I woke up at the hotel in Philadelphia yesterday late, after a disturbing dream of a sexual nature and saw, in the angled mirrors of the bathroom, the burgeoning bald spot on the back of my head for the first time. That was a bit of a bummer, but the day picked up from there. I was ridiculously, laughably exhausted after night one of the Small Stone showcase at The M-Room, but with one more night to go, it wasn’t quite time to punch/crash out yet.

Taking the bus down for the day, The Patient Mrs. met me in town (this weekend is our wedding anniversary) and we loafed around for a bit before eventually settling in to do some work, and then eventually I dropped her off at the 30th St. Station, so she could head back north and I could run over to the venue for the start of the show. I’ll confess that despite having seen the Brian Mercer poster above on more than one occasion, I didn’t even remember who was first on the bill, so when I walked in, it was a bit of a surprise to hear Ironweed playing.

We’ll begin with that:

Ironweed: Of all the acts on the Small Stone roster, they’re probably the one I’m the least a fan of, but I’ll hand it to the Upstate New Yorker double-guitar four-piece anyway and say they were tight as hell. Their stuff is just on the other side of commercially accessible from what I really get down with, but they do it well, and though I haven’t listened to their Your World of Tomorrow album since I reviewed it back in April, I still recognized some of the songs from it. That alone should say something about the strength of their songwriting, wherever how they use it might lie on the spectrum of my personal taste.

The Might Could: Don’t even like Pantera anymore. Despite not being able to stand too close to the stage on account of the formidable body odor emitting therefrom, The Might Could were loud enough that I could’ve probably sat on the on-ramp to I-95 a few miles down the road and still heard them. Both guitarists/vocalists Erik Larson and TJ Childers played through full  stacks, and though I think going on earlier didn’t necessarily suit the band’s performance — bassist Rob Gouldman (ex-Lord) mentioned from the stage several times they wanted drink tickets — they killed. There should’ve been more people there to see it, but the songs, the tones, the mix of Southern, stoner and sludge made The Might Could‘s set stand out. They were loose and clearly wanted to be that way, but sounded even fuller live than they did on their self-titled, and Ryan Wolfe started off a string of insanely good drumming that lasted the rest of the night.

Throttlerod: Kevin White continued that string that Ryan Wolfe started, and added a more technical sense to it, some theory to go with the speed. There were different styles throughout the evening, and with people doing different things musically, it’s hard to say who was the best, but White was up there, whatever metric you might want to use. Aside from rocking, Throttlerod‘s set was fascinating because of the noisy course the band’s sound has taken over their last couple records, Nail (2006) and Pig Charmer (2009). Seeing northerners take on a Southern aesthetic is nothing new, but the Virginian three-piece — which as of Pig Charmer featured Brooklyn-based bassist Andrew Schneider, also engineer and co-founder of Coextinction Recordings, who was absent — have gone the opposite route, adopting a start-stop crunch that’s straight out of the classic Amphetamine Reptile playbook. With guitarist/vocalist Matt Whitehead adding melody vocally, it’s a distinctive mix.

Gozu: Their spot on the bill was a clear indication that Scott Hamilton, owner of Small Stone Records, wanted to feature them to the crowd. Otherwise, Throttlerod has been around much longer and The Might Could, though a relatively new band, have added clout owing to their pedigree (Childers plays drums in Inter Arma, Ryan Wolfe was signed to Relapse with Facedowninshit and Erik Larson was in Alabama Thunderpussy), but to Gozu‘s credit, they earned their spot. One of the best aspects of their 2010 Small Stone debut, Locust Season, was the vocals of guitarist Marc Gaffney, and on stage at The M-Room proved no different. Locust Season flew under a lot of people’s radar, I guess because it seems like Gozu came out of nowhere with it, but the record was really strong, and the memorability of the songs held up. Gaffney, playing through a custom Matamp (I think) with “GAFF” on the faceplate, was joined on guitar by Doug Sherman, whose high-slung guitar, angled ballcap and stage demeanor was right out of the New England hardcore scene birthed in Gozu‘s Boston home. Still, with the two guitarists, it was bassist Paul Dallaire‘s low end that dominated the live mix, and coupled with Barry Spillberg‘s intimidating performance on drums, there was no question the band was where they belonged. They played a new song — I believe Sherman said it was called “Bald Bull” (the referential title would be befitting their modus) — that speaks well of what’s to come on their next album.

