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Action Bronson -- the Queens-based rapper/gourmet chef known for handing out weed and steak dinners during live performances -- fit the Bonnaroo vibe like an extra large glove. He passed blunts to the soundboard operator, asked the audience to toss drugs onstage (they obliged), and routinely ventured not only into the crowd but outside of the performance tent itself. With just an announcement of "the show's out here now," Bronson left most of the crowd dumbstruck as he disappeared from view, circled the stage, and finally returned to a hero's welcome. Once his hour-long, freestyle-heavy set ended (after a performance of his debauchery-heavy "Hookers at the Point"), the crowd was left chanting his name, understandably thirsty for even more. [Billboard]

Queens rapper Action Bronson played Bonnaroo this past weekend, and this coming weekend (6/21), he'll play Delaware's Firefly Music Festival. After that, he'll return home to NYC to play a show at Santos Party House on June 25 with Harry Fraud, who produced Bronson's new EP, SAAAB Stories, which is out now and can be streamed via Spotify (where it premiered) below. Bronson also said in an interview with Whoo Kid (via HipHopDX) that it's going to be his last one-producer project, which he has many of, including Rare Chandeliers with The Alchemist, Blue Chips with Party Supplies, and more.

Tickets for the Santos show are on sale now. All upcoming dates are listed, along with the SAAAB Stories stream, below...

Continue reading "Action Bronson played Bonnaroo, playing Santos w/ Harry Fraud (who produced his new EP) after Firefly (dates, stream)"

photos by Caroline Harrison

Inter Arma at Union Pool, 6/15/2013

Unlike Heavy Blanket the week before, the free Invisible Oranges presented Summer Thunder show on Saturday (6/15) did NOT get any noise complaints and went on as planned. This could be because the bands played indoors, but still featured raucous sets from Inter Arma (who played with Torche at 285 Kent), Anicon (who are hitting the road) and Pyrrhon (currently in the lab, working on a new LP). Regardless, the perfect weather, cheap beverages and great bands made for an excellent day at Union Pool. Many thanks to the bands, venue and all who attended! Pictures from the show are in this post and even more are up at at Invisible Oranges.

More pics below

Continue reading "Inter Arma, Anicon and Pyrrhon played the IO 'Summer Thunder' show at Union Pool (pics)"

Firefly 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

It's been crazy both in and not-in the NYC-area for festivals this past week. NYC was taken over by a very muddy Governors Ball last weekend (6/7-9), and this past weekend (6/14-16), while almost every Brooklyn venue took part in the Northside Festival, Toronto was hosting NXNE and Tennessee had Bonnaroo to name the ones we were most focused on. That's all behind us now, but those who are into festivals still have much more to look forward to this summer including another big one on the east coast this weekend.

This coming weekend, Friday, June 21-Sunday, June 23, the Firefly Music Festival is returning to Dover, Delaware's Dover International Speedway, which is only about a 3 hour drive (directions) from NYC. The festival debuted last year, and like Governors Ball, they've upped their game a bit this year. There will be a bunch of great bands across four main stages, like:

On Friday, there's sets by Django Django, Dr. Dog, Action Bronson, Foxygen, Public Enemy, Grizzly Bear, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Earl Sweatshirt (who was added to the lineup in May) and more. And besides RHCP vs Earl (who start 15 minutes apart), the conflicts that day aren't too bad.

On Saturday, there's sets by Japandroids, Jim James (who replaced Imagine Dragons, so bonus points for that), Kendrick Lamar, Alabama Shakes vs Lord Huron at 5 PM, then CHVRCHES vs Edward Sharpe, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT vs Azealia Banks, and finally Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will headline the day, plus still more.

And on the festival's final day, Sunday, you can catch Haim, Matt & Kim, Toro y Moi, Passion Pit vs The Walkmen both going on at 6:30, Vampire Weekend, and more. Plus, if you need to leave early to get home from work on Monday, you can leave before Foster the People's headlining set. Two birds, huh?

And in addition to the main stages, there's some smaller side stuff too, like the Red Bull Sound Select Hub Stage which features bands who have joined the Red Bull Sound Select Program. We aren't familiar with all the bands playing that one, but we suggest you stop by Saturday for NYC's Heliotropes (who, by the way, are playing a record release show in NYC on 6/18, and streaming their new record). The Skins and Oxymorrons are both on that stage too, both NYC bands who we caught when they played the Afropunk-curated RBSS show at Knitting Factory with Danny Brown.

