Austra at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by Tim Griffin)

Toronto's Austra, whose past videos defintely got people talking in 2011, have released a new one to kick off 2012. The song is "Spellwork" from their BV-favorite LP Feel it Break, and the footage was shot (believe it or not) in NJ. Check that out, along with their older NSFW video for "Beat and the Pulse, and other stuff, below.

Continue reading "new Austra video: 'Spellwork' (shot in Egberts Lake Park, NJ)"

Diamond Rings at Europa in June (more by Diana Wong)

As mentioned, My Brightest Diamond opens the first (8/2) of two Sufjan Steven shows at Prospect Park in August. Historically, this is an excellent match-up and her set should suit the show perfectly. Unfortunately, it is sold out. Sufjan's second show (8/3) now has an opener too though, and the addition suits Sufjan's new neon coated electronica (and diamond fetish) pretty well. It's Diamond Rings. Tickets for that show are still available, and we have a pair you can win. Details below.

The website "After Elton" asked Diamond Rings aka John O to describe his fanbase. This is what he said:

"It's really diverse. Short of bugging your own friends to come out and see you, after that it's out of my hands by and large who comes to my show. I can only make the music I want to make, and present the image that I feel represents me and hope that the right people get it. Not that there's wrong people. People who come to my shows are all over the place. Kids in high school, 20 something downtown folks like me, people my parents' age, which is really cool. It's all over the place. I'm trying to reach as many people as I can. I want to try and make the music and put on the kind of show that allows anyone to feel like they can come and express themselves and be themselves and be safe and have fun. I would be really worried if I had a demographic niche and everyone were the same that comes to my show."

Diamond Rings will return in October during their tour with Twin Shadow. Updated dates, contest details, and the song "Give It Up" which features vocals by Austra's Katie Stelmanis, below...

Continue reading "Diamond Rings opening for Sufjan (win tix) --- updated dates"

photos by Chris La Putt, words by Andrew Sacher

"Fireworks at the pier!!!! Wtf!!! And a full moon. Amazing!!!" - Austra

Hudson River Rocks kicked off their 2011 season in a big way last night (7/14) with tUnE-yArDs and Austra. Due to long lines down the West Side Highway, organizers, who tell us last night's crowd reached 4600 people, delayed the start of the free show so as many people as possible could get inside before Austra started.

Austra's rhythm section started the night with some eerie atmospheres. They were soon joined by Katie Stelmanis and backup singers Sari and Romy Lightman and conjured up album opener "Darken Her Horse." Katie is a huge presence on stage, and with such powerful vocals, she had no trouble projecting this presence across the pier's extensive length. The set felt too short, but it was no less enjoyable. They took on Feel It Break single "Lose It" early on in the set and though it seems like one of the album's more straightforward tracks, it actually showed the band at one of their highest points. The vocal interplay between Katie and the Lightman twins adventured into realms visited by few other synth pop groups. Sari and Romy were as charismatic as Katie but in a more subtle way that suited the performance perfectly. Austra's dark dancey songs sounded amazing outside on the Hudson River, but I couldn't help to think how great they would fit a small poorly lit club like Bowery Ballroom, where you can catch them on August 6 as part of their tour with Cold Cave.

After a short break, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus came on stage by herself and introduced her set by looping howls and shrieks. Like Katie Stelmanis, Merrill had absolutely no problem letting her presence be known throughout the entire Pier 54. She was soon joined by a bassist and two sax players to tear apart the recently released LP w h o k i l l and put the entire thing back together right in front of the audience. Merrill continued to loop her vocals, which ranged from bird chirps to bear growls and included everything in between. She added layered percussion which could recall polyrhythmic afrobeat, Latin clave rhythms, or hip hop beats at any given moment. As the songs would start to take on a bit of structure, Merrill would throw in these whacked-out chord progressions on her ukulele. She was accompanied by strong basslines and avant-sax lines that channelled the likes of Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman. The fact that they were able to pull all of this off and somehow still sound really accessible is just beyond comprehension. And the crowd definitely reciprocated. It was probably the best crowd that I've seen at a show this summer and Merrill was obviously grateful for that. She expressed how amazed she was at the number of people who showed up and recalled an early experience playing NYC at Pianos where five people came to see her previous band Sister Suvi. She also pointed out the (almost) full moon which, in a weird way, was kinda fascinating to see while listening to tUnE-yArDs.

