Vega4 Sponsors Contest to Raise Awareness About Global Climate Issues

I am still somewhat amazed how quickly YouTube has changed video production from being a high-end expensive medium to one that is consumer generated with a reasonably low cost of entry. The Residents recently ran a contest on YouTube where entrants submitted self-produced video clips. Vega4 is sponsoring a similar contest to raise awareness of global climate change.

Drawing inspiration from a video on their MySpace page, London-based band Vega4 is hosting a contest in an effort to raise awareness about global climate change issues. Fans are invited to use the band’s single, “Life Is Beautiful,” as the soundtrack to videos or slideshows addressing environmental concerns. Entrants can upload their submissions to the Vega4 YouTube group (http://www.youtube.com/group/Vega4) starting now, until May 31st. The band will then select their favorite video and award the winner two tickets to the Live Earth concert on July 7, which will be held at Giant’s Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The contest officially kicks off this week in a tribute to Earth Day, as “Life Is Beautiful” is the featured iTunes Single of the Week.

Vega4 is hosting this contest to open dialogue among their fans and champion ways each and every person can make a difference in protecting the earth’s climate. “Life Is Beautiful,” with its hopeful lyrics and uplifting music, is an excellent theme song for raising consciousness about environmental causes. Small or large, any effort can help – “EPA estimates that simply increasing our national recycling rate from its current level of 30 percent to 35 percent would reduce GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions by another 10 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE). That amount is equal to the average annual emissions from the electricity consumed by roughly 4.6 million households.”
(http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/climate/change.htm)

More information on the competition is available on the band’s MySpace page, http://myspace.com/vega4 and official website, http://vega4.com/. Vega4’s album, You and Others, is currently available on iTunes and will be officially released in mid-June on Original Signal Recordings/Epic Records.

Previous Posts:
Pictures and a Review of Vega4's show at Webster Hall from Feb. '07(link)

Ray West (Spread Eagle Vocalist) Returns to NYC on May 21st

Spread Eagle vocalist Ray West returns to NYC for a solo show at Club Snitch on May 21st. West's set will consist of Spread Eagle classics and some choice new solo material

Z'EV, James Plotkin + More Play Unsound Event @ Pussycat Lounge on May 26th

Unsound has another great bill lined up at the end of the month. The show is at the Pussycat Lounge on May 26th. I can't remember the last time Z'EV was in town so this show is a big deal for fans of industrial music. For those not familiar with Z'EV, here is a link to his Wikipedia bio and (at one time) you could rent the video Shake Rattle and Roll that documents Z'EVs first show on the East Coast. The complete lineup for the show is:

SATURDAY MAY 26, 2007

Z'EV

SIKHARA

JAMES PLOTKIN

MARC BURCH (member of SCHLOSS TEGAL)

MUTUS LIBER

ADMISSION IS $10 • DOORS 9PM. 21 TO ENTER. BRING ID.

THE PUSSYCAT LOUNGE
96 GREENWICH STREET • NYC

Thurston Moore - Street Mouth Art Exhibit at KS Art Through May 12th

KS ART presents New York-based artist Thurston Moore’s first one-person exhibition, Street Mouth. Although better known as the highly influential, experimental musician and co-founder of Sonic Youth, Moore has created a suite of photomontages which are razor-sharp visual equivalents of New York`s underground music and poetry scene around the late 1970s -- primarily joyful noisemakers circulating around CBGBs, Max’s Kansas City and St. Marks Church.

Deploying collage techniques mashed up through a process described by the artist as “a kind of punk photoshop,” these brand new works re-purpose vintage press clippings, press photos, and correspondence culled from Moore`s own archive. The results are a compelling series of personal, urban daydreams, cast from a fan’s perspective. Familiar downtown faces include Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Allan Ginsberg, and Kathy Acker. Screaming fields of disjointed imagery and deeply saturated colors collide and overlap, yielding tales from the pulp crypt of a not-to-be-forgotten New York underground. Only rarely do musicians translate their sonic talents so fittingly and so refreshingly into the domain of visual art.

