by Andrew Sacher

Cold Specks at BV-SXSW 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Cold Specks (aka Al Spx) released her debut LP, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion, this week (5/22) via Mute/Arts & Crafts. As teased by early singles, Al Spx has a real knack for this soulful singer/songwriter stuff, and the full album lives up to its expectations. Think somewhere between a stripped down version of Adele and late 2000s Bella Union folk pop, and you'll have a pretty good idea. Check out the whole album for yourself below (via Exclaim), along with a recent video for "Blank Maps."

Cold Specks is currently on the road with Great Lake Swimmers for a tour which will bring them to NYC for the previously discussed Bowery Ballroom show on May 30. Tickets for that show are still available. After that tour ends, Al will continue with a run of international shows throughout the summer, including a return to NYC to play Glasslands on August 1 with Doe Paoro and ARMS (solo). Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Updated dates are listed below, along with the album stream and video...

Continue reading "Cold Specks expands tour (dates); streaming new LP (listen)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Cold Specks @ Hotel Vegan @ Hotel Vegas (SXSW 2012)

Cold Specks (aka Al Spx), who just played Hotel Vegan last Thursday in Austin for SXSW, is set to release her debut album, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion, on May 22 via Mute. Unlike at our CMJ party where she went on at noon with a minimal setup, in Austin she was accompanied by a full backing band and played to a packed room. A few pictures are in this post.

You've already heard "Holland" and "Old Stepstone" from the forthcoming LP. A third cut from the album, "Winter Solstice," is making its premiere in this post and is another great example of Al's soulful balladry. Listen below.

Cold Specks' upcoming tour with Great Lake Swimmers hits NYC on May 30 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are still available. Updated dates are listed with the song stream, and some more pictures, below...

Continue reading "a new Cold Specks song, dates & pics from Hotel Vegan"

the flyer (with most of the bands playing on it)

BrooklynVegan is proud to team up with M for Montreal again for a FREE Day Party in Austin on Thursday, March 15th from noon-7pm at Hotel Vegan (one of BrooklynVegan's FOUR DAYS in the venue located at 1500 E. 6th St.).

I'll let this full three-stage lineup speak for itself...

Stage 1 (Hotel Vegas Outside)
12:00 Of Monsters & Men
12:45 Glen Hansard (of Swell Season & the Frames)
1:30 We Are Serenades (formerly Serenades, mem. Shout Out Louds)
2:15 Hospitality
3:00 Korallreven (mem. of the Radio Dept)
3:45 Fanfarlo
4:30 The Drums
5:15 The Wedding Present
6:15 This Will Destroy You

Stage 2 (Hotel Vegas Inside)
12:00 Half Moon Run
12:45 Thus:Owls
1:30 Cold Specks
2:15 Cymbals Eat Guitars
3:00 The Velvet Teen
3:45 Yellow Ostrich
4:30 The Jealous Sound
5:15 Parlovr

Stage 3 (Volstead) (BV Austin stage)
12:15 Love Inks
1:00 Feathers
1:45 Gashcat
2:30 Ringo Deathstarr
3:15 Silent Diane
4:00 The Young
5:00 Ume

That's all Austin bands on the BV Austin stage. It's going to a very great day

In addition to the completely free lineup of 24 bands playing on THREE stages, we will also have complimentary drinks courtesy of HobNob Wines, the official wine parter of our entire week of FREE PARTIES at Hotel Vegan (check out HobNob's Facebook page for free music downloads), and a hosted bar courtesy of Sailor Jerry

We will also have FREE VEGAN TREATS courtesy of NadaMoo! and FREE Honest Tea. AND Supercuts will have a team of stylists on-site the entire day providing FREE haircuts and styling!

Special thanks to all of our partners and sponsors for making this party possible - including Vox, Blackstar and Korg, our official backline partners, as well as ASCAP, HobNob Wines, NadaMoo!, Sailor Jerry and M for Montreal! And special thanks to GBH Design for making our awesome flyer!

