by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Idiot Glee - Trouble at the Dancehall (MP3)

Idiot Glee

Idiot Glee, aka Lexington, KY resident James Friley, plays Glasslands tonight (6/15) with Holiday Shores, Seattle's Seapony and The House Floor. It's a record release party for Idiot Glee's debut album, Paddywhack, which came out last week on Moshi Moshi.

The album puts a variety of '60s pop and soul touchstones through a decidedly modern DIY filter. Says Drowned in Sound:

What's instantly charming about Paddywhack is its welcoming aspect as Friley's honesty and sincerity creates a warming romanticism. In amongst the 'Build Me Up Buttercup' type bass line and floating warble of spaced out synths, he croons: "If you say it right/I'll be right on time/Finally make my way to the pool/And we turn and dance all night." It all flows with the same passionate tone as Rufus Wainwright but whereas Rufus channels his emotion through sharp dynamic changes, Friley prefers to let his voice glide on, entering spectral realms. Admittedly, while all the reverbration works for the spiritual nature of the music, it sometimes doesn't work as well for Friley's voice.

Seapony also play shows at Bruar Falls and Pianos this week.

Holiday Shores, whose new album New Masses for Squaw Peak will be released by twosyllable records on Sep. 13, also plays three NYC shows this week. All dates, the video for new song "Threepeat Got Old", and a stream of the band covering Talking Heads song "Cities" are all below.

Full Idiot Glee tour itinerary, and a video for song "Let's Get Down Together," are also below.

Continue reading "Idiot Glee released 'Paddywhack', touring (MP3, dates, a NYC show tonight with Seapony and Holiday Shores)"

Theophilus London will headline the "Official Northside Festival Opening Party" at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, June 16th. Tickets go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon, and then general sale Friday at noon. You can also try to get in with a Northside Festival badge.

The hip hop artist is one of 65+ new artists being officially added to the lineup of this year's Northside Festival (June 16-19 in various venues across Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY). Here's the full list:

Continue reading "Northside Fest adds 65+ bands to lineup, Theophilus @ MHOW, Mount Eerie, Iceage & more ++ open studios & DIY films"

photos by Jessica Amaya, words by Rachel Kowal

Sun and surf - rarely do all the bands on a bill have such a distinct (and welcome) common denominator. As we enter the final weeks of winter, what could be better than say, synth-laden pop from the sunshine state, ephemeral vocals from a recent Bruise Cruiser, or infectious melodies from a pair who fell in love at sea?

It was a good line-up at the Bell House on Thursday (3/3) - even if the evening got off to a bit of an uneven start with Holiday Shores' erratic sound and Nathan Pemberton's woozy, reverb-drenched vocals. With their new material especially (and most of it was new), the Florida group touched on a number of different sounds as if their songs were molded to passing whims or random fits of inspiration. From time to time, their underlying pop sensibilities rang out as with the hit from their last album, "Phones Don't Feud." Other times, the arrangements were a bit... creepy.

The catchy keyboard riffs of Holiday Shores may have been more immediately compelling, but La Sera benefited greatly from front woman Katy Goodman's magnetism and daydream-like vocals. Whether excitedly addressing the crowd between songs or rocking out on the bass, Goodman never ceased to smile - even when guitarist Scott Shannon broke a string. She simply turned the dead air into a celebration by welcoming a member of the crowd on stage to commemorate his 19th birthday.

Though the band is based in LA, Goodman used to live in New York, and was clearly "glad to be back." She even dedicated a cover of a Shirelles song ("Dedicated to the One I Love") to Brooklyn to prove it. La Sera also played a handful of "brand new" songs from their recently released self-titled album before closing their set with "Beating Heart," which features hypnotic layers of vocals.

Last up: Tennis. After hastily hand-copying the set list and conducting a brief sound check, the band launched into the light, upbeat song "Seafarer," which conveniently laid out much of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley's story - as if you didn't already know the charming details of their romantic voyage.

Many of Tennis' songs may start out a bit slow, but they have a tendency to burst into a quickened tempo and soaring vocals, as if each song is a slowly building wave.

With the exception of just one song ("Water Birds"), they played through every song of their recently-released album, in addition to showcasing a few new songs, including "Robin." "It's about a baby bird we saved last month," said Moore by way of introducing the song. ("Of course they're saving baby birds," remarked someone in the crowd.)

None of the newer songs seem to immediately sparkle as much as their predecessors (especially "South Carolina" or the crowd favorite "Marathon"), but with most clocking in at around three minutes, it hardly matters. The next song is always imminent... at least to a point. "Oh my God this has gone so quickly!" Moore exclaimed after they had breezed through much of the set. After only 40 minutes on stage, Tennis concluded their encore-less set with "Hard Times, a Charles Dickens-themed song.

