Janelle at Afro-Punk 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Afro-Punk 2011 will take place in Fort Greene's Commodore Barry Park on August 27 and 28. This year's crazy lineup consists of Cee Lo Green, Janelle Monae (who played the fest in 09), Fishbone, Santigold, Jay Electronica, Toro y Moi, Reggie Watts and more. The festival will also a hold a Skate and BMX competition, and other related events. Admission is free to the general public.

Full lineup below...

Continue reading "Afro-Punk 2011 -- free Fort Greene fest lineup (Cee Lo, Janelle Monae, Toro y Moi, Santigold, Fishbone, Reggie Watts, more)"

As mentioned in "What's Going On Thursday?," there's a party going on at Tammany Hall tonight, 5/5, with sets by Gordon Voidwell, Futurecop, NewVillager and a "secret guest." I don't know why they need to be secret (probably because they're playing Governors Ball), but apparently the secret guest is Reptar (according to a reputable source).

Speaking of Tammany Hall, that's also where James Blake is going to play his first-ever U.S. DJ set after his live Bowery Ballroom show on May 11th (thanks Ben). Tickets are on sale for the afterparty. Both event flyers below...

Continue reading "James Blake playing his first US DJ set @ Tammany Hall (which is where Reptar is playing tonight)"

David Rubenstein Atrium

Catch Gordon Voidwell for free tonight (1/20) at Lincoln Center. A full list of other free "Target Free Thursdays" and other free shows at the David Rubenstein Atrium (Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets) is below...

Continue reading "upcoming free shows @ David Rubenstein Atrium"

Dam-Funk And Master Blazter is playing Bowery Ballroom on June 12th. Tickets are on sale.

Tame Impala is playing Pianos on June 24th. Tickets are on sale.

Brahms is playing Pianos on May 1st (with ARMS / Bell / Aislyn & Wet Bandits aka Passion Pit DJs), May 25 (with Das Racist / Gordon Voidwell / Shadowbox & DJ Aaron Pfenning) and June 1st (with Class Actress / Tony Castles / Baby Alpaca / Cool Places Soundsystem DJ). Tickets for all three shows are on sale.

Das Racist also play the LES venue on May 20th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are now on sale for the Peggy Sue show happening at Pianos.

Peter Wolf Crier, Pocahaunted, Greg from Bouncing Souls, and other Pianos shows are on sale too.

Tickets are on sale for the Heartless Bastards / Peter Wolf Crier shows at Bowery & MHOW.

Tickets are on sale for a lot of Black Crowes shows at Nokia Theatre.

Tickets are on sale for the Vatican Commandos (featuring Moby) hardcore show at Mercury Lounge.

Swans and Danzig tickets went on sale.

Zola Jesus Glasslands tickets are on sale.

A Toro y Moi show at Glasslands is on sale.

Weezer & other Waterfront & Governors Island shows on sale.

Tickets are on sale for the Cass McCombs show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for two Empire of the Sun shows at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on sale for the Black Mountain show at Knitting Factory.

Beatweek: When I listen to Travelling Like the Light, there's two things that immediately jump out at me. One is that it's got this old school, throwback feel. What inspired that in you?

VV Brown: For a long time I was repressing the music that I really loved, cause when I was a kid I was a very deep kid, I was into classical and jazz music, and it wasn't very cool. So from the age of thirteen to like nineteen, I kind of suppressed the love of it and was trying to be cool and listened to not songs that I loved. And then I went to LA and I was signed to a record deal which was different from this one, and they were trying to make me into an R&B diva, and I was still suppressing all of the music that I really liked, but I never said anything about it.

When I came back to London I didn't want to suppress it anymore. I wanted to be true to what I wanted to do. So I went to a record store and I bought loads of vinyl and started to listen to old music again, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, and mixed the two, my love of pop music and then my love of old school music, and try to create a fusion of both.

Brown's Travelling Like the Light came out last year in the UK and earlier in 2010 in the US. An acoustic version of her song "Crying Blood" and all tour dates (a few more on this short US run) are below...

Continue reading "the UK's VV Brown on tour - 2 free NYC shows"

words by BBG, photos by Nicole Kibert

Walter Schreifels band @ Bowery Ballroom

Free Booze. Walter Schreifels. Best combo ever? Walter and band, which features Art of Gorilla Biscuits and musician/comedian Dave Hill on six-string, have scheduled a pair of NYC shows this week in celebration of the holidays. The first show kicks off tonight (12/14) at The Charleston with Birds of Paradise and Give and will feature free Jameson whiskey while supplies last. Flyer below.

The second show is Wednesday (12/16) at The Studio @ Webster Hall (it's their holiday party). At that show Walter & band will be supporting Telepathe. Gordon Voidwell is also on the bill. And yes, Nick Zinner will be there... this time spinning between sets. To cap it all off, the party will feature free booze courtesy of Pabst Blue Ribbon and although a limited number of tickets are currently available for a meager $5 a piece, I ALSO have a metric shit-ton of them to giveaway! For more on how to win entry to the show, dig on details at the bottom of this post (where the flyer can also be found).

Walter Schreifels's last show was as part of the Split Lip / Chamberlain reunion at Bowery on 12/7. The provided support for the reunited headliners along with Atlantic Pacific (ex-Texas is the Reason).

Walter's set included a cover of Quicksand's "Thorn in My Side". Split Lip was joined onstage by their long-time tour manager who belted out an Op Ivy cover. Full setlist from Split Lip / Chamberlain, tons of pics from the show, contest details, and flyers from both upcoming Walter shows are below...

Continue reading "Walter Schreifels played w/ Split Lip/Chamberlain @ Bowery (pics) - playing 2 shows this week (1 w/ Telepathe - win tix)"

The Village Voice is excited to announce the addition of A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, THEE OH SEES, TINY MASTERS OF TODAY, JUSTINE D. and DeadHeat DJs to the line-up for the 9th Annual Village Voice SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ at Coney Island on Saturday, July 18, 2009 from 12:00 noon - 9:00 p.m.

These artists join scheduled performers BUILT TO SPILL, SPANK ROCK, THE RAVEONETTES, FRIGHTENED RABBIT, GRAND DUCHY, MONOTONIX, FUTURE OF THE LEFT, JAPANDROIDS, MICACHU & THE SHAPES and BEAR HANDS at the free, all day, all ages music festival on two outdoor stages in historic Coney Island.

The 2nd Annual Official SIREN AFTER PARTY returns to Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, July 18 at 9:00pm. FRANCIS AND THE LIGHTS and GORDON VOIDWELL are scheduled to perform with more to be announced.

Thee Oh Sees are also playing the Woodsist Fest on July 4th.

APTBS play Santos Party House with the Secret Machines this Friday night (6/19).

The following Siren bands also have shows scheduled at Maxwell's: Future of the Left, Built to Spill, Grand Duchy, and Frightened Rabbit.