Warm Up 2012 (more by Leia Jospe)

The annual Warm Up summer concert series is returning to MoMA PS1 this year every Saturday from June 29 through September 7. As usual, they've booked an excellent lineup of forward-thinking electronic music, hip hop, and other related genres.

Artists playing this year include Majical Cloudz (who just played NYC and will play Northside), XXYYXX, Ryan Hemsworth, Liars (live), Kode9, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Caribou (DJ), Empress Of, J. Cole, World's Fair, IO Echo (live), Julio Bashmore, Ben UFO, Gobby, Kelela, Juan Atkins, A Guy Called Gerald, Pional, Kim Ann Foxman, Jon Hopkins, King Britt and tons of other names.

Advance tickets for each day will go on sale Wednesday, June 5 at noon via MoMAPS1.org. Full 2013 schedule below...

Continue reading "MoMA PS1 Warm Up 2013 announced (Majical Cloudz, XXYYXX, Ryan Hemsworth, Liars, Mr. MFN eXquire & more)"

photos by Jonathon Bernstein

"GRIMES SHOWED UP AT MAJICAL CLOUDZ's RELEASE PARTY FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF" - Max Kerr

Montreal duo Majical Cloudz have been on a tour with Youth Lagoon, which hit the NYC-area twice earlier this month, and this week they took a couple days off from that tour to return to NYC for their own separate events. On Monday (5/20), the guys went to Manhattan record store Other Music for an in-store performance, and that night they met up with their pal Claire Boucher (aka Grimes, who featured Majical Cloudz on her song, "Nightmusic") to hit up a karaoke bar on the LES. While there, Majical Cloudz's Devon Welsh sang Limp Bizkit's "Nookie," though Claire was too shy to sing anything. Devon's bandmate (who doesn't sing in Majical Cloudz) Matt Otto did Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," which apparently is becoming a thing for indie people these days.

Then, the next night (5/21) Majical Cloudz headed to Brooklyn to play a release party for their new album, Impersonator, which was released via Matador that same day. NYC producer Gobby opened that show with a full-band set, and the advertised "SPECIAL GUEST!" turned out to be none other than Grimes doing a DJ set. Pictures from the Glasslands show are in this post.

As mentioned, Majical Cloudz will be back in NYC yet again for the Northside Festival, where they will play a Pitchfork show at Saint Vitus on June 13 with Kim Gordon's Body/Head duo (who recently played RBMA), Foreplay, and a "Special Guest." Grimes again???? Tickets for that show are on sale now, and you can also try to get in with your Northside Badge.

More pictures and some videos from Glasslands below...

Continue reading "Majical Cloudz & Grimes did karaoke and played Glasslands (pics, videos)"

Body/Head at Drone Activity in Progress (more by Fred Pessaro)

Northside Festival expands further this year with a bunch more artists announced today. Those include names like Bleached, Chance the Rapper, Majical Cloudz, Body/Head, Sannhet, Limp Wrist and many many more. Check out a full list of new Northside Festival additions below.  Passes are still available.

As mentioned, Invisible Oranges will host Torche, KEN Mode, Lo-Pan and Inter Arma at 285 Kent on June 14 (tickets). The show is one of two to feature Inter Arma that weekend, who will also play a FREE Summer Thunder day show at Union Pool on June 15 with the newly added Pyrrhon!

BrooklynVegan is also proud to host a Summer Thunder event of our own with Heavy Blanket (featuring J Mascis) and Love as Laughter. Like the IO show, this June 8. performance will be FREE and feature drink specials all day. Destroy.

New Northside artist additions are listed below.

Continue reading "Northside Festival announces more artists, including Bleached, Majical Cloudz, Body/Head, Chance the Rapper and more"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Youth Lagoon / Magical Cloudz

Youth Lagoon brought his tour with Majical Cloudz through the NYC-area for shows at Maxwell's on Monday (5/6) and a BrooklynVegan-presented Brooklyn show at The Bell House last night (5/9). Pictures from the latter are in this post.

Youth Lagoon's been keeping his setlists heavy on the Wondrous Bughouse material but still found time to include some favorites from his debut like "17." Meanwhile, the magical Majical Cloudz continue to preview material from their upcoming Matador debut, Impersonator (which they were selling vinyl copies of the show) and were great as always.

Youth Lagoon will be back in NYC to open for The National at their Barclays Center show (6/5). Tickets for that show are still available, and we're also giving away a pair.

Majical Cloudz will be back in NYC even sooner for the previously discussed album release party at Glasslands on May 21 with Gobby and a "SPECIAL GUEST!" Any guesses on who it could be? Tickets for the release party are still on sale.

