Live Pix - Slick Rick in The Bronx

The legendary Slick Rick was on hand last night at the Summerstage in the birthplace of hip-hop, the boogie down Bronx. Photo correspondent RICH D SMOOV was there to capture the action. Take a look.

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Live Pix - Raekwon & Friends in Brooklyn

Over in Brooklyn this past weekend, Wu-Tang's Raekwon gave a free performance and brought some friends along with him. From the legendary Smif & Wesson to rising star Juel Ortiz. Photo correspondent RICH D SMOOV was on hand to capture the event. Here are some pictures.

Juel Ortiz

Smiff & Wesson

Raekwon

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Live Review - Incubus @ Ed Sullivan Theater

It has been five years since the last Incubus record, Light Grenades was released. In the time the band has had since they have have toured all over the world, released a greatest hits album, singer Brandon Boyd has opened art exhibits around the globe of his original material and published his second book as well as releasing a solo record, bassist Ben Kenney has also released a solo album, guitarist Mike Eizinger was a student of Flea's at UCLA. Drummer Jose Pasillas and multi-instrumentalist and DJ Chris Kilmore have gone on to keep busy within the music world, yet, needless to say they have been very busy and anticipation of new material has only grown through that time. On the eve of the release of their latest record, If Not Now, When?, the band's seventh studio album, the SoCal rockers returned to New York for a weekend of massive press and capped it all off with an intimate, invite only performance streamed on the web of the acclaimed Live on Letterman web series at Letterman's base at Ed Sullivan Theater.

As they walked onto the legendary stage which they did earlier in the day for a taping of the Late Show and which they have done many times before, I do not believe the band has ever been greeted with a reception quite like the one they received last night. They looked very relaxed, poised and very inviting as they opened with the bombastic "Megalomaniac" and kicking into the fan favorite, "Wish You Were Here." It was thrilling from the get go and the realization that the music world that Incubus have been apart of since the mid-90's is vastly different than it was when they first started, they displayed why they have beaten all cliches, critical berate, outlived genres we journalists have clumped them in through the years only to come back more resilient and mature as the years go on. For a band whose first song was called "Bathe in my Snot," needless to say they have certainly come a long way and their legion of fans have been devoted to them at every step. For an hour on stage with a very safe set list that only included a handful of new songs including the single "Promises, Promises," Incubus took fans back, but not too far back as not songs from SCIENCE were played (bummer) but a deep cut from Make Yourself, "Consequence" was. They certainly have matured through the years and it is easy to see that right away, as Chris Kilmore is not just a DJ spinning records to sample but having his hands and feet all over various types of organs, Eizinger on guitars has developed a sound far from just the pedals and chords he was so heavy relying on through the years and the rhythm section of Kenny and Pasillias has never been tighter. Yet, most of all, it falls on the shoulders of Boyd, whose lyrics evoke emotion and confusion with his audience as he captivates them with every word and sometimes confuses them due to his stellar vocabulary, as a front man he still faces the Justin Bieber syndrome as girls as screaming to "Take it off!" and he holds it in stride. His looks may have attracted a certain demographic but its his skills with the pen and movements on stage that have kept them and others there for decades and will continue to do so for decades to come.

Photo's By David M. Russell

The Drums Cover & Track Listing

The Drums have released the cover and track listing, as well as first single to their sophomore album Portamento. The album arrives on September 12, take a look at the cover above and the track listing below and hear the first single - "Money."

'Book Of Revelation'
'Days'
'What You Were'
'Money'
'Hard To Love'
'I Don’t Know How To Love'
'Searching For Heaven'
'Please Don’t Leave'
'If He Likes It Let Him Do It'
'I Need A Doctor'
'In The Cold'
'How It Ended'

The Drums - Money by WorkItMedia

We Interviewed The Drums last year, take a look at that interview HERE.

