DOWNLOAD: Heavenly Beat - "Messiah" (MP3)

Xeno and Oaklander at BV-CMJ 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Brooklyn synth goths Xeno and Oaklander have an upcoming local show this week at Public Assembly on Friday (5/11) with Frank (Just Frank), and DJ sets by Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J, CREEP and Todd Pendu. (There's also an open Asahi beer bar at 9:30.) Tickets are still available.

Next month, the band will head to Austin for Chaos in Tejas, and upon returning home, they'll play another NYC show at The Studio at Webster Hall on June 11 with fellow goths Plastic Flowers and Religious to Damn and fellow electronic artist Autre Ne Veut. Tickets are on sale now. The flier for this show is below.

In related news, Martial Canterel (aka Sean McBride aka 1/2 of Xeno and Oaklander) is opening for Iceage at LPR on 7/22 with Dirty Beaches and RØSENKØPF. Tickets are still available

RØSENKØPF also plays Glasslands with King Dude soon, in celebration of a new record. That record has a song called "Light The Way" which has a video which you can watch below.

In addition to DJing the Friday Public Assembly show, David J is also DJing tonight (5/10) at Elmurst club Arena Queens. Besides his gigs in Bauhaus and Love & Rockets (and Porno for Pyros and The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy), David J has a long solo career as well, having released his eighth album, Not Long for This World, last year on Starry Records. You can stream some of it here.

In more related news, Plastic Flowers have a NYC show coming up at Glasslands on July 10 with Captured Tracks bands Cosmetics and Beach Fossils side project Heavenly Beat (who has a new song out, download above), and Psychobuildings. Tickets are on sale now.

Speaking of both Cosmetics and Dirty Beaches, Exclaim points out that Montreal's Grand Trine have broken up and member Shubhayan Roy has joined Dirty Beaches while Tobias Rochman has joined Cosmetics.

All dates, stream, and flier below...

Continue reading "more Xeno & Oaklander dates; Autre Ne Veut; David J the DJ; new Heavenly Beat MP3 & a RØSENKØPF video too"

by BBG

King Dude at Home Sweet Home (more by Phil Maier)

After blessing NYC (with a full band) earlier this month, King Dude will return to NYC to play Glasslands on July 5th, with RØSENKØPF, and Italian Horn, and DJ sets by Ryan Dais & Pieter Wierd. Tickets are on sale for what will be a stop before King Dude continues to Europe for a tour.

RØSENKØPF are welcoming their debut LP via WIERD Records on May 15th, and will celebrate the release with a show at Home Sweet Home on May 2nd. The show is one of two shows on the calendar for the gothic post-punk band, who will also play Le Poisson Rouge on 7/22 with Iceage (one of two NYC shows) and Martial Canterel (tickets still on sale).

Iceage, King Dude & RØSENKØPF all share a bill in June at Chaos in Tejas.

Preorder your copy of the self-titled RØSENKØPF LP via the label and stream some material from the record below alongside all tour dates....

Continue reading "King Dude playing Glasslands with RØSENKØPF (who will celebrate their new record at Home Sweet Home)"

photos by Phil Maier, words by BBG

King Dude @ Home Sweet Home

King Dude played his first NYC show with a full band in tow at Home Sweet Home on April 11th as part of "Wierd Wednesdays" at Home Sweet Home. The show was a rare one-off on the East Coast for the Seattle-based goth artist, and one of a very small number of shows for TJ Cowgill (also Book of Black Earth) overall, though you can catch him in Austin at Chaos in Tejas this year as part of a bill that includes Iceage (who play NYC twice in the coming months), Xeno & Oaklander, Pop. 1280, Kindest Lines, Dangerous Boys Club, Anasazi (who play Acheron next week), RØSENKØPF (them too), and YOU.

Pop 1280, who will embark on a US tour in May, play a NYC show at Death By Audio on Saturday (4/14) as part of a record release celebration for White Suns's new LP Sinews. Stream that release in its entirety at Spin now. Pop 1280 also play a Brooklyn show with O'Death in May.

