By Bill Pearis

Siren singer. Champion skronky guitar solo-er. Drone princess. Dressed in an iridescent dark green smock-frock, Welsh singer Cate Le Bon looked a like Crannogmen royalty at Mercury Lounge last night (2/9), where she held court over a rapt, smiling audience. Those who didn't come as fans left as converts. There is nobody quite like her and, for me, this is the current show to beat for 2012.

Previous visits from Le Bon have been mostly solo, which fit the general faery folk vibe of her first album. Le Bon's new LP, Cyrk, is definitely a "band" album, however, and the group she brought with her were more than capable of recreating its pastoral psych-rock. The night opened with the icy and discordant "Julia" but things warmed up from there as band members switched places as Cate went from guitar to keyboard and back again for singles "Puts Me to Work and "Fold the Cloth." Only her New Zealander drummer, who was flash-free but rock-steady, stayed in one place the whole night.

He also got the evening's biggest laugh. Cate invited the audience to go on tour with her, at least to tonight's show at Maxwell's where we'd get "the same band, and the same songs." Then the drummer piped in, "...but New Jersey" and immediately hit a rimshot to much groans and laughter. The evening finished as Cyrk does with the two-part "Ploughing Out," which starts off gentle and haunting but grows into a chugging, noisy rocker. In a tribute to Wales legends Super Furry Animals (Gruff Rhys was one of her early champions), the songs comes to a clamorous end with Cate and the bassist crossing their instruments like swords.

Cate plays Maxwell's tonight (2/10) before continuing on tour, again with openers Pigeons, and I highly recommend you go to this show (and then stick around for the comedy). If you haven't heard Cyrk yet, it's one of 2012's best so far. You can download "Puts Me to Work" at the top of this post, watch the video for "Fold the Cloth" below, or stream the whole album on Spotify. But really, go see her live. Click through for a couple more grainy cameraphone pictures from Mercury Lounge, and all 2012 tour dates...

Continue reading "Cate Le Bon played Mercury Lounge, plays Maxwell's tonight"

photos by Devan Council

Summer Camp @ Mercury Lounge - 2/6/12

Summer Camp toured through town this week and played a show with Field Mouse at Mercury Lounge on Monday. Here are some pictures. More of them below...

Continue reading "Summer Camp played Glasslands & Mercury Lounge with Field Mouse (pics)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Daughter - Love (MP3)

Would you say you were folk? Or as the Guardian so nicely put it, 'Fucked up folk'?

I know right? That's quite funny. It's difficult, because I don't know what we are. We don't really think about it at all. We're more like 'this sounds alright - let's do that.' It did start off with my solo thing for years, which was very folky and acoustic. It definitely started out that way, but with me and Igor working together and developing things, it has all gone a bit more atmospheric and, I dunno, we're just trying to experiment with what we're doing.

People have mentioned that your lyrics are dark and depressing, but do you see them as a release of emotions - which is a positive thing. The Guardian, again, said '"Youth" plumbs Ian Curtis' depths of bleakness'. I wasn't expecting you to be so friendly!

I think it's a relief that I'm actually friendly as I probably would be the most depressed person in the world. I enjoy really dark music. I love Joy Division and don't think I can really write anything happy. I don't know if that's a conscious thing or I literally can't. If I didn't write songs, I think I'd be really weird [laughs]. I'd have a lot of shit that I just couldn't get out. I'd have about 10 cats and just mutter away to myself and play the saw. It's a release of emotion and I can just be rid of bad experiences. It is a bit like therapy where bad shit has happened but if you can put it down on paper and write about it and then sing it to people, then you'll be alright. I dunno where I'm going with that! ['Sup]

Originally a solo project for UK singer-songwriter Elena Tonra, Daughter is now a proper band with electric guitarist (and Tonra's boyfriend) Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella.

