Photos by Leia Jospe

More photos from the Friday night Antics party below...

Continue reading "Black Lips (and King Khan) @ Antics Warehouse, NYC - pics"

Photos by Leia Jospe

Recently, Sebastien Grainger changed his MySpace page description from "fuck rock" to "fun rock." Like his brand new debut album on Saddle Creek, Grainger's set at the BrooklynVegan day party at Pianos wasn't very sexy, but it sure was a good time. Grainger's new sound utilizes the same driving propulsion as the band that made him famous (Death From Above 1979), but in the service of good ol' boy rawk rather than dance-metal. At Pianos, Grainger and his three-man backing crew (the Mountains) threw a fit of buzzsaw melodies and steam engine beats that got progressively louder as the set progressed. By the time of the anthemic "American Names", the volume was overdriven to the point of distraction.

Sign o' the times: Grainger made fun of an audience member's goatee, then backpedaled: "He's probably not going to buy the album." The guy yelled back, "I already downloaded it!"
[Amy Phillips]

Continue reading "Sebastien Grainger - BV party pics, more 2008 Tour Dates"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Zach Dilgard & Leia Jospe

Rude Bear getting his black metal on (by Zach Dilgard)

Vried (by Leia Jospe)

By the time Rival Schools bid ta-ta to the main stage at the Knitting Factory, black metallers Vreid had already begun to soil the Tap Room during the Brooklyn Vegan Day Party on Oct 25th. Clad in gestapo-like matching black outfits, the band charged through their thrashy brand of black metal while vocalist/guitarist Sture barked away at the adoring (though small) crowd... which included none other than Rude Bear.

Vried's appearance at Knitting Factory marked their third show in the USA.... the first being Heathen Crusade Festival in 2007, and the second at the late-night CMJ Vice Party at The Studio at Webster Hall with Krallice. Vreid is currently mixing their new album, Milorg, which drops in 2009.

A little bit earlier, Trap Them flooded the Old Office with their patented brand of hatred.

More Vried pictures below...

Continue reading "Vried & Rude Bear @ Knitting Factory, NYC - pics "

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Leia Jospe & Zach Dilgard

Trap Them by Zach Dilgard

As discussed before, Trap Them are here, just in time to bludgeon Union Pool TONIGHT (Oct 28, 2008) with their Entombed-hardcore-grind hybrid and local Swordswallower-s Tournament in tow. Their new album, Seizures In Barren Praise, drops November 11th on Deathwish.

Trap Them was also on hand this past Saturday (Oct 25th) at the Brooklyn Vegan Day Show at the Knitting Factory along with Rival Schools and many many others. The show my first experience with recently recruited ex-Unearth drummer Mike Justain, who is a force to be reckoned with in both skill and intensity in live performance. Anchored by the short violent outbursts of vocalist Ryan McKenney (when his mic wasn't crapping out on him), a great band just got better, and if you are free tonight and are a fan of heavy music, make sure and swing on down.

Due to some time changes Saturday, Trap Them, unfortunately, played in the Old Office while the main stage featured Made Out of Babies who brought their big guns as well. Made Out Of Babies pics are comin right up. In the meantime the rest of the surly Trap Them evidence is below...

Continue reading "Trap Them - BV party pics, Brooklyn show tonight"

photos by Leia Jospe, words by Bill Pearis

Late of the Pier played their first-ever U.S. show at Music Hall of Williamsburg Wednesday night (10/22). Their debut, Fantasy Black Channel, is kind of brilliantly bonkers -- part Queen's Flash Gordon soundtrack, part Gary Numan, g-funk, metal, Roxy Music, etc etc... I wasn't sure how this very young band were going to pull it off live. Lined up at the front of the stage to one side, with the drummer right up front too, they played the whole thing live -- all the kooky style and tempo changes -- like it was second nature. Young as they are (and they are young), Late of the Pier have serious chops, but they also know how to pose, and can pull off wearing sparkly gold tanktops and red velour. Highlights were "Bathroom Gurgle" with it's wild falsetto breakdown and confounding showstopper "The Bears are Coming."

