Polica @ Webster Hall, 10/6/2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Polica's debut album, Give You the Ghost, has shown up on a few Best Of lists this year (like NME and The Fly) but what records did they like in 2012? Well we've got their Top 10 LPs list right here and is topped by Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city.

They also give props to Minneapolis pal P.O.S. (with whom they collaborate in Gayngs and Marijuana Deathsquads who have sometimes also played as backing band) whose We Don't Even Live Here makes the list. So does their neighbor Now Now's Threads which was released on Chris Walla's Trans label. Check out their whole list below.

Continue reading "Polica's Top Ten LPs of 2012"

by Andrew Sacher

More of the big 2012 year-end lists have been rolling in, with NPR and SPIN recently revealing theirs, and now Rolling Stone have unleashed theirs. Similarly to Uncut, the expected albums from older artists are there, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Dr. John, and the number one slot going to Bruuuuuuuuuuuce. It's got huge albums like Mumford and Sons, Taylor Swift, and fun., as well as the token high ranking indie album (Japandroids at #9), the token washed up band who was once classic (Green Day), things you knew you'd see on Rolling Stone's list like Jack White and Alabama Shakes, and... Grimes!

You can read the whole list below...

Continue reading "Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

Bear in Heaven @ MHOW, May 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Bear in Heaven are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (12/5) and tickets are still available for that show. One dollar from each ticket sold is going towards Hurricane Sandy relief, and 10% of the bar at the band's afterparty at Public Assembly will go to relief as well.

Meanwhile, frontman Jon Philpot was kind enough to send us his Top 10 LPs of 2012 which includes some of his Brooklyn neighbors (Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer) and a few other familiar names to these lists this year (Frank Ocean, Scott Walker) but his number one is new compilation of Italian '70s progressive/spacerock artist Sensations' Fix titled Music Is Painting in the Air. There's some pretty cool synth work on it that you could see being an influence on Bear in Heaven. You can stream the entire Sensations' Fix (all 30 tracks) LP below and check out Philpot's list in full.

Continue reading "Bear in Heaven list their Top 10 LPs of 2012, play NYC tonight"

Japandroids at Pitchfork, July 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

NPR Music have announced their "50 favorite" albums of 2012, which includes names like Pallbearer, Andy Stott, Cat Power, Fiona Apple, Death Grips, and Swans. (No Grimes, though.) The list is also deep with hip hop, with shouts to Homeboy Sandman, Kendrick Lamar, Killer Mike and many others. Much like Q magazine did, NPR opted to list them alphabetically instead of one better than the next. Check out the full list below.

Japandroids also made the list, and the band played the first of two shows at Webster Hall last night (12/4). The band continues their stay at the venue tonight and tickets are still available.

Continue reading "NPR Music's Top 50 LPs of 2012"

Instrumental hip hop producer RJD2, who has a handful of solo material along with a number of collaborations with rappers in the Def Jux/Rhymesayers realm (among other things), will be celebrating New Year's Eve in NYC with a show at Gramercy Theater (12/31) with Com Truise and Chrome Sparks (DJ). Tickets for that show are still available and we also have two pairs to giveaway. Details on how to win are below.

In more year-end celebrations for RJD2, we spoke to him about his top ten things of 2012. Only four of them are albums and only three of those albums came out this year, but it's a pretty awesome list and you can check out the entire thing below.

Continue reading "RJD2's top 10 things of 2012 & a chance to win tix to his New Year's Eve show in NYC"

Ceremony at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2012 (more by Keith Marlowe)

Andy Nelson of Ceremony / Paint it Black took time out from his string of dates with Titus Andronicus (which included Webster Hall this past weekend) to fork over his favorite records of 2012. Andy actually gave us two lists -- favorite LPs and EPs/singles. They include Frank Ocean, Merchandise, Savages, Julia Holter and... well see for yourself. His lists are below.

Continue reading "Andy Nelson's (Ceremony / Paint it Black) top records of 2012"

by Andrew Sacher

SPIN have revealed their list of the top 50 albums of 2012. It continues SPIN's trend of giving love to crossover punk and metal (which they've been pretty consistent with since naming Fucked Up's David Comes to Life their top album of 2011) with the inclusion of Baroness, Torche, Pallbearer, Cloud Nothings, and Japandroids, but rather surprisingly excludes the SPIN Essential'd Ceremony - Zoo and The Men - Open Your Heart, in favor of popular blowouts by Taylor Swift, fun., and Nicki Minaj. The list also shares its #1 and #2 with the two highest Pitchfork-rated albums of the year. And no Grimes.

