Bieber compared himself to the Beatles during the, frankly, just a PR handjob, special. It is worth mentioning that the Beatles first appearance on Ed Sullivan reached 67M people, Bieber reached 3M. This isn’t to hate on Bieber, the hysteria he provokes is very real indeed
The biggies here are r. Kelly, who owes us a goodie, and Devil Wears Prada who are always good for a ethically cleansing party! Flaming Lips release too much material, enough already. How can we miss you if you don’t go away. As for Maroon 5, the reviews are horrendous which is business as usual for the band.
Why Do I Love You – Franz Alber and Barbara Cook – From one of fave musicals, a tale of love and loss and show biz (and miscegenation) on the Mississippi, and here the dream of true love as operetta Americana Grade: A
the set was a steady and consistent. It was, indeed, a little strange. The theory is the that most sets build momentum but the truth is they don’t: they sink in the middle and regain buoyancy towards the end. But Yellow Ostrich got better as they went on
Tucker should still be on fire and that’s about as close to the flame as you can get so to call her Thursday, September 27th gig at Mercury Lounge is essentially to state the obvious. I’d camp outside stubhub for this one if I had to.
this Irving Plaza gig on September 14th (a friday) is a must see though JAMC will probably give My Bloody Valentine a run for their money when it comes to making your ears bleed. The Reid Brothers reid are the last band standing from all those early 1980s trangsressive Scottish bands and the best of them? I wouldn’t argue but I might also hold out for Fire Engine
Give the man credit where due, he is an excellent songwriter and his half hour set with his backing band Buzzard Boy was filled with catchy well paid, well sung and, damn it, well executed songs. It takes him around three songs but by the third Sean has found a groove and in a band that moves on its spaces, nothing is much more important
A very expensive ticket bought on presale begs an answer to the musical question: the Jacksons without Michael, who cares? I DO!!! Taking a look at the setlist and salivate, and at the home of Soul, the Apollo? They should be bringing their A game. Though a Thurrsday so that sucks, but otherwise, we are gonna “Blame It On The Boogie” all night!!!
. The Golden Age – Beck – Depression as movement to inertia, this masterpiece of loneliness and ennui doesn’t circle back on itself, it closes the curtain and lies on its back, staring at the sun draining the color out of everything – Grade: A+
Laura’s singing was vigorous and her organ pounding just enough to make sure you were absolutely certain she could play it well if never enough to distract from her role as front woman. The rest of the band were fine but background.
The set goes back as far as 2007 and stops off at all points, with the second song a terrific, much livelier and deadlier “Songs For Your Girlfriend” and has a late set deep track “By Tundra” and in between hits the hits and hits the misses and the band cream the lot. I mean, the lot. With Gareth, a stockier Gareth with a beer belly, ascending each and every song.
Wow, July 3rd is officially the quietest day of the year with nothing much at all released!. Otherwise, actually the next three weeks look a little sucky. I guess the Joe Jackson, Dirty Projector, JJAMZ and Marina might be worth a listen… but, I’m not PROMISING
We’ve hated Billy Corgan for so long and for so hard, it is almost a knee jerk reaction. The truth of the moment is that the man who called himself one of the greatest musicians ever, misjudges his gifts and it leads him to completely lack quality control. Still, this is a good Smashing Pumpkin album. all sonic textured guitars and Billy’s dispensable whine. If you were a fanatic and have been disappointed in the past, this will bring you round. if not, it lacks the one great song it needs to take it over the top – Grade: B
Where Have You Been (Calvin Harris Extended remix) – Rihanna – Calvin Harris returns to the scene of the crime. Same artist, same album song not as food but not bad. The remix is like something holding it from one end, somebody from the other and streeeetching – Grade: B+
Bieber is about the teen gals not about the dancefloor and he can’t mature if he can’t provide more songs like “Die In Your Arms” -he needs the money shot whether he is 18 or 28. And he doesn’t have it nearly often enough here.
he world beating mongrel considers his former band, the Nitecaps, soul done through his own rock perspective so don’t expect his deep soul band covers outfit revival but more like the Nitcaps soul em and roll em. For sure, Jahn is a knock out frontman and a great guy who will be happy to say a howdy after the show.
