Live Review: Old Wives / The One and Nines / Apollo Run @ Maxwell's 3-16-10

Old Wives @ Maxwell's

By Star Child

It was a beautiful night for a show at the wonderful Maxwell's in Hoboken. Upon entering the room it seemed I was one of the only people there. A tad worried and wondering when people were going to show up, I grabbed some nachos before I headed back into the room at 8:40pm. Some more people showed up which was a relief but compared to the room it seemed like a small crowd. It didn't really matter because Apollo Run were giving it their all. The Brooklyn trio stood out. From the singer switching from guitar to piano and even trumpet, to the bass tapping, to the the last 'song' when the band came into the crowd and just clapped and foot stomped, the band knew how to entertain. Singer John McGrew has a nice sultry voice that went well with the music. Jeff Kerestes was great on bass. It's one thing that the music sounded great, but it was really nice watching Kerestes perform. You could tell he was into it. They ended by getting off stage and dancing and clapping with the crowd. It was all about having a good time. This show comes after the band played a successful theater show for Citizen Presents at the Players Theater in New York City with Black Taxi and Milo & the Fuzz. Pretty good follow-up show. The Ones & Nines and Old Wives would follow.

Live Review: Sondre Lerche @ Maxwell's 3-6-10

Photos and review by Zandra Ruiz 

Sondre Lerche has a way of being cute that’s a little bit infuriating. Not because it’s tiresome, but because every time he pauses between songs and talks to the crowd, I want to hug him, in the least creepy way possible. He has a way of talking to his fans as if they are his friends.

I guess what I’m trying to say is: the man has a lot of heart. When he sings, he sings with his eyes closed, as if it’s too painful to go through every lyric and every chord, as if it’s a struggle to even mold his lips around the syllables. His voice is more than beautiful, it’s heartbreaking, clear, resonant. With one guitar, he can do in a single set what most full bands can’t with one song—he pulls the crowd together, reduces us for a moment to what we really are: people. People in love and people in lust and people confused and people heartbroken—it's evident at the end of his set, when we are all thoroughly spent, and he smiles and introduces one more song, “Modern Nature.” The crowd sings the part of Lillian Samdall, and there’s no better conclusion. We're all for one moment connected to him, to his music, and to each other, and that's pretty awesome.

Live Review: Thomas Frances Takes His Chances & The I-Gods @ Maxwell's 2-12-10 + Photos

After the earlier Melissa Ferrick and Mal Blum show I hung around to see Thomas Frances Takes His Chances and The Invincible Gods. I didn't know quite what to expect, except that this was going to be different than the previous show. Yes it was. I was impressed-from the stage presence of I-Gods to the multi-instrumental TFTHC to the audience dancing, I was floored by the end of the night.

The Invincible Gods from East Brunswick, New Jersey got the crowd moving with their rock n roll sound. It was just guitar and drums, and a singer but the guitarist sang, too. They were a lot of fun. Singer Candace had great, sweet vocals that actually complemented the louder rock n roll sound. This shit was honest, too. They had songs about religion, drugs, and gods, of course. This is a band that should not be missed. We caught them in  basement in New Brunswick in 2008. My, have they gotten better. Fuckin' check this band out.

After was Thomas Frances Takes His Chances. Not quite sure how to describe them, but experimental rock or experimental folk might be appropriate. It was cool because members switched off on instruments. and they were lively. The band was fronted by a lady vocalist who also played keys. There was trumpet, trombone, bass, guitar, drum, xylophone, toy piano, keyboards, and accordion. They were pretty bad ass. If you like The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Gogol Bordello, Beat Circus, or pretty much orchestral punk or experiemental music, then check out this North Jersey 7-piece. Photos below.

