The Big Takeover Turns 30!

Wow, Jack Rabid has been publishing The Big Takeover for 30 years! Impressive. I must be really old now. F*ck! To celebrate he's throwing a rockandroll party at the Bell House with all these amazing bands. I don't remember 30 but please step into the time machine over here:

FRIDAY JULY 30, 2010
THE AVENGERS – Open Your Eyes San Fran '70s punk legends, featuring Penelope Houston & Greg Ingraham!
CHANNEL 3 – Manzanar - Early 80s L.A. manic punk. Like screaming and hollering with tweeky guitars.
VISQUEEN – Beautiful Amnesia - Great singing on this track. Female-led Seattle post-punk rockers' first East Coast shows in 5 years
SPRINGHOUSE – Enslave Me - Jack playing his first show with original lineup in 8 years, playing a "normal" set.
LIBERTINES U.S. – Bad Memories Burn Are you feeling the nostalgia yet? Reformed Cincinnati '80s greats first-ever NY show!
FLOWER – Empty Head New York postpunk band’s first show in 16 years! I think i have a actual LP lying around somewhere for these guys but I do remember all the bass strumming. Cool sheet alla GVsB.
EDP - Wallflower The guitars wrangle and rattle on this one - get your zero T-shirt out and grease the scooter to catch their set. Check out New York’s hard-hitting, Jam-like, mod revival band.

SATURDAY JULY 31, 2010
MARK BURGESS – On The Beach - Get yer ecstasy broker lined up. Manchester England's Chameleons star. Playing Acoustic and full band!
FOR AGAINST – Aftertaste - A little proggy track w/ what sounds like some serious slap back on the snare from Lincoln, NE post-punk legends. Their first East Coast show in 15 years.
SPRINGHOUSE – Asphalt Angels - Jack and Co whip out the delay and phaser pedals; playing their second LP, Postcards From the Arctic, start to finish. Spoiler alert this is the opener!
THE SLEEPOVER DISASTER - Hold My Tongue This Fresno shoegazer band sounds something like Black Angels and British Sea Power. Come support their first-ever East Coast appearance.
DON MCGLASHAN – While you Sleep New Zealand’s ex-Mutton Birds in his only U.S. appearance.
STEVE DREWETT - When the Oil Runs Out by Newtown Neurotics main man makes his U.S. debut.
JON AUER – The Year of Our Demise Seattle’s Posies star and 17-year Big Star member.
THE SHARP THINGS - Now That I'm Back by New York's acclaimed orchestral poppers!
PAUL COLLINS - She Doesn't Want To Hang Around With You Big starish Poptopia track. Former member of The Nerves and of Paul Collins’ Beat fame.
THE CURTAIN SOCIETY – Cave In by veteran Boston shoegazers, also backing Burgess for part of his set. Vocals a little Bryan Ferry a little Sunnyday. Enjoy.

ADMISSION: $25.00 per night or $40 for both
LOCATION: THE BELL HOUSE @ 149 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
DOORTIMES: Friday @ 6:00PM and Saturday @ 4.00PM
TICKETS ON SALE: www.thebellhouseny.com/calendar.php

Free Superchunk vs The Screaming Females

Digging for Something - Majesty Shredding by Superchunk new single. Classic all around and good enough reason to try and see them play as if it were the 90's again.
I Don't Mind It - Castle Talk by The Screaming Females, such a big voice for such a short gal and such powerful guitar makes her 9 feet tall(removed Spinal Tap style typo ain't the web grand). Totally amazed how they are mowing down the indie scene. Was glad to have been a part of the New Brunswick scene that has bread bands like this.

The Night Marchers + Obits = Pure RockNRoll

Just when you thought you were an orphaned child The Night Marchers and Obits decide to tour together in California. Don't feel like you're left out completely it's actually a no brainer for them I would imagine. The Marchers will be on the East Coast for two shows shows: Siren fest 7/17 and Maxwells 7/18 w/ No Pasaran!(Obits plays the waterfront same day - so you'll have to make yer choice), the rest happens in swami territory and then they are off to Europe this fall. Which sucks. Would have been great to see them all together here in the tri-state area. Maybe when they get back.

Cram your device with these tracks:
Evil of Idle Hands - MP3 - WJ & The Sweet Sacrifice - All parts rock~n~roll in this handy. Channeling the dirgy upper lip of Elvis and the slow rock of Eddie Spaghetti. Jersey style.

Widow of My Dreams (live Cake Shop nyc 1.12.08) - Obits - I was at this debut show, as uncool as I am; I have no clue who recorded this but some say the whole bootleg sounds better than the subpop release. Which I can appreciate being a fan of good boots so somebody please share the rest of the g*ddawg show with me. Fuckers. Thank you!