The list begins with the Kanye-cribbed disclaimer, "Most critics' taste levels ain't at our waist level. Ain't nobody fucking with our clique." Check out SPIN's Top 50 LPs of 2012 list below.

Continue reading "SPIN names their Top 50 Albums of 2012 (Frank Ocean is #1)"

UK music magazine Uncut put out their list of the top 75 albums of 2012. The top ten leans pretty heavy on long-running '60s/'70s survivors who put out new albums this year, but plenty of the list-topping regulars from newer acts are on there too, along with a few interesting surprises (Sun Araw, M Geddes Gengras & the Congos!). You can check out the full list below.

Continue reading "Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2012"

Q Magazine put out their Top 50 albums of 2012 list, choosing to do so in no particular order this year, making it more a pile than a list. Check out Q's picks in alphabetical order below.

Continue reading "Q Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

Long-running UK music weekly NME has just published their Year-End issue and have named Tame Impala's Lonerism as album of the year, with Grimes, Frank Ocean, Crystal Castles and Alt-J rounding out the Top 5. Tame Impala offshoot Pond comes in at #7. Check out the entire Top 50 list below.

As mentioned before, Tame Impala just announced a 2013 tour, and will play Terminal 5 in NYC on February 19. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (11/30) at noon.

NME's Top 50 LPs of 2012 are listed below.

Continue reading "NME Top 50 Albums of 2012; Tame Impala 'Lonerism' gets #1"

The Fly is the "UK's most popular new music magazine," but if you haven't heard of it, its because it's a free monthly that doesn't really get international distribution. You can however read it online. The mag just released it's year-end issue and topping their Best Albums of 2012 is Sharon Van Etten's Tramp (which was just released in a Deluxe edition, a fine Xmas gift don't you know). Sharon narrowly beat out Grimes, whose Visions came in at #2. The whole list, in ascending order, is below and you can read what The Fly said about each album here.

By the way you can still get tickets for the December 15 show at Cameo that Sharon curated with She Keeps Bees and Speck Mountain and "Special Guest."

A list of the Fly's Top 50 Albums of 2012 is below.

Continue reading "'The Fly' magazine's Top 50 LPs of 2012 (Sharon Van Etten #1)"

Jack White @ Radio City Music Hall, 9/30/2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

In addition to the Fleetwood Mac cover story (and Rumours cover CD that comes with it), the new issue of MOJO is the 2012 Year-End wrap-up with the best albums list which is topped by Jack White's Blunderbuss. Their list is definitely different than most, but also in line with the mag that puts the Beatles on the cover at least once a year. You can check out MOJO's Top 20 below.

Continue reading "Jack White tops MOJO's Best LPs of 2012 list"

Rough Trade Shop is always one of the first to list their top albums of the year, and their list is always a good one to look at. This year is no different. Check out their Top 10 list, below...

Continue reading "Rough Trade's Top 10 Albums of 2012"

It's that time of year already I guess. NME quizzed a whole bunch of artists about their favorite album of the year. Bat For Lashes chose Alt-J who recently won the Mercury Prize and who chose Polica as their favorite. That and more, if you can understand what they're saying, in the video, below....

Continue reading "WATCH: Artists tell their favorite 2012 albums (Bat for Lashes pick Alt-J who pick Polica, etc)"

photos by Erik Erikson

The Make-Up / Godspeed at ATP NY, 9/23/2012

The festival's best music tried to knock you off your equilibrium. This happened most often on Sunday. The Psychic Paramount got levitating within a few minutes; Benjamin John Power, also known as the English one-man laptop-electronics project Blanck Mass, produced layers of drone, with twinkling rising tones inside of melodic cycles, at fantastic, physically massaging levels of volume; Thee Oh Sees, from San Francisco, played its revved, mutated, scurfed-out garage-rock, controlled and stretched at will by the singer, guitarist and bandleader John Dwyer, who has an intense relationship with his wide-range voice and his gear. (They're not getting rich, but a tighter rock band you will rarely see.) And Godspeed You! Black Emperor played its three-guitar, two-drummer, one-violin electric dirges for two hours -- repeating vamps, clobbering dynamics, in front of film loops of urban decay and antiwar demonstrations. It's powerful, until it's grandiose. - [NY Times]

More pics and review of Sunday are here and Friday (9/21) here.

