The Sounds, Natalia Kills and Antonio Banderas... perfect together

Sometimes the suburban man needs to step out of his comfort zone.  That could mean an hour or so in the Nordstrom shoe department.  Maybe your personal hell is waiting in line at the grocery store?  Or being in the grocery store altogether?

Those moments can also provide an unexpected treat.  Perhaps your daughter finds a pair of shoes that signify her maturity.  Maybe you find a zen moment in the cereal aisle hearing a piped in song from the past.

Friday night this suburban man once again found himself in Webster Hall, NYC.  It is the oldest concert venue in America's finest city.  It has charm.  It has ambience.  It has tremendous character in addition to its exceptional acoustics.

And for a few hours it was dance/rave central on a bill that included The Limousines, Natalia Kills and headliners The Sounds.  Comfort zone very much tucked away.  Fish out of water very much in play.

You know what?  Not a bad place to be.

Natalia Kills, it was learned, is a 20 something Brit songstress somewhere between Katy Perry and Lily Allen.  Confident and brash she pounded out some candy pop with a touch of edge in her 30 minute set.  You know you are old when the lead singer asks "Anybody out there have a boyfriend or girlfriend?) Kills was on the bill supporting their debut album Perfectionist.   Lots of energy and fun mixed in with the whoa is me when will I find love routine.  Kills has a sound that could easily fit between Gaga and Adele on your FM dial.

"Free" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K2r5mmktLc  

"Kill My Boyfriend" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDwQ7tzTlbE&feature=related

For more info on the band:  http://www.nataliakills.com/splash/   Should you have a daughter 8 to 16 N Kills is an act worth checking out.  Or, if you know an immature 30-50 year old man...

Oklahoma City "music project" Kids at the Bar handled the music in between sets.  They are, simply put, two white boys with computers and beats.  Mixing and sampling contemporary dance tracks much to the delight of the 20 something, arm waving crowd, Kids at the Bar were a nice diversion from the house music that usually transitions band to band.  20 minutes might be a bit too long for said diversion.  How much duunnshh, duunnshh, duunsshh can you take?  Unless of course you are on X, which is a different story.  For more on Kids at the Bar: http://kidsatthebar.com/

Swedish dance/rock outfit The Sounds came on promptly at 9pm and proceeded to bring the groove.  From the moment singer Maja Iversson pranced on stage, smoking a cigarette, the stage was all hers.  A true leading lady with all the sexiness and persona of today's finest actress.  Picture Kate Winslet with a microphone and attitude.

Oh, and she can sing too.  He vocals were most notable on her new single "Dance with the Devil" and the 80s throwback "Something Worth to Die For" and "No One Sleeps when I'm Alone."  Around since 1999 it was most apparent The Sounds are a close knit and polished group.  If you ever found yourself tapping your feet to Pat Benatar, or Blondie, or Human League...  take a listen.  

"Dance with the Devil" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQS8kEAhdHc  Overly dramatic and campy but Iversson is smoking hot (and undressed.)
 
"No No Song" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXXiatbQM8Q&feature=related   The Strokes meets Scandal.

"Something to Die For" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Efwi916U0  Live version from the Gullfisken Awards earlier this year.  What, you never heard of them???  The Sounds= the Nordic Beatles.

"No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ksj2FqOSt2I&feature=related  A good live version and probably their finest song.  If you love 80s pop please tune in.

For more info on The Sounds: http://the-sounds.com/

Finally, a moment about this weekend's box office.  Turns out the Antonio Banderas vehicle Puss in Boots beat out Tower Heist with an impressive $32 million haul.  It's a shame folks will not be pouring their money into Banderas' other current film, The Skin I Live In.  


It is easy to forget Mr Banderas was a suave and daring leading man for acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar long before his puzzling marriage to Melanie Griffith and feline Shrek character.

In The Skin I Live In he is once again teamed up with Almodovar and the results are fabulous.  Based on the novel Tarantula, by Thierry Jonquet, it is a tale of suspense, romance with same biting humor that has defined Almodovar's career.  You don't want to laugh, but sometimes the absurdity (and plausibility of it all) are too much to take.

Banderas plays a surgeon with immense skills and unparalleled bad luck.  Those two worlds inevitably collide with monster truck force.  Almodovar, as is his want, fills the screen with lush colors and bold, beautiful locations.  His classical music soundtrack is spot on too.

