Mastodon fans (more by Greg Cristman)

Bon Iver was nominated for four high profile Grammys (though not "Album of the Year" which is what Arcade Fire won). Adele & Katy Perry nominated for a zillion, and other nominees include The Black Keys, Foster the Peepee, Cee Lo, Duck Sauce, Robyn, Cut Copy, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Coldplay, Radiohead, Mumford & Son, Mastodon, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Jay-Z, Kanye West, The Civil Wars, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm, Fleet Foxes, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Patton Oswalt, Louis CK, Weird Al, Danger Mouse, Memory Tapes, TV On the Radio, A Tribe Called Quest, etc...

Dan Deacon & fans @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

Dan Deacon, now signed to Domino (!) for a record due in 2012 (more details TBA), has still got it. Earlier this month, as you can see in the pictures here, I witnessed him play to a giant crowd of rabid fans at Fun Fun Fun Fest. As usual he played from the ground instead of the stage, and luckily with the help of a security guard to shield his equipment from the wild, swaying mass. More pictures are below.

Later that same day, Dan performed again, but on a stage (the Yellow Stage to be exact) as part of the Wham City Comedy Tour that has now arrived in NYC for a show at 285 Kent tonight...

====| FRIDAY 11/18 @ RIC/RAMBO @ 285 KENT AVE |====
|| JM RAMBO presents
|| WHAM CITY COMEDY TOUR
|| Adam Endres
|| A Funny Clown
|| Alan Resnick
|| April Camlin
|| Ben O'Brien
|| Connor Kizer
|| Dan Deacon
|| Ellie Beziat
|| Erin Gleeson
|| Mason Ross
|| Peter O'Connell
|| Robby Rackleff
| RIC/RAMBO @ 285 KENT AVE |
285 Kent Ave @ South 1st | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | 8pm | $8 | all ages

Last but not least, Dan is one of a few artists who have contributed tracks to a free holiday album that Carpark is releasing on 12/6. The full tracklist and more details on that are also below...

Continue reading "Dan Deacon on Domino, on a new Christmas album, on tour (dates & more pics from Fun Fun Fun Fest)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Hauntin' Me" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Running Out of You" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "A Tear In My I" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Song to Cheer You Up" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Fokiones Negri Street" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Cremona Memories" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Keep Shelly in Athens - "Running Out of You" (Memory Tapes Remix)
DOWNLOAD: Blood Diamonds - "Lasting Love" (Keep Shelly in Athens Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Porcelain Raft - "Tip of Your Tongue" (Keep Shelly in Athens Remix) (MP3)

Greek electronic duo Keep Shelly in Athens will be making it over to North America this fall to play Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX. While they're here, they'll play some other dates too. A full tour hasn't been announced (yet?) but you'll be able to catch them in NYC on November 18 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for the NYC show go on sale Friday (8/26) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (8/24) at noon.

I've never actually been to Greece, but if the coasts are as gentle as Fleet Foxes describe them, these guys sound pretty befitting for a blissful evening on a Grecian beach. Dreamy female vocals swirl around lush atmospheres and head-nodding beats as the duo takes you on a trip through the Mediterranean. They've remixed Blood Diamonds and Porcelain Raft and have been remixed by Blood Diamonds, Maria Minerva, Memory Tapes, and others. You can grab MP3s of some remixes and KSiA's original work at the top of this post and check out some more remixes below.

They've also recently made a mixtape featuring Toro y Moi, Star Slinger, SLEEP OVER, Games, Blackbird Blackbird, and more, which you can stream below. A video for their most recent single, "Hauntin' Me," is also below. That single was released as a limited 7" b/w "Song to Cheer You Up" via Transparent this past February and is now sold out. They're also set to release a split cassette with Disclosure via Loud and Quiet on August 29, limited to 75 copies. Forest Family is another one of their label homes.

Dates, video, song streams and mixtape below...

Continue reading "check out Keep Shelly in Athens --- dates & MP3s"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Wait In The Dark" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Today Is Our Life" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Winter Gloves - Plastic Slides (MP3)

Before we get into this weekend's many show options, I'd like to write about the current state of the Music Video Program, of which there have been a couple of recent developments. I don't know how many of you watched the return of MTV's classic alt-rock video show 120 Minutes to the airwaves (or your digital cable provider) the other week. (I DVR'd it.) In college, used to fight with folks in the dorm lounge who were more interested in SportsCenter for rights to watch the same Mighty Lemon Drops, Nine Inch Nails and Morrissey videos they showed the week before and the week before. But in those pre-internet days, it was one of the few places you could see videos by bands/artists like that and you took what you could get.

I guess it was nice seeing Matt Pinfield's familiar face again, at that epicenter of NYC alt rock Arlene Grocery, but... the show felt safe, and stuck in '90s. (I know that's when Pinfield hosted it, but my favorite host was smartass Kevin Seal. Worst host: Lewis Largent). Pinfield talked a lot about "music discovery" which is fine until you play a Mumford & Sons video and then interview Kings of Leon. The only edge to the show was when Das Racist were on and hit line drives back at Pinfield's softballed questions.

A much better option, in my opinion, is Weird Vibes -- the new web-only indie rock video show that launches today on MTV's Hive site. The show is from Shirley Braha who was also behind the much-missed NY Noise which aired on NYCTV for much of the '00s. Apart from the Saved by the Bell opening credits, this is a show that could only exist in 2011.

There are videos of course -- Grimes, Wu Lyf, Vivian Girls, and Shabazz Palaces and more in the first episode -- but you can watch those anywhere. Weird Vibes' reason to watch is the host segments. Not that there is a host. (There is no host.) If it's anything like NY Noise, expect the format and theme to change week to week... but the debut episode is titled "It's Not Easy Being a Buzz Band." Frankie Rose, Beach Fossils, Tanlines, Best Coast and other discuss such topics as "Bad Credit/No Credit," "Predjudice and Stereotyping" and "Cyberbullying" (hmm) all set to some hilariously tense/dramatic music right out of a Dateline NBC story.

