Jaded Scenester NYC

Night Birds - The Other Side Of Darkness

2012-01-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

New Jersey punks Night Birds love themselves the twangy surf punk purveyed by Agent Orange and The Adolescents, playing nasty single note lines over a pounding rhythm section that has without question incited a circle bit on more than one occasion. Equal parts Biafra sneer and Ramones whoa-oh, The Other Side Of Darkness is a go-to win for the lover of garage and beach punk in your life. Get it here from your friends at Grave Mistake.

R

Nicki Minaj - Love Pink

2012-01-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

They don't get much bigger than Nicki Minaj in this day and age. She's definitely got the female Lady Gaga thing going where she gets love from much more than just the hip-hop set. Pink Friday has moved some serious numbers and the follow-up Roman Reloaded seems poised to do the same. In the interim, we have Love Pink, comprising 20 tracks that work the same crossover angle that made its predecessor such a success. Bully for her, but there is a real club vibe to most, if not all, of the tracks that I am evidently way too old for. Mary J., Katy Perry and Willow Smith all make appearances, as do Gucci Mane, for what that's worth. The Wayne track is pretty aces, but at the end of the day, I'm going to put Love Pink firmly in the meh column, with the hope that the next mixtape is a little bit more gutter.

R

KRS-One - The BDP Album

2012-01-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

Your boy KRS has definitely made the most of the digital age in recent years, dropping digital collabo releases right, left and center with the likes of peers like Buckshot and Bumpy Knuckles, not to mention Marley Marl. Those who felt those releases should be over the moon with the news that his newest release is called The BDP Album.

As you should have rightfully surmised by the title, Kenny Parker is behind the boards making things fresh for 2012 on The BDP Album (you suckers). And yes, the pairing is straight bananas. After a quick Kenny Parker drop, the opening Tote Gunz loops a B.I.G. hook you may remember, setting things off hard and keeping it there for the duration. Not too much in the way of guest spots, although Channel Live do resurface a couple songs in. Heads with any sense would do well to sell a Drake record or two and snap The BDP Album up with the quickness.

R

Chixdiggit - Daytrotter Sessions

2012-01-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Having redeemed themselves with their recent seaborne rock fest a couple months ago, I will dispense with my tired old complaining of perceived slights from the men of Chixdiggit and cut straight to the chase: there is a new Chixdiggit session on Daytrotter.

It's kinda ok. Five tracks, with Found Love from the new EP being the newest, along with three chestnuts and Kepi doing The Highway Man to close things out. Nothing that's going to spike Chixdiggit fanbase numbers in 2012, but well worth checking out for the already infatuated.

R

New Craig Finn track and pre-order

2012-01-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

JS-NYC Massive:

The new Craig Finn record has got everyone around the JS-NYC HQ interested. It's called Clear Heart Full Eyes and you can preorder it here.
Do it soon and get a free bandana.

The first single is called "New Friend Jesus" and you can hear it here.

Positive,

R

Live: Lifetime with Title Fight and Iron Chic @ Europa 1.7.12

2012-01-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

Tickets for this show evaporated almost immediately on the heels of the Lifetime/Iron Chic factor. That was enough for me to pony up, and the rumor of Title Fight sweetened the pot, as they had been getting a fair amount of buzz and I hadn't gotten around to listening. Despite an egregious amount of neglect, my bike got me to Europa safely and bought me some decent real estate for Iron Chic.

Iron Chic have been a local success story for a couple years. The latest record Not Like This has moved some units and garnered them their first overseas touring this Summer. The crew has been laying low since their return and these shows marked their first in a bit outside of Long Island. The kids were excited as usual, churning up a maelstrom of bodies that doesn't exactly match up with their drunk pop-punk. Their customary seven song set made it easy to hit the high points of the catalog before demuring Dwarves-style after about their usual twenty minutes (and about as many beers).

Title Fight were up next. I had been mildly intrigued as they kind of hailed from where I grew up, but didn't figure on their being the worst parts of Fall Out Boy and Rise Against. Sound was pretty bad for most of their set and when things did clear up vocally, I realized the sound guy had been doing us a favor. Color them uber-meh and ask the silly bass player kid to stop his stupid Wentz jumping. Lifetime were up shortly thereafter. They are old. Not that I'm not, but they are looking a bit long in the tooth. The set was solid though, covering most, if not all the high points of their canon. Lots of stage presence from the crowd, but for the first time in a while no scamp pissed Ari enough to cut the set short. Check the set list (courtesy of setlist.fm) and live in regret.

R

Live: Tenement @ The Acheron 1.4.12

2012-01-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's damn shame that it's been the better part of three years since we have had Tenement in our fair city. Their last Brooklyn show was one of the better shows I've seen in recent years, but the time-honored lineup changes have hampered touring. Last year's Napalm Dream was one of the best indie rock records of 2011 and fate has smiled upon us to get them a touring drummer and make it out Brooklyn way. While I was excited as hell at the prospect of seeing Wisconsin's finest, I was somewhat less chuffed at the idea of riding out to nowhere Bushwick in temperatures that finally turned 'seasonal'.

I managed to blunder my way out to The Acheron in fairly short order and was pleased to find it was pretty legit in a Death By Audio sort of way. The room where the bands played is narrow and not especially long, kind of like the Khyber in Philly, begging the question how fucking Youth Of Today played there last Fall. Even with Coke Bust and Tenement on the bill, it made for a room that seemed full with maybe fifty people in it. Opening with a squall of feedback that got the kids shoving, Tenement romped through a half-hour of Dinosaur meets Figgs rock that satisfied pop and drunk punks alike. Mail me if you want a recording of the set.

All in all, the drummer for hire kid could have been more into it, and to that end I'd love to see what kind of damage Mikey Erg could in the Murph slot. I am not sure what the future holds in touring for Team Tenement, but you would be well-served in seeing them if you are able. In the absence of that, if you have not yet heeded the JS-NYC clarion call and purchased Napalm Dream, I suggest you do so with the quickness. Keep track of all things Tenement here.

R

Live: Lucero with Lionize @ Brooklyn Bowl 12.30.11

2012-01-07T17:51:00.000-08:00

Word is that there is a new Lucero record looming called Women and Work but these shows were a holiday run culminating in a New Year's show in Boston (no fights there, I'm sure). This was my first time to the Brooklyn Bowl and I was pretty pleased at its upscale Fireside vibe. Showed up three hours past doors to still have to see the opening Lionize, a bunch of Charm City dudes who seemed solid individuals, but the Pearl Jam meets Dave Matthews vibe was nothing that rocked my world. An emphatic meh.

Lucero were decent, starting a little more sober than usual and dealing with the every-growing population of Brooklyn ex-pat douches who seem to think our friends from Memphis are a hardcore band with a fanbase that loves being doused in thrown beer. The boys are always quick to tell kids to calm down, but dealing with a bunch of douches that wouldn't last a minute in a real pit has been getting more and more wearisome over the last couple years. The new songs sound promising, but a little half-baked, most featuring horns ala 1372 Overton. Tour dates are booked in the Spring, with a record soon to follow. Check the set list below for a taste of what's in store.

R

Live: For Every Story Untold @ Mercury Lounge 12.19.11

2012-01-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

It's always a relief when you go see a friend's band and they aren't terrible. As all my musician friends seem to be drummers currently, the kit was the initial reason for me posting up, but its always a pleasure to go to NYC's Finest Rock Space. This was the second FESU show at Mercury, the last one featuring a bit of a different line-up. Show number two had a bit of a smaller crowd, but was still a pretty decent showing.

Musically, For Every Story Untold is damn solid. Drummer is aces, guitar guy a little wanky (and definitely in need of some fucking Sperzels) but still pretty aces. Bass is a little unobtrusive, but it leaves more space for the equally decent keys and Beth Gibbons vocals that the average FESU song sports. Problem is, unless there's a tune where the drummer is really mixing it up, the stage presence is sorely lacking with this crew, as is the crowd interaction. It would appear some mood lighting and visuals are in order. I understand I missed a real-life symposium on the weakness of Gibson headstock joints, which would have livened things up considerably personally, but save for that and the closing banjo number that kind of gave me heart palpitations, the kids need to work on the stage part of performance.

If you're intrigued, what I believe is the first recorded release from For Every Story Untold is available here via their web presence. Check there for video and word on live dates in 2012.

R

Live: The Hold Steady @ Brooklyn Bazaar 12.17.11

2012-01-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

So The Hold Steady decided to wrap up the year with a couple of shows, pre-Craig solo record duties. After a cold jump across the bridge and Drew saving my stupid ass with a lock loan, I posted up at the Bazaar warehouse space down on Kent.

Man alive is that a big fucking space. So big that I literally had to ask directions to find the ginormous space the rock was being held in. Found Eric and that I had missed the seemingly-decent-personally-but-snooze-o-rific-every-time-I've-seen-them-live Titus Andronicus. Looking at the calendar, I'm bummed that this show wasn't with Fucked Up, but either way they got points for starting on time.

Wasn't the best Hold Steady show I've seen, but this one was remarkable for being a bad Craig show. Not bad bad, but there were some dropped lyrics and the whole vibe was a little off. Sound was good for a cavernous pre-fab space, as was the set. I will continue to carp about the lack of keys in general and Franz in particular, but The Hold Steady are quite a rock force to be reckoned with even on an off night. I'm intrigued to hear what the Craig solo set is like. I hear maybe we'll get some new THS fourth quarter. Stay tuned for details. Set list is below.

R

Hurricane J
Sequestered in Memphis
Banging Camp
Chips Ahoy!
Rock Problems
Magazines
You Gotta Dance
The Swish
You Can Make Him Like You
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Girls Like Status
Stevie Nix
Constructive Summer
Hot Soft Light
Lord, I'm Discouraged
The Weekenders
Southtown Girls
Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
Stuck Between Stations
How a Resurrection Really Feels
Encore:
Christmas Must Be Tonight
(Robbie Robertson cover)
Massive Nights
Stay Positive
(with Titus Andronicus)

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

JS-NYC Massive:

Happy New Year!

A number of forces internal and external have conspired for me to scuttle the year-end 2011 wrap-up/hyphen-fest. If you still want a year end mix, holler and I'll send.

Thanks for everything in 2011.

Let's keep it moving...

R

Jaded Scenester NYC: Best EPs of 2011

2011-12-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

As I understand, it's in the way that you use it, or so the Michelobs are telling me. Here's the JS-NYC take on all things short format in 2011.

