Explosions In The Sky at Wellmont Theater (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

NYU students get a treat this Valentine's Day, a show from Explosions In The Sky! The Texas post-rock quartet will join Grouper and Ducky for a Feb 14th NYU-students-only show (though it's "2 tickets per NYU ID"). The show will be seated on a first come, first serve basis and is a benefit for the Burton CHILL Foundation. Full details, including ticket information, below.

EITS so far has announced a few US festival appearances, but no additional dates. Catch them at Coachella and Sasquatch this year.

In other news, Grouper will team with Tiny Vipers for a collaborative LP entitled Foreign Body. Mirroring, the name for the duo, will release the record on March 19th via Kranky.

So far Liz Harris (Grouper) has a European tour mapped out for March, but no additional US dates to speak of. Full tour schedule is below.

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky playing Valentine's Day benefit @ NYU; Grouper & Tiny Vipers form 'Mirroring'"

"Following last year's 10th anniversary, which crushed previous attendance records and set a new mark for the speed with which tickets sold out, the Sasquatch! Music Festival unveils its 2012 lineup which once again features 4 days of music. The festival, hailed as "a model of well-paced programming...in a four-day schedule as efficient and natural feeling as an expertly built algorithm" by NPR Music while Wired notes, "leave the landscape out of it and Sasquatch! has a lineup to kill for," runs May 25-28 (Memorial Day Weekend) at The Gorge, the internationally acclaimed concert venue carved in the basalt cliffs high above the Columbia River Gorge in Quincy, WA."

Continue reading "Sasquatch! 2012 lineup announced (Bon Iver, Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Shins, Portlandia, Spiritualized & more) "

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)"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Explosions in the Sky @ Wellmont

Explosions In The Sky took the stage and ploughed through one and half hours of hugely dynamic, instrumental music. The band's signature "soft/loud/soft" style was truly effective--arguably more so than on record. Some drum sections from the band's new album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care were surprisingly brutal and heavier live, proving the band's mastery of dynamic range.

It was definitely the tracks from EITS' 2009 album All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone that got the most attention from the crowd. The band ended with "Your Hand In Mine" to a sea of hands in the air, and left the stage with squealing guitar feedback. -[CMJ]

If you missed the openers, then make sure and swing on over to Webster Hall on December 10th. Tickets are currently on AMEX presale, but hit regular sale at noon Friday (10/7). The show is one of a select few US appearances currently scheduled outside of their inclusion on the Weezer Cruise. Tour dates are below.

Explosions in The Sky will hit Europe with The Drift later this fall, but are now on the road with Baltimoreans Wye Oak. The Baltimore pair also has an NYC show in their near future, on 12/14 at Rock Shop with Pattern Is Movement. Tickets are on sale for the show that happens one day before they open for the National at Beacon Theater. Mostly EU, but also US tour dates for Wye Oak are below.

EITS's setlist, more pictures from Wellmont and all tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky & the Antlers played Wellmont (pics), Wye Oak playing Rock Shop b4 National show (tix)"

by BBG

If you only went by the lead song "Horizon" or the video for "Dark Passage", you might get the sense that The Drift tread in similar pounding kraut-rock-y waters as labelmates Maserati. But in the wake of the passing of member Jeff Jacobs, the mood is (save for previously cited examples) very pensive on Blue Hour, The Drift's new LP due via Temporary Residence Limited on 10/4.

As many of you may know, our dear friend and long-time collaborator Jeff Jacobs (trumpet, flugel horn, fx) has departed us, having succumbed early this year to a long and very courageous battle with cancer. He was and remains to be an integral force in the bands development. The amount of passion and energy he gave to music and to the life of this band was paramount. We will miss him beyond what words can express. His light will no-doubt continue to shine on. The recording's we made are in dedication to him, his radiance as an artist, and to the testament of music. May you rest in peace dear friend. Please visit this lovely memorial site his sister Erika Jacobs put together in his honor. His life is to be celebrated.

