photos by Tim Griffin

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 came to a close on Sunday night. It was another successful year for the well-rounded music fest, and the end of its first in the larger (and much dustier) Auditorium Shores. And though Ryan Gosling may have been the most talked about artist at the festival (Danzig was a close second), the real star was festival organizer Transmission Enertainment for putting together such a kickass lineup on four stages for three days straight (not to mention a mechanical bull) (and skate and bike ramp and tons of good food and vendors and merch and posters and wrestling) (and Turquoise Jeep).

After Hum and then a quick set of comedy by metal comedian Brian Posehn (he did his Slayer joke and one that involved Pantera), Slayer closed out the large Orange stage on Sunday (the other metal acts played on the slightly smaller Black Stage all weekend, but the Orange was the biggest and actually specially built to Slayer's specs).

Slayer wasn't the only wild headliner of the day though. In fact, that's an understatement. Trash Talk played after Henry Rollins did his set of spoken word in the Yellow Tent because Trash Talk had to miss their originally scheduled set on the Black Stage earlier in the week due to a family emergency. Thanking everyone for missing Slayer to see them (actually not true because it ended up Trash Talk was done before Slayer even started), Trash Talk started their hardcore insanity by pointing out that they were on the only stage with no barricade (the stage comedians usually played). Circle pits, stagediving, stage crowding, grabbing the mic, pumping fists (and skateboards) and just general craziness characterized the next 20 minutes or so.

The always controversial Odd Future drew their own giant and enthusiastic crowd to their headlining set on the Blue Stage, and Blonde Redhead closed out the Black Stage to a more intimate and chilled out audience (in the location that was metal, punk, garage and hardcore the rest of the weekend).

Here is our second set of pictures from the final day of the fest, including Asobi Seksu, the reunited Hum, We Were Promised Jetpacks (who just played NYC and one of our CMJ day parties), Odd Future, G-Side, Austra, Grimes, MNDR, Mates of State, Budos Band, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Architecture in Helsinki, Del the Funky Homosapien, Brian Posehn, Flying Lotus, Brody Stevens, Trash Talk, Henry Rollins, and more SLAYERRRR.

We previously posted pictures from both day 1 and day 2, and a second set by BBG day 1, day 2, and day 3

The rest of day 3, below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 -- Day 3 pics (part 2) -- Henry Rollins, Brian Posehn, Odd Future, Trash Talk & more"

photos by Chris La Putt

Boris @ Irving Plaza

Japanese band Boris have been touring across America with a rotating cast of notable openers including Coliseum and Tera Melos (who they played with in Chicago), and Asobi Seksu and Liturgy who supported them in NYC at Irving Plaza on Thursday night (10/27).

For Liturgy, who are already finished with their leg of the Boris tour (Boris already misses them), it was probably the last time they will ever share a NYC stage with their now-ex-drummer Greg Fox.

More pictures from the NYC show, including a shot of Boris's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Boris, Asobi Seksu & Liturgy played Irving Plaza (pics)"

Slayer at Izod Center (photos by Samantha Marble)

Slayer, Thee Oh Sees, Public Enemy, Girls, Danzig Legacy, (Danzig + Doyle von Frankenstein playing Misfits, Samhain & Danzig), Hot Snakes, Diplo, Major Lazer, Henry Rollins, Ted Leo & The Phramacists, Spank Rock, Murder City Devils, Hum, Lykke Li, Passion Pit, Four Tet, Rakim, The Damned, Austra, Purity Ring, and Flynt Flossy are just a few of the acts announced today as part of the Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 lineup. Another amazing year! Check out the full lineup below and stay tuned for more announcements coming in August and September.

The new additions to the Austin, Texas festival, which takes place from 11/4 - 11/6, are in addition to the the previous "lineup leaks" that included Brian Posehn, Odd Future, Okkervil River, M83, X (performing "Los Angeles"), Reggie Watts, Flying Lotus, Tune-Yards, Ra Ra Riot, Kid Dynamite and others

2011 is the festival's sixth year, but first at its new home Auditorium Shores (no more Waterloo Park). Tickets are on sale now.

Slayer also has a NYC performance coming up with Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth as part of the "Big Four" show at Yankee Stadium on 9/14. Tickets are still available.

