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)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Gorguts at Irving Plaza, June 2012 (more by Justina Villaneuva)

"It is with great joy that I announce the return of GORGUTS to Season of Mist! Things have not always been easy these last couple of years, but now it's all behind us and all I can say is that I'm more than eager to share this new record with all of you. Our forthcoming album will be a very detailed, dark, epic, emotional, conceptual record and Season of Mist was my first choice to be the standard-bearer for this new GORGUTS opus and I must say that I am more than happy to work with them again."

And with that, Luc Lemay announced that Gorguts will release their highly-anticipated fifth studio album later this year via Season of Mist. The band, which now features drummer John Longstreth and 2/3 of Dysrhythmia (Colin Marston and Kevin Hufnagel), made their return to the stage as part of a 2010 tour with Portal & Bloody Panda. They then played NYC again last summer for a show at Irving Plaza opening the sweaty Death to All reunion.

Sebadoh at MHoW, November 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

today in NYC
* Jacob Garchik @ Barbes
* Wade Bowen @ Joe's Pub
* Our Hit Parade @ Joe's Pub
* Mike O'Brien @ UCB
* John and Scott @ UCB
* Everest Cale @ Bryant Park
* Kitty Pryde, Lakutis @ Santos
* What Can You Do? @ The Stone
* Popular Culture, Ferns @ Cameo
* The Mandingo Ambassadors @ Barbes
* Remember, Dream v. 2.5 @ The Stone
* The Drums, Chairlift @ Brooklyn Bowl
* WFMU's 7 Second Delay Live @ UCB
* Pete Rock, DJ Premier @ East River Park
* Al Green, Charles Bradley @ Beacon Theatre
* Conveyor, Field Mouse, Abadabad, Y/Y @ Glasslands
* Highlife, Daniel Higgs, Endless Boogie @ McCarren Park
* Portland Cello Project, Live Footage @ City Winery
* Sebadoh, Circle of Buzzards, Sentridoh @ Bowery Ballroom
* Wino & Conny Ochs, Sean Ragon, Kevin Hufnagel @ Saint Vitus
* Many Mansions, Names Divine, United Waters, IYEZ @ Shea Stadium
* The Hairs, Chris Robison, Daniel Fromberg, Rabbit Troupe @ Cake Shop
* Little Feat, Papa Grows Funk, Stooges Brass Band @ Beekman Beer Garden
* Teenage Bottlerocket, Nothington, Masked Intruder, The Scutches @ Santos
* Rank Xerox, Rat Columns, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, Deformity @ Death By Audio
* The Eastern Sea, Sundress, Your 33 Black Angels, Variety Lights @ Mercury Lounge
* Splash, Psychobuildings, Grand Resort, Lingerie, Le Sphinxx DJ set @ Public Assembly

The Coen Brothers classic Raising Arizona is showing for free in McCarren Park tonight as part of Summerscreen, along with performances from Highlife, Daniel Higgs and Endless Boogie.

Sebadoh/Sentridoh are here playing Bowery tonight, but you can also catch Lou Barlow in the Dinosaur Jr. video for "Watch The Corners", starring Tim Heidecker, below.

Austin City Limits 2012 Late Night Shows were announced.

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SNL writer Mike O'Brien, who you saw interviewing Joanna Newsom in our tattoo post yesterday, performs at UCB tonight. He goes on after John and Scott from 30 Rock do their thing.

Grimes, who recently played River Rocks, has a new video for "Genesis" which is viewable below. She dances with a snake. Claire will be back in NYC in October for four nights of sold-out shows.

Yeasayer performed "Longevity" on Jimmy Fallon on August 20th and A$AP Rocky performed "Goldie" last night (8/21). Check out video of both below. Quicksand plays Jimmy Fallon tonight, two days before they bless NYC in the first of sold-out two local shows.

Aesop Rock, not to be confused with ASAP Rocky, has a new video for "Cycles to Gehenna" off of his new album, Skelethon. Check it out below. His tour recently hit Austin for a sold out show at Mohawk. You can check out pictures from that show HERE

Check out a video below of Indians performing at Ace Hotel as part of that '5 at 5' series.

Gorguts recently played Irving Plaza and though a video of a full set has yet to emerge, check out video from last week in London below.

SXSW released a trio of videos featuring DIIV performing this past year. Check those out below.

The Walkmen performed "Heartbreaker" on Late Show With David Letterman last night. Check out video of that Heaven track below.