King Dude pictures from Home Sweet Home are below.

Continue reading "King Dude played Home Sweet Home (pics); White Suns celebrate new LP in Brooklyn Saturday"

King Dude

King Dude "will be playing his first show with an accompanied band" TONIGHT at Home Sweet Home (4/11) as part of the ongoing Wierd Wednesday at the venue. The show is a one-off for the gothic crooner, who is also scheduled to play Chaos in Tejas in Austin with Iceage Xeno & Oaklander, Pop. 1280, Kindest Lines, Dangerous Boys Club, Anasazi, RØSENKØPF, and YOU.

King Dude released the Love LP last year and is prepping the new "You Can Break My Heart" b/w "Devil's Tail" 7", a new LP due this summer, and a split with the mighty Urfaust soon. Stream all of Love below.

In other news, RØSENKØPF have released a new song from their self-titled debut for Wierd Records. Stream "Burning Spirits" from that record below. Look for RØSENKØPF to play NYC next on 4/20 at Acheron with Puerto Rico Flowers (ex-Clockcleaner, their final show), Anasazi and York Factory Complaint.Catch RØSENKØPF in July when they open for Iceage at one of their two just-announced NYC dates.

All streams are below.

Continue reading "King Dude plays Home Sweet Home tonight; RØSENKØPF releases new track from WIERD debut"

by BBG

Monster Island Block Party (photo by Johnathan Percy)

Cult of Youth (who played the recent final Monster Island block party) will return to the space to join forces with King Dude (aka the goth-y folk project of TJ Cowgill of Book of Black Earth) and Alice Cohen to play 9/22 at Live with Animals, one of the last shows scheduled for their current space, 210 Kent Ave. But don't worry, Secret Project Robot has already secured their future:

Following the end of their lease, Secret Project Robot will be moving to 389 Melrose Street. The art gallery and peformance space's new home will be smaller than its current location, but is adjacent to a 4,000-square-foot lot, which will probably be quite nice come next summer. Moving with them are experimental art rock band Oneida and the Live With Animals gallery. Venue Monster Island Basement will be closing. -[BushwickBK.com]

The new space has a few events coming up, including 10/20 with KNYFE HYTS, 10/24's "Allison Awesome Birthday Party" featuring Call of the Wild (ex-Awesome Color), a 10/28 Pterodactyl Record Release party, "The most insane scary Halloween Art Installation and Party" on 10/29 featuring Jonathon Toubin, and 11/19 with Section 25 and Stereograph.

There are still a few other shows left at the old space, including TONIGHT (9/19) with performances from Dan Friel, Alexico, Netherfriends as part of a FREE show that kicks off at 8PM. The final dates for the old space go down on 9/30 and 10/1, with Regal Degal, Royal Baths, Total Slacker, Hume, and Quilt hitting on 9/30 and a tentative "MONSTER ISLAND REQUIEM AUTUMNAL UNAMPLIFIED ACOUSTIC BBQ" scheduled for the following day.

Cult of Youth will also play Saint Vitus on 10/1 with Lost Tribe, Anasazi, and Dead Reich. The show is the record release show for Lost Tribe's LP which is out now on Sean of COYouth's label Blind Prophet Records. Stream some material below.

Continue reading "Secret Project Robot has a new space, but first some more events in the old one..."

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Book of Black Earth - "Cross Contamination" (MP3)

After two-plus years away from the studio (and one BV SXSW day party) Book of Black Earth is back with another crusty blackened thrash LP in The Cold Testament, the follow-up to 2008's Horoskopus. The Seattle band's latest effort, due on May 24th via Prosthetic Records and on vinyl via Inimical Records, features eight tracks of unrelenting, crust-ridden blackened pummel accentuated with buzzsaw guitars courtesy of producer Chris Common (Pelican, The Sword). Feel the arctic blast of the deceptively melodic burner "Cross Contamination", which is making its premiere in this post. Download it above. Stream it below, and preorder The Cold Testament on CD via Prosthetic.

