photos by Tim Griffin

Gruff Rhys @ Club DeVille

Austin venues Mohawk and Club DeVille border each other. If there's a loud show at Mohawk, a quiet show at DeVille will suffer. Thus, back on May 27th, as Gruff Rhys was taking the Deville stage he announced, "The idea is to play as many songs as we can... Before the Melvins kick in next door." Luckily, ultimately it wasn't a problem. H0key.net was there:

"The sweetness dripped heavy, especially on songs like 'Honey All Over' and 'If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme).' Gruff didn't go overboard, however. The fact that the Melvins and some other sludge metal type bands were playing next door helped out. It also gave an opportunity for Gruff to flex his wit.

Gruff also flexed his technological ability. The amount of noise gadgets that filled the stage exceeded my expectations. There were these wobbly, red light tipped, noise makers he shook every once in awhile. He had a tiny metal box with a red light shining on itself that produced sound. The coolest gadget for me was the record player he used to drop in effects and other items during songs. It's such a practical use for an old technology that you can get away with using it live and not have to drop major coin for a big computer box thingy to play sounds when needed."

Wales instrumental surf rock quartet Y Niwl opened the show, and then became Gruff's backing band, like they're doing on the entire tour that started on May 18th at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. The tour ends June 15th back in NYC at Mercury Lounge. Tickets for that one are still available.

Tickets are also still available for the June 18th screening of Gruff's movie Separado! at BAM where there will be a "Q&A with co-director and film subject Gruff Rhys" (we weren't sure last time we mentioned it).

More pictures from the Austin show, some videos from the Brooklyn show, and all tour dates (including a whole bunch of newly announced European shows), below...

Continue reading "Gruff Rhys played Knitting Factory & Club DeVille (pics), will do a Q&A at BAM with his movie (and other dates)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: JEFF The Brotherhood - "Shredder" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: JEFF The Brotherhood - "Diamond Way" (MP3)

Pentagram at Europa (more by Keith Marlowe)

As discussed, Pentagram will play a string of shows with JEFF The Brotherhood & Valient Thorr. That tour has now been announced and will include a NYC show at Le Poisson Rouge on August 21st. Ticketing info is forthcoming. All dates are listed below.

Another date on the Pentagram schedule goes down on August 13th at Echo Park in LA aka the 2011 Power Of The Riff festival. The current lineup also includes Winter, Pelican, Trap Them, Masakari, Alpinist, Acephalix, All Pigs Must Die, and more TBA. Unlike last year, the fest costs money this time. Tickets are on sale. Poster below.

In related news, the previously discussed Bobby Liebling documentary is hitting NYC on June 22nd, as Last Days Here will play BAM Rose Cinemas as part of BAMcinemaFest.

Discover the best in recent independent cinema with BAMcinématek's annual festival, collecting the most dynamic and innovative new work from festivals in the US and around the world and bringing them to New York City audiences. Now in its third year, BAMcinemaFest 2011 is our biggest festival yet, screening 26 feature films, including 20 New York premieres and one world premiere, as well as 24 short films, an outdoor screening, parties, live music, a photo exhibition, and more.

The film festival will also feature a few other music-related films, including a documentary on Genesis P-Orridge entitled The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye on June 23rd which will be followed by a free concert by Thee Majesty (which features Genesis). Singer-songwriter Goh Nakamura stars in the feature Surrogate Valentine which screens on June 23rd which will be followed by a concert at nearby Frankie's Lounge.

As previously mentioned, Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) will be the focus of a film as well, as a screening of Seperado! on June 18th will chronicle his journey "from his native Cymru all the way to Patagonia to look for his long-lost Argentine uncle, the poncho-clad Welsh-Latin singer René Griffiths". Gruff Rhys returns to play NYC a few days before that, on June 15th at Mercury Lounge with Y Niwl and Brakes (Solo Acoustic). Tickets are still available.

In other news, JEFF The Brotherhood released a new video for "Hey Friend" from their forthcoming We Are The Champions. View that, and all tour dates below.

