Jherek Bischoff

As mentioned, the Ecstatic Music Festival kicks off on February 4 at Merkin Concert Hall with Jherek Bischoff, who plays with Parenthetical Girls and The Dead Science. He's teaming up with Wordless Music Orchestra and an incredible list of guest vocalists from his upcoming album, which comes out this February, including David Byrne, Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Mirah, and Zac Pennington (Parenthetical Girls. Tickets are still on sale now.

Speaking of Parenthetical Girls, their tour began last night (12/1) at Glasslands with Gauntlet Hair, Dinowalrus, and Eraas. If you missed it, they'll also be in NYC this Friday (12/3) at Santos Party House with YACHT and Midnight Magic (tickets).

As previously mentioned, Brassland Records is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a label and debuted a new/old track every day of November via various methods including Soundcloud. None of those tracks can be heard in the player that's embedded below. Those include "Spinney" by This is the Kit (who are opening for the National at Beacon Theater on 12/17) and "Secret of the Machines (instrumental)" by Jherek Bischoff. The latter also features drums by Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), and will have vocals by Caetano Veloso in its album version.

Continue reading "Jherek Bischoff releasing an album & playing a show -- both with many extra special guests (like David Byrne)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Public Enemy

STEREOGUM: What appealed to you about getting involved with All Tomorrow's Parties?

GEOFF BARROW: I just like that, for the most part, you wouldn't want to be there if you aren't actually into the music. It's not like Coachella where there are loads of girls walking around in bikinis and stuff like that. It's basically people enjoying what is often some really indulgent music. For us, it's like a Charlie in the Chocolate Factory moment. You win the golden ticket and you get to see how the candy is made. You get to choose the bands that play with you, which is just ... amazing. It's like, wow, yes, please.

STEREOGUM: Who in particular are you most excited about seeing?

GEOFF BARROW: We've been really lucky over the years. We've done three of these ATP festivals and it's always such a good experience. I'm always, always, always very into watching Public Enemy. Also, Ultramagnetic MCs because they are just mental and so important to hip hop. I'll also be watching Swans ... with earplugs. I want to watch everything. I want to watch as much as I possibly can.

Jeff Mangum played his second of three Asbury Park sets on Sunday (10/2), though like his Friday show, we don't have pictures of his set (he doesn't like pictures). We do have pictures of a lot of other sets from Sunday though, and they continue, along with shots of the general Asbury Park scenery (the conclusion of our ATP NJ 2011 coverage), below...

Continue reading "I'll Be Your Mirror 2011 -- pics from ATP Sunday (Public Enemy, Company Flow, Thee Silver Mt. Zion, Deerhoof, Earth & more)"

ATP I'll Be Your Mirror begins in Asbury Park TODAY (9/30). Tickets are still available. Take a look at the previously posted stage times, but note that Sunday at Convention Hall now looks like this:

DD/MM/YYYY - 2.45pm-3.45pm
Deerhoof - 4.15pm-5.15pm
Company Flow - 5.45pm-6.45pm
Public Enemy - 7.15pm-9.15pm
Portishead - 10.00pm-11.30pm

DD/MM/YYYY also plays in NYC tonight.

Deerhoof at Europa in March (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Deerhoof have a few festival appearances this fall including Midpoint Music Festival, the Polyvinyl 15 Year Anniversary show with Joan of Arc and Braid (and many more) at the Pygmalion Music Festival, and ATP NJ. They've added a few shows surrounding those festivals. They'll play NYC on September 20 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Mick Barr and White Suns open the show. Tickets go on sale Friday (7/8) at noon with an AmEx pre-sale starting Wednesday (7/6) at noon.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Deerhoof add tour dates (Music Hall included)"

All Tomorrow's Parties returns to the USA this September in the new location of Asbury Park, N.J. bringing an I'll Be Your Mirror event to the iconic waterfront. For the inaugural U.S. I'll Be Your Mirror, Portishead will curate and headline their firrst East Coast shows since 1998 on the Saturday & Sunday.

As well as Day Tickets, ATP have to date been selling two types of weekend pass - "Three Day Jeff Mangum" passes that include Jeff Mangum's Friday show and guarantee access to one of the Portishead shows (as well as everything else at the festival) and "Three Day Portishead" passes that do not give access to Jeff's Friday show but give guaranteed access to both Portishead shows as well as the rest of the festival. Today we announce a third type of weekend pass...

Portishead have invited Jeff to play an extra show on the Sunday night of the festival. Therefore this week we release new "Three Day Jeff Mangum Sunday Passes" - these give access to all three days of the festival to passholders who will see Jeff Mangum on the Sunday night and are guaranteed to see one of the two Portishead shows. The original Three Day passes for the event are now called "Three Day Jeff Mangum Friday Passes."

That means Jeff is playing Asbury Park three times, twice during the actual festival (see above), and, as you know, once on Monday (10/3) at Paramount Theatre (the day after ATP and not actually part of the fest itself). The Monday show has been sold out for a while now, but ATP are releasing a few more tickets for it. "To buy email feedback@atpfestival.com with JEFF MONDAY TICKETS in subject line, and tell us how many tickets you want. We will respond as soon as possible. Payments must be made by Paypal." A Hawk and a Hacksaw (ft. Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeremy Barnes) open the show.

