DJ Rashad

Chicago footwork producer DJ Rashad released the excellent TEKLIFE Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi album earlier this year, and played a Brooklyn show at 285 Kent soon after with Total Freedom and J-Cush. All three of those artists will be returning this weekend for another show at 285 Kent on Sunday (9/23) with Visionist and a "surprise special guest." No word on who the guest is, but the show is the official after party for the Gang Gang Dance and Prince Rama show happening at 285 Kent earlier that night (the third of three GGD shows in NYC this weekend). Admission for this all ages party is $5 before 1 AM and $10 after.

As for LA producer Total Freedom (aka Ashland Mines), who opened on tour for Gang Gang Dance last year, he'll be landing in Brooklyn a bit earlier for a warehouse party at 110 Troutman TONIGHT (9/21) with $hayne and Rizzla. The flier for tonight's show is below.

Meanwhile, J-Cush will also be at 285 Kent on Saturday (9/22) for the previously mentioned Sasha Go Hard show. That bill also includes DJ Manny, Cedaa, and Durban. $5 at the door before 1 AM. That will be Sasha's second NYC show of this week, having played Santos with LE1F last night (9/20). How was that show? Sasha loved it.

If dancing into the wee hours of the night is your thing, those three shows are only two of the many dance options in NYC this weekend. Head below to see more...

Continue reading "DJ Rashad, Total Freedom, Midnight Magic, Nicholas, Pictureplane & more dance options in NYC this weekend"

Inspired by k3wl orgs like Public School, Cabinet, Brooklyn Brainery, & with a general commitment to diversity, Public Assembly's putting on the Ritz: gallery shows, panel discussions & radical arts get intermixed with our normal jams: cool bands, killer late night parties, and drank. Pro-women, pro-queer, pro-art, pro-imagination, proproblem solving, fans of the radical, and understanding of your budget - we're here to provide the best week-long version of a state-funded liberal arts college we can. Live
the dream.

Other events include a brewing discussion titled "How Beer Changed Everything" on 9/20, and "The Moon Presents ... A Tribute to Books" with comedian Chris Gethard and The Onion's Todd Hanson. All Et cetera events are listed below and there's more information at their website.

Continue reading "Stephin Meritt, Andrew McCarthy, Chris Gethard, Gang Gang Dance, Xeno & Oaklander, lectures, movies and more part of 'Et cetera' happening at Public Assembly next week"

by Bill Pearis

Brooklyn sibling duo Prince Rama will release their new album, Top Ten Hits Of The End Of The World, on November 6 via Paw Tracks. That's the cover art above, and if it looks like some used-bin '80s K-Tel compilation, the album functions in much the same way. Here's a bit from the press release:

Conceived as a pseudo-compilation album, the Brooklyn duo invented ten different pop bands that died during the apocalypse, channelling the ghosts of each one to perform the various songs. Spanning genres and stylistic eras from across the globe, Top Ten Hits explores pop music's relationship to memory, nostalgia, and the spirit world. Incorporating influences as disparate as cosmic disco, motorcycle rock, new-wave, grunge, tribal goth, Arabic pop, and ghost-modern glam, Prince Rama filters each sound through the destroyed lens of a post-apocalyptic future looking back at the wonders of its sonic past...Top Ten Hits of the End of the World isn't just a pop album, it's a retrospective requiem of all pop albums ever made. Nothing like this has ever been attempted by a single band, and its residual echoes will continue to haunt this world and the next.

Continue reading "Prince Rama releasing new LP, playing shows (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

Hot Chip at Prospect Park, 7/1/2012 (more by Toby Tennenbaum)

Hot Chip, who finished up their tour last night (7/22) in MD with Sleigh Bells, played Terminal 5 on Friday night (7/20), their second NYC show of the week following a slightly-damp show at Prospect Park two days before. And while the crowd was tamer than I've seen at previous Hot Chip shows (I think this was my 10th time seeing them?) it was certainly not the fault of the band who have honed the electronic band live experience to a science. With a blinding stroboscoopic light show and two auxiliary members beefing up their sound, they seemed not just ready for the floor but ready for arenas.

