Rabid In The Kennel Blog
Rabid In The Kennel says farewell!
One week from today, Rabid In The Kennel will air its last show on BreakThru Radio — a Top 10 countdown of the very best of the in-studio performances we’ve presented since July 2009 from The Kennel studio in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
With reminiscing from host Jack Rabid and clips of the entertaining interviews he’s done with some 30+ artists during the show’s two-and-a-half-year run, the show will be an exciting and nostalgic conclusion to Rabid In The Kennel!
Tune in to BreakThruRadio.com at 12 noon ET to hear the last Rabid In The Kennel show! And visit our group on Facebook during the coming week to hear selected hits from past shows.
Next month on Rabid In The Kennel: Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock made an indelible mark on British rock as original bassist for The Sex Pistols but he’s continued to make great music in the 30 years since, collaborating with the likes of Iggy Pop, The Damned and Robert Gordon while also producing his own music, most recently 2010’s Born Running. Read more about Glen here.
We’re thrilled to have an artist of this caliber. Don’t miss host Jack Rabid’s exclusive interview and Glen’s live performance at Brooklyn’s Kennel Studio — Wednesday, November 16 on Breakthru Radio!
Big news! The Left Banke on Rabid In The Kennel!
Yes, you read right, the band responsible for timeless, classic pop hits “Walk Away Renee,” “Pretty Ballerina” and “Desiree” have agreed to be our very special guests!
Hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover, the show will feature the full band that reunited founding members Tom Finn and George Cameron for a pair of sold-out shows last March at Joe’s Pub in New York City — strings and all!
The session, and exclusive interview, will be recorded July 11 at The Kennel Studio in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and will air October 12 on Breakthru Radio.
Kiwi tunesmith Don McGlashan in session at The Kennel today!
We were surprised and excited when Rabid In The Kennel host Jack Rabid announced two days ago that noted New Zealand singer/songwriter Don McGlashan, of Mutton Birds fame, was in town and available for an exclusive performance and interview.
Don was singer and main songwriter in The Mutton Birds from 1991 to 2002, releasing 4 NZ top ten albums (two platinum) and two top five singles, including one No. 1 single “The Heater”. His song “Anchor Me” won the APRA Silver scroll in 1993. The group signed to Virgin Records UK in 1995, and were based in London from then until 1999, touring all over the world. The band’s third album, Envy Of Angels (1997), made the U.K. Sunday Times ten best records of the year list.
Since returning to New Zealand in 1999 Don has collaborated on theatre productions with writer directors Fiona Samuel, Warwick Broadhead and Ian Hughes, and scored Toa Fraser’s 2006 feature film “No 2”, (which won the Audience prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and netted McGlashan his second APRA Silver Scroll – for “Bathe In The River”, a song from the film sung by Hollie Smith). He also scored the features “Show Of Hands” (2008), “Dean Spanley” (2008) and “Matariki” (to be released in 2010), as well as two TV series. During this time, he released his debut solo album Warm Hand (May 2006, Arch Hill Recordings), and the follow up, Marvellous Year (March 2008, Arch Hill Recordings) with his new band The Seven Sisters – Maree Thom on Bass, John Segovia on pedal steel guitar, Dominic Blaazer on keyboards and mandolin, and Chris O’Connor on drums.
Here’s a video from Don’s 2006 solo debut:
Loyal RITK and Big Takeover fans will recall Don’s memorable performance during The Big Takeover 30th Anniversary show at The Bell House in July 2010, which we presented during a special series of RITK shows last fall (a photo from that show appears at the top of this post). Listen to that show on BreakThru Radio — Don’s number is first.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart rescheduled for session this month!
Never let it be said that RITK can’t keep a promise! After plans for a Rabid In The Kennel session last January were postponed, we vowed to have The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart back at The Kennel Studio soon after their tour, supporting their debut album, Belong.
So it is with great pride and pleasure that we can announce that TPOBPAH are scheduled for a May 25 session and interview with Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover!
The session will air this summer; in the meantime, enjoy the band’s latest video:
Tour Dates:
05.19: New York, NY – NYC Popfest – Cake Shop – Sold Out
06.01: Dublin, IE – Button Factory
06.04: Istanbul, TR – To The City Festival – Timirane
06.07: Cambridge, UK – Junction 2
06.08: London, UK – Electric Ballroom
06.09: Bristol, UK – The Trinity
06.10: Manchester, UK – Sound Control
06.11: Glasgow, UK – Arches
06.13: Sheffield, UK, Queens Social Club
06.14: Birmingham, UK – Academy HMV Institute
06.16: Paris, FR – La Fleche D’or
06.18: Madrid, ES – Dia de la Musica Festival
06.19: Majorca, ES – Palou Dels Camtes D’aiamans
06.20: Barcelona, ES – Apolo
06.22: Bordeaux, FR – BT59
06.23: Limoges, FR – La Fourmi
06.24: Lyons, FR – Sonic
06.26: Ravenna, IT – Hana Bi Festival
06.29: Munich, DE – Backstage
06.30: Vienna, AT – Fluc
07.02: ES – Transforma Festival
07.04: Dresden, DE – Groeve Station
07.05: Berlin, DE – KL. Posthahnhof
07.07: Hamburg, DE – Knust
07.09: Koln, DE – Luxor
07.11: Amsterdam, NL – Trouw
07.13: Bremen, DE – Lagerhaus
07.15: SE – Hultsford Festival
07:31: Osheaga Festival – Montreal, CA
08.02: Toronto, CA – Opera House
08.03: Pontiac, MI – The Crofoot Ballroom
08.04: Newport, KY – Southgate House
08.05: St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway Nightclub
08.05-07: Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
08.09: Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Small’s
Kings Go Forth revive '70s soul at The Kennel today
We’re super-psyched to welcome Milwaukee’s powerhouse soul revival band Kings Go Forth to The Kennel studio in Brooklyn this afternoon for an exclusive performance and interview with host Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover!
