by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Ed Schrader's Music Beat - "Radio Eyes" (MP3)

Baltimore floor tom/bass guitar duo Ed Schrader's Music Beat released the impressive Jazz Mind LP last year, and as mentioned, this year they contributed a track to the excellent Sub Pop 1000 compilation. Their track is the post-punk ripper "Radio Eyes," which shifts back and forth between razor-sharp bass lines and shouted vocals to softly-sung melancholic passages. The duo made a video for the track, which you can watch below, and you can also download a free MP3 of the song above (via Gimme Tinnitus).

Ed Schrader's Music Beat seem to love coming to Brooklyn to play Death by Audio, and you'll have two chances to see them do that this month. First, they play the Brooklyn venue this Tuesday (5/14) with Hemlock Ernst (aka Sam Herring of Future Islands, who Ed Schrader released a split with), Human Pippi Armstrong, and Adventure. Then, ESMB will return to DBA on May 25 for a show with Guerilla Toss, Skimask, and Bugs & Rats. Admission for both shows is $7 at the door. Those are the only two shows for the band that we're currently aware of.

Video below...

Continue reading "watch Ed Schrader's Music Beat's video for "Radio Eyes" (and grab the MP3), see them at Death by Audio this month (twice)"

One of the most eclectic lineups in the US, Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, will be back for 2013 on September 5 -7. Pulling from all genres, this year's line-up includes names like Big Boi (who plays NYC tonight), Spiritualized, Sleep, Wolf Eyes (who have a new video), The Breeders (performing Last Splash), John Cale, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Gorguts, Inter Arma (who play NYC on Saturday), Double Negative (who played NYC this past weekend), Swearin' (them too), Pissed Jeans, Dan Friel, Waxahatchee and many many others. Three-day wristbands are on sale now with individual day tickets going on sale in June. Full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Hopscotch announces 2013 lineup (Big Boi, Sleep, Spiritualized, Kurt Vile, Wolf Eyes, John Cale, more)"

Gardens & Villa at Webster Hall in October (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Santa Barbara indie pop crew Gardens & Villa haven't given us an album since their 2011 self titled debut on Secretly Canadian, but they did treat us to some music this year with a cover of "Gypsy" for the the Fleetwood Mac tribute album, Just Tell Me That You Want Me, and a remix of their tourmates Polica's "The Maker" for Polica's remix EP.

We asked the band for a list of their top 10 songs of 2012, and like their own sound, most of the artists they chose lean on the indie pop side of things like Beach House, Ariel Pink, Peaking Lights, Pure Bathing Culture, and others. You can check out their full list below.

Continue reading "Gardens & Villa's Top 10 Songs of 2012"

Future Islands at FYF Fest 2012 (more by Debi Del Grande)

As mentioned, Future Islands are playing a few of the Thrill Jockey 20th anniversary shows this year, including the one at Webster Hall on September 15 with Tortoise, Matmos, Liturgy, and D. Charles Speer. Tickets for that show are still available.

After that tour, the band will head out on a tour with Brooklyn no wave revivalists Talk Normal and Baltimore noise rockers Dope Body. That tour culminates with a NYC show on November 20 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for that show are not on sale yet but check ticketmaster for updates.

Meanwhile, Talk Normal, who are releasing their new album, Sunshine, on October 23, will play NYC even sooner than that at 285 Kent on September 29 with Pop. 1280 (who also play NYC with The Soft Moon) and Guardian Alien. Then Talk Normal will play a release party for Sunshine at Secret Project Robot on October 26.

Future Islands just released their new single, "Tomorrow," on Monday (9/3) via Upset the Rhythm. You can stream that song and check out a list of all dates below.

Continue reading "Future Islands released a new single, touring w/ Dope Body & Talk Normal (who have other upcoming shows)"

photos by Debi Del Grande

Refused / Warpaint / Sleigh Bells, FYF Fest 9/1/2012

...Next came the great Warpaint / Hot Snakes / Chromatics dilemma of 2012. We love Hot Snakes, but with not-to-be missed hardcore Refused closing the evening, we needed something cerebral.

