by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Big Troubles - "Misery" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wild Beasts - "Loop the Loop" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Diehard - A VerySerious Man (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Diehard - Diehard (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cave - Adam Roberts (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dive - Sometime (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Heaven's Gate - Salome (MP3)

Welcome to the first day of Autumn! The air is crisp, it's a pleasure to be outside...which is where you'll be on your way to the many good show options this week. Where to start...

I guess I should mention R.E.M.'s decision to "call it a day." It's the right thing to do... but I sorta wish it'd happened 13 years ago. The post-Bill Berry records had their good songs, but it was never really R.E.M. to me. But their first decade, few bands were as important and influential. Hopefully they continue to make music on their own (Peter Buck's got like four other bands anyway), and cross our fingers that doesn't mean a Micheal Stipe solo album of "standards."

This leads nicely into this week's first real item:  Big Troubles' record release party tomorrow night (9/22) at Glasslands. Mitch Easter, who produced R.E.M.'s first two albums, was behind the boards for their new album, Romatic Comedy, which is out next week on Slumberland.

Those familiar with Big Troubles' sludgy, shoegazy debut album, Worry, might wonder if it's the same band this time. Working with Let's Active's Mitch Easter (who twiddled knobs on R.E.M.'s first two albums [and Pavement's Brighten the Corners), the band have cleaned up into a sparkling pop band. It's a dramatic transformation, not unlike the one Easter helped make happen with '90s shoegaze band Moose on their debut album, ...XYZ. With crazy catchy song after crazy catchy song, Romantic Comedy is a terrific album. You can download "Misery" at the top of this post.

The rest of the country will get to see them soon, as they're heading out on tour with their Slumberland labelmates The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (who headlined Bowery Ballroom this week) and then later with Real Estate who they play Bowery Ballroom with in November. All 2011 Big Troubles tour dates are at the bottom of this post, along with the video for their single "Sad Girls."

In addition to Big Troubles, their record release party also has  The Ice Choir and Cuffs playing as well, plus Ford & Lopatin on DJ duty.

Cuffs is the new band from former Pants Yell! frontman Andrew Churchman (one of Big Troubles is also in the band). They are at the same time more pure pop than PY! were and also more rockin'. They're good live.

Ice Choir

The Ice Choir is the new project from Kurt Feldman who plays drums for Pains of Being Pure at Heart and used to front The Depreciation Guild. It's funky synthpop that sounds an awful lot like...Scritti Politti?! It's true. Listen to the songs on Bandcamp and compare with this. I'm very curious to see what The Ice Choir will be like live. Will Kurt wear a while suit with giant shoulder pads? I hope so.

Wild Beasts

Wild Beasts are back, playing two nights at Music Hall of Williamsburg (Friday 9/23 and Saturday 9/24) with BOBBY opening both shows. The band's third album, Smother, has been a real grower for me and find myself going back to it a lot.  It's definitely a subtler album than Two Dancers  that shows the influence of Talk Talk and The Blue Nile in particular. It's a grower, as they say, and a worthy successor to 2009's best album. Check out "Loop the Loop" at the top of this post and there's a new video for "Bed of Nails" below.

Live, Wild Beasts are truly something to behold,  transcending their records every time (at least every time I've seen them). Sky Larkin's Katie Harkin is back again playing keyboards with the band on this go-round which is an added bonus for some of us. I haven't seen them tour this album yet, so I'm really looking forward to this weekend's shows. All Wild Beasts tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

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So Girls' new album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost debuted at #37 on the Billboard which is pretty impressive -- and also means they'll be playing much bigger places next time they roll through town. Their Bowery Ballroom shows this weekend are sold out, natch, but you can try and squeeze into Other Music tonight (9/21) for their free in-store.

Diehard

What else? '90s-rocking locals Diehard are set to release their debut album, The Times We Didn't Have Fun, next week and it's a ripper, full of big riffs, bigger choruses, oohs and ahhs, and hooks o' plenty. You can download two tracks from the album at the top of this post. You can listen to the whole shebang at their Bandcamp page.

The band are throwing a record release party this Friday (9/23) at Bruar Falls with likeminded pals Radical Dads, Shark? and Thunderclap also playing.

