LA Fest FYF Fest is celebrating 10 years this year, and will take over Los Angeles State Historic Park on August 24 & 25. Check out the massive lineup in the poster above, and in alphabetical order below...

Continue reading "FYF Fest 2013 Lineup (My Bloody Valentine included)"

by Bill Pearis

Eleanor Friedberger just released the video for "Stare at the Sun," the first single from her forthcoming solo album, Personal Record (out 6/4 on Merge). Directed by Scott Jacobson, the clip features sheepdogs, sign language, split-screens and enough lens-flares to fill a JJ Abrams movie. You can watch it below.

In other news, Eleanor is opening for Rodriguez tonight (4/10) at Town Hall, so if you're going to that sold-out show, do get there early for her set. She'll back to play NYC again on on April 26 at BAM as part of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (tickets) and then again on June 28 at Music Hall of Williamsburg which is the last date of her tour with TEEN (tickets). Updated tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Eleanor Friedberger made a video for "Stare at the Sun," opening for Rodriguez tonight in NYC (updated dates)"

TEEN at BV SXSW 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Eleanor Friedberger will release her new solo album, Personal Record, on June 4 via Merge. If you haven't checked out first single, "Stare at the Sun," you can do so below.

While there's been no tour announcement yet, Eleanor will play Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 28. Tickets to that show go on AmEx presale on Wednesday at noon, with the regular on-sale happening Friday at noon. She's also playing the 2013 edition of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry at BAM in April.

That show is with TEEN, who played one of our SXSW day parties last week. The band have a new EP, Carolina, out May 28. You can stream the title track off that EP below. The band are heading to Europe for a tour this week and all dates are listed below.

UPDATE (3/20): Full tour announced, all with TEEN, dates below.

Continue reading "Eleanor Friedberger touring with TEEN who have a new EP coming out (dates, streams)"

Solange at Bowery Ballroom in 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As noted, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry festival will return to BAM from April 25 - 27 and is again curated by The National's Bryce Dessner and Aaron Dessner. A partial list of 2013 performers has been announced and includes headliners The Roots, Solange and TV on the Radio, as well as Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Julia Holter and Here We Go Magic. Full list of announced performers is below.

Festival passes to all three days of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry are on sale now as are tickets to April 25 (The Roots), April 26 (Solange), and April 27 (TV on the Radio).

Continue reading "The Roots, Solange and TV on the Radio headlining 2013 Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (initial line-up announced, tix on sale)"

Eleanor Friedberger will release her new solo album, Personal Record, on June 4. It's her second album for Merge. Like 2011's Last Summer, it's a little more poppy than her work with Fiery Furnaces. You can stream the first single, "Stare at the Sun," below.

Also below is a short video on Eleanor's trip to Jamaica where she took the cover shot for her album. The video goes gives a little insight about new album and has her wry wit on display.

Continue reading "Eleanor Friedberger gets 'Personal' on new LP (stream a track)"

Map from 'Portlandia: A Visitor's Guide'

Fred Armisen and Eleanor Friedberger are appearing this Thursday (11/15) at Barnes & Noble Union Square in NYC for the bookstore's "Upstairs at the Square" series which is hosted by NPR's Katherine Lanpher. Fred will be talking about his and Carrie Brownstein's new book, PORTLANDIA: A Guide for Visitors and other subjects, with Eleanor Friedberger performing live. Fred's a drummer (among other things), so maybe he'll play along too.

Eleanor just wrapped up recording her new solo album for Merge which she recorded at DFA studios. Maybe you heard her preview new material at the Merge CMJ showcase last month? While you wait for that to come out, Eleanor appears on the new Christmas album Holidays Rule where she contributes a cover of Elvis' "Santa Please Bring My Baby (Back to Me)." Other artists on the compilation include Tame Impala, The Shins, Andrew Bird, Rufus Wainwright with Sharon Van Etten, Paul McCartney and more. You can stream the whole thing via Rdio below.

Meanwhile, Eleanor's brother (and Fiery Furnaces bandmate) Matthew Friedberger is currently on tour with The Sea & Cake which stops in spookily-lit Marfa, TX tonight. All tour dates are listed below.

When not promo-ing his new book (you preview it here and watch the video trailer for it below), Fred Armisen is staying busy on SNL where he recently played Mayor Bloomberg giving one of his post-Sandy NYC addresses, shoutout to "Homeland" included, below...