After spending years lamenting the lack of soulful vocal harmonies in the deep funk revival, Andy Noble (owner of Lotus Land Records in Milwaukee, WI) decided to bring back the sounds of the ’70s. In 2007, Kings Go Forth was born, pulling together some of the best talent Milwaukee had to offer. The ten-piece lineup consists of Noble on bass, Dan Flynn (guitar), Jeremy Kuzniar (drums), Dave Cusma (trombone), Jed Groser (trumpet), Dave Wake (keyboards), Cecilio Negron, Jr. (percussion), and singers Danny Fernandez, Matt Nordberg, and Black Wolf. Putting their own twist on the funk/soul revivalism of Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse, the band uses their trio of singers to resurrect the classic vocal harmonies of Philly soul. The band quickly became the darlings of their local music scene, and after releasing a couple of 7” singles, signed to David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label. In 2010, Kings Go Forth released their full-length debut, The Outsiders Are Back.
This session will air Wednesday, April 13. Don’t miss it!
Next up on Rabid In The Kennel: Mitch Easter!
Mitch Easter, the Let’s Active front man and R.E.M. producer, will take time out from his current tour to join host Jack Rabid for an exclusive performance and interview to be recorded next week at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Winston-Salem, NC, native formed Let’s Active in 1981, the same year that R.E.M.‘s debut single, “Radio Free Europe” — his first major project as producer — became an underground sensation. R.E.M.‘s Chronic Town EP followed in 1982, and with the next year’s landmark Murmur album, the group emerged as one of the most important new acts in American pop music; its success brought Easter considerable attention, as did the 1983 release of the debut Let’s Active EP Afoot.
Working from his famed Drive-In Studios, Easter became virtually synonymous with the jangle pop sound for his production on albums from Chris Stamey, the Windbreakers and Game Theory, as well as Let’s Active’s Cypress and R.E.M.‘s sophomore effort, Reckoning.
After 1988’s Every Dog Has His Day, Let’s Active effectively ceased to exist and Easter turned almost exclusively to production, working with such bands as Velvet Crush (with whom he also toured), Pavement and Helium.
Easter continues to produce at his studio, the Fidelitorium, while also playing in the bands Shalini and the Fiendish Minstrels. In 2007, Easter released his long-awaited first solo album, Dynamico.
Read more about Mitch Easter and Dynamico
The Depreciation Guild reunites for final studio recording this week; Pains session postponed
Our session with the red-hot indie-pop band The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, which would have taken place yesterday, for broadcast next month, has been postponed. We are making plans to have them back ASAP, but in the meantime, we’ve landed the best of all replacements: The Depreciation Guild, two members of which, Kurt Feldman and Christoph Hochheim, are drummer and guitarist, respectively, for The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart!
After five years together, The Depreciation Guild split amicably in late 2010 and gave their last public performance earlier this month at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn.
However, at the urging of our host Jack Rabid, editor and publisher of The Big Takeover magazine, the band will return for one final studio session and an exclusive interview by Jack, which will air Wednesday, February 9, on BreakThru Radio. This promises to be a truly exceptional session — don’t miss it!
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart confirmed for January 25 session
“Amidst the legions of the blog-beaten overhyped, here’s one at last that deserves the hubbub.” So wrote Rabid In The Kennel host Jack Rabid, granting “Say No To Love,” the latest single by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, a coveted #11 ranking in his Top 40 list for issue #67 of The Big Takeover.
The NYC-based indie-pop band is getting used to accolades; their debut self-titled LP peaked at #9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart upon its release in 2009 on Slumberland Records.
On the eve of a three-month tour of Europe and the United States, the band will be dropping by The Kennel Recording Studio for an exclusive interview with Jack and live performance. The show will air next month — don’t miss it!
Read more about The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
The Joy Formidable confirmed for November 17 Rabid In The Kennel session
We are very excited to announce that the fantastic Welsh trio The Joy Formidable will visit The Kennel Studio in Brooklyn on November 17 for an exclusive live performance and interview with our host, Jack Rabid!
The Joy Formidable are a three-piece band from North Wales, currently located in London, England. The band consists of Ritzy Bryan (lead vocals, guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Thomas (drums, percussion).
Following their formation in 2007, and the digital release of the track “Cradle” in July 2008, the band released their debut single, “Austere”, on 7” through Another Music=Another Kitchen Records on 18 August 2008, which was described by The Times as “dreamy indie pop” and drew the band some attention when it featured in trailers for Channel 4’s Skins and had a fan-made video, which featured off-camera masturbation, banned by YouTube. “Austere” was followed with a second single, a limited edition double 7” physical release of “Cradle” on Try Harder Records, on 2 February 2009 and an 8-track mini album A Balloon Called Moaning as a CD/Poster package through Pure Groove Records two weeks later.