Continue reading "Pentagram, JEFF the Brotherhood, Valient Thorr dates announced, Power of the Riff 2011 & new JEFF video too"

by Bill Pearis

Gruff Rhys kicks off his North American tour tonight at Knitting Factory and tickets are still available. He's over here supporting his new solo album, Hotel Shampoo, and will wind his way around the country before ending back up here in New York for a show at Mercury Lounge on June 15.

A mostly mellow affair, with detours into Bossa Nova and '70s MOR territory, Hotel Shampoo is another fine record from the hardest working indie musician in Wales. Where previous visits have involved just Rhys and a tablefull of junkshop keyboards and other oddball instruments, this time Gruff will be backed by Y Niwl, the finest surf band in Wales, who'll also get their own opening set. Rhys is one of the most charismatic performers around, do go if you can.

In other news, Rhys' travelogue tour film Separado! will make it's NYC debut on June 18 as part of the BAMcineFest. No word yet as to whether Rhys will be at the screening. Like Rhys himself, the film is charming, scruffy, funny and full of good songs. Tickets to all BAMcinefest selections -- including the Pentagram documentary Last Days Here, and The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye -- go on sale May 23.

All Gruff Rhys tour dates are below, along with videos, trailers and album streams.

Continue reading "Gruff Rhys kicking off tour w/ Y Niwl, BAM premiering his movie @ BAMcineFest (Genesis & Pentagram films too)"

by Bill Pearis

Gruff Rhys' new solo album, Hotel Shampoo, is getting a U.S. release on May 3 via Wichita Recordings.  Two weeks after that, Gruff launches a full-blown North American tour that begins and ends in NYC. It kicks off May 18 at Knitting Factory (tickets) and wraps up June 15 at Mercury Lounge (no on-sale date yet). All tour dates are below.

When Gruff has toured on his own before, it has usually been a truly solo affair, with only some garage sale keyboards, cassette players or a metronome as backing. This time he's bringing along Wales' finest post surf rock combo, Y Niwl, as both the opener and his backing band. While he does just fine on his own -- as anyone who saw his charming show last month at Rockwood Music Hall can attest -- but it will be nice to hear some of his solo work in more fleshed out form too.

Y Niwl

Hotel Shampoo is the Super Furry Animals' frontman's third solo album, trading some of the quirkiness of 2007's Candylion for some soft rock indulgence and straightforward lyrcism. Mind you, "straightforward" and "quirky" are relative terms when it comes to Gruff Rhys. Quality, however, is not. This is another lovely record from one of the most consistent artists of the last 15 years.

You can check into the whole of Hotel Shampoo via a streaming widget at the bottom of this post. You can also watch the video for his new single "Sensations in the Dark," as well as a live performace of the same song. You can also stream Y Niwl's self-titled album via a widget at the bottom of this post.

In other Gruff Rhys news, his travelogue tour film Separado! will be shown at the SXSW Film Festival this year, so if you're going check it out. It's pretty entertaining. Gruff won't be there, though, unfortunately.

All Gruff Rhys tour dates, plus album streams and music videos, are below.

Continue reading "Gruff Rhys touring w/ Y Niwl -- dates & new album streams"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Fergus & Geronimo - Powerful Lovin' (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Final Club - Tragic World (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Final Club - Hot Gaze (MEDIAFIRE LINK - ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: Tyvek - Underwater To (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tyvek - 4312 (MP3)

Gruff

Welcome to the first This Week in Indie of 2011. We are 12 days into this year and I have yet to see a show. If you add in the time before Christmas...this might be the longest I've gone without seeing live music in a long time. That drought will end for me this week, maybe tonight, but certainly tomorrow (1/13) as Gruff Rhys plays Rockwood Music Hall. I was a little worried this snow was to cancel his flight today, but he is currently on route to NYC as I write this.

Still no word as to who'll be releasing his new solo album, Hotel Shampoo, in the US but it seems likely someone will. Hopefully we'll get to hear a lot it live. As anyone whose seen him before -- either with Super Furry Animals or solo -- know, Gruff is an entertaining guy, who always puts extra effort into his shows. Highly recommended. Eleanor Friedberger of Fiery Furnaces opens. Show starts early -- 7:30.

