Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Harvest Show
Tomorrow night (Jan21,2010, two years before the end) at the Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park, we'll be performing Neil Young's 1972 classic "Harvest" in its complete entirety. Hopefully you can make it out. We'll have some exclusive, one night only t-shirt designs that are bound to go fast. See ya'll there.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Grrrrowlers
I just got their record in the mail today. Wowsas wowsas wowsas. See you guys in New York on Valentines day. www.myspace.com/lbcgrowlers
The Growlers - Little Miss Jack from Uriel Santiago on Vimeo.
The Growlers (Acid Rain) from jack Coleman on Vimeo.
As for the slAmboys, we're gonna be practicing tomorrow for the big Harvest show on January 21st and then taking some promo shots in my basement.
Sangha, originally uploaded by RonnocRegrebneffe.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Douchebag: 1st Entry
A Künstlerroman ("artist's novel", German pronunciation: [ˈkʏnstlɐ.roˌmaːn]; plural -ane) is a specific sub-genre of Bildungsroman; it is a novel about an artist's growth to maturity. Such novels often depict the struggles of a sensitive youth against the values of a bourgeois society of his or her time.
I'll save us both the time by not explaining why that word amuses me.
I wish I could tell you that I've been really pouring over this entry these past few days and not dicking around watching netflix movies, I wish i could say that. It's been a good long while and there's been a whole lot of something going on these past few months, and with our record release but breaths away I figured it would probably be a good idea for us guys to actually use this blog. Do some promoting, prove we're not musical robots. The usual. And as the voice of Black America, I figured it was my responsibility to do my part here; so here we go.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times -
It was last Friday.
Picture it: Sicily, The Saint - The place that bore us and gave us more shows than we can count. We were booked to play at Rick Barry's Holiday Hangover. It had been awhile since we last played there and from what I'd been told it was supposedly a pretty big deal. I was still nursing a beat up body and a shiner from Monday's Gogol Bordello show, everyone else was hung over from a pretty heavy shit show week and Connor somehow found his way back from the most epic NYE party ever. but all in all we found a way to slap ourselves together after a two week break and get to work.
Now if you told me that someone out there figured out a way to sprinkle southern rock and shoegaze onto a voice smoother than warm horchata, I'd tell you to fuck off but All The Tired Horses pulled it off and the world is a bit better for it.
We were on second to a surprisingly packed room and save for a few soft sour moments here and there I think we did pretty ok. I totally meant to lose the strap and almost drop my bass. I did. Its called performance art. I'm a showman. I wear $100 jeans. I like to shave smooth. All and all a solid set from four guys who hadn't been in the same room, or state, together for the better part of two week. Its a bittersweet feeling having all these awesome b-sides and non-album tracks on our setlist, knowing that the closer we get to record release the less we'll be playing them. We've been busy boys.
We cleaned up pretty nice. soon enough Rick Barry and his men took the stage. I've seen Rick Barry play solo a few times and its always really good. Strong, deep lyrics that don't completely stray away from pop sensibilities; but I've never seen him with a full backing band and I must say I was really impressed with not only the individual talent of each member but with how tight they were as a band and how well they meshed together. There is nothing sloppy about Rick Barry and The Forget-Me-Nows and I respect that. These guys fucking practice. Plus for about five minutes I was pretty sure Uncle Joey was playing Keys and that's always a plus for any band.
Let me say with no insult or exaggeration that Mr Rick Barry has a phenomenal mustache. It takes time and energy and real dedication to groom something like that and I've said on more than one occasion that I wish that his mustache would read me bedtime stories or tell me about the one time it got smashed on blotter acid and hit on Kim Deal at Lollapalooza in the 90s while I drink warm horchata. One Day.
One Day.
I'd like the mustache to be voiced by Morgan Freeman.
But its not a deal breaker.
River City Extension.
These guys make me feel bad for playing music because I know nothing I do will be nearly as good as what they do. Imagine Arcade Fire relocated to the shores of Mexico. Time and time again I'm blown away by the sheer intensity of their live show. Their infectious rhythms. Everything. I like what these guys do. They don't have a heavy-handed agenda. I like that.
