Be Here Now: New Releases Snapshot Review 10-22-13
Suffering From Success – DJ Khaled – When did everyone start whining in the world of hip hop? More of the same with Khaled plus Maybach Music – C
Stars In Stereo Oakdale Dome Saturday, October 19th 2013 Reviewed
“So, when there’s a crowd of biker dads, preteen girls in Uggs, drunk housewives, and nerdy teen boys, the biker dads might “woo” and teen boys will stare while those girls in their most vulnerable age see you on stage saying things they’ve never heard before, wearing revealing clothing, and basically being a sex symbol.”
CMJ Music Marathon, Drowner At Pianos, Saturday, October 19th, Reviewed
Enjoy em now with songs like first single “Long Hair” and “You’ve got It All Wrong” and (here I’m guessing) “Don’t Go Around With Everyone In Town” . The temperature is always raising with this band and they have the good fun smarts of a band that is just about to break big.
Not With The Band: Richard Dawkins, Elvis Presley And Why I Prefer My Musicians Faithless
I was raised in a religious environment, and like Richard Dawkins I had a sort of belief in a creator when I was young, and like him it didn’t last very long, although I never had a religious-Presley-like experience. But I wonder, do artists we like and admire have a strong influence on us? Do we share the same ideas on religions with the artists we like?
The ‘Place Pigalle’ French Girlfriend Reacts To Some Pages Of Schultz’s Biography
In 1999, Elliott spent some time in Paris
Fiddlin' About, What's Up With The Crotch Grab?
Miley Cyrus is not all up in her own business an with the accompanying tongue thing is she saying.. ‘hey you c’mere and tend to this or is she saying “I have an itch’ or is it like……’LOOK! I’m touching my vagina!”
Sneak Peaks: New Album Releases 10-21-13
Sure, I don’t have the highest of hopes for it after “Roar” and the new songs from the Itunes Fest earlier this year, but still it is event programming
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-22-13
In The City – Caveman – Haunted mood indie with a baritone lead singer and fairly good songs, they sound like an early version of the National and should do well – B
Taylor Swift's "Sweeter Than Fiction" Reviewed
The sound is electronic power pop with a rock band backing, the drums sound programmed and the opening electronic fuzz is a fake out but a good one, once the song kicks in the electric guitar carries it along.
The Maria Taylor Interview: "I Married A Republican" And Other Stories From The Deep South
“It was kind of difficult also to write because in the past I would always write when I was sad, it was just therapy for me. Sometimes I would even put myself in a position to get hurt so that I could write…”
Brave Combo and the Old 97s, Mansfield, Texas, Saturday, October 19th, 2013, Reviewed
There simply isn’t enough musical variety in their live performance; it’s like hearing variations of two or three different songs twenty times. The Old 97’s are a band that kills you with competence
The Four Times I Met Elliott Smith
I almost didn’t recognize him first. He was looking a bit fuller, in really great shape, jumping behind the drum set at times, moving fast, looking quite different from the weak Elliott I had met at the Echo in October. After the show, I talked to him once again, I guess it had become a habit!
Active Viewin': rock nyc concert picks week of October 21st, 2013
I have never seen Drake headline a show and I am thrilled at the opportunity even if I am not thrilled with Nothing Was The Same, I can’t wait to see if Drake can bring it on stage at the Prudential Center this Sunday. Based on his SNL performance I am expecting very big things.
UK Top 10 Singles 10-26-13
Wow, Eminem is in twice and they are both OK even if neither are the greatest of his career. Iggy can really rap, Wilkinson is OK drum and bass and Lawson are a boy band who dress like Mumford and son.
UK Top 10 Albums 10-26-13
I am sure I’m not alone in adoring John Newman, just a great disco guy, a grand dance House singer player, more pure talent than Avicii can dream of. Absolutely deserves a # 1 and the only question is will the US fall in line?
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-21-13
Nothing Gets Crossed Out – Bright Eyes – The Conor Oberst hits an unbelievable height here, but since I just interviewed Maria, I am listening to her play Emmylou to Conor’s GP. A perfect lyric, lovely melody, and a brilliant bridge. Simply one of his greatest – A+
Pearl Jam At Barclay Center, Friday, October 18th, 2013, Reviewed
if either Pearl Jam or I had the date circled on our calenders it was probably me. A sprite, slim, no nonsense 150 minute set by the grunge stalwarts was frill less though not thrill less.