I also just watched Separado!, the musical travelogue documentary about Gruff's quest to track down distant relative (and '70s caped troubadour) Rene Griffiths in Patagonia. Like Rhys himself, the film is charming, scruffy, funny and full of good songs. Still not released in America but you can order the UK DVD (if you have a region-free player or watch on a computer) or, if you live in Williamsburg, rent it from Videology.

Fergus & Geronimo

Fergus & Geronimo release their debut album, Unlearn, on Hardly Art next week, and are playing three shows this weekend in celebration: Friday (1/14) at Death By Audio (official official release party) with Final Club, Easter Vomit (ex Beets), new Captured Tracks signees Widowspeak, and Philadelphia's premiere surf band Dry Feet; Saturday (1/15) at Columbia University hangout The Ding Dong Lounge with Final Club; and Sunday (1/16) at Mercury Lounge with Tyvek. Xray Eyeballs and The Gaming Commission.

While it suffers from a slight case of identity crisis (droney psych, garagey rave-ups, organ-fueled soul), track-by-track Unlearn is a pretty solid record. Fergus & Geronimo are good at all the styles they dabble in. Check out "Powerful Lovin'" at the top of this post -- that shows off their soulful side. And while I haven't seen them play live in a year and a half, they were good then so I can only imagine they've gotten better.

Final Club

If your eyes didn't glaze over at the list of bands two paragraphs up, you may have noticed Final Club are playing with F&G twice this weekend. The two bands were Denton, TX neighbors before Fergus & Geronimo moved to Brooklyn late last summer. Final Club are here just for these shows. They are worth seeing in their own right: sneery, melodic indie rock with a tendency to lean on the tremolo bar which gives them a little Swervedriver vibe. Confident and loud.

You can check out "Tragic World" at the top of this post. And if you like that, you can download their Hot Gaze EP as well. Look out for their excellent debut album, Blank Entertainment, later this year. In addition to the two shows with Fergus & Geronimo, Final Club play a headlining gig at Death By Audio tomorrow night (1/13) with Bogan Dust, Clinical Trials and Laserdisc.

Tyvek @ BV-SXSW 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

Also as mentioned above, Tyvek are in town this weekend. While many of their peers have moved on to mid-fi production, the Detroit band keep it live and murky on their new album, Nothing Fits. It also sounds as anxious, angry and alive as the rest of their material. In addition to the Mercury Lounge show on Sunday mentioned above, they play Saturday night (1/15) at Glasslands with The Beets, Eternal Summers, and Sweet Bulbs. That is a good show. Do note it starts early, 8PM for real, as the Soul Clap dance party starts at midnight. I'll be there.

I should mention that openers The Beets have a new album Stay Home that's just out on Captured Tracks. After last year's swell, cleanly produced "Locomotion" single, they too (like Tyvek) are back to the same intentionally shitty "production" of their first album. (Maybe slightly less shitty.) Which, again, doesn't hurt them at all. The Beets are good songwriters I think, and especially good lyricists. And maybe if they can ever get a drummer to stick around for more than a month they might go places. Or just stay home. There's also a new Beets single, "Time Brought Age," and both the LP and 7" feature the bands signature comic artwork courtesy Matt Volz.

Mister Heavenly

What else? Oh yeah, Mister Heavenly play Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (1/16) with Sun Airway and Little Shalimar. This extra super group just signed to Sub Pop, and the label would like you to know the band features Nick Diamonds (Islands/Unicorns), Honus Honus (Man Man) and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse). Of course most of the press so far has been about the group's sometimes bassist who you may know from his non-musical day job. I don't mean the banana stand.

Going to see a band because there's a famous actor in it is usually a dumb reason to go (see Dogstar, 30 Seconds to Mars , 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, etc)... plus Mr. Cera is not an "official" member of the band and he may or may not be playing with them on Sunday (note that both the label and the venue told us they don't think Michael will be there). Luckily the rest of the band is known in their own right, so mabye you should go for that reason. Unfortunately there's no recorded music to hear yet, but their few shows so far have been well-documented on YouTube.

