2010 was one of the first truly good 365 days in music to present its self in years. And boy, was it an underdog. With much talk of “the end of music” brought on by a pop apocalypse, the music industry going down the drain, and albums no longer being pieces of art but just commercial cash cows, who would have thought that the year would end with birthing some of the greatest records to come out in a while? Continue reading
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The official music video for Kanye West’s dark epic track, “Monster”, off of his newest studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, has leaked onto the internet. The video features Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Jay-Z, all with verses on the song. Nicki Minaj’s “Monster” verse has been called one of the best of the year, and showcases her “split-personality” rapping by including two different versions of the rapper in the same scene. Folk singer Bon Iver, whose vocals start and end the song, is not featured in the video.
Posted in General, Music News
Tagged bon iver, jay-z, kanye west, monster, music video, my beautiful dark twisted fantasy, nicki minaj, rick ross
American alternative rock band The Get Up Kids are scheduled to play Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg in March 2011. The group’s upcoming fifth studio album, There Are Rules, is scheduled for a late January release and will be their first full-length album since 2004′s Guilt Show. The Get Up Kids are cited as being influential in the birth of emo and indie rock and have toured with acts such as Weezer and Green Day.
Songs to check out: “Action & Action“, “Overdue“.
The Get Up Kids w/ Miniature Tigers, Brian Bonz
March 3rd
Music Hall Of Williamsburg
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Posted in Music News, Upcoming Shows
Tagged brian bonz, miniature tigers, music hall of williamsburg, nyc, the get up kids
Not everyone survives the local scene. The greater Philadelphia area is a rough place to be for progressive rock bands trying to make it. Are you post-rock? Are you just a four-letter-word for melodic hardcore? Will you always be living in the shadow of hometown heroes Circa Survive? Do you even know what you’re doing? Will anyone even listen? In an area where experimental rock is the most sought after escape from becoming a burn out “never-was” musician, is it possible to create a formula for success? Lansdale five-piece Trophywife is on their way to cracking the secrets known by very few. They’re not unlike characters in a Dan Brown novel, except the goal in question is finding the Holy Grail of experimental hard rock, not the bloodline of Jesus Christ (unless you consider Jesus Christ to be Daryl Palumbo or Anthony Green). Step one, grow up and cut your hair. Step two, hang out in a bunch of haunted houses. Step three, get angry. Continue reading
Four-piece post-punk band Murder By Death are set to play NYC’s Bowery Ballroom. The group is known for their southern gothic/Americana sound, achieved by utilizing a multitude of instruments, including the electric cello. Murder By Death’s fifth studio album was released in April 2010, and have had their song “Comin’ Home” featured in the trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds.
Songs to check out: “Comin’ Home“, “Sometimes The Line Walks You“, “Spring Break 1899“
Murder By Death w/ Fake Problems, Buried Beds
March 1st
Bowery Ballroom
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Posted in Music News, Upcoming Shows
Ben Folds
December 14th, 2o1o
Beacon Theather, Upper West Side
“You better watch out, because we’re gonna say fuck.” And he did. Ben Folds is that weird funny guy at every party. Instead of cheap wine coolers, though, insane musical skills are his weapon of choice. Only Ben Folds could actually fulfill a heckling “FREE BIRD!” request and still make it the coolest thing ever. Not only is this guy hilarious and housing unnecessary amounts of talent (and immaculate piano-playing), but at points, he and his band rock even harder than groups who lead with shredding guitars, not Baldwin grand pianos. Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Show Reviews
Tagged beacon theater, ben folds, lonely avenue, manhattan, new york city, nick hornby
Canadian “musical collective” indie rock band, Broken Social Scene, are scheduled to play Manhattan’s Terminal 5 in early 2011. Broken Social Scene, which has included twenty something different members of other indie rock groups at different times in different line-up combinations, just released their third studio album, Forgiveness Rock Record, in summer 2010. The group has done scores for feature films including Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, and on many collaborative soundtracks.
Songs to check out: “Forced To Love“, “All To All“, “7/4 Shoreline“
Broken Social Scene
January 18th
Terminal 5
Buy Tickets (On sale 12/17)
Posted in Music News, Upcoming Shows
California indie rock band Cold War Kids are set to play Manhattan’s famed Radio City Music Hall in March 2011. The group’s third studio album Mine Is Yours, the follow-up to 2008′s Loyalty To Loyalty, is scheduled for a late January 2011 release, just before the New York City show. Following the internet success of two EPs, Up In Rags and With Our Wallets Full, Cold War Kids released two studio albums, Robbers & Cowards and Loyalty, and embarked on a national tour with fellow indie band Death Cab For Cutie
Songs to check out: “Louder Than Ever“, “We Used To Vacation“, “Something Is Not Right With Me“, “Hang Me Up To Dry“
Cold War Kids
March 24th
Radio City Music Hall
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Posted in Music News, Upcoming Shows
Tagged cold war kids, mine is yours, new york city, radio city music hall
Virginia based indie pop/rock band Wild Nothing is set to play Bowery Ballroom in February 2011 with synth rock group, Abe Vigoda. Wild Nothing, made up solely of Jack Tatum (and including three live touring members), released a debut album, entitled Gemini, in May 2010.
Songs to check out: “Summer Holiday“, “Chinatown“, “Cloudbusting“
Wild Nothing / Abe Vigoda
February 13th
Bowery Ballroom
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Posted in Music News, Upcoming Shows
Tagged bowery ballroom, jack tatum, new york city, wild nothing
Thirty years ago today, English punk rock band, The Clash, released their fourth studio album, Sandinista!. Large parts of the record were recording in New York during the late 70′s, and that year, NYC’s The Village Voice voted the Sandinista! “Album Of The Year”. Since 1980, The Clash’s 36 track release has since been featured in Rolling Stone’s “Greatest Albums Of All Time” as well as earned comparison to The Beatles’ White Album, and has been deemed largely influential by many critics for its ambitious use of what was at the time considered “world music” and many other styles far from typical punk rock, including reggae, dub, calypso, rap, folk, rhythm and blues, jazz, rockabilly, and gospel.
Ky’s key Sandinista! tracks: “The Magnificent Seven“, “Hitsville UK“, “Ivan Meets G.I. Joe“, “Police On My Back“, “The Call Up“.
Click here to learn more about Sandinista!