The same tour hit Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan one night earlier. More pictures and Tennis's setlist from the Brooklyn show, and a video from Bowery Ballroom where Katy Goodman joined the headliners for "Marathon", below...

Continue reading "Tennis, La Sera, Holiday Shores @ the Bell House (pics, setlist)"

photos by Bao Nguyen

La Sera @ Bowery Ballroom

After a recent showing at Mercury Lounge late last year (and an opening slot at Terminal 5 with The Walkmen), Tennis returned to NYC last night (3/2). The show, which took place at Bowery Ballroom, was part of the Colorado couple's larger winter tour with La Sera and Holiday Shores.The play NYC again tonight at the Bell House (tickets are still on sale). The tour ends at SXSW.

It was too dark in Bowery Ballroom to notice, but I'm sure that Kickball Katy of La Sera got a bit of color while she was out on the Bruise Cruise with Black Lips and the rest of the Vivian Girls (part 1 pics/review, and part 2).

More pictures from Bowery Ballroom are below (along with all tour dates)...

Continue reading "Tennis, La Sera & Holiday Shores @ Bowery Ballroom (pics)"

Tennis at Terminal 5 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Tennis supported The Walkmen at Terminal 5 and headlined their own show at Mercury Lounge at the beginning of December, and the romance continues in the new year as the husband/wife duo will hit the road for a tour kicking off this weekend in the UK. After bouncing around Europe for three weeks, the band will head back to their native soil for a string of US dates which include the larger Bowery Ballroom on March 2nd (tickets) and the Bell House in Brooklyn on March 3rd (tickets). Both NYC dates and a chunk of their tour is with La Sera and Holiday Shores.

Tennis's full tour schedule, which will conclude in Austin at SXSW features Lord Huron on select dates as well, is below with some videos...

Continue reading "Tennis & La Sera & Holiday Shores - 2011 Tour Dates"

photos by Ryan Barkan, words by Bill Pearis

Twin Sister @ Mercury Lounge

Twin Sister have had a pretty good 2010 so far: a critically-lauded EP, tours with Bear in Heaven and MemoryHouse. The band will be hitting the road again soon. After playing the 2010 Pop Montreal fest, Twin Sister will head out for an extensive tour with The Morning Benders. At different points along the way,  Cults, Oberhoferand Holiday Shores will also be joining the tour. It hits Webster Hall on November 18. Tickets are still on sale.

Oberhofer, who also opened for Twin Sister at Mercury Lounge recently, opens the Webster Hall show. We posted pictures of Oberhofer from that show, but not the Twin Sister ones. Here they are.

But before that Twin Sister are playing this Friday (9/10) at Bruar Falls as part of a pretty great bill that includes soon-to-be tourmates Holiday Shores, plus Ava Luna and Chicago's Distractions. You might want to get there early for that one.

New videos for Twin Sister's "Galaxy Plateau" and Morning Benders' "All Day Daylight"  are below, along with all Twin Sister tour dates and more pictures from Mercury Lounge...

Continue reading "Twin Sister playing Bruar Falls before touring w/ Morning Benders (tour dates, new videos, live pics & more) "

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo, words by Andrew Frisicano

At their Brooklyn Vegan-presented show on Saturday night (4/24), The Morning Benders didn't bring out any special guests a la their widely circulated video for "Excuses" (which features support from a studio-full Bay Area musicians). Instead, the band made do with the sold-out Music Hall of Williamsburg crowd, who boosted that song's wordless harmonies with encouragement from frontman Chris Chu as he suavely serenaded the women in the front row and then hopped off stage. He hopped back on before the extended, set-closing hit song was over. There was no encore.

The Morning Benders' Big Echo has only ten songs, but from that they culled a set with ups and down that started with a whisper and closed with ebullient highs of "Excuses". They also went back to their 2008 record Talking Through Tin Cans for the song "Damnit Anna", and played a non-album track live for the very first time. It was a B side to a limited 7" that was for sale at the show. They said they played it to mix up the set for those who came to multiple NYC shows on the tour.

Holiday Shores warmed up the crowd with splashy beach pop. The band was bolstered members of Twin Sister, who they had played with the night before, and who were filling in for Holiday Shores members that couldn't make the trip to NYC this time. Their drummer and bass player were totally locked in and riveting to watch. That made the other things happening on stage - an extra ride cymbal being pulverized, a Rhodes solo, vocals - all the more interesting. They split afterward to do a late set at Bruar Falls' one-year-anniversary party, which was happening a few blocks away.

