As mentioned, Smith Westerns will release their third album, Soft Will, via Mom + Pop on July 24. The record was made with producer Chris Coady (who worked most recently Beach House's Bloom) and you can watch the makeout-heavy video for first single, "Varsity," below. Awash in glistening keyboards, but highly melodic as usual, nobody's gonna compare this one to T-Rex.

The band will be on tour this summer too, including an NYC show on the day of the album's release (7/24) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (5/10) at noon. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Smith Westerns release first video from 'Soft Will' and announce summer tour (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: The Front Bottoms - "Skeleton" (MP3)

The Front Bottoms at Mercury Lounge in 2011 (more by Chris La Putt)

As mentioned, New Jersey's The Front Bottoms are releasing their new nasally folk punk record, Talon of the Hawk, on May 21 via Bar None Records. You've already heard the first single, "Twin Size Mattress," and the duo are now unleashing another track from the album, "Skeleton." This song's one of the more power pop cuts from the album, and like the last single, it's biggest strengths are in the conversational lyrics. "I got so stoned, I fell asleep in the front seat. I never sleep in the front seat -- I'm too tall, but I got so stoned," Brian Sella sings in the song's pre-chorus. It sounds more like a next-morning story than a summer anthem, but effectively works as both. You can download that track above, or stream it below.

As discussed, the band will be supporting the new album on a tour which hits the NYC area for a now-sold-out show on June 1 at Maxwell's. Since we last spoke, the band added another date happening at the same venue a day earlier (5/31), but that one is sold out too. They also open for Bad Books at Webster Hall on July 12, and you can still get tickets to that one.

Updated dates are listed, along with the new song stream, below...

Continue reading "download a new Front Bottoms MP3 +++ updated dates"

DOWNLOAD: Free Time - I Lost Again (MP3)

Melbourne native Dion Nania has been living in NYC for a couple years where he has helped out fellow Australian bands Twerps and Scott & Charlene's Wedding from time to time when not focusing on his own musical endeavor, Free Time. Now with a solid New York based version of the band, Free Time will release their eponymous debut via Underwater Peoples on May 28. Languid and bittersweet, the album's a strummy, mellow affair. You can download the single "I Lost Again" above and check out its video below.

Free Time will also be touring shortly after the album's release, and the trek will wrap up in Brooklyn at Shea Stadium on June 23 with the rest of the bill TBA. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Free Time releasing debut album on Underwater Peoples, playing shows (dates, stream)"

Zero Boys at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 (more by Fred Pessaro)

It came out of nowhere in 1982, this punk rock/hardcore fireball with the bright yellow sleeve. In one sense, The Zero Boys' Vicious Circle was yet another example of how U.S. punk seemed to peak coast to coast that year. But unlike most coastal punk, the Zero Boys were pointing the way to a scene that could accommodate heaping helpings of melody, intelligence, and rock 'n' roll sus, not just turbo-charged ferocity.

From 1979 into '83, the Indianapolis based ZBs were the finest hardcore blitz in the Midwest if not all the lower 48 states. Proof is Vicious Circle and the two decades since of copyists, bootleggers, practitioners and reunion concert pogoers.

Though before and after that LP's 1982 release they recorded the Livin' in the 80's 7", songs for three comps and released the post-mortem History Of... cassette revealing their transformation into a toured band warming to the metaphysical and their demise while still waving torches of rock 'n' roll panache

All currently know tour dates are listed, along with a stream of "Monkey Meat" from the new EP, below.

Continue reading "Zero Boys announce new EP and US dates including Brooklyn"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Big Eyes - "Nothing You Could Say" (MP3)

As mentioned, Seattle-via-Brooklyn melodic punks Big Eyes are releasing their new album, Almost Famous, on May 14 via Grave Mistake. The band have already revealed two excellent singles, "Nothing You Could Say" and "Being Unkind," and if you liked those tracks, you'll dig the rest of the album too, which you can now pre-order. If you haven't heard them yet, you can stream them both below, and "Nothing You Could Say" is available to download above.

When we last spoke, we mentioned that Big Eyes would be supporting the album with a larger North American tour after they wrap up the West Coast dates they've been playing since April. That tour has just been announced in full and it includes a NYC show happening on June 9 at Death by Audio with Shellshag and Shell's (of Shellshag) brother's band, Apogee Sound Club.

Shellshag have a bunch of other upcoming local shows too.

All Big Eyes dates are listed, along with those two song streams, below...

