Under the Radar: Natalia Clavier

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You should check out Natalia Clavier's debut album Nectar. Why you ask? Because it's pretty damn good.

According to Latina magazine, Clavier "used to sing cheesy Euro techno-pop 'to pay the rent,' but now she's found her sound."

Her sound is a mix of Argentina's native tango and sexy electronica.
Check out this you tube video of my favorite track "El Arbol" ("The Tree" for all my Spanish language impaired people.)

Poet on the Scene:Carlos Andres Gomez to present new double album

Sphere: Related Content I just received an email from Michael Rosen of the Bowery Poetry Club tipping me off to an awesome event that I plan to hike my ass all the way from NJ to see.

Check out the press release:


*Carlos Gomez Grabs “Fate by the Throat” at Bowery Poetry Club*

Bowery Poetry Club presents the release of renowned spoken word artist/slam poet Carlos Andres Gomez’s new double album, “Fate by the Throat”. *August 23* at 7:00 PM, Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery between Houston and Bleecker; /F train to //2nd Ave//, 6 to Bleecker), /$12

Gomez, a stand-out, acclaimed poet on both the New York City slam scene as well as the national college circuit, has been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and played a prominent role in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” alongside Denzel Washington and Clive Owen.

He will be giving a full-length, feature performance of his work-to-date including material from “Fate by the Throat,” his sophomore album which includes both studio and live cuts of over 20 new poems.

Hosting between 20 and 30 shows a week the Bowery Poetry Club (BPC) is proud of our place in the lineage of populist art: the Yiddish theater, burlesque, vaudeville, beat poetry, jazz, and punk that gave the Bowery its name. Located in “HoBo” at the corner of Houston and Bowery.

For more information please go to bowerypoetry.com

Below is footage of Gomez on HBO's Def Poetry Jam performing "What's Genocide"



You can check out his website here: http://www.carloslive.com/

I know, I know. You can thank me later for turning you on to this shit.

The Arcade Claw and its Tragic Flaw

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I'm writing this post for all of you who have or plan to to play the "arcade claw" game this summer.

Me? Oh I already lost all my rent money to it back in March. Yes I said March.

Queue flashback sequence.

See the fiance and I were bored and didn't have much cash so we decided to take a drive "down the shore" and just kick it.

Although we had fun frequenting my beloved "Wa Wa" convenience mart for the necessary junk, not much else was poppin'.

Picture the tumbleweeds in your mind as we jumped out of our truck and made our way towards the boardwalk.

After being coerced by desperate boardwalk carnies to play that stupid game where you pop balloons to get a prize, we decided to move on to the arcade.

It is there that we were determined to win an iPhone out of the arcade claw machine. Neither of us actually care to own an iPhone. We just want to sell it to you on EBay. Wink.

Needless to say after $60 dollars spent, our efforts were fruitless and we could do nothing except kick the machine and go get an overpriced bite to eat. Still, we had fun.

But it would have been more fun had I seen this before I went!



Damn that yellow box to hell I say!

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward are: She and Him

Sphere: Related Content OK so get this...back on March 18th, God came down from heaven and said "Zooey Dechanel and M.Ward will release their new album under the moniker "She and Him" and it will be the sweetest little album since the likes of 'Pet Sounds'.

No really it went something like this:

Matt Ward who goes by his stage name M.Ward was an unknown artist musician who no one really ever heard of and then he made it big yadda yadda. He went on to guest on albums with Jenny Lewis, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and Bruce Springstein.


Enter stage left, actress, Zooey Deschanel (‘Bridge To Terabithia’, ‘Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy’,'Elf'')
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward meet when working on a movie soundtrack project in which they recorded a version of Richard and Linda Thompson’s “When I Get To The Border”and clicked as they realized how talented they were. While talking about their mutual love of old records, Zooey mentioned that she wrote her own songs, which she recorded alone at home on her computer. Zooey was weary at first but soon enough she gave in and sent her music to M. who was immediately impressed and used the recordings as a basis for 'Volume One".

When I saw the girl in Elf, I knew she had some serious pipes on her.

All in all, there are nine originals written by Zooey and two gorgeous cover versions. Track listing is as follows:
01. Sentimental Heart
02. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
03. This Is Not A Test
04. Change Is Hard
05. I Thought I Saw Your Face Today
06. Take It Back
07. I Was Made For You
08. You Really Got A Hold On Me
09. Black Hole
10. Got Me
11. I Should Have Known Better
12. Sweet Darlin’

Here's the cover still and track for "Thought I Saw Your Face Today"

Poez's "The Monotone" Illustrated

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I was wandering around the web when I lucked into finding this vid of poet Poez's spoken word piece "The Monotone" which I find both lovely and haunting.
Paul Mills a.k.a "Poez" is a New York City based spoken word/performance poet who started performing poetry in Boston and New York in 1976. Poez retired from the world of poetry for about 20 years but has recently started performing again. He frequents the Bowery Poetry Club regularly. Yippee!

You can check his website out here.