The BellRays: May 9 @ The Delancey, New York, NY
Last week, I went 'round to The Delancey. It's located conveniently, not far from Mercury Lounge, where I had spent the earlier part of my evening. I dashed over to The Delancey just in time to catch the last song by local band Sister Anne whom I hadn't heard before. The song I did hear, I liked. I'm going to have to check out their stuff.I had a reason for my Saturday night dashing about. The BellRays were in town and were
set to hit the stage at 11:30. If you don't know who they are, you should check them out. They're a great rock, punk and soul band. The band, Lisa Kekaula (vocals), Bob Vennum (guitar), Justin Andres (bass) and Stefan Litrownik(?) (drums) took the stage and all I can say is, DAMN! You just have to see them live to get a full picture of how bad ass they are. Kekaula is hands down one of the best female rock singers out there. Hearing her on record vs. hearing her live is like comparing an ice cube to an iceberg ... they're both cold but to witness one, the iceberg, up close and in person or in this case Kekaula, is breathtaking.Their set was a whirlwind of sweaty take no prisoners rock 'n' roll. Other than the drummer needing a bit more punch to his playing, the band provided the perfect foundation for Kekaula to do her thing. It was over far too quickly. I could have listened to them for another hour. If The BellRays are playing anywhere near you, GO! They do a killer show that needs to be witnessed.
The photos ...
The setlist ...
www.thebellrays.com
www.myspace.com/thebellrays
Singer and actress Vanessa Williams will release her new record, The Real Thing, on June 2. This release, Williams' thirteenth, marks her debut on Concord Records and her first studio record since 2005's Everlasting Love. Williams who stars in "Ugly Betty" as the bitch you love to hate, Wilhelmina Slater, stepped back into the recording studio with a hand-picked batch of songs. The album's theme: relationships. Each song relates to the stages of modern-day love affairs as seen from a female point of view. The songs, two new works written for the CD by Babyface (“Loving You” and “Just Friends”), Bill Withers “Hello Like Before,” Stevie Wonder's “The Real Thing” and Bebel Gilberto’s “Close To You” are among the tracks that cover the many facets of Williams' musical stylings.Williams said, "After playing a power-hungry character like Wilhelmina Slater on “Ugly Betty” on a soundstage for three seasons, it was a pleasure to step back into the recording studio and be myself behind the microphone. The familiarity and comfort of making music is always a joy to come home to." It sounds like Williams is happy to be back ... musically, that is.To listen to the first single from The Real Thing, "Breathless," with QuickTime, click the image. Click HERE to listen with Windows Media Player.
Track Listing
- Breathless
- Hello Like Before
- Loving You
- The Real Thing
- Lazy Afternoon
- Just Friends
- I Fell In
- Close To You
- October Sky
- Come On Strong
- If There Were No Song
vanessawilliams.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Vanessa-L-Williams/77404979988
www.myspace.com/vanessawilliamspage
On June 1, the Dave Matthews Band will be doing a show at The Beacon Theatre in New York. The 2 1/2 hour show will air live on Fuse, commercial-free, starting at 9:00 PM ET. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the bands Bama Works Fund which supports charitable programs in the Charlottesville, VA area. The next day, their eighth studio effort, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King will be released.To get you ready for the big live broadcast, Fuse will be airing seven days of original Dave Matthews Band programming beginning on May 30. During that time, a four-part original documentary "Dave Matthews Band: The Road to Big Whiskey" will air in support of the new album release. That's a whole lot of DMB. I believe some would call it fan heaven.For more information about "Fuse Presents Dave Matthews Band: Live from the Beacon Theatre," go HERE.
www.davematthewsband.com
Fuse.tv/dmb
Watch the video for "Absolutely Still" below and download the single HERE.
www.betterthanezra.com
www.myspace.com/betterthanezra
Tori Amos has announced dates for her Sinful Attraction Tour. The tour is in support of her upcoming record, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, which is set to drop this coming Tuesday, May 19. For those in the New York area, Amos will be taking the stage at Radio City Music Hall on August 13. For more tour dates and additional info, visit HERE.
Watch the video for "Fire To Your Plain"
www.toriamos.com
www.radiocity.com
Paper Route, Chad Howat (bass/piano/programming), JT Daly (vocals/keyboards/percussion), Andy Smith (vocals/guitars/harmonica) and Gavin McDonald (drums) released their latest album, Absence, on April 28. Now, check out the video for the single, "Carousel." (click on image)
www.paperrouteonline.com
www.myspace.com/paperroute
Arc Angels: May 8 @ Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
English rock band Kasabian will release their latest album, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, on June 8. Kasabian, for me, falls into the same category as Oasis does. I like some of their songs but I don't really consider myself a fan. After hearing some tracks from the upcoming record, I'm digging what I hear. As a result, it very likely will end up in my collection. It makes me wonder, if I like it, what will actual Kasabian fans think of it? If you know me and you're a fan, tell me what you think of it the next time you see me!
www.myspace.com/kasabian
blog.kasabian.co.uk
lineballroom.com
s.com