We picked Warpaint, and it made all the difference. The Angeleno quartet packed the main stage area to an earnestly mind-blowing set. No joke. Stella Mozgawa's metronomically perfect drumming is infused with the right amount of personality and swagger. To say nothing of the occasionally ethereal vocals and sonically interdimensional floating guitar licks. On top of the brain high, the all-lady act Warpaint drives a bit of a body-moving groove. If it weren't for the, er, gopher pockmarked ground, we might have just laid down and vibed out or whatever. Enough people did anyways... -[LA Weekly]

Continue reading "FYF Fest 2012: day 1 in pics (Refused, Warpaint, Purity Ring, Sleigh Bells, The Vaselines, The Soft Pack and more)"

Baroness at Terminal 5 in May (more by Joe McCabe)

Earlier this week, we posted an update from Baroness showing that things were looking upwards for the band. Unfortunately though, with two members having broken vertebrae and frontman John Baizely having a broken arm and leg, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Baroness have in fact cancelled some of their upcoming North American tour dates, including their NYC show at House of Vans and LA's FYF Fest. They will not be replaced on the House of Vans lineup, which happens on August 29 and now just includes Turbonegro, Doomriders, and Nightbirds. This is a bummer but it makes sense that the band takes the time they need to recover, and we wish them a speedy and successful recovery!

Meanwhile, FYF Fest, which Wild Flag also dropped off of, recently expanded its lineup. It now features The Faint (who just announced they'll be reissuing Danse Macabre and touring the album), Glass Candy, King Tuff, and newcomers The Orwells. Tickets for FYF Fest are still available. The updated lineup and flier are below.

Continue reading "Baroness dropped off House of Vans and FYF Fest, who added bands (updated lineup)"

The Virgin Mobile FreeFest returns to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on October 6 with a lineup that includes Jack White, Skrillex, M83, Nas, ZZ Top, Santigold, Alabama Shakes, Ben Folds Five, The Dismemberment Plan, Allen Stone, Trampled by Turtles, Portugal. The Man, Das Racist, Future Islands and Justin Jones. There is also a "Dance Forest" that will feature Above & Beyond, Porter & Zedd (Back to Back), Thomas Gold, Nervo, Alvin Risk and Penguin Prison, with others to be announced.

As the name of the show implies tickets to the FreeFest are free and will be available via ticketfly.com on Friday, August 24 at noon. A presale on August 23 will be announced via their Twitter. There are also some not-free "freemium" packages to buy that include early admission to the festival grounds, a donation to charity and other incentives. Details on that are here.

Speaking of The Dismemberment Plan, the indie rock vets began playing shows again in 2011 and at their Baltimore show on Friday (8/10), they played multiple new songs! Hopefully this means we'll be getting a new D-Plan album (it'd be the first since 2001's Change). Check out videos of the new songs played at the Baltimore show below.

Continue reading "Virgin Mobile FreeFest lineup announced - includes M83, Nas, ZZ Top, Jack White, Skrillex, Das Racist, Future Islands, Dismemberment Plan (who recently played new songs live)"

Matmos

Yesterday, we mentioned that Thrill Jockey Records will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and in honor of it are hosting a show at Webster Hall on September 15 with Tortoise, Future Islands, Matmos, Liturgy. and D. Charles Speer. That show is actually just one in a series of 20th anniversary shows the label are putting on around the country, including a much smaller one in NYC at Death by Audio on September 14 with White Hills, Guardian Alien, Man Forever (who also plays DbA on Friday, 7/20), Dan Friel, and Rhyton. Tickets for the Death by Audio show and the Webster Hall show are on sale now.

In addition to the shows, the label will also celebrate their anniversary with newly commissioned silk screened posters, like this one and this one, and 2-minute video shorts, like the one by Ashby Lee Collinson that you can watch below. They've also asked a number of comedians, including Fred Armisen, to write two jokes (one clean and one dirty) and Thrill Jockey will be recording reactions to the jokes and pressing them on limited edition vinyl.

