photos by Ryan Muir

Erykah Badu @ Good Units

"Erykah Badu went for a stripped-down approach for her new "Window Seat" video. Literally: As the standout tune from New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (out tomorrow) plays, Ms. Badu walks through downtown Dallas gradually removing all of her clothing until she is 100 percent nude. If that sounds familiar, Badu credits that Matt & Kim video from last year for inspiration. No word on what role, if any, Alanis Morissette played." [EW]

You can watch that new video at the end of this post which also contains pictures from the second of two secret-ish Less Artists More Condos-organized NYC shows that Erykah Badu performed at this weekend. The first show (Friday night) took place at Damon Dash's open-when-it-wants-to-be basement space in Tribeca, Under 100. Class Actress, Grooms, and Skeletons were all also on the bill (video below). At the second, Saturday night, a very late Erykah (she left the crowd-that-got-smaller-and-smaller waiting for almost 2 hours), played with Spank Rock, MNDR, and Tony Castles at Good Units in midtown. Things didn't go so well for Spank Rock (who played 2nd to last)...

"During the final song, Spank Rock rapped something along the lines of (and I am paraphrasing here so my head doesn't get chewed off by Spank Rock die-hards), "wanting to fuck a white girl till my dick turns racist." Needless to say, Spank Rock got booed off the stage, something I haven't witnessed at a show in a very long time [editor: you weren't at the Fader Fort for Salem then]. He even tried to worm his way into the front row next to these two ladies I was standing next to so he could watch Erykah Badu and the two women were clearly horrified as they quickly spread themselves out to ensure he would not be joining us." [According to G]

Pictures and the videos below...

Continue reading "Erykah Badu played Under 100 & Good Units w/ Spank Rock & MNDR (pics), released Matt & Kim-inspired stripping video"

Total Slacker @ St James Church (more by Vincent Cornelli)

CatholicVoteAction.Org, Culture War Notes, and Aufer A Nobis all have posts claiming "abomination", "sacrilege" and "desecration" at St James Church on Friday, 1/15. They're referring to the Real Estate, Beach Fossils, The Beets, The Tony Castles & Total Slacker show (that Curren$y was also a special guest at). Videos from the event below...

Continue reading "religious sites claiming St. James Church was 'desecrated'"

Hey everyone,

TONIGHT'S SHOW IS CANCELED. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT.

Check the Ava Luna myspace for future shows.
www.myspace.com/avalunaband

LAMC

It just feels like this place is messing with us or something or not. I don't know. Actually, I guess this show has moved to Silent Barn.

THIS FRIDAY, January 15th, our good friends at Less Artists More Condos are hosting a show at a rad new venue: the St. James Church in Chinatown.

MIDNIGHT: Real Estate (Last show before Europe Tour)
11PM The Beets
10PM Tony Castles (with secret special guest!)
9PM Beach Fossils
8PM Total Slacker
10 dollars & OPEN BAR FROM 8-9

As it says above, Real Estate heads out about a week after the show shortly after the show to tour Europe (followed by a North American jaunt with Woods).

The Beets and Beach Fossils will be touring with Christmas Island this February. Total Slacker, also on the church bill, will help those bands kick off their tour at a February 9th Cake Shop show (the tour has a few other NYC stops too). Total Slacker plays a bunch more this month too (including a January 28th show at Don Pedros with Frankie & the Outs) - dates are below.

Beach Fossils perform on Saturday, January 16th with Real Estate spin-off Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Cloud Nothings and Nude Beach at Monster Islandl (and in March at Market Hotel with Surfer Blood).

The Tony Castles have another show coming up too. They're playing January 23rd at Union Pool with Forest City, Tough Knuckles and Regal Degal. Tony Castles have some new songs on their MySpace that are definitely worth checking out - an interesting mix of synth textures and pop songwriting.

Directions to the venue and Total Slacker tour dates are below...

Continue reading "St. James Church is a new Manhattan venue - show w/ Real Estate, Tony Castles, Beach Fossils & Total Slacker (dates) "

APTBS @ NYU in March (more by Chris La Putt)

The two Holy Fuck / Crocodiles shows happening in May at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg got even better. A Place to Bury Strangers has been confirmed as the third band on both bills. Tickets are on sale.

No need to wait that long to see the New York-based band though. APTBS will also appear at Manhttan's DIY venue Less Artists More Condos on May 1st with Dinowalrus and Crash Crew Diet. No advanced tickets for that one.

Currently on an April tour of Europe, APTBS will also appear at this year's Coachella festival and a few days later at Popscene in San Francisco. All dates, and some videos from their recent Psych Fest appearance in Austin, below...

