by BBG

Glass Candy @ House of Vans

Man Man brought their own big top into town last night (8/4) at House of Vans, complete with balloons, neon, kazoos, $40 long-underwear, and over the top outfits as part of a one-off with Glass Candy and Crystal Antlers. Man Man's live show, which pretty much hasn't changed for as far back as I can remember, is basically a schtick-y circus on stage. And just like a five-year old coming off a cotton candy sugar-high at the circus, I was bored almost instantaneously. All of the members of Man Man are highly capable musicians (especially drummer Pow Pow), but their vaudevillian polka-funk is hardly enough to stick in the brain longer than the moment you walk out of the venue doors.

Supporting acts fared much better. Glass Candy, despite a live show that consisted of vocalist Ida No doing an impression that I'd equate with Karen O in a Jazzercise class, were definitely more interesting. The sugar-y electro-pop jems were fun and though the House of Vans sound system can be unforgiving, sounded great. First band Crystal Antlers' psych-pop was also rewarding, with the band performing their organ-heavy space-jams to a relatively modest crowd. Glass Candy was my favorite of the three, mostly due to my incoming familiarity with Crystal Antlers.

Catch Crystal Antlers at Glasslands on Saturday night (8/6), with Gary War, Team Robespierre, and Balkans. Tickets are still available. Tickets are also now on sale for the show Crystal Antlers are playing with WU LYF at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

More pictures from House of Vans are below.

Continue reading "Man Man, Glass Candy & Crystal Antlers played House of Vans (pics)"

Man Man at Metro (more by Grant Macallister)

As promised the July 29th free House of Vans show will feature sets by Fucked Up & Cro-Mags (who just played Bowery), but that has also expanded to include both Screaming Females and Pissed Jeans. RSVP is open for this mindblowing FREE show. Screaming Females also play a FREE show with Ted Leo this weekend.

The August 4th lineup has also been revealed and it is Man Man, Glass Candy, and Crystal Antlers. RSVP is also open for that free Brooklyn show.

Details on the final two shows at House of Vans, August 18th and 25th, are still forthcoming, but we hear Big Freedia is a strong possibility for one of them. Meanwhile catch Superchunk, Off! and Lemuria there on Thursday, July 14.

The new flyer and more Man Man, Glass Candy & Screaming Females dates below...

Continue reading "House of Vans announces more lineups (Man Man, Screaming Females, Pissed Jeans & Glass Candy included)"

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"

Here is the initial lineup for Willamette Week's MusicfestNW, scheduled for Sept. 7-11, 2011 in Portland, Oregon, and it's pretty great. The multi-venue fest includes big outdoor performances by Band of Horses (Sunday, Sept. 11), Explosions in the Sky (Saturday, Sept. 10), and Iron & Wine (Friday, Sept. 9), in addition to shows with everyone from Archers of Loaf to Big Freedia to Butthole Surfers to Neurosis. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 3rd. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "MusicfestNW 2011 -- dates & initial lineup"

Glass Candy

Glass Candy (from Portland) will join fellow Italians that Do it Better Chromatics (from Portland), Desire (from Montreal), and Simonetti (from Bayonne, New Jersey) for a five day stint of US dates that include Webster Hall in NYC on January 14th, 2011. RSVP for the NYC show and pay only $1 before midnight. All dates below.

A notable Ed Banger member/dance musician will make his way to the USA and Webster Hall in the new year:

Mr. Oizo, a pseudonym of French music producer and film director Quentin Dupieux, is a successful French electro house musician, mostly known for his 1999 track, "Flat Beat" and his collaborations with labelmate Uffie. His pseudonym is a corruption of the French oiseau, meaning "bird." He is currently signed to French electro record label, Ed Banger Records.

Speaking of Ed Banger, we can't forget the band that ultimately made that label happen. Daft Punk have a new album (soundtrack) on the way. To celebrate, Le Poisson Rouge welcomes the return of Faux Punk, the Daft Punk cover band, to the venue on Saturday, December 11th.

