by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Devin - "You're Mine" (MP3)

Devin at MHOW in February (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Vintage rock and roller Devin Therriault, who has dropped his last name and now goes simply by Devin, recently signed to Frenchkiss, who put out his debut 7" EP, "You're Mine," this past Tuesday (11/15). The song "You're Mine" initially appeared on Devin's 2009 home demo. You can grab the newly recorded version at the top of this post. The entire 3-song EP is available on iTunes and is streaming on Spotify. The vinyl is available at the Frenchkiss webstore.

While the EP is noticeably louder and larger sounding than his home demo, Devin's still amping up the distortion on just about every instrument to retain his lower-fi garage rock feel. The title track is followed by live staple "Thing On My Mind," which is an even harder hitter than "You're Mine," but Devin tones things down a bit on the final track, "Black & Blue," a fuzzed out Stonesy ballad which jumps into a jackhammer chorus.

Devin plans to follow the EP with his debut full length, Romancing, which should be out in early 2012 on Frenchkiss, and also has plans to tour, though no dates have been announced yet.

The EP's artwork and tracklist is below...

Continue reading "Devin (formerly Devin Therriault) released an EP on Frenchkiss, full length coming soon"

As their own press release reads:

Considering how quiet they've been over the past couple years, you'd think the Big Sleep decided to suddenly take their name seriously after the tireless tour cycle behind 2008's Sleep Forever LP. The truth is much simpler...

"We took a little break, worked on stuff separately and just lived our lives," explains bassist/vocalist Sonya Balchandani.

"It obviously took longer than we thought it would," adds guitarist/vocalist Danny Barria, "but I wasn't feeling rushed or pressured. I just wanted to write good songs."

The Big Sleep will release Nature Experiments on Frenchkiss Records on 1/31. They played a few shows during CMJ and they play another one in Brooklyn tonight (10/28).

DOWNLOAD: RACES - Big Broom (Sun Glitters remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: RACES - Big Broom (MP3)

As mentioned briefly, RACES (formerly known as Black Jesus) are one of the latest bands to join the Frenchkiss Records roster, and this CMJ is their NYC live debut. As Bill said, "they're big, emotive anthemic rock." You wouldn't know it though from the treatment Sun Glitters gave their track "Big Broom" which you can download for the first time above. Compare it to the normal version which is also up there, and which is one of three songs that appear on digital EP out this November. Their full length, Year of the Witch, is out on the label in March 2012.

Your next chance to see RACES is TODAY, 10/21, AT NOON at the free BrooklynVegan Day Party at Public Assembly. All of their dates, another song, and the EP tracklist below...

Continue reading "RACES signed to Frenchkiss, playing CMJ (dates), remixed by Sun Glitters (MP3 premiere)"

The Drums at Williamsburg Waterfront last week (more by Vincent Cornelli)

The Drums, who just played Williamsburg Waterfront with DFA1979, will play more North American shows after a European tour this fall. A full North American tour has not been announced yet, but we know that. The Drums will play September 28 at Maxwell's and November 3 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for the Maxwell's show go on sale Wednesday (7/27) at noon. The MHOW show goes on sale Friday (7/29) at noon with an AmEx pre-sale starting Wednesday at noon. All tour dates are listed below.

The Drums also have a new video for the single "Money" off their upcoming LP Portamento which is coming out in the US on Frenchkiss Records! Watch that, alongside all currently known tour dates, below...

Continue reading "new Drums video & dates announced ---- 2 NYC-area shows"

words by Rachel Kowal, photos by Ryan Barkan

The Antlers @ The Parish

One of the highlights of my day on Thursday at SXSW was the NPR showcase at The Parish. Though I didn't arrive in time to see Colin Stetson or tUnE-yArDs (I saw the latter the following day), I stuck around for the rest of the line-up, including the grand finale: The Antlers, who, as advertised, played their unreleased upcoming album (Burst Apart) in its entirety for the first time in public. But more on that later.

I arrived to the sounds of Malian singer Khaira Arby, who Jon Pareles of the New York Times later confessed to me was his go-to recommendation for the festival. I don't typically see much world music, but there's no denying Arby's effortless ability to captivate the audience with her rich vocals and rhythmic percussion.