Friday night they played another NYC show at Irving Plaza, part of Pete Tong's Outsiders showcase. More pictures from Wednesday below...

Continue reading "Late of the Pier @ MHOW (CMJ), Brooklyn, NY - pics"

Photos by Leia Jospe

DOWNLOAD: The Homosexuals - Slow Guns (MP3)

There were about 7 people at the WNYU studio on Wednesday (10/22) to watch The Homosexuals frontman Bruno Wizard play some songs off their new album Love Guns? (out Nov 18). They're going to release it on very limited vinyl and each record will have a part of a story on it. No record will have the same part of the story and they'll be numbered so that people can combine their lines on a website and get the whole thing. I thought it was a pretty cute idea.

He sang "Don't Touch My Hair" off the new CD, which I thought was the best song...very silly and light. - Leia

Continue reading "The Homosexuals @ a WNYU CMJ in-studio, NYC- pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

During the Cool Kids' set Mickey Factz came out for one song.

They had a dance contest to win copies of their album and a "best joke" contest to win two NBA xbox 360 games. Jokes included: "So a mushroom walks into a bar and the bartender goes, 'hey! we don't like your kind around here.' the mushroom replies, 'but i'm a fungi!'" He won for "having the balls to come up and say that on stage"....So many fangirls..." -Leia

The Cool Kids are going on tour with Q-Tip. More pictures from Tuesday night's show below...

Continue reading "the Cool Kids & the Carps @ the Gramercy, NYC - pics"

Photos by Leia Jospe

Titus Andronicus played a show with Abe Vigoda and Love is All at Maxwell's the other night (10/13). This Saturday night (10/18) they play Market Hotel in Brooklyn with the So So Glos. All tour dates and more Maxwell's pictures below...

Continue reading "Titus Andronicus - Maxwell's pics, more 2008 Tour Dates"

Fiasco @ DBA (by Leia Jospe)

Fiasco @ DBA (by Lori Baily)

Hey guys!

We're super excited to announce to you our record release show, this Sunday (October 12) at Death By Audio!
We're celebrating the release of our new LP called "Native Canadians" coming out on IMPOSE Records! It's going to be packaged in a special LP + CD package and will be on sale for the first time ever at the show! Our buddies in Turbosleaze, Aa, and Cutter agreed to play with us and help celebrate!

Death By Audio is located at 49 South 2nd Street (between Wythe and Kent Avenues) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You can take the L train to Bedford Ave, the J to Marcy Ave, or the G to Metropolitan Ave. It starts at 8pm, and is $8 and all-ages!

Come out and celebrate with us!
Thanks!
-FIASCO

Continue reading "Fiasco - Death by Audio pics, more 2008 Tour Dates "

photos by Leia Jospe

Three days after they played Roseland with Of Montreal, Love is All shared a bill with Titus Andronicus and Abe Vigoda at Maxwell's in Hoboken (last night, October 13th). Next: Abe Vigoda and Love Is All (previously listed as secret guest) will share a bill AGAIN, this Wednesday in Brooklyn...

Wednesday October 15th @ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT aka AVANT FLOOR aka LLANO ESTACADO

:::: ABE VIGODA
:::::: Woods
:::::::: Knyfe Hyts

:: special guests ----- LOVE IS ALL

[ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT aka AVANT FLOOR aka LLANO ESTACADO ]
NE corner of Metropolitan Ave & River St | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | doors 9:15pm | $7 | all ages

Continue reading "Love is All - Maxwell's pics & 2 more NYC shows (1 today)"

photos by Leia Jospe

Ratatat headlined the large Terminal 5 in NYC on Saturday night (9/27). More pictures below...