The Brought Low: Like Suplecs and Lo-Pan the night before, it was my second time in a week seeing Small Stone‘s NYC contingent trio. Their set was mostly the same as it had been in Brooklyn, but at the behest of Hamilton, they also included “Vernon Jackson” from 2006′s Right on Time, which happens also to be one of my favorite songs of theirs. Still, it was the ultra-catchy “The Kelly Rose” from their aptly-titled third record, Third Record, that I walked out of The M-Room singing under my breath at the end of the night. Nick Heller continued the night of 1,000 tom hits, and Bob Russell and Ben Smith did right by material both new and old. “Army of Soldiers” was again a killer inclusion, and though it was enjoyable on their Coextinction EP, I hope it winds up on their next album, because it’s worth highlighting and pressing to disc. They had a couple classic Brought Low barn-burners going, and that was right up there with any of them. It wasn’t like I was dying to hear those songs because it had been so long since I’d seen the band, but The Brought Low never fail to please, and Philly was no exception. They tossed around a few joshing Civil War references (a new shirt features the visage of Ulysses S. Grant) in the direction of The Might Could, and it was another enjoyable — day I say “fun?” — set from a rock band in total command of their style and playing.

Roadsaw: They were simply too big for the stage they were playing on. It was my first time seeing the mainstay Boston foursome of vocalist Craig Riggs, bassist Tim Catz, guitarist Ian Ross and drummer Jeremy Hemond since the release of their self-titled back in January, and the quality of those songs was palpable standing in the crowd, much of which had stayed late. There was a second or two there where I thought Riggs — who is a madman on stage — was going to fall right off, and likewise where I thought the microphone which he spins from the cable, was going to pop off the cord and hit someone in the head. Neither happened and the excitement was located entirely within the set, which is fortunate at least from an injury perspective. It was approaching 2AM, which was closing time for The M-Room, so they clipped a few songs off the top. Riggs said after they were done that they prefer it that way anyhow, short and sweet, and I didn’t hear anyone else complaining. Since coming back to active duty with 2008′s See You in Hell!, Roadsaw have emerged as being among a small number of masters of the heavy rock form, and between the Roadsaw record and the showing they gave in Philly, I’d say that anyone across the Atlantic who happens to catch them on their upcoming run with Dixie Witch and Sasquatch would be lucky to do so. A near-perfect combination of energy and experience, and probably the most fitting end the Small Stone showcase could’ve had short of a Halfway to Gone reunion. It was right on right from the start.

But when it was over, it was nigh on ridiculous o’clock, and with the two-hours northbound ahead of me, I made a quick exit and beeline back to the car. I managed to cut some time off the trip (am I the only person who races to shave minutes off their GPS?) and, by some amazing coincidence, fell into bed just in time to completely conk out. It was a hell of a week, and a hell of a weekend, but it capped just right. I won’t be able to make the Chicago showcase next weekend, but it’s Freedom Hawk, Gozu, Sasquatch, Backwoods Payback, Lo-Pan and Suplecs on Oct. 1, so if you can make it, consider this post and yesterday’s a hearty recommendation to do so.

Thanks to Scott Hamilton and all the bands for making it a killer time, and to The Patient Mrs. for being the kind of lady who doesn’t mind it when she calls her husband to say happy seventh anniversary and The Brought Low is rocking in the background.

More pictures after the jump.

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The carton from which Lo-Pan frontman Jeff Martin is drinking in the candid picture above reads “Boxed Water is Better.” There’s a life lesson in there somewhere, but mark my words, I have no clue what it might be.

After bolting from a school obligation in Newark and stopping only to grab sushi takeout on my way to Brooklyn for the BrooklynVegan/The Obelisk-presented gig at Union Pool with The Brought Low, Lo-Pan and Suplecs. I was excited to see the bands and glad it had stopped raining from earlier in the day, but more than either of those, I was just in a hurry to get there.

Being involved in booking and promoting shows is nerve-wracking work, and to those who do it on a regular basis — and that includes Fred from BrooklynVegan, who invited me to be a part of the show out of the blue and the kindness of his heart — much respect. I can’t imagine being responsible for making people show up somewhere, trying to draw a crowd. I have a hard enough time getting my own ass off the couch, let alone anyone else’s.

