by Andrew Sacher

Speedy Ortiz at WBAR-B-Q in April (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Northampton, MA's Speedy Ortiz have signed to Carpark Records and will release their debut album, Major Arcana, on June 9 via their new label. The album perfects the formula Speedy Ortiz had on the Sports EP and "Ka-Prow!" 7" and tops both of those releases. That's immediately evident from the album's first single, "Tiger Tank," which starts out like the Speedy Ortiz we're familiar with, but by the chorus is bringing in melodic left-turns and powerful crashes that show how big of a force this band can really be. Listen to the song over at NPR.

As mentioned, Speedy Ortiz have a number of upcoming shows, including a few previously discussed NYC shows on May 17 at Silent Barn with Island Twins, Advaeta, Idiot Genes, and Lunchbox; Cake Shop on May 31 with two great Brooklyn bands Sleepies and Bennio Qwerty; and an unofficial Northside show on June 15 at Big Snow Buffalo Lodge.

The rest of the lineup for that Big Snow show has been announced and it includes Pile and Fat History Month (who just played NYC together), in addition to Two Inch Astronaut, Grass Is Green, Ovlov, Porches., and Hive Bent. The show is being presented by Exploding In Sound Records and Gimme Tinnitus.

Speedy were also since announced for a NYC Popfest show happening on June 1 at Public Assembly with Ringo Deathstarr, Sua, and Advaeta. Advance tickets for that show are on sale now. Popfest was supposed to be on both stages at Public Assembly, but with renovations all the other bands originally booked except Ringo Deathstarr were moved to The Bell House (more on that in a Popfest-specific post coming soon). Festival passes are still accepted.

Updated dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Speedy Ortiz release a song from new LP, playing w/ Ringo Deathstarr, Northside Fest w/ Pile & more (updated dates)"

Vampire Weekend at an ACL taping in March (more by Tim Griffin)

today in NYC
* J Rome @ Joe's Pub
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB
* Olivier Manchon @ Barbes
* Stephane Wrembel @ Barbes
* Tower of Power @ BB King's
* Cheap Trick @ John Varvatos
* Jonathan Toubin @ Glasslands
* Kendra Morris @ The Ace Hotel
* Les Claypool @ Gramercy Theatre
* Lee Ranaldo Band, VBA @ Union Pool
* Vampire Weekend @ Roseland Ballroom
* The Rascals @ Richard Rodgers Theatre
* Rihanna, A$AP Rocky @ Prudential Center
* Steve Coleman and Five Elements @ The Stone
* JDH & Dave P (FIXED), Turbotax @ Secret Location
* Paul Oakley Stovall and Brad Simmons @ Joe's Pub
* How To Destroy Angels, DIIV @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Lovely Little Girls, Infantphant, BBIGPIGG @ Cake Shop
* BFA, Toddlers, Leverage Models, Nightdogs @ Mercury Lounge
* Pile, Fat History Month, Porches, Bennio Qwerty @ Death By Audio
* Ruwa, Hans Tammen, Matt O'Hare, Your Friends and Neighbors @ Cameo Gallery
* Dot Wiggin Band, Aye Aye Rabbit, Last Car, Supercute! @ The Bowery Electric
* Turn To Crime, Lone Wolf and Cub, Firecracker Firecracker, Polygamyst @ Secret Project Robot
* Sweat Lodge, Byron Westbrook, Che Chen of True Primes, Matteah Baim, Meg Rorison @ Silent Barn

The huge Red Bull Music Academy NYC residency kicks off tonight with a FIXED party at a TBA location. The residency runs through May 31 with tons of cool events. More details HERE and HERE.

If you don't have tickets to tonight's Vampire Weekend show, you can still watch the live broadcast, which is being directed by Steve Buscemi and starts at 9 PM. You can also see that broadcast on the big screens at Brooklyn Bowl.

As a commenter just pointed out, Iggy and the Stooges will be playing Le Poisson Rouge today at 5 PM for a Soundcheck/NPR-presented performance of their new album, Ready to Die, plus classic favorites. RSVP is full, but you can watch the show streaming live on NPR. NPR is also still hosting the stream of Ready to Die.

A$AP Rocky opens for Rihanna at Prudential Center tonight, but does not play Highline Ballroom afterwards. The Rihanna tour hits Brooklyn on May 4 and 5 at Barclays, and Rocky goes on another tour which hits the NYC-area for a few shows in August with Wiz Khalifa, Joey Bada$$, Smoke DZA, and others.

If you're going to Death by Audio tonight for the Pile, Fat History Month, and Porches show, it's worth getting there early for local openers Bennio Qwerty. You can stream their recently released EP below and download it (name your price) at bandcamp.

Bennio Qwerty also return to Death by Audio on May 4 to open the previously discussed Bass Drum of Death and The Beets show. And though we didn't make the connection at the time, Austin's A Giant Dog (mems. OBN IIIs) are on that show too.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Follow BrooklynVegan on instagram.

