Tuesday, July 31, 2007

BUZZ BANDS: Klaxons, Amy Winehouse, Jamie T, Arctic Monkeys Nominated for 2007 Mercury Prize

Looking for some aurally sexy new bands to turn your eardrums on? Sick of trying to cut
through the glut on MySpace and want a short cut to the best of the newcomers of the
last year? Allow me to introduce you to the Mercury Prize.

An award aimed at embracing the best albums to come out of Britain and Ireland each
year, it would be the UK equivalent of winning the Grammy for Best New Artist & Best
Album, if only the Grammys actually meant anything to anybody anymore. The fact
thatAntony & the Johnsons is a past winner (2005) goes a long way in underscoring the
Prize's integrity and willingness to venture far, far outside the box in their thinking about music.

Their press peeps put it thusly, "The Nationwide Mercury Prize is open to albums from all
music genres. The Prize focuses on the music on the album – it does not take into account
album sales, media exposure or live performances. Each year the shortlist celebrates a
range of styles and genres of music from the UK and Ireland."


Hence, the shortlist announced on 7/17/07 is just the cheat sheet any self-respecting
music fan without a lot of time on their hands to go digging for gold could desire. While
the announcement of the winner in September is certainly an exciting event, most folks
who follow the Mercury Prize are far more interested in the nominee shortlist, than the
actual winner. However, winning the Mercury Prize certainly does wonders for raising the
profile of its recipient. Again, I use Antony and the Johnsons as an illustration.

So without any further ado, I present to you the 2007 Shortlist for the Nationwide
Mercury Prize.

The 2007 Albums of the Year are:
Bat for Lashes:  Fur and Gold
Maps:  We Can Create
Fionn Regan:  The End of History
The View:  Hats Off to the Buskers
New Young Pony Club:  Fantastic Playroom
Dizzee Rascal:  Maths + English
Klaxons:  Myths of the Near Future
Amy Winehouse:  Back to Black
The Young Knives:  Voices of Animals and Men
Jamie T:  Panic Prevention
Arctic Monkeys:  Favourite Worst Nightmare
Basquiat Strings:  Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford

I was lucky enough to catch three of this year's nominees under the same roof, so to
speak, at this year's Coachella Festival in Palm Springs, CA. Check out some photo
highlights from their shows:

Coachella 2007 - Klaxons Coachella 2007 - Amy Winehouse Coachella 2007 - Arctic Monkeys
>>L to R: Klaxons, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, Coachella 2007
    
See Galleries | See Videos

Sunday, July 29, 2007

NEW PHOTOS: Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Public Enemy, Roots, Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang Clan Rock the Bells

Crowd Awaiting Cypress Hill @ Rock the Bells 7/28/07

Rock the Bells 2007 was an incredible day of once (or twice) in a lifetime reunions, the
likes of which most will never see arrayed on the same stage again. I mean, seriously,
when would you ever expect to see Chuck D and Flavor Flav sharing the same stage just
a few short hours before Rza, Gza, Method Man & Ghostface Killa? Would you ever
expect to see Mos Def & Talib Kweli bring Black Star back to life that same day? I think
not. But those of us lucky enough to catch one of the 14 dates on the Rock the Bells
Festival tour can claim those bragging rights.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli @ Rock the Bells 7/28/07  Chuck D & Flavor Flav of Public Enemy @ Rock the Bells  Cypress Hill @ Rock the Bells 7/28/07  Wu-Tang Clan @ Rock the Bells 7/28/07 
>>L to R: Mos Def & Talib Kweli, Chuck D & Flavor Flav, B-Real of Cypress Hill, & Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan

I caught the fest on the first of its two-day stop off at Randalls Island, NY, on 7/28/07,
and these shots are proof that even hip-hop miracles do happen...

Check out the full photo galleries:
--Mos Def & Talib Kweli
--Public Enemy
--The Roots
--Cypress Hill
--Wu-Tang Clan

Friday, July 27, 2007

HOT TIP: After-Parties A-Plenty After Rock the Bells Festival Saturday July 28

If you're like me, you've been thinking you and your groove thang won't be fully sated
after Rock the Bells this Saturday, despite their incredible lineup that includes my personal
faves, The Roots and Mos Def. I mean, all that hip-hop warrants an all-night binge of
rump-shaking, thigh-quaking action. Right?

We're in luck, my friend! Something's in the air this Saturday, and all the party promoters
around the city have got some sort of wacky amusement planned to tempt you from
Randalls Island straight to their doors. Yo, check it:

--------------------------------------------------

First off, there's the official Rock the Bells After-Party.
Frank151 invites you to head to BB King Blues Club on 42nd Street, and hang with DJ
Muggs, DJ Synapse, and a bunch of special guests. Will Mos Def be there? Crossing my
fingers, I am... Meanwhile, you'll need to head to Going.com to RSVP for this event,
you want to make it on the list to mingle with Muggs & co.



