by Andrew Sacher

The Velvet Teen in Minneapolis last night (by Grayson Hary)

As mentioned, The Velvet Teen will open for Minus the Bear on their Highly Refined Pirates 10th Anniversary tour which hits Chicago's Metro tonight (10/11) and NYC during CMJ at Webster Hall on October 18. Both of those shows are sold out, but The Velvet Teen have just added their own headlining show in Brooklyn at Glasslands on October 17 with Crinkles. Tickets are on sale now.

The Velvet Teen haven't played NYC since their show at Knitting Factory's old Tribeca location in 2007. Since that show, they've joined back up with their old bassist Josh Staples and have been performing as a four piece. They recorded their first batch of material as a four piece, the No Star EP, at the tail-end of last year and released physical copies at the beginning of this year via Side With Us Records. The EP falls somewhere between the progressive noise pop of Cum Laude and the more straightforward emo-y indie rock of the band's earlier work. A video of the EP's title track is below. You can order the EP from the Side With Us webstore. The band also recently made all of their albums available for $5 downloads at their bandcamp.

Speaking of emo-leaning indie rock, Maritime are playing Knitting Factory on Friday (10/14) with Atlantic/Pacific (ex-Texas Is The Reason) and Kid Savant as part of the Royal Flush Festival that Lotion is reuniting for and that reunited punk band Zounds is playing too. Tickets for the Maritime show are on sale now.

All dates and video below...

Continue reading "The Velvet Teen schedule NYC show during Minus the Bear tour, Maritime here even sooner (dates)"

The Sadies...

Truck America is a 3day festival (april 30-may 2) held up in the catskill mountains @ the full moon resort in big indian, ny. the truck family has been putting on festivals and gatherings in the UK for the past 13 years and have just made the jump to the american market. mercury rev (with a full orchestra), white rabbits, here we go magic, ida, the joy formidable and neil halstead are just a few of the confirmed live performances. in addition to lots of live music, they're also going to have handfuls of workshops, kids activities and late night campfire singalongs. weekend pass is only $120 and includes 3 nights of campsite access and parking (day tickets also available). if camping isn't your thing, accommodations are also available at the resort as well as meal packages.

The full lineup is below and tickets are on sale.

Before then there are a pair of "warm up shows" happening in NYC. The first is tonight (4/21) at The Bell House and features all bands also playing the festival: Atlantic/Pacific (ex-Texas is the Reason), Dusty & The Dreaming Spires (Robin & Joe from Goldrush/Truck), Oxygen Ponies and Cat Martino. The second happens April 26th at Matchless, with The Caulfield Sisters and the Truck Family All Stars (members of Common Prayer, Dusty & The Dreaming Spires & Hopewell).

Sixties-style rockers The Sadies will be one of the bands at Truck America. They also have a new album, Darker Circles, out May 18th at Yep Roc. Their tour dates take them across Canada and down the West Coast, where they play a few shows with Kurt Vile. Back east, Vile plays a release show for his new 12" EP Square Shells, which comes out at the end of May on Matador, at Union Pool on June 18th. Joining him will be Meg Baird and Mad Scene.

The full lineup for Truck America and other tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Truck America's full lineup, NYC warm-up shows, new Sadies album & tour dates, a Kurt Vile EP & show & stuff"

Truck America, the first US version of the 13-years-running UK fest, will take place Friday, April 30th to Sunday, May 2nd at The Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY (map), a little less than three hours from NYC. Confirmed bands include White Rabbits, Hopewell, Tim Easton, The Sadies, Ida, The Joy Formidable, Neil Halstead, The Silent League, Cat Martino, Common Prayer, Oxygen Ponies, Brandon Patton, Atlantic/Pacific, Dusty & The Dreaming Spires, The Shoestring Band and headliner Mercury Rev. Tickets are on sale now online (and details on where to get tickets in person are below).

The three-day, three-stage fest will have on-site accomodations, workshops and more. Details and poster are below...

Continue reading "Truck America comes to Big Indian, NY in 2010 - lineup includes Mercury Rev, White Rabbits, Neil Halstead, more"

JEFF the Brotherhood @ Death by Audio in April (more by Leia Jospe)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash comedy @ UCB
* It is It comedy @ Pianos
* Kate Havenick @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Rev. Vince Anderson @ Union Pool
* Good for the Jews @ Highline Ballroom
* Les Paul Guitar Tribute w/ Pat Martino & Eldar @ Iridium
* Rhett Miller, Jill Hennessey @ Housing Works Bookstore
* Wesley Willis's Joy Rides (film), Eric Lindley, Teenage Prayers @ Glasslands
* Split Lip/Chamberlain, Walter Schreifels, Atlantic/Pacific @ Bowery Ballroom
* JEFF The Brotherhood, Dinowalrus, Sisters, Coin Under Tongue @ Mercury Lounge
* Shark?, Dinosaur Feathers, Coyote Eyes, I'm Turning Into, Sherpas @ The Cameo
* eTown live radio show taping w/ Tori Amos & Jesse Winchester @ Grand Ballroom
* Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Blame The Patient, Jason Anderson @ The Bell House

Rhett Miller plays at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe tonight with Jill Hennessey. He and his band, the Old 97s, play four quasi-New Year's shows at Dallas's Sons of Hermann Hall from Dec 27th-Dec 30th.

JEFF The Brotherhood opened for Ted Leo last night - tonight they headline the Mercury Lounge with Dinowalrus, Sisters and Coin Under Tongue.

The reunited Split Lip/Chamberlain play Bowery Ballroom (their only upcoming booked show) with fellow veterans Walter Schreifels and Atlantic/Pacific (Garrett Klahn of Texas Is The Reason).

In a weekend full of bad news, Jack Rose passed away and Rivers Cuomo and family were in a bus crash.

Joly posted a new Jack Rose video he recorded in 2004. Check that out below...

Videos of Mission of Burma performing live on KEXP, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Tim Griffin

The Walter Schreifels Band, led by Walter Schreifels of Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits Civ, Rival Schools, and Youth of Today fame, performed at the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 20th (with Fanfarlo, Laura Marling, The Antlers, Think About Life, and The Wheel.) Since then, the band (which also features Dave Hill on guitar and Arthur Smilios of GB/Civ on bass) played another show in Austin. They were actually on the same bill as Voxtrot at the Mohawk on Saturday night. It was a Fun Fun Fun Fest afterparty and Walter and Arthur were already in town because Gorilla Biscuits played the fest proper (those pics coming soon).

Walter's next show will take place this Saturday night, 11/14, at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ. Also on the bill are Atlantic/Pacific (Garrett from Texas Is The Reason), Dave Walsh (The Loved Ones), and Tom Dunphy. Walter is also making an appearance at Lolita Bar in NYC on Wednesday, 11/18, but at that...

"I'll be reading with this Italian translator reading some choice Italian pop songs in translation, A banjo playing double decker bus tour guide and the beautiful banshee Kamara Thomas from Earl Greyhound."

He also has two shows coming up in California. All dates, the NJ flyer, with more pictures, video, and the setlist from CMJ, below...

Continue reading "Walter Schreifels Band played BV-CMJ (pics & setlist) & a FFFFest afterparty, playing Court Tavern, Lolita Bar"