1. Iron Chic – Split & Shit EP
Their crowd is getting a little wearisome to this old bastard, but when it comes to hooky LIHC with a decided post-Lifetime bent, you can't go wrong with Iron Chic or Split & Shit.

2. Drive-By Truckers – Sometimes Late At Night EP. It's chaos as usual for Team DBT, with bassist/singer Shonna Tucker the latest to depart in the time-honored ambiguous circumstances. This EP came out before the split, featuring a handful of live tracks and a studio version of the Vic Chestnutt tune, When I Ran Off And Left Her. Be interesting to see what's next for these Sons Of The South.

3. The Hold Steady – Live from Soho EP
I still miss Franz, but this is a pretty solid eight song showing from Team THS. I'm intrigued to see how Craig's solo record impacts things as/re: the new (non-Vagrant?) record. I'm calling ATO as the winner, unless they score themselves a too-good-to-be-true major deal with Anti.

4. Restorations – The Key Studios EP
Restorations have been a big deal for me over the last year ago and I was glad they sweetened the top with this live recording. Five great takes, with a little studio banter to remind you its not all glowering and dynamic shifts with these nice young men.

5. Chixdiggit – Safeways Here We Come EP
Chixdiggit pretty much redeemed their last half-hearted junket through town with a fun EP and a great set with Kepi Ghoulie on an East River Rocks Off death barge. On Fat Wreck again, as well. While Hot n' Horny is embarassing for guys as old as these dudes, Since You Got A Dog continues to be an anthem for our times.

6. Armalite – Humongous 7”
The eight year locusts of hardcore re-emerge from dormancy to drop three jolts of post-D4 Philly punkcore. Boo-ya. And Go! for that matter.

7. Jon Snodgrass – Tri-State Record
I wish Jon would pull a Wedding Present and release a song a month and then offer a catch-up comp release at the end of the year, as he's almost prolific to a fault. Tri-State Record is the best cumilitive record this year, although the Scorpios record is quite a little delight as well.

8. Superchunk/Coliseum - Record Store Day 7”

C'mon: The Chunk and Coliseum togther doing Misfits covers. That's worth a spin.

9. Bobby Bare Jr. – a storm, a tree, an acoustic ep EP
The companion EP to A Storm, A Tree, My Mother's Head gave nerds and completists a shot at the demos that fostered the full-length.

10. Trash Talk – Awake EP
Blaaaah! Blaah-Blaah-Blaah-Blaah! Circle Pit. Mosh-mosh-mosh. Chug.

Jaded Scenester NYC: Top 11 Records of 2011

2011-12-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

Ok All:

The TBs are back in full effect, courtesy of Time Machine, so without further ado, let's start the recappery for 2011.

Day One:

Top 11 Records Of 2011

1. Banner Pilot – Heart Beats Pacific

Longtime readers know that Banner Pilot gets much love at JS-NYC HQ, but even I was a little surprised that they took the top honors for 2011. I think the CMJ live shows sealed the deal for me, The Fat Wreck deal getting the gents to the East Coast more than in years previously. The gents tore up the Reload store and followed up with a pretty aces set in Brooklyn later that night. Heart Beats Pacific has the same relentless amount of hooks, changing things up on the vocals but still with the bass mixed up front. Eleven songs, and not a bad track on the record. I'm pretty sure the gents are already in pre-production for the next one, plus they are letting the punters pick the set list for the spring tour, so get on over to the Banner Pilot web presence and ruin the spring for me. Get Heart Beats Pacific here.

2. Centro-Matic – Candidate Waltz

Said it the first time and am now saying it again: Why Centro-matic aren't gargantuanally huge boggles what little faculties I still maintain. Centro-matic are everything that I don't see why people like about My Morning Jacket and The National (who, truth be told, seem like fine people, exclusive of their profoundly unremarkable records). I dare not contemplate what a four hour MMJ set would be like, but every time I see Centro-matic live I wish it would never end. The last show at Mercury was no exception, unsurprising as Candidate Waltz is the finest record to date from a band that continually releases amazing records. Bookmark their web presence here.

3. Tenement – Napalm Dream

The fact that 2011 brought a new Tenement record was a personal high point. They were top fucking notch a couple years ago in Greenpoint and I've been salivating at the prospect at seeing them again ever since. There are only two solid members in the line-up, which hampers the whole touring thing. It's a shame, as Napalm Dream has some of the best indie rock tracks you'll hear this year. Shades of 90s Boston and America's Finest Rock BandTM The Figgs abound, with the breakdown of Stupid World ranking as perhaps my favorite recorded moment of this year. Keep track of Wisconsin's finest and all things Napalm Dream here.

4. Restorations – s/t

Restorations are definitely my favorite new discovery of 2011, although sadly my favorite track is from their first EP. Lack of Linear Notes aside, and despite a curious tendency toward black metal in their artwork choices, this fearsome Philly fivesome get high marks from JS-NYC. Now lets see a lot more NYC shows please.

5. Glossary – Long Live All Of Us

My review is coming up at PopMatters soon, but much like Centro-matic, you cannot go wrong with any release with the Glossary name on it. I generally loathe bands with singers who both live and rock together (see the utterly execrable Mates Of State), but Joey and Kelly make it more than worth your while with Long Live All Of Us.

6. Bridge & Tunnel – Rebuilding Year

The time Bridge & Tunnel lay fallow has fostered a bumper crop of great music. Rebuilding Year features great J. Robbins-y vocals from Jeff and top-fucking-notch guitar work from Rachel. Along with Iron Chic, there is rarely a safer bet in a local show.

7. Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones

A close second behind Restorations in the new discovery queue, Frank Turner grabbed my attention on Kimmel and England Keep My Bones quickly racked up neighbor maddening levels of rotation at JS-NYC HQ. I Am Disappeared ranks just as high in singles of the year. FT is going to be a very big deal, very soon.

8. Samiam - Trips

I think Samiam may have actually deposed the mighty Jawbreaker as my all-time favorite East Bay band. They have made pretty regular appearances out East Coast way this year and been pretty damn great every time. Trips has a gang of great songs and hopefully will usher in a new era of Samiam dominance.

9. Gateway District – Perfect’s Gonna Fail

Without disparaging Maren and Carrie's significant contributions to Gateway, the idea that Nate could write two amazing records worth of music (see #1) deserves notice. I really need to get to Minneapolis.

10. Direct Hit! – Domesplitter

Got this one cold in the mail, maybe through the good folk of Southern Lovin' and the terrible cover art kept me off listening for a bit, but once I did I was more that stoked at what I heard. Obvious D4 and Screeching Weasel earmarks, but with enough personality to not get lost in the shuffle.

11. Money Making Jam Boys – The Prestige
2011 has been a terrible year for hip-hop, but this Philly all-star team fucking kills it on their debut mix tape. P.O.R.N, Truck North, Dice Raw and STS rhyme hard but MC juggernaut Black Thought is the hero here, asserting himself as one of the pre-eminent mic stylists of our generation and saving this year from being over-saturarted with Odd Future fomented Asbergers Rap.

Technical Difficulities

2011-12-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

JS-NYCers:

Sorry for the longer than usual bit of stagnation.

The MEH2000 at JS-NYC HQ is on the fritz currently, so sit tight while we harness the power of Time Machine.

JS-NYC Year end coverage starts on the morrow (Jobs willing).

Happy Holidays!

R

Live: Cory Branan @ Mercury Lounge 12.11.11

2011-12-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

Cory Branan is JS-NYC favorite, a proud son of Mississippi current residing in Austin. He has a couple full-lengths under his belt, with his most recent release being a 2009 split with the great Jon Snodgrass. Record number three has been rumored for some time, and was even alluded to again at this show, but at this point appears to be the Chinese Democracy of the singer-songwriter set.

This tour was with Dave Hause and Laura Stevenson and had Cory in the midcard slot. I showed up early to find that things were about an hour and a half behind schedule, prompting a return to the couch that resulted in my missing Laura Stevenson and presumably The Cans as well. I swanned into a not-especially full room and Cory was up in short order. He played solo, opening with the great Survivor Blues and romping through 40 minutes or so of his back catalog, including Prettiest Waitress In Memphis and Tall Green Grass. All in all, a pretty good showing for a long-hair. I recorded the Branan set, so if you'd like a copy, hit me up via the e-mail and I'll mail you a link. I didn't stay for Hause, as I much prefer my own and its companion couchery.

R

The Slow Death - Born Ugly, Got Worse

2011-12-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

Is there anything more reliably solid than Twin Cities punk rock rock? JS-NYC would argue no, and The Slow Death make for a pretty convincing argument. Spawned from the ashes of Pretty Boy Thorson, The Slow Death shares some members (and a fair amount of the set list, as I understand), most importantly lead lungs/liver scarrer Jesse Thorson. To sweeten the pot and keep things scene compliant, Mr. Paddy Costello holds down the bass half of the rhythm section, with the ubiquitous Mikey Erg on the drum stool and Ms. Annie Soviette holding down the lady vocal slot. Not too shabby, huh.

And it's not less than the sum of its parts. Born Ugly, Got Worse takes the best part of Dillinger Four and The Replacements and pairs it with the high points of the Ben Deilly era Lemonheads (esp. on Stay High) to make one of the best bastard unions you have gracing your earhole(s) this year, even (or mayhaps because) one of the tracks is a straight Chixdiggit ripoff. You'll get 12 songs in just over a half-hour for your holiday dollar, insuring multiple replays with little in the way of diminishing returns. Get Born Ugly, Got Worse here from your friends at Kiss Of Death and keep track of all things Slow and Deathlike here. Buy it now, thank me later.

R

Gucci Mane & V-Nasty - Baytl

2011-12-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

I can't say that I ever foresaw an era where I would ever have a full-length from Gucci Mane in my possession and I guess as this mixtape is a split with V-Nasty, I'm still technically correct, but either way it comes with more than a soupcon of ambivalence. You can blame Kreayshawn, I guess. I was pretty into that Gucci Gucci track for a hot minute and thought the mixtape was pretty ok, but it's never going to knock Lord Finesse out of heavy rotation.

And let's not get it twisted, I think we can all agree that it was a check that brought this unholy union together. I can't think of too many people clamoring for Gucci and V-Nasty, as it's hardly G. Rap and Rah Digga linking up. There are a couple kinda ok tracks on Baytl but can we stop the fucking deconstructionist spelling already? I bet this is probably much better with a bunch of thugged-out Oakland hip-hop ladies around, but lacks a little bit in the compulsion to replay department. Baytl is not the greatest release you'll hear this year, but each party drops a good line or two (not a verse, mind you) and if you look around you probably won't have to pay for this. Google away, I say.

