Nov 26 : "Long Run" - Darling Din (Brooklyn)

((Quick Note ::: I've seen some interesting bands over the past few months, but am running out of time to write about them, so this is a "Quick Note".))

A week ago Friday I went to Pianos and saw three-piece Brooklyn band "Darling Din". Here is a good sample of their music, "Long Run", released in 2016.

Darling Din's web pages don't show any other show coming up soon, but here is the click to their Facebook page so you can keep an eye on what's next. ::: Darling Din on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Nov 12 : J. G. Wentworth ((updated))

I love these musical ads. I know nothing about the company, "J. G. Wentworth". I have never used them nor do I know anyone who has. But their advertising musical productions are great. So here are my three favorites:

The first one I ever saw was the "Opera" version:::

Next up is a variation on the operatic style. It is the "Bus" version:

And finally, the third video is the "Boyband" version:

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UPDATE ! Nov 15 2017 ::: The third video above was actually the winner of a contest JG Wentworth ran to create a new ad. The group calls themselves "The JG Boyz". Here they are in an interview with their local tv station:::

Nov 05 : "Cadillac" - Eldest Son (Brooklyn)

They sounded good, but I didn't get to hear the whole show. Brooklyn band "Eldest Son" was only into their first few songs, when I had to end my visit to Muchmore's in order to make the last NJT/SEPTA train home. I'm sure I will see them again, and for a whole show.

The band has some interesting work on line, with more emphasis on the percussion work than in the live show. The online version also has more of a crispness. Here is "Cadillac", released early this year, in January :::

Eldest Son doesn't have any other shows listed soon, but, to keep an eye on them, here is the click to their Facebook page: Eldest Son on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Oct 29 : "Prosperous Sun" - Bad Galaxy (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written and Recently Released (Album Release was Oct 13!)

There are good times, there are bad times, there are times of hope when all can turn out well ... or not. This is all part of life.

On my recent visit to Muchmore's in Williamsburg, I saw Brooklyn outfit "Bad Galaxy". Bad Galaxy is a solo act by Alex Pastuhov. This was Night 2 of the Rocker Stalker Festival. In addition, this night was the release of Bad Galaxy's new album, also titled "Bad Galaxy". It has ten tracks!

The second song that Alex played at the show is also the second song on the album. It's "Prosperous Sun". As his show progressed, I was struck by the sense of life's precariousness and by his embracing of the bad in life as well as the good.

There's a feeling in the songs that he is hoping for the best, and really wants the best in spite of all odds, but is aware that things can go off the rails, and, regardless of how things turn out, is celebrating the pluses as well as the minuses in life and is moving forward. Not all artists talk about embracing the bad along with the good.

AND / OR

When I heard Alex singing the songs at Muchmore's, they sounded like they pretty much related to personal experiences. After I got home and started listening in depth to the music he has on line, I'm thinking that some of these songs could be metaphors for things more macro, such as the economic marginalization of whole segments of our society.

It seems that money or the economy is a component, either major or minor, in a lot of the writing. Or the economy on a large scale has in some part brought the characters in the songs to the dilemmas in which they find themselves. And, if we do look at it in a macro sense, there are outcomes maybe not as positive as in the personal.

WARNING: In the Bad Galaxy World there is little if no hope for economic relief. It seems that the music offers only suspicion and little hope for society as a whole, but it does offer optimism and plenty of idealism about individuals' ability to deal with their personal interactions, as the only thing that we can hold on to in these times. So we've gotta do it; it's the only way to cope with the larger picture.

"Prosperous Sun" is a powerful song. Take a minute to listen:

So here is the click if you want to read the lyrics while you hear the song: Read the lyrics as you listen (CLICK HERE). Or, if you just want to hear the song, click below::::

Bad Galaxy doesn't have any other shows coming up soon, but here's the click to the Bad Galaxy Facebook page where you can keep a watch for the next show: Bad Galaxy on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

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2/11/18 ::::: UPDATE ::: OOPS OOPS ::: The above music has disappeared! It seems that the band has removed that track from their web presence.