After the incredible set ended and the crowd was thanked multiple times, Merrill and co. exited the stage to return shortly for a one-song encore. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of encores, this one was pretty hard to deny. They played the awesome album closer "Killa" and with about 45 seconds left in the song, fireworks erupted over the Hudson River behind the stage.

More pictures and videos from the show below...

Continue reading "tUnE-yArDs, Austra, fireworks & a lot of people on Pier 54 (pics & video)"

by Andrew Frisicano

There's already one post today up about Austra's show tonight (7/14) at Pier 54 with tUne-yArDs. To supplement that, here's an unposted interview we did back in the spring with the group's frontwoman Katie Stelmanis, who talks about the transitioning from a solo act to a full-band, the importance of the live show and the process of putting out the group's debut record...

---

You've been playing as Katie Stelmanis for a while now. What was the idea behind releasing the record under a new name?

Katie Stelmanis: Well, the project throughout the years had become a lot more collaborative. I've been playing with my drummer Maya for over three years, and she had started writing music and doing a lot of programming and producing and it just didn't make sense that it was a solo name anymore. So we decided to go with Austra, which is my middle name, because it kind of carries an ambiguous could-be-a-band-or-solo kind of thing, so we wanted to keep it a little bit in the gray.

How much of the material for the group is new? Because I know you've been playing some of them for a while.

A lot of the songs on the album are really old. Basically, when I put out the record I had four years of material to work with. And I just had to go through it and figure out what I wanted to put on the record. Some of the songs were written in 2007 and just never got released. While they might not be totally consistent with the newer stuff, I wanted a chance to put them out there.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with Austra's Katie Stelmanis"

by Rachel Kowal

DOWNLOAD: Austra - Lose It (MP3)

Austra @ Mercury Lounge - 5/23/11 (photo by Carina C)

"With the singer's ethereal Kate Bush-meets-Siouxsie (by way of Nico) vocal style dominating proceedings, it's impossible to deny Feel It Break's gothic undercurrent, but there is no place for tear-streaked mascara in Stelmanis' world. These are powerful, empowering songs, and whilst their place in the lineage of electronic pop music that stretches from Kraftwerk through to the Human League and onto Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails is clear, there is an aggressive energy present - particularly evident in Postepski's muscular drumming - that is almost primal. In a year when female-fronted albums (PJ Harvey, EMA, Tune-Yards, Planningtorock) are looking set to dominate December's Best Of lists, Feel It Break proves Austra can stand, triumphant and proud, alongside the conquering warrior queens." [Quietus]

Feel It Break is out now via Domino, and Austra is on a short US tour in support. That tour brought Katie and crew back to NYC earlier this week...

--

Tickets were in short supply for the Austra show on Monday night, but instead of abandoning the Mercury Lounge for something larger as some fans suggested, the show packed out the 250-person venue. The space was cramped, and humidity hung thick in the air, but the dark, gritty impulses in Austra's music seemed to fit its surroundings.

Regrettably, I missed two of the openers, but I did catch complete sets from the two Toronto artists, Trust and Austra.

After a rather jarring and discordant instrumental intro, I can't say I had high expectations for Trust, but with the introduction of hypnotic beats and synth riffs, I began to open up. Though initially somewhat off-putting, Robert Alfons' vocals have an impressive range. Nasally one minute, he can switch to falsetto or a deeper baritone with ease, within the same song.

The sexy-electro stylings of Trust seemed a natural forerunner to Austra. Though Austra is arguably a much more dramatic performer than Alfons, the two artists share a similar aesthetic--and even a drummer: Maya Postepski.

Austra kicked things off with a couple of their strongest numbers, "Darken Her Horse" and "Lose It," the song that seems to best showcase singer Katie Stelmanis' impressive vocal range (she has operatic training) and the haunting nature of Sari and Romy Lightman's chant-like backing vocals. The combination of Stelmanis' moody vocals, Dorian Wolf's sinister bass line, and some startlingly upbeat keyboard jingles makes for quite a compelling sound.

But Austra leaves more than just a strong aural impression. Between Stelmanis' jerky but mesmerizing movements and the choreographed dance moves of the petite Lightman twins, Austra is certainly a band to see. It seemed as if Stelmanis were casting a spell on the audience with her sweeping arm movements. (Come to think of it, Austra does have a song called "Spellwork." Highly suspicious.)

