8 BlowUpRadio.com / Lazlo's Den Newsletter 6/26/12

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Newsletter 6-26-12

Hey Everyone,

Thanks to everyone who came down to Buddie’s Tavern on Saturday, and big thanks to Mike Kovacs & The Post Modern Tribe, and Zigman Bird, both who ROCKED!

You can check out new music from Zigman Bird and Mike Kovac’s latest project, Four Million Silhouettes, on this week’s Lazlo’s Den Presents New Music, and read a review of Zigman Bird’s album, “yes”, below.

The next BlowUpRadio.com Free Concert @ Buddie’s Tavern:

Saturday July 14th – Sleepless Saints, Jason & The First (formerly Jason & The Vikings), Jon Caspi

Buddie's Tavern is located at 277 Johnsons Lane, Parlin (Sayreville), NJ

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This October BANDING TOGETHER – A BENEFIT WEBATHON FOR THE SPONDYLITIS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA will returns to BlowUpRadio.com. Over 50 bands are already signed up to perform live during the webathon as we try to raise money to a cause near and dear to me (my wife suffers from ankylosing spondylitis). If you are a musician and want to be involved, e-mail me. We would love to have even more bands involved!

We’ll have more info as we get closer to October.

ABOUT SPONDYLITIS (from http://www.spondylitis.org)
Spondylitis (pronounced spon-d-lie-tiss) is the name given to a group of chronic or long lasting diseases. These diseases are forms of inflammatory arthritis that primarily affect the spine, although other joints and organs can become involved. Spondylitis, unlike many other rheumatic (arthritic) conditions, affects young adults and commonly begins before the age of 35. Prominent researchers have stated that AS affects at least 1 in every 200 adults (approximately 0.5%) making it as common as rheumatoid arthritis.
Although there is currently no known cure, there is much you can do to educate yourself regarding Spondylitis and its treatments. There have been significant advancements in medical treatments during recent years and there are treatment options for those afflicted that can reduce the pain and symptoms of Spondylitis.

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Lazlo’s Corner

I think the year was 1993 when I was channel surfing and stumbled upon a man sitting at a desk talking directly into the camera on PBS. I instantly realized this was no news anchor, rather it was a man telling a story...many stories actually, kind of stream of conciousness, interweaving...it was fascinating, captivating, and often quite funny. The man was SPALDING GRAY, an actor and monologist, and what I had stumbled upon was a film of one of his monlogues, "Monster In A Box". Seeking out more on Spalding Gray, I found several of his monologues, which are stories directly from his life, were made into books. I bought them and devoured them, as I did his other monologues that were made into films. Spalding was quite the raconteur...I say was, because in 2004 he took his own life after an accident left him depressed, and possibly brain damaged. Last week a new documentary about Spalding Gray was released. Directed by his friend Steven Soderbergh, and produced by his wife, Kathleen Russo, "AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE", uses only footage of Spalding talking to tell his story. They must have spent months going through recordings of his monlogues, interviews, home video, anything and everything, in order to make this documentary, but it was well worth the work. More fitting than hearing other people tell his story, this, like Spalding's monologues, is 90 minutes of pure entertainment. yes, there are moments where you can hear Spalding foreshadow his own end, but by using his own words we dwell on his brilliance as a speaker and storyteller, rather than the sadness that he is gone.
http://www.spaldinggray.com

ZIGMAN BIRD returns with a new 8 song collection entitled, "YES". It should be entitled, "Yes...I’d like some more please!", as the 8 songs on this album left me wanting more. Rocketing right out of the gate with the garage rocker, "compromise", the album immediately had me yelling, "hell yes!"(ok, my last “yes” reference in this review). By the time it gets to the bluesy, psychedelic dirge, "crazy", my mind was blown. Then there is the infectious Replacements-esque pop rocker, "deeper than you (jesus in a mailbox)" (it also reminded me of The Successful Failures, another NJ band influenced by the Replacements), which has been stuck in my head since listening to the album several days ago. The beauty of Zigman Bird is that they can confidentially switch between rocking out and mellowing out, such as the case with the last two songs, rocker, “valentine girl“, and the electric folk rock balladry of, “and baby“. There is also a song, “sunday school”, by guitarist (and former Number Theory frontman), David Devine, which incorporates some big 70’s guitar riffs into a modern indie rock song. This is the best album Zigman Bird has done so far, and part of that may be that it comes closest to the energy that have when they play live.
www.zigmanbird.com

