
Dastardly

Dylan In The Movies Release "Girl With the Black Tights" (feat. Tanya Donelly)

Girl With The Black Tights by BrooklynRocks

The new single from Dylan In The Movies has officially dropped (click on the cover to go to iTunes). “Girl With the Black Tights (feat. Tanya Donelly)” is another Dylan In The Movies gem full of epic hooks and beautiful harmonies. Indie-rock goddess, Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Breeders, Belly) shares vocals and co-write credit.

Dylan In The Movies is the musical brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Brian Sullivan. In 2006, the band’s self-released ep "Feel the Pull" earned the band an indie cult following and caught the attention of DJs across the country, including those from KCRW and KEXP. Their long awaited debut full-length features guest appearances from The Watson Twins and Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Breeders, Belly), who also shares a co-write credit on the track ‘Girl With the Black Tights.’ Having recorded the album at a number of New England locales, most notably on Gary Smith’s (Juliana Hatfield, Pixies, Billy Bragg) idyllic farm in New Hampshire, the sound is charged with an authentic sensibility that is only fitting for the band. Dylan In The Movies creates a mood within its musical landscape. There is an emotional rending that is explicit and revealing yet pleasantly delivered. A blend of nostalgia, loss, and redemption haunt these dreamlike melodies and killer hooks to astounding effect. Echoes of melodic melancholy run through standouts like "Josephine If You Only Knew" and "Truro", while "City Skies" and "Girl With the Black Tights" offer irresistible riffs that spill over with sunshine.

Links:
Dylan in the Movies

Backwords Release New Disc "Quilt" on Ltd. Edition Vinyl // NYE Show at Pete's Candy Store

DOWNLOAD: Backwords - "And Then Sigh" (from new CD Quilt)

Brooklyn psychedelic-country/folk band Backwords released a new full-length disc, Quilt, in Sept. and have just released a limited edition vinyl version. I was thinking of Backwords earlier today while writing a review of Jesse McReynolds' Songs of the Grateful Dead CD as Backwords reminds me of the Dead's Americana period or Neil Young alt-country songs.



Backwords are playing the "The Love-Rock New Year's Sweetriot Love-In " NYE show at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg.

For all those suckers who love to love, come with a smile and leave with two. Deluxe cocktails, real French bubbly, hot spiced cider and the soft glow of happy people are all conspiring to unbutton you. Add to the mix some free and amazing Chocolate treats by Sweetriot, and live music to die for and, in the words of Billy Ocean, 'suddenly, you're in love'.
Before 10pm - $5; 10pm and after - $10

Links:
Backwords Website
Backwords MySpace Profile

Jesse McReynolds & Friends - "Songs of the Grateful Dead" CD Review

"Jesse Lester McReynolds (born July 9, 1929, in Coeburn, Virginia) is an American bluegrass musician. He is known for his innovative crosspicking and split-string styles of mandolin playing, and is a forty two year member of the Grand Ole Opry. He is a multiple Grammy nominee and award winner." -- Wikipedia

In October, Jesse McReynolds released a loving twelve-track tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead and the disc features one new cut which McReynolds co-wrote with Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

Songs of the Grateful Dead isn't just bluegrass renditions of Grateful Dead tunes (like Dead Grass and The Grass is Dead) as McReynolds leveraged friends David Nelson (New Riders Of The Purple Sage) and Stu Allen to create an unique interpretations of each song which ultimately don't stray too far from the Dead's original versions. "It's a different type of music than I've done throughout the years," McReynolds says. "I didn't want to do it bluegrass. A few bluegrass groups have done Grateful Dead things. I wanted to do this more in a way that would be recognized as the Grateful Dead-style music. I did it pretty much in the middle of the road between bluegrass and rock 'n' roll."

In addition to the crisp and intricate instrumentals, McReynolds has a strong voice that isn't that far removed from Jerry Garcia's. “Jesse’s singing voice is like a long-lost brother voice between Jerry Garcia and David Nelson,” Robert Hunter wrote. “Everyone who knows their work and is fortunate enough to hear this record will know what I mean. What a trio you’d all have made! The singing is steady and strong. Jerry would approve, I’m certain.”

Jesse recently headlined the "The Wheel -- A Musical Celebration of Jerry Garcia" at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Below are a couple live performances from this show of songs from Songs of the Grateful Dead.





Links:
Jesse McReynolds

Old Monk: Brooklyn Garage Rock Band Announces Last Minute Show at Legion Bar on Dec. 17th

- "Exceptional drumming and creative licks create this band playing out of Brooklyn, New York. Their sound is captivating and extremely catchy."
-- The Daily Consciousness

DOWNLOAD: Old Monk - "Butter and Toast" (from Birds of Belize)

Old Monk started out as an internet collaboration between guitarist/vocalist Joshua Carrafa and drummer Ian Burns. The band came together in Brooklyn, picked up PINE*am's Tsugumi Takashi on bass and recorded their debut EP. The band is playing a last minute show on Friday night in advance of the release of their debut full-length Birds of Belize.



