Compared to Bay Area, the weather in NYC of late has been overall pretty crappy with some nasty rainy days like today: overcast, wet, showery with highs only hovering around the 60 degree mark. Yep, for spring coming into summer this is not the most desirable weather, but it is another needed reminder for anyone living in or visiting that it is always good to carry an umbrella with you anytime in NYC (summer or spring) because it can switch up from sunny to stormy in an instant. Last Saturday, when the weather was mostly nice, warm, and sunny, outdoor events included a big free hip-hop jam at the season re-opening (after the winter) of NYC graffiti mecca 5 Pointz (pictured above), which was simultaneously the kick-off of the all summer long, four-month hip-hop event accurately titled Celebrating 40 Years of Hip-Hop. Yes, believe it or not is now four full decades since that fateful day back in 1973 in the Boogie Down Bronx when DJ Kool Herc's block parties would kick-start the global music and cultural movement of today known as hip-hop. The always impressive, decade old 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center, which has been rumored to be facing eviction for some time now but reportedly is not in any danger for the next year, will continue its celebration of hip-hop between now and September 14th with most entertainment taking place on Saturdays (but note the area is open to public 24/7. Entertainers will include influential, legendary NY hip-hop DJ/producer Marley Marl spinning music and local emcees and beat-boxers holding informal battles - and, of course, lot and lots of graffiti art being done live. 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center is located near the E and 7 train stops at 45-46 Davis St at Jackson Ave, Long Island City, Queens; 317-219-2685, 5ptz.com).

         


You gotta love a band like 7 Seconds who continue to gig and passionately play the music that they love three plus decades into their career - even if they have gone through several lineup changes and some musical style changes too over the years. The Reno Nevada hardcore punk band, who formed 1980, are playing 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley tonight on a bill along with Bastards of Young, Heart Sounds, and City of Vain. And based on reports of their recent shows they should kick some serious ass at tonight's East Bay show.

Above is a classic old school era live performance of "Young Til I Die" and below is a more recent performance by 7 Seconds from a European tour a few years ago when they did an inspired cover of a Sham 69 song. While some members have split over the years both Kevin Seconds and Steve Youth have remained consistent members of the band who, over their 32 year career, have released a lot of music that includes 15 albums and a half dozen EPs plus numerous compilation appearances. With the exception of some rare 7" EP releases by the band much of 7 Seconds catalog can be found in the three Amoeba Music stores (be sure to check the new punk section at Amoeba Hollywood).  You can also find some  online at the Amoeba.Com store  where you can cop such 7 Seconds albums on CD as Walk Together, Rock Together, The Crew (both on BYO Records), Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over on Side One Dummy Records, and Old School on Headhunter Records.

The West Coast hardcore punk super-group OFF! play Amoeba Berkeley today at 4pm but if you are a fan of this amazing band you know this fact already, probably attended their anticipated Slim's show last night, and more likely have already snagged your Amoeba wristband for today's free in-store show and signing line that follows which you got from buying the band's just released self-titled official debut album - simply entitled OFF!, on Vice Records at Amoeba (only 300 wristbands available).

Comprised of Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), and Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless/Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt) OFF! epitomize the term "super group" but unlike so many so-called super-groups who fall short of their collective parts - OFF! somehow manage to push the music to new heights. Simply put; OFF! are off the fuckin' hook! Truly an amazing band!

Around the time OFF! played Amoeba Hollywood (see concert video above + interview below of their October 2010 in-store at the SoCal Amoeba) Vice Recordings released the 4-record set OFF! The First 4 EPs (with artwork, like the just released LP, by Raymond Pettibon). I wrote about OFF! and their 4EPs for the Amoeblog at that time. And, since I am in the East Bay right now, you can bet your ass I will be over at Ameoba Berkeley today at 4pm for their in-store & signing. Note that the capacity of the Berkeley Amoeba is 300 people - hence why 300 wristbands were issued - and that, as of time of publishing this Amoeblog (11am on Saturday morning) there were still wristbands (which guarantee entrance) available.

A new compilation of SoCal bands titled Who invented the Mirror has just been released and is available exclusively at Amoeba. One of the bands featured thereon, Those, recently released their debut, We Cure Nothing, just before Christmas.
 

The name of the band, Those (assuming it's the plural pronoun of "that" and not the village in Nepal), seems calculatedly obscure and at the same time reminiscent of Them, The Who, The The, They, Them, Them! or It. The they behind those are John Cason (guitar), Eric Spolans (ex-The Not Today and 000 Records - guitar), JJ Watson (bass and horns), Brett Strobridge (drums), and Emily Grant (keys). It was recorded and engineered by Chris Reynolds at Dangerbird Studios in Silver Lake.

The always busy Tim Armstrong (Rancid, Transplants, solo, etc.) is gearing up for Halloween with his latest side project; an ambitious, rock n roll based, musical with a horror flavor, short film series titled ROCKNROLL THEATER - that immediately reminds one of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Under his alias Tim Timebomb Armstrong's been busy on the project working with director Kevin Kerslake plus a host of both experienced and first time actors/dancers including his Rancid bandmate Lars Frederiksen who gets a starring role (peep him in clip above and trailer below) in this new series that was launched on Friday last on VEVO with the first episode been "Dante" (see above).

Armstrong, a long time horror fan, could not have better timed the release of this unique new series. As well as the horror themed film piece being just in time for Halloween additionally this story about "corporate bad ass" Lars character Dante Wilson, who "practices treachery at every turn," also coincides perfectly with the Occupy Wall Street protests - something that had not yet begun when filming for the project began. As well as Frederiksen also featured in ROCKNROLL THEATER are Armstrong's pals AFI‘s Davey Havok, Shoshana Fox, Robert David Hall, and recent Amoeba Hollywood instore performers Fishbone.