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This is the first full day at Hotel Vegan announced. 2/3 of the Wednesday lineup is HERE. Friday and Saturday coming shortly.

We also have THREE official showcases (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday), and a Saturday metal day party at Lovejoys,

photos by Chris La Putt

Cold Specks @ Public Assembly (BV CMJ 2011)

As recently mentioned, the "doom soul" project of songwriter and vocalist Al Spx, Cold Specks, is heading out on a tour with Great Lake Swimmers that comes to Bowery Ballroom on May 30. It has since been revealed that Cold Specks has also been signed to Mute! The label will release Cold Specks' debut album I Predict A Graceful Expulsion on May 22. You can watch the new video for album song "Holland", along with a belated set of pictures from her U.S. debut show, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Cold Specks signs to Mute (new video, updated dates & some belated BV CMJ pics)"

Great Lake Swimmers at US Open in 2011 (more by Diana Wong)

Great Lake Swimmers will follow 2009's Lost Channels with their new LP, New Wild Everywhere, on April 3 via Nettwerk. Check out the album's first single, "Easy Come Easy Go," along with the album artwork and tracklist below.

Great Lake Swimmers will tour the US and Canada in support of the album from April through early June. That tour hits NYC on May 30 at Bowery Ballroom. Cold Specks (Al Spx), who made her US debut at a BV party during CMJ, supports on all dates. You can pre-order the new Great Lake Swimmers album and purchase tickets for their tour (bundle options available) at their website. Ticketmaster tickets for the Bowery Ballroom show go on sale Friday (1/27) at noon with an AmEx presale starting today (1/25) at noon.

All dates, stream, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Great Lake Swimmers releasing new album, announce tour with Cold Specks (dates & stream)"

"Doom soul" artist Cold Specks (aka Al Spx of Canada/London) is visiting NYC this week. I don't know if she's ever been here before, but she's definitely never played here or anywhere in the United States. That status will change by tonight though, because Cold Specks makes her US live debut at 12:30pm at Public Assembly today (10/21) as part of the free BrooklynVegan Day Party! I'm honored, and if you listen to these two songs you'll know why:

Continue reading "Cold Specks making US live debut today (listen)"

STAGE 1 (front room)
12:00 Races (new Frenchkiss signing)
12:45 Bleached (ex Mika Miko)
01:30 Widowspeak
02:15 Young Magic
03:15 A Place To Bury Strangers
04:15 Chelsea Wolfe
05:00 J Mascis (solo)

STAGE 2 (back room)
12:30 Cold Specks (1st-ever US show)
01:15 Lord Huron
02:00 Emmy the Great
02:45 Silver Swans
03:30 Xeno & Oaklander
04:15 Hospitality
05:15 Gauntlet Hair

Stay tuned for the missing set times and full lineup, but you can see most of the bands on the flyer above! Also stay tuned for the linuep of our Saturday party happening in the same venue at the same times.

In addition to free music, here are some more reason to stop by Friday. We will have FREE SNACKS courtesy of popchips and Raw Revolution and FREE DRINKS courtesy of Sailor Jerry and our official CMJ wine partner HobNob Wines. Check out HobNob's Facebook page for free music downloads and go to Sailor Jerry's website to read more about all of their CMJ events.

We'll also have FREE BrooklynVegan t-shirts for the first 25 people in the door (not many of these exist - we sold them for charity at CMJ last year).

As mentioned in our Thursday Day Party announcement, we've also partnered with Spotify who are offering 48 hour free Premium trials (playlist for this party coming soon) and Sony Bloggie (stay tuned for our post-CMJ video series) for all BV CMJ/not-CMJ events including this one.

Thanks to Zach Jaeger (Tonally Dude) for the flyer you see above.

See you Friday! And meanwhile to see A Place to Bury Strangers at Union Pool tonight, and see you Thursday afternoon at Knitting Factory too.