by BBG

Matmos with Kronos Quartet last year

The Chiara String Quartet and NOW Ensemble come together Friday, May 6 at (Le) Poisson Rouge for a joint album release concert, celebrating two fresh albums from New Amsterdam Records with some of the foremost performers and composers of this emerging self-reliant generation: NOW Ensemble's sophomore statement, Awake (with compositions by ensemble members Judd Greenstein, Mark Dancigers, Patrick Burke, and commissioned work by Missy Mazzoli, Sean Friar, and David Crowell), and Jefferson Friedman: Quartets, performed by the Chiara String Quartet and special guest, electronic duo, Matmos.

Both Awake and Jefferson Friedman: Quartets are out now via New Amsterdam (congrats to both groups). As stated above, Matmos will join in to assist in the performance of the latter at the show, which will also house a screening of the new animated film Plan Of The City "about the architecture of New York City blasting off into outer space and resettling on Mars". Whoa, far out bro. Check out a teaser for that film below, and get you tickets for the May 6th show at LPR while they are still available.

Matmos is also scheduled to head out to the Manchester International Festival in July to join Marina Abramovic, Antony Hagerty, Willem Defoe (yes, Green Goblin from Spider Man) and more as part of the stage production of The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic:

Manchester International Festival and Teatro Real Madrid present the world premiere of a startling new piece for the stage: The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, a biography of the godmother of performance art, re-imagined by visionary director Robert Wilson.

The show features scenes from Abramovic's life and career, from her Serbian childhood to her work as a performance artist. Featuring original and traditional music, including songs written and performed by the incomparable Antony (Antony & The Johnsons), this ground-breaking show brings together the worlds of theatre, art and music to thrilling effect.

No word on if the pieces compsed for the production will ever see the light of day outside of the UK.

In semi-related news, the ever-collaborative Matmos has worked with members of The Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) in the past and the collective will play 92YTribeca TONIGHT. PLOrk will bring an "evening of wildly innovative electronic music, live 3D video and hacked video game hardware." Tickets are still available.

Matmos is hitting the road in Europe in May much to the semi-disappointment of Matmos member Drew Daniel:

"Drew is very sad that he will be missing Maryland DeathFest this year, but touring Europe with Jay Lesser and John Wiese will make up for missing Corrosion of Conformity's reformation of the Animosity lineup." - Matmos

Turn that frown upside down Drew, you can still catch the Animosity lineup on tour (they play Brooklyn Bowl on 7/20, tickets go on sale at noon today).

Tour dates for that Matmos trek, the Plan of The City Teaser video and more, below...

Continue reading "PLOrk is here, Chiara String Quartet & NOW released LPs, Matmos playing with them, won't be at Maryland Deathfest"

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.

The Ecstatic Music Festival 2011 is almost here. Subscriptions and single show tickets are on sale. The full updated schedule (tUnE-yArDs, So Percussion, Dan Deacon, Craig Wedren, ACME, Nadia Sirota, Buke & Gass, Doveman, Owen Pallett, Bang On A Can All-Stars, and more included), and a trailer, below...

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

Frightened Rabbit @ LPR acoustic in 2009 (more by Jonny Leather)

tonight in NYC
* Hanson (night 3!) @ Gramercy
* Heavy Trash @ The Saint (NJ)
* Hole, Little Fish @ Terminal 5
* Tracy Bonham @ Galapagos Art Space
* Frightened Rabbit @ Sound Fix Records
* Josh Rouse, The Woes @ The Bell House
* Willie Mays, Radical Sons @ Don Pedro
* N.E.R.D., Jay Electronica @ Irving Plaza
* Big Soda, Big Eyes, Nude Beach @ Coco 66
* VV Brown, MNDR, Class Actress @ Bowery Ballroom
* Taylor Hollingsworth, Mia Riddle @ Union Hall
* Frightened Rabbit, Maps and Atlases @ Webster Hall
* Tao Seeger Band, The Morgues, Cassandra Jenkins @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Morning Benders, Twin Sister, Twin Shadow, Papa @ Mercury Lounge
* Chiara String Quartet play Steve Reich and more @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Mottel/Dahl/Nilson/Fox, El Topo, Priestbird, Living Sacrifice, Spider @ Pianos
* Pod Blotz & Zaimph, Purple Haze, MV Carbon, Driphouse, Denial Ain't Just a River in Egypt @ Death By Audio
* Laurie Anderson, Tony Conrad, Erik Friedlander, Text of Light (Alan Licht & Lee Ranaldo), Transgendered Jesus @ Santos Party House

From Santos: Charles S. Cohen, executive producer of Academy Award nominated film Frozen River, is celebrated at this Film-makers cooperative benefit concert. Laurie Anderson, Tony Conrad, Erik Friedlander, Text of Light, and Transgendered Jesus will perform live along with films from the cooperative's collection.

The Chiara String Quartet's program at Santos tonight includes Steve Reich's Different Trains, Jefferson Friedman's String Quartet No. 2 and Anton Webern's Five Pieces for String Quartet. Tickets are on sale.

Frightened Rabbit, after having a bit of trouble getting into the country at the beginning of their tour, are here today to play two NYC shows. At 6:30 you can catch them play afree acoustic show at Sound Fix. Then later tonight they headline a sold out Webster Hall.

Did the MNDR and Class Actress show at The Studio at Webster Hall even happen last night? Regardless, both acts open for VV Brown at Bowery Ballroom tonight.

The Morning Benders complete their April series of NYC shows tonight at Mercury Lounge. Twin Sister open up for them. Members of Twin Sister opened up for them (playing in Holiday Shores) Saturday night at Music Hall.

A trailer for the album Cocorosie is releasing on Sub Pop can be watched and listened to below...

A video of Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore performing "My Wealth Comes To Me" live on KEXP, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"