photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Rachel Kowal

Perfume Genius @ Glasslands

Fitting for a band that shares a label with Xiu Xiu and The Blow, Parenthetical Girls are prone to theatrics. Immediately upon stepping up to the mic at Mercury Lounge, singer Zac Pennington (who wore a tight navy blue sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase "Butterflies are free") began to strike poses and pantomime choice lyrics, casting dramatic shadows onto the wall behind him where projected images of a wide-eyed Shelley Duvall only added to the fantastic absurdity.

Everything Pennington said between songs evoked a laugh from the crowd - even when the subject matter was grim. "I've been hurting myself almost every night of the trip," Pennington revealed with a spastic flourish. "I think I'm going to die on this trip, so hopefully I will make it through this show." (In Austin he wore a bandaid over a cut over his eye.)

As if testing his luck, Pennington leapt out into the sold-out crowd multiple times, dragging his long mic chord behind him and jumping onto the benches lining the sides of the venue to swing from a rafter or bang on a pipe.

Though much of the band's music has an orchestral bent, for the Tuesday night show, they stuck to the basics, relying on the keyboard's extra functions to supplement the absent trumpet or clarinet when necessary (as on "A Song from Ellie Greenwich").

Though quite different in presentation, the touring mates complimented each other nicely. Where dramatic flourishes, sinister undertones, and variations in Parenthetical Girls' discography made for an exciting and often unpredictable show; Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius only needed to lift his fingers across the keys to render the crowd completely silent.

Listening to Hadreas' delicate vocals, I hardly dared to breathe for fear that the noise would somehow interrupt the scene. Even the venue itself seemed to participate in the reverent silence (unlike Glasslands the next night where noise could be heard coming through the wall from the show at 285 Kent next door). The Mercury Lounge A/C, which had been blasting all night, was noticeably absent for the entirety of Perfume Genius' set.

Hadreas' lyrics cover deeply personal terrain (addiction, body image, regret, desperation, homosexuality, and death are just a few of the topics), but somehow the nakedness of his vocals makes the sentiments and emotions he evokes feel universal. And though his songs are often filled with trauma, his music has an oddly triumphant and redemptive quality that more than borders on something spiritual.

For many musicians, writing and performing music is a cathartic experience, but with Hadreas it's something more. He's not just redeeming himself when he sings. Over the course of his short, 45-minute set, he took on all the pain and suffering in the room, effectively redeeming the entire crowd.

PG & PG continue on tour (they're in Chicago tonight). The actual Mercury Lounge Perfume Genius setlist, with pictures from Glasslands (pictured setlist included), below...

Continue reading "Perfume Genius & Parenthetical Girls on tour, played Merc & Glasslands (pics, review, setlist)"

photos by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Parenthetical Girls @ the Parish

Parenthetical Girls recently finished a tour with Los Campesinos! with two shows in Austin. One set of pictures from the final show at the Parish can be seen at BV Austin. Another is in this post.

They've recently been added as openers to the upcoming Perfume Genius tour which hits NYC on April 3 at Mercury Lounge and April 4 at Glasslands. Tickets for the Mercury show and the Glasslands show are still available (though you might want to act quick since Perfume Genius recently got 'Best New Music'). All dates are listed below.

That tour is in support of Perfume Genius's great new album, Put Your Back N 2 It, which came out on 2/21 via Matador. Check out the video for album track "Hood," along with updated dates and more PG pictures from Austin below...

Continue reading "Parenthetical Girls going on tour w/ Perfume Genius (dates), played shows w/ Los Campesinos! (pics)"

Ghost @ the Studio in 2011 (more by Greg Cristman)

today in NYC
* NRBQ @ Iridium Jazz Club
* Alfredo Marin @ The Stone
* Reverend Billy @ Book Court
* Brown Wing Overdrive @ The Stone
* Sharon Van Etten @ Mercury Lounge
* Daniel Kitson @ St. Ann's Warehouse
* The Black Lillies, The Woes @ Joe's Pub
* The Trews, The Robin Electric @ Mercury Lounge
* Ghost, Blood Ceremony, Ancient VVisdom @ Bowery Ballroom
* Land of Leland, Andrew Gregory, Sarah Gregory @ Union Hall
* MIVOS Quartet, Eric Wubbels, Diamond Terrifier @ Littlefield
* Relations, Kristin Flammio, Glass Rifle, The Vaycays @ Cake Shop
* The Manifestation of Bennchoumy, Brown Rice Family @ The Rock Shop
* Madlib (DJ set), J.Rocc, Freddie Gibbs @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* People Get Ready, Rich Aucoin, Landlady, Raccoon Fighter @ Glasslands
* Sean Price, Smif-N-Wessun, Phony Ppl, Maffew Ragazino @ Highline Ballroom
* No One and The Somebodies, Schwervon!, Ghost Light @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* Your Skull My Closet, Pile, Porches, The Due Diligence, Speedy Ortiz @ Death By Audio
* Pretty Good Dance Moves, Tiberius, Phone Home, Brothers, Happy People, Howler @ Pianos
* Notekillers, Kyp Malone, Kid Millions, Greg Fox, Bernard Gann (Jonathan Toubin Benefit) @ Union Pool
* Jonatha Brooke (celebrates Woody Guthrie at 100 - American Songbook series) @ Lincoln Center's Allen Room

Check out This Week in Indie.