But this is Banderas show and he steals it.  Every moment is very much calculated and controlled, whether it is torturing someone or caressing them.  His steely glance dominates the screen.  Folks made a big fuss about Travolta's return to form with Pulp Fiction.  That's easy...  play a stoner and dance with Uma Thurman.  Who couldn't do that???

Banderas turn here is a commanding return to form and should remind us all why we know his name in the first place.  And it ain't cause he laps milk for Dream Works.

Plenty of plot twists and other details that could go into this review but why bother.  It's playing on about 5 screens nationwide so look for it when it comes to DVD/On Demand.  Think The Crying Game meets Dead Ringers meets Human Centipede.  Really, that is not much of a stretch.

For more: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189073/

Classic Rock revisited

As folks begin to celebrate Halloween (on November 4th!!!) and mailboxes and airwaves are filled with political ads we take time to remember the important things...  art and culture.

After all, the lead story on NBC News with Brian Williams last night was the trial of Conrad Murray.  And the Today Show had the nerve to lead with Michelle Bachmann this morning!!!  Do we really need her opinion of Herman Cain?  She did not give it.  Or her life changing tax plan/idea?  She does not have one.

This is what makes news now?  Personalities and headlining stories.  It is why a reality star most known for her bedroom talents and larger than life posterior remains in the public eye for her sham wedding.  It is why we know far too much about Lindsay Lohan's community service schedule.  That is what interests the 99 %.

Oh, and in an attempt to have a family hour of television last night "X Factor" made its way to a television near me.  The giant opening number touting the 12 finalists was marred by an absurd lip-synching moment.  A voice/talent contest with lip synching??  Um, check the hell out!!!  Take a look for yourself before Fox pulls it...  http://blog.chron.com/tubular/2011/11/x-factor-houston-we-have-a-problem/

So what if Greece is dying and the Occupy everything movement is being stifled even further in its attempt to make tangible change.  Haven't you heard?  The new thing is to ransack Whole Foods Stores and block commerce at blue collar ports  (the essence of commerce in the US.)  So sadly misguided they are.  More blocking of Goldman than hurting merchants and their employees please.  And that is a stretch too.    Let the folks who are working do their work.  Should we really want change to take place the better alternative is voting for it next week.

Find a leader and write him or her in.  Start legislation at the small stages demanding term limits.  Vote those legacies out.  In New Jersey there are incumbents that have spent lifetimes in state house/senate.  Michael Moore ran a Ficus tree against Rodney Frelinghuysen as a lark about 10 years ago.  He contended a plant had a better chance beating him than a human.  No matter, Frelinghuysen won then and will seemingly stay in office until he wants to no longer.  He started in 1995.

This is not to say Mr Frelinghuysen is a bad man or politician.  It is meant as a gentle reminder.  Things have gone pretty poorly over the past 5, 10 years.  Perhaps a different voice is in order?   If he worked at Goldman would they have put up with this much underperforming?  If it is insufficient for the private sector it should be for public employees too.

This is not important stuff though.  Folks continue to be without power a week after a snowstorm.  Unemployment still linger around 10%.  The Dow is shaky and uncertain with its uneasy eye keenly on Europe.  No matter, we have more pressing matters.


America continues to be deprived of NBA basketball.  Ben Stiller is a big movie star.  LSU/Alabama play for college football supremacy (ok, that is pretty good stuff.)  If you can't beat em join em.

Enjoy these music videos for your weekend.


It makes no sense that FM radio continues to assault us with the rock and roll canon.  We need not hear Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or Stones' "Start me Up" ever again.  These days if you really want to heat those tracks you are but a mouse-click away.  The Gods of the 70s and 80s were all pretty prolific.  Dig a little deeper and give us something we haven't heard in a while.  Not like anyone's really listening anyway.


The Rolling Stones:

"Moonlight Mile" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5QwJDlImV0  Disregard the Kiera Knightley.

"Torn and Frayed" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBaY-82Qch8  Here from their 2002 tour.  Will take any and all arguments NOT suggesting Exile in Main Street is not their best work.

"You Got the Silver" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iThRbr8dtVs  Keith live and being funny.  There is no one cooler.  There will never be another like him.  Oh, and Ronnie Wood is beyond underrated.  Sure, Mick Taylor was their most gifted guitarist (which drove Keith crazy!!)  Wood can play a little...  and it shows here.

"Dead Flowers" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osoeMtSbxtU  Here from a 1971 live show.  Very new to them.