After a brief set, Austra returned for a two-song encore, which included "The Noise."

Something tells me Toronto may be the next Brooklyn...

--

Austra's upcoming dates include a tour with Cold Cave that includes a Bowery Ballroom show, and a free outdoor show at Pier 54 even sooner. They are all listed, along with a video of Austra performing the intoxicating song "Beat and the Pulse" at Mercury Lounge, and the official video for single "Lose It", below...

Continue reading "Austra released an album, played Mercury Lounge, touring"

photos by Vincent Cornelli, words by Bill Pearis

Austra played twice this past weekend: Friday night at Santos (which these pictures are from) and Saturday night at Glasslands. I caught the Glasslands show and, despite some truly horrible sound that buried the vocals for the first half the set, I left really impressed. Anyone who's seen Katie Stelmanis before knows her powerhouse pipes are a big part of the appeal, which she now augments in Austra with two additional singers, and the rest of the band (guitar, bass, keyboards). This was the first most of us got to hear Austra songs other than "The Beat and the Pulse" and their short set (seven songs?) highlighted the dancier numbers from their debut, Feel it Break, which is out May 17 on Domino. When sound issues were fixed, Austra really soared.

Of the newer material I really liked "Lose It" which seems likely to be the second single from the album, and the anthemic "Spellwork." But "The Beat and the Pulse," which has been all over the internet, was the crowd favorite. While that song does recall The Knife, those comparisons kind of melt away when you hear the rest of Austra's songs. It's not that far from what Stelmanis did as a solo artist, just more dancefloor-friendly. (There are a couple piano ballads as well, which is more in line with her solo work.) And when people get to hear more of the album, look out.

Domino has put a couple new, non-LP Austra songs on their Soundcloud page, which you can stream below. If you're going to SXSW, Austra will be all over the place down there (official Domino showcase and BrooklynVegan Saturday day party included) and I highly recommend you put them on your must-see list.

Video from Austra's Glasslands show, plus more pictures of Austra and opener Arpline at Santos, and the setlist, are below.

Continue reading "Austra played 2 NY shows (pics, video), streaming new songs"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Austra - "Beat & The Pulse" (MP3)

The last time Austra played New York was the tail end of last year at Glasslands with Diamond Rings. We didn't realize it at the time, but the Toronto trio has signed with Domino Records in most of the world (Paper Bag in Canada) and have since created quite a stir with their dark, danceable first single "The Beat and The Pulse" (downloadable above) and its accompanying NSFW video (watchable below). Austra are back in town this weekend, playing Santos Party House on Friday (2/25) and Glasslands on Saturday (2/26) . Tickets are still available for both shows.

What a lot of people might not realize yet is that Austra is the new musical endeavor of Katie Stelmanis who featured on Fucked Up's The Chemistry of Common Life, and whose fine 2008 album Join Us went largely unnoticed on either side of the Canadian border. Katie played one of our SXSW day shows last year, where she played with her short-lived group Private Life. Dropping the guitarist, Stelmanis and the other two members of Private Life morphed into Austra... who we're happy to report will be playing a BrooklynVegan day show in Austin this year too, in addition to the Domino showcase they're playing on 3/17 at Emo's with King Creosote, Owen Pallett, Cass McCombs, Anna Calvi, and The Kills.

That said, Austra's debut album, Feel it Break, was mostly recorded by Stelmanis alone and mixed by Damian Taylor (Bjork, Unkle). Comparisons to The Knife, Bat for Lashes and Zola Jesus (who she's played with) are not unwarranted but it should be said Katie's been working in this musical milieu from the start, and this new danceable direction seem like a logical progression. And there's no denying "The Beat and the Pulse" is a pretty kick-ass track. We'll have to wait for May 17 to hear the rest of Feel it Break, unless you go see Austra live, of course.

In related Domino artist news, Anna Calvi has a few shows in NYC in early March, The Kills are playing Terminal 5 with Cold Cave, Owen Pallett is playing The Ecstatic Music Festival.

Austra LP details, tour dates and the NSFW video are all below.