One of my favorite things about seeing Hot Chip live is that they are never afraid to mess with their best-loved tracks. "Over and Over" and "And I was a Boy from School" both got massively reworked, the latter now driven by electric piano that gave the song an early-'90s balaeric kick. I could of used a few more oldies, as we got nothing from Coming on Strong and just those two songs from The Warning, plus two each from Made in the Dark ("Hold On," and "Ready for the Floor" which was clearly the crowd's favorite) and three from One Life Stand ("I Feel Better," "Hand Me Down Your Love" and the title track).

We got most of the new album In Our Heads (though not my favorite song "These Chains"), which the crowd didn't seem to know very well. For the encore, Alexis Taylor invited out Lizzie from Gang Gang Dance (who opened for Hot Chip at Prospect Park) to sing on ballad "I Have Always Been Your Love." The show finished with "Let Me Be Him" which veers into M83 territory, what with the "whoah oh oh" chorus and a bombastic finish that was especially arena-ready.

Wed don't have pictures from Terminal 5 but you can look at shots from from Prospect Park and Pitchfork too. Watch their appearance last week on Fallon if you missed it, and catch Hot Chip this December on on one of the Coachella Cruises. Chromatics opened the Terminal 5 show and also played Sunday (7/22) at Music Hall of Williamsburg which you can see pics of here.

Setlist for Friday's Terminal 5 show is below.

Continue reading "Hot Chip played Terminal 5 (review & setlist)"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Wednesday's wild thunderstorms threw a big, wet wrench into the gears of many outdoor shows last night, causing cancellations/postponements of the MNDR/Javelin/Delicate Steve show on the Intrepid, the Summerstage show with Big Daddy Kane/Marley Marl in Queens, and moved the Refused/Off! show from Williamsburg Park to Greenpoint club Europa. But the rain didn't scare a bunch of geeky dudes from England with a bunch of temperamental electronic gear. Nor did it stop their fans, who packed Prospect Park to the fences and danced their asses off the whole time.

Hot Chip's set time (and doors to the bandshell) were pushed back in hopes the rain would stop, which it did, making for a muggy night but no one seemed to mind. Hot Chip thanked Celebrate Brooklyn for not canceling the show. The band, now augmented with not just long-time live band member Rob Smoughton (aka Grovesnor) but also Holy Ghost! drummer Jim Orso, played the lion's share of their new album, In Our Heads, and peppered the rest of their set with favorites like "Over and Over," "I Was a Boy from School," "I Feel Better," and "Ready for the Floor," the latter of which morphed into a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere" (which they've done before).  At the end of their show, they invited the whole crowd to come party with them at Santos (where JEFF the Brotherhood played earlier that evening).

We missed openers Gang Gang Dance  but they've also got three upcoming headlining Brooklyn gigs, so maybe we'll catch one of those. Hot Chip play with Chromatics at Terminal 5 on Friday (7/20) and tickets are still available. More pictures and the setlist from the Prospect Park show are below.

Continue reading "Hot Chip played Prospect Park (pics, setlist)"

Gang Gang Dance in Austin in 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

As mentioned several times, Gang Gang Dance will open Hot Chip's sold out Prospect Park show tonight (7/18) (if you're going, wear a poncho!). We also recently mentioned that GGD play a $27 show at Public Assembly on September 21 with Sun Araw, and soon after, mentioned they play another small show at the same price at Cameo Gallery on September 22. We've since discovered the band will play a THIRD Brooklyn show that week. This one's a bit bigger (and thus, a bit cheaper) (UPDATE: all three shows are $20 now) and it happens on September 23 at 285 Kent. $20 tickets for that show are on sale now. Prince Rama were originally set to open the Cameo show, but they will now instead open the 285 Kent show, and New Moods will open the Cameo show. Tickets for the Public Assembly show and the Cameo show are still available. Updated GGD dates are listed below.

