DOWNLOAD: Tiger & Woods - "A Golden Bear mix" (MP3)

Tiger & Woods at Movement 2012 (via Sidewalk Hustle)

Production duo Tiger & Woods will be in NYC TONIGHT (4/26) at Highline Ballroom for a FIXED + Let's Play House party with The Dead Rose Music Company, Canyons, and FIXED regulars JDH & Dave P. Tickets for tonight's show are still available. You can download the duo's brand new mix, "A Golden Bear mix," at the top of this post, or stream it below.

FIXED is also throwing a party at Highline Ballroom on May 31 with Verboten which features sets from Azari & III and Jozif. Tickets for that one are on sale now.

They've also got one happening on June 28 at Glasslands with a live set by Dutonic and Mighty Mouse. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

French house DJ Fred Falke, who released the funky Part IV back in 2011, will come to Williamsburg dance club Output on May 2 for an 'Input' party with Foals (DJ), Chrome Sparks and Jorge Bonjour. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Trus'me at Mutek 2009 (more by Zach Dilgard)

Neon Indian will also be DJing an 'Input' party at Output (5/9) the following week. The rest of that lineup includes UK producer Trus'me (whose new album, Treat Me Right, can be streamed at XLR8R), Optimo, and Tanner Caldwell. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Actress, whose very good R.I.P. LP came out last year, was supposed to play Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn a few months after its release, but never made it here. Now he's planning on returning to the venue on June 6 for a show with Gobby and Solar Year. Tickets for that show are on sale now. Show flyer below.

Dave Harrington (of Nicolas Jaar's live band and their collaborative project, Darkside) will also be playing a Cameo show on May 25. Benoit and Sergio are on the bill too. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Classix

As mentioned, The Presets and Dragonette are going on a tour this year which hits NYC on May 8 at Terminal 5. Since we last spoke, LA dance duo Classixx have been added to that tour. Tickets for the Terminal 5 show are still available.

After that tour ends, Classixx will play their own show in NYC on June 15 at Le Poisson Rouge with Headband and Hooligan. Tickets for that show are on sale now. Classixx's new album, Hanging Gardens, will be out on May 14 via Innovative Leisure, and the duo have recently revealed one of its tracks, "All You're Waiting For," which features vocals from DFA's Nancy Whang (who they've played with before). You can stream that, along with two other album tracks, "Borderline" (ft. Jesse Kivel of Kisses) and "Holding On," below.

French producer Onra, who released the Deep in the Night EP on Fool's Gold last year, will be coming to NYC for a show on May 21 at Le Poisson Rouge before heading to Montreal for Mutek. Tickets for the LPR show are on sale now.

Brooklyn disco collective Midnight Magic will play a hometown show on May 18 at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Slow Knights and Spank DJs Sean B and Will Automagic. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Germany's Ellen Allien, who put a new album out this year, will return to NYC for a show on May 24 at a TBA location. The bill also includes Camea, Thomas Muller, and Safety Scissors. Tickets are on sale now and you can find out the location by RSVPing to resolute.bpitch@gmail.com.

Another secret dance show is happening in NYC on July 26 with Tiga, Martyn, and Bordello. This one's a Blkmarket show, and tickets are on sale now. Stay tuned for info on the location.

Wedidit collective member Groundislava is playing Glasslands on May 30 with Fur and Time Wharp. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn, Soulja Man, J-Cush, Durban, and TCJ are playing 285 Kent on May 24, the day after Rashad & Spinn play a Red Bull show. Tickets for the 285 Kent show are on sale now.

Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter's Brooklyn dance party Mister Sunday Night will be returning to Gowanus Grove this summer for weekly parties beginning May 12. More details and ticket info at their website.

Of course these are only a few of the upcoming dance shows in NYC. We've also recently mentioned shows by Nina Kraviz, Emika, Disclosure & TNGHT, and The Field. Plus, the Mad Decent Block Party is coming up, and there's going to be tons of dance music during the Red Bull Music Academy NYC onslaught, which happens from April 28 to May 31. What else?

Classixx song streams, the Tiger & Woods mix, and Actress show flyer below...

Continue reading "upcoming dance shows in NYC: Classixx, Actress, DJ Rashad, Tiger & Woods, Fred Falke, Trus'me, Ellen Allien, Martyn, more"

photos by Greg Cristman; words by Bill Pearis

Jeff Goldbloom / fish. @ Brooklyn Rock Lottery 3

The third annual Brooklyn Rock Lottery happened at Knitting Factory on Saturday (12/1). Musicians of varying styles and ages met at 10 AM and put their names in a hat and the five drummers picked their bandmates at random out of it. They then spent the day coming up with a name, writing original songs and practicing and made their stage debut that night. Proceeds from tickets and merch went to Hurricane Sandy relief. It was a lot of fun.

Even though the members were chosen at random, it seemed like the bands formed kind of naturally and had a cohesive sound. First up for the night was Jazz Karate, which featured Kenny Bernard (Ra Ra Riot), Franz Nicolay (ex Hold Steady / Against Me!), Pamela Martinez (Teletextile), Matt Singer, and Tom Blankenship (My Morning Jacket). With a harp and an accordion onstage, their music veered towards gypsy jazz and included a song about Tony Danza.