--------------------------------------------------

Where will ?uestlove be? Spinning disk at Hiro for his special DJ set!
Head to Hiro, the Maritime Hotel's super-cool, super-sexy club on W. 16th after 10pm,
and you'll catch the rarest of rare sights: ?uestlove on the decks. If his DJ set at the show
he curated last summer at McCarren is any indication, he'll be schooling the crowd on a
mix of the old skool jams that paved the way for the hip-hop and R&B tunes we love
today. If the celebs aren't at BB King, they'll certainly be at Hiro, cuz the mightily afro'ed
mixmaster is a hero to most of hip-hop's biggest stars.
>>BUY ?UESTLOVE DJ SET TICKETS<<

Questlove DJ Set @ Hiro Ballroom 7/28/07

--------------------------------------------------

Add a little Latin to your vocabulary with the White Party at Kama.
Nope, it's not affiliated with Rock the Bells in any way, shape, or form. But if you want to
talk about shape and form, they'll be in full display at Kama on West 21st, where those
bangin bods will be draped head to toe in white. Or perhaps cleavage to mid-thigh would
be a more apt description. Again, head to Going.com to RSVP for this hot little number,
featuring hip-hop, reggaeton, salsa, merengue, bachata, and house.

--------------------------------------------------

Last but not least, TheDanger bring us I (Heart) Danger at 3rd Ward!
For those of you who are Brooklyn-bound after the Bells, head out to Williamsburg's 3rd
Ward for dancing of a different kind. Yes, this is where the artsy and fartsy will be letting
our freak flags fly til a blindingly bright 7am on the clock doth toll.  Yes, this is where the
hipster contingent will be heading, and for good reason. Check out the deets from their
official invite in the post directly below. Then find out more about the lovely party
promoters at TheDanger.com, and subscribe to the mailing list so you can feel special and
get invites of your very own.

HOT TIP: Williamsburg Will Be Dangerous This Saturday Night With TheDanger In the House

You heart Danger? So do I!

I Heart Danger @ 3rd Ward in Williamsburg 7/28/07

Hey New Yorkers, this is the most happening thing happening from midnight til dawn on
Saturday night, in my humble opinion. Check out the deets from the official invitation
below, then decide if you're a 3rd Ward kinda Williamsburger...

____________________________________

ArtistsWanted, 3rd Ward Brooklyn, TheDanger, Ad-Hoc Arts, The American Water
Color Movement, Subatomic Sound System, Black Crack Records & ImageNode invite
you to the return of:

I (heart) DANGER
Details: http://www.thedanger.com

Saturday, July 28th, 10pm to 7am (or later...)
Nine hours of interactive fire art, dj's, dance and aesthetic decadence launching our new
project: Artists Wanted.

These are things we should never do...

Explore a maze of beautiful detritus, danger art, dancers, dj's, bubble domes,
ice-sculpture, and fire performance from the same artists and mischief-makers that
brought you July 14th's One Night of Fire.

In the room of Brick: The American Water Color Movement (10pm) An inspiring mix of
live groove and visuals that is both frightening and calming all at once - it's a strange
groove, because it somehow inspires both movement and paralysis. Movement because
the rhythm is so intoxicating, and paralysis because of the feeling that some major entropy
is going down and all you can do is stand back and watch.

Subatomic Sound System (11pm) Born at the turn of the millennium during a collision of
circuit boards, New York City asphalt, and human skin, this live group of seasoned
musicians experiments with hip-hop, dub reggae, dancehall and drum and bass with
excessive exposure to gamma radiation.  They are as danceable as they are poetic, a
dangerous sound that is not to be missed.

DJ's After Midnight:
DJ Grimace brings classic hip-hop and loin shaking street funk classics. $mall(c)hange
continues the classic theme digging deep into his endless crates upping the BPM as the
collective heartbeat of the dance-floor rises.  Zemi17 plays through sunrise with his
eclectic mix of Indonesian house to transcendent intelligent techno.

In the third floor Dome (you gotta see it to believe it): The Imagenode Collective offer art,
music and wonderful things. Autophage brings ambient glitch-hop with a nerdcore vibe.
North guinea hills and dj prancecess will drop everything from post-aphex gestures, to
environmental kraut pulses, to defleshed dubsteps, and the cultural detritus of the world
hacked onto skeletal beats. Leisure Muffin plays lofi chill to regressive epic bleepblop. DJ
Love Rocket takes you on a journey through distant universes of warped and wandering
soundscapes and celestial soundtracks. With visuals by The Housewives' Guide To
Anatomy & Animitron.

In the Open Air Courtyard: Josh Kalin does live ice-sculpting with a touch of flame while
Debonair and SamiIam spin fire with heat and beauty, rain or shine.

In the Gallery: Massive projections from One Night of Fire by Jeanne Angel (if you were
there you are now famous) and bring a shirt or flag for free fire screen prints by Ad-Hoc
Arts.  It's like wearable vandalism.

Plus Jeremy Nelson and Devin Elijah make you beautiful with pro portrait sessions to be
broadcast throughout the venue and online into perpetuity.  To see portraits from our last
event look to: http://jeremynelsonstudio.com/PortraitParties/PortaritParties/

All this with cheap booze and a few things you'd never expect at:
3rd Ward Brooklyn
195 Morgan Ave.
Take the L train to Morgan Ave and walk 4 blocks north.

This Saturday, July 28th
10pm to 7am or later
Only $10 - Strictly 21+

Details and directions: http://www.thedanger.com

Our former party palace, the third floor of third ward, is deep under deconstruction but
we have cleared out a few rooms of bliss in the midst of apocalyptic demolition.   The
result is about 15,000sqft of party space set against beautiful ruin.  Next week, it will be
artists studios.

____________________________________

Also, for those of you that party-hop like we do, the event below is a few blocks away
from ours this Saturday. It's hosted by beautiful artists and our closest crime partners
within a Brooklyn art loft of the absurd style and proportion that we no longer thought
possible.

