Seizure Crypt - "You've Been Had!" CD Review (Crossover Thrash)

You've Been Had by Seizure CryptMy days of hanging out in clubs into the early hours of the morning are long past but it used to be a lot of fun to see five+ bands in a night because there were always one or more bands that I hadn’t heard previously who I ended up really liking. Queens-based Seizure Crypt would have been one of those bands and they have a boot-stomping, old-school hardcore sound that would have put them on the bill for many of...

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Steve Katz - "Barricades" CD EP Review (Singer/Songwriter)

Belgium-to-NYC transplant Steve Katz is a traditional singer/songwriter whose strong vocals and rich, narrative lyrics falls somewhere between Cat Stevens (who Katz cites as an inspiration) and Damien Rice. Katz just released a five-track debut EP, “Barricades”, and he writes on the CD cover “Barricades can scare, challenge and stop us from achieving goals. They are everywhere and often invisible. I've gone through many barricades in my time—physical...

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The Damn Choir: Chicago Folk-Pop Band Plays Late Show at Mercury Lounge on August 9th

Chicago's The Damn Choir, who Venture Mag called an "introspective downbeat version of Mumford & Sons", is back in town for a late show at Mercury Lounge (supporting Stand) on August 9th. The Damn Choir are touring behind their second disc, You’re my Secret Called Fire, which was released this past May and the band made the most of Chicago’s long winter by filming a labor-intensive stop motion music video for their song “Noah”. This album continues...

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black bird white sky (BBWS): Electro-Rock Trio Announce "Remix" EP Release Party at Rockwood Music Hall on August 1st

black bird white sky released their debut full-length in September of last year and is following that up with the release of a new EP on July 31st called "The Remixes". Three of the tracks are remixes from the band's debut self-titled album -- remixed by the band's producer Nic Hard, who also produced The Bravery, The Kin, and Ghost Beach. The 4th track, "Emergency", is a new single. black bird white sky is playing a (free) CD release show on Wednesday,...

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Teachers' Sons - "Teachers' Sons" LP Review (Space Rock / Doom)

<p><a href="http://teacherssons.bandcamp.com/album/teachers-sons">Teachers' Sons by Teachers' Sons</a></p>Brooklyn Teachers’ Sons are a doom /space rock band who just released their brilliant debut full-length LP as a limited-edition (ltd. to 200) colored vinyl pressing. In an era of digital downloads, you have to love a band that has the b*lls to release their...

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Two Gallants Release "My Love Won't Wait" (Free Download) from Forthcoming CD, The Bloom and the Blight

Alternately explosive and restrained, the aptly titled The Bloom and the Blight is a meditation on past and present – melodic fury matched with the eloquent, confessional lyricism that has made Two Gallants an enduring favorite of both fans and critics. Capturing the sound of a new beginning, the duo’s ATO Records debut The Bloom and the Blight celebrates the band’s much anticipated reunion following a multi-year break. It is the work of Two Gallants,...

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H5Work (Henry Veloso) - "Miles from OZ" CD Review

Miles From OZ is the brainchild of Brooklyn producer Henry Veloso, who records under the name “H5Work”, and his new eleven track disc is an intriguing mix of 80’s dance pop, 90’s alt-rock and Latin swing. The foundation for all of Veloso’s music centers around a hip-shaking dance groove and Veloso credits fellow Brazilians Djavan, Caetano Veloso and João Bosco along with Stanley Clarke, Paul McCartney, Bernard Edwards and Donald Fagan with providing...

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Allen Stone: Neo-Soul Singer Plays Exclusive "Live From T5" Show on Thursday, July 26th at Jet Blue's Terminal 5 at JFK

JetBlue Airways is hosting an exclusive live performance by soul-singing sensation Allen Stone on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 6 p.m. ET. Following a sold out performance in New York the night before, the musically inclined airline is once again providing a surprise performance that is sure to delight. JetBlue’s Live From T5 concert will be held post-security at Terminal 5 (T5) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and will be...

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Empty Orchestra - "One More Time, All Together Now..." CD Review

the Ballad of Bulls Run by Empty OrchestraFlint, Michigan’s Empty Orchestra described their music on their Facebook page as "Screamin' Jay Hawkins f*cking Tom Petty in the bathroom at a Sixteen Horsepower concert.” To my ears, substituting Screamin’ Jay Hawkins with either Craig Finn or Jeffrey Lee Pierce would be more appropriate. Empty Orchestra is releasing their second full-length, One More Time, All Together Now, next month (out on Tomas Kalnoky’s...

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Alice Donut - "Freaks in Love: A Quarter Century in Underground Rock" DVD Review (MVD Visual)

Aquarius Records, who have a huge number of CD reviews posted on their site wrote “With the release of Freaks In Love, from weirdo New York noise rockers Alice Donut, we realized we had never reviewed a single Alice Donut record. Ever.” I sort of feel the same way as Freaks in Love is my first exposure to both Alice Donut and their music. Freaks in Love is an in-depth documentary that looks at the 25-year career of New York City punk rock band Alice...

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"SpokAnarchy! Where Were You in '82" DVD Review (Carnage and Rouge)

SpokAnarchy! is a fascinating documentary of the Reagan-era punk scene in Spokane, WA and the film uses vintage and current live performance and interview footage to tell the story of disaffected youth in a small, rurally isolated town. The story is one part “Our Band Could Be Your Life” and the locals’ resistance to the burgeoning punk scene seems straight out of the Dead Kennedys “Night of the Living Rednecks”. While many of the bands showcased...

