Archive for the ‘ Music ’ Category

Siren Music Festival at Coney Island

The day was long and hot, which we could ascertain from the sunburned and exhausted Indie kids lying around in heaps all over Coney Island. Pmel and I got to the Siren Music Festival at about 5pm, just missing We Are The Scientists, but in time for M.I.A.

Two stages were constructed with the Cyclone rollercoaster, and the rest of the amusement park, smack in between. The bands alternated between the two stages, so theoretically, no one had to miss a thing. In reality, thousands of people showed up, and although we were there with 20 minutes to spare before M.I.A. came on stage we were so far away that all we got were occasional glimpses of tiny characters jumping around on stage while nothing but bass and occasional whimper could reach us from the speakers.

MIA Crowd

That’s M.I.A. somewhere off in the distance

Although it was quite difficult to hear her, a discerning listener could make out some of the catchy tunes from her 2005 album, Arular and some new songs from her forthcoming album Kala. Unfortunately, she did not play “Galang,” which was the song
that earned her recognition in the U.S. Her performance was similar to being at home listening to her CD. Although we expected a more vibrant performance, hard to blame her for the weak show considering the circumstances. I would prefer and recommend to see her at a smaller venue. Continue reading →

2007
07/28
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CATEGORY
Music
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And there shall be shrieking violence: A review of the Summer Slaughter Tour

Twenty minutes into the show a couple of cops pushed their way through the crowd. A few minutes later a huge bouncer strolled out of the mosh pit with a stiffly moving metalhead clamped tightly by the neck under his arm. The Summer Slaughter Tour was going as expected.

B.B. King’s has taken to hosting metal shows on Sunday nights and July 8th was no exception. I’ve heard of some of the bands that were playing, but I’ve never actually heard any of their stuff before tonight. Ion Dissonance, and The Faceless are going to make a great addition to my music collection. Cattle Decapitation put on an amazing show, but I can only handle so much screeching and roaring before my ears refuse to process the input as musical. Cephalic Carnage and Necrophagist remained unsampled because in the end it does suck that B.B. King’s schedules these mighty fine metal shows for Sunday nights when Monday mornings loom large in the mind of a commuter.

The tour’s reputation must have preceded it, because there were more bouncers in the pit than there were metalheads. And they kept the lights on. Despite the best efforts to keep order, chaos still ensued until the somewhat flabby arm of the bouncer enforced order. The largest of them simply used his bulk to force an exit on whoever happened to be trapped in front of him, completely unable to get around the mighty gut.

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2007
07/12
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CATEGORY
Music
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The Rise of the Hybrid Children: Beatallibangers Unite!

the band

Beatallica on stage, breaking it down.

“What happens when you combine the greatest band of the 60’s with the greatest band from the 80’s? You get the greatest band of the 21st century!” This quote from Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) sums up the band that has created not only its own unique sound, but a whole new genre in itself: Hybrid Metal. Beatallica combines the catchy, unforgettable tunes of The Beatles with the speed and intensity of Metallica in a style all their own. Their songs, or “Bash Ups” as they are known, are just as catchy as they are ingenious.

Titles such as “I Wanna Choke Your Band”, “A Garage Dayz Nite”, and “The Thing That Should Not Let It Be” represent their ability to combine two genres, which are seemingly worlds apart. Their lyrics, while containing some allusions to both The Beatles and Metallica, are all original. They address such important topics as drinking, keeping Heavy Metal pure, beer, the death of Glam Metal, more beer, hatred of posers, and, most importantly, beer. Targeting Glam Metal bands, such as Dokken and Winger who are mentioned specifically, Beatallica is on a crusade to keep metal strong and pure, while ridding it of posers who only care for soft music and ballads. This originality has spawned a phenomenon, which has come to the attention of metal fans on an international level.

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2007
07/10
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CATEGORY
Music
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