Monday, September 21, 2009

The Ettes Cause A Power Surge In NY

The Ettes: September 19 @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, New York, NY

I've been a fan of The Ettes since I came across their 2006 album Shake The Dust. So, needless to say, I was quite tickled when I found out they would be one of the bands supporting Juliette Lewis this past Saturday. It was the first time I'd managed to catch a show so I was excited.

The band, Coco (vocals/guitar), Poni (drums), Jem (bass) and Johnny (guitar) took the stage first. Those who didn't get their early enough to catch The Ettes set truly missed out on something special. Their set was a walloping display of garage rock. They ripped through a set that had enough punk and girl group sass to make both The Stooges and The Shangri-Las proud respectively.

Coco looks the part of a 60's girl group bad girl ... you know, one part sweet, one part innocent, one part fun, one part mischievous. You half expected her to leave the venue donning a leather jacket, head scarf and shades on the back of a motorcycle. She has a good voice; it's one that ably handled the multi-faceted description I just gave her. Coco is a charismatic front woman who is charming while at the same time displaying a lets get down to business demeanor.

On his first tour with the band, guitarist Johnny, along with Coco set an electric fire of crunchy guitar work that blazed from the stage burning those of us who had the good sense to get there early enough to see them. Hey, sometimes getting burned is fun.

Drummer Poni is to be witnessed. The woman keeps a fierce beat. A tiny woman with a mass of hair, she's a powerhouse drummer. Her playing definitely encourages audience movement. The song "No Home" comes to mind in cementing that notion right off the bat. I heard more than one person after the show comment on how bad ass she is.

Bassist Jem seemed to be the most low key member of The Ettes. He laced the set with a storm of fuzzy bass licks and seemed to be the string that held it all together in a nice tight rock 'n' roll package. He and Poni without a doubt make a formidable rhythm section.

Half of their set consisted of songs from their new record Do You Want Power which I recommend. It is available at shows and digitally online now. The release date of the physical CD is September 29 for those who won't be seeing them live to pick one up. It's the tightest and most polished of their efforts yet it doesn't lose any of the kick that makes their previous efforts the delights that they are.

I can't pick a favorite song from the show because the whole set was dynamite and flowed terrifically. The Ettes are a great live band. For some reason I expected them to sound a lot more raw than they actually are. Raw isn't a bad thing by any means but, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they're such a well-honed band.

The Ettes
are a band deserving of a massive following. With Do You Want Power being such a delight and a killer live show, I expect they'll have that and much more soon.


Set List
  • Red In Tooth And Claw
  • I Can't Be True
  • Reputation
  • Take It With You
  • So Say So
  • Chilled Hidebound Hearts
  • Lo and Behold
  • Marathon
  • No Home
  • Blood Red Blood
  • Dead And Gone
  • Crown of Age
  • I Heard Tell
  • Walk Out That Door
www.theettes.com
www.myspace.com/theettes

As you can see, my drummer photo curse continues!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Talking To Walls To Play M.E.A.N.Y. Fest 2009

Those rockin' lads known as Talking To Walls are coming back to New York! Say wha?! Yes indeed fellow creatures known as New Yorkers, those CT boys are coming back. This time, they'll be taking part in M.E.A.N.Y. Fest 2009 ... that stands for Musicians and Emerging Artists New York ... yeah, I didn't know either. I'm not hip or down or with it or whatever the young whipper snappers are saying these days. They'll be at The Delancey on Thursday, October 1. I hear it's going to be the "greatest, wildest, most legendary show in Talking to Walls history" ... how could you even think about missing that?! They'll be shooting a video with Irish step dancers (really? wicked!) and just in general rockin' out. You should go and show some love or at the very least some highly energetic lust.


