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)"

DOWNLOAD: Eraas - "Briar Path" (Remix) (MP3)

Eraas at Knitting Factory, 10/04/2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Black-clad Brooklynites Eraas are out tour for a few dates with Bear in Heaven, beginning tonight (10/24) at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia and will also play with BiH at the previously-mentioned show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 5 (tickets). Before that, as mentioned, Eraas will play Cameo on November 11 with Dignan Porch (who just played CMJ) and The Young. Tickets to that show are on sale now.

In the midst of all this activity, Eraas have taken a stab at remixing their own track "Briar Path" which brings the drumming -- a major element of their live show -- to the forefront. The remix makes it's premiere right here and is downloadable above. If you want to do a little compare/contrast you can hear the original (and the rest of their album) below, along with a list of all upcoming tour dates.

Continue reading "Eraas remixed themselves, are on tour now (MP3, dates)"

Sean Bones @ MHOW (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Sean Bones is currently on tour with The Growlers who reach Sean's hometown venue Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn tonight (10/11). Tickets are still available (and will be at the door), but we also have a couple pairs you can win! Details below.

Also below: Sean's catchy and breezy new single "United"...

"The track was recorded Converse Rubber Tracks and marks Sean Bones' first release since his critically acclaimed sophomore LP, Buzzards Boy. Sean says, "While getting songs ready for the studio, I kept getting distracted by the presidential campaigning and all the misinformation that goes with that. Politics are so divisive right now. Music can be the opposite of that and I wanted to project a good feeling." "

Continue reading "Sean Bones releases new single (listen!) on tour with the Growlers, plays MHOW tonight (win tix!)"

DOWNLOAD: Emily Wells - Mama Remixed (ZIP)

Emily Wells at Bowery Ballroom, April 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Emily Wells released Mama Remixed, which takes her entire album, Mama, from earlier this year and gives it a new spin. Says Emily:

I couldn't be more excited to announce the release of "Mama Remixed". In collaboration with 13 artists, each song from the record has been remixed and a few of them twice! With contributions from Lemonade, Jeremiah Jae, Ed Rodriguez of Deerhoof, Kid Koala, Dan the Automator, Live Footage, Timmy Straw, The Blow... (just to name a few), I'm honored to be in such good company.

I hope you'll enjoy these and spread them around. We wanted to make something special to explore these songs further and to thank you for being so good to me and supporting my work.

Continue reading "Emily Wells released free remix LP, on tour with Dark Dark Dark (dates, MP3s, streams)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: METZ - Wet Blanket (MP3)

METZ at Pianos 8/31/2012 via @BrooklynVegan Instagram

Toronto trio METZ practice a punishing brand of punk-leaning indie rock that is a direct decedent of Steve Albini, Amphetamine Reptile and other midwest ear-pummelers. After three years and a few 7" singles, the band are set to release their debut album on October 9 via Sub Pop and does an exceptional job of capturing METZ's visceral energy onto recorded medium. We've got the premiere of adrenalized LP track "Wet Blanket" which you can download above or stream below.

Seeing METZ live is truly where it's at, mind you, and shows are intense to say the least. The band have swung through town a few times already (including an extra hot and sweaty show at Death by Audio last month) and will be here again for CMJ, during which they'll play the Sub Pop showcase at Knitting Factory on October 18 (tix). After CMJ, METZ will continue to tour and will swing back through NYC for two more shows: November 19 at Mercury Lounge and November 20 at Knitting Factory. Ticket info on those shows is still TBA. All dates are listed below.

In between rauccous live performances, guitarist/singer Alex Edkins was kind enough to answer a few questions for us via email:

Your album was a (fairly) long time coming. Just waiting to get it right?

Yes. It took us three 7 inches and a hundred shows to really get a grasp of what a METZ LP would sound like. The actual recording didn't take long at all.

Your album does a great job of translating METZ's live sound to the recorded medium. What's the secret?

Crank it up until it sounds like its going to break. Red line everything including the drums.

You worked with some producers more normally thought of in electronic circles, what made you choose them?

We feel really fortunate to have worked with Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck) and Alex Bonenfant (Crystal Castles). We wanted to avoid a traditional "rock 'n' roll" recording and make something different.

What's the secret to getting that SHRIIIINNNG noise beyond flicking the guitar strings above the headnut?

You have to really mean it!

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with METZ, plus a song premiere and November tour dates (MP3 and stream)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Tony Castles - One Tone Man (MP3)

Tony Castles

Brooklyn's Tony Castles are gearing up to release their new EP titled Sharon Stone which will be out October 23. If your favorite Tony Castles song to dates was their magnificently dreamy "Black Girls in Dresses" the six tracks on the new EP definitely lean in that direction. It makes for nice autumn listening, when the days grow shorter and shadows get long. We've got the premiere of "One Tone Man" from the EP at the top of this post and you can stream snippets of other tracks below.

