Devin @ Public Assembly in 2010 (more by Leia Jospe)

The Brooklyn-based Devin, who recently opened for Suckers (also on Frenchkiss Records) at Knitting Factory, and, as mentioned, JEFF The Brotherhood at Maxwells, will be playing a free Valentine's Day show Tuesday at Pianos before heading out on tour with the Heartless Bastards. That tour hits Webster Hall on 2/24. Hacienda are also on the bill. Tickets for the Webster Hall show are still on sale.

The Pianos show is part of a 2-floor, free party that also includes downstairs sets by St. Lucia (part of their February residency at the LES venue) and Tiny Victories, and upstairs music by MNDR (DJ set), Make Out & Psychobuildings. Flyer below.

Devin's debut LP, Romancing, is out on April 10th, via Frenckiss who also released his 3-song EP at the end of 2011. The full album tracklist and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Devin announces LP, playing free NYC show w/ DJ MNDR, touring w/ Heartless Bastards (dates)"

photos by Erik Erikson, words by Bill Pearis

2:54

UK band 2:54's new EP, Scarlett, sounds amazing: rolling flinty basslines, layer upon layer of guitar haze and the alluring vocals of Colette Thurlow. (Her sister Hannah provides much of the aforementioned haze.) As well it should, the record was mixed by Alan Moulder who provided polish for Ride, My Bloody Valentine and Curve (whom 2:54 most resemble) in the early '90s.

Though they didn't quite hit those stellar sonics live last night at Pianos (12/30) -- their second-ever American show and a short one at maybe six songs -- what they did have in spades is promise. Colette suffered through microphone feedback problems and there was a crackle running through the speakers on the first couple songs. 2:54 also seemed a little green, not quite jelled as a cohesive unit. But when it did -- like on "Cold Front" with its spare, skeletal arrangement -- you felt that in six months or so these Brits are gonna get there. And hopefully we'll be saying "the records are good, but you really have to see them live."

Openers were Caged Animals, the new band from Soft Black's Vincent Cacchione who sound like a big hug. Warm and poppy, except for the last song where things turned briefly feral (hooting and strange faces). I only caught the last three songs, but I thought they were terrific when they opened for Metronomy during CMJ. They have it pretty together for as new an endeavor as Caged Animals are. Catch them again tonight (12/1) at Big Snow Buffalo Lodge with Shilpa Ray, EULA & Quilty.

More pictures from the Manhattan show (their first US show was at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn one night earlier), below...

Continue reading "2:54 made their US debut, played Pianos w/ Caged Animals (pics & review)"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Crystal Antlers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

"The [Crystal] Antlers's new Two-Way Mirror (Recreation Ltd.) offers more proof of a band that could aim for tight songwriting if they pleased, but chose to do otherwise. The whiny organ in "Way Out" and the skronky sax in "Always Afraid" are more about mood and texture than about conventionally handsome sounds. At the same time, Antlers' music is growing more sonorous and confident with experience: "Summer Solstice" has a smart, relatively clean melody, and "Jules' Story" moves with the inexorability of a tide." [Boston Phoenix]

All tour dates, some songs, and more pictures from their opening set in Brooklyn last night, below...

Continue reading "Crystal Antlers on tour w/ WU LYF, played MHOW (pics), headline a show @ Pianos tonight"

One of the many artists in NYC for CMJ was Denver, CO's Drew Englander aka R E A L M A G I C. If you missed him, he added another show - a free one even, and it happens at Pianos at 1am tonight (10/27).

R E A L M A G I C's only other upcoming date is Purchase Fall Fest which happens at SUNY Purchase this Saturday (10/29).

One couple flew up from Florida just to see Emmy the Great perform a sole U.S. show at Pianos on May 4th. That same couple requested Emmy play "Two Steps Forward," but Emmy didn't get to it on stage, so she played it out front on Ludlow Street after the show. Watch from two angles, in the videos below...

