Bon Iver at Bonnaroo 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Bon Iver recorded an iTunes session at East West studios which is available exclusively from iTunes starting today. It includes six tracks off 2011's great Bon Iver, Bon Iver and a cover of Bjork's "Who Is It?," which the band has played live many times. You can stream the session's opening track, "Beth/Rest" below.

As mentioned, Bon Iver is touring internationally throughout the summer and fall and will come to NYC on September 19 and 20 at Radio City Music Hall. Both of those shows are now sold out. All Bon Iver dates, including a recently announced European leg, are listed below.

Speaking of Bjork, she's teaming up with the New York Public Library (NYPL) and the Children's Museum of Manhattan to create interactive educational programs for middle school-aged students based on her Biophilia app. Speaking about the program, Bjork said:

"It's not a bookish thing. You cannot learn to make music from a book." "I love books; they're like the best ever," she added. "There are things you can only learn from books, but it's also important to introduce the physical aspects. So for me, it was very important to make, somehow, music education that was physical." (via NY Daily News)

Both Bon Iver and Bjork are set to play Oya Festival in Oslo, Norway this summer (Aug 7-11) with The Stone Roses, Refused, The Afghan Whigs, Bob Mould (performing Copper Blue), Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, John Maus, Purity Ring, Saint Etienne, SBTRKT, Screaming Females, St. Vincent, and more. Full list below.

Way Out West (Aug 9-11) in Gothenberg, Sweden features many of the same bands as Oya like Bon Iver, Refused, Afghan Whigs, St. Vincent, Purity Ring, John Maus, and Bob Mould in addition to Blur, Wilco, I Break Horses, Hot Chip, The War On Drugs, Mark Lanegan Band, Adolescents, Swans, and more. Check out the spotify playlist. The full lineup is listed below.

As mentioned, the reunited Mazzy Star is set to play both of those European festivals. Full lineups and the Bon Iver dates and song, below...

Continue reading "Bon Iver's new iTunes session, Bjork's new program at the NYPL & the full Oya & Way Out West festival lineups"

by Andrew Sacher

French house producer Fred Falke will be in NYC for a FIXED show TONIGHT (4/6) at Brooklyn Bowl with FIXED DJs JDH & Dave P. Tickets for tonight's show are available. The flier is below.

Fred Falke's been an active producer in the French house scene since the '90s, but he released his first full solo LP, Part IV, last year. The album contains some of the singles Falke has been dropping throughout his career in addition to newer ones. Tracks like "Aurora," "Look Into Your Eyes," and "Back To Stay" focus on Falke's ability to chop up vocals, whereas cuts like "Chicago" and "Wait For Love" see the use of Daft Punk-y funk basslines, and the crunchy synths of "Electricity" dive into borderline Justice territory. Check out the video for "Aurora", a full stream of "Wait For Love" long with snippets of the entire album, below.

Video, stream, show flier, remixes and more below...

Continue reading "Fred Falke in Brooklyn tonight (released 'Part IV' in December)"

by Andrew Sacher

Ben Browning, who joined Cut Copy as their bassist before the release of 2011's excellent Zonoscope LP, had been working on his material prior to that album, and released it in the form of the Lover Motion EP on Cut Copy's Cutters label last week (3/19). The EP was produced by Architecture in Helsinki members Gus Franklin and Haima Marriott and features keyboard programming from Cut Copy frontman Dan Whitford. The single, "I Can't Say," doesn't sound very different from the material on Zonoscope and is by far the biggest pop moment on the EP. Of the remaining four tracks, two are instrumental, and the other two are on a slightly calmer side of pop. You can stream the entire EP and the "I Can't Stay" single which includes remixes by Knightlife and Juan Maclean below. The video for "I Can't Stay" is also below.

Ben will be making his way over to the US for the Sweetlife Food & Music Festival in Columbia, MD (4/28) with The Shins, Explosions in the Sky, Twin Shadow, Zola Jesus, and others this April. The day before that festival, he'll play a Brooklyn show at Glasslands on April 27. Tickets for that show are on sale now. There's also an LA date with Metronomy (who will be in LA on tour with Coldplay).

All dates, video and streams below....

Continue reading "Ben Browning of Cut Copy released EP, schedules US shows"

by Bill Pearis

Metronomy are touring and in NYC this week for two shows at Irving Plaza with openers Friends. The Friday show (3/30) show is sold out but you can still buy tickets for Thursday (3/29).

If you'd like tickets for free, we're giving away a pair to Thursday's show. Contest details, with all Metronomy tour dates, plus videos from all five singles from The English Riviera , below.

Continue reading "Metronomy on tour; Win tickets to Thursday's NYC show"

by Bill Pearis

Metronomy have sold out their March 30 show at Irving Plaza and have added a second show at the venue the night before (3/29) with Friends opening for both shows. Tickets for the new show go on sale tomorrow (2/29) at 10am. The band's headline tour wraps up with a performance at Coachella, and immediately after they are going to open West Coast dates of Coldplay's North American tour. Say hi to Apple!