Perfume Genius, who has tour dates coming up, has a new video for "Hood," off of his upcoming album, Put Your Back N 2 It. Check it out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

Perfume Genius at Knitting Factory in 2010 (more by Chris Gersbeck)

As mentioned, Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) is releasing Put Your Back N 2 It on February 20 via Matador. You can grab the first single, "All Waters," HERE and preorder the album from the Matador webstore.

He'll tour North America in support of the album this spring, and hit NYC on April 3 at Mercury Lounge and April 4 at Glasslands. Tickets for the Mercury show go on sale Friday (1/13) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (1/11) at noon and tickets for the Glasslands show are on sale now.

All dates below...

Continue reading "Perfume Genius announces 2012 Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD: Perfume Genius - "All Waters" (MP3)

Sam Mickens at Silent Barn in 2010 (more by Amanda Dandaneu)

Sam Mickens of The Dead Science and who also plays as a member of Parenthetical Girls released his solo debut LP, Slay & Slake, in late November. He's following that release with a split 7" with Voice on Tape, which will be out "winter 2011/2012" on Silencio Records. Sam's contribution, which is making its premiere in this post, is a track called "Dark Christmas," and it features a duet with Zac Pennington, who fronts Parenthetical Girls and also sang on Slay & Shake. The song is led by floaty atmospheres, some soft acoustic guitar, and the haunting refrain, "You're gonna love me better when I'm gone." Check it out below. Voice on Tape's contribution to the 7" is a track that features Chelsea Wolfe (who has a new video you can also watch below).

"Dark Christmas" is not to be confused with Sam Mickens' Christmas EP, A Christmas Gift to You, Zac Pennington, which came out yesterday (12/13) and is available to download (for free or as much as you want to give) and stream on bandcamp...

Sam Mickens' newly-out-of-the-vault EP "A Christmas Gift To You, Zac Pennington" was recorded and mixed in one night in Dec. 2010 in the spirit of purest friendship, a private record made for one friend by another. Wrapping up(nearly!) a very prolific year for Mickens, which has seen the release of the Sinistra Secco EP, two singles with his Brooklyn massive the Ecstatic Showband & Revue, and his debut full-length Slay & Slake, this Christmas EP sets down our flight in a nestling snow bank. Have at ye merry gentlemen!

Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It

In related news, fellow Xiu Xiu collaborator Perfume Genius, whose confessional art pop is not so far removed from Sam Mickens, will release the followup to his great 2010 debut, Learning, early next year. The new album, titled Put Your Back N 2 It, comes out on February 21 via Matador. Grab the lead track, "All Waters," at the top of this post and stream it below, along with the artwork and tracklist. The album is available for a 15% off pre-order with a free poster at the Matador webstore on CD/LP.

Song streams, artwork and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Sam Mickens releases Christmas songs (for & with Zac Pennington); Perfume Genius announces LP (MP3s & streams)"

DOWNLOAD: Perfume Genius - "Dreem" (MP3)

Perfume Genius released a new version of Learning. In the words of Matador...

Just in time for the holidays, we're reissuing the devastating debut album from Seattle's Perfume Genius, aka Mike Hadreas, in a new slipcase edition. If you missed 'Learning' when it came out last June, now is your chance to explore the most critically acclaimed album Matador released this year. Get one for yourself, then get another for your loved one.

The new version of the CD comes in a cardboard slipcase with new artwork (above), along with a coupon entitling you to downloads of three new tracks: "Dreeem," "Your Drum" and "Divine Faxes." The new version of the LP is stickered with information about the new tracks, which have been added to the standard download coupon inside.

Pefume Genius and Light Asylum (Did you notice them in the Sunday NY Times?) will play Envelope, the "undisclosed Bushwick event space", on December 15th, one week from today. Tickets are on sale for the show at the new venue that you may have previously caught Marissa Nadler at. BushwickBK.com did...

In a neighborhood with more DIY than licensed music venues, Envelope presents a new approach to the homegrown experience. Envelope hosts only one show a month, with a capacity for only 60 guests. The rest of the time, it operates as a recording studio. Shows have been booked for the next 10 months, but at the moment there are no plans to expand performances beyond the once-monthly showcases.

