French Film Noir Now In Color

Melomane made best use of the circular space at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn and set up quite a multi media spectacle for the release party of their new CD Glaciers. Those who got there early enough were treated with 'Greatest Hits' set, including old material such as the beloved 'Ginsu' in a new clothing. More intimate was the second set, where they played the whole new record, start to finish, and you could tell how much love, craft and talent the 'manes put in this new music. It's tender, it's haunting, it's wise and relaxed, then mean and demanding: Just how you like your life to be, just a little bit cooler - Glaciers, you know. The big turnout of hip people was most promising - lets see how the video does...right, Pierre?


The band was in superb form, Pierre all in white looking like Elvis, Kenny with most inventive drumming imaginable, Daria's bass and voice strong and solid and diverse guest at the right moments. One of the secret new hits was Quentins song "Nobody". If you haven't bought the record yet you've got only yourself to blame. In Melomane related news, congratulations to Gerald "Steel" Menke, who is getting married to Genevieve, the beautiful singer and sister of Melopierre. His Bachelor party was a four hour session at Euphoria Productions, all recorded, with about 15 musicians joining, including Chad Swahnberg, Christian Gibbs, Lance Kruger...hell, i forgot most of the names, but it was about themusic, anyway, right? I brought my German rap tools, but had to leave early to make it to the party at Growing Studios, where the eighties are back, believe it or not.

No Longer on Ice: Melomane's Glaciers is Out Now!

Mark your calendars and cancel all appointments: Tonite at 9PM, Melomane will do a super-special show at the Issue Project Room to celebrate the release of Glaciers. They promise an amazing visual and sonic experience....
IPR is a circular music space in a converted grain silo in Brooklyn on the banks of the Gowanus Canal. Melomane will be setting up around the perimeter of the space, and the audience will be inside the band (like you've always wanted,) almost like a live surround-sound Zaireka. We will have a plethora of guest musicians and live multi-media stimulation on the surrounding enclosure. We will do two sets, encompassing our repertoire from old to new in a way youve never heard it. Prepare for an evening of fascinating repartee, cold drinks, visual and aural stimulation, and riverside gallivanting in the springtime! For more on the new record, Glaciers, see right below.

Cast of characters:
Pierre de Gaillande Guitar, vocals, trumpet
Quentin Jennings- Keyboards, vocals
Daria Grace Bass, vocals
Kenny Savelson Drums, sounds
Jesse Neuman Trumpet
Jody Redhage Cello
Philippa Thompson Violin, saw
Jack Grace Harmonica
Kevin Campbell Video trickery

Eleventh Dream Night at Mercury Lounge

Maybe it’s the eleventh truly great show I’ve seen at Mercury Lounge, where heroes such as Midngiht Oil, Lloyd Cole or the Mekons have had the 200 people crowd eating every note and word from their hands and mouths or maybe it’s the eleventh time I’ve seen this true and real Chicago band - anyway, it was wonderous. They’ve grown older, maybe wiser, and they certainly haven’t lost it. To see Rick Rizzo, Janet Bean and Douglas McCombs play together is pure proof of the idea that a family is a band. This trio has a whole Thomas Mann novel of personal history, but somehow manage to play together in such a unique and personal way, that it touches your very soul. The beauty of minor chords, open tuning and the right dose of noise, laid over Rizzo voice full of desperation and anger but of stoic acceptance. Sound pompous? That’s my writing, not the music. Go order their new record! Click on the pic to see more photos of their live show.

Alana Amram at Black Betty's

Country rarely sounds better than this. Crafty writing, competent playing and the right feel. Alana and her bandmates have done their homework and surpass some of their masters. That's the real thing. Now Alana, where can we hear some tracks? Better even, record companies: Hunt this girl down before somebody else does. But don't even think of trying to be cheap.

Stuff Happens When Frank's in Town

Mr. Privateman pays a visit to the city and gets to see Room play live (hey, could anybody send me some photos?), rehearse with Melomane, meet up with Christian Gibbs to finalize the tour details for their shows in Switzerland in May and dance the night away at the renewed but not rejuvenated Suzanne Bartsch parties in Manhattan. He got quite a tan, too.

The NY Chapter of Thereministas

If you didn't know it yet, the ether is full of sound waves and you can go and pick em up with a transistor radio - or a theremin. This is half of the New York Theremin Society Orchestra at the Issue Project Room last Saturday. The weird people with their weirder boxes are quite a funny breed of individualists. You gotta hear it, it's too *sound* to describe. Thanx to Dorit Chsysler (right in red dress) you can do that almost anywhere know: the lady has parted for an extended world tour, icluding famous Danish festival Roskilde.

Still Not Enough ROOM in New York!

We think there is still not enough ROOM in New York, so we are playing again and hope there will be ROOM in your ears. After a brief hiatus our favorite bar in Williamsburg, EAST RIVER BAR is hosting shows again and they have asked us (and all of you) to come out and open the new series of concerts, since it was so much fun last time. Plus we spent too much time in the studio and need to air out our songs. Plus we have one for Jeancosme's brand new son. And one for the eyes of Violette. And one sung by Jan, not speaking of burnt fingers, broken lamps, torn strings and spontaneous endings. The show will start at 9.30 with the psychedelic sounds and harmonies of our friends COLOR SCHEME. Please tell your friends (and their friends, and their MySpace friends). Instant songs written for anybody who brings more than four friends to the show!
Best Haircut Contest!

9.30 pm COLOR SCHEME
10.30 pm ROOM
FRIDAY, April 7th
EAST RIVER BAR, 97 South 6th Street, btw. Bedford and Berry
WILLIAMSBURG, NY 11211
FREE

The Flaming Lips Start Love Parade at Webster Hall

Not much new, but a whole lotta love came with the Flaming Lips show at Webster Hall NYC last Friday. Definite highlight was a unique rendition of Bohemian rhapsody by Queen with Coyne doing an acceptable Freddie Mercury. They do look great and are still refreshingly strange. Maybe they could retire their stage dancers, be they bunnies, Santa Clauses, Jesuses or the Queen of England at some point.

George Harrison's Ghost at Fulton Subway Stop

Meet the Beatles...or at least their ghosts. I met this face after mixing the Room record with Quentin, waiting for the train home at the G-train fulton stop. Pic with my Treo, no photoshop at all.

Now, some people told me they have no idea what I am talking about and that there is now ghost. Well, i dug out the real "Meet the Beatles" shot, the one I'm referring to. Can you see the ghost now?

Botanica Test Their Euro Set at the Delanceys

Before Paul Wallfischs Press Trip to promote Botanicas new record Berlin Hi-Fi, they tested the new material at a low key live show at Delancey Bar, using the intimate atmosphere to shoot footage for the upcoming video.
In May, they will be touring Europe, dates to follow.

HeadQuarters Voted Best Performance in LES

You can be funny, original, entertaining, deep...but its only really good, if the band is tight. A straightforward set dished out by HeadQuarters at Arlenes Grocery was unanimously voted sharpest delivery by all of this blog's scouts out that night.