photos by Leia Jospe

Still filled with complex interplay between the band, Foals have loosened up considerably, making room for heart and soul. Bigger, better, even more danceable. The first single, "Spanish Sahara," was featured prominently in the Entourage Season 7 trailer which ran for like two months on HBO, which shoulda tipped me off, but it didn't seem like anyone I knew was into the record.

Well, people are indeed into Foals, it's just not the crowd I was expecting. Foals sold out Bowery and MHoW and, given what I saw last night, they'll be playing Terminal 5 the next time they hit NYC. The band are certainly ready for bigger venues. Philippakis now faces the audience and makes jokes with the crowd. The band are still shit hot and tight as the Queen's posterior. The songs from TLF sound fantastic, and the Antidotes material (and early singles) sounded better. I woulda liked a few more from the new album (no "This Orient" or "Black Gold"), but Foals have become a live force.

Yannis still likes leaping off stage by the way. During "Electric Bloom," after climbing a set of speakers and nearly falling off, Philippakis took a FLYING leap into the audience. The whole roam let out a giant "WHOA!" as he flew what seemed to me a good 15 feet out. The crowd caught him. The dude is a little crazy.

I think the crowd kind of took this to be an invitation to be just as crazy as him. The final song of the night, "Two Steps, Twice," a couple girls managed to get on stage and started dancing. This led to a full-on stage invasion with [a bunch of] girls dancing plus a few bros who grabbed the mike and sang along. Bonkers. -[SoundBites]

Continue reading "Foals also played Music Hall of Williamsburg (pics) "

photos by Leia Jospe

"I haven't seen people having so much fun as they did at Foals show last night in a long time. It was among the best of the 100+ shows I've seen this year. If I can get tickets, I'll see them again tonight." [Anonymous]

Esben & The Witch, who also played Matador 21 over the weekend, will be back in NYC to support A Sunny Day in Glasgow on 10/26 at Knitting Factory. Tickets are still available.

More pictures & the setlist from the Bowery show, below...

Continue reading "Foals & Esben & the Witch @ Bowery Ballroom (pics, setlist)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sonny & the Sunsets - Lovin' on an Older Gal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kelley Stoltz - I Don't Get That (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Film School - Heart Full of Pentagons (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Home Video - Smoke (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Winter Gloves - Plastic Slides (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: El Guincho - "Bombay" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: El Guincho - FM Tan Sexy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Casiokids - Finn Bikkjen! (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Foals - Spanish Sahara (Deadboy Remix) (MP3)

Casiokids

Didn't the weeks leading up to CMJ used to be a little calmer? I feel like we're just going to be pile-driving into that week (Oct 19 -21) with show after worthwhile show. This week / weekend too. Even with Matador 21 and Pop Montreal siphoning lots of big names, this is one of the more more exciting weekends for shows in a long while. For me at least.

Let's start this week with a contest. As previously mentioned, BV/TWII faves Casiokids play Sunday (10/3) night at Glasslands and we've got a pair of tickets to the show plus a copy of the band's CD, Topp stemning på lokal bar, for one lucky person. To enter, just send an email to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with the subject line "Casiokids" and we'll pick a winner at random. Please note that Glasslands is a 21+ venue.

If you've never seen these Norwegians before, they're a lot of fun and Glasslands should be conducive to their low tech brand of dancepop. Also on the bill: Brahms, Bikini and VonChina. All Casiokids dates below.

Film School

What else? San Francisco's Film School are in town, playing Glasslands on Thursday (9/30) and Mercury Lounge on Friday (10/1). Both shows are with like-minded New Yorkers The Depreciation Guild with whom they're going on tour. Film School have been doing the dark shoegazy thing since the start of the '00s, back when that sound was fairly unfashionable. But these days the '90s are hot so it's good timing that Film School have released maybe their best album yet, Fission.

I found 2007's Hideout to be murky and meandering, but the band seem really focused this time out. There are still the moody basslines and effects-heavy guitars, but the songs great this time out, and the production feels modern and bright. Some rays of light are peeking through their normally cloudy sound -- hell, their new single is called "Sunny Day." (You can watch the video below.) That song features lead vocals from bassist Lorelei Plotczyk, whose frequent presence behind the mic is one of the reasons Fission works so much better than Hideout. You can download "Heart Full of Pentagons" at the top of this post.

