Skid Row @ Hard Rock Care, NYC Oct. 29, 2006

I never was a big Skid Row fan growing up and this was for one reason only -- Sebastian Bach. For whatever reason, both he and his voice annoyed the bejesus out of me. When I won tickets to Eddie Trunk's Halloween Party (featuring Skid Row), I thought I would give the Bach-less band a chance. The band won me over by the end of the night -- Johnny Solinger is a great vocalist and showman, the band looks in top form and the show was a lot of fun.

Last night's show was a record release party for Skid Row's new disc Revolutions Per Minute which was just released by SPV Records. I haven't heard the disc yet but based on the new songs that the band played live, this disc is worth checking out.


Johnny Solinger/Skid Row - Hard Rock Cafe, Oct. 29, 2006


Dave Sabo/Skid Row - Hard Rock Cafe, Oct. 29, 2006

Rachel Bolan took lead vocals for a cover of The Ramones' Psycho Therapy


Scotti Hill/Skid Row - Hard Rock Cafe, Oct. 29, 2006


Johnny Solinger/Scotti Hill - Hard Rock Cafe, Oct. 29, 2006

Members of Khanate and Sunn 0))) Playing CMJ Fest

Jim Plotkin and Tim Wyskida's (both x-Khanate) new band KHLYST debuts at Sin-e on Thursday. The band also features Sunn O))) collaborator and x-Thorr's Hammer vocalist Runhild Gammelsæter. The band has its first release out on Hydrahead and here is how Hydrahead describes the release: "Invoking an aesthetic amalgam of black echoes, night sweats, and necromancy, Khanate bassist James Plotkin (Phantomsmasher, ex-O.L.D.) and vocalist Runhild Gammelsæter (ex-Sunn O))),Thorr’s Hammer) set forth on a bleak journey beset with incubi, death convulsions, and abject hopelessness. Alternately harsh and beguiling, Chaos Is My Name is like waking up in the basement hospital of Jacob’s Ladder only to realize that the permanently disfiguring abuse you’re about to endure has already taken place. The rest of your brief, excruciating life will be spent as a hideously deformed flesh puppet, flailing helplessly under the high-pitched whine of various torture devices and experimental dental equipment, while seraphim sing in the distance, never once offering you their hand."



Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley from Sunn O))) are playing the Rockstar Bar this Friday night (with free beer no less). Greg posted the following to the Southern Lord site:
If any of you are in the NYC area on Nov. 03rd, check this out:

TV EYE DVD Magazine and Southern Lord present:

-Live collaboration between Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley of SunnO))) Steve Moore of Earth and David Grubbs (Squirrel Bait, Bastro, Gastr Del Sol).

-A screening of TV EYE ISSUE #4 DVD featuring SunnO))), Isis, Melvins, High on Fire and more.

-DJ SETS by STEPHEN O'MALLEY (and friends)

Friday November 3rd 5-8pm

ROCKSTAR BAR
349 Kent Ave., Brooklyn, NYC
(under the Williamsburg Bridge)
-Free Admission. Free Beer-

Wolf Eyes - Human Animal CD Review

After catching Wolf Eyes in concert a few weeks ago (see previous post), I expected Human Animal to start right in with the pile-driver intensity of the band's live set. This CD is much more subtle -- it starts with two dark, textured songs that would be a fitting soundtrack to a stalker movie. Every sound though is carefully orchestrated and each sound builds upon the next so you know that the band is building to something. The intensity starts to build with the third track Rationed Rot and reaches its peak with the fourth track Human Animal. This song captures all of the anger and brutality of the band's live show. From this point, the band's intensity doesn't wan and the CD ends with an uncredited cover of No Fucker's "Noise Not Music".

The production on this CD is phenominal and it is perfect for headphone listening or for playing in surround sound. I continue to hear different nuances of this CD each time that I play it. It is somewhat amazing to hear how far Wolf Eyes' sound has changed since releasing Burned Mind. It is going to be very interesting to hear where they go from here.

