by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Super Wild Horses - Golden Town (MP3)

Major omission from this week's This Week in Indie: Melbourne's duo Super Wild Horses are playing TWO shows tonight (9/16). First at Cameo Gallery with Reading Rainbow and Night Manager, then later at Death by Audio with fellow Aussies UV Race, Home Blitz and Pink Reason.

Their new LP on Hozac, produced by Eddie Current Suppression Ring's Mikey Young, is packed with fuzzy indie rock that has a definite early '90s feel to it. (Tsunami or Scrawl do come to mind.) Check out "Golden Town" at the top of this post. Its video is below along with all Super Wild Horses tour dates...

Continue reading "Super Wild Horses are here (dates, MP3, video) "

by BBG

"Looks like Stu Spasm from Lubricated Goat just scored to put Spain ahead 1-0 (or was that Wurzel from Motorhead?) #WorldCup #GER Germany #ESP Spain" - Mike Rubin

Noise Magazine: I'm 'quoting' Nick Cave 'cause your music captures the darkest side of the Australian swamp rock/noise scene from Birthday Party, The Scientists, Beasts Of Bourbon to Lubricated Goat or even Bird Blobs... Is this among your main influences/inspiration sources? You've been on the bill with a bunch of those Australian bands too. What's your connection with them? Kristian is basically from Australia, right?

Woman's Kristian Brenchley: Thank you, in fact I am Australian but have but have been living in NYC since 2001. As for those Australian influences, stuff like The Birthday Party is in our blood down there. Same goes for AC/DC. So, I can't pick up the guitar without a little of that coming out! But we don't try to sound a certain way, I think once you start with that you're doomed to failure. As for the Bird Blobs, I've known Tim for 15 years and he lives in NYC now. So we have been playing on the same bills all that time. [Tim and I] took what we had in Melbourne in the '90's and moved it over here.

Though they aren't participating in the AmRep Anniversary show in Minneapolis, reactivated Australian noise rock terrorists Lubricated Goat are still back at it with Stu Spasm, the only oringinal member, behind the mic. Their last show was at Bruar Falls in June. Catch them next at Union Pool on August 6th alongside Pink Reason and NYC/Australian band Woman. The show is the only show scheduled for all three bands.

Former Lubricated Goat (and Swans) drummer Vinny Signorelli will be in Minneapolis to play AmRep's anniversary show, though he'll be there with his band Unsane. Unsane are scheduled to play NYC on August 5th alongside Keelhaul, Pigs, and Disappearer at Santos Party House, where the band will perform all of their landmark LP Scattered Smothered & Covered. Tickets are on sale.

Singorelli's former band Swans will play reunion shows in October, two of which are in NYC (neither of which Vinny will play): October 8th at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (tickets still on sale) and October 9th at the Bowery Ballroom (tickets still on sale).

words and photos by BBG

the hammerhead reunion at death by audio ruled so fucking hard #the90s #olddudes #shredding #ripping -erikinternet

Hammerhead

Hammerhead played a "one time only NYC reunion" set at Death By Audio last night (6/24), with support from Pink Reason, CCR Headcleaner, Bogan Dust, and Divorce Money as part of an Under Aurora production. The show was the first in NYC in a long while and one of two dates the band had scheduled, with the high-profile Am-Rep Anniversary gig (with Unsane, Melvins, Today Is The Day and more) serving as the second.

Speaking of Unsane, they are scheduled to play Santos Party House all of Scattered Smothered & Covered on August 5th alongside Keelhaul, Pigs, and Disappearer. Tickets are on sale.

Unfortunately, I arrived at Death by Audio moments into the last Pink Reason song, so no pics of the remainder of the support, but pics of Pink Reason and Hammerhead, as well as video of Hammerhead are below...