Speaking of Hot Chip, after tonight's show, there will be a free afterparty at Santos Party House where they will DJ, along with a DJ set by Gang Gang Dance's Brian Degraw. The party starts at 11 PM. Maybe you just want to come early and catch JEFF the Brotherhood for free?

Hot Chip also play Terminal 5 on Friday (7/20) with Chromatics. Tickets for that show are still available.

A list of all Gang Gang Dance tour dates is below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance playing 285 Kent after Public Assembly & Cameo; Hot Chip afterparty at Santos tonight"

Hot Chip at Highline Ballroom in 2010 (more by VIncent Cornelli)

As mentioned, Hot Chip are currently touring in support of their solid new album, In Our Heads. The North American portion of that tour kicks off in Minneapolis this Friday (7/13) brings the band to NYC for shows at Prospect Park on July 18 with Gang Gang Dance and Terminal 5 on July 20 with Chromatics. The Prospect Park show is sold out, but if you weren't able to get tickets, you can watch it from the comfort of your own home when it streams live on NPR.

Tickets are still available for the T5 show, and as recently mentioned, we're giving away a pair. Details on that are HERE.

For the North American run, the band will be joined by guest drummer Jim Orso of former DFA labelmates Holy Ghost! (Hot Chip are now on Domino). Updated dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Hot Chip will be joined by Holy Ghost! drummer on North American tour, their Prospect Park show will stream on NPR"

Prince Rama at Austin's Mohawk in 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

We just mentioned that Gang Gang Dance are playing a Bandshell-presented show at Public Assembly on September 21 with Sun Araw, and we've realized that they also play another Bandshell-presented show the next day at Cameo Gallery on September 22 with Prince Rama. Tickets for the Cameo show are on sale now, and like the Public Assembly show, they cost $27.

Gang Gang and Prince Rama are both playing Hudson, NY's Basilica Music Festival in August. Since we last spoke, more details for that "festival" have been announced. Pitchfork (who are co-presenting the festival) reports:

In addition to previously announced acts Liturgy, Gang Gang Dance, Prince Rama, Mick Barr, and others, we're happy to add more components to the weekend: Blazer, a New Mexico-based sound system owned and operated by Excepter's Nathan Corbin and specializing in heavy dub, roots, ragga and dancehall, will be featured on Saturday afternoon. "Neidan!" will also feature performances from the Psychic Paramount, Hiro Kone, and Mike Fellows (aka Miighty Flashlight, ex-Rites of Spring). We're also introducing an early-evening sunset cruise on the Hudson on Saturday.

Updated GGD dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance also playing Cameo; more details announced for Basilica Music Festival"

Gang Gang Dance at Austin's Mohawk in 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Gang Gang Dance have a few dates scheduled for this summer including Prospect Park on July 18 opening for Hot Chip. That show has since sold out, but if you weren't able to get tickets, we're giving away a pair. Details on how to enter to win are below. Tickets are still available for Hot Chip's Terminal 5 show (7/20) with Chromatics.

UPDATE: The ticket contest is for Hot Chip's Terminal 5 show with Chromatics, not Prospect Park. Details below.

Other currently scheduled GGD dates include Hudson, NY's Basilica Music Festival with Liturgy, Mick Barr, Prince Rama, and more, and POP Montreal. The NYC band have also announced another hometown show which happens on September 21 at Public Assembly with fellow psych weirdos Sun Araw. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Speaking of Sun Araw, when main man Cameron Stallones isn't off recording records with reggae legends, he's also been working on his own new material. That material will see the light of day sometime this year in the form of The Inner Treaty LP. Stay tuned for more info on that.

Lists of dates and contest details below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance playing NYC w/ Sun Araw (who's releasing an LP); win tix to Hot Chip's T5 show w/ Chromatics"

The Basilica Hudson

The Basilica Hudson is a reclaimed 19th century factory, converted into an art and performance space. Located just steps from the Hudson Amtrak Station on the waterfront of the historical town of Hudson, NY.

