Cassie Ramone (the Babies) @ Death By Audio on 8/13 (more by Eric Rex)

"My solo stuff is hard to describe, I haven't been too active about it because I'm really shy, and it's hard for me open up. With Vivian Girls Katy is not shy, she's really good at saying, "listen to my band, come and see my show!" Which I think is awesome, and is one of the reason we were able to do so well because she's so enthusiastic about everything she does, but I'm not like that, I'm more introverted with my artistic endeavors. My stuff that's not Vivian girls is more folksy I would say. I have some keyboard organ songs, it's all over the place really, but I think I'm going to try to record an album over the summer, if I can get it together enough." [CASSIE RAMONE]

Cassie Ramone of the Vivian Girls keeps herself busy. In addition to her side-project called the Babies, Cassie is, like A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys (and her VG bandmate Kickball Katy), working on a solo album. Maybe she'll play some of those songs at her solo show happening at Don Perdo in Brooklyn tonight (8/19). The Impose-presented gig will also feature a headlining set by White Mystery and more. Flyer below.

White Mystery was last here from Chicago in April, and have no more NYC shows scheduled after tonight, but are on tour. All dates and videos from their Cake Shop show (which I posted one other time coincidentally in a post that was topped by a picture of Cassie Ramone) below.

The Babies played Death By Audio with Ty Segall and Royal Baths over the weekend. Their next scheduled show is September 24th at Cake Shop where they'll share a bill with Garotas Suecas, Sundelles and Holger.

Vivian Girls have upcoming shows too - soon even. You can catch them in their college town of New Brunswick, NJ on Saturday night at a place called Fuck Mountain. It's a basement show. Big Troubles and Coasting are also on the bill which is convenient for Coasting drummer Fiona who is in both bands. Vivian Girls are also playing ATP NY. All dates below..

Continue reading "Cassie Ramone gone solo, Vivian girls playing a basement w/ Coasting, White Mystery on tour (NYC show tonight)"

The Greenhornes 2007

After detours in The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather among other projects, The Greenhornes are back at it and will release their first LP of new material in eight years via Jack White's Third Man imprint. The record, entitled Four Stars, will be proceeded by select east coast dates that will include Mercury Lounge on 9/3 (free with RSVP) and Maxwell's on 9/4 with The Black Hollies (tickets) leading up to their appearance at ATP NY on 9/5 ("full" lineup).

A month later (on 10/2), The Greenhornes are confirmed for Scion Garage Fest 2010 in Lawrence, Kansas alongside a plethora of killer notables including The Oblivians (who recently played Knit), The Gories (who just played Bowery and toured with Oblivians), The Raveonettes (who are playing Bumbershoot), King Khan & The Shrines (who are playing Santos and Bell House), Best Coast (who just played the Seaport and like weed), Tyvek, Thee Oh Sees, Hunx & His Punx, and a ton of others.

Much like Scion Rock Fest, the show will take place across four venues and is FREE, but RSVP is required. Full lineup is below.

Some videos and the full Scion lineup & flyer is below...

Continue reading "The Greenhornes playing shows - ATP, a free one @ Mercury & Scion Garage Fest (full lineup - Oblivians, Gories, more) "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Garotas Suecas - Tudo Bem (MP3)

Garotas Suecas @ Beauty Bar Austin SXSW 2010 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

Brazil's rocking, funky Garotas Suecas will be releasing their debut LP, Escaldante Banda, on September 7th on American Dust. They're supporting the record with a North American tour this September. That hits NYC twice: there's a September 22nd show at Knitting Factory with Brooklyn's Ava Luna and a September 24th gig at Cake Shop. The track above is a horn-laced, shuffling first-look at the LP.

Things are looking good for their tour - the Garotas gang seems to be paired with some of the best and brightest local acts at each city on the way (Grass Widow & Ty Segall in SanFran, Calvin Johnston in the Pacific Northwest, Kid Congo Powers in D.C., and Gaye Blades in Atlanta). A video and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Garotas Suecas announce an album - new MP3 & tour dates "

Memorial Day Weekend officially opened the summer, and for those in the Pacific Northwest it also brought Sasquatch Music Festival (pictures from all three days are coming soon). Now the lineup for its Labor Day cousin, Bumbershoot 2010, has been announced. That fest, happening at Seattle, WA's Seattle Center September 4th-6th, will include headliners Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Weezer, Hole, Rise Against, Neko Case, The Decemberists, J. Cole and "one more very special guest to be announced soon."

