Secret Chiefs 3 at Terminal 5 (more by Zach Dilgard)

Instrumental band Secret Chiefs 3 kicked off a European tour last month with DJ FAT32. The tour comes to North America in September. So far it only includes East Coast and Midwest shows, but West Coast dates are "being planned." Look for SC3 and FAT32 to play NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on September 13th. Tickets are on sale. All dates for the Trey Spruance-led band are listed below.

In October Secret Chiefs 3 play the Iceland Airwaves Festival with Bjork (she was just announced and will be doing a Biophilia performance), Austra, Beach House, Liturgy, SBTRKT, Suuns, Olof Arnalds, Tune-yards, John Grant, and many others. Full lineup at their site. The festival runs from October 12-16 and takes place in downtown Reykjavík. Bjork will also play five more shows in Reykjavík in October. All of those dates are listed below.

All SC3 tour dates and some videos below too...

Continue reading "Secret Chiefs 3 tour dates, Iceland Airwaves 2011 lineup"

John Grant @ Swan Dive (more by Bill Pearis)

We actually had a post ready to go about how John Grant was coming back to the US to play some more shows including June 8th & 9th at Joe's Pub with his Bella Union labelmates Alessi's Ark and Heidi Spencer, but then John posted this message to Facebook...

"Um, just two minutes ago, at quarter to midnight I'm being told that my tour of the U.S. has been cancelled and I am in shock. But it's true, this is not a joke. Apparently there were no pre-sales to speak of and so they've decided to make this decision the night before I leave. Don't ask me any questions right now, I'm pissed off and need to find out more about wtf is going on."

damn, that sucks.

Josh T. Pearson @ Swan Dive (more by Amanda Hatfield)

John Grant was at SXSW in March where he was backed by Midlake at a BV party at Swan Dive. Fellow singer-songwriter also known for being in a Bella Union-signed band who returned from a long hiatus in 2010 Josh T. Pearson played a BV party at the same venue the same week, and was, and still is, scheduled to play Joe's Pub one day after John was supposed to. Tickets are still on sale.

The NYC show is Josh's only US date. Check out a just-released Mute Session video of Josh playing "Sorry With A Song", below...

Continue reading "John Grant dates cancelled, Josh T. Pearson still happening"

by Bill Pearis

Wounded Lion @ Shangri La

After Wednedsay and Thursday... I spent most of Friday afternoon -- the hottest day of the fest, well into the '80s --at Sailor Jerry-sponsored East Side dive Shangri La where Chicago label Trouble in Mind was throwing a party in the back yard. Their party at Scoot Inn the year before was one of my favorites of SXSW2010 and I'd have to say the same the same of 2011. The label, run by husband and wife Bill & Lisa Roe (who are also in CoCoComa), is mostly a 7" label, releasing great singles from some of the best garage-pop artists around. Many of whom were there at Shangri La.

I got there as Seattle trio Night Beats were just starting. Never heard them before, but really dug their psych-garage sounds, and they definitely looked the part. They ended their set with a cover of The Count Five's classic "Psychotic Reaction," giving their version a little swing which made it their own. Look for Night Beats debut LP out on Trouble in Mind this summer.

While Cheap Time were playing, I noticed Lars Finberg milling about the yard...what was he doing here? The Intelligence were definitely not here, was his side-project Puberty playing and I didn't know it? No, he told me he was playing drums for L.A.'s Wounded Lion for their Austin shows. I was already looking forward to seeing WL, now even moreso.

I was getting a little antsy and decided to walk around the East Side a bit, stopping by Cheer Up Charlies where I caught a few songs by Norway's Tôg (who are in NYC as we speak) before heading back to the Trouble in Mind party to catch Nashville's The Paperhead. Looking a bit like Red Kross, the band -- all about 19 I think -- are trippier than anyone else on the bill. Their debut just came out on TiM.

Next up Wounded Lion, whose self-titled debut was one of last year's more underrated records. I think seeing them live would change naysayers opinion, they were one of the rockin'est, most fun shows of the week. Two singers: main man Brad Eberhard does the heavy lifting and guitar playing, while singer/percussionist Raffi Kalenderian is more in the Bob Nastanovich of the band, going apeshit with the tambourine and generally keeping things entertaining. There is much switching of instruments. They also let Lars Finberg take lead vocals for the Intelligence's "Turned to Puke." I really thought they'd do "Pony People," a Wounded Lion song that The Intelligence covered on Fake Surfers, but no. Great, great set.

I then Sprinted over to the BrooklynVegan party at Swan Dive for John Grant. Friday was hot and Swan Dive didn't seem to have AC or even ceiling fans and it was an oven in there, but it didn't matter. Another of my favorite shows of the week. I'd seen him play solo at Mercury Lounge, but this show was with Midlake, his backing band on last year's amazing Queen of Denmark. With the band, Grant's late-'70s leaning epics came to lush life. The drums sounded gigantic. So did Grant's voice. All that was missing was sequined clothing and glasses that made points of light look like starbursts. Highlights for me: power-ballad "Mars" and "Chicken Bones" which is some kind of sonic collision of Gordon Lightfoot and Harry Nilsson.