R

Bottle Rockets at PopMatters

2011-12-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Hey Kids:

Those interested in my take on the new live acoustic record from Bottle Rockets can use this link to get over to the good folk of PopMatters.

Thanks be to both parties.

R

R.I.P: The Sainte Catherines (1999-2012)

2011-12-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

All these posts about death and band break-ups reminded me I had forgotten to mention the shitty eventuality that is The Sainte Catherines breakup. Oh universe, you spoil me!

Not sure how this will impact their rootsier alter-ego Yesterday's Ring, but it sure does suck. The hygenically challenged Montreal punks released Fire Works in 2010, a record that was my favorite TSC record since their debut Those Stars Are For You. I was well chuffed at the prospect of finally seeing the band that had become my personal Bad Brains in recent years, having canceled a half-dozen shows for reasons unknown, an eventuality that netted a personal zero in the JS-NYC Sainte Catherines live shows seen column, a stat that makes me pretty irritated at having missed their 500th show when I was in Montreal last. Now it seems that the time-honored personal differences and family obligations have caused the gents to hang it up. You can read their statement (in English and French) here.

Meh, and Bah!

R

R.I.P: The Riot Before (2005-2011)

2011-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Fuck. The Riot Before have been one of my favorite new(ish) bands from Richmond. Tony from Southern Lovin sent me the amazing Fists Buried In Pockets and I drank the kool-ade in bulk, yet always seemed to miss them when they made it through town behind that record and the equally stellar follow-up Rebellion. I always figured our paths would cross eventually, but it appears that I'm going to have to wait for Brett to tour solo for that to happen.

You can't go wrong with any of The Riot Before catalog. I'd pick it up immediamente. Stay tuned here for word on future goings-on from members of a band that will be sorely missed by JS-NYC.

R

R.I.P: Patrice O'Neal (1969-2011)

2011-11-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

Man. When it rains it pours. First Greg Giraldo, and now Patrice O'Neal passes on. I saw on Twitter that he had a stroke a month or so ago and judging by the somber tone of the O&A announcement soon after, it sounded like things were not optimistic. Last word was that he had been moved to a rehabilitation facility, where he evidently passed on 11/29 at the age of 41.

Patrice had been around forever, but was riding on some recent mainstream buzz after his spot on the Charlie Sheen Roast and his recent Elephant In The Room special. I'm told that he also had an arc on The Office. In the wake of his passing, a ton of material has appeared on the interwebs, all worth checking out. I expect that there will also be a slew of not-especially well done retrospective stuff put out and hope a collection of the late, great Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn series is part of it. Whether you are a long-time fan or Patrice came on your radar after the news blitz about his passing, check out his specials and buy the posthumous record called Mr. P due to be released in February. You can pre-order Mr. P here.

R

Tommy Stinson - One Man Mutiny

2011-11-26T14:25:00.000-08:00

Tommy Stinson has meant a lot to me over the years. Not so much in recent years, as it still seems to be straight-up fucking odd that he's the bass guy in the Axl Rose fronted Guns And Roses tribute band that tours South America to keep the lights on, but Bash And Pop and Perfect were pretty great rock bands. Even the solo record he's released post-Perfect was kind of ok, albeit with a higher Meh factor.

One Man Mutiny is self-released, and wisely so, as while TS has some cachet with the older set, he's not exactly going to set the charts on fire. The songs here are decent, with tracks like It's A Drag and Seize The Moment rising above. Steel guitar makes an appearance on Zero To Stupid, but most of the tracks have a late period Mats feel. I think I'd prefer mid-period if I had my druthers, but lovers of all things Tommy Stinson will not be disappointed.

Get One Man Mutiny here from the official Tommy Stinson web presence.

R

Trash Talk - Awake EP

2011-11-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Thrashgiving:

I like Trash Talk as much as the next old guy. You're not going to catch me thrash-capped out and standing on the fringes of the pit with my deck ready to bean some sucker, but I will take exception to Trash Talk being featured as ESPY-rock. That's kind of fucked, I think, even if I could have stolen the cover art from another source.

Either way, Trash Talk are always a blast (ha!) to see live. The show with Youth Of Today that I evidently neglected write up was pretty aces, even if the skate douche factor was a little spiked. These five songs are the usual post-Flag thrash that you have come to expect from team Trash Talk. Awake should have you circle-pitting up a storm in short order. Get it here from said Trash Talk Collective.

R

Bridge and Tunnel - Rebuilding Year

2011-11-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Bridge and Tunnel might be my favorite non-Drew related band here in town. It's nice to have a strong No Idea franchise in town, especially one that plies its trade in some co-ed 21st century post-Jawbox meets Jejune rock. And well at that.

Singer/Guitarist Jeff Cunningham pens much of the vocal material, but I would venture that Bridge and Tunnel are very much a democracy and co-guitar/vocalist Rachel Rubino is a powerful presence. Much is made of the female from Screaming Females, but Rachel tears it up here. She is no stranger to a fingertap, but is equally good with textures. Or singing lead on tracks like Hands. Ex-Jawbox-er J. Robbins recorded Rebuilding Year, lending a little bit of fat and smoothness to the sound while still masterfully matching the layers of vocals and guitar to make the strongest Bridge and Tunnel release we have heard to date. If you like(d) the Midwestern rock of the late 90s and the last three decades of music DC has had to offer, I would snatch up Rebuilding Year and the entire Bridge and Tunnel catalog with the quickness. Get Rebuilding Year here from your friends at No Idea and use this link to keep track of all things B&T.

R

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Knife Man

2011-11-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

Andrew Jackson Jihad hail from the arid land of Arizona. AZ has been representing pretty hard in recent years, starting with Jimmy Eat World and Pollen and continuing with the late Shang-a-Lang and more currently with Andrew Jackson Jihad.

I really like a bunch of Andrew Jackson Jihad songs and feel the same way about a good bid of Knife Man, but the inner asshole in me does tell me that if AJJ were from Brooklyn and/or played Sidewalk with any regularity, I would be ever so quick to swig me some hater-ade and then shit all over them and Knife Man for a myriad of reactionary short-sighted reasons.

To start, AJJ are billed as folk-punk, which is a bit of a hackle raiser, if not a redundancy really. A second is the anti-establishment slash populist thing they've got going on that I'm pretty much on board with, although safe money is on the team drawing a crowd that will flare my inner cranky old guy intolerant tendencies. I don't normally stand on pretense and expect that my favorite bands have a singer who can really sing. Those looking for irish tenors would do well to look otherwise, as AJJ is not blessed with a young Sam Cooke as a frontman, but the songs on Knife Man are pretty uniformly strong, and definitely deeper than the titles like Hate, Rain On Me and The Michael Jordan Of Drunk Driving might belie. The duo seem to be investigating more of a full band thing rather than the duo thing I had believed them to have been purveying previously but it seems pretty unforced here, proving especially effective on tracks like the soaring closer Big Bird. I'd pick it up.

I believe AJJ are overseas currently, but keep track of all their current goings-on here. Get Knife Man here from The House That Park built.

R

Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire

2011-11-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't enjoyed a Ryan Adams record since the first one, although judging by the last ten years of press, I seem to number in the minority. Oh, well. I can't be the first guy to rightfully point out that the young man needs himself an editor and the full plate of ex-band members seems to support the young man's mercurial ways. The internet tells me Adams had actually retired from music a couple of years ago, owing to a battle with Meniere's. There you go.

Ashes & Fire is the first Adams record for Capitol. It was recorded at Adams' California studio, with Glyn Johns behind the boards. Norah Jones and his wife Mandy Moore lend backing vocals, as do Neal Casal and Chris Stills, for those of you scoring at home. Marks for Adams will probably eat this up, but I'd say he does little to dispel the notion of being a second-rate Steve Forbert.

Recent press for Ashes & Fire has claimed this is a high-water mark for the now clean and sober Mr. Adams, so I moved it higher up in the review queue than it would have normally been afforded. Those initial reviews may be correct, don't run with that too far. Ashes & Fire may be better than his recent spate of records, but it's still firmly in the Meh category to these ears.

R

Jim Florentine - Cringe N' Purge

2011-11-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

That Metal Show, aka The Best Show Currently On TV, has been a win-win all around. Bands that haven't seen wide-scale US TV time in decades can revel in new-school exposure and the hosts have been able to use the platform to expand their profiles accordingly. That has been a more slippery slope: Eddie Trunk's book was great and is highly recommended, but Don Jamieson's debut comedy cd is a disaster on the level of the Jimmy Fallon record of years past. Don't get me started on his stupid acoustic death metal project he's trying to hawk. Stick to TV producing, sideburns.

But I digress. Jim Florentine has deferred on the Trunk side of things with his recent work. His movie presence has expanded a ton recently and he's done ok for himself previously with the Crank Yankers and Terrorizing Telemarketers series. The have also been a couple of live stand-up releases previous that are pretty decent. Cringe N' Purge is his third, to my knowledge, and his first for Metal Blade. The usual Florentine topics of gay gays, religion and Slayer are addressed in typical Jersey style, so maybe don't play this at Thanksgiving for Grandma, but definitely pick up Cringe N' Purge if you like your comedy on the dark side of the politically correct.

R

Hot Water Music - The Fire. The Steel, The Tread 7"

2011-11-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

So Hot Water Music is back. I guess that's not a bad thing, or all that surprising really. They broke up easily five times before the turn of the century and its frankly pretty surprising that they only broke up most recently five years ago.

In that time, Wollard and Regan have done the solo bearded acoustic guy thing with various degrees of success, while George has played with Against Me and Jason has played with Sense Field. Now they are back, at least for shows. And now a new 7". The new record comes (unsurprisingly) courtesy of the good nerds of No Idea. It's called The Fire, The Steel, The Tread and it sounds like you would expect a late-period Hot Water Music record to sound like, but I'd like some Split Lip and they are coming a little Chamberlain for my tastes, if you take my meaning. And calling the b-side Adds Up To Nothing is asking for trouble, although I'd argue it's the better of the two tunes here.

Get The Fire, The Steel, The Tread in all the popular formats here from No Idea and keep track of current HWM going's on here.

