by BBG

In the live interview that took place before Hellride East (aka J.Mascis and Murph of Dinosaur Jr, and the guest of honor for the evening Mike Watt) hit the stage, Watt told rock critic Byron Coley about his intense love for John Coltrane ("I thought he was a punk") and how The Stooges changed his life. It was the latter that formed the basis for Hellride East's set at Le Poisson Rouge last night (5/2), as part of a release party for Mike Watt's new book On & Off Bass.

Featuring opening sets from throwback punk rockers Dead Trend and Brooklyn post-punkers Appomattox, the Hellride East set was comprised of 100% Stooges covers along with a shockingly large number of guest appearances. Names like Thurston Moore, Sharon Van Etten, Kurt Vile, Steve Shelley, and a gang of other guests sauntered on stage to help tear through Stooges classics like "TV Eye", "Loose" (with Thurston), "Dirt" (with Sharon), "Not Right", "Down on the Street", "1970", set closer "Fun House" and many more. Though the band was clearly loose and out to have a good time, it was a night of wonderful surprises and, like Iggy would say, a "Real Cool Time".

If you were there last night, you might already have a copy of the book (and signed). If not, you can still order yours. Mike Watt recently completed a tour with his old band fIREHOSE which hit Coachella.

Pictures and the setlist from Le Poisson Rouge, a video from the interview session, and the audio from an interview Mike did on WNYC Soundcheck earlier in the day, below...

Continue reading "Mike Watt played Stooges songs w/ J Mascis & many guests @ LPR (to celebrate his book) -- pics, video, setlist"

photos by Joe McCabe

Yann Tiersen @ Irving Plaza

As [opener] Felix's set ambled to a close, the arrival of synthesizers, an electric bass, and guitars led to some murmurs in the audience. The crowd erupts into applause as four, lanky, forty-something men gathered on stage and equipped themselves with their distinctly 'rock' instruments. The most distinct of them all (gaunt, stubbled, and smoker's-lunged) was Yann Tiersen, who nestled in the corner of the smoky stage.

...As the group's single "Palestine" growled menacingly through the venue, the projection cast an ominous flashing PALESTINE in white on the wall, an artful yet mysterious display. Mid-set, a lone, passionate violin crooned "Sur le Fil", much to the audience's delight. However, besides the occasional appearance of the glockenspiel and the faint cry of the violin among the laser-noises, the rest of the set was much more Brooklyn than Burgundy. -[The Highlighter]

The shows, part of a bigger tour with UK trio (previously a duo) Felix, are in support of Tiersen's latest effort, the Skyline LP out now on Anti Records. Felix also had a new baby to proudly display in their own Oh Holy Molar LP, out now via Kranky Records.

More pictures from Irving Plaza, including a shot of Yann's setlist, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Yann Tiersen played MHOW & Irving Plaza with Felix (pics/setlist)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Hanni El Khatib @ Knitting Factory

Hanni's 60-minute Mercury Lounge set was a snarling progression of engine revs, eschewing slower material, like his album's shuffling "Heartbreak Hotel" cover, for amped-up twists like the Cramps' "Human Fly". Hanni, guitarist/keyboardist Hayden Tobin and drummer Nicky Fleming-Yaryan (there was no bass) stuck to the script for most of Will The Guns Come Out favorites like the three-chord thunder of "Build.Destroy.Rebuild." and essential don't-judge-a-crook-by-his-cover anthem "Dead Wrong," but the most compelling moments came from bursts of solo shredding in the few open-ended numbers. -[CMJ]

Continue reading "Hanni El Khatib & Sundelles played Merc & the Knit (pics)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Allo Darlin @ Mercury Lounge

Effortlessly charming indiepop band Allo Darlin' played Mercury Loungelast week with tourmates The Wave Pictures -- the kickoff of a North American tour that will wind its way back to New York for NYC Popfest. All tour dates are below. Both bands have new albums, and you can stream Allo Darlin's Europe at the bottom of this post and The Wave Pictures' Long Black Cars at Spotify.

