by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Moondoggies - What Took So Long? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Moondoggies - It's a shame, It's a Pity (MP3)

Seattle band The Moondoggies' second album, Tideland, was released back in October, the same month they played a show at Mercury Lounge, but they are just now launching the first big headlining tour in support of it (they toured with Dawes in November). The quartet hit our area again on January 30 when they'll play The Rock Shop, their only NYC show this time. Opening for much of the tour, including the Rock Shop show, are folkie Portland trio Quiet Life.

If you haven't heard Tideland, you can download two tracks from it at the top of this post. The Moondoggies -- who you may have seen at one of our CMJ 2009 day parties -- nicely straddle the anthemic choruses of Band of Horses and the austere harmonies of Grizzly Bear into their own lovely sound. Tideland was kind of slept on last year and is well worth revisiting (or checking out for the first time).

All upcoming Moondoggies tour dates, plus a nice animated video for their song "Empress of the North, are below.

Continue reading "The Moondoggies are touring (2011 dates, MP3s & video) "

Dawes @ Lollapalooza 2010 (more by Josh Darr)

"So it was back to the Sony Bloggie stage to catch a pair of Americana/roots-rock acts, Dawes and Deer Tick, a pair of bands I knew nothing about and, hell, that's what Lolla's about, right? Discovering new acts you might not have otherwise ever had to the chance to see. I knew nothing about either band but found both enjoyable and great compliments to the mid-afternoon sun and shade mix of the stage. Dawes had an amiably country-fried sound that fits somewhere between two other bands at the fest: they're rootsier than Blitzen Trapper while easing up on the honky-tonk of the Drive By Truckers. And if I'm not being clear enough, I mean that in a good way. Deer Tick followed with their own brand of roots/soul, lead singer John J. McCauley crooning "I can't hang around with you like this my friend/ Our time has come to an end" on "Baltimore Blues No. 1" and his gravelly voice lent an edge to recent single "20 Miles." Both bands provided a great respite from the larger crowds without slowing the momentum of the day. There was no lag in energy and I barreled on." [Chicagoist @ Lollpalooza 2010]

Peter Wolf Crier, who has already played Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg, now has two shows coming up at Webster Hall. The catch? They are/were the opener at all of them. On September 29th PWC will open the show for Rogue Wave and Midlake. On November 5th, PWC will open the show for Dawes and Vetiver. That November Webster Hall show is part of a new set of headlining dates for Dawes. Tickets for the NYC show go on AmEx presale at noon, and general sale Friday at noon.

PWC, after touring with Midlake and Rogue Wave, opens most of the new Dawes dates before being replaced by The Moondoggies whose new album "Tidelands" will be released by Hardly Art/Sub Pop on October 12th...

The album's title was chosen by Moondoggies songwriter/frontman Kevin Murphy (vocals, guitar) as a nod to his old stomping grounds in Ketchikan, AK where he used to go to escape from civilization. Listening to the songs, the subtle, recurring themes of water throughout the album underscore that the songs are crafted to provide solace, sense and cause for celebration in a world fraught with turmoil.
"What the water represents can be taken many different ways," says Murphy. "Many of the lyrics came to me while trying to be constructive in how I dealt with feeling depressed, rather than just getting wrapped up in my own head."

All dates also have a third opener, and those duties are split by The Romany Rye (who recently played Bowery Ballroom and MHOW with Delta Spirit) and Vetiver. All dates below...

Continue reading "Dawes touring w/ Peter Wolf Crier, Vetiver, Moondogies & the Romany Rye (2010 dates) "

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

The Moondoggies played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th. More pictures from their set below...

