Natural Elements at Fat Beats NYC
December 17th, 2009 by planetchocko
Natural Elements (A-Butta, L-Swift and Mr. Voodoo) came through Fat Beats (406 6th Ave. between 8th and 9th Streets in New York City) on Dec. 15 to celebrate the release of “1999: 10 Year Anniversary” an album that should have come out a decade ago. In the mid-nineties A-Butta, L-Swift and Mr. Voodoo formed Natural Elements and represented the New York underground scene with singles such as “bust mine” and “livin’ it up.” With every appearance on radio shows such as “Stretch and Bobbito Show” and every freestyle and mixtape that came out, their fan base increased. Their success got them signed to Tommy Boy Black sub-label where they released the single “2 tons” and recorded what was supposed to be their debut album. That album was never officially released…until now-sort of. The 2009 release is an excellent source for checking out Natural Elements if you’re new to the game, but it clearly is not the debut album from 99, but more of a greatest hits release with a little something for everybody. Their appearance at Fat Beats was crazy. With DJ Eclipse (Halftime Radio Show) on the turntables, Natural Elements ripped through a short set and despite the reunited trio not remembering all their lyrics…the crowd was loving every moment. Check out the video below for their performance of “off beat bop.” If you have never heard of Natural Elements and you are a fan of real hip hop, do yourself a favor and pick up “1999.” Better late than never!
-chocko
Tags: a-butta, in-store, l-swift, live, mr. voodoo, natural elements, show, underground hip hop
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Bess Rogers @ Rockwood Music Hall – NYC 11.28.09
December 16th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
Strong Island’s own, Bess Rogers performed at the Rockwood Music hall in lower manhattan on November 28th, 2009 @ Allison Weiss’s record release party. It was a cause for celebration @ Rockwood Music Hall with 3 really great acts performing including Allison Weiss, Bess Rogers, & Greg Holden. Bess Rogers mesmerized the crowd with her sweet melodic tunes & tantalizing guitar/ukelele play! She belted out pop inspired folk songs with powerful & clear vocals. I wanted to clap my hands & do the E Street shuffle with each of Bess’ performances if I weren’t so busy juggling my captain morgan drink in one hand and playing sniper camera man with the other. By the way, big ups to the waitress for fulfilling everyone’s drink request despite doing the ‘lambada’ with every patron in the room. It was that tight in the joint! Bess played songs including ‘Bulldozer’,’Everything to lose’, & ‘you and me’. We even learned that she was a Def Leppard fan with her cute rendition of ‘Pour some sugar on me’…chicken fried steak style aka country style!
I first heard Bess Rogers play when she was backing up Ingrid Michaelson on guitars & vocals on Ingrid’s tour. Bess & her other ship mate, Allie Moss were great onstage! In fact, the band backing up Ingrid on her tour were also center stage @ Rockwood Music Hall backing up Bess Rogers minus Allie Moss. Chris Kuffner,Dan Romer,Elliot Jacobson, & Bess Rogers melded together nicely like a sinful batch of saltwater taffy at such an intimate setting like the Rockwood! If you get a chance, watch her play live! You won’t be dissapointed! Maybe, she’ll perform another cover of some 80’s band….fried big country style! “I’m hot..sticky sweet..from my head to my feet…yeah!” Check out Bess Roger’s “Travel Back” EP with a new album in the works to be released in the summer. She’s also in another band called “Flux Capacitors” covering tunes from 80’s bands. Back to the future, baby! or should I say blast from the past!
http://www.bessrogers.com/ http://www.myspace.com/bessrogers
–pcimprezz (videos courtesy of pcimprezzive & loopyvids)
Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen St
New York, NY 10002
Tags: allie moss, allison weiss, bess rogers, chris kuffner, dan romer, elliot jacobson, folk, greg holden, ingrid michealson, pop, rockwood music hall