R

Live: Airfix Kits and Young Offenders at Union Pool 11.4.11

2011-11-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

I liked me some Airfix Kits, or perhaps more specifically their predecessors Giant Haystacks. Seeing them with Young Offenders was the frosting on the beater, especially when Erika and Oliver were friends with that lot and word was that most of the Bay Area short-haired set was coming out for the shows. They weren't lying. This show was another one of the pantheon of great Hardcore Gig Volume shows and had moved to Union Pool after Bruar Falls closed down and the vibe was definitely one spaghetti plate away from being a show at the Bottom Of The Hill.

I rolled in just as Young Offenders were setting up. Word was that the team had lost a bass on the way in, an eventuality that didn't seem to make the short-haired gents any sunnier of disposition. Good set though. The new record Leader Of The Followers is pretty aces in a Jam meets Wire at the Cock Sparrer show sort of way. Tim is a hell of a frontman (and a drinker, it would appear) and the rest of YO are pretty damn tight. These shows were rare East Coast shows for the gents and the turn-out was accordingly decent.

Things seemed to fill up more for the Airfix Kits. I'm pretty sure this was their first show out here. It was refreshing to have a band this good fronted by a man with more of a Fred Perry problem than me. Lots of clean downstroking and anglo-oi leaning for the duration, with a decent well-lubricated crowd eating (or rather drinking, really) it up. I'll give Airfix the lean for better of the two, but both parties were pretty damn aces. Kudos to Ian Dickson and Hardcore Gig Volume for bringing the gents our way. Here's hoping we see the boys out East again very, very soon.

R

Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones

2011-11-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Damn!

Since my antipathy for all things Time Warner forced me to finally get rid of cable, I don't see as much late night TV as I used to, but I caught Turner on Kimmel the other night and he and that Limey lot promptly handed my ass to me.

I say again: Damn!

Kudos to Epitaph for snapping up Mr. Turner. He had been on my radar with his collabo with the mighty Jon Snodgrass and while Old Fast Songs is a great fucking tune, I didn't think I'd fall as quick and hard for England Keep My Bones as I did. My Irish affections aside, as you might surmise this is quite an English record. Turner has heard himself a Billy Bragg or two, but he's far from a carbon copy. Whether keeping it traditional with English Curse, upping the punks and skins in I Still Believe or taking it to the open road with I Am Disappeared, Turner gives it the business. You should give him yours and snap up England Keep My Bones in whatever format works for you here from Mr. Brett & Co.

Up the punks!

Armalite - Humungous 7"

2011-11-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Hey now, new Armalite record!

I would have though Eric would have hipped me to this (or maybe even recorded it) but it appears to be a solid no on both points. Armalite is a Philly scene-as-fuck amalgamation of your boy Atom Goren (sans His Package) with Dr. Dan Yemin from PIB/Lifetime/Kid Dynamite, Jeff from AAJ and Mike from Kill The Man/Amateur Party throwing down the D4-tinged jams for your listening pleasure.

There are three of said jams this time around, two sang by Mike and one from Atom. All solid, although those unenchanted by Atom's voice previously will probably remain unmoved hearing him in a more hardcore aesthetic. That caveat extended, Humongous is still pretty fucking aces.

If you are a fan of any of the aforementioned acronyms and/or the players therein, you can't really go wrong with Humongous. Get it here from the lovable nerds at No Idea and keep track of all things band-y and Armalite here.

R

Live: Vagina Panther @ The Delancey 11.3.11 late

2011-11-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

The evening had turned into quite an evening for bearded drummers. Having taken in my first amazing Boy King Island set down the block earlier in the evening, it was a pleasure to inch ever closer to JS-NYC HQ with my rock gourmandizing.
I'd seen Vagina Panther a couple times previous and thought they were ok, but Rut on the drum kit seems to have kicked things up a couple notches. They sound a lot better, and the bass player sure seems to have a ball playing with the stick splitting caveman that comprises the other half of the VP rhythm section. Mario was on the scene to keep the drummer quotient high while June and Co. rocked the hell out of the lower level of The Delancey. They've got a good thing going and a new self-titled record you can get here at the Vagina Panther web presence.

R

Live: Boy King Island @ Pianos 11.3.11 early

2011-11-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Drew was playing a(nother) new band and was pretty big on it, but I had been lazy as hell in checking them out. This show rolled around and was in the neighborhood, plus Jim had sent me a link and I was pretty enthused at the prospect of seeing a little bearded guy pound the hell out of vintage drum kit before I ran down the block to catch a big bearded guy pound the skins with Vagina Panther.

More on that later. I rolled into Pianos and immediately ran into one of the staggering number of Moms I meet at 1 year old birthday parties in this day and age, exchanged pleasantries and then hit the main room as the rest of Boy King Island (heretofore to be referred to as BKI, as the name reminds me much of Davey Von Boehlen and his Boys Who Climb Trees emo extravaganza) were setting up. I'm not too familiar with Jesse Rifkin the guy who leads BKI and half-think he had a solo thing on under a band name previously, but he's evidently got a little bit of a name for himself. He's got a Jay Reatard look going on and is evidently no stranger to a Nudie Suit.

Nudie wear is rarely a bad idea, and let's say from the jump that Boy King Island are a really fucking strong band, but there's a weird costume thing going on with the band. Perhaps wearing a Road Warrior vest is what enables the ridiculous guitar-osity that Ben Seretan served hot for the duration, and if that is the case so be it, cause its fucking working, but the songs are all way too solid to be distracted by overt costumery. They are part of a larger psychedelic vibe BKI are putting out, with tape loops and visual stuff going on. Now that I think about it, its kind of a Flaming Lips aesthetic, without the frat-douche vibe or silly Pink Floyd wankery. Rifkin is no Pavoratti, but the voice matches the sound and the sound is well worth hearing. A bit jammy at times, but with song structure (and chops) to back it up, Boy King Island are a band to see. Keep track of BKI here and look for a record soon.

R

900th Post

2011-11-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

JS-NYC Massive:

Thanks for everything. See you at 1000.

R

Live: Todd Barry @ People's Improv Theater 11.1.11

2011-11-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

So I got a *ahem* tweet that Todd was celebrating his 24th year in comedy by running through his set for his upcoming Comedy Central special at The Pit for standards and practices. Figuring this was the best way to avoid having to buy two overpriced drinks on top of the door, I scrambled down and grabbed one of the few remaining seats. Todd is always a good time, but I always forget that seeing a Comedy Central taping means that if you follow the comedian in any capacity, you've heard the material before.

And I had. Between his recent set at Maxwells and some general radio and internet nerdery, all of the set was familiar ground, but it went over well and should make for a good special. It's taping 12/1 somewhere here in town. Snoop around and you can probably scare up a ticket, else look for it airing sometime after the New Year. Keep track of Todd here at his web presence.

R

Superchunk Misfits Halloween Goodness!

2011-10-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

Meh!

Don't say I never gave you nothing.

Here's some Chunk doing Where Eagles Dare.

R

ZZ Top at PopMatters

2011-10-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

JS-NYC Massive:

My review of the new ZZ Top live record is up currently at the PopMatters. Here's a link.

R

Banner Pilot - Heart Beats Pacific

2011-10-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

To say that I'm a mark for the Banner Pilot would be a mild understatement. There have been periods of time where Drew has skewered me decisively over my ability to dress like Banner Pilot's merch guy and there is nothing I can do to defend myself. I would suspect that he takes great satisfaction in not being my neighbor, as he would no doubt be driven as mad as the rest by my constant playing of Heart Beats Pacific.

The recent CMJ shows from the BP crew haven't helped matters as much. The boys killed it at both shows, drilling tunes like Spanish Reds and Western Terminal into my head and necessitating acquisition of Heart Beats Pacific with the quickness. You should do the same. Heart Beats Pacific picks up where Collapser left off, pumping out just shy of a dozen aces pop-punk tracks heavily indebted to the Jawbreaker. This is far from a bad thing.

I can't say I'm crazy about their recent acquisitions, but the Fat/Banner Pilot union is something I can condone unequivocally. I'd like to think of Banner Pilot as a prime example of a new school Fat band and one that may very well have released my favorite pop-punk release of 2011. Get Heart Beats Pacific here from the good folk of Fat and keep track of the Twin Cities finest here.

R

Live: Restorations at Fifth Estate 10.21.11

2011-10-23T16:52:00.002-07:00

This was night three of an unprecedented-in-recent-history JS-NYC CMJ run, with Friday night's proceedings featuring current JS-NYC obsession Restorations playing the Aquatic People CMJ showcase on the second night of an East Coast tour. I had built this show up to the point where it seemed like it could be nothing less than a disappointment, especially when I passed up dinner with a hot chick to barrel ass out Brooklyn way. Twitter had tipped me off to a later start. I locked up and rolled in to a room where the band outnumbered me (the crowd) markedly.

The first song had the room fill up a bit, but I would have liked a crowd that befit my repeated playing. Despite being crammed into a ridiculously small space for a five-piece, the gents soldiered on with the shockingly posi- demeanor that newer Philly bands display. Too short of a set, but one that featured a couple of the high points from their most recent eponymous release. No Linear Notes, but pretty tight. Good show, chaps. Here's hoping we get them back in NYC very, very soon. East Coasters should check for the tour dates Team Restorations are undertaking currently.

Live: Banner Pilot at Union Hall 10.20.11 (late)

2011-10-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

So this show was the official Fat showcase for CMJ, and owing to the fact that the lineup they were purveying was fairly meh save for Banner Pilot, I couldn't have been more pleased at the 8:45 slot the gents were afforded, especially as I had just come from seeing them at the Chrome instore.

Union Hall was sold out, as well it should be given its small-ass size and the CMJ masses seemed to be much more into the proceedings (read:drunk) than the crowd for the Chrome set. The boys were tight again, romping through pretty much the same set. The new Spanish Reds and Western Terminal were high points, but there wasn't too much bad stuff in the 40 minutes or so they got. The crowd had a pronounced 'my first beer/CMJ' tinge to it, but I was on the bike a minute after the BP boys bade us adieu, so I hope those tall boys treated everybody real proper for the duration. Banner Pilot are touring down to The Fest and definitely should be seen if you are able. The new Heart Beats Pacific is out on Fat 10/25 and is unequivocally recommended to anyone with working eardrums. Check here for it.

Live: Banner Pilot and Dead To Me at Chrome Store 10.20.11 (early)

2011-10-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

I heard about this at the last minute and rushed down to grab some real estate a couple minutes before things jumped off. I guess you can add messenger bag culture to the list of things that make me feel old. I can remember banging on the door to the basement of DeMartini Sail Co. to get mine a million years ago and now bag companies have huge storefronts in trendy NY neighborhoods. Oh, how things change.