ATP NJ has a few other lineup additions including Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 (they first reunited to play the Animal Collective ATP that recently happened in the UK), avant guitar hero Marc Ribot, avant sax hero Colin Stetson, avant comedian Reggie Watts, and others. Also: "Today we are also very pleased to announce that in conjunction with The Jonathan Levine Gallery, renowned artist SHEPARD FAIREY (who has created the art for this event and will also DJ) will be presenting an exhibition of his art over the weekend entitled Revolutions: The Album Cover Art of Shepard Fairey. More details of the exhibition will be confirmed soon."

The updated lineup is below, along with updated Jeff Mangum tour dates (he added a few other shows recently too)...

Continue reading "ATP NJ adds another Jeff Mangum show, a new kind of pass & some more bands to the lineup"

Evan Dando at The Bell House (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

Evan Dando & The Lemonheads have a few random upcoming dates scheduled. The Lemonheads will share a bill with The Canon Logic on April 28th at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Tickets are still available. You can also catch Josh Lattanzi of The Lemonheads at Bowery Ballroom on May 26 & 27 as part of the Bob Dylan tribute that will also include members of the Strokes, Hold Steady, etc, etc.

All other upcoming Evan Dando dates are in other countries at the moment, including a June 16th Evan & Juliana Hatfield show in Toronto for the NXNE festival which, like Brooklyn's own multi-venue festival Northside, recently expanded its lineup. Some of the other bands playing are in the title of this post. The rest are listed below.

All Dando-related dates and some videos below too...

Continue reading "Lemonheads playing shows, NXNE expands lineup (includes Descendents, Stars, Devo, OFF!, Juliana Hatfield, more)"

Updated ATP flyer

"Can we assume they'll be added to ATP, which starts a few days after the Bklyn date?," asked a commenter in the comments of our post announcing the Swans show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and that commenter was dead on.

ATP NJ (aka "Ill Be Your Mirror") has updated its previously announced lineup to include Swans, Peanut Butter Wolf (who will be DJing), Battles, Deerhoof, Jim Thirwell's Manorexia, and Oneida (who will again perform in Ocropolis formation, like in 2009) "ONEIDA PRESENTS THE OCROPOLIS III which will take place at the Asbury Lanes Bowling Alley - the band will perform continuously throughout the day, sometimes with guests from the rich array of musicians also performing in the festival, sometimes alone and mostly improvised."

Though 3-day passes for the Asbury Park Fest, which include your only shot at seeing Jeff Mangum, are sold out (now called the Jeff Mangum Three Day Pass), tickets are still available in multiple incarnations for the three day celebration, including a new "Portishead Three Day Pass" which allows "passholders to see everything else from Friday-Sunday as well as giving priority access with the day pass holders to BOTH Portishead shows on Saturday and Sunday" (the pass doesn't include entry into Jeff Mangum). The "Portishead Three Day Pass" will go on sale at 10AM EST Thursday (4/21) and individual day passes are currently on sale. The versions of the 3-day pass that are sold out only guarantee you one night of Portishead. "Existing Day ticketholders or Jeff Mangum Three Day pass holders who wish to switch to a Portishead Three Day Pass should contact ATP via feedback@atpfestival.com before May 30th."

The current lineup is below.

Continue reading "ATP NJ adds 'Portishead 3 Day Pass', expands lineup (Swans, Oneida, Battles, Deerhoof, more)"

DOWNLOAD: Asobi Seksu - Trails (Deerhoof remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Asobi Seksu - Perfectly Crystal (Beach Fossils/Spirit Animal remix) (MP3 premiere)

Asobi Seksu

Shoegazey rockers Asobi Seksu's new album Fluorescence was released via Polyvinyl in February. You'll notice at Polyvinyl's site that the download comes with four bonus tracks, three of which are remixes of the song "Trails", one of which is done by Deerhoof. Download that Deerhoof remix above if you don't already have it. Also grab the Beach Fossils remix version of "Perfectly Crystal" which is making its premiere in this post.

As previously mentioned, Asobi Seksu have a big headlining show coming up at Bowery Ballroom, and that show happens to be TONIGHT (4/7). Openers are Zaza and Consortium Musicum. Consortium Musicum are Greg Saunier of Deerhoof & Sean Lennon.

Asobi also recently announced some May dates with White Lies including a 5/24 show at Antone's in Austin where Asobi recently played SXSW for the fourth time. White Lies have good taste in openers. School of Seven Bells and Sun Airway open their upcoming Terminal 5 show.

And speaking of Beach Fossils, they have their own big show right around the corner. I'm talking about their Friday (4/8) headlining show at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Craft Spells, Crinkles, and "Unannounced Special Guest." Tickets are still on sale.

In related news, The Drums play a sold out show at Mercury Lounge tonight (4/7) and other upcoming shows too.

