2011's All About Being 2011 - Weekend Recappin'

Walking to Atomic Wings on Smith was a bitter cold experience today but drenched in hot sauce not 25 minutes later I could call it a success. I know I haven't been writing so frequently as of late, but I have brand spankin' new employment and I'm putting as much effort as I can into setting up this year for even more greatness.

My better half did a run to Ikea with cohorts from the neighborhood and we built a cabinet together to house equal parts beach towels, extra sheets, and assorted papers (I can never bring myself to throw away my favorite college papers or studies). I realized that we live close enough to Ikea that it's not as much a chore to go there, although it's puzzling how tired I get after walking through the assortment of questionable wood and showrooms (the best has to be the 275 foot studio space, it's so awesome and incorporates the loft bed I bought used to provide my college roommate somewhere to sleep while we were living in Manhattan).

Jimmy Jazz is having a huge clearance sale and I may need to do a quick run; it looks so tempting.

Over the weekend a nightcap in Williamsburg at Hotel Dumond(?) was par for the course as was a donation run to the Salvation Army, where a group of young ladies who looked like the two older daughters in Dan in Real Life were giggling and doing a more serious shop there. Lots of good stuff and a long line for sure.

Brooklyn Fare's expansion is starting to show and it's really going to be sizable and comparable to the larger markets in the area; definitely a big deal as the one thing they could use is a little more variety of both produce and brands. Very exciting stuff though.

I also noticed that Dismemberment Plan is playing on January 30th at Webster Hall, and opening is Jukebox the Ghost. To round out the musical experience this weekend was some Lil Wayne on the radio.

This Weekend There's SCRATCHbread: The Gathering and Sailor Jerry-mandering

A couple of things that I may be in attendance for, so much to do, so little time on a Sunday.

The friends at SCRATCHbread and their insanely delicious concoctions are not only at the Brooklyn Flea every weekend but they happen to throw their own events. I can't say where this next one is held so if you sign up for their SCRATCHbread newsletter you just may get the scoop on these assemblies (we have that right as 'Mericans). Also, if you're into the whole social play of grassroots funding for businesses, check out their 'Right to Deliciousness' campaign on KickStarter.com, a cool way of getting support for your cause, whatever it may be. Since Brooklyn is all about homegrown businesses (have you seen West Brooklyn lately?) maybe it will trend as well as Groupon has.

The other thing is Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum who helps sponsor Williamsburg jelly pool parties with some very good bands over the course of several Sundays this summer. I doubt newfangled hipsters would appreciate Cap'n Jazz, but hey, I'm not here to flick snob snot at anyone (they did not end up playing due to weather). For more on Sailor Jerry, go to their official site.

Cheers to the weekend!

Saved By The Bell House 7.24.10

Themed parties are almost always a good time if there's enough support and a good build (theme decor, good venue, willing participants). Even bad theme parties are kind of funny/depressing in their own way. The idea is that if you are willing to devote a night (or a weekend, or possibly weeks) to something you didn't create/nostalgia/embarrassment/letting loose, you should look out for more theme parties, especially among hipsters. Because they love a good, ironic time.

Yesterday was a Full House of activity, going to beach, getting burned, going to a great barbeque in Ozone Park, seeing a friend get harassed by two men on children's bikes, and wonton love of a show that for all intensive purposes was just cheesy (save a few moments) and had no sense of what high school was actually like: Saved By The Bell.

Don't get my wrong; I enjoy SBTB a lot. I liked it growing up, and I still enjoy watching it in the morning before work. I don't own the series like Pat Craig does, but that's ok.

The Bell House being an amazing venue was the perfect place for a Saved By The Bell dance, where 3 dollars for every ticket went to oil relief. By the time the main part of the dance was over and The Bayside Tigers wrapped up their set, there was a real dance party in the front lounge. Everything is just set up well.

I was wearing my Malibu Sands shirt thinking 8 other people would be wearing it but I was dead wrong. Half the people didn't dress up, the other half were a mix of 3 really dressed up people and 100 semi-dressed up people. Leotards, skinny suspenders, light jeans, I couldn't help but wonder if this was 1994, or people just thought it was an 80s party. Because there has to be a difference right? Reagan vs. Clinton? Shit I should have worn my chain wallet. And brought like a copy of Swingers. Or something. Empire Records by the way is one of the top 10 worst movies ever. I stand by that wholeheartedly.

Folks who bought a ticket received one free vodka lemonade drink ticket and a view of strobe lights and a huge Bayside logo where you could take your picture and feel like a has been actor. "Man in the Mirror" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and other tunes got the dance floor slightly going but everything was surprisingly pretty chill (the dance party in the front was way more solid, Union Pool-ish in a way). The Bayside Tigers played all 90s alt-rock hits; I called 3 of them (Blur, Harvey Danger, and Lit) and we sung most of them throughout. At least they played Bosstones and Blink 182 right?

