The Mystic Underground : Electro-Pop Duo Play EP Release Show at Grand Victory Tomorrow Night

”We write pop songs for the disenchanted, disillusioned and disenfranchised. they are songs for the broken-hearted and desperate. songs that celebrate life, love, death and everything in between.” -- The Mystic UndergroundElectro-pop duo The Mystic Underground released their third EP, "Gender Rules", on Aug. 20th and are playing a CD release show at Grand Victory tomorrow night.  Cover is $8 and doors are at 7:30PM.  Also on the bill...

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Hostage Calm Release Pay-What-You-Want Digital Compilation / Show at MHOW in Brooklyn on 9-26 with Saves The Day and Into It. Over It.

Hostage Calm have announced the release of Tonight, They Won't Take Me Alive, a digital collection that charts a course through the band's storied career. Featuring various live and acoustic performances, the compilation also includes all of the group's non-album tracks and some highlights from each of their three critically acclaimed LPs and debut Demo 7”. Tonight, They Won't Take Me Alive is more than an outline from a varied back-catalog, it's...

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Golden Suits (Fred Nicolaus) - Self-TItled CD Review (Yep Rec Records)

Golden Suits is the “nom de rock” of Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist Fred Nicolaus, who is best known for being one-half of the band Department of Eagles (along with Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen). Department of Eagles’ last disc, In Ear Park (2008), was awarded ‘Best New Music by Pitchfork and made The New York Times’ year-end top ten lists but Nicolaus seems to have kept a low profile over the last few years. Earlier this year, he announced his...

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Herzog (Cleveland Slacker Rock) Plays Shea Stadium on August 22nd Along with Clarence, Pup, and Soda Bomb

DOWNLOAD: Herzog - "Fuck This Year" (from Cartoon Violence)Herzog has spent the last few months camped out at Kevin McMahon’s Marcata Recording in New Paltz (The Walkmen, Widowspeak, etc), working on their follow up LP to 2012's Cartoon Violence (Exit Stencil) and are now venturing out to play some shows.Herzog's last disc, Cartoon Violence, earned the band positive reviews from the likes of NME, Pitchfork, and NPR’s All Songs Considered as this...

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Analog Birds - 'No-Knock' CD EP Review (Brooklyn Psych-Pop)

Earlier this year, Analog Birds, a three piece psychedelic rock band from Brooklyn, released their first new music since 2007’s Music Concrete. As the “psychedelic rock” tag could be applied to everything from early Pink Floyd to The Dwarves, to give a bit more of a description - Analog Bird sounds like a bunch of multi-instrumentalist Berklee types, with Beach Boys-like harmonies, tripping on acid. The band’s brand of psych-pop is full of twists...

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Slim Wray (Brooklyn Garage Rock Duo) Play Thursday Night Residency During August at Trash Bar

I've been listening to garage rock duo Slim Wray's forthcoming debut CD, Sack Lunch (out Nov. 2nd), and am wildly impressed. While it is easy to compare every garage rock duo to The White Stripes, what I've heard of the new disc so far sounds like the bombast of bands like Gas Huffer and Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion crossed with fuzzed-out guitar hooks of bands like The Sonics and Flat Duo Jets.Slim Wray is playing a series of Thursday night residencies...

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Bugs in the Dark Play All-Ages Show on Thursday (8/15) at Aputumpu's party at Muchmore's in Williamsburg

I can't believe that Bugs in the Dark haven't yet broken big...the band has more-than-enough musical chops, hooks and loads of indie-punk credibility. I'm obviously not the only one who thinks this as New York Music Daily called one of the songs on the band's last disc as: "the bastard child of Siouxsie Sioux, peak-era Throwing Muses and late-period Sleater-Kinney."Bugs in the Dark are headlining an all-ages show at Muchmore's in Williamsburg this...

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The Rolling Stones - 'Hyde Park Live' CD Review (iTunes Only Release)

Earlier this month, The Rolling Stones released Hyde Park Live as an exclusive digital download through iTunes. This release also marks the first time that I’ve seen a ‘limited edition’ digital-only release as this download is available for four weeks only (which would mean that this is the last week to pick this up). This 19-track, almost two hour show, is compiled from the final dates on the Stones’ 50 and Counting Tour and was recorded at Hyde...

