What to do this weekend: If you’re NOT going to All Points West

Alternatives to All Points West Festival

If the All Points West Festival just isn't your thing or the $89 per day ticket price is too much for you, but you still want to do something, don't fret. If you're not attending take a look at some inexpensive and even free concerts and events in NJ and NYC, from well known acts like Kings of Leon and M.Ward to local acts like Bern & the Brights and Vivian Girls. While thousands gather for APW don't feel left under the dust if you can't attend, there's plenty else to do.

Friday, July 31

NJ
• Marisette, Seeking Through Silence, Six to Eight Mathematics, Fatazama, and many more @ Cornerstone Inn, Cardlsdt. $12. 6pm.
• Bern & the Brights are in Jersey City’s IM Automata Chino with The Choke Artists and McMickle Brothers for a 21+, $5 show at 9pm. 99 Greene St, Jersey City.
• AC/DC& Anvil @ Izod Center, East Rutherford.
• BND Productions Presents present a hardcore show with NJ Bloodline, Ptosis, Stabbing Eden, Lager, Blinder by Anger, and homicidal @ Dingbatz, NJ

NYC
• Kings of Leon will perform outside the Today show's window-on-the-world studio located at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Fans should arrive by 6 a.m. for best viewing
• That night at 6pm Polvo and Obits play a free show at South Street Seaport, Fulton St & South St, Pier 17, NYC.
• Philly's Fooling April come to NYC for a free, 21+ show at Crash Mansion. Man of Earth and Hypernova also play. RSVP here.
• Indie shoe-gazers, Vivian Girls play at the Whiteney Museum with These Are Powers for their pay-what-you-wish Fridays from 6-9pm. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The show starts at 7pm.

Brooklyn
• The Royal Family: Soulive’s 10th anniversary celebration; featuring special guests: John Scofield, Christian Scott with Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk perform at Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park for free. Show at 7pm, $3 suggested donation.
• Ben Solle, Holly Miranda, and Julianna Barwick are at Music Hall of Williamsburg for a free show. 18+. Doors 8:00 PM / Show 9:00 PM

Saturday, August 1

NJ
• BossFest: An Afternoon of Bruce Springsteen Music. Instore Performance Festival at 1PM at Ford's Vintage Vinyl's festival. BossFest will feature a live performance by Steel Mill with Vini Lopez (E Street Band). Other performers include Bruce Tunkel, Frankie & Kelly McGrath, Dylan Roth & Steve McKenna.
• No Connection featuring ex-members of I Object from Syracuse will play at the new Princess Palace in New Brunswick NJ along with Sparkle Shit, Kitsy Peppercorn, You Without Teeth, and Scare Crab. The show is at 6pm and costs $6. Message me for the address.
• Jersey Beat Presents: Jim Testa, Ben Franklin, The Marshmallows and Jeff Schroeck @ IM Automata Chino, 99 Greene Street, Jersey City, NJ.
• Bern & the Brights @ Palooza Palooza, Ramsey, NJ w/ Wesley Jeremiah, Copesetic, Lighter in Your Pocket, and the Wanders.(free)
• Bern & the Brights @ Mexicali Live, 1409 Queen Anne Rd, Teaneck, NJ w/The Defending Champions & Hyphen-One +Daylow.($10)Order your tickets here.
• Moving Mountains, Bears & Bright Lights, Throwing Color, The Comeback Season, Meansweller, Goodnight Bravado @ Zebu Forno Cafe, 2 E. Main St, Freehold, NJ. $10. 7pm.

NYC
• For the more folk/punk inclined, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Bomb the Music Industry!, Bridge And Tunnel and Laura Stevenson and The Cans are at Silent Barn, 915 Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood, NY.
• M. Ward, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, Yuka Honda and Dougie Bowne play a free show at Central Park SummerStage on Rumsey Playfield, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday, August 2

NJ
• Nightmare of You, Brian Bonz @ Maxwell’s, Hoboken NJ. 7:30pm. $10.
• Bury Your Dead @ Hangar 84, Vineland, NJ.

NYC
• Reunited instrumental female band, Each Other’s Mothers perform with Songs for Moms at Silent Barn, 915 Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood, NY. 8pm. All ages.

Senses Fail 2009 Tour Dates & Halloween Show at Starland Ballroom

Senses Fail have announced a headlining tour this fall. They will celebrate Halloween with a show at The Starland Ballroom. Opening are A Skylit Drive, Closure in Moscow, and FACT. Tickets are on-sale Thursday, Aug. 6th at 1pm. The band also has a show in NYC on Oct. 6. They're currently on the Vans Warped Tour.

Tour dates below.


