Tonight: Raccoon Fighter & Radio America @ Don Hill's; Fiasco & So So Glos; Jello Biafra

Quite a night we've got here folks.

Cerebral Ballzy "Insufficient Fare" (Video)

I've been slacking on updates lately but here's something rad I didn't want to sit on for too long. Our homies, Cerebral Ballzy, recently released a video for "Insufficient Fare." 

Hank & Cupcakes Playing Beyond Race Mag Benefit

Beyond Race Magazine is hurtin' and Hank & Cupcakes are coming to the rescue. The band is playing a benefit show at Mercury Lounge on June 1st to help raise money for the mag. They even created this sexy video to help promote. Is it NSFW? Eh, depends where you work. There's some boob action but no nip or porn or anything like that (man, I managed to work in NSFW, boob, nip, sexy and porn in there. The search engines are sending a lot of traffic my way today!).

If you're back in town by the first you should check out the show. I'm not sure if any other bands or playing yet or not.

Regina Spektor Playing The White House

On Thursday May 27th, Sire / Warner Bros. Recording artist Regina Spektor will perform at The White House for the first ever White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month.

Spektor is thrilled to join President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to celebrate the range and depth of the Jewish American heritage and contributions to American culture.

"Having moved to America from Soviet Russia as a child with my family, we dreamed of reconnecting with our religious traditions and of making America our home" says Spektor. "Having lived here for over twenty years, it is an unimaginable honor to be invited to the White House by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, to an event celebrating Jewish Americans, and to be counted among them. Nothing in the world could make us feel more accepted and at home!"

The celebration will take place in The White House with guests representing the many walks of life that have helped weave the fabric of American history.  Invitees include a range of community leaders and prominent Jewish Americans from Olympians and professional athletes to members of Congress, business leaders, authors and military veterans.

Tonight: Municipal Waste, Gunfight, Hank & Cupcakes, Sigmund Droid, Cerebral Ballzy, Ninjasonik, NY Dolls, Raccoon Fighter & More!

I usually put a bunch of flyers up when I list events but there's just way too much good shit tonight.

• Municipal Waste @ Fontana's (FREE show)
• Sigmund Droid, Gunfight & Shark? @ Cameo
• New York Dolls @ Warsaw
• Raccoon Fighter playing twice, first here and then here. 
• Hank & Cupcakes and Stumblebum Brass Band playing 3rd Ward
• Cerebral Ballzy, Ninjasonik, Japanther + more @ Hoodstock

Tonight: KnifeFight @ 171 Lombardy; Das Racist @ 8 Bond; Big Freedia @ Coco66

Tonight is fucking crazy! I wanna hit all of these up but since I gotta choose you'll find me at KnifeFight tonight.

KnifeFight @ 171 Lombardy

Big Freedia @ Coco66

w/ DirtyFinger, Roofeeo, Murdertronics + more

Das Racist

w/ Anton Glamb, Prince Terrence, Hiro Tha Jap, Nick Hook + more

@ 8 Bond Street

You gotta check out this page if you want in.

Beach Fossils Played Brooklyn Bowl 5/13

Kate checked out one of The Deli mag shows at Brooklyn Bowl last week...
------------------------
Thursday night I checked out deli fest at brooklyn bowl. Deli magazine was founded by Paolo Degregorio 5 years ago and focuses on local nyc bands. You can also find issues in various cities such as LA, Nashville, Chicago, SF, New England, Portland, Philly and Austin.

I arrived at brooklyn bowl just as Mon Khmer played their final two songs. The last song kind of reminded me of an Alberta Cross song "Taking Control." I was super bummed that I missed these guys.

Midnight Masses was up next. I was expecting a little more from them overall. There was a lot going on at once up there so I wasn't sure where to direct my attention. There was some chick playing the tambourine with a guitar strapped to her back, I felt it was a little unnecessary. The lead singer was banging the hell out of a drum, I don't know, it was just a little too much. I guess their sound wasn't very cohesive. But, they had really good voices. I feel like maybe if they ditched some instruments their voices wouldn't be over-powered by sound.

Beach Fossils played last. These guys were so good. I feel like a lot of the bands that I've seen lately have had a 60s surf sound to them. They reminded me a little of The Drums. These kids had everyone dancing (Yeah I danced a little at brooklyn bowl, get over it). These guys rocked and I can't wait to hear more from them. Oh yeah, immediately following their performance was ?uestlove DJ'ing, double score!

RIP Ronnie James Dio

I have to say I'm super surprised by the non-metalhead reaction to Dio's death. Everyone from Lars Ulrich to Perez Hilton have paid their respects to the legend. Rest In Peace, Ronnie James!