The Joy Formidable @ the Parish


Up next were The Joy Formidable/ I confess it was hard to get past singer/guitarist Ritzy Bryan's wild stare, but if anything, the sheer intensity of her gaze was well suited to the tough indie rock strains of the London-based trio.

The energy level in the room continued to climb as Wild Flag took the stage. Not only does singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein have a dedicated fan base thanks to her past band - Sleater-Kinney, she also received quite a warm welcome from NPR Music's Stephen Thompson due largely to the time she spent blogging and contributing to the site. This familiarity imbibed an otherwise strictly rock performance with a genuine warmth that made for a compelling combination on stage. Though their current musical project is young, these veteran lady rockers put on a triumphant and confident performance. Of course, it helps that the remaining three band members (Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole, and Janet Weiss) each have quite an impressive musical ability (and resume), themselves.

Wild Flag @ The Parish


Next came the part of the showcase that I was most anticipating - the preview of Burst Apart. After the Antlers' 2009 release, the cinematic and harrowing concept album Hospice, I was eager to hear what course they would take in their follow-up. Apparently, one of the biggest challenges the band faced leading up to the show was figuring out how to effectively translate all of the layers and effects found in the studio recording into a live setting. Being unfamiliar with the material, it's hard to tell if they achieved this goal.

I enjoyed the chance to hear the new material without having read any spoilers online, but at first listen, it seems that Burst Apart does not boast the same kind of sparse, sweeping intensity and catharsis that distinguished Hospice... but maybe that's a good thing.

In an interview with Pitchfork a few months ago, chief singer/songwriter Pete Silberman confessed:

For a while, I thought the next logical step from Hospice was to make some very sad, post-Hospice concept record. But thinking in those terms started to feel really manipulative and gimmicky. So I just let go of that idea and, from that point on, I was much happier. In a lot of ways, this album is an easier record to listen to than Hospice; you can put it on and not feel like it has to be a severe emotional experience. It might be. But it could also be on in the background.

Like Hospice, portions of the new album seem to project a dark kind of resignation to pain, sickness, and heartbreak. But in addition to the darker songs, it ended in a surprisingly hopeful, (albeit Gothic) vein as Silberman sang, "I'm not going to die alone. I stitched the stuff up so to close up the hole" in a particularly Hospice-like song.

You can check out the whole show for yourself (or whichever portion most interests you) over at NPR Music. All of their performances were archived and are now stream-able online (Antlers HERE).

--

Burst Apart will be releaesd by Frenchkiss Records on May 10th. The Antlers will head out on tour a week later with stops at both Music Hall of Williamsburg (May 19th) and Bowery Ballroom (May 20th). Both shows and much of the tour is with Little Scream who meanwhile is on tour with Sharon Van Etten. Tickets for both NYC shows go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon, and then general sale Friday at the same time.

All tour dates and more pictures from the NPR show at the Parish, below...

Continue reading "The Antlers performed 'Burst Apart' @ SXSW w/ Wild Flag & more (pics & NPR stream), touring w/ Little Scream (dates)"

Savoir Adore

As mentioned in "What's Going on Sunday," 1,2,3 band were scheduled to play the next installment of 'Communion' at Public Assembly in Brooklyn tonight (3/8), but their label Frenchkiss Records reports that they have cancelled. Savior Adore, Keegan Dewitt, Lachi, and Paul Dempsey are still on the bill though.

Tonight's show will be Communion's third party at Public Assembly since they kicked off in early January, and their second unlucky cancellation. Laura Marling pulled out of the second one.

For Savoir Adore, tonight's Communion appearance will be their last NYC show before they head to Austin for SXSW. If you're going to be in Austin, make sure to stop by and see them play a BrooklynVegan party right at noon on Thursday, March 17th at Swan Dive/Barbarella (full lineup TBA). They play their official showcase one day later at Easy Tiger.

1,2,3 are also headed to SXSW where they'll play at least six shows including the Frenchkiss Showcase at The Parish on Wednesday, March 16th with The Antlers, The Dodos, Young Man, Fidlar & Ivan & Alyosha. More dates are listed below....

