R.I.P. Hilly Kristal - Thanks

Every summer for the past three years my close friend Aliana and I would make our pilgrimage to 2nd and The Bowery, what is known today as Joey Ramone Place. We would take Bleeker St. right to the very end where standing right in front of you was a White Canvas that read "CBGB'S," the canvas stood out like a sore thumb from the row of shitbox buildings that occupied that section of the Bowery. For us, and many fans of the infamous club, CBGB'S was a beautiful shitbox. You walk in and are greeted by a fully pierced hostess and the walls are painted black, yet you cant tell due to the fact that they are covered in band stickers, photos and vintage newspaper clippings. No where in the world could you find a bar with more history and more testicular fortitude than CB's.
Last year would be Aliana and I's final pilgrimage to mecca, when after a two year long fight with The Bowery Residence committee (CB'S Landlord), owner Hilly Kristal was forced to close the clubs doors for good. Some say the closing of CBGB'S marked the end of an era, some say the doors should have stayed open, others may also argue that once the 70's where over, so was the club. However you want to look at it, Hilly Kristal and CBGB'S changed the face of music forever.
Kristal opened the bar in the late 70's as a country and blue-grass venue (CBGB's = Country Blue Grass Blues), yet with no country or blues acts coming to the New York City area or willing to play in the seedy Bowery area, punks were coming out of the woodwork. He would then later add "OMFUG" to the marquee (OMFUG = Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers). What Hilly was doing he had no idea would blow up to be a pop culture phenomenon. Bands like The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Blondie were the house bands. Imagine going into a bar today and the guys on stage change the sound and scene forever and go on to become Rock and Roll Icons? That's the power CBGB's had, record labels would send their A&R guys down their to see what the next big thing would be. By the end of the 80's, the next big thing would be the club itself, it became an east coast haven for grunge, a west coast sound. It allowed bands like Dave Matthews Band, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Korn a platform to play when no one wanted to listen. I can go on forever on how much I loved that place and what it did for me. Only going their a handful of times I felt like I stepped into a time machine and was transported to a place and time I would have loved to have seen.
This afternoon I read the news to see that man that started it all, Hilly Kristal, passed away at 75 years old after a fight with Lung Cancer. What Kristal has done not only for myself but the hundreds of thousands of people that walked through those doors and played on that stage, a thank you from each person would never be enough. Oddly enough almost a year later, Kristal passed after his bar had closed, thus officially putting the stamp to mark the end of an era. Kristal is survived by his ex-wife Karen Kristal, daughter Lisa Kristal, and son Mark Dana Kristal.

Fire Flies Buzz

Keep and Eye and Ear out for the new HBO spots...The song playing is "More Than This," by The Fire Flies!!! "More Than This," can be found on their first album Baobabs in the Basement. In more Flies news, the guys were just featured in the New YorkDaily News this weekend, check out the article by clicking the link below:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2007/08/26/2007-08-26_a_pair_to_draw_you_in.html?ref=rss

Buy Now!!!!!!!!!

Another round of harmonies for your ear drums to infatuate over...

BUY NOW!!!!!!!!!
SilverChair - Young Modern (Nothing like you have ever herd from this band before, sounds more like The Killers than Post Grunge and its great!)
Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
The National - Boxer

Currently Spinning:
Blur - The Best of...
The Verve - This is Music
The Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Live at Hammersmith Odeon

Shine a Light Trailer

So the movie was pushed back till 2008, however, this will hold you over...

Playlist

Here are a list of songs I have been spinning and you should check out...

The Police - "King of Pain"
The Fratellis - "Ole Black 'n Blue Eyes"
Kanye West - "Stronger"
A Fine Frenzy - "You Picked Me"
MIKA - "Relax, Take it Easy"
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - "Shes the One" (Live from Hammersmith Odeon)
The Hold Steady - "Stuck Between Stations"
Ben E. King - "Stand By Me"
The Klaxons - "Totem on the Timeline"
U2 - "Gloria"

New Sparta Video

Add to My Profile More Videos

In an age of generic and stock music videos...everyone once in a while a video like this comes along and makes you really miss the glory days of MTV. Sparta's latest video "Erase it Again," off Three's does just that...Directed by Chris Mills it is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time.