Explosions in the Sky are meanwhile playing Wellmont Theater in NJ with the Antlers TONIGHT (10/3).

Continue reading "The Drift releasing 'Blue Hour' on Temporary Residence (exclusive stream), touring Europe w/ EITS (dates)"

photos by Autumn Andel

Neurosis / The Antlers

Typhoon played a great set with thirteen people on stage, a friend notes that every time she sees the band there's someone else in it. After their set, lead singer Kyle Morton goes and sits with his family in the crowd after and obliges a female fan who asks to take a picture with him...

The incredibly good-looking boys in Antlers are nearly as sedate as the comatose crowd filling the square. Good thing the crowd is almost as incredibly good-looking as the boys in Antlers. I am distracting myself with untoward thoughts until something interesting happens...

Here's the thing I don't get about Explosions in the Sky: There's really no reason for them to be an instrumental band. Their music isn't evocative enough to NOT require a singer. All the dudes are currently rocking out in great disproportion to the actual rock-out quality of the music. We head to Virginia Cafe. Uh oh...

It's been four years since Neurosis last played Portland. For the full house at Roseland tonight, this is like going to church....

I don't get easily overwhelmed at concerts, but I don't know how much more of Neurosis I can handle. Standing by the PA speakers, my puny earplugs aren't standing much of a chance. And damn if they don't look possessed up there on stage. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed but am so tired that it's starting to scare me a little bit. - [Williamette Week]

MFNW Day 3 pics HERE. Day 2 HERE and HERE. Day 1 HERE.

More pictures from Day 4, at Pioneer Square and Roseland Theater, below...

Continue reading "MFNW Day 4 pics (Neurosis, Grails, EITS, Antlers, Eluvium...)"

words by Zach Pollack, photos by Grant MacAllister

Sorry for the delay of our third and final installmet of Lollapalooza 2011 coverage, but here it is! Due to the major downpour on the Sunday of the fest, Grant's pictures were almost lost forever in a wet camera, but are now recovered. If you're just joining us, check out parts one and two first. Here is part three...

My third and final day of Lollapalooza (8/7) kicked off at Music Unlimited Stage with an opening set from Titus Andronicus. The Garden State punks began things by playing the opening track "A More Perfect Union" from their incredible 2010 LP The Monitor. Titus generally would make for a fantastic start to the day, but their sound was a bit off, and by the look on frontman Patrick Stickles's face, I think he agreed.

After Titus, I decided to calm things down and went to catch Lia Ices. This was my second time seeing the Brooklyn, NY-based songstress this year, but that did not make her less interesting. Lia's well trained voice fluttered effortlessly over the avant pop she produces. I must admit I was skeptical that she and her band would translate well to an outdoor setting. The four-piece shattered any and all of my doubts.

The next set I caught was Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s at the quite favored Google+ stage. The kitschy group are infectious and totally unavoidable. I stuck around for most of their set which included their handmade "Jr. Jr." light boxes on stage and, more importantly, bubble machines.

I then made my way over to watch The Cars, who again consist of their original lineup, except for Benjamin Orr who passed away in 2000. The Cars ran though many of their hits like "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl," "Good Times Roll," and a few new ones too. I didn't initially plan on catching their set, am glad that I did.

I then headed to the Sony stage where Portugal. The Man were setting up. I had caught their aftershow with Wye Oak at the Double Door on the first night of Lolla, and they blew me away. I was psyched to hear so many cuts off of their 2009 LP The Satanic Satanist. I was NOT psyched to hear that their van and trailer (gear and all) had been stolen later on that night. The van and trailer have since been recovered... and so has most of the gear!

I left Portugal's set a bit early in order to make it to Best Coast at Google+. Frontwoman Bethany Cosentino entered the stage and jokingly stated, "Fuck you, we're Best Coast." Unfortunately halfway through their set storm clouds that were hanging over Chicago all day finally burst. It poured for a good hour, letting up just before Explosions In The Sky's set.