Former frontwoman of We Are., MELISSA ANTHONY, gives us our first taste of her new solo career with a free EP on Bandcamp, "LIVE AT THE SAINT". As the title says, this was recorded live during a recent performance at the Saint, just her and her guitar. Her vocals are absolutely captivating, some times soft and sweet, other times showcasing an intensity and power that took me by surprise. There were times when Melissa's vocals reminded me of LP (whose music has become more popular lately after it appearing in a commercial), and her guitar skills compliment her vocals wonderfully. Download, "live at the Saint", now so you can hear the beginning of what I suspect will be a wonderful solo career.
http://blowupradio.tripod.com/mp3s/melissa.html

Shout Factory is becoming the new Rhino Records. In the 90’s Rhino was the go to name in great packaged re-releases that always added excellent bonus tracks from the ra of the album (in particular I am think of the Elvis Costello ones they did). Shout Factory is about to do that with THE ENGLISH BEAT, “THE COMPLETE BEAT”, a 5 disc box set (out on 7/10) that includes all three albums the band put out (“I just can‘t stop it“, “wha‘ppen?”, & “special beat service“, along with some bonus tracks, and two bonus discs. If for some reason you are unfamiliar with The English Beat, here’s them in a nutshell…they took ska music, blended it with punk ethos, but then filtered through the pop accessibility of Motown. They did it well and had hits, among them “mirror in the bathroom”, “save it for later”, “I confess”, and a rousing cover of “tears of a clown”. Many of the American ska bands that came after site them as an influence, and rightly so. It’s kind of sad that they have not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame yet, but hopefully this box set will help. In addition to six new bonus tracks on the album re-releases (which sound fresh and amazing even after all these years), the two bonus discs showcase different sides of what made The English Beat special. Disc 1 is 12” & dub versions of some of their songs, and while this may not be the ground breaking bonus disc, Beat purists will enjoy the a lot. While disc 2 showcases The English Beat recorded live between 1979 & 1982. Three Peel Sessions (if you don’t know who John Peel was, please go here immediately: http://thespace.org/items/e00000da#./e00000da?&_suid=134067177304406571998215800899), and part of a performance from the Opera House in Boston, show that they were just as fun and energetic live, as their studio albums were. I love this box set! And if you like ska, Motown, or punk, there’s a good chance you will like this too.
www.englishbeat.net

And I leave you this week with a video from Chelsea Light Moving (featuring Thurston Moore) for the song, “burroughs" (about William S. Burroughs).
http://blowupradio.tripod.com/videos/chelsea.html

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This week on Lazlo's Den Presents New Music we have new music from:

ARTIST - ALBUM
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Zigman Bird - yes

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - meat and bone

Melissa Anthony - live at the Saint

James Bowers - celia ep

The English Beat - the complete beat

311 - universal pulse

JD McPherson - signs & signifiers

Rah Rah - the poet’s dead

Delta Rae - carry the fire

Four Million Silhouettes - butterfly

Lost Romance - top of the world

Joel Rafael - America come home

Crosby, Stills, & Nash - CSN2012


Full playlist with links to all the bands is at www.LazlosDen.com. Support Good Music!

Lazlo's Den Presents New Music airs on BlowUpRadio.com Tues @ 8pm, Wed @ noon & 10pm, Thurs @ 3am & midnight, Fri @ 9am & 3pm, and Sun @ 8pm (all times are eastern time zone)



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Latest Updates on BlowUpRadio.com & LazlosDen.com


FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "black mold"

FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Melissa Anthony - "live at the Saint"

MUSIC VIDEO: Chelsea Light Moving - "burroughs"

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Our on air schedule at BlowUpRadio.com is

Here’s the BlowUpRadio.com programming schedule for this week:

Lazlo’s Den - Monday thru Friday at 8pm ET

The Bumpskey Show – Tuesday @ 9pm ET

Lazlo’s Den presents New Music - Tues @ 8pm ET, Wed @ noon & 10pm, Thurs @ 3am & midnight, Fri @ 9am & 3pm, Sun @ 8pm

‘Rock N Roll Gas Station’ hosted by Jim Testa - Thursday @ 10pm ET, Sun @ 7pm, & Mon @ 6pm

‘The Weekend Mix-Up!’ hosted by Mick Hale - Friday @ 9pm ET, Sat @ 9pm, Sun @ 1pm & 6pm



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That's all for this week folks.

Peace,
Lazlo
www.BlowUpRadio.com
www.LazlosDen.com