Oct 15 : "Solution Not Pollution" - NCM (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written and Recently Released (March 27)

I've noticed more of a connection between the worlds of music and politics over the last couple years, first in 2016 where I saw fundraisers for Bernie and now, after the election, where there are protests against Donald Trump's agenda. Sometimes the protest is in the form of fundraisers for organizations doing work on issues hurt by Trump's agenda and sometimes it is in the form of the lyrics themselves. One example of the latter is in the song "Solution Pollution" by Brooklyn band "NCM".

On Friday night after work I headed over to Muchmore's in Williamsburg and saw NCM do their wild and raw garage rock, opening up the evening for what was Night 2 of the Rocker Stalker Festival. It was my first time seeing NCM.

"Solution Pollution" not only calls out Donald Trump for his lies and other bad things that come out of his mouth, but also calls on all of us to respect one another and work together and resist attempts that would be made to divide us. For, as the song says,
"Cause if you don't they'll divide us up
ANd take this country down"

To HEAR the song while actually READing the lyrics, here is the click to the song's page. "Solution Not Pollution" by NCM (CLICK HERE).

NCM doesn't list any other shows coming up soon in NYC or Philly, so here is the click to their Facebook page where you can keep an eye on them. NCM on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Oct 08 : "These People". - Aunt Sis (Asheville)

Heard a lot of good music in the last several weeks. Another band of note is "Aunt Sis" from Asheville. I heard them play at Alphaville.

Here is "These People", the second track on their album of the same name, issued in the Spring of 2016.

Aunt Sis doesn't show any trips back up North any time soon, but they've got a lot of good music on line. Here is the click to their Bandcamp page: Aunt Sis on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE).

Sep 10 : "In My Way". - White Lighters (Brooklyn)

Wow even better than the web page was my reaction when White Lighters began to play at their recent Alphaville show. I went out to Alphaville in Bushwick last week and saw White Lighters for the first time. They opened up the evening doing what seemed to be more complex instrumentals than what we hear on Bandcamp.

When I was in my pre-concert venues and bands cross-checking mode, I was drawn to the band's music because I liked its laid-back rock sound including some scraggly bumps-in-the-road in some of their song structures. However, when I got to the show, I was surprised to see what was almost a different band! While they played some of the same songs as on the web page, there was no more laid-back at this show! Very strong instrumentals with powerful drums as well as a tambourine along with two guitars.

One of the qualities I liked about the band's performance was listening to the guitars, at times each going its own way. Yet each combined into a cohesive presentation.

Here is a sample of their music. This is "In My Way", which is the opening track on their December, 2016 album, "White Heaters".

The music above is quite different from what you'll experience if you hear the band live. And, to do that, perfect timing, the band is returning to Alphaville tomorrow night!. If you'd like to visit the band's Facebook page, here is the click ::: White Lighters on Facebook.

Aug 22 : "Lemon Pie" - Bel Heir (Philly)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (June)

Philly Music!

Another sensational show I saw Saturday night at Boot and Saddle was by Philly band "Bel Heir". Some great melodic lines; I've been listening to their Soundcloud a lot. Actually there is a stronger bass and rhythm in the Soundcloud version than there was at the show. Also some very vibrant changes in texture come through much better on Soundcloud. They just came out with some new music in June; it's on an ep, titled "Washed Up". Here is "Lemon Pie" (on Soundcloud) from that album. Stylistically this song represents what I like most about the band's music :::

I know I'm going to go back to hear them again, but right now Bel Heir doesn't have any other shows lined up. In the meantime, here is the click to their Facebook page where you can keep an eye on what they'll be doing next ::: Bel Heir on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Aug 20 : "Toxic Boy" - Blame Candy (Mystery Town)

Last night I went to Boot and Saddle and saw glam rock outfit "Blame Candy" open up the evening. Good music and an over-the-top stage presence. This was my first time seeing them,; hope to see them again. ... None of their web pages indicates where they're from, so they could be from Mars or outer space. I'm just listing their location as "Mystery Town".

