Radiohead @ Roseland Ballroom in 2011 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Coachella which is taking place over the course of two weekends this year (April 13-15 and 20-22) revealed their 2012 lineup. Last week, Azealia Banks was the first artist confirmed, and earlier today they confirmed The Weeknd (maybe he found a band?), and before that, Jimmy Cliff, Breakbot, and Housse De Racket. The reunited Pulp then announced itself. The full lineup also includes headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, not to mention, as predicted, the reunited At the Drive In and the reunited Mazzy Star (!), and Madness and Refused (!) and Jeff Mangum and many, many more that you can see below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 lineup announced (two weekends worth)"

I hate writing year-end lists, as might be obvious to many long-time BrooklynVegan readers. That said, I also like them. They help organize things, which is related to my problem though. I'm too unorganized and hectic to ever get around to making one! But this year a few of us (BrooklynVegan contributors) got together and decided to come up with a collective list of albums that we loved that we think most represented 2011 in BrooklynVegan land. Our indie rock-centric list purposely does not include metal (that's HERE) or hip hop (we should make a separate list). With that in mind, our top 26 albums of 2011, in alphabetical order, are listed (with some commentary and a list of honorable mentions too) below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan's Favorite Albums of 2011"

We already posted Pitchfork's and SPIN's, so... here's Rolling Stone's top 50 albums of 2011. It's got tons of big sellers and major label players taking high spots like Adele, Jay-Z and Kanye West, Paul Simon, and Lady Gaga, but then something unexpected like tUnE-yArDs places at #13. There are also some odd inclusions like Wavves' Life Sux EP and then some albums you could only find on a Rolling Stone list like SuperHeavy (the supergroup featuring Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley, and others). They also give shots to Little Dragon, Josh T Pearson, Das Racist, Wild Flag, and many more. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "Rolling Stone's Top Albums of 2011"

DOWNLOAD: Austra - "Spellwork" (MNDR Nighttime Remix) (MP3)

Austra at Santos (more by Vincent Cornelli)

2011's short list of nominees for Canada's Polaris Music Prize were announced. They include a mix of indie veterans, grammy-winners, a sax player who has played with those grammy winners, and some new kids on the block like the super buzzy The Weeknd whose resume includes working with Drake. Full nominee list is below.

One of the artists, Austra, will release a remix EP to follow-up their latest release Feel it Break. The remix collection, entitled SPARKLE will be released digitally on July 26th and on wax on August 23rd. The release features remix contributions from MNDR, Mark Pistel, and Planningtorock with the digital collection having an additional four bonus remixes. Preorder it at Domino, and download/stream one track, "Spellwork (MNDR Nighttime Remix)" above/below.

Reminder, look for Austra to play a FREE show on July 14th supporting tUnE-yArDs at Pier 54 in NYC. They'll also be on hand to support Cold Cave at Bowery Ballroom on August 6th (tickets). Cold Cave also plays NYC next week, at Knitting Factory with Cult of Youth on July 12th (tickets).

Braids, also nominated, recently announced a ton of tour dates.

Austra song stream and dates and the Polaris Music Prize nominees are below.

Continue reading "Polaris nominees announced, Austra releasing remix EP"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Bill Pearis

Destroyer's new album, Kaputt, is Dan Bejar's grandest musical statement to date, resplendent with horns and bubbling sequencers, bringing to mind Roxy Music, The Blue Nile and even Steely Dan. In order to replicate Kaputt's lush sound, Bejar put together the "Destroyer Orchestra," an eight member band more than up to the task, as heard last night (4/3) at Webster Hall.

Much credit for this should be given to saxophonist/flautist Joseph Shabason and, in particular, trumpet player J.P. Carter who is like the Kevin Shields of trumpet players. Carter ran his instrument through a couple delay/loop pedals, making it sound epic and weird and amazing. It mixed with the sax and lead guitar to form this sonic swarm that hovered around the songs all night. It was rather magical, so much so that Bejar spent much of the time not singing crouched down, swigging his drink and quietly digging this world of sound he helped orchestrate.

The rest of the band brought the laid back groove, so prevalent on Kaputt of which we got all but two songs (No "Savage Night at the Opera" or "Poor in Love.") "Suicide Demo for Kara Walker" and Kaputt's title track were especially good. The expanded line-up also elevated older songs in the set like "Painter in Your Pocket" that was transformed into a lost Al Stewart single from 1978. (Dan Bejar has always kinda been the indie Al Stewart.) The only thing missing was Sibel Thrasher, whose vocals are such a big part of Kaputt. Keyboardist Larrisa Loyva sang her parts ably, but lacked Thrasher's gravitas and soul.

