Entries tagged with: North Highlands
By Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: Parlovr - Heaven/Hell (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Atlas Sound - Terra Incognita (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Atlas Sound- Te Amo (MP3)
Parlovr at M for Montreal 2011
It's that time of year again, so let's sing it up real pretty. Are we all in the spirit? Better be, because there's a zillion holiday parties going on this weekend, including two thrown by this very blog you are currently reading. How these parties differ from the shows we go to the rest of the year? Only a Scrooge would ask such a question. But to answer it: there's maybe more strand lights. And some Christmas songs thrown in sparsely by DJs or as covers by the bands playing. And some snowflakey sweaters. Whatever you call it, there's lot of great music to go see this weekend. Here's some of it.
Montreal's Parlovr are visiting, playing two shows. Tonight (12/15) they play the Popgun Holiday Party at Glasslands and then tomorrow (12/16) at Mercury Lounge with Shout Out Louds offshoot thing Serenades.
I'm on record as being a fan of this trio who I most recently saw at this year's M for Montreal. I'm not sure any of their records have quite captured the band's live energy, which is why you should go see them. But the recorded version of my favorite song, "Hell/Heaven," comes pretty close. You can download it above. Live, there's lots of flying hair (via singer/guitarists Alex and Jeremy) and flying limbs (lanky drummer Louis) that fits well with Parlovr's spiky indie rock. The band have recorded a holiday track called "Spike the Eggnog" which judging from the video (you can watch below) the spiking involves something much stronger than whiskey.
The Popgun Holiday Party tonight looks to be a good time, with Bell and TWII-faves North Highlands playing as well. There's also a "+ Special Guest" listed as well, no idea who that might be but the Popgun folks usually don't throw around that phrase too lightly.
Serenades
Tomorrow's show is with Serenades which is a Swedish super-duo consisting of Adam Olenius from Shout Out Louds and Markus Krunegård of Laakso. Their album Criminal Heaven is out next year in the U.S. and is chock-full of sparkling pop that seems aimed directly at the charts. It's slicker than Shout Out Louds (Laakso were pretty shiny, though they sang in Swedish) but still maintains that sharp melodic sense and shaggy, sad-eyed lyrical bent. You can download a track at the top of this post. Serenades also play tonight (12/15) at Knitting Factory.
Brooklyn Bazaar
There's also the Brooklyn Night Bazaar which runs tonight through Saturday. The enormous space (40,000 square feet!), the layout of which was based on the set of Lars Von Triers' Dogville (!!!), is a holiday shopping, eating, drinking and live music extravaganza as you have probably already heard. Tonight (12/15) is James Murphy DJing, along with Poolside, the Crystal Ark Party Machine and Midnight Magic. Saturday night (12/17) is The Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus and Wakey! Wakey!
Friday (12/16) is the BrooklynVegan Presents night with a SPIN Album of 2011 winners Fucked Up, plus Dom, Big Troubles, Caged Animals, and Radical Dads. Frankie Rose and myself will be spinning tunes before the bands start and between sets. And only $10, so that's only two bucks a band. What a bargain! Tickets will be available at the door too. I am DJing starting at 5PM, Frankie will be there from 6PM and bands start at 7PM, with Radical Dads up first. (Then Caged Animals, Big Troubles, Dom, and Fucked Up.) If you're coming, do make an effort to get there in time for them, they're awesome. As are all the bands on the bill I think. Shop, eat, rock out, eat and shop some more, rinse repeat. Say hi.
Frankie Rose
In addition to DJing our party tomorrow, Frankie Rose is also playing an acoustic set at Glasslands on Saturday (12/17) as part of a Jonathan Toubin benefit that also features Xray Eyeballs, K-Holes and The Stalkers. Frankie Rose's new album, Interstellar, is out in February and I think will surprise a lot of people. She is definitely out of the garage on this one, ditching the reverb and embracing synthesizers, jangly guitars and her inner pop star. Like a lot of folks this year, The Wake seems to be an influence. Fans of Craft Spells are gonna like it.
As previously mentioned, Frankie will debut her new record and new band at the Knitting Factory on February 21.
And to wrap up BV holiday party related items, Saturday's fest with Twin Sister, Widowspeak and Ava Luna is sold out! Hope you got tickets! If you're going, we're raffling off a load of cool prizes -- like every Domino release of 2011 -- with all proceeds benefiting Toys for Tots.
Atlas Sound
And last but not least we've got Atlas Sound here for two shows this weekend:The Bell House on Saturday (12/17, tickets still available) and Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (12/18, sold out). Andrew Sacher wrote about Atlas Sound's new album Paralax a few weeks ago which I'm gonna quote:
The flow of the album subtly works in the slower, more ambient cuts to space out the relatively high amount (for an Atlas Sound record) of pop standouts. Like many pop experimentalists before him, Bradford Cox has mastered the art of leaving his own weird touch on even the simplest tune. This comes across most strongly on "Mona Lisa," a re-recording of a track that appeared on his Bedroom Databank collection. The song is carried by the sort of upbeat acoustic guitar rock that Bowie experimented with on Hunky Dory, and Bradford sings with a fragile falsetto that brings to mind Lennon's "#9 Dream."I'll add that Parallax has a post-2AM vibe to it and some of Cox's best songs yet. It also reminds me, a bit, of Spoon too.
That's the big stuff. Some more picks, day-by-day, follow.
by Bill Pearis
North Highlands @ Glasslands in June (more by Jessica Amaya)
It's a big week for North Highlands. Their debut album, Wild One, is out today and you can listen to the whole thing below and you can buy it from their Bandcamp page. The album includes spiffed-up versions of "Steady Steady" and "Hiking" (both of which hit the internet last year) and a couple of their best songs yet: new single "Benefits" (streamable below) with its soaring, stick-in-your-head chorus, and the lovely album opener "Bruce." The whole thing's pretty damn good. Nice job, guys.
North Highlands have a busy CMJ slate as well, playing four shows over the week: Wednesday night at The Delancey (10/19, 10:15 PM) for the Shout it Out Loud Music Party; Thursday night upstairs at Pianos (10/20, 11:15 PM) for the Deli Magazine showcase; Friday night in the main Pianos room (10/21, 11:10 PM) (flyer below); and Saturday afternoon at Cameo (10/22, 3:20 PM) for the Golden Ratio day party.
Click through for Wild One cover art , plus the whole album stream...
Continue reading "North Highlands release debut LP, playing CMJ shows"
The observant Dan Mangan sees a bird flying around the photo studio
Fans of Arts & Crafts are in for a night of good jams, with (ex-A&C-ers) Stars at Music Hall of Williamsburg (with North Highlands) and an early show with Dan Mangan at Mercury Lounge (with Icewater), both going down in NYC TONIGHT (10/11). If you're just making the decision to try and do both, I hope you have your tickets to Stars already, though tickets for Dan Mangan are still available, Stars is sold out. Mangan welcomed his new LP Oh Fortune, which hit stores on 9/27 and is streaming in full below. All of his tour dates are down there too.
In related news, Zeus recently posted "Are You Gonna' Waste My Time?", the new song (streaming below) from their forthcoming A&C release due in early 2012. Zeus has dates scattered across October and into December, including an East Coast tour that will stop in Brooklyn at Knitting Factory on 11/16 supporting Sam Roberts Band. Tickets are on sale. All dates are below.
Feist's Metals is out now. The chanteuse took a few minutes out of her crypt-performing schedule to post a few songs which are streaming below. Catch Feist in a goth-in-a-different-way venue when she plays Howard Gilman Opera House on 11/2. "Very limited availability remains" for tickets, so call 718-636-4100 for more details.
All tour dates and song streams are below.
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: Anika - Yang Yang (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Anika - Terry (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Soft Moon - "Total Decay" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Soft Moon - Breath the Fire (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mikal Cronin - Get Along (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mikal Cronin - Apathy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Howler - I Told You Once (MP3)
Anika
Hello and welcome to the ATP Runoff edition of This Week in Indie. (Aka ATPTWII.) Yes the big news is the Portishead-curated All Tomorrow's Parties which is happening this year in Asbury Park, NJ which looks to be super cool. (I would like to see The Pop Group.) There are still tickets available for most of it -- it gets a little confusing what with "Three Day Jeff Magnum" passes and other variations but this column will not get into that. We're talking bands/artists who are also playing NYC shows while here. And some other stuff too.