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5 Pointz in Queens, NYC
December 15th, 2009 by planetchocko
5 Pointz located in Long Island City, NYC…the Institute of Higher Burnin.
photos by chocko
Tags: grafffiti street art graff new york city
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Vivian Girls at Death By Audio w/ Yellow Fever and Happy Birthday
December 15th, 2009 by planetchocko
The show at Death By Audio on Dec. 12 was a fuzzed out, lo-fi spectacular with the newly signed to Sub Pop Records, Happy Birthday starting things off. The band features Kyle Thomas (King Tuff), Chris Weisman and Ruth Garbus. You may recognize Kyle from his other bands such as Witch (with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.) and Feathers (with Ruth). Fun fact: Ruth has a sister named Merrill who is better known as tUnE-YaRdS. The crowd hopped around and showed lots of love and support while the bad previewed lots of upcoming tracks such as “girls fm” and “pink strawberry shake” from their album which won’t be released until March 2010. Yellow Fever played next. This show was their record release party for their brand new self-titled album on the Vivian Girls’ record label, Wild World. Stripped down and quirky songs are what you’ll get from this Austin, TX based band. Jennifer Moore (lead vocals) and Adam Jones (percussion) played lots of songs from the new record which actually is comprised of older songs from previously released EPs and 7″ single. My favorites are “cats and rats” and “psychedelic.” The crowd kicked it up a notch when the Vivian Girls took to the stage and blasted through a reverb-heavy, lo-fi set which included songs from their newest album, “Everything Goes Wrong” and even a Chantels cover of “he’s gone” while being joined by Kyle from Happy Birthday. You gotta love a band whose influences are sixties girl groups, surf and the Ramones. The Vivian Girls have been getting lots of attention lately and it’s all well deserved. I was watching the game show Jeopardy last summer and the Girls were the subject of a question. I don’t remember the question exactly, it was something like “name the borough of New York where the musical group, the Vivian Girls are from” and the answer (in the form of a question) was Brooklyn. Check out some of the videos from the show courtesy of pcimprezzive and loopyvids.
-chocko
Tags: death by audio, happy birthday, sub pop, vivian girls, wild world records, yellow fever
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Paulie “the magic man” Malignaggi vs Juan “the baby bull” Diaz in CHITOWN on 12/12/09
December 13th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
Paulie Malignaggi @ the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao showdown @ Yankee stadium
Planet Brooklyn’s own, Paulie “The Magic man” Malignaggi successfully revenged his JR Welterweight bout (140lbs) against Juan “the baby bull” Diaz in ChiTown on 12/12/09 by unanimous decision. The 1st fight in August between these 2 combatants led to a controversial win going to the Baby Bull. This sequel on 12/12 was well worth the wait as the contrast of styles could not of been any more entertaining. These two pugilist exemplified one style of the nitty gritty-well adapting concrete jungle of NYC, all about speed, clowning, & showboating at it’s finest versus the no non-sense baby bull charge aggression akin to the mexican aztec warrior. Juan Diaz was 35-2(17ko’s) before the fight with his most notable loss to Juan Manuel Marquez & his most recent loss to Madeina, which was stopped because of the severe beating Baby Bull took witnessed by his ballooned face. Paulie Malignaggi was 26-3(5 ko’s) before the fight. Paulie’s losses came by the hands of the Baby Bull, Ricky Hatton, & Miguel Cotto. Despite his losses, the magic man looked very relaxed & confident throughout this fight in ChiTown & his lyrical footwork of freestyle magnifications were the manifestations of a different Paulie at peace with a new trainer. Buddy Mcgirt & the Magic Man departed ways a few fights before, as Paulie believed his real flow in fighting relied on all footwork & speed as opposed to being sly & flat footed. Paulie showed great speed, rhythm, & flow as well as keeping good distance from the bull charger. The Magic Man did try to rumble with the Baby bull a few times but those exchanges were short lived as Diaz usually excelled at that range. Juan Diaz was cut from a blow by the magic man in the 2nd round. Paulie showed glimpses of doing ‘mano y mano’ a few more times, but that strategy was to try & lure Diaz in. Paulie’s confidence seemed steady & streamlined for the whole fight as his footwork, speed, & distance was just too much for the mexican american. Malignaggi even ‘shook’ Diaz with a right cross @ the end of the 6th round, but was unable to finish him because Pauli was too busy showboating & acting silly. Perhaps, Paulie did not know how to ‘finish’ him as that seems to be unchartered grounds coming from a fighter with only 5 KO wins in his history. In round 10, Malignaggi scored a knockdown over Diaz, but after instant replay, the knockdown looked more like a slip & being a “Mr. Magoo” which of course scored a 10-8 round for the Brooklyn magic man. Nevertheless, the win was fairly an easy one for the Magic Man! Who’s next for Paulie? Who knows? The magic man wants revenge against Ricky Hatton or maybe a rumble with Juan Manuel Marquez. Either of these ‘fist a cuff’ warriors, would be real entertaining as Malignaggi seems to always bring his showboating ‘A’ game on stage!