Next was Jeff Goldbloom whose members were Lua Rios (Gold Lake), Nick Sylvester (Mr. Dream), Noah Kardos-Fein (YVETTE), and Craig Lulada Pfunder (VHS or Beta). With a distinct sound -- heavy, shoegazy guitar epic-ry -- they were definitely the one group of the night that I'd actually want to see again. Good!

Then came the band I was most looking forward to, that had Yuck drummer Jonny Rogoff, Hospitality bassist Brian Betancourt, and Spanish Prisoners main man Leo Maymind, not to mention Dave Harrington from Nicholas Jaar's band and Gang Signs' Bryan Quackenbush. I was expecting melodic pop, but their name -- fish. -- shoulda been a giveaway. They played one 12-minute "jazz odyssey" type jam that showed just how good their collective musicianship was, but this has never been my thing.

Hardcore Lørd were next and it was almost entirely electronic, with tons of gear and lots of wires onstage. The band was Oliver Chapoy (Certain Creatures / ex Warm Ghost), Michael Sheffield (Sweet Bulbs / Heaven's Gate), Sara Lucas (Callers), and Christopher Puidokas (who toured with Blonde Redhead / The Silent Years). They took forever to set up but were probably my second favorite of the night, warm and ethereal.

The last band of the night was Nylon Guy and easily the most odds-n-sods, with Tyler Villard (Bezoar), Ian Young (touring saxophonist of M83), George Langford (Javelin), Jen Goma (People Get Ready / Sunny Day in Glasgow), and David Sheinkopf (The Subjects). No concessions were made to have a cohesive sound and everybody got to do their thing -- Villard doing a lot of hammer-on soloing, and Young smnoothing things out with his horn, and everyone else just kind of filling in the gaps. They did do a decent cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," though.

ANIMAL New York were there too and got straight-off-the-board recordings of everybody except Nylon Guy. Check out streams of the other bands, as well as more pics from Brooklyn Rock Lottery 3, below.

Continue reading "members of My Morning Jacket, Yuck, Hospitality & more joined forces for Rock Lottery 3 (pics, streams)"

Bear in Heaven @ MHOW, May 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

"World of Freakout" is one of the strongest cuts off Bear in Heaven's I Love You, It's Cool which came out earlier this year, with throbbing bass and synths ripe for the dancefloor. The band has handed the track over to Nicolas Jaar's Darkside collaborator Dave Harrington who strips it down a bit, making it more of a sleek night drive kind of track. We've got the premiere of this remix which is streamable below.

As mentioned previously, Bear in Heaven are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 5 with Small Black and Eraas. Tickets are still available but if you'd like to go for free we're also giving a pair away. Details on how to enter are below. Bear in Heaven are donating $1 for every ticket sold to Hurricane Sandy relief via Rockaways based Smallwater relief fund.

There's an afterparty for the show happening next door at Public Assembly (doors 11:30 PM) which is free but is also a Smallwater relief fund benefit, and 10% of the bar will go to the fund, so if you go, drink up and order the good stuff. Dave Harrington, Small Black and Bear in Heaven will be DJing.

The Dave Harrington remix of "World of Freakout" is below.

Continue reading "Bear in Heaven released new remix (stream); upcoming MHOW show and afterparty aid Sandy relief (win tix)"

by Andrew Sacher

Nicolas Jaar walked on stage just minutes before midnight at the sold out Clown & Sunset showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg last night (2/3) after opening sets by Pavla + Noura, Valentin Strip, and Acid Pauli. He stood surrounded by keyboards and straddling a vintage style microphone in front of a backdrop of slowly drifting images of nature and architecture. The set began with some heavily blurred vocals and swirling atmospheres, but much of what was to follow was pretty unexpected.

After pushing his mic to the side (which he did after about two songs), Nico hit his highest points when he dropped bass-heavy beats, all of which were met with huge applause from the crowd, but lost sight of what made his album, Space Is Only Noise, so appealing. Save for a few memorable piano hooks, the minimal textures and Nico's own distinct voice that set him apart from other dance musicians took a backseat for more straightforward beatwork. It wasn't until a bit more than halfway through the set, when he was joined on stage by collaborators Will Epstein and Dave Harrington, that the show became something entirely of its own. Epstein's meandering sax lines and Harrington's prog rock guitar turned the show into dancefloor-ready experimental rock, and their ability to do that is ultimately the most attractive thing about bringing Nicolas Jaar's music into a live setting. They ended their pre-encore set with the clear highlight of the night, "Space Is Only Noise If You Can See," which saw Nico grabbing a more modern mic with way less effects on it and discernibly delivering his stark baritone vocals.

The full band returned for an encore, bringing out guest vocalist Sasha Spielberg to sing lead on a track, which ended up being another highlight of the show, and Nico rounded things off with a few more dance tracks.

