by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Whores - "Fake Life" (MP3)

Whores

The new Whores LP is another in a long string of wins for Brutal Panda, who will release the band's sludgy noise-core debut Ruiner on December 20th. Stream two songs by Whores below including the new track "Fake Life" (which makes its debut here) and check out other tracks that recently surfaced on Decibel and Metalsucks. Pre-order your copy at the Brutal Panda site - for fans of Unsane, Today is The Day, and latter favorites like Fight Amp.

The trio will follow-up the release with a string of dates that will include New Year's Eve at The Earl with Kylesa and Royal Thunder in their hometown of Atlanta, as well as Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on January 4th with sludge-monsters Javelina (!), the always amazing Tiger Flowers and recent gothic punk favorites Psychic Teens. Ticketing info is forthcoming, but $10 gets you in the door for this 8PM show.

All streams, the tour poster and dates are below.

Continue reading "Whores releasing album Ruiner, touring --- (dates, song debut, a Brooklyn show w/ Javelina & Tiger Flowers)"

by BBG

Youth of Today at Chaos in Tejas (more by BBG)

After many years away from the road, Youth of Today will return to play a free CMJ show at Santos Party House in NYC on Saturday, 10/22. This is the same show that Trash Talk & Kylesa are playing, not to mention AraabMUZIK, Action Bronson, Mr. Motherfuckin eXquire, Main Attrakionz and many others for what will be an eclectic mix of stoner, hardcore, and hip hop. Converse's "True Til Def" will be hosted by the venue's own Andrew WK and is open to the 21+ public, but RSVP is required. Full lineup and flyer for the show is below.

In related news, Primitive Weapons (who are also on the 10/22 show) will support Rwake & Hull at Mercury Lounge on 10/10 as part of Hull's record release party. Tickets are on sale.

Trash Talk also plays at least two other CMJ shows.

Converse lineup and flyers below...

Continue reading "Youth of Today playing Converse CMJ show w/ Kylesa, Action Bronson, eXquire, AraabMUZIK, Primitive Weapons & more"

by BBG

Tragedy fan at Europa (more by Konstantin Sergeyev)

No rest for the wicked. After a grueling weekend of heavy music at Maryland Deathfest (pictures of day 1 HERE, day two HERE, day three HERE, and day four HERE), I am looking forward to a mix of punk, hardcore, metal, crust, d-beat, and indie at Chaos in Tejas in Austin this week! Kicking off on Thursday (June 2nd) the four day festival features appearances from tons notables, day shows, after parties, and in-stores, some for free. Swing down for a blow by blow breakdown of what you should look for every day at the multi-venue music fest.

---

Thursday, June 2

Ah the start of the festival.... fresh legs and feet, and a hunger for tons of good bands. Thursday will sate your hunger too, as there are tons of great hardcore/metal shows to choose from. Shows tonight happen on both stages at Emo's, both stages at Red 7, at the Mohawk, Beauty Bar, Beerland and the Broken Neck.

Despite the high profile cancellation of Killing Joke at Emo's outdoor, CIT bounced back and added Cro-Mags to an already awesome lineup of rare appearances from strong>Asta Kask (Swedish d-beat), D-Clone (a rare show from these Japanese hardcore monsters), Veins (featuring Mark McCoy from Charles Bronson/Das Oath as well as Ian from Copremesis/Castevet), Double Negative (North Carolinian hardcore greats who released the awesome Daydreamnation last year), Vile Gash (brutal hardcore on Youth Attack), Japan'sThe Slowmotions, and NYC's Cult of Youth (dark folk with a great new LP on Sacred Bones) and Crazy Spirit (excellent hardcore with members of Perdition).

Thankfully, I can use my wristband from Emo's to hit up Red 7, right around the corner, where an awesome metal show will clash with an awesome garage show on the two stages. Finnish doomers Hooded Menace will headline on stage with Denmark's Undergang, crusty death metallers Acephalix (mems of the amazing Vastum), more death metal from Bone Sickness, and local death and rollers Mammoth Grinder. Meanwhile, the second stage will feature The Spits, the Arrivals, Shellshag, TV Ghost, and others. All of this means that I'll probably miss Converge/Title Fight/Touche Amore/Trap Them/Burning Love/the Menzingers at Mohawk and How I Quit Crack/The Indicator Dogs at Beauty Bar. At least I can end the night right with Tragedy and Origin of M at Broken Neck as part of an after-party. Yikes!

the rest of Thursday's schedule and what to do on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, below...