It doesn't look like the band is back in the New York area anytime soon. Here are their upcoming tour dates:

Thu 11/02/06 Dionysus Discotheque (the Sco) Oberlin OH Raven Strain, Sick Llama

Fri 11/03/06 Cactus Club Milwaukee WI Sick Llama, Raven Strain

Sat 11/04/06 7th Street Entry Minneapolis MN Raven Strain, Sick Llama

Mon 11/06/06 The Loft Missoula MT Raven Strain, Sick Llama

Wed 11/08/06 Pats Pub Vancouver BC Sick Llama, Raven Strain

Thu 11/09/06 Crocodile Cafe Seattle WA Raven Strain, Sick Llama

Fri 11/10/06 The Rusty Nail Portland OR Raven Strain, Sick Llama

Sat 11/11/06 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco CA Sick Llama, Raven Strain

Mon 11/13/06 Echo Los Angeles CA Sick Llama, Raven Strain

Tue 11/14/06 Casbah San Diego CA Sick Llama, Raven Strain

Wed 11/15/06 Club Congress Tucson AZ Sick Llama, Raven Strain

Fri 11/17/06 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City UT Vile Blue Shades, Sick Llama

Sat 11/18/06 Hi Dive Denver CO Moonfog, Raven Strain

Mon 11/20/06 The Jackpot Saloon Lawrence KS Lwa, Raven Strain

Tue 11/21/06 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines IA Raven Strain, Sick Llama

Wed 11/22/06 Empty Bottle Chicago IL Raven Strain, Sick Llama

The Growing Playing Red Cross Benefit on Nov. 11th

The Growing are playing at a Red Cross Benefit show at the Water Street Restaurant and Lounge in Brooklyn on November 11th. Also on the bill are CHORD (featuring members of Pelican) and The Austerity Program (Hydra Head Records). All proceeds from the door will go to the American Red Cross. There will also be Giveaways/Raffles from Decibel Magazine, Southern Lord Records, and Powerhouse Books. Doors @ 7.

The Growing @ NorthSix [Opening for Sunn O)))]

Doom Metal Pioneer Trouble Ready First New Release in 11 Years

Chicago's Trouble is in the process of finalizing their first new studio release since 1995’s Plastic Green Head. Their new release Simple Mind Condition is scheduled to be released by Escapi Music on February 20th, 2007. While recently commenting on the cover, guitar player and founding member Rick Wartell added, “It's fucking eerie, true to life and death. There are many subtle clues regarding the content of the CD.”

SIMPLE MIND CONDITION TRACKLIST:
(Tentative)

1. Goin’ Home
2. Mindbender
3. Seven
4. Pictures Of Life
5. After The Rain
6. Trouble Maker
7. Arthur Brown’s Whiskey Bar
8. Simple Mind Condition
9. Ride In The Sky
10. If I Only had A Reason
11. The Beginning Of Sorrows


Escapi Music will also be reissuing a collection of the bands earlier works. Both Psalm 9 and The Skull will be available on October 24th, 2006, with Plastic Green Head seeing a release date in early 2007.

All three reissues have been digitally re-mastered and feature bonus DVD's containing exclusive live performances and rare photos with liner notes.

TOUR DATES

March 25 - New York, NY @ B.B. King’s
March 28 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace

Tokyo Dragons - Give Me The Fear CD Review

Tokyo Dragons' debut CD for Escapi Music is a return to the duo lead guitar, blues-based rock and roll sound of the 70s. Musically, the Dragons are somewhere between Thin Lizzy, early AC/DC and the Quireboys. The band has been getting a lot of good press in the UK for their live shows and I imagine that the songs from this disc translate well to the live stage. There are a number of songs on this disc that invite crowd sing-a-longs and I am sure that Do You Wanna?, with its handclaps over the chorus "Do you wanna get high" will become a staple of the band's live show. Other standout tracks are What The Hell, Get 'em Off and Teenage Screamers -- all of which charted in the UK.

The Dragons just signed a three disc deal with Escapi and are currently in the US recording their second CD. This is scheduled to be released in early 2007 and will be something to watch for.

