For this second edition of Bored in Brooklyn, I am going to refrain from writing anything about bands containing people I sleep with or have been in other bands with. Is this what they call 'journalistic integrity'? Contact me for information re: my anonymous source policy, but in the meantime, some names need dropping.

Now, I've only been in New York for twenty-two months, and in that time I've seen more shows that I had seen in my first twenty-five years of life. It's exciting, sure, but after a while that band-fatigue starts to set in - goddamn it, I don't want to trek all the way in to Manhattan to see some band I've never heard of before, because the goddamn Metrocard rates went up and I'm tired and this club is where did you say and I really cannot stomach the thought of standing in some dank room surrounded by people I don't know while some second-rate group depresses me with their earnest attempts at "rock." On the other hand, every once in a while you pull yourself together and head out in the hopes that the band you've never heard of will turn out to be a band you want to know more about, and such was my luck with A Place to Bury Strangers. Their sonic assault had me pinned to the wall, jaw in the region of my knees. How on earth can so much sound issue forth from such a small group of people? I know rock critics enjoy phrases like "mind-blowing" and "face-melting," but I'm no rock critic, and APTBS are simply "fucking-amazing."

Switching gears entirely, I imagine most readers of this blogozine look upon singer-songwriters with some degree of skepticism (although I find the term singer-songwriter incredibly artificial; technically Corin Tucker writes songs and then sings them, so, what, is she a singer-songwriter? Is Peaches?). Yeah, me too. But give Alina Simone a chance. She's smarter than your average strummer-crooner, and while you can enjoy her recordings (click website for details), I was won over by her live show. She plants her feet so firmly and looks people in the eye and gives off an aura of equal parts confidence and warmth; by the end I wanted to ask her out for coffee. She's embarking on a solo career now, and her former bandmates in Emma la Reina are auditioning new singers and making plans to get back to business. Good news, because ELR are quickly becoming a band to watch here in Brooklyn - aside from being very cool people, they're quirky and talented and feature one of the insanest drummers I have ever seen in my life.

Three hours later, over and out.