rock nyc

In Katherine Bigelow’s espionage procedural about the decade long hunt and assassination of the 9-11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden by the USA, Jessica’s CIA Analyst Maya is a singleminded hard as nails bent on tracking down the man since she graduated from High School.

I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than with the Bowerytones, aka Jahn Xavier (Guitar, Vocals), Denny McDermott (Drums), Charlie Roth (Bass, Vocals). I believe the album should be out very soon and the soulful r&b whiteboys, sorta relation to the Nitecaps for sure, are lead by the deep voiced rumbler X. On Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 at the Mercury Lounge, they go on at 830p.

Irreplaceable – Beyonce – “To the left, to the left…” . One of the woman’s best song is a bitter break up things. The words refer to the boxes where She wants Him to put the boxes he is filling with his belongings. Apparently, Beyonce has had enough of his two timing. For such a brittle parting it is a catchy singalong and an instant classic. At Roseland a coupla years ago it was performed by the audience. Which kinda sucks – Grade: A

Borza held out the microphone giving everyone the few last chances to belt out the lines “We cannot give in, no matter what they will tell us our hearts were made to withstand”. As Honour Crest finished up and were headed off the stage, fans weren’t going anywhere and demanded they play another song

its repetitive nature and the slow, almost boring musical presentation of it make the song as a whole just seem slow and uninteresting. The mournful orchestral introduction of the song sets the slow, sad tone of the song that is carried on by the strumming of an acoustic guitar

May be it is because my standards are high, I mean, sometimes I listen to a song or two but the rest of the album is just meh… so obviously it’s not gonna be on my best albums of 2012 list! Or should it be?

They nevertheless know how to stay in the news till the release next year, with tidbits of info here and there regarding guest musicians and so on, and this week, they posted this new video, that you may call 9 minutes of bullshit or 9 minutes of funny shit?

Lamb of God Bassist John Campbell has offered up some insight via Rock Revolt Magazine. Most of us don’t stop to think of the toll it would take on the rest of the band. Their livelihood is at stake as well.

For everything that is drear and dark and nightmare and depressive in NR&B, K-Pop has a joyful cheer in reply. Ancestral racism may stop K-Pop from breaking the US, but whether it does it has a question more important than NR&B can muster: WHY SO SERIOUS??

Best Thirteen Minutes: Kanye West blowing every one else off stage at the 12-12-12 benefit. It is hard to imagine a less audience, or world friendly, set: he segued from one hit to anopther with arrogance and power in a leather skirt and a hard bass thump, then threw down his mic and stormed off stage. Perfection.

Best all around artist? Pitbull. Partially for looking like a premature hamster and partially for having the most fantastic sense of humor of any artists presently in the circuit.

So what do we think? An OK year, nothing special, nothing terrible. Everything in stasis, though we did get used to streaming music, but 2013 should see a return to form.

Lather – Frank Zappa – Who can’t applaud the wonder that was Zappa? The best named man on the plant, defined as he zaps sounds and expectations. So I applaud this piece of jazz lo-fi weirdness with all my heart, just don’t make me listen to it – Grade: B-

Yelling for Peace is most likely the best way to do it. No one listened to the hippies or the punks so hey- lets give these hardcore kids a chance. This generation is bombarded with violence. They’re anesthetized to the drama of it all. Ya seen one head get blow off you’ve seen them all

Victor Hugo saves the lousy music and the lousy acting and the odd lack of hugeness to a huge story (they didn’t do much of a job of opening it up from the stage at all). The book is a thriller and a dream, an important historic masterpiece, just about the only account of the June Uprising. Apparently, it can survive anything

We learned about the cancelation via the festivals Facebook “Happy holidaze Boozlers! We are sad to announce we will miss all of you in 2013 but keep your eyes peeled for 2014 info. Have a warm and safe holiday season!”

I am surprised T.I. did as well as it did and I am willing to give Bruno yet another listen because, hey, at least the little sucker isn’t a misery guts. PS: I don’t believe not using streaming services worked either to or against Taylor Swift’s advantage

Here we go with the mea culpas, I said “Locked Out Of Heaven” was gonna bomb and instead it is one of the most succesful songs of the year,. and I claimed Justin Bieber’s new album was a disaster and here is the third top ten hit off it. Proof, a person can be wrong all the time.

If indie aint a meaningless catechism, explain this dreary mish mosh of also rans. In what planet was Grimes the single of the year? While I like even love some of the tracks her (come down Killer Mike), song for song it really isn’t up to much. And you can’t simply blame Pitchfork, they can only review what’s in front of them.

Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton – Released in 1977 (at the height of punk!) this piece of dross is the nadir of Clapton’s career and through its appearance on an early “Miami Vice” episode, the embodiment of the 1980s. Amazingly insipid – Grade: D

The three-day event, held aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, is part-art part-music festival with art exhibits, 50s fashion, a car show, and a gigantesque tattoo expo, covering three floors inside the ship. Apparently, Long Beach has become the tattoo capital of the world

And you thought the concert sucked? Wait till you hear the live recording… with a precision to be admired, they excised all the best bits (more or less) and left the crap we’ve heard a million times.

These guys seemed to have some quality times together indeed, but we can now be sure that the Scissor Sister’s guy is a guest on the new QOTSA album, along with Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor and Nick Oliveri, and who else? Announcing

Now the weasel has the audacity to back out of his promise. He told UK tab the Daily Star: ”I’m fortunate to do what I do and no way do I want to stop. This three-year break idea only came about because I said at a gig in Australia that we might not be back there for three years.”

Popular Song – Mika – Another first rate piece of pop confection by the English (via Lebanon) pop star. Intensely catchy sweet bop one IPOD commercial away from world domination – Grade: A-

We will be cold, tired and miserable and with only days and days of darkness and dreariness to look forward to. Hell, even the Superbowl will be a month away. So it is a perfect time for the good people at City Parks Foundation to get us thinking of the summer.

Yeah, I will give em Jack White, though it isn’t my best album of the year, that would be Spider bags, but Frank Ocean. Have you ever been at a dinner and somebody makes a joke and everybody is laughing their heads off and you try to laugh along but you just don’t get it? That’s how I feel about Frank Ocean.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Not the worst tour of his career, that would be the rising, but the second worstr tour of the year. Too long, too bloated, just a mess. Plus, if you are gonna play 210 minute gigs, start them at 8pm, for God’s sake

The Gypsy Rover – The Irish Rovers – A variation on “Gypsy Davies”, an early 1800s Irish folk song, it tells the mythic story of a fine Irish Lady who left behind her family and heritage to follow a Gypsy. This version is all Irish lilt and a strong if soft male brogue, when I was a child (this is the first song I remember ever hearing), I had a prettier version with a woman singer – Grade: B+

An “X”-Mas gift from us to you. Alyson Camus took many pictures and shot five videos and didnt stop until the Scroogey Security staff pulled the plug on her. What she caught in a shutter is amazing…enjoy!

The rush of dance and r&b is constant. It is energetic, sophisticated, and falls out of time. …the Line crosses and recrosses the 21st Century while never losing its footing, it is r&b as it should be. An impressive and lovely, exciting and smart end to the year

What the heck with this latest buzz that Ian Watkins got busted for some heavy duty sex crimes. The front man is seems to have got himself in a heap of trouble. I am a firm believer in ‘innocent til proven’