"I am basing the work on exercises I did as a teenager cutting out pictures from Rock Scene, Creem and Circus magazines and collaging them as an obsessive diarist. Doing this work now utilizing some kind of punk Photoshop method where I can actually drop myself and other referentials into the pieces has allowed me (starting) at age 47 to create an ongoing open-heart bio-historagophy." -Thurston Moore

Frank Smith - Heavy Handed Peace and Love CD Review

Frank Smith is a band, not a man is the quote that starts off the band's website. Frank Smith is the brainchild of Aaron Sinclair and is the first band signed to Juliana Hatfield's Ye Old Records. The songs on this disc are predominately alt-country and a point of comparison would be Ryan Adams.

The songs are all driven by Sinclair's strong voice and very tight backing vocal harmonies. The musical arrangements are complex and give a fitting ambiance to Sinclair's voice. In addition to the typical instruments, I can hear a slide guitar, banjo, pedal steel and harmonica throughout a number of songs. I haven't quite figured out the band's lyrics (the evils of listening to a pre-release) but I did catch the murder ballad lyrics on the song Lovesick Cynics.

Frank Smith is backing Juliana Hatfield on the upcoming EP "sittin' in a tree..." which is due to be released on May 29th. You can click on the EP cover to go to Juliana's site and pre-order.

Heavy Handed Peace and Love will be released May 29th on Ye Olde Records.

Links:
Frank Smith's MySpace page (link)

With Passion Heading Back to CA and are Looking for a Show Along I-80

Following up on my previous post about With Passion's show at Club Europa in Brooklyn being canceled, it looks like the band's East Coast tour completely fell apart. The band posted the following to their web page:

So, the booking agent who booked this tour only came through with 2 dates on the way home from the east coast to California, but they are 6 days away (in Kansas City and Denver). So instead of sitting in a parking lot somewhere for 6 days we are just going to end up going home after our show tonight in Michigan. We would have started booking stuff on our own over a month ago but the booking agent assured us he would have shows for us, but he didn't pull through. We are sorry to anyone who planning on attending the shows in Denver and Kansas City but we can't afford to sit around in our van for 6 days. If anyone has a house show that is along Interstate 80 in the next 2 days or any kind of last minute show we can play email us please at withpassionmetal@yahoo.com

Free 10 Course Vegetarian Feast Tonight @ The Yoga Spot, 93 Saint Marks (in the East Village)

Former Cro-Mag, current Bloodclot vocalist John Joseph posted the following to his MySpace page:

FREE 10 COURSE VEGETARIAN FEAST TONIGHT!!!
@ THE YOGA SPOT. 93 SAINT MARKS PLACE IN MANHATTAN. 2ND FLOOR. 7:30-9:00. IN OBSERVANCE OF LORD NRSIMHA'S APPEARANCE DAY (WHICH IS TOMORROW). FOR ALL YOU CRO-MAG FANS LORD NRSIMHA APPEARED ON THE COVER OF BEST WISHES. PEACE > jj

Joseph's band Bloodclot is supporting Scatterbrain at The Crazy Donkey on Long Island on June 24th.

Megadeth Signing Autographs at Vintage Vinyl on May 19th

Megadeth will be making an instore appearance at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ. The signing is on Saturday, May 19th at 2PM. If you pre-order Megadeth's upcoming CD "United Abominations" from Vintage Vinyl, you will be given a wrist band that will guarantee admission.

HELLYEAH - Self-titled CD Review

I don't think there is anything to be gained by pointing out the lineage of the band members -- everyone already knows this is sort of a super group. What you think of this band though will likely depend your opinion on the member's other bands as this release breaks no new ground. Musically, the band's sound is probably closest in style to Mudvayne. As you might gather with song titles like Hellyeah, Alcohaulin' Ass and Goddamn, the lyrics aren't deep. This is simply good-time macho rock n' roll that is played with a swagger.

I would exepect the band to look and sound great in a club setting but they are playing pretty big venues and then are on the Family Values Tour later this summer. I am afraid that the band may come across as fairly generic in these large auditoriums. Time will tell the band's future...

