The Good News: A Place to Bury Strangers didn’t blow my ear drums. Even better news, they kicked so much ass. My experiences with APTBS has taken place at either their home turf of Death By Audio or a venue slightly larger. This was the first time I had seen them at a venue of this size. Usually when you go to APTBS show at Death By Audio, the lights are bright, flickering, and — dare I say it — even at times colorful. During some moments of their performance, the band was swathed in a coat of darkness lit only by a film collage projected over them, bringing down the tone of the atmosphere just enough to invite their audience into their ritual. I’m not trying to be cute by using the word “ritual.” I’ve written about the phenomena of their performance many times, stating that what they do is ritualistic like some violent Druid ceremony to heap worship and offerings to their gods. The thrashing of guitars, the wild-eyed look and the intensity of their sound is always refreshing to experience. It separates our world of social networks and computers and the one that is more attuned with the powers of sonic energy. It is a beautiful thing to witness and the band really proved themselves to be capable of headlining any show rather than opening one up.

The Bad News: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Kills just seemed kinda mismatched for this gig. Especially when the first band (APTBS) opens up with such ferocity. How does one follow an act like that? Maybe I didn’t drink enough or was too occupied with dodging photographers while entrenched in the pit. I don’t know. Either way, I was glad to see APTBS again.

FOR PICTURES OF THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART AND THE KILLS, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

An evening of Grandma’s Traditional Style Miso Soup, Rock’n’ Roll, & Yamazaki hosted by Carly Sioux

Thank you for your contribution to Peace Winds Japan!

-More-

Vespertina @ Bowery Poetry Club

(Pictured below: Lorrie Doriza, Insia Malik and Sarah Elizabeth Haines)

Last night, the Clic Bookstore and Gallery located in the Lower East Side housed a multitude of devoted fans and music lovers alike who all gathered to honor and be in the presence of one of music’s greatest chameleon’s, the world renowned singer/ songwriter and DJ, Moby. It was there that he unveiled and launched his latest album, book and photography exhibit, Destroyed.

Composed of photography by the enigmatic artist himself, Moby introduces fans to the often isolating world of touring, travel and time away from the familiar. His photographs set the tone and scene for his album of the same name, and plays like a soundtrack against the diverse imagery, all the while reflecting on Moby’s talented eye for the aesthetic. Both earnest and thought-provoking, Moby’s latest auditory and visual accomplishment is truly a brilliant collaboration to behold. Destroyed the exhibit, will be up for another month at Clic (255  Centre Street).

“Touring is all contrasts and strangeness, and that’s what I’m trying to convey in these pictures.” ~Moby

[CHECK OUT his innovative microsite where you can listen to the album and look at his pictures...it's right over HERE!]

Here it is. A New York City neighborhood amidst its own transformation from dilapidated industrial hub to art center and now a construction site where its future is being wrought from developers and corporations. As graffiti mecca, 5Pointz, faces a struggle to stay alive, the rest of NYC begins to explore what this little neighborhood is capable of.

Although the new nitelife scene has a little ways to go, there are many establishments and galleries that have laid out the seeds for something proper. A class clash is inevitable due to young professionals moving in toward the river with their families, immigrants, and artists — the perfect storm for a thriving scene unlike any in New York.

These pictures are a summary of a changing neighborhood.

Like a deserted beach in the midst of a chilling winter, The Judy Blooms are love and depression; only highs and lows lead by desperate manic vocals pleading over frivolous love and missed connections. Grieving guitars wailing in regret and drums that beat like a breaking heart mold their despondent lullabies of infatuation and self-loathing. Influenced by bands like Nirvana and The Walkmen, The Judy Blooms write romantic anthems for the troubled and the emotionally unavailable. Originally from the Gem City, a proletariat factory hub in Dayton Ohio, The Judy Blooms exert just the right touch of Retro and Grunge smudged in a little elbow grease.

Curious? Check them out Saturday, April 16th at Lit Lounge.

Listen, Befriend and Go!