Daughter is coming to SXSW this year and has scheduled a few other shows outside of Austin as well, including a few in NYC: March 9 at Mercury Lounge, March 10 at Glasslands. There's also March 8 show with venue TBD. All tour dates -- including DC and Philly shows with Tennis and White Rabbits -- are at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading "Daughter sign to Glassnote, playing NYC, SXSW, other dates"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

White Hills @ Mercury Lounge

As advertised, psych rockers White Hills played a show at Mercury Lounge on 1/24 with MOFO. Here are some pictures. More of them below...

Continue reading "White Hills & MOFO played Mercury Lounge (pics) "

Young Magic at Mercury Lounge in 2011 (more by Jessica Amaya)

Young Magic picked up quite a bit of buzz in 2011 with a few singles and multiple tours with Youth Lagoon. They also played one of our CMJ Parties.

Now they're set to release their debut LP, Melt on February 14 via Carpark. The album will feature material from their singles, including "Night In The Ocean," "Slip Time", "Sparkly", and "You With Air." You can stream all four of those tracks below, along with the album artwork and tracklist, and the video for "Sparkly."

A while back Young Magic announced a record release show scheduled to take place in their current hometown of NYC on February 18 at Mercury Lounge. That show was cancelled after tickets went on sale but was re-announced this week and tickets are on sale now. The show is being opened by Heaven, who also open the Swervedriver show at Bowery Ballroom (3/31).

Young Magic were also initially billed as the openers for YACHT's upcoming tour but have since dropped off (2/26 Brooklyn show included).

Video, streams, and album info below...

Continue reading "Young Magic drop off YACHT tour, schedule NY release show"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: A Classic Education - Forever Boy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: A Classic Education - Baby It's Fine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cloud Nothings - No Future/No Past (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless (MP3)

A Classic Education

As predicted, following this week's Best New Music review of Attack on Memory, tonight's Cloud Nothings' show at Studio @ Webster Hall with Bleeding Rainbow and Jump Into the Gospel, is now sold out. But the band just announced two NYC-area shows on the other side of SXSW, part of their tour with A Classic Education: March 27 at Mercury Lounge (also with The Denzels and Last Year's Men) (tickets on-sale Friday, 2/3) and March 28 at Glasslands (also with Crinkles) (on sale now). All Cloud Nothings/A Classic Education tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

This will be the first North American tour for A Classic Education since releasing their debut album, Call it Blazing, which was one of my favorites of 2011:

Heart on the sleeve tunes from Canadian Jonathan Clancy who formed this band in his current hometown of Bologna, Italy. Students of indiepop history, ACE take the best bits of the last 30 years and have created a sound all their own. Tuneful, continental and clever, with charm to spare.

Continue reading "Cloud Nothings add two NYC shows in March with A Classic Education (updated dates & MP3s)"

photos by Jessica Amaya, words by Christopher Paragraph

You know that moment at the end of a tied basketball game when someone puts up a three at the buzzer and the whole crowd is fixated and breathless? That's basically how the crowd was as Sharon Van Etten took the stage Wednesday night at Mercury Lounge (1/18), silently focused as the band set up, as if waiting for some kind of historic proclamation. Though it provided some initial awkwardness, the crowd loosened up as the set moved on, though never really losing that initial fixation. Clearly, this was an audience already enamored with her and eager to hear new songs, which she provided, running seamlessly through her upcoming Jagjaguwar debut "Tramp," from top to bottom.

Many of these songs were played live for the first time, though clearly the band had nailed down their parts from recording and/or rehearsing. This was no practice run-through. It came across more as a showcase of what they've accomplished. The band seemed totally at ease with the songs, as if they could easily play them drunk and backwards (which may be necessary seeing as they are about to embark on a two month tour with Shearwater and The War On Drugs). They make the most out of what they have, frequently switching off between harmonies, bass, guitar, keys, and organ, never overplaying and tastefully articulating the well-composed parts. In particular, Zeke Hutchins (drums) provided the perfect amount of "power without powering." His style is musical and fits the songs in a way that (unfortunately) is kind of rare these days.

