One of the most eclectic lineups in the US, Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, will be back for 2013 on September 5 -7. Pulling from all genres, this year's line-up includes names like Big Boi (who plays NYC tonight), Spiritualized, Sleep, Wolf Eyes (who have a new video), The Breeders (performing Last Splash), John Cale, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Gorguts, Inter Arma (who play NYC on Saturday), Double Negative (who played NYC this past weekend), Swearin' (them too), Pissed Jeans, Dan Friel, Waxahatchee and many many others. Three-day wristbands are on sale now with individual day tickets going on sale in June. Full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Hopscotch announces 2013 lineup (Big Boi, Sleep, Spiritualized, Kurt Vile, Wolf Eyes, John Cale, more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Bleached / Hunters / Ex Cops @ Bowery Ballroom, 4/23/2013

Bleached have played NYC a bunch in their short career, but last night (4/23) was their first here with a full album under their collective belt. That would be the very catchy Ride Your Heart, which came out via Dead Oceans earlier this month. The Clavin sisters hit most of that platter during their economical Bowery set. They are also brave/confident, allowing scene-stealers Hunters along for the ride. Ex Cops, who've been with Bleached for much of their North American trek, opened the night.

More pictures from last night's Bowery show are below...

Continue reading "Bleached, Hunters & Ex Cops played Bowery Ballroom (pics)"

Bleached on the Gorburger Show

Gorburger @ a BrooklynVegan SXSW party (more by Amanda Hatfield)

We were excited to recently meet alien talk show host Gorburger in the flesh (if that's what you call it), when he and the rest of the cast of The Gorburger Show stopped by our BrooklynVegan SXSW 2013 Wednesday day party to pose with and eat a few fans dipped in vegan queso. We're also happy and honored to be debuting the latest episode of the Gorburger show featuring BV-SXSW-2012 vets Bleached who stopped by the Japanese news network that Gorburger invaded for an interview with the host and a performance of their song, "Next Stop," from their recently released album, Ride Your Heart. Watch below!

It's the 16th episode of Gorburger's The Warner Sound YouTube show, which previously featured artists like Tegan & Sara, Dum Dum Girls, and Flaming Lip Wayne Coyne. Wayne's episode can also be watched below.

Bleached are on tour with Hunters and then Ex Cops, and that tour brings them to NYC for a show on April 23 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for that show are still available. All dates along with the Gorburger video, below...

Continue reading "Bleached on tour, hung out with Gorburger (video & dates)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

Hospitality / Ex Cops @ Kidrockers, 2/10/2013

Braving the slush, families headed to Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday (2/10) for Kidrockers featuring Hospitality and Ex Cops. As you can see, fans rushed the stage during Hospilaty's set, which is okay as it was encouraged. Hosts Seth Herzog and Craig Baldo kept the kids entertained between sets.

Hospitality don't have any other upcoming dates, but Ex Cops are playing an early show on Friday (2/15) at Mercury Lounge with Ski Lodge (tickets) and, after SXSW, will head out on tour with Bleached, including an NYC stop at Bowery Ballroom on April 23. Tickets are still available.

More pictures from Sunday's Kidrockers show are below.

Continue reading "Hospitality & Ex Cops played Kidrockers @ Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

by Bill Pearis

still from Ex Cops' "Separator" video

Brooklyn's Ex Cops just released a new video for "Separator" which can be found on the band's debut album, True Hallucinations, out now via Other Music Recording Company. Locals may notice that a portion of the video was shot at Williamsburg bar Tender Trap (where that dancer is a weekend fixture). You can check it out below.

The band, who play Kidrockers at Brooklyn Bowl this Sunday (2/10) with Hospitality, are set to head out on a short headlining tour that kicks off in NYC with an early show at Mercury Lounge on February 15 and tickets are still available. Ex Cops have also been picked as openers on Bleached's upcoming tour, including the April 23 stop in Manhattan at Bowery Ballroom that also has Hunters on the bill. Tickets are still available.

