photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Father John Misty / Lee Fields / Sharon Van Etten

Saturday (5/18) at Great GoogaMooga in Prospect Park was Misty both onstage and off. J. Tillman (aka Father John Misty) played mid-afternoon set as light, atomizer-like rain frizzed hair and kept everything just a little moist. (Sunday the rain got worse and producers pulled the plug on the event.) Unlike Friday's paid-ticket kickoff event with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Flaming Lips and The Darkness, Saturday's admission was free (though you had to order tickets) and also featured sets from headliners Matt & Kim, plus Lee Fields & the Expressions, Sharon Van Etten, Jovanotti and more. Pictures from Saturday are in this post. Did you brave the not-too-bad-weather for some music, beer and grub?

You can check out Friday pics of YYYs, The Flaming Lips and The Darkness. More pictures from Saturday below...

Continue reading "GoogaMooga day 2 in pics (Father John Misty, Lee Fields, Sharon Van Etten, Matt & Kim ++ more)"

GoogaMooga 2012 (more by Chris La Putt)

Brooklyn food, drink, and music festival The Great GoogaMooga, who we're sure have been working hard on figuring out to do things better the second time around, have announced the lineup for their second year which goes down from May 17 to 19 at Prospect Park. We just mentioned that the fest begins with a kickoff show on the Friday (5/17) with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Flaming Lips, and The Darkness. The rest of the lineup includes Matt & Kim, Father John Misty, Sharon Van Etten, Lee Fields & the Expressions, and more playing on Saturday; and Sharon Jones & the Dap-KIngs, De La Soul (who recently announced a tour with LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and Ice Cube), Cults, The Soul Rebels, Delicate Steve, and more playing on Sunday.

Tickets for the kickoff show and VIP Cocktail Experience tickets for Saturday and Sunday go on sale Thursday (3/28) at noon, and general admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday become available in an online ticket giveaway which runs from April 1 to 3. "Complimentary tickets will be awarded at random and recipients will be notified by email on or before Wednesday, April 10."

Check out pictures of day 1 and day 2 of last year's festival.

Full music food and drink lineup below...

Continue reading "GoogaMooga 2013 lineup & tix (Father John Misty, Sharon Van Etten, De La Soul, Sharon Jones, Matt & Kim, and more)"

The Hold Steady at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more)

Last month, we announced that Truck America is returning to the Catskills in September (the 9th through the 11th) and will be headlined by The Hold Steady and Okkervil River. The only other confirmed bands at the time were Ra Ra Riot and Wye Oak. The lineup has since been updated to include Fruit Bats, Vetiver, The Felice Brothers, CItay, Gary Higgins, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Takka Takka, Hospitality, The Low Anthem and others. Check out the full list below. Early bird tickets are still on sale.

For The Low Anthem, it's one of many dates they just announced including one at Terminal 5 with Iron & Wine.

Speaking of The Hold Steady, frontman Craig Finn posted to his Tumblr that he's making a solo album:

"I'm in Austin TX for a few weeks. Making a record. Staying in a friend's guest house. Got here yesterday. So far so good. I'll be tracking the progress here."

Check out the full Truck America lineup update below...

Continue reading "Truck America expands lineup, Craig Finn working on solo LP"

Thao & Mirah

As partially previously mentioned,

"Thao & Mirah have just announced a full U.S. tour in support or their self-titled debut album, which will be released April 26 on Kill Rock Stars. The album was recorded in a two-week period, with tUnE-YaRdS mastermind Merrill Garbus co-producing, guesting, and writing one song. Thao and Mirah each wrote a new batch of beautiful songs, which were jointly performed and produced by the three with some help from fine Bay Area friends. The album is a collection of songs from two distinctly different, highly respected songwriters, threaded and woven together with the creative energy and freedom of collaboration."
- Kill Rock Stars

Continue reading "Thao is here, announced a tour w/ Mirah (dates)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

The Loom @ Brooklyn Bowl


The Loom played a "Brunch After Dark" show at Brooklyn Bowl on February 9th with Pearl & The Beard & Team B, one of two NYC dates scheduled for The Loom in the month of February. The NYC band is now on tour with The Wailing Wall that wraps at the Rock Shop on Feb 26th with Soft Landing, Rice Cultivation Society, and Christopher Paul Stelling (tickets). Look for them at SXSW too.