There were some crazy ladies, some drunk ladies, and a wider age range than usual, probably 21 to 36. Everything was just a lot of fun, it didn't sell out, there was room to dance, I actually listened to suburban 90s alt-rock (except for godamn 3 doors down, god they suck, rembrandts, suck, gin blossoms, double suck for being catchy, eve 6, suck, all played by these bands), and you had just enough characters (yes you lady in the flower top just going batshit crazy, it's a band covering Oasis, not actually Oasis) to make the people watching interesting. When they started playing 3 Doors Down, I kid you not half the people went to go get a drink. People have spoken.

A young woman seemed to twist or land on her ankle the wrong way and I helped get her to the comfortable couch by the side of the stage. There was also a group who came up to me and asked for my picture because I looked EXACTLY (their word) like their friend from LA. I guess I'm not the only Asian with a normal haircut.

The bar moved quick, everyone was having fun, there were cupcakes out front from Robicelli's where you can find all over west Brooklyn and a couple of other locations including the new dessert shop Farmacy on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens.

All in all, a very fun experience and worth it. And btdubs, there are several other clubs in the area. And I still want to go to Canal Bar on 3rd Avenue. They are really trying to turn Gowanus into like a Brooklynized meatpacking aren't they?

Speaking of slightly cracked out neighborhoods:

Summer Streets on Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights, Another Reason To Have A Pint

"It's the event of the season" I hear on the Dog the Bounty Hunter commercial as I type this. Wait we're back to Intervention.

While not the event of the season, and would go great if it went beyond June (but I'll take any excuse to do up Prospect Heights considering all the shit that will go down there over the next 5 years), Summer Streets on Vanderbilt Avenue (that's what the site says, maybe next year they'll pimp out the name a little more) is something I'd like to take part in, maybe the 27th. Don't mind the slightly awkward blog. Prospect Heights is good for it.

Basically you've got a strip of an underrated street that is open for the kids and adults and best of all, Soda Bar is up for some pints of the Vos all up in it. Now, Soda Bar can be inconsistent in the evenings but one thing's for sure, the backyard and sunny front part of the bar are always welcoming for afternoon refreshments.

This summer event will happen on June 20 and the 27th as mentioned previously.

The following has a nice cover by Face to Face too:

Eli "Paperboy" Reed @ Mercury Lounge 6.3.10

Photo from Boston.com.

It's time to dust off the Stax t-shirt. I went to see Eli "Paperboy" Reed (he got his nickname from an old hat of his) at the Mercury Lounge a few blocks away from the office on the early show bill at around 7:30. While not a sold out show, it was pretty packed for an early Thursday and I grabbed a couple of Circus Boy pints while waiting around for the show to begin. My girlfriend and I chatted with some of the AOL Music crew and EMI (Reed is currently on Capitol Records) and I was fairly excited seeing as how I hadn't had the pleasure of seeing an oldies throwback artist since my stretch of Pipettes shows or Camera Obscura (ok so maybe those weren't that long ago).

There are a lot of old school showman things about Reed (from Boston area) and his band the True Loves. Keyboard man doubling as MC, smiling drummer, muscular horn section, smooth bass player (sunglasses were the bonus), and Reed himself with a rockabilly haircut and suit-donning. Having a backing band like the True Loves makes you a contender because there are so many pieces that fit. The sound levels were all in check although they could have bumped up the saxaphones and other instruments as needed, but everyone was heard. Tight drumming and wild, shimmering guitar (he broke strings by the end, so you know he's not playin' around). Toward the end he took off his jacket, and the obvious pockets of sweat all over his purple shirt on this hot evening always makes a great statement. They are here to work us over with classic soul music. Does he hit you in the gut with every song? No. But hitting high points 4 or 5 times during the show is part of what soul is about; it's about a commanding presence instilling the righteousness of a higher being in ya. It's kind of like a really intense, goosebumps-inducing version of rinse and repeat.

There are many other things that I enjoyed about the show. The music, while people would say it's a derivative of classic soul that has been done better, is good but in a live setting it can be electric. It's the kind of music you really should experience live because the set up is so tried and true (which is part of why I love punk so much as well). Again, the fullness of the band shines and it's just so sweaty and not pristine and just pops so well. It's an old formula that still works beautifully no matter how much acts have evolved.

Reed's smiling, crooning, and screaming push the pace and makes the music something to root for. He's kind of like the young, boy-ish looking kid who could belt out tunes with his band on the corner on a hot summer day and would draw a crowd. That's the kind of heartfelt nature that you see on stage.

It's interesting that there is such strict devotion to his source music and influences, and there's a very pure feeling in the music even if it doesn't reach the top of the mountain with every tune. When they were on fire though and getting into call-and-response and shaking everything down, it was really a joy to watch and re-affirms that it's all about the live aspect to music, the sound coming from everywhere, the visual sweat, and little nuances that won't necessarily be found in a recording. I actually wouldn't have minded seeing a couple more covers to connect the audience even more and bridging the musical generations. However, I do understand that it's not about a revival, but about moving forward with a particular genre and making it new.

If you're interested Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves will be at The Bell House in Gowanus later this month on Saturday June 19.

Anywho, you can find his MySpace page filled with bio information and also a music video for "Come and Get It" from his new album of the same name which comes out in the US August 10 (already out in the UK, you know, where they understood soul probably as well as we did).


