Ill Bill Plays Only Local Show at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ (La Coka Nostra)

Hardcore/hip-hop rapper Ill Bill is playing a few shows next month and the closest that he is coming to NYC is Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ.

Bill is touring behind his second solo disc, The Hour of Reprisal, which was released toward the end of '08. Bill is also part of La Coka Nostra and they have a new disc coming July on Suburban Noize Records. La Coka Nostra is comprised of Ill Bill, Slaine, Danny Boy, Everlast, DJ Lethal and Big Left. Bill described this release as "a no holds barred burst of hardcore hip-hop to the fullest, representing everything we love about this art form but feel is missing from the game right now".

Recently, Ill Bill has made a few appearances on Fearless Music to play some cuts from The Hour of Reprisal.

Ill Bill - "My Uncle", Live on Fearless Music


Ill Bill - "A Bullet Never Lies", Live on Fearless Music


Links:
Ill Bill's MySpace Profile

Chico Fellini Play Public Assembly on June 6th (Dance Rock)

DOWNLOAD: Chico Fellini - "Electrolyte" (MP3)

Photo: YouAintNoPicasso
Lexington, KY post-punk quartet Chico Fellini are playing Public Assembly on June 6th with Stacy Rock and Nightrats.

Chico Fellini are touring behind their self-titled debut CD which was released in March and the disc has been getting great reviews. Amplifier Magazine said "Props must be given to Chico Fellini for creating an innovative, fun and thought-provoking masterpiece on its first try".

YouAintNoPicasso is a big fan of the band's live show (link is above). For anyone who wants an advance look at the band's live show, here is a live performance of "No Strata" (which is on the new CD).



Tickets for the show at Public Assembly are $10 and the set times are: 7PM-Stacy Rock, 8PM-Nightrats and 9PM-Chico Fellini.

Links:
Chico Fellini's MySpace Profile

Grant Hart (x-Nova Mob, Husker Du) Plays The Bell House on Monday, June 1st

Grant Hart (x-Husker Du, x-Nova Mob) is playing a rare solo show Monday night at The Bell House. Grant has a new album in the can and it is his first since 1999's Good News for Modern Man. The new disc was recorded in Montreal with members of A Silver Mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor and in Minneapolis with members of Rank Strangers and Fat Kid Wednesdays. The first track from this release, "School Buses Are For Children", is streaming on Grant's MySpace page.

Based on some of the set lists that I've seen, Grant is playing a good mix of solo material and Husker Du songs on his current tour. Here is the set list from the show a few nights ago in Rochester.

Grant Hart — Bug Jar, Rochester NY, 26 May 2009

Remains To Be Seen
You Don't Have To Tell Me Now
You're the Reflection Of The Moon On The Water
The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill
Never Talking To You Again
2541
[new song] ("words of a friend...out for an evening")
Barbara
A Letter From Anne Marie
She Floated Away
Terms Of Psychic Warfare
Diane
Green Eyes
Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely
Books About UFOs

Tickets for Monday's show are $10 and Grant is playing with Death Vessel and Kevin Barker.

Echo and the Bunnymen Release Live Performance of 'Ocean Rain' on CD on May 30th; Play All Points West on August 2nd

Late last year, Echo & the Bunnymen played three shows (London, NYC and Liverpool) where they performed Ocean Rain in its entirety, backed by a multi-piece orchestra.

The band is releasing the Liverpool show (recorded 11/27/08) as a limited edition CD/DVD set on May 30th. The CD features the live performance of Ocean Rain with a ten-piece orchestra. The DVD features visuals of some of the classic band images that were projected at the show along with a 20 minute ‘behind the scenes’ documentary – with unseen footage (including rehearsals for the shows).

The box set is available through the bunnymen.com site and all copies will be autographed by Mac & Will. The first 1,000 copies ordered will be inscribed to a name of your choice.

Needless to say, cool and expensive often go hand-in-hand and this set is selling for £30.00.

