I’m kind of a sucker for good pop music, and I’ve been listening to the new Duffy album since that widely read but misanthropic music industry guru Bob Lefsetz exhorted his readers to check out her single “Mercy” several months ago. I wanted to see her on St. Patrick’s Day at Hiro Ballroom, but it coincided with a show down the street from Hiro at Highline – one of my favorite 80’s bands, the Hothouse Flowers.

(Aside: As chance would have it, I left Highline around the same time that Duffy was leaving Hiro. I couldn’t resist a paparazzi moment.)

I love “Rockferry,” start to finish, but then again, a) I love Dusty Springfield, Lulu and Nancy Sinatra, and b) I think I might be getting old. If you can get over the ironic hipster in you, and the hipster-druggie tragedy that is Amy Swinehouse, and ride the wave of 60’s-styled British soulsters that the UK is churning out, there is something really enjoyable about this nod to the past. Although, my fandom did not extend to making an effort to catch her at the Apollo, my finger hovered over the “Purchase Now” button on Ticketmaster, and I closed the window. But then I heard she was doing an in-store appearance at Virgin Megastore I decided to pop in for a listen and some photos.

I WISH I’d gotten a shot of the little 10 year old boy who was literally weeping outside the store to meet Duffy. I want to be friends with that kid and go to shows when he’s old enough.

As luck would have it, I ran into a neighbor of mine – I live WAY uptown, so this was strange. My neighbor isn’t much of a music buff, but was drawn in to the excitement of an impromptu live show. I thought it was interesting to talk to someone who wasn’t steeped in the hype, and the detractors, and the musically savvy rhetoric and trends, etc, etc, etc. She said to me, after Duffy was finished, “Wow, she’s like a young Janis Joplin.” Another great belter to compare her to.

 

Local party promoters Global Frequencies will present six summertime boat parties—dubbed the Righteous and The Wicked Boat Party—between May 24 and September 21 aboard the 430-capacity Star of Palm Beach. The promoters promise the four-hour shindigs will be high on fun and low on drama and bad vibes. Tickets will set you back a mere $25, and you’ll get to soak in the glorious view of the Brooklyn Bridge as you shake your moneymaker. Audiophiles and trainspotters can rest assured: Mansion’s sound guru Mark Divine will be, ahem, on board to make sure the DJ’s beats sound proper. “I am installing a sound system utilizing the most current technology available—a four-point full range stack system that any top DJ would want to DJ on," he promises. Hometown heroes John Creamer & Stephane K will kick off the maiden voyage on May 24. Luke Fair and James Talk will spin the Father’s Day bash on June 15, and more talent will be announced shortly on GF’s site.

The upcoming Olympic Games in August are a marketer’s wet dream, with limitless opportunity to reach millions of people with one message. New York’s Ultra Records announced on Friday it is a partner in Coca-Cola’s upcoming WE8 bottle campaign, a promotion that celebrates Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. The mega soft drink brand paired nine musicians from Ultra’s roster—Tiësto, Benny Benassi, Kaskade, Jes, Serge Devant, Lucas Prata, Cezar and Jay-J—with Chinese visual artists who developed special aluminum bottles that celebrate eight global themes: Happiness, Peace on Earth, Uplifting Moments, Human Collaboration, Individual Perseverance, Global Harmony (pictured), Active Optimism, Healthy World. The art-and-music project is offering DRM free music downloads on the WE8 microsite, and the limited-edition bottles will be available for $75.

While it’s a notable accomplishment for an indie record label’s artists to be included in an international promotion undertaken by a major brand, the milestone is bittersweet. All of the Games’ corporate sponsors (including the Atlanta-based giant) have come under attack by celebrities, human-rights activists and organizations like Dream For Darfur who’ve dubbed the event the “Genocide Olympics,” due to China’s dismal record on human rights record, Tibet policy and relationships with the Sudanese government and military junta in Burma. Though Coca-Cola says it has a policy of not meddling in international affairs and has reportedly done important humanitarian work in Africa (including Darfur), brace yourself for more push and pull on this thorny issue in the coming weeks.