Morrissey, The "Humasexual"
See it’s OK to find mankind repugnant cuz they are. It’s OK to sleep with whom you please because you’re human and you have options. Hate the Royals, Hate meat eaters, Love thyself, Loathe thyself, Primp thyself.
The A + List Part II (Written In ANALOGUE!!!)
This is a perfect song, it starts with the chorus, and those waah waah waahs, and then Bowie plays between his falsetto and baritone, and he throws in handclaps and drum machines and back up singers. And the lyric is as brilliant and overwhelmingly baroque and also dramatic lyric, plus a rap: “one of these days and it won’t be long… ” that bit off an album so great he reached a zenith of artistry and paranoia never to be touched again.
Things To Do At A Tony Bennet Concert When You're Dead
Meanwhile, opening act Tony’s daughter Antoinette, rehearsing for her “Memories Of My Father” concert at Cafe Carlyle in a decade or so, might have been sucked or not. I heard some chuckling here and there
Roseland To Close: This AIn't No Mudd Club
The West 52nd room began its life as a dance club and it retains the same floor because think about it, how can you have a dance floor on a slope? And this means the 3500 SRO capacity club is a nightmare for the height impaired such as yours truly.
Hear ye: What rock nyc is listening to 10-20-13
Every Single Night – Fiona Apple – This is the other half of Fiona. Fiona as nursery rhyme singer, skipping merrily down the path of weirdness before losing it again – A
CMJ Music Marathon: The Bots At Pianos, Thursday. October 17th, 2013, Reviewed
Playing songs off their current Sincerely Sorry EP, where the sound they’ve been going for since Anaaiah was 12 years old back in 2009 is absolutely perfected, the first two songs of the set are brilliant sound strangulation
Watch Atoms For Peace's Visual Fantasy For 'Before Your Very Eyes’
It’s all about moving sand, fantastic landscapes of golden and rainbow rocks, blue skies, and Thom Yorke, giant sandman crumbling in ruins, sinking with entire cities, re-appearing among stalactites.
The Rolling Stones Live At Hyde Park, 2013, "Sweet Summer Sun", Reviewed
The show takes two performances at London’s Hyde Park from July 6 and 13, at what was a major event this summer and gives it a sense of moment. The Stones seem to claim a bigness for the evenings
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
Artists, historians and other music insiders have a shot at voting in their hero and they say you can too. The public will comprise a ‘fan vote’ which I suppose would equal about a 1/111134343535 portion of the total score. But it makes you feel good to be a part of it
Notorious B.I.G. Has Been Denied A Street Name In Brooklyn
He started selling drugs at 12, he was a school dropout at 17, he was arrested for drugs and weapons charge, he was arrested for parole violations, he was arrested in North Carolina for crack cocaine, in 1996 he was again arrested for assault, he had a violent death and physically the man is not exactly a role model for youth.’
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-19-13
Goodbye Don’t Mean I’m Gone – Carole King – Off her Tapestry album follow up, Carole took to the mountains in California and tended to her daughter. But she was still a round – A
CMJ Music Marathon: Arms AT The Studio At Webster Hall, Tuesday, October 15th, 2013, Reviewed
The band aesthetic opens it up and playing songs off their superb EP2, in a live setting the band evolve into a masterclass in tempo and dashed expectations.
Gary Numan At Amoeba, Wednesday October 16th 2013
But first of all, Numan looked super elegant with his white shirt and sleeveless suit vest, he had his usual black raven hair and a passion in his delivery. Surrounded by four musicians and no less than two synths, the beats were violent, the tempo aggressive and the delivery both sensual and cold.
CMJ Music Marathon – Margot MacDonald At Rockwood 1, Wednesday, October 16th, 2013
With a pianist accompanying her and a loop feeding back vocal hooks as she sings it, Margot harmonizes with herself on what is simply one of the prettiest songs of the year and she sings it very well
CMJ Music Marathon: Meet Mree
Mree is a sort of disquietingly soft but deep hushed folkie and in the one song I saw she taped herself tearing up a piece of paper and used it along with a drum beat in a loop.