Senses Fail- Fall 2009 Tour Dates

September 30, 2009 @ Northern Lights Clifton Park, NY
October 1, 2009 @ Xtreme Wheels Buffalo, NY
October 2, 2009 @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel Providence, RI
October 3, 2009 @ Toad's Place New Haven, CT
October 4, 2009 @ Harpers Ferry Allston, MA
October 6, 2009 @ Gramercy Theatre New York, NY
October 7. 2009 @ Crocodile Rock Allentown, PA
October 8, 2009 @ The Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
October 9, 2009 @ The National Richmond, VA
October 11, 2009 @ The Recher Theatre Towson, MD
October 13, 2009 @ Headliners Columbia, SC
October 14, 2009 @ Freebird Live Jacksonville Beach, FL
October 15, 2009 @ Revolution Ft. Lauderdale, FL
October 16, 2009 @ House of Blues Lake Buena Vista, FL
October 17, 2009 @ The Masquerade Atlanta, GA
October 18, 2009 @ State Theatre St. Petersburg, FL
October 20, 2009 @ The Hangar New Orleans, LA
October 21, 2009 @ Warehouse Live Houston, TX
October 22, 2009 @ Cine El Rey Theater McAllen, TX
October 23, 2009 @ Granada Theatre Dallas, TX
October 24, 2009 @ The Marquee Tulsa, OK
October 25, 2009 @ The Bricktown Events Center Oklahoma City, OK
October 27, 2009 @ Bogart's Cincinnati, OH
October 28, 2009 @ The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
October 29, 2009 @ Peabody's Down Under Cleveland, OH
October 30, 2009 @ Mr Small's Theatre Pittsburgh, PA
October 31, 2009 @ Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ

All Points West Festival Guide: Tips & Who to See

From rappers to electro acts to indie rock to comedy, this weekend's All Points West Festival in Jersey City looks to be a happening, diverse time. With so many performers and some slight scheduling conflict, including complaints with the overlap in times from Coldplay, MGMT, and Ghostland Observatory, it can be tough to figure out what acts to see. Despite, being a New Jersey festival, there are only two Jersey acts, Steel Train and The Gaslight Anthem. However, there are a number of New York based acts like Gogol Bordello, Ra Ra Riot, We Are Scientists, The Postelles, and big timers Yeah Yeah Yeahs and MGMT. But first, we offer some tips for how to survive the festival.

Tips for Festival Go-ers:

1. Eat before you go to the festival. Food and beverages will probably be expensive, so it's a good idea to at least have something beforehand, so that you're not hungry or thirsty during the first few hours of the fest.

2. Wear comfortable attire and shoes. With three stages, you'll be bouncing around from stage to stage, so make sure your wear comfortable clothing and shoes so your feet aren't sore by the end of the day. Flip-flops or heels may not be the greatest choice, so stick with some kicks. It might rain so be ready for that to.

3. Figure out your show schedule beforehand. Schedules have already been released so print out a copy and list all the acts you want to see. You can see the time, act, and stage conveniently this way.

4. Make sure to bring enough money. You'll need money for food, drinks, and perhaps merchandise. So stop by the ATM before you get there. The vendors will only accept cash, so be ready.

5. Drink plenty of water. It'll be hot, don't dehydrate or underestimate your thirst.

APW Schedule
Directions

Who to see at the festival:

Friday, July 31st
1:00-1:40 Heartless Bastards
4:25-5:10 Ra Ra Riot

Saturday August 1st
2:15-3:05 Cage the Elephant
6:20-7:10 Gogol Bordello

Sunday August 2nd
2:30-3:20 Steel Train
3:45-4:35 The Gaslight Anthem

Steel Train

For their work on “Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun,” Steel Train was once known as a jam band. Some still recognize the band best as a cover band, due to their 2003 release “1969,” an EP consisting of songs from--you guessed it--1969. But, no longer; years past, Steel Train has finally found their sound. The spotless bouncing pop of “I Feel Weird” to the more melancholy “Women I Belong To” bookend the 2007 release “Trampoline.” Reflective lyrics avoid the nonsense present in many of their contemporaries’ music, and the good clean pop music will have you dancing along.

Their stage presence is perhaps the most incredible part of the band--many have been turned into fans after seeing even a short set. The band’s energy is infectious.

Steel Train has toured with bands including Dear and the Headlights, The Format, The Hush Sound, Kevin Devine, and The Spill Canvas. They look to a fall release date for an as-yet-untitled album, and will be heading out on a tour with Sherwood, Hellogoodbye, and legendary 90s-band Hanson.

Root for the home team--go see Steel Train this weekend at All Points West. It won’t be the last.

--Bonnie Falconer

The Gaslight Anthem

New Brunswick's own folk/punk rock act, Gaslight Anthem easily take influence from the Garden's state's own Bruce Springsteen. The band has even toured with the Boss himself. The comparisons don't stop, but Neil Young is also included in the band's influence list. Coming from a scene that fostered underground punk acts, Gaslight has managed to embrace their hometown roots and reflect their love for Jersey both in sound and lyrics. Their song "We Came to Dance" goes: "And if they end it all, By the end of tonight, If the big bomb drops down, Over this quiet Edison sky. We'll blow one last kiss, To all the beautiful nights like this, Under these central Jersey sky."

With a sincere delivery that shines through nicely on the band's latest, The '59 Sound, Brian Fallon and co. indeed have "great expectations" for their performance. This fall they'll be headlining a U.S. tour with Murder by Death and the Loved Ones.

--Star Child

Gogol Bordello

Quite possibly one of the funnest band on the festival, gypsy punksters Gogol Bordello make you want to dance. Bringing together a brand of music that is both catchy and crazy with instruments such as violin and accordian played fast, these New York lads are a band not to miss live. If you live World/Inferno Friendship Society or Flogging Molly, then Gogol is the band for you. So get ready to move and get sweaty.

