No, not USA Up All Night…DJing friday night at Market Hotel, one of Brooklyn’s finest underground venues. Known primarily as a DIY spot for toddp style shows, recently they’ve been doing more dance parties…from good low-key affairs to packed all-night craziness. I’ll be joining my old Alldisco/Dazzle Ships partner, Tropical Jeremy and celebrating a return visit from one of our favorite old Alldisco guests, Jonny Sender. Jonny was a member of the classic no wave funk band, Konk in the early/mid 80s. After that he spent many years as a DJ at some of New York’s hottest spots, playing disco, hip-hop, latin etc. He moved to Europe a year or so ago but he’s back in town for a bit so this is a rare chance to hear him. Last I heard him DJ, he played all kinds of classic disco. I’ll play disco, new wave, house, italo etc. Who knows what on earth Jeremy will play.

Body Actualized Control presents
Friday Night Flight
Market Hotel
1142 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn
11pm
EDIT: $6!

Here’s a crazy short clip of a small version of Konk playing on Andy Warhol’s 15 Minutes TV show on MTV.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msb6MZ-fBfA#[/youtube]

And why not check out this promo for an old-school episode of Night Flight when they first showed the Devo movie and clips from New Wave Theater…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itCvIkJmjbY[/youtube]

Two parties, but not like I’m overdoing it, as they are very different parties. Some of you may be interested in one, some in the other. Some may be interested in both! Most will be interested in neither! But pleasing the picky elite is a preferred activity to mass appeal this holiday season.

Described thusly…

Raging against the dancing wasteland, OFF THE GRID is a once-a-month event which focuses on dance music that you won’t hear on a typical Friday or Saturday night. It will focus on a collage of Mutant Disco, Punk Funk, No Wave, Early Electro, New Romantics and rare B-Sides.

Special guest DJs who have contributed, or continue to contribute to expanding the musical spectrum in NY will share the decks each month with the Resident NY DJs Chris Alker and Monica Sharp.

It’s a new party, the first one was last month with guest DJ Sal P. from Liquid Liquid. It’s been a while since I’ve dj’d in Manhattan, on a thursday night, is NYU in session? If I was in college and it was thursday night before the holidays, I’d want to go out in the village and listen to some new wave disco. That’s all I’m saying. Some punk funk. Some minimal disco wave. Some post-punk italo.

You know, I’ve been writing up party descriptions for a good 10+ years now and I have yet to be bored with mashing together trendy genre descriptions. They’re goofy, but they’re also perfectly accurate.

Off the Grid
Thursday, December 10th

Resident DJs Chris Alker & Monica Sharp, hosted by Amos Massey III & Rachel

Le Posson Rouge Gallery
158 Bleecker Street. Money-Makin’ Manhattan
10pm-Late
21+, No Cover

And now for something completely different…

Remember when there was a screening of Whit Stillman’s awesome movie Last Days of Disco and Jeremy and I DJ’d a disco after-party? You can read about it here. It was fun. There was some dancing. There was also some complaining from old people that we weren’t playing disco. Which was weird, because that’s all I brought. And before you go on about how it was because we were playing weird obscure underground disco, you’re wrong. We played Dianna Ross. We played Chic. Fact is, you can please some of the people some of the time, but you mostly can’t please most people most of the time.

And despite this, I’ve been invited to take part in another Whit Stillman “happening”. This time it’s a screening of his first film, Metropolitan, taking place Saturday, December 12th at the 92Y in Tribecca. (An uptown venue comes downtown to present a portait of uptown?). The movie is a polarizing one, filled with lots of talking, lots of wit. A lot of people hate it. I love it. That’s about as ringing an endorsement as a movie can get in my book. The screening will be followed by a chat with Stillman and maybe some key cast-members, followed by a holiday mixer party with music by Chris Wells and myself. Listen as I shred my hip punk-disco persona and explore the classic oldies geek inside. I spent the better part of college listening to Magic Oldies radio in Cleveland and CBS oldies in NY, from before they included the “80s” in their definition of “oldie”, and this past summer while DJing weddings I discovered a newfound love of classic soul and motown, not to mention a nascent interest in northern oldies classics. Chris, host Miriam and myself will be playing a fun mix of holiday music, both festive and melancholic, and lots of Tommy Roe.

Metropolitan
20th Anniverary Screening
Saturday, December 12th
7:30 to 1am
92Y Tribecca
200 Hudson Street
Classy Manhattan
More info and tix here.

And some video clips to get you in the mood(s).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0nfjguTclg[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_juH0AHvwk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SlWPQGMCfQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS-ZOTVYu6U&feature=related[/youtube]

New Viva-Radio Pyjamarama show Victory Garden goes up tuesday at 1pm, and should cycle in and out of the archives thereafter. I’ve been listening to a lot of Broadcast lately and had just discovered the Broadcast Origins youtube series and was thinking of doing a show of Broadcast influences. Then I decided not to and just followed my whims and picked a bunch of typical favorites and less typical favorites and maybe they work together, maybe they don’t…YOU be the judge! I’ll get back to Broadcast and their influences soon though. I’ve decided that Stereolab are my favorite band of the 90s and Broadcast my favorite band of the 00s and they are very similar in many ways but very different in others and I will write another blog post in the (near) future about both bands. For now, VICTORY GARDEN!