Tickets (including non-Mainstage 'economy' passes) are on sale now. The rest of the lineup (by day) for the seven-stage festival is posted below...

Continue reading "Bumbershoot 2010 lineup (Bob Dylan... Hole... Mary J Blige)"

photos by Rachel Carr

DOWNLOAD: Garotas Suecas - Codinome Dinamite (MP3)

Garotas Suecas (Swedish Girls in Portuguese) comprises Guilherme Saldanha (vocals and harmonica), Irina Bertolucci Chermont (organ), Perdido (bass), Sesa (guitar) and the Paoliello brothers, Nico (drums) and Tomaz (guitar).

The Brazillian band just released a 7" on American Dust. Grab one of the songs off that above for free. Now on a tour that started at SXSW, they played Spaceland in LA on 3/24 (pictures in this post), and will be at Kungfu Necktie in Philly tonight (3/29). The NYC shows are April 1st with Golden Triangle, Jonathan Toubin, and Rev Vince Anderson at Knitting Factory, and then April 2nd at Cake Shop w/ The Beets and Grooms. All dates with those pictures, below...

Continue reading "Garotas Suecas released a 7" (MP3), played Spaceland in LA (pics), now on tour (2 NYC shows) "

photos by Bryan Bruchman

Golden Triangle

The Coathangers played a SXSW show at Beauty Bar on 3/19 with Aa, Golden Triangle & Garotas Suecas before they headed down to Mexico. Garotas Suecas and Golden Triangle will again share a bill on April 1st at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. More pictures from the Austin show below...

Continue reading "Golden Triangle, The Coathangers, Aa & Garotas Suecas @ Beauty Bar Austin (SXSW) - pics "

by Black Bubblegum

Golden Triangle with the "W" (Photo by Van Ditthavong)

To the victor go the spoils and on 3/20 at the Dickies Battle Of The Bands in Austin, the winner was the feisty Golden Triangle and the spoils were TEN Gs of cold hard cash... or at least a really big posterboard check certifying said payment. I (Black Bubblegum) was one of the "judges" (hate that term, everything is relative) at the Battle of The Bands, along with both Randy & Dean of No Age and GZA.

The Dickies Battle was one of ELEVEN shows for Golden Triangle during SXSW, not including their appearance on stage with GZA and Black Lips immediately following their win. Four videos of that performance, which I did not stay for (more on that later), are below.

Golden Triangle are currently (back home?) in NYC, and will open for the very SXSW-busy Garotas Suecas at Mercury Lounge TONIGHT (3/24) and play with The Weakends at Don Pedro's on March 27th. A shade over a month later, April 29th, look for the crew (with shiny new instruments, no doubt) to play The Bell House as part of A Benefit for Rory O'Sullivan with Amazing Baby, White Williams, The Fugs, Acrylics, Further Reductions, Mount Olympus, George Positive, and Spiderfang (tickets here).

Black Lips also played Mess with Texas at SXSW, right after Circle Jerks.

All videos and tour dates below...

Continue reading "Golden Triangle playing 3 NYC shows, won the Battle of the Bands where GZA played w/ Black Lips (videos) "

DOWNLOAD: Garotas Suecas - Ghostwriter (MP3)

Garotas Suecas played a ton of shows in Austin during SXSW last week. One of their first, if not the first, was at the BrooklynVegan day party at Emo's on Wednesday, March 18th. They kicked off the day of mostly heavy bands - aka they didn't really fit the bill, but as the opener and with people running from venue to venue all day, it didn't really matter.

"The Garotas Suecas are a Brazilian band that brings together their Brazilian influences with a mix of garage rock and soul music. Performing since 2005, the Garotas Suecas are now touring with their third EP, Dinossaurs. The Garotas Suecas will make you dance." -[their bio]

Despite it being 2pm on a Wednesday in a dark club, there were a few people dancing.

Now back in NYC again, Garotas Suecas share a bill with Golden Triangle (who also played a bunch at SXSW) tonight, March 24th at Mercury Lounge. All tour dates and a few more pictures from the day show, below...