All Asobi & Beach Bossils tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Beach Fossils remixed Asobi Seksu (MP3 premiere), both play big shows this week w/ special guests (and other dates)"

photos by Chris Gersbeck

Deerhoof @ Europa

Tickets are still available to tonight's "Deerhoof & Friends" extravaganza at Le Poisson Rouge featuring appearances from Ichi and If By Yes (aka Yuka Honda + Petra Haden). It's "A musical event within Carnegie Hall's 2011 JapanNYC Festival, presented by Wordless Music" and Deerhoof's only current U.S. date.

For If By Yes (Petra Haden, Yuka Honda & more(, tonight's show will be the second date this week (they played Littlefield last night) and one of three in two weeks, as the band will hit Mercury Lounge on March 25th (tickets). They are also headed to SXSW and have a show scheduled in LA. All of the dates are inanticipation of the band's new LP, Salt on Sea Glass, out on March 22nd and available for preorder now.

Nels Cline plays on the new If By Yes album and with them at all the shows, as do other special guests who are all listed below.

Deerhoof played Europa on February 8th with Buke & Gass and Ben Butler & Mousepad, a show that relocated from Ridgewood Masonic. Belated pictures from that show, which took place on the night before Satomi's birthday (there was cake!), are below along with all dates...

Continue reading "Deerhoof played Europa w/ Buke & Gass (belated pics), playing LPR (tonight) w/ If By Yes (Nels Cline included)"

Deerhoof in Boston in October (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

today in NYC
* Mos Def @ Blue Note
* Jesse Harris @ The Stone
* Gross Relations @ Bruar Falls
* Mike Birbiglia @ Joe's Pub
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Gerald Kurdian @ The Stone
* Cowboy Junkies @ City Winery
* Tell Your Friends! @ Lolita Bar
* Slaughterhouse @ Highline Ballroom
* Petr Cancura's Down Home @ Barbes
* Gang of Four, Hollerado @ Webster Hall
* Favourite Sons, Mike Bones @ Union Pool
* Henry Rollins spoken word @ Joe's Pub
* the National @ the Studio @ Webster Hall
* Chris Thile, Michael Daves @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Miracles, Yvette, Adult Themes @ Death By Audio
* Malachi, The Dough Rollers, Dear Old Pals @ Zebulon
* Anni Rossi, Little Anchor, Deidre, Uncles @ Glasslands
* Deerhoof, Ben Butler & Mousepad, Buke and Gass @ Europa
* Doveman, Justin Bond, Beth Orton, The Poison Tree @ Le Poisson Rouge
* ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Takka Takka @ Littlefield
* Alina Simone, Wolff (McSweeney's Book Release Party for "Donald") @ Pianos
* Jon Glaser book release party w/ Paul Rudd, John Hodgman, more @ Bell House
* Jennifer O'Connor, Richard Baluyut, Kendall Meade, Charles Bissell of The Wrens @ The Rock Shop
* Dred Scott Trio, Twi The Humble Feather, Jon Darling, Dina RuDean, Night Shining, Utah Green, Rachel Brotman @ Rockwood Music Hall

Check out This Week in Indie for more.

Twi the Humble Feather return to the stage this evening, Tuesday, 2/8. Catch them at Rockwood Music Hall. They go on at 11pm on Stage 1, an hour after Chris Thile starts on Stage 2.

Twi also have a gig scheduled for March 31st at Joe's Pub with Brooklyn quintent Build who will be celebrating a CD release that night.

Speaking of Joe's Pub, Henry Rollins kicks off his 50th birthday celebrations at the NYC venue this evening. I thought tickets were totally sold out for all five night, but as of this writing they seem to be available for three of them.

Jennifer O'Connor's Rock Shop residency continues tonight. Charles Bissell will be there and this is what he wrote about it:

Charles will be playing a little differently solo (than the usual loop-happy set, hidden behind a veil of electronics and studio trickery), as part of the wonderful Jennifer O'Connor's new monthly "Tower of Song" series at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Tues. Feb. 8th. Also on this one are the equally estimable Richard Baluyut (of Versus) and Kendall Meade (of Mascott).

It's sort of a round-robin affair with all four onstage, each playing their songs in a row, maybe talking a bit about them etc...

Then there's a homework assignment for each performer to write a new song based on a theme (this Tower of Song's theme is an anti-Valentine's Day or anti-love song, mostly due the early Feb. show date).

Additionally, each will be covering one of the other's songs.

Yikes, Charles will probably be closer to a Tower of Unpreparedness and copying of the paper of the singer next to him.

Don't for get that Deerhoof's show has moved to Europa. Check out their new video for " Super Duper Rescue Heads" below....

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

DOWNLOAD: Steven Drozd - "Born" (MP3)

Tibet House US Benefit 2010 (more by Chris La Putt)

No word on how a giant vagina entrance, a bear suit, Wayne Coyne in an inflatable ball, Hulk hands and similar props will work at Carnegie Hall, but The Flaming Lips will join recent addition Taj Mahal at the 21st Annual Tibet House US Benefit Show on 3/3. The two join a veritable all-star lineup that includes Michael Stipe, The Roots, Patti Smith with Jesse Smith & Michael Campbell, Angelique Kidjo, James McCartney, and of course curator Philip Glass. Tickets for the concert are on sale via Carnegie Hall, while tickets for the concert and a fund-raising dinner are on sale via Tibet House directly. (Note: Do not expect a full set by any band - they usually play 3 songs each at the most, with a few collaborations and group sing-alongs).