I’ve never understood why Frank Sinatra was a star. Compared to many of his contemporaries, he couldn’t sing very well, starred in a lot of bad movies and was a bona fide jerk to many of those around him. He also recorded the utterly horrible “New York, New York,” another tune I need to add to the list of songs I never want to hear again. And there was also that horrible wig he wore in later years, which looked completely daft.

After someone at the United States Post Office got the bright idea to raise the price of a first-class stamp to $.42 on May 12, they also decided to pay homage to Sinatra by giving Ol’ Blue Eyes his own stamp.

On Tuesday, there’s going to be a ceremony in Midtown honoring the late singer. Sinatra’s children, Nancy and Frank Sinatra Jr., will be on hand for the dedication, as will bigwigs from the USPS and Rep. José E. Serrano (D-NY), a lifelong Sinatra fan who learned to speak English from listening to his father's Sinatra records. Another event will be held in Las Vegas featuring Tina Sinatra and stamp artist Kazuhiko Sano.

The ceremony you’ll really want to avoid will be at 3pm at Pier A Park at 1st Street and Frank Sinatra Drive near the Frank Sinatra Post Office in Hoboken. A 10-ft. image of the stamp will be unveiled with the New York City skyline in the background. It's enough to make anyone go postal.

Bill Baird from {{Sunset}}

In 2006 I happily told anyone who would listen to me that Sound Team put out the best album of the year. I dragged friends to their shows. I made them listen to "Movie Monster" over and over. I forwarded their hilarious YouTube clip to everyone after Pitchfork gave them a measly 3.7 (.7!!!) out of 10, and vowed to never pay attention to them (Pitchfork) again. I'm a bombastic music fan and a big bully, what can I say? Sadly the band broke up last year, but the people I managed to convert still ask me if I know what happened to them... Well, folks, I do. Some of the band members re-convened to form {{Sunset}} and I'm thrilled to report that I have a new band to browbeat my friends with. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, go see them at Piano's on Sunday, or at Trash Bar in Williamsburg on Monday...they're also recording a show for NYU's radio station on Sunday afternoon.

 

Last night I stayed up way past my bedtime to go to a show at Arlene's Grocery, a club that hasn't booked anything I've wanted to see in at least 7 years. I'm an old curmudgeon-- more often than not I'll opt for bed rather than to put myself out -- so last night was unusual. For the right band, I'll make the effort, even if they're playing after midnight at a terrible venue. I had a nice dinner with a friend in the neighborhood (thanks for keeping me company, Catonia!), and a few drinks at the bar at the Living Room (thanks, Karen!), and finally I'd killed enough time to head over to the dreaded Arlene's. Unfortunately, my timing was off, and the band playing just before {{Sunset}} were no where near finished playing the worst kind of Bleecker street bar band music. I went outside to chain smoke and wait... Pretty soon, a group of guys with lots of gear, boxes of gadgets and lots of keyboards, cut a path through the boisterous Long Island crowd streaming out of Arlene's in satin shirts and Kenny G hair and a veritable forest of soul patches, and I thought, "AHA!"

Not your average Arlene's rockers, they wear glasses for goodness sake!

{{Sunset}} don't really sound anything like Sound Team, and yet at the same time they do. In a way, it's like the music was written by the way cooler older cousins of Sound Team...in 1979. Fronted by the energetic Bill Baird, the band produce a strange mix of psychedelic folk, mixed with Brian Eno getting high with the Beach Boys and curating a collection of found sounds. There's a lot of minimalist white noise from 3 organs with an underlying, rollicking drumline in some songs, and mysterious twinkly percussion in others. The vocals range from droning baritone to a reedy tenor, with nearly everyone in the 6-piece band adding a voice at some point...melodies that switch back and forth between sweet and pretty and completely tuneless.

