photos by Amanda Hatfield

Chairlift released their new-wavey sophomore LP, Something, on January 24 and played a record release show one night earlier at Bowery Ballroom (1/23) with Violens and Dive. The show seemed to have gone pretty well until frontwoman Caroline Polachek was mauled by a drunk fan who refused to get off stage during the last song of the encore. A video of this show finale and another of Chairlift playing Something opener, "Amanaemonesia," along with more pictures from the show (Chairlift keyboardist Olga Bell aka Bell included) is below.

This weekend, Chairlift will kick off an Australian/European tour and upon returning to North America in March for SXSW, they'll head out on a full North American tour with fellow pop strivers Nite Jewel that runs from late March into April. The two bands play their last show together in Philly two nights before Nite Jewel headline Bowery Ballroom on February 24. Tickets are not on sale yet but check ticketmaster for updates. Chairlift have no upcoming NYC show, but stay tuned for an announcement (probably Webster Hall) soon.

All dates, more pics, and videos below...

Continue reading "Chairlift played Bowery Ballroom w/ Dive, Violens & a crazy fan on stage (pics, video & more dates) "

By Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Parlovr - Heaven/Hell (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Atlas Sound - Terra Incognita (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Atlas Sound- Te Amo (MP3)

Parlovr at M for Montreal 2011

It's that time of year again, so let's sing it up real pretty. Are we all in the spirit? Better be, because there's a zillion holiday parties going on this weekend, including two thrown by this very blog you are currently reading. How these parties differ from the shows we go to the rest of the year? Only a Scrooge would ask such a question. But to answer it: there's maybe more strand lights. And some Christmas songs thrown in sparsely by DJs or as covers by the bands playing. And some snowflakey sweaters. Whatever you call it, there's lot of great music to go see this weekend. Here's some of it.

Montreal's Parlovr are visiting, playing two shows. Tonight (12/15) they play the Popgun Holiday Party at Glasslands and then tomorrow (12/16) at Mercury Lounge with Shout Out Louds offshoot thing Serenades.

I'm on record as being a fan of this trio who I most recently saw at this year's M for Montreal. I'm not sure any of their records have quite captured the band's live energy, which is why you should go see them. But the recorded version of my favorite song, "Hell/Heaven," comes pretty close. You can download it above. Live, there's lots of flying hair (via singer/guitarists Alex and Jeremy) and flying limbs (lanky drummer Louis) that fits well with Parlovr's spiky indie rock. The band have recorded a holiday track called "Spike the Eggnog" which judging from the video (you can watch below) the spiking involves something much stronger than whiskey.

The Popgun Holiday Party tonight looks to be a good time, with Bell and TWII-faves North Highlands playing as well. There's also a "+ Special Guest" listed as well, no idea who that might be but the Popgun folks usually don't throw around that phrase too lightly.

Serenades

Tomorrow's show is with Serenades which is a Swedish super-duo consisting of Adam Olenius from Shout Out Louds and Markus Krunegård of Laakso. Their album Criminal Heaven is out next year in the U.S. and is chock-full of sparkling pop that seems aimed directly at the charts. It's slicker than Shout Out Louds (Laakso were pretty shiny, though they sang in Swedish) but still maintains that sharp melodic sense and shaggy, sad-eyed lyrical bent. You can download a track at the top of this post. Serenades also play tonight (12/15) at Knitting Factory.

Brooklyn Bazaar

There's also the Brooklyn Night Bazaar which runs tonight through Saturday. The enormous space (40,000 square feet!), the layout of which was based on the set of Lars Von Triers' Dogville (!!!), is a holiday shopping, eating, drinking and live music extravaganza as you have probably already heard. Tonight (12/15) is James Murphy DJing, along with Poolside, the Crystal Ark Party Machine and Midnight Magic. Saturday night (12/17) is The Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus and Wakey! Wakey!

Friday (12/16) is the BrooklynVegan Presents night with a SPIN Album of 2011 winners Fucked Up, plus Dom, Big Troubles, Caged Animals, and Radical Dads. Frankie Rose and myself will be spinning tunes before the bands start and between sets. And only $10, so that's only two bucks a band. What a bargain! Tickets will be available at the door too. I am DJing starting at 5PM, Frankie will be there from 6PM and bands start at 7PM, with Radical Dads up first. (Then Caged Animals, Big Troubles, Dom, and Fucked Up.) If you're coming, do make an effort to get there in time for them, they're awesome. As are all the bands on the bill I think. Shop, eat, rock out, eat and shop some more, rinse repeat. Say hi.

Frankie Rose

In addition to DJing our party tomorrow, Frankie Rose is also playing an acoustic set at Glasslands on Saturday (12/17) as part of a Jonathan Toubin benefit that also features Xray Eyeballs, K-Holes and The Stalkers. Frankie Rose's new album, Interstellar, is out in February and I think will surprise a lot of people. She is definitely out of the garage on this one, ditching the reverb and embracing synthesizers, jangly guitars and her inner pop star. Like a lot of folks this year, The Wake seems to be an influence. Fans of Craft Spells are gonna like it.

