Caveman, who head out on tour with Rogue Wave this summer. just released their first new video from their second album for the track "In The City", Julia Stiles, Fran Kranz and Michael Cavadias included. Check it out with all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Caveman reveal new video starring Julia Stiles and more"

Vampire Weekend @ Roseland (more by Robert Altman)

"Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires Of The City has entered the U.S. album chart at #1, selling nearly 135,000 copies since its May 14 release on XL Recordings.

This is the second time Vampire Weekend has achieved such an historic feat: Its sophomore album Contra also debuted at #1 in 2010, making this the first time an independent rock band has entered at #1 with two consecutive releases.

Modern Vampires Of The City also shatters the previous record for first week vinyl sales, moving nearly 10,000 units on vinyl alone and debuting at #1 on the Soundscan Vinyl Charts. Additionally, the band charted #1 at Indie, Alternative, Digital and of course the top 200."

by Bill Pearis

People Get Ready @ MHOW, 2/1/2013 (more by David Andrako)

Art pop combo People Get Ready have a new EP, Zelda Maria, out now. The title track comes from last year's self-titled debut and a video for that song has just been released as well. Working with acclaimed choreographer Tere O'Connor and video artist Ty Flowers, the clip is retrofuturistic without relying on old VHS-style tropes. You can watch it below.

The band, who are equally known for occasionally doing special, highly-choreographed lives shows (watch one below), recently played Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and are currently opening for The National (in more traditional rock band mode) on a few dates. While that does not include The National's show at Barclays Center, People Get Ready are also playing Tropfest in Prospect Park on June 22 with Chairlift and Bear in Heaven. Free tickets are still available.

Tour dates are listed, along with videos, below...

Continue reading "People Get Ready released new EP and video, opening for The National, playing Tropfest"

yMusic at Carnegie Hall in January (more by Greg Cristman)

Contemporary classical sextet yMusic, who have worked with The National, Bon Iver, Dirty Projectors, My Brightest Diamond, and more, will be performing on Stage 2 at Rockwood Music Hall tonight (5/22), premiering works written by Sufjan Stevens, Timo Andres, and Marcos Balter, in addition to "less-new-but-still-pretty-new" works by Nico Muhly and Andrew Norman. Advance tickets for tonight's show are available. Doors are at 6:30. Did anyone catch them performing in a Harlem loft last night (5/21)?

yMusic are also performing with filmmaker Sam Green and The Quavers for a "night of outdoor music and cinema" on PIer 15 on June 20 as part of the River to RIver Festival and the Rooftop Films summer series.

Speaking of people performing works by Nico Muhly, that will also happen in November at BAM as part of the Next Wave Festival:

In this ambitious, expansive reimagining of the art-song recital, the 21c Liederabend festival comes to BAM, featuring music by many leading lights from the international and New York contemporary new-music scenes.

Boasting 10 world premieres, this unique weekend event--which played to sold-out audiences in its last two incarnations--pairs video artists and lighting designers with new-music ensemble NOVUS NY, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and top soloists. The eclectic, impeccably curated lineup is different each night and includes a commissioned song cycle by British-born composer Anna Clyne and music by Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Eric Whitacre, Marie Incontrera, David T. Little, Olga Neuwirth, Judd Greenstein, Paola Prestini, Ted Hearne, and many others.Featuring compositions by: Thomas Cabaniss, Christopher Ceronne, Thomas Cipullo, Anna Clyne, Mohammed Fairouz, Judd Greenstein, Ted Hearne, Marie Incontrera, David T. Little, Tod Machover, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Olga Neuwirth, Paola Prestini, Huang Ruo, Timur and the Dime Museum, Michael van der Aa, Alexandra Vrebalov, Julian Wachner, Holcombe Waller, Eric Whitacre, and Du Yun.

Continue reading "yMusic performing new works by Sufjan Steven, Nico Muhly & others tonight; Big 'new-music' event also coming to BAM"

by Bill Pearis

Some of you may remember early/mid-'00s Detroit-area band Thunderbirds Are Now!, who are in semi-permanent hibernation at the moment. Singer Ryan Allen is now in Destroy This Place which he co-fronts with former New Grenada member John Nelson and the line-up includes Allen's Friendly Foes bandmate Sean Sommer on drums. The band just released their eponymous second album which roars with crunchy, anthemic indie (the Allen songs), and big riff rock (via Nelson, who sounds a skooch like Ozzy at times). You can stream the whole album below.

Destroy This Place gig a lot in Michigan but don't make it out of the area that often, but the band are going on tour this summer, including a stop in NYC on June 29 at Death by Audio with Turing Machine, Shark? and Your Skull. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Destroy This Place (ex-Thunderbirds Are Now!) released their second album, touring (dates, LP stream)"

photos by Chris Graham

Mavis Staples @ Beale Street Music Fest

Earlier this month, soul legend Mavis Staples made her way over to Memphis for the Beale Street Music Festival, which she played day 2 (5/4) of. Pictures and a video of her set are in this post.

Mavis has other dates coming up this year, including a free Celebrate! Brooklyn show on June 14 at Prospect Park with Cody Chestnutt. Then the next day (6/15) she heads a bit north for the Clearwater Festival in Croton, NY, which she plays along with Antibalas, Judy Collins, Hot Tuna, Nicole Atkins, Sharon Jones, and more. Tickets for that festival are still available.