Fun Fun Fun 2011 flyer and almost-full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 lineup (Danzig Legazy, Passion Pit, Slayer, Lykke Li, The Damned, Henry Rollins & much more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield and Chris La Putt

Asobi Seksu opened the Radio Dept show at South Street Seaport last night (7/15), on the very stage that The Black Angels will headline today as part of the 4Knots Music Festival. Upcoming shows for Asobi included a headlining gig at Brooklyn Bowl and an opening slot on the Boris tour that hits Irving Plaza. An updated set of dates and more pictures from the Seaport below....

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu played the Seaport --- pics & more tour dates"

by BBG

Boris, in pillow and undergarment form

Boris's new LP offerings Attention Please and Heavy Rocks (2011) represent a bit of a stylistic change for the ever-shifting Japanese band. As such, they've recruited some bands outside of the usual suspects in their upcoming North American tour announced today. Boris, who is currently in the EU with Russian Circles, will hit the road in the US for dates with Asobi Seksu, Tera Melos, True Widow (who play Union Pool in August), Master Musicians of Bukkake, Liturgy and others in October. Full tour schedule is below, including an NYC date with Asobi Seksu and Liturgy at Irving Plaza on 10/27. Ticketing info is forthcoming.

Meanwhile, Asobi Seksu play a FREE show at Pier 17 on Friday (7/15) with The Radio Dept AND a show at Brooklyn Bowl on 10/1 (tickets). Full Asobi Seksu dates are below.

All tour dates and a video for Boris's "Hope/Riot Sugar" (a song from each new LP in a single video) is below. For all of you superfans, keep a lookout for Boris - Attention Please underwear and/or pillows (above) which go on presale on 7/30.

Continue reading "Boris playing shows w/ Asobi Seksu, Liturgy, Tera Melos, Coliseum, True Widow & more (2011 Tour Dates)"

photos by Tim Griffin

The Radio Dept @ The Great Escape

Swedish dream-poppers The Radio Dept are releasing all three of their albums on 180 gram vinyl. This includes the classic Lesser Matters, its followup Pet Grief, and the more recently released Clinging to a Scheme, which came out during a time the sound they helped make popular was achieving massive success.

The Radio Dept have a few upcoming shows announced at the moment. On July 15 they'll play a free show at South Street Seaport with Asobi Seksu, and then hit Pitchfork Fest the next day. The only other show they currently have schduled in North America is in Dallas in November with Memoryhouse.

Memoryhouse meanwhile have been added as opener for some of Peter Bjorn & John's upcoming dates including the 9/12 show at Brooklyn Bowl. That show is the day before Sub Pop releases the Memoryhouse EP. Tickets are still on sale. No other openers have been added to PB&J's other NYC shows yet.

Asobi Seksu also plays a show at Brooklyn Bowl (on October 1). Tickets are on sale now.

On May 13th The Radio Dept. played the BV/M For Montreal showcase at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton with The Handsome Furs. A set of pictures from that show is in this post.

More pictures and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Radio Dept vinyl reissues & live pics, Memoryhouse & Asobi Seksu shows"

by BBG

Joan of Arc in 2008 (more by Leia Jospe)

After dates on their current southwestern tour and a forthcoming UK tour come to an end, Joan of Arc will kick off another leg of dates in Pontiac, MI with Implodes heading toward the East Coast before looping back to a tour-ending show in St. Louis. NYC will get an appearance on that journey at Mercury Lounge on August 10th. Tickets are currently on AmEx presale and go on regular sale at noon on Friday (5/20)

Mike Kinsella of Joan of Arc/Cap'n Jazz will bring his side/solo/other project Owen to one upcoming date in Champaign, IL in September at the Pygmalion Music Festival. There Owen will share a stage with Cut Copy, Explosions in the Sky, Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Asobi Seksu, Japandroids, and the reunited Braid. So far no other dates Braid dates have emerged, but we'll be on the look out.

Implodes released their new LP Black Earth via Kranky in April. Check out the shoegaze-y burner "Marker" streaming below alongside alll tour dates and some video.

