We arrived at the venue, which was conveniently located above a bar, approximately one hour before doors. A few drinks later, we ascended to another bar area attached to a small room with a stage and a balcony. A few drinks later, we ascended to the balcony, and were greeted by a bar. I liked this place already. Read the rest of this entry »

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With no elitist apologies, I’m a huge fan of public radio.  

Sure, I’m happy to see that indie rock has a new home on commercial radio in many markets, replacing those ungodly “classic rock” stations, and very little makes my “Triple AAA” music heart beat harder and faster than hearing there’s a new station with that format. Read the rest of this entry »

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Deboarding the train at rush hour is always a hoot. Trying to cram our way up the narrow stairways, cycling air that hasn’t seen the sun in months. When we finally emerged into the city, I was overwhelmed with a certain sense of nostalgia. I so rarely go anymore. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hailing from Baltimore, the [mother ****'n] Death Set (as they are so apt to call themselves) pretty much fulfill every expectation one might have of a thrash-punk trio in the realms of song execution and composition–their EP, To, is a screaming blast-through of 7 songs within 12 minutes, with no song containing a progression involving more than 3 chords or straying too far away from the oh-so-catchy V-I hook.  But despite this seemingly banal description of the Death Set’s music, one thing is for sure–they’re just…reaaaally fun to listen to. Read the rest of this entry »

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Rock-pop-folk rock group brings hope back to the music scene

April 29, 2008– On a sunny Friday afternoon outside his house in Ewing, I sat at a black wrought iron patio table with Patrick Llewellyn, founder and lead singer of Patrick Llewellyn and His Band—a folk/pop/folk-rock group out of Stanhope, New Jersey. He began by saying, “Thank you for doing a piece on me, this is great exposure.” But by the end of the interview, I felt I should be thanking him for his profound insights. To date, this interview put me in my place; and opened myself up to a whole world of thinking about music, identity and insights into the music industry that was very humbling and inspiring. Read the rest of this entry »

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The word of the day: Fabulous.

We arrived at McCarter theatre, to a wide variety of people. The eclectic kind of crowd that could only gather for a Wainwright or two. As it was a seated event, there wasn’t too much roaming or drinking to be done, which I must admit had me a bit disappointed. That would change the instant the house lights faded. Read the rest of this entry »

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I read three books recently that had me musing on the business of jazz.  As listeners, most of us probably focus on the artistic aspects, or at least the entertainment aspects, of jazz.  After reading these three books, you’ll find yourself thinking about the business too.  First up is George Wein’s “Myself Among Others:  A Life in Music,” co-written with Nate Chinen.  You probably know Wein best as the producer of the Newport Jazz Festival, the start of a jaz festival empire that eventually mushroomed into a seeming endless series of jazz festivals around the country, and into Europe and Japan.  In this 546pp narrative, one learns, in ample detail, a lot about the hassles that accompany trying to start or run a festival.  Why did George bother?  Couldn’t be for the money, as he repeatedly tells us that he usually lost money, or maybe occasionally broke even.  After a while, I felt like I was listening in to an IRS audit:  “No, really sir, not a dollar; yes, I know, there were 10,000 people there, yes, all paid, but, what with all the costs, didn’t make a nickel, I swear it.”   They use that same accounting in Hollywood on $200 million grossing films.  The man doth protest too much.  Read the rest of this entry »

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If the beginning of the first track of the album sounds like “Bela Lugosi is Dead” played at 45 rpm instead of 33, it a given that “Blood Visions” is going to be great. It was released in October of 2006, so it may be old news, but recently discovering Jay Reatard has refreshed my seriously stale music library. This is the first solo album from the group, and while the cover may be a tad unsavory for some tastes, Jay is wearing nothing but a Speedo and is covered in what appears to be fake blood, by no means should the music be judged by the CD cover. Read the rest of this entry »

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This group’s 1967 album is considered a rock classic, but the band attracted no more than a cult following outside its native Los Angeles.   Read the rest of this entry »

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[bands to watch]: Throw me the Statue

Seattle-based Indie Pop makes a believer out of the cynical.

Indie rock at its worst is esoteric lyrics with an emo twist, overly done up instrumentation, and excessive bridges instead of skilled solo’s which leave the listener with a feeling of emptiness. The fact that I was going to observe Throw me the Statue at The College of New Jersey’s on-campus bar/restaurant the Rattskeller, which is dank, dingy, in need of massive redecorations and intense cleaning didn’t help. Throw Me the Statue is the total opposite of my worst misconceptions of indie rock. The combination of basic rock structures, electronica influences, vocal centric aesthetic, major key tonality, and a mix of acoustic and electric rhythm guitars was simply amazing. Read the rest of this entry »

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SACD, MD, DVD-A, DAT … 5.1, 7.1 … DTS … What is the fascination with the Long Playing Record?

It’s scratchy, poppy, clicky and dusty. But some of us still love it.

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The Kills new album, “Midnight Boom”, is a great art rock follow up to their album “No Wow”. Fans of the Kills will not be disappointed in the single “Cheap and Cheerful”, which stays true the the Kills’ grungy, dirty style while still presenting new material. Read the rest of this entry »

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Band of Horses released their second album, Cease to Begin, on October 9, 2007 on the Sub Pop label.  The band is often placed in various genres such as idie-rock, alt-country and southern rock; flavors of each of these genres are heard on this sophomore release. Read the rest of this entry »

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For many, Albert Ayler has always been the poster child for “out” jazz; far-out at that.  Yet is is clear that Ayler remains a potent force in jazz, marked by the landmark Revenant box, the film, “My Name is Albery Ayler,” and such efforts as Marc Ribot’s “Spiritual Unity” and Vinny Golia’s “Healing Force:  The Songs of Albert Ayler,”  the latter the subject of this post. Read the rest of this entry »

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QUESTION: What does an artist like Trent Reznor do when he wrests himself from the clutches of a monolithic label like Interscope?

ANSWER: Any damn thing he chooses.

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Bob Dylan was one little twerp.

Don’t take my word for it.  “The Twerp” was the name given to Dylan by former girlfriend Suze Rotolo and other members of her family, according to Dylan biographer Bob Spitz.  Suze was Dylan’s inspiration for many of his early Greenwich Village songs such as “Don’t Think Twice” and “Boots of Spanish Leather. Read the rest of this entry »

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10 – Ten Years, Who Cares?

Sonar Kollektiv – SK150CD : Import only (?)

For at least ten years, there has been a musical movement which has yet to impinge on the consciousness of mainstream America. Read the rest of this entry »

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