Lifes Rich Pageant

Calle 13 - performed at a steamy Summerstage Central Park

Their new single la Perla:

"La Perla is a barrio that is protecting Old San Juan," says Rene Perez, or "Residente," who makes up half of Calle 13.

La Perla is the subject of the duo's latest song, a collaboration with salsa legend Ruben Blades. The song describes the slum, with its hundreds of colorful makeshift houses stacked together, one on top of the other. It's mostly known for being a drug-dealing haven, and for being a place where murder is almost an everyday occurrence. "You can see it both ways," Perez says. "You can see it like society put out La Perla — literally, they are outside the wall, but also you can see La Perla as a barrio that protects Old San Juan."

The neighborhood also has a jaw-dropping view of the beach, making it the perfect setting for a video shoot, but it's not easy for a stranger to stop by. La Perla is completely governed by the drug dealers, and is off-limits to almost all outsiders, even the police.

Even with a guide, reporters have to follow strict rules and ask permission to take pictures and interview the residents. Many of them love Calle 13. "They hang out with us like we were family," said Sonia Miruet, a resident of La Perla. "I really like Calle 13's songs because the messages in their songs are things that are really happening and things that people are living."

No Sleep Til Brooklyn

All Points West - 2009

Pete Seeger

Happy Birthday - 90 years and still going strong,

Oumou Sangare

Mali

Malian musical traditions are derived from the griots, who are known as "Keeper of Memories. Malian music is diverse and has several different genres. Some famous Malian influences in music are kora Toumani Diabete, the late roots and blues guitarist Ali Farka Toure, the Tuareg, band Tinariwen, and several Afro Pop artists such as Salif Ketia, the duo Amadou et Mariam and Habib Koite virtouso musician .

Though Mali's literature is less famous than its music, Mali has always been one of Africa's liveliest intellectual centers^. Mali's literary tradition is passed mainly by word of mouth, with jalis reciting or singing histories and stories known by heart.

One of Mali's greats Oomou Sangare is playing Central Park -  Summerstage New York City this July

Au Revoir Simone

The cuties from Au Revoir Simone are back with a new record —Still Night, Still Light

According to Refinery 29:

"The formula is still the same: sweet songs with 3 part harmonies, 3 keyboards, and a drum machine. What we like so much about this band is how they can get so much emotion out of very simple machines. Casios never sounded so good."

Au Revoir Simone is an electronic indie pop band from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, that formed in late 2003. The group is composed of Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard), and Heather D'Angelo (vocals/drum machine/keyboard).

Sticky and Sweet Tour 2008

October 6th...Madison Square Garden...

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend, is a quartet of Columbia kids who offer up damn-near perfect pop tunes with an endearing sincerity that you have to hope can survive their inevitable rocket to stardom.

But don't mistake their earnest attitudes for naivete; these boys write beyond their years, with pointed, often sardonic commentary soaring over ebullient keys in sing-a-long verse.

Vampire Weekend cite African bands like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Kanda Bongo Man as pull points. Of course, these Columbia grads flaunt their Western roots, too: "A-Punk"'s got some Kinks, "Oxford Comma" is like MMJ's Z revisited from Brooklyn.

Listen to a remix by the Teenagers of Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa here: Download cape_cod_kwassa_kwassa_the_teenagers_remix.mp3

STP @ Borgata

The strangely mesmorising but disembodied woman's voice guided us through the backroads of New Jersey garden suburbs and gritty tired industrial towns, avoiding those parkway  "traffic disruptions" towards our 5-30pm dinner reservation. Every time the estimated arrival time slipped the tension grew. Why did we stop at the dunkin donuts for the bathroom and pizza? Why did we insist on the extra six pack of heinies...its actually an offense to have an open bottle in the car anyway? Why did we take that backroad?

Finally in the distance the mirage loomed real and true. AC's purple palace (the Borgata) and the promise of that juicy rare porterhouse, so large it flopped over the sides of the outsized serving platter, washed down with a smooth Oregonian pinot noir seemed so tantalizing out of reach. As we negotiated the grey gloomy roads and overpasses entering the las vegas of the east coast, our frustrations only grew. The BMW's on-star connections to the reservations desk yielded only a minor compromise - if we were more than 20 minutes late we had lost the reservation and would have to settle for a buffet. 

Not the way to start the night of a Stone Temple Pilot concert followed by some casino fun.

We made the reservation by just minutes and had time, as we slurped the oyster starters, to wonder whether August was an appropriate month to eat them (no "r"). We then pondered at the enormous girth of most of our fellow diners - was it bovine growth hormones or just the good life in the Garden State?

We scored tickets at face value and escalated up to the Ballroom. The bleachers had been placed at the back of this large, square, character-less room. It still had that sad feel of a sales convention. All brown tacky carpet, a strange perfumed air common to all casinos and a wired staff of oldies who were bewildered and really didn't know how to cope with the "Girls Gone Wild", stilletto teterring crowd.

After a fairly lackluster performance by Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club, Weiland and the STP served up a raucous tight two hour set to a wildly appreciative audience. Recent STP performances have apparently been erratic in quality - sometimes with him drunk or drugged or both, forgetting lyrics and mumbling incoherent intro's or even stumbling across the stage and into the drum set. However this night he was perfect. A truly stunning set that touched on and emphasized all the reasons why american rock is king.

A perfect night.

Liam and Me

Ventured well downtown to the Knitting Factory to find some new music.

A young New Jersey / West Phili power pop band  Liam and Me. They are a tight fivesome with some catchy tunes. Their style is alot of post punk with synth overtones with a riff on vintage 80's influences, Good lyrics and danceable tunes.

They played the basement room - not great acoustics, but are touring extensively.

They are worth a listen. Here's their Its a Shame: Download Liam_and_Me-Its_a_Shame.mp3

Iran So Far

So who would really believe that Saturday Night Live has just started its 33 rd season...damn thats a long time....

This weekend's highlight was this ballad to the President of Iran  "Iran So Far" sung by Andy Samberg and Maroon 5's Adam Levine.

"You can't deny there's something between us. I know you say there's no gays in Iran, but you're in New York now, baby!"

I think this is as good as Dick in a Box...