As previously mentioned, Frankie will debut her new record and new band at the Knitting Factory on February 21.

And to wrap up BV holiday party related items, Saturday's fest with Twin Sister, Widowspeak and Ava Luna is sold out! Hope you got tickets! If you're going, we're raffling off a load of cool prizes -- like every Domino release of 2011 -- with all proceeds benefiting Toys for Tots.

Atlas Sound

And last but not least we've got Atlas Sound here for two shows this weekend:The Bell House on Saturday (12/17, tickets still available) and Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (12/18, sold out). Andrew Sacher wrote about Atlas Sound's new album Paralax a few weeks ago which I'm gonna quote:

The flow of the album subtly works in the slower, more ambient cuts to space out the relatively high amount (for an Atlas Sound record) of pop standouts. Like many pop experimentalists before him, Bradford Cox has mastered the art of leaving his own weird touch on even the simplest tune. This comes across most strongly on "Mona Lisa," a re-recording of a track that appeared on his Bedroom Databank collection. The song is carried by the sort of upbeat acoustic guitar rock that Bowie experimented with on Hunky Dory, and Bradford sings with a fragile falsetto that brings to mind Lennon's "#9 Dream."

That's the big stuff. Some more picks, day-by-day, follow.

Continue reading "Parlovr, Fucked Up, Dom, Frankie Rose, Atlas Sound, Serenades, Jonathan Toubin & more in This Week in Indie"

photos by Diana Wong

DOWNLOAD: Junior Boys - "A Truly Happy Ending" (Diamond Rings Remix) (MP3)

Diamond Rings @ Europa

Speaking of Diamond Rings, they've been announced as the opener on the previously discussed Twin Shadow tour which hits Maxwell's on September 6 and Webster Hall on October 7. Tickets go on sale Thursday (6/23) at 9 PM for the Maxwell's show and Friday (6/24) at noon for the Webster Hall show.

Diamond Rings, who recently signed to Astralwerks, re-released his debut Special Affections on the label today (6/21). In light of the reissue, the album is currently streaming on Spinner.

Diamond Rings also keeps busy making remixes. We just posted one he did for Handsome Furs. Above you can grab a new one he did for Junior Boys.

Diamond Rings just played a Northside Festival show on Sunday with Porcelain Raft and Bell. Pictures from that show continue, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Diamond Rings played Europa w/ Bell & Porcelain Raft (pics), remixed Junior Boys (MP3), touring w/ Twin Shadow (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: ARMS - "Heat and Hot Water" (Passion Pit Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BELL - Dialtone (MP3)

Bowery photos by Amanda Hatfield

Bell is self-releasing a new LP Diamonite next week (5/31). The album is available for stream and pre-order on her website, including immediate download of two tracks (one of which is free to download above, and streaming below). Bell plays an album release party tonight (5/26) at Knitting Factory with ARMS. Bear in Heaven and Chairlift will be providing DJ sets. Tickets are on sale, AND the show will be streaming online.

Bell also opens the Diamond Rings and Porcelain Raft show at Europe on June 19th (Northside Festival). Tickets are still available. You can also try to get in with a Northside badge.

ARMS @ Bowery Ballroom in February

ARMS recently tweeted that they were "calling the next album The Denial Variations." It's reportedly due out this spring. While you wait, download the free EP he released last year, and the Passion Pit remix of "Heat and Hot Water" above (if you don't have them already).

Check out some belated photos from ARMS' show at Bowery Ballroom (2/26) with White Rabbits and Caveman below...

Continue reading "ARMS playing tonight w/ BELL (who has a new album), played Bowery Ballroom w/ Caveman & White Rabbits (belated pics)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Princeton - To The Alps (MP3)

Princeton are visiting NYC from LA this week playing three times: an early show Thursday (2/24) at Mercury Lounge, then Friday (2/25) at Cameo and Saturday (2/26) at Union Hall.

Princeton have a new single out on Hit City USA called "To the Alps" that you can download above or watch a brand new video of below. More keyboard-oriented than anything on their 2009 album, Cocoon of Love, "To the Alps" is lush, groovy and austere in a Blue Nile kind of way. Whether this is a change in musical direction or just a one-off experiment, it suits them and let's hope they explore it further.

The Cameo and Union Hall shows are both with Bell and Erika Spring of Au Revoir Simone. Takka Takka also play the Cameo Show. At Mercury Lounge, The Front Bottoms open.

The flyer for the NYC dates, some Kisses dates (Jesse Kivel of Princeton's other project), and the new Princeton video, below...

Continue reading "Princeton have a new single, in NYC for 3 shows w/ Erica Au Revoir Simone & Bell (MP3, dates & new video)"

As previously announced, the 2011 Ecstatic Music Festival, presented by New York City's Merkin Concert Hall in association with New Amsterdam Records, is a showcase of imaginative collaborations between more than 150 genre-pushing composers, songwriters and performers who represent a new generation of artists combining diverse influences and techniques to explore the intersection of classical and pop music. All concerts will include premieres. The festival opens with a free seven-hour marathon on January 17, 2011, and continues with 13 additional concerts until March 28, 2011. All concerts will take place at Merkin Concert Hall.

