rock nyc

rock nyc

The Most Influential Singles Of The 1960s #81 – #90

“I’ll hop the first Greyhound to Carolina for the signal satisfaction of breaking off a bottle of Ripple (he deserves no better, and I wish I could think of worse, but they’re all local brands) and twisting it into James Taylor’s guts until he expires in a spasm of adenoidal poesy.”

rock nyc

Is Dave Gahan A Whining Minnie?

Gaham could be the living embodiment of a A Just Say No ad. He is to heroine what the fat old bag in the “Smoking Is Glamorous” is to tobacco. He should have a sign around his head reading “just because you shoot up smack does not mean you’re Miles Davis.”

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 3-25-13

You don’t know Pep? Neither do I but she is a brilliant 50s inspired pop singer whose new EP I will write about in more depth shortly. The Chairlift cover is a coupla years old but it is very good and I still haven’t invested in the Marnie Stern album, though I should if only for its name: The Chronicles Of Marnia! And Kacey Musgrave wrote the Miranda song, which is more proof that Kacey is something special.

rock nyc

OFWGKTA's Shirts Banned At A Connecticut School

Connecticut school officials have banned a famous shirt showing an image largely promoted by the band, the famous cat head with hollow eyes and an upside down cross on the forehead. According to NBC, they declared that this cat ‘stands for something vile’,…

rock nyc

Senseless "Reckoning" Reviewed

It’s not surprising when you find another CT-based local hardcore band- they seem to be a dime a dozen these days. You end up running into the same riffs and the same sounds- it’s a rut that a lot of younger bands get stuck in. It’s disappointing, but really the norm. However, what’s not so typical is the band Senseless.

rock nyc

Listen To Sigur Rós' Almighty New Song 'Kveikur'

The song certainly has Sigur Rós’ habitual gravitas expanding a dark soundscape, even ferocious this time, with Jónsi’s impressive voice going full falsetto. It is a very powerful and poignant track, with a wide-screen cinematic dimension unleashing an Icelandic mythology that explodes on the tiny set of the show,… wait until you witness this monster live!

rock nyc

Active Viewin': Concert Picks Week Of March 25th, 2013

Well, really was there ever any doubt? If the kid is in town she’s the one to beat and she is in town so she is the one to beat. Taylor Swift will be bringing Red to the Prudential on Wednesday and you will be getting glam, legs, the entire album, four classics and a cover all in two hours. You miss this? Don’t come blaming me.

rock nyc

Singles Going Steady: New Album Reviews Week Of August 18th, 2013

She – Alice Smith – I would rather wait six years for a good album than two years for a bad album and Alice Smith, the R&B diva wannabe’s long awaited follow up to her 2007 album is nothing if not good. She has a good voice with a husky tow to it and can write a good song. Sometimes a great song. Here she writes three great songs, “Cabaret” “The One” and “Loyalty” and a lot of stuff not quite as good. A bit of a missed opportunity but the equal of Solange’s latest – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 3-24-13

# 1 – # 3 is the hangover from Friday night, # 4 because I just bought a tix to see em at Barclays, Taylor and Sigur I am seeing live next week and Taylor has been playing “Cold As You” off her first album a coupla times this tour! Laura? I am building to upping it to a very rare “A+” and the Marnie Stern album is not available on Spotify and I am debating whether I can pull off an entire album review on it.

rock nyc

Thinking Bad Thoughts

We need to be that person whether they are heroes or villains, normal or abnormal. whatever we are is whatw e must be. And we can’t be that if we stifle thoughts we disagree with.

rock nyc

John Mayer and Lil Wayne To Tour (er, Not Together)

I saw Mayer play with Hova a coupla years ago and he was the best thing about the gig and Weez… he has gotta come up with the goods. But I am not a big fan of either performer. Dunno why. Weezy is too weird and mayer is too sleazy and both are absolutely terrible when it comes to ballads.

rock nyc

Morrissey Has Been Cautioned To Retire From Music

He actually already announced his plan to retire 2 years ago, when he is 55, even saying ‘I am slightly shocked to have gone as far as I have, this is my 30th year, and I’ve aged a lot recently, which is bit distressing for me, as it must be for everyone. The body changes shape and there’s nothing you can do about it.’

rock nyc

Mayhem Fest 2013 Headliner Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie is a gnarly old guy who is quite simply a genius. He has been riding the ‘horror circuit’ for years now and is absolutely brilliant at his art. He’s no spring chicken but he shows no falter when on stage. He is boundless energy- boundless.