"We'd really like to keep the programming very special and only host bands that we really love," co-founder Chris Garneau told BushwickBK. "More than one show a month at this point could force us to step off of our initial path."

For Nadler, who played solo on her acoustic guitar, it was a perfect setting. In such an intimate space with minimal amplification, all of the nuances of her recordings were maintained, showcasing her equally delicate vocals and finger picking. Despite the living-room sized set up, Nadler talked little to the crowd, though she acknowledged her timid nature....

Some Perfume Genius videos are below...

Continue reading "Perfume Genius released new songs on a new version of 'Learning', playing NYC show w/ Light Asylum"

photos by Chris Gersbeck

Perfume Genius @ Knitting Factory

"Perfume Genius - This is one of Matador's newest acts, and I have to admit that I never listened to their record when I got it. I actually left during the [Vegas] set and missed most of it. From what I heard from others, they were quite good - even a highlight of the [Matador] festival. Their placement after The Jon Spencer Blues Explosio seemed odd, though." [The Dark Stuff]

Perfume Genius will kick off a European tour on 10/18. All dates, and more pictures from Knitting Factory with opener Sebastian Blanck (no shots of White Ring, unfortunately), below...

Continue reading "Perfume Genius played Matador 21 & Knitting Factory (pics)"

Perfume Genius @ 92YTribeca in July (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Comic Con
* Teen @ Cameo Gallery
* Malika Zarra @ The Stone
* John Hebert @ The Stone
* X Japan @ Roseland Ballroom
* Winterpills @ The Living Room
* Bone Thugs N Harmony @ BB Kings
* Christoph Heemann @ 177 Livingston
* Brad, Happy Chichester @ Bowery Ballroom
* Early Man, Evile, Bonded By Blood, Elks @ Europa
* Doug Paisley, D. Charles Speer & The Helix @ Zebulon
* 5th Annual John Lennon Birthday Celebration @ Mercury Lounge
* Reverend Billy + the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir @ Highline Ballroom (1pm)
* Family Band, The Black Swans, Boy Without God @ Cake Shop
* Perfume Genius, Sebastian Blanck, White Ring @ Knitting Factory
* Corrosion Of Conformity (Animosity lineup), Keelhaul, Today is the Day @ Highline Ballroom
* Puffy Amiyumi, Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, Echostream @ Irving Plaza

What else?

Stereogum listed the "40 Best New Bands of 2010". They have a lot more detail, but you can also check out their list, alphabetically, below...

Continue reading "Stereogum lists the "40 Best New Bands of 2010" "

photos by Amanda Hatfield

"He's a tender, bruised singer, like a less affected Antony. Though he rarely works with much beyond piano, he writes sturdy melodies and arrangements, solid enough to carry his bleak lyrics, doled out frugally.

"Look Out, Look Out," which opened the show, began with spooky, elongated notes played by Alan Wyffels (who played keyboards, the only backing musician) before Mr. Hadreas's piano darkened the mood. The galloping piano line on "You Won't B Here" recalled Coldplay. On "Learning" repeated, bright two-note bursts cut through morbid lower-register chords as Mr. Hadreas sang menacing lines in a hopeful way: "You will learn to mind me/And you will learn to survive/Me.""[NY Times]

If you still haven't listened to the record, it's still streaming. If you're not totally convinced that you should go check him out at Glasslands on Friday night (where I hope to be since I missed the show to see Rufus Wainwright on Tuesday), check out the Seattle studio session videos, with more pictures from 92Y, below...

Continue reading "Perfume Genius played 92yTribeca (pics), in a studio (videos)"

DOWNLOAD: Perfume Genius - Mr. Petersen (MP3)

Guardian UK on perfume Genius

Who is he?
A 26-year-old bedroom balladeer known as Mike Genius, whose intimate, crackle-laden piano pieces sound like Anthony Hegarty getting a glo-fi makeover. As far as trivia is concerned: he lives with his mum in Seattle, was championed early on by Los Campesinos! and likes to appear in press shots covered in colourful bruises (because he's not just damaged inside).

Sound's interesting, but I don't seem to be able to hear anything!
Try turning the volume up. Perfume Genius songs are so frail they're barely audible. It doesn't help that Genius's vocal style is so fractured it makes Wayne Coyne sound like he's auditioning for a gig with Extreme Noise Terror.

Perfume Genius will be in New York for a pair of shows this July: He plays July 20th at 92YTribeca (tickets), and Friday, July 23 at Glasslands with Melati Malay (tickets). I'm looking forward to it.

An enigmatic video (to go along with the stream), album art and tracklist, and details on shows in Paris, Berlin and London are below...

Continue reading "Perfume Genius releasing an album, visiting NYC - full stream, video, MP3 & 2010 tour dates"