In related News, Wayne Coyne recently talked to Spin about some of the Lips' plans for 2011...

First up, the band is heading to New York to cut tracks with synth-pop artist Neon Indian and longtime producer Dave Fridmann, and they're hoping to release the results on the fly. "We're going to do two or three songs with him and that shit should be ready to go pretty quickly," says Coyne, who posted a demo of a potential collaborative track earlier this week. "I have a couple of tunes that he's heard and we'll just do that shit and fix that up and fuck around together."

Coyne adds that he'd love to do similar collaborations with Deerhoof and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: "I think everybody would be up for doing something. But a lot of it comes down to us fitting into their schedules. I can always sneak in on their thing."

Finally, Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips recently dropped the score for The Heart Is Drum Machine, a documentary that examines music and human attraction to it. The twelve-track mostly-instrumental LP features tracks like "Born" (downloadable above, streamable below) and a cover of Elton John's "Rocket Man" featuring none other than Maynard James Keenan of Tool/A Perfect Circle. The film also features Drozd, Keenan, & Wayne Coyne, alongside appearances from Jason Schwartzman, Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, Juliette Lewis, Spoon's Britt Daniel, George Clinton, and many others who all discuss their personal connection to music. The Heart Is A Drum Machine is out now on DVD and the soundtrack is out now on iTunes.

The soundtrack tracklisting, the film trailer, and that song stream are all below.

Continue reading "Flaming Lips & Michael Stipe playing Tibet Benefit, Deerhoof playing Europa, Heart Is A Drum Machine score out now"

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Jose Conde @ Barbes
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* Gary U.S. Bonds @ Iridium
* Meow Meow @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Joey Arias @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Reggie Watts, Daniel Pinchbeck @ Cameo
* Elisapie Isaac, Dominique Pinto @ Zebulon
* Juan Carmona, Stephane Wrembel @ Joe's Pub
* The Dance Party, Wallpaper, K-Flay @ Maxwell's
* Cage The Elephant @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Fashion Week, The Year Is One, DBCR @ Lit Lounge
* Tanks Amigo, German Measles, Jay Lehigh @ Bruar Falls
* Jeff Lewis, Peter Stampfel, Seth Faergolzia, ACLU Benefit @ Cake Shop
* Earth People, Centipede, Matagawa, John Wagner Group @ Mercury Lounge
* Tony Scherr Trio, Jim Campilongo Electric Trio, Tony Mason @ The Living Room
* Red Dwarf, Small Wonder, The Toothaches, Breadwinner, Bonus Eventus @ Silent Barn
* Huun Huur Tu, Red Baraat, De Temps Antan, Hector del Curto, Los Texmaniacs, Lucia Pulido @ Hiro Ballroom

Tonight's Mercury Lounge show is rescheduled from 12/27.
Deerhoof have a new video for the song "Super Duper Rescue Heads !" Check it out below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

DOWNLOAD: Greg Saunier vs. WOOM - Quetzalcoatl's Ship (MP3)

Greg on stage with Deerhoof (more by Chris Gersbeck)

We already knew that we could catch the very talented Greg Saunier of Deerhoof at one of two upcoming NYC shows (Ridgewood Masonic Temple on 2/8 with Buke & Gass and Le Poisson Rouge on 3/14-tickets), but we can also see the Deerhoof trapsman extraordinaire THIS FRIDAY, 2/17, at Bruar Falls. It doesn't look like Saunier will be behind the kit though, but he will be manning the drums... on a drum machine if the billing of the show is correct. Bruar Falls lists it as "SARA MAGENHEIMER (WOOM) AND GREG SAUNIER (DEERHOOF) DRUM MACHINE IMPROV DUO. The show kicks off at 8PM and will also feature sets by The Psyched and Antimagic. WOOM won't play the show, but they do have dates coming up elsewhere which are listed below. All Deerhoof dates are in a previous post.

This is not the first time Woom and Deerhoof will have collaborated either...

Last July the duo WOOM released their debut album, Muu's Way. Since then, word of mouth has been spreading about the chaotic, tender, startlingly original world the album creates. The band's reputation has grown slowly but persistently at the edge of visibility, like a slime mold spreading across the parking lot of modern independent pop music. So who is it listening to WOOM? Well, take for example some of their biggest fans: the musicians featured on this new release, Muu's Way Remixed.

Deerhoof's Greg Saunier takes on the underwater pop splash "Quetzalcoatl's Ship". Adding stuttering distorted drums, his version rolls the song like an over-ripe melon down a rocky hill in the hot sun. His longtime collaborators, Xiu Xiu, have a remarkably different take on the same song, chopping and looping to create a moody piece of midnight electro-minimalist doom.

