Jan 11 : "'Hey Dragon' feat. Mekia Machine (Official Video)" - The Holy Wow (New York)

News
The Holy Wow Releases New Video

Back in the Fall I saw The Holy Wow do a great show at Bowery Electric. And somehow I missed it, but they came out with a video about that same time, titled "Hey Dragon". Late, but here it is. This was released on November 19.

Here's the click to their Facebook page where you can find out about their next show, as well as the full story of the band's unique background. ::: The Holy Wow on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Jan 08 : "Key to the Highway" - Bad Tiger (Princeton)

NEW INTERPRETATIONS

I was immediately pulled in to the music by the smoothness and the complexity of the arrangements. I saw Bad Tiger play on my recent trip to Barca City in New Brunswick. Yes, I had listened to the music on line before I went to the show, but their music at the live show sounded more nuanced, more textured. I recommend you check out a live show!

And some of the songs sounded familiar. Most of the band's music is covers, and they aim very high, following some of the blues greats! They show their respect to these legends, they have a love for the individual songs, yet they're staking out their own interpretations, adding to the life of this music.

Bad Tiger doesn't have a whole lot of bio information on their Facebook page, so I was curious to learn more. Alby (Lead Guitar/Vocals) got back to me with the info.

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Bob: How old is your band?

Alby / Bad Tiger: We are all PhD students at Princeton University and we started playing together in January 2018.

Bob: How do you pick the songs?

Alby / Bad Tiger: We all share similar tastes in music, so picking the songs is a fairly easy process.

Bob: How do you create the arrangements?

Alby / Bad Tiger: We usually turn to the Blues greats (Freddie King, Albert King, Eric Clapton), as well as to the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and so forth. Our arrangements are two-fold: either we stick to the original version (or some live version) of the song we are covering, or we come up with our own interpretation. Our own interpretation is usually on the bluesier-side, but sometimes we like to give it a reggae twist. All in all, we tend to give room to the guitar and keys to solo/exchange licks, and when possible/suited we try to end the song with a jam.

Bob: What do you see the band doing in the future?

Alby / Bad Tiger: As far as the future of the band goes, we plan to keep on jamming for the next few years until the end of ours PhDs. Once this is over, I hope life won’t drive us too far apart from one another, so that we’ll be able to get together for a reunion and a few beers every couple of years.

Thanks again for reaching out

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((At this point I expressed to them it was too bad that they had to get their PhD's and disperse.)). :)

I was also trying to think of which song to choose to feature with this writeup. I was thinking about "Key to the Highway", so I asked them about it ::::

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Bob: I guess I have a couple more questions. When I write about bands, I usually feature one of the songs I like the most to accompany the writeup. I seem to be zeroing in on “Key to the Highway” in the Whitman College album. Any special story or comments about that song or album? .... .... When you say “Whitman College 4/27/19” as the title of the album. That was a specific concert where you recorded the songs?

Alby / Bad Tiger: I’m glad you’re zeroing in on “key to the highway”. It’s my favorite song and it’s one of the first we put together as Bad Tiger two years ago. Our arrangement is largely inspired by the “Derek & the Dominos: live at the Fillmore” version (you can find it on youtube or Spotify). It’s almost always “a must” in our setlist: we get to unleash the blues chops that we like, guitar and keys take multiple solos, and we also get to change the dynamics of the song quite a bit (you may have noticed how we drop the volume during the guitar solo in the middle of the song).

Also, in case you hadn’t run across it, let me point you to the version from our bandcamp album “Scarlet Pub 10/14/18” (Scarlet Pub is in New Brunswick). I think it’s tighter than the “Whitman College” one, but that’s just my opinion.

As for your question on the title: yes, the recordings in “Whitman College 4/27/19” are from the Whitman College (Princeton University) gig on 4/27/19. Likewise, “Scarlet Pub 10/14/18” and so forth. I guess we are not very creative with our titles, but the artwork is mighty fine haha.

Bob: Thanks for the background story, Alby.

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"Key to the Highway" is the opening track on the band's "Whitman College 04/27/19" Album :::

A Bandcamp glitch has the song below mislabeled, but click anyway below to begin, and you will hear "Key to the Highway".,

Bad Tiger doesn't have any other shows coming up soon, but here's the click to their Facebook page where you can find out when the next time will be ::: Bad Tiger on Facebook (CLICK HERE). And here's the link to the other version of "Key to the Highway" that Alby mentioned in our conversation: "Key to the Highway" (Scarlet Pub 10/14/18) (CLICK HERE).

photo from Bad Tiger's Facebook page

Jan 01 : "mERRY_e'VERY_dAY" - 185668232 (Brooklyn)

Philly Music!