--Star Child

TheSTART & Normandie Tour f/ Aimee Echo: 1 NYC, 2 NJ Dates

L.A's electo-glam rockers, TheSTART will make 3 NJ-area appearances. After taking a break to work on other projects, Aimee Echo and co. of theSTART have returned for a summer tour. The tour makes a stop at Mercury Lounge NYC on Aug. 3, the Record Collector Store in Bordentown, NJ on Aug. 4th and The Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ.Aug. 5th.

TheSTART will tour with Normandie (Aimee Echo, Chelsea Davis, and Jamie Miller), in support of their latest release Ciao, Baby.

Regarding the tour Aimee Echo said:

It's going to be one hell of a summer tour and you know how we roll so come out and play with us- late night make out parties Dance parties party Parties PARTY! we will be giving away tickets to shows daily thru twitter so FOLLOW US!!! http://twitter.com/theSTART
one more thing- I am on TWITTER too... follow me!
http://twitter.com/aimeeecho
LOVE YOU ALL WITH ALL MY HEART.
xoxo Aimee Echo
theSTART

Upcoming Shows:

8/3 @ Mercury Lounge, 217 houston st, NYC 7:30pm ($10)
8/4 @ The Record Collector Store, 358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown, NJ $10
8/5 @ The Brighton Bar, 121 Brighton Ave., Long Branch NJ $8

Thursday Announce 'Common Existence' Tour

New Brunswick's post hardcore veterans, Thursday have announced a headlining tour in support of their latest album, Common Existence with Washington's progressive screamo band, Fall of Troy. Other acts of the tour include noise rockers Young Widows, New York's progressive rockers Moving Mountains, circus punksters Kiss Kiss, hardcore act Touche Amore from Los Angelos, The Dear Hunter and Midnight Masses. The Fall of Troy will be touring in support of their new album, In the Unlikely Event, and are on the entire tour with select bands on different legs of the tour.

The tour stops at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 20. Tickets are on-sale Friday Aug. 8 at noon here.

Also, Geoff Rickley aka DJ Jazzy Geoff will be the guest DJ at the new Beauty Bar in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn on Wednesday, August 12. Geoff said:

I'll be spinning all-time-favorites and new obsessions. Expect everything from classic cuts from The Cure and the Buzzcocks to the current jams of Phoenix, Foals and Fucked Up.

We'll grab some drinks together, talk some shit, and let the good times roll! It's a bar so 21+... duh

The Beauty Bar Brooklyn is located @:
921 Broadway, Brooklyn NY 11206
Steps from the Myrtle/Broadway stop on the JMZ line
347-529-0370

Tour dates below.


Thursday 2009 Tour Dates:

All dates with The Fall of Troy

w/ Young Widows and Moving Mountains
9/18 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA

w/ Young Widows, Moving Mountains, and Kiss KIss
9/19 @ Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
9/20 @ Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY

w/ Young Widows and La Dispute
9/22 @ Headliner’s Music Hall – Louisville, KY
9/23 @ Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
9/25 @ Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
9/26 @ Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, W
9/28 @ Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
9/29 @ Slowdown – Omaha, NE
9/30 @ The Flytrap – Tulsa, OK
10/1 @ Granada – Lawrence, KS
10/2 @ Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
10/3 @ In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT

w/ The Dear Hunter and Touche Amore
10/5 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
10/6 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
10/8 – The Boardwalk – Orangevale, CA
10/9 – Knitting Factory – Hollywood, CA
10/11 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
10/12 – Glasshouse – Pomona, CA
10/13 @ The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
10/15 @ The Door – Dallas, TX
10/16 @ Emo’s – Austin, TX
10/17 @ Meridian – Houston, TX

w/ The Dear Hunter and Midnight Masses
10/19 @ Edge 17 – Jacksonville, FL
10/20 @ Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
10/21 @ State Theatre – St. Petersburg, FL
10/22 @ The Social, Orlando, FLO
10/23 @ The Masquerade, Atlanta, GE
10/24 @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC

Bern & The Brights perform 3 NJ Shows in 24 hours starting Friday

Bern & the Brights opening for Butch Walker @ Webster Hall

Montclair's indie rock outfit, Bern & the Brights complete with violin, will be playing 3 New Jersey shows in 24 hours beginning this Friday. Be sure to catch them in your area!

* Friday, July 31st 9PM @ IM Automata Chino, 99 Greene St, Jersey City, NJ w/The Choke Artists and McMickle Brothers($5)

* Saturday, August 1st 4PM @ Palooza Palooza, Ramsey, NJ w/ Wesley Jeremiah, Copesetic, Lighter in Your Pocket, and the Wanders.(free)

* Saturday, August 1st 9PM @ Mexicali Live, 1409 Queen Anne Rd, Teaneck, NJ w/The Defending Champions & Hyphen-One +Daylow.($10)Order your tickets here.

The Big She-Bang IV: Music, Art, & Discussions on D.I.Y. Feminism @ Judson Memorial, NYC 8/15

The Big She-Bang IV
A Celebration by Women, for Women

The Big She-Bang, organized by For The Birds Collective, is being held on Saturday, August 15th at Judson Memorial Church, located at 55 Washington Square South, New York, NY from 10 AM to midnight.