I Wanna Deadbeat You - The Night Marchers - This track in particular with the combo of Reis, Wood and Kourkounis is as close to a Hot Snakes reunion you are going to get unless on the West Coast tour they do some sort of encores together. Giving you a buy 2 get 1 free deal. Lets see what happens but lets not hold in the bong hit too long or you will choke.



History is written:
John Reis Vs. Rick Froberg HA!

Pronto Sphere sound cloud making machine

I always like to keep an eye on what Mr. Mikael Jorgensen Wilco keyboardist and his side project Pronto are up to. Check out his site, he's just posted some very interesting german techno influenced soundscape grooves that available for streaming. He should get into the soundtrack business.


Check Pronto out live:
Sunday, July 18th at Pianos in NYC with Todd Barry(Comedian)

Friday, August 13th at Solid Sound Wilco curated Festival
North Adams, MA at Mass MoCA. Full schedule here.

2010 Summer Rock Mix II - Can you say jail-bait?

Try some of these jems in your mix this hot summer. Haven't really had anytime to make a podcast so you'll have to make your own. I'll call you up on the phone and mumble a couple things about any of these bands after I've had a few beers. Do you sense a theme? Do it to impress the ladies.

Nervous Breakdown from the Drunken Confessions Whiskeytown demo by Ryan Adams and friends. Get all these bootleged tracks from CaptainsDead

Hot Tub by Full of Fancy - Killer distorted bass playing on this. This jersey band is really coming into their own. These girls know how to partay. Check out some more jerseyrock on the nj underground.

I Will Be by the Dum Dum Girls s/t - Great shit, Riotgurl throwback but not as low-fi but just as likable despite all the reverb. It's the fem fatale version of Obits.

All Things This Way by Male Bonding From Nothing Hurts - Dig this Brit-Rok band. "Produced" by John Agnello to boot. If you like We Were Promised Jet Packs you might like these guys because they are more fIREHOSE and husker du in their approach. At least IMHO.

Karma Police(cover) by Easy Star All Stars - Was reminded of this band when I heard Amanda Palmer covering Idioteque on a Ukele? WTF? Strangely fitting.

Little Red Corvette (Cover by you know who) by Montagna & The Mouth To Mouth from L'avenir. This is the closer on this record and it really caught me by surprise since I first listened to it in reverse. This track came-up first. You should try that some time if your' into ignoring bios and other liner notes.

The Go Getter by The Black Keys from their new one Brothers. Is it me or does everything sound like its a soundtrack for Treme? Distorted and un-pretty groovy sounds on this one posing as down and out New Orleans street music. It works for me.

The Newborn Hippopotamus / Jazz Rock Machine Curated by DJ Shadow from his Schoolhouse funk compilation. I picked this CD up at the Sound Station as a reco from my bearded friend there. These are a bunch of one-off Highschool jazz band records. Super rare obviously.

Related linkage:
Quick Summer Mix I for cruisin down the beach
Hot Summer Rock Mix 2009
John Reis Vs Rick Froberg

Pernice Brothers help me drag my ass off the floor

ALBUM REVIEW: Something brilliant about how simple good songs can make the recording process sound deeper than it actually is. Joe Pernice's latest effort Goodbye, Killer has horns and some 12 string strumming held together in a easy and balanced mix. Think Harvest but not as reverb drenched as previous Pernice Brothers records but with equally Honest lyrics make up the crackle in this home schooled american pop-music. The harmonies are as decent as the lyrics. Guitar play is what you would expect; and that is what you get. This Pernice record is like sober and clean shaved Whiskeytown.

The End of Faith - mp3

Matador Record 21st b-day vegas bash trip

I'm not sure how you train for this? But I'm going to start now! Tix go on sale July 5th for Matador's 21st Anniversary birthday bash. I would not even begin to comprehend how you pick a headliner out of this crazy line-up: Belle and Sebastian, Cat Power, Cold Cave, Earles & Jensen, Fucked Up, Guided By Voices, Harlem, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Kurt Vile, Pavement, Shearwater, Sonic Youth, Ted Leo And The Pharmacists, The New Pornographers, Yo La Tengo, chavez...

Holy crap.

American Slang for Jersey youths

ALBUM REVIEW: Good and hearty tunes from Brian Fallon and the boys on American Slang. No doubt about The Gaslights Anthem's 4th release is a winner. Could be it's own reality show taking place in the suburbs of Jersey and spilling out across America. RXP is going to be playing the crap out of them no doubt. Classic diddling guitar riffs backed up by a solid rhythm section. Jersey bar bands needs to take lesson from these guys and they need to take some more risks too in my humble opinion but then again I always say that. A few too many rebel Clash punk cliches but ready made they are for mass consumption at your local Cheesecake Factory bar. I think I know "The Queen of Lower Chelsea", she works at Bis.Co.Latte perhaps? The lyrics are the meat of this New Brunswick band, like a well planned tattoo, with a voice which is straight from the souls of rebellious youths who really don't stand a chance. The bar is really high especially when you're one of them kicking it up in the air.

