October 2010 (PDF) - Antigravity Magazine

Monday $1 Schlitz NiteTuesday Tikioki (Tiki Drinks & Kareoki)Wednesday Heidi + SkwirlThursday $2 Tecate NiteFriday Skwirl + Something Fun NiteSaturday Dance PartiesSunday Hangover Tavern w/ DJ Pastafacebook.com/thesaintbartwitter.com/saintbarmyspace.com/saintbarnola961 St. Mary, LGD, New Orleans

STAFFPublisher/Editor in Chief:Leo McGovernleo@antigravitymagazine.comAssociate Editor:Dan Foxfox@antigravitymagazine.comREVIEWS EDITOR:Erin Hallerinhall@antigravitymagazine.comstaff writer:Michael Patrick Welchmpw@antigravitymagazine.comContributing Writers:Michael Batemancrawstika@gmail.comEmily Elhajalhaajj@gmail.comLaine Kaplan-Levensonlainekaplev@gmail.comDan Mitchelldanmitchell@antigravitymagazine.comSara Picsara.pic@gmail.comMike Rodgersmike@antigravitymagazine.comBrett Schwanerbrett@antigravitymagazine.comMallory Whitfieldmallory@antigravitymagazine.comDerek Zimmerderek@antigravitymagazine.comAd Sales:ads@antigravitymagazine.com504-881-7508Cover by Dan FoxVaselines photo by Wattie CheungWe like stuff! Send it to:4916 Freret St.New Orleans, La. 70115Have listings? Send them to:events@antigravitymagazine.comANTIGRAVITY is a publication ofANTIGRAVITY, INC.Resources:Homepage:antigravitymagazine.comTwitter:twitter.com/antigravitymagTHE VASELINES RETURN_PG 18FEATURES:ANTI-News_page 5Morella & theWheels of If_page 16The Thermals_page 17Debauche_page 19ANTIGRAVITY’s VoodooMusic Experience Pics_page 21INTROCOLUMNS:Homefield Advantage_page 10Are the Saints “struggling”?Slingshots, Anyone?_page 11That sneaky Derek.Splash Zone_page 12The month in theatre.Guidance Counseling_page 13Advice from a local celebrity!Hello, Nurse_page 14Medical advice from a local nurse!The Goods_page 15This month in fashion.Photo Review_page 26The month in photos.REVIEWS (pg. 23):Albums by Black Mountain, Iron Maiden,Klaxons, the Sword and more...COMICS (pg. 29):How To Be Happy, K Chronicles, WillFrank’s Monsterhead and a special QuarterVomit by Otto Splotch!EVENTS (pg. 30)October listings for the NOLA area...It’s nice to be back. Last month I had to leave y’all to hit the road with the LoveyDovies for a cross-country tour. On the worst day it was a great road trip with mybest buds and some refreshing sights; on a good day we were spreading the rock androll gospel and smashing guitars in front of new faces. This country is quite beautifuland I’d like to think we brought some of that brisk Pacific Northwest weather backwith us to NOLA. If I look like an idiot in the picture it’s because that’s the kind ofthing that happens when you’re making a midnight death drive from Providence toVirginia... and you’re also a former English major who cannot resist stopping at the“Walt Whitman Service Area” off the New Jersey Turnpike. Alas, there were no audiobooks of Leaves of Grass to be had. There was, however, a Red Bull vending machineand warm McNuggets to keep the drive alive. Well, I’ve made it back in time to wrapup this month’s ANTIGRAVITY and I’m happy to present our cover feature onDebauche, who are part of this year’s Voodoo arsenal. Michael P. Welch’s interviewwith front man and native Ruskie Yegor Romantsov is a real eye-popper and a greatread. It’s also nice to catch up with the Vaselines, who were part of the soundtrack ofour tour. We also have our Voodoo highlights and our usual array of reviews, photos,opinions, a revived medical column and even comrade Derek’s report from the front lines of the battle of UNO. October’s always a crazy-busy month in NewOrleans and as we race through this great weather, great football, great music, great festivals and great holidays, I will leave you with these timeless words fromeverybody’s friend, Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” —Dan Fox, Associate Editor3

ANTI-NEWSSIGH NO MORE: MUMFORD & SONS HAVE ARRIVEDUK folk band Mumford & Sons have been gaining ground theworld over in the last few months with the release of theirdebut album Sigh No More (released in the US in Februaryof this year). The indie folk quartet has been praised by media outletsranging from the New York Times to Spin to PopMatters to the nowdefunct Paste (RIP). Even Jake Gyllenhaal couldn’t help but gushover them during his recent interview with GQ. If you haven’t heardof them yet, you’re in luck. They’re swinging through New Orleansfor a tour stop at Republic on Friday, November 5th with openersCadillac Sky and King Charles. Tickets are sold out, but you shouldn’tlet that stop you. Get on Craigslist. Beat up a high schooler for histicket (ok, maybe not). I personally promise you it will be worthit. Their signature sound is marked by clear, harmonic vocals andchugging instrumentation, with swelling explosions of banjo and horns(essentially, most songs end up being a bit of a hoedown). Vocally,lead singer Marcus Mumford channels the early grit of Kings of Leonvocalist Caleb Followill, (before they started sucking) with a bit lesswhisky and a bit more melancholy. Their work treads familiar lyricalground for a folk band: love, loss, God, death etc. but nonetheless togreat effect. Their sound is whole, honest and impassioned. All fourmembers are proficient at multiple instruments, making for a bit ofmusical chairs during their live shows, where they are also known forengaging frequently and intimately with their audience. If you’re afan of Noah and the Whale, Damien Rice or Laura Marling, you’llprobably dig the bluegrass-tinged country and folk jams of Mumford& Sons. See them now; thank me later. —Erin Hall5

ANTI-NEWSHEAVY METAL PARKING LOT: WHAT STYLE’S ROCKART CIRCUS SAYS GOODBYE TO THE GALLERYAfter all these years, it’s hard to imagine L. Steve “What Style” Williamsneeding an introduction. His highly-stylized artwork can be seen regularly atplaces like Juan’s Flying Burrito and even within the pages of this and everyother magazine around town. A truly working artist, his psycho-billy visuals have beenpopping up in advertisements for years, in addition to the work he contributes to themany bands and other underground ventures around town. You might have even seenhim roaring around town in the “Craw Fink,” a totally deconstructed Chevy S10 pickuptruck, though you’d never know it by looking at it. Always a character and alwaysaround, Williams has become as dependable as the week of Fall we get every year.And for the past five years hehas been throwing the “RockArt Circus,” a collection ofart and performance curatedby Williams, featuring artistswho are sometimes betterknown for the instruments theyplay. Past shows have featuredwork by Jimmy Bower ofEyehategod, Exene Cervenkaof X and Mark Mothersbaughof Devo. This year, Williamsthrows a new twist in the plot,removing his annual showcasefrom a “proper” art gallery(probably after being told byone: “Your crowd, your typeof people? What the fuck?”)and teaming up with Juan’s tothrow this year’s circus in theparking lot of their Mid-Citylocation. The format seems tobe pretty much intact, however,featuring a great collection ofrock bands, burlesque dancers,fire-breathers, hot-rods, skatersfrom Humidity skate shop andof course, lots and lots of eyepoppingand irreverent artwork.This year’s guest of honor isSt. Vitus’ (and New Orleansresident) Dave Chandler, withother notable contributionsfrom NOLA RISING,Morella & the Wheels of If(who you can read more abouton pg. 16) and videos by localthespian and the Green Demon’s Todd Voltz. The lineup of bands performing includeslongtime Friends-of-Steve Suplecs, Spickle, Terranova, the Lovey Dovies, WhiteColla Crimes and Felix. Clearly, a day of sensory overload, which seems to be exactlythe point. Williams promises that this new alliance with the Juan’s empire is only thebeginning and with his track record, it’s easy to believe him. —Dan FoxThe Rock Art Circus happens November 6th, from noon to 8 pm at Juan’s Flying Burrito(Mid-City), 4724 N. Carrollton Avenue. Attendance is free. For more information, go to504whatstyle.com6

SPORTSCOLUMNHOMEFIELDADVANTAGEby LEO MCGOVERNLEO@ANTIGRAVITYMAGAZINE.COM“STRUGGLING” IS A RELATIVE TERMHere’s the deal, folks—I’m writing this the day after the Saints’ Week 3 loss to theFalcons, so I don’t know if the team will bring in a new kicker to replace GarrettHartley, but it looks like John Carney will be back in town to at least be thestopgap to Hartley’s super-slump.Before we get into the real reasons the Saints are “struggling,” let’s get Hartley out of theway because he’s the Saint under the hottest spotlight at the moment. In my opinion, the teamneeds to at least bring in another kicker (I think Carney’s a good call because of his good willwith Saints fans and Hartley knows he’s not a long-term replacement) because Hartley’s themost direct reason the Saints fell to 2-1. Missing a sub-30-yard field goal in any situation isnigh unforgivable for an NFL kicker, missing one in overtime is a cut-able offense for 99%of kickers. His missing two attempts Week 1 vs. the Vikings would’ve been the reason theSaints could very well have been 1-2. I also believe Hartley should have missed the gamewinnerWeek 2 vs. San Francisco. I put the S.F. kick in freeze-frame and saw the trajectoryof the kick as it came off his foot—it was going to be wide left (at almost the exact sameangle as the missed kick in overtime vs. the Falcons went wide left) but a 49er got his handup and blocked it between the uprights. While Hartley’s due a big giant hall pass for his2009 postseason run of big kicks, you can’t ignore his body of work this season as beingdownright Chip Lohmiller-esque. Lohmiller’s field goal percentage through eight gamesin 1995, his half-season with the Saints as the anti-Morten Andersen? 57.1%. Hartley’sfield goal percentage through the Falcons game? 57.1%. I believe Hartley will be okay in thelong run, but until he nails a dozen or so reasonably makeable kicks I think we’ll all hold ourbreath when we’re trailing a game in the 4th quarter by two or three, or even tied.Now, Hartley’s not the only reason the Saints have been “struggling.” I use quotes becauseit’s hard to say a team can start 2-1 while struggling, but when the Saints offense can musteronly 63 points in three games (when we’re used to them garnering three-quarters of that injust four quarters) it’s a reason to be concerned. A reason why Drew Brees and the offensecan’t just will offense into existence the way they used to is simply because after four yearsof the Sean Payton/Brees combo the NFL has plenty of tape to review and winning the SuperBowl only focused the studies of defensive and offensive coordinators alike. The NFL is aleague of trends, and the Saints offense has been the hot thing for four years now—it onlymakes sense that, to a point, defenses are catching up to them. Fortunately the Saints offenseis so good that despite every defensive coordinator in the league being hot on their trail (andevery offense willing to run the ball and control time of possession) they’ve still put upenough points to compete in every game this season.All this means that Payton will have to go back to the drawing board and see what defensesare giving up by adapting to the Saints’ scheme. We could very well see a different Saintsoffense by the end of this season, but until they click once again there will be games that arecloser than we’d like, and players like Hartley will continue to be in the forefront, as will anyplayer whose job it is to do the “little things” that matter so much in close games.I don’t want to sound too much like a Negative Nancy or anything (because I’m justexcited for football, and I think the Saints will be all right—maybe we won’t repeat asSuper Bowl champions, maybe we will, but it’ll be a fun ride), because one of thoseaforementioned “little things” is actually my pleasant surprise of the season, and that’s theSaints special teams (minus Hartley). After a disastrous preseason where it seemed as ifthe Saints coverage units gave up big kick return after big kick return, coverage so far thisseason has been much improved and they’ve even come up with some big plays of theirown. Lance Moore getting punt return duties following Reggie Bush’s injury has workedout better than anyone could expect it to. Thomas Morstead continues to impress on puntsand kickoffs, as well. It’s amazing how he consistently boots kickoffs into the end zone,and how when he lays it on the 1-yard line the coverage unit tends to only give up 10 or15 yards.Also worth discussion is Malcolm Jenkins. I think that having Darren Sharper beginthe season on the PUP list and starting Jenkins was not only the right decision but one witha built-in second chance for the second-year safety, in case he didn’t develop as planned in2010. I think Jenkins is coming along nicely—though he was burned by Roddy White in theFalcons game—it feels like he’s in on a few passing plays a game (he’ll get closer to his firstinterception as a safety as soon as the offense can put up enough points to make opposingoffenses take chances in the passing game), he definitely can hit people and he can make uplost ground. If Jenkins continues to not put up any stat but tackles (besides not having an INT,he also hasn’t forced a fumble, recovered one or had a sack), Sharper can come in at Week 7,which allows Jenkins to move into the nickel back position for 2010, work on his game andget ready to compete for the starting spot in 2011.Before I leave I want to remind you that to this point the Saints have only played a quarterof the season. Yes, a division loss hurts more than most—and the fact that Falcons handed usour first post-Super Bowl loss does not make me happy—but there’s another dozen weeks offootball left and if you think the Saints are a good team, I think you have to believe they havenowhere to go but up the rest of the way.10

