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.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

Season's Break!

Guys and girls and dear readers (I know you're out there!), forgive me, but I'm taking a break over the holidays over there in the Swiss alps, snowboarding in Winter Wonderland, taking long walks in the freezing cold and the deafening silence, reflecting on a busy 2007 and purging my ears and soul from the dirty rock and rolling rack, so that I'll be all fresh and open for the new year. What do I want for Christmas? More comments and input from you guys (hey, you can do it anonymously!) and a new Rickenbacker guitar. There's Room to come, ladies and gentlemen. In the meantime, listen to the Sad Little Stars, they are worth the while! Happy Holidays!

Beatles, Balkans and Other Stars and Jams

Ah, shucks, now the Paul McCartney tribute show at Joes Pub is sold out - no place for us tonite at the Loser's Lounge! Was looking forward to see and hear Joe, Mike and Julian as Paulies. I'll leave you with the very original flyer they came up with for this show and welcome comments by anybody who saw the gig!



The Jam are coming to town, at least as close as it can get to the real thing: Bass player Bruce Foxton and Drummer Rick Buckler teamed up with two mates who replace Weller, and judging from stuff on MySpace, they sound pretty convincing. Now, Blender had the good sense to bring em to the States! I got my tickets for their show at Blender Gramercy on February 9th already. So dont tell me I didnt tell you to get yours early, there's more than enough loyal Brits in this city to sell this show out quickly!



Last week, Import-Export came to town with their crazy Balkan gypsy beats and made the night to day. I guess they say Switzerland is too rich of options for real full-blooded musicians, but these guys have pure rhythm flowing through their veins. Their love for playing is infectious and got crowds in Brooklyn, Manhattan and even Staten Islands dancing and up late. Before we checked them out at NuBlu, we paid visit to the ever amazing Sad Little Stars, who played a short, highly energetic set at the Annex. I will put a song from their new excellent record on the blog soon. Moreover, Room will play their first comeback show with the Stars will in late February - we'll keep you posted!

Kerry's A Hit! Quentin smiles onstage!

Poland just qualified for the European Soccer Championship, so no wonder there was a brawl between some triumphant drunks and the doormen in front of Greenpoint club Europa when we got there. We seeked shelter at the bar near the stage where everybody gathered to witness a phenomenally beautiful and inspiring show by Kerry Kennedy and her new band. After merely two rehearsals, these guys sound like a veteran outfit, bridging folk and alternative rock in a nicely understated new way, building fitting layers around Kerry's soft but intense voice. There's just six or seven songs yet, but after years of waiting, a long player seems not out of reach anymore. Lets hope and see what Santa Claus brings... Melomane brought two more guests along, according to Quentin "the german Nick Cave (Klaus Keller?) and his partner, who played hauntingly melodies of melancholy and pain. Then Melomane dished up their abundant bouquet of musical gems, in great playing mood and lots of msiles all around. Not so much the "rosy lounge pop" anymore that TimeOut makes the 'manes to be, but first class Blue Oyster Cult style savoir faire, aye! Somehow, everybody ended up partying way to late into the night, where ever they were, with thanks to Mariana Davenport and Pierre the big de G.

Import-Export bring Balkan Beats to New York!

Swiss-Balkan Collaboration sweeps New York

News from the Fa front: Import-Export create a crazy maelstrom of Gypsy music, mixed with Electronica. Their freestyle Balkan jazz blurs the line between eastern European Folk and modern music. Serving their beats with pure enthusiasm for gypsy tunes, they incite audiences everywhere to raving dances.

“We sweep over the Balkan carpet, and also underneath it,” says Accordion player Goran Kovacevic. He is joined by New York based “CD manipulator” Fa Ventilato and Patrick Kessler (Double Bass). The veteran Swiss-Italian drummer Carlo Lorenzi completes the combo. Special star guest with this unique Swiss “import” is the Bulgarian trumpet player Sachko Wladigeroff: A fiendish on the brass, a “rumpelstilt” who plays flugelhorn and trumpet at the same time, and “most possibly could also play with his ears.”

