French Horn Rebellion and AVAN LAVA Play MOSCOT's Unofficial CMJ Party on Oct. 19th

Lemons by AVAN LAVA

MOSCOT Music is presenting an unofficial CMJ Party on Wednesday, October 19th with French Horn Rebellion and Avan Lava. This is a free show that starts at 7PM.

French Horn Rebellion (Robert and David Perlick-Molinari) kicked off 2011 by announcing the US self-release of their debut album, The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion. Written, produced and mixed by Robert and David, the album warps together the fabric of dance, electro, rock and funk. Previous to this release, the Brooklyn-based duo has had an illustrious pedigree; David produced MGMT's indie release "Time to Pretend" EP for Cantora Records, and French Horn Rebellion’s previous single “Up All Night” scored Record of the Week on BBC Radio 1 and a slot on the influential Kitsuné Maison compilation series. Pitchfork praised the track as, “irresistible, panting synth-pop, with fat new wave key tones and ecstatic vocals.” The band has also toured with Yelle across the US, and remixed tracks from the likes of MEN, Two Door Cinema Club, OMD and Alex Winston.

Born in 2010 in New York City, AVAN LAVA is the union of singer T.C. (Tom Hennes), musician/producer Le Chev (Michael Laine Cheever), and drummer Ian Pai. After touring playing bass and DJ’ing with Fischerspooner on their “Entertainment” tour, Le Chev began collaborating with T.C., a singer with a performance background in NYC, to create the debut release by AVAN LAVA, an EP entitled “Vapors”. Prior to the first EP’s completion, the record was picked up by Faux Pyre Records, and the duo was flown to Los Angeles for mixing and mastering sessions at the prestigious Infrasonic Sound Studio with audio wizard Pete Lyman (The Mars Volta, Bloc Party). During the initial pre-production sessions for AVAN LAVA’s second release, tentatively titled “Fantasy”, the duo called on Ian Pai, also of Fischerspooner, and to collaborate on the upcoming album and he soon became a fixture in the group. AVAN LAVA is planning its second release in January 2012.

The MOSCOT Gallery and Music Space is located at 118 Orchard Street, NYC (NE corner of Orchard & Delancey Streets). Attendees will receive 20% off purchases of MOSCOT branded glasses the night of show.

Links:
MOSCOT

Spread Eagle - "Spread Eagle" CD Review (MVD/Lovember Records)

To give a bit of context for this review, Spread Eagle's self-titled debut was originally released in 1990 (on MCA). This disc is a solid slab of rumbling gutter metal with all the kick of a Skid Row or Gun N' Roses disc but, unfortunately, both the disc and the band got "lost" due to lack of label support and the rise of grunge. The disc was out of print for years until Lovember Records remastered and reissued the disc in 2006 and MVD just signed on as a distributor.

This disc kicks off with the track "Broken City" which is the sound of a band climbing out of the war-zone of early 90's Alphabet City and follows this with the politically incorrect stomper "Back on the Bitch". There isn't a bad track on the disc but the standout tracks are "Switchblade Serenade" and "Scratch Like A Cat", both of which could have had the same radio impact as any of the Gunners or Skid Row hits if they had come out just a few years earlier. Most of the tracks are driving, hard-rock numbers but the band slows down on "Thru These Eyes", which is the disc's only ballad. Slow doesn't mean bad though as Ray's raw vocals and some shredding leads from guitarist Paul DiBartolo keep this track from succumbing to the excesses of 80's hair metal. In an interview a few years ago, Ray described this disc as being recorded on "sheer, sheer anger… and alcohol. "





Ray and Rob started playing a limited number of one-off reunion shows starting in 2006 (Tommi Gallo seems to have fallen off the Earth and Paul DiBartolo (who changed his name to Salvadore Poe) moved into scoring films and documentaries) and seem to have gotten a bit more active this year with the addition of guitarist Dennis Kimak and drummer Rik DeLuca.

Tour Dates:
Oct. 22 - Ray West/All Points West @ Queens Library, Flushing, NY ("Blood Fest 2011")
Nov. 18 - Spread Eagle @ KC Hall, Sanford, ME
Nov. 19 - Spread Eagle @ Voices Rock Club, Lowell, MA
Dec. 10 - Spread Eagle @ Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ (w/ Kix)

Links:
Spread Eagle
Ray West

L.A. Guns - "Acoustic Gypsy Live" CD Review (Favored Nations Entertainment) / Show at Rebel on Nov. 5th

I don't know who thought it would be a good idea for the first release from the Tracii Guns led lineup of L.A. Guns to be an acoustic release. This "rehash" of Tesla's 5 Man Acoustical Jam is 20+ years past its stale date.

Jumping in - this fourteen track disc runs close to 70 minutes and contains one new song "Little Soldier", covers of Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine" and Boudleaux Bryant's "Love Hurts" and ten assorted L.A. Guns cuts. The first problem with this disc is that it is flat out boring - there is a bare minimum of crowd banter and minimal energy to the performance. There is no doubt that Tracii can play but his acoustic finger-picking is the stuff you hear at B.B. King's while eating a pre-made, reheated hamburger and drinking grossly overpriced beer. Jizzy's vocals sound pretty good but acoustic takes on some of the slower songs ("It's Over Now") end up sounding like yacht rock cheese and the band's cover of "These Arms of Mine" is positively painful. Unfortunately, the band's one new song, "Little Soldiers", has L.A. Guns sounding like a country bar band so there is no salvation here either. There are some moments of redemption as the band finds its energy on some of the tracks from the first three L.A. Guns albums ("Over of the Edge", "Sex Action" [which briefly segues into "Paint It Black"], "Never Enough", "Ballad of Jane" and "Rip and Tear"). All-in-all though, the bloated portions of this disc take all the life out of this performance and make this one to pass on.