We are honored to pursue the mission of the Basilica's founder and former owner, Patrick Doyle, who over the last decade transformed the building into a gathering space for the local community...

2011 marked a new chapter at Basilica Hudson, which continues to host diverse events ranging from community fundraisers to art exhibitions, to food and film festivals, and remain an extraordinary venue for independent music and theater.

Full details on the Basilica Festival and the flyer are below...

Continue reading "Basilica Music Festival coming to Hudson, NY (Liturgy, Gang Gang Dance, Mick Barr, Prince Rama & more)"

POP Montreal is returning to Montreal this year from September 19 - 23. The initial lineup was revealed and it includes Grizzly Bear, Gang Gang Dance, David Byrne, Tim Hecker, Julia Holter, I Break Horses, Hot Snakes, Dirty Three, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Cate Le Bon, Bertrand Burgulat (!), and more. The full initial lineup is listed below and many more announcements to come. Early Bird tickets are on sale until June 30, when regular sale begins.

Meanwhile, Montreal will be getting the Ohsheaga Festival even sooner.

Initial POP Montreal lineup below...

Continue reading "POP Montreal initial 2012 lineup revealed (Grizzly Bear, Gang Gang Dance, David Byrne, Tim Hecker, Hot Snakes & more)"

Tickets for many of the just-announced Hot Chip shows are on pre-sale now including the July 18th Brooklyn show in Prospect Park which Gang Gang Dance is opening. Tickets ($35 advance / $40 day of show) go on general sale Friday at noon.

Gang Gang Dance is also playing the Symbiosis Gathering in Nevada in May, during a solar eclipse, with James Blake, Little Dragon, and many more.

New Moods (whose members include a Young Magic member and Gang Gang Dance's engineer) have been busy practicing for their 9pm set at the BV Holiday Party at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (12/13) (some tickets will be on sale at the door), but they managed to get this list in just in time for those going (or still thinking of going) (or wondering if they should show up for the opener) (you should!) to get to know them better. Here is a list of the top 10 music things that New Moods loved in/about 2011 (in no particular order)...

Continue reading "New Moods' Top 10 Things in 2011 "

photos by Tim Griffin

Speaking of the Gang Gang Dance / Prince Rama tour, it hit the Mohawk in Austin on Monday (10/3). Tim was there. His pictures continue below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance & Prince Rama played the Mohawk (pics)"

photos by Erez Avissar

Zomby @ Glasslands

Prince Rama, despite touring with them and also playing CMJ, are not opening the previously discussed Gang Gang Dance show at Bowery Ballroom on 10/22, but some other more exciting acts are opening what is looking like a 4AD showcase. The lineup as of now is Gang Gang Dance, Inc, and Zomby! At least one more act will be announced too (hmm, Joker will be in town). Tickets are still on sale, or get in with your CMJ badge.

Zomby, despite the Guy Fawkes mask he sports, has not made any appearances at Occupy Wall Street so far (that we know of) (like Jeff Mangum did), but he did make a rare appearance in NYC at Glasslands on October 1st...

"At nearly 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, U.K. dubstep womperkind Zomby is onstage, but he is not making any noise. "We've waited years for this, dude, years," calls one fan as another boos. And indeed, the crowd who attended Zomby's set at Glasslands had been waiting years to see it, as that night marked Zomby's second appearance in New York since entering the bassosphere in 2007, and the first one [wasn't] open to the public. Now, after years of consuming his releases from across the pond and hours of slogging through jam band opening acts and faceless DJs that night, Zomby was onstage and silent as a stupid dead lamb who deserved to die for making everyone wait so unbelievably, mind-numbingly long. "Where's the music?" demands another fan. When the first note trembles through the venue and the crowd unleashes a collective noise of assent, all is forgiven. Zomby, that diva bastard, is worth the wait." [CMJ]

Continue reading "Zomby played Glasslands (pics), playing with Gang Gang Dance and others @ Bowery Ballroom "

CMJ takes over NYC venues from October 18-22, and they just announced another round of bands that are playing. They are:

J Mascis, Shonen Knife, Gang Gang Dance, Boy & Bear, Cloud Nothings, Free Energy, T. Mills, Kendrick Lamar, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Casiokids, Oberhofer, Smif-N-Wessun, Pujol, Zomby, Joker, Painted Palms, Flatliners, Robbers on High Street, Bag Raiders, Young Buffalo, Skeletonwitch, Gary Clark, Jr. and 1, 2, 3.