That said, if e’er a rock bill in Brooklyn was going to do it, it was this one. With the two-day Small Stone Records showcase in Philadelphia this weekend featuring all three of these bands (and many others), I was thinking of the show as an unofficial warm-up, a kind of unofficial mini-showcase — but really, however you phrase it, it was a killer night. The Brought Low went on at 9:30, and if you looked back from there, you wasted your time.

I don’t know how many times I’ve said it at this point, but every time I see them affirms my opinion that The Brought Low are the best rock band in New York. They played a set that felt short, but pulled probably the night’s biggest crowd. The two faster cuts from their recent Coextinction Recordings EP, “Army of Soldiers” and “Black River” — on which bassist Bob Russell took lead vocals from guitarist Ben Smith — sounded great, and the material from last year’s Third Record was no less thrilling than when I heard it the last time I saw them in December. Nick Heller‘s drumming behind Smith‘s come-a-creepin’ guitar line on “My Favorite Waste of Time” gave me a newly-revitalized appreciation for that song.

That was about as subdued as they got. The rest of their time was devoted to energetic, upbeat songs like “Blues for Cubby” off of 2006′s Right on Time, which was another highlight. They were probably the perfect way to kick off the show, and set a high bar for Lo-Pan, who I don’t even know how many times I’ve seen this year at this point (another to come Friday in Philly). Union Pool‘s sound suited them well as they ran through tracks from the instantly classic Salvador, released earlier this year.

Guitarist Brian Fristoe played probably the best and most engaged set I’ve seen from him — Lo-Pan‘s stage configuration puts the instruments out front and the aforementioned Jeff Martin in the rear, and Fristoe is usually pretty subdued compared to drummer Jesse Bartz and bassist Skot Thompson, seemingly preferring to let the fuzz and the riffs do the talking — but it didn’t wind up doing him any favors. Late in the set, he broke a string and the considerable momentum Lo-Pan had built coming off “Bird of Prey” took a substantial hit.

It didn’t stop them. Jokes were tossed back and forth in the break while Fristoe changed out the string, and Lo-Pan was tight enough that when they picked back up and closed out with “Generations,” I didn’t hear another word about the string. In talking to the band before and after they played, they said they were well rested, and they played like it. Comparing it to a few weeks back at Stoner Hands of Doom XI, they were pretty great then, but better last night. Clearly just a band at the top of their game making the most of their time on the road. It’s exciting to watch them.

And what to say about Suplecs? The New Orleans trio’s bassist Danny Nick mentioned from the stage that it was the band’s first time in Brooklyn since opening for Clutch and The Hidden Hand at L’Amour in 2004. Last time I saw them was right around then as well, at South by Southwest that year. So seven years and two albums later, they loaded onto the Union Pool stage and let loose with songs from across their discography. I missed the start, but came back in shortly thereafter in time for the anthemic punk chorus of “Stand Alone” from 2011′s Mad Oak Redux, which carried even more heft live, Nick and guitarist Durel Yates sharing vocal duties and driving the rhythms nailed down by the stellar drumming of Andrew Preen.

“White Devil” from 2001′s Sad Songs… Better Days made my night, plain and simple. And that Suplecs followed it up with their take on The Beatles “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” which was included on the same album tacked to the more shuffling “Unstable” was even more righteous, but what was most striking about their performance wasn’t even how tight the band was — 15 years of a solid lineup will do that — but just how much diversity there is in their material.

Maybe it’s harder to hear on their records (though I would and have argued that their studio stuff has much to offer in terms of personality), but throughout the course of their time, it occurred to me just how many different roads Suplecs was taking the audience, from the hardcore punk of “Stand Alone” to the ultra-stonerly riffing of “White Devil” and “Dope Fu,” to the extended jams and solos they fused into the latter half of their set, to the off-the-cuff take on early Metallica — I think it was “Four Horsemen” — they threw into their finale. Yates, Nick and Preen made all these changes and shifts work, so that if you weren’t paying attention, you hardly even noticed the movement from one to the next.

On a night of impressive feats, that of Suplecs was as appropriate a finish as The Brought Low‘s was a start, and for that, and for the utterly transcendent fuzz of Lo-Pan in between (yeah, yeah, I know, I’m a nerd for Lo-Pan), the show was perfect. The crowd was filled with good people, Union Pool‘s sound is killer, and I even managed to make it back to my foggy river valley in New Jersey without running out of gas. I couldn’t possibly have asked more from the show than I got.