The night's showstopper came with the encore -- the nearly 15 minute "Bay of Pigs" which was released as a single in 2009 and closes the album. Bejar needed a lyrics sheet, but much of the crowd didn't. A group of girls next to me shouted out the lyrics with the kind of enthusiasm you half expect the taciturn Bejar to display. I'm pretty sure it was that group of girls who launched a pair of undies onto the stage. Bejar smiled, and gave them to the saxophonist who proceeded to throw them back into the crowd. He's just not that kind of frontman.

The War on Drugs opened, but I missed them entirely. We have pictures of them though, More pictures from the whole night, Destroyer's setlist and video of "Painter in Your Pocket", below....

Continue reading " Destroyer played Webster Hall w/ War on Drugs (pics, setlist)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: BOAT - Forever in Armitron (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Fleshtones - Bite of My Soul (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: STRFKR - Death as a Fetish (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Obits - You Gotta Lose (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Destroyer - Chinatown (MP3)

Destroyer

Welcome to the You Didn't Get Tickets to LCD Soundsystem edition of This Week in Indie. Or maybe some of you don't care about James Murphy's Last Hurrah, and if so you can consider this the I Don't Give a Crap About LCD Soundsystem edition of TWII. Luckily for everyone, this is another bonkers week for shows and there's bound to be something for everyone -- even if I don't write about it here.

Let's begin with what is my most-anticipated show of the weekend -- Destroyer, who play Webster Hall on Sunday (4/3).  (Tickets are still available.) I have friends who are Dan Bejar obsessives, but I've always been more of a casual fan. Destroyer's new album, Kaputt, is a masterpiece and easily my favorite of 2011 so far. Gone are the chintzy synths and thin production, replaced by glorious '80s widescreen pop that brings to mind (mine, at least) The Blue Nile and Prefab Sprout. It's got the scope and the arrangements I always imagine Bejar wanted for his songs but never had the means to make real.

It's also the first album I've loved in a long time that has this much saxophone on it. I don't think there's a song on Kaput without it, and it's of the variety that makes you think of a city in the rain. Maybe the saxophonist is playing in the rain on a fire escape somewhere? Or maybe that's just every music video from the '80s. Anyway, Kaputt is evocative of that era for sure but Bejar's unmistakable urbane style keeps it out of cheeseball territory.

For this tour, Bejar has assembled an "eight-piece Destroyer orchestra" to bring Kaputt to life on stage. My friend Toby (who does the blog The Finest Kiss) saw the show in Seattle and said, "Seeing Dan Bejar play with a small band or solo under the his Destroyer moniker was always good, but I had never been blown away. I knew I was going to hear the songs from his latest Kaputt, but I had no idea that what I would get would far exceed that very good record and as well as any expectations I had." That raises my expectations quite a bit, but it does make me more excited... even if the show is at Webster Hall.

BOAT

This weekend also marks the return of Seattle's BOAT, longtime TWII faves whose scrappy underdog status may be in jeopardy. Pitchfork, who has barely acknowledged their existence in the past, gave BOAT's great new album Dress Like Your Idols a 7.6 (besting the day's big review by about two points):

"BOAT's fourth album, then, finds the Crane-fronted four-piece going through something of an underachiever's quarter-life crisis. On one hand, Dress Like Your Idols sees Crane, drummer Jackson Long, bassist/guitarist Mark McKenzie, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Goodman finally making their way into a real studio for the first time. On the other hand, that studio-- Seattle's Two Sticks Audio-- is already defunct. And the songs, like the album cover, are as inspired by the band's youth as ever, merging Stephen Malkmus's obliquely deadpan twang, Tullycraft's sugary scene-skewering, and Modest Mouse's "reptile boy" yelp. Where some slightly younger slackers have been opting for warped 1980s synth-pop, BOAT continue to love the 90s: an era when they didn't know, as per the rueful title track, that "the job you wanted doesn't exist." The result is the best album yet from a band whose style finally appears to be back in vogue, though its sometimes-bitterly sardonic humor still won't be for everybody."