Saturday July 28th.  House Of Yes.
19-49 Troutman St. 2nd floor. (L to Jefferson)
Walk up Troutman 6 blocks to the corner of Flushing Ave.
9:45 pm till sunday morning.  $cheap donation at the door.

Featuring bands:  Sankofa (post punk/blues), The Smyrk (rabid rock), Lady Circus
(interactive nonsense) . Dj's there after.

Indoor parades, outdoor seating, a cheap bar and fruit feast at 7am.  Expect the type of
spontaneous performance that makes you feel giddy the morning after.

3rd Ward - Williamsburg
>>3rd Ward Atmospheric After Dark, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

FESTIVAL NEWS: Rock the Bells 2007 Festival Schedule Released

The hip-hop festival of the summer? Rock the Bells, hands down. Now that it has
expanded to include 13 cities, it's officially a festival series!  Ooh la la. Check out
the full list of dates and lineups below.

Wondering who's playing when? I certainly was! Hence, I've posted the schedules
and fest maps for the three original cities: NY, San Bernardino and San Francisco.
For some reason, that's all that was provided on their official site.

No tickets? That can be easily remedied:
>>BUY ROCK THE BELLS TICKETS<<

_______________________________________________________________________________________

July, 26th - Boston, MA - Tweeter Center
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, CYPRESS HILL, TALIB KWELI, PHAROAHE
MONCH, M.O.P., IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DAVID BANNER, JEDI
MIND TRICKS
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

July 28th - New York, NY - Randalls's Island
Festuring:
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL,
THE ROOTS, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI, EPMD, PHAROAHE MONCH,
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, SAGE FRANCIS, DAVID BANNER, JEDI
MIND TRICKS,

MURS 3:16>>PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP STAGE FELT,
LIVING LEGENDS, BROTHER ALI, CAGE, MR. LIF, GROUCH & ELIGH,
HANGAR 18, BLUEPRINT, LUCKY I AM,

VERY SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS: PUBLIC ENEMY +PLUS SPECIAL
SURPRISE PERFORMANCES
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL
DJ MIKE RELM + C-MINUS + ROCKY ROCK

Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - New York Schedule Day 1  Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - New York Map
>>Click to view full-size versions of the schedule & map<<
_______________________________________________________________________________________

July 29th - New York, NY - Randalls's Island
Featuring:
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL,
ERYKAH BADU, RAKIM, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI, DOOM,
PHARAOHE MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, BOOT CAMP CLIK,
DAVID BANNER, JEDI MIND TRICKS,

MURS 3:16>>PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP STAGE FELT,
LIVING LEGENDS, BROTHER ALI, CAGE, MR. LIF, GROUCH & ELIGH,
HANGAR 18, BLUEPRINT, LUCKY I AM,

VERY SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS: PUBLIC ENEMY +PLUS SPECIAL
SURPRISE PERFORMANCES
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL
DJ MIKE RELM + C-MINUS + ROCKY ROCK

Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - New York Schedule Day 2  Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - New York Map
>>Click to view full-size versions of the schedule & map<<

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 2nd - Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, ERYKAH BADU, NAS, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI,
UGK, DAVID BANNER, PHAROAHE MONCH, IMMORTAL
TECHNIQUE, JEDI MIND TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 4th - Miami, FL - Bayfront Park Amphitheatre
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, UGK, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI, PHAROAHE
MONCH, DAVID BANNER, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, JEDI MIND
TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 7th - Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Music Center
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, UGK, NAS, TALIB KWELI, DAVID BANNER,
PHAROAHE MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, JEDI MIND TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 8th - Houston, TX - Reliant Arena
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, UGK, NAS, DAVID BANNER, PHAROAHE MONCH,
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, JEDI MIND TRICKS,
PLUS ADDITIONAL ACTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 11th - San Bernardino, CA - Glen Helen Hyundai Pavilion
Featuring:
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL,
THE ROOTS, NAS, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI, EPMD, PHAROAHE
MONCH, DOOM, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, SAGE FRANCIS, THE
COUP, DAVID BANNER, JEDI MIND TRICKS,

MURS 3:16>>PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP STAGE
FELT, LIVING LEGENDS, BROTHER ALI, CAGE, MR. LIF,
GROUCH & ELIGH, HANGAR 18, BLUEPRINT, LUCKY I AM,

VERY SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS: PUBLIC ENEMY +PLUS SPECIAL
SURPRISE PERFORMANCES

HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL
DJ MIKE RELM + C-MINUS + ROCKY ROCK

Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - San Bernardino Schedule Part 1  Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - San Bernardino Schedule Part 2  Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - San Bernardino Map
>>Click to view full-size versions of the schedule part 1, part 2 & map<<
_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 12th - San Diego, CA - Coors Amphitheatre (Parking Lot)
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI,
PHAROAHE MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DAVID BANNER,
JEDI MIND TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

MURS 3:16>>PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP STAGE
FELT, LIVING LEGENDS, BROTHER ALI, CAGE, MR. LIF, GROUCH &
ELIGH, HANGAR 18, BLUEPRINT, LUCKY I AM

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 18th - San Francsico, CA - McCovey Cove (Parking Lot)
Featuring:
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL,
THE ROOTS, NAS, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI, EPMD, PHAROAHE
MONCH, DOOM, HIEROGLYPHICS, BLACKALICIOUS, MURS 3:16,
SAGE FRANCIS, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, THE COUP, DAVID
BANNER, JEDI MIND TRICKS,