Continue reading "Portlandia Book out now; new Eleanor Friedberger LP soon; Fred Armisen & Eleanor Friedberger appearing at B&N this week"

This one gets a big "!!!!". Listen to the song, with more info about the above-pictured new holiday album, below...

Continue reading "listen to Sharon Van Etten & Rufus Wainwright sing "Baby It's Cold Outside"! (from new holiday album)"

Reigning Sound

Merge Records have added two new artists to their roster: Memphis, TN's long-running garage greats Reigning Sound (previously on In the Red), and Lambchop guitarist William Tyler whose 2011 instrumental solo album, Behold the Spirit, was well-received (stream it at Spotify). Neither act have specific release news but look for albums from both in 2013.

Meanwhile both Tyler and Reigning Sound will be part of Merge Records' official CMJ showcase which will be at Mercury Lounge on October 18 with Telekenesis, Eleanor Friedberger, Mount Moriah and Superchunk frontman/label domo Mac McCaughan also on the bill. It's the first CMJ showcase Merge has had since 2008. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 21 at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (9/19) at noon.

The only artist on the Merge CMJ showcase that has any other upcoming tour dates listed is Telekinesis, though none in NYC. Those are listed below.

Continue reading "Reigning Sound and William Tyler sign to Merge, playing label's CMJ showcase w/ Telekinesis, Eleanor Friedberger and more"

AC Newman w/ New Pornographers at Terminal 5 in 2010 (more by Greg Cristman)

NYC comedy duo Wrestling Team (aka Mark Bisi and Andy Beckerman) do a live taping of their Beginnings interview podcast at UCBEast on the second Tuesday of every month, and new episodes premiere every Thursday (listen for free on iTunes). This month's live taping, which is TONIGHT (9/11) at UCBEast, will feature Mark and Andy talking to Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show and Air America Radio) and David Rees (Get Your War On, How to Sharpen Pencils), and the musical guest will be New Pornographer AC Newman. $5 tickets for tonight's show are available.

Tonight's show happens about a month before AC Newman begins his tour with The Mynabirds which comes to NYC on October 22 at Bowery Ballroom (tickets) and October 24 at Maxwell's (tickets). Newman's new album, Shut Down the Streets, is out October 9.

Meanwhile, you can also catch Lizz Winstead in NYC when she brings her Free Or Die book tour to Brooklyn's Galapagos Art Space on September 24 (tickets) and Manhattan's 92YTribeca on October 3 (tickets). She'll also do her 'Bang The Dumb Slowly: The Year In Politics' show at Gramercy Theatre on November 5, the day before Election Day. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

David Rees has other upcoming NYC appearances too. He'll be coming to Union Hall on September 19 and 20. The 9/19 show is a free 'Comedians With Books' show with Janeane Garofalo, which is part of the Brooklyn Book Festival, and the 9/20 show is a 'Librarian Olympics' show, which tickets are on sale for. David will also do a BCRG-presented show this week a bit outside of NYC at Beacon, NY's Hudson Valley Auctioneers on September 15 with Bobby Tisdale (writer for Late NIght with JImmy Fallon among other things), Beth Hoyt, and musical guest Eleanor Friedberger. The Beacon, NY show is Eleanor's only upcoming show at the moment.

All AC Newman dates and a stream of his recent single, "I'm Not Talking," are below.

Continue reading "AC Newman playing 'Beginnings' at UCBEast tonight w/ Lizz Winstead & David Rees (updated dates)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield; video by Jessica Amaya; words by Bill Pearis

One night before the 4Knots Music Festival too over the space, fire included, it was the last Seaport Music Festival show of the year on Friday (7/13), a nice, if low-key affair (part of the River to River Festival) with Fiery Furnace Eleanor Friedberger. With no new album to plug, Friedberger seemed pretty relaxed and jovial, playing mostly songs off last year's great Last Summer with added pizaz from sax player Robbie Lee.

The undercard slot went to Ex Cops who were just teriffic, I thought, with a sound that's some where between New Zealand 1985 and London/Manchester 1992, and great songs like their Other Music debut single "You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb" and a few that I hadn't heard before. The band can really play too. Looking forward to their first album, which is due out this fall.

I didn't catch that much of Zambri's opening set, but am a fan of all things slinky, tribal and gothy and have enjoyed their shows in the past.