At 67, music icon Neil Diamond (ask your parents) shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the guitar man/balladeer known for classics like “Sweet Caroline” released his brand new album, Home Before Dark, on Tuesday. Even if you aren’t familiar with his music, take a step back and consider the magnitude of his career: 125 million records sold worldwide, 36 Top 40 hits, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, thousands of sold-out shows all over the globe. Who wouldn’t kill for numbers like these?

In order to promote his new release (his second collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin), Diamond (aka The Jewish Elvis, The Jazz Singer) has been making the rounds on TV shows like American Idol. Tonight he will perform a special free MySpace Secret Show tonight at The Bitter End on Bleeker Street. While Diamond’s NYC show isn’t so secret, his new songs are indeed worth checking out. Not only does Diamond’s voice sound as strong as ever, his new songs (which feature guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benchmont Tench, bassist/guitarist Smokey Hormel and axeman Matt Sweeney) also has a great duet with Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines, “Another Day (That Time Forgot)." What’s next for the songman? A 37-city North American tour, which kicks off on July 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota, of course.

With Republican and Democratic conventions just a few months away, you can bet all of the candidate’s strategy teams have short-listed Diamond’s patriotic anthem “Coming to America” as their campaign theme song.

Famed artist Keith Haring, a fixture on New York City’s art scene in the ‘80s—would’ve turned 50 on Sunday. Known for his graffiti and drawings in the subways, as well as painting murals around the city and the world, his artistic style continues to influence and remain synonymous of a bygone era.

Since his death due to AIDS in 1990, the Keith Haring Foundation has supported various children’s organizations and has done a lot of good work. In a nice way of remembering Haring, his gallery (the Deitch Project) and foundation hired a group of artists to recreate one of the master’s Day-Glo mural on Houston Street and the Bowery. The artists will use photographs of the original and paint samples recovered from the site to resurrect the work.

Legendary NYC DJs Louie Vega and Junior Vasquez will remember Haring on Sunday night at Pacha when the two old school turntable maestros team up for a benefit party. Advance tickets are $20 and it’s $30 at the door. All door proceeds will benefit AIDS Walk New York. If you possibly need one more reason to attend, then you should know there will be an open bar from 9-10pm.

I loathe Alicia Keys’ “Falling.” While there are far worse tunes, my personal dislike—no, hatred!—stems from hearing this song one zillion times too many. Given its a capella intro, the song is now the obligatory audition track for every female singer hoping to demonstrate their vocal chops, replacing Jennifer Holliday’s far superior “And I’m Telling You.” To hear “Falling” sung badly so many times has rendered a permanent gash on my psyche.

While I maintain my irrevocable personal feelings toward the song, there’s good news for every aspiring diva: Ms. Keys (who hails from NYC) is looking for a new background singer. Interested vocalists are asked to submit a 30-second or larger video of themselves singing an original a capella to Keys’ MySpace page by May 5 (the winner will be announced on May 15). And don’t even think about sending a clip of yourself singing that dreadful, aforementioned number! Here are the rules: “Qualifications include being a female between the ages 21-30 with R&B/Soul singing experience. Contestant must also have a valid passport, and must be physically fit and able to dance.” Able to dance? How unfair. After all, a lack of moves didn’t stop this 11-time Grammy award winner from becoming a superstar.

By Frank Deserto
Photo Credit: Natalie Kocsis

Three cheers for NYC darlings A Place to Bury Strangers! Though astute readers of this blog may have heard hints and quick quips of the band mentioned across countless back entries, there's an explosion of news and interest surrounding them today, as they've just been confirmed as an opener for Nine Inch Nails' upcoming summer tour. The band was hand-picked alongside Crystal Castles, Deerhunter, White Williams, and Does It Offend You, Yeah, to namedrop the other indie-centric acts slated to support NIN's summer excursions.

