Band Update

While we've been working on some new material and mulling over new gig possibilities, early October has also lead towards upgrading our band. We are piecing the press kit together nicely to help land us new shows. As a matter of fact, we should be lining up our first-ever photo shoot next weekend with my personal colleague, co-worker and rock music fan Chris Hayes (check out his work at www.photo.net/photos/Chris Hayes). In addition to the photos we are going to package and print our cds differently. On top of that, we may have some live photo/video work done at our next show, providing Joe can recruit a photo/video guy that worked with his own project, the New Kings of Rythym. Also, look for Joe's new bio on the website soon... just click on the ewok.

Post Show Report

It's true we're back, but could we live up to or excel past expectations at these two latest NTL shows? Nervous tensions surged through each of us at our first gig back at the East End. After all, we were going on first on a Saturday night gig - sucking was not an option. Even with Joe burned out from playing 2 previous gigs and having had no sleep in 3 days, we pulled it off with flying colors. The East End loves their original music and we dished it out kicking the night off right. Extra thanks to Soraia and The Pulls for an awesome night.
No more than a week later at Mojo 13 we stepped it up a notch. The sound setup seemed to fit us better than any gig before and complimented by a stellar live show performance, this 2nd gig back was quoted by some as "our best ever". Yes, we're back, it sounds great, and I can't wait to see what's ahead. Keep checking back to the website for the latest news and shows to come out and party with us.

Back In Action!

Hey Alls,

For those of you bored enough to check up on the web blog, thought I'd update you on the latest happenings. We have been practicing regularly for the last month with our new drummer, Joe Buono. After these first few sessions, the old and new music is really coming together, so it's time once again for us to gig out. We are starting things off in Newark at the East End on Saturday, August 19th. We will be playing with Soraia and friends, so come check it out. It'll be our first live show since December. Also we will be playing Mojo 13 on Friday, August 25th. We will be posting more details about both these gigs on nicetrickliar.com and our myspace page at www.myspace.com/nicetrickliar. It's been too long, but these next shows will prove to be the best thing since, well, our last shows. Be there and rock with us!

K-Dub's Infallible Best/Worst Albums of 2005 List!

Well, it’s been another long, semi-productive year in Nice Trick Liarville. It’s been a while since anyone has updated, but I am hoping to get more content on this and all the other sites in the near future, to fill you NTL fiends on what’s happening and other band gossip.

In the meantime, here’s my shortlist of the best (and worst) albums of the year. If you don’t already own all of these albums, its really too late for you anyway, so don’t bother. And if you haven’t heard them yet, for god’s sake don’t tell anyone. I’m inviting my fellow bandmates to contribute their own lists. Just keep in mind that if they differ from my picks in any way, they are wrong. Enjoy.

WORST ALBUM OF 2005
1)Nice Trick Liar- Champions of Indecency
With all the critical hype surrounding this group’s debut, it really couldn’t have been more of a disappointment. The only thing they have going for them is the truly-talented-yet-subtle-and-modest bass playing, when you can actually hear it. And that drummer is pretty decent, too- let’s hope he sticks around.

BEST ALBUMS OF 2005

1)Serena Maneesh- Serena Maneesh
In one of the few pleasant surprises of 2005, the self-titled debut of this Norwegian quintet sounds like Sonic Youth snorting painkillers with My Bloody Valentine and then making out for an hour.

2)Matt Sweeney & Bonnie Prince Billy- Superwolf
This year, Will Oldham added one of his finest albums yet to his extensive, eccentric catalogue. The seemingly awkward pairing with former Chavez guitarist Sweeney turned out to be an accessible introduction to the Bonnie Prince’s gloomy, fragile brand of folk.

3)Bloc Party- Silent Alarm
There’s a lot of Gang of Four-prize contenders out there as of late, which makes it all the more impressive that Kele Okereke and co. contributed a moving, powerful debut that is as critically bulletproof as it is bombastic.

4)My Morning Jacket- Z
In a move that usually spells doom for most groups, Z turned the tables on the band’s Neil Young-meets-Lynyrd Skynyrd sound, incorporating skewed time signatures and styles to prove that My Morning Jacket is more than a one-trick pony.

5)Sufjan Stevens- Come On Feel the Illinoise
Following last year’s departure, Seven Swans, Stevens continues his absurdly mammoth undertaking of dedicating a concept album to each state, and delivered his best record yet. Rumor has it Delaware is next on his list- we can only hope…

6)Devendra Banhart- Cripple Crow
On his longest and most expansive album, Banhart stretches out with more complex arrangements and instrumentation. Cripple Crow is altogether more grounded than previous efforts, while retaining Banhart’s unconventional freak-folk roots.

7)The Fiery Furnaces- EP
Following last year’s epic, challenging Blueberry Boat with an album of shorter, attention-friendly singles proved just the trick for the Freidburgers to turn. These ten mini-rock operas are as captivating as they are fun.

8)Matisyahu- Live at Stubb’s
Although an ordained orthodox Rabbi fronting a roots reggae band sounds like yet another failed SNL sketch, one listen will show you how well it works. The live setting makes the impassioned and powerful delivery all the more impressive.