1. The United States of America-The American Metaphysical Circus
Another discovery care of the fine-folk at the Oberlin Co-Op Bookstore Record dept, from when the CD was initially released by CBS or Sony. This record is pretty mind-blowing to anybody who had a standard classic-rock upbringing. A band with no guitar, fretless bass, ring-modulated vocals, synthesizers droning and everything heavily processed. Produced by Joe Byrd and released in 1968, the songwriting runs the gamut from fuzzy rockers to ethereal hymns, songs rooted in classic americana, some Beatles rips and moody and dark experiments like this song, who’s closest relative may be The Velvet Underground and Nico. The breadth and ambition of the record could be likened to what Van Dyke Parks might have done if he had studied with Morton Subotnik. The songs aren’t all great, but enough of them are to make this a total classic. This song especially is such a blueprint for certain key aspects of Broadcast that when I first heard the latter I completely wrote them off as a shallow imitation. The first couple of songs on their first LP, The Noise Made By People, for starters. It took me a few years to get over that, and I’ll talk about that more in my forthcoming epic blog post about Broadcast and Stereolab, due out sometime in the next year or two.

2. The Red Krayola-Victory Garden
No clear relationship to the prior song, accept maybe as a nice counterpoint. One similarity of course is that the Red Krayola, originaly the Red Crayola, pre-lawsuit, are among the few other truly revolutionary and avant-garde bands of the period. I’d say that in comparison with the Red Krayola, The United States of America are a conventional rock band plugged into a voltage processor. I suppose I don’t see any reason to go into the history of these bands, you’ve got wikipedia. But if I can say anything personal about The Red Krayola and it’s mainstay Mayo Thompson, well there’s just nothing like The Red Krayola. The first two albums stand alone as such a unique experience. Among the two weirdest, most experimental albums that could even remotely be called “rock” that emerged from the 60s, and completely different from each other, while still having amazing, shining moments of accessibility. Victory Garden is one of the few straight up songs on their second LP God Bless the Red Krayola and all Who Sail With It, and it’s a charming ditty. The few songs on this record pretty much prefigure a very specific but very primal aspect of what could be called “indie-rock”. There were very few bands at the time who were willing to be this loose, this raw, this direct. I’d also like to mention that while I’m cool enough to have been a fan of The United States of America prior to hearing Broadcast, my first exposure to the Red Krayola was because Galaxie 500 covered this song on the Blue Thunder CD EP, which I bought in Portland Maine at a record store called Bad Habits while on a trip during summer camp. Their version is awesome and they also cover New Order’s Ceremony.

3. Flying Saucer Attack-Come and Close My Eyes
This is NOT the kind of indie-rock I was thinking of when I was discussing Victory Garden. But I like this band and this song. I like things that are both noisy and pretty. At the same time. Or taking turns. Some of the new hipster stuff that’s coming out now seems like post-modern versions of this aesthetic. Similar but done with samplers instead of distortion pedals or something.

4. Main-There is Only Light
Couldn’t find a picture of this and sold the actual CD some time ago. (no judgement there, I sold ALL my CDs, except the ones YOU gave me). This is tangentially sonically related to Flying Saucer Attack. I’d say FSA have a relationship to the Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine axises in their merger of a modern british psyche folk with krautrock and shoegaze inspired noise. Main is a more direct descendant, growing out of Loop, who I just now decided are the grunge Spacemen 3. (Sorry if this is getting questionable, I’m really tired.) They put out this really cool record of fuzzy drones and krauty repetition and Wire-esque loops and songs, then got into the whole “ambient isolationism” thing and threw out their guitars and bought field recorders and I stopped listening. I’m sure it’s all good, but I like to sing along.

5. The Trypes-A Plan Revised
Couldn’t find a good enough pic, couldn’t be bothered to scan my copy. Another Feelies side-project. Glenn and Bill from the Feelies joined keyboardist John Baumgartner band The Trypes while the Feelies were on one of their many breaks and recorded The Explorers Hold EP in 1984. When the Feelies would return with The Good Earth, they’d have Trypes members Brenda Sauter and Stanley Demeski. The Trypes have a definite Feelies sound and feel, but a more psychedelic vibe and Baumgartner’s keyboards make it something else all together. The Trypes EP is one of my favorite things ever and I hope it gets reissued in one form or another.

6. Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies-Patriot’s Lullaby
After the United States of America LP, leader Joe Byrd released this LP, which isn’t quite as good, but has a few gems on it.

