photos by Lori Baily, words by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Carsick Cars - You Can Listen You Can Talk (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Carsick Cars - Zhong Nan Hai (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: PK-14 - Behind All Ruptures (MP3)

PK-14 @ Glasslands

Arriving late [to powerHouse Arena on November 5th] I found the place packed, but I was just able to set up in time to get Xiao He's last tune. This piece was a lengthy improv involving electronic looping, acoustic guitar, and Mongolian style throat-singing - all to bewitching effect. Next up were the catchily named Carsick Cars, a young and winsome trio who played just three songs, opening with the liberating 'You Can Listen You Can Talk' and closing with - reportedly a Chinese underground anthem - Zhong Nan Hai - a silly song about a popular cigarette brand that just happens to be named after the seat of Chinese Government. The point being, as I understand it, that being punk is being beyond politics. Lastly came P.K.14, apparently elder statesmen of the movement. Sporting a tight Swedish drummer, and singing in pure mandarin, one could discern a wide mix of influences from pop to punk, to post-punk, to freak-out rock. I've picked two tunes from them - the more melodic 'Eden' and the wild closer 'Some Surprises Happen Too Soon'. [Punkcast]

Punkcast was at the "China Underground Invasion" tour's kick off show on November 5th at powerHouse Arena. It was one of the four NYC shows for the tour that've already happened. Another was the next night (11/6) at Glasslands with These are Powers and Soft Circle. Pictures from the Glasslands show are above and below.

The trio of acts return to NYC on Friday, November 20th (TONIGHT) for a gig with The Octagon at UWS club Ding Dong Lounge with The Octagon. They follow that up with a tour-ending show at Secret Project Robot (NOT Monster Island Basement as originally listed in their dates) with Knyfe Hyts 81 and Aa on Saturday (Nov. 21). Knyfe Hyts 81 also have a show booked tonight in Manhattan with Sleigh Bells and Javelin.

Their label, Maybe Mars, lists one more stop for the gang. Guitarist Zhang Shouwang (from Carsick Cars) and Xiao He are slated to appear at the closing Performa 09 event, Scratch the Grand Finale at (Le) Poisson Rouge on November 22nd. But that isn't quite a conventional show - the fest writes that "invited artists will be asked to present a five to ten minute work responding to the following subtitles: Dining on Radio Waves; Lust is a Force; Between Noise & Silence; Songs for Architects; and Motion & Magic. The stage will be set with a arrangement of musical and Futurist inspired instrumentation and means from record decks, green light to perfume and the bassoon." Tickets are on sale.

Speaking of unconventional gigs, These Are Powers' next performance will be November 21st at Galapagos for a free edition (RSVP) of Cinema 16 (silent film+live band). For their set, the group will be scoring a pair of PSAs and one educational video from the '60s and '70s. Included in those will be "One Got Fat: Bicycle Safety" from 1963, summarized as such: "A group of children, wearing ape masks, the dangers of biking the hard way in this strange and dark PSA."

More pictures from the Glasslands show, videos via Punkcast from the powerHouse Arena gig, and more details on the upcoming shows are below...

Continue reading "Carsick Cars, PK-14, Xiao He played powerhouse Arena (videos) & Glasslands (pics), playing more shows this week"

Fischerspooner @ Performa 09 kick-off at MoMA (more by Ryan Muir)

Performa 09, a visual/performance art fest in its third year, kicked off on November 1st with a performance by Fischerspooner at the MoMA. But there are still plenty of events left in the three-week fest, which runs through November 22nd.

Music-related highlights include Lee Ranaldo and Text of Light performing a live score to "Berlin: Symphony of a Great City" in High Line Park (which is sold out, though there is a wait list).

For another piece of the fest, Mike Kelley of Destroy All Monsters is putting on a two-day experimental noise mini-fest, "A Fantastic World Superimposed on Reality: A Select History of Experimental Music," on November 20th and 21th at Gramercy Theater. The work of "John Cage, Fred Frith, Fluxus, Bruce Nauman and Max Neuhaus" will be featured with performances by Airway, Joan La Barbara, Tony Conrad, Jad Fair & Lumberob, Arto Lindsay, Genesis Breyer P.Orridge & Thee Majesty, z'ev, and John Zorn. Tickets are on sale. More details are below. A full calendar of out-there (and some free) events can be found HERE.

You'll have a non-Performa chance to see Fischerspooner this Thursday (11/12) when they DJ at Santos for their single release show/Cloak and Dagger party. The single in question is called "Supply & Demand" and it comes out November 17th on Dim Mak. A remix is available on RCRDLBL. Rounding out the lineup for the party (according to the flyer) will be Junior Sanchez, Ninjasonik, Hot Pink Delorean, Team Facelift, Staccato, Michna, Loose Cannons and "special secret guests." Tickets (with a limited number of reduced admission tix) are on sale. A flyer is below.

A few clips from the fest's growing YouTube channel (including Fischerspooner at MoMA and a symphony for ping pong balls) are also posted below...

Continue reading "Performa 09 continues (w/ Destroy All Monsters, Lee Ranaldo, Genesis P-Orridge, John Zorn, more) ++ Ficherspooner DJing Cloak & Dagger @ Santos"