« What's going on Tuesday? | Main | DOOM playing NY w/ Mos Def, releasing b-sides, Madvillain 2 »

Posted in MP3 | music | tour dates on November 3, 2009

Free Energy tour dates without the Rakes who broke up, a show w/ Small Black who play Brooklyn w/ Pictureplane too

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Diehard - Karaoke King (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Small Black - Despicable Dogs (MP3)

Free Energy

Philadelphia's nostalgic party rockers Free Energy are playing The Bell House next Tuesday (11/10). This is the band's first NYC show since a pretty successful CMJ run:

This group's laser-guided desire to be the go-to Dazed and Confused house band makes their ultimate intent curious. Considering the caveman riffs, boogie bass, and lyrics like, "you can do what you want to do," the question is: Are these guys kidding? The answer is (basically), "no."

Because when Sprangers sings, "you can do what you want to do," or, "never give up," or even, "bang pop pop," he means it-- possibly more than a grown man should. So this is seriously fun music, the type of thing Weezer have attempted for the last few years except not as creepy or cloying. [Pitchfork]

After the Bell House show, Free Energy are hitting the road for a string of South West dates that were supposed to be with UK band The Rakes who instead decided to break up instead. (They announced it during CMJ, which somewhat explains why we're only mentioning it now.) The Rakes will be missed, but here's hoping singer Alan Donahoe finds a new band soon. He'll need to do something with that nervous energy. The affected NYC date is November 12th at Highline Ballroom ("refunds available at all points of purchase").

Free Energy are also playing Santos Party House on November 28 with Glint opening.

Back to the Bell House show though. Also playing are another band who had a good CMJ, Brooklyn's Small Black. While they seem a little more song-based than most of the bands lumped in with this chillwave/glo-fi thing, there is a Washed Out remix of their (very good) current single "Despicable Dogs" So let's just lump them in there too and make it easy on ourselves for now. Unlike Washed Out though, Small Black have already figured out how to make their live show interesting. So if you missed them during CMJ, here's another chance. They play Market Hotel on November 7th too, with Pictureplane, Cale Parks, Grass Widow, and The Girls at Dawn. All dates below.

Also on the Bell House line-up are relatively new band Diehard who seem to be actively channeling mid-'90s American indie rock like Superchunk, Archers of Loaf and Pavement, and they do it very well. Check out their song "Karaoke King" at the top of this post, and if you like that they've got two more downloadable MP3s at their website.

Live videos of Free Energy and Small Black from CMJ, plus all tour dates are below.

---

Recent Related Entries

• an end of 2009 interview w/ Frankie Rose (who has 3 upcoming shows including New Years Eve w/ TIX ON SALE)
• Cold Cave played MHOW (w/ Small Black), playing Mercury Lounge (w/ Nite Jewel) -- updated tour dates
• What's going on Wednesday?
• Free Energy playing the DFA Holiday Party, touring w/ Foreign Born, playing other shows - dates ++ MP3s, video
• Free Energy & Carlo Vutera played the Girlie Action holiday party @ the Wired Store - pics
• Cold Cave playing free NYC show Tues & for $2 in Philly ++ touring w/ Nite Jewel & playing NYC in Feb??
• Free Energy playing free Vice & Wired Store parties
• Field Music, the Figgs, Sloan, Big Pink, Red Mass, JEFF the Brotherhood, the Besties & more in This Week in Indie
• Rebecca Schiffman MP3, videos, a single & upcoming shows
• Kurt Vile adds free Brooklyn show (dates), played Europa w/ Wild Yaks (who are playing Hex Fest) - pics & review

Tags: breaking up, Cale Parks, CMJ, Diehard, Free Energy, Glint, Grass Widow, Pictureplane, Small Black, The Girls at Dawn, The Rakes

Posted on November 3, 2009 6:22 PM

--

« What's going on Tuesday? | Main | DOOM playing NY w/ Mos Def, releasing b-sides, Madvillain 2 »

---