Karen Rockower (vox/gtr from Bugs in the Dark) Plays Union Hall on Dec. 2nd

"Whales Standing - a great rock album that combines contrasting styles together for an exciting listen. The effort is both a sensual and rebellious ride through a landscape of seamlessly combined muscal styles. It is brash, unusual, uninhibited, melodic and intimate. This is definitely one album that should be a part of your music collection." -- Urban Outside Blog

With Bugs in the Dark being inactive as of late, vocalist/guitarist Karen Rockower has been playing out more and more behind her new solo disc Whales Standing.

Karen is playing a headlining show this Thursday at Union Hall along with Emily Mure (9PM Set Time) and A Slow Death and Loneliness (8PM Set Time). Karen is playing at 10PM and cover is $7.

This Wednesday, Karen is a 15-minute solo set at Otto's Shrunken Head for the ReW & WhO Video Podcast. Here is the link to stream the set.

Links:
Karen Rockower

Vampires Everywhere Release New Single as Free Download // Tour with Murderdolls Postponed

Update: “Due to an unforeseeable family emergency, MURDERDOLLS have been forced to cancel the upcoming 'Violent Night, Deadly Night' tour. These decisions are never easy to make and we did everything we could to keep from having to cancel, but this was unavoidable. We'll do our best to make up the dates in 2011. For those who bought tickets, refunds are available from point of purchase. Sorry, ghoulscouts, but we'll see you all soon!"

DOWNLOAD: Vampires Everywhere - "Undead Heart" (download requires a Facebook or Twitter post)

In a recent interview with About.Com, vocalist Michael Vampire was asked to describe the sound of his band Vampires Everywhere.

Michael: I would describe our sound as a blend of hardcore, screamo, dark pop and dance. We didn't want to stick with one thing and be stigmatized by that our whole career. So we took all of our favorite genres and fused them together. I have played in many bands, and this is the only band I have ever played with that could pull such a feat off and make it sound good. I feel lucky to be playing with these guys.

Los Angeles' Vampires Everywhere are heading out next week on a December cross-country tour with the Murder Dolls (entitled "Violent Night, Deadly Night") which stops at Gramercy Theatre on Dec. 6th. Tickets are $15 (face + $8 in ticketing fees if you buy online) and Get Scared is also on the bill.

Links:
Vampires Everywhere

Earth: "A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra Capsular Extraction" CD Review (Southern Lord)

Last month, Southern Lord released Earth’s complete first recordings from 1990 as a single CD/double-LP set entitled A Bureaucratic Desire For Extra-Capsular Extraction. While these tracks have trickled out over the past two decades on Earth’s debut EP “Extra-Capsular Extraction” (1991) and as bonus tracks appended to the reissue of Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars (2001), Mell Dettmer remastered the tracks on this reissue/compilation and gives Earth some noticeable dynamics and edges to the music that weren’t heard on the original releases.

This recording has a storied history as Earth was signed to Sub*Pop during the first wave of grunge and came to Sub*Pop’s attention during a show where Earth was opening for L7. (This show sounds as stylistically different as when The Ramones opened for Black Sabbath). These sessions were recorded with Mike Lastra at Smegma Studios in 1990 and the session master tapes ultimately went missing. Bootlegs of then unreleased songs first surfaced as 16RPM singles and later the complete session was issued as a limited edition bootleg LP entitled 10 1990.

One has to admire Sub*Pop for signing Earth as this isn’t the sort of music that was (or is) going to get on the radio but yet it spawned a legion of followers (notably Sunn O)))). The disc’s seven tracks are mostly glacially slow drone. There is a dark overtone across the disc but there are also elements of beauty and light. The music builds upon repetitive, throbbing waves of guitar lines which seem to organically grow in size while still leaving space to breathe. The cold, industrial clanging of the drum machine adds an element of heaviness to the music but there is enough texture and light to keep the music from tipping over into the claustrophobic darkness that some of the bands that followed Earth embraced. Earth even comes close to a ‘radio friendly’ song as Kurdt Cobain and Kelly Canary (from Dicklesss) sing on “Divine and Bright”, which is the closest that Earth will ever get to the “Seattle sound”.

Earth have recently been added to the lineup for the Sunn O))) curated Roadburn Festival which takes place on April 15, 2011 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

Links:
Earth

The HOTcakes: Photos from Mercury Lounge 11/23/10 // CD Release Show on Dec. 11th

The HOTcakes headlined a pre-Thanksgiving show last Tuesday at Mercury Lounge.



In a recent interview with Filler Magazine, HOTcakes vocalist Erin Marsz was asked "What Defines The Hotcakes' Style?"

Erin: Everyone in the band brings their own musical element. For me personally I think I have a really strong love of punk rock and The Cure. I really like a lot of drama and high energy and I think that is a big part of the band. We get a lot of references to Blondie; I think because I am blonde and it’s me with a bunch of dudes, but also because we have really catchy songs and we’re from New York.

Blondie is probably a good starting point for a comparison -- as one can hear the new-wave influences in The HOTcakes' music -- though one could just as easily make the comparison to Kim Wilde. Vocalist Erin Marsz sings with a raw passion (as opposed to Debbie's cool detachment) and the band has some huge dance-oriented pop hooks.

At the Mercury Lounge, the band played a nine song set consisting of material from their 2008 self-titled EP and their newest disc "Gonna Go Out" along with a couple presumably unrecorded numbers. While the band slowed down for one - two numbers, Erin Marsz was a ball of energy as she danced across the stage and in the crowd for the better part of the set. At the end of the set, the crowd wasn't ready to leave so The HOTcakes came back on for an encore.

The HOTcakes are playing a CD release show for the new EP "Gonna Go Out" at Arlene's Grocery on Dec. 11th. Cover is $10 and set times have not yet been posted.

Links:
The HOTcakes

We Landed on the Moon: "This Will Be One for the Books" CD Review

When I lived in Washington, DC in the early 90’s, the only radio station worth a d*mn was the “modern rock” station WHFS. Baton Rouge, LA’s We Landed on the Moon would have fit perfectly with the artists that WHFS was playing at that time.

We Landed on the Moon’s new disc, This Will Be One for the Books, has a BIG sound and the band barrels through their songs with a high-energy pop exuberance. WLOTM’s ringing guitar riffs and melodic verse-chorus-verse sound should ring a familiar chord with anyone who was listening to the radio during the post-grunge 90’s. “We just wanted to make a rock record,” explains guitarist, John Lambremont. “There were times in the past where I felt like we’d get caught up in trying to do so much, too much- with this record, we just wanted to make music that makes people feel cool, even if they are just hanging out in their jammies. To make them feel as if they are right there with us.”