Generally, I'd say wait for the next disc but Jizzy Pearl has dropped out of the lineup and has been replaced by Dilana Robichaux (Rock Star: Supernova runner-up). I think this version of the L.A. Guns franchise is pretty close to having run its course.

For anyone who wants to check out the current incarnation of the band, L.A. Guns is playing Rebel on Nov. 5th along with 20 Shades, Metalfier and Suicide Boulevard. Tickets are $12 in advance.

Links:
L.A. Guns

Van Halen - "Live on Air" CD Review (Southworld)

This disc came out last year but I only recently became aware of the "copyright gap" in the UK where previously unheard-of British labels are releasing live radio broadcasts under the premise that the broadcasts are public domain in the US which would make these shows public domain in the UK.

The good news is that this disc marks the first 'official' release of Van Halen's headlining set at the US Festival, which took place on May 29, 1983. This is also the first commercially available live recording of the band with David Lee Roth. I've read reviews of this show which said that the band was pretty drunk before taking the stage (check out the video below of Roth forgetting the words to the set opener) and this show captures the sloppy party rock of classic Van Halen. It is a fun performance as the band's set is loose and they take some chances with the material. David Lee Roth is at his peak and shows why he is one of the more entertaining frontmen in the business and the Diver Down tour marked Eddie's last hurrah as a guitar hero before he got lost in the keyboard and synths of 1984 and the pop of the Sammy-era discs.



Looking at this disc from the other side of the coin (aka: "the bad news") - guess what do you get when you try to fit a 120 minute concert onto a 72 minute CD? The answer is that ~40 minutes were cut out of the concert. Unfortunately, some of the songs are faded out early. "Cathedral" was cut from the middle of the set and so was the encore ("Bottoms Up" and "You Really Got Me / Happy Trails"). The mix is also a bit strange as it appears to be from the soundboard (as the crowd is behind the band) but it is rather unbalanced.

Here is the set list:
1) Romeo Delight
2) Unchained ~ Drum Solo
3) Full Bug
4) Runnin with the Devil
5) Jamie's Cryin
6) So This is Love
7) Little Guitars
8) Dancing in the Street
9) Somebody Get Me a Doctor (includes Girl Gone Bad & I'm So Glad)
10) Dance the Night Away
11) Secrets
12) Everybody Wants Some
13) Ice Cream Man
14) Pretty Woman
15) Ain't Talking Bout Love

Despite this disc's flaws, Van Halen was one of the better live acts during the early 80's and this disc does a good job of showing why the band deserved this reputation. The price point is also a winner as you can buy the disc new through Amazon's UK site for just over $10 (USD).

Jumping forward to the present, according to Ultimate Classic Rock:
"Van Halen‘s long awaited new studio album is completely finished and expected to hit stories in February of 2012, according to an inside source. The new record, the band’s first since 1998′s ‘III,’ and first with original lead singer David Lee Roth since 1984′s ’1984,’ has been the source of much speculation over the past few months.

No title or tracklist has been revealed for the new album yet, which is described, similarly as by other people who have heard it, as a modern-day revisiting of the classic Van Halen sound. The source said a record company had yet to be chosen, with two unnamed major labels reportedly bidding for the right to work with the band."

Links:
Van Halen

Misfits - "Devil's Rain" CD Review (Misfit Records) / Halloween Show at B.B. King's

The good news is that Devil's Rain isn't as bad as I feared, given that Jerry Only is the only original member. It is also infinitely better than that Project 1950, which seemed to be a "The Groovy Ghoulies" [the cartoon, not the band] take on doo-wop songs. The bad news is that this new disc has more in common with Project 1950 than either the Graves or Danzig eras and it also sags in the middle as the songwriting doesn't hold up to the disc's 50 minute run-time.

For anyone who hasn't kept up with The Misfits in recent years, Robo has bowed out of the band and the current line-up is Jerry (bass), Dez (guitar) and Eric "Goat" Arce (x-Murphy's Law, Skarhead) on drums. The band kicked off a Fall tour in September and the current set list contains 14 of Devil's Rain's 16 songs:

(from October 4th show at House of Blues, Hollywood)
The Devil's Rain
Vivid Red
Land Of The Dead
The Black Hole
Twilight Of The Dead
Curse of the Mummy's Hand
Cold In Hell
Unexplained
Dark Shadows
Father
Jack The Ripper
Static Age
Bullet
Children in Heat
Nike A Go Go
She
Abominable Dr. Phibes
American Psycho
Shining
Dig Up Her Bones
Scream!
Ghost of Frankenstein
Death Ray
The Monkey's Paw
Halloween
Skulls
Where Eagles Dare
Hatebreeders
We Bite
Death Comes Ripping
Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?
All Hell Breaks Loose
We Are 138

Encore:
Descending Angel
Hybrid Moments
Attitude
Die, Die My Darling

It has been years since I've heard 1997's Violent World: A Tribute to the Misfits but I imagine Devil's Rain sounds like something that Pennywise, The Bouncing Souls, NOFX and Goldfinger (who all contributed songs to Violent World) would have come up with if they had been asked to write a Misfits-style song. Producer Ed Stasium gives the disc a high-gloss shine which leaves this current lineup of the Misfits sounding like a cross between Bad Religion or Pennywise and some of the bouncy "second stage" bands from any year of Warped Tour.



Lyrically, Jerry mines the expected b-movie horror themes with songs like "Monkey's Paw", "Jack the Ripper" and "Ghost of Frankenstein". The lyrics aren't deep (and sometimes repetitive) but one can't hold that against Jerry as "138" and "Where Eagles Dare" from the Danzig-era of the band aren't any better. When the band is "on" (with songs like "Land of the Dead", "Dark Shadows" and "Monkey's Paw"), their brand of power-punk sounds great. The two songs that Dez sings ("Jack the Ripper" and "Death Ray") mix things up with a bit of old-school punk teeth. The problem is that the middle of the disc sags into a bland mix of horror-punk.

