Doc Watson, the guitarist and folk singer whose flat-picking style elevated the acoustic guitar to solo status in bluegrass and country music, and whose interpretations of traditional American music profoundly influenced generations of folk and rock guitarists, died on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was 89.

Mr. Watson, who had been blind since he was a baby, died in a hospital after recently undergoing abdominal surgery, The Associated Press quoted a hospital spokesman as saying. On Thursday his daughter, Nancy Ellen Watson, said he had been hospitalized after falling at his home in Deep Gap, N.C., adding that he did not break any bones but was very ill. [NY Times]

Folk legend Doc Watson, influential guitarist and a figurehead of the 1960s folk revival, passed away yesterday (5/29) at the age of 89. RIP Doc, your influence and legacy will always be remembered.

Check out some videos of Doc Watson below...

Continue reading "Doc Watson, RIP"

photos by Samantha Marble

Church of Misery

While a bummer that Rwake cancelled their appearance at Cameo on Friday (they would play MDF though), the night was no less heavy, featuring a headlining appearance from the great Church of Misery with The Gates of Slumber and newly added Evoken.

Church of Misery and Gates of Slumber are currently on a trek, having played Maryland Deathfest over Memorial Day Weekend (pictures from that appearance), and will hit Chaos in Tejas later this week. All Church of Misery tour dates are below, along with more pictures from Friday night's Cameo show.

Continue reading "Church of Misery played Cameo with The Gates of Slumber & Evoken, but not Rwake (pictures)"

by Andrew Sacher

Liars at Pop Montreal 2010 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Liars are set to release their new album, WIXIW (pronounced "wish you") on June 5 via Mute, and they're now streaming the entire album a week ahead of its release date. In his NPR review, Otis Hart wrote:

WIXIW, out June 5, may just be the best Radiohead album since Kid A. In all seriousness, when you listen to the new Liars album -- as you should many times over the next week -- imagine Thom Yorke's falsetto taking the place of Angus Andrews' less distinctive but no less effective voice amid the barrage of intricate electronics. At times, it's almost as if Andrews is rubbing it in Yorke's face, like in "Ill Valley Prodigies" or the title track. These are the sort of songs disappointed Radiohead fans wanted on The King of Limbs.

I can't help but agree entirely with the Radiohead comparisons (especially on "His and Mine Sensations") to the point where it's almost a little too obvious, but the album is nonetheless a solid listen. Check it out for yourself below.

As mentioned, Liars will be playing some shows in support of the release including a NYC show at Webster Hall on June 20. It's since been announced that Oneohtrix Point Never (aka Daniel Lopatin) will open that show. Tickets are still available and we're also giving away three pairs. Contest details below.

The Webster Hall show is one of three currently scheduled NYC appearances for Oneohtrix Point Never on his live itinerary this summer. The others include previously discussed performances at Ecstatic Summer at World Financial Center (7/14) and Yo Eskerikk Asko NYC! at Public Assembly (8/25). A list of all Oneohtrix Point Never dates, along with the album stream and contest details below...

Continue reading "Liars streaming new album, playing Webster Hall with Oneohtrix Point Never (win tix!)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: King Tuff - Bad Thing (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: King Tuff - Keep on Movin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Jaill - Waste a Lot of Things (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Jaill - Perfect Ten (MP3)

King Tuff

After a 2010 album with his band Happy Birthday, Scuzz popper extraordinaire Kyle Thomas has returned to his solo King Tuff moniker for his brand new album, out this week on Sub Pop. The self-titled LP is 12 songs of boogie riffs, Stonesy sneer, big hooks and that nasally whine you either dig or dislike. You can download two tracks at the top of this post ("Bad Thing" is pretty damn catchy) and stream the whole album -- and watch the horror spoof video for "Bad Thing" -- below.

King Tuff, whose shows at SXSW this year were rauccous fun, is heading out on tour with two stops in the NYC area on June 9 at 285 Kent with Habibi, and June 14 at Maxwell's with Habibi and Natural Child. Tickets to the Maxwell's show are on sale now.