COME AND GET IT (Official Music Video)

Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves | MySpace Music Videos

Hipster Demolition Night at Southpaw May 27th

This piqued my interest sure enough: a small lineup of bands performing as a big eat-shit to loosely defined hipsters everywhere. Now I am not a fan of hipsters (although my girlfriend says if I was white I just might look like one, whew good thing I avoided that when I was born), and I do appreciate the sentiment that Jay Banerjee is putting out there with his Hipster Demolition Night at Southpaw in Park Slope on Thursday night. Yet, I can't help but wonder two things: first, there are plenty of great bands out there that aren't hipster but can't control who champions their music, and second, that hipsters are something to make a stink over. To me, hipsters have taken over all types of music, and many indie rock and indie pop bands are influenced by music similar to what is going to be blasting from Southpaw this week. So where does that leave us? Death metal. If you're going to do an anti-hipster show, you might as well make a point by doing death metal or hardcore punk. Or better yet, just have Seth Putnam do your entire show.

Anywho, I guess we should all agree that there needs to be a whole lot less bullshit when it comes to either music or lifestyle and although Banerjee is all about Brooklyn being the place to demonstrate this kind of movement against those too cool for school and/or a job, Brooklyn is breeding more hipness than any other area.

Titus Andronicus and Parts and Labor at Bowery Ballroom 3.6.10: A Tale of Awesome Drumming

How fucking awesome was this show? Too bad for you, resident film critic Chris Cabin, but you missed greatness.

Billed as a CD release party but since that term sounds like a 7th grade circle jerk, we'll just call it an awesome concert with two awesome bands (sorry first openers, didn't get to check it, I was running through Lost on the Roku (parentheses within parentheses: Roku is the greatest thing ever) because I'm a noob and I need to catch up before the series finale) which made for an awesome time.

Parts and Labor and then Titus Andronicus were so good as a one-two punch, my whiskey soda actually tasted better during their sets.

Parts and Labor is a band that fuses what is be weighty and excellent electronic melodies and modern punk rock into sonic crunches; each song is propelled by some very, very heavy drumming. I don't think I've heard a rock drummer able to get a bigger, rumbling sound out of their set in a long time. Of course, Bowery has great sound but this was insane, the guy was a machine. Tom toms can be powerful pieces to the overall feel of the music and this band had it so right, moving with an unwavering speed that was perfect for shuffling your feet. The one problem was the vocals were a bit on the quiet end for the bass player. The keyboard and almost pushy use of non-guitar sounds was invigorating; you weren't watching a chi chi indie band, but a band that believes in their sound and looks comfortable. The music is pretty simple when you strip it down, but the melodies are very strong and they are able to dress up the songs with a lot of power. They just feel contemporary and it's really interesting to listen to them.

Great sound continued when Titus took the stage; the drums sounded like you were listening to a studio cut. In my review of their new album The Monitor (which officially releases tomorrow), I praised just about everything. Their concert left me with an even better appreciation for their epic songs; it's just really awesome to hear live. During "Four Score and Seven":

"When they see the kind of person you really are,
You won't be laughing so hard, no
you won't be laughing so hard, no
you won't be laughing, you won't be LAUGHING, no
you won't be laughing so haaaaaaaaaaard..."

and then the lead singer shouting, "I WAS BORN TO DIE JUST LIKE A MAN"...

...was cathartic; it was just so damn righteous.

Should I say something like, "Titus Andronicus is like an American version of The Pogues"? I mean I could, but then I guess the Dropkick Murphys would get jealous...

I don't know. I mean after seeing this band, they seem like they have a lot going for them and under all the yelling the music is very accessible and appealing. When I think about stuff going on in rock music I know there are plenty of fresh bands out there, but when you get down to it, there's only so much room on your iPod (or whatever you use). So you think, well goddamn, we need a big band(s) whose music can be a shining example of how to really rock. I'm always looking for that even though I never can keep up with the latest bands or anything. I've found it in Titus Andronicus.

I should also really start a "this is me typing as I'm dozing off to sleep" entries. I woke up and I was like what the hell was I writing.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives Ticket Giveaway (for 2.16 show at Irving Plaza) Chris Cab-tion Contest

Thanks again to the folks at Live Nation (or do I call it Ticketmaster? Or Livemaster? NationTicket? Ticket Nation? Nationmaster? Large Company? Ron Delsener?) the KCB is running a wonderful giveaway for a lucky person and a guest to attend The Soundtrack of Our Lives concert on February 16th. Besides having some old school looks and being from Sweden and totally understandable (unlike Ikea's directions), and cool looking promotional photos, and a nice looking official blog/site, I'm not too familiar with their stuff.

I looked up all those things about 5 minutes ago. What I can tell you is that their patient brand of straight up spacey rock, an oddity considering they aren't vapid like mainstream rock bands or something and almost feel kind of, post-rock version of, well early 70s rock? Even if I don't normally listen to them I definitely give them respect for doing their own thing and not sounding trendy. The Swedes just seem to always get it right stylistically. I mean they feel like they are still playing with the earnestness of when they started years ago, influenced by when rock was expanding in the mid-90s who in turn were influenced by the 70's base and 80's experimentation. I mean, you have to give TSOOL credit just for having awesome album covers. I kind of get this weird feeling of oak-y, woodsy, old PBS educational shows from the 70s. As you can tell, I just like typing the word "70s" in here.