NEW YORK TOUR STOPS:
28.11.2007 live @ MEHANATA BULGARIAN BAR, 9pm
29.11.2007 live @ ZEBULON. nyc-williamsburg, 12pm
02.12.2007 live @ NUBLU. nyc-brooklyn

Learn more about the wide Import-Export musical network:
Import-Export
Killingmusicathome
Dusaorchestra
Freedomfries
Bucovina
Rohbaurecords

A Walk Down Memory Lane... Paul Fox R.I.P

The Ruts with Henry Rollins perform Shine On Me

Another punk legend has left the building: Paul Fox, true guitar hero with ur-punks The Ruts, succumbed to cancer on October 21st. While most people have never heard of the London band, those who have rank at least three of their songs among their most favorites: "Babylon's Bruning", "Shine On Me" and the pre-Clash Dub "Jah Wars," which effectively introduced Reagge to New Wave, a feat is mostly attributed to The Clash or Police. Nah, it was Fox with his mates, fronted by Malcolm Owen who died on a Heroin overdose in 1980. The band continued for an album as Ruts DC, then most members went on to play in differenty rather obscure projects.

Following Fox's diagnose, the band reformed for a research benefit gig and were joined by Henry Rollins for some powerful renditions of the Ruts hits (as can see above, despite a bit of a questionable solo... but check out other Ruts stuff on You tube to hear Fox's great playing). The London times called him "on of the most important guitarist of the punk generation".

So where are they now, the first wave punk generation? Well, The Damned, The Advert's TV Smith and the U.K. Subs all joined The Ruts at their May benefit gig. TV Smith has a great new album and a funny book about his low budget European travels. The album seems to indicate a split in his friendship with the Tote Hosen - he does not mention them at all anymore. Anybody know more about that?

The Biggies? Firstly, the Fall never ceased to be around (and vital). Certain Fall offspring, like The Blue Orchids, are rumored to be back, too. Mick Jones of the Clash just released a new record with Tony James of Generation X, the project is called "Carbon/". Paul Simonon landed a huge hit at Damon Albarn's side with The Good, the Bad and the Queen". Paul Weller is working on his new found love for punkrock, while his former mates have reformed as "...from the Jam". Despite Weller's absence, they are enjoying quite some success and are currently recording. The remaining Sex Pistols just finished a couple of live gigs in England to make some money, since they forgot to cash in in the Eighties, claims Johnny Rotten, scuseme Lydon. No new record there, though.

The Police reunited and nobody was impressed (that might change with an new album, but nobody is talking about that). Wire reformed and just released the third "Read and Burn" EP, but we are honestly more impressed with Colin Newman's other project "Git-Head". The Buzzcocks were the first to reunite, needed a couple of years to find back to true form, their lastest three CDs testifying to that. And then there's the strange and bewildering case of the Stranglers and Hugh Cornwell, both regularly putting out new records, at times just as good as the old times, but they somehow always miss the public spotlight and we still feel they'd be better of getting Hugh back into the fold. The Undertones reformed. Sham 69 reformed with and without Jimmy Pursey. They all reformed. They are all on MySpace.

One reunion I was truly hoping for, never happened so far: One hit wonder The Vapors, whose two long players I still count among my most valued possessions. Plus, I'd go to see Hüsker Dü again. And that weirdo from behind Liverpool, of course, Julian Cope. If he would only ever come to the States! Man, that's were your wife's from, drude!

Fox is joining a growingly illustre Club of Dead Punk Rockers: Almost all of the Ramones died. Joe Strummer died, Ian Curtis, Sid Vicious, Ian Dury, Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks, all dead, all gone. Johnny Thunders, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Stiv Bator, Wendy O'Williams, R.I.P, Rob Heaton, Pete De Freitas, Grant McLennan, we can still hear you.

The Mozzer, The Buzz and the Shock

Mr. Morrissey in the spotlight, Richard Burton in the back.

Uho - We are back after a short mishap with the template and glad to have not lost this little archive of shows and music in New York. Because there are great ones, still. Recently, Morrissey, last of the international playboys, held a series of triumphant shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom and easily entered my all time favorite top ten live shows, climbing as high as the top five. Highlights and a bawling 40 year old cynic writer in tears included fantastic renditions of Smiths classics like "Stop Me" and "Girlfriend in a Coma", but also powerful new songs from his two latest records like "You Have Killed Me" and "First of the Gang to Die". The man is so sophisticated in the best of senses, charming, yet distant, and, by God, sexy. Or, as my friend the bassman said, probably the only person he'd consider changing his orientation for. That good.

