Readin' N Rhythm returns with our third event on Sunday, November 6^th at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Our smokin' lineup features the talented and lovely Rene Steinke (author of The Fires and National Book Award finalist Holy Skirts), one-man and his robots band Octant, special guest poet Craig Teicher (recently published in The Literary Review, Fairleigh Dickinson's kickass lit mag) and a dance party with garage/soul band Gonul and What Army.  Avant-garde trio The Brooklyn Players Reading Society and comedic interludes with emcee Jen Werner will keep the night flowin'.  Octant’s creator Matt Steinke just happens to be Rene’s little brother so in an attempt to divulge some embarrassing stories, the night will revolve around the theme "Family Ties."  If we’re lucky, Rene and Matt might even stop fighting long enough to perform a duet of sorts.  Click here for a taste of Octant's awesome live performance and get excited!

The Literary Review will be gettin' the party goin' with a reception before the show.  Raffles, giveaways and great literature?  Definitely a winning combination.  Join us at 7:30 pm in the front room then move on back for the 8:30 entertainment.  Oh, and if you’re broke after CMJ and Halloween, no biggie – it’s free!  However, every RNR event serves as a book drive for local organization ReadThis, so please bring any gently used books you have for preschoolers through high schoolers.  It may sound cheesy but we need to spread the love of art to our young ones – our government sure as hell isn’t!  Join the party and RSVP on our Facebook Event.  More info on this show and the series can be found on our website.

Details
When: Sunday, November 6th, Reception at 7:30, Show at 8:30 
Where: Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn - map
Who: Rene Stienke, Octant, Gonul and What Army and more
Why: Because we all need a little more literature and music in our lives

Awesome poster designed by Jonathan Walsh.

Readin' N Rhythm returns to Union Hall on Sunday, July 10th with a laugh and dance your ass off lineup!  The night kicks off with local electro/pop/rock one-man band KNTRLR at 7 pm, followed by a reading and demonstration with columnist and black belt Susan "George" Schorn of McSweeney's at 8.  Check out her hilarious and insightful column, Bitchslap, for some inspirational words on her "instances of everyday combat, from the dojo to the shoe section of Macy's."  The event closes out with the grand debut of Band-in-Residence Gonul and What Army rockin' some sweet soul tunes at 9.  Expect a little Etta James, Dusty Springfield, a couple of originals and even a Beatles tune, complete with dance moves, saxophones and sequins.  Get excited!

Doors at 6, show at 7, NO COVER!  Show your love on our Facebook invite.  Union Hall is located at 702 Union Street in Park Slope,   Brooklyn.  Click here for a map. 

The mission behind Readin' N Rhythm is to further support and connect the communities of local musicians and authors, to break down stereotypes I think keep these artists from collaborating, to demonstrate how we can inspire one another and to generally celebrate the connection between music and literature. It turns out writers also enjoy sex, drugs and rock-and-roll and musicians actually can sit still long enough to enjoy a reading. We're essentially all doing the same thing, trying to express ourselves creatively, reach out and connect to other people from this strange space inside of us. Even though we're doing this in separate languages, the motivations and experiences end up being quite similar. And at the very least, they're both fun.

See ya there!
~Becky Fine-Firesheets

Knocks From the Underground is proud to mix it up for our next show on Sunday, February 27th at Union Hall, bringing musicians Wu Li and The Dymaxion Quartet together with two amazing writers, Jennifer Werner and Jin Cordaro, for a night of jazz, funk, poetry and fiction that will open up your mind, your heart and your dancin' feet.  Doors open at 8 pm and get this - it's free!  

8:30 Reading: Jennifer Werner blends lyrical passages with realism in her funny and effective short stories and poems.  Her sense of humor combined with her deep, thoughtful perspective on life allows for a unique look at human nature, sex, relationships, friendship and struggle.

9:00 Performance: Local jazz group The Dymaxion Quartet is heavily influenced by poetry, photography and art in general.  Many of their songs are based on specific poems and try to capture the mood, rhythm, feel and overall message behind the words.  The bands' mostly instrumental collection combines beautiful trumpet solos with smooth guitar licks and intricate drum lines played by bandleader Gabrielle Gloege.  Expect an engaging, fun and thought-provoking live show.

9:50 Reading: Jin Cordaro has a way of describing the common human experience in beautiful, emotional and touching words that connect with readers while also challenging them.  Her attention to rhythm, flow and sound adds a melodic lilt to her poetry – her warm presence and reading style draws listeners in while enhancing this musical side.

