photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

"OMG. Is there anything cooler for a mother/daughter trip to New York to incorporate going to see one of the finest examples of an older woman strutting her stuff? I took my daughter to the Highline Ballroom, a small intimate venue packed full of mostly men - but she's still got a diverse following - it wasn't all fat old blokes in tight t-shirts like Pink Floyd fans or ageing women like Tom Jones - it's a real mixture.

SHE IS SO COOL. Initially I was a little worried. She came out in sunglasses and quite a lot of clothes and didn't move very much and her hair is a little, well, a little too Blonde, which I guess in her case is entirely acceptable.

She just got better as her set progressed. Started moving around the stage with that attitude she does so well, stripped down to something more sexy and her voice was good and it was just a great evening and she's f*cking 66!!!!

Honestly. You couldn't find a better role model for the older woman. She is an inspiration. I'm going to walk about New York in my pants today. ROCK ON!!! [Family Affairs & Other Matters]

Maybe you bought some merch from the punk legends at their table, or maybe instead you headed to the Marc Jacobs store on Bleecker Street as part of their pop-up Blondie store, a benefit for Riverkeeper and promotion for their new album out now Panic of Girls, which dropped that same day (Beirut cover included).

Blondie play Music Box at the Borgata in Atlantic City, NJ tonight (9/16) and a show in Clark, NJ on Saturday. Westbury, NY happens Sunday. All tour dates and pictures from Highline Ballroom are below.

Continue reading "Blondie played 2 nights @ Highline Ballroom (pics), continue on tour (NJ this weekend)"

White Rabbits @ Escape to NY Fest (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

Whoever books the now-annual Fashion's Night Out show at Rockefeller Center must really like Bear Hands. Like last year, Bear Hands will play the free 6-11pm gig on Thursday (9/8). This year they'll be opening for White Rabbits and share a bill with Lissy Trullie and DJ Keiichiro. Flyer below.

For White Rabbits it's one of only two upcoming shows they have scheduled, the other being Chicago's Cultivate Festival.

Bear Hands head out on tour with We Were Promised Jetpacks and Royal Bangs in October.

Continue reading "White Rabbits headline free FNO show @ Rockefeller Center w/ Bear Hands (dates)"

Psychedelic Furs at Wellmont in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

The Psychedelic Furs recently reissued their sophomore album Talk Talk Talk (home of "Pretty In Pink") in Europe, where they toured the album in its entirety. On Saturday (6/25), they kicked off a tour for the album in America. That tour doesn't hit NYC, but they will come through in October for a traditional show at Irving Plaza on October 3 with Tom Tom Club. Tickets are on sale now.

Both Psychedelic Furs and Tom Tom Club also have festival appearances scheduled in August and both are playing the Hamptons. As mentioned, Tom Tom Club play Music to Know Fest in East Hampton. Psychedelic Furs were added to Escape to New York at the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, NY on August 5 - 7. Tickets are still available. Other recently confirmed acts include Of Montreal, Savoir Adore, Reptar, Mates of State, Tiger Love, and Jolly Boys.

Full Escape to NY lineup and all Psychedelic Furs tour dates below...

Continue reading "upcoming Psychedelic Furs gigs, updated Escape to NY lineup"

"Escape to New York, an art, music and interactive performance party from the creator of the Secret Garden Party UK is pleased to confirm their Friday and Saturday line-ups:

Patti Smith, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, The Vaccines, Best Coast, Au Revoir Simone, Chairlift, Lissy Trullie, Graffiti 6, The Submarines, White Rabbits, Static Jacks and The Postelles.

The Sunday Main Stage line up and the weekend's DJ line up will be announced over the next few weeks........

Coming to the US shores for the first time, Escape to New York is the first pop-up destination community and independent experiential music and lifestyle festival to take place on Shinnecock Nation land adjacent to Southampton, New York, from August 5th through 7th, 2011.

Expect the unexpected. Imagine the unimaginable. This special event is unlike anything the east coast has experienced before including the world's biggest brunch at a live music festival, installation and performance art, experimental theater, high-end camping, aka "Glamping" and amazing culinary delights unlike any other festival event. Escape to New York will also feature a safe children play area so families can enjoy the festivities, shade areas to cool off in, traditional Shinnecock arts and crafts and food, and three days/nights of some of the best emerging artists and known heritage acts to be heard anywhere.

"Our goal is turn upside down the conventional music festival experience and recreate it in a way that makes each and every attendee walk away feeling they just had an incredibly unexpected and amazing VIP experience from the moment they entered our gates all the way through to when they pack up to return to their regular lives", shares Escape to New York Executive Producer, Fred Fellowes.