There was a moment during the show when they started playing this song, I forget the name but I distinctly remember it about going south for the winter. Now it started with Joe, the singer and acoustic guitarist, playing by himself a rhythm and chord progression that left hints of Crane Wife on my tongue. At this point I was ready to call shenanigans on this guy but suddenly the rest of the band just exploded into the moment and took the song someplace indescribable. And for the briefest moth flutter of a moment I saw everything. The big picture. And for that moment, everything was fuller and brighter than it had ever been. Needless to say I haven't felt that at a live show in a good long while and I doubt I will again any time soon.
The rest of the set didn't taper off from there. It got better. Even if you've never heard them before I defy to see them live and not find something primal rise in you.
I defy you not to move.
All in all it was the best night of music Asbury Park had seen in a good long while.
But the past seems like a distant place, and I'm pleased with that.
Its time for the future, to talk of new and better things. Our debut album "Everything Between The Moon & The Sun" is set for release in about 6 weeks and we're all really pumped for it. I wanna thank anyone and everyone who was ever remotely involved in this project. You're champions, gods among insects. Don't forget that. I also just wanna throw this out there; Guns and Roses' Chinese Democracy beat us to the shelves how did that happen? At least we got this thing knocked out before Ben Gibbard could put out another Postal Service album.
At least we beat Duke Nukem Forever.
One last thing about Rick Barry; we've sorted out the details, the mustache will be voiced by John Turturro. Stay tuned for further developments.
I'll leave you with this one last note; Sometimes the only thing you need in this world is an enigmatic cowboy who speaks in non-sequiturs and has a staring problem.
Do what it do, Do it big.
Manny
The Amboys
I'll save us both the time by not explaining why that word amuses me.
I wish I could tell you that I've been really pouring over this entry these past few days and not dicking around watching netflix movies, I wish i could say that. It's been a good long while and there's been a whole lot of something going on these past few months, and with our record release but breaths away I figured it would probably be a good idea for us guys to actually use this blog. Do some promoting, prove we're not musical robots. The usual. And as the voice of Black America, I figured it was my responsibility to do my part here; so here we go.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times -
It was last Friday.
Picture it: Sicily, The Saint - The place that bore us and gave us more shows than we can count. We were booked to play at Rick Barry's Holiday Hangover. It had been awhile since we last played there and from what I'd been told it was supposedly a pretty big deal. I was still nursing a beat up body and a shiner from Monday's Gogol Bordello show, everyone else was hung over from a pretty heavy shit show week and Connor somehow found his way back from the most epic NYE party ever. but all in all we found a way to slap ourselves together after a two week break and get to work.
Now if you told me that someone out there figured out a way to sprinkle southern rock and shoegaze onto a voice smoother than warm horchata, I'd tell you to fuck off but All The Tired Horses pulled it off and the world is a bit better for it.
We were on second to a surprisingly packed room and save for a few soft sour moments here and there I think we did pretty ok. I totally meant to lose the strap and almost drop my bass. I did. Its called performance art. I'm a showman. I wear $100 jeans. I like to shave smooth. All and all a solid set from four guys who hadn't been in the same room, or state, together for the better part of two week. Its a bittersweet feeling having all these awesome b-sides and non-album tracks on our setlist, knowing that the closer we get to record release the less we'll be playing them. We've been busy boys.
We cleaned up pretty nice. soon enough Rick Barry and his men took the stage. I've seen Rick Barry play solo a few times and its always really good. Strong, deep lyrics that don't completely stray away from pop sensibilities; but I've never seen him with a full backing band and I must say I was really impressed with not only the individual talent of each member but with how tight they were as a band and how well they meshed together. There is nothing sloppy about Rick Barry and The Forget-Me-Nows and I respect that. These guys fucking practice. Plus for about five minutes I was pretty sure Uncle Joey was playing Keys and that's always a plus for any band.
Let me say with no insult or exaggeration that Mr Rick Barry has a phenomenal mustache. It takes time and energy and real dedication to groom something like that and I've said on more than one occasion that I wish that his mustache would read me bedtime stories or tell me about the one time it got smashed on blotter acid and hit on Kim Deal at Lollapalooza in the 90s while I drink warm horchata. One Day.