Meanwhile, Metronomy's The English Riviera - The Unreleased Remixes comes out next week on iTunes and there are some really great versions on there, like Clock Opera's radical reworking of "The Bay" which basically turns it into a new song. (Clock Opera play the BV-presented show at Santos on 3/12 with Django Django and Charli XCX, btw.) You can stream that remix and Two Inch Punch's "Shook Shook Refix" of "The Look" at the bottom of this post, which is also where all Metronomy tour dates can be found.

Continue reading "Metronomy add 2nd NY show w/ Friends, opening for Coldplay"

by Andrew Sacher

Sandro Perri

Toronto art popper Sandro Perri spent the first half of the last decade recording under the moniker Polmo Polpo and the second half under his own name. He's also been a member/collaborator of Great Lake Swimmers (who recently announced an album and tour), Detective Kalita, Barzin, Dot Wiggin, Glissandro 70, Double Suicide, and Continuous Dick. He's been getting increased attention lately after the release of his 2011 LP, Impossible Spaces, which ended up on Pitchfork's top 50 albums of the year. The album brings together sunny art pop, folk, and touches of world music. You can stream the entire thing below.

Sandro Perri has a few shows coming up including the MusicNOW Festival in Cincinnati (3/29) and a NYC show happening two days later at Mercury Lounge on March 31 with Bhi Bhiman before he hooks up with Metronomy for a few dates on their upcoming tour. Tickets for the Mercury Lounge show go on sale Friday (2/17) at noon with an AmEx presale starting today (2/15) at noon.

He's not currently listed on Metronomy's NYC show which happens on March 30 at Irving Plaza (Friends are though) but it looks like he'll open Metronomy's Chicago show which currently lists a "guest" but it falls right in between Perri opening their Toronto show and their Minneapolis show. Tickets for the Irving Plaza show are still on sale.

All dates and album stream below...

Continue reading "Sandro Perri playing MusicNOW, Mercury Lounge & shows with Metronomy (dates & album stream)"

by Bill Pearis

Metronomy is no stranger to remixes. Until The English Riveria blew up, Jospeph Mount was more known as a remixer (Goldfrapp, Lykke Li,Charlotte Gainsbourg). But lately it's been Metronomy who's getting remixed. The English Riviera singles "The Look," "The Bay" and "Everything Goes My Way" all came in a handful of versions, reworked by the likes of Fred Falke, The 2 Bears, Eron Alkan, and Psychemagik. But the band comissioned many more -- including ones for album tracks -- that haven't seen the light of day. They will, though, when Metronomy releases The English Riviera Unreleased Remixes on March 3.

We've got the premiere of the compilations' lead track, a cover (not actually a remix) of "Corrine" by Benoit & Sergio that you can stream below. Some of the other folks messing with Metronmy cuts include Mario Basanov, Ewan Pearson, Clock Opera, Two Inch Punch and more.

The 13-track album is digital-only but will be out in time for Metronomy's upcoming North American tour which stops at Irving Plaza on March 30. Metronomy's show at Music Hall of Williamsburg during CMJ last year was my favorite live performance of 2011, so if you haven't seen them yet you should absolutely correct this as soon as possible. Friends open the Irving Plaza show and three other shows on the tour.

All Metronomy tour dates are below, along with stream of the Benoit & Sergio cover of "Corrine," and cover art for The English Riviera Unreleased Remixes...

Continue reading "Metronomy releasing remix album (track premiere); Friends opening shows on their spring tour (updated dates)"

Radiohead @ Roseland Ballroom in 2011 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Coachella which is taking place over the course of two weekends this year (April 13-15 and 20-22) revealed their 2012 lineup. Last week, Azealia Banks was the first artist confirmed, and earlier today they confirmed The Weeknd (maybe he found a band?), and before that, Jimmy Cliff, Breakbot, and Housse De Racket. The reunited Pulp then announced itself. The full lineup also includes headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, not to mention, as predicted, the reunited At the Drive In and the reunited Mazzy Star (!), and Madness and Refused (!) and Jeff Mangum and many, many more that you can see below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 lineup announced (two weekends worth)"

I hate writing year-end lists, as might be obvious to many long-time BrooklynVegan readers. That said, I also like them. They help organize things, which is related to my problem though. I'm too unorganized and hectic to ever get around to making one! But this year a few of us (BrooklynVegan contributors) got together and decided to come up with a collective list of albums that we loved that we think most represented 2011 in BrooklynVegan land. Our indie rock-centric list purposely does not include metal (that's HERE) or hip hop (we should make a separate list). With that in mind, our top 26 albums of 2011, in alphabetical order, are listed (with some commentary and a list of honorable mentions too) below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan's Favorite Albums of 2011"

UK music magazine Uncut weighs on this year's best albums. Like Rough Trade, they give Josh T Pearson serious placement. They put Tinariwen, who appeared on The Colbert Report last night (!) with Tunde and Kyp from TV on the Radio, at #18. Check out their whole list and video from Colbert, below...

Continue reading "Uncut's Top 50 Albums of 2011, video of Tinariwen & Kyp & Tunde on the Colbert Report"

Josh T Pearson @ BV-SXSW 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Check out Rough Trade's list of the Top 100 Albums of 2011 (yay Josh T Pearson!), below...