The Misfits are playing their annual Halloween show at B.B. King's with JuiceheaD (who record for Jerry's Misfits Records) opening. The show is all ages and tickets for the show are $28 in advance and $32 DOS.

Links:
The Misfits

Dex Romweber Duo Are Playing Le Poisson Rouge on Nov. 4th along with the Meat Puppets

DOWNLOAD: Dex Romweber Duo: "The Death of Me"
DOWNLOAD: Dex Romweber Duo - "Jungle Drums" (posted on Under the Radar magazine)

"Dex Romweber was and is a huge influence on my music. I owned all of his records as a teenager, and was thrilled at the fact that we were able to play together recently on tour. His attitude towards music is remarkable. His songwriting, along with his love of classic American music from the south, be it rockabilly, country or R&B, is one of the best kept secrets of the rock n roll underground." —Jack White, White Stripes

If a quote from Jack White helps sell more Dex Romweber discs, I'm all in favor but...Flat Duo Jets were head-and-shoulders above The White Stripes. Things never change in the music industry as gimmicks and a large promotional budget more often than not takes a band further than quality songwriting and blazing live shows.

What distinguished this band from other retro outfits is that the Duo Jets were not really retro at all. While their music was certainly inspired by the rock-n-roll of the 1950s, one got the feeling that nothing was calculated. There was no marketing ploy on anyone's part to capitalize on a trend or movement at the time. Dex and Crow brought the music to life with such vitality and passion that the styles did not seem antiquated in their hands. This was the genuine article. This music was alive and well. - Jeff Arndt's 2001 interview with Dex

Getting back on track...Dex Romweber Duo released their latest disc, Is That You In The Blue?, on July 26th on Bloodshot Records. Dex and his sister Sara (x-Let's Active, Snatches of Pink) are heading out on a limited run of Oct. - Nov. tour dates with the Meat Puppets. The tour stops at Le Poisson Rouge on November 4th -- advanced tickets are $15 and the show is 18+.

Dex Romweber Duo Tour Dates:
10/28/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo / Meat Puppets
George's Majestic Lounge
519 West Dickson St., Fayetteville, AR

10/29/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo / Meat Puppets
Hi-Tone Cafe
1913 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN

10/30/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo / Meat Puppets
Old Rock House
1200 South 7th Sreet, St. Louis, MO

11/01/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo / Meat Puppets
Rock And Roll Hotel
1353 H Street NE, Washington, DC

11/03/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo / Meat Puppets
Johnny Brenda's
1201 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA

11/04/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo / Meat Puppets
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street, New York, NY

11/05/2011 - Dex Romweber Duo
Middle East - Downstairs
480 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA



Links:
Dex Romweber Duo

Automatic Children Play Bowery Electric on Wednesday, Sept. 28th (First NYC Show in 2011)

I'm too tired to write anything really deep and meaningful tonight/this morning so...great band, great live set, first NYC show in nine months. What more do I need to say?

"We are excited to announce two new shows in the coming weeks. Wednesday, September 28th we will be rocking the Bowery Electric (327 Bowery at 2nd st) at 930pm for an L Rock the Party booking event. We have half an album of new songs to debut, and we can't wait for you to hear them. We are gearing up to record a new album in a few months, and we hope you'll come out and hear all of the new songs in the works. This show is $10/21+ and at 10pm. There's 5 great bands on the bill, starting at 7pm. Joining us on drums is our friend Brian Jones, fresh off two years of touring with the Afromotive and Bobby Lee Rodgers. In October, we will be playing CMJ 2011 at Wicked Willy's on Bleecker Street for an L Rock the Party showcase. We go on at 1030pm. Again, its a great lineup, 21+, $10 and we may have even more new material to premiere. See you there!"



Links:
Automatic Children

Electric Low (shoegazer / indie-rock) Plays Free Show at Pub One in Brooklyn on September 25th

DOWNLOAD: Electric Low - "Broken Glass"

I've been working too many hours as of late so I don't get much of a chance to listen to new bands and, when I do, I've got the attention span of a gnat.

Virginia Beach shoegazers Electric Low managed to grab and hold my attention with the track "Broken Glass" from their forthcoming debut EP. The track combines lush instrumentation with compelling vocals and a slow-burn dance floor beat. The band has sort of a School of Seven Bells / Metric vibe. This initial track sold me on the band so I am looking forward to hearing the rest of the EP.

"Two landscapers and a community college student by day, by night Jonathan Anderson, Todd Bunting, and Monica Bjorklund are Electric Low. Melodic electronics, danceable beats, and a satisfying combination of energetic and tranquil guitars display influence from the likes of Stars, School of Seven Bells, and Metric. An Electric Low live show resembles a game of musical chairs, instruments swapped around every time the music stops. These three display an entertaining combination of light-hearted fun and concentrated intensity. Look for their debut e.p., "Speak How You Like," out next month."

Electric Low is playing a free show at Pub One in DUMBO (5 Front Street) on Sunday night along with Carl Vasile and The Vanity Belles.

Links:
Electric Low

The Meatmen Announce October 2011 East Coast Tour / Show at Europa on October 23rd

THE MEATMEN... The very sound of the name can send limp writed Emo simps diving for cover, and always lays a healthy butt hurt on the forces of good everywhere they play. Led by Drum Major in the Squadron of Doom; one Tesco Vee, The Dutch Hercules, the Lansing Liberace, this latest assemblage of Meatboys just finished a whirlwind tour of the West Coast where they laid the musical wood to 25 cities in 25 days, and endured every drug, undocumented alien, and produce checkpoint west of Texarcana.



