This Sunday (2/24) at 285 Kent, the Brooklyn venue will be hosting a bittersweet show: on the bright side, it's the third annual birthday for JMC Aggregate and they've booked a great lineup of Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue, Les Bonhommes (mems. Deerhoof, Rainer Maria), Celestial Shore, and DJ Conquerrah. (The location was moved to 285 Kent from Silent Barn, and admission is $10 at the door.)

But the bad side is that it's unfortunately the last-ever show for Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue, who are calling it quits after three years of activity. Sam writes:

The Ecstatic Showband & Revue began with a residency at the deeply-missed Zebulon at the beginning of 2009, only about a month after I relocated to New York. It has been a hub of some of my dearest musical friends and collaborators, a wonderful and exhausting experience, and we've left lots of blood on the dance floor. Rather than fade away, I wanted to present the band in a grand burn out, to coincide with my third-annual birthday celebration with the good people at JMC Aggregate. We will be joined by the roiling Les Bonhommes (members of Deerhoof & Rainer Maria) and golden hope of the future Celestial Shore, as well as my preferred selector, the mighty, mighty DJ Conquerrah.

The Ecstatic Showband & Revue leaves to posterity these two singles: "One Final Round" b/w "To Victory or Death" and "Burning Hell" b/w "I'm Evil, as well as a trove of unrecorded music, some of which has been documented in one rough form or another. We are honored to retire the undisputed Heavyweight Soul Champions of Brooklyn(citation) and promise everyone quite literal blood( did I already mention blood?), sweat, and tears on this gala evening.

(Never Surrender Our) Love,
Sam

Continue reading "Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue breaking up, playing final show on Sunday w/ Les Bonhommes & Celestial Shore"

Extra Life at Webster Hall in 2010 (more by Sarahana)

Experimental Brooklyn trio Extra Life have decided to call it quits after four years of releasing music. They last released Dream Seeds in 2012, their first (and only) record for Northern Spy. But before the band is gone for good, they'll be playing a farewell show in Brooklyn on Sautrday (1/19) at 285 Kent with Tyondai Braxton & Ben Vida, Oneirogen, Sam Mickens, and a DJ set by NMCM (Krallice). For the show, Extra Life will "be joined onstage by former Extra Life members for a few classic EL songs which [they] haven't played in years." Admission is $12 at the door.

Extra Life have also written a farewell letter, and in it they promise new projects from all three members. Nick Podgurski is working with his band Feast of the Epiphany and they just released a 7" this week which you can stream below. Caley Monahon-Ward is working with his band We Can't Enjoy Ourselves who released the album, Make A Mess of Sacred Ground, in December, which you can stream below. They also have a few upcoming NYC shows on February 8 at Knitting Factory with Holopaw and Love As Laughter (tickets), and Union Hall on March 13 with The Better Letters and The Eggs (tickets). And finally, Charlie Looker is working with his band Seaven Teares, who will release their debut album, Power Ballads, on March 19 via Northern Spy. You can stream a track from that album, "Meet Me," below.

Those song streams and Extra Life's full farewell letter below...

Continue reading "Extra Life Disbands, Announces Final Show"

Tyondai Braxton at ATP NYC 2012 (more by David Andrako)

Ex-Battles frontman Tyondai Braxton will present his new multimedia project, HIVE, in NYC at the Guggenheim Museum on March 21 as part of the museum's Works & Process series. The project is being co-presented by Wordless Music and will feature musicians Ben Vida, Yuri Yamashita, Jared Soldiviero, and John Ostrowski, and architect/carpenter Uffe Surland Van Tams. Tickets for that show are on sale now. Flyer below.

Tyondai has other upcoming appearances and events in NYC including premiering his new work, Trems, which is being performed by Bang On A Can at Merkin Concert Hall on March 14 for an event that also features music by Dan Deacon, Anna Clyne, Paula Matthusen, Johann Johannsson, and Fay Kueen Wang.

Then, he'll debut his piece, "Fly by Wire" with the ensemble Alarm Will Sound at Carnegie Hall on April 6. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Tyondai and Ben Vida (who also performs at the HIVE show) are teaming up as a duo to perform as an opening act at Extra Life's last show ever which happens on January 19 at 285 Kent with Sam Mickens (who plays Mercury Lounge with Callers tonight [1/7]), Oneirogen, and a DJ set by NMCM (Krallice). Admission is $12 at the door. You can read Extra Life's goodbye message at their website.

And, as mentioned, Tyondai will DJ at Dan Friel's record release show for Total Folklore on February 19 at Knitting Factory with Guardian Alien and Yvette. Tickets for that show are still available.