In addition to more pictures of all three bands below, you can also check out video performances from Friday night's show.

Continue reading "Eleanor Friedberger, Ex Cops and Zambri played South Street Seaport (pics, video)"

Ted Leo at How Was Your Week? in February (more by Erik Erikson)

Julie Klausner's weekly How Was Your Week? podcast, which is often taped at The Bell House, will tape there again on June 27 with special guests Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Ted was also a guest on the show back in February), Jim Gaffigan, Katie Notopoulous, and other very special guests. Tickets for that show are on sale now, and after its taping, it will be available for free on iTunes, like the rest of the How Was Your Week? podcasts.

Ted Leo, meanwhile, plays in Citizens Arrest at Warsaw on Thursday (6/14) as part of the FFF/Chaos in Tejas showcase at the Northside Festival with Ceremony, Magrudergrind and Royal Headache.

Speaking of comedy shows at the Bell House, the Greg Barris-hosted 'Heart of Darkness' featuring Kristen Schaal, Dave Hill, Jon Glaser, and Mind Warrior Hamilton Morris, with music by The Forgiveness w. Aerial East, Das and Alexandre Tannous, happens at the Brooklyn venue on Saturday (6/16). Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Speaking of Kristen Schaal, she also performs at Kurt Andersen's Kings County show on June 29 at Galapagos with Jessi Klein and Eleanor Friedberger (who plays the Seaport in July). Tickets for that show are on sale now. There's also a Kings County show at The Bell House on June 24 with Wyatt Cenac, Lucy Sexton, Chairlift, and a "A TOP SECRET SPECIAL GUEST". Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Kristen has also been doing warm up shows in advance of her 1-hour taping coming up in San Francisco. She's got two left, and they happen on Tuesday (6/12) and Thursday (6/14) at UCB East. Both are sold out but there will be a standby line for the Thursday show.

In other comedy news, Brooklyn Brewery is hosting a new monthly series called Tom Shillue's Funny Story. The first of those goes down this month on June 21 with Tom Shillue, Bobby Tisdale, John Mulaney, and more TBA. Tickets are $10 and include a free beer.

Eleanor Friedberger at Hotel Vegan, SXSW 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Eleanor Friedberger and Ex Cops will play a free show Pier 17 at the Seaport on July 13, the night before the 4Knots Festival. That brings the total up to four for Friday shows at the Seaport, the others being The Miracles Club on June 22; Veronica Falls with The People's Temple on June 29; and Patrick Watson with Loney Dear on July 6.

It looks like that's Eleanor's only upcoming show at the moment. Ex Cops, however, will play this week at the Northside Fest as part of Other Music Recording Co.'s showcase at Union Pool on Thursday, June 14 with Nude Beach, The Everymen and a mystery headliner. No advance tickets for that one.

Continue reading "Eleanor Friedberger and Ex Cops playing the Seaport"

Eleanor Friedberger @ Hotel Vegan (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Unsound
* Cactus @ BB King's
* Tribeca Film Fest
* Gunplay @ Santos Party House
* Cannabis Corpse @ Dingbatz (NJ)
* Furthur @ Beacon Theatre
* Steel Panther @ Irving Plaza
* Everest, Chamberlin @ Brooklyn Bowl
* JD McPherson, Lucius @ Mercury Lounge
* Modeselektor, Low Limit @ Bowery Ballroom
* Turbo Fruits, Dirty Ghosts, Habibi @ Cake Shop
* Nymph, Mick Barr, Hunter Hunt-Hendrix @ The Stone
* Eleanor Friedberger, Hospitality @ The Bell House
* Plants and Animals, This Is The Kit @ Mercury Lounge
* Melvin Van Peebles, LAXATIVE, Jamie Register @ Zebulon
* Heat Wave, Ohbliv, Pilgrim, North American @ 285 Kent Ave
* Jenny Hval, Julia Kent, Julia Holter @ Issue Project Room
* Bad Brains, GZA, Gibby Haynes @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Free Energy, Future of What, Indian Rebound @ The Rock Shop
* Hunters, Sister Fucker, Buddy Bag, Generation @ Death By Audio
* Colin L. Orchestra, Platinum Vision, Boveda @ Ding Dong Lounge
* Lushlife, Shine 2009, My Dry Wet Mess, Genghis Hans @ Glasslands
* Apollo Heights, Electric People, Imaginary Friends @ Shea Stadium
* Tunde Olaniran, DJ Apt One, Robert Lux, Miz Korona @ Cameo Gallery
* Mascara, Le Sphinxx, Spaces, The Brutalist School @ Public Assembly
* Gregory Porter, Dos y Mas, Elio Villafranca, Arturo Staple @ Littlefield
* Sister Crayon, Prince Rama, Psychobuildings, D. Gookin, Prince Rama @ Pianos