Continue reading "Rough Trade's Top 100 albums of 2011 "

Metronomy at Pier 54 (more by Chris La Putt)

Metronomy will release the new Everything Goes My Way Remix EP, featuring a quartet of remixes of the single from Ewan Pearson, Jesse Rose, Psychemagik, and Enchante. You can listen to the Ewan Pearson remix and watch the video of the original below. Look for the full EP on 12/6 via iTunes and other digital outlets. Full tracklist is below.

Metronomy is currently touring Europe but will hit the road for a string of North American dates this spring, tagging cities across the US including NYC at Irving Plaza on 3/30. Ticketing info is forthcoming.

All tour dates, that video and the remix stream is below.

Continue reading "Metronomy releasing remix EP, announce tour dates --- listen to Ewan Pearson's take on Everything Goes My Way"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Silver Swans - He Doesn't Know Why (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tunabunny - Only at Night (MP3)

Metronomy (more by Chris La Putt)

My big pick for tonight would be Metronomy at Music Hall of Williamsburg but it's sold out. There will be badges let in but, you know, get there early. Their new album The English Riviera is one of my favorites of the year, "The Look" is a contender for Single of the Year and Metronomy's show at River Rocks this summer was one of my favorite concert moments of 2011. If you have a badge and like them at all you should try to go.

Also playing are Class Actress whose album Raproacher was released this week. While I'm not sold on the C.A. live experience I do like the album -- it got a 7.1 on Pitchfork today. Caged Animals are before that (I like their album quite a bit) and True Womanhood.

Silver Swans

Keeping things dancey but much more accessible (in a physical, get in the show kind of way) are San Francisco's Silver Swans who play tonight at The Delancey (10PM). Their album Forever is in the can just waiting for someone to release it, and it's terrific I think. A little Knife-y at times but they're doing their own thing. You can download Silver Swans' slinky cover of Fleet Foxes "He Doesn't Know Why" at the top of this post. If you can't go tonight, they play Bruar Falls tomorrow at 8PM.

Tunabunny

My other call-out pick for Thursday night is Tunabunny who are from Athens, Georgia and play Bruar Falls at 11PM. Yes, the name is kind of horrible but give them a listen, it's well worth your time. The quartet have a ramshackle, dissonant sound that is a little early '80s (Raincoats, Pastels) and a little early '90s (Helium, first album Breeders, Scrawl) but there are some quality pop hooks amongst the calamity. The band just released their second album, Minima Moralia, on the Happy Birthday to Me label. It's good!

The Bruar Falls show is a HBTM showcase that also features Red Pony Clock, Eureka California, Flash to Bang Time, Afternoon Naps and Fishboy. Tunabunny also play the Ace Hotel on Sunday night (10/23) for those who need one more night of rock music.

As for whole showcases to check out, Sub Pop and subsidiary label Hardly Art have put together a combo roster of heavy hitters: Xray Eyeballs, GEM CLUB, Jacuzzi Boys, Memoryhouse, Still Corners, J Mascis and headliners Dum Dum Girls. Sold out but they will accept some CMJ badges...so go early... the whole lineup is killer. And go early 'cause you never know what Xray Eyeballs' frontman OJ is gonna do. They've also got a new zombified new video which you can watch over at Impose. If you miss it, J Mascis also plays our day party Friday. Still Corners play our day party at Knitting Factory today.

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Snarky online video show Weird Vibes has put together an authentic alt line-up for you to carefully consider and tweet about at Cameo: Keepaway, Pat Jordache, MillionYoung, Headless Horseman and Weekend (who play our own CMJ showcase Friday night).

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Or you could go see a bunch of French indie bands at Santos. That will probably be pretty entertaining. (I mean that for real.) Zenzile, The Inspector Cluzo, Stranded Horse will rock you en Francais. Also it's free if you RSVP.

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If you're out in the Gowanus/Park Slope area, you can head to Littlefield for a very sweet lineup of local talent, including Frankie Rose's only CMJ show and likely last one ever with this line-up of her band. She says her new record, our early 2012 on Slumberland, is too different and will need a rethink on how to play it live. Consider me intrigued, Frankie.

The other bands on the bill include Widowspeak, Talk Normal, Blues Control, Amen Dunes and Noveller. Littlefield is a really cool venue, so hit this one and just relax and know you're staying in one place all evening. Who needs all this running around?

King Krule

UNNOFICIAL NIGHTTIME ACTION:

I was really impressed with King Krule last night at Glasslands, despite some shitty sound, whose set was one part jazz pop and one part early '80s Mike Leigh. He's the real deak. Catch his at Shea Stadium tonight as part of the Gorilla Vs Bear/YoursTruly party that also has Grimes, Dent May, Main Attrakionz, Gauntlet Hair, The Bins & Bleached. The show is free but you need to RSVP.

International Tapes is throwing a shindig at 285 Kent with Com Truise, Dom, Laurel Halo, Porcelain Raft, La Big Vic and Beige. All ages, $10.

