The Last International makes a stand

So my travels brought me back to 89 North the best venue for original music on Long Island in my opinion. I was not expecting too be swept away as I was with The Last International. This three piece band reminded me of Concrete Blond and Dusty Springfield just a few to compare them to. They have this classic 60's tones in their music blended with a punkish blues / rock attitude. Fronting the band is the  beautiful black haired raven Delila who's voice sweeps you away on a musical journey. Backing her is guitar player  Edgey looking very much like a member of The Ramones. His playing is edgey with mounds of vintage guitar tones and rounding out the band is Fernando on the drums. This band is a must see in my book. You can find them in all the usual places such as Facebook, Myspace, Reverbnation and their own website. The band gave me a copy of their last cd called Choose Your Killer which has taken up residency in my cd player. I hear something new with each play that makes my ears smile and my soul wander.

Come on and get some Gina Cutillo.

Many moons ago I stumbled across a provocatively dress musician fronting a band called Supergenius going by the name of Gina Cutillo. Since this time she has gone solo and has released two Cd's the first being From Here to Desire and her most recent The Lover. This past Saturday night Gina Cutillo took the stage at 89 North Music Venue to deliver her brand of rock/dance to an awaiting crowd. With the opening vocal line to "Like You Know" Gina and her band kick into a high energy performance dripping with sex appeal. Having watched Gina's transformation through the years she has gone from that provocatively dressed rock musician too a sexy sophisticated performer. Nothing wrong with the first incarnation but with age comes a different form of taste that she has embraced and is as sexy as ever. Gina and the band delivered catchy memorable songs that were well received by 89 North's audience. With Long Island having this new music venue catering to original music one can only hope Gina Cutillo plays here often.

Afro Brick?

Another awesome night of music hosted at 89 North Music Venue in Patchogue, NY. As the old proverb says build and they will come. And come they did 250+ strong came through the doors for a night of original music. And one of those bands were Afro Brick who slithered onstage and oozed an infectious blend of bluesy soulful rock an roll. Stirring a whirlwind of blistering jams and amplified greatness were Drew on guitar and vocals, Willy on bass and George on drums or as I read also known as Drumz, Houndog and Sticks. Might I add this bands was so much fun to watch as they were to listen to. You can check them out on their facebook page just type in afrobrick and be prepared to be infected.

She Said Fire!

 NYC'S She Said Fire made their way to the east end of Long Island playing 89 North's stage Saturday night. There must be something in the water in the city or it could just be the city environment because the bands coming from the area just seem to be a notch above the rest. She Said Fire is a prime example of this. You can't help but get drawn into a She Said Fire performance this band is full of energy combined with top notch showmanship and great songs they have all the making of a lasting staple on the scene.

This Good Robot explodes at 89 North.

What"s this! fireworks in November? This wasn't any ordinary firework this explosive substance goes by the name of This Good Robot a band hailing from eastern Long Island. TGR took the stage at 89 North  on this chilly Saturday night. Watching this band was like watching a string a firecrackers explode before my eyes. Bodies and instruments were thrashing around the stage all the while their frontman Michael Ragosta engaged the crowd to join in the festivities. I would categories TGR as an alternative rock band with dare I say a Broadway musical vibe and I say that with great respect. TGR puts on a show unlike many bands that just play a show there is a difference and when you see a band that puts on a show you'll know it. Highlights of their set were the zombie apocalypse song titled The Human I Am and Call The Police I loved the chains tied to their ankles for that one.  If your looking to be entertained for an evening I would highly recommend catching This Good Robot in concert.

For Matt - For Penny

Back in July of 2012 the L.I. music scene lost a fantastic performer by the name of Matthew Dower of Revel 9. And last night at 89 North Music Venue friends / fans, family and bands gathered to pay tribute to Matt and help raise money for his daughter Penny. This is the first of three benefits to raise money for The Matthew Dower Memorial Fund to help secure aid for Penny's education fund. The next benefit will be Nov,16 at Mulchay's and Dec 16 at The Middle Island Beers Garden.
 I was not able to stay the entire night at 89 North but for the time I did spend it was obvious that Matt touch many people through his music and just being Matt. I believe his love of the scene and his showmanship onstage has rubbed off on us all. Remember time is short. Cherish your time on this earth and make it a better place. A shout out to all the bands that performed tonight Off The Turnpike, The Lost, Cosmos Moon, Finespun, I Ignite, Revel 9 and Ninjas Need Money.

