DOWNLOAD: Body Language - Holiday (Savoir Adore Remix) (MP3)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Brain Cloud @ Barbes
* Hot Tub @ Littlefield
* Common @ Highline Ballroom
* Marianne Faithfull @ City Winery
* Wale, Meek Mill @ Best Buy Theater
* Body Language (DJ set) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Puss n Boots Christmas Spectacular @ Bell House
* Matisyahu, Aunt Martha @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir @ Union Pool
* Dan Neustadt plays songs from the REM catologue @ Knitting Factory
* Belikos, Pants Velour, The Canon Logic, Escape Directors @ Pianos
* Rachel Cox, Pat Sullivan, Stephanie Rabins, Brian Osborne @ Zebulon
* Dear Lions, The Sanctuaries, Your 33 Black Angels, Sam Bay @ Cake Shop
* Woods, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Steve Gunn, Tide Eyed (DJ Set) @ Glasslands
* Teddy Kumpel Loopestra, Steve Broderick, The Vanity Belles, Stephanie White & The Philth Harmonic, Derek James, Jay Stolar, Morgan Karr, Abby Ahmad, Martin Rivas, The Vanity Belles, Emily Kinney, Jeep Rosenberg, Tiff Randol @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Wolf!, Tony Scherr Trio with Anton Fier and Rob Jost, Chris Riffle, The Goodnoise @ The Living Room

Death By Audio is closed from 12/19 to 1/3.

I don't think Rock Shop is closed, but they don't have any more shows scheduled until 1/5.

Savoir Adore, who opened for Oh Land last week, remixed Body Language who DJ at Brooklyn Bowl tonight and who open for Matt & Kim at Hammerstein Ballroom on New Year's Eve. You can listen to the remix below (or download it above).

Matisyahu's beard will not be present at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight.

SLAYER CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 2011 video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Our Own Dream" (Blackbird Blackbird Remix)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Our Own Dream" (MP3)

Keep Shelly in Athens at FFF Fest (more by Tim Griffin)

Greek duo Keep Shelly in Athens made their way over to North America earlier this month for Fun Fun Fun Fest where they played their first-ever US show in the early afternoon at Auditorium Shores. They then played their 2nd US show later that night downtown as part of one of the afterparties.

They've since been on a short tour with Body Language that hits Bowery Ballroom on November 18. Tickets are still on sale and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to enter to win them are below.

We're also premiering Blackbird Blackbird's remix of KSIA's "Our Own Dream," off the 12" EP of the same name which came out on November 5 via Forest Family. You can download their remix and the original at the top of this post and check out the EP's artwork and tracklist at the bottom. Like most of KSIA's work, "Our Own Dream" is a dreamy piece of downtempo. On their remix, Blackbird Blackbird replace the song's swaying beat with a 4/4 headknocker and fill it out with synths that can't help but remind me of LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yrself Clean."

Speaking of Body Language, you can catch them again after the Keep Shelly in Athens tour when they open for Matt & Kim and Super Mash Brothers at their New Year's Eve show at Hammerstein Ballroom. Tickets are still on sale.

All dates, artwork and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Keep Shelly in Athens are on tour now (win tix to Bowery!), were remixed by Blackbird Blackbird (MP3 premiere)"

by Bill Pearis

Forest Fire

Thursday, we're in the thick of it now and maybe some of us are already frazzled. Which might explain why this picks post is shorter than yesterday's. Also, we're starting to see a lot of the same bands, so see this as a reminder as to what's happening where. This isn't comprehensive, just what I personally recommend. I've tried to include set times at the bottom of this post for all parties mentioned.

Hopefully you're going to stop by the BV Day Party at Kniting Factory which has Yellow Ostrich, Still Corners, Hundred Visions, Forest Fire, BOBBY, Main Attrakionz and the just added We Were Promised Jetpacks. Yellow Ostrich kicks things off at 12:30, hope you can make it down. There's free PBR & HobNob Wine too for those over 21.

Miracle Fortress

You can make a day of it in Williamsburg, and we wouldn't grudge you for venue hopping. Public Assembly's got the Pop Montreal party today, with Miracle Fortress, Pat Jordache, Teen Daze, Tops, Tonstartssbandht, and Touchy Mob... plus food courtesy Mile End. Maybe some Montreal-style bagels?

Radical Dads

Over at Bruar Falls it's the Camper's Rule Records party, with Radical Dads (if you're from out of town, one of my favorite new local bands), plus Fort Lean, Backords, Beat People, Easter Vomit, Yanqui, and Moonmen On the Moon, Man. Plus, you're running out of chances to hang out at Bruar Falls... it closes at the end of the month.

The Suzan

And at The Woods, there's a cool afternoon/early-evening party being thrown by the folks at all-girl-drummer zine Tom Tom, with a great line-up of bands that, yes, all feature ladies behind the kit. There's Baybee Teeth, Coasting, TEEN, The Suzan, Pearl & the Beard, Brute Heart and Satellite Sky. $5 cover for this one. Let's hope the sound has improved from last year's CMJ-week shows, which was a joke.