The opening song "Warsaw" initially felt like a departure, hinged on a heavy churning drone, with a keyboard bassline that made the song feel far more electronic than any of her past work. But the following song, "Give Out," quickly recalled the lyrical, emotional power than Van Etten has come to be known for. In fact, it may be the best example of this yet. Now settled in, and blown away, the audience erupted and was fully in the palm of her hand, where they stayed for the duration of the set. The last time I saw a crowd so silent was A.A. Bondy at Bowery Ballroom (who happened to be the house music after the Sharon show. Coinicidence? Yes.) It was one of those shows where people, shockingly, weren't constantly checking their cell phones. As if looking down for a second might cause them to miss an important moment.

After seeing this show, not just musically but in terms of Van Etten's appearance and demeanor, it makes all her work to-date more relevant, or at least puts it in a clearer perspective. Her past songs, and I'm a big fan of them, now seem to be mere skeletons of this new record. They clue the listener in, like signposts on the road to where she currently is artistically: a definite peak, but by no means at her capacity. She was bigger than Mercury Lounge Wednesday night and everyone there knew it. On this new material, Van Etten has a voice that can reel you in like Mazzy Star, but with the songwriting of someone like David Bazan.

Miraculously, not a single person called out requesting any of her old songs. The crowd was more than content getting an intimate preview of what's to come. And if this show was any indication, we can expect big things.

--

Speaking of big things, Sharon's next THREE NYC SHOWS are at Bowery Ballroom (twice) and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets are now on sale for all three.

More pictures, the setlist (aka the new album tracklist), and a video from Mercury Lounge below...

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten played her new album @ Mercury Lounge (pics, video & review)"

Yellow Ostrich at MHOW earlier this month (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Yellow Ostrich, who just announced that their next album, Strange Land, will come out March 6 via Barsuk, have scheduled a tour in support of it. The tour kicks off in early March with support from 1,2,3, hits SXSW, then includes a run with Howler, before concluding in a hometown show at NYC's Mercury Lounge on April 12. No opener has been announced for that show yet. Tickets go on sale at noon today (1/20). All dates are listed below.

Speaking of Mercury Lounge shows that go on sale today at noon, Grimes' third NYC show on her upcoming tour with Born Gold does. It's at Mercury Lounge on February 23, an early show before she plays a sold out show at the same venue later that night. Her Glasslands show (3/24) is now also sold out. Tickets for the early Mercury Lounge show (3/23) go on sale today at noon.

Hot Chip/LCD Soundsystem side project New Build also added a second Mercury Lounge show (3/14) happening one day after their sold out one (3/13). Tickets for the 3/14 show go on sale today at noon.

All Yellow Ostrich dates below...

Continue reading "Yellow Ostrich announce tour (dates); Mercury Lounge show on sale at noon (Grimes & New Build too)"

New Build, the new project featuring Hot Chip members Felix Martin and Al Doyle (who was also in LCD Soundsystem) and engineer Tom Hopkins, announced last month/year that they'll be making their NYC debut at Mercury Lounge on March 13. That show has since sold out and they've since added another show happening one day later at the same venue (3/14). Tickets go on sale Friday (1/20) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (1/18) at noon.

In related news LCD Soundsystem is releasing a documentary called Shut Up and Play the Hits. Watch the trailer if you haven't already.

Updated New Build dates below...

Continue reading "New Build sells out Merc, adds 2nd show"

photos by Ryan Barkan, words by Andrew Frisicano

King Krule @ Mercury Lounge

After setting the buzz machine into full-gear at CMJ, King Krule returned to NYC on Wednesday for a sold-out show at Mercury Lounge. It was the first of four US performances for the UK project on their short tour: All three of the NYC shows--including Terminal 5 opening for Girls and Real Estate--are sold out. Right around the posted start time, 10:30pm, the line to get in stretched down the block.

Archy Marshall, the undersized 17-year-old frontman/songwriter behind the group, and his band came well prepared for the task, performing an 11-song set that included material from the self-titled King Krule EP (True Panther Sounds) and tracks released under his previous stage-name Zoo Kid. Played by a quartet, the songs sounded more rock-oriented than the recordings, with bombastic swells and crashes absent from the originals. Their set flew by.

