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Allo Darlin', The Wave Pictures, Here We Go Magic, The Feelies, Nick Lowe & more in This Week in Indie

by Bill Pearis

Allo Darlin’
Allo Darlin

Hope you all survived Record Store Day. I didn’t find most of what I was looking for (most of which was UK only) but I did get that great Lee Hazlewood comp on Light in the Attic. Hope you found what you wanted the most. Lots of good stuff this week, so let’s get into it.

The most TWII show of the week happens tonight (4/24) at Mercury Lounge: Allo Darlin’ and The Wave Pictures. It’s the start of the two bands’ tour together that will wrap up on Sunday, May 20 for the last day of the NYC Popfest which is happening at Littlefield (w/ Ladybug Transistor, White Town and about six more that day). All Allo Darlin’/Wave Pictures tour dates at the bottom of this post.

Allo Darlin‘s second LP, Europe, came out last week to pretty much across-the-board acclaim. It’s a little more melancholy than the band’s debut, with a lot less ukulele this time out. Maybe that seems like a good thing, but I must say I miss the exuberance of Allo Darlin’s debut. The more subdued nature of the songs and production make it sound like a Camera Obscura album much of the time, a comparison I would’ve never made before. But Elizabeth Morris’ songwriting and voice are still in fine form, it’s all just a little more “mature.”

You can stream Allo Darlin’s Europe at the bottom of this post. I’m sure one thing that hasn’t changed is Allo Darlin’s ability to charm in the live setting.

The Wave Pictures
Wave Pictures

The same goes for The Wave Pictures who I will always go see live even if I’m not so crazy about the album they’re touring to support. Not that they change so much from record to record. Their new album, Long Black Cars, is pretty good (listen at Spotify) I think but much like the rest: Dave Tattersall spins fascinating, funny stories with a singsong delivery. Most of their albums sound like they were recorded live, but it always comes off a million times more compelling when you actually see them play. Tattersall is also one of the funniest between-song banterers of our age. Also funny: the Darren Hayman-directed video for their song “Spaghetti” which you can watch below.

Here We Go Magic
Here We Go Magic

Here We Go Magic will release their third album, A Different Ship, in a couple weeks (May 8 specifically) and soon head out on a short UK tour before covering most of North America with Hospitality. (All dates are below.) Before that, HWGM play this Friday (4/26) at Knitting Factory with Glass Ghost.

The new album has an interesting birth. Stuck playing a pre-noon set at Glastonbury 2010, the groggy band were playing to a groggy crowd, none of whom seemed to be having any fun. Except for two guys dancing right up front, who turned out to be Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich. The band met Yorke and Godrich after their set and Godrich turned up at more European shows… and ended up producing Different Ships. This is the bands first album that didn’t start with Luke Temple doing demos on his own, and with the band incorporated from the beginning (and working in Godrich’s studio). While still boyant and dreamy, Different Ships feels a little bigger, a little more fully formed than the previous two. You can stream “Make Up Your Mind” at the bottom of this post as well stream new single “How Do I Know?” at Secretly Canadian’s SoundCloud page.

The Feelies at Prospect Park in 2011 (more by Tamara Porras)
The Feelies

And finally, while Feelies shows have become less rare since the band actually made a new album, but any chance to see one of the most influential NYC-area bands of the last 30 years is one you shouldn’t pass up. And you have that chance on Friday (4/27) at the Bell House. While bands from Luna (who had the Feelies’ Stanley Demeski on drums at the beginnning) to The Strokes have taken from them, there’s no substitute for that Bill Million/Glen Mercer guitar interplay that still sounds like magic.

You can listen to the Feelies’ terrific album from last year, Here Before, as well as some of their classic ones, at Spotify. The Feelies also play Saturday (4/28) at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY if you’re up that way and a few more scheduled dates throughout the summer which are further down this post.

That’s the big stuff this week. Day-by-day picks of things not covered above, are below.

Diehard
Diehard

TUESDAY, APRIL 24

Diehard are at Union Hall tonight with Everest, Benjamin Cartel (of Kaiser Cartel) and Resistor. Diehard just released a video for their theme songwhich you can watch below. It’s from last year’s The Times We Didn’t Have Fun which you can download for free from Bandcamp. Diehard also play Saturday (4/28) at the Rock Bar in the west, West Village.

Colorado’s Gauntlet Hair are in town at GLasslands tonight with dream poppers Field Mouse and Baby Alpaca.

Catch new Captured Tracks artist Mac Demarco tonight at Bowery Ballroom opening for Nite Jewel.

Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25

One of the coolest cats around, Nick Lowe is at at Town Hall with nearly 40 years worth of amazing songs in his arsenal. Last year’s The Old Magic was another winner from the Basher and you can stream it at Spotify and watch the comedy star-studded video for “Sensitive Man” below.