9)R. Kelly- Trapped in the Closet Chapters 1-12
Ok, so technically this is a DVD, but you really can’t get a true appreciation for Mr. Kelly’s urban opera (note how I place no “sarcastic quotes” around that phrase) without seeing it in all its outlandish glory. While maintaining a sense of mystery (what happens next? is this supposed to be as hilarious as it is? why is he shooting at people?), Kelly has occluded us as to whether he himself is any surer of what is going on than we are. An additional 10 chapters are in the works, but Kelly himself has alluded to continuing his story indefinitely. My most sincere wish is to receive the full 15-DVD box set from my children in 2030.

10)Calexico & Iron and Wine- In the Reins
Sometimes blatantly obvious pairings can backfire. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case on In the Reins, whose creators melded so effortlessly that another team-up would be more than welcome.

Honorable Mention:     
Architecture in Helsinki- In Case We Die
The Boy Least Likely To- Best Party Ever
Twee pop came back in a big way this year. Australia’s Architecture in Helsinki displays a hyperactive, genre-leaping style reminiscent of the Fiery Furnaces, but lighter and sweeter. Best Party Ever is far and away the single greatest soundtrack for throwing a tea party with your stuffed animals i have ever heard.

Give 'em the Boot!

SO... lots of exciting news in the world of Nice Trick Liar! Let me get started by announcing that our next two show dates at Pontiac Grille and East End Cafe have been confirmed. Come check us out at the Grille on South St. in Philly on Thursday, Oct. 6. Here's the line-up:

9:30-10:00 - Navar
10:15-10:45 - Nice Trick Liar
11:00-11:30 - New Union Rules
11:45-12:30 - Kill Hands
12:45-1:30 - Longshot Hero

Check out our shows page or the Pontiac Grille Event Calendar for more info. Be sure to get there early, cover will be $7. Contact us if you have any questions or need directions.

In other developments:

We laid down tracks for the last song, "In a Year I'll Be Doin Heroin," to complete our overly-awaited forthcoming release "Champions of Indecency" at Wonderland Studios on Tuesday. Apparently the Newark Police took exception to my non-payment of the parking meter, slapped me with a $50 ticket, and done booted my car. Ah, Newark... such fond memories...

At any rate, Steve and i drove back down Wednesday morning and i took care of the ticket while he got to record a new solo for "Sometimes I Despair."

As i write this, Steve and Darian are on their way down to the Dewey Beach Music Conference & Festival, where they will be networking and socializing the whole weekend, and hopefully relaxing a bit in the process. Have fun, guys, and try not to kill each other.

Help Support KORC!

Howdy, liars and liettes! If you missed our show on the 15th opening for Stucco Lobster Breadbox and Soraia at East End, well, nuts to you. It was one of our best live sets yet, and we got a great reaction for our first real show in Newark. Thanks so much to all our friends who showed up, and to all the NTL virgins for their enthusiasm. Hopefully we made a few new fans and friends in the process- if you liked what you saw, be sure to come out and see us again, and keep supporting live, local, original music.

But despair not, o lovers of the rock who may have missed the boat. Dubby is here to show you the way to the promised land, namely two potential shows at the Pontiac Grille on South Street in Philly on Thursday, Oct. 6th, and another spot at East End again the following Wednesday, the 12th. These shows are still tentative, so keep your busy schedules clear and check back here and at nicetrickliar.com for up-to-the-whenever-we-get-around-to-it info.

On a more somber note, some of you may not be aware that two of our bandmates, Steve and Eric, lost their day jobs recently. While this does leave them more time to rock, it kind of puts a damper on their financial situations. So be sure to buy them a beverage the next time you see them, to be sure, the gratitude you get from seeing their innocent, smiling, drunken expression will be more than worth the cost of a Miller Lite or three.

Also, we are starting a charity drive to help get them back on their feet. We will be accepting canned goods, clothing, Flyers tickets, Jager shots, lapdances, LIT's, and pork roll sandwiches. Send all donations to:

Keep Our Rockstars Crunkified
c/o K.W. East
410 N. Everhart Ave.
West Chester, PA 19380

Choking Bouncers

What up! We had a hell of a night at our gig on Friday at Bank Shots. It started out great, with one of our best sets ever, but later chaos ensued. A fight outside took the attention, attitude, energy, and the will to live away from our smashing 2nd set and left a sour taste in our mouths from then on. It just takes one dickhead to ruin it for everyone, but that's pretty much what happened. We'd like to apoligize to most of you there who had to experience the carnage, as for the rest of you, well you might of enjoyed it. Anyway, to put this behind us and focus on better things to come, I'd like to announce we are opening for Stucco Lobster Breadbox this Thursday at the East End Cafe in Newark, DE. Come on out and support as as we'll hit the stage around 8:00 to kick the night off. I will send an e-mail out soon with directions for those of you who can make it out, and hopefully this time things won't end with the cops showing up. Guess that's the rock lifestyle, and we live it, live it.