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12/24/09

MR SHZ plays the Hard Rock Cafe

JANUARY 14TH

Hard Rock Cafe


Mr. Shz is a jam-oriented band from Detroit, playing an eclectic mix of covers and original music. They formed in the spring of 2009, and their biggest gig to date was the Detroit Marathon, where they played for close to 20,000 runners and fans on the streets of Detroit. The members of Mr. Shz come from diverse musical backgrounds, from jazz to Hendrix, and everything in between. With 2 guitars, bass, drums, and a saxophone, their unique sound is sure to knock your socks off!


MRSHZ

flyer design: LAWRENCEcreative on Facebook




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NYE Party: Howling Diablos and Paper Street Saints @ the Magic Bag, Ferndale (12/31, Thursday; 8pm)

Howling Diablos and Paper Street Saints to Rock New Year’s Eve
“Ultimate Detroit Party” at The Magic Bag on Dec. 31

On the Rocks Detroit & Zodiac Vodka in conjunction with Yelp.com present the Ultimate Detroit New Year’s Eve Party “NYE 10” featuring live music by the Howling Diablos, Paper Street Saints, Us Minus Them and Ghosts of August at the Magic Bag on on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009. Doors are at 8 p.m., Advance tickets are $15 ($20 at the door) and ages 21+ are welcome to attend.




Rock party masters the Howling Diablos will ring in the New Year with their nonstop rollicking dance grooves. The funky five piece, with special guest Jimmie Bones of Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker Band on keys, is known for bringing “the Detroit Party”, and New Year’s Eve has them pulling out all the stops! Promoting their new release “Divine Trash Highway,” the Howling Diablos are “ready to go Susan Boyle on ya for a legendary party you’ll still be talking about next June!” proclaims lead singer Tino Gross.



New Year’s Eve also marks the long-awaited return of the Paper Street Saints. For most of 2009, the popular alternative rock band has been busy recording a full-length release, in addition to pursuing numerous side projects -including a stint at medical school for one member! Fans old and new can expect a riveting arena-worthy rock show, up close and personal at the Magic Bag!



Revving up the party, are hard rockers Ghosts of August, performing tracks from their new EP “The Silver Lined Epidemic,” and Us Minus Them, demonstrating their lively brand of twang infused rock they call “Reggitude.”


With festive party favors, Zodiac Vodka drink specials, cool goodies from Yelp.com and a balloon drop at Midnight, this is one New Year’s Eve Party you won’t want to stop!


Advance tickets are available now at the Magic Bag box office or online at ontherocksdetroit.com, and at Ticketmaster.com. The Magic Bag Theatre is located at 22920 Woodward Ave., in downtown Ferndale. For more information about the show please contact the venue at 248-544-3030 or themagicbag.com.


ABOUT THE SPONSORS:

On the Rocks Detroit is Metro Detroit’s hottest events, promotions and PR company. Zodiac Vodka is a 100% American Made luxury potato vodka. Yelp is a website that connects people with great local businesses, anything from restaurants, bars and spas to dentists, the best place to catch some blues, even the Detroit Derby Girls.

EVENT: Mitten Movie Project @ The Main Art Theater, Royal Oak (1/5/10; 7:30pm - 9:30pm)

Start the new year off by supporting local artists at the next Mitten Movie Project. The lineup hints at a different theme every month, and January's feature, "Avabot", personally, has me restless for some sci-fi action!

Check out the MMP's profile on Facebook and Myspace for ticket and event details.

Here is the complete line-up.

BARE WITNESS [trailer] – Written & Directed by Jeffery T. Schultz (01:23) (Michigan) (2010) A short tale about a man struggling with his past failures and how they affect others with deadly results. Starring Dan Mahoney Jayden Mansfield and John Anton. www.schultzstudioz.com




THE RED FLAG [trailer] – Gorilla Pictures (01:58) (Michigan) (2009) Directed by Oliver Thompson. After the murder of a young 24-year-old girl, Scarlett Selet, investigators discover that the culprit had to be her boyfriend. Only one problem . . . she had three. Three stories of three suitors twist, overlap, and unfold to finally determine which one has Scarlett’s blood on his hands. www.fourseventytwo.com


THREE DONKEYS AND A FLOCK OF SHEEP [documentary] – Directed by Anthony Siciliano (01:11) (Michigan) (2009) A heartwarming documentary about donkeys and a herd of sheep.

“8 21 1984” BY THE NEXT ROMANTIC [music video] - Directed by Travis Seppala (04:00) (Michigan) (2008) Detroit alternative rock band, The Next Romantic, play at a party where a girl finds her boyfriend cheating on her and doing drugs, while partygoers get "eaten" by the house. www.myspace.com/thenextromantic

THE PLAY – EPISODE ONE [narrative] – White Knight Films (22:44) (Michigan) (2009) Tessa, a writer, asks her friend Mike, a filmmaker, to help her put on a play she's written. Together they start the endeavor while trying to deal with their personal lives. Written and directed by David G.B. Brown. www.facebook.com/whiteknightfilms

BOY SCOUT [music video] – Directed by Adam Engler (02:54) (Michigan) (2009) A model Boy Scout, Sean Scarlett, raps about the trials and tribulations that accompany outdoor living, preference of animal companions, and merit badges. www.youtube.com/seanscarlett

PIPE WRENCH [narrative] – Directed by Shane Michaels (13:36) (Michigan) Mike and Jill must resort to stopping at a hole-in-the-wall auto repair shop during a late night drive through the country. Things turn sour when their bible thumping repairman decides he must take it upon himself to cleanse them of their sins.

THE NAUGA: HOME ALONE [narrative] (02:28) (Michigan) (2010) The Nauga is home alone. Directed by Aaron Lebovic. Cinematography by Joe Elrom. Starring Eric Rosenbloom. lebovic.aaron@gmail.com


RETREAT [narrative] - Nu-Wave Films (11:36) (Michigan) (2009) Directed by Robert Joseph Butler. Starring Lindsay Rootare and Vikki Gasko. Alexis (Lindsay Rootare) is an alienated teenager who is shy, isolated, and keeps to herself. Disconnected from her family, classmates, and environment, she gravitates to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan to get in touch with her mind and spirit. www.nuwavefilms.com


ROGER STAR [narrative] (4:41) (California) (2009) Directed by Ken Kuykendall, written by Sam Tripoli, and starring Eddie Pepitone. Roger Star is a quick glance at the San Fernando Valley's original adult film acting coach as he teaches his pupils.

WITHDRAW [narrative] (05:22) (Ohio) A dramatic film directed by identical twin filmmakers, Michael and Daniel Carberry. Starring David Lehre. www.carberrytwins.com

RAT RACE [experimental short] – Directed by Brad Erlandson (02:40) (Michigan)

SLEEPFUL PAINLESS [narrative] – Flood Films and Media (14:00) (Michigan) (2008) Directed by Bryan D. Hopkins. Suffering emotionally from the loss of his wife, within the context of a troubled childhood, a husband dies in his sleep from self-inflicted wounds.