OK, that's a lot of good suggestions. Go see some music tonight! Flyers and videos are below.

Continue reading "CMJ 2011 - Bill's Thursday nighttime picks (Metronomy, Silver Swans, Tunabunny, King Krule, Frankie Rose & more)"

Though most of the lineup has yet to be revealed - except for King Krule, Metronomy (who also play MHOW), Purity Ring, Fat Trel (pictured above) and Bleached (more on them in a sec), this year's CMJ Fader Fort RSVP is up and running for their 10/21 and 10/22 shows at 443 w 18th St in Manhattan. More details, including the lineup, TBA soon.

Those dates are the same as the two free BrooklynVegan parties happening at Public Assembly in Brooklyn (no RSVP required), though Fader Fort runs 2-9pm, and the BV parties are from noon-6pm.

Vice's Noisey party with Twin Shadow happens at Santos Party House on the night of 10/19, and as previously mentioned, Twin Shadow are also playing another show which is now announced and is also free and also requires RSVP. The newly-announced show also happens at night, but on Saturday, 10/22, at Le Bain. It's the "Making Time" party and Seekae is also on the bill.

Making Time is FIXED's Philly sister, and FIXED have a CMJ party of their own as well. Their showcase will take place at Public Assembly on 10/19 with Teengirl Fantasy, Still Corners, Lemonade, Chad Valley, Radio People, Warm Ghost, CFCF (DJ Set), and Resident DJs JDH & Dave P (who also DJs Making Time). Tycho was originally scheduled to play this showcase but has since cancelled all of his CMJ shows in favor of a single pre-CMJ show happening at MHOW this Sunday. Tickets for the FIXED show are on sale.

Wild Flag at Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

The first round of CMJ 2011 artists have been announced. The initial list includes Neon Indian (Webster Hall with Purity Ring), CSS (Webster Hall with EMA and MEN), Zola Jesus (KF and LPR), Wild Flag (Bowery Ballroom with Eleanor Friedberger and Hospitality), Metronomy (MHOW), Portugal. The Man (T5 with Givers and Alberta Cross), Viva Brother, Wombats, The Good Natured), Kvelertak, Handsome Furs, Memoryhouse, Pharoahe Monch, and more.

The Viva Brother show is on October 19 at Bowery Ballroom with 1,2,3 and Kitten. Tickets are on sale now (or you can try to get in with your CMJ badge). All dates below.

The Wombats show is on October 19 at Webster Hall with The Postelles and The Good Natured. Tickets are on sale now (or you can try to get in with your CMJ badge). All dates below.

Other bands scheduled to play that aren't part of CMJ's initial announce include Still Corners, Shonen Knife at Public Assembly, PS I Love You, and Revolver. Full list below...

Continue reading "CMJ 2011 initial lineup (Handsome Furs, Viva Brother, Wombats, Memoryhouse, Kvelertak, Pharoahe Monch, more)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Metronomy's suspicious lack of NYC show on their previously announced October tour has been remedied. The band will play what is probably a CMJ show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, October 20th. Tickets go on sale Friday (8/5) at noon.

Metronomy's last NYC show was a free 'Hudson River Rocks' one at Pier 54 (where Deer Tick & Dom play on 8/11). A second set of pictures from that one is in this post. More of them with updated dates, below...

Continue reading "Metronomy add NYC show during CMJ to tour --- updated dates & another set of Pier 54 pics"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Bill Pearis

Metronomy @ Pier 54

I really wasn't sure if anyone was going to show up. Metronomy's last NYC show was at Union Hall in August 2008 and there were about 40 people there. Metronomy's great new album The English Riviera (which just came out this week in the U.S.) has gotten good reviews, but America has largely ignored them. Pier 54 is big.

But about 4000 people did show up and, I know I'm a superfan, but Metronomy killed last night. Killed. Playing for a little more than an hour, we got pretty much everything you'd want to hear: "The Look," "She Wants" and "The Bay" from The English Riviera, the best of Nights Out ("Heartbreaker," "Radio Ladio," "Back on Motorways," "A Thing for Me"), and even a couple from the first album Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe).

The new line-up was key, with drummer Anna Prior and bassist Gbenga Adelekan bringing wallop and serious musicianship to Joseph Mount's off-kilter song creations. (Longtime member Oscar Cash rounded out the quartet.) This line-up is up there with LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax and Hot Chip as to making live dance music.

Mount was self-effacingly charming in between songs, apologizing for a sax solo gone wrong on "Back on Motorways," and making jokes about the highrise that loomed on the other side of West Street. But mostly the band just knocked out jam after jam. And the crowd, at least those in the front third of the pier, were singing along and dancing. One of my shows of the year so far.

Metronomy play L.A. tonight (7/29) and Mount told us last night that the band reminded us that they'll be back in the States in October. No new NYC dates has been announced yet though.

Class Actress played a lot of songs from her upcoming album Rapproacher to what seemed like audience indifference. I think recordings are good -- very Visage-y new wave synthpop -- but there's something missing from the live show. (A drummer?). L.A. trio American Royalty flew out just to play this show and took the stage like they owned the place, playing a short set of over-the-top party-friendly dance rock. They did not lack for confidence or family in the crowd. They've got a 7" coming out on Seaport Music and, as mentioned in This Week In Indie, play Lit this Saturday if you're interested.