Before that, Montreal's the Luyas played gently shattered art pop with a French horn, keys and a harplike electric guitar. They created atmospheres of tension with those tools and more - at one point, their drummer rattled chains on his floor tom for extra eerie effect. It was one of several NYC shows that week for the band (one of which was at a loft, and the last of which was at Glasslands on Sunday night).

The Morning Benders, now based out of New York, have one more sold-out NYC show on Wednesday at Mercury Lounge, before they tour with Broken Bells in May and June. That includes a June 5th show at Irving Plaza. Tickets are sold out. Their shows after that include a pair of shows at Central Park SummerStage with the Black Keys in July. Tickets to one of those are still available.

More pictures from the MHOW show, with the Morning Benders' setlist and their newish video for "Promises" and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Morning Benders, Holiday Shores & The Luyas played Music Hall of Williamsburg - pics"

Twin Sister in Austin (more by Tim Griffin)

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Two Syllable and Infinite Best recording companies cordially invite you to a BYOB roof party this evening, Friday April 23rd at midnight, in the year of our lord 2010, at 279 Frost Ave, Brooklyn NY 11205. Twin Sister and Holiday Shores will be playing their "apertif sets", and it will all feel a bit like that scene in Independence Day when the stripper who promises she won't go to the roof party goes to the roof party, and has a BLAST (ha ha ha). That party looked pretty fun, right? There will be a $5 suggested donation, but be real people, we won't have the man power to enforce that.

Twin Sister's other upcoming shows include a Rooftop Film.

For more Friday night shows, see What's Going on Friday (which don't forget you can find anytime by clicking on "What's Going on Today?" up on the right there)

The new National is streaming.

HEALTH plays a free show in NYC on Saturday.

Encore presentation of Eric Wareheim's bloody new HEALTH video, below...

Continue reading "last minute Twin Sister & Holiday Shores show late tonight (and some other quick stuff) "

by Bill Pearis

Holiday Shores @ Pianos in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

For a while it didn't look like Saturday's (4/24) Bruar Falls First Anniversary show was going to be much of a party. The 1990s are stuck in the UK thanks to that pesky volcano, and German Measles canceled due to a death in the family.

To say they've recovered is a bit of an understatement. Check out the new line-up: Holiday Shores, Micachu & the Shapes, Beach Fossils, plus house band Moonmen on the Moon, Man. There's also DJs Peggy Wang (of Pains at Being Pure at Heart) and Shirley Braha (of NY Noise), plus balloons and a 1AM open bar. It should be mentioned that the show is FREE.

Holiday Shores will be running over to Bruar following their opening set at the Morning Benders show Brooklyn Vegan is presenting at Music Hall of Williamsburg (we added them a while ago, but didn't rush to announce it because the show was already sold out), that now also includes our Montreal friends The Luyas (who we added yesterday!). Meanwhile Micachu have been stuck in the U.S. also thanks to the volcano, and have been playing around NYC to keep themselves busy. Maybe you saw them last night at Mercury Lounge. And Beach Fossils are one of the areas best new bands, and put on a fun live show -- they were great last Friday at Bruar Falls, even with a substitute drummer.

Bruar Falls has become one of my favorite places to see a show (living two blocks from it doesn't hurt) and there's always a nice community vibe there. It's been a great addition to the Williamsburg music scene. Between the bands, the free booze, the balloons and the very affordable entrance fee, this should be a hot ticket even on a very busy Saturday night. You might want to get there early.

Speaking of Saturday, The Music Hall Show on Saturday with Morning Benders, Holiday Shores and The Luyas is sold out, but if you really want to go we're giving away a pair of tickets. Just send an email to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with "Morning Benders" as the subject. We'll pick a winner at random and be in touch with the lucky person tomorrow.

In other news, the 1990s show at The Bell House that was supposed to be tonight has been rescheduled for next Friday, April 30 (the whole show, not just the 1990s). Crystal Stilts, The Oranges Band (who just opened for the Hold Steady at Music Hall) and The Forgery Series (featuring Sohrab of Obits) will open. No word on whether the 1990s will play a makeup date for Bruar as well, but we'll keep you informed.

Check out a Holiday Shores video below...

Continue reading "Holiday Shores play 2 NYC shows Saturday (1 w/ Micachu @ Bruar Falls) ++ 1990s & Crystal Stilts reschedule & stuff"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Surfer Blood - Swim (MP3)

Surfer Blood @ Market Hotel in February (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be at Other Music for Record Store Day. It's their only NYC date at the moment. Their tour with Surfer Blood and Hooray for Earth doesn't start til June (and doesn't have an NYC date yet). All of those dates are below.