This may all be a little too Hipster Runoff (a clear influence here, check the captions during the interview segments) for the casual music fan, but to anyone who reads this site or Pitchfork regularly (aka you) will get it and should find it very entertaining. And in this segmented world we live in, there's no reason this couldn't actually air on MTV2 at 3:41 AM on Friday nights. Until then it's online, you can watch the whole thing at the bottom of this post.

Erika Spring and her biggest fan

One of talking heads (not Talking Heads) on this week's Weird Vibes is Erika Forster of Au Revoir Simone who has just released her first solo single on Friendly Fire Recordings under the guise of Erika Spring. (ARS have not broken up, they're just doing their own thing for a bit.) It's a split 7" with Violens and Jorge of that band produced Erika's track, "Six More Weeks." While the melody could be an Au Revoir Simone song, the arrangement -- lush and rhythmic -- is pretty different. You can stream it at the bottom of this post.

Erika plays Mercury Lounge tonight (8/10), a late show (doors at 9PM) opening for San Francisco's oOoOO  and Water Borders. Both oOoOO and Water Borders reside in San Francisco and record for TriAngle Records which is also home to How to Dress Well, Balam Acab, Clams Casino and other like-minded practitioners of dark, screwed beats. (Can you feel the authority with which I wrote that sentence?)

oOoOO  and Water Borders, plus Clams Casino and Ashay will be DJing this Saturday's PS1 Warmup, along with His Name is Alive, and a live performance from Black Dice.

Memory Tapes

Also tonight (8/10) is the return of Memory Tapes to the area, they play Glasslands. As I wrote before:

Main Memory man Dayve Hawk has crafted a lovely thing with his second album Player Piano which comes out next week. Using mostly live drums this time out gives it a real human beating heart, I think, and bodes well for the live shows this time around. (I was a little underwhelmed when I saw them at the Pool Parties last summer but that wasn't an ideal venue for what MT do.) I dig the record's songwriting and production, both of which are pretty terrific.

Ume

Austin power trio Ume are visiting us again, playing a midnight set at Pianos tonight (8/10) and then will be at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday (8/13)  opening for jam band supergroup Stockholm Syndrome. Ume are giving away the first single from their new album, Phantoms, which you can download here. The album is out August 30. As previously noted, pretty much everybody here at BV are Ume fans. They write great songs and, yes, they are a bundle of energy on stage with some serious guitar heroics provided by singer Lauren Langer Larsen. Some people love the Joy Formidable, but I'll take Ume, thanks.

Winter Gloves

Montreal dance rock quartet Winter Gloves have been tagging along with The Naked & the Famous and you can catch both bands (if you bought tickets, sold out) at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Friday (8/12). Later that same night, they'll be shlepping their gear across N. 6th St. to play at Cameo Gallery. I've been a Winter Gloves fan since seeing them at M for Montreal three years ago where they were one of the highlights of the fest. I haven't seen them since, but have enjoyed all their records, including last year's underrated All Red. Check out the album track "Plastic Slides" at the top of this post.

The band have a new EP out, Heart Out, and the lead track is part of a free Paper Bag Records Summer Sampler that you can download here. You can watch the Heart Out video at the bottom of this post. The Cameo show is with Bikini (ecstacy-fueled party jams) and Papertwin (danceable in a New Order/Cure kind of way).

A while back I wrote about Vacation who released one of my favorite songs on the summer, the shimmering, danceable "Jeane." The band's name has caused some confusion with similarly named other groups (or groups with the exact same name) so the Vacation have changed their name to their best known song.

The newly-christened Jeane (who will now probably be accused of naming themselves after a Smiths song) play a free show at Bruar Falls this Friday with another band I like a lot, Family Trees, who are back in force after an extended winter, spring and summer hibernation. Also playing: Strange Shapes who I don't know much about but songs on their Bandcamp sound pretty good. As I said, it's a free show...

Ok, that'll do for this week. A few more picks day-by-day are below.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11
Long-running (and awesome) Brooklyn band Palomar play an acoustic show at Brooklyn Fireproof with Staring at Clouds.

Summer's days are getting shorter, so might as well spend them dancing. Cut Copy, Foster the People and Midnight Magic play the Prospect Park Bandshell as part of Celebrate Brooklyn. If you bought tickets, that is. Sold out.

The lovely, melodic and occasionally anthemic Snowmine play the Rocks Off Concert Cruise with Dinosaur Feathers. Worse places to be than on a boat and Snowmine's worth-hearing album, Laminate Pet Animal, is a name-your-price download at BandCamp.

continued below...

Continue reading "Weird Vibes, Memory Tapes, Winter Gloves, Ume, Erika Spring, Jeane, Wild Flag & more in This Week in Indie"

I've been having fun with Spotify since it launched in the US. As someone completely unorganized due to a series of hard drive crashes, a busy life, full hard drives, too many devices, uncharged batteries, broken record players and piles of CDs stacked to the ceiling, I love the ability to just be able to start software and search for whatever I want and it's there. Yes, the ads in the free version aren't great and I they don't have everything I'm looking for, but I'm mostly focusing on the positives here (one of which is that you can do a lot without paying anything). That said, sometimes I also can't figure out what to play. The search is great, but the browsing capabilities of the app itself seem pretty limited, so ShareMyPlaylists.com is actually pretty helpful. Check out 4AD, Thom Yorke's Secret DJ Set, Thom Yorke's Office Charts Collection, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and the many more they have on the site.

Spotimy is also a good place to start for lists of albums. Go to their 'top rated' page and you instantly see the best reviewed new albums you can listen to. From there it only takes 1 or 2 clicks from there to have every track from the following new albums loaded into Spotify at once: Bon Iver, REM, Iceage, The Horrors, Wild Beasts, Radiohead, Fucked Up, The Antlers, Mount Kimbie, Destroyer, Baths, Male Bonding, Austra, Paul Simon, Smith Westerns, Ford & Lopatin, Eleanor Friedberger, Smod, Wu Lyf, Zomby, Low, Dum Dum Girls, Tyler the Creator, John Maus & more.

