today in NYC
* the Halloween parade
* Justin Bond @ Joe's Pub
* tribute bands @ Union Pool
* Sun Ra Arkestra @ Sullivan Hall
* The Dresden Dolls @ Irving Plaza
* The Black Crowes @ Best Buy Theater
* The Old Ceremony, Mascott @ The Rock Shop
* Rocky Horror Picture Show Anniversary Party @ Le Poisson Rouge
* World/Inferno Friendship Society (Hallowmas 2010) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Felice Brothers, Adam Haworth Stephens @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Robbers On High Street (as ELO), Black Dragon, Blue Album Group @ Mercury Lounge
* Delicate Steve, Golden Ages, Crinkles, Lawrence Welks and Our Bear To Cross @ Cake Shop
* Das Racist, Keepaway, Pictureplane, The Intelligence, The Beets, Cassie Ramone & Justin from The Babies as The White Stripes, Janka Nabay, Blissed Out @ Ridgewood Temple (Todd P's Halloween Party)

This year is the 38th Annual Village Halloween Parade.
This year's theme: "Memento Mori"

Twenty years ago the iconic Day of the Dead puppets first appeared in the Village Halloween Parade, our festival of All Souls to ritual traditions worldwide -the Guede in Port-au-Prince, the Skull and Bones Gang of New Orleans, in the calaveras of Oaxaca, the Midnight Robbers of Trinidad, and beyond. Often it is in the places where tragedy is more ubiquitous and everyday existence can be more of a struggle, that expressions of the Dead are the most exuberant, a reminder that life itself, despite itshardships, is a gift. The Dead - as they return to drink coffee, play checkers, watch TV,but above all, to dance - offer us a mirror to see with fresh eyes the everyday things in our lives, rendered invisible by routine. Every sound, action, and motion we take for granted, they rejoice in - on the one night they can. So each year, when the skeletons take their place at the head of the Halloween Parade, they are not grim expressions of the morbid but rather joyful reminders of all that is vital.

As the beloved dancing skeletons enter their third decade in the Village Halloween Parade, we seek to honor them - and in doing so, to honor all those who have walked in their footsteps. Official Parade puppeteers Superior Concept Monsters, Master Puppeteer Basil Twist and Haitian Artist Didier Civil plan to work with the Mexican, Haitian and arts communities to make and remake, create and re-create, re-envision and resurrect the entire Day of the Dead section, calling forth not only the spirits of the Dead, but many of the puppets of past VHP artists that had long been absent from the streets of Greenwich Village. Drawing on traditional forms from Trinidad to Tibet, Haiti to Mexico, new 12'-foot tall skeletal puppets will add new life to the VHP's jubilant underworld - a cortege drawn by galloping night-Mares, an illuminated Ghost Train, and a dozen brand-new dancing Calaveras skeletons and who knows what else to join their brethren at the head of the Parade.

As the perennial community of Halloween volunteers gathers again this year to build and rehearse our memento mori ("Remembrance of Death") we'll look back on 37 years of Halloween in NY with another Latin adage: "Vita Brevis Ars Longa" : life is short, but art endures.

Also check out the previous post (and its comments): "What's happening on Halloween weekend in NYC this year?"

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black was supposed to play Santos Party House, but the venue is closed.

Did you catch Legendary Pink Dots at Le Poisson Rouge the other night? Since their tour was announced, they were also added as opener for tonight's Dresden Dolls show at Irving Plaza.

That Dresden Dolls show also promises "special guests, rare performances, and a cacophony of Brechtian entertainment." AND: "This triumphant return will be documented by the Dresden Dolls fan base in a project spearheaded by This One Is On Us. Fans from all over the world will record, edit, design, and promote to produce a DVD of the evening for all the world to cherish and enjoy. This project aims to blur the link between author and reader even further - until both are one and the same."

Tonight's show at Union Pool show:

HALLOWEEN
8PM $5
DAMN! a Halloween tribute to WHAM!
(Max and Kev from Pizza Party on EVR)
THE CURE(Warm Ghost)
VIOLENT FEMMES(McDonald's)
ELO(Members of The Mad Scene and The Flaming Fire)
DANZIG/MISFITS(Members of Love as Laughter, Children, and Violent Bullshit

Check out Violens' new Halloween-friendly video for "Violent Sensation Descends" below...