BOAT play The Rock Shop on Saturday (4/2) with Miniboone, Landlady and Creeping Weeds. This is the start of an East Coast tour that will have the band back in town next weekend for an early show at Mercury Lounge on Saturday, April 9 with Moon Taxi and The Human Hearts.

Obits

Also Saturday night (4/2) is the record release party for Obits' second album, Moody, Standard and Poor, which is happening at The Bell House. As a bunch of indie rock vets, Obits aren't so much set in their ways as they know what they like. You know what you're getting with an Obits album, but this new one has a little more breathing room than I Blame You, but rocks all the same. And anyone who's seen Obits play knows they bring it live, no muss no fuss.

Also playing the Bell House show are California's Tijuana Panthers who were last here in December. As I wrote then, these guys are pals with The Soft Pack and evoke a similar -- if less aggressive,  more party-oriented -- style of '60s surf rock. You can listen to the entirety of Tijuana Panthers' self-released debut, Max Baker, via a widget at the bottom of this post. Good stuff.  Tijuana Panthers also play Friday (4/1) at Pianos as part of a solid bill that includes the Sundelles (also playing Obits' show), Shark?, and Air Waves. That is an excellent Friday night option.

Wu Lyf

What else? As you may have heard, WU LYF are making their U.S. debut this weekend, playing tomorrow night at Glasslands (a show BV is presenting) which is sold out, and then Saturday (4/2) at Shea Stadium. To go to the Saturday show, you have to  RSVP. And once you get there, you have to pay $10. I don't know what to make of this Manchester band -- they are careful controllers of their image and we haven't heard much in the way of released music -- but I am intrigued. Says UK music mag The Fly:

Far from being arrogant or appearing above their audience, tonight the band seem lost in their own world, having left the window open for all to see. Roberts is an intense and unforgettable performer, but his bandmates back him with a sound that flits between sparkling and cavernous with a rhythm section pounding a self-affirmed beat destined for far bigger venues than this South London archway. Connected to his organ throughout, Roberts only separates himself from the instrument to sip from a teacup between songs. The cacophony of noise he and his band make is not ground-breakingly unique, a meeting point of Nick Cave and Wild Beasts as displayed on 'Spitting It Concrete Like The Golden Sun God' for example, however, the fire burning inside Wu Lyf, a light that only shines in the souls of a select few, is a truly special one off.

That's the bulk of this weekend's action. Actually that's not true, there's lots more but I hit most of the stuff I'm interested in. More picks, day-by-day, are below.

JEFF the Brotherhood

THURSDAY, MARCH 31

JEFF the Brotherhood are at Santos tonight. Their second album, We Are the Champions, is out sometime soon and features songs called "Ripper" and "Shredder" so you know it both rips and shreds. It does! JEFF rules and surely you've seen them by now and if you haven't...go to this show! And more reason to go: Screaming Females, Juiceboxxx and Teen Witch. They also play their NYC spiritual home, Death by Audio, on Saturday but I'm gonna guess that show will be sardine city...not for the squeamish!

PS I Love You and Diamond Rings are at Glasslands tonight which is also a highly recommended. It may seem like an odd pairing but both these artists love each other's music and you're gonna get their collaboration "Leftovers" for sure.

continued below...

Continue reading "Destroyer, BOAT, Obits, Tijuana Panthers, Wu Lyf, Fleshtones, Starfucker, Dam Mantle & more in This Week in Indie"

Guided by Voices @ Irving Plaza, New Year's Eve (more by Chris Gersbeck)

"As previously announced, the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival will be taking place on Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th at Chicago's Union Park! Tickets went on sale on March 4th, and, as predicted, three-day passes sold out in a record time of 24 hours! That said, eager prospective festival goers should fear not, as single-day passes are still available for the totally reasonable price of $45.

And now, without further ado, the newest additions to the 2011 Pitchfork Festival lineup! Friday will see the addition of Guided By Voices and Neko Case; Saturday's lineup will feature No Age, Gang Gang Dance, G-Side, and Chrissy Murderbot; Sunday's stellar lineup now includes The Fresh & Onlys, Radio Dept., HEALTH, Shabazz Palaces, Baths, How To Dress Well, Kurt Vile, and Twin Sister. Stay tuned for more bands still to be announced in the coming weeks!"