Stream a new Lightning Bolt track from their upcoming rarities comp below.

Lightning Bolt is one of the many artists whose photograph is on display at the BrooklynVegan photo exhibit "480 Pixels" which is up now at 92YTribeca through September 6th. Hours:

8/21- 8/24; 9/4-9/5: 8am-8:30pm
8/27-8/31: 8am-3pm
9/3: Closed for Labor Day
Closed on Sats & Suns.

Stop by and check it out! And download the audio from our opening night concert.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday? (new Grimes video included)"

photos by Greg Cristman

Toby Driver of Vaura/Kayo Dot

WIERD will host a special Vaura appearance at their weekly party at Home Sweet Home tonight (7/25) (131 Chrystie St in Manhattan). The band will strip down to play a rare "acoustic variations" set at the venue, which will see the band unplug for the second time in their history (the first being at The Stone earlier this year). Flyer for the show is below.

Kevin Hufnagel of Vaura/Gorguts played a solo set Saint Vitus on 7/21. If you missed them, the pictures are here.

Also-Vaura member Toby Driver played Bowery Electric on July 19th with his Kayo Dot project, with support from Triple Cobra and The Big Con. Pictures from that show, the Kayo Dot setlist, and a flyer for tonight, below...

Continue reading "Vaura plays acoustic show at WIERD party tonight; Kayo Dot played Bowery Electric (pics)"

words by Doug Moore, photos by Caroline Harrison

Mike Scheidt, 7/21/2012

Saturday night (7/21) saw an unusual double header at Saint Vitus. The intimate first offering consisted of metal dudes playing decidedly un-metal acoustic music: Mike Scheidt (YOB), Nate Hall (US Christmas), and Kevin Hufnagel (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia). Prurient's post-midnight set offered latecomers a noise-addled second helping. (More on that later.)

Kevin Hufnagel is best known for shredding guitar performances in NYC prog-metallers Dysrhythmia and the death metal legends Gorguts. As a solo performer, Hufnagel cuts the volume dramatically; his recent run of live shows have focused on his baritone ukulele compositions. Though the medium has changed, Hufnagel's voice remained audible. His labyrinthine pieces demonstrated both scary chops and a gift for ghostly melody.

With a broad-brimmed hat casting his face in shadow, Nate Hall cut a Neil Young-esque figure onstage. His plaintive voice tended to wobble off pitch at times, but it's endearing--the kind of mistake that signifies sincerity. Hall fell in line with seemingly every metal musician who dabbles in acoustic balladry (Scott Kelly, Wino, Dax Riggs, Steve Brodsky, etc.) by paying tribute to Townes Van Zandt --his covers included "Kathleen" and "The Rake."

Mike Scheidt is one of the most talented musicians in metal today. His set made it clear that his voice is just as potent as his guitar work. (His considerable fretboard skill did make an appearance via a Doc Watson-influenced flatpicking exhibition.) Scheidt's vocal tone is simply superb; it reverberates with a fluid vibrato that many dedicated singers would envy. His voice illuminated a short but enthralling set that featured a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" alongside a string of originals.

Kevin Hufnagel will return to Saint Vitus on August 22nd for a date with Wino of the bar's namesake band and others (tickets).

Pictures from the early show at Saint Vitus are below.

Continue reading "Mike Scheidt, Nate Hall and Kevin Hufnagel played an acoustic show at Saint Vitus (pics)"

Krallice at House of Vans (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Krallice have announced that their fourth LP, Years Past Matter, will see a self-release on CD/Digital with vinyl via Gilead Media "shortly thereafter". In celebration, the Brooklyn band will play NYC at Saint Vitus on August 25th. Tickets are on sale and support will come from Ancient Wound.

Reminder, Colin Marston of Krallise is readying Dysrhythmia's new LP which is due this fall. The band also has a record release show scheduled for  Saint Vitus, this one on September 22nd (tickets). Two-thirds of Dysrhythmia recently played Irving Plaza as 1/2 of Gorguts (pictures).

Another reminder though more on the imminent tip, Kevin Hufnagel of Dysrhythmia will play Saint Vitus on 7/21 (tickets) supporting Mike Scheidt (YOB) and Nate Hall (US Christmas).

photos by Justina Villanueva; words by Klaus Kinski

On Thursday June 28th, 2012, Death / Chuck Schuldiner tribute band Death To All rolled into NYC to lay a beating onto a sold-out, sweaty, wood-swellingly humid Irving Plaza. To call them a tribute band sort of trivializes just how mighty an assemblage Death To All actually is; a tribute band generally consists of fanboys and fangirls trying to make a buck playing someone else's music for roomfuls of mouthbreathers with low entertainment standards. The members of Death to All, however, were actual band members of Death during their ever evolving 18 year history, from 1983 through 2001 when the band disbanded following the sad and probably preventable death of Chuck Schuldiner.