In related news, experimental duo Matmos (aka M.C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel), who are playing some of the anniversary shows including the Webster Hall one, have just recently signed to Thrill Jockey, and they'll put out their first release for the label, the Ganzfeld EP, on October 15.

All currently known Thrill Jockey 20th anniversary shows (more TBA) are listed below with lineups...

Continue reading "Thrill Jockey announce more 20th anniversary shows; Matmos releasing the 'Ganzfeld' EP"

Tortoise at ATP NY 2010 more by BBG)

Chicago label Thrill Jockey Records, who focus most heavily on experimental music and indie rock, will be celebrating their 20th anniversary in NYC on September 15 at Webster Hall with a stacked lineup of Tortoise, Future Islands, Matmos, Liturgy, and D. Charles Speer & the Helix. Tickets for that show go on sale Thursday (7/19) at noon.

Meanwhile, Liturgy will play NYC even sooner with an also very solid, but very different lineup of Sepalcure, Machinedrum, White Ring, and MikeQ on Saturday (7/21) at 171 Lombardy in Brooklyn. Tickets for that show are on sale now. As discussed, Liturgy also plays the Basilica Music Festival in Hudson, NY (Aug 11-12) with Mick Barr, Gang Gang Dance, Prince Rama, and more.

Lists of all Tortoise, Future Islands, Liturgy, and Machinedrum dates, and videos from all the bands are below...

Continue reading "Tortoise, Liturgy, Future Islands & more playing Thrill Jockey 20th anniversary in NYC; Liturgy playing a show w/ Sepalcure"

Future Islands at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Sarahana)

today in NYC
* America @ BB King's
* Big Terrific @ Cameo
* Marika Hughes @ Barbes
* Cody Chesnutt @ SOB's
* Man Forever @ The Stone
* Arthur Doyle @ The Stone
* NRBQ @ Iridium Jazz Club
* Slaughterhouse @ BB King's
* Jonathan Batiste @ Joe's Pub
* Ace Frehley @ Best Buy Theater
* Bob Odenkirk & UCB Pals @ UCB
* Chez Deep @ Santos Party House
* Foxes, Seasick Mama @ Pianos
* The Mandingo Ambassadors @ Barbes
* Nellie McKay @ Madison Square Park
* New York Philharmonic @ Prospect Park
* Femminielli @ WIERD at Home Sweet Home
* Los Lobos, Livingston Leo @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Rakel, Pamela Rodriguez @ Knitting Factory
* Kayo Dot, Mossenek, MV Carbon @ Saint Vitus
* Def Leppard, Poison, Lita Ford @ Prudential Center
* Happy Ending Music & Reading Series @ Joe's Pub
* Guantanamo Baywatch, The Numerators, Big Tits @ Cake Shop
* Buddy Guy, Quinn Sullivan, John Mayall @ World Financial Center
* Cloud, Cloud, SeaPost, Ari Why (DJ set) @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* The Click Clack Boom, Motive, Dead Stars, Indyns @ Public Assembly
* Wolf In a Spacesuit, BZARYN, Spooky Cheddar, Big Girl @ Glasslands
* Summerscreen w/ Colin L. Orchestra, Indian Jewelry @ McCarren Park
* Future Islands, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Darlings @ Death By Audio
* Morning Musuko Brass Band, Benninghove's Hangmen @ The Paper Box
* Nice & Smooth, Ed O.G. and The Awesome 2 @ Summerstage - Crotona Park
* Missy Mazzoli & Victoire, Skeletons Big Band (free) @ Pace Schimmel Theatre
* U Say USA, The N'ere Dowells, I'm Turning Into, Swimming @ Shea Stadium
* The Byzan-Tones, Stathos Karavani Orchestra, Jeremiah Lockwood @ Zebulon
* Woodyfest w/ Steve Earle, John Hammond, Tim Robbins, Diana Jones @ City Winery
* Communion w/Lucius,Seasick Mama, Faces On Film,David Doobinin,Howth @ UnionHall
* Alexander Hacke, Danielle de Picciotto, Algis Kizys, Pharmakon, Chaos Majik, Pharmakon @ XPO 929
* Rebirth Brass Band w/ Brother Joscephus & The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra @ Beekman Beer Garden
* La Santa Cecilia, Monica Lionheart, Xenia Rubinos, Alex Anwandter, Martin Buscaglia, Gepe, ArtOfficial @ Mercury Lounge
* Mala Rodríguez, Ximena Sariñana, Profetas and The Sconek-T @ Central Park Summerstage
* Celestial Shore, Les Bon Hommes, Young Unknowns, Emerald Lakes @ Delinquency BLVD