Unsound Festival kicks off tonight at its first host venue, Issue Project Room, with performances by Jenny Hval, Julia Holter, and Julia Kent.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.
Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Eleanor Friedberger and Hospitality begin a tour at the Bell House in Brooklyn tonight. Check out Eleanor's new video for "I Won't Fall Apart on You Tonight", below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

most photos by Amanda Hatfield, some shots by Zach Timm

Polica @ Hotel Vegan

In addition to hosting almost 100 bands on three stages for four days straight, BrooklynVegan's Hotel Vegan, located at Austin venues Hotel Vegas & Volstead Lounge, was a place where you could sip some complimentary HobNob Wines from noon-7pm each day. On Friday (3/16/2012), the third day of Hotel Vegan, we teamed with HobNob and The Original Moonshine for a big party that included the following, amazing FREE lineup:

Stage 1 (Hotel Vegas Outside)
12:00 Cold Showers
1:00 Polica
2:00 Youth Lagoon
3:00 Eight and a Half (members of Broken Social Scene & the Stills)
3:45 Django Django
4:30 Tennis
5:15 Light Asylum
6:00 The Black Angels

Stage 2 (Hotel Vegas Inside)
12:00 Lucius
12:45 The Big Sleep
1:30 The Twilight Sad
2:15 Eleanor Friedberger (of the Fiery Furnaces)
3:00 Widowspeak
3:45 TRUST
4:30 The Evaporators (Nardwuar's band)
5:15 DIVE

Stage 3 (Volstead)
12:15 Jennifer Castle
1:00 Daughter
1:45 Exitmusic
2:30 Doldrums
3:15 Zeus
4:00 Au Palais
5:00 Craft Spells

The Evaporators getting started @ Hotel Vegan

If you got your picture taken in our Smilebooth, make sure to look for yourself in the photos posted to our Facebook.

Special thanks to our official backline providers Vox, Blackstar and Korg, and thank you to NadaMoo for supplying free vegan treats, and to Honest Tea for the tea.

The Black Angels closed the day off right with a set of their 60s-influenced, psych rock n roll to an oferflowing house on the outdoor stage that saw a full crowd throughout the day thanks to names like Polica, Youth Lagoon and Tennis.

So many bands, so little time, so experience it with the pictures that continue below (and stay tuned for more on BV Austin)...

Continue reading "#HotelVegan Day 3 pics (BV, HobNob Wines & Moonshine presents) - Black Angels, Tennis, Youth Lagoon & MANY more"

As you know, BrooklynVegan is taking over ALL THREE STAGES at connecting Austin venues Hotel Vegas & Volstead for FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT this week, and it's all 100% FREE (no RSVP or badges either). There's a big outdoor stage, and smaller stages inside Hotel Vegas & Volstead. Collectively we're calling the four day long party "Hotel Vegan" (located at 1500 E. 6th St, Austin, TX).

Friday's party is presented with HobNob Wines, our official wine partner of all four days of Hotel Vegan, and The Original Moonshine, our official spirit partner on Friday and Saturday.

We announced Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday in full.
Here is Friday at Hotel Vegan (March 16, 2012):

Stage 1 (Hotel Vegas Outside)
12:00 Cold Showers
1:00 Polica
2:00 Youth Lagoon
3:00 Eight and a Half (members of Broken Social Scene & the Stills)
3:45 Django Django
4:30 Tennis
5:15 Light Asylum
6:00 The Black Angels

Stage 2 (Hotel Vegas Inside)
12:00 Lucius
12:45 The Big Sleep
1:30 The Twilight Sad
2:15 Eleanor Friedberger (of the Fiery Furnaces)
3:00 Widowspeak
3:45 TRUST
4:30 The Evaporators (Nardwuar's band)
5:15 DIVE

Stage 3 (Volstead)
12:15 Jennifer Castle
1:00 Daughter
1:45 Exitmusic
2:30 Doldrums
3:15 Zeus
4:00 Au Palais
5:00 Craft Spells

We will also have free vegan treats courtesy of NadaMoo! and free Honest Tea. Arlo's great Vegan Food truck, located right next door, will be at all four days of Hotel Vegan selling food.