Live Review: Melissa Ferrick & Mal Blum @ Maxwell's 2-12-10 + Photos

 

Melissa Ferrick and Mal Blum graced the Maxwell's stage on Friday night for a delightful evening of acoustic folk. Mal Blum warmed the audience with a cute, somewhat flustered set. Joined by Simon Olsen on banjo, the two performed some songs together or at times it was just Mal. The two had to immediately play upon arrival because they were late due to traffic, nonetheless they played a bunch of songs. She played songs from her For Making Art EP and Goodnight Sugarpop. The set was filled with the awesome "Tumbleweed," the serious "Dysmorphic," and "I Could Tell." Another honest song was "Waiting in Line" that starts "I went to a gay bar..." They closed with a Valentine's Day song that the crowd seemed to enjoy and find funny. “Tumbleweed” was a sweet one about liking someone who's leaving. “Cause you've got two character flaws...you don't know how great you are...I'm glad I finally met a tumbleweed...” The song continued, “She makes me want to curl up in bed with her for days...” The crowd cheered for one more song and the sound guy said she had time, but the two politely said they were done and made their way off the stage. 

Thomas Frances Takes His Chances (cd release show) @ Maxwell's on Friday

 

This Friday night Thomas Frances Takes His Chances takes the stage at Maxwell's for their cd release show for Don't Give Up On Me Dad. The cd's will be available in limited quantities for 5 bux. The Invincible Gods will open the show. For 8 bux you can see the two Jersey acts rock the fuck out. So plan your night already.

Feb. 12, 2010

 Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ

1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030

@ 10pm (Late show) after the Melissa Ferrick and Mal Blum show

Yula and the eXtended Family @ Maxwell’s w/ Kiss Kiss, and Emilyn Brodsky

photos & story by Star Beat

Yula and the eXtended Family, the multi-instrumental 5-piece from Brooklyn performed at Maxwell's in Hoboken with Kiss Kiss and Emilyn Brodsky. Hank and Cupcakes headlined, but sadly I have to leave before they started. Yula and company know how to craft good, danceable songs. Led by Yula Bee'ri on vocals, bass, and keyboards she brings a personality to the band that is entertaining and yet can be serious. She captures hints of her previous projects, World/Inferno Friendship Society, Star Fucking Hipsters, and Nanuchka. Other instruments include accordion, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and drums performed by Isaac Gardner, Taylor Galassi, and Stefan Zeniuk. The outfit immediately got the crowd going. They played songs off their latest release, Victor, plus a few new songs including one about "myspace and facebook."

Opening was the ukulele songstress from Brooklyn, Emilyn Brodsky. She to knows how to entertain and tell stories. She started off playing solo, then introduced her bandmates James on drums and Anthony on bass after which Anthony said,“Only Emilyn could display such a fine sense of vulgarity and pop sensibly. Motherfucker. Ahh.” DaCosta. I expected Brian Viglione to play drums, but I guess that was a one time thing for CMJ but this line-up was tight to. There was clap stomping for "Swear to God." The banter between songs was amusing to. Emilyn said, "This is my fake family and I’m excited to see Yula and Extended Family." She also said how she went to her senior prom with someone in the audience and how she broke her nose at a World/Inferno Friendship Society show. while not the most musically on point musician, Emilyn is worth seeing live.

Kiss Kiss was next. They have a way of seamlessly going from a light, beautifully laced keyboard and violin sound to spastic, where the band speeds it up and the music gets hyper and fun to move along. I've dubbed them "circus-punk." They did a version of the Tetris theme song. The way the band move around and interact during their performance is great, to. Catch them on tour with the Venetia Fair and Trophy Scars.

See below for photos.

Yula and eXtended Family












Emilyn Brodsky (and her fake family)





Kiss Kiss

God Loves a Challenge f/ Ben Jorgensen of Armor For Sleep perform @ Maxwell's 12/28

God Loves a Challenge featuring Ben Jorgensen of Armor For Sleep and Sierra Shardae will be playing their first show ever at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ on Dec. 28th. The group has emerged in the wake of Armor for Sleep's recent break-up. The duo bring an electronica/rock feel that features both on vocals. Their MySpace bio said:

Ranging from dancey songs about intoxicating first encounters to cinematic songs about life-crushing heart-break, each tells it's own story and has it's own voice.

Tickets are $12 in advance and available here. With Waking Alley and Night Fevers.

See below for flier.