At one particular "fruit check-point" the boys heard a commotion in the next lane... The shrieks of 'Search me Offither! I'm packing bananas!!" was overheard and alas another band of merry pranksters known as Black Fag 'An Absoultely Fabulous Tribute to Black Flag" were seen chasing the guards around the van demanding attention... and of course an instant bond was formed between these unlikely hardcore wack factories. Yes its true, LA's Black Fag has joined forces with the Meatboy showband and revue for 3 spectacular shows on The Meatmen's upcoming east Coast Extrava-gonzo of sin filled fun and frolic with stops in Boston, Long Island and Brooklyn.



And we are also pleased to announce the bands first foray into Florida in 15 years, the Meatmen will also be tag teaming it with long time LA hardcore stalwarts Youth Brigade in their Miami appearance! This East Coast auditory assault begins Oct 19 and runs thru Oct 30, and will be brimming with more props, confetti and gags than any a Rip Taylor or Gallagher show combined!

Catch The Meatmen and down a shot of old school Motor City Hardcore straight up in a dirty glass!

Dates marked * w/ Black Fag - date marked # with Youth Brigade...
Thu. Oct. 6 Indianapolis, IN - Earth House
Fri. Oct. 7 Columbus OH - The Summit (21+)
Sat. Oct. 8 Sandusky OH - The Underground (18+)
Wed. Oct. 19 Greensboro, PA - 42 St. Rock House (18+)
Thu. Oct. 20 Baltimore MD - Sonar
Fri. Oct. 21 Boston MA* - The Church (18+)
Sat. Oct. 22 Babylon, NY* - Sinclairs
Sun. Oct. 23 Brooklyn, NY* - Europa [Tickets are $15]
Tue. Oct. 25 Myrtle Beach, SC - TBA
Wed. Oct. 26 Jacksonville FL - The Pit
Thu. Oct 27 West Palm Beach, FL # - Respectable St. (18+)
Fri. Oct. 28 Tampa, FL - Brass Mug
Sat. Oct. 29 Atlanta GA - Vinyl @ Center Stage
Sun. Oct. 30 Nashville TN - TBA

For the show at Europa, Black Fag will be making their NYC debut and Runny and Beer and Cable are also on the bill. Doors are at 7PM and the show is all-ages.

Links:
The Meatmen

Iggy & the Stooges - "Raw Power Live: In the Hands of the Fans" DVD Review (MVD)

At 63, the “world’s forgotten boy” hasn’t slowed down. On Tuesday, MVD Entertainment will release Iggy and the Stooges' "Raw Power Live: In The Hands Of The Fans" on DVD and Blu-Ray. The video captures Iggy & the Stooges performing their classic album Raw Power along with tracks from the first two Stooges’ albums and Kill City at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival on Friday, September 3, 2010.

I saw The Stooges at Roseland Ballroom on their first reunion tour. When Iggy jumped into the crowd and seemed to be heading right for me, I quickly stepped to the side as Iggy had an aura of frenetic unpredictableness which the cameras do a nice job of capturing on this disc. The concept behind this first “In The Hands Of The Fans” disc is that six fans were selected to film the concert and, following the performance, the fans meet and interview the band. The various camera angles do a great job of capturing the intensity of The Stooges’ performance and it gives the user the sense of almost being part of the crowd.

The half-naked and heavily muscled Iggy is backed by (retired Sony VP – how that for a career change?) James Williamson, whose licks sounds tighter than they did back in 1973, gunslinger bassist Mike Watt and the ever-steady Rock Action. This show isn’t Iggy and a backing band as return of James Williamson adds a darker tone to the band’s music which the rhythm section then locks on to. With saxophonist Steve Mackay, the band adds some of the free-form freak-out of the early Stooges to songs like "1970 (I Feel Alright)" and "Night Theme". The band plays with the energy that defies their age and their performance is on fire.

Continuing in his role as ‘chief instigator’, Iggy called out for dancers, spazzers and freaks and brought members of the audience on stage to dance and pogo while the band played “Shake Appeal” and he was in the crowd at the end of the band’s set.



Raw Power Live Track List
Raw Power
Search and Destroy
Gimme Danger
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell
Shake Appeal
I Need Somebody
Penetration
Death Trip
1970 (I Feel Alright)
Night Theme
Beyond the Law
I Got A Right
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Open Up & Bleed
Fun House
No Fun

Some of the bonus features include the original YouTube videos that the six fans who filmed the concert submitted along the post-show Q&A that these fans had with the band.



In an interview earlier this year with The Guardian, Iggy had the following to say on the Raw Power tour: "All we're doing now is finishing off a job…[a]nd I'm pleased to report that James has now learned to use his intelligence in balance with his more impulsive, aggressive side."

Links:
Iggy Pop

Foreigner - "Live on Stage" DVD Review (XXL Media)

Prior to watching Foreigner’s forthcoming live DVD “Live On Stage”, I had completely forgotten about Japan’s Super Rock Festival. After doing some on-line searches, my best guess is that the festival ran two years - 1984 and 1985. This live set is from Foreigner’s appearance on August 10, 1985 and the band was touring behind their fifth disc, Agent Provocateur, at the time. The festival lineup appears to have been pretty eclectic as Foreigner played alongside Dio, Rough Cut, Mama’s Boys and Sting.

Foreigner’s performance runs sixty minutes and, while the set is weighted more toward AOR material from Foreigner 4 and Agent Provocateur, the band doesn’t ignore its older material and touches on songs from all of their albums. This DVD also marks the release of the first full-length concert by the Lou Graham fronted lineup of Foreigner. While Classic Hits Live also featured Lou Graham, it compiled tracks from shows between 1978 – 1988 and seems more weighted to the guitar-rock of Foreigner’s early days.