Cave @ Issue Project Room in 2010 (more by Greg Cristman)

Cave are here this weekend, playing Saturday, September 24 at soon-to-be-closed Live With Animals (with Amen Dunes, K-Holes & PC Worship), and then Sunday, September 25 at Cake Shop. All tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

As I wrote earlier this week, the band's new album  Neverendless finds finds them locking onto a groove and staying with it in the Neu!/Spacemen 3 tradition. You can download the "Adam Roberts" (the album's spaciest cut) at the top of this post and watch the video for the album's chugging, motoroik single, "WUJ," below.

Dive @ Shea Stadium

And finally, two bands I wrote about last week -- Dive and Heaven's Gate  (MP3s for both above) -- play again together tomorrow night (9/22) at 285 Kent, with Dustin Wong and Prussia. At the time, I hadn't seen either play live but remedied that last Friday at Shea Stadium. Both bands were very good, but different than I was expecting.

Heaven's Gate are much less shoegazy than their old band Sweetbulbs, with more of a blues-punk vibe (think Cramps or maybe JSBE or early YYYs). But their best songs still have some of that melodic swirl to them.

As for Dive, their recordings are very Beach Fossils-y (frontman Cole Smith is in the band). But live, Dive are a motorik dynamo, very Krautrock at times. There's a lot of flying hair, the band are whirling dervishes on stage. I was impressed. Dive are also playing Pianos earlier Thursday night (9PM) if you want to catch them there.

Here are some more picks, by day, not mentioned above:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Cymbals Eat Guitars play Music Hall of Williamsburg. Their new album, Lenses Alien, is more '90s style indie rock guitar heroics, maybe a little more pop than their first. Hooray for Earth and Beige open.

Though if you're a '90s indie rock fan, you might instead be seeing Olivia Tremor Control and The Music Tapes at Le Poisson Rouge. OTC's Dusk at Cubist Castle remains a '90s classic. if you can't make it, NPR will be streaming it online.

Or if the '80s is more your thing, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are at Irving Plaza.

There's also the Hipster Puppies Cassette Release Party at Public Assembly. Music critic and frequent Twitter fighter Chris Weingarten is putting out a mix tape companion to his book which is based on his tumblr. Zs, Dinowalrus, Mountains and Burning Star Core all play sets. More info here.

continued below...

Continue reading "Big Troubles, Ice Choir, Wild Beasts, Girls, Diehard, Dive, Heaven's Gate & more in This Week in Indie"

DOWNLOAD: Chapterhouse - Pearl (MP3)

Chapterhouse

Those rescheduled Chapterhouse shows are coming up in about a month. The first is still October 3 at the Bell House with Ulrich Schnauss and Mahogany opening. Then a second show, happening on October 4, was originally also going to be at The Bell House but will now take place at Le Poisson Rouge with Ulrich Schnauss and Soundpool opening. As I wrote earlier in the year:

Chapterhouse's 1991 debut, Whirlpool (reissued in 2006), mixed swirly guitars and breathy vocals with a hefty dose of dance music (Madchester was peaking then) and the album's single "Pearl" was a big Modern Rock radio hit in America. It's hard to hear "Pearl" and not think it was a big influence on The Big Pink's "Dominoes." The band made a second album -- the more overtly dancey Blood Music -- in 1993 but went their separate ways not too long after that. Drummer Ashley Bates now plays in Tunng.

You can download Chapterhouse's classic single, "Pearl," at the top of this post. The NYC dates are part of a short North American tour Chapterhouse and Ulrich Schnauss that kicks off October 1 in Chicago. All tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Chapterhouse & Ulrich Schnauss schedule Oct. tour (dates) "

UK shoegazers Chapterhouse have rescheduled a pair of Brooklyn shows after canceling their early May dates because of the volcanic ash that grounded European flights. The new shows for the reformed band will happen on October 3rd and 4th at The Bell House. Tickets are on sale (and tickets for the old dates will be honored for their corresponding night). I assume that all the cancelled dates will happen around then too (especially since a San Francisco one is also showing on Ticketweb with an October 9th date next to it).

Ulrich Schnauss opens both NYC dates, with Mahogany (who have a Rooftop Films show coming up) also on the first and Soundpool on the second.

The band successfully played the UK and Japan in March and April. Videos from those shows are below...

Continue reading "Chapterhouse reschedules NYC & other shows (on sale now) "

Rooftop Films opening 2009 @ Open Road Rooftop (more by Ryan Muir)

Rooftop Films will open this year with a May 14th film & music event at Open Road Rooftop (above New Design High School, 350 Grand St in NYC), with music from Twin Sister (who have shows at a taqueria and elsewhere coming up). From there, the series will program movies and bands every weekend through August 15th.

