BritFest NYC 2011 Kicks Off June 4

Our friends over at Big Apple Brits are holding their annual BritFest NYC 2011. It runs from June 4 - June 11!

The kick-off party which includes 3 events, 1 venue, for 1 price takes place at The Delancey. It'll cost you $25 for the all day Delancey pass that allows you to come and go as you please.

From 1PM - 7PM on the Rooftop, there will be a BBQ, rain or shine (retractable roof). The BBQ deets Tickets Include:- 1 Free PIMMS (before 2pm), BBQ of Sausages, Burgers, + Potato Salad, Crisps and Cake for afters! & 10 x Raffle Tickets, with prizes valued up to $1,000 .....

From 7PM - 10PM things move downstairs for the music. This year taking the stage will be PreFab 4 and Lisa Redford.

From 10PM - Late DJ's Marcus Robson & Andy Bullock go old school, spinning house tunes.

For more info on BritFest NYC click HERE.

See you there!

Prospector: Catchy, Raw, Aggressive and Fun

Prospector: May 18 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

It's been a long time since I rock and rolled... with Prospector. As a matter of fact it has been about seven months or some ridiculous amount of time since I've made it out to catch a show! Say wha? It's been that long?! Well, damn! What's happened in that time? They've changed their name from Doppelgänger for one and secondly they're working on a full-length album.

So, there I was over there at Mercury Lounge having taken in an earlier set and thinking, awesome, I get to see Prospector too ... bonus rock 'n' roll jackpot! The band, a minimalist band, Ryan Oh-No (drums/vocals), R. Francis (guitar) and Joey Hamm (bass/vocals) took to the stage turned down the lights and launched into a hard edged, high energy set. One song in and I was happily reminded why I love this band ... roller coaster stomach! You know that feeling of excitement, that fear that you're going to go over the edge ... that I don't give a damn if we crash because it's going to be one hell of a ride kind of thing. That's the feeling they gave me the first time I saw them perform and they still make me feel that way.

They played some stuff I hadn't heard before. See what happens when you miss shows! If you're familiar with their shows then you know they're loud and fun. Wednesday night, they even sounded a little more aggressive than they did the last time I saw them. No complaints here.

I've told you once or five times, this is a band you should go see. It's rock 'n' roll. It's raw. It's catchy. And, it's good!

More photos HERE

MyNameIsJohnMichael: Full-On Fun

MyNameIsJohnMichael: May 18 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

What do you do on a Wednesday night, in New York City, on the Lower East Side, on a rainy night? You head over to Mercury Lounge to shake your ass to MyNameIsJohnMichael!

Forget Mardi Gras folks. The only New Orleans party you need, will come to you in the form of John Michael Rouchell and his band of rockin' merry men. When I saw them a little over a year ago at the same venue, they hooked me. Last night, they tore it up and floored me. Oh, they were tight! It seems they've turned things up a few notches since then! What? How is that even possible?! They launched into their set, a set containing songs from their upcoming album, and didn't let up until everyone was hot and sweaty, ending with Rauchell taking to the audience to finish the night. My fellow audience members had a blast. I had a blast. Everyone sang-along. I sang-along which is a big deal for me because, there are only two other musicians who can make me sing-along, out loud, at a show, with wild abandon.

With their high energy show, top notch musicianship and killer songs, this is a band you need to see live. You should catch them when they play near you. You. Will. Have. Fun.

MyNameIsJohnMichael, is it okay for me to be a little bit in love with y'all collectively, individually and whatnot?

More photos HERE

Mountain Man Announce Tour Dates + MP3

Mountain Man, Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall have announced their North American summer tour (see below for complete listing). They'll be making a stop here in NYC on July 28 at Mercury Lounge, doors are at 9:30PM and it'll cost you $12. Road-trip anyone? They'll also be making a stop in Rhode Island at the famed Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 31, ticket and festival info HERE. And, if that wasn't enough, we have a little something to whet your appetite. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for our MP3 Grab and download "Play It Right."

A note from the band:

The beautiful months of the year have returned to the good old U.S. of A., and balancing daintily on their coattails comes celebration and noises of all varieties. Which is to say Mountain Man will soon be crossing state lines and swimming in as many bodies of water as we can find. We will be singing in your town soon and would love to say hello, eat some greens or meet your parents. Take us up on any or every invitation, but in the words of The Boss, "Rosie, come out tonight!"