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Elephant Stone Play Mercury Lounge Tonight / The Horrors' Remix of "A Silent Moment" Posted As A Free Download

(Note: Track is a free download from Elephant Stone's website - link is below)Yesterday, Elephant Stone commemorated the launch of their Eastern US tour by releasing The Horrors' Tom Furse Remix of "A Silent Moment". The transcontinental collaboration was born of a chance meeting at Coachella that quickly developed into Elephant Stone's Rishi Dhir and Furse's frequent work on one another's projects.Recently, Elephant Stone premiered the third video...

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Michale Graves - 'The Lost Skeleton Returns' CD Review (x-Misfits)

Michale Graves’ newest disc, The Lost Skeleton Return, was released last month and this is the second disc that Graves funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. This new disc is also Graves’ second release this year as he released the “rock/folk/pop” disc, Vagabond, in late February. I found Vagabond to be a mixed bag, as much of Graves’ recent output has been, but The Lost Skeleton Returns is a nice return to the sound of The Misfits,...

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Cold Blood Club - Live Photos / Review from 7-23-13 Show at Bowery Ballroom / Next Show at Mercury Lounge on August 29th

WHITE BOYZ by Cold Blood ClubIt has been a little while since I’ve been to a show and been wowed by a band as, most of the time, the band will deliver a perfunctory and enjoyable set but there is no “wow” factor. I’ve seen too many bands over the years that can’t keep the energy levels high for the whole show, overstay their welcome by playing too long a set and/or (god forbid) attempt an acoustic / ‘unplugged’ mini-set in the middle of the show....

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Whitesnake Skips NYC Area on Current US Tour / 'Made in Japan' CD Review

Whitesnake tours the US and skips NYC. Well, what else is new? It seems like too many bands are skipping the City these days…I’ve got the latest (6th) Whitesnake live album, Made in Britain/World Record, in my review queue but, before getting into this disc, thought I’d back up and finally review the band’s previous live album. Whitesnake released Made in Japan (wonder where David thought of that title?) earlier this spring and Disc One of this...

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Wild Cub (Keegan DeWitt) Plays Bowery Ballroom on August 9th / Natalie Prass and SACCO (Andy & John from Guards' Touring Band) are Opening

DOWNLOAD: Wild Cub - "Black Tide" (hosted on http://blog.kexp.org)(Photo: Will Morgan Holland)I love this quote from KEXP (and am envious that I didn't write this): Wild Cub's "brand of darkly-tinged new wave recalls elements of the youthful abandon of John Hughes soundtracks, the baleful allure of Greg Dulli, and the clockwork electronics of New Order’s middle period."Formed in early 2012 by songwriter-composer Keegan DeWitt and multi-instrumentalist...

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Simple Minds - 'Celebrate' CD Review / Show at Roseland Ballroom on October

DOWNLOAD: Simple Minds – “The American” Live at Sands Centre Carlisle, 5/29/13{Note: RIAA wackjobs – link is posted on SimpleMinds.Com – no bootlegging/piracy here so...move along}Simple Minds was last in NYC for a show at Beacon Theatre (with INXS) in June of 2002 so it is a pretty big deal that the band is returning to the US for the first time in over a decade. This is probably the longest that Simple Minds has had a consistent line-up as, 4/5...

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At The Gates, Taake, Solstafir, and MGLA will be making exclusive US appearances at the 2014 Maryland Deathfest

The first bands to confirm for Maryland Deathfest XII were posted to the festival's Facebook page earlier today:The following bands have already confirmed for MDF XII:AT THE GATES (Sweden)GORGUTS (Canada)TAAKE (Norway)SOLSTAFIR (Iceland)MGLA (Poland)EXCRUCIATING TERRORBONGRIPPERHEMDALEDIOCLETIAN (New Zealand)We thought there would be more to announce today, including a band that will definitely headline one of the days, but that will take another...

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HUFF THIS! (Alison Clancy) Play Show Tomorrow Night, July 28th, at Highline Ballroom

We Are Siamese by HUFF THIS!HUFF THIS! has returned to its roots with a new, all-girl line up. It's a performance that lives in the worlds of of both music and dance, born in the basement of The Metropolitan Opera where Alison Clancy and Allison Jones dance together. In the past year, during breaks between opera acts, they started jamming and singing in the ballet studios, and recruiting other Met girls to dance. They recently joined up with impish...

