News on Shuffle – Page 16 – News on Shuffle

Matt Lowell EP Release @ Mercury Lounge

Matt Lowell is someone who makes an impression. My first review of him was also the first I had heard of him. Even with the limited knowledge I had though, his music stayed with me and memories resurfaced as I stood front and center for his EP release last night at Mercury Lounge. That first show I saw him perform solo, but this one had him with a full band. While the band does change the sound to some extent, there was still something there that was uniquely his own. I knew Lowell was special when I first saw him and was glad to see a room full of supportive people dancing with as much energy as the performers themselves offered. I think it is safe to say we will be hearing more from this artist in the future. Stay tuned.

The Whatever Blog Official Northside Showcase – June 18, 2011

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending The Whatever Blog Official Northside Showcase at The Red Star Bar in Brooklyn. The showcase consisted of bands of different musical genres ranging from electronic hip-hop to Japanese punk and Brit pop. It was a fun afternoon to enjoy different bands and tasty eats. Here are some picks of all the bands that participated in the showcase.

The Senors of Marseille

The Amplify Peace Tour

The Amplify Peace Tour starts Friday, June 17th in Delaware. Here is the press release from Property Of Zack:

PropertyOfZack could not be more stoked to exclusively announce The Amplify Peace Tour featuring Koji and Jeff Pianki. In March of 2011, Koji and Colormake partnered with the advocacy group Resolve to share the stories of communities in central Africa that have been affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA. The Resolve Tour urged audiences across the entire United States to call on their members of Congress to pay attention to the LRA, and to take action on it. Koji is now taking it one step further with The Amplify Peace Tour. Inspired by the stories of Ugandan women using songs to let their abducted children know that they are forgiven and will be welcomed back home, Koji and Colormake will be partnering with The Voice Project, an organization that is using the power of music and the radio to call these abducted soldiers home. Attendees of The Amplify Peace Tour will have the opportunity to lend their voices to a Voice Project/Colormake recording project that will be broadcasted to abducted LRA soldiers in the Congo, encouraging them to lay down their weapons and come home.

This tour will prove to be a night of good music for an important cause. Koji is a fantastic performer and person, always engaging the audience with his music and stories.

Dates for the tour are as follows:

6/17 – Limestone Presbyterian – Wilmington, DE – Event – Tickets

6/26 – Archway Center – Altoona, PA – Event – Tickets

7/19 – Midtown Scholar – Harrisburg, PA – Event– Tickets

7/21 – Musica – Akron, OH – Event – Tickets

7/22 – The Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI – Event – Tickets

7/23 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL (17+) – Event – Tickets

7/27 – The Studio at Webster Hall – New York, NY (19+) – Event – Tickets

7/28 – Treehouse Books – Philadelphia, PA – Event – Tickets

7/29 – TBA

7/30 – Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Church – Manassas, VA – Event – Tickets

Doctor Who 6×7 – A Good Man Goes To War

As River would say: Spoilers!

Demon’s run… when a good man goes to war.

The Doctor is a legend that is known throughout time and space. All who know of him, know what he is capable of. Now one of his best friends is in trouble, and he is determined to do everything in his power to save her and her newborn child, Melody.

We find out a lot of things in the midseason finale of Doctor Who. First, we learn that the baby shows traces of Time Lord DNA, even though the father is Rory. This is explained as being due to the fact that she was exposed to energy from the time vortex while on the TARDIS.

The other big reveal comes at the end when we finally learn that River Song is really Amy’s daughter. I had heard this theory before, but I never gave it much credence. I guess this just goes to show that no theory is too crazy when dealing with Doctor Who and their madly brilliant writing team.

When I did my review of the first two episodes I had a bit of a mad theory myself. I believed that River was the one who killed the Doctor. When we saw that it was the girl in the spacesuit, however, it seemed to end that as a plausible idea. I am now resurrecting it based on the new evidence we have collected tonight. Assuming that the girl in the spacesuit is Amy’s daughter (which we seem to be), and knowing that River is the adult version of the child, I now feel I can confidently say that River does indeed kill the Doctor on that lakeshore. She said once that she killed “a very good man,” and I would argue that it doesn’t get much better than the Doctor.