One Day.
I'd like the mustache to be voiced by Morgan Freeman.
But its not a deal breaker.
River City Extension.
These guys make me feel bad for playing music because I know nothing I do will be nearly as good as what they do. Imagine Arcade Fire relocated to the shores of Mexico. Time and time again I'm blown away by the sheer intensity of their live show. Their infectious rhythms. Everything. I like what these guys do. They don't have a heavy-handed agenda. I like that.
There was a moment during the show when they started playing this song, I forget the name but I distinctly remember it about going south for the winter. Now it started with Joe, the singer and acoustic guitarist, playing by himself a rhythm and chord progression that left hints of Crane Wife on my tongue. At this point I was ready to call shenanigans on this guy but suddenly the rest of the band just exploded into the moment and took the song someplace indescribable. And for the briefest moth flutter of a moment I saw everything. The big picture. And for that moment, everything was fuller and brighter than it had ever been. Needless to say I haven't felt that at a live show in a good long while and I doubt I will again any time soon.
The rest of the set didn't taper off from there. It got better. Even if you've never heard them before I defy to see them live and not find something primal rise in you.
I defy you not to move.
All in all it was the best night of music Asbury Park had seen in a good long while.
But the past seems like a distant place, and I'm pleased with that.
Its time for the future, to talk of new and better things. Our debut album "Everything Between The Moon & The Sun" is set for release in about 6 weeks and we're all really pumped for it. I wanna thank anyone and everyone who was ever remotely involved in this project. You're champions, gods among insects. Don't forget that. I also just wanna throw this out there; Guns and Roses' Chinese Democracy beat us to the shelves how did that happen? At least we got this thing knocked out before Ben Gibbard could put out another Postal Service album.
At least we beat Duke Nukem Forever.
One last thing about Rick Barry; we've sorted out the details, the mustache will be voiced by John Turturro. Stay tuned for further developments.
I'll leave you with this one last note; Sometimes the only thing you need in this world is an enigmatic cowboy who speaks in non-sequiturs and has a staring problem.
Do what it do, Do it big.
Manny
The Amboys
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
a whole lotta something going on
Now here we are in the new year. 2010, or as some would call it 2 years before the end. Until then, we'll be starting off the new year with tons of GIANT shows, like the one on February 2nd with Those Darlins! We'll also be gearing up for our record release party in celebration of our first CD "Everything Between the Moon & The Sun" You'll be able to find it on iTunes, at any of our shows, and through our upcoming mail order system.
I'd also like to take some time to thank a few people in the area. First off, Billy and Race, you guys have been doing a lot for us and we appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine. We'll always have you dudes in our mind when we're wiping our asses with endangered animal toilet paper. Thank you to Loura for finding time to take pictures of our shows. Thank you to River City Extension for being unbelievable and truly representing what live music is supposed to entail. Thank you to my family and friends who have been amazing at making it out to our shows since the beginning and showing nothing but support. Thank you to Dutch for being the best salesman in the world and sometimes caring about this band more than anyone else is. Thanks to everyone that sent me songs (James Black, Pat O'Brien) for my final project in public speaking. Thank you Matt and Mike for being my favorite friends from too far away. Thanks to Luke for making the most amazing music and throwing the most incredible party ever on New Years. If only everyone else could have one beard hair of your knowledge, this world would be a better place. I can't wait for the next album "Samsara 2, The End Of Days". Eric, you're doing some inspiring things. I can't wait for you to come home and get droned to shit. Lawrence, you're a world class travel mate and one of the best people I know. The Buick misses that Cuban tuckus. Thank you to Kyle for being a world class friend, Chris for writing the songs to get us all to this point, and Manny for always keeping me on my toes, whether its parking a car in an ice patch for teaching me more about po(o)p culture than I had ever wanted to know.
