Yeasayer @ Hudson River Park in 2009 (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB Theatre
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* Them Crooked Vultures @ Roseland Ballroom
* Yeasayer, Light Asylum, Bobo @ Bowery Ballroom
* Les Paul Guitar Tribute w/ Vernon Reid @ Iridium
* Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir @ Union Pool
* Dinosaur Bones, My Pet Dragon, Otterclean @ The Cameo Gallery
* Horse's Mouth, Your Nature, Blast Off, The Wailing Wall @ Death By Audio
* Knight School, Diehard, Family Portrait, Golden City @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Unsound Festival: Anticipate Showcase w/ Sawako, Ezekiel Honig, Alexander Kaline @ Littlefield
* Destry, Mean Creek, The Narrative, Borrowed Eyes & The Blood Red Road @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn

The Unsound Festival continues.

Yeasayer kick off a two-night run of NYC record release shows tonight. Their much larger tour kicks off in April with openers like Javelin and Sleigh Bells.

Them Crooked Vultures play a show at Roseland Ballroom tonight. On Saturday they appeared on Saturday Night Live. Videos from that show below...

The Who played the Superbowl Halftime show on Sunday. Videos from that below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Bao Nguyen

Cold War Kids offering a free bootleg of the Terminal 5 show

CYHSY frontman Alec Ounsworth just finished opening a string of dates or Cold War Kids including two shows in NYC - January 28th show at Music Hall of Williamburg, and the 29th at Terminal 5. The pictures in this post are of CWK at Terminal 5. Bao missed Alec due to a slight ticket mix up at the door.

Cold War Kids, whose have just one upcoming date advertised at the moment (in Alaska), but Alec, who recently released two solo albums (one of which came out on ANTI-), is now on his first headlining tour...

Ounsworth's band is Matt Sutton, Peter Modavis, Brian Ashby and Jonas Oesterle. They will be playing songs from Mo Beauty, Skin and Bones as well as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's catalog.

Cold War Kids, who didn't end up playing the Bell House Haiti relief benefit on Wednesday, January 27th, recently put out an EP called Behave Yourself. The video for the song "Audience" off that is below. The song is also downloadable at RCRDLBL. That video, more pictures and dates are below..

Continue reading "Alec Ounsworth (CYHSY) played MHOW & Terminal 5 w/ Cold War Kids (pics, bootleg), now on headlining tour (dates) "

Joanna Newsom @ a fashion week party in 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Joanna Newsom has sold out her March 18th tour stop at NYC's Town Hall. Recently, more exciting details have come out about the new record, a triple album, that'll accompany her upcoming tour. The release, Have One on Me, will be out February 23rd on Drag City (the label that's also putting out the new Baby Dee record), and the track "'81" is streaming now on the Drag City's site (on the right under 'Free Music'). The minimalist text-only cover of the record is posted below...

Continue reading "Joanna Newsom releasing triple CD - cover, streaming song"

photos by Bao Nguyen

It's been almost a year since the Dirty Projectors announced that upright bassist Nat Baldwin would be rejoining the band. Since then Nat has become more of a household indie name than he was when his third solo album was released. "Most Valuable Player", released on April 29th of 2008, was produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and features contributions by Taylor and the Dirty Projector's Dave Longstreth. It was also around that time that Nat recorded a Daytrotter session which you can still download now.

Most recently, Nat contributed to Vampire Weekend's new album, Contra. He also opened the show they played at Bowery Ballroom on the night they found out that album hit #1. The pictures in this post are from that show. Tonight (1/23), you can catch Nat playing solo again at Sycamore in Brooklyn. More Bowery pics and a video below...

Continue reading "Nat Baldwin - Bowery pics & a show tonight"

by Andrew Frisicano

Jemina Pearl @ Williamsburg Waterfront in July (more by Bao Nguyen)

Ex-Be Your Own Pet singer Jemina Pearl is already a week into her January/February tour across North America. The trip finishes with a show ("with special guests") at Brooklyn's Union Pool on Saturday, February 13th.

While we're on the topic of special guests and Union Pool, The Ghost Of A Saber Toothed Tiger, the psych-pop band fronted by Sean Lennon, play the venue "with guests" on February 19th. Last time they performed, in November, the band consisted of keyboardist Yuka Honda, drummer Yuko Araki and singer/bassist Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, a group that Lennon & Honda both perform with, bring a ton of guests to their show at BAM on February 16th.