Deer Tick and Dom play the next and last free Hudson River Rocks show at Pier 54 this summer. More pictures from last night below...

Continue reading "Metronomy played Pier 54 w/ Class Actress & American Royalty (pics & review)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Twin Sister - "Bad Street" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Your Youth - What Smarts (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Metronomy - "The Bay" (Clock Opera Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Class Actress - Keep You (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sonny and the Sunsets - I Wanna Do It (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sonny and the Sandwitches - Throw My Ashes from This Pier When I Die (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Night Beats - Puppet on a String (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Craft Spells - After The Moment (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Craft Spells - Party Talk (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gardens & Villa - Star Fire Power (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gardens & Villa - Star Fire Power (MP3)

Oh man it's another crazy week. Let's get into it. Tonight's free SummerScreen in McCarren Park tonight is pretty hard to pass up. Not only are they showing the John Hughes classic Ferris Beuller's Day Off (which is 25 years old this year!) but they got Twin Sister to play before it. In addition to performing lots of songs from their forthcoming album on Domino Records, Twin Sister will also be debuting the music video for their single, "Bad Street." You can download the MP3 of that at the top of this post.

Speaking of MP3s, we've also got one up there from Your Youth who are also playing SummerScreen tonight (6:45PM) and couldn't be more different from Twin Sister. "What Smarts" is a new track from the local duo who are kind of proto-grunge punk. Catchy stuff.

It would be really cool if, say, Your Youth covered "Beat City" by The Flowerpot Men and Twin Sister maybe did Dream Academy's "The Edge of Forever". (Why has Ferris Bueller never gotten a posthumous soundtrack release?) Probably won't happen but one can hope. In addition to the movie and the bands, there's loads of giveaways and such.

Metronomy

The show I am absolutely most excited about this week, without a doubt, is Metronomy who play Hudson River Rocks on Pier 54 on Thursday. Metronomy's third album, The English Riviera, just got nominated for the Mercury Prize (sure to lose to James Blake) and got its stateside release yesterday. As I wrote previously:

The new record retains Metronomy's slightly askew, claustrophobic sound while broadening its scope. There's glammy funk ("We Broke Free," the Roxy-ish "She Wants"), a guitar pop ("Everything Goes My Way," a duet with Roxanne Clifford of Veronica Falls), waltz-time ballads  ("Trouble"), and more typical Metronomy-style twitchy disco ("The Bay," "Corrine."). It's also got one of the 2011's best singles, "The Look."

It's definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. (Their last album, Nights Out, was my favorite album of 2008.) The vinyl version comes with the CD which is a trend I would like to see all labels doing. Highly recommended. Watching a few live performance clips , I'm glad to see they're still wearing stick-it-and-click-it lights on their shirts that was a highlight of their old stage show -- even though they're a proper band now (they didn't used to have a drummer).

Also playing the Pier 54 show is American Royalty and Class Actress whose debut album Rapproacher is out October 11 on Carpark. You can snag "Keep You" at the top of this post. Do get there early for openers American Royalty who came out from L.A. just for this show. I caught them at SXSW this year and they kept me entertained on Saturday evening when I was basically burned out on seeing live music. You can check out their hodgepodge electro sound via their Bandcamp page. And if you want to see them again, American Royalty play Lit on Saturday (7/30).

If you want to keep the party going on Thursday after Metronomy, head over to Glasslands for all your sissy bounce italodisco soulclap free booze needs. New Orleans Vockah Redu is like Big Freedia but with more choreography and a subscription to Vogue. (Check out the video at the bottom of this post.) They also play the PS1 warm-up on Saturday. Also playing is Portland's Miracles Club, who played PS1 last weekend. Jonathan Tobin is DJing, it's My Open Bar's 5th anniversary, it's a party.

Sonny

What else is going on this week? Sonny & the Sunsets are backfor the first time since October, playing Mercury Lounge on Friday (7/29) and Glasslands on Saturday (7/30). Have you checked out Sonny's new album, Hit After Hit? As I wrote previously:

Unlike last year's laid back and folky Too Young to Burn, the new album is more of a party --inspired by '60s pop and garage. Opening track "She Plays Yo-Yo with My Mind" cribs liberally from The Standells' "Dirty Water."

At least a couple of the songs on Hit After Hit (including "I Wanna Do It") are reworked versions of songs written for Smith's 100 Records project which you might have caught at the late Cinders Gallery last summer. Embued with Smith's (and fellow Sunset Kelley Stoltz) encyclopedic knowledge of pop and his wry sense of humor, Hit After Hit's a great little record.

Tourmates for this go-round are fellow Bay Area residents The Sandwitches who were described by Sunsets drummer/producer Kelley Stoltz thusly: "Imagine a 60's Girl-group is on tour and their van breaks down near a gothic castle high on the hill, Dario Argento invites them in to perform a concert for his tweaked actors in a big dark red room inside and, if the dream is right, it's the Sandwiches - they'd fit right in with those misfits and speak the same language. I'd like to be there to dance."

