rock nyc - pop music live & recorded

Radio Radio- By Helen Bach

2010-03-19T18:48:00.000-04:00

rocknyc is venturing from your eyes to your ears.. fun huh? Yeah, not just a little blog anymore at just under a year old were forging ahead.

Me, I'm pretty excited about it and hope to use my time as best and efficiently as possible. Giving some great underground and unsigned stuff the attention they deserve while offering up some older stuff you may have forgotten about.

Excited to be working with these old hacks and some new blood.

I always love new blood.

Going from written word to audio is going to be killer. I'm thankful for the opportunity but I also work my ass off so hurray for me.. I mean us.

But I'm pretty cool with suggestions so if any of you have ideas well heck I'm your gal. Either facebook friend me or you can email Iman cuz hes the boss.

20-- peace out.

Sound the Alarms for Sleeping With Sirens- By Helen Bach

2010-03-19T18:33:00.000-04:00

Sleeping With Sirens new album is streaming on myspace.

With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear is availabe 3/23 on Rise Records

You should stream it here:

www.myspace.com/sleepingwithsirens

The Band is also touring with Sky Eats Airplane, Motionless in White and Drop Dead Gorgeous:

Club Hell Providence Rhode Island 4/29

The Studio at Webster Hall NYC 5/3

Those are you closest gigs.

Young Veins Not Pretty Odd Enough by Mary Magpie

2010-03-19T17:30:00.000-04:00

Panic at the Disco, which have been a mess ever since some people leaving the band, are now The Young Veins, consisting of former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, including others. I decided to check their music out and was simply shocked.

The Young Veins wishes they were the Beatles. No originality, nothing extremely present to the ear, it just makes me miss the talent that Ryan Ross seemed to have before. Still sounds a little bit like "Pretty. Odd." and that's one of my favourite albums of all time, but I expected them to go in a completely other direction.

"Change" just proves my point of being like the Beatles and being very similar to the most recent Panic.

So did Ryan Ross and Jon Walker change? I think not.

Titus Andronicus Kill AT SXSW Yesterday

2010-03-19T17:24:00.001-04:00

According to pitchfork's Tom Breihan (a writer I like a whole lot), Titus Andronicus killed last night at Beauty Bar/Palm door.

Despite sparse attendence, and thereby proving how stupid the entire SXSW is, and despite sound problems that had Stickles comparing his guitar sound to a limp dick, they roared through much of the album and ended with the fourteen minute "The Battle Of Hampton Roads".

We consider the Titus friends of Rock NYC and congratulate both them on their set and Tom for an aces review.

I am sure every member of the audience went home and started a band.

Hard to Sustain Habits by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T17:04:00.001-04:00

After getting their first single, "Animal" for free off itunes, I listened to it twice and immediately bought their first album Habits.

The Provo, Utah quartet definitely have it going on in an old time, gunslinger sorta 00s kinda way but the songs need to be a stronger.

Tyler Glenn goes like this a) strong, wide, harsh and sweet vocals but b) PLAYS KEYBS!! Not for nothing but readers of my review of McCartney's opening band at Mets Citifield, the Script, will remember my aversion for singing keyboardists.

"Animal" is a great song, and all the songs sound great: crafty shards of rock impluses, but except for a "Your Surrender" here and other great song "1983" ("put out your cigarette and kiss me on the lips tonight") there they fail to sustain the songwriting.

Habits only costs seven bucks so, if you like bands like the Killers (whom they opened for in 2009) and the Strokes, give it a shot.

Alex Chilton Tribute At SXSW This Saturday

2010-03-19T16:46:00.000-04:00

I couldn't give a shit about SXSW -unless you're in a band it hits me as a long trip for dozens of bands you can see at Mercury Lounge on any given weekend.

But I wish I was there for the Alex Chilton replacing a Big Star set this Saturday. According to Canoe.com:

"Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer — will serve as a house band for guests such as M. Ward, John Doe, Chris Stamey and R.E.M.’s Mike Mills. Original Big Star bassist Andy Hummel is also expected at the gig."

Stamey and Mills.... wow!!!