It is tough to put my finger on a point of comparison – frequent comparisons seem to be to bands like Blondie (don’t hear that at all) and Echobelly (don’t remember what they sounded like). Comparisons to bands like Paramore and The Grates start to scratch the surface but these comparisons are still too remote. One facet of the band’s music that limits an immediate comparison is that, while a pop-band at heart, a number of songs contain in-song stylistic jumps so there is almost a latent prog-rock influence lurking below the surface.

We Landed on the Moon: 'Across the Sun' (MP3)

"I can say that from my point of view, I remember that when we first started playing 'Across the Sun' we had a hard time figuring out if we wanted it to have a kind of weird waltz-ish feel or make it a straight up rock song; then one practice it kind of dawned on us -- why not both? And the result is what you hear now. I'd also like to say that this is my favorite song to play live. I love the swell of the music at the end. It's kind of fun that it ended up being a song that everyone sings along to at WLotM! shows." -- Guitarist John Lambremont

The good and the bad of This Will Be One for the Books is that if you liked the above track, you will like the entire album as ten of the eleven songs are all stylistically similar. The last song, “No Show”, is a complete style shift and sounds like an acoustic country demo was accidentally appended to the master tape.

Links:
We Landed on the Moon

Bell & The Bees: Cambridge, MA Country-Folk Band Play Goodbye Blue Monday on Dec. 8th

Cambridge, MA country-folk band Bell & The Bees are playing a handful of East Coast dates over the next few weeks in celebration of the release of their debut CD Meadowtapes.

The band is playing a free show at Goodbye Blue Monday in Brooklyn on December 8th. Bell & The Bees are going on at 10PM and they will be joined by Brooklyn's Yellowbirds (featuring Sam Cohen from Apollo Sunshine) at 11pm. Yellowbirds will play a special acoustic set.

The next night, December 9th, the band is playing Sidewalk Cafe in the East Village. The set time for this show is 8PM. This show is also free (2-drink minimum).

The band's new disc Meadowtapes is available as a digital download via Bandcamp for $7.00.

Last summer, we recorded seven songs live to tape in an old carriage house that sits beside Bakers Meadow in Andover, Massachusetts.

We weren't the first bees to come to this carriage house. In the months before we arrived, it was teeming with honeybees--thousands had made their nests within the mint green walls. As you walked in, you could hear their steady, collective hum. This was a good place for bees to continue making music.

For two sweltering August days we gathered with our instruments in front of a picture window, looking out into a forest of oak trees, while friend Carter Tanton rolled the tape. And while we were unfettered by the humidity and mosquito bites, our decidedly sensitive tape became seriously hot and bothered. Flying to Europe in a matter of hours, Carter manned the boards determined that we leave with all 7 songs intact. And with the deft swab of a q-tip or two, that is just what we did.

In the following weeks, the fragile tape continued to shed. Thankfully, a lightbulb popped into Martin's mind, ushering the wonderful Elio Deluca into the fold. He saved our tape, and we had a blast mixing the record during our visits to his amazing Soul Shop studio in Medford.

Our last stop brought us to Soundmirror in Jamaica Plain on a lovely spring day. After spotting an E.L.O. safety tape perched on a file cabinet, we knew we were in the right place! (ELO turned out to be a local classical orchestra, but don't mind that). The wonderful Mark Donahue mastered and brought everything together.

Links:
Bell & The Bees

House of Thieves Plays the Trash Bar on Sunday, Nov. 28th

DOWNLOAD: House of Thieves - "Hans Fritz" (download requires Facebook/Twitter post)

Experimental/prog-rock band House of Thieves are playing the Trash Bar on November 28th along with Broken Glow and The Enth.

"House of Thieves runs the musical gamut. Providing listeners with a diverse spread of different musical influences, from progressive dual guitar shredding, to dub reggae influenced delay-drenched riffs,and gritty power chord driven anthemic choruses ( a la "Hans Fritz"). The band not only refuses to be confined by generic constructs within the band as a whole, but within individual songs; the dance breakdown in "Hans Fritz" is just one of many examples of a band that takes pride in offering listeners a more diverse song structure than Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus. All the members are veteran musicians and bring a confident, aggressive, almost frightening energy to their live performance."

Cover is $6 and there is open bar from 8-9PM.

Links:
House of Thieves

Darker My Love Are Playing Alongside Acme String Quartet at a Special Show at Glasslands Gallery on Nov. 28th

Dear Author from Darker My Love's Alive As You Are CD

Los Angeles psych-rock band Darker My Love are playing a special one-off show on Sunday, November 28th accompanied by the Acme String Quartet.

"Playing at the exact same time. We wrote 10 hot and/or fresh arrangements of our stuff for them, and this is the only time it's gonna be played. Gonna be really really really good and very very very extra-special. Seriously do not miss this." - from Darker My Love's blog

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 DOS -- the show starts at 9PM.



Links:
Darker My Love

Beady Eye (Liam Gallagher) Releases First Single // Announces UK Tour Dates

LINK (to download): Beady Eye - "Bring The Light"
(ListenBeforeYouBuy.Net has a download link at the bottom of the page)

I've never been a huge Oasis fan as I've thought for years that the band spent too much time trying to write like John Lennon and/or Paul Weller rather than carving out their own niche. That being said, I've also been voyeuristically intrigued by the "wibbling rivalry" between the Gallagher brothers.

Noel Gallagher split from Oasis in August of last year and the Liam-lead remaining members (Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock) have resurfaced as Beady Eye. The band just posted their first single "Bring The Light" as a free download (which is also available on iTunes) and have announced their first live dates in the UK for March of next year.

Supplemented by Matt Jones on keyboards and Jeff Wootton on bass, the group will be performing the following dates:

Thursday 3rd March - Glasgow Barrowland (0844 811 0051)
Friday 4th March - Glasgow Barrowland (0844 811 0051)
Sunday 6th March - Manchester O2 Apollo (08444 777 677)
Monday 7th March - Manchester O2 Apollo (08444 777 677)
Wednesday 9th March - London Troxy (0844 811 0051)
Thursday 10th March - London Troxy (0844 811 0051)

Tickets go on sale tomorrow through www.beadyeyemusic.com or by phone through the box office numbers supplied. Maximum 4 tickets per applicant.

