The Young Knives - Luna Lounge, NYC March 20, 2007

The Young Knives put on a fabulous show last night at Luna Lounge. I strongly recommend catching their show at Annex on Friday night, which is also the last night of the tour. (Tomorrow's show at the Mercury Lounge is sold out) The band will be playing big rooms soon so catch them in the clubs while you still can.



TimeOut New York dismissed the band as being Clash wannabes. This description isn't even close. The band has a unique sound that I would compare to a cross between Gang of 4, The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers. Before last night, I hadn't seen a bass player whom I would compare to Bruce Foxton.





I hate to slag another band in a review but I can't help comparing this show to The View's show at the Mercury in January. What a night and day difference....The View played a 30 minute set to a sold-out room and I spent the first fifteen minutes wondering why they sounded like a Star Spangles cover band. The Young Knives played almost an hour to a half-full room and balls-out rocked from the first song to the last.


I never see multiple nights on any band's tour but last night's show was that impressive that I am very tempted to hit the Annex show on Friday. If tickets are still available, I'd get them quickly.

The Young Knives debut CD is out on Rykodisc (in the US) and is packaged with a bonus DVD that contains a live performances from a show in London along with a number of the band's videos. I'll be posting a review of the CD/DVD in the next few days.

Sin-e is Closing on April 2nd

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

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

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

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

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

21+, $10 cover

advanced tickets on ticketweb

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

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

The Shins Hit NYC on Promo Tour for New CD

The Shins new CD/LP Wincing the Night Away is due to be released on Jan. 23rd and the band is making a number of promo stops in NYC to promote the upcoming release.





Here is the current schedule:
- The band is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live next week (Jan 13th)

- The band will be playing live at midnight at Virgin Records in Union Square on Jan. 22nd.

- The band is the musical guest on The Late Show with David Letterman on Jan. 23rd

The band is off on a limited tour right after this (with, unfortunately, no NYC area dates scheduled). Tour dates are:

Feb. 8: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
Feb. 9: Milwaukee (Eagles Ballroom)
Feb. 10: Chicago (Congress Theatre)
Feb. 11: St. Louis (Pageant)
Feb. 12-13: Lawrence, Kan. (Liberty Hall)
Feb. 15: Denver (Fillmore)
Feb. 16: Salt Lake City (In the Venue)
Feb. 20: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
Feb. 21: Portland, Ore. (Crystal Ballroom)
Feb. 25: London (Astoria)

Never Let Death Get In The Way of Profit (...or Exploiting James Brown)

Anyone who has been to a show at BB King's should recognize the card on the left. These are free giveaway "postcards" that BB King's uses to promote the higher profile shows at the club. These cards have just started turning up on eBay and are selling for $10 (or more) each.

It is pretty sad that the man hasn't been gone more than a few days and the profiters are already out.

Joe Lynn Turner (x-Rainbow and Deep Purple) Performing Live on Manhattan Cable Access Tonight (Dec. 17)

Joe Lynn Turner (best known as vocalist for both Rainbow and Deep Purple) makes a rare "appearance" in the area with a live broadcast on Manhattan cable access tonight at 2AM. This show was taped Thursday night in Staten Island as part of the New York Rocks TV series and will be broadcast on Time Warner Channel 56.

I understand Joe lives in Queens but he plays very infrequently in the area so be sure to catch this rare appearance. (As Brooklyn cable doesn't carry New York Rocks, please drop me an email if anyone records this show to DVD)

Joe's latest CD Sunstorm was just released in the US on Locomotive Records. Joe also announced that he is entering the studio this week to record a follow up to Sunstorm.

Isis & Jesu to Play Irving Plaza on March 14, 2007

Hyrdrahead recording artists Isis return to NYC on March 14th to headline a show at Irving Plaza.

Isis is touring in support of their new release In the Absence of Truth and will supported by Jesu (which features Justin Broadrick [x-Godflesh and Ted Parsons [x-Swans and Killing Joke]) on most of the tour.

Other tour dates in the Northeast are:

• Mar. 10 - Richmond, VA - Alley Katz
• Mar. 11 - Washington, DC - 930 Club
• Mar. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
• Mar. 14 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
• Mar. 16 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East
• Mar. 17 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East

Zombi Live @ Northsix, Brooklyn Dec. 2, 2006

Relapse recording artists Zombi followed Maserati. Zombi is a two-piece band that plays a style of prog-rock that would be easily comparable to mid-period Genesis or Tangerine Dream. For having just a keyboard/bass player and a drummer, Zombi produces complex, multi-layered music with a very big sound.



