Lucero - FINALLY returning to Brooklyn

Well it's finally fuckin' happening. After the last few laps through NYC saw Lucero playing on boats or opening for The Black Keys at Terminal 5 (I'm aware of the Mercury Lounge date that happened after but I had my own drunk punk-country band to tend to), Lucero is finally playing a normal club show. And I cannot really complain about the location. On April 18th they will take the stage at the North Si... err, Music Hall of Williamsburg.

It's a Saturday night, that could not have been more perfectly planned. Why? Because the only way to see Lucero is by trying to out drink them throughout their set. A feat very few can tackle (this is Lucero people). If you're not familiar with Lucero, there is something wrong with you first off. Secondly you need to aquaint yourself with them. I can cite no specific record to dig into first (ok maybe That Much Further West) as they're all whiskey and beer soaked masterpieces. You cannot listen to them and not be affected somehow.

I cannot lie, one of my goals in life is to one day get drunk with Ben Nichols and start playin' songs. Yeah it'll probably never happen, but a guy can dream yeah? Tickets go on sale Friday at noon. Do not miss this. Show details can be found below:

Lucero
w/ Titus Andronicus
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 N 6th St - Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Saturday April 18th - 8pm doors 18+

train to Bedford Ave.

Get Fucked Up in Brooklyn

Who wants to go see Fucked Up? You'll say yes if you know what's good for you. Anybody who's been to a Fucked Up show knows what I'm talking about. Anybody who hasn't been to a Fucked Up show? It's time you found out what I'm talking about. On Tuesday January 20th they'll be playing at the Inauguration Day Hardcore Show at Danbro Studios Warehouse in Bushwick with Vivian Girls and Pissed Jeans. Both bands you should get to know as well if you don't already. Now I know I know, it's inauguration night for our newly elected president Barack Obama. I'm looking into set times and inauguration schedules as much as I can. This would be an ideal strategy: Drinks and inauguration at Duck Duck or Kings County, pizza at Roberta's, then go see Fucked Up. Sounds like good times, right? Check out the details below.

Tuesday January 20th - 8pm
Fucked Up, Pissed Jeans, Vivian Girls + secret guests TBA
Danbro Studios Warehouse
260 Meserole St
Bushwick, Brooklyn

by subway:
train to Montrose Ave
train to Broadway
trains to Hewes St or Flushing Ave

Reviving more than just a tour

Odds are you already know of The Revival Tour going on this fall featuring Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero) and Tim Barry (Avail). Odds are you know it's going to be an incredible show to experience as these three are some of the most influential song writers in contemporary punk music and what really is punk rock but folk music with fast drums and distorted powerchords?

Well the fine gents making up The Revival Tour figured it's not enough to just provide us all with a sure to be memorable performance, but we should have some music to take home with us. Chuck and his wife recently pressed a CD called "Revival Road" on their own Ten Four Records. The disc features songs from Chuck, Ben and Tim and will be available every night of the tour. Vinyl you ask? Duh of course vinyl is going to be available. Vinyl Collective and Side One Dummy will have the record available on vinyl and you'll also be able to grab it at the later dates of the tour. There are 500 pressed on brown vinyl with Kraft paper silkscreened jackets and 1,000 printed on white vinyl with black paper silkscreened jackets. You can currently pre-order either individually or a special package of both for $25 from the good folks at Vinyl Collective. Yea, I got the package of both. As if I had a choice? Details of the NYC date can be found below.


The Revival Tour
f/ Chuck Ragan, Ben Nichols, Tim Barry and special guest Frank Turner
Monday Oct 13th
8:00
The Blender Theater at Gramercy
127 E 23rd St. Manhattan, NYC

subway:
6 train to 23rd St
R/W trains to 23rd St
L train to 3rd Ave

Sounds of the NYC underground

For the past few weeks MSG Network has been broadcasting a show called NYC Sound Tracks which put 16 NYC subway musicians up against each other and based on viewer votes, they'd narrow it down to one finalist. I've seen a few episodes of it (now that I finally have cable at my apartment) and it's been a real cool show. I've even recognized some of the musicians (bearded flute dude, Boradway-Lafayette station on the B train, sup brother).

This weekend's episode will be the final for this season and it's been narrowed down to either Dorian Spencer or Gibran Soul to be crowned the official (according to MSG viewers atleast) Best NYC Subway Artist. It'll air at 8pm this Sunday on MSG Network. Here's a video with a snippet from the show.

Duuuuude I'm sooo...