Continue reading "Ecstatic Music Festival kicks off on 1/16, runs through 3/28 (updated schedule w/ tUnE-yArDs, Dan Deacon, Owen Pallett)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Weekend - Coma Summer (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Weekend - End Times (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Young Prisms - Sugar (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Acrylics - Nightwatch (MP3)

This will be a shorter column than usual (please hold your applause till the end) as I'm heading across the Canadian border to attend this year's M for Montreal festival where I'll be seeing the likes of The Dears, PS I Love You, Valleys and a bunch of bands who sing in French. (Also, Gene Simmons has been invited for some reason and will be filming his reality show while there.) It will also be about 20 degrees colder up there so, gentle readers, don't be too jealous of my international travels. There's plenty of cool stuff going on here.

Darwin Deez plays his last NYC show of 2010 at Mercury Lounge tonight (11/17) with Bell (who just played Glasslands the other night with Suuns), King Charles (a UK artist who just got done touring with Mumford & Sons - you might have caught him the past two nights at Terminal 5 - he also plays the Rock Shop on Thursday) and Friends. Darwin's had a good year... in the UK. He came in at #10 on NME's Cool List 2010 (in between Marcus Mumford and Carl Barat, for context) and was pictured on the cover of the issue (see above - the guy with the string on his forehead), and his self-titled debut came in at #56 on Rough Trade Shops' Best LPs of 2010 list.

Here in his home town (or home country), Darwin doesn't get much press or blog love. Mind you, his album hasn't even come out in the U.S. yet -- it's due February 2011, nearly a year after its UK release. (I also don't think his look is doing him any favors over here.) When it does hit these shores, it's definitely worth checking out -- a poppier, funkier take on Strokes-style indie rock that shows off impressive melodic and lyrical talent. It's an immediately likeable record and he deserves more attention than he's getting. Check out the Cosmos-inspired video to his single "Constellations" at the bottom of this post.

Xeno and Oaklander @ PS1 in 2009 (more by Zach Dilgard)

Tonight is also the seventh anniversary of the Wierd parties which started at Brooklyn's Southside Lounge and grew into a label specializing in minimal synth and darkwave. Wierd Records has released some great stuff this year, including debut albums from Automelodi and Frank (Just Frank). Their weekly party now happens at Home Sweet Home on Christie St. in the L.E.S. and for tonight's special occasion, in addition to great tunes and smoke machines they've got Xeno and Oaklander performing live. These two perform like the last three decades never happened, strictly analogue, with piles of vintage gear strung together with patch cables. Squint and you might think you'd been transported back to Sheffield, England circa 1979.

Zoos of Berlin

Detroit's Zoos of Berlin are taking a break from recording their second album to hit the East Coast for a couple of NYC dates this weekend. They play Friday (11/19) at Cake Shop and then a show at Spike Hill on Saturday (11/20). I've written about ZoB a bunch of times over the last year and always try and catch them when they're in town. There's no other band that sounds quite like them, a mix (as I've said before) of Berlin-era Bowie and Steely Dan.

If you haven't checked out their music yet, now's a perfect time as they've made both their eponymous EP and first album,"Taxis," available as free downloads from their Bandcamp page. And do go see them play if you can, they're tight and surprisingly funny given their regal sound.

Acrylics

One of my favorite new bands of last year, Acrylics, have finally put the finishing touches on their debut album which will drop on January 25, 2010. It's ten songs of dusty, dreamy pop (Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac gets you in the right ballpark) that is above all else a showcase for the duo's enviable songwriting abilities. The sparkling arrangements and soaring harmonies are impressive too.

With the new album in the can, Acrylics are starting to play live again and have two shows this weekend. They play Friday night at Glasslands with Chicago's Light Pollution (who leave on tour with Delorean and Lemonade a day later), Blood Orange (Dev of Lightspeed Champion who opened for Glasser last night and who also plays a show at Union Pool tonight), and Unsolved Mysteries. Acrylics also play Cameo Gallery on Saturday (11/20) with their pals Amazing Baby , and two hard-to-Google bands I'm not familiar with: TEEN, and Psychic (at first I thought the band was Teen Psychic, but it's apparently two separate groups).

Acrylics, Amazing Baby, and, and Teen are also part of an upcoming John Lennon Tribute show taking place at Glasslands on December 8th along with Nicole Atkins, Beige, Eytan & The Embassy, Here We Go Magic, Psychic, The Rassle, The Royal Chains, and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson.

Big Troubles @ Mercury Lounge last week (more by Amanda Hatfield)

And I'll hopefully be back from Montreal in time Sunday night (11/21) to hit Glasslands for their killer bill of Weekend, Young Prisms, Minks and Big Troubles (maybe you caught them recently opening for Magic Kids), one of the more solid, well-curated line-ups I've seen in a long time. If you like any one of these bands, you'll probably like the rest. As I've said before, Weekend's debut album, Sports, is a superior slice of post-punk shoegaze that is both pummeling and beautiful. Weekend aren't reinventing the wheel, but the San Francisco trio are expert drivers. Two MP3s are at the top of this post.