Links:
Old Monk

Michale Graves Plays Club Europa on Dec. 17th // Return to Earth CD Review

Michale Graves originally released the second disc, Return to Earth, under his own name in 2006 and this disc was recently picked up for distribution through MVD Entertainment. I haven’t seen Michale play live since a show a number of years back at L’Amour (which I think was a Web of Dharma show) and then I lost track of him musically after Gotham Road went on hiatus. The only point to mentioning all of this is that I dropped on Return to Earth expecting Michale Graves' solo release to sound like The Misfits as both Web of Dharma and Gotham Road weren’t that far removed.

As compared to Michale Graves’ past work, Return to Earth is somewhat of a mixed bag. On past releases, Graves’ distinctive voice was the centerpiece and most of the songs were melodic, sing-along horror punk. The horror movie themes have stayed but this is much more of a (alt-)rock album than his past work so there is a minimal amount of group vocal melodies and some songs even push Graves’ vocals down to an equal level with the guitars.

"We Wait" and "Our Moment Away" capture the classic Graves sound of the past but the disc makes a number of stylistic jumps. "Creepy Crawl" and "Dead Beat" both sound like they came out of the Seattle grunge era, "Nobody Thinks About Me" is stylistically close to a Nirvana tune and "Return to Earth" is a multi-tracked piano ballad. The disc ends with the introspective tune "Butchershop" which showcases Michale's vocals. While Michale's stylistic jumps can be somewhat disconcerting, he has a lot more vocal prowess than I've ever given him credit for. Return to Earth is a solid release but a little more musical consistency will go a long way toward increasing the staying power of future releases.

Michale Graves is playing Club Europa this Friday, Dec. 17th, with Cryptkeeper 5 and Ignite Violet. Tickets are $10 and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Michale Graves

King Diamond Recovering from Triple Bypass Surgery (Metal Blade)

King Diamond's wife, Livia, made the following post on the official King Diamond website:

"Let me catch you all up on the past couple of weeks' happenings, because it affects many things.

On Monday the 29th of November, King had to be transported to the nearby hospital by ambulance. After several different tests were done and the EKG machine showing abnormalities, the doctors recommended that he get a cardiac catheterization.

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure where the doctors lead a very thin tube up from the leg and into the heart, where it injects dye into the bloodstream. Then a camera at the end of the tube takes many pictures of the heart's arteries, looking for blockages. After this was done, they determined that King had several heart attacks, and three of his heart's arteries were the cause: one was completely blocked, the second was 90% blocked, and the third was 65% blocked.

The only solution to this was an open heart triple bypass surgery.

If you are interested in the details of how this surgery is performed, please look it up online. I will only touch on the basics. The sternum (breastbone) is cut in half and pulled apart, to expose the heart. Veins are harvested from other places of the body, in King's case it was his left leg and chest wall. The person is then hooked up to a machine that practically does the job of the heart, circulating and oxygenating the blood. The heart is then stopped, and the lungs collapse (the lungs stop working since the blood is being oxygenated by the machine). The surgeon then sews the harvested veins in place, bypassing the found blockages. Once the surgery is done, the surgeon moves the ribs and breastbone back into place and wires it together. The chest is closed as well. They use an electric pulse to start the heart and a breathing machine is lead into the lungs to restart breathing. King's surgery took approximately 7 hours.

Everything went well, and King was taken to ICU for recovery. He was walking and eating solid food already 2 days after the operation, and he was the first one in the history of the hospital who walked on his own power from the ICU to normal care. 10 days after the ambulance took him to the emergency room, he is at home and is recovering well. It will be a few months before he feels completely normal and is without pain.

He would like to mention here that he's eternally grateful for the wonderful staff at Centennial Medical Center who took care of him. Dr. Kourlis, Dr. Kamili, Dr. Alang, Nurse Christie and Nurse Thomas among many others made sure that he got the best care and attention he could ever have hoped for. They were always very nice to me too, letting me stay overnight in the ICU after visiting hours were over.

In light of this, he will be taking a break from music and the music business altogether until further notice. He very much wants to write new music, finish the DVDs, and go on tour, but for now, all those things are in the distant future and he's not thinking about them.

Please understand that the King Diamond band is not stopping, disbanding or anything of the sort. King's health is first priority, and when everything is going good with him, the music will resume.

Thank you all very much for reading this and STAY HEAVY,
Livia"

Links:
King Diamond

Wino (St. Vitus) Plays Acoustic Show with Scott Kelly (Neurosis) at Mercury Lounge on Feb. 12th

In advance of the US release of his solo album Adrift, Wino will hit the road stateside this February on a short acoustic tour, rocking alongside longtime friend, and also Shrinebuilder bandmate, Scott Kelly (Neurosis). The tour will be in support of the upcoming split 7" between Wino and Kelly, to be released early in the year by Volcom, as well as the Adrift album.