And for that, I owe Fred from BrooklynVegan thanks. I’m no promoter, and I don’t know squat about putting on shows, but Fred was cool enough to ask me if I wanted to be involved and it was hugely appreciated. Thanks too to everyone who came out and made it as special as it was. If I needed another reason to be stoked for Philly this weekend (I didn’t), this was it.

Extra pics after the jump, as always.

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Presented by BrooklynVegan in conjunction with The Obelisk, three of Small Stone Records‘ finest will lay waste to Union Pool in Brooklyn this evening. Doors open at 9PM. Hope to see you there.

That weekend is the huge, two-day Small Stone Records showcase in Philly, so I’m thinking of this show on Tuesday, Sept. 20 — featuring three of the most rocking bands on the label — as a kind of pre-party. Just a sampling of the debauched, rocking madness to come that weekend. Suplecs, in New York for the first time in who the hell knows how long, team up with natives The Brought Low and Ohioan fuzz mavens Lo-Pan (you may have read about them on this site once or twice) for a gig at Union Pool in Brooklyn.

I’m excited to be teamed with BrooklynVegan on this show, and am so pretty much only through their graciousness, so thanks much to them. It’s going to be a killer night — if you’ve never been to Union Pool, the taco cart is fantastic — with three righteous, bullshit-free bands for the low price of $10. It’s the kind of show I’d be happy just to go to, let alone have this site’s name on the flier:

Speaking of, here’s that flier:

Any spreading the news around or buying of advanced tickets you’d like to do is certainly appreciated. Hope to see you at the show.

Coextinction Recordings was founded late last year by the formidable team of Dave Curran (Unsane, Players Club, Pigs), James Paradise (Fresh Kills, Players Club, Pigs), Chris Spencer (Unsane) and producer Andrew Schneider (Pigs, Slughog), and has already had digital releases from the founders’ bands as well as Shrinebuilder, Goes Cube and Julie Christmas, among others. Their ninth release — aptly titled Coextinction Recordings 9 — is a three-song EP from New York rockers The Brought Low.

Boasting the songs “Army of Soldiers,” “Black River” and “Don’t Give Up Your Good Thing,” The Brought Low‘s Coextinction EP (produced, not surprisingly, by the band in conjunction with Schneider) distills the elements that make the band among the finest their overcrowded city has to offer. The opener is a classic Brought Low barn-burner, “Black River” finds bassist Bob Russell taking the lead for some mid-paced classic rock stomp, and on the seven-minute finale, “Don’t Give Up Your Good Thing,” the trio — Russell, guitarist/vocalist Ben Smith and drummer Nick Heller — slam on the breaks and deliver the twanged-out melancholy as only they can.

The band and Coextinction were kind enough to allow me to host “Army of Soldiers” for streaming on the player below, so please check it out. Under that, you’ll find some insight from Smith and Russell about the three songs. Thanks much to all parties involved for kicking ass.

The Brought Low‘s EP is available for a whopping $2.99 at Coextinction‘s website: http://www.coextinction.com

“Army of Soldiers”

Ben Smith: The result of listening to too much NWOBHM in Bob‘s truck last tour. Originally the lyrics were about knights and dragons but I couldn’t sing them with a straight face so Bob suggested, “Make it about being a kid in Queens and getting fucked up on angel dust and doing graffiti.” Done.

Bob Russell: If you ever stood in the freezing cold somewhere in the woods wearing only your denim jacket and Cons just so you could listen to your Celtic Frost tape and drink a few cans of stolen Budweiser with your friends, then the army of soldiers wants YOU.

“Black River”

BR: “Black River” is about doing bad things. You may not want to do ‘em, but you know you’re gonna do ‘em. I wrote it while having to walk across the English Kills to work on a shitty construction site right between a waste transfer station and a demolition transfer station. I always wondered what you’d find at the bottom of that water.

BS: Bob’s jam. He had given me an acoustic demo of it and I instantly thought we could turn it up. Fulfills my dream of The Brought Low sounding like The Band using Marshall stacks.

“Don’t Give Up Your Good Thing”

BS: Wouldn’t be a Brought Low release without a weeper.  Had the first two verses for like 10 years but didn’t write the last verse until a few months ago. Whenever I bring in a ballad I always worry the dudes won’t like it yet they always do, which makes me very happy.

