DOWNLOAD: YACHT - "Utopia" (Miracles Club Remix) (MP3)

The Miracles Club will play a few NYC shows this month including their previously mentioned PS1 show this Saturday (7/23) with Gang Gang Dance (DJ), Syd tha Kyd (OFWGKTA), Laurel Halo, and others. The next day (7/24), they'll play a Jelly RockBeach show with Death Grips, Bass Drum of Death, MNDR, and Night Manager. Check out a video from the first RockBeach show below.

The following week, Miracles Club will play two more NYC shows: July 28 at Glasslands with Vockah Redu and a FIXED party on July 29 at Public Assembly with Midnight Magic and Trap.Avoid. The Glasslands show is presented by MyOpenBar and tickets are on sale. You can also get advanced tickets for the Public Assembly show.

The Miracles Club also played with Midnight Magic during Northside at the DFA Showcase. YACHT, who headlined that show, was recently remixed by The Miracles Club. They put their twist on the title track of YACHT's recently released apocalyptic concept album Utopia. Grab that above.

Sissy Bounce artist Vockah Redu (pictured), who is on the Glasslands bill with The Miracles Club, also play PS1 one week later (7/30) with XXXY and Holy Other. Vanity Fair says, "Vockah's shows are elaborately choreographed and costumed, like how Ziggy Stardust would've ended up if he'd been raised in the Magnolia Houses."

All tour dates and video below...

Continue reading "The Miracles Club remixed YACHT, playing PS1, RockBeach, Glasslands & FIXED (Vockah Redu coming too) ---- MP3 & dates"

photos by Leia Jospe, words by Andrew Frisicano

the brothers JEFF

MyOpenBar presented a show Above the Auto Parts Store which was one of the last shows of CMJ's rainy Saturday night. Many, like Leia, came directly from the Pitchfork show at Market Hotel. I came from the Neon Indian and Almighty Defenders show in Williamsburg, and missed noise-pop duo Sisters and power trio Screaming Females but caught Surfer Blood (who play DBA tonight, 10/26).

It was at least Surfer Blood's tenth set at the five day festival, but they didn't let it show. Attempting to bring some much needed energy to the waning crowd, the band's additional fifth member worked a percussion rack and a tiny, standard-issue MicroKorg and passed out maracas and shakers to the crowd. Surfer Blood loads its echoey pop with familiar musical and lyrical references. Their song "Twin Peaks," which makes mention of the frequent indie muse (see Mount Eerie's newest album), has a certain Vampire Weekend buoyancy but with a harder edge. Instead of crisp sounds, spacey vocals take the lead through their winding melodic lines and African-inspired rhythms. Surfer Blood were good, but in a tough spot, sandwiched between Screaming Females and JEFF the Brotherhood - two bands that radiate full-on essence of rock - in a mostly empty second-floor garage at 2am.

Spacious as the massive garage was, and with a crowd sized more for a smaller venue like Death By Audio, once JEFF the Brotherhood took the stage everything changed. People who had been idly dozing off, or smoking on the entry ramp as it seemed like more than half were, lined up along the front of the stage to pound their fists on the plywood floor, jump around and more or less go totally fucking nuts. The band (actual brothers) has a heavy, crunchy sound for only two members (something to do with Jake's three-string guitar?) and the rock riffs are leavened with bubblegum hooks and direct choruses that resonate even if you're floating on a sea of hands. It was the perfect introduction to the band.

It was one of a ton of shows for JEFF, including three earlier in the day and a showcase for their Infinity Cat label on Friday, but not their last for long. They go on tour with Shonen Knife (which has two NYC-area stops in November) and open for Ted Leo at Bowery Ballroom on December 6th.

Screaming Females' next show, before they head out with Arctic Monkeys (at Terminal 5 on December 11th) and play a holiday show with Bouncing Souls, will be a benefit at Asbury Lanes for 180 NJ, a non-profit organization set-up to help combat domestic violence & sexual assault. That happens on November 21st with Full of Fancy, No Connection, the reunited Kanamits, Sick Fix, Black Kites and Human Failures. A flyer is below.

Surfer Blood will soon go on tour with Art Brut, and both are scheduled at Brooklyn Bowl on November 13th. Finally, Brooklyn's Sisters have an upcoming TBA Halloween show and a gig at Market Hotel on December 4th with Pterodactyl.

Darren Mabee and Sally Burtnick were in the crowd, especially during the Screaming Females set, and they let their presence be known. More pictures (NSFW), below...

