My (Old) CDs - Strung Out - Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues

Talk about one of those types of punk rock albums that captures a feeling, an essence of angst masked in wacky tight melodies, breakneck pacing, and straight and true lyrics. This album is full of tracks that really pump you up - the adrenaline levels are a product of literally how quick the band pulls off guitar riff after riff, how each song seems to want to break some sort of speed record. What makes it tick is you can clearly hear how tight the drumming is, every fourth taps and you think, 'this drummer must be on an insane caffeine regimen'.

Strung Out is one of those bands that goes beyond even what you would imagine a fast tempo would be, they sort of blast through your notion of cut-time and fill it with musical vocals and what I can only describe as wacky hooks that always seem to land at the right moment and never go off the rails surprisingly. You should be bouncing around the room with every song on this or any of their albums, some tracks feeling like the equivalent of flailing nonsensically with a giant smile on your face.

I'm not as much of a fan of their metal-tinged leanings but that is just a personal preference - not to say that a track like "Bring Out Your Dead" is not a good song, just not my favorite style from them.

This album has one of my all time songs - "Wrong Side of the Tracks". There's so much I can say - listening to the song now for the first time in a while, I reminisce of when I was 15 and thought I could conquer anything by being smart, a smart-ass, and wearing tall socks and long shorts. Reckless abandon with just enough responsible thought to always produce one of two outcomes (a big win or a small embarrassing loss) - that is how to live in suburbia right? What else are you going to do, a strip mall tour for the umpteenth time?

Listen to this song, sing it in the mirror, and point at yourself, singing the lyrics indicatively, leaning into your image as if you had a mic stand.....

My (Old) CDs - Dillinger Four - Situationist Comedy

I still really love this album. I still listen to it on the subway going to work sometimes (which is a very general statement, because one of course could listen to a lot of shit on their way to work "sometimes"). I like to describe albums like this as hurling - not the vomiting reference, and not quite the Gaelic sport, more like the strong velocity definition of throwing something with a ton of force. 

Each song on this album has a little twist in the hook or riff that makes it incredibly listenable - the layers of distorted guitar all moving to constantly shifting tempos that hit at just the right moments, the back and forth between the two distinct voices (one raspy, one more guttural) - all kind of combines into a very swarthy sound with a lot of gusto. 

Of course a bonus are the amusing song titles and the lyrics have a bit of variety - a mix of truly irreverent spazz with the former and Midwest, earnest self-awareness and cut through the bullshit, heightened-by-a-couple-of-beers-to-keep-things-honest sound offs with the latter. It's a hell of a lot of fun.

This band should also NOT be confused with that band called D4 from Down Under.

Graceland Tattoo - Williamsburg is Getting Ca-rowded

You see Elvis on the right? That's actually a real lookalike staring through a cut out frame in the wall. No I only had one beer.

I was invited to a shindig at Graceland Tattoo, an Elvis haven (per one of the owner's favorite icons) in Greenpoint that also doubles as a serious hair salon. It's the kind of place that I could probably see myself hanging out in any day of the week. The hyper punk music streams loud and clear as people line up to get a $50 special; the artists and hairstylists were all booked very quickly for the day. I had a can of PBR as I mulled over in my head the funky decor, scissors and horseshoes cemented into the floor, and friendly owners who greeted everyone.

The Lorimer L stop, kind of a pseudo middle ground between what starts to become East Williamsburg and Greenpoint to the north, I feel has a lot of tat shops around and not only that, some of the best reviewed ones on Yelp. I think Graceland has the chops to hold its own even as the immediate area is still developing a bit. It comes from a great pedigree from both sides of the business (ties from East Side Ink and Mudhoney) and it fits right in with the neighborhood. There's something very casual and free about it; everything is simply and economically laid out and it's cozy; again, I feel it's a place I could just hang out and shoot the shit with the folks.

Another thing was a lady was getting her hair did and took a smoke break while her highlights settled in. She quipped, "Yeah everyone wants to get their hair done in the middle of a party right?" I know nothing about hair really; all I know is that mine is awesome and I never know what to do with it. Watching the process was fascinating and totes fun y'all. Check out this video below from those jesters at ABC 7 and also since they were playing the Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady I've provided a cut.

Chilling in Cobble Hill Park - Morning Stroll

This morning we went for a walk and sat on a bench in Cobble Hill Park and drank some coffee before going to the supermarket. Compared to the East River State Park in Williamsburg with all the hilarious bird poop, this small park is just kind of wholesome. There are kids, small dogs, couples, sunlight, a central grassy area, a small playground, and a general sense of old-timey flavor stuck between Amity and especially Veranda Place.

I was sitting when two late 30s gentlemen who were having a conversation were leaving from a couple benches away. One turned to me and asked me where I found this Dag Nasty shirt I was wearing. I told him I purchased it a while ago, when I was much younger. He make a joke that that kind of statement must age him quite a bit, and we both had a small chuckle. I discussed that a lot of these folks probably were quite the sweaty rebels back in their day (not that their day has passed or anything) and now looking so well dressed and clean cut.

There was also a woman running along with a dog she was with, it was kind of funny to see someone fully decked out in a long coat being so physically all over the place and wacky. I then finished my girlfriend's Mazzola's coffee before tackling brussel sprouts.