The Glasslands show also has Brooklyn duo Home Video who have been kicking around for half a decade or so and are set to release their second album, The Automatic Process, on November. Download first single "The Smoke" at the top of this post. I don't think I've seen them play live since they opened for Fujiya & Miyagi at Mercury Lounge back in 2006 but I remember thinking they were pretty good. And the new album sounds alright after a couple listens -- synthpop that seems equally inspired by Vince Clark and Thom Yorke.

Kelley Stoltz

While we're in San Francisco, a reminder that Sonny and the Sunsets and Kelley Stoltz will be here this weekend: Mercury Lounge on Thursday(9/30) and Union Hall on Friday (10/1). Both shows are early ones, especially the Merc show which starts at 7PM. If you like '60s inspired pop at it's finest, do yourself a favor and go see this great double bill.

Stoltz is a charismatic performer, prone to anecdotes, occasional props and obscure impressions. Do pick up is terrific new album, To Dreamers, when it comes out in two weeks. And I'm really looking forward to seeing Sonny and the Sunsets (of which Stoltz is a member) for the first time. Their new album is great. Check out tracks from both of them at the top of this post.

Sub Pop just released a short film on the making of Stoltz new record, To Dreamers, made by the Yours Truly folks, which shows off his literal DIY approach to analog recording. It's funny and charming, just like Stoltz. Watch it further down this very post.

Winter Gloves

If you're not going to Pop Montreal this weekend, you can get a taste of Canada here in New York as Born Ruffians and Winter Gloves are here playing the Knitting Factory on Friday (10/1) and Bowery Ballroom on Saturday (10/2). Born Ruffians are a fine band but have been covered many times here and have been through town many times before. So I'm gonna focus on their touring mates Winter Gloves. The Montrealers schedule and cancel NYC gigs with frequency so now's your chance to see them.

I caught them at M for Montreal in 2008 and they were one of the highlights of that weekend, kind of a slinkier, funkier Tokyo Police Club. Their new album All Red is a lot of fun and they are definitely worth seeing. (They're quite popular in MTL.) Download "Plastic Slides" from the new album at the top of this post.

Foals

The show I'm most excited about this weekend is Foals who play Bowery Ballroom on Friday (10/1) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday (10/2). Both shows are sold out unfortunately, but tickets being released day-of-show isn't an uncommon occurrence.

Foals' new album, Total Life Forever, is one of my contenders for Album of the Year which is not something I was really expecting before I heard it. Where their first album, Antidotes, was all mathy angularity, Total Life Forever has...um... soul? There's also a Big '80s Trevor Horn vibe going on -- the drums on single "Miami" seem to be lifted from Yes' 90125 LP. (Or maybe The Power Station.) It's funky and genuinely danceable, with a lot of heart. Foals used to be easy to like hard to love. Not so hard this time out.

Foals have always been good live, full of nervous energy -- they're the only band I've ever seen puke onstage -- and can't wait to see them with such stronger material.  I can't wait for Saturday.

If you're going to the Bowery show on Friday, definitely get there in time to see openers Esben & the Witch who just signed to Matador and are a bit like Zola Jesus but more interesting to watch live. Their guitarist has the most pedals I've ever seen not counting The Edge. They were pretty good at Glasslands last week.

El Guincho

And finally, El Guincho returns to NYC this week for a string of shows that began last night at Mercury Lounge. He plays Santos tonight (9/29), a free show at Zebulon on Thursday (9/30) and a late night show at Cameo on Friday (10/1).  When I saw him play two years ago at Mercury Lounge opening for Cut Copy it was just Pablo Díaz-Reixa and his sampler, but this time El Guincho is a trio which should make things a lot more interesting and fun.

El Guincho's new album, Pop Negro, eschews the dreamlike haze of his debut (which was a real precursor to the chillwave invasion) for more straight up dance pop that is definitely not low-fi. In his own words:

It's a pop album sung in Spanish. Tracks are based on big syncopated beats, loud kick drums, snares and claps on a very wide stereo image full of different synthesizer timbres, subdivided hi-hats, funk bass, line recorded guitars and multi tracked backing vocals. Production is based on hi-fi aesthetics from the golden era of recordings...the main sentiment is a sort of nostalgic love for the music that I heard on FM radio as a kid/teenager, that "promise" that music gives you, not eternal/eternity because pop music is not supposed to be like that, but that thing you feel when you're on a car with your friends or family and you listen to a certain hit and it makes you think you want to be inside of that. I wanted to write something based on that. Not plain hits, but a whole album that makes you feel that thing, arrangements that can take your mind that state if you know what I mean.