10:30 Performance: Describing Wu Li’s sound as just jazz, ska or funk is totally insufficient.  They are all of these things plus straight-up rock, electronica, Latin and R&B.  In other words, Wu Li is unclassifiable, not because their music is so out there it’s hard to understand but because their music can get everyone moving.  Trumpeter Mike Shobe solidly leads the band in and out of various styles while the booty-shakin’ rhythms, syncopated bass lines and upbeat sax riffs can even get the grannies dancing.

Union Hall is located at 702 Union Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  Don't forget to leave time for the Bocce Ball courts...

Happy Birthday to Knocky! We are psyched to turn one-year-old and finally do things like eat solid food and walk and talk.  We are even more psyched to announce our two night anniversary party, Friday March 5th and Saturday March 6th at The Delancey (168 Delancey Street), with two amazing and eclectic lineups:

Fri March 5th
9:00pm Ben Franklin - upbeat rockers with a twangy yet punk flair
10:00pm The Nightlights - in-your-face rock-and-roll (shout out to Allston Rock City)
11:00pm The Press - genre-bending with roots in catchy rock
12:00am Paul and The Patients - captivating psychedelic electro pop/rock
1:00am DJ Das Booty takes over and spins until we all fall down

Sat March 6th
9:00pm Crash and Burn - a bluesy duo based in rock
10:00pm Bugs in the Dark - 90s grunge tinged with punk and modern indie
11:00pm The Loom (pictured) - almost orchestral pop/rock with horns, keys, banjos, guitars and waaay more
12:00am FiKus - intricate rock with a jazz-like jamming quality

Doors open at 8. $8 per night or $12 for both.  Get ready to party!

Despite the tremendous winds and early winter chill, last Friday’s Knocks From the Underground New York Compilation release show was a smashing success. Feel free to browse pictures if you want to get an idea of the rocking good time.

The night kicked off with the highly undervalued but absolutely phenomenal Ben Franklin, who took the stage at 7:45. They performed a blistering 30-minute set for the lucky few who arrived early to catch one of New York’s most talented up-and-comers. They have some tunes on their site (linked above) but their live performance is where the band really takes flight.

Yoni Gordon and the Goods fought traffic for hours to get back to New York and triumphantly took the stage next. Yoni preached the gospel of merchandise sales and the Goods helped him get booties swaying with his patented brand of pop punk. His track on the compilation helps embody the raw fervor that pop music often neglects.

The Courtesy Tier was next up to bat. This band took the stage and delivered a blistering (absolutely mind-numbing speed) set of tunes that reaffirmed the gut and grit that blues adds to rock’n’roll. Wow. If you have not seen these guys in action, make the extra effort to catch their live show; it definitely will slap a smile on any face.

The show hit its stride around 9:40 when Carlon took the stage. I am the first to admit I thought this may be a cool down after The Courtesy Tier but no, Carlon brought down the house with an explosion of melodies and harmonies whose energy was both unexpected and delightful. In fact, the crowd from the main stage upstairs (Webster Hall) took notice and actually made their way down to catch the tail end of this impressive set.

The Studio became packed and the anticipation reached a fever pitch with people wondering how the last act could be topped. Leave it to Hypernova to catapult the evening to the next level. The dark, brooding, electronic rock wall of sound that is Hypernova blew the audience away. Loud, fast, thumping music pumped through the crowd triggering an array of reactions from head-banging to club dancing. Ramm had the crowd in the palm of his hand and they were enjoying every minute of the intense set. Let’s all hope Narnack Records (who just signed them) treats them right!

With emotions high, Paul and the Patients took the stage around 11:30 to close out the early night. The bar had been set high by the five previous bands and Paul brought it home in smashing fashion. The no-holds-bar performance was a sweaty, vein-popping mess of beautiful lyrics and tremendous harmonies. Emotions ran wild and everyone present was moved by the fury of their set. What a way to close out the night!

Knocks would again like to thank Ben Franklin, Yoni Gordon and the Goods, The Courtesy Tier, Carlon, Hypernova and Paul and the Patients for a tremendous night of rock. You can download new tracks from all of these bands (and six others) on the Knocks Compilation here. You can also stream the tracks on the Knocks Player to the left of this article. We hope you enjoy. Let us know your thoughts.

Thank you for your continued support of Knocks From the Underground and independent music!

--Will--