bruarfallsfinal1

Peaking Lights, Star Slinger, Radical Dads, Bruar Falls, Gold Panda, Wax Idols, Obits & more in This Week in Indie

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Peaking Lights – All The Sun That Shines (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Peaking Lights – Tiger Eyes (Laid Back) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Peaking Lights – Hey Sparrow (MP3)

Bruar Falls

It never fails, the week after CMJ I get sick. So here I sit, with a big cup of green tea and a stuffy head, writing about shows that I want to go to, but probably won’t. But hopefully you are in better health. There’s a lot of great options this weekend.

As you may have heard, two-year-old Williamsburg club Bruar Falls is closing November 1. I live pretty close to the place, have seen a lot of great shows there and am bummed it’s shutting its doors. But for Bruar Falls’ Last Week Ever, it’s going out in style with a bunch of great shows. Tonight (10/28) it’s The Beets, Tanks Amigo, the Beachniks and, just in time for Halloween, a Misfits cover band.

Saturday night (10/29) is for you punkers out there: Stalkers, Tough Shits, Ex-Humans and Dino’s Boys. And then Sunday night (10/30) it’s Dive, Shark?, Air Waves and Bright Lights. And then Halloween night (10/31) is the for real last night ever with Friend Roulette, Hunktronik, Clouder and KNTRLR.

A lot of these bands are BF regulars so I imagine there will be a palpable party vibe there all weekend long. I’ll miss ya.

Peaking Lights
Peaking Lights

Tonight (10/28) is the NYC debut of Wisconsin husband and wife duo Peaking Lights whose alluring, dubby album 963 came out early this year on Not Not Fun but is getting wider distribution next month via Mexican Summer and Domino imprint Weird World. You can download a few tracks from the record at the top of this post.

A lot of the strange sounds heard on the album come via homemade instruments and effects boxes that Aaron Coyes makes in the basement of his and singer Indra Dunis’ home. You can find out more about this via an episode of VBS TV’s Soundbuilders which is streaming at the bottom of this post. After watching that, I’m curious to see how Peaking Lights will pull off a live show, what with all the delicate McGuyver-esque gear. But the record’s great and I’m hoping for the best.

Radical Dads
Radical Dads

One of my favorite sets at CMJ was seeing Radical Dads at Bruar Falls on Saturday night and reminded me just how good they’ve become. In fact, I’d go as far to say as they’re one of Brooklyn’s best bands right now. Certainly one of the more unheralded. If you like Wild Flag, I urge you to check out RD’s debut album Mega Rama which has a similar vibe but is much less hyped. There’s a streaming player at the bottom of this post.

I’m happy to report that Mega Rama is getting a belated vinyl release in December via Loud Baby Sounds. You can pre-order it now. The album art is one of my favorite record covers of the year and have been dying to own a big 12″ version of it — not to mention getting to play it on my turntable. Also on the vinyl tip, Radical Dads also have a 7″ coming out in December, “Skateboarding Bulldog,” which you can stream or download via a widget at the bottom of this post.

But more than maybe anything I suggest going to see them live which you can do tonight (10/28) at Spike Hill where they’ll play with Plates of Cake, Quilty,  and Conversion Party. Cover’s only five bucks.

Star Slinger
Star Slinger

If glitchy dance music is more your thing, the weekend has two very good options. Star Slinger, who was supposed to play here in the spring but had to cancel, is finally making his NYC debut at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (10/28). After a bunch of head-turning remixes and download tracks, Star Slinger recently released his first “official” single, “Dumbin,” via Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound which you can stream or download at the bottom of this post.

After the MHoW, which also has SHLOMO and Shitego on the bill, you might want to swing over to 285 Kent where there’s  a “secret guest” headliner. (G-Side and Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire play as well.) Though not mentioned out-and-out, they do link to Star Slinger’s website on the Facebook invite.

Gold Panda
Gold Panda

Then Saturday night (10/29), the Fixed party at Cameo has UK act Gold Panda who’s been remixed by Star Slinger and is following up last year’s excellent Lucky Shiner with his spin on the latest installment of K7!’s DJ Kicks series. In a bit of Brooklyn weekend synergy, GP’s track “An Iceberg Hurled Through Northern Clouds” just got remixed by Peaking Lights and you can stream the remix of that below.

The Fixed party at Cameo also features Lemonade, Blondes and an open bar from 8 – 10. Gold Panda then heads the next day (ouch) to Moogfest in Ashville, NC.

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Saturday night has a pretty killer show at Glasslands. Obits headline and are still driving on the high octane tank of gas that is their second album, Moody, Standard and Poor.  Perhaps even more exciting, for some folks, is opener Office of Future Plans which is the new thing from Jawbox man J. Robbins.