Vinnie just gave a great (and long) interview to Talking Metal where he discusses the 2007 Family Values Tour, HELLYEAH's setlist, recording in Dimebag's studio and many other topics. You can download a podcast of the interview here.

Tour Dates:
May 20 2007 Rams Head Live, Baltimore, Maryland
May 22 2007 Expo 5, Louisville, Kentucky
May 23 2007 East Peoria Convention Center, Peoria, Illinois
May 25 2007 House of Blues, Cleveland, Ohio
May 26 2007 Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, Michigan
May 27 2007 Barrymore Theater, Madison, Wisconsin
May 29 2007 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Colorado
May 30 2007 Sokel, Omaha, Nebraska
June 1 2007 Cotillion, Wichita, Kansas
June 2 2007 Cains Ballroom, Tulsa, Oklahoma
June 3 2007 Southbeach, Lubbock, Texas
June 5 2007 Pavilion, Corpus Christi, Texas
June 9 2007 DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Donington

Links:
HELLYEAH Main Website (Link)
Photo montage from the band's record release party (link)

Albert Hammond Plays Free @ Hiro Ballroom on May 10th

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

Kaiser Chiefs - Legal Music Download

This is a pretty cool find. The Kaiser Chiefs play 3 songs from the new CD live in the studio for The Interface (AOL Music). The tracks played are Ruby, Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning) and Everything is Average Nowadays.

Here is a link to the podcast.

From Autumn to Ashes @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, NY, April 20th

I haven't heard the new From Autumn to Ashes CD (Holding a Wolf By the Ears was released earlier this month on Vagrant Records) but their live show was great. The band doesn't look impacted by the departure of singer Ben Perri (they actually sound a bit stronger than the last time I saw them play) and Francis Mark is a great front-man.







Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:
04/25/07 Boston, MA Axis
04/26/07 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
04/27/07 Montreal,QC Centre Artistique Fractale
04/28/07 Toronto, Ontario Fun Haus
04/29/07 London, Ontario The Salt Lounge
05/01/07 Cleveland, Ohio Agora Ballroom
05/02/07 Skelletones Grand Rapids, Michigan
05/03/07 Louisville, Kentucky Headliner's Music Hall
05/04/07 Millvale, Pennsylvania Mr. Smalls
05/05/07 Poughkeepsie, New York The Chance

With SHADOWS FALL
05/08/07 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Cafe
05/09/07 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel

Links:
From Autumn to Ashes MySpace page (link)

You Are Here: A Maze Presented at Chashama Art Space @ 112 W. 44th Street

I am a big fan of chashama and their work here in town. They have an exciting new exhibit coming next month.

You Are Here is a performance festival in a sculptural maze created by the duo Trouble (Sam Hillmer and Laura Paris) for Chashama's Visual Arts Space at 112 West 44 Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway. The installation / performance series is on view Thursday - Monday, 5 - 11pm, May 6-27, 2007.

A meditation on passage and desire, You Are Here engulfs the space and presents beckoning inhabitants, dead ends, and uplifting epitaphs. The audience enters in search of a performer they may have heard about, drawn in by the beast on the window/stage, or enticed by the ladies of Delicious Beverages (dressed as Minoan Minotaurs) who offer a guerilla open bar. In the maze, performers change location, alternate, and throw sound, so that finding the object of desire may be more complex than anticipated. Light trickles through the leaf-like canopy, illuminating collaged walls. Transparent figures bearing light gesture to the viewer. Calligraphic paintings adorn each cul de sac. The maze contains other surprises of the visual, audio, and experiential sort.

The You Are Here performance festival emphasizes the sprawling and interconnected nature of New York's underground. Medium and genre vary and include music, dance, theater, film, and performance poetry. Overlapping and simultaneous performances are frequent, each performer establishing a different corner or dead end as his or hers. Among the sprawl are Excepter's John Fell Ryan, Ohsees (OCS), Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities, Zs, Dave Longstreth (aka the Dirty Projectors) and Ben Bromley of Fisher Spooner. Over 150 artists, performers, and friends have come together to make this installation and performance festival happen. A full performance schedule is listed below.