Here is a sample of their recent music from the past year. The song is "Toxic Boy":

Blame Candy is doing another show on September 20 at Knitting Factory. Here is the click to their Facebook page so you can keep an eye out: Blame Candy on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

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5/16/20 ::: Update ::: Looks like the band removed music from their site!

Aug 02 : Blues (Live at Q) - Nemes (Boston)

A violin in a rock band. Wow! That's part of the lineup of Boston band, "Nemes".

So here's one of those bands that sounds different in real life as compared to what they've got on the web. The music on Bandcamp sounds good, but no audio can possibly record anything near the high-energy raucous show that the band did at Pianos a few weeks ago, including, what the band calls "fiddle action glory".

The composition and structure of Nemes' music is different from that of the last two outfits I wrote about here. While the last two showed a tighter style in their composition, Nemes shows a far more free-form style of writing. In fact, the personality of a song can change multiple times in one track. Here is "Blues", which is the seventh and final track of their 2016 album, "Live in Studio - Q Divison"

Listen as the violin comes in and starts to become prominent near the 2.13 marker. And listen for major surprise structural changes at (approximately) 3.33, 4.35, and 7.57.

Nemes doesn't have other shows coming up in the NY or Philly areas, but here is the click to their Facebook page, where you can keep tabs on what they're doing. Nemes on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jul 30 : "Baby Making Music". - Don't Upset the Bear (NJ)

From "New Jersey" (don't know where in NJ) is the band "Don't Upset the Bear", who did a good show at Pianos a few weeks ago. Heard them for the first time. As I was checking out their web presence I was impressed by the music they had on line. Their most recent full-length album is "The Ghosts That Haunt Us", which was released last October. Each track on the album has its own personality, while each still bears the band's stylistic stamp. The album has a stylistic cohesiveness, yet is a good collection of individual songs. Something you don't always see. Here is "Baby Making Music", the fourth track on the album :::

Check out their whole album. Here is the click ::: "The Ghosts That Haunt Us" (CLICK HERE).

Jul 21 : "Holes" - Nour Harkati (Tunis + New York)

IN A SPIRITUAL PLACE

A couple weeks ago I went to Pianos and heard Tunisian artist Nour Harkati open up the evening. He's a remarkable vocalist who started his show plyaing guitar as an accompaniment to his vocals. While his vocals were pronounced, his guitar had a quieter rhythm. The main force of the music was through the vocals.

Later he put the guitar down and finished the rest of the show playing keys.

Nour Harkati is from Tunisia and has come to the U.S. of A. only very recently. His album, "The Shift" was published a couple years ago and he says he wants to re-release it for a wider audience.

The instrumentals are mellow and spiritual, juxtaposed with vocals that are sharper.

I was interested in learning more about Nour and his music, so we've been talking back and forth by emails over the last few days.

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Bob: Was the show at Pianos your first show in New York? You recently came here from Tunis?

Nour: Yes! the show at Pianos was my first show in NYC and I'm so glad cause that was really a great show full of good energy and I know "Pianos" is one of the Classic authentic Venues in NYC. I arrived in New York on the 2nd of may.

Bob: How did you pick New York to come to?

Nour: I'm a Singer Songwriter and my inspiration come from traveling and meeting people so after Paris and Berlin Experience, I thought that New York would be my next step.

I used to live in Paris and Berlin, I've Worked with "LIVE NATION FRANCE" the Biggest Touring and Booking Companies in the world.

They Recommended to "Pianos" and helped me pick up that

Bob: Was getting the show and setting it up as easy as you expected?

Nour: Honestly, I did’ really expect that Energy, I was Stressed because I dont know many people in NYC and I don’t have a FAN Base here.

Bob: Part of your show had a guitar background; part had the keys as an accompaniment. Which do you prefer? Which did you learn first? Did you learn to play instruments first and then became a vocalist or the other way around? Or both at the same time?

Nour: I learned Guitar First and few years Later I started to sing and Write , I made an Album in Paris and a second album in Berlin Called the Shift after I Spent much time learning about Piano and Synths

Actually I’m working on an album with a Tunisian Band Called “Aytma” Really Good young musicians, the Album is called “Helwess” it means Paranoia in Arabic/Tunisian because after few years in Europe and I’ve realized that I love my language and I wanna connect to it with a depth.

