Dec 31 : "Wine on the Line" - Fascinator (New York)

(Speeding Through Oct Nov Dec / Part 4)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Posted (This Month!)

Playing right after Second Still's show at Palisades was New York music outfit "Fascinator", in some places known as "Lord Fascinator". Some surprising stylings in the performance at Palisades. They played around with some of the song structures, making them sound different than what's on their page.

And that was coupled with some really freaky costuming for which they should get an award! :)

They have quite a range of songs on their web pages. One I like especially is "Wine on the Line", which is playing right here :::

To hear more of Fascinator's music, here is the click for ::: (Lord) Fascniator on Soundcloud , and here is the click for ::: Fascinator on Facebook

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On a personal note, I just got through a couple very busy work months, which is why I'm way behind in posting about the music I've heard. Am "catching up". :)

Dec 28 : "7/4" - Second Still (New York)

(Speeding Through Oct Nov Dec / Part 3)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Posted

"On, no, not again!" I thought as I walked into Palisades while the first band had just started to play. This was my second visit to Palisades / the first time I came on the wrong night. Did I misread the calendar again? This band didn't sound anything like any of the band web pages I previewed before I came.

As it turned out, no, I didn't misread the calendar. I was in the right place at the right time. The band I was hearing was "Second Still" which was actually the band scheduled. But it sounded quite different from it's web page. Almost like another band. I could now almost do a copy and paste of some of the ideas from my previous posting about "Enemy Planes", which also seemed to have two personae. But Second Still was taking it to a higher level: "two bands" on steroids.

While the instrumentals in their web presence are all nice and neat, clean and trim, the instrumentals in the show were fuzzier, fuller, and dirtier. Enveloping yet with a slight feeling of being out of control. I felt like I was in a sea of haze. Wow! Never to be one to complain about that, I have to say that I definitely like the live version I heard at Palisades last month.

But back to the web. They do have a few music samples on their Soundcloud page, all posted recently. This is "7/4", posted only a few months ago.

At the moment, Second Still doesn't have any other shows listed on their agenda, but you can keep tabs on them by checking their Facebook page Second Still on Facebook (CLICK HERE), or their Soundcloud page Second Still on Soundcloud (CLICK HERE).

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On a personal note, I just got through a couple very busy work months, which is why I'm way behind in posting about the music I've heard. Am "catching up". :)

Dec 16 : "No Strings" - Enemy Planes (Minneapolis)

(Speeding Through Oct Nov / Part 2)

Headlining that night was Minneapolis band "Enemy Planes", whose music, compared to the external focus of Ray Bradley in the previous posting, takes a closer look at the intricacies and uncertainties of personal relationships. They do this not only through their lyrics but also through their haunting melodic backgrounds. Right off I could see why Nicole had raved about them and had invited me to go.

That being said, I have to say that another initial reaction I had when they first took the stage was "These are two bands!" Every once in a while I see a band that sounds so different on stage as compared to what I had listened to on their web page, that it seems like they are actually two different outfits!"

While the same melodic lines were similar in both, there was a marked difference in the style of delivery. The live show had much more haze and gaze, which of course I like, no complaints about that!"

But those melodic lines, evident in both Band A and Band B, are what do set the band apart from a lot of others. Unfortunately right now there are only a few samples on their web page, just a few teasers. Their pages are promising a new album to be out next month, titled, "Beta Lowdown". In the meantime here is a sample of one of their songs. This is "No Strings" :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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Having just completed a big tour, Enemy Planes' website doesn't show that they have any shows in our area soon. However, you can keep up with them by checking their Facebook page ::: Enemy Planes on Facebook (CLICK HERE), or on Soundcloud Enemy Planes on Soundcloud (CLICK HERE)

Dec 12 : "Diamond Street (Wishin' We Were Where We Wish We Were)" - Ray Bradley (Philly)

(Speeding Through Oct Nov / Part 1)

Philly Music!

A few weeks ago I got invited to Milkboy when my friend, Nicole, told me some music friends of hers were coming into town to do a show. So on that night I met Nicole and Sam at Milkboy, but not just to see her friends, who were headlining, but early enough to see all the bands.

First up that evening was the amazing Ray Bradley and his band. Outstanding guitar and instrumentals, at the junction where classic rock, garage, and blues all seem to meet. Nice!

There's not a lot of rock music written specifically about North Philly; Ray Bradley features one of these rare songs on his page. His song touches on a number of issues. Sometimes musicians can get points across most succinctly. ... Playing below is "Diamond Street (Wishin' We Were Where We Wish We Were)" :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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Ray Bradley doesn't have a lot of information about his individual songs out there, and I've not heard any response back from emailing, but I wonder about when this song was written, and if he ever played "The IHOP Estate", which was a diy house venue located right on Diamond Street (that closed or disappeared just a couple years ago). I have good memories of hearing music in their basement! :)

12/27/14 ::: (updated) You can keep an eye on his plans by looking at his pages on Ray Bradley's web page, and Ray Bradley on Reverbnation (CLICK HERE) and Ray Bradley on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

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7/5/20 UPDATE! ::: SORRY! Looks like only the Facebook link seems to be functioning!

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Nov 30 : "I Just Wanted to Think Clearer" - The Silence Kit (Philly/NJ)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (2014)

Philly Music!

I've been following Philly post punk band The Silence Kit for a number of years, and I was happy to recently see that they were going to be doing a gig on one of my free nights. So I headed over to Bourbon & Branch Friday and saw them do a good show.

Since I saw them last the four-piece has had a personnel change, bringing on a new drummer and guitar player. The band performed lots of songs including new work and some of their standards.

Over the years their sound has undergone some subtle changes, gradually becoming more complex, with more texture in the instrumentals. Instead of hearing the band mostly as one sound, I hear multiple sounds, multiple things going on. There are more changes of feeling, changes of tempo, within each piece, as well as some more atmospherics. (On some of their spots on the internets, a "shoegaze" influence is even mentioned.)

The Silence Kit came out with a great full-length cd earlier this year. It's titled "Watershed". The thirteenth track on the cd is titled "I Just Wanted to Think Clearer". It's playing right here on my blog page :::

The Silence Kit has another show at Bourbon & Branch coming up on January 10. If you'd like to hear more music and find out about more shows, here is the click to their website ::: The Silence Kit's web page (CLICK HERE), and here is the click to their Facebook page ::: The Silence Kit's Facebook page (CLICK HERE).

As a side comment I would like to publicly thank Pat McCay and The Silence Kit for donating merch for the raffle at West Girard Community Council's fundraiser earlier this year. It helped our year-round Food Cupboard serve neighbors in need. Thanks, guys.

Oct 30 : "Mexican Noise Soda" - Bee vs. Moth (Austin)

A band I saw play at Pianos earlier this month was Austin band "Bee vs Moth". Interesting instrumentals with some unusual song structures. Here is "Mexican Noise Soda" :::

Bee vs Moth doesn't list any shows coming up soon; they just finished their big tour which did include New York. So if you'd like to hear more of their music, the best place to check is their Soundcloud page ::: Bee vs Moth on Soundcloud (CLICK HERE)

Oct 26 : "Connect" - The Big Parade (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (October 5, 2014)

Last week I went to Spike Hill and was blown away by Brooklyn's "The Big Parade", the second band up in the lineup that night. I love complex instrumentals, and this four-piece has got them. The sound encompassed a wide road with the three guitars not losing their own identifiable sounds and their players' separate styles as they played together. Not an easy thing to pull off, but it was magic. I loved it. I asked Stephen Selman, the lead guitar and vocalist how they made these arrangements. How are the songs written.