That's not to say that A Place to Bury Strangers haven't developed a significant amount of interest beforehand, as several SXSW appearances and opening slots supporting the Jesus and Mary Chain, Battles, Holy Fuck, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre have brought the band to high attention with their fuzzy, aggressive brand of darkwave, brandishing them as "the loudest band in New York." Their intense live performances call to mind the experimentation and electronic pulse of Swans and early Wax Trax! recordings, while their fuzzed out overtones suggest devout worship of My Bloody Valentine and the Telescopes.

In testament to the band's sheer sonic force, they obliterated the amplifiers at Crash Mansion just before my band took the stage, much to our hilarity and chagrin. I can even remember a time long before then when their crowds were sparse, the only attendees being the band's girlfriends, management, and myself, so it's hard not to feel like a proud parent when this Brooklyn based outfit lands gigs such as these. Meanwhile, the band garnered tons of attention for their debut release, 2007's self-titled compilation on Killer Pimp records, which gathers ten of their previously self-released recordings onto disc or vinyl, whichever format you prefer...

In further A Place to Bury Strangers news, the band will take to Europe shortly before they join Nine Inch Nails down south, and a limited boxset of 7'' singles is slated for release in early May via Vacancy Records (I've already preordered mine, and I suggest you do the same). For any devout New York City fan with a little travel money in the bank, the upcoming string of A Place to Bury Strangers tour dates can be found below, along with a live rendition of 'Gimme Acid,' recorded last year at Union Pool. If you look closely, you can see yours truly thrashing away in the front. Was I wearing earplugs? Goodness, no.

5.7.08- London, UK: Barfly
5.8.08- London, UK: The Legion
5.9.08- London, UK: Club NME
5.11.08- Camber Sands, UK: ATP v Pitchfork
5.12.08- London, UK: Sonic Cathedral
5.13.08- London, UK: Madame Jo Jo's
5.15.08- Hull, UK: The Welly
5.16.08- Brighton, UK: The Great Escape Fesitval
5.17.08- Leeds, UK: Nastyfest
5.19.08- Glasgow, Scotland: The Captain's Rest
5.20.08- Nottingham, UK: Sonic Cathedral
5.21.08- Birmingham, UK: Jug of Ale
5.22.08- Luton, UK: Club NME- Sub Club
5.24.08- Paris, France: Noveau Casino
5.26.08- Amsterdam: Paradiso
5.28.08- Brussels- Witloof Bar-Botanique
5.29.08- Barcelona, Spain: Primavera
8.15.08- Oklahoma City, OK: Ford Center
8.16.08- Houston, TX: Toyota Center
8.18.08- Dallas, TX: American Airlines Center
8.20.08- St. Louis, MO: Scottrade Center

Thanks to the Limewire crew for the invitation to join the merry band of bloggers here. I'm a girl with a camera, and I'm not afraid to use it.

I've lived in New York for close to 20 years, and in all that time, and all the countless gigs in strange and not so strange places (more on that in another post), I had never ever been inside the Beacon Theater. I'm not really a big show kinda gal, I prefer grittier, dirtier, smaller, etc etc, but given the opportunity I'll pretty much go anywhere. So last night, I had the opportunity, and I busted my Beacon cherry for Goldfrapp, fresh off the boat from Coachella. I'm a total sucker for old fashioned theater theaters, they really give you a sense of occasion when you're out. You totally feel like you should be wearing ribbons in your hair with white tights, a velvet dress and Mary Jane's when you look up and see this:

Nope, that's not Kenny's Castaways, kids.

Back to the music...

Alison Goldfrapp is a drama queen, and I mean that in the best possible way. My gawd, the woman can belt...with this setting and her voice, for a second I thought I was in that crazy scene in "The Fifth Element" when the blue, rubbery opera singer is giving it her all right before the weird, pig creatures bust in shooting, and Bruce Willis digs "the stones" out of her torso. You know, you know what I mean.

And members of her band were dressed up like Dryad Princess Leias on their way to celebrate the solstice.

And they projected a liquidy, lava lamp light show on rattan screens on the stage. Eye candy!

But one of my favorite parts of the show, aside from the setting, the belting, the lighting and the like, was the fans...

Goodnight, Goldfrapp!