Continue reading "BBG's Guide to Chaos in Tejas 2011"

words & photos by BBG

Neurosis

After a day of heavy music that culminated in the last US set from Cathedral, the second day of Maryland Deathfest was marked by sets from Neurosis, Aura Noir, Corrosion of Conformity, Funebrarum, Marduk, Exhumed, Kylesa, Machetazo, Cripple Bastards, Pulling Teeth, Nocturnal, The Impalers & Nails. Save for the latter two (and COC), I was able to catch all of them... with my favorite sets of the day going to Neurosis, Cripple Bastards, Funebrarum, and Exhumed.

Neurosis's set touched on songs from their latest Given To The Rising and reached back as far as Souls at Zero for "The Web". The band closed with "Through Silver In Blood" which, considering I had met the album's producer Billy Anderson earlier in the day, had a special meaning and power on top of the band's already considerable weight. Favorites like "Locust Star" and "A Sun That Never Sets" also made an appearance during the band's incredible set. The full setlist is listed below. A picture of Exhumed's is down there too.

Marduk

Marduk, Aura Noir, Black Anvil, and Panzerfaust are on a tour that hits Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 3rd. Tickets are still available. Their full list of dates is below.

A ton more pictures from Friday, below...

Continue reading "Maryland Deathfest 2011 -- Day 2 in pics & review (Neurosis, Cripple Bastards, Funebrarum, Exhumed, Marduk, more)"

Here is the initial lineup for Willamette Week's MusicfestNW, scheduled for Sept. 7-11, 2011 in Portland, Oregon, and it's pretty great. The multi-venue fest includes big outdoor performances by Band of Horses (Sunday, Sept. 11), Explosions in the Sky (Saturday, Sept. 10), and Iron & Wine (Friday, Sept. 9), in addition to shows with everyone from Archers of Loaf to Big Freedia to Butthole Surfers to Neurosis. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 3rd. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "MusicfestNW 2011 -- dates & initial lineup"

by Kim Kelly

"Grim" Kim Kelly just got home from being on the "Metalliance" tour. She served as crew for the mighty Saint Vitus and rode in the van (read: school bus) with The Atlas Moth. That tour, which also featured bands like Helmet, Kylesa, Crowbar, Red Fang and Howl, hit Irving Plaza in NYC on 3/26, and ended 4/5 in Hollywood. Kim kept a diary and took some pictures on the road. Here is the first half:

Continue reading "on the road with Metalliance (part 1)"

words & photos by BBG

Crowbar @ Irving Plaza

"Helmet promised and delivered the entire "Meantime" album and more. Never got to see them in the early 90's when they were all the rage, cuz' I was already really not into going to shows in 92' and much more into smoking pot and making videos at the School of Visual Arts, but that "Meantime" CD, I remember, sure did get a workout for awhile.

Paige Hamilton, probably the most infamous post-hardcore millionaire ever, has always been an interesting fella in the annals of the mini-major/independent controversies that sort of started and ended in the post Nirvana, halcyon days of 90 whatever, with A & R's running around and signing every art school weirdo, whilst taking all the blue M&M's from their green rooms. Interesting to see them after all these years and ponder, "Has it really been 20 fucking years since film school?" Jeez. Paige looks good and his guitar was quite loud and supra, ahem, "staccato". Just a really weird bill, what with Helmet sort of inheriting that weird art school place they once lorded over. Not really metal, not really alternative, not really punk. Couldn't help but wonder how much of that one million bucks he still has? Great set, nada banter, just loud and sing alongish..." [TrashmansReader]

Metalliance is in Merriam, Kansas tonight (without Helmet). All dates and more pictures and some videos from Irving Plaza are below...

Continue reading "Helmet played 'Meantime' & Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl & the Atlas Moth played Irving Plaza too (pics)"

Guided by Voices @ Irving Plaza, New Year's Eve (more by Chris Gersbeck)

"As previously announced, the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival will be taking place on Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th at Chicago's Union Park! Tickets went on sale on March 4th, and, as predicted, three-day passes sold out in a record time of 24 hours! That said, eager prospective festival goers should fear not, as single-day passes are still available for the totally reasonable price of $45.