About Trouble:

Trouble is devoted to creating extreme environments that have no exterior, public art both condoned and illegal, and other kinds of visual/sound art intended to be used for some purpose. Their work is about community, spirituality, politics, craft, and beauty. Outreach is a part of all of Trouble's projects, as is what they call "in-reach": designing events that strengthen the ties within the DIY art community and the art world as a whole. Trouble is a for-profit organization.

Sam Hillmer has been active as a composer and saxophonist in New York City since 1998. He has lead several ensembles under his own name and co-founded the chamber ensemble/band "Zs". Hillmer is co-founder of Wet Ink, a not-for-profit new music presenting organization, ensemble, and composers collective. In addition to his activities as a composer, Hillmer is active as a saxophonist and improviser performing in and around New York, across North America, and in Europe. Recently he has performed and/or improvised with the Scenery Ensemble, S.E.M. Ensemble, MOTH, Regattas, and "Zs". Hillmer has worked with and played the music of Christian Wolff, Phill Niblock, Roscoe Mitchell, Petr Kotik, Louis Andriessen and Larry Polanski. Recordings of his music are available on Planaria Recordings, Epicene Sound Systems, Tzadik, Sockets CDRs, Shinkoyo, Savage Land, ZUM, and Troubleman Unlimited. Hillmer has been guest artist and speaker at Dartmouth College and the Manhattan School of Music. Hillmer has received fellowships and awards from the Manhattan School of Music, Ostrava Days New Music Festival, and Meet the Composer. Trouble is Hillmer's first collaboration with a visual artist.

Laura Paris' artwork blends her interest in self-development through physicality and community. Her public projects include mosaics, sculptures, and murals that can be seen in various locations in Brooklyn, her hometown. She has shown throughout the world in such diverse places such as Paris, Barcelona, and Honduras. She co-founded the Arts and Literacy arts education program in Brooklyn, New York. This is her first collaboration with a musician.

You Are Here: A Maze
Performance festival schedule

Sunday, May 6
Ecstatic Sunshine (Carpark)
John Fell Ryan (Excepter)
Imaginary People
Sadjelko (Shinkoyo)
Birds in the Meadow (from Richmond!)
Zach Demster + Guests: projections

Monday, May 7
Vizusa
Bad Faces (metalux/childabuse)
Unicornicopia
MOTH (Zs/Planaria/sockets CDRs)
Dj Ben Gerstein

Thursday, May 10
Ben Bromley/Byron Westbrook (Fischerspooner)
Delicate Sen (S.E.M. Ensemble)
Aaron Siegel (Anthony Braxton Sextet)

Friday, May 11
Violet Raid (Metalux/Shinkoyo/Load)
Regattas (Zs/Shinkoyo)
People (I and ear)
Dave Smollen (From Philly!)

Saturday, May 12
John Dwyer/Sam Hillmer (Coachwhips/Zs)
Little Women (Gilgongo)
TBA

Sunday, May 13
Ohsees aka OCS (Coachwhips/Narnack/Castle Face)
Sexy Thoughts
Ben Gerstein (Matt Maneri's Pentagon)

Monday, May 14
Dave Longstreth (Dirty Projectors)
Zeke Healy (the Boggs)
Mike Pride's Drummers Corpse

Thursday, May 17
T. Stewart (Machinedrum)
DJ Mistake
Cyrus Pireh
DJ Sleepware

Friday, May 18
Legends
Hunter-Gatherer (Zs)
DJ Mistake
DJ Sleepware
Julien Poirier + Guests (Ugly Duckling Presse)

Saturday, May 19
Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities (Ghostly International)
FFFfs (sockets cdrs/from DC!)
August Sound Collective
Zack Demster + guests: projections
Coitus Mayfield DJS (Shinkoyo)

Sunday, May 20
Fashe Mello (Shinkoyo)
3-O (Steve Coleman's 5 elements)
Travis Laplant
Coitus Mayfield DJs (Shinkoyo)
Julien Poirier + Guests (Ugly Duckling Presse)

Monday, May 21
Zeke Healy (the Boggs)
Peter Evans
MYO (sockets CDRs/from DC!)
Cyrus Pireh and guests
Astral Projections
DJ Sleepware