Bibflify, Pitchify, and Playlistify are good for finding playlists and albums too.

Since Spotify has been around way longer overseas, you can also find older playlists that have been hanging around, like via this 2009 Guardian article that has links to playlists by members of Mogwai and Radiohead. This more recent article on ateaseweb links to even more Radiohead. The Independent has a new playlist from Memory Tapes.

TNW has even more "ways to enhance your Spotify experience", Turntable.FM included. What else is good?

Listen to Napster founder Sean Parker (aka who Justin Timberlake played in Social Network) talk to Jimmy Fallon about Spotify in the video below...

Continue reading "where to get Spotify playlists & album recommendations, especially Radiohead ones "

Memory Tapes @ Mercury Lounge (photo by Tom Burke)

Memory Tapes played Mercury Lounge on Friday (7/1) with opener New Moods in support of Player Piano which drops today (7/5) via Carpark. The show was the only North American show scheduled in support of the album, before Memory Tapes headed to Europe this week for a few dates. Memory Tapes will return for a longer string of North American dates later this month, including August 11 at Glasslands with SLEEP 8 OVER. Tickets are on sale for the Glasslands show now. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes played Mercury Lounge, adds more tour dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Follow the Leader (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Wait In The Dark" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Today Is Our Life" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: John Maus - "Quantum Leap" (MP3)

Sloan

Holiday weekends generally mean less bands of note playing in NYC which seems to be the case this year for the Fourth of July, but there is some great stuff happening nonetheless. First and formost for me are Canadian rock icons Sloan, who play Bowery Ballroom tonight (6/29) and Knitting Factory tomorrow (6/30). If you missed it, I interviewed guitarist Jay Ferguson earlier this week which was a lot of fun. Here's him talking about playing Sloan's new fantastic album, The Double Cross, live:

It's fun, especially the first three songs on the record which are kind of a little mini suite that flow into each other. We play those right at the beginning, flowing together so it's a fun exercise to pull off. It's always fun to play the new songs. Maybe more fun for us than the audience. We've been around for 20 years and hopefully the audience is interested the new material but you hope you're not boring them. When Mick Jagger says, "Here's another new one from Bridges to Babylon," everyone goes to get a drink. Hopefully people will patiently listen until we play one of our huge hits from 1998.

It is Independence Day weekend which means The Feelies at Maxwell's. These are now becoming the summertime equivalent of Yo La Tengo's Hanukkah shows and there are three this year:  Friday(7/1)  and Saturday (7/2) which are both sold out and Sunday (7/3) which still has tickets.

In addition to the band's classic catalog -- and host of covers -- The Feelies have a new album this time out as you may know. Here Before is the band's first album in 20 years and finds Glen Mercer, Bill Million and the rest of the band picking up basically where they left off. But really, what else would you expect. It's a lovely album, probably most reminiscent of 1985's  The Good Earth with the prevelance of acoustic guitars. That magic interplay between Mercer and Million is still there. This is an album for early evening Sunday back yard barbeques. And anyone who's seen The Feelies live since they got back together knows they've still got it.

And if you can't make the Maxwell's shows, The Feelies play Celebrate Brooklyn on July 23.

If you want to let it all hang out, maybe go see Nobunny who plays Knitting Factory on Friday (7/1) and a late show at Mercury Lounge on Saturday (7/2). He will certainly be hanging out, most of him at least, as it's a rare show where he doesn't strip down to his tightie whities. The sleazoid schtick remains fun because Nobunny's songs are pretty undeniably catchy in a Ramones-y pop-punk meets Happy Days kind of way. As can be heard on last year's First Blood. Live shows remain unhinged. If you're in a Nobunny state of mind, it's a good time.

I do wonder about that mask, though. He does wash it occasionally, right? If you can wash it.

And if you're in an electronic pop kind of mood, Memory Tapes play a late show on Friday night (7/1) at Mercury Lounge. Main Memory man Dayve Hawk has crafted a lovely thing with his second album Player Piano which comes out next week. Using mostly live drums this time out gives it a real human beating heart, I think, and bodes well for the live shows this time around. (I was a little underwhelmed when I saw them at the Pool Parties last summer but that wasn't an ideal venue for what MT do.) I dig the record's songwriting and production, both of which are pretty teriffic. You can download two tracks from it at the top of this post. And do check out the very cool video for "Yes I Know" at the bottom of this post.

And that's mostly it for this holiday weekend. Happy America! A few more picks -- and shameless plugging -- below.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

John Maus and Puro Instinct are at Mercury Lounge. I caught both last night at Glasslands. Maus' show, which shouldn't work, does thanks to his dedication and intensity. A little goes a long way, though. (I really like the new album, I should say.) Puro Instict can really sing and play... better songs will come with time. They're young.

continued below...

Continue reading "Sloan, Memory Tapes, John Maus, Feelies, Real Estate, Nobunny, Seaport shows & more in This Week in Indie "