Continue reading "Ratatat @ Terminal 5, NYC - pics"

MSG pics by Chris La Putt, Maxwell's pics by Leia Jospe

DOWNLOAD: Tokyo Police Club - Juno (Ra Ra Riot / Andrew Maury remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tokyo Police Club on AOL's Interface (MP3)

MSG

Maxwell's

Tokyo Police Club opened for Weezer at Madison Square Garden in NYC on Wednesday (9/24). One day later they headlined their own show at the much, much smaller Maxwell's across the river in Hoboken. The NJ show was a night off from the Weezer tour that continues through October. More pictures from both shows below...

Continue reading "Tokyo Police Club @ MSG & Maxwell's, NY & NJ - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Friends and tour-mates Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn played around five songs each at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square last night (Sept 16). We thought for sure they'd go from there to Union Pool to help their friends in Noah & the Whale play their first-ever NYC show, but that didn't happen. Laura and Johnny also played a full show one night earlier and Bowery Ballroom and now they're on tour. More Virgin pictures below...

Continue reading "Laura Marling & Johnny Flynn @ the Virgin Store - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

...the core of Krallice is the lightning (sorry) fast pairing of Mick Barr (Ocrilim, Orthrelm) and bassist Colin Marston (Behold... The Arctopus, Dysrhythmia) with Lev Weinstein and Nick McMaster. The band is riding high off of their triumphant self-titled release for Profound Lore, one of my favorite records of the year so far.
[Black Bubblegum]

DIY venue Less Artists More Condos have announced a pair of shows for the discerning heavy music fan: Sep 27 with Krallice, Satanized, & White Suns and Oct 4 with Drunkdriver supporting Extra Life and Dan Friel (Parts And Labor). [Black Bubblegum]

Krallice played before Growing who played before Lightning Bolt at Broadway Backyard (under the M train) in Bushwick on Saturday (9/13). More pictures, and a video of Krallice from the show, below...

Continue reading "Krallice - pics & video from under the M train + more shows"

photos by Leia Jospe

The special guests all bailed last minute, but luckily the consolation prize was a headlining set by Lightning Bolt at the Todd P show under the M Train in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn on Saturday (Sept 13, 2008). More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Lightning Bolt @ Broadway Backyard, Brooklyn, NY - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Three Brooklyn bands took turns playing songs at the Market Hotel on Saturday night (August 30, 2008)....

Continue reading "Aa, Parts & Labor & Pterodactyl played 'round robin' @ Market Hotel - Brooklyn, NY - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Leia stopped by Ra Ra Riot's free Virgin Megastore show the other today to take some pictures. The show was the same day RRR's new album came out on Barsuk and that is also the occasion that motivated them to release four pro-shot live-in-an-attic videos to the Internet. The first was debuted at Pitchfork. You may have seen the second one on Stereogum and you'll find the third is at the bottom of this post (under the rest of the pictures)....

Continue reading "Ra Ra Riot - Virgin store pics & a video (#3 in a 4 part series)"

photos by Leia Jospe

Plants & Animals, Yeasayer & The National played Central Park Summerstage in NYC last night (August 4, 2008). Some pictures of the headliner, and the setlist, below...

Continue reading "The National @ Central Park Summerstage pics & setlist"

half of the photos by Leia Jospe

I was all ready to see the Black Lips when I heard the band begin. That's when I noticed Bradford Cox on the stage and realized that it was Deerhunter playing, and that Black Lips were going to be the headliner of the day. Maybe Black Lips are bigger now, maybe it was because the Black Lips had just come in from Lollapalooza, or maybe it was just good planning on their part. The higher energy Black Lips set was a much more fitting end of the McCarren Pool day. Deerhunter could have even played before King Khan & The Shrines for that reason.

Anyway, I thought that listening to/watching Deerhunter was going to be a semi-boring way to stand out in the sun on a Sunday afternoon, but my mood changed a few songs in. At that point I really got into it and wasn't really thinking about my surroundings anymore. Moving closer and closer helped. That way it got louder and louder. They played a new song that "hasn't even leaked yet" and there was a guest appearance by Cole of the Black Lips (who also plays with Bradford as Ghetto Cross), and various onstage cameos by King Khan. The guests really helped the energy too.

