words & photos by Keith Marlowe

Tandoori Knights @ the Bell House

I started the night, the fourth and final night of the the Norton Records 25th Anniversary celebration at the Bell House, watching Andy Shernoff from the Dictators playing an acoustic set in the front room. He ended with his hilarious zombie Jew song, based on Jesus's return to Earth.

The Figures of Light, who originally formed in 1970, played their classic proto-punk songs as well as tracks off their new album, Drop Dead, which was recorded this July in Brooklyn by the Gories' Mick Collins, who plays guitar in the band along with original members Wheeler Winston Dixon and Michael Downey, as well as Mark Natale and Miriam Linna from the A-Bones.

The Real Kids had to cancel due to illness, so another New Jersey band, the Swinging Neckbreakers filled in for them.

After them came the A-Bones, who feature vocalist Billy Miller and his wife, drummer Miriam Linna from Norton Records. They were joined at the end of their set Cyril Jordan and Roy Loney of the Flaming Groovies, who also played with the Daddy Long Legs the night before, and who played 'Teenage Head,' which was inspired by Kim Fowley when he was recording their record. Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan, who played the celebration on Friday night as part of the Condo Fucks, was also playing guitar in the A-Bones. as he often does.

Tandoori Knights, a take-off on the British show Tandoori Nights were next. They are fronted by King Khan and Bloodshot Bill, and the band is a slightly slower, more melodic sound than the two are known for in their other projects, but they still kept the crowd moving until after 1 am, when Norton founders Billy and Miriam came out to thank everyone who had made the sold-out four day event such a success. Billy, Miriam, and King Khan also all made late night appearances on the first night of the fest.

The Sonics @ The Bell House

After they finished the thank-you's at nearly 1:45, the band everyone was waiting to see, The Sonics, took the stage. They had headlined a show Saturday afternoon at Maxwell's too. I didn't see that, but Sunday night they took the Bell House stage and just completely laid it down. I was really impressed. They played an hour and a half set that just kept picking up energy the entire time, hitting all their well-knows songs, like Strychnine, the Hustler, Boss Hoss, Psycho and climaxed with their first and best-known hit, the Witch, and tore right into a cover of Louie Louie they totally owned, probably playing it better and with more authority than any other band in the world is capable of doing. The biggest surprise to me was how good their new songs are. Usually a band reforms knowing that they have a catalogue that people celebrate and will pay to hear, and they can tour on that nostalgia factor, or write some songs that completely lack the chemistry that the original members once had. I've definitely groaned when a reunion band announces, "we're gonna play some of our new songs tonight." but the Sonics have hit the studio hard. The new songs, Cheap Shades, Bad Attitude, Don't Back Down, and Vampire Kiss were really tight, and would sound right at home on both Here Are the Sonics and BOOM. Their new record, 8, was recorded by legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino and was released in 2010. It's great to see such an important band still touring and recording great songs......

More photos from the Sunday night show below...

Continue reading "Norton Records @ 25 -- the conclusion w/ the Sonics, Tandoori Knights aka King Khan & Bloodshot Bill & more (pics & review)"

"The Sonics? Wow!" - Anonymous | May 15, 2009 9:52 AM

Classic NYC garage rock label Norton Records will celebrate their 25th Anniversary over the course of four nights at The Bell House (Nov 10-13). The shows feature some pretty incredible artists, including most notably The Sonics, whose 1965 garage rock classic Here Are The Sonics is regarded by some as the first punk rock album. Norton Records reissued the album in 1999. The Sonics headline the last night (11/13) of the run. Tickets are on sale now for all four nights.

Tickets are also on sale for a daytime Sonics show happening November 12th at Maxwell's. You can hit this show and still not miss the show later that night at the Bell House. Sunday during the day is the Brooklyn Record Riot at Warsaw.

The Sonics need no introduction, but those not familiar should consider that Kurt Cobain said in a Nardwuar interview that "They got the most amazing drum sound I've ever heard. Still to this day, it's still my favorite drum sound. It sounds like he's hitting harder than anyone I've ever known." The White Stripes call them the "epitome of '60s punk," "harder than The Kinks," and say that "life becomes better after buying a Sonics record." Newer band Japandroids love them too, and say, "When you listen to it, even at low volumes, it sounds like it's blasting. And I like how you can feel they would melt your face if you saw them live." Don't sleep on catching them live. Last time they were in NYC was 2007. Who saw them at Warsaw? How was it? Check out videos from a December 2010 KEXP appearance below.