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The Ocean (Metal Blade) Unveil New Video for 'Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish in Dreams' / Show Aug. 7th at Best Buy Theater (Summer Slaughter Tour 2013)

The Ocean has launched a brand new video for "Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish in Dreams" from their most recent album, Pelagial. The band's first official music video, not counting previous videos composed of live footage, was directed by Alexander Kraudelt and Lukas Hambach and produced by Frameshock, with additional visuals by Craig Murray.Founding guitarist Robin Staps comments: "This clip is blending performance footage with excerpts from Craig Murray's...

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Jon Oliva: 'Raise The Curtain' Interview with BrooklynRocks, July 14, 2013

Three years ago, I reviewed Jon Oliva’s last outing, Festival, (released as Jon Oliva’s Pain) and compared the disc to Alice Cooper’s mid-70’s work. That same comparison still stands with the follow-up to that disc, Raise the Curtain, which was released earlier this month on AFM Records. This time out, in addition to the Alice Cooper influences, Raise the Curtain touches on 70’s prog rock (Yes comes immediately to mind), jazz/fusion and roots-rock...

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Orange Goblin Returns to North America for Fall Tour / Show at Saint Vitus Bar on Nov. 2nd

Britain's premier stoner metal band Orange Goblin will return to perform at venues throughout North America this Autumn.Following the band’s huge success earlier this year as main support for Clutch on their Earth Rocker North American tour, the Brits return for a full headlining run. Kicking off in New Orleans on September 27, the band will visit 38 cities around the United States and Canada before concluding in Nashville on November 9. Support...

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Havok - 'Unnatural Selection' CD Review / Show at St. Vitus Bar on August 7th (Candlelight Records)

Denver thrash metallers Havok are back with their third full-length disc, Unnatural Selection (released last month on Candlelight Records) and their first headlining tour of North America, which kicked off this week at Launchpad in Albuquerque, NM. The local tour stop is at St. Vitus Bar on August 7th and Havock is playing with TBA (let’s spread a ‘stupid’ rumor – TBA = Municipal Waste). Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 DOS.Unnatural Selection...

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Cold Blood Club (Indie Dance Rock) Plays Bowery Ballroom on July 23rd Alongside Future Bible Heroes (Stephin Merritt)

All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem Cover) by Cold Blood ClubSeven member indie dance-rock collective Cold Blood Club are playing Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, July 23rd, opening for Future Bible Heroes.  Cold Blood Club premiered the song/video "Goodbye to All That" earlier this month which is the first track from this band's forthcoming disc Tear Down The Maps. In a recent interview with Violent Success, guitarist/songwriter Tom Stuart had the...

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Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants - 'All Hat and No Cattle' (SideOneDummy Records)

Foo Fighter guitarist Chris Shiflett’s solo project Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants has found its mark with band’s forthcoming second disc, All Hat and No Cattle (due out July 30th on SideOneDummy Records). This new disc is a logical follow-up to The Dead Peasants’ 2010 self-titled debut and Shiflett continues to mine his longtime appreciation of classic country artists (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams) and rockabilly (Gene Vincent,...

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The Bellicose Minds: Portland Post-Punk / Death-Rock Trio Signs With A389 Recordings

The Spine by The Bellicose MindsThe debut disc from The Bellicose Minds, Spine, hits a 'sweet spot' as it brings back memories of the death/goth-rock sounds (the Rozz Williams-fronted lineup of Christian Death and Bauhaus) of my youth so I'd love to see the band hit the East Coast. The Bellicose Minds did an interview last year with CvltNation which goes a long way toward describing the band's sound, outlook and influences.Oliver (CvltNation): Who...

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The Damned Live Live Live in London 2002: Tiki Nightmare DVD Review (MVD Visual)

A new live release from The Damned is always a welcome thing as, while the band has already released many live albums, The Damned’s constantly rotating lineup (the only constant has been singer Dave Vanian) along with their willingness to regularly reinterpret their songs means that every one of these live albums sounds different. The Damned Live Live Live in London 2002: Tiki Nightmare captures the band at Shepherds Bush Empire on July 12, 2002....

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