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Un Jefe aka Johnny Chiba Experiential Presentacion
pithy
potshots, paltry pics, animagic - Jefe
aka Johnny Chiba |
MONDAY, OCT 15 |
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LEBANON
@ Goodbye Blue Monday |
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| Pre-marathon appearance by Israel's instrumental superheros LEBANON. As Chiba shot video for the band, it was difficult to take pics at the same time, lame excuse for shitty shots, but true! Oi! |
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TUESDAY, OCT 16 |
| HOT IQ's @ The Delancey |
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Hot IQ's, smart indie trio hail from Denver CO, not far from South Park; 2 tall guys and asianic hottie on the beat provided sweet tunes crooned by guit man. Fave song "Elephant In White" is an indie classic, reminde me a tad of The Teardrop Explodes. However, Jefe's fave HottieQ song, "Retromuff," one I like to wrap around my ears, was not to be played. get smarty hot on myspace
Hottie E-lame pounds drums betwixt Jefe's animated Hot IQ productivity |
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BEASTS
OF EDEN @ Crash Mansion |
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Expansion
Team Recs' BEASTS OF EDEN have got what it takes: good looks, great
riffs, and attitude up the wazoo. As I said to Expanding Howard, how
can anyone NOT like this band? True dat! beasty
myface |
WEDNESDAY, OCT 17 |
TEAM
ROBESPIERRE @ Piano's |
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Whine-core quintet throw a party on and off stage, this time for Brooklyn
Vegan. All Team members sing and whine ala Blood Bros on pixie dust.
Very gay and aggressive, fun stuffs in a crowded room Join
Team Homospear on myface |
TIM
FITE @ Arlene's Grocery |
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Tim
Fite opened Pirate!
promotion party in typical quirky genius stylee, reading picture-book
stories and playing acoustic ditties, his suited-brother played laptop
and danced with audience. Tim was writing songs and, later, drawing
posters for a band of the future... Fite the counter culture! Tim on myfuturespace |
| MEAT PUPPETS @ PIANO'S |
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Cruised back
to Piano's to catch The Meat Puppets, back together as a trio, with
Curt Kirkwood's brother Chris, back on bass and backing vokes. I missed
their SXSW reunion, so I was happy that Chris and Curt are continuing
on.
L-R: Meat Puppets II, animated del Jefe, new MeatPups CD Rise To Your Knees |
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| YAKUZA @ TRASH BAR - Brooklyn |
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Hardcore metal
with sax, led by Bruce, tattooed reed man and screamer/crooner, who's
onstage and off, literally in your face. Sweeping, majestic and spiritual,
Yakuza are a high and mighty band. |
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Yakuza's
earlier Samsara cd on Prosthetic
Recs, is a Jefe fave. Click animated cover for full-on
Samsaranimation del Jefe Sativa |
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THURSDAY, OCT 18 |
THE
NARRATOR @ Mo Pitkins |
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Flameshovel Recs Chi-townies narrated the indie pop extraordinaire experiential @ Yep Roc Distro party. Free beer enhanced the shoegazing, as I found myself dancing, looking at my feet and holding my Knapsack, as I sang along to "Surfjew", Jefe fave off soon-to-be classic All That To The Wall. Narrate yourself on myface |
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| LEBANON @ Cave Canem (under Lucky Cheng's) |
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8PM: Lebanon
played dark little anti-CMJ showcase, hosted
by Frankie
Wood
downstairs from Lucky Cheng's restaurant, renowned for singing asian
transvestite show. Juval stalked and rolled around floor a bit, Avi
shots lasers from his guitar, and Ira drummed 'neath Frankie Wood's
Skull n Bones. Typical heebie-jeebies from the rawkin hebes! Lebanon
and on myface |
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After 1AM, Lozen
rocked many faces with deep waves of sludge and soaring vocals. I
was amazed when guitarist switched to bass for a couple songs, she
needs clone to play bass & guit at same time. Transvestites sauntered
downstairs from Lucky Cheng's to cheer Lozen warriors on. I guess
Lozen rocked their cocks (off?). It was a strange feminist connection,
very New Yawk Rawk. |
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FRIDAY, OCT 19 |
| FATAL FLYING GUILLOTINES @ R-BAR |
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More aggressive whinecore from Fatal Flatulent Fuckers. Named after
a movie I love, I knew the 'Tines would rock. After a couple tunes,
singer switched to drums, and drummer sang. Guess what, the singer IS
the drummer and vice versa, as IF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! It's all about
the whine and the core. From the school of the Fall and These Arms Are
Snakes, the F'ers flailed up a F'ing storm. Fatal
Flying myface teens |
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| -HEALTH @ R-BAR |
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Having missed 9 or 10 Healthy SXSW gigs, I was happy to catch 1 of
8 CMJ shows, or so it seems... they play ALL the parties! Not
atypical LA band, fer sure, front man asian dude sang lead, picked
up the guit, laid down the guit, played electro-drums from a pedal
effects-laden suitcase. Cooldude! HEALTH
is arty rocking aggression delivered as feverish dervish, at times
absconding into electro-noise abandon.
See
band statement below for further clarity: |
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“HEALTH
likes to make scary noises, we like to chant until our faces go red,
we like to beat on drums until there’s blood on the floor. But
we also like to boogie, and sometimes we need help from people we admire.