AVABOT [narrative] – Directed by Jamie Surgener (10:00)
(Michigan) (2009) A science fiction film short about an astronaut and his robot that find danger while searching for a fabled abandoned star cruiser.

Ticket winners for Goober and the Peas @ St Andrews Sat 12/26/2009

The word on the street was this show was going to sell out and sure as hell has spitfire it did
(we heard tickets were gone well over a week ago)

We have been running the ticket giveaway contest for like a month now with a pretty steady stream of emails coming in but within the last 3 or 4 days its been REALLY heavy as people learned about the show selling out....so without further delay here are the winners drawn just moments ago

KeithH***** +1
SteveB***** +1

This should be a good show (I say "should" because I am not even sure if anyone from MCB will be there or not at this point...I am married but willing to go on a date to get into the show with Wife Permission Slip of course)

We do have a request into the band for a photo/video pass interview etc...so maybe we will get a response today and be at the show to catch the historic and triumphant return to the stage of Detroit's fabled Goober and the Peas!

Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who entered the contest
FYI - there will not be ANY tickets available onsite from what we are told

12/23/09


Wild At Heart


Wild At Heart

It's almost that time of year when some people are just starting their Christmas shopping. Luckily I finished long ago which gives me plenty of free time to work on some traditions likes planning on going to see a film on Christmas morning after opening presents. I have 2 films opening today to talk about starting with the film which currently sits as my #1 film of the year.

That movie is the new George Clooney film "Up In The Air" where he plays Ryan Bingham, a 35 year old career transition counselor at a Denver-based management consulting company, Integrated Strategic Management (ISM). It is his job to fly around the country conducting employee layoffs on behalf of bosses too cowardly to do it themselves which might strike a cord for area workers who see the film, esp since there is one scene at a Detroit company they go to. Ryan's big trait is that while he is a people person on the job his social life revolves around his travelling 300+ days a year while trying to be just the 9th person to get to one million frequent flyer miles. However his job is updating their way of doing things and switching to a computer based system thanks to upstart Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), which means being stuck in Omaha. He also deals with his younger sister's marriage and a relationship with Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). He takes Natalie on a trip in an effort to show how important it is to be in a one-on-one with the people he is firing and his boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) gives him one last chance for continued life in the air. Jason Reitman, who directed "Juno" and the under-appreciated "Thank-You For Smoking", is showing himself to being a very accomplished director with a flair for bringing laughs to typically serious moments. "Up In The Air" is full of wonderful performances all the way around including cameos by JK Simmons, Sam Elliott and Zach Galifianakis among many others as he takes a hard line of work, esp in this town and economic times and gives us something that can actually bring smiles and hope. I give the film an enthusiatic thumbs up and an A+ as this might be the best film of 2009.




On a different note, your kids will enjoy "Chipmunks: The Squeakqual" more than you might. The film isn't that bad but I find these films somewhat boring and long for the early animated cartoons more than anything. However, here Dave Seville (Jason Lee) is injured during a Paris benefit gig and the Chipmunks are sent to life with an aunt but instead due to her being injured are set up to live with slacker 21-year-old cousin Toby (Zachary Levi). The Chipmunks also go to school and are met with adoring female fans and eventually bullies. Meanwhile, Ian Hawke (David Cross - sorry Dave) searches the world for animals who can sing and dance and comes across the Chipettes. Eventually the Chipmunks are asked to help the school win funding for their music department which will close without the $25,000 prize (since the Chipmunks are superstars, couldn't they just donate the money???) but Hawke comes in and sets the Chipettes against the Chipmunks. We have Alvin letting down the others by missing the event but things work out when Chipmunks and Chipettes get together to defeat Hawke and win the contest. I wasn't totally put off by the movie and think that kids will love it, esp if you enjoyed the first film. This might even be a bit better though I am not really sold on most of the human actors in the cast. All-in-all, there is some charm to the movie which gets it a C+ from me which is probably the Christmas season speaking through me.





Also don't forget that for you college football fans, Ohio vs Marshall is the matchup for the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl (used to be the Motorcity Bowl. Why they just couldn't name it Little Caesar's Motorcity Bowl or something like that, I'm not sure. The game itself which is the only bowl game played in the area will kick-off around 1PM on December 26, 2009 at Ford Field which is a great place to watch a game. I was there a couple years ago to watch Memphis beat Akron. This game marks an unexpected renewal of the Battle for the Bell, the rivalry between the two nearby teams which has been on hiatus since Marshall's move from the MAC to C-USA in 2005. This will mark Ohio's fourth appearance in a bowl game while this is Marshall's 5th Motorcity Bowl. Ohio won the eastern division of the MAC while Marshall is from Conference USA since the Big Ten didn't get enough teams to qualify for bowls this year. The bowl is also committed to giving back to the community, esp through its Stocking Stuffer Program upon which thousands of youngsters from the local community are given an opportunity to attend the game. Tickets are donated to groups and organizations such as schools, community service organizations, churches, youth groups and others. Players from the two competing teams also partner with the Salvation Army to serve breakfast each Christmas morning to needy people in Detroit. Their are still tickets available and the opportunity to see a competitive game at the lovely Ford Field should attract numerous college football fans.





Lastly, have a wonderful Christmas and here is a song by my favorite singer Cyndi Lauper along with the Hives, entitled 'A Christmas Duel'. I can't play this on the air due to some swearing so I hope the fans of my radio show (sat mornings 8-10AM on WXOU 88.3FM) enjoy esp since we are off the air for the holidays.





MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

New Year's Eve @ Nove Lounge



Second Sun has become one of the biggest live dance acts in the world. The Montreal-born Antoine and Adam were first discovered by superstar DJ Paul Van Dyk when he was handed a copy of their first track “Empire” at legendary club Twilo in New York. Not only did the German DJ sign them to his label Vandit, but also collaborated with the duo on the single “Crush” from his “Reflections” album. The chart topping single became a trance anthem, the album earned a Grammy nomination and after more hugely popular singles with Vandit, Second Sun’s reputation as a quality dance act was already proven.

It was in 2006 that Second Sun started making waves in the house scene. After their remix of Queen’s “Another one Bites the Dust” became one of the biggest tracks of 2006’s Winter Music Conference, the remix requests came pouring in from artists like Sander Kleinenberg & The Shapeshifters and labels like Ministry of Sound, Toolroom, and Ultra Records. Another important remix was for Sharam’s massive hit “PARTY ALL THE TIME”, which also featured Antoine’s vocals. In 2008, even the rock world came in with remix requests, notably the internationnally renowned band 30 Seconds to Mars for their single «A Beautiful Lie» (Virgin/EMI).