That’s it for all the major reveals. The only thing you really need to know about the episode itself is that the Doctor and Rory gather an army to rescue Amy and her child, which partially succeeds. At the end of the episode, Amy is safe but the baby has been taken. We know everything will be alright because of River’s existence. We just don’t know how it all plays out. The next new episode is scheduled for September, so we’re going to have to keep busy this summer by watching the new season of Torchwood, which begins July 8th on Starz.

Doctor Who 6×6 – The Almost People

Caution: Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

When last we left off, the copies were ready to go to war with the originals, and the Doctor found a copy of himself. This week we got the conclusion, plus an introduction to the mid-season finale.

Before I begin with the actual episode recap, I have to take a minute to say how excited I was for Matt Smith to get the chance to play two different versions of the Doctor in this one. One Doctor is crazy enough. Two of them had the potential to be hilarious and mind-blowing, and did not disappoint. It was great watching them finish each other’s sentences, like real twins might. It was also cool getting the behind the scenes look at how they do scenes where one person is playing two characters. I have always thought Smith was a good actor, but I have a new level of respect for him after this episode.

As fascinating as it was watching the Doctor interact with his copy, it was just as interesting watching Amy’s relationship with the real Doctor versus the copy. She was obviously more affectionate towards the real Doctor (or who she thought was the real one) and clearly only trusted “her Doctor”. They also touched on the question if the copy is the one we see die at the lakeshore, but based on the ending I would say that is a negative. Personally I’m not sure how I would have felt if they had gone that route. On one hand it could have been seen as clever, but on the other hand it could have been seen as a bit of a cheat. It’s probably best they give us another explanation for how he gets to that point.

With all the interactions between people and their copies, we got to continue our look from last week at what makes us human. Jen’s copy asks the question, “Who are the real monsters?” after showing Rory how the Flesh are discarded. While I agree that humans discarding the Flesh like they’re things is not right, I also think that starting a war is the wrong response. Even one of the copies recognizes that revenge is not the answer. That anyone (human or copy) who chooses violence as a solution is the real monster. It is great seeing the copies work with the originals in the end to fight the only real monster left. It is especially great how the Doctor proves what prejudice does to us by switching with his copy. It shows how perception changes how we view things, and that once you eliminate that prejudice you become more open to an idea or person you may previously had viewed as different.

Doctor Who is no stranger to discussions of humanity. When they talk about an “act of weakness” vs an “act of humanity” it goes back to what the Doctor always sees as an essential part of humanity – the ability to feel. Our emotions (love, joy, sadness, anger) are what separate us from everything else and make us human. I have always loved that the Doctor takes us through all of time and space and introduces us to countless different species just to teach us silly humans what the best and worst parts of ourselves are.

In true Doctor Who fashion, we save the biggest surprise for the end. Surprise 1: Amy isn’t really our Amy – she’s another Flesh copy. Surprise 2: Our Amy is extremely pregnant and about to give birth in an unknown facility. The woman we have been seeing appear throughout the season is guarding our Amy in said facility. The copy still had a connection to the original, and was thus able to see this at times. This means that our Amy has been missing for essentially all of season 6 up to this point. One would normally ask how Rory was unable to recognize his own wife for so long, but after seeing Amy make the same mistake with the Doctor it is easier to understand. We needed to experience the Flesh for ourselves to fully appreciate this.

Next week will be the possible conclusion to this story. I say “possible” because we might find where Amy is hidden, but we’ve already been told this one ends in a horrible cliffhanger. We’re also supposed to (finally!) find out who River is. I realize our friends in the UK have already seen this one (and some of you were impatient and streamed it). I ask when you leave comments to please not spoil for those who are waiting till it airs in their area. Otherwise, I look forward to your commentary.