For those not in the know; On May 13th, 1999, on his 32nd birthday, Chuck Schuldiner was diagnosed with a high-grade pontine glioma which is a malignant type of brain cancer that invades the brainstem. After a serious onslaught of radiation therapy, the tumor was neutralized and, after a surgery to remove what was left of the tumor, Schuldiner appeared to have a clean bill of health; and a pile of medical bills totaling over $70,000. Uninsured and unable to cover the costs, the metal community rallied in support of Schuldiner with benefit concerts, auctions, and other fundraisers to raise the appropriate funds. After this experience Schuldiner got himself insurance, but when the cancer came back his insurer wouldn't cover the procedures necessary to saving his life as his cancer was a pre-existing condition. More large scale benefits and auctions took place to come to his aid once again, but he eventually succumbed to pneumonia on December 13th, 2001.

This Death To All Tour was not only set about to pay tribute to Chuck Schuldiner who is hands down THE father of Death metal, but it was also devised with the intention of donating 20% of all ticket sales to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund whose aim is to provide "financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems." And, man, this show could not have happened on a more historical day as Thursday June 28th, 2012 is the day the Supreme Court upheld President Obama's health care overhaul law. Had this existed in 1999, perhaps Death would be still be cranking out ear splitting masterworks in death metal.

Gorguts

The show kicked off at 8PM on the nose with Canadian death metal gods Gorguts. I first came to know Gorguts back in 1989 or 1990 when I saw a small blurb about them in Metal Maniacs. At the tail end of the blurb was an address from where you could order their demo tape. I sent away for the demo and when I got it it blew my mind. Seeing them last night was a personal triumph as I had never seen them before. The years have not slowed them down one bit. Their blast beats and time changes were super tight and brought me back to the day when bands like Gorguts and Deicide dominated the blast beat death metal scene. They played a phenomenal selection of cuts during their 45-minute set, a particular highlight for me being Stiff and Cold.

After a brief intermission for a gear changeover, the lights dimmed, the projector screen ascended, and the crowd absolutely exploded. I can't imagine a more enthusiastic response even if Chuck had shown up in the flesh. Although we wouldn't be seeing Chuck, we would be seeing some of the other members behind one of death metal's greatest bands. They kicked things off with the song "Zombie Ritual" from their 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore. This song for me is THE archetypical death metal song; it's got speed, classic half time sections, fast double bass pummeling, throat splitting vocals... the works. For them to open the show with this was a stroke of genius because it not only represents the beginning of Death's career releasing records, but it also represents the very birth of death metal as we know it.

Other highlights included Spiritual Healing's "Within the Mind" and Human's "Lack of comprehension," but the set covered their entire canon. At one point early in the evening Irving Plaza's AC clearly stopped working, creating an atmosphere of unbearable heat, humidity, and misery. The humidity level was so appalling that every surface in the venue with the exception of the lower lobby was covered in moisture; stairs, bars, walls, bouncers... the balcony even looked like it was in a fog. It was as though as steam pipe had ruptured or something. At about 10:45 I couldn't take it anymore and so I joined legions of other fans in the lower lobby to watch the show on a TV. It was very disappointing to have to close out the evening like that, but it got to the point that not only was every floor surface a slip-fall-break-something hazard, but breathing was almost impossible. On the plus side I got to meet and talk to Gorguts' main man Luc Lemay at the merch table. Not only was he one of the nicest people I have ever met, he had a hand shake that could crush a bowling ball.

More steamy pictures from Death to All and Gorguts sets are below.

Continue reading "Death to All and Gorguts played Irving Plaza (pics, review)"

Mike Scheidt at Bell House (more by BBG)

Mike Scheidt of YOB will head out on the road on a string of tour dates with Nate Hall (US Christmas), hitting the East Coast as part of a celebration of both's recent solo releases. The dates include an NYC stop on July 21st at Saint Vitus with Kevin Hufnagel, and tickets are on sale.