By the way, at Mazzola's there was this woman in line who when the staff yelled out "Next!" due to the plenty o' foot traffic that moves in and out, this woman yelled back and said "I don't like being yelled at thank you, I don't appreciate it." I'm not sure if she knew that many businesses that are busy like to keep things moving by being forward and loud and clear about who is next in line. I struck me as an unfortunate misunderstanding.

Pretty sunny and a good morning for walking on this Easter.

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.

CD Review: Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

This is a pretty kick ass album from some of New Jersey's newer finest due out on March 9th. You got period references from the album title on down, which is awesome because there's a sense of consequence, of dramatic weight to historical ideas, even if it's just mentioned in passing. Oh and in the epic first track "A More Perfect Union" they mention the Fung Wah Bus, which has taken my ass PLACES.

The songs have such a rugged feel to them, the mid-tempos giving room for the crunchy instrumentation and vocals to affect you and grab your attention without dragging its feet. It's a total rush and you feel invigorated by it, because under all the raucousness there is a sometimes folk-punk feel that keeps everything grounded. Kind of reminds me of the Husker Du song "Folklore", which is one of my favorites by them. The whole album feels at times like a punked up version of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, which may seem like a big comparison but it rocks that much. They are here to teach you a lesson. A lesson of how to breathe fire and ruin someone else's pristine and proper shit just for the hell of it.

There is some dilly dallying between some of the tracks, sound bytes, I would have probably left it as a separate track like "skits" in rap albums. I understand it helps the overall flow of the album but sometimes the listening experience can't always be so patient. Yet, on the snappy interlude between "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" and "Richard II" the songs are bridged so wonderfully. In fact, I'm actually really liking the interludes, it is meant to round out the album and it makes it more of a continuous journeys, and I love journeys like I love potato skins, and I am all about the potato skins and run on sentences.

As I stated before there are some tracks that break 8 minutes in length, but for as much as I hate uber-long songs, I love The Monitor's lengthy work because it switches things up within the music, adding melodies along the way and keeping me constantly engaged, like the biggest, leave-everything-on-stage Bruce Springsteen tunes. The intros, the outros, pianos, rumbling toms on something like "A Pot In Which To Piss" is exhilarating.

It just feels like such an American record. Not that I'm a nationalist or anything, but couple this on a road trip with My Morning Jacket and you're pretty set for the east coast. I always have thought that there has been too much posturing in indie music and bad bands that look like they should just stick to being in Paper Magazine. These guys have testicles, a bad ass name, and for as much as people shit on Jersey, they should hold that state in esteem after listening to The Monitor.

For more on them, go to their MySpace (yes, still exists): Titus Andronicus

They will be swinging by Bowery Ballroom for The Monitor record release show with Brooklyn's excellent Parts and Labor. When you say? March 6th. The album is out on March 9th. 6. 9. I'm a pervert.

Titus Andronicus "Four Scores and Seven Years" parts 1 and 2 from Pitchfork



Parts and Labor "The Gold We're Digging"

What I Want For Christmas: Mighty Mighty Bosstones Tour in 2010

The good friends at Read Junk posted earlier this month about this, but The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, you know, your favorite band that had a cameo in Clueless (take THAT Save Ferris in 10 Things I Hate About You) have a new album out called Pin Points and Gin Joints. For the cover art, see above.

Anywho, besides being at the crux of third wave ska with their biggest hit being "The Impression That I Get" (which I have told my significant other that their lyrics aren't cookie cutter haha), they were a favorite back in the day (I should change my blog's name to Bands I Really Liked In High School And Are Writing About It In A Timely Fashion Because Well They Are Getting Back Together Or Someone Died Or Joined A New Band Or I Saw Them In Concert) and what I would love to do is go see them live again. Suits? Plaid? Member that only dances and nothing else? Totally.

Anywho, they are currently doing their annual Hometown Throwdown in Boston continuing tonight and tomorrow at the Middle East. But what I really want is for them to do a proper tour next year if they are willing to do so. Seeing them live is like getting the biggest hug and kiss. Especially if that kiss was from a big mustached dude, like Ken from Union Hall. Awesome? I think so.

Here is their recent perf on Jimmy Kimmel, who has proven that more intimate settings are for losers when it comes to late night talk shows.

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.

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.

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.

New Grade song!!! "These Eyes Are On The Exit"

The other photo I found one of the band members was wearing their own merch. That's no fun...also the above album has a hilarious mistaken identity issue with the Taylor "Soul Patrol" Hicks album of the same name. People looking for the latter album ended up giving this album terrible ratings on Amazon.com because they were too dumb to notice that just maybe the artist wasn't correct or that Satan forbid there's the same title to multiple recordings. Sucks for Grade, and sucks that Taylor Hicks fans are total idiots. I love soul music. Although there's one review that's a 5 star review for the Taylor Hicks album, under the Grade CD page. I think that's probably even more idiotic...

Grade is one of my favorite bands of all time. They dance along a fine line of being too melodramatic, but they back it up with a sensible mix of hardcore, punk, pop hooks, and a tinge of metal.