Panic Attack by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T16:21:00.000-04:00

Last year the singer and drummer of panic! released the excellent "New perspective" single. A froth pop rock blast of fresh air. Just now I streamed the half of panic who left, the bassist and guitarists -going by the some what yucky name Young Veins , first offering, the ridiculously named "Blue Veins (Die Tonight)" and I can't say I am even vaguely thrilled by it. Here is part of the Spin review. I quote it because it is kinda terrifyingly crappy writing: "The track opens with a snappy drum roll and sparkling guitar combo, then explodes in an sunny sing-along with Ross hitting the high notes".

Most of that isn't really rtrue either. It is a bit of a guitar plod with none of the win and whimsy of old panic!.

Maybe the new upcoming album take a vacation will prove better.

Here is the url http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-panic-duo-premiere-new-song

Tomorrow

2010-03-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

THE RUNAWAYS REVIEWED

25 reviews by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T14:12:00.000-04:00

25 songs from my march 2010 mix and I am gonna review the lot!!

Send me No Flowers - Nellie McKay - Shamanism, that's how Nelly is conjuring up Doris Day without copying her.

Open Book - Kevin Greenspon - A sorta of wondrous younthfulness

Animal - Neon Trees - More like the Strokes than Julian Casablancas solo album.

Not Fences, Mere Masks - Untied States - When the alt world figure this band out it'll be all over.

Just Pray - For Science - A Steinhardt classic

Happy Accident - Bright Eyes - Maybe I should check with Press here if I'm allowed to review him as well?

Wonderful Guy - Nellie McKay - oddly subdued version of the South Pacific classic

Gone For Good - Wesley Wolfe - Three in a row, Nessing is writing the full review.

Blue Skies - Blue October - Baroque but fun.

Think I Need It To - Ian McCullough - A goodie via daytrotter

Exit Sign - Wicked Liquid - A real keeper -sorta eighties coming howling into the 21st century

This Angry Silence - Television Personalities - A punk rock soap opera.

I Turned Out A Punk - Big Audio Dynamite - Didn't we all?

Ridin' Solo - Jason Derulo - Pure pop for now people

Country Roads - Ryan Bingham - A modern day Steve Earle

In A Moment - Ray Davies - goddam make me cry

VCR - The XX - We could be heroes…

Sexual Power Trip - Blue October - Ankles crossed

Clouds Of Dust - Wicked Liquid - Great drum beat hook.

The Killing Moon - Ian McCulloch - Still at daytrotter

Leeloo - For Science - The "swept me off my feet like she had a big broom" one.

Sorry Only Counts The First Time - Wesley Wolfe - How can something so light be so heavy?

Richard - Billy Bragg - A heartbreaker from his first album…

Look Back In Anger - Television Personalities - getting drunk and disorderly and then apologizing

Hold Me In The River - Brakes - A Patrick Stickles fave.

DJ Bella Blunt And Her Radio Joins Forces With Rock NYC by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T13:44:00.001-04:00

I mentioned a coupla days ago that I was having lunch with the guys at bella blunt today.

The man in charge is an old pal of mine and he will be airing all his own programing 24/7, 7 days a week. the station is WTHC420fm radio and Bella Blunt is the DJ.

Rock NYC will be taking over six or seven hours a week. I know Helen and I will be programing an hour each, I am hoping to get Nessing to add an hour and get more time from some of my buddies in the biz to join in.

We will probably stream the entire radio station here though if i understand him correctly, the station will be on broadband.

They begin airing on April 20th and I will ask em to provide listings for us when we get closer...

Free Justin Bieber Sweatshirts???

2010-03-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

I got this off some enterprising young lady on Facebook. Here was the message:

hey everyone. we are giving away free tshirts. check out our site! http://www.mybieber.com/

So all you enterprising young scalliwags, go take a survey and enjoy your Justin Tee

Ticketmaster Are Thieving Bastards by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T12:00:00.002-04:00

A week or so ago I read about how, with the new paperless tickets (you have to show your credit card to get in), the new Thom Yorke band Atoms for Peace couldn't sell out a tiny club in Southern California and Miley Cyrus couldn't sell out anywhere after being the hottest tix in the country for the past coupla years.

