Peasant, Emanuel and the Fear and Lost In The Trees + Free Beer Tomorrow Night at Bell House

DOWNLOAD: Peasant - "The End" (MP3 from Daytrotter Session)
DOWNLOAD: Emanuel and the Fear - "The Rain Becomes the Clouds" (MP3)
VIDEO: Lost In The Trees - "Walk Around the Lake" (Couldn't find a download)

The Bell House has a new recession-busting event "CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEAP CHEAP" which is 3 bands for $5.00 and cover includes free beer for the first hour.


Tomorrow night, the bands are:

Peasant (Doylestown, PA): “DeRose’s vocals float above acoustic guitar melodies, evoking the lyrical eloquence and delicate arrangements of Rogue Wave and the late Elliott Smith.” - Magnet Magazine

Emanuel and the Fear (Brooklyn, NY): "The group is a brilliant new approach to the modern rock band consistently capturing the audience with beautifully, intricate scores laced with eloquent, quivering vocals." - Stranded In Stereo

Lost in the Trees (Chapel Hill, NC): "An Arcadian construction of emotional wilderness hemmed by string sections [and] strummed acoustic guitars." -The Independent

Links:
The Bell House

BACARDI B-LIVE Tour Hits NYC Tomorrow Night (June 17th) with DJs AM, Jazzy Jeff, A-TRAK and More (Dance)

Bacardi U.S.A. is sponsoring a 14 city tour that stops in NYC tomorrow night. The tour brings together established DJs with custom-made Bacardi rum cocktails.

At tomorrow night's showcase, the DJs are DJ Jazzy Jeff (yep - this is Will Smith's former partner), DJ AM, Drop The Lime, A-TRAK and Auto Erotique. As for the liquor, "attendees have the opportunity to sample custom-made Bacardi rum cocktails at the BACARDI Bespoke Bar. This premium bar allows for attendees to sample and create their own cocktails with the help of a talented mixologist. These unique and personalized cocktails are made using the freshest ingredients, fruits and flavor combinations."

BACARDI B-LIVE will feature a memorable stage and lighting experience that complements the overall theme of the events. Designed by multimedia environment company, Moment Factory, an old-school boom box will illuminate the room and serve as a backdrop for performing music acts. Adding to the visual appeal, renowned illustrators and designers have produced limited edition posters and silk-screen t-shirt designs to create an experience that lives on with attendees long after the event.

In addition to turning up the volume on the music scene, BACARDI B-LIVE will be donating proceeds from the events to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America’s public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education.

Tomorrow night's event takes place at M2 Ultra Lounge (530 W 28th Street) and tickets are $15.00.

Rod Stewart Releases Deluxe Versions of His First Two Post-Faces LPs ("A Night on the Town" and "Atlantic Crossing")

Mentioning Rod Stewart to some of the younger sect often gets often get a response of rolled eyes as they only know him from his (horrid) disco songs or his more recent crooner-type ballads. What these folks have missed is the Rod Stewart and The Faces were top-notch rock act that were selling out stadiums in the early-to-mid 70's. The Faces included Ron Wood (guitar) Ian McLaglan (keyboard), Kenny Jones (drums) and Tetsu Yamauchi/Ronnie Lane (bass).

On June 30th, Rhino Entertainment is releasing limited-edition deluxe versions of Rod's first two post-Faces albums, Atlantic Crossing and A Night on the Town. Each of these 2-disc sets contains bonus tracks, outtakes and a complete alternate version of the original studio LP.

Click on Rod's picture to stream an 11-track sampler from these two releases.

Here are the details on these two releases...