So bag/schmag. I was in it for the mighty Banner Pilot. They've got a banger of a new record called Heart Beats Pacific out on Fat and were out for the CMJ showcase with Dead To Me and a bunch of other meh-able Fat bands. More on that later. The boys brought it pretty serious, but they are pretty deadly with a short set. They maximized their potential with a pretty seamless stream of highpoints of the last couple records over maybe 40 minutes. Dead To Me were up shortly after. I like them a lot in theory, but they have never really caught on for me. I stayed for the first five or six songs and bailed to eat something before I headed out to Brooklyn to catch more Banner Pilot. Good time, and had I not been still recovering from the weekend, I would have availed myself of the free open bar. I guess they do this most Thursdays, so keep an eye here to see what the entertainment is like. Banner Pilot and Dead To Me can be found here and here, respectively. Look for a review of Heart Beats Pacific soon.

Live: Sarah Jaffe @ Bowery Poetry Club 10.19.11

2011-10-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

CMJ and pouring-ass rain are not normally the two great tastes that go great together. Frankly, CMJ has kind of blown the last couple of years, or more diplomatically I am aging out of the college demographic, but I got off my ass and ran out between deluges to catch Ms. Jaffe. I really enjoyed her opening for the Centro-matic a couple months ago and her debut Suburban Nature has received fair amount of play at JS-NYC.

Upon rolling in, I saw the end of a textbook reason why I'm way over the young people's music, read: two dudes, lots of Line 6 looping and/or delay, yelling, blah blah blah. Don't get me started on the haircuts. The Jaffe band was up in short order and wonderfully enough featured Scott Danborn on keys. Some tuning issues ate up the early part of the set, but once things got underway Jaffe sang the hell out of seven or eight Suburban Nature tunes, including the crowd-pleasing Clementine that set the young lesbian set in attendance into a tizzy. No real reason why Jaffe shouldn't be someone we'll be hearing big things from soon, save for the fact that there's no accounting for taste in this day and age.

In investigating links for you all, I'm intrigued to hear there is a new record out from Sarah. Get all the skinny here at the Sarah Jaffe web presence and look for a review soon.

Tyler The Creator - Goblin

2011-10-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Of all the curious signs of my old age that have reared their ugly head in recent years, my uneasiness with the post-Eminem set of rappers might be the most disturbing. Seeing Em in recent years, he seems utterly sociopathic in his spewing of what definitely appears to be bona-fide hate. That is not to be confused with dress-up metal, overly sleeved young hardcore bands, or wanna-be thug rappers of all complexions. I mean real fucking vitriol, not horror-core. On the other side of that coin is the Odd Future crew, a West Coast collective that seems to be ushering in a new genre of Special Ed rap.

Continuing in the tradition of EPMD and Redman (as well as his first record), Goblin from OFWGKTA headguy Tyler The Creator has a theme of Tyler interfacing with his therapist Dr. TC over the frankly shocking and disturbing tracks that comprise Goblin. We've seen that concept in various post-Funkadelic records and it seems to dovetail nicely with our dear Mr. Asperger's Goblin personae. The beats are new school, as is the flow. Lots of blow job talk, too, if that floats your boat. I'm on the fence, but from a beats and rhymes perspective, it's better than a lot of hip hop out today.

Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne

2011-10-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Much like the recent NOFX 10" of hardcore covers, Watch The Throne was an inevitable eventuality, but personally the bigger question is whether it is necessary, as neither party is exactly a shrinking violet. The answer is probably not, but rain of haterade aside, Watch The Throne is one hell of a solid record. You would expect that would be the case, as the two players each have a solid resume under their belts. And as you might glean from the album art and title, there is no shortage of ego for these two, either. Nor business acumen. Jay and Yay are the only guys this side of Weezy in this day and age that can actually shift those units, so this seemed a financial inevitability.

I'm an avowed Jay-Z meh-er and as such am more than a little sick of hearing about Yeezy, even if I do think My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is some next shit, but even the inherent hater in me can't dispute that the high points (That's My Bitch, Otis) on Watch The Throne are among the best hip-hop I've heard in recent years. The WTD production crew has some deep crates, resulting in some bizarre Phil Manzanera eventualities and a lot of Euro club flair, but blatantly positioning Jay-Z and Kanye West as purveyors of a much more global hip-hop than the average artist. Watch The Throne is heavy on the ego tip, but that is the foundation of hip-hop after all. Heavy on the hubris, light on the subtlety, Watch The Throne is a serious hip-hop record that should sell just short of a bazillion.

Patton Oswalt - Finest Hour

2011-10-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Showtime has really been stepping their game up recently with their specials. The Nick DiPaolo special recently was pretty aces and this new Patton special is good, too. It's called Finest Hour, and while is somewhat of a misnomer, it's still good. The man has said himself that personal happiness is the death of comedy. It's not 100% the case here, and judging by the anecdote about his brother, someone in the Oswalt clan is carrying the torch, but the new-father stuff leaves me a little cold. Patton is becoming the George Carlin of the Daily Show set, a role that makes me a little uneasy personally, but that's time for you, I guess. Regardless of my issues, fans of Patton will revel in this even if it may be a bit lighter in tone than the pre-papa Patton.

Get Finest Hour and the **ahem** skinny on all things Patton and/or Oswalt here.

NOFX - Hardcore Covers 7"

2011-10-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, nine minutes of hardcore covers from NOFX. It exists, but should it? I guess it's no harm/no foul for Fat Wreck, but despite the fact that the recording quality is good and the original tunes are long out of print (for the most part), I can't say I could see anyone outside the collector nerd set plumping for this.

Here's the tracklisting:

01 - Agnostic Front - Friend Or Foe

02 - Necros - IQ32

03 - Urban Waste - Police Brutality

04 - Social Unrest - Mental Breakdown

05 - Battalion Of Saints - No More Lies

06 - Unknown

07 - Sin 34 - Say We Suck

08 - Rebel Truth - Child Hosts The Parasite

09 - Stretch Marks - Professional Punk

Get it here from Fat.

Live: Shellac at Bell House 10.4.11

2011-10-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Shellac has been ramping up their live presence in recent years. After a long spate of no shows outside of the odd Chicago show, this set of shows marked at least the third or fourth set of NYC live shows post the release of Excellent Italian Greyhound. Irritatingly enough, the shows were in Brooklyn again, which save for the fact that I got to ride out to the show with Col, continues to be an irritation, even if The Bell House is a great place to see a show.

We missed Helen Money this time around, owing to social issues, but managed to post up front and center for the proceedings. Steve was a bit sick, and crankier than usual, despite the (in my mind, at least) glaring lack of Odd Future heckling was in fine obstreperous form. Luckily some douche managed to step up and piss him off, garnering him a headlock chastising and begging the question what one has to do to get thrown out of a show in this day and age. Douchebaggery aside, the set was aces as usual, with Trainer putting in a clinic on skin-beating. No surprises in the set (or The Rambler Song for that matter) with the gents going maybe an hour before pulling the rip cord and bailing. Good times, good company. No word on any new releases, or any other dates round these parts, but East Coasters (and UKers) can see them at this year's ATP shows.

Aficionado - s/t

2011-10-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Albany, New York's Aficionado have been making a big push of it over the last couple years, dropping a score of demos and other releases and maximizing their road presence with tours with Tim Kasher and Travis from Piebald's new band. Shettel appears on the new record, perhaps skewing the band a wee bit too far into the world of Piebald jocking.

There are two singers in the Aficionado, one of each gender, along with what seems like five other dudes. While this is a good record, I can't for the life of me hear what seven people could be doing on this record. There is a heavy early Cursive (read: Crank era) vibe here, especially in the male singer's voice, with some quirky prog-gy tendencies in the ending of tracks like Confidence Is Intimidating. The female sounds decent, too, although she definitely gets relegated to second singer status in the songs here. The Shettel guest spot on Honesty is well-played and should do well in ingratiating Aficionado and Aficionado to the masses. They are playing a couple CMJ shows mid-month. I'm looking forward to seeing them with the new Travis band at the Saturday Matchless show. Get Aficionado from the good folk of No Sleep here or on tour and keep tabs on them here.

Ceremony - 6 Cover Songs EP

2011-10-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ok: Ceremony covers EP. Makes sense, right? Bands do them all the time and they are almost always well-received, at least from the average choir that is being preached to. Ceremony has choirs all around the world, owning to their relentless tour schedule and flood of releases. They could thank Bridge Nine for that before, but now in investigating this, it appears that the next next Ceremony record will be on Matador?

Seems odd to me, too, but Matador seem to have done well with Fucked Up recently, better than they did with Large Professor certainly, so maybe the gents are getting a better sense of how to expand the Matador focus while still having the engine to market them properly. Here's hoping, as this cover EP with Pixies and Wire tracks Ceremon-ized is pretty aces, if maybe a wee bit unrepresentative of the band's recorded output. Get 6 Cover Songs here from Bridge Nine and keep track of Ceremony here.

The Game - The R.E.Demption

2011-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since he's dropped a formal release, and he sure does seem batshit crazy, but Game sure can rhyme his ass off. He's been overshadowed by the even more crazy and formidable Weezy in recent years, but there are few better in the *ahem* game today than Game.

The R.E.D emption is the pre-cursor to The Red Album. If the guest spots are any indication, The Red Album is going to move some serious units. The 50 Cent dissing is getting as old as it is irrelevant, but Nas, Akon and the good Dr. Dre make appearances, along with Weezy F. Baby and a gang of other heavy hitters on both sides of the boards. Beats are serious, as are the rhymes, so step lively and snap this up with the quickness.

Black Rob - Game Tested, Streets Approved

2011-09-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

So, relatively fresh out the bing for tossing a hotel room for no reason, we have Black Rob back on the scene, and on fucking Duck Down, no less. Sounds good on paper, and not so bad on wax either. I though BR had some situation with Kay Slay, but regardless it seems a good look.

Duck Down is probably the best hip-hop label in NYC, if not the States at this point and Game Tested, Streets Approved is another reason why. More mid-tempo than I'd like, the record is still way solid. For a dude in his 40s, your man BR still can rhyme his ass off and does so all over this. I like him better when he has someone to spar with, like the No Fear joint with Sean Price, but Game Tested, Streets Approved is a solid return for this hip-hop veteran.