Stephen responds ::: The songs from the current tape I wrote with the help of my friend Derek Hawkins (who plays in a band called Sunset Guns). We split a practice space together, and these songs were born out of about a month's worth of jams with him on drums and myself on guitar. He's the drummer on the record, with the exception of "Connect," which I played (along with the other instruments).

So I'd say these songs, at their core, came from improvised moments. Every long jam got recorded and i picked through those recordings to figure out what I wanted to pursue. I'd never written like that before and I think it works really well. You get a lot of good ideas that way, but you're always moving forward at the same time. The trick is relentlessly finishing those "seeds" of ideas, because you get back logged quickly.

The next record is going to be a collaboration with the band. My best guess is we'll try the same process, but with way more input from everyone being in on it. I'm looking forward to that.

I didn't know anything about the band before I heard them. As I listened at their show I imagined that they would have been together for years. Ensemble work like this takes time to develop. The rich textures take time to build ... or so I thought. ... But I was in for another surprise when, during the show, they announced that this was only their third show! Wow! That was truly amazing. I asked them how they found each other. How did they get together.

Stephen has the answers ::: As for how long we've been playing individually, we're all lifers at this point. Josh Inman has a great band called Paper Fleet that's been playing in NYC for about a decade now. I'm a big fan of his style and asked him to jump on board to get The Big Parade started. Dane Zarra was recommended to me by my coworker Chris Ibrahim at Brooklyn Music Factory where I teach bands and music lessons. His instinct was spot on with that one. Dane thankfully brought on Garrett Hess to fill us out on bass. Dane and Garrett grew up together in New Jersey and have a very long musical history here.

With such an impressive repertoire in such a short time, I asked Stephen what's next. What are the bands plans for the future.

Stephen responds ::: Our biggest plans for the next year revolve around touring. We all really care about playing out of town, so step two for TBP is to get in the van. We've got deep roots in Boston, the DC area and many points in between. Those will be the first excursions, definitely by the new year.

We're also going to write and record together as a group. We're just starting to really figure out how our sounds work together, and it's working well. The next album will be a collaborative effort for sure. Recording for myself and other bands is a big part of what I do, so we'll be turning out a new record on the double.

We'll be looking forward to that!

The band does have a web presence where you can find a lot of their music, all of which is quite good. However, as great as it sounds, none of the recorded versions come anywhere close to what I heard them play live at Spike Hill. So you've got to hear them in person! Here is their Facebook page where you can follow them and find out about their next show! The Big Parade (CLICK HERE)

Sep 20 : "Electric Sitar Beat" - The Orange Drop (Philly)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (2014)

Philly Music!

I'm very sure this was the first time I ever saw an electric sitar live in performance. This was one of the instruments featured in The Orange Drop's recent show at MilkBoy. It blended in nicely with the rest of the music.

This was the second time I've seen The Orange Drop, the first being over two years ago (March 6 2012, to be exact) when they played the Troc Balcony. The music this past Friday was much more intense and featured a lot more interesting bass work. ... There was also a much bigger crowd than back in 2012.

Here is the "Electric Sitar Beat", which is the second track on the band's 2014 cd, "Drone Pop" :::

This happens to be a prolific week for Orange Drop shows, as they have THREE (that's right THREE) shows coming up, including TWO on Saturday. Friday Sept 26, they're doing a show at Psychedlic Basement, and Saturday, they're doing shows at the Green Rock Festival in the afternoon and at Chill Collins in the evening. Here is the link to The Orange Drop's Songkick page Orange Drop (CLICK HERE) and to their Facebook page Orange Drop (CLICK HERE), which, at the moment, doesn't have next week's shows listed.

Sep 17 : "Grinning Into the Night" - Drone Ranger (Philly)

Philly Music!

Friday night I went to MilkBoy and I saw Drone Ranger for the first time. They opened the show with their special brand of garage psych. (( much more garage in real life than you might guess by listening to their page )).

They've put out albums in both May and December of 2013. This is "Grinning Into the Night", which is the lead track on their May album, also titled "Drone Ranger" :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like not only the song disappeared but the link to the band's website as well. Sorry.

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They say on their web page that more music is coming out soon. In the meantime, here is the click to their Facebook page :::

Sep 16 : "In the Mood" - Glenn Miller

Today is September 16, and it would have been my father's birthday.

He was an avid Glenn Miller fan, and had a lot of his "78's".

One of my Dad's favorite songs was "In the Mood". Here's a recording of it (playing it to celebrate my Dad's birthday) :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Recording is gone!

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Sep 02 : Mike Peters, The Alarm, Tygerstrype, Dream Safari, Banned Books, Left Of Logic, Instamatic, Ten Million, Earring (Philly; Chicago; Prestatyn, UK)

AUGUST MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

SCOTT TURNS 40

This has been an unusually busy month with work, and I know now that I have a string of good shows building up, waiting to be written about; I'm never going to get the time or enough psychic space to write individual stories about them; so here goes with an "August Highlights", grouping together the best shows I've seen for the month.

The month's music began on August 6, when my friend, Scott Dinsmore, invited a bunch of his friends to go with him to World Cafe Live to celebrate his 40th birthday and to see his all-time favorite musician, Mike Peters. ... Mike Peters is the front man for the Welsh band The Alarm..

The World Cafe Live show was a solo project. Mike was doing a lot of songs from The Alarm, but by himself, with occasional electronic backups. Before this event I had never heard of either Mike Peters or The Alarm, so I was very intrigued when he interspersed between his songs narratives of his career going back to the 80's, including his connections with many well-known performers.

Here is a sample of a song by The Alarm. This is "Direct Action".

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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Mike Peters does have a couple more September shows in the U.S., one in New Hampshire, and one in Boston, (but none in our area). To visit Mike Peters and The Alarm in the meantime, here is the click ::: The Alarm (CLICK HERE)

This was a busy music week because only three days later on August 9, I went to see my friend, Alden Towler, do a Tygerstype show at Johnny Brenda's.

Tygerstype is working on a new album, and, that night, showcased a lot of it, doing almost all new work.

The next week was dry musically, but the week after that I had another big week where I saw eleven bands total. And I saw Tygerstrype again. This was at the Magic Death Sounds Block Party, which is an annual event put on by the music collective, of which Tygerstrype is a member.

I really liked this show a lot better than the one at Johnny Brenda's for a few reasons. This show was in the street and the musicians weren't constrained by the equipment on or the boundaries of the stage. And the sound system was much better. Both Gabe and Alden were more animated in their performance; it was more alive. And the event itself was very well-planned and executed very smoothly. There were two stages, one located at each end of the block. Performances alternated between the two; this minimized the down time between each act. ... Smoooth.

Here is a sample of one of Tygerstrype's newer pieces, "Computer LV (Zapp)" :::

Tygerstrype doesn't have any additional shows coming up in the next couple weeks, but here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Tygerstrype (CLICK HERE)

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One of the bands I heard for the first time playing with Tygerstype at Johnny Brenda's and than again at Magic Death Sounds was Philly's Dream Safari.