All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Tyondai Braxton has new musical projects, playing live (dates)"

Callers at MHOW in 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Brain Cloud @ Barbes
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* The Big Pink @ Le Baron
* Diane Birch @ City Winery
* Noche Flamenca @ Joe's Pub
* Drew Gasparini @ Joe's Pub
* Mike Birbiglia @ Union Hall
* Dirty Fences, haters @ The Flat
* Ghostlimb, Old Wounds, Descender @ Lit
* Night Train with Wyatt Cenac @ Littlefield
* Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ McKittrick Hotel
* Wale, DJ Clark Kent, Black Cobain @ Bowery Ballroom
* Hippy, Eastern Hollows, Dead Stars, Haybaby @ Glasslands
* King Charles the Martyr, Raccoon Fighter @ Mercury Lounge
* Callers, Sam Micken's Ecstatic Showband Revue @ Mercury Lounge
* Alexander Hacke, Martin Bisi, Valerie Kuehne, Paul Wallfisch, Little Annie, Sally Norvell @ The Delancey

Callers were supposed to play their album release show for Reviver at Mercury Lounge with Sam Mickens back in November but that show was cancelled due to weather and will take place at the same venue with the same lineup tonight (1/7). Tickets for tonight's show are still available.

It's one of the final Precious Metal Mondays at Lit Lounge tonight, with Ghostlimb, Old Wounds and Descender, plus BV's own Fred Pessaro (BBG) as the night's DJ.

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Reunited Brit-poppers Suede, who are working on a new album called Bloodsports (due out this March), just revealed the first song from that album, "Barriers." Stream it below or you can download at their website.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

DOWNLOAD: Blue Hawaii - In Two (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Blue Hawaii - In Two II (MP3)

Blue Hawaii @ Bowery Electric for Sam Mickens CMJ - 10/18/2012

Braids side project Blue Hawaii, who played the 2011 BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase with Braids, have come up a lot on this site since right before CMJ 2012 (which Braids also played). But we haven't yet mentioned "Untogether", their new full length due 1/22/2013 on Arbutus Records. Gorilla Vs. Bear premiered two MP3s off it which you can download above.

Electronic duo (as Jon Pareles referred to them) Blue Hawaii played at least 5 CMJ shows this year, one of which was the official Sam Mickens showcase at Bowery Electric with ZZZ's. We have some pictures of both bands from that show in this post.

Blue Hawaii are still in NYC and play two more shows this weekend. We've mentioned both. Tonight/Friday (10/26) you can find them at Cameo with ARMS and Opossom, and Saturday they open for Grimes at Bowery Ballroom. Those seem to be their only upcoming dates at the moment.

More pictures from Bowery Electric and some streams below...

Continue reading "Blue Hawaii releasing 'Untogether' (MP3s), played CMJ w/ ZZZ's (pics), play two more shows this weekend (dates)"

Royal Baths circa now

Royal Baths are opening for Moon Duo tomorrow night (10/5) at Knitting Factory and the show will be their first with a new line-up that includes Lesley Hann of Friends on bass (who seems to have left that group, along with Matthew Molnar, if their most recent 285 Kent show is any indication). Tickets are still available.

If you can't make it tomorrow night, Royal Baths have a bunch of other shows coming up, including Sunday (10/7) at Bowery Electric (whose booking seems to be getting more interesting now that Sam Mickens has been handling some of the shows there) with Larkin Grimm, Behavior & M. Lamar; Wednesday (10/10) at Glasslands with Grooms, Dum Dum Girls offshoot SISU and Punks on Mars (tickets); October 16 at 285 Kent with Forma and the Golden Awesome; and a CMJ show at Cheap Storage on October 19 with King Tuff, Habibi, Turnip King and Total Slacker (tickets). Royal Baths tour dates are listed below.

Meanwhile, Royal Baths' Jeremy Cox features on Blasted Canyons' version of "Venus in Furs" that will be on the upcoming Castle Face Velvet Underground tribute album we told you about. That album is out November 6. Royal Baths most recent album, Better Luck Next Life, came out back in February.

Speaking of Total Slacker, the band have had a sad week with the death of their drummer Terence Connor in a hit-and-run. The band will pay tribute to him this Saturday (10/6) at Cheap Storage with a dance party featuring DJ sets from Weird Rivers, Cool Serbia, DOM, and Prince Rama. Suggested donation is $5 and all procedes go to Connor's family. More info here.

