Wavves @ a recent NYC show (more by Bao Nguyen)

today in Chicago
* Best Coast, Wavves, No Joy @ Lincoln Hall
* Scott Kelly, Wino, Earthen Grave, Dolan Wayward of Sweet Cobra @ Abbey Pub

Hey, welcome to BV Chicago! We're still just testing things out here, so please excuse any lack of thoroughness. Stay tuned.

What else?

photos by Bao Nguyen

As previously mentioned,

Tell The Way is a newly commissioned collaborative work created for the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (Dianne Berkun, Artistic Director) by the ubiquitous Nico Muhly. Loosely based on medieval and colonial English travel narratives, the work draws from American folk sources, prayers for the Royal Navy, early colonial diaries, Mandeville, Herodotus and Marco Polo. Nico Muhly's music is propulsive travel-music, but at the heart of Tell The Way are three meditative collaborations between Muhly and Bishi, Muhly and Bryce Dessner and Muhly and Sam Amidon. An ensemble of strings, percussion, piano, and flute augment the voices of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Bryce's guitar, Sam's banjo and fiddle, and Bishi's sitar.

Bao stopped by their rehearsal the other day, at Brooklyn Youth Chorus's headquarters on Pacific Street in Brooklyn, and more of his pictures, with some video previews of the show are below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Youth Chorus getting ready for show w/ Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner & Sam Amidon (pics & video from rehearsal)"

Mos Def on stage w/ Gorillaz @ MSG (more by Bao Nguyen)

Blue Note added some last minute shows happening in just a couple of days. Mos Def plays on February 8th at 9:00PM and 11:30PM, and his friend Talib Kweli plays as part of Idle Warship with Res on February 9th at 9:00PM and 11:30PM. Tickets are on sale for each show - just click the links. Tickets are also still on sale for the show Idle Warship is playing at Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 10th with Dead Prez.

Waka Flocka Flame, who is on the April 30th lineup of this year's Bamboozle Festival, can also be found at House of Blues Atlantic City on February 25th (tickets) and B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in NYC on 3/23 (on sale Tuesday at 3PM).

words by Rachel Kowal, photos by Bao Nguyen

"For the record wavves has NOT confirmed anything for sxsw I have no idea why they posted our name that shit is bogus" - Wavves

"wavves covered nervous breakdown. black flag covers are like birthday cakes, or pizza." - Joe Frontirre

Brooklyn may still be covered with a few layers of dirty, icy snow, but last night's bill at MHOW offered a brief respite from the cold, gray weather.

With their noisy, high-energy music, the first openers, No Joy, seemed a fitting addition to the evening's bill. The guitar levels may have been a bit muffled for much of their performance, but they powered through their set regardless. The two main singers let their long hair fall over their faces and around the microphone, pushing it back only between songs to make sure they got the timing right. They hardly said a word between songs or sought to engage the audience with anything resembling eye contact, but their performance exuded the most energetic manifestation of lethargy I've seen in quite a while. For their finale, they unassumingly crouched down on stage over pedals as the sound died out around them.

From the first few notes of Best Coast's set, the dynamic in the room shifted to make way for the band's deceptively upbeat songs of LA life, inertia, and unrequited love. The trio kicked off their set with "This is Real," a sweet little song with a buoyant chorus that sounds almost as if it were made for Tennis's Alaina Moore.

They stood far apart on stage, but the isolation seemed to work for them. Unlike No Joy's muddled sound, Best Coast benefited from a mix that emphasized each player's strong points. Though not particularly insightful, the short, poppy format and pleasantly innocuous lyrics ("I wish he was my boyfriend") made nearly every song sound like a single.

After breezing through much of their discography and a Loretta Lynn cover song, Best Coast concluded their set with "Each and Every Day," and at Bethany Cosentino's lead, the crowd gladly clapped along.

I confess I got a bit sleepy between sets, but I immediately perked back up as soon as Wavves began to play. Suddenly, the calmly swaying, casually dancing crowd turned into a whirlpool of activity as beach balls and (soft) frisbees were hurled into the sold-out room. Up front, a mosh pit developed almost instantaneously as if on cue.

After a number of heavily publicized debacles, it was good to see Wavves feel a bit more at home on stage. Sure, there was one false start when guitarist Nathan Williams got a little ahead of himself on the set list, but other than that, the boys kept it together. A few songs in, Williams even paused a few seconds to deliver a little PSA about safety after one eager fan took a nasty stage dive into the unprepared crowd. "Guys, if somebody falls down, pick them up. Don't step on their face."