Nice electronics! Dream Safari's sound also had much more clarity at the Block Party than at Johnny Brenda's. A much more enjoyable performance.

Here is a sample of Dream Safari's work. This is "Emerald" :::

Dream Safari doesn't have a show coming up in the next couple weeks, but here is their Facebook page ::: Dream Safari (CLICK HERE)

A band that I had the opportunity to see again at the Magic Death Sounds Block Party was Banned Books, whom I had not seen since their performance at the Comly House Basement Sound Laboratory on December 29, 2011. They did a new rendition of their song "Human Head", which is on the ep "Man Maker". Here is the original version :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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Banned Books happens to be doing a show tonight at Hazzard Hall. Here is the link Banned Books Show at Hazzard Hall (CLICK HERE)

The biggest musical tragedy for me this past month was Philly band Left Of Logic closing up or closing down / I'm not quite sure what words you use when a band says they've finished.

I've been following Left Of Logic since soon after they formed; these are three guys who've been working at music for years and all have professional training besides. Here they are playing "Momentum" at the "Brewerytown Spring Festival" a couple years ago: (Their show overlapped / went past the end time of the festival!).

I'm very saddened by their "last show" announcement, which was this past week (which I couldn't get to). I contacted them but haven't found out a reason. Here is the review they asked me to do almost exactly two years ago when they released their brilliant cd "In Formation" at a show at the Arts Garage. Bob's Review of "In Formation" and Arts Garage show I'm hoping they reconsider and come back! :)

But back to shows I was able to see. The same week I went to the Magic Death Sounds Block Party, I also did an all-night "Mix & Match" in New York & Bushwick.

It had been a very long time since I had heard Philly band Instamatic. They seemed to have disappeared with no clue of when they were coming back. While they never did a huge amount of shows, this hiatus seemed to be a little TOO long. Then they announced a few shows bunched together for late August. Ironically my work schedule / early mornings prevented me from seeing this Philly band in Philly, so I saw this Philly band in New York, at Pianos. (Actually I'm getting to like Pianos more and more. They're very customer friendly in that they stick to their schedule without making fans wait an undetermined and indeterminable amount of time for the music to start. ... And the sound work is better than at a lot of other places).

But a short time before the concert was to have happened, Instamatic disappeared from Piano's schedule. WTF? ... They were replaced by another band I had never heard of. THEN I found that Instamatic had changed their name, added in a guitar, and was busy doing stylistic tweaking to become 10 Million.

The heavy-duty synths were still there, but now they've got guitar as well. Here's one of the band's new creations, "Defcon (demo)" :::

10 Million doesn't have a show coming up soon, but here is their Tumblr page where you can keep track of them ::: 10 Million on tumblr

After seeing 10 Million play at Pianos, my plans were to do a "Mix & Match" and go out to Bushwick to visit Palisades for the first time and see Wild Yaks, which I had seen before and liked a lot.

However, after I got there, something didn't seem quite what I expected. The bands seemed different than what I remembered was listed on their Facebook event page. I asked the sound guy who was playing, then looked at my Facebook printout and realized OMG I had printed out the show listings for the wrong date. Oh nooooooooooo!"

But all was far from lost. In fact, I got to hear four new outfits that had not yet been on my radar screen.

One band that seemed to stand out that evening was a duo from Chicago named Earring.. These people were the fuzz experts of the evening. They were ambitious in the number of songs they played; high energy here. I had a hard time picking out exactly which song to feature, but here is "Hearts On Fire" :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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They don't have any other shows coming up soon, and I don't know when they'll be traveling back East, but here is the click to their Facebook page, so you can keep tabs on them. Earring (CLICK HERE)

So August turned out to be quite decent musically. With still a busy work schedule plus a couple doctor visits coming up, I'm trying to squeeze in some more good music in September, maybe even another all-night Mix & Match. Have to start exploring and cross-checking venue and band pages.

Aug 07 : "Fukushima" - The Benjees (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (May 2014)

A few Thursday nights ago (July 9) I headed over to Pianos after work and saw Brooklyn band "The Benjees". Wow what a powerhouse performance. Their web page gives a little bit of a clue about their style, but the live show rocked beyond anything you can hear on their website. I want to see them again.

Here is "Fukushima", the lead song on their Soundcloud page. While I think they might have overstepped in picking the title, the message is there.

The artist removed this track from their web page. :(

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7/5/20 ::: OOPS. Their main web page seems also to have disappeared!.

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To visit The Benjees, here is the click to their main webpage.The Benjees (CLICK HERE). On their page you can see a couple of their videos including one done at the show on July 9th (again, live was better than what the video picked up). ... ... p.s. ... I was one of the anonymous people in the dark wearing a fluorescent bracelet, whose light lasted all the way til I was coming home on the Night Owl bus.

Jul 26 : "Disorienting" - The Rally (New York)

(( June 26 Mix & Match / Part 3 ))

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released

The original part of my plans that night was to go to the Cameo Gallery to hear "The Rally". I had been listening to them on line and was looking forward to seeing them live. So after hearing the Alexander Bishop and the Tom Shaner bands play at Spike Hill, I headed over to Cameo where I heard The Rally play live for the first time.

Here is a sample description from one of the Rally pages ::: The band started as Wolves, a noise/experimental set that played art galleries during early 2013 but matured into a full band and began doing the local rounds. As Wolves, they played Pianos, Public Assembly, The Delancey, Bowery Electric, and Mercury during the following months and even took part in their first festival gigs for CMJ and Northside Festival. It was towards the end of 2013 that they recorded a 3-song EP and that they released under the name The Rally. Having grown into a more melodic sound and serious approach to song-writing, while maintaining a melancholic, moody feel, the new year introduces The Rally as the pleasantly invigorating result of an unplanned allegiance to music.

The Rally does have only a few songs published. Playing here right on my blog page is "Disorienting", released just a few months ago, this past January. :::

The Rally did a good show that night at Cameo, and they have another coming up soon, on Wednesday, August 6th, at Mercury Lounge. To visit The Rally in the meantime, here is the click to their Bandcamp page ::: The Rally (CLICK HERE)

Jul 20 : "Forever Drug" - Tom Shaner Band (New York)

(( June 26 Mix & Match / Part 2 ))

The past few weeks I got sucked up into a busy work schedule and have fallen behind in my comments on this page. Still writing chronologically about bands I saw on June 26 (Yikes!)

The second artist up at Spike Hill on June 26 (playing after Alexander Bishop, mentioned in the previous blog) was Tom Shaner, who also came with a band. If there was any common theme about these two bands, I would say that it would be their eclectic repertoires. Tom Shaner played rock, folk, ballads, a wide range. However, the styles of presentation between the two bands were quite different. Alexander Bishop's Band's style was extremely freeflowing, while Tom Shaner's Band's style was tight and precise..

The band is a five-piece, with the keys player switching off to accordion keys for a few songs. Some very interesting lyrics, which are sung by Tom Shaner himself.