The vibe combines jazzy, classic-sounding songs with a surfy guitar tone and a few airy "dubstep" flairs, and the tunes are almost exclusively based around minor chords and a shuffling drum beat. One can imagine the red-haired singer a short time from now crooning soulful songs in a lounge somewhere. Coincidentally, the set list seems to include a title from ultra-hip NYC jazz act the Lounge Lizards (which the band didn't play). The ones that they did get to were catchy, moody in the right ways, not too carefully played, and over before they became boring.

Whatever you think of the band's sound, firmly rooted in the current pop-music moment, Archy's undeniable vocal talents are what carry the group. As someone remarked, "it sounds like there's a 40 year old trapped inside his body." Sentiments like that speak to both his voice's range (incredibly low and possibly still dropping) and the quality of its sound (creaking and groaning and expressive). He also uses it remarkably well, winding through melodies in a way that rewards repeat listens.

The band closed out the night with Zoo Kid single "Out Getting Ribs," a love song named after a Basquiat drawing (check the set list below for another Basquiat Easter egg). Anyone who dared to chat through the quiet tune got a glare from those looking to soak in set's final moments. The packed room was near silent.

--

Chevin & The Pierces also played Mercury Lounge last night, but they were the early show. Pictures of all three bands are below...

Continue reading "King Krule played Mercury Lounge after Chevin & the Pierces -- (pics, review & setlist)"

Sharon Van Etten at Maxwell's, New Year's Eve (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Sharon Van Etten, who recently appeared on Fallon, will release her great new album, Tramp on February 7 via Jagjaguwar (preorder it) and tour in support of it, hitting NYC on 2/24 at MHOW and 2/25 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for both are still on sale.

Sharon will play NYC way sooner though, at the smaller Mercury Lounge on January 18 and tickets for that show go on sale at noon today (1/11).

As previously mentioned, you can also catch a short Sharon performance one day earlier at the Greene Space (if you already have a ticket because it is now sold out).

Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten schedules small show happening soon"

by Bill Pearis

To say that the second album by North Carolina native Jonathan Wilson feels a bit like getting a free reflexology treatment and a small dose of diazepam combined is, accordingly, no criticism. This immersive double-length album is so languid that it might have its own gravitational field, pulling you earthwards to examine the sky in some detail, growing your hair out with every slowly unfurling guitar line. Even if you care nothing for the culture of Laurel Canyon, the Los Angeles crucible of stoned country-rock back in the 70s and Wilson's recent stomping ground, his unhurried, backward-glancing Gentle Spirit might speak to you, in a whisper laden with effects...

...Wilson's prescription for our ills is simple: flutes, pianos, organs, guitars (acoustic and electric, and lots of them) and guests (even more of them). This album grew - very slowly - out of regular Wednesday night jam sessions that Wilson hosted at his old Laurel Canyon base...Jonathan Wilson is a producer, guitar-maker and veteran of Robbie Robertson's, Jackson Browne's and Elvis Costello's bands. Wilson's fellow Canyon noodlers included Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes (who doesn't appear on the album), plus a Jayhawk, bits of the Steve Miller Band and Andy Cabic of Vetiver, another bunch of psychedelically leaning longhairs, all of whom do. [The Observer]

Jonathan Wilson hits the East Coast next week, which will include three stops in NYC: he plays two nights at  Mercury Lounge (an early show on January 19 and a late show on January 20 with Quilt) and then hits the Rock Shop on January 21. He also plays Philadelphia's World Cafe Live on January 18. Click through for those dates in list form (as well as European dates), plus a few music videos and MOJO's full 2011 list...

Continue reading "Jonathan Wilson released MOJO's #4 album of 2011, playing three NYC shows (and one in Philly)"

by Bill Pearis

Feathers at Mohawk, October 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Feathers are making the trip from Austin with former Voxtrot singer Ramesh to play Mercury Lounge on March 5. The band have been making waves in Texas over the last few months and this will be their first NYC show, and their only scheduled show at the moment outside of SXSW.

Feathers is the new project from Anastasia Dimou who you may know from NYC band Cruel Black Dove (who are now broken up). Galexy from Ringo Deathstarr is also in the band. Band member Destiny Montague was in Shock Cinema and Midnight Masses too.