Continue reading "Austra is signed to Domino, is touring, is playing NYC, is playing SXSW, is Katie Stelmanis (MP3, dates, NSFW video)"

words by Andrew Frisicano

Zola Jesus @ Sneaky Dee's - June 17, 2010

Zola Jesus (singer Nika Roza Danilova & band) played an early evening set at Toronto's Sneaky Dee's on Thursday as part of NXNE. For some she was the first act of the festival (the official opening was only an hour before), and a moody introduction at that, with the setting sun flickering through the windows next to the stage. Accompanied by regular band member Alex DeGroot on synth and sampler, and guests Katie Stelmanis (keys) and Maya Postepski (drums), Zola, who occasionally walked into the audience, sang expressively over dark synths and heavy, throbbing percussion. She closed her 30+ minute set with one of her best, "Night" (video below). HEALTH and tour-mates played the same 2nd floor venue right afterward.

Zola plays again at NXNE on Friday (tonight), and has a bunch of New York City shows coming up, including Glasslands on Saturday, June 19th with Effi Briest, Nice Face and Amen Dunes. Tickets are still on sale. After that she joins Bear in Heaven at their free July 9th South Street Seaport show, and then tackles the halls of Terminal 5 at a July 13th show opening for Wolf Parade.

More NXNE pictures, her video for "Night" and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Zola Jesus played NXNE (pics), plays NYC on Saturday ------- 2010 tour dates & the "Night" video"

Best Coast @ Knitting Factory in April (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Greetings from Toronto. NXNE, the Toronto music/film/interactive fest is happening this week. It kicked off its music programming last night, Wednesday, June 16th, and runs through Sunday with shows at 50+ venues (here's a map of the spots). The festival also coincides with the now-affliated Broken Social Scene-helmed Toronto Island concert that features Pavement, Band of Horses, Beach House and others on Saturday, June 19th.

There weren't many Wednesday night shows. The official kick off party was just Eagles of Death Metal (sadly, without their normal bass player) at The Phoenix. And there was a gig or two with Canada's Hollerado (who have at least six shows at the fest lined up). One of them was up in the CN Tower.Still Life Still played the Mod Club with Denmark's The Blue Van.

One of the main hubs will be the free-to-anyone outdoor stage at Yonge-Dundas Square with headliners Thursday night X and Mudhoney, Friday night Sloan and k-os, Saturday night Iggy and the Stooges preceded by The Raveonettes, Wavves, Surfer Blood and others, and Sunday's De La Soul, Kid Sister, Phenomenal Handclap Band and NOLA rapper Big Freedia.

continued below...

Continue reading "NXNE is underway in Toronto -- a quick guide to the music "

photos by Tim Griffin

Lucero

"...The bands were running late at Club Deville, but I was pleased to hear Centromatic on the stage. They sounded like classic rock and when Steve Miller Band's "Rock'N Me" came on after their set, it was in the same vein, but Centromatic was above and beyond.

Lucero came on next and killed it. Nichols' voice is like sandpaper on gravel and it has a booze-soaked and sorry quality that makes it sound like the hard nights and heartbreaks that he sings about are real experiences. Lucero is one of the few bands that I've seen (Free Energy comes to mind as well) that broke through to fans. Quite a few folks were dancing, jumping, singing and generally rocking out during their set..." [Rock Candy]

...It was a perfectly rowdy ending to the BrooklynVegan/DailyMotion day party at Club DeVille on Friday, March 19th (one of our seven shows this year). The day's eclectic lineup ranged from country to electro to singer-songwriter to comedy. We also made a huge effort to feed people and give away free stuff this year. Those who stopped by the free show got free Ear Piece ear plugs, Magic Hat beer, Firefly Sweet Tea vodka (that lasted the entire 6+ hours), Gundlach Bundschu wine, Raw Rev bars, Nadamoo ice cream, Hail Merry "Grawnola", breakfast tacos and Daily Juice catering. Action For Animals was on hand with baked goods for sale that helped raise $800 for charity. Somebody (and every band and comedian) won some Original Penguin clothes. Members of Passion Pit (aka the Wet Bandits) played the music between bands. KEXP was filming video. All in all an amazing day.

Catch Lucero in NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Tuesday, March 30th with Glossary (tickets are still on sale). Centro-matic kicks off a house tour in Houston the same day.

You've already seen some of this Friday party HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. Pictures, reviews and videos from it continue below...

