by Klaus Kinski

Last Sigh: Why call yourselfs Gaitor Bait Ten?

Mark: Simon liked the name because it is the name of a notorious snuff film in which some 10 year old girls get thrown into a pit of gators. I suggested the Rose Peddlers, but it got vetoed.

Simon: We were trying to come up with some kind of name for the project and originally it was going to be 'Kicked to Death by Bees'. But I was looking through a book about Death and Snuff films and saw one in their called 'Gator Bait Ten' and instantly fell in love with it.

Gator Bait Ten is a project that started back in 1999. After only one album and a single track on a compilation record, they sort of vanished. Flash forward to now, 10 years later, and Gator Bait Ten are back and will be in the States for a single show on January 19th at 8:00pm sharp at the soon-to-be-shuttered Monkey Town (one night after the Woods hippie night which is now completely sold out). Also on the bill are The Slowest Runner In All The World and Koen Holtkamp & Ben Vida. Tickets are on sale.

The current Gator Bait Ten line-up consists of Kurt Gluck (Submerged, Method of Defiance, Blood of Heroes) on bass, Simon Smerdon (Mothboy) on organs and whatnots, Ted Parsons (Swans, Prong, Godflesh, Jesu) on drums, and M. Gregor Filip (sound engineer who has worked on over 50 films by folks including Ang Lee and The Coen Brothers) on Guitar and Sounds. HOWEVER, Simon and Ted will not be able to make it to this one and only US date. Mark will be punishing his laptop and pedals set-up, and Kurt will be on bass. Ted Parsons' drums sounds will be present; but not Ted himself. Thus, the show will be restructured ideas from the forthcoming album, most likely never to be executed live again. Expect heavy plodding beats, with heavier basslines, and crescendoing drones and drifts cascading into your ears.

In related news, Mark and Kurt are all part of a large project called Blood of Heroes. The project also features the likes of Justin Broadrick, Bill Laswell, Dr. Israel, end.user, and tons of other guests. Kinda like Method of Defiance. But, not Method of Defiance. They've been toiling away on an album for a while now, and it looks like the mastering has wrapped up and us lucky SOBs can look forward to an official release sometime later this Spring.

Continue reading "Gator Bait Ten (mem Godflesh) still exist, working on an album, playing rare show @ the closing Monkeytown (sort of)"

Monkeytown's final show is January 24th. Woods Family Creeps plays there on the 18th. Sharon Van Etten, The Seagull ("Debut outing for Brooklyn trio featuring (m)embers of Stars Like Fleas, Kevin Devine, Black Moustache and La Lus"), R. Luke DuBoi, and others round out the rest of the schedule.

DOWNLOAD: Woods Family Creeps - Party In The Pines (MP3)

Woods Family Creeps

Monday, January 18
Admission: $10, $10 minimum
Showtimes: 8pm and 10:30pm
reservations are recommended

The 8pm show is SOLD OUT; there is still space available at 10pm

Brooklyn quartet Woods kick off 2010 with a return to long form instrumental improvisations in their "Woods Family Creeps" incarnation. Expect extended jams, howling guitar leads, atmospheric cassette interference, and a smattering of traditional Woods songs at this one-time only event. Reservations recommended!

As previously mentioned, Woods Family Creeps plays the above-described show at Monkyetown on January 18th. Grab an MP3 above. The venue closes for good on January 24th.

Woods tours with Real Estate later in the year.

"The menu here read like a map of the zoo." - Yelp Reviewer

"One of the most intriguing restaurants and performances spaces in New York will close next month: RIP Monkey Town, a multi-room destination for adventurous food, performance art, music, and video. Owner Montgomery Knott tells Brooklyn Based that "due to landlord issues" the space will close on January 24th." [Gothamist]

This news is bittersweet. As much as I think the venue does great and creative things with and for artists, I won't be sad to see one less establishment in this city that thinks its ok to serve foie gras.

Japanese electronic/experimental duo/trio Rye are in NYC for a trio of shows this week. Joly caught their gig at Pianos on September 7th. His video of it is below.

If you missed it (or if you saw it), there are two more chances to catch the band. They play at Monkey Town tonight (Sept. 9th) with Luminocolor (from France) +
Dorako, and "somewhere in the park" on September 11th.

Further uptown tonight (9/9/9), Rye's Japanese brethren, the Boredoms, are playing a show at Terminal 5.

Rye video, tour dates and flyer are below...