The Big She Bang is an all-day event of workshops, panel discussions, visual art, and music by and for women and women-identified artists & community members. The Big She-Bang strives to cultivate a space for women to share creative endeavors, exchange ideas, and provide support in a safe and open-minded environment. It is a multimedia event that serves as a platform for women artists and activists. This year’s She-Bang festival will include workshops and panel discussions, live musical performances, an all-day art show and tabling by various feminist organizations from New York. The event is always all ages, and everyone is welcome.

THIS YEAR, our theme is – A How-To Guide for D.I.Y. Feminism!

Throughout the day, there will be an art show exhibiting different mediums of work created by various women in New York City:

Demostina
Heather Kelly
Caroline Paquita
Anna Sgherzi
Kristine Virsis

Workshops and panel discussions will also be happening throughout the day, covering topics such as:

Feminist Urban Mobility (presented by Right Rides, Safe Walk, & HollaBack NYC)
Women and Resistance in Prisons(presented by Victoria Law)
Queer Eye for the DIY (presented by For the Birds Collective, featuring Karen Soskin of Strength In Numbers)
Sexual Assault and Accountability workshop (presented by Support New York)

The event will end with performances by:

Full of Fancy
Zombie Dogs
Little Lungs
Ina Ina
Kate Ferencz
Inertia

& one more TBA...

The event is accepting $6-$10 donations, although no will be turned away. A tape and CD compilation of the bands performing, as well as many more, will be available for purchase.


The collective that organizes The Big She-Bang is called FOR THE BIRDS. For The Birds is a collective of New York women whose main intent is fostering the creative empowerment of women, as well as the dissemination of feminist projects: art, music, information, and scholarly work. A large part of this feminist info-sharing occurs in the form of a distro and a label imprint. In our distro, we carry writing, art, and music by feminists and women-identified folks. On our label imprint, we continue to publish similar work.

The Big She-Bang was previously a celebration thrown by the Long Island Womyn's Collective. Information on The Big She-Bang 1 & 2 can be found here: http://myspace.com/liwomynscollective

All information on The Big She-Bang 3 & 4 can be found here.

Ted Leo Speaks Out About Perceptions of NJ

This morning Ted Leo posted a series of tweets on his Twitter account regarding New Jersey. Here’s what he had to say:

Sick of: people from bland suburban New Jersey speaking for it as if that was the whole state and thereby confirming the rest of the world's ill-informed opinions of it.

Case in point: recent Idolator article on Misfits saying NJ's history begins in 1950s strip malls. Really?

So the 1796 church on the corner or the 1832 house I grew up in and the actual somewhat urban downtowns I frequented don't exist?

Screw you & your own self-importance & ego overcompensating for your actual insecurities. Grow a pair & look a little deeper at yr environs! ALSO, self-obsessed ego maniacs, strip mall chain store culture is AMERICA, nit just NJ. Get out of your bubble & travel a bit and be equal parts depressed and RELIEVED - none of us are all that special.

Punch/Death First @ Death By Audio 7-24-09

This past Friday I attended a hardcore/punk show featuring Punch, Nomos, Olde Ghost, and Death First at Death by Audio in Brooklyn. Hardcore is a genre of music that is very intense, fast, short, and honest. Last time I was at Death by Audio for a hardcore show Zombie Dogs, Deathrats, and others played but nobody moved around. It would be different this time as there was 2-stepping, jumping, and moshing present, especially for San Fransisco's female fronted 5-piece, Punch. However, my only complaint is that while these songs, as great as they are, stir up all this moving, the songs are far too short and often end quite abruptly. I want there to be practically non-stop moving and for the energy to hardly let up. But it was a good show, as short as it was.


More videos from the show can be viewed here.

Evil Females Night @ Cornerstone Inn, Carlstadt NJ 7/31

This Friday you're in for a treat, as Evil Girl Entertainment brings you the third annual Evil Females Night featuring music from all female fronted rock bands at the Cornerstone Inn in Carlstadt, NJ. Performing is Seeking Through Silence, Marisette, Strophe, Skip- Bohemian Redneck Songstress, Dollhouse Disaster, Six to Eight Mathematics, Evazan and the Land of Women, and Fantazma. Tickets are all ages and cost $12.

AFI, Bo Burnham, & The Alternative Press Fall Ball come to Starland Ballroom

The Starland Ballroom have announced new show with AFI, Bo Burnham, and the Academy Is. On Oct. 10 its AFI and Gallows. Tickets are on-sale Saturday at 10am. The show is $28.50 in advance, $30 day of show.

If you're going to miss comedian Bo Burnham at All Points West this weekend, then you'll have to wait until Nov. 6 when he performs again in NJ. Tickets are on-sale Friday August 7th at noon. Standing room general admission is $19.50, while seated admission is $25.

Finally, the Alternative Press Fall Ball makes a visit on Nov. 7th. The ball features headliners The Academy Is with Mayday Parade, Set Your Goals, The Secret Handshake, and You Me At Six. Tickets are on-sale Saturday, August 8th. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 day of show.