First and foremost, for me, is Anika who is making her North American live debut tonight (9/27) at Le Poisson Rouge and tickets still seem to be available. Her debut album snuck in late last year but made my Best of 2011 with it's mix of post-punk and dub, and I've been waiting to see her live ever since. As I wrote before:
Recorded in 12 days, live with no overdubs, it sounds like the missing link between The Slits and Lilliput. Portishead's Geoff Barrow -- his other band BEAK> is the backing band here -- gets the claustrophobic vibe just right. A lot of people have tried and failed to recreate that Martin Hannett Sound... Barrow nails it. And the material -- a mix of girl group covers and politically-charged originals -- suits Anika's Nico-esque delivery perfectly.You can download two tracks at the top of this post, cover's of Yoko Ono's "Yang Yang" and obscure British girl group singer Twinkle's "Terry." Anika is here on a limited North American tour and all her dates are at the bottom of this post. Anika's live band is a 5-piece that includes two of the three members of BEAK> (Geoff Barrow is the one who doesn't play with her live).
Opening for Anika is local act Slowdance who you may remember made L Magazine's "8 Bands You Need to Hear" list and whose debut EP, Light & Color, was just released last week. It's a "name your price" download at their Bandcamp site. The whole thing is pretty good but I especially dig the opening track "Cake" which is kind of like early B-52's minus Fred Schneider but in French.
DD/MM/YYYY
I mentioned BEAK> who, in addition to sharing members with Anika, will also be performing their own set at ATP and have also just released a split EP with Toronto's proggy, mathy DD/MM/YYYY who are playing Friday night at Cameo with like-minded noisemakers Yvette and Bambara. DD/MM/YY are on short East Coast tour while here for ATP and all dates are at the bottom of this post.
If you like DD/MM/YY or have been curious about seeing them live, you should go to this show... because they're breaking up at the end of October and the Cameo show is their last NYC show before doing so. I last saw them at M for Montreal two years ago, where I wrote:
Also impressive live are Toronto's DD/MM/YYYY who have clearly gotten much tighter than the last time I saw them (Don Pedro's, like three years ago). It's proggy-mathy, but bordering on chaos too. I'm not that crazy about their records -- a little too much going on at one time for my poppier tastes -- but I'd go see them again, no question.Don't get too sad about them calling it quits, as four of the five are regrouping under the name Absolutely Free and will make their live debut at M for Montreal this year.
Factory Floor
More ATPTWII action: London trio Factory Floor play two NYC shows this week: tomorrow (9/28) at Knitting Factory with Apache Beat and FAN-TAN, and then Thursday (9/29) at Mercury Lounge with fellow Londoners Walls.
Factory Floor get a lot of Joy Division comparisons and JD/New Order drummer Stephen Morris is a fan, remixing last year's "Wooden Box" single. But apart from looking sad in their press shots, Factory Floor are more in the minimal wave camp with drone and repetition being their weapons of choice. Their new single "(R E A L L O V E)" is basically a goth/industrial/techno/Krautrock ode to Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder's "I Feel Love" and is pretty awesome.
The band's next release will be on DFA in November. Judging from live clips on YouTube (like them performing "(R E A L L O V E)" at Rough Trade which you can watch below), Factory Floor are intense live and you might want to rearrange your show schedule to see them.
The Soft Moon
And rounding out the ATP-related shows are San Francisco's The Soft Moon who were supposed to be opening for Mogwai (who had to cancel) but will now play 285 Kent on Saturday (10/1) with White Ring and Beige (video flyer below), and the Wierd Party next Wednesday (10/5). Their new EP, Total Decay, is out on Halloween via Captured Tracks and you can download a track from it (and one from their debut album) at the top of this post. If you like '80s 4AD goth (Clan of Xymox, Xmal Deutchland) you're probably already going.
Veronica Falls
Speaking of goth, in a totally different way we've got Veronica Falls in town for two shows: tonight (9/27) at Glasslands and tomorrow (9/28) at Pianos. Their debut, out last week on Slumberland, is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. I wrote about it over at Sound Bites which I will quote here:
The band get the C-86 tag a lot but, apart from The Velvet Underground (which has inspired 95% of all indiepop), New Zealand seems to be a bigger influence anyway. "Misery" and current single "Bad Feeling" could both be Bats songs. (The Verlaines are a clear influence too, and I bet someone in the band loves The Chills' "Pink Frost.") But this is not a band you really sit around playing "spot the influence" to, as you're too busy swooning to the gorgeous melodies and Roxanne Clifford's truly lovely voice.When I said "goth" above, I mean more in an old school romance kind of way. Love and death, often intertwined. If you're on Spotify you can listen to the album here. They're great live, do go see them. Tonight's Glasslands show is with German Measles, Tanks Amigo and Darlings; the Pianos show is entirely TWII-endorsed, with McDonalds, Heaven's Gate and The Hairs.There's not a dud in Veronica Falls' 36 minute running time. New songs ("Misery," "Bad Feeling," the effervescent "The Box") are equals to early singles "Found Love in a Graveyard" and "Beachy Head" which appear here in newly recorded versions that might actually improve on the original versions.
Mikal Cronin
Ty Segall plays Bowery Ballroom on Thursday (9/29) and we've given him a lot of love over the last few years. He's awesome. If you're going, do get there early and see opener Mikal Cronin who plays in Ty's band and used to front Charlie & the Moonhearts. I liked the Moonhearts just fine, but playing with Ty seems to have done wonders. Mikal's self-titled LP on Trouble in Mind (produced by Ty) is far and away the best thing he's ever done, is one of my albums of the year, and I like it more than Segall's Goodbye Bread to be honest.
The album has great song after great song, killer hooks and harmonies -- SoCal garagey surf-pop at it's finest. You can download two tracks from the album at the top of this post.
Total Slacker
Friday is the last night of Monster Island Basement and the DIY venue is going out a big show featuring Regal Degal, Total Slacker, La Big Vic, Hume and Royal Baths. It's the record release party for Total Slacker's debut album, Thrashin', which got a 6.7 on Pitchfork today:
Total Slacker's sense of humor is the album's driving force, and it's both overt and weirdly specific. The lyrics, for the most part, are a goofy celebration of the slacker caricature. Between the references to weed and various snack foods, and the record's languid pace, Rountree perpetuates the archetypal slacker character with his nasal whine. The track "Thyme Traveling High School Dropout", for example, is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-style branding for a guy who goes back to the 18th century because marijuana isn't illegal then. And the title "Stealing From Salvation Army" says it all-- he plans on doing just that after he wakes up in the afternoon. That's pretty much the whole album. Thrashin' largely depends on buying into that character and thinking it's funny, or at least interesting, for 40 minutes.With Total Slacker's propensity for instrument-destroying, this last night at Monster Island could be a doozy.
Howler
And finally, Minneapolis band Howler are playing their first NYC shows this week: Thursday (9/29) at Glasslands and Friday opening for Tapes n' Tapes at Bowery Ballroom. The band just signed with Rough Trade who put out their EP, This One's Different, not too long ago. They're getting more UK press than here in the States. NME gave the EP 8/10 saying:
Howler are musical pizza. They're not a band you define yourself by. They're a band you dance to. Which is not to say that Howler are stupid, or people who like Howler are stupid. They just don't feel the need to prove that they're clever.Everybody likes Pizza, right? The review goes on to make a Razorlight comparison, so this pie must have extra cheese. You can download a Howler track at the top of this post.The title of this first EP by Rough Trade's most recent signings is both misleading and spot on. There's nothing much different about these Minneapolis boys at all, with their sexy bedhead hair, skinny limbs and small-child-romping-at-a-family-wedding goofy energy. Their bratty guitar pop is as familiar as skin, but also as warm and lovable. But then, how many flat, formulaic takes on this same sound are also-running around out there? Howler are different because they make commonplace components fly with a brilliant nonchalance.