24hr credit card hotline: 0844 811 0051 / 0844 826 2826

Links:
Beady Eye

Fistful of Mercy: Digital Download of "As I Call You Down" Now $1.99 on Amazon

DOWNLOAD: Fistful of Mercy - "Father's Sun"
DOWNLOAD: Fistful of Mercy - "As I Call You Down"

Fistful of Mercy is the new project from Dhani Harrison, Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur and the band released their debut CD, As I Call You Down, last month (Hot/Vagrant). In a review of the new disc, the LA Times said "[m]ost of the tracks on “As I Call You Down” seem made for dewy, slow-to-rise mornings, with lines of steel guitar and the kind of slightly cockeyed melodies that keep the listener poised for surprise. "

In keeping with the Black Friday madness, As I Call You Down is available as a digital download from Amazon for $1.99 through Monday, Nov. 29th. (Click the CD cover to go over to Amazon)



Links:
Fistful of Mercy

Metallica - "Six Feet Down Under" (Part II) CD Review

After the somewhat dodgy "Six Feet Down Under" (Part I) release, Metallica have redeemed themselves with a new eight song, 55 minute, live recording from band's Sept./Oct. tour of Australia and New Zealand.

On this recent tour, the band's set was running just over two hours so this "EP" captures about half the set and gives a good indication of what Metallica's current live show sounds like. The band sounds energized and in top-form. This recording is from the soundboard (thankfully) and the songs are all drawn from Metallica's early (pre-Black Album) albums.

Here is the track list:

"Blackened" - Recorded live on October 16, 2010, at the Brisbane Entertainment Center, in Brisbane, Australia
(from 1988's ...And Justice for All)

"Ride The Lightning" - Recorded live on October 14, 2010, at the Vector Arena, in Auckland, New Zealand
(from 1984's Ride The Lightning)

"The Four Horsemen" - Recorded live on September 18, 2010, at the Acer Arena, in Sydney, Australia
(from 1983's Kill 'Em All)

"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" - Recorded live on September 15, 2010, at the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia
(from 1986's Master of Puppets)

"Master Of Puppets" - Recorded live on October 16, 2010, at the Brisbane Entertainment Center, in Brisbane, Australia
(from 1986's Master of Puppets)

"...And Justice For All" - Recorded live on October 18, 2010, at the Brisbane Entertainment Center, in Brisbane, Australia
(from 1988's ...And Justice for All)

"Fade To Black" - Recorded live on September 18, 2010, at the Acer Arena, in Sydney, Australia
(from 1984's Ride The Lightning)

"Damage, Inc." - Recorded live on September 22, 2010, at the CBS Canterbury Arena, in Christchurch, New Zealand
(from 1986's Master of Puppets)

Similar to "Six Feet Down Under" (Part I), this new disc is only available as an import but it is pretty easy to track down ($15.99 through Metallica's online store). Long-time Metallica fans are going to want to have this disc in their collection.

Links:
Metallica

Gang of Four Post Free Three Track EP // Show at Webster Hall on Feb. 8th

Gang of Four is releasing Content on Jan. 24th next year which is their first disc of new material in sixteen years. It will be available in a standard CD release and on vinyl. It will also be available in a limited edition "Ultimate Content Can" which contains six booklets:

1. the first containing the new album on CD
2. the second featuring an art piece that Andy and Jon have created to depict the last 40 years of world history (composed of a series of twenty drawings and montages),
3. the third, a book of lyrics
4. the fourth, a book of Rotoscoped photographs of the band's emotions
5. the fifth, a book containing sachets of Jon and Andys' blood
6. lastly, a scratch and sniff booklet which reflects the key areas of human activity.

In the interim, the band just released a free three-track EP of unreleased material through the Guardian's website (download widget is in the right nav bar). The tracks consist of a reworked version of the classic "Glass" (from their debut album Entertainment), a brand new song ("Sleeper") and a remix of the Content track "I Party All the Time". Click over to the Guardian site as the band wrote a detailed overview/history of each of the three tracks.

Gang of Four is kicking off a North American tour in February and the local tour stop is at Webster Hall on Feb. 8th. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 DOS.

Gang of Four: North American Tour Dates
Feb. 4: Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON
Feb. 5: Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 7: Paradise, Boston, MA
Feb. 8: Webster Hall, New York, NY
Feb. 9: 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 11: Metro, Chicago, IL
Feb. 12: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 15: Venue, Vancouver, BC
Feb. 16: Showbox @ the Market, Seattle, WA
Feb. 17: Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Feb. 19: The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Feb. 20: House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
Feb. 21: Music Box, Los Angeles, CA

Links:
Gang of Four

Grandfather Plays Union Pool on Nov. 20th // Debut Disc Recorded with Steve Albini Out Now

DOWNLOAD: Grandfather - BrooklynRocks Interview with Mike (Guitar) and Josh (Drums/Vocals)
DOWNLOAD: Grandfather - Why I'd Try (full album)

Here is a snippet from GQ Magazine's recent interview with Steve Albini:

Is there a young artist with integrity who inspires you today?

I have an unusual perspective in that I make records every day for a living. I see a lot of bands on a weekly basis. I see little bits and pieces of behavior that are encouraging. There was a band that came into the studio a while back called Grandfather. They were an art rock band that organized the funding of their record through Kickstarter. They were really well rehearsed and came into the studio and knocked the record out in a couple of days. Because they didn't have a record label or any promotion schedule to adhere to, they were able to get their record manufactured and distributed within a couple of months. That's the kind of nimble, efficient behavior that was previously impossible when there was a corporate structure involved. It gives me confidence other bands will figure it out.

Grandfather's debut release, Why I'd Try, is out now in multiple formats (store link). There is a limited edition vinyl version with handmade art (edition of 300), a limited edition CD version (limited to 1000 copies) and as a free MP3 download. This is a great disc that mixes elements from the harder side of prog-rock with grunge and the start/stop rhythms of post-punk and have come up with some tracks that are immediately ear-grabbing.

Guitarist Mike Kirsch has posted a well-written, detailed account of the band's frustration with their digital home studio technology and their subsequent decision to record with Steve Albini. Here is a link to Part I.

Grandfather is playing a show this Friday, Nov. 20th at Union Pool along with Hollis Brown and The Hot Press.

Links:
Grandfather

Hot Chip - "What's In My Bag": Shopping at Amoeba Records, San Francisco

London electro-pop band Hot Chip just finished a well-received US tour. The band was out on the West Coast last month and here is how SF Weekly described the band's show at The Warfield: "Hot Chip bring[s] it live. This weekend was awash in stage adaptations of electro-pop acts, and this one was at least as compelling as Miike Snow's, without the creepy face masks. (HC singer Alexis Taylor was wearing a sequined-elephant-festooned baseball cap that my stepmother also owns, but that was an entirely different, altogether more non-threatening kind of creepy.) At six strong -- only one more than their current operational lineup, mind you -- they breathed more life into their songs than I've ever found on record: something about the distribution of sounds, maybe, or the refreshingly schlubby keyboardist-cum-cowbell guy, or the non-stop dancing other-keyboardist, or the drummer. The drummer! God bless the touring drummers of electronic-based bands, you know? Their rhythmic precision, their interminable fours-on-the-floor, their tireless muscle memory." (link to full review)

Here is a video of Hot Chip stopping in at Amoeba Records in San Francisco for some record shopping while they were in town along with an audience video from the show at The Warfield.