Thursday, May 24
Collin Marston (Dysrhythmia/Behold the Arctopus/Relapse)
MOTH (Zs/Planaria/sockets CDRs)
Chuck Bettis/Mike Pride (Mumps Measles Rubella)
Marcella Harb
John Wright
DJ Ben Gerstein

Friday, May 25
Extra Life (Zs/Planaria)
Brown Wing Orchestra
Brian Campfire (Bloody Panda)
DJ Sleepware

Saturday, May 26
J. Graf (Mettalux/Load)
Regattas (Zs/Shinkoyo)
Peter B. (from Baltimore!)
Painted Face (Eyestek)
Julien Poirier + Guests (Ugly Duckling Presse)

Sunday, May 27
Zs (Tzadik/Troubleman/Planaria)
Lake (Excepter)
Collin Langetus (USA Is A Monster/Load)
Dome Theater
Maria Arena/Deborah Karp
The Square Baker
Dan Sofaer
DJ Zebra Blood

Many more performers TBA!
Admission to the installation/performance series is by donation.

Frauke - CD/EP Review

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

Frauke's website describes them as:

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

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

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

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

With Passion Show Canceled Tonight at Club Europa

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

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

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

Bryin Dall (Thee Majesty) Plays Rare Solo Show Tomorrow at the Knitting Factory

Thee Majesty guitarist Bryin Dall plays the music of Hank Williams at a rare solo show tomorrow night at the Knitting Factory Old Office.
















From Dall's MySpace Page:

I grew up listening to country and early industrial. These influences have led me to this. I'm currently doing Hank Williams songs with Derek Rush playing acoustic guitar (he also produced the songs you hear here). Myself? I'm doing a sort-of Jesus and Mary Chain-type feedback guitar and, of course, vocals.

virtualive.tv is Throwing a Real Life/Second Life Mashup Concert at the Canal Room on May 10th

I am fascinated by the concept of a live concert (at the Canal Room) being simulcast in Second Life. A few months ago, I read a news article about a woman whose full-time job is property development within Second Life. Media awareness of Second Life seems to be growing as I have been hearing more and more stories recently about companies taking their products into the game. I've never used Second Life but it looks like I am going to have to check it out.

Getting back on track...Buddahead and Shock Radar are playing this mash-up concert at the Canal Room on May 10th. Tickets are on sale and are only $15.00.

Links:
Buddahead (link)
Shock Radar (link)
virtualive.tv (link)

Haste The Day @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, NY, April 20th

I hadn't seen Haste The Day prior to Friday's show at Irving Plaza. These guys are a great live act and their show is intense. The band plays with a passion and conviction that is impossible to fake. In a recent review of the band's new CD, I compared them to a less-intense All That Remains. After seeing their live show, I am not sure this comparison holds as the band plays hard and can hold their own with any metal band. The band doesn't sacrifice any of the melodies and harmonies in their live show but I think the production on the CD hides some of their sonic intensity.

This is really a band to catch live. (They are back in town at the Bamboozle Festival on May 6th with My Chemical Romance.)






For whatever reason, the pictures I took of front-man Stephen Keech and bassist Mike Murphy really didn't turn out that great. As such, I wanted to include the picture below which I took at an interview session with the band earlier in the day on Friday.

Tunde Adebimpe, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson are Guest Narrators for Brand Upon the Brain Live Tour

This is one of those rare events that makes me love living in NYC. Brand Upon the Brain is Guy Maddin's new movie which will have a 7 night advance run here in New York. What makes this really cool is that the soundtrack will be performed live in the theatre each night with an 11-piece live orchestra, a 5-piece live Foley (sound effects) team a live celebrity narrator, and Castrato supplementing the filmic image to comprise a one-of-a-kind cinematic spectacle. Filmmaker Guy Maddin will also appear in person to present the film. Following the live tour, BRAND! will open in platform release as a regular film, with a pre-recorded soundtrack narrated by Isabella Rossellini.