Majical Cloudz will get to NYC a day before that to do a free in-store at Other Music on May 20 at 8 PM. Other Music will have copies of their new album available that day too.

More pictures from the Bell House show below...

Continue reading "Youth Lagoon played The Bell House w/ Majical Cloudz, who play an Other Music in-store before LP release party (pics)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Gobby - "Tonedefff" (MP3)

Majical Cloudz at Von in April (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, romantic Montreal duo Majical Cloudz are on a tour of North America with Youth Lagoon this year, which hits NYC for sold out shows on May 6 at Maxwell's and on May 9 for the BrooklynVegan-presented show at The Bell House. Fortunately, you'll still have a chance to see them, because before they head home, they'll play their own NYC show on May 21 at Glasslands with support from Mykki Blanco collaborator Gobby. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Majical Cloudz's debut album, Impersonator, comes out on May 21 via Matador. You've already heard the first single, "Childhood's End" (which you can stream below), and they've just revealed another track from the album. The new one's a piano ballad called "Bugs Don't Buzz" and you can listen to it over at Pitchfork.

Gobby just put a new song out too. It's a grimy, instrumental hip hop cut called "Tonedefff" which you can download above or stream below. He has other upcoming local shows, including a Red Bull Music Academy show on May 28 at Le Baron. That one's an UNO label showcase which also features SFV Acid, Fur, Kuhrye-oo & Isiah, fLako, Pick A Piper, Shadowbox, Lavina Yelb, and Kraftmatiks, and it's totally free. After that, he opens for Actress at Cameo on June 6 with Solar Year. Tickets for that show are still available.

Updated Majical Cloudz dates are listed, along with all song streams, below...

Continue reading "Majical Cloudz have a new song, playing Glasslands w/ Gobby during Youth Lagoon tour (dates & stream)"

One of the most eclectic lineups in the US, Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, will be back for 2013 on September 5 -7. Pulling from all genres, this year's line-up includes names like Big Boi (who plays NYC tonight), Spiritualized, Sleep, Wolf Eyes (who have a new video), The Breeders (performing Last Splash), John Cale, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Gorguts, Inter Arma (who play NYC on Saturday), Double Negative (who played NYC this past weekend), Swearin' (them too), Pissed Jeans, Dan Friel, Waxahatchee and many many others. Three-day wristbands are on sale now with individual day tickets going on sale in June. Full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Hopscotch announces 2013 lineup (Big Boi, Sleep, Spiritualized, Kurt Vile, Wolf Eyes, John Cale, more)"

Youth Lagoon is on a tour now in support of their new album, Wondrous Bughouse, which just hit Coachella twice and will be making its way over to the NYC area a few times this spring. There's that opening slot for The National at their big Barclays Center show (6/5), which is still on sale. And before that, Trevor Powers and co. are heading on a string of dates with Majical Cloudz. Previously announced dates on that run include the NYC-area show on May 6 at Maxwell's, which has since sold out, but we at BrooklynVegan are excited to announce that we're presenting a show with both of those bands in Brooklyn on May 9 at The Bell House. Tickets for that show go on sale Wednesday (4/24) at noon. Admission is $16 for advance tickets and $18 at the door, and the show is 21+.

Updated dates are listed, along with a few song streams, below...

Continue reading "Youth Lagoon and Majical Cloudz add Bell House show to tour (BV Presents)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Majical Cloudz @ Von

Montreal's Majical Cloudz, who were recently in Austin for SXSW, are kicking off a tour later this month, but last night (4/8) they stopped in NYC for a private show at Von. They began the set by saying it was their one year anniversary as a band to which the crowd responded by singing happy birthday to them which put the evening on a festive course. As for their actual set, one thing that's apparent is frontman Devon Welsh is a commanding presence with a powerful set of pipes. The bass was powerful too, which at one point actually shattered a wine glass sitting near the speaker. The night finished with an impromptu a cappella version of "What That Was." Pictures from that show are in this post.

As mentioned, Majical Cloudz signed to Matador, and it's since been announced that the label will release their debut album, Impersonator, on May 21. You can watch the video for its single, "Childhood's End," below.

Majical Cloudz's tour includes a number of dates as a support act on the previously announced Youth Lagoon tour. They won't WILL be at his Maxwell's show (5/6) (sold out), and at his show in Hamden, CT at Spaceland Ballroom on May 8. Tickets for the CT show are still available.

All dates are listed, along with the video and more pictures from Von, below...