The band have a few NYC-area shows coming up, including tonight (9/6) at Pianos; the Silent Lights fundraiser on September 20 at the Green Building with Motive and Gurpal (advance tickets); and September 28 at Delinquency with Backwords, Zula, and Ancient Sky.

Win Win

Tonight's show at Pianos is part of Win Win's September Residency that happens every Thursday this month at the LES club. Originally a strictly-electronics duo (whose most recent album came out on Vice last year), Win Win are now a three-piece with an updated, band-driven sound as can be heard on new single, "Salt Days," from their new album, Double Vision (due out 10/16 via VICE) which you can stream below.

Win Win's September residency line-ups are as follows:

September 6: Jahan Lennon (Mad Decent), Roofeeo, Tony Castles, Sister Crayon, Taddy Porter

September 13: Behavior, Steel Phantoms and Beast Patrol

September 20: Slam Donaue (profiled here), Sleep Kitty and Warm Ghost

September 27: Crinkles, Window, Delicate Cutters, Louis Schefano and Brian Degraw

Continue reading "Win Win releasing LP, now in residency @ Pianos; Tony Castles have an EP, playing tonight (MP3, streams, dates) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Psychobuildings - Hearts (Discmann & Sixtraxx remix) (MP3)

Brooklyn's Psychobuildings just released a new remix EP titled Hearts featuring versions of the title cut and other songs reworked by Wool, AIMES, HedNorton, F.r.a.c.t.a.l, The Statue of David and more. We've got the premiere of the Discmann & Sixtraxx remix of "Hearts" which you can download at the top of this post, and plays well to the already '80s-leaning groove of the original.

Psychobuildings have a few local shows coming up, including tonight (9/6) at 285 Kent with Dinowalrus, X-Ray Eyeballs, Life Size Maps, and Grand Resort; and Friday (9/7) at Grand Victory with Steel Phantoms; and September 17 at Studio at Webster Hall with Heavenly Beat, Splash, Beach Day and Young Boys. Advance tickets for the Studio show are on sale now.

Cover art and tracklisting for Hearts remix EP are below, along with recent Pitchfork video feature on the band.

Continue reading "Psychobuildings released remix EP, playing two NYC shows this week (MP3, dates) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Frankie Rose - The Fall (Fort Romeau Remix) (MP3)

Frankie Rose at Prospect Park, August 2012 (more by Ryan Muir)

With her album produced by Fischerspooner cohort Le Chev, Frankie Rose's Interstellar was born with some dance DNA which will come to full light later this year with some remixes to be included on a single release of album track "Night Swim." One of them is by Fort Romeau (aka La Roux keyboardist Mike Norris) who has taken ethereal album track "The Fall" and transformed it into a sort of Eurohouse lite number, the kind you might have heard on a Kruder & Dorfmeister mix ten years ago. (Admit it, you own the K&D Sessions.) You can download it at the top of this post or stream it below.

Frankie, who most recently opened for Little Dragon in Prospect Park, has also announced a few tour dates in September, none in NYC though. The list of dates and remix stream are below.

Continue reading "Frankie Rose gets remixed, releasing new single from 'Interstellar,' touring (MP3, streams, dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Y La Bamba - Bendito (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Y La Bamba - Skwak (MP3)

Portland's Y La Bamba are in NYC this week, playing Knitting Factory tonight (8/29, tickets) Mercury Lounge tomorrow (8/30, tickets). Both shows are with Chris Pureka and all upcoming tour dates are listed below.

Fronted by the honey-voiced Luzelena Mendoza (who can belt it out too), Y La Bamba released their third album, Court the Storm, back in March which was produced by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin. (Talk about an on-the-nose!). When they tweak tradition Mexican folk -- like on "Bendito" and the album's title cut -- it is pretty stirring stuff, and there is no debate about Mendoza's powerful pipes. You can download a couple songs from the album at the top of this post and stream the whole thing below.

Continue reading "Y La Bamba released 'Court the Storm,' on tour, playing 2 NYC shows this week (dates & MP3s)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Omega Male - Omega Male (MP3)

Omega Male

As mentioned previously, Fugiya & Miyagi are in the U.S. for this weekend's Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle but are stopping in NYC this week to play Glasslands on Thursday (8/30) with Hess is More and Wishes. Tickets for that show are still available.

While Fujiya & Miyagi are between albums, frontman David Best has formed a new musical venture called Omega Male which is a collaboration with Sammy Rubin of Brooklyn's theatrical electroppers Project Jenny, Project Jan. While Best seems to be the dominent force in this partnership -- his breathy delivery remains intact and you could imagine these being F&M songs -- the instrumentation, which includes a lot of non-analogue snyths, definitely gives Omega Male a different feel.

The Omega Male album will be out in October via Full Time Hobby but you can download the album's lead track (and group theme song) at the top of this post. Cover Art for the album and a stream of that track are below.

Continue reading "Fujiya & Miyagi frontman forms new duo Omega Male; F&M in town this week"