The assumption is that they are false sell outs which force punters who want to go to these shows to pay five times the correct cost.

Earlier this week a California ticket brokering firm got sent to jail. They had figured out how to get thru Ticketmasters software while we idiots are waiting for 15 minutes and upwards.

Which leads me to my adventures in Gagaland.

At 10am precisely I went on line to buy 2 tix anywhere to Lady Gaga's MSG gigs this July on Ticketmaster.

Got right thru password and three minutes waiting time. It was sold out. Never stood a chance.

I went for another day. The wait? 15 minutes and up. Needless to say, sold out by the time, 45 minutes later, I got thru to the box office.

So I figured I'd go onto Fanscan and found 1000s of tix available at triple the price on the tix and upwards. Tickets Now (Ticketmasters barter company) had 475 tix alone.

Who is conning who here?

It is physically impossible for this to happen without some major cheating on. Don't we have an Attorney General or something? Shouldn't somebody be in jail. Maybe Irving Azoff or somebody.

We, the fans, are being ripped off by thieving scalpers and prices are jacked right into the outer hemisphere.

So I went back into TM and tried again. And again. And on the fourth time somebodies credit card mustn't have gone thru because I snagged one lousy seat at $200 (that's face, mind) but at least it was a goodie in the 200s.

And things are just gonna get worse.

Friday, I'm In Love- By Helen Bach

2010-03-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hel’s Playlist for a Warm Sunny Day

Feeling glad to be alive, I'm healthy, I'm in love I have great amazing friends and so with nothing to bitch about..

Why not a happy list?

Billy Liar- The Decemberists Though not the happiest of songs lyrically… a happy ditty. I adore Colins voice. And there’s a bonus sound in this one, xylophone! Ya cant be bummed if you hear that sound its impossible.

Take On Me- AC Newman- Not to be confused with Alfred E Numan of Mad Magazine fame. This acoustic and slowed down version with amazing enunciation melts my heart like a snow cone on a sidewalk

Just Cant Get Enough- Depeche Mode. Mental picture the Magpie doing a pathetic ‘robot’ to this one is insta-smile. We crank to max and shout the lyrics.

She Loves You- The Beatles “ Pride can hurt you too, apologize to her” yeah yeah yeah

Change Your Mind- The Killers Someone here doesn’t like The Killers but I do. And I love the beat in this song from Hot Fuss.

Im Coming Over- X Someone here doesn’t like X, but I do. This song SCREAMS to get the skateboard out and get to the park. To bad I have to work…

Shes A Handsome Woman- Panic at the Disco- from Pretty. Odd. This entire cd is fantastic not a dud in the bunch. I miss them. They bring back amazing memories

Somebody- Blue October. Metal guitar action from my favorama’s. Justin sounds like a madman. I want to stalk him for the rest of my life.

Friday, Im in Love- The Cure. Cuz it is, and I am.

U2 Remix Album Available On Preorder

2010-03-19T07:28:00.000-04:00

Busy trying to make even more money off their wretched last album, U2 are offerring this vinyl extravaganza. Here is the press release:

"Artificial Horizon is a limited-edition collection of U2 performances remixed by some of the world's leading DJs and producers including Hot Chip, Justice and Trent Reznor.

From 1997's If God Will Send His Angels to 2009's Get On Your Boots, this 60-minute set includes three never-before released tracks: I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Live U2360 Remix); City Of Blinding Lights (Hot Chip 2006 Remix); and Get On Your Boots (Fish Out Of Water Mix); as well as two tracks with only limited previous release: 'Staring At The Sun (Brothers in Rhythm Ambient Mix) and Magnificent (Falke Radio Mix).

The first U2 remix album since 'Melon - Remixes for Propaganda' in 1995, Artificial Horizon is set to be another must-have in the U2 catalogue.

PRE-ORDER ARTIFICIAL HORIZON NOW AND RECEIVE AN INSTANT DOWNLOAD OF ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE TRACK - SNOW PATROL'S REMIX OF 'UNKNOWN CALLER'

Artificial Horizon is presented in a customised gatefold sleeve and is available for eight weeks only.

