Midweek Anthem

Writing & Photos by Stephanie Augello

Long Island band The Kid Henry will be playing at The Studio at Webster Hall tomorrow night, April 25th.  They've got a lot of drive, a lot of heart and a lot worth paying attention to.

                                    

I have, on a number of occasions, described the members of The Kid Henry as being "some of the nicest people I've ever met."  That's not an exaggeration either.  They are definitely a genuine group, always ready to extend the hand of friendship to those they meet, and then openly support those friends when moments and happenings call for such gestures.  The "human" aspect of this band is far from the only thing that defines their role in the somewhat fragmented music scene on Long Island; their sound is head turning - driven by skill, enthusiasm and downright clever songwriting. 

According to their Facebook page, "The Kid Henry is an alternative rock band, featuring classically-trained vocalist Alexandra Lombardi.  Formed in 2008, The Kid Henry has been a fixture in the resurgent Long Island music scene ever since.  The individuals that make up The Kid Henry bring together eclectic musical taste and style to create a distinct sound built on driving rhythm, anthemic melody and personal, honest lyrics."  They released their self-titled EP in May 2011, which can be downloaded by following this link, or by simply looking below this line of writing. 



A recent article on LongIsland.com, stated that "One thing you can count on from this band is a high-energy, exciting performance," and also focused on the group's flow, camaraderie and multitude of musical talents.  The Kid Henry will be playing tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 25th, at The Studio at Webster Hall in New York City.  Included here are some photos I shot of them during their April 11th show at Local 269 on the Lower East Side.

                                           

                     


                        

Nervous in New York

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photos/Video by Nervous Curtains

Dallas, TX band Nervous Curtains will be playing a string of shows in the NYC area this weekend.  Here's some more information about them, their latest album release and spring tour.

                                             

Texas post-punk/synth trio Nervous Curtains offers listeners "black humor in dramatic presentation" and "hypnotic waves of power, torn and jagged as rock music tends to be."  The band formed in 2009, and released their first album "Out of Sync with Time" in 2010.  Members Sean Kirkpatrick (vocals/keyboard instruments), Ian Hamilton (keyboard instruments) and Robert Anderson (percussion instruments) debuted their latest album "Fake Infinity" in February 2012.  Released on Latest Flame Records, the album is described in both straight-forward and musing fashions, consistent with the feelings of our listless, lost, sometimes hapless, ironically hopeful era.  The bright-eyed aspects of this perspective seem to be focused more on surviving, rather than thriving.  It all makes me think of the early days of the Renaissance and post-apocalyptic films like "Children of Men."  More simplistically, it's just the reality of living in this here 21st Century.  Fiddling while Rome is burning, I guess.  Anyway, here's that description:

A landscape of discarded metal baked on broken concrete foundations of abandoned buildings...carefree summers have given way to oppressive heat waves.  Naive optimism and idealism have been shattered.  There's a new beauty in the rubble. The world is at its end, and it's whatever you make it to be.  "Kill your dreams before they kill you."  Be grateful for the advice.  This is certainly no beach party.
 



This weekend, Nervous Curtains will be playing three shows at popular venues in the NYC area.  Below is a more thorough breakdown of that schedule. 

Friday, April 6th at Pianos (Manhattan)
Saturday, April 7th at The Living Room (Manhattan)
Sunday, April 8th at The Grand Victory (Brooklyn)

Baeble Music recently posted their video for track "Coming Out Viral."  The site also offered a description of the video's narrative structure - "...a schizophrenic priest discovers a book, which sheds an uncomfortable light on the extreme polarities between public and private life."



Their tour does not stop in NYC.  After playing in NYC, Nervous Curtains will be heading to other large cities such as Washington D.C. and Chicago.  A complete list of their spring tour stops can be found on their blog.

The Dirty Grand EP Release

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photos by Wendy 13ird (Wendy Bowman)

On March 27th, NYC three piece The Dirty Grand released a hard copy preview of their new EP "Facedown" at Williamsburg's Cameo Gallery.  Wendy 13ird was there with her camera.  


                                            


                                    

On March 27th, NYC outfit The Dirty Grand held a party at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg to offer fans a free hard copy preview of their new EP "Facedown."  Before coming together as a unit, members Jake Bernstein, Tony Diodore and Andrew Griffiths were already veterans of NYC's music community.  Since introducing themselves to the local scene back in October, they have played at a number of popular venues, including Pianos, Webster Hall and Brooklyn Bowl, as well as the aforementioned Cameo Gallery.  "Facedown" is the band's second EP.  You can take a listen to it via their Bandcamp site.

Last week's show received a preliminary write-up in Deli Magazine, in which their style of electronic post-punk was compared to "...reflective, after-hours groups like Destroyer and The Weeknd. Beyond the novelty of carving out a place equal parts electronica and post-punk, Dirty Grand also displays a deep cynicism, providing an unsettling backdrop to their urban meditations." 

Though I didn't make the "Facedown" release party, photographer Wendy 13ird did.  Below are some of her photos from that night.  To check out more of her work, follow this link.