Continue reading "ATP NY pics (more day 1, the rest of day 3) --- Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Make-Up, Hot Snakes, Frank Ocean & more)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Bon Iver / Frank Ocean @ Angel Orensanz 9/24/2012

Following their respective Radio City and ATP NY appearances, Bon Iver and Frank Ocean played the intimate, ornate LES space Angel Orensanz last night (9/24), a surprise RSVP-only affair presented by Vitamin Water/Fader. The lines for the show wrapped around the block and only a fraction of people who RSVPed actually got in, but those who did were treated to hour-long sets from both performers.

Bon Iver is taking a break from touring for a while after nearly two years of constant activity, but recent reports of his retirement appear to be greatly exaggerated. We previously posted a picture Frank Ocean's setlist. More pictures from the show, below...

Continue reading "Bon Iver played Angel Orensanz with Frank Ocean (pics)"

songs were not played in this order though...

We'll have more about the Monday night NYC show with Bon Iver later, but meanwhile you can see Frank Ocean's printed setlist above (via BrooklynVegan Instagram), and listen to a brand new song by Frank at his Tumblr.

UPDATE: Check out a full set of pictures from the Angel Orensanz show.

Frank also played ATP on Friday.

Bon Iver at Radio City - 9/20/12 (via Bon Iver Instragram)

Bon Iver, who just wrapped up a four-night run at Radio City has been revealed as one of the two acts for the last show in FADER and Vitamin Water's #uncapped series, which happens in NYC TONIGHT (9/24) at Angel Orensanz (172 Norfolk St). Spots are very limited and RSVP is open now. If you've been following along, you know that for these shows, FADER and Vitamin Water partner two different artists together. Any guesses on who the other act will be? (hint: Frank Ocean who played ATP Friday night)

The archive of Bon Iver's Radio City show from this past Friday (9/21) is now streaming at the Bowery Presents YouTube Channel for the next 48 hours.

The Uncapped flier is below...

Continue reading "Bon Iver and ???? are playing FADER & Vitamin Water's #uncapped series in NYC tonight (RSVP is open)"

photos by David Andrako, words by Andrew Frisicano

Phillip Glass & Frank Ocean

The first ATP NY festival within New York City limits, also known as "I'll Be Your Mirror USA", kicked off Friday night (9/21) at Pier 36 in Manhattan. The opening night featured a typically eclectic mix of acts: comedians Kurt Braunholer, Hannibal Buress and Janeane Garofalo, and musicians Lightning Bolt, Edan the DJ (filling in for Lee Ranaldo And Leah Singer, who canceled for "unresolvable technical issues"), Philip Glass and Tyondai Braxton (they played together), and Frank Ocean. Glass (piano) and Braxton (guitar, then synth) kept their set on the short side, performing Glass's "Étude No. 1" followed by No. 2 and No. 10 (which elicited cheers from the audience when announced). Quite a few people no doubt came just for the Glass performance, perhaps as a companion to his Einstein on the Beach opera currently running at BAM, but those same people seemed open to the following set by Frank Ocean (who had plenty of his own devotees in the house). Ocean, backed by a rich-sounding four-piece, played his way through a mostly Channel Orange set, with some Nostalgia/ultra songs thrown in and new opening track "Summer Remains." His songs, crisp on record, lend themselves to a live-band staging and the musicians dug into the grooves adding some supremely funky moments to the already hooky tracks. You can see his full setlist below.

The organizers did their best to give Pier 36, an expo space on the East River, a cozy feel for the festival. The two-stage set up features one platform outside, facing away from the FDR highway and surrounded by food trucks and porta potties. Inside, the massive hall was outfitted with a layer of carpet and couches and chairs along the walls for those needing a rest (this weekend's schedule runs 12 hours each day). Along the water, the Queen of Hearts (with a movie screen on board) was docked next to another outdoor area out back. Movies run all day, and there are beanbags in there, but you might want to stay away if you get seasick easily.