Dio w/ Ronnie Dio & The Prophets

Dio w/ ELF

Dio w/ Rainbow

Dio w/ Black Sabbath

DIO

Dio & Lemmy Interview

MP3:

Rainbow In The Dark - Dio

Tonight: Midnight Till Death @ Don Pedro's; Night Vision @ The Cove

KILL SHOP'S DANCE SERIES CONTINUES WITH...

NIGHT VISION V
twitter.com/nightvisionbk

HOSTED BY
LAUREN DILARD &
VANESSA DIAZ

(3D electro madness! )

with DJ's...

PUMPKIN PATCH twitter.com/djpumpkinpatch
&
SKINNY FRIEDMAN twitter.com/skinny412

(YOUNG ROBOTS) www.youngrobots.com

PhotOs by DR.PHOTOG

FRIDAY MAY. 14TH, 2010
106 N6TH @ THE COVE 10 - 4


PURE ‹ DANCE ‹ GOLD

Everybody Was In The French Resistance...Now Played Mercury Lounge 5/12

On Wednesday night I headed to Mercury Lounge to check out Eddie Argos' new band, EWITFRN (that's way easier). Eddie is the front man for Art Brut and being a fan I was pretty interested to hear the new stuff. I hadn't yet listened to anything from the band so I went in with a blank slate not knowing what to expect.

I got to the show a little bit early and caught about half of Murder Mystery's set. To be honest I just did not dig these cats. The chick singer had a good rapport with the crowd, which was rather large, but the music just wasn't doing it for me.

While they were on Eddie and his bandmates were hanging in the back chatting with some fans. Eddie Argos is a very tall man, I was not expecting that at all. Once MM cleared off French Resistance headed backstage for a few and then took the stage.

They attempted to make a grand entrance with the French national anthem playing but the sampler crapped out and the chick in the band had to run on stage to fix it. It was a comical start to a very comical set. Once the band made their not so grand entrance Eddie started explaining the concept of the band. As he pointed out it was a concept band after all.

Apparently, all of their songs are reactions, replies and rebuttals to other songs. For example they played a tune called "Billie's Genes," which is about how Eddie is the love child of Michael Jackson and Billie Jean. It was hysterical and not a bad jam either.

Overall the tunes were way more dancey than I was expecting based on Art Brut's stuff but the humor was there ten-fold. Eddie Argos is undoubtedly the funniest and most charismatic front man in rock. This makes any band he's in an instant hit. Despite the fact that he can't, nor even bothers to attempt, to actually sing. He doesn't need to and it doesn't matter at all. The crowd loves this dude and for good reason. The music was good, the lyrics were great but the between song banter was by far the best part. Vive le Eddie Argos! Vive le France!

Link:

More on Flickr

Tonight: Buzzcocks

Tonight I'm going to see the Buzzcocks play their first two legendary albums in their entirety at Irving Plaza! I'm pretty stoked to check this out. The last time I saw them was way back in 2006 at the Warsaw. They were pretty damn amazing and hopefully they still got it!

Tonight: Everybody Was In The French Resistance...Now @ Mercury Lounge

Eddie Argos (Art Brut) has his new(ish) band in town for a show at the Mercury Lounge. I haven't actually given them a spin so I'm not 100% sure what to expect but Eddie knows how to have fun so it'll be good times, I'm sure.

Everybody Was In the French Resistance...Now (feat. Eddie Argos) - 10:30

Murder Mystery - 9:30

Blackbells - 8:30

Phil & the Osophers -7:30

Hardcore Punk Skate Jam 5/4

On Tuesday night I went to one of the raddest parties I've attended in years. It was at the Autumn Bowl in Greenpoint. It's a massive warehouse with a huge kidney shape bowl and a half pipe. Every once in a while they have a blow out there and it's always fucking insane.

This time around they had a bunch of skate punk / hardcore bands play: Razor Tail, Bad Shit and The Goat. All three of these bands are fucking awesome. When I got in The Goat just started and holy shit are these dudes good. They sound kinda like pre-Rollins Black Flag but with more fun stuff going on. I would go see this band anywhere. Bad Shit were the next band and let me just say they have the gnarliest chick drummer ever. She was ripping it super hard and playing lightning fast punk beats. Did I mention she was super hot? Yeah, she was, and she was also playing in short shorts and a bra.

While the bands were playing there was all types of wild shit happening. People were skating on the half pipe right next to the bands. Boards were shooting off the ramp into the crowd and moshers were falling onto the half pipe. There were dudes setting off fireworks inside the building, which actually works wince the ceilings are about 200 feet high. At one point someone threw firecrackers into the pit. The moshers had little explosions going off around their feet. It looked like a Western where the gunslinger makes some poor sap dance - only there were 50 poor saps. The smoke from the fireworks added a nice war zone feel to the whole thing.