The Album is coming out Soon (September / October) and we are going on a Tour together on November 2017.

Morocco, Cairo , Beirut , Dubai , Jordan , France.

Here’s the first Track we released together.

This song is talking about the epic we live in, lack of trust, lack of good values, talking also about the wild lost youth “the new generations”

Bob: Your accompaniments, both the guitar and the keys convey a strong sense of spirituality. But you also commented at the show that you wanted to convey a feeling of melancholy. Can you comment on that?

Nour: I want to express Melancholy, cause first of all I feel it everyday, I’m a positive person in the daily life but I m in a moment of my life that I want to export the Melancholy I have in me and make people feel it also not to make them sad just to invite them to connect to my world.

Bob: Do you hope to continue doing solo work in the future, or do you see yourself having a band or larger ensemble or maybe a little of both?

Nour: I would do both, depends on where I am or how I feel , but I love to collaborate with musicians , no matter the style or the nationality.

Thank you.

Bob: And thank you.

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A song that illustrates some of the stylings I was talking about above can be found in his song, "Holes" which is the third track on the album, "The Shift".

If you like his sound and want to hear him live, you're in luck. Nour will be doing a show next week, on Wednesday, July 26, at The Gallery at Casa Mezcal, on Orchard Street in Manhattan.

In the meantime, here is the link to his Facebook page: Nour Harkati on Facebook (CLICK HERE). And here is the click to his Soundcloud page, where you can listen to the whole album. Nour Harkati on Soundcloud (CLICK HERE).

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After listening to Nour's Soundcloud page, I checked out his video, and got back to him with one last question:

Bob: What's the story told in "Ayem"?

Nour: "Ayem" means "Days" I mean this whole Century not just Days and I'm expressing the struggle of life of the Youth in my Country and the small limited circle they live in.

I express melancholy most of the time in my music because in the daily life I'm a positive, funny person and I love to laugh and to have good moments, so I dont have time to share my Sorrow with others - I just do it through my songs and my texts.

Jul 01 : "Black Cadillac". - Looseleaf (Philly)

Philly Music!

Where blues and garage meet is Philly band "Looseleaf", or "Looseleaf Trio" as they were formerly called until they added on a couple new members.

They did a great show at Ortlieb's a couple weeks ago. Even had some brass in one of the songs (I seem to be encountering more occasional brass within the last year or two).

In addition to the blues, other genres made appearances in the show, but the basic blues and rock were the main thrusts. Here's a good example of one of their songs, "Black Cadillac", which was released in November 2015.

If you like the sound of their music and want to hear them live, you're in luck. They'll be doing a release of new work, "Friends", at Milkboy on July 14. Here is the click to their Facebook page so you can check them out ::: Looseleaf on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jun 20 : "Waking Up" - Close Talker (Saskatoon)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (April 2017)

BLOCKS OF TEXTURE

Last Wednesday I went to Ortlieb's and saw Canadian band "Close Talker" open up the evening.

At first listen to their web music before I went to the show, there was something about the music that was a little unsettling. Maybe yes or no in the lyrics, but, deeper than that, in the foundation or the structure of the songs themselves. I'm talking about the texture or feel of the instrumentals. My "getting into the song" was interrupted by quick changes or stops in the textures.

On some of the songs there would be an intro that created one sense or feel followed abruptly by a verse that evoked something completely different. An example of this is in the song "Okay Hollywood", where there is a very lush and haunting intro for ten seconds, followed abruptly by a first verse that is more minimalist. While you can hear this contrast in the recorded version, it was even more pronounced in the band's live show. The abruptness of the transition rather than a smoothly-flowing change is one reason why I think of this as a "block of texture", which has a specific beginning and end.

Another reason why I see the music's structure as being in blocks is that, at several points, either between verses or interludes, the music almost stops! If only even for a split section, but it is definitely a dividing line. An example is in "Waking Up", near the 1.06 marker.