Sonny Smith put out a record with The Sandwitches last year, so I'd expect to hear those tracks at these shows. Check out one of them, the twangy, mournful "Throw My Ashes from This Pier When I Die" at the top of this post. I caught Sonny last year when he toured with Kelley Stoltz and it was a great show. Sonny doesn't get enough attention i don't think, so do try and make it to one of these shows.

The Night Beats

Seattle trio The Night Beats are currently on tour with The Black Lips opening for sold out shows at Bowery Ballroom on Friday (7/29) and Maxwell's on Saturday (7/30). But if you wanna catch them in a non-sold-out enviroment, free of the Black Lips, they play Sunday night (7/31) at Shea Stadium with Sweet Bulbs, Dinowalrus, Liquor Store, and Yvette.

The Night Beats' stomping debut is out now on Trouble in Mind. I caught the band at the label's party during SXSW:

I got there as Seattle trio Night Beats were just starting. Never heard them before, but really dug their psych-garage sounds, and they definitely looked the part. They ended their set with a cover of The Count Five's classic "Psychotic Reaction," giving their version a little swing which made it their own.

Check out "Puppet on a String" from their TiM debut at the top of this post. The Shea Stadium show is solid, I like all the bands on the bill.

Craft Spells

Speaking of Seattle, Craft Spells are back in town, playing Mercury Lounge on Saturday (7/30)  -- their first area show since playing here back in April. Live, they eschew the keyboards that are so abundant on their Captured Tracks album in favor of a guitar-oriented line-up which works just fine. (It's very Orange Juice.) They are young and enthusiastic and the songs are ridiculously catchy.

The band are on tour with Santa Barbara, CA's Gardens & Villa who are dreamy and synthy and danceable (kinda like Tony Castles). Their debut album just came out via Secretly Canadian and you can download two tracks from it at the top of this post. Also playing are local synthpop act Selebrities whose free downloadable EP evokes favorable comparisons to all sorts of '80s groups. You can download a free EP from Selebrities here.

Eternal Summers

And finally, don't forget about this Sunday's Beach Party at Beekman Beer Garden with Raveonettes and Eternal Summers. The Raveonettes new album, Raven in the Grave, is a slow burn compared to 2009's poppy In and Out of Control but no less enticing and I've always enjoyed them live. And Eternal Summers can do no wrong for me right now. This will be a very fun show, and likely the first where they might have to turn people away because of capacity so come early. Free!

Ok, that's the main stuff I'm highlighting this week but there are quite a few more recommended shows listed day-by-day below.

The Psychic Paramount @ Union Pool -- 7/26

Disappears @ Union Pool -- 7/26

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

I had my mind blown twice at Union Pool last night: first by the smoke-machine fueled power of The Psychic Paramount (modern instrumental acid rock? Incredible!) and then by Disappears whose new material written with Steve Shelley is groovier, a little slower than their pedal-to-the-metal first albums but equally awesome. (More Neu!, less Stooges.) They play tonight at Cake Shop. Get up close and watch Disappear's bassist lay it down track after track.

There are so many shows tonight! But if you want to see three of the best bands in NYC right now, head to Mercury Lounge for North Highlands, ARMS and Hospitality. All three groups are holding onto new albums that I am dying to hear. Hospitality were incredible when they played my final Sound Bites show down at Fulton Stall Market two weeks ago.

Avi Buffalo test out new material for their second Sub Pop album at the Rock Shop tonight. With Nic Frietas.

Metronomy aren't the only Mercury Prize nominees in town this week. Anna Calvi plays tonight at Le Poisson Rouge.

Out at Bushwick's Brooklyn Fireproof, you can see The Gytters (who I wrote about last week) and Cake Shop house band Moonmen on the Moon, Man... along with Nighty Night and Beat People.

The Barr Brothers, who I really liked at M for Montreal last year, play Rockwood Music Hall tonight. They recently signed to Secret City, home of Patrick Watson & the Wooden Arms, Plants and Animals, Miracle Fortress, Basia Bulat and more.

continued below...

Continue reading "Metronomy, American Royalty, Twin Sister, Sonny & the Sunsets, Night Beats, Craft Spells, Avi Buffalo & more in This Week in Indie"

DOWNLOAD: Metronomy - "The Bay" (Clock Opera Remix) (MP3)

Metronomy, who are now a full band and were recently nominated for the Mercury Prize, play a free Hudson River Rocks show at Pier 54 on Thursday (7/28) with Class Actress.

The Pier 54 show is one of two shows for the band this summer before they head out on a North American tour in October. That tour includes no NYC dates at the moment, but does hit Philly. All dates are listed below.

The band's new album The English Riviera drops July 26 here in the U.S. via Because Music/Big Beat/Atlantic. Grab a remix of "The Bay" by Clock Opera above, and check out an Erol Alkan remix of the track, along with the videos for "The Look" and "The Bay" and all dates, below...