Continue reading "Emmy the Great finished her set out on Ludlow St. (video)"

"Anyone who considers the Beauties "just a bar band" will be pleasantly surprised by their debut album. While the Dakota favourites could easily have treated the full-length as a recorded document of their rollicking, booze-soaked live shows, they instead crafted an album of legitimately strong, diverse rock songs.

Those familiar with the band's live heroics will get satisfaction from the shout-along blues hooks of Tired Fired Blues and Die Die Die, while Hearts Are Down offers up twangy, catchy pop balladry, and a cover of Holly Golightly's Devil Do pads its populist chorus with heavy riffing and crisp production.

Not everything works, like the six-minute dirge Heaviest Of The World, but the album still proves that the Beauties have outgrown their bar-band roots." [NOW Toronto]

All dates and another video is down there too...

Continue reading "Toronto's the Beauties kicking off Pianos residency (Kevin Drew will play with them at the final one)"

photos by Jessica Amaya, words by Bill Pearis

ARMS

Week two of ARMS' residency at Pianos was a super strong line-up of local talent and one of the better overall shows I've been to in a long time.

Much of ARMS' set was new songs from the band's proper debut, a "sci-fi break up album" that's due, hopefully, this summer. Judging by what we got last night, ARMS are definitely reaching for the stratosphere and may well achieve liftoff. The new songs sound big, with equal-sized hooks, played with an assurance. I was really impressed by their set -- they could be this year's Antlers with whom they occupy the same sonic space. You've got two more chances to see ARMS' during their February residence, you should really go if you can.

Hospitality almost stole the show for me. It had been a while since I'd seen this trio, who only gig sporadically but must practice often because they were tight, confident and surprisingly loud. While some of their music leans in the demure, Belle & Sebastian direction, some of the new material kinda rocked in an undistorted kind of way. They played a number of new songs I hadn't heard before, all of which were good. Hospitality's long-overdue debut is coming out this summer. 2011 could really be their year too.

Somehow I'd never seen Radical Dads before despite them gigging all the time. I'd always assumed Robbie Guertin played guitar for the band, as he does for Uninhabitable Mansions and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. But he's actually their drummer -- and a really good one. Musically, the bassless trio sorta reminded me of the early '90s DC indie, and could have fit on Simple Machines Records alongside Liquorice, Tsunami or Scrawl.

Openers were Translations, whose bassist also plays in ARMS. Their double A-side debut was one of my favorite singles of last year and this was my first time seeing them. There's a sort of dustbowl sound to them, a little Dwayne Eddy twang that works well with Andrew Fox's vocals that are part Robert Pollard and part Don Henley. There's a new wave bent to them as well and at times -- like on the sprawling "The M.O." -- it really opens up and soars. The band have new singles out this spring, something to look forward to.

Next week's ARMS residency is with The Silent League, Your Youth, Inlets and Thunder & Lightning (which is the new band from Brent Katz who was Todd Goldstein's bandmate in Harlem Shakes).

Jessica Amaya shot some great (looking and sounding) video of ARMS and Hospitality which you can see below, along with more pictures of all the bands from last night.

Continue reading "ARMS played Pianos w/ Hospitality, Radical Dads & Translations (pics & video)"

DOWNLOAD: Headless Horseman - "1CHRD" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Headless Horseman - "Snow Day" (MP3)

This Friday (2/4) and, every other Friday in February at Pianos, is reserved for Headless Horseman, the Brooklyn duo who recently dropped their five-song digital LP on Bandcamp. Stream it in full below, and download a pair of tracks from a forthcoming "digital seven-inch" due via Greedhead (above).

Fareed & Conner of HH will focus their energies on new material at Pianos, and have roped in a crew of notables during the four week stint. The residency kicks off on 2/4 with sets by Family Portrait, Beige, Mega Fortress, and Philip Seymour Hoffman while Nate of Cults DJs the affair (tickets).

The 2nd week (2/11) features Tony Castles, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson & Brahms on DJ duty (tickets), while a mystery headliner plays with DADS (featuring Hima Suri of Das Racist + Quinn Walker of Suckers) and Blood Orange and a DJ set from Das Racist on 2/18 (tickets). The residency closes on 2/25 with Popo & Android Lust and more TBA (no advanced tickets for that yet). The full lineups and flyer are below.

