The Witzard

"You could fit the contents of Tony's previous releases on Slumberland and Matador [Records] onto one side of a 90-minute cassette and still have room left over for the eight offerings on CONFRONT THE TRUTH , but would you want it any other way? When Tony sings about "trying to move on but I just don't know how," no extension of the time it takes for him to bring that feeling across is going to solve the problem at hand. You're immediately thrust into the orbit of these songs; you know how he feels, and now you can relate. Transference is complete. You've got plenty of time left over to dwell upon them. The eight offerings on CONFRONT THE TRUTH notch a significant advancement in his style and approach. Almost completely absent from these new songs are the over-loaded guitar crunch of DISSED AND DISMISSED , or his earlier work with OVENS; it's replaced by gentle acoustic balladry, tasteful Mellotron and piano backing, the kind of musicianship that o...

Nashville Rock "N" Roll revivalists JEFF The Brotherhood recently inked a record deal with Warner Bros. Hypnotic Nights (July) was co-produced along with Dan Auerbach , who's band The Black Keys also "sold out" semi-recently and have remained quite successful ever since. Jake & Jamin Orrall 's very own family-owned/operated record label, Infinity Cat will co-release the new album and it's companion [digital] EP, Hypnotic Knights . I downloaded a copy of JEFF The Brotherhood 's lead single, "Sixpack" before I skipped town for Maryland on Friday... No, "Sixpack" isn't a Black Flag (Rollins) cover; But honestly, it's damn near just as ferocious! After a quick first listen, I was instantly reminded of Weezer 's guitar-driven Pop melodies backed by CKY 's West Chester -bred Experimental "Skater Rock." JEFF The Brotherhood are currently touring across The USA along with Best Coast up until Ju...

While I love Hip-Hop and almost anything mildly "Punk Rock," I can honestly say that I've never really heard tell of a Hardcore band releasing a mixtape... and the sheer notion of it DOES sound pretty sketchy on paper. But I digress - Let's use the term "mixtape" loosely here and think of Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape, Vol. 1 as more of a Who Odds & Sods-esque mix CD or hand-dubbed cassette; Rather than an arrogant DJ drop-filled collection of unclear-able sampled Boom-Bap beats and rhythms. Roger that? Titus Andronicus sold 200 copies of a hand-made CD-R rarities collection @ SXSW this past weekend. Due to a wider response than expected, Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape, Vol. 1 was liberated on the band's Tumblr come Monday morning. It's essentially a 23-track collection of live cuts, covers, demos, out-takes, rehearsal sessions, and miscellaneous "odds & sods" spanning 2005-12. While the quality obviously varies from t...

Yes, last night was in fact, the pinnacle of Halloween Weekend(s) ; In honor of the closing events séance, "Conan" 's newest episode was flavored with a moderate amount of extra [special] tricks and treats. Following an approximately 55-minute dosage of the regular hi-jinx, Jimmy Fallon -assisted laughs, and slightly awkward moments... Reggie Watts & House Band proceeded to take the Beacon Theater main stage. The musical comedian took the stage, decked out in his signature 'fro and a Prince -esque blood red velvet suit jacket/puffy shirt. In an earnest, heart-felt effort to give long-time friend Conan a proper "Welcome Home Celebration," Reggie Watts performed a re-arranged version of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" (1976). Honoring Conan 's week-long stay @ Beacon Theater -- his first lengthy New York holiday since roughly 2009 -- Watts performed a truly unique version of the band's staple hit: Shifting back and ...