Continue reading "Majical Cloudz played a private NYC show at Von (pics), touring w/ Youth Lagoon, have a new video from their debut"

As mentioned, Still Corners' new album, Strange Pleasures, is out next month (5/4) on Sub Pop. Reduced to a duo of core members Greg Hughes and Tessa Murray, the band embrace synthesizers which gives their sound an Air-y feel. The band are playing Toronto's NXNE Festival in June and will stop in NYC on their way there, playing Glasslands on June 12. Tickets to that show go on sale Friday (4/5) at noon.

Still Corners are one of many new additions to 2013 of NXNE which happens at various Toronto venues from June 10 - 16. All Still Corners dates are listed, along with the updated NXNE lineup, below...

Continue reading "Still Corners playing NYC before NXNE (dates & updated lineup)"

As mentioned, New York electonic artist Autre Ne Veut plays Santos Party House tonight (2/27). It's a record relase show for his new album, Anxiety, that came out this week on Mexican Summer's Software imprint and was given Best New Music status (8.5) by Pitchfork. If you haven't heard it yet, you can stream it on Spotify.

Tonight's show -- and the rest of ANV's tour -- is with Montreal's Majical Cloudz who are recent signees to Matador. Their Turns Turns Turns EP is out now and you can watch the video for the title track below. Tickets are still available for tonight's all-ages Santos show at the door, but if you'd like to go for free we've got a pair to give away. Details, video and streams are below.

Continue reading "Autre Ne Veut released 'Anxiety,' playing NYC tonight with Majical Cloudz (win tix!)"

Majical Cloudz

Montreal's Majical Cloudz released their impressive Turns Turns Turns EP on Arbutus Records last year, and like their collaborator Grimes (who left her Arbutus home to sign to 4AD), Majical Cloudz have partnered with a Beggars Group-affiliated label Matador Records, who will release a new full length by the duo this year. They also just filmed a Yours Truly session for "Turns Turns Turns," which you can watch below. And as mentioned, they'll be touring with Autre Ne Veut this year and hitting NYC on February 27 at Santos (tickets).

Come

In other Matador news, the label will be reissuing Eleven : Eleven, the debut album from Boston's Come, which originally came out in 1992 and has long been out of print. The band made fans out of J Mascis, Bob Mould, and Kurt Cobain, and they share a member (Chris Brokaw) with Codeine. The reissue will be released as a 2XCD/2XLP with the original album, Come's 10/10/92 performance at the Vermonstress Festival, and a bonus 7" reissue of the "Fast Piss Blues" b/w "I Got The Blues" single. The album will get the same reissue treatment in Europe via Glitterhouse.

The band are also planning some reunion shows for this year, but none have been announced yet. Meanwhile, frontwoman Thalia Zedek (also of Live Skull) will release her fifth solo album on March 19 via Thrill Jockey.

The video for "Submerge" from Eleven and that Majical Cloudz video below...

Continue reading "Majical Cloudz sign to Matador (who are reissuing Come's debut)"

Autre Ne Veut in Brooklyn in 2011 (more by Erez Avissar)

As mentioned, Majical Cloudz are wrapping up a tour in NYC TONIGHT (1/23) at Death by Audio with Kuhrye-oo and Tempers. Doors are at 8 PM and admission is $8.

After taking about a month off the road, Majical Cloudz will head out on another North American run with Autre Ne Veut, who they played with in Brooklyn this past December. That tour kicks off in late February in Philly and ends in Austin for SXSW. It hits NYC along the way on February 27 at Santos Party House. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Autre Ne Veut will release his much anticipated new album, Anxiety, on February 26 (instead of the initial release date, February 12) via Software. The video for that album's single, "Counting," and a list of all dates are below...

Continue reading "Autre Ne Veut announces tour with Majical Cloudz (who play NYC tonight) (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

The Soft Moon's tour rolls into NYC tonight (1/8) for a show at Mercury Lounge with Montreal's Majical Cloudz. It's a late show (doors 9:30 PM) and tickets are still available. I caught Soft Moon at Glasslands last summer and the intesity of their records (like 2012's clausterphobic, nervy Zeros) is matched with the live show where main man Luis Vasquez spends much of the time bent over his guitar, pummeling it.

You can see a bit of that in action in The Soft Moon's new video for Zeros track "Die Life" which you can watch below. Also below: a Spotify stream of Zeros and a list of remaining tour dates. If you can't go tonight, you can still catch Majical Cloudz again in NYC when they play Death by Audio on 1/23.

Continue reading "The Soft Moon release new video; tour hits NYC tonight (updated dates)"

Majical Cloudz (the project of Canadian musicians Devon Welsh and Matthew Otto) released their solid Turns Turns Turns EP via Arbutus late last year, and you may also know them from collaborating and touring with Grimes. The duo was recently added to the previously discussed The Soft Moon tour, which kicks off in NYC at Mercury Lounge on Tuesday (1/8). Tickets for that show are on sale now.