Check out Howlies' new Halloween-friendly video for "Zombie Girl" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? (Halloween) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Howlies - Chimera (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gringo Star - All Y'all (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Spacecamp - Girls on Bikes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swirlies - Chris R. (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swirlies - Bell (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Real Estate - Suburban Beverage (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Uninhabitable Mansions - We Misplaced a Cobra in the Uninhabitable Mansion (on WFMU) (MP3)

For about a year now, Cinema 16 has been giving short films a live soundtrack courtesy of local bands. Up till now, it's been happening at the Starr Space in Bushwick, but tonight (2/25) Cinema 16 heads to The Bell House for a double feature with four shorts and original music from Wild Yaks and Artanker Convoy.

Wild Yaks perform to leftist group Public Theater's Pie in the Sky and Edwin S. Porter's early cinema (1906) short Dream of a Rarebit Fiend. I actually caught them doing this at Cinema 16 a couple weeks ago and their ramshackle, Tom Waits-y wailing rock fit well especially with the Depression-era Pie in the Sky (which stars Elia Kazan!). Artanker Convoy, whose music leans toward the instrumental, atmospheric and trippy, are a more obvious fit for this kind of project. They'll be performing to an abstract animation by Harry Smith and Robert Enrico's Oscar-winning 1962 short, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, which was shown in America as an episode of The Twilight Zone. Again, both bands have composed original music for this that's unlikely to be heard anywhere else, so it's definitely something worth checking out. Also: free ice cream.

Howlies

Thursday (2/26) at Death By Audio are two of Atlanta's better rock bands (and there are a lot of 'em down there, let me tell you): Howlies and Gringo Starr. I particularly like the Howlies, who are celebrating the release of their debut album, Trippin' With the Howlies, which is one of the more fun rock records I've heard in a while. While steeped in nods to the '60s (surf rock, the Zombies, Love, the Troggs, etc) they've got good songwriting chops to go along with their good taste. Gringo Star, apart from the groan-worthy name (though it's better than A Fir-Ju Well which is what they used to be called), are a garage-rockin' party band not unlike Mando Diao that don't seem to have more of an agenda than having a good time. (And wanting you to have a good time too.) Which these days, should be enough. I can't say I listen to their latest album, All Y'all, a whole lot but they're fun live. Also on the bill: Brooklyn-via-Brazil duo Soundscapes who make '80s-inspired ethereal guitar pop, and Bonnie Baxter who you may have seen open for Apes and Androids at Music Hall of Williamsburg last month.

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Friday (2/27): The Spicy Times blog (a joint production of the ladies behind Jinners and I Rock I Roll) is having its monthly party at Union Hall with a pretty great lineup with two bands I've written about before: Uninhabitable Mansions that features Robbie and Tyler from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Annie of Au Revoir Simone and who will be selling their debut 7" at the show; and Spacecamp, who are as we speak finishing up work as backing band on Lightspeed Champion's second album. Maybe they'll bring him along? Weirder things have happened. Also on the bill: Staten Island's all-girl seven-piece Vessels and free Colt 45.

Also Friday is that Swirlies show at Mercury Lounge, their first NYC show in five years. Swirlies also play Philly tomorrow (2/26) and Boston on Saturday (2/28).

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Saturday (2/28): It's Cake Shop's monthly The World's Birthday Party party. If your birthday is in February you get free admission, a gift at the door and two free drink tickets. If you're not a February child, it's $8. Bands include Boston's Major Stars who should light up the joint with their stoner hard rock riffs, and Spectre Folk which features Mike of Magik Markers.

