Poster for Think of Me, screening Saturday, May 12

Starting on May 11 with This is What We Mean by Short Films, Rooftop Films will screen 23 feature films and 183 short films, including NY, US, and World Premieres. The films come from around the world, with off-beat and hilarious comedies, intimate and intense dramas, powerful and personal documentaries--all of which reflect Rooftop's focus on exciting, innovative, independent cinema. Most events include live music, filmmaker Q&As, special appearances by the films' casts and subjects, and after-parties with complementary drinks every weekend until Saturday, August 18...

...Along with their already outstanding venues spanning the roofs, parks, and piers of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, Rooftop Films is excited to screen at two new locations this year: Dekalb Market and MetroTech Commons. Located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, the beautiful commons of MetroTech opened in 1992 and has become a preferred location for students, local residents and those employed in the nearby buildings to spend their free time. All screenings at MetroTech Commons are co-presented with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Housed in a collection of salvaged shipping containers, Dekalb Market has become a new community destination in downtown Brooklyn and brings together Brooklyn's creative entrepreneurs in a community setting that include an incubator farm, an event and performance venue, and a collection of eateries and work-sell spaces.

Rooftop Films starts it's Summer Series of pairing cool movies with cool music tonight (5/11) at Open Road Rooftop on the LES, with a program titled "This Is What We Mean By Short Films Opening Night" and musical guest Crinkes. It's sold out already, but you can get tickets to the Saturday night's (5/12) screening of Bryan Wizemann's Think of Me with musical guest Bird Courage.

While the music side of Rooftop Films is still being firmed up (Doe Paoro, Mutual Benefit and Softspot are the only other ones announced so far), the full film program has been announced and is listed below...

Continue reading "Rooftop Films kicks off its 2012 season"

photos and video by Jessica Amaya

Widowspeak @ Glasslands

Widowspeak played their record release show at Glasslands on August 2 with Hoop Dreams, who just signed to Captured Tracks and were making their NYC live debut. Ex-Cops, and Crinkles were also on the bill. According to Pop Gun, who booked the show:

Captured Tracks label mates and Virginia natives Hoop Dreams played direct support with a packed stage (they have 6 members!) which included a few rotations like a little double teaming tambourine and even some violin action over the sentimental post-punk jams.

Widowspeak totally ruled the night. The band didn't say more than a few 'thank yous' when they took the stage, but they proceeded to play such a gorgeous set. Everything sounded really tight even though some of the material was really new, they even debuted a live performance of one of the album tracks!

Widowspeak's self titled debut came out on Captured Tracks this past Tuesday (8/9). You can purchase the album as LP/CD at the Captured Tracks webstore.

As mentioned, Widowspeak are supporting Vivian Girls on a September tour which culminates in a show at Knitting Factory on September 20. Tickets are still available. They also open for Woods at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday (8/13). Tickets for that show are still available too.

Updated dates, more pictures, and video of Widowspeak from the show below...

Continue reading "Widowspeak played Glasslands w/ Hoop Dreams & friends (pics & video), playing more shows (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Widowspeak - Harsh Realm (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hoop Dreams - XCPR (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crinkles - I'm a Dog (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: VHS or Beta - I Found a Reason (MP3)

Widowspeak

After last week's crazy abundance of sonic riches, this week is nicely slim on choices (at least for thing's that interest me.) But even a fallow week has plenty to do.

Tonight (8/2) at Glasslands is the record release party for Widowspeak's self-titled debut, which is out on Captured Tracks. This local trio gets compared to Mazzy Star a lot -- and I am as guilty as anybody -- which is to say singer Molly Hamilton has the same smoky vocal quality as Hope Sandoval. And the band make vaguely '60s-ish pop, dreamy and twangy with lots of vibrato.

I pulled out She Hangs Brightly last night and, really... Widowspeak doesn't really sound all that much like Mazzy Star. Hamilton's voice is more breathy and effervescent than Sandoval's (and an undeniably powerful weapon live, a subtle knife), and their music isn't nearly as drowsy or patchouli-soaked. Beyond that, the band are good songwriters and performers -- the album is quite good. Though I still say their cover of "Wicked Game" is a little too on-the-nose.