Led Zeppelin:

"Gallows Pole" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kBX0K9nxPc&feature=fvst  Do not, I repeat do not, take acid and listen to this song over and over!!!

"Down by the Seaside"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zuKklBRlzY

"Bron-y-aur Stomp" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbQ0Cb6h3Ew

"In the Light" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbQ0Cb6h3Ew   Clearly Physical Graffiti and III are a force to be reckoned with.  Plenty to choose other than "Stairway", "D'yer Maker" or "Immigrant Song."  Ugh, ugh and more freaking ugh.


Fleetwood Mac:

"That's All for Everyone"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pZipYTm_9o  Tusk will forever be under Rumours shadow.  But there are moments of true beauty in their "disappointing" follow up album.  How dare they only sell 2 million copies???  It was, at the time, the most expensive album ever made.  Perhaps that was its undoing.  Strip away all the hype and reputation that preceeded the band and uncover Lindsay Buckingham at his best.  The broads are pretty good too.

"Walk a Thin Line" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9_JLOjy_7M

"Honey, Honey Hi" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uaTarTBuys  Christine McVie is really something special.  A proper Englishwoman who happens to be a stone cold killer.  Helen Mirren with gift of song.

"Beautiful Child" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOV1YVtnEW4  Why this was not as big as "Landslide" escapes me.  In fact, to hell with "Landslide"!!!  Oops, did all the women stop reading?  For the record, check your pulse if you can get through this live version without goosebumps.

That's it for now...  could do this all day.  But it's trick or treat time soon!!! (Halloween was postponed in several NJ towns due to power.  It will be observed 11.4)

Go get yours!  Enjoy the Weekend.

Talking Points and Listening Suggestions

The Chatham, NJ public school system will not open this week.  There are still thousands of folks (all around the East Coast) without electricity after Saturday's record setting storm.

The wet leaves mixes with a heavy snow downed countless trees and caused severe damage.

But shouldn't we have the capability to correct these issues sooner?  Is this a small scale Katrina?  That is, does it further illustrate how America (in every part of this country) is unable to handle/maintain crisis?

Texas had wildfires that spread and remained untouched for several months this summer.  Could a better effort been made?  Did they have to do as much destruction?  Hmm

It was determined that JCP& L visited Madison, NJ about 36 hours after the blackout occurred this weekend.  Surely they could have someone assess the situation sooner, no?

If 1955 Madison had 6 inches of snow in October would it have caused such a calamity?  Would it have accepted JCP&L's erratic and unfathomable excuse.  They needed a rep from the non-operational train system to hold a flag before work could commence.  Of course they did.

The scorecard seems to suggest we are failing not only in the large scale banking world (see: sub-prime mortgages, Madoff, etc.) but on Main St too.

Volunteer fireman are relieved of their duties and fires tend to spread, stay active.

We put less emphasis on trades and services and soon utility companies are undermanned/underperforming.

We overestimate the value of a college education and we produce countless practically useless Psych and Communications majors.  Worse, they graduate in a mountain of debt they may never get out of because Abercrombie and Fitch does not pay well.  Luckily their folks don't charge rent.

There is a movement out there.  It is strong enough to stop Bank of America from fleecing you.  It is resilient enough to Occupy Wall Street and raise its voice.

Problem might be it does not know what is it fighting for?  Or with whom?



In the Meantime there are plenty of musical distractions for you these days.

Tori Amos and Florence and the Machine both put out new records.  It is easy to link these two flame-haired songstresses together.  Their hair color is but one of their similarities.  They both happen to rock too.

Florence and The Machine "What the Water Gave Me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6rArVPip8"

No upcoming dates but plenty of info here: http://www.florenceandthemachine.net/index

Tori Amos "Carry" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gzKwOcCOYA
"Job's Coffin" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y_AiD6K2zA   A collaboration with her 11 year old daughter  Natashya Lorien Hawley .  What a freaking voice on this kid!!!  


Ms Amos will perform locally next month.  For those dates and more: http://www.toriamos.com/


Canadian singer Feist has a new record too.  Tough to follow the SMASH "1,2,3,4" and its amazing video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABYnqp-bxvg


You could do worse though...
"How Come You Never" here from David Letterman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw10KHJlx_Y&feature=related

She will appear at the Brooklyn Academy of Music 11.2

Keeping with the ladies please take a look at Louisiana's Givers.  It's a collaboration for sure, but Tiffany Lamson stands out.