At this point, Feathers only have a couple tracks to check out -- you can stream them at the bottom of this post -- but "Land of the Innocent" is a good one, all pulsing synths and siren-song harmonies. Comparisons will be made to Austra and Zola Jesus, but Feathers are a little more dancefloor oriented, with some glammy stompers in their repertoire as well. The other track is a remix of the song "Dream Song" (which has no released regular version yet). The remix was done by Maya Postepski of Austra and Trust (who just signed to Arts & Crafts).

While waiting to hear more -- or see them live -- check out photos from our man in Austin, Tim Griffin, from their first-ever show back in October when they opened for Washed Out, and from a show they played not long after that at Beauty Bar, AND from last week's 'Free Week' show as well.

Songs below...

Continue reading "Check out Feathers -- making NYC debut @ Mercury Lounge -- song stream, a remix & live pics too"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, DDG photos by Bryan Bruchman

Memoryhouse @ Mercury Lounge

Like Still Corners, Xray Eyeballs, Gem Club, Jacuzzi Boys and Memoryhouse played the Hardly Art/Sub Pop CMJ showcase at Mercury Lounge during CMJ. Here are some previously unposted pictures from that show.

J Mascis and Dum Dum Girls also played this Merc show, but we missed 'em. We did however catch DDG at their headlining Bowery Ballroom show. Some pictures from that one in here too. They are all below...

Continue reading "Memoryhouse, Jacuzzi Boys, Gem Club & Xray Eyeballs @ Mercury Lounge (belated Sub Pop CMJ show pics)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Rachel Kowal

Youth Lagoon @ Mercury Lounge - 11/15/2011

Only a handful of dim, blue lights and a faintly glowing lantern lit the stage at the Mercury Lounge last night as Young Magic began to play. Though terrible for photography, the darkness complimented the trio's soulful, animalistic sound.

Mixing music from a number of genres, Young Magic crafts a unique sound, largely inspired by Isaac Emmanuel and Michael Italia's independent travels through the small towns and cities of Europe, the UK, and South America.

As if incorporating the flavor from the illegal 1920s cabaret venue on the ground floor of their practice space, Young Magic's music is at once sensuous and restless. At times, even Italia's long, bead necklace seemed to add something to the mix as his sudden movements sent it dancing around his neck, in time to his unconventional, African-inspired beats. And Indonesian born Melati Malay's reverb-soaked vocals are arresting, especially when set to Isaac Emmanuel's rolling spoken word verses.

Making music seems to be an act of catharsis for both parties, judging by the earnest candor of the evening's performances.

"I really want to thank Young Magic for opening up tonight," Youth Lagoon's Trevor Powers said of his tour mates. And it's that particular choice of diction, that seemingly insignificant two-letter word, "up," that makes all the difference.

Given the deeply personal and revealing nature of his own lyrics and his experience with anxiety disorders (which he discusses freely in interviews), Powers should know. But last night, even a slow start plagued by over twenty minutes of technical difficulties didn't seem to phase the Idaho native. With its lush melodies and winsome touches, Youth Lagoon's music feels at once nostalgic about the past and hopeful for the future ("Montana" being a good example of this).

With just a single album under his belt, Powers has been attracting a lot of praise over the past few months, and last night's sold-out audience was deeply supportive and enthusiastic. Between each song, people yelled out encouragements or tried to engage the young, cherub-faced singer in conversation.

"People always yell things, but I can never hear," mused Powers. "Ok. You in the back, with your hand raised..."

"POSITIVE FEELINGS!" came the fragmented response. Powers grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, positive feelings."

Hardly anyone budged at the end of his short, 40-minute set, prompting Powers and friend/band mate Logan Hyde to return for a final song, "Daydream." Sometimes, music is the best medicine.

--

It was tour-mates Youth Lagoon & Young Magic's 2nd show in two nights at the NYC venue. Pictures and video from the first night are HERE. More pictures and the setlist from the second, below...