Continue reading "Joan of Arc touring w/ Implodes (dates), Owen playing Pygmalion Music Festival w/ the reunited Braid (and others)"

fireworks @ the Seaport in 2010 (more by Chris La Putt)

INITIAL SOUTH STREET SEAPORT CONCERT LINEUP
June 24: The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon) + TBA
June 26: My Teenage Stride (Sunday)
July 01: Lower Dens & Dirty Beaches
July 03: The Hairs (Sunday)
July 08: The Wake & Weekend
July 10: Pow Wow! (Sunday)
July 15: The Radio Dept. & Asobi Seksu
July 16: 4Knots Music Festival (Saturday)

All Friday shows start at 7pm. Sunday shows, which are the return of our own Bill Pearis' Sound Bites series (but now on Sundays instead of at lunch), begin at 2pm. Both are part of the annual River To River Festival at The Seaport.

More free Seaport dates, shows and bands TBA, including maybe a Mad Decent Block Party.

DOWNLOAD: Asobi Seksu - Trails (Deerhoof remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Asobi Seksu - Perfectly Crystal (Beach Fossils/Spirit Animal remix) (MP3 premiere)

Asobi Seksu

Shoegazey rockers Asobi Seksu's new album Fluorescence was released via Polyvinyl in February. You'll notice at Polyvinyl's site that the download comes with four bonus tracks, three of which are remixes of the song "Trails", one of which is done by Deerhoof. Download that Deerhoof remix above if you don't already have it. Also grab the Beach Fossils remix version of "Perfectly Crystal" which is making its premiere in this post.

As previously mentioned, Asobi Seksu have a big headlining show coming up at Bowery Ballroom, and that show happens to be TONIGHT (4/7). Openers are Zaza and Consortium Musicum. Consortium Musicum are Greg Saunier of Deerhoof & Sean Lennon.

Asobi also recently announced some May dates with White Lies including a 5/24 show at Antone's in Austin where Asobi recently played SXSW for the fourth time. White Lies have good taste in openers. School of Seven Bells and Sun Airway open their upcoming Terminal 5 show.

And speaking of Beach Fossils, they have their own big show right around the corner. I'm talking about their Friday (4/8) headlining show at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Craft Spells, Crinkles, and "Unannounced Special Guest." Tickets are still on sale.

In related news, The Drums play a sold out show at Mercury Lounge tonight (4/7) and other upcoming shows too.

All Asobi & Beach Bossils tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Beach Fossils remixed Asobi Seksu (MP3 premiere), both play big shows this week w/ special guests (and other dates)"

Asobi Seksu @ a CMJ-BV show at Public Assembly (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Asobi Seksu's appearance at Highline Ballroom was recently called off due to snow, and the band's forthcoming Record Release party at Mercury Lounge on 2/17 is now officially sold out. Not long after the band makes their trek down to Austin to play SXSW, look for Asobi Seksu to play another NYC date at Bowery Ballroom on April 7th. Tickets
go on sale Friday at noon (2/11). Many more tour dates below.

Family Band is also on the Mercury Lounge bill, and the Brooklyn band will head out on tour with PVT and Warpaint in the coming months. The band will play a sold-out Bowery Ballroom on 3/31, but tickets are still available for their appearance at Brooklyn Bowl on 3/30.

Updated tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu add Bowery show & other tour dates"

snowy Brooklyn (Nate Dorr)

Tonight's sold out White Lies/Asobi Seksu show at Highline Ballroom has been cancelled due to the lovely weather we're having.

Charles Cave, in a note to their fans has said, "we're bitterly disappointed to cancel our NYC show. We've been excited about it for months but a freak snow storm has made it impossible for us to get there. We promise to reschedule the show as soon as possible and return to the big apple in style. We're all really sorry." Ticket refunds are available at point of purchase, stay tuned for news on an upcoming New York City show this spring.

Any other shows cancelled that you know about?

Madeline Follin of Cults & Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more)

Congrats to Madeline Folin and her band Cults who have inked a deal with Columbia Records for release of their forthcoming debut LP in May. The band will hit the road to play a string of dates with Asobi Seksu on their way to SxSW, and then loop back to their native NYC to play a pair of headlining shows at Knitting Factory on 3/30 (ticket info forthcoming) and Mercury Lounge on 3/31 (ditto).

