photos by Jonathon Bernstein

"GRIMES SHOWED UP AT MAJICAL CLOUDZ's RELEASE PARTY FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF" - Max Kerr

Montreal duo Majical Cloudz have been on a tour with Youth Lagoon, which hit the NYC-area twice earlier this month, and this week they took a couple days off from that tour to return to NYC for their own separate events. On Monday (5/20), the guys went to Manhattan record store Other Music for an in-store performance, and that night they met up with their pal Claire Boucher (aka Grimes, who featured Majical Cloudz on her song, "Nightmusic") to hit up a karaoke bar on the LES. While there, Majical Cloudz's Devon Welsh sang Limp Bizkit's "Nookie," though Claire was too shy to sing anything. Devon's bandmate (who doesn't sing in Majical Cloudz) Matt Otto did Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," which apparently is becoming a thing for indie people these days.

Then, the next night (5/21) Majical Cloudz headed to Brooklyn to play a release party for their new album, Impersonator, which was released via Matador that same day. NYC producer Gobby opened that show with a full-band set, and the advertised "SPECIAL GUEST!" turned out to be none other than Grimes doing a DJ set. Pictures from the Glasslands show are in this post.

As mentioned, Majical Cloudz will be back in NYC yet again for the Northside Festival, where they will play a Pitchfork show at Saint Vitus on June 13 with Kim Gordon's Body/Head duo (who recently played RBMA), Foreplay, and a "Special Guest." Grimes again???? Tickets for that show are on sale now, and you can also try to get in with your Northside Badge.

More pictures and some videos from Glasslands below...

Continue reading "Majical Cloudz & Grimes did karaoke and played Glasslands (pics, videos)"

by Andrew Sacher

Owen (aka Mike Kinsella of American Football, Cap'n Jazz, etc) has been working on new material, which will result in his new album, L'Ami due Peuple, due out on July 2 via Polyvinyl. Usually known for his bare acoustic songs with the occasional extra instrumentation worked in, for his new album he's taking a more full-band approach. You can hear the new sound on the singles "Blues to Black," which you can listen to at Rolling Stone, and "Bad Blood," which you can stream below. The album artwork and tracklist are below too.

As briefly mentioned, Owen will be coming to NYC on Friday (5/24) at Bowery Ballroom for a show with Laura Stevenson and Field Mouse. It's the last date on Laura and Field Mouse's tour together. Tickets for that show are still available and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to enter to win tickets are below.

Owen has some other upcoming dates after the Bowery Ballroom show. All of them are listed, along with the song stream, album art and tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Owen releasing new LP, playing w/ Laura Stevenson & Field Mouse and other shows (dates, streams, & a chance to win tix)"

Caveman, who head out on tour with Rogue Wave this summer. just released their first new video from their second album for the track "In The City", Julia Stiles, Fran Kranz and Michael Cavadias included. Check it out with all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Caveman reveal new video starring Julia Stiles and more"

Vampire Weekend @ Roseland (more by Robert Altman)

"Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires Of The City has entered the U.S. album chart at #1, selling nearly 135,000 copies since its May 14 release on XL Recordings.

This is the second time Vampire Weekend has achieved such an historic feat: Its sophomore album Contra also debuted at #1 in 2010, making this the first time an independent rock band has entered at #1 with two consecutive releases.

Modern Vampires Of The City also shatters the previous record for first week vinyl sales, moving nearly 10,000 units on vinyl alone and debuting at #1 on the Soundscan Vinyl Charts. Additionally, the band charted #1 at Indie, Alternative, Digital and of course the top 200."

by Bill Pearis

People Get Ready @ MHOW, 2/1/2013 (more by David Andrako)

Art pop combo People Get Ready have a new EP, Zelda Maria, out now. The title track comes from last year's self-titled debut and a video for that song has just been released as well. Working with acclaimed choreographer Tere O'Connor and video artist Ty Flowers, the clip is retrofuturistic without relying on old VHS-style tropes. You can watch it below.

The band, who are equally known for occasionally doing special, highly-choreographed lives shows (watch one below), recently played Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and are currently opening for The National (in more traditional rock band mode) on a few dates. While that does not include The National's show at Barclays Center, People Get Ready are also playing Tropfest in Prospect Park on June 22 with Chairlift and Bear in Heaven. Free tickets are still available.

Tour dates are listed, along with videos, below...

Continue reading "People Get Ready released new EP and video, opening for The National, playing Tropfest"

yMusic at Carnegie Hall in January (more by Greg Cristman)

Contemporary classical sextet yMusic, who have worked with The National, Bon Iver, Dirty Projectors, My Brightest Diamond, and more, will be performing on Stage 2 at Rockwood Music Hall tonight (5/22), premiering works written by Sufjan Stevens, Timo Andres, and Marcos Balter, in addition to "less-new-but-still-pretty-new" works by Nico Muhly and Andrew Norman. Advance tickets for tonight's show are available. Doors are at 6:30. Did anyone catch them performing in a Harlem loft last night (5/21)?

yMusic are also performing with filmmaker Sam Green and The Quavers for a "night of outdoor music and cinema" on PIer 15 on June 20 as part of the River to RIver Festival and the Rooftop Films summer series.

Speaking of people performing works by Nico Muhly, that will also happen in November at BAM as part of the Next Wave Festival:

In this ambitious, expansive reimagining of the art-song recital, the 21c Liederabend festival comes to BAM, featuring music by many leading lights from the international and New York contemporary new-music scenes.

