Portland, OR's Eat Skull were once known for the sort of blown-out punk some called shitgaze but the band have begun turning the levels down to 9.3 and the band's move from Siltbreeze to Woodsist is telling. Eat Skull III, which came out back in February on Woodsist, is on the jangly side with forays into weird synth postpunk, plus melodies and everything. You can stream vaguely tropical "How Do I Know When To Say Goodnight?" as well as the whole album via Spotify, below.

Eat Skull are currently on a tour that will hit NYC this week for two shows: Wednesday (5/22) at 285 Kent with PC Worship, Vaz, LODRO, and Call of the Wild (who also play with Weed soon); and Thursday (5/23) at The Flat with Modra and The Abandos. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Portland band Eat Skull released new LP on Woodsist, on tour, playing two NYC shows this week (dates, streams)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Foxygen @ Knitting Factory 5/13/2013

Foxygen just wrapped up a three-night NYC run, that began with the BrooklynVegan-curated Red Bull Sound Select show at Knitting Factory on Monday (5/13) and a second night there (5/14) and finished last night (5/15) at Mercury Lounge. Anybody hit the second Knit or Mercury Lounge show? Anyone go to all three? We've got a second set of photos from the RBSS show, including ones of openers Amen Dunes, LODRO, and Prince Rupert's Drops, in this post.

Foxygen will spend their summer on the festival circuit, playing Pitchfork, Woodsist and Solid Sound amongst many others. That also includes another stop in NYC at the free River Rocks show on July 25 with Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. All tour dates are listed with more pictures from KF below.

Continue reading "Foxygen played three NYC shows (more pics from our RBSS one with LODRO, Amen Dunes and Prince Rupert's Drops)"

photos by David Andrako; words by Bill Pearis

Foxygen / LODRO @ Knitting Factory 5/13/2013

"I ate a CD once," admitted Foxygen frontman Sam France Monday night onstage to a full room at Knitting Factory. It was one of many probable falsehoods he told the crowd, but sometimes it's funny cause it's untrue. This was the first of three Foxygen shows in NYC this week and a Red Bull Sound Select show that BrooklynVegan curated (that's us). It was also the cheapest at only $3.00 and with four bands, a DJ and a comedian host on the bill.

France is a very charismatic frontman (my friend remarked "he's got a Jarvis Cocker thing going on") and even if you aren't totally in love with their album, with its many nods to late '60s rock, it's hard to deny Foxygen put on a very entertaining show, messing with the Red Bull sign included.

We chose the other three bands on the bill to be in tune with the pysch side of Foxygen's music. Openers Prince Rupert's Drops are in the mushroom tea variety, with harmoniously baroque pop stirred with extended jams. Amen Dunes, who played third, is more spacey, working on pure vibes at times. Songs too, but definitely Damon McMahon's music is more about floating with than active participation.

In between was LODRO and it was my first time seeing them despite their reputation for endless local gigging (like DIIV who they opened for two days earlier). They were definitely my personal favorite of the three, and the trio -- who pronounce their name "low-dro" -- make a strong impression. While best know for her stint in party rockers Friends, Lesley Hann is a commanding presence here, and maybe just a little intimidating. It could just be their intense brand of creepout blues (think Nick Cave, The Cramps' version of "Fever") is dead serious and pretty badass, aided in no small part by drummer Jigmae Baer and guitarist/singer Jeremy Cox. All three are also in Royal Baths though LODRO seems to be the focus now. Deservingly.

Chris Gethard, who days earlier was letting Zach Galifianakis give haircuts to strangers on his show, made for a very funny host, and I had fun DJing in-between sets.

NYC Red Bull Sound Select shows (not to be confused with Red Bull Music Academy shows) -- always only $3 -- happen each month this year and are curated either by BrooklynVegan, East Village Radio, Afropunk or Brooklyn Bodega. The same happens in other cities (for instance Fake Shore Drive just announced their next one in Chicago and Bun B recently headlined one in Austin)

More photos from our show at Knitting Factory are below.

Continue reading "Foxygen, Amen Dunes, LODRO & Prince Rupert's Drops played first BV-curated RBSS show at the Knit (pics)"

photos by Jonathon Bernstein; words by Bill Pearis

DIIV / LODRO @ Mercury Lounge, 5/11/2013

It was the kind of line-up you might see at Shea Stadium or 285 Kent, but Brooklyn crossed the bridge on Saturday night for the Downtown Music Festival on Saturday night (5/11). Well some of its bands did at least, specifically DIIV, LODRO, Xray Eyeballs and DJ Dog Dick -- for a show at Mercury Lounge. Fresh off their tour with How to destroy angels_, DIIV played the small-for-them Houston venue, cranking out their well-honed whirling sound. The band have a few festival dates lined up and those are listed below.