That's gonna do it for this week. A few daily picks not covered above follow:

WEDNESDAY, September 29

Best Coast swing through town again, playing Bowery Ballroom tonight (and MHoW tomorrow). Summer may be over, but Bethany's songs of love and weed still sound good.

If you didn't get enough '90s nostalgia last week with Pavement, former indie rock power couple Juliana Hatfield & Evan Dando (they did date, right?)perform together as Jullianna & Evan.  Julianna has intimated she might retire from live shows in the near future, this seems like a good way to see her one last time. They play Thursday too. Both shows are sold out, natch.

THURSDAY, September 30

The forecast is calling for "rain from Tropical Rainstorm" which might put a damper on the night's biggest show, Belle & Sebastian, who play the Williamsburg Waterfront with fellow Glaswegians Teenage Fanclub. A light sprinkle would be fine...B&S' music has always been sort of rainy day music anyway. If you ponyed up the dough for a ticket, do get there early for Teenage Fanclub who were phenomenal at Bowery Ballroom last night. Big hooks, bigger harmonies, positive vibes. Video of them playing Jimmy Fallon is at the bottom of this post.

FRIDAY, October 1

Pennsylvania dream pop band SOARS play Glasslands. Haven't seen them live, but if you're a fan of Slowdive or bands that sound kind of like that, you might want to check them out.

SATURDAY, October 2

Union Hall has a totally weird lineup tonight. Headlining is synthpop act Neighbors, with Year of the Tiger (kind of a more tuneful, less abrasive Sleigh Bells). So far so normal. But opening is Sky Ferreira, who has appeared in Uffie videos and is, if her Myspace is any indication, being bred as a Pop Star. Expect lots of old guys in suits at the show, at least till she finishes her set.

OK that's really it for this week. Tour dates, videos and flyers are below...

Continue reading "Foals, Kelley Stoltz, Winter Gloves, Casiokids, El Guincho, Film School, Home Video & more in This Week in Indie "

DOWNLOAD: Foals - Spanish Sahara (Deadboy Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Foals - Balloons (MP3)

Foals released their 2nd album, Total Life Forever, via Sub Pop on June 15th. Currently on tour in Europe, the UK band will support the record in North America with a tour this fall that kicks off in Minneapolis on September 23rd. The NYC shows happen October 1st at Bowery Ballroom and October 2nd at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Both go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon and general sale on Friday. Esben And The Witch is listed as the opener of the Bowery show.

The new-album song "Spanish Sahara" was remixed by Deadboy (download above). "Miami" has a video. Watch it below with all dates....

Continue reading "Foals announce 2010 Tour Dates in support of new album"

ACL 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

October 8-10, 2010 | Zilker Park, Austin, TX

"The Austin City Limits Music Festival began as a modest, two-day event and now, as it enters it's 9th year, has become a perennial American music experience. Taking place at the heart of Austin, Texas in the legendary Zilker Park, ACL Festival has grown to 3 days, 8 stages and over 130 bands."

Continue reading "Austin City Limits announces 2010 festival lineup (Eagles, Muse, Phish, Strokes, MIA, LCD, Spoon, Gayngs, more) "

Bloc Party by Chris La Putt, Foals by Bao Nguyen

Foal w/ a sore arm?

Often accused of having a similar sound, and united together against the evil powers of Sex Pistol John Lydon (and McCain), Foals and Bloc Party both visited from the UK to play Lollapalooza this past weekend...

"the Foals provided the most pleasant surprise of the weekend. I knew nothing about these guys going in, but I did like what I was reading about them in all of the Lollapalooza previews. They were often described as math rock, but their punk-inflected vocals and dance-driven grooves reminded me a lot of The Rapture." [The Windy Citizen]

Bloc Party takes the stage with a false challenge. Lead singer, Kele Okereke says, "you know, New York, we're coming off some of the best shows of our career. You don't want to let Philly best you now?" Sure the band played Lollapallooza over the weekend but Philly? Telling a hungry New York crowd that Philly brought the noise is a bit like telling a speeding dump truck that there's a Kia at the of bottom of a hill that just won't move. Sure it will. Just watch. [32ft/second]

Continue reading "pics of BLOC PARTY @ Webster Hall & FOALS @ Lollapalooza"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

DOWNLOAD: Duchess Says - Ccut Up (MP3)

Osheaga (Vero.b)

Osheaga, the outdoor music festival in Montreal, celebrated its third birthday this weekend with a bevy of local acts, some emerging talent, and great live performers. Day one (Sunday August 3rd) of the festival was also one of the most hectic musical days in recent [Montreal] memory. The week long Francophone music festival, FrancoFolies, concluded the same day with a performance by former Osheaga artist Malajube, and Wolf Parade (another former Osheaga performer) finished a tour downtown with their first Montreal performance since the release of At Mount Zoomer....