By sensible I mean their music gets under your skin; there's a familiarity to it, as if they sound like other bands, but the key is they did it slightly before, and did it better. They don't sound overly polished, and are really huge on the 5ths which is a favorite guitar sling of mine. Their pop sheen is buried under tons of distortion and even better, they take their time with the melodies and rhythms. This patience either causes or is because of the heaviness of the sound; some part always feels almost behind in pace whether it's the vocals (strung along with not a lot of regard to the music, very emo eh?), the guitars, or the drumming. It may sound sloppy, but you realize that the music just has this weight to it; that's what makes the sluggishness so appealing. When I take a look at their tabs, I'm amazed at how simple they are.

What helps is the vocals: they switch between these powerful screams and a harsh, raspy, sometimes snotty singing from Kyle Bishop. It never veers into that territory of clean singing, which I feel has ruined so many other bands. The screaming I guess I would not be able to place as different than other bands, but the pitch has a lightness to it that just sounds actually angry and not screaming for a macho effect. The instrumentation from most song to song has the same reverb-y, wide, big pummel to it. It's like one epic scream along after the next. The kind of songs where you stand there and raise a hand, fingers curled, with your palm facing you as you take in huge breaths and scream every syllable, whether you know the lyrics or not, at a 45 degree angle upward.

New song at Grade's MySpace page

With their new song, "These Eyes Are On The Exit", it starts off unassuming and pretty clean, and then tears into what I would think is ecstasy for fans of the band. Talk about not even missing a beat, it feels exactly like their prime material. Sure there's more backing vocals, but punk has to make a comeback at some point right? The words are still unintelligible, there's a slow breakdown in the middle, and the guitar work has the same feel to it.

My friend and office mate Loni from esteemed blogs such as Berman's Bothers informed me that this was part of a split with Bane, who is coming around again in late October to New York to Santos Party House, where apparently everything is possible. It's good to see a band in such good standing with other bands. Also, more bands should do splits in general; I always thought that was a great way of building rapport in the community. Kind of like rappers guest appearing on other artists' tracks, but in a slightly more substantial way.

I'm definitely pumped.

Face to Face @ Gramercy Blender Theater 9.17.09

The evening started off jovial enough, getting a drink with Walter of Marvelous Observations From The Yellow Lines before heading to the concert. I knew that at least at Blender the way the stage curves up I would have no trouble getting a great view if I got there with some time to spare.

Gramercy has inflated their prices somewhat but I was glad that I caught Face To Face with Pegboy and Polar Bear Club (I did not get to see PBC unfortunately).

Pegboy, an older punk staple from Chicago, was hilarious. The lead singer Larry Danmore was fantastic, mentioning that he was 10 years older and also 40 pounds heavier, he still pranced around like a big brat with a gnarly snarl which was awesome. Self-depracating in an endearing sort of way, even though I thought the music wasn't the best. My problem was more the sound system at Gramercy which was not up to par at all this time around (Face To Face had some really messed up low-end sounds on several songs as well). For Pegboy the vocals I felt were a bit high; their music has a sloshy feel with a great guitar presence and I thought that was a bit lost.

Face To Face has not played in about 4 years. This was a reunion kind of tour after playing several shows intermittedly over several months, and it was great to catch them for the first time (when I was most into them was probably high school, and by college nobody came around the Albany area and I had not gone to too many shows in the city, but I digress).

All I know is I think they only played one song off of Ignorance Is Bliss, which I used to own and subsequently re-sold to the used record store I bought it from; not knocking anyone who ends up making a record during their lifetime but it just wasn't that good. Face To Face has been on something like 6 record labels with several albums to their name and all sorts of six-degrees-of-separation with their band members. Being from Southern California during the rise of a new wave of punk in the mid-1990s, I feel like Face To Face was more of a local favorite than a mainstream success. They played a huge chunk of Big Choice which was a breakout record for them (and as my co-worker Loni educated me, their second album), as well as stuff from their self-titled. They are one of those bands that has the respect of a lot of people just for sticking to a particular sound, saying what they mean, and sounding just so tried and true.

Anywho, Trever Keith, the lead singer, is one earnest dude. He's engaging but incredibly thankful to the crowd for being awesome (he noted that NYC always gives Face To Face the biggest reception besides L.A.). He's got this snotty voice but with a low-end tone to it, it's very accessible and interesting.

Heavy on the power chords and big, simple rhyming lyrics, they sound like a west-coast, skater punk band that pulled out a hook or two every song. Lyrically I always thought Face To Face was so bank; they minced epic words with a big-hearted nature, which could turn out cheesy but they make it work and put some power behind it.

They did 3 song tears and then would take a minute to thank the crowd, and then start all over again; the circle pit opened up several times to a fairly large size, but little crowd surfing.

The crowd was mostly older, or at least above 24 I would say; Face To Face is probably one of those bands that the young'uns wouldn't necessarily get into at this point and they haven't been active for a while either (just a hunch, not a statement I'll back up by any means). Lots of 35 year olds yelling the songs that they wanted to hear, which I always found annoying. In the beginning there was this girl in front of me who had a ponytail from somewhat short hair so the tail jutted out and swiped my face a few times, which kinda sucked but once the crowd got moving her and her old man moved toward the front.

In the end though, a great concert. I wish I wasn't fighting a nasty runny nose but I still had lots of fun; their music was built for sing alongs and huge chants and it was good chemistry between the band and the audience.