Special thanks to all of our partners and sponsors for making this party possible - including Vox, Blackstar and Korg, our official backline partners.

--
The Black Angels (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

HobNob Wines offers free music content at its HobNob Inner Circle on Facebook. Join HobNob's Inner Circle to access exclusive downloads, editorial and info on upcoming events. Previously featured artists include Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Saint Bernadette, The Antlers, Company of Thieves, Xylos, as well as The Black Angels and Polica who are both playing this party.

-----

Friday is just one of four full days at Hotel Vegan. Wednesday lineup HERE. Thursday lineup HERE. Saturday lineup HERE.

We also have THREE official BrooklynVegan showcases - Tuesday (which Alex Maas of the Black Angels is playing a song at), Wednesday, and Friday - and a Saturday metal day party at Lovejoys, AND a bridge show.

by Andrew Sacher

Sinkane, who you may know as current Yeasayer multi-instrumentalist/former touring drummer for Of Montreal and Caribou, Ahmed Gallab, is set to release his third LP, Mars, which is due out sometime this year. He's got a few songs on soundcloud, including the newish cut "Jeeper Creeper," which pretty much recall a similar brand of psych pop to those aforementioned groups that he's played with. You can stream "Jeeper Creeper" along with a few tracks from his two previous albums below. The new album will feature contributions from Twin Shadow's George Lewis and Yeasayer's Ira Wolf.

Ahmed Gallab will make his live debut under the Sinkane moniker in Brooklyn on March 11 at Cameo with Chandeliers and Wishes (Akwetey from Dragons of Zynth). He's also got another Brooklyn show scheduled to happen at Glasslands on June 7. Tickets for the Glasslands show are on sale now.

Sinkane is also one of the many artists on the just-announced Crossing Brooklyn Ferry lineup, which was curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National and goes down from May 3 - 5 at BAM. Sinkane play on May 4, the day that St. Vincent headlines and Ava Luna also play.

Gallab was a touring member of Eleanor Friedberger's live band in the past. He will not be playing with her on her upcoming tour with Hospitality which hits The Bell House on April 18. Tickets for that show are still on sale.

All dates and streams below...

Continue reading "Sinkane is Ahmed Gallab of Yeasayer (and many other bands) -- songs & dates"

Eleanor at BV Holiday Party at MHOW in 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Merge labelmates Eleanor Friedberger and Hospitality who shared a bill during CMJ with their other Merge labelmate Wild Flag, are heading out on a tour together in April and May which kicks off with a Brooklyn show at The Bell House on April 18. Tickets for that show are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

Meanwhile, Eleanor Friedberger will be tour with Portlandia, Wild Flag's Carrie Brownstein included, this month. Eleanor made a video for "Heaven" last month. Check it out below.

You can catch Hospitality in NYC even sooner when they open for Tennis at Bowery Ballroom (3/3) and MHOW (3/5). The Bowery show is sold out but tickets for the MHOW show are still available. Hospitality also made a video last month. You can watch that below.

Speaking of Tennis, you can stream their new album which came out this week.

Speaking of Wild Flag, their tour hits NYC on April 1 at Webster Hall. Tickets for that show are still available.

All dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Eleanor Friedberger & Hospitality announce tour (dates)"

today in NYC
* stuff @ Barbes
* comedy @ Cake Shop
* Symbol @ The Stone
* Organ Trio @ The Stone
* Tool, YOB @ Mohegan Sun (CT)
* Skrillex, AC Slater @ Webster Hall
* Joe Henry, Marc Ribot @ City Winery
* Jeff "Tain" Watts @ Village Vanguard
* Philip Glass birthday @ Carnegie Hall
* Dry the River, The Loom @ Mercury Lounge
* Mitten, A Severe Joy, Genghis Hans @ Union Hall
* The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Vacationer @ Irving Plaza
* Smith Westerns, Porcelain Raft, Bleached @ Webster Hall
* Dan Friel, Diamond Terrifier, GDFX, Rat Attack @ Zebulon
* EULA, Wild Yaks, Lost Boy?, Gross Relations @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Blouse, Cosmetics, The New Lines, Beige, Mosaics @ 285 Kent Ave
* La Big Vic, Soft Spot, Silent Drape Runners, Gifts For Burning @ Death By Audio
* Megafortress, Slava, Carlos Giffoni, When the Mountains Turn Blue, Joel Ford (DJ set) @ Glasslands
* Wordless Music Orchestra performing Johann Johannsson's score for Bill Morrison's "The Miners' Hymns" @ World Financial Center Winter Garden
* Union Pool Winter Charity Extravaganza w/ Born At Sea, Afraid of Whales, Man Benu, Ice Balloons, Sun Donna, Gregory Stovetop, Jared Samuel, Tim Kuhl, Minerva Lions @ Union Pool

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.

Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

also follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too.

Union Pool will host a benefit tonight that will raise money for the Seamen's Society for Children & Families. Anchored by musical performances from Man Benu, Born at Sea, Afraid of Whales, Gregory Stovetop, Jared Samuel & Time Kuhl, Sun Donna and Ice Balloons, the night will also feature a bake sale and a raffle with prizes from local businesses like Main Drag, Ear Wax Records, El Diablo Tacos, Mikey's Hook Up, and many many more. All sales of Bud/Jameson will go towards the benefit, so get loaded for a good cause! Wouldn't mom be proud. $5 gets you in the door and with a single raffle ticket. Flyer below.

Eleanor Friedgerger, who announced some dates, some with Portlandia, has a new video for "Heaven". Check it out below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

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"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Eleanor Friedberger @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

You saw one set of pictures from this BrooklynVegan Holiday Party. Here's a second. More shots of Anna Calvi, Eleanor Friedberger & New Moods @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, below...

Continue reading "Anna Calvi, Eleanor Friedberger & New Moods @ Music Hall of Williamsburg -- (pics part 2)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Anna Calvi @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Anna Calvi, visiting Brooklyn from the UK, headlined the BrooklynVegan Holiday Party at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 12/13. According 2 G was there and he (G) listed his ten reasons why you should always see Anna live, which you can read at his site. Anna played every song on her debut album which came out earlier this year and covered Edith Piaf and TV on the Radio. She definitely rocked the house (and played one of Bill Pearis's favorite shows of the year). One person is now wondering who is better at shredding, Anna or Annie Clark?

Eleanor Friedberger (who plays the venue again soon) and New Moods (who told us her favorite things from 2011) both opened the Tuesday night show and tore it up as well.

Thanks to all who came - $1.00 of your ticket was donated to Toys for Tots, and we raised even more from the raffle we were running in the lobby (thanks to Domino Records, Merge Records, Frenchkiss Rercords, Partisan Records, Beggars/Matador, Bowery Presents, Rocks Off, Brooklyn Bowl, Live Nation, Vice, and more).

More pictures and videos from the show HERE, and below...

Continue reading "BV Holiday party pics: Anna Calvi, Eleanor Friedberger & New Moods (part 1)"

Chain & the Gang @ Secret Project Robot in Feb (more by Harriet Roberts)

Like many other venues have been doing, Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg is hosting a Jonathan Toubin benefit which is taking place on January 12. The benefit's got a stacked bill including Chain and the Gang (whose frontman Ian Svenonius DJ'd a JT benefit at Zebulon on Christmas Eve), Eleanor Friedberger (who recently played the BV Holiday Party at the same venue), Shilpa Ray, Nicole Atkins, Two Tears, 5 Dollar Priest, Dorit Chrysler and Theremin, and An American Dream. There will also be DJ sets by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds/Grinderman) who both play the Here Comes the Warm Jets show at Joe's Pub in January and a DJ set by Mick Collins, who fronts The Dirtbombs, and whose other band The Gories are playing two shows in NYC this January. Tickets for the MHOW show are on sale.

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: New Moods - Playtime (MP3)

New Moods @ Swan Dive  (More by Tim Griffin)

We are last-minute shoppers at BrooklynVegan. In addition to G-Side TONIGHT (12/6), next week we've got three BV holiday shows and we're still adding bands to them. A week from tonight (12/13) is the first of them: Anna Calvi and Eleanor Friedberger at Music Hall of Williamsburg. We're happy to announce that New Moods will open the show. Tickets are $8, still on sale (though going quick) and one dollar of that will go to Toys for Tots.

