CMJ: 10/20 Bobka, OESB & UP are Straight Chillin'

"House of Mirrors"
(Big ups to Mimoun of Family Portrait/UP for Poster Art)
The first time I went to Monkeytown I knew I'd have to throw an event there. And now the time has come. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my extreme pleasure to unveil the first of a few Chocolate Bobka CMJ shows. If you've ever been to Monkeytown (peep rad pic here), you know one thing is up; straight chilling. Therefore, it felt pretty logical to call up my favorite super chillerz and see if they would come down to cool out, play some tunes and trip out to some tweaker visuals. And that's exactly what we'll do on Tuesday October 20th 2009. I'll be honest in noting that I basically curated this lineup for myself. Just bands that I want to see while 'laxing out on some of the most comfortable couches in New York, while visual masterminds Richard Law, Alice Cohen and Todd Ledford space my face on the four massive, wall sized projection screens. A little run down of the evening.

Chocolate Bobka, Olde English Spelling Bee & Underwater Peoples are Straight Chilling.
Fluffy Lumbers (rare solo set)
Family Portrait ("Western drone set")
Alice Cohen (solo)
Julian Lynch live via Satellite broadcast on 4 Walls
Ducktails
Africa Germany Germany ETC (Live NYC premiere)

Stoked? Me too! If you've ever been to Monkeytown, then you probably know the drill. Besides the inevitable straight chilling, the venue also offers some of the choicest food in NYC, just take a peep at their Fall Menu. (Different types of Sliders: Elk curry chimichurri, Ostrich bbq’d garlic relish, Venison juniper shallot jam & Wild Board Apple Chutney--are you freaking serious?!) The show will cost a measly $7, and as with all Monkeytown shows, there is a $10 minimum, which means you have to have at least 2 beers. If you don't plan on having at least two drinks, well, this probably isn't your type of show. In order to gain access to the show, which is unofficial CMJ (aka no badges), one will have to make reservations with Monkeytown. (Do so here.) This event will sell out fast, so I encourage you to get on this asap. Peep below for some choice media from participating artists.

PS. Bring medical edibles.

Fluffy Lumbers- Cruisers
Ducktails- Parasailing

Family Portrait w/ Julian Lynch "Super Cool"

Alice Cohen "Black Pepper"

Julian Lynch "Garden 2" (Directed by Richard Law)

new: Africa Germany Germany ETC

"Retraced Steps"
The other day I was lucky enough to finagle a copy of the mysterious Africa Germany Germany Mexico Turkey Australia LP on Olde English Spelling Bee. Mysterious doesn't begin to describe the sound of the project, which bubbles like hash in the hot Hindu Kush heat and sways like the wafting garbage on the street in front of my apartment, which makes sense considering the only piece of info on the jacket of the LP is that it was recorded in Greenpoint in December of 2008. Insound notes the triangle of "Greenpoint, Bushwick and Ridgewood, NJ," which makes sense as it was released on OEBS, home to new records by Ridgewood, NJ cronies Ducktails and Julian Lynch. Also, the album, shrouded in secrecy, subtly appears in the "discography" section of a certain tropical loop master from a certain NJ town who plays in a few bands which certainly do not suck. That said, Africa Germany Germany Etc is a record for which comparisons to other sounds do no justice. It's full of bewilderment and ecstatic wonder, an album whose secrecy gives it a luminescence often reserved for moments where God's light shines through rain clouds and sprays incapable humans with hope and overwhelming befuddlement. The three track LP, which is limited to 215 copies, is all the drone, psych, raga, stoner shit that makes kids stay home and enjoy a deadbeat summer in front of the fan in their underwear, when they should be out picking up golf balls at the driving range, delivering pizza or doing anything besides providing t-shirts with adequate sweat stains. It's a special record for special people, and if your lucky enough, and smart enough, to pick one of these bad boys up, well, you're pretty fucking special.

Africa Germany Germany Mexico Turkey Australia- Retraced Steps