Fellow '60s garage rock vets ? and the Mysterians, best known for their 1966 single "96 Tears," headline the night before them. Other noteworthy bands include The Real Kids, led by John Felice of the The Modern Lovers, and The Randy Fuller Four. Randy Fuller was part of his brother's group The Bobby Fuller Four in the 1960s, who recorded the first successful version of the single "I Fought the Law," popularly covered by The Clash. Folllowing Bobby's untimely death in 1966 at age 23, Randy took over the group, which he renamed The Randy Fuller Four.

Reigning Sound, Mark Sultan (BBQ), The Condo Fucks, A-Bones, Flamin Groovies.... there are so many people on these bills, it's too much to list. Full lineup and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Norton Records anniversary shows happening at the Bell House, two Sonics shows too!"

Roy Loney of the Flamin' Groovies w/ the A-Bones (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)


Similar to 2009, Roy Loney & Cyril Jordan of The Flamin' Groovies will reunite on stage with "musical accompaniment" by The A-Bones for two shows in two different countries this week. The first happens TONIGHT (4/21) at the Bell House in Brooklyn where The A-Bones will also play a separate set of their own and share a Norton Records family bill with Los Vigilantes and Daddy Longlegs. Tickets are still available.

Then it's on to a plane and to the UK for the proto-punkers who will play an Easter Sunday show as part of the LeBeat Bespoke Festival in London, England. Also playing that British festival (but today) is Eli 'Paperboy' Reed who also has a Brooklyn show in his future. The soulful guy will share a bill with Lily and The Parlor Tricks at Southpaw on June 6th. Tickets are on sale. All tour dates are listed below.

In other soul news, The Budos Band now have a NYC show scheduled. You can catch the instrumental Daptone ensemble when they play a free Summerstage show in Staten Island's Tappen Park on August 3rd. That's about a month and a half after they play the Dave Matthews Band Caravan Festival in Atlantic City, and a couple of weeks before they head down to North Carolina for the Hopscotch Fest.

Daptone family member Lee Fields plays Summerstage this summer too, but the one in Central Park along with Fitz & the Tantrums. Meanwhile catch him with the Sweet Divines at Southpaw in May.

The A-Bones recently played a benefit at Union Pool in support of relief for Japan. How was that? Sometimes A-Bones member and full time Yo La Tengo member Ira Kaplan recently sat in with Obits at Generation Records on Record Store Day. Last night Obits played a different benefit at Union Pool, and pictures and a review from that one (in honor of Brendan Majewski) are on the way.

Tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "The Flamin' Groovies are back (Bell House tonight), Eli 'Paperboy' Reed schedules shows, The Budos band too"

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens

Brooklyn bar and music venue Union Pool will host a Japan Benefit on April 10th (Sunday), and for $10 you'll get seven bands, a raffle ticket, and piece of mind in knowing that all proceeds go towards AmeriCares & Direct Relief International. Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens will headline the festivities, which will also feature The A-Bones, The Live Ones, Mighty Fine, The Dixons, The Back CCs, and The Underthings. There will also be DJ sets from WFMU DJs Dave The Spazz, Gaylord Fields, and John Funke, as well as DJ Kongress and DJ Shimmy. The show kicks off at 4PM. The flier and more details are below.

That's ten days before the venue will host the previous discussed benefit for the late Brendan Majewski of Orphan. Krallice, Obits, Mira Bilotte, and Dope Body are all on board for this $10 show, which kicks off at 8PM with all proceeds going back to the Majewski family to help pay for expenses. Orphan material will be reinterpreted by the bands playing the show. Flyer is below.

As previously discussed, Krallice will also play The Studio at Webster Hall on 5/2 with Withered, Ipsissimus, and Cleric. Tickets are still available.

You can of course also catch Naomi Shelton every Friday night at Fat Cat too.

More details on the benefit shows, and their fliers are below.

Continue reading "Union Pool hosting benefits"

words & photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

The Relatives

The Ponderosa Stomp is now in its 9th year and has grown steadily since its origins as a backyard wedding party for festival founder Ira 'Dr. Ike' Padnos. The 2-day, New Orleans-based festival (that took place on Sept 24 and 25th this year) brings to the stage an amazing line-up of 'unsung heroes' and originators in the intermingled genres of country, blues, garage, rock n' roll, soul, swamp pop, rhythm & blues, and funk. Attendees experienced artists who actively recorded in the 1940's through the 1970's and 1980's delivering profoundly moving and authentic performances, providing a vivid glimpse into a world of music that might seem long-gone.

