RIP Don Hill (Memorial Toast At Don Hill's Tonight)

Word is spreading that legendary club owner Don Hill has passed away. Don's club, Don Hill's, has been a major part of the NYC music and nightlife scene for a very long time. The club recently reemerged as NYC's hot spot hosting tons of secret shows by big name artists. If the rumors are true NYC has lost another legend.

Friends of Don will be gathering tonight at Don Hill's for a memorial toast around 11:30pm.

Bronx Zoo Cobra Caught

The deadly Egyptian cobra which escaped from the high security cobra prison known as the Bronx Zoo has been found and captured. The snake was on the lam for 12 days but wisely returned to the zoo after coming face-to-face with a Bronx sewer rat. Even a venomous reptile from Egypt has second thoughts about attempting to make a meal out of one of those guys. During questioning the cobra was quoted as saying, "fuck that dude, those fuckers are huge".

Bare Wires Video & MP3, "Don't Ever Change" + Playing NYC April 7th & 10th

I just gave Bare Wires a first spin and I have to say I'm digging their sound. At different times you can hear Stooges and NY Dolls influences mixed with some Beach Boys. The only bad thing I can say about this band is the singer has the creepiest mustache I've ever seen but I guess that's a good thing these days.

Download:

Don't Ever Change - Bare Wires

Bare Wires - Don't Ever Change from Daniel Hilsinger on Vimeo.

NY Tour Dates:
April 7th @ Public Assembly
April 10th @ Cake Shop

Tonight: Cerebral Ballzy @ Cake Shop; JEFF The Brotherhood @ Santos; The Dixons @ Union Pool

Our favorite thrashers are back in NYC and they're playing Cake Shop tonight. Not the best venue for a band like Ballzy but it is what it is. The always awesome JEFF The Brotherhood are playing Santo's Party House. If you're itching for some real deal country then check out The Dixons at Union Pool.

THE DIXONS - BROKEN HEARTED, LOVESICK & BLUE - LIVE @ UNION POOL

THE DIXONS | Myspace Music Videos

Black Lips Suck At Basketball

If you guys need a ringer next year give me a call.

Tonight: FORlokals, Grand St. Happy Hour @ Lady Jay's (Free BBQ & Cheap Booze)

Tonight is another installment of our happy hour party at Lady Jay's. As always we've got cheap booze but this time around we're adding FREE burgers and dogs! It's 50 degrees out, that's BBQ weather ain't it? We'll be spinning rock n' roll, garage, indie, punk, outlaw country and soul. You'll be getting drunk, playing shuffle bowling and stuffing charred beef down your gullet. The free food and booze deals are from 6-10pm so come straight from work. Seriously, if you go home first you'll end up taking a nap and miss the whole damn thing. I know you, dude. See you punks tonight!

Link:

FORlokals, Grand St. Happy Hour

Black N' Blue Bowl With Gorilla Biscuits, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All

I'm old and tired and just can't deal with hardcore shows anymore but if there was ever one I would go to it would be this one. The legends of NYHC - Gorilla Biscuits, Agnostic Front and Sick Of It All are headlining this year's Black N' Blue Bowl. Unfortunately, I'm out of town that weekend so I'm going to miss it but if you're around I highly suggest going. Gorilla Biscuits are fucking amazing live and would be worth the price of admission on their own.

Link:

Black N' Blue Bowl

New Country Mice, "Festival" (Free Download)

Country Mice (when did they drop the "We Are"?) have a new track and it's pretty damn good. It's bit more uptempo then what I've come to expext from them and that's just fine by me. Their debut album, Twister, comes out on June 7th.

Tonight: Wild Yaks @ Coco66; SHAPES & Raccoon Fighter @ Shea Stadium; TSOK @ Loft Party; So So Glos, Darlings, Sundelles @ 285 Kent

Lots to do in Brooklyn tonight. I will be at Shea Stadium for sure and will likely be hitting the loft party as well. The Wild Yaks show has a solid lineup but I think it's too far off from the rest to swing by. Bummer.

RSVP & Details

RSVP & Details

RSVP & Details

***Update: Forgot about this one & it's killer
RSVP & Details

Another Edition Of FORlokals Happy Hour (Wednesday)

Now that everyone is back in town again (ie. SXSW is over) we're having another edition of our Grand St. happy hour at Lady Jay's. As always it's on Wednesday and we've got cheap booze for ya. This time around it's $3 PBR Tall Boys, $4 wells, $4 Bushmills shots and, as always, 2x$5 Lionshead. We're also firing up the grill and cooking up some burgers and dogs, which are FREE! We'll be serving them up from 6-10pm or until we run out. Nora and Carlos are DJing (I might jump in at some point). The weather is supposed to be a crisp and sunny 50 degrees (last time I checked at least)!