Zomby is also playing Glasslands even sooner.

DOWNLOAD: Prince Rama - "Rest In Peace" (MP3)

Prince Rama at MHOW in August (more by Erez Avissar)

Prince Rama are set to release their upcoming LP Trust Now on October 4 via Paw Tracks. You can grab the album track "Rest In Peace" above. Prince Rama are also putting out karaoke videos leading up to the album's release with other artists singing tracks off the new album. You can check out videos of G Lucas Crane of Woods singing "Incarnation" and Janka Nabay singing "Summer of Love" below.

They'll tour in support of the album opening for the equally otherworldly Gang Gang Dance on their GGD's previously announced tour. It hasn't been revealed if Prince Rama open GGD's October 22 Bowery Ballroom show during CMJ (which tickets are still on sale for), but Prince Rama's dates do list a CMJ show that day.

As mentioned, Prince Rama also have a residency at Issue Project Room scheduled. That residency includes a show on Thursday (9/8) at the Brooklyn venue. Admission is free and RSVP is open. According to Issue Project Room's site:

2011 Artist-in-Residence Prince Rama will transform ISSUE Project Room into a point of origins. They will construct a "sacred space" using gathered matter from off-site urban wilds of Brooklyn. Audience members will be invited to build their own instruments and utilize them in an extended jam session open to anyone who wishes to attend (regardless of musical skill). This aims to investigate the utopian symbology of "the jam session" as a poetic reenactment and microcosmic creation of an ideal democratic society. Cut off from the rest of the world, yet wholly imbedded within it, this ritual space becomes a NO PLACE.

All dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Prince Rama release 'karaoke videos', touring w/ GGD, playing other shows too (dates)"

Flying Lotus at Terminal 5 in 2010 (more by Brook Bobbins)

Flying Lotus, Gang Gang Dance, and Light Asylum are playing a free show at Le Poisson Rouge on September 8 presented by the NYU Program Board. Doors are at 6 PM for the all ages show but admission is open to NYU students only.

Gang Gang Dance recently announced a tour that includes a NYC show at Bowery Ballroom during CMJ. Tickets go on sale Thursday (9/1) at noon.

Speaking of Flying Lotus, he recently announced a multimedia project with Miwa Matreyek. The project, titled The Mapping of Countries Yet to Come, is set to premiere at Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock in LA in June, 2012. According to CFAER:

These multi-disciplinary Los Angeles artists will collaborate together for the first time this year to find inspiration and direct sampling of northeast Los Angeles' imagery and sounds to create The Mapping of Countries Yet to Come, a piece that celebrates the present communities surrounding Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock.

In other related news, Thundercat, who was on FlyLo's Cosmogramma LP and his Brainfeeder label, put out his album The Golden Age of Apocalypse this week via Brainfeeder. You can stream the entire thing below and purchase it here.

Light Asylum open for !!! one day after the LPR show at their 9/9 Bell House show. Computer Magic are on that bill too. Even sooner Light Asylum play a free show at Union Pool on Saturday (9/3). Light Asylum will also open for Austra at the 10/5 Bowery Ballroom show the day before Austra open for James Blake at the sold out MHOW show. Tickets for the Bell House show and the Bowery show are still on sale.

Updated dates and album stream below...