All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Ex Cops made a new video, playing shows and opening for Bleached tour (dates)"

photos by Maryanne Ventrice

Caveman / Har Mar Superstar @ Kidrockers, 1/27/2013

As mentioned, Caveman have a new album on the way via Fat Possum on April 2. What better audience to test out some new tracks than a bunch of half-pints? That's just what they did when Caveman played Kidrockers at Brooklyn Bowl on January 27, an afternoon show that also included a set from Har Mar Superstar along with hosts Craig Baldo and Jordan Carlos. Pictures are in this post.

Adults can next catch Caveman in NYC at Webster Hall, and at other places around the country.

Kidrockers', whose show before this was with DIIV and Widowspeak, next event is this Sunday (2/10) at Brooklyn Bowl with Hospitality and Ex Cops. Tickets are on sale now.

More pictures of Caveman and Har Mar Superstar are below.

Continue reading "Caveman and Har Mar Superstar played Kidrockers @ Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

Dirty Projectors in Brooklyn in 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

Morrissey @ T5, 10/13/2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Parquet Courts @ DBA, August 2012

today in NYC
* Winter Jazz Fest
* Namgar @ Barbes
* Cake @ Bowery Ballroom
* Sooyun Kim @ The Stone
* Hot Sardines @ Joe's Pub
* Slick Rick @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Sinkane (DJ Set) @ Ace Hotel
* Bettye LaVette @ City Winery
* Found Footage Festival @ Maxwell's
* Cherry Poppin' Daddies @ Joe's Pub
* Songs for Unusual Creatures @ Barbes
* Purity Ring, Young Magic @ Webster Hall
* Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra @ Joe's Pub
* Bezoar, Flown, Eidetic Seeing @ Union Pool
* Bloc Party, IO Echo @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ McKittrick Hotel
* Miniboone, Pretty & Nice, BOYTOY @ Mercury Lounge
* Emil & Friends, Neighbors, Silent Rider @ Glasslands
* L-Vis 1990, Bok Bok, Girl Unit, Kingdom @ Steel Drums
* Morrissey, Kristeen Young @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
* Matt Poon and Friends from Tactus and MSM @ The Stone
* Ski Lodge, Island Twins, SW/MM/NG, Spires @ Shea Stadium
* Reigning Sound, The Swingin' Neckbreakers @ The Bell House
* Mike Simonetti, Alex of Lemonade, Carter, 12 x 12 @ Glasslands
* Dirty Projectors, yMusic @ Carnegie Hall -- Isaac Stern Auditorium
* Braille, Archie Pelago, Contakt, Nooka Jones, ENOE @ Cameo Gallery
* Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside, Diego Garcia @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Wishes & Thieves, These Animals, The Ugly Club, Mitten @ Cameo Gallery
* Sparxx, Mind Dynamics, Spirit Guide, Pvre Matrix, Gla22 @ 285 Kent Avenue
* Parquet Courts, PC Worship, Household, Gal Pals, Priests @ Death By Audio
* Porches, Laser Background, pow wow!, Ball of Flame Shoots Fire @ Cake Shop
* Cool Serbia, The Vandelles, Secret Band, Grand Resort @ 247 N. 10th
* Absent Warrior, Ashcan Orchestra, Flagboy, Hunter Ouch My Ankle @ Ran Tea House
* No Sir I Won't, California X, Nuclear Spring, Ylajali @ Acheron
* Padna, Melissa F. Clarke, Nickolas Mohanna, Millions, Philip Stearns @ Silent Barn
* Alberich, Ames Sanglantes, Natural Assembly, Endless Humiliaton, Cremation Lily @ Saint Vitus
* The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Self Defense Family, Adventures, Prawn @ Suburbia
* Punk Island benefit w/ The Frightnrs, Joey Steel And The Attitude Adjusters, Skarroneros, Consumata Sonidera, The Facts @ Don Pedro

Tonight's the re-release party for Parquet Courts' fantastic Light Up Gold which is coming out via What's Your Rupture next week. Household, Priests and PC Worship are also on the bill. $7 at the door.

