by Bill Pearis

More than a few bands changed their names in 2009: The Muslims (now The Soft Pack), Starfucker (now Pyramid Pyramiddd) and Brooklyn's Muggabears who are now known as Grooms. The new moniker definitely fits their loud, droney sound better -- which you can hear on Grooms terrific debut album, Rejoicer.

Singer and guitarist Travis Johnson filled out our year-end questionnaire...

Continue reading "an end of 2009 interview w/ Travis Johnson of Grooms"

photos by Bryan Bruchman

Titus Andronicus @ Knitting Factory

Titus Andronicus and The So So Glos closed out their six-week North American tour (it kicked off at Monster Island Basement on September 2nd) with a show at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn on Thursday, October 15th. Grooms opened...

"In a room packed with family and friends, So So Glos absolutely killed it. I love this band. Every time they get up on stage they put their all into what they are doing, and they clearly love rock and roll. You know someone really loves what they're doing when, after six weeks of the same thing every night, the guys in this band are still moshing and mouthing all the words to Titus after their own set. What a genuine bunch of dudes. When they take the stage, they make it seem like the guitars are their weapons, and they're using rock and roll to energetically fight for everything good in the world. I did once see them almost start a fight at Death By Audio, but tonight was just good vibes all around, with an energetic under-aged crowd moshing along up front and us older folk enjoying ourselves, merely absorbing the So So Glos from the back.

Titus Andronicus was about the same as well. Patrick Stickles is an amazing front man. He's totally bizarre, with an enormous black beard and eccentric stage banter. You can tell he's obviously the force behind both the literary and smart punk songs the band churns out. I'd seen Titus in the past with a bigger lineup and more instruments, including a keyboard. This time around they were just guitar, guitar, bass and drums. While I do think that they lost some of their grandeur with the departure of the keyboards, Titus didn't just power through their angst-ridden teenage tunes. Stickles mastered his guitar feedback to dramatic effect, with exciting builds and pauses. When this band releases their next album in 2010 (around March, Stickles promised), their career will certainly be unstoppable." [Breakthru Radio]

Titus Andronicus's next NYC show is a MyOpenBar/Going.com/Spinner show at Webster Hall on October 20th with Beach Fossils Here We Go Magic, and Woods (flyer below). The band is also scheduled to appear as a guest alongside Vivian Girls, Andrew W.K. and Katie Stelmanis at Fucked Up's Chemistry of Common Life show on November 5th at Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

The So So Glos are currently touring Europe with The Virgins. Dates are below.

Brooklyn's Grooms (who used to be called Muggabears) have a slew of CMJ appearances coming up. They play a non-CMJ show on Tuesday (10/20) at Death by Audio, a Force Field CMJ show at Pianos on Oct. 21, the In Tandem Magazine CMJ show at Littlefield on on Oct. 23, and an After the Jump day show on Oct 24 at Brooklyn Bowl. Rejoicer, Grooms' debut, came out October 20th on the Death By Audio label.

The rest of the Knitting Factory pictures, some fliers and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Titus Andronicus & Grooms played w/ The So So Glos @ Knitting Factory (pics), playing CMJ shows (dates) "

photos by Maryanne Ventrice

Drink Up Buttercup @ Bruar Falls

"After seeing somewhere around forty bands, eating exactly four amazing taco truck tacos, and drinking something like 40,000 beers, half of which were free and half of which I'm totally going to expense, the first annual Northside Festival has officially come to an end.

I believe I can speak on behalf of the L Magazine staff, as well as our sponsors and various partners, when I say thank you--to the people who bought badges, the press people who covered it, the pedestrians who stopped doing what they were doing so that they could watch bands perform on the street, the venues who trusted us with their spaces, the showcase presenters, and most importantly, to the nearly 350 bands that played--for making this entire thing an overwhelming success. [L Magazine]"

Mayanne Ventrice was running all over the place for the four dates of the Northside Festival. On the second day, Friday (6/12), she saw nine bands in four venues (Public Assembly, Spike Hill, Cameo, and Bruar Falls), stopped by Music Hall of Williamsburg for a peak at the BV photo show, and accidentaly caught Shilpa Ray playing with her band on the street. The rest of her pictures from that day are below...

Continue reading "Northside Fest 2009 - Day 2 in pictures "

Vivian Girls @ Bowery Ballroom in December (more by Zach Stern)

As we pointed out back in April, and further confirmed in a list of Abe Vigoda tour dates, The Whitney is hosting some indie rock shows this July, in conjunction with their Dan Graham Retrospective. And the full schedule looks something like this:

Fri, June 26 - Acoustic Evening with The Feelies
Fri, July 10 - Titus Andronicus / Real Estate
Fri, July 17 - Abe Vigoda / Grooms (Muggabears)
Fri, July 24 - (band TBA) / YellowFever
Fri, July 31 - Vivian Girls / These Are Powers

The Feelies show is "Free with Museum admission (free for Whitney members)." and "Tickets for this [Feelies] concert are available day of show only, beginning at 1 pm at the Museum. Space is limited; tickets are first-come, first-served." The other four shows basically say the same thing, but just, "Free with museum admission. Seating is first-come, first-served. No reservations." More details below.