BR: I think this is the most glacially-paced song we’ve recorded. We reckoned it begs for horns and keys and stuff but here, in its sparse version, it works kind of sweet. This is also the first time I’ve seen Ben play a Strat. Just attach yourself to Nick‘s ride cymbal and don’t make any plans for the next seven minutes.

Get The Brought Low’s Coextinction EP here

I’ll have more on this in the next couple weeks, but I wanted to get the news out there in case anyone didn’t see it on the forum that The Brought Low — otherwise known as New York‘s best rock band — will be putting out a new EP digitally through Coextinction Recordings come July 15. The material follows the trio’s usual scope of fire-breathing rockers and woeful hungover melancholy. At a little over 13 minutes long, it’s quite a roller coaster.

Here’s the news from the band:

The Brought Low will be releasing a new three-song digital EP on Coextinction Recordings this July 15, 2011. We cut three new songs with producer Andrew Schneider about a month back and they will be available for download at the Coextinction website: http://www.coextinction.com.

Song titles are “Army of Soldiers,” “Black River” and “Don’t Give Up Your Good Thing.”

We should be posting some song clips in the near future.

Also we just booked our first show of the fall on Saturday, Sept 24, 2011, at The M Room in Philadelphia as part of Philly Fest‘s Small Stone Records showcase with Roadsaw, Gozu, Throttlerod, Sun Gods in Exile, The Might Could and Ironweed.

Between this and yesterday’s live review, that’s two days in a row of writing about NYC rockers The Brought Low, and as far as I’m concerned, those are two good days. Even though I made this list weeks ago at this point, seeing New York‘s most powerful power trio play live again this past weekend only reaffirmed how much they belong on it. The Brought Low are killer heavy rock. End of story.

Third Record was their second release for Small Stone, and it rested on the mighty groove of tracks like “The Kelly Rose” and “My Favorite Waste of Time” just as much as the wistful emotionality of its ballads, “A Thousand Miles Away” and “Last Man Alive.” It opened catchy with “Old Century” and was enough to keep me coming back to The Brought Low for the whole year. And seriously, it was just about the whole year. I reviewed this thing in February.

I don’t think The Brought Low are ever going to be an album-a-year kind of band, but when they do get to putting out records, they’re killer. Third Record is the closest the band has come to capturing their formidable live energy on tape, and it was genuinely worth the four-year wait to get it. As the band matures, they only seem to get better, and of Small Stone‘s several really strong offerings in 2010, The Brought Low was most definitely among the upper crust.

It had been years since I was last in the Cake Shop, but upon my arrival I found it much the same as I’d last left it: upstairs a coffee bar that sells LPs and limited this-and-thats, and downstairs a basement venue not unlike other venerable Manhattan stops I’ve come across over the years — Lit Lounge, Ace of Clubs, The Pyramid all spring to mind. Christmas lights hung around the stage, giving a festive air, which was appropriate for Kings Destroy‘s record release show for the brilliant And the Rest Will Surely Perish. I got there in time to see the band soundcheck, and they sounded tight, guitarist Carl Porcaro playing through a broken wrist and not being held back by it in the slightest. Everything came through clear, so they broke down and eventually the show got going.

Maegashira opened. There was a lot of friends, a lot of emotions and a lot of feedback. Then it was over.

I couldn’t remember if I’d seen The Brought Low since they put out Third Record earlier this year, but even if I had, I was certainly more familiar with the songs this time around. During the course of their set, they played the first four songs off the album in a row — by the time they got around to the ultra-grooving “My Favorite Waste of Time,” I was both drunk and so happy I couldn’t stand still — as well as cuts from their prior self-titled and Right on Time offerings. They’ve always been a live band in my mind, and since they went power-trio, they’ve only gotten better. Their garage rock side comes out more in their sound, but they offset it with thicker tones and occasional breakneck speed. However long it had been, it felt like too long since I’d seen them. What a band.

As they do, Kings Destroy pulled in a good crowd for the release show, and they positively killed. They were slower than the last time I saw them, and it seemed like the band had purposefully taken a step back to examine what they were doing live, to bring it more in line with the album. It worked. Porcaro and fellow guitarist Chris Skowronski played together with the kind of unspoken chemistry you can only have when you’ve shared a stage with someone for years — because they have — and bassist Ed Bocchino‘s tone is quickly becoming one of my favorites in doom. Couple that with the refined crash of Rob Sefcik and the increasing confidence of Steve Murphy — now firmly in command of the room — behind the mic, and you’ve got the makings of a classic.

