Foxes! Foxes! Foxes! Oh and Jesse Malin @ Bowery Ballroom

Jesse Malin; De Novo Dahl; Holly Brook; Pop Girls Etc.; The Orion Experience
@ Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY - April 26, 2008

Jesse Malin started out with an acoustic set through much of which he ranted on and on about the state of the music industry and technology. When he didn't do covers of Jim Croce ("Operator") and the Hold Steady ("You Can Make Him Like You"), he did his own material, stuff full of simple 90's radio pop hooks that are easy to like but also easy to get annoyed with rather quickly. The ranting, however, went on so long that after 45 minutes it didn't seem clear when the whole band would take the stage, so - with time being a major factor - I left.
Jesse wasn't alone on stage though, he had a fox keyboard player with him and that sort of turned out to be the theme of the night. Georg and Yortuk would have had a wild and crazy time.
Nashville's De Novo Dahl are more erratic than eclectic, the latter of which they appeared to try to be. The songs don't all add up and they had more luck with their one dance number than the garage rockers they tried to muster up. The nudie suits were an annoying distraction but the fox in the band was not.
Holly Brook is a one fox band, a torch song singer of sorts who will be helping Jesse out on his European tour. She has a decent voice and the mood was fine...but for some other night. All the Degeneration folks in the crowd were a bit thrown off.
Pop Girls Etc. were the only band sans foxes. Four dudes with hit and miss offerings, the faster stuff worked a whole lot, the ballads blew the big one. They look like they wished they graduated high school circa 1970 but with a bit of 80's Breakfast Club longing one way and Potsie the other. The lead singer (who really did look like Potsie) has awful mic banter. Is the forgetting to finish the thought thing a gimmick?
Unfortunately, I was only able to catch the last two songs of the Orion Experience but they sounded as great as they did at the Luna Lounge awhile back. Their concept of dirty, filthy, raunchy sex songs performed in a spirit of sweet, sugary candy-rock may have a longer shelf life than one may think. It helps that they really know what they are doing up on stage. And of course, they have a fox in their band too (with a dynamite voice). And the leader of the gang, Orion himself, isn't such a bad looking chap either.

SP-tone News!

• The new video for Black Kids' "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" features a reworked version of the song for a new single release, and it sounds awful, especially the lead singer's voice (I could care less what his name is right now, he stole my friend's image).
• Well the secret's out. Zooey is playing Glasslands on Monday night. DON'T COME.
  
• Langhorne Slim is going to be on David Letterman on March 26th!
• After a recent ranting about children's punk acts, Pennypacker was disturbed to learn the opening slot for the Dirtbombs Bowery show has gone to local kid-punks Care Bears on Fire. On the one hand, it's not good. On the other hand, they are called Care Bears on Fire!!!
  
• De Novo Dahl and the Orion Experience are now opening for Jesse Malin at the Bowery Ballroom on April 26th.
  
• Drug Rug has been added to the Long Blondes' shows in May.
• The R.E.M./Modest Mouse/National June 19th NYC venue has been announced: MSG