photos by Greg Cristman

"still pumped from seeing KILLING JOKE at Irving Plaza last night. They played a ton of old stuff, and the new jams were just as good!" - John

"Killing Joke @ Irving Plaza. They have lost nothing over time" - Ann Wagner Hall

Invisible Oranges: The new album is called Absolute Dissent. In a world where about two percent of the population controls half of the wealth and thus the power associated with it, is real dissent even possible?

Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke: I think so, and I think it comes down to education in the end. We invariably create elites when only about one percent of the population understands the complex issues of the day. Look at the American electorate with the tea baggers and [Sarah] Palin. When it comes to foreign policy, many of these people aren't very informed. I believe in personal politics. I don't really participate in actual politics. Civil liberties are very dear to me, something we must not relinquish. That's the responsibility of every citizen, to ensure that civil liberties are maintained in a free and democratic system. Basically, what I'm trying to say is we are shaping the future. We all have to participate in finding solutions.

Killing Joke was supposed to kick off their US tour on 12/2 at The Black Cat in DC, but due to visa issues, ended up playing their first show in NYC at Irving Plaza the next night (Friday, 12/3). The now-twelve date jaunt (was thirteen) is to show off their colossal new and reccommended LP Absolute Dissent (discussed above).

Greg Cristman, who goes to a lot of shows, described this one as one of the best twenty-five he's ever seen, and definitely the best of 2010. It was insanely loud but sounded great. "Jaz went off on this rant about the condition of the world and the rip offs and pollution and shit chemical companies with his magnificently scorched vocals. It was a truly an epic moment- fucking Godhead! Coleman was in full makeup and looked insane. Like Al Pacino in Scarface possessed by vampires. The crowd was really into and most everyone was dancing wildly. The set was about an hour and a half."

The full Killing Joke setlist with more pictures from the show (Android Lust opened), below...

Continue reading "Killing Joke played Irving Plaza again (pics & setlist)"

photos by Greg Cristman

Robert Fripp, the man behind "Frippertronics" and the brain behind progressive kingpins King Crimson, played four shows at the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center in NYC on 12/3 and 12/4. Each day he played at 12:30pm - especially convenient for the downtown lunch crowd on Friday, and again at 7:30pm. The shows were billed as "Soundscapes", "site-specific, often done in majestic spaces, and always created in the spirit of the moment..."

"Fripp played his sunburst colored Les Paul as he sat next to a rack of devices and floor pedals. The tone was clear and went through different loops and sound delay. There are no hard riffs or arpeggios, but instead light orchestral spacey phrases occasionally punctuated with some minimalistic soloing. The closest thing to compare soundscapes to for the uninitiated is probably film soundtrack music. The relaxing calm of the music appeared to comment on, but not be interrupted by the holiday noise of shoppers and tourists that came in and out of the atrium. The music works as something that you can sample and walk away from by design, take from it what you will. The only identifiable familiar part of the almost hour long set was a brief quotation from the 1974 King Crimson album Red from the song "Starless."" [Mark's Music Loft]

That review came from the third of four shows. The pictures in this post are from the 2nd, and more of them are below...

Continue reading "Robert Fripp played 'Soundscapes' @ the Winter Garden (pics)"

today in NYC
* Hanukkah
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB
* Hanukkah @ City Winery
* The Plunk Brothers @ Barbes
* Yo La Tengo & ?? @ Maxwell's
* Stephanie Griffin @ The Stone
* Hall & Oates @ Beacon Theatre
* Hannibal Buress @ Knitting Factory
* Keith and Mindi Obadike @ The Stone
* The Autumn Defense @ The Living Room
* Music of Bob Dylan & The Band @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Matisyahu, Moon Taxi @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* J. Cole, K. Michelle, CJ Hilton @ Highline Ballroom
* Jennifer Choi, Ikue Mori, Marco Cappelli @ Roulette
* Stephane Wrembel Presents The Django Experiment @ Barbes
* Pretty Good Friends w/ Eugene Mirman & guests @ Union Hall
* Crowbar, Black Tusk, A Life Once Lost @ Santos Party House
* North Highlands, The Luyas, Twi The Humble Feather, Little Anchor @ Glasslands
* Triple Hex, Krylls, The Seventh Word, Toby Goodshank, The WoWz @ Bruar Falls
* For Every Story Untold, Glenton Davis, Emily Long, Rene Brenton @ Mercury Lounge
* No One & the Somebodies, Beach Arabs, Jesse Carsten, Quilty, Fables @ Silent Barn
* ViBe SongMakers, Starring, Keesha Mishawn, Icarus Himself, Christy & Emily @ Union Pool

TONIGHT AT LPR: Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces. And special Guest Vocalists Chocolate Genius, and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

photos by Chris La Putt

"...I ventured to Bleecker Street to the sit down and listen venue once known as [The Village Gate on Friday night]. Badly Drawn Boy and/or his advisors made an awesome choice in booking him there. While it is never fun to sit with six other strangers while popping tater tots, the semi quite audience allowed an intimate exchange between artist and audience.

