Dos at Skyscraper

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,

R

Hypenated Watt at Skyscraper

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,

R

Let's Wrestle at Skyscraper

JS-NYC Massive:

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

Check It.

R

Chris Mills at Skyscraper

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.

R

The Dewey Decimal System at Skyscraper

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.

R

The Punch LIne #3

Hey All:

The latest installment of my comedy column, The Punch Line is now up at Skyscraper.

Here's a link.

R

Husker Du review at Skyscraper

Hey Kids:

Another one of my reviews of the awesome new Husker Du book is currently up at Skyscraper, should you want to peruse.

Here's a link.

R

Live DBT @ Skyscraper

All:

My review of the record release show at Bowery for the latest Drive By Truckers record Go-Go Boots is up currently at Skyscraper.

Here's a link.

Thanks to Traci Thomas at Thirty Tigers for the guest list, ATO for the spot and Andrew at Skyscraper.

R

Samiam at Skyscraper

JS-NYC Massive:

My review of the new Samiam singles comp Orphan Works is up at Skyscraper.

Here's a link.

R

New Punch Line up at Skyscraper

Chuckle Aficionados:

The second installment of my comedy column The Punch Line is currently available for your collective perusal at the Skyscraper Magazine web presence.

Here's a link.

R

History Lesson at Skyscraper

Ladies, Gents, L.A. Punk cognoscenti:

Review of A History Lesson: Punk Rock In LA In 1984 is now up at the Skyscraper. Here's a link.

Thanks to Andrew and Diana at Skyscraper.

D. Boon!

R

DBT at Skyscraper

All:

Review of the 2011 installment of awesome new DBT record, this one called Go-Go Boots, is up currently at the Skyscraper web presence.

Here's a link.

Look for a review of the NYC Go-Go Boots record release show at Skyscraper soon.

Thanks to Andrew Bottomley at Skyscraper and Traci Thomas at Thirty Tigers.

R

The Punch Line: now at Skyscraper

Hey Kids:

As you may have noticed, JS-NYC likes to laugh. It's a pleasant respite to the vast reserves of angst and stress that we keep on hand for emergencies here and frankly we don't get enough of it. Luckily, the advent of the newly relaunched Skyscraper web presence has provided a forum by which we can all bask in the yuks.

As I also like The Minutemen, the column is called The Punch Line (word to Mssrs. Boon, Watt and Hurley). You can find the first installment here. Thanks to Andrew, Diana and Peter at Skyscraper.

R

Touch & Go at Skyscraper

Once again it's on.

A more extensive revisitation of the awesome new Touch and Go compendium you may remember from a while ago is now up at the newly relaunched Skyscraper web presence.

Here's a link.

R

Bobby Bare Jr. at Skyscraper

Hey Kids:

My review of the new Bobby Bare Jr. record A Storm, A Tree, My Mother's Head (Thirty Tigers) is up at the new Skyscraper web presence.

Here's a link.

R

Free Awesomeness Alert: The Riot Before - Fists...Out Of Sockets

One or both of you might remember that JS-NYC is all about The Riot Before. These Richmond kids make a racket that is the best part of Avail and Uncle Tupelo. They are rumored to bring it loud live, but don't think they are hiding crappy songwriting behind loud-ass amps.

The Riot Before just signed to Paper & Plastic records and are evidently hitting the studio in December. In the interim, the band and their new bosses have offered an little acoustic EP to tide us over til the record drops next year. It's called Fists...Out Of Sockets and reprises seven tunes from the last TRB record Fists Buried in Pockets in acoustic-y form. It's pretty bad-ass, and only emphasizes the fact that I need to see The Riot Before damn soon. Did I mention that this EP is currently free for download? Here's a link. Step lively!

R

Live: Twilight Sad @ Bowery Ballroom 11.6.9

I'm an Irishman, but dammit if I don't have a weakness for the current Glasgow sound. I recently came into a wealth of Aereogramme esoterica and it brought back a wealth of personal memories that have been soundtracked by Glaswegians. Falling in love with a lesbian while dating a woman married to a gay man to Belle and Sebastian, riding out the crash and burn of both those eventualities with Teenage Fanclub, a weekend with a sexual compulsive and Aereogramme, the list goes on and on.