Links:
Hot Chip
Amoeba Records

The Sights (Detroit Garage Rock) Play NYC Shows on Dec. 3rd and 4th

DOWNLOAD: The Sights - "How Do You Sleep?"

Today marks the release date for Detroit garage rockers The Sights' fourth LP, Most of What Follows Is True (Alive Records). The band has been together since the late 90's and the group's rotating lineup centers around guitarist/vocalist Eddie Baranek. This new disc, which is the follow-up to the band's 2005 self-titled release, was recorded at Jim Diamond’s (White Stripes, Electric Six, Dirtbombs) Ghetto Recorders in Detroit and it is a raw slice of Detroit-style blue rock.

“Five years after their last album, The Sights have returned with its strongest effort yet. Leader Eddie Bararenk has found the sweet spot in his songwriting, harnessing the melody of British-influenced power pop to the R&B-fueled garage rock of the band’s earliest days with tighter craft than ever before.” – THE BIG TAKEOVER

The band is currently playing a handful shows before the end of the year which includes two shows the weekend of Dec. 3rd in NYC. The December 3rd show is at Rockwood Music Hall. The Sights is playing with Apollo Run (CD Release show) and The Statesmen. Apollo Run opens the show with a set time of 10PM and The Sights follow at 11PM. The December 4th show is at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn. At this show, The Sights is playing with First Nature and tickets are $8.

Links:
The Sights

Cavalier Rose Plays Bowery Ballroom on Nov. 20th w/ Earl Greyhound

DOWNLOAD: Cavalier Rose - "Daytrotter Session" 1/16/10 (requires free registration)

Here is how Daytrotter described Cavalier Rose's music: "Cavalier Rose make sounds that you must take loudly, ingest them as you would the roar of a thunderstorm pelting a roof and windows with a storm that is trying desperately to get into your house, to reach you and knock you out." Cavalier Rose play a mix of sparse blues and atmospheric rock -- imagining a heavier version of the Cowboy Junkies should provide a good initial frame of reference for the band's sound.

Cavalier Rose is playing Bowery Ballroom next Saturday, Nov. 20th with Earl Greyhound and Knights on Earth. Tickets are $15 and the show starts at 9PM.



Links:
Cavalier Rose

Quinn Marston: "Can You Hear Me See Me Now" CD EP Review (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)

DOWNLOAD: Quinn Marston - "Can You Hear Me See Me Now?"

Quinn Marston’s debut EP “Can You Hear Me See Me Now” (Ernest Jenning Record Co.,) is a quirky and charming affair that is reminiscent of Liz Phair’s Girly Sounds tapes and the early releases from Kill Rocks Stars/K Records. On this DIY sounding effort, 20-year old New Yorker enlisted the efforts of Tim Foljahn (Two Dollar Guitar, Thurston Moore, Cat Power) and members of True Love. Producer Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, Right on Dynamite and The Virgins) adds to the overall sound by capturing the raw energy in Quinn's songs.

Lyrically, the songs cover intimate, personal themes and reflective moments in time but this introspection is counterbalanced by the bouncy, melodic indie-pop sounds that span this disc. "I'm a big fan of emotional honesty," Quinn says. "Art is a place for disclosure. A lot of my friends have different views. They argue that it's bad when art is too much like a journal, but I disagree. I feel like art should be the one place where people can be really, truly honest. That's the beauty of rock 'n' roll for me, it's this place where you can let everything hang out."

The songs on this new EP are all fully developed but each of the eight tracks on “Can You Hear Me See Me Now” clock in around two minutes each so the disc passes quickly. While a few more songs would have been welcome, this EP leaves me in a good place so I’m looking forward to hearing its follow-up.



Links:
Quinn Marston

School of Seven Bells: Win a Copy of 'Heart is Strange' 7" // Show at Terminal 5 on Dec. 2nd

DOWNLOAD: School of Seven Bells - "I L U" (from Disconnect from Desire)

Win a copy of School of Seven Bells' new 7", "Heart is Strange" (which is backed with "Dust Devil" (White Sea Remix)!

Send your name and mailing address to Mike.BrooklynRocks at Gmail dot com. Winners will be selected at random on Friday, Nov. 26th.

School of Seven Bells are playing two local shows over the next few weeks. The first is a show at Zero Film Festival's Closing Night. This show takes place on Nov. 20th at Nutroaster Studios (120 Ingraham St., Brooklyn, NY 11237) and tickets are $12. The second show takes place on December 2nd. School of Seven Bells are supporting The Walkmen at Terminal 5 and tickets are $25 in advance and $30 DOS.

Links:
School of Seven Bells

Automatic Children Release New Video for "Coming Over Me" // Show at Mercury Lounge on Nov. 23rd

Kudos to Automatic Children on their first 'formal' music video!

We are SUPER excited to announce the release of our first-ever 'real' music video! Sure, we've had some things shot at shows and in our rehearsal space, but not a legit production with actors and a story! We'd like to thank our amazing director Melissa Kelly, and our actors Ryan Stinnett and Louise Gassman for a fantastic job. We had a lot of fun and are already dreaming up more. We'll be posting behind-the-scenes photos in the next few days.

Automatic Children are playing Mercury Lounge on Tuesday, November 23rd along with Matt Lowell, Twitch the Ripper, and The Hotcakes. Tickets are $10 and Automatic Children go on at 7PM.

Links:
Automatic Children

The English Beat Play The Bell House on Dec. 9th & Maxwell's on Dec. 14th

Dave Wakeling launched an American version of The English Beat sometime last decade. The new band sounds great and Dave's voice remains in top form. The tour stops at The Bell House on Dec. 9th and Maxwell's in Hoboken on Dec. 14th.

While out in Los Angeles many years back, I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Dave play with his group Bang at The Roxy, In an interview with songfacts.com, here is how Dave described how Bang morphed into The English Beat: "I started my own 4-piece band and called it Bang. And sort of went back to roots. The Beatles, there was only four of them and they sounded okay, so I did that instead. Bang went on for a couple of years, but so many times I would show up, and they would say, "Tonight: The English Beat, General Public, Bang, and Dave Wakeling," like it was four groups. In the end, I just gave up. I was like all right, fine. English Beat it is. You can't fight against the tide."



As a major part of the two-tone ska music revolution of the late 70s and early 80s, alongside their stablemates The Specials, Madness, and The Selector, the musical juggernaut that is lead vocalist Dave Wakeling hasn't lost any momentum in songwriting. He and his bandmates managed to find time between endless touring to lay down demos for their forthcoming release (planned for 2011). Their new songs such as "The Love You Give Lasts Forever", "How Can You Stand There" and "Said We Would Never Die" are quickly becoming fan favorites and live staples.