Brand Upon the Brain! In which the shocking truth is finally revealed about young Guy Maddin and his hellish childhood on a remote island, under the hyper-watchful eye of a crazed mother hellbent on restoring her youth and a diabolically distant scientist-father, proprietors of a mom-and-pop orphanage they surreptitiously operate within the dank confines of the family lighthouse. Watch! as the sex instinct grabs hold of young Maddin and his sister! Thrill! as the Mysteries of the Light House are divined by teen detectives! Reel! at the headstrong invention and heart-stopping rhythms of the elder Maddin¹s heroic silent moviemaking!!

Here is the current list of guest narrators:

Wed. May 9 @ 7 pm: tba - Buy Tickets!
Wed. May 9 @ 9:30 pm: tba - Buy Tickets!
Thurs. May 10 @ 7 pm: Anne Jackson - Buy Tickets!
Thurs. May 10 @ 9:30 pm: Eli Wallach - Buy Tickets!
Fri. May 11 @ 7 pm: Joie Lee - Buy Tickets!
Fri. May 11 @ 9:30 pm: tba - Buy Tickets!
Sat. May 12 @ 7:00 pm: Laurie Anderson - Buy Tickets!
Sat. May 12 @ 9:30 pm: Lou Reed - Buy Tickets!
Sun. May 13 @ 7 pm: John Ashbery - Buy Tickets!
Sun. May 13 @ 9:30 pm: Tunde Adebimpe - Buy Tickets!
Mon. May 14 @ 7 pm: Edward Hibbert - Buy Tickets!
Mon. May 14 @ 9:30 pm: John Glover - Buy Tickets!
Tue. May 15 @ 7 pm: Isabella Rossellini - Buy Tickets!
Tue. May 15 @ 9:30 pm: Isabella Rossellini - Buy Tickets!

I am going to have to figure out how many of these shows I can get to as it looks like a great movie and I would love to see a number of the narrators (Lou, Laurie, Tunde and Isabella Rossellini all would be great).

Maylene and The Sons of Disaster @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, NY, April 20th

I haven't kept up with what Dallas Taylor has been doing since leaving Underoath so I was looking forward to hearing Maylene & The Sons of Disaster's set at Irving Plaza last night. The band is quite impressive live. The obvious comparison would be to Clutch but, with the band utilizing three guitarists, I can't help but think of Lynyrd Skynyrd. This southern metal sound really seems to work for the band and Dallas' voice sounds great.


The band just released their second CD entitled "II" on Ferret Records last month. Based on the band's live show, it looks like this CD is well worth checking out.


Th band is currently on tour with Haste The Day and From Autumn To Ashes through the beginning of May, then they hit the road for 2 weeks of shows with UNDEROATH. They are back in the area on May 5th for the Bamboozle Festival at the Meadowlands. Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:

April 22, 2007 8:00P
Toad's Place New Haven, Connecticut

April 24, 2007 8:00P
The Station Portland, Maine

April 25, 2007 8:00P
Axis Boston, Massachusetts

April 26, 2007 8:00P
Northern Lights Clifton PArk, New York

April 28, 2007 8:00P
Fun Haus Toronto, Ontario

April 29, 2007 8:00P
The Salt Lounge London, Ontario

May 1, 2007 8:00P
Agora Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio

May 2, 2007 8:00P
Skelletones Grand Rapids, Michigan

May 3, 2007 8:00P
Headliner's Music Hall Louisville, Kentucky

May 4, 2007 8:00P
Mr.Smalls Millvale, Pennsylvania

May 5, 2007 2:15P
Meadowlands Sports Complex East Rutherford, New Jersey


Links:
Maylene & the Sons of Disaster Main Website (link)
Maylene & the Sons of Disaster MySpace page (link)

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

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


Below is a snippet from the Rolling Stone write up:

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

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

Haste The Day Plays Irving Plaza Tonight (April 20th)

Haste The Day is co-headlining the bill at Irving Plaza tonight with From Autumn to Ashes and tickets are available at the door. I had the opportunity to meet the band earlier today as they were filming a video interview for Metal Machine.

More on this tomorrow...