Continue reading "Big Eyes announce June tour (NYC w/ Shellshag included)"

The Jeffrey Lewis and Peter Stampfel Band have been playing NYC a lot lately, and they've got two more shows happening this month, which are CD release shows for their new album, Hey It's...The Jeffrey Lewis & Peter Stampfel Band which is out May 15. The first happens in Brooklyn on May 16 at Shea Stadium with The Everymen, The Brooklyn What, and Shellshag; and the second one happens the next day at The Bowery Electric (5/17) with Crazy & the Brains and Berth Control. Tickets for the Shea show are on sale now and admission for the Bowery Electric show is $8 at the door.

You can also catch Shellshag in NYC at one of their many upcoming shows. Those shows include Death by Audio this Friday (5/10) with Black Wine, Swearin', and comedians Dave Hill and Chris Gethard (who hosts the BV-curated Red Bull Sound Select show); May 18 at Mercury Lounge with JEFF the Brotherhood and Hunters (sold out); May 25 at Party Expo with Moira Scara; and Death by Audio on June 5 with Shell's brother's band Apogee Sound Club.

Shellshag and Apogee Sound Club also both hit Death by Audio again four days later with Big Eyes.

After their release shows, The Jeffrey Lewis & Peter Stampfel Band will head over to Europe for a number of shows, including one in London performing as Daniel Johnston's backing band. All dates are listed, along with a video from one of their recent Mercury Lounge shows, below...

Continue reading "Jeffrey Lewis & Peter Stampfel releasing new LP, playing release shows in NYC before European tour (dates)"

CSS' fourth album is titled Planta and will be out June 11 via SQE Music. That's the cover art above. The Brazilian band, currently a quartet following the departure of Adriano Cintra, made the record in Los Angeles with Dave Sitek. The album's first single, "Hangover," is a definite departure than the band's previous new wave-y sound and you can stream it below.

Further connections between Sitek and CSS happen this weekend (5/10) as the group play ATP in Camber Sands, UK which is curated by TV on the Radio. No formal announcement on a North American tour has been made but one seems to be forthcoming as CCS will play NYC on July 8 at Bowery Ballroom and July 9 at Brooklyn Bowl. Both shows are with IO Echo.

Tickets to Bowery Ballroom and Brooklyn Bowl go on sale Friday (5/10) at noon with an AmEx presale for Bowery starting Wednesday (5/8) at noon.

UPDATE (5/13): There's a full tour now. All current tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "CSS ready Dave Sitek-produced 'Planta,' playing shows, including two in NYC (dates, stream)"

El Guincho / Empress Of

Empress Of released a pair of hot remixes today by the likes of El Guincho (who has been quiet the last couple years) and Pional. Both are pretty chilled out, especially El Guincho's which sounds like walking through a big house that has a radio in every room, each one playing something different. Listen to both below.

Empress Of also has a pair of shows coming up including the previously mentioned gig with Twin Sister at Silent Barn on Saturday (5/11) and one with Doldrums at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday (5/8). Tickets for the Merc show are still available.

All tour dates are listed, along with those remixes, below.

Continue reading "El Guincho and Pional remixed Empress Of who's opening for Doldrums and Twin Sister (separately)"

The line-up of free lunchtime shows for BAM's 2013 R&B Festival has been announced. The fest happens Thursdays at noon from June 6 - Aug 8 at MetroTech Commons, located at the corner of Flatbush and Myrtle Avenues. This year's performers are:

June 6: Mint Condition
June 13: Bobby Rush
June 20: Zozo Afrobeat Orchestra
June 27: Stooges Brass Band
July 3: Avery*Sunshine
July 11: TBA
July 18: Fatoumata Diawara
July 25: TBA
Aug 1: Sheila E
Aug 8: Shuggie Otis

Merchandise at Mohawk during SXSW 2013 (more by Chad Wadsworth)

Two members of Merchandise, namely David (as D. Vassalotti) and Carson (as Blonde God), will step out from behind their band to both play solo sets at 285 Kent on Friday (5/10), joined by support from Horoscope. The show lists the headliners as "tba??" but we have assurances that the remaining appearance will NOT come from Merchandise themselves (despite the fact that they play NYU earlier that night with Mission of Burma). Tickets are on sale.

Merchandise are also scheduled to play Northside this year, joining Milk Music and Destruction Unit for a show at 285 Kent on June 15 and tickets are still available.