Springsteen unleashes "Magic"

Bruce Springsteen has announced a release date for his latest album called Magic. It reunites Bruce with the E Street Band after a five year hiatus, the album is produced by Brendan O'Brien and will hit stores October 2. This will also lead to a full on tour with Bruce and E Street.

Here is the track listing to Magic:
1. Radio Nowhere
2. You'll Be Comin' Down
3. Livin' in the Future
4. Your Own Worst Enemy
5. Gypsy Biker
6. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
7. I'll Work for Your Love
8. Magic
9. Last to Die
10. Long Walk Home
11. Devil's Arcade

Springsteen's manager Jon Landau had this to say via Bruce's website, "'Magic' is a high energy rock CD. It's light on its feet, incredibly well played by Bruce and the members of the E Street Band, and, as always, has plenty to say. It's also immensely entertaining. 'Magic' is the third collaboration between Bruce and Brendan O'Brien and is a culmination of their very productive creative relationship."

Quick News

GREAT NEWS!! So its official, The Fire Flies are now the best unsigned band in the world!! No seriously, they won the European leg of the Emergenza Festival in Germany they competed against 6,000 other bands from across the globe to take the top prize. Drummer Seth Faulk even took home an award for best drummer at the festival. So proud! Congratulations boys, well deserved. You can catch the best band in the world you never herd of Friday the 24 in NYC at the Crash Mansion. Check their myspace page for more info.... www.myspace.com/firefliesmusic

In recording new The Loved Ones are stepping into the studio at summers end to record a follow up to 2006's Keep Your Heart. The new disc will be produced by Pete Steinkopf and Bryan Kienlen from The Bouncing Souls and will be mixed by Bob Strakele (sound man to Alkaline Trio, Bouncing Souls, Hold Steady). With a combo like that you know something great will turn up.

In other record news...Radiohead has delayed the arrival of their latest untitled disc till 2008, never fear the new year is only a few months away...

Vintage Police with BONO!

The Police reuniting for the first time after a three year hiatus and performing Invisible Sun at the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope concert (6/15/86) at Giants Stadium. Bono joins them for the last verse.

Indy Watch

Check out the teaser poster for Indy 4...

Oasis Doc to come this fall

After over a year of waiting...fans of the British band Oasis will finally have a chance to own the much anticipated tour documentary Lord Dont Slow Me Down. Filmed entirely in on the bands Don't Believe the Truth tour of 2005 it chronicles the trials and tribulations of one of the U.K's biggest bands. Also you know with the feud between the brothers Gallagher it will make for entertaining video as well. The Documentary will be released on DVD October 29. Here is the cover art:

In other Oasis news..the band is currently prepping work on a new album hopefully due out sometime in 2008.

Indy Watch

It has been reported that Lucasfilm is eyeing six possible titles for The Fourth Installment of Indiana Jones...check out the possibilities here:
- Indiana Jones and the City of Gods
- Indiana Jones and the Destroyer of Worlds
- Indiana Jones and the Fourth Corner of the Earth
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- Indiana Jones and the Lost City of Gold
- Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Covenant
Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods has thus far been the front runner on fan sites and imdb...Lucasfilm has until April of next year to make a decision.