COLUMNLOCAL CULTURESLINGSHOTS, ANYONE?BY DEREK ZIMMER JUDGEPEREZREVENGE@YAHOO.COMOCCUPY. STRIKE. RESIST.[From their hunting lodge somewhere in Northern Louisiana, theANTIGRAVITY lawyers are making us state that these opinions are Derek’sand Derek’s alone (duh!) and don’t necessarily reflect the views and opinionsof the staff, management, board of directors and our supreme leader, whosename and location we cannot disclose to outsiders at this time. —Ed..]In the morning hours of Wednesday September 1st, a small group ofstudents barricaded themselves inside Milneburg Hall, a Social Sciencesbuilding on UNO’s campus. This occupation was in protest of the massivebudget cuts implemented over the last two years, and as part of a greaterrevolutionary student movement erupting worldwide. The occupiers unfurledbanners from windows reading “Occupy. Strike. Resist.” and held the buildinguntil 9am, before campus police—guns drawn—finally entered through an openground-floor window. After a meeting with the chief of police and the provost,the occupiers were allowed to leave with no charges filed and to participatein the Walk Out scheduled for later that morning. They assisted in cleaning upthe building before exiting the glass doors to a throng of cheering supporters.There are a few things in life one can always count on. That old tape youfeel like you might die if you don’t hear mysteriously turning up lost. Thepunk show never starting on time. And last but certainly not least, one canalways expect the police to manipulate details and outright fib—with the mediaeating up their fudged accounts like the hobgoblins of little minds that theyare. Take, for instance, UNO police chief Tom Harrington quoted on videoduring his “negotiation” with the occupiers (taken by the latter) as stating howhe appreciated what the occupiers were doing and that next time they plannedto do something so brazen as take over a building, they should notify him.“So you would let us barricade a building?” one of the occupiers off-cameracan be heard asking, dubiously.With a straight face, and a glance to the provost, Harrington replies, “Oh,sure. I don’t care.”How laughable! And maybe next time someone decides to rob a bank, theyshould go ahead and phone the authorities ahead of time to avoid any confusion!Harrington’s most pathological duplicity made manifest later that morning,however, when the actions initiated by UNO PD caused the proverbial shit tohit the fan.Approximately 200 kids left their classes for the Walk Out scheduled for10am in the quad. In the distance hung a banner, dropped guerilla-style daysearlier, reading “Become the crisis. Strike against the budget cuts” drapedoff the side of the Liberal Arts building. Students who felt the urge took themegaphone to voice their opposition to this crisis—which was raising tuition,cutting classes and graduate programs, limiting entrance scholarships andlaying off faculty. The amount of fervor from students was tremendous andkids pointed out that Louisiana is 48th in education in the nation, and how thisfurther scourge on higher learning will only exacerbate poverty and crime inour city. How our state spends more on incarceration than it does on education.How those at the top of the pyramid still make their six-figure incomes whilejanitors are being laid off—and how action must be taken to stop this.After an hour of venting our frustrations amongst ourselves and the need tohold those in power accountable, it was decided that a slight detour throughthe Administration Building on our way over to the amphitheater for the danceparty would be appropriate. Thus, students could tell the chancellor directlyhow they felt. A protest out in the quad is easy to ignore; inside their office…Not so easy!What happened next fills me with a pride I cannot even describe—the partwhere students, without any “leaders” or formal organizing body, took it uponthemselves to collectively disrupt business as usual. As we approached theAdmin building, a lone, bone-headed officer stood sentry at one of the glassdoors and attempted to block the path. In a moment of pure humor no merewords can simulate, those in the front of the crowd simply strode past himand opened the adjacent door! You can’t dam a surging river, ye minion ofthe State! That officer was so befuddled I could have peed my pants with glee!After kids began to gridlock in the stairwell, a quick consensus was reached.“Up the stairs!” they yelled.Wall to wall with banners and bodies, the crowd snaked its way throughthe hallways, chanting and waving to the secretaries. And out came the goonsto spoil our fun. “We’d like to speak with the chancellor,” my small framepiped up to the clustered line of cops. Leave is all the answer we received,“The amount of fervor from students wastremendous and kids pointed out thatLouisiana is 48th in education in the nation,and how this further scourge on higherlearning will only exacerbate poverty andcrime in our city. How our state spendsmore on incarceration than it does oneducation. How those at the top of thepyramid still make their six-figure incomeswhile janitors are being laid off—and howaction must be taken to stop this.”however. Oh, I forgot—we shoulda told our “insider” Harrington first so he could have “taken care of it”(wink, wink) for us. If the true interests of police were ever in question, they were never so apparent as in thecops’ response. Apparently deciding enough was enough, our “buddy” Harrington gave the order to his dogsto “clear the building,” at which point the squad unleashed their batons and began to swat at the large group.In their lashing buffoonery, a club made contact with a dispersing student’s calf.The student who’d been struck turned to find out, perhaps, why these idiots had struck him for doingnothing more than standing in a public building. At this, however, multiple cops pounced upon him! Anotherstudent was attacked and pepper-sprayed for simply taking out his camera phone. The cops apparently wishedno outside eyes to witness their brutality. But witness it they did: in the stairwell, as captured by WWL-TV,Harrington can be seen showing his true menacing colors as he drags a kid in a headlock down the stairs! Onewoman very audibly said to the chief, “You hit him first,” as a chorus of Let him go! resounded from studentsall around.The resistance and solidarity on the part of the students proved beyond amazing. Kids could be seenplacing their bodies between the police and their friends, and in one instance, a small collection of students“unarrested” their beleaguered classmate! Anarchy, it appeared, was upon us! As soon as the news wentout that our comrade had been pepper-sprayed, the crowd enfolded the cops who were dragging this poordistraught soul in handcuffs away to a squad car. “I was attacked!” he screamed to the protestors and to thecameras. Only after his girlfriend insisted he be led away for medical treatment (and inevitably, jail) was thepolice car allowed passage.Now, the overarching reason the occupiers were not arrested that morning was due to UNO wishing tokeep the events as hush-hush as possible. Such an intention, however, had now been shattered. To atone, andto deflect attention from the fact that UNO PD pepper-sprayed and thuggishly attacked their own students(whom they’re ostensibly there to “protect” and all) for doing nothing more than standing in a public building,Harrington the Deceiver laid it on real thick for the cameras outside his EMS ambulance. (Hmm…Why didn’tthey call one of these for our mace-exposed comrade?) Watching the news footage I began to wonder if thechief shouldn’t have pursued a more respectable career in soap opera: “He punched me in the ribs,” he says,dramatically panting and dabbing his forehead. “Then he pushed me down the stairs and...” (painful sigh) “…that’s when I twisted my ankle.” Hmmm…Was this, I query, before or after going all Hulk Hogan on that kidhe dragged down the stairs?!By this point students were so outraged that rioting loomed in the realm of conceivable possibility. Studentshad shown themselves more than willing to throw down against power, and at the speak-out in the amphitheater,they made clear their disillusionment with the police and the administration, which turned a blind eye first tothe cuts and then to the violence of their hired law enforcers. The revolutionary student movement that hasbeen springing up from California to New York, it appears, has finally reached the Gulf South!As of this writing, the two arrested students still face criminal charges, and one has even been banned fromcampus! NOPD has since shown up to the home of one organizer and arrested him. Meanwhile ChancellorTim Ryan has been fired, and in a tyrannical takeover not unlike that of Sith Lord Chancellor Palpatine,president of the LSU Empire John V. Lombardi has usurped his position. Further action to keep the pressureon those who would see our quality of life in shambles to feed their bank balances can be viewed at occupyla.wordpress.com. Whether you’re a current student, an alum, a potential future student (as we all are!), onecannot argue the importance of accessible education and its impact on our community. We owe it to ourselvesand future generations to resist such capitalist injustice perpetuated by the higher-ups and the police guardianswho protect them. And if it means disrupting the orderly function of the university until those in power stopthe cuts and drop the charges, well, so it must be!Invoke the spirit of May 1968! All power to the spreading campus communes!11

COLUMNHELLO, NURSEBY NICHOLE BRININGADVICEPANTRY PROBLEM SOLVERSPleased to meet you. I am a licensed practical nurse witha passion for alternative and homeopathic medicine. Weare a culture that has a pill or drug for whatever ails you.Unfortunately, most medications also come with pesky side effectsand even dangerous consequences when used for prolongedperiods of time. Many do not know about homeopathic remediesor feel they just won’t work as well. I can tell you they are moreeffective than you think. I have compiled a list of some commonailments and their homeopathic remedies. (COMMON SENSECAUTION: don’t take anything you’re allergic to. Seek advicebefore taking any of these if you are pregnant.)Abscesses (Dental): A tooth abscess is a horrible pain anddangerous infection. This ailment requires medical assistancebecause the infection can spread rapidly to vital organs such as thebrain and may even be fatal (remember John Glassock of JethroTull?). On your way to the hospital, apply a few drops of tee treeoil to the infected tooth and then bite into a peeled clove of garlic.This combination disinfects and reduces pain.Bruises: Bruises are a result of blood seeping in under the skin. Firstswipe the bruised skin with witch hazel to tighten the tissues. Thenapply arnica cream generously. This greatly reduces the length ofhealing time. Black eyes favor well to cold compresses in the first 24hours. After 48 hours rotate cold to warm compresses for faster healing.Burns: This is for mild burns. Immediately after burning yourselfyou can cut a potato in half and place it on your burn. It’ll take thesting out and calm your skin. Afterward apply aloe vera gel foreven more relief and skin protection.Constipation: A classic recipe: 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salts to1/2 glass of water. Mix well and drink. It usually takes 30 to 45minutes for relief. You may repeat this recipe 3 times a day.Dehydration: From either diarrhea, vomiting, alcohol overconsumptionor just a grueling summer in New Orleans,dehydration is a common ailment. This recipe is the officialrehydrating home preparation from the World Health Organization(WHO): 3/4 teaspoon of table salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 cuporange juice, 1 liter (about 2 pints) of water. Combine and drink.Gas: Drink a few cups of peppermint or chamomile tea to easeexcess gas. If this is a persistent problem for you, try taking adigestive enzyme with your food. You can find these enzymes atmost health food places and larger grocery stores.Hangover: A common problem. Here are a few remedies.A breakfast consisting of fresh fruit of the citrus variety willcombat the fatigue. A concoction of wintergreen tea with afew splashes of hot sauce will take care of your headache. Andnothing competes with good old-fashion water. Waking up andchugging 3 big glasses of water will do wonders.Headaches: Everyone has experienced a headache at one pointor another. 90% are tension headaches. Here are some naturalremedies for a tension headache. Cayenne is a natural bloodthinner which may allow beneficial blood flow. Kava kava alsolessens a headache. And a salve made of ginger, peppermint oiland wintergreen oil and then rubbed onto the temples and napeof the neck eases tension.Heartburn: Heartburn can be so uncomfortable that somemistake it for chest pain! Ingest 3 teaspoons of apple cidervinegar or ingest a teaspoon of turmeric in a cup of warm water.Forgo any cigarettes, as they contribute to heartburn. Make sureyou stay sitting up or have pillows propped under your head andshoulders to keep harmful acids from traveling upward to thedelicate throat and esophageal tissues.While our resident MD Nancy Kang takes a much-needed sabbatical, we’re happy to introduceour friend Nichole Brining, a recent graduate of Nunez Community College (in da Parish!) andalso a friend of weird music and weird musicians, to take over the medical advice column. We’rethrilled to have her aboard and look forward to her insight.Insomnia: Valerian root has worked well as a sleep aid forcenturies. Melatonin is also a potent sleep supplement. Takeeither before resting BUT DO NOT mix the two! Mixing valerianroot and melatonin causes nausea, confusion and headaches.Nausea: Aromatherapy can successfully treat nausea. Dabbing afew drops of peppermint or lavender oil under your nose lessenssensations of nausea. Drinking ginger tea or even just chewing afresh piece of ginger also helps.PMS: There are over 150 symptoms identified with PMS and aslew of homeopathic remedies to ease each one of them. Hereare some remedies that tackle the most general and widelyexperienced symptoms. For bloating: 1 tablespoon lemon juice to16 ounces of water. Lemon juice is a natural diuretic. Repeat asneeded. For the mood swings: Chaste-berry tree extract. 42 dropsa day has been shown to be beneficial in balancing the hormoneimbalance and relieving some of the depression that accompaniesPMS. Also, eating a soy-rich diet while experiencing PMSprovides essential phytoestrogens. For cramps: a warm compress,rest and angelica root provide positive relief of menstrual cramps.Sore throat: Sore throats are one of the first symptoms of animpending cold. Do not ignore them. The sooner you treat a sorethroat the better the outcome. Whenever I’ve experienced a sorethroat, I gargle with warm salt water. It helps so much! You mayalso gargle with cayenne and warm water for a truly masochisticexperience or 20 drops of fenugreek extract with warm water.All of the above remedies I have tried myself with success. I hope youfound a few new cures. And as with any symptom, if it persists evenafter you’ve cared for yourself adequately for a week or more, go seea doctor. It may be something more serious. If you have any questions,comments or hate mail you can email me at nichole@hushmail.com.14