Part of King Tuff's tour -- not the part coming to NYC -- is with Sub Pop labelmates Jaill whose new album, Traps, will be out June 12. That's a pretty good double bill! You can download a couple tracks from Traps at the top of this post as well. All King Tuff and Jaill dates are listed below.

Continue reading "King Tuff released new LP (stream), touring with Jaill (who also have a new album coming out) (dates & MP3s)"

words by Lauren Jackson, photos by Greg Cristman

Nasum at Europa 5/24/12

"We all hate people--except you guys. Tonight, we don't hate you. Tomorrow, we'll hate you again."

With this statement, Sweden's Nasum (who we recently interviewed) opened their set at Europa on Thursday night (May 24th). The band, who have spent 2012 on a "farewell" tour (which also included Maryland Deathfest the next day), appeared in high spirits during their set, grinning, raising fists, and playing with childlike exuberance that only served to intensify their aural assault. In a refreshing change of pace from many active grind bands today, they approached their fans lightheartedly and graciously, caring little for the pretense of a hardened image.

Grudges, Magrudergrind, Dropdead and Brutal Truth were there as well, bolstering an already very rare experience, keeping the night consistent but never tiresome. Likewise, fans were equal parts diverse and enthusiastic; those keeping the pit raging from start to finish ranged from a guy in a yarmulke to a group of people shouting in Japanese.

The gritty affair started punctually and with gusto thanks to NYC locals Grudges who stirred the pit up early with death grunts and a fast, hardcore-infused set. Without a moment to recover, Magrudgergrind cranked it up more than a few notches and shattered the room wide open, turning nearly the entirety of Europa into one gaping swarm of flying bodies and stomping feet.

Brutal Truth followed Dropdead's vitriolic set (with no shortage of social critique, which is par for the course) like a kid brother, distinctly mischievous and tongue-in-cheek throughout. They set the rest of the night on a spirited trajectory that Nasum carried through to the finish. But make no mistake: jokes, laughter, or lack thereof, all bands brought their A games to Europa on Thursday, and their A games were, in a handful of words, fast and heavy as fuck.

More pics from Europa (unfortunately, none of Grudges) are below...

Continue reading "Nasum played Europa with Brutal Truth, Dropdead, Magrudergrind and Grudges (pics, review)"

Keith Morris of OFF! at SXSW 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

today in NYC
* Falu @ Joe's Pub
* Mireya Ramos @ Barbes
* Finbar Furey @ Joe's Pub
* Vicky Chow @ The Stone
* Tell Your Friends @ Lolita
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Sanjaya The Sceptic @ The Stone
* Dark Star Orchestra @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Cory Chisel, Bhi Bhiman @ City Winery
* No Glow, Night Shining, Gracie, Beca @ Glasslands
* Statik Selektah, Termanology, Freddie Gibbs @ SOB's
* The Long Eye, Ghost Heart, Good Sports @ Cake Shop
* The Mob (UK), Sickoids, Nomad, Anasazi @ Death By Audio
* OFF!, Cerebral Ballzy, The Coathangers @ Bowery Ballroom
* Foster The People, The Kooks @ Central Park Rumsey Playfield
* Glass Vaults, Treasure Teeth, Civilian, The Goddamn Hustle @ Pianos
* Haybaby, Shy Hunters, Noble Laureate, Little Anchor @ Cameo Gallery
* Needful Things, Agents of Abhorrence, Dissent, Chainsaw To The Face @ The Acheron
* Velta, The Spanish Channel, Alexander Howard, Jessica Pomerantz @ Mercury Lounge
* Adam Green, Supercute!, Wyatt Cenac (Lowbrow Reader Variety Hour) @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
* Dustin Wong, Sam Hilmer, Weasel Walter, Mike Wexler, Driphouse(Diamond Terrifier Presents Practice!) @ Zebulon

