rock nyc Top 10 Songs Week Of 9-23-13
Except for Nirvana, every song here was released in the past week or two, and of all ten songs 6 are mainstream as mainstream can be, so what this proves is that bubbling under the surface of Billboard charts
Active Viewin': Concert Picks For the week Of September 30th, 2013
Blondie at Highline were just incredible, you could feel Debbie’s star power tingling and X? And John Doe performing “Look How We Are”? Worth the price of admission in itself. Both bands on the same bill is a real thrill, so get thrilled at Roseland on Friday October 4th
Hear ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 9-29-13
S.O.S. In Bel Air – Phoenix – The catchiest song off their last album and neither song nor album has lit the world on fire, but that doesn’t mean this catchy electronic pop rock shouldn’t have done better – B+
Excerpts From Upcoming Elliott Smith Biography, 'Torment Saint', Have Made Me Mad!
I dare her or Schultz to find any misquotation in what I wrote. Unlike Schultz, I didn’t twisted what I have heard one way or another. ‘This interview did not bring any answer’ I wrote at the end of the post, and this was true. Conversely, Schultz seems to have found his, the one that fits so well with the title of his book
KEXP Live Is The Place To Begin And End(Ish) Your CMJ Experience
Last year I had a real good time and this year, well, this year I have no idea what to expect but I hope to get more of the same. For me, a working stiff, lunch gigs are where it is at, and the KEXP Radio shows seem like a smart move.
Andy Summers of The Police Has A New Band: Circa Zero
Hmmm… odd. I cant help but wonder if it will be Police like- regardless it will always be compared to the ‘Do do do, da da da’. At least he isnt a blow hard like Sting. Not yet anyway
Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience 2 Of 2" Reviewed
This isn’t state of the art, Timberland is a little out of time for one thing, but it functions as a a 22 song dance suite with the occassional song jutting out. It has scope but not depth and I admire it and enjoy it.
Winner And Loser Week Of September 23rd, 2013: Spanking Charlene And Lionel Richie
Spanking Charlene a band that makes you wonder whether the first word is an adjective or a verb. Spanking Charlene are such a great , tasty vicious bunch of rockers, undoubtedly it is an adjective. Plus, Charlene is a bad ass, I am sure if anybody gets spanked it’s the fans
Is Kanye West Our Greatest Rock Star: Oh, Yes, Indeed
Who else could have written “Hey Mama” and “Robocop” and then, in 2013 come back with the impenetrable brilliance of “New Slave”? It doesn’t take me to point this out to you, now, does it?
rock nyc Interviewee David Miller's "Lavinia's Revenge" To Big Apple Film Festival
It is screening at Tribeca Screen 2 on November 8th at 6pm along with other other shorts and tickets go on sale October 7th, 2013 here. I’ll be there for sure so why don’t you pick up a ticket and see us there. it will be an experience you won’t quickly forget.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 9-28-13
More Than – Au Revoir Simone – This reminds me of all those indie pop bands with a touch more better living with electricity thrown into the mix. Sort of Pains of Being Pretty At Heart – B+
Earth, Wind And Fire At Beacon Theater, Wednesday. September 25th, 2013, Reviewed
40 years of music — from the 70s to present. How these voices and faces don’t change is beyond me. These guys were performing before I was even born, which makes sense why I might have been one of the youngest in the audience.
A Familly X-Mas, For 'That' Coast
Exene Cervanka is a Goddess, John Doe a God and Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebreaker are ass kicking legends. Never a dull moment and never an off note this quad from Cali kicks my ass everytime and I worship the ground they walk on.
The Pixies Respond To Pitchfork's Harsh Critic (1/10!) Of Their New Material
The Pixies’ Charles Thompso
Cher On Tour
Cher has been around forever. Dressed by Bob Mackie or as the half breed the airbrushed nip and tucker must have had enough skin removed to create a mini Cher…wait.. maybe that’s Gaga?
Bob Lefsetz And Avicii: The Future Of Popular Music?
Lefsetz is like the guy who explains the score after the game is over. He lacks the slightest ounce of prescience when it comes to pop music until after the fact, which isn’t prescience at all. He is really clever once there is nothing to be clever about.
Bono And U2 And Irish Taxes
This is not to excuse Bono for being a tax cheat, this has more to do with how to explain how Capitalism stopped functioning.
Will He Kill It? Elton John To MSG December 2013
I’m guessing it won’t be good but I am hoping it will be ordinary, not slit yr wrists awful. Hell, if he can still write a good song from time to time anything is possible.