The Austin, TX-based post rock band entered the stage stating, "I think you just saw 'us,' but now we're going to play some music." I was glad to hear some of my favorite songs like "The Birth and Death of the Day," "Six Days At the Bottom of the Ocean," and "Your Hand In Mine." Their awesome set was more than enough to keep the muddy, sopping festival-goers around.

Everyone legitimately thought the rain had let up, so I headed across to Music Unlimited for Foo Fighters' headlining set. Their set included a handful of songs from the recently released Wasting Light LP and a bunch of older cuts too. A few songs in it started pouring again and I decided to leave the festival along with Grant whose camera had officially stopped working. Unfortunately that meant that I missed Perry Farrell (of Jane's Addiction and founder of Lollapalooza) joining the band on stage for a second during "Everlong," which included the Foos playing a piece of Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song."

Day 1 pics are HERE and Day 2 pics are HERE. More pictures from Day 3, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Arctic Monkeys included, below...

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2011 -- Day 3 pics & review (EITS, TPOBPAH, Best Coast, The Cars, Portugal the Man, Arctic Monkeys & more)"

Man Man in Chicago recently (more by Grant Macallister)

today in NYC
* GDLK @ Zebulon
* Kotorino @ Barbes
* The Snow @ Barbes
* INXS @ Beacon Theatre
* Laurel Halo @ The Stone
* Questlove @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Rachelle Garniez @ Barbes
* Andy Cooney @ Tappen Park
* Maxi Priest @ MetroTech Commons
* Raya Brass Band @ Broadway Plaza
* Dr. Lonnie Smith Nonet @ Jazz Standard
* Okkyung Lee, Carlos Giffoni @ The Stone
* Joan Osborne, Carter's Chord @ City Winery
* Man Man, Glass Candy, Crystal Antlers @ House of Vans
* Anni Rossi, Dinowalrus, Ezra Buchla, Yvette @ Bruar Falls
* Vagina Panther, Mount Olympus, Heavy Sons @ Saint Vitus
* The Men, Nomos, Brain F, Only the Messenger @ 538 Johnson
* Filligar, Hollis Brown, Jones Street Station @ Bowery Ballroom
* Aretha Franklin @ Coney Island Seaside Summer Concert Series
* Los Straitjackets, Bill Kirchen, Lost Bayou Ramblers @ Maxwell's
* Gospel Gossip, Quiet Loudly, Magnetic Island, Trabajo @ Cake Shop
* The Click Clack Boom, Ex-Cops, Raccoon Fighter, Dialogue @ Pianos
* Aaron Lee Tasjan, Will McCranie Trio, The Cleaners @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Sorceress, The Naked Heroes, Twin Guns, The Foxx @ Bowery Electric
* McCoy Tyner Quintet featuring Ravi Coltrane & Gary Bartz @ Blue Note
* Alloy Orchestra, Marika Hughes w/ "Metropolis" @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Malkit Singh, Dengue Fever @ Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park Bandshell
* Aaron Pfenning (Rewards), Only Son, Blood Orange (DJ set) @ The Manhattan Inn
* The So So Glos, Nuclear Power Pants, Pygmy Shrews, Roomrunner @ Shea Stadium
* Sandra St. Victor, V. Jeffrey Smith, Tom Hammer, Marcus Machado @ Highline Ballroom
* Radical Dads, Spanish Prisoners, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire, Gabriel and the Hounds @ Littlefield
* Off With Their Heads, Dead To Me, The Holy Mess, Raptor Man, Brian Bruner @ Knitting Factory
* Sam Micken's Ecstatic Showband Revue, Bad Credit No Credit, Not Blood Paint @ Public Assembly

Check out This Week in Indie.

Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal DJs Brooklyn Bowl this weekend. We're giving away two tickets on our Facebook.