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Portland Cello Project and Alan Sparhawk (of Low) covered the Suicidal Tendencies classic "Institutionalized" for the AV Club's "Undercover" series. You can watch it below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

photos by Chris Graham and Rae Graham

Metric/St. Vincent

7:32pm Metric wrapped up a touch early; partly because one new song ("Lost Kitten") was stopped 10 seconds into it and Emily decided to strike it from the set. Aside from that odd error, Metric played a fair set. They cited the show as their "public debut" of Synthetica and they did play mostly new material (7 out of 11 songs), most of which sounds promising. It's always hard to judge new material accurately as the audience doesn't know it so it always comes across slightly weak or stiff. Metric opened their set with newbie "Artificial Nocturne" (also the album's opener). It was one of the stronger new tracks. The other stand outs were "Youth Without Youth" (when played live it seemed to lose it's sluggishness of it's studio version) and "Nothing But Time", a synth/piano number that builds each verse until drums kick in and the song finishes with a flourish of Emily Haines' Pro-One synth. The band closed with an acoustic version "Gimme Sympathy" that had pretty much the entire amphitheater singing along. [The Province]

Here's more pictures from the super-stacked Saturday (5/26) line-up of the Sasquatch Music Festival which happened Memorial Day Weekend in Gorge, Washington -- including Metric, St. Vincent, The Shins, Dum Dum Girls, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Couer de Pirate, Sol, Com Truise and more. The first set from Saturday (5/26) are HERE and Friday (5/25) are HERE. More from Day 2 below and still more Sasquatch pics to come.

Continue reading "Sasquatch 2012 in pics - the rest of Day 2 (Metric, St. Vincent, Shins, Dum Dum Girls, Araabmuzik, and more)"

Anthrax at Yankee Stadium in 2011 (Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel will kick off another leg of their "Thrashfest Extravaganza" with dates in late September and October. The shows include a stop in the NYC area at Wellmont Theater on October 5. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (6/1) at noon.

Testament are preparing to release their new LP Dark Roots of Earth, the follow-up to The Formation of Damnation, which will be out in North America on July 31.

All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Anthrax, Testament & Death Angel expand 2012 tour (dates)"

Swans at Music Hall of Williamsburg (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Swans are back with a new double album, The Seer, due via Young God Records on August 28. The new effort features appearances from Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), former bandmate Jarboe, Bruce Lamont, Ben Frost, members of Akron/Family ( who served with him in Angels of Light) and members of Low. Gira comments:

The Seer took 30 years to make. It's the culmination of every previous Swans album as well as any other music I've ever made, been involved in or imagined. But it's unfinished, like the songs themselves. It's one frame in a reel. The frames blur, blend and will eventually fade.

The songs began on an acoustic guitar, then were fleshed out with (invaluable) help from my friends, then were further tortured and seduced in rehearsals, live and in the studio, and now they await further cannibalism and force-feeding as we prepare to perform some of them live, at which point they'll mutate further, endlessly, or perhaps be discarded for a while.

Despite what you might have heard or presumed, my quest is to spread light and joy through the world. My friends in Swans are all stellar men. Without them I'm a kitten, an infant. Our goal is the same: ecstasy!

While you're waiting for August 28 to roll around, you can check out a trailer for the DVD portion of The Seer and all listed Swans tour dates (Nothing for NYC yet).

Continue reading "Swans releasing 'The Seer,' touring in Sept. (no NYC date)"

DOWNLOAD: Wild Belle - "Keep You" (MP3)

Wild Belle at Internet Week 2012 (more by Ryan Muir)

Wild Belle, who recently moved from Chicago to Brooklyn were added as an opener to The Maccabees' show at Webster Hall on June 13. Tickets for that show are still available and we're also giving away a pair. Contest details are below.

The Webster Hall show is currently one of two shows scheduled for Wild Belle, the other being in their previous hometown at Millenium Park. You can download "Keep You" -- the Wild Belle track that's been floating around the internet for a few months -- above or stream it below. The band also recently recorded a live session at BBC's Maida Vale studios which will broadcast on Huw Stephens' show on June 13 at 7 PM EST.

Speaking of The Maccabees, they've also got upcoming dates opening for Florence & the Machine this summer.

A list of all Wild Belle dates, contest details, and song stream below...

Continue reading "Wild Belle opening for Maccabees at Webster Hall (win tix!)"