7. Broadcast and the Focus Group-The Be Colony
The centerpiece of this internet playlist, or any internet playlist. Broadcast’s latest release is a collaboration with the Focus Group. The Focus Group is Julian House, who has been Broadcast’s graphic designer and occasional tour DJ for some time. He also runs the Ghost Box label, which is relatively new to me. An entire label filled with british acts obsessed with old british library records. The label has a great consistent aesthetic and brand, and a somewhat consistent sound. And it’s a really cool sound but a lot of it is more experimental/sampled collages. This song is one of the few moments on the CD where you get a proper Broadcast “song”. For those following Broadcast’s career, on their last album Tender Buttons, they had shed most of the musicians in the band leaving the percussion to be mostly electronic. This collaboration with The Focus Group seems to move them more towards using samples, of actual old library and soundtrack type releases or of their own creations, I’m not sure. No matter, this is awesome.

8. Elephant’s Memory-Old Man Willow
Speaking of Broadcast and soundtracks…Elephant’s Memory were a psychedelic band from New York best known for playing with John and Yoko in the early 70s. This earlier song appeared in the movie Midnight Cowboy, and is often mentioned along with the United States of America as a key Broadcast influence.

9. The Fates-Sheila-She Beats In My Heart
I first heard about this record when it was posted on the blog Bimble’s Windy Weather. The band is comprised of original Fall and later Blue Orchids member Una Baines with her sometimes partner Martin Branah and several other women, with many songs deriving from pre-Christian and feminist themes. It’s a really cool album. I had met Bimble, who’s real name was Mark, on the I Love Music forum where we often talked “post-punk” among other things. I met him at the first Part-Time Punks festival and traded some music with him, I think I sent him a CD of italo-disco, which I don’t think was quite post-punk/new-wavey enough for him. A few months ago I found out he took his own life. I just started writing some thoughts about him but decided I didn’t have the space to make it all make sense and this wasn’t the time or place. I know he didn’t even like this record that much, and he wasn’t that into the Italo I sent him, but we bonded heavily over enough music that his memory and enthusiasm is permanently stamped on countless favorites of mine and other likeminded fans.

10. Mayo Thompson-Horses
My favorite song from one of my favorite records. After the Red K(c)rayola got increasingly experimental and alienated pretty much everyone, I can’t imagine anyone would think that a few years later Mayo would round up some session musicians and whip up this goddamn record, which was reissued on Dexter’s Cigar, the David Grubbs and Jim O’Rourke curated reissue imprint of Drag City. There’s nothing exceptionally sonically avant-garde about this record. It’s an album of adult songs. Songs about relationships and sex and god knows what. Some people may think his voice is less then radio-ready, but I’d rank him with Bob Dylan or Neil Young. He’d emerge again a few years later with a few other versions of the Red Krayola…collaborating with art collective Art & Language, fronting a super-groups of post-punk hipsters, exploring marxism, producing The Fall, Cabaret Voltaire, The Raincoats etc and eventually joining Pere Ubu for when they got really weird, including a much stranger version of this song.

11. Galaxie 500-Another Day
Galaxie 500 introduced me to the Red Krayola so I figured they deserved a spot here. This is the one song from On Fire, my favorite album of theirs, that’s sung by Naomi, and it’s beautiful.

12. Movietone-Sun Drawing
Flying Saucer Attack-related british psychedelic post-shoegaze indie rock. Kind of reminds me of Opal.

13. The Oscillation-Head Hang Low
Don’t know much about them. On DC records, which I primarily know for the krautrock-esque nu-disco act The Emperor Machine. I think this was their “rock” signing? A bit of the Spacemen 3/Spiritualized/Main thing going on, but updated for the post-electroclash era. Sorry, I’m really running out of steam here.

14. Labradford-Soft Return
This sounded really great on headphones during sophmore year of college. I just spelled that “softmore”. Time for bed.

New Viva-Radio Pyjamarama show Checkout Time goes up tuesday at 1pm, perfect for post-lunch pre-mid-afternoon drag perk-up. Just tune into Viva-Radio at 1pm eastern or check the archives of Pyjamarama at various times after. This show is just a bunch of stuff that has been making me happy these last few weeks.

1. Jet-Song For Hymn
Loved “Nothing to Do With Us” from the Glitterbest compilation, finally heard the whole LP c/o Jim Allen (not John Allen). Great Sparks-esque arty glitter/glam with this pleasant Phil Spector-esque intro.

2. Mittagspause-Herrenreiter
Strangely, I’ve never been a huge fan of the whole NDW/german new wave scene except for a few of the hits, I find a lot of it a bit too stern and humorless…imagine that. But I have been gravitating to some of the earlier more punk stuff, like the totally catchy Male and Mittagspause, who have member connections to DAF, Fehlfarben and SYPH. Also check out Testbild on youtube. Sounds like if Neu! 2 was released 5 years later.

3. The Nightingales-Blood for Dirt
What can I say that I haven’t already?

4. Age of Chance-Bible of the Beast
For some reason everyone keeps talking about C86 as if it was all about jangly twee pop bands and not noisy, angry and chaotic bands drawing more from The Fall and the Nightingales.

5. Bob Seger-Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
Always loved this surprising track, “oh hey, I knew Bob could rock, but not like this!”. DJing my friend Nate’s wedding with my old friend Rebecca brought this song back into my life, and it’s amazing video which I’ve included below. You won’t be able to think of Bob the same way again.