Meanwhile, Yellow Ostrich kicks off their February residency at Pianos tonight (2/3), and the ARMS residency is already underway.

Cults and Brahms both have other dates in the near future too. As discussed, Cults, Magic Kids, and Superhumanoids are scheduled to take on Knitting Factory on March 30th(tickets) and March 31 at Mercury Lounge (tickets) as part of a larger Cults campaign to SXSW and on to Coachella. Brahms is scheduled to DJ Asobi Seksu's show at Mercury Lounge (tickets) and play Glasslands on 2/24 with Acrylics and New Moods (tickets).

More details on the HH residency, more Brahms dates, the digital 7-inch and the Headless Horseman album stream is below....

Continue reading "Headless Horseman take residency at Pianos (MP3, dates)"

Yellow Ostrich @ Mercury Lounge on 1/4 (more by David Andrako)

Once January (and Linfinity) disappears, LES venue Pianos will have some more residencies to contend with. One of those is for Yellow Ostrich who will be there every Thursday night in February. All four shows including the final night with "additional secret headliner" are on sale.

ARMS are the other band taking residency at Pianos (again) in Feb, and their four Wednesday shows are also on sale. They also have a secret guest listed on their final show.

Meanwhile, as Bill pointed out, you can also catch Yellow Ostrich at Shea Stadium this Saturday night (1/15).

Full Pianos lineups so far, below...

Continue reading "Yellow Ostrich & ARMS taking residency @ Pianos too"

Wes, Jay Mankind, Matt Singer, Casey Shea, Derek James & others

Big announcement! Wes and I [Jay] have decided to make some big changes to Cross-Pollination. Amid a swirl of emotions, the last shows at Pianos are upon us. We'll be downstairs for the next six weeks wrapping up what some (we) would call a legendary era. We've invited back many old friends and faves. Here's how it looks so far:

AUG 3 :: Matt Singer & Sunroom
AUG 10 :: Cabin & Rana Santacruz
AUG 17 :: Misty Boyce & Luke Wesley
AUG 24 :: TBA & The Canon Logic
AUG 31 :: Chris Cubeta & Casey Shea
SEP 07 :: CROSS-POLLINATION 300!!

Dam-Funk And Master Blazter is playing Bowery Ballroom on June 12th. Tickets are on sale.

Tame Impala is playing Pianos on June 24th. Tickets are on sale.

Brahms is playing Pianos on May 1st (with ARMS / Bell / Aislyn & Wet Bandits aka Passion Pit DJs), May 25 (with Das Racist / Gordon Voidwell / Shadowbox & DJ Aaron Pfenning) and June 1st (with Class Actress / Tony Castles / Baby Alpaca / Cool Places Soundsystem DJ). Tickets for all three shows are on sale.

Das Racist also play the LES venue on May 20th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are now on sale for the Peggy Sue show happening at Pianos.

Peter Wolf Crier, Pocahaunted, Greg from Bouncing Souls, and other Pianos shows are on sale too.

Tickets are on sale for the Heartless Bastards / Peter Wolf Crier shows at Bowery & MHOW.

Tickets are on sale for a lot of Black Crowes shows at Nokia Theatre.

Tickets are on sale for the Vatican Commandos (featuring Moby) hardcore show at Mercury Lounge.

Swans and Danzig tickets went on sale.

Zola Jesus Glasslands tickets are on sale.

A Toro y Moi show at Glasslands is on sale.

Weezer & other Waterfront & Governors Island shows on sale.

Tickets are on sale for the Cass McCombs show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for two Empire of the Sun shows at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on sale for the Black Mountain show at Knitting Factory.

Passion Pit @ Terminal 5 on January 10th (more by Samantha Marble)

Passion Pit and Tokyo Police Club are already setup for a Tuesday, June 29th show at Prospect Park Bandshell. Tickets for that are gone. They'll follow up the show with a June 30th show at Colonels' Row @ Governors Island. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 19th at noon (presale info TBA).