Meanwhile, Pearl and the Beard, who also played a pop-up show in Union Square on Saturday afternoon (2/20), are gearing up for a tour of their own that will include SXSW as well as Knitting Factory on April 1 (tickets).

All tour dates, more pictures from Brooklyn Bowl, and some from the Union Square show too, are below.

Continue reading "The Loom, Team B & the Pearl & The Beard played Brooklyn Bowl, playing other places (pics & dates)"

photos by Kimberly Huebner

DOWNLOAD: Alex Winston - Sister Wife (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Alex Winston - Medicine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Alex Winston - Choice Notes (Tomb Crew Remix) (MP3)

Alex Winston @ Communion

Communion, the party co-founded by Mumford & Sons' Ben Lovett, held its first U.S. event on Jan 9th at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. The night included sets by Alex Winston, Emil & Friends, Marques Toliver, Pearl and The Beard, Bobby Long, & Simone Felice, with DJs Neon Gold, Sean Glass and The Knocks. A set of pictures from that show are in this post.

The party continues on January 30th at Public Assembly. On that date Communion will host Royal Bangs, Ambassadors, Sarah Jarosz, David Mayfield Parade, Dawn Landes,and .... Laura Marling whose only other show is opening for Iron & Wine on 1/25 at the Wiltern in LA. Advanced tickets are on sale (and note: this will probably sell out).

Of all of the participants in the 1/30 show, only one is advertising other upcoming NYC dates and that's Austin's Sarah Jarosz...

"Sarah Jarosz is a bluegrass multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter whose first CD, Song Up in Her Head, was released by Sugar Hill Records on June 16, 2009. She was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance for the track "Mansinneedof" from that album. Sarah was born in Austin, Texas on May 23, 1991..." [Wikipedia]

Continue reading "Laura Marling is playing Communion (Sarah Jarosz too), Alex Winston played the last one -- pics & tix"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Alex Winston - Sister Wife (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Alex Winston - Medicine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Alex Winston - Choice Notes (Tomb Crew Remix) (MP3)

Alex Winston

Detroit singer-songwriter Alex Winston is starting the new year with a few shows before heading out to Europe in February. She'll be in Brooklyn tonight, January 9th, at Public Assembly for the Communion launch party with Emil & Friends, Marques Toliver, Pearl and The Beard, Bobby Long, and Simone Felice. Alex is the headliner, and there will be DJ sets by The Knocks, Neon Gold and Sean Glass.

Communion (not to be confused with the old Tuesday night party at Limelight) is a music community in London founded by Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons), Kevin Jones (Cherbourg) and producer Ian Grimble and has been responsible for showcasing emerging and established British music. The Public Assembly show on January 9 is Communion's debut showcase in New York. It's fitting that Alex Winston is performing at the first showcase, considering she covered Mumford & Sons' "The Cave" for her Covers EP.

Winston was also at Public Assembly for the Neon Gold/Chess Club Showcase this past CMJ. I caught her at that show. Winston takes strong inspiration from Motown girl groups and crafts nostalgic pop songsm but she sets herself apart from her predecessors, by using the pop song formula to showcase more thought provoking lyrics. Her stage persona shifted from dramatic to funny multiple times and she never fails to deliver as a vocalist or performer. Winston has yet to release an album, but that will change on March 8th when her debut, "Sister Wife" is released by HeavyRoc. The Mini LP was produced by The Knocks and Charlie Hugall. Download two tracks from that album (one remixed) above.

All dates and the Communion flyer below...

Continue reading "Alex Winston releasing 'Sister Wife' (MP3), playing Communion (Ben Lovett's new series of showcases in Brooklyn)"

Tombs @ the Studio in 2009 (more by Jason Jamal Nakleh)