Must See: Kevin Jenkins At Triad, October 1st, 2013
The two songs Kevin performed at the Doncker Bands Blue Note gig last week were highlights and on October 1st (a Tuesday), the Triad gig spotlighting the new album should be amazing.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 9-27-13
Girl Josephine – Fats Domino – It was always feels like of all the first graduates of rock and roll, Fats gets relegated to the also rans. Here is proof again he was anything but, just wait for the horn on the bridge – A
Lionel Richie At Barclay Center, Tuesday, September 24th, 2013, Reviewed
Effortlessly out of fashion, with a straight up pop band behind him, keyboards, drums, bass, guitar and piano played by Lionel himself, and a minimal to non-existent stage set, Lionel brought a knife to a gun fight and got slaughtered.
Alter Bridge, "Fortress" Reviewed
‘Fortress’ is one of the best albums of 2013 providing a fabulous roller coaster of ballad and balls The album is constructed to keep you on your toes flowing from one extreme to another. Alter Bridge have opted to tour Europe in support of the release, which pisses me off.
Flaming Lips Fans Fight To Restore Wayne Coyne's Instagram Account
The Internet is a free speech place right? Things like these should not happen and I wonder why these pictures were more offensive than anything you see around… So sign the petition and let’s restore psychedelia and all these alien vaginas! … Or may be it’s just another of Wayne’s clever publicity-tricks,
Katy Perry, Sarah McLachlan And Devolution Denied
I wonder what the poor bastards who went to this concert had done to deserve it? Was it bad karma from a past life. It must have been a form of hell, sitting through the Indigo Girls to reach Lisa Loeb, it is like is there no exist?
Urban Outfitters Embraces Their True Punk Spirit,… Yeah Right!
So we aren’t even in the same ball park here but I still want to punch in the face the first middle class hipster who buys such one of these jackets. Urban Outfitters clientele was not even born in the 90s and this screams poseur more than I can express it here. It is a sad day when punk becomes a brand,
US Top 10 Albums 10-5-13
I’ve been tracking the charts for years now and this is beyond a reasonable doubt the worst list of albums in some 160 weeks
US Top 10 Singles 10-05-13
This week, the album charts are a disgrace BUT that could change overseven days, meanwhile the singles chart are a lively mess of pop and dance vying for your attention in a fight to the death.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 9-27-13
This is a swirl of modern blues, poppier than her earlier stuff? Well, certainly faster than we’re used to, the arrangement includes what sounds like a drum machine, and, wow, back up singers. Trixie has already left Four Corners in her review mirror – B+
Paul McCartney On The Jimmy Kimmel Live, Monday September 23rd 2013
The JKL crew was asking us to cheer up and applause every 15 minutes, it was for a TV show after all, and no one was complaining, that was the least these people could do. On stage, they were bringing a colorful small piano, whereas there was already a grand piano in the back, and soon Jimmy Kimmel and Paul McCartney were waving to us from the top of the El Capitan building
Dan Whitley's "Devil Is On Your Trail" Reviewed
Whitley stakes his claim to the blues he derives his power from, he taps into the primal instinct but takes it from the reverse, and merges forward like a shaman. With his blonde visage he is like a vengeful angel, unti, you realize the devil on her trail might be him.
When Richard Hell Hated Me!
We go to hell; Richard trashes the East Village Eye, “Leonard is sloppy, he doesn’t do what he promises he will.” We go to punk: “I said all I wanted to say about my contribution to punk in the ‘Slum Journal’ piece. I have nothing left to add.” We get caught in time: “I have to leave for a rehearsal in an hour, but we can talk again if you like.” We are lost in perceptions: “Ask me a question… That isn’t a question.”
ITunes Radio VS Pandora Radio… Ya Just Can't Win
Pandora and ITunes are strictly radio and their free versions both carry some heavy advertising. Pandora’s ads are so loud that you can literally be startled. ITunes radio isn’t so bad but its bland and monotone
Wait! Tom Waits Was Just Added to Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit on October 27th!
The Bridge School Benefit, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help individuals with severe speech and physical impairments, has already a crazy line-up this year including CSNY, Queens of the Stone Age, Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis,… but also fun. and the Killers?