Before then, Surfer Blood will play a show at Princeton on Thursday (tonight) and SUNY Purchase Friday (4/16) for Culture Shock.

For Record Store Day, Surfer Blood will be dropping a split single with Holiday Shores. One side is Surfer Blood's "Take It Easy (live)" featuring Marnie Stern, and the other is Holiday Shores' "Your Motion Says," an Arthur Russell cover. Russell's disco-burner original is below along with video of Marnie performing with Surfer Blood at Cameo on New Years Eve.

Surfer Blood was recently featured on the web show Dirty Laundry. Video of that show and all tour dates (plus details on Hooray for Earth's Cinco de Mayo show at LPR) are below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood in NJ, SUNY Friday, tour dates w/ Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Record Store Day release w/ Marnie Stern"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Twin Sister - All Around and Away We Go (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Twin Sister - Phenomenons (MP3)

Twin Sister @ Club DeVille (more by Tim Griffin)

Twin Sister just posted the entirety of their new Color Your Life EP as a free download on their website. The EP which comes out in physical form in May on Infinite Best, was reviewed today in Pitchfork, scoring a 7.5:

Twin Sister's singer, the mousily enchanting Andrea Estella, has the sort of breathy, committed voice that untangles knots. It sits all over the mix on Color Your Life, a significant, if not monumental leap forward for the band. Sometimes Estella is high up, as on "Milk & Honey", a wrenching ballad about what so many of their songs are about: the promise of love and the confusing moments at the beginning and end of every relationship. It's a gorgeous song that quakes and quivers before abruptly ending. The respite is brief before they sharply enter the best thing they have done to date. "All Around and Away We Go" is a magical thing, driving and relaxed at once.

Twin Sister were fantastic both times I've seen them. They'll also be opening a few dates for Xiu-Xiu and Tune-Yards, including April 9 at Bowery Ballroom, a bill that also has Zola Jesus (who played our same party at SXSW) on it. Tickets still on sale. All tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Twin Sister giving away EP, playing Glasslands, other shows"

words by Bill Pearis, LoD photos by Bryan Bruchman

DOWNLOAD: Wetdog - Lower Leg (MP3)

London trio Wetdog are in town this week, playing Glasslands on Friday (4/2) with Blank Dogs and Wild Nothing, and then Saturday (4/3) at Death by Audio with Australia's Love of Diagrams and Coasting. In the UK the band are on Angular Records -- home of These New Puritans, Klaxons, and the late Long Blondes -- and have just inked with Captured Tracks in the U.S. who've just released the band's debut album, Frauhaus! There's a definite early '80s post punk vibe to these ladies' sound that might have you thinking of early Fall or Liliput/Kleenex or The Slits (with whom they've toured), though they don't really sound like any of them specifically. They're good. Check out their excellent single "Lower Leg" at the top of this post.

The Friday show at Glasslands has three Captured Tracks bands on the bill. Label head honcho Mike Sniper fronts Blank Dogs, who now have a new live lineup that, to quote Sniper in Fact Magazine, is "more wimpy, less rock-sounding."  They've also got a new EP, Phrases, which finds them crawling out of the murky muck of previous releases for what is probably the least affected thing they've ever done. It's still dark and moody, but there's a clarity of sound that we've yet to hear from BDs.

Blank Dogs have have a short East Coast/Midwest tour lined up with Wetdog over the next ten days or so, and will then continue on by themselves to the West Coast which is followed by two more NYC shows in May. All dates are at the bottom of this post.

Then there's Wild Nothing from Virginia who've released two singles on Captured Tracks already, and the label will release the band's debut, Gemini, later this year. The album's pretty great, the kind of dreampop that Sarah Records did so well in the late '80s/early '90s.  A one-man band on the recordings, Wild Nothing haven't quite figured out the live version just yet (a better drummer would help) but they're getting there. And the songs are there, which is a lot more than most bands this young can claim. The Glasslands show looks to be a one-off.

Love of Diagrams were one of many foreign bands that played a bunch of shows at SXSW earlier this month. They'll also play a few while in NYC. In addition to the Death by Audio show with Wetdog, they have gigs scheduled at Santos with Holiday Shores and Cake Shop. All of those dates with a set of pictures of the band in Austin, along with the Blank Dogs/Wetdog dates and a video for Wetdog's "Lower Leg", below...