I know this year is going to lead to only bigger and better things, but if it doesn't, I'm happy to be here now. On behalf of The Amboys, thank you everyone and we cant wait to see you all very soon!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Recap of the Wave Gathering Festival by Gary Wien
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Back in the day, I used to judge how good Dramarama shows were by how much my body hurt the next night. I think I'm going to start judging Wave Festivals that way as well. In this case, my body really, really hurt for two days after the festival, which meant I had a pretty good time! The Wave Festival has been a favorite of mine since it made its debut four years ago. Each year seems to get better and better. I remember thinking last year that the festival had arrived when people still hung out despite an afternoon of rain... well, this year people hung out in spite of rain throughout Saturday and Sunday. An impressive feat if you ask me.
The rain changed things a bit as networking seemed a bit less than in previous years and the focus on music seemed a little higher. The outdoor stage on Saturday was a new twist and would definitely have had bigger crowds with sunshine, but, if nothing else, the rain showed just how important the Wave Festival is to many of us who stood out in the rain for hours enjoying the music.
I spent much of the festival with my friend Lazlo of Blowupradio.com - while, we have different tastes in music, I think there were a few bands we both enjoyed seeing. I know he really liked catching The Amboys, one I think is one of the best bands in the area. It sounds like he also was glad to catch some of the artists performing at the Twisted Tree Cafe's open mic - many of whom were alumni of my Twisted Covers shows.
All in all, I think I probably saw roughly 50-60 artists including 20 I had never seen before. Of those, there were only two acts that I was really disappointed in; the rest were well worth my time. I guess my scouting report before the festival was spot on as I had an incredible three days. There was a lot of walking up and down Cookman Avenue and across to the Saint for me. I never made it to the boardwalk or the Lanes, but still managed to see shows in roughly 15 different venues. The multiple venues all within walking distance is one of my favorite things about this festival. I sort of agree with those who suggest the festival simply focus on the Cookman / Saint areas to make everything walkable. I think that makes for a very good experience, if you don't like an act just head to a different venue.
For me, the Wave is always a blend of artists I love from the local area, great touring artists I don't get a chance to see very often, plenty of artists I'm seeing for the first time, and simply getting a chance to hang out with musicians, music fans, and industry folk that rarely get a chance to see each other. It's something I look forward to each year.
Highlights from Friday for me include the Highlines - a tremendous band out of Los Angeles that closed out the night at the Saint; catching Cara Salimando for the first time and Roland Eckstein, a local artist that I hadn't heard of before; Chris Ayer from New York City who blew everyone away with his set (and who reminded me of Sean Penn through my camera lense); Domenick Carino and Laura Warshauer at Synaxis; Howard Jennings and Joe Whyte at Old Man Rafferty's; and Keith Monacchio in front of an amazing crowd outside Market in the Middle with a mini Commons reunion.
Saturday's highlights include the outdoor stage where Christine Martucci, Matt O'Ree, Outside The Box, The Reveling, Val Emmich, and Red Wanting Blue all had great sets. The rain held off from Outside the Box until the last song or two by Red Wanting Blue, but then poured so much that they moved Status Green into a wall-to-wall packed Mattison Park.
Other highlights on Saturday included Lisa Bianco and Agency at Market In The Middle and Mike Errico and Ari Hest at Synaxis. Synaxis is a pretty big venue that can be disappointing with a sparse crowd, but there was a good crowd for both of these artists. Unfortunately, the sound for Alex Brumel and Janel Elizabeth (who followed Ari Hest) did not do justice to the duo. On Sunday when I heard the Writers In Progress show at The Showroom I realized that The Showroom would have been the perfect venue for them. The sound within that place was superb.
Sunday began with brunch at Market in the Middle and the sweet sounds of The Soul Project. From there I caught many of my favorite local artists - The Amboys, Tunnels to Holland, Arlan Feiles, Eryn Shewell Band, Jerzy Jung, and Tommy Fuller. I also caught Stacie Rose for the first time after spinning her tunes on the radio station for several years. And the biggest treat had to be seeing The Queen Killing Kings, a high-energy band from New Haven, CT that features two keyboards playing extremely fast pop/rock tunes.