As with some other bands I've written about recently, the web music doesn't do justice to what you can see live, but here's an example of some of his work. The song is "Forever Drug" :::

If you would like to hear the Tom Shaner band live, you're in luck; they have another show coming up TONIGHT! This is an early show at the LIC Bar. Here is the click to Tom Shaner's Facebook page for more information ::: Tom Shaner Band on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jun 16 : "Cardboard Box" - Panophonic (Clifton Heights)

On Friday last week I headed up to the "Nut Hut" for the first time. This was to see Panophonic which I hadn't seen in quite a while. "Panophonic" is a solo project of musician, Tom Lugo, who has multiple bands and music projects going simultaneously, such as Under the Wire and Stellarscope, to name two, along with a record label, Patetico Recordings.

This was a night when his solo project was in the spotlight. Two other outfits played after him.

It had been a while since I had heard Panophonic live, and there were some changes. Tom used to advertise that coming to his shows, "Your ears will bleed". And indeed they did. ... But the music has mellowed out a little, and I found that I bled less last Friday.

Naturally I hadn't heard Panophonic play in so long that almost all the work was new. One of the new songs he played was "Cardboard Box", which is about being homeless, a timely topic.

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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Cardboard Box

Pack my bags I had to go
I’d venture out into the cold
Walked aimlessly down the streets
With no particular place to go

I will beg, steal, and lie
I’ll do anything to get by
In love and war it all is fair
I am broken beyond repair

I’ll weather the rain
I’ll endure the pain
Of your judging eyes
Wonder if you would survive

Ask me if I really care
I speak my mind, I swear, I swear
Ask me if I really care
I bore more than you can bear

Pack my bags I had to go
I’d venture out into the cold
Walked aimlessly down the streets
With no particular place to go

I will beg, steal, and lie
I’ll do anything to get by
In love and war it all is fair
I am broken beyond repair

Lowest of the low
Crawl back- into my hole
It doesn’t- hurt anymore
My bed is the cold concrete floor

Ask me if I really care
I speak my mind, I swear, I swear
Ask me if I really care
I bore more than you can bear

Just last night CBS' "60 Minutes" did a segment about the "100,000 Homes Campaign", a nationwide effort to first ascertain who the most vulnerable people in the homeless population are, and then match them up with property owners. Some landlords receive federal subsidies to participate in this program with the residents paying a small percentage. But the journalist also interviewed other civic-minded landlords who set aside a percentage of their units at low cost or no cost specially to participate in this program.

The "60 Minutes" episode discussed the high success rate of the program and showed very dramatic "before" and "after" pictures of the participants, talking about the dehumanizing effects of being homeless (as we heard in Tom's song above), and how people's lives are completely transformed once they've become situated in a home of their own. Here is the link to the "60 Minutes" segment: 100,000 Homes: Housing the Homeless Saves Money?

Tom is a man with a strong interest in various social issues. In addition to the lyrics about homelessness, he has also followed up with actions on the issue of hunger, by generously donating both music and merch from Panophonic and Stellarscope to our non-profit, West Girard Communty Council to raffle off at our first fundraising party for our Food Cupboard. This event took place a few weeks ago.

If you'd like to check out more of Panophonic's music, here is the link to Tom's Soundcloud page, where he has samples of music from his various projects::: Tom Lugo's Soundcloud page (CLICK HERE)

Jun 08 : "The Frenchman" - Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful (New York)

(( May 29-30 Mix & Match, Part 3 ))

Next band up at Pianos following Clear Plastic Masks was New York ensemble "Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful". That night there were twelve members in the act, and, if you've been to Pianos, I'm sure you can just imagine how tight a fit that was. Their sound filled the room.

This was my first time hearing a swing band live. I generally don't listen to that genre a whole lot. But I was happy I was able to hear this band. Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful has a great sound. Very crisp in presentation. And humor in the lyrics.

I don't see any samples of their music on Soundcloud, so to show you a sample, here's a video from YouTube. This is "The Frenchman". This was recorded at a live performance at Radio Bushwick.

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the music link and the band's web page itself have disappeared.

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Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful have another show coming up next week at Bowery Electric, on June 18. To visit their Facebook page in the meantime, here is the click :::

I saw several bands at different venues on my Mix & Match night, May 29 into the 30th. There was quite a range in styles. These three bands that I've featured over the last week in this and the previous two blog postings (Slothrust, Clear Plastic Masks) were my favorites.

Jun 05 : "Working Girl" - Clear Plastic Masks (Nashville / Brooklyn)

(( May 29-30, Mix & Match, Part 2 ))

I began Thursday evening at Pianos, and the first band of the night that I heard was "Clear Plastic Masks", currently from Nashville, but previously and maybe sometimes still from Brooklyn.

I liked their show and was surprised by the difference in their live performance compared to the music they have on line. While the music they have posted on Soundcloud is good, the live performance brought forward a greater vibrancy, depth, and nuance. This was the first time I had heard Clear Plastic Masks live. (I had been working in North Jersey that day and got to the show a little late). I enjoyed the show and will go back to see them again. You should put them on your list, too!

Here is a sample of some of their work. Playing right here on my blog page is "Working Girl" by Clear Plastic Masks.

The band is on a national tour right now, so won't be back here for a while. In the meantime, you can check out their music on Soundcloud at Clear Plastic Masks on Soundcloud (Click here), or visit them on Facebook Clear Plastic Masks on Facebook at (Click Here)

Jun 02 : "7:30 am" - Slothrust (Brooklyn)

(( May 29-30 Mix & Match, Part 1 ))

I first heard Brooklyn band "Slothrust" play in Philly at Kung Fu Necktie, when they were an opener for local band The Silence Kit. The date was October 18, 2012, to be exact.

I was impressed with their sound and had been keeping my eye open for another opportunity to hear them play. ... That time came on Thursday night when they headlined at Glasslands. They did a good show, playing a lot of songs from both of their recent albums.

From their last.fm page ::: Slothrust is a blues-influenced grunge project consisting of guitarist/vocalist Leah Wellbaum, bassist Kyle Bann, and drummer Will Gorin. Jazz and blues graduates of Sarah Lawrence College, the three gravitate toward music that is heavy and full of lyrical grit, dynamically fusing the rawness of the 90s with contemporary edge.

I've been listening to their Soundcloud page which contains a lot of the music I heard Thursday night. One of my favorite songs is "7:30 am", which is playing right here on my blog page. Listen to how they play with the tempo and sound volume, switching back and forth between milder and more frantic phrasings.

"7:30 am" is just one example. They've got surprises, they've got unexpected stylings and they've got some idiosyncratic song structures. Here is the click to their Soundcloud page ::: Slothrust on Soundcloud. And here is their click to Facebook ::: Slothrust on Facebook. Even though Slothrust ventures into different tempos and styles, their music has a well-developed persona that binds their work together.

As a side comment, I've just started reading "The Windup Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami. Both the themes in the book and some of the Slothrust lyrics have me on edge. Each has seemed to enhance the experience with the other. Strange coincidence.

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Thursday night was special; altogether heard a few bands of note. Check back here in a few days for "Part 2".

May 18 : "Tourism" - Garciaphone (Auvergne, FR)

Monday night I went to Pianos and heard a show by "Garciaphone", a band with roots from a lot of places, but currently from Auvergne, France.