LODRO are are starting to rival DIIV for sheer number of locals shows played in a given week, and its clearly working as their claustrophobic blues has already come into its own a mere four months since the band's first live show. (And as DIIV showed, playing all the time helps.) You can catch them tonight (5/13) at Knitting Factory as part of the BV-curated Red Bull Sound Select show with headliners Foxygen as well as Amen Dunes and Prince Rupert's Drops. That show is only $3 at the door (no advance tickets) and doors are at 7 PM (which is what time I start DJing). I you haven't seen their new video, which we premiered on Friday, you can watch that below.

The night started with sets from Xray Eyeballs and DJ Dog Dick. Saturday night's other DTF offerings included Purity Ring at Bowery Ballroom and we've got more coverage of the fest's maiden voyage still to come. For now, check out more Mercury Lounge pics below.

Continue reading "DIIV, LODRO, Xray Eyeballs and DJ Dog Dick played Mercury Lounge (pics)"

by Andrew Sacher

Brooklyn bluesy rockers LODRO, who have been hitting the local live circuit like crazy lately, have a few songs out and they've just recorded a new single, "Lazy Bones," which also happens to be the song in their first official video. Like their other tunes, this one comes awash in sludgy blues and psychedelia, and the dimly lit video complements that well. You can watch that video below.

Like we said, LODRO have been playing live a lot, and you've got two chances to see them in NYC over the next four days. Their first show happens on Saturday (5/11) at Mercury Lounge with DIIV, Xray Eyeballs, and DJ Dog Dick as part of Downtown Music Festival (tickets). Then on Monday (5/13) at Knitting Factory), they will play a BrooklynVegan-curated Red Bull Sound Select show with Foxygen, Amen Dunes, and Prince Rupert's Drops. Chris Gethard is hosting and BV's Bill Pearis has just been added as the DJ for the night. Like all shows in the Sound Select series, admission is $3 at the door. All ages, no advance tickets.

LODRO also play another show later this month at Shea Stadium on May 31 with a strong local bill of The Beets, Darlings, and Eula.

Video below...

Continue reading "watch LODRO's video for their new single, "Lazy Bones" (BV Premiere), catch them live Monday with Foxygen"

The Orwells at BV-SXSW 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned several times, the Downtown Music Festival, which is hitting multiple cities this year, is coming through NYC tonight (5/10) and Saturday (5/11) for shows across various multiple LES venues, including Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom, Angel Orensanz Center, Pianos, Cake Shop, Tammany Hall, Element, Capitale, Rockwood Music Hall and more. Tickets (2-day passes, 1-day passes, and individual show tickets) are still available. In fact, even Trash Talk at Cake Shop still has tickets available, probably because of the $25+fees ticket price.

Since we last spoke, some additions to the lineup have been made. Garage rockers The Orwells (who have other upcoming dates) were added to tonight's Palma Violets and Guards show at Bowery Ballroom, making for an all-around great bill for fans of catchy, upbeat rock. The Orwells just revealed the Dave Sitek-produced track, "Other Voices," off their upcoming EP of the same name (due out 6/25 via East End/Canvasback), which you can stream below.

SZA, who recently put out the trippy S EP, has been added to Sky Ferreira's show at Mercury Lounge tonight. Teengirl Fantasy and Mess Kid, who were already announced for the festival but not that specific show, were also added as openers.

Onetime Twin Shadow bassist Rush Midnight (who has other upcoming shows) was added to tonight's show at Pianos with Royal Teeth and Sparxx.

LODRO (who play a BrooklynVegan-curated show on Monday), Xray Eyeballs, and DJ Dog Dick were added to DIIV"s show at Mercury Lounge on Saturday.

Low Fat Getting High, who have a new EP on the way and other upcoming shows, open for Trash Talk and Cities Aviv at Cake Shop on Saturday.

Other shows tonight include Black Hippy (aka Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock) and Fat Tony at Capitale (130 Bowery), Earl Sweatshirt, Ryan Hemsworth, Antwon, and more at Element (225 E Houston), Beach Fossils and Cosmonauts at Cake Shop, and more.