We're approaching the end of the holiday season and all its festivities. Most of us have spent time with families and friends, celebrating the season and hoping that 2020 will bring a fresh start. ... But what if all those hopes, good wishes, and celebrations could last year round and not be restricted to this one short season! ... Such is the concept behind Brooklyn artist 185668232's song "mERRY_e'VERY_dAY".

And, appropriately, they were the first words the artist wished the audience as he opened up his recent show at Bushwick's Wonderville on December 26. Wonderville is a bar, a game arcade, and a performance space, all three.

When I first arrived there I was wondering how much the people's talking and the whirring and ding-ding's of the game consoles were going to interrupt or possibly overpower the performance on the stage. But two plus two was put together for me as I learned that that was the whole point. 185668232 was taking the sounds of the room and building it into a piece before our very eyes and ears.

Or, at least, before other people's eyes and ears.

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VILLAINS OF THE EVENING! ::: I couldn't stay for the whole thing. The villains of the evening were New Jersey Transit and SEPTA whose recent train cancellations and fantasy connections caused me to have to leave too soon.

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Whoa, Wait! Why is this "Philly Music"? This is Bushwick! ... The piece was written when my friend, Iam, (aka 185668232) lived in Philly, before his move to Bushwick. However, when originally released in 2012, this track was known as "mERRY_e'VERY_dEI_" and was on an album titled "pRODUCt pLACEMENt". Both the album and song have been renamed. The album is now "cULTuRE jAMMiNG" and the song's spelling has been changed to "mERRY_e'VERY_dAY"

The song starts out in a quiet way, and about the halfway point a foreboding element starts to appear from nowhere. The scary part recedes and we hear a familiar and reassuring melody, although it's transmitted with a certain fragility, signalling that making _e'VERY_dAY mERRY will take effort and needs attention so it doesn't slip away!

While 185668232 has a show coming up in L.A. in the next few weeks, here is the click to the Facebook page where you can keep up with all future events ::: 185668232 on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

Dec 27 : "Envy Smile" - The Extensions (Asbury Park)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (September)

photo from The Extensions' Facebook page

ANGULAR AND TIGHT

The Extensions did a great show at New Brunswick's Barca City. I caught them a couple weeks ago; it was my first time seeing them. First impressions as I first started to watch centered a lot around the keys! It was unusual to see the keys right up in front on the stage, right under the spotlight. The keys were also weaving in and out of the front of the arrangements, providing a foundation, yet being versatile to meet the stylistic demands of each song. Power of the keys was much more evident in the show than what we hear on the Bandcamp page.

The strong melodic lines also stood out, the way they travel with some surprising twists and turns followed by chords that come along unexpectedly.

A third aspect that stood out in both the show as well as the online music is how tightly the work is written. The band itself calls it "angular". Their self-description says Angular indie rock with lyrics sharper than a box cutter, and hooks as sweet as grape soda. The Extensions prove themselves to be the estranged powerpop love child of Spoon and Elvis Costello.

The Extensions are a four-piece band, featuring Brian Erickson, Kevin Newcomb, Lisa LoVell, and Pete Stern. They recently released their debut EP, "Bellicose", back in September. Here is "Envy Smile", which is the last track on the album and encompasses several of the features I like about the band's sound.

Here is the click to The Extensions' Facebook page where you can find out more about the band and any upcoming shows they'll have in the future ::: The Extensions on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

p.s. ... Excellent evening was put together by "Embrace DIY Productions".

Dec 17 : "Millennials Are Going Gray" - Amanda Rose Riley (Lincoln Park)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (Summer 2019)

Last week my travels took me through the Secaucus Junction Station, where I saw "NJ DIY acoustic girl-with-guitar rock" Amanda Rose Riley do a solo show. She was performing as part of New Jersey Transit's "Music In Motion" program.

Generations are not static.

Generational transitions and reflections are a central theme of Amanda's recently released album "Millennials Are Going Gray". It's also the title of the third track on the album.

The song points out that Millennials are no longer the kids in the generational scheme of things and are fast moving into the next older status at the same time as a younger new generation is moving up. She's old enough to remember nine-eleven, and, at this point, that event is now DECADES in the past! She points out that, looking in the mirror, she's seen the first two gray hairs on her own head. As the song says, Millennials are going gray, We're just another generation trying to make our way. The song reflects on the past and into the future.

And in terms of "making our way", there is definitely an upbeat tone to the album. The album talks in big brushstrokes, and, in the opening song, "We Are Pioneers", she points out Every day is a potential new beginning.

She captures the cyclic attributes of generational movement!

Looks like the next advance show that Amanda has booked right now is on April 25 at the Glen Ridge Singer Songwriter Series event (btw it's also in a train station). In the meantime you can check out her Bandcamp where you can find more music. ::: Amanda Rose Riley on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE).