Kaia Wilson & Jennifer O'Connor

Move over Palomar, it's singer-songwriter Jennifer O'Connor's turn to start bringing special guests like Charles Bissell to special residency shows at new Brooklyn venue the Rock Shop. Jennifer writes...

"I am going to be hosting and performing in a monthly songwriter's series called Tower of Song that will take place on the second Tuesday of every month in 2011.

Each month I will invite three other songwriter's to join me and we will get together at the Rock Shop and each play a handful of songs and talk about our songwriting processes a little bit and collaborate and maybe play a cover or two. I think it's going to make for a really interesting night of music, especially for those interested in the "song" as an art form and maybe learning about how different folks write. I, for one, am totally excited to see what comes from it."

The first "Tower of Song" show takes place this Tuesday, January 11th, with Chris Brokaw (Come, The New Year), Amy Bezunartea (Clint Michigan), and Tim Foljahn (Two Dollar Guitar, Cat Power) (tickets are on sale). February 8th's show will feature Charles Bissell (The Wrens), Kendall Meade (Mascott), and Richard Baluyut (Versus) (tickets are on sale).

Jennifer, as she explained above, will also be playing at each show. She is also working a new record which she hopes to "have out some time later this year." Flyers, and a video of Jennifer covering "Waterfalls" with Clint Assay, Andrew Singer and Amy Bezbelow at Joe's Pub on December 15th, below...

Continue reading "Jennifer O'Connor starting a monthly series @ the Rock Shop"

words & photos by Chris Gersbeck

The Rock Shop in Park Slope is building a reputation for booking relatively well known acts despite its modestly sized concert space. The last time I was there was for the secret Dean Wareham playing Galaxie 500 show, which was pretty great, so I hopped at the chance to make it down there for former Husker Du and Sugar frontman Bob Mould. Apparently I have a sort of "take what I can get" attitude towards bands that refuse to reunite.

Former Come guitarist and Codeine drummer Chris Brokaw opened the show, playing a 40-minute set of somber acoustic songs. By the style of his music you'd find it hard to believe that Brokaw was also once the drummer for GG Allin-his songs were often melodic and generally mellow, but never uninteresting. Brokaw noted the influence Zen Arcade and New Day Rising had on him as a musician in the 80's, played a couple more songs and finished his set shortly thereafter.

I confess that I've always been a bigger fan of Grant Hart's contributions to Husker Du than Mould's, but that's not to say Mould hasn't written his share of classics. Beginning his set on acoustic guitar, Mould soon switched to electric, reminding us of his trademark distortion and howl of a voice.

Rotating between solo material, Sugar and Husker songs (often by request), Mould was in good spirits throughout the night, joking with the crowd about the NYC Marathon, his admiration of Best Coast and his upcoming memoir. Hearing him play classics such as "Something I Learned Today", "I Apologize" and "Celebrated Summer" made it easy to remember why Mould is an oft-cited influence. At the core of these punk anthems was solid songwriting, and they are no less perfect songs when played solo by the man himself.

The Rock Shop show (11/7) was one of three NYC shows for Bob in a week. The other two were at City Winery (11/4 with Lenny Kaye and 11/4 with Marshall Crenshaw). More pictures from the Rock Shop below...

Continue reading "Bob Mould & Chris Brokaw played the Rock Shop (pics) "

Martha's Vineyard Ferries

"Martha's Vineyard Ferries is a summer fun punk band, created by Elisha Wiesner (Kahoots), Bob Weston (Shellac, Volcano Suns, Mission of Burma), and Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine, The New Year), when they got together for a few days in 2009. Their new EP, In The Pond, is a 4 song 12" with music on one side, and a sweet little etching by Rosemary Hoeft on the other. It is a very nice record.

Elisha describes their process thusly:

the band started as a fake joke band name bob and I were using with some vague intention of maybe playing some music. we asked Chris to be the drummer in the fake band. A while after that we decided to actually do it, sent demos back and forth and got together at bobs house in Chicago for a couple days of recording and eating hot dogs. Basically it's just 3 friends playing punk rock. all of us have larger musical commitments outside of the ferries but, for me at least, it was fun to just kind of come up with a silly idea see it turn into something really cool. I am certainly looking forward to playing some shows and future recording. It's fun to be in a band with no pressure, no expectations and no real time frame."