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Jen Schande: SF Post-Riot Grrrl Releases "19", a Concept Record Inspired by Michelle Tea's "Valencia"

DOWNLOAD: Jen Schande - "I Really Like Sonic Youth, and I Really Want to Have Sex With You"It’s been almost 10 years since Jen Schande first received critical acclaim with her split 7” with The Cribs. Since then, Jen has busied herself with her band Schande, played in former SF-based queer band Boyskout and has a transatlantic recording project This Is Thunder. Her long awaited solo debut full length may be her most ambitious project to date.For...

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Moore and Sons - "Holdouts" CD Review

<p><a href="http://mooreandsons.bandcamp.com/track/trailin-off">Trailin' Off by moore and sons</a></p>Moore & Sons is the current project of Negative Approach drummer Chris “Opie” Moore and Moore released his eighth solo disc, Holdouts, earlier this year. The songs on this eleven track disc are predominately roots-rock/Americana numbers that are closer in...

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FELA! on Broadway Theater Review - NYC '12

A spectacularly inspiring and triumphant tale of courage, passion and love, FELA! is based on the life of Fela Kuti, who created Afrobeat—a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies—and mixed these sensual eclectic rhythms with simple but powerful lyrics that openly assailed Nigeria’s corrupt and oppressive dictatorships. Featuring many of Fela Kuti’s most captivating songs performed by a combined cast of the original Broadway production...

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Radio Fallout - "Vox E Tenebris" CD Review

Austin, TX trio Radio Fallout are releasing their debut full length, Vox E Tenebris, next month and the forthcoming disc is an intriguing mix of guitar-based roots-rock (with shades of Tom Petty and the BoDeans) and 90’s (Nirvana-flavored) grunge. The band has been getting some buzz with shows at SXSW these last two years and this new disc should help push Radio Fallout into the public eye.Most of Radio Fallout’s songs follow a Nirvana-style verse-chorus-verse...

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Asia - "XXX" CD Review (Frontiers Records)

DOWNLOAD/STREAM: Asia - "Face on the Bridge" (Radio Edit)(Note: Track hosted on Frontiers.it)Two years ago, I reviewed Asia’s then current release, Omega, and my comment was “While the urgency/intensity and arena rock sound of the early releases is gone, this is a mature release that doesn’t detract from the band’s legacy and it should strike a chord with long-time Asia fans.” At the time of its release, John Wetton had compared Omega to Alpha and...

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Lightouts: Brooklyn Electro-Rock Duo Post "The Big Picture" as a Free Download

DOWNLOAD: Lightouts - "The Big Picture"Earlier this month, Brooklyn eletro-rock duo Lightouts released their fifth single, "The Big Picture" and this will be band's last single before their debut album, Want, comes out later this year."The Big Picture" premiered on Spinner.com a few days ago and singer Greg Nelson described the song as "a fuzzed-out epic pop juggernaut about transcending doubt, circumstance and fate. 'Hearts can change, spells will...

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Win Tickets to FELA! on Broadway on Wednesday, July 18th at Al Hirschfeld Theatre (Times Square)

I've got five pairs of tickets to give away to the July 18th performance of FELA! on Broadway (which is at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre - 302 West 45th Street, Times Square). To enter - please send an email with subject "FELA! on Broadway" with your first and last name to Mike [dot] BrooklynRocks @ gmail [dot] com. Winners will be chosen at random on Monday morning, July 16th. I went to the near sold-out show last night and the show completely exceeded...

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Madball - "Rebellion" CD EP Review (Black N Blue)

> Growing up I knew too many bands that were desperate to be signed to a major label (to steal a phrase from Steve Albini - they were “anxious to be led around by their nose rings”) and, of the bands I knew, I can’t think of one that “broke out” and actually made any money. With too many people waiting for life to happen to them, I’ve admired Freddy Madball for years for making things happen on his own – Madball has been making music on their...

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Cobalt & the Hired Guns: Chicago Pop-Punk Band Plays Union Hall on July 27th

DOWNLOAD: Cobalt & the Hired Guns - "Like You Like Me Like Me"It has been a couple years since Cobalt & the Hired Guns came through town. Last time through, they played a brilliant, sweaty show to a packed house at Union Hall and kept the crowd riveted with their mix of punk and Americana "working-man" songs.After some lineup changes, Cobalt & the Hired Guns (CATHG) regrouped with a new album Everybody Wins! and are playing two local...

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Town Hall: NYC Indie-Folk Release Covers EP as Free Download / Acoustic Show at Ace Hotel on July 12th

<p><p><a href="http://townhall.bandcamp.com/album/town-hall-plays-the-classics-vol-1">Town Hall Plays the Classics, Vol. 1 by Town Hall</a></p></p>Indie-folk band Town Hall has compiled all of the cover songs...

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Future of What - "Moonstruck" CD EP Review

Moonstruck by Future Of WhatAfter releasing a solo disc, Die Young (Autumn Tone Records), in 2010, Blair Gimma hooked up with Sam Axelrod (guitarist/vocalist of Chicago’s The Narrator) to form a new full-band project Future of What. The band released its debut EP "Moonstruck" on June 26th as a free download and this four-track/14-minute disc is blissful trip down the synth-driven, ethereal path that a of a number of 4AD bands (NME cited Chairlift...

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New Rides of the Furious Swampriders CD Review

The Perc Presents New Rides of the Furious Swampriders is the fourth volume in a series whose first volume dates back to 1990. The concept behind the original volume was a collection of songs that are “different, rusty, dusty and dirty with edges”. Jeffrey Lee Pierce contributed to the second volume and the liner notes in this new disc state that Pierce was “THE swamprider par excellence” for compilation masterminds Tom “The Perc” Rendecker and...

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