In support of the record the band appeared at several notable festivals, including Latitude Festival and the Reading and Leeds Festivals during which time Justin Stahley was replaced on the drums by Matthew Thomas. May 2009 also saw the issue of a third single, “Whirring”, on 7” through Friends Vs Records, which was BBC Radio 2’s Radcliffe and Maconie Show’s Pick of the Week for the week of 11 May 2010, before ending 2009 with the release of a free digital-only single “Greyhounds in the Slips”, produced by and featuring ex-Mansun frontman Paul Draper and a limited edition live album entitled First You Have To Get Mad on 30 November 2009, which had been recorded at their headline London Garage gig two months previously.
The band also notably toured the UK with Editors and Passion Pit. On 26 June 2010, they supported Sir Paul McCartney at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. The very next day, the band performed an opening set on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 2010 to a sizable crowd of dedicated fans. In July they supported The Temper Trap on their Australian tour leg. The band played the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2010, on the 27th and 29th respectively. They also toured as part of the 2010 NME Radar Tour, supported by Chapel Club, Morrissey and Wilder.
The band’s sixth single “Popinjay” was released through iTunes Store on 21 February 2010, ahead of a physical release on 5 April 2010, to trail the band’s full debut album The Big Roar, due for release in January 2011. In support of the single and album an 18-date UK headline tour was announced, starting 14 March.
Check out this great video for a taste of what’s to come!
The New Breed Volume 2
Man, we are digging the second installment of our two-part “best of the new breed” series of live performances by great up-and-coming bands and solo artists. We could go on and on about how enjoyable this show (and last month’s part one) is, but why not use the magic of the Internet to hear it for yourself?
Videos: A new BreakThru Radio is coming
Our hosts at BTR asked us to help promote their upcoming site relaunch by posting these videos. We’re happy to oblige and wish them the best of luck.
Rabid In The Kennel presents The Best of The New Breed
Over the last several months, The Kennel Recording Studio has been buzzing with the sounds of new and undiscovered bands who traveled to Brooklyn for an exclusive live performance and interview with host Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover. Next month and in September, RITK will proudly present the highlights of those sessions in back-to-back shows we’ve dubbed “The Best Of The New Breed.”
Here’s the schedule for the two shows, along with music and videos to pique your curiosity:
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11 ‘THE BEST OF THE NEW BREED’ VOL. 1
Thirdborder
Living Days
Lady Magma
The Lost Patrol
Day Sleeper
Phillip Eno
The Chambermaids
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 ‘THE BEST OF THE NEW BREED’ VOL. 2
Jeff Litman
Edward Rogers
Golden Bloom
The Seldon Plan
Tiny Animals
Video: Visqueen, "Hand Me Down"
Don’t miss Visqueen next Wednesday, July 7, 12 noon on BreakThruRadio.com!
Video: Adam Franklin, "Lord Help Me Jesus, I've Wasted A Soul"
Adam Franklin performs “Lord Help Me Jesus, I’ve Wasted A Soul,” from the new album by Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody, I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years (to be released June 29, 2010, on Second Motion Records), during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Video: Adam Franklin, "Take Me To My Leader"
Adam Franklin performs “Take Me To My Leader,” from the new album by Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody, I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years (to be released June 29, 2010, on Second Motion Records), during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
The full session, including an interview with Adam and much more music, live and otherwise, will air Wednesday, June 9, at noon Eastern. You will find the link on our home page at that time.
Video: Visqueen, "So Long"
Visqueen’s Rachel Flotard (vocals), Cristina Bautista (vocals) and Barb Hunter (electric cello) perform “So Long” from the band’s new LP, Message To Garcia, during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Video: Adam Franklin, "Yesterday Has Gone Forever"
Adam Franklin performs “Yesterday Has Gone Forever,” from the new album by Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody, I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years (to be released June 29, 2010, on Second Motion Records), during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Visqueen in session May 21
Next Friday, Seattle-based power-pop/punk-rock band Visqueen will take time out from their current East Coast tour to join host Jack Rabid for an exclusive performance and interview at The Kennel studio in Brooklyn.
Frontwoman Rachel Flotard, who has collaborated with Neko Case and Minus The Bear, among others, will be joined by Christina Bautista on bass, Barb Hunter on electric cello, and, standing in for band co-founder Ben Hooker (who’s taking a break from the road to celebrate his baby’s 1st birthday), special guest drummer Barrett Martin, whose resume includes The Screaming Trees, supergroup Mad Season and Tuatara with Peter Buck of R.E.M.).
This promises to be a great session!
Read more about Visqueen and enjoy this video for their song “Crush On Radio”:
Don’t miss Visqueen on tour this month:
5/12 – Bozeman, MT – Filling Station
5/14 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
5/15 – Madison, WI – The Frequency
5/16 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Cafe
5/18 – Albany, NY – Valentine’s
5/19 – Boston, MA – Middle East
5/20 – Hoboken, NJ – Maxwell’s
5/21 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Hall
5/23 – Philadelphia, PA – M Room
5/25 – Washington D.C. – Black Cat
5/26 – Asheville, N.C. – Rocket Club
5/27 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
5/29 – Nashville, TN – 5pm in-store at Grimey’s
5/29 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
5/30 – Cincinnati, OH – Taste Of Cincinnati
5/31 – Chicago, IL – The Hideout
An interview with Jack Rabid & Jim Santo of Rabid In The Kennel
In this interview with DJ Latola on BreakThru Radio, Jack Rabid & Jim Santo talk about Rabid In The Kennel and a lot of other stuff. Have a listen.
Video: Doug Gillard, "No One Above You"
Don’t miss Doug’s RITK session, May 12 at 12 noon EDT on BreakThruRadio.com!