On Friday, April 16th (tonight), there's a special pre-summer-season event with Norway's Hanne Hukkelberg at the Open Road Rooftop. Along with her set will be "a special presentation of Knut Eric Jensen's fantastic documentary, Cool & Crazy, a portrait of the dedicated members of Norway's Berlevag Male Choir." The unsubtitled trailer for that film is below. Tickets are on sale.

The schedule hasn't fully been announced yet, but what has, and a clip of last year's Troll 2 screening, are also below...

Continue reading "Rooftop Films - initial 2010 schedule includes pre-season kick-off tonight, Hanne Hukkelberg, Twin Sister, more "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Crayon Fields - All the Pleasures of the World (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rooftop Vigilantes - Seth No Jump (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: You Say Party We Say Die - Laura Palmer's Prom (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Love Is All - Kungen (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Wave Pictures - Come on Daniel (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oh No Ono - Internet Warrior (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oh No Ono - Helplessly Young (MP3)

A Sunny Day in Glasgow @ BV/Anso 3/18 day party in Austin (by Tim Griffin)

I'm still somewhat recovering from SXSW, so while I am taking it easy, catching up on my DVR queue, hopefully you're all taking advantage of all the out-of-town bands who're blowing through New York after their visits to Austin -- there's no shortage of them this week.

Firstly, I've got a pair of tickets to give away to see A Sunny Day in Glasgow and Mahogany at the Bell House this Monday (3/29). Just email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with "A Sunny Day in Glasgow" as the subject and we'll pick a winner at random. It's a double dose of neo-shoegaze goodness. ASDIG have been touring constantly since last fall and have a new-ish EP, Nitetime Rainbows, as well as last year's great Ashes Grammar. Mahogany, meanwhile, are finally getting around to following up 2006's masterful Connectivity!, promising a new EP, single and album all this year. Hopefully we'll get a taste of the new songs on Monday. Also on the bill: Brooklyn's Pacific Theater.

Crayon Fields

While on the subject of the Bell House, tonight's (3/25) the big Aussie BBQ with 12 bands from Sydney, Melbourne and other cities I can't name off the top of my head: The Crayon Fields, The Chevelles, Love of Diagrams, Pets with Pets, Paul Dempsey, Sherlock's Daughter, Children Collide, Oh Mercy, City Riots,Beaches, Bliss N Eso, and The Goons of Doom.

The Crayon Fields are also playing Pianos on Friday (3/26). I saw them at Bruar Falls earlier in the week and thought they were fantastic, and can really pull off the lush, late '60s baroque pop sound of their new album, All the Pleasures of the World, in the live setting with an ace cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking" thrown in for good measure. Go see them. They're also selling vinyl of the new album for only ten bucks. Video from the Bruar Falls show is at the bottom of this post.

Rooftop Vigilantes

Before I get into more SXSW stragglers, I do need to remind you (and myself) that Lawrence Kansas' awesome Rooftop Vigilantes are in town. They played Shea Stadium last night and are at Cake Shop Friday (3/26) and are playing somewhere in the area on Saturday too, still seemingly TBA.

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Rooftop Vigilantes have headed back to Kansas. No NYC shows Friday or Saturday unfortunately.

We'll let you know when that's figured out. Here's what I wrote last month:

These guys are up there with BOAT in in the shambly, anthemic, super-catchy school of indie rock -- and if this sounds a little tighter, more pointed than anything on their debut, there's a reason. The band trekked to Baltimore, MD to record the album with Jawbox/Burning Airlines' J. Robbins behind the boards, which seems like a perfect match with Rooftop Vigilantes' sound which has been described in the past as "a very drunk Fugazi."

To get a better idea of what Rooftop Vigilantes do, check out new track "Seth No Jump" from the J. Robbins sessions above. And they are seriously fun live. The Cake Shop show, brought to you by in-house labels Cape Shok and Daed Pizza, is with Philly's excellent duo Reading Rainbow, Mississippi's Flight and The Ansazis. This is a good show.

You Say Party We Say Die @ SXSW 2010 (More by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! are in town for two shows, playing Knitting Factory tomorrow (3/26)  and Pianos on Monday (3/29). Their latest album, XXXX, just came out in the States and is a pretty catchy slab of new wave synth rock, high on melodrama and chunky hooks. Check out "Laura Palmer's Prom" at the top of this post and the video for "There is XXXX (Within My Heart)" further down. I caught them last November at M for Montreal and was pretty impressed. Dominick also just caught them at SXSW.