Meanwhile, Ryan Hemsworth made a new mix in anticipation for the festival, which you can stream, along with the tracklist below. And if you were wondering, yes, it does have his remix of the Backstreet Boys' "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely."

A stream of that mix, the Orwells stream, and the updated Downtown Music Fest schedule below...

Continue reading "Downtown Music Fest is here; Orwells, SZA & more added; Schedule updated; Ryan Hemsworth made a mix"

Foxygen @ Chicago's Lincoln Hall in March (more by James Richards IV)

As mentioned, Foxygen are currently on a short East Coast tour that ends with two sold-out NYC shows next week: Knitting Factory on May 14 and Mercury Lounge on May 15. If you wanted to go to one of those shows but didn't get tickets, we've got good news. We're happy to announce that Foxygen will headline a BrooklynVegan-curated Red Bull Sound Select show on Monday (5/13) at Knitting Factory. As always, the show is $3 at the door. 7pm doors. 8pm show. All ages, no advance tickets.

LODRO

This is the fourth NYC RBSS show -- the previous three were curated by East Village Radio, Afropunk, and Brooklyn Bodega. Like those, in addition to the headliner Monday's show features three local acts.

For our openers, we kept things on the trippy side: Amen Dunes, who open for Boris at LPR tonight (5/7), will play and perhaps give a taste of their forthcoming new album. Also on the bill are LODRO, the Royal Baths side project that has been honing its live show through relentless gigging; and Prince Rupert's Drops whose album Run Slow was one of 2012's overlooked gems. Adding to the fun will be your host, the amazing comedian, storyteller and author Chris Gethard (of the Chris Gethard Show among other things). Hope to see you out on Monday.

UPDATE: our own Bill Pearis will also be DJing starting at 7pm sharp.

If you can't make this show, you can always catch Foxygen in late July at a much bigger venue -- Pier 84 as part of the 7/25 free River Rocks show with Thao & the Get Down Stay Down.

Streams for Foxygen, Amen Dunes, LODRO, and Prince Rupert's Drops, and more tour dates, are below.

Continue reading "Foxygen, Amen Dunes, LODRO and Prince Rupert's Drops playing BrooklynVegan-curated Red Bull Sound Select show"

Cincinnati trio Tweens make garagey, nasally, punky pop that is equal parts rauccous and infectious. Songs like "Mean" and "Rattle&Rollin'" are both especially catchy and seem prime for a label like Burger that lives for this stuff. You can stream them below along with their "Live at Mohawk" EP that isn't actually live and features a bunch of girl group covers.

Tweens caught they ear of fellow Ohio resident Kim Deal who has tapped Tweens to open for a few Breeders shows, including Monday's sold-out show at Webster Hall (5/6). After that, Tweens will play Shea Stadium on Tuesday (5/7) which is a record release show for Japanther that also features Grand Rapids. Then at Pianos on Wednesday (5/8) with LODRO, Total Slacker and new Frenchkiss signees, Drowners. That show starts early -- LODRO is on at 7 PM -- and is FREE.

Tour dates are listed, with those streams, below.

Continue reading "Cincinnati band Tweens opening for The Breeders and other NYC shows (dates, streams)"

by Bill Pearis

Weekend @ BVSXSW 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

As mentioned, Weekend will release their second album, Jinx, on July 23 via Slumberland. Where their debut album, Sports, wormed its way into your head from sheer force, the new album has a much stronger focus on both melody and dynamics (and just a smidge of melodrama). You can also dance to it, in an '80s goth club kind of way. You can stream "Mirror" (which opens the album) below along with choice cuts from their first album and EP.

Weekend are playing tonight (4/26) at Bushwick spot Shea Stadium, where they promise, "New songs, same volume.' I.e. bring earplugs. The show also has the ever-present LODRO, plus Slander, and Napoleon. Advance tickets are available. On Tuesday (4/30), Weekend will play a show at Stony brook University with SDLK. The show, sponsored by campus radio station WUSB, is happening in a classroom that's been converted into a studio. The show is free and all ages (and will be broadcast live on the station) and more info is here.

The band will also open for Montreal's No Joy at Glasslands on May 16 and tickets are still available for that show. (No openers for No Joy's 5/15 show at Mercury Lounge.)

Continue reading "Weekend add shows, playing Shea Stadium tonight and Stony Brook University next week (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

Les Yeux: French for "Blurry Brad Oberhofer"?