One girl we talked to in the crowd was in town from the UK and bought tickets just to see Frank Ocean for the first time. But she got there in time to see Lightning Bolt who, like the rest of the music before Frank on the bill, she ended up despising. Kudos to ATP for even getting her in front of a noise rock band though.

ATP day two, which fest co-curator Greg Dulli's band the Afghan Whigs is co-headlining along with The Roots, is already underway. Check out the slightly-outdated schedule HERE, and a picture of the current schedule (which you can print) below. Schedules are also available at the door, AS ARE TICKETS.

More pictures from day one, and Frank's full setlist, below...

Continue reading "ATP NYC -- day 1 pics, review & setlists (Frank Ocean, Philip Glass & Tyondai Braxton, Lightning Bolt & more)"

The first-ever ATP NY happened back in 2008, but up in the Catskills. That lasted three glorious years before moving to Asbury Park last year. Asbury Park was also great, but wasn't in the cards for 2012 so ATP moved the festival to NYC where it happens THIS WEEKEND at Pier 36 (you can see the location in the map above). Today's schedule looks like this:

Friday 21st September
Festival opens - 6.00pm

Stage 1:
Lightning Bolt - 8.30pm-9.00pm
Lee Ranaldo And Leah Singer Edan The Dee Jay - 9.15pm-10.15pm
Philip Glass And Tyondai Braxton - 10.45pm-11.15pm
Frank Ocean - 11.45pm-1.00am

Stage 2:
Kurt Braunholer - 7.05pm-7.25pm
Hannibal Buress - 7.30pm-7.55pm
Janeane Garofalo - 8.00pm-8.30pm

Films On Queen Of Hearts:
Koyaanisqatsi - 8.00pm
Quadrophenia - 10.00pm (featuring the brand new surround mix made by the Who)
+ Edan The Dee Jay

UPDATE: Lee Ranaldo has been replaced by Edan (a DJ who is also DJing later in the film room). We also recently found out Chavez was replaced by JEFF the Brotherhood on Saturday.

Listen to some music below...

Continue reading "ATP NYC, the first-ever, begins today"

The Greg Dulli-curated ATP NY is this weekend (9/21 - 9/23) and organizers just released the schedule which you can check out below. Music (and comedy on Friday) happens on two stages with films, talks and bingo taking place on the Queen of Hearts boat which is docked just nearby. If you're wondering, Frank Ocean is at 11:45 PM on Friday. Also, Chavez dropped and and have been replaced by JEFF the Brotherhood (Sat. 9/22 7 PM).

Tickets are still available to all three days which can be gotten online or at Other Music. Peruse the full schedule below, perhaps while listening to the ATP mixtape that Greg Dulli made for us.

Continue reading "ATP NY 2012: full schedule"

Afghan Whigs at Bowery Ballroom in May (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror with Frank Ocean (who played SNL this weekend) and the Afghan Whigs kicks off on Friday (9/21) and runs through the weekend at Pier 36 in Manhattan. Tickets are still available for you procrastinating types.

For those of you who still need convincing, Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs (who co-curated ATP NY) made us a mixtape of artists for your aural pleasure that features his band (naturally) as well as Frank Ocean, plus The Dirtbombs, Chavez, The Antlers and other bands you can catch this weekend. Stream it and check out the tracklist below.

Continue reading "Greg Dulli made a mixtape of ATP NY artists (listen)"

Frank Ocean, Seth MacFarlane & Fred Armisen (who is no longer Obama) @ SNL

We actually already posted this in WGO Sunday, but in case you missed the awesomeness:

Frank Ocean appeared on Saturday Night Live last night (9/16) to perform "Thinking About You" and "Pyramids," and was joined by John Mayer on guitar. He also just revealed the music video for "Pyramids," which also features an appearance from John Mayer.