That’s just on the production tip. Second Sun is also a live act that can destroy any club or festival stage. They do it every weekend playing shows all over North & South America and Europe. And having played festivals like Global Gathering (UK), Ultra Music Festival (US), Gatecrasher Summer Soundsystem (UK), Planet Love (Ireland), the South American Music Conference (Argentina & Ecuador), Nocturnal Wonderland (US), the Summer Dance Festival (Colombia), HMF (Brazil) and Bal en Blanc (Canada), Antoine and Adam thrive in front of giant crowds that have reached the 30 000 mark. They've also rocked the world's leading clubs in cities like New York, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Miami, Mexico City, Chicago, Sao Paulo and countless others. Even less obvious countries from El Salvador to Lithuania have been graced with the Second Sun sound.

“We’re trying to bring a certain element of showmanship back to dance music. We’re not Djs, we’re live musical performers. Since we come from a rock band backround, we’ve always wanted to bring a rock-show-like feel to dance music” says the classically-trained frontman Antoine.

New year - new music! The new single «Golden» just came out on Ultra Records and is sure to make waves. With it's latin guitar hook, partytime techno beat and even a rap in the radio edit, it's easy to hear how Second Sun blended all these musical influences that surround them in their home town of Miami to create this truly unique dancefloor destroyer!

Headlining the Detek Lounge, Detek Recordings' ATAXIA are set to deliver their final set of 2009! ATAXIA has played parties and club events with some of the worlds most sought after electronic music artists...MOBY, MSTRKRFT, John Acquaviva, DJ Dan, Terry Mullan, Gabe Real, Hugh C, Cedric Gervais, John Johr, Matt Herdman, Justin James...just to name a few. It's been a busy year for members Ted Joseph and Eric Hanna...this set is sure to close out their debut year with a huge bang!

ATAXIA combines elements of DJing, production, and live performance that tend to tap into the full potential of crowd interaction...and most importantly, their brand of funky tech house and minimal techno makes people DANCE...period.

(MAIN ROOM)
SECOND SUN - LIVE (Ultra_)
YOS (Ultra_Nervous_)
BEN SCOTT (Livio Radio_)
SHERIF (Nove_)

(THE DETEK LOUNGE)
ATAXIA - LIVE (Detek_)
DAN BAIN (Paxahau_)
TEDDIE (Detek_)
VINNIE GRIMALDO (A.O.D._)

MIDNIGHT BUFFET BY VIA NOVE RESTAURANT
CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT
PARTY FAVORS
DOORS @ 10PM
SERVING UNTIL 4AM
21+

TICKET PRICING:
GENERAL ADMISSION - $20
VIP - $40
4 PACK - $60 ($15 PER TICKET)

ALL TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.wantickets.com/Events/91794/Nove-Lounge-New-Years-Eve.aspx

MAKE IT A DOUBLE! - Bar Brady double shot with The Brewskies @ Bastone and Downunder Detroit @ TOAST

Click on the graphic above to check out other Bar Brady posts

MCB has a double dose of Bar Brady for you this week since its the holidays and you are going to eat drink and $^%& to much anyway we wanted to point out a couple places that you should stop in and check out the specialty holiday drinks in between all that shopping you still have to finish up...

The Downunder Detroit girls
were over at TOAST Birmingham earlier this week

TOAST has an impressive lineup of holiday drinks

After a few at the bar the Downunder Detroit girls "retired" to the TOAST Lounge

This was my first visit to Toast in Birmingham, I'd heard their breakfast's were amazing, so naturally i didn't realize it was also a bar open at night...

It was quiet but cosy when we arrived, and stayed that way.

The bartenders Craig and Megan were awesome,

but i love Bartenders that have, and show personality.

Craig started us off with a 'Blueberry Thyme Margarita' which had Blueberries, Sauza, Orange Liquor, Triple Sec & Champagne.

This was good, and also looked the coolest!!

Lauretta fought with me and won, to finish this drink off!

Next up we had 'The Bomb Bloody Mary' which was made up of Our own homemade Toast Bloody Mary Mix & Fris Vodka. This is not my drink of choice, but i still found it Spicy & Refreshing.

Then 'Strawberry Basil Martini' which consisted of Strawberries, Basil, Simple Syrup & Zodiac Vodka. Which was really yummy!!

The Basil was an interesting touch, but actually worked really well!

And lastly we scored 'Your Number'!

Which was the winner in my books.

I could've drank these and gotten all nice & toasty in this cold horrible weather.

It was made up of Pearl Plum Vodka, 3 Olives Vanilla, Pama, Lemonade & 7-up.

Lots of alcohol with none of the taste!!

Yummy!!

The Your Number Cocktail was made up by Craig an a fun touch to anyone who asks the waitresses or Bartenders for their digits.

Nice, Watch out what you say at this bar,
because you could end up ordering yourself a yummy $9 cocktail!

Had a great time, the lounge was really awesome, like being at home.

Not that my home is that nice... but still.

Thanks Toast for a wicked night!!

TOAST is celebrating 1 year in Birmingham this month and will also be throwing down a killer New Years Party with live music fro DJango Tiger and an amazing dinner menu from new executive chef Jeff Rose.

Toast Ferndale is located at 203 Pierce Street in Birmingham.

Visit www.toastbirmingham.com for all the details

MCB's Tall Kiwi Chick samples them all at TOAST

Meanwhile, The Brewskies were sampling the new beers

over at Bastone in Royal Oak



Dave Vanz of The Brewskies

Last night was way over due for The Brewskies, as it's been months since our last brew tasting. We decided to make Bastone Brewery in downtown Royal Oak our last stop of 2009, and although we've been to Bastone before, they had a couple new seasonals along with a brand new menu that we had to try out. The 3 Brewskie critics consisted of Jim Miller, Patrick Kelly and myself.
For moral support, we were also joined by Stephanie Casola and Kirk (MOTORCITYBLOG).
There were a few Brewskie Brothers missing from the evening, but with the holiday hoopla this week it was difficult to find a way that catered to everyone.
But as they say, "drink one for me",
is a request we never turn down!

I'm not really sure what it was, but the cool weather, the snow falling, the beer flowing, and everyone in good spirits, this holiday night at Bastone Brewery was everything we needed to get away from the constant Christmas commotion. What was supposed to be an 8 to 10 event turned out to be more of an 8 to close evening as we worked down the line of our beer samplers and menu items.

Although we've reviewed some of these beers before, any micro brew fan will understand that the Brewmaster at every brewery will once in a while change up the flavor giving us always another reason to come back and taste again. When ever we taste test we always bring a few people with different likings so that you can hear it from more than just one person.
We believe there's a beer for everyone,
and we're here to help you find it!