One of the highlights of the show came when another fan who had also managed to get on stage, overstayed his welcome and promptly got hurled back into the crowd by a bouncer. ("That was pretty good," said Williams afterward. "He got real leverage with that push!") (update: video below)

After Wavves' frenzied, encore-less set, I quickly surveyed the crowd from my spot in the balcony. The sweep of the spotlights revealed a couple making out and a number of happily bruised, disheveled people, searching for belongings that had gotten lost in the mad shuffle and grabbing a few beach balls as souvenirs on their way out.

The tour continues in Boston tonight. Two nights ago they played the larger Webster Hall in Manhattan. More pictures from the Brooklyn show (though none of No Joy - Bao had train problems), and Best Coast's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Best Coast, Wavves & No Joy played MHOW (pics & setlist)"

Mission of Burma @ a Pool Party in 2009 (more by Bao Nguyen)

today in NYC
* Mephista @ The Stone
* Cole Escola @ Joe's Pub
* Toshi Reagon @ Joe's Pub
* Bilal @ Highline Ballroom
* Daniel Kitson @ St Ann's Warehouse
* Sarah Solovay @ Joe's Pub
* Howard Fishman @ Barbes
* John Doe @ Lincoln Center
* Jessica 6 @ Cameo Gallery
* The Inner Banks @ Sycamore
* Angelica Sanchez @ The Stone
* Iron & Wine @ Apple Store (Soho)
* Lissie, Landon Pigg @ Webster Hall
* Peter, Bjorn & John @ The Rock Shop
* Life of Agony, VOD @ Starland Ballroom
* Stagger Back Brass Band @ Union Pool
* Songs for Unusual Creatures @ Barbes
* Metropolis Ensemble @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Mission of Burma, Grandfather @ Maxwell's
* Steve Forbert, Andy Friedman @ City Winery
* Marika Hughes, Howard Fishman @ 92YTribeca
* Twin Tigers, Dreamers of the Ghetto @ Pianos
* The Muffs, Muck & The Mires @ The Bell House
* Kneebody, BusDriver, Mark Guiliana @ Southpaw
* Blondie Chaplin, Kayleigh Baker @ The Rock Shop
* Workout, The Hotcakes, Paperdoll @ Mercury Lounge
* Blockhead, Emancipator @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Meters Experience, Fever Train @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Fergus & Geronimo, Mr. Dream, Honey Dos @ Cake Shop
* Phantom Glue, Castevet, Defeatist, Xaddax @ The Acheron
* How To Dress Well, Autre Ne Veut @ Church of the Messiah
* The Flying Eyes, Easter Vomit, German Measles @ Don Pedro
* Dylan Leblanc, Arthur Lewis & the Geniuses @ Mercury Lounge
* Normal Love, White Suns, Sightings, Mouthus, Zs @ Death By Audio
* The Secret History, Cotton Mouth, Phonetag, Snowmine @ Glasslands
* Jack Bruce, Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Cindy Blackman @ Blue Note
* Spectre Folk, Phantom Family Halo, Hubble, Ancient Ocean @ Coco 66
* Umphrey's McGee, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad @ Best Buy Theater
* Tayisha Busay, Web Dating, Parquet Courts, Telenovelas @ Shea Stadium
* Blank Dogs, The Soft Moon, Widowspeak, Further Reductions @ Monster Island Basement

Get ready for Maxwell's tonight by reading our interview with Roger from Mission of Burma. If you don't have a ticket yet, grab one for the Bell House show which is tomorrow.

What else?

Arcade Fire @ MSG (more by Bao Nguyen)

PRESS RELEASE:

"Now our parents will get off our backs about getting a real respectable job!!!!!"--Win Butler

Arcade Fire's critically acclaimed opus The Suburbs has been nominated for Album Of The Year, arguably the highest possible honor of the 53rd annual Grammy Awards.

The Suburbs has received a total of three nominations: Album Of The Year, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for The Suburbs' "Ready To Start" and Best Alternative Music Album.

Reached for comment in London, where the band is in the midst of a two-night stand at the O2 Arena, Arcade Fire's Win Butler said, "We are very proud of the record we made and feel incredibly blessed that so many people have gotten it! For those of you who don't understand how gambling works, if something is 100 to 1 odds and you put down 10 dollars, you win 1000 dollars... I'm just saying."

The Suburbs was released August 3, 2010 on Merge Records, debuting at #1 on the U.S. Top 200 and selling nearly 400,000 copies as of press time. The record has been supported by an extensive world tour that has included two nights at New York's Madison Square Garden and a November 13 appearance on Saturday Night Live. The current run of dates will conclude December 12 in Glasgow.

