DOWNLOAD: Prurient - "God Is Truth And Light His Shadow" (MP3)

Cold Cave at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by BBG)

Hospital Productions honcho, member of Cold Cave, and Prurient mastermind Dominick Fernow will curate two weeks at The Stone in February. Lasting from February 1st - 15th, the shows will feature two artists per night including names like Northern Cross, Carlos Giffoni, Hell Hoarse, Hoor-Paar-Kraat, Yellow Tears, Pharmakon, Stephen Brodsky (who plays Saint Vitus soon), FFH, Yellow Tears, and many more. Full schedule for The Stone during Fernow's reign is below, and all shows are $5.

Fernow's East Village noise/black metal mecca Hospital Productions closed in December, with Fernow reportedly moving to Los Angeles and selling the remaining stock to Apop in St. Louis.

Dominick's band member in Cold Cave, Wes Eisold, recently played shows with his old band American Nightmare.

Prurient recently released the double 7" Wrapped in the Flame of Illusion, Masked in the Clay of Behavior via Dais. Download a track from that release above and stream it below alongside a listing of all upcoming events at The Stone.

Continue reading "Dominick Fernow curated part of February at The Stone"

written with Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Puro Instinct - "Stilyagi" (Feat. Ariel Pink) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Purity Ring - "Ungirthed" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Purity Ring - "Lofticries" (MP3)

Pure X

Caves are so 2010, and animals names are prehistoric to the point that people are probably digging up their fossils. 'Pure' is totally in right now (even more so than 'Twin'), as Cave must have realized when they named their latest release "Pure Moods". The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (who have a new video and tour dates below) may have been on to something in 2007, though they have too many words in their name to really focus in on pure. Lately bands have been zeroing in on this phenomenon. Pure, if you're listening, maybe it's time to reunite again.

Pure X (formerly Pure Ecstasy) released their first full length Pleasure on Tuesday (7/5) and will be in NYC this week to play 285 Kent on Friday (7/8) and Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday (7/9). Bill talks more about both shows in This Week In Indie. Pleasure is streaming below along with both NYC show flyers.

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Puro Instinct @ Mercury Lounge (more by Amanda Hatfield)

A slightly less pure version of the word can be found in the Mexican Summer-signed Puro Instinct who, probably to get closer to pure, recently changed their name from Pearl Harbor. Their debut LP under Puro Instinct, Headbangers in Ecstasy, was released back in February. They played four NYC shows last week. Stereogum likes them, but not as much as they like Pure X. Gorilla vs. Bear thinks they're way better than Pure X though. Bill says, "They can really sing and play...better songs will come with time. They're young." Ariel Pink likes them too. They opened for him on tour and at Irving Plaza back when they were still called Pearl Harbor (and are touring now with Ariel's friend John Maus). Ariel also collaborated with the band on the single "Stilyagi." Grab that MP3 above and watch the video for the track below.

So, Pure X, formerly Pure Ecstasy, who released Pleasure, are not to be confused with Puro Instinct, formerly Pearl Harbor who released Headbangers in Ecstasy. But that's not all...

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Purity Ring (photo by Chris Tait

Corin Roddick from Gobble Gobble wised up earlier this year, and formed the duo Purity Ring with Megan James. They played their first show last month at Sled Island in Calgary, AB. They were the secret guest the last night of the fest at Hifi Club before Twin Shadow played. They're pictured above in an alleyway outside of the show taken right after they played. They've got a few other festival appearances scheduled including Bumbershoot, FYF Fest, MusicfestNW, and POP Montreal. All of their tour dates are listed below (and that includes a show with Twin Sister who the Pains of Being Pure at Heart also have dates scheduled with). Their only release so far is the single for "Ungirthed" b/w "Lofticries." Both tracks are pretty awesome dubsteppy electropop that the group have dubbed future pop. Grab both MP3s above, one of which also appears on Gorilla vs Bear's mid-year list.