Anywho, what ticket giveaway would be complete without a Chris Cab-tion Contest? Oh yeah that's right none. Just comment on the photo below in the comments section for a chance to win two will call tickets. If you're a tall Swedish blonde, your chances are probably even better.

Check The Soundtrack of Our Lives out on MySpace here. For more info on the Feb. 16th concert, go here. Here's their recent music video for "Flipside", Stone Temple Pilots "Plush" style.

Flipside

The Soundtrack of Our Lives | MySpace Music Videos

Subway Musings - Shake, Rattle, and Roll

I was on the subway today coming home from work and a woman came aboard at City Hall. She was wearing a long blue corduroy button down and had very long strawberry blonde hair, probably late 40s. She struck me as a little odd because she was holding a paper plate with a slice of pizza on it, but on top of that was another paper plate with an empty soda can rolling around on top of that. She was looking around for a second until she decided to look down on the ground, actively searching for something to catch her eye. She kept nudging the pizza slice this way and that, as if it was a restless sleeper trying to find the most comfortable position.

Upon getting between Rector and Whitehall, she took the Diet Coke can and started shaking it vigorously. This would have been fine except she had broken off the tab on the top of the tasty beverage (I'm a Diet Pepsi man myself, even Diet RC, Pepsi One if available, Diet Sunkist) and had lost it in the can. She kept shaking it and shaking it, the little fucker rattling away inside. People started to take notice. And just when you thought you couldn't handle it any more, the tab showed itself on the paper plate. The woman didn't even look elated, which led me to believe that this was something of a routine. She then inspected the tab for a split second before putting it in her pants' pocket. That also led me to believe that this was a habit.

What got me was the length of time she was giving the can the business. I would say I'm a pretty patient person in most cases, and it felt interesting to me as the sharp cackling grew louder that I wanted to see how long it took for it to bother me. Just as you're about to give up internally, she got what she wanted. It's like a weird build up of something you don't want to hold onto just to test yourself, I dunno, putting your finger next to a burning candle to see how long you can hold out. What a tease.

Kind of like most old Juliana Theory songs from Understand This Is A Dream (which I owned for several years), you think they are going somewhere climactic and big, and then you're just left frustrated. And that's before I started to dislike them..."the TAI-eeme is 2:22 andIhooope your wish, comes, truuuueee...." what's with those numbers on the album cover?

Speaking of Juliana Theory, they are coming around after 4 years of not being a band (what's with all these bands, some I like, coming back after 4 years, which is totally not enough time to be broken up, come on Piebald) to Highline Ballroom way out there in Chelsea, way out there on August 20th this year. They are pre-selling tickets to all 46 of their current fans (oooo low blow, sorry guys).

Laura Veirs coming to Mercury Lounge February 15th with 'July Flame'

I like 4th of July, it's a nice break from work in the middle of the summer, if you're like me and don't take many vacations because you don't know how to.

Not that 4th of July necessarily has anything to do with singer/songwriter (I really hate that term) Laura Veirs' new record, July Flame. It could be about a fling that happened in July. Or Fire Island. Or you know, a fruit (thanks Wikipedia for crashing my jokes).

This is a really nice record, and it's gentle and sage-like and folksy at parts without being "haunting" or overcooked. It's very accessible which speaks to me because even though I like a lot of different kinds of music accessibility is always something I look for and not shy away from (not that I don't listen to difficult music, you know, to keep my credibility). The album is thoughtful in the instrumentation and variety of sounds produced. It feels like a person who takes the time to think about things and rather than actively deciding something, he or she gives whatever she's working on a little time and things just fall into place.

The vocals are like the lightest wave, moving slowly but as they get closer, it hits you with a bit more power than you were expecting. It's a nice feeling. By the time you're at the punchier "Summer Is A Champion" you know you've found your new Sunday afternoon walking iPod music.

You can check out more about the concert here which also has a link to buy tickets. How convenient. It's also only 12 bucks. How convenient again.

Not Doing Anything This Weekend? Two Different Relief Efforts Over/Under The Radar

There are two (well there are more than two, but Blurt Online and McBrooklyn are quick to tell me) benefits going on this weekend with proceeds going toward Haiti disaster relief.

Star Studded: Brooklyn Vegan was able to put together a fantastic comedy/music lineup for tomorrow's event at 8pm at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (66 North Six St., buy tickets here). Guests include Zach Galifianakis, Britt Daniel (of Spoon), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), St. Vincent, Janeane Garofalo. Benefits go to an orphanage as well as Red Cross.


View Larger Map

Under the Radar: Lab 24/7 is doing up Kombit 4 Haiti in Bed-Sty (according to the post, 'kombit' is a Haitian creole term meaning "to come together for the good of the community") is having a suggested donation of 15 Washingtons for Doctors Without Borders. According to McBrooklyn there will be food and drink. It's at the same time as the BV show, so choose wisely, but know that in the end your moolah is helping people in need.


