This Friday marks the series finale of the nationally broadcasted music video TV show Strictly Global, based out of northern Virginia. It has been in syndication for 9 seasons, and hosted by Dawn Reed over the past 3 years, reeling in DC based indie bands as often as possible amongst its playlist of international bands. Tune in at 10 PM on 6-3-2011 to catch an interview with DC rock guitarist/singer Joshua Padgett of The Chance who will talk about their upcoming summer release New York City Girls, their new live line-up, and throughout the hour several of their new songs will be previewed including "You", "Forever", and the title track "New York City Girls."

Catch them live the same night at Rock & Roll Hotel along with The Honeyguns and the Electric 11s.

The Music Frees All Festival, which delivers some of the finest funk, afrobeat, soul, hip hop and reggae music acts from the five boroughs, began last night at Southpaw. Its founder, Miles Arntzen, created this three-day, three-venue festival not only to support a community of these musicians and celebrate their music, but also to encourage the famously "static" NYC audience to let go and dance! Expect to hear funkadelic tunes from Turkuaz and soulful spoken word/rap from NYC’s own Super Osei & Seattle based M$ney Jungle. The concerts at Southpaw (Night 1) and Public Assembly (Night 2) kick off at 8 PM and showcase four different bands and a DJ to continue the dance party. The Music Frees All Festival finally makes its way to Manhattan at Drom on its closing night. All the proceeds of this show will go towards the Scotty Hard Trust to help financially support the medical needs of Scotty Hard, an NYC-based music producer who became partially paralyzed after an automobile accident in 2008. While this show is a benefit, there will be no shortage of bootyshaking music from Nyle vs. Naysayers serving up clever rhymes and beats to Arntzen’s own band, EMEFE (in the picture), delivering dangerously danceable afrobeat. For more information go here. – Abigail P. Devora

Radical Dads don’t have the same issues as other bands you’ve been listening to. You’re not gonna hear singer Lindsay Baker, other singer Robbie Guertin or not-singer Chris Diken talk about posturing or clubbing. Get real. They’re having way too much fun to worry about all that nonsense.
This dismissive attitude comes from a group that doesn’t just sound like ’90s indie all stars Yo La Tengo or Chavez or… (insert favorite ’90s Matador Records band here), they characterize it like an unearthed time capsule from Portland. With an imagination that includes room for dinosaurs and apocalypse all within the scope of the same song (‘New Age Dinosaur’), Radical Dads have got your needs covered.
Their new record Mega Rama (Uninhabitable Mansions) is drenched in fuzzy guitars, fuzzy screaming and fuzzy fuzziness, and all of this is somehow far too much fun to be aggressive in any way. Loud abandon is just their calling card. Any other doubts? Watch the video below for ‘Recklessness‘ and I promise you’ll get over yourself. – Mike Levine

 

The market for joke Rap groups has run dry lately. Paul Barman did his thing, Northern State did theirs (wait, were they serious?), and some of us were lucky enough to bask in the hilarity of Party Fun Action Committee. However, if you’re thirsty from something new, brazen, and potentially drenched in Sake, you should check out the Notorious MSG. Their raps are completely irreverent, self-effacing, and rife with cliché (as most joke rap should be!). Imagine if the Beastie Boys had been raised on dim sum and Sonny Chiba flicks, then sprinkle in a little 80s R n’ B for effect and you’re ready to wok. Their debut album “Heavy Ghetto” was released on May 24th, don’t miss their CD release party at Brooklyn Bowl on June 10th. – BrokeMC

Hooray for summer! Time for bikinis, beers, bean…dips… and Battle of NYC Boroughs! On Friday the sixth, ten bands are participating in Manhattan’s Battle of Boroughs, the preliminary round for the Ultimate Battle, and a chance at the opening slot for this year’s SummerStage festival. The winner is determined by audience vote, so your attendance is necessary. Featured bands include West Side Five, Ethan Mann, Genghis Barbie (top picture), Lounis Ait Menguelet, Jay Stone, Snehasish Mozumder, Scrambler Seequill (see crazy/awesome video below), John Brodeur, Andy Suzuki & The Method, and Ben Tyree. The show will be at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC 44 Charlton Street. More event info here. – Caitlin Clive