BY MISS MALAPROPFASHIONTHE GOODSCOLUMNHELLO@MISSMALAPROP.COMFINE ART WITH FAIR FOLKS & A GOATOne of the trendiest,most uniqueneighborhoods intown now also plays host toone of the most interestingnew venues for retail therapy,fine art and entertainment tohit New Orleans in quite sometime. Fair Folks & a Goatopened their New Orleanslocation at 2116 ChartresStreet in the Faubourg Marignythis past May. In less than sixmonths, this experimentalshop has become a must seestop for Uptown art lovers anddowntown hipsters alike.The space functions as botha bed-and-breakfast and an artgallery where everything used tofurnish the area is up for grabs.The building is a converteddouble shotgun house, locatedbetween Frenchman Street andElysian Fields, and the FairFolks & a Goat team has beenslowly renovating the space,room by room, since last springto turn it into a full retail galleryspace. This isn’t your typical shopping experience though – the idea is that it’s like coming overto a stylish friend’s home. When you walk into Fair Folks & a Goat, it looks just like a beautifullydecorated house would: there is plenty of seating space, and guests are encouraged to linger and sitfor a while. There is an area which functions almost like a large, walk-in closet – only every object,piece of furniture, jewelry and clothing is for sale.This concept store, which also boasts a hip modern day version of a 17th century “salon” inNew York’s Upper East Side, regularly hosts events such as offbeat art classes, film screenings,and weekly irreverent “Unlicensed Therapy” sessions. Inside Fair Folks & a Goat you’ll findeverything from mixed media art and paintings for sale, to jewelry, clothing and furniture madeby talented up-and-coming designers. While both locations features artists from around the world,they work with many local brands as well, often playing host to trunk shows for their favorite localdesigners. One of these featured lines at Fair Folks & a Goat New Orleans is the feminine clothingline of Jolie & Elizabeth.Jolie & Elizabeth is the fashion line founded by Jolie Bensen and Sarah Elizabeth Dewey. Bothladies were born in New Orleans and educated at LSU, but didn’t meet until, as chance would haveit, Sarah interned for Jolie while both were working at BCBG Max Azria in New York City. Theydeveloped a friendship and bonded over their shared love of New Orleans culture. They knew thatthey wanted to develop a clothing line that was not only inspired by this city, but designed andmanufactured here as well.Each garment in the Jolie & Elizabeth line is manufactured here in New Orleans, and you’llnoticed that each dress, skirt or top proudly carries a ‘Made in Louisiana’ tag. The designers note,“The positive economic impact of keeping dollars circulating within our local economy, utilizinguntapped local labor resources to create jobs and using innovative strategies to create sustainablebusinesses (and pretty dresses) are our key objectives.”And pretty dresses they are! Their recent “Tailgate” collection is inspired by the team colors ofthe New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers, but is decidedly sweet and feminine, pretty and proper.These pieces are for women who want to show off their black, gold, and purple pride, but in a moreunderstated, elegant way. The pieces in this collection are just as appropriate for a day at the officeor a dinner out as they are for game day. Think classic cuts, like a-line skirts, sweetheart necklinesand cap sleeves, in beautiful fabrics such as silk crepe de chine and pima cotton.The ladies of Jolie & Elizabeth have also created their collections with two distinct, but similar,types of women in mind. Their Upperline collection is geared towards the classic Southern ladyand features styles that work well for women of all ages. The garments in the Lowerline collectionare a little younger, trendier, but remain true to the spirit of ladylike Southern style.You can find Jolie & Elizabeth at shops all over town, including Fair Folks & a Goat, Hemline,Gae-Tanna’s, Branch Out, and in their online store at jolieandelizabeth.com. They also offerfittings in their St. Charles Avenue design studio location on an appointment basis. Call 504-267-5392 for more details.Fair Folks & a Goat is open for walk-in visits anytime during open hours, Thursday throughSunday, from 12-7pm. Stop in to browse their goods, including clothing by Jolie & Elizabeth, orenjoy a beverage and mingle. You can find more information on their website at fairfolksandagoat.com.15

MUSICABSINTHE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER: A FEWCOCKTAILS WITH MORELLA & THE WHEELS OF IFBY SARA PICMorella & the Wheels of If defies genreclassification—and they like it that way.Founded by siblings Laura Laws (vocalsand lyrical writer) and Aeryk Laws (musicalcomposer, piano and vocals), with Anastacia Ternasky (vocals)and Edward Payne (percussion), Morella sweeps you away withtheir dreams of oblivion. Combining a musical aesthetic thatsounds like it could be from the turn of the 20th Century with amodern-day sensibility, Morella is sometimes called “cabaret,”but even that broad term feels too reductionist to truly describethe experience of Morella. ANTIGRAVITY sat down with themembers of Morella & the Wheels of If to talk about theatre,time-traveling, absinthe and even a little Rod Stewart.ANTIGRAVITY: We first met at one of yourtheatrical productions. I recognized some of themusic on your new debut album, Shipwrecked,from that and other theatrical shows you haveproduced. Is all the music on the album from yourtheatrical shows?Laura Laws: No, we used some music from our shows,but not all of the songs are from shows. For us, the musiccomes first. The theatrical shows come after the music;they are inspired by the music. And even when we arejust performing as a band, our shows are very theatrical.The album is just our band, it’s our album. Just ours.Aeryk Laws: We’ve been together two and a halfyears but this is our first album so some of these songswe’ve been playing quite a long time. We were doingso many theatre productions but theatre is kind of likea one-off—you see the show and that’s it—but themusic can stand alone; it doesn’t have to be just partof a theatre show.You are compared to Rasputina, Dresden Dolls,Portishead, Tori Amos, and Chopin. I can hear allof those artists and bands in your music but youare also nothing like them. Are there any artists orbands to which you compare Morella?LL: We really have that problem when people ask, aswe don’t really sound like anyone else.Anastacia Ternasky: We always tell people: you haveto just come to a show, then you will see.AL: We are open to many interpretations.What inspires you, both musically and lyrically?LL: A short story by Edgar Allan Poe provides halfof our band name, Morella. I have many differentinspirations such as Vincent van Gogh and MarieAntoinette. Sometimes the lyrics to a song willcome just from a feeling within me. “Dirty Water”is something like a Katrina song, the feeling of nothaving a home. Aeryk’s music also inspires my lyrics.AL: I like to approach every song as its own piece. Theband doesn’t have to be one specific genre; each songcan be its own genre. When I was growing up I reallyliked concept albums or albums with stories. I listenedto a lot of classical music but also rock, like Iron Maiden.What’s the other half of your name?LL: It’s another book, a sci-fi story. Morella is aboutimmortality and magic--AL: --The Wheels of If is about endless possibilities, it’s a storyabout time travel. Music is like a time stamp: whether you arehere or not, hopefully the music lives on.Why did you choose Shipwrecked as the title of the album?LL: It’s the first song we ever wrote together. We alwaysassumed when we made our first album we would call itShipwrecked.16AL: It’s also kind of how we felt after Katrina..You’ve done a couple theatrical shows about absinthe andyou even had absinthe available to everyone during oneshow. It’s also listed on your website as an influence. Ina way, your music really feels like absinthe, like you arefloating away but it is also a little frightening. Like youare at a carnival but it’s a really scary carnival. You don’tknow what will happen to you.AL: The songs can feel dream-induced. Some of our firstshows were at private absinthe soirees. A lot of the artists atthe turn of the century that I liked drank a lot of absinthe. Theband was also sponsored by an absinthe company for a littlewhile. And we will have samples again at the CD release party.“Music is like a time stamp, whetheryou are here or not hopefully themusic lives on.”For me, playing piano and having absinthe around was a verygood thing.The piano on the album sounds very distinctive, “oldtimey,”as you describe it. What kind of piano are youplaying on the recording?AL: I played on an acoustic piano at the Music Shed and ona keyboard at my house. We recorded in our building, theMorella manor. I recorded on the keyboard itself then I tookthe files created to the Music Shed and played it back on aninstrument that is like a grand piano with a player piano built inso I could work on the placement and how I wanted it to sound.It was kind of strange to be in the studio, listening to the pianoplay back into the studio I was recording in. It’s expensive torecord with everyone with the acoustic piano in the studio atthe same time because you can’t make mistakes or do as manytakes. You have to have lots of isolation, especially with thedrums.Ed Payne: The piano and drums are basically live; they wereplayed at the same time. They weren’t layered. We were usinga handmade suitcase drum set.AL: We focused on the drum quality first, then when I playedback I focused on the piano. The vocals were recorded in acloset.EP: We had to stop when buses went by.The “old-timey” quality does feel like time-travelingback, especially with your costumes as well.But you bring it into the present and make itrelevant.AL: There’s lots of benefits to living in thepresent—we aren’t all dying of consumption! Andthe modern conveniences of recording in your ownhouse.You have some really beautiful pictures as well.LL: Those are all Anastacia!AL: She sets a timer and then runs into the shot. Wetook them all around town. New Orleans has greatimages to capture.So what’s the release party at Vaughan’s going tobe like?AT: I bartend at Vaughan’s; they are like family.There will be lots of food and drinks.EP: There’s going to be curry.LL: We will be performing two sets and will beperforming everything from the album.AT: And then some. New stuff too.AL: We are going to try to have music videos by then.LL: We will also have guest musicians performingwith us, like Darnell Haggerty from Won Ton Lust.AL: Also, mine and Laura’s father. We did a small sideproject over this past Mardi Gras of Morella covering‘50s songs. We invited our father in who used to be alounge singer, Sean Stevens.AL: He doesn’t really perform as much as we wishanymore.Are you playing these songs from the ‘50s in thesame style as your usual Morella sound?AL: Yes, it will be the Morella take. It will beespecially fun in Vaughan’s, where everyonedances. People dance at Morella shows but it takesthem a little while to get into it, the waltzes andsuch.EP: There will be a Rod Stewart cover, too.AT: “In a Broken Dream” is the name of the song. It’shis best song but he never plays it!So you really can appeal to all kinds of audiences.AL: We just did a play that had a much older crowd, aphilosophy crowd. We were excited that “the blue hairs” likedus as much as the goth steampunk kids.AT: A friend of ours has a four year old daughter and “SleepyGirl” is her favorite song.AL: We can rock it out with the best of them too.Morella & the Wheels of If will be releasing their debutalbum, Shipwrecked, at Vaughan’s Lounge in the Bywater,4229 Dauphine, on October 9th, 8pm til. Come early forfood. CD will be available on discount sale for $10. Moreinformation at morellamusic.com.

MUSICLET’S HAVE A TALK ABOUT THE PERSONAL LIFE OFTHE THERMALSBY DAN MITCHELL PHOTO COURTESY KILL ROCK STARSThe Thermals, originally formed in Portland in2002 by Hutch Harris (guitarist/ lead vocalist) andKathy Foster (bassist/ drummer/ vocalist), is a poppunkenthusiasts’ wet dream. Their music, datingback to their 2003 Sub Pop debut record, entitled More PartsPer Million, possesses such life and vibrancy that it is nearlyimpossible to deny them. It is however, the seriousness inwhich the Thermals conduct themselves in song and lyric thatsets their three-chord punk attack apart from the pack. Now,with a newly released full-length, their fifth overall, second onthe Kill Rock Stars label and first with drummer Westin Glass,called Personal Life, the band is ready to embark on their firstmajor North American tour in support of the album. This tour,with Cymbals Eat Guitars opening for the majority of theshows, will take the three-piece all over the U.S., including astop here in town for a show in late October. ANTIGRAVITYcaught up with the Thermals’ drummer, Westin Glass, to talkabout how he gained entry into this anthemic punk outfit in late2008, the writing and recording process for the latest Thermalsrecord and what he has planned for his downtime while on theroad during this 36-day American tour.ANTIGRAVITY: You joined thegroup, after the recording of [theThermals’ fourth studio album]Now We Can See, in time for thesupporting tour for that album.You were playing with [Seattle’s]Say Hi before you joined theThermals. How did the joining intothe Thermals come about? Wereyou friends or acquaintances withthem before you joined the group?Westin Glass: No. I had seen themplay in Albuquerque on their firsttour. I was always a fan of the band,but we did not know each other. Igot in touch with them through somemutual friends who told me that theywere looking for a drummer. I sentthem an email and they said, “comedown to Portland and play with us oneday.” So I did, and they liked me. Itwas cool [and] it worked very well. Ihad very low expectations, trying notto set myself up for disappointment.But, we really clicked.So it was a pretty easy processstarting to play with them?Yeah, the aesthetic they have and their music is very easy forme—it feels very natural for me to play songs the way thatthey have written them and the way that they like to play them.The touring after [the release of] that fourth album lasted,what, about a year-and-a-half?Yeah. On and off, not a solid year-and-a-half, but we playedalmost 200 shows in about one year. Actually, you know what,it was almost a year to the day, from my first show with theThermals to when we started recording [the new record]. Weplayed a lot of shows that year, a lot.You think over time the chemistry just started to kick insomewhat organically as you guys were playing more andmore shows together?Yeah man, no doubt.Being on tour and traveling so much, I would imagine thatit provides you some downtime in between gigs. I knowthat you spoke, somewhat recently, about reading that youhave done on tour and how you had, I believe in Europe,tackled Roberto Bolaño’s last novel, the epic 2666. Is thereanything that you have lined up, or that you might beexcited for as far as reading goes on this upcoming tour?I always bring five or six books with me on tour and I amlucky if I get through one. That Europe tour was a coolexception because I brought 2666 with me and that book wasso good, I just could not put it down—I read it the wholetour. I am bringing along [for this tour] a whole bunch ofgear so that I can actually record and produce tracks. I amgoing to have a sampler, a drum machine, an audio-interfaceand my computer, so with all of that together, I will be ableto be working on songs for the band [while on the road]. I amhoping that will be a productive thing. I am going to bring acouple of books, of course, but I am not sure what yet. I havea big stack of books that I have been meaning to read, so Iam going to have to shift through them and figure out whichones I want to bring on tour. I think I am going to read theautobiography of Juliana Hatfield [entitled When I Grow Up:A Memoir] from the Blake Babies [of late ’80s fame]. I ama big fan.On Personal Life, the subject matter of the album deals alot with inter-personal relationship issues, which is a bitof a change from past efforts dealing a bit more in theabstract or the political. It feels very immediate as far asthe sonic quality and the unity amongst the tracks. Was therecording a process where it came together very quickly?It did actually. Some of the songs were pretty old. Hutch[Harris, lead vocalist/ guitarist] brought in “I Don’t BelieveYou” not long after I started playing with them, so it wasalmost a year old at the time that we recorded it. A little morethan half of the [Personal Life] record was written in the threeweeks before we recorded it. We just went into our practicespace every day and just wrote. It was hard to even keep trackof all of the stuff that we were writing. It was really nice forthe three of us to be able to hear what we were playing in thepractice space and hear how the whole song was going tosound, as opposed to when just Hutch and Kathy were workingtogether. It wasn’t until the final product that they knew what itwas going to sound like because they could only ever get twoinstruments recorded at the same time. It was very cool for usto arrange songs that way and be able to hear the whole song.That’s the way the record was done too—it was just drums,bass, guitar and vocals, so all of the songs are possible for us toplay live as a three-piece. On the previous records, they had alot of guitar overdubs, so some of the older songs are harder toplay live as a three-piece.You guys worked with Chris Walla [of Death Cab forCutie] this time and he produced the record. What was hisrole in the studio? How was it working with him?It was so cool to work with Chris Walla, for me especially. Heis one of my heroes, so getting to actually work with him wasa dream come true. [The second Thermals record, Fuckin’ A,were engineered by Walla and Glass was not a member yet]Working with him was every bit as amazing as I would havehoped. He is not just a producer who sits back in a chair; heis engineering the record as well. Kendra Lynn assisted andshe did a really awesome job of maintaining the tape machinesand setting up mics. He [Chris] also really did something thata producer should do; he pushed us to get better performancesthan I think we would have without him. I feel like I learneda lot.How long were you recording withhim before you felt comfortablewith how things were laid down?I know it is a bit tricky if you areworking with tape and doing it allanalog.Tape can be a challenge, but Chris issuch an expert with it. The day beforewe went in and started recording,we all got together and talked aboutthe sound we were going for and thefeel of the record—Chris just gotit. He completely understood, rightaway, and if there was something thatneeded to be changed, we were allon the same page. [We] would knowjust how to change it and just whatneeded to be changed to make it theway we really wanted it to sound. Itwas seven days of tracking and I wasamazed how much we got done inthat time. A lot of that had to do withChris maintaining a good pace in thestudio, but also I think that it washelpful that the three of us workedout all the songs before we went in,so we could just get in there and playthem through to the end.Switching gears, I was reading that recently you cited theNorthern California post-rock group, the Velvet Teen,as being one of your favorite bands. Are there any otherbands, either current or from the past, that you have beendigging on or have been inspiring you as of late?We have been listening to a lot of Thin Lizzy. I think that bandhas been kind of overlooked lately, but they are so good. A lotof those old Thin Lizzy records are so dry and just so toughsounding, but at the same time, Phil Lynott is able to sing ina very emotional, sentimental way, without compromisingthe toughness. There is [also] a band from Portland calledNurses that are really cool; we have all been digging on themquite a bit lately. We got to do one show with them. They arepsychedelic, but rock n’ roll too, kind of hard to describe, but Ihave been enjoying that band lately.The Thermals play One Eyed Jacks with Cymbals EatGuitars and the Coathangers on Friday, October 22nd. Formore info, go to thethermals.com.17