View Larger Map

Me So Hungry Blog Presents - Cookie Contest and Full Slate of Bands This Sunday Dec. 20th

Union Pool off the Lorimer L stop (I actually like the Graham stop just as much if not more) is where hipsters go to occasionally meet non-hipsters, drink 4 dollar beers, and throw down to either great soul music or bearded fellas playing the gee-tar. Our good man Jason over at foodie blog Me So Hungry is serving up some mighty fine holiday spirit this year with a combo of cookies baked by whoever feels like bringing cookies (he described it as a cookie pot luck, but I see it as a chance for cookie hipsters to fight tooth and tight jeans over whose is better) and a whole host of bands for Sunday evening. For free.

Music will have plenty of recognizable holiday tunes, done in the bands' own styles, which could range from indie rock to indie rock, depending on how you see it. Here's the flyer:

Hey, any excuse to chill at the depression I've felt called Kellogg's Diner is good enough for me.

Football, or Ted Leo on Sunday December 6th at Bowery Ballroom?

Since the show is sold out at the Bowery (I'm glad I have seen Ted Leo and the Pharmacists on more than one occasion, because they are pleasant in that they take less time to set up than most and have a blend of hyper rock and roll that spells out words like conscience and progressive and empathy and meaning) I'm going with football, but they will most likely be spilling the beans on their new record out on March 9th of next year called The Brutalist Bricks.

Brooklyn Vegan has the artwork and the free mp3 from indie patron saint Matador Records, who is putting out the album, all the tracks, as per usual with albums.

Free mp3 called "Even Heroes Have To Die". Sounds heavy. Here's the artwork. It's just mostly yellow.

Motion City Soundtrack coming to Fillmore Irving Plaza February 3rd, 2010

Talk about pop-punk darlings. It's hard to imagine that Motion City Soundtrack, with catchy hooks, keyboard, high/clean vocals, and a very particular formula approach could have this much success....on Epitaph Records. They have a new tour to showcase their new album, My Dinosaur Life, out January 19th on Columbia (looks like that whole Epitaph thing is done) and they will be stopping by Irving Plaza (excuse me, Fillmore) so be sure you get your kicks at 119 Bar beforehand and then instill utter fear into the underage crowd that will no doubt line up in droves on February 3rd of 2010. 2010? Man that was an entire decade that went by and I still feel like 1990 isn't THAT long ago...

A couple things: first off, I like MCS. Their best songs can be poppy-romantic backed up with big chords and that damn keyboard. While I'm not warm to their new single off the new album "Disappear", I'm also wary of the whole major label thing. People have got to realize that many a time, major label recognition really does hinder the production of the music, but more power to bands for being able to pull in some more dough. I feel like a lot of times, the major labels just don't understand that some bands aren't fads that go away and are disposable, but they spend years building a loyal fanbase and what happens is they get taken out of context. Not that this can't happen with indies as well, but the business models are different. Anywho, they have a very pretty sound, and on songs like "Time Turned Fragile" (my absolute favorite of theirs) and "It Had To Be You", you feel like it's the holiday season all the time, both in terms of reflection but also upbeat romanticism. Two, and many consider, three solid albums in a row, you might be thinking, is it time for a clunker?

I saw them when they were touring in 2007 and they put on a great show; lots of energy and their sound translated well for a large venue (I believe it was Roseland Ballroom). I think count me in. Although the keyboard player could use a snip with the scis's on his bangs. Unless he wants to get confused with any other "emo" band member.

Props to Consequence of Sound and Hear/Say. Here is their latest music video for the single "Disappear" off the new album My Dinosaur Life. Rawr. It's one of their more forceful songs.


Motion City Soundtrack - "Disappear"

Motion City Soundtrack MySpace Music Videos

Ska-cision to Make: Less Than Jake and Aggrolites playing this Thursday November 19th

Less Than Jake

As if third-wave ska hasn't already bit the bullet 8 years ago, New York ska fans will have to make a small decision on Thursday: go all caffeinated with Less Than Jake at the Nokia Theater or go more trad-soul "dirty reggae" with The Aggrolites (who are touring with chillax poor man's Sublime: yes Slightly Stoopid is still around) at Terminal 5.

Aggrolites

Less Than Jake is moderately priced at a 20 spot while Slightly Stoopid/Aggrolites is a bit much at nearly 30 clams but I can't get enough of that ska guitar clicking. Less Than Jake will probably have tons of smelly teenagers (not that we all weren't one once) and the benefit of gritty punk outfit The Casualties but The Aggrolites might have more big dudes with attitude doing some skinhead moonstomps. Or more weed, who knows.

My colleague and friend Loni of Berman Bothers would probably tell me at this point, "Who gives a poop?" but I know there are enough ska fans in Brooklyn but not Staten Island to get into these mixes. Definitely not enough to sell the venues out though.

In the end, you have to commend the fact that these guys still churn out music a decade later, in a genre that has been frowned upon by not only mainstream, but the independent scene as well. Since I enjoy the music, I dig it and defend most of ska even more.

For more info, go to ticket pages for Less Than Jake here and Aggrolites here.