And that's the big stuff for this week. Slightly smaller stuff is below, day-by day:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Portland duo Viva Voce are at Mercury Lounge tonight. They don't get enough attention -- apart from just being two of them there's no "angle" per se, besides good songs and great musicianship -- and their new album The Future Will Destroy You is pretty good.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Reptar, Savoir Adore at the Neon Gold TV launch party at Tammany Hall. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door.
Somebody is playing Roseland tonight, can't remember who.
continued below...
photos & video by Jessica Amaya
North Highlands @ Mercury Lounge
North Highlands, ARMS, and Hospitality shared a bill at Mercury Lounge on 7/27. As Bill pointed out, all three of these NYC bands are currently working on new albums. Pictures and video from the show are in this post.
North Highlands has a few more dates this month, including a shows in Riverhead, New Haven, and one in Brooklyn on August 27 at Cameo with Neighbors and Snowmine. Tickets for the NYC show are on sale now.
More pictures and videos from Mercury Lounge, below...
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."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."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.
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.
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Tickets go on sale today (6/29) at noon for the BV presented Little Dragon 'Ritual Union' album release show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.
We were promised 10 ticketed Williamsburg Waterfront shows this summer, and now we have another one to add to the list. The diverse list of bands coming to the Brooklyn venue now includes, well, Stone Temple Pilots. Tickets for this July 25th show go on sale Thursday (6/30) at noon.
Another reunited "grunge" band that we don't need to reunite, though not one from the west coast, or even from America, Bush plays Bowery Ballroom on July 28. Tickets go on sale Thursday (6/30) at noon.
Speaking of reunited grunge bands, we have tickets you can win to the Soundgarden shows at Prudential Center (7/8) and Jones Beach (7/9). E-mail BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Soundgarden). Include your first and last name and venue choice in the email. Winners will be randomly selected and contacted. Good luck! FYI, don't worry, your name/email will not be used for anything else.
Speaking of Williamsburg Waterfront, reunited bands and contests, we're giving away tickets to Death From Above 1979 at our Facebook.
We're also giving away tickets to see Bon Sollee tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg on our Facebook.
Dr. Dog are playing Williamsburg Waterfront this summer now too.
Frank Turner added a November 3 show at Bowery Ballroom after his 9/21 show sold out. Tickets go on sale Thursday (6/30) at noon. Andrew Jackson Jihad and Into It. Over It open the show.
Tickets are still available for the Frightened Rabbit show at MHOW and the waterfront show with DCFC.
AmEx presale starts today (6/29) at noon for The Rapture's show at MHOW.
We recently mentioned that of Montreal were added to Escape 2 NY. They play the Hamptons Fest on August 7. Kevin Barnes aka DJ List Christee DJs at Brooklyn Bowl on August 6. Tickets for his DJing gig are on sale now.
People are asking if the real Moonface (aka Spencer) is still playing Mercury Lounge in July. He is, and tickets are still on sale.
Tickets are still available for the WU LYF show at Mercury Lounge but are sure to be gone soon so act quick.
Tickets are still available for the John Maus and Puro Instinct show at Mercury Lounge tonight (6/29.
Tickets are still available for Memory Tapes and New Moods at Mercury Lounge on Friday (7/1).
Caveman are playing Mercury Lounge on September 15. Tickets go on sale Friday (7/1) at noon with an AmEx presale starting today (6/29) at noon.
Two Gallants play Mercury Lounge on September 13. Tickets are on sale now.
Pepper Rabbit were not added to the Braids show at Mercury Lounge, but they added their own on August 31 with We Barbarians. Tickets are on sale now.
North Highlands and ARMS play Mercury Lounge on July 27. Tickets are on sale now.
Check out what's happening on the Fourth of July (and in Philly).
photos by Jessica Amaya
Memoryhouse @ Glasslands
Memoryhouse played Glasslands on June 10 as part of a short run of dates. The Brooklyn show was with High Highs, North Highlands and Wonder Bear. A belated set of pics from that show is in this post.
Sub Pop is re-releasing Memoryhouse's The Years EP on September 13 on CD and vinyl. The EP has been re-recorded, remixed, and remastered and features two new songs. One of the new songs, "Modern, Normal" is available for download below. The band says:
"Very proud to share a first glimpse at our inaugural release with Sub Pop. This of course, is the first physical pressing of Memoryhouse's first EP, The Years, but I tend to find the term "reissue" doesn't really capture just what this EP entails. We've re-recorded Sleep Patterns, Lately, and To the Lighthouse in a manner that is consistent with memoryhouse's noises and idiosyncrasies while broadening our sonic pallet, and cleaning things up so that the songs are, you know, listenable. I'm even more excited about the new additions, "Modern, Normal", and "Quiet America". Believe me, these weren't added just cuz, which is to say that this isn't like the cantina scene from the 90s Star Wars re-release where random CGI monsters are found to be co-mingling with muppets. No. This EP is still full-muppet, but will provide some insights as to where our music is heading on our RealD 3D debut. So if nothing else, take with you the understanding that re-imagining The Years was a thorough and well-considered process, one that should hopefully yield many listens as the clock inches ever closer towards our first L.P.The song, more pictures and videos from the Glasslands show down there too...
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: Natural Child - Hard Workin' Man (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Natural Child - Yer Birthday (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Miracle Fortress - Miscalculations (MP3)
Happy Summer everybody. Before we get into this week's recommended shows, I hope you've been spending the week, like I have, listening obsessively to Domino Radio which has put together an incredible all-star lineup of presenters for this seven-day experiment. All the shows are archived, so go back and listen to Felt/Denim mastermind Lawrence, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie (who appears on the new CSS record), Mute Records founder (and former Silicon Teen) Daniel Miller, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos spin tunes, among other notables. Upcoming DJ slots include Radiohead's Colin Greenwood on Friday, Robert Wyatt and Alfie are on Saturday, and The Pastels on Sunday. Here's hoping they bring it back at a later date.
Ume
Ok, let's get into what this weekend and beyond has in store. Austin powerhouse trio Ume's current tour hits the city this weekend for two shows: tonight (6/9) at Pianos and Saturday (6/11) at The Rock Shop. As previously reported, the band just signed to Modern Outsider records who will release their debut album, Phantoms, in August. Pretty much everybody here at BV are Ume fans. They write great songs and, yes, they are a bundle of energy on stage with some serious guitar heroics provided by singer Lauren Langer Larsen. After NYC the three of them head north to the NXNE festival. All Ume dates are at the bottom of this post.
Memoryhouse
Memoryhouse also roll into town this weekend. They play Glasslands on Friday (6/10) and Piano's on Saturday (6/11). Both shows are with dreamy acoustic trio High Highs who are worth getting there early to see.
As you may have heard the Toronto duo are now signed to Sub Pop and should have something out on the label by year's end. Memoryhouse is also now a full band, including a drummer, which make the likelihood of their music remaining Eno-ambient less likely. I'd probably have more of a clue if I'd caught their set at our SXSW party this year. Reports I could find from Austin were positive, though not especially descriptive. Anyone got a firsthand report? Personally I"m hoping this more traditional band format pulls them into Slowdive territory. We shall see.
Both shows have their individual draws. Glasslands also has personal faves North Highlands whose debut album is in the can, apparently, and now we just have to wait for someone to release it. They will definitely be the most energetic live band on the bill, unless all the other groups have radically changed. Well, I've never seen Wonder Bear live but judging by the chill sounds on their album Avalanche (a free download) but I have to imagine it will be a mellow affair.
Speaking of chill, you may remember the sweatbox that was Glasslands last summer, well with the new club's new makeover they also finally got A/C. Certainly the 90 degree heat of this week will be a good test for it's power.
Meanwhile the Pianos show on Saturday has Foxes in Fiction which is, on record, basically Warren Hildebrand who is now also a member of the Memoryhouse live touring unit. At SXSW he was backed by Memoryhouse so I'd expect the same here. Last year's Swung from Branches mixed soundscapes with more structured songwriting (he gets compared to Bradford Cox a lot) and his most recent FiF release, Alberto (download the whole thing for free HERE), finds him moving into even more pop territory. It's a packed Pianos bill, including Eastern Conference Champions and Suns (not Suuns).