And now, without further ado, the newest additions to the 2011 Pitchfork Festival lineup! Friday will see the addition of Guided By Voices and Neko Case; Saturday's lineup will feature No Age, Gang Gang Dance, G-Side, and Chrissy Murderbot; Sunday's stellar lineup now includes The Fresh & Onlys, Radio Dept., HEALTH, Shabazz Palaces, Baths, How To Dress Well, Kurt Vile, and Twin Sister. Stay tuned for more bands still to be announced in the coming weeks!"

Continue reading "Pitchfork Fest expands lineup (Guided by Voices & more)"

Metalliance photos by Samantha Marble, Whitehorse photos & words by BBG

Helmet @ Dirty Dog

Metalliance swoops in on NYC TONIGHT (3/25) at Irving Plaza (tickets still available). The tour moves into its East Coast leg after hitting SXSW and the south last week. Pictures of Saint Vitus, Helmet, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, The Atlas Moth and more from the Austin stop adorn this post.

A friday night during SXSW is always nuts, but nothing could compare to the scene at Dirty Dog which was packed to the gills on 3/18. With a line snaking down the block through the already heavily trafficked 6th Street, Dirty Dog was clearly beyond capacity (and then some) with people itching to see the traveling festival to the riff, as well as the SXSW addition of the almighty Weedeater (the show also featured Witchburn, who I/we missed). Dirty Dog was the place to be that night for metal fans in the area and it showed; during Kylesa's set the venue frantically removed tables to add extra capacity and even reportedly/unfortunately told a few bands that they had to remove their merch table as well. Venue issues aside, the bands sounded great and there was a reason why everyone wanted in; Metalliance is stacked with killer bands and performances.

Saint Vitus @ Dirty Dog

It may sound blasphemous, but knowing I would see Saint Vitus tonight in NYC, I left halfway through their set to head to the WFMU showcase down the street. It was there in a relatively light Barbarella that I caught one of my favorite performances at SXSW, Australians Whitehorse who tore the place down with their crushing death-doom punctuated with noise. Absolutely sick band that deserves to be playing to the hessian masses, and luckily for NYCers, you'll be able to catch them with The Body at Acheron on 4/1.

More pictures from Metalliance and Whitehorse at WFMU, and tour dates, below.

Continue reading "The Metalliance tour hits NYC tonight, Whitehorse is coming soon (here are pics from both at SXSW)"

photos by Samantha Marble & Tim Griffin

Surfer Blood (by Tim Griffin)

SXSW started out for us this year on two stages with fifteen bands at Emo's for a free six hour BrooklynVegan day party presented by Feed the Beat.

On the big stage Anamanaguchi kicked things off right at noon with a high energy, 8-bit pop rock set to a dedicated crowd who showed up early to catch them. Fresh off the Bruise Cruise, the garage rockin' Turbo Fruits kept the party going. By 1:30, with a buzz already kicking in thanks to the free Sailor Jerry and Sparks we were serving, a Place To Bury Strangers brought it with their intense, high volume noise, and then Darwin Deez followed, replacing armed-cross spectators with pockets of dancers and coordinated dance routines on stage. By the time Chiddy Bang (who arrived a bit late and therefore also had to play a shorter set) took the stage, the large room was filled in and people were ready to sing along to the rappers whose setup includes a mic and drumset, and backing tracks courtesy of bands like MGMT and Passion Pit (members of whom were in the audience). The Vaccines, all the way from the UK, kept the momentum going with their brit rock, though they also played a short set reportedly due to worries over the singer's voice.

By the time Mister Heavenly took the stage, you were lucky to find a place to stand, due in part to the many wanting to check out Michael Cera's bass skills. Many were also multitasking, aka watching music and eating the massive amounts of free burritos that Taco Bell delivered through the back door and were handing out all over the place. As Andrew pointed out, "Mr. Heavenly perfored an appropriately lovely set, its two frontmen trading verses in their own styles." The two frontmen are of course Nick Diamonds from Islands and Honus Honus from Man Man. The group is rounded out by Modest Mouse drummer Joe Plummer.

And finally, as Bill pointed out, Surfer Blood "gave us an enjoyable hits-packed [headlining] set from their first album." That of course was going down on the bigger outside stage while Kylesa was completely destroying on the inside stage - I actually watched more of Kylesa than Surfer Blood, but BBG can tell you more about that...

Deafheaven (by Sam Marble)

Despite traffic issues that made The Roller open the inside stage on the late side, the Austin band's bulldozing doom thunder opened the BV festivities at SXSW with a roar. The Roller is one of my favorite heavy bands in Austin, so it was great to see this powerful foursome in action on a BV stage (until I can convince 'em to come up north!).