King Khan (a true ham) then ended up creating the most (unfortunately) memorable part of the show. Right as Deerhunter were playing their final notes - right after Bradford and gang were making their dramtic-guiars-pushed-against-the-amps-and-over-our-heads-and-we-all-fall-down exit, King Khan pulls down his pants and slowly meanders across the stage with a flower stuck in his crack for all to see and photograph and photograph.... More pics (NSFW, NSFLUNCH, NSATALLREALLY) below...

Continue reading "Deerhunter & King Khan's butt @ McCarren Pool - NSFW pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

In a way, Sunday's free King Khan & the Shrines / Deerhunter (they didn't headline) / Black Lips show was also a King Khan show in three parts. Part one was the very entertaining performance by King Khan & The Shrines. Part two was King Khan on stage with Deerhunter whose final notes were overshadowed by King Khan's bare ass with a flower stuck in it. Part three was King Khan on stage with Black Lips which included a one-song guest appearance by The King Khan & BBQ Show (who are playing Santos Monday night) and a grand finale with the entire Atlanta crew on stage throwing toilet paper, ripping apart pillows and just generally being silly. The photos in this most are basically limited to act one...

Continue reading "King Khan & The Shrines @ McCarren Pool, NYC - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Ponytail / crowd / The Mae Shi

Hot, sweaty, Market Hotel Monday night (July 21, 2008). More pics below...

Continue reading "Ponytail, Joan of Arc, Mae Shi & Muggabears @ Market Hotel"

photos by Leia Jospe

Film School

PART 0 + PART 1 + PART 2 + what is below...

Continue reading "the 2008 Coney Island Siren Festival in pictures (part 3)"

photos by Leia Jospe

Continue reading "The 2008 Siren Music Festival in Polaroids"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Leia Jospe

DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - "No Epiphany" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - "Royal Swan" (M4A)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - "Stress" (Justice cover) (MP3)

Question: Your band has ump-teen releases this year and a googleplex of others in seven years of existence. If you are readying another release, is it really news?

Answer: It definitely is, if you consider it's only your second LP.

The band of 1000 releases is none other than T.O. hardcore dudes Fucked Up who have announced that they will release LP #2, The Chemistry Of Common Life (or "ChemCom" as the band likes to call it) on October 7th on their new label Matador Records. Both "No Epiphany" & "Royal Swan" (the MP3s above) are from ChemCom, whereas "Stress" is just for gits & shiggles. Matador will also play house with another one of those pesky Fucked Up releases - the Year Of The Pig 12" is out July 22nd. It originally reared it's ugly head over at What's Your Rupture? (though in an abbreviated, in length AND availability, form).

A new mixtape is also in the works (look for it around the same time as ChemCom) and the dudes/lady dropped a preview of it.

Currently touring Europe (dates below), lead throat-ist Pink Eyes was recently hospitalized in Calgary during night one of the Sled Island Festival (Broken Social Scene was there and so was Of Montreal) after shattering a beer glass into his head during a gig. The band was scheduled for three shows, and missed none. Pink Eyes recalled the incident on night two:

"I had to miss all of the bands I wanted to see, because I was sleeping in the hospital like a baby"

Cursed dropped the massive III: Architects Of Troubled Sleep on Goodfellow Records this year.

The pictures in this post are from Fucked Up's infamous performance at SUNY Purchase's Culture Shock in April. It was cut short by the police. More of those pics and all the tour dates below...

Continue reading "new music by FUCKED UP ++ long lost Culture Shock pics "

photos by Leia Jospe

Drum Machines Have No Soul

More pictures from Friday night's Gogol Bordello show (June 20, 2008) below....

Continue reading "Gogol Bordello @ McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn, NYC - pics"