Love is All

Love is All are are back with a swell new album, Two Thousand and Ten Injuries, that finds the band stretching their creative wings a bit, going out of their manic pop safety zone for their most varied record yet. There's still plenty of the shouty "bah bah bah" choruses you've come to expect. (The albumjust scored an 8.0 on Pitchfork.) Anyone that's seen them know that Love is All are one of the best times you're gonna have at a live show this side of Think About Life. Which you can see for yourself, as Love is All play Maxwell's on Saturday (3/27 with Crystal Stilts and Beachniks) and Knitting Factory on Sunday (3/28 with Beach Fossils and The Beets).

And just wondering, did anyone go see Love is All's saxophonist James Ausfahrt play Bruar Falls last night? Totally forgot it was happening.

The Wave Pictures @ Knitting Factory pre-SXSW (more by Chris La Putt)

Sunday night (3/28) The Wave Pictures are playing Mercury Lounge (tickets). Maybe you saw them last week at our pre-SXSW party at Knitting Factory (or at our Friday day party at Club DeVille)? If so you know how great they are. I wrote of that performance:

Next up were the Wave Pictures who I'm pretty sure charmed everyone in the room. Singer David Tattersal, in addition to being a hell of a songwriter and pretty fierce guitarist, is a very funny guy. His between-song stories were just as entertaining and the music. At one point he accidentally unplugged his guitar mid-solo, but he hilariously covered the gaff made for one of the more memorable moments of the evening.

Definitely go see them if you haven't yet, and look out for their double-pack CD of their last two UK albums, which will be their first-ever U.S. release, out April 27. There's video from one of their SXSW shows at the bottom of this post.

Oh No Ono recording a Daytrotter Session (On No Ono)

A few more SXSW stragglers of note. Oh No Ono, who played Mercury Lounge last night, open for VV Brown and Little Dragon tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg. That's a pretty solid bill of foreign buzz bands. Sold out, but if you're going do get their early for Oh No Ono -- you've  never seen anything quite like Oh No Ono. Unless you've seen them before, of course.

New Zealand's Surf City channel the ghosts of Flying Nun past, play Mercury Lounge on Friday (3/26) (and Maxwell's tonight - 3/25). I wasn't exactly blown away by their live show when they played during CMJ, but I really like their records. Maybe they've spent the last six month practicing.

That's it for this week. Videos and tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Rooftop Vigilantes, Aussie BBQ, post-SXSW, Crayon Fields, Oh No Ono, Love is All, YSPWSD & more in This Week in Indie"

by Klaus Kinski

A few months ago I was wilting my life away at work listening to my M83 Pandora channel when a song the site randomly selected yanked me from my zombified, mouth-breathing state. It sounded like a bizarre mixture of Vangelis, Kitarro, Spandau Ballet, and Mogwai. Turns out, the artist was Ulrich Schnauss and the song was Goodbye. I didn't know what he was singing about, but it was definitely dark, sad and, well, beautiful. I was an immediate addict and before long I had almost every one of his songs in my collection.

So imagine my unbridled glee when I noticed that he scheduled a single US gig, and that it's happening at the Bell House on February 25, 2010 (Tickets are on sale). Mark Van Hoen and Luxa round out what will no doubt be an epic bill.

"While the name Mark Van Hoen may not immediately garner as much recognition as Schnauss, his reach and influence is arguably as authoritative. As an original member of Seefeel, the BBC noted, "In a brief listen one can hear the influence on Boards of Canada's damaged melodies and dense claustrophobia, more so than even the usual suspects like Aphex Twin." After tours with Massive Attack, Orbital, and opening for Slowdive, Van Hoen formed Scala with three members of Seefeel, releasing three albums. Van Hoen has also released four albums as Locust, including the electronic masterpieces Morning Light and Playing with Time...

...Van Hoen will be releasing a new album, Where Is the Truth, in late February, his first in over five years. The Bell House performance will also be Van Hoen's first in several years to feature backing musicians, including members of Edison Woods and Anthony and the Johnsons, accompanying his heavily visual and electronic performance.

Ulrich Schnauss also has a new album coming out, but not of new material. He is instead releasing an album's worth of remixes he did for other bands including Halo, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Mahogany, Mojave 3, and Howling Bells. That album is called Missing Deadlines and is out March 15th. Full tracklist below...