Continue reading "Friends' Lesley Hann joins Royal Baths who have a bunch of upcoming shows (dates)"

Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Edie Brickell, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, James Taylor, and more are playing the Children's Health Fund 25th Anniversary Concert at Radio City Music Hall on October 4. Tickets for that show are very expensive and on sale now.

When we mentioned that Easy Star All-Stars put out a Michael Jackson tribute album called "Thrillah", we didn't realize they were also performing from it at Irving Plaza on 10/4. Tickets are on sale.

As mentioned, tickets are on sale for the Afghan Whigs show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets for the Delta Spirit, FIDLAR, and JEFF the Brotherhood show at Irving Plaza are on sale now.

Tickets for Lady Gaga's upcoming shows at MSG and Barclays Center go on sale at 10am.

Prong is playing Rocks Off cruise during CMJ on October 19 with Eminence and For Sleeping or Jumping. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Speaking of CMJ shows on boats, Tickets for the El-P CMJ Rocks Off cruise (also happening on 10/19) are on sale now.

If you noticed El-P's friend Killer Mike in the initial CMJ lineup, that's because Mike is opening for GZA as part of a tour that hits Irving Plaza on 10/18. Tickets are still on sale.

Tickets to see High on Fire's two upcoming NYC shows (Bowery and MHOW) go on sale today at noon.

Sam Sparro plays Webster Hall on November 30. Tickets go on sale at noon.

Tickets to see Field Report atMercury Lounge go on sale today at noon. You can also get tickets to Union Hall.

Tickets to see The Waterboys' Mike Scott at Music Hall of Williamsburg go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see Anais Mitchell at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see Diamond Rings at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

BAIO (aka Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend) is playing Glasslands on October 26 with Germany Germany. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Iggy Azalea and Havana Brown are opening for Rita Ora at Highline Ballroom on October 30. Tickets for that show go on sale today at noon.

Theophilus London is playing Gramercy Theatre on October 20 with Chip Tha Rippa and Phony PPL. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Tickets to the Owen shows at Mercury Lounge and Union Hall go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see The Frank and Walters at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Kelly Hogan show at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon.

Petty Fest tickets go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Callers and Sam Mickens show at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon.

Sam Mickens also plays as a duo with Mike Pride at Death by Audio on October 14 with Aurora and Glockabelle.

Tickets are still on sale for the Jens Lekman/Taken By Trees show at Terminal 5.

RSVP to the BV Austin CMJ Party with Robert Ellis, Wild Child, The TonTons, Shakey Graves, Josiah Hall, and New York City Queens, or just show up with your CMJ badge to get in for free.

DOWNLOAD: Callers - "Heroes" (MP3)

Callers at MHOW last week (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Brooklyn's Callers, who just wrapped up a tour with Wye Oak which hit the NYC area twice last week, are heading out this October as a support act for Dirty Projectors on their European tour. Upon returning home, they'll play a local show with fellow Brooklynites Sam Mickens Ecstatic Showband & Revue at Mercury Lounge on November 7. Tickets for that show go on AmEx presale today (9/26) at noon with a general on-sale starting Friday (9/28) at noon. All Callers dates are listed below.

As mentioned, Callers will release their new album, Reviver, on October 9 via their new label, Partisan Records. You can grab the track "Heroes" off of that album above, or stream it below.

Sam Mickens is working on a new album too. It's titled Kayfabe: Laamb of G.O.D., and it was successfully funded on kickstarter earlier this month. The video for his 2011 single, "One Final Round," is below.

A list of all dates, song stream and video below.

Continue reading "Callers playing NYC show w/ Sam Mickens (who is releasing an LP) after European tour w/ Dirty Projectors (dates & MP3)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: oOoOO - "NoWayBack" (Ft. Butterclock) (MP3)

Sam Mickens w/ Zac Pennington at Ecstatic Music Festival (more by David Andrako)

Late last year, Sam Mickens announced a split 7" with Voice on Tape due out "winter 2011/2012." That 7" still hasn't been released but you can stream Sam's contribution HERE. However, he did release a single last week, "One Final Round"/"To Victory or Death," which you can stream and purchase at his bandcamp. The songs have a traditional ballroom pop feel led by organic pianos and horns, until halfway through "To Victory or Death," when the band kicks it up into a double time punk beat.

Sam Mickens, who performed Saturday night as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival, has a few more upcoming NYC shows this month. He'll premiere his "Micropatronage" piece with a string quartet at Roulette on February 16 with Jim Staley and Zeena Parkins and Loren Mazzance Connors (whose new album, A Fire, was scheduled to come out this week but has since been delayed). Tickets are on sale now. Sam will then play the same venue on Feburary 18 when he hosts a live taping of ESP TV, which is also part of Roulette's Experimental Love Festival along with C. Spencer Yeh, Little Women, Grasshopper, MV Carbon, and Amanda Long. The event was curated by Scott Kiernan and Victoria Keddie. Tickets are on sale now.

Sam Mickens will also celebrate his 30th birthday at Shea Stadium on February 23 with performances by Sam Mickens Ecstatic Showband & Revue (who recorded the new 12") and Sam Mickens Fourth World (feat. members of Deerhoof, Extra Life, and Cuddle Magic). The bill also includes White Ring and Mirror Mirror.

White Ring last played in NYC last month at Glasslands (1/21) opening for oOoOO (who just announced an EP). How was that show?

Speaking of oOoOO's EP, Our Living is Killing Us (due April 10 via Tri Angle), Stereogum recently premiered the first track, "NoWayBack," which features vocals from collaborator Butterclock. Her airy vocals and oOoOO's beatwork bring to mind some of Grimes' downtempo material and its easily oOoOO's best track yet. Grab an MP3 of the song above and stream it below.

All dates and stream below...

Continue reading "upcoming Sam Mickens shows & a new oOoOO MP3"

DOWNLOAD: Perfume Genius - "All Waters" (MP3)

Sam Mickens at Silent Barn in 2010 (more by Amanda Dandaneu)

Sam Mickens of The Dead Science and who also plays as a member of Parenthetical Girls released his solo debut LP, Slay & Slake, in late November. He's following that release with a split 7" with Voice on Tape, which will be out "winter 2011/2012" on Silencio Records. Sam's contribution, which is making its premiere in this post, is a track called "Dark Christmas," and it features a duet with Zac Pennington, who fronts Parenthetical Girls and also sang on Slay & Shake. The song is led by floaty atmospheres, some soft acoustic guitar, and the haunting refrain, "You're gonna love me better when I'm gone." Check it out below. Voice on Tape's contribution to the 7" is a track that features Chelsea Wolfe (who has a new video you can also watch below).

"Dark Christmas" is not to be confused with Sam Mickens' Christmas EP, A Christmas Gift to You, Zac Pennington, which came out yesterday (12/13) and is available to download (for free or as much as you want to give) and stream on bandcamp...

Sam Mickens' newly-out-of-the-vault EP "A Christmas Gift To You, Zac Pennington" was recorded and mixed in one night in Dec. 2010 in the spirit of purest friendship, a private record made for one friend by another. Wrapping up(nearly!) a very prolific year for Mickens, which has seen the release of the Sinistra Secco EP, two singles with his Brooklyn massive the Ecstatic Showband & Revue, and his debut full-length Slay & Slake, this Christmas EP sets down our flight in a nestling snow bank. Have at ye merry gentlemen!

Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It

In related news, fellow Xiu Xiu collaborator Perfume Genius, whose confessional art pop is not so far removed from Sam Mickens, will release the followup to his great 2010 debut, Learning, early next year. The new album, titled Put Your Back N 2 It, comes out on February 21 via Matador. Grab the lead track, "All Waters," at the top of this post and stream it below, along with the artwork and tracklist. The album is available for a 15% off pre-order with a free poster at the Matador webstore on CD/LP.

Song streams, artwork and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Sam Mickens releases Christmas songs (for & with Zac Pennington); Perfume Genius announces LP (MP3s & streams)"

by Andrew Sacher

Parenthetical Girls at Glasslands on 12.1.11 (via Jonathan Graves)

Parenthetical Girls recently kicked off an east coast tour which brought the band to the NYC-area three times so far, for a Glasslands show (pictured above), an early show at SUNY Purchase (12/3) and a night show at Santos the same day.

I caught their set at Purchase, which opened with singer Zac Pennington crouched inside of a clear plastic box singing "Sympathy For Spastics" with little more accompaniment than light piano lines from keyboardist Amber Smith. While he was under the box, he fogged up the front of it and scribbled the word "metaphor" with his finger, the first of many semi-sarcastic tropes of the set (another great one being when he kicked over a pawn from the student center's giant chess set). Zac's other antics included running into the audience and different rooms of the student center. The band's hour long set was made up mostly of the material from their Privilege EPs, though they reached into their back catalog for a couple of songs and covered The Smiths' "Handsome Devil."

Parenthetical Girls will be back in NYC TONIGHT (12/6) at Shea Stadium with Sam Mickens (who was also on the Purchase show) and guests. Updated dates below.

Speaking of The Smiths, the box set of their complete discography is out now and guitarist Johnny Marr has been banned from driving for 56 days due to being caught doing 72mph in a 40mph zone and pleading guilty. He's also been fined £535.

All PG dates and a clip of Zach singing in the photobooth at Glasslands, below...

Continue reading "Parenthetical Girls played 3 NY shows, playing 2 more (dates)"

photos by Tim Griffin, words by Andrew Sacher

YACHT @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

YACHT recently played Fun Fun Fun Fest and went on a tour with Yo Gabba Gabba. We've got another set of pictures from their set at FFF Fest in this post.

At the beginning of December, YACHT will kick off another string of dates that includes the previously mentioned NYC show at Santos Party House on December 3 with Parenthetical Girls and Midnight Magic. Tickets are still available.

Earlier that day (12/3), both YACHT and Parenthetical Girls will perform at Purchase College for 'House Our Queer Youth: A Benefit for the Ali Forney Center,' whose mission is to "protect the LGBTQ youth from the harm of homelessness, and to support them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood." The show also includes sets by DOM, MEN, DJ/Rupture, Tearist, Advance Base, Sam Mickens, Hilly Eye, and others. Tickets for the all ages show which is open to the public, are on sale now.

Updated dates and more pics below...

Continue reading "YACHT playing public Purchase show w/ Dom, MEN & more --- updated dates & more pics from FFF Fest"

photos by Chris La Putt

Nina Persson covering Kate Bush @ Le Poisson Rouge

In exciting new album news:

"The legendary singer KATE BUSH will release her brand new studio album 50 Words For Snow via Anti-Records this November 21st. You can preview the record beginning today, November 14 when it streams in its entirety care of NPR's First Listen series.

50 Words For Snow features 7 new tracks set against a background of falling snow, with a total running time of 65 minutes; through a highly evocative musical and lyrical landscape this haunting album once again pushes the boundaries. This is KATE's second album release of 2011, following Director's Cut which was released in May to massive critical acclaim.

The new album features a small number of special guest musicians including Elton John.

Losers Lounge's next victim is Diana Ross who they'll be paying tribute to at Joe's Pub at five shows in three days in December.

More pictures, video & setlist from the Kate Bush show below...

Continue reading "Losers Lounge & friends paid tribute to Kate Bush whose new album is streaming now (pics, setlist, video)"

Though currently knee deep in a tour with Extra Life (who have a new tour-only 12"), Sam Mickens has released a new video for "One Final Round", out now via iTunes and due on 7" on 8/23 via Shatter Your Leaves. The release is one of two due for Mickens, who will also welcome the "Burning Hell/I'm Evil" 7" that same day via the label, in preparation for an eventual LP Slay & Slake on November 1.

Catch Sam with Extra Life on July 30th at Silent Barn. All tour dates, that Sue-Ling Braun-directed NSFW video clip, and a stream of the Sinistra Secco EP by Mickens are all below.

Continue reading "Sam Mickens on tour now, has a new video (premiere)"

Extra Life

Extra Life and Parenthetical Girls are releasing a tour-only split 12" in support of an upcoming West Coast run together. The run is part of Extra Life's tour with Sam Mickens (The Dead Science, Xiu Xiu) that ends in NYC on July 30 at Silent Barn. All dates are listed below.

Hopefully Parenthetical Girls, who are in the process of releasing a 5-part Privilege EP series (Part III is the latest), come back to NYC soon too (they do not make it as far as the Silent Barn show).

The split 12" features Extra Life and Parenthetical Girls covering one of each other's songs. Extra Life takes on "I Was the Dancer," while Parenthetical girls deliver their rendition of "Head Shrinker." Pick it up at the merch table, but meanwhile we've got an exclusive stream of the Extra Life track (the one of them doing PG), with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Extra Life touring w/ Sam Mickens & Parenthetical Girls (dates), releasing tour-only split 12" (listen to a song)"

Delorean @ Coco66 in March (more by Ryan Muir)

