words and photo by Melissa Presti

Death Cab for Cutie have an upcoming tour with The Antlers in support of their forthcoming album Kintsugi, but ahead of all that they squeezed in a last-minute, intimate one-off at NYC's Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday (1/28) with Say Hi.

The 1.5 hour set was a showcase of all the Death Cab hits and favorites, and a peek at a few impressive sounding tracks from Kintsugi. "Black Sun", "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive", and "No Room in Frame" (all three of which were debuted in Seattle a week earlier) gave the impression that even for an eighth studio album, Death Cab is still reinventing themselves, this time with more electronic textures and synths in the mix.
Ben Gibbard apologized for the album delay, citing "we had a lot of shit going on" -- perhaps referring to personal relationships, his solo release, his reunion tour with The Postal Service, or most likely the departure of Chris Walla. Ben made the round of introductions between songs, making sure the crowd knew Dave Depper (on guitar/keyboards) and Zac Rae (keyboards) were more than qualified to step in and keep the band's nostalgic sound intact.

Before the night ended, Ben announced the next time they would play in New York would be at Madison Square Garden - encouraging everyone to tell their friends. "Seriously, tell your friends...it's a huge place." Stay tuned for more info on that.

The following night, Death Cab appeared on Letterman to perform "Black Sun." Watch that, plus videos and the setlist from MHOW, below...

Continue reading "Death Cab for Cutie played MHOW and 'Letterman' (videos and setlist); next NYC show will be Madison Square Garden"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Viet Cong @ Mercury Lounge, 1/29/2014

Calgary, AB's murky and mercurial Viet Cong played their second of two NYC dates this week, an early show at Mercury Lounge last night (1/29) with What Moon Things. Pictures from that are in this post. Both this and Wedesday's Union Pool show were sold out. NYC will get their next chance to see them this spring -- there were posters up at Mercury Lounge show saying Viet Cong would be playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 13 which is part of the 2015 Northside Festival. Stay tuned for more details.

In the meantime check out more pics from last night, plus videos of Viet Cong doing "Continental Shelf" and "March of Progress" at the show and their setlist, below...

Continue reading "Viet Cong played Mercury Lounge with What Moon Things (pics, video), playing Music Hall of Williamsburg in June"

photo: Chance the Rapper at Lollapalooza 2014 (more by James Richards IV)

Chance the Rapper got plenty of deserved buzz off of 2013's Acid Rap mixtape, and he's planning to change things up pretty significantly for his next release, Surf, the debut album from his live backing band The Social Experiment, which Chance says is really the brainchild of trumpet player Nico "Donnie Trumpet" Segal. A new FADER story on the album opines, "It's almost as if Chance and his friends are aiming to reverse-engineer the act of beat-digging. Where earlier generations of hip-hop producers foregrounded small fragments of music from the past, The Social Experiment buries new ones for the future." FADER got to hear the album when they interviewed Chance, and their story makes it sound like a dense, complex piece of work. Read more here. Watch the album's new trailer video and stream some recent music Chance and The Social Experiment uploaded to Soundcloud, which may or may not appear in some form on Surf, below.

A new GQ interview with Chance also reveals that Frank Ocean, Andre 3000 and J. Cole will appear on his "yet to be named debut LP," which seems to be referring to the next Chance the Rapper album, rather than Surf, which is The Social Experiment's album.

Chance doesn't have a tour scheduled at the moment, but he did announce that he and The Social Experiment will come to NYC to play an NYU show on February 24 at Webster Hall with Sweater Beats. Tickets are on sale now, and "all non-NYU purchased tickets must be accompanied by an NYU student with an NYU ID on the day of the event."

Album trailer and song streams below...

Continue reading "Chance the Rapper planning Social Experiment live-band LP, LP ft. Frank Ocean, Andre 3000 & J Cole, playing NYU show"

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., the improvisational space rock variant of the Japanese psych-rock collective, recently reissued their 2006 album, Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky?, on vinyl with an added song and a rearranged running order. You can stream the original version of the album, in all its out-there glory, below.

They'll be on tour this spring as well, and the lineup for Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is this:

Tsuyama Atsushi : bass, voice
Kawabata Makoto : guitar, voice
Higashi Hiroshi : synthesizer, voice
Tabata Mitsuru : guitar, guitar-synthesizer, voice
Satoshima Nani : drums
and
Justin Waters : god

Support for the whole tour is long-running Austin band ST-37. All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. reissued 'Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky?,' touring (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Philly neo-soul singer Jazmine Sullivan has been active for over a decade, releasing albums and collaborating with Missy Elliot, Robert Glasper, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and others. Earlier this month, she put out her third album, Reality Show, on RCA, which followed 2008's Fearless and 2010's Love Me Back.