Continue reading "Ulrich Schnauss releasing remix album, playing Brooklyn"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Dinosaur Feathers - Early Morning Risers (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hospitality - Betty Wang (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Acrylics - Molly's Vertigo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beach Fossils - Vacation (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Family Portrait - Mega Secrets (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darwin Deez - Bad Day (MP3)

Cymbals Eat Guitars

It's hard to believe online indie record store Insound has been around for ten years. Actually it's just hard to believe 1999 was a decade ago, but the calendar says it's so. Insound is also based out of NYC, so we're lucky enough to be invited to their 10 year birthday party tonight (8/27) at Brooklyn Bowl featuring a hard-to-pass-up line-up of local talent: Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, The Drums, Real Estate and at least one band yet-to-be-announced (sort of). $10 gets you in the door and there's free Brooklyn Brewery beer from 6 - 9.

Effi Briest

Another very good option in Williamsburg tonight (8/27) is happening at Glasslands, featuring Effi Briest, Mahogany, and Free Blood (but not Deradoorian). The all-girl Effi Briest are in the same spooky, rhythm-heavy realm as the Life Without Buildings or the Slits (and maybe just a little Siouxsie). They've got a split 7" with Telepathe that's out now and they're working on their debut album as we speak. Mahogany, whose new line-up now (nine-strong according to their Myspace) seems to have been nailed down with the addition of former Dirty on Purpose bassist DJ Boudreau, will hopefully be playing some new material as it's been three years since their fantastic Connectivity. Free Blood bring a surprising amount of heat for such a minimal sound, thanks to the chemistry between ex-!!! John Pugh and Madeline Davy. And rounding out the bill are (The) Tony Castles who share a member with Boogie Boarder and are about to hit the studio with Jake Aron (Chairlift, Yeasayer, Acrylics).

Acrylics

This weekend is the After the Jump Festival which happens Friday - Sunday at Gowanus art space/venue Littlefield. ATJ is a group of bloggers that puts on events throughout the year, but this is the third year for their multi-day event and every night is pretty solid featuring some of the best new bands in NYC and a few from out of town. The full schedule and flyer is at the bottom of the post but I'll highlight a few from each night.

Friday (8/28): I have yet to see sound-collage dance act Javelin but I do like their records and am curious to see how they pull it off live. It's also their last show possibly November, so get in while you can. You can also catchy buzzy Florida band Holiday Shores (more on them below), indie pop royals My Teenage Stride, and the beachy Dinosaur Feathers.

Saturday (8/29): Philly's Free Energy (not to be confused with Free Blood) are a lot of fun if you have no problem with early '80s stadium rock or silly outfits. Despite a feeling I should know better, their live show and giant hooks won me over. Also: the Tom Waits-meets-garage-rock of Wild Yaks and the clattering, poppy Drink Up Buttercup. The night ends as a dance party with just-added Ninjasonik and the wacky Das Racist.

Sunday (8/30): Two of my favorite new NYC bands are playing on the early side. I've written a little bit about Acrylics before, but I've caught them three times over the summer and have been more impressed each time. "Molly's Vertigo," which you can download at the top of this post gives you a good idea of their sound, which is sort of '80s-ish with a dusty Southwest vibe, which maybe makes them a bit like the Rosebuds or Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac. Vocalists Molly Shea and Jason Klauber nail the harmonies and they've got an excellent pedal steel player. They're on at 8PM, don't miss them. Right before Acrylics are Hospitality, who I've written about before, are very charming live and don't play often enough. I haven't managed to catch them since May and am hoping for lots of new songs Sunday.

You can still buy discounted $25 passes for the whole shebang until Friday (8/28) morning. Individual tickets are $10 are night. There's also free beer each night from 6 - 7PM. Again, the whole After the Jump Fest schedule is below.

Holiday Shores @ Pianos in June (more by Tim Griffin)

More weekend recommendations. Fellow Brooklyn blogger Chocolate Bobka has put together a solid show at Cameo on Saturday night, with four bands that genuinely compliment each other. My previously-mentioned qualms with their vocals aside, Beach Fossils are hard to dislike and a lot of fun live. I've also been listening to the Holiday Shores (who also play the ATJ Fest the night before) dreamy, melodic debut, Columbus'd The Whim, a lot recently. It's a nice end-of-summer record. Connecticut's Sore Eros are pals with Kurt Vile and Gary War; and Washington DC's Family Portrait are part of the Underwater Peoples scene... Real Estate comparisons aren't entirely inappropriate and you can check out their song "Mega Secret" at the top of this post.