BJ Warshaw (Parts and Labor, Shooting Spires) turns "The Hunt" (human-breath-based dance beat) into a psychedelic trash-can rave-up. Lucky Dragons ease the album's political-sleeper-love-song "Judith" into a pastoral latin-bumping cloud of rain. Talk Normal flip folk-concrete "Backwards Beach" into a no-wave sing-a-long. Meanwhile, Japanther get mellow with "Salt" and Butchy Fuego (Pit er Pat, The Boredoms) invents a new genre ("Woombia") for "Back In."

In related news, the "driver" half of Deerhoof's "Hoofdriver" project (that 7" is out now) will play two nights at Southpaw as part of "Search And Restore & Manhattan New Music presents...4 nights of Kneebody". Kneebody's four night residency will feature two sets from the band each night, and will take place on 1/26 -1/29 with Wayne Krantz on the first night (tickets), Busdriver on board for the second night (tickets), Busdriver & Mark Guiliana on the third (tickets), and Daedelus on the final night (tickets).

It's not the first time that Kneebody and Busdriver have collaborated for a show or on stage; in fact, the pair were in NYC in February for Kneebody's four day residency at Bleecker St Theater. Videos of the two artists playing together are below.

If you can't make it to catch Daedelus at Southpaw, you can still catch him support Lotus with Tobacco at Terminal 5 on February 5th. Tickets are on sale. Lotus is also on board to play Mercury Lounge the night before, and tickets to that show are currently on sale as a package with the Terminal 5 tickets.

Full tour dates and everything else below...

Continue reading "Deerhoof's Greg Saunier playing w/ WOOM's Sara, Kneebody playing w/ Busdriver & Daedelus (who opens for Lotus too)"

photos by David Andrako

DOWNLOAD: Buke & Gass - Your Face Left Before You (MP3)

Buke & Gass @ Mercury Lounge

"It's Buke and Gass' homemade quality that draws you in at first. Dyer plays a modified baritone-ukulele run through effects that squeal with delight, while Sanchez runs his guitar-bass hybrid through two amps (one for the three low-end strings, another for the treble). The junkyard-Shellac set-up is geeky, yes, and might strike a chord of novelty. But ultimately, it's hard not to be sold on the songs." [NPR]

If you missed the show, Buke & Gass have shows coming up at Silent Barn (with Extra Life), Ridgewood Masonic Temple (with Deerhoof) amd the above-mentioned show at the Stone all before they head to the Netherlands to play some shows with The National, Owen Pallett, Efterklang, and Sharon Von Etten. All dates, an NPR Tiny Desk Concert video, and more pictures from Mercury Lounge, below...

Continue reading "Buke & Gass played Mercury Lounge w/ Talk Normal (pics) & an NPR 'Tiny Desk concert (video), playing more shows (dates)"

Deerhoof at LPR (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Deerhoof will welcome their new split/collaborative 7" on Saturday (11/6), featuring Busdriver and Physical Forms (Busdriver plus members of The Mae Shi). Preorder that now. Deerhoof's new full length LP, Deerhoof Vs Evil, being released on 1/25/11 via Polyvinyl/Joyful Noise. And it's around that time that the band will go on a headlining tour with Nervous Cop, and Ben Butler & Mousepad. All dates below.

Recent NYC shows were at Le Poisson Rouge and Williamsburg Waterfront (collaboratively with Xiu Xiu). Deerhoof will return to one of those venues in March, but first skip the conventional venues to play Ridgewood Masonic Temple on February 8th, 2011 with all of the openers mentioned above (the same venue that Todd P just hosted a Halloween party at). The March show is actually after the tour, on March 14th at Le Poisson Rouge, and is entitled "Deerhoof & Friends: A musical event within Carnegie Hall's 2011 JapanNYC Festival, presented by Wordless Music." Not much else is known about the rest of the LPR lineup, but tickets are now on sale.

But wait, there's more: Check out this thing starting at the Kitchen in NYC TONIGHT

"Just a friendly reminder about The Kitchen's U.S. premiere this week of BAND, Adam Pendleton's new three-channel video installation. Pendleton's BAND is a form-and-content refashioning of Jean-Luc Godard's Sympathy for the Devil, which stands in open contrast to the earlier film. BAND tracks the indie rock band Deerhoof working on and recording a new song, I Did Crimes for You over the course of a day during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009. Using the structure and techniques of avant-garde film as a means to explore ideas about contemporary experimental practice, language and the (re)making of history, BAND acts as a meditation on the present, read backwards through the canonical traces of history. The exhibition also features new wall-based works from Pendleton's ongoing System of Display series.

Curated by Rashida Bumbray, BAND will be on view from November 3-December 23, 2010. The Kitchen's gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. and Saturday, 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Admission is free. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition at The Kitchen (512 West 19th Street) on Wednesday, November 3, 6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M.

Continue reading "Deerhoof touring, playing a Wordless/JapanyNYC Fest show, part of a video installation @ the Kitchen (opens tonight)"

photos by Chris Gersbeck

After a run of dates (including a Boston show) with Xiu Xiu (who play Maxwell's tonight), Deerhoof headlined the Le Poisson Rouge stage in NYC on Wednesday night with their tour-mate Father Murphy, and an opening set by wacky NYC jazz and noise group Talibam!. More pictures from that show, below...