In related Indy news...catch the latest video blog posting by Steven Spielberg on www.indianajones.com

Live Review-Incubus at Jones Beach

When you go to an Incubus concert there is one rule you must follow...expect the unexpected. The audience is always unaware of what the SoCal rockers will pull out of their never ending bag of tricks. Last nights show at Jones Beach was a milestone for me, it was the seventh time I have seen the band and each time I see them they just keep getting better and better and each performance always stands on its own, last night was no exception. Opening with the somber and mysterious "Quicksand," off last years Light Grenades release, then exploding into "A Kiss to Send Us Off," the crowd ignited like a rocket being blasted into outer space. Yet by the time "Wish You Were Here," was played the crowd touched down back onto planet earth and lavished in the beauty of the Jones Beach Amphitheater, a theater floating in the heart of Long Islands South Shore. The perfect place to see a great summer time band even when Mother Nature decided to pour for a little while on the open air venue. Much like The Police the other night, Incubus reworked and rearranged many of their songs and jammed out to create 7-9 minute opuses. The jamming Incubus created displayed how eclectic they are. Fusing Funk/Punk/Rock/and Prog and flexing their musical muscles, its one of the reasons why they fans keep going back for more after all these years. Bassist Ben Kenny plays his axe with nothing but soul and the vibes he gives off singer Brandon Boyd feeds on and they become a dynamic duo on stage. The highlight of the show came when Incubus invited opening act Simon Dawes onto the stage to cover "Stand By Me," a pleasant surprise and had Boyd addressing the crowd at the end of the song by saying "another, of the songs we wished we had written." After 90 minutes, the band covered most of their career spanning tracks off each record and even had time to premiere a new song during the encore. A rocking song called "Look Alive!," had the crowd partially confused and totally entertained.
Aside from Simon Dawes, New York City natives The Bravery also opened. The Bravery had something going for them not many bands I have seen this past year have had and that was sound. They sounded absolutely perfect, each song amplified off the instruments and off the waves of the beach and into the ears of the audience and had many saying "why aren't these guys playing in stadiums." Bravery singer Sam Endicott did an impromptu storytellers and dictating the stories behind some of the new songs off The Sun and The Moon. All in all a good night, Incubus will continue their trek into September and The Bravery will be linking with The Smashing Pumpkins for their fall tour. Wherever both bands are playing, go see them.

Incubus Setlist 8/9/07 Jones Beach
Quicksand
Kiss To Send Us Off
Wish You Were Here
Anna Molly
Pistola
Careless Whisper (Wham Cover)
Vitamin
Love Hurts
Drive
Megalomanic
Sick Sad Little World
Stand By Me (King Cover)
Oil and Water
Dig
Encore
Are You In
LOOK ALIVE!
Aqueous Transmission

Live Review-The Hold Steady at Prospect Park

The Hold Steady Live at Prospect Park Brooklyn
By Bill Reese

They started five years ago with the aspirations of being a great bar band. As he looked out into an estimated 5,000 people in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Thursday night, The Hold Steady singer Craig Finn remarked, “Well, this is a pretty big bar.”
Barnstorming the country for most of this year, The Brooklyn via Minneapolis quintet’s free show as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn series served as a homecoming of sorts for Finn, who grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes, but had his life change upon moving to New York City in 2000.
From the opening muted chords of “Stuck Between Stations,” Finn and company seemed as energetic and hyper as some of the chemically induced characters in their songs. However, unlike his fictional junkies, Finn’s drug of choice was his own adrenaline. Although his shiny black guitar slung around his neck for the entire show, Finn seemed more concerned with delivering his lyrics as if they were soliloquies from “Macbeth” at Shakespeare in the Park. His TONY-worthy stage performance found him pantomiming everything from numbers to syringes, frequently ending his stanzas with wide, open arms, as if he intended on giving one giant hug to everyone in attendance.
While Finn’s guitar served mostly as a prop, HS lead guitarist Tab Kubler assumed the reigns and tore through devastating hooks and dazzling solos. He was prone to swirl his axe around his shoulders without warning or ceremony, never losing the beat. On the other side of the stage, The Hold Steady’s Roy Bittan/Danny Federicci doppelganger Franz Nicolay peppered the guitar jams with perfectly placed organ licks, including some new keyboard interpretations of the group’s early work.
The set covered equally from the band’s first three LPs, playing all but one track from 2006’s Boys and Girls in America. While the crowd sang along with the songs from Boys and Girls, the biggest cheers seemed to come when they dipped into 2005’s punk-rock opera Separation Sunday. Songs like “Stevie Nicks” and “Multitude of Casualties” showed off the band’s formative song structure, characterized by long-winded, spoken word verses and big, instrumental breakdowns. These were counterbalanced with the knockdown-dragout rock choruses from Boys and Girls, especially in “Chips Ahoy!” and “Hot Soft Light.”
Throughout the show, Finn’s stage presence and energy drew comparisons to his idol, Bruce Springsteen, as well as the showmanship of contemporaries such as Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. The E Street similarities were everywhere, from the kooky, Fedora-wearing keyboardist, to the robot-man precision of drummer Bobby Drake, to the fact that Finn didn’t seem to want the set to ever end.
Finn, a native Minnesotan, spoke only briefly about the tragedy in his hometown, saying that Minneapolis is in the news for “all the wrong reasons,” before dropping into the teen-angst breakdown in “Your Little Hoodrat Friend.” For the encore, he walked onstage with a game-worn jersey from his favorite player, Twins legend Ken Hrbek. After someone yelled “Go Brewers!” into the mic, Finn gazed back at the audience and said “We’re gonna win, Twins,” perhaps unaware of the emotional and powerful statement entwined within that simple fight chant.

