By Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Razika - Eg Vetsje (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Razika - Nytt Pa Nytt (MP3)

Charli XCX

Welcome to Part 2 of this pre-SXSW edition of This Week in Indie (Part 1 HERE), which sees an insane amount of good show options over the next five days, even for New York which is never lacking for music options. Let's jump in, shall we?

Charli XCX and Clock Opera are two hotly-tipped UK acts who play a sold out show together Saturday night (3/10) at Knitting Factory, and a BV-presented (along with Neon Gold and Popgun Booking) show on Monday (3/12) at Santos that also features Django Django who play a sold out BV-Presented show Saturday night at Glasslands.

London's Charli XCX got a lot of attention last year for her singles "Stay Away" and "Nuclear Seasons" both of which mined '80s New Romantic synthpop. (You can watch the videos for both below.) She's currently recording her debut album, working with bigshot producers Patrik Berger (The Good Natured, Robyn) and Ariel Rechtshaid (Glasser, Theopolis London) while still attending London's Slade School of Fine Art (she's only 19). For those who wished Lykke Li's second album had more to dance to, Charli XCX may be your new favorite.

Clock Opera

Clock Opera's debut album, Ways to Forget, is out April 9 on Moshi Moshi. You can watch the video for the new single "Once and Again" at the bottom of this post. There is definitely a little Coldplay in what they do, but Clock Opera also have a wide creative streak as can be heard in their fantastic, radical reworking of Metronomy's "The Bay" which is included on The English Riveria - The Unreleased Remixes.

2:54 at Pianos (more by Erik Erikson)

2:54 are back in town for the first time since November, playing Glasslands on Sunday (3/11) and Mercury Lounge on Monday (3/12). When I saw them at Pianos, they were a little rough around the edges (and suffering from unintended feedback) but you could tell they had a lot of potential. (That potential is already evident on their recordings, all massive-sounding gothy shoegaze. Which is to say a lot like '90s band Curve.) Let's hope they've spent the last four months playing live and returning to mean business.

Check out new single "You're Early" at the bottom of this post. 2:54 also play the official BrooklynVegan SXSW showcase, which happens March 14 at Bar 96, and a bunch of other shows in Austin. Catch 'em if you can.

Big Deal

Both 2:54 shows in NYC are with London duo Big Deal whose debut came out back in January on Mute. Here's what Andrew Sacher had to say at the time:

Big Deal (aka Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe) will release their debut LP, Lights Out, on January 24 via Mute. They don't seem to be using more than an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and their voices. They've got enough indie rock tendencies that it's bigger sounding than folk, but with the complete absence of drums, it's not nearly as large as their songwriting could lead it to be, and it ends up working to their advantage.

You can stream Lights Out via Spotify and watch one of their videos at the bottom of this post. The Glasslands show Sunday also has ZAZA on the bill, which makes it a very tempting night out indeed. You can also catch Big Deal at 'Hotel Vegan' Wedsnesday in Austin.

Razika

If you're not going to see Django Django, Charli XCX and Clock Opera at Santos, or 2:54 and Big Deal at Mercury Lounge, you might want to spend your Monday evening at Glasslands taking in the charming sounds of Norway's Razika who last played here in October and not enough people saw. (Including me.) I'm still listening to their debut, Program 91, which owes a little to 2-Tone Records and Lilliput/Kleenex, with a smidge of Camper Van Beethoven's balalaika ska in there too. There are a couple MP3s from Program 91 at the top of this post, do check them out, along with the video for "Vondt i hjertet" which Razika filmed here (you may recognize Pete's Candy Store) when they were over last October. Razika also play our Wednedsay day party in Austin.

Also on the bill: Belgium's Balthazar, and Brooklyn's We Can't Enjoy Ourselves and Landlady, plus DJs Tanlines. Razika play a bunch of dates next week in Austin, including one at our Hotel Vegan on Wednesday (3/14).

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Tuesday (3/13) and Wednesday (3/14) mark the first two American shows from UK trio New Build that features Al Doyle and Felix Martin from Hot Chip. The band released their debut album Yesterday Was Lived and Lost this week on their own Lanark Recordings label. You can stream it at the bottom of this post. There is a strong Roxy Music/Talking Heads vibe going on here which includes Doyle's vocals. It's slinky. It's sexy. And danceable. If you don't listen to closely to the lyrics, you'll probably like it a lot. No surprise: both these shows are sold out. Check out live footage from Glasgow at the bottom of this post, they sound pretty good.

That's the big stuff. A few more show picks, day-by-day, are below for things I haven't already covered in this post.

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METZ at Cake Shop last night (3/8)

FRIDAY, MARCH 9

As mentioned Thursday, Toronto bands METZ and Teenanger are in town and will play Death By Audio tonight with Vaz and Pop. 1280. I caught METZ and Teenanger last night at Cake shop and was duly impressed by both. METZ in particular made some kind of intense awesome racket. They are great this show is highly recommended tonight.

Montreal's Automelodi (aka Xavier Paradis) played their first NYC show in a long time at the Weird party at Home Sweet Home this past Wednesday which I didn't realize was happening until it was over. Luckily, Automelodi play again tonight at Pianos. I was a huge fan of his 2010 album, here's hoping he plays lots of new songs. The Pianos show is with Frenshkills who are celebrating a new album and who also play our Wednesday day party in Ausitn.

continued below...