The band has three musicians on its team. I enjoyed their show and have been listening to their Soundcloud page. One of the songs featured is "Tourism" ::::

Garciaphone doesn't have any other shows listed in the near future, but here is their page to check them out ::: Garciaphone (CLICK HERE)

(((I still get to Pianos a little late. They always start on time, which is a good thing, but I'm just not accustomed to that based on my experiences from most everywhere else. The band had just started before I got there. :) )))

May 08 : "Republic of Outsiders" - Alissa Quart

I just finished reading "Republic of Outsiders", by Alissa Quart. This is a very positive and uplifting book. The subtitle of this book is "The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers, and Rebels". The book talks about how people moving on the fringes of society have done things their own way, creating new norms that have then been assimilated by society as a whole.

The book has seven chapters and is divided into three parts, the first of which is titled "Outsider Mentality". Part of this section (Chapter 1: "Beyond Sanity") is where the author interviews people with mental health issues who talk about some of the problems they face, such as "over-diagnosing" and "over-medication", and how, through their uniting with each other, have successfully brought some of these issues to the attention of the medical community to bring about actual change.

Part two is "After the Gatekeepers" where she talks about how individuals have brought about change in entire industries. In Chapter 5 "Beyond Top 40", she interviews musicians who tell about how they more and more often are defining their own personae and marketing themselves directly to their fans with less help from middle men who formerly would have exercised too much control and grabbed a huge chunk of their profits, and maybe stifled creativity along the way.

And lastly is Part three which is "The Center Cannot Hold", she talks about the huge impact that some innovators have had on the total market. In Chapter 6, "Beyond Meat", one of the stories she tells is that of David Lee, a man who was a chef at a prominent restaurant in Seattle. One day while riding his bike in a commercial area, he passed a slaughterhouse, and in the parking lot saw a chicken lying on the pavement. It was half-alive; it was bleeding and gasping for breath. ... He was moved by the chicken's suffering. The event haunted him for weeks. He later arranged for a professional chef's tour of the facility and saw for himself what went on there and what he was collaterally involved with.

The author writes on page 136: The slaughterhouse was Lee's final epiphany. He decided then and there to leave the job where he cooked meat. He then, with the help of family and friends, founded the company, "Field Roast", where he is trying to make "faux meat" the center of the plate for American consumers. ... She goes on to talk about how many branches and levels of the animal rights movement are encompassing more people and bringing about change.

In Chapter 7, "Beyond Mass Markets", she talks about another new trend, one that we're familiar with here in Philadelphia, and that's the movement towards more urban farms. One of the stories the author tells is about Annie Novak and her massive "Eagle Street Rooftop Farm" in Brooklyn.

In "Republic of Outsiders", you spend time with some interesting people who are proactive about implementing some very creative ideas. The book is a worthwhile read, and its stories of many daring accomplishments by individual people is a hopeful and positive antidote to the all-too-frequent stories we hear about overbearing corporate power and greed.

If you think you may be interested in reading this book, I would recommend, to be consistent with the spirit of the book, that you consider purchasing from an Indie Bookseller. :)

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"Republic of Outsiders"
(c) 2013 by Alissa Quart.
New York, The New Press.
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6/15---Of course I would just have to add that I feel privileged to know and work with people who are all doing their parts in being part of the Republic of Outsiders. What was so refreshing about the book was the documentation of the efforts.

Apr 05 : "I Could Be" - The Silence Kit (Philly)

New Music / Freshly Written & Formally Released Tonite!

Philly Music!

"Wow" I said when I first heard this song. I've been listening to Philly post-punk band The Silence Kit for several years now, and hearing this track for the first time instantly made it my favorite Silence Kit song.

I like complex instrumentals, and this song has so much going on. Listen to the track, especially around the 2.00 mark when a few different background patterns start to kick in, each going its own way.

"I Could Be" is the first track on the band's new full-length album, titled "Watershed", which will have its special release show this evening at Bourbon & Branch, here in Philly.

My work sked has me on an early-morning routine this weekend, so, unfortunately, not being able to go to their show myself, I'm writing about it in advance, rather than afterwards. The Silence Kit always does a good show, and I'd recommend everybody go.

The Silence Kit has a presence all over the internets. Here is a click to their band page. The Silence Kit, band page (CLICK HERE).

Apr 01 : "Tune Out" - Raindeer (Baltimore)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (July)

Went to Williamsburg last night. Cameo Gallery.

I had waited a long time to hear this band again. When I had gone to Hampdenfest in 2011, Baltimore band "Raindeer" was a band I heard for the first time. I immediately liked them. Something about the variety of textures in the instrumentals.

When I got home I liked them on all the appropriate pages and hoped for a time when I could see them again.

Nothing ever seemed to work out until last night, when I saw they were going to be playing in Willimasburg on a day when I was going to be working up in New York anyway.

The band has changed since I originally saw them. They've had a personnel-shuffle-around and they've now expanded to become a five-piece.

I liked them even more last night. The extra members as well as the indoor setting gave the band a richer, fuller sound. The band sounded good at Hampdenfest, but that was an outdoor stage with a relatively impromptu sound system set up for a one-day event. The sound system at Cameo Gallery as well as the room's high ceiling and nice acoustics served the band very well.

Altogether the band played eight songs. When I talked with the band afterwards, they told me that six out of the eight songs were new. When I asked about a particular song that I especially liked that had some unusual and powerful drum work in the intro, they told me that the songs were so new, they hadn't decided on final names yet.

So this was a really good chance to get a sneak peak as to what their next album will be like. From what I heard last night, the band is continuing to explore some interesting textures. The new album is titled "You Look Smashing". I'm looking forward to getting my own copy of that song with the drums. :)

Here is a sample of some of their recent work, "Tune Out" from the band's album "Tattoo", released last July.

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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The band has another show coming up on Saturday, April 12, at Johns Hopkins University. In the meantime, here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Raindeer on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Mar 27 : "Speak to Me" - Ultraviolet Astronomy (Brooklyn)

A couple weeks ago on one of my frequent trips to Williamsburg, I saw the band "Ultraviolet Astronomy" play at Glasslands. I liked their electro-pop. They did a good show and also have some good music on their page. Here's "Speak to Me", which is on their full-length cd "U.V.A.", released in 2010.

Ultraviolet Astronomy doesn't have any upcoming shows listed on their page, but to hear their music on line, here is the click ::: Ultraviolet Astronomy on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

Mar 23 : "Riders On the Storm" - Doomsquad (Toronto)

Also on the bill with Seismic Thrust and 185668232 was Toronto band "Doomsquad". They did a good show.

They've also got cover work on their page. This is "Riders On the Storm", previously by The Doors.

I also have to point out that Iam S. Mick was the curator for this entirely enjoyable evening.

To visit Doomsquad on line, here is the click ::: Doomsquad (CLICK HERE)

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Mar 18 : "I've Got a Name (Jim Croce)" - Seismic Thrust (Philly)

Double Philly Music!

Playing on the same bill as 185668232 a week ago Thursday at Ortlieb's was Philly's Seismic Thrust.

Seismic Thrust has a wide and eclectic combination of songs on their page, and, one of the things that stands out are some excellent covers. The second track on the page is a cover of Jim Croce's song, "I've Got a Name".

I talked with Zach Decker, mastermind of Seismic Thrust, who told me that the band loves doing the covers, and they do it for fun for their own pleasure, but don't have serious intentions about including any of the cover tracks in an album or to perform them on stage.