Tonight (4/9) at Pianos is the start of a four-week residency from some band called "Les Yeux." We've never heard of them, the quotes around their name are curious and, oh, word on the street is it's actually Oberhofer, whose new EP, Notalgia, is out April 23. (That's what Mickey the shoeshine guy tells us, at least.) Tickets for all four Tuesday-in-April shows are on sale now.

The openers at the four residency dates are as such: tonight (4/9) the show is with Dinowalrus and Redfoot; April 16 is with Friend Roulette and EL Topo; April 23 is with Carmen Villain and "special guests"; and April 30 is with LODRO and Cowboy Indian Bear.

Whether or not "Les Yeux" turns out to be Oberhofer, you can catch them for sure at Glasslands on May 2 with Celestial Shore and Life Size Maps (tickets), the start of a short tour. Meanwhile, the band have released a second track from Notalgia, the very catchy "You + Me (Still Together In The Future)" and you can stream it below.

Continue reading "Oberhofer streaming new track from 'Notalgia'; "Les Yeux" begin NYC residency at Pianos"

photos by Andrew St. Clair, words by Bill Pearis

Xray Eyeballs @ Bumble and Bumble 3/26/2013

Kanine Records, current home of Eternal Summers, Zambri, Fear of Men and more, are turning ten years old this year, quite an accomplishment for any label born post-Napster. To celebrate, they're throwing a birthday party at Union Pool on Wednesday (4/10) with live entertainment from Xray Eyeballs, Royal Baths side project LODRO, and Montreal's Valleys. The new album from Valleys isn't out till the end of the month, but you can pick up early vinyl at the merch booth that night. You can also pick up free Kanine cassettes and fanzines there too.

The party, which also celebrates 10 years of The L Magazine, is free with open bar but you need to RSVP.

XRay Eyeballs open for Yeah Yeah Yeahs' sold-out show at Webster Hall on Sunday (4/7). A few weeks ago (3/26) they played played an event at Bumble and Bumble's downtown salon and pictures from their performance are in this post.

LODRO, meanwhile, play Death by Audio on Saturday (4/6) with Far-Out Fangtooth, Psychic Blood, and Dont.

Flyer for the Kanine party and more pictures from that Xray Eyeballs show below...

Continue reading "Xray Eyeballs opening for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, playing w/ LODRO & Valleys at Kanine & 'L Mag' party, played Bumble & Bumble (pics, dates)"

by Bill Pearis

Brooklyn trio LODRO describe their sound as "neo-noir punk" and there's a definite grimey, bluesy sleaze running across the three songs they've posted on their Soundcloud. All three members -- Lesley Hann (formerly of Friends), Jeremy Cox, Jigmae Baer -- are also in Royal Baths. You can stream those tracks below.

LODRO's show count is still in the single digits, only having played their first show last month but they are gigging around a lot and there are two shows lined up soon. They're on the bill for Beach Fossils' sold-out show this Sunday (3/3) at 285 Kent with Chris Cohen and Divorce Money; they've recently been added to His Clancyness' show at Glasslands on March 10 (tickets) that also features Tweens and Basement Batman; and Shea Stadium on March 23 with Black Marble, Beliefs, and Night Visions.

Continue reading "Royals Baths mems. form LODRO (song streams & live dates)"

photos by Jonathan Bernstein

Beach Fossils @ Bowery Ballroom, 2/23/2013

"Clash the Truth" came out only four days prior to the show, yet the lyrics were ingrained in the crowd's minds. In acknowledgment of the leak, Payseur jokingly remarked that he too heard the album before it came out.

The show continued in the same vein, equal parts mosh pit and pleasant crowd work. When the encore came, the band played its most low-key song to date, "Sleep Apnea," during which drummer Tommy Lucas surprised the audience by stepping away from the drums and pulling out an alto saxophone for a solo. It was an incredible ten minutes that pulled the audience into a dreamlike trance that sobered them after 45 minutes of pulsating indie rock.

The band quickly fell back into its energetic swing, finishing the concert with "Daydream." Payseur instructed the crowd to freak out, and the audience zealously obliged, ending a thoroughly entertaining night. - [NYU News]

If you missed the Bowery show, Beach Fossils next NYC show is at 285 Kent on Sunday (3/3) with Chris Cohen, Divorce Money and LODRO. It's being billed as the Brooklyn record release show and tickets are still available. More photos from Bowery are below.

Continue reading "Beach Fossils played Bowery Ballroom with Mr. Dream and The Sleepies (pics); Brooklyn record release show is this weekend"