If you haven't heard New Moods yet, the band features Billy Jones from Other Passengers and Melati Malay (who also is in Young Magic). You can download the a-side to their debut single, "Playtime," at the top of this post. The band mix a lot of disparate influences -- tropical pop, some definite techno/trance stuff going on in there too -- but the pieces fit together for a very danceable (and hum-able) whole. They played one of our day parties in Austin during SXSW this year, maybe some of you out there were there for that?

For those keeping score, the other two BV Holiday Parties next week are Fucked Up, Dom and more at Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Friday 12/16 and Twin Sister, Widowspeak and Ava Luna at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday 12/17. Tickets are still available for all of them as of this posting.

If you'd like to hear more New Moods, there's a couple more tracks you can stream at the bottom of this post. And if you'd like to hear even more, come to the show!

Continue reading "New Moods added to BV Presents Anna Calvi/Eleanor Friedberger show at Music Hall of Williamsburg"

Eleanor Friedberger @ MusicFestNW 2011 (more by Amber Andel)

Anna Calvi @ LPR in July (more by David Andrako)

I'm happy (very happy!) to announce that we've added Eleanor Friedberger (who will be playing with her full band) to the BV Holiday Party at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 12/13. We'll be adding at least one more artist too, but Eleanor will definitely play right before Anna Calvi (who Rough Trade just said put out the 14th best album of 2011). Tickets, which are only $8 with $1 of every ticket going to Toys for Tots, are still on sale but moving fast.

Tickets are also only $8 and still on sale for the Manhattan BV Holiday Party happening at Bowery Ballroom on 12/17 with Twin Sister, Widowspeak, and Ava Luna.

Tickets, though more than $8.00, are also still on sale for the BV-presented G-Side, Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire and Cities Aviv show happening at Glasslands on 12/6.

Eleanor is also making a solo appearance at the Party Machine Holiday Party at the Bell House on 12/8.

by Klaus Kinski

Reggie Watts, Lisa Delarios & Arden Myrin

And now for the good news that will hopefully serve as an antidote for the terrible news. Have you been one of the lucky and smart mofos who has managed to catch The Party Machine at one of its many appearances at Brooklyn's Union Hall? Those shows, hosted by Lisa Delarios and Arden Myrin, are always off the f-ing chain and always rife with incredible guests. RIFE I tells ya. Structurally, Union Hall can barely withstand the ruckus the Party Machine inflicts on the place, so on Thursday December 8th, The Party Machine will test The Bell House's mettle with The Party Machine Holiday Benefit for The Stiller Foundation.

The Stiller Foundation is a philanthropic effort led by Ben Stiller (never heard of him) whose aim is "to support children around the world by providing educational opportunities to help them realize their full potential." The line-up for this show is EPIC to say the least. Like, so epic that if you suffer from incontinence or heart murmurs, you might want to take some meds before reading on. So far, the published line-up includes Colin Quinn, Michael Showalter, Eleanor Friedberger, Ana Gasteyer, the gorgeous Bobby Tisdale, Seth Herzog (no relation to my nemesis), Andy Kindler (!) and Adira Amram and the Experience. And that's just the talent I am allowed to tell you about. I've heard whispers of special guests what would knock the socks off a shoe cobbler. And the show is only $10! Tha fuck?! I know! Get tickets for the comedy event of the century, and help Ben Stiller in his crusade to help kids who have it so much worse than you whining tarts could ever imagine.

And check this out; Arden's now on the ABC show Suburgatory and doing a pilot with Fred fucking Savage for MTV.

And while you've got your wallet out maybe you should get a coupla tickets to the previously mentioned Pretty Good Friends Holiday Show at the Bell House on December 11th featuring Eugene Mirman (please don't show those slaughterhouse pics again), Kristen Schaal, John Mulaney, and MORE. And when I say more, I mean "Damn, I should have bought a ticket when Klaus mentioned it" more. This show is a benefit for you, the ticket buying smarty-pants, who will get a massive dose of laughter which, I am told, is the best medicine.

Meanwhile catch Eugene Mirman, Dave Hill, Bobby Tisdale & Todd Barry at UCB East on December 5th. It's the Comedy Central Corporate Retreat show and Eugene will be giving a sneak peek of a pilot he made for the basic cable channel.

Todd Barry is filming a Comedy Central one hour special at Gramercy Theater four days earlier! Maybe you saw him practice the material at the Pit.

Oh, and don't forget that Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is playing the Bell House on December 30th. Tickets are still, inexplicably, available.