Echo & the Bunnymen are playing the last day of the All Points West festival on Sunday, August 2nd. Festival tickets are $199 for a three-day pass and single-day tickets are $89.

Pet Ghost Project Releases Two New EPs; Record Release Show at Fontana's on May 29th

DOWNLOAD: Pet Ghost Project - "They Built a City in My Country Mind" (from The Wordless Conversation)
DOWNLOAD: Pet Ghost Project - "Wires From the Ceiling" (from Idiot Brain/Genius Heart)

Justin Stivers has released two new Pet Ghost Project CDs as free downloads available through PetGhostProject.com.

The Wordless Conversation EP is a rich flurry of epic instrumental works while Idiot Brain/Genius Heart is a frolicking art-pop collection. Like past works by Pet Ghost Project, these lo-fi EPs will continue to rightfully cement comparisons to Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel and Brian Wilson.

Pet Ghost Project have a number of upcoming shows around the area:
5/29 -- Fontana's (Record Release Show)
6/05 -- Goodbye Blue Monday - Brooklyn
6/07 -- Animal Shelter Benefit Show @ Arlene's Grocery
6/13 -- Northside Festival. Bar Matchless. - Brooklyn
6/19 -- Trash Bar - Brooklyn
7/11 -- Bar 4 - Brooklyn
7/16 -- Crash Mansion

Links:
Pet Ghost Project's MySpace Profile

Charlie Allen: Interview with Nashville Country Artist (New CD is 'That Was Then, This is Now')

Right before Memorial Day, I had the chance to talk with country recording artist Charlie Allen. Charlie has a new track called “No Welcome Home” which is a special single made exclusively to honor Veterans during this Memorial Day holiday. A portion of the proceeds of “No Welcome Home” will be given to various Veterans funds and the track can be purchased on Cdbaby.com.



Charlie has been playing music since the age of seven and his first public show was opening for Hank Williams Jr. Charlie is currently signed to indy label, River Run Records, and his newest CD "That Was Then, This Is Now" came out in April. The first single, "See If I Care", is currently climbing the Country charts.



Charlie is playing Bonnaroo next month before heading over to the UK later this Summer for a tour of Ireland. Here are Charlie's June tour dates:

June 11 2009, 4:45PM, BONNAROO, Manchester, TN
June 12 2009, 8:00PM, CMA FAN FEST and BONNAROO, Manchester, TN
June 13 2009, 8:00PM, CMA FAN FEST and BONNAROO, Manchester, TN
June 14 2009, 8:00PM, NASHVILLE CONVENTION CENTER, Nashville, TN
June 14 2009, 8:00PM, CMA FAN FEST, Nashville, TN

Links:
Charlie Allen's MySpace Profile

RockItOut! Blog Hosts a Concert Tomorrow Night at The Delancey w/ Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne)

Former Fuse TV host and 23 to Sparta vocalist Sami Jarroush hosts the first RockItOut! Concert tomorrow night at The Delancey.

The show starts around 7PM and cover is $7.00. The bands playing are:

7pm - The Ambassadors
8pm - The Narrative (featuring members of Taking Back Sunday & Straylight Run)
9pm – Aliens
10pm - The Orion Experience
11pm - Jody Porter (from Fountains of Wayne)



Links:
RockItOut! Blog

Andy Shauf - "Darker Days" CD Review (P Is For Panda Records)

DOWNLOAD: Andy Shauf - Three Cuts from Darker Days are available as a Free Download on iSound.com

Andy Shauf's full-length debut Darker Days came out last week on P is for Panda Records. The disc is a collection of the best of Andy's bedroom demos but, unlike most demo tapes, the songs are surprisingly mature. Andy wrote, produced and played all the instruments on this disc; on only two of the eleven cuts does he bring on friends to help out on backing vocals.

Andy has a silky-smooth voice but he doesn't use his voice alone to cary the songs. The backing instrumentation plays a major role in most songs and it ranges from acoustic guitar to electric grunge chords, handclaps and a banjo. While Deb Hansen adds some beautiful backing vocals to "Crushes", one of the real gems on this CD is "Gone" where Andy provides his own backing vocals and sings in glorious Beach Boys-like harmony with himself.