When the Deafheaven guys arrived, their tees were a dead giveaway. Sporting merch from Hate Forest, Hellfish (records), and Slowdive, it was obvious to see the band's influences, but their live show was definitely born of hardcore. Wide-eyed cocalist George Clarke was in the audience's face, or thrashing maniacally as the band tore through tracks like "Violet" from their forthcoming Roads To Judah and "Libertine Dissolves" from their demo.

The Secret followed Deafheaven, and their blistering blast-y down-tuned hardcore reminded me of breathren Trap Them, Rotten Sound, or Converge in the live setting. Furious blackened hardcore that was technical and powerful.

KEN Mode was next, delivering the hardcore-infused noise rock jams that shine on their new LP Venerable. KEN Mode would leave shortly after their set to headline Scoot Inn as part of a Thrasher show with Dark Castle, The Body and others.

Blackened electric swamp-blues from Dax Riggs kept energy levels on high before Trash Talk brought the crowd to a circle pitting/crowd-surfing frenzy. The band was short their usual bassist though, as Spencer was in the hospital after being stabbed by some "nazi motherfuckers" at a hardcore show in their native California. Despite the replacement, Trash Talk was undeterred and as incendiary as ever.

Kylesa closed the day out with faves like set-opener "Hollow Severer", "Tired Climb", "Running Red", and "Scapegoat", before calling it a day before a sold-out crowd. Excellent set from these Savannah greats, who seem to get better (and bigger) with each show.

All in all it was an amazing first day at SXSW that continued two hours later with six more hours of bands at Swan Dive.

Thanks to Feed the Beat, Orange (who provided the thunder behind Kylesa), Line 6 (the mics), Korg (keyboard), Vox (amps), Blackstar (and amps), Sensible Portions, Honest Tea, Raw Revolution, Sailor Jerry, SPARKS, everyone at Emo's, The Syndicate, Andy, Erik, Katie, Zach, Nevonah, The Roller, Anamanaguchi & Surfer Blood for being so amenable, as well as all of the bands for being incredible! Mostly, we'd like to thank anyone/everyone who made it out on a Wednesday afternoon... your support is appreciated.

Lots more pictures and videos from the whole day, below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan/Feed the Beat Emo's Day Party in pics & video (Surfer Blood, Kylesa, Mister Heavenly, Trash Talk & more)"

"the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival will be taking place on Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th! Tickets will officially be on sale today at 12 PM CST, with single-day tickets for $45 and three-day passes for $110! If last year was any indicator, three-day passes will sell out in under a week (last year they sold out in FIVE DAYS!), so be sure to get your tickets ASAP!"

Continue reading "2011 Pitchfork Music Festival - initial lineup & tickets"

by BBG

Kylesa @ Santos in January (more by Samantha Marble)

The Metalliance tour featuring Helmet (playing all of Meantime), Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Red Fang, Howl & The Atlas Moth has expanded, adding dates on the west coast and adding the great Kylesa to the bill as well. All dates are now on sale including tickets to March 25th at Irving Plaza.

Crowbar's killer new LP Sever The Wicked Hand is out now via E1. Order a copy, it's definitely highly recommended and could be Windstein's best work yet.

Saint Vitus's Wino just completed a solo tour with Scott Kelly. Maybe you caught them Saturday night at Mercury Lounge.

The full updated set of Metalliance tour dates and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Metalliance expands tour, adds Kylesa (updated dates)"

Bonnaroo (June 9-12 in Manchester Tennessee) has announced the 2011 lineup (slightly early), and like the rumored Lollapalooza lineup, Eminem is among the headliners. Bonnaroo also has Grammy winners Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, in addition to Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, The Decemberists, Florence & the Machine, Girl Talk, Beirut (haven't seen them in a while), and many more. Full list below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is here"

photos by Samantha Marble, words by BBG

Compared to fellow Georgians Mastodon & Baroness, Kylesa have always been sort of the underdog. Now entering their 10th year as a band, it seemed like sweet justice on Wednesday (1/26) to see the band pack a headlining show at Santos Party House, and play with another THREE underrated bands in their own right.

