by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Her Space Holiday - All You Demons (City Lights) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: City Light - New Kid Revival (Her Space Holiday) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lymbyc Systym - Carved By Glaciers (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lymbyc Systym - Narita (MP3)

Her Space Holiday

Her Space Holiday, the musical project of Marc Bianchi, is currently on tour across the US, his "first full US tour after a four year hiatus." That tour comes to Brooklyn's Bell House on Thursday, May 21st for a show with Lymbyc Systym and tourmates City Light. Tickets are on sale.

City Light is accmpanying HSH on most of the tour. In April, Banter Records released a HSH/CL split single, unofficially titled ("if i didn't feel sick, i wouldn't feel anything at all") to commemorate the trip, with each covering the other's songs. Both tracks from the single are posted above.

Her Space Holiday is planning a new LP for Fall 2009, with more tour dates to come in support of that. His last disc, XOXO Panda and the New Kid Revival, came out in October 2008 on Mush Records.

We're not sure who is currently in Her Space Holiday's band, but the band for XOXO included Andrew Kenny, as well as Mike Bell & Jared Bell of Lymbyc Systym, who are opening the Bell House show. That band also has its own US tour scheduled for July, which includes a July 18th show at Brooklyn's Union Hall. Lymbyc Systyem just released a new CD itself, a split-LP with This Will Destroy You called Field Studies, and a reissued its 2005 release Carved By Glaciers, both on Magic Bullet Records. The title track from Carved By Glaciers and "Narita" from Field Studies are posted above.

All tour dates (with HSH tour posters), and a video from talk between Her Space Holiday's Marc Bianchi and collaborator, artist PCP that took place on April 24th, 2009, below...

Continue reading "Her Space Holiday, City Light & Lymbyc Systym - MP3's & 2009 tour dates (Bell House Thursday)"

DOWNLOAD: The Wooden Birds - Sugar (live on WOXY) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Wooden Birds - The Other One (live on WOXY) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Wooden Birds - Sugar (MP3)

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

The Wooden Birds played the first of three scheduled NYC dates at the Mercury Lounge on Friday, April 10th. Lymbyc Systym opened that show. Pictures from that show above and below.

The Wooden Birds' second gig at the same venue is Thursday, April 16th with opener Home Video. (Tickets still on sale.) The next night, April 17th, the Wooden Birds play with Cale Parks and Sam Izdat at Union Hall. (Tickets are also on sale.)

Last month the band visited SXSW. One stop on that visit was WOXY's Lounge Act sessions, where the band performed tunes off their forthcoming Barsuk debut, magnolia. Songs "Sugar" and "The Other One" from that session are posted above for free download, as well as the studio version of one of them

Andrew Kenny, Wooden Birds frontman, also briefly reunited with his former band, American Analog Set, for a one-night (SXSW day party) performance of their 1999 album The Golden Band.

On hiatus since 2005's Set Free, [American Analog Set] got back together to pull a "Don't Look Back"-esque revisit to 1999's The Golden Band for this show only. A special occasion to say the least. I'd forgotten how beautifully hypnotic AmAnSet was, particularly their earlier records - I'd only seen them live in their (slightly) more upbeat and poppier configurations. This show, however, was all shimmering vibraphone, whirring farfisa and Andrew Kenny's somnambulant vocals - pure aural beauty in its sleepiest form. Though it's great that Kenny has a new project in The Wooden Birds, I hope this isn't the last of AmAnSet (although I sort of do, since it means I was there). [Chromewaves]

The Wooden Birds have more tour dates scheduled, including an April/May European tour with Grand Archives. All dates and more Mercury Lounge pictures, below...

Continue reading "The Wooden Birds @ WOXY (MP3s) & Mercury Lounge (pics) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Andrew Kenny is a native Texan who after nearly six years in Brooklyn, NY has returned to beautiful Austin, TX. He's best known as the singer/songwriter behind mellow indie favorites the American Analog Set. However, he's also performed as a guest artist with the Album Leaf, Her Space Holiday, Styrofoam, Arthur and Yu, Ola Podrida, and most recently the Broken Social Scene.

His latest project is called The Wooden Birds...

The Wooden Birds perform for their hometown crowd at SXSW's Barsuk/Merge Showcase showcase on Saturday, March 21st at The Parish. The band's NE dates, before heading to Europe, include two Mercury Lounge shows, first on Friday, April 10th with Lymbyc System (tickets on sale here), then Thursday, April 16th (tickets here). The next night (4/17) The Wooden Birds play Union Hall in Brooklyn (no tickets for that one yet).

The band, recently signed to Barsuk Records, will release its debut, magnolia, on that label in May.

During SXSW, Kenny will also play with The American Analog Set, performing its 1999 record The Golden Band straight through at InSound.com's 10th anniversary party, Friday, March 20th at Club de Ville.

Insound SXSW flyer and Wooden Birds tour dates below...

Continue reading "Andrew Kenny forms The Wooden Birds - Barsuk debut, 2009 tour dates (3 NYC shows), SXSW & American Analog Set"

WhoMadeWho @ Webster Hall (more by Chona Kasinger)

Last Thursday night (10/23) I headed over to Webster Hall. Lymbyc System, a duo from Brooklyn and Texas, opened. When they initially emerged and positioned themselves opposite each other - one behind drums, the other behind keyboards and various electronics, I thought I was tripping. With similarly thin builds and curly brown hair glowing under Webster's green light it was almost like looking at 2 people mirroring each other. The next 40 minutes or so of atmospheric, shoegazey jams which at times reminded me vaguely of M83 (minus the full band) and sometimes even Radiohead, perfectly suited my initial hallucinogenic impression.

After Lymbyc System my new favorite band (there, I said it), Whomadewho, took the stage. As much as I enjoyed their set the night prior at Mercury Lounge, the sparsely filled room was not ideal for dancing. While many would argue that Webster Hall isn't either, the crowd enthusiastically danced along to the Danish trio's funk meets disco meets rock beats. Definite highlight of the show: the crowd suddenly going absolutely crazy - jumping up and down, and singing along when the band broke into "Satisfaction".

Fujiya & Miyagi followed and played an equally tight set as their one at Mercury Wednesday night. Unfortunately the crowd at Webster seemed a bit less appreciative as F&M's performance fell on a number of deaf ears, evidenced by the constant, faint murmur of people talking throughout the show...such a shame.

Unfortunately things spiraled down from there, at least for me. After hearing people near me going on and on (I don't remember how long set-up took between sets, but suffice to say it was too long) about how great Crystal Castles are, I was honestly hoping they were right and worth the wait. Unfortunately, my Webster Hall neighbors were only right about one thing - the hell that was going to break loose when Crystal Castles started. It was absolute mayhem that I could've handled had I not been running around all week for CMJ.

Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall (more by Chona Kasinger)

I quickly cut through the crowd until I was over near a much calmer section on the side and watched, baffled, as everyone went apeshit to Crystal Castles 8 bit beats which for me were rendered completely unenjoyable due to vocalist Alice Glass' screaming over them. I was hoping it would get better, but even when they played "Courtship Dating" (one of their tracks that I like) I couldn't get into it.

continued below....

Continue reading "the Thursday night in Dance w/ Showtrotta"

Photos by Chona Kasinger

Continue reading "Crystal Castles, WhoMadeWho, Fujiya & Miyagi and Lymbyc System @ Webster Hall (CMJ), NYC - pics"