Tokyo Dragons' show at this year's Hultsfred Festival will be aired on Swedish national radio on October 26th and the show can also be streamed on the web. The Dragons are also in town next week for a CMJ show. They are playing an Escapi Music showcase at Snitch in NYC on November 1st with Mahavatar and Dirty Rig.

Check out the video for Teenage Screamers on YouTube.


Recommended listening

Municipal Waste - Hazardous Mutation CD Review

Hazardous Mutation has the potential to become a classic thrash metal CD. On this release, Municipal Waste updates the sound of classic thrash bands Nuclear Assault, Anthrax and DRI and adds their own energy, intensity and humor to the mix. Hazardous Mutation is the band's first release for Earche and there isn't a bad song on the disc. Great playing and great vocals make this CD perfect for repeated listenings. One of my complaints with some of the new thrash metal bands that I have recently heard is that all of the songs sound the same. That isn't the case here -- solid songwriting keeps this CD interesting from start to finish. Standout tracks are Unleash The Bastards and Bangover. Terror Shark is also a fun song -- check out the guy in the shark costume in the first video clip below.

There are some of the clips on YouTube that showcase the intensity and talent of the band along with how much fun this band is live. Earche is reissuing Hazardous Mutation with a bonus DVD in January 2007 and below is a trailer for the DVD.


I also ran across a bootleg video clip on YouTube filmed at a concert in Daytona. Check out the crazy kids crowd surfing on boogie boards.


The band is currently out on tour with GWAR and The Red Chord. Tour dates for the rest of October are below.

Oct. 23 Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Oct. 25 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's Down Under
Oct. 26 Louisville, KY @ Headliner's
Oct. 27 Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall
Oct. 28 Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
Oct. 29 Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue Theatre
Oct. 30 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Oct. 31 Milwaukee, WI @ The Eagles Club

GWAR and Municipal Waste return to the New York area in December with a a show in Atlantic City on December 13th and a show at Irving Plaza in New York on the 14th.

Check out the concert -- buy the CD. It's all good stuff.

The Dictators - Viva Dictators CD Review

After seeing The Dictators headline CBGB last weekend, I thought it time to take another look at the band's latest CD. Viva Dictators is a live cd released last year by Escapi Music that was recorded at shows at the Bowery Ballroom and Maxwell's in 2003.

To really appreciate The Dictators, you have to see them live. With the band performing very few shows these days, this CD may be the closest that one can get to hearing The Dictators live show. The tracks on this CD are also pretty darn close to the set list the band played at CBGB. The material on this disc covers the best loved songs from three of the four Dictators CDs (nothing from Manifest Destiny) along with Haircut and Attitude from Manitoba's Wild Kingdom. This is classic Dictators at their finest.

There is a lot to recommend this CD -- the mix is great and it highlights the talents of all of the band members. Ross lays down some amazing guitar work on this disc that should serve as a model for aspiring guitarists. My only complaint is that a number of Manitoba's in-between song rants have been cut and some of tracks simply fade out at the end of the song.

All-in-all, this is a great addition to any CD collection and should serve as a blueprint for aspiring bands (and guitarists) on how to deliver a top-notch live performance.

Sic F*cks (Opened for The Dictators) - CBGB, NYC Oct. 13, 2006

First wave punk band, Sic F*cks opened for The Dictators on Friday. The F*cks are best experienced live and, almost thirty years after forming, the band hasn't lost any of the manic energy of their live performance. Lead singer, Russell Wolinsky was in and out of the crowd during the band's set.

The F*cks don't play many shows but seem to regroup for many of the CBGB-related shows (Save CBs ralley in Washington Square Park, Joey Ramone Birthday shows, etc.) While the band hasn't released any new material since the early 80's, Tish and Snooky have reissued the band's long out-of-print 12" from 1982 (produced by Dictator Andy Shernoff) and it is available from the Manic Panic website.