Explosions in the Sky played "Postcard From 1952" on Letterman on Tuesday night (8/2). Check out a video of that below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Treasure Island Music Festival is returning to San Francisco, CA on October 15 and 16. The lineup includes Cut Copy, Beach House, The Hold Steady, Flying Lotus, Death From Above 1979, YACHT, Shabazz Palaces, The Antlers, St. Vincent, and many others. 2-Day passes go on sale Wednesday (7/27) 10 AM and single day tickets on Friday (7/29) at 10 AM.

Speaking of St. Vincent, if you haven't already, check out her new track at StrangeMercy.com. The full album is out September 13th via 4AD. More info and tour dates HERE. Still no info on tickets for her Met show.

Full Treasure Island lineup below...

Continue reading "Treasure Island Fest announces 2011 lineup, includes St. Vincent (who recently released a new song)"

DOWNLOAD: Mister Heavenly - "Pineapple Girl" (MP3)

Descendents at FFFFest (more by Tim Griffin)

Much like last year, FYF Fest 2011 is poppin' off with some incredible bands, many of whom recently reunited. This year the LA fest will host a coveted Descendents appearance, a Death From Above 1979 show, Guided By Voices, another Kid Dynamite reunion, The Dead Milkmen, Explosions in the Sky, the return of The Weakerthans and many, many notable others. Full lineup is below. The show goes down at 1st and Main in downtown Los Angeles on September 3rd. Tickets are on sale.

Future Islands plays FYF Fest and plays Death By Audio in Brooklyn TONIGHT (6/28).

For Kid Dynamite, which features members of Lifetime, Paint it Black and None More Black, the reunion is their first since re-emerging for This is Hardcore last year with Ink & Dagger. The band called it quits in 2000 and reunited in 2005 at CBGB and some other times too. I hope they schedule another NYC show, but it's just LA for now.

This is Hardcore THIS YEAR features an appearance from Ressurection, which also featured Dan Yemin on guitar. Tickets for This is Hardcore 2011, taking place in Philly's Starlight Ballroom, is mostly sold-out, with tickets for the Sunday show still available.

The Descendents appearance at FYFest is one of several dates scheduled for the reunited band, NYC's Roseland, Chicago Riot Fest, and Philly's Riot Fest included. Tickets are still available for the 9/23 Roseland show.

Mister Heavenly will hit the road for a string of dates on the West Coast leading up to FYF Fest. Check out their full tour schedule below, and look for their new LP Out of Love on 8/16 via Sub Pop. Check out "Pineapple Girl" from that record above.

The Death From Above 1979 appearance is one of several slated for the band in the coming months, including a 7/22 appearance at Williamsburg Waterfront. Tickets are still available OR, you can try your hand by winning a pair at our Facebook. The full set of DFA1979 dates are below.

The Weakerthans have a few other dates slated for Europe and Canada in the coming months. Hopefully they add more US dates too. All dates for now are listed below.

A few bands on the FYFest lineup (namely, Cults, Off!, and No Age) will also appear in NYC at the House of Vans this summer, and for FREE. The FYF-presented House of Vans series of shows starts this Thursday (6/30). You just have to RSVP to get in (and maybe get there early).

All Weakerthans, DFA1979, and Mister Heavenly dates, some video, and the full FYF Fest lineup is below.

Continue reading "FYF Fest in LA, This is Hardcore in Philly, Future Islands in BK, Mister Heavenly on tour, a DFA1979 contest & more"

photos by Dana (Distortion) Yavin & Graeme Flegenheimer

The Strokes

"The 10th anniversary [of Bonnaroo] was a celebration of how far the festival has come but also reminded us how it got there. There was something for everyone. The String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic, who played at the first Bonnaroo, were there to remind people of the festival's jam-band roots. Lil Wayne and Big Boi were there along with Eminem to represent what the festival has become. In between, there were legendary acts like Robert Plant and The Band of Joy, Buffalo Springfield, Gregg Allman, Loretta Lynn, Dr. John, and Bruce Hornsby, which attracted an older crowd that resembled festival crowds of years past.

