photos by Jonathan McPhail, words by Andrew Sacher

Hot Water Music at MHOW - 1/24/13

Hot Water Music took their tour with La Dispute and The Menzingers through Brooklyn last night (1/24) for a sold out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, their first headlining date in NYC since the release of 2012's comeback album, Exister. Being that it was a sold out show for a long-running band like Hot Water Music, I was pleasantly surprised that the (much newer) openers got great feedback from the crowd too, with people singing along, moshing, and crowd surfing to all three bands.

About three seconds into The Menzingers' opening set, they had a false start on their first song, "Good Things," but the crowd had already yelled along, "I've been having a horrible time!" before the band realized they were out of tune and had to restart. From that moment on, the crowd anticipation never died and the band looked genuinely happy (and a little surprised) at how many people knew their songs. Their set drew mainly from 2012's On the Impossible Past and 2010's Chamberlain Waits with songs like "Gates," "The Obituaries," "Deep Sleep," and more. They were a perfect fit to open for Hot Water Music, hearkening back in more ways than one to the glory days of pop punk, before the genre was totally wrecked on MTV. The band jumped around on stage, were smiling for most of it, and members who weren't singing were yelling the words at the crowd in a way that was soaked in genuine nostalgia and certainly didn't feel like something you'd see in Brooklyn. But that said, the band said multiple times how happy they were to be back in Brooklyn and dedicated their last song, "I Was Born," to anyone who had ever seen them at 538 Johnson.

They were followed by La Dispute, whose poetic post-hardcore fit in less with the other two bands, but were still totally into it the whole time and so was the crowd. They mainly played songs off of 2011's Wildlife like "A Departure," "Harder Harmonies," and the Radiohead-esque "Safer in the Forest/Love Song for Poor Michigan." It was a solid set throughout, but the crowd really went wild for the stuff off their debut, Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair, like "Said The King To The River," which opened up the floor as all the kids rushed to the stage to scream along. But as with most of their post-Wildlife tours, the highlight of the set came during the closing song, the life-questioning story of "King Park." It's the kind of song that's more powerful to just listen to than try to sing along, but of course the whole front half of the crowd joined in on the song's closing lament, "Can I still get into heaven if i kill myself?"

Then Hot Water Music finally took the stage, kicking right off with "Remedy," and continuing to rip through a great career spanning set. I'd never gotten the chance to see Hot Water Music back in their prime, but last night's show was as genuine and high-spirited as I could have asked for. They don't at all come off like a band cashing in on their success of yesteryear with a reunion, and the urgency with which they played songs off of their comeback album, Exister, is a great signifier of that. The band thrashed around on stage and are still totally in top form (especially the insanely talented bassist, Jason Black). In addition to the newer material, their was no shortage of old favorites either. We were treated to other Caution tracks like "Trusty Chords" and "Wayfarer" and the band dug deeper into their late '90s period for classic cuts like "Freightliner," "Rooftops," and "Manual." Obviously most of the songs are in the 2-3 minute range, but it still felt like their 19-song flew by and I think it's safe to say almost everyone was wanting more.

HWM member Chuck Ragan will return to NYC in March on his Revival Tour, which features a revolving lineup of acoustic musicians.

More pictures from the show (unfortunately none of the openers), some videos, and Hot Water Music's setlist below...

Continue reading "Hot Water Music played Music Hall of Williamsburg with La Dispute & The Menzingers (pics, videos, setlist)"

by Andrew Sacher

Hot Water Music

Post-hardcore/punk mainstays Hot Water Music have been revealing some dates they'll play this January, which will likely be part of a full tour. (UPDATE: full tour dates below.) Those dates include a NYC show which happens on January 24 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. That show, and others on the tour, will have some pretty solid support from La Dispute and The Menzingers, both of who have toured with HWM in the past. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (11/2) at noon.