The themes of a lot of the songs are about love and relationships but the disc doesn't come off as a bland folk/emo disc. While there are a few slow spots, Andy keeps the disc moving by changing up the tempos, the instruments and his vocals. Some of the strongest cuts ("The Greatest Moments", "Your Heart" and "Crushes") are streaming on Andy's MySpace page.


Here is the first of Andy's video blogs which features an acoustic performance of "Your Heart". This is the lead-off track from Darker Days and it is a great segue into the rest of the disc.



Andy is currently touring in Canada and here are his upcoming tour dates:
June 2, 2009 -- 7:00PM, Estevan Comprehensive School Cafeteria, Estevan, Saskatchewan
June 12, 2009 -- 8:00PM, Haar Theatre (Grant MacEwan Arts Campus), Edmonton, Alberta
July 8, 2009 -- 7:30PM, TCU Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
August 7-9, 2009 -- Regina Folk Festival, Regina, Saskatchewan

A.A. Bondy Plays Bell House in Brooklyn on June 6th

DOWNLOAD: A.A. Bondy - "Mightiest of Guns" (HearYa Sessions)

A.A. Bondy starts his summer tour next month in Northampton and he is playing the Bell House on June 6th. Bondy is likely to debut some new material on the road as he is currently in a Mississippi studio finishing up his second album for Fat Possum. A.A. Bondy's first CD, American Hearts, was re-released by Fat Possum in April 2008 after its original release by Superphonic in 2007.

For anyone who hasn't heard American Hearts, here is a live video of the title track.


Here is A.A. Bondy's summer tour schedule:
June 05, Northampton, MA -- Iron Horse Music Hall
June 06, Brooklyn, NY -- Bell House
June 08, Philadelphia, PA -- Kung Fu Necktie
June 09, Pittsburgh, PA -- Club Cafe
June 11, Arlington, VA -- Iota
June 12, Charlotte, NC -- Snug Harbor
June 14, Manchester, TN -- Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 15, Columbus, OH -- The Basement
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 29, Phoenix, AZ -- Modified Arts
July 07, Baton Rouge, LA -- Spanish Moon

Links:
A.A. Bondy's MySpace Profile

Free BBQ and Maker's Mark Milkshakes Tomorrow Afternoon at Bushwick Country Club (Courtesy of FreeIceCream.Net)

DOWNLOAD: Almost Fameless Volume 3: "Been Such A Long Time" (Produced by DJ SmutVillian) MP3

Hip-hop artists Kats and Domer are throwing a free BBQ and Maker's Mark milkshakes tomorrow at Bushwick Country Club. The FreeIceCream party runs from 2PM - 7PM tomorrow and Bushwick Country Club is located at 618 Grand Street (@Leonard).

Kats and Domer have also posted a third volume of their "Almost Fameless" mixtape series as a free download on their FreeIceCream site. The "Almost Fameless" series features Kats and Domer collaborating with some of New York City’s premier MCs and producers. Each mixtape is a "ten–song party of all new material chocked full of bangin beats, top–notch rhymes and memorable guest appearances."

The Datsuns: "Head Stunts" CD Review (Cooking Vinyl USA)

After being released in Europe at the end of last year, The Datsuns' fourth disc, Head Stunts, was finally released in the US this month. Like The Datsuns' past work, this is another slab of high-energy power-punk.

The disc starts off with a bang as the lead-off track "Human Error" has all of hooks of a perfect radio single. While Head Stunts is predominately composed of anthemic rock rave-ups, there are some dabbling into psychedelic/garage rock on cuts like "Hey! Paranoid People" (which prominently features Christian Livingstone's swampy Hammond organ) and the somber "Eye of the Needle" (which is driven by a pulsing bass-and-drums backbeat).