Their tour-mates are fellow San Franciscans Young Prisms who practice similar hazy, loud sonics and will release their debut album on Kanine early next year. You can check out an MP3 from it at the top of this post. If you can't make this show, Weekend and Young Prisms will be back after Thanksgiving for a show at Cake Shop on November 27.

The rest of the Glasslands bill: Minks, whose debut album on Captured Tracks is one of my highly anticipated releases of 2011 as I've dug both their singles so far, as well as their live show.  And if you haven't heard Big Troubles' debut, which came out early this year on Olde English Spelling Bee, I recommend you remedy that, especially if you have a fondness for early-'90s shoegaze. Big Troubles know their stuff, have digested it all and come up with their own appealing version.

That's it for this week. Tour dates, videos, some others shows and flyers are below.

Continue reading "Darwin Deez, Xeno and Oaklander, Weekend, Zoos of Berlin, Acrylics, Big Troubles & more in This Week in Indie"

DOWNLOAD: Suuns - Arena (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Suuns - Up Past the Nursery (MP3)

Suuns

I am super bummed to report that UK band Yuck have cancelled their planned trip to the United States due to "personal reasons". They were set to play four shows (all still listed at their MySpace). One was in Philly, one was in Boston, one was the the PopGun party at Glasslands, and one was the official BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg happening Thursday, October 21st.

Luckily, the recently-signed-to Secretly Canadian band Suuns (who we have talked about a few times) have stepped up at the last minute to take their place on the bill which now looks like this:

Music Hall of Williamsburg, October 21, 2010
* The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
* The Blow
* Screaming Females
* Suuns
* Young Man

Pianos, October 21, 2010
* SMALL BLACK 12:45AM
* SUUNS 11:45PM
* SUN AIRWAY 10:45PM
* LIA ICES 9:45PM
* S. CAREY 8:45PM

Meanwhile, Suuns (grab some MP3s above) are still out on tour with Land of Talk, though only for two more Texas shows before CMJ, but then they'll resume touring with Land of Talk after CMJ, and that's when they are back to play Bowery Ballroom on November 6th. They have also added a NYC show that takes place after their tour, at Glasslands Gallery on November 14th with BELL, Emil & Friends, and New Moods. The Glasslands show is New Moods' 7" release party, and New Moods have some shows sooner, including CMJ, too (listed below).

All dates and Suuns' new-ish video for "Up Past The Nursery" below...

Continue reading "Yuck cancel tour, BV Show included (Suuns take their place & play Secretly Canadian showcase w/ Small Black too) "

DOWNLOAD: Fennesz Daniell Buck - "Antonia" (edit) (MP3)

"Fennesz at LPR. Stellar." -douglaswalter

Though he had nothing to do with ATP 2010, Christian Fennesz was in the area when he played Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend (9/4). The ambient artist is back in our fair city TONIGHT (9/22). He plays Littlefield as part of a continuing US tour. Tickets are still available for the show which will feature support from The American Dollar and Bell.

Thursday (9/23), Fennesz will team up with David Daniell and drummer Frank Rosaly to play a collaborative set after individual sets from Fennesz and Daniell at The Empty Bottle in Chicago. Fennesz and David Daniell recently teamed up with drummer Tony Buck to release the new Knoxville LP via Thrill Jockey Records. Dig on a snippet of one song, "Antonia", above and pick up a copy at the Thrill Jockey store.

All tour dates and some video from the LPR show, below...

Continue reading "Fennesz released 'Knoxville', on tour (in NYC tonight) "

Dam-Funk And Master Blazter is playing Bowery Ballroom on June 12th. Tickets are on sale.

Tame Impala is playing Pianos on June 24th. Tickets are on sale.

Brahms is playing Pianos on May 1st (with ARMS / Bell / Aislyn & Wet Bandits aka Passion Pit DJs), May 25 (with Das Racist / Gordon Voidwell / Shadowbox & DJ Aaron Pfenning) and June 1st (with Class Actress / Tony Castles / Baby Alpaca / Cool Places Soundsystem DJ). Tickets for all three shows are on sale.

Das Racist also play the LES venue on May 20th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are now on sale for the Peggy Sue show happening at Pianos.

Peter Wolf Crier, Pocahaunted, Greg from Bouncing Souls, and other Pianos shows are on sale too.

Tickets are on sale for the Heartless Bastards / Peter Wolf Crier shows at Bowery & MHOW.

Tickets are on sale for a lot of Black Crowes shows at Nokia Theatre.

Tickets are on sale for the Vatican Commandos (featuring Moby) hardcore show at Mercury Lounge.

Swans and Danzig tickets went on sale.

Zola Jesus Glasslands tickets are on sale.

A Toro y Moi show at Glasslands is on sale.