Boasting 10 world premieres, this unique weekend event--which played to sold-out audiences in its last two incarnations--pairs video artists and lighting designers with new-music ensemble NOVUS NY, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and top soloists. The eclectic, impeccably curated lineup is different each night and includes a commissioned song cycle by British-born composer Anna Clyne and music by Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Eric Whitacre, Marie Incontrera, David T. Little, Olga Neuwirth, Judd Greenstein, Paola Prestini, Ted Hearne, and many others.Featuring compositions by: Thomas Cabaniss, Christopher Ceronne, Thomas Cipullo, Anna Clyne, Mohammed Fairouz, Judd Greenstein, Ted Hearne, Marie Incontrera, David T. Little, Tod Machover, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Olga Neuwirth, Paola Prestini, Huang Ruo, Timur and the Dime Museum, Michael van der Aa, Alexandra Vrebalov, Julian Wachner, Holcombe Waller, Eric Whitacre, and Du Yun.

Continue reading "yMusic performing new works by Sufjan Steven, Nico Muhly & others tonight; Big 'new-music' event also coming to BAM"

by Bill Pearis

Some of you may remember early/mid-'00s Detroit-area band Thunderbirds Are Now!, who are in semi-permanent hibernation at the moment. Singer Ryan Allen is now in Destroy This Place which he co-fronts with former New Grenada member John Nelson and the line-up includes Allen's Friendly Foes bandmate Sean Sommer on drums. The band just released their eponymous second album which roars with crunchy, anthemic indie (the Allen songs), and big riff rock (via Nelson, who sounds a skooch like Ozzy at times). You can stream the whole album below.

Destroy This Place gig a lot in Michigan but don't make it out of the area that often, but the band are going on tour this summer, including a stop in NYC on June 29 at Death by Audio with Turing Machine, Shark? and Your Skull. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Destroy This Place (ex-Thunderbirds Are Now!) released their second album, touring (dates, LP stream)"

photos by Chris Graham

Mavis Staples @ Beale Street Music Fest

Earlier this month, soul legend Mavis Staples made her way over to Memphis for the Beale Street Music Festival, which she played day 2 (5/4) of. Pictures and a video of her set are in this post.

Mavis has other dates coming up this year, including a free Celebrate! Brooklyn show on June 14 at Prospect Park with Cody Chestnutt. Then the next day (6/15) she heads a bit north for the Clearwater Festival in Croton, NY, which she plays along with Antibalas, Judy Collins, Hot Tuna, Nicole Atkins, Sharon Jones, and more. Tickets for that festival are still available.

Mavis is also working on a new album, One True Vine, which is due out on June 25 via Anti-, and one again being produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. You can listen to the track "I Like The Things About Me" from that album below (via Complex).

Mavis isn't the only living legend Jeff Tweedy is hanging with this year. As mentioned, Wilco is touring as a support act for Bob Dylan, and that tour hits the NYC-area for a few shows in July (some with My Morning Jacket, one with Beck).

All upcoming Mavis Staples dates are listed, along with the song stream and more pictures and video from Beale St., below...

Continue reading "Mavis Staples played Beale St, playing Prospect Park before Clearwater, releasing new Jeff Tweedy-produced LP (pics, dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Low Fat Getting High at Cake Shop earlier this month (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Brooklyn punks Low Fat Getting High have been playing raucous local shows for some time now, and as mentioned, they're finally laying down that intensity for a new EP, which is called Bad Yoga, and has just been officially announced. The EP will be out on July 18 via Dead Broke/Money Fire Records. It kicks off with three tracks of menacing, breakneck-speed punk, and culminates in a fourth track of Bleach-style noise and sludge. The whole thing is just over ten minutes and it's a real ripper so keep an eye out for it. You can stream the opening track, "Better Better Worse," along with the artwork and tracklist below.

Low Fat Getting High have a ton of upcoming shows as usual, including a previously discussed Gimme Tinnitus-presented show TONIGHT (5/22) at Big Snow with another solid local punk band, Big Ups, CYHSY-related Radical Dads (for whom the show is a record release party), and Miniboone. $7 at the door gets you into tonight's show. Doors are at 8 PM. All ages. Show flyer below.

After that, they've got a bunch of other local dates, including a Converse Rubber Tracks show on June 12; Silent Barn on June 14 with another great local punk band, Sleepies, noise rockers Eula, indie rockers Shark?, sludgy psych rockers Psychic Blood and others; a release party for the new EP on July 18 at Shea Stadium with Big Ups, Vulture Shit, and Flagland (who play with Butter the Children and Ovlov soon); and even more local dates, all of which are listed below.

In related news, as mentioned, Big Ups and Psychic Blood also play a Northside show with Nu Sensae and Destruction Unit.

All LFGH dates are listed, along with the song stream and album info, below...

Continue reading "Low Fat Getting High announce new EP & upcoming shows"

by Bill Pearis

As mentioned, Seattle's Orca Team sadly split last year with frontman Leif Anders, who went on to form the calypso-vibed Week of Wonders. You can stream their Failures EP below.

With a debut 7" on the way soon, the band will be in NYC for a string of shows in July. They'll play Mercury Lounge on July 8 with Chalk & Numbers and Pale Lights; Death by Audio on July 9 with Flown and more TBA; and Cake Shop on July 10 with The Hairs and The Scarfs. There's another NYC show happening July 11, venue TBA. Tickets for the Mercury Lounge show are on AmEx presale now and go on sale to the general public on Friday (5/24) at noon.

If you live in Seattle, you can see Week of Wonders tonight (5/22) at Sunset Tavern with Hats Off and Charms. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Week of Wonders (ex-Orca Team) playing NYC shows in July (dates, stream)"