The Menzingers at Riot Fest Brooklyn 2012 (more by Gretchen Robinette)

It's no secret that I think La Dispute are one of the best young post-hardcore bands out there, and if you're headed to the show it's worth getting there early to catch their classic rock riffage meets early-mewithoutYou poetry. But I have to admit, I had been a little iffy on Philly's The Menzingers in the past, but more recent listens to their 2012 LP, On The Impossible Past have finally won me over. The band play a similar kind of post-Bouncing Souls (who they've toured with) punk to The Gaslight Anthem, Titus Andronicus, and (more lyrically than musically) The Hold Steady. The opener on Impossible Past, "Good Things," starts soft and kicks into anthemic punk rage in a manner Patrick Stickles would be fond of, if it's not a bit more simplistic than he may have handled it. And with lyrics like "Gettin drunk around back of the Lion's Club/waiting for the shitty bands to finish up/and some kids played hacky sack while the others just got high" on "Gates," it's hard not to think of a young Craig Finn. You can stream some of the tracks off On The Impossible Past below.

The Menzingers will also be in NYC to open for Taking Back Sunday at their first of two sold out shows at Terminal 5 (11/23), where TBS will be playing Tell All Your Friends in full.

Those Menzingers song streams and a list of all tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Hot Water Music revealing shows w/ La Dispute & The Menzingers (dates, streams)"

After teasing folks with a few names here and there -- like Run DMC most recently -- Austin's annual Fun Fun Fun Fest (Nov 2 - 4) has revealed it's full line-up, including Public Image Ltd, De La Soul, Superchunk, Santigold, Refused, X peforming Los Angeles, and lots, lots more. 3-day passes go on sale at 10AM CST.

Full FFF Fest lineup is below.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest full lineup (De La Soul, Refused, Fucked Up, Public Image Ltd, Santigold, Sharon Van Etten, Rakim, X, Converge, Japandroids & more)"

DOWNLOAD: Hot Water Music - "Drag My Body" (MP3)

Gainesville, FL raspy punks Hot Water Music recently finished up work on their first new album since reuniting in 2008 and since 2004's The New What Next. The album is called Exister and its out on May 15 via Rise. The album's first single, "Drag My Body," premiered on Rolling Stone last month and you can grab it above, or stream it below. Also stream a second album cut, "State of Grace," below. You can also get another taste of Exister with their first in a series of teaser videos they'll be posting leading up to the album's release. The first video came out yesterday and is available to watch below. The album artwork and tracklist are also below.

The band have a few North American shows scheduled surrounding the album's release in May including their previously mentioned slot at Bamboozle on May 19 in Asbury Park, NJ and two since-added NYC shows, which will go down on May 21 and 22 at Gramercy Theater. The first is with Daytrader and Iron Chic and is sold out, and the second is with The Menzingers and Luther. Tickets for that show are still available.

After wrapping things up in North America at Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas, they'll head to Europe in June for a tour with La Dispute, who play a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (4/29).

All dates, videos, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Hot Water Music releasing LP, playing shows (dates & MP3s)"

The Fest is back for round 11 (!) adding bands from across the spectrum of punk rock for the multi-day Gainesville, Florida extravaganza. The Fest announced its initial lineup earlier this month but has doubled that number, bringing the total tally to a whopping 217, and there are more to go! The lineup includes Lagwagon, Naked Raygun, Baroness, Red Fang, Off with Their Heads, Torche, Valient Thorr, 7 Seconds, F.Y.P., Braid, Titus Andronicus, Toys That Kill, Underground Railroad to Candyland, Frank Turner and many more (see below). Tickets are now on sale (and sold out quick last year).

Full lineup is below, expect to see some surprises at The Fest as well; Sleepytime Trio reunited there last year.

Continue reading "The Fest returns to Gainesville in 2012 --- lineup & tickets"

by Andrew Sacher

La Dispute at the Acheron in 2010 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

La Dispute's album Wildlife was one of my favorite post-hardcore albums of 2011. You can stream it in its entirety below and pick up the album at the No Sleep webstore.

La Dispute will be going on a headlining tour of the US and Canada in support of it this spring. The tour will be supported by Sainthood Reps, All Get Out, and Balance and Composure. All dates and the tour flier are below.

The tour hits NYC on April 29 at Bowery Ballroom. Artist presale tickets are available now for all dates. Presale tickets come with a poster (pictured below) designed by the band's bassist, Adam Vass. Ticketmaster tickets for the Bowery show go on sale Friday (2/10) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (2/8) at noon.