"Meantime" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsV0l5xtiA&ob=av2e  Infectious jamming with a nod to Dave Matthews amongst others.  Givers play overseas for the winter but will sure to be back soon.  Take a listen!!!

LA's Dum Dum Girls have a nifty, 60s vibe to them.  There second album, Only in Dreams has created a good buzz.  With songs like "Bedroom Eyes" and "Coming Down" it is no wonder.  Girl Power!!!
"Bedroom Eyes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBSs3-RfLKk
"Coming Down" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JjvOR-e4kw  Mazzy Star has to be a little mad.

For upcoming shows and more:  http://wearedumdumgirls.com/

Finally, a moment about Zooey Deschanel...  It is confirmed she and Death Cab for Cutie husband Ben Gibbard are officially separated.  This, to an alt hipster dufus, is FAR bigger news than Kim K and that tall guy who doesn't play for the Nets.  Now maybe she can go back to making bad sit coms and good music, like she does here with She and Him (the him being alt folk hero M. Ward.)

"In the Sun" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ3cTwI9bIw
"Theives" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeAgLIaHj0M&feature=relmfu
"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkzRyHa9a6g&feature=relmfu
"The Fabric of My Life"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cayXJcf4LjY    That's right, this is the cotton commercial!!!

For more info on She and Him:  http://www.sheandhim.com/

Halloween no scarier than everyday life

Since the calendar turned to 2011 the Northeast has been witness to blizzards, hurricanes and now an October snow storm.  Trees have fallen in and around New Jersey like celebrity marriages.

Really now, are we surprised about Kim Kardashian announcing her months old marriage?

Are we surprised trick or treating is on November 4th this year?  Is it a shock our town was without power for three days due to 4 inches of snow?  Or that the reason the utility company was unable to begin repairs because a rep from NJ Transit was required because the transformer was on their property?

Nevermind the trains were NOT in service.  In theory you could have trusted a 4 year old to hold a flag for the work needed to be done.  THERE WAS NO POWER!!!

34 hours later a crew comes to town and 4 hours later there is light.

A weekend of no commerce.  A Monday morning that saw a great many commuters either stranded home or getting to work in towns without functioning traffic signals.

Restaurants and gyms that provided power were overwhelmed with patrons.  Each spot became a chore. Coffee?  20 minute line.  Breakfast?  30 minute wait if you were lucky.   Why head to the out of town grocery store if the fridge was not working?  Get a hotel?  Maybe, but they became scarce in a hurry.  Then, they hotels figured let's go all Jersey on them:  3 day minimum stay only.

Yeah, America leading the way in infrastructure technology and political efficiency.

Here, in Madison, NJ, population 16,000, 20 miles from New York City, one of Newsweek's top US places to live in America, former home to Eddie Trunk, Janeane Garofalo and Neil O' Donnell, a 5 inch snowstorm done laid a beating on it.

This is not to minimize the damage done.  Interstate 78 and 287 was a sea of fallen trees and median filled cars Saturday evening.  Mother nature lashed out with unflinching horror and the devastation is real and far reaching.

But what are we paying for if we cannot get staff to even look at the problem until 33 hours have passed?

Are there that few trained workers to handle such a problem?  If we have adequate workers and the response was still this slow I would be more troubled.

Nothing good comes from this story.  There are still huddled massed in downtown Manhattan rallying for Wall Street change.  Ok, I get that.

My recent research indicates we may need a change at the Main St level too.

This Madison is a quaint and affluent town.  At the same time storefronts have consistently changed over the past decade.  There are also several vacant, weed filled lots and/or buildings in highly visible areas.

And as we have seen, emergency response to basic power failures can, and will, cause major issues.  Worse, the issues will be resolved at an increasingly slow rate.

If it's the weekend, forget about it.

The houses may be prettier, and the taxes certainly higher, but we are America for sure.  When the going gets tough these days we are ill-prepared.


What will tomorrow bring?  There is a joke that locusts are the inevitable conclusion to 2011.  That would appear to be the end game, right?

Surely we do not have enough bug catchers?  Entomologists?  Disease specialists?  You get it, whatever is needed to rid the World of bugs.

They would bring us all down.  And on the day we celebrate (ugh!) our 7 billionith human) please take a moment to realize just how screwed we all are.

Maybe that's a bit harsh, but that is what 50 degree living rooms can do to a person's spirit.

And its not even November yet.

Happy Halloween.

Other scary thoughts this evening:

Kim Kardashian's wedding cost $10 million dollars.  It lasted 72 days.  That is approx $140,000 a day.