Continue reading "Pitchfork Fest expands lineup (Guided by Voices & more)"

"the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival will be taking place on Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th! Tickets will officially be on sale today at 12 PM CST, with single-day tickets for $45 and three-day passes for $110! If last year was any indicator, three-day passes will sell out in under a week (last year they sold out in FIVE DAYS!), so be sure to get your tickets ASAP!"

Continue reading "2011 Pitchfork Music Festival - initial lineup & tickets"

Menomena

In addition to separate upcoming dates, The New Pornographers and The Walkmen have announced a week long tour together at the end of April. Unfortunately though, the only time they're stopping in New York is April 25 at Town Ballroom in Buffalo. All dates are listed below.

The New Pornographers have no upcoming dates in NYC, but contributors Neko Case and Destroyer do. Neko Case will be at The Bell House this Sunday (2/6) with Lost in the Trees and is playing a free show at Barnes & Noble in Union Square on 2/24 with Michael Showalter.

As previously mentioned, Neko Case sings on about half of No Color, the new album by The Dodos out March 15. The Dodos released the first track off the album, "Black Night," listen below. An immediate download of this song is available on The Dodo's website with the pre-order of their album. They also recently performed on Pitchfork's Tunnelvision, video below. The Dodos also announced tour dates, including an appearance at SXSW (but no NYC dates at the moment).

Destroyer, whose ninth full length Kaputt was just released on January 25, is going on tour with The War On Drugs. They're playing Webster Hall on April 3. Tickets are still on sale.

The New Pornographers also have announced a few April dates with Menomena (including Coachella). According to Menomena's website, they recently lost Brent Knopf, who left the band to "focus on Ramona Falls and other creative pursuits." Ironically, Paul Alcott of Ramona Falls' live band is replacing Knopf on Menomena's upcoming dates. In addition to touring with The New Pornographers, they also have dates with Maps & Atlases, and an appearance at SXSW.

Menomena will also be overseeing FILMguerrero's reissue of their debut I Am The Fun Blame Monster! which will be available this spring. As stated in a press release, the reissue includes "a CD/DVD package with extensive bonus materials." Their newest album, Mines, is out now via Barsuk.

All tour dates and videos and that Dodos song below...

Continue reading "a new Dodos song, Menomena minus a member, New Pornographers & Walkmen dates & stuff"

Somebody gon' get pregnant

As previously discussed, Destroyer has a new album called Kaputt, and is going on tour with The War on Drugs who we now know are definitely opening the April 3rd show at Webster Hall, and all dates on the now fully-announced tour. Tickets for the NYC show are currently on AMEX presale and go on regular sale at noon on Friday (1/7). All dates are below.

And in case you missed it, Bejar's New Pornographers bandmate Neko Case has a few shows coming up too, including a free one at the Union Square Barnes & Noble with Michael Showalter on 2/24.

And along with the Destroyer tour announcement came a new video for the the title track of the new Destroyer LP. You can watch that, and check out all the tour dates, below...

Continue reading "updated Destroyer tour dates & a new video"

by BBG

New Pornographer... thats kinda metal right? Destroyer vs Destroyer 666

With New Pornographer Dan Bejar's ninth Destroyer LP Kaputt due at the end of this month, he has announced a show at Webster Hall on April 3rd as part of what looks like a North American tour with The War on Drugs. Tickets go on AMEX presale Wednesday (1/5) at noon and go on regular sale at noon on Friday (1/7). The War on Drugs have not been confirmed for Webster Hall, but we'll let you know if that changes.

Meanwhile catch The War on Drugs when they open for Sharon Van Etten at Bowery Ballroom this Saturday night.

Destroyer is NOT confirmed for Maryland Death Fest, nor is he going on tour with Destruction. That's Destroyer 666, and as previously discussed, Destruction and Destroyer 666 will play B B King's on May 11th. Tickets also go on sale Wednesday (1/5) at noon.

All known Destroyer and Destroyer 666 dates, as well as some video illustrating their similarities/differences, are below.

Continue reading "Destroyer vs Destroyer 666 (tour dates, War on Drugs & stuff) "

DOWNLOAD: Destroyer - Chinatown (MP3)

On January 25, Destroyer will release their ninth LP, Kaputt on Merge records.

These are some of the themes alluded to or avoided in the album Kaputt - and here are 22 things you might want to know about it. Straight from Dan Bejar himself, in absolutely no linear order.