JAILHOUSE ROCK: DEBAUCHE GETS LIFEIN NEW ORLEANSBY MICHAEL PATRICK WELCH PHOTOS BY ERICA STAVISMUSICWe didn’t fact check anything former Ukrainian Yegor Romantsov said to ANTIGRAVITY on a Fridayat noon at the John bar, but we tend to believe him. Nor did he invent the many wild tales he growlsin Russian with his band Debauche—not that we would understand the lyrics without a translatoranyway. But if Yegor is to be believed, the so-classic-as-to-be-authorless tales in Debauche’s ampedupRussian folk tunes depict a world of orphans, outlaws and downright criminals. The only Russian in the group, Yegoris a sort of lone wolf in New Orleans, carrying on a very particular musical tradition in a city known for carrying ontraditions. Accompanied by Slow Burn Burlesque, and sharing members with the sorely missed Zydepunks and othernotable local outfits, Debauche plays the 2010 Voodoo Music Experience way too early in the day on Friday, October29th. AG mined Yegor for the (we assume) facts regarding the tradition of hoodlum music, why a Russian would quitvodka and the time his band-mate was led away by men in suits. (Author’s note: this interview is even more enjoyableif you read Yegor’s answers in a Russian accent).ANTIGRAVITY: So the first time I saw you play was atApple Barrel on Frenchmen, but I think it was in anotherband, not your own.Yegor Romantsov: No. I’ve never played at Apple Barrel.Maybe you get me confused with another Russian.Never?No, never. Maybe I walked in drunk and started playing. Iguess I have walked in Spotted Cat too, when I was drunk, andplayed. [Grimaces] I did that a number of places. Is one reasonI stop drinking.Well I am sure I saw you play a couple times on the steps ofthe coffee shop on Royal.Yes, used to be Kahve. During Halloween or somethingabout a year ago. I was there with Zydepunks, we were allin costumes? I moved here five years ago and I played justme with the guitar, until people starting coming in: “I want toplay,” and “I want to play.” I got a band just playing by myselfover there, drinking vodka. It was cool. Then the neighborsstarted to complain. Then that place closed. I also play RoseNicaud at night after it’s closed.Why did you move from Ukraine?Adventures. I was 23 years old when I move to New York.I lived there for eight years. I wasn’t trying to be rock starin New York, just trying to survive and have fun. I only playa couple shows there, not my own, but I was participating. Iwas writing a lot in New York, mostly poetry in Russian andin English, silk-screening t-shirts too—not really emphasizinganything. But I always was a musician. I had a band in Ukrainethat is now getting pretty successful and moving to Moscow.But now I am 37 and I can say some part of me grew up herein United States.What was your band in the Ukraine like? Or really, whatwas it like having a band in the Ukraine?My band was in 1987, punk rockers, we played original songsabout social issues. Because it was a perestroika time, end ofSoviet Union, young people got a little freedom.Yes, it was covered very well here in the news. But I thinka lot of Americans imagine that in Russia you would getarrested for playing music.Oh yes, you could get arrested. It used to be where peoplewould go to jail for having too many records. Rock music wasunderground; my band we recorded secretly in the basement.Especially punk rock bands, you could count them on one hand.I had the Dead Kennedys’ records, but I lived in a port townso we had all these sailors coming in selling tapes and shit forcrazy money, records and t-shirts. I have so many interestingstories. My friend got arrested for pulling his pants on stage.They let us finish our set, but afterwards when we were signingautographs, two guys dressed in suits walked him away and hedisappeared. They throw him in a car. It was a festival and notin our home town, so…Wait, they had music festivals in Russia in the ‘80s?Yeah it was rock festival—organized by KGB, man! Therewas more we were allowed to do then, but the structure wasstill the same. So this is what Gestapo used to do; this is thegenius: KGB knew all our names already, because if youare a little bit different or you have a little history of gulag(government organization of labor camps) in your famdily,KGB automatically keep track. At that particular festival theymade an advertisement for all the bands to submit names,addresses, lyrics to your songs. KGB made their work soeasy! They have all these poor heavy metal or punk rock guysthinking ‘Great, this is perestroika time, we can speak our19

MUSICfree minds!’ So KGB doesn’t need to do anything, you justbring them your information, and your lyrics about ‘stupidcommunist party’ and ‘how long we gonna suffer with thisshit?’ [Laughs]But what you are doing now, here in New Orleans, is notpunk rock.No, I am not impressed with punk rock today, nothing theyhave to say. They are supposed to be like bards, more in asocial political way, but are like any young person who has alittle brain wondering, What is going on in the world? Whatis going on in my life? I have pimples and girls don’t like me!Now I am more interested in how you deliver music to me.Like now, we are incorporating burlesque so at VooDoo Fest[pronounced Woo-Do] we’re going to have the girls come outon the last song and be beautiful burlesque Debauche.So does that word Debauche mean what I think it means?Yes, it is much-used word in Russia. They love this word. Andthey do it all the time [Laughs]. This is why I quit drinking, forprofessionalism, see if I can do it when I am sober.How did you end up in New Orleans?By chance. The story isn’t that interesting. I came fromUkraine; by the time I got here I had made four albums, I waswriting scripts, I was working in the radio and was an editor forthe newspapers. I was still young kid and suddenly I need a carto get around. I don’t like New York anymore. I go there nowand I don’t even feel it. New York’s changed; I’ve changed. Ialso went to graphic design college in California and wasn’treally impressed with the education system. Shallow people,though it was wild for me to have people smiling at me onthe street. But now I like New Orleans up to the point where Idon’t think I could live anywhere else in America.So what made you move to New Orleans from New York?Grandmas.‘Scuse me?Babushkas. Old ladies. In New York you cannot find anyone whois from New York. Here you have families, grandmothers—it’sa culture. Generations have lived here and they’ve been playingthis music and that music. Everybody comes to New York to geta big chunk of that cake and see what happens next. But here Ican sit at a bar and meet amazing musicians I’ve never heardof. I don’t know jack shit about jazz, and some of the music Idon’t even like that they play here. But it’s not about style to me,it’s about delivery, how you live in this music. Up there I neverthought, ‘Oh this is some real New York culture that came upfrom centuries.’ But here I see an 80-year-old with his eightyear-oldgreat-grandson playing music. New Orleans is a specialplace. I didn’t play music my first years here, I was just helpingrebuild New Orleans. Mostly floors [Laughs]. I loved it man. Soinspiring. After that, forget New York.So I have to take your word for it that what you play istraditional Russian music, because I wouldn’t knowotherwise.I am playing Russian street folk music, like from jail.From jail?Most of the songs were written in jail like a century ago, andbecame like folk songs after that. I am from Kherson, notoriousfor gangsters with shaved head. Where I am from you musthave no earrings, shaved head, Adidas and sweatpants. Youcan wear slippers on the street. Everybody is a boxer andeverybody goes to jail when they are 18. Actually, first theymarry, then they go to jail, have a baby, then divorce and goin circles.How do people get guitars in jail to make music?People make them out of all kinds of shit. This music is sodeep in Russian culture for the past 100 years. Most of it isjail influenced; we had gulag with Stalin, so before revolutionthere were many people in jail. It was underground musicbut everybody knows the songs. The songs I do are very well20“Right after revolution 1917 whencommunist come to power, we hadlots of Russian orphans runningaround, millions—the future criminalwho grow up in jail... So lots of Russiansongs are about orphan life, livingin train stations. Parents becomingalcoholics and running away. Songsthat romanticize criminals, outlaws. Itis a huge layer of Russian history: jail,labor camps, criminals, underworld.They have their own language, theyhave their own slang.”known among Russians. It’s not like pop, not like Phil Collins.Not even Johnny Cash.It sounds like Johnny Cash to me, outlaw music?Well yes it is, lyrics. But there is no particular author behind it.It’s been done many years ago. Like blues, where some songshave so many version, people add words to this verse or thatverse.But the songs don’t sound as similar to each other as bluessongs. Or maybe I am just distracted by the fact that Ican’t understand the words.No one knows the words but me. I could be saying shit aboutyou, personally. But the three-hours of songs I know are aboutgangsters. About girls who are unfaithful to gangsters so theydie and then gangster goes to jail. So that is pretty [much]Johnny Cash. This other song I just found is about lesbianwedding in jail, and her husband is free but she’s gettingmarried in jail. Crazy. Things like that.I always hear that America has the largest percent of ourpopulation incarcerated, but we don’t have jail music—except commercial rap, which has unfortunately become asort of jail music, sorta.Well, right after revolution 1917 when communist cometo power, we had lots of Russian orphans running around,millions—the future criminal who grow up in jail, thoughmany never made it to be full-grown criminals. So lots ofRussian songs are about orphan life, living in train stations.Parents becoming alcoholics and running away. Songs thatromanticize criminals, outlaws. It is a huge layer of Russianhistory: jail, labor camps, criminals, underworld. They havetheir own language, they have their own slang.Like all the slang they made up for A Clockwork Orange.Actually, they use a lot of Russian in that language. Droogmeans friend in Russian. I don’t know why he chose Russian.He probably saw Russian criminals coming to London in theend of the century. But the criminal language is so rich. I singin that language.What is the “Russian Mafia” you claim to be part of?There is no Russian Mafia. I am the only Russian guy in theband. First, it’s just something very catchy. When I tell peoplethe name Debauche they might forget but then I tell them “Golook it up: Russian Mafia Band” and everybody remembers it.I think it’s catchy.No one else in your band is Russian?No, all American. But my band now speaks a little Russian.Scott [Potts], the upright bass player, he plays with Zydepunks,and Stix da Clown; and when he plays with Debauche he’sBorada, which means beard in Russian. Also in Russian, sweetname for Vodka is vodichka, with the suffix, so for example ifyou want to smoke some weed we say, “let’s go smoke someweedichka.” And everyone think they are Russian, and is goodway to pick up girls.How do you train Americans to play this music? You playthem CDs or ?Well, Scott already played from the Zydepunks, who doEastern European, and I was first playing with Eve [Kuffner]from Zydepunks, who had the most beautiful accordionplaying style. Then my accordion player now, Vince [Schmidt]used to play in Oregon with this other band that plays Russianfolk songs too, so he had an idea. My brilliant fiddle player J.C.Stoltzfus, he broke his arm right when he started playing withme, so he would just be playing big drum, with one arm. NowI’m gonna use Avrora [Aurora Nealand] for the clarinet; sheplays with Loose Marbles, all the jazz guys.It seems like this concept would go over very well in NewOrleans, which is not just a place for traditional NewOrleans music, but all kinds of roots music from all over.Yes. I am amazed that Americans love this music the way theydo. I sing only in Russian and Ukrainian. People don’t knowhow to dance to it, but they do; they love it. In New York, too,people go crazy. But in New Orleans there are Russian sailors,and when Russian sailors come in the bar and hear this they gonuts. They immediately order bottles of vodka. How Russiansdrink, it is incredible.But you managed to quit drinking, you said.Yes. I’ve had conversations with my band members and theyhave told me not to do this or that, and that’s why I quit drinking,to see how professional I could be. Drinking vodka and actingcrazy is in my blood, my genes or whatever, and sometimes Ican go over my limits and do something absolutely outrageousand be unprofessional, and I understand concerns from myband. Audience might not always see it but sometimes you getso fucked up you can fuck it all up. And I would hate if myaccordion player or whoever would get so high they wouldn’tbe able to play—they would get so much shit from me it’snothing to compare to what they give me.Debauche plays the Voodoo Music Experience at11:30am on Friday, October 29th. Other Debauche showsin October include the Circle Bar on Saturday the 9thand, along with Zydepunks and Slow Burn Burlesque,the Hi-Ho Lounge on Saturday the 30th. For more infoon Debauche, go to myspace.com/debauchemusic.

