photos by Greg Cristman

Japan post-rock favorites Mono played a pair of NYC shows as part of their US tour, hitting Le Poisson Rouge on 9/14 followed by Glasslands on 9/15. Pictures from Friday (9/14) are below.

Chris Brokaw of Codeine opened both dates, and will continue to do so on all dates on the Mono tour. Chris scored the new film Now, Forager, which opens Friday, October 3 in NYC at the IFC Center. Opening weekend (10/3 - 10/5), the filmmakers will be in attendance at screenings. Not Brokaw, however, who unfortunately/fortunately (depending on who you are and where you are) will be playing a show that day with Mono at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR.

For those of you with an odd aversion to visual media and/or would rather experiences the score in the comfort of your own home, look for that soundtrack to hit in the new year via DAIS Records. In the meantime, Brokaw is also preparing to release Gambler's Ecstasy on October 2 via 12XU in the US, and Damnably in Europe/UK. Preorder your copy now via the label, and stream the new song, 'Criminals," below.

Pictures from LPR, a stream of Mono's For My Parents, that "Criminals" stream, and the Now, Forager trailer are below.

Continue reading "Mono and Codeine's Chris Brokaw played LPR & Glasslands (pics); Brokaw prepares new LP and film soundtrack"

photos by Louis Caldarola

Codeine played what could be their final NYC show (or possibly their final show ever overall according to our interview) on Sunday at Le Poisson Rouge (7/15). It was also the second NYC show in a little over two weeks for the previously-slumbering band. The 90s slowcore heroes played their other NYC date in Brooklyn at The Bell House on June 29th. That show was with Stephen Brodsky. The Manhattan one, pictured in this post, was with Animal Hospital. More pictures and the setlist, which included an encore of Joy Divisions's "Atmosphere" and "Broken-Hearted Wine", below...

Continue reading "Codeine played Le Poisson Rouge (pics & setlist)"

Codeine at The Bell House - 6/29/12 (via Mauve Angeles)

As mentioned, reunited slowcore vets Codeine scheduled two NYC shows this summer, one being the Bell House show which took place on June 29, and the second being Le Poisson Rouge, which goes down this Sunday (7/15). As discussed in our recent interview with the band, these few reunion shows are pretty much it for the band, so catch them while you can. Tickets are still available for the LPR show. Animal Hospital opens.

The NY Times were at the Bell House show in June and spoke pretty positively of it:

Codeine had some antecedents, from Pink Floyd and Neil Young -- Mr. Immerwahr shares his high-tenor register -- to the arty post-punk of bands like MX-80 (whose song "Promise of Love" was part of Codeine's set), but it forged its own sound. Its songs start out quiet and sparse, only to gather volume and gravity, crashing and tolling, yet somehow staying austere, even diffident. They crest and then fall away, often with a lingering instrumental coda, ending up no more fulfilled than they were as they began. The music was grunge's withdrawn, desolate cousin. The era's preferred suffix was "-core," so Codeine was tagged "slowcore" and "sadcore," mini-genres that would be continued by bands like Low and Red House Painters after Codeine disbanded. By the time Codeine made its second album, "The White Birch," released in 1994, Mr. Brokaw had already moved on to his next band, Come.

Nearly two decades later Codeine still sounds obstinately estranged. Onstage the band members were studious, concentrating on music that would expose any mistakes. Codeine played its old songs virtually note for note, with their tempos still inexorable, their spaces still gaping and their moodiness precisely measured, from the barest guitar strum to a hard-won full-band eruption.

At the Bell House show, Stephen Brodksy of the band Cave In (named after the Codeine song of the same name) joined them on stage to perform said song. Check out a video of that performance and the setlist from the Bell House show below.

Continue reading "Codeine played Bell House (video, setlist); playing LPR Sunday"