Continue reading "Youth Lagoon & Young Magic played Mercury Lounge one more time (night 2 pics & review)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

Youth Lagoon @ Mercury Lounge

Like they did when Trevor Powers made his NYC debut back in September, tourmates Youth Lagoon (the project of Trevor Powers) and Young Magic shared a bill at Mercury Lounge last night (11/14)... and they will again tonight (11/15). How was the show? We'll talk more about tonight's tomorrow. For now here are some pics and video (9 minutes worth) from last night. It all continues below...

Continue reading "Youth Lagoon & Young Magic played Mercury Lounge again, will again too (pics & video)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

Caveman @ Mercury Lounge

Caveman played a sold out record release show at Mercury Lounge in NYC last night (9/15). Picures are in this post.

And we can now announce that Caveman are in fact (as at least one smart detective guessed) opening our free Hold Steady show at Beekman Beer Garden (at the South Street Seaport) on Saturday night (9/17 -- tomorow!). Maybe because we put them on sale at midnight and waited until the last minute to announce, but free tickets are still available for those wanting to come (not many though). Caveman go on at 8pm. Hold Steady at 9pm. Get there by 6pm though because that's when we start letting people in (or get there even earlier and hang out at the beach).

Caveman's new album is out NOW. You can grab some tracks for free HERE. More pictures from the Merc show, where JPF opened, and a Yours Truly video they recorded in Brooklyn for the song "Great Life", below...

Continue reading "Caveman played Mercury Lounge (pics), opening our free Hold Steady show Saturday!"

a musician playing Mercury Lounge (more by Chris La Putt)

"The owners of famed New York City nightspot Mercury Lounge on Monday hit concert promotion giant Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and the club's former chief booking agent with unfair competition and contract claims, claiming Live Nation poached the agent." [Law 360]

by BBG

Torche at MHoW (more by Justin Tyler)

Torche will hit the road with the UK's Part Chimp for a string of East Coast dates, according to recent tweets by the band. Though the full tour routing has yet to be revealed, the dates will include an appearance at Mercury Lounge on November 9th with Dirty Fences, and tickets go on sale at noon on 9/16.

US audiences have had limited recording-interaction with noise rockers Part Chimp, who released the bulk of their output on Mogwai's Rock Action Records in the UK. The band will share a split 12" with touring partners Torche in the near future though, according to Part Chimp member Iain Hinchliffe. More details are forthcoming. For now check out some Part Chimp video below...

Continue reading "Part Chimp coming to tour w/ Torche (NYC show announced)"

photos by Jason House

Oi! is a melodic type of punk-rock which originated in Britain around 1980 and has since spread throughout the world. The forefathers of Oi! (Sham 69, Menace, The Lurkers, Slaughter And The Dogs, Cockney Rejects, Cock Sparrer, Angelic Upstarts, etc.) played what some of the smarter press of the time dubbed, "real-punk" (i.e. punk-rock with a message/theme of "social realism"). A lot of the press who courted the original wave of punk-rock, wholly ignored or wrote-off what was soon to be called Oi! as "thug-rock," and thus insured unfair treatment of the genre right from the get-go.

Around 1980, bands like the 4-Skins (East London), Infa Riot (North London), The Last Resort (Herne Bay), Red Alert (Sunderland), The Business (South London) and Blitz (Manchester) began to pop-up all across Great Britain. This phenomenon of strikingly similar-minded, yet unrelated bands was quickly clumped together as "Oi!" by Sounds journalist Gary Bushell, taking the name from the classic Cockney Rejects song, "Oi! Oi! Oi!" Bushell not only gave Oi! its name, he compiled and gave the world the first Oi! compilation, "Oi! The Album" (released by EMI injunction with Sounds magazine). "Oi! The Album" -- though not a truly stellar record or even completely representative of the Oi! genre of the time -- set the precedent for the compilation as an important part of the Oi! movement, as witnessed by the release of countless Oi!-focused compilations world-wide ever since its release. Musically, Oi! is generally distinguished by anthemic melodies, terrace-style backing vocals and a pace/tempo more suitable for pogoing and singing along, than slam-dancing and stage-diving. Together with ska and reggae, Oi! forms the musical focus of the traditional skinhead subculture, and together with hardcore and classic punk-rock, it forms the musical focus of the punk subculture. [FAQ for skinheads]