Tim Tebow will start at quarterback again for an NFL franchise.

Antonio Banderas' voice won this weekends box office.

Ruth Madoff wants us to feel sorry for her.

Jessica Simpson has another life in her uterus.

Nickelback has a new album.

Herman Cain continues to lead the Republican field.

Sharks are still eating surfers.

Alternate fuel sources are scarce.

An our soldiers are still dying in needless wars.

The Playboy question

It was confirmed yesterday that Amy Winehouse death can be attributed to "misadventure."  Rampant booze and pill over-use got the best of her tiny frame.  Also this week we learned Lindsay Lohan has been in talks to pose for Playboy Magazine.  Why does Winehouse untimely death make one ponder Lohan's career path?

Because the script tells us it is inevitable.

Lohan began her career in the "A" list.  Her star turn in "Mean Girls" should have paved the way for something better than this.  Did we really need Dakota Fanning channeling The Runaways?  Is Kristen Stewart a true Bella?? 

Kirsten Dunst, ScarJo, Kate Winslet are not getting any younger.  The 20 something actress mantle was hers for the taking.  She was cute and precocious but short skirt and vodka/tonic away from going all bad ass on you.  Hollywood was hers for the taking.

Then it all went horribly wrong.

And we can all blame her psychotic parents.  A psychologist is not required to determine their culpaility in all this. 

Surely Lohan has to take some responsibilty as well.  But what of the rest of society?  And what of the Hollywood community in particular?

Enablers the lot of them!  Drugs, sexuality confusion, arrests and booze inflicted lunacy have played out publicly for more years than the brief film successes she achieved.

Now Playboy.  Again she is getting the wrong advice.  When has this move brought someone back to relevance.  Is America clamoring for the next Jenny McCarthy or Pamela Anderson?  Those ladies probably can't stand themselves.  It is 2011 Lindsay.  The move is this: visibility and success, drug filled party stage, panty-less picture exiting a car, rehab, purposely leaked sex tape, guest appearance on CW show, failed film remake, Dancing With the Stars and finally NBC sit-com and/or talk show with other female co-hosts- see:  The Chat, The Chew, The View...

Playboy?  Not quite.  And didn't she do this much better in New York Magazine a few years back?(http://www.google.com/images?q=lindsay+lohan+new+york+magazine&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&oi=image_result_group&sa=X) 

Playboy is unable to match Bert Stern's re-imagining of Marilyn Monroe. 

So what then is the end game?  Where are her people?  Her handlers?  It is all very tragic.  A once promising career once again derailed before it ever left the station.  When will her obituary be written?  Or is it already complete when men start looking for the Playboy bunny in your hair.

But like all good train wrecks we fail to look away. 

Plenty of good and imaginative videos from varied music arists these days.

Here are a few that stand out:

Duck Sauce:  "Big Bad Wolf"  http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/new-and-hot/duck-sauce-big-bad-wolf-20111024  Disturbing is an understatement.  But it is original which is nice.

Skillrex "First of the Year" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cXDgFwE13g  Plenty of ways to interpret this...  namely, "Take that pedophile!!!"  Two things: One,  it rips off the far betterAphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" and two, it is creepy and well done nonetheless.  Call 911 indeed.

LMFAO: "Sexy and I Know It"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE&ob=av3e&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dsexy%2Band%2BI%2Bknow%2Bit%26aq%3Df  Of the 3 videos listed this is the one that gets an 18 or over warning.  Odd in that they are all equally disturbing.  These guys are very much tongue in cheek but following the super successful "Party Rock Anthem" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8) could not have been easy.  This ain't bad at all.

Finally, take a look at these videos for both visual, but more importantly the songs themselves.  Some old, some new, but all winners.


Surfer Blood:  "Swim" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLirPtagSoM&ob=av2n  Opening this evening at Wellmont in Montclair for The Pixies.  http://www.surferblood.com/

Awolnation:  "Not Your Fault"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZVxgDQ2Vo  Playing 11.21 @ Webster Hall/NYC and plenty of other spots too...  http://awolnationmusic.com/fallharvest/

Florence and The Machine:  "What the Water Gave Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6rArVPip8&ob=av2e  Good, good stuff from a lovely voice.  Somewhere between Enya and all of her mystical stylings and Tori Amos lies Florence Welch.  She has the voice to lead men into war and put babies to sleep.  No gigs forthcoming but their latest album arrives on Halloween.  Treat for sure.    http://florenceandthemachine.net/