ORDERS CLOSE ON MAY 14TH 2010.

See the full tracklisting, hear clips and order your copy here.

http://artificialhorizon.u2.com/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EMLU2COS_20100318_VinylFree

Best wishes

The U2.Com Team

(Artificial Horizon is also available on CD - as a gift when you subscribe to U2.com. Full details here.)

Lady Gaga Sued for $35m -What Took Em So Long by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T07:06:00.001-04:00

Usually you'd just shake your head when a famous artist gets her butt sued -frivolous lawsuits come with the territory.

BUT Rob Fusari is Lady Gaga's former boyfriend and manager and producer and is a popular songwriter in his own rights, who has co-written songs with Destiny's Child and Will Smith.

I don't believe that it is necessarily true that where there's smoke, there's fire, and I absolutely do believe when an act is as popular as Lady Gaga lotsa people are gonna want their fair share whether they deserve it or not.

Still... this one could prove problematic for her...

Gleeful Oprah by Helen Bach

2010-03-19T06:26:00.000-04:00

The Cast of Glee will be sitting down with Oprah on April 7th. A great opportunity to see the sets and behind the scenes footage! All those silly out takes! But if you think that's awesome how about this?

To celebrate the episode, Oprah.com has launched a destination page for all fans of Glee at oprah.com/glee. Starting the week of March 29, fans can find a character guide to their favorite cast members, a quiz that tests their Glee I.Q., a behind-the-scenes photo gallery and more.

OMG I CANNOT WAIT to see the kids from McKinley High again! RAWR!

(truth is I can. the very thought of this program becoming a "phenomenon" has me scratching my head. again I'm forced to ponder the brainwashing of the american youth. have we given them such horror ideals of entertainment that they consider this the entertainment holy grail? I think so. Glee IQ ....glee iq....)

"Killer" Set List gets Man Thrown Off Train In UK

2010-03-19T06:15:00.000-04:00

Writing this post seemed like a lot more fun BEFORE I started writng it. It must be a slow news day in the UK. A man in a cover band was asked to leave a train because he wrote the word "killer", signifying the Las Vegas band, as part of his setlist. Apparently it was a dodgy area and there had been many arrest there.

All a little dog bites man of course, and the best I have to offer is a stroppy one liner about if you are gonna cover songs by Brandon flowers you deserve what you get.

Rock NYC Fails To Get Its Man: Conor Oberst not doing interviews!!! by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T06:06:00.001-04:00

I am a huge Bright Eyes fan and so with two new songs on the horizon and I got in touch with Robb, the owner of Bright Eyes Record company, and who i know peripherally, and asked him to have a word with Conor for me. Robb said that he would.

Then I went onto myspace and left this message:

"Good morning Conor. My name is Iman Lababedi and I run a music blog called rock nyc.

I've written about Bright Eyes and your various other bands (some might claim) incessantly. And wrote a post calling Wide Awake the best album of the 00s.

I haven't always been positive but in the end I think you are the best songwriter of your generation.

With the upcoming Bright Eyes songs (I download "Happy Accident" yesterday and it really is a pleasure) I was wondering if I could do an interview with you for my website.

I don't know if youre in NYC -Im guessing not. But we could do it over the phone or on line (to be honest, I love on line because I LOATH transcribing interviews)

Anyway, Im sure you're a busy guy so if you can thanks, and if you cant ill forgive you.

This was the reply I got.

Hi Iman, Gabe here with Conor's management. Not doing any press on this particular release. In the future, check in with Press Here publicity regarding interviews:

glad you are enjoying the new songs, i am too!

Hardly a shocker but interesting mechanism there. When you step forward there is a world of people surrounding you. As it happens my friend Inge Colson works for Press Here and I was aware Press Here handled Monsters Of Folk but didn't pursue further at that time because a) we were much smaller six months ago and b) I wasn't a big enough fan to want to handle for an interview.

So I guess we will see the next time round.

