Posted by The G on October 19, 2011 under G Reviews | 
Photos by G.
Chris Glover of Penguin Prison
The day has come! October 18, 2011 was an exciting day for New York’s dance/pop group Penguin Prison. Their long awaited self-titled debut album was released in the United States and they celebrated by performing a showcase at Dominion in Manhattan as part of the CMJ Music Festival. If you are unfamiliar with Penguin Prison’s music, here’s a few things you need to know: 1. Every song is ridiculously catchy. 2. Lead singer Chris Glover is a multi-instrumentalist and his falsetto will make you become an instant fan. 3. Penguin Prison are great in concert. As you are all aware, I see hundreds of bands each year and Penguin Prison are one of the few groups that keep me coming back for more and in addition, I always have a great time at their concerts! With each Penguin Prison show I’ve seen, I really love watching the audience react to the songs. I am starting to see more crowd sing-a-longs as fans are getting more familiar with the music, but one thing never changes – a Penguin Prison show is a non-stop dance party. Before the end of their 40 minute set, Chris Glover jumped into the audience and played guitar behind his head! The infectiously catchy new single “Don’t Fuck With My Money,” got thunderous applause and other crowd favorites included “In the Way,” “Golden Train,” “Fair Warning” and the show’s final song “Multi-Millionaire.” Based on the crowd reaction at each show, I can say with great certainty that Penguin Prison is going to be huge and I am very excited for them.
"Penguin Prison" - Out Now!
Penguin Prison’s debut album is out now! Get it and spread the word!
See the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2011, Album Release, Chris Glover, CMJ, CMJ Showcase, Dominion, New York, October 18, Penguin Prison, Photos, Review, Setlist
Posted by The G on October 9, 2011 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Helen Marnie of Ladytron
Ladytron! My first time seeing the British synthpop band was on October 8, 2011 at New York’s Terminal 5. VHS or Beta opened the show and got the crowd ready to dance. Ladytron took the stage around 9:30 and in additon to a great performance, there was a great light show. Ladytron has 2 females and 2 males. Helen Marnie sings most lead vocals and Mira Aroyo also sings lead on a few songs. The 2 guys Reuben Wu and Daniel Hunt play keyboards. Together, they make some pretty delicious dance grooves.
Ladytron
The nearly 2 hour set featured Ladytron hits such as “Seventeen,” “Discotraxx,” “Soft Power,” “Destroy Everything You Touch” (which was the final song of the night) and “Runaway.” Tracks from their new album “Gravity the Seducer” including “White Gold,” ”Ace of Hz,” and “White Elephant” were played. The reception to the newer material was just as good as it was for the classic songs and it was a very fun show.
You can see the setlist (though it’s not that great of a photo) after the jump.
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Tags: 2011, Band, Helen Marnie, Ladytron, Lead Singer, New York, October 8, Photo, Review, Setlist, Terminal 5
Posted by The G on July 15, 2011 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Nikka Costa
I’m just going to say it – I think Nikka Costa is one of the best live performers around. Since her 2001 album “Everybody Got Their Something” was released, I’ve seen Nikka live at least 10 times in multiple cities and every time, she is amazing! It was no different when she kicked New York’s ass on July 14, 2011 at the Highline Ballroom. If you’ve never heard her music, you must remedy that immediately! She packs the funk of James Brown and has the soul of Janis Joplin. Nikka hit the stage around 9:15 PM and delivered the goods for nearly 2 hours. She played an even mix of tracks off her latest 3 albums and also included songs from her new EP “Pro*Whoa!”
Nikka Costa
You’ll be seeing a video of “Push and Pull,” coming soon, so stay tuned – you won’t want to miss it. Seeing that song performed is akin to a musical religious experience for me. She hits the notes and I think the song is one of the most beautiful tracks of the new millennium. For most bands, a song of that magnitude would be the closing number, but not for Nikka Costa. She sandwiched it in a powerful run of songs that included the new song “Pro*Whoa!,” “Like A Feather” (which had everyone in the crowd clapping along during the chorus), the new song “Nylons in a Rip,” and “Can’tneverdidnothing.” Nikka played percussion for a little bit, engaged the audience (which included Adam Lambert in attendance) with sing-a-longs and even got down on her knees to plead on the funk!
Nikka Costa
You do not want to miss Nikka Costa when she comes to your town! She’s got funk that’ll kick your butt and have you begging for more. Her new EP “Pro*Whoa!” is available online and for the Youtubers out there, she’s launched a channel called “Nikka’s Box,” where she uploads exclusive performances that sometimes feature special guests. After the show was over, Nikka signed copies of “Pro*Whoa!” and I think it’s safe to say, everyone in attendance danced away into the night with a smile on their face.
See the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2011, Adam Lambert, Highline Ballroom, July 14, Live, New York, Nikka Costa, Photo, Pro*Whoa!, Review, Setlist
Posted by The G on April 14, 2011 under Encounters with G, G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Nathan Nicholson of The Boxer Rebellion
On April 13, 2011, The Boxer Rebellion rocked the roof off New York’s Bowery Ballroom. After great sets by Zach Williams and the Bellow and We Are Augustines (more on each band coming soon), TBR hit the stage at 10:30 and played for 2 hours! Mixing old material with songs from their latest album “The Cold Still,” The Boxer Rebellion kept the audience mesmerized for their entire set.
The Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion’s music takes you on a journey and each of their 3 albums are meant to be enjoyed as a whole instead of the typical “hit and album filler” formula that so many bands adhere to. I loved the whole show and highlights for me were “Spitting Fire,” “Semi-Automatic,” and “If You Run,” (which was featured on the “Going The Distance” soundtrack). After the set, the band hung out at the merch table and greet fans. Lead singer Nathan Nicholson was extremely cool. See a photo of my encounter with him as well as the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2011, April 13, Band, Bowery Ballroom, Lead Singer, Nathan Nicholson, New York, Photos, Review, Setlist, The Boxer Rebellion
Posted by The G on February 28, 2011 under Encounters with G, G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Matthew Iwanusa of Caveman
On February 26, 2011, New York’s afro-beat/new-wave band Caveman opened for White Rabbits at a sold out show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. Lead singer Matthew Iwanusa announced that it was almost one year ago to the day when Cavemen played their first ever show. This was my first exposure to their music and I liked what I heard. Their bio describes their sound as “equal parts chamber pop, dreamscape, and horror film score. At a Caveman show you will hear four-part harmonies, spaced-out guitars, synths, and, yes, much drumming.” Good stuff. I was unable to locate free mp3s for you, but you can stream a bunch of songs on their myspace page (link is above).
Caveman
I met lead singer Matthew Iwanusa of Caveman after the set and he was very cool. You can see a photo from that experience as well as the setlist after the jump. Thanks again Matthew and best of luck to Caveman.
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Tags: 2011, Band, Bowery Ballroom, Caveman, February 26, Images, Matthew Iwanusa, New York, Photos, Review, Setlist