There were also more recently successful bands that attracted a younger crowd, such as Arcade Fire, The Strokes, The Black Keys, Neon Trees, Mumford & Sons, and The Decemberists.

One of the greatest features of Bonnaroo is that there are plenty of non-music entertainment options for those who need a break from music, the heat, or just need a diversion.

There was a cinema tent where rockumentaries and movies were screened, if you wanted to get out of the heat and cool down. There was a comedy tent that has been graced by comedians like Conan O'Brien and Margaret Cho. Dave Attelland hosted one of my favorite Bonnaroo performances when Flight of the Conchords performed in 2007. This year saw funny-men Lewis Black, Cheech Marin, and Tim Minchin among others in a strong rotation.

Sports fans concerned about the NHL and NBA Finals were happy to find the Bonnaroo Sports Bar where they could play pop-a-shot and watch the games on flat-screen monitors.

Artists were encouraged to show their stuff on the graffiti walls that lined much of the 700-acre farm. By the end of the weekend, you could spend all day walking up and down along the wall, finding some beautiful (and some not so beautiful) creations. " [The Epoch Times]

Bonnaroo 2012 is on sale at noon. The 10th Bonnaroo happened last weekend. Pictures of Karen Elson from Day One are HERE, with the rest of Day One HERE. Pictures of Decemberists from Day Two HERE, with the rest of Day Two HERE. Pictures of Gogol Bordello from Day Three are HERE, and the rest of Day Three are HERE. Robyn from Day Four HERE. The rest of Day 4, and the end of our 2011 Bonnaroo pictures, below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 - Day 4 in pics (The Strokes, Mavis Staples, Beirut, EITS. John Waters, Greg Allman & more)"

Here is the initial lineup for Willamette Week's MusicfestNW, scheduled for Sept. 7-11, 2011 in Portland, Oregon, and it's pretty great. The multi-venue fest includes big outdoor performances by Band of Horses (Sunday, Sept. 11), Explosions in the Sky (Saturday, Sept. 10), and Iron & Wine (Friday, Sept. 9), in addition to shows with everyone from Archers of Loaf to Big Freedia to Butthole Surfers to Neurosis. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 3rd. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "MusicfestNW 2011 -- dates & initial lineup"

The Antlers @ Music Hall (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As you know, Explosions in the Sky just announced a big tour that includes an October 3rd show at Wellmont Theatre in NJ. That show now also includes an opening set by the Antlers! Tickets are on sale (at noon). Wye Oak are opening other dates on the Explosions tour (and it's possible that the Antlers are opening all the dates around then that Wye Oak aren't).

The Antlers are currently out west on tour. They play Sasquatch this weekend. Last week they played sold out shows at both Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg. By the time the Wellmont show gets here, they will have also already played Pukkelpop in Belgium, Greenman in Wales, and Austin City Limits (in Austin). All tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Antlers opening for EITS @ Wellmont (on sale now) -- updated 2011 Tour Dates"

EITS @ The Backyard in Austin, TX (more by Tim Griffin)

Texas instrumental group Explosions in the Sky released "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care" in April and have been keeping busy since. Their last tour included a headlining show at Radio City, and more recently some Texas shows with Arcade Fire (as pictured above). Between now and the fall they'll play various European dates and North American festivals, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza included. And in the fall, they'll head out on a newly-announced North American tour. All dates are listed below, .

Wye Oak, who took part in the 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' show at Bowery on Sunday, open part of the tour. The Baltimore duo will not however be opening the NJ show happening at Wellmont Theatre on October 3 (one day after ATP happens in NJ). Explosions are not playing ATP this year (they played last year), and they don't have a another NYC date scheduled at the moment either (Montclair is pretty close though).

A fan club pre-sale for all dates begins Wednesday (5/25). General public sales beging Friday (5/27). All tour dates, and some cool video from their recent shows at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, below...