Terry Malts
Terry Malts

And finally, a little preview into early next week. Don’t forget that the Wax Idols/Terry Malts tour hits Cake Shop on Tuesday (11/1) and Shea Stadium on Wednesday (11/2) for a double dose of San Francisco style fuzz. As I wrote elsewhere on this site:

Wax Idols are the new group from Hether Fortune, who has spent time in Hunx & His Punx and Bare Wires. Fuzz pedals crash into jangly guitars, vocals are high sneer but also full of harmony, and there’s room for both girl group balladry and a tough cover of Wire’s “Sand in My Joints.” The band’s debut, No Future, is out next month on HoZac and is quite good. You can check out “Dead Like You” from it at the top of this post.

As for the Terry Malts, their debut 7″ on Slumberland from earlier this year is three quick blasts of sunny pop covered in a thick blanket of white noise. (Somewhere between ’80s West Coast punk and C-’86 lies their sound.) It’s the new project from most of the guys in Magic Bullets, a band that has been put in cold storage — they played their final show August 24. They’ve got a new 7″ out in about a month, and you can download “Distracted” from the first one at the top of this post.

Other bands on the Cake Shop bill are still TBA but the Shea Stadium show also features Sundelles, Habibi, and the ever-present Dive (if you haven’t seen them yet, you’re making an effort not to).

That’s the main stuff. More daily picks are below.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

Pixies continue to tour their best album, Dolittle, tonight at Asbury Park Convention Hall with Surfer Blood opening.

Meanwhile… Tanya Donnely, who was in the original line-up of the Breeders (not to mention Throwing Muses and then Belly) is doing a show at Joe’s Pub. She’ll be aded and abetted by Michael Hearst of One Ring Zero, writer Rick Moody, as well as Magnetic Fields cohorts Claudia Gonson and Sam Davol, plus Carrie Bradley who was also in the Breeders at one point (and folk rock band Ed’s Redeeming Qualities).

Over at St. Vitus, it’s an evening of dark sounds, with French minimal waver Frank (Just Frank), Bootblacks and Philly’s Hot Guts.

continued below…


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

Black Lips, Davila 666 and Xray Eyeballs are turning Webster Hall into Hell at the Hall for some Halloween weekend fun. Check out Xray Eyeballs’ new zombified video for “Deja Vu” at the bottom of this post.

You can then go to the afterparty at El Dorado (formerly the Shank) where there are Rolling Stones and X-Ray Spex cover bands, plus Sundelles, Snack Machine and Puppies. Plus, Black Lips, Davila and Xray Eyeballs taking turns DJing. Plus: “SUPER RAD SPECIAL MUSICAL GUESTS WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO NAME BUT ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.” Any ideas, folks?

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30

Fanfarlo are at Glasslands. It’s sold out but I’m personally looking forward to hearing new material from the band’s second album, Rooms Filled with Light.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31

There are tons of Halloween shows but if you’re looking for an early one, BNLX are still visiting from their CMJ trip and will play Mercury Lounge. Doors are at 7:30 and BNLX are on first.

That’s all for this week. Flyers, video, streams and tour dates are after the jump.

flyer

Peaking Lights on VBS TV

Star Slinger

Star Slinger – 2011 North American Tour Dates
OCT 28 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY #
OCT 29 Brighton Music Hall, Allston MA #
OCT 30 Emerson Suites Ithaca College, Ithaca NY # *
NOV
NOV 1 Il Motore, Montreal QC #
NOV 2 Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto ON #
NOV 3 Blind Pig, Ann Arbor MI #
NOV 4 Lincoln Hall, Chicago IL #
NOV 5 University of Wisconsin, Madison WI #
$ = Mux Mool supporting
# = Shlohmo supporting + ALL WITH Shigeto

An Iceberg Hurled Northward Through Clouds (Peaking Lights Vocal Remix) by Gold Panda

Gold Panda – 2011 North American Tour Dates
OCT 28th Chicago, IL Empty Bottle, USA
OCT 29th New York, Good Units , USA
OCT 30th Asheville, NC Moog Festival, USA

Terry Malts/Wax Idols – 2011 Tour Dates
FRI 10/28 – RALEIGH, NC @ THE LAYABOUT
SAT 10/29 – WASHINGTON, DC @ COMET PING PONG #
SUN 10/30 – BALTIMORE, MD @ GOLDEN WEST CAFE
MON 10/31 – PHILADELPHIA, PA @ LITTLE BAR %
TUE 11/1 – NEW YORK, NY @ CAKE SHOP
WED 11/2 – BROOKLYN, NY @ SHEA STADIUM
THU 11/3 – YOUNGSTOWN, OH @ CEDARS LOUNGE
FRI 11/4 – DETROIT, MI @ MAJESTIC CAFE
SUN 11/6 – CHICAGO, IL @ COLE’S *
MON 11/7 – MILWAUKEE, WI @ QUARTERS ROCKNROLL PALACE
TUE 11/8 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ 7TH STREET ENTRY
FRI 11/11 – SEATTLE, WA @ TBA
SAT 11/12 – PORTLAND, OR @ EAST END
# with Foul Swoops
* with Radar Eyes
% with Pack A.D. & Bedroom Problems

Xray Eyeballs – “Deja Vu”

Black Lips – Hell at the Hall