VERY SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS: PUBLIC ENEMY +PLUS SPECIAL
SURPRISE PERFORMANCES
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL
DJ MIKE RELM + C-MINUS + ROCKY ROCK

Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - San Francisco Schedule  Rock The Bells Festival 2007 - San Francisco Map
>>Click to view full-size versions of the schedule & map<<
_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 19th - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI,
PHAROAHE MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DAVID BANNER,
JEDI MIND TRICKS
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 21st - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, CYPRESS HILL, TALIB KWELI, PHAROAHE
MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DAVID BANNER, JEDI MIND
TRICKS
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 22nd - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, CYPRESS HILL, TALIB KWELI, PHAROAHE
MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DAVID BANNER, JEDI MIND
TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 25th - Minneapolis, MN - Metrodome (Parking Lot)
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, TALIB KWELI, MF DOOM, PHAROAHE
MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, SLUM VILLIAGE feat. Phat Kat- A
Tribute To Jay Dee, DAVID BANNER, JEDI MIND TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 26th - Chicago, IL - Charter One Pavilion
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, TALIB KWELI, MF DOOM, PHAROAHE
MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, SLUM VILLAGE feat. Phat Kat- A
Tribute To Jay Dee, DAVID BANNER, JEDI MIND TRICKS,
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 29th - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Center
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, TALIB KWELI, MF DOOM, PHAROAHE
MONCH, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, SLUM VILLAGE feat. Phat Kat- A
Tribute To Jay Dee, DAVID BANNER
HOSTED BY: SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

September 1st - Honolulu, HI - Blaisdell Center - On-Sale Sat, 7/28 @ 9am
Featuring:
WU-TANG CLAN, BONE THUGS N HARMONY
WITH SPECIAL GUEST SUPERNATURAL

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Coachella 2007 - The Roots
>>?uestlove of The Roots, Coachella, 4/29/07  See Gallery

Going to the Randall's Island show on Saturday? Look for me in the photo pit and say hi!

Monday, July 23, 2007

INTERVIEW & PHOTOS: Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello - Plus GB @ Irving Plaza 7/20 - PART 1

Gogol Bordello, the incomparable pioneers of the Gypsy Punk movement, played the first
show of their sold-out two-night stand at The Fillmore New York Irving Plaza on
7/20/07. Living up to their reputation as frenzy-makers, they played to an ecstatic crowd
who created a rabidly riotous party atmosphere, the likes of which I'd rarely seen before.
In anticipation of the event, your very own TixGirl had the tremendous good fortune to
interview Gogol Bordello's legendary frontman/vocalist/guitarist/songwriter, Eugene Hütz.
He was generous with his time with yours truly, so there's lots of juicy stuff to read.
Check out the most interesting bits: 
-On Gypsy Punk
-On Eugene's musical influences
-On the Gogol Bordello approach to songwriting
-On real Gypsy music
-Why the band Beirut sucks
-On being a movie star & filmmaker
-On the Madonna experience
-On a Gypsy presence at Live Earth
-On tuning in and turning on the celebration




TixGirl:
So how are you doing?

Eugene:
I'm doing well. Covered in sweat, actually. Today is the perfect day to talk, because
today is the release of our record.

TixGirl:
Congratulations on that! So you're currently out touring behind the new album. What can
you tell us about "Super Taranta"?

Eugene:
It's actually kind of a supernova for us, because you know we play supermusic. And this
time we wanted to make sure it was kind of full of epic stories and a collection of instant
classics.

On Gypsy Punk

TixGirl:
I understand that you guys kind of coined the term "gypsy punk."

Eugene:
One night I was basically sitting, thinking of how the hell to end this whole problem with
journalists not knowing what to say to describe us, and just getting tired of unnatural
descriptions. Stuff like "klezmer-Russian-ska" and so on. And just wanted to say, "What
is the most driving forces of this band? What are the two biggest inspirations? " And it's
autobiographical, so it's my Romani heritage, and it's punk rock.



On Eugene's musical influences

TixGirl:
You've said you come from a punk rock background. How did you get into punk?

Eugene:
I was already into rock and roll because of my Dad, back in Ukraine. When he was
younger he was playing in a band, and I grew into a major fan of his music, like the
Doors, and the Stooges, Rolling Stones, Queen and whatever. Black Sabbath. But you
know, I just added my own taste in music, like Devo, the Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols,
and things like that. So, I'd buy records on the black market.

TixGirl:
Oh really!

Eugene:
It started out quite innocently, actually, cuz I originally went to black market to buy
stamps. You know, so I started out to collecting stamps, and I made my way down to
buy stamps for different countries. But then I actually switched to buying records.

TixGirl:
You went to the store looking for stamps and came home with Devo.

Eugene:
I came home with Devo and leather jackets, and stuff like that.



TixGirl:
That's classic! So where did your musical interests go from there? Because you really do
pull in influences from all over. You've mentioned your Romani heritage, punk rock, and
also ska. On this new album there seem to be a lot of new influences, as well. I've even
seen some people refer to it as a mixture of ska and Tool!

Eugene:
They always come up with bizarre comparisons. I saw that one journalist said Gogol
Bordello mixed up System of a Down and Manu Chao! Which makes sense, you know?
There are some elements of Prog Rock, speed metal. And there's that sound on some of
the more trademark tunes, like "Ultimate" and "Forces of Victory". Like
gypsy-speedmetal-dub. The truth of it is that the band and I never think about making it
piece all of this together and that together.

