DOWNLOAD: Inlets - In Which I, Robert (MP3)

Permanent Records (181 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY) has a few in-store performances scheduled in its Greepoint store over the next few months, and that includes on Record Store Day (Saturday, April 17th, tomorrow), when there will be just one band playing all day. Mystery Of Two put out one of their "absolutely favorite releases of 2009" and "Now they're our in-house band for Record Store Day 2010!". There will be sets all day starting at 1pm.

Mystery Two, an Ohio band, can also be found at Cake Shop tonight (4/16).

Inlets and Holy Hail are two of the bands that are also set to play the store soon. New Inlets MP3 above. Full instore schedule, and all Mystery Two dates, below...

Continue reading "Inlets playing Permanent Records, but not on Record Store Day when Mystery of Two will be the house band"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

"...I saw Florence + The Machine for the second time on Friday, and I was absolutely blown away yet again. Flo never ceases to amaze me with how easily her incredible voice just seems to come our of her... she is ridiculously talented and has such a stage presence that, I must say, has improved a lot since October. She has become much more dynamic with her audience and seems to absolutely hold nothing back when she performs; that, and the combination of the incredible stage aesthetics (lighting, floral decor, and her signature wallpaperesque backdrop) and her amazing outfit made for one unbelievable experience. I am so lucky that I get to see her again next week at Coachella, she is easily in my top 5 favorite musicians of all time and, in my opinion, endlessly inspiring..." [Take Off Your Headphones]

Florence and the Machine, who will probably be on the next Twilight soundtrack, played two NYC shows last week. On Thursday, April 8th, they played an intimate one at Le Poisson Rouge which was followed by a much larger one at Terminal 5 one night later. Pictures from the latter below...

Continue reading "Florence & the Machine played LPR & Terminal 5 (pics) "

DOWNLOAD: Holy Hail - Keymaker's Summer (MP3)

Florence & the Machine @ Bowery Ballroom in October (more by Paul Birman)

Florence and the Machine have admitted taking a section of single 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)' from another band, and agreed to pay royalties. US group Gang Gang Dance claimed Florence's 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)' is partially built on a sample of their single 'House Jam', and pursued them for royalties.

Singer Florence Welch has since admitted it was mistake that the group were given no credit for her track in the first place and said she was happy to split the royalties.

She said: "Yeah that's true, it's no secret. I've spoken about it in interviews before. I'm a massive fan of Gang Gang Dance and it was in homage to them."

With Florence and the Machine's profile rising daily - with their debut album 'Lungs' recently seeing a sales jump of 1,550% after winning a BRIT award for Best British Album last week - the payoff could be lucrative for the small electronic band - however, although the infringement has been acknowledged, there has been no legal confirmation as to whether royalties will be paid to Gang Gang Dance or not. [Ireland On-line]

The UK's Florence and the Machine April tour has gotten bigger. Tickets are already sold out for their Friday, April 9th NYC show at Terminal 5, so they added a show the night before (4/8) at the much smaller (Le) Poisson Rouge. Tickets are on sale to LPR members now; general sale starts Wednesday, March 3rd at 9am. Both shows are with opener Holy Hail who is also playing their own show March 7th at the Armory.

All Holy Hail dates, updated Florence dates, and the two songs in question (mentioned above), below...

Continue reading "Florence & the Machine admitted using a Gang Gang Dance sample, added more dates w/ Holy Hail, another NYC show"

Florence & The Machine @ Bowery Ballroom in October (more by Paul Birman)

Florence and The Machine's debut album "Lungs" (Universal Island) finally claimed the No. 1 spot it was denied in an opening five-week run at No. 2 last summer, as the new U.K. sales charts were announced.

"Lungs" spent its first five weeks on the U.K. chart at No. 2 last July and August, denied top spot by "The Essential Michael Jackson" (Epic/Sony Music Entertainment). It finally reaches the summit in its 28th chart week last night (Jan. 17), as total U.K. sales rise to 611,000, according to the Official Charts Company. [Billboard UK, Jan 18, 2010]

The UK band visited NYC last October around CMJ for a FADER party, a show at Bowery Ballroom and a short acoustic set at Soho House.

They're currently on tour in Australia, then they go to Japan and Europe. With a Coachella performance on April 18th, the band does a short North American run leading up to that. The tour includes a show at NYC's Terminal 5 on Friday, April 9th. NYC's Holy Hail open. Tickets, as previously noted, are on AmEx presale now. General sale starts Friday, January 29th at noon.