The upcoming Brooklyn Electronic Festival doesn't feature any of the artists we've mentioned so far in this post, but it does feature many other similar others. Tickets are still on sale.

All Glass Candy and Mr. Oizo dates and some videos below.

Continue reading "Glass Candy touring w/ labelmates, Mr Oizo playing dates soon too ++ Faux Punk returns"

Glass Candy

If there's such a thing as an earthy disco queen, it's Ida No.

The silken-voiced singer for cosmic beat-pumping duo Glass Candy isn't as urbane as you might expect. In fact, many of her lyrics, melodies and themes are inspired by hikes in the lush tree-lined hills that surround her Portland home.

"I go on really long walks and won't come back for four hours," says No. "I'll go for a walk and a theme will come up or I'll get overcome by a feeling."

She then conveys these vocal lines to long-time musical partner Johnny Jewel, who writes and composes Glass Candy's analog-synth-based jams. These writing sessions have become a long-distance affair of late. Jewel recently relocated to Montreal to be with his romantic interest. [Now Magazine]

Glass Candy will be in NYC for a July 2nd show at Highline Ballroom with DJ Mike Simonetti (the head of Italians Do It Better, their record label) and Xeno & Oaklander. Tickets are on sale.

Two days after NYC, Glass Candy will join Sleigh Bells for an Independence Day show at Bamboo Bar in Philly. The "Making Time" party is part of Sleigh Bells' July tour that leads up their show at Governors Island with M.I.A.. Sleigh Bells also play the free Creators Project shindig on June 26th (which is now "sold out").

Tons of Glass Candy's electro-pop is streaming on their official Facebook. Videos and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Glass Candy playing NXNE, NYC & July 4th in Philly w/ Sleigh Bells (who are also touring - dates)"

photos by Tim Griffin

"Glass Candy is an American electronic band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1996. The band consists of female vocalist Ida No and guitarist/synthesist/general producer Johnny Jewel. While the band's early work blends noise rock with electropop, their later work incorporates Italo disco. The band is known for evolving through the years since their original collaboration, and experimenting with various musical genres. They have released a number of albums since the early 2000s, their most recent being 2008's Deep Gems." [Wiki]

Continue reading "Glass Candy - Brooklyn Bowl pics ++ free demos & rarities"

DOWNLOAD: DJ Jus-Ed - live at Sunday Best, 6/14/09 (Part 1) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DJ Jus-Ed - live at Sunday Best, 6/14/09 (Part 2) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Felix Da Housecat - We All Wanna Be Prince (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Felix Da Housecat - Kickdrum (MP3)

DJ Harvey @ Sunday Best @ the BKLYN Yard - September 6, 2009

While technically it is still summer, many seasonal dance parties including Warm Up (Warm Up extended!), the Beach Party, and Sunday Best had their last hurrahs last weekend. Luckily there is still plenty to do. Here's what happening this weekend starting with Saturday (9/12):

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (part 2) (Glass Candy, Felix Da Housecat, Satellite Reunion, Halcyon reunion, more)"

DOWNLOAD: The Glass - DJ mix for Sirius XM Radio (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yes Giantess -You Were Young (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Bo Flex Giantess Remix) (MP3)

I have a lengthy review of Electric Zoo coming shortly. In the meantime, here's what's going on this week, starting with tonight (Thursday, 9/10)....

Continue reading "the week in dance w/ Showtrotta (part 1) (The Glass, Glass Candy, Alan Braxe, Calvin Harris, The Twelves & more)"

photos by Ryan Muir

"You were standing by me almost the whole show, and believe me, I noticed you there. You looked beautiful, stylish and intriguing. Our eyes met quite a few times, and I racked my brain for a way I could strike up a conversation with you. You seemed to wait patiently by and get closer as the night progressed. But instead of coming up with some clever way of talking to you, I rudely bumped into you. I don't know if you heard my apology but whether you did or didn't, I should have expressed myself better, and at least offered to buy you a drink. In the end I tried to talk to you even though I could only think of idiotic things to say. I don't know if you'll ever read this, but if you do, I'm very sorry for my physical and mental clumsiness, and I hope you enjoyed the show. If you'd forgive me, I'd love to buy that drink I should have offered you sometime, and say this all to you in person."
[I bumped into you at Glass Candy - m4w - 30 (le Poisson Rouge)]