Rosetta, East of The Wall, and Fight Amp all deserve bigger audiences than they usually draw. East of The Wall's Isis-meets-jazzy-tech is technically astounding, brutal, and endlessly watchable. Fight Amp conjure the best of Am-Rep, leaning towards hardcore. Rosetta's post-rock-meets-hardcore is spacey, atmospheric, emotional, and a live juggernaut.

I could tell from not only the crowd's size, but from some of the faces, that Kylesa's new LP Spiral Shadow has been attracting attention from some different corners of the music world. Nevertheless, the bulk of the crowd popped for fan fave "Hollow Severer" (from 006's Time Will Fuse Its Worth). Material from personal fave Static Tensions received the same warm welcome... if by welcome you mean stagedives and windmills. It was another excellent set from this crew, who unfortunately had some extra work to do the next morning.

More pictures from the show and the setlist are below...

Continue reading "Kylesa played Santos Party House w/ Rosetta, East of The Wall and Fight Amp (pics & setlist)"

by BBG

Brian Gibson and Jason Kendall of Megasus at Acheron (more)

After releasing their punishing self-titled LP with 20 Buck Spin (and playing an equally punitive live show at Acheron), Megasus is back to release a new 5" mini-EP with Brutal Panda Records. The Menace of The Universe 5" features a pair of new tracks from the Providence beatdown artists including "Damned Hammer" and the title track, which is streaming below. Guitarist Ryan Lesser is responsible for the (impressive) artwork duties on the release, which will include die-cut six-panel packaging. You can see the art and pre-order the EP at Brutal Panda's site.

Megasus, the only band that has the distinction of having a record on Brutal Panda and 20 Buck Spin all while having a song in Rock Band 2, currently have no dates on their calendar. Neither does Lightning Bolt who share drummer/bassist Brian Gibson.

In between working on his fretwork and art for the upcoming release, Ryan Lesser also found time to tell us what his favorite things were in 2010. Check out that list while you listen to the song stream for "Menace Of The Universe" below.

Continue reading "Megasus releasing an EP (listen to a track), Ryan Lesser told us his 20 Favorite Music Things of the year (check it out)"

Phil of Kylesa at Public Assembly (more by Markus Shaffer)

Kylesa are having a great end-of-year thanks to many accolades for their 2010 effort Spiral Shadow. I'm sure they'll see many new fans in the audience while touring at the end of Dececmber and through most of January. Tickets are still on sale for their headlining show at Santos Party House.

We asked Phillip Cope of Kylesa what he listened to in 2010. His list makes me think that maybe Beach House is the answer to world peace, or at least that Beach House is something that Broken Social Scene, Kate Nash, S Carey and Kylesa can all agree on (and an album that SPIN and Rolling Stone BOTH put at exactly #17 on their lists). His full list of favorite songs, most of them with video streams, below...

Continue reading "Kylesa's Phillip Cope lists his favorite songs of 2010 (listen)"

And the winner is... (obviously) Kanye West. Pitchfork posted their annual much-talked-about list of the best albums of 2010. Much like Rolling Stone, SPIN and others, Kanye's new album topped the list. Pitchfork's recipient for best song of the year, Ariel Pink, landed the 9th best album. Wavves, who they dissed pretty hard in 2009, was given the #50 spot this year (Best Coast got #39). Metal was represented by Kylesa at #44 (BBG's #21). You can scan the whole list below...

Continue reading "Pitchforks Top 50 Albums of 2010 "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Thou - "By Endurance We Conquer" (MP3)

Sleep at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more)

Lists are very subjective. A "best of" list is always an amalgam of personal experiences - that fateful moment when you press "Play" for the first time, in addition to a grade of excellent songwriting. The records I've listed below had a profound impact on me this year, as did many of the shows that I attended and put on in the past twelve months. I'd like to thank all the artists who made this list as well as the ones who didn't, in addition to people like 1000 Knives, Osiris, Bill Dozer, Ian Dickson and venues like Union Pool, The Studio at Webster Hall, Acheron, Santos Party House and a slew of others for keeping heavy music alive in NYC. But mostly, thank YOU, the reader and the listener!

Alright, enough with the sappy bulshit, let's RAGE...

Continue reading "the year 2010 in Metal (BBG's favorite records & live shows) "

photos by Chris La Putt, words by BBG

Kylesa's latest release Spiral Shadow is garnering its share of year-end accolades, and the band continues to play shows through the end of the year after recently completing a tour with High on Fire and Torche that brought them to Webster Hall in October. But Kylesa isn't content; they've already announced another tour for the new year!