The first 6 beers listed here are always on their menu
and the last 2 are the current seasonals Bastone has on the Menu.

Monumental Blonde
Jim - it doesn't spark the tastebuds, but it's very smooth and is perfect for someone who likes light beers.
Dave - as someone who likes a lot of flavor in his beer, this one just doesn't do it for me. However, I know quite a few people that would love it. It's very light tasting and smooth.
Patrick - from a brewery standpoint it's a weak beer, but I think it's extremely flavorful with a nice aftertaste


Main Street Pilsner
Jim - It's better than your labatt or bud. It has a good after taste and stronger than the blonde.
Dave - very similar to the the Monumental Blonde but with a very different afterrtaste. Kind of gives off an IPA flavor but not quite as strong.
Patrick - exactly what I expect out of a light brewery beer. smooth and more flavorful than a standard light beer.


Witface
Jim - very fruity, it's a good wheat beer
Dave - You can definitely taste the citrus in this one. It's smooth to taste.
Patrick - Combination was a bit much. The orange and lemon seemed to be fighting each other.


Royal IPA
Jim - not a big fan of IPA's but if you're a fan you'll like it. It's not overly hoppy or bitter/
Dave - not as strong as I remember their IPA being. I like it!
Patrick - Impressed, hoppy, yet smooth for an IPA


Dubbel Vision
Jim - I'm honored to live in a country where I can drink a Dubbel. Beer drinkers unite.
Dave - Amazing. That's all I really need to say, but here's some more words.
Patrick - Words cannot explain how good the Dubbel is.

Nectar des Dieux Triple
Jim - The Triple is better than it used to be. It's smoother than it used to be.
Dave - There's full flavor in the Triple, but it's really just a novelty drink to me because of it's reputation of having 9% of Alcohol.
Patrick - A desert beer. It's flavorfull and smooth along with a good kick.


Belgium Blonde
Jim - I can't nail down the flavors in it, but it's a distinct Belgium beer. It's not my favorite seasonal, but the next however........
Dave - unlike the Monumental Blonde, this Blonde is full of flavor and perfect beer to go with pretty much anything
Patrick - More flavorfull than the monumental but almost too bitter of an after taste to be considered a Blonde

Dopplebock
Jim - It's yummy. Can you say Growler to go??? YES PLEASE!
Dave - Full of flavor, lots of goodness, I like this beer
Patrick - extremely flavorfull and full bodied. By far their best.

During our meal we ordered the famous Pretzels and cheese sauce as well as a plate of Lobster Mac n Cheese. Bastone Brewery over the past few years has prided itself on delivering a great menu of food and beer and they really do a great job at pleasing our group. The food was a perfect fit for the drinks, but of course since this is a beer taste testing by the Brewskies, the 3 of us have to give our thoughts on the best drink of our choice.

At the end of our taste test, by unanimous decision

we all decided to order a pint of the Dopplebock.

The full flavor and great after taste truly separated this brew from the rest.

As it is a seasonal, there is a limited time to how long you'll be able to try this for yourself, so head down to Bastone Brewery in Royal Oak at 419 South Main Street.


Visit The Brewskies on Facebook and Merry Christmas everyone!
- Dave Vanz of The Brewskies

Read more Bar Brady posts on MCB here

12/22/09

FREE New Years Eve Tickets: New Years Nation Detroit

Still looking for the party on New Year's Eve this year?
With parties happening at 3 metro detroit locations
NYN Detroit is the place to be on NYE
Last year MCB was hanging at The Fillmore
and couldnt have had a better time out
It was a great party
Choose between:
MCB has your back again on this as we scored a few more freebies
email us to enter to win a pair of tickets
Get tickets and information here

HELL DRIVERS w/Circus Boy and The MOTORCITY RAHRAHs - Alvins Detroit - Sat 12/26

Another killer show @ Alvins Detroit
http://alvinsoncass.com

HELL DRIVERS w/Circus Boy
and The MOTORCITY RAHRAHs
Alvins Detroit - Sat 12/26

The Hell Drivers have Jimmy McCarty & Johnny Bee the original Guitarist & Drummer for Mitch Ryder’s Detroit Wheels. Not to mention the Torpedos with Gillespie & Carlisi.
Plus the MC Rah Rahs
forget about it
GET TO THIS SHOW !!
and bring the Rah Rahs some presents and cookies!

12/21/09

FREE VINYL: White Mystery - NYE@Double Door w/ E6 -- Jan 16th @ Lager House Detroit

win a free copy of the latest unreleased vinyl from
White Mystery
who play the new years show in chicago with electric six
and
will be kicking some ass over at the Lager House in detroit
Saturday January 16th 2010
hopefully we change the date of the MCB5 party
so we can check this band out
to win the free vinyl be the 13th emailer

Mick Bassett and the Marthas - Pike Room Crofoot Pontiac - Tues 12/22

After a few months off the Marthas return
with new members Ryan Wiese
(formerly of the Satan Partridge)
and Joel Sanders
to join up with Allison, Erik and Mick.
Things are shiny and new and they are looking forward
to showing off the new group tomorrow night
at the Crofoot Pike Room
BE THERE!

UPCOMING: The Catfish Project - Small's Bar Hamtramck - Fri 1/8/2010

After the holidays have come and gone
make your way on over to Small's on 1/8/2010
to check out The Catfish Project
here is why:
"The Catfish Project sounds best in the kinds of dives that smell like stale cigarettes and beer from the night before. They're gamblers and hitchhikers sipping straight whiskey out of old shot glasses, barely visible by dim light. When they formed in 2007, The Catfish Project was originally conceived to be a band-for-hire, but it was quickly evident that the strength of the band was throwing down no-frills, straight-to-the-point, booty shakin’ blues/rock that would be wasted trying to appeal to the fads and whims of the typical Top 40 cover-band-scene.
From there, The Project only had one choice: Make it do what it do. Presenting live sets that incorporate blues standards with obscure covers and hard-hitting originals The Catfish Project keeps the tradition of gritty, after-hours, back-alley blues alive.
Check out a live show,
but be sure to polish up your flask
and put your dancing’ boots on. "

Wild At Heart


Wild At Heart

Just in the middle of doing some work when I came across a story that oone of my favorite actresses, Brittany Murphy died Sunday morning after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home. I was attracted to her ability to take fragile characters and give them a certain smartness and sexiness, esp in movies like "Girl, Interrupted", "8 Mile" and "Sin City". She is one of the few actresses that could get me to see a film based on their track record. She also dabbled in music with her group 'Blessed Soul' and a club hit, "Faster Kill Pussycat", she had with Paul Oakenfold.





That same day, Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist James Gurley also passed away. He was born right here in Detroit. Last week, bassist Chris Feinstein of Ryan Adams & The Cardinals also passed on.