Weezer & other Waterfront & Governors Island shows on sale.

Tickets are on sale for the Cass McCombs show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for two Empire of the Sun shows at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on sale for the Black Mountain show at Knitting Factory.

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Inlets - Bright Orange Air (MP3)

Inlets @ Music Hall of Williamsburg last February (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Inlets, the musical project of Sebastian Krueger, will finally release its long-awaited debut album, Inter Arbiter, on April 20th through twosyllable. Krueger is best known for playing with Shara Worden/My Brightest Diamond, Osso String Quartet, DM Stith and others. Inlets was established with its 2006 EP, Vestibule, and the debut album isn't short on guests either, with contributions from Zach Condon, Angel Deradoorian, and Osso's Marla Hansen. The track above, "Bright Orange Air," is a devilish piece of minor key pop.

Inlets will play a Friday, March 12th show at 92YTribeca with Bell and Glass Ghost (whose tour dates are below). Tickets are on sale.

Inlets are also playing an invite-only early show at Pianos this Friday (2/12). You can't buy tickets, but we have two pairs of tickets to give away - information on those is below.

Contest details, more album info, and all tour dates (including Inlets at SXSW) are below...

Continue reading "Inlets - debut record (MP3) & tour dates - 92YTribeca, SXSW & an invite-only show at Pianos (win tix) "

Dinosaur Jr @ Central Park Summerstage (more by Chris La Putt)

tonight in NYC
* Soko @ LPR
* Mucky Pup @ the Saint
* DRI @ Starland Ballroom
* Steven Severin @ Galapagos
* The Heavy @ 92YTribeca
* Joey McIntyre @ Highline Ballroom!
* Team B, Wild Yaks @ Union Pool
* Talibam!, Hyts 81 @ Death By Audio
* Bell, Grooms, Young Buffalo @ Glasslands
* Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile @ Bowery Ballroom
* The Cribs, Adam Green, The Dead Trees @ Irving Plaza
* Aa, Dinowalrus, Prisms, Graffiti Monsters @ Cake Shop
* The Budos Band, Nouvellas, Mark Ronson (DJ) @ Southpaw
* Cntrl Top, Weekend, Soft Circle, Lichens @ Silent Barn
* Elefant, The Silent League, The Subjects @ Gramercy Theatre
* Spacehog, Unisex Salon, Sing Orpheus @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Banzai, Funky See Funky Do, Turbosleaze, Snuffy @ Shea Stadium
* Hymns, Himalaya, Gigantic Hand, Solaram @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Cherie Lily, Tayisha Busay, Punk Bunny, Menya, Black Barbie @ Santos Party House
* Takka Takka, La Strada, Frances, Five O'Clock Heroes, Josh Mease @ Mercury Lounge
* Sean Walsh & The National Reserve, Roadside Graves, The Loom, Blair, Avi Buffalo @ Pianos
* Beach Fossils, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Cloud Nothings, Nude Beach @ Monster Island Basement
* Midnight Magic, Nancy Whang (Juan Maclean/LCD Soundsystem), Jayson Green @ Brooklyn Bowl

Avi Buffalo plays Pianos. Young Buffalo is at Glasslands (flyer below).

Like Mucky Pup, D.R.I. is in Jersey tonight. D.R.I. plays Gramercy Theatre on Sunday.

Dinosaur Jr. kicks off a 3-night NYC run of shows tonight.

Vampire Weekend kicks off a 3-night NYC run of shows on Sunday.

Spoon & Deerhunter Radio City tickets are now on sale.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

photos by Ryan Muir

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

A set of pictures of Bell taken at Public Assembly during the 2009 Northside Festival are continued below...

Continue reading "Bell @ Public Assembly in Brooklyn - pics "

by Andrew Frisicano

If looking for a way to see some of CMJ's top bands without a badge or tickets, three stores - Sound Fix, Other Music and Apple Store Soho - are all offering free in-store performances through the week.

Other Music in Manhattan hosts El Perro Del Mar tonight (10/20 @ 8pm). El Perro - real name Sarah Assbring - was to play a Joe's Pub show on November 9th. That's been canceled. She's opening for Peter, Bjorn & John this November - their Nov. 10th show was moved from Terminal 5 to Webster Hall and bumped a day earlier (now Nov. 9th).

If you're out today (10/20), El Perro Del Mar will be DJing (4-5pm) at Pianos this afternoon. Perhaps she'll spin something from her new record, Love Is Not Pop, which is out today (there's some nice dance remixes on at the end of it).

Also at Other Music, The Very Best play a daytime in-store (noon) on Thursday (10/22), which is probably less than 12 hours after they play (Le) Poisson Rouge's Green Owl CMJ showcase on Wednesday night with Theophilus London, Violens, Grandchildren, Ninjasonik and Nat Geo Music (the late show after LPR's New Amsterdam/Cantaloupe Recs showcase).