Wino/Scott Kelly February 2011 Tour:
2/05/11 Viper Room - Hollywood, CA
2/07/11 Casbah - San Diego, CA
2/08/11 Emo's - Austin, TX
2/09/11 Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL
2/10/11 Great Scott - Allston, MA
2/11/11 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
2/12/11 Mercury Lounge - New York, NY

Answering the call from his friends and supporters to record an acoustic solo album following the sudden and tragic passing of friend and bandmate Jon Blank, who appeared on Wino's first "solo release" Punctuated Equilibrium album in 2009, he set to work on his most personal and powerful recording to date. Adrift is a revealing alternative view of this underground legend’s personality and history. Stripped down to the bare minimum — just his voice and his guitar — the songs on Adrift follow classic American songwriting ideals offering a compelling mixture of emotion and storytelling.

Wino is a man on his own in a boat without sails. He’s fighting against tides and storms, enjoying the moments of bright sunshine; bound to the will of something external — the wind, destiny and the drift. Easily his most heartfelt and personal material to be recorded to date, the twelve tracks on Adrift help elevate this already iconic musician to a new level of storytelling, setting Wino up to fall right in line with greats like Johnny Cash, Woodie Guthrie, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and other classic American songwriters.

Adrift Track Listing:
01. Adrift
02. I Don't Care
03. Hold On Love
04. Mala Suerte
05. Old And Alone
06. Iron Horse/Born To Lose
07. Suzanes Song
08. DBear
09. Whatever
10. Shot In The Head
11. O.B.E.
12. Green Speed

Adrift is set for North American release on respected German label Exile On Mainstream Records on March 8th, 2011 (the label now distributed domestically by E1 Entertainment). A limited edition vinyl version of the album featuring extended liner notes and more is to be released in the U.S. on January 18th by Volcom Entertainment.

Tickets for the show at Mercury Lounge are $12 in advance and $14 (DOS). Man's Gin (of Cobalt) kicks off the show at 9:30PM who is then followed by Wino at 10:30PM and Scott Kelly at 11:30PM.

Holy Grail: Crisis in Utopia CD Review // Show at Gramercy Theater on Feb. 2nd

Holy Grail formed from the ashes of the original lineup of White Wizzard (Earache) and created a buzz with their non-stop touring (with bands like Exodus, Saviours and 3 Inches of Blood) and their 2009 EP “Improper Burial”. While the two originals on the EP provided an initial view into the band’s thrash-infused power metal sound, Holy Grail firmly established their sound with the release of their debut full-length disc Crisis in Utopia this past October (Prosthetic). Breaking from their White Wizzard / NWOBHM-revival roots, Crisis in Utopia incorporates significant elements from thrash and speed metal which pushes them closer in sound to bands like Armored Saint and Accept.

Across the disc’s ten tracks, the band combines a strong sense of melody with an equal level of aggression. The band leads this charge with a combined attack of dual-lead guitars and James Paul Luna’s vocals. Luna sings in a rawer, raspier voice than he did on White Wizzard’s debut CD which he can take up to a falsetto scream. Backing vocals range from clean vocals harmonies to the (expected) melodic “wow-oh-oh” to a death metal growl. Lyrically, the band’s focus is on sword and sorcery imagery but, while some of the songs are shout-along fist pumpers, the lyrics seem to take a backseat to the raw sonic power of the music.

Guitarists James LaRue and Eli Santana skip the NWOBHM power-metal leads and play fast-paced, technical, speed metal riffs (check out the dueling leads on the disc opener “My Last Attack” and “Fight to Kill”, which is an aggressive hold-over from the 2009 EP) and the drumming stops just short of death metal blast beats. The only exception to this is “Nocturne in D Minor” which breaks up the disc mid-way with an atmospheric instrumental which highlights a flute and acoustic guitar.

Holy Grail were in town with Exodus and Bonded by Blood this past August (video from the show is below).



The band is coming back to the Gramercy Theater with 3 Inches of Blood, Eluveitie and System Divide on Feb. 2nd. Tickets are $18 (+$9 LiveNation surcharge if you buy tickets using LiveNation.com) and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Holy Grail

Black Taxi Release New Video for "Shoeshine" // Show at Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 29th

When listening to Brooklyn new-wave/psych-rock band Black Taxi, one can hear a diverse range of influences in the band’s dance-punk sound that range from Daft Punk to The Clash. The band’s sound is meant to be heard in a live setting and their explosive live sets have led to sold-out shows at Bowery Ballroom, Brooklyn Bowl and Bowery Electric.

Black Taxi just released a video for the song "Shoeshine" (which is the lead-off track from 2009’s Thing of that Nature).



Black Taxi welcomes 2011 with a local show on January 29th at the Bowery Ballroom. Sharing the bill is Deadbeat Darling, Frontier Brothers and Miniboone. Advanced tickets are $13 and $15 (DOS). Doors are at 7:30PM and the show starts at 8:30PM.

Links:
Black Taxi

(SHOW POSTPONED) The Morning After Girls Play Le Poisson Rouge on Jan. 13th

UPDATE: Show postponed due to Visa issues

After what seems to have been a long silence, Australia-to-New York transplants The Morning After Girls will be playing their first show of 2011 at Le Poisson Rouge on January 13th.