So much for the Mozzer, now to the buzz: We are glad to report that C. Gibbs is back from a most successfull tour with Lucinda Black Bear projects, playing sold out shows in Zurich and leaving merch and an excellent video for You Got it Blue all over Europe. Meanwhile back home,The Snow with long time C. Gibbs collaborator Pierre de Gaillande have started to take larger stages and developed into an experience somewhere between languid jazz and pop ballads - come see the less known but more impressive Hilarys of New York, with one l less than the senator, but decidely much more talent for singing. Good news also comes from Kinetic, who find their name more and more mentioned in the press, with their shows mentioned in Time Out now. We also checked out Overlord at the Delancey recently, and were impressed. Somebody should finally go and sign them and send the band on tour. They've got the songs, trust me. And on this note, one last buzz: The Palace in St. Gall, Switzerland has become the favorite stop on European tours for many a promising US band. Check out their MySpace Siteand look at the names they had playing there and what people say about this island of indie in Eastern CH. Then go and ask Jeffrey Lewis about St. Gallen after his show on November at the Crown Point Festival on the Lower East Side!

Below, you find my current list of top ten live shows ever. I excluded small and intimate shows, although they usually are my favorite and move me most - for example Television Personalitites in 1991 at Maxwells in Hoboken or Chris Bailey of the Saints at Ziegel Au Lac in Zurich ages ago. Here the more commercial ones. I'd be interested to learn of your favorite shows ever!

1. Paul Weller - London, Royal Albert Hall, 1992
2. Pet Shop Boys - New York, Hammerstein Ballroom, 2000
3. Morrissey - New York, Hammerstein Ballroom, 2007
4. Pyschedelic Furs - Outside Woodstock, Open Air, 1999
5. The Church - New York, Irving Plaza, 2006
6. The Finn Brothers - New York, Central Park Summer Stage, 2005
7. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - New York, Irving Plaza, 2002
8. Madonna - New York, Madison Square Garden, 2005
9. The Cure - Konstanz, Rock am See, 1991
10. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Drahtschmiede Zürich, 1985

Blog Action Day? Alright, Alright!

Ok, it's blog action day today... The UN and Google and some NGOs for the protection of the environment want us to talk about climate change, so here we go: when I was a kid we spent days in the full sun without skin protection and barely got a tan. These days, playing soccer for an hour in the sun, you're burnt. I recommend George and Dick join us some Sunday here at Rodney Park for a game and experience the phenomenon themselves. They might even be able to stop traffic on the BQE to retrieve the ball.

Anyway. I know I been lazy posting lately, but that's just cause I've seen tons of shows with my sedulous buddies Martin and Marco from Rorschach, Switzerland, restlessly on the lookout for good concerts - we found plenty of promising names, but few highlights. Here's their list of New York Highlights:

1. Midnight Soccer against Morex Optimo in Greenpoint's McCurren Park (5:3 for Painhead)
2. Union Pool
3. Roast Beef Sandwiches
4. The Draft at the Knitting Factory
5. Arcade Fire on Randalls Island (incl. the Rock Sluts)
6. Queens of the Stone Age at WaMu Madison Square Garden
7. Animal Collective at Webster Hall (and on my wall)
8. Who the fuck is Biffy Clyro?
9. USA - Switzerland in Rodney Park (18:11 for USA)
10. Personality, Character, Style

There's some stuff that didn't make the list, too: The Klaxons, for example, did not impress my friends, as did the Black Angels who do a horrid ripoff of the Doors, mixed with, huh, Spacemen 3. There were some rather forgettable East village bands we saw and a great Falcon show we missed. They shot tons of photos which they promised to send - i will post some when i get them. For now I leave you with a shot of the Draft, the best concert we've seen this week. Martin and Marco were great guests, always uplifting and in the mood for every new adventure. They are officially proclaimed NNF - Not Non-Fillers!

British Girl Charm

God, I wish I had been writing songs when I was 19 instead of hanging out in dull bars not knowing what to do with my life. Kate Nash seems to know what to do with hers and appears happy to share it with us.



The Luna Lounge was enjoyably crowded on September 24 and they even managed to get the sound somewhat right. Even tough I couldn't hear the violin during the first song, but you can't ask for too much. Kate Nash was playing for free after not getting an US work visa like a few other British artists before her. She didn't seem to mind at all and impressed with her down-to-earth attitude despite her huge success in the UK. She was cute and charming and a bit shy and the three members of the band all visibly enjoyed playing with her.

Here is her performance of the 'Skeleton Song' including a very cute introduction:


More pics in my photodiary.