Continue reading "Garotas Suecas played SXSW & are back in NYC + other dates"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Young Widows - "Old Skin" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Young Widows - "The Heat Is Here" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Young Widows - "The Charmers" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Annihilation Time - "Splashback" (MP3)

The Bronx

What are you up to Wednesday, March 18th? If you're in the greater Austin region, it might be a good idea to slide on down to Emo's for a day of killer bands, suds, and full on badass-ed-ness. To get all official and shit, we'd like to announce the FREE BROOKLYN VEGAN/SOLID PR DAY PARTY featuring

• 5:45pm: The Bronx
• 5:00pm: Young Widows
• 4:15pm: Annihilation Time
• 3:30pm: Trash Talk
• 2:45pm: Psychedelic Horseshit
• 2:00pm: Garotas Suecas

The bands kick off at 2PM, but get there by 1:15 to experience the NEW Big Business record Mind The Drift before it hits the shelves on Mar 31st. Our friends from ilovemikelitt will also be on hand to help spread good causes and cheer, and special thanks goes out to Timmy for all his help in putting this together.

This all goes down inside Emo's on the 2nd stage on the afternoon of the first day of SXSW Music. Happening at the same time on the main stage of the same venue is the also-killer, also-free Fat Possum Records day party with King Kahn & BBQ, Wavves, Thomas Function, Strange Boys, Crocodiles, Thomas Function and more.

Later that same night is the official BrooklynVegan SXSW showcase at Club De Ville, about a block away. We're (BrooklynVegan) also doing sorta-TBA, free day parties on the Thursday and Friday of SXSW (full details coming shortly).

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Young Widows recently dropped the video for "Old Skin" from Old Wounds, a song that premiered right here on BrooklynVegan. The band is logging some miles in the coming months (dates below), linking up with Australian band My Disco for the trek and playing Europa in Brooklyn with The Austerity Program & Tournament on April 1st in the process (tickets here). The pair will also drop a split 7", one of a series with the likes of Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Pelican, and Melt-Banana.

The Bronx are touring the US like mad dogs including playing a show at Bowery Ballroom with Trash Talk on April 20th (tickets here), and a show at Maxwell's on April 22nd (tickets here).

NYCers will have FOUR chances to check out Garotas Suecas in the coming month, three in person and one on the Pat Duncan Show on WFMU on March 26th. The band has lined up live appearances at Mercury Lounge on March 24th (tickets here), Death By Audio on April 5, and Zebulon on April 6th.

Psychedelic Horseshit have a "a self released LP collecting our very first and oldest 4 track recordings" due in "March or April" entitled Golden Oldies as well as a TON of new material including Shitgaze Anthems 12" EP on Woodsist (spring 09), Acid Test 12" EP on Troubleman Unltd. (late spring/early sum 09), Beached Wails 7" with a "surprise release date", and their second LP, Too Many Hits, on Slitbreeze (late summer 09). The Columbus, Ohio crew have a few dates on the calendar as well, check THOSE out, along with everyone's tour dates, below...

Continue reading "a BrooklynVegan/SolidPR day party @ Emo's and other YOUNG WIDOWS & THE BRONX & TRASH TALK tour dates"

Devotchka @ Terminal 5 (more by Ryan Muir)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Garotas Suecas @ Rubulad
* Lady Circus @ the House of Yes
* Dave Godwosky @ 92YTribeca (free)
* Devotchka @ Webster Hall
* Modeselektor @ Bowery Ballroom
* M83 & M83 @ The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
* Sam McPheeters & Daniel Higgs @ Silent Barn
* Au & Stars Like Fleas @ (le) poisson rouge
* The Honey Brothers, Xylos & The Prigs @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Oxford Collapse, Suckers & Real Estate @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Care Bears On Fire & Rachel Trachtenburg @ The Bell House
* Psychic Ills, Axolotl & John Fell Ryan (DJ) @ Rehab
* ESG, JG Wilkes, Sal Principato, & Matt Cash @ (le) poisson rouge
* Thomas Function, Spanish Prisoners & My Mind @ Cake Shop
* Red Black Wire, Bell, Hockey, Like a Fox & Esque @ Pianos
The Muggabears, Asa Ransom, Sigmund Droid & Nymph @ 92YTribeca
* Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears, The Picture, Ford & Fitzroy & Attack Release @ Mercury Lounge
* Runtime Error (of Fiasco), Consumer Feedback, Sediment Club, Graffiti Monsters & 999999999 @ Death By Audio

Garotas Suecas have added one more show to their US tour. Tonight at Rubulad.

Lady Circus and the Mickey Western Band present The Rusted Gun Saloon tonight at the House of Yes ("live music, circus in the air, and on the ground).

