photos by Tamara Porras

Matthew Houk & Kim Krans

"About three quarters the way through the night, The Taking It Easy band left the stage to Houck to perform mostly solo. Joined by Family Band's Kim Krans on the song "Endless Pt. 1" off of Aw Come Aw Wry, and then briefly by his aforementioned metal god keyboard player on an electrifying version of "Wolves" from his 2008 album Pride, Houck turned down the volume but not the energy. If anything, his charisma and charm, which allowed him to pull off a key/capo change right in the middle of "My Dove, My Lamb" and receive only a mild chuckle from the audience, managed to fill the space that had once been occupied by the screech of feedback and the pounding of drums. After a few more solo numbers, the rest of the band finally returned to stage to close out the show, ending with an absolutely devastating version of the song "Los Angeles" that sent the crowd home entertained if not slightly unsettled." [ChunkyGlasses]

Phosphorescent & Family Band ended their tour together Wednesday night at Brooklyn Bowl. More pictures from that show below...

Continue reading "Phosphorescent & Family Band played Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Phosphorescent @ the Parish in Austin

Phosphorescent has been on tour since before Coachella. Let's give Matt and band a proper welcome home at Brooklyn Bowl tonight (5/11). Tickets are still on sale, and if you act quick you can try and win a pair on our Facebook too.

Back on May 5th, Phosphorescent played a show at The Parish in Austin, Pictures from that show are in this post. They include an audience member who helped Matt sing "Wolves" on stage, and opener Family Band (who also open the Brooklyn show). More of those pictures, a recent La Blogoteque Take Away Show video, and more upcoming dates (Bonnaroo included), below...

Continue reading "Phosphorescent & Family Band played the Parish (pics) & a Take Away Show (video), play Brooklyn Bowl (tonight)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Warpaint @ Brooklyn Bowl

"Letter by letter, they spelled out the words 'Billie Holiday' until they didn't register anymore, the sort of sing-songy chant you might hear on a playground. The letters, glazed in reverb and sung in unison, slurred into one another over the slack strum of guitar. Out of nowhere, the song suddenly cribbed lyrics from a girl-group anthem from the 1960s, Mary Wells's 'My Guy': 'Nothing you can say/ Can tear me away/ From my guy/ Nothing you can do/ 'Cause I'm stuck like glue/ To my guy.'

The song in question was called 'Billie Holiday,' and it encapsulated the hypnotic powers of the band singing it at the Paradise on Tuesday night. Warpaint is essentially a modern girl group, but one that lingers in a haze of '60s psychedelia and '80s shoegaze. The Shangri-Las on Quaaludes, if you will."-[BostonGlobe]

That review is from Warpaint's date with The Paradise in Boston on 3/29, the day before they would hit Brooklyn Bowl with tourmates PVT & The Family Band and one of two NYC dates in total (they also played Bowery Ballroom the next night). Pictures from Brooklyn Bowl adorn this post. More of them, with dates too, below...

Continue reading "Warpaint, the Family Band & PVT played Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

Asobi Seksu @ a CMJ-BV show at Public Assembly (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Asobi Seksu's appearance at Highline Ballroom was recently called off due to snow, and the band's forthcoming Record Release party at Mercury Lounge on 2/17 is now officially sold out. Not long after the band makes their trek down to Austin to play SXSW, look for Asobi Seksu to play another NYC date at Bowery Ballroom on April 7th. Tickets
go on sale Friday at noon (2/11). Many more tour dates below.

Family Band is also on the Mercury Lounge bill, and the Brooklyn band will head out on tour with PVT and Warpaint in the coming months. The band will play a sold-out Bowery Ballroom on 3/31, but tickets are still available for their appearance at Brooklyn Bowl on 3/30.

Updated tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu add Bowery show & other tour dates"

Warpaint at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Warpaint is on the list for Coachella, one date as part of a larger tour for the band with PVT and Family Band. That tour includes NYC shows at Brooklyn Bowl on 3/30 and Bowery Ballroom on 3/31. Tickets for Bowery are currently on AMEX presale, and go on regular sale on 1/21 at noon. Tickets to Brooklyn Bowl go on sale Friday at noon as well.

Family Band meanwhile can be found supporting Asobi Seksu at Mercury Lounge on February 17th. Tickets are on sale.

Warpaint recently played The Studio at Webster Hall, and as we mentioned it would be, the show was is now viewable online courtesy of MTV.