The former BYOP-bandmates of Jemina & co-songwriter John Eatherly, Jake and Jamin Orral of JEFF the Brotherhood are touring (with a New York City show) too.

So far it's been quiet on the newsfront for Jemina in 2010, minus a blog post about her injured toe (which hopefully doesn't affect her on tour). Gross toe pic and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Jemina Pearl - 2010 tour dates include Union Pool where Sean Lennon is also playing (with guests)"

photos by Bao Nguyen

New York band Vampire Weekend sees its sophomore set "Contra" debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 124,000 copies sold according to Nielsen SoundScan. The set is only the 12th independently distributed album to top the Billboard 200 chart since SoundScan began powering the list in May of 1991.
Vampire Weekend not only celebrates its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, but the New York band also notches its best sales week yet. The quartet's previous best sales frame was earned when its self-titled first album opened with 28,000 copies in its opening week. That set debuted and peaked at No. 17 on the chart and has since sold 498,000.

"Contra" also is the second independently-distributed album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in the past year. It is distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance and marks the first indie set to top the tally since Pearl Jam's self-released "Backspacer" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated Oct. 10, 2009. [Billboard]

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend played Bowery (pics), #1 on Billboard chart"

photos by Bao Nguyen

"Drummer Chris Tomson deserves a raise. Or something. Outfitted in a New Jersey Nets jersey and thumping away like a madman all night, Tomson did his best to lend the show some semblance of rock show urgency, veering confidently from Afropop beats to Latin rhythms to reggaeton pop-pop-pops. He essentially picked up his bandmates, slung them over his shoulder and carried them forward as best he could in the direction of a killer live show." [MTV]

Vampire Weekend are among the artists just-announed to be playing Coachella this year, as are Spoon who just announced a Mercury Lounge show .

More pictures from Webster Hall, including one of the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend @ Webster Hall in NYC - pics & setlist"

photos by Bao Nguyen

Holly Miranda @ Webster Hall - 1/18/2010

Hello,

I'm am writing to you from lovely California [on December 30, 2009]. I have been here since finishing my last tour of 2009 with The XX and The Friendly Fires on the West Coast in early December.

Being as it is two days before New Years Eve, I have been reflecting on the year that has past. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am to everyone who has come out to support Timmy and I on the road. To those of you who have given us warm, home cooked meals; a cozy bed to sleep in or visited me at the merch table and kept me company. We could not have done it with out you.

From the Midwest tour with AA Bondy, the East Coast with The Antlers, Europe with The XX, and then again with The XX and The Friendly Fires on the West Coast. We have been busy, but there has been no shortage of good music and amazing people surrounding us at all times.

I am happy to announce that it looks like the coming year will be more of the same...

First I am so excited to say that we will be opening for Vampire Weekend in New York on January 18th at Webster Hall!

Secondly, beginning in February, we will be touring across the continental United States with Tegan & Sara!!! The tour dates are below.

Last, but not least, I'm happy to announce that my full-length album The Magician's Private Library will be out on XL Recordings February 23rd!

Cheers! Here's to 2010!

I hope this finds everyone safe and warm and having a happy holly day!

See you in the new year!

xoxo,
Holly

Holly's new cover art and tour dates and more pictures from Webster Hall, below...

Continue reading "Holly Miranda played Webster Hall w/ Vampire Weekend (pics) - new album soon & 2010 tour dates w/ Tegan & Sara"

Black Lips @ Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Bao Nguyen)

The now even-more-controversial Black Lips will be playing some shows with Box Elders this March. So far, three NYC-area shows have been announced: Maxwell's on March 21st, Brooklyn Bowl on March 23rd and Bowery Ballroom on March 24th. Maxwell's tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 13th at noon. Tickets for Brooklyn Bowl go on sale Friday, January 15th at noon. Tickets for Bowery Ballroom go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon; general sale starts Friday at noon.

UPDATE: Full March & April tour w/ Box Elders is now announced. All dates below.

Before those shows, Black Lips will play a late-January West Coast run and February tour dates in Australia. All dates and a video of Black Lips at their New Year's Eve show in Atlanta playing "O Katrina" (with Brent Hinds from Mastodon) are below...