Dinosaur Jr @ MHOW in 2010 (more by Vincent Cornelli)

today in NYC
* PS 122 benefit
* Undead Jazz Festival
* Blue Note Jazz Fest
* Phyllis Chen @ Barbes
* Bob Mould @ 92YTribeca
* Questlove @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Little Women @ The Stone
* Lavalier, Hiawatha @ Zebulon
* Jimmy Scott @ The Blue Note
* Beady Eye, The Dig @ Webster Hall
* Lisa Hannigan, John Smith @ Maxwell's
* Galactic, Corey Glover @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Scott Kettner's Forro Brass Band @ Barbes
* Callers, Talk Normal, Hubble @ Union Pool
* Holy Ghost!, Justin Miller (DJ) @ Center 548
* We Are Scientists, Milagres @ Red Hook Park
* Dick Cavett @ New York Society for Ethical Culture
* Walter Schreifels, Radar Fiction @ Saint Vitus
* Frontier Ruckus, Dear Lions @ Mercury Lounge
* Mike Pride's From Bacteria to Boys @ The Stone
* Ledisi, Anthony David @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Beach Fossils, Javelin, Punches @ Santos Party House
* Sean Bones, Superhuman Happiness @ Cameo Gallery
* Ivan & Alyosha @ Mercury Lounge (free @ midnight)
* Ivan & Alyosha @ World Financial Center (free @ 5:30)
* Girlfriends, Tall Firs, The House Floor @ Death By Audio
* Total Babes, Shiv Hurrah, Little Racer @ Public Assembly
* Art Brut, Reptar, MiniBoone @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Amanda Palmer, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper @ The Bell House
* Labirinto, Dzian!, My Gold Mask, A&R, The Vontons @ Pianos
* Diane Cluck, Ken's Last Ever Radio Extravaganza @ Sycamore
* Tape Deck Mountain, Grooms, Dinowalrus @ Knitting Factory
* Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones, Los Straitjackets @ City Winery
* Erika Spring of Au Revoir Simone @ Crown Vic (Rooftop Films)
* Ducktails, La Big Vic, Sudden Oak, Swanox, Kwjaz @ Cake Shop
* Shark?, Whisperians, Bad Girlfriend, Milk & Blood @ Union Hall
* Terminal Lovers, La Otracina, The Netherlands @ Shea Stadium
* Night Manager, Food Stamps, a.fox, Float the Witch @ Silent Barn
* Chairlift, Tearist, DJ Sinkane of Yeasayer, Special Guest @ Glasslands
* Miracles of Modern Science, ARMS, Thunder and Lightning @ Ars Nova
* Holcombe Waller, Daniel Martin Moore, Haley Bonar @ Mercury Lounge
* Vijay Iyer Quintet @ Castle Clinton National Monument at Battery Park
* The Defibulators, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Hoots & Hellmouth @ Littlefield
* Eric Copeland (of Black Dice), McDonalds, Regal Degal @ Secret Project Robot
* Coma Cinema, Yellowbirds, Thieving Irons, Hooray for Earth (DJ set) @ Coco 66
* Thee Majesty, The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
* Dinosaur Jr. (playing Bug), Fucked Up, Off!, Henry Rollins (spoken word) @ Terminal 5
* Donald Harrison Quintet (A Day in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans) @ MetroTech Commons (noon-2pm)
* The DownTown Ensemble (play works by Robert Ashley, Jackson Mac Low, and more) @ Issue Project Room

Check out This Week In Indie.

The Bicycle Film Festival continues.

If you miss the "A Day in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans" show at Metrotech this afternoon, the same show happens tonight at Jazz Standard tonight and the next day and the next day.

Check out Memory Tapes' video for "Yes I Know" below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: WATERS - "For the One" (MP3)

Van Pierszalowski, former lead singer of the recently broken-up Port O'Brien, now records under the moniker WATERS. Rather than the indie folk/pop Port O'Brien had become known for, in WATERS Van opts for a fuzzy '90s-lo-fi approach which can be heard above in the song "For the One." WATERS releases his debut LP Out In The Light on September 20 via TBD Records.

He's currently finishing up a tour in Europe with Wye Oak which he'll follow with three NYC dates. WATERS plays the Flavorpill/IROCKIROLL/The Bell House Northside showcase at Cameo Gallery on June 18 with Sean Bones, Neighbors, Zuzuka Poderosa, Young Adults, and Wojick. They also open for Deervana (aka Deer Tick as Nirvana) at their sold out Northside show at Brooklyn Bowl on June 19. WATERS then plays a headlining show at Mercury Lounge on June 21 with Exitmusic, Milagres, and Anni Rossi. Tickets are on sale.

The Cameo show is one of many that Sean Bones has happening at Cameo this month. He already played there last Thursday and he also plays there on June 23rd (with afro-funk band/collective Superhuman Happiness) and June 30th with the great New Moods. Full residency show lineups are below. Sean is playing new songs at the shows. Those songs will appear on the new record he's finishing recording with Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Cults, Vampire Weekend). Sean's last record came out on Frenchkiss.

New Moods have also been added as the opener on the July 1st Memory Tapes show at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are still on sale.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "WATERS (ex Port O'Brien) releasing debut LP (MP3), playing shows ++++ Sean Bones & New Moods too (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Wait In The Dark" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Today Is Our Life" (MP3)

Memory Tapes at Williamsburg Waterfront in 2010 (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

Electro-indie popper Davye Hawk aka Memory Tapes is prepping Player Piano, his follow up to 2009's Seek Magic, for a July 5 release via Carpark. He'll go on a short European tour the day of the release in support of the album, but first will play a single US show at Mercury Lounge on July 1. Tickets go on sale this Friday (5/27) at noon, with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (5/25).

He released the first single from the album, the disco-y "Wait In The Dark," which can be downloaded above. An early version of the track "Today Is Our Life," which is also on the new album, appeared earlier this year on a "Love SIC Disco" compilation. The video for this track can be watched below.

Three of Memory Tapes' European dates are with Star Slinger who also just announced a headlining NYC show.

All tour dates, album art, tracklist, and the video below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes releasing 'Player Piano', playing some shows"

Memory Tapes @ Williamsburg Waterfront, August 8th (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

Tanlines, who have a free-ish show happening at the Whitney Museum on Friday with DJ/Rupture, will open for Memory Tapes at an Absolut-sponsored, free-with-RSVP (BonusTrack3@TheLMagazine.com) show at the Bell House in Brooklyn tonight (8/25). It starts at 8pm, is 21+, and the flyer is below...