Norwegian riffers Kvelertak made a video for the song "Kvelertak" off their pulverizing new album, Meir. Check it out below and catch the band in NYC on their tour with Cancer Bats and Black Tusk this May.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

Local Natives @ Bowery Ballroom, Oct. 2012 (more by Tracy Allison)

Ty Segall @ Mohawk in Austin, 1/25/2013 (more by Sarah Frankie Linder)

today in NYC
* Mondo! @ Cameo
* Mamie Rich @ Barbes
* Afterlife @ The Stone
* Ute Lemper @ Joe's Pub
* moe. @ Best Buy Theater
* Ilusha Tsinadze @ Barbes
* Fossils from the Sun @ The Stone
* Ramona Falls, Mitten @ Glasslands
* Guns N Hoses, Alchemy @ Mercury Lounge
* The Lumineers, Y La Bamba @ Terminal 5
* The Music Tapes @ Church of All Nations
* Bajah & The Dry Eye Crew @ Brooklyn Museum
* fun., Andrew McMahon @ Radio City Music Hall
* Local Natives, We Barbarians @ Bowery Ballroom
* Flogging Molly, Skinny Lister @ Roseland Ballroom
* Shark?, The Hairs, Liz Hogg @ Danny Screams Studios
* RAC, Le Youth, Headband and Hooligan @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Ty Segall, K Holes, Ex-Cult @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Feed Me, Mord Fustang, Alex English DJ set @ Webster Hall
* Happy Jawbone Family Band, The Great Valley @ Silent Barn
* Woodsman, BBDDM, Tonstartssbandht, Hex Breaker @ 252 Norman
* LiveFastDie, Family Curse, Obnox, Ballroom @ Death By Audio
* The Courderoy Suit, Otsego, Katie$ Money @ Pete's Candy Store
* Sick Llama, Tarpit, MV Carbon, Nonhorse, Datura @ Silent Barn
* DJ/rupture, Zs(Ecstatic Music Festival) @ Merkin Concert Hall
* Baby Dayliner, Sir Jarlesburg, Josh Taggart @ The Grand Victory
* B A N A N A S ! ! w/ Isa GT, Alex Lemire of Lemonade @ Glasslands
* The Upper Crust, The Boilermakers, The Rakehells @ Bowery Electric
* Parquet Courts, Purling Hiss, La Big Vic, Future Shuttle @ 285 Kent Ave
* Punks on Mars, Dinowalrus, Spires, Tiger Waves, Turnip King @ Shea Stadium
* Grand Resort, Eastern Hollows, Dead Stars, Dead Young Friends @ Legion Bar
* Grass Is Green, Butter The Children, Bennio Qwerto @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* The Building, Gym, Deer, Ben Seretan & The Early, Aaron Roche @ Cameo Gallery
* Smokey Robotic, My Dear Mycroft, Stereo Telescope, Black Bird White Sky @ Pianos
* Edelweiss, Flashback Forward, Viva Mayday, Starnes & Shah, The Last Internationale @ Knitting Factory
* Galentine's Ball 2013 w/ Steve & The Lion, Mike Falzone, The Henry Millers, The Peeps, Supercute! @ Public Assembly
* Power Pop-a-Licious w/ The Paul Collins Beat, The Modulators, Pow Wows, 1-800-BAND, The Electric Mess(Power-Pop-A-Licious Fest) @ Cake Shop

Brooklyn trio Bennio Qwerty features current/past members of North Highlands, Wise Blood, Castanets, Forest Fire and just released their first EP, loaded with precision, muscular rock. You can stream it below and go see them tonight at Big Snow Buffalo Lodge with Grass is Green, and Butter the Children.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Follow BrooklynVegan on Instagram.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday (Groundhog Day)?"

by Andrew Sacher

Grass Is Green

Boston's Grass Is Green hearken back to a time when the lines between post-hardcore and indie rock weren't so clearly defined. Listening to their 2012 album, Ronson, and split 7" with Two Inch Astronaut, both out on Exploding In Sound Records (Pile, Speedy Ortiz), you'll quickly make out traces of the stop-start post-hardcore of bands like Shudder to Think and June of 44. The guitars ring with that kind of off-kilter technicality and the vocalists shout with an emotionally charged cry. You can take a listen to the two aforementioned releases below.

Grass Is Green has two NYC area shows happening this weekend. First they'll play New Brunswick, NJ on Friday (2/1) at Court Tavern with Neur and For Sleeping or Jumping; and then Brooklyn on Saturday (2/2) at Big Snow (89 Varet St) with NYC shoegazers Butter the Children (mems. Sweet Bulbs, Night Manager, Le Rug) and Brooklyn indie rockers Bennio Qwerty.

A list of all dates and streams below...

Continue reading "Grass Is Green playing shows (stream some tracks)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

METZ at Knitting Factory, 11/20/2012

Somewhere in between Drive Like Jehu, Am-Rep noise rock, Young Widows, hardcore and the vibrato-laden vocals of Jon Spencer lies Toronto's METZ, who blessed Knitting Factory last night (11/20) with Yvette and Bennio Qwerty, their second of two NYC appearances this week (they played Mercury Lounge on 11/19). The performances were METZ's first NYC showing since playing a slew of CMJ appearances (including our own day party) following the release of their new self-titled LP, out now via Sub Pop.

Pictures of METZ from the Knitting Factory show are below (unfortunately, I missed both support bands).

Continue reading "METZ played Knitting Factory (pics)"