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Ex Cops, whose debut album is out in a couple weeks, just released a video for their track "Ken." It's a none-too-subtle tribute to The Replacements' "Bastards of Young" video and you can watch it below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

photos by Luis Ruiz

Paul Banks at Webster Hall - 12/14/12

Interpol frontman Paul Banks played a hometown show at Webster Hall on Friday (12/14), after rescheduling the date, which would have been part of his now-concluded North American tour. Ex Cops were the support for the evening. Paul split the set pretty well between material off of his new album, Banks, and material from back when he was still calling himself Julian Plenti.

Both Paul and Ex Cops gave us lists of their favorite things of 2012, and Ex Cops also turned in a nice cover of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time." More pics and the setlist from the show are below...

Continue reading "Paul Banks played Webster Hall with Ex Cops (pics, setlist)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Ex Cops - Wonderful Christmas Time (MP3)

photo by Nanci Sarrouf

Admission. Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time" is easily my most-hated holiday pop song. Repetive, grating, plodding, and seemingly recorded by accident, the song makes me want to suck a candycane into a point and gouge out my eardrums. (Unlike, say, The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" which I can listen to ad infinitum.) So it's a Christmas miracle that Ex Cops have taken this unfortunate Macca yuletide perennial and sped it up, turned it up and transformed it into a rough-hewn little indiepop charmer. We've got the premiere of the song right here in the post to download above or stream below. Merry Ex-mas.

Another present you're going to have to wait a bit for is Ex Cops terrific debut album, True Hallucinations, which hits January 22 via Other Music Recording Company. The band are playing a record release show at Glasslands that same day with Hunters also on the bill (tickets). After that, Ex Cops play Mercury Lounge on February 15 and tickets to that show are on sale at noon. You can see them sooner than that, though, as they were just added to tonight's Paul Banks show at Webster Hall (12/14) and tickets are still available.

Meanwhile Ex Cops' Brian Harding and Amalie Bruun have each submitted lists of their favorite songs from 2012. In a bit of daring, they both include their own single "You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb" on their respective lists. Check them out below.

Continue reading "Ex Cops cover Paul McCartney, list Top 10 Songs of 2012, opening for Paul Banks + more NYC shows (dates, streams)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Oberhofer - Landline (live @ Snacky Tunes) (MP3)

Ex Cops @ South Street Seaport, 7/13/2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

We mentioned before that there was a Sandy relief benefit happening at Cameo on Tuesday (11/13) being presented by Finger on the Pulse / Snacky Tunes folks (Greg and Darin Bresnitz). The benefit also doubles as the release party for Snacky Tunes Vol. 3, the the latest free, downloadable collection of live performances from their internet radio show of the same name that broadcasts on the Heritage Radio network (whose booth is in Roberta's back yard). The new volume includes songs from Wallpaper, Zambri, Spinto Band, Sinkane and Brad Oberhofer who performs a solo acoustic version of "Landline" which you can download at the top of this post.

The line-up for the Cameo release party/benefit has changed since we originally posted about it. Emil & Friends have dropped off the bill, replaced by Ex-Cops. Moon Hooch and Erika Spring with both be performing as well, as mentioned previously, and Computer Magic will be on DJ duty throughout the night. A $5 donation at the door gets you in (feel free to donate more) and all proceeds (as well as 10% of the bar, so drink up) go to the Red Hook Initiative. Updated flyer is below.

Meanwhile, Ex Cops have announced details of their debut album, True Hallucinations, which comes out January 22 via Other Music Recording Co. Produced by John Siket (Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead), the record shows off Brian Harding's strong songwriting chops (and the lovely vocals of Amalie Bruun) over the course of 11 jangly, just-hazy-enough songs that all get straight to the hooks. You can stream "James" from the album below and check out True Hallucination's cover art and tracklist.

Continue reading "listen to new Ex Cops & a live Oberhofer track (MP3 / dates) "

photos and video by Jessica Amaya

Foxygen / Field Mouse / Ex Cops @ Pianos, 10/19/2012

During CMJ if you find yourself on the Lower East Side with no specific plans, it's usually a safe bet that Pianos will have something interesting. For instance, BV photographer/videographer Jessica Amaya found herself at Pianos on Friday night (10/19) for The Deli's two-floor showcase and caught Foxygen and Murals downstairs (both of whom played our day party early that same day at Public Assembly, and then Field Mouse and Ex Cops upstairs.