Continue reading "1,2,3 cancels Communion appearance, but Savoir Adore are playing tonight (and both bands are headed to SXSW) "

Les Savy Fav (more by Gabi Porter)

Les Savy Fav are currently touring Australia and New Zealand, and by the end of February they'll be on tour in the UK, but before then they'll play Bowery Ballroom on 2/16. Tickets for the NYC show go on sale today at noon.

Les Savy Fav will be joined at Bowery by new Frenchkiss signees 1,2,3. 1,2,3 played a NYC show at Public Assembly during this past CMJ, and wrote this on their blog right after:

"Played a brief set at CMJ last night. It went well, thanks to those who came out.

I suppose I'll make it official by saying we start recording our LP this Monday for French Kiss Records. I'm super excited--we're doing it with Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Spoon, Black Dice) at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn. Alot of the stuff we've done so far could be considered conservative next to some of the shit we plan to do for the album. We just plan to make a record that makes us happy, and hopefully it'll do the same for others. We'll get some pictures up and maybe a few videos as we go."

The band hasn't posted much since then, though they posted a Joanna Newsom cover you can listen to. According to a press release:

Despite having been together for under a year, Pittsburgh duo Nic Snyder and Josh Sickels have already made waves in the UK this year,...[receiving] rave reviews for a string of live UK shows in May, including The Great Escape festival & Club NME, which were closely followed by the release of their critically acclaimed Chess Club debut 7" 'Going Away Party', that received multiple Radio 1 plays from Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton

The Bowery show is 1,2,3's only upcoming date at the moment.

Big Troubles (who have the best website ever) are also on board for the Bowery show, and have a few other NYC dates scheduled in the coming weeks including the next day (2/17) with The Beets and German Measles at 285 Kent Ave, a show with Gary War at Cake Shop on 4/2, and May 6th at Webster Hall with The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and Twin Shadow (tickets).

All tour dates, and some videos below...

Continue reading "Les Savy playing a NYC show w/ new Frenchkiss-signing 1,2,3 (Big Troubles playing that show & other dates too) "

photos by Gabi Porter

"Came home soaked in beer glitter sweat and smelling like Tim Harringtons arm pit the girl thought strip club nope Les Savy Fav record launch" -JasonFerguson

"glitter & purple spandex & the sweat descends & awesomeness. les savy fav nails it every time." -madeleinepascal

"Thanks to @IAMBEARDO I am covered in glitter for my commute. Another excellent Les Savy Fav experience". -TimDuffy

Tim, Syd & Harrison @ Mercury Lounge Wednesday night

If I didn't head to Brooklyn Masonic Temple last night (9/8) to catch Sleep, without a doubt I would have been at Mercury Lounge to catch the great Les Savy Fav. The show, a release party for the band's new LP Root for Ruin (out now on digital, and avail in hard formats on Tues, 9/14), featured the (anything but) normal antics of vocalist Tim Harrington (who recently played the last-ever(?) pool party) and from the looks of it, the OMGs and ROFLs were bountiful. The band focused heavily on the new record, but threw in old classics like 'Who Rocks the Party' & 'The Sweat Descends' as well. -BBG

Speaking of ROFLs, comedian Matt McCarthy opened the show which just made it a funny past week in general for LSF guitarist and Frenchkiss label-boss Syd Butler who also curated the lineup of comedians that played ATP NY Friday night.

Oh and speaking of comedians, Stereogum sister-site Videogum is hosting the festivities at The Bell House in Brooklyn TONIGHT (9/9). Laugh your way into the Jewish New Year with free comedy by Max Silvestri, Joe Mande, Gabe Liedman, John Mulaney, Jon Glaser & more (8pm doors).

Speaking of Frenchkiss, one of their new signings, Young Man, who are opening the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase this year, released a Daytrotter session you can grab today.

More pictures and video from the Mercury Lounge show are below....

