less than jake cruise nyc

Ahoy, ahoy. Opened by The Mezingers, punk/rock/ska band Less Than Jake made their way to NYC for the Rocks Off Boat Cruise concert on Thursday, August 19th. Interesting, different, and rowdy as ever, the show was a sight to see. While my camera dodged a few mosh-pit bullets, I was able to capture shots of the crowd, the band, and the experience. As my friend, the tried and true LTJ fan put it: this was probably one of the best set lists ever compiled. With performance of all of their best songs, the band revived much of their old-time favored music for their fans. They definitely know how to put on a good show, no matter how shaky the ground beneath their feet.

fitz and the tantrums

There is a cool and funky indie band that has hit my radar. Their name is Fitz and The Tantrums. They stole the spotlight at The Mercury Lounge on Friday, with a late night show. With their Debut LP set to be released in August, the band has quite a following for not even having a full record out yet. With the small venue packed to the brim, it was easy to feel the excitement in the room. The audience was filled with cocktails and smiles, and the band with vibrance and heart.

The music is a bit of pop, a bit of Motown, a bit of funk. It's good, if not great. The one unfortunate aspect of the midnight performance was that slow songs dominated the set list, when it is clear that the best is brought out in them when they keep it upbeat. Fingers crossed that the album will have a majority of fast tempo.

Despite any performance qualms I may have had, having shared a great portion of their tour with Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, it is clear that Fitz and The Tantrums is a musical force to be reckoned with. With so many up and coming musicians exploring the route of what I call "modern Motown", it is nice to have a band stand out from the crowd.

Second best part of Fitz and The Tantrums, placing in after their clap-your-hands fun music, is the personality of the band. The members are friendly, engaging, and seem to genuinely enjoy the ride. Third best part: allowing me to ebed the tunes. Enjoy.

Photography by: Melissa Lynn of beIMAGED Photography. To get beBLOGGED coverage, e-mail us.

she & him

I had the pleasure of seeing She and Him perform live at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC on Monday, March 29th. The band stands out from the rest for a scroll of reasons, with the number one being that the lead singer is the bouncy, eclectic and famous actress turned songwriter and musician, Zooey Deschanel. She's not one of the many who turn from acting to singing just because they can, but because she's got true, unrelenting talent. Not to mention the stage presence. She hops around like a 15 year old girl who snuck out of the house for the first time, carrying a coat of confidence and coolness amidst a slight amount of shyness lingering underneath. 

The liveliness of Zooey is accentuated and masterfully complimented by mind-bending guitar rips by the "him" of the group, M. Ward. Both famous, and both somewhat peculiar as a musical duo, these two truly make it work. The songs from Volume One and the newly released Volume Two seem to stand the test of time, creating sounds that evoke the image of a musical melting pot of the old and the new. It's folk, it's rock, it's pop, and it has a hint of old school to it: the music of She and Him is melodic music to listen to while lying out on the hood of your 1958 Cadillac as the sun sets. Or it is melodic music to listen to while daydreaming about owning a 1958 Cadillac. Either one. It is fun and full of life. 

For a first listen, but perhaps not the music video to judge them on considering it was their first and is a bit odd (and yet, quirky), I suggest "Why do you let me stay here?" from She and Him Volume One:




See what the very impressive Merge Records has to say about their band, She and Him. And because I am a big Zooey Deschanel fan myself (you may have noticed all of the photos of only "she"), I can't believe that I have been living under a rock for the past year and did not realize that she and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie got married. Having once been an avid fan of Deathcab for Cutie (especially their older rock-ier albums), you can imagine my pleasant surprise.

I say congratulations to Zooey and Ben, and I can only hope that a musical collaboration is in store. She and Him and He, maybe.

otis cd release party: sullivan hall

Photos by beIMAGED Photography were taken on February 26th at the band OTiS' colorful, funky, and entertaining CD release party, held at Sullivan Hall in NYC.

For words on the new album, jump to the other beBLOGGED entry: OTiS CD Review

mayer hawthorne, the county and hipster new york

March 4th, 2010 could have been any other Thursday for New York City folk, had they not attended the silky-smooth Motown throwback concert performance of up and coming recording artist, Mayer Hawthorne at Webster Hall. With tunes similar to those off of Raphael Saadiq's latest album "The Way I See It", a great deal of influence from old-school Motown Sound (think: The Supremes/Al Green/James Brown), and with a punch of contemporary hip-hop vibes, this artist has much to offer in the way of musical entertainment. The New York City performance was the first of his tour with The County, and they certainly started it off right, with the song: "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" off of album, "A Strange Arrangement".

Shaky and incomplete clip, but this shows you the pleasin' start to the show:

Dressed in a classy suit, red tie, and dare I say "emo" glasses, mixed with his somewhat self-proclaimed "pimp identity", and cursing like a sailor lingo, Mayer certainly has a charm about him. Songs like "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" make you feel all warm and gooey on the inside while the beat gives you something to dance to. And "Green Eyed Love" - sexy, daring, more hip hoppy, and yet, still soulful - stands out as one of the best ones on the album to groove to. (Play this song on vinyl or hear him perform it live, and you'll get it.)

The venue was something out of The Twilight Zone, lit up with hipster fans, all resembling the thick black frames-wearing performer. Almost every single attendee looked related in physical traits and in dress. Can't be such a bad sign: he appears to be someone worth emulating.

Number one highlight of the evening was when Mayer's two Michigan pals joined the band on stage and broke into doo-wop style dance moves in the background, all the while being dressed in 21st century clothes. It was real and playful - and it made the performer and his crew people you want to be friends with. Oh, and Mayer's air guitar skills. Those were pretty sweet, too.

I could have done without the band's un-satiating cover of N.E.R.D's "Fly or Die" which didn't quite fit, but all in all, the tour blast-off was phenomenal. Quirky performer, amazing music, and not one dull moment.







Check out the Mayer Hawthorne myspace page for his tracks and upcoming tour dates. He is going everywhere from Massachusetts to Manchester, and he is more than worth it to see live.