And because you won't have gotten enough Talking To Walls, you'll want to go see them when they wreck havoc over at R Bar on Thursday, October 22. Really, you will!

www.talkingtowalls.com
www.myspace.com/talkingtowalls
www.facebook.com/talkingtowalls
www.twitter.com/talkingtowalls

ResidentBand Features Killola

Our friends over at ResidentBand have put together a video announcing Killola tour dates for their Maximum Bits Tour. Yes, Killola is hitting the road. No, they're not coming to NY ... what's up with that?! It's been nearly a year since I peeped them. Oh Lisa, Johnny, Mike & Dan how sad you've made me. I'll have to try and ease my sorrows sitting around in my spiffy Killola tee-shirt, watching ResidentBand clips while sucking back Twizzlers and cheap booze.



www.residentband.tv
www.twitter.com/killola
www.facebook.com/killola
www.myspace.com/killola

Friday, September 18, 2009

Video: Cage The Elephant - "Back Against The Wall"

Any video that has a smack down with garden gnomes in it is all right by me. Oh, and I dig the song too.



Garden gnomes are like the cockroaches of lawn decorations. You can't get rid of them and they seem to mysteriously multiply! Am I the only one that feels this way?

www.cagetheelephant.com
www.myspace.com/cagetheelephant

Juliette Lewis Tomorrow Night In NYC!

Juliette Lewis is coming to rock NY TOMORROW, Saturday, September 19. She'll be over at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza. Be there!


www.myspace.com/juliettelewis
www.facebook.com/pages/Juliette-Lewis/126010241551

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Karin Park Makes US Debut At Pianos

Karin Park: September 16 @ Pianos, New York, NY

I paid a visit to the LES to catch Swedish/Norwegian singer Karin Park make her NY debut. Park's band which consists of herself (vocals/keyboards) and her brother David Park (drums) took the stage at Pianos.

For those unfamiliar with her work, she plays deliciously groovy electro-pop. I myself was just recently introduced to Park's music so I wasn't sure what to expect live. It's always nice to walk into a show not knowing what to expect and walk away afterwards pleased with what you saw. While it was a short set, it was an effective set and an excellent introduction. I'm absolutely hooked on "Ashes" and "Can't Stop Now" which were both done last night and even more fun live.

Park is a striking woman and cuts a fierce pose on stage. She has a strong stage presence and put on a good set. If you're a fan of electro-pop, hers is a show to check out.

New York, you still have a chance to catch Park live. She's supporting Datarock at Highline Ballroom tonight, September 17. So, get there early enough to see her set. This isn't a random support act situation. Park's latest record, Ashes To Gold was produced by Datarock frontman Fredrik Saroea and released on Datarock's YAP Records label.

On a side note, I have to mention that I had a chance to meet Park after her set last night. Though she confessed to being a bit nervous, I can say it didn't show. She is an incredibly nice lady. They didn't have a set list written down and she was kind enough to write it out for me after the show so I could share it with those of you in my happy little blog world. So a big thank you to her for that!

Here are a few photos from the show.
Set List
  • Bedtime For The Children
  • Desire
  • Ashes
  • Can't Stop Now
  • Out Of The Cage
www.myspace.com/karinpark

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ash Unvails "True Love 1980" Video

For those who haven't heard yet, Ash is releasing a collection of 26 limited edition 7" and digital download singles. These singles will be released every two weeks over the coming year. The first single, "True Love 1980" will be released on October 12 and serves as "A" in their A - Z Series. Check out the video below.

When I first heard of the A - Z Series it seemed a bit odd to me in this day and age when so many artists are reverting to focusing more on albums as a whole then on the we must have (preferably hit) singles mantra. I'm talking play their own music, non lip-syncing, real musicians as opposed to the throw away pop act du jour that insists on wrecking havoc on the development of our youths taste buds. But then I thought about it. I think Ash may have hit on something solid with this. People like to collect things ... it's apparently some inbred instinct that we're born with. So, folks will endeavor to collect all 26 of these songs even if there are a few they may not like because you can't have an incomplete collection. Not to knock stamp collecting, but collecting Ash seems way more fun!