Members of Passion Pit will be DJing down at SXSW this year. You can catch them Friday during the day at the BV/DailyMotion party at Club DeVille, and then Saturday during the day at a Pianos day party. Yes, the same Pianos they DJ'd at on New Years Eve.

Also on Governors' Island this summer: a 12-hour theatrical performance of Dostoyevsky's "The Demons," put on by Lincoln Center.

All Passion Pit tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Passion Pit/Tokyo Police Club add Governors Island show - updated 2010 tour dates & other stuff"

DOWNLOAD: Choir of Young Believers - Action/Reaction (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Arms - Arms EP (SENDSPACE - ZIP)

by Gabi Porter

Choir of Young Believers...

Denmark's Choir of Young Believers were in town for a pair of pre-SXSW shows - the second of those was at Pianos on March 11th with NYC's own Arms (a band that features Todd Goldstein, formerly of Harlem Shakes).

The Pianos show was so good it gave me goosebumps. Choir of Young Believers remind me of a Zbigniew Preisner soundtrack. Really lush and melancholy, haunting melodies played with a kind of cathedral grandness. So many bands use reverb to cover up flawed vocals, but Choir of Young Believers use it to paint a giant soundscape for their music.

And ARMS might be my favorite NY band of the moment. They have such great songs, really dense full of lots of angsty minor keys, but instead of languishing in endless slow dance numbers, they keep an energetic pace. It's as if your doldrums decided to write a collection of anthems to celebrate being a little down at the mouth.

Choir of Young Believers go on to play SXSW, as do Arms, whose dates are below.

You can download a free copy of Arms' new EP above, and grab a track off Choir of Young Believers' This is for the White in Your Eyes, above. A video of the latter playing on KEXP with more pictures from Pianos, below...

Continue reading "Arms & Choir of Young Believers played Pianos in NYC - pics & more tour dates (SXSW) "

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

The Shout Out Louds were fantastic on Monday night (3/1). Their first show in New York in almost two years, the Swedish quintet were already in top form as they set out for an extensive tour in support of their new record Work. A 17-song set that flowed well, mixed perfectly between new and old material. Older songs like "Please, Please, Please" (from Howl Howl Gaff Gaff) led easily into "Fall Hard", arguably the best song off the new record. Adam Olenius sang with conviction and intensity and the whole band produced a swagger and confidence that they maintained throughout the show. The sold out Music Hall crowd sang along on several songs, especially "Very Loud" and later on set closer, the epic "Hard Rain", was every bit as moving as it is on record. For the encore the band played Our Ill Wills' other lengthy track. "Impossible", then finished off the show with a raucous version of "Walls", the single from the new record.

Freelance Whales opened the show which was one night before they played on the Bedford L subway platform.

Shout Out Louds also played a Tuesday night show, but theirs was in a regular club (at Pianos in Manhattan). And they play again TONIGHT (3/3). It's a secret show. Both NYC setlists and more pictures from the Brooklyn show, below...

Continue reading "Shout Out Louds played MHOW w/ Freelance Whales & then Pianos - pics & setlists"

"In celebration of the release of their new album Work, Shout Out Louds are in New York to play a sold out show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn tonight. As a special surprise, Shout Out Louds will play a free show tomorrow, March 2nd at Pianos on Ludlow Street, Lower East Side. No tickets necessary, but space is extremely limited! First come, first served! The show starts at 7 p.m."

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Inlets - Bright Orange Air (MP3)

Inlets @ Music Hall of Williamsburg last February (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Inlets, the musical project of Sebastian Krueger, will finally release its long-awaited debut album, Inter Arbiter, on April 20th through twosyllable. Krueger is best known for playing with Shara Worden/My Brightest Diamond, Osso String Quartet, DM Stith and others. Inlets was established with its 2006 EP, Vestibule, and the debut album isn't short on guests either, with contributions from Zach Condon, Angel Deradoorian, and Osso's Marla Hansen. The track above, "Bright Orange Air," is a devilish piece of minor key pop.