Natural Child
Let's keep going, shall we? Nashville party rock trio Natural Child are here for a two-night stint at Death By Audio, playing Sunday (6/12) and Monday (6/13). The band's debut album is out now on JEFF the Brotherhood's Infinity Cat label which should give you a good idea of what you're in for. An even better indicator are the two tracks from it at the top of this post from the album. If you like Thin Lizzy, honky tonk side of the Stones and JEFF the Brotherhood, you'll probably dig Natural Child too. These shows are bound to be packed and sweaty (and smokey) so be prepared for that, as well as for having a good time.
Laetitia Sadier
On the opposite end of the spectrum is former Stereolab vocalist Laetitia Sadier who will be playing Le Poisson Rouge on Monday (6/13) and The Rock Shop on Wednesday (6/15). Her solo debut, The Trip, came out last year on Drag City and was a lovely album. Not that far off from what she did with her band for the last 15 or so years, but it has it's own special charms as well.
Miracle Fortress
And lastly this Tuesday (6/14) is a swell double bill of danceable Canadians at Webster Hall: Junior Boys and Miracle Fortress. Junior Boys' fourth album, It's All True, is out that same day on Domino and is another fine example of their lithe, breezy style. Miracle Fortress -- aka Graham Van Pelt of Think About Life -- just released its second album, Was I the Wave, which finds him setting aside the first LP's guitars in favor of electronics with a decidedly Eno-esque slant. You can download album track "Miscalculations" at the top of this post. It's a really nice record. When I caught him at SXSW, Van Pelt performed solo surrounded by tons of equipment and a few vintage table lamps. Not bad for a one man show.
That's it for this week. A few more day-by-day picks follow.
THURSDAY JUNE 9
Looking for some quality indie rock newcomers? TWII-approved bands Radical Dads and Gross Relations are at Cake Shop tonight.
Did you know The Cloud Room was still together? They are and play Mercury Lounge tonight. Of course they're going to play local hit "Hey Now Now," no need to shout for it.
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Memoryhouse @ BVSXSW (more by Amanda Hatfield)
"Memoryhouse, the duo of Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion, is from Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Their music blends the contemporary with the forgotten, the traditional and the technological, the visual and the aural, within the sonographic landscape of dream pop. Their discography consists of a digital-only EP entitled, The Years and two 7" singles, "Lately (Deuxième)" b/w "Lately (Teengirl Fantasy Natural Mix)" on Inflated Records and the "Caregiver" single on Suicide Squeeze Records. All three were released in 2010. Look for a new Memoryhouse release on Sub Pop before the end of 2011." - Sub PopRecent Sub Pop signeees (it was announced before SXSW) Memoryhouse currently have four dates scheduled in June. One of those is in Philly, and two are in NYC. On Friday, 6/10, Memoryhouse play a Brooklyn show at Glasslands with the great supporting cast of High Highs, North Highlands, and Wonder Bear. They then hit Pianos in Manhattan the next night (6/11). High Highs open that one too. Tickets for the Glasslands show on sale now.
The fourth show on their short tour takes place as part of Weapons of Mass Creation Fest which is going down June 11-12 in Cleveland, Ohio, and which is...
...a fest for those who live to create! A weekend community event taking place in the Gordon Square Arts District on Cleveland's west side. It was founded by Jeff Finley of the Cleveland-based creative agency Go Media. Only in its second year, it's already generating lots of buzz within the creative community. Come to WMC Fest to network, collaborate, get inspired, learn new tricks, and level up! Did I mention it's a fest? That means fun!All dates listed, and a Yours Truly video below...
Continue reading "Memoryhouse schedule gigs, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest"
photos by Courtney Dudley
Lord Huron @ Mercury Lounge
The Wilderness of Manitoba @ Mercury Lounge
"When i arrived at the mercury lounge a little after 8 char was already in the mostly empty performance area in the back enjoying the pop stylings of an impossibly young-looking (and quite decent) pop band called spanish prisoners. they were followed by the extremely affable (and lumberjackily-attractive) canadian folky pop group wilderness of manitoba, who created their hauntingly pretty sound by weaving their combined vocal harmonies over mountainesk sounds of banjo, cello, mandolin and guitar, and striking a perfect balance between mellow and intense..." [musikati]One night after opening for Femi Kuti, Lord Huron headlined his own show at Mercury Lounge with a lineup consisting of North Highlands, The Wilderness of Manitoba & Spanish Prisoners. Pictures from that Thursday night gig are in this post.
For Toronto folk band The Wilderness of Manitoba, whose album When You Left The Fire is out May 10th on tinyOGRE, it was the first of a few trips to the NYC-area in coming months. Later this month they hit the road with Cloud Cult for a tour that hits both Maxwell's and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Then in July they hop on the road with Rasputina starting at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, NJ. All tour dates, more pictures and a video, below...
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: White Fence - Get That Heart (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: White Wires - Be True to Your School ('Til You Get Kicked Out) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Buffalo Tom - "Arise, Watch" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Modern Skirts - Happy 81 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Modern Skirts - Bumber Car (MP3)
White Fence
It's been kind of a bummer week with way too many great musicians lost (Gerard Smith, Poly Styrene, Pheobe Snow) but Spring is finally here and, well, the beat goes on. Lots of worthy shows this week.
First up is White Fence who are making a rare trip to the East Coast this week, playing a few shows here in NYC: Thursday at 285 Kent with Woods and Spectre Folk, then Saturday (4/30) at Cake Shop. I feel fairly certain that they are also "Beige Swordfights" listed as part of a sweet Death by Audio show on Friday (4/29) that includes The Beets, Fergus and Geronimo and The Sundelles.
White Fence is Tim Presley who also fronts LA psych-rock band Darker My Love. Where that band is more groovy in a JAMC/BJM kind of way, White Fence sounds like a lost nugget from the late '60s flower power scene. White Fence released its debut on Woodsist last year, and the second album, ...Is Growing Faith, came out this January. Both records are weird and wonderful, lots of great songs made more interesting with vintage sound and old-school tape effects. If you like Love, The Left Banke or, more recently, the Lilys (to name three L bands) you'll dig White Fence's scene.
White Wires
Keeping with the color scheme, Ottowa, Ontario's White Wires are back in town for a one-off show on Thursday at Bruar Falls as part of a fun line-up of party rock and power pop. One of my favorite live bands of the last few years, White Wires play no-nonsense three-minute pop and do so with a joy you can't fake. White Wires new album, WWII, gets in and gets out in less than 30 minutes and should appeal to fans of the Nerves, early Tom Petty and The Undertones.
The rest of the show, brought to you by the good folks at Daed Pizza, looks pretty cool too with all-girl trio Babyshakes, and Games which is a new band formed from ex-members of Gentleman Jesse and Busy Signals. Obviously, this is not the synthy Games who now go by Ford & Lopatin. You can listen to this Games' swell debut single over at the Rob's House Records website.
Buffalo Tom
What else? Buffalo Tom play Bowery Ballroom on Thursday (4/28). The Boston trio were once dubbed "Dinosaur Jr. Jr." (being signed to SST and having J Mascis produce your debut, it was an easy joke) but became one of the most popular bands of the early '90s alt rock scene. 1990's Birdbrain and 1992's Let Me Come Over are indie rock classics that were unavoidable on college radio and Alternative Nation (or episodes of My So-Called Life) and still hold up.
The band went on hiatus around 2000 but returned with 2007's Three Easy Pieces and have just released a new album, Skins, which came out in February. It's pretty good. More mature, yes, but Buffalo Tom can still bring the noise too. If you have any doubt, you can download the entirety of Buffalo Tom's Mercury Lounge show from November 2010 courtesy NYC Taper. You can also check out a track from Skins at the top of this post.