Dum Dum Girls:  "Coming Down"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7lQFdvDDZA  Take some Julianne Hatfield, add some Mazzy Star and waa laa.  California girl power with a nifty touch of 60s retro.  They just left NYC and are off to Europe.  Put them on your radar or at least make out to their songs with someone special.  http://wearedumdumgirls.com/#

The Head and the Heart: "Lost in My Mind" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7lQFdvDDZA  They sold out for a nice commercial spot but who cares.  The new folk movement is very much alive and kicking.  This might be its new anthem.  Opportunites to see them are coming up.  Take a look:  http://www.theheadandtheheart.com/#


Still waiting for folks to send in their email address for Spotify invites.  There are plenty of invites available.

Follow on Twitter: @Suburbandad23
Become a fan on Facebook: Guide to Somewhere


 

Caveman rocks CMJ and assorted ramblings...

The suburbanite must not acquaint him or herself with every nuanced music mag on Earth.  Hell, if you take a look at Spin or Rolling Stone, consider that a good thing.


This will not account for the wealth of knowledge that does exist.  There are several sources promoting, covering and chronicling the state of "new" alternative music.  Should you desire search and/or bookmark these sites:  The Fader:  http://www.thefader.com/  Brooklyn Vegan:  http://www.brooklynvegan.com/  Stereogum:  http://stereogum.com/  They have a competent and knowledgeable staff more than able to keep you abreast of all things non-Taylor Swift.  One organization, CMJ http://www.cmj.com/, was kind enough to host a film and music fest last week all around NYC.


Tons of bars, hotels, and restaurants made room for up-and-coming artists to strut their stuff.  Greater than the admission price (free most, if not all times) was the show times.  Granted, there is no way on Earth an 11pm start time is conducive to the 8am train next day.  A Saturday double bill of 2pm and 4pm is quite nice thank you very much.  Also, quite a lovely thing to frolic the Lower East Side on a lovely October afternoon.  Where else would you see this???

The real beauty took place inside Pianos Lounge and Fontana's when NYC band Caveman once again destroyed their 40 minute set.  Promoting their amazing debut CoCo Beware, Caveman (comprised of singer/guitarist Matthew Iwanusa, bassist Jeff Berrall, drummer Stefan Marolachakis, and guitarists Jimmy "Cobra" Carbonetti and Sam Hopkins) brought the funk, rock and tribal beats that define them.  The story is in its earliest chapters.  The prevailing thought is several volumes remain.  To jump on board check out on of these concerts.  Next week is a tremendous opportunity as they play (for free with RSVP) at Brooklyn Bowl.  11.2 8pm show.  For more info try here:  http://lxl.brooklynbowl.com/  They also have a very informative Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/CavemanBand  Join the bandwagon.  Coldplay's latest can wait.  Plus, you cannot avoid hearing that album.  Go find one that takes work and will provide some pleasure once listened to.

Odds and Ends:


Speaking of Coldplay,  why such contempt hipsters??  Is it the Gwyneth connection?  Should Chris Martin not named his kid "Apple" would have give him more a pass?  Are they the Nickleback of the Alt World?  Was it the "Today" show concert?  The MTV VMA appearance when they come off as the successors to U2??  The military jacket Martin wears?  Their commercial success??


Couldn't be the songs, could it?


You liked "Yellow" and its imaginative video way back when.  You hum along to "Talk" or "Speed of Sound" if you are alone in your car.  You watched his "60 Minutes" interview and admitted to yourself that they all seemed like decent chaps.


It's the over-exposure isn't it??  Not their fault.


It happened to Foo Fighters earlier in the year.  It will happen to Katy Perry and Lady GaGa at some point.  Nickelback and The Script are due too, right???


Hate the game, not the player.


The music business is not what it once was.  While the window for success is still limited and near impossible to attain, the rewards have become exceedingly smaller.   How many more bands out there will be able to make the millions Coldplay has/is?  What is a platinum record worth these days?  Record executives will push their product down your unsuspecting ears to make a point (read:dime.)


It happens at all levels too.  It is the reason you have had enough of LMFAO, and Cee-Lo Green, or Wilco, or Radiohead.  If an A&R man or Program Director wants you to hear something, you will here it (over and over again.)


Coldplay, and others, might not have the repertoire to sustain such heavy airplay.  You could argue the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin should not be heard in such rotation.  Would you rather hear "Sympathy for the Devil?" before something released this year?  If yes, why?  2011 has been a terrific year in music.  Start moving forward.