Listen to Blaqk Audio

AFI's Davey Havok and Jade Puget have put together an industrial rock band in the vein of VNV Nation, KMFDM and Depeche Mode..The venture is called Blaqk Audio and you can listen to the full album CexCells before it hits stores later this month. Just head on over to their myspace page and check it out http://www.myspace.com/blaqkaudio

Kanye West "Graduation" Cover / Tracklisting

The albums not coming out till September 11...but catch a sneak peek at Kanye's latest work Graduation right here:01 Good Morning
02 Homecoming [ft. Chris Martin]
03 Stronger
04 Champion
05 Good Life [ft. T-Pain]
06 I Wonder
07 Even More Broke Phi Broke (Skit)
08 Can't Tell Me Nothing
09 Drunk and Hot Girls [ft. Mos Def]
10 Everything I Am [scratches by DJ Premier]
11 Good Night [ft. Mos Def & Al Be]
12 Big Brother
13 Graduation (Skit)
14 The Glory
15 CRS [ft. Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell] [pre-order only]

Live Review-The Police at Giants Stadium

Just cast away like the line in one of their most famous songs, the world renowned and reunited Police commanded New Jersey's Giants Stadium Sunday night after a 23 year hiatus it felt as if the band never stopped playing. It is this summers most anticipated tour and on the last stop of the first leg of the Police's global trek, for many fans (young and old) it was worth the wait. Opening with "Message in a Bottle," then stammering into "Synchronicity II," the crowd of 55 thousand were singing and clapping and not worrying that all of them had to report to work the next morning. It was a bittersweet moment in time as The Police did what they do best, Sting projected his voice for nearly two hours, yet towards the end of the blistering set, you could tell age was taking a toll on his pipes. Guitarist Andy Summers showed off that his age, nor years of not playing with his fellow band mates would not stop him from shredding through his classic hits. Yet, the star of the show was not the main man himself, it was drummer Stewart Copeland, who by far blew the crowd away. Copeland is without a doubt one of the best drummers I have EVER seen, the man is a machine, constantly switching tempo changes mid songs, getting up and banging on a home made percussion kit he assembled and singing along to every word, it is something Phil Collins would have envied. It maybe Sting everyone pays to see, but its Copeland who is worth the price of admission. The highlight of the concert came as the musicians reworked, rearranged and remixed "Wrapped Around Your Finger," for the normal ear it is a mid tempo jam, yet last night on Copeland's home made kit and Co., pulled a fast one and created an eight minuted beautiful monster of a song. Most of the Police classics, "Roxanne," "Every Breathe You Take," "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," were all reworked and reinvented as if they were new songs. Opening the concert was another trio, the Glasgow outfit and a personal favorite The Fratellis. The Fratellis played to a half empty venue and at times were swallowed by the mass of Giants Stadium, yet it didn't seem to bother them. They made new fans and entertained the old ones (like myself) and were the perfect suit to open the night. New Jersey could not have asked for a better night to spend with the Hot Fuzz and the Police couldn't have asked for a better way to end it in North America.