Atlantic Crossing was originally released in 1975 and it was Stewart's sixth solo disc. It was certified gold and contains the singles "Sailing" and "I Don't Want To Talk About It". Here is the complete track list:

Disc 1

FAST HALF
“Three Time Loser”
“Alright For An Hour”
“All In The Name Of Rock ’N’ Roll”
“Drift Away”
“Stone Cold Sober”

SLOW HALF
“I Don’t Want To Talk About It”
“It’s Not The Spotlight”
“This Old Heart Of Mine”
“Still Love You”
“Sailing”
“Skye Boat Song” – The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band (non-LP bonus track)

Disc 2 – ALL PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
“To Love Somebody” (Studio Outtake) – with The MG’s
“Holy Cow” (Studio Outtake) – with The MG’s
“Return To Sender” (Studio Outtake) – with The MG’s

THE ALTERNATE ATLANTIC CROSSING
“Three Time Loser” (Alternate Version)
“Alright For An Hour” (Alternate Version)
“All In The Name Of Rock ’N’ Roll” (Alternate Version)
“Drift Away” (Alternate Version)
“Too Much Noise” (Early Version of “Stone Cold Sober”)
“I Don’t Want To Talk About It” (Alternate Version)
“It’s Not The Spotlight” (Alternate Version)
“This Old Heart Of Mine” (Alternate Version with The MG’s)
“Still Love You” (Alternate Version)
“Sailing” (Alternate Version)
“Skye Boat Song” (Alternate Version) – The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band

A Night on the Town was originally released in 1976 and went double-platinum. The disc contains the singles “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)”, a cover of Cat Stevens’ “The First Cut Is The Deepest,” and “The Killing Of Georgie” (Part I and II). Here is the complete track list:

Disc 1

SLOW SIDE
“Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)”
“The First Cut Is The Deepest”
“Fool For You”
“The Killing Of Georgie” (Part I And II)

FAST HALF
“The Balltrap”
“Pretty Flamingo”
“Big Bayou”
“The Wild Side Of Life”
“Trade Winds”
“Rosie” (non-LP bonus track)

Disc 2 – ALL PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
“Share” (Studio Outtake)

THE ALTERNATE NIGHT ON THE TOWN
“Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (Early Version)
“The First Cut Is The Deepest” (Early Version)
“Fool For You” (Early Version)
“The Killing Of Georgie” (Part I And II) (Early Version)
“The Balltrap” (Early Version)
“Pretty Flamingo” (Early Version)
“Big Bayou” (Early Version)
“The Wild Side Of Life” (Early Version)
“Trade Winds” (Early Version)
“Rosie” (Early Version)
“Get Back” (Alternate Version)

Rumors continue to fly that Sewart and The Faces will be reuniting so stay tuned!

Links:
Rod Stewart's MySpace Profile

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

Here is a kind of goofy record store video that was filmed this past April during the Vivian Girls' West Coast tour.



The Vivian Girls have their second disc, Everything Goes Wrong, coming out September 8th on In The Red Records. The band looks to have a pretty quiet summer but they are playing two local shows next month:

July 4, 2009, 2:00PM, Woodsist / Captured Tracks Festival, Brooklyn, NY
(show is at 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD, 979 Broadway btwn Myrtle Ave & Ditmars St, Bushwick)

July 31, 2009, 8:00PM, The Whitney Museum, New York, NY
("Free with museum admission. Seating is first-come, first-served. No reservations.")

Links:
Vivian Girls' MySpace Profile

A.A. Bondy: "When The Devil's Loose" Comes Out Sept. 1st on Fat Possum

DOWNLOAD: A.A. Bondy - "When The Devil's Loose" (MP3)

A.A. Bondy will be releasing his second disc, When The Devil's Loose, September 1st on Fat Possum Records.

This new disc follows 2007's American Hearts and is somewhat of a departure from the sparse acoustic sounds of this first disc. On When The Devil's Loose, A.A. Bondy recorded with a full band which gives gives the songs a roomy sound and provides a 'floor' beneath Bondy's world-weary vocals.