The band released their latest two discs in 2009 where they continued to evolve their Jesus and Mary Chain meets The Dandy Warhols sound. "The General Public" EP was released early in 2009 and this disc was produced Alan Moulder (producer/engineer for Jesus & Mary Chain, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, etc.). Continuing to work with Molder, The Morning After Girls followed this EP with a digital-only full-length release, Alone, which is now coming out in a physical format next month (Xemu Records).

Tickets for the show at Le Poisson Rouge are $10 in advance and $12 DOS. Doors are at 8PM and the show starts at 9PM.



Links:
The Morning After Girls

Juno's Musical ABCs Available for Free through the App Store (iPad)

My youngest is now reading on his own but I would have loved to have had an app like this a few years ago.



Narrated by talented actress and dedicated mom, Brooke Shields, Juno’s Musical ABCs takes children on a lyrical journey through the alphabet using fun rhymes, colorful images and the beloved Juno characters. With each touch of the screen your child brings the story to life, interacting with characters, letters, musical instruments and more. In addition, the App’s three reading modes (Read It To Me, Read It Myself and Autoplay) provide an option for all reading levels!

“Juno’s Musical ABCs is part of a new series of educational Apps from our team that will provide children with a much needed musical learning tool and we’re delighted to have Brooke Shields’ participation in the project,” said Barrett Cohn, CEO of The Juno Company. “We plan to raise the bar in the Apps market as we continue to build exceptionally engaging and fun mobile content for children.”

Links:
Juno's Musical ABCs (download link)

Paul McCartney – Band on the Run 2CD/DVD Review

The 2010 reissue of Band on the Run marks the first in Hear Music/Concord Music Group’s series of deluxe reissues of Paul McCartney’s back catalogue. The packaging of this set is beautiful and recreates the experience of owning the original album. The set comes in a tri-fold cardboard package and contains a booklet with song lyrics and photos, which were part of the original vinyl release, along with a reflective essay by Paul Gambaccini, who had interviewed Macca for Rolling Stone at the time of the album’s original release. The sound is crystal clear but I can’t comment on how this compares to any of the previously issued CD versions of Band on the Run as I never replaced my vinyl version. To provide a frame of reference for the audio purists, the remastering was supervised by the same team who remastered the Beatles catalogue last year.

The first disc of the set is the nine song UK version of Band on the Run. The song “Helen Wheels”, which was always part of the US pressing, has been moved to disc two. The other studio tracks on disc two are the non-LP b-sides “Country Dreamer” (b-side to “Helen Wheels”) and “Zoo Gang” (b-side to “Band on the Run”). The remainder of disc two is comprised of six tracks from Macca’s previously unreleased TV Special “One Hand Clapping” which was filmed live in the studio at Abbey Roads. While it is great to finally see the often bootlegged “One Hand Clapping” get a legitimate release, I would have loved to have seen all fifteen tracks from this session included in the audio portion of this set.

The DVD includes the original pre-MTV music videos for "Band on the Run", “Helen Wheels and “Mamunia”. As a side note, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the “Band on the Run” video prior this release and was intrigued with the use of “Yellow Submarine-ish” Beatles imagery within the video. Also on the DVD is a video promo for the album, silent B&W footage from the recording sessions in Lagos which is backed by an alternate version of “Band on the Run” and the complete “One Hand Clapping” TV Special.

There are a number of different versions of this release which include a 3-CD/1-DVD Deluxe Edition where the additional CD contains an audio documentary originally produced for the album's 25th Anniversary release in 1999. The Deluxe Edition also comes with a 120-page hard-bound containing photos by Linda McCartney and Clive Arrowsmith.



Links:
Paul McCartney

A Christmas Carol - iPad App Review (Padworx)

Following up on the success of their previous interactive book (“Dracula”, which was released right before Halloween), Padworx have released a stunning interactive version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”.

This version of “A Christmas Carol” breaks away from the traditional eReader presentation and makes maximum use of the iPad’s sound, graphics and interactivity. The book is abridged (approx. 130 pages) and the text runs large which makes it easy for young readers to both read by themselves and to comprehend the nuances of the story. Optimal use of sound adds an additional element that helps bring color to the story. There are also a number of pages (“screens”) that use steampunk-style animation where the user can directly interact with elements in the story (wiping a frosted glass, opening a bolted door, etc.) which then reveals more of the text on the page.

"This is unlike any version of A Christmas Carol ever seen before," said Jeffery Alan Schechter, CEO and producer at PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. "Charles Dickens' remarkable book reminds all of us not just about the importance of gratitude and charity, but about the power of personal transformation. Running with this idea and borrowing from the 'steampunk' art style more closely associated with Jules Verne, we've designed our A Christmas Carol to feel as if the iPad or iPhone you're reading it on has been itself transformed into a steam-powered machine."



"A Christmas Carol" is $4.99 in the AppStore.

Links:
PadWorx

The Nico Blues Release New Video for "Living Proof" (from Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements)

Local band The Nico Blues have taken the viral approach to building a fan base and have been giving away some high-quality music for free over last two years. The band has a demo, their 2009 EP and their current disc, Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements, posted as free downloads on their website (Nico Blues).