That's the main stuff. Here's a few shows, day-by-day, not covered above.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12

Nashville-via-Ohio band Mona -- one of the BBC's picks for Sound of 2011 -- invade NYC this weekend, starting tonight at Rock Shop. They also play Mercury Lounge on Thursday (1/13) (with Devin Therriault) and Union Pool on Saturday (1/15).

Given the abbreviation of this column you're reading, I would be remiss not to mention that The Twees play The Studio @ Webster Hall, a record release show for their just-released EP. They actually don't sound twee at all. I would say Strokes-esque pop would get you closer to a description.

Quirky, occasionally proggy, pop band Steel Phantoms at Bruar Falls.

more below...

Continue reading "Mister Heavenly, Gruff Rhys, Fergus & Geronimo, Final Club, Tyvek, The Beets & more in This Week in Indie "

by Bill Pearis

Gruff Rhys will release his third solo album, Hotel Shampoo, on February 14 in the UK. No release date (or label) for North America yet, which may be why Rhys will be in America next month playing a two shows, including one at Rockwood Music Hall on January 13 (tickets on sale). He plays LA's Bootleg Theater a couple days before on Jan. 11.

The album's first single, "Shark Ridden Waters," is out now which you can download for the price of your email address via widget at the bottom of this post. Also down there is the single's video which is definitely worth watching. As for the album's title, Rhys has apparently been collecting little bottles of hotel shampoo since the early days of Super Furry Animals and decided to do an art project with them -- build a model hotel out of them. The piece made its debut in Berlin's September Gallery last week. You can read more about it further down this post.

The Super Furry Animals frontman has had a busy year already. No SFA records, but he starred in and co-directed the quasi-documentary Separado! which followed Rhys across several continents in search of a lost uncle. The official synopsis:

Star Trek meets Buena Vista Social Club in this psychedelic western musical as Welsh pop legend Gruff Rhys takes us on a pan continental road trip in search of his long lost Patagonian uncle, the poncho wearing guitarist RENE GRIFFITHS.

In 1880, following a controversial horse race that led to an unresolved death, Gruff Rhys' family split as Dafydd Jones took his young family to join the burgeoning Welsh community in Patagonia, South America. There was to be no contact between the families for almost a century when in 1974 Rene Griffiths arrived in Wales with his Latin infused Welsh love songs and became an over night sensation.

Sounds amazing. Too bad Separado! still doesn't have an American distributor, though those of us with an all-region player can now buy the UK DVD. You can watch the trailer at the bottom of this post. While in South America, Rhys met Tony Da Gatorra, "a Brazilian TV and VCR repairman, musical freedom fighter and the inventor of his own unique 'Gatorra' instrument," who features in the film. Their meeting also spawned an album, this year's The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness, which was recorded in a day (five hours, specifically) and is fairly weird.

Read more about Hotel Shampoo, watch videos and download "Shark Ridden Waters" after the jump.

Continue reading "Gruff Rhys releasing Hotel Shampoo, made a movie, touring"

photos by Fresh Bread

The Aquarian: So how important is the visual counterpart of your music to you?

Gruff Rhys: It's part of our identity really. It's a continuation of the music on a slightly different level. Sometimes that helps give the music a context beyond the sleeves.

And are you concerned with balancing the visuals and music? Because I heard that that was a concern with Rings Around The World when you released that CD/DVD.

In what sense?

In making sure that when you're pairing visuals with music, that proper attention is being paid to the music and that the visuals aren't necessarily overpowering the music so the music just becomes a background track.

There's something to be said for having a video playing rather than people staring at five sweating Welsh people and sometimes it's nicer to look at an animation or something. It is funny, it can be very comforting to hide behind a projection, although we haven't used projection for a while now.

But we've got experience with it doing two albums there where we had the visual representation for every song, we worked with a lot of friends who made films and they were quite mind-boggling projects then to take. We got a collection together that kind of features film material for every album, which was great to do, but I think we missed being able to just go to a studio to record the album quickly and put it out quickly. Maybe someday we'll have the time and patience to do another visual project.