Like he did at Popfest two years ago, Gary Olson of the Ladybug Transistor joined Allo Darlin' for "Dreaming".

Dominick Mastrangelo was on the scene and got pictures of both bands (and setlist for Allo Darlin'), as well as openers Ski Lodge and the Field Recordings. All of that, below....

Continue reading "Allo Darlin' and The Wave Pictures touring, played Mercury Lounge (pics, setlist)"

#Guitarmy w Tom morello leaving the park (via)

"The Occupy movement that mobilized thousands of protestors last fall was mostly quiet through the winter in New York, as both the cold and the NYPD chased demonstrators out of their makeshift camp in Zuccotti Park. But the movement officially relaunched on May 1st in honor of International Workers' Day, with organized protests taking place throughout the U.S. and with Tom Morello, Das Racist and other musicians staging a May Day concert in downtown Manhattan.

"I traveled 3,000 miles to march with you today," Morello told a diverse crowd of Occupiers during a ceremonial "mic check" in Bryant Park. "It is an honor to march these streets with you, to sing these songs with you, letting the powers that be know that we will be heard."

Morello led a "guitarmy" of hundreds along Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park down to Union Square. An Occupy Tumblr had already supplied the setlist - including Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and tunes from Morello's own World Wide Rebel Songs LP - and many had cheat sheets taped to the sides of their guitars, as they strummed and sang protest songs along with the rocker. As the band of marches inched its way into Union Square, a much larger rally commenced featuring Das Racist, Dan Deacon, and Immortal Technique on stage...." [Rolling Stone]

Continue reading "Tom Morello, the 'Guitarmy', Dan Deacon, Das Racist & others marched & occupied Union Square (pics, video)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo, video by Kurt Christensen, words by Christopher Paragraph

Kathleen Edwards, who is on the just-announced lineup of NJ's XPoNential Music Festival, performed for a crowded Webster Hall Saturday night (4/28), playing songs off her new, Justin Vernon-produced album, "Voyageur," alongside selections from her previous three records. Edwards opened the night with the funny-but-not-really "Empty Threat," in which she teases the notion of moving to America. Whether the Canadian songwriter feels more at home in the USA or up north is up for debate, but she certainly feels comfortable on stage. At one point she announced mid-song that she had to pee, ran off stage during a guitar solo, and made it back in time to hit the last chorus of "12 Bellevue", though she admitted she didn't have time to wash her hands.

The night focused on the emotional, introspective side of Edwards' songwriting, even when it got loud. There were no props, backdrops, or stage antics. Edwards seems content letting the power of the lyrics dictate the energy of the room. (It's no small feat to pull that off in a venue the size of Webster Hall.) It's a testament to the quality of her songwriting that she does this so effectively.

Fans of songwriters from Tom Petty to David Bazan will certainly find something to latch onto in the music of Kathleen Edwards. Fans of Death Grips maybe not so much. But who knows, maybe Death Grips fans have acoustic guitars under their beds. And she did play a cover of Flaming Lips' "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate," which bridged the folk and indie worlds in an unexpectedly seamless way.

Video of the Flaming Lips cover, the full setlist and more pictures from the show (which Hannah Georgas opened), below...

Continue reading "Kathleen Edwards played Webster Hall (pics, review, setlist & video of the Flaming Lips cover)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo; words by Bill Pearis

Stevie Jackson

Belle & Sebastian's Stevie Jackson is a genuine charmer. Headlining the final night of Chickfactor 20: For the Love of Pop at The Bell House, he did much of the set solo (and with a scraggly beard and a bushy head of hair, Jackson looked a lot like Angel from The Rockford Files) and held the crowd's attention the whole time, performing a mix of Belle & Sebastian songs (not necesarilly his own), songs from his new solo album (I Can't Get No) Stevie Jackson, and covers (including a surprisingly great take on Elton John's "Rocket Man"). He's also a master of between-song banter and an audience participation leader. It was a great end to the three-day festival that felt more like a party than a series of concerts.