A.A. Bondy has been out on the road for a few weeks (videos from a show a few weeks ago at Bell House are on YouTube) and here are the remainder of his June tour dates:

June 16 -- Indianapolis, IN, Radio Radio
June 17 -- Pontiac, MI, The Pike Room
June 18 -- Chicago, IL, Schubas Tavern
June 19 -- Milwaukee, WI, Club Garibaldi
June 20 -- Minneapolis, MN, 400 Bar
June 22 -- Denver, CO, Hi Dive
June 23 -- Salt Lake City, UT, Urban Lounge
June 25 -- San Francisco, CA, Café du Nord
June 26 -- Visalia, CA, Cellar Door
June 27 -- San Diego, CA, The Casbah (early show)
June 29 -- Phoenix, AZ, Modified Arts

Links:
A.A. Bondy's MySpace Profile

Crosby, Stills and Nash - Demos CD Review (1968-1971)

Crosby, Stills & Nash's latest release Demos is a collection of twelve previously unreleased demos that were recorded between 1968 - 1971. The material is split between songs from the first two Crosby, Stills & Nash LPs and the individual band members' solo projects.

Where it gets really interesting is that nine of these demos are solo performances that are likely the 'working demos' that were brought to either CSN or solo band's recording session. These stripped-down demos highlight gems like David Crosby's clear tenor vocals on "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Deja Vu", where Crosby ends the song with some free-form scat vocals. Graham Nash has three songs on this collection from his first solo CD, Songs for Beginners, and these demos give songs like "Sleep Song", "Be Yourself" and "Chicago" an earnest and wistful charm.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are three songs which feature all three members of CSN or various combinations thereof. An acoustic demo of "Marrakesh Express" (where this demo was recorded a few months prior to the first CSN album) is particularly enjoyable, "Music Is Love" is a Crosby/Nash performance that adds Neil Young on guitar and vocals and "Long Time Gone" features David Crosby and Stephen Stills.

While Demos isn't a starting point for new CSN fans, it is pretty much a "must have" for long-time fans.

Crosby, Stills & Nash are out on tour this summer and they are playing a couple shows in the NYC area:

8.7.2009 Borgata Spa & Resort Atlantic City, NJ
8.8.2009 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
8.11.2009 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ

Links:
Crosby, Stills & Nash's Website

John McEnroe Joins Patty Smyth On Stage at BB Kings, NYC 6-13-09

Work comes too early on a Monday morning so I'll finish going through my pictures from Patty Smyth's show last night at BB King's tomorrow. I did want to post this one picture tonight though...

Former tennis pro John McEnroe took the stage with Patty Smyth and Scandal for the first encore and sang a very credible version of Joey Ramone's cover of "What a Wonderful Word".

From Patty Smyth - BB Kings, NYC 613-09

Links:
Patty Smyth's Website

I Was A King - Live Video and Photos from Union Hall, Brooklyn 5-31-09

Last week, I posted to YouTube some video that I shot at I Was A King's show at Union Hall. I didn't realize though that both Eddie Murphy and Insane Clown Posse have, respectively, recorded songs entitled "I Was A King" and "If I Was A King" that YouTube's relevance algorithm brings to the front page over any I Was A King (the band) videos. SEO can be a very strange thing...


Anyway, there are reviews and pictures from this show already all over the 'net (strangely enough, someone posted a picture of me taking pictures) so I thought I'd just cross-post this video and a couple of my own pictures.






I Was A King's US Tour wraps up tonight in Seattle and the band is heading back to Norway. Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:

June 19, 2009, 8:00PM, Rockfest, Haugesund, Rogaland
June 23, 2009, 8:00PM, Hove festival, Arendal
July 2, 2009, 10:00PM, Egersund Visefestival, Egersund, Rogaland
Aug 7, 2009, 8:00PM, Raumarock Festival, Åndalsnes
Aug 8, 2009, 8:00PM, Lost Weekend, Bergen
Aug 13, 2009, 8:00PM, Øya Festivalen, Oslo, Oslo
Aug 21, 2009, 8:00PM, Pstereo Festivalen, Trondheim
Aug 22, 2009, 8:00PM, Parken festivalen, Bodø

Links:
I Was A King's MySpace Profile

Murder Mystery Play Public Assembly on June 12th and 14th as part of Northside Festival

DOWNLOAD: Murder Mystery - "The World" (MP3)

Brooklyn indie-rockers Murder Mystery have a busy weekend ahead as they are playing two nights at Public Assembly as part of the Northside Festival. The first show is Friday night as part of the Pop Tarts Suck Toasted showcase and the second show is Sunday night as part of the Engine Records showcase.