–pcimprezz
The Magic Man @ the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao showdown @ yankee stadium (pics by pcimprezz)
Tags: baby bull, boxing december 12 2009, chicago, jr welterweight, juan diaz, magic man, paul malignaggi, paulie malignaggi
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T-Model Ford at powerHouse Arena 12.10.09
December 12th, 2009 by planetchocko
After waking up from a nap, I checked my twitter account and saw that T-Model Ford was performing in Brooklyn for free. T-Model Ford is an 80-something year old (nobody really knows his real age)quintessential blues musician from Mississippi who got a pacemaker put in about 2 years ago and continues to play. I had not seen Mr. Ford play in years, so I just had to go. I packed my bag with the essentials-cameras and memory cards and drove like I just stole the damn car. From Jersey to BK, not an easy task in the middle of holiday traffic. I got to DUMBO (parking there is a bee-otch!) a couple minutes after 8 pm just in time for T-Model’s set. The man did not disappoint. He played the blues for nearly an hour only to pause to take a swig of the whiskey. When T-Model Ford is in the house…it’s Jack Daniel Time! He got the crowd dancing and booties were definitely shaking. Mr. Ford showed no sign of retiring anytime soon. After his set, I witnessed him hitting on the ladies and wanting to go to their place. Dirty Dawg! The event was also a signing for a book of photos titled “Blues, Booze & BBQ” which coincided with a photo exhibit in the store. To check out this book and so much more, I recommend checking out PowerHouse Arena located at 37 Main Street DUMBO Brooklyn NY. Support indie bookstores and don’t forget to check out T-Model Ford next time he’s in your neck of the woods!
-chocko
Tags: brooklyn, delta blues, fat possum records, free show, t-model ford, the blues
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Municipal Waste at The Gramercy Theatre NYC
December 11th, 2009 by planetchocko
Municipal Waste came to town on December 9 and brought their friends with them on tour: Cauldron, Phobia and Brutal Truth. Opening act, Caludron, a trio from Toronto are the best metal band in the business who rock out like the 80’s never ended. They have the look and sound totally down and their new album, “chained to the nite” belongs right next to your Dokken, Queensryche and Iron Maiden albums. Next up was Phobia who played fast and furious anarchist grind core which got the crowd moving. They’re a great band from California and have been doing their thing for almost 20 years. Once the Phobia tunes got cranking, circle pits immediately started and elbows and fists were flying everywhere. NYC grindcore pioneers, Brutal Truth were next on the lineup playing angry, loud and chaotic music pleasing all metal heads and hardcore punk fans. It’s good to see these guys and their new album “evolution through revolution” is out now. The main event, Municipal Waste, everybody’s favorite thrashers from Richmond, Virginia obliterated while singing songs about beers, post-apocalyptic mutants and headbanging. Circle pits, moshing and stage diving was highly encouraged. It was painful to see the one, overweight lone stage diver jumping from the stage and not quite making it into the crowd. His ribs must be still aching after smashing into the rail. Ouch. It seems that with every album, the Waste’s fanbase grows larger and so do the venues. After Tony Foresta (lead singer) pointed out how funny it was that his band with a song titled, “boner city” was sponsored by Taco Bell, a person from the crowd yelled, “sellout!” Tony fired back and pointed out that their first song they ever made was about trucks and jet skis. “Why do you think we started a band?” Too funny. Being influenced by bands such as DRI, Suicidal Tendencies and Nuclear Assault is still evident in their new album “massive aggressive” so get it now. Jet skis and truck payments ain’t cheap. SET LIST: unleash the bastards, thrashing’s my business…and business is good, divine blasphemer, beer pressure, mental shock, blood drive, accelerated vision, wrong answer, terror shark, masked by delirium, sadistic magician, thrashin’ of the christ, mutants of war, toxic revolution, black ice, i want to kill the president, boner city, acid sentence, born to party, guilty of being tight, mind eraser and headbanger face rip!
-chocko
Tags: brutal truth, cauldron, grindcore, live show, metal, municipal waste, new york city, phobia, punk, thrash
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OC and AG at FAT BEATS
December 9th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
Diggin’ In The Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) members OC and AG stopped by Fat Beats NYC on Dec. 8 to promote their first album together titled “Oasis.” D.I.T.C. is a group of New York based emcees and producers who gained the respect from the hip hop community for their hardcore lyrics and classic boom-bap beats since their start in the early nineties. The latest release from the crew features other members such as Showbiz and Lord Finesse on production duties providing perfect beats to complement Omar and Andre The Giant’s gritty rhymes. It should also be noted that E Blaze takes care of the majority of the production nicely. If it’s real hip hop you’re looking for, OC and AG deliver with street swagger and passion for the art form. Some of my favorite tracks: Give It Back, Keep It Going and Two For The Money. Their signing at Fat Beats was a fun time for all. They were more than happy to sign posters, records and pose for pics. DJ Premier stopped by (pictured below with OC) and 950 Plus posed with AG (photo above).