Continue reading "Lucero, Centromatic, Nicole Atkins, Holly Miranda, Zola Jesus, more @ Club DeVille (BV/DailyMotion day party) - pics & video"

Katie Stelmanis and her band played the BrooklynVegan/DailyMotion day party that happened Friday, March 19th at Club DeVille in Austin, TX. As they announced at the show (and as you'll see if you visit their Myspace), the band is going with a new name, Private Life, effective immediately (though you'll probably see them listed as the former for a while). They've added a new bass player too, since their show at the Masonic Temple in November.

A video from their set - the amazing "Believe Me" - is posted below (more video and pictures on the way) with one upcoming Toronto date too...

Continue reading "Katie Stelmanis's band now called Private Life, played a BrooklynVegan day party (video)"

*Friday, March 19, 2010*
BrooklynVegan Free Day Party Presented by DailyMotion
@ Club DeVille - 900 Red River St, Austin, TX (NOON - 6 PM)
*free and open to the public, no RSVP necessary

Main stage:
12:00 Princeton
12:45 Twin Sister
01:30 Nicole Atkins
02:15 Sondre Lerche
03:00 Holly Miranda
03:45 The Antlers
04:30 Centro-matic
05:15 Lucero

DJs: Passion Pit

Inside stage:
12:30 - Active Child
01:15 - Pearly Gate Music
02:00 - Tig Notaro (comedian)
02:15 - Katie Stelmanis
03:00 - Joe Mande (comedian)
03:15 - Zola Jesus
04:00 - Abe Vigoda
04:45 - MNDR
05:30 - The Wave Pictures

FREE DRINKS COURTESY OF: Magic Hat & Firefly Vodka
(while supplies last)
FREE VEGAN BREAKFAST TACOS FROM: Izzoz Austin
(starting @ noon. while supplies last)
VEGAN BAKE SALE FOR CHARITY BY: VegAustin & Action for Animals
MORE FREE FOOD COURTESY OF: Daily Juice (catering from 2-5)
MORE FREE FOOD COURTESY OF: Raw Revolution Bars
MORE FREE FOOD COURTESY OF: Hail Merry
FREE EAR PLUGS FROM: Ear Peace
+ more TBA

If you've been following along, both on this site and at our @bvSXSW Twitter account, you probably pieced most this lineup together already. And I'm extremely happy to report that this is the final BrooklynVegan party lineup we have left to announce this year. We'll see you on Wednesday at Emo's and Club DeVille, Thursday at Hoek's and Spider House, Saturday at Red 7 and Galaxy Room and on Friday right here at Club Deville from noon-6pm (on TWO stages) (the second stage is inside).

Thanks to DailyMotion for helping make this all possible. They're not only our presenting partner on this party, but we'll be uploading live footage from SXSW all week long to our account at their site. Some of that footage, including from this party will be shot by our official radio partner, KEXP.

Thanks to also to Original Penguin clothing for providing some clothes to giveaway to a few lucky attendees at the show.

Like at Emo's and Red 7, we'll have 10 kegs worth of Magic Hat beer to give out at this show, not to mention lots of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka to pour. And like at Emo's and Galaxy Room, we'll have free breakfast tacos and then late afternoon free catering by Daily Juice. All of our parties will be stocked with free Raw Revolution bars and Hail Merry Grawnola as well. And as if that's not enough, we're hosting a vegan bake sale for charity, courtesy of the fine folks at VegAustin.com and Action for Animals at this show. All money raised goes to Food for Life, an organization feeding Haitian and Chilean earthquake survivors.

Flyer design by Tammijean Triplett. Videos below...

Continue reading "a BrooklynVegan & DailyMotion Austin day party @ Club DeVille - full free lineup (Lucero, Antlers, Abe Vigoda, more) "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - Neat Parts (MP3)

We are coming back Austin, and we welcome all challengers; your Pheonix's, your xx's and jj's, bring us all the TuNeYaRdS and Passion Pits you have, we are ready. We are coming back for TWO (announceable) special shows, and maybe one 3rd Mexican el concierto especial, and without further adieu, here is some of the info:

Fucked Up will not only be playing SXSW this year, they'll be hosting a showcase of their own. The "Fucked Up saves music" lineup is scheduled for Saturday, March 20th at Red 7 Patio (which, the band writes, will be hosting the Woodsist Records showcase indoors at the same time). If there was doubt after their guest-filled Xmas charity single that Fucked Up could pull together some serious talent, their SXSW bill puts that to rest. Besides their own set, the show will include music from J Mascis, Rival Schools, Titus Andronicus, Katie Stelmanis, and one more artist TBA. Cold Cave were originally listed on the bill, but are not anymore. Titus and Katie both also opened for Fucked Up at their last Brooklyn show. The band's other "announceable" SXSW show is a TBA Shirts For a Cure benefit on Friday (3/19).