Memo To David Byrne: Stop Blaming Oppenheimer
If Byrne wants more money off Spotify than Byrne should renegotiate his deal with major record labels who are part owners of Spotify. If the major indie labels (all distributed by the big three by the way) want more money off Spotify, they should pull their clients and re-negotiate the terms of their contracts
Here They Are Now, Entertain Us: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Class Of 2013
You’ve heard these arguments – rock ‘n’ roll is a rebellious art form that shouldn’t be enshrined, it’s not legitimate because The Swinging Blue Jeans aren’t in, Jann Wenner is a socialist Commie that wants to destroy America, etc., etc., etc. So, people love it because it’s one less thing to worry about
Johnny Lydon Wandering Punk
The first time I was in Japan they put some kind of weird jellyfish thing in front of me and it just looked like a ball of snot. It had very nice colours and was very snotty, but I got into it.
Bauhaus' Peter Murphy Will Not Go To Jail After All
The police found the small plastic bag containing meth inside the patrol car where Murphy was already sitting, handcuffed. Could this bag have been inside the car, before Murphy got in? This is the question asked by the attorney
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is living to 10-18-13
Heartbreaker – Justin Bieber – Man, this guy got sucky. I was never a huge fan but he was always good for a coupla good tracks a year; how could this be any more generic – C-
CMJ Music Marathon: The Bongos At The Living Room, Tuesday, October 15th, 2013, Reviewed
Every single song in the set was a gem, Richard, back in black with a Gibson strapped to him at all time, looked slim and handsome, every inch a rock star and the band were excellent musical foil
Havok, Stafford Palace Monday October 14, 2013
The problem, as they say is location…location…location. A good 20 min off the highway through winding woods only the die hards could venture out. The venues 18+ age policy was another hinderance.
'Peace Sword', A New Flaming Lips EP Inspired By A Big Science Fiction Production 'Ender's Game'
armies of hostile aliens attacking the earth, big and noble veterans played by tattooed-face Ben Kingsley and Star-Wars-resurected Harrison Ford, and next great hope young hero Ender Wiggin (played by Asa Butterfield) who will probably save the Earth
Annie Lennox, Out Of Touch and Spewing Nonesense
These 80’s hags are like a swarm of menopausal bees. Dried up and bitter theyre back with a vengance waisting valuable time and energy on the up and coming female performers. How pathetic- how ridiculous.
Punk Rock Photographer Theresa Kereakes Pictures At An Exhibition
This November 1st and 2nd Theresa is coming to the East Coast, Pittsburgh to be precise, where she is showing her “Exhibit of seminal punk rock images ” which should be worth looking at if only for the pictures with her late boyfriend, Stiv Bators
US Top 10 Singles 10-26-13
Ho hum, the charts are such a bore in 2013, Miley, Katy and Lorde oh my. There has to be more to modern pop than this. This is really kinda sad, it is not that it is terrible, the way the album charts were a couple of weeks ago
US Top 10 Albums 10-26-13
If Miley can get one more hit song off this album it is gonna break her right through and the album will be a monster and she has it as well. Otherwise, no surprises here except maybe Panic!, it was no Pretty.Odd and I am surprised it moved over 75K units.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-17-13
I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten – Tracey Ullman – Of course her singing can’t compare to dusty, but this 1983 cover compares very well in a very joyful 1960s girl group UK style way – A
CBGB's Festival 2013: You Can Put Your Arms Around A Memory
By the time you reach Thursday. Duff gave the keynote speech and the highlight of the five days occurred, the Bowery Electric class reunion and of course Roscoe’s excellent curated evening at Sullivan Hall.
Mary Lee's Corvette "Blood On The Tracks" Reviewed
There is nowhere for Mary Lee to run so the words come thundering down and perhaps its good because the primary question mark, the sexual confusion having a woman sing these songs, gets lost in the forward throttle of the track.
Heroes and Villains of Southern Rock From A to ZZ
As I remember, they put on a perfectly acceptable show with a lot more Southern rock jam than I expected. This started me thinking about other Southern bands
Listen To Omar Souleyman's New Studio Album 'Wenu Wenu'
‘The lyrics are about love and relationships. All of the lyrics on the albums, and the ones I sing during parties, are all about love and affection between people. Here they don’t understand that, but I believe it’s possible they can feel it.’
Glenn Danzig, A Giant Nob
I dont judge, cuz I’m not like you, but something needs to be said about my generations punk heroes and how they have morphed into fucking douchebags. I don’t know what it is but I suppose I’m guilty too. We think we still ‘got it’, when in fact, we don’t. We’re old.