The Middle East @ SXSW 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Antibalas @ Webster Hall
* Weasel Walter, Vialka, CSC Funk Band @ Zebulon
* Nas, Damian "Jr Gong" Marley @ Highline Ballroom
* Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir @ Union Pool
* Leslie & The Badgers, Ferraby Lionheart @ Mercury Lounge
* Mumford & Sons, The Middle East @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* 45 Grave, the Dead Sextons, Psychocharger & the Arkhams @ Europa
* Doppelganger, Tiberius, New Moods, Patrick Holmes/Ryan Sawyer Duo @ Cake Shop
* Daniel Pujol, McDonalds, Wild Harem, Knight School, Joey Wyoming @ DBA
* Philip Seymour Hoffman, Second Floor Stories, The City And Horses, Sexy Neighbors @ Knitting Factory

Tonight's Whiplash show @ UCB features comedy by Pete Holmes (Ugly Americans, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Baron Vaughn (Comedy Central), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Hari Kondabolu (John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show), and Sandra Bauleo.

Mumford & Sons play their first of two NYC shows this evening at Music Hall of Williamsburg (the other is at Webster Hall). Opener The Middle East also play an extra one this week at Mercury Lounge with Mountain Man. All three gigs are sold out.

New Moods is a new NYC electro-duo comprised of Other Passengers frontman Billy Jones and Gang Gang Dance engineer Sean Maffucci. They make what I think is their NYC live debut (they previously performed in Austin during SXSW) tonight at Cake Shop. Two demos are streaming at their MySpace (and there's more on their NSFW bandcamp page).

Video of Zs playing "Acres Of Skin" live at 118 South 3rd Street in Williamsburg on May 15th, below...

Holy Ghost! tested out their new live band for the first time at a private show Saturday night at Under 100. A video from that show below...

Recent Captured Tracks signing MINKS performed at Glasslands on Saturday night. Video from that below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

A Place to Bury Strangers @ MHOW (CMJ) - Oct 17, 2007 (CRED - Johnny Leather)

Yeasayer @ R Bar (BV CMJ) - Oct 19, 2007 (CRED - Tod Seelie)

Other Passengers @ R Bar (BV CMJ) - Oct 19, 2007 (CRED - dave00327)

The Crown Point Festival runs from October 27th - November 17th in NYC.

The Crown Point Festival is a three week festival of the best emerging and pioneering artists in film, theater and music from around the world in the Lower East Side of New York City. Crown Points is organized with the belief that the current state of downtown culture offers tremendous opportunities to those willing to make a commitment to excellence. Every performance is tailor-made to transport the audience on a unique unforgettable experience.

Continue reading "Crown Point Festival kicks off Saturday (Yeasayer & stuff)"

DOWNLOAD: iLiKETRAiNS - The Deception (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Islands - Don't Call Me Whitney Bobby (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (Beige remix) (MP3) (via)
DOWNLOAD: Yo Majesty - Kryptonite Pussy (UMYO Remix) (MP3)

iLiKETRAiNS & Islands

As you know, I'm throwing a total of five shows during CMJ this year. The first is Tuesday night October 16th - an official showcase that you can buy tickets for. The second is the very next day - a 2-floor (whole club) FREE day party at Pianos on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

The third party is Friday October 19th at R Bar - a new-ish bar & venue on the Lower East Side that features fancy red decor, large photos of Debbie Harry on the wall, and stripper poles. It's going to be awesome.

Friday October 19, 2007
12:15 iLiKETRAiNS (Beggars Banquet, more @ MySpace)
01:00 Fatal Flying Guiloteens (Frenchkiss, more @ MySpace)
01:45 Other Passengers (more info)
02:30 Health (more info)
03:15 Mika Miko (more info)
04:00 Yeasayer (more info)
04:45 Black Kids (more info)
05:30 Saturday Looks Good To Me (more info)
06:15 Islands (more info)
07:15 Yo Majesty (more info)

And to make it more like Disney World, characters from Kaiju Big Battel will be hanging out in the bar area to entertain you, pose with you, strip with you, whatever with you. Kaiju Big Battel are also doing their own show at Warsaw in Brooklyn on November 9th.

No word yet on whether I'll be able to make the Darren Mabee kissing booth happen.

DOWNLOAD: A Place To Bury Strangers - Never Going Down (MP3)

Sorry for not posting about this earlier - it sort of got lost in the holiday shuffle. BIG FREE GREAT OUTDOOR SHOW PARTY FESTIVAL ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE THIS SUNDAY!