Kaputt by Malaparte, which Bejar has never read- Kara Walker, specifically the lyrics she contributed to the song "Suicide Demo for Kara Walker"- Chinatown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar's- Baby blue eyes - 80s Miles Davis- 90s Gil Evans- Last Tango in Paris- Nic Bragg, who played lead guitar on every song, again- Fretless bass- The hopelessness of the future of music- The pointlessness of writing songs for today- V-Drums- The superiority of poetry and plays- And what's to become of film?- The Cocaine Addict- American Communism - Downtown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar's - The LinnDrum - Avalon and, more specifically, Boys and Girls - The devastated mind of JC/DC, who recorded, produced and mixed this record from fall of 2008 to spring of 2010 - The back-up vocals of certain Roy Ayers and Long John Baldry tours - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence -

Continue reading "Destroyer releasing new album (MP3), not playing w/ New Pornographers @ T5 (but Neko is - WIN TIX)"

DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographers - Your Hands Together (MP3)

The New Pornographers are gearing up for their album-supporting shows this summer in Europe and North America.

The new disc, Together, comes out May 4th, and their first show after its release (which comes more than a month before their other North American shows) will happen on May 6th at Woodstock, NY's 250-seat Bearsville Theater (about 2 hour drive north of NYC). Tickets are on sale now.

That show and the others on their tour will feature the band's full eight-member lineup: A.C. Newman, Blaine Thurier (keys), John Collins (bass, etc.), Todd Fancey (guitar), Kurt Dahle (drums), Kathryn Calder (vox, keys), Neko Case (vox) and Dan Bejar (vox, guitar, et).

Their full tour comes to NYC directly on June 19th for a show at Terminal 5 with tourmates The Dodos and The Dutchess and the Duke. Tickets are still on sale.

Neko Case is currently touring as part of Jakob Dylan's band, and they play two nights in NYC starting tonight (4/21). You can catch them on Letterman tonight too.

Together's first single is posted again above. The second, "The Crash Years," is available on iTunes. There's also a series of listening parties in various cities (NYC TBA) for the record coming up. More info on those, all tour dates and a new video with actor Adam Goldberg interviewing members of the band (and album guests Zach Condon, Will Sheff and Daptone's Neal Sugarman) are below...

Continue reading "New Pornographers confirm full band for tour, kick things off w/ a small show upstate, Neko here now, new video & more "

DOWNLOAD: Portastatic - Foam Hands (Destroyer cover) (MP3)

The idea for a whole EP of Merge covers stemmed from both listening to the SCORE! Merge covers compilation and from doing bookstore events to promote the Our Noise book, wherein we'd play some acoustic covers of songs that came out on Merge. Time permitting, this really could have been a much longer record, but in the spirit of quitting while I was ahead and also turning this in before the end of the year, I stopped at seven songs. Obviously, the Merge catalog is full of hundreds-thousands, actually-of songs I love, so I picked ones I either knew well or thought I could re-create without defiling too harshly. It wasn't easy to narrow down, so I just tried not to think about it too much, and then time constraints set in... -Mac McCaughan

Continue reading "Portastatic cover Merge bands for EP (MP3)"

photos by Ryan Muir

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Destroyer played Pop Montreal this year. More pictures from his set, below...

Continue reading "Destroyer @ Pop Montreal 2009 - pics "

802 Tour...

Wordless Music's four-night run at Columbia University's Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street) starts tonight (9/9) with a one-off show from the "802 Tour," a collaboration between Nico Muhly, Sam Amidon and Doveman (Thomas Bartlett).

That's followed by Do Make Say Think and Charles Spearin's "The Happiness Project" on September 10th (the same lineup that will tour together in November), Tim Hecker, Grouper and Julianna Barwick on September 11th (Grouper is also playing ATP NY), and the final night with Dan Bejar (Destroyer), Loscil and JACK Quartet on Saturday, September 12th. Tickets are still on sale for all events.

We also have two pairs of tickets to give away to each show. Full details are below.

Wordless Music's fall series continues after Saturday with shows from Deerhoof, No Age, múm, Mount Eerie, Broadcast & Atlas Sound, Why? and more.

Do Make Say Think's new album, Other Truths, will be released on October 20th via Constellation Records.

More on the "802 Tour" show with video, below...