The Autumn Bowl was jam packed full off kids drinking forties and having a good time. The corner store a block up looked like it got looted. There wasn't a tall boy or 40 left in the whole place. Brooklyn needs more jams like this. In all honesty this was the best punk party I've been to in 10 years.

Link:

VICE Coverage

Tonight: Ninjasonik & Cerebral Ballzy @ Public Assembly

This is the official after party for Ninjasonik's opening gig for the Clipse. Originally it was just going to be Ballzy playing and Ninjasonik DJing but I just got word that Ninjasonik will be performing live. This will be a crazy night, for sure.

Hank III Headlining Joey Ramone Birthday Bash

This year's JR Birthday Bash at Irving Plaza will be headlined by Hank III and Morningwood. First of all, I didn't even know that Morningwood was still around. Secondly, Hank III! Yeah, buddy! Maybe I'll actually go to this. It kinda seems odd to have a Joey Ramone party at Irving Plaza though. Somewhere a little further south would make much more sense.

Celebrating what would have been the 59th birthday of punk icon JOEY RAMONE, the annual JOEY RAMONE BIRTHDAY BASH will take place Wednesday, May 19th at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza .  Mickey Leigh, event organizer and brother of Joey Ramone, has announced this year’s lineup and a sell out Bash is expected again.  Net proceeds will go to benefit Lymphoma research.                                                                                             

This year’s headliners are Hank III and Morningwood.  Once again, the spectacular party will conclude with The Joey Ramone Birthday Bashers featuring Richie Ramone, Hank III, Walter Lure, Cheetah Chrome, JP Thunderbolt, Ed Stasium, Jean Beauvoir, George Tabb,Ivan Julian, Al Maddy, Walt Stack, Dave Merrill, Mickey Leigh & others.  Also appearing are The Sic F*cks, The Independents, Spanking Charlene (winners of Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records contest) and Heap.  As the audience enters the venue they will once again be greeted by musician Tracy Thornton, playing Ramones songs on the steel drum.  And, in what has become a Birthday Bash tradition, Sean O’Sullivan's Punk Pipers will round out the night with their rendition of “I Wanna Be Sedated” on bagpipes.

The Masters of Ceremony for this year’s fete will be Steven Van Zandt, Steve Craig, Matt Pinfield and Pete Ashner.  Additional surprises are expected at the evening’s events. 

RAMONE, who passed away in April 2001 after a seven-year battle with Lymphoma, had a history of encouraging up-and-coming bands in New York ’s downtown music scene by showcasing them at his special “Joey Ramone Presents…” events.  Since RAMONE’s passing, his brother and their mother Charlotte Lesher carried on the tradition “by featuring bands that make great music and getting together some of Joey’s friends to celebrate him on what would otherwise be a sad, somber day,” Leigh explained.

This year’s Bash is being sponsored by Manic Panic, Trash & Vaudeville, Tripp , New York Waste, WPKN, 101.9 RXP, Bravado and Ovation. 

Tonight: Autumn Bowl Party!

Free Tickets To OK GO + We Saw Black Lips On Thursday 4/29

Last Thursday I was at the old office in Union Square worrying about whether or not I'd be able to get into the free Black Lips show at Knitting Factory later that night. I was so worried in fact I cut out a little early just so I could go home and get changed before the show (I had a meeting earlier and was dressed kinda spiffy).

I left my office and hauled ass to the L train at 14th Street. It was about 5:30 or 6pm at this point, the height of rush hour. I walk down to the crowded platform and towards the end of the train. On the huge map I spot a white envelope with writing on it. I'm a curious bloke so I walk over to see what we've got. On the envelope in black ink I read:

Free tix to OK GO! (Sold Out Show) tonight...I can't go. You go, OK go! Please take if you're going to show. DO NOT RESELL - Cheers 

On the back it also said, "Good Karma. I [heart] Brooklyn." By now at least 50 people must have seen this envelope but thanks to Giuliani's many years of scaring the living shit out of people no one touched it. Surely, it must be Anthrax or something, right? But fuck it, I'll bite.

I grabbed the envelope and held it up to the light - looks like tix to me. I opened the envelope and there they were, sure as shit, four tickets to OK GO. I would be lying if I said I didn't

Tonight: K-Holes, Jonathan Toubin, Electric Tickle Machine & More (Open Bar)

This is one of the best parties I've seen in ages. You gotta go.

Link:

NY Night Train