Regina Spektor @ Apple Store SoHo 7/24/09

iTunes presents Regina Spektor: Live from Soho
Apple Store Soho:
103 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012

This is first come first serve with limited seating and standing room!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Doors: 6:30pm
Show: 7:00pm

Regina Spektor is an artist with an acute sense of detail both in music and words. Stop by the Apple Store to hear her perform songs from her newly released hit album, Far, which combines evocative and intricately structured melodies with her gift for crafting intelligent, refreshingly honest odes to life.

Ms. Spektor performed a free, lovely, intimate, and sweet 56 minute, 13 song set to 300 fans at the Apple Store SoHo in NYC. The show ran surprisingly on time and she played longer than I thought she would. The staff handed out wristbands to the crowd early and told them not to cut and that there would be no recording or photography of any kind allowed. A little before 7pm, they started letting 20 people in at a time. They directed us to upstairs where we were greeted to a theater like setting with a piano right in the middle of the floor. My friends and I managed to get a good spot to the left behind the last set of seats. Ms. Spektor and her violinist, cellist, and drummer all came out in elegant black attire. The soft spoken songstress was sincere and happy to play. She played mostly off her latest album, Far. Her songs were precise and delicate, yet still made you shake and sing along. I practically had an ear-to-ear smile the whole time. In the middle of her set a buzz sounded in the distance, so she stopped playing but then said "I can totally deal" with it. She closed with her hit "Fidelity."

maybe one day you will understand
I don’t want nothing from you but to sweetly hold your hand
till that day just please don’t be so down
don’t make frowns, you silly clown
-Folding Chair by Regina Spektor

Warped Tour Camden Short 'n Sweet 7/17

I volunteered with the John Lennon Educational School Bus, so I wasn't able to see Bayside, Black Tide, A Day to Remember, In This Moment, or Gallows like I had hoped, but Flogging Molly, Bad Religion, Madina Lake, NOFX, and Exit She Calls were the best from those I saw. Flogging Molly get you moving in the best way. Bad Religion manage to stay relevant after all their years and play great punk. Madina Lake had amazing energy, was sincere, and had fun, melodic, rock songs that make you want to jump up and dance around. NOFX is just badass and play awesome punk tunes. Exit She Calls shredded, rocked, turned heads, and had kids and themselves moving about, tight 5 song set.

Exit She Calls & Sean Morris in NYC 7/22

Exit She Calls performed an acoustic set at The Yippie Cafe in New York City with folk/acoustic act, Sean Morris of the Reveling. ESC's set consisted of new songs like "Little Things," older track "Another Growing Uncertainty" and New Found Glory and Jawbreaker covers, among others. There was some technical difficultly, but the band managed and told some jokes to lighten the mood. Then, Sean Morris played with his buddy Dave from the Reveling. They played fast, acoustic punk songs that made you nod your head fast. Both worth checking out electric.

The Reveling perform at The Glass Door on Aug. 28th with In the Hollows, Such Gold, The Menzingers, and Stone Parts. Exit She Calls have a show in NJ this Saturday and one in Long Island on Sunday.

Exit She Calls Upcoming Shows:

7/25 @ Paramus VFW, Paramus NJ w/ Driver Side Impact, Avenida
7/26 @ Village Pub South, Amityville, NY w/ Racing Exit 13($3)
8/1 @ Noel's, Stony Point, NY w/ Days of War, Throw the Heat
8/16 @ Paramus VFW, Paramus, NJ w/ The Victory, Fantazma, and others
8/17 @ 5 Corners Library, Jersey City NJ w/ s.ons o.f s.ilence, beyond the view, earth it’s wonderful to see you, ender and safe to say (free)
8/22 @ Art Festival, NYC. More info tba.
8/23 @ The MMAC, Bloomfield NJ w/ Control, The Marionette Roulette

Pics below.

Sherazada stream new EP out 7/28 & post tour dates with Seeking through Silence

Sherazada is streaming its new album "The Hunger Artists" on their myspace. The EP will be available on iTunes on July 28th. The band utilizes a post-hardcore sound with those tingly guitar/hardcore parts that make you want to dance around and move. While heavy the band maintains a nice mix of harsh vocals with clean cut singing like on "Echoes in the Hall," which even has a metal ting to it. Check out the 5 songs here.

The band performs this Sunday at Paramus VFW with newly signed Triple Crown Records band, Honor Bright, along with Patent Pending, Marisette, Currents, Crash Out, and more. Doors are at 3pm with a $12 cover.

After that the band will be on the Back That Beast Up Tour with Seeking through Silence.

Dates below.