NYC Horror Film Festival in Tribeca Nov. 18th - 22nd kicking off with surf pop sirens Witches in Bikinis

Image from Icons of Fright.

The friends at the NYC Horror Film Festival are gearing up for what looks to be another year of great genre fun from Nov. 18th to the 22nd, so buy your tickets! Not only that, it will be held at the posh Tribeca Cinema, nearby where you'll be able to take in a few drinks at Nancy Whiskey Pub and shoot free shuffleboard until your luck runs out and some sort of verbal assault starts up. If you see the director of programming Joe Mauceri (you'll know, he's probably got that "man about town" look) you should totally buy him a beer and bug him to feature Jason X next year as the headliner.

Before you run through the press release below though, a couple things of note. There will be 5 bands at the kickoff party on the 18th at BLVD, most notable to me are Brooklyn's Witches in Bikinis, of whom I've been fans of now for a while ever since I went to see them at a Stray From The Heart fundraiser a couple years back. They play a real fun, "Monster Mash" type mix of surf and 50s girl pop and look exactly as advertised. I'm sure there will be enough fanboys gushing over them and blushing blood red to match some of the themes of the evening. I totally own a glo-in-the-dark shirt from them. What, you don't? Lamesauce.

While I'm not as big of a horror buff as, say, Andrew Jupin of the Jacob Burns Film Center and all around bearded fellow, I do enjoy horror films on a basic level. I can enjoy them as a flick to just pop in if I'm not feeling anything in particular. That might sound weird considering a lot of horror is not easy to watch (could be really scary, could just really suck) but it sucks you in to something more odd, more fantastic, or more unnerving. Taking that conspiracy and horror in American film class at NYU did me wonders in terms of understand horror on a higher level and it's a fun, timeless genre that can be wonderfully subversive. That and I own a ton of newer horror material but am taking my time going through them.

Anywho, if you have a few bucks and are willing to surround yourself with nerdy genrespeak, possible bad haircuts, and creepy, bespectacled people such as myself, please check out their official site with some cool artwork and find something that fits your bleeds.

Here's all the info:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 06th, 2009, New York City) – The 2009 NYC Horror Film Festival kicks off on November 18th, 2009, with the opening night party at a new venue, BLVD, located at 199 Bowery, in New York City. Doors open at 7:30 pm, with the festivities to kick off at 8:00 pm. The opening night party serves as one of the few fundraisers for the festival and a $10.00 donation is suggested.

Shorts screened at the party in between the performances include “Barbee Butcher,” “Aaragh, a Monster,” “Carved,” “The Stings of Clarity,” “Burn the Whole Place Down,” “Black Suit Youth,” “Elder Sign,” “Mascacator,” “You Better Behave,” “Close Call,” and “X-Mess Detritus.”

BLVD (http://www.blvdnyc.com/), located at 199 Bowery, adjacent to the termination of Spring Street, BLVD features a world-class restaurant, café, nightclub, event space, live music venue and recording studio, all within one bi-level complex. Noted for its stunning high-tech computer controlled creative lighting and state-of-the-art sound installations that bring both warmth and excitement to the spaces inside, each area of the complex is crafted to support the best in dining, events and entertainment. The main area of BLVD provides a comfortable and spacious lounge and ultra-premium bar where guests can meet and mingle for a pre-dinner drink, or to spend an entire evening.

At just 23 years old Hayley Griffiths (http://www.hayleygriffiths.com/) is achieving global recognition and critical acclaim for her classically trained vocal abilities. Her “stunningly pure soprano voice” (Chicago Medhill review) earned her roles as the lead singer in both “Riverdance” and Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” world tours. Along with acting accomplishments in performances for both the RSC and the BBC, Hayley is ready to pursue her career as a recording artist for the Classical Crossover market. Currently recording her debut album in collaboration with Surefire Music Group, and working with producers who have written/produced for Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Ne-Yo, Brooke Hogan, Makio, Ryan Toby and many others, Hayley’s New Age sound infuses the purity and beauty of her classical background with the solid rhythm and striking arrangements of pop and R&B music. Expect high drama, powerful lyrics and a captivating sound from Hayley’s debut EP, due out Fall 2009.

Brewed in a cauldron deep in Brooklyn, Witches In Bikinis (http://www.witchesinbikinis.com/) combines beach party movie and low-budget horror flick themes into a unique rock ‘n roll experience. Composed of stunning female vocalists and a solid three piece band, the group’s sound is reminiscent of 60’s girl groups, Rocky Horror and B-52’s. Witches In Bikinis has been featured in the NYC Halloween Parade and Fangoria Sirius Radio.

The Tarantinos NYC (http://www.tarantinosnyc.com/) play music that is total twang and severe reverb – an instrumental smorgasborg flavored by the films of Quentin Tarantino.

