Maps & Atlases at Maxwell's - 9/9/12 (via Sheila Azadan)

Maps & Atlases are currently on a tour which hit the NYC area for a show at Maxwell's on Sunday (9/9) with Laura Stevenson and the Cans. The tour continues in Rhode Island tonight (9/11) and makes its way back to NY for some shows upstate later this week. While they're in the area, they'll play a last-minute show in NYC at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday (9/15). Tickets for that show are on sale now. Grand Rapids are opening the show, which happens in between M&A playing shows in Ithaca and Rochester with Jukebox the Ghost.

An updated list of dates and a video from their recent show in York, PA are below.

Continue reading "Maps & Atlases played Maxwell's, add Brooklyn Bowl show to tour (updated dates & live video)"

Surfer Blood in Long Island in 2011 (more by Greg Cristman)

As mentioned L.E.S. rock club Cake Shop is going through some tough financial times and have started a PledgeMusic campaign to raise money to stay alive. There's seven days left on that campaign and the venue is 63% of the way there. If they don't reach their target, they won't get any of the money raised, so show your support -- we need Cake Shop around!

Meanwhile, Cake Shop has had some benefit shows like the one earlier this month where Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were the secret headliner.

The venue is throwing another benefit show this Thursday (7/19) with Grand Rapids, Shark? and a headliner listed as "extra secretly special band (bring yr wakeboard and some band aids!)." Hmm. $12 - 20 sliding scale cover.

In other news, Surfer Blood opens for Death Cab at Wellmont Theatre that night (7/19) (sold out) and also plays with Grand Rapids at Maxwell's on July 23 (tickets).

And in more related news, Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard will release his debut solo album, Former Lives, on October 16 via Barsuk in the US and a day earlier in Europe via City Slang. The album was recorded at Aaron Espinoza's (Earlimart) studio, The Ship. Some tour dates in support of the release are TBA.

Surfer Blood at McCarren Park in June (more by Tamara Porras)

Surfer Blood are playing the next free Spotify-presented show at Mercury Lounge on Monday (8/1) with Grand Rapids. Everyone who enters the 21+ show will also get an access code for a free Spotify account. Doors are at 11 PM. It's first come, first served, but we have 5 pairs of guaranteed entry, which you can enter to win. Details below.

The first Spotify-presented show was The Black Angels on July 18. The series will continue throughout the month of August with dates currently scheduled for 8/3, 8/10, 8/18, and 8/25. Stay tuned for those lineups.

Surfer Blood is also touring with the Pixies this fall. That tour hits The Wellmont Theatre (10/27) and Asbury Park Convention Hall (10/28) in NJ.

Contest details, updated dates, and a video of Surfer Blood at SXSW below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood playing next free Spotify show @ Mercury Lounge (win guaranteed entry) ---- updated 2011 Tour Dates"

photos and video by Jessica Amaya

Radical Dads

"Colorado band School Knights play Shea Stadium with The Hairs whose singer used to have a band called Knight School. Weird, right? Also playing: Grand Rapids and Radical Dads whose new video for "New Age Dinosuars" is at the bottom of this post." [This Week In Indie]

Continue reading "Radical Dads, The Hairs, School Knights & Grand Rapids @ Shea Stadium (pics & video)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Spectrum @ Psych Fest

In addition to the previously announced 6 free shows this summer, Vans are presenting a 'Create Your Mark' event at Brooklyn's House of Vans on June 25. The show will feature performances by Spectrum, The Smith Westerns, Grand Rapids (whose Clara Balzary is one of the Create Your Mark presenters), and Chairlift with "an epic visual experience" by Joshua Light Show. The event is private but Vans is inviting 200 BrooklynVegan readers. The first 200 people who RSVP to vanscreateyourmark@gmail.com and put BROOKLYN VEGAN in the subject line, will get on the list. The free show takes place from 4PM to 11PM and is 18+. There will also be "food, drinks, and freebies."

In related news, Chairlift also have shows coming up at Cameo on June 21st and June 23rd at Glasslands.

Spectrum toured through NYC back in April on his way to Austin Psych Fest. We have a belated set of pictures from the Austin show that are in this post. More of them, with the Vans show flyer, below...

Continue reading "Spectrum playing free Vans show w/ Smith Westerns & Chairlift (RSVP QUICK), played Austin Psych Fest (belated pics)"

Dinosaur Feathers at Pier 54 in 2010 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

The annual Open Air Street Fair outside Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (on Crosby Street in Manhattan) is taking place Sunday, June 5. The free event starts at 10 AM and is open to all ages. This year's lineup features performances by Darlings, Dinosaur Feathers, Friends, Grand Rapids, and The Woes Like, Mountains (who have replaced the Woes) . The event also includes beer and barbecue, books, movies, CDs, and records on sale for $1 or less, and clothes and accessories. 100% of the profits go to Housing Works which provides housing, healthcare, job training, and advocacy for New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.

This is one of several Dinosaur Feathers shows throughout June and July. They also play Silent Barn on June 11 with Shark? and Gross Relations. More Dinosaur Feathers dates and details on the Housing Works day, below.

Continue reading "Housing Works Open Air Street Fair Sunday, and other Dinosaur Feathers dates"

by Bill Pearis

It's that time of year again, when The L Magazine picks "8 Bands You Need to Hear Right Now." Like usual, the 2011 list is a mix of bands you may have seen, may have heard of, and more under-the-radar picks. No photoshoot at Bushwick Country Club this year. Here's the list, with the artists' next next NYC area show (where applicable):

Grand Rapids (no upcoming shows)
Devin Therriault (no upcoming shows)
Radical Dads (April 28 [tomorrow], The Delancey)
Mainland (May 25, Brooklyn Bowl)
Luke Rathborne (no upcoming shows)
Slowdance (May 9, Knitting Factory)
Yellow Ostrich (June 3, Mercury Lounge)
Family Trees (no upcoming shows)

And if you missed it, The L Mag's Northside Festival just announced a slew of new bands to this year's line-up, including Surfer Blood (opening for GbV), Sharon Van Etten (opening for Beirut), Iceage (U.S. debut), Frankie Rose & the Outs, Teengirl Fantasy, Theophilus London, DOM, Mount Eerie, White Fence, Blondes, Janka Nabay • Holiday Shores, Eternal Summers, Delicate Steve, Gatekeeper and pretty much every band on the "8 Bands" list.