They’re reportedly at work on new material already, but stuck to And the Rest Will Surely Perish for their set. I’m not sure when I grabbed it, but at some point in my stupor, I grabbed their set list and it went as follows: “Medusa,” “The Mounty,” “Planet XXY,” “The Whittler,” “Stung,” “Dusty Mummy” and closing with “Old Yeller,” leaving only “Two Tons” from the record unplayed. Even when Porcaro broke a string, they kept going. He got another guitar and was back in it in no time, and no momentum was lost. These dudes are pros — and I’ll be totally honest — they make me wish I had a real label, with distribution and promotion and all that happy crap, because they deserve to be heard.

The crowd thinned out some after Kings Destroy, leaving Alkahest to close out the night in the basement. I continue to be a fan and intrigued to see where these guys end up stylistically, since every time I see them it’s a different kind of experience. Frontman Chris spent a good portion of the set writhing on the Cake Shop floor (which didn’t look clean), leaving the stage to the rest of the band, who filled it amply. They were a last-minute replacement for Mighty High, whose drummer’s special lady had a baby the week prior, but Alkahest made the best of it and capped off a great night in fittingly aggressive fashion. Their balance of tortured vs. angry vs. ambient has not yet ceased to fascinate.

The Patient Mrs. drove me back to the valley, and certainly I wouldn’t have made it without her. I gave back some of the evenings Newcastles in the form of a short and sweet-tasting vomit session, then crashed out, my ears ringing, my body sore, and my stomach already looking forward to the omelet that would necessarily follow in the morning. I wouldn’t have traded any part of the night for anything in the world.

It’s the weekend of my wedding anniversary, but man, the lineup for Small Stone‘s Philadelphia showcase is pretty badass. True, I’ve seen most of these bands, but I don’t imagine House of Broken Promises are going to make a habit of being on the East Coast, Backwoods Payback are buddies, Solace kill every time, Red Giant‘s got a new album coming, I’d really, really like to hear some of the material from Sasquatch‘s third record live, and the Millcreek Tavern has their own home brew. Looks like it could be another test of The Patient Mrs. living up to her name.

Here’s the news from Small Stone:

Small Stone is pleased to announce that we will be doing two back-to-back showcases at The Philadelphia Film & Music Festival in September. Our events will be taking place at the Millcreek Tavern which is located at 4200 Chester Avenue, University City, Philadelphia (215-222-1255). And, now for the lineup:

Friday September 24th: Dixie Witch, The Brought Low, Throttlerod, Lo-Pan, Sun Gods in Exile, Backwoods Payback

Saturday September 25th: Solace, Roadsaw, Sasquatch, House of Broken Promises, Gozu, Red Giant

As I told The Brought Low bassist/backing vocalist Bob Russell while we waited outside guitarist/vocalist Ben Smith‘s work for him to come down with a suggestion as to where to go to lunch and conduct this interview today (March 2, 2010), and as I’ve said on multiple occasions prior, every time I come to Midtown Manhattan, I swear it’s going to be the last time I ever do it. Sure enough, though, there’s always something to bring me back.

This time, it’s The Brought Low‘s Third Record (review here), the band’s first offering in five years since they made their Small Stone Records label debut with Right on Time. An entirely unpretentious and confident collection of songs, it was easily worth the drive into the city to discuss with Smith and Russell the process of making the album with producer Andrew Schneider (Throttlerod, Puny Human, etc.), and as we went to dine at Cafe Edison — located in the hotel on Broadway of the same name — the environment reminded me of something straight out of a New York movie, one of those scenes where intimacy is somehow managed in one of the planet’s most crowded spots. For the record, Smith credits his father with showing him how to navigate Midtown.

Likewise, both Smith and Russell agree that a good portion of Third Record‘s natural, organic sound comes from Schneider‘s work behind the board, but neither discounts their comfort in the trio lineup of the band — rounded out by drummer Nick Heller — as a factor in the positive results. Over our shared meal, there was a lot of joking and a lot of lighthearted sarcasm (one of the charms of The Brought Low has always been their self-deprecating sense of humor), but it’s no question that the band is passionate and serious about what they’re doing and how far they’ve come in their decade of existence.

After the jump, Smith and Russell discuss making Third Record, their plans surrounding South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and, of course, how every other band is jive and The Brought Low kicks ass. It’s a given. Enjoy the interview.