Continue reading "Flying Lotus, Gang Gang Dance & Light Asylum playing NYU show & other stuff, Thudercat album streaming"

Gang Gang Dance at NYC Mad Decent Block Party (more by Weird Magic)

After playing Midpoint Music Festival and Pygmailion Music Festival this September, avant world-poppers Gang Gang Dance will kick off a North American tour that culminates in NYC at Bowery Ballroom on October 22 during CMJ. Tickets go on sale Thursday (9/1) at noon. All dates and a video below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance playing Bowery for CMJ (and other dates)"

photos by WEIRD MAGIC

Gang Gang Dance and many others performed live at the free Mad Decent Block Party at the South Street Seaport on Saturday. Here are some pictures (from the second half of the day). They continue below...

Continue reading "pics from the NYC Mad Decent Block Party @ South Street Seaport (Gang Gang Dance & much more) "

If you don't want to go all the way out to Long Island and spend 200 dollars in the process to see soulful R&B (Jill Scott at Jones Beach), you can get your fix for free right here in NYC. As mentioned in What's Going on Thursday, Chrisette Michele (who Jill Scott has interviewed) plays a free show tonight (7/28) in Springfield Park.

For some more venerable musicians, who may have very well influenced artists like Chrisette and Jill, blues guitarist/singer Taj Majal plays a free show tonight (7/28) at World Financial Center and Motown vets Mary Wilson of The Supremes and The Spinners play for free at Seaside Summer Concert Series in Coney Island tonight (7/28).

As mentioned multiple times, including This Week in Indie, Metronomy play Hudson River Rocks tonight (7/28) with Class Actress and American Royalty.

Some pretty major free shows are also happening on Friday (7/29). And I'm not even talking about the free 3 Doors Down show or Journey show. They Might Be Giants are playing a free Williamsburg Waterfront show with Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal. Their show is one of few this summer before they head out on tour in support of their recently released album Join Us. You can also head over to House of Vans for the unreal lineup of Fucked Up, Cro-Mags, Screaming Females, and Pissed Jeans. We're also giving away VIP tickets to the show. Contest details HERE.

If you're trying to see free music on Saturday (7/30), I can't imagine why you would want to be anywhere other than the Mad Decent Block Party at South Street Seaport. The party will be headlined by Gang Gang Dance and also feature Zeds Dead, Claude VonStroke, BAIO (Vampire Weekend DJ set), The Hood Internet, Bosco Delrey, and PO PO. If you're into the block party, and specifically Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend's DJ set, you've got time afterwards to head over to Brooklyn Bowl and see a DJ set by another NYC indie band member Albert Hammond Jr. (of The Strokes). Doors are at 11 PM.

On Sunday (7/31), head back to the Seaport for the great lineup of The Raveonettes and Eternal Summers at Beekman Beer Garden .

If you don't make it to that show, you could check out the equally great JEFF the Brotherhood, Kingdom, and Friends free show at Rockaway Beach Boardwalk. RSVP required.

On Monday (8/1) , Surfer Blood play a free late show at Mercury Lounge.

On Tuesday (8/2), you can check out the oldest of old school hip hop at Summerstage with Sugarhill Gang. If you prefer reggae over hip hop, you might be in luck by heading over to City Winery for the Hudson Square Music and Wine Festival with CCB Reggae All-Stars.

On Wednesday (8/3), The Budos Band plays a free Summerstage show in Staten Island. You can also catch them tonight (7/28) at a not-free Rocks Off Concert Cruise. A-Trak also DJs on Wednesday (8/3) at the new Fool's Gold Store in Brooklyn. Summerscreen in McCarren Park is screening Clueless, and Zambri is performing.

Things in the free concert world pick up again on Thursday (8/4). It's been revealed that Mystery Night at Seaside Summer Concert Series will be 'The Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin who just played Jones Beach (and who cancelled last time she was scheduled to play Coney Island). As awesome as that show will probably be, if something modern is more your style, House of Vans, who continue to bang out killer lineups, has Man Man, Glass Candy, and Crystal Antlers on the bill for Thursday's (8/4) show.