All dates and a Warpaint video below...

Continue reading "Warpaint, PVT & Family Band -- 2011 Tour Dates"

photos by Jessica Amaya, words by Rachel Kowal

Warpaint

Family is the new crystal. Wednesday was Family Portrait. Last night, 12/2, was Family Band. It's hard to put your finger on the vibe projected by Family Band. (They sound nothing like Family Portrait, for the record.) Their performance is characterized by a strange kind of understated intensity, which makes sense for a Brooklyn-based band that retreats to the Catskills to write songs.

Family Band kicked off the evening with a slow, melodic song, but as their set progressed and the room began to fill up, they gradually incoporated heavier, attention-grabbing arrangements to the atmospheric mix. Flanked by her three band mates, each dressed in white from head-to-toe, vocalist/guitarist Kim Krans stood out in her flowing, solid black outfit. Krans has the kind of soul-satisfying, world-weary voice characteristic of fabled singer/songwriters of fading generations. As the energy both on stage and in the room picked up, Krans' voice began to get overshadowed by the moans of the lap steel, but she quickly pulled the mic in closer, cooling retaining complete control over the situation. During the quieter portions of the songs, Jonny Ollsin (also on guitar) periodically walked over to the side of the stage, perched on top of a speaker, and sang along - off mic - in the shadows.

Though their interactions with the crowd were limited, their reservation increased the intensity of the performance and helped shroud them in an alluring air of mystery. Going into the show, I knew very little about Family Band, but their performance was deeply satisfying. At least there was one reward for arriving early.

Next up was the ironically titled artist, Rewards. Rewards is the relatively new project of Aaron Pfenning (formerly of Chairlift), but on stage he has help from three other musicians, including Lightspeed Champion's Dev Hynes. Rewards got off to a rough start. In the first song, there was a technical problem with the vocals. Pfenning quickly dashed over to the sound guy mid song, leaving his backing band to filibuster. After some difficulties, Pfenning's vocals temporarily came through speakers in unnaturally high octaves thanks to the fix.

Throughout the set, Pfenning made feeble (but humorous) attempts to engage the audience. "Hey did you just wink at me?" He asked one lucky audience member as he swaggered to the front of the stage. Family Band may have kept to themselves, but Pfenning seemed to be looking for any and every excuse to engage the crowd, often responding to random comments or even gestures.

Of course, there were also more promising moments - like when the Hynes and Pfenning traded off vocal duties. But for the most part, Pfenning's overwrought fervor threatened to turn the performance into performance art. In one final plea for attention during the last song, Pfenning walked to the front of the stage and leaned in inches from BV photographer Jessica Amaya's camera. (Is this the part where she's supposed to swoon?)

When Warpaint finally came to the stage to deliver us, it was nearly 11:30, and the crowd was eager. "How are you all doing?" guitarist/vocalist Emily Kokal asked the crowd. With the small talk covered, drummer Stella Mozgawa enthusiastically counted off for their opening song, "Bees." Though not particularly dance-y, many audience members greeted the band with surprisingly enthusiastic dancing from the opening bars. Kokal joined in on the action any time she could part with her guitar, and her frenzied movements were just as compelling as her vocals. Warpaint is fortunate enough to have two talented singers with distinct but complimentary voices.

Though the line-up of the band has changed some over the past few years, they seem to have struck the right balance with their most recent addition - Stella Mozgawa on drums. Warpaint's set-up on stage may be a bit unconventional - its two chief vocalists stand on opposite sides of the stage, leaving bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg to constantly roam around in the middle. But if the band lacks a central focal point, it's only because each of its members is positively magnetic.

After powering through much of their set (including the moody and mesmerizing "Undertow," which is more than vaguely reminiscent of Nirvana's "Polly"), Warpaint momentarily slowed things slowed down with "Majesty," but soon the kids were dancing once again. After hearing just seven songs, it was kind of a shock to get the last-song warning, but the band rewarded those who stayed with a two-song encore.

Warpaint and Rewards also played The Studio at Webster Hall one night earlier. More pictures from the MHOW show, with Warpaint's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Warpaint, Rewards & Family Band played MHOW (pics, setlist)"

So, remember those six free shows that are happening? Here they are....

Continue reading "Jelly presents Saturdays @ Rock Yard (6 free show lineups) "