Blondie is a name that brings back fond memories for me. As a child, I used to jump on my couch and dance to "Heart of Glass" and "Call Me." Long before I was acquainted with punk rock or familiar with the term "disco," when CBGB's was simply a collection of letters in my mind, Blondie's music resonated as fun, catchy and wildly danceable. That they have endured 37 years is a testament to their strength as songwriters, performers and pioneers.

As part of their No Principals Tour, Blondie is hitting the road, supporting their ninth studio album, Panic of Girls. The pop sheen of their earlier work is present, and yet Blondie continues to evolve, making them as relevant today as they were yesterday. Check out the undeniably catchy "What I Heard" from the new album for proof (listen below). Thumping beat, silk-angel-siren vocals, synth heaven, hooks for days. This is Blondie at its best.

Tonight, the Debbie Harry-led sextet will be performing at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls (6:30pm, $49) along with another legendary band, X. One of the first punk bands from L.A., led by the wildly enigmatic singer Exene Cervenka, X's eclectic blend of rockabilly, punk and traditional rock'n'roll made their performances in the late seventies/early eighties legendary.

Not a show to miss if your untamed hearts desire to dance. Get there early. Stay late.

After months of touring, the four-piece chamber rock act Grizzly Bear will be arriving in Niagara Falls to perform at The Rapids Theatre tonight. The quartet has steadily released LPs and EPs since 2004, and have garnered a reputation as being one of this decade's most exciting projects. Known for their clever, unconventional, guitar- drum- keyboard- bass arrangements, Grizzly Bear pairs this with lyrics and vocal arrangements that cast a sort of disembodied and forlorn atmosphere on their songs. Their most recent LP, Shields, is their most buoyant and unrestrained release yet and checking them out in Niagara Falls is certainly one of the best concert options this summer has to offer. The show starts at 7:30 and tickets are $32.

If you're a fan of dubstep, Excision needs no introduction. The pioneering Canadian DJ, also known as Jeff Abel, has been mixing it up since 2004, along with peers Datsik and Downlink, creating a unique, aggressive imprint on 2013's most divisive genre. Whether you love dubstep or hate it, there is no denying that the genre has a few standout talents, and Excision is one of them.

Tonight our favorite bass warrior will be making an appearance at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls along with Paper Diamond and Vaski (8pm, $30). I can guarantee you that there will be an insane amount of kids getting buck and dancing til the last bass drop. I can also guarantee you it will be LOUD ( talkin' 100,000 watts LOUD). Tonight is going to be a party, for sure. Don't say you weren't warned.

I believe it was Dave Mustaine who, when asked what a "Megadeth" was years ago, responded with "It's a death that's like really mega". I'm sure he was joking (if this is even a real quote), but I think this phrase illustrates a greater truth; Megadeth is very pre-occupied with death and the darker aspects of life, the main theme(s) of their music, and that music can only be described as MEGA.

It's been twenty years since their classic album, Countdown to Extinction, was released and their still kings of the proverbial castle. Tonight, we celebrate this legacy as the band takes us back in time to play Countdown in its entirety. Megadeth was one of the very first bands I ever listened to and Countdown was the first metal album I ever heard so you can just imagine my enthusiasm. The 12 year old kid in me has been waiting years for this very moment.

Opening the show is Kyng, a blistering hard rock trio from Southern California. If your thing is heavy groove and chunky riffs, I suggest you check them out. These guys groove for miles.

The only place in Western NY that could contain this kind of energy is Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls (7pm). Get there early to catch the opener. Tickets are still available for $45 at the door.

Jimmy Page is the primary keeper of the Led Zeppelin flame. He oversees the Zepp catalogue and handles the remixing and remastering when it gets reissued and even better when new stuff gets released (How the West Was Won, Celebration Day on November 19); he is the watcher and holder of their musical legacy. But thankfully, he's not the only one keeping the Zeppelin flame alive, and tonight that flame will be burning at the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls when Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience rolls through town. The son of legendary Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason has played with a ton of bands including Led Zeppelin when Mssrs. Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones want to (infrequently) jam, and his Led Zeppelin experience is a potent and enjoyable tour of the band's vast musical legacy. Doors open at 6:30, the show starts at 7:30, tickets are $45 at the door, and it's an all ages show (kids under 16 do need an adult to get in).



I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that the Regal on Transit will be showing an encore presentation of Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day tomorrow night at 7:30. If the sound is cranked up to proper levels it is a face melting experience watching Zeppelin be Zeppelin, creating that Zeppelin sound live in front of 18,000 blessed souls in December 2007, and a lot of that is due in no small part to Jason Bonham on drums. It's a Zeppelin two-fer, Jason Bonham tonight and Celebration Day tomorrow night. You can't go wrong.

So, it was a  slow week for the Listener and I did not find anything that grabbed my attention. However, for some unknown fortuitous reason, several music videos, all coming from some of my favorite albums this year and last were released . Readers of this blog, and our ongoing column "Picking Up the Slack for MTV," should already be well aware that the music video did not die with MTV switching to an all "original programming" format, but that there are still quite a few enjoyable videos being released. So, in the spirit of mixing things up, here is a special music video edition of "Listener's Digest."

The Sea and Cake - "Harps:" Off this year's excellent Runner, the Sea and Cake's "Harp" is a great distillation of the veteran band's overall style. The video captures the song's twinge of nostalgia by going with a 70's motif as two girls wander a seemingly abandoned and idyllic town collecting field recordings.