Continue reading "watch Frank Ocean on Saturday Night Live & his new video for "Pyramids" (videos)"

Mount Eerie at Inferno Festival 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

today in NYC
* The Prisoner @ Barbes
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB
* Brian Posehn @ Caroline's
* Et cetera @ Public Assembly
* Chris Thile @ Rockwood Music Hall
* The Silos, Heap @ Mercury Lounge
* Touch Ensemble @ Issue Project Room
* Lee Burridge, Matthew Dekay @ The Well
* Beach Day, Blonds, Fete @ Cameo Gallery
* Hairy Sands, Source of Yellow @ Zebulon
* Alex McMurray / Cristina Black @ Joe's Pub
* Comedy Night @ The Knit w/ Hannibal Buress
* Nungan, Veronika Jokel @ The Mercury Lounge
* Mount Eerie, Loren Connors @ (le) poisson rouge
* Devotchka, Clare & the Reasons @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Cool Serbia, Apache Dropout, King Prom, Bad Boys @ Death By Audio
* Germany Germany, Brother Tiger, Night Shining, Catamaran @ Glasslands
* Vital Remains, Mutant Supremacy, Irony of Chaos, Leech @ Saint Vitus
* Joshua Light Show, Debo Band, Forro in the Dark @ NYU Skirball Center
* Tom Morello, Jello Biafra, Michelle Shocked, Lee Ranaldo, Kool A.D., My Brightest Diamond & more @ Foley Square

Public Assembly is not calling it a festival but their week-long Et Cetera begins today with three events: an afternoon (3 PM), all-ages draw-a-thon; then later tonight Xeno & Oaklander discussing "Analog as the New Folk" with demos of their vintage synths; and a series of mini-lectures called "Presentation Party Night." All of it is free.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Follow BrooklynVegan on instagram.

Frank Ocean appeared on Saturday Night Live last night (9/16) to perform "Thinking About You" and "Pyramids," and was joined by John Mayer on guitar. He also just revealed the music video for "Pyramids," which also features an appearance from John Mayer. Watch the videos of his SNL performance and the "Pyramids" music video below.

Grizzly Bear, whose incredible new album, Shields, comes out this week, performed the album's opening track, "Sleeping Ute," on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this past Friday (9/14). Watch the video of that performance below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

The Vaccines at Webster Hall in April (more by Joe McCabe)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Chica Libre @ Barbes
* Hot Tub @ Littlefield
* Wild Belle @ Le Baron
* The Quavers @ Barbes
* Strawberry Fields @ BB King's
* 13P's ImPlosion Party @ Joe's Pub
* Daniel Higgs, Mike Bones @ Zebulon
* The Gowanus All-Stars @ The Rock Shop
* Lemonade, Vacationer @ Stone Rose Lounge
* Jozef Van Wissem, Noveller @ Le Poisson Rouge
* We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Ollie's Point (Amityville)
* Primordial, While Heaven Wept, Cormorant @ Saint Vitus
* Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Neutron Drivers @ Maxwell's
* Tony Scherr Trio with Anton Fier and Rob Jost @ Living Room
* MNDR, Wildkat, Eli Makes Beats, Mysto & Pizzi @ Webster Hall CANCELLED
* Luke Rathborne, manicanparty, De Lion, Kenny Tudrick @ Pianos
* Jaill, Fergus & Geronimo, Home Blitz, Swearin' @ Mercury Lounge
* The Vaccines, Ryan Jarman's Exclamation Pony @ Bowery Ballroom
* Kristeen Young, Blind Benny, Nonstop to Cairo @ The Bowery Electric
* Anna Lunoe, Zak Matic, Florent, surprise guest @ Home Sweet Home
* Hugh Laurie with The Copper Bottom Band @ Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom
* Lakutis, Pegasus Warning, Safe, Quinn Walker, Carrie Wilds, Peaceful Solutions, Cult Days @ Glasslands

BrooklynVegan is hosting another FREE movie screening of at Knitting Factory tonight. This time it's "Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best". Check out the trailer below.

Sonic Youth is announcing some "news" at noon.

The Vaccines play their first of two sold out NYC shows tonight. Tonight's show is at Bowery Ballroom and support comes from The Cribs frontman Ryan Jarman's new outfit, Ryan Jarman's Exclamation Pony. Ryan played his first-ever solo show at Cameo last month with a slew of guests, including Jen from Here We Go Magic, Jeffrey Lewis, Devin, and Penn Badgely from Gossip Girl. Wonder what he's got in store this time.

Grace Jones tickets are now on pre-sale.

Paul McCartney, who just announced four random North American dates, performed with Damon Albarn's Africa Express (and John Paul Jones and more) in London over the weekend. Watch a video below.

Eddie Vedder & Tom Morello joined Bruce Springssteen on stage in Chicago on Friday and Saturday.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Follow BrooklynVegan on instagram.

Flying Lotus posted an unfinished Frank Ocean remix that you can listen to below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"