I'm pretty sure that I first heard The Twilight Sad through Andrew from Skyscraper. I'm much more sure that I fell for them hard and recall it being on the heels of their playing a residency at some place on Ludlow St. and my having missed them all. Good times. Ok, from the hazy depth comes a memory of having seen them for the first time on the last Aereogramme tour, but it only emphasizes the fact that it had been a shit-long time since I had seen The Twilight Sad live. I've been trying to save money for the So Hideous recordings, but allocated accordingly for this show. I swanned in just as things were about to jump off, and as The Twilight Sad too the stage, it became obvious that there is evidently some head-shaving thing going on during the tour, with Graham being one of the newer converts. Given the Gitmo-esque quality of its styling, there was some question of tonsorial intent in my mind, especially when Graham seemed far too effusive about the crowd. I gave up watching bands have nervous breakdowns on stage a while ago (at least ones I like) but The Twilight Sad was firing on all cylinders, regardless of possibly precarious mental states. Here's the set list, stolen (with the photo) from Brooklyn Vegan:

Reflection of the Television
That Summer, at home I had become the invisible boy
I Became a Prostitute
Talking with Fireworks
Seven Years of Letters
Made to Disappear
The Room
That Birthday Present
Cold Days From The Birdhouse
And She Would Darken the Memory
I'm Taking the Train Home

Like I rambled before, I love The Twilight Sad. There's something wonderfully heartbreaking about the Scottish accent that goes wonderfully with the textured rock. Graham came down into the audience for Cold Days, a move that is popular and one that I hate almost as much as the 'band plays on the floor' aesthetic. I have no quarrel with how the songs sounded, but I am of the firm opinion that we pay to see as well as hear our live artists, so that fourth wall breach is one that I wish would go far away, unless it's some old school Axl Rose I'ma kick your ass shit. My issues aside, The Twilight Sad sound good on or off the stage. They aren't the most effusive bunch, but they sound great together. The new record is called Forget The Night Ahead and it, too, is pretty great. The live show is wonderful, too. You would do well to enjoy both often.

R

Live: Bloodkin @ National Underground 6.19.9 (late)

So Traci at Thirty Tigers mentioned that Bloodkin were going to be in town and suggested I pop in. I really like the new Bloodkin record, Baby They Said We Would Rise Again. I had written it up for the final print issue of Skyscraper and they were playing in the neighborhood, so I double dipped and dropped in after the 1.6 Band reunion.

Barry has had good things to say about Monday's at NU. Evidently Kevn Kinney plays the pretty regularly and its a good time. On a Friday night upstairs, however, it's kind of a pain in the ass. Bloodkin kicked ass, but the constant traffic back and forth was pretty irritating for this cranky old bastard, and I wasn't playing. The gents are no spring chickens, and I'm sure have played much worse situations, but I felt for them. I saw the first set and would have stayed for the second had it not been like seeing a band in a hallway full of the finest Friday night douchebags the bridges and tunnels could provide. If you can see Bloodkin, you definitely should, though. The new record is great and the old stuff is pretty fabulous it's own self, very Athens, with a healthy dose of DBT, if you're into that kind of thing. Oh, I so am. Keep track of the fearsome fivesome that is Bloodkin here and get the new record Baby They Said We Would Rise Again here from the good folk of Sci-Fidelity. It's a banger.

R

Skyscraper #30 - Out Now!

Hey Kids:

If you are one of the scant few that likes to hold something in their hands while they read (get your mind out of the damn gutter, ingrate) Skyscraper #30 is out now.

Look for my feature with Maine doom merchants Ocean 

and record reviews of the following gems:

Bloodkin - Baby They Told Us We Would Rise Again
Joey Cape - Bridge
Coin Under Tongue - Coin Under Tongue/Hussies At Bay
Git Some - Cosmic Rock
The Holy Ghostriders - Fast Track Heart Attack
Monikers - Wake Up
Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind
Say Hi - Oohs and Aahs
Zombi - Spirit Animal

I review books and DVDs, too.
Like these, same issue even.

100 Best Metal Guitarists by Joel McIver

You Idiot by Nate Ganglehoff

House Of The Rising Punk (DVD)

In sadder notes, Skyscraper is giving up it's print presence to be purely a web entity. It's a shame, but I'm sure that Andrew and Peter will do their usual great job. Look forward to more news as things come together.

R

Skyscraper #29 Out Now

Hey Kids: New Skyscraper is now available. Pick it up at the places you normally get such things, or buy/peruse online here. Check it out for my interview with Evan Patterson from Young Widows, plus reviews of the new Airborne Toxic Event,Malcolm Bauld,The Lord Dog Bird, Ninja Gun, The Riot Before, Rise Against, and Adrenalin OD releases.

If you are so progressive as to read and/or watch things, check for my reviews of the Engine Down and Get Thrashed docs and the Clapton, Gibson Les Paul and Dr. Dre's Mom books.

Thanks to Andrew, Peter and Diana at Skyscraper.