Real Estate

Late night Saturday at Cake Shop, it's a free show with New Jersey's Real Estate who are kind of getting a ton of hype right now from the likes of Pitchfork and Stereogum and Gorilla Vs Bear and others, all on the back of one three-song, white vinyl 7" which I have to admit I do like a lot. (Also having Matt Mondanile [aka Ducktails] in the group doesn't hurt.) Galaxie 500 seems to be the go-to reference for Real Estate and there is that dreamy vibe to their songs, but I'd also site criminally-overlooked '90s band Acetone as well. They've got a second 7" due out soon on Woodsist, so don't expect the interest to die down anytime soon. In addition to the Cake shop show, Real Estate have shows next week at Glasslands and Dead Herring, as well as an upcoming tour that includes a bunch of stops in Austin during SXSW (though none of them at official showcases). All tour dates at the end of the post.

Also Saturday: lovers of shoegaze, dreampop and goth should head straight to Mercury Lounge for a pretty stellar bill of Mahogany, The Depreciation Guild, Blacklist, Cruel Black Dove, and Home Video. Tickets are on sale.

That's all for this week. Tour dates and some videos after the jump....

Continue reading "Real Estate, Cinema 16, Howlies, Spicy Times, Major Stars, Mahogany, Swirlies & more in This Week in Indie "

Teengirl Fantasy (photo by josh sisk)

You don't hear too much from Celebration lately. Well, not totally true. The Baltimore band, known for being tight with Brooklyn's TV on the Radio, are credited as collborators on the new Holly Miranda album that was co-produced by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. And this Saturday night, February 21st, Celebration plays a Brooklyn show at Glasslands - the very venue members of TV on the Radio have turned up to play with their side projects in the last few weeks. TV on the Radio also have a NYC show coming up. Holly Miranda has a couple too.

Sound Fix Records, the venue, is not long for this world. Upcoming free shows there include a Friday night (tonight) performance by The Forms, and a Saturday one by Howlies. Tonight's Forms show, presented by Guilt by Association, also doubles as a Sound Fix benefit show, so look for the tip jar as its being passed around. Howlies' record "Trippin With Howlies" is out now. That is the occasion they'll be celebrating when they come back to town to play Death By Audio on February 26th.

Telepathe have been added to the Ladytron and Faint tour in April. That means they'll be playing Webster Hall on the 10th and 11th of that month. No need to wait that long though. In addition to some shows at SXSW in March, you can catch Telepathe twice in NYC this weekend, courtesy of Todd P. Tonight, February 20th, the show is at Market Hotel with These Are Powers, Teengirl Fantay, Soft Circle and Katie Eastburn. Saturday they play with Teengirl Fantasy, Hawnay Troof, and Silk Flowers at 92Y Tribeca. Todd P says...

Especially excited about the 2 shows this weekend featuring TEENGIRL FANTASY from Oberlin, Ohio. Teengirl Fantasy, aka Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss, are two young guys currently attending Oberlin College, together they make drum machine and sampler heavy dance music that steals as much from the underground noise scene as it does from the dance world. Teengirl Fantasy smash those influences to make transcendently catchy adrenaline anthems that get everyone dancing.

Teengirl Fantasy remixed one of Telepathe's songs. Listen to it in the video below...

Continue reading "Forms, Howlies, Telepathe, Celebration & Teengirl Fantasy"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Howlies were one of the many bands that played a BV party during CMJ this year. Their set was downstairs in the Old Office of Knitting Factory on Saturday October 25th and was (I think) the 4th show the Georgians played in NYC that week.

Random-ass things that happened to me [Aaron from Howlies] in NYC [during CMJ]:

1. A dude yelled at me and a female friend asking if we wanted to f**k while we were walking down the street. We ignored him, walked past, and he continued to repeat the question, louder and louder. awkward. there are crazies everywhere but he certainly gets the craziest award of the month from me.
2. An Arabic store owner took 10 minutes to tell me that cigarettes in NYC cost $10 a pack because of the infidel U.S. government and its taxes. he clearly wanted to vent and chose me as the listener. His accent was so thick I couldn't understand shit besides taxes, outrageous cigarettes, and infidel gov't. Then he talked about a Swedish woman who bought unfiltered cigarettes and tried to return them after smoking one. Thats when I pretended to hit the "wrap it up" button from Dave Chappele show and blazed out. I think he continued to rant to thin-air after I left.
3. While waiting in line to enter one of three locked stalls and use a bathroom in a nightclub, a dude butted in front of me only to bash obnoxiously on every door a couple times, until everyone in each stall trying to handle their bizness was really pissed. Then he left abruptly so that everyone would think it was me that did the knockin. I decided to split too, after hearing a Scottish man yell from inside the stall, "Still f*cking busy! ya f*ckin cunt!"
4. a drunk crying woman asked to hug me randomly. I said ok and it lasted 10 minutes. then I tried to get her water and she disappeared.