Continue reading "A Place to Bury Strangers - 2009 Tour Dates (w/ Holy Fuck in NYC, Popscene & Less Artists More Condos)"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Nathan Williams's starter Flock of Seagulls haircut was silly with sweat, slapping at his face and neck as he jerked around on the tiny stage at Less Artists More Condos in the West Village on Saturday night. But after nearly every song he stopped for a look in the virtual mirror. Not at the hair, but at less likely concerns. Was his guitar tuned properly? (It was not.) Could he hit the notes the next song required? (Define hit. And notes.) Musing about whether he could pull off a particular number, he demurred -- "No. I can't. Sorry." -- and then dove in anyway.

Slickness isn't really a concern for Mr. Williams, a one-man band from San Diego who records as Wavves, but crispness is. His terrific second album, "Wavvves" (Fat Possum), teems with scrappy, energetic, summery chunks of noisy pop: smart-aleckyness via Weezer, cooing via the Beach Boys, all masked by digital effects and a thick garage-rock haze. (The album is to be released this week on iTunes and next month on CD.) [NYTIMES]

The Wavvves album really is terrific. Wavves (the artist whose album has one more "v" than his name) also played a show with almost the exact same lineup (Woods/Nodzzz/Blank Dogs) one day earlier at Market Hotel and one day later (yesterday) at Underground Lounge (where Blank Dogs reportedly cancelled).

Wavves will reportedly be back in NYC at the end of March.

Nodzzz went on first at Less Artists More Condos. Toby could't get through the door in time, but he did get lots of pics of the rest of the show. More of them below...

Continue reading "WAVVES, Woods, Blank Dogs (and Nodzzz) @ Less Artists More Condos, NYC - pics"

photos by Tim Griffin

Tyvek (first), Kurt Vile (second), and Psychedelic Horseshit (third) played Less Artists More Condos - a loft space / DIY venue in Manhattan, on Friday night (1/9). Nick Masi told me that even though he loves Tyvek, Psychedelic Horseshit were his favorite of the night. To quote, "Anonymous | January 12, 2009 12:42 PM",

Tyvek were pretty good at Less Artists - they were touring with their stripped down lineup (with a new bassist too) - so their set was a tad rough - but still pretty good - just not as tight and fiery as they usually are.

Psychedelic Horseshit was definitely a surprise (and the highlight) - their new material was fucking fantastic - dude's gonna put out a great record this year.

More pictures from that show (the first of three Tyvek shows that happened in NYC over the weekend), below...

Continue reading "Tyvek, Psychedlic Horseshit, and Kurt Vile & The Violators @ Less Artists More Condos, NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Wavves - So Bored (MP3)

* WAVVES has a self-titled debut album out now on the Woodsist label
* WAVVES' second album is called WAVVVES (notice the extra "V")
* Both albums have very very similar covers
* WAVVVES by WAVVES is on the De Stijl label and is out on Feb. 03, 2009

WAVVES is from California. WAVVES will be in NYC to play Market Hotel with Blank Dogs, Woods, Nodzzz and Gary War on February 6th. The same exact lineup plays Less Artists More Condos the very next day. All dates below...

Continue reading "WAVVES - 2009 Tour Dates (2xNYC) & an MP3"

The band formerly known as Tyvke, TVK and Tyvek are back in NYC in a few days to play three shows in a row...

1. Jan 09 - LESS ARTISTS MORE CONDOS, Manhattan, NYC - Tyvjk w/PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT, KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORSc NYC
2. Jan 10 - Market Hotel - Tyvjk w/ CRYSTAL STILTS, BOX ELDERS, MEDICATION, KID ROMANCE New York City
3. Jan 11 - GLASSLANDS, Brooklyn, NY - Tyvjk w/CAUSE CO-MOTION!, BEACHNIKS, KID ROMANCE, THE BEETS, TODD PURPLE, and DJs Brooklyn, NY

Their friends Psychedelic Horseshit don't have any any other shows listed. Crystal Stilts also don't have any other local shows scheduled.

Cause Co-Motion do have more shows listed. They're also opening for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at Mercury Lounge on February 7th, playing Monster Island Basement on March 12th, and perrforming at Silent Barn on April 25th.

All Tyvjk dates below...

Continue reading "Tyvjk - 2009 Tour Dates (3 NYC shows, Crystal Stilts, Psychedelic Horseshit, CAUSE CO-MOTION!, SXSW)"

words photos by Gabi Porter

The show had a late start and sold out just about as the second band started. The space, Less Artists, More Condos was weird in a fun way, or fun in a weird way. It's a strange feeling to go to a show and realize in line for the bathroom, that you're really in someone's house as you stare at their kitchen shelves full of jars of tomato sauce and whole wheat pasta.

German Measles were fun and sloppy, not exactly rockabilly but definitely something the greasers would've listened to post-Elvis. And you have to love a drummer with a barely stuck on fake moustache, and a bass player who is a dead ringer for Buddy Holly.

