Crazy Pills To Play Cake Shop + Release New Record

Crazy Pills are celebrating the release of their debut record Restless this Saturday, July 27.  It all happens on the LES at Cake Shop ... you should go.  Full details are below.  

Crazy Pills
Desert Sharks / Fan Tan / Let's Be Loveless
Cake Shop
152 Ludlow Street
New York, NY
Doors: 8PM
Tickets: $8
21+

I've had a chance to listen to Restless.  I'm really enjoying this one folks.  It's soul-punk and rock 'n' roll.  It's a excellent summer album ... put it on and go hang out by the pool.  Standout tracks are: "Nothing But Love", "Break It Down", "Indictment" and "Trudy June".  Check out the track "Break It Down" below.  

2013 Newport Jazz Festival Schedule

Time to start plotting my stage hopping for the Newport Jazz Festival!  Click on the images below for full-size, printable schedules.

Nicky Egan To Release Digital 45's + NYC Show

Nicky Egan
Saturday, July 27
Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
Doors: 10:30 One drink minimum per set

Nicky Egan will release the first of her upcoming digital 45's, "Made A Fool Of Me"/"I Tried", on July 30.

Soulful powerhouse singer/songwriter NICKY EGAN announced a collection of new material titled The 45 Homestead Project today. The unique series will be comprised of three “digital 45’s” that will be released over a three-month span. Each “digital 45” will have an A/B side with a music video accompanying each A side track and a live performance at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. At the end of the third release, the singles will be combined to create one complete 7 song EP that will include an unreleased bonus track.  The structure is designed to resemble the old soul-music model of releasing single 7” records with a modern visual twist.   

The first release, which is set for July 30, will feature the single ‘Made A Fool Of Me’, which evokes the spirit of 1960’s era soul legends, and the jazz tinged B side ‘I Tried.’ The following releases are set for August 27 and September 30.  Each of the accompanying videos will be released on the same day simultaneously. All three videos are directed and produced by Little Lou Productions with Thin Edge Films contributing to the September video release. Tour dates for the digital 45 release shows are below.

Dead Boots Release New Record + Play Mercury Lounge TONIGHT, July 17

Dead Boots, the band formerly known as TAB The Band, released their new album, Verónica, yesterday, July 16.  Check it out using the handy widget below. 

For those in the New York area, the band will will be at Mercury Lounge TONIGHT, Wednesday, July 17.  You should go, they're a hell of a fun live band.

Dead Boots
Midnight Spin
Wednesday, July 17
Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston Street
New York, NY
Doors: 9:30PM
Tickets: $10 adv / $12 dos
21+

Spacehog To Play Irving Plaza On, August 3

Spacehog will be taking the stage at Irving Plaza supporting The Psychedelic Furs on Saturday, August 3.  See below for full details.

Spacehog
Saturday, August 3
Irving Plaza
17 Irving Place
New York, NY
Doors: 8PM
Tickets: $29.50

Spacehog released their latest album, As It Is On Earth, in April 2013 via their own Hog Space Records.

2013 Newport Folk Schedule

The Newport Folk Festival released their schedule over the weekend.  So much to choose from ... time to start plotting my stage hopping.  Check out the schedule below and click on the images for full-size printable versions.

What You May Have Missed: Sophie Auster at Mercury Lounge

Sophie Auster: June 24, 2013 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY   

I caught Sophie Auster down at Mercury Lounge last week.  Her record, Red Weather, came out November 2012.  Check her out if you get the chance.  

For those who haven't had the chance to check out Auster, check out her video for "Run Run Run" below.

Deer Tick - "The Rock"

When the new track from Deer Tick landed in my inbox, I initially kept it as new and moved on.  A couple of days later, I gave it a listen.  "The Rock", from their upcoming album Negativity, caught me by surprise.  I'm not a huge Deer Tick fan yet, I found myself putting the song on repeat.  The track begins rather delicate and vulnerable before kicking into a rocker, infused with a grand blast of horns.  I now find myself curious and looking forward to hearing the upcoming album which will be released on September 24 via Partisan Records.

Last week, the video for "The Rock" was released.  It's a black and white affair that consists only of Deer Tick leader John McCauley.  The clip is about four minutes of an up close view of his face.  My first thought was, 'I don't know you like that!'  It's somewhat uncomfortable to watch and decidedly intimate.  I felt determined, perhaps compelled even, to resist the urge to avert my eyes.  And, I admit, it did take several views to sit through the entire video without turning away.    
  
The Colin Devin Moore directed clip has the effect of one of those silent conversations you have with your significant other.  Again, I don't know you like that Mr. McCauley.

The song, one of heartbreak, gives this uncomfortable clip an intensity that for a brief moment, makes you feel some sort of a connection to those eyes that are staring at you from the screen.  So perhaps, for a little over four minutes, a small part of me, the viewer, does on some extremely minuscule level, know you like that.

Negativity Track List

• The Rock
• The Curtain
• Just Friends
• The Dream's In The Ditch
• Mirror Walls
• Mr. Sticks
• Trash
• Thyme
• In Our Time (feat. Vanessa Carlton)
• Hey Doll
• Pot Of Gold
• Big House

What You May Have Missed: John Michael Rouchell at Mercury Lounge

John Michael Rouchell: June 24, 2013 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY 

Last week, I made a stop at Mercury Lounge to catch NOLA's John Michael Rouchell.  I became a fan of JM's what, three or four years ago...when I happened to catch him at the same venue.  He had been performing under the moniker MyNameIsJohnMichael and they came equipped with horns and trash cans.  This trip, he came with a slimmed down, highly effective and seriously bad ass band consisting of Joe Dyson, Jr. (drums), Max Moran (bass) and Joe Shirley (keyboards).  Those dudes are seriously tight, I mean seriously tight.

I wasn't sure how things were going to play out without the horns but, I was already digging the new songs from his recently released gem, The Separation EP, and was excited to hear them live, especially, "Wounded Heart" and "Holler" which have gotten a considerable amount of play around the office.  I wasn't let down.  Always an excellent live act, JM seemed even more on point than when I last took in a show.  When you're consistently good live, it's often hard to top yourself but, I do believe he did just that, topped himself.  Dare I say this is the best I've heard him?  He seemed, for lack of a better word, rejuvenated.  His always high energy show seemed even more intense.  In the past, I always gleamed a definite NOLA vibe in his sound.  With the new music, while JM is distinctly NOLA, his sound took less from that and leaned more towards R&B and soul.  I heard a soul singer.  We were treated to the aforementioned songs as well as a new song "Heartbeat" in the tight nine-song set.  All in all, it was one of those shows that left you with the one word response of, 'damn!'  

More photos HERE