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What New York City rockers The Brought Low have always managed to do best is get right to the point, and on their latest offering, the appropriately titled Third Album (Small Stone), the trio make it known right away that they’re open for business. “Old Century Man” is an upbeat rocker that plays directly into the trio’s old fashioned classic rock aesthetic. That song could be said to be the mission statement for the eight tracks following it, but The Brought Low do more sonically than hit overdrive for three minutes at a time and call it a day.

Which is fortunate, if you think about it, because if they did, we would have waited four years for a 27-minute record. And that seems silly somehow.

But no, The Brought Low offer substance in more than just temporal fashion right off the bat. There has always been an underlying emotionality to their songs, a blues-driven sense of loss made palpable to the listener through the vocals of guitarist Ben Smith. “Everybody Loves a Whore” keeps the vibe of the opener going, albeit more aggressively (or many that’s just me reacting to the name), but with “The Kelly Rose,” the band begins to show a personality in their work that 2006’s Right on Time had, at its strongest moments, started to fulfill. “The Kelly Rose” is catchy and memorable — a solid transition into “A Thousand Miles Away,” which takes a wistful, acoustic turn, highlighting a road-weary loneliness in the lyrics that’s perfectly suited to the pop melancholy of the music.

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A heartfelt “Fucking a” goes out to NYC‘s best pure rock band, The Brought Low, who landed the gig of gigs opening for much-lauded supergroup Them Crooked Vultures Monday night, Feb. 8, at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan! Quite a score, gentlemen. If you’ve ever seen The Brought Low live, you already know they’re more than equal to the task, since, to put it succinctly, they kill.

In also-ruling news, The Brought Low also recently finished their new album, Third Record, for upcoming release via Small Stone. They’ve just put up a new track, “The Kelly Rose,” on their MySpace. This year is looking better and better.

Here’s the deal in the band’s own words:

Just confirmed we are opening for Them Crooked Vultures this Monday night, February 8th @ The Roseland Ballroom in NYC! Super duper psyched!

Also, just posted a song from the new album Third Record called “The Kelly Rose” on our MySpace page so check it out! Should be up on iTunes in a few weeks and available as an actual CD later this spring.

I also just set up a Twitter account for the band so if you’re into that sort of thing check it out: http://twitter.com/TheBroughtLow.

Also looking very likely we will be playing some shows in the Midwest on our way down to the Small Stone Records South by Southwest Showcase in March. Stay tuned for tour dates.

Grabbed this one from the StonerRock.com news section and figured I’d put it here in case anyone didn’t see it there. Okay, basically it’s an excuse to put up a Brought Low video. Sue me. These guys rule. Can’t wait to hear the obligatory slow jam.

In case you forgot, they’ve got two new songs on their MySpace. Go get ‘em.

Loading in to Andrew Schneider‘s studio this afternoon to begin setting up and getting sounds for Brought Low record numero tres basics recording.

70`s Les Paul with Super Distortion pickups? Check. Goldtop with P90s? Check. Telecaster? Check. Buncha funky pedals Bob makes fun of that probably won`t get used that much? Check. Vintage wood drumkit? Check. Ibuprofen? Check. Ford F150? Check. Tones? For days, brah.

Am psyched. Started in theory as our acoustic Zeppelin 3 then wrote a bunch of fast punk rock songs and then slowed it down and got more riffey. A little something for everyone plus the obligitory slow jam.

Should be fun. Will post updates as magic happens.

Whatever else happens this week, at the end of it, we’ll all come out winners, because New York‘s The Brought Low have posted two new songs on their MySpace page. Says guitarist/vocalist/all around good dude Ben Smith on the StonerRock.com message board:

Hey all,
I just posted two new pre-production demos for Brought Low album number three on our MySpace page. We cut these completely live in our practice space so the sound quality is a little wanting but we thought the performances and songs were good enough to share so hopefully these will tide you over until the end of the year when the new record comes out.

The songs are “Mattie Groves” and “Time Will Come.” Any resemblance to any other similarly-titled songs is entirely intentional yet well within applicable copyright laws and statutes. And yes, we like Australian punk rock, a lot.

Anyhow enjoy.

Enjoy indeed. And when you’re done with the new ones, remind yourself of how much ass 2006′s Right on Time kicked by listening to the other songs on there. The only downer is we’ll have to wait till the end of the year for the new record, but if these two are any indication, it’s going to be worth it. Kick ass.