M-16 (www.myspace.com/m16metal) is a Latin Hardcore band that has been redefining heavy music since its inception. In the late 90's three friends and musicians emigrated from the Dominican Republic to New York in search of a wider audience for their brand of metal. Scathing, pulsing, louder than hell, M-16's music is at times bombastic and scalding yet poetic in style and nature. Unapologetic lyrics sung entirely in Spanish, scream and whisper tales of mortal disillusion, political terror, and the chaos of modern times. A band that firmly believes in substance over style, M-16 is all the angst and frustration of real people channeled through guitars, drums and bass. Currently the band is composed of original member Daniel Estrella and guitarist Marcos Medina. Ex-member Ray Reed is dominating the live drums.

The New York City Horror Film Festival (http://www.nychorrorfilmfest.com/) was established in 2001 by Festival Director Michael J. Hein. The festival is dedicated to the international genre film community. There are no restrictions on the films that are screened at the festivals. The program includes films screened both in and out of competition. The Festival jury presents awards to films in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Actor/Actress, Best Screenplay for films showcased, and Audience Choice. The NYCHFF also presents an annual Lifetime Achievement award. Past recipients include director George A. Romero, Special Effects Artist and Director Tom Savini, Producer and Director Roger Corman, and Producer and Director Mick Garris.

The Get Up Kids @ Gramercy Blender Theater 10.30.09

I consider myself a decent singer. One time maybe 2 years ago at Botanica on Houston, I was at the bar waiting to get a drink and a girl next to me mentioned that I had a very nice singing voice. I thanked her and offered to buy her a drink. She said that she was good and didn't need one, and I joked that I could buy her a water. She didn't really think it was funny, and I joked "weeeak" and she totally called me out on the fact that I was being arrogant when she was just trying to pay a compliment.

I guess that's how this review has started so far.

I usually try to sing at concerts if I'm into the band and know all or most of their catalog and if I feel I'm not doing a disgrace to their vocals by joining in. The Get Up Kids are one such band that I have enjoyed since Four Minute Mile. I sang my heart out at this show, and lost my voice a little bit at two points.

The music was grittier back during Woodson/Four Minute Mile and the other earlier recordings, and the guitars bled in a way that reminded me of a contemporary of theirs, Jimmy Eat World. It's like you are right there in a tiny room listening to their high pitched, fast picking Kansas bravado, so earnest and yet with smart lyrics. Their lyrics would grow more refined on Something to Write Home About as well as a full addition of one of my favorite musicians in James Dewees. The way things started to rhyme was one thing, but also the bare boned simplicity at some points was great.

There are pieces of On a Wire and The Guilt Show that I enjoy but I don't think they compare. There are some nice pieces on Eudora, a compilation they released that I have two copies of because I thought I lost it the first time.

Wearing my buttoned up polo and Metroschifter pin (who have a new album out called Carbonistas, if you are not familiar with them I highly suggest reading up on them) me and several buddies got drinks at Black Bear Lodge before hand and jumped right in as GUK was starting up. At the Black Bear Lodge there was a hilarious coincidence when the bouncer and a baby were inspired by a large animal:

Like Jimmy Eat World again, The Get Up Kids actually have two lead singers; Matt Pryor is generally considered the frontman but Jim Suptic sings some of their most pivotal songs like "Ten Minutes".

I've gone to several reunion shows in the past while, but The Get Up Kids just strike an easy chord for me. I feel like they get a lot of unjustified flack AND praise for being an "emo" band, that term which most people couldn't care less about. It's hard to define their sound which makes a return so welcome in an ever increasing hole that permeates current bands shoved into the same genres. They just do everything better, simple as that. From the very underrated rhythm section of the Pope brothers to Pryor's searing voice (it's piercing and has so much force behind it when he's full blast, almost like an extra distorted guitar) and Suptic's more warm, rounded, blunt singing, all overshadowed by the guitars that almost work as constantly as say Hot Rod Circuit's.

"See those blinding lights? It's call hope. And masks the fact that they totally were picking their noses"

They are also a band that is cohesive in feel and tone; the only thing that I'm thinking of in my chicken wing induced food drunk right now is like a ride that is not too fast but not boring-slow...like the Scrambler? Anyone? Or driving with the window down at say 65 miles an hour. Not gunning it because you want to take in the moments, but with an urgency that pushes you to peak. They have breakdowns at the right moments, chorus melodies that linger for just the right amount of beats; it just all works. Some may call it unoriginal or just blah, but in nearly all of their work and especially the best of their work, it's very personal and can have a wonderfully intimate quality which I love in my favorite bands.

I was nearly screaming out all the lyrics, every word. We had a great view from the back, as the Blender has a nice up slope as you get back by the bars. GUK never has moshing at their concerts which I always found interesting; even at Motion City Soundtrack shows there are circle pits. I always think it is because GUK can have a sense of "older and wiser" as a theme, and maybe that's reflected in the crowd. Not that a good pit means younger and dumber, it's just every once in a while it's good to take a break.

They rolled out songs from every album/compilation (I was hoping for a Coalesce cover) including Replacements and Cure covers. A healthy dose of Four Minute Mile was great; it's their most stripped down and scrappiest work and hits hardest. They also made it through probably my favorite song of theirs "Close To Home" which was awesome enough to give me some sort of righteous conviction which I didn't use toward anything, it just sat in my soul through the rest of the concert. They were able to overcome the uneven sound of the venue to punch out an hour and 15 minutes of pure 1997-2002. Every crescendo, every rising riff was accounted for with my fist pumps and torso tilts. Their songs are like personal anthems; not epic statements, but of one heart at a time, one memory at a time.