Tickets for the Dec. 9th show at The Bell House are $25 and doors are at 8PM. Tickets for the Dec. 14th show at Maxwell's are $24.99 and doors are at 8PM.

English Beat Tour Dates
Nov 12 -- Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA
Nov 13 -- Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA
Nov 19 -- SLO Brewing Company, San Luis Obispo, CA
Nov 20 -- SoHo, Santa Barbara, CA
Dec 08 -- Ramshead On Stage, Annapolis, MD
Dec 09 -- Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
Dec 10 -- Fairfield Theatre – Stage One, Fairfield, CT
Dec 11 -- Fairfield Theatre – Stage One, Fairfield, CT
Dec 12 -- Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT
Dec 14 -- Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
Dec 15 -- Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry, NH
Dec 16 -- Tupelo Music Hall, White River Junction, VT
Feb 4 -- Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA
Feb 5 -- Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA

Links:
The English Beat

Tim Kasher Releases Solo Daytrotter Session // Returns to NYC in Dec. With Minus The Bear

DOWNLOAD: Tim Kasher - "Daytrotter Session" 11/3/10 (requires free registration)

Kicking off his fall tour with a headlining show earlier this week at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, CA, Tim Kasher continues on his massive national fall trek in support of his debut solo album, The Game Of Monogamy. The tour, which began in late September, runs through December 17th at The Rave (Downstairs) in Milwaukee, WI, and includes recently announced dates in El Paso, TX (11/15), Pittsburgh, PA (11/22), Washington, DC (11/23), and St. Louis, MO (12/15). In addition to the headlining shows, Kasher will again support Minus The Bear for two and a half weeks in late November and into December. Kasher will be backed by a full band on all dates.

Kasher's excellent first solo Daytrotter session is also now online (link above). The session features The Game Of Monogamy tracks "Bad, Bad Dreams," "The Prodigal Husband," and "No Fireworks," as well as a cover of David Bowie's "Soul Love." The video for "Cold Love," directed by Kasher himself and featuring actress Molly Parker (Deadwood, Swingtown), premiered in late September on AOL Music's Spinner blog and can also now be viewed here.



The Game Of Monogamy was released October 5th by Saddle Creek. The album is more of an arranged record than any of Kasher's past releases with Cursive and The Good Life, and has been catching the attention of the press, including Alternative Press, The A.V. Club, Filter, Popmatters, SPIN, and USA Today. Filled with deceptively catchy classic pop, sweeping, grand arrangements, and alternately stark and lush instrumentation, the album explores the wide range of distinctly human emotions tangled up around relationships in a starched shirt society. The Game Of Monogamy was written and recorded in Whitefish, MT, last winter, co-produced by Kasher and Patrick Newbery (of Cursive, Lacona, Head Of Femur), who also helped with the arrangements and plays on the record. Erin Tate (Minus The Bear) and Matt Maginn (Cursive) also contributed drum and bass parts, respectively, and members of the Glacier National Symphony added classical instrument parts.

Tickets for the show at Terminal 5 (with Minus the Bear) are $25.50 in advance and $30 (DOS).

Upcoming Tour Dates:

NOV. 12 -- POMONA, CA -- GLASS HOUSE RECORD STORE
NOV. 13 -- SAN DIEGO, CA -- THE LOFT @ UCSD
NOV. 14 -- PHOENIX, AZ -- SAIL INN
NOV. 15 -- EL PASO, TX THE PERCOLATOR
NOV. 16 -- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- BLACK SHEEP
NOV. 18 -- LINCOLN, NE -- BOURBON THEATER
NOV. 19 -- OMAHA, NE -- THE WAITING ROOM
NOV. 20 -- CHICAGO, IL -- SCHUBAS
NOV. 21 -- ANN ARBOR, MI -- BLIND PIG
NOV. 22 -- PITTSBURGH, PA -- THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ
NOV. 23 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- THE RED PALACE
NOV. 24 -- CHAPEL HILL, NC -- LOCAL 506
NOV. 26 -- ORLANDO, FL -- THE SOCIAL
NOV. 27 -- TAMPA, FL -- CROWBAR
NOV. 28 -- ATLANTA, GA -- THE EARL
NOV. 29 -- ASHEVILLE, CA -- ORANGE PEEL*
NOV. 30 -- RALEIGH, NC -- LINCOLN THEATRE*
DEC. 1 -- NORFOLK, VA -- NORVA*
DEC. 2 -- YORK, PA -- STRAND*
DEC. 3 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA -- ELECTRIC FACTORY*
DEC. 4 -- NEW YORK, NY -- TERMINAL 5*
DEC. 6 -- PAWTUCKET, RI -- MET CAFÉ*
DEC. 7 -- BOSTON, MA -- WILBUR THEATRE*
DEC. 9 -- CLEVELAND, OH -- HOUSE OF BLUES*
DEC. 10 -- PONTIAC, MI -- CLUTCH CARGO'S*
DEC. 11 -- URBANA, IL -- CANOPY CLUB*
DEC. 12 -- COLUMBIA, MO -- THE BLUE NOTE*
DEC. 13 -- IOWA CITY, IA -- THE BLUE MOOSE*
DEC. 14 -- BLOOMINGTON, IN -- BLUEBIRD*
DEC. 15 -- ST. LOUIS, MO -- OFF BROADWAY
DEC. 16 -- CHICAGO, IL -- THE VIC THEATRE*
DEC. 17 -- MILWAUKEE, WI -- THE RAVE (Downstairs)*
* supporting Minus The Bear

Links:
Tim Kasher

AWOLNATION Release Live Video for "Burn It Down" // Show in Los Angeles with Fitz & The Tantrums

DOWNLOAD: AWOLNATION - "Burn It Down" (Live)

Aaron Bruno, front man for Los Angeles' Under the Influence of Giants, formed his latest project 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 put on a hot live show that was 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.



AWOLNATION is playing a show in Los Angeles with Fitz & the Tantrums on Nov. 17th and there is a showcase (details TBD) at Santos Party House on November 30th.

Links:
AWLONATION

Creation's End: "A New Beginning" Exclusive Interview // CD Release Party is Dec. 3rd at Ace of Clubs

Creation's End is a new progressive/power metal band that is the outgrowth of a long-time collaboration between guitarist Rudy Albert (ex-Zandelle) and drummer Dario Rodriguez. Rounding out the lineup with vocalist Mike DiMeo (ex-Masterplan, ex-Riot), guitarist Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie Band), and bassist Joe Black (Chris Caffery, ex-Zandelle), the band worked with producer John Macaluso (who is also drummer for James Labrie Band, Fool’s Game) to rework eight of the demo tracks that Rudy and Dario recorded during 2003 - 2006. The band's debut album, A New Beginning was released this past Tuesday (Nov. 9th) via New Jersey’s Sensory Records.