Though older and a bit noisier, it's not unlikely that the similarly named Prurient (aka Dominick Fernow) could end up on the same bill as any of the aforementioned artists - especially considering Prurient just played Public Assembly on June 17 as part of a Stereogum Northside show, and Stereogum's Top 20 Albums of 2011 (so far) list includes not only Prurient, but also Puro Instinct, Pure X, and even an honorable mention for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Prurient aka Dominick was smart to return with a new album this year to distance himself from his other band with the now outdated name, Cold Cave. Prurient's new LP Bermuda Drain drops July 19 via Hydra Head. Grab the track "A Meal Can Be Made" from that here.

Videos, dates and album stream below...

Continue reading "It's all about being 'Pure' (Purity Ring, Pure X, Puro Instinct, The Pains of Being & even Prurient)"

photos by Tamara Porras, Prurient photos by Louis Caldarola, words by BBG

Iceage

Prurient and Iceage headlined the Sacred Bones/Stereogum showcase at Public Assembly on June 17th, with help from Cult of Youth (who have a new album and tour with Cold Cave in August), The Men (who played Death By Audio earlier that week), Yellow Tears, Lost Tribe, Pop1280, and Anasazi. The show, part of the Northside Festival, marked the US debut of Iceage and is one of a few shows planned for the band in the coming weeks.

By the time I arrived at the Sacred Bones/Stereogum show after catching Deafheaven, Iceage had already taken the stage and were into their first song. The crowd was dancing like maniacs and had started a pit in front of the stage. The band's reverb and noise-heavy post-punk was as snotty and disaffected on stage as it is on New Brigade, and the audience ate it up.

Prurient

I ducked out of Iceage a touch early though to get into the smaller room to catch Prurient which, as expected, filled quickly to capacity following the close of Iceage. Standing up front, I caught all of Dominick Fernow's violent and fantastic 15 minute set that included his Cold-Cave bandmate Wes Eisold addding another layer of electronic noise. Dominick screamed and thrashed violently (ultimately knocking over his rig) into two microphones while an icy mix of darkwave synths, black metal, and noise blasted through the PA. Incredible set.

If you missed out on the show on Friday (6/17) you can still catch quite a few of the bands in the coming weeks. Cult of Youth play Knitting Factory with Cold Cave on 7/12. Iceage are back in NYC for a few more dates including a FREE in-store Wednesday at Other Music and a show at 285 Kent on Saturday with JEFF The Brotherhood and a suprise guest (Fucked Up).

Yellow Tears have a few dates in their future as well, playing the Ende Tymes Festival of Noise and Experimental Liberation at Silent Barn on June 24th-26th, the Burning Fleshtival III at The Red Light District on 7/29 and 7/30, and The Stone on August 2nd.

We already posted the Men pics from the show HERE. More pictures from the rest of the show and some video of Yellow Tears (most of their set), Iceage, and Prurient, below...

Continue reading "Iceage, Prurient & friends played Public Assembly (Northside pics & video)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Prurient - "A Meal Can Be Made" (MP3)

Prurient (AKA Dom of Cold Cave, Ash Pool, etc) is welcoming his new LP Bermuda Drain via Hydra Head who will put out the CD/LP/digital on 7/19. The cassette version however will be available at the cassette release party which is the Prurient show happening at Public Assembly on Friday night with Iceage, AnasaNude Beachi, Cult of Youth, Lost Tribe, Pop. 1280, Yellow Tears, The Men and Wes Eisold of Cold Cave (DJ set). Tickets are sold-out, but you can try your luck with a Northside badge.

If you don't make it to the Stereogum/Sacred Bones showcase at Public Assembly, Stereogum reports that "the cassette will be available the next day (6/18) at Fernow's Hospital Productions record shop (East Coast) and Hydra Head's Vacation Vinyl (West Coast)" though 7/6 is the cassette version's official release date.

Check out the lead track "A Meal Can Be Made" available for free download above. Full tracklist is listed below.

Cold Cave played NYC during Internet Week and will come back to NYC twice while touring in the coming weeks, at Knitting Factory on July 12th with Cult of Youth (tickets) and Bowery Ballroom on 8/6 with Austra (tickets).