Codeine back in the '90s

today in NYC
* Neil Young Journeys
* Bicycle Film Festival
* The Feelies @ Maxwell's
* Kotorino @ Joe's Pub
* Young Guru @ 92YTribeca
* Brian Chase @ The Stone
* Pillow Theory @ BAMcafe
* People's Champs @ Barbes
* Dave Doobinin @ Joe's Pub
* itsnotyouitsme @ The Stone
* Peaking Lights @ 70 N 6th St.
* Glen Hansard @ Beacon Theatre
* Marc Ribot Trio @ Village Vanguard
* Man Forever @ Issue Project Room
* Stevie Nicks @ Jones Beach Theater
* Safe, ARMS, Crux, DJ HEEMS @ Cameo
* Tenacious D @ Hammerstein Ballroom
* Eliot Lipp, Ana Sia @ Mercury Lounge
* Codeine, Stephen Brodsky @ The Bell House
* Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars @ Highline
* Blkvampires, Prostitution @ Knitting Factory
* The Young, Census, Nude Beach @ 285 Kent Ave
* PassKontrol, Young Animal @ Knitting Factory
* Kat Solar, Derek NIcoletto @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Mishka, Anuhea, Micah Brown @ Bowery Ballroom
* Akron/Family, Stagnant Pools @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Snowden, We Can't Enjoy Ourselves @ Glasslands
* Girls & Boys w/ Drop the Lime, Kraddy @ Webster Hall
* Shake the Baron, Zula, Beast Make Bomb @ The Rock Shop
* Veronica Falls, The People's Temple @ South Street Seaport
* Arthur's Landing, Herbal Jazz Cig, Mickey Perez @ Zebulon
* FiKus, Speakerbot, Horizon Wireless @ Rocks Off Concert Cruise
* The Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Hammerhead, Seawhores, White Suns, Queening @ Death by Audio
* Monogold, Bird Call, Steel Phantoms, Psychobuildings @ Pianos
* Schwervon!, Supercute!, Beth Control @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* Starnes & Shah, Jessica Pomerantz, Gazelle @ Knitting Factory
* RAC (Remix Artist Collective), Jeffrey Jerusalem @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Black Witchery, Burial Ritual, Agrath, Winter Nights @ Saint Vitus
* Apollo Run, You Won't, Judson Claiborne, Bombadil @ Mercury Lounge
* Major Stars, Salvation, Burning Star Core, Italian Horn @ Cake Shop
* Glitter Freeze, Photon Dynamo & the Shiny Pieces, Liberation Day @ XPO 929
* Kings County w/ Kristen Schaal, Eleanor Friedberger, Jessi Klein @ Galapagos
* Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dayna Kurtz, Brooklyn Steppers @ Celebrate Brooklyn
* Night of the Living with Kurt Braunohler, Judah Friedlander, Amanda Palmer @ Littlefield
* Chippy Nonstop, N0ms, Cuntmafia, Work TVK, Jermaine Jagger, Dan2600, Avery Noyes, Aaron K @ 285 Kent
* Spy Music Festial w/ Skeletons, Rhys Chatham, Ryan Sawyer, Steve Gunn/John Truscinski Duo, Peter Stampfel @ Union Pool
* Genuine Imitations, Turbosleaze, Sediment Club, Phat Rascals, The Cleavagents @ Shea Stadium

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'90s slowcore legends Codeine play their first NYC show in nearly 20 years tonight at the Bell House. Tickets are still available. Read our new interview with the band.

The Feelies kick off their three-night run at Maxwell's tonight. Tickets are still available.

Fiona Apple recently played Governors Ball in NYC and then announced three more NYC-area shows that went on sale today. Those don't happen until October though, so if you're itching to see her, consider heading to Ives Concert Park in Danbury, CT TONIGHT

Spectrum Road, a super-group of rock instrumental giants Vernon Reid, Jack Bruce, Cindy Blackman and John Medeski, play B.B. King's tonight. There's video of them in action below.

"Remix Artist Collective" RAC, along with Green Label Sound, take over the late night portion of the evening tonight (with Jeffrey Jerusalem of YACHT) and Saturday (with Body Language) at Brooklyn Bowl. Doors at 11:30pm, shows at midnight.

The Spy Music Festival kicks off a week of experimental music tonight with a show at Union Hall featuring Peter Stampfel of Holy Modal Rounders, Rhys Chatham / Ryan Sawyer Duo, Skeletons and Gunn / Truscinski Duo.

At the movies, there's Neil Young Journeys (directed by Jonathan Demme), plus Beasts of the Southern Wild which everyone is saying is amazing. Or you could go see Channing Tatum male stripper flick Magic Mike, which is actually getting pretty good reviews (it is directed by Steven Soderbergh).

The 14th Annual Del Close Marathon begins tonight at UCB, and runs all weekend.

It's Friday which means fireworks in Coney Island. Catch a Brooklyn Cyclones Game while you're there.

Daniel Johnston recently stopped by NPR to play their "Tiny Desk." Video of that is below.

Australia's Presets, who play Terminal 5 in October, just released the video for "Youth in Trouble," the first single from their new album Pacifica and you can watch that too below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Codeine back in the '90s

Tonight marks the NYC return of Codeine, the highly influential 90s slowcore giants that released two beloved LPs and an EP before fizzling out in 1994. The band, now on tour, will play its first show in NYC in 18+ years at Bell House and tickets are still available. If you can't make it, don't miss them at LPR on July 15th (tickets).

Codeine's collective works have been reissued on in a fan-friendly format via The Numero Group (order yours). In celebration, I chatted via email with Stephen Immerwahr and John Engle about the reunion, their intentions, and where the darkness comes from. Read it below.