Continue reading "Osheaga 2008 - day 1 (a review with pics & videos)"

Foals @ Silent Barn (more by Leia Jospe)

Foals tour manager Nick Jenkin today called Lydon's description of the event at Barcelona's Summercase Festival "totally untrue," and said he watched Okereke being punched by the Sex Pistols' entourage while the band's frontman, known as Johnny Rotten, taunted the Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson, after he went to the aid of the Bloc Party singer.

Jenkin also told Times Online that Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis tried to help Okereke but was put in a sleeper hold by a security guard until he passed out and was then handcuffed as he lay on the ground. "He had a boot on his back," Jenkin said.

Foals bassist Walter Gervers suffered a black eye and guitarist Jimmy Smith was shoved through a barrier during the brawl on Saturday afternoon, Jenkin said. [Times Online]

Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke claims he was left with severe facial bruising and a split lip following what he alleges was a racist attack by Sex Pistols singer John Lydon [aka Johnny Rotten]. The incident occurred on Saturday evening at the Summercase festival in Barcelona while the bands were socialising backstage.

In an official statement released by Okereke, who is of Nigerian descent, the singer says he approached Lydon and asked him about the possibility of a reunion for Public Image Ltd, the band Lydon formed following the Sex Pistols demise in 1978. In Okereke's words, Lydon became "intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade, including the statement, 'your problem is your black attitude'." An assault allegedly ensued in which three people attacked Okereke.

Several other bands witnessed the incident, with members of the band Foals and Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson intervening on the Bloc Party singer's behalf. Both have confirmed to the Guardian that the incident occurred but could not confirm or deny reports that the assault was racially motivated. Following his involvement, Foals singer Yannis Philippakis was arrested. He is expected to make a statement shortly.... [The Guardian] (thx J M)

photos by Leia Jospe

Foals

Foals (from the UK) finished up their North American touring last week with shows at Maxwell's in Hoboken (May 7th) and Union Hall in Brooklyn (May 8th).

The band will probably acknowledge that tonight was not their best effort. They were caught in traffic, resulting in a short sound check from a tired band at the end of their tour. They even mentioned how frustrated they were with how they are sounding, but they enjoyed Maxwell's Pina Coladas. [Music Snobbery]

I'm not sure how to describe their sound, I guess I can say its easy listening. Lots of cool percussion and sounds. I like a few songs, well more like all of them. [Randomnights's Weblog]

Continue reading "Foals & The Ruby Suns @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Foals played their first of three recently-announced NYC-are shows at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday (April 24, 2008). The next two are May 7th & 8th. The former is at Maxwell's and is not yet sold out (the latter is at Union Hall and is sold out). More pictures below....

Continue reading "Foals @ Bowery Ballroom (again), NYC - pics"

Sub Pop is now confirming a lot of the rumors and then some.....

Continue reading "Sub Pop Anniversary Festival - SP20 initial lineup announced"

photos by Ryan Muir

DOWNLOAD: The Ruby Suns - Tane Mahuta (MP3)

The Ruby Suns' album "Sea Lion" came out on Sub Pop on March 4th, they played the Sub Pop showcase at SXSW on March 14th (photos in this post), and now they're in NYC just in time to celebrate Christ rising from the dead tonight (March 23) at Mercury Lounge. They also play Union Hall tomorrow (Monday). Both shows are with Le Loup who originally had Bodies of Water as their tour partner until Bodies of Water moved on to the Sons and Daughters tour instead. The Ruby Suns are also coming back to NYC in May - that time with their labemates Foals. All tour dates and more photos below....