I've had the band's EP on my iPod for the last few months and it has consistently gotten a number of plays. The band has an overall layered psychedelic sound which they send into high-gear on some tracks by bringing in elements of garage rock. The Nico Blues complements their music with dead-on (often echo drenched) harmony vocals and the end result is something better than most of the CDs in Best Buy's "New Releases" rack.

The band has just released a new video for "Living Proof" (from Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements).



Links:
The Nico Blues

Soft Reeds are Playing Pianos on Dec. 16th and a 'Toys for Tots' Show at Spike Hill on Dec. 17th

Soft Reeds started as solo project of Ben Grimes(formerly of Golden Republic) that has been transformed into a full band since 2009. Record Machine released the band's debut, Soft Reeds Are Bastards earlier this summer and Pitch.com called the disc a "daring, arresting rock record".

Soft Reeds are in town for two shows later this week. The first show is Thursday, Dec. 16th. at Pianos. Soft Reeds are going on at 9PM and they are playing with The Stationary Set (8PM), Grandchildren (10PM) and Computer Magic (11PM). Tickets are $8.

The second show is a "Toys for Tots" benefit at Spike Hill on Friday, Dec. 17th. Admission is free if you bring at least one new toy, unopened/with tags, at a value of $5 or more, or make a $10 suggested donation to Toys for Tots. Soft Reeds are playing at 9PM and other acts include Milagres and Holiday All-Star Band.



Links:
Soft Reeds

The Canon Logic Release Music Video for "Kiss Me On Christmas" // Show at Glasslands Gallery on Dec. 15th

The Canon Logic have just posted the official music video for their song "Kiss Me On Christmas" - which is made up entirely of kiss videos submitted by the fans. The video is composed of a series of seven second clips so anyone can add a kiss at any time to join in on the fun. As an added incentive to submit a video, whenever you add a kiss - you get the song for free. Here is the link to the current video which also contains instructions on how to submit your own clip - xmaskiss.com.

The Canon Logic are playing a show this Wednesday, Dec. 15th, at Glassland Gallery with The Depreciation Guild, Motel Motel and Dinosaur Bones. Tickets are $8 and the show starts at 8:30PM.

Links:
The Canon Logic

Nitzer Ebb: Industrial Complex CD Review (Major Records)

Earlier this year, Nitzer Ebb released Industrial Complex (Major Records), which marks their first album of new material since 1995’s Big Hit. Core duo Douglas McCarthy and Bon Harris are re-joined by Big Hit era percussionist Jason Payne and the band sounds remarkably fresh and relevant for having taken a fifteen year hiatus from the studio.

Continuing to mine the industrial dance/EBM sound, Industry Complex sounds like something that could have come out of Mute or Some Bizzare’s catalog from the mid-80s. The tracks range from the dark and sleazy to jackhammer pounding industrial dance beats. The disc starts out aggressively with the track “Promises” and, while song tempos vary, the band never loses its sense of urgency and intensity. Douglas McCarthy’s voice has held up well over the years and his vocals range from anthemic dance floor chants to oozing with a sense of cool malevolence on some of the slower numbers. There are a few tracks on Industrial Complex that should be familiar to anyone who has seen the band live over the last couple years as the hard-hitting “Payroll” and the Depeche Mode sounding “Down on Your Knees” have been part of the set for the last few go-arounds. Adding to the Depeche Mode comparison, Martin Gore added (somewhat buried) vocals to “Once You Say”. The overall sound of the disc is full but edgy and uncluttered so the music doesn’t tip over like some of the tracks on Big Hit.

Nitzer Ebb seems to be coming through in concert on a regular basis since reuniting in 2006. The band started the year by touring with like-minded Depeche Mode and just recently played a show at Gramercy Theater. Below is a live video of “Join in the Chant” from that show.



Nitzer Ebb is currently off the road but the band has a one-off date scheduled for January 28th of next year in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Links:
Nitzer Ebb

AWOLNATION - Live Video from Santos Party House, NYC 11/30/10

AWOLNATION played a free show at Santos Party House on Nov. 30th. Adding free vodka, Red Bull and Asahi beer to AWOLNATION's explosive dance-punk sound made for a wild evening.



Aaron Bruno, front man for Los Angeles' Under the Influence of Giants, formed AWOLNATION about a year ago. The band came through town over the summer opening for Weezer and then followed this with a show at Brooklyn Bowl. The band puts on a hot live show that is equal parts punk and synth-driven funk and they capture this same manic energy on their debut EP "Back From Earth" which was released earlier this year.

Links:
AWOLNATION

New York Dolls Announce New Studio Disc, "Dancing Backward in High Heels", Due Out on March 15th

STREAM: New York Dolls - Dancing Backwards in High Heels
(note: click-through to Adobe player)

Photo Credit: Anna Victoria
The New York Dolls have announced the release their fifth studio record Dancing Backward in High Heels which is due out on March 15 on 429 Records. Featuring original members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, the album was recorded in Newcastle, England and produced by Louis XIV’s Jason Hill.

