Nov 01 : "West End Supermarket" - The Above (Brooklyn)

6-packs of PBR for only $3.49? Well, at our west end supermarket, not until Gov. Wolf, the legislature in Harrisburg, and PLCB say it's ok. And even then I'm not sure we'd be able to get it for $3.49! This song was written several years ago, and they haven't updated the price of PBR. I want to live in that world! haha.lol.

I first saw The Above live sometime around 2007; I don't remember exactly. I remember seeing them do a couple shows including a really great one at Bell House. At that time I picked up a copy of their then-current EP, "Act Your Age". An older version of "West End Supermarket" is on that EP. I just checked the date: 2003!

I was hoping to be writing this post saying what a wonderful time I had at The Above's show at The Gateway last Friday. However, a change in work schedule meant that I was not going to be up in New York on Friday night, so I missed the show. (Wah!) ... BTW most of my concert attendance is determined by my work schedule and transit schedules, so I do miss some shows that I otherwise really want to see. The Above does not do a large number of shows in the area. That plus my work schedule have meant that I haven't caught any of their shows in way too long!

So here is the newer 2010 version of "West End Supermarket".

The Above has several albums on their Bandcamp page. Here is the click ::: The Above on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE). And here is the click to their Facebook page ::: The Above on Facebook (CLICK HERE). And the band has another show coming up next week at Monty Hall, where they're opening for The Long Ryders.

Oct 31 : "Crazy" (Cover) - Cat Clyde (London, ON)

Yet another good music outfit I saw at Pianos in the last couple weeks was London, ON, singer Cat Clyde. She did a nice set of songs, beautiful and richly textured. She has several videos uploaded to YouTube; they include a number of covers. Here is a Patsy Cline cover, "Crazy" :::

Her song "Chimes in the Night" was featured on an episode of YouTube program Local Band Smokeout - Canada. This is great to watch :::

Cat Clyde is heading out to the midwest right now to do shows in Milwaukee and Louisville. While she doesn't have any more shows listed for our area, here is the click to her Facebook page where you can keep an eye on what she's doing next :::: Cat Clyde on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Oct 30 : "Cartoons" - Planet Moon (New York)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (last month)

Another good band I heard at Pianos recently is New York based "Planet Moon". As with The Bits, the stage presence is way more animated than what you'd imagine by listening to the web music. Here is "Cartoons" from their album "Dos", which was released on September 4.

Planet Moon doesn't show any upcoming concerts on their own page, but both Songkick and Sunnyvale show the band to be playing on Monday, November 14. Here is the click to the show at Sunnyvale ::: Planet Moon at Sunnyvale (CLICK HERE). To visit the band on Facebook, here is the click ::: Planet Moon on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Oct 29 : "So Won Me Over" - The Bits (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (July)

I recently did a stop at Pianos after work and heard Brooklyn band "The Bits" do a live show. I enjoyed it. My first time seeing them. The performance is much more animated than the impression the web music creates.

Here is "So Won Me Over", from a demo released by the band in July :::

The Bits will be doing another show this coming Saturday, November 5th, at The Biter End. If you would like to visit their Facebook page in the meantime, here is the click ::: The Bits on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Oct 22 : "I Will Do (Anything)" - Dead Leaf Echo (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written & About to be Released

Today I'm featuring what is actually a "teaser" of a "teaser" by Brooklyn band, Dead Leaf Echo. Teaser of a Teaser? The full album looks like it's not going to come out for another couple months, but, in the meantime, there is a teaser cassette of the song "I Will Do (Anything)". But the cassette isn't actually going to come out until November 4. It will be a two-song cassette, and the other song is by Vancouver band "Did You Die". So here is a preview of the preview!

I've been listening to Dead Leaf Echo and going to their shows for a few years. The new song has a little more shoegaze in it than some of their previous work, but the sound including the vocals and some of the chords are unmistakably "Dead Leaf Echo". Here is "I Will Do (Anything)" :::

Dead Leaf Echo is embarking on an ambitious concert schedule. Here are a few shows close by: Berlin (Nov 6, tape release party), Pete's Candy Store (Nov 19), and Ortlieb's (Dec 3). Here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Dead Leaf Echo on Facebook (CLICK HERE).