The 53rd annual Grammy Awards will take place at Los Angeles' STAPLES Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and will air live on CBS from 8 - 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Continue reading "Arcade Fire react to their Grammy nominations"

Cold War Kids at Terminal 5 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Cold War Kids have the day off in Mid-Atlantic states today, but will play Charlottesville, VA Thursday and various spots in the Southeast through middle December. On January 25th the band will welcome a new LP, Mine is Yours, via Downtown Records. They'll kick off a North American tour in support in March. That tour includes a very big NYC show, March 24th at Radio City Music Hall to be exact (same month & venue as Bright Eyes). Tickets (like Bright Eyes) are currently on AMEX presale through 9AM on Friday 12/3, and go on regular sale at 11AM that same day.

All tour dates and some recent videos below...

Continue reading "Cold War Kids announce new album, 2011 dates (Radio City)"

Girl Talk @ Lollapalooza 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

"...The Christian Science Monitor wrote today that Gillis' new album was "provoking copyright owners for the fifth time." The fifth time? Shouldn't the third or fourth provocation have been enough to set off a supposedly litigious industry?...

So why hasn't Gillis been hauled in front of a judge by the music industry? Probably because he's the most unappealing defendant imaginable. Gillis would be a ready-made hero for copyright reformers; if he were sued, he'd have some of the best copyright lawyers in the country knocking on his door asking to take his case for free...."
[Paid Content]

photos by Bao Nguyen

By the look of the pictures, you might think Metric performed an elaborate show at Lincoln Center complete with string quartet and white piano, but actually it was just a four-song set at MoMA last night (11/10). The occasion was the third annual Film Benefit in honor of Kathryn Bigelow, and the rest of the music was supplied by the DJs: Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and artist Nate Lowman (ex-Mary Kate Olson). Attendees included members of Arcade Fire (who are in town to play SNL this weekend), a BrooklynVegan contest winner, and Bao whose pictures continue below...

Continue reading "Metric & Nick Zinner played a Film Benefit @ MoMA (pics) "

by BBG

Lil Wayne at the 2008 Virgin Fest (more by Bao Nguyen)

Rapper Lil Wayne walked out of New York's Rikers Island jail Thursday and was set to fly to Miami for a welcome home party thrown by his record label, his publicist said. He'll soon head to a studio to work on new music, publicist Kia Selby said. Lil Wayne, whose legal name is Dwayne Carter, began serving jail time on a gun possession charge last March. Former President Bill Clinton, asked about Lil Wayne on a radio show this week, predicted Lil Wayne would stay out of trouble in the future. "This guy's smart and he's got ability and he's got a new chance now," Clinton said. "What I hope is that it's not just something to brand him as a cool guy, but it'll never happen to him again." The New York conviction stemmed from his arrest in 2007 outside New York City's Beacon Theater. According to police, Carter had a .40-caliber pistol on his tour bus. His attorney said it belonged to someone else. - [CNN]

Pete's Candy Store photos by Amanda Hatfield, Crash Mansion photos by Jessica Amaya, Pianos & Mercury Lounge photos by Chris La Putt, words by Rachel Kowal

Oh Land @ Rebel NYC (more by David Andrako)

You've been following the CMJ adventures of multiple BV contributors for two weeks now, including the day by day reviews from Rachel Kowal. Before too much more time passes, here is the conclusion of Rachel's week (with the end of day four and all of day five), and assorted pictures from four other shows all rolled into one big post. Check it all out, below....

Continue reading "Rachel's CMJ 2010 recap conclusion w/ lots of pics (Lia Ices, Sarah Jaffe, Ume, Robbers on High Street, Buke & Gass, more) "

photos by Bao Nguyen, words by Rachel Kowal

Diamond Rings @ Knitting Factory

We're used to putting our mp3s on shuffle... why not shows, too? My music ADD came out in full force last Friday. I decided to make full use of my 'sick' day and somehow managed to see a whopping 16 bands (maybe a personal record?). I got my day started early with the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Public Assembly. With bands playing in the two neighboring rooms, it was all too easy to flit back and forth, which allowed me to catch four bands in under 90 minutes: The Phantom Band, The Luyas, Lower Dens, and Times New Viking. Though I saw only partial sets of the first and last, I made time to see the entirety of my two favorite. The Luyas never cease to charm - even when there are technical problems, and I enjoyed my first encounter with Lower Dens - another one of those notoriously ubiquitous CMJ bands.