Of course it's hard to deny the allure of the Lower East Side, what with five or so clubs all within a block or two of each other, making for very easy show-hopping. The two best are on the same Ludlow Block. At Cake Shop, NYC Taper has indie rawkers Mr. Dream, the widescreen pop of Savoir Adore, the dreamy/dusty sounds of Widowspeak, superior psych group White Fence, the dark anthemecism of Hoop Dreams, plus Prussia and Teletextile.

And at Pianos,I Guess I'm Floating and Tell All Your Friends PR have two floors of fun, with a few Canadians (Grimes, Parlovr, Doldrums), one Australian (Little Red), dance music (Beat Connection, Body Language) and lots more. Full schedule is below.

Okay, those are my daytime choices of choice. Flyers and set times, some for shows not mentioned above, are below.

Continue reading "CMJ 2011 - Bill's Thursday daytime picks (BV day party, Miracle Fortress & other Canadians, Radical Dads, The Suzan & more)"

DOWNLOAD: Jessica 6 - Prisoner of Love (w/ Antony) (MP3)

Download "Prisoner of Love" from the forthcoming Jessica 6 album above (Antony and Nomi Ruiz together again). "See The Light" will be released by Peacefrog on 6/6.

Jessica 6, who oddly played an in-store in a Sephora earlier today (5/6), play Tammany Hall along with DJ JD Samson (Le Tigre) and Body Language tonight (as mentioned earlier in What's Going on Friday). Flyer and other dates below...

Continue reading "Antony on a new Jessica 6 track (MP3), Tammany Hall tonight "

photos by Chris Doss

PUBLIC ASSEMBLY - FRONT ROOM
8:00pm Aarnio
9:00pm Class Actress
10:00pm Lemonade
11:00pm Javelin
12:00pm Penguin Prison
1:00am Azari & III
2:15am The Knocks
3:15am Punches

PUBLIC ASSEMBLY - BACK ROOM
8:00pm Free Magic
8:45pm Lloydski & Blu Jemz
9:25pm Michna
10:15pm oOoOO
11:15am Falty DL
12:15am Treasure Fingers
1:15am Tittsworth
2:15am Star Eyes
3:10am Dave P

MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG
8:00pm Boody B & Marcus Price
8:30pm The Glass
9:15pm Body Language
10:05pm FHR
10:55-11:30pm BRAHMS
11:40am CREEP
12:30am Cubic Zirconia
1:15am Kid Sister
2:00am Sinden
3:00am Kingdom

Those were the set times of Saturday's Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival that took place in both venues in one night. A set of pictures from the event, continues below...

Continue reading "the 2010 Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival in pics"

It's a little bit later this year, but the third annual The Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival will take place across two venues in Williamsburg on December 18th: Music Hall of Williamsburg and Public Assembly (if you didn't know, they are right next door to each other). The "fest" will feature acts from across the digital spectrum ("emerging and established bands, DJ's and producers from the Boroughs and beyond") including Sinden, Kid Sister, Javelin, Tittsworth, Class Actress, Brahms, Lemonade, and many others, with more to be announced.

Tickets are currently on "Super Limited Reduced Price Advance" sale.

Lemonade meanwhile is out on tour with their True Panther labelmate Delorean. Two NYC shows happen very soon and both are still on sale.

Initial BEMF lineup and two videos from last year below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Electronic Music Fest returning (in 2 venues), Lemonade on tour w/ Delorean (dates) "

photos by Andrew St. Clair, words by Patricia Scull

Dan Black @ Bowery Ballroom

Dan Black headlined Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night (9/10), one night before he played a pair of Fashion's Night Out events. Dan returns to play a dancey BMI & SPIN CMJ showcase at Highline Ballroom on on October 19th, eleven days after he is scheduled to play Austin City Limits 2010. Also playing that CMJ show are The Golden Filter, Neon Hitch, Boy Crisis, Body Language, and The Chain Gang of 1974. Tickets are on sale for those who don't have and/or want to chance getting in with a CMJ badge.

Pictures and a review of the Bowery Ballroom show, continue below...

Continue reading "Dan Black played Bowery Ballroom (pics), playing CMJ (tix) "

photos by Chris La Putt

There's not much you can say against the laser harp. At the Highline Ballroom on Tuesday night a beam of green light shot up from the floor, then fanned out into eight individual rays. The tiny synth-pop singer Little Boots, wearing a gold lamé gown and face mask, played the melody of her song "Earthquake" by moving her hand among the streams of light; each time she blocked one, it triggered a synthesizer pitch, and she could alter its tone by lowering or raising her hand on each beam.

"Earthquake" isn't much of a song, but that was a beautiful display. It made you feel light. "I'm basically obsessed with lasers," she admitted, chattily, when the song was done...