today in NYC
* H2O on a boat
* Robert Black @ The Stone
* Ute Lemper @ Joe's Pub (early & late)
* Leon Russell @ Mexicali Live (NJ)
* Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio @ Jazz Standard
* Forest Fire, Oh Land, Normandy @ Glasslands
* Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog, Springs @ The Rock Shop
* Diddy, Rick Ross, Ciara & more @ Governors Island
* Hannibal Buress, King Sickabilly @ Knitting Factory
* Miya Masaoka, Mary Halvorson, Okkyung Lee @ The Stone
* Reid Paley Trio, Sam Chanse, Sugar Life @ Knitting Factory
* Nullsleep, Bit Shifter, Glomag, NO CARRIER @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Tombs, Radiation, Planks, Gods & Queens, Dawn @ Death By Audio
* Chromeo, The Suzan, Telephoned, Kid Sister @ Williamsburg Waterfront
* Metal Rouge, Sam Hamilton, Jane Austen, Greg Fox, Diablo @ Silent Barn
* Seaven Tears (Charlie Looker), Tartar Lamb (Toby Driver), Music of the American Avante-Garde (Bracken/Kidambi) @ Zebulon
* Religious To Damn, Fielded, Psychic Steel, Kevin Hufnagel @ Bruar Falls
* The Big Sleep, Fan-Tan, Sensual Harassment, Replicas, Michna (DJ Set) @ Cameo
* Mia Riddle, Pearl & The Beard, Madison Square Gardeners (Farm To Folk Fest) @ Union Pool (see below)
* New York Night Train's Ya Ya Yacht w/ DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin & DJ Ian Svenonius
* Saviours, Priestess, Ramming Speed, Antidote [NYHC 1983], Rorschach DJ's, Hamsoken, Gatekeeper, Cult of Youth, Naam, Titan, Natur, Snake Sustaine, Primitive Weapons, Cleen Teeth @ Santos Party House
* K Holes, Electric Tickle Machine, My Teenage Stride, Food Stamps, Weekends, Weed Hounds, Shark?, Lost Boy, The Runaway Suns, The Caterpillers (and much more) @ Don Pedro (see below)

A lot to do today for a rainy Sunday at the end of a slow week.

Individual tickets are on sale today for the 2010-2011 NY Philharmonic concert season.

To make sure they don't get shut down, tonight's sold out H2O show happening on a Rocks Off boat is going to be dry ("Our First Ever NO BOOZE CRUISE - Straight Edge on the Hudson!"), which is ironic since those that step outside will probably not be dry at all thanks to the H2O coming down from the sky.

Good thing there's going to be a Pool Party on August 29th. Otherwise they would have went out on a rainy note. If it doesn't get cancelled, Chromeo, The Suzan, Telephoned, and previously-known-as "Special Guest" Kid Sister play the free show at the Williamsburg Waterfront today.

Today is the day The Specials were supposed to play in the rain at Central Park Summerstage.

Though there are still free events, there are no more free concerts on Governors Island this summer, which means tonight's potentially-soggy Diddy fans paid for their tickets. Same situation for the Jonas Brothers fans at Jones Beach.

Two indoor options today include "Farm to Folk Fest" at Union Pool (3-8pm) and "My Endless Summer" at Don Pedro from 4pm to 4am. Flyers and more information for both below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

DOWNLOAD: Pearl and the Beard - Lost In Singapore (w/ Franz Nicolay) (MP3)

Franz Nicolay w/ Hold Steady @ Coachella '09 (more by Darren Kim)

You should know: I've left The Hold Steady. I told the band I'd be leaving in early September, played my last show with them in Minneapolis around Thanksgiving, and dotted the t's and crossed the i's this week. Five years seemed like a nice round number. Thanks to everyone who was a part of the experience, especially the Unified Scene, who are nice folks. I'll see you all soon in any case. [FranzNicolay.com]

Franz has some solo shows coming up (in addition to his collaborative projects). He plays Knitting Factory on February 26th for a show with Tim Fite and Toronto band Zeus. Tickets are on sale. He'll also be touring the UK in March.

His band Guignol will be playing Freddy's Backroom on February 2nd with The Debutante Hour, Phoebe Kreutz and Otis Pike.

In 2009, he collaborated with Pearl and the Beard, putting accordion to the track above, off their album God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richardson. Pearl and the Beard have a show coming up this weekend, Saturday, January 23rd at Mercury Lounge, where they'll play with Xylos, Team Genius, Echo Station, The Static Jacks and Valerie June. Tickets are on sale. Their "Will Smith Medly" video is below, along with some Franz videos and all tour dates...

Continue reading "Franz Nicolay quits the Hold Steady, playing shows, collaborating (w/ Pearl & the Beard, others)"

DOWNLOAD: DJ Ayres & DJ Eleven - Glamourous Life 3 (mix) (MP3)

There's no single New Year's Eve option that is like OMG this year, but the amount of options does keep increasing. We've learned about a bunch more events since our first roundup, and many of them were then covered in subsequent posts. Here are even more....