Super Rock Festival 1985 Set List:
1. Long, Long Way From Home
2. Head Games
3. Waiting For A Girl Like You
4. Luanne
5. That Was Yesterday
6. I Want To Know What Love Is
7. Reaction To Action
8. Urgent
9. Dirty White Boy
10. Hot Blooded
11. Juke Box Hero





While the AOR sound and synthesizer-driven power ballads of the 80’s may sound a bit dated today, bands like Van Halen (with Sammy Hagar), Night Ranger and Foreigner dominated FM-radio at that time. The overall performance is solid as the band had completed their evolution into an arena rock band with Agent Provocateur and any of the rough-edges from the band’s early days were long smoothed over.



The band hit their commercial peak with Foreigner 4 but any fans of the band will want to check out Live On Stage. This tour was the “last hurrah” for this lineup of the band as they ran out of gas two years later on Inside Information (1987).

Looking now at the audio and video quality - this show was broadcast on Japanese TV so all the footage is pro-shot and multi-camera. This brings up my one complaint with this disc as it looks like a VHS tape was used as the source that was one or two generations from the master. The audio portion of the show though sounds perfect.

Lou Graham is currently fronting The Lou Graham Band, who released a Christian rock album in 2009. Mick Jones and the Kelly Hansen-fronted lineup of Foreigner are currently on tour with Journey and Night Ranger.

Foreigner 2011 Tour Dates:
September 21, 2011 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
September 22, 2011 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
September 24, 2011 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion (SOLD OUT)
September 25, 2011 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion
September 27, 2011 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheater
September 28, 2011 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
September 30, 2011 - Albuquerque, NM - Hard Rock Casino presents the Pavilion
October 01, 2011 - Englewood, CO - Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
October 04, 2011 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
October 05, 2011 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord
October 07, 2011 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
October 08, 2011 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
October 11, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
October 12, 2011 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
October 14, 2011 - Wheatland, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
October 15, 2011 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
October 19, 2011 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden
October 21, 2011 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena

Links:
Foreigner

Baje One (of Junk Science) Releases "The Only One (House Wigger 2.0)" as a Free Download

"This is a song that I made a while back, in like 2009. Snafu made the beat, which is superdope in my opinion. We considered using the song on a Junk Science project (“A Miraculous Kind Of Machine”) but Snaf wasn’t feeling the song as much as I was so we decided to scrap it. Democracy. Since then it’s been sitting around in my itunes. I’ve been kinda nervous about releasing it… on some “Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood” shit. Today I woke up and was just like “Fuck it.” I think it’s funny. Feel free to tell me what you think." = baje

LYRICS
Most rappers don’t really like rappers
In fact you might say it’s kinda vital to the fabric
The history of hip hop, track by track
The greats rail against imaginary rappers and their wackness
Most white rappers don’t really like rappers
Especially other white rappers
You gotta wonder why it matters so much
Why you got to hate?
What? You were born to rhyme and this is not my fate?
Come on man, this is 2000 and future
And everybody rhymes, it’s just something to get used to
So riddle me this, when I see you around
And then I give you a pound, you gotta give me a frown?
And it’d be one thing if you don’t like my writing
But I’m convinced it’s a white on white thing
It’s a big table I’m just walkin to my seat
But you, you wanna be the H.W.I.C.
The Head Wegro that’s In with the Colored folks
Oh god, here comes Baje with another joke
But I aint laughing, I’m just askin
What about my existence is so taxing?
Does it take away from your creepy little fantasy?
Hip hop Tarzan, swingin through the canopy
In your world we can’t both have fly grammar
Cause there can only be one like Highlander

CHORUS
And I wanna be your only one
I wanna be your only one
Hip hop, I wanna be your only one
I had a dream I was the only one
I wanna be your only one
I wanna be your only one
Hip hop I wanna be your only one
Show me the force like Obiwan Kinobe

Ok, in response to some of your letters… to Jackie in Queens, yes we do tend to prefer expensive coffee. And to Caesar in New Haven, yes a lot of us do like to wear our shoes inside the house. And yes it’s true, we really do like Mos Def.

Ahem… it’s not just rap
It’s one good lens but it’s not just that
Check it, me and my lady travelin abroad
And we try to be polite the get wrapped up in a conversation
With a bunch of white kids at a hostel
Traveler types, yeah, right, you know what it’s like
White kids with dreads and no shoes
Tryin to tell you about this place they went that’s so cool
“You wouldn’t believe it, the whole entire place
Was a sea of brown people, and me the only white face
Some had never even seen a white person
It’s crazy, right? I felt like a virgin
On virgin territory, off the beaten path
I’d be surprised if it was even on the map”
(cough) Pause – inhale weed smoke
An opportunity, another kid he spoke
Might as well have been the same couple sentences
Different locale with the exact same sentiment
I had to cut him off said I’m off to bed
Plus my girl’s about to stab him in the neck and so we stepped
Peep… it seems harmless, but has a really ill side
If seeing all the brown folks is just another thrill ride
All that melanin to boost your adrenaline
It’s like snowboarding except you’re more snowed in
Look, you gotta travel, just it’s kinda frail
To sit around competing for the most exotic tale
It just so happens these kids are kinda pale
Stuck with the bug to float you gotta sail
With a one-way ticket running away from your whiteness
And here you are in the jungle starin at your likeness
Last thing you wanna do is see another Tarzan
Who forces you to contemplate what you really are man…

CHORUS
Cause you wanna be that only one
You wanna be that only one
You wanna be that only one
You had a dream you were the only one
And I wanna be that only one
I wanna to be your only one
Hip hop I wanna be your only one
Show me the force like Obiwan Kinobe
Or better yet… Mace Windu

Ok. A few more letters. To Araceli in the Bronx, I don’t know, I don’t know why we like weird beers. Thanks for asking I guess. And to Chris in L.A. yes we often do have weird beards. Good observation. Weird beers and weird beards… dot com.