And also Saturday, there's an early show (7PM) at Glasslands featuring Phantogram, a duo who, for lack of a better term, are kind of trip-hoppy but in a '00s sort of way (breakbeats but no John Barry or Morricone samples). Chilled, atmospheric, but still danceable. Their debut album, Eyelid Movies, is a pretty good listen. Also playing are Savoir Adore who I've probably written about enough lately, and Darwin Deez.

Full After the Jump Fest schedule, some Flyers and music videos below...

Continue reading "Insound Party, After the Jump, Holiday Shores, Effi Briest, Beach Fossils, Phantogram & more in This Week in Indie "

Two not-shows in one day. First Bowery listed Pissed Jeans at Mercury Lounge (not happening), and now I've found out that (Angel) Deradoorian is no longer playing Glasslands on August 27th. She canceled, though they say she'll make it up by playing the venue in November. Effie Briest and Tony Castles are still on the August show though, and Free Blood and Mahogany have also since been added which makes it a pretty solid bill all around.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Dirty Projectors shows happening at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg in November. General sale starts Friday at noon.

DOWNLOAD: Crystal Stilts - Love is a Wave (MP3)

Crystal Stilts @ Less Artists More Condos (more by Gabi Porter)

NYC's Crystal Stilts have four New York City-area shows on the horizon. The band, fresh off '09 shows in NYC, Europe, and a NYC-to-SXSW tour, will open for Comet Gain at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday, April 12th. (Tickets are still on sale.)

Two weeks later, the band plays Maxwell's in Hoboken on Sunday, April 26th for MusicSnobbery.com's 4th Anniversary Party with Mahogany and Motel Motel. (Tickets are on sale.)

Then, Friday, May 8th, Crystal Stilts play a Deli Magazine/After The Jump show with Blank Dogs, Religious Knives, and Dinowalrus at the Bell House. (Tickets are on sale.)

Finally, after touring Europe at the end of May, Crystal Stilts will play a Cake Shop show with The Pains of Being Pure of Heart on June 18th.

The Crystal Stilts' Bell House show (5/08) is not to be confused with the
Crystal Antlers show happening three days later at the same venue. (Tickets for that show are still on sale.)

In between the two "Crystal" shows, the Gowanus venue will host Horse Feathers with Joe Pug on May 9th (tix) and Chairlift, Takka Takka and The Secret Life of Sofia on May 10th (tix). Chairlift has lots of other 2009 dates, too.

All upcoming Crystal Stilts tour dates and two live videos of the band from 2008 below...

Continue reading "upcoming Crystal Stilts dates & other Bell House shows "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Howlies - Chimera (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gringo Star - All Y'all (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Spacecamp - Girls on Bikes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swirlies - Chris R. (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swirlies - Bell (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Real Estate - Suburban Beverage (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Uninhabitable Mansions - We Misplaced a Cobra in the Uninhabitable Mansion (on WFMU) (MP3)

For about a year now, Cinema 16 has been giving short films a live soundtrack courtesy of local bands. Up till now, it's been happening at the Starr Space in Bushwick, but tonight (2/25) Cinema 16 heads to The Bell House for a double feature with four shorts and original music from Wild Yaks and Artanker Convoy.

Wild Yaks perform to leftist group Public Theater's Pie in the Sky and Edwin S. Porter's early cinema (1906) short Dream of a Rarebit Fiend. I actually caught them doing this at Cinema 16 a couple weeks ago and their ramshackle, Tom Waits-y wailing rock fit well especially with the Depression-era Pie in the Sky (which stars Elia Kazan!). Artanker Convoy, whose music leans toward the instrumental, atmospheric and trippy, are a more obvious fit for this kind of project. They'll be performing to an abstract animation by Harry Smith and Robert Enrico's Oscar-winning 1962 short, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, which was shown in America as an episode of The Twilight Zone. Again, both bands have composed original music for this that's unlikely to be heard anywhere else, so it's definitely something worth checking out. Also: free ice cream.

