Woodsist pic by Tim Griffin, CMJ pics by Ryan Muir (for Metromix)

THEN...

July 2009 - Dum Dum Girls @ Woodsist Fest in Brooklyn (more by Tim Griffin)

AND NOW...

October 2009 - Dum Dum Girls @ AAM CMJ party in Brooklyn

"Dum Dum Girls = West coast Vivian Girls with a tighter beat, black mini-dresses & lacey tights. Total girl-crush." So Melena Ryzik posted to Twitter Saturday night from the Mercury Lounge as I looked over her shoulder.

Totally true, of course. The tights, in particular.

Dum Dum Girls, from Los Angeles, is the project of singer Kristin Gundred, who goes here by Dee Dee, and who sings tart lyrics in a sweet tone buried beneath layers of haze. She has a knack for flawless song construction, her rigor dating somewhere to the late 1950s. And unlike the Vivian Girls, who manage to muster a slight optimism with a similar toolbox, Dum Dum Girls never appear happy, almost gothically gloomy. "Blissed out buzzsaw" is the descriptor on the group's MySpace page.
[Jon Caramanica @ The NY Times]

That NY Times blurb refers to the Dum Dum Girls' not-full Saturday night Mercury Lounge show. It was the Sub Pop / Hardly Art showcase and they were 2nd on the 8-band bill. The tights picture is from their not-full (private) AAM party they played at Music Hall of Williamsburg earlier that day (10/24). More pics from that below.

According to their MySpace, the Sub Pop-signed band's full member list is Dee Dee, Jules, Frankie Rose, and Bambi. And though I'm pretty sure Frankie will continue to play with the band for their upcoming short tour with King Khan and BBQ (including at Bowery Ballroom and The Bell House), and at their Monday (10/26) Brooklyn show at Bruar Falls (with The Girls at Dawn), it is unclear if Frankie will continue with them after that. As you can see above, the band has already gone through one major change since their first-ever show at the Woodsist Festival, and Frankie (ex-Vivian Girl, ex-Crystal Stilt) may be looking to just focus on her own new band (who play the Woodser on November 7th).

More AAM party pics and all Dum Dum Girls dates below...

Continue reading "Dum Dum Girls played CMJ - all girls, all in black (pics) ++ playing Bruar Falls Monday before King Khan & BBQ tour"

DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Violens remix) (MP3)

Ted Leo @ Pier 54 in July (more by Chris La Putt)

Ted Leo is one of many the acts lined up for the space at 107 Suffolk St (alternately called The Suffolk, Flamboyán Theater and Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center) during this year's CMJ Festival. The space, which also has a "beach" bar, isn't unaccustomed to shows - it hosted Ponytail in April - but around this time of year its usually set up as a haunted house (now housed elsewhere).

Ted Leo (now on Matador) will be headlining a True Panther/Matador Records showcase at the Suffolk on Friday, October 23rd. The impressive lineup for that night includes Glasser, Harlem, Cold Cave (who just played NYC with Faust) and Lemonade (who have many other CMJ shows, listed below). It's one of the official CMJ shows there (full schedule is below).

That gig is one of two shows set up by True Panther - on Saturday, October 24th they're also putting on a show at Pianos with Restless People (mems. of Professor Murder/Tanlines who debut five days earlier at Santos), Janka Nabay (backed by Javelin), Glasser (backed by Tanlines), Delorean and Lemonade. Flyer below.

Ted Leo also has some other upcoming dates scheduled including a post-CMJ headlining gig at Bowery Ballroom

The Suffolk is also playing host to unofficial, non-badge, first-come, first-served parties. AAM has one on Thursday, October 22nd (10pm) with Surfer Blood, Air Waves, Surf City, Violens (Very Vest remix MP3 reposted above), Lemonade and New York Night Train DJ Jonathan Toubin (who has his own showcase at Santos on Tuesday).

Finally, it should be noted that The Suffolk has a "back room" and that will also be hosting shows, including a Japanther performance on Wednesday, Oct. 21st (Fool's Gold is also on that bill).

Schedules and flyers for all of the above shows are below...

Continue reading "The Suffolk = Flamboyan Theater = CSV Cultural Center = ex-haunted house -- Ted Leo, others playing CMJ there"

photos by Leia Jospe

"CD sales are down. Digital hasn't caught up. Record companies are consolidating. New bands are trying to find their own way.

Despite all the challenging news, thousands of industry professionals and eager music fans turned out for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, over the weekend. The festival, tailored to recording industry talent seekers and the talent they seek, officially ended Sunday.

While optimism ran high at the five-day whirlwind of panel discussions, trade shows, live concerts and private parties, much of the conversation throughout the event focused on the sobering reality of the music industry's uncertain future.

"Obviously we're going through a transition. All of the major record labels have gone through some sort of cost-cutting and consolidation over the last few years," said Rand Hoffman, head of business and legal affairs at Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

"Right now CD sales are falling more rapidly than digital is going up," he told a group of SXSW festival-goers at a panel discussion on the future of the industry." [CNN]

Leia spent Thursday at the BV day party at Radio Room. On Friday, she ran around to three different Austin venues, seeing favorites like No Age, Titus Andronicus, HEALTH, and The Mae Shi. More of her pictures below...

Continue reading "SXSW 2009 - Day 3 in photos by Leia"