Today In Rock History by Helen Bach

2010-03-19T05:48:00.000-04:00

There has never been a decent No 1 hit on this date

Birthdays

1946 Paul Atkinson (Zombies)

1946 Ruth Pointer (Pointer Sisters)

1953 Ricky Wilson (B52s)

1955 Derek Longmuir (Bay City Rollers)

1955 Bruce Willis (The Return of Bruno)

1959 Terry Hall (Colour Field)

1964 Tracy Chapman

Deaths

1976 Gary Thain (Uriah Heep)

1976 Paul Kossof (Free)

1982 Randy Rhodes (guitar of Ozzy Osbourne)

Other

1957 Elvis Presley buys the Memphis mansion Graceland from Mrs. Ruth Brown-Moore

1958 Cadence label releases Link Wray's Rumble

1960 South Pacific returns to top of UK LP chart for a further nineteen weeks

1970 Rolling Stone magazine reveals that opening lyrics to John Lennon's Come Together were written by Chuck Berry for You Can't Catch Me - 'Here come old flat top, he come groovin' up slowly

Iman was an honorary Bay City Roller

My Fave Tracks, March 19th, 2010 by Iman Lababedi

2010-03-19T05:43:00.000-04:00

1. September Girls - The Bangles

2. In My Room - The Beach Boys

3. Animal - Neon Trees

4. Happy Accident - Bright Eyes

5. Open Book - Kevin Greenspon

6. Not Fences, Mere Masks - Untied States

7. Gone For Good - Wesley Wolfe

8. Four Score And Seven - Titus Andronicus

9. Nothin' On You - B.o.b.

10. You And I - The Disco Biscuits

Comment: Three of these songs were released this week but I haven't gotten round to this weeks releases yet...

Rocket From A Bottle- By Helen Bach

2010-03-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

Michael, Robert and I used to work together about 2 million years ago. It was a bad bad scary place. But I think it may have been the above boys of XTC that gave us the lightbulb moment of siblings in arms.

Today, engulfed in the joyful signs of spring I could not stop brain singing (you do it too, thats when you sing songs stuck in your head, Ive simply named it brain singing) Rocket From a Bottle.

Although this song is from Drums and Wires I liked this photo better.

Cheers Roberto and Michael.. We lived to tell of it!

"Hate step back, my smile might just crack

can't stop grins from going wide today

hell look sharp, angels play your harp

I feel strong like the tide today"

Thats 20, Iman.

TAXI!!!!!

Alesana, Scary Weird and Wonderful- By Mary Magpie

2010-03-18T18:35:00.002-04:00

Alesana is a loud, scary, screamy hardcore band. One of the few that I can tolerate, they're most certainly the most talented hardcore group out there. So when I bought their album "The Emptiness" listened to it, read the little book that came with it, I was excited to see their video for their song "The Thespian". And BOY was it scary.

The song has always been a favourite of mine with untouchable melody and seemingly impossible screams, and the video did it justice. It was scary and I wanted to turn away from watching it, but it kept me entranced. It followed what happened in the story, and was disturbingly wonderful. Seeing a few of the boys of Alesana act in the video was very cool to see, because it shows they're multi-talented.

"The Thespian" video is scary, weird, wonderful, and unique.

And the Award For Most Useless headline Of The day Goes To

2010-03-18T15:55:00.002-04:00

Mystikal Urges Troubled Youths To Turn Lives Around

This Might Be Fun...

2010-03-18T15:49:00.001-04:00

Primal Scream Praise Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Primal Screams Bobby Gillipsie (who I thought hate everyone) had this to say to BBC 6 about the late great Alex Chilton: "He was a geniuss of rock 'n' roll His work was) as good The Byrds or The Beatles

"When we started Primal Scream, Alex was a huge influence on us, and he still is. Even if he'd only ever produced the first Cramps album he'd still be one of my rock 'n' roll heroes. But he did a lot more than that.

"He just made so many great records, and they were crazy rock 'n' roll records. But they were also art records and beautiful records, mournful records, sad records, joyous records. What I'm trying to say is that Alex Chilton was one of the greats."