Video: Phillip Eno session excerpts
Lito from the band Phillip Eno sent along this video documentary of their March 31 session. Enjoy!
Video: Leatherface, "Dead Industrial Atmosphere"
Here’s Leatherface performing an absolutely killer version of “Dead Industrial Atmosphere,” from their classic 1991 release Mush, during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Video: Leatherface, "Broken"
Frankie Stubbs of Leatherface performs “Broken,” from their 2010 LP, The Stormy Petrel, during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY. This session airs April 14, don’t miss it!
Video: Doug Gillard, "Only Alone"
In honor of Doug Gillard Electric’s show at the NX35 Conference in Denton, TX, yesterday, here’s a nice clip of Doug performing during his Rabid In The Kennel session. Recorded and mixed by Bill Szeflinski at The Kennel Recording Studio!
Video: Alina Simone, "My Love Is A Mountain"
Alina Simone performs “My Love Is A Mountain,” from her forthcoming LP, during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, NY. Music recorded and mixed by Billy Szeflinski, video by Jim Santo for Rabid In The Kennel.
Edward Rogers & The Seldon Plan in session today
Edward Rogers
On his new CD, Sparkle Lane, Edward Rogers presents a sublimely crafted, emotionally resonant song cycle, channeling his lifelong passion for vintage jangle-pop, folk-rock and psychedelia into personally charged, sonically distinctive music that’s both deeply expressive and effortlessly accessible.
The album—Rogers’ third solo effort, and his second for the independent Zip label—is the acclaimed pop auteur’s most ambitious and accomplished work yet, with 14 original compositions that seamlessly merge hard-won lyrical insight with a lifetime’s worth of classic pop influences.
“Sparkle Lane is a street in England where my grandmother lived,” Rogers explains. “The concrete was mixed with pieces of broken glass, so when I was a kid and I’d go to my grandmother’s house in the evening, the street would always look like it was sparkling. That’s how life felt to me as a kid. And there was so much going on in England at the time; the music scene was happening and London was swinging, so England was where I wanted to be. So when I got to America, it was a major culture shock. The food and TV were a lot better, but I still felt uprooted.”
It wasn’t long before Rogers embraced the energy of his new hometown’s musical community, playing drums in a series of local bands. He was temporarily sidelined by a debilitating accident, but emerged from that experience with a strengthened creative resolve, determined to make music on his own terms. He relaunched his musical career with pair of albums as a member of the folk-pop foursome Green Rooftops, before unveiling an unmistakably personal songwriting vision on the solo releases Sunday Fables and You Haven’t Been Where I’ve Been. He also released a pair of albums, Rendezvous and The Summer That Changed, as part of Bedsit Poets, a collaboration with noted singer/songwriter (and fellow English expat) Amanda Thorpe.
While Sunday Fables and You Haven’t Been Where I’ve Been featured musical contributions from such notable friends as Byrds founder Roger McGuinn, Zombies members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone, and The Church‘s Marty Willson-Piper, high-profile guest stars are conspicuous in their absence from Sparkle Lane. And where his prior releases found Rogers co-writing with noted New York tunesmith George Usher, Sparkle Lane was largely penned by Rogers on his own.
“This record is a lot more me than anything I’ve done before, because of the nature of the songs and because of the way it was recorded,” Rogers notes. “That was intentional. It was important to me to push myself forward a little bit more. I wrote most of these songs on my own, and I really focused on getting them to be exactly what I wanted them to be.”
Visit Edward Rogers official web site
The Seldon Plan
The Seldon Plan reemerges with whimsy with their highly anticipated album Lost And Found And Lost, a worthy follow-up to their 2007 record The Collective Now. Praised for its “catchy simple melodies awash with lush vocals, hip full guitars, and a hint of Flaming Lips“ by artist/composer Mark Degli Antoni (David Byrne/Soul Coughing) and dubbed “smart pop with no wasted space” by record producer Brian McTernan (Senses Fail/Piebald/Thrice), Lost And Found And Lost plays with images of childhood nostalgia to embrace the economic and political pendulum.
The Baltimore-based indie pop rockers are known for their “tuneful-wistful rock” (The Washington Post) and “literate, yet still youthful” (Allmusic) sound. Aptly named, Lost And Found And Lost portrays the juxtaposition of excitement and uncertainty in a country undergoing a changing political situation. “These were the hardest lyrics I’ve ever had to write, but now that they’re out, I feel really energized,” says singer/songwriter Michael Nestor.
Calling their latest LP “a burst of new flavor”, The Big Takeover‘s Jack Rabid expressed delight at the “Baltimore foursome’s continued maturation” and compared it favorably to “melodic pop favorites such as Feelies‘ offshoot Wild Carnation, Winnipeg’s wonderful Weakerthans, great Scots Camera Obscura, and Portland’s Dimes.”
The Seldon Plan spent the last few years taking on a busy tour schedule—including shows with Explosions in the Sky, The Stills, Now It’s Overhead, The Octopus Project, The Eames Era and Matt Pond PA. The band regrouped in 2008 and entered the studio with a fresh organic approach as a way of rediscovering who they were as a band. With few preconceived songs, much of the album was written in the studio, allowing the record to grow naturally as a whole. Simple focused melodies are textured by intricate harmonies, layered with soulful instrumentation including cello and trumpet, and punctuated by bright choral interludes.