Racehel Trachtenburg (who is playing the all-ages show at the Bell House tonight before the club gets taken over by DJ Vito Fun) sings Pink Floyd's Gnome in the video below...

what else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Thomas Function - Belly of the Beast (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thomas Function - Conspiracy (MP3)

Thomas Function

Alabama's Thomas Function are in town this weekend for a trio of shows as part of trawl down the East Coast. Admission: I think I picked up Thomas Function's debut album, Celebration!, about four times last year thinking it was a LCD Soundsystem record -- singer Joshua Macero, whose mug graces the cover, looks a lot like James Murphy, at least when quickly flipping through CDs. After seeing so many times I finally got around to actually listening to it, and while absolutely nothing like the DFA head (not that I expected it to be), these Alabamians raise quite a ruckus with their spirited, organ-driven garage rock.

There's also come country and bluegrass in there too, as you might expect from a band living that far south but, really, Thomas Function grooves to their own beat. The band have also released a slew of 7" singles, most of which are now out of print or at least hard to find. Maybe they'll have some of them to sell at their shows. They play a free show at Other Music tonight (1/23), Cake Shop on Saturday (1/24) and Mercury Lounge on Sunday (1/25). Full tour dates and video at the bottom of this post.

Golden Triangle

The most interesting show of the weekend for me is Friday (1/23) at Death By Audio. Headlining are locals Golden Triangle, whose debut EP just came out on Kemado's vinyl-only imprint, Mexican Summer. (You can get it digitally from Emusic, though.) Some songs veer towards Vivian Girls/Fuzzbox/Slits territory, other songs remind me a lot of The Fall, and they cover Redd Kross' "Annette's Got the Hits." That's a one-two-three punch for me. (It's also the second band I've written about here to do a Redd Kross cover, the other being Box Elders.) The six-piece are about to head out on tour with King Khan & the Shrines so the rest of the country will get a chance to check them out too.

Also on the bill: Brazilian band Garotas Suecas, who will be compared to Os Mutantes because it's obvious and easy, but these kids are a little more straight up fun garage rock a la Mando Diao or The Fleshtones. I like what I've heard and it's the only NYC performance they have left (they also played Vassar last night). Plus, the lovely, downcast electric folk of NYC's Tall Firs; and hushed trio Metal Mountains that features Helen Rush, Samara Lubelski and Pat Gubler, all of whom spent time in Tower Recordings. So the night starts quiet and gets progressively louder and crazier.

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I'd also like to (also) recommend the Valerie Collective show at Webster Hall tonight (1/23). Collective is a key term here. Many of the groups playing share members and the difference between Anoraak and College (my two favorites of the night), sonically, is minimal (one sings more than the other) but it's such a cool sound. It's big, lush, and retro, unabashedly '80s, and done to perfection. I have no idea if the groups will really translate to the live setting but if you're dancing you probably won't notice if they don't. Steve Moore's Lovelock is also on the bill.

The Week That Was

Lastly, SXSW will be upon us any minute and even if you aren't heading to Austin, New Yorkers are able to experience a little of the excitement as bands from the UK and Europe often make a pitstop here on their way to or from the festival. We already mentioned that Swedish rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives are playing both Bowery and Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets are on-sale today, 1/23) which I wholeheartedly recommend you check out, but I'm even more excited to see that The Week That Was are playing Mercury Lounge on March 9.

TWTW are one of the two splinter groups created when Sunderland, UK's Field Music decided to retire that moniker but still basically make music together. David Brewis released a phonetics-obsessed solo project under the name School of Language (which toured here last March). His brother Peter created The Week That Was, a concept album equally obsessed with (lyrically) The Media and (sonically) the Big '80s production style of Kate Bush and Trevor Horn. It's a brilliant album that made my Top Five of 2008. Both David Brewis and Field Music keyboardist Andrew Moore, plus about five others on percussion and strings. I'm not sure how many members strong they'll be at Mercury Lounge, but if they even come close to replicating the album's wall-of-sound, it will be worth attending. Tickets are on-sale today since Noon.

All tour dates, videos and flyers after the jump....

Continue reading "Thomas Function, Golden Triangle, Valerie Collective, The Week That Was & more in This Week in Indie"

Self described as "soulful jazzy motherfunkas & a motherfunkette" from São Paulo, Brazil, the band Garotas Suecas are currently visiting our country. You can catch them tonight, Saturday January 17th, at Glasslands Gallery (New York Night Train party), and then again this Friday January 23rd at Death By Audio with Golden Triangle, Tall Firs, and Metal Mountains. GS also play The Bugjar in Rochester, and then Vassar College this upcoming week before returning to Brazil. You may have also recently caught them at Cake Shop and/or Zebulon.

Friday's flyer, a video and all dates below...

Continue reading "Garotas Suecas (from Brazil) in Brooklyn & other Tour Dates"