The Black Keys












Here comes another rock duo The Black Keys consisting of Dan Auerbach (vocals/guitar) and Patrick Carney from Akron, Ohio.
They play powerful and bluesy classic rock sound similar to "The White Stripes"
The band was collaborating on an album with Ike Turner, to be produced by Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse, but the idea was rendered impossible with Turner's death in December 2007.
The Black Keys eventually decided to make the tunes the heart of their fifth album, and Danger Mouse was the natural choice as producer.
On April 1, Nonesuch Records will release The Black Keys’ fifth full-length LP, Attack & Release.

Check out their Official Website or My Space page.

Click here to see the video for the first single "Strange Times" from the new album.

See them live:

13.Apr.2008 20:00
The Vogue Indianapolis, Indiana
15.Apr.2008 20:00
Royal Oak Music Theatre Royal Oak, Michigan
12.Mai.2008 20:30
9:30 Club - On Sale NOW Washington, DC, Washington DC
13.Mai.2008 20:30
9:30 Club - On Sale NOW Washington, DC, Washington DC
15.Mai.2008 20:00
Terminal 5 - On Sale NOW New York, New York
16.Mai.2008 21:00
Show Moved to the Electric Factory!! On Sale 3/21 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
17.Mai.2008 19:30
Orpheum Theatre - On Sale NOW Boston, Massachusetts
19.Mai.2008 19:30
The Astoria - On Sale 2/22 London
21.Mai.2008 19:30
Manchester Academy - On Sale 2/22 Manchester
22.Mai.2008 19:30
ABC - On Sale 2/22 Glasgow, Scotland
23.Mai.2008 19:30
Leeds University - On Sale 2/22 Leeds
25.Mai.2008 19:30
Melkweg - On Sale 2/22 Amsterdam
27.Mai.2008 19:30
Bataclan - On Sale 2/8 Paris
28.Mai.2008 19:30
Birmingham Academy - On Sale 2/22 Birmingham
29.Mai.2008 20:00
The Astoria - On Sale 3/17 London
05.Jul.2008 1:00
Rothbury Festival - On Sale 2/13 Rothbury, Michigan

The Gay Blades





















The Gay Blades
are a unsigned two-man group out of NYC.
Clark Westfield a.k.a. The Aristocrat Of Crime (Guitarist/Vocalist) and Puppy Mills a.k.a. The Snitch (Drummer) released their debut album "Ghosts", a swaggering, strident record with a classic rock vibe and indie credibility to spare. I mean they are so indie they don't even have an offical Website, their only web presence is on MySpace.
Though Westfield's vocal style is quiet punky he gives of an emotional energy that matches the mood of each song. He sums, croons, shouts and wails but always sounds appropriate.
The Gay Blades’s in-your-face rock is always cool, always impressively arranged, and always entertaining.

Check out this video I shot at their Feb. 2008 show @ Mercury Lounge, NYC



See them live:

26.Mrz.2008 20:00
Big V’s w/ Seymore Saves The World Minneapolis, Minnesota
27.Mrz.2008 20:00
Reggie’s [18+] Chicago, Illinois
28.Mrz.2008 20:00
Gravity [all ages] Cheswick, Pennsylvania
29.Mrz.2008 20:00
The Saint [18+] Asbury Park, New Jersey
02.Apr.2008 20:00
Maxwell’s w/ Anathallo [all ages] Hoboken, New Jersey
03.Apr.2008 20:00
Galapagos - The Deli Magazine Showcase [21+] Brooklyn, New York
24.Apr.2008 20:00
Goldhawk - Clark Westfield Acoustic Hoboken, New Jersey
10.Mai.2008 16:00
Blend Bar [18+] w/ Nicole Atkins Ridgewood, New Jersey
12.Mai.2008 20:00
Court Tavern New Brunswick, New Jersey

Bishi


















Vishnu Priya a.k.a. Bishi has taken London's nightlife by storm. Gorgeously appareled in a traditional sari and endowed with her sitar she takes the audience on a ride from British to Bengali and Bulgarian folk music.
Her music blends traditional instruments and folk influences with electronic beats, strong melodies and her strong and interesting voice. The resulting melange sounds like nothing else released this year, it's pop at its most decadent and inventive.
Bishi has music in her blood, she hails from a Bengali musical family. When she was 15 she started playing the sitar but she is also a classical trained pianist and played the bass guitar in jazz bands. She writes her own songs, sings them and she even spins the discs in London's hippest nightclubs.
Her debut album "Night at the circus" reflects an era of pop music inspired by cultural convergence and promoted via word of mouth, social networks, blogs and forums.
As she herself states: "I have based the album on being an outsider. The space between two cultures can be confusing, but it can also be very energetic".

Check out her homepage and MySpace.

Gypsy Music

The term bohemian describes any person who lives an unconventional artistic life and means: nonconformist, free spirit, unconventional. Personally, I think those are exactly the criteria good music must fulfill. There are so many insignificant records coming out these days that don't meet those criteria. In my opinion the music industry is over-focused on commercializing and monetizing concepts that have proven to work well and on bombarding the hordes with those blockbusters while it remains difficult for us music lovers to find the real pearls that come out month after month.
Which brings me back to the term bohemian. It's meaning comes from the French word "bohémien" for a member of the Roma people which are often referred to as Gypsies. This widely dispersed ethnic group lives across the world and the style and performance practices of Gypsy musicians have influenced eastern and western European as well as American artists and many great tracks and albums have emerged.

One such exceptional artist is Django Reinhardt, considered as the first European jazz artist. What made his music so new and unique was the fusion of three different music styles: he mixed the New-Orleans-Jazz from the 20s with traditional French waltz and applied his gypsy style and performance practices to create a new genre, the Gypsy-Swing.
The Song "Minor Swing" is
probably Django's most popular and most recognizable tune.
Django Reinhardt - The Best of Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing


Gypsy music inspired also Gogol Bordello a Gypsy punk band from New Yorks Lower East Side. It's core members, all immigrants from Eastern Europe, formed the band in 1999.
Inventive composition, lively instrumentation which include accordion and fiddle and Eugene Hütz's vocal performance make sure this band stands out of the crowd.
Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta! - Super Theory of Super Everything



Balkan Beat Box plays pretty much what its name suggests.
The bands distinctive sound is an electronica influenced fusion of Jewish, Mediterranean and Balkan traditions interwoven with dub, dance hall and hip hop elements.
Responsible for this musical mishmash are the New York-based Israeli musicians Ori Kaplan (Sax) and Tamir Muskat (Drums) and their ever-changing cadre of fellow musicians.
Balkan Beat Box featuring Vlada Tomova & M. Alexiava - Balkan Beat Box - Bulgarian Chicks





Beirut is the moniker of 20-year-old Brooklyn resident Zach Condon, a high school dropout who spent some time in eastern Europe soaking up the culture and music styles of the "old world."
His records are more singer-songwriter orientated. Horn and accordion sections accentuate the overall melancholic atmosphere, which is underpinned by Condon's gloomy voice.
Beirut - Lon Gisland - EP - Elephant Gun