March 24, 2010 · 11:09 PM

Aussie BBQ Tomorrow Night

We hope you don’t have any plans for tomorrow because the Aussie BBQ will be in full swing at The Bell House in Brooklyn. The showcase features a musically diverse collection of artists who all call Australia home. The Aussie BBQ has grown to be a major showcase at SXSW and last year branched out to include shows in Los Angeles and New York for the first time. The lineup is extensive so here are the acts you shouldn’t miss:

The dreamy, melodic sounds of Crayon Fields will be early in the evening. This young band has and artful pop sound and has been getting a lot of attention on the airwaves in Australia.

Oh Mercy could have poached their name from Bob Dylan’s 26th studio album, released in the late eighties, right around the time that the band’s members were probably born. There is something simple and compelling about their sound that could be great live.

Love Of Diagrams is a surf-pop punk band that is supposed to have a great, energetic live show. They are set to play more NYC shows this spring at Santos Party House and as part of a Death by Audio showcase.

Sherlock’s Daughter seem to be Australia’s answer to The Dirty Projectors. Last year they won the 2009 Sydney Music Arts & Culture award for ‘Next Big Thing’ and I think that we’re sure to hear a lot more from them state-side very soon. They’re my pick to steal the show.

Sherlock’s Daughter – Song For Old People:

Thursday, March 25th
The Bell House
149 7th St., Brooklyn, NY
21+, tickets $15
6 PM – 1 AM
FREE AUSTRALIAN STYLE BBQ

-Melissa

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March 22, 2010 · 7:42 AM

Jam of the Day – Fruit Bats Make Unusual Friends

We were down in D.C. over the weekend, and we were able to catch a pretty stellar show by Fruit Bats at the Black Cat on Saturday night.

Fruit Bats is an American folk rock band originally from Chicago, now based in Seattle, formed in 1999 by Eric Johnson, the band’s singer/songwriter who also plays guitar and piano. In early 2007, Eric Johnson joined Sub Pop Records label-mates and longtime friends The Shins, as a full-time, touring member. Johnson has continued working with Fruit Bats, however, and their fourth album The Ruminant Band was released in August of 2009. The top two songs from the album are, in my opinion, “When U Love Somebody” (best heard on their MySpace page) and today’s Jam, “My Unusual Friend.”

They are playing tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC so brave the rain and check them out, they’re sure to put on a sunny show.

Fruit Bats – My Unusual Friend:

-Melissa

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March 9, 2010 · 7:48 PM

Jam of the Day – Hold Ya Head for B.I.G.

Not to turn this into a dead rapper website, but in case you didn’t know today marks the 13th anniversary of the murder of Biggiesmalls, a.k.a. Frank White a.k.a. Biggie, B.I.G. The Notorious B.I.G., etc., the best rapper to ever do it. Apparently, Diddy is throwing a party in Brooklyn tonight to celebrate his memory.

Let’s just be honest, Biggie was my favorite. Not much more to say. Here’s a video of the song “Hold Ya Head” from the B.I.G. Duets: The Final Chapter album, which features Bob Marley signing a sad and mournful chorus. The lyrics are pretty… real. Biggie never compromised.

The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Bob Marley – Hold Ya Head:

-Drew

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March 5, 2010 · 8:11 PM

Jam of the Day – Make Brahms Do Right

Start your Friday off right by checking out this video featuring a new track from Brahms called “Make Me Do Right,” from their performance on January 22, 2010 at Glasslands with Boy Crisis and Apache Beat. Brahms just posted a couple hot new tracks on their myspace page (especially check out “Subtext Is Deadly”), or you can download all 4 demo tracks from their website for the low price of your email address.

Brahms – Make Me Do Right (live):

Oh and what the hell, here’s another video of “Toward the Ghost” from the same show.

Brahms – Toward the Ghost (live):

In fact, we have a bunch more of these videos that we’ll be posting from that show over the next couple weeks, so be on the lookout for that. All the videos were shot in HD by our friend Jovan Todorovic from Belgrade. Check out his commercials for MTV Adria, they’re hilarious!

-Drew

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March 3, 2010 · 5:34 PM

Jam of the Day – France to Transsexuals: “It’s Your Thing, Do What You Wanna Do,” Sort Of

They may have been almost 3 weeks later than the NYTimes in writing about it, but yesterday Time reported that France had become “the first country in the world to remove transsexualism from its official list of mental disorders.” But while this move by France’s Health Minister, Roselyne Bachelot, has been heralded by some for promoting the rights of sexual minorities, others, especially transgendered individuals living in France, worry that the move is largely an empty symbolic gesture. Such individuals point out that removing “transsexualism” from the country’s list of mental illnesses “will do little to improve their legal or medical rights in the country. For example, transsexuals are still required to have a sex-change operation before they can change their gender in the eyes of the law. And to get the green light for surgery, they must still undergo extensive medical and psychiatric evaluations.” This type of discrimination just seems ridiculous to me, like the idea of denying gay couples the right to marriage (congratulations to Washington, D.C., by the way!!). Why should the state (or any state) care what you do with your junk (or lack of junk)?

I prefer the opinion expressed so eloquently by The Isley Brothers in “It’s Your Thing,” their 1969 funk classic: “It’s your thing/Do what you wanna do/I can’t tell you/Who to sock it to.” Word is bond, Ronald.

Recorded partly as a parting shot to Barry Gordy after the Isley Brothers left Motown Records for what they felt was a lack of love and promotion from the label, it’s also the first Isley Brothers record to feature young Ernie Isley on bass. Check out this funny video of the song, featuring Elaine’s “Little Kicks” dance from Seinfeld.

The Isley Brothers – It’s Your Thing:

-Drew

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February 25, 2010 · 9:39 PM

Jam of the Day – Ra Ra Record Riot

Two years ago, John Bastone teamed up with another recrod store owner, Stephen Gritzan, to create the “Brooklyn Record Riot,” a giant beer-and-DJ-fueled record sale with over “50plus tables of merchandise from 30plus cool dealers hailing from the USA and Canada.” Those looking to grab the dope records and the “Traditional Polish food” should probably get to Warsaw, in Greenpoint, for the $20.00 early admission from 10 am-noon (only $3 admission for the rest of the day until 8pm).

If the idea of the riot has left you wanting more, luckily for you Syracuse-bred Ra Ra Riot has just recently released a new video for “Can You Tell,” the third video from their first LP, The Rhumb Line. The band was just recently in Brooklyn to play with The Antlers as part of BAM’s Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival.

Ra Ra Riot – Can You Tell:

-Drew

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