On the Gogol Bordello approach to songwriting

TixGirl:
What's the process of writing music like for you guys? It sounds, to my ears, like
something that would really come together in a jamming kind of situation, as opposed to
sitting down and writing an entire song, altogether. But I could be wrong about that.

Eugene:
I will tell you exactly how it goes. There's no rules. Absolutely, it can start from one word,
or it can start with a melody. The song itself. But I write the song originally. I write all the
songs, but for me it's important that they work on guitar already. I'll write the songs and
test them at a party, or a dub safari. Then it's a matter of when I see the reactions. When
I test a song and it turns out to be an instant classic, then I bring it to the band. And there
it becomes completely something else. There it starts taking on life and becomes Gogol
Bordello material. The musicians we have, everybody has a very distinct personal style.
Amazing musicians, you know?

TixGirl:
And they're from all over the world, aren't they?



Eugene:
It's like Refugee Information Processing Central. So I write a song from my imagination,
and suddenly Yuri will strike a chord and take my imagination and take it somewhere
else. Their personal styles start expanding the material, and eventually we've boiled it to
the composition. So it's a casual band where everybody gets a shot.

TixGirl:
It really comes across on stage. This incredible high-energy performance. I mean you
guys are wearing knee pads...

Eugene:
You have to! Otherwise you know it would be a really traumatic experience.

TixGirl:
(laughs) And being onstage shouldn't be traumatic.

Eugene:
And it's also 9 people running around stage like, fucking, the romper room in the match
house. You know? You have to have some pads. I would actually also like to have some
of those things that boxers have on their teeth.

TixGirl:
(laughs) So you don't go running into the bass drum, right?

Eugene:
Unfortunately, though, to sing you know, you can't do that.

Gogol Bordello @ Irving Plaza 7/20/07

On real Gypsy music

TixGirl:
Yeah, it would sound pretty funny. So I've noticed that it seems lately there's a sort of
"nouvelle gypsy" movement in indie rock right now. You know, bands from all over the
place bringing in accordions, and fiddles, and brass, and all kinds of traditional
instruments. And it really seems to me that you guys were the ones who paved the way
for this new interest in traditional Gypsy music. Do you sense that there's kind of a
burgeoning community right now?

Eugene:
Well that's actually been going on for quite a few years. If you look at it just like
historical-wise, you'll see that Gogol Bordello has been doing it for nearly 10 years. We
started in '97. I moved to NY '97 and immediately went to the first club and saidthat I
needed a gig. Here I am with my guitar. So they gave me 20 minutes on a Monday night.
And from that gig I started accumulating following, just by myself. And it became two,
and then three, and so on, and so forth.

But the point is that in the past there was a genuine breakthrough of that music. My whole
idea was to make Gypsy music to be a part of subculture, to bring it to kids, or into punk
rock and reggae, and to other forms of music that come from social unrest. Because that's
very inspirational music. And it's something that turns all negative energy into positive.
Punk rock, reggae, gypsy music, that's what got me through. That's music of social unrest
that comes from authentic social...

TixGirl:
Dischord...

Eugene:
Yeah, it's just from specific places where social unrest does exist. But I just wanted to
comment on the rest of the question. The whole original cohort of those bands was
Taravteri Dukes, Mafar Chokerli, and Boban Markovic. [Note: Please forgive the
hideous misspellings.]
Those are bands from Eastern Europe. And ours actually paved
the way toward a lot of them. And we're all coming out at the same time. And at this
point, actually, it became a lot more massive, but there's a lot of people just trying to get
on the bandwagon, you know, people trying to catch on with the popularity. And you can
easily tell those apart. They usually have, you know, all their album covers look exactly
the same, and they don't really know anything about Eastern Europe. It's just like this
replica.


Gogol Bordello @ IrvingPlaza 7/20/07

Why the band Beirut sucks

TixGirl:
It's not as simple as just adding an accordion.

Eugene:
It's totally not that at all. So after a while, I thought this whole thing started poorly
reflecting on us. And we decided to distance ourselves from it, because reality is that we
always did our own thing. It was that we have our own massive scene, and our own grass
roots following. And that was due to our real fans. That was not due to press or
promoters who made big posters for us, or anything.

It was authenticgrass roots following, and we've been playing to thousands of people for
years. Now we know our fans, and the communication we have with them. And then at
this point, we think that distancing ourselves from that movement is actually a better thing,
because a lot of those things are really terrible, and actually just tasteless. You know like
bands like, fucking, Beirut is just like, even just purely from cultural point of view, it's like
real crap. Because trying to expand, trying to come through in so many ways, expanding
culture, and he's calling his record "Gulag Orkestar." It's obviously someone that doesn't
know it's like calling it "Auschwitz Band." It's obviously fucking somebody who doesn't
know what those places are. And doesn't know anything about anything. It's like for
people who think that, like, Israel is Balkan. You know?

TixGirl:
It comes from a place of ignorance.