They return to the UK in May. All tour dates and videos of the band are below...

Continue reading "Florence & The Machine #1 in the UK, touring, NY, Coachella"

No Age @ Market Hotel (more by Leia Jospe)

No Age and Bob Mould were two of the many artists who played the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco this year (Feb 24-March 1). They are also two artists who played, together! Video from that show below.

Bob Mould has a few more shows coming up including one at Carnegie Hall and two at Joe's Pub.

Currently in Mexico, No Age have a few dates scheduled around their appearance at the Sub Pop SXSW showcase in Austin on March 19th (all dates below). On March 20th, they'll be judging a battle of the bands in the same Texas town, and so will we (BrooklynVegan) - well Black Bubblegum to be exact, and so will GZA...

"Eight of the best unsigned, independent bands around will compete in the inaugural Dickies Battle of the Bands on Friday, March 20, 2009 at The Compound in Austin, TX from 1-6 p.m. Grand-Prize winner receives the roar of the crowd as they dominate the stage AND a fat check for $10,000. Runners-up will be rewarded handsomely with Dickies gear.

Admission is FREE to the Dickies Battle on March 20th from 1-6 p.m. at The Compound in Austin, TX?
No badge required BUT you must be 21 or older to enter.
ID's will be checked. See you at The Compound!
[More info @ Dickies Battle]

The bands competing are 6 Days Bender, Facts on File, Golden Triangle, Holy Hail, Roll the Tanks, The Ferocious Few, The Snake Trap and The Story Of.

This is one of many BV-related SXSW events. Info on the BV official showcase HERE. Others TBA. All No Age dates and that video below...

Continue reading "No Age played w/ Bob Mould, judging Battle of the Bands w/ GZA & Black Bubblegum, touring (dates)"

Akron/Family played the final song at the Knitting Factory (Josh Haner/The NY Times)

"It was a particularly cacophonous performance of "Auld Lang Syne." But for the Knitting Factory's last night in Manhattan, it was appropriate, as the shaggy avant-folk group Akron/Family led a version of the Scots New Year's hymn on Wednesday night that mutated from a simple singalong to screeching feedback to a meditative one-note drone." [NY TIMES]

The NYC club is closed, but that's not the last of "Knitting Factory". In addition to the locations in Hollywood, Boise and Spokane that are still open, Knitting Factory Brooklyn is supposedly opening in March. Knitting Factory is also currently promoting/presenting some shows at The Studio @ Webster Hall - two at least:

• Jan 09 - Bear Hands, Holy Hail, Atarah Valentine & Statehood
• Jan 24 - Oxford Collapse, Suckers & Real Estate

They are also presenting tours.

Leonard Street, 3-floor location, RIP.

Browse the archives for memories. Leave yours in the comments.

Video from the Cro-Mags show there on Sunday, below...

Continue reading "Knitting Factory (Tribeca), RIP"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Kyle was one of the few who caught the show at the Bell House in Brooklyn last night (12/18). Bands on the bill were The Ballet, Bell, Claymation Velociraptor, Quinn Walker and Holy Hail. He says,

Claymation Velociraptor was my biggest surprise of the night. They came out in bear suits - apparently their normal thing - and played a freaking great set. A bit Chromeo-esque, but with a very dry sense of humor mixed in. The audience had a huge smile on their collective face throughout this set.

He was also impressed with Quinn Walker, Bell's dancing skills, and Bell. He said she was...

...fantastic. A short set (40 minutes or so), but she played all of the songs off her EP which I love and at least one brand new song. Oh, we also sang happy birthday to Sarah. Apparently every performer there knew Sarah somehow. I don't know who she is.

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Bell & Claymation Velociraptor @ the Bell House, NYC - pics"

photos by Lori Baily

Bell was the first of three bands to play at Stereogum's Gummies at Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 8th. Bell plays a Brooklyn show again tonight...

12-18-2008 20:00 at SARAH'S BIRTHDAY @ the BELL HOUSE!!!! band set//dj set//cupcake set
7th street between 2nd and 3rd Aves., BROOKLYN, Brooklyn,
Cost: $8
W/ Holy Hail, Quinn Walker, Claymation Velociraptor, DJ Pumpkin Patch, DJ Dr. Ew, DJ BELLJAM WAFFLES

Bell House also lists The Ballet on this bill, and It won't be the first time Bell played the venue named after her (not really) (the part about it being named after her). More Gummy pics below...

Continue reading "Bell - Gummies pics, a show @ the Bell House w/ The Ballet"