Continue reading "Les Savy Fav played Mercury Lounge (pics & video), Young Man did Daytrotter (MP3s), Videogum in Brooklyn (tonight)"

photos by Andrew Frisicano

Les Savy Fav's new album "Root For Ruin" is out now, but only via iTunes (more about that from Tim Harrington in the video below). Want to listen before you buy? You can do that over at Spinner. On August 24th you can buy the MP3s at all other fine digital establishments, and the record's physical CD/LP release date is September 14th via Frenchkiss Records. Cover art above.

Six days before that, September 8th, the band will play an intimate release show at Mercury Lounge in NYC (Doors: 9:30). Tickets will cost you $15 (on sale on Ticketmaster Friday), but you can also get a free ticket if you pre-order "Root For Ruins" at Other Music (for a limited time and while tickets last). We also have two pair you can try to win.

Contest details, a set of pictures from NXNE where Les Savy Fav played a late-night Scion-sponsored show at Wrongbar with Best Coast, and more, below...

Continue reading "Les Savy Fav playing intimate NY release show (win tix, stream album, buy @ iTunes, check out some NXNE pics, more)"

DOWNLOAD: Young Man - Five (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Young Man - Heart of Chambers (Beach House cover) (MP3)

Recent Frenchkiss signee Young Man will be opening for his label-mates Local Natives at their Beach at Governors Island show on August 7th. We Barbarians, a Cali band with a few other NYC shows that are listed below, also open. Tickets are still on sale.

Young Man, the brainchild of Colin Caulfield, has its debut EP, Boy, set for proper release on Frenchkiss on October 12th. The mini record is streaming in full here, and the first track off it is available above. It only takes ones quick listen to hear the Animal Collective influence in his music. Appropriately, Animal Collective & Panda Bear are sone of the artists Caulfield has covered and posted to his popular YouTube account. There you'll also find great covers of others artists that Young Man fits right in with - Beach House, Ariel Pink, Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter and more. You can watch some of them below, and download the Beach House cover above.

Live, the group fills out to a four-piece, and their tour dates include a show with Dawes and stint with the Lou Barlow + the missingmen/Wye Oak tour. All those are below...

Continue reading "Young Man releasing/streaming debut EP (MP3s, tour dates, Frenchkiss, Animal Collective & Beach House) "

photos by Greg Cristman

Einstein Music Journal: What are the challenges of being both the owner of your record label and an artist on the roster?

LSF's Syd Butler: It's awful! But I wouldn't want it any other way. Thank God for Paul (label manager at Frenchkiss Records) or I would be submitted into a hospital. The big challenges come when I am in label mode and talking to my band mates about what is expected - as a label you want your band to tour and do as much as you can to work the record. My band has other plans - it's like herding cats.

Les Savy Fav played Newtown Barge Park on Sunday, June 27th as part of the Northside Festival. Rounding out the bill were back-in-action indie-rockers Polvo and instrumental powerhouse Grails. Earlier that day, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, AA Bondy and ARMS played the same spot.

Les Savy Fav traveled to Canada for a sweaty, close-quarters show at NXNE (pics from which are coming soon). They'll have a full tour this fall (TBA), but currently, they're back in Canada for a July 3rd set at Calgary's Sled Island Fest.

LSF's new album, called Root for Ruin, will be released September 14th on (bandmember Syd Butler's) Frenchkiss Records. The track list, cover art, more info and more pictures from the Newtown Barge Park show, below...

Continue reading "Les Savy Fav played Newtown Barge Park w/ Polvo & Grails (pics), announce new album (details)"

Suckers @ SXSW (more by Tim Griffin)

Suckers play two sold-out shows with their labelmates Local Natives on May 6th and 7th at Bowery Ballroom. They'll have an NYC show of their own at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, June 18th as a release party for their debut, Wild Smile, out June 8th on Frenchkiss. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon.

Suckers have also been added to the lineup of the sold-out Passion Pit/Tokyo Police Club show at Prospect Park on June 29th and the show the next night at Governors Island with the same bands plus We Were Promised Jetpacks.

Local Natives play Governors Island in August. On Sunday they played Coachella. Passion Pit played the California fest on Friday. Tokyo Police Club played Saturday.

All Suckers dates below...