While this disc isn't significantly from The Datsuns' past work, it feels a bit more mature. The melodies and tempos ebb and flow between the songs (not all of the cuts are guitar-rawk) which makes a number of the songs more memorable. Aside for the guitar-rawk and psychedelic influences mentioned above, there are also elements of glam-rock (" Highschool Hoodlums") and 70's pop ("Cruel Cruel Fate"). The disc ends with a brilliant "Tomorrow Never Knows"-sounding shoegazer "Somebody Better"

Lyrically, this isn't a deep album (i.e. the "Chain Smoking/Shit Talking" chorus of Highschool Hoodlum) but it has some great riffs that should come across even better in the band's live performance. The last few times that The Datsuns have come through NYC, they have put on a wild performance. Here is a video from a recent performance (a cover of The Misfits' "Where Eagles Dare") that shows the live power of the band.



The Datsuns are coming back through the US in July which includes a stop at Mercury Lounge on July 18th. Here are the dates for the US and Canadian leg of the tour:

July 13, 2009, 8:00PM, Café Du Nord, San Francisco, California
July 14, 2009, 8:00PM, Echo, Los Angeles, California
July 17, 2009, 8:00PM, T T The Bears, Boston, Massachusetts
July 18, 2009, 8:00PM, Mercury Lounge, New York
July 19, 2009, 8:00PM, La Sala Rossa, Montreal, Quebec
July 20, 2009, 8:00PM, The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario
July 21, 2009, 8:00PM, Majestic Cafe, Detroit, Michigan
July 22, 2009, 8:00PM, Empty Bottle, Chicago, Illinois

Links:
The Datsuns' MySpace Profile

Crosby Stills and Nash Release CD of 1968 - 1971 Demos on June 2nd (Rhino Entertainment)

STREAM: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Demos (Rhino Entertainment)
(Streaming tracks are "Marrakesh Express”, "Almost Cut My Hair” and “Love The One You’re With")

On June 2nd, Rhino is releasing a collection of 12 previously unreleased demos by Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) that were recorded between 1968 and 1971. Many of the performances feature various combinations of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the tracks are a good mix of CSN(&Y) and solo solo songs.

Some of the tracks include:
- "Marrakesh Express" features Crosby, Stills and Nash and was recorded four months before CSN's debut release
- "Music is Love" features Crosby, Nash and Young
- "Almost Cut My Hair" is a solo recording by David Crosby
- "My Love is a Gentle Thing" is a 1968 solo recording by Stephen Stills

Here is the complete track list:

1. "Marrakesh Express"
2. "Almost Cut My Hair"
3. "You Don't Have To Cry"
4. "Déjà Vu"
5. "Sleep Song"
6. "My Love Is A Gentle Thing"
7. "Be Yourself"
8. "Music Is Love"
9. "Singing Call"
10. "Long Time Gone"
11. "Chicago"
12. "Love The One You're With"

Crosby, Stills & Nash are out on tour this summer and here are their June tour dates:
June 03 - St. Louis, MO, Chaifetz Arena
June 04 - Chicago, IL, Charter One Pavilion
June 06 - Detroit, MI, Meadow Brook
June 07 - Toledo, OH, Zoo Amphitheatre
June 09 - Niagara, ON, Fallsview Casino Resort
June 10 - Canandaigua, NY, Constellation, PAC
June 12 - Cooperstown, NY, Doubleday Field
June 13 - Mashantucket, CT, MGM Grand @ Foxwoods
June 14 - Boston, MA, Bank of America Pavilion
June 27 - Glastonbury, England, Glastonbury Festival
June 29 - Cork, Ireland, Marquee

Links:
Crosby, Stills & Nash's Website

Canon Logic Play Southpaw on Thursday, May 28th with Ann Courtney and the Late Bloomers

DOWNLOAD: The Canon Logic - "The Devil Sold His Soul" (MP3)

Photo by James Hamilton Photography
This is my 'pick of the week' show.

The Canon Logic are playing at Southpaw on Thursday night with Ann Courtney & the Late Bloomers. The Canon Logic are fantastic live band and the crowds seem to grow in size each time that I've seen them play.