The invasion of Lansdowne.

I got a heads up from Steve at 89 North Music Venue that they had a band from Boston rolling into town by the name of Lansdowne. Taking the stage to a packed house Lansdowne injected their high energy rock to the crowd and the crowd ate up every note. If you enjoy bands such as NickleBack and Saving Abel then Lansdowne will fit right into you ipod.  They were a very polished act with great stage presence and well crafted songs. Watching the crowds reaction they gain a room of new fans. A highlight of the night was a song called Watch Me Burn I've been humming this song in my head the past few days and in my book that's a sign of success.

This Good Robot invades 89 North.

A 7PM show on a Saturday night? Well it was a last minute decision jumping onto this show at the 89 North Music Venue so I heard. I arrived late only catching the last three songs from This Good Robot. And that was enough for me too become a new fan of this band. There was so much energy coming from the stage you had no choice but to be drawn to them. Usually there is ample space on the 89 North stage but tonight This Good Robot filled the stage with its seven members providing more action then a Monday night football game. This Good Robot is a very unique rock band reminding me of  Mr. Bungle at times. Their stage show is full of energy and their songs are nothing short of contagious. And watching their fans hoist the lead singer in the air by his ankles like a prize trophy was nothing short of amazing. Do yourself a favor and seek out This Good Robot and catch the wave sweeping the scene.

The Liza Colbly Sound

There is nothing better than a night of timeless rock n soul music too lift your spirits and tonight The Liza Colbly Sound were hosts of the party. The TLCS are a four piece rock n soul band from NYC and played too a packed house at the 89 North Music Venue in Patchogue NY.  Fronting the band is Liza Colby on vocals. Liza is a firecracker on stage pulling you into her performance with her high energy antics. I guarantee you'll lose control of your bodily functions and find yourself with a fever to dance during a show. If your a fan of artist such as Etta James, Tina Turner or Janis Joplin than TLCS will be right up your ally. Rounding out TLCS are the Roth brothers Adam Roth on Guitar and C.P. Roth on the drums. And holding down the low end is Alec Morton on bass guitar. Highlights of the night were Bad Love, Suga and Shake all off their CD "High Love" (I pick up a copy tonight).
 So if your in need of a band too lift you out of a slump and energize your soul. Look no further than TLCS you won't be disappointed.

"Fear The Dawn" remember the name.

A tsunami came rolling into Farmingdales The Nutty Irishman Sunday night leaving in its wake an ocean of hard core metal fans that came out to support Fear Of Dawns cd release party. Vocalist Sean Patrick started the night thanking all the fans for coming out and all the bands that played before them. Once the well wishes were finished chaos commenced as FTD broke into song. A sea of bodies formed a pit in front of the stage and collided into one another as each song grew brutally one after the other. FTD were on top of their game tonight. Band and audience were in complete unison playing off each other like a fine game of doge ball "literally" balls and bodies were flying everywhere. Fans were treated to all their favorite FTD songs including For What Its Worth and Void Of Hope they also slipped in a short version of Bring Sexy Back (Justin Timberlake). The night looked to be a complete success it was well attended and smiling faces throughout. I wish the band much success with the cd and all future endeavors.