Continue reading "Suckers opening Passion Pit shows, headlining their own"

Brooklyn four-piece SUCKERS will be releasing their debut full-length, Wild Smile, on June 8 through NYC tastemaker label Frenchkiss Records (Les Savy Fav, The Dodos, Local Natives, The Antlers and more). The album was recorded, produced and mixed in NYC by Chris Zane (Passion Pit/Walkmen), except for "It Gets Your Body Movin'" (produced by Anand Wilder and Chris Moore) and "Save Your Love For Me" (Chris Moore), and was mastered by Joe Laporta (Vampire Weekend). SUCKERS will also be joining labelmates Local Natives for tour dates in May - scroll down for dates.

The first single from the album, yet to be announced, will be released in April. In the meantime, check out the SUCKERS' cover of The Raveonettes track "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)" from their album In and Out of Control (out now on VICE Music).

Coincidentally, Suckers will also share a bill with Local Natives at the BrooklynVegan/M For Montreal SXSW day party (3/20 @ Galaxy Room). Not coincidentally, they'll share a bill with Local Natives at the Frenckiss showcase happening at the same venue the night before.

Suckers' pre-SXSW tour with Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson and Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers kicks off at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on March 10th. Tickets are still on sale. Suckers' tour with Local Natives kicks off April 22nd and hits NYC for two now-SOLD OUT shows at Bowery Ballroom. New album tracklist and all dates below...

Continue reading "Suckers kicking off tour to SXSW, announce Frenchkiss signing, added to Local Natives spring tour (dates) "

Local Natives @ BV loft - CMJ 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Frenchkiss Records is celebrating its 10th year in existence. Started by Les Savy Fav's Syd Butler in 1999 as a way for his band to release their second album, the label has grown to include over 25 bands with over 40 releases. Most recently they've found success with The Dodos, The Antlers, and of course, Passion Pit who are definitely now pretty "huge". Though still on Frenchkiss, Passion Pit are also shared with Columbia Records (home of Mew, MGMT, The Ting Tings, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, and... Slayer).

And it continues. Frenchkiss announced this week that they signed not one, but two CMJ 2009 buzz bands - both with fine new albums and impressive live shows to match. The NYC label will release California band Local Natives' Gorilla Manor (already out in Europe) on February 26, 2010. They also just signed NYC's Freelance Whales, though like with Passion Pit, that deal is shared with someone else - Mom+Pop Records to be exact, aka. the label that also just snagged Tokyo Police Club (who share a manager with Passion Pit).

The Antlers headline Bowery Ballroom on December 15th. Get tickets before they sell out. Uninhabitable Mansions and Sharon Van Etten (who is sure to sing with the headliners too) open the show. Their only other scheduled show at the moment is March 3rd at Union Chapel in London.

Local Natives are still on tour with Fool's Gold and Edward Sharpe. They visited NYC in November which wasn't long after CMJ when the band played two BV parties - one at Pianos and the one in a loft. Updated dates below.

Freelance Whales are currently on tour with Fanfarlo. That tour ends in NYC on December 18th at Webster Hall. Tickets are still on sale. Freelance Whales also played a BV CMJ show @ Pianos.

Tim Harrington, when not belting out rock songs and climbing over the crowd on a ladder in his underwear as the frontman of Les Savy Fav, makes a "line of patterned products" called Deadly Squire. This Sunday (TODAY), December 6th, Deadly Squire is having a huge sale at Bird in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). Flyer below.

Slayer is going on tour with Megadeth and Testament in January. A "Raining Blood" video with all the other stuff below...

Continue reading "the label connections of Slayer-->Passion Pit-->the Antlers--> Local Natives --> Freelance Whales --> Tokyo Police Club"

DOWNLOAD: The Dodos - Fables (MP3)

The Dodos @ Studio B (more by Ryan Muir)

"So the Dodos record leaked last week. After the band found out, they wanted to allow fans a legal, easy way to hear the album. So we've launched a website where the full album is streaming (@ 320kbps), and fans can pre-order their copy, get free downloads, etc. Physical release dates are staying the same, but the digital dates are moving up considerably. The album will be available digitally on July 28th in the US (exclusively at Amazon MP3 for one week, then everywhere else the week after), and July 27th in the UK. The price of the record at Amazon MP3 during its first day of availability will be insanely low."