I went this weekend to see the opening of the "Jersey Boys" at the Fisher Theatre. The "Jersey Boys" is a documentary-style musical based on the lives of one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons. In 1960, the group known as The Four Lovers evolved into The Four Seasons, with Frankie Valli as the lead singer, Bob Gaudio (formerly of The Royal Teens - remember the hit "Who Wears Short Shorts"?) on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals. The musical, which won 4 Tony Awards, takes a stroll down memory lane giving the audience a look at how the band formed including looks into the life of a Jersey teenager. It goes on to hit some of the high points that formed the style and success of the group. The Four Seasons are something of a musical enigma since they charted 30 songs (with an additional 9 by Franki Valli) but yet remained somewhat away from the radar of most critics and music writers. Even during their heyday, more attention went to their contemporaries such as the Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, etc but none of them have a successful musical based on their lives. I wasn't sure what to expect opening night, but I found a compelling story filled with facts I didn't know about including the role actor Joe Pesci had in getting the group together and ties with the Jersey mob. This story is beautifully bookended by a ton of their hits which are explained including "Sherry" (originally Cheri), "Walk Like a Man", my personal favorite "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and Can't Take My Eyes Off You". The play is very high energy and it is hard not to sing along with the actors onstage who really bring the band and the era alive. This is right up their with "Mama Mia" though I like this a lot more. This is a must-see musical esp for rock N roll fans. My grade is an A+.



At the theatre, I do apologize for not getting this out last week and I regret it speciafically since it is a terrific film. The movie "Skin" biographical film about Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo), a South African woman born to white parents but was classified as coloured during the apartheid era. her parents are played wonderfully by Sam Neill (Abraham Laing) as the hard nosed father fights for her daughter to be white but has trouble accepting people of color himself and Alice Krige (Sannie Laing) as her mother who fights for her happiness no matter what path she takes. Sophie brings a nice complexity to her character and the director does a good job not getting too preachy with the material. South Africa at this time really had no compassion for the coloroed people of the area with frequent displacement from their homes and basic lack of rights. The scene which does it for me is during a school physical, a doctor takes a pair of calipers to her head to measure her brain size. I can't imagine the humiliation involved in something like that and I applaud the cast and director for bringing this movie to the screen. A very must see film. My grade is an A.





I mentioned "The Maid" over the weekend and admit to being a little disappointed based on the description of the film, however the movie does have an interesting story of a maid who has been with a household for 23 years. When Raquel (Catalina Saavedra) begins to suffer dizzy spells from exhaustion her boss, Pilar, decides to hire an additional maid to assist Raquel in her everyday chores. Raquel is fiercely territorial and works hard to drive away her rival maids until Lucy comes along. She is also strong-willed and quickly learns how to reach Raquel eventually becoming a close friend which gets Raquel out of her shell and learing to enjoy life beyond the household. While a bit slow at times, the movie does a great job looking at the life of one woman and her period of personal growth. A nice film which gets a B+ out of me.

I see a bunch of days this upcoming week with no concerts of note for me but that is to be expected during the holidays. I hope everyone has a nice Christmas and I'll see you all after the holiday.

Tuesday (12/22)-

Wednesday (12/23) - Sounds and Spirits @ magic Stick featuring a ton of local bands including The Hard Lessons, The Satin Peaches, Silverghost, Friendly Foes, Outrageous Cherry, Amy Gore, The Octopus, The Mydols and a lot more including some local rock supergroups. Polish Muslims @ Berkley Front


Thursday (12/24) -

Friday (12/25) - Merry Christmas

Saturday (12/26) Goober and the Peas @ St Andrews Hall, Koffin Kats @ Small's, Sponge w/Mansfield Park and Giftus @ Crofoot, Jeff Daniels @ Purple Rose Theatre

Sunday (12/27) Mustard Plug and Flatfoot 56 @ Magic Stick, Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Palace Of Auburn Hills



I also hope to see some people down at the Little Ceasar's Pizza Bowl at Ford Field as Ohio takes on Marshall. Also, local movie fans can head down for a free event at the Crofoot this Wednesday as they present "CHIEF PONTIAC'S HOLIDAY MOVIE NIGHT" with new works by Matt Barth, Laura SchwartzCHWARTZ, Erin Cosens and more.


I'll leave you with a Los Straitjackets Christmas song.


5000 POSTS - MCB5 date is being moved to ???

Well - this is post #5000 on the ol' MOTORCITYBLOG

Its been a funny 5 years and continues to be ironic of sorts

After months of planning and working out all the details for MCB5
We just discovered that the monster truck rally at Ford Field is the same day
Now if you were at the Ron Asheton Tribute show last year
then you know what I am talking about -
it was $40 to park and there were streams and streams
of monster truck rally folks all over the place
it was a mess downtown detroit

So we are possibly moving the date out a week
but check it out and stay tuned for more info on our 5 year party.....
Here are the details!
We hope you come out
and help us celebrate MCB in style



Contact: Rick Manore

musichallpr@charter.net

“MCB5”
MOTORCITYBLOG celebrates 5 Years of Anti-Blogging
with diverse musical showcase and Detroit music photography exhibit
at Music Hall Jazz Café on Saturday January 16th 2010

MOTORCITYBLOG (Detroit’s Anti-Blog) was started in late 2004
as a regular everyday personal blog and has evolved into a very popular
current events website dedicated to promoting the great talent
in and around the city of Detroit.

MCB has organically grown to include over 20 contributors with talents ranging from live event photography, video capture/editing, and writing but also have helped bridge the gap within the cultural community due to the diversity of events covered by the publication.

Working with local venues and a laundry list of public relation firms they have covered events such as Red Bull Air Races to Presidential Press Conferences to DEMF to NAIAS 2009 with amazing photography, video interviews and promotional efforts that serve both the community as well as the promoters that seek out MCB as a way to reach out into the community to deliver a message.

With their finger on the pulse of this city they are dedicated to finding what makes Detroit stand out. MCB brings forth those elements of the city which might remain hidden otherwise for everyone to enjoy and embrace.