The Stomp is musically successful because it encourages artists to perform their original music and brings in talented and dedicated bands to support them. This year included many of the usual suspects (check out the review and pictures from 2009): New Orleans soul-blues veterans Lil Buck and the Top Cats, Western Music masters Deke Dickerson and the Eccophonics, Michael Hurtt and the Haunted Hearts, The A-Bones, and Eve and the Exiles. Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents debuted with La La Brooks of the Crystals who will be in NYC on October 20th when she plays a CMJ show at BB King Blues Club & Grill with Paula Valstein. Tickets are on sale if you don't have a CMJ badge.

The Stomp attracts a core audience of baby boomer soul and blues fanatics, rock-a-billies, Zoot-suiters, music writers, radio hosts, DJ's, record collectors, historians, WFMU-types, and a sprinkling of open-minded music lovers of varied backgrounds and ages. During the day, there are panel discussions between artists and respected historians, screenings of rare music documentaries and a record show. Even for the most die-hard, the sum total is a bit overwhelming. But Dr. Ike, an anesthesiologist by trade, seems to revel in the dazed and delirious look on people's faces at the end of 2 non-stop days. If you can keep your bloodshot eyes open, you'll see him floating from stage to stage with his airbrushed T-shirt that reads "Dr. Ike Stomped My Ass".

Pictures from both nights of the 2010 festval continue below...

Continue reading "the 2010 New Orleans Ponderosa Stomp (in pics)"

DOWNLOAD: Mark Sultan - The Wind (Nolan Strong cover) (MP3)

Mark Sultan at Bowery Ballroom in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

With King Khan and BBQ apparently going their separate ways, BBQ (aka Mark Sultan) has scheduled a one-man-band tour of his own.

King Khan and BBQ were originally scheduled to play shows this month, including one at the Bell House, but those were all cancelled and an October King Khan and the Shrines tour quickly showed up instead.

Now Mark 'BBQ' Sultan, who released his new LP $ via Last Gang Records (Metric's label) earlier this year, has an October tour of his own including an October 16th early show at Mercury Lounge in NYC. Tickets for that show are on sale now. The tour ends with Mark opening a bunch of dates for Deer Tick.

Mark also has a track on a new Nolan Strong tribute album. Nolan was a 50's R&B singer, and his fans (other artists who contributed songs to the album) include Lenny Kaye, Reigning Sound, Gentleman Jesse, A-Bones, and the Dirtbombs. Order the album at The Wind Records. Grab Mark's track for free above.

Full comp tracklist, Mark's new NSFW video for "Status", and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Mark 'BBQ' Sultan plans a tour (dates), makes NSFW video, contributes to Nolan Strong tribute comp (MP3)"

Black Lips @ Brooklyn Bowl in March (more by Gabi Porter)

Rock Off have updated their summer schedule of NYC Boat Cruise shows, which, like always, has focus on punk & garage (though there are other genres too). It includes Jello Biafra on May 29th, Electric Six on July 15th, Murphy's Law's annual Jimmy birthday show on August 12th, The Bouncing Souls on September 13th, and an August 2nd show with the Black Lips (who are in town much sooner a free but full RSVP-only show at Knitting Factory on April 29th with Pierced Arrows).

Other gigs includes Dam-Funk on April 24th (TONIGHT), Budos Band on June 11th, three NY Night Train parties, and The A-Bones on June 23rd. Tickets for most of the shows are on sale. No ticket info for Bouncing Souls yet. Black Lips go on sale Friday, April 30th.

Punk and punk-like boat shows are listed below...

Continue reading "Bouncing Souls, Black Lips, Jello Biafra & other boat shows "

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ 11am) for the two Magnetic Fields shows happening at Town Hall. BAM tickets are currently on sale to 'Friends of BAM'.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ 11am) for the Hot Chip / xx show happening at Terminal 5.

Raphael Saadiq is playing Terminal 5 on December 4th. Tickets are on sale.

Alberta Cross is headlining Bowery Ballroom on February 4th. Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon).

Violens and Acrylics share a bill at Mercury Lounge on December 9th. Tickets are on sale.

Slim pickins for New Years Eve shows in NYC this year. Mercury Lounge has The A-Bones opening for The Detroit Cobras. Tickets are on sale.