Continue reading "Black Lips touring, playing 3 NYC-area shows w/ Box Elders (dates), played w/ Mastodon's Brent Hinds on NYE (video)"

Beach House @ Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Bao Nguyen)

Beach House have announced a full set of 2010 tour dates that include an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (Jan. 22nd), Sundance (Jan 24), The Bell House (with Jana Hunter), Webster Hall, and much more. All dates below...

Continue reading "Beach House - updated 2010 Tour Dates"

by BBG

The Entrance Band (more by Bao Nguyen)

The Entrance Band has scheduled a show at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory on Jan 30th as part of a US tour with Brooklyn's Lights. Tickets are on sale, full dates are below.

The Entrance Band released their self-titled Ecstatic Peace debut in September of last year. Lights recetly dropped their new LP Rites on Drag City which features "Fire Night". Dig on the video for that, as well as all tour dates, below....

Continue reading "The Entrance Band & Lights - 2010 Tour Dates"

Fiery Furnances @ a Pool Party (more by Bao Nguyen)

The state Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has backtracked from its announcement six weeks ago that East River State Park would not be able to accommodate Jelly NYC's concert series for a second year, paving the way for a summer of outdoor music and dance.

"There's still some paperwork, but as far as state parks is concerned, there will be concerts," said Rachel Gordon, the regional director for state parks.

It's unclear what the sticking point was, but the prospect of a concert-less summer prompted community groups and Sen. Chuck Schumer -- an apparent "pool party" fan -- to rally for another year in East River State Park, the default location after the parties were booted in 2008 from McCarren Park Pool so that space could be restored as an actual swimming hole.

Jelly NYC founder Alexander Kane, who has spent the last five years bringing in big names like Grizzly Bear, TV on the Radio and the Beastie Boys, wasn't sure why his series got a new lease on life, but he was happy anyway. [The Brooklyn Paper]

Arctic Monkeys @ Highline Ballroom in August (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* Pink Martini @ Town Hall
* Seabrook Power Plant @ The Stone
* Antibalas @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Matisyahu, The Glitch Mob @ Webster Hall
* Mathias Tjonn, Land of Leland @ Sycamore
* Bear Hands, Peephole, Ribbons @ Littlefield
* Arctic Monkeys, Screaming Females @ Terminal 5
* Gary War, Ducktails, Infinity Window @ Cake Shop
* Suckers, Tanlines, Light Asylum @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Brooklyn sings for Health Care Reform @ The Bell House
* Colin Stetson, Matana Roberts, Shazad Ismaily @ Monkey Town
* Limbs, Right on Dynamite, Ludlow Lions, Susu @ Public Assembly
* Love as Laughter, Coconuts, Hallelujah, Ezekial Healy @ Death By Audio
* Spanish Broads, The Honey Dos, ACLU Benefit, The Everly Sisters @ Bruar Falls
* Holly Golightly & The Broke-Offs, Taylor Hollingsworth, She Keeps Bees, Vandaveer @ Mercury Lounge

Arctic Monkeys plays their first of two shows in a row with Screaming Females tonight.

Matisyahu plays his first of eight.

White Denim's new video for "I Start to Run" below...

Wayne Coyne brings us the Flaming Lips Silver Trembling Fetus Christmas ornament. Video below...

Videos of Surfer Blood on KEXP, below...

What else?

Continue reading "Whats going on Thursday?"

Lightspeed Champion @ MHOW in July (more by Bao Nguyen)

Lightspeed Champion's second LP, Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You, is coming out in the US on February 16th (Feb. 1 for UK) on Domino Records. Behind the controls for the album is producer Ben Allen, whose past work includes Gnarls Barkley and his label-mates Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Before the record is out, you can catch Dev Hynes & band at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on Thursday, January 21st. Tickets for the show are on sale now.

He put out a video for the album's first single "Marlene," which will be released on a 10" paired with covers of Serge Gainsbourg's "69 Année Érotique (feat. Valentine Fillol-Cordier)" and '50s singing trio the Fleetwoods' "(He's) The Great Imposter." The video and single info are below.

Despite having recorded Life Is Sweet! in early 2009, Hynes has a had a busy year, both home recording (which he's been sharing online) and performing unique shows, like covering Cat Stevens's soundtrack to Harold & Maude live with the film.