I could make the case that if it wasn’t for this song, the last played at a Bowery Ballroom set in February 2009, I would not have started rock nyc, “you don’t have to worry about us, we can look after ourselves…” a girls note to god , is Gareth’s mash note to the 21st Century – Grade: A+
Lianne isn’t a draggy presense, she is a charming, amused MC and she stops even her weakest songs from being run of mill singer songwriter fodder with a consistently entertaining delivery. She is impossible to dislike
OK, sure, Usher is in at # 1 for the umptenth but Confessions ended up selling 10M units, this one crept in with a lousy 128K. Looking at it this way, his last album sold triple that. Congrats to Sheeran and Rush, but for different reasons.
Four of these acts are brand new to 2012, and two are at the top. The only surprise is fun. who seem to not really belong with the dance pop phenoms that rule the single charts in this day and age. No rock, no country, no nothing… Strange, right?
With a superb lick playing all the way through the song, and Cat Power’s distilled dramatic vocals, this is actually much better than I claimed it was yesterday. Plus the hook is soooo good, “what are we doing, we’re sitting on ruin. And she makes us wait two minutes. The moral: WAIT TWO MINUTES FOR THE DAMN HOOK – Grade: A
we remember Victor best for his roles in “Magical Mystery Tour”, “Help!” and best of all the prissy Television director in the woollen cardigan in “A Hard day’s Night”.as Lennon might put it: give us a kiss…
In the terrible “Rock Of Ages” movie, they go out of their way to mock 1980s boy bands, but in all sincerity, Culture Club and Wham were better than any metal band of the 80s with the exceptions of Van Halen, Metallica and Guns N Roses. Just to put it all in perspective for you.
Music’s power lies in its ability to function in the back and the foreground simultaneously. You can manipulate its presence by the power of your mind: if you’ve ever been listening to a song and gotten a phone call, you will see what I mean: the song instantly changes position in the levels of your brain.
So now here is third time the charm for me. July 9th (a Monday) Dirty Projectors are back at MHOW and I am willing to give it one more go despite being thoroughly unthrilled by the new single. Tix are currently on sale…
Prince And Elvis Costello – Remember when Prince wouldn’t let Elvis cover “Pop Life” and El got pissed and trashed him on the moribund “The Bridge I Burnt”… maybe it’s time for them to bury the hatchet…
Right Here – Justin Bieber, Drake – This is where modern pop veers wrecklessly into self-parody. Or rather, carefully into tedium. Written by committee, sung by automatons and produced by machines, it isn’t even catchy – Grade: D
Spider Bags has a new album to be released on Paul Finn’s Odessa Records, and, along with the Autumn released new Titus Andronicus, it is the rock and roll event of the year. Here is what the press release says: “It’s called Shake My Head and is out August 7th. It’s a truly awesome rock record, recorded in Memphis, TN and featuring a cast of characters pulled out of the Memphis garage rock scene.”
here comes news that Mike has formed a new band with the Music’s Rob Harvey… and no, I don’t know them either. but from Harvey has said don’t expect any vicious distillations of the cost of fame rapped in a thick accent
But sometimes, I fall upon somebody elses review of a concert I have also written about and goddamn, that clown wrote circles round me’. Maybe more often that I care to admit.
, Juliana Hatfield namechecked the fuck outta Westerberg in her memoir and my good buddy Bill holdship wrote the liner notes to the reissues. And whenever I get around to listening to em, I don’t dislike them. But don’t color me impressed either.
the assumption is we would be getting the Buckingham/Nicks Mac to the exclusion of just about everything else but no, even with Best coast doing “Rhiannon”. this bunch of covers digs deeper
Hot Knife – Fiona Apple – With its Burundi bottomless drums like a tribal cry of desire leading the way, Apple gets right down to the business at hand: sex. Ultimate song off her excellent new song leads you out singing but… where’s the piano? Grade: A
Whitley has that old time passion for rock music, and could discuss it all day between changing his one year olds diapers!!! But how good is he? Pretty excellent if the acoustic guitar break on the overwhelmingly moving and awesome “Calling All Gods” is anything to go by. These is a soaring big time rock anthem but it isn’t a self reflected glorifying song, at 8 minutes plus it takes its time to make its point.