Howlies

Thursday (2/26) at Death By Audio are two of Atlanta's better rock bands (and there are a lot of 'em down there, let me tell you): Howlies and Gringo Starr. I particularly like the Howlies, who are celebrating the release of their debut album, Trippin' With the Howlies, which is one of the more fun rock records I've heard in a while. While steeped in nods to the '60s (surf rock, the Zombies, Love, the Troggs, etc) they've got good songwriting chops to go along with their good taste. Gringo Star, apart from the groan-worthy name (though it's better than A Fir-Ju Well which is what they used to be called), are a garage-rockin' party band not unlike Mando Diao that don't seem to have more of an agenda than having a good time. (And wanting you to have a good time too.) Which these days, should be enough. I can't say I listen to their latest album, All Y'all, a whole lot but they're fun live. Also on the bill: Brooklyn-via-Brazil duo Soundscapes who make '80s-inspired ethereal guitar pop, and Bonnie Baxter who you may have seen open for Apes and Androids at Music Hall of Williamsburg last month.

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Friday (2/27): The Spicy Times blog (a joint production of the ladies behind Jinners and I Rock I Roll) is having its monthly party at Union Hall with a pretty great lineup with two bands I've written about before: Uninhabitable Mansions that features Robbie and Tyler from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Annie of Au Revoir Simone and who will be selling their debut 7" at the show; and Spacecamp, who are as we speak finishing up work as backing band on Lightspeed Champion's second album. Maybe they'll bring him along? Weirder things have happened. Also on the bill: Staten Island's all-girl seven-piece Vessels and free Colt 45.

Also Friday is that Swirlies show at Mercury Lounge, their first NYC show in five years. Swirlies also play Philly tomorrow (2/26) and Boston on Saturday (2/28).

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Saturday (2/28): It's Cake Shop's monthly The World's Birthday Party party. If your birthday is in February you get free admission, a gift at the door and two free drink tickets. If you're not a February child, it's $8. Bands include Boston's Major Stars who should light up the joint with their stoner hard rock riffs, and Spectre Folk which features Mike of Magik Markers.

Real Estate

Late night Saturday at Cake Shop, it's a free show with New Jersey's Real Estate who are kind of getting a ton of hype right now from the likes of Pitchfork and Stereogum and Gorilla Vs Bear and others, all on the back of one three-song, white vinyl 7" which I have to admit I do like a lot. (Also having Matt Mondanile [aka Ducktails] in the group doesn't hurt.) Galaxie 500 seems to be the go-to reference for Real Estate and there is that dreamy vibe to their songs, but I'd also site criminally-overlooked '90s band Acetone as well. They've got a second 7" due out soon on Woodsist, so don't expect the interest to die down anytime soon. In addition to the Cake shop show, Real Estate have shows next week at Glasslands and Dead Herring, as well as an upcoming tour that includes a bunch of stops in Austin during SXSW (though none of them at official showcases). All tour dates at the end of the post.

Also Saturday: lovers of shoegaze, dreampop and goth should head straight to Mercury Lounge for a pretty stellar bill of Mahogany, The Depreciation Guild, Blacklist, Cruel Black Dove, and Home Video. Tickets are on sale.

That's all for this week. Tour dates and some videos after the jump....

Continue reading "Real Estate, Cinema 16, Howlies, Spicy Times, Major Stars, Mahogany, Swirlies & more in This Week in Indie "

AT 9 o'clock on a recent morning Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were already half an hour into a rehearsal at the rock club Terminal 5 in Manhattan. As N.F.L. executives and a television production team watched, they were tightening their miniset of four songs -- dropping verses, streamlining segues -- to fit their 12-minute slot as the halftime entertainment Sunday at Super Bowl XLIII, expected to reach tens of millions of viewers.

"My take on the Super Bowl?" Mr. Springsteen said after rehearsal. "Fundamentally it's a 12-minute party."

Few musicians anywhere consummate symbolic occasions and mass events better than Mr. Springsteen. He's used to working on a stadium scale, and for decades his concerts have been nonstop singalongs that perfectly embody the yearning for community in his lyrics. In an era when pop hits can be as ephemeral as a deleted MP3 file, Mr. Springsteen has spent much of his career laboring to write durable songs about American dreams, from "Born to Run" to "Promised Land." [NY Times]

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Curumin @ Nublu
* Metallica, Machine Head & The Sword @ Prudential Center
* Thurston Moore & Mats Gustafsson, John Olson w/ Okkyung Lee & C.Spencer Yeh, more @ Glasslands

The show that was supposed to be at Vanishing Point tonight was cancelled moved to Silent Barn.

Tickets are on sale for the shows Paul Simon is playing at the Beacon Theatre.