Meanwhile, Bethany of Best Coast (pictured above with Madeline) played "Boyfriend" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, and is preparing to hit the road with her beau Wavves for a US tour. That Best Coast/Wavves trek hits NYC (with No Joy) on Feb 2nd at Webster Hall and Feb 3rd at Music Hall of Williamsburg. MHoW is sold-out, but tickets to Webster Hall are still available.

To commemorate their tour, the love birds (Nathan and Bethany) have collaborated on a split 7" named after, and only available at stops on, the Summer Is Forever tour. The seven inch will feature fresh tracks from both bands. Best Coast will contribute "When You Wake Up" for the A-Side, with Waaves contributing "Stained Glass (Won't You Let Me Into Yr Heart)" for the flip. Mexican Summer, the label responsible for the vinyl, will offer both tracks on an iTunes sampler due on January 11th, for those of you who are vinyl-impaired. The cover art is below.

Asobi Seksu also plays Highline Ballroom on January 27th (tickets still avail) supporting White Lies and February 17th at Mercury Lounge (tickets still avail).

Full tour dates, video of Best Coast on Fallon, and a stream of Cults uber-buzzy 7" are all below.

Continue reading "Cults signed to Columbia & announce tour, Best Coast played Fallon (video, dates & stuff)"

Asobi Seksu at the BV-CMJ Day Party (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Asobi Seksu have two NYC shows in their sights, Highline Ballroom on January 27th (tickets) supporting White Lies and February 17th at Mercury Lounge (ticket info forthcoming). The latter is more than just another show for the NYC band, as it will serve as both their record release party and tour kickoff in support of their new LP, Fluorescence, due two days prior on Polyvinyl. Download the first single "Trails" at Polyvinyl's site..

Asobi Seksu's tour will see them head to the West Coast with Brahms and oddly, terminate their tour in Sante Fe, New Mexico before starting back up again a week later in Nashville with Cults. Is that SXSW I smell?

Meanwhile, Brahms play Brooklyn Electronic Music Fest along with Javelin, Kid Sister, and a gang of others on 12/18. Tickets are still available.

Full tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu releasing a new album, opening for White Lies, touring w/ Brahms & then Cults (dates)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Blood Red Shoes @ MHOW

After Chris left the BV Loft Party all the way back on Friday, October 22nd, he headed over to Music Hall of Williamsburg for the Blue Flowers-presented CMJ showcase for a lineup of mostly UK bands including Chapel Club, Everything Everything, and Blood Red Shoes (who toured North America with Sky Larkin in October). Pictures from that show are in this post.

The occasion (to post these belated pics)? SXSW has already announced an initial lineup of bands playing in Austin from March 16-20, 2011, and Chapel Club is on that list (and I wouldn't be surprised of the other 2 mentioned bands end up coming too). Also on the list: Lia Ices, Braids, Asobi Seksu, Wye Oak, Suuns, Sun Airway, A Place to Bury Strangers and more. Full list under the rest of the MHOW pictures, below...

Continue reading "Chapel Club played CMJ w/ Everything Everything & Blood Red Shoes (pics), playing SXSW 2011 (intial lineup)"

words by Andrew Sacher, photos by Erez Avissar

Oberhofer played at least once a day last week at CMJ, and then again last night at Maxwell's with Japandroids. I caught their set at the Neon Gold/Chess Club showcase on Thursday, October 21 at Public Assembly, and Friday, October 22 at the BrooklynVegan day party, also at Public Assembly. Neither of the two performances were anything short of impressive. Oberhofer's set mainly consisted of songs off their debut EP o0Oo0Oo, recorded entirely by their frontman, Brad Oberhofer. The live band is not only able to do his songs justice, but they add an even higher intensity than the recorded versions

Oberhofer is about to embark on a tour with The Morning Benders and Twin Sister, though the NYC show on that tour (November 18th at Webster Hall) will actually be opened by Cults instead of Oberhofer (despite what was originally advertised)

Oberhofer will also be back in Brooklyn even sooner though. One day after they leave that tour, November 13th, they play the "Zero Film Festival Opening Night Event" at 1896 Studio Nutroaster Studios on 120 Ingraham St. in Brooklyn (note new location) with Asobi Seksu (who also played last Friday's BrooklynVegan day party) and Sherlock's Daughter (not Autolux as originally advertised). Tickets are on sale.