Doctor Who 6×5 – The Rebel Flesh

As River Song would say, spoilers! Read on at your own risk.

No, seriously.

Last chance to turn back.

Look at all the space I gave you.

Alright, for those who are left, this is my review/recap of the latest Doctor Who episode “The Rebel Flesh”. I was originally going to wait so I didn’t have to deal with the cliffhanger, but I was convinced otherwise. So here it goes.

We start this episode in true, creepy, Doctor Who fashion. Not sure where events are taking place this time, we are left with the mystery of what we are seeing and where it will lead us. Whatever happens, we know the Doctor will become involved somehow.

Cut to the TARDIS, and our heroes our listening to Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” – something that excited me greatly. Two of the best things to come out of the UK in one place. Gotta love it.

Back to the real story, the Doctor predictable lands himself right in the middle of our latest mystery. We’re introduced to our title creature, an acid that can take the form of a living organism. Of course this is something that fascinates the Doctor. There’s a bigger problem on his mind though, and that is the solar storm that is going to hit the planet they are on.

The scene where we first see the storm coming is visually stunning. We know we should be scared of what will happen next, but it is hard to not be in awe of this massive yet beautiful surge of energy. We have heard how this show has to work with a low budget, but it is hard to tell in moments like this. It’s one of the many things that make this show so good.

Of course we’re not going to drop one story for the sake of another. The rebel flesh have been given life after the last storm, and are now wandering around the facility somewhere. The flesh have the same memories as the people they were originally based on, which will have its own consequences in the future. They may not be real to us, but in their minds they have lives of their own, and will put up a fight to keep them. They’re scared and angry and just want to survive. They don’t see themselves as monsters; they see themselves as people. It brings about an interesting question about humanity and where the line is drawn between innocent and dangerous creature.

The episode ends with the originals and the copies declaring war against each other. It’s hard to completely blame anyone for wanting to survive, but this clearly leaves the Doctor and company in a tough spot. Just when you think things can’t get any messier, a flesh copy of the Doctor appears, and we are left waiting till June 4th to see how it all ends. I look forward to the conclusion, and especially look forward to seeing two Doctors interact with each other and the repercussion that will result from this.

Doctor Who 6×4 – The Doctor’s Wife

Warning, spoilers, blah blah blah

For many, this may very well be the most anticipated episode of Doctor Who ever (or maybe I’m over exaggerating due to the crossing of fandoms). Personally, I have been waiting to see this episode since Neil Gaiman announced he would be writing one. Originally his episode was supposed to be part of season 5, but it had to be pushed to this season due to budget issues. You can follow the whole story on Neil’s blog. But enough backstory. It is time for the actual review/recap of this episode.

First off, this episode brings us back the Ood AND sets up a great story. It takes us to the end of the universe after getting a message from another Time Lord. It takes the soul of the TARDIS and puts it in someone’s body. And all of this happens before the title music starts.

After just about the best cold open I can remember seeing on this show, things progress even further. (Side bar: can I just say how exciting it was seeing the words “by Neil Gaiman” where the writer’s name goes? Because it was fantastic!) Sorry, but a lot of this review is just going to be why Neil Gaiman is amazing and how much I love his writing. I’m not sure how many guidelines he was given for this, but the storyline was absolutely brilliant. Not only that, but the characters who inhabit this world-beyond-worlds are all mad and wonderful. Something else great about this episode is the dialogue, which is also brilliant.

Amy: You want to be forgiven
Doctor: Don’t we all?

Followed by a very funny line about the Doctor being a Time Lord not actually meaning he knows what he’s doing, which is delivered perfectly by Karen Gillan as Amy Pond. I couldn’t even begin to produce all of the brilliant quotes I loved here in this review, but this is an example.