Links:
Junk Science

Peter Case - "The Case Files" CD Review (Alive Records)

DOWNLOAD: Peter Case - "Round Trip Stranger Blues"
Peter Case - (Give Me) One More Mile by alivenaturalsound

Bomp/Alive describes The Case Files as a collection of “demos, out-takes, one live shot & other rarities recorded between 1985 and 2010”. This description doesn’t do the disc justice as this is a pretty solid collection of tracks rather than the half-finished demos and cast-offs found in archival compilations by other artists (maybe Peter Case could give some pointers to whomever is managing the Marc Bolan/T Rex estate).

As this disc spans Case’s solo career post-The Plimsouls, there are some expected stylistic jumps. The music on The Case Files include: roots-rock, a heavy dose of blues, “Woody Guthrie style” social protest songs and a hint of the indie power-pop of The Plimsouls. The traditional blues number “Milk Cow Blues” was recorded live and the remaining tracks are a mix of full band studio performances and Case playing solo acoustic. The songs are a mixture of newly heard originals, early versions of songs that ended up on one of Case’s solo discs and covers of Alexandro Escovedo (“The End”), Bob Dylan (“Black Crow Blues”) and Rolling Stones (“Good Time Bad Times”) songs

The disc starts out strong with the upbeat root-rock tune “(Give Me) One More Mile” before heading into a social indictment of the past Republican administration with “Let’s Turn This Thing Around”. Musically, this later song is somewhat odd as it includes a host of sound effects (crowd noise, safety alarm noise, animal noises, etc.) along with some crazy synthesizer effects, courtesy of Stan Ridgeway. A chunk of the lyrics from this song are repeated on “The Ballad of the Minimum Wage” but on this later song, Case’s vocals are delivered beat-poetry style. Case also uses this spoken word delivery style on the other working class anthem on the disc “Kokomo Prayer Vigil”.

While there is nothing too ‘hard-edged’ on the disc, “Good Time, Bad Times” and “The End” are both bash ‘em out rock tunes. “Anything (Closing Credits)” (which sounds completely different than the version on Case’s 2006 release Torn Again) and “Trusted Friend” capture the pop sparkle of The Plimsouls and this first track features Eddie Munoz and the later was described by Case as a long lost track in between the Plimsouls and his solo career. Lastly, the disc also contains a stripped-down, melancholy version of “Steel Strings #1” (which features T. Bone Burnett) which was given a high-gloss sheen for Case’s first solo disc.



The Case Files Track List:
1. (Give Me) One More Mile
2. Let's Turn This Thing Around
3. Anything (Closing Credits)
4. The End
5. Good Times, Bad Times
6. Milkcow Blues
7. Kokomo Prayer Vigil
8. The Ballad of the Minimum Wage
9. Steel Strings (Demonstration)
10. Trusted Friend
11. Black Crow Blues
12. Round Trip Stranger Blues

Peter Case 2011 Fall Tour
Sep. 9 - Vagabond Blues, Palmer, AK
Sep. 10 - Out North Theatre, Anchorage, AK
Sep. 14 - The Geomatic Attic, South Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Sep. 15 - The Palomino, Calgary, AB , Canada
Sep. 16 - The Roxy Theatre, Saskatoon, SK Canada
Sep. 30 The Record Collector Concert Series, Bordentown, NJ
Oct. 1 (12:30PM) - Bridge Street Live, Collinsville, CT
Oct. 1 (6PM) - The Turning Point, Piermont, NY
Oct. 2 - Roots Hoot House Concerts, Peace Dale, RI
Oct. 4 - Stage On Herr, Harrisburg, PA
Oct. 5 - Thunderbird Café, 4023 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, PA
Oct. 6 - Rumba Café, Columbus, OH
Oct. 8 - Trinity House Theatre, Livonia, MI
Oct. 9 - Columbia Street West, Ft. Wayne, IN
Oct. 10 - WYCE Fall Hat Trick Series,Grand Rapids, MI
Oct. 11 - Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Oct. 12 - The Good Neighborhood @ The Sportsman, Buffalo, NY
Oct. 13 - Lovin' Cup, Rochester, NY
Oct. 14 - Buffalo Film Festival Opening Night, The Screening Room Cinema Café, Amherst, NY
Oct. 15 - This Ain't Hollywood, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Oct. 16 - Hugh's Room, Toronto, ON
Oct. 20 - Bayport BBQ, Bayport, MN
Oct. 21 - Lee's Liquor Lounge, Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 22 - House Of Righteous Music, Madison, WI
Oct. 23 - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL

The closest show is Saturday, Oct. 1 at The Turning Point, 468 Piermont Ave. Piermont, NY. The show starts at 6PM and tickets are $20.

Links:
Peter Case

Waters (ex-Port O'Brien) - "Out In The Light" CD Review (TBD Records)

DOWNLOAD: Waters - "For The One" (from Out in the Light)

Waters is the new project from ex-Port O'Brien front man Van Pierszalowski. Following the demise of that band last year, he took a break from making music and ended up living in Oslo, Norway. After some time off, he began writing again, then traveled most of the next year to Alaska, California, and Brooklyn, NY, before returning to Oslo to record the album with a band he put together.

The new album, Out in the Light (out Sept. 20th on TBD Records), has a louder, fuller, more aggressive and raw sound than anything he's written before. Out in the Light was recorded during a focused ten day session in Dallas with John Congleton (St. Vincent, Explosions In The Sky, The Walkmen) who captured the raw intimacy and intensity of both the band’s noise pop and stripped-down numbers.