All tour dates, and more pictures from a show Oberhofer played at Monster Island Basement on 9/17 with Indian Jewelry, below...

Continue reading "Oberhofer played some shows, touring w/ Morning Benders, playing Zero Film Fest event w/ Asobi Seksu (dates & pics) "

photos by Chris Gersbeck

"At Brooklyn Vegan showcase. Free booze & food. Sick line-up. Ty segall, times new Viking, Dom, lower dens, asobi seksi, devotchka, etc. #cmj" - death & taxes

"Almost forgot about Shrag, what a find! fun band!" - Ryan Muir

"Pretty sure Ty Segall just won CMJ." - J. Edward Keyes

Ty Segall

"The large number of bands at the BV party was split between Public Assembly's two stages, with sets overlapping. With free Magic Hat Number Nine (somehow apricot-flavored beer seemed like a suitable substitute for breakfast), both sides of the club were filling rapidly. So while I caught a minute or two of Lower Dens' vespered melodies, I wasn't about to miss Times New Viking . The Columbus trio recently wrapped up work on a new record (due out on [a label] sometime in the near future) and this was to be the first time I would hear the new stuff. Though the band was by their own admission still tired from the night before, their set didn't show it, with the buoyancy of songs like "Skull Versus Wizard" and "Teenage Lust!" undiminished. The new tracks, which showed the most prominent melodies TNV has composed yet, fit in alongside the older cuts. Though I've now lost count of how many times I've seen the band, I'm always struck by how they remain too anxious to stay in one sonic realm for long, their quick succession of albums marked by continual revision." [ Limewire]

Did you miss the Phantom Band at this show or one of the other few CMJ shows they played? Well, don't miss them this week when they return as part of their tour with Frightened Rabbit (at Terminal 5 on Saturday they're on first of three before Plants and Animals).

Wanna see Dom again soon? They play NYC again this Saturday (10/30) too.

More pictures and some more videos from Public Assembly, below...

Continue reading "BV Friday day party in pics & video - part 2 (Times New Viking, Shrag, Lower Dens, Phantom Band, Luyas, Corndawg & more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, videos by Bleary Eyed Brooklyn

"Phantom Band at Public Assembly. This is making me very happy" - amanda farah

"Just learned that DeVotchKa is headlining today's BV free CMJ day party at Public Assembly. I'm so there!" - M. Millions

Devotchka

"[Friday] included a bit of borough hopping between Brooklyn and Manhattan. First up was the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Public Assembly. This included two rooms of free music and free alcohol (if you like [Magic Hat] or Firefly). There was also a table selling BV shirts, proceeds of which go towards "Music Has Power" (The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function). Good music + a good cause = good party by the Vegan. There's another one [Saturday] that has a sick line-up. Gonna head there first thing [Saturday].

One other thing worth noting about that BV party is one of the bands: Shrag. This band was from the UK, which got me thinking about how many bands travel from all over the world (especially places like the UK and New Zealand) just to come to CMJ. I think it's really cool how this festival gives people a chance to experience music from not just all over the country, but from different parts of the world as well. Because let's face it, how many of us are going to be visiting New Zealand any time soon?" [News on Shuffle]

Jonny Corndawg is an Esmont native who plays in Charlottesville all the time (his website says he's in Nashville) and who I caught for the first time over the weekend. His square jaw was beard-covered and framed in a cowboy hat and huge sunglasses. The silly facade--"Jonny Corndawg" is inlayed on his acoustic guitar!--can only hide his chops for so long. If he didn't have chops, would he have written these lines:

"Drink water and juice with a little slice of lemon/ eat a raw clove of garlic every once in a while/ meditate, appreciate, learn a foreign language/ and understand that immigrants have the hardest lives." [c-ville]

As Andrew also pointed out, John Vanderslice (who played Mercury Lounge the night before) ended his solo set in a very special way - on the floor with 2 guest musicians (one with a horn). The crowd, dreaded member of Nada Surf included, had the three performers completely surrounded. After the set, John went out to coffee with fans (or at least that's what he said he was going to do).