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Montreal's electronic artist Femminielli makes his U.S. debut at the WIERD party at Home Sweet Home. Italodisco fans will want to check out the video for his single "Atlandia" below.

Ace Frehley at Best Buy Theater... Def Leppard, Poison, and Lita Ford @ Prudential Center? What's a hair metal fan to do?

Breaking Bad's final season starts Sunday, but meanwhile you can catch Saul at UCB tonight.

The Spy Music Festival continues with a performance by Man Forever at the Stone tonight.

The Todd P-curated music portion of Summerscreen starts tonight in McCarren Park.

Advance tickets to Future Islands at Death By Audio tonight are sold out.

Rebirth Brass Band with Brother Joscephus and The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra play Beekman Beer Garden by the South Street Seaport tonight, where the 4Knots Festival and afterparty happen on Saturday.

The All Stars Project "is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting human development through the use of an innovative performance-based model. The ASP creates outside of school, educational and performing arts activities for thousands of poor and minority young people. It sponsors community and experimental theatre, develops leadership training and pursues volunteer initiatives that build and strengthen communities."

OFF! Has a new video for "Borrow and Bomb" / "I Got News For You" featuring Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley and you can watch that below.

Bloc Party have a new video for "Octopus" from their forthcoming album Four and you can watch that below as well.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

The 2012 edition of MusicFestNW takes place in September 5 - 9 at 18 venues in Portland, OR and will feature performances from over 150 bands, including Passion Pit, Hot Snakes, Girl Talk, Danny Brown, Beirut Silversun Pickups, Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, many more.

In addition to those previously announced artists, MFNW has just added The Hives, Flying Lotus, Wild Nothing, DIIV, Quasi, Moon Duo, My Goodness, DZ Deathrays, and Strand Of Oaks to the already impressive line-up. Wristbands, available various levels and packages, and tickets to individual shows are on sale now. Check out the complete MFNW lineup below.

Continue reading "MusicFestNW 2012 lineup expands (The Hives, Flying Lotus, Quasi, DIIV, Passion Pit, Hot Snakes, Beirut, Swans & many more)"

Future Islands at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Sarahana)

As we posted already, Future Islands are playing Death by Audio on July 11 with Ed Schrader's Music Beat and Darlings. DbA rarely sells advance tickets but they are doing so for this one and they're on sale now. Future Islands will head out on tour later this summer with Passion Pit.

The DbA show is a record release show for the second single in Famous Class Records' LAMC 7" series that is dedicated to Ariel Panero's Less Artists More Condos shows. (Ariel died in December 2010.) The LAMC 7" features Future Islands on one side, and Ed Schrader's Music Beat on the flip and is available for pre-order. All digital proceeds go to the Ariel Panero Memorial Fund at VH1 Save the Music. Flyer for the show is below.

You can also catch William of Future Islands other band, Believers with Gerrit from Future Islands' other band, Moss of Aura, at Death by Audio on June 23.

Future Islands are also part of the just announced FYF Fest lineup. All of their dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Future Islands releasing 7" w/ Ed Schrader's Music Beat; tix on sale for their DbA show w/ Darlings"

FYF Fest. September 1st and 2nd, 2012
At the LA State Historic Park, Los Angeles, CA
Tickets are $77 and go on sale Friday June 22nd.

Quicksand recently reunited at Revelation Records' 25th Anniversary on the West Coast, and I would't be surprised if they do the same at Irving Plaza in October.

American Nightmare has two shows coming up at Webster Hall.

Full FYF lineup, in alphabetical order, below...