Murder Mystery released their debut CD, Are You Ready For the Heartache Cause Here it Comes, early last year and the Village Voice described this disc as "catchy, hard-rocking, intelligent music in the mode of Nick Lowe, Magnetic Fields, or Talking Heads." The band is in the process of finishing up their second disc which is tentatively due out in the fall.

Links:
Murder Mystery's MySpace Profile

The Fear and Trembling:The Fear and Trembling’s Octopus CD Review (Prog Rock)

The Fear and Trembling's debut CD, The Fear and Trembling's Octopus, comes on like a long-lost concept album by one of the classic 70's prog-rock bands (Steely Dan, Genesis and Supertramp are some points of comparison).

While this disc isn't a concept album per-se, TFAT pack their 60 minute debut full of elaborately arranged orchestral rock tunes. The band makes good use of the piano and strings like cello, violin and lap steel to add some extra dimensions to each song and the band's musical chops are obviously as every note and chord seems to have been chosen with care. Careful production and engineering also brings out the sound of each instrument so that every note is both balanced and clear.

There is enough diversity in the music so that listener attention spans don't lag. The music and song tempos rise and fall within individual tracks and across the disc as the band builds their musical lanscape. It is hard to pick a single stand-out cut as all the tracks have a unique identity of their own and there really is no filler on this disc. As a starting point to the band's music, go out to their MySpace page (link below) and listen to the orchestral "Introduction" which tracks into the grunge introduction to "Octopus". Some of the other recommended cuts are "Red Panda" and the Smashing Pumpkins-ish "Centipede".

Given the intricate song structures and the 'big' sound of this new disc, I'm interested in seeing how the band translates this sound to the live stage. The band has a couple of upcoming area shows over the next few weeks:

June 12, 2009, 9:00PM, Supreme Trading, Brooklyn, New York
July 15 2009, 8:00PM, R Bar, New York, New York

Links:
The Fear and Trembling's MySpace Profile

The Sounds Release New Video "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" (Filmed at Glasslands Gallery)

Swedish new-wavers The Sounds released their third disc, Crossing the Rubicon, last week on Original Signal Recordings. The band is playing in front of big crowds this time out as they are supporting No Doubt on a three-month summer tour. The only local stop is tomorrow night at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ.

The band just released the first video, "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake", from Crossing the Rubicon which was filmed at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn.



There should be a couple more videos floating around the 'net soon as The Sounds performed "No One Sleeps When I’m Awake" and "Beatbox" last night on FUEL TV’s The Daily Habit and the band is scheduled to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 15th.

Links:
The Sounds' Website

Ice Palace Release New Disc "Wonder Subtly Crushing Us" on Earthology Records

DOWNLOAD: Ice Palace - "Thoughts/Facts" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ice Palace - "Phonebook Pillow" (MP3)

I missed the Cloud Cult/Ice Palace show when they played MHOW in April but I've been recently checking out Ice Palace's latest disc.

Wonder Subtly Crushing Us is Ice Place's second CD and their first for Craig Minowa's Earthology Records. The band's music has a lush melancholy overtone that brings to mind comparisons to The Decemberists or Neutral Milk Hotel. The Onion said "[t]he group's bipolar folk-rock hints at what Nirvana might have been if Kurt Cobain had had the chance to grow out of his angst and settle into his mid-thirties."

Ice Palace are currently touring around the Mid-West:
July 25, 2009 -- 11:00PM, Red Stag, Minneapolis
July 31, 2009 -- 8:00PM, Turf Club, St. Paul
Aug 28, 2009 -- 8:00PM, 7th St. Entry, Minneapolis
Aug 29, 2009 -- 8:00PM, Schubas, Chicago, Illinois

Links:
Ice Palace's MySpace Profile

Dee Dee Ramone: New Book (Book Signing Tomorrow - June 8th) and CD/DVD

Dee Dee Ramone's legacy lives on...

