photos by Chris Gersbeck

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: What made you want to revisit the Galaxie 500 catalog now?

Dean: We did one show of all-Galaxie 500 songs at a Spanish festival about a year ago, and it sounded really good. I came home and the CDs were all being re-released, and I thought now that I have re-learned the songs I might as well go play them -- while I can still hit all the notes. [Critic] Michael Azzerad asked me if I had dropped the key on any of the songs to do that, but I have managed to get there without resorting to that.

Dean Wareham and band (Britta included) played another excellent set of Galaxie 500 songs at Maxwell's in Hoboken last night (1/13). Their friend and collaborator Cheval Sombre opened the show (Britta on drums and then bass for two songs included). A picture of the set list (Galaxie's 'Ceremony' New Order cover included), with more pictures from the show, below...

Continue reading "Dean Wareham played 'Galaxie 500' @ Maxwell's (pics, setlist)"

DOWNLOAD: My Robot Friend - Misfits Fight Song (MP3)

My Robot Friend...

Double Feature Records presents Soft-Core, the first US release by My Robot Friend. My Robot Friend is a musical and performance art project born from the ashes of the late '90s NYC band Princess, which almost signed on to the legendary label Too Pure (P.J. Harvey, Stereolab) but broke up just in time. My Robot Friend performs in an elaborate light-up suit while interacting with illuminated objects, wireless video cameras and pyrotechnics. Think lovechild of a three way between Devo, Laurie Anderson....and a robot.

"Soft-Core" is actually My Robot Friend's third album, and anyone that spent any time at Luxx or exploring the electroclash scene probably recognizes that robot suit.

My Robot Friend (who has been known to cover Luna's "23 Minutes In Brussels") is appearing Friday, October 2nd show at 92YTribeca. Also on the bill are Cheval Sombre (with special guests), and DJing by Dean Wareham, who started the new Double Feature label with partner Britta Phillips. It makes one curious about the "special guests" that'll be appearing (yes, Dean & Britta will be there). Tickets are on sale.

Cheval Sombre, also on their label, opened for the Dean & Britta at LPR in June. At that show, the pair announced that it'd be their last non-Warhol show in the US for the year, but they played a regular set in Rochester last weekend (and will do one in San Francisco in October). Plus their New Years Eve show at Southpaw is still technically in 2009...

A My Robot Friend video below...

Continue reading "Dean & Britta's label Double Feature Records releasing My Robot Friend - catch them all at 92yTribeca -- MP3"

photos by Chris La Putt

"Wednesday [April 29th] we played another show, sitting in with Cheval Sombre at Death By Audio in Williamsburg, a club that reminded me of 8BC in years gone by. Once again I watched the first three songs from the audience before getting on stage, and Cheval Sombre played a hypnotizing set." [Dean Wareham]

Dean & Britta played with Cheval Sombre again on June 6th at Le Poisson Rouge. They also headlined that show. According to Dean, it was their "last non-Warhol shows of the year, at least here in the USA." Their next Warhol show in NYC will take place Saturday, August 1st at Prospect Park (the same venue they showed up at to see David Byrne on June 8th). Crystal Stilts open that Brooklyn show.

More pictures of Cheval & D & B from LPR, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Dean & Britta & Cheval Sombre - LPR pics & 2009 tour dates "

by Andrew Frisicano

Dean & Britta @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Chris La Putt)

We [Double Feature Records] are releasing the debut by Cheval Sombre, produced by Sonic Boom, with musical contributions from Britta and myself. This CD contains tracks from his out-of-print 7" singles (issued on the UK label, Static Caravan), and a whole lot more. [Dean Wareham]

Dean & Britta head out for a short June tour with Cheval Sombre, whose debut album will come out on the Dean-and-Britta-run Double Feature Records on April 28th. The tour stops at (Le) Poisson Rouge in NYC on Saturday, June 6th. Tickets are on sale.

This Saturday (3/28), Dean & Britta's "13 Most Beautiful...songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests" show visits Boston. They did the same show in NYC in January. Dean & Britta, who were commissioned to write pieces for the collection of Warhol's silent films, have been out performing their original songs live, "beneath projections of Warhol's film portraits of his Silver Factory Superstars [who included Nico, Lou Reed, Edie Sedgwick, Dennis Hopper, and more]." Plexifilm just released a DVD version of the show on March 24th.

In April, Cheval Sombre is playing a few US dates with Dean & Britta's friend, and his record producer, Sonic Boom aka Spectrum. That includes the presviously announced April 26th show at Mercury Lounge (tix), as well as an April 29th show at Death By Audio in Brooklyn. Appropriately enough, a third date is at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA.

All tour dates and a video of Dean & Britta performing at NYC's Zipper Factory last September, below...

Continue reading "Dean & Britta releasing Warhol DVD & album by Cheval Sombre - 2009 Tour Dates (for all of them & Spectrum) "