Sacramento’s astral trio Sister Crayon wrap up their Pianos residency tonight with support from Megafortress, New Moods and Tygerstrype. Stay late for a free show from Japanese rockers ZZZ’s.

continued below…

THURSDAY, APRIL 26

Young Magic, Warm Ghost, Chrome Canyon all play the Eyebeam Art at Technology Center as part of Apocolyptic Shift a combination of “music, video, technology and performance to create a digital landscape of dystopia.” Whoa, sounds trippy. $10 suggested donation.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27

A good show of local acts at Shea Stadium tonight, with Shark?, Dinowalrus, Life Size Maps, Island Twins, and Money Now.

Overlord
Overlord

SATURDAY, APRIL 28

Even though Overlord sounds like a metal name they’re actually full-on indiepop. Please don’t mosh (or maybe do?) at Cakeshop tonight when they play with Folklore, Pale Lights and The Hairs.

Archers of Loaf at Webster Hall June 2011 (more by Chris Gersbeck)
Archers of Loaf

SUNDAY, APRIL 29

If you couldn’t get ticket to Thursday’s Archers of Loaf show at Bowery, tickets are still available for their show at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight.

Ok, that’s it for this TWII. Tour dates, flyers, videos and music streams are below.

Allo Darlin’ – “Capricornia”

The Wave Pictures – “Spaghetti”

Allo Darlin’ – 2012 Tour Dates
04/24 New York, NY Mercury Lounge*
04/25 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie*
04/26 Washington, DC Black Cat Backstage*
04/27 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506*
04/28 Atlanta, GA 529*
04/30 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon*
05/01 Austin, TX Mohawk*
05/03 Santa Fe, NM Sol at Santa Fe Brewing Company*
05/04 Tucson, AZ Club Congress*
05/05 Los Angeles, CA Echo*
05/06 San Diego, CA Casbah*
05/08 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop*
05/09 Chico, CA Origami Lounge*
05/10 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios*
05/11 Seattle, WA Vera Project*
05/14 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry*
05/15 Chicago, IL Schubas*
05/16 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern*
05/17 Stanhope, NJ The Stanhope House*
05/18 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine*

Here We Go Magic – 2012 Tour
04/26/12 Brooklyn, NY – The Knitting Factory w/ Glass Ghost
05/04/12 Brighton, UK – Green Door Store
05/05/12 London, UK – The Sebright Arms
05/06/12 Manchester, UK – The Deaf Institute
05/12/12 Charlottesville, VA – Tom Tom Founders Festival @ The Southern w/ The Great Unknown, Paleface & Hospitality
05/14/12 Washington, D.C. – Black Cat
05/15/12 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox w/ Hospitality
05/16/12 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop w/ Hospitality
05/17/12 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle w/ Dolphins
05/18/12 Milwaukee, WI – Stonefly Brewery w/ Hospitality
05/19/12 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar w/ Hospitality
05/21/12 Denver, CO – Hi Dive w/ Hospitality
05/22/12 Aspen, CO – Belly Up w/ Hospitality
05/23/12 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge w/ Hospitality
05/24/12 Boise, ID – The Linen Building w/ Hospitality
05/25/12 Portland, OR – Bunk Bar w/ Hospitality
05/27/12 George, WA – Sasquatch Festival
06/02/12 London, UK – Field Day Festival
06/04/12 Newcastle, UK – Evolution Festival
06/10/12 Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/12/12 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
06/14/12 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
06/15/12 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
06/16/12 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
06/18/12 Dallas, TX – Son of Hermann Hall
06/19/12 Austin, TX – The Parish
07/05/12 Liege, BE – Les Ardentes Festival
07/13/12 Bilbao, ES – BBK Live Festival
07/14/12 Oeiras, PT – Optimus Live

The Feelies – 2012 Tour Dates
April 27th, 2012 at 8:00pm Bell House – Brooklyn, NY
April 28th, 2012 at 9:00pm Club Helsinki, Hudson, NY
May 11th, 2012 Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
May 12th, 2012 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
September 14th ,2012 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C
September 15th,2012 Cat’s Cradle, Carboro, NC

Diehard – “Diehard”

Nick Lowe – “Sensitive Man”

Nick Lowe – 2012 Tour Dates
April 25 – Town Hall in New York
April 26 – Wilbur Theatre in Boston
April 27 – Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY
April 29 – Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA
April 30 – Birchmere in Washington, DC
May 2 – Fletcher Opera House in Raleigh, NC
May 3 – Variety Playhouse in Atlanta
May 5 – House of Blues in New Orleans
May 7 – Continental Club in Houston, TX
May 8 – La Zona Rosa in Austin, TX
May 9 – Granada Theater in Dallas, TX