Continue reading "Deerhoof played LPR w/ Father Murphy & Talibam! (pics)"

DOWNLOAD: Deerhoof - "The Merry Barracks" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Physical Forms - "On The Brink" (MP3)

photos by Benjamin Lozovsky

Deerhoof at Paramount Theatre in Boston on October 10th

"Drummer/mastermind Greg Saunier -- in purple pants and bright green sneakers -- bashed at his tiny drum kit as though he were swatting bees (whether there was a song in progress or not), and vocalist/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki busted out callisthenic dance moves between her polyglot chirps. Guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez were appropriately centered, braiding jagged melodies together in errant knots that ultimately held each song tight." [Boston.com]

Da 'hoof currently has two releases on deck for the coming months. The first is the Deerhoof/Physical Forms - Hoofdriver split 7" due on 11/6, which features Busdriver singing over a Deerhoof instrumental while the flip features him backed by members of The Mae Shi as Physical Forms. Preorder that split and check out "On The Brink" by Physical Forms above.

Deerhoof will also release their new album Deerhoof vs. Evil on January 25th! The new record will see release on LP/CD (preorder via Polyvinyl) and limited cassette (500 copies with digital download on Joyful Noise) formats. Dig on "The Merry Barracks" above.

Most dates Deerhoof played in October have been with Father Murphy and Xiu Xiu, one of which was at the Paramount Theatre in Boston on October 10th.

"If you're wondering how the sound is at the restored Paramount Theatre: It's amazing. You hear everything. During Sunday evening's inaugural rock show for the theater, when I went to jot down a line from Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart -- "thinking of her dream makes her feel like it's stupid,'' from "Dr. Troll'' -- the click of my pen echoed like I'd dropped a phonebook." [Boston.com]

Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof played their last show together last night, 10/12, at Daniel Street in Connecticut, and though Xiu Xiu does not play the NY show tonight, Xiu Xiu will play their own show at Maxwell's in Hoboken on Friday (10/15), and many other dates after that. Tickets for Maxwell's are still available.

Xiu Xiu played NYC in late September with the great Merzbow. Xiu Xiu played NYC with Deerhoof in July.

All dates and more pictures from Boston below...

Continue reading "Deerhoof is here, releasing new stuff (MP3s), played the restored Paramount in Boston & other dates w/ Xiu Xiu (pics) "

words and photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Deerhoof

No rain, a bit of sun (if only briefly) and finally a day party outside to start Day Four (Saturday) of Pop Montreal (catch up with day 1, day 2 and day 3).

The Notman House had the grill up and running and the speakers loud enough I could clearly hear the first band of the day, Edmonton's The Whitsundays, in my room at the Opus Hotel across the street. People lined up for free pulled pork and/or lentil sandwiches, sipped beer, listened to the Edmonton quartet's opening set (a solid, catchy blend of garage rock/pop) or milled about the house. It was an eclectic mix of people with little kids running around with their faces painted and even greeting people as they made their way up the Notman House front steps. It felt like a party which the weather managed to kill off on Thursday and Friday.

Stuck around for a really entertaining set by another Edmonton band, Hot Panda, before catching the bus (free bus pass was a godsend) to catch Think About Life and Diamond Rings at Divan Orange. I walked up to see people hanging out and then caught a glimpse of the sheet of paper stuck to the door. "Sold Out," it read. Or, since it was a free day party 'at capacity' was more apt. So, I hung around in hopes of getting in, not nearly as disappointed as some of those around me who were clearly crushed by that white sheet of paper.

Think About Life played before Diamond Rings, and it cleared out a bit after their set. Diamond Rings is the solo project of John O'Regan of the D'Urbervilles, and he shows a lot of promise. Synths, guitar and processed beats via laptop made for some simple, yet agreeable, dance numbers. Though his own dance moves were cringe-inducing.

The evening part of the program looked to be a long one with Deerhoof announced via Twitter as the 2am Loft Party headliner at Espace Reunion. It started off at Cabaret Mile End and the news that Doveman, who was slotted in between Mary Margaret O'Hara and Little Scream, was unable to make it out of New York and canceled. Instead, Little Scream's short but enchanting opening set complete with string accompaniment gave way to replacement act Becky Foon + Howl which was Little Scream, Becky Foon on cello Jess Robertson on violin and other members. But I opted to dash up Parc to another Cabaret, Playhouse, to see what was happening there. The official Pop Schedule said I was supposed to be catching Secretary City, but instead I found a seven-piece collective, Olenka and The Autumn Lovers, who were supposed to play Thursday but their van broke down on the way in from London, Ontario. The pleasant surprises to this point were few and far between but Olenka and Co. were the biggest. A solid dose of folk, chamber pop and Americana (can you call it that if they're Canadian?) wrapped in Eastern European themes (there's certainly a bit of Beirut in their sound) through Olenka Krakus's memories of Communist Poland.