Continue reading "Wordless events kick off @ the Miller Theatre TONIGHT -- win tix to Doveman, Destroyer & Do Make Say Think "

August 25th, 2009 (Austin, TX) - Transmission Entertainment is pleased to announce the lineup for the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest, taking place on November 7th and 8th at Waterloo Park in Austin. Fun Fun Fun Fest made its first appearance on a cold Friday evening in 2006, offering a unique approach to festival booking, filling stages with talent bubbling from the underground: what sounded great, and what was making an impact, regardless of what mainstream media said was cool. What started out as a show for a few touring acts and local favorites has become a movement -- a festival that fans and bands alike realize needs to be experienced year after year.

Now in its fourth year, Fun Fun Fun Fest has made a significant impact on the country's winter calendar, successfully combining the vast worlds of indie, punk, rap, electronica and comedy while showcasing some of the city's most unique local businesses.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 lineup (Jesus Lizard, Of Montreal, Gorilla Biscuits, LSF, 7 Seconds, D.R.I. & DANZIG!! & more)"

Richard Thompson's Walking on a Wire is in stores tomorrow. The career-spanning box set includes songs from his Fairport Convention Days, his albums with Linda Thompson, and his solo work.

Mid-summer means the music release list is a bit short, but quality music abounds this week. I can recommend Brendan Benson's My Old, Familiar Friend (check him out on tour), The Cave Singers' Welcome Joy, Choir of Young Believers' This Is For The White In Your Eyes, Mount Eerie's Wind's Poem, The Temper Trap's Conditions, and Ramona Falls' Intuit.

My favorite release of the week is (not surprisingly), Destroyer's Bay of Pigs EP. Destroyer is back in NYC in September.

My favorite Flaming Lips album, The Soft Bulletin, is reissued this week in a 2-LP and CD edition. Other reissues of note include four Musie vinyl albums (Muse: Absolution,, Muse: Black Holes and Revelations, Muse: Origin of Symmetry, and Muse: Showbiz) and The Antlers' Hospice.

If you are already looking to fill your Christmas mix CD, Stockings By the Fire (reissue) has also been reissued, and contains holiday songs by The Bird and the Bee, Hem, Aimee Mann, and others.

What new music can you recommend this week? What's on your shopping list? Have I left any interesting releases off the list?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

DOWNLOAD: Sunset Rubdown - Idiot Heart (MP3)

'This is the best band retreat yet...'

"By no means am I a poet or a great lyricist, I just like to include some sort of beauty in the lyrics," [Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug] says. "Sometimes I'm trying to make them more straight-forward, but it's still in me to return to the metaphor and I'm not very good at it. My friend Dan [Bejar - aka Canadian solo artist Destroyer] is one of the few people who can pull off poetry and music at the same time. The imagery isn't anything complex. I'd like to get to the point where I could create something like that, without hiding behind metaphors. I'm my own worst critic, right?"

"[With the new record] it's turned very much into a collaborative band - they're not just hired guns," explains Krug with a hint of relief. "I'm still the principal songwriter. I bring my ideas to them and then they add their own colours and flavours to them and it becomes Sunset Rubdown. If I was to sit down and record with just a piano and a guitar it sounds all right but it makes me miss the band."
[Spins and Needles]

The group's great new record, Dragonslayer, came out on June 23rd on Jagjaguwar. "Idiot Heart" from that album is above.

Dan Bejar, Krug's Swan Lake collaborator shouted out above, just finished a short solo Destroyer tour. He played XX Merge in North Carolina, and a July 30th NYC show at Bowery Ballroom...

"Last night I had the privilege to see my favorite band/singer Destroyer at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. I've been to countless shows over the past 18yrs or so and I've even seen Destroyer a number of times, but last night was special. He played material off of each of his EIGHT albums and even a song from a side project called Swan Lake, AND he did it all solo with an acoustic guitar. I've always been partial to a sripped down lo-fi sound anyway, so in my opinion, it was best like that. Not to take away from what the band contributes, but it really was amazing this way. So luckily I brought a pad to do a few quick drawings (in the dark) as I always think it would be great to reportage these events and then some how I never seem to. Glad I did last night." [Greg Betza]

EP art, tracklist, the setlist from Destroyer's XX Merge show, and Sunset Rubdown live videos and tour dates, are below...