“MCB5”
Saturday January 16th 2010
Doors 7pm – 2pm
$10
With portion of proceeds going to Music Hall Detroit

Jazz Cafe at Music Hall 350 Madison Detroit, MI 28226
(313) 887-8500
www.jazzcafedetroit.com


Musical Lineup for Jazz Cafe
Ken’s Loud Band (with Ken Stanley)
Electric Fire Babies
Mick Bassett & The Marthas
Satori Circus
The Lincolns UK
Kinetic Stereokids
Blasé’ Splee


MOTORCITYBLOG Detroit Music Photography Exhibit
3rd Floor Mezzanine Level w/ Special Guest DJ


http://www.motorcityblog.net/

Quotes from supporters:

"If you want the real low down on Detroit music and happenings, MOTORCITYBLOG is where it's at. We always check MCB to find out what to do and where to go in the Motor City!"
– Dana Forrester/On the Rocks Detroit

MCB's multimedia Concert of Colors coverage ROCKS! You can count on MCB to both get the word out to Detroit's hippest and to BE THERE covering the action. MCB is Detroit's coolest cultural cheerleader! - Kim Silarski / AANM / ACCESS

"An obvious labor of love that rises above the usual mediocrity with off the wall yet relevant content, you can trust them because MCB is more like a friend than a website. A friend that not only knows what's up, but digs in and pulls out the steaming viscera from Detroit's underbelly that you might of missed. - Jerry Vile / The Dirty Show

"MCB manages to be both badass as well as one of the most professional blogs out there.
If you're in the Detroit area, it's the no-brainer place to check for something fun to do
or see what you missed in case you didn’t make the show.”
-Kabeer Malhotra – Girlie Action NYC

Kill commercialism could be another way to describe the MOTORCITY Anti BLOG, community with an edge, power to inform and entertain with no advertising, just real info for real people.
-Jesse Cory / 323East

Congratulations to our friends over at MOTORCITYBLOG on five years of reppin' Detroit's finest.
Keep up the good work! -Marah Eakin / Bloodshot Records

"If it's happening in Detroit, you'll read about it on MOTORCITYBLOG. Presenting a cherry-picked selection of the best shows and events that the Motor City has to offer, MCB is definitely your 411 one-stop..." - Dianna Frank / Live Nation Detroit

"MOTORCITYBLOG has their finger on the pulse of Detroit."
-Natalie Sugarman / ROMT

MCB is a rockin' Detroit blog that provides unique entertainment news, giveaways, and more.
The MCB team is a pleasure to work with, and I congratulate them on an amazing five years!
Jim Miller – Publicity Works

“Working with MOTORCITYBLOG has been such a natural fit for the DIA, MCB readers want to know what’s going on in Detroit from someone who knows and cares about the city, and we’re one piece of the juicy art pie that is Detroit.”
Pamela Marcil – PR Director Detroit Institute of Arts

MOTORCITYBLOG is a great resource for what's going on in Detroit, especially when you just want the facts and no side banter or opinion. Any time I've worked with a staff member of MCB I've found them to be enthusiastic, professional and really passionate about art, music and nightlife in Detroit.
Melody Baetens - SMALL'S BAR and Stranglehold Booking & Promotions

MOTORCITYBLOG has been instrumental in helping us launch our company.
They’ve been at our side from the start, helping us to promote our service in inventive ways, and suggesting helpful partnerships and events. We owe a lot of our success to MCB.
Jennifer Harlan - Marketing Director of The Night Move

"Motorcityblog is, by far, the most oft-updated local blog in Detroit. The MCB crew is easy to work with, prompt and complete in their coverage of the coolest and best events. The variety of Detroit's entertainment and culture events featured on MCB is unparalleled."
Carrie Adler - PJ's Lager House



Performer bios:
Ken’s Loud Band - http://www.myspace.com/kensloudband
What would you get if you crossed Warren Zevon with Alex Chilton?
With over 500 songs recorded over the last 20 years, the former Blurbs, Dog & Pony Show & Only A Mother mainstay, Ken Stanley, records with this crack unit (The Loud Band) which includes drumming legend, Doug Gourlay, multi-instrumentalist/Producer, Glenn Calley and bassist, Sean Whitaker. Ken Stanley writes majestic and sometimes, baroque Rock music, which hearkens back to the loud, hooky and literate music of the mid 70’s. Stanley’s amazing songwriting skills will alternately remind you of Bob Dylan, The Jazz Butcher, Dramarama, The Bonzo Dog Band and Mott The Hoople. Don’t let the name fool you, KLB could quite possibly be the best kept secret in Detroit. It must run in the DNA as Stanley’s cousins are The Bluegrass legends, The Stanley Brothers.
The KLB is set to self- release their latest album, “Good For The Bones” in February.


Electric Fire Babies - www.myspace.com/electricfirebabies
Electric Fire Babies are a project from Detroit Michigan that was started & conceived in the Spring 2008 by Lo-Fi Bri (aka CARJACK - a one man electro punk band from Detroit), Justin Audio (guitar player from numerous Detroit bands and Miss N. EFB sound is a hybrid of a variety of music and genres (B-52’s meets LL Cool J meets the Channel 62’s ‘The New Dance Show) Connecting with the audiences & getting people to loosen up & get down is EFB’s primary goal.

Mick Bassett and The Marthas - http://www.myspace.com/mickbassett
"A dark, sinewy romanticism, raspy and full of character – these young spook-folk stalwarts are a force to be reckoned with in the tradition of smoky voodoo flavored minstrels and on-another-planet-auteurs of piano-led folk."

Satori Circus - http://www.myspace.com/satori_circus
In September of 1988, Russell A. Taylor began a journey some said wouldn’t have such longevity, but two decades later Taylor and SATORI CIRCUS are still here. Emerging out of the art punk band of Fugitive Poetry, which he co-founded with his dear friend Rick Maertens, Taylor set out to create something, unbeknownst to him as performance art.

The Lincolns UK - http://www.myspace.com/thelincolnsukdetroit
The Lincolns UK will release their debut album, Hot Blonde Bitches, November 14th at the Park Bar in Detroit. Hailed as “…arena rock through a pignose amp..” The Lincolns UK draw on bratty early British and US punk up through the AC/DC's and Jet's of the world and filter it through the awesome early 'Mats/Minneapolis vibe, but still manage to sound distinctly “Detroit”. The brainchild of artist/actor/power couple Marc and Jennifer Nischan, and filmmaker Mikey Brown, The Lincolns UK (TLUK) is a band that was years in the making. The three friends all met through Planet Ant Theatre, which Mikey managed, where Jennifer wrote, improvised and acted, and for which Marc did art and poster design. All three had separate projects for years however. Marc with Twistin’ Tarantulas, Jennifer with Planet Ant and Second City, and Mikey Brown with Twilight Babies, and numerous indie film projects (Ced’n’Teri, Litterbug). But they kept talking about getting a band together to play the kind of bash-it-out rock and roll they love.

Kinetic Stereokids - http://www.kineticstereokids.net/
Kinetic Stereokids are every bit a product of Flint, Mich., a legendary city perhaps better known for its abandoned auto industry, endless unemployment and unflinching crime rate. What started as childhood friends seeking refuge in basement jam sessions has since developed into an inspired, intelligent and innovative brand of modern rock. With comparisons ranging from Beck to Mogwai, and the cited influence of Can, Elliott Smith and the Beastie Boys, the Kinetic Stereokids' sound is beat-heavy, sample-laden, sonic alchemy.