Both Nate Hall's solo debut and Scheidt's Stay Awake are out now via Neurot and Thrill Jockey respectively. Check out a video for "In Your Light" by the latter below.

in related news, Dysrhythmia (which features Kevin Hufnagel on guitar, along with bandmate Colin Marston) will team with The Wayward and Praetura as part of their record release show on September 22nd at Saint Vitus (tickets). The band's Profound Lore debut is due this fall.

And while on the subject, Colin and Kevin are now members of the reformed Gorguts, who play next week with Death to All at Irving Plaza.

All listed tour dates and that video are below.

Continue reading "Mike Scheidt (YOB) and Nate Hall (USX) are on tour, including Saint Vitus show with Kevin Hufnagel (dates)"

by BBG

Gorguts at Knitting Factory (more by Greg Cristman)

The Death to All tour got a little more interesting today with the addition of the amazing Gorguts to the lineup. The reactivated death metal crew, which now contains John Longstreth (Dim Mak, Origin, The Red Chord), Kevin Hufnagel (Dysrhythmia, Vaura), and Colin Marston (Krallice, Dysrhythmia, Behold.. The Arctopus) in addition to mastermind Luc LeMay, will participate in all dates on the tour including the previously discussed date at Irving Plaza on June 28th. "VIP Tickets" are currently on sale, with general admission hitting on March 30th.

Reminder: I will I DJ the evening on March 31 at Public Assembly when join Vaura (with Kevin Hufnagel) is joined by Alcest and Deafheaven (both of which played our day parties during SXSW). Tickets are still available, but dangerously close to sell-out.

All Gorguts dates and some video below.

Continue reading "Gorguts added to the "Death to All" tour"

by BBG

Dysrhythmia at The Charleston in 2009 (more by Samantha Marble)

One of the world's most easily misspelled bands, Dysrhythmia, will play Union Pool on 3/11 as part of a show with Zevious (featuring Jeff Eber of Dysrhythmia), Smother Party, and A Fucking Elephant. The party jumps off at 9PM and will set you back $8. Kevin Hufnagel recently posted an update on the band that drops tons of incredible news about his and the rest of Dysrhythmia's projects:

Dysrhythmia is about half way through writing the next record. We'll start demoing stuff in the Spring and perhaps share a track or two online... Otherwise, a new record won't be likely until 2012. The wait will be worth it, promise... One of the reasons for that is simply due to the number of other musical ventures we have happening.

Gorguts will be recording the new album in February, with a scheduled Summer release. Touring will follow.

Krallice will have a new record out in April.

Zevious will be doing their first full US tour in March/April.

I'll have a new solo record called Transparencies out in March/April.

They'll be a record coming Summer/Fall tentatively titled 'Night Sessions' which is a collaboration between myself and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Costanza Francavilla...

I recently guested on a 20 minute track for long running Philadelphia-based experimental progressive metal/hardcore band Starkweather. This should be out sometime next year as part of a split release. It was an honor for me to play on this track. They've been one of my favorite bands for years.

In addition, Hufnagel's Vaura project has been playing some shows as of late, and Kevin will appear with the half of Vaura (Josh Strawn and Charlie Schmid) that isn't in either Dysrhythmia (Hufnagel) or Kayo Dot (Toby Driver) at the FREE record release party for their other project, Religious To Damn (a band that Zohra Atash is also a member of). As previously discussed, the show will go down at Glasslands on Jan 13th and will also feature an appearance from the great Tamaryn (who will NOT be playing a set of her own).

words by BBG, photos by Greg Cristman, additional pics by Samantha Marble

Luc LeMay of Gorguts

Gorguts. Portal. Krallice. Bloody Panda. On one show! Knitting Factory on Wednesday (5/26) was a bit much to comprehend, what with a stellar four band bill like that, and as expected the sold-out Blackened Music/BV show was a jawdropper.

Bloody Panda started the evening out sans their usual executioner hoods, blasting out a powerful set of ominous darkness that was a perfect opposite to the tremolo-picking/riff-tastic bill that would follow. Starting with a shriek from vocalist Yoshiko that sent a shiver up my spine (imagine the middle ground between a high-pitched squeal and a door hinge creaking), I realized that it had been quite sometime since I last saw the band (members are now scattered around the globe) and had forgotten how compelling they were live. The band seems as though they have moved past shock & awe in the riff department and on to moody, powerful soundscapes with riffy passages (ala Swans). Either way, incredible set from this sextet.