There's also the Coffee House Stage with other smaller acts including The Spinto Band, Jenny Owen Young, Pearl & the Beard, Hey Marseilles, Selah Sue, Trails & Ways, and many more.

Last but not least, in addition to just being there as fans and covering the festival, BrooklynVegan will be producing two hours of entertainment from 1-3pm each day inside the Soundwave tent, presented by Toyota and Spinmedia, and hosted by musician & BV contributor Billy Jones. Take a look at the festival map - our stage is toward the top left next to St. Jude.

Hosted overall by one of our favorite comedians, Dave Hill, the Soundwave stage will also feature programming by SPIN (5-7 each day) and Hype Machine (3-5 each day) in addition to the BrooklynVegan stuff (1-3 each day). Stay tuned for our full stage schedule, but get there on Friday at 1pm for a live interview with Django Django and look forward to a second performance by and audience Q & A with Amanda Palmer on Sunday at 2pm. More details soon!

Meanwhile, check out the full main stages Firefly lineup and schedule at Firefly's website where you'll also find much more info if you're attending, like the festival map which is also below...

Continue reading "Firefly Fest is in Delaware this weekend (schedule, map, BrooklynVegan Soundwave, other side stages & more)"

photos by PSquared Photography

Yo La Tengo @ Maxwell's, 6/15/2013

"This band does not exist without this club," singer-guitarist Ira Kaplan announced during Yo La Tengo's final appearance at the sainted Hoboken, New Jersey locale Maxwell's last Saturday. (The venue is set to close on July 31.) Kaplan's concision was emblematic of the night, during which the trio were tasked with wrapping up a 33-year-long relationship with the room in two 45-minute sets. That they did so with a good deal of real sentiment and a minimum of nostalgia was further testament to the strength of Yo La Tengo's connection to the place -- this was just another excellent gig at home.

Among other milestones, the uptown Hoboken bar/restaurant/venue was where eventual husband and wife Kaplan and singer-drummer Georgia Hubley first met at a Feelies show in 1980, where Kaplan soon worked as soundguy and Hubley as a DJ, where they hung out more nights than not and made a slow progression from playing covers at back-room parties to the first Yo La Tengo show in 1984, to, eventually, some 72 guest-studded menorah-lit Hanukkah performances between 2001 and 2012. - [SPIN]

What started as an opening slot (as their all-covers alter-egos Condo Fucks) for Scottish group The Pastels turned into a headlining set for Yo La Tengo when the latter's visas didn't come through in time. It was also fortuitous in some ways, as it gave the Hoboken indie legends one last show at their equally legendary hometown rock club that is closing its doors for good at the end of July. The band, as YLT, performed an acoustic set and then came back for an electric set as Condo Fucks, doing covers of The Who, The Kinks, Slade, The Rolling Stones, Fugs and more. Setlist is below. Was Saturday's show the last time Yo La Tengo will play Maxwell's?

We've got six weeks left of Maxwell's, including upcoming (and sold-out) shows with The Feelies, Titus Andronicus, The Felice Brothers, Ted Leo, and Lee Ranaldo, plus not sold-out shows with Screaming Females (7/21, tix), Reigning Sound (6/30, tix), The Muffs (7/25, tix) and more.

More pictures from the YLT show below...

Continue reading "Yo La Tengo played Maxwell's, probably for the last time (pics)"

photos by David Andrako

Mikal Cronin / Shannon & the Clams @ Silver Dollar Room 6/14/2013

But the afternoon, and perhaps NXNE as a whole belonged to recent Merge Records signing Mikal Cronin. This was his third of four shows at the fest and while he appeared rushed due to time constraints, Cronin sounded exactly as you'd hope he would: poppy but scrappy, daring but focused and completely engaging.

Later that evening, the Silver Dollar Room swelled in anticipation of Shannon and the Clams, the Oakland act that's often difficult to label, but impossible not to enjoy wholeheartedly. Shannon Shaw displayed effortless grace and a somewhat seductive snarl throughout their buoyant set, which eventually had the floor of the Silver Dollar Room shaking in total agreement with their pungent garage pop ditties. Shannon and the Clams have been garnering acclaim for their recent Hardly Art full-length Dreams in the Rat House, and they're very well deserved. - [Popmatters]

After spending Thursday night (6/13) of Toronto fest NXNE seeing Nu Sensae, Merchandise, and more and then on Friday hitting The National in Yonge-Dundas Square and the M for Montreal showcase at Sneaky Dee's on Friday (6/14), we spent our Saturday (6/15) of NXNE at the Silver Dollar Room to catch Mikal Cronin whose new record on Merge, MCII, is one of the best guitar pop albums of the year. Also on the bill were tourmates Shannon & the Clams whose new album on Hardly Art is album pretty fun. The show was great and as you can see from the pictures in this post, a pretty wild time. Toronto's Chico No Face were on the bill too.