Action scenes set to music by The Jesus Lizard

Pure from Jacob Bricca on Vimeo.

Don't have any new music to share today but this is pretty cool. Crank it up at work and annoy your neighbors. Tons of jump-cuts with The Jesus Lizard blaring and David Yow howling about drunken nothingness by Jacob Bricca with close attention to stuff blowing up. Nice.

Ode to Dennis Hopper a subculture icon

Dennis Hopper 1936-2010 - Total shame about Mr. Hopper passing this past week. He was definitely one of those guys you'd want to meet to see if he was the real deal which from all accounts he was. He was a talented photographer, a icon and certainly a bad influence or good depending how you look at it. All the movies I saw him in over and over again growing up were always on the edge. He freely and easily spoke to a youth subculture of decent, hippies and drugs. The most bizarre character was the freaky Frank Booth in the David Lynch film Blue Velvet but then again all were pretty out there man. Here are some tracks for your pot mix.

Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf from the Easy Rider Soundtrack
The End by The Doors Featured in Apocalypse Now
Puffy Clouds - By Ween
Handshake Drugs - By Wilco live at Troutdale

Quick Summer Mix for cruisin down the beach

I wait all year for this time of year. I love coming in from the scorching outside into the cool breeze of the air conditioning. I love beer more in summer and it loves me. Cooking outside is much easier and then there are all those interesting drinks and margaritas to fulfill the soul.

Summer...It's Gone by Grandaddy
Noisy Summer by The Raveonettes
Summer Teeth by Jeff Tweedy(live solo)
Summer U.S.A. by the Rip Chords from Michael Shelly Cut that Out! Vol.2

Because you like it hot:
Hot Summer Mix 2009

The Enthusiasts 7 inch review infirmary phonographic

I like bands that are born out of boredom the right way vs lost emo kids pretending to be wolves. The Enthusiasts are proud suburbanites brought-up the right way by annoying their neighbors making rockn'roll even gilfy grandmas could admit to liking. We encourage you to help them in their quest to keep their amps fuzzed out, cigarettes lit and their city dreams by getting yerself their IN THE CITY debut 7" from infirmary phonographic. So what if I'm giving you one of tracks here. it's much cooler way to impress the girls by spinning the wax. Both sides are great. We particularly like the spaced out jam at the end of My Two Worlds. The A side is about.. well going to the city. Enjoy.

side A: IN THE CITY
side B: MY TWO WORLDS

Also, in case you want more rock like this check out the free album from Sympathy for the record industry on Amazon with music by ROcket from the CryPt and The Oblivians

Caress my electric guitar by Free Electric State

ALBUM REVIEW: I like my 90's rock and love it when bands take slices and load squealing droning distorted guitars and paste them up in their songs in a melodic format. This is not your monotone indie rock-band and I wouldn't dare call Free Electric State's - Caress retro in the least but there are hints of undeniable dark influences like Sioux and the Banshees backed with the equal nod to pop sentiment of The Breeders; mixed in there when the band breaks it down and turns the fuzz-off, you get a blast of warm vocal air. Holistically it's raw enough to please your shoe-geezer crowd and way better than most ironically groomed facial hair bands.

The dueling guitars are led by David Koslowski and Nick Williams which are complimented gracefully by the vocals of Shirlé Hale. Koslowski and Hale are North Carolina transplants who had played previously together in Baltimore's Gerty! and Ex-Members. Koslowski foremerly fronted local grungesters Liquor Bike and made infamous Melody Lane their home. Needless to say these folks can be my DJ's anytime and that is saying a lot.

Check out:
"Six is one" By Free Electric State

Catch them live in 2010:
May 20th CAT'S CRADLE w/ Silver CARRBORO, NC
May 28 THE WINDUP SPACE w/ Hammer No More The Fingers BALTIMORE, MD
May 29 The RED & The BLACK w/ Hammer No More The Fingers WASHINGTON, DC
Jun 4 NEW FRENCH BAR w/ Hammer No More The Fingers ASHEVILLE, NC
Jun 5 Annual Daniel Festival w/ Hammer No More The Fingers PULASKI, VA
Jun 10 RESERVOIR CARRBORO, NC
Jun 11 THE SOAPBOX WILMINGTON, NC
Jun 12 Art Bar COLUMBIA, SC
For more Free Electric State Shows go here | Fan them on Facebook

Because it's relative man:
Free Electric State vs Panther
Ten North Carolina Bands You should hear right now