6. Sandy Bull-Gotta Be Juicy (Or Aint Love)
Lots of talk in certain quarters of I Love Music about artsy folk guitarists and I just checked this one out for the first time recently. Lots of multi-tracked overdubbing of weirdness. File this between Amon Duul and Haphash and the Coloured Coat and Fred Neil’s and John Fahey’s raga-folk jams.

7. The Beatles-The Night Before
I just discovered The Beatles. No, that’s not true, I’ve always liked them and have gone through periods of listening to this record or that, but all the recent fuss has made me give a serious study. As usual I’m most attracted to that golden 65/66 period and particularly find upbeat and happy or melancholic pop ragers like this my faves. But checking out all the reissues and listening to the entire catalog in chronological order for the first time has certainly made some things pop out. Like how many times have I heard Eight Days a Week on the radio, in movies, in the air, etc, and NEVER until just now did I ever hear the beautiful intro/outro chords. I plan on editing them together and repeating them for hours.

8. Fuxa-100 White Envelopes
Ah Oberlin. Talk of Bright online reminded me of this band and this CD that I loved while in college, when it was new and exciting to mix krautrock and shoegaze aesthetics into low-fi indie-rock. I have to dig up that Fuxa/Bright plastic pink 7″ to see if I still love it like I used to.

9. Dion & the Belmonts-My Girl the Month of May
Mentioned this in a prior post. Goddamn is this a good song. For fans of Del Shannon, Everly Brothers, Frankie Valli, circa 66-68.

10. De Artsen-She’s in Love
Thanks to Mike Wolf for this one via Facebook. The band that evolved into Bettie Serveert playing loopy repetitious minimal and moody indie-rock of the highest order.

11. V3-Checkout Time, Mr. White
Jim Shepard. It doesn’t get any better then this. And stories don’t get more tragic. I’ll write a long post about him at some point. In a prolific period with many releases on many labels in many styles, it was hard to filter through it all at times, but on the Launchpad Explosion double 7″ you can find this gem. Shoulda been huge.

12. Din A Testbild-Die Siebziger
More german weirdness I never really noticed until lately. A bit of a PIL/Joy Division vibe to this.

13. Section 25-Sweet Forgiveness
I had most of Section 25’s records for years but for some reason never picked up Love and Hate, which opens with this song that’s just perfect. Big and catchy, some similarities to big New Wave sounds, some to more experimental/minimal synth type sounds.

14. Shaun Harris-Today’s a Day
When discussing Dion on Facebook a friend sent a “break-up” mix he had made for a girl. Great stuff but this one really caught my ear.

15. McDonald & Giles-Flight of the Ibis
Was Viva leader Matt discussing this? Can’t remember what brought it up, Fripp’s pre-King Crimson collaborators with some wonderful flighty pop music.

16. Bob Bannister-Eight Day Clock
Guitar experimenters like Sandy Bull and 90s low-fi atmosphere creators like Fuxa and unheralded noise rock guitar gods like Jim Shepard got me thinking of this. Just a slice of Bob.

17. The Dictators-Stay With Me
The final song played at my friend Nate’s aforementioned wedding last week. I never knew the Dictators beyond Cars and Girls and having to go to Manitoba’s once or twice, but seeing the happy couple and friends and family rock out to this put some good feelings in me for real.

and before I go…here’s Bob (Seger, not Bannister):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2aBOTNGWMY[/youtube]

First of all, in case you haven’t seen this yet (and if not I assume you live under a rock…or just aren’t on Facebook)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03u_6DadGms[/youtube]

Jools Holland and Leslie Ash visit Danceteria, the Roxy and the Paradise Garage and hang out with Mark Kamins, Arthur Baker, Ruth Polsky, the Peech Boys and others. Watch to the very end for a snippet of Quando Quango.

As usual I try to channel those times and attitudes, even if it’s a tiny lounge and not a converted roller rink or parking garage! This friday I’ll be DJing at the Mint Condition party at the Label Lounge at 174 Rivington. Stop by and maybe I’ll even tell you about the upcoming Acute releases, because believe or not, Acute’s still planning on putting out some CDs and records (yes…RECORDS). Here’s the story for friday:

Mint Condition fuses rare extracts of disco, electro, rap and funk into an intoxicating, moisturizing concoction that will leave skin silky smooth and deliciously dark. Apply generously and regularly to all areas. Reapply at frequent intervals.