Continue reading "Sunset Rubdown announce 2009 tour (dates), Spencer's friend Destroyer releasing EP & played Bowery Ballroom"

by Andrew Frisicano

Mac and Britt embrace (Triangle Music)

The much anticipated XX Merge Festival took place last week in North Carolina with a five-day (July 22-July 26), Wednesday to Sunday run of shows. Last night (Sunday)'s show with She & Him, American Music Club and Wye Oak was the only fully announced lineup. The other four nights (and one day) were a grab bag of any number of Merge bands past and present. Did you go? What were the highlights?

Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, who recently played a pair of big NY shows, headlined the fest's first night (which also included Magnetic Fields). Superchunk, which features Merge founders Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan, topped the bill of the second night. The third night included the reformed/reunited lineups of Spent, Polvo and Pipe.

Mac McCaughan came out on stage before [Pipe] instead of the night's emcee and announced that there was a lone protester outside. He invited him up on stage and it was Jon Wurster decked out in Phillies gear as Philly Boy Roy. He was holding a sign that said "Boycot MERGE." He complained that Merge didn't have any Philly bands on their roster and Mac said that they have bands from Jersey, which is close to Philly. You never compare Jersey to Philly in front of Philly Boy Roy. It was hilarious.

All of this led to the introduction of New Jersey punks Pipe. As soon as they kicked into their first song, beer cans and plastic bottles started flying. Frontman Ron Liberti ate it up and even put himself in the line of fire, headbutting some of the cans while kicking some back into the crowd. Liberti bounded around the stage, essentially taunting the crowd. The crowd loved the band's antics as did I (but that may have been different if I hadn't managed to stay dry). [triangle music]

In addition to the Cat's Cradle shows (the venue for 4/5 of the night shows), Saturday featured a day show that included Julian Koster solo as Music Tapes and Mac McCaughan with violin accompaniment as Portastatic. A few videos from that set, below.

M. Ward, who's playing the Central Park Summerstage this Saturday (August 1st), played at the fest's Saturday night showcase. Zooey Deschanel joined him for a cover of the Beatles' "Birthday." Not too big of a surprise considering She & Him headlined the Sunday night show.

Other XX Merge artists who recently stopped in NYC include The Clientele and Richard Buckner (they played Music Hall of Williamsburg last Sunday), Versus and Superchunk (they played South Street Seaport last Friday), and Spent (they played Coco 66). Spoon didn't play a NYC show, but they were spotted in the audience of Paul McCartney's third of three shows at Citi Field in Queens. Destroyer is on his way up. He plays Bowery Ballroom on Thursday. Mark Eitzel (as American Music Club) played Le Poisson Rouge and Maxwell's before XX Merge, and now he's on his way back for a show at The Bell House.

Lineups for each night of XX Merge, with videos, and a bunch of setlists, below...

Continue reading "Merge celebrated their 20th w/ 5 days of shows in North Carolina (lineups, reviews, pics, video setlists...)"

Doveman @ LPR in June (more by Fresh Bread)

Miller Theatre joins forces with the Wordless Music series to present a week of specially curated concerts highlighting the best of each organization's aesthetic and mission. For five nights, indie-rock and electronic-music performers share the stage with artists from the classical- and new-music world, for a week of unorthodox and unconventional musical meetings.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The 802 Tour:
Nico Muhly + Sam Amidon + Doveman

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Do Make Say Think
Charles Spearin's "The Happiness Project"

Friday, September 11, 2009
Tim Hecker
Grouper
Julianna Barwick

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Dan Bejar (Destroyer)
Loscil
JACK Quartet

Those concerts are an addition to Wordless's upcoming schedule, which currently includes the Alarm Will Sound show tonight (July 22nd) at LPR, the Liquid Liquid & Rhys Chatham "200 Electric Guitars" performance on August 8th at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, and the Warp20 NYC series in early September.

The original "802 Tour" (the Doveman date above) took place in 2008. No word on whether they are actually going on tour again, or if this is just a one-off date with the same name.

Do Make Say Think and The Happiness Project also have a bunch of other tour dates scheduled, including two other NYC shows. Grouper is also playing ATP NY. Destroyer is going on a very short tour at the end of July that brings Dan Bejar to Bowery Ballroom on the 30th. All dates and a video from Doveman's June 18th show at LPR, below...

Continue reading "'Wordless Music' @ Miller Theatre w/ Doveman, Grouper & Destroyer ++ other tour dates"

The lineup is coming together for Pop Montreal 2009 (September 30th to October 4th). Confirmed acts include Butthole Surfers, Fever Ray, Dinosaur Jr., Lou Barlow + The Missingmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Thee Oh Sees, tUnE-YaRdS, to name a few.