There is a great big world full of music and there is no excuse for
standing in the corner with your eyes closed. You can always make friends
with the other kids in class, even If your favorite band is Slayer and
theirs is Bell Biv Devoe, so let’s hold hands.” |
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Click
Jefe-animated covers for full-on Healthy bi-product |
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 Showcase
@ LIT |
* LOZEN * The ACG flava came to Lit around 8. My friends asked why Lozen's singer didn't face the audience. I dunno, she's from Tacoma. I assume she's too pretty, and everyone's face would turn to stone if they stared. The Lozen sound continues to astound with heavy vibe and goddess vokes. Trumpet solo ending show was a touch of indie cred. Nice! |
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* LEBANON * More guitar abandon from the Israel 4, Lebanon played on the floor, on top of amps, here and there. My head constantly turning to see all members crank out the crunchy space rocking fortitude. Oh my! |
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| LebanonAnimation
click |
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BLEACH03 * |
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I enjoyed
BLEACH03 cd so much I animated it! Live, the Okinawa 3 deliver hardcore,
rockingly and rhythmically: waif guitarist scream/sings, bassist delivers
GRUNTS, OOFS & UGHS! Tight!! After an incredibly captivating performance,
the ladies donned glasses and retreated backstage to mild-mannered personas.
They are my Hiro's! Get
Bleached on myface |
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PANACHE
SHOWCASE @ The Knitting Factory |
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THE
RUINS @ KnitFact Main Stage |
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Crafty,
skin grafty, the RUINS are down to one mean old drummer playing to glitchy
backing tracks on KnitFact main stage. They used to be two!! The band
is ruined!! |
| -THE APES @ KNITTING FACTORY (Tap Bar) |
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I busted a move into Knitfact Tap Bar, and walked into the surprise party band of the Marathon; little did I know THE APES had changed singers (the last one looked like Johnny Depp, according to gal friend). Hence, I had no clue these were Apes onstage, the lanky bespectacled dancing indie geek told me they were PRE... Not to be. Getting into the swing of The Pre-Apes, Jefe was transported to that spiritual rocking place known as alottafuckingfun. Gentle moshing by the lead singer provoked all watching to join in, and the circle was complete. Curiously, an inebriated hipster who I tried to save from falling on top of guitar pedals clung onto me like his savior from hellfire, letting loose with a torrett's-like torrent of "Fuck Yeahs", thus resulting in my need to join the mosh. Unfortunately, 2 minutes later I saw him face down in front of stage, being helped up by CMJ faithful... Mosh on Lucius! Get realized
and hypnotized by THE APES new CD - out Feb 19, 08 on Gypsy
Eyes Recs |
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WIZARDZZ
@ KnitFact Old Office |
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Down
below in the Knitfact old office, some band was making a cosmic cacaphony
of drum-led sonic wisdom. I slinked around the mass around the stage,
shocked to find two Wizardzz brewing up a maelstrom of dynamic viscosity.
More coolness from Load
Records |
| AIDS WOLF @ KNITFACT Main Stage |
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I've
been meaning to catch Aids Wolf for awhile, as band members Chloe and
Yannick are the purveyors of SERIPOP,
makers of hand screened, custom-designed indie rock posters, album covers,
prints, books and illustrations. Fantastic stuffs! Live, the Wolf are
a noisy rambunctious collective, with Chloe's painted visage fronting
the cataclysmic riffage. Unfortunately, Monotonix were playing downstairs
at the exact same time, so I caught a couple tunes, snapped a few shots,
and got the Aids outta there. Get
Aids on Mywolf |
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See Chloe
pirouette betwixt animated Seripop Art - Aids Wolf LOVVERS and Aids
Wolf show poster: Click for full-blown Aids |
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MONOTONIX@
KnitFact Old Office |
 monospace
SHOW pic |
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Israel's MONOTONIX
rock so hard, I imagine each show could be their last, should some
Hamas rocket find the band's van in the holy land. The singer is on
top of drums, tables, the bar, with shirt off, fleshy bits out. The
guitarist is the riff king, chugging along and holding it together.
Every set ends in chaos. L'Chaim L'Chaim to Life! |
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SATURDAY, OCT 20 |
AAM
SHOWCASE @ Williamsburg Music Hall |
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...and
you will know us by theTRAIL OF THE DEAD |
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and
you will know my pictures by the trails. The latest TOTD disc, So
Divided is my fave TOTD, not only has songwriting peaked, live,
the band is more mature, expanded, yet still maintaining a visceral
punch. Drummer walked through audience singing lead to a song; way cool,
I enjoyed his voice and the song so much , his antics made it memorable
all the more. Trails
of deadspace |
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TORCHE
@ Blender Theatre/Gramercy |
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TORCHE
means to wipe your ass in French, and these metallic fuckers bring the
asswiping rock in spades. Robotic
Empire records is high on these guys, whose mountainous chordage
reigns supreme. Or should I say, their toush? touche! Wipe
your ass on myface - ouch |
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JESU
@ Blender Theatre/Gramercy |
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Is
Justin Broadrick the next coming of Jesus, or just a pot-smokin Jesuit
priest of rock? Either way, he's high on life, godfleshing out hanging
chords and melancholic riffs. Drive like Jesu and you're fucked! on
myface |
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LEBANON
@ DON PEDRO'S Final CMJ event for Don Jefe was seeing Lebanon one last time before they flew back to Jersusalem next day. Delicious soup, and excellent animated Cartoon Xprez video above the bar lent to the ambiance and end-of-CMJ vibe. As usual, Lebanon were a great experience, with the 3 guitarists wandering the Don's floor, couches and Pedro's faces. Ole! |
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