Sherazada Tour Dates:

Back That Beast Up Tour
w/ Seeking through Silence
8/20 @ Larrys, Danbury, Connecticut
8/21 @ Knapp’s Underground, Bennington, Vermont
8/22Ground Zero, Allenstown, New Hampshire
8/23 @ T.B.A. Boston, Massachusetts
8/24 @ The Pirate’s Chest, Binghamton, New York
8/25 @ T.B.A. Allentown, PA
8/26 @ The Keynote Cafe, Jeannette, Pennsylvania
8/27 @ T.B.A. Lakewood, Ohio
8/28 @ Hot Topic in Huntington Mall, Barboursville, West Virginia
8/29 T.B.A. Owensboro, Kentucky
8/30 @ The Artful Dodger, Harrisonburg, Virginia
8/31 @ T.B.A., Richmond, Virginia
9/1 @ T.B.A. Richmond, Virginia
9/2 @ Mojo 13, Wilmington, Delaware
9/3 @ T.B.A., Washington, D.C

9/5 @ Park Rock Fest!!! Great Mills, Maryland
9/6 @ Park Rock Fest!!! Great Mills, Maryland

Gallows & Chambers @ Death City, New Brunswick NJ 7/20- review, pics

It was a "smashin" time cramped up in a small basement for a hardcore/punk show on Monday night, as lead singer Frank of Gallows said. The UK punk band performed a "secret show" in New Brunswick, New Jersey with Chambers and Total Wreck. However, due to some transportation issues I missed Total Wreck from Virginia. But I saw Chambers from New Brunswick who fit the bill nicely. The flier sums them up as, "new, dirty, r 'n' r-influenced hardcore." It was driving, angry, and a head thrasher. I was impressed and pleased with the band's energy. You can visit their myspace for a free 6 song demo, lyrics, and more.

Gallows went on a little after 9pm. There was much talk from the singer who seemed really pleased to be playing this show and not Warped Tour. He seemed to like being away from the Tour environment which he said has been the worst experience of his life and noted that Millionaires, Brokencyde, and Jeffree Star are "the biggest fuckin' wastes of space." They played "London is the Reason," "I Dread the Night," "Abandon Ship," among others, and closed with "Crucifucks." Frank played in the back of the basement, in the middle of the crowd, on the top of the crowd- he was all over the place.

I couldn't blame the band for stopping almost after every song. It was hot in the basement and I'm sure the band needed a little time to relax. Early in the show Frank said that the last basement show they played was in Scranton, PA and that this show has out beat it already in two songs. He also called the crowd to circle pit and thanked Dan for putting on the show and even told us to buy merch from the openers to support them and not from them.

The basement show experience is one that uplifts me so much that I can't help but venture out to see my favorite bands in hub city. It's an experience that's mostly reliant on trust and good people coming together for a good time. It's awesome that a band from the UK would play a basement show on their day off from a big festival. It was the band's third time in Jersey in less than a week and I think they capped off their stay well.

Some comments from show go-ers via twitter:

iamgorse: so tired. gallows were great tonight. i don't think i've ever sweat so much at a show, unless i was playing it. so rowdy

JohnnyKlix: first brunswick basement show was fucking amazing. gallows ripped shit up(litterally)

xIANxSCISSORSx: Gallows,Chambers,Total Wreck.so good. Blood,Sweat, falling ceiling!... The best house show ever.

Also, check out the NJ Underground's story and pics of the show here.

Chambers Upcoming Shows:

8/11 @ Death City, New Brunswick NJ w/ Dr. Manahttan. 6pm. $6
8/14 @ I.M. Automata Chino, Jersey City NJ w/ Last Days of Empire, Brock Murdoch. 8pm. $7
8/15 @ TBA venue, Jersey Shore

Pics below.

Steel Train announce tour with Hanson

Steel Train have posted an update to announced their stint on the “Use Your SOLE tour” with Hanson, Hellogoodbye, and Sherwood. The tour will stop at New York’s Nokia Theatre Times Square on Oct. 15. Tickets are on-sale here this Saturday 7/25 at noon. The band had the following to say about the tour:

the tour is sponsored by TOMS shoes. this is a wonderful thing here. let me explain. TOMS shows (which are sick) will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes you buy. its called "one for one:...further more..before each show on this tour, all the bands will be taking part in a 1 mile barefoot walk to fight poverty in africa. check out www.useyoursole.com and www.tomsshoes.com for more info. This is something we are very proud and excited to be a part of.

The Measure (SA) to tour with The Gaslight Anthem in October plus tour dates

The Measure (SA)-Drunk by Noon @ Maxwell's, Hoboken NJ 2/7/09


New Brunswick's pop/punk 4-piece The Measure (SA) will tour with The Gaslight Anthem, Murder by Death, and the Loved Ones this October for a string of dates starting in in Richmond, Virginia and ending in Columbus, Ohio. This is a nice opportunity for the band who shares similar roots with their hometown fellows in Gaslight. Local folks can see the band on Day 1 of the Hub City Hardcore Fest with Psyched to Die, Static Radio NJ, and others. More info on that is available here.

Also, the Gaslight Anthem will be performing on day 3 of All Points West Festival headlined by Coldplay. There's no NYC or Jersey date for the band's upcoming tour, but I think they'll be announcement after APW.

Tour dates below.