Continue reading "Italians Do It Better (Glass Candy, Nite Jewel & Twisted Wires) @ Le Poisson Rouge in NYC - pics"

Felix Cartal @ Webster Hall - February 27, 2009 (Nicky Digital)

There was quite a bit going on last week, but I hardly went to any of it. I did most of my getting down at the David Byrne show Saturday night at Radio City, which I (unlike Jon Pareles) found to be a great show.

On my way home from David's show Friday night I found myself at the Studio at Webster Hall just to buy a friend a birthday drink. I caught some of Futurecop's set, but it was a bit too much, too soon after David Byrne for me to absorb any of it or make any judgment.

Fortunately I wound up sticking around and getting my ears used to hearing electronic music long enough to realize Felix Cartal was tearing it up. His set was full of bangers, many of which I hadn't heard before. One was a remix/mash-up of Daft Punk's "Oh Yeah" and "Rollin' & Scratchin'" that was sick and featured a weird little vocal periodically saying "rollin' & scratchin!". As good as Felix's set was, I was exhausted and left before he was done.

This week is brimming with good deejays and I am almost glad I won't be around to have to make any of these decisions you're going to face, specifically for Friday & Saturday night. Here's what's happening:

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (Mixhell, Frankie Knuckles, Italians Do It Better, Glass Candy, Chairlift, more...)"

Headliners Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure are among the 130-plus acts set for the tenth COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL (APRIL 17, 18 AND 19) at the beautiful Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA, the same grounds where the COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL debuted in 1999. Other artists confirmed for America's most critically acclaimed music festival include Morrissey, Amy Winehouse, Franz Ferdinand, My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Thievery Corporation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (the complete line-up is listed below).

This marks the first ever U.S. festival appearance for McCartney who is currently supporting his latest release ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS.

"I have heard that Coachella is one of the greatest festivals in the world. I'm really excited to get out there and rock!" McCartney says.

Throbbing Gristle and the rest of the full (real) line-up (as of 1/30) is below:

Continue reading "Coachella 2009 - OFFICIAL lineup announced (My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Morrissey, The Cure, Antony, Amy Winehouse...) - tix on sale"

DOWNLOAD: Fader Issue 53 mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fader Issue 53 (PDF)

Spin did a feature a month or two ago on the resurgence of disco. Andy from Beta Blog did a bunch of interviews with James Murphy, Morgan Geist, Mike Simonetti, Dj Harvey, Johnny Jewel (of Glass Candy), and Thomas of Rub 'n Tug for the piece. He's printed up the interviews in their entirety on his blog and Daughters of Invention has the links to all of them in one little piece. Take some time to read these: all very recommended.

A little more recent, FADER caught up with Glass Candy in Portland and put together a nice profile and a few videos. RCRD LBL has a remix for download.

Speaking of FADER, they most properly shed some light on DFA behind the boards producer gone solo Eric B and his Sticky Disc record label. Listen to the fantastic "Keep on Move" over there.

Glass Candy is on (and Johnny Jewel and Mike Simonetti run) Italians Do it Better, so is Professor Genius. Stream a Professor Genius track over at Pitchfork.

The venerable London club The End is giving away music via a downloadable mix series called "Recommends." You have to register, but these cats know what they are doing. If you are in London, drop in on Durrr or any one of their fabulous rave ups.

Tickets are on sale for an August 6th Soulwax show at Irving Plaza.

Not sure where the idea that Matthew Dear is either "euro" or a "hipster" DJ is coming from, but it seems Hot Chip fans got a treat when his "Big Hands" outfit opened (and did a song with) Hot Chip on Tuesday.

-david