A full detailing of what he's been up to (including working with Solange Knowles (who isn't?), Basement Jaxx and Van Dyke Parks), the new video and new album info are below...

Continue reading "Lightspeed Champion releasing 2nd album + a NYC show, collaborations w/ Solange, Florence, Van Dyke Parks & more"

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

tonight in NYC
* The Feelies @ Maxwell's
* Devo, JP Inc @ Irving Plaza
* Yo Gabba Gabba @ Beacon Theatre
* Nader Sadek @ Santos Party House
* Meat Puppets @ Mexicali Live (NJ)
* Tim Berne's Los Totopos @ Roulette
* Star Wars Concert @ Nassau Coliseum
* Vision Fest Benefit @ CSV Cultural Center
* Cinema 16 w/ These Are Powers @ Galapagos
* Dawes, Langhorne Slim @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Boy Crisis, Annie (DJ Set) @ Tribeca Grand Hotel
* The Ballet, MKNG FRNDZ, My Gay Bingo @ Union Hall
* Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Cold Cave @ Terminal 5
* Negative Approach, Guilt Trip, Black SS @ Southpaw
* Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Lovers @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Jad Fair, Lumberob, Orba Squara @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Pop. 1280, Manikin, Liquor Store, Foster Care @ Bruar Falls
* Bishop Allen, Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez @ The Bell House
* Performa 09/A Select History of Experimental Music @ Gramercy Theatre
* Mode Records Marathon w/ Philip Glass, John Zorn @ Abrons Arts Center
* Carsick Cars, Aa, PK 14, Knyfe Hyts 81, XIAO HE @ Secret Project Robot
* Trouble & Bass, Joker & Nomad, Bok Bok, L Vis 1990 @ Santos Party House
* Blowfly, NinjaSonik, Anal Cunt, The Stalkers @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Fluffy Lumbers, Average Girl, Family Portrait, Liam the Younger @ Cake Shop
* Dirty Projectors, tUnE-YaRds, The Tony Castles @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Little Dragon, Reredux, Body Language, Crystal Fighters @ (le) poisson rouge
* Land of Talk, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, North Highlands, Linfinity @ Mercury Lounge
* The Bloodsugars, Project Jenny/Project Jan, Savoir Adore @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Julia Wolfes Steel Hammer w/ Bang on a Can All-Stars @ Zankel Hall @ Carnegie
* Graffiti Monsters, Starscream, Nullsleep, The Blue & Red 3D Spectacular @ Shea Stadium
* The Beets, Beachniks, She Keeps Bees, McDonalds, Missionaries On Vacation @ Death By Audio
* Jaguar Club, Veil Veil Vanish, Religious To Damn, The Art of Shooting, Telltale @ Cameo

Bad Lieutenant was supposed to play Webster Hall tonight. Instead, they'll be here in the spring. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, with Nic Cage/Coppola & directed by Werner Herzog, is opening though. Its trailer is below.

Two classic bands play shows in NJ tonight. Feelies perform all of Crazy Rhythms at Maxwell's (like they did at ATP) while the Meat Puppets visit Teaneck for a show at Mexicali Live.

Sonic Youth play Terminal 5 tonight and two shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg during the week.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

Vega @ McCarren Pool (more by Bao Nguyen)

Pitchfork: Favorite City to Play?

Neon Indian: I think I'd probably have to do a little more touring to draw that conclusion. And although it's cliché, I think that the most fun that the band will consistently have is in New York City. We played at Cameo, Studio B, even McCarren Park; there's such a wide variety of venues that each have their own appeal and charm, and every show we've played has never been the same crowd twice, there's always been a slight variation. But I feel like I'm preaching to the choir, considering the band is relocating in December.

Also, Neon Indian is not actually moving to NY in December. They had planned to and still want to, and still may in February, but no definite plans at the moment.

Neon Indian will be back to visit in December though. First they play at two sold out shows at Mercury Lounge and then a show they just added at Brooklyn Bowl on December 17th. Tigercity is opening. $5.00 tickets will go on sale this Friday.

