photos by Ryan Muir

my eyes!

Glasvegas, the hyped-up Scottish band who already have a larger Webster Hall show scheduled, headlined the smaller Bowery Ballroom in NYC last night (1/6). It was the first time I saw them after missing their previous NY shows at Radio City and Mercury Lounge.

I left the Bowery show about as neutral as I was going in. The Glasvegas album doesn't get me as excited as NME, bit it doesn't offend me either. The live show wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Actually, I decided I wasn't sure if they were really playing live. At times I was convinced they were just moving around a lot (the guitarist & bassist mainly), on a dark stage full of flashing and blinding lights (seriously, those lights were made for a stadium or something), to distract everyone from the fact that they weren't actually playing their instruments, but then I decided I'm probably just paranoid. Maybe there was a backing track. Either way, I liked the set better as it went on - after I stopped worrying so much about what they were doing, and when I heard the few songs I like the most. Maybe the band loosened up a bit towards the end too....

They could have played longer, but I wasn't sad they didn't. They went on (in total darkness and with intro music) around 10:40, played 10 songs, and no encore.

After the show one person said they liked them better live. Another said they liked them better on album. A third I talked to went in knowing nothing, and left a fan. "Anonymous | January 7, 2009 1:07 AM" "thought the show was very dull".

Angela McCluskey opened. I missed the beginning of her set, but what I heard was okay - I wish she had better songs to showcase her amazing voice. More pictures and the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Glasvegas & Angela McCluskey @ Bowery Ballroom - pics"

Angela McCluskey

Tickets are back on sale for Tuesday's previously-sold out Glasvegas show at Bowery Ballroom. Angela McCluskey is opening. You can also see Glasvegas for free tonight/Monday (1/5) at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square at 9PM.

More Glasvegas tour dates, including a show at Webster Hall, HERE.
More Monday night NYC events, HERE.

Cloud Cult sort of acoustic @ Pianos in 2006 (more)

Who would've thought? Cloud Cult's song "Please Remain Calm" (video below) was played on the TV show Gossip Girl on September 22nd. They also have three songs in MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island this week and were featured on the Weather Channel. On October 21st they return to NYC, sort of... Craig, Connie and Sarah (three members of the band) will be playing a Cloud Cult show acoustic at Knitting Factory in Tribeca as part of the Homespun CMJ showcase. Paramount Styles (stripped down set featuring Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys with special guests Paul Cantelon and Angela McCluskey), Sister Suvi (featuring Patrick Gregoire of Islands) and The King Left (also playing acoustic) are also on the bill. Tickets are on sale. All CC dates below...

Continue reading "Cloud Cult - 2008 Tour Dates (CMJ acoustic), Gossip Girl "

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

SCOTS band Glasvegas missed out on the prizes at the Q Awards today in London today.

The Glasgow band were up for best breakthrough act but lost out to The Last Shadow Puppets, the side project band of Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of The Rascals.

Welsh songstress Duffy took the best breakthrough artist gong at the awards which were held at London's Grosvenor Hotel ay lunchtime.

Welsh chanteuse Duffy, 24, was kicked out of her school choir at the age of seven but is now compared to Dusty Springfield.

Vampire Weekend took first place in the best video category with their promo for A-Punk ahead of entries from Coldplay and Hot Chip. [Daily Record]

Saturday night October 4th, a heavy night of NYC concerts (Brooklyn resident Kyle made it there after being in Harlem for Jenny) concluded with Glasvegas at Mercury Lounge - a show that almost didn't happen. After an opening set by the lovely Angela McCluskey (whose good friend Craig was also playing a show in the same borough), the band went on about 20 minutes after midnight and played to a capacity crowd at the intimate club. It was part of Glasvegas's first U.S. visit, and it was their second NYC show in less than a week. The first was an opening spot for Echo & The Bunnymen at Radio City Music Hall. More pictures from the Merc show below...

Continue reading "Glasvegas @ Mercury Lounge, NYC - pics"

Glasvegas were set to kick off their North American tour in Boston tonight (9/29), but then this letter was sent to ticket holders...

We regret to inform you that the Glasvegas show scheduled for this evening has to be canceled. James Allan has run into visa issues in the UK and won't be able to get to America in time for the show. We're bummed too. Refunds will be available via the good folks at ticketweb. There's talk of an early January reschedule date so stay tuned.

At the moment Glasvegas is still scheduled to open for Echo & the Bunnymen at Radio City on Wednesday and then play a sold out show at Mercury Lounge three days later with Angela McCluskey and Wild Light (thx Chris).

THE CITIZENS BAND presents "The Panic is On" - Sept. 7th / 8th / 9th @ Spiegeltent

Visionary musical troupe The Citizens Bandare taking over the Spiegeltent for a three-night extravaganza. The Citizens Band is a sexy, ribald musical troupe renowned for their dazzling song and dance performances. "The Panic Is On," their sixth original show in three years, finds the troupe trapped in a makeshift bomb shelter, where they're forced to find common ground and hope in a terror filled world. Performing a spirited mix of classic songs and original compositions, they ponder such issues as fear mongering, war, immigration, xenophobia, poverty and their own dreams for political change. These shows also mark the troupe's debut performance with director Gordon Greenberg (Jacques Brel is Alive and Well, Assisted Loving), and features special guests Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond and Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls.

The good news: Nina, Becky and Amanda. The bad news: neither CB regulars Craig Wedren or Angela McCluskey appear in this show.

Craig is probably too busy working with Nina's husband.

Amanda Palmer also performed her own show at the same venue earlier this year.

DOWNLOAD: Craig Wedren - Poolkiss (MP3)

Craig Wedren & Angela McCluskey @ Ars Nova, Dec 1, 2007 (CRED)

* VOTE tomorrow
* or Register to Vote
* Exodus & Goatwhore @ BB King's
* Death Vessel & Thao Nguyen @ Knitting Factory
* Barack Rock hosted by Stella w/ Craig Wedren, OK GO & more
* The Slits play Webster Hall for Chloe Sevigney (RSVP may be necessary)

Craig Wedren, Stella and the rest of the cast of tonight's sold-out Barack Rock show at Bowery Ballroom reminded me to remind you to get up and vote tomorrow. In honor of that, Craig gave us a brand spankin' new MP3 that you can download at the top of this post, and Dangle & Junior of Reno 911 recorded some special video messages that you can watch below. What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday? (Craig Wedren, Stella, vote, MP3)"

I can't help but really want to go see Angela McCluskey at the intimate Mercury Lounge tonight (Sept 24) - maybe more than I want to go see Bjork which is at the huge Madison Square Garden. To make the Merc show even more appealing, Angela will be joined on stage by Shudder to Think's Nathan Larsen. That's two weeks in a row that Shudder to Think has a presence at a Papercranes show.

Not familiar with Angela? Check out her songs (and her VOICE which you might recognize from Telepopmusik) at MySpace. She doesn't play that often.

...in case anyone was wondering what their connection to the White Stripes was because they're opening for them tonight at Irving Plaza (June 19). Here's some shots of the Citizens Band at Highline Ballroom in NYC on June 12th....

Gothamist has an interview with the band from the same day. Other band members include Craig Wedren and Angela McCluskey.

Speaking of Angela who sometimes sings with Telepopmusik...

...Christophe Hetier (aka Antipop), 1/3 of the musical masterminds known as French electronic group Telepopmusik, is spinning a secret, free and one-time-only set at the Hotel Rivington lobby this Thursday, June 21st from 10pm throughout the night.

Craig just played a show at Pianos on June 14th. Did anyone go?

P.S. Icky Thump Records will be streaming on June 20th.