Continue reading "Wetdog (MP3) touring w/ Blank Dogs (new EP), playing NYC shows including 1 w/ Love of Diagrams (dates & SXSW pics) "

DOWNLOAD: Twin Sister - Vampires with Dreaming Kids EP (Zip)
DOWNLOAD: Holiday Shores - Phones Don't Feud (MP3)

Holiday Shores @ Pianos last June (more by Tim Griffin)

Holiday Shores' echoey Floridian beach pop will pair with Brooklyn's own Twin Sister for a post-SXSW tour this March. It wraps up with an April 1st show at the Cameo where Twin Sister also play tonight (2/25).

Speaking of which, both will be at the Austin fest (and Twin Sister is at MtyMx too). One of Holiday Shores' shows will be a day showcase for its label, Two Syllable Records, on Friday,s March 19th at The Tiniest Bar In Texas. Joining them will be Small Black and Washed Out (on tour together), Fergus & Geronimo, That Ghost, Inlets (who have an album and shows coming up), Candy Claws, Active Child and Young Buffalo. A flyer is below.

One of Twin Sister's Austin shows will the BrooklynVegan day party happening on two stages at Club DeVille on Friday, March 19th from noon-6pm. Full lineup still TBA, but this is the free show Lucero and The Antlers are playing.

Twin Sister has plenty of other NYC dates before and after that. They play at (as mentioned) Cameo tonight (2/25) with Toro y Moi and Grandchildren, at Matchless on Friday (2/26) with Lost Boy and Post Magic, and more. They're also at Bowery Ballroom on April 9th for the NYC stop on the Xiu Xiu/Tune Yards tour (Zola Jesus is on that awesome four-band bill too).

All tour dates and a flyer are below...

Continue reading "Twin Sister touring back from SXSW w/ Holiday Shores, playing a BV party in Austin & lots of NYC shows too (dates) "

Surfer Blood & Marnie Stern @ Cameo on NYE (by Abbey Braden /PunkPhoto)

Surfer Blood played the Cameo with We Are Country Mice, Beach Fossils, Frankie & The Outs (who played in their swimsuits) and others on New Years Eve. As you can see in the picture above, Marnie Stern (who's been quiet recently show-wise) joined Surfer Blood on stage at the party.

Surfer Blood has quite a bit of tour dates (with interesting tourmates like Monotonix) scheduled between now and SXSW. On Wednesday, January 13th, they'll play a sold-out Bowery Ballroom show with The Drums and Depreciation Guild. They'll also play Brooklyn's Market Hotel on February 27th with Beach Fossils and Grooms, and New York's Mercury Lounge on Sunday, February 28th with We Are Country Mice and Radical Sons. Both NYC shows are also with Turbo Fruits who they'll continue on the road with for a bunch more dates. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 8th at noon for the Manhattan show.

Video of Surfer Blood playing with Marnie Stern, other songs from their NYE set, and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood played New Years Eve w/ Marnie Stern, announce more 2010 dates (some w/ Turbo Fruits) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Dinosaur Feathers - Early Morning Risers (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hospitality - Betty Wang (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Acrylics - Molly's Vertigo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beach Fossils - Vacation (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Family Portrait - Mega Secrets (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darwin Deez - Bad Day (MP3)

Cymbals Eat Guitars

It's hard to believe online indie record store Insound has been around for ten years. Actually it's just hard to believe 1999 was a decade ago, but the calendar says it's so. Insound is also based out of NYC, so we're lucky enough to be invited to their 10 year birthday party tonight (8/27) at Brooklyn Bowl featuring a hard-to-pass-up line-up of local talent: Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, The Drums, Real Estate and at least one band yet-to-be-announced (sort of). $10 gets you in the door and there's free Brooklyn Brewery beer from 6 - 9.

Effi Briest

Another very good option in Williamsburg tonight (8/27) is happening at Glasslands, featuring Effi Briest, Mahogany, and Free Blood (but not Deradoorian). The all-girl Effi Briest are in the same spooky, rhythm-heavy realm as the Life Without Buildings or the Slits (and maybe just a little Siouxsie). They've got a split 7" with Telepathe that's out now and they're working on their debut album as we speak. Mahogany, whose new line-up now (nine-strong according to their Myspace) seems to have been nailed down with the addition of former Dirty on Purpose bassist DJ Boudreau, will hopefully be playing some new material as it's been three years since their fantastic Connectivity. Free Blood bring a surprising amount of heat for such a minimal sound, thanks to the chemistry between ex-!!! John Pugh and Madeline Davy. And rounding out the bill are (The) Tony Castles who share a member with Boogie Boarder and are about to hit the studio with Jake Aron (Chairlift, Yeasayer, Acrylics).