At Sound Fix (all shows 7pm), Antlers play a short acoustic set on Wednesday (they also play a BV showcase tonight, 10/20, at Music Hall of Williamsburg), and Cymbals Eat Guitars (at BV Pianos party Saturday afternoon) perform on Thursday. Tonight (10/20) at Sound Fix, you can catch Brooklyn's own Bell. More dates below.

At the Apple Store Soho, the extremely busy the xx play on Thursday and Portugal. The Man on Friday. More details below.

Speaking of the xx's busy schedule, let's just go through it: They're also at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday (10/21), Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday with School of Seven Bells (now sold out) and a late-night Tribeca Grand party on October 23rd with FIXED's DJ JDH + Dave P (RSVP).

If you're after the Antlers and the xx together in one convenient spot, they're both playing a late-night NME CMJ party on Thursday, October 22nd at The Delancey with We Are Enfant Terrible, Reni Lane, Yes Giantesses and Ultra Violent Lights. The xx are the "special guest" on that show.

All times for the CMJ in-stores, tour dates and details are below...

Continue reading "CMJ in-stores @ Apple Store, Sound Fix, Other Music & other shows w/ El Perro Del Mar, Very Best, Antlers, xx & more"

Building in the inaugural success of 2008, Famous Friends, a New York-based promotion company, in conjunction with Noise Problem, a leading multi-faceted music agency, are pleased to announce the line up for The Second Annual Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival (BEMF). Spanning two stages, indoor and out, BEMF will be headlined by The Juan Maclean (live) and also feature Young Love, Jupiter One, Adventure, Shy Child, Home Video, Free Blood, Awesome New Republic as well as dozens of other DJs and performers.

Famous Friends will be announcing a very special surprise guest headliner via twitter on the day of the show. RJD2 will not be performing as previously announced.

Continue reading "Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival (Aug 8th) - full lineup (w/ Juan Maclean, Cloud Room, special guest headliner, NO RJD2)"

Suzanne Muldowney (Underdog) @ the Mermaid Parade (more by Barry Yanowitz)

Tickets are on sale for that Dan Deacon, No Age & Deerhunter show happpening at the Flying W Resort in Jersey (near Philly) on August 1st. They only cost $12. Then again, the Brooklyn show with the same lineup will be free.

Tickets are on sale for the Deerhoof show happening at Le Poisson Rouge.

Dungen is playing The Bell House with Woods on August 14th. Tickets are on sale.

Mickey Factz is playing SOB's on July 14th. Tickets are on sale.

Motörhead, Nashville Pussy, and Reverend Horton Heat play Roseland Ballroom on September 9th. Tickets are on sale.

Cafe Tacuba has a show coming up at Hammerstein Ballroom on June 28th. Tickets are on sale.

The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players played the OJ All Day Festival at the Brooklyn Lyceum over the weekend. They play a show at Le Poisson Rouge on July 2nd. Tickets are on sale.

Nicole Atkins and the Sea are playing the Bell House with Bird of Youth on August 6th. Tickets are on sale.

Last year, Bird of Youth opened for AC Newman at the Bell House. Nicole Atkins was playing as a member of his band at that show. This past weekend AC played the Clearwater Festival, and he has a free show coming up on Thursday.

Bird of Youth are also opening for Mark Eitzel at Le Poisson Rouge on July 18th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are on sale for the Grace Jones show at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for the June 25th St. Vincent show at the Bell House. St Vincent just toured with Pattern is Movement who are playing that same night at the Bell House's sister club Union Hall with Bell and Inlets. Tickets are on sale for that too.

Jimmy Gestapo of Murphy's Law celebrating his birthday aboard a Rocks Off Concert Cruise is a tradition that is happening again this year on August 12th. Tickets are on sale.

Q-Tip, Marky Ramone, The Misshapes, Junior Vasquez, and Paul Sevigny are all DJing the same event tonight (6/22).

Breakfast at Sulimay's reviewed Yo La Tengo and Raphael Saadiq. Video below...

Continue reading "Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, Deerhoof, Dungen, Motorhead, Murphy's Law, Nicole Atkins, Bird of Youth & other tix"

photos by Chris La Putt

Bell @ Mercury Lounge April 27th, 2009

Bell is playing a "Sound Fix Presents" Northside Fest show, not AT Sound Fix which no longer hosts live music, but at Berry Park - on Saturday, June 13th with Death Vessel, Arrington De Dionyso (Old Time Relijun), Teengirl Fantasy and Weekends. Either a Northside badge or $10 at the doors, which open at 8pm, will get you in.

Before the Northside gig, Bell will play (Le) Poisson Rouge on Wednesday, May 27th with UK's Ciam. Tickets are on sale.

Death Vessel, who is also on the Sound Fix bill for June 13th at Berry Park, has a show at the Bell House with Grant Hart (ex-Husker Du) coming up on June 1st.

The above and below pictures of Bell are from her Monday, April 27th show at the Mercury Lounge with Bowerbirds, Lost in the Trees and La Strada. Photos of those bands were previously posted. The rest of the Bell pictures below...