Modern Skirts
And finally, Lord Huron are here on Thursday (4/28, the night of Too Many Good Shows) at Mercury Lounge. (And at tonight at MHoW with Femi Kuti) (we're giving away a pair of tickets on Facebook). I like their EP well enough, and the Merc show seems likely to sell out, so I'm really here to say if you're going do go early enough to check out North Highlands who play right before them. It's their first show in a long time, as the band have been putting finishing touches on their debut album which they've been working hard on all winter. The band are promising lots of new songs which is pretty exciting. Anyone who's seen them play know North Highlands are great live and I think 2011 is gonna be a big year for them. Go see 'em! And yeah, stay for Lord Huron I guess.
That's mostly it for this week. A few more daily picks are below:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27
Blogs may have gotten over their crush on Austin band Oh No! Oh My! but that doesn't mean they've gone stale. Hear their still-catchy indiepop tonight at The Rock Shop tonight. Go early to catch Atlanta's underrated Modern Skirts (check out two tracks at the top of this post).
Diehard, who've been busy recording their Kickstarter-funded debut album, try out some songs live at Cake Shop. One of NYC's best indie rock rock bands.
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Lord Huron @ Bowery Ballroom during CMJ (more by Amanda Hatfield)
Femi Kuti's current North American tour hits Highline Ballroom in NYC tonight (4/26). Tickets are still on sale and you'll get an opening set by producer/dj Nutritious.
Tickets are also still on sale for the Femi show happening Wednesday (4/27) at Music Hall of Williamsburg which now includes an opening set by Lord Huron who the LA Times has said "occasionally recalls Fleet Foxes, 'At Dawn'-era My Morning Jacket and Panda Bear." Lord just finished a string of dates with The Rural Alberta Advantage.
The Lord Huron Brooklyn/Femi show was previously listed as a day off on Lord's tour schedule which also includes a headlining show at Mercury Lounge on Thursday (4/28). Tickets are still on sale for that NYC show which will get you opening sets by North Highlands, The Wilderness of Manitoba, and Spanish Prisoners.
All tour dates are listed below...
by Rachel Kowal
DOWNLOAD: The Luyas - Tiny Head (MP3)
Given the falling temperatures and the looming work week, it would have been tempting to stay in last Sunday (12/5)... if it wasn't for the solid bill at Glasslands. Up first was Little Anchor, a band so young that their Myspace page just hit 3000 page views. The Brooklyn four-piece makes sweet, largely acoustic songs that range from quiet to quieter, depending on whether vocalist Alexa Cabellon is playing a buoyant line on keyboard or softly plucking out a delicate melody on guitar. Their material may be a bit mellow for a Friday night show, but it was fitting for a Sunday.
Next up was the otherworldly [2008 buzz] act Twi (rhymes with 'why') the Humble Feather, who you also may have caught at 92Y Tribeca with Julianna Barwick a couple of weeks earlier. The set-up was simple: just two men, each toting a well-worn acoustic guitar and sharing vocal duties. The band's website mentions "a mythical interstellar traveler," but the duo never referenced this inventive back story during their show, leaving audience members to form their own impressions from the odd, experimental (often wordless) vocals and subtle finger pickings. Their performance may not be very compelling visually, but it is no less mesmerizing.
After a quick succession of mellow acts, the energy in the room picked up significantly when The Luyas' began to play, thanks in large part to vocalist/guitarist Jessie Stein's zeal. The crowd had been hanging back a bit for the first two bands, but at Stein's request, they moved in closer to the stage almost instantaneously. Having established a closer connection to the audience, Stein turned to her bandmates. "Ready boys?"
From the very first song, a single light bulb on Stein's mic stand made her child-like delight all the more apparent, but don't let her sweet demeanor fool you. The girl is fierce when she pulls out her electric guitar and cranks it up.
Stein warned the crowd early in the show that the band had been through its fair share of hardships during the tour. Apparently things were constantly breaking. First it was just an amp or two - no big deal, but on Saturday night, a drunk driver drove into their car (no one was hurt). As if to prove her point, she bumped one of the light bulb contraptions on her way to the Wurlitzer, sending it crashing to the ground. "I told you, this is the tour where everything breaks!" She joked.
For their grand finale, "Here's to You," Stein had all of the stage lights turned off, but the band didn't play in the darkness for long. The slow, melodic intro soon gave way to more chaotic instrumental arrangements and a jarring sensory experience as the strategically placed light bulbs and semi-hidden overhead lights rapidly flickered on and off, casting quick flashes of light onto the venue's trademark tissue paper sculpture ceiling.
What began as the bedroom project of Brenda Malvini in the summer of 2009 has nicely evolved into group effort of North Highlands. Given Malvini's history of small, intimate house shows, it makes sense that North Highlands' New York shows are often populated by a dedicated fan base, but I was still surprised to witness the intensity of their fervor. From the first few songs, the audience danced around, energetically - not bad for a Sunday night in December at midnight. Of course, it helped that Malvini, herself, couldn't stop dancing around the stage. As a gesture of gratitude for their dedication, Malvini even threw free koozies into the crowd, each emblazoned with the band name. "We have presents for you! You have to catch it! They don't hurt. Don't be afraid," she said playfully.
It was their last show of 2010 and a good night for them to go out on. For their final song, the dance floor had all the energy of a mosh pit without the bruises. People were clapping with joy and jumping up and down in time to the music as Malvini repeated the song's infectious tag line: "We don't care any more." During the last minute of the song, Malvini began to grab audience members to join the band on stage. First it was just a couple of people, but soon five eager fans crammed onto the already tight platform to dance in the spotlight before the band called it a night.
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The Luyas' debut album Too Beautiful To Work will be released February 22nd via Dead Oceans (cover art above). They have a new video for the song "Tiny Head (which you can dowload above). Watch it below...
Continue reading "new Luyas video, North Highlands/Twi show review"
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: PS I Love You - Facelove (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: PS I Love You - 2012 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Warpaint - Undertow (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Never Swallow Fruit Dub (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Never Follow Suit (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Heaven's On Fire (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Luyas - All New Tiny Head (MP3)
The Radio Dept
After a long weekend of overeating and couchdwelling and Kanye overload, I hope you are all nice and rested up for what is a pretty great week of shows. Here's a bunch of stuff I recommend.
Sweden's The Radio Dept are playing two NYC shows ahead of their first-ever real tour of the U.S. and Canada this week. All dates are listed below, but the NYC shows happen at Knitting Factory Tuesday night (11/30) and Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday (12/01). Both are sold out. This will be the band's first visit to our area since the 2009 NYC Popfest.
It's been a busy year for the somewhat unprolific Scandinavian trio. In addition to their fantastic third album, Clinging to a Scheme, which came out back in April, The Radio Dept. just released a new EP, Never Follow Suit, which takes the dub-heavy album title cut (also on the album) and makes it even dubbier (download both versions above), plus adds three new blissed out tracks.
The band are also finally gathering up all their non-LP singles, b-sides and EPs for a double-disc compilation, Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 which comes out early next year. A lot of their great early EPs are out of print (like 2003's Pulling Our Weight) and it'll be nice to have them all in one place. Double vinyl too for those with turntables. With music spanning from their first single through tracks off Clinging to a Scheme, it makes for a nice overview of the band...but still holds together really well. Little has changed in The Radio Dept.'s sound over the last eight years, but they are one of the best examples of "don't fix what ain't broke."
Abd if you're going to one of the two Radio Dept. shows, be sure to get there early to catch Montreal's Braids, who I just saw play in their hometown.
PS I Love You @ Pop Montreal (more)
While on the Subject of Bands I Saw Play in Canada Recently, one of biggest hits of this year's M for Montreal festival were PS I Love You:
Most everyone seemed in agreement that PS I Love You were the best band of the night. The duo from Kingston, Ontario are an indie Mutt and Jeff, kind of like the Pixies with a new wave back-end. Yelper-guitarist Paul Salnier actually pulls triple duty live, playing bass parts too via a Moog bass pedal setup which is pretty cool. Drummer Ben Nelson plays heavy on the high hat a la New Order's Stephen Morris which gives their songs danceability. Their record, Meet Me at the Muster Station, is good but, live, PS I Love You are a force.Maybe you saw PS I Love You at one of their many CMJ shows. They're back, playing The Rock Shop on Friday (12/03) and Pianos on Saturday (12/04) and both shows are with Florida's Holiday Shores. You should definitely catch them this time around. Two tracks from their debut album are at the top of this post. They're also giving away single "Starfield" over at their label's website through 12/02, so go get it (you gotta give them your info in return). All PS I Love You tour dates are at the bottom of this post.