Continue reading "free Memory Tapes show (tonight), Tanlines too (and Friday)"

photos by Benjamin Lozovsky

"the memory tapes / cut copy show was pretty epic tonight. i was in the air half the time, jumping with the rest of the crowd. so. good." - Chris Casual

"Cut Copy went on about a quarter after 6, opening with "Lights & Music." This is one of their most popular songs and a great opener. The group was fully into it, head banging and jumping to their own music. I love when a band feels what they're doing and you feel it too. You could never tell that they had just flown in from Chicago and had barely slept. Other hits were "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found" and "So Haunted." The sound system was more to be desired - and bassist Tim Hoey's mike was too low for the first few songs - but a small setback.

The band brought a nice surprise when they played 2 new songs off of their untitled upcoming album. "Where I'm Going" was an instant crowd pleaser. It's a blend of 60's beach/psychedelia harmonies and poppy rhythms. Later they played "Blink and You'll Miss the Revolution," and I just have to say wow. You can tell a new song is a success when the audience is dancing uncontrollably. It's much heavier on the drum and bass than their typical stuff, yet still maintains an essence of 80's nuwave. This will definitely be one of the hits off the album.

Cut Copy ended after an hour long set, an encore, and soaking through their shirts. It was a great day, an outstanding show." [guilt free pleasures]

Continue reading "Cut Copy, Memory Tapes, Glasser, Restless People & Punches played the Pool Party (pics, new song & tortilla videos)"

The xx @ Webster Hall in 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

today in NYC
* Holly Miranda @ In Vino
* Empire of the Sun @ Terminal 5
* Peter Gregson @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Ceremony, Punch @ Death By Audio
* Wallpaper, Punches @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Jonah Matranga, Mansions @ Maxwell's
* Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ The Rock Shop
* We Barbarians, Enlou, Old Monk @ Pianos
* Asphalt Orchestra @ Lincoln Center (Broadway Plaza)
* Ramona of Nite Jewel, Roe Enney, Lazer Crystal, Konichiwa @ Cake Shop
* Soul Rebels Brass Band, Wild Magnolias, Glen David Andrews @ Damrosch Park
* The xx, Chairlift, Jack Penate @ Central Park Summerstage
* Ceremony, Punch, Black Kites, Death First, Natural Law @ Death By Audio
* Wreckmeister Harmonies, Chris Brokaw, unFact @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Dead Western + Travis Laplante + Myth of Mitch (featuring Trevor Dunn) (curated by Charlie Looker) @ Zebulon
* Cut Copy, Memory Tapes, Glasser, Restless People @ Williamsburg Waterfront (Jelly Pool Parties)
* Josh Ritter (& The Royal City Band), Justin Townes Earle, Dawn Landes (& The Hounds) @ Governors Island (The Beach)

Juan Maclean opens for Empire of the Sun with a DJ set tonight and tomorrow.

We Barbarians opened for Local Natives at Governors Island last night and headline Pianos tonight.

UK cellist Peter Gregson will make his NY debut at LPR tonight, playing songs by Steve Reich, Max Richter, Daníel Bjarnason (of the Bedroom Community label) and more. Tickets are on sale. Tomorrow, pianist Bruce Brubaker plays at the venue for the NY premiere of Nico Muhly's Drones & Piano, plus music by Philip Glass, John Cage and Alvin Curran. Tickets are on sale.

FOR JOSH RITTER TONIGHT:

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Converse presents...

Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band with Justin Townes Earle and Dawn Landes & The Hounds

We encourage everyone to come early and enjoy the beach. Governors Island ferries will run from the Battery Maritime Building until 5:30PM ONLY. If you are on the island early, please make sure to get yourself to the Beach venue by 5:30 PM where concert wristbands will be available. Doors will open at 6:00 PM.

Dedicated concert ferries will depart starting at 7:15 PM. Please enter the ferry queue at the NORTH end of the Battery Maritime Building. Concert wristbands will be handed out, subject to availability, in the ferry queue starting at 6:45 PM.

Show time is 8:15PM.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

@ a 2009 Pool Party (more by Tim Griffin)

I don't know what Veoba is either. The press release explains it though...

For the past 4 years, JELLY has hosted over 200,000 people for what has become one of the most groundbreaking FREE concert series in New York. Summer Sundays in Brooklyn have become synonymous with The Pool Parties and in the series' 5th Anniversary year, Pool Parties promises not to disappoint.

This year, The Pool Parties are again on the Williamsburg Waterfront for 7 dates from July 11th--August 29th. Due to scheduling conflicts, our August 1st date will be moved to a "Block Party" in and around Brooklyn Bowl making it 8 total "FREE Pool Party Sundays".

In celebrating our 5th Year Anniversary, JELLY also would like to give a big thanks to Senator Chuck Schumer and Phillip Goldfeder from the Senator's office for all of their support ensuring JELLY'S return to the Williamsburg Waterfront. JELLY owners Alexander Kane and Sarah Hooper state that, "It has been a long hard road this year to bring this series back to Williamsburg and it 100% could not have been done without Senator Schumer's efforts. "

The Pool Parties will be co-presented by VEOBA, an online resource for artists, managers, and record labels. Based in Chicago, but with global reach, VEOBA provides the music community with select services to progress and maintain their livelihood. VEOBA launched in May 2010 as a collective made up of music industry veterans, writers, managers, artists, and cartoon characters. From co-founder Jay Parkin, "More often than not, musicians rely on others to take their careers to the next level. We're here for those who care enough to do it themselves." Sharing Jelly's values of creativity and innovation, the people at VEOBA are thrilled to be involved in this summer's production. Parkin concludes, "For the independent and the like- minded, VEOBA facilitates the next step."

JELLY as well wants to give a shout out to all of their partners this summer from the new faces to old friends. Special thanks to AllSaints and Vans. As well as Amp Energy, vitaminwater®, SESAC, ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, ZYNC from American Express^(SM), Spin Magazine, KEXP, and Main Drag. Along with OSA sponsors: Time Out New York, Brooklyn Brewery, and Heineken.