Continue reading "Bell - LPR & Northside Fest shows, Death Vessel ++ live pics"

photos by Chris La Putt

DOWNLOAD: Bowerbirds - In Our Talons (MP3)

Bowerbirds @ Mercury Lounge

Bowerbirds, La Strada, Lost in the Trees and Bell played the Mercury Lounge on Monday, April 27th (one night before Bell and Bowerbirds played Monkey Town).

Not to get all TMZ, but according to Indy Week Blogs (who got all TMZ)...

Throughout the evening, a trickle of excited correspondence from members of both bands announced that a special guest had come to watch Bowerbirds' set [at Mercury Lounge]: Neutral Milk Hotel leader/ de facto hermit/ "Salinger of indie rock" Jeff Mangum. There's, of course, little to report about the appearance besides just that--no collaborations, no serious hangouts. Mangum just watched and, between songs, held his beer between his teeth to clap. Maybe he'll come down to Chapel Hill later this year?

Bowerbirds' second disc, Upper Air, comes out July 7th on Dead Oceans who said:

"Everyone struggles when they try to describe this music, including us, but we'll try: it has the spirit of Richard and Linda Thompson, the currency of Devendra Banhart, the addictively sweet melodicism of Iron & Wine, but it churns with an underlying energy closer to a Beirut or something farther out, more raw, more wild."

Continue reading "Bowerbirds played Mercury Lounge (pics) w/ La Strada (more dates) for Jeff Mangum (who wants to save a carousel)"

photos by Ryan Muir

Bell

Bell and Bowerbirds are almost finished with their tour that brought them through NYC for three shows in two nights. On Monday (4/27) it was a show at Mercury Lounge. Last night (4/28) it was two shows in a row at the multimedia-friendly Monkeytown in Williamsburg. The video being projected behind Bowerbirds was shot in Antartica (icebergs, penguins, snow and stuff). Bell had more random images playing. Bowerbirds played some new songs, and completed the show with an a-capella style encore. Their new album, Upper Air, will be released by Dead Oceans in July.

Ryan went to the late show. More pictures from it below...

Continue reading "Bell & Bowerbirds @ Monkeytown in Brooklyn - pics "

words & photos by Black Bubblegum

Ancestors @ Room 710 in Austin - March 19, 2009

My SXSW adventure began Wednesday morning at the airport. Talk about starting things off on the wrong foot! A woman fell into a diabetic coma (she was ok later that morning) on my 6:30AM flight. That led to an unplanned stop in NOLA which was followed by a layover in a fogged up Houston Airport... to say I was a little late to our own day show at Emo's was an understatement. Unfortunately, Trash Talk were wheeling their amps out the door when I got there (which meant I also missed Garotas Suecas and Psychedelic Horseshit), but I managed to catch Trash Talk vocalist Lee cruising around, with a microphone grill imprinted on his forehead. His pain, our pleasure...

Continue reading "Black Bubblegum's SXSW-metal recap - part 1 "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Bell - Echinacea (live on Fair Game) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bowerbirds - In Our Talons (MP3)

Bell @ Pianos (more by Ryan Muir)

Bell is in Austin for SXSW and plays official BV show tonight (3/18), and the I Guess I'm Floating & twosyllable Records day party on Thursday.

She's also playing a series of April dates with Bowerbirds, two in NYC: April 27th at Mercury Lounge (tickets on sale now) with La Strada and Lost In The Trees, and April 28th at Williamsburg's Monkey Town.

Dead Oceans, who released Bowerbirds' 2008 Hymns For A Dark Horse, is also home to Phosphorescent (playing the entirety of To Willie at the BV official showcase, again, tonight) and The Donkeys (playing BV Thursday day party).

All Bell & Bowerbirds tour dates, and stop-motion video for Bowerbirds' "In Our Talons" below...

Continue reading "Bell & Bowerbirds - 2009 Tour Dates (SXSW, NYC, etc)"

DOWNLOAD: Deer Tick - Long Time (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Those Darlins - Wild One (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Loch Lomond - Blue Lead Fences (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phosphorescent - Reasons to Quit (Willie Nelson) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bell - Echinacea (live on Fair Game) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - Coward Cracked the Dawn (Radio Edit) (MP3)

If you'll be in Austin for SXSW this year, especially if you have a badge, please stop by Club De Ville on Wednesday night, March 18th, 2009 for the official BrooklynVegan showcase (aka a show aka a concert with six bands that is officially a part of the overall South by Southwest festival). If you don't have a SXSW badge, this show will cost you a modest fee at the door. This is who we've got on the bill...

Starting things off. She hails all the way from Brooklyn... it's Bell who will have just finished a tour with Asobi Seksu. (8 PM)

Following Bell is Brooklyn's very own Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers. Some say Shilpa has gotten a lot of attention around here lately. That is true. (9 PM)

After Shilpa, it's Portland, Oregon's Loch Lomond (with special guests). You may have caught Loch Lomond while they toured the country with The Decemberists. The Decemberists just so happen to be playing across the street at Stubb's, a few hours later, on the same SXSW night. (10 PM)

Not to stereotype, but girl power continues with the fourth act of the night. This also marks the beginning of the "alt-country" portion of the evening. It's Those Darlins. Maybe you saw them on their current tour with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.
(11 PM)

Next up... I've mentioned it a few times now: Phosphorescent will perform their/his new Willie Nelson tribute album, "To Willie", from start to finish . By the time this show happens, Phos will have done the same thing in Brooklyn, LA, and San Francisco. After SXSW, they may never do it again. (12 AM) Don't miss it...

