Neil Young
Hot Tickets: Department of Eagles, Oasis, Stella
Lots of great bands give birth to the odd side project or two. And yet rarely are these ventures of much consequence. Of course, if the great band happens to be Grizzly Bear, and the side project, Department of Eagles, all bets are off. See, the Eagles aren’t technically a side project at all. The duo—composed of Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen—released their debut way back in 2003 after years of playing together as NYU roommates. Rossen didn’t team up with Ed Droste to release Grizzly Bear’s debut, Horn of Plenty—a record that’s largely considered a Droste solo effort, anyway—until the following year. read more »
Hot Tickets: Sweaty Weekend With MGMT and Ting Tings at McCarren Park Pool
CONCERTS:
This heat sucks … we know. So what better way to beat it than by dancing yourself into a sweaty mess surrounded by hundreds of your under-hydrated peers in a shadeless pool? That’s the question JellyNYC poses all summer long with its free weekend "Pool Party" shows at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg. If you’ve missed any of the fantastic acts (Liars, the Hold Steady) that have already performed this season, be sure to catch Brooklyn’s MGMT (It’s pronounced “M-G-M-T,” not “management,” by the way) and England’s fashion-pop duo, Ting Tings, this Sunday. MGMT's debut, Oracular Spectacular, is a pop intellectual’s feast—a giddy mix of disco beats, glam guitar and baroque synths. read more »
On the Racks This Week: Ween, Neil Young, Alison Krauss
It’s been four years since Ween last released a record—and even longer perhaps since their odd brand of demented joke-pop felt relevant. But the duo from New Hope, Penn. is looking for just that with La Cucaracha, their ninth studio album in 17 years. “Fiesta” and “Your Party” set the ambiguously cheerful tune, and the horn play of Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn, known for being Uplifting, makes it seem clear Ween has shaken off whatever “health concerns” they may have had. The thing about Ween is it was never just the jokes; they're damn great musicians. Here's hoping La Cucaracha can get off its back.
Two musical acts who call Brooklyn home have something new to fill the tinny earbuds of F train iPods. Raymond Raposa, otherwise known as Castanets—earns some unwanted street cred with In the Wines, written weeks after he was mugged outside of his Bed Stuy dwelling. Believe or not, the advance word is that the album is a bit dark. Given the critical acclaim he got for Cathedral and First Night’s Freeze, it’s something worth picking up. read more »
Hot Tickets: Pygmalion, Nada Surf, Neil Young
THEATER:
Who: Claire Danes, Jefferson Mays
When: Oct. 18 – Dec. 16
Where: American Airlines Theatre
How: Check for tickets here.
Pygmalion, starring Claire Danes as the street urchin who will become a society lady thanks to the help of a professor, played by Jefferson Mays, will open at the American Airlines Theatre tonight. Tony nominee David Grindley will direct The Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of George Bernard Shaw’s play based on the Ovid tale.
CONCERTS:
Wise up to lit rock sweetheart Aimee Mann at the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom on Dec. 14. [On Sale: Friday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m.]
Manchester’s David Gray will perform his folk-rock, acoustic songs at the Beacon Threatre on Dec. 4. Bring tissues for his requisite performance of This Year’s Love. [On Sale: Friday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m.]
New York’s Coheed and Cambria, whose new album No World For Tomorrow will be released next week, will unleash their high-pitched, prog rock anthems at the Roseland Ballroom on Nov. 29. [On Sale: Friday, Oct. 19 at noon.]
Remember when Brooklyn’s Nada Surf came out with that video for their song "Popular" in the mid-90’s and everyone lumped them into the “geek rock” realm along with Weezer? Well, they’re still around, making great music and looking just a scruffy/adorable as ever. They’ll be at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Feb. 7 and the Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 8. [On Sale: Friday, Oct. 19 at noon.]
Hey hey, Neil Young will come to United Palace Theatre on Dec. 18 to keep rocking in the free world and whatnot. [On Sale: Monday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m.]
Neil Young Adds Fifth and Final N.Y.C. Date
Neil Young added a 5th ("and final") show at United Palace in NYC. The date is December 18th. Tickets go on sale Monday October 22nd @ 10am. The other four shows (12th, 13th, 15th, 16th) are now listed as sold out.
Sympathy for Rumsfeld
The problem isn't Rumsfeld, it's the policy, stupid. Invading Iraq was a bad idea. It would have been bad with 500,000 troops or a million. The reason it's bad had nothing to do with troop levels. It had to do with the whole idea of forcing democracy on a country that isn't ready. Forcing anything on a country that didn't attack us. If you'd had a million troops in there, the people would have laid low and then started picking them off.
The incompetents responsible for the decision to invade were, chiefly, Bush and Cheney (and Rummy and the neocons down the hall). With the Democratic leadership folding. Scapegoating Rumsfeld is a way of avoiding the hard political and intellectual work of changing the mission.
Neil Young's got the right idea. He's now called for Bush's impeachment. Obviously, the politicians are going to be the last ones to get on this train. They're afraid of the word censure. No reason the rest of us can't get it moving.
Letters
Letters
To the Editor: read more »
The Two Neil Youngs: Demme's Film Shows A Saccharine Singer
The Two Neil Youngs: Demme’s Film Shows A Saccharine Singer
Will They Riot at Other Music? Indie Faves Look to Get Rich
Young's Old and New Masterpieces Lament His Dashed Hippie Dreams
Digital Déjà Vu : Reissues 2000
Neil Young's Semi-Precious mettle