For about a third of the set, Jackson was backed by Honey Bunch, fronted by Jeffrey Underhill who also spent time in Velvet Crush, whose brand of Byrdsian guitar pop has been going on and off since the late '80s. Like the night before, I didn't get there till late so I missed The Softies, The Pines, The Ladybug Transistor and unannounced openers Franklin Bruno and Fan Modine. But we have pictures from the whole night, along with videos of The Softies and The Pines courtesy of Bleary Eyed Brooklyn. Click through for that.

Continue reading "Chickfactor 20 @ the Bell House (night 3 pics/video/review) -- Stevie Jackson, Honey Bunch, The Softies & more"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo; words by Bill Pearis

The Aislers Set - April 11, 2012

The second night of Chickfactor's three day 20th Anniversary may not have had the one-two punch of the previous evening's reformed Black Tambourine and Small Factory, but it did have The Aislers Set who hadn't played in NYC (or much of anywhere else) in nearly ten years. Amy Linton and Wyatt Cusik came prepared, however, with a nine-strong Aislers Set that sounded so good it made me want another album. BlearyEyed Brooklyn got some great video of their set which is watchable below.

Undercard duo Pipas were pretty charming, making good use of a iPad as backing band. Lupe Núñez-Fernandez spends more time with Amor de Dias lately, so it was nice to hear these two again as I haven't seen them perform since the first NYC Popfest back in 2007.

I was late arriving to the Bell House that night and missed unannounced openers Franklin Bruno, LD Beghtol and True Love Always' John Lindaman. I was also dismayed to find Bridget St. John and The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group had switched places on the bill. I am a huge fan of Ruiz' 1995 album O Brother Where Art Thou?, and my heart sunk a little to get to the Bell House right as he was saying "thanks and goodnight." He's making a new album as we speak so hopefully he'll make his way out of Minneapolis again soon. Until then, there are videos below.

St. John is legendary in her own right as 1971's Songs for the Gentle Man is a pastoral folk classic. She was given a long set, and though it was lovely, it was maybe just a little too gentle for me and I checked out to the other room for most of it.

Click through for lots more pictures from all the night's performers and video too.

Continue reading "Chickfactor 20 @ the Bell House (night 2 pics/video/review) -- Aislers Set, Pipas, Bridget St. John, Jim Ruiz & more"

photos by Winnie Cheung

"Protip: if you show up 2 minutes before the show at Terminal 5, behind the bar by the pretzel machine has an ok view. #shins #butitswarm" -Neil Barofsky

"AND the dirty projectors show up to sing vocals. #hellyes #theshins are blowing my mind" - Andie D

James Mercer @ Terminal 5 - 4/29/2012

The Shins, after recently played Coachella, teamed with opener St. Lucia at Terminal 5 last night (4/29), the first of their three night, sold out residency at the venue which continues tonight with Chairlift (and then Real Estate). The set saw The Shins dipping into material new and old, and bringing out Dirty Projectors vocalists Haley Dekle and Amber Coffman to assist on a rendition of "Phantom Limb" (by The Shins, not Pig Destroyer). More pictures and the setlist from last night's show are below...

Continue reading "The Shins played Terminal 5 w/ St. Lucia (and Dirty Projectors members) -- night 1 pics & setlist"

photos by Wyatt Marshall & Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Inquisition wishes Saint Vitus a happy birthday
in their own unique way (photo by Wyatt Marshall)

Happy Birthday to Saint Vitus, who celebrated the start of their second year with a string of shows at the venue that started with Young Widows (pictures), ended with Revocation and included sold-out appearances from Inquisition on 4/26 and 4/27. The pair of shows featured two completely different lineups, including Black Anvil, Woe and Trenchgrinder on the first night and Castevet (with new bassist Nick McMaster of Krallice) with Villains on the second. Pictures from both shows are below.

Black Anvil, who is also scheduled to head out on the road with Watain on their make-up dates, is playing a second NYC show in the near future at Saint Vitus, this time with Phobia. Tickets are on sale.

Pictures and video from both nights of Inquisition at Saint Vitus are below.

Continue reading "Inquisition played one year-old Saint Vitus twice (pics/video)"