Mary Margaret O'Hara

Then it was back to Mile End for Mary Margaret O'Hara. In the past 10 years you could probably count her number of public performances on two hands, with fingers left over. Whirling in with her band 20 minutes before they took the stage, everything was left to chance; even the setlist, which was drawn from a hat by O'Hara and audience members. Clearly uncomfortable on stage, O'Hara flittered about, cracked jokes, forgot lyrics and made others up as she went. Her voice was clear and powerful, and despite only releasing one proper record in the late eighties (Miss America), she is still roundly adored. Hers was one of the highlights of the festival, including a beautiful remembrance of Vic Chesnutt that led into "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." (vid below) It was emotional stuff and when Little Scream came out right after to do a free improv piece, she was wiping away tears. "I don't think I can sing," she said, "I'm crying too much."

Reluctantly, I left to make my way up to Espace Reunion and caught the last couple of songs by Buke & Gass and worked my way to the front for Deerhoof who despite going on at 2am were up for it and so was the audience. During the rowdier numbers, and between drummer Greg Saunier's awkward attempts to banter in French, the crowd surfed and repeatedly tumbled on to the stage with even a few people deciding to just sit on the stage in front of the band. When I left at 3am (after devouring some incredibly good tacos) they were still going, but with one day remaining the only thing I could think about was my hotel bed.

More pictures from the whole day, and a few videos, below...

Continue reading "Pop Montreal 2010 - Day 4 in pics & review (Mary Margaret O'Hara, Deerhoof, Diamind Rings, Little Scream & more)"

Jonsi @ Terminal 5 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Along with that Godspeed You! Black Emperor announcement, two Wordless Music Series-presented shows included, came this:

"Look for a full 2010-11 Wordless Music season announcement in the coming days, including world and U.S. premieres of new music for orchestra by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Jónsi and Kjartan of Sigur Rós with Alex Somers of Riceboy Sleeps, Kronos Quartet, The Hilliard Ensemble, Latvian National Choir, Tyondai Braxton, the Wordless Music Orchestra, Joshua Rifkin, Deerhoof, and the U.S. debut of the Carl Craig/Moritz von Oswald/Francesco Tristano Schlimé Trio, as well as collaborations with Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Library of Congress, Walker Arts Center, and Emerson College for concerts in New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, and Minneapolis."

DOWNLOAD: Former Ghosts - Chin Up [ft. Nika Roza Danilova] (MP3)

Xiu Xiu/Deerhoof in Brooklyn this summer (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Though we discussed Xiu Xiu's previously announced show at LPR with Merzbow, Ecstatic Sunshine, and Gentle on 9/26 (get your tix), we didn't know at the time that the show was part of a large, scratch that, huge tour that would lead Xiu Xiu into the end of November. Those new dates will impact Maxwell's in Hoboken on 10/15. Tickets are on sale (no opener listed).

Deerhoof and Father Murphy will open a portion of the North American dates though not in NYC where Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof played (Joy Division) together a couple months ago. Zola Jesus (who will play a sold-out United Palace show with The xx on 10/2) has been tapped to support on the European leg of that tour, and bring along Former Ghosts for the ride:

Former ghosts is the project of los angeles based electronic music composer/producer freddy ruppert. The project also includes collaborations from a handful of individuals including jamie stewart of xiu xiu, nika roza of zola jesus, yasmine kittles of tearist

I don't think it's far-fetched to expect some cross-pollination between the bands on those European dates which are listed, along with some videos and stuff, below...

Continue reading "Xiu Xiu & Zola Jesus touring with & part of Former Ghosts"

by BBG

Lou Barlow on stage with Dinsaur Jr at Bowery (more by Vincent Cornelli)

The previously mentioned Lou Barlow & The Missingmen/Wye Oak tour hits Mercury Lounge TONIGHT (9/1, tickets), one of two NYC-area dates for tour-mates. On Saturday (9/4), the pair will play an early show at Maxwell's (tickets) before the venue hosts The Greenhornes/The Black Hollies later that night (tickets). The Greenhornes play a show at Mercury Lounge while they're here too, and it's free (Greenhornes also play ATP NY over the weekend).

Meanwhile Lou Barlow and the great Dinosaur Jr will play support for a pretty incredible ATP show overseas. The event, which will see them perform Bug in its entirety, will also see Deerhoof play all of Milk Man as support for...

On the 1st July 2011 The Flaming Lips will perform their seminal classic The Soft Bulletin as part of ATP Concerts Don't Look Back season. On the album's release in 1999 it was hailed by critics as 'The Pet Sounds of the 90s', receiving adulation from fans and writers alike, topping many year end charts and spawning two classic singles ('Waiting For A Superman', 'Race For The Prize') and going on to influence countless bands. In 2003 Pitchfork placed the album as the third best album of the 1990s alongside Radiohead's OK Computer and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless.

Speaking of ATP, the countdown to ATP NY is on its last legs, and the festival (that Flaming Lips, Deerhoof and Dinosaur Jr. all played last year or the year before) has announced set times. Raekwon direct support? Sleep headlining OVER Iggy Pop? Discuss/love/hate and check out times below.