Up next, I headed over to the Knitting Factory to take in part of the Distiller showcase. I was glad to learn that I only missed a couple of songs from S. Carey. Sean's soul-warming voice and classical training provided a nice respite from the overwhelming contingency of scuzzier, under-rehearsed bands. After seeing S. Carey open for The Tallest Man on Earth at a recent Webster Hall show, it was nice to see him in a smaller, more intimate setting. He also played a Brooklyn Vegan party at Public Assembly, but on Saturday

Bringing the energy back up was John O'Regan, the glam-man-spectacle behind Diamond Rings. When he had finally assembled his gear, he had time only for an abbreviated set - even for CMJ standards: just four songs - just enough to get the kids dancing. Up next was Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - a band I had not made note of on my hastily scrawled itinerary. Imagine my surprise when instead of the Southern rock-tinged folk music of Cotton Jones, I was met by a feisty female with a pension for shrieking lyrics about STDs and assaulting the audience with her abrasive stage 'banter.' ("We have a new 7" for sale. Just give me your fucking money because I want it.") Time to hit the bar for some free SoCo. Since the shows were running a bit late, I stayed only for about half of Cotton Jones (a folksier She & Him except the she - Whitney McGraw - is more than just a pretty face).

The Hush Now also played the Knitting Factory show, and Diamond Rings (whose new album is streaming) played a few other shows during the week. If you missed him, he's back December 4th to play Glasslands, and is touring a lot between now and then. All dates with more pictures from the whole Distiller show, below...

Continue reading "Diamond Rings played a CMJ show w/ S Carey, Cotton Jones & others, touring (dates, pics, full album stream) "

Titus Andronicus at the Firehouse during CMJ (more by Bao Nguyen)

The So So Glos have a pair of shows with Matt & Kim that kick off tonight at Webster Hall (10/26 and 10/27), AND the band will do one more NYC date in the very near future. In fact, the band will team up with Titus Andronicus to play a free Hornitos-sponsored show at Matchless on 10/28! The show is private, but you can RSVP to the Facebook event to attend (you have to be logged into Facebook for the link to work).

Titus Andronicus played (an unfortunately short set at) Public Assembly as part of the BV/Converse Day Party on 10/23 - pictures from that shindig are on the way. The show was one of two for the band on 10/23, as they also played the #OFFLINE party at Brooklyn Bowl later that night (including the above-pictured show, it was three total during CMJ week for Titus). Video from the Pitchfork show, as well as full tour dates for both bands, are below.

Continue reading "The So So Glos open both Matt & Kim shows, play a FREE SHOW w/ TITUS ANDRONICUS & other dates "

photos by Bao Nguyen

Local Natives

Local Natives played a private SPIN/Ray Ban party (that we gave away a pair of tickets to) at the Firehouse (87 Lafayette St.) in NYC on October 21st, the same night as the BrooklynVegan showcase at MHOW. Local Natives will be back to play two nights at Webster Hall this week. Titus Andronicus, who played a short set at our Saturday day party at Public Assembly, opened the SPIN show. Animal Collective's Geologist DJ'd. More pictures below...

Continue reading "Local Natives & Titus Andronicus played the Firehouse (pics)"

Matthew Dear @ MHOW in 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

As mentioned, Pitchfork will be hosting three days of shows at Brooklyn Bowl during, but-it-looks-like/probably completely unaffiliated with, CMJ this year (Thursday/Friday/Saturday CMJ week). "Brooklyn Bowl is located at 61 Wythe Avenue between N. 11th and N. 12th streets. The festival starts at 2 p.m. each day, with doors opening at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10, both in advance and day of the show." They're calling it the #OFFLINE Festival.

Based on the lineups and start time, it looks like each #OFFLINE day will be about a 12 hour show. No set times yet though, but the full lineups and ticket links are below...

Matthew Dear is one of the biggest names on the list (he plays Saturday), and it will be one of three CMJ week shows for Matthew. His first is Friday night at Webster Hall with Jamaica and Dominique Young Unique. His third is later on Saturday at Public Assembly for the FIXED/Making Time Party with Matthew Dear, Crocodiles, Holy Ghost!, Javelin, Gold Panda, Jamaica, and Kisses.

The FIXED/Making Time party starts after the BrooklynVegan party which is also happening at Public Assembly that same day. Just to be clear:

SATURDAY OCTOBER 23RD
* BrooklynVegan @ Public Assembly 12-6pm (free - more details TBA)
* FIXED/Making Time @ Public Assembly 9pm-late (tickets)
* Pitchfork @ Brooklyn Bowl 2pm-late (tickets)
* BrooklynVegan metal @ Union Pool 7pm-late ($5.00 or CMJ badge at the door)

We (BrooklynVegan) will also be at Public Assembly all day on Friday, October 22nd (details TBA), and at Music Hall of Williamsburg on the Thursday night.