RSVP:

FORlokals: A Grand St. Happy Hour

Tonight: Friends @ Shea Stadium; TSOK @ Coco66

That band Friends I've been talking about are playing their release party at Shea Stadium with Food Stamps and Phone Tag. Elsewhere, The Sounds of Kaleidoscope, from Philly, are playing Coco66.

Link:

TSOK @ coco66

Friends @ Shea

Willy Gantrim Sings The Blues

I'm generally opposed to anyone but old, black dudes playing blues. That's especially true about country/Delta blues. Yet, somehow, this Willy Gantrim kid is impressing the hell out of me. The guitar playing is solid, especially his slide technique. His voice might not be quite as gravely and worn as I prefer but it fits very well, nonetheless. What I'm saying is, you should check this dude out because he's doing a very difficult thing to do - playing Delta blues and making it sound authentic. Some of these songs are classics and it takes balls to attempt them in their original form.

Link:

Willy Gantrim Bandcamp

For reference:

Safety Video (Best Video Ever)

Yesterday the Black Lips posted this video to their Facebook page. Whether or not this is real, I don't know, but either way it is fucking awesome. All safety/instructional videos should be this amazing, although that's impossible because this simply can't be topped. Does anyone know who this band is and do they still exist?

So...The New Strokes Album Is Out (Full Album Stream)

Yesterday the new, and much anticipated, album from The Strokes hit the shelves. They have it streaming in it's entirety on their website. I gave it a once over earlier today and I have to say, half of it is pretty good! The other half is weird 80's shit with high pitch vocals and fake drums. I'm sure it will grow on me but right now I'm not completely sold on whatever it is they're trying to pull on Angles. Anyway, give it a listen and if you have something to add leave a comment.

Link:

Stream Angles on TheStrokes.com

Free SHAPES Songs + Playing Shea Stadium On Friday

Our pals SHAPES have a couple of tracks they want you to download. They're also playing another edition of the DIY radfest, Personality Crisis, on Friday at Shea Stadium. Also on that bill is Raccoon Fighter, so it should be good times.

Link:

Download SHAPES

RSVP:

Personality Crisis

Get The New Death Set Album, Michel Poiccard

The Death Set have a new album out entitled Michel Poiccard and it's available for download. 

Link:

Download Michel Poiccard

Pictures From Too Broke For Texas

Here are some shots from the two day show we put together at The Suffolk. All of the bands were fucking awesome.

Sunny Ali & The Kid (Friday)

Ritz Riot (Friday)


Spanish Prisoners (Saturday)


Steel Phantoms (Saturday)


EULA (Saturday)


Link:
More Pics of Flickr

Freelance Whales Do Starbucks

This news comes a bit late but for those of you who missed it Freelance Whales are in the new Starbucks commercial. Ten years ago finding out one of my favorite local bands was being used in a corporate commercial would have infuriated me. These days though it's one of the few ways a good band can make a buck so good for them, I guess.

Unseen NYC

Unseen NYC is a photo blog that posts images from all over the city. It's usually shit like graffiti, street art, weird structures, garbage and shit like that. Basically all the stuff residents see all the time but you'll never see on a postcard. Anyway, over the years I've been amassing quite a collection of exactly these types of photos so I sent some in. This weekend they posted a photo I took of a sidewalk chalk Virgin Mary (I think it's Mary, I'm not so good with religious idolatry).

Link:

Unseen NYC: Sidewalk Church

***If you want to submit your own photos just go here.

Tonight: Brooklyn Ski Club Presents Too Broke For Texas

Still in NYC? Too strapped to fly down with all your buds and party it up in Austin for SXSW? Well, come out tomorrow and Saturday to The Suffolk and we'll have some fun. We've got two nights of awesome bands in the middle of the LES.

Friday, March 18

Ritz Riot, Sunny Ali & The Kid

$5

10:30PM

Saturday, March 19

Steel Phantoms, Spanish Prisoners, EULA

$5

10:30PM

PBR Open Bar 10:30-11PM (Sat. ONLY)

Details & RSVP:

Too Broke For Texas

Tonight: FORlokals, Grand St. Happy Hour @ Lady Jay's

We're doing another edition of our bi-weekly happy hour at Lady Jay's. Nora is out of town so I'll be taking over her DJ duties. I'll be playing garage, punk, grunge, country and tons of Brooklyn bands. I've never actually DJd in public before so come out and watch me embarrass myself. The drink specials are $2 Lionshead, $3 PBR Tall Boys, $4 wells and $5 Bushmills shots 6-10pm. After that keep drinking, 2 Lionshead for $5 special goes all night.