-chocko
Tags: 950 plus, a.g., album, CD, d.i.t.c., diggin in the crates, dj premier, fat beats, in-store, o.c., oasis, pics
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Amir Khan beats Dmitriy Salita to defend WBA-Light Welterweight Title
December 8th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
Not a post that I was looking forward to writing, but Amir Khan (21-1 before the fight) defending WBA-Light Welterweight champion beats our local NYC hero of the Planet Brooklyn galaxy, Dmitriy Salita (30-0-1 before) in 76 seconds. Amir Khan came out with a thunderous right cross that stunned & knocked down Salita in the 1st 10 seconds of the fight & he never recovered. Salita went down 3 times in 76 seconds that resulted in the referee putting a halt to the fight. Salita’s 1st title shot went unsuccessful as his 1st loss shocked us all. Guess who was the trainer for Amir Khan?….Freddie Roach. The true heart of a boxer will be revealed with the fight after a devastating loss. We hope Dmitriy can recover & continue on with a successful career. I’ve been following Dmitriy & his story for a few years now evidenced by my article on his “Orthodox Stance” documentary @ https://www.planetchocko.com/?p=31. Dmitriy has been a gracious competitor & seems to have a gentle heart with a killer instinct in the ring. All these combinations make for a great story & we hope there is a “to be continued” segment. See below for a youtube video of the fight courtesy of “Rhinostampedes” –pcimprezz
Tags: amir khan, brooklyn, crown heights, dmitriy salita, freddie roach, light welterweight, orthodox stance, wba
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Hamilton Madison House toy drive in NYC
December 8th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
Oops, I should have posted this update a few weeks ago, but better late than never I say! Okay, all you Planet Chocko martians! There is a toy drive hosted by the Hamilton Madison House in NYC which is a non-profit settlement house that is focused on improving the quality of life for low income families mainly in the two bridges/chinatown – lower east side area of Manhattan. The toy drive will help to make a better holiday for these kids whose families are having a tough time getting by from day to day. We are hoping a small gift at christmas time for these youngsters will uplift their spirits for at least one day. This toy drive & awareness has been brought to the forefront from one of the advocates of C-town, role model, & business owners of Chinatown, Christina from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. She & her family have been romping around Chinatown-NYC with an inspirational business model called the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for almost 30 years! So, thanks to Christina for raising awareness of this toy drive & let’s give back a little if we can. Dropoff your new unwrapped toys for kids between 5-12 years old @ the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory on 65 Bayard St. NY,NY. The last day of the toy drive is on Dec. 14th. So, if you are in the ‘hood please headoff to CICF, do a good deed to make a kid smile, & while you are there grab yo’self a nice refreshing scoop of homemade ice cream of the rich & delicate proportion made with love from the lower east…china side represent!
-pcimprezz
Tags: chinatown ice cream factory, hamilton madison house, toy drive
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Brooklyn Comics And Graphics Festival
December 7th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
It was a blustery day with constant cold rain and snow coming down, but that didn’t stop fans and artists of underground comics from showing up to the first brooklyn comics and graphics festival on Saturday, December 5. The show was presented by Desert Island and Picturebox and it would be safe to say that their first go at it was a success. The exhibitors were located in a tiny basement of a church on Metropolitan Ave which comprised of about 50 artists and publishers…many legends and talented artists in the house including Charles Burns, Kim Deitch, Gary Panther, Adrian Tomine, Gabrielle Bell, Ron Rege Jr….way too many to name them all. There were lots of things on sale from original art, prints, books, and shirts. Artist conversation programming was located down the street at Secret Project Robot and that was busy and crowded with people as well. A couple of things I picked up at the show: a mini comic and a badass print from Jon Vermilyea (a young and talented dude…his stuff amazes me), an issue of Humanbeing Lawnmower by Avi Spivak (always liked his art on punk rock flyers and now that there’s a zine to buy…gotta get it), Jumbly Junkery by L.Nichols (a girl that just goes by the name “L”…her stuff rocks), Dense Valley by Mika Oshima, Yeah, It is by Leslie Anne Mackenzie Stein (this girl is awesome and the stuff she’s working on will knock yr socks off) and What Happened Was…by Domitille Collardey (a talented female cartoonist..love her work). I got a couple sketches to add to my collection too. It was a fun show and totally inspiring to see such great comic book art.
-chocko
Tags: art, comic books, fest, indie, underground
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williamsburg, brooklyn
December 7th, 2009 by Planet Chocko
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