One more time, even if you're tired now

Dear friends,

1. An old friend of mine*, Jeff, or as I like to call him, Jefe, is in a band called Breakup Breakdown and every time I see their Stones-y party band live show**, I can't get over the fact that he plays guitar as well as he does. I think this is because the infancy of our association was filled with such skill-deficient activities as a) doing absolutely nothing, b) eating nachos and c) him trying to teach me the bass line to Fleetwood Mac's The Chain so that we could play that one part over and over and over again really badly. Consequently, whenever I see him, I'm all wonder and surprise at his current ability and I'm sure he's secretly restraining himself from slapping the vaguely condescending little twit in the forehead. But seriously, he's managed to incorporate all of his random fanboy tendencies into a guitar sound that tips its hat but isn't outright theft; that sound is absolutely his and that quality would surprise me no matter who it came from. Whether or not I ever watched them dance like a praying mantis to Pavement with a lady drink in their hand.

Anywho, Jefe and his co-Breakup Breakdown bandmate, the impossibly statuesque and soul-voiced, Allie, (who I don't know at all but was quite lovely to me when I accosted her outside the ladies at their last show) are doing a covers set at Black Betty in Williamsburg, tonight at 10:30PM. I hear there will be some Gram Parsons, some Galaxie 500, and some other artists/bands that don't begin with the letter "G." Go, go, go.

2. Once upon a time, there was a band called DraculazombieUSA. It was started by one gentle giant, one slender mad scientist, one fine tiny dancer and one male model. They made sounds. Dance sounds. There were beats and there were bleeps and there were Al Green samples. There were live instruments and there was chanting. Slogans? No. Simple truths like "If you were a child of the 60's, then you'd be in your late '50's." They played some shows, people got down, bloggers meowed like kittens and fun was had across the land. In time though, the male model grew out his 'burns and joined a band that had to go travel round the world. And the tiny dancer and the mad scientist took off for the west. Silence ensued.

Months passed. But the music started again, this time with added guests. The gentle giant and the mad scientist decided that if sandwich shops can be franchised without destruction of quality, so can bands. Thus Draculazombieusa, East Coast Annex was born! The franchise features vocalist/dancers: Bryan, high of hair and short of shame, Mary, quick with wit and winning-smiled, Tina, sexily fit and huskily voiced, Gena, buff, tough and raptastically talented, and myself. The gentle giant, Travis, rules the roost with his fantastic four on the floor power drumming. It's a party and we'll get you moving, moving. Go to the DZUSA My Space page and website to hear the originators' good time material. And if you like that, go to The Glasshouse Gallery in Williamsburg THIS Thursday at 8PM and/OR go to Fontana's on the L.E.S. NEXT Thursday to catch the franchise giving it up LIVE. We will school ya.

Love, D

* When I say old friend, I mean he knew me way back during my unfortunate orange-haired, contact-lensed, overly-plucked eyebrow phase. Yes. I was gorgeous.

** Breakup Breakdown have this song and I forgot to ask what it was called but it was played second to last at their R&R show (insinuating cough) and it was such all night disco party fun that I wanted to hear it again and again, preferably followed by some New Order. Unfortunately, it has not been recorded yet. Say it with me: ARGH!!!

Bands to see live: Breakup Breakdown, Allie and Jeff from Breakup Breakdowns's untitled side project, DraculazombieUSA East Coast Annex