Musically, Out in the Light sounds like something from the early 90’s as there are elements of Matthew Sweet style fuzzed-out Byrdsian power-pop (“Abridge My Love”, “San Francisco”), Sonic Youth style grunge (“For the One”, “Back To You”) and lo-fi, alt-rock sing-alongs (“Take Us Out to the Coast”). Breaking from this comparison though are a couple Neil Young style stripped-down numbers (“Ones You Had Before”, “Mickey Mantle”).



This seems to have been a cleansing album for Van as his lyrics focus around tales of loss, regret and heartbreak. Beneath the heartbreak though, there seems to be new energy as upbeat portions of the disc bristle with blustery energy. While this record seems to be an introspective look back, Van said: "[t]he record is about waking up. It is about getting out of a situation that seems endless, and realizing you're not too old to make dramatic and sudden changes in your life. It is about starting over.”

Waters will head out on a quick run of west coast headlining shows next week. Next month, the band - who toured with The Joy Formidable, Vetiver, and Mister Heavenly in August - will head to the east coast for a handful of shows beginning October 16th at the Northstar Bar in Philadelphia, PA. A current itinerary is below and more shows will be announced shortly.

Waters Tour Dates:
SEPT. 20 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- ORIGAMI VINYL (free in-store)
SEPT. 21 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- THE SATELLITE
SEPT. 23 -- SANTA BARBARA, CA -- MUDDY WATERS
SEPT. 24 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- THE INDEPENDENT
SEPT. 25 -- SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA -- SLO BREWING COMPANY
OCT. 16 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA -- NORTHSTAR BAR
OCT. 18 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- RED PALACE
OCT. 19 -- NEW YORK, NY -- CMJ
OCT. 20 -- NEW YORK, NY -- CMJ
OCT. 21 -- NEW YORK, NY -- CMJ
OCT. 22 -- BOSTON, MA -- GREAT SCOTT

Links:
Waters

Jim Ward (Sparta, Sleepcar) Plays Highline Ballroom In Support of "Quiet in the Valley, On the Shores The End Begins & The Electric Six"

DOWNLOAD: Jim Ward - "Take It Back" (Electric Version)

Following last month's two-week tour of the western US, Jim Ward - frontman of Sparta and Sleepercar and founding member of At The Drive-In - will head out on an east coast tour this Sunday, September 18th. The tour launches at The Earl in Atlanta, GA and wraps up on September 27th at The Crofoot in Pontiac, MI. The dates include a full band show supporting Yuck in Boston on the 22nd, a Ward solo acoustic show supporting Rhett Miller in New York on the 24th, and a performance at the POP Montreal festival on the 25th.

Ward's debut solo album Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores The End Begins & The Electric Six was released on August 8th via his own Tembloroso Recordings. The album is a compilation of his acoustic solo EP trilogy - 2007's "Quiet", 2009's "In The Valley, On The Shores", 2011's "The End Begins" - paired with an additional disc of select tracks gone electric. To kick off the tour, the electric version of album track "Take It Back" is now available as a free MP3 download (download link above). Ward also made a video for "Broken Songs (electric)" with director Zach Passero.



The ever-busy Ward - who already co-owns a bar, The Hope and Anchor, and recording studio, Clap of Thunder, in his hometown of El Paso - recently opened a new downtown venue, Tricky Falls, which also features a separate bar, Bowie Feathers, on the second floor. Sparta will play their first show since 2008 at the venue on November 17th; tickets for the show are available here.

Jim Ward Tour Dates:
SEPT. 18 -- ATLANTA, GA -- THE EARL
SEPT. 19 -- CHAPEL HILL, NC -- LOCAL 506
SEPT. 20 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- DC9
SEPT. 21 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA -- MILKBOY
SEPT. 22 -- BOSTON, MA -- TT THE BEAR'S#
SEPT. 24 -- NEW YORK, NY -- HIGHLINE BALLROOM%
SEPT. 25 -- MONTREAL, QC -- LE CAGIBI (POP MONTREAL)
SEPT. 26 -- TORONTO, ON -- HORSESHOE TAVERN
SEPT. 27 -- PONTIAC, MI -- THE CROFOOT
# supporting Yuck
% solo show supporting Rhett Miller

Tickets for the Highline Ballroom show are $22 in advance and $25 DOS. At this show, Jim is opening for Rhett Miller who will be playing a full band show.

Links:
Jim Ward

Tyler Ramsey (Band of Horses) - "The Valley Wind" CD Review (Fat Possum)

The Valley Wind by tylerramsey

Band of Horses guitarist Tyler Ramsey is releasing his third solo album, The Valley Wind, on September 27th on Fat Possum. This new disc is a crystalline yet warm slice of Appalachian-flavored folk/country tunes, filled with Ramsey’s rich, plaintive vocals and expressive, intricate guitar playing.

The Valley Wind was written while both on and off the road over the course of last year and recorded in Nashville, TN at Alex The Great studio in early January. Friend and bandmate Bill Reynolds (who’s worked with The Avett Brothers and Lissie) produced and aided on bass, while friend Seth Kauffman (Floating Action) sat in on drums and guitar, also singing background vocals.

The disc starts off with intricate guitar-based instrumental “Raven Shadow” which sets the tone for the disc. A number of the tracks feature Ramsey’s finger-picked guitar notes and ringing chords along with his plaintive and intimate vocals accompanied by just a brushed drum. Echo and reverb are added to some of these tracks but it is still a fairly stripped-down affair. Ramsey mixes things on the back-half of the disc with numbers like “Stay Gone”, which features great vocal harmonies from Seth Kauffman so the track sounds like a country-rock version of CSN, and “When It's Gone” and “All Night” which are hazy, almost psychedelic, numbers which would sound perfect on 70’s AM radio.

The disc is available for pre-order via Fat Possum’s webstore and iTunes. The iTunes version comes with a bonus track of Ramsey covering Jules Shear’s “All Through The Night”.