The first annual ‘LudFest’ block party/fundraiser will take place on Sunday, September 9th. ‘LudFest’ is a fundraiser for the 7th Precinct Community Council, with proceeds going toward charitable functions, such as giving toys out to needy members of our community, as well as funding for the Explorers Program, which gives teens activities to keep them off the streets. Local stores and restaurants will participate and rent tables to offer their items. All proceeds will go to charity.

The event will include local bands, including Secret Machines, A Place to Bury Strangers, Dub Trio, Other Passengers, The Sugar Report, Emok and Ruthless Thomas. After party will be held at Pianos.

.....Few people understand this better than Oliver Ackermann, frontman for thunderous Brooklyn three-piece A Place to Bury Strangers: Under his catch-all company name Death by Audio (it's also a music venue, recording studio, and collective), he custom-builds and designs his own hand-wired pedals, which are used by everyone from Lightning Bolt and Serena Maneesh to Wilco, Spoon, and TV on the Radio. Not coincidentally, anyone looking for a quick description of his own band can look to the names he gives these things: Interstellar Overdriver, Supersonic Fuzz Gun, Total Sonic Annihilation. ["A Place To Bury Strangers" = 8.4 = Pitchfork Best New Music]

Continue reading "LUDFEST w/ The Secret Machines & Best New Music's A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (THIS SUNDAY)"

This Friday (the 13th) is the last night ever at Tonic. This Thursday (the 12th) is an Other Passengers record release show. Check out Other Passengers' sick new video for the song "Sick Sick (You, Me & Everyone Else)"...

"The first clip from the huge, widescreen, broken, twisted, massive and brilliant debut album 'We Are All' from Brooklyn's OTHER PASSENGERS. Out May 14 on Something In Construction records in the UK. This clip was shot by legendary underground Chicago film maker Graham Baclagon."

Alex Delivery is opening the Tonic show (no advanced tix). Alex Delivery also just played with Parts & Labor.

Other Passengers also just played one of the last nights at Sin-e (the other Lower East Side that closed in April). Crackers United was there.

Check Tonic's schedule for the other few shows they have left. Vernon Reid was recently added.

BROOKLYNVEGAN BLOG RADIO | THE PLAYLIST - MAY 20, 2006
I was pretty nervous about being on the air for the first time, but overall I'm happy how the first episode of BrooklynVegan Blog radio sounded. To get things started, I ran through the first five months of my blog: August to December 2004. I may continue the format next week by highlighting the first half of 2005. At that rate, I'll be playing brand new music by the 4th or 5th week (and then forever).

Hope you liked it if you listened. Here's the playlist w/ blogified commentary.

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OTHER PASSENGERS @ MERCURY LOUNGE (more)

Other Passengers are the first band I ever wrote about on BrooklynVegan.com. Now they're the first band I ever played on the radio.

1) Other Passengers - In the Belly (MP3) - 4:47

During the first month of August 2004, I also posted pictures of the Zutons @ Mercury Lounge and None More Black @ Knitting Factory.

2) Zutons - Long Time Coming (alternate version) - 2:35
3) None More Black - Banned From Teen Arts - 2:51

I didn't start talking about Lifetime until they reunited, but they're connected to None More Black via None More Black's singer Jason who sang for Kid Dynamite who shared members with Lifetime. Plus, Lifetime and None More Black go good together.

4) Lifetime - Young, Loud and Scotty (MP3) - 1:59

The Decemberists sound nothing like Lifetime, but I was pretty obsessed with them and Joanna Newsom in 2004. So I played the Decemberists followed by Joanna Newsom followed by the Decemberists covering Joanna Newsom followed by Final Fantasy covering Joanna Newsom (which I posted in December 0f 2004).

Actually a live version of the Decemberists covering Joanna Newsom was my second post ever. The Decemberists later recorded it for the 2005 Believer Magazine compilation CD that came out during the summer of '05.

5) The Decemberists - Red Right Ankle 3:29
6) Joanna Newsom - Sprout and the Bean 4:32
7) The Decemberists covering Joanna Newsom - Bridges & Balloons - 3:26
8) Final Fantasy covering Joanna Newsom - Peach, Plum, Pear - 2:45 (get it here)

In December 2004 the NY Times used the term "Freak Folk" to categorize the scene comprised of Joanna, Devendra Banhart, Antony & The Johnsons, and their family of friends....

9) Devendra Banhart - A Sight To Behold (2:26)
10) Antony & The Johnsons - For Today I am a Boy (2:37)
11) Devendra covering Antony - Fistful of Love (6:46)

The Antony cover by Devendra is also on the Believer CD. I first heard it when Devendra performed it live at Tonic in February 2005.