Fucked Up's current tour dates include a February run with Kurt Vile (which visits the NYC-area on Feb 18th and 19th) and a gig with Leatherface (who are coming to NYC separately) in Toronto. Updated tour dates are below.

Since their Xmas charity single in December, the band has continued in the same philanthropic vein - they recently auctioned off test pressings of their forthcoming collection Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009, due January 26th on Matador Records, for Haiti disaster relief. The Ebay bidding closed as $177.50.

The band also offered some thoughtful words about Jay Reatard's recent passing. That tribute is below...

Continue reading "Fucked Up have their own SXSW showcase + Haiti, Jay Reatard, updated tour dates & more"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Jake Forney

Apart from a few deviations, Fucked Up succeeded in performing their 2008 album The Chemistry of Common Life in full and in sequence at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Thursday, November 5th. The program even found room for the record's hazy instrumentals "Golden Seal" and "Looking for God," both of which featured guest keyboardist Andrew W.K. On the latter, one of the last songs of the night, W.K. was noodley and playful, tacking pointy chords to the song's building progression.

Vivian Girls were another of the night's guests. They added eerie siren-like back ups to "Crooked Head" and "No Epiphany," as they do (with Frankie Rose who was playing her own show across town) on the recorded version.

Another album guest, Katie Stelmanis, who stole the show with her band's unique opening set, dueted with Pink Eyes on the apocalyptic slow-builder "Royal Swan." Her operatic voice tangled with the burly singer's cryptic proclamations. Andrew W.K. was there too, and led the way with an introductory piano figure, cued with a huge wink by guitarist Ben Cook. The epic took minutes to unfold, and it was one of the night's rarer moments.

The pacing of the album did need some energy injected at times - that came in the form of "Crusades," which the band inserted after "Black Albino Bones" (dedicated to "anyone who collects records"). "Peaceable Kingdom," a ChemCom bonus track almost never performed live, was uneventful, until Pink Eyes decided to join the night's many stagedivers (many annoying and wasted) by falling into the crowd and writhing on the ground for a while.

For the encore, the band treated the crowd to "David Comes to Life" and a full-guest version of "Louie Louie." There was no "Party Hard" as requested many times, and that was for the best. Titus Andronicus hinted at that song by jamming on its opening riff while setting up. They played tightly-packed opening set, which had one brief lull. "I thought it was okay after one string broke, but now I'm down to four..." said singer/guitarist Patrick Stickles before grabbing a seafoam green guitar backstage. "I hope the very nice lady in the first band doesn't mind."

That would be the guitarist for Katie Stelmanis, who joined the singer and a percussionist (also on marimba) to perform gothy pop with a booming, crisp sound. On stage, Stlemanis projected a world of drama with the subtlest gesture. The following act, The Girls at Dawn, did off the cuff, girl-group-inspired punk. Their front-woman (girl) was covered in fake blood.

Pink Eyes stuck around until the last fan got his 7-inch signed and a shirtless hug. More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Fucked Up performed an album w/ Vivian Girls, Andrew WK, Titus Andronicus, Katie Stelmanis & The Girls at Dawn @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple - pics & review"

"RT @EducatingEric: It needs to be Thursday already so I can see Fucked Up with @AndrewWK on keyboards and @Viviangirls" -AndrewWK

Fucked Up & friend @ 'Pool Party' in July (more by Bao Nguyen)

Fucked Up are playing the entirety of their 2008 record Chemistry of Common Life at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Thursday, November 5th. The 52-minute-and-20-second work will feature additional accompaniment by guests that include Andrew W.K., Vivian Girls and opener Katie Stelmanis. Also opening the show will be Titus Andronicus (who've been busy lately) and Brooklyn's The Girls at Dawn. Tickets are still on sale.

We also have a pair of tickets to give away, along with a copy of Chemistry of Common Life on LP and a Titus Andronicus limited Live in London 12" LP. Details are below.