The band will make their live debut at a record-release show on Friday, December 3 at New York City's Ace of Clubs. Sharing the bill with Creation’s End is The MP Project, Monstar Zero and Clearview.



I had the chance to talk with Rudy Albert and Dario Rodriguez about the new album, the upcoming record release show and plans for the future.

BrooklynRocks: Coming out of established bands, what were your goals for the new records?

Creation’s End: We wanted to go in a different direction with a whole new vision – something progressive and dark. We’ve revised and reworked these songs over the years and they just didn’t fit with the direction of our then-current bands so we decided to take these ideas elsewhere.

BrooklynRocks: How did you hook up with Sensory Records?

Creation’s End: I met Claus (from Intromental) at ProgPower Festival in 2007 and we established a huge friendship. Claus passed our music on to Ken at Sensory and things happened from there. It feels great to have a family at Sensory.

BrooklynRocks: With your record coming out late in the year, what are your plans for 2011?

Creation’s End: We are really looking forward to the record release show at Ace of Clubs. All the band members will be there and Marco Sfogli will be flying in from Italy for the show. We are planning on going out on some late Spring / early Summer tours next year and we are playing the ProgPower Festival in Atlanta on Sept. 16th.

We are also writing on a weekly basis so we are expecting to go into the studio sometime next year to record our follow-up record.

BrooklynRocks: Are there many opportunities for a metal band to play out NYC? Are there any particular bands that you are looking to tour with?

Creation’s End: It is really difficult being a new band and playing out in NYC. A number of metal-oriented clubs have closed over the last few years and some of the promoters who are still around aren’t willing to book metal acts.

A dream tour would be with Devin Townsend – I’m a huge fan. There are a number of other bands that we would love to tour with which includes Evergrey and Symphony X.

BrooklynRocks: In a recent review of your new disc, the reviewer name-checked both Styx and White Lion. How would you describe your music and do you see any comparison to the aforementioned bands?

Creation’s End: We have been asked this a lot and have been describing our music as “arena prog. rock”. The music is big and bombastic but we hope that it has universal appeal so that everyone can find something in it that they like.

(Laughing) Mike DiMeo called me up after reading that same review saying that he sounds nothing like Mike Tramp. Personally, I think a closer comparison would have been to Russell Allen (Symphony X vocalist). I don’t know where the Styx comparison came from though. Creation’s End isn’t theatrical and we are certainly heavier sounding than Styx but we do have some big epic, dramatic sections on the disc so I guess that I can sort of see the comparison.

BrooklynRocks: With each song averaging 7+ minutes, do you have any concerns about your songs being too long to get much radio or video play?

Creation’s End: Our producer (Johnny Mac) asked us about this as well. We wrote these songs many years ago when bands like Metallica and Dream Theater were writing 7 – 10 minute epic songs so we wanted to write like this. While we didn’t want to edit down these songs, we have grown and matured as songwriters over the years and will likely have shorter songs on the next disc.

BrooklynRocks: Thanks for the time tonight! Is there anything that you want to leave people with?

Creation’s End: Pick up the new disc and judge it for yourself. (Engineer) Neil Kernon (Yes, Nile, etc.) captured the full range of audio dynamics in the mix so the disc has a full and uncompressed sound. I think the disc sounds great and I still listen to it regularly.

Come on out to the Ace of Clubs record release show. There are some good bands on the bill and we are going to rock out.

Links:
Creation's End

Robert Fripp Releases "Non-Loop Idea" Tracks from 1979 as Free Download

PLAY: Robert Fripp - "Non Loop Idea VIII"
DOWNLOAD: Robert Fripp - "Non Loop Ideas VIII & IX" (Requires Free Registration on DGMLive)

This week's free download from Robert Fripp/King Crimson are some short instrumental pieces that were recorded in 1979.

It’s interesting how ideas might come along but don’t necessarily find their place until many years later. The driving chords of Brightness Falls by Sylvian and Fripp are instantly recognisable on the first of two unplugged outings from 1979. Fifteen years would pass before the record buying public would get a chance to wig out and exchange dandruff to this little head-banger. As far as these ears can tell, Non Loop Idea IX sounds as though it has still to find a proper home, although that ascending run near the end would surely make for a lovely bitter-sweet ballad.

Robert Fripp is coming to NYC in December to "soundscape" in World Financial Centre's Winter Garden. The concerts take place on Friday, December 3rd at 12.30 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. and Saturday, 4th December at 12.30 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. For anyone who hasn't heard Fripp's Soundscapes, check out the powerful performance he gave in November of 2000.

Links:
Robert Fripp
King Crimson

King Crimson: Islands (40th Anniversary Series) CD Review

After watching record labels repeatedly reissue a band’s back-catalog citing allegedly increased sonic fidelity with each reissue (Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin) or appending a limited set of what looks to be haphazardly selected bonus tracks (Blondie, The Replacements), I now approach reissues with a healthy degree of skepticism. In this case, my skepticism was unfounded with the 40th Anniversary Series edition of King Crimson’s Islands.

I’m not going to attempt to review the original six-track album as there is little that I can add to the scores of reviews that have been written over the past forty years. The one thing that I do want to note though is that the sound on this remastered reissue is impressive as it captures the audio warmth of an analog vinyl record with the clarity of a pure-digital recording. I’ve probably listened to my vinyl copy of Islands dozens of times but I heard more separation, depth and clarity on this reissue than I ever heard on the vinyl.

Now for the bonus tracks – there are six bonus tracks (billed as an alternate version of Islands) added to the CD and a second disc (DVD-A) that holds additional unreleased audio tracks. The CD bonus tracks aren’t quite an alternate version of the full Islands album as “Islands” is a 2 minute snippet from the song that focuses on a middle-section with the oboe, “Prelude: Song of the Gulls” is swapped with a previously unreleased track and a number of the other songs are shorter run-throughs than what ended up on the final release. It is fascinating though to hear how these songs evolved as each of these bonus tracks contains notable differences from the previously released versions. The real stand-out track though is the previously unreleased “A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls” as this song contains segments that were later used in “Larks’ Tongue in Aspect” and “Lament”.