Also, don't forget that Summerstage and Celebrate Brooklyn are continuing to present free shows throughout the summer, including many this week.

photos by Amanda Hatfield

"Crazy sweaty super awesome weekend with the most amazing girlfriend @tamaraaaah!! @lunice and @ganggangdance absolutely killed PS1!" - Teddy Kerk

"Miracles club at PS1. This is really dope." - Pictureplane

"Lunice destroying PS1 right now" - Alex Kim

"SYD OFWGKTA is not dj-ing at PS1 today. Still a great day so please come out. LUNICE will be nuts + Gang Gang Dance sound system!" - Kris Chen

"GANG GANG DANCE KILLING WITH A MOONBAHTON SET @ PS1" - khaled elsayed

"Gang Gang Dance" @ PS1

Warm Up continued at PS1 on Saturday (7/23) with the stacked lineup of Gang Gang Dance (DJ), Lunice, The Miracles Club, and Laurel Halo. Unfortunately, OFWGKTA's Syd tha Kyd never made it out, though she was originally scheduled.

The show was Lunice's second of two NYC shows last week. The first was the night before at Bowery Hotel with Pictureplane, who made it out to PS1 (tweeted above) before his own show at 285 Kent.

Gang Gang Dance will play NYC again this Saturday (7/30) at South Street Seaport for the free all ages Mad Decent Block Party.

The Miracles Club also have upcoming shows in NYC this week. On Thursday (7/28) they play Glasslands with Vockah Redu (who plays Warm Up this coming Saturday), and on Friday (7/29) they play a FIXED party at Public Assembly with Midnight Magic.

More pictures from 7/23 Warm Up below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance, Lunice, The Miracles Club & Laurel Halo (but not Syd the Kid) made people dance @ PS1 (pics)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

"Just got off the boat w ggd linked up w traxman and aziz in d santosss
so hottt nyyyyy" - Nguzunguzu

"Oh and NGUZUNGUZU straight murdered it tonight. And after that I did some moshing. What day of the week is it again?" - deemehlow

"See death grips live. That is all" - Michael Washington

Gang Gang Dance played the Golden Airplane and Rocks Off presented boat party last night (7/21) with Bubbles. As the tweet above says, GGD tour-mate Nguzunguzu was also on the boat. In fact, though they weren't billed, Nguzunguzu and Total Freedom both played together for 30 minutes before GGD's set like they did on tour. Nguzunguzu then played the official GGD after party at Santos with Death Grips, Traxman, Azizaman, and others.

If you missed Death Grips last night, you have another chance Sunday at Rock Beach with the Miracles Club.

The Miracles Club also play PS1 Saturday with Gang Gang Dance (DJ set) and Lunice who also plays tonight with Pictureplane (DJ set) who plays Saturday at 285 Kent.

Bubbles plays again, and for free, Saturday at Union Pool.

More pics from Gang Gang below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance played a boat with Bubbles (pics), Nguzunguzu played the afterparty w/ Death Grips"

GGD photos by Josh Darr

Gang Gang Dance @ Pitchfork Fest

"Saturday's centerpiece was unquestionably Gang Gang Dance -- who only played a handful of songs but used their short set to tease them out, rearranging heavy new grooves like "Mindkilla" and "Chinese High," "into expansive astral-dub dance tracks. Owning the spotlight, lead singer Lizzie Bougatsos wailed on various percussion elements, letting her witchy but soothing vocals blanket the field -- while the band's "vibe coordinator" danced behind her, burning sage and waving a makeshift flag constructed from a trashbag.

Calling Gang Gang transcendent undersells them. Unlike any other set of the weekend, people wandered in curious, and reacted with absolute jubilation. During the 11-minute jam "Glass Jar," most of the crowd seemed to be a trance, despite the heat being particularly searing." [Passion of the Weiss]

GGD headlines a Rocks Off Concert Cruise tonight (7/21). Bubbles opens the very sold out show. Gang Gang Dance will then DJ at Warm Up on Saturday with Lunice, and play for free at the Mad Decent Block Party at South Street Seaport on July 30 (which just added Claude Von Stroke to the lineup).