Outside of his time as a member of Book of Black Earth, vocalist/guitarist TJ Cowgill has a few different balls in the air. Currently, Cowgill is serving as founder/head conjurer for clothing label Actual Pain, who recently released their Spring line. The ex-Teen Chtulu madman also has a solo project in King Dude, who released the Tonight's Special Death LP in August of last year. The King Dude project mirrors apocalyptic folk like Current 93 or Death In June, and contains less of the blasting distorted guitars that serve as the basis for BOBE. Stream King Dude's latest LP below and check out his bandcamp for more details.

Cowgill also runs Wall of Dogs, a cassette label that released the Cross tape (Cowgill is a member of the blackened band) as well as a forthcoming release from Tit Pig. Stream "Acid Bath" by Tit Pig below, a track that effectively straddles the line between stoner-blues and hardcore fury, and look for the new cassette when it drops via the label.

So far no tour dates for BOBE, but that will undoubtedly change and soon. Until then, check out the tracklisting for the new LP, the song stream, and some live video of the band performing the new tracks "I See Demons" and "Research and Destroy" below...

Continue reading "Book of Black Earth releasing 'The Cold Testament' (MP3 premiere) ++ listen to King Dude, Tit Pig & more too"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Wild Nothing - Golden Haze (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cosmetics - Sleepwalking (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Magic Bullets - Lying Around (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Stereo Total - Baby Ouh (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unnatural Helpers - Sunshine/Pretty Girls (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unnatural Helpers - Girl in the Window (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bare Wires - Seeking Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Sundelles - Gold (MP3)

Wild Nothing

It's another Double Issue sized column this week with a lot of exciting stuff this week. We'll start with a contest. Wild Nothing headline an all-Captured Tracks bill at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night (8/28) with Cosmetics, MINKS, and Blank Dogs...and we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show. Just send an email to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with the subject line "Wild Nothing" and we'll pick a winner at random.

There's a lot going on in Wild Nothing's world. The band, who hail from Blacksburg, VA, are packing their bags and moving Brooklyn. Not really surprising, except that it took this long. They also have a new EP, Golden Haze, coming out on Captured Tracks sometime in the near future. Apart from the title cut (which you can download above), tracklistings on the CD, 12" and digital versions will vary, which reminds me of the way they used to release multiple versions of UK CD singles in the '90s to get a higher chart position. Fun with formats, or milking the fans? I guess if all the songs are worth hearing it won't matter.

No matter which one you buy, "Golden Haze" is another sparkler from these guys who have been playing a lot of new songs at their shows. And if you haven't picked up their debut Gemini yet, I think it's one of the year's best. And with a permanent line-up (and a new, really solid drummer), Wild Nothing have been a really good live band too.

P.S. Captured Tracks will be giving out free mixtapes at the Bowery Ballroom merch table

Cosmetics

Also on that Bowery bill are Vancouver synthpop duo Cosmetics who are playing a string of NYC shows in this week: tonight (8/25) at the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home, then the Bowery show on Saturday, and finally at Glasslands for Pendu Disco on Tuesday (8/31) with Cult of Youth and Seattle's King Dude. Cosmetics only have two singles out at the moment, though both are pretty good shavings of retro-futuristic minimal disco. (Not too far off from what Glass Candy does.) You can download the A-side of their current single, "Sleepwalking," at the top of this post.

Stereo Total

If you want more minimal beats but with an angular, more arty bent, Stereo Total are playing tonight (8/25) at Le Poisson Rouge. The veteran French-German duo have been supercolliding styles for nearly 20 years. Krautrock, chanson, new wave, punk, garage...Stereo Total make it their own. They were the first band I ever saw at Bowery Ballroom, sometime in 1998, and I still remember a medley they did that featured covers of Salt n' Peppa's "Push it" and Hot Butter's "Popcorn." That's sort of Stereo Total in a nutshell. Their eighth album, Baby Ouh!, is a lot of fun. Check out the album's title track at the top of this post.  The band are just getting started on their North American tour, and all dates are at the bottom of this post.

