Traffic Violator @ The Wooden Ball @ Club Congress, January 5, 2008

Traffic Violator:

BellRays, Okkervil River @ Club Congress, Tucson, AZ September 1, 2007

After hitting The Loft to see Once (it is a MUST see movie!!) then meeting friends for food and drinks at Sports we walked the long way around via the ATM machine to get to Congress.

The BellRays were minus a couple of band members, at least one of whom just quit. Their stripped down set was not exactly what we expected but they were still amazingly awesome! Lisa promised to be back soon with full band.









Then Okkervil River hit the stage. I love their catchy emo-y nerdy pop rock songs and they are worthy of the hype they've been receiving lately.

The Lashes' Eric Howk Hospitalized

The Lashes' guitarist, Eric Howk was injured Saturday night after falling into an unsecured hole in a friend's neighbor's yard. Initial reports indicated he fell from a roof but Ben Clark, lead vocalist for the band, set the record straight so no one mistakes his accident for "drunken horseplay or bad judgment." He suffered broken bones and injured his back.

The Lashes were scheduled to play the Old Firehouse in Redmond, WA on Friday night with Ms. Led and The Snakebites, however, U.S.E. have stepped in to fill the void, donating their earnings from the night to Howk's medical bills. As is the case with many musicians, Howk does not have health insurance.

If you're in the Seattle area, look for many benefit shows to ease his financial burden. Go to them all. Put money in the till. Feel good. And hope Eric feels good again soon.

Thanks to Matt Brown at NadaMucho for letting us know about this.

Bang Camaro Rock It Early Morning Style

If you weren't in the Boston area this morning, or were, but weren't awake at 7:30AM, then you missed Bang Camaro rockin' early morning television.

Don't fret, you can find the action here and be sure to click on the side bar link to see their Early Morning Rendition of "Swallow the Razor."

It's official. I have a crush on Bryn Bennett.

Friday, April 20, 2007 – Red Room – Courtney Robbins, Plush – Graig Markel

We celebrated 4/20 by seeing one of favorite performers, Courtney Robbins at The Grill’s Red Room. This time, armed with guitar and Sopporo beer, Courtney played 2 sets to the packed Red Room as well as to the diner section where hipsters and hippies quenched their thirst with Bacardi and RC Cola and ate tots (without cheese – absolutely forbidden at The Grill), exchanging banter with people on both sides of the wall. I believe that Courtney is the only songwriter who has used the word “douchebag” in a song which makes me love her all the more.

As usual, “Hardcore” Brian Field joined her in singing Something’s Wrong, a song about a girlfriend she parts ways with only to find she’s engaged to, well, a guy. “Maybe she just likes the cock,” Brian blurts much to Courtney’s dismay but certainly not to her surprise. She expects such comments from her pal.

We had planned to make our way to Plush to see Will Elliott at his CD release show, but couldn't seem to bring ourselves to leave Courtney knowing she’s got just a short time left in Tucson. We walked into Plush long after Will’s set and caught the tail end of Seattle denizen, Graig Markel and his band. Are you beginning to see the Tucson/Seattle nexus here?

Although Graig's music can hardly be called high tempo, a bachelorette party rushes the stage and Drunk Girl climbs on up. Thankfully a member of the Plush staff escorted her off without much effort. Graig handled it with grace.

I was disappointed that we only experienced a couple of songs. His sound is beautiful and dreamy and sexy and smart and has been accurately compared to Elliott Smith, though I'd throw in Manic Street Preachers and Chris Isaac into the mix as well.

He just finished up his west coast tour so you'll have to pick up his latest CD, "Via Novella," which has guests Jeremiah Green (Modest Mouse) on drums, Jen Wood (Postal Service, Rachels) on vocals, and got production, mixing and engineering help from Aaron Prellwitz (Sun Kil Moon, Alaska!, Death Cab for Cutie, Trans Am) and John Vanderslice. It's a gorgeous shoegazing masterpiece.

Bang Camaro Self Titled CD - Black Swords Records

There wasn't a whole lot about the 80's that was worthy of remembering, but wasn't 80's heavy metal great? Didn't you just love driving around in your Pacer with the windows down, the wind blowing through your giant hair, radio blasting the cassette tape of Skid Row's Revolutions Per Minute, singing at the top of your lungs, "WE ARE THE YOUTH GONE WILD!"

This is what Bang Camaro are all about. The power chords. The noodly guitar solos. The big drums. The cowbell. And of course, the gang vocals, from what they call their "Choir." It's everything good about the rock of the 80's without the hair. Their songs are about girls. They're about sex. They're about drinking. They're all about the rock. Bang Camaro consist of artists, video game developers and a who's who of Boston musicians who are or were members of Reverse, Model Sons, High Ceilings, Noble Rot, The Drags, The Good North and Taxpayer to name just a few.

Rocketed to fame by Guitar Hero II (can YOU make it through their song, Push Push (Lady Lightning) without a mistake??) and a MySpace artist spotlight, they've yet to play anything but packed houses, selling out EVERY show in Boston and NYC the first year they played. (Their recent show in Philly broke their sell out streak, but only by 20 tickets). "Yeah," you might say, "but they've got a couple of guitarists, a drummer, a bassist, and EIGHTEEN lead vocalists. All they have to do is invite their parents and the venues will be packed." I'm talking about selling out places like the Paradise in Boston, The Middle East downstairs in Cambridge and the Mercury Lounge in NYC.