The Bouncing Souls with Lifetime and None More Black at Webster Hall 8.20.09

The Bouncing Souls have been around for 20 years. I'm not going to pretend that I've invested as much time as their tried and true fans (they almost are older than me). I have always like The Bouncing Souls, and add to that Lifetime, a favorite band of mine, plus None More Black (who I have not seen but I have seen Paint It Black several times, more on my confusion later), a couple co-workers and I decided to catch the Souls at their 20th anniversary point at Webster Hall last night.

None More Black includes ex-Kid Dynamite lead singer Jason Chevchuk's previous band. They are not to be confused with Dan Yemin's Paint It Black (Dan is part of Lifetime AND was part of Kid Dynamite). Dan's kind of a beast; the last time I saw Paint It Black they came to Brooklyn to play a night show after playing a day show in Philly.

Anywho, None More Black immediately conjured up a lookalike familiarity. Jason looks like Dave Lieberman from Food Network's Good Deal With Dave Lieberman. The bassist looks like my co-worker Jean. The lead guitarist looks like a cross between Jack Black and Michael Pena. I figured the drummer could pass for MMA fighter Nick Diaz, but then I thought more closer to MMA fighter Joey Villasenor mixed in with Geoff from Ace of Cakes. Of course, I wasn't in the pit for this one so I wasn't super close, and when I took a look at their mugs online, I wasn't quite sure of my assumptions. Anywho, the long, headbanging hairs of the guitarist and bassist reminded me of the bassist from Unwritten Law. Good thing or bad thing?

It was NMB's first show in NYC in 3 years. The crowd was pretty tight for an opening band, and None More Black actually warmed up as they shot through their set so by the time they were done people were revved up. Great for Lifetime, I was into it though and wouldn't have minded an extra song or two from all the bands (leave it to Webster Hall to have tight curfews on certain nights, although at least it prevents the bands from taking too much time between sets). Jason's voice is really cool, he's known for his sing-along "whoa, oh oh" tendencies but he's got this funky combination of hoarse and nasal tones to his vocals that gives the songs a particularly scrappy flavor. Sure Ari from Lifetime is somewhat similar, but he sounds more like he has a cold (in a good way, don't worry I would never bad mouth them). Jason sounds like he just ate a shitload of Pop Rocks.

After getting another 5 dollar PBR (well they open the can for you, so tack on an extra 3 doll- yeah no that's terrible) we were ready to throw down in the pit for Lifetime. It wasn't as raucous as the last time I saw them probably, but by throw down I mean we prevented ourselves from getting more than a bruise or two.

The great thing about Lifetime is they have a very, very assured presence. No smiling. Deadpan. Serious thank yous. When they mention that it's great that there's no barrier set up between the stage and that the crowd should pick up the pace and get the pit going, but in a really nonchalant way, you know they know they're the shit. Calm violence? I guess that sounds creepy. It's not a pretentious thing, it's just a quiet confidence that shines through. Their music kind of acts the same way: sure they are fast and loud but not for the sake of being fast or loud. It feels more like a real form of expression than many similar bands, and their lyrics are as low key as any, direct and simple. It was great to see them again (they are playing with Bouncing Souls this weekend in their home state of Jersey).

Ole, ole ole ole. We decided to stay in the background for Bouncing Souls, but in the end I believe it would have only been right to get in the mix for at least part of their set (they played what seemed to be a short set for a 20th anniversary show). Speeding up the pace a bit, they blazed through favorites like "Hopeless Romantic" and "Fight To Live" and lead singer Greg Attonito has a wonderful lazy chanting/shouting quality that really gets the crowd moving. Even with that, there were a couple of stage divers, and I'm not sure why, but punk fans whenever they steal the mic for a bit, they are NEVER in tune. Not that it would really matter, it's the heart that counts, but still, c'mon people! Oh, and the stage diving was kept up full steam but an interesting thing happened when a man, in his wheelchair, was hoisted up and brought from all the way in the back to the front of the stage...twice. He didn't quite make it the second time, but props for him actually keeping upright on the first try.
7 full albums and 20 years is a long time to be so consistent and well received by the community. Their melodies are tried and true and is instantly accessible, there's a lightness to their songs, whether it's the fun, almost nice lyrics, or the runner's pacing that they instill, or maybe it's just the trademark button down/wacky tie combo that Greg always wears and the wife-beater scrappiness of bassist Bryan Kienlen. Who knows. They are a fun band to watch, without the machismo of snottier bands. Kind of like a real men wear pink thing. Or maybe I'm just being silly.

More thoughts to come. Or maybe not.

Update: Some great photos on Brooklyn Vegan were posted yesterday from the Tim Barry/7 Seconds second night at Webster with The Bouncing Souls. Check them out here.

The Breeders @ Bowery Ballroom 8.18.09

"If I saw you now
Could I look in your eyes?

Do you think of me
Like I dream of you?

Do you wish you were here
Like I wish I was with you?

Youve loved me before
Do you love me now?"

Visualizing those lyrics in my head as I watched The Breeders perform "Do You Love Me Now" in the middle of their absolutely rock-out set, it rushed me to a place that I haven't felt in a long time. It was before I started listening to frenzied punk and hardcore. I started listening to The Breeders when I was about 11 or 12; I felt like I got the music even though I was a bit young. There was something I connected with in the music, maybe it was the catchy and sometimes cutesy melodies, which appealed to me as a kid. But the noisy distortion, not only on The Breeders records and lead singer Kim Deal's side band, The Amps, and sometimes slow pace (on say, Pod) made me a more patient music listener at the time. There's something about The Breeders music that I always loved, most of all the down to earth nature of their production and guitar exchanges. They are a band that has made the most out of their sound, and seemingly without effort.

