The Crescent Jewell is a restaurant and lounge in downtown Riverside that generally hosts jazz musicians, but occasionally allows certain promoters to bring in pop acts. On one of these occasions, I ventured in to see TND play, along with local rapper and TND collaborator David Reddix, Jr. Unfortunately, the blown sound system had other plans. After a brief attempt at a set, including an admirable rendition of recent single "Saturday Night" that went over remarkably well with the gathered hipsters, all things considered, Kunkel and company called it a night. Reddix took the stage squad deep, ran through abbreviated versions of a couple of possible bangers, and then did the same. I left before the touring headliner to save my ears the harassment, went back to the apartment I now share with TND beatmaker Janzie (aka Vaab), and consoled myself with the recently released official video for "Starfield":
On 1/11/11, The New Division released their EP, The Rookie. The release party, at Division 9 Gallery in their hometown of Riverside, CA, was the first time I actually got to see them live. The show was well-attended, especially for a Tuesday, and the crowd packed out the back half of the gallery, still displaying pieces from the Day of the Dead celebration a while back.
My girlfriend and I arrived a little late, and gravitated toward the flashing lights and pulsing beat from the back of the room. The band had just launched into their set with an older track, and proceeded to play through the EP in order, beginning with internet-hyped single "Starfield". One song was skipped due to the absence of the new live drummer, whose kit was locked in the church that he also plays for. I was impressed with John Kunkel's ability to replicate his ethereal vocals live, and Janz's replacement of the drummer's fills with his live programming. Most of the crowd stuck around a while after the show to talk to the band, purchase merch, or finish up the band-provided wine bar. It was a good show, and I look forward to seeing them again. If you aren't in California, you can download the EP here and look forward to the release of the video for "Starfield" in February. I got a sneak preview, and it's awesome.
My girlfriend's best friend's boyfriend (wow that's a mouthful) is in an excellent band out in California called The New Division. I was able to hang out with them a little bit while I was out there visiting her, and they are putting out some genuinely quality stuff, heavily influenced by New Order and Joy Division. They are doing so well, in fact, that high and mighty Pitchfork has graced their latest single, "Starfield", with their stamp of approval - giving you a free download in the process, just a few days after my own Fox and the Hound Show did so with some East Coast airplay.