Hoop Dreams

The Glasslands show also is NYC live debut of new Captured Tracks signing Hoop Dreams. The six-piece are from Blacksburg, VA, same as fellow C/T band Wild Nothing. (The label has a stronghold on Southwest Virginia talent it seems.) The A-side to their Captured Tracks single, all two minutes of it, is hook-filled in a Spencer Krug kind of way, and you can download it at the top of this post. (The b-side is a little more dour.) It doesn't sound like six people made it, so I'm curious to see them play tonight.

You can also catch the shoegazy sounds of Burlington, VT's Crinkles (check out "I'm a Dog" at the top of this post) and Excops (new band from Hymns frontman Brian Harding).

Big Audio Dynamite @ Coachella 2011 (more by David Andrako)

The newly reformed Big Audio Dynamite, who last played a somewhat prohibitively expensive (but awesome) show at Roseland back in April, are back in town to play Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow night (8/3). Tickets, a more reasonable $35, are sold out but there will be "limited admission" at the door, which will open at 6PM. Here's some of what I wrote about the Roseland show:

Getting nearly every single the band released plus some choice album cuts, the NYC show was a pretty perfect showcase for what made B.A.D. so great: killer dance songs ("C'mon Every Beatbox," "E=MC²," "Just Play Music"), hip hop and reggae-influenced jams ("Sightsee MC," "BAD"), the band's love of film ("Medicine Show"), and genuinely affecting pop ("The Other 99," "V. Thirteen"). We also got "Beyond the Pale," one of the best songs Jones has ever written, dedicated last night to Joe Strummer (who cowrote much of No. 10 Upping St.).

Apart from the tip of the hat to Strummer, Jones didn't do a whole lot of "remember when" talk and kept things mostly free of drippy nostalgia. He was, however, jovial and chatty, joking with the audience between songs or when things went askew, like a false start to encore number "E=MC²."

Band co-founder Don Letts is just one of the coolest dudes on the planet, and B.A.D. really came alive on any song that featured him, of which there was a fair amount: foreign war critique "A Party," the hard-hitting London travelogue that is "Sightsee MC!" and the band's theme tune, "BAD." (Also the reggae hoedown "Battle of All Saints Road," though I would've prefered No. 10 Upping St.'s "Ticket.") Letts, who's inching towards 60, jumped around the stage, dreads hitting the ground, like it was 25 years ago.

Also playing is Bad Brains frontman HR, and onetime Smiths bassist Andy Rourke will DJ in between sets.

And that's the big stuff for this week in the TWIIverse. (Told you it was a quiet week.) As usual, some more daily picks, starting at Wednesday, are below.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3

Though it's been a while since they've been in the spotlight, Fountains of Wayne continue to write winning powerpop about everday minutae. That includes their just-released Sky Full of Holes. Hear songs from that -- as well as probably "Stacy's Mom" and "Radiation Vibe" -- tonight at Bowery Ballroom with Nicole Atkins opening. It's sold out, as is their acoustic show on Friday (8/5) at City Winery.

This week's Summerscreen in McCarren Park is '90s classic Clueless, with the sultry and danceable Zambri opening the show.

Music streaming service Spotify is sponsoring a free show at Mercury Lounge with Suckers and Headless Horseman at Mercury Lounge. First come first served, no RSVP necessary.

continued below...

Continue reading "Widowspeak, Big Audio Dynamite, Hoop Dreams, Crinkles, VHS or Beta & more This Week in Indie"

Vivian Girls at Emo's in Austin in April (more by Tim Griffin)

Vivian Girls are going on tour this September with fellow Brooklyn band Widowspeak. The tour culminates in Brooklyn on September 20 at Knitting Factory. Tickets are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

Vivian Girls also have a new video for "Take It As It Comes" off the cleaner-sounding Share the Joy, which came out earlier this year. You can watch it below.

Widowspeak, who Bill points out are hard to talk about without mentioning Mazzy Star, will release their self titled debut on August 9 via Captured Tracks. Check out the album track "Gun Shy" below. They play a record release show for the album on August 2 at Glasslands with Hoop Dreams, Crinkles and Ex-Cops. Tickets are on sale now and a flier for the show is below. They're also on the bill for the Woods 8/13 show at Bowery Ballroom with Ducktails and White Fence. Tickets are still on sale for that too.

All dates, videos, streams, flier and album art below...

Continue reading "Vivian Girls & Widowspeak dates, new video & stuff "