All Matthew Dear tour dates (many of which we previously posted including a November show at MHoW), and the Pitchfork #OFFLINE Fest info, below...

Continue reading "Pitchfork announces #OFFLINE not-CMJ parties, Matthew Dear also playing Making Time & Girls & Boys parties (lineups) "

Chromeo at Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Bao Nguyen)

Time to start planning 2011 (!). Chromeo have announced a January and February tour that includes a headlining show at Terminal 5 on February 4th. Tickets for the new dates go on fan presale on 10/13 via Chromeo (bundled with an autographed poster and their latest LP Business Casual). Terminal 5 tickets also go on AMEX presale at 11AM the next day (10/14) and regular sale at noon the day after that (10/15). .

Not Ready for 2011? Dave 1 of Chromeo's brother A-Trak has a show coming up at the same venue in 2009. A-Trak and Chromeo also have a show scheduled together. It takes place at Congress Theater in Chicago on October 30th.

Chromeo will head across the pond early next month for a string of European dates and then head Down Under to spend the New Year in Australia/New Zealand. All dates and a selection of videos below...

Continue reading "Chromeo announces 2011 tour dates (Terminal 5) "

photos by Bao Nguyen

"If anyone tells you the Gorillaz show at MSG on Friday was anything less than incredible, they're lying to you. Some bands you wish to see in their earlier stages, but now is the time to see Gorillaz. They have never been better, and there's no guarantee they can top this. This is their prime time, and the brilliance of their collaborative musical geniuses was amplified in concert. Not only did we see Damon Albarn in flesh - a personal idol - but he was accompanied by the incredible artists that were featured on Plastic Beach: Mos Def, Lou Reed, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, Little Dragon, members of The Clash, etc. Co-creator of Gorillaz, visual man Jamie Hewlett also peeped out from backstage to say hello - to whom Damon planted a big ol' kiss. The entire show was almost too epic to be true... You know when all your favorite superheroes get together and form a league? That is what this was. And this 'league' leader, frontman Damon Albarn, was clearly having the time of his life. He was constantly dancing, jumping around, running around the stage, hugging people - never keeping still unless he was playing the piano. Reminded us of his good old Blur days, sigh. They played almost all of their latest album and included old time favorites like "Clint Eastwood" and "Feel Good Inc."" [morningafterpills]

More pictures, some videos and the full show setlist, below...

Continue reading "Gorillaz played MSG w/ N.E.R.D., Lou Reed, Mos Def & many other special guests (pics & setlist) "

Nat Baldwin @ Bowery Ballroom in January (more by Bao Nguyen)

Nat Baldwin has been busy playing bass with Dirty Projectors, but he's also been working on his own material. To hear some of those double-bass-and-voice songs, check out Nat's set at Issue Project Room on May 22nd, which is streaming and downloadable at Freemusicarchive.org (there are also a bunch of cool instrumental interludes in that set).

He plays Issue Project Room on November 11th, along with Jen Shyu, Sabrina Lastman and Chris Mann, as part of the venue's three-night Vital Vox Festival. Tickets are on sale.

Before then, Nat Baldwin plays Zebulon twice, on October 13th with Diane Cluck and Spencer Kingman, and on October 27th with Buke & Gass and Delicate Steve.

Video of Nat covering Arthur Russell's "A Little Lost" at Silent Barn in August is below...

Continue reading "upcoming & past Nat Baldwin shows (dates & recordings) "

Willifest kicks off with an opening night gala at Galapagos in DUMBO tonight (maybe they forgot it moved!), and then continues with a full schedule of events/movies happening in Williamsburg on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

One highlight of the fest (well, I haven't seen it) includes a new documentary about the McCarren Pool Parties. In it you'll see a bunch of photographs by Bao Nguyen that first appeared on BrooklynVegan.com. Bao writes:

"A documentary that features my concert photography will be playing this weekend at the first ever Williamsburg International Film Festival. It's opening the festival on Thursday night but all the tickets sold out so they added a second show on Sunday afternoon at 3 PM at the Knitting Factory. Let me know if you can make it. Unfortunately tickets can only be bought at the door."