Warpaint
Also visiting us this weekend are Los Angeles foursome Warpaint, who play The Studio @ Webster Hall on Wednesday (12/01) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday (12/02). Their debut for Rough Trade, The Fool, has gotten mostly good reviews. It's a record that has really grown on me in the last month, hitting that sweet spot between dustbowl new age goth and early-'80s post punk. Not that those are mutually exclusive terms. Spindly guitars, groovy basslines, complex percussion, dreamlike vocals... it's somewhere betweeen Haena-era Banshees and Bat For Lashes with just a smidge of Stevie Nicks. Which is a good thing if you ask me. If Warpaint aren't on the next Twilight soundtrack somebody's not doing their job.
The band are good live too, with an especially nimble rhythm section. And if you didn't like the album the first time you heard it, I urge you go give it another chance to sink in. Check out "Undertow" above, and there are a couple live performance videos further down this post along with all upcoming Warpaint tour dates.
Badly Drawn Boy
Like a lot of people, I loved the first Badly Drawn Boy album The Hour of The Bewilderbeast, which rightly won the 2000 Mercury Music Prize (at least given its competition). Damon Gough then went to Los Angeles and lost his way almost immediately after. Good songs here and there, yes, but none of his subsequent albums have been anywhere near as solid or as sonically interesting as Bewilderbeast. Yet I always give the new album a chance.
I'm happy to report that the vibe of BDB's new album -- the mouthful of a title It's What I'm Thinking Pt. 1: Photographing Snowflakes -- returns some of his debut's homespun charm. It's his first since parting ways with EMI and starting his own label and you can sense the freedom this has brought across its 10 tracks. (Parts 2 and 3 are due at some point in the future.) There may not be anything as immediately catchy as "Everybody's Stalking", but you can tell this is music Gough wanted to make, not music he thought someone else wanted to hear. It's a nice album. Give up your email address and you can download a few new songs at BDB's website.
Badly Drawn Boy plays Le Poisson Rouge this Friday (12/03) and Saturday (12/04). Badly Drawn Boy shows have always been a bit of a crapshoot. Shows are notoriously long, ramshackle affairs with extended noodling, rambling stage banter and other digressions. Gough is the only Mercury Prize winner I have ever seen to actually take audience requests, including other people's songs he has never played. (Think twice before you yell "Freebird!" at a BDB show, you may end up regretting it). But there are always moments of brilliance in there too that make you glad you went, which is I guess Gough in a nutshell.
That's the main stuff this week. A few more shows of note, day-by-day, of things not covered above follows:
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1
Garagey soul band Fergus & Geronimo, who recently relocated here from Texas, headline a great night of music at Glasslands, that also features another bunch of recent transplants, former Arizonans The Young Friends. Also on the bill: Little Gold and We Are Country Mice.
Denver duo Tennis play Mercury Lounge, their first shows since a wave of hype packed Glasslands and Cake Shop back in August. Nice folks, but take away all that reverb that coats their recordings (as they do live) and the songs aren't quite as magical. The night's line-up is pretty good overall, with Family Portrait, Miracles of Modern Science and La Big Vic. Tennis also open for The Walkmen (and a slimmed-down School of Seven Bells) at Terminal 5 the next night.
continued below...
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: A Classic Education - I Lost Time (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tamarayn - Love Fade (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sky Larkin - Year Dot (Spirit Spine Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sky Larkin - Barracuda (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dominant Legs - About My Girls (MP3)
Tamaryn
My picks for day parties are HERE. Here are my picks for things to do tonight, Wednesday, Day Two of CMJ 2010. Set times are included for shows that don't have flyers.
Tonight's biggest ticket is Phoenix/Dirty Projectors/Wavves at MSG. But to get in with your badge you need to go to the exhibitor hall to pick up what few tickets they have (which is probably none at this point). Time is probably better spent elsewhere, as good as all those bands are. You can also go see Wavves later at the Purevolume House with Matthew Dear.
I think tonight's hottest ticket is going to be the Stereogum/Popgun showcase at Santos Party House, a pretty unmissable two-floor assault featuring wild tambourine action of The Drums (who also play Webster Hall tonight with Surfer Blood), Wild Nothing's immaculate indiepop, gothy shoegaze temptress Tamaryn, the undeniably catchy Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr., plus Marnie Stern, Diamond Rings and more. If you're badgeless and were smart, you RSVP'd for discount admission. (Too late now.) All others pay $10 smackers. Set times on the flyer at the bottom of this post.
It's pretty clear that Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr (I may have to start referring to them as DEJJ) are contenders for the Overachievers crown at CMJ2010. If you wanna tick them off your list early, you might want to swing by Bruar Falls where they'll play at 7:30 PM. I'd advise you to stick around afterwards for awesome Magic Bullets (8:20PM) though I'm sure you're going to see them when they open our day party on Friday.
Anglophiles should head straight to Littlefield for the U.S. debuts of three new UK acts: Frankie & the Heartstrings (9PM), the Good Natured (9:45) and Chapel Club (10:30). Also on the bill: the blissed-out sounds of Miami dancepop artist Millionyoung. (11:30) $8 without a badge.
Staying in the neighborhood (Park Slope), The Rock Shop has a good line-up: Tape Deck Mountain (7:30), Cloud Nothings (8:30), Blair (9:30), Braids,(10:30) Lesands (11:30)and Beach Fossils. (12:30AM). $10 if you don't have a badge.
Sky Larkin
Or, at The Bell House, it's the Pop Justice/Highrise PR showcase with an international lineup, including personal faves Sky Larkin, (9:50PM) fist-pumping electro-rockers Fenech Soler (who I saw last night at Pianos, pretty good if a l'il cheesy), French disco act The Aikiu (10:30PM) Canadian disco act Parallels (11:45PM), and more. The party goes late -- Fenech Soler aren't on till 1:35AM (ugh) so if you live in the neighborhood, maybe stop by there before you go home. There's like 10 bands playing this total and it's only $5 to get in. Bargain.
The good folks at Free Williamsburg are throwing a big unofficial party at Glasslands with North Highlands (a local must see if you're visiting from elesewhere), Zambri, Pujol, Yellow Ostrich and more. $7. Set times are on the flyer which is at the bottom of this post.
And lastly, the I Guess I'm Floating/Lefse Records showcase at The Delancey is loaded with great new talent, including Dominant Legs (7PM), A Classic Education (7:45PM), Candy Claws (12:15AM) and seven more. The night ends with How to Dress Well (1:45AM) who is playing a bunch of shows this week, which hopefully means he's put some thought into his performance. His live debut at Glasslands back in August was kind of disasterous.
Again, these are just MY picks. There's a zillion shows tonight including:
ALSO TONIGHT
* Surfer Blood @ Webster Hall (twice)
* The Knocks & Holy Ghost! @ Bowery Ballroom
* STRIFE, Disembodied, Iron Age, Earthless, Priestess, Naam @ Mercury Lounge
* Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Langhorne Slim, Jesse Sykes & Phil Wandscher, Mimicking Birds @ Highline Ballroom
Go see something. Show flyers are after the jump.
DOWNLOAD Seabear - I'll Build You A Fire (FM Belfast remix) (MP3)
Seabear @ by:Larm in February (more)
Iceland's Seabear is kicking off a US tour at Highline Ballroom (a venue that might be a bit too big for them?) in NYC tonight (10/16). North Highlands opens the show, which is also part of the Royal Flush Festival (last night's Kaiju event was part of that fest too), and tickets are still on sale.
Enjoy the free remix above and check out all Seabear tour dates below...
Continue reading "Seabear kicking off US tour (dates), NYC w/ North Highlands "
Ra Ra Riot at BAM (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)
Ra Ra Riot will be making even more appearances in NYC in the coming month. The Syracuse band's onslaught begins on August 24th (Tuesday) when the band celebrates the release of it's new LP The Orchard (via Barsuk) with a FREE acoustic set at Soundfix Records at 6PM. Later that night, the band will be at a second FREE event, a 21+ DJ party at Brooklyn Bowl featuring the band and Vampire Weekend swapping turns on the wheels of steel (neither band is scheduled to play live music).