Bubbles, who open the Rocks Off show tonight, play the free Summer Thunders show at Union Pool on Saturday (7/23) with Warm Ghost, Mountains, and Little Italy. Doors at 4pm. Updated flyer below.

Nguzunguzu, who had been touring with Gang Gang Dance up until tonight's show, have their own NYC show tonight (7/21) at Santos Party House with Death Grips. It also turns out this show is the official Gang Gang Dance after party (tickets).

GGD pictures and dates below....

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance played P4K (pics), boat tonight w/ Bubbles (who play the free show @ Union Pool on Saturday)"

EMA at P4K Fest (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Darkstar played their first US show at Pitchfork Festival this past weekend. As mentioned, they'll be sticking around for a bit and will play in NYC tonight (7/18) at Le Poisson Rouge. Phaseone opens the show and tickets are still available. We're also giving away two tickets at our facebook.

TIme Out Chicago caught Darkstar's set at P4K:

On "Gold," the trio's cover of Human League, a distant house thump permeates, rolling alongside hi-hats and anchored by slow piano. This is the energy the crowd needs. People start wading in closer, whistling and fully embracing the music.

Clicks continue to buzz in rapid succession, and the distorted and crunchy synth found in so much of Hyperdub's output sits prominently in the mix. The lead singer looks like Brendan Fraser in Airheads, but this shouldn't make you take Darkstar any less seriously. Their February signing to Warp is big news for these Brits, a trio we'll hear more of in the future.

P4k2011's first sounds were very yin and yang. As Gatekeeper's light, blissful tunes fluttered over the trees, EMA (Erika M. Anderson) squinted into the hazy afternoon sun and began grinding out some dark, menacing music. [Chicago Sun Times]

EMA has two shows on Wednesday (7/20). She'll play an early show at Mercury Lounge with Helado Negro (tickets) and a late show at Glasslands with Talk Normal and Abblehearts (tickets). All tour dates are listed below.

Alamaba rap duo G-Side also played Pitchfork and will play NYC on Saturday (7/23) at Tammany Hall.

Gang Gang Dance conclude their tour with a Rocks Off Concert Cruise Thursday (7/21). Nguzunguzu and Total Freedom aren't on the bill like they were for the much of the tour (Pitchfork after party included) but Nguzunguzu have their own shows this week. Here's some words about GGD's Pitchfork set:

A small man waving a stick of burning sage preceded Gang Gang Dance to the Green stage--a shaman of sorts, he stayed on stage for the entire hour, waving his sage stick or a towel and nodding along to the hyperbolic pastiche of dancehall, new age, tropicalia, electronica and Middle Eastern. It's world music gumbo, but highly danceable and about as "now" as you can get.

Lead Lizzie Bougatsos jumped off the stage to greet fans while the band continued banging out its dizzy-making tribal beats. It wasn't long before Bougatos was crowd surfing as fans reverentially passed her around the human sea. "I think when you carried me I became Jesus Christ," she said, returning to the mic. "I'm showered in your love, I'm dripping it. Drippy drippy all the way down!...If you can't act crazy on stage, there's no reason to live." Gang Gang Dance's new album Eye Contact is one of my favorites of the year so far, and live it sounds very different--much less haunted and weird, but damn good all the same. [Riverfront Times]

WU LYUF didn't play the fest, though Pitchfork probably wish they did. They share a bill with DJ Dapwell of Das Racist, who did play Pitchfork, on Saturday (7/23) at Knitting Factory. WU LYF also play the night before (7/22) at Mercury Lounge. Bass Drum of Death are on both bills.

Pitchfork Fest day one pics are HERE. Pics from the following two days are coming soon.

EMA dates and a video of Zola Jesus & EMA doing an unrehearsed cover of 'Crimson & Clover' at a pre-Pitchfork Fest show in Madison, Wisconsin, below...

Continue reading "Darkstar, Gatekeeper, EMA, Gang Gang Dance & others played Pitchfork, in NYC this week"