Taking the stage were Kim and her sister Kelley along with the newer faces (including the drum and bass tandem of Jose Meledes and Mando Lopez, and guitarist Cheryl "from Florida" Lyndsey). They started off with the trippy "Hoverin'", an Amps song (although first recorded with The Breeders lineup) and went newer with Title TK, and then backward with cuts off of Last Splash and Pod. I personally wanted to see them play "Hellbound" and "Fortunately Gone", which tops my favorite Breeders songs, but they did play "I Am Decided" which I love. All the bigger songs got their turn, "Saints", "Cannonball", their cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun", "Divine Hammer", "Safari". The sheer thrill of songs like "New Year" with an intense, buzzing guitar section really makes for a powerful set.

The drumming really set the pace; the band was lined up in a row (reminded me of The Locust) which really gave the band great chemistry. The banter just made the sisters more appealing, and the added bonus for the night was guest violin Carrie Bradley, who performed with the band way way back when they first started.

Kim Deal's vocals have always been sharp; she has a wonderful range of expressions, most notably her raw, heavier, smoky delivery, and a more precocious, light tone. Her harmonies with Kelley are on point and sometimes purposely and wonderfully lazy. It reflects the little guitar ditties that Kelley is in charge of, which have a lo-fi, amateurish quality to them that makes the band's sound so unique and stripped and visceral. It's positively charming.

These guys really have a muscular sound that even tops their loudest recordings. There's just a great presence on stage, a sense of wonderment and playfulness from the sisters that is very infectious and combining that with some real groovy rock music makes for a great concert. In that way, The Breeders have some of the most accessible music I've had the pleasure of hearing.

But back to where the music took me. At the peak of when I was listening to them, like most of my favorite bands, I would never get sick of it. I would never get sick of hearing Kim's angelic voice whispering cryptic lyrics. This was a time when I thought this was the only music that mattered. It's an amazing feeling that I probably could have only felt when I was that young. To get to feel that again, live, is pretty awesome.

Not be a nostalgic person; I think the Breeders have so much relevance right now. They were indie before most working bands today were, and I think that gives their music a great perspective. It means they take their influences from a different era. They are on a whole different league than most bands of today (I would attribute it to their punk roots, pop leanings, and the fact that nobody has a voice quite like Kim), and that they are still around and playing to a great crowd at the Bowery is awesome to see because it makes them relevant. After all these years, even on the newer music ("Overglazed" from their most recent full length, Mountain Battles), there's something traditional and back to basics about them. There's no bullshit, and they started from a place unaffected by current music trends which makes everything so refreshing and genuine. It's like you're not just watching another indie band, or even a rock band from the 80s and 90s. You're watching the real deal (absolutely no pun intended). They seem unassuming and then when the music kicks in, they are as assured as you can get. They are still very exciting, and I wouldn't think twice about seeing them again.

Oh and two short encores (ending with "Drivin' On 9")? Yeah they can do that.

The Breeders are playing again tonight at the Bowery Ballroom, again a sold out show.

New Converge Song "Dark Horse" and back in NYC supporting Adult Swim's Mastodon/Dethklok tour

Converge is streaming a song from their latest album, Axe To Fall (out October 20th on Epitaph), called "Dark Horse" on their MySpace page. Check it out here. Also, check out the awesome artwork here on Lambgoat.

They previewed a song or two from their new album when I saw them back in March and it sounded promising but as you know, most new songs see a complete downturn in concert energy because they don't know how the story goes.

"Dark Horse" seems to take the thrashing, straight-ahead hardcore that made up a lot of No Heroes and adds, dare I say, melody to it. Like a somewhat catchy melody. There's almost a clear-cut, slight restraint to the song, using quick jabs of shouts and double kick bass, and a pulsing breakdown, then back to what sounds a little like the more metal-ish form of Strung Out on steroids.

Correct me if I'm wrong though guys and gals. It kicks ass with that unmistakable wall of sound that turns out to just be coming from Bannon's vocals.


Converge in support will probably play peanuts (let's say half hour?) unfortunately on their tour with the always awesome Mastodon and Dethklok from the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse. Also featured is High On Fire. It's a great bill fo' sho', and the tour roars into the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 30th, a great way to do up pre-Halloween, morbid style.

The Motorcycle Industry @ Don Hill's 4.18.09

Ok so it's been a while since my last post but hey, on a weekend when 17 Again is coming out, you know you gotta fill up your Saturday and Sunday with 4 viewings with an option of a 5th.....

Topical huuuuumor.

The other funny thing was that I was riding the subway from Jay Street with two persons who turned out to be friends of the drummer, Ryan Barnes. Who doesn't he know in this fair city? The bartender at Don Hill's shot the shit with me a bit about Dag Nasty as well.

Anywho, so I finally got to catch a short opener set from these guys who I wrote about a while back and they did not disappoint. The only real difference was this time there was much more bulk to the sound due to electric guitars (Don Hill's levels weren't quite so good but no worse for the wear).