Other New Years Eve options include Roky Erikson, Patti Smith, and two shows at Southpaw (Dean & Britta / The Felice Brothers).

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Condo Fucks (aka Yo La Tengo) in NOLA

The above and below photos are from a show the Condo Fucks played with the A-Bones at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans on April 27th.

At that gig, the A-Bones were joined by Roy Loney of the Flamin' Groovies. The next night, at the Ponderosa Stomp Festival, the A-Bones played as the backing band for Loney and Cyril Jordan (also of The Flamin' Groovies). That reunited combo comes to Maxwell's in Hoboken on July 23rd and Southpaw in Brooklyn on July 24th. Tickets for the Southpaw show and tickets for the Maxwell's gig are both on sale.

Coming up even sooner, A-Bones will celebrate the release of their record, Not Now! on Norton Records, with a boat cruise show around NYC on July 10th. Tickets are still available for that show.

Yo La Tengo currently have three shows booked. The band plays Primavera Sound Festival tonight (May 29th) in Barcelona. The band opens for Wilco at Brooklyn's Keyspan Park on Monday, July 13th (tickets still on sale for that) and plays Pitchfork Music Festival's "Set List by Request" night on July 17th.

More pictures from New Orleans and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Roy Loney & Cyril Jordan (Flamin' Groovies) backed by the A-Bones (2 NYC shows) + New Orleans Condo Fucks pics"

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Ira Kaplan, The A-Bones + Flamin' Groovies

Among the resurrected bluesmen, rockabilly cats, garage rockers and soul shouters at the eighth annual Ponderosa Stomp were various "Littles," including Little Willie Littlefield, Little Joe Washington, Lil' Buck Sinegal -- not to mention Long John Hunter and Lazy Lester. Though each of these acts that held court at the festival (held April 28 and 29 at the House of Blues in New Orleans), and several others -- including a master's class given by newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson -- demonstrated the breadth and width of American music, one undisputed highlight was the Wednesday reunion of the two prime forces in the Flamin' Groovies, who played a set together for the first time since 1971.

Groovies frontman Roy Loney and guitarist Cyril Jordan, who co-founded the Bay Area rock band in 1965, tore through selections from the three critically heralded LPs released before Loney's departure, with backing by Brooklyn combo the A-Bones (which featured Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan on keyboards and guitar, and, appropriately, former Flamin' Groovies Fan Club president Miriam Linna behind the drum kit). As Loney explains, "Cyril and I rehearsed in San Francisco and the A-Bones rehearsed in New York" -- yet this bicoastal convergence showed no signs of disconnect, jelling as if they were a long-estabished unit. [Spinner]

Continue reading "the 2009 Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans - Day 2 in pics (the A-Bones / Ira Kaplan / Flamin' Groovies reunion included)"

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Dr. Ike

"Before Kansas City was recorded by everyone from the Beatles to Peggy Lee, the song was first released in 1952 as K.C. Loving by an obscure Houston pianist named Little Willie Littlefield.

The single became a regional hit in the Los Angeles area, where Littlefield was recording for Federal Records, but it would be up to Wilbert Harrison, Trini Lopez, James Brown and Hank Ballard to turn Kansas City into a top 25 hit on the national pop and R&B charts. Littlefield remained a fascinating, mysterious footnote to pop-music history.

The annual Ponderosa Stomp festival in New Orleans exists to bring such footnotes to life. This showcase for the semi-legends of rockabilly, blues and R&B was founded eight years ago by Ira Padnos, a local anesthesiologist and record collector who goes by the moniker of Dr. Ike and favors thrift-shop fezzes and Indian headdresses atop his unruly bush of dark curls. His extravaganza has grown from a local bar to this year's two-night stand at the French Quarter's House of Blues, with 37 sets spread out over two stages.

And so, on Tuesday, the first day of the eighth-annual Ponderosa Stomp, there was the 77-year-old Littlefield, dressed in a dark-blue brocade blazer and grinning with delight beneath his comb-over." [Jazz News]

Continue reading "the 2009 Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans - Day 1 in pics "

by Andrew Frisicano

The A-Bones, a garage rock band that sometimes features Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan on keyboard, are releasing a new record, The A-Bones, Not Now!, on Norton Records.

The record release party for that disc will be a NYC boat cruise show hosted by Rocks Off on Friday, July 10th. Tickets are on sale.