The album features Meek Mill on the excellent opening track "Dumb," and after that it's just Jazmine in the spotlight atop masterful production from Key Wane (Big Sean's Hall of Fame, Beyonce's "Partition"), DJ Dahi (Drake's "Worst Behavior, Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees") and others. Not unlike recent albums by Frank Ocean and Beyonce, it's got a foot in traditional '60s/'70s soul, but an eye on the recent progressions the genre has been making too. It's really good. Listen to the whole album for yourself, below.

Jazmine has three shows coming up this March, including one in NYC happening March 11 at Irving Plaza. Tickets for that show go on sale at 10 AM today (1/30).

All dates are listed, with the LP stream and the video for one of the songs, below...

Continue reading "Jazmine Sullivan released 'Reality Show,' touring (dates and album stream)"

(photo via @plattypants)

Tickets for the two Faith No More shows at Webster Hall go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the two Sufjan Stevens shows at Beacon Theater and Kings Theatre go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the recently added Foo Fighters show with Royal Blood at Citi Field go on sale today at 10AM. The first show is sold out.

Tickets for the Rush shows at MSG go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the Primal Scream shows at Warsaw and Irving Plaza go on sale today at 10 AM.

Tickets for the Cult of Luna show at Gramercy Theater go on sale today at 10AM. (Update: on-sale time TBA.)

Tickets to the just-added fourth Scharpling & Wurster Live show at The Bell House go on sale today at 10 AM. The other three are sold out.

Tickets for the Primus Willy Wonka-themed show at The Paramount go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the Peter Ulrich show at Webster Hall's Marlin Room go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the Travi$ Scott/Young Thug show at Webster Hall go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the Cashmere Cat show at Webster Hall go on sale at 10 AM.

Tickets for the Cheap Trick/Peter Frampton show at Pier 97 go on sale today at 11AM.

Kid Ink and Dej Loaf are playing Kings Theatre on April 19. Tickets for that show go on Ticketmaster and LiveNation presales today at 10AM with the general on-sale beginning Saturday (1/31) at noon.

Tickets for the Cursive show at Saint Vitus go on sale today at noon. Tickets for one of their two Bowery Ballroom shows with Beach Slang are still on sale, but the other is sold out.

Tickets for the Liturgy show at Saint Vitus go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the recently added Timber Timbre show at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon. Their other Bowery show (same link) is still on sale.

Tickets for the Toro y Moi show at Terminal 5 go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Purity Ring show at Terminal 5 go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard show at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Spirit Family Reunion show at MHOW go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the two Hinds (fka Deers) shows go on sale today: Baby's All Right at 10 AM and Mercury Lounge at noon.

Tickets for the Action Bronson show at Terminal 5 go on sale today at noon. His show at BB King's is sold out.

Tickets for the Hanni El Khatib show at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Lower Dens album release show at Baby's All Right are on sale now.

Tickets for the two recently added Lauryn Hill shows go on sale today: Madiba Harlem at My Image Studios at noon and City Winery at 3PM.

Tickets for the Mourn show at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon. Tickets for their show at Baby's are on sale now.

Tickets for the newly-added Taking Back Sunday and Menzingers show at Best Buy Theater go on sale today at noon. Night 1 is sold out.

Tickets for the Forecastle Music Festival in Louisville, Kentucky go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Kieza/Betty Who show at Irving Plaza go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for the Kaiser Chiefs show at Irving Plaza go on sale today at noon.

Ricky Eat Acid, Glass Gang, Conner Youngblood, Marz Leon and Abhi//Dijonis are playing Mercury Lounge on February 23. Tickets for that show go on sale today at noon.

Landlady is playing Mercury Lounge on February 24. Tickets for that show go on sale today at noon.

Shura is playing Rough Trade on March 10. Tickets for that show go on sale today at noon.

Isadora and The Big Sleep are playing Rough Trade on March 6. Tickets for that show go on sale today at noon.

Australian band The Preatures play Rough Trade on March 23. Tickets go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the just-added Chet Faker with XXYYXX show at Terminal 5 go on sale today at noon. Their other show is sold out.