With a small amount of the usual banter and a lineup switch (the bassist had one of those old Midtown shirts that I own as well, which was funny), they got right into it with Mr. Langan's disaffected yet righteous vocals, two flannel shirts, and a whole lot of distortion. I kind of liked the acoustic guitar previously used on many of their tracks, however in a live setting pumping up the songs was not a detrimental move on their part. Some neat little guitar ditties and a solid presence (I don't think I've seen Sambas since 2002), these NYU students have a formula that works well: catchy, big chords that are instantly listenable and engaging. It's just all very new school maybe, as if they took parts of a straight up skater hardcore band and slowed the pace a bit. I know other bands have took that kind of pop punk to the max. I know this is going to sound a bit weird, and I could say snotty (in a good way), but think of a really good sneeze, like with all the thick snot/boogers, but you're a fan of it in that Mucus Queen from Billy Madison sort of way. It's a lot of fun and totally bratty.

I spoke with Ryan for a little bit after the show, chatting about NYU, playing in Brooklyn, etc. They have a couple shows upcoming at Retox in East Williamsburg including a show this Friday, April 24th (as of this writing Retox seems to be undergoing a bit of a hiatus after their current slate finishes, hopefully will be back up soon).

The great thing is, you can download their entire album for free on their website: www.themotorcycleindustry.com

For their MySpace, go here. Can you hear that? It's the sound of their friends list almost doubling since I last visited them.

CONVERGE with Genghis Tron, Ceremony, Coliseum, Rise and Fall, Pulling Teeth at Europa Club 3.27.09

Eyeing this date for several weeks was I, and I knew after asking around this would definitely be a solo outing for The KCB. I brought my trusty and very old Canon which was giving me shit throughout the night but I managed many pictures from the same angle because hey, the pit got pretty heinous at times (but the entire concert was pretty controlled).

I got there right as Rise and Fall were finishing up, I would have caught their last tune but the guy in front of me had a bag full of weed and other crap that the bouncer wouldn't let him in with. So as the band downstairs was rocking out (it's amazing how separated the two levels can be especially since the stairwell is open) this guy pretended he couldn't hear the bouncer until the bouncer said, "Now I'm getting pissed off." Eventually the man was told to go home, it was like something out of 8th grade. My apologies for Rise and Fall and Pulling Teeth for not being able to make their sets.

After getting a PBR and surveying the very packed house with a really ominous wall of merch, fitting for a hardcore show such as this.

I wanted to see Coliseum (who hail from Louisville) as their stuff really caught on with me when listening to it at work and home in the weeks before the show. They have quite a bit of melody and a healthy dose of just straight up hardcore, although their look and feel during the show invited more awe at how tight the 3-piece played rather than THAT much moshing. Ryan Patterson, the big-bearded frontman and guitarist, was a pretty heartfelt guy and between the growls, chatter, and again, the surprising hints of melody (almost into Grade territory, and as many people know, I love Grade) he made a good set. It felt more rock than anything else really, very tight stuff.


Ceremony was really interesting and incredibly enjoyable; the lead singer mentioned he just came from a wedding (he looked like a younger and slimmer Bruce Campbell by way of Bridge and Tunnel). Since I love ska I guess I can take a little offense as to his mockings onstage, but then again, these guys really kicked some ass (although the guitarist reminded me a lot of Eliot's guitarist in some respects, just kinda weird). I think a lot of bands love being hybrids nowadays, as it's been trendy for a few years now. Or even having a newer, polished sound. These guys sound like they came straight from a Minor Threat, Descendents, or Circle Jerks show, and of all the bands, they actually came away as really the most integrated set with the audience, who gave them feedback in uproarious fashion and fairly violently. Toward the end of their set there was a dude who was knocked the fuzz out right next to me, sprawled on the floor as his friends and staff helped him drag his feet to the back. That's the kind of hardcore show that really hammers the feeling down, a sharp, communal rush of blood through your veins not through melody but through utter chaos, and alternating periods of speed and disruptive breakdowns.
Where's the singer you ask? Take a look in the middle, right in front of the dude with the black and white baseball shirt and below the bassist. Gotta love people who get in the mix like it's their birthday.


I had seen Genghis Tron before, and now with their ever expanding lightshow and electro setup, it definitely divided the crowd. Winning the contest of taking the longest to set up shop isn't really fun. Interesting mix of grooving rhythms (they have no drummer, it's all set up via machine) and noisy high pitched tomfoolery but ultimately not my thing. There was one girl who was totally enthralled and had their number, she was flailing about in the pit almost alone (save a couple other fans) in a trance, it was nice to see that someone really got them. Their cover of Big Black was probably the high point for me.


You can really tell that Converge, they are great showmen (Nate the bassist started things off with a loud "who fuckin' farted?"). The banter is constant and tonight they were actually just a really happy group, so I guess considering the dark subject matter they explore in their music (they managed to hit cuts from most of their albums and "Locust Reign" from their split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed, including two songs from their new album that sounded like much of what was on No Heroes but with a few more hooks thrown in). Starting off ominously with "Plagues" and breaking into "The Saddest Day" from their early work on Petitioning The Empty Sky (which consisted of a different line up, as their earlier days had constant shifts but included members of Bane and Cave In). Jacob Bannon took a break from his raspy shrieks to lend the stage to a friend for a cover, but all other times most eyes were on him; he's a great front man and his lanky frame allows him to take up a lot of space and have a strong presence but in a fluid way, smoothly working the point home. The bassist Nate Newton rocks hard with his bass hung way down low and well, it looks really cool and a bit effortless. My wrist always hurts when that happens. The hang low part, not the looking at Nate look effortless.