Dancing Backward in High Heels is the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Cause I Sez So, which The New Yorker praises for “[showing] the band at its full power” while Billboard notes that “the unlikely resurrection of the New York Dolls is solidified by [‘Cause I Sez So].”

Track List
1. Fool For You Baby
2. Streetcake
3. I’m So Fabulous
4. Talk to Me Baby
5. Kids Like You
6. Round and Round She Goes
7. You Don’t Have to Cry
8. I Sold My Heart to The Junkman
9. Baby Tell Me What I’m On
10. Funky But Chic
11. End of the Summer

Originally formed in 1971, the New York Dolls are best known for influencing a generation of artists in New York and London who went on to form the first punk rock and heavy metal bands. Largely influenced themselves by the rock & roll of the Rolling Stones and the Stooges as well as the glam rock made by David Bowie and T. Rex, the legendary original Dolls lineup only recorded two albums, New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon, before breaking up in 1976. After reuniting in 2004 (at the behest of Morrissey, the head of the band’s U.K. fan club in the `70s), the band went on to record a pair of records—2006’s One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This and 2009’s ‘Cause I Sez So.

Keegan DeWitt Plays Rockwood Music Hall on Dec. 12th // Ltd. Edition 7" single out Dec. 14th

DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - "Two Hearts"

Keegan DeWitt is playing a show tomorrow night at Rockwood Music Hall in advance of the release of a new limited edition 7" single, "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance", which is due out on December 14th, 2010 via Nashville's Theory 8 Records.

The forthcoming single's two tracks, "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance", were written this summer while DeWitt toured in support of his recent "Nothing Shows" EP (released July 13th exclusively through Daytrotter). The tracks expand upon the cinematic, orchestral feel of "Nothing Shows", finding DeWitt moving in a notably different direction than either the EP or his debut full-length, Islands (Izumi Records, 2009).

The driving, dance-inflected pop of "Two Hearts" follows in the footsteps of "Nothing Show"'s propulsive, rhythmic closer "Hearts Beat Loud". The second track "Reluctance" - featuring vocals by Isaaca Byrd of The Bridges - has a delicate, shimmering uncertainty and might be the prettiest song he's penned. Each song deals with transition, fittingly, as the single itself continues DeWitt's passage from a solo singer/songwriter to a collaborator: the songs were written to be played live with his current touring band of Byrd, Matt Shaw (Hymns), Jeremy Bullock (Pico vs. Island Trees), and Dylon York (Band Marino), who back him on the recordings. Both songs will also be included on a forthcoming new EP, due Spring 2011.

Keegan DeWitt is going on at 9PM tomorrow night and cover is free with a one-drink minimum per set.



Links:
Keegan DeWitt

HotChaCha Release New Video for "Traffic" from "Fantastic Static" EP

DOWNLOAD: HotChaCha - "Pleasure Cruise"

In today's iTunes-centric world, I'm always impressed when a band and a label make the effort to give the listener a reason to buy music. Too many record companies seem to have forgotten the experience of holding the product in your hands and having a defacto "object d'art". HotChaCha's latest EP "Fantastic Static" is available on a limited edition vinyl pressing (300 uniquely colored vinyl with unique screened jackets) through Exit Stencil's website.

On "Fantastic Static", the third release for HotChaCha on Exit Stencil Recordings, the energy of their riotous live show has been captured and recreated as close to perfectly as possible. Here you have the sound and feeling of a band that has been touring incessantly for the past three years---writing, living, and breathing together as one commanding unit---and winning over audiences and the media wherever and whenever they play.

Singer Jovana Batkovic continues to draw lyrical and linguistic inspiration from her multinational upbringing but more noticeable here is the confidence and tenor of her delivery---exuding a self-possession and presence on par with any of the Joan Jetts, Karen Os, and Chrissie Hyndes of the world.

With this 5-song EP, HotChaCha shows that it has grown into the complete package---a renowned live band that is able to harness that energy in a recorded format. "Fantastic Static" further serves as foreshadowing for things to come with HotChaCha’s follow-up LP, expected sometime early 2011.

The band just released a video for the song "Target" (below).



Links:
HotChaCha

Windy City Gentleman Releases Debut Album "China White" as Free Download

Los Angeles musician Windy City Gentleman has posted his debut CD China White as free download for a limited period of time. This six-track disc is a solid piece of work that follows in the footsteps of artists like David Bowie, Rozz Williams and Peter Murphy with elements of LA death-rock, darkwave and gothic elegance.

Blood relative of America's first serial killer announces the release of his debut album China White, produced by Brian West of Nelly Furtado / K’NAAN / Papertongues fame.

Windy City Gentleman draws inspiration from the man who brought infamy to his family name, Herman Webster Mudgett, aka Dr. H. H. Holmes, the serial killer who terrorized the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The result is a dark and elegant universe that provides the listener with an outlet of escapism evoking the sonic imagery of Nirvana, Radiohead, and Bowie.

China White is OUT NOW on Pterodactyls After Midnight Records.