After the tour wraps up, you'll get another chance to catch Majical Cloudz in NYC when they play Death by Audio on January 23. No other acts have been announced for that show yet. Admission is $7 at the door.

A list of all dates and a song stream below...

Continue reading "Majical Cloudz added to The Soft Moon tour, playing their own NYC show after too (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

Doldrums @ MHOW, September 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Airick Woodhead has come a long in the last 12 months with Doldrums, having started as a one-man elecronics project and quickly expanding it into an actual band that gained more form as the months went on. By the time CMJ rolled around, Doldrums was a fully realized endeavor on stage and one of the more entertaining sets I saw that week. As mentioned before, Doldrums' debut album, Lesser Evil, will be out February 26 on Montreal label Arbutus Records. It's a terrific record that I think is gonna turn a lot of heads. You may remember that Grimes jumped the gun and named it her favorite album of this year. You can check out the video for Lesser Evil's "She is the Wave," below and stream "Egypt," the first official single from the album, as well which is available in EP form right now.

Meanwhile, we got Airick to give us his Top 10 of 2012. He prefaces his list with this:

Driving alone at night is the best time to listen to music. Me and my car, Sheeba, have been through alot, and here are the records that have soundtracked our year; some good stuff coming out of the neighbourhood and from across the pond. Of course, i should be giving a honorable mention to my FAVORITE driving records of all time : Robyn, Sean Nicholas Savage, Elvis Presley, Yo! Majesty, Nancy Sinatra - but just for the sake of this being a year end list lets go with the new shit.

Continue reading "Doldrums released 'Egypt' EP and readies debut LP (streams), lists his Top 10 records of 2012"

Mykki Blanco at MHOW in November (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

NYC rapper Mykki Blanco, who puts on a hell of a show, plays in the area pretty often and as mentioned, you can catch Mykki TONIGHT (12/7) at 285 Kent with Autre Ne Veut, Oneohtrix Point Never, and the recently added Majical Cloudz (more on them in a minute). Tickets for tonight's show are still available.

But if you can't make it tonight, or just want to see Mykki again in the near future, you're in luck because it's just been announced that the rapper will play Mercury Lounge on January 16. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday, December 14 at noon.

Mykki Blanco is also featured in the new video for for Autre Ne Veut's great new single, "Counting," off of his upcoming album, Anxiety. You can watch that video below, and here's to hoping they join each other on stage at 285 Kent tonight.

Majical Cloudz, who were added to tonight's 285 Kent show, began picking up speed after appearing on Grimes' album, Visions, and touring with her. They recently released their Turns Turns Turns EP via Arbutus, which made Braids' and Blue Hawaii's top 10 LPs of 2012 lists. You can stream the title track from that EP and another, "What That Was," below.

Streams and video are below.

Continue reading "Mykki Blanco adds new NYC show; Majical Clouds released EP; Autre Ne Veut made new video; all 3 play NYC tonight"

Blue Hawaii @ CMJ 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Montreal resident Raphaelle Standell-Preston fronts both Braids and Blue Hawaii, but the bands are separate entities with their own musical personalities. Both groups like Mac Demarco, Burial, Majical Cloudz and Born Gold, though, which show up on each group's Top 10 of 2012 list which we have for you here in this post. Like the bands themselves, BRAIDS's list is a little more band-oriented and Blue Hawaii skews more electronic. (Guess which one has Grimes on it?) Both lists are below.

Look out for Blue Hawaii's sophomore album, Untogether (definitely one of my favorite 2013 LPs that I've managed to hear already - Bill), via Arbutus Records on January 22. Braids will have a new album next year too. Both were here for CMJ.

Braids and Blue Hawaii's respective 2012 Top 10 lists are below.

Continue reading "Braids and Blue Hawaii list their Top 10 LPs of 2012"

photos by Chase Turner

Grimes & friends @ Metro in Chicago - 10/23/2012

To quote our photographer Chase Turner, "Grimes played a very sold out show at Metro with openers Myths and Elite Gymnastics. Grimes decorated the stage with children's dolls (Pikachu, Teletubbie, Totoro) and had dancers with green/blue hair with dark face paint crawling around the stage bizarrely." Pictures from that show, which happened Tuesday night in Chicago, are in this post.