Band of Horses just finished a short run of West Coast dates and are heading to Australia in October so Tyler Ramsey is playing a short run of East Coast headlining dates in between these legs of the BoH tour.

Tyler Ramsey 2011 Tour Dates
10/06 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
10/08 – Charlotte, NC @ The Evening Muse
10/10 – New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub
10/11 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java
10/12 – Harrisburg, PA @ The Gallery at the Abbey Bar
10/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
10/15 – Staunton, VA @ Mockingbird
10/19 – Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic

The show at Joe’s Pub starts at 9:30PM and advanced tickets are $15.



Links:
Tyler Ramsey

Wyldlife - "Wyldlife" CD Review / Show at Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 19th

If Wyldlife had come up ten years earlier, they would easily have been picked up by a major label alongside The Strokes and The Star Spangles.

Forming out of Purchase College, Wyldlife quickly strided into the New York music scene with a pair of leather boots on their feet and a mission in their hearts: to bury the days of tame rock and roll. Still digging on their collection of 70's punk and power pop, perhaps the boys were born into the entirely wrong decade altogether? Or perhaps they realize that to get an audience on its feet, all that's need is a fast beat and a loud melody- a timeless simplicity enhanced with refined grit that has (nearly) been lost in today's clutter of rock boredom.

Wyldlife plays glammed-up, old-school punk and the closest reference points are Hanoi Rocks and D Generation as the band mixes sing-along, anthemic punk along with greasy Rn'B Stones' licks. The band released their 10-track (31 min.) self-titled debut last month and it is a welcome return to the sound of the bands that used to play the Continental and CBGB in the late 90's. While the rhythm section holds down a steady beat and keeps the band grounded, the focal point of Wyldlife is on Samm Allen's guitar licks and Dave Feldman's sneering, nasal vocals. Lyrically, the band touches on break-ups, bl*wjobs and serial killers along with 70's junk culture and the band has included covers of "California Sun" and the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" in their live sets.





Wyldlife is playing the Bowery Ballroom on Monday, Sept. 19th with The Pain of Being Pure at Heart and Twin Sister. Tickets are $20 and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Wyldlife

PJ Harvey - "iTunes Session" CD Review

Earlier this month, PJ Harvey became the first person to win the UK’s Mercury Music Prize twice. Harvey previously won the award in 2001 for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea and this second award was for her eighth studio album, Let England Shake, which was released earlier this year.

PJ Harvey is releasing an exclusive iTunes Session on Monday, September 13th that features seven recently recorded live tracks along with a twenty-four minute interview with Harvey where she discusses her musical background, song writing process and how her collaboration with Seamus Murphy evolved. The Session includes four songs from Let England Shake (Vagrant/Island), as well as "Angelene" from 1998's Is This Desire?, and "C'mon Billy" and "Down by the Water" from 1995's To Bring You My Love.

iTunes Session track listing:
1. “Let England Shake”
2. “The Words That Maketh Murder”
3. “The Last Living Rose”
4. “Written On The Forehead”
5. “Angelene”
6. “C’Mon Billy”
7. “Down By The Water”
8 – Interview -

After winning the Mercury Music Prize, Harvey said: “I feel surprised and astonished that I’ve won twice and I do feel proud, it’s amazing, I can’t quite take it in but at the same time I feel that making music and words is very important to me and I’ve always tried to make it the best it could possibly be and I hope to continue doing that. I hope to be back here again in another 10 years’ time with another record because it’s very important to me to keep making word that is of relevance, not just to myself but to other people.”

Below is PJ Harvey's performance of "The Words That Maketh Murder" from the Mercury Music Prize Ceremony along a live audience video from Harvey’s show at Terminal 5 earlier this year of “Let England Shake”.





PJ Harvey Tour Dates:
Oct 21 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Filadelfiakyrkan
Oct 22 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Filadelfiakyrkan
Oct 24 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
Oct 25 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
Oct 27 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Lucerna Hall
Oct 30 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
Oct 31 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall

Links:
PJ Harvey

Keegan DeWitt Premiers Video for "Colors" / CMJ Show at Canal Room on Oct. 19th

DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - "Colour"

Nashville-based Keegan DeWitt is preparing to head out with Madi Diaz for a handful of southeastern shows beginning September 21st at the Workplay Theater in Birmingham, AL and he'll also perform at the ASCAP showcase during the CMJ Music Marathon on October 19th in New York.

Over the past year DeWitt has caught the attention of Paste ('10 Best New Solo Artists of 2010'), American Songwriter, AOL Music's Spinner, Popmatters, My Old Kentucky Blog, and the Nashville Scene, among others, while his "Nothing Shows" EP track "Say La La" will be featured in the pilot of ABC's new drama Revenge on September 21st (10pm ET/9pm CT). He and his band also filmed a stripped-down Sleepover Shows live session in Boston in June.



DeWitt has gained additional recognition for his film score compositions, and his work was seen theatrically earlier this year in Aaron Katz's New York Times 'Critic's Pick' Cold Weather. He recently collaborated with the cycling gear company Rapha as well, composing a suite for their coverage of the Amgen Tour of California.

Keegan DeWitt Tour Dates:

SEPT. 21 -- BIRMINGHAM, AL -- WORKPLAY THEATER*
SEPT. 22 -- ATLANTA, GA -- DRUNKEN UNICORN*
SEPT. 23 -- NASHVILLE, TN -- MERCY LOUNGE (Soundland Festival)*
SEPT. 24 -- CHAPEL HILL, NC -- LOCAL 506*
OCT. 19 -- NEW YORK, NY -- THE CANAL ROOM (ASCAP CMJ showcase)
* with Madi Diaz

Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Alexander (Ebert): Performed "Truth" on Conan O'Brien on Sept. 12th (Edward Sharpe)

DOWNLOAD: Alexander - "Truth" (album version)



Links:
Alexander