On January 26th, Matador will be releasing a compilation of rare Fucked Up singles and b-sides called Couple Tracks. The comprehensive breakdown of the double-CD/double-LP is posted below.

Katie Stelmanis, a fellow Torontonian who's collaborated with Fucked Up before, just opened for Tegan and Sara at both of their Town Hall shows (Oct. 30th & 31st). At the gigs, she filled out the one-woman-show with a drummer and guitarist backing her up. A clip of her playing "Believe Me" at the first Town Hall show is below.

After the Brooklyn show, Fucked Up will be playing Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on November 7th.

Contest details, show flyer and Couple Tracks info and tracklist are all below...

Continue reading "Fucked Up releasing rarities, playing album show Thurs w/ Katie Stelmanis who opened for Tegan & Sara -- WIN STUFF"

DOWNLOAD: Katie Stelmanis - In My Favour (MP3)

@ the Titus Andronicus show @ Monster Island (more by Leia Jospe)

Along with a link for $18 tickets, which go on sale Friday, September 11th at 10am, there's some new insight into the lineup of Fucked Up's November 5th Chemistry of Common Life show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. The show will feature "Andrew W.K. (Keyboards) / Vivian Girls (Backup Vocals) With Guests: Titus Andronicus / Katie Stelmanis." Sounds good!

You can also catch Titus Andronicus on October 15th at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. It's the last date of their current tour with So So Glos. Vivian Girls are on tour at the moment too, with the Beets. They play their next NYC show right after they get back, which will also be their first of two shows at a Masonic temple in one week.... it's on Halloween at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple with Crystal Stilts (followed by the F'd Up Masonic show listed above).

Andrew W.K. (whose new album, 55 Cadillac, is out now) is collaborating with Calder Quartet at his own gigs this fall. Did anyone happen to catch him on the street on the 5th?

Katie Stelmanis's amazing video for "Believe Me" and a recent interview are posted below...

Continue reading "Vivian Girls, Titus Andronicus, Andrew WK & Katie Stelmanis will join Fucked Up @ album show on Nov 5th (ticket info)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Box Elders - Hole in My Head (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Jeremy Jay - In This Lonely Town (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Headlights - Cherry Tulips (TJ Lipple Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Headlights - Market Girl (Album Leaf Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Love Language - Lalita (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Julie Doiron - Consolation Prize (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Katie Stelmanis - In My Favour (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Savoir Adore - Transylvanian Candy Patrol (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darwin Deez - Bad Day (MP3)

The Box Elders are back for the first time since their loin-clothed Market Hotel show back in January, playing Bruar Falls on Friday (4/24) and Cake Shop on Saturday (4/25). For those, like myself, who have played their sole single, "Hole in My Head," to death at this point and are anxiously awaiting new stuff from them... we must continue to wait. Their debut album on Goner, Alice and Friends, won't be out till August 4. Their next release is just a single that's only available via the Hozac Hookup Club which subscriptions sold out quick for. And as mentioned before, Box Elders will have a single out on Jay Reatard's newly-reinvigorated Shattered Records. Maybe the band will have a tour CD-R or something?

Friday should be one of the first real tests of Bruar Falls as far as in-demand shows. The place is teeny-tiny (not that Cake Shop is big). It should be a tight fit. Getting there early would be smart, and luckily the lineup is pretty good, with Bay Area psych folk band Dame Satan; Jackson Heights' The Beets whose debut, Spit in the Face of People Who Don't Want to Be Cool, is out now on Captured Tracks and worth seeking out for those who dig garagey '60s proto-punk; and caUSE co-MOTION offshoot German Measles. The Cake Shop show should be a little more manageable.

Blank Dogs

Whichever night I'm not going to see Box Elders, I'll probably go see Blank Dogs. Originally just the name of Captured Tracks head Mike Sniper's many, many home recordings, Blank Dogs have become a real band over the last year and a good one at that. Sniper has also dropped the anonymity schtick for the most part, actually showing his face in a new press photo, just in time for the new double-LP, Under and Under, which is out in June on In the Red. It's still of the mid-'80s goth sound (I think they sound like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry if you remember them) but more refined and catchier songs. The creepy/funny video to the album's first single, "Setting Fire to Your House," is further down this post.