This time we’re doing Mint Condition at the intimate and groovy Label Lounge, in the L.E.S. on Rivington near Clinton St. We are also proud to present Tropical Jeremy and Dan Selzer, making their first Mint Condition appearances.
www.labellounge.com

MUSIC SELECTORS:

DEVIN DEVEAUX
Devin Deveaux retired from his successful Miami-based transportation business to pursue his true passion: disco. The electropical musical narratives he constructs are inspired by the colorful characters he encountered on his adventures on and above the high seas. Check his releases on Black Vinyl Records, Elan Records and Formaldehyd Records, available at itunes and beatport.
www.devindeveaux.com

SELECTOR HONEYKNUCKLES
Selector HoneyKnuckles is the distinguished mind behind such world changing inventions as the lamborghini, G-string bikini, Aqua Velva, and the morning after pill. Having grown bored with science he now dedicates his time to mixing records and perfecting his macaroni and cheese recipe.
www.thehoneyknuckles.blogspot.com

TROPICAL JEREMY
Tropical Jeremy brought Beppe Loda (Afro Cosmic legend) from Italy to play at PS1 and do a mini US tour in 2007. He founded the Alldisco and Beat Club parties at Subtonic and Capones. Dazzle Ships for 3 years. These days he’s focused more on production and quality over quantity DJ gigs. In the past year or so he’s played at MOMA, Sculpture Center, Guggenheim, Museum of Art and Design, etc.
www.tropicalcomputersystem.com
www.bumrocks.com

DAN SELZER
Dan has been dj’ing disco, house, techno, italo, new wave, post-punk, hi-nrg and AM gold records in NY for over a decade, from the chic crowded indifferent clubs of Manhattan to the underground jaded lofts of Brooklyn, he’s done it all. While he’s known by a few for his post-punk reissue label Acute Records, he will be remembered mostly for the Crazy Rhythms mix CD recorded with Mike from Italians Do It Better a few years back. Dan was the resident DJ of the influential Transmission party at Plant Bar and co-resident of the influential Alldisco party at Capones and the not-influential Dazzle Ships party at Heathers with the influential Tropical Jeremy.
www.acuterecords.com/blog (you’re already here!)
www.myspace.com/newyorkendless

Exciting things going on in Ike Yard land. Stuart has been very busy with a ton of projects. First, Ike Yard has been signed by Denmark’s Phisteria Records to release some of their new material. Since the release of our critically acclaimed Ike Yard compilation 1980-82 Collected, the band has begun playing and recording again, samples of which have shown up on their myspace page. Fans of the old stuff will definitely dig the new stuff, it is very similar while showing certain progressions, vocals are a little clearer, the sounds and mood, while still dark, are a bit more modern/futuristic then raw, while the aesthetic remains.

Before that however, we get to hear the results of Stuart’s new record label REC,  home for many cool projects. First up, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the seminal “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight” single, they’ve produced 2 new Dominatrix tracks and grabbed one alternative mix from the vaults for a new digital only release. This was just released a few days ago on REC via our good friends at Virtual Label and is available for download, for more info, see below.

Also coming up on REC, releases by Stuart’s latest project, Outpost, which is a collaboration with Mark C, guitarist and vocalist for seminal NYC noise rockers Live Skull and Alice Cohen from vintage New Wavers the Vels and an old friend from the Brooklyn scene of the early 2000s. I’ve been a fan of all three for sometime and Outpost sounds like an interest mix of guitar noise and melody, synthesizer mood and a nice psyche-shoegazer atmosphere. Looking forward to that. In addition to the Dominatrix and Outpost releases, we can look forward to some Live Skull reissues. To me, Live Skull were part of the holy trinity of 90s nyc noise gtr that really had a big impact on me in high school, the other two bands being the more acclaimed Sonic Youth and the Swans. Live Skull were really underrated and it’ll be great to give them another chance at exposure.

Official cover and press release:

(cover removed because it was driving too much questionable traffic to the site)

After releasing albums over the years with Gigolo Records, Troubleman, Gomma and Acute / Car Park Records, Ike Yard founder, and downtown NYC post punk legend, Stuart Argabright, forms his own label, REC, in order to release new music as well as choice reissues.

The debut release on REC is a 3-track EP by Dominatrix in honor of the 25th anniversary of the original  “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight“ 12”. REC has produced two new songs and taken one alternative mix from the vaults from 1984 for the occasion. The Dominatrix EP (Dominatrix Party / You Never Forget Your First Dominatrix / City That Never Sleeps V2 ) comes with special cover art by NYC artist David Levinthal and will serve as reintroduction to the global network of playful vibes, soft vocals, techno pop and ‘Drums !’ that is Dominatrix.

Track listing:
01. Dominatrix Party
02. You Never Forget Your First Dominatrix
03. City That Never Sleeps 2

This first EP will be followed by a second EP later this year with plans for the all new album in 2010.

Sample and purchase via iTunes here.

I wanted to post the original Dominatrix video but couldn’t find it on youtube. Instead, here’s 5D by Live Skull, one of my top 5 favorite videos of all time, and one of my top 5 favorite songs of all time.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avyUH2-LNsA[/youtube]

Next wednesday, cult-classic punk movie Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, featuring performances by young Diane Lane and Laura Dern, as well as members of the Clash and Pistols, will be screening at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Afterwords, movie-goers are invited to join us for an after-party where I will be joined by Aileen Brophy of the band Corita as we’ll play a selection of punk, post-punk and other awesome sounds. 

The Lincoln Center info page for the film is here.

Tickets are available here.

The Facebook event page is here.