CD Bonus Tracks/Islands: The Alternate Album
- Islands (studio run through with oboe prominent);
- Formentera Lady (Take 2);
- Sailor's Tale (alternate mix/edit)
- A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls (previously unreleased)
- The Letters (rehearsal/outtake);
- Ladies of the Road (Robert Fripp & David Singleton remix)

DVD-A Content/Bonus Tracks

2010 Remaster:
- Formentera Lady
- Sailor's Tale
- The Letters
- Ladies of the Road
- Prelude: Song of the Gulls
- Islands

Original album:
- Formentera Lady
- Sailor's Tale
- The Letters
- Ladies of the Road
- Prelude: Song of the Gulls
- Islands

Islands: The Alternate Album:
- Formentera Lady (Take 2)
- Sailor's Tale (alternate mix/edit)
- The Letters (rehearsal/outtake)
- Ladies of the Road (rough mix)
- A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls (previously unreleased)
- Islands (studio run through with oboe prominent)

Route to Islands:
- Pictures of a City (Islands lineup rehearsal - song first recorded with original lineup)
- Sailor's Tale (Islands lineup rehearsal)
- Islands (fragment: Robert Fripp reference cassette—mellotron on vibes setting)
- Formentera Lady (rough mix)
- Sailor's Tale (rough mix)
- Drop In (Early rehearsal by Islands lineup)
- The Letters (Live at Plymouth)
- Sailor's Tale (Live at the Zoom Club)

Additional tracks: Assorted Ladies:
- Ladies of the Road (Robert Fripp & David Singleton remix)
- Ladies of the Road (Take 5)
- Ladies of the Road (Take 1)
- Ladies of the Road (Take 3)
- Ladies of the Road (Take 4)

For years, the only other recording from this lineup was the bootleg sounding live LP Earthbound. While KCCC have rectified this by issuing a number of live albums over the past decade, this set shows just how solid this under-appreciated lineup was in the studio.

In closing, I’m still scratching my head over how Boz could go from playing almost free-form jazz in King Crimson to Bad Company.

Links:
King Crimson

New Museum Screens the Film "Open" on Nov. 19th (Inspired by Genesis P-Orridge)

The New Museum is pleased to be the first major New York institution to screen OPEN, a film by emerging Director Jake Yuzna (b. 1982, Minneapolis, MN). The first American film to receive the Teddy Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, OPEN presents the new forms of love and sex emerging at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Inspired by the life and work of Genesis and Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, OPEN follows a love triangle between a young hermaphrodite and a pandrogynous couple merging their bodies into one through plastic surgery. As they explore new frontiers of the human form, they encounter a young transman who grapples with an unexpected pregnancy as he forms a post-nuclear family unit. Starring real trans, intersexed, and queer actors, and featuring an original score by the group ADULT., OPEN emotionally showcases the expanding possibilities for humanity.

"Yuzna's film has the kind of poetic clarity that creates a beautifully observed, hard-nosed fable," remarked Richard Flood, Director of Special Projects and Curator at Large, New Museum. The November 19, premiere will take place at the New Museum Theater, and will begin with a 7 p.m. screening of the film OPEN, followed by a conversation between Director Jake Yuzna and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. Tickets: $10 Members, $12 General Public. Click on the photo to go to the ticketing website.

After its debut at 2010 Berlin Film Festival, OPEN has gone on to garner critical acclaim and has received several awards including: Best Performance, NewFest, 2010; Best Narrative Feature, Tel Aviv Film Festival, 2010; Four in Focus, OutFest, Los Angeles, 2010, and the Jury Award, QueerLisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, 2010, among other recognitions.

Jake Yuzna, Director
Son of a poet and nephew to cult horror director, Jake Yuzna (b. 1982, Minneapolis, MN) emerged from an arts education while training in the American adult video industry. Before reaching the age of 23 years old, Yuzna received fellowships in film from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Frameline Foundation, the Philthrofund Foundation, Creative Time, Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Jerome Foundation. Filmed exclusively in Yuzna's hometown of Minneapolis, MN, OPEN marks Yuzna's first feature length film.

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Consultant
Founder of the bands Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge is an instrumental figure in the foundation of Industrial Music. Ranging from performances with COUM Transmissions, to paintings, drawings, and sculpture, P-Orridge has influenced a generation of artists, with he/r personal archive recently acquired by the Tate Museum. Deeply influenced by artist Brion Gysin and his Cut-Up method, P-Orridge created and lived by the notion of pandrogeny, which advocated the merging of the sexes via the Cut-Up. Through a series of operations, P-Orridge and he/r late partner Lady Jaye became examples of a "third sex," a riff on Gysin's lifelong collaboration with William Burroughs that culminated in the collage work The Third Mind.

Genesis P-Orridge Drops Off Throbbing Gristle Tour // Remaining Members Finish Tour as X-TG

These tracks are taken from the second X-TG show - at Porto Casa Musica in Portugal on November 5th 2010.

X-TG 'XVox' Live at Porto Casa Musica by Industrial Records

X-TG 'XPad' Live at Porto Casa Musica by Industrial Records

I'm glad the I had the opportunity to see Throbbing Gristle at Brooklyn Masonic as it doesn't sound as though the four members will be working together as an active group anytime in the near future. The following was posted to Throbbing Gristle's website a about a week ago:

IR STATEMENT

In the evening 27th October TG members and their associated managements received two emails from Genesis P-Orridge stating he was no longer willing to perform in Throbbing Gristle and returned to his home in New York.

Cosey, Sleazy & Chris have concluded that once more, and for the time being, Throbbing Gristle has Ceased to Exist, at least as a live entity.

Therefore, and with deepest apologies, TG canceled their scheduled performance at Archa Theatre, in Prague, Czech Republic on 30th October. It being too short notice to offer an alternative set.

In order not to disappoint fans of the old quartet, Cosey, Peter & Chris performed live under the name X-TG at Arena Del Sole, Bologna, Italy on 2nd November & at Casa Musica, Porto, Portugal on 5th November.

We hope fans will appreciate and enjoy this new project and the trio is looking forward to performing exciting new and radical electronic musics together.

Industrial Records Ltd, London. 29th October 2010



Links:
Throbbing Gristle
X-TG

The Secret - Solve et Coagule CD Review (Southern Lord)

One of the latest releases from Southern Lord is the third disc, Solve et Coagula, from Italian black metalers The Secret. The disc wallows in darkness, filth and aggressive rage and its twelve tracks of cavernous, atonal cacophony blast by in about 35 minutes. The band describes this disc as their sonic interpretation of a total loss of faith in social system, religion, personal redemption and every institution.

The disc starts with one of the longer tracks, “Cross Builder”, which is an atmospheric drone piece with creepy, whispered vocals buried beneath the music. Based on this first track, I mistakenly assumed that The Secret were heading down an ambient black metal path similar to musicians like Xasthur. The unearthly shrieking vocals, blast beats and pummeling de-tuned, grindcore riffs kick in on track two and don’t let up until the end of the disc. Unlike Xasthur, who seems to like lurking in the darkness, the demons that The Secret are channeling have no interest in hiding and come running toward you like a full-on freight train.