WHAT WE’LL BE WATCHING AT VOODOO 2010Voodoo’s here again and the lineup still eludes true inspiration forme, but if Rehage and company can’t nab an era-defining grouplike Radiohead, I’ll take their peers in the US, My MorningJacket. From their early days as what seemed like another runof-the-milljam band act, My Morning Jacket has evolved into one of the mostdynamic sonic forces out there, their sound constantly expanding. Evokingeverything from icons like Neil Young and Willie Nelson to heavy dubreggae and even moments that could rival a DJ Shadow cut, MMJ integratesit all seamlessly and without pretense. And they pull it off live, too. Flyinghair and Flying V’s abound on stage and through the atmospherics you canstill see the band. In an age of here-today-gone-tomorrow acts (some ofwhich fill out the rest of this Voodoo roster), it’s nice to see a band like MyMorning Jacket still be able to build a sizable and truly interesting catalogueof music over the course of several years. I even like how they show up inweird places, like Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, where they play lowrentversions of themselves, performing “Freebird” as a tongue-in-cheeknod to their musical and geographic roots. On the complete opposite endof things, I’m also interested to see MGMT, a band I can’t tell if I love orhate, so of course must keep paying attention to. While I’m definitely turnedoff by what feels like a collection of every art-school/hipster-cliche and cooptedpost-apocalyptic beach party aesthetic, their tunes are undeniably richand catchy and I’m sure the hits (“Time to Pretend,” “Electric Feel” and theubiquitous “Kids”) will be great to see live. Everything else I’ll sit throughpatiently... in much the same way I’ll enjoy Weezer’s set. No matter howfar Rivers Cuomo strays from his earlier, hungrier days, I’ve seen them liveenough times to know they won’t mail it in. Finally, it’s the locals that putthe polish on this otherwise yawner of a year, and in addition to the festivalveterans I hope to catch (DJ Soul Sister, Galactic, and Johnny Vidacovich,to name a few) I can’t wait to see what newcomers Local Skank do withsuch a large stage... even at 11 in the morning. Otherwise, I’ll be enjoyingmyself at the ANTIGRAVITY table, trying desperately to get drunk onwatered-down fruity drinks. Come by and say hello, why don’t you?Here’s a couple more acts we’re looking forward to:Janelle Monae. Almost always seen sporting her signature pompadourand tuxedo, Janelle Monae has made quite the splash in the last few yearswith her unique blend of soul, funk and dance-pop. She moved to Atlantaand spearheaded a young artist movement through her Wondaland ArtsSociety, falling in with Outkast’s Big Boi in the process (Monae appearedon the soundtrack to the duo’s film Idlewild in 2006). Monae released herEP, Metropolis: The Chase Suite in 2007 on Bad Boy Records. It stoodas Part I of a futuristic trilogy she had constructed. Parts II and III of thetrilogy were combined and released earlier this year as The ArchAndroid.Having been inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film Metropolis (whichshe called “the godfather of sci-fi films”), Monae uses funky beats andsci-fi storytelling to examine very real and present social conditions. Herlive show is high-energy, including a handful of slick backup dancers (alsodonning tuxedos). Monae herself is quite an incredible dancer, loves toengage her audience and has a knack for festival crowds. Her horn sectionis sure to ignite those in the Voodoo crowd more inclined to the groove,especially as her set is scheduled for Sunday, which just so happens to beHalloween.Florence + the Machine. With all due respect to the musicians of“the Machine,” this is really all about Florence Welch. A fiery Britishsongstress, equal parts honey and vinegar, she is a revelation. She could’veeasily ended up just another art school dropout with a penchant for vintage,whispering sweet indie nothings into a microphone, but Welch’s muscularvocals and evocative lyrics are leaps and bounds above your standard indiesongstress. I’d go so far as to say she’s nearly on par with another redhead,and a titan of the scene - Neko Case. She released her debut album, Lungs in2009. It proceeded to decimate the UK charts, winning Brit awards in both2009 and 2010. Welch is presently working on her second album, with anexpected release date in 2011. She has already debuted some new materialon the road, so we can probably expect to hear a handful of new songswhen she hits the stage on Saturday, October 30 th at Voodoo. A bit morelow key than most of the other acts at Voodoo, don’t dismiss Florence +the Machine for their lack of theatrics; they strike an ideal balance betweenquiet, powerful ballads and upbeat, infectious sing-alongs. And thus far shehasn’t toured the U.S. much, so this is your chance. —Erin Hall; Dan Fox;Pictured: Florence + the Machine (Top) / My Morning Jacket (Middle) /Janelle Monae (Bottom)VOODOO '1021

BLACK MOUNTAINWILDERNESS HEART(JAGJAGUWAR)It has been over two and a half yearssince we have heard anything fromBlack Mountain, the Vancouver-basedpysch/ blues -rock juggernaut led bySteve McBean. Last time we got a taste of them – with theirsophomore outing, In the Future, released in early 2008 –the group boasted an expanded scope on the riff-rock stonerextravaganza they debuted with on their eponymous backin 2005; keyboards emerged in earnest and vocalist AmberWebber stepped into the limelight with a tremendous vocalperformance throughout. The group even did what every epicroots-rawk act simply must do at one point in their career –they included a nearly seventeen minute jam in the set. Ontheir third album, Wilderness Heart, the group takes all ofits strengths, along with each member’s stylistic quirks,potentials and potencies, rolls them into one giant joint, fires itup and never looks back. Their third album is the most motleyand forceful official collection to date, but it is also their mostethereal grouping of songs put to record as well. Make nomistake here though, their elegance always leaves a snail-trailof sorts, however faint, of the menace and treachery the banddeals in best. The third song, “Radiant Hearts,” reminds usof this omniscient peril as the lyrics kick in, sung in tandemby McBean and Webber, amidst graceful acoustic pluckery:“Children play softly around the explosions/ Tearing outshrapnel, wrapped up in clothing.” Black Mountain neverhas been a band to play games – their music has always beenserious and concerned, without a trace of irony or jest – andit is here on Wilderness Heart that we find the band at itsfiercest. Aside from the record closing on two down-temponumbers, including a love song in the closer “Sadie,” thisrecord blisters, recapitulates and contemplates, then boils overagain for nearly thirty minutes, through the first eight tracks,with some of the best songs the band has ever recorded.Including the Sabbath-meets-Manowar battle cry of “LetSpirits Ride,” the thunderous self-titled track led by Webber’ssiren-like coo and the somewhat disjointed chord-rock of theopening track “The Hair Song,” this album is certainly theband’s definitive statement to the rock’n’roll community as ofyet. –Dan MitchellGRINDERMANGRINDERMAN 2(ANTI-)Over the past four decades, Nick Cavehas created some of the most violent,impassioned, lustful, thought-provokingand disconcerting music that one canpossibly find in the pop canon, and there lives little roomfor argument of this point. Cave’s albums, from his start inthe belligerent and bestial Birthday Party in the 1970s, andup through present time, with the newest amalgamationof the Bad Seeds, have rarely sounded alike; Nick Cavehas consistently been one of the more amorphous artists inrock, especially given his proclivity towards the abstract andpoetical. The one constant that has remained over the past 35years is his hyper-literate and palpable ability to tell a tale.Cave possesses the storyteller gene, and while he has gonethrough many phases musically speaking, including moroseballads, agitated punk deconstructions and riff-rocking epicsto name a few, he has always worked best in traffickingdissonant, off-kilter and squalling noise. While some recentBad Seed material has touched on this – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!to be sure – it is in Grinderman that he truly finds fullness inthis respect. Featuring Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and JimSclavunos, this outfit allows for the excessive side of Caveto come forth. Each of these aforementioned musicians playwith Cave regularly in the Bad Seeds, but their Grindermanproject is a different beast altogether. Just look to the albumopener “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man,” the firstsingle “Heathen Child,” the internal monologue of “Evil!”or the closing number “Bellringer Blues” for evidence.Grinderman, now on their second record together, has puttogether a beastly record, and not one for the faint of heart.Nick Cave is simply on a roll as of late. –Dan MitchellIMPULSSMARIE LAVEAUX’S HUSTLE(INDEPENDENT)When the country turns its eye towardssouthern hip hop, and New Orleans rapin particular, the image is pretty wellcemented: laid back rhymes drippedlike sugar water over slick and minimal bounce beats. TheNo Limit/ Cash Money archetype looms large, and it’s withinthat long shadow that great music like Marie Laveaux’sHustle shines. Impulss spices his NOLA bonafides with abusy, sample-based production that’s more reminiscent ofEast Coast classics like A Tribe Called Quest and backpackerrap than Juvenile. His flow cruises quick and tight, stringingon-point political verses together with chill humor and anappreciation for deep rhymes that always cling tenaciouslyto the beat. A cut like “Pressure Cooker” has those righteousboom-bap beats, and an old school sheen of vinyl cracklesand semi-chaotic jazz samples milling around in between thedrum snaps that you just don’t get in modern radio rap withits premium on polish and a sterile sheen. The subject matteris all over the map: “Can I Have Your Attention??” straps acrowd-hyping political polemic to an undulating bass sample,while “We Love the N.O.” drops breezy props to New Orleansculture without getting sappy or coming off like a gimmick.With a culture as rich as New Orleans’ it’s always a shamethat the same few musical ideas get recycled throughout themainstream consciousness. All it takes is artists like Impulssgetting more exposure to show the real depth of the N.O.scene. –Mike RodgersIRON MAIDENTHE FINAL FRONTIER(COLUMBIA)It really pains me to say an ill wordagainst Maiden. I mean, c’mon, it’sIron Maiden! It is with that mentalitythat I approached The Final Frontier,the newest record being hailed as a “return to form” forthe titans of heavy metal. It would be foolish to expectanything comparable to classic records like The Number ofthe Beast or Power Age, but like many old school metallers,Iron Maiden proves they’ve still got some life left in them.Clunkers like the opening eight-minute “epic” “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier” don’t represent what Maiden is capableof, allowing its bloated girth to fill up with overly processeddouble bass that sounds like the click of a drum machine andtoo many middling tempos. The production doesn’t do thealbum any favors either; the mix is too bottom-heavy andcrushed, grinding down the highs in an attempt to competewith modern heavy music. Yet, when those incredible leadsburst from the opening seconds of “The Alchemist,” any realfan can’t help but feel the urge to slap on that jean jacketpockmarked in iron-ons and start forgetting to get their haircut. As a whole though, The Final Frontier sags as much asit soars. Iron Maiden does a mildly admirable job of tryingto add more progressive depth to their classic style, but Rushthis band is not. Maiden, like always, is at its best when it’sfiring off sword-thrust riffs atop galloping basslines whileBruce Dickinson wails his mind out. And in 2010, just astwenty years ago when they hit those sweet spots, you justhave to bang your head a bit. –Mike RodgersKLAXONSSURFING THE VOID(POLYDOR)Let’s get this out of the way up front.That incredible album cover? Yeah, therecord sounds nothing like that, whichis a shame because what Surfing theVoid really needs is an injection of energy, silly or not, andREVIEWSa record sleeve with an LOL Cat cosmonaut shouldn’t housethis disc. The Klaxons were carried on a wave of British rockmad hype and the momentum of the since collapsed nu-ravescene. The band never really fit that nu-rave mold, but theydid deserve all their hype. Blending a deliciously avant-gardeaesthetic with the energy of punk and the grooves of dance,their debut record was excellent, but after three years the waveof acclaim has slowed to a trickle and their follow up recordjust doesn’t match up well to their previous work. As always,the songwriting is strong. Hooks weave themselves into thejittery cloud of guitars and synths, but those hooks are farless frequent, and when they do manifest it’s with much lesseffect. Myths of the Near Future thrived on its manic energy,but Surfing the Void is chunky, clunky and almost sluggish attimes. Working with noted nu-metal producer Ross Robinson,Klaxons have notable amped up the rock quotient. It’s likewhen a fighter moves up in weight; whatever is gained inpower is lost in speed and I’m of the opinion that Klaxons arebetter as a nimble, agile group. The second half of the recordpicks up some steam with “Venusia” conjuring up enoughspacey psychedelia to mask its turgid pace, and “Flashover”actually putting the band’s newfound muscle to some use. It’stoo bad to say, but Surfing the Void, while not a total loss byany stretch, is a disappointment. –Mike RodgersKYLESASPIRAL SHADOW(SEASON OF MIST)While many a city houses solid metalscenes, the unlikely Georgian cityof Savannah perhaps possesses themost sundry and vital movementin the country, at least in terms of progressive metal, withforerunning groups like Baroness, Black Tusk and Kylesacalling it home. While Black Tusk remains relatively youngon the scene, Kylesa and Baroness, in particular, have actedrepeatedly, through record, over the years to push metalinto new territory, putting out albums that embrace pastaffectations while at the same time cleansing the palette ofthe genre with the incorporation of new trajectories in sound.They have allowed for new life to form within metal itself,with a more wholesome and varied approach to the music.Kylesa in particular has especially pushed the envelope as oflate, and 2010 proves their best year to date. Kylesa’s newalbum, Spiral Shadow, continues onward from their 2009masterstroke Static Tensions, and opens the “metal” soundup even further, incorporating so many sounds and influencesthat it is hard to even quantify what they are doing anymore.The album opens gently with “Back and Forth,” a song titlethat perfectly illustrates the sound held within the album as awhole. The band entices delicately in the introductory twentyseconds, with intertwining lead guitars and complementaryrawhide crescendos, only to brutalize thereafter for tenseconds, before slackening once again into restraint, andso on and so forth ad infinitum, into a resulting mesmericcolotomia. Think of this album as a novel, with each trackacting as chapter to the overarching narrative, because thatis exactly what it is. Few modern metal bands, outside ofMastodon and the Sword (and the Sword only recently withtheir terrific new concept-album Warp Riders), have trulysucceeded in producing an “album in full,” as in congruencein form throughout, and have triumphed in a way that Kylesahas here on Spiral Shadow. These eleven new tracks vacillatein an accordance that is both startling and enthralling – Kylesascores huge with this new one. –Dan MitchellMAGIC KIDSMEMPHIS(TRUE PANTHER)First and foremost, I would like toaddress Memphis (the city): I wishmy perspective wasn’t skewed bythe images of William Eggleston,the sounds of ‘70s power-pop group Big Star, or theunearthly voice of Otis Redding, but it has! When I reflect23