today in NYC
* Bill Frisell @ Village Vanguard
* Hannibal Buress @ Knitting Factory
* Autolux, This Will Destroy You @ Maxwell's
* Dominique Young Unique, Smalltown DJs @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Michael Jackson's Birthday Party in Prospect Park w/ DJ Spinna
* Delorean, Dominique Young Unique, ??, ?? @ Williamsburg Waterfront
* Nellie McKay, Spencer Reed (Highline Piano Series) @ Highline Ballroom
Jimmy Scott, Vijay Iyer, The Cookers, Catherine Russell @ Tompkins Square Park
* Telecult Powers, Mazing Vids, Slasher Risk, Pygmy Shrews, Peopling, Millions @ Glasslands
* Ecstatic Rain (Prince cover band w/ Sam Mickens & band), Charlie Looker, avant bachelor auction & more @ Death By Audio
* Bunnybrains, PG Six, Zaimph (feat. Marcia Bassett from Double Leopards), Diane Cluck, Hat City Intuitive, Nonhorse (G Lucas Crane of Woods) @ Knitting Factory
* Hermit Thrushes, Natureboy, Generifus, Elizabeth Devlin, Gunfight!, Liv Carrow, Will Stratton, Trevor Wilson, Johnny Houx, PAPS, Soft Black, Erin Regan, 1985, Bad Braids, Bigger Princess (OK BBQ) @ Silent Barn

Michael Jackson's birthday party is being celebrated in Prospect Park.

Sam Mickens and friends will be celebrating Michael Jackson too, but also Prince.

If there was ever a show where Devendra Banhart might be spotted in the audience, it would be the one at Knitting Factory tonight.

Dominique Young Unique opens today's Pool Party and then plays its free afterparty at Brookloyn Bowl.

Speaking of the Pool Party, yes it is definitely happening, and no they won't say who the special guests are.

Silent Barn is hosting an end of summer "OK BBQ" from 3pm till late. Set times, and other stuff, below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

photos by Amanda Dandaneau

Sam Mickens's Esctatic Showband & Revue @ Silent Barn

Brooklyn's new dance party, "Peoples Temple," here to wrecking-ball cultural doldrums and ignite the fires of tomorrow!

Debuting THURSDAY AUGUST 19TH and monthly thereafter, PEOPLES TEMPLE will inhabit the red-light interior of Williamsburg's most cracking young venue, Bruar Falls {245 Grand Ave.} marrying a raw and ecstatic dance party to varied but always thrilling musical guests. Hosted & selected by degenerate art maven Sam Mickens,(of The Dead Science, Ecstatic Showband & Revue, Xiu Xiu, Parenthetical Girls, et al.) PEOPLES TEMPLE will prove an exquisite night where folk from all walks of life can come to drink, dance, and co-exist in the spirit of ecstatic love.

Our grand opening, Aug. 19th will feature New York's most blazing young R & B chanteuse, Ms. Keesha Mishawn, presenting a full band set to shake the pillars of heaven. Hip Hop/R & B/Disco/Music of the 1980s/Ill Miscellaneous jams curated all night by Sam Mickens, the party runs 10pm-4 and is absolutely FREE.

Let's get it!
Sam Mickens

Aa, Chat Logs, Sam Mickens's Ecstatic Showband and (the not-pictured) Island's Eyelids played a show Saturday night (7/24) at Silent Barn, which is where the pictures here were taken. More of them below...

Continue reading "Sam Mickens played Silent Barn w/ Aa (pics), plays Union Hall (tonight), starting dance party @ Bruar Falls"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Annie Reichert

Sam Mickens @ Union Pool April 18th, 2010

Dear citizens of America & the Earth,

On this day, April 20th, 2010, I officially issue a challenge, on behalf of myself and my Ecstatic Showband, to Ms. Sharon Jones & her Dap-Kings, to a battle of the bands to determine who is truly the greatest working soul band in Brooklyn. Song for song and musician for musician, I believe this should prove a burning and exhaustive contest.

The issuance of this challenge bears no spirit of disrespect or denigration towards Ms. Jones and her work; in fact my feelings are full of admiration and esteem. It does however bear the assertion that cultural vanguards must be replaced, and that only through an environment of healthy and virile competition can the illest work be produced. We will meet Ms. Jones in the venue of her choosing and with any preconditions she wishes to impose. If Ms. Jones fails to respond to this challenge I will accept the title of Heavyweight Soul Champion of Brooklyn by default.

Thanks and best regards,
Sam Mickens

The band will be opening Thee Silver Mt. Zion's Sunday, May 16th show at Bowery Ballroom (one of two NYC shows on the Mt. Zion's tour, tickets still on sale).

The Estatic Showband's band's individual members (which can vary at any given show) regularly play around town themselves. Drummer Mike Pride is particularly prolific, with almost nightly gigs. Tonight (4/22) he has two: an early show with Jonathan Moritz Trio at Zebulon, and a late gig with bass/keyboardist Jamie Saft as noise-improv duo Kalashnikov at Southpaw with Shaker jazz group Shakers n Bakers and Ben Perowsky's Moodswing Orchestra.

At Union Pool, the group also featured guest vocalists that included Keesha Mishawn, Katie Eastburn (of Young People), Charlie Looker (of Extra Life who, along with the Luyas, open for Owen Pallett at Webster Hall) and Steven Reker. See some of them fronting the band in the pictures below.