These blocks are also created by some abrupt changes in tempo and/or volume. Also in "Waking Up", listen how there is almost a break to silence at 1:56, and then the feel suddenly becomes softer and quieter. While music in general may have intros and verses and refrains and interludes, it's the segmenting or divides that help make this band's music unique.

"Waking Up" is the sixth track on the band's new album, "Lens", which was just released in April!

As I listened to the band's work on line and saw their wonderful show at Ortlieb's I kept thinking of their music in terms of these "blocks"; not every song has them, but enough do that I perceived their overall body of work in these terms. Due to these blocks and the changing textures, I found it sometimes hard to experience a particular feeling about an individual song all the way through, but, at the end of their show, when they had just played their last song and were ready to pack up, I felt that I had a pretty good feel for their work as a whole. Very intriguing structures. I liked their show.

Close Talker doesn't have any other shows coming up. The Philly show was one of their final stops on a world tour. However, you can see what they're up to by checking out their Facebook page. Here is the click ::: Close Talker on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jun 08 : "It's Alright". - Sam Seeger (New York)

BAND OF SIBLINGS

My main reason to go to Pianos that night was to hear Sam Seeger and his band. I had seen them at Goldsounds in Bushwick a few months before and was eager to see them again. The Pianos show was great; they didn't disappoint. At Pianos they played some new work and a lot of their standards.

Sam told me that he started playing music when he was twelve, and, from then until now, one of his dreams and goals is to have a "band of siblings". And that's exactly the way he's worked things out. His current lineup features both sister, Lily, playing rhythm guitar, and brother, Max, playing bass. (And Sam's girlfriend, Rosie, playing drums).

One song that stands out in their collection is "It's Alright." It's a song that has only those two words: "It's Alright". The first time I heard it, it seemed like a very upbeat and innocuous song; as I was first becoming acquainted with the band I had just been listening to their Soundcloud stream without looking at any of the accompanying artwork. However, as I later started to listen to the band's total body of music more intensely as well as took a closer look at their original artwork, I came to realize that the band has a more cynical and cautionary look at life and society, and there was more behind the two-word lyrics that I originally thought. I later saw the art next to the song showing a thumbs-up from the grave while being told "It's Alright". In some of the band's other work, such as "Drumbeat of the Apocalypse", the theme is resisting some of society's sweet words that try to lull us into submission. Here is "It's Alright", which was released last August :::

Sam Seeger and his siblings have no other shows coming up soon in our area, but here is the click to their web page, where you can keep an eye on what they're doing next ::: Sam Seeger web page (CLICK HERE). And here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Sam Seeger on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Jun 02 : "Lorimer". - The Pendulum Swings (Brooklyn)

Big Band Entertainment! Loved their show. A big surprise at last Wednesday's visit to Pianos was Jason Trachtenburg and his big band "The Pendulum Swings". Eight band members including a whole brass SECTION! While I knew that there were multiple band members in the outfit, my new computer wasn't up and running til right before, so I was barely acquainted with most of the bands playing that night.

Yes, there's a brass section! They had a tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, and trombone. And rounding out the outfit is a bass guitar, drums, an accordion, and Jason doing vocals and guitar. The band has a smooth musical style as well as stage presence. Jason's persona took over the room.

They played a good collection of songs including "Lorimer", which is one of their standards and was featured back in 2013 in a You-Tube video, which is right here :::

In addition to leading "The Pendulum Swings", Jason Trachtenburg is doing food videos. From last month, here is "Vegan Miso Lemon Tahini Dressing".

The Pendulum Swings doesn't have any other shows coming up in our area, but here is a click to their Facebook page so you can watch for the next date ::: The Pendulum Swings on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

May 29 : "Thessaloniki". - Kleenex Girl Wonder (New York)

On Wednesday I went to Pianos after work and heard for the first time New York band "Kleenex Girl Wonder". These guys have been around for a number of years and have developed a good balance between roughness and smoothness in the music that they did in their show. They're a three-piece that showed non-stop energy from the moment they got on the stage.