Continue reading "The Business brought the skinheads to Mercury Lounge (pics)"

CANT @ Mercury Lounge

Considering their set time was 1am last night (8/30), I guess technically CANT played their debut show at Mercury Lounge today (8/31). Backed by three band members including Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange who also opened the free Spotify-sponsored show, Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor ran through a set of R&B infused songs we'll get to hear studio versions of soon. His debut album Dreams Come True is out September 13 via Terrible Records. I can never remember song names but BQ points out he loved "Answer," "Bericht" and "The Edge." You can watch audience video footage of "She Found A Way Out" and "Bang" below.

Missed the show and can't wait until October to see CANT? Chris Taylor and Co just announced another NYC show happening TONIGHT (8/31) at Glasslands with Steel Phantoms (Album Release Party) and Quinn Walker (from Suckers).

More pictures from last night (Blood Orange coming later), and those videos, below...

Continue reading "CANT played their 1st show @ Mercury Lounge (pics & video), playing second show TONIGHT @ Glasslands"

Mercury Lounge has cancelled/postponed all Saturday & Sunday shows including Joe Pernice and what was to be CANT's NYC debut show on Sunday.

Surfer Blood at McCarren Park in June (more by Tamara Porras)

Surfer Blood are playing the next free Spotify-presented show at Mercury Lounge on Monday (8/1) with Grand Rapids. Everyone who enters the 21+ show will also get an access code for a free Spotify account. Doors are at 11 PM. It's first come, first served, but we have 5 pairs of guaranteed entry, which you can enter to win. Details below.

The first Spotify-presented show was The Black Angels on July 18. The series will continue throughout the month of August with dates currently scheduled for 8/3, 8/10, 8/18, and 8/25. Stay tuned for those lineups.

Surfer Blood is also touring with the Pixies this fall. That tour hits The Wellmont Theatre (10/27) and Asbury Park Convention Hall (10/28) in NJ.

Contest details, updated dates, and a video of Surfer Blood at SXSW below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood playing next free Spotify show @ Mercury Lounge (win guaranteed entry) ---- updated 2011 Tour Dates"

photos by Tim Griffin

Iceage @ Emo's

Iceage have added another show following their upcoming dates at Cake Shop and the soon-to-be-closed Secret Project Robot (with Raspberry Bulbs and others). The new date is August 22nd at Mercury Lounge. Tickets just went on sale. No advanced tickets for Cake Shop or Secret Project Robot. Last time Iceage was here they played Public Assembly, Other Music, 285 Kent and 538 Johnson.

The Mercury show will be the final US date of their ongoing tour that kicked off in Texas in middle July. Iceage's second show on said US tour was on July 16th at Emo's with The Creamers, Women In Prison, and Deskonocidos. Pictures from that Austin show are in this post. More of them with all dates, below...

Continue reading "Iceage played Emo's (pics), on tour, add a 3rd NYC show (updated dates)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

"Really digging Lucero right now.
They're my "new to me" Warped Tour band for 2011." - Mandi Loranger

"Also Lucero's little jabs at Warped Tour were pretty hysterical." - Jared Chalfin

One of the few bands we love on this year's Vans Warped Tour, Lucero, played a secret show at Mercury Lounge on Saturday (7/23), the same day Warped Tour hit Nassau Coliseum. The Mercury Lounge show had a delayed opening due to cops/fire marshal arriving which was related to some confusion from the large crowds outside and inside the venue as the earlier Heartless Bastards show ended. Once it got started though, it lasted for almost two hours. They played all the hits, two encores and two new songs off an album they'll start recording in September.

We don't have pictures from the Merc show, where they were billed as "Nobody's Darlings," but Andrew St. Clair braved the Warped Tour and brought back these pictures from their set there. More of them, with a video from the Mercury show, below...

Continue reading "Lucero played Mercury Lounge & Warped Tour (pics)"