Haste The Day Pressure The Hinges CD Review

Haste The Day's new CD falls into the more melodic side of metalcore. New vocalist Stephen Keech has a vocal range similar to All That Remains' Phil Labonte which can range from a melodic harmony to a death metal growl. Musically, the band is less brutal than ATR and a closer point of comparison may be Midtown. Guitarist Jason Barnes was quoted as saying "We wanted melodies influenced by bands like AC/DC and Def Leppard rather than the bands we’ve toured with." There are a lot of strong songs on this CD and it has held up to repeated listenings.

The band doesn't stray much from its core melodic hardcore sound with the exception of the tracks Janet's Planet and Chorus of Angels. The later is an epic track that includes portions of Eye of the Needle (the first track on the disc). This track ties all the songs on the disc together and serves as a perfect closer. On the melodic side, my favorite tracks are Stitches (probably the best track on the disc) and The Minor Prophets. Both feature strong vocals and 'exploding' choruses.

Haste the Day are co-headlining a show with From Autumn to Ashes this Friday night (April 20th) at Iring Plaza with supporting bands Alesana, Twelve Gauge Valentine and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. Tickets are still available and are only $15.75.

Links:
Haste The Day MySpace page (link)

Art Brut Afterparty @ R Bar Tonight, April 17th (12AM - 4AM)

After tonight's show at the Bowery Ballroom, check out the afterparty at R Bar. The party starts at 12AM and you can hang out with the band and hear the new CD It's A Bit Complicated in its entirety. Bar R is at 218 Bowery (btwn. Spring & Broome).




The band has a show at Club B in Brooklyn tomorrow night (Wednesday, April 18th) and the new CD will be released on June 26th.

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

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

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

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

Madball Plays Show on Staten Island on May 4th

I hate having to get in the car to drive to a show but Madball is one of those few bands that could get me to drive into Staten Island. Since CBGB and L'Amour closed, I think the closest Madball has played is Long Island.

Here are the details on the show:
May 4th
Dock Street
691 Bay Street
Staten Island, NY

SI Rich Productions Presents:

MADBALL
THE BANNER
FOLLY
ENRAGE
MY BITTER END
THE PAST IS PRESENT
REASON ENOUGH
AS YOU WERE

Doors 6pm
1st band at 7
$15 Bucks at the door
All Age

Subhoodz Release No Regrets CD on April 17th

I got into Subhoodz in the late 90's but the band has been pretty quiet for the last few years. Tomorrow, the band releases a killer compilation covering their 16 year career as a band. This CD contains material from This Boy's Life and the Genuine B-Boyz CDs and some remixes and new material. The band is supposed to be hitting the road soon for a tour and a CD of new material will follow later in the year.

Stress calls Subhoodz' music "Hip-Hop for the Hardcore at Heart". For fans of old-school metal/hip-hop fusion (think Biohazard, Crown of Thornz, 25 Ta Life and Skarhead), this CD is a must-have.

Frauke is Playing Fat Baby Tomorrow Night (April 16th)

Frauke makes its NYC debut tomorrow night and are playing Fat Baby in a celebration of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's birthday.








Here is what the band has posted to their MySpace page:

Since this is a Monday night, and it's our first NYC show, we'll probably be playing with a bunch of bands who apparently maybe like joy division. But we do not know. We only hope that there will be many fat babies in attendance, and perhaps the regular sluts from the fat baby bar to serve us lager and bay breezes. Won't you come and join us, this show will be an absolute fucking disaster. Come for Frauke. Stay for the lager and for to celebrate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's birthday but do not pay heed to anything or anyone else at the lagerhausen that is Fat Baby.

I have Frauke loaded on my iPod but haven't had a chance to listen to the songs so..more on Frauke later.

Links:
Frauke's MySpace page (link)

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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





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

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

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

Made Out of Babies and Unearthly Trance Play Club Midway on Monday, April 16th

I almost didn't notice this show which I would have regretted as it looks like a great lineup of bands.

TimeOut's advance preview says "Made Out of Babies takes NYC rock back to the sewer where it belongs. Singer Julie Xmas goes from girl-child to Cookie Monster with a pervasive f*cked-up-ness that's only amplified by the rhyth, section's chthonic rumble and the guitarist's theatening riffage."