This song might be considered "Double Philly Music" because Seismic Thrust is from Philly and Jim Croce was born in South Philly and lived in the area for years.

This arrangement by the talented folks at Seismic Thrust certainly rivals the original. And it is also a moving homage to the original artist with the words "plane crash" spoken at the very beginning of the track, and then the body of the work performed with a haunting and eerie echo effect.

This was the second time I saw Seismic Thrust play live; it would have been the third if the 15 hadn't done a disappearing act another time. :) haha

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Here is Seismic Thrust's arrangement of "I've Got a Name" by Jim Croce. I think I like this arrangement even more than the original.

Seismic Thrust did a great show at Ortlieb's and they have two more concerts coming up soon, one this Friday at PUHD in Lansdowne and then on April 9 at Milkboy in Philly. In the meantime, to hear some of that eclectic music, here is the click ::: "Seismic Thrust" on Soundcloud (CLICK HERE)

Mar 16 : "365.242" - 185668232 (Philly)

New Music & Noise / Freshly Written & Recently Released

Philly Noise!

Iam and Soni have been together for a little over a year. In celebration of that, my friend, Iam, always ahead of the curve, posted a short track on his page, "365.242", in the song notes for which he says, Soni & I have been together for one year! Here's a very raw sound-scapel that took me all of 3 hours to assemble. I bowed a church (hand) bell, sampled the recorder (little learning instrument for reed study), generated a bass tone from my voice ... & minimally glitched ChipTunes sequences. Still experimenting with the end and the word layers. "Pop-goes-the-_"

Iam can put together pieces quickly and/or on the spot. A couple weeks ago I wrote about a show he did at Yell Gallery where he had a table full of props whose sounds he recorded then incorporated into a piece he played as part of his performance.

Last Thursday night I saw 185668232 do a show at Ortlieb's Lounge, where, in a similar fashion, he recorded the last few bars of the in-between-bands-recorded-interlude music and snapped them into part of the piece he performed. He told me the show was entirely impromptu, so there's no direct similar track to feature here on my page today, but this most recent posting that illustrates his ability to create noise and music pieces spontaneously from whatever is around him. Here is "365.242" :::

185668232 doesn't have any new shows coming up soon, but here's the link to the "365.242" page. 185668232's "365.242" page (CLICK HERE)

Mar 14 : "Inhibitionist" - Starlight Girls (Brooklyn)

Their band page is mobbed with good chords and melodic lines. At Glasslands in Williamsburg, playing right after The Belle Game, which I talked about in the previous blog, was Brooklyn's "Starlight Girls".

I had never seen Starlight Girls play before that night. I came across their page while I checked for potential shows on my night off. Since then, during the past couple weeks, I've wound up visiting the band's page several times. The song they have highlighted at the top of the page is "The Inhibitionist", which they also played at the Glasslands show, to loud applause, which I might add.

Here is "The Inhibitionist" playing on my page right now :::

Unfortunately Starlight Girls doesn't have any other shows lined up for this area in the near future. However, if you visit their Soundcloud page, you can enjoy their music until their next show comes along. Here is the click ::: Starlight Girls on Soundcloud

Mar 09 : "River" - The Belle Game (Vancouver)

Went to Glasslands Gallery in Williamsburg a week ago Friday night and saw "The Belle Game", an exciting group from Vancouver. They were just starting a U.S. tour last week.

As I always do, I had listened (of course) to samples of the online music in order to pick where to go on my free night. And I liked what I heard when it came to Glasslands. I liked The Belle Game, their melodic lines and the styling.

But the recordings in no way prepared me for what I was to hear live on stage. While the music on the recordings hint at some strong vocals, the music on stage was WOW powerful. The force of Andrea Lo's voice was at once overwhelming, yet, the nuance of her styling made the music enveloping. An exciting experience.

The thing that stood out most about this performance was its vibrancy, not only due to Andrea Lo's voice, but also due to the way the performers interacted, or "didn't" interact. At times I felt that each of the performers were in their own world doing their own best shows oblivious to the others, and it was only by chance that it was all coming together. The performance just straddled enough on the edge of non-cohesiveness to keep me amazed and wondering, yet that was a major ingredient that just seemed to work right and help make the performance compelling.

One of the best recorded examples of Andrea Lo's powerhouse vocals is in the song "River", which is playing right here on my blog page :::

I don't know when The Belle Game will be coming back East or to the U.S., but I would say get on their list so you can find out! Here is the click ::: The Belle Game's website (CLICK HERE)

Feb 23 : "Ghost Man" - Blue & Gold (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (July 2013)

After Spike Hill, the next venue to visit (which was actually on the border between Williamsburg and Greenpoint) was Brooklyn Night Bazaar. where I heard Brooklyn band "Blue & Gold".

They rocked the house / a great set.

Here's a sample of their music. This is "Ghost Man", which is the second track on the "Blue & Gold" ep that was released this past July.

If you like what you hear, you're in luck, they have another show schedule on March 29, at Mercury Lounge.

To visit Blue and Gold on the internets in the meantime, here is the click ::: Blue & Gold on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

Feb 20 : "Everything Is Everything" - Gabriel Garzón-Montano (Bound Brook)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (Feb 11)

Went on a Williamsburg whirlwind tour --- two places actually :) --- after work Friday night. Started off the evening at Spike Hill where I heard Bound Brook artist Gabriel Garzón-Montano; I enjoyed his show. This was the first time I heard him play; Gabriel did the vocal and keys. The music was eclectic, leaning heavily towards r&b. He had just released an ep earlier in the week, February 11, to be exact.

From the band's page ::: Born to a Colombian father and a French mother, Gabriel spent his early years mastering the violin, guitar, and drums, before turning to the piano and bass guitar to better complete his compositions. By the time he graduated from Purchase College's Conservatory of Music, the foundations for his debut EP, Bishouné: Alma del Huila, were already laid.

Family and relationships are important to him. This came through not only in comments he made between songs when he was on stage, but also comes through in the lyrics.

Playing right here on my blog page is "Everything is Everything", which is the second track on the newly-released EP, "Bishouné: Alma del Huila"

If you'd like to learn more about Gabriel Garzón-Montano's music and hear the rest of the ep, check out his Bandcamp page Gabriel Garzón-Montano on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

Feb 16 : "PersonalityPerPerson" - 185668232 (Philly)

Philly Music!

CREATIVITY BEFORE YOUR EYES

Props. There were props. I went to see my friend, Iam, do a show at the Yell Gallery last weekend, and he had a table full of props.

Iam S. Mick is the mastermind of Philly noise & music outfit, "185668232". 185668232 was headlining a bunch of other artists for the evening.

Iam made use of the props almost right from the beginning. He lowered the microphone down to the table level, and poured a glass of water. The microphone was connected to a recorder, which recorded and then played back the pouring exactly as we heard it. ... Then Iam played with the recorded pouring sound, distorted it, quickened the tempo, then back to the prop table.

Next, moving the microphone up to his face, he drank a few gulps of water from the glass, then played that back.

And then he rang a large bell which had been salvaged from an old church. Then he played that back.

He did this sequence with a number of items.

He worked and played with these sounds and integrated them into one long piece. Unlike previous shows where he played several shorter tracks, this show contained everything in one. I recognized fragments of various tracks embedded in the longer piece, following the playback of the props.