Their Bandcamp page shows 17 releases, which is a yuge discography. In going through their collection, one of the songs that caught my attention by its unique instrumentals was "Thessaloniki". It's the ninth track on their 2015 album, "Getting Started". :::

Kleenex Girl Wonder doesn't have any shows lined up in our area in the near future, but here is a click to their Facebook page where you can follow them more closely. Kleenex Girl Wonder on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

May 02 : Breanna Barbara (Ridgewood NY)

Also recently heard at Berlin was Breanna Barbara. I liked her vocals along with her whole band.

Am still writing short posts. :( While my computer did go into the shop and it did not receive a hopeful diagnosis, I've been looking at possible new computers and hope to make a purchase within a week. Then I'll be able to get back to my own regular music listening and postings. I'm happy that the library is there as a backup for emergencies, but they do have time constraints on computer use.

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Breanna Barbara has a couple shows coming up in the next couple weeks. Check out her Soundcloud page for dates and times as well as quite a good sampling of her music! Breanna Barbara on Soundcloud (CLICK HERE)

Apr 24 : Emotional (San Francisco)

Ten years ago there were more venues in Lower Manhattan than there are today. I've noticed that within the past year or two there have been more ads and listings for "Berlin", located on Avenue A north of Houston Street. I went there for the first time recently and saw San Francisco band "Emotional" do a good show.

I'm still without my own computer so can't do any music streaming, and, using a computer in a public place, have to keep this posting brief. But here is the Facebook page for Emotional. They're worth a listen: ::: Emotional on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Apr 18 : Tygerstrype (Philly)

Philly Music!

The next few blog postings are going to be different from usual. They'll be mighty short. My computer is down, so I'm checking emails and doing online at FedEx where they charge by the minute tick tick tick. So I'll be concise and brief.

I recently saw Philly band Tygerstrype do a show at The Barbary. Very good show. I liked it a lot. Music is more intense than last time I heard them. Vocals, percussion, guitar, all stronger and richer.

Unfortunately I can't do music samples because tick tick tick and $ $ $ and can't blow up the store with Tygerstrype music, at least I don't think I can. FedEx is counting every second. But I would definitely recommend you check out Tygersrype's Bandcamp page. Tygerstrype on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

Apr 05 : "Devil You Know" - Red Datsun (New York)

From the nuanced to the raucous. Red Datsun is in the house. When the band and its fans come into the room, it's an overwhelming wave of energy. The band has been around for years and has built up a very loyal following, and they packed the room at the recent show at Pianos.

Miller got up on stage and pounded out the vocals backed up by the power of the team's guitars and drums. A good show.

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Here's the band's self-description from their web page ::: "RED DATSUN is the product of lives spent in suede cubicles, shadowy bars, ambient trains, and throttled cars. Young lives rooted in the sound of the rock & roll the way the kids used to do it, and the way it used to be done. Analog, dirty, unfastidious. "

While the band does have a Bandcamp page, they do have a collection of You-Tube videos from a few years back. Here is "Devil You Know" from 2013.

Right now Red Datsun doesn't have any other shows coming up, but you can keep an eye on them by checking out their web page ::: Red Datsun web page

Mar 13 : "Whiskey & Vinyl" - City of Decades (Austin)

I actually did go out in February, but found disappointing shows / nothing to write about. So I was happy to see "City of Decades" do a show at Piano's a week ago Friday. It's great to be back on track hearing some good bands doing good shows.

City of Decades is a three-piece band from Austin. They were the opener for the evening. This is one of the stories where the band live is a little different than the band on line. The live performance was a little more forceful and less laid-back than the web music. Also, we see in the web music that the vocals take the lead along with strong guitars. ... But in the live performance it was the drums that took the lead. The drums provided the music with a great deal of texture, giving it an unexpected nuance in both tempo and volume. Liked their show a lot.