Wild Nothing - "Paradise:" There is a surprising local connection for this video, which at one point features Michelle Williams wandering Niagara Falls and going on the Maid of the Mist. Another video that visually captures the tone of Wild Nothing's music and which also suggests a slight retro dimension with the brief appearance of a walkmen, "Paradise" follows a lone Michelle Williams around from airport to airport. Midway through, Williams reads a brief passage from Iris Murdoch's novel, A Word Child.


LA Vampires and Maria Minerva - "Seasons Change:" Off the forthcoming collaboration LP between the two artists, "Seasons Change"  is an airy and haunting track that suddenly crystallizes into a dance song half way in with the introduction of a tinny synth driven groove. I am kind of cheating here since I really wanted to put this song in the column a last week but failed to see it in time. It is really an intriguing song and the video - which looks to have been shot on a $10 budget, follows the two electronic artists around a sun drenched Los Angeles.


M83 - "Steve McQueen:" Apparently, M83 is really into psychic children  as the two videos before this ( "Reunion" and "Midnight City") all featured psychic children. In this video, a yellow suited kid creates a large scale lawn display using his wits and apparent ability to bring electronic circuitry along with all sorts of inanimate objects to life. You have to wonder where the neighbors are, or the parents, or anyone really. Pretty much all of today's videos feature, in some way, solitary individual(s) wandering empty landscapes. Where did everyone go?


No really, where is everyone? Guys? Guys?

I've had a difficult time trying to do a proper Morrissey review. The man always delivers, always sets the audience on fire, and always play's tracks that so lovingly and affectionately pull at my heart strings. I knew I was going to have a great time and I did. So I guess the thing here is to be objective and tell you what actually happened Friday night.

We arrived to a packed audience somewhere around 7pm. Struggling to find a good place to stand, we finally planted ourselves firmly against the bar and used a proper "lean" technique to gain as much visibility as possible.

First up was Kristeen Young, a vibrant musician who I think we'll be hearing more about in the near future. I continue to describe her sound as operatic, dissonant pop music, as that's really the only descriptor I can think of that captures what she does. Unfortunately, it is still weak. Simply put, she is an artist, and an original one at that. Her live performance was compelling for a number of reasons. She played a completely solo set, devoid of the trappings of band mates  which in most cases would be a detriment. In her case, it worked in spades. She was the focus and her primal energy seemed to surge throughout the building. Judging by the crowd reaction, I'd say the reviews were mixed, but aren't they always when your faced with something bold and new?

Morrissey. There is nothing elaborate about his stage show. However, his mere presence is enough to captivate audiences for hours. Is it the rush of the sweeping chorus in "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris?"  Perhaps the chainsaw gutting through the bridge in "Speedway" (a song I did not expect to be played and which I was overjoyed to hear)? The fascination with his ultra-pro-animals view (During "Meat is Murder" graphic films depicted the slaughtering of animals)? It's all of those things and more. I think Morrissey has become more than his music, his image, and even his own icon. He exists in a world where he is THE sole artist. The person you're not afraid to stand behind or even worship. He is the man. Plus I will dare anyone to argue that "Everyday is like Sunday" is NOT one of the greatest pop songs ever written.

Of course he encored with "How Soon is Now". It was the Smiths biggest song (and I still say one of their best despite what you B-siders think). There's a million more things I could say about a Morrissey show but I won't. It's one of those things you just have to experience. All in all a splendid night.

As I sit here listening to Neil Young, I am thinking two things:  1. Goddamn, Harvest is a great record and 2. I can't believe how serious this music is. I mean, if you aren't moved by Neil Young, there's seriously something wrong with you. This is pull-at-your-heartstrings music. These are songs about life, love, farms(?). But I don't feel like laughing. Which isn't to say that Neil is an unfunny man. I'm sure he has a sense of humor...probably sarcastic and ironic and I'm sure some of his lyrics throw inside joke jabs at the industry and "the man". Nevertheless, I am not smiling...and every now and then I need to smile.

Steel Panther makes me smile much in the way that old John Candy films make me smile. Goofy, harmless fun. The soundtrack to Caddyshack, or whazzuuuuuuuuuuuuup jokes in the nineties. It's the kind of humor serious people think is stupid and hipsters can't appreciate. It is pogs. It is Geico commercials. It is Kurt Russell in Big Trouble Little China.

If you haven't heard Steel Panther, all you need to know can be heard in the track below, "Death to All but Metal." Fashioned after 80's glam rockers and appealing to all the over-the-top theatrics of that era, Steel Panther exercise their right to rock with insult humor, profanity and lots of it. Frankly put, it's balls to the wall fun.

Tonight, the Panthers will be visiting WNY via Niagara Falls venue, Rapids Theatre (7:30pm). Also on the bill are Syracuse's Brand New Sin, a great hard rock band on Century Media, as well as the Jim Crean Band. It's Wednesday...mid-week. Your life needs some humor. Get some.

Buffalo's solid run of shows continues tonight when Mayer Hawthorne brings his classic neo soul stylings back to WNY for a Sunday night show at the Town Ballroom. I'll admit initially being more than a tad ambivalent about the early word on Hawthorne ("Justin Timberlake thinks he's the bee's knees" or something to that effect is not an endorsement I'm taking to the bank), but shut my mouth, the Ann Arbor native made a splash locally with his sweet 70's soul jams when he opened for Passion Pit at the Rapids/Dome Theater a few years back, and for lovers of classic soul music that's honestly and respectfully made, this headlining show tonight won't disappoint. Doors open at 7 PM, tickets are $20, and tickets are still available.

Morrissey will be performing at the Rapids Theatre  in Niagara Falls on October 19. Having recently announced that he will most likely retire in two years, now might be one of your last chances to see him in concert.

No information on purchasing tickets is currently available.