Continue reading "Japan's Rye played Pianos (video), playing 2 more NY shows"

photos by Ryan Muir

Bell

Bell and Bowerbirds are almost finished with their tour that brought them through NYC for three shows in two nights. On Monday (4/27) it was a show at Mercury Lounge. Last night (4/28) it was two shows in a row at the multimedia-friendly Monkeytown in Williamsburg. The video being projected behind Bowerbirds was shot in Antartica (icebergs, penguins, snow and stuff). Bell had more random images playing. Bowerbirds played some new songs, and completed the show with an a-capella style encore. Their new album, Upper Air, will be released by Dead Oceans in July.

Ryan went to the late show. More pictures from it below...

Continue reading "Bell & Bowerbirds @ Monkeytown in Brooklyn - pics "

by Andrew Frisicano

Noveller (Sarah Lipstate)

Noveller is the solo project of Brooklyn-based sound artist and filmmaker Sarah Lipstate. She has performed in Rhys Chatham's Guitar Army, and as a member of Glenn Branca's 100 guitar ensemble. In March 2008, Lipstate joined Parts & Labor as their new guitarist.

Monthly film and music series Cinema 16 will return to the Bell House on Sunday, April 19th. The event last visited the venue on February 25th with Wild Yaks and Artanker Convoy providing the live soundtrack to the night's silent films.

This month's event presents: Experimental Brooklyn musician and singer Julianna Barwick performs an original score for "1734" (a short by Joel Schelmowitz) and "Pleasure Dome" (by Kenneth Anger). Brooklyn filmmaker and sound artist (and also Parts & Labor guitarist) Sarah Lipstate as her solo project Noveller performs an original score to a selection of her own original films.

Sarah also has shows coming up at Monkeytown, Issue Project Room, The New Museum, and at Music Hall of Williamsburg (for No Fun Fest). All of her dates, a live performance video, and more background on Cinema 16 and short films by Joel Schelmowitz and Kenneth Anger, below...

Continue reading "Noveller (Sarah Lipstate) - Cinema 16 & other appearances "

by Black Bubblegum

Insanely prolific leaders of the NWOFHM (that's New Wave of Finnish Heavy Metal), Circle, have a DVD called Saturnus Reality on the way. It's out March 10th via No Quarter, and you can also catch it at a FREE screening on Friday March 13th at Monkeytown in Brooklyn. Retro-rockers Endless Boogie will DJ the event.

Circle recently dropped the live 2LP Triumph on Fourth Dimension Records. Pick that up here. Before that they released Hollywood which was one of only TWO releases for the Finns in 2008.... slack much? In 2007, Circle released two LPs (including a collaboration with Sunburned Hand Of The Man), two live albums and a seven inch. In 2006 it was two LPs, two live albums, an EP and .... ah you get where I am going with this.

More details on the screening, and a video preview of the movie, below...

Continue reading "Circle releasing a DVD - video preview & free screening info "

Gothamist: So you're curating this New Year's Eve show. What does curating a concert entail?

Miles Seaton of Akron/Family: Oh, man, you should ask my girlfriend; she's a curator. The Knitting Factory wanted us to get all the bands together for this last night at the club, and it's been a lot of back-and-forth during a really busy time for us and the club. But it means the opportunity to have Dirty Projectors and Deerhoof play, and also our friend Greg Davis and our other friends like Megafaun play. And also, to keep an eye on what the night looks like for people and the pacing of the night.

How is this going to work in terms of set times? Are people going to have to choose between Deerhoof, Dirty Projectors and Akron/Family?

You know, that's the thing that curating would normally entail but we haven't really had a chance to communicate with the club a lot about the production end of things. So I can't answer that, to be honest with you. But I imagine they'll try to stagger it a bit, you know; start one show on the hour and another show on the half hour. And we also just got two of the guys from Oneida to play; they call themselves Groover's Paradise.

also on New Years Eve in NYC....
* Crystal Castles are DJing a party in Brooklyn after their two shows @ MHOW
* Matthew Dear & Drop the Lime @ LePoissonRouge - doors @ 2AM
* The Bunker will go for 18 hours (10-4PM) @ Public Assembly
* The Damned have cancelled their show @ Blender Theater
* Knitting Factory's final Manhattan show flyer above
* Shilpa Ray & Wild Yaks are playing @ Monkeytown
* These are Powers are playing Cake Shop
* party @ Surreal Estate
* EVERYTHING ELSE

P.S. I think the special guest at Santos Party House recently played Market Hotel