As for Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, the band was just stuck in Germany because of a volcano, and their upcoming summer tour include two nights at the Apollo Theater on April 30th and May 1st. They were supposed to appear on Letterman this week, but that isn't happening because of the volcano (rescheduled for May 4th).

More Union Pool pictures and older videos are below...

Continue reading "Sam Mickens played Union Pool (pics), challenges Sharon Jones, opening for Thee Silver Mt. Zion & stuff"

Liars @ Bowery Ballroom the other day (more by Erez Avissar)

tonight in NYC
* Fol Chen @ Sound Fix
* The Morning After Girls @ Living Room
* John Wesley Harding house show in Staten Island
* Ludicra, Krallice, Castavet, Atakke @ Europa
* Liars, Fol Chen @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue @ Union Pool
* John Wesley Harding & the English Uk @ Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ
* Lazarus, Unbunny, Tiger Saw, The Wailing Wall @ Death By Audio
* Oneida, Trans Am, Nice Nice, Jonas Reinhardt @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* The Music of Louis Andriessen w/ ACME and Eric Huebner @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Eternal Summers, Beachniks, Honey Dos, Maine Coons, Mashmallows @ Coco 66
* Polite Sleeper, Uninhabitable Mansions, The Charming Youngsters, North Highlands @ Glasslands
* Truman Peyote, Weekends, Birthdays, Total Slacker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cop Magnet @ Surreal Estate

More on some of these shows in This Week in Indie.

Catch Fol Chen for free at Sound Fix today before their show with Liars in the same neighborhood tonight.

Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue, a rotating lineup fronted by the Dead Science singer that plays a kind of Sun Ra-inspired soul, is at Union Pool tonight. A flyer is below.

John Wesley Harding plays two shows today.

Despite medical complications, Ludicra plays Europa tonight with Krallice, Castevet, and Atakke.

Coachella concludes today. Stream it. Videos from Dirty Projectors' set there yesterday, below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

by Andrew Frisicano

Sam Mickens (by Elizabeth Leitzell)

The Dead Science's Sam Mickens pulls together a rotating crew of some of NYC's most talented jazz regulars to form his Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband and Revue, a falsetto-fronted act that combines twisted bubblegum pop with the vocabulary of retro soul. They play the Cake Shop on Friday, January 29th (tonight) with genre-crossing, soul/funk/post-punk acts D. Rider and Whales & Cops. Videos of all three are below.

Sam Mickens picks up a guitar to play with drummer Mike Pride as a duo at Zebulon on January 31st. Extra Life (who have a new CD coming out) and Kush are also on the bill.

Mickens & Pride add saxist Darius Jones to form Black Lantern Trio, again at Zebulon, on February 21st. A video of that group is below.

The Showband & Revue have another show on Mike Pride's exhaustive schedule, listed below - it's a TBA date in Bushwick on March 12th. Videos and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Mike Pride & Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue dates"

DOWNLOAD: Extra Life - (Pay Up) The Ladder(MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Extra Life - Black Hoodie (MP3)

Extra Life @ Glasslands (more by Lori Baily)

Extra Life's new album Made Flesh is due out March 30. Check out "(Pay Up) The Ladder" from that disc, along with a pre-album version of "Black Hoodie" ("taken from a limited edition split 12" with Nat Baldwin, which has been re-recorded/re-imagined for Made Flesh") for free download above. Cover art below.

Extra Life (think Dirty Projectors & Final Fantasy) is fronted by guitarist/composer Charlie Looker, a core member of Zs" who has worked with Dirty Projectors, Glenn Branca, William Parker and the S.E.M. Ensemble".

The band is heading out on tour in February and March, but in the meantime there's a chance to catch them in Brooklyn, at Union Pool tonight (1/14) with Lichens and (Dirty Projectors member) Nat Baldwin, and then again with Sam Mickens & Mike Pride Duo and Kush at Zebulon on January 31st.

All dates, cover art, and a live video below...

Continue reading "Extra Life - new album (MP3, art), upcoming shows (tonight)"

photos by Lori Baily, words by Andrew Frisicano

Zs clapping

On September 3rd, Glasslands hosted an eclectic lineup of Larkin Grimm, Extra Life, Zs and Liturgy. If you missed it, there are plenty of opportunities to see every band on the bill again. For instance, Liturgy is playing both The New Yorker Festival at The Bell House, and a Halloween show at Market Hotel.