Same can be said with Major League baseball.  The World Series has been terrific and last night brought up a very interesting dilemma.


Tony LaRussa brought in a relief pitcher to intentionally walk someone.  Turns out the bullpen misunderstood his phone call and warmed up the wrong pitcher.  In the age of cell phones and texting it is confounding that at the games grandest stage managers are using relic landlines to convey vital messages.


Why not use cans and string?


Larussa Text:  Please warm up Motte/Confirm please


Bullpen Text:  Motte warming up.  Confirmed.


Last night Larussa phoned (as we are made to believe) and asked for Motte.  The bullpen apparently heard Rzepczynski.  Oh, he is a lefty and Motte is a righty.  Big problem.


They lost the game as they should have.  Larussa blamed crowd noise and anyone or anything other than him.  Truth is the game needs to move forward a bit.  The NFL uses sophisticated electronic devices for play calling, communication to booths above and a fair amount of cheating.


Bad enough these managers have to wear uniforms like the players...  can a brother get an Iphone???


We get that taken care of then I might turn my attention to getting rid of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.


Is this the crew Fox thinks can bring in male viewers aged 20-60.  One, is an egotistical egg head who has a diminishing voice and the other a relic from a time when the game was played with integrity.


Pat Summerall was ushered away when he did not play well on TV.  There is no problem with agism in television.  The medium is designed to look and sound good.  It is why the Kardashians and Real Housewives get ratings.  Entertain us and be attractive, clever and smart when you are doing it.  Or, in some cases, be ugly, ignorant and dumb to achieve the same thing.


If you rest somewhere in the middle America really has no use for you.  Next year give me The Situation as play by play man and David Wright as my color man.  We all know he will be available in October.




5 can't miss things this week:


Givers:  "Meantime"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-UUDkMn4zo   Can listen to this all day.


Deerhunter:  "Desire Lines"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mBSOtdOjoc  See above


Dawes:  "A Little Bit of Everything"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36bItoBXpxk  If you have anything in your soul this song will move you


Wilco:  "Born Alone" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUDgkgr7Fuo


Caveman:  "Vampirer/Old Friend" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svx2IV866Ok  Their shining moment during each live show.  Legislation in Brooklyn has started suggesting every band must finish with an interpretation of this.  The "yeahs" should have it.




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A Night at Terminal 5... and elsewhere... starring Givers/Portugal, the Man

The problem with Terminal 5 for a working New Jersey suburbanite is its location.  Wait, let me rethink that.  There are several problems with Terminal 5 whether you live In NJ or anywhere else.

A moment about the location please.  56th St between 11th and 12th may as well be on the deck of the Intrepid or in the middle of the Hudson river.   Unless you work in a car dealership or with the Daily Show what exactly is your purpose for a visit to this part of town.  There are bars and restaurants in the vicinity, but it lacks a neighborhood atmosphere shared by Bowery, Roseland, Webster Hall, Fillmore at Irving Plaza, et al.  Logistics for any commute are a disaster too.  If you take the train to Penn Station or Grand Central that still leaves you half a City away.  Driving into the City for the show is your best option.  But what fun is that?

Oh, and then there is the sound and problems therein.  Terminal 5 is a long, 4 story factory(capacity 3000) with zero character.  Those issues might be overlooked if the acoustics were sound.  They are not.

The Eels Terminal 5 show last year was a distorted mess (and that does not factor in the ventriloquist opening act.)  After their superb show in Williamsburg this summer it was clear the Terminal 5 mix was flawed.

Alaska rockers Portugal, the Man's (http://www.portugaltheman.com/) "off" sound reinforced this belief.  The Wasilla, Alaska rockers are the best thing to come from that town.  Supporting their 6th studio album "In the Mountain of the Cloud" they opened with that record's best track "So American" http://www.portugaltheman.com/video/.  They have a nice, easy feeling to them.  Maybe too easy.  The album plays slow with modest hooks and great vocals by singer John Gourley.  There are some downright polished pop/rock moments that play great on the radio.

In concert, played here to a 20 something group of flannel wearing stoners, there hooks and grooves were ineffective.  4 songs in they reached for a cover song  (the Beatles' "Helter Skelter.")  U2 had perfected that cover on Rattle and Hum a generation ago.  What seemed like a stretch in theory, turned out to be one in practice.   The rest of the set became irrelevant.  The prevailing sound issues at the venue did not help matters.