Demon's Eye branding some old standards

 So as I surf the web for another show to catch I came across the name of a band called Demon's Eye. Now this conjures up all sorts of imagery in my head. I'm thinking another heavy metal band singing of knights and sorcery and things of that nature. So with that thought in my mind I research this band even further. I come to find that Charlie Grosso is playing guitar for this band. I recently learned of Charlie a couple of weeks ago when I caught him in another band called Sinner's Prayer. Behind the kit is Nick D'Alessandro from Awaken and Earth Eatz Dog and I'm sure many others. From my perspective Nick is the go to drummer on Long Island. And if you have ever seen him live you'll know why. Rounding out this trio is Leo Binelli on Vocals / Bass a force too be reckoned with in his own right.
 So that was all I needed to make my way to LuLu's Pub and catch this trio live. For starters I didn't get the heavy metal knights and sorcery I had envisioned. What I got was some ripping heavy blues with extended jams. These guys are well versed musicians and play well off each other. Opening their set with a killer rendition of Rufus Tomas / Walking the Dog some may be more familiar with the Aerosmith version.  Charlie explained to me that the idea behind their set was covering songs originating from black American blues artists that were subsequently redone by white classic rock artists.  And now Demon's Eye giving these songs life with their brand of hard rock/blues interpretation. The band likes to think of it as a presentation of standards for the next generation. Demon's Eye plays these songs with such heart and conviction you would have thought they wrote these songs themselves. Other highlight's of the night were Baby Please Don't Go, Just Got Paid and Bring It On Home.
 The audience cheered, danced and sang along to every song in the set. And a few audience members started shouting out requests. Hopefully the band took some notes so they can surprise the audience next time around with some of those tunes.
  So with other good night of live music under my belt. I'm happy too report the LI music scene is thriving with great talent. If your not part of the scene then get your ass off the couch and catch a show.
 I must thank Charlie for graciously giving me a CD before the show. It has many of the songs that they played tonight and I've been happily jamming it in my vehicle as I cruised around town today.

The smoking debut of Sinner's Prayer.

Long Island has again spawned another great band going by the name of Sinner's Prayer. I was fortunate enough to be invite to their debut show at LuLu's Pub in Port Jefferson. Sinners Prayer consists of some of Long Islands most talented musicians currently on the scene today. Fronting the band is Scott Oliva on vocals. Scott can also be seen fronting Live After Death a premier Iron Maiden tribute band. On guitar is Charle Grosso a well rounded gifted player. Laying down the low end is Russ Zutto on bass who can also be seen playing with JRad. And rounding out the band is Gary Worrell on drums. You can catch Garry behind the kit with Mudcat playing the LI area.
 But tonight is all about Sinner's Prayer they took too the stage Opening the show with the song Outsider by supergroup Black Country Communion. Mixing in original songs with covers just about every other one in their nine song set turned out to be a very good move . I was happily surprised when they played a rare Badland's song called Healer. A highlight of the night was an original song called Feel It Now. If you were to ask me I'd choose that as the first single off their CD (hopefully there is one in the works?). What was also a pleasant surprise was the addition of the famous guitar solo and drum solo that bands don't seem to do anymore. Sinner's Prayer are reminiscent of rock bands of the 70's such as Rainbow and Deep Purple. These of course are only influences you can hear in their music they of course have a sound all their own. In closing I felt like I was at an arena rock show tonight. The band interacted with the audience and kept the evening flowing without long pauses in between songs. Which from a spectators point of view was well appreciated. I look forward to seeing a long future from this band. As of now you can facebook the individual members to keep up to date on their various projects. You can also friend the band at www.facebook.com/sinnersprayerny to keep track of this killer band.

"89 North" Long Islands newest premier music venue.

So I finally got down to Long Islands newest music venue called 89 North Music Venue located at 89 North Ocean Ave, Patchogue NY. Welcoming you from the side of the road is the venues brightly lit sign with the number 89 in a bright red star attached to the side of this multi level brick building. Stepping inside you are greeted by a flight of stairs opening up to a spacious room to the left is the bar area and to the right is the stage. To the back of the space you have an upper level with seating and a view of the room and stage. This is not your ordinary LI club. This club was built and tailored for a live music. Equipped with a stage of the art lighting rig and sound system.
 Tonight I happen to come down for their original band Thursday and it was the eve of there first month in operation. Gracing the stage tonight was Tara Hack, Jebus and Heavy Duty Ego. I only got to stay for the first two bands. Tara Hack opened the show with her guitar and a rendition of Alanis Morissettes "Ironic". This girl can sing and play. Her voice melts sweetly in your ears just like a piece of sweet chocolate melts in your mouth. She is that good and maybe better. She shines on her originals as I think most artist do when performing their own material. To find out more about Tara you checkout her site at www.tarahack.com
 So in closing I was blown away by both the venue and Tara Hack tonight. I wish them both much success in the future.
 Bands looking to play 89 North Music Venue can contact them at their web site www.89northmusicvenue.com

Earth Eatz Dog the final send off.