ok thats it. We had fun. GOOOOOODBYE!
[Howlies Blog]

Now on tour again, Howlies will be back in NYC on December 4th (Mercury Lounge) and December 13th (Union Pool). Both shows, and most of their tour is with NYC band The King Left (who just played some shows with Rival Schools). More pictures from CMJ and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Howlies - 2008 Tour Dates w/ the King Left, BV CMJ pics "

I missed the Howlies last time they were in NYC. How were they? I'd like to believe the comments on this one, but all they really tell me is that Atlanta bands do not all get along. 'The Atlanta Rock Blog' has nice things to say though...

"The Howlies might just be my new favourite Atlanta band. Fun doesn't even begin to describe their set on the side stage. And whoever decided to put them on the side stage should have his head examined. The band is full of raw powerpop potential and energy. And might I add that if you are going to cover a song, especially at a festival showcase such as this, you had better make it count. That's exactly what The Howlies did with their cover of R. Kelly's "Not Guilty". The swarm of people crowding around the side stage who saw it will be talking about it for weeks to come. Their original songs were even better though. Before I give you the link to their MySpace page, I must warn you that the demos you will hear on there do this band absolutely no justice whatsoever, and you should pay no attention to them."

The Howlies play Mercury Lounge in NYC tonight (August 18th). The Muslims, a San Diego band with a similar 'garage' feel, play Bowery Ballroom before The Walkmen tonight. Howlies AND The Muslims both play Union Pool in Williamsburg on Wednesday. Album info:

Howlies formed in August 2007, after a group camping trip where all four members were attacked by wolves, creating an infectious, unexpected sound that is equal parts '60's garage, ATL crunk, and doo-wop. Based upon basement recordings only, the band quickly secured the praise and producing duties of legendary producer Kim Fowley (The Runaways, The Modern Lovers, The Germs) for their debut album, "Trippin' with Howlies". The album is scheduled for a Fall 2008 release on OverUnder Records (New York, NY), with the single/EP, "Sea Level", releasing in August 12, 2008.

All Howlies tour dates below...

Continue reading "Howlies - 2008 Tour Dates (tonight, Wednesday)"

photos by Ryan Muir

San Diego's The Muslims are returning to the East Coast in August to play four more NYC shows. Last time they were here they played seven, one of which was at Santos Party House with the Vivian Girls. The Muslims pics from that show are in this post.

The NYC shows: The Muslims will open both upcoming Walkmen shows at Bowery Ballroom, play at Union Pool the following night (8/20) with Atlanta's The Howlies (great site guys), and then again at the clothing store Dunderdon on the 21st. All dates and more pics below...

Continue reading "The Muslims - 2008 Tour Dates & Santos Party pics"

Atlanta band Howlies have some great demo songs now streaming on their MySpace. Not surprisingly, this band comes from the same neck of the woods as Black Lips, and one of their upcoming Atlanta shows is with King Khan & The Shrines. Their self-listed list of influences is a long one and probably sums them up pretty good:

velvet underground. beach boys. chuck berry. howlin wolf. bo diddley. james brown. sam cooke. hollies. heat wave. freddy 'boom boom' cannon. ramones. stones. beatles. kinks. link wray. dion and the belmonts. swingin' medallions. easybeats. CAN. CCR. four seasons. coasters. mothers of invention. kim fowley. phil spector. stooges. misfits. tom petty & the heartbreakers. the falcons. flipper. hawaii. satan. the ATL.

I want to check them out at Pianos TONIGHT (April 26, 2008) (@ 11pm) (before The Jones Street Boys). Videos & tour dates below....

Continue reading "Howlies (from Atlanta) - 2008 Tour Dates (TONIGHT!), listen"