BrooklynVegan is proud to present Kylesa's Spiral Shadow January 2011 tour of the East Coast, featuring appearances from Zoroaster, Rosetta, and Fight Amp along the way. The tour makes an NYC stop on 1/26 at Santos Party House with Rosetta and Fight Amp. Tickets are on sale now for the BV/1000 Knives co-production. All dates are below.

If this were science class, I'd propose the hypothesis that NYC loves Kylesa. I would then prove said theorum with the evidence of their recent surprise show with Hull at Public Assembly that took place one night after the above-mentioned Webster Hall show. It was an excellent turnout on short notice, on that possibly-hurricane-threatened day, and the Savannah band were great as they ripped through staples from previous burners as well as new classics like "Don't Look Back". Pictures from that show are HERE and HERE.

And a second set of pictures from the Webster Hall show is in this post. They continue with the tour flyer and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Kylesa touring in January -- dates & more Webster Hall pics"

photos by Chris La Putt

Last time Kylesa came through NYC they played a show at Webster Hall with Torche and High on Fire, and a smaller headlining one at Public Assembly the next day. A second set of pictures from the Brooklyn show are in this post.

And though Kylesa won't be back in NYC this year, they will be a short three hour drive away on December 28th when they play Northern Lights on December 28th. All dates and more pictures, below...

Continue reading "more Kylesa live pics & tour dates"

by BBG

Snapcase

It's 1PM in Texas and I just tied a bandana around my face before its time to get down to business. I'm not some outlaw out to rob a bank and hop on a speeding stagecoach; With the dry dirt and the hordes of kids in full-on circle-pit/floorpunch mode, a bandana or a surgical mask is a key tool in dealing with the clouds of dust that form around the chaos.

Chaos it was, off-stage that is, as the crowd popped for the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, Snapcase, Dwarves, Municipal Waste, Gwar, Mastodon and others on Fun Fun Fun Fest's Black Stage (where I spent a good bit of my time). Though I wandered to the Orange Stage to catch amazing performances from Cap'n Jazz, The Hold Steady & Descendents (among many others) and the Blue Stage to catch scorching shows from Big Freedia, Pharoahe Monch, Dam-Funk, and A-Trak, but it was the Black Stage where I caught pretty much every single band in action.

And that's a lot! One of the great things about the Black and Orange stages is that they are actually TWO stages each. A band will finish their set, and then on a stage right next to it, another band will line check and play. Times between bands varied (due to set time length and on occasion, technical difficulties), but there were moments when it was as low as 5 minutes between sets. More music and less downtime.

I started out my Saturday (11/6) with Black Congress, whose powerful post-hardcore impressed the early crowd. Hatred Surge followed, and even with a new singer in tow, the brutality has stayed a constant. Power Trip was next, and they do crossover-thrash that is less DRI/ Municipal Waste, and more serious/furious. Bands this good shouldn't play this early.

I'm very picky about sung vocals and punk rock, so it's sort of no surprise that I didn't care for either Bad Religion (who had no guitar in the mix for the first three songs), The Briggs or The Vandals, but I did enjoy what I saw of Strike Anywhere's live set (even though I am not into their recorded output). Dreadlocked singer Thomas Barnett is as energetic a frontman as I would see on the Black Stage all weekend, and really added tremendous power to the band's melodic hardcore.

Muncipal Waste (more here)

Strike Anywhere is from Richmond, and the band got a "Richmond represent" shout out from the great Municipal Waste that day. The band thrashed their way through one of my favorite sets of the afternoon, complete with thrown trash cans, a wall of death, stage diving, and an "execution" courtesy of fellow Richmond band Gwar. Gwar was fun in a kitschy way and delivered a great set later in the day, but the crowd energy and the precision of MW's live show was the most memorable.

Also on the Black stage were Valient Thorr and The Casualties who both delivered energetic sets, with the latter giving a crusty spin on the Ramones classic "Blitzkrieg Bop". The mohawk-ed kids went ape, and a wall of death, which was later faux-mocked by Municipal Waste when they initiated their own wall of death, was called upon by vocalist Jorge Herrera.

On the Orange stage, I managed to catch Woven Bones, The Appleseed Cast, and Jeff The Brotherhood. Jeff The Brotherhood is a staple of the small stage in NYC, so it was a bit odd to hear that guitar tone blaring out of 50 feet of PA speakers. Odd, but no less fun/impressive.