The band’s sophomore effort The Collective Now was quickly named a top 40 record of 2007 by The Big Takeover and one of the “Best Baltimore albums of 2007 by The Baltimore Sun. Tracks from the album were licensed by the massively popular YouTube series lonlygirl15 and by Simplify Media for its top-rated music-streaming iPhone app. Their debut album Making Circles was featured on NPR’s “All Songs Considered.” The Seldon Plan is likened to established alt rockers Death Cab for Cutie, The Posies and Nada Surf.
After a successful East Coast tour which saw them take the stage again with The Octopus Project and Hammer No More The Fingers, The Seldon Plan is back in the studio working on a “concept EP” titled Nuit Americain.
Video: Alina Simone, "Special Reason"
Alina Simone performs “Special Reason” from the album Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware during a session of Rabid In The Kennel, hosted by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover on BreakThruRadio.com at The Kennel Recording Studio in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Released in 2008, Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware is an homage to the music of Russian cult icon, Yanka Dyagileva, a Siberian punk-folk singer who drowned under mysterious circumstances in 1991.
Doug Gillard in session today
Journeyman guitarist, songwriter and film composer Doug Gillard, whose stellar resume includes a nine-year tenure with the great Guided By Voices, arrives at The Kennel this afternoon for an exclusive live performance and interview with our host, Jack Rabid.
Jack and Doug are old friends (Gillard’s first solo LP was released on Rabid’s own Pink Frost label), so their conversation promises to be especially intimate and entertaining.
Video: Alina Simone, "Beautiful Machine"
Alina Simone performing “Beautiful Machine” at The Kennel Recording Studio during her Rabid In The Kennel session, February 3, 2010. Music recorded & mixed for RITK by Billy Szeflinski. Video by Jim Santo.
UK punk heroes Leatherface in session next month!
We could not possibly be any more excited than we are to be able to announce that the English punk-rock band Leatherface will be coming to Brooklyn next month for a Rabid In The Kennel session!
“This is one of my 10 or 20 favorite bands of the last 20 years,” says Jack Rabid, RITK host and publisher of the music magazine The Big Takeover, who has named Leatherface’s 1991 release Mush as one of the fifty greatest punk albums of all time. “I am stoked!”
We have not yet got an air date this session, so check back often for that. In the meantime, hop on over to BrooklynVegan for tour information (they play The Knitting Factory Brooklyn the night before our session!) and a bunch of videos.
To get an idea of what we are in for, check out this scorching live video of the band doing “Springtime” in Dublin two years ago!
Video: Living Days
Stephonik Youth performs the song “Home Movie” during the band’s recent Rabid In The Kennel Session at The Kennel Studio.
Music recorded live and mixed by Billy Szeflinski. Video by Jim Santo. For more about Living Days, visit their MySpace profile.
Recent session snapshots
The Kennel has been hopping in recent weeks! We have been inviting more great acts in preparation for the launch of Rabid In The Kennel as its own show next Wednesday, February 10. Here’s a few photos of what’s been going on:
Alina Simone relaxes in the Kennel’s control room
Alina preparing for her session in the Ruby Room
Andrea Mersits and Brian Derdiarian of Lady Magma mug for the camera
Andrea sings in the Ruby Room
Vocalist Stephonik Youth of Living Days performs during the band’s Rabid In The Kennel session
Guitarist Jeff Litman and band performing at The Kennel Studio
Stephen Masucci of The Lost Patrol
Lost Patrol vocalist Molly Israel, looking fetching
Lady Magma in session today
Bushwick, Brooklyn-based punk-rock quintet Lady Magma return to the scene of the crime this afternoon, for an exclusive Rabid In The Kennel session at The Kennel Studio, where the band recorded their self-titled debut LP with producer Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Helmet and many more).
Lady Magma (Andrea Mersits, singer; Brian Derdiarian, guitar; Teresa McMahon, guitar; Chelsea Vigue, bass; and Max Dunlop, drums) are well-known for their wild stage shows and uninhibited off-stage behavior, so this promises to be an entertaining session!
February 10 set for RITK spin-off debut!
On Wednesday, February 10, at 12 noon, Eastern time, BreakThru Radio will air the first episode of Rabid In The Kennel as a standalone program! Our guest for this very special show is rock icon and cult favorite Paul Collins, of The Nerves and The Beat.
Our February show will be followed by another on Wednesday, March 10 (guest to be announced), after which we hope to move to a weekly program schedule thereafter.
Since July 2009, RITK has been presented as a monthly feature on Jack Rabid’s “The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show. We’ve hosted a wide range of well-known artists, including The Posies, Sloan, Lou Barlow and Miranda Lee Richards, all of whom have given us marvelous, exclusive performances from our home base at The Kennel Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
With the anticipated advent of weekly programming this spring, we intend to broaden our offerings to include the best up-and-coming bands from around the world, as well as established artists. We hope you’ll join us!
Alina Simone in session February 3
We are thrilled to announce that internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Alina Simone will be in session at The Kennel Studio a week from this coming Wednesday. The session, which will air at a date to be announced, will present Alina on guitar accompanied by the guitarist and trumpeter from her present touring band. Read more about Alina Simone and visit her web site.
Jeff Litman, Living Days in session today
As we get ready to move to a weekly schedule this spring, we’ve begun realizing our dream of bringing in more of the best new and noteworthy acts from our local scene and around the country.
Today’s sessions, which will air at a later date to be announced, spotlight two very different artists.
New York-based singer/songwriter Jeff Litman has taken a long, learned route back to the basics. Born in Minneapolis, he was a serious guitarist and pianist by age 10. His tendency to musical immersion led him to Indiana University’s renowned jazz program, from which he graduated in 2002. There, coursework and his own curiosity steered him to classical giants from Bach to Schoenberg, along with contemporary composers such as Elliot Carter and Pierre Boulez. He became a classical guitarist.