Fucked Up will giving a special performance tomorrow (9/12) evening in Manhattan at the ever excellent Generation Records. They'll go on at 8PM and if you wanna go you better email fuckedup@matadorrecords.com reaaaaaaaaaaaally fuckin' fast cause space is absurdly limited. It's at a record store people... I'll be there with camera in hand. Now if only my Mac was working so I could actually upload the photos... Regardless, if you live in New York and you happen to actually enjoy good music, I highly recommend you make an attempt to email that address with your name to ensure you'll get in. I ain't promising you will though (I'm all set so screw ya'll). Their next LP "The Chemistry Of Common Life" is due out next month on Matador Records.

deets:
Fucked Up
8pm
Generation Records
210 Thompson St
Greenwich Village, NYC

A, C, E, B, D, V or F trains to W 4th St.
1 or 2 trains to Houston St.
R or W trains to 8th St.
PATH train to 9th St.
fuck Manhattan buses...

back again

Well it seems I've once again taken a long absence from writing. Laziness? Maybe. Lack of events to write about? Hardly. Distraction from third parties? OK that's it. I wanted to write about Renegade Craft Fair, a review of The Loved Ones at McCarren Pool, NYC Bubble Battle and Brooklyn Kickball. But those things are long past. Well I suppose I can still do a overdue review of Renegade. And if you so please, here's some pictures from The Loved Ones at McCarren Pool. And I go to the kickball games every week so that's still fresh. Ok so I guess I was just lookin for an excuse there with that "long past" nonsense. But alas, ever onward. It's NYC, it's summer, things are happening and if I think it doesn't suck I'll have some words on it here. First thing's first...


Tomorrow night is indeed one of the most anticipated nights of this summer for myself and anyone else who knows a damn thing about good music. Hot Water Music, Thursday and Paint It Black (or as I like to call it, the Time Capsule Show) will be performing together at Terminal 5 in midtown Manhattan. Unusual location for a show of this type, but hey they have fresh (I wish free) empanadas on the third floor balcony and beers are actually sensibly priced for that part of the city. However also that night, Alkaline Trio is headlining Irving Plaza with American Steel and Dillinger 4 supporting. Now I used to love Alkaline Trio, I really did and still love all those records and have even found songs I can appreciate on Crimson and Good Mourning. But to say they're even a shadow of the band who released Goddamnit and Maybe I'll Catch Fire would be a goddamn lie. I propose Alkaline Trio's bus be stopped and searched at the Lincoln Tunnel. And held for several hours forcing them to miss load in and soundcheck. American Steel and Dillinger 4 will have no choice but to come up to Terminal 5 and join the Hot Water/Thursday/Paint It Black show. I think it's a great idea yes? No? Who wants to help make it happen? More importantly who else is gonna be Lost & Found in Greenpoint Bklyn before the show gettin the day started right?

Delta Spirit is coming to Brooklyn

Well what good news that is. I was playing their album "Ode To Sunshine" this morning in the office and about halfway through the last song I started thinkin' "hmmm I wonder if they have new tour dates up?" Well sho' nuff, they do. And they're coming to Brooklyn. March 25th you can catch them at Union Hall in Park Slope. And three days after the pillow fight in Union Square? I gotta say I've really been crossing my fingers that Delta Spirit would be coming to New York City sooner than later. Much like Alberta Cross, they were recommended to me by my swell friend Meghan, and at first I was like "hmmm yea it's cool". A few months later I gave their EP another listen and while I was really enjoying it this time around, the song "People, Turn Around!" hit me in a way very songs have. You know the way I'm talking about. When you hear it you feel like this is the song you've been waiting to hear your whole life (until you hear the next song that does that to you, of course). But that's what this song did. So i got my hands on their full length album (they say a vinyl release is coming, where's the wax boys?) and there it was. I had fallen in love with this band. They'd redone "People, Turn Around!" and it sounds even better than before. Other songs like "Children" and "Trashcan" also quickly stole my soul and they can keep it. They deserve it. So I encourage all to venture to Union Hall that evening and grab a beer and sing along to one of the best bands making music right now.

FU, This Is Hell

After a nice afternoon stroll down Myrtle Ave I stopped by the post office to pick up a record that somehow didn't fit in my mailbox, even though 7" records have fit before without any problem. That being said, I finally have my copy of "Cripplers" by This Is Hell. Six tracks of hardcore the way it should be played including 3 covers (The Beastie Boys, Civ and The Movielife). This is a nice little appetizer before their new LP "Misfortunes" comes out later this month. I'll be checking them out at The Music Hall Of Williamsburg (I still call it the North Six) this Friday night with Gallows and The Cancer Bats. I may or may not be taking pictures.

Alberta Cross next week @ The Living Room

Alberta Cross is not like any band I've heard in quite some time. At first listen you'll refuse to believe they're a band from London putting out records in this day. My friend Meghan turned me on to them many months back and my initial reaction was "it's cool..." A few months after that I listened again and was somehow completely floored this time around. Now I view it as my mission to turn as many people on to this band as I can. That being said, they are playing The Living Room on Ludlow next Thursday night. I saw them there this Tuesday and it was more than I expected, I'll be posting pictures from that on my Flickr later today. This is not a show to be missed.