Tour Dates

• July 08 - Winnipeg MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival
• July 09 - Winnipeg MB – Winnipeg Folk Fest
• July 10 - Minneapolis MN – Cedar Cultural Center [Free Patio Show]
• July 11 - Milwaukee WI – Cactus Club
• July 12 - Chicago IL – Schubas
• July 13 - Lawrence KS – The Bottleneck*
• July 15 - Santa Fe NM – Brewing Co Patio*
• July 16 - Denver CO – Larimer Lounge
• July 18 - Telluride CO – Sheridan Opera House*
• July 21 - St Louis MO – Firebird
• July 23 - Indianapolis IN – Radio Radio
• July 24 - Pittsburgh PA – Club Café
• July 25 - Philadelphia PA – Chapel at First Unitarian
• July 26 - Arlington VA – IOTA Club and Café
• July 28 - New York NY – Mercury Lounge
• July 29 - Hudson NY – Club Helsinki
• July 30 - Northampton MA – Iron Horse
• July 31 - Newport RI – Newport Folk Festival

*with Blind Pilot

MP3 Grab: "Play It Right"

Kitten Releases New Video

Kitten have released a video for their extremely catchy song "Chinatown." The video, a track from their EP Sunday School, was directed by Bryan Schlam. Check it out below.

In other news, you can pre-order Sunday School on vinyl, HERE. If that wasn't enough for you, they'll be doing a bit of touring ... out on the road with Brother. Yes, New York, they'll be in our lovely city. They'll be at Bowery Ballroom on the LES on August 2. It'll cost you $13 and doors are at 7PM.

Cibo Matto Reunite & Announce Tour

Great news for Cibo Matto fans (yes, I would be one of them!), they've reunited! Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda are hitting the road for the Yeah Basically Cibo Matto tour beginning in June. To make the whole thing even sweeter, they're working on songs for an upcoming album which is scheduled for an early 2012 release.

And, so you can keep up-to-date with everything, they've launched a new website www.yeahbasicallycibomatto.com and you'll soon be able to stream some of the new songs there.

Gig Alert!: Cibo Matto will be at Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn on July 12 and at Bowery Ballroom on July 18 on the LES.

Tour Dates

• 6/21 -- Seattle, WA - Neumo's
• 6/22 -- Vancouver, BC - Fortune
• 6/23 -- Portland, OR - Doug Fir
• 6/25 -- San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's
• 6/26 -- Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl w/Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 7/12 -- Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
• 7/14 -- Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
• 7/16 -- Toronto, ON - Mod Club
• 7/18 -- New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
• 7/19 -- Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel
• 7/20 -- Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

Song Of The Day: The Walton Hoax - "Chemical Burn" MP3

I was checking out my email a few days ago and in my inbox was a tune by Belgian duo The Walton Hoax called "Chemical Burn." The duo, friends singer/songwriter Peter Vanek and producer infraBuse, started working on a remix project in 2010. They liked what they were creating and decided to put together a separate project calling it The Walton Hoax.

I had a listen and liked it. So, we are sharing it with you my lovely readers. The 3-track EP also titled Chemical Burn will be released in June. But you get to have an advance taste. Go down to the bottom of the post and get it in our MP3 Grab. Also, check out the video for the song below.

A few months after the project's birth, they put out a first song: “Chemical Burn”, constructed out of melancholy vocals into brooding, live-wire electronics that take the listener for a sizzling ride into the dark.

MP3 Grab: "Chemical Burn"

Women That Rock NYC: Lisa Bianco

Lisa Bianco: May 9, 2011 @ Bowery Electric, New York, NY


Third on the bill at the Women That Rock NYC show was Lisa Bianco. She came armed with a new band, bassist Kenny Aaronson, drummer Lou Petto and for one song Kathy Zimmer helping out on vocals. I haven't had the chance to catch Biano play for a while so it was a pleasure to see her again. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an appreciation for chicks that rock hard. And folks, that's just what Bianco does! The song that first drew me to Biano's work was "Sideways" and I still love it. But, if you've ever seen her play "Sun Glare" then you've likely had one of those, holy hell, sweet mercy, orgasmic brain fuck moments.

Bianco is a personable performer with buckets of talent. On this night it seemed like she rocked even harder then when I last saw her. She did slow things down a notch when she did an awesome solo version of "Cruel Summer." Do yourself a favor and check her out when you get the chance.

More photos HERE.

Women That Rock NYC: Julia Weldon

Julia Weldon: May 9, 2011 @ Bowery Electric, New York, NY

Second up in the line-up of the Women That Rock NYC show this past Monday was Julia Weldon. Weldon, accompanied herself on acoustic guitar. Her laid back, unassuming style was rather disarming but very pleasant.

More photos HERE.

Women That Rock NYC: Christina LaRocca

Christina LaRocca: May 9, 2011 @ Bowery Electric, New York, NY

Christina LaRocca kicked things off Monday night at the Women That Rock NYC show at LES venue Bowery Electric. LaRocca took the stage to play a solo set that included a heavy version of "Piece of My Heart," a song that became well known and associated with late rocker Janis Joplin when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered it. It was a good set and you should check LaRocca out if you get the chance.

More Photos HERE.