The Measure (SA) Tour Dates:

8/14 @ Death Valley, New Brunswick NJ (Hub City Hardcore Fest day 1
8/20 @ Best Friends Day 8, Richmond, VA

10/20 @ Charm City Art Space, Baltimore, MD w/Dead Mechanical

w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Murder by Death, and The Loved Ones
10/21 @ The National, Richmond, VA
10/22 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DV
10/23 @ TBA, Cleveland, OH
10/26 @ Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH

Florida run for The Fest
10/29 @ Transitions, Tampa, FL
10/30 @ Fest 8, Gainseville, FL
10/31 @ Fest 8, Gainseville, FL
11/1 @ Fest 8, Gainseville, FL

Darkness Descends post 2 new songs & play in Clifton on Thursday

NJ's 5-piece hardcore/thrash outfit Darkness Descends have posted two new songs from the band's upcoming album, Home of the Slaves. The band also performs at Dingbatz, 620 Van Houten Ave in Clifton this Thursday with Siafu, Thatatonic Desire, and others. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 9pm.

Darkness Descends Shows:
7/23 @ Dingbatz, Clifton NJ with Thatonic Desire
8/8 @ Lippy's, Marshall's Creek, PA
8/15 @ Jimmy's Rock Cafe, Moonachie, NJ w/ The Waking Alley, If She Dies, and more.

New Starland Ballroom On-Sales: Otep, 3oh3, Streetlight Manifesto, Social D, Misfits

Otep hits the Starland Ballroom on Aug. 19th for the Smash the Control Machine Tour with Destrophy and Seven Year Existence. Tickets are on-sale for $15.50 at noon. Buy them here.

The following tickets are all on-sale this Friday at noon.

3oh3 comes to Starland on Sept. 11th.

Streetlight Manifesto returns with Outernational and Broadway Calls on Oct. 4th.

Social Distortation, TAT, and The Stranger visit on Oct. 7th.

The Misfits perform its annual Mischief night show with Johnny B. Morbid, Methodical, and End of an Era on Oct. 30th.

Skasgiving II comes featuring The Toasters, Mustard Plug, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and The Pilfers brings you non-stop ska on Nov. 15th.

Free Downloads & New Music Streaming

* The Saddest Landscape's new song, "Eternity Is Lost on the Dying" is available for download here. (file under: screamo)

* Slingshot Dakota have released it's 3 song demo here. It includes a cover of Fugazi's "Waiting Room." (file under: cute keyboard & drum two piece)

* Trophy Scars are streaming its latest album, Bad Luck, on myspace. (file under: indescribable, good music)

* Sherazada is streaming its new 5 song ep, The Hunger Artist on myspace. The ep is out July 28th on iTunes. (file under: post-hardcore)

* Otep have added 2 songs off their upcoming album, Smash the Control Machine, in stores on Aug. 18th. (file under: metal)

* Finally, Darkness Descends have posted 2 new songs from their upcoming release, Home of the Slaves on myspace. (File under: hardcore/metal)

* Neverender has 4 new songs on myspace. (file Under: rock/punk)

Gallows to play secret NJ show tonight!

That's right, UK punksters Gallows will perform a secret show at a beloved place in NJ, making it the band's third time performing in the Garden State this week!

The band, in a myspace bulletin said:

Thanks to everyone that came to see us today at Warped in Oceanport!

We're sticking around and will be playing a Basement show tomorrow in New Brunswick. We actually don't know much about it so don't ask us questions... I guess if you're in the know then we'll see you there ;)

It's going to be insane!

Listen to 89.5 FM-WSOU or stream on-line at www.wsou.net during the day for details on the show. Or message me for the address and I will send it to you after 1pm! Gallows are currently on the Warped Tour.

Kittie looking for extras for NYC video shoot 7/26

Kittie is TARA, MERCEDES, MORGAN & IVY

Canadian metal band Kittie is looking for extras for a video taping in New York City on Sunday, July 26th. The video is for the band's upcoming single, "Sorrow I Know" from the band's new album called In the Black in stores on Sept. 15. The band will release the cd on E1 Entertainment and plans to tour this fall. Details on the shoot below:

The video will be directed by David Brodsky (Suicide Silence, Gwar, The Black Dahlia Murder) and his crew at MyGoodEye in New York. From MyGoodEye producer Allison Woest: "We are shooting a ‘20s era, speakeasy/burlesque music video for KITTIE, and are looking for fans to participate!

If you would like to be in the video and have ‘20s-era nighttime social clothing to participate in the debauchery, please get in touch! It is important that you bring your own outfits.

For Women, please wear dresses. Styles can include: Cocktail style dresses, anything with fringe, lace, silk or satin, drop waist or A line dresses, even flapper style halloween costumes! For Men: Suit and tie, fedora hat if possible Males and females both welcome. The video will be shot during the day on Sunday, July 26th, in New York City. If you are interested, please send an email to: casting@mgenyc.com.

Exit She Calls post new songs & perform at Warped Tour Camden on Friday

Exit She Calls @ School of Rock, South Hackensack NJ 7/12/09


















Exit She Calls is Kristia Moya on vocals and guitar, Carlos Rivero on bass, Jeff Lambert on guitar, and Ryan Bertone on drums.


Bergen County’s 4-piece Exit She Calls will perform at Warped Tour in Camden, NJ this Friday. They’ll be playing the Ernie Ball Stage sometime between 12-2:30pm, so make sure to check the schedule the day of to see exactly what time.