All tour dates HERE. Now crack open a cold Miller Chill and check out the new album and/or their video message below...

Continue reading "Dodos respond (on video) to album leak, stream new album"

photos by Ryan Muir

The Dodos will release their third album, Time To Die (produced by Phil EK), on September 15th via Frenchkiss Records...

Time To Die introduces one major addition to the Dodos' creative core: Keaton Snyder, a 21-year-old music school dropout who plays a mean vibraphone. As Long puts it, "He's a better musician than Logan and I combined. I don't even know what's going on with his music theory ideas half the time." On a similar note, Snyder-a classically-trained musician-is constantly learning what 'being in a band' entails. In fact, he didn't even know how to react when a chord was yanked during his Dodos debut. "After the show," says Long, "he was like, 'Yeah, I've never had to plug anything in before.' It was hilarious."

I wasn't expecting Studio B to be so crowded when I showed up for their 5pm Northside Festival show on Sunday (6/14). I wonder if the Miller commercial has helped ticket sales. It was so beautiful outside, and so dark and packed on the inside (not counting the roof deck - it was nice up there). I couldn't really get a good spot and was pre-occupied, so I don't really have an opinion on the actual show, but I loved the Dodos all the other times I've seen them, so I'll probably try and go check them out again when they come back in the fall. No exact NYC dates - just a bunch in Europe and Canada, and some festivals for now. All dates, the new album tracklist, and more pictures from studio B, below...

Continue reading "The Dodos played Studio B (pics), releasing 'Time To Die'"

The Antlers @ Cake Shop (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Frenchkiss Records will be re-releasing a remastered version of Hospice, the debut new album by NYC band The Antlers, on August 18th (and digitally on June 16th). That means they are now label-mates with Sean Bones WHO they are playing with (listed as "special guest") at The Delancey on May 20th (flyer below). One day later you can catch The Antlers with White Rabbits and Cymbals Eat Guitars at Bowery Ballroom (you can also catch Cymbals Eat Guitars at the opening Rooftop Films party tonight). And you can catch the Antlers at Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 29th with Au Revoir Simone who they are then going out on tour with before meeting up with Cotton Jones for even more touring. All dates below...

Continue reading "The Antlers sign to Frenchkiss - 2009 Tour Dates (Bowery Ballroom, MHOW, the Delancey & Au Revoir Simone)"

The Dodos @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more by Natasha Ryan)

Sunset Rubdown and The Dodos, two of the bigger names listed in The Northside Festival lineup, will both be playing their June Brooklyn shows at Studio B. Sunset Rubdown is Friday, June 12th (the same night as John Vanderslice at MHOW), and The Dodos are Sunday, June 14th (the same night as Bill Callahan at MHOW)

When Spencer Krug isn't playing with Sunset Rubdown, he can be found with his other bands Wolf Parade and Swan Lake. Swan Lakes's new album "Enemy Mine" is out now. Grab some MP3's.

You might assume that the Dodos Northside show is the Frenchkiss Records showcase (like I did at first), but it's not. Frenchkiss's own show will be something much smaller at Bruar Falls earlier in the week. I think we CAN assume that Sean Bones, also listed on the Northside lineup, will be one of the performers at that one.

Sunset Rubdown will be touring Europe later this month. The Dodos will be at Sasquatch in May. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Sunset Rubdown & Dodos playing Studio B & other dates"

DOWNLOAD: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Wallpaper remix) (MP3)

words by Andrew Frisicano

Down at SXSW last week, MA band Passion Pit played the Brooklyn Vegan day party on Thursday afternoon (pictures above and below), the Spin day party on Friday afternoon, and the Thursday night Frenchkiss/Startime International showcase. French Kiss is putting out the band's debut, Manners, on May 26th. The same album comes out on Columbia Records in the UK on May 18th..

"A real deal album in other words, one that delivers on the blissful and bright promises of early fan favorites like "Sleepyhead." It took nearly two months of "explosive" off-the-cuff sessions with producer Chris Zane (Les Savy Fav, The Walkmen) to get there-everything was written and recorded on the fly-but Manners is exactly that, an irresistible, filler-free glimpse into the mind of a man who'd like to unleash his very own Pet Sounds someday.