The sexy testosterone comes through loud and clear on the CD so you can imagine what their live show is like. In a recent interview, lead singer of Damone, Noelle LeBlanc summed it up perfectly saying, "I want to make out with everyone of them, and I'm not just saying that because I'm drunk."

Wait. Isn't she only 18 years old? That's okay. The drinking age in the 80's was 18. Close enough.



Check out Bang Camaro on their website and MySpace and be sure to get their music either by downloading on MySpace or getting it through Newbury Comics or CD Freedom.

Fugazi....why didn't I know about them back in the day?

Over the past few years, I've become quite fond of Fugazi. Okay, that's an understatement. I really do love them.

In the early nineties, I had already gone through my punk rock, Ramones, Clash, Sex Pistols, Talking Heads phase and it was the tail end of my goth/new wave Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order phase, almost into my grunge phase. Somewhere along the line I missed the DC Hardcore scene.

When I met Brian back in 2000, one of the reasons why I liked hanging out with him was because he always played the best music. I had heard of Bad Brains, Fugazi and Minor Threat but it wasn't until he blared the music on his car CD player on our numerous road trips to nowhere that I became attached.

When we saw French Toast open up for, shit, I can't remember who (when I remember, I'll edit this) at The Black Cat in DC a few years back, I expected an epiphany. It didn't come, so I discarded any Fugazi spin offs.

There will never be another Fugazi. And that's a shame.

Fugazi's Waiting Room

MAYDAY!! Truckee Brothers make single available exclusively online!

With all the hoopla surrounding the recent decision to increase royalties fees for Internet radio, San Diego's Truckee Brothers are making their single, "Mayday" available May 8th, royalty free and exclusively online because as they put it, "it is illegal to repeatedly use the term "mayday" on terrestrial radio." HA! Cool.

Sure, they are trying to bring attention to their new website and the release of their second CD, Double Happiness coming out the same day on Populuxe, but I've got to give these guys credit - though they are capitalizing on a really bad situation (Yeah, the RIAA really needs more money. I'll believe that when the artists make more than they do.), at the same time they're doing something good.

Go out and buy their CD, will ya? Or since you'll be sitting at your computer anyway, buy it online.

Truckee Brothers' website
Truckee Brothers' MySpace

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - Epic Cafe Open Mic - Zack Toporek, Brian Field also Plush - Little Black Cloud and Woven Hand

Thursdays are Open Mic Nights at Epic Cafe. Usually we stay to see all the acts but tonight we only saw a couple. Newcomer Brian Field has played several open mics at Epic over the last few months. Tonight he played two new songs never before played in public followed up by crowd favorite, Slow Edy. Armed with a twelve string guitar, Brian's clever, smart and thoughtful lyrics elicit both laughter and admiration from his audience.



Next up - Zack Toporek.

Zack is a fixture at the Epic Open Mics. His charm and charisma suck in even the most skeptical coffee drinkers and Internet surfers. Zack, at just 18 years old, writes Green Day/Flaming Lips/Weezer type songs about relationships that are at the same time emotional and amusing.

Next Thursday order a coffee coffee milkshake, a giant Rice Krispie treat and settle in for a bit of Zack at Epic.

After Zack, we made our way down the street to, you guessed it, Plush, to see local musician and local musician advocate, Cathy Rivers.

Cathy's latest ensemble, Little Black Cloud, served up some psychedelic, beautiful surrealism complete with Victrola, theremin, pedals and sound effects galore. More than once, I found myself saying, out loud, "Wow. That is COOL."

She doesn't play out as often as most acts in Tucson so when you hear she's playing again, cancel whatever plans you have and see her.



Headlining Thursday's show at Plush were Woven Hand, featuring 16 Horsepower's David Eugene Edwards. I knew nothing of Woven Hand (or of David Eugene Edwards) and was caught off guard when the band played the first notes of their opening song and I hadn't put my earplugs in. We quickly put them in.


Loud and theatrical, David Eugene Edwards and his band played to a crowd clearly familiar with their blaring rock.

Woven Hand brings the Christian rock to Europe in the coming months so you European readers inclined to admire the spiritual rockness should check them out.

Monday, April 9, 2007 - Plush - Dave McGraw and Courtney Robbins

Plush. Again. If there was any doubt as to the
best live music venue in Tucson, there should be no more.

Tonight it was singer/songwriter/producer (Courtney Robbins) Dave McGraw from San Juan Island, WA with his friend and bassist, Tom Lord, who he met in Costa Rica.

Dave has a unique style of fast paced rhythmic guitar combined with beautiful, deep, thought provoking lyrics that kept the full bar enthralled.

Dave is finishing up his spring tour to support his latest CD, Where the Sea Settles Down, with stops in Colorado, Utah, California and Oregon before heading back to Washington.

Courtney Robbins, armed with guitar, beer and smile, was entertaining as ever. Counting down her last few shows in Tucson before embarking on The Wandering RV Tour with Coyote Grace, Courtney, as usual, called on JC Olsen, "Hardcore" Brian Field and, of course, pal Dave McGraw for help on various songs.

Courtney plays a few more shows in Tucson before packing up her guitar, a few t shirts and her Chucks and heading east. Check out her website or MySpace page for dates and more details.

And don't forget to buy her CD, Red Sky in Morning, at one of her shows, CD Baby or on iTunes