Even sooner, the A-Bones play a show at NJ's Maxwell's on Friday, May 8th with Roddy Jackson and The Memphis Morticians. Tickets for that show are also on sale.

Tickets are on sale for other Rock Off boat shows too. Ska bands the Slackers (June 27) and the Pietasters (August 15) and UK punks the Business (May 15) are some of the bands on the schedule so far.

Down in New Orleans, the A-Bones are playing a show with the Condo Fucks (aka Yo La Tengo) on April 27th. That's followed by appearances at the Ponderosa Stomp Festival in the same town on April 28th and 29th. NYC's own mini version of that festival will happen at Lincoln Center in mid-July. The A-Bones aren't currently scheduled to be a part of that, but the full line-up won't be announced until April 22nd.

More info on the new A-Bones album, all tour dates, plus videos including one with Ira from YLT on vocals and guitar, below...

Continue reading "new A-Bones album & shows & other 2009 Rocks Off cruises"

photos by Zach Stern

DOWNLOAD: The King Khan & BBQ Show - Teenage Foetus (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The King Khan & BBQ Show - I'll Never Belong (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The King Khan & BBQ Show - Zombies (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The King Khan & BBQ Show - Blow My Top (MP3)

King Khan & The BBQ Show played their 2nd of two Thanksgiving-weekend shows in NYC last night (Sunday, 11/30) at Bowery Ballroom with the A-Bones (a band that features Ira from Yo La Tengo as a member) and Vivian Girls (the makers of the 4th best album of the year according to Gorilla vs Bear). Their (KK & BBQ) next show, as just announced, is this Wednesday at the WIRED Store. Vivian Girls' next local show is New Years Eve at Wellmont Theater with Yo La Tengo. One of VG's other recent NYC shows didn't have King Khan on the bill, but he was also there.

King Khan & BBQ didn't release much this year, but King Khan and the Shrines did release "The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines" on VICE which at least one person thinks was one of the best albums of the year.

More pictures from Sunday night's Bowery show below...

Continue reading "the King Khan & BBQ Show, Vivian Girls & The A-Bones @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - pics, MP3s"

Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan on keyboard (more by Jason Bergman)

The A-Bones is a garage rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The band was formed in 1984 by Billy Miller and Miriam Linna, who had previously been the editors of Kicks, a pop culture journal, and the founders of Norton Records. The band, which was named after a song by The Trashmen, also featured Mike Mariconda, Mike Lewis (a founding member of both Boston's Lyres and Hoboken's Yo La Tengo), Bruce Bennett, Marcus "The Carcass" Natale, and Lars Espensen, with Miller, Linna, Bennett, Natale, and Espensen playing on the bulk of the band's recordings and for most of the band's touring life. Aside from recording three albums, two EPs, and roughly a dozen 45's, The A-Bones also performed as a backup band for acts such as Hasil Adkins, Ronnie Dawson, Cordell Jackson, The Flamin' Groovies' Roy Loney and many others. Though the band broke up in 1994, The A-Bones reunited in 2004 and continue to perform sporadic gigs in the US and in Europe, in their core line-up frequently augmented by Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan on keyboard. [Wikipedia]

photos by Bryan Bruchman

Magnetic Field in Brooklyn is closing down, and this is sadly their final week of shows. Last night's show featured The A-Bones and special guests the Condo Fucks. Bryan Bruchman (aka Subinev) was there to document the action....

Continue reading "the A-Bones & the Condo Fucks (Yo La Tengo) @ Magnetic Field's final Friday night of shows, Brooklyn, NY - pics"

not to be confused with Fuck Buttons....

The Condo Fucks are playing Magnetic Field in Brooklyn Friday night (March 28, 2008). It;s one of the venue's last shows ever. Who are they? According to the club they are,

Of "Government Problem," "Fuckin' Gary Sandy," etc. fame.

Adieu Magnetic Field! Friday night of the final week for a venue that must shoulder much of the blame for us still being together. Say it ain't so!!!! We're extra jazzed to be playing with The Condo Fucks of "We're Moving In!" fame.

Legendary Matador Recording Artists Return To The Stage This Friday

The Condo Fucks are supporting the A-Bones this Friday night at Brooklyn's Magnetic Field. Doors open at 8pm, there's an $8 cover and DJ Phast Phreddie will be spinning. Records, presumably.

Fuck Buttons are playing that night too, but at Bowery Ballroom.