Zombi has been in town a few times over the past few months including a spot opening for Isis at the Avalon in June. Zombi has become a very strong live act and I would expect to see them start to headline some shows in the area in the near future.

The band is currently finishing their tour of the Northeast with Maserati and have a few remaining dates in Canada and Buffalo. Upcoming tour dates are:

12.06 Ottawa, ON @ Cafe Deckuf w/Maserati
12.07 Hamilton, ON @ The Underground w/Maserati
12.08 Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee's w/Maserati
12.09 Buffalo, NY @ Soundlab w/Maserati

Interview with Bad Flirt's Jasamine White-Gluz

This past week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jasamine from Bad Flirt and she graciously allowed me to record our conversation as a podcast.
For those non-iPod folks (like me), here is a direct link to the mp3 file.




The band had to cancel their show at Club Midway last weekend as the other dates on their mini-tour fell through at the last moment but hopefully the band will be back in New York soon.

When we spoke, Jasamine mentioned that the band is finishing pre-production on their first full length CD. I didn't think to ask her about producers but was reading online that the band is working with producer Ted Nicely. Nicely has done great work with bands such as Jawbox, Girls vs. Boys, and Ruth Ruth so the new Bad Flirt release should be a lot of fun and something to look forward to next year.

Lastly, I have two copies of Bad Flirt's current CD EP Head On to give away. Drop me an email at Mike.BrooklynRocks@Gmail.Com with the subject "Bad Flirt" if you are interested. I'll select winners at random on Thursday night.

The Austerity Program @ Water Street Lounge, Brooklyn Nov. 11, 2006

Punk duo The Austerity Program opened the Red Cross Benefit show last Sunday night with a thirty minute set. While the band has been around for a number of years, Sunday night was the first time I had seen them live and I really enjoyed their set. Their sound is very basic and minimal -- just guitar, bass and a pounding drum machine. There were vocals on about half the songs.


The Austerity Program released a CD EP in 2003 on Hydra Head and is currently finalizing their next CD, which is also to be released on Hydra Head.

Martin Carr @ Sound Fix Records, Brooklyn, Nov. 11, 2006

Boo Radleys' guitarist/songwritter Martin Carr returned to New York after a 9 year absence to play Jack Rabid's Big Takeover Party at Sound Fix Records. Carr is still writing great songs and this show kicked off a short US tour. Most of Carr's 30+ minute set focused on his solo material but he did play the Boo Radley classic Lazarus.


Carr disbanded his band bravecaptain of the last few years in October and is now touring under his given name. The sixth and final bravecaptain CD, distractions, available as a free download on the bravecaptain site. Click on the CD cover below and that will bring you to the distractions download page.

Valeze Headline @ Knitting Factory On Nov. 21st

Brooklyn glam-punk stars Valeze are headlining the main stage at the Knitting Factory on November 21st. Valeze is releasing their second CD on December 5th and will be showcasing tunes from this release at their show at the Knit.

Valeze's new CD is streaming on the band's MySpace page and they have released a couple advance tracks for downloading (links are below). My favorite of these is Go, Go, Go! which combines Clash-style riffs with Dale Bozio vocals.

Go, Go, Go!
Search and Destroy
High and Dry

Valeze have been getting a lot of good press for their live shows (see BrooklynVegan and Jenyk) so this looks like a show not to miss.

Tickets are $10 and Valeze is scheduled to hit the stage at 11PM.

Unsound @ The Lucky Cat, Sat., Nov. 25th

Unsound hosts its final event for the year at The Lucky Cat in Brooklyn on Saturday, November 25th.


Bands playing are:

MUSTARD GAS AND ROSES (solo guitar ruminations from Mike Gallagher of Isis)
in a special joint session with DESTRUCTO SWARMBOTS (the soundtrack to a suicide)

Also appearing:
MARCH BURCH member of Schloss Tegal
MUTUS LIBER drone electronics from upstate new york
RICARDO SHEETS member of DisassociateAudio

interludes by HEATHEN PANZER

Doors @ 10PM and Tickets are $5.00. Come early and join in on a vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast.

Bathtub Shitters & Navicon Torture Technologies Play NorthSix On Nov. 22

Japanese grind-core Bathtub Shitters are playing Northsix on Wed., Nov 22nd. along with ID, Navicon Torture Technologies, Defeatist and Negativehate.

Bathtub Shitters are one of those bands that has to be seen to be believed. As you would guess (or maybe not), most of their songs focus on an obsession about sh*t, toilets along with anything and everything else related to these items. The band's music has a good high-voltage energy and Masato Henmarer Morimoto can rival Butthole Surfers' Gibby Hayes for "the most demented vocalist" award.

It looks like a fun show and tickets are only $8.00.