Unfortunately, this show is going to be one the final shows at the Silver Dollar Room, because the venue will soon be demolished to build more student buildings in Toronto.

Mikal Cronin and Shannon & the Clams' tour hits NYC later this week for a sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday (6/20) with Roomrunner (who also have a show with Speedy Ortiz and California X soon).

Shannon & the Clams, meanhile, have another show while here, playing Death by Audio on Wednesday (6/19) with Hector's Pets, Las Rosas, and The Foxx. $10 at the door. Mikal will be back next month MoMA Nights on July 18.

Updated Shannon & the Clams dates are listed, along with pictures from NXNE, below...

Continue reading "Mikal Cronin and Shannon & the Clams played NXNE (pics); NYC show is this week; Shannon playing DbA first"

Nude Beach at Bowery Ballroom, March 2013 (more by David Andrako)

Brooklyn's Nude Beach, who played over the weekend, are readying a new 7" for Other Music -- "What Can Ya Do" b/w "I'm Giving Up" -- out on July 9th. Stream both sides of the release below.

The band will be breaking their own release date, though, as they'll have copies on hand when they head out for a string of dates this week that include a stop in Chicago at Empty Bottle and here in NYC at Knitting Factory on July 5 with Prince Rupert's Drops and Pop Zeus. Tickets are still available.

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

Continue reading "Nude Beach ready new 7" & playing shows (dates & stream)"

Screaming Females at Cake Shop in 2010 (more by Lori Bally)

As you may know, legendary Hoboken venue Maxwell's is unfortunately closing at the end of July. As we've said before, many local bands who have called the venue home for years are playing in its final months (check out the upcoming schedule), and another one's just been added. NJ DIY heroes Screaming Females will play the venue on July 21. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Screaming Females' Don Giovanni labelmates/collaborators Shellshag have a show there with Screamales' pal Ted Leo, and another Don Giovanni band, Black Wine also play one with The Everymen, Life Eaters, and The Brooklyn What.

In related news, Screaming Females' Marissa Paternoster produced the new Modern Hut (the project of Don Giovanni co-founder Joe Steinhardt) album, Generic Treasure, which is due out on August 7. You can check out a track from that album, "History," below.

Continue reading "Screaming Females playing Maxwell's; Marissa Paternoster produced the new Modern Hut LP (stream a track)"

Jucifer at Union Pool, 2011 (more by Fred Pessaro)

Jucifer's wall of white death, a stacked set of ashen speaker cabinets, will hit the road for dates this summer, swinging through NYC to play a date with Vaporizer and Rozamov at Acheron on July 11. Tickets are on sale. All tour dates are below.

The dates are in celebration of the band's expertly titled за волгой для нас земли нет, a reference to WWII Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev. The band will celebrate the record's release in DC at the Black Cat, where they'll also have copies of their Nadir demo vinyl available for purchase.

Nadir's re-release has been polished by Brad Boatright of From Ashes Rise which is on sale now via Handshake Inc. The re-release also sparked a fan-video contest for the track "Crossless." Check out the winning clip, along with a list of all tour dates, below.

Continue reading "Jucifer readies new LP, released fan-made video, playing shows this summer (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

As mentioned, Ann Arbor's Pity Sex are releasing their debut album, Feast of Love, next week (6/25) via Run for Cover (Cloakroom, Creative Adult), and you can now stream the record in full a week before its release in this post. Feast of Love is similar to the contemporary shoegaze pop of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and like on that band's most recent album, Belong, the guitars are thick and recall Siamese Dream more than any of the wailing on Loveless. The melodies really pop and the songs are memorable too. Check out the whole album below.

As discussed, Pity Sex are supporting the new album on a tour with The World Is... and Dads, which includes a NYC show at Brooklyn emo house Suburbia on July 20. That show and a few others are also with Daylight.

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

Continue reading "stream Pity Sex's debut album, 'Feast of Love'"

Bill Callahan @ The Allen Room, February 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Bill Callahan retired his Smog alias in 2007 but has contined to make lovely, downcast folk under his own name, like 2011's Apocalypse. He's just announced the follow-up to that which is titled Dream River and will be out September 17 via his longtime home of Drag City. No songs have been released from it yet, but you can check out the tracklist below.

Continue reading "Bill Callahan releasing 'Dream River' in September"