Continue reading "Hammerhead (reunion) & Pink Reason @ DbA - pics & video"

by BBG

As early as 1989 or 1990, a band came out of the moderately sized North Dakota town of Fargo. They were called Hammerhead. The line up was Paul Sanders on guitar and vocals, Paul Erickson on bass and vocals, and Jeff Morridian Jr on drums. At some point early on they relocate to Minneapolis, Minnesota...[where] they hooked up with Amphetamine Reptile Records, the invincible indie label that rose from the ashes of Treehouse Records and Glitterhouse Records. Between 92' and 96', Hammerhead released 4 full length albums, including many singles and comp songs as well... [helping to] propel Amrep to greater heights of popularity, and ...define that "minneapolis/amrep" sound of the early 90's. Some time in 96', however, Hammerhead suddenly broke up [as] Paul Sanders left the band. ...About a year later, word started to spread of a new band, called Vaz, featuring Paul Erickson on vocals, guitar and bass, and Jeff Morridian Jr on drums and vocals. Paul Sanders [reemerged] ...with The Heroine Sheiks, that disbanded in 2009.

You won't have to fly to Minneapolis or wait until August to catch the return of AmRep badasses Hammerhead, as the band will play a reunion show on THURSDAY (6/24) at Death By Audio alongside Pink Reason, CCR Headcleaner (ex-Long Legged Woman, ex-Hospitals), Bogan Dust, and Divorce Money. According to Pink Reason, the show will be a "one time only NYC reunion gig", so get there! (thx Mark!)

The only other tour date on the sked for BOTH Hammerhead and Vaz is the AmRep anniversary show in Minneapolis on August 28th alongside Melvins (who just played two shows with Isis), Boss Hog, Today Is The Day, and many esteemed others.

Some classic videos from Hammerhead are viewable below...

Continue reading "Hammerhead reunited for AmRep Anniversay & a NYC show"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Twin Stumps - "Child Republic" Live at WFMU (MP3, via)

Mike Yaniro, in happier times

As you all may or may not know, a dear friend of mine named Michael Yaniro was a victim of violent robbery in the Ridgewood area of Queens (NYC). He was savagely beaten beyond recognition, and now he's got a long road ahead of him with many surgeries. To add insult to his injuries, he has no medical insurance!

A brief description of his injuries: His right eye socket needs surgery as there is a bone protruding into it... so it needs to be repaired to restore his ability to move the eye. (He has had this surgery, and will need more work in the future). He has a fractured jaw and nose which will require surgery to repair, as well as multiple broken bones in his face. Pieces of titanium metal is to be inserted in his face to support the bones.

His girlfriend Abby is trying to get him Emergency Medicaid, but that is really tough to get approved, and its doubtful whether or not it will be rewarded. That is why this fundraiser was started. Its not registered as non-profit organization (so if you're looking for a tax break, this is not the time and place for it), but as a way to possibly raise a little money to help him through his crisis. [Julie Finley]

Twin Stumps recently released a new killer LP on Dais Records. It's what turned me on to the damaged, caustic noise rock (in a Clockcleaner, Drunkdriver, Brainbombs sense) band. Soon after, their bassist Mike Yaniro was viciously attacked. Since then a groundswell of support from the underground has surfaced, including a few benefit shows. The latest show is scheduled for Dec 4th (Friday) at Death By Audio, where Pink Reason, Sightings, York Factory Complaint (featuring Genesis P-orridge), and White Suns are all on the bill.

If you can't make it on Friday, head to the Mike Yaniro site to see how you can help, or pick up a copy of the Twin Stumps LP (recommended!) here. Get back to rockin soon!

Pink Reason and White Suns tour dates, the show flyer, and a ton of videos are below...

Continue reading "help Michael Yaniro of Twin Stumps recover from attack - benefit show Friday (Pink Reason, Sightings, more)"

Kurt Vile (in orange) @ Woodsist/CT Fest on July 4th (more by Tim Griffin)

At [D.C.'s] the Black Cat Backstage [Nov. 5th], [Kurt] Vile ambled through the final date of a month of shows with his three-piece band, The Violators, for what he said was the largest crowd he'd played. Double digits, still -- right-sized. He opened the 70-minute set with a solo take of "Peeping Tomboy," which, like so much of the spectral folk side of his songbook, seemed to waft in from some phantom radio. Even when the combo joined him for the stouter stuff -- like "Freak Train," the self-explanatory centerpiece of his just-released "Childish Prodigy" album -- the cacophony was more ethereal than kinetic.