Continue reading "Williamsburg Film Fest (Willifest) kicks off, new Pool Party documentary included "

Spoon @ MSG in August (more by Bao Nguyen)

today in NYC
* whiplash @ UCB
* free comedy @ Pianos
* ZZ Top @ Beacon Theatre
* Spoon @ Cake Shop (afternoon)
* Jim Campilongo @ Living Room
* Jay-Z & Eminem @ Yankee Stadium
* Spoon, Sean Bones @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Gringo Star, Caveman, Soft Black @ Cameo Gallery
* On ODDSAC, Avey Tare & Danny Perez in conversation
* The Charlatans UK, Sherlock's Daughter @ Bowery Ballroom
* Deakin, Prince Rama, Silk Flowers, Amen Dunes @ Glasslands
* The Bouncing Souls @ Rocks Off Concert Cruise (The Temptress)
* Birthdays, Mark DeNardo, Emily Reo, Philip Seymour Hoffman @ Cake Shop

The Animal Collective Marathon continues as Deakin and Prince Rama kick off a tour at Glasslands tonight, and Avey Tare & Danny Perez have a conversation

Unsound Lounge: On ODDSAC, Avey Tare & Danny Perez in conversation
Talk
09/13/10, 8:30pm
Goethe-Institut Wyoming Building
5 East 3rd Street
New York, NY 10003
Free admission

To celebrate the release of their unique "visual album" DVD project ODDSAC (Plexifilm), Animal Collective's Avey Tare and director Danny Perez will join moderator Andy Battaglia in a discussion about how they see and hear--and work to blur the boundaries between the two.

Spoon plays early and late.

Jay-Z and Eminem play their first of two shows at the new Yankee Stadium tonight.

The VMAs happened Sunday. The Black Keys won for "Breakthrough Video" and pretty much everything else went to Lady Gaga (Eminem and Jay-Z got some too). Robyn was there. Video of her on the red carpet below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Bao Nguyen & Chris Gersbeck

"Chromeo + Williamsburg Waterfront + Dance Party x Torrential Downpour = best summer show ever" - Diego

"chromeo killed it at the waterfront yesterday. who knew that umbrellas could be a dancing accessory?" - marc koz

"Chromeo was RIDICULOUS!!! Dancing in the rain at Brooklyn waterfront. Never had a better Sunday" - Ali

Despite the rain and potential lightning (Jelly can't catch a break), all four acts scheduled to play the free Pool Party at the Williamsburg Waterfront on Sunday got to play their sets. The bands, chosen by A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs' label Fool's Gold, were Telephoned, The Suzan, Kid Sister and Chromeo.

Senator Chuck Schumer, who earlier that day announced he helped restore the final Pool Party which is happening this coming Sunday (8/29) (Gucci Mane rumored to be one of the special guests), also made another appearance.

Pictures continue below...

Continue reading "Chromeo, Kid Sister, The Suzan & Telephoned played the Pool in the rain (Williamsburg Waterfront pics) "

Owen Pallett @ MSG last night (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* Kathleen Supové @ The Stone
* The London Souls @ John Varvatos
* The Dixons, The Weight @ Maxwell's
* Julian Lynch & La Big Vic @ ESP-Disk store
* Gil Scott-Heron @ Marcus Garvey Park
* Lower Dens, Air Waves, Inoculist @ Cake Shop
* Auntie Mame: Broadway2Battery @ Elevated Acre
* Blam Blam, So So Santo, Sonias party @ Coco 66
* U.S. Girls, Miracles, Night Beats @ Union Pool
* Asphalt Orchestra @ Lincoln Center Hearst Plaza
* Andrew Bird w/ Ian Schneller @ Guggenheim Museum
* An Evening with John Legend @ Seaside/Asser Levy Park
* Ivo Perelman, Daniel Levin, Andrew Cyrille @ Roulette
* Steve Earle/Allison Moorer & Greg Trooper @ City Winery
* Unsane, Keelhaul, Pigs, Disappear @ Santos Party House
* Arcade Fire, Spoon, Owen Pallett @ Madison Square Garden
* Robyn, Kelis, Dan Black, Far East Movement @ Webster Hall
* Reni, Standard Fare, R. Stevie Moore, Brian @ Bruar Falls
* Pete Rock, Talib Kweli (DJ), Mick Boogie @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Tremenda Rumba! Tiempo Libre w/ Román Díaz @ Rockefeller Park
* Mike Pride's Drummer's Corpse, Ki, Chat Logs @ Death By Audio
* Mon Khmer, The Tony Castles, Caveman, Monogold @ Mercury Lounge
* Metric, Joan As Police Woman, Holy Miranda @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Paul Taylor Dance Company: 80th Birthday Celebration @ Damrosch Park
* Shark?, The Great Unwashed, Conversion Party, The Rabbits @ The Rock Shop
* Underground System Afrobeat, Xylos, Bushwalla, The Party Faithful @ Pianos
* Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, The So So Glos, Bad Girlfriend @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Pendulum Swings, Christy & Emily, The Bridesmaids, Buckminster @ Glasslands
* In Cadeo, Eytan & The Embassy, Zaza, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson @ Knitting Factory
* The Everly Sisters, Daddy Long Legs, The A-Bones, Danny Kroha & The Del Torros @ The Cameo

Check out THIS WEEK IN INDIE.