And check out the trailer…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06kCwPpyjCk&eurl[/youtube]

I know, this blog is not what it’s supposed to be. You come here for all kinds of vintage post-punk type music discussions and are confronted with nothing but disco dj’ing self-promotion. I’m sorry, I’ll try to be better, I’ve got all kinds of subjects to discuss, music to share, posts to post, but for now, all I’ve got is this…

If you’re in the Brooklyn area, I’m DJing in Williamsburg at the Kiss and Tell party. Kiss and Tell has been going on for 3 or so years, hosted by Seze and Deanna, and has been a sort of mid-week after-work gathering where techno DJs play their new wave records and each week there’s a new theme of sorts. Past DJs have included John Selway, Derek Plaslaiko, Mike Servito, Veronica Vasicka, Peter Gunn, Small Change, Sam Valenti, Jeffery Ssfire, joining resident DJs Bethany Benzur and Carrie Whitenoise.

This week’s theme is SPACE IS THE PLACE. As much as I’d like to do nothing more than play The Night by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons over and over again, I’m going to stick to a more cosmic aesthetic, as in deep space. We’re talking classic euro-disco, italo-disco, electro, new wave, techno etc. If you check out the Facebook page I’ve posted some videos to set the mood, and will post some more of the next few days, so check it out. I’ll also be DJing with none-other-than Ulysses, a fellow-traveller from back when, those glorious pre-electroclash days of the late 90s into the early 00s. Those were the days.

The party is Wednesday February 11, from around 8pm till 2am or later, if you’re feeling it. It’s at Rose Bar, 345 Grand Street in Williamsburg. Here’s more info:

Kiss & Tell Presents:

…:::SPACE:::… is the place

Wednesday February 11, 2009
Guest DJs: Dan Selzer + Ulysses
Hosted by: Seze & Deanna

K&T Resident DJ: Bethany Benzur
Burlesque by: Amber Ray
Photos by: Seze Devres & Zach Dilgard
Midnight Birthday Blast Off for Eddie O

On February 11, blast off on an orbital space flight with the Kiss & Tell in flight attendants Seze, Deanna, and Bethany Benzur. Cosmonauts Dan Selzer and Ulysses, our talented guest DJs, will guide you as you voyage through some of the catchiest and rarest bleeps and bloops in the universe. Our gorgeous resident burlesque star Amber Ray will be our Big Bang. There will be a special Midnight Birthday Blast Off for Captain EO [Eddie O] who is our Space Camp expert, avid astronaut autograph collector, shuttle launch enthusiast [nerd] and close friend of everyone’s favorite astro-babe Lisa M. Nowak.

Your lovely cabin crew at Rose Bar will make sure you are comfortable and properly hydrated throughout your journey. You will be surrounded by handsome celestial bodies and breathtaking views. If you are in the mood, you are welcome to come dressed as your favorite astronaut, martian, stormtrooper, cosmonaut, alien, or Star Trek-inspired space babe. Costumes are not mandatory, because space is a state of mind. In the great words of Sun Ra, Space is the Place.

Starting promptly at 8pm, our lovely blonde encyclopedia of disco, Bethany Benzur, will be indulging the dance floor with fabulous italo disco space hits.

Join us for a night that is sure to make NASA blush! Darth Vaders & Luke Skywalkers get special K&T love…

Sorry I didn’t do this when it was fresh in my mind. Been busy and there was a national holiday to deal with as well. What an adventure! I’m going to kick it LiveJournal style now. I went out there with nothing really planned except the incredible oppurtunity to crash on the floor of my friend Adesh’s room at the Standard Downtown. We decided to rent a car, because people apparently drive in LA, but the super budget car rental place had no GPS, so most of the trip involved me yelling at Adesh and telling him his iPhone’s GPS was junk. We got to town, I ate some tacos the size of my head at the Grand Central Market, complained about eating too much for a while then went to Amoeba, where I didn’t end up buying any records but I tried to convince some dude to buy some Cabaret Voltaire 7″s for 10 bucks each—you cannot pay too much money for copies of Extended Play and Silent Command. Ran into Mahssa and thought I was back in NYC. Went back to the hotel, hung out with Dahlia and took a nap. Woke up and Adesh was too busy hanging out with A Certain Ratio at the Standard’s roof pool so I went over to the Echo by myself. Met Michael from Part Time Punks and Benny Shambles who I knew from Go Go Go Airheart playing in NYC, and Scarlet from Hang the DJs. Pop Noir and Adult. played. Adult. was way more industrial then they used to be and I missed the neo-italo new wave of the electroclash days. Rico from The Lines showed up to say hello then at the end of the night after Dirty Dave and Franki Chan loudly rocked the kids with their serato sets I got to DJ. Of course I only brought CDs and they didn’t have CDJs set up and their computers were about 100x louder then my CDs so when I opened with Perfect Kiss it sounded terrible but enough of me making DJ excuses. That’s my new DJ name, btw, DJ Excuses. So after the club closed at 2 we went to what looked like a cool old diner but was really a total hipster hangout called Brite Spot or something and we sat next to the singer from Veruca Salt, a real L.A. moment. It was 2am LA time, so 5am NYC time, which is what time I’d usually end up at the diners of NY (Odessa, or Veselka), so all was right, even if I had 2 hours of sleep the night before.