Vera Ramone King, who was married to Dee Dee from 1979 - 1995, will be reading from her new book "Poisoned Heart: I Married Dee Dee Ramone" tomorrow evening. The reading and book signing takes place at Barnes and Noble's Tribeca store (97 Warren Street) and starts at 7PM.

There is a in-depth interview with Vera posted to the Suicide Girls website.




The other new release is a re-release of Lech Kowalski's 2003 documentary "Hey Is Dee Dee Home" with two new short films and a bonus CD. The first of the short films, "History on My Arms", "captures Dee Dee's extraordinary personality in a way that has never been done before. Kowalski was struck by how playful and direct he was with the camera. How he wanted to connect with something inside of himself and expose his true nature."

In the second film, "Vom In Paris", Kowalski invited Vom Ritchie, currently drummer for Die Toten Hosen, to come to Paris to explain the Dee Ramone/Johnny Thunders feud as he remembers it. He was the drummer on those sessions and affectionately and vividly differs with what Dee Dee said, but somehow you get the impression that both of them are right. The bonus CD entitled "Dee Dee Blues" is a re-mastered collection of guitar recordings Dee Dee made in the early 90's.

Links:
Dee Dee Ramone's MySpace Page
(Most of the old Dee Dee Ramone sites are 'gone')

The Morning After Girls - The General Public CD EP Review

The Morning After Girls relocated from Melbourne to NYC about a year ago and they have been generating some considerable buzz with their Jesus and Mary Chain meets The Dandy Warhols sound. The band is readying their follow-up, Alone, to 2005's The Morning After Girls: Prelude EPs 1 & 2 which will be out later this year. As a 'teaser' for the upcoming full-length, the band released a 5-track maxi-single "The General Public" on iTunes last month.

"The General Public" was produced Alan Moulder (producer/engineer for Jesus & Mary Chain, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, etc.) and this disc has all of the ambiance of these early Creation Records bands. The disc clocks in at 25 minutes and contains three new songs and two remixes of "The General Public". The original version of "The General Public" opens with a wash of feedback and starts right in with the soaring guitars. What separates The Morning After Girls from many of its psychedelic contemporaries are Sacha Lucashenko's clear vocals and the vocals harmonies shared between Sacha and guitarist Martin B. Sleeman. There is real soul and emotion in these vocals and none of the disdain or bored detachment of some of the 80's psych/shoe-gazer bands.

The second tune, "Turn Away", comes across like one of the classics from The Zombies with its echo-drenched vocal harmonies. "Tomorrow's Time" is the most sparse track on the disc and it features a lonesome guitar twang that holds and twists each note and Sasha's breathy, world-weary vocals. The two remixes are interesting and the more compelling of the two is the "Stealth Club Remix" which add pulsing drum beats, keys, air-raid sirens and electronic squiggles for that BIG dance floor sound.

"The General Public" is available for $1.99 from iTunes.

Links:
The Morning After Girls' Website

The Canon Logic - Live Photos & Videos from May 28th Show @ Southpaw, Brooklyn

The Canon Logic are playing a few one-off dates as they finish their debut full-length CD. The band debuted some of the new songs from this forthcoming release when they played to a packed house last Thursday night at Southpaw.



I filmed one of the new songs and had a chance to catch up with the band after the show to talk about the new disc and plans for the remainder of 2009.



There was another video taper at the show and here is one of the live videos that they posted.

The Canon Logic - Nights at Armour Mansion (Live @ Southpaw)


Check out The Canon Logic's MySpace profile for upcoming East Coast tour dates and a link to a free download of a compilation of new and older songs.

The Volunteers Play The Studio @ Webster Hall Tonight (June 6th)

DOWNLOAD: The Volunteers - "Stubborn Woman" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Volunteers - "Hoogabooga" (MP3)

The Volunteers kick off their "Life of Glamour" summer tour tonight at Webster Hall. The band is heading out on their first nationwide tour in support of their latest disc Spectrophilia, which was released last September.

