Definitely At Your Services!

The Lower East Side's last cool club Tonic was the place to be again on Saturday night: Shortly past 1 am The Services took the stage in an wild, energetic rush that took the sophisticated audience (among them members of such 90s icons as Halcion, Foetus, Morning Glories) by surprise and had everyone dancing by the end of the short set. With just electronic stuff and one single cymbal plus a few lights they managed to be diverse, direct and fresh and no one was bored a second. That happens rarely, really, these days. Listen to some of the Services at A Touch Of Class, the label that has a reputation to be one step ahead of the industry. They also managed to find DJs who kept the energy of the show up and the people dancing. And you don't see that too often, too, these days.

Art Brut For Arty Kids

People say they sound like Half Man Half Biscuit. Or the Television Personalities. Or even the Buzzcocks, but when unleashed on the trendy crowd of Manhattan at the Tribecca Grand Hotel, they are just five scared British kids hoping they won't be forgotten a year from now. Yes, there's lots of energy and witty songwriting. Their record Bang Bang Rock'n'Roll is well worth a listen, its refreshening and nicely tongue-in-cheek. But who wants to be subject of the newest New York hype? Looked to me like most of the kids in the posh Tri Grand lounge were just there to have been there and not because they care anything about the band or the music. That's a pity, cause this band deserves it.

It's Jaymay Season Again

Remember those evenings in spring when we discovered New York's newest best voice, the extremly talented Jaymay? Just like back in May, the singer/songwriter and her four piece band play the Living Room again every Monday in November. We stopped by yesterday and are happy to report that she hasn't lost any of her magic. With the addition of a new electric guitar player and through the fact that the band is tighter than ever, you get a warm sound, meaningful, direct lyrics and quite a handful of soul - just the right mix for escaping the cold November nights. Still, I'd say it's time to release that damn record everyone wants to buy. And one more thing: What's up with the make up, girl? I'd say you don't need it - you shine already thru your music.

Now There's Even More Room

Room, the infamous band that never gets out of its rehearsal space, has been experimenting with various musicians and has finally found the right guys to add to the bombastic sound. They promised your scribe to a) go into a recording studio soon and b) play live before the end of the year. Are empty promises promises, too? Anyway: Pictured here on the left is Rooms newest member, Bernd the Finger, a howling dervish on guitar. Not pictured is our favorite allrounder DJ Jeanno, but, hey, somebody had to take the picture, right?

Kinetic Treat You Well

It's been a while that Kinetic have been on this blog, but that's mostly since they've been "tucked away in the Fortress of Solitude, fashioning from iron and wood and steel what will become the first full-length Kinetic release". But now they are back with three shows and all the shows are FREE. That deserves deepest respect and a full listing on this blog. Here's what singer Brendan writes about the upcoming performances:

"First on the agenda is Thursday November 17 at Galapagos (galapagosartspace.com). Sponsored by jezebelmusic.com, this show will also feature the excellent Limbs, Earthquakes, and Proton Proton. The night starts at 8, we play at 9, and it is FREE.
Next up is Wednesday November 23 at Scenic on Avenue B between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Presented by Loveless Music Group, this is another excellent show, boasting Daylight’s for the Birds (offshoot of the departed On!Air!Library!). They play at 11, we play at 12, and there’s a host of intriguing bands before that beginning at 8, and once again it’s FREE, so come early and stay late!
Lastly, but certainly not leastly, we will be doing a stripped-down acoustic set at Cross-Pollination at Pianos, Tuesday November 29 at 8PM. For those not familiar with the Cross-Pollination philosophy, it involves two separate sets by different performers, and then a third, collaborative set. Playing with us on the 29th are the unbearably fantastic Comas, so this will truly be a night to remember. And it’s FREE too!"



Make sure to stop by Kinetic's MySpace page to hear a few tracks from the upcoming album. Their sound is amazingly big, yet tender and personal, which may be the result of Brendans angelic voice or legendary soundmaster Pete Min's fine production.