This was not just any Saturday night the date May 5th the night of the 2012 super moon, Cinco de Mayo and the farwell show to Long Island's own Earth Eatz Dog. Taking the stage to a packed house at Ollie's Point the boys wasted no time rocking the joint. For old time Earth Eatz Dog fans we were treated to fan favorites such as Alright, Get Over It and Klub Kidz just to name a few. For the new fans that I know they made tonight they will be sadden too know this was there last show together. I for one have been a fan for many years now. So it is with great sadness that they will perform no more. But it is comforting that their recorded music will live on forever. Every member of Earth Eatz Dog are very talented as a whole and individually. I know each member has other projects there working on. So fret not while we may have lost Earth Eatz Dog as a whole. We will now be treated to the future endeavors of these five talented musicians. Guys good luck to you all and I for one will miss being rocked by your infectious grooves.

The Lynch Pigs offer a dose of some good old wholesome fun. Yeah right!

What would you get if The Mentors gave birth too a musical offspring? Lynch Pigs of course. Lynch Pigs offers clear cut anthems for the alpha males. A musical soundtrack for the guy's who now want to be (stroked) pampered by the female gender. It's been way too long that us guys have had to figure out the female species. Now the Lynch Pigs have simplified the whole mating ritual in a 40 Min set. And after tonight's show at LuLu's this club will never be the same. A major disinfection is in order after the musical filth that spewed out of these five musicians. Opening the show with a heart felt love song Bang In The Bathroom it was clear these guys were not looking for any long term relationships with the woman at the show. Other songs like Knee Deep In Pussy or Earn My Love tell it straight. There's no beating around the bush or secret code to figure out. Tonight the Lynch Pigs were on top of their game. The crowd ate up their sleazy foul mouth dirty musical gems. And by the looks of it the woman in the crowd must like it dirty because they seemed too be enjoying it a tad bit more than the guys.

 Seems to me that this band has struck a nerve on the scene. No frills, bullshit free music to mate too.

For more on the Lynch Pigs check them out at www.lynch Pigs.com friend them on facebook and do your part spreading the word about this musical treat.

It's a Panzie invasion.

Once again NYC's Panzie has crossed the L.I. boarder and deployed themselves to Ollie's Point in Amityville. This being their second time playing Ollie's and L.I. for that matter. It is very apparent that the buzz about Panzie is growing rapidly. Frontman Johnny Hawaiian is a very animated frontman besides every inch of exposed skin being covered in tattoos he also sings with authority and passion. He draws you in with his storytelling via his lyrics. His two main partners are the guitar duo of Jonnie Rocket and Dc Gonzalez. They have laid the foundation with a heavy melodic groove too move you. Playing a blistering set of music this Friday night there wasn't a body in the room not paying attention. With songs such as Built on Hate or Angry Man or what I like to call metal's new dance anthem "Dance" there is something for every rock & roll fan. Ollies' Point is such a great venue to showcase this band from the kicking sound system, amazing lighting rig and fog machine. It adds another dimension to the Panzie experience. I hope to see Panzie make more trips out to the island and I'll keep spreading the word about this amazing band.

Spreading the Code.

 Remember the days you got turned onto a band and you needed to let everyone know about them? Well Killcode is one of those bands.
 I just got their new self titled CD two weeks before the official release date of March 24th. This CD  had been looping in my ride for days now. Forget what's on the billboard charts this disc is pure local platinum.
 Its just too bad its winter. I can't ride around with the top down and raise my fist while cranking the second song on the disc called Hands Up. And if you don't have a convertible you may find yourself with a saw. converting your ride. And its songs like I'm Liberated stating I'm Liberated, Im living free, I'm nobody's burden baby, I only answer too me. Are word's to live by and take to your grave. Another treat on the disc is a duet with Angelina Del Carmen from Charetta on Trust. And closing out the CD is Bad Mother which will have you screaming down the highway.
 Killcode have element of rock, metal, hints of southern rock all wrapped into one package. This band is the bomb. Catch their CD release show at The Bowery Ballroom on Saturday 24, 2012. Remember to pick up the CD that night and help spread the code.