Online 'zine JerseyBeat.com described The Volunteers as "old-fashioned rock 'n' roll band with a modern swagger and a raunchy bark. Their new album Spectrophilia raises the bar for classic rock in the new millennium." In other press coverage, The Volunteers just made High Times' "unsigned band of the month" list.

On the bill with The Volunteers are The Steps and Young Lords; tickets are $12.00 and doors are at 7:30PM.

For anyone who misses tonight's show, The Volunteers are playing at Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn) next Saturday night.

Links:
The Volunteers' MySpace Profile

Dare Dukes Plays The Living Room on June 21st

DOWNLOAD: Dare Dukes - "Bakersfield" (MP3)

San Jose, CA to Savannah, Georgia transplant Dare Dukes released his debut CD, Prettiest Transmitter of All, late last year and he is coming to New York for a show at The Living Room on June 21st.

Prettiest Transmitter of All mixes wistful pop hooks with the eccentricities of Northern California's exit-ramp culture.

"Everyone knows the clichés about suburbia: It's a stark, sanitized landscape, pretty much soulless,” Dare explains. “No one needs to remind us of that. I'm more interested in the poetry I see there--the weirdness, the anomalies, the resistance. Even in this unlikely grid you can find courageous people and precious things."

Dare Dukes' show at The Living Room starts at 8PM and a $5.00 donation is suggested.

Links:
Dare Dukes' MySpace Profile

keygrip - vis-à-vis CD Review (Indie Rock)

Indie rock band keygrip have announced the release of their debut CD vis-à-vis via RRMC Recording on July 28th.

keygrip is led songwriter/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Michael Di Lalla and the band includes Michael's brother Jared Di Lalla (drums), Will Salween (guitarist) and Ivan Evangelista (bass). Even though keygrip are from New York, the band's music fits well with many of the current and past atmospheric BritPop bands. All of the cuts on this disc are driven by atmospheric guitars and melodic vocals. The first single "If I Could (You Know I Would)" is streaming on keygrip's MySpace profile. Strong songwriting is complemented by stellar production by Michael Di Lalla. His layered and well-developed production fits well with the band's BritPop leanings.

While vis-à-vis is keygrip's first proper release, Michael Di Lalla had put together the original keygrip debut (The Unaimed Arrow Never Misses) a few years ago. This is one of those "lost albums" as this release got shelved as Michael was severely injured after being hit by a car shortly after completing this disc. keygrip is planning on releasing this disc later in the year.

No tour dates are announced yet but keygrip is planning on touring the Northeast throughout the summer.

Bruce Springsteen Announces Two More Nights at Giants Stadium (Tickets on Sale Monday, June 8th)

Bruce Springsteen has announced two more show at Giants Stadium, on October 8th and 9th.

These will be the final shows ever at Giants Stadium as the stadium is scheduled to be demolished at the end of the 2009 football season. Like the Billy Joel shows last year at Shea Stadium, I would expect all kinds of all-star guests will join Springsteen on stage.

Tickets go on sale through Tickmaster this Monday at Noon and ticket prices range from $33 - $98.

Bruce and the band are currently touring in Europe and there is a pro-shot live performance of "I'm On Fire" [filmed 5/30/09] posted to BruceSpringsteen.net.

School of Seven Bells Play Bowery Ballroom on June 12th

DOWNLOAD: School of Seven Bells - "Face to Face on High Places (Jesu Remix)" (MP3)

Brooklyn's School of Seven Bells are finishing up a May/June tour with a stop at Bowery Ballroom on June 12th. Sharing the bill are Violens and Apache Beat. Tickets are $15 and doors are at 8PM.

School of Seven Bells just released a third single, "My Cabal", from their debut disc Alpinisms. The band worked with director David Mullett on the video for "My Cabal" and they have come up with a roller-coaster take on the typical performance video.

Ben, Alley and Claudia will be taking the summer off to record new material and will be heading to Japan in the Fall for Summer Sonic Festival.

Links:
School of Seven Bells' MySpace Profile