Along with Municipal Waste, Big Freedia was another one of my favorite sets of the day. Her nonsense odes to ass, ass, and ass-clapping were a pure sugar-rush and left 90% of the crowd in hilarious amazement and the other 10% with a big old "WTF" look. The Freedia set was tamer than her usual appearances, but no matter, it was still much fun and much booty-shakin. Dam-Funk would also get the crowd moving on that same stage hours later.

Seeing Big Freedia meant missing a good portion of Cap'n Jazz, who announced on stage that Fun Fun Fun would be their last show. Unbelieveably kinetic and powerful, Cap'n Jazz reminds me that emo is short for "emotional" and not just a psuedonym for pop-crossover. Mesmerizing and awesome.

Peelander-Z

Sunday (11/7) was a late start for me, so I got to the venue to see the tail end of Junius (who played 2nd, after Eagle Claw on the Black Stage). They're a band I'm very familiar with for their latter-Isis crunch-and-clean vocals steelo. It was surprisingly the next band that really got me going: Peelander-Z. With a large crowd looking on, Peelander-Z delivered an incredible mix of energy, stage presence, audience participation, fun and simple song-craft, and plain old good times. They played from the crowd. They stage dove. They led the audience in a giant game of limbo. They had a footrace. Totally fun.

I have a lot of recent experience seeing OFF!, High on Fire, Kylesa, Floor, Mastodon, and The Bronx, who all played the Black Stage that day. All gave predictably excellent shows though Kylesa in particular seemed a bit more energetic that usual (lots of Laura pogoing). It might have been the fact that FFF marked the end of their US tour with Torche and High on Fire, but they were particularly good on that sweltering Sunday afternoon. Floor was great as usual, though I enjoyed them more at Red 7 later that night... possibly because their music felt like a bookend to a great weekend. Both High on Fire and Mastodon's setlist delved into all of their recorded efforts which, as a long time fan, was comforting.

I'm not particularly scared of anyone, but Human Furnace of Ringworm gives me the shakes. His gravelly voice propels the rest of the Clevo-hardcore band forward and blew my mind that afternoon. They were one of my highlights of the day, and if I had only seen them and Snapcase on Sunday, I would have been content.

If my dad listened to modern music anymore, he would go apeshit for The Hold Steady. The band cranked out a crunchy Springsteen-esque set and sounded better than I have ever heard them before. Though they were killing on the Orange stage, I made the hard decision to bounce to catch the rest of Suicidal Tendencies' set.

Nothing against Mike Muir, but he isn't in the same shape that John Joseph of the Cro-Mags is (Muir and the rest of the known universe). No matter, it doesn't stop him from zigging and zagging back and forth on stage as the rest of Suicidal Tendencies runs through hits like "You Can't Bring Me Down" and "I Saw Your Mommy". High energy stuff; I can't imagine running in circles while trying to recite the words to "Institutionalized". Catch Suicidal and Cro-Mags together at Terminal 5 on November 14th.

If I was to pick two of my favorite sets from Sunday, the winners easily go to Snapcase and Descendents. Snapcase was brutal, technical, confrontational, and totally fun; the crowd gave back every ounce of energy that the band put in. From the opening notes of their third song, "Zombie Transmission" from Progress Through Unlearning, I knew that this was going to be a highlight. We need more shows from Snapcase.

Descendents, who we also need more shows from, are one of the few bands that pass my "no clean vocals in punk rock" test. Their songs are funny without being goofy, melodic without being overtly pop, and driving/hard when they want to be. Classics like "Suburban Home", "Bikeage" and a good portion of Somery, "Everything Sucks" and many of the highlights from that LP, and tons of others all made their way onto the setlist that night. And yes, the band made sure to fit in "All" and "Weinerschnitzel". Too fun, and though I left Mastodon early to catch them, I have no regrets.