The location of Escape to New York on the sovereign Shinnecock Reservation land is also unique. The Shinnecocks have lived along the shores of Eastern Long Island for thousands of years, and in October 2010 became the 565th federally recognized tribe.

Thus upon entering the reservation you are both in and escaping New York.

"The Shinnecock Nation welcomes the Escape to New York festival that will take here in August and we are working closely with the festival team to assure a success," says Beverly Jensen, Shinnecock Tribe Member and Communications Director. "

What makes a good party?
What you do not what you see
Who you meet not who you see

photos by Brook Bobbins

Art Brut @ Webster Hall - March 4, 2011

Hello. We're Art Brut.

We've completed the recording of our new album 'Brilliant! Tragic!' and working alongside PledgeMusic, we'd like give you a little more than usual and help us go to places Art Brut have never been.

PledgeMusic allows you to pledge towards Art Brut's dream of touring places that have yet to enjoy the live Art Brut experience. You can get a signed CD or Vinyl before 'Brilliant! Tragic!' reaches the stores. But we're also offering weirder and more wonderful options to a limited number of Art Brut aficionados. What about Art Brut karaoke with Eddie or the whole band playing in your front room...

An exclusive new song "Unprofessional Wrestling" (it won't be on the new album) is also available for free download NOW for the price of an email address. The list of songs that will be on the new album is below, along with the Brilliant! Tragic! cover art (the LP is out May 24 via Cooking Vinyl/The End Records).

Art Brut is plotting a return to North America in June. The band will play NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 23rd Tickets for that show go on AmEx presale Wed at noon, and regular sale on Friday. All dates are listed below.

Art Brut were here earlier this year to play the Downtown Records celebration at Webster Hall with The Suzan, A-Trak (whose next NYC show is at Terminal 5), White Denim, & Lissy Trullie. Pictures from that show, album info and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Art Brut releasing new stuff, touring North America, played Webster Hall w/ White Demim, A-Trak & more (pics & dates)"

Alt-bros Dave 1 and A-Trak (more by Brook Bobbins)

Miike Snow/Major Lazer/Santigold/etc. at Terminal 5 on March 5th (on sale now) isn't the only birthday party Downtown Records is throwing for itself. They're also hosting A-Trak, Art Brut, White Denim, Lissy Trullie, and The Suzan at Webster Hall on March 4th. Tickets for that first part of the two-day celebration go on sale Saturday (1/29).

A-Trak is also on board for this year's sold-out Cochella Fest, playing not only as A-Trak, but also two days later as part of Duck Sauce (his project with Armand Van Helden).

The Suzan is hitting the road with Chromeo (also are playing Coachella this year) and MNDR for US dates next week. The tour hits a sold-out Terminal 5 on Feb 4th (the afterparty is at Webster Hall). The Fool's Gold-signed Suzan recently dropped a pair of releases in Japan, a live iTunes only LP and a CD+DVD combo of Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat.

No more Art Brut dates to report at the moment. All A-Trak and Suzan tour dates and some videos below.

Continue reading "A-Trak playing Coachella & another Downtown Records Party (w/ the Suzan, Lissy Trullie, White Denim & ART BRUT)"

photos by Bryan Bruchman

Spinner: You had an EP out in October, produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor. How did you team up with him?

Acrylics: Chris Taylor saw us play some shows, and we had some friends in common. He asked us to record initially one track that was going to be on a split 7-inch, and we got into it and recorded an EP. We had about a week to do it. We were in his church studio, which is a beautiful place to record. We had fun. We had been working on a whole record prior to that, and we're still working on that record, slowly. So it was fun that he gave us the opportunity.

• A flyer for tonight's (3/26) show at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn
• More Acrylics tour dates (w/ The Smith Westerns)
• A video of Acrylics at SXSW
• More pictures of Acrylics at SXSW
Acrylics played many shows at SXSW this year, including the very first one apparently. Great bill at Glasslands tonight. All that stuff below...

Continue reading "Acrylics played SXSW (pics), play Glasslands w/ Lissie Trullie, Bear Hands, Holy Ghost! & others tonight + other dates"

Bob Mould two nights ago @ Joe's Pub (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

Last night (4/9), while some were enjoying (or not enjoying) a Passover Seder, others caught Bob Mould at his second of two shows at Joe's Pub. Anonymous wrote,

Unfortunately it was not an ideal venue tonight.
It could have been, but the atmosphere just wasn't the way most BM solo shows usually are.
Still not bad, and the audience was with him, but people were eating dinner....that's an ideal venue for Bob Mould?? I don't think so.