In somewhat related news, La Dispute's friends Pianos Become The Teeth have a few upcoming shows including two in NYC. They open for post-rockers Caspian at The Studio at Webster Hall on February 24 with Tidal Arms and also open for Converge at MHOW on April 14 with Git Some. Tickets for the Studio show are on sale now and tickets for the MHOW show go on sale Friday (2/10) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (2/8) at noon.

All dates, album stream, flier, and poster below...

Continue reading "La Dispute announce tour dates; Pianos Become The Teeth opening for Converge & Caspian "

by Andrew Sacher

La Dispute at The Acheron in 2010 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Genre bending post-hardcore outfit La Dispute will release their sophomore LP Wildlife on October 4 via No Sleep Records. Though the album title isn't nearly as epic as their 2008 debut Somewhere At the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, from the driving drum patterns of album opener, "A Departure," it's clear that Wildlife is no simpler affair. While their debut was very much an album about relationships, on Wildlife we hear frontman Jordan Dreyer frantically contemplating heavier topics such as life and death. The album's longest track, "King Park," ends with Jordan pleading, "Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?" Musically, the album's got less riffing going on than their debut, but the band finds appeal in other forms. "Safer in the Forest/Love Song for Poor Michigan" opens with an arpeggio that recalls The Bends-era Radiohead, "A Broken Jar" is an acoustic track not unlike the material on the band's Here, Hear EPs, and "St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues" takes on a quasi-funk punk vibe. The album is currently streaming on La Dispute's website and can be pre-ordered from the No Sleep Webstore. The album art, tracklist, and a stream of album single "Harder Harmonies," is all below.

Though La Dispute can get pretty progressive on their albums, they don't tone down the aggression at live shows. I caught them at The Studio in May with Defeater and they delivered the whole show in classic hardcore fashion with nonstop moshing and crowd shoutalongs. They're about to kick off a tour opening for Thrice in support of the new album, which unfortunately won't bring them to venues as small as The Studio. It will hit the NYC-area on two separate occasions though. First on October 14 at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ and then on October 16 at Irving Plaza. Tickets are available for the Starland show and the Irving Plaza show.

Speaking of Defeater, they're about to head out on a tour with Bane that kicks off in NYC on October 12 at Santos Party House and hits Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. Dead End Path and Miles Away are also on the tour.

All dates, song stream, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "La Dispute releasing 'Wildlife', touring (dates and stream)"

La Dispute @ the Acheron in 2010 (more by Samantha Marble)

Sound and Fury Fest, notoriously shut down after a riot last year, returns this year and takes place in the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, CA from July 22-24. The lineup consists of several hardcore and metal bands including Defeater, Burning Love, and Deafheaven, who all have upcoming NYC shows.

Tourmates Defeater and La Dispute play The Studio tonight (5/24), after having played Krazy Fest this past weekend. Tickets are still on sale if you need some last minute hadcore plans. You can read about the 5/20 show at Altar Bar at 'A Brief Intermission'...

"...One thing is for sure, La Dispute do not lack energy. Dreyer and company rarely stayed still, and that energy was reciprocated enthusiastically by the crowd. They played a set full of great songs from their incredible full length, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, including the crowd favorite "The Castle Builders," in which, to the fans delight, they considerably slowed down the ending sing-along. They also played both songs from their split with Touche Amore, which translated into incredible live songs and were certainly favorites of the crowd.

Meanwhile Touche Amore are touring ferociously in support of their upcoming sophomore album Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me which will be released June 7 via Deathwish. Their 3+ month tour includes the previously announced Santos Party House show on June 24 with Title Fight, The Menzingers, and Dead End Path (tickets). Touche also head out on a European leg with La Dispute. All dates are listed below.

Touche Amore's Deathwish labelmates Deafheaven play Cake Shop on June 17 with Gholas. As mentioned, KEN Mode unfortunately dropped off the show, though they will still appear on other dates of the tour. An updated list is below.

Burning Love open for Converge and Trap Them Wednesday (5/25) at the sold out Santos Party House, and at other dates which are listed below. La Dispute opened for Trap Them at the Acheron in 2010.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "La Dispute, Defeater, Sound & Fury Fest, Deafheaven, KEN Mode, Touche Amore --- dates & stuff"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Envy - "Dreams Coming To An End" (MP3)

Aside from splits with Jesu and Thursday, Japan's Envy haven't released an album since 2006's triumphant Insomniac Doze. That all changes on Oct 12th, when the band releases their fifth album of their 20 year career, Recitation, via Temporary Residence Limited! Dig on the sixth track from that LP, "Dreams Coming To An End", above and dig on the album art/tracklisting below.