I'll never forget watching Keith McCarthy's excitement as Outside The Box pulled out a classic rock cover that's rarely heard on stage; Jo Wymer fighting through an emotional song about the passing of her parents as the bus roared by with a bellowing "Asbury Park" yelled by the driver (ironically, that didn't screw her up but the sight of Cook Smith did!); Matt O'Ree apologizing for the rain from the outside stage by saying, "Sorry about the rain. It's probably our fault somehow, it always rains when we play outside."; Alice Leon stopping in the middle of her set to have everyone look outside where the sun had begun shining for the first time; Gordon Brown with a guitar in his hand again during the closing party set of Jerzy Jung; and the surprise sets that filled the TBA spots like Anthony Fiumano and Tommy Strazza playing at Synaxis or Arlan Feiles during the open mic at Twisted Tree Cafe. Sometimes the things not on the schedule were among the coolest things.
There were a lot of bands I wanted to see but couldn't for one reason or another. That's always the problem with festivals - just too much good stuff going on at the same time. Still, part of the fun is trying to see as much music as you possibly can. I'd say I saw just about as many artists as I was planning to see.
The one really disappointing thing for me was the closing party. It just didn't seem as fun at the Saint as it was in previous yeasr at the Stone Pony or Wonder Bar. It seemed too much like just another show night rather than the networking wind down / celebration that we've had in the past. Regardless, I'm hoping that the Wave continues to grow and get better each year, it's definitely well on its way to being a top notch festival and I'm already looking forward to next year!
Best bands you didn't see: Highlines & The Queen Killing Kings
Best singer-songwriters you probably missed: Cara Salimando & Roland Eckstein
Best original songs: "Alibi" by Red Wanting Blue & "I Don't Know" by Eryn Shewell Band
Best cover songs: The Amboys with a blistering take on "Road to Nowhere" by The Talking Heads & Joshua Van Ness with Springsteen's "Mary, Queen of Arkansas"
Best venue/band combinations: The Eryn Shewell Band at Mattison Park & Red Wanting Blue on the outdoor stage
Best outdoor show: Keith Monacchio outside Market in the Middle (the set and the crowd were what the Wave is all about imo)
Best new venue: The Showroom (without a doubt)
Favorite overall moments: Seeing Red Wanting Blue on the big outdoor stage & watching Gordon Brown back on stage with Jerzy Jung
And on the flip side...
Worst scheduling: - Having "Writers in Progress" & "Songwriters By The Sea" both scheduled at the same time
Worst supplies: - Cheap paper wristbands that weren't supposed to come off for three days...
The rain changed things a bit as networking seemed a bit less than in previous years and the focus on music seemed a little higher. The outdoor stage on Saturday was a new twist and would definitely have had bigger crowds with sunshine, but, if nothing else, the rain showed just how important the Wave Festival is to many of us who stood out in the rain for hours enjoying the music.
I spent much of the festival with my friend Lazlo of Blowupradio.com - while, we have different tastes in music, I think there were a few bands we both enjoyed seeing. I know he really liked catching The Amboys, one I think is one of the best bands in the area. It sounds like he also was glad to catch some of the artists performing at the Twisted Tree Cafe's open mic - many of whom were alumni of my Twisted Covers shows.
All in all, I think I probably saw roughly 50-60 artists including 20 I had never seen before. Of those, there were only two acts that I was really disappointed in; the rest were well worth my time. I guess my scouting report before the festival was spot on as I had an incredible three days. There was a lot of walking up and down Cookman Avenue and across to the Saint for me. I never made it to the boardwalk or the Lanes, but still managed to see shows in roughly 15 different venues. The multiple venues all within walking distance is one of my favorite things about this festival. I sort of agree with those who suggest the festival simply focus on the Cookman / Saint areas to make everything walkable. I think that makes for a very good experience, if you don't like an act just head to a different venue.
For me, the Wave is always a blend of artists I love from the local area, great touring artists I don't get a chance to see very often, plenty of artists I'm seeing for the first time, and simply getting a chance to hang out with musicians, music fans, and industry folk that rarely get a chance to see each other. It's something I look forward to each year.
Highlights from Friday for me include the Highlines - a tremendous band out of Los Angeles that closed out the night at the Saint; catching Cara Salimando for the first time and Roland Eckstein, a local artist that I hadn't heard of before; Chris Ayer from New York City who blew everyone away with his set (and who reminded me of Sean Penn through my camera lense); Domenick Carino and Laura Warshauer at Synaxis; Howard Jennings and Joe Whyte at Old Man Rafferty's; and Keith Monacchio in front of an amazing crowd outside Market in the Middle with a mini Commons reunion.