Continue reading "An interview with Codeine (who play Bell House TONIGHT)"

Good things come to those who wait, and in this case its TWO Codeine shows in NYC as part of a short run of North American dates! Tickets go on sale Friday for July 15th at Le Poisson Rouge, and tickets go on sale the same day (2/24) at noon for their June 29th show at Bell House. Support details are still forthcoming.

The band, who announced their reunion and intent to play the US, are also on board for a show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago as well as an ATP I'll Be Your Mirror event in the UK, one in Tokyo, Primavera Sound, and a bunch of other European shows which coincide with a slate of reissues due via The Numero Group.

All dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Codeine announce 2012 Tour Dates, 2 NYC shows"

Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

On Sunday 27th May 2012 Alexandra Palace will host the first show in 13 years from Cincinnati's rock legends THE AFGHAN WHIGS. Formed in 1986, the bands career from then until 2001 saw them release six acclaimed albums highlighted by the classic Gentlemen LP in 1993. Fusing classic rock with grunge-era distortion and a heavy soul influence, Afghan Whigs were one of the most renowned live bands of their time and this long awaited reformation will no doubt be a very special event.

ATP are also pleased to confirm their return to Asbury Park, New Jersey USA where they will follow last year's debut in that city with a 2012 I'll Be Your Mirror event, the Saturday night of which will be headlined by The Afghan Whigs and curated by the Whigs' frontman Greg Dulli.

The second year of ATP I'll Be Your Mirror in Asbury Park will take place September 21st-23rd...

As you can see in the poster, tickets will go on sale in January. More of the lineup will also be announced at that time.

All Tomorrow's Parties' I'll Be Your Mirror UK, which just lost Guided By Voices, will host The Afghan Whigs and has moved further into the "unreal" category with additions of Wolves In The Throne Room, Yob, Dirty Three, Floor, Chavez, Balam Acab, The Oh Sees, Yuck, Archers of Loaf, Demdike Stare, and Siskiyou to appearances from Sleep, Melvins, Mogwai, Codeine and Mudhoney.

Full ATP I'll Be Your Mirror UK lineup is below.

Continue reading "Afghan Whigs reuniting, ATP returning to Asbury Park in 2012"

Codeine

On the weekend of the 25th-27th May 2012 at Alexandra Palace, London, All Tomorrow's Parties will present the second UK I'll Be Your Mirror event. Tickets are on sale via ATPFestival.com from Friday 11th November at 10am.

ATP are incredibly excited to announce that this year the event starts on Friday 25th May when the incomparable SLAYER will present their undisputed classic Reign In Blood live in it's entirety during their headline set to celebrate it's 25th anniversary! Released in 1986, it is widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time - in 2006 Metal Hammer named it "The best metal album of the last 20 years." Joining Slayer on Friday night are influential doom metal trailblazers SLEEP - this will be their first UK visit since reforming for two amazing ATP festival shows in 2009, and legendary Washington sludge group MELVINS, with more to be confirmed.

On Saturday 26th May, the first ever ATP festival curators MOGWAI will return to headline, and to curate the rest of the day's line-up - this will be their only show in England in 2012 and their first choices to play alongside them are another great Washington band in the form of the fantastic MUDHONEY, and playing their first shows since 1994 with their original line-up in anticipation of also re-issuing their astounding back catalogue, reformed slow-core heroes CODEINE return to the UK. More of Mogwai's choices are to be confirmed very soon.

While any festival that features Slayer playing Reign in Blood in its entirety along with Sleep & Melvins is an absolute mind-blower, the really impressive addition in this announcement is the reunion of the great Codeine! The slow-core greats passed this mortal plane in 1994 after five years as a band and the release of their final LP The White Birch for Sub Pop. The band says:

"These are Codeine's first public performances since 1994. We are performing to celebrate the release of WHEN I SEE THE SUN - the reissues of all our music by the esteemed NUMERO GROUP, of Chicago, Illinois, coming in the spring of 2012. The 3 albums will be released as vinyl double albums, which will include compilation tracks, 4 track demos, peel sessions, and entirely heretofore unreleased songs. The six albums will also be released as a limited edition boxed set, possibly with a bonus 7-inch. Our hope is to make our music and legacy available to all who are interested. To spotlight this release, we will be performing a very limited series of concerts in the US, UK and Europe.

In related news, Mogwai released multiple releases by UK's Part Chimp on their own Rock Action imprint. TONIGHT (11/9) marks the band's last ever NYC appearance (they are calling it quits after this tour) as part of a round of dates with Torche. Tickets are still available for tonight at Mercury Lounge.

Slayer played Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on Sunday (and they got everything they needed). Pictures from their set are HERE. Their setlist is below...

Continue reading "Codeine reunited, planning US shows, playing ATP in the UK (that Slayer are also playing 'Reign In Blood' at)"

"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)"