Links:
Windy City Gentleman Interview with SlowDive Music
Windy City Gentleman

Joel Morales (Dios) Releases "Cyanide Breathmint" Single // Full-Length to Follow in February

Joel Morales - Cyanide Breath Mint

Dios vocalist Joel Morales has just released the first single "Cyanide Breath Mint" from his forthcoming tribute to Beck Hansen's early work entitled When Beck Was Cool.

In 1994, Morales had heard the buzz about Beck Hansen and his left-field hit "Loser" but he had an epiphany after hearing Beck's "Pay No Mind" on KXLU. "I thought, This is really good… and strange," recalls Morales. "I hadn't heard acoustic guitar, with a band, in a modern context, on the radio in such a long time." "Pay No Mind" struck him as the complete antithesis to grunge and corporate alt-rock, a folksy little ditty with oddball lyrics and a delivery that suggested its author might've inhaled a heady cloud of paint fumes before hitting "record."

“I remember hearing ‘Cyanide Breath Mint’ on KXLU — here was a guy with an acoustic guitar, sounding like the pitch was slowed down on the vocals, doing really interesting songs. The rest of that summer was my Beck summer. All I listened to driving around in the car was ‘One Foot in the Grave,’” Morales said.

Morales sought out all three of Beck's official 1994 albums—Mellow Gold, One Foot in the Grave, and Stereopathetic Soulmanure—as well as his early cassette releases and non-LP singles. He listened to them fervently, internalizing them. Up to that point, the Beatles had been Joel's biggest musical influence but the Fab Four now had serious competition. "Beck was a huge building block for me as far as song writing. I loved how laidback and anything-goes that music is." Morales' emerging musical voice was already unconventional yet catchy, but Beck inspired him to get "weirder and weirder" while retaining a pop sensibility.

It wasn't just the music that inspired Morales, either. "There was his whole history, this mythology that was really cool. He'd traveled here and there, making music wherever he could." In the midst of a frantic bidding war, Beck fought hard to retain creative freedom. And he didn't sit around waiting for clubs to offer proper bookings; he'd just appear at a show and play between other bands. "All that was very punk rock to me. I really dug that attitude."

Fast forward ahead 15 years. Joel Morales has cemented his own humble reputation fronting the trippy Hawthorne, CA rock combo Dios, whose 2004 self-titled debut earned raves from Pitchfork for making California rock seem "a little less predictable." Morales was crashing in a house in San Pedro, and gearing up to begin writing the fourth Dios full-length. When a roommate moved out, Joel transformed an upstairs bedroom into a home studio. To get his creative juices flowing, he would warm up playing the early Beck songs he'd learned, loved, and performed in public for years, and fiddle around with his recording equipment as he went.

"Before I knew it, I had four or five Beck songs I'd done in a week. And I thought, Man, I should just do a dozen of these, and put them out somehow." His brother Kevin dropped by and played drums on some tracks, and individual members of Dios popped in and out. Working at home allowed the recordings to remain loose and informal. Over the course of autumn and winter 2009, Morales continued to let his take on Beck's early catalog unfurl. When the time rolled around to leave the house in San Pedro, and relinquish his home studio, he'd recorded more than enough material for a full-length.

The resulting solo album, When Beck Was Cool, is a remarkable marriage of a gifted interpreter with inspiring material. You don't need to know the original versions to appreciate Morales interpretations, which range from flirtatious forays into country-rock ("Got No Mind") to a mélange of string and woodwind timbres, pianos and whistling ("Girl Dreams") that evokes his beloved Beatles as much as Beck. Indeed, many listeners may be discovering these songs for the first time. Aside from the epic "Blackhole," which closes out the disc—just as it did Mellow Gold—the originals aren't found on Beck's major label albums. The demented, socio-political "MTV Makes Me Wanna Smoke Crack" comes from an über-rare 1993 split-single. The hazy, multi-layered "Cyanide Breathmint" was plucked from K Records' One Foot in the Grave, while the quasi-instrumental "Ozzy," which Morales imparts with a malevolent, Southern Rock crunch, began life on Stereopathetic Soulmanure. And unless you own copies of early tape-only oddities like Don't Get Bent Out of Shape and Beck, Like the Beer, don't even pretend you've heard "Fume" before.

While Morales isn't as passionate about Mr. Hansen's later oeuvre, he stresses that this album comes from a place of sincere admiration. "Ultimately this is an homage. I'm not making fun of the music, because this is some of the best stuff I've ever heard." In the mid-'90s, Beck was the epitome of musical cool to Morales, and that's the primary thrust of the title. "I know it's a little snarky," he admits, "but I have a feeling Beck would laugh it off and think it's funny. He certainly would've appreciated it back in the day. And if you understand him or his music, you'll get that."

Links:
Joel Morales (aka Joel Jerome)

King Crimson Releases Demo of "Inner Garden" (from Thrak) as a Free Download

PLAY: King Crimson - "Running DAT 8" (Track hosted on DGMLive)

This week's free download from King Crimson is a studio session from Thrak where the band is working through an early version of "Inner Garden".