rock nyc

Michelle Shocked Gives Good Hugs

I doubt that Shocked is a savvy enough media presence to have purposely orchestrated the event. If one were in the diabolical public sentiment manipulation business, there are better end states than career suicide. It’s almost too easy to play armchair psychiatrist with Shocked.

rock nyc

Must See: The Rascals On Broadway April 2013

On a busmans holiday from the Wrecking Ball tour, long term fan of all things garage Steve Van Zandt put together a part “Jersey Boys” part concert got together with the four men from the Rascals and had them perform together for the first time in 40 years last in a mix of rock and Broadway show “Once Upon A Dream”

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 3-22-13

Chief Keef is really great on the Kweezy track from last year and Alice SMith conitnues to impress mightily, #10 is one of three songs on her new album that has wowed me. Other than that, not much going on, deep album tracks and the Rascals about sums it up.

rock nyc

I Missed Dropkick Murphy's Fight In My Review

I’ve been to so many, not just, but essentially a lot more, since 2009, concerts, I find it hard to be surprised (I love music enough hereby the lack of surprise doesn’t ruin it for me). And I’ve seen a lot of things happen at concerts. Hell, I’ve seen a man die of a heart attack at a Patti Lupone show.

rock nyc

The Great Depression: More Relevant Than Ever (Pt 2)

“It’s getting very hard to stay” is how a lot of the people in the dust bowl felt. “Every child had a pretty good shot to get at least as far as their old man got, but something happened on the way to that place means that children used to have futures, and they used to have good opportunities for when they grew up

rock nyc

The Strokes, "All The Time," Video Review

They did good though with “Is This It?’ in 2001, one of the coolest warm up at the gym songs of all time but 4 years later “Juice Box” left me cold, their tabloid behavior a bore and when they all woke up to think they were super models they got demoted to the external hard drive. So, now they’re back

rock nyc

US Top 10 Albums: March 30th, 2013

Yeah, yeah Bon Jovi and Bowie, neither superstar sold that much. I mean, BJ sold 90% less than Taylor Swift did during the first week of Red. I think the shocker is Eric Clapton. Not only did he hit the charts with a (crappy) album called Old Sock, he did it with the greatest of ease.

rock nyc

US Top 10 Singles, March 30th, 2013

We had a word for this sort of chart when I was growing up: not much. There is a world of mediocrity here, of songs you will never hear again and never remember in a year, that you won’t look back at as a golden age. It is so bland.

rock nyc

Hear Ye:What Rock nyc Is Listening To 3-21-13

Josh Rouse was almost the Conor Oberst of the 1990s but he couldn’t quite sustain. However, he remains a talented fellow as does M. Ward. I said Lana sucks live, I didn’t say Lana sucks on record. On record she is pretty good. #4 and # 8 are part of remix EPs and pretty good ones. Suede are back but you already knew that. And Alice SMith is a revelation.

rock nyc

Listen To Two New Vampire Weekend Songs!

‘Diane Young’ is a mixed and intriguing bag with the familiar buoyancy of the band, going bipolar with light electronic doo-woopy parts, punchy drums and wild surfing guitar slides. It is a lot of fun but it almost sounds like a too quick ride

rock nyc

The Great Depression: More Relevant Than Ever (Pt. 1)

Our teacher played the class the tune “Dust Bowl Dance” by Mumford and Sons; she said to use that for inspiration and try to find songs that had some relevance. I banded together with my best friend and fellow music lover, Tristan, and we created the best playlist that teacher will ever see.

rock nyc

After Spotify

The unanswered question is does streaming hurt the bottom line and I can’t see it does. I am not, but many people I speak to stream and buy if they like the music. And even if it does hurt the industry, content “wants to be free” and you will have a hard time getting a model that isn’t free.

rock nyc

Beyonce's "Bow Down" and "I Been On" Reviewed

“I Be On” is weird BEYond belief and I wonder how or even if it will fill up the gaps on her next open. “Bow Down” is awesome and it is as simple as that. This time they trick out her voice like a chipmunk before Beyonce takes on the haters everywhere

rock nyc

New Fall Out Boy Album Art

Yet again Fall Out Boy think they signify more than they ever actually do. As a band, Fall Out Boy’s problem was a failure to connect song to content with the strength they seemed impelled to do so.

rock nyc

Morrissey Update, The Good, The Bad And The Worse Video Ever Made

Morrissey has canceled so many shows on this latest tour from ulcers to sick moms to pneumonia I am glad I was able to see him at all. I have been listening to him non stop since that first October show and I have not gotten sick of one tune yet. I believe that on average I am hearing ‘Shoplifters” at least three times a day

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