The Other F Word at The Friar's Club Comedy Film Festival 2011

2011-09-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

All:

It's that time of the year when the good folk of The Friar's Club Comedy Film Festival set it off. This year one of the featured docs is The Other F Word. It features Jim Lindberg of Pennywise and said F Word is fatherhood, for those of you scoring at home. If you are of a mind to see how that gig dovetails with the punk world, click this link for all the skinny.

Direct Hit! - Domesplitter

2011-09-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Direct Hit! are from Milwaukee and make the pop punk. This is a good thing, I would say. The gents like themselves some Twin Cities in their shit: D4, Off With Their Heads and Banner Pilot are all obvious influences, as is Piebald. Sadly, Andrew WK (the 1st, I assume) is as well, resulting in some Tourette-y shouting that seems a lit bit overwrought when the songs are as good as they are on Domesplitter.

Seems like someone called Nick Brooks is the guy behind Direct Hit, along with two or maybe three other dudes depending on where you look on the interwebs. Unless there is some Luke Copyright shit going on and they swap vocals around, I'm going to assume he's the singer, too. I like him more when he sounds like Travis from Piebald rather than when he tries to channel Ryan from OWTH, but neither eventuality is terrible. If you like yourself any of the aforementioned rock franchises and know yourself around a whoa-oh chorus, you would do well to check out Direct Hit! and Domesplitter immediate-like. Get Domesplitter here from the DH! bandcamp. Vinyl nerds can get their jones fixed there, too.

New Son Of The Granite State video

2011-09-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

All:

Fans of the mighty aldenbarton should be well chuffed at the proposition of seeing AB frontguy Andrew St. Aubin in his new incarnation as Son Of The Granite State. Shellfish Beach is another great tune in an irritatingly great string of great tunes from St. Aubin, with aces video treatment by BreakThru Radio as part of their Hear and There series.

Here's a link to the video. Son Of The Granite State web presence is here.

Superchunk - Foolish reissue

2011-09-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Superchunk reissue initiative soldiers on. This time around Foolish is the record, packaged with a bumper crop of other delights, including the sixth installment of the Clambakes series (a live show from the period), the Driveway To Driveway 7" and some rehearsal recordings from Wurster's house. The extras are digital only, but you could do a whole lot worse for your indie rock dollar.

Wurster pens new liner notes for the release that are as aces as you might expect them to be, with some nerd gems therein (for instance: the team consulted Jay Farrar about Brian Paulson before selecting him to produce the record and never met him until they picked him up at the airport on the way to the studio. Some are a little more dubious, namely our dear Jon claiming that he saw no signs of tension on the tour, despite the record openly chronicling Mac ('s side thereof) and Laura's split along with the common knowledge that Laura eventually had vocals taken out of her monitors on the tour and that she and Paulson had started dating during the recordings. Such a sweet boy, that Mr. Wurster.

Old TMZ fodder aside, Foolish has aged ridiculously well, and the remaster opens the sound up just enough without gilding the lily. The band tracked seventeen songs in three days, including vocals and overdubs, mixing the record in two days right after. An even dozen grazed Foolish, while the remaining five trickled out over various comps. Eighteen years (?!!) on, Foolish is a little darker than the average Chunk record, but the presence of tracks like Kicked In and Without Blinking is well worth the look inside the fracturing interpersonal core of the band. The bonus tracks make it an almost essential acquisition for any fan, although I still wonder why the five other tracks from the sessions aren't here. Of course, they are all available, but it would have leant just that much more to the proceedings, especially as the title track numbers among them. That miniscule niggle aside, I can think of no reason not to use this link and buy Foolish with the quickness from the good folk of Merge.

Snailhouse at PopMatters

2011-09-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

All:

North Of The Border aficionados eager to take a welcome break from JS-NYC relentlessly championing anything and everything associated with The Sainte Catherines can enjoy my take on the new Snailhouse record here, courtesy of the good people at PopMatters.

Small Brown Bike - Fell & Found

2011-09-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've been embarassingly remiss in writing about this, which is odd, as I really like Small Brown Bike in 2011. I was (and am) a little surprised at how much I like the 7"s and how ridiculously solid Fell & Found is. I wish I could say the same thing for the Braid EP that I'm praying was mislabeled.

But I digress.

Small Brown Bike called it quits in 2004 after a pretty decent eight year run. The projects that the members got into post-SBB (Lasalle, Able Baker Fox) were ok, but they more often than not reminded me that I should bust out the old stuff. SBB were pretty aces at Cake Shop this Spring and while they played a couple of these tunes, most notably In Need Of Everything, I personally didn't see the signs that Fell & Found was going to be so damn aces. But it is. J. Robbins does his usual stellar work with the top-notch material, lending an expansive sound to material that is mature, but not in a played-out Split Lip to Chamberlain sort of way. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of the genre to go out of their way to buy Fell & Found with the quickness.

Find here the linkness.

More Rory Gallagher at PopMatters

2011-09-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

All:

The Rory Gallagher retrospective rolls on.

Click here for my take on the reissues of the first four RG records at PopMatters.

Leatherface - Viva La Arthouse

2011-09-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today (and No Idea) brings us a new live record from Sunderland titans Leatherface. Given their issues at the US border recently, a Leatherface live record might be the best way to see Frankie and Co. on this side of the pond. As more intuitive readers might glean, Viva La Arthouse was recorded at The Arthouse in lovely Melbourne, Australia, although with all the Leatherface jocking that goes on in The Sunshine State, one wouldn't be too off to think it was Florida.

Said Arthouse was a long standing punk-friendly music institution Down Under that I understand is now closed after a couple decades run. Viva La Arthouse comes courtesy of No Idea (shockingly) and was evidently set-up at the last minute through the bass player and recorded unbeknownst to the rest of the crew. Lineup changes have made Leatherface a mercurial proposition in recent years, but the gents sound in good form, not especially surprising as they've toured pretty heavily behind their most recent studio release The Stormy Petrel and this show was the last of an Eastern Rim run. I'd like to see a(nother, more recent) DVD from the gents, but those that love the Leatherface will not be disappointed by Viva La Arthouse.

Seaweed - Service Deck 7"

2011-09-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

Lookee here: new Seaweed 7", courtesy of the lovable nerds of No Idea. That bade well, and I'm pleased to be able to say that it sounds like a Seaweed record, with enough of a Four vibe that I loves to put it on repeat. Clint is behind the board working the magic in positive fashion. While Aaron definitely sounds older, but who doesn't really. If you like Seaweed, you'll like this.

Get it here from No Idea.

Punch - Nothing Lasts EP

2011-09-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

I hadn't really heard too much of Punch before they came through town with the Paint It Black a couple months ago.

I saw them a couple three times over that weekend, both drunk and sober and had a pretty decent time, but didn't really think I'd fall for Nothing Lasts as hard as I have. Don't get me wrong, Punch is still a fucking hardcore band and the singer screams her face off like you would expect a band of this ilk to do. They sound tight and the drummer is fucking bananas, so if you like yourself some quality young people's hardcore, hie thee thither.

Get Nothing Lasts here from your friends at Deathwish.

Samiam - Trips

2011-09-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hey now! The rumored new Samiam record is out. That is always a cause for much rejoicing at JS-NYC HQ, but even more surprising is how damn good it is. Now, yes, I am a mark for most things Samiam, but the new Trips has maybe the highest percentage of awesomeness this side of Astray. Not that the records in between were especially bad or anything, but the gents are definitely hitting a new stride here, even if a couple of the more mid-tempo songs have a curious Gin Blossoms tinge to them. Not a bad thing, but nothing I would have anticipated either.

Sergie had mentioned that they were trying to get a new record together. When word came down the pike that they were recording Trips at Green Day's complex in Oakland, my blood ran cold, but luckily they seem to have left untainted. With luck we won't hear about any Samiam theatrical productions and we can get back down to the business of reveling in the Samiam awesomeness. I'd say that 80 West and Dead are the frontrunners, but Trips is one of the rare non-Superchunk/Snodgrass selections that has been getting full album rotation on the regular lately.

Trips is out courtesy of Hopeless Records and the Samiam are out working it currently. Here's a link. Provided Jason is off the Jameson's they are a damn good time. Check the dates here. See you at Santos.

House Boat - The Thorns Of Life

2011-09-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Post-Ergs, I guess House Boat are NYCs go-to for post-Screeching Weasel pop-punkery around town. That is with all deference to Iron Chic, who to stir it up from the jump, are vastly superior. It's not that House Boat are bad, I guess it's really maybe that Grath seems to be trying too hard. Playing the third tier Paddy card is not a good look for anyone, despite the sheer volume of contenders clamoring for the slot.

I guess we can start with the Thorns Of Life title, which wasn't especially funny when The Offspring pulled the original card on that when they were going to call their last dungheap Chinese Democracy. That kind of snark doesn't look good, especially when it means a lot of songs with titles longer than their namesakes. Think Chixdiggit if they were more depressed and angst ridden. None of the songs are terrible. I like it better when Zack sings and the last one is really nice, but Thorns Of Life won't be my first go-to for post-Weston emo-punkery, even if I read on the interwebs that Mikey Erg said this is the best record he's been on? That seems like it might be a misquote, but hey I don't drink Jameson either. Get Thorns Of Life here from the HB bandcamp or get a hard copy for your hard specie from Traffic Street here.

Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room - Hurrican Season

2011-09-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Alkaline Trio meant a lot to me a decade or so ago. I was spending time in Chicago interpersonally and managed to get friendly-ish with the crew in the Derek years and The Figgs toured with them in the Felumlee era, but the last couple three records have not done so much for me. There's been a weird Dave Vanian meets Christian Death thing going on with Skiba that is bordering on caricature from where I'm sitting, and that combined with the relentless rehashing of Goddamnit has really taken me out of the game about keeping up in any way other than a cursory fashion. It's a shame, having once flown from Panama explicitly to see the gents at Wetlands in the good old days.

My old man bitching aside, it took a bit for me to get around to checking out The Emergency Room stuff. My loss, as Hurricane Season is actually really good. Evidently Danny recorded this himself, calling in the auxiliary for some keys and odds and ends, but evidently calling all the shots. It was a freedom that evidently drove our hero (and, by extrapolation, his wife) a little crazytown. It hasn't resulted in any Syd Barrett-esque or Daniel Johnston psychedelia, but it has got us a record that sounds like a more adult-contemporary version of Andriano, mostly acoustically driven with more Hammond padding than previous. It's nice to hear Danny play guitar again and the songs are all really solid. I'd say On Monday is my favorite, but there really isn't a dud on Hurricane Season, which is a lot more than I can say for the last couple Trio records. It's pretty dark, or perhaps more aptly melancholic, but not unpleasantly (read- whiny) so. Older fans who shudder at the thought of a re-recorded Goddamnit, but still hold the old days in fond regard would do well to check out Hurricane Season.

