Last Thursday (June 19), I got to catch show featuring singer-songwriter
Phil Bensen and pop/rock band
Sparky's Flaw at
Maxwell's in Hoboken. Walking into the small Jersey venue, I wasn't too sure what to expect.
As Phil Bensen walked on stage, you can feel the small crowd of teen/tween girls, who came to see him that night, silently blushing and giggling. Scratching your head as you look at this familiar face? Well, if you're a fan of a popular band of brothers by the name of Jonas, he's opened for them. (Enter high pitched screams here...) The Jersey native kicked off his set with a sweet acoustic solo and set the mood for chill show. Moving with a swagger that he refers to as "the white man sway," Bensen's music is light on the ears but has a presence that resonates with you. Songs like
"A Little Respect" show off his Motown/blusey influences and give a different dynamic to this young musician. His smooth voice and even more fluid falsetto are reminiscent of Jason Mraz, and that's definitely not a bad thing.
"Bruised" has a nice pop feel to the strong, and it's melody has elements that sound a bit like the Jackson 5's
"I Want You Back" — a song he's been known to cover at his shows, including this one. And you know how I love covers. After playing a fun set with his band, Bensen went back to playing solo — taking requests from the crowd. Taking a fan's immediate and very enthusiastic request, he played
"Paper Airplanes", a ballad that obviously made all the girls swoon. But what made it better was the nice transition into a quick rendition of John Denver's
"Leaving on a Jet Plane". Phil Bensen is not only a charismatic performer with a short list of jokes. His free-flowing music and effortless voice bring a smile to your face.
Although I didn't catch Bensen at this year's Bamboozle, I did see Virginia-based Sparky's Flaw. After catching Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at one stage, I floated over to one of the smaller stages where I found a band who'd probably be one of my favorite finds of the year.
Sparky's Flaw may play pop music, but they're not synchronized choreography, coordinating outfits and oozing cheesy lyrics. They write the songs and play the music — and good music at that. Sparky's Flaw sounds like a hybrid of some of today's popular bands like The Fray and Maroon 5. And although there is a commonality this band shares with some of their influences, Sparky's Flaw take pop/rock and make it their own whether its Kit French's sax skills or Will Anderson's soothing yet edgy vocals.For me, what usually makes an amazing performance is if a band is able to sound even better live than on the recording, and this band does just that.
"Words Meet Heartbeats" was already a favorite of mine, but seeing (and hearing) the fusion of the eerie synth in the beginning welding with uptempo beat and harmony of voices made the song an even memorable one. That can also be said about
"Under Control", which has undertones of Maroon 5 — not necessarily a bad thing.
What makes the band even more enjoyable to watch is that they're all so comfortable onstage — as if you're sitting in on a jam session. The band ended their set with
"New Year", an upbeat track where the guys get to rock out. Watching them play this song shows just how much fun Sparky's Flaw has on stage. There's a sheer genuine vibe that emits from each one of them and together as a band. And even though there was a blip during
"New Year", the guys took it like pros and played as if nothing happened.
If it hasn't hit you yet from the the headline, these guys are definitely easy on the eyes. But it's not all about a pretty face. And for
Phil Bensen and
Sparky's Flaw, they're definitely more than just eye candy, they're great musicians who create music that leaves you wanting more.
Both Phil Bensen and Sparky's Flaw will be playing NYC's Knitting Factory on Wednesday, June 25. Visit
TicketWeb to grab your tix.
Heidi Montag is really determined to get her music out there. And with this new track, "Fashion", I'm not too sure she'll be grabbing platinum status anytime soon. However it is definitely a song giving at least one listen to — even if it leaves you shaking your head and wondering, "What was she thinking?"
Yesterday, the McFly guys made one of the biggest announcements of their career.
Nine Inch Nails' latest, Slip, may have been available online for free, but Trent and the guys have decided to release a limited amount of physical versions of the album. Out on July 22, the 250,000 exclusive copies (yep, that's it) will include a DVD of rehearsal performances for NIN's Lights In The Sky tour and a 24-page booklet. There will also be a vinyl version of Slip, packaged with the same 24-page booklet. 
Celebrate the borough with the Cold War Kids, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and Sam Champion tomorrow night (June 27) at Prospect Park Bandshell. Since the show is free, I highly suggest you get there before 7 p.m. (when the show starts).
Recently reunited The Verve have finally spilled the beans on Forth This is the band's latest record after 1997's Urban Hymns, which featured their hit, "Bittersweet Symphony". "Love is Noise" will be the record's first single, which you can listen to now on The Verve's MySpace. Forth is set to release on Aug. 18 in the UK and Aug. 19 in the U.S.