Continue reading "ATP NY set times posted, Lou Barlow here, Dinosaur Jr playing 'Bug' at ATP in London, Flaming Lips doing 'Soft Bulletin'!"

photos by Kurt Christensen

Murder City Devils, Obits, Jeff the Brotherhood and Silverghost will play the free Pool Party at the Williamsburg Waterfront this Sunday, July 18th. The free series of shows kicked off this past Sunday with a headlining set by Xiu Xiu/Deerhoof who played after Why? who played after Fang Island who played after Pictureplane. We missed the two openers in our last post, so here are some more pictures from the event. They continue below...

Continue reading "more Pool Party pictures (Fang Island & Pictureplane) "

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford, words by Andrew Frisicano

Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof opened the first Pool Party of 2010 with a noisy, fleshy work out of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. The six-piece group smashed through the minimal record, with brash guitars and drums, free from studio EQ and delay, that were untethered and bold. Frontman Jamie Stewart put a muscular edge on Ian Curtis' deadpan gloom. By their headlining set, the clouds had parted and sun shined on the crowd.

Previously, it did rain a bit during Why?'s set, which also coincided with the end of the World Cup finals. Attendance picked up as the show went on, and after the game (which disappointingly didn't get screened at the show). Past the initial line of people at opening time around 2:30pm there was no wait to get in, and people could walk straight in, even during the headliner.

Earlier, Pictureplane gave the party a bassy, synthed out start. And Fang Island followed with a set heavy on guitars, group vox and unabashedly poppy melodicism.

"New York's senior State Senator" Chuck Schumer was there too, to tell his bike story through a faulty mic, and to wander through the crowd.

Chuck reiterated the freeness of the shows - obviously a good thing - though there's also an increasingly unavoidable corporate presence at the Pool Parties. Veoba logos brand much of the venue's eyespace, and freebies from All Saints (who rented out the building behind the stage), Vans and a bevy of low-cal sports and energy drinks line the park.

Also given a boost this year are the much improved food options, with the Meat Hook, Roberta's pizza, Mexican food and more on site.

Like the pay shows at the park (Weezer is this Friday), the stage now faces the water, leaving the Manhattan skyline to the backs of the crowd. The effect of that shift isn't inconsiderable, giving the space a more claustrophobic feel, though the sun (when it did shine) wasn't the problem it once was for the crowd. I'm guessing that the water-facing stage addresses some issues with sound carrying through the neighborhood. That said, the show Sunday was pleasantly loud, right through the abrasive conclusion.

Kyle was one of those who showed up after the soccer game. His pictures of the last two bands, Schumer, dodgeball, and more, below...

Continue reading "Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Why?, Fang Island & Pictureplane played a Pool Party (pics from the post-World Cup part)"

"WHY? at the waterfront was absolutely fantastic. Best time I've seen them. Fang Island shredded too!" - The Tape

"Meet Senator Chuck Schumer" @ the July 11th Pool Party (Ruthie_FF)

Pool Party champion Charles E. Schumer allowed people to ironically pose with him at the first of seven Pool Parties at the Williamsburg Waterfront on Sunday. Did you meet Chuck?

Eric White met Chuck Schumer (Erik White)

Sets of music were played by Why?, Fang Island, Pictureplane, and Xiu Xiu/Deerhoof combined to form a Joy Division cover band. Unfortunately there was no world cup viewing at the venue which definitely kept lots of people away. More photos and info on the show coming later. A few videos are below, and here's one more picture for now:

the scene backstage @ the Williamsburg Waterfront Sunday (bradwalsh)

July 18th's Pool Party will feature free sets of music by Murder City Devils, Obits, Jeff the Brotherhood and Silverghost. Some videos from July 11th below...

Continue reading "Did you Meet Senator Chuck Schumer @ the Williamsburg Waterfront Sunday? (or catch Pictureplane?)"

"Recorded in Berkeley (Fantasy Studios) and San Francisco (Cafe Du Nord), this is a heapin' helpin' of The Singers: a studio and a 'live' disc. The studio disc sees us moving into some decidedly different terrain. I actually use my voice (wordlessly) on some tracks, Devin plays bass guitar... All hell has broken loose! There are special guests, even! The studio disc features David Witham and Yuka Honda on keyboards. The 'live' disc features Satomi Matsuzaki, Greg Saunier, and John Dieterich (AKA three fourths of Deerhoof) on percussion (on a blazing and/or totally indulgent version of Weather Report's "Boogie Woogie Waltz"). Produced by David Breskin and recorded and mixed by Ron Saint Germain, this is either the most friendly Singers recording to date or the most antisocial, depending on who you are and what you expect. The package features beautiful photographs of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN by Simon Norfolk throughout (as well as some 'live' shots from the Cafe Du Nord gig by Peak), so all in all you know this is another Cryptogramophone production of visionary packaging excellence. And you might like the music, too.

You can pre-order the CD online now at Indiejazz.com or check out the special BUNDLE offer (w/ CD, shirt & tote bag) here!" [Nels Cline] [

Deerhoof, who you can see above contributed to the new live album, will be in NYC on Sunday, 7/11, as part of a collaboration with Xiu Xiu. All Nels' official dates below...

Continue reading "the Nels Cline Singers are on tour, Nels also appears soon @ Village Vanguard, the Stone, Living Room & more (dates)"