Paper Magazine held their "Beautiful People Party" at Hiro Ballroom last night. Past musical guests at the annual get together have included Antony and Joanna Newsom (whose music is now featured in a bra commercial). This year it was Paper cover-girl Katy Perry who was already in town playing multiple nights at Irving Plaza and humping bananas.

Speaking of humping bananas, Chris Cornell played two shows at Webster Hall this week. In the YouTube video below you can see that he.... shaved his guitar player's head on stage while they were playing at one of them.

Also featured in Paper's new "Beautiful People" issue is comedian Aziz Ansari who co-stars with Amy Poehler in the TV show Parks and Recreation which premiered last night. Did you catch it? What did you think?

Lissy Trullie was featured in last year's "Beautiful People" issue. Last night she played Union Hall with US Royalty (who play the Studio at Webster Hall tonight).

New Ditmas Park/Flatbush venue Sycamore hosted its third-ever live show last night. Check out the schedule for what they have coming up.

The Books paid a somewhat rare visit to NYC. The band, noted one showgoer, "debuted some sweet new tunes." Those'd be from the group's forthcoming record, which, according to the Columbia Spectator, is due next year. The Spectator also noted the lack of promotion for the show - which according to the Books' Twitter sold out less than a day before it happened. One student, on the minimal on-campus promotion, said, "I had no way of knowing they were playing at Columbia...I found out about the concert on a random music blog that I was casually browsing -- I don't even remember which site it was."

As NYC's summer concert lineup comes together, two shows were added to calendar yesterday - Casiokids at South Street Seaport and Shilpa Ray at Castle Clinton (as part of a Sly Stone tribute concert). Shilpa played Death by Audio last night. Look for more summer-show announcements today (in addition to Simian Mobile Disco at the Williamsburg Waterfront).

UK band Pet Shop Boys almost became Rescue Shelter Boys.

What did you do last night?

Continue reading "What did you do last night?"

Enrique Cardenas: Is the legend of the guitar god dead? Are there any young guitarists that will make an impact in 2009?

Sasha Frere-Jones: The last three "guitar heroes" I saw were women: Marnie Stern, Kaki King, and Marissa Paternoster of the the Screaming Females. And the only old-fashioned guitar solos coming to mind are on Chris Brown and Braid Paisley albums.

Heartonastick: Paternoster's hard to see, impossible to take your eyes off.

Screaming Females are on tour with Throwing Muses. They play Music Hall of Williamsburg together tonight (3/12).

Lissy Trullie is everywhere lately. One of those places is opening for The Soundtrack of our Lives at Bowery Ballroom tonight (3/12) (not sold out).

Speaking of Dischord, Medications are on tour with Edie Sedgwick They play Cake Shop in NYC tonight (3/12).

LA comedian Morgan Murphy apparently lives in NYC now. That is great news for NYC comedy. Catch her tonight (3/12) at 92Y Tribeca. Check her out in the video below...

Continue reading "Lissy Trullie, Morgan Murphy, Medications, Screaming Females --- shows tonight & other stuff"

DOWNLOAD: Fol Chen - Cable TV (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rafter - no fucking around (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DM Stith - Pity Dance (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Parenthetical Girls - A Song For Ellie Greenwich (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Chief - Your Direction (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shout Out Out Out Out - Bad Choices (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hymns - Your Movement (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dosh - If You Want To, You Have To (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Themselves - Dark Sky Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lissy Trullie - Self-Taught Learner (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sky Larkin - Fossil (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: A-Trak - Say Whoa (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crocodile - August Is Over (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Valient Thorr - I Hope The Ghosts Of The Dead Haunt Yr Soul Forever

A selection of free music by artists playing official showcases on Wednesday March 18, 2009 at SXSW.

the fashionable Marnie Stern @ Santos Party House (more by Tim Griffin)

Alexander McQueen is no doubt up to his neck in his fabulous fall 2009 collection, with Paris Fashion Week just weeks away. But the legendary designer set aside a little time for the Cut to talk about one of 2009's most exciting collaborations, his forthcoming Target collection. The line doesn't hit stores until March 4, but New Yorkers can purchase it next weekend. Yes, we are special. Target's McQ Market will run from Saturday, February 14 through Sunday, February 15 at St. John's Center on Houston Street. So don't celebrate Valentine's Day, celebrate McQueen. Now you have a reason to be excited for Valentine's Day...