Iam is always on the lookout to push the envelope to incorporate everyday sounds and not-so-everyday sounds into his pieces, sometimes combining them with traditional instrumentation, sometimes not.

Another example of a track that rose from an unexpected source is "PersonalityPerPerson" which is playing right here on my blog page. In the notes connected with the track, Iam says, "What is considered a "mashup" of left over sounds for PRODUCT PLACEMENT (the 36+ track EP) // These sounds were on my machine by the previous owner; he told me to do something with them. I didn't choose these sounds, just arranged them."

There's more creativity to sample if you check out 185668232 on the internets. Here is the click ::: 185668232 on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

Feb 05 : "Justice" - Minka (Philly)

Philly Music!

A couple weeks ago I went to Milkboy and saw Philly band "Minka" do a good show. Very energetic and dramatic moves by the band's front man.

Here is a sample of the band's music. It's their song, "Justice" :::

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Looks like the band removed this song from their page!

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I'm recommending you check them out. The band is entertaining to watch, great showmanship. You can find out when they have a show coming up by checking their Facebook page ::: Minka on Facebook (CLICK HERE), or get a sample of the front man's gymnastics by checking out the video on their website. Minka Website (CLICK HERE)

Feb 01 : "Guitar Pickn' On You" - The Mystery Lights (New York / Salinas)

Was looking for music to hear Wednesday night after work and I was happy to see that The Mystery Lights, which I had heard once before, was doing a show in Williamsburg, at Baby's All Right.

It had been a year and a half since I had heard them play at Mercury Lounge. I had liked them then and had made a note that I should keep my eye open for more of their shows.

Their show Wednesday night was phenomenal. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The show Wednesday night was much wilder and the audience was more hyped up than at that summer night at Mercury Lounge in 2012. Very high energy all around.

I noticed some changes in the music as well. The structure of the songs on Wednesday night seemed to be a little looser and the form a little more free-flowing than in 2012. Since I've only heard them the two times, I don't know if that's a stylistic shift or just night-to-night random differences.

The Mystery Lights' song that I like the most is "Guitar Pickn' On You", the recording of which, written a couple years ago, is a little tighter. And, yes, they did play it in the middle of the show Wednesday night. Here it is :::

The sound was excellent at Baby's All Right, as good as if not better than at the Mercury show; Wednesday night was all around a good show. My only regret was that the train schedule kept me from hearing the other bands playing afterwards.

Here is the click to The Mystery Lights' Bandcamp page ::: The Mystery Lights on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

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Dec 8, 2016 ::: UPDATE UPDATE ::: The band evidently took down that old arrangement. They've come up with lots of new music as well as new arrangements of some of their standards. Check out some more recent music and comments here

Jan 24 : "You've Become A Witch" - The Electric Mess (Brooklyn)

Topping off the evening at Mercury Lounge was Brooklyn band "The Electric Mess", which was another band whose show I liked a lot.

The Electric Mess is a dynamic five piece. Their music has played to international acclaim. Here is an excerpt from a UK review that appears on their page: "Shindig! (UK): "The Electric Mess? Nothing could be further from the truth! Fronted by the mercurial vocal talents of androgynous lead singer Esther Crow aka Chip Fontaine and backed by four intuitive musicians... the New York City-based outfit produce tight, inventive, white knuckle ride garage-punk."

Some of the lyrics and song titles push the over-the-top envelope. I always vote in favor of that haha.lol. Here are examples of some of the song titles: "He Looks Like a Psycho", "The Girl With the Exploding Dress", and "Don't Take Your Bad Trip Out On Me", to name a few.

Another is "You've Become A Witch", the video version of which is playing right here: (Watch it FULL screen to the very "The End").

"You've Become a Witch" (official video) by The Electric Mess from THE ELECTRIC MESS on Vimeo.

To visit The Electric Mess on line, here is the click to their main web page ::: The Electric Mess (CLICK HERE)

Jan 19 : "Sweet As They Come" - The Piggies (Brooklyn)

The opening band playing at Mercury Lounge that night was Brooklyn band "The Piggies", which came on stage after One Chord Progression DJ's started the night.

I liked The Piggies right off. They were my favorite that night. The melodic lines drew me in right away. The rough around the edges style, but, at the same time, the way their sound was mixed had such an amazing clarity.

There were also vibrant lyrics, sparked with humor in the right places. And the good melodic lines, a little bit blues-infused.

The band is a four piece. Last week I had a conversation with Andy, who does vocals and guitar. He fills us in on their background and their creative process. ::: It's kind of hard to separate the band from our personal friendships and relations, but to make a long story short, I'm married to Kris (the drummer.) Brad (the other guitar player) and Matt (the bass player) are two of my oldest and best friends. We all happen to live within a square block of each other.

About five years ago, Kris and I were in a band called the Underthings and wanted to start something new. We were jamming at our practice space, getting some tunes together, but not having much luck finding other people to play with. We really were looking for a bassist. I wasn't thinking about having a two guitar band, I was kind of going for a power trio. Even so, after a while we asked Brad to come down and play guitar. Brad had never been in a real band before, but I knew he was a good guitar player from hanging out with him. We played for a bit without a bassist, and finally, after a couple of weeks we asked Matt, who was also in the Underthings to come down and it all started to feel good. We just naturally played well together, as easy as if we were just having a conversation, or joking around.

Generally speaking, I write the songs. What I mean by that is, I write the words, and the chords, and whatever melody there is. Then we work it out as band, with everyone adding their part, suggesting possibilities , having opinions, and coming up with arrangement ideas. It's all done as a group. We hammer away at a tune and it all falls into place (for the most part) rather easily. I'm very lucky to have people who freely give as much as Brad, Kris and Matt. We're all big music people, so if anyone of us brings up a reference point as an idea for a song, we all know (to pick a few names out of a hat) who Elmore James is, or the MC5, or Hank Snow, or Clifton Chenier, etc. It makes for a very natural, and comfortable environment. Our tastes (somewhat miraculously) run along the same lines, though there isn't any kind of the snobbery or elitism that I have seen with a lot of musicians. I can talk to these guys without worrying about being judged. They know their sh*t.

We're working on getting a record out, it's going to be a full length album with ten songs. We're just about to start mixing. I'm very excited about it, because even at this stage, it sounds fantastic. We'll probably press 500 copies.We have to do everything on a pretty small scale.

We actually have something out on Norton Records, it's part of their series of Rolling Stones cover 45s. We do the song Parachute Woman. The other side of the record is La La Brooks doing Play With Fire.

I enjoyed The Piggies' music at Mercury Lounge. One of the songs with a more unique style was "Sweet As They Come", which features the vocals and guitars speaking back and forth, with the guitar first playing four descending notes, then followed by a vocal phrase, then repeating this sequence back and forth. This song is playing below right here on my blog page. While you can certainly hear the contrasts in this recorded version, they were much more pronounced when done on stage. ... But here is the recorded version of "Sweet As They Come" :::

Some bands sound better on stage; some sound better recorded. As good as The Piggies may sound here, they're even much better on stage, and I would urge you to follow them and watch for their next live show. They're not on Facebook, but you can find them on Facebook. Here is the click ::: The Piggies (CLICK HERE)

Jan 12 : One Chord Progression (Brooklyn)

CURATORIAL PROWESS

I'm pretty sure this is my first ever post about DJ's.