Acrylics

This weekend is the After the Jump Festival which happens Friday - Sunday at Gowanus art space/venue Littlefield. ATJ is a group of bloggers that puts on events throughout the year, but this is the third year for their multi-day event and every night is pretty solid featuring some of the best new bands in NYC and a few from out of town. The full schedule and flyer is at the bottom of the post but I'll highlight a few from each night.

Friday (8/28): I have yet to see sound-collage dance act Javelin but I do like their records and am curious to see how they pull it off live. It's also their last show possibly November, so get in while you can. You can also catchy buzzy Florida band Holiday Shores (more on them below), indie pop royals My Teenage Stride, and the beachy Dinosaur Feathers.

Saturday (8/29): Philly's Free Energy (not to be confused with Free Blood) are a lot of fun if you have no problem with early '80s stadium rock or silly outfits. Despite a feeling I should know better, their live show and giant hooks won me over. Also: the Tom Waits-meets-garage-rock of Wild Yaks and the clattering, poppy Drink Up Buttercup. The night ends as a dance party with just-added Ninjasonik and the wacky Das Racist.

Sunday (8/30): Two of my favorite new NYC bands are playing on the early side. I've written a little bit about Acrylics before, but I've caught them three times over the summer and have been more impressed each time. "Molly's Vertigo," which you can download at the top of this post gives you a good idea of their sound, which is sort of '80s-ish with a dusty Southwest vibe, which maybe makes them a bit like the Rosebuds or Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac. Vocalists Molly Shea and Jason Klauber nail the harmonies and they've got an excellent pedal steel player. They're on at 8PM, don't miss them. Right before Acrylics are Hospitality, who I've written about before, are very charming live and don't play often enough. I haven't managed to catch them since May and am hoping for lots of new songs Sunday.

You can still buy discounted $25 passes for the whole shebang until Friday (8/28) morning. Individual tickets are $10 are night. There's also free beer each night from 6 - 7PM. Again, the whole After the Jump Fest schedule is below.

Holiday Shores @ Pianos in June (more by Tim Griffin)

More weekend recommendations. Fellow Brooklyn blogger Chocolate Bobka has put together a solid show at Cameo on Saturday night, with four bands that genuinely compliment each other. My previously-mentioned qualms with their vocals aside, Beach Fossils are hard to dislike and a lot of fun live. I've also been listening to the Holiday Shores (who also play the ATJ Fest the night before) dreamy, melodic debut, Columbus'd The Whim, a lot recently. It's a nice end-of-summer record. Connecticut's Sore Eros are pals with Kurt Vile and Gary War; and Washington DC's Family Portrait are part of the Underwater Peoples scene... Real Estate comparisons aren't entirely inappropriate and you can check out their song "Mega Secret" at the top of this post.

And also Saturday, there's an early show (7PM) at Glasslands featuring Phantogram, a duo who, for lack of a better term, are kind of trip-hoppy but in a '00s sort of way (breakbeats but no John Barry or Morricone samples). Chilled, atmospheric, but still danceable. Their debut album, Eyelid Movies, is a pretty good listen. Also playing are Savoir Adore who I've probably written about enough lately, and Darwin Deez.

Full After the Jump Fest schedule, some Flyers and music videos below...

Continue reading "Insound Party, After the Jump, Holiday Shores, Effi Briest, Beach Fossils, Phantogram & more in This Week in Indie "

Kid Rock is playing the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function benefit at Terminal 5 on September 2nd. It's the show the Beastie Boys played last year. $100 tickets are currently on AmEx presale and go on general sale Saturday at noon.

Get well soon MCA.

Insound are celebrating their 10th Anniversary with a show at Brooklyn Bowl. The August 27th party will feature sets by Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, Suckers, The Drums and Real Estate. $10 tickets are on sale.

The Drums and Suckers are both also playing shows at Littlefield that same week as part of "After the Jump Fest '09" - three days of shows at the new Brooklyn venue::

After The Jump Fest 09 (more bands TBA)

After the Jump tickets (single day passes $10, 3 day passes $25 - ALL AGES) and tickets for other shows at Littlefield are available at Littlefield's site.

TONIGHT @ LITTLEFIELD (8/7): Kaki King's Exhibition.

THE DRUMS TONIGHT (8/7): @ the Mondo Dance Party @ Don Hill's

Tickets are on sale for the Circulatory System show at Le Poisson Rouge.

Tickets for the Ray LaMontagne show at Beacon Theatre go on sale Saturday at 10am.

Tickets are on sale for the Pelican show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

Chairlift play Bowery Ballroom on September 5th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are on sale for the David Bazan show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for the Mastodon/Dehtklok/Converge/High On Fire show at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for the No Age show at Le Poisson Rouge.