Eugene:
The main thing about gypsy music is that it's fire. It's fire of catharsis. And we have that.
We take it and we carry it. And we also make it more than entertainment. We make it
"educ-tainment." You know? But there is so much shit out there that not only can't be
educ-tainment, it's just a complete disinformation. It's pseudo-Balkan, pseudo-gypsy. It's
just plain fucking crap. And that's why we've said that it's probably much better off to be
content with being known as "one-and-only." We don't really need all that much
"Movement." We know who our friends are, and we know who the real pioneers of this
music is, and the shows are unbeatable. It's Mafar Chokerli, Taravteri Dukes, it's Kultur
Shock from Seattle.

Continue to Part 2...

Saturday, July 21, 2007

INTERVIEW & PHOTOS: Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello - Plus GB @ Irving Plaza 7/20 - PART 2

Continued from Part 1...

-On being a movie star & filmmaker
-On the Madonna experience
-On a Gypsy presence at Live Earth
-On tuning in and turning on the celebration



On being a movie star & filmmaker

TixGirl:
I'm going to switch gears a little bit. I know that Gogol Bordello is your main focus now,
but you've also become a really well-known person, not just in the music scene, but also
around the world for other projects you've done outside the band. Like for instance, you
played one of the leading roles in one of my all-time favorite movies, "Everything is
Illuminated."

Eugene:
Thank you so much!

TixGirl:
Yeah, I'm serious, it really is one of my Top 10 of All Time. I absolutely loved it.

Eugene:
Well, I try to keep a low profile, I'm sorry.

TixGirl:
(laughs) Do you foresee doing any more projects like that? I understand you've recently
completed a documentary.

Eugene:
Yeah, that's actually coming out on September 3rd. That's about Gypsy camps. That's
about several things, but most of it is about Gypsy camps in Ukraine.

TixGirl:
And where are you from in the Ukraine?

Eugene:
I'm from Kiev.

TixGirl:
Were you looking for your family who might still be there?

Eugene:
I'm actually very exact and certain where all of them are. I know. So I was trying to find
extended family. Because most of our family they all moved out from that area in the
mountains where all the Romanis came from in my family. They all moved to Estonia, or
Russia, or some of them are in Germany, or parts of Kiev. We were very aware of
where. But I was trying to find the extended family that goes back to like my
grand-grand-grandparents. But when I got there it was like, well, of course they
remembered the ones that left like 10-15 years ago. But when I said like, do you know
who else by thelast name of Hütz that moved here, they said there are like 40 families by
the last name of Hütz in every village!

TixGirl:
How long were youfilming?

Eugene:
It was probably about a month journey.

TixGirl:
Well that's not too much time. It was proabably just about the right amount to bite off all
at once, right?

Eugene:
Well, it's a good film. It was already presented at many festivals. It was already shown at
Barbican, which is one of the biggest Gypsy festivals in the world. In London. It was
shown there, and a lot of Gypsies were basically psyched because it was showing
Gypsies in a just straight ahead way. There was no romanticizing. It was just an insider's
look, you know? There was no exaggeration. We were just basically knocking on the
doors and walking in on people.

TixGirl:
And how did they react to having cameras in their homes?

On the Madonna experience

Eugene:
You know you have to watch out for that. Everything is in the film. If I was going to get
welcomed, I was going to get welcomed. And if I was going to get my ass kicked...  And
acting, I just did another movie. I had a leading role in a film called "Filth and Wisdom."
That was directed by Madonna.


Left: "Ultimate," at NY's Irving Plaza, 7/20;   Right: "La Isla Bonita," with Madonna @ Live Earth

TixGirl:
Really? I'm curious, because I know that you just performed with her at Live Earth, which
was a huge audience, and great exposure.

Eugene:
It was seen by every 3rd person in the world!

TixGirl:
What's the Madonna experience like? How did you come to meet her? Did she seek you
out?

Eugene:
Well, I had heard for years that she was a huge fan of Gogol Bordello. Originally, she
heard it through Liev Schreiber. And I always heard about it, but eventually, I heard in
person! And she said she had a film in mind, and she would love to have me do the
leading role. And I said to myself, Madonna directing me acting is going to be great. It's
going tobe out of control.

TixGirl:
I can't even imagine!

Eugene:
You know, it's pretty much my character. I'm basically playing the singer from Gogol
Bordello. And the whole band is in it. And of course every morning I'd go there holding
my guitar and whatever... There will be my guitar. There will be freestyle Gypsy jam.
We're both musicians, we're both singers, and she really likes these songs that we're
singing. It ended up being, for Live Earth, just us freestyling, and improvising. I was
singing my songs, you know my Gypsy songs, and you know, she found a way to work
her song in. [Note: La Isla Bonita]

TixGirl:
And it's a really great match, the way that it was orchestrated.

Eugene:
It was like completely spontaneous. It was like 10 days before the Wembley show that it
came together. And you know, we had all it takes to make it happen. I was there, she
had the last spot...

TixGirl:
(laughs) and the dancers...



Eugene:
She had the beats, I had the melodies. Everybody was psyched about it. And to think
about it, everyone enjoyed it. Ever since then my phone has been ringing with
from Ukraine, and fans from the States, and from Russia, and my friends call me like
celebrating. They were like, "Hey man, you got Madonna to sing in Gypsy, that's crazy!"
Cuz you know those were all Romaniwords. You know? And I was like, "Yeah man,
that's what I do!"

TixGirl:
So when is the film going to come out?

Eugene:
It's going to come out I think in the beginning of next year. It's a really sweet,
philosophical comedy. Fun fun fun fun, definitely. She's so fun to work with, you know?