As far as pictures go, we already split the fest up into ten other posts, my pictures from Saturday included. This post is number 11 and it includes all my pictures from Sunday (and it is our final set of Fun Fun Fun pics from this year) which continue, below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest in review w/ more Day 3 pics (part 4) - Snapcase, Floor Suicidal Tendencies, Kylesa, Ringworm & more"

photos by Tim Griffin

Peelander Pink & fan

As just mentioned, Fun Fun Fun Fest closed out Sunday night with competing headlining sets by Mastodon and the Descendents. Earlier that day, NYC's own Peelander-Z played a set to a massive crowd of punks, metalheads and indie kids alike. I already thought Peelander were awesome before I saw them wow Austin, but now I'm even more enamored with them. Don't forget to catch them out on tour and greet them at Santos Party House on November 20th when they get home. Like LaneHolloway.com says:

"At first I had no clue what Peelander Z was about, but any band named Peelander Z has to be worth seeing at least once. PZ is off-the-wall fun -- it was the most fun I've had watching a band in a long time. Any band that replaces themselves with people from the audience then begins to run around in the audience doing human bowling, crowd surfing, calisthenics and banging on pots and pans is worth seeing multiple times. The songs were simplistic, but fun and the energy they gave off was something not to be missed."

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 - Day Three in pics (part 1) - OFF!, Peelander-Z, Kylesa, Mastodon, Ringworm & more"

photos by Markus Shaffer, words by BBG

Kylesa played Public Assembly on Monday, 10/25, with Hull, a one-off surprise show for the band during their current trek with High On Fire and Torche (Webster Hall pictures here, Torche pictures here).

Unofficially, the show marked the band's coronation of Spiral Shadow, their new LP out NOW on Season of Mist. Quite a few tracks from that LP were represented at the shindig, including my personal fave the crunch-y Built-To-Spill-esque "Don't Look Back". The band opened with the old fave "Hollow Severer" and closed with the Static Tensions burner "Scapegoat" complete with Philip Cope and Corey Barhorst on tribal drumming duties.

A big thank you go to all who attended and to the incredible Hull who came out of a live-show-slumber (they are currently writing their follow-up to Sole Lord) to debut some new material in their opening set.

More pictures, including shots of the very sweet merch, and some video courtesy of ((unartig)) and Chris La Putt (from both NYC shows), below...

Continue reading "Kylesa & Hull @ Public Assembly (pics & video) "

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Matt Pike of High on Fire @ Webster Hall

High on Fire descended upon a packed Grog Shop Friday night on top of a diverse three-band hard-rock bill and staked a powerful claim to the heavy metal throne with an hour-long display of brutally intelligent music.

Singer and guitarist extraordinaire Matt Pike is finally starting to show some signs of wear and tear on his face after about two decades of nonstop touring. So maybe he's not literally immortal. We watched him effortlessly switch from the slower, spacier stoner-rock of the recent Sleep reunion to High on Fire's relentless heavy metal in the space of just a few weeks. So we'd have to say he's probably at least a demi-god.
[a review from the Cleveland show]

Kylesa, who opened the Webster Hall show, on the other hand hadn't played NYC since supporting Mastodon at Irving/MHOW in May of last year. And all three bands had the next night off of their tour together, which prompted Kylesa to schedule a surprise Monday show at Public Assembly. Pictures from that Brooklyn show with Hull are forthcoming, but you can dig on the rest of the Webster Hall pictures (Torche ones HERE), some video, and the setlists, below....

Continue reading "High on Fire & Kylesa @ Webster Hall (pics, video, setlist)"

The Corin Tucker Band

Japandroids

today in NYC
* Yoon-Ji Lee @ The Stone
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Bad Religion @ Irving Plaza
* Musette Explosion @ Barbes
* Stomu Takeishi @ The Stone
* Hugh Cornwell @ Mercury Lounge
* Hill Country Revue @ Mercury Lounge
* Steve Lehman Octet @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Michael Franti & Spearhead @ SoHo Apple Store
* Matt & Kim, Donnis, The So So Glos @ Webster Hall
* Booka Shade, JDH & Dave P @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Corin Tucker Band, Hungry Ghost, Darren Hanlon @ Bowery Ballroom
* A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Esben & The Witch, Quiet Lights @ Knitting Factory
* Chat Logs, Sam Mickens, The Binary Marketing Show, Phone Home @ Glasslands
* Japandroids, A Place To Bury Strangers, Dustin Wong, Grooms @ Death By Audio
* Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady, Adam Tensta, K-Salaam, Food Chain @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Fiend without a Face (Brent Hinds of Mastadon), Daikaiju, West End Motel @ Union Pool

Tonight's Crocodiles, Golden Triangle, Dirty Beaches show at Maxwell's is cancelled.

Brent Hinds of Mastadon plays in two of the three bands playing Union Pool tonight.

Kylesa played a face melting show at Public Assembly last night. Video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"