Tickets are on sale for the Jay Reatard show at Le Poisson Rouge.

Tickets are on sale for the King Khan Halloween show at The Bell House.

Leonard Cohen MSG tickets are currently on pre-sale.

Tickets are on sale for the Great Lake Swimmers shows coming up at Bowery and MHOW.

Tickets are on sale for the Polvo show at The Bell House.

Tickets are on sale for the Lou Barlow show at Mercury Lounge.

Tickets are on sale for the Soft Pack show at Bowery Ballroom.

Kings of Leon Izod Center tickets were released.

Tickets go on sale Saturday (@ noon) for the Sunset Rubdown show at Grand Ballroom.

Tickets are on "Radio Presale" for the Gaslight Anthem show at Terminal 5. General sale starts Saturday at noon.

Thursday, Mountain Goats, Final Fantasy, Besnard Lakes, Amy Millan, Black Heart Procession and other tickets also recently went on sale.

No tickets necessary for the Moshi Moshi show at South Street Seaport.

photos by Tim Griffin

"I'm not really sure how to describe what kind of music these Brits make. It's sort of like...rock disco. Frontman, Jack Penate, shakes and rattles around with confidence that I think only a UK pop performer can pull off. His British cockiness reminds me ever-so-slightly of The Libertines, but the music is so much harder to position. What is it exactly? It seems like he could almost be the male Lily Allen, writing what everyone knows are actually pretty decent songs, but are just too enjoyable to be actually, truly good. In the end, whatever it is exactly that he does, he does it very well, but I don't think I like it." [NY Rockmarket]

Continue reading "Jack Penate & Holiday Shores @ Pianos in NYC - pics "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Viva Voce - Octavio (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Holiday Shores - Phones Don't Feud (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Jack Penate - Tonight's Today (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dark Meat - Freedom Ritual (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Young Republic - The Alchemist (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Young Republic - The Wolf (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Princeton - The Waves (MP3)

Art Brut @ Mercury Lounge (more by Tim Griffin)

Tonight (6/4) is seriously overloaded with show choices. If you have tickets to Art Brut (who were great on Monday and I heard Wednesday night's show was the best yet) and are looking to do something beforehand, you might consider checking out Jack Peñate at Pianos. He was pretty good at Bruar Falls last night, playing a set entirely made up of songs from his new, world-influenced, Everything is New, which I like way more than his debut. A bit of a nutty dancer, but his enthusiasm (and talent) is there. There's video from the show at the bottom of this post.

Holiday Shores

And going on before Mr. Peñate are Florida's Holiday Shores, who have been getting a bunch of coverage all of a sudden. Their set tonight is an early one because from Pianos they're rushing up to the SPIN Magazine offices to play a private party there. Their debut LP, Columbus'd The Whim, is out this summer on twosyllable Records. The songs on their MySpace page, all reverb and fuzz and bouncy melodies, sound interesting enough to merit checking them out. (And there's an MP3 at the top of this post that might help make up your mind.) If you miss them tonight, they're also at new Brooklyn venue Shea Stadium on Friday (6/5).

You could potentially have a very busy night ahead of you on the L.E.S.

Other Thursday options: Doves are playing Terminal 5, a venue I still haven't been to. Their new album doesn't really grab me the way their previous records did, but they are a dynamic live band whose widescreen sound goes well with bigger venues like T5.

There's also Spanish Prisoners, Sisters and Knight School at Public Assembly; and The Postelles, pow wow! and Real Estate at Santos. Both good choices.

Viva Voce

But if I could go to any show tonight (which I can't, unfortunately) I think I'd probably see Portland's Viva Voce at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The until-now husband and wife duo, who made a lot shoegazy pop on their own, recently ballooned to a four-piece for their fifth album, Rose City, which is almost as good as 2006's stellar Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. On record this expanded Viva Voce don't sound that different, but it will be interesting to see how it affects their live show, which was already pretty awesome. Check out the MP3 for current single "Octavio" at the top of the post. The whole bill tonight at MHoW is worthwhile, with Australia's Cut Off Your Hands (Frenchkiss) and James Yuill, who is more entertaining live than you think he's going to be when he walks out on stage.