Meanwhile Vega is rumored to have signed to Fool's Gold (not to be confused with the band that is playing MHOW tonight). It's the A-Trak-co-owned label that put the new Kid Sister record "Ultraviolet" this week. Kid Sister has a NYC show coming up at Webster Hall on Friday 11/27 with Flosstradamus.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Neon Indian adds 3rd show in NYC (which may be their new home), Vega signs to Fool's Gold? (home of Kid Sister)"

Chuck Schumer @ the Williamsburg Waterfront, Summer 09 (more by Bao Nguyen)

JELLY's Pool Parties are a business - not a charity, but they have consistently provided great free concerts that support artists while doubling as a great place to hang out on Sundays during the summer. With that in mind, check out the press release they sent out below...

Continue reading "Jelly asking for help to ensure future of Pool Parties"

Echo and the Bunnymen @ Mercury Lounge (more by Bao Nguyen)

If you caught Echo and the Bunnymen at Mercury Lounge last month, well, you aren't just lucky for getting to see the UK band in such a small venue, you're lucky for getting to see them at all! They say that the IRS has some rule that bands needed to pay a lot of the money if they already toured here within 30 days. Due to this unforeseen restriction, Echo can no longer make their upcoming tour work and so they say they were forced to cancel all dates including Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC.

One tragically funny outcome of this is that UK band Hatcham Social was supposed to be opening the whole tour. They landed the gig after losing their slot on the Charlatans UK tour that was also cancelled before it ever happened! Maybe they should team up with Free Energy who just suffered a similar setback after The Rakes decided to break up after booking an entire US tour too.

Affected dates below...

Continue reading "Echo & the Bunnymen cancel US tour (Hammerstein Ballroom) - Hatcham Social screwed again!!"

Jemina Pearl & Fucked Up @ a 'Pool Party' in July (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* NY Comedy Festival
* Glenn Tilbrook @ Maxwell's
* Takka Takka @ Smack Mellon
* Rufus Wainwright @ New York City Opera Gala
* Herman Dune, Julie Doiron @ The Bell House
* Amy Millan, Bahamas, Blair @ Mercury Lounge
* Ray Lamontagne, Dave Gutter @ Beacon Theater
* Whiplash, Deceased, Mutant Supremacy @ Fontana's
* Carsick Cars, P.K.14, Xiao He @ powerHouse Arena
* Sure Juror, The Pastel Group, Chase Pagan @ Pianos
* Islands, Jemina Pearl, Toro y Moi @ Bowery Ballroom
* Alice Donut, Retada, Free Electric State @ Southpaw
* Child Abuse, Alien Whale, Starring @ Issue Project Room
* Grass Widow, Frankie & The Outs, Air Waves, Hot Box @ The Woodser
* Jeremy Jay, Michael Leviton, The Black Umbrella @ Union Hall
* Bell, Cale Parks, Fan-Tan, Velvet Code @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Dragonette, The Invisible, CagedBaby and Fit For Use @ Santos Party House
* Gunfight, World Atlas, We Are Country Mice, Frat Dad, Brown Recluse @ The Cameo
* Eric Copeland, James Ferraro, Infinity Window, Zaimph, Luke Perry @ DBA
* Extra Life, Diamond Rings, Unicornicopia, Tone Blood Trio, Master Lee & The White Devils @ Cake Shop
* Cerebral Ballzy, Radical Outing Crew, Mr. Star City, Memberz Only, Santhya, Anton Glamb, Strictly Business @ Public Assembly
* 'Chemistry Of Common Life' w/ Fucked Up, Andrew W.K., Vivian Girls, Titus Andronicus, Katie Stelmanis @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple

Amazon is selling Phoenix' 2006 album It's Never Been Like That for $1.99 today. Tickets are still on pre-sale for Phoenix's upcoming show at Hammerstein Ballroom with Passion Pit.

Tickets are also still on pre-sale for Devendra Banhart's upcoming Music Hall show.

It's The Invisible's 2nd of three NYC shows tonight at Santos.

Grass Widow play their first of many NYC shows tonight at The Woodser.