Saturday's highlights include the outdoor stage where Christine Martucci, Matt O'Ree, Outside The Box, The Reveling, Val Emmich, and Red Wanting Blue all had great sets. The rain held off from Outside the Box until the last song or two by Red Wanting Blue, but then poured so much that they moved Status Green into a wall-to-wall packed Mattison Park.
Other highlights on Saturday included Lisa Bianco and Agency at Market In The Middle and Mike Errico and Ari Hest at Synaxis. Synaxis is a pretty big venue that can be disappointing with a sparse crowd, but there was a good crowd for both of these artists. Unfortunately, the sound for Alex Brumel and Janel Elizabeth (who followed Ari Hest) did not do justice to the duo. On Sunday when I heard the Writers In Progress show at The Showroom I realized that The Showroom would have been the perfect venue for them. The sound within that place was superb.
Sunday began with brunch at Market in the Middle and the sweet sounds of The Soul Project. From there I caught many of my favorite local artists - The Amboys, Tunnels to Holland, Arlan Feiles, Eryn Shewell Band, Jerzy Jung, and Tommy Fuller. I also caught Stacie Rose for the first time after spinning her tunes on the radio station for several years. And the biggest treat had to be seeing The Queen Killing Kings, a high-energy band from New Haven, CT that features two keyboards playing extremely fast pop/rock tunes.
I'll never forget watching Keith McCarthy's excitement as Outside The Box pulled out a classic rock cover that's rarely heard on stage; Jo Wymer fighting through an emotional song about the passing of her parents as the bus roared by with a bellowing "Asbury Park" yelled by the driver (ironically, that didn't screw her up but the sight of Cook Smith did!); Matt O'Ree apologizing for the rain from the outside stage by saying, "Sorry about the rain. It's probably our fault somehow, it always rains when we play outside."; Alice Leon stopping in the middle of her set to have everyone look outside where the sun had begun shining for the first time; Gordon Brown with a guitar in his hand again during the closing party set of Jerzy Jung; and the surprise sets that filled the TBA spots like Anthony Fiumano and Tommy Strazza playing at Synaxis or Arlan Feiles during the open mic at Twisted Tree Cafe. Sometimes the things not on the schedule were among the coolest things.
There were a lot of bands I wanted to see but couldn't for one reason or another. That's always the problem with festivals - just too much good stuff going on at the same time. Still, part of the fun is trying to see as much music as you possibly can. I'd say I saw just about as many artists as I was planning to see.
The one really disappointing thing for me was the closing party. It just didn't seem as fun at the Saint as it was in previous yeasr at the Stone Pony or Wonder Bar. It seemed too much like just another show night rather than the networking wind down / celebration that we've had in the past. Regardless, I'm hoping that the Wave continues to grow and get better each year, it's definitely well on its way to being a top notch festival and I'm already looking forward to next year!
Best bands you didn't see: Highlines & The Queen Killing Kings
Best singer-songwriters you probably missed: Cara Salimando & Roland Eckstein
Best original songs: "Alibi" by Red Wanting Blue & "I Don't Know" by Eryn Shewell Band
Best cover songs: The Amboys with a blistering take on "Road to Nowhere" by The Talking Heads & Joshua Van Ness with Springsteen's "Mary, Queen of Arkansas"
Best venue/band combinations: The Eryn Shewell Band at Mattison Park & Red Wanting Blue on the outdoor stage
Best outdoor show: Keith Monacchio outside Market in the Middle (the set and the crowd were what the Wave is all about imo)
Best new venue: The Showroom (without a doubt)
Favorite overall moments: Seeing Red Wanting Blue on the big outdoor stage & watching Gordon Brown back on stage with Jerzy Jung
And on the flip side...
Worst scheduling: - Having "Writers in Progress" & "Songwriters By The Sea" both scheduled at the same time
Worst supplies: - Cheap paper wristbands that weren't supposed to come off for three days...
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