In 2004, he began study at the Manhattan School of Music and graduated two years later with a master’s in classical guitar performance. By the time he entered doctoral study at the City University of New York in 2007, Litman was well on his way to a life in classical music. But the sounds and loves of his youth proved too seductive and, after a bit of musical soul searching, he remembered why he took up guitar in the first place.
Litman dropped out of graduate school and began feverishly writing and recording songs for his debut album, both at his home studio in New York and with producer/engineer Andy Thompson in Minneapolis. The result is Postscript, a sophisticated collection of indie-pop gems that vividly document the aftermath of a failed relationship. While Litman played most of the instruments on the album, he is joined by some talented friends — including singer Kelly Jones, trumpeter Diego Merino, flutist Meghan Miller, and cellist Emily Dufour— who help bring thefullness of his arrangements to life.
We know next to nothing about our second guest today, NYC-based neo-New Wave band Living Days, beyond the fact that singer Stephonik Youth is reputed to be among the most exciting performers around these days — and the band’s music is great! We’ll leave to host Jack Rabid to glean some precious nuggets of information about the mysterious Living Days in the course of his interview.
A whole mess of Paul Collins videos
Paul Collins, the L.A. power-pop pioneer, he of The Nerves (“Hanging On The Telephone”) and The Beat, banged out a fantastic set of tunes at The Kennel last Friday. Here’s the whole show — enjoy!
Big News! Rabid In The Kennel gets own show!
After six months as a monthly special feature on Jack Rabid’s “The Big Takeover” show on BreakThru Radio (BTR), Rabid In The Kennel is being spun off into its own show!
Starting with a session this month by Paul Collins of The Nerve and Paul Collins Beat, we’ll be airing separate monthly shows in January, February and March before moving to a weekly schedule. Dates and times for all this will be decided shortly, so stay tuned for more.
In addition to the well-known acts we’ve been featuring — past guests have included The Posies, Sloan, Lou Barlow and TV Smith — our expanded schedule means more opportunities for up-and-coming bands to get exposure.
Since July, we’ve been accepting submissions from artists to be considered for an RITK session. Now we’ve have begun making good on our promise and are extending invitations to the very best acts we’ve heard.
Here’s what we’ve got scheduled so far (note, these are session dates; broadcast dates will be announced later):
January 13
Thirdborder
January 15
Paul Collins
January 20
Jeff Litman
Living Days
January 27
Lady Magma
February 3
The Lost Patrol
February 10
Anthem In
February 17
Golden Bloom
February 24
Day Sleeper
March 3
The Seldon Plan
March 24
Pal Shazar
March 31
Phillip Eno
If you are an aspiring solo artist or band who would like to be considered for a session, let us know.
Paul Collins, Thirdborder in session this week
A big week at The Kennel as two of our favorite acts arrive for exclusive Rabid In The Kennel performances and interviews with host Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover.
On Friday, our guest is the great punk-rock/New Wave/power-pop star Paul Collins.
Paul Collins Beat were music video pioneers on early MTV and can be heard on the “Caddyshack” official movie soundtrack. Paul’s first band, The Nerves, formed in 1974 and is considered one of the early U.S. punk groups, funding their own tours and recordings. Led by Jack Lee, their song “Hanging On The Telephone” has been recorded by Cat Power, Def Leppard, L7 and Blondie.
When The Nerves disbanded, Jack Lee went solo, Peter Case formed The Plimsouls and Paul Collins formed The Beat. In his bands The Nerves and The Beat, Paul Collins has toured with numerous acts, including The Ramones, The Jam, The Police, Pere Ubu and countless other names. Paul Collins Beat continues to tour the world, playing concerts in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Japan, France, Italy, England, Germany, and throughout Europe.
Today, we welcome NYC-based post-punk/psych trio Thirdborder.
Guitarist & singer Ben Miller is a thread between rock’s anarchic past and its reflective present. With brothers Laurence and Roger (the latter now leading Mission of Burma) he pioneered psych-rock in the fecund late ’60s Ann Arbor scene, and later teamed up with late Stooge Ron Asheton and Michael Davis of the MC5 in the seminal art punk outfit Destroy All Monsters. Subsequent decades of probing the potentials of avant-rock culminated in Ben’s forming Thirdborder in 2003.
Bass player Gerard Smith burst onto New York’s post-punk scene in 1984 with the incendiary Phantom Tollbooth, a psychedelic jazzcore triumvirate whose dizzying sound inspires to this day. (In 2003, Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard created new lyrics and melodies for Phantom Tollbooth’s 1988 album Power Toy, releasing the resulting work as Beard of Lightning.)
Another memorable trio, Brooklyn’s dance-punk phenomenon Proton Proton, was the fevered incubator for drummer Jarrod Ruby, whose explosive precision behind the kit is both anchor and engine of Thirdborder.
Thirdborder’s second LP, Sun of Water, Sea of Light, was a candidate for Grammy nomination in the 2006 ‘Alternative Album of the year’ category. The band’s new album, Return Return, was recorded last year at The Kennel Studio by NYC underground rock legend Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Helmet).
Sloan videos!
Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott rock out at The Kennel, check ‘em out!
Video for Rabid In The Kennel by Giuliana.
Sloan session will be a two-parter
In a first for Rabid In The Kennel, our exclusive interview with and performance from those incredible Canadians Sloan will be presented in two parts!