Scorpios

2011-08-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well check out these handsome devils. As announced by the left side of the photo in May, there is a new project band in town. It's called Scorpios, and features (clockwise from top left) Joey Cape (Lagwagon), Tony Sly (No Use For A Name), Brian Wahlstrom (NYC Opera) and the estimable Mr. Jon Snodgrass (Drag The River). In case you were wondering, the foursome all have same said astrological affiliation, hence the moniker.

That minutae out of the way, the eponymous debut from Scorpios is ten songs, sporting various combinations of the team sharing vocals. Luckily there are no CSNY type harmonies that make me want to shove a poker in my ear, moreso Band-esque verse swapping ala The Weight. It's solid, if a bit ad hoc. To no one's surprise, I'm going to come out in favor of Snodgrass here: his Scorpios theme is great, as is We Won't Speak Of This Again. Cape and Sly are more than solid, but tracks like Happy Anniversary are just a little too smooth for my tastes. Again, far from bad, and the other participants are more than solid contributers, but I'm a mark for the Snodgrass. You can get it at pay-what you will prices here for the short term, with firm pricing in the coming weeks. Step lively.

R

Jon Snodgrass - Tri-State Record

2011-08-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

As I am oft to point out, JS-NYC loves themselves some Jon Snodgrass. That love has not abated, and he is kind enough to pretty prolific. I blame it on my absence from Facebook, but as such, it is pretty fucking embarassing that I didn't realize this EP was out until a couple days ago. As one might surmise from the title and handy visual aid, Tri-State Record is the estimable Mr. Snodgrass backed by a ragtag combo from the three (sort-of) corners of the US, a (small) a-team comprised of Chris Wollard, Addison Burns and Steven Egerton.

You get five songs for your hard-earned dollar, pretty much all of which I believe made it into the set last time he was in town with Joey Cape. Things break down thusly: Bad Kreuznach is drawn from the Snodgrass well that is seemingly tapped most regularly five samboucas in on the road. Those songs are kind of hit or miss for me, but far from bad. The remaining four are all in the win column. Weighing In On St. Michael is the pure purpose driven songcraft ala Song For Gibson while the remaining three are pretty much the solid straight rockers we've come to know and love from Jon Snodgrass. I'd give Campaign Song a mild edge, but all three are pretty aces. Own it.

Get it here from the good folk of Paper and Plastick, virtually or actually.

Find Snodgrass here.

R

Austin Lucas and The Bold Party @ Union Hall 8.23.11

2011-08-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

Almost shit the bed on this one. Were it not for a heads up from Rut, I would have totally stayed on the phone talking to someone who has since proven somewhat shitty and not made it over the bridge to bucolic Park Slope for this show. As it was, I ended up missing Marcellus Hall open owing to social matters, which again in retrospect was a bummer. I enjoyed Railroad Jerk and White Hassle a good bit back in that day and was wondering what he'd been doing. I assume that he's moved out of the LES, as I've not seen him around in a dog's age, but really have to check out what he's bringing to the table with The Hostages.

A couple drinks and an ominous harbinger later, I posted up frontside for good sightlines and some digitization. I like the new record ok, but if anything it was a little lacking in focus. The songs were there, but while a lot of his stronger material is acoustic, apparently Austin wants to meld his rock and song-driven sides a little more, so this time he's got a trio of Bloomington heavies backing him, including one Braddlesnake from his last tour through town. Listening back to the recording, I like the band more in retrospect. The Bold Party seems more a bunch of solid players about Bloomington touring behind Austin than a tight band, but the set was solid. A pretty good selection from the new record in the rock end of things, closing with a solo Go West in the crowd. Thanks to the guy who pointed out that I was in record ready three songs in. If you want a copy of the recording, hit me up via the e-mail.

R

Dos at Skyscraper

2011-08-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

All:

Good News:

New dos record is out on Watt's new label Clenched Wrench.

He and Kira do a nice job, although perhaps not one that warranted a fifteen year gap between records. Skyscraper's got my take on it here.

on bass,

Hypenated Watt at Skyscraper

2011-08-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

JS-NYC Massive:

It's been Maximum Watt around JS-NYC as of late. Check the unsurprisingly positive take on the new Mike Watt record here, courtesy of the fine folk at Skyscraper Magazine.

on bass,

Live: The Dopamines with Vacation & Scarlet Letter @ Lost & Found 8.17.11

2011-08-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

It's always a cause for much rejoicing when the Dopamines come through town. Initially the tour was going to be with New Creases, but health issues have evidently precluded that from taking place, so Vacation were on the bill in their place. Locally Nude Beach and Scarlet Letter were on the front end of things. While I like me some Nude Beach, the x-factor of not knowing Scarlet Letter and enjoying beer drinking with Drew saw me arriving not far enough into Scarlet Letter set for my cranky old self. They seem like a band from NJ that used to be a lot more hardcore, but has smoothed things out in their old age. That said, I'd put them firmly in the Meh column.

Vacation were up next. They played the P.S. Eliot record release show at Cedar Mansion a couple of months ago with Dead Mechanical and were definitely the band that should have opened. I though they were ok then, but save for the unexpected Thin Lizzy cover, I would have liked to have arrived half way through their set and have been left wanting. Seem like solid dudes and they are far from terrible, but don't have anything that I've been able to latch on to personally.

You can always count on The Dopamines to be a good time. even if they can be somewhat less than tight. The constant rain of (crowd-launched) beer that normally punctuates the average set from said Dopadudes might have something to do with it, but the average just South of D4 level of intoxication they often sport definitely does. Jon W handles the Paddy/Shitwheel smart-ass mic duties and the band generally throws down in a pronounced fashion, even with the curious eventuality of having Mikey Erg in the touring unit as second guitarist rather than his ubiquitous presence on every domestic drum throne in the US. It was the usual Dopamines set, save for Jon's charming suggestion that the crowd be punk enough to shit on the floor. Larry Livermore was called out, a not-particularly well-done pit broke out a couple times, and much (ok, maybe a half-hour) post-Screeching Weasel punk rock was purveyed. See them if you can, perhaps sometime not after midnight on a school night. Here's the web presence.

Live: Chixdiggit with Kepi Ghoulie on The Half Moon 8.14.11

2011-08-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

I had hoped to see this show with Rut after he did me (and his partner) did me the solidest solid in the history of solidity recently (which I repaid by not reporting favorably on his debut with the aces Vagina Panther a couple weeks ago), but my bozosity precluded such endeavors and I posted up solo at the Half Moon.

As I reflexively spout to any one who utters the words Chix or Diggit, they really blew the last time they came through town. It was a profound bummer, as they had rocked the hell out CBGBs the time previous and I was way anxious for a recap. Like I said, they blew, and I was not exactly over the moon that the Chixdiggit return to Gotham in 2011 was on a boat for a double sawbuck. Sans Rut, the pot was sweetened by some seasonal thunderstorm activity and sparse attendance, which made the boat a considerably more lively experience from the onset.

The first opener dropped off, although they evidently still thoughtfully provided backline, and Kepi Ghoulie was up and off to the races, backed by most (all?) of Chixdiggit. Kepi is a great time once a year, from where I sit, and as it had been a couple, I grinned my way through the duration of the set. He's pretty quick with a one liner and a hell of a dancer, ingratiating the post-Insubordination Fest crowd nicely before exiting with a vow to have the gents drink their entire garbage can of beer before the returned.

While they seemed as lubricated as the average Canadian, no one seemed particulary worse for wear on team Chxdiggit, although KJ mentioned Mark had thrown up on stage the night before at Insub, so maybe they were in recovery mode. And did I mention that the tiny ship was fucking tossed? The attendance seemed well below the 200 person max, and that lack of ballast was obvious as the boat pitched pretty heavily, but thankfully it didn't stop the boys from Calgary from romping handily through over an hour of Chixdiggit favorites. Those familiar with the Chixdiggit canon can do the math and will realize this meant that most of the catalog was covered, no doubt to appease those that had traveled from the UK, Spain and/or Norway from the show (really). In fact, I'd say more than half the crowd wasn't from North America. All parties seemed stoked to be there, although for the record, no one was so enthusiastic as to sport matching red white and blue tie-dyed USA shirts save for the Chixdiggit dudes. And this from a band that snuck into the States for the shows. It was a pretty damn good time that I wholly endorse seeing if you can. I understand they will be back in a couple months, so keep an eye/ear out. In the interim check out the new Safeways Here We Come EP that is out currently on Fat Wreck.

Rory Gallagher at PopMatters

2011-08-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

All:

Lot of Rory Gallagher activity around JS-NYC HQ as of late, at the behest of the good folk of PopMatters.

Here's the first salvo, concerning the 'lost' Gallagher record Notes From San Francisco.

Here's a link.

Thanks to Sarah at PopMatters.

Slainte!

Cerebral Ballzy - s/t

2011-08-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Cerebral Ballzy came on my radar when they played a bunch of the NYC Trash Talk shows. Evidently the gents have been around since 2008, but sadly have flown under my radar. I'm sure if I checked they have played a million times at ABC and I've missed them. Having listened to their self-titled full-length, I'm not going to let that happen again. Cerebral Ballzy keeps to a strict diet of thrash, beer and skateboarding, thrashing past the two minute mark only once over the course of the recording. The rest of the time is some aces post-Flag punk rock to rip your face off with. Insufficient Fare and Drug Myself Dumb are tracks for the ages that should get young and old flailing about with wild abandon. Lots of crashing high hats and careening double time changes for your earhole. You know you want this, get Cerebral Ballzy here, curiously enough from your friends at Adult Swim.

Tenement - Napalm Dream

2011-08-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

How great are fucking Tenement?

Answer: really fucking great.

I can't believe it's been almost two years since they played Lost and Found, but a quick check of the JS-NYC archives confirms that date is correct. Listening to Napalm Dream, it's obvious that they made the best of the time, as this fucker rocks from note one to note last.