SUNDAY

Went over early to catch ACR’s soundcheck. The rest of the day was spent running up and down the stairs checking out bands and working the merch table where I sold 9 Acute CDs. Was re-introduced to Jessica Espeleta of E.S.P.S. who I had met years ago in NYC. Ran into original Dazzle Ships bartender Brion Paul, who still has my Norman Mclaren DVD, but I’ve got his copy of Jubilee. Victor who played Lines singles for me in SF last year at his Teenage Kicks party, ILXor and blogger Bimble, Don from the old Don’s Records in Brooklyn, Brody from the Plant Bar days, DJ Rob, my old LiveJournal friend Elena and others were all there. And to think I thought I wouldn’t know anybody, a stranger from NY in a stranger land (LA).

ANYWAY

I didn’t see all the bands. I saw Magic Bullets who make a suitably powerful slightly twee Postcard Records style indie-pop with a singer who’s a bit too Morrissey. I saw What’s Your Rupture? signees Nodzzz, who were good simple rock and they had a sense of humor. I saw Grimble Grumble do a classic droned out space rock thing, felt like 96 all over again, they even covered It’s a Rainy Day Sunshine Girl. I saw a bit of Warpaint do some sort of tribal rock and the Vivian Girls for a few seconds playing their c86 girl-group sound. I read an interview with them where they talk about being influenced by the Shangri-Las and never having heard the Shop Assistants. They sounded great, better then the one time I’d seen them before. Love is All as well. I always wonder when bands start to hit bigger stages whether they’ll benefit or suffer. Some bands, especially punk bands, need that intimacy and energy of a small room. But both Vivian Girls and Love is All were great and went over swimmingly. I did not see the Muslims, who sound pretty cool. Nervous Gender was some old-school industrial and Medium Medium and Pylon were both dependably great though I didn’t get too pay too much attention. I totally missed Savage Republic and Softboiled Eggies, to much regret.

Onto my pet faves.

Wild Stares were awesome. I didn’t really know what to expect. I first heard them on a Hyped2Death comp and later found a few of the records here and there. They started out in Boston with releases on the seminal Boston punk/post-punk label Propeller, spent some time in Europe and eventually settled in LA where they’re all involved in tons of projects. Vocalist/gtrist Steve Gregoropoulos is a producer well known on the scene and a member of Lavender Diamond. While they were playing I spoke to some LA kids who couldn’t believe what they were seeing, not expecting Steve to rock out like he did, I suppose. They’re a hard band to describe with their own sound. It’s a noisy post-punk, angular and aggressive and chaotic. They use a drum machine and some electronics to good effect. They did a furious version of one of my favorite songs, Piece of the Picture, which Steve was kind enough to let me share here.

Wild Stares-Piece of the Picture
[audio:PieceofthePicture.mp3]
control-click to download

Before they played, I was DJing between bands and thought it would be fun to play the Dangerous Birds single on Propeller, the first band featuring Thalia Zadek. I wondered if anyone in the band noticed. A few hours later I was checking out the merch table and noticed another member of Wild Stares sitting behind some records, including original copies of some of their old records including an old Propeller 7″. I mentioned how cool I thought it was that they had that there for sale. He introduced himself as Justin Burrill, who was the man behind Propeller! And yes, they did notice I played the Dangerous Birds single. It was this kind of punk-rock networking that made the event so cool. There’s a great and extensive interview with the band from an old edition of Perfect Sound Forever, well worth reading.

The Nightingales were one of the main reasons I was there. They grew out of the Acute Records-released Prefects and I had suggested them for the festival. As those of you who have been religously following this blog know, I think they’re one of the best bands performing these days and I’ve seen them play NY a few times now, each time just getting better and better but never really reaching that huge an audience in this jaded town. I think it’s great that they’re playing so much though and really think it’s starting to pay off, building up a new fan-base show by show. Despite there being some last-minute schedule changes, which I am partially responsible for, they finally got to play around 6 or so, a few hours after they were supposed to play, but many hours before they were scheduled to play. It’s a long story, but the timing worked out well for them. They played upstairs to a packed room and I imagine most of the people there didn’t know what to expect. They put on a great show, though not quite as amazing as their performance at Asterisk in Bushwick the week before. I think they won over a lot of fans. The moment they finished two guys came back to the DJ booth and asked “who was that???”.  Robert Lloyd was in great form, taunting the audience as usual. One famous aside that has already been documented in more then one place involved Robert stopping the music and staring at somebody in the first row and saying “Don’t you fucking ever take a picture of me…holding a bud light.” They did that little bit of Faust So Far they always do, making for the second Faust cover of the day. Seriously, do not miss the chance to see them. They have a great new album out soon called Insult to injury, recorded with Hans-Joachim Irmler of Faust, here’s a song from it.

The Nightingales-Little Lambs
[audio:LittleLambs.mp3]
control-click to download

The Urinals have been a favorite of mine since the AmRep compilation came out. Unfortunately I didn’t see much of their set even though it was a prime goal of mine. I heard them play Strip Club from the 100 Flowers record, one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. I also bought a t-shirt. They sounded great.

