Pete's Candy Store photos by Amanda Hatfield, Crash Mansion photos by Jessica Amaya, Pianos & Mercury Lounge photos by Chris La Putt, words by Rachel Kowal

Oh Land @ Rebel NYC (more by David Andrako)

You've been following the CMJ adventures of multiple BV contributors for two weeks now, including the day by day reviews from Rachel Kowal. Before too much more time passes, here is the conclusion of Rachel's week (with the end of day four and all of day five), and assorted pictures from four other shows all rolled into one big post. Check it all out, below....

Continue reading "Rachel's CMJ 2010 recap conclusion w/ lots of pics (Lia Ices, Sarah Jaffe, Ume, Robbers on High Street, Buke & Gass, more) "

photos by Oren Loloi

"Last, but in no way least, was Rural Alberta Advantage, who played their last NYC show of 2009. If you can believe it, the trio's percussive elements are highlighted even more live than on their smash album, Hometowns. In addition to the strong beats, Nils Edenloff's warbly croon wowed the audience throughout the mostly-originals set. A highlight was RAA's cover of Abba's "SOS" (of course, it's only fitting that a band that was formed at an open mic night would nail a re-interpreted Abba song!) Should, for some odd reason, you not care for RAA's music, it's worth going to a concert just for the history lesson. At the show, for instance, we learned that petrified wood is the provincial stone of Alberta, which is why it makes its way into "Drain The Blood" and that the best thing to do if you ever find yourself in Edmonton is to go to the Legislative Grounds and look directly at the lights. [CMJ]

The Rural Alberta Advantage headlined Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday night (10/7). The Openers were Kittens Ablaze and The Lovely Feathers. The latter, also from Canada, are now on tour and will be back in NYC for CMJ.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the show Rural Alberta are playing with Passion Pit at Terminal 5 on January 8th. More pictures from Bowery Ballroom, and all Lovely Feathers dates, below...

Continue reading "The Rural Alberta Advantage played Bowery w/ The Lovely Feathers (pics) -- tix on sale for Terminal 5 w/ Passion Pit "

Passion Pit @ Central Park Summerstage (gohingplaces)

"This whole summer - the past three months - have been all festivals," said Passion Pit bassist Jeff Apruzzese. "So I feel like I'm finally getting used to it and now it's over."

So, was this exhausting, rainy weekend worth it?

It was for Passion Pit who said they would "love" to play at ACL again.

"Definitely [we would come back]," said keyboard player and guitarist for Passion Pit Ian Hultquist. "Hopefully when we come back it will be more relaxed and not super intense like it was today." [the battalion]

Passion Pit played the rainy Austin City Limits festival over the weekend. Not long before that, they opened two nights in a row for Phoenix at Central Park Summerstage. They're still a relatively new band, but they've also played multiple nights at Pianos, Glasslands, a Rocks Off Boat, Bowery Ballroom more than once (more than twice even), Music Hall of Williamsburg, and technically even Webster Hall. Next up: a headlining show at Terminal 5 on January 8th. Tickets go on AmEX presale Wednesday at noon, and then general sale Friday at the same time.

Opening the T5 show is a Canadian band who also got their NYC start at Pianos, and who is headlining their own show at Bowery Ballroom this Wednesday night (Oct 7). I'm talking about The Rural Alberta Advantage. Tickets are still on sale. Kittens Ablaze and The Lovely Feathers are the openers.

All dates below...

Continue reading "Passion Pit playing Terminal 5 w/ Rural Alberta Advantage who headline Bowery on Wednesday - 2009 Tour Dates"

by Dominic Masi, Jr.

DOWNLOAD: Stupid Party - 1234 (MP3)

"I'm in a more serious relationship with the two of them than I have been with any girlfriend I've ever had in my life. We were all in shittier bands before this." - Cory of Stupid Party

Stupid Party are not just another three piece from Brooklyn. They've actually been around for a few years, playing their raw punk, metal and punch you in the face, pop songs, in lands both home and away. Literally. "We kept/keep playing shows at our house which without a doubt has hosted the best punk shows in New York," said Cory, the band's vocalist and guitarist (who I had a chance to talk to via email).

Stupid Party released a 7" on Starcleaner Records last year, which is now in it's 2nd pressing, and in March they put out their first LP on Freedom School Records. Check out one MP3 above with more streaming at their MySpace.

Tonight (5/11) they open for Times New Viking (who played Market Hotel last night) and Vivian Girls at Bowery Ballroom (making this a sick triple bill!) According to Cory, "We'll probably be blacked out." Let's hope not. Get there early to make sure you don't miss them.

They also play Brooklyn D.I.Y. festival Hillstock on June 6th. All tour dates and fliers below...

Continue reading "Stupid Party - MP3 & upcoming shows (w/ Vivian Girls & Times New Viking tonight, Silent Barn & Hillstock)"

DOWNLOAD: JBM - Cleo's Song on NPR (MP3)

Though Montreal singer-songwriter Jesse B. Marchant reports that he spent little time in church growing up, he both lived and recorded his debut album, Not Even In July in Henry Hirsch's church studio in Hudson, NY, often stepping outside only in the mornings to get breakfast. After living in Los Angeles for much of the song-writing process, taking up residency in a church built in the late 19th century was a nice change of scenery for Marchant, who came to find the social climate in L.A. not to his liking. Not only was the church an amazing setting for its acoustics, Marchant grew to appreciate its peaceful and historical aura." [NPR]

Spin if you like Jim James, My Morning Jacket, Ryan Adams, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and especially Jose Gonzalez. JBM plays Mercury Lounge in NYC tonight (4/25). He goes on at 8 and shares the bill with Ravens & Chimes and Kittens Ablaze.

DOWNLOAD: Casiokids - Fot I Hose (Axemax Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kittens Ablaze - Gloom Doom Buttercups (MP3)

Casiokids @ On the Side @ the Seaport (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

One of our favorite bands from CMJ is coming back to the United States in March. Norway's Casiokids will play two shows in NYC before they head to Austin to play a bunch of shows at SXSW. The NYC shows are March 17th at the Annex with BM Linx, and one day earlier at The Bell House with fellow Norwegians The New Wine, NYC's Anamanaguchi, and NYC's Kittens Ablaze. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale.

Norway's annual by:Larm music conference went down in Oslo this past weekend. Billboard reports:

In total, 280 bands participated in over 500 concerts (a substantial increase from 2008's 350), with several more playing unofficial by:Larm shows in fringe venues during the event. Attendance was strong from the international delegate fraternity as well as local residents, amounting to an approximate total audience of 25,000, according to organizers.

Some of the hot tips packing out venues were recent Universal Music Norway signing Harry's Gym, Icelandic outfit Hjaltalin, Norwegian-language group Casiokids and the Whitest Boy Alive, an electronic act featuring Erlend Øye of Norwegian indie-folk duo Kings Of Convenience. Danish electro group WhoMadeWho headlined the Saturday night main tent finale.

Moshi Moshi is releasing a new Casiokids single on March 2nd. One of the songs on that is the instrumental "Fot I Hose". A remix of that song above, and its new official video, and all tour dates, are below...

Continue reading "Casiokids - NYC & SXSW dates, by:Larm + new video, remix"