Raise your metal horns to Martyrd

It seems I have been crossing paths with bands from the NYC music scene lately. And Saturday night was another one of those encounters.
 I made my way to one of my favorite Long Island music venues LuLu's of Port Jefferson on this cold March evening. Hosting tonight's event was the debut of Metal Infinity Television bringing metal showcases throughout the 5 major tri-state areas.
 Tonight there were four heavy metal hitters. And one of those hitters were NYC's Martyrd. If you like old school metal with a touch of some modern progressive metal then you need to checkout this band. Soaring vocals, duel guitar attack and driving rhythm section is just the beginning of this melt your face off powerhouse of a band. The energy coming from the stage tonight was intense. Frontman Aaron and guitarist Mike's performance was very theatrical. Aaron even join the crowd during one of Mikes guitar solos and mimicked Mike during it all. The rest of the band was tight and a perfect compliment to the antics of Aaron and Mike.
 Martyrd would be right at home playing along the side of bands such as Iron Maiden and Megadeath to name a few. You can find Martyrd on facebook and various other sites including their own.
 So if you like your metal be sure to see them live in a club near you before your forking over the big bucks when they hit the big time.

KILLCODE spreading like wildfire

With NYC having a population of more than 8 million people. Tonight the city was missing five of it's resident's. Those five individuals were the members of Killcode. And they were taking up residency at Ollie's Point in Amityville, Long Island. This is Killcodes second visit to Ollie's Point. They are on a mission too spread their infectious brand of rock to the Long Island area.
 Emerging onstage like a hand grenade Killcode was ready too implode the crowd. Looking like they were soaked in a batch of tattoo's, denim and leather. You knew you weren't going to be assaulted by a batch of pop songs. By their name alone you should have been prepared to have your chest pulverized.
 Having been to their first show at Ollie's a few month's ago. It was amazing too see the difference from the crowd's reaction to Killcode the second time around. The crowd surrounded the stage singing word for word along with singer Tom Morrissey. Killcode songs are not just songs but street anthems for the masses. The audience was like an army fists pumping and bodies moving in sync too the music. It's hard not to be moved by their music it's heavy, soulful, bluesy and catchy. Highlights of the night were 6AM Again, Hands Up and Bad Muther Fucker. Hell there wasn't a bad song in their set. To find out more about Killcode check them out on facebook and reverbnation.

Ghosts Of Eden come packing heat.

If the headstock of a guitar were the barrel of a gun. Ghost of Eden's guitars would have been smoking tonight at O'Breins. Ghost of Eden came out to eastern LI to represent the NYC music scene. And by the reaction of the crowd they represented it well.
 This was my second time catching them live and they floor me every single time. Ghosts of Eden are the real deal. A winning combination of well crafted songs and a powerful live performance. What is surprising is you wouldn't expect the sound coming out of this band by just looking at them. They look like the could be selling you life insurance or doing your taxes. But once they start to play. They end up kicking your ass.
 Fronting GOE is Tom Pinto pulling double duty on lead vocals and guitar. Here is a frontman putting his heart, soul and sweat into every song. Oh how can you tell? Just take a look around a room while he's performing.
 Their collection of songs will have you moving, fist pumping and singing along. Its a convulsion you can't control. Stand out numbers would be In Motion, Heartbreak Crutch and K.M.A to name a few.
 I'm  also impressed by there strategy to sell their Cd's. There was no set price for the Cd's. As Tom put it. Give us what you can afford. Just go home with some of our music cause that's what it's all about.
 You can find Ghosts Of Eden on facebook, reverbnation and myspace. Pick up their Cd's Ignorance and Lies and Something Kinetic at itunes. Just a little fair warning playing these Cd's can become addicting.