Other programs include "Dan Graham in Conversation with Glenn Branca" and a family performance of Rock and Roll Ice Cream by Japanther. Full schedule below...

Continue reading "indie rock shows @ The Whitney in July (Vivian Girls, Titus Andronicus, These are Powers, Yellow Fever & more) "

Topshop (TURBOW)

There's a free show Saturday, April 25th at The Shank (98 Bayard St @ Leonard St) with Crystal Stilts, Wavves, These Are Powers, Crash Diet Crew, and Muggabears (who are apparently now called Grooms).

It's free...but you have to have a ticket. The Topshop/Topman store in Soho will be giving the tickets away on Friday, April 24th between 2-7pm to those who present a college ID.

Crystal Stilts also have shows coming up at Maxwell's, The Bell House, and Cake Shop. WAVVES, who lives in California, was just here in March.

Topman flyer below...

Continue reading "Crystal Stilts, WAVVES, These Are Powers & others playing a free TOPMAN show @ the Shank (tix for students) "

photos by Gabi Porter

DOWNLOAD: Tigercity - Are You Sensation (MP3)

Amazing Baby @ the Annex

Amazing Baby plays those two shows at Mercury Lounge in NYC this Thanksgiving weekend. Both $12 bills are also now packed with Brooklyn bands in a way that Manhattan doesn't get that often...

Friday, Nov 28, 2008
Amazing Baby 11:30
Tigercity 10:30
Suckers 9:30
Kristina Lieberson 8:30
Hosted by Despot

Saturday, Nov 29, 2008
Amazing Baby 11:30
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson 10:30
The Muggabears 9:30
My Best Fiend 8:30
Hosted by Despot

Suckers are also opening for Yeasayer at Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 6th. Chairlift opens on December 5th.

I have one pair of tickets to giveaway to each Amazing Baby Mercury Lounge show. Their new video, a set of pictures from the show they played at the Annex on October 21st (during CMJ), and the contest details, are all below...

Continue reading "2 nights of local bands w/ Amazing Baby, WIN TIX, new video, CMJ pics, Tigercity MP3, Suckers..."

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Parenthetical Girls can be very touching

Evangelicals bring the creepiness to Cake Shop's basement

Parethetical Girls played an emotional, energetic and crowd-interactive show in the cozy basement of Cake shop last night (Oct 02). It was the first show PG played here in a while - their last scheduled NYC appearance was cancelled due to mechanical issues. Pwrfl Power, who played a show at Union Hall one night earlier, was in the crowd...and blogged about it...

I headed to Cake Shop after dinner where my big brothers Parenthetical Girls played.
They played very good. it gets better everytime.
I didn't catch the Evangelicals.

He missed another great set then. Miracles of Modern Science and Muggabears were also on the four-artist bill. Rude Bear was also in the house. More pictures below...

Continue reading "Parenthetical Girls & Evangelicals @ Cake Shop, NYC - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

Ponytail / crowd / The Mae Shi

Hot, sweaty, Market Hotel Monday night (July 21, 2008). More pics below...

Continue reading "Ponytail, Joan of Arc, Mae Shi & Muggabears @ Market Hotel"

DOWNLOAD: No Kids - For Halloween (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Clipd Beaks - Melter (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Parts & Labor - Fractured Skies (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grand Ole Party - Look Out Young Son (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Mae Shi - Run To Your Grave (MP3)

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008, FREE (flyer by Ryan Muir)

Emo's Annex
Holy Fuck 5:20
Phosphorescent 4:30
MEN (Le Tigre) 4:00
Lykke Li 3:30
MEN (Le Tigre) 3:00
Why? 2:30
No Kids 1:45
Peter Moren 1:00
Dawn Landes 12:15
The Ting Tings 11:30

Emo's Lounge
Fleet Foxes 5:30
Clipd Beaks 4:45
Genghis Tron 4:00
Parts & Labor 3:15
Team Robespierre 2:30
comedy by Eugene Mirman 2:15
Grand Ole Party 1:30
The Muggabears 12:45
The Mae Shi 12:00

FREE. FREE DRINKS. NO RSVP NECESSARY. OFFICIAL SHOWCASE IS THE NIGHT BEFORE. OTHER DAY PARTY IS THE DAY BEFORE. MAP HERE. C U IN AUSTIN.

Mp3's above. Videos below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan during-SXSW THURSDAY DAY PARTY"

APTBS @ Death By Audio, Brooklyn, NY - Jan 16, 2008 (Ryan Dombal)

Muggabears and A Place to Bury Strangers played Death By Audio last night. The APTBS set was taped for a vinyl release. Tickets go on sale Friday for an APTBS/Holy Fuck show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 22nd. HF also just played Le Royale, and are playing Maxwell's and Music Hall with Super Furry Animals this month. All dates below...

Continue reading "A Place to Bury Strangers played Death By Audio, playing Music Hall w/ Holy Fuck, SXSW, Tour Dates"

Muggabears

MTV News highlights Brooklyn, Todd P, Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, MGMT and The Muggabears....

Continue reading "Yeasayer, Todd P, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Muggabears on MTV News + a special Place To Bury Strangers show"