Devotchka capped things off on the main stage, complete with more horns. Thanks again to Vinny's Music for the equipment. More pictures and some videos from the whole day (with a second set on its way). below...

Continue reading "BV Friday day party in pics & video - part 1 (Devotchka, Ty Segall, John Vanderslice, Asobi Seksu, Dom & more) "

Though we maybe went less crazy this year compared to others, there will be no lack of BrooklynVegan shows taking place during CMJ this year. You already know about the big official show Thursday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and the much darker one taking place Saturday at Union Pool. I can now finally tell you about the first of two free day parties taking place at Public Assembly in Brooklyn during CMJ week....

The date: Friday, October 22nd, 2010
The time: noon-6pm
The place: Public Assembly (70 North 6th St)
the bands:

STAGE 1
12:30 Magic Bullets
01:15 The Phantom Band
02:00 Ty Segall
02:45 Times New Viking
03:30 Dom
04:15 Asobi Seksu
05:15 TBA (will announce Thursday night)

STAGE 2
12:00 Jonny Corndawg
01:00 First Aid Kit
01:45 The Luyas
02:30 Lower Dens
03:15 TBA (will announce soon)
04:00 Oberhofer
05:00 John Vanderslice

* free EarPeace (while supplies last)
* free V-Spot breakfast burritos & empanadas (while supplies last)
* free Firefly Vodka + Bourbon (while supplies last)
* free Magic Hat beer (while supplies last)
* free Raw Revolution bars

The Friday day show is John Vanderslice's only unofficial gig. His only official one is a sold out (not counting CMJ badges) show at Mercury Lounge. Grab his new free EP.

The BV day party is also Asobi Seksu's only show that isn't their official CMJ showcase (which is taking place at Santos Party House on Saturday night).

Ty Segall plays his official showcase Saturday night, but at Knitting Factory. Also on that Panache Booking Showcase are AIDS Wolf, Turbo Fruits, Heavy Cream, Pujol, Tôg, Circle Pit, and SCREENS.

Stay tuned to @bvCMJ for even more CMJ news and updates than you'll find on BrooklynVegan.com.

And stay tuned for what we're doing in the same exact venue during the same exact times one day later. And stay tuned for the bands playing the other two Friday slots.

Also thanks to: Zach Jaeger of Tonally Dude Productions for the sweet flyer you see above, and to Vinny's Music for providing us with some sweet gear, to Line 6 for even more sweet gear, and to Underground Press for getting us some merch printed to help raise money for charity.

Some videos below...

Continue reading "the free BrooklynVegan Friday day party @ Public Assembly lineup (14 bands, free food, free booze & more)"

DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - Sailor Song (live) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - Hard Believer (MP3)

Swedish female folk duo First Aid Kit never made it to CMJ 2009, MusicSnobbery CMJ show included. So they're going to try it again. MusicSnobbery presents First Aid Kit and The Loom at Joe's Pub on Saturday, October 23rd. It's a late show (11:30pm), and tickets are on sale.

Whether that show is actually part of CMJ or not is unclear (I don't think it is), but the other two shows the band plays in NYC that week definitely are. You can also catch First Aid Kit as part of the Saddle Creek/Wichita CMJ showcase at the Delancey on October 21, and as part of the Windish Agency showcase at Rockwood Music Hall one day later:

10.22 | FRIDAY @ ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
CMJ Music Marathon
8-12am The Windish Agency Presents:
8:00pm Apache Beat
9:00pm Sun Airway
10:00pm Crayon Fields
11:00pm First Aid Kit
12:00am Lower Dens
1:00am The Prigs

Those NYC dates come at the end of a North American tour for the duo. That tour kicks off on September 30th in Seattle, includes Austin City Limits, and a bunch of shows with Ferraby Lionheart opening. All dates are listed below.

If you're familiar with First Aid Kit's music, you probably know that the girls stuck gold with their cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" (video below). It was so good they even included the track on their 2008/2009 release, "Druken Trees" which was released on Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray/The Knife's Rabid label in 2008, and then re-released by Wichita in 2009.

That 2009 release, though 8 tracks long, fell into the EP or mini-LP category. The girls' debut LP, The Big Black & Blue, was released earlier this year on Wichita. The third single from that album is "Ghost Town" and is being released this Tuesday by Wichita as a 7" with a new great cover as the b-side. That cover is "When I Grow Up" by Fever Ray.