Blank Dogs play Friday (4/24) at Secret Project Robot in Williamsburg which is the same building at Monster Island, and share the bill with two kindred spirits: the gothy (and a bit silly if you ask me) Cold Cave, and Brooklyn's Mazing Vids who've been around for a while but don't play very often anymore.

Jeremy Jay

Saturday's show at Silent Barn is a bit more varied and probably better for it, with two other bands that would be worth seeing on their own. Jeremy Jay just released his second album on K that swings from Cars-ish new wave, to twangy surf rock. It's a good record, and you can download the single "In This Lonely Town" at the top of this post. Rounding out the solid line-up is Mobile, Alabama's Wizzard Sleeve whose debut is out sometime soon on Hozac. With song titles like "Chrome Intensifier" and "Pterodactly Meltdown" you know your in for a trippy time, but it's not paisley shirt acid rock. Their brand of psych feels very modern, with a big dose of krautrock for good measure. I really feel this show is a hard one to pass up.

Jeremy Jay also plays a show on Friday (4/24) at Union Hall with Illuminations and James William Hindle. Tickets are on sale. All dates below.

Julie Doiron

There are a lot of hard to pass-up shows this weekend. Canadian singer Julie Doiron is in town, playing Cake Shop on Friday (4/24) and Union Hall on Saturday (4/25). Some may know her for her work with Mt. Eerie, and others remember Julie from her days fronting Eric's Trip who released three albums on Sub Pop in the early '90s. She's been prolific ever since Eric's Trip broke up in 1997, releasing a string of quality, if somewhat downcast solo albums. Her latest, I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day, is ebullient in comparison but no less special. She's got one of those voices, not unlike Chan Marshall or Beth Orton, that can make the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention. Check out the album's "Consolation Prize" at the top of this post, and the video for "Heavy Snow" at the bottom.

Katie Stelmanis

The Julie Doiron Cake Shop show is an early one, so you could theoretically hit it before going elsewhere. Plus, speaking of magical, unique voices, fellow Canadian (and Cake Shop fave) Katie Stelmanis is also on the bill. There's an MP3 at the top of the post (and a video below) and here's what Popmatters said earlier this year:

Katie Stelmanis was already starting to pick up steam in 2008. Almost a year since her nearly unnoticed debut album, Join Us dropped on Blocks Recording Club (a record co-op based in Toronto), Stelmanis was featured on Fucked Up's Chemistry of Common Life, and split a Matador released 7" with them in late 2008. In 2009, people are bound to pick up on the ethereal and eerie leanings of this powerful vocalist and songwriter.

If you're a fan of Bat For Lashes (there's a similar Kate Bush thing going on), Katie is well worth checking out. She also plays Death by Audio later that Saturday night, and new Brooklyn venue Sycamore the next day (4/25).

Opening for Julie Doiron at the Union Hall show on Saturday is Purse Snatchers, which is former Dirty on Purpose drummer Doug Marvin's new musical project.

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A few more recommended shows:

I've plugged local band Savoir Adore before, who in my opinion are one of the best unheralded pop bands in town. They're playing tonight (4/23) at Pianos and you should really go out and see them. There's a newish song to download at the top of this post and is more indicative of what they do live than their concept-EP debut from last year. If you like Stars or The Go-Betweens or any classic pop, I really don't think you'll be disappointed. Also on the bill is Darwin Deez, who make infectious, '80s-tinged dance pop that's kind of hard to dislike. One of their MP3s is above too.

As you may have read on this site, Chicago's Headlights are playing on Friday (4/24) at the Bell House. If you're going to that show (or are looking for something to do and everything else I've written about here doesn't sound interesting to you), I implore you to show up early and check out North Carolina's The Love Language. I really like their self-titled debut that is warm and inviting, lush and low-fi at the same time.

And Sunday night (4/26) at Maxwells is the Fourth Anniversary party for Musicsnobbery.com. Last year, Moby filled in when headliners The Teeth broke up days before his Third Anniversary party. This year there's no such drama, but the line-up is solid: Crystal Stilts, Mahogany (both faves of mine) and Motel Motel. Might I suggest you bring Musicsnobbery blog founder Chris some cookies in appreciation?

Tour dates and videos after the jump...

Continue reading "Jeremy Jay, Julie Doiron, Katie Stelmanis, Blank Dogs, The Beets, Wizzard Sleeve & more in This Week In Indie"