A Certain Ratio hadn’t played the US since 1985 and getting them to play the festival was quite the coup. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m sure a lot of people were hoping to hear some of those early post-punk funk classics, which ACR did deliver. But I think some of the audience may not have remembered how far the band went into the 80s and 90s getting more and more involved with club music and various other influences, ranging from the smooth post-UK jazz funk grooves to acid house. While they may not have played Do the Du with all the frantic noise of a young post-punk band, they covered the breadth of their career and sounds, ending with a killer latin drum funk jam (a live remix of Skipscada?) and encored with a cover of Joy Division’s Heart and Soul. Now we have to get them to NY!

The bands ended sunday night around 1 or so, and were followed by a Part Time Punks dance party. Something I’d never really seen. Back when I started Transmission I had this dream of playing proper post-punk dance records to a dancing crowd. That’s never really flown here. Maybe you drop Gang of 4 or Delta 5 into a disco or 80s rock/new wave set you’re good, but a room full of people dancing their assess off to the Normil Hawaiins or House of Cracks by The Lines at 2 am on a sunday night? I take it all back LA, I’m sorry about all the horrible things I’ve said about you.

After the show, I joined Adesh to hang out with A Certain Ratio back at the hotel, the closest I’ll ever come to living 24 Hour Party People, then we hit IHOP. A few hours of sleep, waiting for valet service in 91 degree heat, just missing Rob Lowe filming something on the hotel roof, then we flew back monday. NY was like 40 degrees. The NME reviewed the festival here, including some video footage, though I take umbridge at the “hipster Brooklyn” comment.

Anyway, thanks to Part Time Punks for putting it all together and letting me take part. Till next time…

The photo up top is ACR taken by Adesh’s iPhone. OK at pictures, not OK at driving directions. Here’s one more for the road, I’d Like to See You Again, Los Angeles…

OMG, as the kids say. The fine folks of Part Time Punks who you may remember from their special tribute to a very special record label, are at it again and up to all good. They’ve managed to put together a crazy awesome line-up of “post-punk” (or punk, or rock, or whatever you want to call it) bands, both young and old but young at heart. And what bands! A Certain Ratio! Pylon! Medium Medium! Savage Republic! The Nightingales! Nervous Gender! The Urinals! Wild Stares! Some of these are classic west coast legends, while some have never played out there. You know who else has never played out there in LA? Yours truly, DJ Dan Selzer on the wheels of steel, stuck in freeway traffic. I’ll be joining the esteemed Chuck Warner from Hyped2Death as well as David freaking J from Bauhaus and Love and Rockets and Dave Newton from the Mighty Lemon Drops playing records between bands, during sound-checks and other inappropriate times. I’ll probably play only 7″s. On top of that, the night before there’s a little pre-party show with a live performance by Adult. and DJing by Hang the DJs, Part Time Punks and…yes…myself. A little late-night disco-punk/disco italo wave dance CD set.

So did you get that? Saturday the 15th, Adult., Hang the DJs, Part Time Punks and Dance Selzer DJing. Sunday the 16th, a million awesome bands, as the flyer above says…it’s all day Sunday November 16th at the Echo in Los Angeles, city of night. Isn’t that how the song goes? LA post-punk festival, sunday afternoon, drive through your suburbs, into your blues.

Man, even the new bands are awesome. Vivian Girls are the hottest thing in Brooklyn, easily the second coolest borough in New York, Ariel Pink just so happens to be something of an Acute label-mate, the Muslims I have no idea about but I think they’re playing upstairs at Santos tomorrow where I plan to be for Greg Wilson’s DJ set downstairs, so maybe I’ll hear a bit in the hall. And the Softboiled Eggies? Awesome. Other bands? Probably awesome.

But can we talk about these oldies? The Urinals! The purity, the simplicity, the harmonies, as good as it gets, folks! And the Nightingales! I have a vested interest as they were the Prefects, but as a live band the Nightingales of today are probably better than the Prefects or Nightingales ever were. Probably better than the Fall, Captain Beefheart and Faust as well. Savage Republic? I saw them in Park Slope a few years ago on a cold winter day. They were setting oil drums on fire and taking their shirts off. A Certain Ratio??? I just got a copy of their “Live in America” CD on Melodic, which is just fantastic (thanks David). OK, it’s from 1985, but if they’re half that good I’m set. Pylon? Medium Medium? Nervous Gender? I have no idea, but seriously, even if you’re only into some of these bands, how can you miss this? That’s why I’m mentioning this in advance, so you can book your flights. I’ve already got my itinerary. Fly to LA. Go to Amoeba. DJ some. Sleep a little. DJ some more and see 1,000 amazing bands. Forget CMJ.

MR MOJO RISING!

oh yeah, there’s also gonna be all kinds of videos and stuff. Check out the Echo website and the Part Time Punks myspace page.

And soon this blog will be more then me promoting DJ appearances (though I’m always down for more of those). We’ve got a new CD coming out in a week or two, a bunch of Viva show to catch up on, and who knows what else.