Krallice swapped slots with Portal before the show started, and followed BP. As usual, the fearsome foursome played a rousing set of technical yet tuneful black metal which, much like at Europa, featured a decent amount of new songs. No word on what that material will hit the shelves, but expected it to be as brutal, complex, and powerful as their previous two releases. Incredible band.

Portal

The atonal and costumed beast Portal was next, and the room was buzzing with anticipation. How would Portal's music translate in a live setting? What would they look like? Would the band come off as schticky or theatrical? Around 10PM, the band sauntered on stage, each clad in all black with hoods, one wearing a hangman's noose around his neck. Once the down-tuned and discordant riffs began, in came The Curator, the band's theatrical vocalist. Dressing in a black pope outfit, The Curator summoned some of the most unholy of bellows, gesturing in ways not unlike the pontiff himself. Extremely theatrical and totally fun, Portal are fascinating live, and hopefully we won't have to wait to see them again.

After a bill like that, I would have more than content with calling it a night... but Gorguts was next! The reunited Canadian DM gods (now featuring Colin Marston & Kevin Hufnagel) delivered a powerful set of brutal, eclectic tunes, with a good portion of those coming from the bands FORTHCOMING album (in 2011!). Classics from Obscura and beyond were all well represented, and the band were balanced, tight and badass in the live setting.

The thing that I enjoyed most about Gorguts' performance was the focus on something that I find lacking in tech-death in 2010; too many bands think that technically impressive riffs always equals brutality. Some of the simplest riffs ever are also the most brutal... it's more about feel and power behind those riffs and not that really rad seven-fret stretch you can do. Hey, it is called technical DEATH metal after all, amirite?

More pics, some setlists, and some must-see video is below....

Continue reading "Gorguts, Portal, Krallice & Bloody Panda played Knitting Factory - pics, video, setlists"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Bloody Panda - "Art Galleries" (MP3)

Colin Marston of Gorguts, playing Europa with his other band Krallice (more here)

The Gorguts / Krallice / Bloody Panda / Portal extravaganza is WEDNESDAY (5/26) at Knitting Factory. Some tickets are still available, but they are going fast and the show WILL sell out. Pick up a pair, or try your luck at winning our MEGA-prizepack featuring a pair of tickets, a copy of Krallice's new album Dimensional Bleedthrough on clear 2xLP gatefold vinyl AND Portal's Lurker at the Threshold limited run picture disc 7"! Details on how to win are at the bottom of this post.

Speaking of Bloody Panda, the band recently sent a demo track into the wild, "Art Galleries", which is available for download above. The clip, culled from a 2004 mini-disc recording, features BP in one of their earliest forms and is less the lumbering 10-ton 10MPH riffbeast that you may already know; it's a fascinating track. For more details on the genesis of the recording, head to Stereogum. A video for Bloody Panda's "Miserere" is embedded below.

Krallice's Dimensional Bleedthrough, one of my favorite albums of last year, is out NOW on CD via Profound Lore and vinyl via Gilead Media. Cop it.

Portal's Lurker At The Threshold EP is also out NOW via Chrome Leaf. This limited edition picture disc is currently not on sale via the label's site (until after MDF), but is up for sale at Aquarius Records, Nuclear War Now, and other fine institutions of misanthropic commerce.

Some videos and full Bloody Panda dates are below...

Continue reading "Bloody Panda on tour w/ Gorguts, Krallice & Portal (win NYC tix & some LPs), giving away a new old track (MP3) "

by BBG

Colin on stage with Krallice (more by Paul Birman)

It's with the utmost pride that I am proud to announce that BrooklynVegan will team up with The Blackened Music Fest and Knitting Factory on May 26th for the return of the legendary Gorguts (!) with Brooklyn black metal greats Krallice, the NYC debut of the darkness that is Portal, and the return of Bloody Panda! Tickets are on sale.

FYI, Gorguts is now made up of half of the current members of Dysrhythmia (Colin and Kevin), along with John Longstreth (Dim Mak, Origin, The Red Chord) and Luc LeMay (original Gorguts). Colin of Dysrhythymia will do double duty that night, as he also plays guitar with Krallice.

Krallice ss also confirmed for another NYC show on April 18th, this time with Ludicra, Castevet, and Attake. Tickets are on sale for the BV/Osiris production.

Continue reading "Gorguts return (NYC show w/ Krallice, Portal, Bloody Panda)"

by Black Bubblegum

Luc Lemay in Negativa

Gorguts has returned! Luc Lemay issued the following statement:

Continue reading "Gorguts is back"