One of the songs they played at the show is their lead track on line, "Whiskey & Vinyl" :::

City of Decades will be returning back East in June, doing another show at Pianos on June 24 and one at Rockwood on June 25. If you would like to visit them in the meantime, here is the click to their Facebook page ::: City of Decades on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jan 23 : "Ego Walls Fall When You're In Love" - Sic Tic (Brooklyn)

After work on Friday I headed out to Bushwick to go to the "Rock Against Trump" charity benefit show at The Gateway. One outfit that I liked was Brooklyn band Sic Tic. The three-piece has a variety of styles in both its web and live music. I like the song structures with some of the changes in tempo. Here is "Ego Walls Fall When You're In Love" :::

Sic Tic has another show coming up at The Gateway on February 4th. In the meantime, if you would like to visit the band on Facebook, here is the click ::: Sic Tic on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Jan 17 : "Drumbeat of the Apocalypse (Live In Studio)" - Sam Seeger (New York)

High point of that night at Goldsounds was New York artist Sam Seeger and his band. After pre-listening to his music on line, I was eager to see the outfit live. And I wasn't disappointed. While some bands show a wide difference between their web and live personas, this band doesn't show a gap.

I heard great guitar work, great drum work, and just the right amount of fuzz. The band has four members, with Sam Seeger up from doing the lead vocals and guitar. There are also one other guitar, a bass, and drums.

Maybe I should say the band has four regular members, but, at Goldsounds that night there was a surprise trashed audience member who walked up to the stage between each song and tried to shout over Sam as he was talking to the audience and announcing the next song. Everything he was yelling was complimentary, so that was good. ... Sam Seeger handled the situation well. The audience was entertained all around. :)

The band has a number of good songs posted on the web. One of their more recent pieces is "Drumbeat of the Apocalyse". Here is a video of the band playing the song live in a studio session: :::

To keep up-to-date on Sam Seeger and what his band is doing, here is the click to his Facebook page ::: Sam Seeger on Facebook (CLICK HERE), and here is the click to his main web page ::: Sam Seeger web page (CLICK HERE).

Jan 10 : "Foolin Around (Live)" - Adam Travis & The Soul (Doylestown)

So a couple weeks ago I headed to Bushwick after work and saw Adam Travis & The Soul. This was my first time seeing them live. They opened up the night at Goldsounds. It wasn't the first time that I saw an outfit from the Philly area do a show in Brooklyn. That's the way my work schedule sometimes works out.

Adam Travis & The Soul has a unique sound, somewhere around the juncture point where rock, jazz, and reggae all meet. Here is a video of a live house show they did back in 2013. The song is "Foolin Around" :::

Adam Travis will be doing another show in Brooklyn this coming weekend. This is a free show at Pete's Candy Store on Saturday night. For more details and information about the show and the band, check out their Facebook page ::: Adam Travis on Facebook (CLICK HERE)

Jan 05 : "Flowers In My Hair, Demons In My Head" - The Mystery Lights (Brooklyn)

Wow these guys are experts at Garage. Can't see them enough. I think I've lost track of how many of their shows I've seen, some in Philly, some in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The Mystery Lights did a great show headlining at Kung Fu Necktie on December 9. They never disappoint. Met fans who came there all the way from NY and DE.

The band played a lot of the songs off their new album. Here is "Flowers In My Hair, Demons In My Head", the third track on the band's new album, also titled "The Mystery Lights" :::

The Mystery Lights will be leaving on a European tour in just a few weeks. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for shows back here when they return ::: The Mystery Lights on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Jan 01 : "Alive" - Warbly Jets (LA)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (Fall 2016)

A few weeks ago I saw Warbly Jets live for the first time when they opened an exciting evening at Kung Fu. This show was drawing towards the end of a big tour that the band was doing with Brooklyn band The Mystery Lights. While it was The Mystery Lights, one of my favorites, that was the original draw for the evening, I wound up liking Warbly Jets and wanting to see them again.

While they played lots of good solid rock at Kung Fu, they've got only a limited amount of music on line. Here is "Alive" just posted within the past couple months:

Warbly Jets doesn't appear have any plans to come back east in the near future, but here is the click to their Facebook page where you can keep an eye on their events ::: Warbly Jets on Facebook (CLICK HERE).