'Capo My Heart' and other Bear Songs

Lucinda Black Bear CD release party at Joe's Pub on September 18:


Hear them perform 'Kites' live, the sound was really nice!


More pics including pianist Anton Sword guest performing in my photodiary.

Buy that CD! It's a great piece of work! Let's hope Time Out New York is right with saying 'the striking, melancholy tunes on LBB’s new disc, ‘Capo My Heart’ and Other Bear Songs, could push him over the top'. And if interested, listen to this Joe's Pub interview with Christian Gibbs about Lucinda Black Bear.

Girl Power Rock'n'Roll

Turns out Rock'n'Roll can be for me but burlesque shows not really. At least when 'The Shalitas' performed at the 'Supreme Trading' September 15 and there was a burlesque support show I was not sure why I should watch this. My boyfriend didn't know either, so we left outside and came back for the music show.

And luckily, that was worth it. The performance of The Shalitas was very entertaining and I really liked the matching outfits. Go girls!



More pics, also of the end of the burlesque can be found in my photo diary.

Diversity Achievement Award For Melomane!

Saturday night, the growing music phenomenon Melomane crowned a busy year with a splendid show at Joe's Pub for which this website awards them the DAAM for, the Diversity Achievement Award in Music. During their stint as entertainment combo in Holiday resorts in the South of France this summer, this band must have discovered some kind of holy grail for songs: New arrangements brought out qualities in old gems like "Northern Birds" that made them shine in clothes of a different genre, revealing layers and sexy hooks, new blood and verve. No strings this time, but exquisite horns, notably by the second Swiss to join the band, artist Eveline Feldman. Seemingly effortless, the band slid from Pop to Folk, from World to Rock, from Ballad to Battle song with sweetly alert stage presence. And then the new songs, boy! Absolute highlight was the Thin Lizzy style guitar duell between Pierre and Q., flawless.

But really, did you ever doubt they had it in them? This band has all the chops needed in their wonderfully charismatic mix: Britpop escapist Quentin Jennings, the ultimate American urban country girl Daria Klotz on bass, the poetic flow and prolific wit of french-californian Pierre de Galliande's songs, all backed by his trusted buddy Kenny Savelson from the days of US postpunk legends Morning Glories. And there's the ever growing variety of guest musicians and world spanning side projects, just to mention here C. Gibbs with Melomane cellist Frank Heer, who will be touring Europe this October. Come wish C. Gibbs luck this Tuesday night at Joe's Pub again, where they are celebrating the Lucinda Black Bear record release party. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Diversity Achievement Award in Music 2007 goes to the New York band Melomane, true professionals, true believers in music and fully committed to good taste.

Since you've seen tons of Melopix from shows already, I include the great pretty old (2002?) shot they sent to Joe's Pub.

Feelies, Dream Syndicate & Sham 69 in one Night?

Glenn Mercer promoting his solo debut Wheels in Motion.

Not really the super groups, but better: We hear the Mercury Lounge is closing, but while it's still open, there's sweet surprises such as last night's show of two of the biggest 'Coulda Been Bigger'-Stars: Glenn Mercer and his buddies from the Feelies (sauf Bill million) and Steve Wynn, former head of the Dream Syndicate, both in splendid form and the famously grand sound of Mercury Lounge. What a musical pleasure, and the thing really started rolling when they went wild on guitars. Lots of older faces in the audience, but merely a head that wasn't noddin to the riddim, consumed by the stream.

Steve Wynn with band, including the most amazing female drummer

But not enough of old men on guitars. I thought it was a sham when Club Midway announced they booked Sham 69, but alas, shortly after midnight they took the stage at New Yorks truest punk rock club and dished out all the old hits: If the Kids Are United, Hey Little Rich Boy, Borstal Breakout, Hersham Boys and what have you. They, that is to say, did not include Jimmy Pursey, who left the band in 2006, but has his own Sham 69. After last night's show we think, the lineup with Whitewood and Dave Parsons, who wrote all them songs, are the real thing, also with the hilariously self-effacing Tim V on vocals. There could have been a bigger crowd for this punk rock legend, considering all the attention punk gets in the media and from the hipsters again. Dudes, you really missed this one.

Sham 69, the Parson line-up: As authentic as it gets

Helsinki Zurich in a Halcion Daze

The place is always packed when Dorit Chrysler, the Austrian-American undebated Queen of New Yorks Lower East Side plays Helsinki in Zurich, Switzerland, and it seems she always has an ace up her sleeve, this time bringing Bingo Palace veterans Fa Ventilato and Privateman into the spotlight while herself donning an electric guitar, just like in the old days of Halcion, when Chad Swahnbergs guitars roared over Dorit's accusing voice, while Jeffrey Whitte and Fa laid the solid fundament. There are not many traces of Halcion on the internet, to read a pretty accurate review of how their shows were, click here. Fa has since abandoned drumming and has made himself a name as Fuckintosh and will be on tour soon with the balkan-electro bastard Import-Export. Tami was there ban the historic moment on picture - Thanx!

They Still Do That, up in the Catskills!

I never cared much about Labor Day Weekend, to be honest, cause news happens when news falls, so I am working round the clock and never get out of the city much anyway. But this time, we got such a nice invitation from Anton and Yael to hang out at the fantastic lodge in the Catskills, play Croquet, relax Victorian style, swim and strumm on acoustic guitars, which, as you must know, has been strictly prohibited in New York City. But as you can see, they still do it up there in the Catskills, especially if there's A Toby To Ride.