The Canon Logic are finalizing their debut full-length CD Dark Maid and the band will be playing tracks from this forthcoming release at the Southpaw show. For anyone who needs an early 'fix', the band posted their recent EP "The White Balloon" along with a handful of unreleased tracks as a free download.


Here is a live performance of "Avenue of Criminals" when the band was competing on MTV2's Rock Battle.


Tickets for the Southpaw show are $8.00 and the show starts at 8PM.

Links:
The Canon Logic's MySpace Profile

Quiet Hooves, Bird Names and Darla Farmer Play Free Memorial Day Show in Crown Heights

DOWNLOAD: Quiet Hooves - "Hott R Nott" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bird Names - "People Should Get More Aware" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darla Farmer - "Big Accident"(MP3)

Damn...indie rock is coming into my neighborhood.

Hooves on the Turf are hosting a free all-ages Memorial Day show in Homage Burger & Bar's backyard. The show starts at 6PM and Homage is located at Franklin & Park (two short blocks from the Franklin Avenue 2/3/4/5 stop).

Playing the show are Quiet Hooves (from Athens, GA), Bird Names (from Chicago, IL) and Darla Farmer (from Nashville, Tennessee).



Quiet Hooves got some great write-ups for their recent SXSW performances. There isn't any footage from Quiet Hooves' SXSW performances posted to YouTube so here is an impromptu performance of the band playing live in a swimming pool.

Automatic Children: Release Party for New 7" Tomorrow Night at Arlene's Grocery

Not surprisingly, Automatic Children made The Deli Magazine list of top NYC bands for the second year in a row. The band has been working on new material as a follow-up to their 2007 EP "It's Not Me, It's You" and they are releasing a new vinyl 7" tomorrow night as a precursor to full-length disc later in the year.

The new 7" contains the songs "Coming Over Me" and "Solitude" and it comes with a digital download card (for those without a turntable). For old-school vinyl aficionados, the new disc is both limited and numbered. For anyone who doesn't make it out to the show tomorrow, you can pick up copies of the new single at Kim's Music and Academy Records in the Village. Kim's is now on 1st Avenue (between 7th and St. Mark's) and Academy Records is on 12th Street (between 1st Ave and 'A').

Here is a live version of "Solitude" that was recorded last month at Coco66.


Links:
Automatic Children's MySpace Profile

Drink Up Buttercup: Live Video from Cameo Lounge, Brooklyn 5-8-09

DOWNLOAD: Drink Up Buttercup - Daytrotter Session (Click-through to download the individual songs)

While Drink Up Buttercup can harmonize like The Beatles (and there is a bit of Beatles-style "Oompah" in Buttercup's music), the band's live show is closer to an Akron/Family or Animal Collective style sing-along. The music borders on the shambolic as tempos and song structures change (often mid-song) but the music never crosses over the edge into chaos.



Drink Up Buttercup are back in NYC next month for a few shows:
June 12, 2009, 8:00PM, Kanine/Frenchkiss Showcase @ Bruar Falls, Brooklyn
June 13, 2009, 8:00PM, Hooves on the Turf Showcase @ Trophy Bar
June 17, 2009, 7:00PM, Santos Party House w/ Clues (18+), New York

Links:
Drink Up Buttercup's MySpace Profile
Kanine Records

Noah: Live Performance and Interview with BrooklynRocks, May '09 (NoahXMusic / Human Geometry)

Canadian electro/dance artist Noah was in town last week to promote his debut CD Human Geometry (which will be released June 23rd through iTunes). I talked with Noah about the new CD, his influences and how he got into the music business. Noah also gave an impromptu performance of his new single "Mannequin" which kicks off this video.



The underlying message of Human Geometry is one of personal growth and self-improvement -- "[t]he idea is that everything you experience in life, up until this very moment, shapes you. The contradictory idea is that you have the power and control to shape your own life."

Noah's next show is June 10th at the Canal Room. He is playing as part of ArjanWrites Superfraiche Pop Music Showcase and advance tickets are $10.00.