The story progresses and take the TARDIS away with it – along with Amy and Rory. The Doctor is left not knowing what to do, which is a “new feeling” for him, and I am left with chills literally running down my spine. As the Doctor calls the human form of his TARDIS “sexy”, I am left wondering who had more fun in this process – Neil while he was writing this episode or the viewers who got to enjoy one of the maddest and most wonderful episodes of Doctor Who that only the mind of Neil Gaiman could create. It’s something I can only describe as “Alice in Wonderland wonderful”. The whole episode felt like a fairy tale that had jumped down the rabbit hole and taken as for a ride across the universe. It was certainly an adventure I won’t soon forget.

Something else magical we get here comes in the form of a blast from the past. We get to see the TARDIS console from back during David Tennant’s run as the tenth Doctor. It was a nice little trip down memory lane, albeit a brief one.

Final note – I know we’ve said before that the TARDIS was a living thing but it was magical to actually see her come to life and get to interact with the Doctor (and save the day in the end). I’m sure it was a dream come true to write this episode. He also wrote a dream in itself in that he gave the TARDIS life and a voice and let her say hello to the Doctor.

Jukebox the Ghost/Wakey Wakey Tour

Last week I was lucky enough to make it to both the Brooklyn and NYC dates of Jukebox the Ghost tour with Wakey Wakey. The Brooklyn show was at Rock Shop, and the other was at Bowery Ballroom. This was my first time at Rock Shop, and it might be one of my new favorite venues. It was a nice space with good sound and just enough room to dance. Highlights from this tour included a very memorable fan at this venue and three new songs performed by the band (two new songs + a tasteless cover). The cover was of Huey Lewis’ “The Power of Love,” which fans seemed to respond well to. The two new songs sound great, and have me very excited for future new material and hopefully a new record. There’s eight videos from the Rock Shop on my YouTube page, but I will post the new stuff below.

Here are the two new songs:

and the tasteless cover:

Like I said, I love the new stuff, and I even caught myself singing them after two nights in a row of seeing them performed live. The complete set list was as follows:

Mistletoe
Half Crazy
Hold It In
Interlude/The Stars
Empire
Summer Sun
new song
Nobody
new song
Good Day
Static
Power of Love (Huey Lewis cover)
Schizophrenia

Be sure to check out the other videos I took, as well as a few pictures from the two shows.

Doctor Who 6×3 – Curse of the Black Spot

Arr, matey. There be spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.

This week’s episode of Doctor Who takes us on a pirate adventure. When I heard there were going to be pirates in this one, I immediately started making references to Paul & Storm’s “Captain’s Wife’s Lament” in my head. (Warning: that link has a bit of foul, piratey language in it)

This episode brought us pirates and curses and a siren out for blood. Of course the Doctor and his companions end up right in the middle of it all.

“Ever look in the mirror and think you’re seeing a whole other world. Well this time it’s not an illusion.” – the Doctor

The story: There is a siren attacking the pirate ship. We eventually see that she is not really attacking the crew, but is actually a doctor looking after the sick and injured. She travels from another dimension using reflections. The reflections act as portals between the two worlds.

This episode is a lot more fun than the previous two. True there’s still danger, but we also get some of the playful fun back in this one as well. The Doctor having a contest of whose ship is better and joking with the captain of the pirate ship brings us back to a lighter version of the Doctor that we were missing for most of the two part premiere.

Of course there were some serious moments as well. For one, my heart nearly stopped when Amy was trying to resuscitate Rory. Note to the writers – you’re not allowed to even joke about killing him again for the rest of the season!

Another serious note comes with the secrets Amy and the Doctor are keeping from each other. For Amy, she is keeping the knowledge of the Doctor’s future death. When the Doctor says “We’ve all got to go sometime,” you can see the look on her face and the weight this knowledge has placed on her. As for the Doctor, he is keeping his own secret about Amy’s unusual pregnancy.

Our recurring theme for this season seems to be the one-eyed lady that Amy keeps seeing. First we see her in the orphanage during “Day of the Moon” and now on the ship in this one. She seems to be trying to communicate with Amy, but any concrete explanations will most likely be saved until either the midseason cliffhanger or the finale.