Quick News

The first four Ramones albums will be reissued on 180 Gram Vinyl via Rhino Record. The records, Ramones, Leave Home, Rocket to Russia and Road to Ruin will each be sold in a accurate portrayal to the original packaging and will be sold in stores. Deluxe editions of the albums will be sold on Rhino.com and will feature bonus 7" records containing B-sides and singles on blue vinyl, those will be slightly more in price but worth it.

Just hours after we covered their opening slot for Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria hit a major shakeup as their bassist Michael Todd was arrested for holding up a Walgreens in Massachusetts in demand for Oxycontin. Todd threatened the pharmacy that he had a bomb, he made off with six bottles of the painkiller and fled in a cab. Police were able to track Todd at Comcast Center before he did a gig with Coheed opening for Soundgarden again at the venue. He has been replaced by Wes Styles, a longtime member of the Coheed family. Todd was slapped with a $25K bail. Coheed placed in a statement on their website "Michael Todd was arrested today on what we consider very serious charges and therefore he will not be finishing up the current tour."

Since announcing his departure from Gallows at the end of the bands current tour, Frank Carter has already posted material from his new band Pure Love. Take a listen HERE.

Legendary punk and poet, Patti Smith will release a new Greatest Hits compilation, Outside Society, it will be an 18 track album chronicling her career. It will be out in September.

Hold Steady front man, Craig Finn is working on a solo project, he is currently in Austin working with producer Mike McCarthy. Hold Steady fans should not worry, in a post on his Tumbler page, Finn said that The Hold Steady will begin working on a new album in September.

Bush will release The Sea of Memories on September 13 via their own Zuma Rock Records. The record was produced by Bob Rock and is the band's first studio album in ten years, however the first without guitarist Nigel Pulsford and bassist Dave Parsons, leaving Gavin Rossdale and Robin Goodrich the only original members of the band. Musicians Chris Traynor and Corey Britz are working in the band now.

We Were Promised Jetpacks delivered the cover of their new album, In the Pit of the Stomach this week. The album arrives on October 4, take a look at the cover below:

Live Review - CJ Ramone @ Studio at Webster Hall

Punk Returns to Lower East Side
By Leah Marchesano*

For all lovers of punk, The Studio at Webster Hall was the place to be on Saturday night. Even if you're not a big punk fan, you couldn't pass up the opportunity to see this band play. I'm of course talking about the one and only, CJ Ramone. To kick off the night one of my favorite up and coming bands, Wyldlife, took the stage. They are the type of band you want to see open for a Ramone, or anyone for that matter. Their songs are fast, energetic, they get you moving and you wind up wishing they played longer. They leave you thirsty for more. Two more bands took the stage before CJ Ramone, The Bullys and The Bad Parts. I didn't really care for either. I didn't think they fit the bill too well, it only made me more anxious to see and hear some Ramones songs.

After the opening bands had finished and the stage got set for CJ Ramone, you could feel the anticipation. I had never seen The Studio so packed before. We were all there for the same reason, we were of all ages, from different backgrounds, different states but we were all there because at some point in our lives, The Ramones walked in and they never left.

The crowd erupted in applause as CJ Ramone took the stage and started out with 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. In true Ramones fashion, there were absolutely no breaks in between songs. He just played one after the other, sped up of course, I don't think any song reached over 2 minutes in length. The night was full of favorites such as 'Judy is a Punk', 'Sheena is a Punk Rocker', 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' and 'Commando'. The whole night was very fast paced, you were never standing idle, your feet were constantly in motion.

The Ramones are one of those bands that you grip onto. Saturday night couldn't have been better. For Ramones fans everywhere but, especially in NYC, we left with our ears ringing and our heads spinning. We had just seen CJ Ramone play an all Ramones set and our admiration for The Ramones had grown stronger.

***Leah Marchesano is a correspondent for Officially A Yuppie. She has reviewed The Kooks, The Twees, Klaxons for this site.

EXCLUSIVE! NAKED & FAMOUS INTV!