Links:
Noah's MySpace Profile

Patrick Watson: Live Videos Posted from NYC and Los Angeles (Wooden Arms)

I'm still kicking myself for having to miss Patrick Watson's show at City Winery. For anyone who also missed the show, there are a number of pro-shot live video that have gone up on the 'net.

Here is some footage from WNYC Studios that was recorded earlier this month:


Here is a wild performance of 'Hearts in the Park' that was filmed in a piñata shop in downtown Los Angeles:


Lastly - here is Patrick's latest video "Fireweed", which is the opening track from Wooden Arms.


Patrick and Wooden Arms are currently touring in Europe and here are the upcoming tour dates:
May 24, 2009 8:00PM @ Mezz, Breda
May 25, 2009 8:00PM @ AB Box,Brussels
May 26, 2009 8:00PM, @ Melkweg, Amsterdam
May 28, 2009 8:00PM, @ Ubel und Gefahrlich, Hamburg
May 29, 2009 8:00PM, @ Passionkirsche, Berlin
May 31, 2009 8:00PM, @ Luxor, Cologne

Links:
Patrick Watson's MySpace Profile

The Soul of John Black Plays Sullivan Hall Tomorrow Night, May 14th (John Bigham)

STREAM: The Soul of John Black - Live on KCRW's Morning Becomes Electric

Former Fishbone guitarist and Miles Davis sideman John Bigham is back with his third CD under "The Soul of John Black" moniker. The new disc, Black John, was released earlier this year and here is a snippet from the Washington Post's review of the disc:

Incantatory funk choruses abound, while "I Knew a Lady" gets a lift from a propulsive go-go beat, and mid-tempo workouts like "Better Babe" and "Push Into the Night" veer in the direction of rock. For all its grit and groove, though -- the arrangements on a couple of tracks here hint at the freakadelic soul of Gnarls Barkley -- the record ends with a pair of sublime ballads, the second of them, "Thinking About You," graced with lilting filigrees of West African-style guitar.

The Soul of John Black are playing a long set tomorrow night at Sullivan Hall. The show starts at 9:30PM and tickets are $15.00.

Links:
The Soul of John Black
Sullivan Hall

Meat Puppets Play Two Shows in June at Mercury Lounge; New Disc "Sewn Together" Released Today (Megaforce)

DOWNLOAD: Meat Puppets - "Rotten Shame" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Meat Puppets - Daytrotter Session (Click through and download the tracks individually)

The Meat Puppets are back with their twelfth studio disc Sewn Together which is the band's second post-reunion album.

The new disc was written by Curt Kirkwood and recorded on vintage analog gear at the Saltmine studio in Mesa, Ariz. Curt also produced the disc with the help of his son Elmo. The LA Times describes the album as mixing "the Meat Puppets' heavy-rock free-flights with speckled shades of intimate country-folk."

The band's US tour started today in Los Angeles and the Meat Puppets are playing June 11-12 at the Mercury Lounge.

Here are the upcoming shows:

May 12th - The Mint - Los Angeles, CA
May 27th - Waterfront - Louisville, KY
May 28th - Blueberry Hill - St Louis, MO
May 29th - The Annex - Madison, WI
May 30th - Schuba's - Chicago, IL
May 31st - Schuba's - Chicago, IL
June 2nd - Mad Hatter's - Cincinnatti, OH
June 3rd - The Summit - Columbus, OH
June 4th - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
June 5th - Mr. Smalls - Pittsburgh, PA
June 6th - Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
June 7th - Mohawk - Buffalo, NY
June 9th - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT
June 10th - Paradise - Boston, MA
June 11th - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
June 12th - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
June 13th - Rock n' Roll Hotel - Washington, DC
June 14th - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
June 16th - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
June 17th - Exit/In - Nashville, TN
June 19th - Pontiac Garage at HOB - Dallas, TX
June 20th - The Parish - Austin, TX

Links:
Derrick Bostrom's Meat Puppets Site
Meat Puppets' MySpace Profile