The first segment airs this Monday, December 14, at noon Eastern, during Jack Rabid’s “The Big Takeover” show on BreakThru Radio.
The second segment will be netcast the following Monday, December 21.
This RITK session was especially memorable and exciting as all five members of Sloan totally rocked six songs, both old and brand-new, all of which were expertly captured by ace Kennel engineer Billy Szeflinski. The band was so tight and polished, if you did not know these were live recordings, you’d never be able to tell!
To whet your appetite, here’s Andrew Scott, performing “Where Are You Now?” from Sloan’s new five-song EP, Hit & Run:
Sloan session today!
In a few hours, a tour bus bearing Canadian rock heroes Sloan will arrive at The Kennel Studio for what promises to be the most exciting Rabid In The Kennel session yet. We can’t wait!
If you can’t wait either, check out this preview of Sloan’s new, digital-only EP, Hit & Run, which was released last week through the band’s new music store.
Sloan performs Friday night at The Bell House in Brooklyn. Get your tickets here.
RITK supports indie artists!
Every day, we get songs submitted by bands hoping to get a Rabid In The Kennel session. Not all will win the big prize, but many of them are getting airtime on Jack’s weekly “The Big Takeover” show on BreakThru Radio.
Recent airings:
“Try As I Might” by Phillip Eno (September 28)
“Everything You’re Not” by Jeff Litman (November 16)
“Headline News” by Light In August (November 16)
The fun continues on November 30, when Jack will spin “No Way Girl” by Jay Banerjee. That’s Jay pictured below. Visit him on Facebook if you want to make a quick buck!
If you are an aspiring artist or band and would like to be considered for a Rabid In The Kennel session, with a good chance of having your music played on Jack’s show, you can apply right here.
Astrid Williamson in Kennel session this Monday
Formerly frontperson for the mid-‘90s Scottish trio Goya Dress (whose lone LP was produced by John Cale), Brighton-based singer/songwriter Astrid Williamson has had a long and distinguished career since, releasing solo material with UK independent record label One Little Indian Records and founding her own record label, Incarnation Records.
In addition to her solo career Astrid also currently works in collaboration with various groups including Oskar and the experimental band, The Bilderberg Groop. Drawing on her expertise as a classically trained pianist she has also worked with Canadian singer/songwriter Tara Maclean and provided vocals for The Hope Blister and ’90s supergroup Electronic.
Astrid’s fourth solo LP, Here Come the Vikings, was released last June. She’s in New York for a November 18 show at Sullivan Hall and graciously agreed to drop by The Kennel for a chat with our host, Jack Rabid — and an exclusive performance, of course!
This session will be our first of the new year, airing Monday, January 11, 2009 on Jack’s
“The Big Takeover” show on BreakthruRadio.com.
Sloan confirmed for RITK session on December 2!
The Canadian power-pop giants take time from their U.S. tour to record a full band performance and interview with our own Jack Rabid. Wow, we say!
Slide show: Justin Sullivan of New Model Army
Photos for Rabid In The Kennel by Jim Santo.
Joe Pernice show rescheduled
Jack Rabid’s interview with Joe Penice, recorded August 6 at The Kennel and originally scheduled to air this Monday, will instead air the following Monday, September 21, at 12 noon ET.
Visit “BreakThru Radio“http://www.breakthruradio.com at noon ET next Monday to hear the show.
Sorry for any inconvenience this could not possibly have caused!
Justin Sullivan from New Model Army in session this Monday
We’re thrilled to announce that Justin Sullivan, leader of New Model Army, widely considered one of the best post-punk outfits Great Britain ever produced, will be in session this coming Monday afternoon, September 14, for a Rabid In The Kennel session to air at a future date as yet undetermined.
Sullivan, who founded NMA in 1980 with Stuart Morrow and Phil Tompkins, will sit down with host Jack Rabid for what promises to be a fascinating conversation about one of rock’s most enduring and uncompromising bands. And then, in a special solo acoustic performance, he’ll play songs from that career, as well as from NMA’s new album, Today Is A Good Day, the band’s 11th studio release, which, as it happens, comes out next Monday (Tuesday in the USA)!
Photo: Miranda Lee Richards at The Kennel
(L-R) Guitarist Luther Russell, The Kennel studio co-owners Jim Santo and James Pertusi, and Miranda Lee Richards after Miranda’s Rabid In The Kennel session on September 11. (Photo by Giuliana Ciampoli, posted by Miranda Richards on Twitpic)
RITK to host Lou Barlow on October 6
This just in: Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, and Folk Implosion fame, is coming to The Kennel Recording Studio on October 6, the very day that Goodnight Unknown, his first solo album in 4 years, will be released in America on Merge Records.
We could not be more pleased!
As always, Lou will be interviewed by our erudite and congenial host, Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover. The show will air Monday, November 2, as part of Jack’s “The Big Takeover On Breakthru Radio” show on breakthruradio.com
The Lost Patrol, Drew Smith to air September 7 on "The Big Takeover" show
“Before I Go” by The Lost Patrol and “NYC Song” by Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir will both be played on the Monday, September 7, edition of Jack Rabid’s “The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show, at noon EDT.
Both artists came to our attention by applying to be considered for an upcoming Rabid In The Kennel session.
Independently seeping into the ears of music aficionados, artists, producers, podcasters, bloggers, filmmakers and tastemakers, NYC-based The Lost Patrol (pictured below, top) has etched out a name for themselves with their distinctive blend of surf-tinged atmospheric twang.
Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir, the new release by Austin-based singer-songwriter Drew Smith, (pictured below, bottom) offers classic sounding songs kept honest with nostalgic considerations about American life. The new record (Viro Records) has cracked many critics’ Top 10 lists, including a celebrated #1 Austin Record of 2008 by Austin.com.
More bands win airplay on "The Big Takeover" show
Two more bands who submitted music to Rabid In The Kennel will be featured in upcoming editions of Jack Rabid’s “The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show.
“So Into You” by Cincinnati-based “Electro-fused Indie New Wave” band Eat Sugar (pictured below, top) will air tomorrow, August 17, at noon EDT. You can listen to the show now.
The following Monday, August 24, Jack will feature “Buried In My Memory,” a track from Astoria, New York’s Phillip Eno. Headed by husband and wife team Lito and Nerissa Vales, Phillip Eno (pictured below, bottom) plays dreampop melodies with textured layers, noise outbursts and heavenly vocals.
“The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show airs every Monday at noon on BreakThruRadio.com. Rabid In The Kennel is a monthly performance and interview program, recorded at The Kennel Recording Studio in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn and presented by The Big Takeover and BreakThru Radio.
Launched in July, RITK has already hosted performances by The Posies, T.V. Smith and Joe Pernice. Unsigned and indie bands are encouraged to submit their music to be considered for a Rabid In The Kennel session. Submitted music is also regularly featured on Jack’s show.
Miranda Lee Richards confirmed for September 11 RITK session
Her parents were underground comic pioneers, Kirk Hammett of Metallica taught her how to play guitar, she appeared in Dig! with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and she’s toured and collaborated with the likes of Tricky and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Miranda Lee Richards has certainly had an interesting life so far!
The Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, whose second LP, Light of X, was released earlier this year on Nettwerk Records, will be in town next month, appearing at the Nine West store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to promote Nine West Vintage America Collection, for which she’s a spokesperson, and which also benefits the charity Soles4Souls.
We are delighted that she’ll be taking time from her busy schedule to drop by The Kennel Recording Studio for a performance and interview with our host, Jack Rabid.
The session is scheduled to air Monday, October 5, as part of Jack’s “The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show on BreakThruRadio.com. Don’t miss it!
Video: Joe Pernice, "Soul and Fire"
Joe Pernice performs a cover of “Soul and Fire” by Sebadoh during the Rabid In The Kennel session at The Kennel Studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., August 6, 2009. Video by Giuliana.
Mercury Morning song to air on July 27 "The Big Takeover" show
“Say,” by the New York-based band Mercury Morning is on the playlist for the July 27 edition of Jack Rabid’s “The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show, which airs every Monday at noon ET on BreakThru Radio
Jack discovered the band through their application to be considered for a future Rabid In The Kennel session. Send us your music and maybe you too will hear your song going out to Jack’s 800,000 weekly listeners!
Listen to “Say” on Mercury Morning’s MySpace profile
Joe Pernice confirmed for RITK session August 6
We are very excited to announce that stellar singer/songwriter Joe Pernice of the Pernice Brothers will be at The Kennel Recording Studio on August 6, 2009, for a solo acoustic performance and interview by Jack Rabid.
The show will air Monday, September 14, as part of Jack’s weekly “The Big Takeover on BreakThru Radio” show on BreakThruRadio.com.
Joe is on the road this summer for about a dozen dates with a special show that combines music with prose, in support of the release of It Feels So Good When I Stop (Novel Soundtrack), which is a companion piece to his debut novel, It Feels So Good When I Stop. The record (CD and digital download) will be released on August 4 on Joe’s own Ashmont Records label, and the book will be published August 6 by Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin.
Joe performs at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on August 7. Check out his other tour dates.
Video: T.V. Smith
T.V. Smith performs during the Rabid In The Kennel session at The Kennel Studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., July 2, 2009. Flip video by Giuliana.
T.V. Smith at The Kennel today
Nail-biting visa issues resolved, the legendary punk-rocker joins Jack Rabid for a two-hour session of music and conversation. Check back later for photos and video!
T.V. Smith confirmed for RITK session July 2
First-wave punk hero T.V. Smith joins host Jack Rabid for a Kennel performance and interview, to air August 3 during Jack’s “The Big Takeover” show on Break Thru Radio. Will we be treated to a 21st century rendition of “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”? Tune in to find out! We’ll be posting photos and video of the session, so check back here after July 2 to see all that stuff.
Read the Wikipedia entry on T.V. Smith, visit his official site and friend him on MySpace.
Video: The Posies
A brief clip from the session. Thanks again to Giuliana for capturing this moment.
Slide show: The Posies
Thanks to Giuliana Ciampoli for photographing our inaugural Rabid In The Kennel session.
Posies session today
The band turned in an outstanding performance last night at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY, where they performed their classic 1993 album, Frosting on the Beater, in its entirety.
They’ll do it again tonight at the Gramercy Theater in Manhattan, but before that, they’ll drop by our studio for the debut Rabid In The Kennel session! We’ll be posting photos of the event later, so check back soon.
And so it begins
Welcome to the brand-new web site for Rabid In The Kennel! As you can imagine, we’re all very excited to be getting this project off the ground, after many months of planning. And even more thrilled to be making our debut next month with the fantastic Posies!
Not too much more to say today, but check back soon as we’ll be filling out our schedule in the next few weeks and you’ll want to know who else we’ll be putting on the show, right? TTFN.