Blase’ Splee – http://www.blasesplee.com
This Detroit quintet brews a refreshing and varied sound, leaning toward more raucous indie-rock but through a lens that’s both new and classical and structures both traditional and avant-garde (abrupt time signatures take a steady head-bop into a freewheeling romp). Guitars jangle, declarative pianos swoon, percussion goes from strict and walking to banging every pot in the cupboard. Very promising, sort of '60s baroque-pop meets American traditional rock ... maybe some folk, too? Or just rewardingly unclassifiable.

A Merry Fucking Christmas - SMALLS HAMTRAMCK - Wed 12/23

Looking for a little fun under the mistletoe just before the holidays?
Head on over to Small's Bar Hamtramck for some
SPEEDBALL - Chapstick & Mean Mother

UPCOMING: The Melissa Behring Project - Village Theatre Canton - Fri Jan 8th 2010

The Melissa Behring Project
Live at the Village Theater in Canton
Friday January 8th 2010

The Village Theatre presents: a live jazz performance by the Melissa Behring Project. Come experience the colors of jazz with the sultry vocals of Melissa Behring and the fluid melodies of Neil Donato’s hypnotic piano playing, add in Clint Sabon on the drums and Michael Rais on the upright bass and you have very talented jazz quartet.

The experience of jazz is a creative fantasia of music. The Melissa Behring Project offers up classic songs by Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer. They also incorporate more mainstream songs by artists such as Prince and Sade and put their own jazz interpretation into it. They will be playing the first Friday series at the Village Theater in Canton, which features different styles of music the first Friday of every month. Each musician that makes up the components of the Project offers a creative spark of talent that forms one fluid motion of music.
Melissa Behring is the passionate and talented front woman that started this jazz ensemble in 2005. She has assembled a team of extraordinary and gifted musicians. Neil Donato plays piano and has established a professional standing that involves him in many creative projects that keeps him in the studio and on stage across Southeastern Michigan. He has performed at numerous venues including the Ark in Ann Arbor and the Fisher Theatre in Detroit; he has also toured with the major Broadway show Mama Mia. Clint Sabon is a percussionist who was trained with Larry Fratangelo who has shaped some of Detroit’s most talented drummers. Fratangelo has played with the likes of Kid Rock, Aretha Franklin, and Anita Baker to name a few. Add an upright bass to the mix of these stellar musicians played by Michael Rais and you have a complete recipe for the blue notes of jazz mixed with a hazy violet sound that translates into relaxed perfection.

Village Theater
50400 Cherry Hill, Canton MI 48188
734-394-5300
Tickets are $10 and are available at the Village Theater Box Office,
http://tinyurl.com/yg9llz6 or you can call the Box Office at 734-394-5460

The Attractive Devils Rock Music Club - PJs Lager House Detroit - Tues 12/22

The Attractive Devils Rock Music Club
are a garage rock/indie/blues band out of Flat Rock.
Check them out live at PJ's Lager House
this Tuesday, December 22nd 9pm
FREE SHOW!!!

12/20/09

MP3 Mondays on MOTORCITYBLOG 12/21/2009

MP3 Mondays on MOTORCITYBLOG
Photo by Paul Hitz

take a look / listen



Dead Confederate just wrapped up their 2009 touring through Europe with Alberta Cross and finished in the United Kingdom with J Mascis and the fog in support of the release of Wrecking Ball across the pond. They are now offering a free download of a new Live LP,DIRTY AMMO.

Click HERE or visit: www.dirtyammo.com to order.


The material was recorded live at The Earl in Atlanta, GA this past May and features seven tracks in total. The LP showcases the band's signature live intensity on four original songs (from the bands EP and studio album) and one previously un-relesased new song, "Guns," as well as two covers - Elliot Smith's "Roman Candle" and Officer May's "Smoking a Minor." The LP will also be available with an optional $1 donation to help rebuild the Georgia Theater, www.georgiatheatre.com, which was destroyed by fire in June 2009. There is an additional option to buy a vinyl copy of the album as well as a t-shirt.

Fan Packs are available:
Vinyl + download of LP with $1 contribution - $21.00 package
Vinyl + download of LP + band t-shirt with $1 contribution - $41 package

Dirty Ammo Track List

Side A
Get Out
Start Me Laughing
Shadow The Walls
Roman Candle*

Side B
Smoke A Minor**
Guns
Tortured Artist Saint

* Elliott Smith cover
** Officer May cover

Check out the video for "The Rat" featured on Dead Confederate's YouTube channel
For the inside scoop on all things Dead Confederate, be sure to visit the band's WRECKING BLAHG

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Some of you know him Octane, some as DJ Phrikshun,
others may just know as Ro from Burn Rubber.
No matter what name you know him as, he does rap & is quite good at it.

Ro Spit and Monica Blaire's rendition of Jay-Z's and Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind"
where they pay homage to our city Detroit entitled "Renaissance State of Mind".


You can download this song for free from http://www.RoSpit.com or http://www.RoSpit.bandcamp.com .
The beat was recreated producer D-Bit http://www.myspace.com/dbitmusic.
Video Shot and Edited by VANDAL visuals 2009.http://www.VandalVisuals.com

Check out
Burn Rubber
"where they sell fresh kicks, all day, everyday!"
202 West Fourth Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067
http://burnrubberdetroit.com



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VOICEsVOICEs

to tour US with Prefuse 73 and Gaslamp Killer this January ; "Origins" out next month
Experimental rock duo hit the road on the US as both the openers and the live backing band for Prefuse 73. He also will be playing with their band as well.
VV
MP3:
Flulyk Dreams (Edit)


"Their sound-- part ambient electronic, part primal scrawl-- is tough to pin down and always taking unexpected turns"
Pitchfork Media

"
schized-out drone pop"
Metromix

VOICEsVOICEs are a two-piece making warm, seductively atmospheric, mostly instrumental music from Los Angeles. Formed in June of 2008, Jenean Farris and Nico Turner, came together to break away from the musical mold they were confined to in previous projects to defy what they've been taught, and challenge what they know. Their use of pedals, looping, spellbinding vocals, and heartrending drumming results in hauntingly beautiful music that will awaken even your most subconscious dreams and fears. L.A. Record says "Los Angeles has one of the most exciting music scenes going on in the world right now and in the center of all this is the darling female duo, VOICEsVOICEs."

Both musicians were originally drummers for other bands and wanted to show that drummers were creative musical forces and more than merely providers of backbeats for other people's songs. The project began as an experiment in the creation of sound, with masking vocals that swirl like ghosts in a sea of reverb, beats and distortion, creating a sound that amounted to a beautiful clutter. Although they hadn't much experience performing other instruments prior to combining their forces, or perhaps because of it, they developed a psychedelic ambient sound that is unique in a way that separates them from the other bands in the abundant Los Angeles music scene.