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky announce tour --- 2011 dates, presale, video from Hollywood Forever Cemetery"

photos by Tim Griffin

Win and Will Butler are currently visiting their birth state for a few shows. Last night (5/3), Arcade Fire and Texas band Explosions In The Sky played to a roughly-5000 capacity crowd at The Backyard at Bee Cave in Austin. Arcade Fire, who co-headlined Coachella just a few weeks ago, also played the other night with Okkervil River in Dallas, and they do it again with EITS in The Woodlands tonight, near Houston where Win grew up, a fact that has not gotten past the locals....

"Yes, we're all excited that Arcade Fire is playing the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Wednesday night. And, yes, it's exciting that lead singer Win Butler spent his "formative years" growing up in that community which makes this -- to borrow a title from a beloved U2 anthem -- A Sort of Homecoming.

But it's time all of the greater Houston area suck on the bitter pill of reality for a moment and come to grips with a very real truth: Arcade Fire is not a band from The Woodlands.

It is not even a Texas band. It is not even an American band and anyone saying anything to the contrary must also accept the equally preposterous notion that country icon Willie Nelson hails from Vancouver, Wash., or that Madonna is British."
[says CultureMap Houston]

Continue reading "Arcade Fire & Explosions in the Sky played 'The Backyard' in Austin, Texas (Win's home state, sort of) -- pics & setlist"

Lollapalooza last year (more by Josh Darr)

Lollapalooza celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with some huge names on its just-announced lineup. See it in full below.

The festival has obviously changed over the years. What started out as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction with a 'touring festival' lineup that included the Rollins Band, Nine Inch Nails, Butthole Surfers, and Souxsie & The Banshees, has turned into a one-weekend Chicago festival that Lady Gaga co-headlined last year. As leaked a while ago, Foo Fighters, Muse and Eminem all play this year, as will Coldplay, Cee Lo Green, and My Morning Jacket along with the reunited Cars and the continuing-to-be-reunited Big Audio Dynamite and Death From Above 1979, and a bunch of other bands which may or may not be worth the ticket price depending on how you feel about the headliners and generally seeing bands in big, hot, outdoor crowded parks (Lollapalooza happens in Chicago's Grant Park from August 5th - 7th).

Full 2011 Lineup and a couple of videos (one from 1991, one from 2010), below...

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2011 lineup announced"

photos by Winnie Cheung, words by Klaus Kinski

DOWNLOAD Eluvium - An Accidental Memory In The Case Of Death (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Matthew Cooper - Some Days Are Better Than Others (MP3)

Explosions In The Sky

If it wasn't for BV, I never would have had my first Explosions in the Sky/Eluvium experience on September 2, 2006 at Bowery Ballroom. At that time, a friend told me that the Temporary Residence produced show was absolutely unmissable, and that I should do whatever it took to get my ass into the grotesquely sold out show. Luckily I didn't have to do much because one day a window opened on TicketWeb and BV (the man, not the site) was kind enough to give me a heads up, and I was in. From September 2, 2006 onward, I was officially a batshit crazy fan of Explosions and Eluvium.

Flash-forward to now. I'm a little fatter, a little balder, but I am still that rabid EITS and Eluvium fan that was born on September 2, 2006. When it was announced back in January that EITS would be headlining Radio City Music Hall, I was totally cranked. Best... venue... ever. Then I saw that Eluvium was added as opener, performing solo piano material, and I was beside myself. THEN it was announced that LOW was also going to open the show as well. Trifecta! I am still amazed that people pissed and moaned at the near $60 ticket cost. Three epic bands in New York City's most beautiful venue at that cost is a pittance. I mean, if you saved a dollar a day from when the show was announced, you would have had plenty of dough for a ticket and even a few of RCMH's expensive beers.