Edit update: My buddy went for a second night on Saturday, as GUK dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz (a Kansas nod, perhaps) and played Something to Write Home About in it's entirety, which is redonculous.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band does Brooklyn Bowl right on Nov. 5th

Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a band that years ago, when we were all into bands with horn sections (I wasn't much of the swing revival but still a huge ska fan, suck it haters) I was introduced to heading over to Washington Park area of Albany for some fun around town (Music Shack, Last Vestige, etc.) by my friend Mr. Jupin at All Ears All Eyes All The Time.

What I'm all for in this case is the fact that this New Orleans band is not young, but has enjoyed so many years of being around without being a has-been like so many bands who are 10+ or even 5+ years in existence. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary of their first release, "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now", and there's a joyous feeling when you realize that 25 years is so long in any respect (George Carlin said something along the lines of, 'life's not short, it just is compared to how old things like mountains are').

They will be playing at Brooklyn Bowl their first release in it's entirety and people should probably stop doing whatever they are doing there and just listen up. Work up a sweat. Get those feet moving. They bring the funk, but most of all it's just a hardcore horn section. The baritone sax is made for bands like this, just absolutely filthy with the funk.

krts is back at Monkeytown with Ryan Uzi to blow your mind

My man krts is back in action (he's having a busy fall after a nice little break from being so festive) at Monkeytown on November 7th with an audio/visual catharsis that will inspire you and make you wanna get out there in the brisk air and clear your mind and move forth with your life and progress and have those ups and have those downs.

Seriously, you're going to want to make your reservations at the link below. Oh and the cheese plate is pretty good at MT. Oh and did I mention Charlie Pino and his bretheren in Gold Fiction will be there? Oh yes.

From the information booth at my Facebook wall:

After 3 sold-out Monkey Town events, Krts welcomes another emotional roller-coaster of live indie-hiphop/electronic music with live video projection story-telling from award winning filmmaker Ryan Uzi of Light Harvest Studio. Together they tell the story of "The 6th Floor Walk-up" - An intense ride of LIVE mind bending visuals with indie-hiphop styled melodic, romantic, heart breaking and fun LIVE instrumentation.

**WITH A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY CHARLIE PINO OF the fun indie-rock/american garage band GOLDFICTION!
myspace.com/goldfictionband


This may be the first collective of Krts and Ryan Uzi but, they're not amatuers at grabbing the minds, ears, and hearts of their audience.

Krts's Monkey Town shows had the critics hyping it as "a blend of hip-hop electronica à la Radiohead and Sonic Youth" (Village Voice). Trip-hop legends Nightmares on Wax (Warp) called his latest track "Doran Penny Roller" an "indietronic meets Zapp" crowd-pleaser on their latest 2009 compilation album, “Wax On - Volume 2."

Krts has shared stages with The Beatnuts, Machinedrum, Melo-X, Daedelus, Eliot Lipp, Mux Mool, Mexicans with Guns and others.

Light Harvest is the live multimedia performance work of award winning filmmaker Ryan Uzi. He creates complex visual atmospherics on subjects ranging from politics to paganism, from seductions of New York City to secluded train rides aboard the Orient Express.

Ryan Uzi's cinematic approach to video mixing and projection design has been seen with some of the worlds best DJ's including Felix da Housecat and Mark Farina (Mushroom Jazz), as well as commissioned for live events with the Guggenheim Museum, Diesel, Prada, Adidas Y3, and Flavor Pill Magazine.


****YOU MUST RSVP @ monkeytownhq.com/reservations.html *****

KRTS OFFICIAL WEBSITE
krtsmusic.com
KRTS MYSPACE & VIDS:
myspace.com/krts


RYAN UZI OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
light-harvest.com

The Gaslight Anthem Comes To Brooklyn Bowl FTEpicW

You have to love when bands play venues that are more intimate than their popularity would suggest. Not too small mind you; private performances should be put in the awkward section. New Brunswick, home to favorites of mine like Lifetime and old Saves the Day.

The Gaslight Anthem, a wonderful throwback to a band like The Replacements with rumbling, full vocals (can you say Bruce Springsteen, who has played with them several times both being from the same areas of Jersey, or even Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio), it's music you fall in love with and to without preening or feeling "emo". Call it soulful punk, call it whatever, their music is like one big heart, and every time it beats it doesn't just pump blood through them, it pumps blood through everyone listening. It's like standing in a rain but feeling the warmth of the sun beating on your face at the same time. You know what I just thought of? The climax in Bridges of Madison County. That's right. If you intermittently watch that movie and switch to doing other things or watching other things and push to the end, you'll break. Trust me.

So they are playing Terminal 5 on October 15th, but you know you really want to see them on October 16th, at the newly minted Brooklyn Bowl. I guess you could call them "punk darlings"?

It'd be nice to have this on a double bill with The Hold Steady. However, we get Murder By Death as the main opener.

All I know is, I'm not going to be dying on that Saturday Night.