Good news becomes better though with the announcement of a new US tour and NYC date, their first in four years! BrooklynVegan & 1000 Knives are pleased to announce the return of Envy at Santos Party House on 9/30 with Trash Talk, Touche Amore, as well as And So I Watch You From Afar. Tickets are on sale Friday at noon. The rest of Envy's US tour will be filled out with La Dispute, who will rotate into the Trash Talk slot, full dates are below.

Album art and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Envy releasing Recitation (MP3), touring w/ Trash Talk (dates) "

photos by Samantha Marble, La Dispute pics by Andrew St. Clair, Trash Talk pics by Marvic Paulo, words by BBG

Trash Talk at Acheron (photo by Marvic Paulo)

A hearty thanks to all who came to the Trash Talk/La Dispute/Cerebral Ballzy/Psychic Limb FREE all-ages rager at Acheron (the venue, not the band who just called it quits after 22 years) on Friday night after the Trash Talk / La Dispute show at Bowery. The new venue was absolutely shocking when I first checked it out. DIY spaces have a (rightful) reputation as cut to the bare minimum, but Acheron's sound and space was nothing like that. With a stage, a respectable PA, and plenty of space to fit 100+, it's nice to see that metal has a new and legitimately great place to play.

Moshpit dudes in fitted mouthpieces aside, the show was tons of fun and lived up to Trash Talk's other recent incredible performances I witnessed in Austin: at the our Pizza Party at Hoeks and at our Attitude Adjustment show at Red 7.

Tons more pics and video from the Acheron show, below...

Continue reading "Trash Talk, La Dispute, Psychic Limb & Cerebral Ballzy played new Bushwick venue the Acheron - pics & video"

words by BBG, photos by Andrew St. Clair

"Just saw Trash Talk at the Bowery. The six girls standing against the stage waiting for Alexisonfire LOVED Trash Talk. Sooooo much. #sarcasm" - Zed Cutsinger

Lee of Trash Talk, hanging out in the crowd

Alexisonfire is livin' large in their native Canada, and they're not doing so bad in the US either. They just concluded a string of sold-out US shows with tour-mates Trash Talk, La Dispute and Therefore I am. One of the last shows on the tour was Friday night, May 21st, at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Pictures and setlists from that show are in this post.

For La Dispute and Trash Talk it was their first of two shows that night. They both also played the BV/1000 Knives show at the Acheron after midnight. It was an honor to host Trash Talk towards the end of the tour, and at the very beginning.

Pictures from Acheron coming soon. More pics and full setlists for all bands from Bowery Ballroom, below...

Continue reading "Alexisonfire, Trash Talk, La Dispute & Therefore I Am @ Bowery Ballroom in NYC - pics & setlists"

NY Dolls @ the John Varvatos store in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Todd Barry @ Caroline's
* Pat Metheny @ Town Hall
* Dig Deeper Presents Bobby Patterson @ Southpaw
* LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost! @ Terminal 5
* Rooftop Films w/ Cloud. @ Open Road Rooftop
* Debo Band, CSC Funk Band, Kiddid @ Coco 66
* Marco Benevento Trio, Xylos @ Bowery Ballroom
* Municipal Waste, Ramming Speed, Attake @ Fontana's
* Josh Ritter, Dawes @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Frances, Arms, The Dardys, Josh Alscher @ Pianos
* NY Eye & Ear Fest III @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Inoculist, Little Gold, Zachary Cale @ Bruar Falls
* Fixed w/ Azari & III, JDH & Dave P @ Public Assembly
* Shark?, Birthdays, Gunfight!, Sigmund Droid @ The Cameo
* Fuck Buttons, Oneohtrix Point Never @ (le) Poisson Rouge
* Old Time Relijun, Pterodactyl, Afuche, Yvette @ Cake Shop
* Boat, Drink Up Buttercup, Happy Birthday, DOM @ Glasslands
* Nat Baldwin, Peace Loving, Woody Sullender @ Issue Project Room
* April Smith & The Great Picture Show, Hey Battlefield @ Maxwell's
* New York Dolls, Voluptous Horror of Karen Black, Foxy Shazam @ Warsaw
* Beets, German Measles, Gardens, Common Families, Xray Eyeballs @ DeathByAudio
* Verbal Abuse, Capitalist Casualties, Fang, Magrudergrind, Strong Intention @ Europa
* Capitalist Casualties, Cojoba, Verbal Desecration, E.I.D., Gnosis @ ABC No Rio
* Hearts!Attack, Corita, Gold-Bears, Moustache of Insanity, One Happy Island (NYC Popfest) @ Spike Hill
* The Wake, BOAT, My Teenage Stride, Bears, World Atlas, Very Truly Yours (NYC Popfest) @ The Bell House
* Brother Joscephus & The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra, Uzimon, Swift Technique @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Truman Peyote, Emily Reo, Dark Sea of Awareness, Total Slacker, Weekends, Philip Seymour Hoffman @ Shea Stadium