TixGirl:
Is she? Cuz you hear a lot about what a hard worker she is...

Eugene:
She's a totally hard worker, but it's dynamic. And it's like ideas non-stop. So sign me up!
That's what I like, and you know, itwas like, Gogol Bordello, that's a bunch of hard
workers, if you want to talk about hard work. That was a perfect live match.

TixGirl:
And a match no one's ever seen before. I mean it really is unique.

On a Gypsy presence at Live Earth

Eugene:
Yeah, andhow many people would expect that? That's what I like, you know, to
challenge the people watching their televisions, including the die-hard. But you know, the
response has been so amazing. For people in Eastern Europe, it's like a cultural
breakthrough, you know. To have somebody like Madonna give us a spot to shine and
represent our culture. On such a scale.

TixGirl:
Every demographic! You really are cutting across everyone by playing with her.

Eugene:
Because for us, for Romanis to be seen as a positive force in global affairs, to play Live
Earth, is a whole other step. I mean the shit that we have to deal with. And even moreso
the actual people who live still in the camps, you know? I mean, I made my way to be a
cultural representative. I am an entertainer. I live life of a rock and roll musician... I'm
more celebrated than them. Only once in a while will somebody show up at a show and
start handing out fucking pamphlets about white power...

TixGirl:
Does that actually happen at shows?

Eugene:
Yeah, it happened twice, actually.

TixGirl:
That's incredible.

Eugene:
Yeah, but you know, they are so outnumbered that they usually just leave, without a big deal.

TixGirl:
That's unbelievable, in this day and age.

Eugene:
Actually, in Ukraine it's the worst that it's been. Like skinhead riots in Gypsy villages. And
in Romania, yeah, it's the worst. For us to be able to represent on a scale that goes under
the skin of the crowd is the last step toward altering Romani perception, you know what I mean?



TixGirl:
I imagine your documentary will be a big step towards helping with that, too.

Eugene:
Yeah, well I don't know if every third person in the world is going to see it, but it wasn't
definitely meant like that. It's too radical for that. But it's good to be heard, you know? I
mean, of course Gogol Bordello is always going to be a special band, and with as big of
an audience as it gets and as big of a story, it's still a very unique band, that was never
continually close to making it. But it's good to be able to penetrate this far, and see who
else wants to join the party.

It also says a lot about her, about Madonna, being so on top of what's happening in
subculture.

TixGirl:
And she always has been that, that's for sure.

Eugene:
Yeah, and it's like now everybody's acting like we've just flown out of the sky and we're
like everybody's Christmas present. You know, but we've been around for nearly a
decade, and we've been touring with an illegal number of people in the band for years.
And it became, ok, now we have amuch better real touring bus and a crew, but there is
still an illegal amount of people on the bus. So everything just has two lanes.

But she knew about us years before, so everybody now realizes it's Christmas.

TixGirl:
Well I am just so happy for you, because it really seems like the momentum is underway
and carrying you guys forward, and now you have this big tour in front of you. So it
seems like the timing is just perfect.

Eugene:
Yeah, I mean I think that some birds you chase, and some birds just land on your shoulder.

TixGirl:
That's a great way of looking at it.

Eugene:
But you know, at the end of the day, people respect the whole odd character, you know.
Because for humanity, that's one of the things we can probably take pride on, is that we
actually have the ability to not give up that easily, actually. People are pretty strong, you
know. They want to celebrate, you know? They want to celebrate the depth of character.

On tuning in and turning on the celebration

TixGirl:
And your music is all about celebration. It's rawkus and high-energy. You can't help but
smile and want to jump around.



Eugene:
Well, that's the good side of life, and all I want to do is share it, and turn people on. It's
very contagious.

TixGirl:
That's a great word for it.

Eugene:
It's actually scientifically totally explained. It's the way we tune in to frequencies. If you're
tuned wrong, you're going to be suffering. By tuning yourself to a different chord, your
feelings are music. In our case, that's our area of expertise. That's what fans are
driving two hours for. They're not really driving two hours fora show and for the band.
They're driving for something that gets them tuned in and lasts the next six months. That's
what the experience is all about. It's a shamanistic act. It's a soul catharsis. It's a way of
tuning into something that sustains for a long time. That's why people get addicted to
certain things, because that's what makes them feel a certain way, and it's great so far.
And I'm just like that.

TixGirl:
And music is transporting. Well, like I said, I'm so excited for you. And I get to see you
on July 20th! I can't wait, I'll be right up in front.

Eugene:
Well comebackstage and we'll have a drink!

TixGirl:
Excellent, I will! Thank you! And thanks so much for taking so much time to talk with me.
Good luck with the album release today!

Eugene:
Thank you.

Gogol Bordello @ Irving Plaza 7/20/07

Thursday, July 19, 2007

BREAKING NEWS: Bjork & Klaxons Announce Joint Tour Dates - Tickets On Sale Friday 7/20

And you thought music's best season was summer? Think again! Fall is becoming
one of the most important seasons for touring, and this fantastic pairing is a perfect
example. Mark your calendar and set your alarm!
Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning!

--NY on sale 7/20 at 9am
--
Atlanta &  Detroit on sale 7/20 at 10am

>>BUY BJORK / KLAXONS TICKETS<<



One of the first must-see shows of the fall matches the ultimate Icelandic pixie,
Bjork, with British electro-dance-rock outfit of the moment, Klaxons. It's a
pairing the likes of which hasn't been seen since... well, since Coachella, actually.