The Police Setlist 8/5/07:
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking On The Moon
Voices Inside My Head
When The World Is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close To Me
Driven To Tears
Truth Hits
Everybody Bed's Too Big Without You
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking In Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
ENCORE #1
King Of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
ENCORE #2
Next To You

Amy Winehouse Live on Letterman

British Diva Amy Winehouse makes her American TV Debut back in March on Letterman.

Movie of the Month - Once in a Lifetime

History has a weird way of repeating itself. David Beckham has arrived in America this summer to give MLS a bigger name and of course higher ratings. Yet, with Beckham's arrival (and ankle injury), the first game he played (all 12 minutes of it) had the entire world at their feet. 1.4 million viewers tuned into see the second British invasion take on London's Chelsea Football squad in a friendly match. However much like the tag line to August's Movie of the Month, Beckham's paycheck, his wife and the greed of the LA Galaxy could see history repeat itself again. I myself a huge soccer fan and a fan of Beckham hope that maybe after viewing Once in a Lifetime, the MLS and others will see how to steer clear of this disaster from occurring. Once in a Lifetime is an extraordinary documentary about the rise and fall of the NASL (North American Soccer League) and the arrival of one of soccer's greatest players - Pele playing in one of the worlds best cities - New York. Narrated by Matt Dillon it features great interviews from Marv Albert, the late Ahmet Ertegun and other world renowned players like Franz Beckenbaur, Roberto Canallia and Carlos Alberto that all came to America and New York to develop and cash in on the world's game. This is a film not just for soccer fans or sports fans but those who lived through the madness of the 70's and for those that haven't, a chance to see how Beckham, MLS and skeptics can learn from others mistakes.

Underrated Classic - Depeche Mode "Songs of Faith and Devotion"

In 1990 one of the biggest bands of the 80's Depeche Mode, known for their sexually provoking lyrics and dance beats, took the sound they helped pioneer and ushered in a new era. The release of Violator, at the beginning of the decade saw the band at the helm of what would become of them. Depeche Mode stopped being very "poppy," and started becoming much more serious. The four English lads were always praised as great musicians, however now they wanted to really be herd. 1993 saw the release of Songs of Faith and Devotion, the first step into the bands decent into madness of drugs, lust and celebrity, it also wrestles with confusion of spirituality. Its one of the most experimental and riskiest compilations of their career. The album opens with the seductive and haunting "I Feel You," and the context to how Dave Gahan sings immediately sets the tone of what is to come. Guitarist and sometimes singer Martin Gore has always been the principle songwriter for Depeche Mode and on Faith and Devotion, he pens some of his best work to date. Gore exercises his internal conflict with faith and religion with songs like "Judas," and "Mercy in You," yet the biggest single off the record "Walking in My Shoes," a song about being a celebrity and constantly being in the spot lite would propel the album and band back to mainstream radio. Songs of Faith and Devotion would go on to be a hit for the band, yet like most of underrated classics we have looked at is one that slips many minds. It is the prologue to what would be 1997's Ultra, and even Gahan's solo disc 2003' Paper Monsters. It was the first time the band truly expressed themselves in music and to the world.

BUY NOW!!!!!!!!

Its been a while for this section...Here are three albums you should be picking up as well as other jammers.

BUY NOW!!!!!!!!
The Editors - An End Has A Start (Recommended if you Like [RIYL]: The Killers, The Bravery, Interpol)
Gallows - Orchestra of Wolves ([RIYL] Old Thursday, Black Flag, Minor Threat)
Against Me! - New Wave ([RIYL] Nirvana, Bad Religion, Bayside)

Current Jammers:
Blur- The Best of...
The Verve- This is Music
As Tall As Lions - Lafcadio
Depeche Mode - The Best of...
Instant Karma! The Campaign to Save Darfur