Now onto our official Pool Parties 5th Year Anniversary lineup! Check back soon for surprise guests we cant announce yet, the official DJ lineup for The Pool Parties 2010, and more fun things that are SURE to make the 5th Year Anniversary series one you will never forget!

The Official After-Pool Parties, presented by Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, will be held at Brooklyn Bowl following every Sunday's Pool Party!

The only difference between the leaked lineup and the official lineup is the addition of another "SECRET SPECIAL GUEST" and the listing of some curators. You can see the full list of confirmed free shows, below...

Continue reading "Jelly & Veoba confirm Williamsburg Waterfront 'Pool Party' lineups ('Secret Special Guests', Brooklyn Bowl afterparties)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

"Omg twin sister on mhow sound system. Huge. Sounds incredible" - jenn pelly

"Memory Tapes was unexpectedly great last night. - Kyle LaMar

"Memory Tapes have the best visuals at northsidefest so far; they look like something from blipfest" - gimmetinnitus

"memory tapes & DOM were awesome at MHoW!" - ryan brodhead

"DOM were really nice guys, even if they did hotbox our shared green room..." - Zaza

Memory Tapes @ MHOW - June 26, 2010

"[Saturday] night was one of the Brooklyn Vegan showcases, featuring Zaza, DOM, Twin Sister and Memory Tapes.

I unfortunately missed the Zaza set, although heard from some folks that they were one of the better sets that night. DOM rocked it, with trippy projections on a big screen behind them (that would also flash "DOM" between songs, lest you forget who you were watching) and trying to rouse a chorus of "USA!" after they finished their song "Living in America." One poor audience member attempted to stage dive at the very end of their set, to be met with nothing but the cold, hard floor of the Music Hall of Williamsburg..." [Free Williamsburg]

Videos from Memory Tapes' & Twin Sister's MHOW sets, and more pictures from the whole night, below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, Dom & Zaza played the BV Northside show @ MHOW - pics, video, live recording"

interview by Billy Jones

DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Green Knight (Creep remix) (MP3) (via)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (MP3)

"For a guy who's never been on tour before, Dayve Hawk's Memory Tapes does a much better job than many bands well-versed in live performance. It's probably because his music is just so good he'd have to work hard to make it sound bad, and with the addition of live drumming and guitar, it sounded totally fantastic. It took me a while to warm up to Seek Magic, but live his work is clarified, catchy, and precise, more immediate than on the album. Vocals and instruments rose above sound effects. Indeed, a Memory Tapes record is for spaced-out, sunny afternoons; a Memory Tapes show is a place to let go and dance. We always need more of those. Thanks for giving us another one, Dayve." [Tiny Mix Tapes]

Billy Jones, who recently talked to Dave Sitek on the phone and Dom via Gchat, caught up with Dayve Hawk via email. Their conversation can be read below....

Continue reading "an interview w/ Memory Tapes (who plays MHOW Saturday) "

interview by Billy Jones, top photo by Ryan Muir

DOWNLOAD: DOM - Jesus (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DOM - Living In America (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DOM - Burn Bridges (MP3)

Dom, pictured above playing at a party inside Pitchfork's Brooklyn offices on Tuesday night, are in town to play two Northside Festival shows. The first happens tonight, Thursday, June 24th, at the Knitting Factory. Dom opens for Cloud Nothings and WAVVES. That show is sold out. After that it's Saturday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg aka the BrooklynVegan showcase with Zaza, Twin Sister, and Memory Tapes. That one still has tickets available. Both shows are also accessible with a Northside Festival badge (first come, first served, capacity permitting, etc).

It's been an exciting few months for Dom whose next scheduled NYC show after Northside is the 2010 Siren Festival. Their most recent show before Northside was "Fader Bowl".

Billy Jones (you may have read his recent interview with Dave Sitek) caught up with Dom (the person) via gchat on Wednesday. They talked about Dom (the group), the Pitchfork party, Cults, gingers (they both are), Total Slacker, salvia, Party Expo, merch and more...

---

Billy: sup man
Dom: nothing much. chillin.

Billy: i am ginger
Dom: sick! u kno we are less than 10 percent population

Billy: have you seen the M.I.A. video?
Dom: yes i have

Billy: how do you feel about mia? i am left handed and ginger. fucked.
Dom: i love mia. yeah i wasnt really moved one way or another by the vid. great concept, butttt, i could have done it better

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Dom (about MIA, gingers, drugs, Pitchfork's Brooklyn office party, the Northside Fest & stuff) "

DOWNLOAD: Crystal Castles - Suffocation (Memory Tapes Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (Tanlines Remix) (MP3)

Memory Tapes is in the process of recording the follow-up to his/their 2009 debut, Seek Magic. The next show for Dayve Hawk & Co. will be on Saturday, June 26th (NOT Friday, June 25th as it accidentally got listed as in some places), when they headline BrooklynVegan Northside show with Twin Sister, DOM and ZAZA. Tickets are still on sale. We also have a couple pairs to giveaway. If you want them, email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Memory Tapes) with your first and last name. Winners will be picked at random and contacted.

Dayve recently did a remix of Crystal Castles' "Suffocation," while Tanlines gave Memory Tapes' "Bicycle" the treatment. Download both above. A new video for "Bicycle", by Jamie Harley, is posted with all tour dates (including a run of Australia shows with Missy Elliott), below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes remixed Crystal Castles, was remixed by Tanlines - MP3s, new video, ticket contest & overseas dates"

"Like last year, everything will be taking place in Williamsburg and Greenpoint because walking long distances is a drag when there are bands to see and beer to drink, we mean seriously. Us here at The L Magazine will be booking a share of shows on our own, but, for a large chunk of the festival, we've once again handed over curatorial control to some of the most tasteful, talented and dedicated folks in New York's independent music scene -- record labels, bloggers, promoters and more -- allowing them to showcase the bands they think you need to hear. The Williamsburg Gallery Association is again on board to highlight special exhibitions and other events at over 25 art galleries in the neighborhood. And to celebrate Northside's second year, we've invited a few of the city's biggest aficionados of independent film to curate four nights of New York-made movies at Brooklyn's new, as-yet-unopened film house-music club-restaurant-bar, indieScreen."