 

More Bjork & Klaxons From Coachella:
--Watch Live Videos
--Bjork Photo Gallery
--Klaxons Photo Gallery

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Thursday, July 12, 2007

VIEW FROM MY SEAT: Fader Mag Summer Music Party with Bonde Do Role & DJ Quik @ Spiegeltent 7/10

Fader Magazine knows how to throw a party.

First, find the most unusual, buzzed-about venue in town. That way you know you can
front-load your fete with fabulous people, whether you've bothered to announce the
musical entertainment or not. They'll come just to satisfy their curiosity.

Fader Magazine Anniversary Party With Bonde De Role 071007021

Second, curate a show featuring a carefully edited selection of artists, from hip-hop to
hipster, who are certain to get the party started. That way you're guaranteed of a far
more photogenic crowd in the next day's media coverage than if you'd hosted a
homogenous crowd of samesters from horizon to horizon.

Thus, the Fader Magazine Summer Music Party was born. The red velvet rope in and of
itself was a spectacle to behold. Thankfully, a press pass allowed your very own TixGirl
and crew to circumvent the sweaty and suspenseful crowd in line at the door, and head
straight into Spiegelworld.

Yes, Spiegelworld. It's a feature of the entertainment all on its own, with its unique
combination of refined antique sensibility, circus tent atmosphere, and breathtaking river
views stacked with vistas of bridge upon bridge upon bridge.

Fader Magazine Anniversary Party With Bonde De Role 071007026

Originally built in Belgium in the 1920s, it's a miracle of art deco architecture and art
nouveau design that was built to be dismantled and moved from city to city on a whim, a
wind and a prayer. Within the Salon Perdu, the main Spiegeltent, you'll find teak wood
floors, stained glass, and over a thousand pieces of glass. I kid you not.

Get the full story about the Spiegeltent, including the complete lineup of summer shows
for 2007.

Spiegeltent, South Street Seaport NY     Spiegeltent, South Street Seaport NY

Among the masses of beautiful people outdoors were a collection of music insiders and
celeb DJs, including Diplo and Prince Language. Meanwhile, inside the crowd was
jumping to the sounds of old school hip-hop, from mic master DJ Quik. Yeah, definitely
look him up.

Fader Magazine Anniversary Party With Bonde De Role 071007046

When Bonde Do Role rolled onstage, the vibe went from low rider to dance rap. As with
their fellow Brazilian countrywomen of CSS, half the fun of Bonde Do Role are their
wacky attitudes and boisterous onstage antics. Not quite as tight in their live show as the
music on their MySpace page implies, they are nevertheless a hell of a lot of fun to see
live. Though their music is sonically completely unrelated to DJ Quik, they are still
brethren, as rappers and a turntablist.

The Fader folks know how to curate a show to please the widest variety of celebrants.
Obviously they do -- it's their job. And they did it well.

Fader Magazine Anniversary Party With Bonde De Role 071007067

About Bonde Do Role, I'll say this: they are f-u-n, fun. They may not be songwriters.
They may not be sophisticated. They may not be tight. But what they are is a pack of
three energetic performers who know how to entertain any size room. Feel like shaking
your ass and having a good laugh while you do it? Go see Bonde Do Role.

Thanks, Fader. Happy Anniversary to you!

Thursday, July 5, 2007

BUZZ BAND: The Redwalls Stage Their Very Own British Invasion - Chicago Style

Nope, that's not the Beatles. Nor the Kinks. Nope, not the Stones, either. That
infectious take on the mad British mod sound you heard Saturday at Southpaw
wasn't even from across the pond. Unless you count crossing Lake Michigan as
crossing a pond.

The blokes you saw in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 30 weren't Brits at all. Hailing
from the Lakes Region -- of the MidWest, that is -- they were born and bred in
Chicago. The city best known for beer gardens and the blues has given rise to the
best British Invasion band that never came from Britain in the first place.

The Redwalls Press Photo

At this point you're screaming at your monitor, "Who already, TixGirl, who???"
Now say it with me, write it down, and otherwise commit it to memory: The
Redwalls. You'll thank me for it later.

The moment you hear the Redwalls for the first time, it's instantly clear that the
Mods are their mentors. With a sound that pulls in elements of the Stones, the
Kinks, and Bowie, it's still their core references to the Beatles that leave the
listener in no doubt that these boys were born in the wrong decade.

But were they? Considering the revivalist tendencies of bands like Bloc Party, the
Killers, Wolfmother and their contemporaries, it's clear there's an appetite on the
part of the public for retro sounds refitted for today's tastebuds and earbuds. But
have you heard anybody do justice to the Beatles without sounding like an audition
for the cast of Beatlemania? Me neither. Not until now.

Best of all, the Redwalls can't be neatly tossed in the been-there-done-that
"Derivative" dustbin of wannabe flunkies. These are their own tunes, their own
harmonies, their own ideas. It's just clear that their collective creativity is filtered
through a lifetime of listening to the Invaders from across the pond. (The really big,
salty pond.)



I can just picture brothers Logan & Justin Baren, still in diapers, learning to sing
by harmonizing their hearts out to John, Paul, George & Ringo. Give their tunes a
listen on their MySpace page and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Now go catch one of their upcoming summer tour dates. You'll be so glad you did.
BUY REDWALLS TICKETS

The Redwalls Summer 2007 Tour Schedule