Concerts I Wish I'd Seen
I’ve written about musicians I’ve never seen but wish I had but that isn’t this article! This is about musicians I didn’t see on specific tours or even concerts that I wish I’d caught. I mean more than wish, like dream of having been to
Michael Feinstein Residency At Birdland This December
He is playing a residency at Birdland’s this December and I am going at 830p on Christmas Eve. I am trying to track down rock nyc’s fave cabaret artist Jack Phillips to see if he wants to join me. Ask him to give me a call if you see him.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 9-25-13
Hellhound On My Trail – Robert Johnson – The legend starts here with Johnson pursued by a Hell Hound and wailing his blues. Recorded in 1937, it sounds really fresh today, weary but fresh – A+
Be Here Now: New Releases Snapshot Review 9-24-13
Impressive renewal of their smart and sexy guitar rock; the voice took awhile to get use to but by now they seem to have releaxed into their position of rock elder statesmen on this cool old fashioned rocker – B+
Eve To Adam's "Locked And Loaded" Reviewed
Rarely does album do what it sets out to with the pinpoint concentration, Locked And Loaded is a triumph in a genre that bores me sick.If I liked the genre this would be an album of the year, as it is it is an impressive modern rock album
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' Alex Ebert Scores A Robert Redford Movie
Okay, people, calm down, I know they may sometimes sound a bit too happy, too much like a bunch of love-is-all-around-hippies, while Ebert may take his messianic role a bit too seriously, but their songs are uplifting and despite the redundancy of their proclaimed (and indestructible) optimism
Not With The Band: Animal Liberation, Celebrities Should Leave Monkeys Alone
Animals do not exist to serve us or make us pretty on Instagram. They should be respected and wild ones should be left alone. And I am not even talking about Beyonce’s custom-made trainers incorporating the skins of animals including anaconda, crocodile and stingray, and other fur-wearer pop-stars!
Bouncing Juggalo's, The Check's In The Mail
This mulit day event is a huge gathering of former and future Jerry Springer guest but its a costly proposition. Unlike most fests these people have no corporate sponsor. It’s self funded by ICP and Psychopathic Records.
Tim Lambesis Ordered To Stand Trial In Hired Hit Plot
The lead singer of Christian metalcore band As I Lay Dying handed $100.00 to a guy named Red and stressed ‘Just to clarify, I do want her dead’. The ‘her’ is Labesis wife Meggan, mother of 3 adopted children and the woman who put up with his ponytail wearing ass.
Pat Todd And The Rankoutsiders "14th And Nowhere" Reviewed
Built for rock and roll radio with a rhythm section right out of Wyman-Watts songbook, a vocalist in Pat who is like a pub rock denizen from way back and one addictive shot of rock and roll after another through 15 songs of glorious dance music, on 14th And Nowhere.
Sneak Peaks: Upcoming Albums 9-24-13
If Sting, Willie Nelson, or Metallica are even vaguely bearable I’ll be happily surprised. The one here is Icona Pop, and Kings Of Leon are first runners up
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 9-24-13
Hard To Handle – The Black Crowes – The apex of the Southern boogie boy’s coolness came with this Otis Redding cover which they whitened while shaking it up – A
Blood On The Dance Floor Webster Theater Hartford, CT Saturday September 21, 2013
I loved that the crowd had fun. I had a few good laughs cuz I wasnt soaked in fake blood and I appreciated the cheesy theatrics. I just really wish I could have heard it more clearly. Next time maybe?
The David Bronson Band At Brooklyn Bowl, Saturday, September 21st, 2013, Reviewed
It is like a 70s pro-rock placed underneath an early 1970s singer-songwriter and at Fonatana in February, the singer songwriter won out and on Saturday night the prog rock artist weirdo won out and on both nights the audience won out.
More About Arcade Fire's 'Reflektor', David Bowie And Greek Mythology
And what if the album sucks? Well all this hype will have been for nothing, but right now, the hype is high and any detail about the upcoming Arcade Fire album, ‘Reflektor’, which is filtering through the info superhighway is the center of all attentions.
Does Kanye West Really Like His Carpet Ironed?
According to several tabloids (the Sun, Radar online,…), the diva rapper asked for the unbelievable, beating Maria Carey’s craziest demands: he asked for the walls of his dressing room to be all white with white curtains and white flowers, and he asked for the carpet to be ironed! What?
Singles Going Steady: New Album Review Week Of September 16th, 20143
“Will I ever forgive myself?” asks Mike Hranica and this is the second album of theirs that defies harcore or Christian category to emerge as one of the most overwhelming, loud and sometimes even lovely experiences you will hear this year – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A