From start to finish, the show was an absolute triumph. If you balked at the price and missed the show, I instruct you to immediately be overwhelmed and water-boarded with regret. Matthew Cooper aka Eluvium sidled up to a massive grand piano a hair past 8:00pm. Lit only by two bluish spot lights and accompanied by fog that basically transformed the light beams into textured blue cones, Cooper commanded the piano to a room that was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. And, man, was I proud of the audience for that level of quiet. He relied heavily on his piano-centric 2004 release An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death, which was fine with me as it is one of the most beautiful records in my collection. His set was brief, and said not a single word, and left the stage to rousing applause. It was the perfect start to this show.

Low was up next and brought things up to another sonic tier. Playing as a four piece they unleashed a flawless set that was rife with soaring harmonies, anthemic guitar and keyboard arrangements, and a super-bassy back beat that plodded along like the heartbeat of someone at rest. This was my first experience with Low in person and found it to be a perfect complement to Eluvium's quiet, contemplative piano and EITS's bombastic and uber-loud performance. I will definitely check them out again at Bowery Ballroom on April 27. Join me, won't you? I mean not literally. Go to the show, but not with me. Why would you? Whatever.

For me, Radio City Music Hall is the perfect room for Explosions. Most people prefer to see their favorite bands in intimate rooms. But for sheer sonic projection and immersion, RCMH is the perfect room to see and hear EITS. Radio City's massive scalloped, arched ceilings and the sheer cavernous nature of the room really allows the sounds propelling from the speakers to fill up the room and breathe. Actually, I'd give my right arm to see a band like Mogwai there. Their entire set was a work of perfection, but the highlight for me was the second song in, "Birth and Death of the Day". Epic. They did play a pretty lengthy set, but I was disappointed that there was no encore; a non-core if you will. But I guess it makes sense; an EITS performance works best as a 90-minute onslaught. For them to come out to do another song or two would underwhelm and seem weird.

In other Explosions in the Sky and Eluvium News

If you happen to be in Los Angeles on April 23rd, head on over to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (but not in a casket, because that means you're dead meat and will miss everything) for an EITS art and listening event. At the event you will see all tracks from their new record Take Care, Take Care, Take Care interpreted by some artists. That album is set to drop on April 18th in the US.

Matthew Cooper aka Eluvium released the soundtrack to a film called Some Days are Better Than Others as Matthew Cooper. About the film...

The film stars James Mercer (Broken Bells, The Shins) and Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney) as strangers whose lives occasionally intersect as they navigate their way through the struggles of personal attachment and disconnection.

More pictures and the EITS setlist from Radio City, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky played Radio City Music Hall w/ Low & Eluvium (pics, setlist & other news)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Low - "Especially Me" (MP3)

"Low recently dropped off their dates for the C'mon tour, and though the RCMH show is listed as their only NYC appearance, the band recently stated otherwise in a Facebook post. Look for the band to "play a headline NYC show a few weeks later", most likely either on April 24th (after Pittsburgh, before Philly) or more likely April 27 and/or 28th (between DC and Boston). We'll keep you posted." - us, February 2nd

Low recently dropped a new track from their forthcoming LP C'Mon, "Especially Me", for free download. Download that above/stream it below. All tour dates down there too...

Continue reading "Low announces headlining NY date (updated dates, new MP3)"

the Octopus Project in Austin in 2010 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

The Octopus Project are currently on the road, and later this month hook up with Devo for a string of dates followed by a bunch of shows with Explosions in the Sky in April. It's the latter that brings them to NYC on April 6th, but since Low and Eluvium are opening for EITS at Radio City Music Hall that night (tickets still on sale), the Octopus Project have scheduled their own headlining show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets go on AmEx presale at noon on Wed (3/2) and regular sale on Friday. All dates below....

Continue reading "The Octopus Project touring w/ Devo & EITS, playing MHOW"

Bonnaroo (June 9-12 in Manchester Tennessee) has announced the 2011 lineup (slightly early), and like the rumored Lollapalooza lineup, Eminem is among the headliners. Bonnaroo also has Grammy winners Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, in addition to Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, The Decemberists, Florence & the Machine, Girl Talk, Beirut (haven't seen them in a while), and many more. Full list below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is here"

Album art for Low's C'mon

After an appearance at SXSW, Low will prep C'mon, the band's new LP due on April 12th via Sub Pop which is currently up for preorder. Low is currently offering the first MP3 to emerge from the LP, "Try To Sleep", in exchange for your email address.