...And at two points in the show, putting on a cape and hood and getting behind a red synthesizer, she evoked another great future monger from the past: Sun Ra. This sort of thing has a history. There's a lot out there besides Auto-Tune. [NY Times]

More pictures from the show at Highline Ballroom below...

Continue reading "Little Boots played a laser Harp @ Highline Ballroom in NYC w/ Class Actress & Body Language (pics)"

DOWNLOAD: Dragonette - Pick Up The Phone (Van She remix) (MP3)

Little Boots @ Bowery Ballroom in September (more by Chris La Putt)

Little Boots has announced openers and additional dates on her upcoming North American tour. That includes Coachella and the previously announced NYC show on March 2nd at Highline Ballroom. Opening that will be Body Language, JDH & Dave P of FIXED and Fan Death (the latter of which open more dates on the tour) UPDATE: Fan Death cancelled their appearance on this tour. Tickets are still on sale and we have a pair to give away. Details are below.

The show coincides with the US release of Little Boots' debut album, Hands, on Elektra Records, which comes almost a year after its UK release.

Besides Vancouver band Fan Death (who have videos posted below), Class Actress and Dragonette (who have a remix above) also open shows on the tour. Of those mentioned, Body Language, Class Actress and Fan Death will be at SXSW.

Class Actress (Brooklyn's Elizabeth Harper and band) just released their debut EP, Journal of Ardency, on Terrible Records (co-run by Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear). She recently played a Glasslands release party for that album, and plays again tonight (2/9) with Yeasayer and Javelin at MHOW. More tour dates are below.

Contest info and tour dates for all the bands are below...

Continue reading "Little Boots playing shows w/ Fan Death, Body Language, Class Actress & Dragonette - updated 2010 tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: Crystal Fighters - I Love London (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crystal Fighters - I Love London (Douster remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: CRYSTAL FIGHTERS - KITSUNE 1 HR RADIO MIX (MP3)

Crystal Fighters looking sexy in the woods

Crystal Fighters - 2009 NYC Tour Dates
Thursday Nov 19 @ Santos Party House
Friday Nov 20 @ Glasslands w/ Tanlines & Lemonade
Saturday Nov 21 @ Le Poisson Rouge w/ Little Dragon & Body Language

The Kitsune-signed, London-Based (but from Spain) electronica band Crystal Fighters (not to be confused with Crystal Castles, Stilts, Antlers, or Skulls) are kicking of a three night run of shows in NYC tonight (11/19). NYC dates above. Videos, flyers and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "Crystal Fighters (their name) are here from the UK/Spain - MP3s, videos, 3 NYC shows, other 2009 tour dates"

photos by Ryan Muir

Eleanor Jackson has been ill for a while, and it's concentrated mostly in her lungs which obviously makes the fact that she's singing through it rather incredible. She's had to cancel a few of La Roux's gigs, but they went on last night. She said that it was an abbreviated setlist and apologized profusely. Meanwhile, her set is apparently usually forty-five minutes, but last night was close to forty. How abbreviated!

She was a complete trooper and sounded absolutely wonderful though, and thank you to Cherrytree Records for bringing her over and allowing me to see her live. I can't wait for her to come back in February. [The Music Box]

The NYC show in February is happening at Webster Hall. More pictures and the setlist from last night at Highline Ballroom, below...

Continue reading "La Roux fought sickness to play Highline Ballroom w/ Body Language - pics & setlist"

photos by Sara Skolnick

"Best Fwends is made up of Anthony Davis and Dustin Pilkington both out of Forth Worth, a city known for basically being considered Dallas, Texas by people who don't live there. By all accounts, it's a pretty boring place which explains how two people were basically able to lock themselves into a room and create electronic music fast as hell on what sounds like toy keyboards and microphones. If you've only heard their releases Alphabetically Arranged or Not-So-Alphabetically Arranged, then you're really unprepared for the live show.

Dustin, the redhead, seems to lead most of the songs and dances while Anthony seems to be the more introverted of the two. There is a large amount of staged elements found in their sets, such as the song "Hail", a thrash metal emulation which involved them taking on the mantle of metal singers throwing up the goat on each chant of "Hail!" then becoming almost monkish as they fold their hands into prayer during an instrumental section of the song, as following a dark faith, they close their eyes and stride in a circle through the audience to end up back where they began in time for the song's end." [King of the gigabitches]

Das Racist played their second NYC in two days last night (8/20). The first was at the Bell House when they opened for Islands. The second was at The Studio at Webster Hall where they shared a bill with Nature Boy Jim Kelly, Body Language, and Best Fwends. For Best Fwends it was their first of four NYC shows this week. Their other upcoming shows are on bills with Ninjasonik, The DeathSet, Vivian Girls, The Beets, Real Estate and others. More pictures from last night below....

Continue reading "Best Fwends, Das Racist, Body Language & Nature Boy Jim Kelly @ the Studio @ Webster Hall - pics "