In the meantime you can listen to two new songs coming from a summer EP including “Out of Reach,” “In This Moment,” “MTFU,” and “Little Things.” These songs truly shine and show the band’s sweet, yet rockin’ sound. With a singer that truly sings, but guitars with tingly parts that make you want to shake around, Exit She Calls shows that you don’t need screams or super crazy guitar parts to be a good rock band these days. It’s refreshing to hear a band that doesn't sound like they're trying too hard or one that thinks they need to put on gimmicks. The lyrics seem to realize that things may be hard and we want may want something or someone, but we can be hopeful and we can do it on our own.

You can listen to “MTFU” and “Little Things” here, along with some older songs. “Little Things” closes with some sweet guitar licks, yet maintains a melodic vibe. You can also read an interview Kristia did here.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

7/17 Warped Tour @ Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden NJ (Ernie Ball stage)
7/22 @ Yippie Cafe, NYC w/ Tomahawk Chop, Deep in Vein ($8)
7/25 @ Paramus VFW, Paramus NJ
7/26 @ Village Pub South, Amityville, NY ($3)
8/17 @ 5 Corners Library, Jersey City NJ w/ s.ons o.f s.ilence, beyond the view, earth it’s wonderful to see you, ender and safe to say (free)
8/22 @ Art Festival, NYC. More info tba.
8/23 @ The MMAC, Bloomfield NJ w/ Control, The Marionette Roulette

Marisette to perform @ Cornerstone Inn, Carlstadt this Saturday!

photo by Kiera Kalleberg


























Melodic hardrockin' sweethearts Marisette , formerly the Champagne Charade have a show this Saturday at the Cornerstone Inn, 491 Broad St. in Carlstadt, NJ. Tickets are $10 at the EvilGirl Entertainment myspace page here or $12 the night of the show. The show is all ages with a bar for over 21 fans and a full food menu all night.

Saturday's Schedule:

6:30 - Hybrid Thought
7:15 - Strophe
8:00 – St. James
8:30 – Sean Faust
9:00 - Mitch Savoie
10:00 - Marisette
10:45 - Warhol Soup
11:30 – Brine and Bastards

Upcoming Marisette Shows:

7/26 @ Paramus VFW, Paramus NJ: Beast Attire presents w/ Honor Bright & The Ability

7/31 @ Cornerstone Inn, Carlstadt: All Female fronted night

News CD Releases & Tour Announcements

July 14th CD Releases:

Arkaea - Years In The Darkness (E1 Music)
Arsonists Get All The Girls - Portals (Century Media)
August Burns Red - Constellations (Solid State)
Clutch - Strange Cousins From The West (Weathermaker Music)
Darkest Hour - Hidden Hands Of A Sadist Nation (Reissue) (CD/DVD-Vinyl) (Victory)
DevilDriver - Pray For Villians (Roadrunner)
Fooling April- Three
Project 86 - Picket Fence Cartel (Tooth & Nail)
Screaming Females- What if someone is watching their tv-re-release(Don Giovanni Records)
Suffocation - Blood Oath (Nuclear Blast)
The Dead Weather- Horehound (Third Man)
West Gate- Daylight
We Were Gentlemen - Living Hell (Century Media)
YOB - The Great Cessation (Profound Lore)

Star's hot pics: Clutch, Screaming Females, West Gate

Tour Announcements:

A Day to remember, Parkway drive, In Fear and Faith and I see stars are touring together this fall. The closest NJ/NYC area date is at the Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA on Sept. 27.

Brand New and Glassjaw will perform at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on Nov. 27th.

Gallows also have a show in New Brunswick, New Jersey this Monday! Message me for the address.

Lamb of God and Gwar will perform at Wellmont Theatre in Montclair on Sept. 22. Tickets are onsale this Friday.

Lamb of God & GWAR @ Wellmont Theatre, Monclair NJ, On-Sale this Friday

Lamb of God will be headlining an off show on the Metallica tour with GWAR and a special guest on Sept. 22 at Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey. Tickets are on-sale this Friday at noon.

The band performs two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in November with Metallica and Volbeat.

Any idea who the special guest could be?

The Misfits @ NJ's Starland Ballroom 10/30 & B.B. King's Blues Club NYC

The Misfits make their annual set of Halloween shows. The show with Jerry Only, Dez, and Robo comes to The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on October 30. Word has it tickets will be on-sale soon for $20. New Yorker's will get the Halloween show at B.B. Kings Blues Club. Tickets for the NYC show are already on sale for $26.50 here.

Edit: Tickets for the Starland Ballroom show are on sale Friday, July 24th. Johnny B. Morbid and Methodical are two of the openers.

Hop Along, Queen Ansleis/ Little Lungs/The Diamond Sea/ P.S. Eliot @ Meat Town USA- pics

From Sarah @ Tumblr:

i saw hop along last night in new brunswick and don’t really have any words for how amazing the set was. p.s. eliot, diamond sea, and little lungs also played, and they all complimented each other’s styles and sound. it was as if each band was building up to frances quinlan’s set and the basement got progressively louder and each song was more intense than the last. such great stuff.

The first band that played was Bird Names. They were alright, but they seemed to have too much going on. They were jammy, but in an everything thrown together and doesn't fit sort of way. Check out the photos. There are more under "read more."

The Diamond Sea from Australia put on a great show and the drummer was awesome to watch.