Continue reading "Metronomy tour dates, Clock Opera remix MP3, videos too"

The shortlist has been revealed for the 2011 Mercury Prize. The list includes some major albums like James Blake's incredibly striking self titled debut, PJ Harvey's massive comeback Let England Shake, and Adele's 21, in addition to some other interesting choices like Anna Calvi's self titled debut and King Creosote & Jon Hopkins collaborative album Diamond Mine.

Katy B, who paid a brief visit to the US in June, is also nominated.

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins were just in NYC for two shows, including Thursday (7/14) at Mercury Lounge and Sunday (7/17) at The Rock Shop. The shows were part of a short tour which ends this week. They also play some shows together in August and September.

It's also interesting to note the absence of Radiohead on this list. The King of Limbs is the first of the band's album not to be nominated since Amnesiac's nomination in 2001 (though they've never actually won).

Spotify, which is now available in the US, has a playlist of all the nominated albums. Check it out here if you have Spotify installed already.

Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "2011 Mercury Prize nominees announced"

by Bill Pearis

As you may have read, Metronomy is playing Hudson River Rocks on July 28. This will be the band's first NYC show since playing Union Hall back in 2008.

Back then, Metronomy had just released their second album, Nights Out, which ended up topping my 2008 Albums List. A fair ammount has changed since then. Joseph Mount has turned Metronomy from a pseudonym for his music/remix work into a full-fledged band, including Oscar Cash -- who has been in the live band for a while -- bassist Gbenga Adelekan and drummer Anna Prior. Former touring guitarist Gabriel Stebbing left the group last year to concentrate on his own group, Your Twenties, whose debut Mount is producing.

This new version of Metronomy made the band's third album, The English Riviera, which will be their first to get a proper American release. It's out now digitally and will be on CD/LP July 26 via Atlantic subsidiary Big Beat. The new record retains Metronomy's slightly askew, claustrophobic sound while broadening its scope. There's glammy funk ("We Broke Free," the Roxy-ish "She Wants"), a guitar pop ("Everything Goes My Way," a duet with Roxanne Clifford of Veronica Falls), waltz-time ballads  ("Trouble"), and more typical Metronomy-style twitchy disco ("The Bay," "Corrine."). It's also got one of the 2011's best singles, "The Look," the video for which is below.

Also below is a widget that'll let you download "She Wants" for the price of your email address, as well as the song's truly head-spinning video.

Metronomy are also playing Los Angeles on their trip here this summer (July 30 at the Echoplex) and I'm hearing might be back for a proper North American tour in August. The old live version of Metronomy were pretty fun -- stick-it-and-click-it lights on their chests for a home-made light show -- but I look forward to seeing them with a proper rhythm section.

Videos and that download widget, plus The English Riviera artwork and tracklist, are all below.

Continue reading "Metronomy, now a proper band, announced some shows, made a new album (MP3 & video)"

Pier 54 @ a 2010 concert (more by Chris La Putt)

One of New York City's quintessential free outdoor concert series, Hudson River Park's RiverRocks marks its 13th season this summer by presenting headlining performances by the sonically-nuanced experimental group tUnE-yArDs, the dance/art crossover phenoms Metronomy, and the alt-country/folk rockers Deer Tick.

Staged on Hudson River Park's Pier 54, the RiverRocks schedule is as follows:

Thursday, July 14 -- tUnE-yArDs
Thursday, July 28 -- Metronomy
Thursday, August 11 -- Deer Tick

Opening acts for the three-date series will be announced in the coming weeks.

Located adjacent to New York City's Meatpacking District (at 14th Street), the Pier 54 gates open at 6 p.m. for all RiverRocks shows, with opening performances scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile tUnE-yArDs is out touring in support of her awesome new album, and Deer Tick will play as Deervana at Brooklyn Bowl during the Northside Festival.

In other free show news, Wavves is playing in East River Park this summer, Brooklyn Bridge Park released their schedule of free movies, The Radio Dept and other bands are playing South Street Seaport in 2011, and the initial lineup was announced for this year's Bang on a Can Festival.

DOWNLOAD: Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit - The Very Best Mixtape (ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa (w/ Ezra Koenig) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Metronomy remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Architecture in Helsinki rmx) (MP3)

LPR photos by Kwesi Abbensetts, Supreme Trading photos by Ryan Muir

Esau Mwamwaya @ Le Poisson Rouge - July 18, 2009 (by Kwesi Abbensetts)

The Very Best (production duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya) played a late-night show at (Le) Poisson Rouge on July 18th. They were joined by two backup dancers (one of which was on crutches!), and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend for one song. He stopped by to contribute his part on "Warm Heart Of Africa." That track and two new remixes are posted above.

Ezra Koenig @ Le Poisson Rouge - July 18, 2009 (by Kwesi Abbensetts)

The Very Best's debut record, Warm Heart of Africa, is due to come out on Green Owl, the NYC-based record label that was founded by Benjamin Brewer (the father of M.I.A.'s child), on September 22nd (available digitally August 25). Ezra and M.I.A. both sing songs on it. That album is not to be confused with Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit Are The Very Best which was the mixtape (that contains songs by Vampire Weekend and M.I.A.) they released for free in 2008. Grab that above.