Inlets will play a Friday, March 12th show at 92YTribeca with Bell and Glass Ghost (whose tour dates are below). Tickets are on sale.

Inlets are also playing an invite-only early show at Pianos this Friday (2/12). You can't buy tickets, but we have two pairs of tickets to give away - information on those is below.

Contest details, more album info, and all tour dates (including Inlets at SXSW) are below...

Continue reading "Inlets - debut record (MP3) & tour dates - 92YTribeca, SXSW & an invite-only show at Pianos (win tix) "

DOWNLOAD: You Say Party! We Say Die! - Laura Palmer's Prom" (Los Campesinos Remix) (MP3)

Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos just released their third record, Romance Is Boring, on Arts & Crafts at the end of January. It's their first LP since keyboardist Aleks left the band to go back to school last year. She's been replaced by frontman Gareth's sister Kim on keys and vocals. A video for the record's title track is below.

Speaking of Arts & Crafts, it seems like the Canadian label has been especially busy lately. Upcoming album releases for them include Jason Collett and Zeus, and most excitingly, Broken Social Scene.

Los Campesinos! plays the UK and Europe in February and March before coming stateside in April. They'll be in NYC for an April 22nd show at Irving Plaza. Tickets are on sale.

The above-linked MP3 is a new remix LC! did for Canadian band You Say Party! We Say Die! (that's a lot of !'s). YSP!WSD! has an upcoming tour as well. Dates (in full below) include SXSW and a March 29th show at Pianos in NYC. Speaking of SXSW!, it was just announced that !!! will actually be there too.

The LC! tracklist for their new record, new video and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Los Campesinos! released an album (video), remixed You Say Party! We Say Die! (MP3) - 2010 tour dates (for both bands)"

photos by Diana Wong

NEN: Your music is very reminiscent of 1970s feel-good, radio-friendly rock. Who are your influences?

Free Energy: Beethoven, Yngvie Malmsteen, Lindsey Buckingham, AC/DC, and '70s radio friendly rock.

If you could support any act in the world, who would it be?

Free Energy: Grand Funk Railroad but we'll support whichever act provides the most nutritious and lavish rider.

Continue reading "Free Energy played Pianos (pics), play Brooklyn Bowl tonight"

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

JBM played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th. More pictures from his set below...

Continue reading "JBM @ Pianos in NYC (BV CMJ) - pics "

photos by Ryan Muir

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

"I paid a visit to the LES to catch Swedish/Norwegian singer Karin Park make her NY debut. Park's band which consists of herself (vocals/keyboards) and her brother David Park (drums) took the stage at Pianos.

For those unfamiliar with her work, she plays deliciously groovy electro-pop. I myself was just recently introduced to Park's music so I wasn't sure what to expect live. It's always nice to walk into a show not knowing what to expect and walk away afterwards pleased with what you saw. While it was a short set, it was an effective set and an excellent introduction. I'm absolutely hooked on "Ashes" and "Can't Stop Now" which were both done last night and even more fun live." [Quirky New York Chick]

Continue reading "Karin Park @ Pianos in NYC - pics "

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Pete & the Pirates played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th (twice). More pictures from their encore performance (downstairs) set below...

Continue reading "Pete & the Pirates (downstairs) @ Pianos (BV CMJ) - pics "

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Pete & the Pirates played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th (twice). More pictures from their (upstairs) set below...

Continue reading "Pete & the Pirates (upstairs) @ Pianos in NYC (BV CMJ) - pics "

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Sharon Van Etten played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th. More pictures from her set below...

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten @ Pianos in NYC (BV CMJ) - pics "

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

The Moondoggies played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th. More pictures from their set below...

Continue reading "The Moondoggies @ Pianos in NYC (BV CMJ) - pics "

photos by Chris La Putt

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Surf City played the free BrooklynVegan & Bowery Presents show at Pianos On October 24th. More pictures from their set below...

Continue reading "Surf City @ Pianos in NYC (BV CMJ) - pics "