Target McQ Market
When: Saturday, February 14 - Sunday February 15; noon - 10pm
(On Saturday night from 7pm - 9pm, guests will enjoy performances from Marnie Stern, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, and Acrylics.)
Where: St. John's Center
330 West Street at W. Houston Street
New York, NY 10013
[NY Magazine]

7pm - Acrylics
7:30pm - Lissy Trullie
8:00pm - Golden Triangle
8:50pm - The Phenomenal HandClap Band

The Duke Spirit is playing an Alexander McQueen party tonight/Friday. Info on that and more bands playing shows for Fashion Week, HERE.

TPHB's last NYC show was with Apes & Androids at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Earlier this week Pitchfork.TV went "Daytripping" with Marnie Stern. Watch the videos below...

Continue reading "more bands for Fashion Week (PHCB, Lissy Trullie) (but not Marnie Stern) +++ Daytripping video"

Lily Allen @ Bowery Ballroom last night (more by Bao Nguyen)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Questlove @ 92YTribeca
* Roman Candle @ Union Hall
* Brett Dennen @ Webster Hall
* Lissy Trullie @ Mercury Lounge
* Reggie Watts @ the Studio @ WH
* Dave Hill's Madea Goes to Jail!! @ UCB
* Rokia Traoré @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Thank You, Mi Ami & Miracles @ Cake Shop
* Goblin Cock, Orphan & Warship @ Highline Ballroom
* the BQE Project playing to silent film @ the Winter Garden
* John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders @ Le Poisson Rouge
* The Submarines, The Morning Benders & Dawn Landes @ The Bell House
* Abigail Washburn with Casey Driessen and Ben Sollee @ Joe's Pub
* Robbers on High St, La Strada & The Silent League @ Union Pool

"The daughter of a diplomat, Malian singer Rokia Traore grew up assimilating European and African cultures, and in her 10-year career, she's developed a sound that uses elements of Malian tradition in her own way. Traore's fourth album, Tchamantche, is just out, and it's her best and most daring work." Rokia plays the early show at LPR tonight. John Wesley Harding, Eugene Mirman and friends are the late show.

Dufus and Diane Cluck are playing Union Pool tomorrow.

Cinematic Orchestra play a free show tomorrow.

Ben Sollee will be back in April to play Le Poisson Rouge.

Demetri Martin's TV show is on tonight.

Joly posted some new live No Age videos. Watch them below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

DOWNLOAD: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (MP3)

Michael Daves and Chris Thile are playing the Living Room tonight, December 23rd. Tickets are on sale. Chris's band Punch Brothers are also at Living Room on January 15th and January 22nd.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the $10 Matt & Kim show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Witch & Earthless show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming These Arms Are Snakes show at Music Hall Of Williamsburg.

Dengue Fever is playing Maxwell's on January 10th. Tickets are on sale.

Lissy Trullie is playing Mercury Lounge on February 11th. Tickets are on sale.

World Inferno Friendship Society's Addicted To Bad Ideas show goes down at Webster Hall on January 9th. Tickets are still on sale.

Tickets are on sale for Meshuggah's show at Irving Plaza on February 19th.

Balkan Beat Box are playing Webster Hall on April 2nd. Tickets are on sale.

The Neville Brothers and Dr. John are playing Terminal 5 on February 20th. Tickets are on sale.

Adele is playing the crazy big Roseland Ballroom on May 5th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are on sale for Bloc Party's upcoming show at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on sale for Eugene Mirman's book release party.

Tickets are on sale for the Welcome Wagon show at Southpaw.

Tickets are still on sale for Jewltide 6 @ Southpaw.

Tickets are on sale for Okkervil River's upcoming show at the Bell House.

Tickets went on sale for Beirut's 2nd BAM show.

Check out some other tickets that recently went on sale.

If you want to go to Knitting Factory before it closes, tonight is one of your last chances.

No tickets necessary for tonight's Dan Deacon show.

Andrew WK (@ Studio B) (by Zach Dilgard) (more)

New Tears Eve @ Santos Party House in NYC
Serving booze until 8:00 AM, January 1st. Live performances upstairs with Andrew WK, Gang Gang Dance, Lissy Trullie, Bad Brilliance and Lemonade PLUS A MYSTERY SURPRISE GUEST! Upstairs will also feature spinning by Manderson, Andrew Kuo, Josh Wildman and Spencer Sweeney plus more DJ's TBA. Downstairs, Presented by Prime Time, will feature Invisible Conga People, Mike Simonetti, Eamon Harkin and James ^$#*@ Friedman. Champagne toast at midnight featuring an unprecedented 96-second countdown! With your hosts MISSHAPES! Entry is $20 after 4 AM. Please be 21 years of age or older with valid ID.