Music, art and movies will be happening at "30+ venues" and "dozens of galleries" over the course of four days in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Like SXSW & CMJ, you can buy tickets to individual events, or you can get a badge which gets you in to everything that isn't already at badge-capacity. $50 badges are now on sale to those 21 and over. If you buy a badge, "Arrive to venues early - badgeholders are admitted on a first-come, first-served, one-out, one-in basis."

If you buy a badge you can take your chances at getting into one of the four Northside shows happening at Music Hall of Williamsburg (BrooklynVegan showcase included), Fiery Furnaces at Brooklyn Bowl, and WAVVES & Cloud Nothings at Knitting Factory. TONS more shows TBA, but the initial list of bands that will be playing has been announced (I'm especially excited to see The Wave Pictures, Fucked Up, Liars, Parenthetical Girls and Les Savy Fav on there in addition to what we've previously talked about) (and yes Titus Andronicus is on there). Check it out below...

Continue reading "2010 Northside Festival - tickets & intial lineup (includes Liars, Fucked Up, Les Savy Fav, Polvo & many more)"

DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (Little Loud Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dom - Jesus (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Twin Sister - Lady Daydream (Cassette Version) (MP3)

Memory Tapes @ The Bell House in February (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

I'm happy to announce the BrooklynVegan Northside Festival showcase, happening on Saturday, June 26th at Music Hall of Williamburg with Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, DOM and ZAZA. $15 Tickets (ARE NOW ON SALE) --- go on sale Friday, April 30th Saturday at noon (the show is 18+). A certain amount of tickets will also be reserved for Northside badge holders. Info on those passes and other Northside shows TBA.

The L Magazine-created Northside Festival debuted last year, and runs from June 24-27 this year, the same weekend as Williamsburg Walks. Most of the venues in Williamsburg and Greenpoint will be participating. If you missed it last year, it's like a mini CMJ where you can either just go to whatever shows you want, or buy a badge that lets you jump from show to show, capacity (and mood of the venue) permitting. The idea is that it's all contained within the Brooklyn neighborhood(s), mostly walking distance from each other.

For Memory Tapes, the Brooklyn show will be their third NYC performance ever (despite head member Dayve Hawk living in Jersey). He previously opened for Atlas Sound at The Bell House, and played a Self-Titled party at Tribeca Grand right after that. The sequenced tracks on his CD, Seek Magic, might have you wondering about the band's live arrangement. For that, Hawk sings and plays guitar, and is now backed by one band member. They'll be debuting a "reworked live show" at Music Hall. Check out video of past shows below.

Twin Sister has been playing around town quite a bit over these past few weeks - most recently at the Morning Benders' Mercury Lounge show last night (pics coming). They'll be at Rooftop Films Opening Night on May 14th and a release show for their Color Your Life EP at Glasslands on May 28th. They tour with Bear in Heaven this July.

DOM of Worcester, Mass, has sooner shows coming up as well, one of those is the release party for Keepaway's EP at Mercury Lounge on May 18th.

ZAZA, who Bill recently called "one of the best, most under-appreciated bands in the city right now", are in Europe on tour with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club this May.

Sample tracks are above, and videos from all the bands (including Twin Sister covering Daft Punk on a roof) are below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, DOM & ZAZA are playing the BV Northside Fest showcase (and other dates) ++ MP3s, video "

Crystal Stilts @ Slumberland Birthday, 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Red Baraat @ BAM
* Dan Deacon at Suny Purchase
* Evangelista @ The Stone
* Memory Tapes at Tribeca Grand
* Men, MKNG FRNDZ @ The Bell House
* Wakey! Wakey!, Harper Blynn @ Mercury Lounge
* Yemenwed, Light Asylum, Sabine Gruffat @ P.S.1
* The Golden Filter, Nancy Whang @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Man In Gray, El Jezel, Coyote Eyes @ Union Hall
* H2O (15 Year Anniversary Show) @ Gramercy Theatre
* Nosaj Thing, Daedelus, Jogger @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* These Are Powers, MNDR, Blondes, JDH & Dave P @ Coco 66
* Misery Index, Magrudergrind, Mutant Supremacy @ Union Pool
* Aligns, The Yellow Dogs, In Cadeo, Darwin Deez @ The Cameo
* Zola Jesus, Blacklist, Cult of Youth, White Ring @ Cake Shop
* Extra Life, Pink Reason, Silk Flowers, M. Lamar @ Death By Audio
* PC Worship, Ashcan Orchestra, GDFX, Hexbreaker Quintet @ Shea Stadium
* Pygmy Shrews, Golden Girls, Byrds of Paradise, Tough Knuckles @ Bruar Falls
* Greg Kelley, Chris Brokaw, Matthew Heyner, Sean Meehan @ Issue Project Room
* Secret Country, Roadside Graves, WJ & The Sweet Sacrifice, My Name Is John Michael @ Maxwell's
* Crystal Stilts, The Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils, German Measles @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Haiti Benefit w/ Your 33 Black Angels, Bugs in the Dark, Palominos, Hollands, Normandy, Balboa, Winston Troy, MK Groove Orchestra @ East River Bar

Man in Gray are back together for one night only tonight at Union Hall! With Coyote Eyes and El Jezel. They played their two final shows in 2008, one of which was at one of our Rock n ROFL shows at Pianos.

Extra Life, who are at DBA tonight, have a new record coming out, called Made Flesh, on March 30th.

Memory Tapes tonight at Tribeca Grand is free (RSVP to events [at] self-titledmag.com). Tanlines are DJing.

Mates of State play the Bell House on Sunday.