While they both still play drums and various percussions, they learned to incorporate guitars, pedals and looping effects, even as they were still learning to play the instruments. Rather than procrastinate in a rehearsal space, they chose to perform live as often as they could at any place that would welcome them. Through dozens of shows in their early months, they developed their style and their fanbase at the same time, playing mostly in galleries and all age venues. Rather than relying on luck to be discovered, and confident in the power of their sweeping scores, they released their first self-produced and self-released ep, "Sounds Outside" within a few months of forming and it was warmly received, garnering rave reviews from Los Angeles publications like LA Record and grabbing the attention of influential label Manimal Vinyl and producer Prefuse 73.

Quickly advancing to the the top indie rock clubs in town like Spaceland, The Echo and The Smell, their fanbase and reputation grew in leaps and bounds. They were immediately snatched up by Manimal Vinyl who is releasing their new ep "Origins" in January. The EP was produced by Prefuse 73, who postponed his own recording for the opportunity to work with the band. In the studio, Prefuse added textural instruments and arrangements and brought the two musicians vocals closer to the forefront. The result is a combination of compositions that fall somewhere between Enya and the Plastic Ono Band. Barely a year after combining forces, VOICEsVOICEs were opening shows for artists like Blackheart Procession and Octopus Project In November, 2009 they were tapped for a month-long European touring with Brightblack Morning Light and Rio en Medio. Their shows are notable for attracting some of the top local musicians and scenemakers who become avid fans after one or two listens. Their soundscapes will send you into a peaceful slumber or make you scream and want to break things, sometimes causing both reactions at the same time.


ORIGINS OUT 01.26.2010 on Manimal Vinyl
vvart

TOUR DATES


12/31 Aragon Ballroom Chicago IL #
01/19 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn NY *
01/20 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge MA **
01/23 Eagle Theatre Pontiac MI **
01/25 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis MN **
01/29 The Nightlight Lounge Bellingham WA *
01/30 Neumos Seattle WA *
01/31 Holocene Portland OR *
02/02 Slims San Francisco CA *
02/03 Troubadour Los Angeles CA *
02/05 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City UT **
02/06 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver CO *
# w/ Umphrey's McGee
* w/ Gaslamp Killer, Voices Voices
** w/ Gaslamp Killer


www.myspace.com/wearevoicesvoices

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The Little Death


Album Debut Out January 26, 2009

Lead Singer Laura Dawn Makes Acting

Debut in Oliver Stone’s
“Wall Street 2" this Spring
!




Laura Dawn sounds like she went on a whiskey bender on the L.E.S. and woke up in 1962 Memphis…”NBC

“Like Ike & Tina minus the beatings…” John Waters

It’s a classic New York story: Powerhouse political activist (who also happens to be a stunningly talented singer) spends her oh-so-abundant (right!) free time jamming with her long-time musician husband and a couple of friends (one of whom happens to be a famously bald, globe-trotting DJ/producer/artist), ostensibly “just for fun”, and next thing you know, fans are flocking to hear the band live, and begging for something to put in their ipods.


The Little Death
is Laura Dawn (lead vocals), Moby (bass, guitar), Daron Murphy (guitar, bass, & harmonica), and Aaron A. Brooks (drums), plus the backing vocals of Cherie Martorana and Jamie Rae Branthooever, aka The Deathreats. Formed in 2008, their mix of no-holds-bar raw guitars, thumping drums, & gritty soul vocals is like a drunken bar fight between John Lee Hooker, Kurt Weill, & Dusty Springfield, bringing to life those feelings that are at the core of all of us: blind joy and glorious dissolution, lust and despair. Their self-titled, self-released debut, currently available on their website (http://thelittledeathnyc.com), will be available nationwide on January 26th.

In other news, Laura Dawn, who is the Cultural & Creative Director of
MoveOn.org
, will make her BIG SCREEN acting debut this spring in Oliver Stone's “Wall Street 2”, playing a character based on her real life.


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Brings Mini-LP to FoF Music
From LA to SF, 19 year old beat maker mixes found sound and boom bap on 'Shlomoshun Deluxe' out 1/12 on FoF Music

tempo no tempo
NEW MP3:
Hot Boxing the Cockpit
on XLR8R



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Shlohmo
'Shlomoshun Deluxe'
Out 1/12
(FoF Music)

Shlohmo album cover

Tracklist:

1. Shlohmo - Tomato Squeeze
2. Shlohmo - 7am
3. Shlohmo - Spoons
4. Shlohmo - Post Atmosphere
5. Shlohmo - Hot Boxing the Cockpit
6. Shlohmo - Dead Pixel
7. Shlohmo - Teeth
8. Shlohmo - Antigravity
9. Shlohmo - Hot Boxing The Cockpit (Tokimonsta Remix)
10. Shlohmo - 7am (devonwho Remix)
11. Shlohmo - Antigravity (Fulgeance Remix)
12. Shlohmo - Antigravity (Low Limit Remix)


After meeting him while interning at the creative music community and internet radio station dublab (www.dublab.com), the Friends of Friends label was lucky enough to come across Shlohmo's "Shlomoshun EP" free online a few months back. Immediately hitting up the 19 year old LA native, the label approached him to combine new and old tracks with an assortment of remixes(wouldn't be FoF w/out friends!) to create Shlomoshun Deluxe for digital release. With an arsenal of unique sound textures, intriguing found sounds and big bass beats, this young one is ready.

Shlohmo, aka Henry Laufer brings a keen ear to the music he makes, using mostly found sound, fragile old gear and a laptop. In Shlohmo's own words: "The album was made suuuper lo-fi, most recordings were done through the audio-in port on my laptop, field recordings with the laptop mic or my ipod mic/recorder. a lot of synth sounds came from my roland sh201 and my dad's old roland jupiter 6, plugged straight into my laptop. all the noise was run from the headphone port out to these monitors that i've had since i was 14. the tweeters are all pushed in and there's absolutely no audible low end, so i have to physically touch the woofer to feel the vibrations from the bass and master it that way haha."

With beat and soundscape arrangements that leave the listener hypnotized, the songs breath life from the organic and electronic worlds colliding. Fan favorites "Hot Boxing The Cockpit" and "Antigravity" place him right amongst neu-bass contemporaries like Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, Ras G and others in the Low End Theory-fueled Los Angeles beat scene while a track like "7am" oozes Dilla-esque swagger; all the while remaining effortlessly cinematic. To really bring home the "Friends of Friends" theme on this release, Shlohmo has invited Low Limit (of Lazer Sword), Fulgenace (Musique Large), Tokimonsta (Brainfeeder) and devonwho (Klipmode) to handle remix duties, acting as a brief showcase for Shlohmo and some of his people.