...AND then, don't leave yet, because last but not least, Deer Tick (reunited with Those Darlins for the millionth time) are going to finish the night off. This closing performance feels especially special because this is the second year in a row that Deer Tick are playing the same showcase at the same venue, except last year their set time was much earlier. (1 AM)

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NOTE: This is one of MANY SXSW events we planned, produced, or BrooklynVegan are just somehow involved in this year. I'll announce all of them ASAP, including the free day parties, and one more of them now...

Bill Pearis, currently best known for his weekly column "Week in Indie", will be representing BrooklynVegan.com on a SXSW panel about music blogs on Thursday, March 19th at 11am at the Austin Convention Center. The event is for SXSW badge holders only.

MP3's above. Videos below...

Continue reading "official BrooklynVegan 2009 SXSW stuff - showcase & panel"

photos by Ryan Muir

Holly Miranda @ Zebulon

Holly Miranda, known most for her part in the Jealous Girlfriends, has at least four NYC shows coming up. Tonight (2/13) you can catch her at Southpaw, part of the Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival, with Motel Motel, The Canon Logic, and Ro Agents.

Wednesday (2/18) she opens for White Rabbits at the the first of their two shows at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are on sale. Ravens & Chimes are also on that bill. Bell and Polite Sleeper are the White Rabbits openers on Thursday.

Fast forward a month: Thursday March 12th you can catch Holly at Zebulon in Brooklyn (that's the venue I last saw her in, and where the pictures in this post came from). Tall Firs and Sharon Van Etten are also on that solid bill.

A month after that: Holly Miranda is opening for Nada Surf at the Bell House on April 15th. Tickets are not yet on sale.

Holly has a solo album coming out some time soon (probably when she finds a label to release it) . It was produced by TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek and Celebration's Katrina Ford. Holly said,

..its been a truly magical journey and a family affair, for sure. between katrina and dave producing, sean (of celebration) playing everything with ivory (including a pipe organ in baltimore we sent him to with a midi recorder), stewart and eric (from antibalas) killing it with the sax, trumpet and clarinet, and i think by the time we are done every member of tv on the radio will appear on the album..how sweet is that. plus katrina and i sing two songs together. OH and brendan (from ludlow lions) sings and plays on 'forest green oh forest green' ( a song we wrote together years ago)... there may still be a few guest appearances still to come.

Continue reading "Nada Surf playing Bell House & other HOLLY MIRANDA shows"

As you know, The Wrens are back. They're playing SXSW in March, AND they're playing Bowery Ballroom right before that - on March 13th with Titus Andronicus, Bell and We Were Promised Jetpacks. The NYC show is a benefit for KEXP. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon.

"Too Fake" might sum it up

There's no doubt that the Capitol/Virgin-signed Portland, Oregon band Hockey have some catchy songs, but my current take on the self-described "New Wave / Soul" group is undecided, but leaning towards..."too fake"?.

"Too Fake" is actually the name of the first, LCD Soundsystem-biting, track streaming on their MySpace. It's also the name their 7-inch single being released on March 2nd. In September, they received the honor of the Guardian's Band of the Day...

Too Fake presents Hockey's funky verbosity in all its glory, all hi-hat and harangues, forming an arresting statement of intent that sees the frontman declare in no uncertain terms, "I've got too much soul for you and it's breaking my heart in two!", 3am Spanish is a tumble of narcotic imagery and nagging hooks, like Mink De Ville had they spent longer at Studio 54 than CBGBs. Curse This City isn't miles removed from Primal Scream when they do funky while Work, possibly the best track, recalls the Stones when they went disco circa Miss You, and Preacher, like much of Mind Chaos, is maddeningly infectious. Song Away, one of many potential singles on the album, is almost too memorable - you can imagine radio going mad for this song about songs, with its references to "Roxy Music" and "80s grooves", and driving you mad next summer.

The first is tonight, Wednesay January 21st, at Union Hall in Brooklyn. They play on what is actually an interesting three-band bill that's rounded out by Oklahoma's Colourmusic and Oregon's David Karsten Daniels who just finished some dates with Frightened Rabbit.

NYC show #2 is Thursday at Santos Party House. They share that bill with Cale Parks of Aloha and now-solo-on-Polyvinly Records fame.

The third one is Friday at Mercury Lounge. Futurecop!, Hey Willpower, and Theophilus London are also on that bill.

Last but not least, number four is at Pianos on Saturday. At that one they go on right before (Olga) BELL

All dates below...

Continue reading "Hockey play 4 NYC shows starting today, 2009 Tour Dates "