In a recent interview with Brooklyn Vegan, guitarist Michael Bertoldini described the songs as “Fast, dark, straightforward heavy songs”. This quote doesn’t quite do the songs on Solve et Coagula justice – comparing The Secret to bands like Emtombed, Botch or Converge should provide a better frame of reference for anyone not familiar with the band.

The new disc was produced by Kurt Ballou at his Godcity Studio in Salem, MA and features cover art by art by Justin Bartlett (VBERKVLT).

The Secret had originally planned to tour the States late in the year with Early Graves but the tour was canceled after Early Graves’ vocalist Makh Daniels’ death in August. The Secret is now planning on touring the States in early ’11.

Links:
The Secret

Slayer and Job For A Cowboy Announce Metal Club / Black Friday Releases

Because of Metal Club, I'm thinking about getting up and standing in the freezing cold on Black Friday to pick up some of these limited releases (as I don't have the money to pay eBay prices after the fact).

Slayer and Job For a Cowboy have announced their plans to release Metal Club exclusive pieces on Black Friday (11/26). This is a big day for Metal Club releases as it also includes Metallica's "Live at Grimey's" CD/10" and the limited "wormhole tunnel box" edition of Mastodon's Crack the Skye.

Slayer will be releasing the "World Painted Blood" 7" with a previously unreleased track, "Atrocity Vendor," as part of the special limited-edition single. Written by Kerry King, the track was recorded during the 2009 "World Painted Blood" sessions. "Atrocity Vendor" will be paired with the Tom Araya/Jeff Hanneman-penned track "World Painted Blood," and released in a clear sleeve on red vinyl (pictured above).

Arizona death metal band Job For A Cowboy will release Ruination as a limited-edition 3x10" colored (orange/red/green) vinyl/CD box set. The collection includes the band's latest Metal Blade Records release split on two separate colored 10-inch vinyl LP's, with the third LP encompassing rare and unreleased live and cover songs.

HotChaCha Release New EP // Show at Pianos on Nov. 12th

DOWNLOAD: HOTCHACHA - "Naked Glass"

Cleveland art-punk band HotChaCha have a new EP, "Fantastic Static" (on Exit Stencil), which is already getting great reviews. The new five-track EP is the first to capture the power of the band's live set -- The Heard said "I can hear, see, smell and even taste the raw power on Fantastic Static."

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.

The balance of the delicate and the forceful from multi-instrumentalist Mandy Aramouni continues to provide HotChaCha with their signature, reverb-soaked atmosphere (imagine the sound of the XX if they were the Runaways!) but here, the drive and immediacy is palpable and dramatic. The interplay of Heather Gmucs (bass) and Roseanna Safos (drums) provide the band with their heartbeat, dictate the mood, and seamlessly transition from pensive to explosive and then some.

The band is playing a show at Pianos on Friday, Nov. 12th along with Caveman, Beresford and Apollo Run. Tickets are $10 and HotChaCha plays at 9PM.

Links:
HotChaCha

Boom Chick (Frank Hoier's new project) Releases Debut Disc on Nov. 30th // Upcoming Shows in Brooklyn

Frank Hoier got a lot of notice back in '08 for his disc Lovers & Dollars, which which NPR called a "memorable collection of Americana songs." He has now teamed up with designer-turned-drummer Moselle Spiller and formed the blues/garage rock band Boom Chick.

At just one year old, Boom Chick's first year was packed with countless sweaty loft parties, constant creation in the industrial Red Hook neighborhood they call home, and hard-charging tours of both European capitals and the grand expanses of the good ol’ US of A. Now Boom Chick is finally ready to unleash their living, breathing sound upon the world.

Boom Chick’s ecstatic debut Show Pony (out November 30th) is shot through with all the love and bones you can pack onto two-inch tape, and revels in Frank & Moselle’s myriad influences, from their shared love of atomic 50's rock n’ roll, dirty Delta blues, reverb-laced surf rock and 60’s girl group melodies, to the bright torches they carry for the classic catalogs of Chess & Sun Records.



Boom Chick have a couple of upcoming shows scheduled around Brooklyn:

Nov. 12 -- Spike Hills
Nov. 18 -- Pete's Candy Store
Nov. 21 -- Trash Bar

Links:
Boom Chick

Paul McCartney Reissues Deluxe Edition of "Band on the Run" (Concord Music Group)

STREAM: Paul McCartney - "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five"

Paul McCartney's 1973 disc Band on the Run was reissued last week in a variety of formats.

There is the single disc, digitally remastered, 9-track standard edition. The three disc (2CD, 1 DVD) special edition, which features nine bonus audio tracks (including the top 10 smash “Helen Wheels”), rare footage of the McCartneys in Lagos and behind-the-scenes at the famous album cover shoot, original Band on the Run promotional video clips, the "One Hand Clapping" television special (highlighted by studio performances filmed at Abbey Road in 1974) all with beautifully enhanced packaging. For collectors, there is the four disc (3CD, 1 DVD) deluxe edition which adds an extraordinary 120-page hard-bound book containing many unseen and unpublished photos by Linda McCartney and Clive Arrowsmith, album and single artwork, downloadable hi-res audio versions of the remastered album and bonus audio tracks, a full history of the album complete with a new interview with Paul and expanded track by track information for all four discs. The deluxe edition also includes a special Band on the Run audio documentary (originally produced for the 25th Anniversary edition.) The original remastered album and bonus audio content will also be issued in a 2-disc 180gm audiophile vinyl edition that comes with an MP3 download of all 18 tracks. Lastly, the standard and deluxe versions of Band on the Run will be available digitally worldwide.

Intrigued with recording abroad in the summer of 1973, McCartney searched for a list of studios around the world. Spotting one in the remote location of Lagos, Nigeria, he became enthralled with the idea of recording in Africa. Days before departure, lead guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell quit the band leaving the entire project to the three core members, Paul, his wife Linda McCartney and band-member Denny Laine (along with recording engineer Geoff Emerick). Recorded in August and September of 1973 (with further work done at AIR Studios in London in October 1973), they persevered through a tumultuous, yet creatively invigorating 2 month recording process battling difficult studio conditions, oppressive heat and a dangerous mugging at knife point. The thieves made off with the demo tapes (among other valuables), forcing the band to record the entire album from memory.

Band on the Run marks the first release from the Paul McCartney Archive Collection and Paul McCartney personally supervised all aspects of the Band on the Run reissue. The remastering work was done at Abbey Road using the same team who recently remastered the complete Beatles’ catalog. This release is also the initial physical release of the recently announced agreement between McCartney’s MPL and Concord Music Group to globally market and distribute McCartney’s solo and Wings catalog.

Links:
Paul McCartney