Opening acts Unearthly Trance, Minsk and Rwake are all on Relapse so that should say something for their sound.

Here are the details about the show...

Mon 04/16/07
CLUB MIDWAY
25 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
212-253-2595
club@clubmidway.com
$10 ADV/$12 DOS

Made Out Of Babies 12:00
http://www.myspace.com/madeoutofbabies
http://www.madeoutofbabies.com/

Rwake 11:00
http://www.myspace.com/rwake

Minsk 10:00
http://www.myspace.com/minsk
http://www.thesoundofminsk.com/

Unearthly Trance 9:00
http://www.myspace.com/utny
http://www.unearthlytrance.com/

Voivod - Legal Music Download

I just found Voivod's official fan site (link) and there is an amazing amount of live and demo material available for download. Demos from Hatross and Negatron were just added to the site. I haven't gotten around to listening to these demos as I have had the demos from Nothingface on my iPod for the last week.

For anyone who is a fan of Voivod or thrash in general, this site is a great find.

Links:
Voivod Main Site (link)

The Dictators Release New 7" of Vault Material from 1978

New material from The Dictators is always great news. Norton Records has just released a new 7" of previously unreleased archive material from 1978. The tracks are:

16 Forever which was recorded at Bearsville Studios July 7, 1978 - the original board mix, which was never finished and Stay With Me which is the demo for the song on the Bloodbrothers album.

This 7" is available directly from Norton for only $4.00.

The Dark Horse Project - CD Review

The Dark Horse Project are an interesting return to the post-punk sound of the 90's and I have been enjoying listening to their first CD. The songs on this CD are diverse as the band successfully channels a number of apparent influences. The first track on the CD Haunted Face has heavy southern/gothic overtunes and could easily fit into the songbook of acts like Nick Cave or Mary My Hope. From here songs range from a stripped down power-trio sound (Dark Horse) to torch songs similar to the work Kid Congo Powers did in Congo Norvell and later work with Annie Anxiety.

The members of the band have an interesting pedegree which may explain the band's diverse sound. Singer/Guitarist Liv Mueller(Liv Lovely) tore up the CMJ charts as singer for The Lovelies for a number of years. Marc Hunter and Grant Curry play drums and bass on this disc and were part of James Hall's Pleasure Club for years. For those not familar with James Hall and the Pleasure Club, Hall is part Jim Morrison, part Nick Cave and part the peacher from The Poltergeist movies. This helps explains the dark undercurrent across this disc.

I haven't seen the band play live but they have two upcoming dates in the area and I am going to make a point of trying to catch one of them:

- May 3rd @ Pianos, NYC

- May 4th @ The Williamsburg White Room, Brooklyn

I hadn't heard of the White Room prior to reading about the band's upcoming shows so here is a (link) to the venue's website.

Band Links:
The Dark Horse Project Main Website (link)
The Dark Horse Project MySpace page (link)

New Interview with the Klaxons Posted to Urge.com

MTV has a new download service Urge that looks more than capable of giving iTunes a run for its money. The site has a 14 day free trial so check it out.

MTV Urge Nights are sponsoring the Klaxons at Studio B in Greenpoint this Friday night (and there are still tickets left) and just posted an interview with the band to Urge.com.

Below are some excerpts from the interview and a link to the full text is below.

URGE: What was the first gig you ever played as Klaxons like?

James Righton: We started the band on November 4, 2005, booked a gig for November 11th and so had to learn to play something quickly. The venue was located in the center of London in a small basement, and when we turned up we found out that the main act had pulled out, so we were suddenly playing our first gig as a headliner with literally three or four songs. Within the first two or three minutes of the set, every instrument fell apart, everything broke, and it was the most punk thing most people in London had seen in a long time.

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

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

The rest of the interview is available here (link)

John Joseph DJs @ Punk Slope @ Bar 4 in Brooklyn on Saturday

Punk Slope returns to Bar 4 with John Joseph and FK. This should be a great night -- The Punk Slope parties last year were wild.

Check out the Punk Slope website (link) for more details.