Check the carefully-sculpted songwriting on display: the speaker-panning synths and slightly sinister children's chorus (straight outta P.S. 22 in NYC) of "Little Secrets" and "The Reeling," the lead dulcimer loops and melancholic melodies of "Moth's Wings," the ecstatic, riled-up climax of "Folds in Your Hands." All part of a greater plan, the next step of which is taking Passion Pit's live show to a level that matches, and eventually exceeds, Manners' ambition and kaleidoscopic soundscapes. Because when Angelakos says he wants to be the next Randy Newman, he's dead serious. And when he adds that Passion Pit is "a band with a lead songwriter, not just Michael Angelakos and these guys," it's clear he's just getting started." [Manners press release]

Passion Pit recently canceled a set of Canadian dates planned for the next few weeks. That aside, the band will tour Europe in April and May, returning in time for two shows at the Bowery Ballroom on June 19th and 20th. Tickets for the NYC shows go on sale Friday, March 27th at noon. (The band last played NYC at the same venue in February.)

Updated tour dates and more pictures from the BV day party below...

Continue reading "Passion Pit - SXSW pics, a new LP, cancelled Canada shows, 2 nights in NYC & other tour dates"

"This has been a long time coming, but we at The L Magazine are pleased to finally and officially announce the first annual Northside Festival. Taking place from June 11-14 in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn, it is, as we've grown accustomed to saying, a four-day celebration of the independent music and art scene that thrives here in New York City, with live music being held at nearly every venue in the area (including some that haven't even opened yet), and art events at some of the most relevant galleries in the neighborhood.

What bands are playing? Well, while we will be booking our fair share of shows on our own, it's important to us that the festival has as many different voices as possible, so we've invited some of our favorite NYC music people to curate their own showcases full of what they think are the bands you should be listening to. There will be a pronounced focus on local artists, obviously, because that's sort of what we do, but be on the lookout for a few special guests from out of town as well.

For the visual art portion of Northside, we've teamed up with the nice people over at the Williamsburg Gallery Association, who will be calling attention to area galleries with some amazing exhibitions on display...

...Four-day passes will on sale shortly at what will surely be a ridiculously low price, and you'll definitely want to get yours quickly, not only so that you can get into every single show at Northside, but also so that you can get drunk for less money than everyone else, as you take advantage of the many drink specials we'll have on offer all weekend." [NorthSide Festival]

The idea behind this is to bring a sort of non-industry, SXSW-like festival to Williamsburg and Greenpoint, an area saturated with venues all within walking distance of each other. Some showcase presenters have already been announced - Kanine Records, WFUV's The Alternate Side, Gothamist, Frenchkiss Records, and BrooklynVegan.com included.

DOWNLOAD: Sean Bones - Easy Street (MP3)

That's a picture of Sean Bones aka the solo project of Sean Sullivan aka the guitarist of Sam Champion aka one of Frenchkiss Records' latest signings aka the first of two openers (2nd TBA) at the upcoming Les Savy Fav (the kings of Frenchkiss Records) show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple in Brooklyn, NY on March 13th. Tickets on sale Feb 3rd.

Listen to the Sean Bones tracks streaming at MySpace. Download one of them above.

Les Savy Fav also have a show coming up this Saturday and one at Noise Pop in San Francisco on March 1st. All dates below...

Continue reading "Les Savy Fav shows (Brooklyn Masonic) and Sean Bones"

DOWNLOAD: Telekenisis - Coast of Carolina (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cut Off Your Hands - Turn Cold (MP3)

Telekinesis

"On April 7, 2009, Merge Records will release the debut album from Seattle's Telekinesis entitled Telekinesis!. Telekinesis is the project of Michael Benjamin Lerner. Michael recorded Telekinesis! at Two Sticks Audio in Seattle with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Tegan and Sara). Michael wrote and sang all of the songs and played nearly all of the instruments on the album, but tours with a full band that includes David Broecker (guitar), Jonie Broecker (bass, keyboards), and Chris Staples (guitar)."