Continue reading "The Ruby Suns - 2008 Tour Dates (tonight), pics from SXSW "

DOWNLOAD: Foals - Balloons (MP3)

Foals, NYC, Feb 2008 (CRED)

Foals' record "Antidotes" is out on Sub Pop -April 8, 2008. Later that month they'll go on their first proper U.S. tour including a return to NYC's Bowery Ballroom on April 24th (tickets), a stop at Maxwell's in Hoboken on May 7th (tickets), and one in Brooklyn at Union Hall the day after that. They've also got shows scheduled all over the world. All dates below...

Continue reading "Foals - 2008 Tour Dates (Bowery, Union Hall, Maxwell's)"

Leia Jospe made it two for two and caught Foals at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, and then again last night (Feb 13, 2008) at Silent Barn. More of her photos below...

Continue reading "Foals @ Silent Barn, Brooklyn, NYC - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Team Robespierre opened for Foals last night (Feb 12, 2008). More photos below...

Continue reading "Team Robespierre @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - pic"

photos by Leia Jospe

I was all set to go to this show last night, but ended up missing it due to a minor emergency at home. How was it? More of Leia's photos below.....

Continue reading "Foals @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - pics"

Continue reading "Foals add a Brooklyn show, Seattle too, other tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: Fader issue 51 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fader Issue 51 (PDF)

That's No Surrender and Santogold up there on the cover of the new FADER. The BBC also put Santogold on a list of "some of the hottest new music talent" for 2008. You can read the whole list, and more, below...

Continue reading "Santogold, FADER & the BBC's 10 to watch in 2008"

The confusion with that Foals show at Bowery Ballroom has been worked out. The new date is February 12th (instead of February 11th), and tickets are on sale. Also, the confusion of whether Foals were signed to Sub Pop has also been worked out.

DOWNLOAD: Foals - Hummer (Passions Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Foals - Hummer (Surkin Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Foals - Hummer (McSleazy Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Foals - Balloons (Kieran Hebden) (MP3 clip)

I walked away from CMJ this year really excited about a few bands. One of them was Santogold, and another was the high-energy UK band Foals. Their live show was tight, so I'm not surprised to see that their next NYC show is a headlining one at Bowery Ballroom on Feb 11, 2008. Tickets go on sale Friday.

TV On the Radio's David Sitek produced their new single "Balloons". The video, and all known tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Foals - new single, video, remixes & 2007/8 Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD: Foals live on WOXY @ SXSW 2007 (MP3)

The set I witnessed by Foals at Pianos on Saturday (Oct 20, 2007) was by far one of the highlights of my CMJ this year. The show was part of the free afternoon party I threw there, and seeing Foals back-to-back with the Maccabees made it even better.

Foals were also the first band of that day that really packed the room (probably partly because they were playing 2nd-to-last at a party that started at noon). And though obviously derivative of something or other (who isn't?), I now know that they don't just "sound like Bloc Party". They are awesome in their own way, and extremely tight. In fact, unlike their older recorded stuff, their live show didn't remind me that much of Bloc Party at all - except that both bands are British, are good, and might be classified as "dance punk".

Foals are a dance-punk band from Oxford. The five-piece group are known through extensive live playing around Great Britain for its mix of indie with elements from techno and math rock. [Wikipedia]

NME reviewed the Pianos show, and Leia Jospe was in the house to snap some photos - those are the ones you see in this post. More below....

Continue reading "Foals @ Pianos (BrooklynVegan CMJ), NYC - pics"

Foals & Maccabees

Foals & The Maccabees - a match made in heaven? Catch them both at the BrooklynVegan free day party at Pianos in NYC on Saturday October 20th. Check out the new Maccabees video for "Toothpaste Kisses" (a slow song) below....

Continue reading "Foals playing a BV party + new Maccabees video"

DOWNLOAD: Foals - Hummer (MP3)

Foals

Foals are a Bloc Party-esque dance-punk band from the UK - a band whose MySpace page I found myself visiting quite often lately - partly because I had heard they were coming for CMJ, and now I know they'll be playing Bowery Ballroom with Le Loup, The Brunettes & Band of Horses on Saturday October 20th. It's the Sub Pop/Hardly Art showcase, but whether Foals actually have a record deal in the works with one of those related labels is not known at this time. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon.

Tickets are also still on sale for the other known Bowery CMJ shows. Tuesday & Thursday (of CMJ @ Bowery) are still unknown, but I can tell you at least that Tuesday will be revealed very soon...

More Foals tour dates below....

Continue reading "UK band Foals, Sub Pop's CMJ showcase & other Tour Dates"