The Ting Tings are playing Webster Hall on April 8. Tickets for that show go on sale today at 10AM.

Browse our 'Tickets On Sale' tag for more recently announced NYC shows.

Browse our NYC Concert Calendar for shows happening today and every day - comedy shows, heavy metal concerts (courtesy of our heavy metal blog), and free shows included.

The music is performed by Mr. Stevens, on keyboards and electronics, and Yarn/Wire, a contemporary chamber group of two pianists and two percussionists. Although one segment had a beat on drum and rattle, vaguely suggesting Native American music (the rodeo includes a Native American parade in traditional costumes) the score avoided Oregon's local color for what might be BAM's local color: minimalist contemplation. It was full of glimmering sounds -- bowed vibraphone, pretty piano chords -- with, now and then, something staticky or sprockety from Mr. Stevens's electronics. For each segment -- concentrating on one rodeo event, intercutting various competitors and performers -- Mr. Stevens chose a strategy and stuck to it: a certain texture, a certain beat, perhaps with chromatic meanderings, perhaps not. Calf roping got running, Bachian counterpoint, while a segment with a lone calf had Yarn/Wire singing a cappella harmonies. [NY Times]

As you may know, Sufjan's next project is his upcoming album, Carrie & Lowell, which is due out March 31 via Asthmatic Kitty. He's calling it a return to his folk roots, which is what made us fall in love with him in the first place. Tickets for his tour in support of it go on sale at 10 AM local time today (1/30). The NYC shows happen at Beacon Theatre on April 11 (tickets) and at the newly refurbished Kings Theatre on May 1 (tickets).

photos by Chris La Putt

"I'd just like to reiterate here: it's 2015, I'm seeing Marilyn Manson tonight, life is wonderful" - Nick DeSimone

"It's 2015 and I'm listening to a new Marilyn Manson album and not hating it and WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING?" - Steven W Beattie

"It's 2015. I'm 32. And I'm thoroughly enjoying a new Marilyn Manson record." - Jordan Campbell

"At Marilyn Manson's concert tonight @ Terminal 5 & was shocked 2 hear him dedicate "Sweet Dreams" 2 his friend of 20 years, Michael Alig!"" - Michael Alig

Marilyn Manson released his ninth album, The Pale Emperor, this year which some are calling a comeback. He's on tour in support of it now, and hit NYC last night (1/29) at Terminal 5, which was rescheduled from January 26 due to Winter Storm Juno. Did you catch the show? Do you agree that he's once again risen to relevance? Was he ever relevant to begin with?

Opening the show was Unlocking the Truth, the very young Brooklyn metal band with a $1.8 million deal with Sony and an upcoming Bonnaroo appearance. Pictures of the night are in this post.

Marilyn was also supposed to play Long Island's Paramount Theatre on 1/27 but due to the weather, that show was 100% cancelled and won't be rescheduled. Refunds are available.

More pictures from T5 below...

Continue reading "Marilyn Manson is back (?), cancels Long Island, but played rescheduled Terminal 5 show (pics)"

photo: Jack White in Austin last week (more by Tim Griffin)

You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight's shows, but here are some highlights...

Jack White, Run The Jewels @ Madison Square Garden
Former White Stripe, blues lover, and guitar-rock devotee Jack White returns to MSG (where The White Stripes played in 2007) for his first headlining show here as a solo artist. His recent sets have all had him mixing it up between his solo stuff and his former bands (at his Nashville show on Wednesday, he actually reunited The Raconteurs on stage). If you're going tonight, definitely don't miss Run The Jewels, the recently-formed rap duo by Killer Mike and El-P that truly reinvigorated both of their careers. Tonight's show is sold out.

If you're not going, you can stream it live on Pandora. It begins at 9 PM and loops for the next 72 hours. An archive will go up on February 3 where you can listen to it song-by-song.

Hamilton Leithauser, Elle King @ Bowery Ballroom
While no longer fronting The Walkmen, Hamilton Leithauser retains his signature raspy, impassioned delivery...and taste in suits.

Torres, Mainland, Heliotropes, Ancient Ocean @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Torres announced her new album earlier this week, and put out the single which has her sounding more rocking than on her debut. Hopefully we'll hear even more new stuff tonight.

Beverly, Honduras, Christines @ Alphaville
Bushwick bar Alphaville has been open for a few months, but this is the first official show in its back room performance space. It's a pretty killer kickoff, with the ultra-melodic indie rock of Beverly, '60s revivalists Honduras, and Christines' thick shoegaze.