After Pat’s count-in, we hear the happy-sad sound of Inner Garden but in this earlier form it comes with double drums. Adrian guides the team through the changes on this work-in-progress rendition that would eventually dispatch the percussive parts in favour of something slightly more open-ended and ambiguous on the Thrak album.

Links:
Robert Fripp
King Crimson

Black Sabbath: Live at Hammersmith Odeon Scheduled for Ltd. Edition Vinyl Release in January (Metal Club)

Black Sabbath's Live at Hammersmith Odeon is coming out on a limited edition 3-LP vinyl pressing on January 11th next year. These tracks were originally released on a limited edition Rhino Handmade CD in 2007 (now sold out) and more recently were included in the 2CD reissue of Mob Rules.

The fourteen tracks on this set were compiled from four shows that Black Sabbath played at Hammersmith Odeon between Dec. 31st 1981 and Jan. 3rd 1982. According to Rob Dwyer (sabbathlive.com), here is the breakdown:

1) Neon Knights (January 2nd, 1982)
2) N.I.B. (January 1st, 1982)
3) Children Of The Sea (January 1st, 1982)
4) Country Girl (January 1st, 1982)
5) Black Sabbath (December 31st, 1981)
6) War Pigs (January 1st, 1982)
7) Slipping Away (December 31st, 1981)
8) Iron Man (January 1st, 1981)
9) The Mob Rules (December 31st, 1981)
10) Heaven And Hell (January 1st, 1982)
11) Paranoid (December 31st, 1981)
12) Voodoo (January 2nd, 1982)
13) Children Of The Grave (December 31st, 1982)

This 3-LP set is on 180 gram vinyl with a triple gatefold packaging and it will be limited to 3,000 numbered copies.

Links:
Black Sabbath

The Ferocious Few Make Their NYC Debut at Union Hall on Dec. 11th

San Francisco duo The Ferocious Few make their NYC debut this Saturday, Dec. 11th, at Union Hall this Saturday, December 11th, after having toured extensively up and down the West Coast for the past year.

The band is playing with Owen McCarthy (of Submarine Bells), Alana Amram & the Rough Gems and Graverobbers (Cat-Tooth Jim). Tickets are $8 and doors are at 8PM.

The Ferocious Few first gained attention from busking on the streets of their native San Francisco, which led to them getting signed to San Francisco's Birdman Records. They have become infamous for their 'guerilla style' appearances on many street corners in towns and cities across the States. So much so, that they caught the attention of the New York Times at this year's SXSW, who included them in their 'Best Of SXSW' summary. Continuing to play night after night on the West Coast, they have gathered quite a following and are playing their first Midwest and East Coast dates this month, as well as opening for Cyndi Lauper.



Upcoming Shows:
Dec 7 - Cicero's - St. Louis, MO
Dec 8 - Pancho's - Chicago, IL
Dec 11 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
Dec 12 - Palace Theatre - Waterbury, CT w/ Cyndi Lauper
Dec 14 - Ulster Performing Arts Center - Kingston, NY w/ Cyndi Lauper
Dec 18 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA w/ Cyndi Lauper

Links:
The Ferocious Few

Hull Plays Club Europa with Pentagram in January // Sole Lord CD Review

Hull’s debut disc Sole Lord (The End) was released last year but somehow I missed this disc first time around. Getting straight to the point, this disc will be on my ‘End of Year’ best-of list.

Not to start with a diatribe about the music industry but my belief is that weak product and iTunes have done more damage than illegal downloading ever will. If you take a band like the Rolling Stones, iTunes allows you to selectively purchase the one, two or three decent songs from each of their recent releases rather than forcing you to muddle through the other nine tracks of dross on each release. I’m old enough to remember the days when music (like Pink Floyd’s Meddle and Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway) required an active commitment. Thanks to iTunes, music is now a lot more disposable and consumed in “bite-sized” three minute chunks. Pink Floyd felt their songs weren’t meant to be consumed on a song-by-song basis on iTunes and Hull’s Sole Lord falls into similar territory.

Sole Lord takes me back to the early Pink Floyd days as the band combines the ambient psychedelic (or perhaps a better descriptor is “psychosis”) of Meddle-era Pink Floyd with the sludgy doom of bands like The Melvins. While some bands release discs that are consistent from start-to-finish, Sole Lord comes across as one body of work that just happens to be divided across ten tracks. Songs seamlessly flow into the next and some riffs are reused across songs which add to the overall impression that this is one 47 minute body of work.

I wouldn’t use the word “prog” to describe Hull but Sole Lord is a rolling opus of gentle instrumentals which segue into groove-oriented walls of distorted guitars before returning back to another instrumental. The ‘light’ and ‘dark’ elements of this disc are pretty evenly balanced as there are an equal number of instrumentals balanced with songs that make use of roared/chanted multi-part vocals. Hull’s use of contrasting tempos across this disc makes for engaging listening so this is the sort of disc that you are going to want to block some time to actively listen to.

Below is a video from Hull’s “secret show” at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. Hull is playing with Pentagram at Europa on Jan. 06, 2011. Tickets are $15.



Links:
Hull