Magic Bullets

If you're going to see Tennis at Glasslands on Thursday, make sure you get there in time to see San Francisco's Magic Bullets. The band's debut album, just out on Mon Amie Records, recalls the early '80s days of Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Haircut 100 and The Style Council, with a little C-86 in there as well. (That's basically the formula to get me to come see your band. Well, one of them.) In addition to drawing from a bunch of influences dear to me, they write some fantastically catchy songs. Download one of them, "Lying Around," at the top of this post.

If you can't make the Glasslands show, Magic Bullets are also doing an in-store at Permanent Records in Greenpoint on Friday (8/27) afternoon and then play Pianos Saturday night with Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion) and Staunton, VA's Cinnamon Band.

Unnatural Helpers

Still more! Seattle's Unnatural Helpers released one of my favorite songs of Summer 2010, the addiction-loving "Sunshine/Pretty Girls," which can be found on the band's Hardly Art debut, Cracked Love and Other Drugs. It can also be found at the top of this post in MP3 form. Download it right now. If there's nothing else quite as glorious on the rest of the album, that makes the rest of it merely very good.  Frontman Dean Whitmore plays drums in The Intelligence (whose forthcoming new album is pretty fab) but where that band is making cerebral garage, Unnatural Helpers punkish driving force is man's other frontal lobe. If you know what I'm saying.

Unnatural Helpers are in the area for four shows. They play Bruar Falls Dead Herring (it moved from Bruar Falls) on Saturday (8/28) with Bare Wires (more on them in just a sec), Shea Stadium on Monday (8/30) with the Babies, Maxwell's on Wednesday, September 1st, and then Cake Shop on Thursday, September 2. The band are then going on tour with Mudhoney, and those dates are at the bottom of this post.

Bare Wires

As mentioned above, the Saturday show at Bruar Falls Dead Herring is with Bare Wires whose new album (their second) just came out on John Dwyer's Castle Face Records, a label that only seems to spring to life when the Ohsees frontman finds a band he likes. (Previous Castle Face releases include debuts from Ty Segall and the Fresh & Onlys.) Though the two previous sentences might lead you to believe Bare Wires to be blown-out low-fi garage. They are in fact a really great power pop band in the tradition of The Nerves or even The Sweet,  and the album, Seeking Love, is decidedly mid-fi. Don't believe me? There's an MP3 of the album's title track up there amongst all the others. These guys know their way around a hook.

In addition to the Bruar Falls show on Sunday (a kind of don't miss in my book if you can tear yourself away from Mad Men and True Blood), Bare Wires also play Friday (8/27) at Monster Island Basement with Xray Eyeballs and Liquor Store.

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And finally, Montreal's incredible Think About Life were supposed to play two shows/cruises on The Boat on Friday (8/27) but the concerts struck a metaphorical iceberg and sunk. (It got canceled.) Luckily, Think About Life abandoned ship and are now playing Santos Party House instead. I've said it a zillion times in the last year, TAL are one of my favorite live bands of the moment and they'll be one of yours too if you go see them. No matter how bad a mood you're in, you'll leave smiling. Don't be dumb...go to this show!

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And a few more recommended shows not covered above.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25

Florida's awesome Jacuzzi Boys are playing Knitting Factory tonight for another of those Scion Garage shows, this time with Nobunny headlining. Free with RSVP. I'm not sure what it is about their sound -- the singer's voice, the more garagey Feelies-esque jangle -- but I just love them. Nobunny is fun too, of course, but I kind of wish he'd spring for a new bunny mask. It's getting really, really creepy.

Austin's TV Torso play Death By Audio tonight. Their new EP, Status Quo Vadis, is darkly romantic, atmospheric, and rockin'. It's also a free download via their bandcamp site. I dig it. Also playing: Juston Stens & Get the Real Gang, and Slow Animal.

Tennis play the first of their NYC shows at Cake Shop.

continued below...

Continue reading "Wild Nothing, Cosmetics, Stereo Total, Magic Bullets, Unnatural Helpers, Bare Wires, Jacuzzi Boys & more in This Week in Indie"