THE MONKS documentary screening in NYC -- one-time only -- Tuesday!

Hope y'all can come, it's free and it's one-time only. The timing is particularly poignant following so closely on the heels of Dave Day's death. Which I still haven't gotten over.

This is a very good film, even if he did cut me out of it. Grouse grouse. Wendy's in the film, still!

(Actually that's not entirely true. You see me onstage with them at Cavestomp '99 during the curtain call, for about a second and a half, with no explanation as to who the goofy-looking guy might be. But you'll know. Don't blink.)
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PRESS RELEASE / U.S.A.
INVITATION TO THE SCREENING OF DOCUMENTARY FILM BY DIETMAR POST & LUCIA PALACIOS

the monks – the transatlantic feedback

http://www.playloud.org/themonks.html

NEW YORK GOETHE-INSTITUT
TUE JAN 29 AT 7 PM (no cover charge)
Goethe-Institut New York
1014 Fifth Avenue@83rd Street
New York, NY 10028
(212-439-8700)

http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/ney/deindex.htm

FILMMAKER DIETMAR POST WILL ATTEND THE SCREENING

Me too.

Seriously, it's free and you'll love the film even if you're not a Monks fan. Their backstory is just ridiculous.

R.I.P.

Almost A Rose Garden...

...in the middle of winter. Kerry Kennedy and her Ghost-Wise band treated us to a bunch of fine songs, mostly about love and again everybody was raving, from producer Quentin Jennings to cabaret star Paul Wallfisch, President De Gaillande, Lady Schmiani and all the nice folks who came to Rose on Grand Street in Williamsburg. We can't wait till Kerry sings her heart out at the studio - it's high time, girl! The band did not sound as grand on the tiny stage at Rose as at their first gig at Greenpoint's Europa, but this band comes together so nice and naturally, they already have their own unique sound. To which, of course, Mrs. Kennedy's tender songs and grandiose voice contributes. Tobimeister took the above photograph. He's got more. Then Anton Sword and his excellent band took the stage. He hasn't changed the lyrics yet, but that's okay - what else would I have to complain about?

Room Test New Songs Acoustic

Your favorite Roomies have been holed up for quite a while now, enjoying their rehearsals and exploring new musical fields. Tonight, at Bar on A (Avenue A and 11th Street in Manhattan) is by no means the comeback of the euro trash rockers, since les deux frenchies are absent, one covering the elections, the other busy opening his own shop! Bernd, Jan and Roman will hence play a stripped down, folked-up version of some of their new songs.

Union Hall of Fame, Williamsburg Hall of Music

Melomane Live At Union Hall

So they said it might sell out and, boy, it did. Beautifully convincing sets by both Melomane and Lucinda Black Bear on Friday night were proof that solid handmade live music will always have a special place in our souls. Pierre "rocked his heart out" and looked almost as presidential as Mitt Romney, if it werent for the mean moustache that makes him decidely European, where Melomane will be heading in March. Kenny is still the most entertaining drummer since Ringo to watch, and Quentin duelling Pierre on guitar makes up for all the lack of entertainment value a Melomane show had ca. '99, hiho. C. Gibbs meanwhile is heading towards Broadway, seriously, but no more (yet) about that - just put on "Capo My heart" and relax. Lucinda Black Bear is probably the best live folk pop band you get to see for under $10 in New York City.

Misson of Burma live at Willis Hall of Music
Saturday brought the return of Mission of Burma upon Heather's request, at the new Williamsburg Hall of Music... you still can tell it's the old North Six, but then again, it's not. MoB sounded pretty shitty in the beginning, messy mixing and that didnt seem planned or wanted. It got really good towards the end, and we like legends. All in all, too loud, but then again, we knew this years ago.

Eva Trash Here and Hares and Faster Blokes

Shrine! Making it worthwile on MySpace are the older generation, meanwhile. Go check out Magazine, XTC, Captain Sensible, Martin Bramah and the Blue Orchids, the Nightingales, Fabulous Poodles and what have you. We guarantee you a pleasant nostalgic trip down the audio memory lane.

Newly found on the gloabl shrine thousand times the size of the Alexandrian library that MySpace is, are now the eastern Swiss blokes from Here Hare Here, thanx to Rafka, drummer extraordinaire in said quartet. In surprisingly clear sound you can hear the Hares brash hectic energy (including wildly distuned guitars) live at one of their last shows at Grabenhalle in St. Gallen in March 1990 - 18 years ago - here. And the other hare is here. You be the judge, but time's on the Hare's side. Also, check out Rafkas new project Eva Trash with fellow music space travellers Carlo and Tombo.

Anton Sword and the New Word

Ladies and Gentlemen, the new word is MEAN. Who's gonna read you if you don't attack them, right? Who wants to hear about another nice concert of another really good band? Either you find spectacular vocabular to describe how the music hit you, or you go brutally honest. T'least that's what they're telling me in front of Club Midway last Tuesday, where JoeMcGinty welcomed the audience with a bittersweet "Thanks for coming to the real Lower East side, we know you could have had such a nice time in the virtual LES...." So, goodbye to all the nice jingle jangle, lets dish out the dirt. Right. Go. Anton Sword has some really, really bad lyrics. He should listen to Dylan, Cash, Cave, Waits and the likes. He is a romantic beyond help, plucking his inspiration from that horrible phase of literature when they wrote love poems for flowers and had sex on a meadow, ifunowhaddamean. So Keates and Yates are on your side, but Wilde and Weller are on mine. The band is great though, mighty guitars from Kristofer and driving cello lines from Jessica, pleasant harmonies from Joanna. There's even one or two hits in there, ifuaskme, especially "The instrument, your friend" which Anton is making into a video. Come see him and the band at Rose in Williamsburg on January 23rd. Ask him about the bad lyrics and whether his words are important. Opening up will be Kerry Kennedy with her new great band, an spectacle we still dont get to see often enough. Her words are important.

Roman Game And The Playstation

Ah, the Swiss quality of life. We were welcomed at the Palace in St. Gallen, the new best club of Switzerland, as such celebrities as Kurt Wagner from Lambchop to Dean and Britta will confirm. I had the pleasure to play with the powerduo of my cousins Dani and Fredy Stieger and the two amazing guitar artistes Peter Lutz and Marius Tschirky, with the magic hands of Silvan Lassauer on the knobs and faders, mixing up a beautiful, strong sound. One of the nices concert experiences for me in years. We'd witnessed Jeffrey Lewis there before Christmas and he lectured the large crowd on the history of Punk Rock in a most entertaining manner. DJ Stanley picked up on the good vibe and brought even old St. Gallen wood to dance. Sophie Hunger sold out the place and was very convincing. We were hired to play as the show band for a quiz called "Wosch Züri". Sam won the quiz and desrves it. A week later we played at Mariaberg in Rorschach, where this picture was taken and a whole lotta people from the early days at the lake of Constance turned up - it was nice to see so many of you, you're looking good, folks.