The video ... "True Love 1980"


I don't normally list complete tour schedules nor do I usually mention dates that aren't in NY (or sometimes NJ) but in keeping with the spirit of their A - Z Series, they're going to embark on a two month, 26 date UK tour starting in Aldershot and ending in Zennor. That's a cute, quirky and fun way of choosing tour destinations. Since I like cute and quirky stuff, I'm listing the dates. Hey Ash, how about an A - Z tour of the US?

The dates ...
Oct 19 - Aldershot @ West End Centre
Oct 20 - Bradford @ The Gasworks
Oct 21 - Carlisle @ The Brickyard
Oct 23 - Dundee @ Fat Sam’s
Oct 24 - East Grange @ The Loft
Oct 25 - Falkirk @ Behind The Wall
Oct 27 - Gloucester @ Guildhall
Oct 28 - Hastings @ Crypt
Oct 30 - Ipswich @ Corn Exchange
Oct 31- Jersey @ St. Helier Havana Club
Nov 2 - Kingston @ The Peel
Nov 3 - Loughborough @ University
Nov 4 - Milton Keynes @ Pitz Club
Nov 6 - Newport @ TJ’s
Nov 7- Oldham @ Castle
Nov 8 - Plymouth @ Hippo
Nov 10 - Queens Park @ Corrib Rest
Nov 11 - Rotherham @ The Vault
Nov 12 - Swansea @ Sin City
Nov 14 - Tunbridge Wells @ Forum
Nov 16- Upper Norwood @ Gipsy Hill Tavern
Nov 17 - Ventnor @ Winter Gardens
Nov 19 - Worcester @ Dive Bar
Nov 21 - Exmouth @ Pavilion
Nov 22 - Yeovil @ Orange Box
Nov 23 - Zennor @ Village Hall

www.ash-official.com
www.myspace.com/ash

Video: The Heavy - How You Like Me Now?

I don't even need words for this one. But, for those who do, this is The Heavy. If you don't know who they are, watch and discover. They're bad ass and they have a new record, The House That Dirt Built, set for release on October 5.

The Heavy put on a good live show. And so, with a new record, of course they'll be out on the road promoting said record. I suggest you go see them. If they're not playing near you, you better drive somewhere! Yeah, they're that damn good live.



www.theheavy.co.uk
www.myspace.com/theheavy73

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Alberta Cross Covers Lennon

Alberta Cross has a new record, Broken Side Of Time, set to come out on September 22. Until that record lands in your happy little hands, you can grab their cover of John Lennon's "Steel and Glass" HERE, to tide you over.

For a taste of the upcoming record, you can check out The Making of Broken Side Of Time ...



www.albertacross.net
www.myspace.com/albertacross

Monday, September 14, 2009

Brant Christopher - Climb

Last month, singer-songwriter Brant Christopher released his new record, Climb. If you know the name or he sounds familiar, it's probably because he spent the last three years touring with his trio Fort Pastor.

Climb is raw and well crafted. Christopher's gritty vocals have an easy to listen to warmth to them. When I first listened to the record it was "Criminal" that immediately drew me in. On second listen, I was taken by the complete album. This is one of those albums that isn't about the single. It's an album that beckons you to listen to it as a whole. If you're a fan of acoustic singer-songwriters, Climb is a record to check out.

Christopher, like many others in this world, has an active social conscience. He's the Director of Strategic Initiatives as well as the Artist In Residence for the Not For Sale Campaign; a campaign to put an end to global slavery. I don't generally mention stuff like this when writing about artists not because I don't believe in or support such causes, I just choose not to add activism and politics to this forum. But, since 100% of the proceeds from this particular album goes to benefit the Not For Sale Campaign, I'll mention it.

The highlights of Climb for me are the bluesy "Criminal," "Oceanside" and "Shoes For Margaret."

Check him out for yourself ...

"Criminal"
"Shoes For Margaret"

Track Listing
  • Climb
  • Criminal
  • Didn't Know
  • Eyes Are Opened Wide
  • Grace
  • Hold Up My Head
  • Not For Sale
  • Oceanside
  • Shoes For Margaret
  • What Do I Know
www.brantchristophermusic.com
www.myspace.com/brantchristopher
www.facebook.com/brantchristopher