One potentially really good one is happening at the Old American Can Factory with The Rub. Built by MeanRed hosts . Tickets are on sale. Grab a new free mix from the The Rub's DJ Ayres and Eleven above. Flyer for the event below.

The Rub sometimes play Southpaw on New Years Eve, but that Brooklyn venue hosts two separate shows this year instead (Felice Brothers is sold out, but tickets still available for Dean & Britta).

If you have a lot of money to burn, Standard Hotel's Boom Boom Room is selling $250 to $750 tickets for a night that features a performance by Courtney Love (of Facebook fail fame). Get your spot here. A flyer, just to show it's not too good to be true (that is if she shows up), below.

Public Assembly is hosting a party with DJs from The Ohio Party. Tickets (with open bar and not) are on sale.

Team Robespierre headlines Bruar Falls. Full lineup below.

92YTribeca has a party too with "music, comedy, visual and conceptual art." A lengthy list of those involved is below. Tickets are on sale.

Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids and Scott Durday of the Soundmen are playing a party in NoHo. Flyer below.

Union Hall hosts Project Jenny Project Jan and DJs. Tickets are on sale. Its sister venue The Bell House has Obits and Eli Reed.

Glasslands promises an "extravaganza" with locals Golden Triangle and Electric Tickle Machine.

And remember, Gogol Bordello play pre-NYE shows December 27th-29th at Webster Hall (they're in Charlottesville, VA, for NYE itself). Tickets are still on sale.

Tickets are also on sale for the previously-mentioned Europa Trouble & Bass bash, with DJs "AC Slater/B. Rich/Udachi/The Captain(T&B)/Stareyes(T&B)/Jubilee/VDRK/Bradley D." Flyer below

One stay-at-home option includes watching the Times Square "action" via the live feed while browsing the Brooklyn Vegan archives. The embedded Times Square feed, event flyers and two Will Smith-related videos are below...

Continue reading "more New Year's Eve parties & shows (The Rub, Courtney Love, Golden Triangle, a Times Square stream & more)"

Talk Normal @ MHOW earlier this month (more by Lori Baily)

tonight in NYC
* Pearl & The Beard @ Joe's Pub
* Talk Normal, Knyfe Hyts 81, Antimagic @ Cake Shop
* Fader Bowl w/ Dam-Funk, Cubic Zirconia @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Jack Wright Trio w/ Damon Smith & Mike Pride @ Zebulon
* Florence and the Machine, Holly Miranda @ Bowery Ballroom
* Dufus, Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players @ House of Yes
* Vic Chesnutt Band, Clare & the Reasons, Liz Durrett @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Har Mar Superstar, Five O'Clock Heroes, Bang Bang Eche, Previously on Lost @ Mercury Lounge

Brooklyn's Pearl and the Beard kick off a tour with a record release show at Joe's Pub tonight. This afternoon they were on WNYC.

Vic Chesnutt's all-star band visits Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight after hitting Bowery last night. Clare & the Reasons and Liz Durrett open.

Vic's band includes Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and members of Thee Silver Mt. Zion/Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Witchies. Holly Miranda's backup band tonight isn't too shabby either - she plays in front of Nada Surf at Bowery Ballroom. Florence and the Machine headlines that show.

Tonight Fader Bowl presents a free show with Dam-Funk and Cubic Zirconia at Brooklyn Bowl.

Cake Shop hosts Talk Normal, Knyfe Hyts 81 and Antimagic. Talk Normal's new video for "In a Strangeland" is posted below. Their debut Sugarland is out today (10/27) on Rare Book Room Records.

Har Mar Superstar's tour visits Mercury Lounge with Five O'Clock Heroes, Bang Bang Eche and Previously on Lost.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

photos by Chris La Putt

"It looks likes Patience retro-fitted a pair of cowgirl boots on top of some Chuck Taylors. She's just a regular-ole DIY shoe cobbler. This is what it has come to, I'm talking about her shoes -- a sign that I have run out of things to talk about...

...This is third time I've seen them at Mercury. Like they have before, they played in front of Tigercity. The first time I saw them back in 2006, they were on killer line-up with Corinne Bailey Rae and The Guillemots. Anyway, they always throw down the good times. It hasn't gotten old for me, seeing Pae jump around like a mad woman and displaying her outgoing personality." [Music Snobbery]

Continue reading "The Grates & Pearl & the Beard @ Mercury Lounge in NYC - pics & setlist"