One table mate commented at the start of the show "I hope this picks up". Agreeably the show got off to a slow start with his admission that he missed his 10 year old daughter and was tiered of gigging. He fiddled with his guitars and monitor and engaged with the audience. At one point early into the show, a local man named Lawrence approached the stage and was told jokingly to F off.

The show did in fact pick up and in fact went on for an hour and a half. Were it not for the confines of G-d knows what that steers the end point of these shows, the Badly Drawn Boy show would have kept going. What a perfect closure awaited. With a little reflection to when he was 14 and a song changed his life, we all knew what was about to come. What we may not have seen coming was the overwhelming sense of oneness with the artist. One did not need to be a jersey shore teenager in angst to have been effected in the past or last night by "Thunder Road". I left with a little a tear in my eye and holding back a flood..." [Music Matters Man]

Badly Drawn Boy returns to the West Village venue tonight (12/4).

A picture of what 'Music Matters Man' says was last night's setlist, HERE. More pictures and a couple of videos from last night's show, below...

Continue reading "Badly Drawn Boy played LPR w/ Justin Jones (pics, video, setlist), and does again tonight"

Jeff Tweedy & Eugene Mirman last night (via widder_twidder)

Jeff Tweedy was in fact the opener for Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's last night (12/3). He also later joined the band as a guest. Stay tuned for a full set of pictures, but you can check out the setlist below. YLT & Jeff played Wilco songs. Who will open for Yo La Tengo tonight?

Jeff Tweedy continues his NYC-area run tonight at Bowery Ballroom with two of his Wilco bandmates, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone, in the opening band. The Autumn Defense are also playing the Living Room on Sunday which is the night off from their short tour with Jeff.

Nels Cline arrives on Monday to help celebrate Yuka Honda's 50th birthday. Nels also plays a NYC show on January 8th as part of Winter Jazzfest, and he has many other shows scheduled all over the place.

All of Jeff's tour dates, now with Boulder, CO, and last night's YLT setlist below...

Continue reading "Wilco Week continues - Jeff Tweedy played w/ YLT, Autumn Defense playing Living Room (both are at Bowery tonight)"

today in NYC
* Hanukkah
* Ute Lemper @ Joe's Pub
* Peter Evans @ The Stone
* Hot Tuna @ Beacon Theatre
* Antibalas @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Chocolate Genius @ Joe's Pub
* Yo La Tengo & ?? @ Maxwell's
* Red Hot & New Orleans @ BAM
* Jim Gaffigan @ Best Buy Theater
* The Figgs, Diehard @ Bruar Falls
* 'First Saturday' @ Brooklyn Museum
* Menorah Horah @ Highline Ballroom
* Ben Weaver, Sarah Jaffe @ Rock Shop
* Mark Dresser, Raz Mesinal @ The Stone
* Beer & Cable, Fast Death @ ABC No Rio
* Diamondsnake, Bambi @ Mercury Lounge
* The Sword, Karma To Burn @ Webster Hall
* Pint Shot Riot, The Sights @ Rock Shop (late)
* Danny Ross, Sim Redmond Band @ Mercury Lounge
* PS I Love You, Holiday Shores, Arches @ Pianos
* Matisyahu, DJ Rekha @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Badly Drawn Boy, Justin Jones @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Meta and the Cornerstones, Pink Noise @ 92YTribeca
* Jeff Tweedy, The Autumn Defense @ Bowery Ballroom
* Minus The Bear, Tim Kasher, Twin Tigers @ Terminal 5
* Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, Icarus Himself @ Zebulon
* A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor @ Town Hall
* Diamond Rings, Body Language, Austra, ArpLine @ Glasslands
* Jim Staley, Kyoko Kitamura, Ikue Mori, Nate Wooley @ Roulette
* Owen, Brian Bonz, A Great Big Pile Of Leaves @ Knitting Factory
* Oren Ambarchi, Keith Rowe, Crys Cole, Loren Connors @ Littlefield
* Nightfall, Lost Tribe, Bloodkrow Butcher, Nomad @ Tommy's Tavern
* Mahavatar, No Remission, New Madrid @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Eric Duncan (DJ set) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Suckers, Tim Kasher, Joe Mande @ Le Poisson Rouge (Radio Happy Hour)
* Walter Schreifels, Pablo, The Amber Jets @ Cargo Cafe (Staten Island)
* 5th Annual Happy Drunk Xmas Party featuring Peelander-Z @ Asbury Lanes (NJ)
* Rogyapa, The Communion, Misanthropic Noise, Kevin Hufnagel @ Silent Barn
* Biblioball w/ Harry & the Potters, Crazy Pills, Raindeer & more @ Bell House
* Robert Fripp performing 'Soundscapes' @ World Financial Center (12:30pm and 7pm)
* The Beets, Wild Yaks, Gunfight!, Spirit Family Reunion, Raccoon Fighter @ Don Pedro
* Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue, Nat Baldwin, People Get Ready @ DBA
* Ska Massive 2010 w/ Catch 22, Pietasters, Mustard Plug @ Starland Ballroom (NJ)
* Patrick Bower & The World Without Magic, Marisol Limon, The Rotary Club, The Snow @ Pete's Candy Store
* JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, The Above, Fred Thomas, Gospel Queens, Poor But Sexy @ Public Assembly
* Darmstadt Essential Repertoire: Philip Glass, Knee Plays from Einstein on the Beach (1976); Tom Johnson: An Hour For Piano (1971) @ Issue Project Room
* Ghostface Killah, Curren$y, Redman, The LOX, Sheek Louch, 9th Wonder, The Kid Daytona, Diggy Simmons, Thee Tom Hardy, Rocky Business, Phil Ade @ St. John's Center Studio