You can catch Nicolas Jaar, along with Will Epstein, Dave Harrington, and Sasha Spielberg at MoMA PS1 on Sunday (2/5), when he premieres a five-hour multidisciplinary piece as part of PS1's "Sunday Sessions". The event is free with admission to PS1.

He also recently dropped an unofficial video for "Materials," directed by Pondr, which you can watch below...

Continue reading "Nicolas Jaar played Music Hall of Williamsburg"

DOWNLOAD: Nicolas Jaar - "And I Say" (feat. Scout LaRue and Will Epstein) (MP3)

Nicolas Jaar is currently on tour in Europe, and will return home to NYC on February 3 to play a MHOW show, which is now sold out. Two days later, he'll play a Pitchfork-presented event called "From Scratch" at MoMA PS1 (2/5) in Long Island City. Pitchfork writes:

"From Scratch" will premiere a new five-hour, multidisciplinary performance from Jaar, with musical collaborators Will Epstein, Dave Harrington (Jaar's partner in Darkside), and Sasha Spielberg. It will include a movement piece by Lizzie Feidelson, and sound-derived video art from CSA's filmmaker-in-residence, Ryan Staake of Pomp & Clout.

The event is free with admission to MoMA PS1, and it looks like this:

SUNDAY SESSIONS
Five-hour, continuous performance by
Nicolas Jarr and collaborators

Sunday, February 05, 2012
12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
1-6 PM Performance by Nicholas Jaar and collaborators
All Day M. Wells Outdoor Grilling Station

Nico recently dropped the track, "And I Say," which features saxophone from Will Epstein (who performs at the MoMA event) and vocals from Scout LaRue, the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. Grab that above and stream it below.

Updated dates are listed below too...

Continue reading "Nicolas Jaar premiering 5-hour piece @ PS1 (two days after sold out MHOW show)"

by Andrew Sacher

Nicolas Jaar

Nicolas Jaar has a few dates scheduled in the UK for early 2012, and upon returning to the US he will play a live set as part of a Clown & Sunset showcase (Jaar's own label) at Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 3 with special guests. Tickets go on sale today (12/23) at noon.

His last NYC show was the sold out live debut of his Darkside project with Dave Harrington at MHOW earlier this month. Capital New York was at the show and talked to Nico about how despite his presence in the electronic scene, he was brought up on rock (Darkside covered Bauhaus during their encore). CMJ was there too and said:

Watching Jaar perform alongside Harrington--a music nerd-looking guy shaking his head of curls and picking out sooty, smoldering notes on the guitar and bass--makes it hard to contrive a difference between their creative processes. Jaar, like James Blake, has a way of being involved in making his music that is at once undeniable and hard to come by. He might be using a MacBook Pro as part of his music-making setup, but Jaar's work is pulsing with human life, just as fleshy as the guitarist looking him in the face.

Check out some videos from this show, and a stream of the Darkside EP below. There's a sort of Pink Floydian feel to Harrington's guitar playing and Nico's voice is way more in the forefront than on his own LP. But from the live videos, you can tell that he's keeping the repetitive deep house interludes in tact, despite the forays outside of the realm of dance music.

Dave Harrington is playing again on New Year's Eve in NYC as El Topo, when he opens for Nosaj Thing at Glasslands. TIckets are still on sale.

Nicolas also has a few UK dates coming up. All dates, videos, and stream, below...

Continue reading "Nicolas Jaar headlining Clown & Sunset showcase @ Music Hall (where Darkside recently played)"

AraabMuzik at Moogfest in October (more by Diana Wong)

When Altered Zones announced last month that they would no longer be operating, editors Ric Leichtung and Emilie Friedlander also announced a new project, AdHoc.fm, which will be "a 100% independent, daily music and visual culture publication" and is "coming in 2012."

Ad Hoc are throwing a New Year's Eve party at 285 Kent (12/31) with sets by AraabMuzik, Balam Acab, Light Asylum, Laurel Halo, Run DMT, a special guest, and Weird Magic DJs. Tickets for the show are on sale now. More details and dates are below.

Laurel Halo will also be DJing in NYC on New Year's Eve at Zebulon with DJ Hiro Kone and a band TBA. They'll be spinning "Italo Disco, House, Soul, Techno, Postpunk; whatever makes you move."

Another similar electronic-filled NYE option is the Nosaj Thing show at Glasslands (12/31). When we first discussed the show, no openers had been announced yet. We now know that the bill also includes El Topo (aka Dave Harrington of Nicolas Jaar's Darkside project), Archie Pelago, and DJIlirjana (Pop Manifesto/Typical Girls). Tickets are still available.

Speaking of AraabMuzik, he released the deluxe edition to his album Electronic Dream last week. The album features six new tracks, including the Deadmau5-sampling "I Remember," which you can stream below. We recently spoke to Gang Gang Dance engineer Sean Maffucci who is in New Moods, and he said "I don't think I've heard a record like this before. It seems to break every production rule and yet sounds so sweet and pleasing to the ears."

That stream, NYE show details and more AraabMuzik dates, below...

Continue reading "AraabMuzik, Laurel Halo, Balam Acab & more on NYE @ 285 Kent, Glasslands & Zebulon"