Sic F*cks - CBGB, Oct. 13, 2006 


Sic F*cks - CBGB, NYC Oct. 13, 2006 

The Dictators - CBGB, NYC Oct. 13, 2006

I have seen The Dictators in concert about a dozen times and they always deliver a top-notch rock & roll show. Last night was no exception. With rhythm guitarist Scott "Top Ten" Kempner back from the West Coast, the classic lineup of the band tore through all of their hits, touching on tracks from all four of their studio albums.

For the last Friday night show at CBGB, this was a great way to go out in style.


The Dictators - CBGB, NYC Oct. 13, 2006 


Handsome Dick & Ross The Boss 


The Dictators - CBGB, NYC Oct. 13, 2006 


The Dictators - CBGB, NYC Oct. 13, 2006 

McRad & Avail Opened for Bad Brains @ CBGB, Oct. 9, 2006

I missed Dub Trio as I got to CBGB shortly before the reunited McRad took the stage. McRad, fronted by Chuck Treece (former skate pro and x-Bad Brains drummer) was a great choice for an opening act. McRad did a great show and hopefully the band will start recording again. McRad's 1987 classic skate-punk LP Absence of Sanity was reissued a couple years ago by Uprising Records with bonus live and studio tracks.


Chuck Treece/McRad - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 

It has been a number of years since I have seen Avail play live and I had forgotten what a great live act they are. The band plays with an amazing intensity that I haven't seen outside of bands like The Clash and Rancid. Both frontman Tim Barry and "dancer" Beau Beau were in and out of the crowd and both the crowd and pit moving.

The band is off on an Australia tour in about a week. Tour dates are:

10/20/06 Adelaide, Australia Enigma
10/21/06 Melbourne, Australia Arthouse
10/22/06 Melbourne, Australia Arthouse
10/24/06 Sydney, Australia Annandale
10/25/06 Newcastle, Australia Cambridge
10/27/06 Brisbane, Australia Basement
10/28/06 Perth, Australia Rosemount

Earlier this year, Jade Tree reissued the first three Avail CDs (previously issued by Lookout), all with a considerable number of bonus tracks.


Avail - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


Avail - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


Avail - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 

Bad Brains @ CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006

I have been reading the reviews of last night's show and it seems that people either loved it or hated it but there was no middle ground. I am one of the one's who loved it -- it is great to see these guys back together after so many years. I'm still waiting to see if the new hardcore CD that the band is supposed to be working on (with HR) will actually surface this year.

Brooklyn Vegan has some great pictures from the show on his site, including one with HR wearing his helmet mic.


HR/Bad Brains @ CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


Bad Brains Live @ CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


Darryl Jennifer/Bad Brains - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


"The Pit" @ Bad Brains - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


Darryl Jennifer/Bad Brains - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


Bad Brains - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 


HR/Bad Brains - CBGB, NYC Oct. 9, 2006 

Wolf Eyes @ The Hook, Brooklyn, NY Oct. 6, 2006

Wolf Eyes is one of those bands that has to be seen live to appreciate the full sonic instensity of their show. I read a music review a number of years ago where the reviewer used the phrase "this is one band that the majority of your friends won't understand." This phrase certainly applies to Wolf Eyes. On stage, Wolf Eyes has the anger of M. Gira and the early-80's Swans and has a sound that ranges somewhere between Throbbing Gristle, the acid-jazz freakout of the 1970-71 Stooges and a cement truck.

Wolf Eyes played about an hour set and it was nice to see a band with this much energy and intensity. I enjoyed the bands prior to Wolf Eyes but knob twirlers aren't much to watch. It was interesting to note that the crowd had thinned out by the end of Wolf Eyes' set. I wonder if the crowd was expecting something closer to Nirvana given that Wolf Eyes is currently signed to Sub*Pop.

The new Wolf Eyes' release Human Animal came out about a week ago on Sub*Pop. I haven't picked it up yet (so no opinions yet) but am very interested in doing so.


Wolf Eyes @ The Hook, Brooklyn Oct. 6, 2006 


Wolf Eyes @ The Hook, Brooklyn, NY Oct. 6, 2006 


Wolf Eyes @ The Hook, Brooklyn, NY Oct. 6, 2006