In between SXSW and the release of C'mon, Low will join Explosions In The Sky when they headline Radio City Music Hall on April 6th with recent addition Eluvium on solo piano. Tickets are still available.

Low recently dropped off ther dates for the C'mon tour, and though the RCMH show is listed as their only NYC appearance, the band recently stated otherwise in a Facebook post. Look for the band to "play a headline NYC show a few weeks later", most likely either on April 24th (after Pittsburgh, before Philly) or more likely April 27 and/or 28th (between DC and Boston). We'll keep you posted.

Explosions In The Sky recently updated their tour dates as well, and you can check out those, as well as the track listing for their new LP Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (due on 4/26 via Temporary Residence Limited) below.

Continue reading "Low announce tour & a new MP3, EITS add dates & stuff too"

Slowcore giants Low will support Explosions In The Sky when the band plays their largest headlining show ever, Radio City Music Hall on April 6th. Tickets go on sale at 11AM.

Low have completed their follow-up to Drums & Guns. Entitled C'mon, the new album's mastering was completed in November and will be released via Sub Pop. Low's Alan Sparhawk recently offered some details on the LP. It was recorded at Sacred Heart Studios (where the band recorded Trust) and Nels Cline makes an appearance on the record. Song titles include "Especially Me", "You See Everything", "$20", "Al Green", and "Try to Sleep". No word on a release date yet, but to sate your appetite until that effort surfaces, the band has offered the Live at Eindhoven EP for download for the price of your email address.

Explosions In The Sky at ATP NY (more by Samantha Marble)

Explosions In The Sky have one US date on their calendar, and it's not too shabby; they will be headlining Radio City Music Hall on April 6th in what will be their "biggest ever headline" show. Congrats dudes. What's more, though EiTS played ATP New York 2010, the Radio City Music Hall show will be their first proper NYC show in a little less than two years (they headlined a rainy Central Park Summerstage in July 2009). Tickets are currently on fan pre-sale. AMEX presale begins tomorrow (1/5) at 11AM, and general sale kicks off Friday (1/7) at 11AM.

In addition to the new NYC date, Explosions In The Sky have announced their new LP, due via Temporary Residence Ltd in Spring 2011. More details on that are to come, but for now you can dig on all world tour dates and a video trailer for the Radio City show below.

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky playing Radio City Music Hall, releasing new LP in 2011 (presale now)"

photos by Samantha Marble

EITS @ ATP NY

A mixed bag of abrasive experimentalism (Text Of Light), music for a hobbit's funeral (Fursaxa) and nondescript minimalist techno (Fuck Buttons) dotted the ATP Saturday afternoon lineup. Those nursing hangovers took to exploring the hotel's amenities or enjoying the pleasantly hurricane-free weather, and resting up for a more upbeat evening lineup. ...Austin-based instrumental rockers Explosions In The Sky played one of the more high-energy sets of the day-one drummer and three electric guitars blazing, leaping acrobatically around the stage. -[AV Club]

Speaking of EITS, they are one of the bigger bands that BBG missed, but as promised Sam caught them. Her pictures of them, Kurt Vile, Jim Jarmusch, Ron Jeremy and some videos, below...

Continue reading "more pics & streaming sets from ATP NY (EITS, Books, more) "

by BBG

Kurt Vile at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more by Lori Baily)

It's almost final and official, ATP New York is ruling. The best Hudson Valley festival to ever be held in a 1960s time capsule has announced the "final additions" including two comedians chosen by Syd Butler of Les Savy Fav (more to come... that's all "so far"), as well as a few new and interesting additions to the Jim Jarmusch curated date. Behold:

Continue reading "ATP NY announces (almost) complete lineup (GZA, Kurt Vile..)"