Less than one month after the band blesses NYC with those gratis events, Ra Ra Riot will play a two night stint at Bowery Ballroom (on 9/21 and 9/22) followed by another two night stint at MHOW (on 9/23 and 9/24). 9/21's support at Bowery has yet to be announced (tickets), but 9/22 at Bowery will feature Lower Dens (tickets), 9/23 at MHOW will feature North Highlands and We Barbarians (tickets), and 9/24 at MHOW will feature Amanaguchi (tickets). If each date will have two openers, then there's still a lot to be announced too.
As previously mentioned, the dates are part of a much larger tour that will see Ra Ra Riot play from sea to shining sea (and Bumbershoot) as part of a full US campaign towards total da-da-domination.
We Barbarians open much of the tour. Other tour openers and updated tour dates, and a video, below....
Continue reading "updated Ra Ra Riot dates, an in-store, DJ event, NYC openers"
photos by Tim Griffin
The Beets, from Jackson Heights
The Beets have at least five six upcoming shows this summer, all in NYC, and one that is tonight (7/13) at Death by Audio with German Measles, Liquor Store, and Pink Reason. The flyer is below. They return to the same venue on August 15th with Tyvek, but before then play an all Beatles set at Shea Stadium, play at Silent Barn, and play on a boat. They also play the first free Jelly show at Rock Yard.
All dates, and a set of pictures and a video from that BV/Anso Day party at SXSW, below...
Continue reading "The Beets - upcoming shows (1 tonight), live pics & a video "
words by Bill Pearis, photos by Don Gochenour, video by Big Ass Lens
Savoir Adore
It was fun to close out the second-annual Northside Festival at Coco 66 with North Highlands, The Luyas, Savoir Adore and Gray Goods. Things got off to a bit of a late start but no one seemed to mind, and most people who showed up stayed the whole night. There was dancing, and smoke machines and lazers and everyone wanted to know what the hell instrument that was Jessie from The Luyas was playing. (Answer: a moodswinger.) Thanks to everyone who came out.
More pictures (of 3 of the bands), plus some really nice videos below...
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: North Highlands - Collar Bones (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Savoir Adore - three tracks from In the Wooded Forrest (link takes you to download page)
DOWNLOAD: The Luyas - Tiny Head (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gray Goods - Color Divide (MP3)
North Highlands @ South Street Seaport (more by Chris La Putt)
Brooklyn Vegan hasn't met a festival to which we haven't wanted to add one more party. So in addition to the official Brooklyn Vegan show at Music Hall of Williamsburg and two heavy showcases being presented by BV-BBG -- all of which are Saturday night -- there's now a fourth BV-related Northside Festival show, Sunday night (6/27) at Coco 66. This one's being presented by me, as a Brooklyn Vegan's This Week in Indie/Sound Bites and features North Highlands, The Luyas, Savoir Adore and Gray Goods. Tickets are $10 or you can get in with your Northside Festival badge.
If you read/skim TWII on a regular basis you've heard of most of the bands. North Highlands have only been together for about a year but they've really come into their own recently, making gentle, engaging orch-pop that is really rather magical when they play live. They were just great when they played the Sound Bites Lunchtime Series earlier this month at the Seaport, and I couldn't be happier to have them play this too.
Not that I don't want you to stay at Coco 66 all night, but if you can't make their 11PM set, North Highlands play earlier Sunday night at Cameo; and they also play Saturday afternoon at Spike Hill as part of The L Magazine's "8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear Right Now" showcase which is free -- no badge necessary.
This is The Luyas only Northside show, though the band are down from Montreal for three shows, including Rooftop Films tonight (6/24) and tomorrow night (6/25) at 929 Broadway (same building as Party Expo, but 2nd floor) with Adult Themes. I am super-psyched to have them on the bill.
Savoir Adore are one of my favorite local bands of the last two years and their album, In the Wooded Forrest, made my Best of 2010 list. The record just got released in the UK and the band is heading over there in July for their first-ever tour there. They are also a great live band.
Savoir Adore also play the night before (Saturday, 6/26) at Brooklyn Bowl as part of the Cantora Records showcase that also includes BRAHMS, Gordon Voidwell and The Tony Castles.
Gray Goods is the new band from Ryan Brown, formerly of Soft Pack cohorts Browns. (In fact, Gray Goods' drummer is the little brother of Soft Pack guitarist Matt McLoughlin.) You can check out the Feelies-esque "Color Divide" at the top of this post which is from the new Singles EP on 1928 Recordings. Gray Goods will also play later Sunday night at Bruar Falls.
I think that's a damn good show. Come by if you can. Set times are below....
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Anxiety (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Goodnight Loving - The Pan (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Goodnight Loving - Nothing Conquers Us (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Disappears - Gone Completely (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Woven Bones - Guess You Already Knew (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Woven Bones - Your Way With My Life (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ponys - Check the Door (MP3)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
I haven't been this excited about a weekend of music in a long time. So much so I don't know how I'm gonna fit it all in.
Let's start with Australia's Eddy Current Suppression Ring who play Cake Shop on Friday (6/18) and Death by Audio on Saturday (6/19) (the second show was originally scheduled to take place at Market Hotel). The band have, to me at least, one of the great band origin stories ever: they formed after a drunken Christmas party at the vinyl pressing plant where they all worked. whose new album, Rush to Relax, is one of my favorites of the year so far. Download "Anxiety" from it above. It was was supposedly recorded in six hours though it doesn't sound it. Or maybe it does. There's a definite nervous intensity to it -- ECSR are pretty highly charged in general -- and bristles with energy. A lot of this comes from front man Brendan Suppression, whose delivery sounds like he's pacing the entire time. It's a great album.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring live shows are legendary. (There's video from a recent Sydney show at the bottom of this post.) You'd be dumb to miss them. Both nights are with Pissed Jeans which should add to the insanity. Seriously, go see them!
The Goodnight Loving
The other touring band I'm super-pysched about seeing this weekend is Milwaukee's The Goodnight Loving, who play Silent Barn tomorrow (6/17), then Bruar Falls on Friday (6/18), Cake Shop on Saturday (6/19) and Maxwell's on Sunday (6/20).
As I wrote previously, these fine Midwesterners channel the twangier side of the '60s British Invasion (Out of Our Heads era Stones, or the Kinks around Face to Face) and do it with some great songwriting. There are two MP3s at the top of this post: last year's great single "Nothing Conquers Us" and "The Pan" which is from their new album, The Goodnight Loving Supper Club, due out July 20 on Dirtnap Records.
If you're looking for something to tide you over till then, the band just released a new 12" on Italian label Wild Honey that has five new tracks on one side, and some lovely silk-screened artwork on the flip. I'm hoping they're gonna have copies of that at the merch table. And 2006's Cemetery Trails is excellent too.
The Silent Barn show is with '90s shoegaze lovers Big Troubles, Bright Lights and Fire Season; the Bruar Falls show also has Ex Humans and Bass Drum of Death; the Cake Shop lineup includes SpaceCamp and Prince Rupert's Drops; and at Maxwell's you also get Reigning Sound (one night after they play Southpaw).
Disappears
The Ponys are in town this weekend playing two shows with fellow Chicagoans Disappears and Austin's Woven Bones: Friday (6/18) at Mercury Lounge and Saturday (6/19) at Union Pool. I think the last time I saw the Ponys was probably at Siren Fest 2004? Can that be? That was around the time of their great first album, Laced with Romance, which still sounds awesome. Quiet since 2007's Turn the Lights Out, The Ponys are back with a new EP, Deathbed Plus 4, that finds them pretty much where you remember them: cranking out catchy, goth-tinged garage. (I wonder if they got the EP name from the cult horror film Death Bed: The Bed That Eats? Probably not.) The goth part comes through loud and clear on "Check the Door" -- downloadable above -- which just maybe sounds a little like Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades."