Up until last Friday night I considered DJ's to be superfluous interlopers playing between live band sets, and playing music that was too often not quite as good as what the venue or the sound guy would normally play themselves.

Until last Friday night when I was given an attitude adjustment. … big time.

Last Friday I went to Mercury Lounge and the first music playing as I walked in the door was some intriguing vinyl spinning by "Tony LoFi" of Brooklyn's "One Chord Progression". This was something different. Each song he played seemed like an individual little gem that begged to be listened to.

I talked with Tony that night and then later with his partner, "Anna Anabolic" to find out some background information and how they went about picking these songs! A lot of thought went into these selections. The passion they have and the care they take in selecting their music is clearly evident as you listen.

Anna tells us ::: Tony and I launched OCP March of 2012. It's a blog where we post interviews and rock n roll news, although we've let it slide a bit lately due to being too damn busy at work! We mostly just book shows and DJ these days under the OCP name. We'll revive the blog soon though.

Regarding the songs we play...we go record shopping all the time, it's a big hobby of ours. Any song with a food title is gonna be awesome, nine times out of ten...also, anything with 'twist', 'hop' or 'boogaloo' in the name is almost certain to be a winner. We got one of those nifty battery powered portable turntables recently so we can finally listen to records before we buy em, cutting down what we buy by about 50% (and making us 50% nerdier in the process). We have our favorite singers and bands of course but we're always trying to learn about new singers, bands and labels to check out. Tony's really into French and Quebec 60s records too, often french covers of soul or girl group songs (but lots of originals too). I'm obsessed with 60s soul, R&B and girl group - mostly just the real high energy stuff - and also love finding cool covers. I just bought a 45 of Solomon Burke doing 'Maggie's Farm' that I'm pretty psyched about. And Etta James doing "Security."

The duo has a Bandcamp page with two volumes of free downloadable songs. Here is a sample, the lead song on "One Year Regression Vol 2". The track is titled "Conjure Man", and it's by Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds :::

If you'd like to hear more, here is the click to their One Chord Progression on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE).

Jan 10 : Monday Appreciation Society (Philly)

Philly Music!

Another project created by a Long Walk Home (featured in Jan 4 post) member is "Monday Appreciation Society." At the big show at North Star, Monday Appreciation Society played right after Bird Watcher and right before Long Walk Home.

Monday Appreciation Society's direct connection to Long Walk Home is drummer Mark Rybaltowski. Mark's partner in the newer project is Dan Wisniewski. However, Mark and Dan describe themselves as "Two dudes from The Quelle Source", which is another band that both of them were in previously. But The Quelle Source also had Kevin Ryan from Long Walk Home, so there's a second more roundabout connection. The sounds are intertwined.

Mark and Dan have music posted on Bandcamp, on which they say that their initial music has been recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder. They have a 5-track ep, "Time Travel EP" posted on their Bandcamp page with a promise that an 11-track album is in the works!

If you visit their Bandcamp page, you'll see that the lyrics are posted for each song, which is still a little unusual. Not all bands do that, although they probably should.

This is about the point where I would normally feature a particular song of the band and have it posted right here. But, alas, Bandcamp wouldn't cooperate, and I can't repost anything from their Bandcamp page. So the best I can do is to tell you to go their page and listen. Here is the click ::: Monday Appreciation Society (CLICK HERE)

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Jan 16, 2014, Added On ::: ::: Problem Solved! I mentioned above that I wasn't able to post any music from Monday Appreciation Society's Bandcamp page. I think in the end that must have been a browser problem, because now it seems to work. Listen to "Red Snow", which is the fourth song on the band's "Time Travel E.P.".

The band's lyrics are not as direct as some others that we often hear. There's some beautiful imagery in Monday Appreciation Society's lyrics, and I think especially in this one particular song, "Red Snow". Again, go to their page and check out the lyrics!

Jan 08 : "The Great West, or 'Old Black on the Elk'" - Bird Watcher (Philly)

Philly Music!

The guys who play in Long Walk Home (from the previous blog) have ventured out into other music projects. One of them is "Bird Watcher" which was the opener on that big night at North Star. Julian Booker from Long Walk Home does the vocals, guitar, and mastermind at Bird Watcher. Here is a sample of their music, "The Great West, or 'Old Black on the Elk'"; this song also features LWH's Mark Rybaltowski playing drums.

The song is Julian's tribute to his friend and mentor, Dave. Take a minute to read the full story on Bird Watcher's Facebook page ::: Bird Watcher on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jan 04 : "On My Way Down" - Long Walk Home (Philly)

Philly Music!

THEY PLAYED EVERYTHING

What a great show. Long Walk Home's annual holiday "reunion" concert you could call it. It was their best show "yet".

I first saw Philly band Long Walk Home do a live show when they played the Tritone on November 23, 2007. After that I was hooked and saw them in frequent concerts playing all over the city, up through May 21, 2110, which was when they did a "farewell show" at Grape Room. OH, NO! But after graduating from Temple and St Joe's, life was calling them to move in different directions and to go separate ways.

That was an awful day to see them break up. But lucky for me and other fans their absence was to be short lived, for they subsequently did a "reunion" show which has now evolved into an annual event.

Last week was this year's annual show, this time at North Star Bar. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the large crowd. What a change as attendance has steadily grown each year.

Shortly after I arrived the other night, I got a sneak peak at the playlist for the evening and I immediately saw that they had EVERYTHING and More on their list. All the songs from their most recent full length 2009 album, "Heavy Sand", as well as all the songs from their previous full length, "Long Walk Home". Plus covers. Wow, that was ambitious. ... Mark gave me a copy of the playlist; here it is :::

The band played non-stop for two hours, including all their standards and some exciting and surprising new covers, such as the Stones' "Not Fade Away". The music is not just a repetition of what they previously played but a revisiting of works with new arrangements and enhancements. One of the interesting new takes on a previous standard was their new rendition of "Murder By a Family Man", which was from the earlier album.

One of the main things that has always drawn me to the music of Long Walk Home is the complex instrumentals, and it was good to see that the new arrangements are not showing a thinning out in the composition as we see with too many other bands, but are showing enrichments. Make no mistake, the band rocks hard, but at the same time demonstrates more complexity and nuance in the composition and performance, and doing it all with such confidence and ease.

The lyrics of the music are right in tune with the uncertain times in which we now live. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, there's always some optimism, but still a feeling that we're on the edge and try to keep from falling. Many references to the Fall and Winter months.

Last week the band started off the show with their song "On My Way Down", which is also the opening track of their newer album, "Heavy Sand". It's one of my favorites. Here it is ::: (NOTE ::: THIS MUSIC IS SOURCED WITH THE BAND'S PERMISSION, BUT NOT FROM THEIR WEBSITE. WAIT A MINUTE AFTER YOU CLICK ON THE LINK; YOUR BROWSER NEEDS A MINUTE TO LOAD THE SONG)

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6/27/20 UPDATE! ::: OOPS! Couldn't bring this music forward. Sawry !!! :)

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You should friend Long Walk Home now so you can be alerted to their next reunion. Here is the click ::: Long Walk Home (CLICK HERE)

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"On My Way Down" © 2009, Long Walk Home. All rights reserved. Used with permission.