Listen to that cover, the Fleet Foxes cover, the official video for the single, and all dates, below....

Continue reading "First Aid Kit covered Fever Ray (listen!), touring, playing CMJ (MP3, stream, video & dates) "

Asobi Seksu (by Angel Ceballos)

With the BKLYN Yard shuttered for good, many of the summer events scheduled for the space have been forced to cancel. One that's survived is the Sunday Best party, which successfully moved to Bushwick's Brooklyn Fire Proof, where it continues weekly.

Two more shows that will go on, albeit in different venues, are the August 7th Me'shell Ndegeocello show, now to happen at (Le) Poisson Rouge (tickets), and the August 21st Asobi Seksu show. That'll take place across the street from the former BKLYN Yard, at 383 Carroll St (the former home of Dumpster Pools and Glassphemy). Tickets are on sale.

Tour dates for both acts are below...

Continue reading "new venues for Asobi Seksu & Me'shell Ndegeocello (and other dates) "

BKLYN YARD 2009 (more by Sarahana)

BKLYN Yard (previously The Yard) will be back in summer 2010, with weekend events running from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. They'll be doing Beer Garden Fridays, Summer Saturdays and Sunday Best.

Sunday Best will host resident DJs Mister Saturday Night (Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin), Doug Singer and a whole special guest schedule, which is posted below (Dam-Funk spins there June 13). Sunday Best writes:

It's official, folks. We'll be back on the Gowanus! Justin Carter, Eamon Harkin and Doug Singer are already digging through records for their best outdoor jams, and we can already smell Margarita Hernandez's huaraches and taste the cold sangria. BKLYN Yard has announced a bunch of great new additions to their space -- not least of which is a bocce ball court -- and we're happy to announce the full lineup of guests who will be playing alongside the residents this summer, an eclectic grouping of folks from New York and abroad who specialize in everything from rare Nigerian disco to shimmering, summertime techno.

More on the parties, a flyer and the full BKLYN Yard schedule (including an Asobi Seksu show) is below...

Continue reading "BKLYN "the" YARD returns in 2010 - Friday Beer Garden, Summer Saturdays & Sunday Best - full schedule"

by Andrew Frisicano

MV+EE...

Esctatic Peace psych-country duo MV & EE (Matt Valentine and Erika Elder) are on a weeklong trip with the wild-riffing Flower-Corsano Duo. The pairs play Silent Barn this Saturday (4/10) along with Meg Baird playing solo and Nonhorse.

MV+EE will be back for a May 13th show that's part of the Joshua Light Festival at Abrons Art Center. There they'll share a bill with Woods.

Also Saturday you can catch propulsive big band Darcy James Argue's Secret Society at Galapagos (listen here). Tickets are on sale.

And again on the same night, Asobi Seksu perform at Japan Society (333 E 47th St) as part of a 12-hour Open House titled j-CATION. Their show, with opener Me & Mars, starts at 9:30. Tickets will be released first-come, first-served starting at 8pm, and admission to the show is included in the $5 suggested donation for the fest.

All tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu playing Japan Society, MV & EE touring, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society shows... "

The Beets @ Woodsist Fest 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

today in NYC
* Nymph @ The Stone
* The Residents @ Webster Hall
* Restless People, MNDR @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The London Souls, Hymns @ Mercury Lounge
* Joe Mande, Jessi Klein, Hannibal Buress @ Comix
* Elsinore, We Landed On The Moon @ Mercury Lounge
* Velvet Davenport, Florida, Columboid @ Bruar Falls
* Blair, Xylos, Dinosaur Feathers, Sydney Wayser @ Pianos
* Yeasayer, Javelin, Class Actress @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Unsound Festival w/ Zavoloka, Bora Yoon, Zenial @ Issue Project Room
* Hearts of Darknesses, Hours of Worship, Neud Photo, DJ Harrison @ Glasslands
* Haiti benefit w/ Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, Styles P @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Pepi Ginsberg, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Steel Phantoms, Cache @ Death By Audio
* The Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils, Total Slacker, Anasazis @ Cake Shop
* Prince Rama of Ahodhya, Apollo Heights, Denice Barbarita and The Morning Papers, Lachi @ The Cameo