TRIUMPH WAS AT THE PANTY FLASH (more)

Next I pointed out that my blog isn't always about music. In August 2004 the Republican National Convention came to NYC and a company called Axis of Eve staged a protest that consisted of girls and guys stripping to their panties. The protest came in the form of Anti-Bush slogans emblazoned on the undergarments. The pictures I posted from that event went on to become one of the most popular pages ever on BrooklynVegan.com, thanks mainly to a link on Fleshbot. That same month I posted pictures of Sonic Youth @ Webster Hall and Murphy's Law on a boat. Coincidentally, both of those bands sing songs about panties...

12) Panty raid by Murphy's Law - 2:57
13) Panty lies by Sonic Youth - 4:15

FIERY FURNACES | SIREN FESTIVAL 2004 (more)

Scissor Sisters, Franz Ferdinand and Fiery Furnaces - Not only do they share a love of alliteration, they shared a lot of space on my blog in the Fall of 2004. To make matters more complicated, Eleanor from the Fiery Furnaces is dating Alex from Franz Ferdinand, and my friend Michael is dating a girl named Laura (true story).

14) Franz Ferdinand - Michael 3:21
15) Scissor Sisters - Laura 3:40
16) Fiery Furnaces - Chris Michaels 7:53
17) Scissor Sisters covering Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out 4:29
18) Franz Ferdinand - Eleanor put your Boots on 2:50

In "Eleanor put your Boots on" Franz Ferdinand sing about Eleanor from the Fiery Furnaces and Coney Island, more specifically they sing about the Coney Island roller coaster . Some of the earliest concert photos that appear on this blog are of the Fiery Furnaces playing the 2004 Siren Festival in Coney Island. In July of 2005 I found a picture of Eleanor and crew posing in front of the roller coaster from the same day. What does this all mean? It means I need to get more sleep.

BLOC PARTY @ KNITTING FACTORY (more)

Two more exciting things happened in September 2004. Canada's The Arcade Fire released Funeral and the UK's Bloc Party played their first ever NYC shows @ Knitting Factory and Tribeca Grand. Needless to say, those who were reading my website throughout 2004 and 2005 heard a lot about those two bands.

19) Arcade Fire - Haiti 4:07
20) Bloc Party - Blue Light 2:47

ARCADE FIRE @ MERCURY LOUNGE (more)

The CMJ Music Marathon is a yearly music industry conference that takes over all the music clubs in NYC for a few days. This year it begins on October 31, 2006 - the same day CBGB closes forever. October of 2004 hosted the first CMJ while I was blogging. The initial lineup was the subject of my 7th post ever. It was at that CMJ that I saw the Arcade Fire for the first time at Mercury Lounge. Other highlights included a set by Sufjan Stevens at the Museum of Television & Radio for KEXP, Magneta Lane's first U.S. show downstairs at CBGB, and three consecutive nights of Jonah Matranga (Onelinedrawing).

21) Sufjan Stevens - Romulus 4:41
22) Magneta Lane - Kissing is Easy 3:25
23) Onelinedrawing (Jonah Matranga) - Yr Letter 4:01

U2 UNDER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE (more)

In November 2004 I saw the reunited Pixies play in Montreal and U2 play under the Brooklyn Bridge for free. David Bowie also expressed his love for The Arcade Fire and The Secret Machines that month.

24) David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things - 3:14
25) U2 - I will Follow 3:38
26) The Pixies - Debaser (live @ Hammerstein Ballroom) 3:04

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE @ BOWERY BALLROOM (more)

The Pixies' track I played is Debaser live from NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom in December of 2004. It's from one of the eight sold out nights they played there. Each night was taped. Each night had a different opener. One night was Broken Social Scene who played two headlining shows at the Bowery Ballroom the same week. I went to all three shows, so I ended the radio show with an ode to BSS and Arts & Crafts.

27) Broken Social Scene - KC Accidental 3:50
28) Feist - Secret Heart 3:49
29) Jason Collett - Hangover Days w/ Metric's Emily Hanes 4:36
30) Stars - One More Night 5:18

Then I thanked people for listening and reminded them to tune in next week (June 6) for episode two, and to tune in tomorrow (Wednesday) for Gorilla Vs. Bear, and every Monday for Product Shop NYC.

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I didn't mention the next bit on the show, but while I'm reminiscing about 2004, I might as well mention some holiday shows that ended the year on a high note...

JOANNA NEWSOM @ BOWERY BALLROOM (more)

AND...