Arcade Fire, Spoon & Owen Pallett play their 2nd show at MSG tonight. Stream the Terrry Gilliam-directed video it at YOUTUBE. Pics and setlist from last night HERE.

Phosphorescent has a new video for "it's hard to be humble (when you're from alabama)". That video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

photos by Bao Nguyen

"The Arcade Fire was majestic." - Tumbleweed

"that arcade fire show was unreal." - Anonymous

"I never thought in a million years I would say this.....but Arcade Fire at MSG was one of the best things I've seen in years. I am still reeling and still thinking about how fucking amazing it was." - Anonymous

Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" is making a run for No. 1 on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart. Industry sources suggest the new set could sell maybe between 120,000 to 140,000 by week's end (Aug. 8).

It's understood that "The Suburbs" is greatly benefiting from its promotion in Amazon's MP3 store, where it's been sale priced for $3.99 since Monday. (The store began selling the album one day earlier than its official street date.)

There's a chance that Eminem's "Recovery" may possibly retake the No. 1 slot. The album slipped to No. 2 this past week, selling 159,000 (down just 15%).

Arcade Fire's last release in 2007, "Neon Bible," started at No. 2 with 92,000. It was blocked from the top spot by the No. [Billboard]

More pictures and the setlist from Wednesday (8/4), and a video of "Wake Up" with the entire very large venue singing along, below...

Continue reading "Arcade Fire, Spoon & Owen Pallett played Madison Square Garden in NYC (night 1 pics, video & setlist) "

Sonic Youth @ United Palace in 2009 (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* Devo in Clifton Park, NY
* Apache Beat @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Lilith Fair @ PNC Bank Arts Center
* Gogol Bordello @ Starland Ballroom
* Cafe Antarsia Ensemble, Janka Nabay @ Zebulon
* Nas & Damian Marley @ Williamsburg Waterfront
* Zee Avi, Mishal Moore, Paleo @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* The Penelopes, Night People, Kordan @ The Rock Shop
* .357 Lover, The Break Mission (early) @ Mercury Lounge
* Skeletons Big Band, Priestbird, Family Band @ Rock Yard
* Rescue Bird, The Nice Trys, Sasha Dobson @ Pete's Candy Store
* Arab on Radar, Child Abuse, No Babies, Orange Coax @ Cake Shop
* Sonic Youth, Grass Widow, Talk Normal @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Body Language, Savoir Adore, Machinedrum (DJ) (late) @ Mercury Lounge
* Japanther, Shellshag, Marvin Berry and the New Sound, Soper @ Union Hall
* Ponderosa Stomp presents The Detroit Breakdown (early & late) @ Lincoln Center
* Mundo Muerto, Perdition, Nerveskade, Cervix, Crazy Spirit, Nomad @ Silent Barn
* Earl Mosely's Institute of Dance and Motion Theater Lab @ Jackie Robinson Park
* Jovanotti, Los Amigos Invisibles and Natalie Lafourcade @ Central Park SummerStage
* Animal Collective (DJ), Blondes, Oneohtrix Point Never, CFCF, Babe Rainbow, Prince Rama @ PS1
* Her Majesty, Scott Liss & The Sixty-Six, Only Living Boy, The Roebucks @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Mark Burgess, For Against, Springhouse, The Sleepover Disaster, Don McGlashan, Jon Auer, Steve Drewett, more @ The Bell House (the Big Takeover Festival)

Read more in This Week in Indie.

The Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival brings The Gories, Motor City Soul Revue with Dennis Coffey, Melvin Davis, Spyder Turner, The Velvelettes & The Party Stompers and Eddie Kirkland to play a day show at Lincoln Center Hearst Plaza. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, ? & the Mysterians and Death play Damrosch Park afterwards. The Roots of American Music progamming continues tomorrow too.

The Lincoln Center show is your last time to see the Gories who played Bowery and Maxwell's on their trip here too.

Rock Yard returns for the 2nd time.

Newport Folk Fest is happening this weekend.

St Vincent headlines Summerstage on Sunday. Tune-Yards and Basia Bulat support.