Grimes is now in NYC for four sold out shows in a row starting tonight (10/25). Each show has different openers, and they look like this:

THURSDAY: Myths, Mykki Blanco
FRIDAY: secret guest, Elite Gymnastics
SATURDAY: Myths, Blue Hawaii
SUNDAY: Elite Gymnastics, Majical Cloudz

Blue Hawaii (Raphaelle from Braids) also plays Cameo Friday with Opossom and ARMS. Maybe you caught them during CMJ, or maybe you caught Braids.

Majical Cloudz also had a show at Pianos earlier this week with Popstrangers, and one night before Opossom played there.

I wonder who the unannounced Grimes opener is. More pictures from Chicago below...

Continue reading "Grimes on tour w/ Elite Gymnastics & Myths, now in NYC for 4 shows (one with a secret guest), played Metro in Chicago (pics)"

by Bill Pearis

Popstrangers @ Cameo, 10/19/2012 (via @brooklynvegan Instagram)

New Zealand's Popstrangers played a few shows during CMJ, inclcluding the Carpark/Paw Tracks showcase at Cameo on Thursday (10/18) which I stopped at briefly. The trio bring the noise, making a racket not unlike their NZ indie ancestors 3D's, all buzzsaw guitars, manic drumming and distorted, flinty bass. The band are still in town and will play Pianos tonight (10/23) with Majical Cloudz, Archie Powell & the Exports and advance tickets are available.

Carpark will release Popstrangers debut album, Antipodes, on February 26. The first single from the album, "Heaven," can be streamed below.

Also on the bill, as you may have seen, is Montreal's Majical Cloudz who are signed to Arbutus Records, who toured the UK with Grimes last month, and contributed to Grimes' album, Visions. They played the Arbutus party at Death by Audio on Friday (10/20), maybe you saw them then. You can stream a couple tracks below.

Continue reading "Popstrangers played CMJ, playing tonight at Pianos with Grimes' Montreal pals Majical Cloudz (song streams)"

Braids at ATP NYC 2012 (more by Luiz Ruiz)

Montreal's Braids were just in NYC for ATP and while they were in the area, the closest club date they played was at Hoboken's Maxwell's a few days before ATP. Now they'll be returning to NYC during CMJ for a free, and far more intimate than ATP, show at Pianos on October 17 for the Tell All Your Friends day party. The show starts at noon and Braids are on at 6 PM. Other bands playing including Maus Haus, Blackbird Blackbird, Team Spirit, Solid Gold, Filligar, Triple Hex, Zulu Pearls, and still more. You can see the full list of artists and more details in the flier below. This show is the only announced date for Braids at the moment.

UPDATE: Braids also play a larger CMJ show at Bowery Ballroom on October 20 with Wild Nothing (more of their dates HERE and HERE), Weekend, and Forma. Tickets to that show go on sale Wednesday (10/10) at noon.

In related news, Raphaelle of Braids' other band, Blue Hawaii will be playing some CMJ shows too, including the Sam Mickens CMJ party at Bowery Electric on October 18 with Jack Ladder & the Dreamlanders, TOPS, and ZZZ's. It doesn't look like Sam Mickens is actually playing the show (he's been doing some booking for the venue lately), but you'll have a few chances to catch him playing in NYC this month and next.

After that show, Blue Hawaii will play the M for Montreal showcase at Arlene's Grocery on October 19 with Doldrums, Mozart's Sister, Absolutely Free, Royal Canoe, Plaster, Ariane Mofatt, and TOPS, and the POP Montreal day party at Cameo on October 20 with Goose Hut, Mozart's Sister, Solar Year, Valleys, C T Z N S H P.

Blue Hawaii also play the Arbutus Records Showcase at Death by Audio on October 20 with Doldrums, TOPS, Majical Cloudz, and Eola. As you may know, Arbutus is the label that Grimes was on before signing to 4AD. All the bands playing that DbA show are featured on a mix Arbutus made for CMJ which we're premiering in this post. Check it out, along with its tracklist, below.

As mentioned, Blue Hawaii will open for her in NYC at Bowery Ballroom on October 27 with Myths. Majical Cloudz, who are also on the Arbutus showcase and featured on Grimes' album, will open her show at Music Hall of Williamsburg (10/28) with Elite Gymnastics. All of Grimes' upcoming NYC shows are sold out.

The Braids flier, Arbutus CMJ mix, a song stream, and a list of all Blue Hawaii dates are below.

Continue reading "Braids playing CMJ (1 show w/ Wild Nothing); Blue Hawaii too (who are on an Arbutus Records mix) (dates, streams)"

Grimes plays Hudson River Rocks this summer. Check out her new NSFW video below...

Continue reading "check out Grimes' new NSFW video for 'Nightmusic'"