Continue reading "Charli XCX, Clock Opera, 2:54, Big Deal, Razika, Automelodi, New Build, Elephant Stone, more in This Week in Indie part 2"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Automelodi - Buanderie Jazz (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Martial Canterel - Windscreen (MP3)

Automelodi

Synthy Montreal Automelodi trio are visiting NYC this week, playing two shows: Wednesday, July 21 at Home Sweet Home, and then Friday, July 23 at Glasslands.

I'm not sure I understand the differences between darkwave, coldwave, minimal wave, minimal synth and what have you, but am a fan of the bands and scene to whom they owe a debt. (Think early Mute Records, OMD, Dalek I Love You, French New Wave, etc) The problem with a some of it for me -- and it's a problem with many sonically-specific genres -- is that aesthetics can come before songcraft.

Not so with Montreal's Automelodi who most definitely are channeling 1981 but have songs as well-crafted as their haircuts. I heard them for the first time last November while attending M for Montreal and have been listening to their self-released EP ever since. A couple of those EP tracks have resurfaced on Automelodi's debut which was released last week on Wierd Records, which is kind of the label for this scene. Main man Xavier Paradis knows his way around a hook, and fleshes the production out just enough to keep things interesting. That most of the songs are in French adds to the sophisticated, enigmatic vibe. It's a solid album start-to-finish. Have a listen to "Buanderie Jazz" at the top of this post and there's a video for "Schéma Corporel" below.

Martial Canterel

The Home Sweet Home show is part of the long-running Wierd night; The Glasslands show is a record release party that also features Martial Canterel (Sean McBride of Xeno and Oaklander) whose new album will be out on Wierd in November. Until then you can check out "Windscreen" which is from Wierd Compilation Volume II: Analogue Electronic Music 2008.

Dates, flyer and a video below...

Continue reading "Automelodi released an album (MP3), visiting NYC (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Géraldine - Toi Dans Mes Bras (MP3)

Géraldine

"We sing in English too... just not today," said Automelodi singer Arnaud Lazlaud at the start of their set at Cafe Campus. Kind of the theme of the day, as it was all francophone bands for this Saturday afternoon M for Montreal showcase (11/21). Some might dislike having to watch six bands in a row singing in a language they don't understand, but I actually liked a lot of it.

When you think of French pop, striped shirts, berets, ukuleles and accordions might come to mind. That style is alive and well and still popular in Montreal and we got two bands of just that sort on the bill. Caracol was a little more on the folky/American side, but the songs were jaunty and they could really play. Quirkier were La Patère Rose who were kind of a hipper version of the chanson stereotype. Charming and tiny singer Fanny Bloom is a real pistol and played an accordion nearly as big as her. They even busted out some choreographed dance moves. I could see either of these bands going over gangbusters at NYC's Joe's Pub.

For a day show, the joint was packed (the main room was probably 300 capacity) and was mostly Montreal locals, many of whom were there to see La Patère Rose and Marie-Pierre Arthur who was probably my favorite straight-up (albiet in French) rock act of the whole weekend. She's sort of Montreal's version of Nicole Atkins, mainstream but not in a bad way, a very good songwriter and a skilled musician. I left humming more than a few of her songs.

Things took a left turn after that. Automelodi have a sound that would've been a perfect fit on Mute Records in 1980, or maybe a lost track from that BIPP: French Synth Wave comp): chilly synths, heavily-treated guitars, melodramatic singing. I think singing in French actually helped here, giving an air of mystery to the proceedings. As far as this sort of pastiche style goes, they do it really really well -- and did a good job for them playing at three in the afternoon -- with some very catchy songs. Their debut EP is available via their MySpace, and the band have signed with Brooklyn's home of darkwave/post wave, Wierd Records. They already made their NYC debut at one of their parties at Home Sweet Home in October.

In a similar, if decidedly more idiosyncratic vein was Géraldine which is both the name of the band and of its singer. I'd met Géraldine the day before and she couldn't have been sweeter, telling me about her music through broken English and an endearing laugh. "We wear ski masks," she said. "We use Godspeed's old practice space and they left the masks in there, so we decided to use them." So there they were in ski masks, with Géraldine singing into a pedestal fan while playing it with a violin bow. The crowd laughed nervously. Things got a little more normal after that, as most of her songs, while definitely on the arty side, have hooks and melodies. And despite the ski mask, her charm still comes through. You can download a track at the top of this post.

Headlining the francophone event were hodgepodge funk act Orange Orange. Don Hamel was in Gatineau (who played M last year) and has retained much of that band's schtick, including a variety of old cheapy Casios (including the much-loved Rapmaster) and using an old telephone receiver as a microphone. But Orange Orange drop most of the hip hop aspects of Gatineau in favor of musicality and sex appeal, the latter coming mainly from Sabrina Sabotage. Like many Montreal acts, they put a lot of thought into the performance. I'm not sure I'd listen to the record very often but I'd go see them play again.

While there were plenty of electronic acts at the fest, there was no hip hop. We got a nice dose of it at last year's event (Gatineau and Radio Radio) and I missed it -- whether it would have been in English or French (Cadence Weapon did make two guest appearances this year, but sang at both.) I'm not convinced the French language and rock music work so well together, but it pairs perfectly with a good rapper. Maybe next year.

M for Montreal 2009 so far: Friday night, Thursday night, Wednesday night.

Saturday night coming soon. A few more pictures from Saturday day, and video of Automelodie, are below...

Continue reading "M For Montreal 2009 - day 3 in pics & review (Géraldine, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Automelodi, Orange Orange & more)"