The album is good, the song is awesome and Samantha Urbani is soooo hip (check the video below of her getting a lap dance) and cool that she is One Direction’s resident bad boy Zayn Malik. WHich makes her the envy of half the girls in the US of A.
“Rock Of Ages” would be much worse if their hit job was on a genre of music, or simply songs, that required talent to perform. From Journey to Poison, this is really naff material. And unless you consider the light voiced Tom Cruise doing a preposterously over the top “Pour Some Sugar On Me” anything but vaguely indifferent, you won’t take umbrage at the music.
Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner sadly fail to mention the band at all. And with only 70 minutes to cover 300 characters, and spend 20 minutes on a game of Quidditch, it is hard to blame the game English duo. Indeed, the only thing you can blame them for is tailoring their show to preteens and my being miles away from the target demo.
it is about the musicalness of words put together. Pauses, beats, repetitions, it is a rhythmic art form and because of that, because you are waiting to hear the words again, it bears repeating over and over.
Justin may be too young for this to be considered his grown-up album, more like Bieber Mach II they loved you when they were tweens can you keep them through their teens. Otherwise, the Apple is awesome.
Sorry – Friends – Best couplet in the Universe, wonder if they can pull it off live: “the situation’s not progressing and ethically it’s pretty fucked but every time i see you it’s just never enough.” Grade: A
Saturday night, the man is literally jumping for joy as the sold out room filled with teen to 20 something girls sang to, sure “We Are Young” but also EVERYTHING ELSE. EVERY WORD. RELENTLESSLY! Overnight sensation at 30 years old, Nate has spent the year watching fun. sell out room after room and, probably, wondering how the hell the dance rock band’s ode to failure, Some Night, became a feel good ode.
This feels like the first day of summer, a crystal clear evening with just a trace of cool in the air and one of our great indie rockers Kurt Vile and his band the Violators kicking the lo-fi claim to the floor as the sun begins to set on an hour long set at Summerstage.
I want to see if Tyler can bring Goblin to life, I wanna see if he can pull off the serious intensity of his songs without the posse, without the teenage hi-jinx. And if he can, the sky is the limit for this giant of hip hop. Frank Ocean will just have to wait.
It is three years since we Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, and two less than great and an iffy live show later, I am ready to use those fingers for crossing and catch the formerly(?), currently(?) great Welsh rock band one more time, at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday. Then rushing further down town to see the Mynabirds late show at Mercury Lounge
Scottish singer Amy MacDonald has a lovely litt to her voice which would singlehandedly make her more interesting than 90% of the people you listen to, but she can also write a song, and that always helps.
The Cheryl in question is Cheryl Cole and the dance track is as ordinary as her name. However, I do think more people should go by one name, starting with Carly Rae Jepsen. If I have to type it one more time…
Samantha Urbani is a star in waiting and this song is tremendous, all clickety clackety beats and a morally ambiguous come on so sexy it is just about impossible to resist. This is a real big song for me right this second – Grade: A
The musicianship -which was kinda hidden, under the surface, comes right to the front in 2012 They were Brit Invasion inverters, they are now elder statesman masters of pop pomp.
Kreyshawn’s Canadian buddy is coming off a very popular album, Visions, and an instantaneous sell out of Mercury Lounge to be followed by an instantaneous sell out of the AMEX presale of her October 26th, 2012 gig at Bowery Ballroom.
I was gonna write about disliking bands because you don’t like their names the other day. I’ve never listened to this Swedish folkie because his name pissed me off, but this acoustic song with a strong nasal voice on top is filled with good songs. “1904” is my jam of the moment and if it lacks shading and drags half way through the answer is simply. Don’t listen to it in one sitting – Grade: B+