Dark Meat

A couple other bands of note are in town this weekend. Athens, Georgia's glitter and confetti-loving collective Dark Meat are playing Cake Shop on Friday (6/5) and Bruar Falls on Saturday (6/6). You may have been on a boat with them and Vivian Girls last fall. If you've never attended a Dark Meat show before, it's a bit like walking into a hippie version of Mardi Gras where Frank Zappa is the Grand Marshall. With so many band members, so much going on, so much shiny detritus in the air, it can either be intoxicating or asphyxiating. But it's never boring. Like all hallucinogenics, if you go into Dark Meat with the right mind, you'll have a good time. Both Cake Shop and Bruar Falls will be 1/3 full just from the band alone so expect hi-jinks and wear clothes you don't mind getting paint on.

The Young Republic

And speaking of large masses from the south, also in town this weekend are Nashville's The Young Republic, who are not to be confused with Awesome New Republic, The Most Serene Republic, Savage Republic, Republica, or actual Young Republicans. The six-piece have country, blues and celtic elements into their anthemic sound, which also delves into Tom Waits cabaret territory at times. Unsigned in America, The Young Republic are much popular in the UK where they're on End of the Road Records who also have The Low Anthem and Port O'Brien on their roster. The Young Republic, whose new album Balletesque is due out later this year, play Spike Hill on Friday (6/5) and Pianos on Saturday. Check out two MP3s at the top of this post.

Princeton

Also on that Pianos bill are L.A. trio Princeton who I caught last year at Cake Shop (during CMJ I think) and who make quite charming baroque pop. The band are actually in town to perform on Friday at Lincoln Center's Pope Auditorium. Why? This press release can explain better than I could:

Princeton, the Los Angeles-based trio, join forces with San Francisco's Stephen Pelton Dance Theater in it was this: it was this: an evening of songs and dances inspired by the life and work of Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury group.

Princeton will perform all of the songs from their recent EP Bloomsbury, each lyrically focused upon a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Portraits of Leonard Woolf, Lytton Strachey, Virginia Woolf and John Maynard Keynes are each presented in a different musical framework with lush orchestral arrangements. The band is comprised of twin brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel and Ben Usen. The band will be joined by 8 additional musicians in recreating their frolicsome, exuberant take on the cast of Bloomsbury characters.

Stephen Pelton Dance Theater, known for known its intimate theatricality and emotional intensity, may be familiar to audiences from previous Woolf conferences. This year the company will perform several new works including the premiere of it was this: it was this: a choreographic study of Woolf's punctuation. Using a single paragraph from To the Lighthouse, the company dances their way from the first word to the last, pausing briefly for every comma, parentheses and semicolon in-between. The company also performs a revised version of The Death of the Moth, first seen at the Plymouth State Conference in 1997.

That's it for this week. Videos and tour tour dates after the jump....

Continue reading "Viva Voce, the Young Republic, Princeton, Dark Meat, Holiday Shores & more in This Week In indie"

David Byrne @ Shelburne Museum, Vermont- 6.1.09 (by Graeme Flegenheimer)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* The Drums @ The Annex
* David Byrne @ Wellmont Theatre
* Yuka Honda, Sex Mob @ The Stone
* Mandy Moore, Tracy Bonham @ Joe's Pub
* Jack Penate, Tanlines, Hexa @ Bruar Falls
* Juliana Barwick, Twi The Humble Feather @ Pianos
* Holiday Shores, Cinema, Cinema, J DiMenna @ Cake Shop
* Jessica Lea Mayfield, Among the Oak and Ash @ Maxwell's
* Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
* Gay Beast, Satanized, Joe Lentini, Hot Guts @ Silent Barn
* Art Brut, Tiny Masters of Today, U.S. Royalty @ Mercury Lounge
* Afrobeat Fest w/ Oran Etkin, Wunmigirl, Fertile Ground, Asiko @ Knitting Factory
* Bang on a Can't Afford the Other Benefit w/ So Percussion, Newspeak, Gutbucket, NOW Ensemble @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Bang on a Can benefit w/ Steve Reich, Meredith Monk, David Cossin, Wu Man, Maya Beiser, Talujon @ (Le) Poisson Rouge

Other Music changed one detail about getting tickets to the Dirty Projectors in-store. Those albums are now going on sale TONIGHT. You need to go buy an album to get into the show.

Femi Kuti & the Positive Force and BLK JKS AREN'T playing Irving Plaza tonight -- but they will be there tomorrow.

David Byrne is also playing Prospect Park on Monday.

Doves play Terminal 5 tomorrow.

Holiday Shores are in town from Florida. They have a bunch of shows scheduled including tonight at Cake Shop and tomorrow at Pianos with Jack Penate.

Who is playing the Williamsburg Waterfront this year?

We premiered the new James Yuill video yesterday. It's below again in case you missed it....

Nardwuar intereviewed K'naan. Full extended video interview below...

Peaches' new video for "Lose You" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"