Someone told me that Metallica will be showing the Superbowl on a screen at the show tonight. Someone else told me that Metallica was at The Sword show at Bowery Ballroom last night.

Bruce Springsteen is playing the Super Bowl Halftime show.

Springsteen says Wal-Mart album deal was mistake.

Springsten going on tour.

Bruce performing "This Land is Your Land" in 1985, in the video below...

Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat May Be Kept In Museum

Aa played Death By Audio last night. Video from that below...

Mahogany played Santos Party House on January 27th. Video from that below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on (Superbowl) Sunday?"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: SpaceKamp - Girls on Bikes (MP3)

Spacekamp

This week's post is going to feel a bit like a clip show because I feel like I've talked about all these bands before, but still there's a lot going on in NYC.

Tonight (11/18) SpaceKamp are playing Williamsburg's Black Betty. As you may remember, this trio also back Adam Green (with whom they just got back from a European tour) when not making their own brand of extremely catchy '60s-ish guitar pop. So while they've only played a handful of shows as SpaceKamp, they've got many, many more under their belt together. And they've finally put songs on their on their MySpace page to check out, and there's one at the top of this post to download. (I've also got a different song over at my blog.) It's also the drummer's birthday tonight, so expect the show to be extra festive. Also on the bill: Joe and the Flying Spoons, featuring Dirty on Purpose's Joe Jurewicz as well as former members of Au Revoir Simone and Tralala. I've never seen either band before, so I'm looking forward to this one. (And full disclosure: I know members of each band, but I don't post about stuff I don't genuinely like.)

Previously on Lost

Thursday (11.20) there are three good options, the most interesting of which might be at The Bell House in Brooklyn. Previously on Lost claim to be the world's only "recap rock" band, who spent the first half of 2008 writing a song for every episode of ABC's island mystery series' fourth season -- you know, in case you missed it. And if you're jonesing for Season 4 to be released on DVD (Dec. 4) maybe seeing the whole shebang performed live will hold you over. The "Live Experience" features props and such -- I'm curious if they'll have a live smoke monster. Making the night all the more enticing is the incredible Reggie Watts who if you've never seen him do what he does live, it's reason enough to go. A couple of Previously on Lost videos are HERE.

Violens @ South Street Seaport (more by Chris La Putt)

Also Thursday is Violens at Mercury Lounge who are fresh off their European tour with MGMT. I was really impressed the last couple times I saw them (their show at the Seaport was especially good) and am hoping their debut album isn't far off as I've worn out their three-song EP. Word of warning: Violens can be monsterously loud. Bring earplugs. Also on the bill are two two local electronic duos: Telepathe and Picture Picture.

The Secret History

Over at Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos), we've got The Secret History and Mahogany. The Secret History is the new project from Michael Grace, Jr who used to front indiepop new wave lovers, My Favorite. This new project features most of his old band, but adds vocalist Lisa Ronson (unlike Mark or Samantha, her dad actually is late Bowie Guitarist Mick Ronson) to the fold. While the ties to the '80's are still there, especially the romanticism, The Secret History are bigger, more of a sweeping Roxy Music sort of feel. The band just released their debut EP, Desolation Town, on foppy Detroit label Le Grand Magistery. Meanwhile, Mahogany do classic shoegaze better than just about anybody else, writing great songs, are skilled with effects pedals and know how to put on a show.

Mahogany @ PopFest, Music Hall of Williamsburg

And speaking of Mahogany, the band's ever-morphing line-up has absorbed Blacklist's James Minor into the band. I mention this because Blacklist (of which Minor is still a major member) are playing on Friday (11.21) as part of Wierd Records' Fifth Anniversary party. The former goth in me still digs Bauhaus, the Bolshoi, Southern Death Cult, the Chameleons, etc. and Blacklist deliver the goods in that respect. Wierd Records, which could be described as a modern day equivilent to labels like Some Bizarre or Wax Trax!, began it's life as a weekly party at Williamsburg's Southside Lounge (later Home Sweet Home on Christie) and grew as it gained likeminded artists and musicians interested in the cold wave/industrial/noise, and yes, gothy side of pop. I don't know too much about the rest of the night's lineup but it includes Xeno and Oaklander, Led Er Est, and Opus Finis. I can only hope there will be strobes and smoke machines. Tickets are on sale. The flyer is below...

Continue reading "The Secret History, Violens, SpaceKamp, Mahogany, Wierd Records & more in This Week In Indie"