Steel Train announce holiday shows at Maxwell's

Steel Train have announced two holiday shows at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ. The events are being called "Steel Train's Christmas Holiday" and will take place Dec. 29 and 30. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door. Tickets are available here.

The band will perform songs from their latest album Trampoline and new yet to be released record on Dec. 29. The second date looks to feature something a bit more interactive. The band says the following:

Evan (aka Clark Griswold, aka Santa Claus) and his elves, Jack, Daniel, Justin, and Jon, are currently putting together a list of their favorite tracks, both naughty and nice. The songs on this list will include Steel Train material from For You My Dear, Twilight Tales, Trampoline, 1969, unreleased b sides and demos and about 10 of our favorite covers.

We will then ask you, the fans, to vote for your favorite songs from the selections offered. The band will pick the 15 most popular choices and craft a setlist from that material. We’ve never done anything like this before, so this will definatly be a magical night. We will send the ballot out to our mailing list first, so if you haven’t yet signed up, get to it. We will then put the ballot up on our site for a limited time.

The band's song "You and I Undercover" is available for free download here.

Will Dailey releases new EP's, performing at Maxwell's in Hoboken this Sunday

It may not be free music, but it is a lot of music to release in one year. For singer-songwriter Will Dailey, it seems making music comes easily. I guess when you have a theme and with some many issues going on in the world, it’s easy to be inspired. Starting this month Dailey will be releasing music every three months until the end of the year. It’s refreshing that a musician feels passionate enough to release that much music. It gives fans something to look forward to.

This Boston singer/songwriter released Torrent 1 and 2, a combination of two EP’s earlier this month. The first is Fashion of Distraction, influenced by ‘60s and ‘70s music, particularly the Byrds. Roger McGuinn actually appears on “Peace of Mind.” The other EP is By the Blue Hills, a collection of songs saluting Boston and Will’s musical family there, featuring cameos from Boston luminaries and Dailey friends Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo), Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses), Elliott Easton (The Cars), Tim Brennan (Dropkick Murphy’s) and local fixtures Duke Levine and Sean Staples.

Sweet, lovely, but often serious Dailey’s songs take an easy flow, but his consistency makes his songs shine. They are straightforward and nice to hear. The songs are ones that uplift, make you think, and calm down. Standout tracks include “Never Be Your Baby,” “Love Is One the Way,” and “Too Long.”

Mr. Dailey performs a headlining show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ this Father’s Day, June 21st with Jon Robert, Nick Howard, and Anthony Melillo . The show is $8 in advance, $10 at the door which open at 7:30p.m. This can be a nice Father’s Day treat for dad. Maxwell’s is a restaurant where you can find a number of yummy entries and appetizers, then after head to the show in intimate back space to hear these songwriters mellow is out with rock and acoustic sets, you and dad can enjoy. The room has some sitting area on the side, but it’s mainly standing room only. Advance tickets are available here.



Will Dailey Tour Dates:

6/20 @ Port City Music, Portland, MN
6/21 @ Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
6/26 @ The Island Merchant, Huannis, MA
7/23 The Ten Show, Philadelphia, PA
7/23 @ Baltimore, MD
7/24 @ Beach Comber, Wellfleet, MA
7//25 @ World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
7/28 @ The Mercury Lounge, NYC
7/ 31 @ Boston Harbor Blues Cruises, Boston, MA

Screaming Females @ Maxwell's 5-30-09 Recap

Screaming Females returned to Maxwell's from their east coast tour, performing with Shellshag, Pregnant, and Mimi and Christian. The set included songs off Power Move like "Buried in the Nude," "Starving Dog," and "Lights Out," plus two new songs, and oldie "Fun." It was an impressive set and the crowd went wild. One guy even tried to crowd surf and there was a dude dancing and jumping with someone on his back. This band is fun and groovy, there's no doubt about that. The band will be in the area several times before they head on tour with Jack White of the White Stripes new band The Dead Weather.

You can see them this Friday at Public Assembly in Brooklyn, June 20 at The Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ, June 25 at Music Hall of Williamsburg, or June 28 at Meat Town USA in New Brunswick, NJ.




Mimi and Christian
























Pregnant