Sade is on TV today, tonight & next week

2/09 - Today Show
2/09 - 106 & Park on BET
2/09 - The Late Show with David Letterman
2/10 - The View
2/15 - The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2/16 - Jimmy Kimmel Live
2/20 - The Wanda Sykes Show (appearing in a skit - not performing)

Baton Rouge's We Landed On The Moon are at Mercury Lounge tonight. A video from them is below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

by Klaus Kinski

A few months ago I was wilting my life away at work listening to my M83 Pandora channel when a song the site randomly selected yanked me from my zombified, mouth-breathing state. It sounded like a bizarre mixture of Vangelis, Kitarro, Spandau Ballet, and Mogwai. Turns out, the artist was Ulrich Schnauss and the song was Goodbye. I didn't know what he was singing about, but it was definitely dark, sad and, well, beautiful. I was an immediate addict and before long I had almost every one of his songs in my collection.

So imagine my unbridled glee when I noticed that he scheduled a single US gig, and that it's happening at the Bell House on February 25, 2010 (Tickets are on sale). Mark Van Hoen and Luxa round out what will no doubt be an epic bill.

"While the name Mark Van Hoen may not immediately garner as much recognition as Schnauss, his reach and influence is arguably as authoritative. As an original member of Seefeel, the BBC noted, "In a brief listen one can hear the influence on Boards of Canada's damaged melodies and dense claustrophobia, more so than even the usual suspects like Aphex Twin." After tours with Massive Attack, Orbital, and opening for Slowdive, Van Hoen formed Scala with three members of Seefeel, releasing three albums. Van Hoen has also released four albums as Locust, including the electronic masterpieces Morning Light and Playing with Time...

...Van Hoen will be releasing a new album, Where Is the Truth, in late February, his first in over five years. The Bell House performance will also be Van Hoen's first in several years to feature backing musicians, including members of Edison Woods and Anthony and the Johnsons, accompanying his heavily visual and electronic performance.

Continue reading "Ulrich Schnauss releasing remix album, playing Brooklyn"

words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

No pedals, no wall of sound, no wash of blinding lights. All the hallmarks of an Asobi Seksu live performance were cast off during the New York band's sold-out, acoustic performance at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday night (1/29). "So, much fun, " said Yuki Chikudate. "But we like noise. We're not giving up our pedals yet."

For a bit over an hour, however, Yuki led her band through beautiful and at times haunting versions of songs that appear on last year's acoustic release, Rewolf. Most of the songs were taken from the bands most recent records Hush and Citrus. The evening also took on a bit of a storytellers vibe with Chikudate introducing many of the songs with anecdotes as well as some good-natured teasing of guitarist James Hanna's mustache. "Meh No Mae" was lush with pretty plinking of xylophone and "Gliss" was helped along by toy piano.

The most striking thing on the night was how clear and powerful Chikudate's voice is. Just another instrument during their full-on rock shows, yet when not battling reverb and distortion at every turn, her voice becomes the center-piece of every song as it did on "Blind Little Rain" with just Chikudate at the grand piano.

Songs that did not appear on Rewolf also found their way into the set. "We didn't get to record this but I'm glad we got to rearrange it for the tour," said Chikudate, as she introduced "Goodbye", one of the "louder" numbers of the evening. And for the encore - a cover of Donovan's "Celeste".

Todd Goldstein and his band, Arms, opened with a beautiful but all-too-brief set. The former Harlem Shakes guitarist has turned his attention completely to his solo project since the Shakes broke up this past summer. Goldstein no longer cuts a lonely figure as Arms, surrounding himself with a drummer and additional vocalist. This brought a richer sound to songs like "Shitty Little Disco" and "Tiger Tamer" off his excellent 2008 release, Kids Aflame. And set closer "Ana M" was gorgeous with its stirring outro of ahh's complementing the languid pacing. Goldstein admitted they'd tried to play the song at more traditional rock venues but the "kids" in attendance never paid much attention. "But you're all adults," he told the audience, "and you're sitting down."

More pictures from the show, with Asobi's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu & Arms @ Le Poisson Rouge - pics & setlist"