Zs' Sam Hillmer is co-curating Death By Audio's The Maze, which takes place through October 2nd, with Zs performing that last night. The inaugural gig for the space will be a show on September 10th with Skeletons Big Band, who are currently doing 3 nights at Roulette. That group's expanded lineup shares some members with Sam Mickens' Ecstatic Showband & Revue. Mickens (of The Dead Science) & Co. are playing the Cake Shop on Wednesday, September 16th with Wildbirds & Peacedrums (who are playing NYC with Deerhoof and Fanfarlo that same week), Katie Eastburn, and Charlie Looker (of Extra Life who also plays in the Revue).

Extra Life has their own shows at both Death By Audio (on September 12th) and Cake Shop (on November 5th) as well as one at Alphabet City spot Drom on October 9th.

More pictures from Glasslands and dates below...

Continue reading "Extra Life & Zs played Glasslands (pics), Wildbirds & Peacedrums add NYC show w/ Sam Mickens & more (dates)"

Sam Hillmer (left) playing with Zs @ the Yard (more by Sarahana)

You Are Here (The Maze) is a performance festival in a sculptural maze taking place at Williamsburg's Death By Audio from September 10 - October 2, 2009. Emphasizing the sprawling and interconnected nature of New York's underground, a trip through the maze offers a peak inside NYC's diy art/music scene. A meditation on passage and desire, You Are Here engulfs the space and presents beckoning inhabitants, dead ends, and uplifting epitaphs. Medium and genre vary and overlapping and simultaneous performances are frequent, each performer establishing a different corner or dead end as his or hers.

Skeletons kick off the first night of the festival on September 10th as the Skeletons Big Band, a 12-piece band (expanded from their usual four) that's also playing September 7-9th at Roulette. There they'll be performing "New Works for a Larger Ensemble" which includes "excerpts and new arrangements from their record in progress "PEOPLE," a long form piece based around conversations in Greyhound busses and stations, and beyond..."

The full schedule for the Maze (and the lineup for Skeletons Big Band) is below...

Continue reading "Death By Audio's The Maze - schedule (includes 1 of 4 upcoming Skeletons Big Band shows & much more) "

Remember Death By Audio's 12-hour benefit on July 25th for something called You Are Here: A Maze?

Sam Hillmer & Laura Paris, who dubbed their art collaboration Trouble, had the first You Are Here festival in 2007, at 44th street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway. Paris drew out the floor-plan of the maze, while Hillmer, who plays tenor saxophone for the Zs, booked bands to play in the space and coordinated efforts to bring people inside to interact with the maze.

"It didn't seem like the kind of thing that could just sit in a gallery, it needs constant traffic," Hillmer explained. "That is the piece, people dealing with the situation [presented by the maze]."

This year's festival, scheduled for Spetember 10th through October 2nd, will take up the entire space of Death by Audio and feature a maze constructed out of salvaged doors from Built It Green, a nonprofit organization that sells surplus building materials. The space will also have woodchip-covered floors ("to reference mazes built out of bushes," Hillmer notes). The twists and turns of the venue will be littered by some 200 of Paris' sculptures, molded from some of her pieces and then cast repeatedly. [Greenpoint Gazette]

The preliminary lineup (aka almost a month's worth of shows at the venue while the maze is up) mixes interesting out of town names (Calvin Johnson, Ty Segal, The Coathangers) with local acts like Skeletons (as 'Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities'), Mick Barr (he is local right?), Extra life and Stars Like Fleas. Full lineup to be announced soon but more of it is below, along with video footage of the first Maze (starring Dave Longstreth, Thee Oh Sees and others), and other details and the flyer for the new Maze...

Continue reading "Death by Audio maze installation running Sept 10-Oct 2 (Skeletons, Mick Barr, Calvin Johnson, Extra Life, Ty Segall)"

On Saturday, July 25th, there'll be a 12-hour benefit at Death By Audio for You Are Here: A Maze, a "performance festival in a sculptural maze" to happen at the venue from September 10th - October 2nd. Both the event and the project are being put on by Trouble (Zs' Sam Hillmer and artist Laura Paris).

The lineup includes performances by Ninjasonik, Aa, Dead Science's Sam Mickens, Charlie Looker of Extra Life, and Hillmer himself (with Regattas). A DJ set by Dirty Projector Dave Longstreth is also on the schedule (for some actual singing by Longstreth, that takes place at the Williamsburg Waterfront this Sunday).

A full schedule of performers, with some info on the You Are Here project, is below...

Continue reading "12-hour art project benefit at DBA (DJ Longstreth, Aa, members of Zs, Extra Life, Dead Science, more)"