On Saturday night (7/25) (exactly a week after the LPR show), Radioclit brought "their wild monthly London residency, SECOUSSE, to the States for an all out UK vs. BK battle of the riddims." And by "the states", they mean Supreme Trading (or the former Supreme Trading building at 213 N 8th St) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Green Owl artist Janka Nabay was also on the bill.

"While many genres of African music have made the crossover to the west (Afrobeat, Highlife, etc), Sierra Leone's traditional Muslim street songs, or Bubu music, have not. The king of Bubu is Ahmed Janka Nabay, an amazing humanitarian musician whose life has been shaped by Sierra Leone's civil war." [Straw vs Gold]

According to Green Owl, it was the king of Bubu's first "official" NYC show, but he didn't have to come too far; Ahmed Janka currently lives in Philadelphia. He wore a traditional Rafia costume at the show, that he made earlier that day....

Ahmed Janka @ Supreme Trading - July 25, 2009 (by Ryan Muir)

AND, it ends up that Saturday night's show at Supreme Trading was also a sort-of-secret Very Best show. Radioclit did DJ, but then performed with Esau too (no Ezra this time though). More pictures from both shows and the new album artwork, below...

Continue reading "The Very Best (new remixes) played LPR (w/ Ezra Koenig) & Supreme Trading (a secret show?) w/ Ahmed Janka - pics "

Sebastien Tellier

Midnight Juggernauts' Top 10 albums of 2008

1. Gang Gang Dance, Saint Dymphna (The Social Registry)
2. Sebastian Tellier, Sexuality (Record Makers)
3. Deerhunter, Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. (Kranky)
4. Squarepusher, Just a Souvenir (Warp)
5. Lindstrom, Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)
6. Portishead, Third (Mercury)
7. The Do, A Mouthful (Wagram)
8. Metronomy, Nights Out (Because)
9. Late of the Pier, Black Fantasy Channel (EMI)
10. School of Seven Bells, Alpinisms (Full Time Hobby)

I like their list a lot. It's via Filter.

Sebastien Tellier plays Le Poisson Rouge in NYC TONIGHT, Thursday December 11th. School of Seven Bells are at Mercury Lounge on Monday.

Check out the video for "On My Shoulders" by The Do below...

Continue reading "Midnight Juggernauts list albums & Sebastien Tellier is here"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Yellow Fever - Culver City (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yellow Fever - Joe Brown (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Friendly Fires - Jump in the Pool (MP3)

Friendly Fires

I don't want to tread on Showtrotta/Mr. Bruno's territory here (and I know they mentioned them already), but UK dance-rock act Friendly Fires are in town this weekend to play two area shows -- Saturday night they played Santo's Party House (how was it?), and Monday (7/28) they're at Mercury Lounge before heading to LA. The band, who aren't so far from Cut Copy sonically, put out a couple of good EPs last year and a great single, "Paris," on Moshi Moshi. Their debut album comes out in September in the UK. (No U.S. release date yet, but they're on XL so it'll happen at some point.) You never can tell whether bands like this are going to be any good live though; how much they'll rely on backing tracks, etc. But it's worth showing up to find out.

Metronomy

I have no such fears about Metronomy who I've seen a couple times and are a lot of fun and whose new album, Nights Out, is fantastic. I know we're all suffering dance rock fatigue but, if you're unfamilar with them, Metronomy aren't your average herky-jerky-angular-guitars kind of band. (Though their music is herky jerky with some angular guitars in there.) It's really closer to Hot Chip, going off in weird directions, full of squelchy keyboards and live drums and weird vocoder effects and whistling. And Nights Out is just good song after good song. Metronomy play a free show at Hiro Ballroom on Thursday (7/31, rsvp here, though it's a bit confusing if you ask me) and then a late show at Union Hall on Friday, Aug. 1 (tickets) with "Very Special Guests."

(editor's note: guest?)

Yellow Fever

Also coming to town next week are Austin's YellowFever, which features Jennifer Moore who used to be in Voxtrot. Moore's voice is a little like Beth Orton's; pretty and a bit sad, and the music is spare and understated and just lovely. Check out the MP3s at the top of this post. They're playing Death by Audio, Cake Shop and Union Pool (dates below) so do try to catch them.

Speaking of Austin, one of my favorite performances at this year's SXSW festival was UK hip hop duo Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip who got a lot of buzz last year for their single "Thou Shalt Always Kill." I'm sure some people saw them as a One Hit Wonder sort of thing but their debut album, Angles, is surprising, funny, smart, and you can kind of dance to it. (The beats are a bit weird sometimes is my only criticism.) The album is coming out in the U.S. and Canada via Sage Francis' Strange Famous label on September 2 and Dan and Scroobius will be touring North America in support around that time too. Tickets are on sale for two shows at Mercury Lounge. Scroobius Pip is a charismatic guy and knows how to win over an audience -- even if you're not that crazy about the records, they're worth checking out live.

Videos and tour dates below...

Continue reading "Friendly Fires, Metronomy, Yellow Fever & Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip in This Week In indie"