Today is the dance parade.

LCD Soundsystem play their third show at Terminal 5. Afterparty at Highline Ballroom.

Happy Birthday Littlefield.

NYC PopFest continues.

The set times for today's first day of the NY Eye & Ear Fest III at Knitting Factory Brooklyn are posted below.

Dirty Projector Nat Baldwin debuts new material at Issue Project Room tonight.

BBG says that it was "Killer times last night at Acheron!" Video from La Dispute's set below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Trash Talk - "Explode" (MP3)

Trash Talk at Attitude Adjustment at Red 7 (more here)

Is there such thing as too much Trash Talk? I personally don't think so, which is why we invited them to play not only the Attitude Adjustment party at Red 7 in March, but also Hoeks Death Metal Pizza a few days prior. And it's also why BV & 1000 Knives are happy to present a FREE, late night, ALL AGES show featuring said destructors with La Dispute, Cerebral Ballzy and Psychic Limb at new space Acheron on Friday (5/21)! Flyer below.

Trash Talk and La Dispute open for Alexisonfire at Bowery Ballroom earlier that same night. That larger Manhattan show is sold out. Afterwards, they'll scoot on over to Acheron (57 Waterbury St. Brooklyn, L train to Montrose - One block east of Bushwick Ave b/w Scholes and Meserole) to play a second time. Get there right as doors open at 11:30 because the venue is small and it will "sell out".

Trash Talk's new album Eyes & Nines hits store shelves TODAY (5/18) digitally. Order a copy on iTunes or through the band (who are also taking preorders for CDs and LPs).

Full Trash Talk tour dates, the show flyer, and tons of video (including some from Attitude Adjustment 2010) are below...

Continue reading "free late-night Trash Talk show Friday night after Bowery"

words and photos by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Trash Talk - Explode (MP3)

A few minutes before this terrifying Sacramento hardcore band took the stage, Fucked Up frontman Damian Abraham told me that Trash Talk has "the most violent pits I've ever seen." That's a more powerful endorsement than anything I could offer, but this band definitely won my night through sheer brutalizing menace. This was SXSW, so it's not like people in the crowd were ripping each other's heads off, but I did see more stagediving, spinkicking, and fighting over a broken mic during their set than I saw during the entirety of SXSW 2009. More to the point, the band themselves just drip contempt in all directions, even when they're not playing a note... Trash Talk are playing a bunch more shows this week, and I've got half a mind to catch all of their sets - [Pitchfork]

I wasn't at the above-reviewed SXSW show, but I did see the blistering hardcore band two other times during the week. Trash Talk also destroyed at the pizza party (video in this post) and at Red 7 two days later (new set of pictures in this post) (they were good in 2009 too). Besides ripping through the faves (at this year's shows), Trash Talk also showcased tracks from their new LP Eyes & Nines, due digitally May 18, or otherwise on June 8 via the band. Now TT have dropped a taste in the form of "Explode" available for download above.

Trash Talk are scheduled to support Alexisonfire along with La Dispute and Therefore I Am at Bowery Ballroom on May 22nd. Tickets are still available. The date is part of a larger tour with AOF and TT. All of those dates, with some more lost photos of the ensuing melee at the Red 7 party and some video of the band playing "Explode" at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza, below....

Continue reading "Trash Talk - new album (MP3), tour dates & Austin pics "