When you see a guy in a band wearing bright red lipstick and guyliner, if you're me you hope they are more like the New York Dolls and less like Fall Out Boy/the Killers, and Cheap Time (from Nashville) were thankfully definitely more David Johansen than Brandon Flowers. For one brief moment I thought they were opening their set with a Ramones cover, a couple of chord changes and the vocals started, and it turned out I was wrong, but the energy was definitely good ol' three chord early garage punk.

It was my second time seeing the Crystal Stilts, and for a second time I was surprised by what a great, dance-y party band they actually are, despite all appearances to the contrary.

Tickets are still on sale for the show Crystal Stilts are playing with Love is All at Bowery Ballroom on December 7th. All tour dates HERE. More pictures from Friday night (11/21) below...

Continue reading "Crystal Stilts, Cheap Time & German Measles @ Less Artists More Condos, NYC - pics"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Friday November 21st @ LESS ARTISTS, MORE CONDOS

:: CRYSTAL STILTS RECORD RELEASE PARTAY

:: CRYSTAL STILTS
:::: Cheap Time ----------------- In The Red records
:::::: German Measles

[ LESS ARTISTS, MORE CONDOS ]
132 W 3rd St btwn 6th Ave & MacDougal | West Village, Manhattan
ACEBDFW-W 4th St, 1-Christopher St | 8pm | all ages | $7

[ curated by Mike Sniper ]

The above is one of three NYC shows Crystal Stilts have coming up. The pictures in this post are from a show they played at the Fader House during CMJ. Some more of those below...

Continue reading "Crystal Stilts - record release party details, some CMJ pics "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Bloodbath - "Slaughter The Will To Live" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Samothrace - "Slaughter The Will To Live" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: North - "Eidolon" (MP3)

Attila Csihar of Mayhem, The Winterdemon (metalnorge)

Highly influential black metallers Mayhem have announced that they will tour the US in spring of 2009! The 21 date tour will be announced soon, but in the meantime, look for the band to announce a new guitarist to replace departing axe-slinger Blasphemer. Mayhem's Attila Csihar lent his unholy vokills to the new Jarboe record Mahakali due Oct 14th on The End. Skip on down for video of Thurston Moore discussing Mayhem.

Doomriders are currently grinding away at their new album due on Deathwish in 2009! In the meantime, look for the band to hit the Autobahn on a European tour with Disfear & SSS. SSS is currently streaming two new tracks from their upcoming record The Dividing Line. Doomriders recently played Europa.

Metallica is streaming six tracks from Death Magnetic. Check out my review for their new record below.

Guitarist Kris Norris has left Darkest Hour and is "actively pursing some producing routes and any band that might want a guitarist".

Corrupted LIVE (tawaraya)

The extremely elusive Japanese doomers (in fact, the above is one of the only pictures I have ever found of them), Corrupted announced a brief West Coast tour with Asunder, check out the flyer here. Asunder's Works Will Come Undone recently dropped on vinyl via Kreation Records, pick it up here. Corrupted's (current? these guys are elusive I tell ya!) bassist Lowell Isles's old band, YOB recently reformed.

Vikings Amon Amarth are streaming a new track, "Guardians of Asgaard", from their upcoming Twilight Of The Thunder God.

Bloodbath, the death metal supergroup featuring Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström (Katatonia), Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), Martin "Axe" Axenrot(ex-Witchery, Opeth), and Per "Sodomizer" Eriksson, will drop their new studio album The Fathomless Mystery on Oct 28th via Peaceville Records. Filled with ""nothing but hateful brutality", check out "Slaughtering The Will To Live" available for download above and stream another track, "Mock The Cross", at their myspace.

Bloodbath's cover art, plus news on Danzig, Celtic Frost, Landmine Marathon, sunn 0))), Necrophagist, Immortal and so much more....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (09/15/08)"

DOWNLOAD: Ponytail - Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came From an Angel) (MP3)

The MP3 up there is off Baltimore band Ponytail's new album coming out on June 17th on the We Are Free label - the home of Yeasayer and Indian Jewelery. It's Ponytail's second album and the title of it is "Ice Cream Spiritual".

Ponytail have five NYC shows coming up. The first is this Saturday night in the Knitting Factory Tap Bar (May 31) with WZT Hearts and Thank You who recently signed to Thrill Jockey. The second is at Manhattan DIY space Less Artists More Condos. The third is part of the After the Jump Festival. The fourth and fifth are with Chicago's Kinsella-family band Joan of Arc at the Knitting Factory and The Yard respectively. All dates below...

Continue reading "Ponytail - MP3 & 2008 Tour Dates (many w/ Joan of Arc)"