After innumerable self-releases, his songs still sound like their paint's still wet, which is part of their appeal. It remains to be seen whether they can, or should, expand beyond the cult of sober head-nodders who paid their respects last night. The only person dancing was a British girl whose accent was pitched just-so to be perfectly audible through the din.

"They're really quite good," she chirped. Cheers. [Washington Post]

The next show for Kurt Vile and The Violators is a November 17th show at Brooklyn's Europa. Also on the bill are local freaks Wild Yaks and Pink Reason and lyrical post-punks from NJ Home Blitz. Tickets are on sale.

The gig comes one day before Vile opens for Big Star at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (11/8). Tickets to that appear to be gone.

In non-New York news, Vile will be playing a New Year's Eve show at Chicago's The Riviera with The Black Keys. Tickets are on sale. Half of the Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, plays Webster Hall on Wednesday, November 11th.

A flyer for Vile's Europa show and all upcoming tour dates (in which Vile goes to Europe this December) are posted below...

Continue reading "Kurt Vile playing Europa, opening for the Black Keys on New Years Eve (in Chicago) - 2009 Tour Dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Hedgehog - Toy and 61 Festival (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hedgehog - Waiting for the Last Bus (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Queen Sea Big Shark - Hard Heart Love Spy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Casino Demon - I Wish I Could Forget Your Tomorrow (MP3)

Queen Sea Big Shark

Beijing, China has a pretty healthy indie rock scene but we don't hear about it much here in the States, mainly, because they rarely tour here. But this week three Beijing groups are in town as part of the Sing for China tour, which supports an effort by the Chinese music community to help children orphaned by AIDS in China. The bands are Hedgehog, Queen Sea Big Shark, and Casino Demon -- all of which are on Beijing label Modern Sky. Hedgehog and QSBS play tonight (9/23) at Silent Barn (along with Pink Reason and Matt from Psychedelic Horseshit), and all three will play Columbia University on Friday (9/25) and Santos Party House on Saturday (9/26). I don't claim to know much about the bands, so let's just quote from the press release.

Hedgehog: Powered by pint-size female drummer/vocalist Atom, Hedgehog represent the best of China's rock scene. The band was a featured headliner at the Modern Sky Festival in 2008 and Strawberry Festival (Beijing) in May of 2009. Hedgehog's 2006 debut Noise Hit World was a critic favorite in China, and their 2008 release Blue Day Dreaming helped catapult them to the top of the Chinese indie-rock world.

Queen Sea Big Shark: Expect a barrage of rock n' roll-electro power punches from arguably the most ferocious rockers on the Beijing scene. QSBS rarely disappoints in delivering tight, raunchy instrumentation fronted by the frenetic, full-body assault of singer Fu Han, a woman seemingly possessed on stage. The band supported the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Modern Sky Festival (Beijing) in 2007 and recently headlined the Converse sponsored "Love Noise" tour in China.

Casino Demon: Veering from raw, noisy guitar bursts to tight, rapid-paced assaults, Casino Demon during 2006 moved from the outskirts of the Beijing live music scene to the forefront. At heart, they're a good-time rock n' roll band that really like to crank it up. Casino Demon recently celebrated the release of their new album, Teenage, in March of 2009.

You can download MP3s from all three bands at the top of this post. All Sing for China tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Chinese indie rock bands in NYC this week (including the show w/ Matt Horseshit @ Silent Barn tonight)"

Advice for attending July 4th fireworks: arrive early and expect crowds [Everything Hudson]

Another piece of advice -- be in New Jersey or Manhattan. This year's Macy's 4th of July fireworks are going to be located in the Hudson River only, so spots in Brooklyn and Queens won't have a very good view (if any). They kick off at 9pm. Viewing locations HERE.

What are you doing on the 4th? Below we've listed a bunch of other options if you'll be in NYC (and a few if you want to leave)...

Continue reading "Independence Day 2009 - 4th of July events in NYC (Conor Oberst, Woodsist Fest, Japanther, Feelies, fireworks, more)"