Today is the last day of by:Larm in Norway. I've seen a ton of great bands so far. Most are new to me. I'm trying to avoid bands I've seen or will definitely see soon. Serena Maneesh fall into both categories (SXSW = the "see soon" part), but I couldn't help myself and went and checked them out last night at Spectrum Scene in Oslo. They went on after Johann Johannsson who went on after Efterklang (it was 4AD night). I actually watched all three and even saw some bands in nearby venues during set change... there's a band on somewhere every half hour, and all bands only play for 30 minutes.... so if you're quick you can see at least 25 minutes of a 30 minute set twice an hour for about 7 hours straight...except Serena Maneesh actually who got 45 minutes as tonight's big headliner... actually Johann played longer too, but I left before he finished). I don't have videos from the show, so here are some of their official videos instead, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

"I had this all planned out," said Atlas Sound's Bradford Cox, "This was going to be a mind-blowing second song." Cox battled technical issues with one of his loop machines throughout his sold out show at the Bell House in Brooklyn, dropping it on the stage several times to get it to work.

Through it all, the Deerhunter frontman handled the technical difficulties with grace, humor and self-deprecating wit. Once he was up and running (almost making it through that second song, "Te Amo" before the drum track cut out again) his eight-song set was a sprawling reworking of many tracks off last year's, Logos.

The two standout tracks from that record, "Walkabout" and "Shelia" went back to back. Excellent on the record, but live both songs were lacking those key elements that make them so winning - the infectious piano melody on "Walkabout" and the shuffling drums on "Shelia." But those were minor complaints when songs like main set closer "Attic Lights" were so stunning with building echoing vocals and feedback that filled the venue.

The title track was one of three songs performed during the encore. Before he left the stage Cox charmed the audience even further explaining how much he appreciates playing in New York.

Opening were NJ-based, dance-rock outfit Memory Tapes (Dayve Hawk). Atlas Sound plays a 2nd NYC show, this time with Neon Indian, tonight (2/4) at NYU. More pictures from the Brooklyn show below...

Continue reading "Atlas Sound & Memory Tapes @ the Bell House - pics, setlist"

DOWNLOAD: Silent League - Yours Truly, 2095 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Silent League - Yours Truly, 2095 (Memory Tapes Version) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gucci Mane - Excuse Me (Memory Tapes Remix) (MP3)

Memory Tapes

We previously reported that Memory Tapes, NJ's Dayve Hawk, would be at Noise Pop 2010, with a forthcoming tour (his first ever) that includes a February 3rd show at the Bell House opening up for Atlas Sound. Tickets for that are sold out, but more MT tour dates have been announced, including SXSW (TBA details) and a show at NYC's Tribeca Grand on February 20th (will be free w/ RSVP).

Since releasing Seek Magic in 2009 (which is being re-released), Memory Tapes has been busy remixing other artists, including Silent League, Gucci Mane (as part of the new Diplo organized mixtape) and most recently Tanlines' new single "Real Life". The first two of those are above. The Silent League song is an ELO cover that'll be on Silent League's new, third album, but you've always been the caretaker, coming out January 26th on Something in Construction Records.

Silent League's new album comes with a bonus disc that also includes some instrumental tracks, covers, live version and a remix by Neon Indian who also has a NYC show coming up with Atlas Sound. Full tracklist below.

Silent League plays a record release show for that album Saturday, 1/16, at New York's Gramercy Theatre with Elefant and the Subjects. Tickets are on sale. They also play a free show on January 28th at Bruar Falls with New Numbers, Ludlow Lions, and Youngman Grand.

All tour dates, and tracklist and artwork for the new Silent League album, are below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes touring (2 NY dates), remixing (including Silent League who have a new album & shows too)"

DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (MP3)

The intial lineup for Noise Pop 2010, which takes over San Francisco February 23rd to March 1st, has been updated. Newly announced acts include Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band (with Cornelius, Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon), The Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra collaborative performance, !!!, Harlem, Deerhoof, Memory Tapes, The Fresh and Onlys, Scout Niblett, Far (Reunion Show), The Mumlers, P.E.E (Reunion Show), Mirah, Laura Gibson, Nico Vega, Japanese Motors, Princeton, Free Energy, The Growlers, Nurses, Magic Wands, The Lonely Forest, The Hot Toddies, Tempo No Tempo, Judgement Day. The full current lineup is posted below.

Tickets and passes for most of those are on sale now. Tickets for Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band (with Deerhoof) on February 23rd and the Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra collaborative shows go on sale on Sunday, January 10th.

Memory Tapes, chillwave Jerseyan Dayve Hawk, is one of the acts scheduled for the fest. He's going to be in the UK for a short run of shows this January, and he's confirmed that US dates and a European tour are forthcoming. The song "Bicycle" off his debut, Seek Magic, is above. The album is being re-issued on Feb 8th, "with an exclusive 48 minute 4 track CD2 through Urban Outfitters and digitally exclusively via iTunes".

UPDATE: Memory Tapes is opening for Atlas Sound at The Bell House on February 3rd. Tickets are still on sale.

More info on Noise Pop 2010 below...

Continue reading "Noise Pop expands 2010 lineup - updates include !!!, Far, Yoko Ono & Memory Tapes who is touring soon "

Animal Collective @ ATP NY (more by Ryan Muir)

So how the hell did Merriweather Post Pavilion-- an album closer in spirit to the sub-aquatic psychedelia of 2005's Feels and Panda Bear's 2007 solo Person Pitch than its predecessor-- wind up in the Billboard Top 20 and outsell both the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand's most recent albums in North America? That mystery is ultimately the most wonderful thing about the album. Unlike so many indie-rock crossover artists before them, Animal Collective did not breach the mainstream by cleaning up their act, or adopting classic-rock conventions, or scoring a strategic soundtrack or iPod-commercial placement. And, above all, they did little to formalize their defining mercurial quality. [Pitchfork]

Pitchfork also listed their Top 100 Tracks of 2009, and the Top Albums of the Decade.

Animal Collective is DJing the Museum of Natural History in January.