Continue reading "grab a new Prurient track (MP3), get the cassette on Friday"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Iceage - "White Rune" (MP3)

Dominick Fernow on stage with Cold Cave at T5 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Prurient, aka Dominick Fernow who is now also in Cold Cave, will play his first Prurient NYC show in two years as part of the Stereogum/Sacred Bones show at Public Assembly on June 17th. Prurient is a recent addition to the previously mentioned Northside Festival show which also includes the debut NYC performance of Iceage and appearances from Yellow Tears, Lost Tribe, The Men, and DJ Wes Eisold (Cold Cave). Tickets are on sale or you can try to use a badge.

Iceage are preparing to release their new LP New Brigade on June 21st via What's Your Rupture?. Check out "White Rune" from that above and a video for "New Brigade" below. The Danish band's performance at Public Assembly is part of a string of East Coast dates for the band in June, after which they'll return home to graduate high school (no shit).

Prurient is comprised of one Dominick Fernow, he of Hospital Productions/Ash Pool/Cold Cave fame. Prurient recently released the Many Jewels Surround The Crown 7" via Hydra Head Records, a track that is also featured on the forthcoming Hydra Head release Bermuda Drain due in June.

As discussed, Cold Cave are coming back to NYC twice as part of a tour in the coming weeks. Tickets are now on sale for both shows too: Knitting Factory on July 12th with Cult of Youth and Bowery Ballroom on 8/6 with Austra.

All Iceage dates and that video is below.

Continue reading "Prurient added to Iceage show, Iceage announce new LP & tour (MP3, dates & a reminder that Cold Cave tickets are on sale)"

The second annual Hopscotch Festival will go down in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, across 12 different venues with over 135 bands, from September 8th through 10th. The lineup this year runs the gamut of independent music... from traditional indie staples (The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Superchunk) to southern-inflected rock (Drive-By Truckers) to noise (Prurient) to hip hop (Beans) to garage (Jeff The Brotherhood) to funk (Budos Band) to metal (Krallice), and everywhere in between (Swans, Rhys Chatham, etc etc). Tickets are currently on sale. Full lineup is below.

Hopscotch happens almost three months after Guided By Voices play a Brooklyn Northside Festival show in McCarren Park (tickets) which is one day after Beirut plays a Northside Festival show on the same McCarren Park stage with... Sharon Van Etten (though she may have been accidentally announced at one point, they officially kept her placement on the bill under wraps until after Saturday's Music Hall of Williamsburg show). Tickets for Beirut/SVE are still on sale, and another opener will be added too.

Guided by Voices (whose Brooklyn show also has more openers coming) are also playing Pitchfork in July with Animal Collective whose Prospect Park show is now on AmEx presale.

Swans' upcoming NYC show is now on AmEx presale too.

Hopscotch lineup below...

Continue reading "Hopscotch Fest returns to Raleigh (2011 lineup announced), Sharon Van Etten officially added to Northside Fest"

photos by Lori Baily

Keith Fullerton Whitman

Conrad Schnitzler's Con-Cert: If thunder was a distant, beautiful room moving towards you with you in it, this is what it would feel like to feel your way around it's edges. Made me think of the following Germans: early Tangerine Dream, early and late Klaus Schulze, Elmar Schulte, and Asmus Tietchens. Yet, it didn't sound like any of them. A masterful abuse/finessing of the ping . . . low, high, and middle. I haven't mentioned my confusion as to who was actually playing here, but I think I've figured it out. Keith Fullerton Whitman was at the controls, the conduit through which Schnitzler flowed. Nice torch. [Heart as Arena]

Last Sunday (5/17) simultaneously marked the end of NYC Popfest and No Fun Fest here in NYC. Today simultaneously marked the end of photo coverage of both events here on BrooklynVegan.com. No Fun one is HERE, and day two is HERE, and the bit we have of Day Three (Lori really was not having fun by this day), is below...

Continue reading "No Fun Fest 2009 @ MHOW - night 3 in pics "