You could spend your New Year's Eve at Madison Square Garden with My Morning Jacket. Tickets go on sale on June 25 (aka today) from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Get your tickets at Ticketmaster now. (Password is evinye)
After her fainting spell on June 16, doctors weren't too sure what has happened to Amy Winehouse. Finding an irregular heartbeat, doctors mulled over trying to find out what she's got, including testing her for TB (which came out negative). But after all the tests, she's finally been diagnosed with emphysema. It's a progressive disease that causes its sufferers to experience difficulties in breathing. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Amy's dad, Mitch Winehouse, he fears his daughter will end up in a wheelchair and hooked up to an oxygen tank if she doesn't stop her smoking and cocaine use. Let's hope after all of this, Miss Winehouse will get her act together once and for all, especially since she's got one set of amazing pipes.
Lily Allen is back in the studio working on her follow up to her '06 debut, Alright Still. And it looks like she may be taking risks on this sophomore effort. "Guess Who Batman?" takes a jab at the British National Party (ok more like a blow to them. At first it was written about the BNP, but "this issue has become relevant pretty much everywhere," Allen writes on posted on her MySpace blog. "we are the youth , we can make coolness for our future , its up to us . go green and hate hate." Masked behind an upbeat light pop beat, the heavier lyrics sound so much prettier than they really are. It's an interesting take on the passive aggressive approach. Perhaps "Guess Who Batman?" could be her next hit? Give it alisten on Lily Allen's MySpace.
Spend a night listening to Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, Buckshot and a special guest at NYC's Museum of Natural History. Only $20, you can view the latest in visual art, groove to the hot beats and enjoy the stocked bar. How could you go wrong with this one?
Stone Temple Pilots, REM and NIN will be headlining this year's Voodoo Experience in New Orleans. Held from Oct. 24 - Oct. 26, the bill will also include Panic at the Disco, Cold War Kids, Erykah Badu, Dashboard Confessional, Joss Stone, Death Cab for Cutie, Lupe Fiasco and Tokyo Police Club. 
Last Thursday (June 19), I got to catch show featuring singer-songwriter Phil Bensen and pop/rock band Sparky's Flaw at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Walking into the small Jersey venue, I wasn't too sure what to expect.
As Phil Bensen walked on stage, you can feel the small crowd of teen/tween girls, who came to see him that night, silently blushing and giggling. Scratching your head as you look at this familiar face? Well, if you're a fan of a popular band of brothers by the name of Jonas, he's opened for them. (Enter high pitched screams here...) The Jersey native kicked off his set with a sweet acoustic solo and set the mood for chill show. Moving with a swagger that he refers to as "the white man sway," Bensen's music is light on the ears but has a presence that resonates with you. Songs like "A Little Respect" show off his Motown/blusey influences and give a different dynamic to this young musician. His smooth voice and even more fluid falsetto are reminiscent of Jason Mraz, and that's definitely not a bad thing. 
"Bruised" has a nice pop feel to the strong, and it's melody has elements that sound a bit like the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" — a song he's been known to cover at his shows, including this one. And you know how I love covers. After playing a fun set with his band, Bensen went back to playing solo — taking requests from the crowd. Taking a fan's immediate and very enthusiastic request, he played "Paper Airplanes", a ballad that obviously made all the girls swoon. But what made it better was the nice transition into a quick rendition of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane". Phil Bensen is not only a charismatic performer with a short list of jokes. His free-flowing music and effortless voice bring a smile to your face.
Although I didn't catch Bensen at this year's Bamboozle, I did see Virginia-based Sparky's Flaw. After catching Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at one stage, I floated over to one of the smaller stages where I found a band who'd probably be one of my favorite finds of the year.
Sparky's Flaw may play pop music, but they're not synchronized choreography, coordinating outfits and oozing cheesy lyrics. They write the songs and play the music — and good music at that. Sparky's Flaw sounds like a hybrid of some of today's popular bands like The Fray and Maroon 5. And although there is a commonality this band shares with some of their influences, Sparky's Flaw take pop/rock and make it their own whether its Kit French's sax skills or Will Anderson's soothing yet edgy vocals.For me, what usually makes an amazing performance is if a band is able to sound even better live than on the recording, and this band does just that. "Words Meet Heartbeats" was already a favorite of mine, but seeing (and hearing) the fusion of the eerie synth in the beginning welding with uptempo beat and harmony of voices made the song an even memorable one. That can also be said about "Under Control", which has undertones of Maroon 5 — not necessarily a bad thing. 
What makes the band even more enjoyable to watch is that they're all so comfortable onstage — as if you're sitting in on a jam session. The band ended their set with "New Year", an upbeat track where the guys get to rock out. Watching them play this song shows just how much fun Sparky's Flaw has on stage. There's a sheer genuine vibe that emits from each one of them and together as a band. And even though there was a blip during "New Year", the guys took it like pros and played as if nothing happened. 
