Jul 31 : "Glasgow" - Milan to Minsk (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released

A third exciting band I heard on my Alphaville trip was Brooklyn band "Milan to Minsk". As with the previous two bands I talked about, the web music bears little resemblance to what they did live at their show, so there's not much I can play as a sample. Again, the music on their page is quite a bit more mellow than what they did live. Another example of two different bands! :) Milan to Minsk's live performance was a lot more raucous with both a trumpet and a sax as part of their lineup. And even a "ewi", which I had never heard before! What a great wind section! Yes, I'm gonna go back!

An interesting song on their Soundcloud page is "Glasgow". This is track #3 of their "Milan to Minsk" EP, which was released in January ::::

Milan to Minsk put on a great show, but unfortunately they don't have any upcoming shows in our area. However, here is the click to their Facebook page so you can keep up with them and not miss them the next time they play: Milan to Minsk on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Jul 29 : "Yoga Video Music for Alicja" - Ann Driscoll (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Posted

One of the qualities that all the bands playing that night at Alphaville seemed to have was that there was not a whole lot of resemblance between their music on the web and what they would present to listeners at the live show.

I was a little shocked when Brooklyn artist Ann Driscoll got up on stage with her band and started to play. The music was quite different from the web music; I felt like I was hearing a completely different outfit. While the music on the web page is a little more laid back and mellow in its expression, the live band was full-force rock with pounding and heavy drums. Ann Driscoll herself not only did the forceful vocals but also alternated between playing keys and guitar.

One of the songs I like on the web page is "Yoga Video Music for Alicja". It's an unusual title. After the show I asked Ann "Who's Alicja?" She said that Alicja is a close friend who lives in Germany and who is passionate about yoga. So here is "Yoga Video Music for Alicja". :::

A number of the artist's songs are written around themes or concepts. Here is "Woman (Instrumental)". Some interesting chords in this!

I've listened to all the music on the web page several times, and I think the track that comes closest to what I heard at the Alphaville show (maybe the only track) is "Breed". It has the heavy and fast beat of a lot of the work I heard at the show, but vocals way more powerful at the show. :::

I recommend that you try to catch one of Ann Driscoll's shows. Actually Songkick lists another show coming up for her in the next few weeks. She'll be playing on August 17 at Rough Trade. In the meantime, if you'd like to follow her on the internets, here is the click to her Facebook page ::: Ann Driscoll on Facebook (CLICK HERE). ================================

7/5/20 ::: OOPS. Ann's new name is "Stunt Casting".

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9/26/21 ::: OOPS. Looks like Yoga Video Music for Alicja is history. But looks like Ann is back being Ann again! :)

Jul 15 : "Dogs (Live)" - Aloha Machine (Harrison + SUNY Purchase)

After work last Wednesday I went to Bushwick to hear some good music. Bushwick is getting to be the new pattern! This time I went to Alphaville, my first time there. Up first was Harrison NY ("SUNY Purchase is our home") band "Aloha Machine". This loud surf-rock psych-rock three-piece was a good way to start the night. It was my first time seeing them and I'm putting them on the list to see them again. ... Not quite the same in real life as they are on the web, but their music is good both ways.

The band has a couple albums out. Their December 2015 album is titled "Live! at the Destructo Disc". In this album I like some of the juxtaposition of lush guitar work with scrappy lyrics. The first song on the album is "Dogs (Live)" :::

The Aloha Machine is going to be doing a show tonight at Bushwick Public House, so stop what you're doing right now and go there! If you can't make it, you can always keep tabs on the band by following them on Facebook. Here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Aloha Machine on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Jul 03 : "Follow Me Home" - The Mystery Lights (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (June 24)

The Mystery Lights always do a good show. I've heard The Mystery Lights play all over, both in Philly and New York, and I think their show at Kung Fu Necktie last week was one that was right up there at the top. They were the reason I headed to Kung Fu on June 22. I have new developments to report.

Getting ahead of myself, the bands biggest news is that, with their collaboration with Wick Records, a subsidiary of Dapstone records, they just released their debut full-length album, "The Mystery Lights". The release date, party, and show was actually on June 24 at Mercury Lounge, two days after the Kung Fu show.

The sound work was great at Kung Fu last week. I could hear all the components, vocals and instruments, all individually as well as all together as one. The sound work allowed for more texture and nuance (which was also a big plus for "The Snails", which I wrote about in my previous posting).

And this was the right time for the better sound work at Kung Fu because The Mystery Lights has a lot of new songs and a number of new arrangements of some of their standards, and this venue was the ideal showcase for such an effort. A lot of the music the band played at Kung Fu is the music that's on the new album. Some of the songs had appeared before, either on ep or just streaming on the band's online platforms, but some of the songs are completely new.

So what's new in the new arrangements? Maybe a little more organ, for one thing. (The band calls it an "organ", not "keys". This is probably the true garage terminology). We can hear that at the beginning of the updated and revised "What Happens When You Turn the Devil Down?" as well as a very pronounced organ intro in the new "Follow Me Home". While the band's music as a whole is a rock explosion, there have also some changes in tempo, including a little slowing down of "Before My Own". In this song, there's also a unique guitar tonality.

So the music in the new album has more songs with pronounced individual stylings and characteristics, and at the same time, the arrangements are done in a way so that each component, the vocals and each instrument, have a chance to individually shine. This was a perfect match with the excellent sound work at Kung Fu last Wednesday night.

Their new album marks a big step forward in their writing, their arrangements, and their performance. You should listen to this album. Here is a sample. This is "Follow Me Home", which is the album's second track :::

If you like what you hear and you want to see them live, you're in luck. The Mystery Lights is coming back a week from Friday (July 15) to do another show at Kung Fu. In the meantime, you can go hear this album on their Bandcamp page ::: The Mystery Lights on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE) and you can keep up with their tour dates on Facebook ::: The Mystery Lights on Facebook (CLICK HERE).