Continue reading "FYF Fest 2012 lineup: Quicksand, Refused, American Nightmare, Desaparecidos, M83, Hot Snakes & MUCH more"

by Andrew Sacher

Baltimore psych poppers Hume have a few dates scheduled this week, including a NXNE show tonight (6/13). We/re thrilled to announce that one of those shows is now also the Official BrooklynVegan Northside Showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday (6/15), which Hume, along with Fort Lean, have just been added to, joining a lineup with Frankie Rose and Caveman. Tickets for that show are still available or you can also try to get in with your Northside badge. We're also giving away another pair of tickets in this post. Details on how to enter to win are below.

Hume were supposed to play Death by Audio on Friday (6/15) with Darlings, but that show is no longer happening and the BV Northside show is now Hume's only currently scheduled Brooklyn date. All of their dates are listed below.

The band are reportedly preparing to release a 12" for their super-reverby single, "Phasing," this year. It's set to include remixes from Doldrums, Dustin Wong, and Aaron Leitko (of Protect-U). You can stream that track below. Also below is a video of an older single titled "Inverse Fireworks," which was shot at Market Hotel in NYC.

Speaking of experimental Baltimore bands, just a reminder that Roomrunner, who Hume have shared bills with in the past, have upcoming dates including their addition as opener to Dan Deacon's free show at Pier 84 on July 12 with John Maus.

Continuing to speak of experimental Baltimore bands, we recently mentioned that Future Islands are about to head on a tour which includes a Brooklyn show at Death by Audio on July 11 with Ed Schrader's Music Beat and Darlings. William from Future Islands' other band Believers and Gerrit from Future Islands' other band Moss of Aura will also share a bill at the Brooklyn venue on June 23.

A list of all Hume dates, stream, video, and contest details below...

Continue reading "Hume playing shows, added to BV Northside (dates & stream); Future Islands side projects playing Death By Audio"

Future Islands at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Sarahana)

Future Islands have a bunch of dates coming up this summer, including a run with Passion Pit on their tour. Before that, they'll play their own show in Brooklyn at Death by Audio on July 11 with Ed Schrader's Music Beat and Darlings.

Speaking of Passion Pit, they revealed another track off their upcoming LP, Gossamer (due out 7/24 via Columbia). It's called "I'll Be Alright" and you can stream it below, along with a list of all Future Islands and Passion Pit dates...

Continue reading "Future Islands playing DbA before touring w/ Passion Pit, who have a new song (dates & stream)"

photos by Sarahana

Future Islands @ Bowery Ballroom

Released in October, Future Islands' third album, "On the Water," features cellos, violins and acoustic percussion -- along with background sounds captured outdoors at a North Carolina waterfront. The natural world also features heavily in the album's song titles, including "The Great Fire," "Give Us the Wind" and the title track.

Add to that songs such as "Before the Bridge" and "Tybee Island," and there seems to be an elemental theme. But Cashion says "On the Water" is not a concept record.

"This is a group of songs that work well together as an album," he says. "But there was no underlying concept we were discussing when we wrote it. I feel like it takes a certain kind of band to make a true concept record. I'm not sure we're that kind of band." [expressnightout]

Future Islands' US tour kicked off in late October and also included stops at Hopscotch, FYFest, and Fun Fun Fun Fest. The band has a couple days off now, but will play a pair of UK dates at the end of this week including ATP's Nightmare before Christmas. They'll then return to tour Europe in Feb/March next year.

In related news, Doe Paoro released a cover of Future Islands' "Little Dreamer" which you can stream, with all dates and more pics from Bowery, below...

Continue reading "Future Islands, Ed Schrader's Music Beat & Zomes @ Bowery Ballroom (pics)"

photos by Alex Broadwell

Future Islands

Like Guided by Voices, manay bands (duh) played the 2nd annual Hopscotch Music Festival in North Carolina celebrated in early September. Here are some pictures of a few of the bands that I forgot to post earlier. They continue below...