Craft fair @ 3rd Ward today.

The Martha Stewart Craft Fair is today too.

Check out This Week In Indie

A new Tame Impala video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

Tickets go on sale at 10 for the Bright Eyes/Superchunk/Wild Flag Radio City show.

Continue reading "Bright Eyes Radio City tickets on sale...."

DOWNLOAD: Destroyer - Chinatown (MP3)

On January 25, Destroyer will release their ninth LP, Kaputt on Merge records.

These are some of the themes alluded to or avoided in the album Kaputt - and here are 22 things you might want to know about it. Straight from Dan Bejar himself, in absolutely no linear order.

Kaputt by Malaparte, which Bejar has never read- Kara Walker, specifically the lyrics she contributed to the song "Suicide Demo for Kara Walker"- Chinatown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar's- Baby blue eyes - 80s Miles Davis- 90s Gil Evans- Last Tango in Paris- Nic Bragg, who played lead guitar on every song, again- Fretless bass- The hopelessness of the future of music- The pointlessness of writing songs for today- V-Drums- The superiority of poetry and plays- And what's to become of film?- The Cocaine Addict- American Communism - Downtown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar's - The LinnDrum - Avalon and, more specifically, Boys and Girls - The devastated mind of JC/DC, who recorded, produced and mixed this record from fall of 2008 to spring of 2010 - The back-up vocals of certain Roy Ayers and Long John Baldry tours - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence -

Listening to the sweet first track, "Chinatown", from Destroyer's new album (download it above), makes me sad that Dan Bejar (aka Destroyer) won't be in the house as a member of the New Pornographers at Terminal 5 on December 6th, but Neko Case will be there, and Ted Leo is opening, so you know, it will still be great. Tickets are still on sale. And I have a pair you can win. Contest details and the new Destroyer tracklist below....

Continue reading "Destroyer releasing new album (MP3), not playing w/ New Pornographers @ T5 (but Neko is - WIN TIX)"

DOWNLOAD: Dream Diary - Christmas All Over (MP3)

Dream Diary will release their debut LP, You Are The Beat Out, on February 15th via Kanine Records. The above free holiday cover will not be on that album, but Dream Diary will be at Kanine Records' Wear Your Favorite '90s-style Christmas Sweater Holiday Party at Shea Stadium tonight (12/3). Flyer reposted below...

Continue reading "Dream Diary covered Petty's 'Christmas All Over' (MP3) "

DOWNLOAD: Boy Least Likely To - Christmas Isn't Christmas (MP3)

christmas makes me so happy. but it makes me so sad sometimes too. i think that's why i find it so magical. making a christmas album might seem like an odd thing to do, but for us it seems like the most perfect thing. some of my favourite songs are christmas songs. we've always been drawn to them and we've always written them, with the thought that someday we would have enough christmas songs to fill a whole album. and at last we have, so here it is. the boy least likely to christmas special. the christmas album we've always dreamed of making.
merry christmas and a happy new year
with love from
the boy least likely to

Christmas Special is the third album from the boy least likely to. Free track above. Christmas video and full track list below...

Continue reading "The Boy Least Likely To released a Christmas album (MP3)"