Morex Optimo take on Halloween

Sometimes all the right things happen at once - like on Sunday evening, when Morex Optimo play the Mercury Lounge while Melomane and Botanica rock Tonic. This is a difficult choice, sisters and brothers, and I recommend to split personalities to go to both shows. In case, you cant make it, you can at least see what you're missing and view a little movie of the Roman Games and Morex Optimo live in Budapest.



Plus, as this photo shows, they know not only how to handle their axes and sticks on stage, they are also very well versed at carving the ole pumpking head: Morex Optimo's Yuri and Heather, with a little help from their friends.

Botanica And Melomane Team Up at Tonic on Sunday - Listen to New Botanica Track

It's been a busy week, so I've seen no shows, but at least Botanica did me a favor and played a live set on the radio that I could listen to over the internet while at work. Pretty damn good, this technology, i have to say. Of, course, WFMU was the station and Irene Trudel was the host. You can check out the full show in her archives or listen to a new track called Someone Else on this blog. Botanica played for about an hour and sounded simply amazing. Even the dead pan cool Irene said so and seemed to mean it. But that's just half of the good news - Botanica, who embark on yet antoher Euro tour if Mr. Bongers foot plays along, play a show at Tonic on Sunday, following the great Melomane who start at 9pm. Forget Haloween or come to the show all dressed up. Here's a pic from Botanicas last show at the Delancey:

Urgent Message from Brother Mark E.

Oh yes, it's out and it must be great. Dont you hate it when critics say the new album by has-been Soandso is "the long awaited masterpiece" or a "return to form"? Real fans usually wouldnt use these words, but with the new Fall LP "Fall Heads Roll" even the most retentive journalists gush over the new work by Mr. Smith and his aides. My brother Marcel called me from across the Atlantic just to tell me how fantastic it was - and he's been a Fall fan since almost thirty years now. Swissies are fortunate enough to read his review in the WochenZeitung. Over here, we have to do with his earlier article "Ein Fall fuer sich" or read what Everett True writes about it in The Stranger. And since you all know what Mark E. Smith looks like and I have this really cool picture of me and my bro taken by Kristofer at the Hafenbuffet in Rorschach, this is what I'll post below. And while were at it: It is a wrong assumption that The Fall have influenced the strokes, as Julian Casblancas told me in an interview I had with The Strokes last week - it will be posted here in about a week. Nirvana and Velvet Underground Casbalanca says is what he listened to, but not the Fall or Televsision for that matter. What a relief this must be for Mark E. Smith.



Rorschach-New York connection: Support for CBGS and a will to defend Brooklyn is sported hereby the two elder Elsener brothers.

Barango Brings News from Hungary

Our friend in Budapest, Barango, has sent word that he is working on new music! The hungarian punk legend with the five string bass who translates Bukowski into Hungarian has set his goals high - the new stuff supposedly is not as aggressive punk as it used to be but more mellow... How could it not be with his lovely girlfriend Agi bringing out the softer side in the man that knows how to shock the world of hungarian radio... Here is a picture of Branago during his show at Red Hole in Budapest. He is the good soul who welcomed Morex Optimo and The Roman Games into Budapest and was a most genreous host! Looking forward to seeing you again soon and walking through the streets of Budapest singing Anti Nowhere League songs!

More-X, N-V, Sin-e

You missed it again, and it was your last chance. the dear KK played with NV and it was a lot of energetic fun. This band has a certain appeal that makes you think of singer Mark's, yours and probably your partner's record collection. Though you won't find any Jane's Addiction CDs in mine, you certainly find Sonic Youth and the Buzzcocks.
XTC on acid, too, as Morex Optimo promised to be. The European tour has made a band out of them that can weather every storm and cause quite a stirr, too. Me, I like them most when they rock straight out, but I hear some people are just as fond of the breaks and hooks as I am of the commercial pop song harmonies. Seize the opportunity to see Morex Optimo this coming Friday, October 14th at the BAM cafe. The sound is excellent and the food not half bad.



Cosmonauts! Yes, you're getting there - maybe you wont fly, but your records will fly off the shelves!



NV - Janes Addiction, Sonic Youth and Buzzcocks rolled into a crazy roll of rock.