Speaking of, Ex Cops play Glasslands tonight (10/23) with Historics and Young Boys ($10 at the door). More pics from Pianos on Friday night (plus video of Murals and Field Mouse) are below.

Continue reading "Murals, Foxygen, Ex Cops and Field Mouse played Pianos (CMJ pics/video) +++ Ex Cops play Glasslands tonight"

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)"

by Bill Pearis

Eternal Summers

So as you may have heard, I think we posted about it once, the Northside Festival kicks off today, Thursday (6/14), all over Williamsburg and Greenpoint which means slightly more music and definitely more Heineken in the neighborhood than normal. You can still buy festival badges that will get you into get you into all shows, theoretically, but depends on the venue and capacity. Many shows have advance tickets, like tonight's GZA's shows (early and late, both sold out) at MHoW or the Cold Cave at Europa (almost sold out I hear) to name two, or you can try your luck buying at the door.  Basically, if you are relying on buying at the door or using your badge, get there early. Small places like Cameo reach badge capacity early.

Tonight there's the BBG/BV Presents showcase at St. Vitus with Dragged into Sunlight, The Year is One, and Make. Also tonight, though not part of Northside, is the BBG presented show at Acheron with Secretarian Violence, The Love Below, Poison Planet, and Pharaoh which means BBG will be one tired dude tomorrow (and Evillive will be late posting).

I also recommend the Kanine Records show tonight at Knit, as Virginia's Eternal Summers have made one of my favorite albums of 2012 so far, Correct Behavior, which isn't out till next month but I know for a fact will be sold at the merch table tonight. (Check out their new video for "Wonder" below.) They're great live too. Also on the bill: Class Actress, Bleeding Rainbow (now a rocking quartet), Zambri, the controversially-named (but pretty good) Beach Day, and Air Waves. Something else to consider that I just discovered: Knitting Factory's has a no-fee ATM.

Also tonight: the Chaos in Tejas/FFF showcase at Warsaw with Ceremony, Citizens Arrest, Royal Headache, and Magrudergrind. I caught Australia's Royal Headache's super-packed, sweaty show at Cake Shop last night and all I can say is wow. They are the real deal and singer Shogun belted it out, hit every note and is, I'm pretty sure, the best singing I've ever heard at Cake Shop and probably ever will? I mean usually the vocals are so low there but his were booming out. If you have a badge and a free spot in your night, try to make it there -- Royal Headache are on at 9PM.

There's also the Other Music Recording Co. showcase at Union Pool who just revealed that the "???" headliner tonight is Widowspeak who will play alongside OMRC artists as Ex Cops and Nude Beach both of which are favorites here at the BVHQ plus The Everymen who I've been meaning to check out. (This might be my first stop of the night.) Flyer for the show is below.

I also want to see Daughn Gibson at Cameo (again go early if you want in to this one); Kool Keith at Brooklyn Bowl would be, uh, cool... there's a lot to do tonight and you can see the full Northside Schedule here.

Other Music and Kanine Records flyers and Eternal Summers video are below.

Continue reading "The 2012 Northside Festival has begun: Eternal Summers, Nude Beach, Royal Headache, Widowspeak & more Thursday picks"

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"

We Are Scientists at SXSW 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

As mentioned, Union Pool's free Summer Thunder series kicks off this weekend (5/26). Since we last spoke, the lineups and schedules for most of the series has been announced. This is what it's looking like so far:

BAM! SUMMER THUNDER BANDS ANNOUNCED! CHECK IT!
•MAY 26TH - ROCKSTEADY YETI DAYTIME BLOWOUT
•JUNE 9TH - RAIN MACHINE/ERIC COPELAND/SAWYER-YEH-WOOLLEY TRIO
•JUNE 23RD - TURING MACHINE/MIDNIGHT MAGIC/VIOLENT BULLSHIT
•JULY 14TH - SIGHTINGS/SMOOTA/LONEWOLF + BEN VIDA
•JULY 21ST - BUBBLES/TEEN/TEST HOUSE
•AUGUST 4TH - TO BE ANNOUNCED JUNE 4TH!
•AUGUST 18 - TO BE ANNOUNCED JUNE 4TH!