Continue reading "Hopscotch Fest 2011 (belated pics)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Spoon @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

Spoon had nothing to promote and no surplus of new songs to unveil. This was just an Austin band -- Austin's biggest indie band ever -- playing an Austin festival for their only major show of 2011 (at least so far). As a live unit, the four-piece that recorded Transmission (augmented here by an additional percussionist) is as precise as Spoon has ever been, cranking out savagely controlled, often slow-building versions of such songs as "Written in Reverse," "Delicate Places" and the instantaneously applauded "I Turn My Camera On." "We got horns!" frontman Britt Daniel proclaimed, bringing out a six-man section for "Cherry Bomb," "The Underdog" and "Jonathan Fisk." By the four-song encore, the crowd had both increased in enthusiasm and decreased in size -- no doubt some people had wandered to another stage to see the Damned, which Daniel himself had said he wished that he could do. [SPIN]

Our first set of pictures from Saturday, Damned included, are HERE. Our second set continues, more of Spoon included, below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 -- Day 2 pics (part 2) -- Spoon, Tune-Yards, Ra Ra Riot, Tinariwen, Purity Ring & more"

photos by Nathanael Turner

Future Islands @ FYF Fest

Future Islands play this weekend's Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC on 9/10, and after a few weeks away from the road, will kick off a US tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan that will last them into the first week of December. NYC has a date to call their own that falls toward the end of said tour, at Bowery Ballroom on December 1st. They're headlining (!) with Ed Schrader's Music Beat opening. Tickets are on sale. All dates are listed below.

The tour kick off happens exactly two weeks after On the Water, the band's latest full-length from Thrill Jockey, hits store shelves (October 11) Check out the video for "Balance" below.

Future Islands joined several other notables over Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles at FYFest. A recap of the festival that took place on 9/3 is on the way, but for now bask in the mayhem that took place during Future Islands' set (the fest's break out performance according to Lady Gunn). More pictures, the video and all dates below...

Continue reading "Future Islands played FYF Fest, touring (pics, video & dates)"

Slayer at Izod Center (photos by Samantha Marble)

Slayer, Thee Oh Sees, Public Enemy, Girls, Danzig Legacy, (Danzig + Doyle von Frankenstein playing Misfits, Samhain & Danzig), Hot Snakes, Diplo, Major Lazer, Henry Rollins, Ted Leo & The Phramacists, Spank Rock, Murder City Devils, Hum, Lykke Li, Passion Pit, Four Tet, Rakim, The Damned, Austra, Purity Ring, and Flynt Flossy are just a few of the acts announced today as part of the Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 lineup. Another amazing year! Check out the full lineup below and stay tuned for more announcements coming in August and September.

The new additions to the Austin, Texas festival, which takes place from 11/4 - 11/6, are in addition to the the previous "lineup leaks" that included Brian Posehn, Odd Future, Okkervil River, M83, X (performing "Los Angeles"), Reggie Watts, Flying Lotus, Tune-Yards, Ra Ra Riot, Kid Dynamite and others

2011 is the festival's sixth year, but first at its new home Auditorium Shores (no more Waterloo Park). Tickets are on sale now.

Slayer also has a NYC performance coming up with Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth as part of the "Big Four" show at Yankee Stadium on 9/14. Tickets are still available.

Fun Fun Fun 2011 flyer and almost-full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 lineup (Danzig Legazy, Passion Pit, Slayer, Lykke Li, The Damned, Henry Rollins & much more)"

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

Descendents at FFFFest (more by Tim Griffin)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

photos by Amanda Hatfield

"Still reeling from the Titus Andronicus/Okkervil River show last night. So good! It was so good." - Arielle

"Okkervil River absolutely killed it last night at Terminal 5. Awesome show. Also, apologies to my liver." - David Rosado

Okkervil River's Will Sheff @ Terminal 5

amNY: You've said you think this is your best record yet. Honestly, isn't that always the case?

Will Sheff: I do think that, and it's never a lie. It's always a reflection of feeling where I am at that time. So, yeah - probably in two years, I'll have completely moved on from this "I Am Very Far" sort of place and be like, "F--- that, let's do some throat singing. That's what I'm into now."

So what feelings did this record reflect?