Mavis is also working on a new album, One True Vine, which is due out on June 25 via Anti-, and one again being produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. You can listen to the track "I Like The Things About Me" from that album below (via Complex).

Mavis isn't the only living legend Jeff Tweedy is hanging with this year. As mentioned, Wilco is touring as a support act for Bob Dylan, and that tour hits the NYC-area for a few shows in July (some with My Morning Jacket, one with Beck).

All upcoming Mavis Staples dates are listed, along with the song stream and more pictures and video from Beale St., below...

Continue reading "Mavis Staples played Beale St, playing Prospect Park before Clearwater, releasing new Jeff Tweedy-produced LP (pics, dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Low Fat Getting High at Cake Shop earlier this month (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Brooklyn punks Low Fat Getting High have been playing raucous local shows for some time now, and as mentioned, they're finally laying down that intensity for a new EP, which is called Bad Yoga, and has just been officially announced. The EP will be out on July 18 via Dead Broke/Money Fire Records. It kicks off with three tracks of menacing, breakneck-speed punk, and culminates in a fourth track of Bleach-style noise and sludge. The whole thing is just over ten minutes and it's a real ripper so keep an eye out for it. You can stream the opening track, "Better Better Worse," along with the artwork and tracklist below.

Low Fat Getting High have a ton of upcoming shows as usual, including a previously discussed Gimme Tinnitus-presented show TONIGHT (5/22) at Big Snow with another solid local punk band, Big Ups, CYHSY-related Radical Dads (for whom the show is a record release party), and Miniboone. $7 at the door gets you into tonight's show. Doors are at 8 PM. All ages. Show flyer below.

After that, they've got a bunch of other local dates, including a Converse Rubber Tracks show on June 12; Silent Barn on June 14 with another great local punk band, Sleepies, noise rockers Eula, indie rockers Shark?, sludgy psych rockers Psychic Blood and others; a release party for the new EP on July 18 at Shea Stadium with Big Ups, Vulture Shit, and Flagland (who play with Butter the Children and Ovlov soon); and even more local dates, all of which are listed below.

In related news, as mentioned, Big Ups and Psychic Blood also play a Northside show with Nu Sensae and Destruction Unit.

All LFGH dates are listed, along with the song stream and album info, below...

Continue reading "Low Fat Getting High announce new EP & upcoming shows"

by Bill Pearis

As mentioned, Seattle's Orca Team sadly split last year with frontman Leif Anders, who went on to form the calypso-vibed Week of Wonders. You can stream their Failures EP below.

With a debut 7" on the way soon, the band will be in NYC for a string of shows in July. They'll play Mercury Lounge on July 8 with Chalk & Numbers and Pale Lights; Death by Audio on July 9 with Flown and more TBA; and Cake Shop on July 10 with The Hairs and The Scarfs. There's another NYC show happening July 11, venue TBA. Tickets for the Mercury Lounge show are on AmEx presale now and go on sale to the general public on Friday (5/24) at noon.

If you live in Seattle, you can see Week of Wonders tonight (5/22) at Sunset Tavern with Hats Off and Charms. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Week of Wonders (ex-Orca Team) playing NYC shows in July (dates, stream)"

Back in February, 285 Kent hosted the Indie Pop Prom, which included sets from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Swearin', Waxahatchee, Potty Mouth, and Weed Hounds (their first show in 2 years). Well, Potty Mouth and Weed Hounds must love playing proms, because this Saturday (5/25) at Big Snow, they'll play the MONSTER PROM, along with Celestial Shore, Slime Boyz, and Brown Bread. The show begins at 6 PM with a monster art show (which you can participate in) and music starts at 9. $7 at the door gets you in to this all ages show.

Potty Mouth, who will be releasing their debut LP this year, have other upcoming shows too, including another in NYC on June 5 at Cake Shop with Hard Nips, Leda (whose lineup includes Amy Klein of Hilly Eye and formerly of Titus Andronicus), and The Pretty Greens. That show is $8 at the door.

Leda also play a free Northside show at Spike Hill on June 16.

Updated Potty Mouth dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Potty Mouth playing MONSTER PROM at Big Snow w/ Weed Hounds, Celestial Shore & more (updated dates)"

The So So Glos, whose album Blowout came out not too long ago, are playing a free show at Studio @ Webster Hall tonight (5/22) which will be streamed live on MTV Hive. You can get free tickets through Ticketweb but walk-ups will be let in until capacity is reached. Doors are at 7 PM. Flyer for the show is below.

The band's next NYC show is a previously discussed show happening this Sunday (5/26) at Knitting Factory as part of a show put on by Hunter College radio station WHCS. Since we last spoke, Crystal Stilts have been added to that bill, which also includes Dinowalrus, Heavens Gate and Trabajo. Tickets are $12 ($8 if you use promo code "hookmeupwhcs") and still available but if you'd like to go for free, we've got a pair to give away. Details on how to enter are below.

Continue reading "Crystal Stilts playing with So So Glos who also play free "MTV Artist to Watch" show tonight"