I always thought Converge had an amazingly large sound for a 4-piece band, and literally all the elements come together, from the crunchy distortion and very quick guitar riffs to the rumbling distorted bass to drumming you swear was done by a robot for how much endurance is needed. At the same time their sound is tighter than a NYC subway turnstile (yeah I just did that). Or no wait, the 6 train during rush hour (YES! In it goes!).

Weird side note, in 2003 in Philly at the tail end of UPenn's Spring Fling, the guitarist Kurt, his girlfriend helped me when I tripped trying to get napkins from the McDonald's station at 30th Street station. I was so psyched because my college roommate who was with me Austin was a huge Converge fan (he got me into them) and he was totally passed out on the bench.



Anywho, they rolled through their set and finished furiously with 3 of their minute-long songs ending with "Concubine" from their much acclaimed album, Jane Doe. Much stage diving to be had indeed.

For more on the respective bands, go to one of their pages and please purchase if you rikey:

Converge
Ceremony
Coliseum
Rise and Fall
Pulling Teeth
Genghis Tron

For more info on Europa Club in Greenpoint, the premiere Polish-American club, go to their official site (they do a lot of hardcore and punk shows).

The Motorcycle Industry - I Frickin' Love These Guys

Cover art for the new album, Electric Education. Buy it on iTunes here.


V neck t shirt? Check. Flannel? Check. Cardigan? Check? Black-framed glasses? Check. Sports watch? Check-wait a second it better be a Thundercats watch...

"Fake friends will get you nowhere".

That part of the stanza in "Jesse" (not really a stanza, but let's just use that term to sound like a smart bitch) reminds me of that great part in Empire State Games' "Trivial Pursuit" where he goes, "why do you surrender your thoughts and emotions for limited surface acceptance".

You know how I love Oxford Collapse. These guys, so named The Motorcycle Industry, are like a less loud version of them. I think the one of the greatest things to describe a band is youthful, and not like your teen pop youthful, but much more brash, as if they're in the moment but not to be cute, but to say, "this is my hilarious self-awareness at this particular time and anything's game". It's a fun, snotty, awkward, punk-ish way of being when you're smarter than 16 but not settled down at 25. I love Brooklyn in this scrappy way as well. And that's where these guys call home.

MI's cuts basically are a lyrical adventure; there's a soft spot for me because I too went to the goddamn NYU bookstore as they lament on "Everything Sounds Better With". Singing with a drunk laziness (read: off key sometimes) but with a sly, abrasive, self-deprecating wit, John Langan sloshes through songs with a combination of vocal stylings from the Pogues, The Anniversary, Piebald, and a little bit of Say Anything. It's like a situation where you are drunk among friends making silly zingers and there's a sober acquaintance who just doesn't understand that some people actually get funnier the more drunk they get. I love the stream of consciousness in the stories spun, going from description to oh-SNAP judgements and back again without any rest. Because no matter, it's down to earth; calling other people out on their shit in very personal (and yet, almost objectively), specific instances is a great invitation to the listener to come into their world and see how they see in a fun way. The details are alluring in that way that they come so fast that you really are engaged to keep up with the thought process.

The music swings from Tosser's/Pixies type rumblings like "Blue Ribbon" to great little accents like the keyboard in "The Lost Weekend" breakdown, and the four piece seems to feel content and knows a thing or two about melody and mixing up between acoustic-heavy songs and adding doses of crunch here and there. Michael Weiss's mid-tempo guitar hooks and Ben Caruba's sometimes light, sometimes drudgy bass lay into the songs in a nice go-around-the-circle sort of way, like "here's my stuff, now it's his turn, and let's put it together now". Ryan Barnes rounds out the band with some Dave Grohl-in-Nirvana-Unplugged drumming; reasonable volume, rolling fills, a bit fluffy.

It's fist pumping with a clear conscience.

These guys are picking up some good shows as of late, including next Thursday, the 15th, at the Alphabet Lounge on Ave. C. Check out this flyer, with Ryan's chest hair prominently shown. Nice sunglasses indoors at night. Oh sophomore year NYU.


Be sure to check them out at Mercury Lounge as well on Feb. 1st; they are headlining the show and should show up sober around 10pm. I probably won't be. Won't be sober.

Other shows upcoming:
Feb. 18th - Bar 9 (where the bartenders can be slow during happy hour, but the jukebox is great).
Feb. 27th - The Delancey (where male go-go dancers will dance to their music)

Check out The Motorcycle Industry on MySpace, where they have a little vlog as well as 575 friends.

Punk Slope XMess Party on December 20th at Bar 4 - You Know You Have Nothing Better To Do

So my colleague at work and I were talking about Bar 4, as I had just witnessed the latest Gashouse Gorillas show and he mentioned that he knew the owner who had a long and service-able (what a pun) history dating way back, and sent me a Facebook invite to the annual and possibly greatest (but who knows) incarnation of Punk Slope with the holiday bent. I haven't heard "Party, My House, Be There" in a while but I guess that would be an appropriate song, because the DJs should be fun, and Mr. Walter Schreifels will be on hand to perform all sorts of goodies from all those bands that he's been in that people like. Will he take requests? I personally haven't heard "Cherry, Cherry" by Neil Diamond in a while and I know they got that piano sitting all nice.