RSVP & Details:

FORlokals

Titus Andronicus & So So Glos Playing St. Pat's Shows With The Pogues!

I guess Shane MacGowan is a fan of the Brooklyn music scene. As always, The Pogues are playing their famous St. Patrick's Day shows in NYC starting tonight. This year they have local boys Titus Andronicus and So So Glos opening up for them. That's a pretty huge honor (especially since this might be the last time The Pogues play the States) and it should be great to see a band like SSG up on the big stage at Terminal 5 in front of a sold out crowd. Way to go dudes!

Link:

Ticketmaster

Pogues.com

Tonight: Raccoon Fighter & London Souls @ Brooklyn Bowl

Tonight: Wild Yaks, Scary Mansion, Friends @ Cameo

Wild Yaks are playing with Scary Mansion, Chica Vas and Friends. Have you heard Friends yet? I just listened to them a few minutes ago and my brain is still tingling. They're really, really, really good. I mean, I haven't seen them live yet but the songs they have online are beautiful. Go.

Link:

Yaks @ Cameo

RIP Mike Starr (Alice In Chains)

When I was a teenager Alice In Chains was my favorite of the Seattle bands. Mike Starr, the original bassist, was found dead of an overdose.

Tonight: Wild Yaks @ Legion

Wild Yaks are playing a show at Legion Bar tonight. I think it's free but that could be false, it'll be cheap at most.

More Info:

Yaks @ Legion

Tonight: BSC Presents FORlokals Grand St. Happy Hour @ Lady Jay's

Tonight is the third installment of our bi-weekly happy hour at our favorite Brooklyn bar Lady Jay's. The drinks are super cheap (awesome). And how many happy hours run until 10pm? Not many but ours does. Again, I do this with my pals Carlos (Nickels & Dimes) and Nora (I Rock I Roll). We do this because we want to hang with all you guys so come out and have some drinks with us!

RSVP & Details:

FORlokals: A Grand St. Happy Hour

New Spirit Family Reunion Video + Tour Dates

We love Spirit Family Reunion and think they're one of the best bands in Brooklyn right now. They played the Brooklyn Ski Club Anniversary show, you might have been there.

Well, the Family has a new video for their song "100 Greenback Dollar Bills" which is one of my favorite tunes by the band. They're also hitting the road for a tour stretching all the way to Texas. 

Spirit Family Reunion "100 Greenback Dollar Bills" from Possum Den Productions on Vimeo.

Tour Dates:
3/2 - The Jalopy Theater, Brooklyn, NY
3/3 - The Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA
3/4 - Baltimore Free Farm, Baltimore, MD
3/5 - General Store Cafe, Pittsboro, NC
3/7 - WDVX Blue Plate Special, Knoxville, TN **live on-air at noon (wdvx.com)
3/7 - Preservation Pub Speakeasy, Knoxville, TN
3/8 - The Basement, Nashville, TN
3/9 - WRVU Delicious Elixir, Nashville, TN  **live on-air at noon (wrvu.org)
3/9 - Music City Roots from the Loveless Barn, Nashville, TN
3/10 - Music In The Hall, Oxford, MS
3/11 - The Blind Pig, Oxford, MS
3/12 - Government Street Grocery, Ocean Springs, MS
3/14 - Hi-Ho Lounge, New Orleans, LA
3/15 - Red Star Bar, Baton Rouge, LA
3/16 - Houston House Of Creeps, Houston, TX
3/17 - SXSW - Botticelli's, Austin, TX - 5pm
3/17 - SXSW - 2004 Willow street, Austin, TX - 9:15pm
3/18 - SXSW - Invisible Children Silver Series, Republic Square Park, Austin, TX - 3pm
3/18 - SXSW - The Mean Eyed Cat, Austin, TX - midnight
3/19 - Abita Opry, Abita Springs, LA
3/20 - AllWays Lounge, New Orleans, LA
3/21 - Sipsey Tavern, Birmingham, AL
3/22 - Town Pump Tavern, Black Mountain, NC
3/23 - The PinHook, Durham, NC
3/24 - Duke Coffeehouse, Durham, NC
3/25 - Blue Moon Diner, Charlottesville, NC
3/26 - Cafe NOLA, Fredricksburg, MD
3/27 - The Living Room, New York, NY
4/2 - MACRoCK, Harrisonburg, VA
4/4 - WNRN, Charlottesville, VA  **live on-air at 9am (wnrn.org)
4/8 - Black Swan, Tivoli, NY
4/9 - Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
4/10 - THE ROCK SHOP, BROOKLYN, NY