REVIEWSon Memphis I think of a “golden era” in culture and musicthat gathered steam in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The city still hasarchitectural reverberations and charm of the aforementionedera, which doesn’t help my bias. As for the new Magic Kidsalbum, Memphis, I feel similarly. Although, most genresare represented here, it’s the twee, indie-pop element thatcaptures the most attention. The Kids’ influences are prettyclear; Stuart Murdoch’s lispy croonings with Belle andSebastian, cocktail parties (the track “Summer” is begging fora Brandy Alexander or Old Fashioned to be made poolside toaccompany the timpani rolls and saccharine choral hooks), butarguably the most important being the Beach Boys worship.These folks really like the California surf-pop legends (see theMike Love-isms on “Cry With Me Baby”), and where othergroups fail miserably, Magic Kids actually do them justice.Contemporary luminaries like Camera Obscura have to becollectively creaming their jeans and Bethany and Bobb ofBest Coast should be a little jealous as well (for fun, contrastBC’s “Honey” with Magic Kids’ “Candy,” both songs beingabout how sweet their respective loves are). Featured on tourdates opening for Ariel Pink, Magic Kids are busy carvingout a niche for themselves. Memphis’ ever expanding garageand indie-rock scenes should be kept on your musical radars,road trip maps, and play lists from here on out. Long live theSouth! –Emily ElhajTwo and a half years ago, No Ageemerged from the Smell, the allagesL.A. venue they called home, astorchbearers for a new animal in indierock– one that I deemed maunder-rock upon review at thetime. Their sound was exploratory, spacey, catchy, blissfuland downright fun. Now, over two years later, No Age presentus with their Sub Pop follow-up record, entitled Everythingin Between, and it is clear that a few things have changed,not only with the duo themselves, but in music over the pasttwo years as well. Their music sounded fresh, exuberant andyouthful back in 2008, full of life and dream, and now, withtheir new album, the duo sounds not entirely unlike they didin ’08, and I am not sure this is a good thing. There residesa slightly more complex bent this time around, but the edgethey possessed in their abandon in the past is largely gone.It is a contemplative affair here, and while not completelydevoid of their more boisterous side (given tracks like “FeverDreaming,” “Shed and Transcend” and “Depletion”), it doeslack the life that enlivened their debut release, Nouns. Theone track that they make best on is the phenomenal “CommonHeat,” where they use restraint to the best degree, but that isthe one and only highlight here unfortunately. With respectto the hardware, their package is absolutely superior as farand vinyl goes, with a built in 48-page booklet and digitaldownload code that accompanies the record, but the soundsheld within simply do not stack up to the band’s prior output.The new album maunders about largely without peak andvalley and this is a problem, because ebb and flow is thisduo’s strong suit. –Dan MitchellIt’s a sexy freakout. Which you reallyshould have learned to expect by nowfrom anything Of Montreal touches.While it is jammed with hot synth anddanceable grooves, False Priest also diversifies, capturingthe feelings of ‘80s indie pop, world music, soul and R&B,while hopping into bed with some interesting female costars.Opener “I Feel Ya’ Strutter” blends good-time boogie guitarswith lush orchestral movements for a delicious Bowie meetsQueen vibe. “Our Riotous Defects,” which will probably endup being referred to as “Crazy Girl,” is a theatrical half spokenword/ half sung tune about – you guessed it – a crazy girl. So24NO AGEEVERYTHING IN BETWEEN(SUB POP)OF MONTREALFALSE PRIEST(POLYVINYL)crazy, in fact, that she throws his beta fish out the window,prompting him to declare their relationship to be “like Ike andTina, but in reverse.” Sweet soul-dance queen Janelle Monaedrops in for a guest vocal on the latter end of this track, but it’sher back-and-forth with lead singer Kevin Barnes on “EnemyGene” that really shines. Warm synth combines with honeyed,near-whispered vocals to evoke a sense of pure loveliness notoften found on Of Montreal’s party-time outings. The otherlady laying down vocals beside Mr. Barnes is none other thanBeyonce’s baby sister, Solange. Though her collaboration on“Sex Karma” is nowhere near as transcendent as Monae’swork, the tune is raunchy, flirtatious fun, as she coos “Youlook like a playground to me, player.” As sexual as always,Barnes talks of teenage lust on “Coquete Coquette,” a grungyguitar and drums track that stands out from the pack. “FamineAffair” is a Cure-esque gem all about toxic relationships,pushing and shoving and fitfully fighting (“Go away/Goaway/Go away/ You’re a bad thing/ A miserable thing”) yetall the while lamenting the implosion (“Wish we weren’t socomplicated/Wish you weren’t so medicated”). The albumcloser, “You Do Mutilate?” clocks in at nearly seven minutes,playing like two distinctly different songs: the front half beingupbeat disco with passionate shouted/squealed vocals and theback half being a spacey soul diatribe with distorted vocalsand a clear political bent. The final stanza is a bare bonesand percussion heavy, as Barnes warbles through a distortedchannel that “If you think God is more important than yourneighbor / You’re capable of terrible evil/ If you think someprophet’s words are more important than your brother andyour sister/You’re ill and you’re wrong/ You’re wrong.”Combining abstract, open-ended lyricism with groovy beatsand new adventures in sound, False Priest is a complex andfun ride. –Erin HallRA RA RIOTTHE ORCHARD(BARSUK)There’s a lot to like about Ra Ra Riot’ssophomore record The Orchard. WesMiles’ voice has a soothing lilt andMathieu Santos’ basslines pop andbounce all over the album, at times snappy and quick and atothers simple and slightly melancholy. And yet, therein laysthe issue I have with The Orchard: for all its strengths, therecord feels unfulfilling and bland. Songs seem composedof two thirds of the elements needed for a great track.“Massachusetts” stretches the faux-afro beat thing to itsbreaking point, draping syrupy strings and a din of gentleinstrumentation over the song, but the track feels static andnothing exciting rears its head to liven it up. There’s a moodof incompleteness, and whitebread melancholy permeatingevery inch of The Orchard, from the milquetoast banality of“Shadowcasting” that sees Ra Ra Riot invoking all the energyof a Coldplay B-side, to the slow build of “Foolish,” thatseems to mask its sparkly guitar melodies in an AOR film. Theband is at its best when the energy level is high and tracks like“Boy” benefit from the preppy, thumping bassline and quicktempo. One gets a sense in listening to the record that theband’s ambitions outmatched or at least became incompatiblewith their songwriting. The seeds for a great record are here,but the songs are either too insubstantial or overly awash ina plastic coat of production that drains all the life from whatshould be a lively band. –Mike RodgersSMALL BONESSMALL BONES(INDEPENDENT)So imagine you pick up this self-titledlocal album by a band called SmallBones. Imagine the sleeve is a tenderpink, covered in hand-drawn sketchesand containing hand-written liner notes. Imagine you’venever heard of this band, but pop the disc in to give it a listen.Instead of being greeted with the soft indie pop or a similarlyadorable sound the cover had lead you to assume was inside,you are greeted by thrashing guitars and the unbridled screechof what is either a wild puma or a young woman. Upon firstlisten, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be this girl’s new best friendand make her a cup of hot tea (toss in a lozenge) or if I wantedto hit her in the face. And this was a good thing. Intrigued, Isoldiered on. Punk in its most distilled form is rebellion. It hastaken a multitude of shapes over the last few decades, but thathas remained a near constant. Small Bones brings to the genrea well-developed instrumentation alongside evocative lyricsthat are pertinent, if not vital, for life in our beloved, fuckedup town. Tackling the stress of hurricane season in opener“Past Tense Future Perfect,” lead singer Breonne growls andgroans about “This weight of maybes and what ifs/This weightof humid air/Of never gonna leave and always gotta go” thateveryone I know starts to feel anew each June 1 st . They visitan even fresher tragedy on “Deepwater Event Horizon,” asthe band and Breonne trade lines of “It’s your bottom line”and “It’s our life!” Treading similar swampy territory is thetrack “Space Jesus Takes The Bus,” which opens with sparse,plucky guitar and then bursts forth with the bold declarationof “We keep pumpin’ and we keep paving/But the swampkeeps pushing back/This landscape was never meant to last.”The longest track on the album (clocking in at 2:55 – all theothers are 2:00 or less), “Cold War Storage” is half groupsing-along and half pogo paradise. “To Alvin Greene WithLove & Squalor” is a razor-tongued send-up of race relationsthat ends with the line “The past is never dead/It’s not evenpast.” If I didn’t enjoy the passionate caterwauling and thepoetic lyricism up to this point, the title of the closing trackprobably would have sold me. “”Minor Street Repairs AndDinosaurs: A Comprehensive Recovery Strategy” is maybeone of the best song titles I’ve heard in years. Spitting vitriolat those who would bulldoze whole neighborhoods to createthe “new” New Orleans, Small Bones leaves the listenerwith a pretty solid idea about where they stand on NewOrleans’ recovery. And where they stand is angry, vaguelydisillusioned and fed up with the bullshit. I, for one, standwith them. –Erin HallTHE BODYALL THE WATERS OF THEEARTH TURN TO BLOOD(AUM WAR / AT A LOSS)I can scarcely remember a point in timewhen I was actually scared by an album.This simply does not happen in today’sworld – there are so many things (distractions) that resonateas scary, in my book, to ever feel disconcerted by a record.The Body scares me though – fully and absolutely. The fulllength,All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood, from thisArkansas via Rhode Island duo, is so frightening in fact thatit becomes hard to put a finger on what it is that is actuallydisturbing me. It is scary as fuck though. It does not sit well,it is lengthy and it is barbaric. Think of it as a sister to SunnO)))’s last effort, Monoliths & Dimensions, but meaner (andAttila sang on the Sunn O))) disc, just as reference). Therecord opens with the Assembly of Light Choir, a thirteenpiecevocal ensemble who contributes throughout the record(especially leader Chrissy Wolpert) chanting an ethereal andspooky passage in to the album. The song breaks after a fewminutes of the Choir, alone in their doings, into the infernothat truly is the album itself. This inferno plays on, withoutyield, for over an hour, over the course of seven tracks. Theirapproach to doomy, sludge metal is second to none, and whilethey are not as well known as Sunn O))), this album is muchmore polished than anything Sunn O))) did in their formativeyears as a group on record. This is the type of cult record thatonly comes around rarely and is destined to fall through thecracks. If you are looking for bloodshed and brutality for all,look no further than The Body – they are truly scary as hell.–Dan Mitchell