Nor did the opening act, Lafayette, Lousiana's Givers (http://giversband.com/)  They are touring with their first LP In Light mere months old.  Last night they played to their biggest crowd ever.  And they were quite good.  Tiffany Lamson has a voice like Neko Case all the while playing drums, vibes, tambourine, mandolin and any thing else she can get her hands on.  Oh, and was doing it all in denim short shorts.  Good stuff.

Their southern charm and energy made for a rollicking good set.  It is part alt, zydeco, jazz and rock.  Vocalist and guitarist Taylor Guarisco must have said they were from Lafayette, Louisiana a half dozen times during the 30 minutes he was on stage.  It was if to remind the audience "Here is how we do things down on the bayou.  Get off your city boy ass and take note."

Noted.  They play tomorrow night for $5.00 at Brooklyn Bowl.  They are worth far more than the $5.00.  And you can bowl!!!  More details here:  http://www.brooklynbowl.com/

Some notable selections from their stirring set:

"Up, Up, Up"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0vzHSPmTfE  This track has been their biggest hit and last night was played to a slower beat to start, then built to a steady, stronger groove.  This video bears resemblance to the aforementioned Eels' influential video for "Novocaine for the Soul."  That is a good thing.  That amazing video (and SONG!!) can be found here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2yy141q8HQ&ob=av3e  This 1995 video directed by Mark Romanek is simple but brilliant.

"Saw You First" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exZTgOWOo4A  Dave Matthews with a bit touch of Rusted Root mixed with Paul Simon meets New Pornographers.  Does that sell it?  Scare you away?  Give a listen and decide for yourself.

"Meantime" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-UUDkMn4zo&feature=related  Another standout from last night's set.

Additional notes.

There are still plenty of free shows to catch in and around NYC this weekend.  The CMJ new music fest is ongoing and last night the venues seemed positively packed.  Should you be enjoying some fall NYC find some time to catch a new act.  Bands are playing literally everywhere.  Clubs, stores, hotels and restaurants are all in the mix.  Most of the venues are downtown too so you can get the chance to experience some neighborhoods you may have never seen before.  For more info:  http://www.cmj.com/

Try and make it a point to see Caveman if you can.  They are performing twice tomorrow and will not disappoint, promise!  More info can be found here:  http://cavemantheband.com/


Some Post Scripts:


After the tragedy that in Ohio with dozens of wild animals being gunned down can we now, once and for all, put an end to "private zoos?"  Zoos can be a wonderful and educational spot.  But even in renowed zoos found in the Bronx, Philadelphia, Washington DC and San Diego it is odd and disturbing to see giraffes and tigers.  You put up with it because we assume the care these animals receive is exceptional.  Collectively we understand they would rather not be captive. We put up with it to enjoy and learn from these incredible animals.

What are we all getting with a deranged lunatic housing rare bengal tigers and bears on his rural farm?  Other than neighbor complaints, animals not living ideal lives and eventually their mass killings that is.

Enough already with the pet alligators and pigs.  Stop with the llama and bobcat purchases!!!  Legislation should even prohibit birds to be caged.  But that is clearly a stretch so for now let's all stop with anything other than cats, dogs, fish and birds.

Missing anything?  Can we agree to keep tigers and bears where they belong?  You understand that one of the monkeys released in that Ohio nightmare was probably eaten by one of the big cats, right?  That pretty much defines "wild" animal right?  If your pet has the capibility of tearing your arm out of socket and beating you with it, there may be a problem.

Oh, and remember monkey's aren't that harmless either.  Sure they can do sign language and look adorable in a diaper.  Stop giving cute little monkey his monkey prozac and he may rip your face off.  Or the face of your neighbor.  They should stop appearing in movies too.  Least that would prevent Night at the Museum 3, right?



Finally, probably nor great to promote this but what the hell?  A deranged college punk impersonated a referee interrupting the UCLA/Arizona game last night.   The score was 42-7 so it breathed some life into an otherwise dull evening.  Kids, do not repeat this!!  But feel free to laugh, especially the players inevitable reaction to fighting with one another:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/ucla-arizona-fight-after-fake-ref-runs-onto-the-field-in-wildcats-blowout-video/2011/10/21/gIQABx3Q3L_blog.html

Enjoy the weekend and thanks for all your support!!!

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Givers and Bunny Guy.  Highlights of Terminal 5, October 20, 2011.