Those interesting choices (like Lou Barlow with some configuration of Mike Watt's band?) are just part of the fest's usually-strong lineup. Full lineup so far, below...

Continue reading "Pop Montreal 2009 - initial lineup (Fever Ray, Os Mutantes, Butthole Surfers, Lou Barlow + the Missingmen...)"

DOWNLOAD: Elfin Saddle - Temple Daughter (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swan Lake - Spanish Gold 2044 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swan Lake - A Hand At Dusk (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swan Lake - Spider (MP3)

Swan Lake

Have Swan Lake (the supergroup composed of Spencer Krug, Dan Bejar and Carey Mercer) ever played a live show? I don't think so. While we wait for that to happen, we at least have shows by some of the members' individual projects -- the projects that made Swan Lake interesting enough to care about in the first place.

Spencer Krug's band Sunset Rubdown plays Studio B in Brooklyn on June 12th (no general admission ticket info yet). The show is part of the Northside Festival, and part of a much larger tour with fellow Canadians Elfin Saddle.

Since arriving in Montreal in 2006, Elfin Saddle has been steadily gaining audience and acclaim for their original and emotive live performances. Having released Gigantic Mother/Wounded Child on Kill Devil Hills Records in early 2008, they are proud to be releasing their follow-up, Ringing For The Begin Again, on Constellation. A recent addition to their recordings and live performances is Nathan Gage (Shapes and Sizes, owner of Phonopolis record store in Montreal), rounding out their sound with thick drones and subtle bursts on double-bass and tuba. [Core band members] Emi and Jordan are currently working on an extensive stop-motion/time-lapse film, featuring the growth of plants and the animation of a large collection of scavenged objects. [PR]

Continue reading "Destroyer & Sunset Rubdown playing shows, NYC included, but not together (especially as Swan Lake) - 2009 dates"

DOWNLOAD: Guv'ner - Bay's Way Cruel (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Guv'ner - Help Me (MP3)

In celebration of our 20th anniversary, Merge bands of the past and present will converge for 5 days of live music, July 22-26th in the heat of the sunny North Carolina summer. We are calling these 5 days of live music and mayhem, XX Merge.

XX Merge Wednesday, July 22nd - Sunday, July 26th
4 nights at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC
1 night at Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill, NC on UNC Campus Details of additional music & bedlam yet to come!

Featuring over 25 of your favorite Merge artists including...Superchunk, Spoon, Conor Oberst, Spent, M. Ward, The Rosebuds, Destroyer, Guv'ner, Polvo, Pipe & The Broken West. Many more bands both expected and unexpected still to-be-announced!

5-Day Passes are $150 and will get you in to all XX Merge festivities. Passes will go on sale on Wednesday, April 8th at 10 AM EST via catscradle.com and mergerecords.com. 5-day passes are nontransferable. A limited number of tickets for individual Cradle shows and the Memorial Hall show will be made available at a later date.

The Rosebuds are now in the midst of their April tour that brings them back to NYC for two shows soon.

M Ward is also playing Coachella and Central Park Summerstage this year. All dates below.

Check out the video for Spent's "Umbrella Wars", below...

Continue reading "XX Merge - ticket info & initial festival lineup announced (Guv'ner, Spent, Pipe, Spoon, Conor & M Ward included)"

To Whom it May Concern

A petition was put together recently in order to persuade Canadian super group Swan Lake into touring. Most of you have posted on your sites about their forthcoming second record, Enemy Mine, which is due out March 24th on Jagjaguwar. In regards to touring, Jagjaguwar posted that "Swan Lake does not currently have any tour plans but is easily swayed by gold doubloons and/or enthusiastic mobs". Upon reading this, we the fans have come together to prove to the band that they definitely need to tour to support their new record.

We are urging all of you to help us in our quest. If you would post a link to this petition along with any upcoming posts about Swan Lake, we'd greatly appreciate it. Once we hit our target goal of 1000 signatures, we'll send the petition to Swan Lake's booking agent at Billions who will present the petition to the band. After being overwhelmed by the shear number of signatures, we're sure the band will want to hit the road.

http://www.petitiononline.com/swanlake/petition.html

Thanks for all your help.

Maria Carullo
http://wolfparade.nonstuff.com