Lemonade recently played a show at The Annex.

Bad Brilliance recently played a show (with Andrew WK) at Terminal 5.

Knitting Factory recently added different price options for their New Years show.

Who will be the MYSTERY SURPRISE GUEST?

Jose Gonzalez @ ACL 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

today in NYC
* Blip Festival
* Red Hot & Rio @ BAM (with Jose G)
* Ohgr @ Blender Theater
* Dufus @ Knitting Factory
* Max Silvestri @ Sound Fix !
* Benjy Ferree @ Union Hall
* BB King @ Wellmont Theater
* Tina Turner @ Nassau Coliseum
* Vampire Weekend & Telepathe @ Terminal 5
* Orphan, Red Dawn II & Pollution @ Union Pool
* Suicidal Tendencies & Madball @ Irving Plaza
* Snowden, Villa Vina & Twin Tigers @ Southpaw
* The King Left, Howlies & The Kiss Off @ Mercury Lounge
* Tim Hecker & Wordless Music Orchestra @ (le) poisson rouge
* Stellastarr*, Comandante Zero & Ghosts in the Valley @ Pianos
* The Teenagers, Heloise & The Savoir Faire & Lissy Trullie @ MHOW
* R. Stevie Moore, Unicornucopia, Tele V. Cheeseburger & The Ocean Floor @ Death By Audio

Tonight would have been the Noah & The Whale show at Bowery Ballroom.

! TONIGHT @ Sound Fix: "Comedy hosted by Max Silvestri (BestWeekEver.tv), Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate. Featuring: ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, DC BENNY (Comedy Central Presents), ANDRES DU BOUCHET (Conan), JAMIE LEE (New Orleans Comedy Fest) + BRENT SULLIVAN (Official Friend of The Show). maxsilvestri.com / gabenjenny.com". Also supposedly Jon Benjamin and Larry Murphy.

No Age was nominated for a Grammy.

Ohgr = Mark Walk and Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy.

Lissy Trullie opens for the Teenagers tonight. Video of her and Adam Green in the Santos Party House bathroom, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday? "

Girl Talk @ Terminal 5 Sunday (more by Mike Lerner)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Steely Dan @ the Wellmont Theater
* Girl Talk, Prefuse 73 & Bad Brilliance @ Terminal 5
* Secret Machines & Dragons of Zynth @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* SpaceKamp & Joe and the Flying Spoons @ Black Betty
* Peter & The Wolf, Tall Firs & The Isles @ The Studio @ Webster Hall
* Brightblack Morning Light, Fursaxa & Zomes @ Southpaw
* Subtle, Zach Hill & Pattern is Movement @ Knitting Factory
* Centro-Matic & South San Gabriel @ The Bell House
* Grand Buffet & many others (Girl Talk afterparty) @ Santos Party House

Kirk Hammet of Metallica was born today in 1962.

Al Cisneros speaks again.

Secret Machines play Music Hall tonight. An ex-member of the Secret Machines plays Mercury Lounge in December.

Bill points out that SpaceKamp (playing Black Betty tonight) is also Adam Green's backing band.

As promised, Adam Green performed with Lissy Trullie at Santos Party House last night. Videos below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Little Joy @ Mercury Lounge (more by Zach Stern)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* Steely Dan @ Wellmont Theater
* Devin the Dude @ Highline Ballroom
* Little Joy @ Virgin Megastore Union Square
* Iron and Wine & Blitzen Trapper @ Terminal 5
* Eagles of Death Metal & The Duke Spirit @ Bowery Ballroom
* Brightblack Morning Light & Fursaxa @ (le) poisson rouge
* Melissa Mosche & Jason Anderson @ Pete's Candy Store
* Tigercity, Glint, Apache Beat & Mixel Pixel @ Gramercy Theatre
* Lissy Trullie, Adam Green & The Rumble Strips @ Santos Party House
* Centro-Matic, The Baptist Generals & South San Gabriel @ Mercury Lounge

Santos is advertising that Lissy Trullie and Adam Green will duet tonight (in case that seems exciting). Mark Ronson is also DJing the afterparty at the same venue. Paper Magazine says Lissy is beautiful.

Tickets are still on sale for the show Kimya Dawson is playing at Bowery Ballroom.

Regina Spektor's Bowery Ballroom show goes on sale Wednesday.

Jef Buckley was born today in 1966.

Little Joy recorded a Dumbo Session. The video for "Unattainable" is below...

What else? What are you doing?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"