Will Sheff: It felt like after being an awkward teenager, growing up and becoming an adult. And the word "adult" carries a lot of baggage with it - it's kind of scary, like "adult contemporary." But I always thought of adulthood as really fascinating and complex. That's when people are having affairs and cheating on each other and becoming morally compromised. So this is my creepy, adult, dark, nuanced, having-an-affair record. As opposed to Sting.

Okkervil's set got cut short, possibly due to the venue curfew. At 10:45 the band was given a 15 minute warning, and so they played straight to 11 with no encore break. Unfortunately, if the written setlist is to be believed, that means they had to play much less than planned. The written and actual setlist, and more pictures from the show and dates too, below...

Continue reading "Okkervil River, Titus Andronicus & Future Islands played Terminal 5 (pics & setlist)"

The second annual Hopscotch Festival will go down in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, across 12 different venues with over 135 bands, from September 8th through 10th. The lineup this year runs the gamut of independent music... from traditional indie staples (The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Superchunk) to southern-inflected rock (Drive-By Truckers) to noise (Prurient) to hip hop (Beans) to garage (Jeff The Brotherhood) to funk (Budos Band) to metal (Krallice), and everywhere in between (Swans, Rhys Chatham, etc etc). Tickets are currently on sale. Full lineup is below.

Hopscotch happens almost three months after Guided By Voices play a Brooklyn Northside Festival show in McCarren Park (tickets) which is one day after Beirut plays a Northside Festival show on the same McCarren Park stage with... Sharon Van Etten (though she may have been accidentally announced at one point, they officially kept her placement on the bill under wraps until after Saturday's Music Hall of Williamsburg show). Tickets for Beirut/SVE are still on sale, and another opener will be added too.

Guided by Voices (whose Brooklyn show also has more openers coming) are also playing Pitchfork in July with Animal Collective whose Prospect Park show is now on AmEx presale.

Swans' upcoming NYC show is now on AmEx presale too.

Hopscotch lineup below...

Continue reading "Hopscotch Fest returns to Raleigh (2011 lineup announced), Sharon Van Etten officially added to Northside Fest"

photos by Erez Avissar

Future Islands

Javelin, Future Islands and Liturgy shared a bill at a space called "285 Kent Ave" (formerly "West Nile") on November 21st. A set of pictures from that show continues below...

Continue reading "Javelin, Future Islands & Liturgy @ 285 Kent Ave (pics) "

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Cumbiagra @ Barbes
* Kylesa, Hull @ Public Assembly
* The Tiptons Sax Quartet @ Barbes
* Jim Campilongo @ the Living Room
* Jake Shimabukuro @ Highline Ballroom
* Jakob Dylan, Nicole Atkins @ City Winery
* Martha Wainwright sings Piaf @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Milk & Blood, New Moods, Indyans, Wolfff @ Cake Shop
* Brenden Wood, Colin Langenus, CSC Funk Band @ Zebulon
* Sasha Dobson, Poundcake (Teddy Thompson) @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Felabration 2010: A Tribute to Fela @ Knitting Factory
* Superhuman Happiness w/ Fela! cast members @ Coco 66???
* Golden Animals, Battlehooch, Slowdance, Papertwin @ Pianos
* Keith Caputo & Michael Alago (spoken word)@ Bowery Electric
* Future Islands, Talk Normal, Ed Schrader, Soft Skin @ Mercury Lounge

There are two Fela! related events in Williamsburg tonight, or are there? Superhuman Happiness is scheduled to play with Fela! cast members at Coco66 tonight, but Coco66 was shut down over the weekend. CAll ahead. The Knitting Factory event is definitely happening though and that has "Ikebe Shakedown And Guest Fela's, Including:, Kevin Mambo - Star Of FELA! On Broadway, Malik Yoba, Bajah Of Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew, DJs From The Fela Undustrial Complex: Dhundee, OP!, Dj.Aqbt, And More!!!"

Watch Bleary Eyed Brooklyn video of Dominique Young Unique making the BrooklynVegan Saturday day party crowd going crazy, below...

What else?

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