It hadn't sunk into my addled brain that Tenement are a duo currently and while I continue to be bummed that they have not made it out East in a bit, I will give them huge props for not trying to do some sort of White Stripes horseshit. Napalm Dream displays a gift for a hook that is pretty obviously influenced by Americas Finest Rock Band: The Figgs. As Tenement hail from Wisconsin, this should not be a surprise. I also hear a fair amount of Ben Deilly-era Lemonheads and other late 80s Boston ilk in their sound, which basically means my neighbors get to hear a whole lot of Tenement. But come on: hearing Tenement in a tenement is pretty fucking meta. It would appear that Napalm Dream is the initial salvo in what will be a bumper crop of new material. Here's hoping it comes with some touring, as the 13 songs here beg to be heard live. Keep track of all things Tenement via their social networking interface here. Get Tenement Dream here and see if you don't have Stupid World, Skyscraper or Running Into Mirrors in your head forever.

Consider yourself warned.

Pete Rock and Smif n' Wessun - Monumental

2011-08-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Anticipation was higher than a Duck Down tour bus when word came down through the interwebs that Pete Rock was pairing with the newly re-dubbed Smif and Wessun for an entire record. Mysterious machinations had allowed the Brownsville duo to return under their original moniker and most hoped this meant a return to heights of their classic early 90s material. Most will be pleased, I'd say.

A gang of guests spice up the proceedings on Monumental. The Duck Down OGC crew reps hard, with Buckshot, Sean P and Rock as well as new signing Black Rob making appearances, with Raekwon and Bun B and a mob of other hard rhymers. I wouldn't go so far as to call the record monumental, but Monumental definitely evokes a great time in hip hop that this crew can hopefully bring back into vogue.

Get Monumental here from Duck Down.

The Copyrights - North Sentinel Island

2011-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've been a mark for The Copyrights for a while now, mostly since they wiped up the floor with me at Cake Shop a couple of years ago. Recent times have seen half the gents occupied with Dear Landlord, so Team Copyright has been sort of on blocks. The other half has been far from idle, tending to various domestic and professional matters. In drummer Luke McNeill's case, there was a law practice to tend to and the new Copyrights album to write. That task is accomplished, and now North Sentinel Island is here, courtesy of Red Scare Industries.

The Crutches 7" showed a slighter smoother version of the whoa-oh punk we've come to know and love from Carbondale's Finest, courtesy of a band three records in and abetted by Matt Allison. Ultimately, the songs are decent on North Sentinel Island, and I bet I'll enjoy tracks like Restless Head a lot more three beers in at a live show, but all in all it's still a little polished for my taste. I'm sure they are losing large amounts of collective sleep over that statement. North Sentinel Island is far from a bad record, but I would have liked a real banger ala Cashiers to really seal the deal for me. My niggles aside, you could do a whole lot worse for your punk rock dollar than North Sentinel Island. Get it here from Red Scare. Vinyl nerds should check It's Alive.

Restorations - The Key Studios Recordings

2011-08-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

I first saw Restorations Thanksgiving weekend of 2008 when they opened for one of the 'secret' Thorns Of Life shows at Disgraceland at Philly. I liked what I heard and a bit of investigating turned up the fact that these gents were ex-members of Jena Berlin, who I also remember seeing accidentally and liking. It was a fair bit, at least a couple years, until the split with Rosetta rolled through, then an EP I totally missed, and most recently the self-titled black metal looking EP that came through this spring to much spinnage at JS-NYC HQ.

Internet trawling turned up this live session that Restorations recorded a couple weeks ago for Philly XPN2 radio presence. It's pretty amazing and seems to show that while the records are pretty aces, them boys can bring it to a pronounced degree live, as well.

Check it out here via this link.

Richard X. Heyman @ PopMatters

2011-08-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gents:

Those intrigued about my take on the new Richard X. Heyman double record called Tiers and Other Stories can slake that thirst at the PopMatters web presence.

Here's a link.

Let's Wrestle at Skyscraper

2011-08-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

JS-NYC Massive:

Review of the new Let's Wrestle record up currently at the Skyscraper.

Check It.

Chris Mills at Skyscraper

2011-08-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

All:

Chris Mills has a new record out called Heavy Years 2000-2010 on Ernest Jennings. Read me wax rhapsodic about it at the Skyscraper web presence.

Here's a link.

Live: Christie Front Drive @ Bell House 7.30.11

2011-07-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Boy, reunion city has a whole bunch of new residents, lately. In yet another of a series of events seemingly calculated only to remind me of my rapidly advancing age, Christie Front Drive have reunited for two shows (one Brooklyn, one in their home town of Denver), fifteen years after their last live performance as a band. Yes, there was a one-off in Denver a couple of years ago, but let's move forward.

So I got an email about this once it firmed up and bought a ticket with the rapidity you might expect for a nerd such as myself. I figured there was a pretty good chance that I missed CFD play previously, but it seemed prudent to rectify the situation this time around. I had seen all the post-CFD Richter projects and interviewed him a couple times in The 101 era. As I understand, Golden City is defunct and Richter is projectless currently.

Rolled up to Bell House just as the opener I had fully intended to miss finished and ran into Jason and his band (and Band) of AZ ex-pats. Shot the shit for a bit about current Seven Storey/Jimmy Eat World goings-on and staked out some recording real estate as the gents started their intro music. The team sounded pretty decent for having been fallow for the better part of a decade and a half. People are heavier, but seemingly in good health, although one never really though of this crew as being the biggest crew of party animals. I didn't figure on so comprehensive of a set, but they opened with Seven Day Candle and closed with an impromptu version of Dirt about an hour and fifteen minutes later. The set wasn't without it's rough spots, but was pretty aces for the most part.

I got a pretty good recording of the whole thing that I'll pass around, barring the CFD crew nixing the idea. Email me for a link. The last 10 seconds of Dirt are cut off, but the rest is definitely excellent.

The New Trust & Friends: Battle To The Death

2011-07-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

I fell hard for The New Trust the only time I ever saw them live. I know definitively that it was at the Leonard St. Knit in the Main Room, but for the life of me I can't remember who they were opening for. I'm thinking a No Idea band, or maybe Alkaline Trio, either way TNT brought it. I expect the late gent from The Velvet Teen was with them at that point, as it was behind the We Are Fast Moving Motherfuckers EP. The interweb tells me that makes it 2004, and to the best of my knowledge they've not been out East since. It's been a bit since their last full-length Get Vulnerable, as well, now that you mention it. It doesn't look like we're going to see them or a new band record soon, but in the interim the good folk of TNT Enterprises have been kind enough to afford us The New Trust & Friends: Battle To The Death.

Much like the band that spawned it, The New Trust & Friends is many things: a little over half TNT songs done acoustically, some of which are new (five), the rest revisitations of older material. In that vein, the closing eight comprise said Battle-ing Friends, each of whom reinterpret a New Trust favorite.

Sadly, it's not often for the better. Things kick off in positive fashion with Oddbird and their take on Fast Asleep In Her Arms, but things head decidedly southward til Judah from The Velvet Teen scores in the closing moments. I think its mostly due to singer/bassist Josh Staples and his idiosyncratic voice (both in singing and songwriting) that they pale in comparison to the originals. I can't see the covers getting a lot of future play, but it is certainly good to hear that The New Trust are still an active franchise. Here's hoping that means touring soon.

Get The New Trust & Friends: Battle To The Death here at The New Trust bandcamp presence.

Lovers of tangibility can defer here and procure from Saint Rose Records.

Live: Jon Dee Graham @ The Living Room 7.23.11

2011-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

Jaded Scenester NYC loves themselves some Jon Dee Graham. It's been far too long since I've been to Austin, and Jon Dee's weekly gig at The Continental is probably the longest standing gig I regret not being able to see. Lifestyle issues caused me to miss the release of the amazing It's Not As Bad As It Looks, and theoretical tour behind said record. I managed to placate myself with the Chupacabra live record, but the one-two punch of those releases really heightened the need for live JDG.

Well, someone's looking out. I was pleased to find that Jon Dee was coming through town and playing The Living Room. I rolled in to a pretty much empty room and a decent enough, but not-especially remarkable opening guy. The Living Room has some weird optimistic policy where Jon Dee was the second of five artists, yet the only one who would command a door cost, and of $15, no less. When the waitress rolled up to get an irritating drink minimum, I asked about the door charge (20 minutes before Jon Dee went on, mind you) and no one really knew who was taking the door. While I have no issue screwing incompetently run venues, I certainly don't want to take money out of Jon Dee's pocket, I ponied up. Why that means I have to buy a drink on top of that is beyond me, but let's move on.

So Jon Dee. It's been a decent couple years for him, post New West and car accident and all. He's doing prose writing and drawing projects on top of playing with his local band The Fighting Cocks and doing that Hobart Bros project with Freedy Johnston and Susan Cowsill. Hobart was funded by Kickstarter but the last few years have seen Graham founding JonDeeCo Co-op, through which he now funds all his projects, offering incentives musical and otherwise for all that choose to partake. You could do a lot worse for $10 a month. Check out the deal here.

This Living Room set was a short solo set to an older crowd that very much into the proceedings. Jon Dee was in good spirits despite a less than full room and the oppressively hot temperatures. Opening with Faithless, he rolled through just shy of a dozen tunes, including Black Box and that Green On Red song he used to close with all the time. It was a good, albeit far too short, of a time, owing to the fact that another band that drew 10 people was due on at 9pm. If you are not fully Jon Dee Graham compliant, you can't go wrong with buying any of the holes you may have in your collection. There's a free live show from the tour before last on the Living Room site, keep track of all other things Jon, Dee and Graham here.

Kool G Rap - Riches Royalty and Respect

2011-07-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Your man KGR has been on the scene for a couple decades. He's had the usual label issues, along with an on-going shit-stirring fest with ex-Karrine 'Superhead' Stephens that has distracted heads from the fact that G Rap can still bring at at 43. Riches Royalty and Respect doesn't skew far from wanna-be Giancana fare, but the beats are decent and KGR still has a nasty, nasty flow. Not too much in the way of guest spots, save for Havoc on American Nightmare, but Kool G Rap is more than capable of carrying a track. Pick up Riches Royalty and Respect here at the Fat Beats web presence. Word is he and Necro are teaming up for a record called Godfathers. Could be interesting. Stay tuned.

KGR web link.

The Dewey Decimal System at Skyscraper

2011-07-18T19:10:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gents:

My take on the new cyber-noir effort from ex-Shudder To Think guy Nathan Larson is available for your perusal at the Skyscraper web presence.

Here's a link.