Ponys guitarist Brian Case fronts Disappears who are worth seeing in their own right. Their new album, Lux, is dark and heavy, kinda Kraut-y, definitely loud and pretty great. So if you like the '80s Flying Nun or Pre-Brix era Fall (or any Fall, really) you should check out Disappears. You can download "Check the Door" at the top of this post.
All three of these bands appeal to the same crowd, but Woven Bones are the sneering-est, scuzziest of the lot. The songs on their new album, In and Out and Back Again (dirty!), are all cut from the same blueprint (the two MP3s above is the extent of their stylistic range) but they are masters of their sound. They're good live, too -- the room seems to heat up whenever they play.
Should mention that the Mercury Lounge show also has The Forgery Series, which is Sohrab from Obits amongst others.
AND A FEW NIGHTLY PICS:
Wednesday, June 16
As previously mentioned (but not in tonight's What's Going On post), tonight's "secret" show at Death By Audio features Bleach Waffles, Mild Touching and, Slankie Morose. And if you can't figure out who that is well... try harder. It's a late one, doors at 11PM, but it's only $5. And a five-spot for some mild touching...that's a bargain.
Swedish pixies First Aid Kit, who played last night at The Bell House, play again tonight at Mercury Lounge with Peter Wolf Cryer.
continued below with dates, videos, flyers and more...
photos by Chris La Putt
"Memorial Day weekend marks the return of the Fulton Stall Market, the only outdoor food market serving lower Manhattan's historic Seaport District.In its second year, the 2010 market features a hand-picked collection of locally produced seasonal fruits and vegetables, handmade cheeses, organic breads, cut flowers and potted plants, area roasted coffee, and New York state wines. Approximately a dozen vendors will occupy the 16 former fish stalls that line South Street between Fulton and Beekman Streets.The Fulton Stall Market opened on Sunday which was also the kick-of of Bill's Sound Bites Lunchtime Series which will host free shows at the Seaport each Wednesday in June (from noon-2pm). The first band to play, after Bill's DJ set, was North Highlands...Located on South Street b/w Beekman & Fulton Street at the old Fulton Fish Market- Wednesdays and Sundays, noon - 6pm"
"This Sunday during Memorial Day weekend North Highlands a Brooklyn quintet fronted on keys and lead vocals by Brenda Malvini, graced the stage. They played accessible and contagious music that is bouncy, poppy and dreamy. The folk instruments like the mandolin and violin were delightfully integrated into an orchestral mix of keys, drums and electric guitar. The drumming was especially awesome.More pictures of the market and the band, below...Brenda's voice has a smooth tonality with playful breathy aspects that are immediately endearing. When the band revs up in intensity her voice and mannerisms animate to engage the audience. North Highlands is a tight and spunky band that has lots of heart. I loved them." [OCM]
Continue reading "Fulton Stall Market opened, North Higlands played a set (pics)"
by Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: Braids - Lemonade (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: No Joy - No Joy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Psychobuildings - Birds of Prey (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: North Highlands - Sugar Lips (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Besnard Lakes - Albatross (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Land of Talk - May You Never (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cheap Time - Woodland Drive (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bad Sports -On Video (MP3)
Owen Pallett playing w/ the Luyas @ Webster Hall (more by Sarahana)
It's Memorial Day Weekend which used to mean, if you stayed in town, there was nothing to do except go see whatever piece of crap Hollywood was foisting upon us, hang out at backyard BBQs (not a bad thing at all), and enjoy a relatively emptied-out city. Not so much anymore. I mean, there's still Hollywood crap -- take your pick of sand-n-sandals epics SATC2 or Prince of Persia if you must -- but people stick around more, and there's clearly more options for the music fan. Lots of good stuff this weekend, most of which you can still get tickets.
Also: lots of Montreal action this weekend. Starting tonight (5/27) with an early show at Mercury Lounge with The Luyas and Braids. If you check in with BV fairly often you already know we're pretty big fans of the former. It took them a while to finally come play NYC but now that they have, they seem to be coming back weekly. It's not the most straightforward music, but there's a magical quality about The Luyas that worms its way under your skin.
Braids are doing a similar thing but with a different sonic palette, more electronic, more trancey. As I wrote before, I was impressed when I saw them on Tuesday at Knitting Factory. I wish they spent as much time on the songs as the soundscape-ish arrangements, but there's a lot of promise in their best songs (like "Lemonade" which you can download above) and they're definitely worth checking out. Like I said, it's an early show -- Luyas open at 7:30 -- which leaves most of your evening open. If you can't make it tonight, Braids also play Rooftop Films tomorrow, where they're paired with a collection of "Dark Toons," which sounds like a good match to me.
No Joy
If you wanted to keep the MTL thing going after the early Luyas/Braids, you could then head over to Cameo Gallery to see No Joy who split their time between that city and Los Angeles. I don't know a whole lot about these two girls but I really dig the two songs that have been floating around which were produced by Think About Life/Miracle Fortress whiz kid Graham Van Pelt. I've seen some people call their sound shoegaze, but it's more in that Dinosaur Jr. kind of way than a Ride/Slowdive kind of way. Thick, sludgy and rockin'. Look out for an EP on Mexican Summer sometime soon. They played last night at Shea Stadium and apparently blew everyone's eardrums out. You are warned.
Also on this eclectic bill: the paranoid postpunk/electropop of Psychobuildings (check out "Birds of Prey" at the top of this post) who kind of remind me of The Pop Group; The Surprisers (another band featuring German Measles/Cause Co-motion/etc etc dudes); and the gentle orch-pop of North Highlands who I've written about before a few times.
And am writing about again right here. Shameless plug time. As you may have seen, I'm working with the Seaport Music folks to put on a series of lunchtime shows every Wednesday in June down at Pier 17 (the Seaport Stage). The shows are in conjunction with the Fulton Stall Markets, a farmers market in the old Fulton Fish Market stalls across the street from the Seaport. The market opens on Sunday and we're doing a kickoff show with North Highlands. I DJ at noon and then the band is on at 1PM. I'm super happy to have North Highlands play the first show, they were the first band I thought of for this, and think they're easily one of the most promising new bands in NYC. Anyway, come down if you can. The rest of the Sound Bites Lunchtime Series schedule (including The Beets, Ribbons and more) can be found here.
Besnard Lakes @ SXSW (more by Tim Griffin)
Okay, back to Montreal. Friday night (5/28) The Besnard Lakes are playing Bowery Ballroom with Land of Talk. People overuse the word "epic" but the Besnard Lakes make music that deserves that description. And epic doesn't necessarily mean "overblown." Take, for example, "Like the Ocean, Like the Innocent" which opens their new album Are the Roaring Night. It's an amazing slow build that explodes (in slo-mo, yet not in a Michael Bay way) in the chorus with a giant wave of guitars. One of my favorite songs of the year, and it crushed at the Brooklyn Vegan day party during this year's SXSW. I've never seen a bad Besnard Lakes show. I highly, highly recommend you go.
Openers Land of Talk are no slouches in the live department either. The band's second album, Cloak and Cipher, is due out August 24 on Saddle Creek, and we should get a nice preview of it tomorrow night.
A few more weekend picks, day by day (and tour dates below):
South Street Seaport (more by Chris La Putt)
Bill Pearis teamed up with the folks behind the South Street Seaport concerts to put together a "Lunchtime Series" of free shows at Pier 17 this summer...
"Go local! We're kicking off another season of the Fulton Stall Market with a series of lunchtime concerts every Wednesday in June. Grab a snack from one of the market's farmers and purveyors, then head over to the Seaport stage for a set from some of New York's freshest bands -- playing in more organic form than you may be used to hearing."Now for at least 5 days, those who work around Wall St can spend their lunch hour checking out a band they might otherwise have to visit a venue in Williamsburg to see. It's every Wednesday in June, and this Sunday, May 30th. Bill will DJ from noon-1, and then the band plays from 1-2. This is similar to what happens at Metrotech in Brooklyn on Thursdays.
Bill will talk more about this week's show (North Highlands), and the rest of the schedule, in his weekly posts. For now, check out the full schedule below...
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