Ted Leo plays the Brooklyn Bowl Pool Party Sunday.

Nas & Damian Marley play a sold out show at Williamsburg Waterfront tonight.

Spiritualized played what may have been the show of the year last night.

The Swell Season played Prospect Park last night. They also recently performed "The Rain" on Jimmy Kimmel. Video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's Going on Saturday?"

Twin Sister @ Mercury Lounge in April (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* Zs, David Linton @ Issue Project Room
* Apples in Stereo @ South Street Seaport
* Maxwell, Erykah Badu @ Madison Square Garden
* Anal Cunt, Bastard Noise, Communion @ Cake Shop
* Annie and the Beekeepers, The Woes @ 92YTribeca
* Floor, Unearthly Trance @ Europa (Northside Festival)
* New Bomb Turks, LiveFastDie, Exwhites @ The Bell House
* Blip Blip Bleep, Love & Logic @ Mercury Lounge (Early Show)
* The Fiery Furnaces, John Mulaney @ Mercury Lounge (Late Show)
* Jucifer, The Gloominous Doom @ Union Pool (Northside Festival)
* The Golden Filter @ Brooklyn Bowl (Late Show)(Northside Festval)
* Tinariwen, Omar Souleyman, Toubab Krewe @ Central Park Summerstage
* Voxtrot, Yellow Fever, Ravens & Chimes, The Black @ Bowery Ballroom
* The Texas Tornados, The Red Clay Ramblers @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Posi, Serpenti, LE-LI @ Public Assembly (Early Show)(Northside Festival)
* White Hills, Viernes, Sore Eros @ Public Assembly (Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Afro-Punk Festival w/ Bad Brains, P.O.S., NinjaSonik, more @ Commodore Barry Park
* Ribbons, Forest Fire, World Atlas @ Bruar Falls (Early Show)(Northside Festival)
* Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park (Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Linfinity, Paul and the Patients, Bottle Up & Go @ Cameo Gallery (Northside Festival)
* Dream Diary, Shark?, Akudama, Beloved Rogue @ Matchless (Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Reading Rainbow, The Beets @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn (Late Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Titus Andronicus, Male Bonding, Cults @ Newtown Barge Park (Early Show)(Northside Festival)
* Leonid Fedorov, Vladimir Volkov, John Medeski, Marc Ribot & Ches Smith @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* The Black Hollies, The Nouvellas, Bad Girlfriend @ Spike Hill (Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Bad Brilliance, Tayisha Busay, Chappo, Planet Rump (DJ set) @ House of Yes (Northside Festival)
* Gold Lake, She Keeps Bees, The Shivers, Cat Martino @ Matchless (Early Show)(Northside Festival)
* The Pass, Slow Animal, The Zookeepers, Family Trees @ Glasslands (Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Max Gabriel, The Hollows, Vandaveer, The Pass, Zapa Venu @ Pete's Candy Store (Northside Festival)
* Parenthetical Girls, Sam Mickens sings the Dead Science, US Royalty @ Coco 66 (Northside Festival)
* Class Actress, Violens, Psychobuildings @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn (Northside Festival)
* Gordon Voidwell, The Tony Castles, Savoir Adore, Brahms @ Brooklyn Bowl (Early Show)(Northside Festival)
* Ava Luna, North Highlands, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire, Miniboone @ Spike Hill (Early Show)(Northside Festival)
* Drink Up Buttercup, Oberhofer, Grandchildren, Twin Shadow, Zakee (DJ Set) @ Berry Park (Northside Festival)
* Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, DOM, ZAZA @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (BrooklynVegan Northside Festival Showcase)
* Interpol, Mark Ronson, Die Antwoord, Neon Indian, The Rapture, Sleigh Bells, Gang Gang Dance, Salem @ Milk Studios
* Fluffy Lumbers, Family Portrait, No Demons Here, Dana Jewell, Archers @ Bruar Falls (Late Show)(Northside Festival)
* Lower Dens, Dark Dark Dark, Matteah Baim, Frankie & The Outs, Total Slacker, Coasting, Union @ Death By Audio (Northside Festival)

BrooklynVegan is putting on three Northside shows tonight (and one tomorrow) - one is at Music Hall of Williamsburg, two are metal shows.

Music for the Afro-Punk Festival kicks off in Fort Greene.

Syria's Omar Souleyman plays his first-ever NYC show tonight with Tinariwen at Central Park (and another tomorrow at Issue).

Check out Bill's 2010 Northside Festival picks for today.

Tonight is Voxtrot's final show EVER. At Bowery Ballroom.

What else?