Continue reading "The Moondoggies @ Pianos in NYC (BV CMJ) - pics "

tonight in NYC
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Further @ Hammestein Ballroom
* Nate Wooley @ Issue Project Room
* Pure Horsehair, Sam Amidon @ Zebulon
* J.A.M.B.I.E. w/ Jon Irabagon @ The Stone
* Parts and Labor, The Tony Castles, Screens @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Prigs, The Stationary Set, Red Wire Black Wire @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* WFUV benefit w/ Rosanne Cash, The Low Anthem, Mike Doughty @ Concert Hall
* The Music of John Lennon featuring performances by members of: Acrylics, Amazing Baby, Gillian Rivers and the SET Quartet, Here We Go Magic, Lauren Bahr, Nicole Atkins, Psychic, The Royal Chains, & Suckers @ Glasslands

Parts and Labor, The Tony Castles and Screens play a free show at Brooklyn Bowl. Former Parts & Labor member Sarah Lipstate plays as Noveller on Friday with Yellow Fever and Air Waves at Bruar Falls.

Video of Alec Ounsworth live on KEXP below...

Video of Surf City live on KEXP below...

Video of The Moondoggies live on KEXP below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

DOWNLOAD: The Moondogies - Changing (MP3)

photos by Jake Forney

Pissed Jeans

Sub Pop/Hardley Art held their CMJ showcase at Mercury Lounge on Saturday night. Among those on the lineup was the Dum Dum Girls, in what was their second show that day. They since played again last night (10/17) at Bruar Falls and they'll open for the King Khan & BBQ Show this week. At that Monday show, Bill Pearis took a video of their song "Hey Sis" (posted below). After Saturday's, he wrote:

This was the first day of Dum Dum Girls existence as a live band, but clearly they spent a lot of time working out the details, from the look -- bangs, gorgeous Silvertone guitars and bass, extremely short black dresses and stockings -- to the sound, which is somewhere between the Velvet Underground and '60s girl groups. It was an impressive debut, hot and cool at the same time. I kept thinking, "this is what the Velvet Underground might sound like if all the members were Nico."

Now technically Dum Dum Girls played before Saturday, at the Woodsist / Captured Festival, and some West Coast dates, each with different line-ups. Which could happen again. But this felt like the first real version.

As Bill pointed out, it was their first "day" because they had also performed at Music Hall of Williamsburg that afternoon.

London garage punks Male Bonding, who played NYC shows all week, held down the absolute last slot of the night, while The Dutchess & the Duke (who also played earlier in the week at the BrooklynVegan loft party) warmed the crowd up for Pissed Jeans (who play "NYU Halloween Hardcore Fest" on October 30th at LPR) ...

[The Dutchess and the Duke's] Lortz and Morrison make a good musical pair, trading off guitar leads and contrasting his grainy bark with her smoother harmonies. That's apparent enough on their two albums, but onstage, their chemistry keeps their music from dissolving into Dylan pastiche. In fact, in their best moments-- particularly "Scorpio", whose downhearted call-and-response seemed especially emotionally alienated-- they made an audacious effort not simply to re-create old sounds, but to mold those influences to suit their own modern ends. [Pitchfork]

The Moondoggies were also on the Mercury Lounge bill and had performed in flannel at the BrooklynVegan Bowery Presents show at Pianos earlier that day.

Easily categorized as "Americana," The Moondoggies marry alt-country with 1970's folk, but Quick's twinkling keyboard brings the band immediately into the 21st century. [KEXP]

The Mercury lineup also included Unnatural Helpers, Obits and Golden Triangle. Pictures of all the bands plus the above-mentioned Dum Dum Girls video and more, below...

Continue reading "pics from the Sub Pop CMJ showcase @ Mercury Lounge - Obits, Pissed Jeans, Dum Dum Girls (who played Bruar Falls)"

Dum Dum Girls @ Woodsist Fest (more by Tim Griffin)

2009 Sub Pop / Hardly Art CMJ Showcase
Sat 10/24/2009 @ Mercury Lounge in NYC

Male Bonding 2:00
Obits 1:00
Pissed Jeans 12:00
Golden Triangle 11:00
Dutchess & the Duke 10:00
Moondoggies 9:00
Dum Dum Girls 8:00
Unnatural Helpers 7:00

No Advanced tickets. CMJ badges or $12 at the door.

Dum Dum Girls are are also opening shows for King Khan & BBQ later in the month.

The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle's most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best party of the summer.

Initial lineup (including Jesus Lizard) and more info below...

Continue reading "Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle - initial 2009 lineup"