Normally when you read the headline of "Naked and Famous" you immediately begin to the think the socialites of Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and anyone else with a track record or sex tape. However, these days in the music world that headline means much more now as it appeals to one of 2011's most talked about bands and a band that has been a gem in their native New Zealand, The Naked and Famous have taken themselves from Oceania to the rest of the world and are becoming more and more a buzz band than they imagined thanks to the international release of their debut, Passive Me, Aggressive You earlier this year. From sold out tours around the world to supporting heavy hitters like Nine Inch Nails, Florence and the Machine, Foals and more, the band's 80's synth meets modern indie style of dance rock (think New Order meets Phoenix) have them gaining new fans with each listen. I caught up with drummer Jesse Wood as we discussed the bands break out year, style and formation. Take a look at my interview with Jesse below.

You take your name from a Tricky track from back in the day, did he have a major influence on you or you just thought the name was cool?

We're all Tricky fans and the lyric appealed to us as it's a very
tongue and cheek reference to celebrity culture.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard of you before?

This is always a tough question. In the broadest sense I'd say its Alternative Pop music as there are lots of Pop elements but we mostly all grew up on Alternative music etc

There is such a tremendous buzz here in the US. Do you feel major pressure to live up to the hype and buzz?

It's very exciting and flattering to have the hype and buzz. I suppose the pressure is there but we're just doing what we've always wanted to do so it makes the pressure seem less significant.

I dig the clever album title, “Passive Me, Aggressive You,” who came up with it?

Passive Me, Aggressive You is a lyric from the opening track All Of This. It was a mutual decision since as it seemed very fitting for the album. There's a running theme through the album with polarities. Male and Female vocals, analog and digital elements and even the art work has natural landscapes juxtaposed with digital art.

What was it like recording your debut?

Recording the album was a very fulfilling experience. A lot of work had been put in to getting the songs where they needed to be and it was very gratifying to have it finished. We did most of the tricky things in a larger studio but most of the time was spent in bedroom studios.

You have played with some heavy hitters – Nine Inch Nails, Florence and the Machine and The Temper Trap. What do you learn from those acts being a young band?

It's always very motivating and inspiring to play with big acts. I think we're all quite analytical and personally I love looking at stage setups and how they replicate sounds live.

You are having a pretty amazing 2011, have you thought about how you are going to top it or are you just taking it a day at a time?

We are doing both. We have put a lot of work into our live shows to get them where the are but at the same time we are keeping level headed and making sure we do the best we can. There's plenty of shows lined up in different cities so as long as we can hold it together and not drive each other nuts it's going to be an amazing year.

Live Review - Soundgarden @ Jones Beach

After a thirteen year hiatus, three shows done in 2010 including a headlining slot at Lollapalooza 2010, Soundgarden kicked off their first official tour earlier this week and the fourteen year long wait for most fans is finally over. The band made their way back to the New York metro area this weekend for the first time with this reunion tour. The sixth stop was at the beautiful Jones Beach on what turned out to be the perfect summer night.

It was a generational mix of fans as old classic rock loving men mixed with metal heads, Gen X and Gen Y'ers as the 90's came back alive and everyone remembered when grunge was king. Opening with "Searching with my Good Eye Closed," Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd reinvoked the power and thunder that fans have loved them for all these years. It was a trip down memory lane as the band are reintroducing themselves with their back catalogue of singles, B-sides and very deep early cuts and in a set list that appealed to the casual listener to the hardcore fan, Soundgarden were not ready to play any of the new material they have been working on and they didn't need to, they stuck to the working wheel of high octane, dark and murky rock and roll. "Jones Beach, sorry for the wait! We got some new songs but you won't hear any tonight, this is an old song" a bearded Chris Cornell told the crowd right before kicking into "Jesus Christ Pose" and it was at that moment, the crowd could care less about new material and were chomping at the bit for obscure songs like that. From there they launched into "Blow Up the Upside World," "My Wave" and "The Day I Tried to Live." Yet, the true highlight of the night would be when Cornell jumped into the audience to sing the old gem, "Hunted Down." Cornell seems to be a man of the people and that is why his career as a musician, whether solo or when he fronted Audioslave was so successful despite poor critical reception. He strolls around stage very relaxed and very much as a true leader, when he opens his mouth, the power that erupts from his throat seems as if he is not even trying, it is a sight of wonder. Drummer Matt Cameron now is facing double duty as not just the drummer in his original band currently but for the past 14 years he has been the backbone of Pearl Jam's sound. While guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Ben Shepherd have been out of the limelight all this time, they seemed to have not lost their touch. In a two hour set it was what fans have been waiting for. "Jones Beach, we will be back soon! We promise and with new material" Cornell said at the end of the night and it is at this point fans are now chomping for that new material they deserve.