John Grant @ Swan Dive

continued below...

Continue reading "Bill's Week in Austin (Day 3 - Wounded Lion, John Grant, PS I Love You, TSOOL, WhoMadeWho, Wye Oak, Versus & more)"

DOWNLOAD: J Mascis - Not Enough (MP3)

The first BrooklynVegan Swan Dive/Barbarella Austin Day Party lineup announcement is here! (this is the first of three BV day parties happening at these connecting venues, but just one of nine total BV events.)

This one happens Friday, March 18th from noon-6pm, is co-presented by KF Records (Knitting Factory) and Partisan Records, and features an exclusive Austin day party set by Middle Brother (aka Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, John McCauley of Deer Tick, and Matthew Vasquez of Delta Spirit). If you want to catch them though, you better get there early because the entire lineup is ridiculous and 100% free, and it looks like this.....

STAGE 1 (SWAN DIVE)
12:00 PM JBM
12:30 PM BOBBY
01:15 PM Holy Sons
02:00 PM Dolorean
03:00 PM John Grant featuring Midlake
04:00 PM Wye Oak
05:00 PM J Mascis

STAGE 2 (Barbarella Patio)
12:00 PM David Wax Museum
01:00 PM Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
02:00 PM Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
03:00 PM Deer Tick featuring Jonny Corndawg
04:00 PM Old 97's
05:00 PM Middle Brother

STAGE 3 (Barbarella Inside)
12:15 PM AgesandAges
01:00 PM Paleo
01:45 PM Warm Ghost
02:30 PM Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers
03:15 PM Vetiver
04:00 PM Oberhofer
05:00 PM The Dodos

I'm already exhausted (and we have three more similar lineups still TBA).

Note: We have Dolorean who is not to be confused with Delorean, yes that is Midlake up there backing the amazing John Grant, Jason Isbell will stick around to play with Middle Brother (like he did on their record), and yes Jonny Corndawg will be in the house.

I'm also happy to point out that, though everyone will sound great already, they are going to sound even better thanks to our official microphone sponsor Line 6, not to mention due to the help of the Korg keyboards, and Vox & Blackstar amps that we'll have on hand - all generous and much-appreciated BrooklynVegan show sponsors.

Also Note:

• FREE Blublocker sunglasses to first 50 people in the door!
• there will be FREE vegan Izzoz breakfast tacos while supplies last!
• we'll have loads of FREE snacks courtesy of Sensible Portions!
• we'll keep you hydrated with FREE Honest Tea!
• you can keep your energy levels high with FREE Raw Revolution bars!
• FREE Tierras organic tequila cocktails while supplies last!
• more FREE food & DRINK details TBA!
• and there will be awesome giveaways from Partisan & KF Records
  throughout the day!

Thanks also goes out to our sponsor ASCAP, everyone else that helped make this happen, and Zach Jaeger of Tonally Dude for creating the sweet poster you see (with a bunch of videos) below....

Continue reading " BrooklynVegan, KF Records & Partisan Records free Austin Day Party lineup (J Mascis, Middle Brother, Old 97's, Dodos, more)"

by Bill Pearis

Like every other UK music mag, MOJO published their Top Albums of 2010 list today. Your first reaction to their Album of the Year might be "Who is John Grant?" After hearing him you're likely to say "How have I not heard this before?"

Former frontman of The Czars, John Grant's solo debut, Queen of Denmark, came out back in April and features Midlake as his backing band. No surprise given the musicians involved, Queen of Denmark has a lush '70s sound somewhere between The Carpenters and Harry Nilsson (who he uncannily sounds like at times) with some pretty heavy lyrical themes. A little more info courtesy The Guardian:

Queen of Denmark is all about the 41-year-old Grant finally coming to terms with who he is. It's also the word-of-mouth hit of 2010, the ecstatic reviews that greeted its gentle soft rock melodies and grimly sardonic lyrics followed by a nomination for best breakthrough act at the Mojo awards earlier this month. Made with the assistance of acclaimed Texan folk rockers Midlake, who lent him their studio and nursed him through his emotional wobbles, it's offering Grant a first real chance of success: his previous band, the Czars, split in 2004 after struggling to muster even cult appeal. Text-book catharsis, Queen of Denmark manages to be frank, funny and sweet - much like Grant himself - while considering the origins of its author's crippled self-esteem. Growing up gay in a religious family in the midwest didn't help, nor did alcohol and drug abuse, nor difficulties in maintaining relationships. In fact, it was the demise of his most recent romantic entanglement that nudged him over the edge last autumn.

You can stream the whole of Queen of Denmark at the bottom of this post via a widget and I highly suggest you do. And you can go see him live. Grant (minus Midlake) starts his first headlining tour next week, with two stops in NYC: an early show at Mercury Lounge on December 8 and The Rock Shop on December 11.

All John Grant tour dates, the streaming player and video for "I Wanna Go to Mars," plus MOJO's entire Top 50 Albums of 2010 list are after the jump.

Continue reading "MOJO's Top Albums of 2010 + John Grant tour dates & stream"