Oh if I could make one more request considering the pedigree that will be in attendance: Can someone please, please play an Empire State Games song? So amazing.

Nothing like bringing some punk establishment (wuh wuh wait a second Mr. oxymoron) to Park Slope every once in a while that's a bit cleaner than Lucky 13. How will they fit everyone? Well hell if any hipsters show up they are thin enough to use as a rug...

From the invite:
"HEY HO HO HO, LET'S GO!!!

It's time once again for the annual
PUNK SLOPE XMESS PARTY
Saturday December 20th, 2008!

'tis the season to be jolly, merry, and all that good shit.
we've lined up one hell of a night... check it out...

live!
WALTER SCHREIFELS
(Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Rival Schools, Walking Concert)
our favorite guest returns!! playing your favorite tunes from the past, present and future!
we could not be more excited to have him for this special occasion!

along with special guest DJs!
CHRIS DALY (Texas Is The Reason, Jets To Brazil, 108)
JOSH GRABELLE (Trustkill)
JAY GROTRIAN (Eye For An Eye)

and your fave residents!
NICK CAIN, JOEL TEE, JORDAN MAKOW, MIKE FALIS"

It's a thinking/drinking man's punk party, as everyone shall be of age, some will be wearing glasses, some will be drinking glasses, and I just might wear some pinned up braces (red of course, with some green trimmings for that holiday sheen). Also if you mix Jay Grotrian and Josh Grabelle's names, you can have something that will always vaguely remind you of Josh Groban. Who will unfortunately be in attendance...not.

To attend through Facebook (they have yet to do reminders for events which sucks) go here: Punk Slope XMess on Facebook

And check out what Bar 4 has going on all the time, support their musical gatherings and you just might be hearing the next big thing out of 7th Avenue. Here's their address on Google Maps:


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Rival Schools @ Mercury Lounge 11/06

Rival Schools I feel pretty much have a built in fan-base from the other famous bands that they are associated with, namely Quicksand and Gorilla Biscuits. The band can be overshadowed by the kind of superstar status that their members have attained being a productive part of not only one, but several influential bands in the hardcore scene. Walter Schriefels is not dissimilar to a Bob Nanna of Friction, Braid, and Hey Mercedes, even in that the last band mentioned is a bit lighter in sound and more melodic by nature as well as Rival Schools is.



So seeing them with a couple of co-workers who share a love for many of the same bands was a real treat; namely, I was hanging out with a couple of dudes who while only eclipsing my age by 4 or 5 years, were heavily involved or listening to music that I was growing up to only peripherally since I could not drive or go to shows and whatnot. It matters to them more to see a band like Rival Schools, and it's something I looked forward to even though ultimately I probably would prefer a band like Metroschifter.

The interesting thing tonight was that they opened for Bad Brains early on at 9pm at Irving, so naturally them being 45 minute over schedule was foreseen. I skipped the opening bands although I wished to have seen The King Left, as we had a couple drinks at Gawker while playing that Rock Band game and failing on Jane's Addiction and Sex Pistols of all bands, and then had to attend a farewell party to another co-worker at Bob Bar (or Bar Bob).

And then of course we got Bereket shawarmas (I apologize because I can't remember the particular name of the sandwich) and it was amazing. I didn't even want to go to the show. I just wanted another one because it was amazing. And delicious. Especially after many beers. Dan Williams thought the same thing, but Loni Berg...eh ra Berman skipped out. It was awesome Loni. There.

Rival Schools came on to the hope of new material (which is true) and a familiarity that the crowd had with the old standards, anticipation of a long hiatus building and the band's age shining through. There's is an undeniable Quicksand imprint, and both have a somewhat unique 90s sheen to them (even though Rival Schools was bigger around 2001) with hoarse vocals but a "grungier" (hate to use it but I guess it's the simplest way to describe it) feel than some of the other bands of the time I think. There's a patience and a slower pace almost; save some election talk there was little banter between songs and they pushed through most of United By Fate, their only officially released LP to date and a couple covers. Songs like "Travel By Telephone" and "Used For Glue" came back suddenly, but the audience really kept their cool; it's as if "hey this is what I came for, that's totally cool, and I'm possibly a bit old to be moshing". The atmosphere was energetic but not overwhelming, as if the fans were a bit nostalgic and were a bit frozen in the wake of songs that they probably hadn't heard live in a while. The new songs pushed a bit more pop and conventional but sounded fresh and pretty tight. It was an economic show, expected and very professional and definitely satisfying.

Rival Schools "Used for glue"


As always, Mercury is a great, low-ceiling affair but the temperature was kept at a moderate level until a pit started to develop during the last three songs or so and I got clocked in the chin and bit my tongue which caused a gnarly little abrasion for a day or two. They are one of those bands because of their pedigree and connections over the years, you may have been able to glance at all the ex-label people and the community that has supported them in their prime and now. It's a cool snapshot of mostly people who have gone on to do other things, or fans, like my co-workers, that may have moved beyond them at some point but got a great glimpse of a new record from an old dawg.

For more pictures and context, go to Brooklyn Vegan's post which graciously took an excerpt from this review: Brooklyn Vegan - Rival Schools & The King Left @ Mercury Lounge - pics

To see them on MySpace, click HERE.