THE SWORDWARP RIDERS(KEMADO)The Sword’s first two albums sufferedfrom a serious bout of repetition. Theband played one song. Really well,but still only one song. A little bit ofstoner metal muscle, some AD&D flavor and voila! ButWarp Riders is a different beast altogether. Broad, elusive,expansive and fucking rocking, this is the record the band wasborn to make. The record is wrapped around a mystical scifistoryline, which is really just an excuse to give the songsa varied sound while anchoring the record to core concepts,but the results are impressive. Ditching their strict adherenceto the science of Maiden and Sleep, The Sword dig deeperinto their hard rock roots, evoking southern rock on trackslike “The Chronomancer I; Hubris” and its sleek, groovy leadriffs and practically dripping with resin and bluesy sweat on“Lawless Lands.” The record blends psychedelia into themix, letting instrumental, psycho-prog “Asraea’s Dream”drift from Flash Gordon doom synths to blistering thrash. Attimes, Warp Riders is the band’s heaviest record – like thebone shaking riff that growls at the core of “Arrows in theDark” – and at other times they worship at the altar of ThinLizzy and turn “Night City” into the best green smoke andcold-beer rock song in years. For better or worse, The Swordhave been anointed as the leaders of modern stoner metal, andWarp Riders is the sound of the band both rising to meet thatchallenge and shucking off any restraints that mantle carrieswith it. –Mike RodgersTHE WALKMENLISBON(FAT POSSUM)Part of the garage rock revival scene ofthe early 2000s, The Walkmen have stoodthe test of time far better than most of theircontemporaries. And they’ve done soprimarily by diversifying their sound. Instead of leaning simplyon razor sharp guitar riffs and tight, simplistic percussion, theyhave embraced surf rock, folk, country and soul. Lisbon, theirfifth studio album of original work, is an all-around winner.It showcases a stripped-down sound with whispers of classicR&B, country western and even a touch of their garage roots.“Angela Surf City” and “Woe Is Me” are sunny, surf rockers;the former combines classic garage instrumentation with folkvocals and the latter features a guitar that sounds strikingly likesteel pan drums. “Blue As Your Blood” is a dusty western track,complete with swelling strings that allow it to stretch out andtake some deep breaths. “Stranded” is a delightfully fun countrywaltz dominated by a rich mariachi-style horn section. “TorchSong” has a touch of ‘50s sway to it whereas “While I ShovelSnow” is all sparse piano and pure wintry vocals. The diversityof sound and feeling on this album alone make it inherentlyworth repeated listens. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser hasoften been praised for his “unique” vocals, and people havecompared him to everyone from Spoon’s Brit Daniel to Bonoto Bob Dylan. But I have to stick to my guns; despite shadesof earthy folk and country, Leithauser sounds remarkably likean early Rod Stewart. And that is in no way a diss. Becausewhile that whole mess eventually devolved into a “Do YouThink I’m Sexy?” pile of spandex and bad cover albumssold by Time Life, once upon a time, Rod Stewart kicked ass(“Maggie May” is an amazing song and I will personally fightanyone who disagrees with me.) Leithauser captures the best ofStewart’s effortless croon, without any of the added cheese. Adecade into the game, The Walkmen are still going strong andcontinually surprising fans with rich, emotional work. Lisbon isno exception. –Erin HallFILM REVIEWBEN AFFLECKTHE TOWN(WARNER BROS.)If you’re looking for a well-developedstory, equipped with well-developedcharacters and equally complexrelationships crafted into a complexscreenplay, don’t see The Town. If youwant an engrossing heist flick with smartturns and wicked Boston ‘tude, get in line.Director Ben Affleck re-inserts himself infront of the camera for his second attempt at operating behind it,holding his own as familiar Bostonian bad boy Doug MacRayin this crime thriller based on Chuck Hogan’s 2004 novel Princeof Thieves. MacRay leads a pack of three childhood friends totake on big jobs, exposed in the opening bank robbery scenewhere bank manager Claire Keesey (played by Rebecca Hall)is taken hostage and dumped on the beach. When the boysrealize Claire lives just blocks from one of the crew, Dougsets out to confront her about what she knows, saw, and mayhave revealed to the FBI. A planned laundromat run-in pickup line turns into a loving relationship between this unlikelypair (although this is poorly fleshed out on screen), and Dougstruggles with continuing his illegal lifestyle of machine gunsand masks with a newfound attachment for the Cambridgechick. MacRay must juggle secrets from Claire (his role in theincident) his friends (discovering his intimacy with the witness),leaving the only life he’s ever known, and skirting the constantthreat of death, or even worse, prison. Affleck works with afresh cast – Jon Hamm and Blake Lively of television fame,Jeremy Renner of The Hurt Locker, and the slowly up andcoming Rebecca Hall, who’s been working her way towardsstardom with pictures from Vicky Cristina Barcelona to Frost/Nixon. These fresh faces are as pretty as daytime Boston, andthe sun-kissed cinematography washes over the hardened livesof these Charlestown crooks. Affirming his filmmaking finessepost-Gone Baby Gone acclaim, this two time director handlesfast-paced action with more sensitivity than the attempteddelicacies, from MacRay’s heartbreaking childhood to thestraightening love arrow that turns him to mush (after a triggerhappytirade in ‘Boston’s Cathedral’, Fenway Park). Variousclichés and cornball moments (spoiler alert: final scene) leavea stain on the film’s overall impression, but fortunately do notlead to banal conventionality; as tell-all is its film-in-itself trailerreveals, Affleck’s ability to create smart tension within grippingscenarios is sustained by unpredictable anticipation, makingthis Town a compelling destination. – Laine Kaplan-LevensonBOOK REVIEWREVIEWSDAVID ROWEUNSOLICITED POEMS(VERNA PRESS)Though his poetry meets most academicideals, David Rowe doesn’t write foreditors or PhDs. The ideal audiencefor his new book, Unsolicited Poems(Verna Press), is the person who hearshim perform and later says, “I can’tstand poetry, but that was all right.” Likea songwriter’s songs, Rowe’s poetry ismeant for performance, much like the work of his inspirationsDylan Thomas and The Fall’s Mark E. Smith. Rowe’s seriousnessand his humor however, his sadness and his fire, all come acrosswell on the printed page. Topics in Rowe’s new book includeodes to Whitman, Kerouac, Sam Cooke, Kandinsky and RayCharles, plus Rowe’s baby daughter, dead father, and “a lot of exgirlfriends.” “Kitchen Work” is about Rowe being molested as achild, while “‘Angst Al Fresco,’” says Rowe, “is about feelingprecious after I quit drinking, and taking it out on the bohosaround me with their politicized diets and whatnot.” Placesare also detailed and immortalized, from the Irish Channel toBrooklyn. The story-like quality of some of Rowe’s pieces helpsthem work for poetry haters, as does the author’s use of “I.” “’I’is passé in these modern times because the self is a construct,”acknowledges Rowe. “But a guy like Bukowski earned the rightto say I.” Anyone who knew David before he quit drinking mightgive him that right too. But what keeps Rowe’s “I” poems frombecoming journal entries or confessionals is their craftsmanship,concern with etymologies, irregular internal rhyme schemes,anagrams and the like. “I never want it to be too cerebral andlose the oomph though,” Rowe notes. Though he has only everwanted to be a poet, it has taken Rowe 40 years to publish his firsttome, with all royalties voluntarily going toward Verna Press (alocal imprint run by Peter Anderson) to publish another edition.“I would write prose if I wanted to be a best-seller,” he says,suggesting that less financially stable readers borrow UnsolicitedPoems from the New Orleans public library or the Iron Rail bookcollective. –Michael Patrick WelchRowe reads from Unsolicited Poems Thursday October21st at 7p.m., at McKeown’s Books & Difficult Music, 4737Tchoupitoulas Street.MUSIC REVIEWS SPONSORED BY THE OFFICIAL RECORD STORE OF ANTIGRAVITY29

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EVENTSN.O. VENUESAll-Ways Lounge/Marigny Theatre, 2240 St. Claude Ave., (504) 218-5778, marignytheatre.orgBanks St. Bar And Grill, 4401 Banks St., (504) 486-0258, www.banksstreetbar.comBarrister’s Art Gallery, 2331 St. Claude Ave.Bayou Park Bar, 542 S. Jeff. Davis Pkwy.The Big Top, 1638 Clio St., (504) 569-2700, www.3ringcircusproductions.comThe Blue Nile, 534 Frenchmen St., (504) 948-2583Broadmoor House, 4127 Walmsley, (504) 821-2434Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., (504) 865-9190, www.carrolltonstation.comCheckpoint Charlie’s, 501 Esplanade Ave., (504) 947-0979Chickie Wah Wah, 2828 Canal Street (504) 304-4714, www.chickiewahwah.comCircle Bar, 1032 St. Charles Ave., (504) 588-2616, www.circlebar.netClub 300, 300 Decatur Street, www.neworleansjazzbistro.comThe Country Club, 634 Louisa St., (504) 945-0742, www.countryclubneworleans.comd.b.a., 618 Frenchmen St., (504) 942-373, www.drinkgoodstuff.com/noDer Rathskeller (Tulane’s Campus), McAlister Dr., http://wtul.fmDragon’s Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., http://myspace.com/dragonsdennolaEldon’s House, 3055 Royal Street, arlovanderbel@hotmail.comErnie K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge, 1500 N. Claiborne Ave.Fair Grinds Coffee House, 3133 Ponce de Leon, (504) 913-9072, www.fairgrinds.comFuel Coffee House, 4807 Magazine St. (504) 895-5757Goldmine Saloon, 701 Dauphine St., (504) 586-0745, www.goldminesaloon.netThe Green Space, 2831 Marais Street (504) 945-0240, www.thegreenproject.orgHandsome Willy’s, 218 S. Robertson St., (504) 525-0377, http://handsomewillys.comThe Hangar, 1511 S. Rendon. (504) 827-7419Hi-Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Ave. (504) 945-4446, www.myspace.com/hiholoungeThe Hookah, 309 Decatur St. (504-943-1101), hookah-club.comHot Iron Press Plant, 1420 Kentucky Ave., hotironpress@hotmail.comHouse Of Blues / The Parish, 225 Decatur, (504)310-4999, www.hob.com/neworleansThe Howlin’ Wolf, 907 S. Peters, (504) 522-WOLF, www.thehowlinwolf.comKajun’s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue (504) 947-3735, www.myspace.com/kajunspubKim’s 940, 940 Elysian Fields, (504) 844-4888The Kingpin, 1307 Lyons St., (504) 891-2373Le Bon Temps Roule, 4801 Magazine St., (504) 895-8117Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., (504) 581-5812, www.cabaretlechatnoir.comLyceum Central, 618 City Park Ave., (410) 523-4182, http://lyceumproject.comLyon’s Club, 2920 Arlington St.The Maison, 508 Frenchmen St., maisonfrenchmen.comMama’s Blues, 616 N. Rampart St., (504) 453-9290Maple Leaf, 8316 Oak St., (504) 866-9359Marlene’s Place, 3715 Tchoupitoulas, (504) 897-3415, www.myspace.com/marlenesplaceMcKeown’s Books, 4737 Tchoupitoulas, (504) 895-1954, http://mckeownsbooks.netMelvin’s, 2112 St. Claude Ave.MVC, 9800 Westbank Expressway, (504) 234-2331, www.themvc.netNeutral Ground Coffee House, 5110 Danneel St., (504) 891-3381, www.neutralground.orgNowe Miasto, 223 Jane Pl., (504) 821-6721Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St., (504) 539-9600One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., (504) 569-8361, www.oneeyedjacks.netOuter Banks, 2401 Palmyra (at S. Tonti), (504) 628-5976, www.myspace.com/outerbanksmidcityRepublic, 828 S. Peters St., (504) 528-8282, www.republicnola.comRusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street (504) 525-5515, www.therustynail.org/The Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave., www.myspace.com/saturnbarSide Arm Gallery, 1122 St. Roch Ave., (504) 218-8379, www.sidearmgallery.orgSouthport Hall, 200 Monticello Ave., (504) 835-2903, www.newsouthport.comThe Spellcaster Lodge, 3052 St. Claude Avenue, www.quintonandmisspussycat.comSt. Roch Taverne, 1200 St. Roch Ave., (504) 945-0194Tipitina’s, (Uptown) 501 Napoleon Ave., (504) 895-8477 (Downtown) 233 N. Peters, www.tipitinas.comThe Zeitgeist, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., (504) 827-5858, www.zeitgeistinc.netVintage Uptown, 4523 Magazine St., askmexico@gmail.comMETAIRIE VENUESThe Bar, 3224 Edenborn, myspace.com/thebarrocksThe High Ground, 3612 Hessmer Ave., Metairie, (504) 525-0377, www.thehighgroundvenue.comFRIDAY 10/1Banks Street Bar & Grill: Earphunk, 10pmCircle Bar: ActionActionReaction IndieDance Partyd.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans, 6pm; TheHappy Talk Band, 10pm, $5Hi-Ho Lounge: Inmates, Mangina,Pallbearers, Time to Destroy, 10pmHouse of Blues: The Wailers, Trevor Hall,9pmOne Eyed Jacks: The New Orleans Bingo!ShowTipitina’s: TBC Brass Band w/ Young Fellaz,We Are One, One Mile, Baby Boy BrassBands, 10pm, FREESATURDAY 10/2Banks Street Bar & Grill: Soul Project, 10pmCircle Bar: Rik Slave and the Phantomsd.b.a.: John Boutte, 8pm, $5; Good Enoughfor Good Times, 11pm, $5Hi-Ho Lounge: Iron Age, Hatred Surge,Mammoth Grinder, Tirefire, Thou, 10pmHouse Of Blues: The Cult, The Black Ryder,8pmOne Eyed Jacks: TrannyshackSpotted Cat: Palmetto Bug Stompers, 10pmTipitina’s: A Sketchy Black and GoldParty w/ Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes,Captain Midnight Band and Special Guests,10pm, $10SUNDAY 10/3Circle Bar: The Backsliders, Grunge Jazzd.b.a.: Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives,War Chief Juan, 10pm, $5MONDAY 10/4Circle Bar: Paul CaporinoTUESDAY 10/5Banks Street Bar & Grill: PYMP, 10pmCircle Bar: Phil Parnell Trio, the WagnerLogicOne Eyed Jacks: Peelander-Z, M.O.T.O., DieRotzz, the PootsWEDNESDAY 10/6The Big Top: Chicken Little, Helen Keller’sUkulele, Scissor Dicks, Joy Beasley, 7:30pmCircle Bar: The Pork Dukes, the BastardSons of Marvin Mirschd.b.a.: The Mirlitones, 7pmHowlin’ Wolf: Smoker’s Club Tour f/Curren$y, Big KRIT, Smoke Dza, Mac Miller,Boaz, Rich Mill, 10pmOne Eyed Jacks: David Bazan, MynabirdsRepublic: Beats Antique, Yard Dogs RoadShow, Lynx, 8pm, $18THURSDAY 10/7The Big Top: An Idea Like No OtherPresents Esben and the Witch, Self HelpTapes, Kindest Lines, 7pmCircle Bar: Cary Ann Hearst, HannahKreiger-Bensond.b.a.: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 7pm;Ernie Vincent & the Top Notes, 10pm, $5House Of Blues: Devendra Banhart and theGrogs, Twin Sister, 8pmRepublic: BOUNCE II f/ Sissy Nobby, BigFreedia, Katey Red, Rusty Lazer, 11pm, $10Tipitina’s: Lukas Nelson and Promise of theReal, Kristin Diable, 9pm, $10FRIDAY 10/8Banks Street Bar & Grill: Rebirth BrassBand, 9pmCircle Bar: The Love Language, Giant Cloudd.b.a.: Greg Dulli w/ the Happy Talk Band,10pm, $20Dragon’s Den: Den DJs host Mel-B’sBirthday BashHi-Ho Lounge: Hi-Ho 4-Year AnniversaryParty, 9pmHowlin’ Wolf: The Monster Dash: Benefit forthe Cystic Fibrosis Foundation w/ Flashback,6pmHouse Of Blues: 12 Stones, 8pm; RecklessKelly, 9pm (in The Parish)Republic: Gogol Bordello, 10pm, $28Tipitina’s: Music for Matt f/ Glasgow, RotaryDowns, Dee-1, 10pm, $11SATURDAY 10/9Banks Street Bar & Grill: The Local Skank,10pmBayou Park Bar: Vision Winged Party Cult,10pmCandle Factory (4537 N. Robertson): FringeFestival Preview Pu-Pu Platter, 8-11pm,FREECheckpoint Charlie’s: Rockabilly / Surf-Punk Cochon Roast Fest w/ Dana Abbott& the Something Somethings, GretschRockin’ Cat & the Modern Eldorados, theUnnaturals, Rotten Cores, Willie Heath Neal,F-N A-Holes, the Americanos, T-Bone Stone,the Damn Frontier, the LA Hellbenders, theBedlamville TriflersCircle Bar: Debauched.b.a.: Little Freddie King, 11pm, $5Dragon’s Den: Ingrid Lucia, ReverendSpooky LaStrange and Her Billion-DollarBaby DollsHi-Ho Lounge: My Graveyard Jaw, 10pmHouse Of Blues: Yeasayer, Washed Out,10pmLouisiana Music Factory: Josh Hyde, 2pm;We Are One Brass Band, 3pm; Tuba Skinny,4pmOne Eyed Jacks: SuplecsSpotted Cat: Jazz Vipers, 10pmTipitina’s: Robert Randolph and the FamilyBand, 10pm, $25SUNDAY 10/10Circle Bar: Sons of Hippies30