ALL START AT 3PM•ALL FREE•BUNCHES OF FREE BOOZE
SEE YOU ALL SOON!

In addition to Summer Thunder, Union Pool continues to host other shows and tonight (5/25) they've got We Are Scientists, KUROMA, and Beach Arabs. The rather small show is their only US date before they head to the UK for a tour in July. Advance tickets are no longer on sale, but "tickets may still be available at the door." All WAS dates are listed below.

Other interesting shows on Union Pool's calendar include the previously discussed Leda (formerly Amy Klein and the Blue Star Band) show (6/1) and the Other Music Northside showcase on 6/14 with Nude Beach, Ex Cops, and The Everymen.

All We Are Scientists dates listed below...

Continue reading "Union Pool's Summer Thunder series lineup revealed, kicks off this weekend; We Are Scientists play the venue tonight"

Frankie Rose @ Township (more by Sarah Frankie Linder)

In addition to the Jens Lekman/Of Montreal show at Williamsburg Park, the Northside Festival (June 14 - 17) just announced a slew of confirmed artists who'll be playing this year, including Future of the Left, the U.S. debut of Iceage-spinoff Vår (formerly War), Frankie Rose (playing the BrooklynVegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg with more TBA), Grass Widow, Cleveland's Gap Dream, Wymond Miles of the Fresh & Onlys,  Chain & the Gang, Kool Keith and more.

Other 2012 Northside Festival artists we've already posted about include Olivia Tremor Control, GZA, Neil Hamburger, Eternal Summers, Ceremony and Screaming Females and Royal Headache. Badges are on sale now and the full list of confirmed 2012 Northside artists is below.

Continue reading "more Northside Festival artists announced (Frankie Rose, Grass Widow, Felice Brothers, Buke & Gass, Vår, Gap Dream & more)"

the RSD2012 morning line @ Other Music in NYC (via)

How did you fare on Record Store Day 2012? What did you pick up? What did you have trouble finding? If you were in Austin, did you stop by Waterloo Records and meet Garbage? (Tim did.) If you were in NYC, did you stop by Other Music? If not, this is what it looked like...

Continue reading "how was Record Store Day? ---- here's pics from Other Music"

NYC record store Other Music just announced their full Record Store Day 2012 schedule, which includes Ex Cops and more. Check it out below...

Continue reading "Other Music on Record Store Day 2012"

by Bill Pearis

Brooklyn band Ex Cops release their debut single "You Are a Lion, I Am A Lamb" this Saturday (4/21, yes Record Store Day if you've forgotten). It's an Other Music RSD exclusive, which isn't really surprising as it's the first release from the Other Music Recording Company, the just-launched label extension of the venerable East Village record store. Ex Cops will also be among OM's line-up of RSD DJs, that also includes Black Dice and Four Tet. It's a big day for Ex Cops. In addition to the single release and DJ duties, they'll also play Saturday night as well, opening for Memoryhouse at Public assembly.

Ex Cops started as a bedroom recording project for Bryan Harding, who used to front Hymns, and Amalie Bruun (also of MINKS), but soon grew into a full band. While the recordings released so far (including the OMRC single) lean toward a Flying Nun/Sarah Records indie vibe, live Ex Cops still lean toward early-'90s UK, it's a much fuller sound. I caught them last week at Pianos and was really impressed. You can watch a Bowery Presents: Live" video of Ex Cops doing (single b-side) "The Millionaire" at the bottom of this post.

As for Other Music Recording Company, the label is an imprint of Fat Possum and will also release Ex Cops' full-length debut in August. The label's only other announced signing so far is Shintaro Sakamoto who used to front Yura Yura Teikoku. The Ex Cops single will be an Other Music exclusive on RSD but comes out officially on Tuesday (4/24).

Click through for cover art and streams of both sides of the Ex Cops single as well as that live video.

Continue reading "Ex Cops releasing debut single on Other Music Recording Company, DJing on RSD, opening for Memory House"