Continue reading "JEFF the Brotherhood, Surfer Blood, Screaming Females & Sisters @ Above the Auto Parts Store (NSFW pics)"

Photos by Gabi Porter

King Khan w/ LiveFastDie

"Livefastdie are probably my favorite band in New York right now. Seeing them live is like watching three-to-five crazed gibbons spinning out of control on the edge of a towering precipice, if that were a rock and roll band who play funny songs that sound like the Ramones. (I know citing the Ramones is music-journalism shorthand for "I don't know any other punk bands," but in this case it's true.)" [VICE]

Continuing with our "Where's King Khan?" series (previous CMJ spottings = at the Antics Black Lips show & at his own show with BBQ), here's a set of pictures from Thursday (10/23) night's MyOpenBar party at Don Pedro's...

Continue reading "LiveFastDie & Vivian Girls @ Don Pedros (MyOpenBar) - pics"

Titus Andronicus @ Market Hotel (more by Leia Jospe)

Ponytail @ Knitting Factory (more by Ryan Muir)

Abe Vigoda AND Ponytail are playing with Titus Andronicus at that previously announced July 13th show at Mercury Lounge in NYC. Tickets are still on sale. But that's just one of many shows all three of these bands have coming up.

Ponytail are also playing the free After the Jump show happening at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Saturday afternoon (June 21st), but not before playing a "Less Artists More Condos" party tonight (Friday June 20). And while they're here from Baltimore, why not fit in as many shows as possible. Ponytail are also playing a second show on Saturday at Silent Barn:

==== SATURDAY 6/21 --EARLY-7PM!-- @ SILENT BARN ====

:: PONYTAIL
:::: DEER TICK
:::::: White Hinterland
:::::::: Sal Feathers

Deer Tick is also playing that Rooftop Films show in Manhattan tonight (Friday), and will be back to play Southpaw on June 30th.

Titus Andronicus are also playing After The Jump on Saturday, but they're playing the part of the festival that costs $10 and happens later inside Music Hall of Williamsburg. Health are playing that show too.

Ponytail are also playing The Yard on July 4th (Independence Day) (Sonic Youth/Feelies day). It's a show with free alcohol (with $2.00 off if you RSVP at MyOpenBar).

Myopenbar Presents:
Stimulus Package
July 4th, 1pm - 9pm

Performances by:
Ponytail
The Apes
Indian Jewelry
Marnie Stern
Double Dagger
Power Douglas
Special Guest: 80's Hardcore (Gavin McInness and Terry Richardson) and
DJ Dirty Fingers
complimentary PBR and Southern Comfort
free treats from the Ice Cream Man
The Yard, Gowanus, Brooklyn

Then Ponytail is playng the Yard AGAIN eight days later - at the huge, crazy, Todd P show that Titus Andronicus and Abe Vigoda are also playing. This outdoor show is one day before the show all three of them play Mercury Lounge (see above), and it's one day after Abe Vigoda plays the Seaport with No Age (who may or may not be the special guest at any one of these other events).

THEN, Ponytail plays The Yard AGAIN 10 days after their last Yard show - this time as part of a tour with Joan of Arc which also includes a show at Knitting Factory one day later (for those counting, that makes 8 upcoming Ponytail shows in NYC - 3 of which are at the Yard). Make that nine: tickets are already on sale for an August 23rd show at Knitting Factory with Don Caballero.

We're not finished. Titus Andronicus are also playing Knitting Factory on June 27th, and a free show with Obits at the East River Amphitheater the next day, AND another show at 123 House in Brooklyn later that night, AND at Maxwell's with The Dirtbombs on July 11th (two days before they play that Mercury Lounge show that started this post) (and one day before that big Todd P show at the Yard). All tour dates for everyone below....

Continue reading "Ponytail, Deer Tick, Titus Andronicus, Abe Vigoda - lots of NYC shows and new 2008 Tour Dates"

Speaking of Yeasayer playing, they played New Years Eve in NYC too - a Myopenbar.com party at "a private sprawling decorated loft, for $15". Thanks to all those who sent me notice of the show - unfortunately they just all came while I was taking a few days off (aka I didn't know about it in time to post about it). More photos by Rebecca Smeyne @ MyOpenbar. Yeasayer tour dates HERE.

December 20th. Knitting Factory. NYC. free beer. BJ. RSVP HERE.