Ghostface Killah performed "Baby" with Raheem DeVaughn on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

"RT @EducatingEric: It needs to be Thursday already so I can see Fucked Up with @AndrewWK on keyboards and @Viviangirls" -AndrewWK

Fucked Up & friend @ 'Pool Party' in July (more by Bao Nguyen)

Fucked Up are playing the entirety of their 2008 record Chemistry of Common Life at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Thursday, November 5th. The 52-minute-and-20-second work will feature additional accompaniment by guests that include Andrew W.K., Vivian Girls and opener Katie Stelmanis. Also opening the show will be Titus Andronicus (who've been busy lately) and Brooklyn's The Girls at Dawn. Tickets are still on sale.

We also have a pair of tickets to give away, along with a copy of Chemistry of Common Life on LP and a Titus Andronicus limited Live in London 12" LP. Details are below.

On January 26th, Matador will be releasing a compilation of rare Fucked Up singles and b-sides called Couple Tracks. The comprehensive breakdown of the double-CD/double-LP is posted below.

Katie Stelmanis, a fellow Torontonian who's collaborated with Fucked Up before, just opened for Tegan and Sara at both of their Town Hall shows (Oct. 30th & 31st). At the gigs, she filled out the one-woman-show with a drummer and guitarist backing her up. A clip of her playing "Believe Me" at the first Town Hall show is below.

After the Brooklyn show, Fucked Up will be playing Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on November 7th.

Contest details, show flyer and Couple Tracks info and tracklist are all below...

Continue reading "Fucked Up releasing rarities, playing album show Thurs w/ Katie Stelmanis who opened for Tegan & Sara -- WIN STUFF"

photos by Bao Nguyen

"You can be one of the first to experience the brand new Droid by Motorola - the world's first smartphone with Android 2.0 - available exclusively on the Verizon Wireless network. Follow Verizon Wireless' New York Street Teams at Twitter.com/vcastmusic to find out where they will be so you can be one of the first to try the Droid out for yourself and win tickets to attend an exclusive celebration in Manhattan's Lower East Side featuring a performance by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and mingle with celebrity guests including Adrian Grenier, Kim Delaney, Katrina Bowden and more.

Anyone who purchases a Droid on November 6 will also win tickets to attend the event.

For more information visit Twitter.com/vcastmusic"

Continue reading "Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing free DROID party in NYC Friday "

photos by Bao Nguyen

It was fright night in Greenwich Village Saturday as thousands of Halloween revelers paraded up Sixth Avenue dressed to thrill.

Creepy ghouls, spooky ghosts and a multitude of Michael Jackson-lookalikes came out of the shadows under the cover of darkness, and even the pouring rain couldn't dampen their spirits.

"I think tonight is one of the best nights ever," said Angel Estrella, 38, from Bedford Park, in the Bronx, who was dressed as the Wizard of Oz's wicked witch of the West.

"I don't think it's been this packed, despite the weather.

"I'm soaked but I feel great."

Several groups of up to 50 people performed dance routines from Michael Jackson's Thriller and Beat It videos in tribute to the King of Pop. [Daily News]

Continue reading "Thriller & stuff @ the 2009 NYC Halloween Parade - pics "

Mission of Burma @ Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Bao Nguyen)

Mission of Burma will play two nights in a row at Bowery Ballroom. The dates are January 29th and 30th. Tickets and two-day passes go on sale at noon. All dates and their new video for "1, 2, 3, Partyy", off their latest album "The Sound The Speed The Light", below....

Continue reading "Mission of Burma - 2009 Tour Dates (2 nights @ Bowery) "

photos by Bao Nguyen

"A talkative Ian McCulloch greeted the tightly packed, high-energy crowd at New York's Mercury Lounge on Saturday night as Echo and the Bunnymen took the stage as part of their fall North American tour, less than two months after the death of Jake Drake-Brockman, the band's longtime keyboardist, in a motorcycle accident on the Isle of Man.

The band, opening with crowd favorites like "Rescue," were met with immediate enthusiasm from the audience. But the music was soon interrupted as frontman McCulloch took a break from singing and honed in on his social skills. A few sentences into his monologue, he asked guitar player Will Sergeant to stop playing, because he was "in the middle of a speech." A soliloquy, McCulloch called it, then asked the crowd if they knew how to spell the word, giggling at his own odd request.

Such teasing quickly became the theme of the evening, as fans were treated to both straight-up unadulterated versions of favorite songs and a stand-up routine by McCulloch." [Spinner]

Continue reading "Echo & The Bunnymen @ Mercury Lounge, NYC - pics, setlist"