Opening the show were multi-rock genre appealing Coheed and Cambria. Unlike their intensely long headlining sets, Coheed had to knock their set down to 45 minutes but delivered in such a way that the cult legion of fans were kept happy and curious ears were transformed into immediate fans, for instance I overheard someone behind me say "I never cared about this band before, but wow, now I am!" It was a rip-roaring short but sweet set that had singer Claudio Sanchez bending down wielding his double neck guitar over his head as he shredded along. The magic of Coheed and Cambria is in their live performances. Just witnessing what they did in Brooklyn last month was enough to keep me wanting to go back and see them more and more. Closing with the epic "Welcome Home," it was a testament as to why they were asked by Soundgarden to be the first band to opener their welcome back tour.

Soundgarden Jones Beach 7/9/11 Setlist:

Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Spoonman
Gun
Jesus Christ Pose
Blow Up the Outside World
My Wave
The Day I Tried to Live
Ugly Truth
Hunted Down
Fell on Black Days
Rusty Cage
Outshined
Beyond the Wheel
Black Hole Sun
Burden in My Hand
Superunknown
4th of July

Encore
Hands All Over
Loud Love
Like Suicide
Slaves & Bulldozers

Quick News

In a stunning surprise, Gallows front man Frank Carter is quitting the band after their current tour. The volitale front man wrote on his website frankxcarter.com "It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce my departure from Gallows. It seems that Gallows have hit a crossroads in our writing process and unfortunately myself and the rest of the boys have different ideas regarding the sound of Gallows going forward." The band will continue on with Carter as he goes on his solo venture with his other band Pure Love.

Muse first wanted to play a gig in space now they want to record a song in space. Matt Bellamy tells Contactmusic.com "We’re trying to blag a free trip on it [Virgin Galactic]. I’m going to try to convince Richard Branson to let us make a music video or record a song up there. I think that would be cool. Would I be scared? I think I’ll be alright."

Just a few months after they released their fantastic, Collapse into Now, R.E.M. are already working on a new album. Michael Stipe posted on xoJane.com that he is in Athens, Georgia the bands hometown working on new material. No further details were mentioned and no set release has been added.

Could it be true? The Pixies could make a new record?! Finally! After years of fans and critics wanting it, drummer David Lovering tells Rolling Stone 'We're gonna go slowly and see what will happen." The band is set to embark on another tour this fall as they perform their classic Doolittle in full.

In every sense of the word awesome, Mastodon have unleashed the cover to their latest record, The Hunter. Take a look, enough said

After reforming last year, underrated American rockers The Jayhawks will release their latest record Mockingbird Time's on September 20. Take a look at the track listing below:
1. Hide Your Colors
2. Closer to Your Side
3. Tiny Arrows
4. She Walks in So Many Ways
5. High Water Blues
6. Mockingbird Time
7. Stand out in the Rain
8. Cinnamon Love
9. Guilder Annie
10. Black Eyed Susan
11. Pouring Rain at Dawn
12. Hey Mr. Man

Ladytron Cover & Track listing

Ladytron are set to release their latest album, Gravity the Seducer this September. Take a look at the cover, above and the track listing below as well as the new single "White Elephant" from the forthcoming album.

01 White Elephant
02 Mirage
03 White Gold
04 Ace of Hz
05 Ritual
06 Moon Palace
07 Altitude Blues
08 Ambulances
09 Melting Ice
10 Transparent Days
11 90 Degrees
12 Aces High

Ladytron - White Elephant by nettwerkmusicgroup