WILCO @ PIANOS (more)

Previously
Sirius Blog Radio kicks off tonight

PRIESTESS IN MN | 5/4/06 (cred)

Priestess played Mercury Lounge last night. Tonight (Friday May 12) they're playing on a Rocks Off Concert Cruise around Manhattan - with The Unband and Kreisor. Those boat rides are rain or shine - they just suck a little in the rain. Saturday night Priestess is at Maxwell's in Hoboken THEN they're playing a special free midnight show in Williamsburg, Brooklyn right after Other Passengers and the Silent League....

Saturday, May 13th
Something In Construction Presents, Part II this show is FREE FREE FREE with FREE FREE Sparks! @ Union Pool (L train to Lorimer)
8pm - christian silva
9pm - kid casanova
10pm - the silent league
11pm - Other Passengers
12pm - Special Guest Priestess plays the afterparty

Previously
Priestess | Audio Streams | Tour Dates
BV Interviews Other Passengers
Other Passengers @ Mercury Lounge, NYC

Thursday, November 3, 2005
Other Passengers w/Xiu Xiu @ NYU:
Venue: Skirball Center
566 Laguardia Place
All Ages with NYU ID
$7 (w/ NYU ID); $15 General Public - available Day of Show only (if available)

ALSO
* Other Passengers continue their residency @ Pianos tonight
* Ear Farm & Heartonastick like Other Passengers
* Xiu Xiu Collaborate With Larsen, Release Live Album

Previously
Xiu Xiu Xiu Xiu
BV Interviews Other Passengers
Wolf Parade playing NYU w/ Dirty on Purpose

I asked NYC's Other Passengers a few questions about their opening slot at tonight's Sufjan-headlined benefit show, how their lives were affected by Katrina, CMJ, and their upcoming residency at Pianos...

BV: You're playing a Katrina benefit at Bowery Ballroom with Sufjan Stevens, Adam Green, Grizzly Bear, and Akron/Family. Besides being a good deed, it must be a pretty exciting show to be involved with. How did it come about?

OP: Yeah, we are really excited about being part of this bill. Peter DiBari at Fanatic Promotion who organized the show, knew we spent August recording in Louisiana and that we wanted to do anything we could to help out.

Continue reading "BV Interviews Other Passengers"

These photos from Other Passengers' May 19th, 2005 show at Mercury Lounge in NYC. Read their Gothamist interview. Tomorrow (May 29th, 2005) they play "Rock and Roll Brunch" in Williamsburg. Check out their show page for more info.

"If you think that the doom and gloom, post-punk NYC scene has devolved into nothing but a string of bland Interpol-imitators, you need a heavy dose of Other Passengers’ tense and twisting style of indie-rock. Gripping in its eerie darkness, exciting in its motley group of influences, Other Passengers’ sound is something that any fan of glowering, atmospheric post-punk should hear." - Delusions of Adequacy

Continue reading "Other Passengers @ Mercury Lounge, NYC"

'In October 2004, Other Passengers released their debut EP, Is It Nothing to You, All Those Who Pass By?. Spannning 22 minutes, the five members draw influence from a wide range of envelope pushing artists past and present like Can, Jawbox, Bauhaus, Sonic Youth, early Pink Floyd, Eno, RZA, Spacemen 3.'

I like it, and they're good live, so they were my recommendation yesterday on Gothamist's local band feature, New York Music Bloggers Help You Stuff Your Stocking. Check it out.

You can catch Other Passengers, along with the Melody Nelson suggested band, Asobi Seksu, at Merucry Lounge in NYC on New Years Eve.

The Catherine's Pita suggested band, the Hold Steady, topped Spin's list of of the ten best albums you never heard. (link via her site).

Karen Plus One suggested Saints & Lovers. Add her endorsement to the ones previously seen by Central Village and Ultragrrrl.

And lets not forget Sea Ray, chosen by the Real Janelle, who we recently found out is unfortunately breaking up.

More on these bands, and even more blogger recommendations at Gothamist.

pic via camera phone

Friday night I checked out Other Passengers at Plaid (formerly Spa, and before that Life). Plaid became famous in March when Courtney Love bashed a fan in the head with her mic stand.

It was the first time I saw Other Passengers. I wanted to check them out after reading lots of good things, and I wasn't dissapointed. It was one of the loudest shows I've been to in a while (I took another year off my hearing life), but it was well worth it. It was so loud you couldn't even hear the hip hop that was blaring from the room next door. They played an amazing set to the crowd of about 50. The free demos they were giving out were a nice bonus to the free admission. Definitely check them out if you get a chance. They aren't signed YET.

Download:
Theendisthebeginningistheend...
In the belly
Invitation to the City