EVENTSd.b.a.: The Jackals, 10pm, $5Dragon’s Den: Rusty LazerHouse Of Blues: Duck Down MusicPresents: The Duck Down 15-YearAnniversary Tour f/ Various Artists,8:30pm (in The Parish)One Eyed Jacks: Mount Carmel, Karmato BurnTipitina’s: Eisley, Ives the Band, ChristieDuPree, 9pm, $13MONDAY 10/11Circle Bar: The RosencranzDragon’s Den: Simple Play PresentsRYAT, High in One EyeOne Eyed Jacks: Deer Tick, J-RoddyWalston and the BusinessTUESDAY 10/12Banks Street Bar & Grill: AndrewDuhon, 9pmCircle Bar: Circle on the CircleDragon’s Den: Climate ChangeHouse Of Blues: Matt and Kim, BigFreedia, 9pmOne Eyed Jacks: Aquarium DrunkardPresents Portugal. The Man, Chief, Mt.St. Helens Vietnam BandWEDNESDAY 10/13Blue Nile: Khris Royal, 10:30pmCircle Bar: Scout Niblett, Steve Eck,Micah McKeeHouse Of Blues: Willie Nelson andFamily, 8pmOne Eyed Jacks: Aquarium DrunkardPresents the Vaselines, Jeffrey LewisTHURSDAY 10/14Circle Bar: Woven Bones, the Bellys,the Dives, the Sosoglosd.b.a.: Jon Cleary, 7pmHouse Of Blues: Willie Nelson andFamily, 8pmHowlin’ Wolf: Edward Sharpe and theMagnetic Zeroes, 10pmFRIDAY 10/15Banks Street Bar & Grill: City Zoo,10pmThe Big Top: Dubla Music Presents ’90sDance PartyCircle Bar: Elf Power, the Other Planetsd.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans, 6pm;The Iguanas, 10pm, $5Dragon’s Den: Ven Paca, Uniquity w/Slangston HughesHi-Ho Lounge: Big Nine Social Aid &Pleasure Club Halloween Costume Partyw/ the Stooges, 9pmHouse Of Blues: Michael Franti andSpearhead, Tamarama, 9pmOne Eyed Jacks: Honky, ManwitchRepublic: New Grass Country Club,10pm, $5Tipitina’s: Soul Rebels Brass Band,Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs,10pm, $10SATURDAY 10/16Banks Street Bar & Grill: Mike Darby’sBirthday Bash, 10pmBayou Park Bar: The Pallbearers, ToxicRott, A Hanging, 10pmThe Big Top: Bizarre Bazaars PresentsThe Pandemonium Shadow Show w/Ratty Scurvics, 6-9:30pm (Shopping),9:20pm (Music), FREECircle Bar: The Safes, the Dives, theUnnaturalsd.b.a.: John Boutte, 8pm, $5; StantonMoore Trio, 11pm, $10Dragon’s Den: Banana Clip, DJ ProppaBear, RibzHi-Ho Lounge: M.O.T.O., 11 Blade,She’s Still Dead, 10pmHowlin’ Wolf / Republic: WarehouseFest 2010 f/ Generationals, Dee-1,Andrew Duhon, the Dirty Bourbon RiverShow, M@ People’s Collective, NewOrleans Indie Rock All-Stars, 1pmSpotted Cat: Meschiya Lake and theLittle Big Horns, 10pmTipitina’s: Railroad Earth, Honey IslandSwamp Band, 10pm, $20SUNDAY 10/17Banks Street Bar & Grill: MichelleMangione, 9pmCircle Bar: Stars Regardless, Little RedLung, Nymphd.b.a.: Ingrid Lucia, 10pm, $5Dragon’s Den: Dan FestHouse Of Blues: Comedy CentralPresents Gabriel Iglesias: The FluffyShop Tour, 8pmOne Eyed Jacks: Fleur de TeaseMONDAY 10/18Circle Bar: High Five Revival, ProudFather, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sun31

EVENTSTUESDAY 10/19Banks Street Bar & Grill: SmashingBlonde, 9pmCircle Bar: These United States, MicahMcKee, His Good ReasonsWEDNESDAY 10/20Circle Bar: Helen Gilletd.b.a.: The Mirlitones, 7pmHouse Of Blues: An Evening With thePlaying for Change Band, 8pmHowlin’ Wolf: Built to Spill, RevoltRevoltTipitina’s: The Gracious Few, AmericanBang, 9pm $20THURSDAY 10/21Circle Bar: Birdlips, Secret Society inSmaller Lies, Sparrow and the Ghostd.b.a.: Washboard Rodeo, 10pm, $5House Of Blues: U.S. DevelopmentGroup Presents Jonny Lang: A Benefit forSt. Bernard Project and Military Families,8:30pmRepublic: BASSIK f/ Eskmo, RyanPearce, 11pm, $10Tipitina’s: Homegrown Night w/ SweetJones, Zach Lund and the Flavor, YungDray, Major Bacon, 8:30pm, FREEFRIDAY 10/22Banks Street Bar & Grill: PYMP, 10pmCircle Bar: The Bruisersd.b.a.: Meshiya Lake and Little BigHorns, 6pm; members of Morphine w/Jeremy Lyons, 10pm, $10Dragon’s Den: Shanghi Nights w/ DJMike FadushiaHi-Ho Lounge: Colour Revolt, SunHotel, 10pmHouse Of Blues: 1999 Prince Tribute,9pmOne Eyed Jacks: Defend New OrleansPresents the Thermals, Cymbals EatGuitars, the CoathangersOuter Banks: The Unnaturals, 10pm,FREERepublic: Force Feed Radio (Video DJSet), 10pm, $5Tipitina’s: Frightened Rabbit, Plants andAnimals, 10pm, $16SATURDAY 10/23Banks Street Bar & Grill: Lynn Drury’sGrit and Groove Showcase, 10pmBayou Park Bar: Major Bacon, 10pmCircle Bar: The Dexter Romweber Duod.b.a.: John Boutte, 8pm, $5Dragon’s Den: DJ James MichaelPresents Southern Breaks, DrunkenMaster, DJ Tony ScratchereHalf-Moon Bar: Autumnal New OrleansLadies Arm-Wrestling Brawl, 8pmHi-Ho Lounge: Super Secret Fireman’sOther Masked Band Ball, 9pmHowlin’ Wolf: We Landed on theMoon!, Elsinore, the Triangle, 9pm (Livein the Den)Louisiana Music Factory: RiccardoCrespo, 3pm; Navy Band of NewOrleans, 4pmSpotted Cat: Dominic Grillo and theFrenchmen St. All-Stars, 10pmTipitina’s: EOTO, 10pm, $16SUNDAY 10/24Banks Street Bar & Grill: AndrewDuhon, 9pmCircle Bar: Mousefire, Marksmend.b.a.: Jeremy Lyons and the DeltabillyBoys, 10pm, $5House Of Blues: Bone Thugs NHarmony, 9pmMONDAY 10/25Circle Bar: Kipori WoodsOne Eyed Jacks: Valient Thorr, Caltrop,Black PrimerTUESDAY 10/26Banks Street Bar & Grill: Brett Mosley,9pmCircle Bar: Robotanists, Kindest LinesDragon’s Den: Climate Change, theLolliesHouse Of Blues: Circa Survive, 8pmWEDNESDAY 10/27The Big Top: An Idea Like NoOther Presents Ghastly City Sleep,Caddywhompus, Aiúa, 7pmCircle Bar: The Growlers, Heavy Creamd.b.a.: The Tin Men, 7pmOne Eyed Jacks: The HeavyTHURSDAY 10/28Circle Bar: Cyndi Harvelld.b.a.: Woody Pines, 7pm; CedricBurnside and Lightning Malcolm, 10pm,$10W I N E • P A S T A S • S P E C I A LT Y P I E SPIZZA BY THE SLICE • ANTIPASTI • SALAD • CALZONESfeatured cocktail:BLUSHING LADYPama Pomegranate Liqueurand Pink GrapefruitFeaturing Sobieski VodkaServed Up with a Sugared Rimand a Lemon Wheelw w w . s l i c e p i z z e r i a . c o m1 5 1 3 S T. C H A R L E S A V E . 504.525.PIES (7437)5538 MAGAZINE ST. 504-897-4800PIZZA BY THE SLICE • ANTIPASTI • SALAD • CALZONESCome try our“Cucumber Margarita"— Made with Lunazul Blanco 100% Agave Tequila —It’s Refreshing and Clean!The Perfect End-of-Summer Cocktail.UPTOWN2018 magazine Street | New Orleans, Louisiana 70130(504) 569-0000MIDCITY4724 South Carrollton Avenue | New Orleans, Louisiana 70119(504) 486-9950www.juansflyingburrito.com32

EVENTS34WEDNESDAYSAllWays Lounge: Marygoround & TheTiptoe StampedeBanks Street Bar & Grill: Major Bacon,Free BLTs, 9pmThe Bar: Musician Appreciation Night,7pmBayou Park Bar: Lynn Drury andFriends, 10pmBlue Nile: United Postal Project, 8pm;Gravity A, 10pm (Upstairs); Khris Royaland Dark Matter, 10pmThe Box Office: Dan Wallace Quartet,7pmCarrollton Station: Standup ComedyOpen Mic, 9pmCheckpoint Charlie’s: Kenny Holidayand the Rolling Blackouts, 9pmCircle Bar: Jim O. and The No Shows w/Mama Go-Go, 6pmd.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter WolfmanWashington and The Roadmasters, 10pm, $5Deckbar: Blues & Beyond Jam w/ JohnLisi & Delta Funk, 8pmDragon’s Den: DJ T-Roy Presents:Dancehall Classics, 10pm, $5Hi-Ho Lounge: Local Piano Night w/Various Musicians, 8pmHowlin’ Wolf: Booty Trove Brass Band,FREEThe Maison: Jerry Jumonville and theJump City Band; No Name Group, 9pmThe R Bar: DJ Lefty ParkerSpotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;Free Swing Dance Lessons, 5pm, LooseMarbles, 6pm; St. Louis Slim and theFrenchmen St. Jug Band, 10pmYuki: Mojotoro Tango Trio, 8pmTHURSDAYSBanks Street Bar & Grill: Dave Jordan’sNeighborhood Improvement, 10pmBayou Park Bar: Classic Country w/ RonHotstream, 10pmBlue Nile: DJ T-Roy, 10pm; DJ TomHarvey’s Unlock the House, 10pm(Upstairs)Checkpoint Charlie’s: The Fens w/Sneaky Pete, 10pmCircle Bar: Sam and Boone, 6pmDragon’s Den: DJ Frenzi, DJ ProppaBear, 10pmHi-Ho Lounge: Stooges Brass Band,9:30pmThe Hookah: Exhale: A Ladies Night, 10pmHowlin’ Wolf: Comedy Gumbeaux, 8pm(Live in the Den)La Nuit Comedy Theater: A.S.S.tronot,8:30pmLe Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels, 11pmThe Maison: Free BBQ Grill Out, 7pmOne Eyed Jacks: Fast Times ’80s DanceNightSpotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;Miss Sophie Lee, 6pm; New OrleansMoonshiners, 10pmRepublic: LEGIT, 10pm, $7FRIDAYSBayou Park Bar: Electronic DJs, 9pmThe Big Top: Friday Night Music Camp, 5pmBlue Nile: Mykia Jovan and Jason Butler,8pm; DJ Real and Black Pearl, Midnight(Upstairs)Circle Bar: Jim O. and The SporadicFanatics, 6pmThe Hookah: The A-List Unplugged w/EF Cuttin’, 10pmLa Nuit Comedy Theater: God’s BeenDrinking, 10pm, $10The Maison: Some Like it Hot, 7pm,Shakedown Friday w/ DJs Brice Nice,Kazu, Bees Knees, Yamin, 10pmRepublic: Throwback, 11pmSpotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 6pm; NewOrleans Cottonmouth Kings, 10pmTipitina’s: Tipitina’s Foundation FreeFriday!, 10pmSATURDAYSBlue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio,7pm; DJ Real and Black Pearl, Midnight(Upstairs)Circle Bar: The Jazzholes, 6pmd.b.a.: John Boutte’, 8pmThe Hangar: Ladies NightThe Hookah: Hookah Hip-Hop w/ DJ EFCuttin, 10pmLa Nuit Comedy Theater: ComedySportz(1st/3rd Saturdays), 7pmLePhare: DJ JiveThe Maison: Loose Marbles, 7pmRepublic: DJ Damion Yancy, 11pmSpotted Cat: Luke Winslow King, 3pm;Panorama Jazz Band, 6pmSUNDAYSBanks Street Bar & Grill: MambomundoLatin Dance Party, 9pmBayou Park Bar: Cortland Burke andSpecial Guests, 9pmBlue Nile: FabuNOLA Presents SexySalsa Sunday, 7pmCafé Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk,7pmCheckpoint Charlie’s: Acoustic OpenMic w/ Jim Smith, 7pmCircle Bar: Drink N Draw, 3pm; MicahMcKee and Friends, 6pmd.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6pmDragon’s Den: Attrition, 10pm (Upstairs)The Hookah: Ear Candy w/ DJ Rik Ducci,10pmHouse of Blues: The Sunday Gospel BrunchHowlin’ Wolf: Brass Band Sundays w/Hot 8 Brass BandThe Maison: Larry Scala and the RhythmJesters, 7pmSpotted Cat: Rights of Swing, 3pm;Loose Marbles, 6pm; Pat Casey and theNew Sound, 10pmThe Maison: St. Claude Serenaders, 6pmTipitina’s: Music Workshop Series,12:30pm; Cajun Fais Do Do f/ BruceDanigerpoint, 7pm