Miers on Music by Jeff Miers

Two local CD release parties

Tonight, local power-pop quartet Floozie celebrates the release of its excellent new EP, "She Wants To Be Some Body," with a gig inside the Town Ballroom beginning at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, Roger Bryan of the Old Sweethearts and Mark Norris & the Backpeddlers plays a set to mark the release of his solo debut inside Mohawk Place at 10 p.m.

Read more about both releases in my Soundcheck column in this week's Gusto.

The Lake remembers Freeland

On Monday, June 25th, 107.7 FM The Lake will celebrate the artistic life of Mark Freeland with a special 2-hour edition of the Local Show, hosted by Lake DJ Tina Peel.

The show will be comprised of archival interviews conducted by Peel over the past decade of Freeland's life, and will feature remembrances from family and friends, among them Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac.

Expect plenty of Mark's wonderfully weird music as well. Anyone got a favorite Freeland song? Band? Project? Please share.

Music Is Art - what happened?

Since Robby Takac announced last week the parting of ways between his yearly Music Is Art festival and the powers that be in Allentown, many of you have written, called, and posted comments voicing your concerns.

Let's get a forum going here - please send your opinions in, so that a legitimate discussion might be had concerning Music is Art's relocation to the Fairgrounds in Hamburg this year.

What will Allentown, and downtown in general, lose? Is this potentially a good thing for the long-term success of Music Is Art? Another example of small-minded politics trumping new and exciting ideas in Buffalo? What gives?

Sleeping Kings sleep no more!

Buffalo's own Sleeping Kings Of Iona are on the leading edge of modern indie-electronica and space-rock, and remain a must-see in local clubs.

The band seemed to have slipped off the radar in recent months, but no worries - the group has undergone an amicable lineup change, and has been bunkered in the recording studio, banging some new music into shape for a forthcoming full-length release.

Hear a few of these tripped-out works in progress here -

http://www.myspace.com/sleepingkingsofiona