Rocker Stalker

The month of April is winding down, and looking back, it’s been a great 30 days for music. Three weeks in a row, New York was entertained by Black Taxi at Rockwood Music Hall, who were accompanied by an array of phenomenal bands from in and out of town.

Week 1 did more than warm up the month, as  Austin’s The Frontier Brothers and Albany’s Wild Adriatic framed Black Taxi in a solid and invigorating night of music.

Week 2 blew me away. Black Taxi’s dear friend and musical compatriot, Joseph King of Deadbeat Darling graced the stage, and Dallas-Fort Worth’s kick ass trio, The Phuss, brought the house down.

Closing night, Black Taxi was joined by another Dallas band, this time, dancey and electro-infused Ishi (Their front man has excellent taste in head dresses.) and the  playful and uplifting Modern Electric from Cleveland.

Reminiscing commence:

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It’s not often that the Lower East Side gets hit by a tornado, but this past weekend, Dallas-Fort Worth’s  The Phuss took NYC by storm on their first tour to our fair city.  I told them personally they were probably one of the louder acts to come through in a long time, but loud in a great way. The Phuss’s three dynamic members combine forces to produce raucous,  riff-ridden rock infused with punk intensity, heavy bass, driving rhythms, and  plenty of well-perfected, signature shrieks.

The trio spent the weekend pounding the stage at Pianos on Saturday and playing alongside, let’s just say, an interesting line-up on Sunday evening at Otto’s Shrunken Head in the East Village (There are a couple videos below!).  The Phuss gentlemen are headed south again, gigging along the way, so be sure to check them out if they’re passing through. In the meantime, their self-titled record is out for consumption, and I’m officially addicted.  Get ready to get rowdy  to my top picks, “Strike You Down,” “One for Now Three for Later, ” and “Bleed.”

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On Saturday, April 14, Lights Resolve released a product that looks as amazing as their music sounds and celebrated with an impressive turnout at Bowery Electric.  The show escalated as the band played some “oldies” from the trio’s first few EP’s, which were chosen by fan votes prior to the show,  and by the end, audience members were onstage stealing microphones, shouting profanities, and shaking both tambourines and their moneymakers.

The Feel Your Different vinyl is a pretty stunning piece of work, and it comes with a free download code just in case you don’t have a record player or a copy of the CD. So many options to enjoy! I plan to frame and hang my copy alongside my other LR memorabilia. Are action figures next?

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Friday the 13th turned out to be pretty lucky as Austin’s Frontier Brothers joined forces with NYC’s Hollis Brown at Pianos.  The venue was packed, almost to the point of claustrophobic, but it was a high-energy gig that was a perfect way to start my long weekend of music.  

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Tonight is a jam-packed, back-to-back, rock ‘n roll marathon. In other words, I’M PUMPED!

It’s never too early to start rocking and rolling, and you can warm up at the LES favorite, Pianos, with a “matinee” show with my new favorite band, Dallas-based, hard-hitting, and punk-infused trio, The Phuss. Catch them while you can, as they’ll be traveling back to TX in no time! They take the stage at 7pm!  21+, $10

Also in the hard-hitting department, NY’s Social Hero shreds and helps their dear rockin’ compatriots, Isle of Rhodes, celebrate their album release this evening at Fontana’s starting at 8pm.  21+, $10!

Last, but certainly not least, Long Island’s Lights Resolve have a historical  night in the works. They are releasing their 2011 record, Feel You’re Different, on vinyl! Lights Resolve offered some unique items in the “deluxe” packages available for pre-order, including handwritten liner notes mirrored sheets pressed with the band’s blood. Woah. Festivities take place at Bowery Electric and doors are at 7:30pm.  There may still be a handful of tickets left, but advance ticket purchases and packages are waiting at the door for pick-up.

Face-melt commence!

Southern rock and rock from the South come together at the weekend hotspot, Pianos, tonight.  Awesome and animated Austinites, The Frontier Brothers hit the stage with New York’s twangy blues rockers, Hollis Brown.  Both bands have new music in the making, so come catch that material live this evening! Plus, it’ll be a night of “y’all’s!” Doors at 8pm, 21+, $10.

After a tour down South and back, Brooklyn’s Black Taxi returns to treat their home territory to three Thursday residency shows at the intimate and beloved Rockwood Music Hall before hitting the road again. Accompanied by several musical souvenirs, the gig trifecta starts off this TONIGHT, as Black Taxi brings back Austin’s energetic space-rock quartet, The Frontier Brothers, along with Albany’s soulful Wild Adriatic. The second show on April 12 features Fort Worth’s garage rockers, The Phuss, and the acoustic meanderings of Joseph King of NYC’s Deadbeat Darling. The residency finale on April 19 welcomes Dallas-born, folksy and electronic Ishi and Cleveland’s pop act, The Modern Electric. Pick up tickets before each gig, as they will most likely sell out. Doors are at 9pm each week.