The thoroughly entertaining, sonically and visually, Super Furry Animals visited NY for a trio of shows over the weekend. I managed to catch the one at ATP on Sunday. The other two were Maxwell's on Saturday, and Highline Ballroom on Friday (9/11) which is where the pictures in this post are from. More of them, along with the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Super Furry Animals @ Highline Ballroom, NYC - pics, setlist"

Simian Mobile Disco @ the Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Bao Nguyen)

"Simian Mobile Disco has been tearing up the dance floor ever since they released their critically-acclaimed, debut record, Attack Decay Sustain Release. Hailed as "the saviours of dance music" (FADER) the duo returns to America this fall to play select shows across the country, continuing to invigorate audiences with new music from their soon to be released sophomore LP, Temporary Pleasure out on Wichita on September 15th.

Temporary Pleasure is a spellbinding mix of high octane beats and melodies, capped off by incredible vocal performances from the likes of The Gossip's Beth Ditto, Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys, Yeasayer's Chris Keating, Jamie Lidell and more.

In addition to being sold via all digital service providers, a special deluxe package of Temporary Pleasure will be available at American Apparel retail locations only. This package includes an exclusive t-shirt designed by acclaimed British artist Kate Moross along with the bonus tracks, "Belvedere" and "Flea In Your Ear" (Flange Bliss Mix)." [PR]

You can download the Beth Ditto track in the post with the Pool Party pictures.

Speaking of the Pool Party, Simian Mobile Disco DJ'd that show at the Williamsburg Waterfront on August 9th. Their fall tour will have them playing live. Those dates include an October 30th show at Webster Hall (one day before Halloween which is when the Junior Boys play The Bell House).

Jamie Lidell (a guest on the new SMD album) has a show coming up at LPR. Super Furry Animals (Gruff is another guest) have three area shows coming up in September, one of which is at ATP NY.

All SMD dates are with JDH & Dave P. All dates below...

Continue reading "Simian Mobile Disco - guest-full new album & 2009 tour dates"

Neon Neon have backed up Kele from Bloc Party's statement on John Lydon's alleged racist attack, after witnessing the event.

Speaking exclusively to MTV News Gruff Rhys from the group said: "It was horrific. Kele is a very brave man and what he said is exactly what happened."

The band were backstage at the Summercase Festival in Barcelona with other British groups when the alleged assault took place and confirmed they saw everything.

Neon Neon and Super Furry Animals singer Gruff added: "The statements Kele has said are absolutely true. It did happen."

John Lydon denies it. John Lydon played in the fourth best punk band ever. John Lydon has sexy dance moves.

Neon Neon are up for this year's Mercury Prize, a prize that Gruff (Super Furry Animals 'Rings Around the World;') lost to PJ Harvey in 2001.

Craig Wedren & Nicole Atkins @ Bowery Ballroom, Jan 25, 2008 (music snob)

* Supergrass signs to Astralwerks
* U2's manager says take away your Internet
* Led Zeppelin may tour, but not yet
* Robert Plant talked/stuttered about MSG, at MSG
* Rap mogul "Suge" Knight named in gang crackdown
* Lil Wayne Addresses Drug Charges
* Arctic Monkeys get record seven NME nominations
* Imeem Buys Social Music Service Anywhere.FM
* Sony Ericsson cuts deals with 10 music labels
* Qtrax didn't make a deal with any

Super Furry Animals @ Music Hall, Jan 25, 2008 (Ryan Dombal)

Earlier today I mentioned that Super Furry Animals would be touring. Since then, they've announced all the dates. I also just heard that Gruff Rhys is going to be a dad, so (since he calls himself Candylion) I guess that would now make him...candylion king? sugar daddy?.....um, nevermind. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Gruff Rhys to be a dad + updated Super Furry tour dates"

Gruff Rhys, the super furry candylion, is visiting the U.S. this summer and fall to play a bunch of shows, including one at Union Hall, and another at Hiro Ballroom. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) - 2007 Tour Dates"

The guy from Super Furry Animals knocks a lemon right off a table. John Rambo knocks someone's head right off their body...

Continue reading "VIDEOS: Gruff Rhys - 'Candylion' & the John Rambo trailer"