photos by Lori Baily

DOWNLOAD: Martin Bisi - Mile High- Apple Of My Eye (w/ Bill Laswell on bass) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Martin Bisi - Drink Your Wine, (w/ Bob D'Amico drummer Fiery Furnaces)

Martin Bisi @ Knitting Factory

Martin Bisi played the first half-hour of his set as a suite, segueing from one part to another by frantically laying down one searing loop of guitar feedback on top of another. This time Bisi's band had lead guitar, bass, drums and a caped crusader wailing frantically on what sounded like a little Casio running through a million noisy effects, sharing the stage with a woman whose graceful miming quickly became the show's focal point. In a strange twist of fate, Bisi, like Visconti, is best known for producing great albums for famous bands (Sonic Youth, Herbie Hancock, the Dresden Dolls, ad infinitum), but ultimately it's his songwriting which is his strongest suit. This evening's numbers had a distinctly early 80s, East Village feel, sort of Nick Cave as covered by Blue Oyster Cult, ornate and haunting but also with a sense of humor that ran from cynicism to unaffected amusement. About halfway into his suite he ran through the mythology-based Sirens of the Apocalypse (title track of his excellent 2008 album), barrelling through the lyrics without a pause to take a breath. A more recent track, Drink Your Wine came off with an irresistible sarcasm, a word of warning to a lightweight; a dedication to his daughter, far from being mawkish, was a dark garage rocker evocative of the Libertines but tighter. They finally closed their set with a big riff-rock anthem that threatened to burst into flame after it had finally gone out, but it didn't. The audience wanted more but didn't get it. [Lucid Culture]

That review comes from the December 27th show at Knitting Factory where Martin shared the bill with Larkin Grimm who had Tony Visconti on bass. Extra Life and HUMANWINE also played the show

Larkin and Martin again share a bill this Sunday (1/24) at Mercury Lounge. Susu and Snowbaby are both also on the bill. Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls will be playing drums for Martin at the show. Bob D'Amico plays drums for Martin on one of the two free tracks above. More pictures from Knitting Factory below...

Continue reading "Martin Bisi & Larkin Grimm played Knitting Factory w/ Extra Life & HUMANWINE (pics), playing Merc w/ Brian Viglione"

Fiery Furnaces @ Barack Rock (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

The Fiery Furnaces play (Le) Poisson Rouge tonight (June 11th) with Newspeak. That ensemble will debut a piece by the Furnaces' Matthew Friedberger titled "U.S. Cold Storage Pleads Its Case To The NLRB" (slightly different than originally reported). Tickets are still on sale.

At the show, The Fiery Furnaces will play "among other things, a version, complete and re-arranged, of their not-yet released album, I'm Going Away," performed 'in the round.' I'm Going Away will be showcasd at the band's other tour dates, below, as well. That record comes out July 21st on Thrill Jockey.

On Sunday, June 14th, Matthew Friedberger and Fiery Furnaces drummer Bob D'Amico will perform with King's Crescent at a Northside Festival show at Spike Hill. The lineup for that gig, curated by Martin Bisi, also includes SUSU, Kerry Kennedy, Alina Simone and Bisi himself.

On King's Crescent, Amico wrote in March...

i have another sorta-new band with my good friends jeff steinhauser on guitar, jeff martini on bass/vox, matt friedberger on organ and me on drums. the band is called Kings Crescent. right now we're playing mostly the music of our funk heroes from New Orleans- The Meters. we will expand our repotoire a bit and incorporate some of our other soul/funk heroes as well....and some Minutemen jams played in the vein of those heroes.

A live video of the Furnaces playing "Single Again" off their 2005 EP, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Matt Friedberger plays in King's Crescent (Northside show) ++ Fiery Furnaces show details (tonight & other dates) "