The Pigeon Detectives: My New Favorite Band... for the next 15 minutes

So, I heard about this band thru the In the City showcase that they were having after the panels in NYC last week. The Pigeon Detectives were supposed to play the Nokia Theatre with The Happy Mondays but THM cancelled the week before the show. They ended up playing the Knitting Factory with The Rakes last Wednesday night- I missed it for Razorlight which is a completely different story that I will post about later.

Hailing from Leeds, this band formed in 2002 taking a path that very likely will lead them into rockstardom- well at least for a brief while. Getting on some great tours having supported Dirty Pretty Things whilst they toured in Spring 2006 and Kaiser Chiefs in early November 2006, this band is getting major "buzz" as summer festival season nears. Their debut album "Wait For Me" was just released last month in the UK produced by Will Jackson (Kaiser Chiefs/Embrace) and mixed in part by Cenzo Townshend (Snow Patrol/Kaiser Chiefs/Bloc Party) and Steve Harris (The Automatic/U2). From what I've heard so far (haven’t picked up the CD yet) is some solid catchy pop/rock. Their songs are all really similar (aka sound the same) but that doesn’t bother me since I find them to be infectious and full of energy. Last week, I couldn't get "I Found Out" out of my head playing it at work over and over again. Unfortunately, they are not slated to gig in the US any time in the future, as I hear their live show takes the recorded songs to new heights with charismatic lead singer, Matt Bowman’s stage antics, crowd surfing etc. I assume as they get bigger, The Pigeon Detectives will be making trips to NY to showcase for a US label deal (if they don't already have one in the works).

The Pigeon Detectives - Wait For Me.mp3
The Pigeon Detectives - I Found Out.mp3
The Pigeon Detectives - Im Not Sorry.mp3

In the New York area there are limited copies of the album available from the following stores:

Generation Records
210 Thompson St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-1100
www.generationrecords.com

Other Music
15 E 4th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-8150
www.othermusic.com

Just Jack is not just from Will & Grace

This LDN native started djing at 15 and got heavy into the Grime (UK's abrasive brand of hip hop) scene. His first album "The Outer Marker" released in 2002 was given the cold shoulder, barely making a dent in the UK. "Overtones" is Just Jack's sophomore release on Mercury Records, having reached number 2 on the UK charts with the single "Stars In Your Eyes." People have taken notice and he is not playing sold out shows in the UK and being compared to the likes of Mike Skinner aka The Streets. However, Mike Skinner is the farthest from Just Jack. The media sees two white guys rap/talking over grime-ish beats in London with a storyteller quality and assume they are the same. Anyways, my favorite song has to be "Disco Friends". Check em out, I guarantee you'll like em



Just Jack - Stars in Your Eyes.mp3
Just Jack - Disco Friends.mp3
Just Jack - Glory Days.mp3

I'm going to miss Airspace!!! aaarrghhh

Airspace is a band a friend stumbled upon on myspace and told me to check out. I totally trust this person's music taste, so I listened to the music and was pretty impressed. Adding to my surprise, I saw that they were going to be playing in NYC the next week (this week). Sadly, I'll be out of town til Sunday and am missing a lot of great shows, including this band! I don't know the particulars but I know that some of the band is British and some are American which explains how thoughtful the music is. Anyway, I will get to the bottom of "their story" once I get back and have time to email/harass them. If any of my friends are interested in going to the show to review it for me and take pictures, let me know and I'll hook you up!

Airspace is playing 2 NYC dates:
3/7/07 Lion's Den @ 8:30
3/8/07 Pianos @ 8

Here are some great songs they sent me

Airspace - 06 Misspelled.mp3
Airspace - 05 Angel Unleashed.mp3
Airspace - 03 Candle.mp3

I don't esp agree with everything in this cause I'm a different person, but here's what Performer Magazine's Kat Amano had to say:
"With a sound that alternates between daring, grinding indie and shoot-for-the-stars mainstream, Airspace has yet to find label support, despite the help of hit-making engineer John Hampton (The Raconteurs, R.E.M., The Replacements) as co-producer. The album's transatlantic influences are immediately apparent: lead singer Alyn Mearns and guitarist Jimmy Brown grew up in Belfast, Ireland; bassist John Coogan and Alex Watson hail from the Southeastern U.S. The effect on this, their debut EP, is a smooth melding of Brit-rock edge and Southern sensibility, with a serious focus on thinking through the arrangements. This is perhaps the biggest appeal factor for Airspace. The overall sonic atmosphere sounds carefully, even meticulously, planned; dynamics are weighed and executed with excellent judgment, and yet never once does the band seem trapped in its own formulas. They maintain their spontaneity and liveliness, particularly as Mearns' vocals soar and sear through an impressive tonal range. He varies from expressive, balladic crooning to throaty rock 'n' roll sing-shouting as the music builds and pounds, at times sounding almost like The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, but with better lyrics. Mearns takes great care with his melodies and dynamic variations, understanding when to back off and let the other band members shine. On keys and guitar, Brown really drives the music with strong, weighty chords that serve the song without overpowering Coogan's quick-fingered bass lines and Watson's rock-your-face cymbals. The band keeps the quieter moments just as interesting, faltering only slightly on "Candle," which stumbles into emo territory with Mearns' breathy chorus and a "let's-outdo-U2" approach. Thankfully, they redeem themselves quickly with the punk-inspired "Hunky Dory" and then the catchy but rocking "Baby Don't Let Me Down." The key here is variety with unity, which nearly ensures an exciting and interesting live show."

With all the recent music taking over pop music led by Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, etc basically every Fueled By Ramen band. I thought I would introduce you to the form it takes in the UK:


Drive-By Argument
Forming in early October 2004, Drive-By Argument are a Scottish based quintet fusing guitars, synthesizers, keyboards and both acoustic and electronic drums to form their dance-rock sound. Drive-By Argument is Stoke (lead vox, synth), Ryan (bass, bv), Lewis (drums), Stu (guitar, bv) and Colin (guitar, synth).
After releasing, and quickly selling out a limited edition 1000 run single 'Sex Lines Are Expensive Comedy' on Scottish label One Records, the song was adopted by The New York Rangers as an unofficial anthem playing at the team's home games in Madison Square Garden. Drive-By Argument are preparing to record their debut album with producer Howard Grey (Apollo 440, The Cure, Art Brut).
DBA has opened for P!ATD on certain dates in the UK recently.

Drive-By Argument - Lower Your Pieces (Mastered).mp3 opens with Stokes haunting vocals (reminiscent of Adam Duritz) but evolves into something else entirely by the end of the song.

The obvious single:Drive-By Argument - Sega Method (Radio Edit - Mastered).mp3