Telekenisis have a few shows lined up for the next few months - none in NYC yet, but they will be playing Noise Pop, SXSW, and a bunch of dates with Ra Ra Riot.

Ra Ra Riot also have a bunch of shows lined up without Telekenisis. For NYC, it's just January 22nd at Bowery Ballroom which is the Planned Parenthood Benefit with Regina Spektor that sold out before it was even announced that they were also playing the show. They're also playing Noise Pop, and SXSW, and a bunch of dates with both Passion Pit and Cut Off Your Hands.

Cut Off Your Hands officially release their debut LP, You & I, via Frenchkiss Records on January 20th. Download the first single for free above. They're also playing SXSW (as are their labelmates Passion Pit).

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Merge signs Telekinesis, Ra Ra Riot tour dates, Planned Parenthood, Cut Off Your Hands, SXSW, some MP3's"

DOWNLOAD: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (MP3)

Boston/Cambridge's Passion Pit will play their first-ever NYC show at Pianos tonight (August 13, 2008). Bill-favorite Sky Larkin are also playing their own first NYC show on the same bill. If you miss it don't worry - tonight's show is also part of a 3-date Pianos residency that has Passion Pit back in town on August 20th and 27th (and Sky Larkin are also playing again on Thursday).

There's been a lot of buzz around Passion Pit lately based on the strength of their debut EP which is being re-released with two extra tracks on September 16th by Frenchkiss Records.

The re-release of the band's heralded "Chunk of Change" EP on Sept. 16 will cap off quite a year for the soulful Cambridge electro-pop quartet. What began as an Angelakos solo project to impress his girlfriend on Valentine's Day has since morphed into a full band that's generated almost unparalleled local buzz, ultimately winning Best New Act in the recent 'FNX Radio Best Music Poll. Within a few months, Passion Pit went from the underground dance-party circuit to opening for Death Cab For Cutie at the Bank of America Pavilion.

And now Passion Pit is about to blow up on a national level with the help of Frenchkiss, home of the Hold Steady, Les Savy Fav and Rahim. [Boston Herald]

You can hear one of the tracks from that EP by downloading the MP3 above. It's one of the songs that was added to the re-release. You can also get an instant download of a remix of the same song by pre-ordering the EP at Insound now. All dates below...

Continue reading "Passion Pit - MP3, Frenchkiss Records EP, 2008 tour dates (tonight, a Pianos residency)"

DOWNLOAD: The Dodos - Fools (MP3)

As if it weren't good enough that Phosphorescent was playing two small NYC venues with Bowerbirds, they/he are also playing a third upcoming NYC show at Union Pool on February 2nd. It's a show with his friends The Dodos - a San Francisco band who Frenchkiss Records recently signed, and who are also playing January 28th at Mercury Lounge with Alberta Cross, Noise Pop in San Francisco, SXSW in Austin, AND as part of Akron/Family's backing band at Coachella. All dates below...

Continue reading "the DODOS (Frenchkiss) playing NYC, SXSW, Noise Pop, Coachella (sort of) + a PHOSPHORESCENT show & Tour Dates"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

DOWNLOAD: Fatal Flying Guiloteens - Reveal the Rats (MP3)

These five lads with a penchant for the Wu-Tang Clan (or Shaw Brothers films) bring a guitar assault on record that just makes you want to see them live. The first time I listened to them, I was reminded of Blood Brothers and early At The Drive-In (coincidentally or otherwise, they have released records on GSL), but that wouldn't be fair. They are certainly their own band with an infectious brand of spazz-jazz-punk, or whatever label a publicist would write on a one-sheet. Chaotic, schizophrenic, and other adjectives that end in -ic, the Guilloteens are a frenetic (there's another one) group that will hopefully get some well deserved pub this week.

Their myspace has material from their new album, and it doesn't sound like they've slipped since I first heard them three years ago. Their one "official" CMJ show this week is part of the Frenchkiss Records showcase at Pianos (that Juiced Elfers are also playing), but you can also catch them at three other NYC show, including (cheap plug) a Brooklynvegan party on the 19th at R Bar. All dates below.....

Continue reading "Fatal Flying Guiloteens (CMJ Spotlight)"