Sick Room Records is proud to be able to deliver this one of a kind, limited edition 12" for your listening pleasure" [Listen to a song at the band's Bandcamp page]

The MARTHA'S VINEYARD FERRIES are on a very short tour promoting their release, and that includes the show happening at Death By Audio tonight (8/26) with Tre Orsi who are one of the Austin bands on 'Casual Victim Pile' --- "Matador's first city-specific compilation since 1991's 'New York Eye & Ear Control'".

Speaking of Matador, their 21st anniversary festival is where Chris's band Come is reuniting to play, but not before they play a reunion show at TT the Bears in Cambridge, MA on September 26th with Wussy. Tickets are on sale.

Bob's band Shellac is playing ATP NY as part of a tour that hits the Bell House in Brooklyn (sold out).

Chris also has a European tour coming up with another one of his collaborators, Geoff Farina. Tour dates below...

Continue reading "Come playing Mass, Martha's Vineyard Ferries (Chris Brokaw, Bob Weston & Elisha Weisner) playing shows (NYC tonight) "

by BBG

Chicago sound artist J.R. Robinson is like Alan Lomax with an editor's pen. The first full-length record from Wrekmeister Harmonies captures three elliptical drone improvisations staged in museums, intercut with field recordings of ambient sounds from public places and some in-studio editing from a rotating cast of collaborators. The on-site recordings are fascinating, particularly a performance from the Andy Warhol Museum ("Pittsburgh"), which features U.S. Maple's dueling guitarists Mark Shippy and Matt Carson and finds its lurching rhythm after a collage of disembodied crowd voices blends into vocal contortions from the Jesus Lizard's David Yow. - [Decibel]

Wrekmeister Harmonies presumably won't have Yow in tow when they descend upon Knitting Factory on August 8th (tickets) but they will share the stage with another Jesus Lizard-er. NYC band unFact, which features David Wm. Sims, is also on the bill with Chris Brokaw (ex-Codeine) and Peg Simone (WH and PSplayed together in January too).

unFact is also scheduled to play the Knitting Factory on June 29th alongside two other bands that feature figures from other great bands: Lapis Lazuli (which features Kurt Wolf of Pussy Galore & Boss Hog) will headline the night with an assist from Avondale Airforce (which features Peter Aaron of Chrome Cranks & Stanton Warren). Git yer tix.

In other Brooklyn show news, High on Fire are coming to MHOW, Sleep are coming to Masonic Temple, Javelina & Hot Graves & Unearlthy Trance open for Floor at Europa this Saturday, and Jucifer & Gloominous Doom play right affterwards at Union Pool.

"THE ANGEL'S MESSAGE TO ME" by chris and GEOFF FARINA (KARATE, GLORYTELLERS) was released on march 18 in the uk and europe on damnably records and comes out in the US later this spring on CAPITAN.

the duo's cd features pre-WWII country blues songs including "stagger lee," "in the evening," and "make me a pallet on your floor." [Chris Brokaw]

They play together from 7-pm at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn today (4/22) for free. All dates and a video below...

Continue reading "Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Come) & Geoff Farina (Karate) made an album & are touring (free show in BK TONIGHT)"

Live bands included. More details below...

Continue reading "2009 WFMU Record Fair this weekend (w/ live bands)"

photos by Lori Baily

Matador Records helped Sonic Youth celebrate the release of their new record The Eternal with a party at Home Sweet Home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan last Friday. The semi-private show had local bands playing Sonic Youth covers while the actual Sonic Youth was hanging out in the crowd.

Bands included The Antlers, Tiny Masters of Today, Apache Beat, The Homosexuals (backed by members of Fiasco), and "The Goo Believers" (at least that's what I think they called themselves). They were Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine), Jemina Pearl (Be Your Own Pet, Ecstatic Peace label), Matt Krefting (Ecstatic Peace label), Zachary Cale, John Maloney (Sunburned Hand of the Man), and Jaiko Suzuki (Electroputas). You can see Thurston Moore watching them from the sidelines in some of the pictures below...

Continue reading "pics from Sonic Youth's 'Eternal' party @ Home Sweet Home (Homosexuals, a supergroup of Thurston's friends, more)"