Blondes (DJ), John + Jehn, Johnny Hostile, JDH @ Good Room
While here for Savages' residency, singer Jehnny Beth has been doing a few shows with partner Johnny Hostile as their electronic duo incarnation. Blondes will be DJing.

Tombs, Black Anvil, Darkside NYC @ The Acheron
Sludgesters Tombs and black metallers Black Anvil are two of NYC's best local bands, and this spring they'll hit the road together in Europe. But tonight they'll give their hometown a taste of that same double bill.

Screaming Females @ Stevens Institute of Technology
Screaming Females are about to release their sixth album, and from the sound of the songs they've put out so far, it's going more of their badass rock and killer riffs. They've got a couple NYC shows coming up next month, but tonight they'll be nearby in Hoboken.

Invisible Familiars, Adam Schatz & Thomas White's Option Copter (w/ Cibo Mato, Delicate Steve, Sean Lennon + more) @ Baby's All Right
Having worked with Martha Wainwright, Cibo Matto, Sean Lennon and others, Jared Samuel's own music, as Invisble Familiars, is an appealing hodgepodge of styles that is at once quirky, folky, poppy and danceable. Tonight's the release party for his Other Music debut and opening is Adam Schatz & Thomas White's Option Copter that features Cibo Matto, Steve Marion of Delicate Steve, Sean Lennon, and "many more!" Sounds intriguing.

Ben Howard, Hiss Golden Messenger @ Hammerstein Ballroomv
Ben Howard's the headliner, but if you're going to this show we especially recommend showing up for Hiss Golden Messenger. He'stransformed from a haunting bare-bones folk singer to an Electric Dylan-esque folk rocker, and whatever mode he's in, it's great.

Celestial Shore, Zula, Cloud Becomes Your Hand, Voice Coils @ Shea Stadium
This is a pretty stacked bill of local experimental bands, with the mathy indie pop of Celestial Shore, the psych pop of Zula, the arty/eccentric Cloud Becomes Your Hand, and prog collective Voice Coils, who include members of various local bands and are fronted by Mitski.

Ovlov, Grass Is Green, Two Inch Astronaut, KSPILL @ Silent Barn
If you miss the indie rock and post-hardcore sounds of the '90s, you'll find that the bands on this bill fill that void pretty well.

Addison Groove, Doctor Jeep, ROZI, Regent Street @ Cameo Gallery
UK footwork producer Addison Groove is one of the musicians who had the pleasure of collaborating with DJ Rashad before he sadly passed away. If you like Rashad's stuff, there's a good chance you'll dig Addison Groove's too.

Frontier Ruckus, The Bros. Landreth @ Mercury Lounge
Michigan folk pop band Frontier Ruckus released their fourth album, Sitcom Afterlife, in late 2014. Tonight they make their way to NYC in support of it.

Sara Rachele, Kevin Hufnagel @ Union Hall
Singer/songwriter Sara Rachele makes folk with a rock edge, and opener Kevin Hufnagel is a ukulele-playing solo artist when he's not shredding in metal bands Dysrhythmia, Vaura, and Gorguts.

John Oliver @ Beacon Theater
While we wait for Last Week Tonight to return to HBO, host John Oliver does standup tonight in one of Manhattan's toniest venues.

Demetri Martin @ The Paramount
Master of witty deadpan one-liners Demetri Martin brings his tour just out of NYC tonight, and he'll be back in February to play the city proper.

Wolf Alice, Drenge @ Mercury Lounge
Two buzzy, hard-rockin' UK bands hit Mercury Lounge for the early show tonight.

The B-52's @ The Space at Westbury
Coming up quickly on their 40th anniversary, The B-52's still bring the party with a catalogue of classic dance-friendly postpunky new wave.

For all of tonight's shows, and tomorrow's, check out our NYC concert calendar.

For laughs, check out the NYC Comedy calendar too.

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What else?

paper doll set included in Best of The Best Show box set

Scharpling & Wurster Live! sold out its third show at the Bell House (March 12), in addition to the two shows March 11. They've now added a second show on 3/12, a late show with doors at 10 PM. That's four shows total -- who do they think they are, Louis CK? Tickets to that just-added show go on sale Friday (1/30) at 10 AM.

The Best of The Best Show box set, which these live shows are promoting, is out in March.