by Andrew Sacher

Destruction Unit @ Shea Stadium - 6//16/13 (via BrooklynVegan Instagram)

I wrapped up my weekend/music portion of the Northside Festival at Shea Stadium last night (6/16) for the Impose/My Social List show which featured a killer lineup all around. The show kicked off with a set from Western Mass noise rockers Psychic Blood. The crowd was still pretty small during their opening set, and they seemed like they'd be a lot more fun to see in a more crowded room, but still powered through a set of sludge, guitar noise, and a nice little Who/Nirvana-style freakout at the end, knocking over their drum kit and mic stands.

They were followed by Brooklyn post-hardcore four piece Big Ups, who really started getting the show going pretty wild. These guys play locally a lot, but I'd somehow never managed to catch them until last night and man did they win me over. They not only sound but look totally '90s on stage (that singer's half-bleached hair!), and they do the whole post-hardcore thing from that era really well, sounding like some lost Dischord/SST band. The singer is smart aleck-y, angry, and in-your-face while spending more of his time in the crowd than on stage, and the band rock too. They'll switch from real dissonant riffage to classic hardcore whiplash, and find time for the somber moments too. They mentioned on stage that a full length is coming. Be on the lookout for that.

Then came psych punks Destruction Unit, whose tour with Merchandise and Milk Music had hit 285 Kent a night earlier (6/15), to up the volume in the room by about 80%. I first caught the triple-guitar noisemakers on a bridge at SXSW and they were the kind of band that blew you away even if you weren't too familiar with their songs. Last night was no different. Being that they were on a real stage (and not insanely overcrowded with an audience coming from all angles), it started off a bit less manic, but the freakouts soon came. The singer was falling over his stage monitor a few songs in as the other two guitarists were zoned out and wailing away, and the bassist and drummer just kept a tight, menacing groove throughout the entire thing. They really pile on walls of guitars, and they've got a Sonic Youth-y way of all being individually interesting but mainly contributing to the greater good of the whole noise. These guys have a new record, Deep Trip, due out on August 20 via Sacred Bones (following a new single on Suicide Squeeze) and that can't come soon enough.

Finally, the show concluded with a set from Vancouver noise punks Nu Sensae, who may not have had the volume of the band prior, but they were easily the most consistently fast band on the bill. Drummer Daniel Pitout seriously pounds away at that kit as guitarist Brody McKnight and bassist/vocalist Andrea Lukic come together to create a blend of melody and noisy dissonance (in a very Sonic Youth way) as Andrea switches between piercing screams and a psychedelic, hushed moan. They came to NYC for the show after playing NXNE in their home country, which you can check out pictures of.

Check out a few more instagrams from the show below...

Continue reading "Nu Sensae, Destruction Unit, Big Ups and Psychic Blood played a Northside show at Shea Stadium (review)"

by Andrew Sacher

Psychic Blood at Tommy's Tavern in 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro)

As mentioned, Exploding In Sound Records and Gimme Tinnitus are teaming up for an unofficial Northside showcase on Saturday (6/15) at Big Snow (89 Varet St) which features sets from a ton of great bands Speedy Ortiz, Pile, Two Inch Astronaut, Grass Is Green, Ovlov, Hive Bent, Fat History Month, and Porches. Doors are at 5 PM, admission is $7 or $5 with a Northside badge, and there will be free pizza while supplies last. If you like your indie rock like it was in the days of Dinosaur Jr, Archers of Loaf, Pavement, etc, you'll probably dig most of this showcase.

EIS and GT are also doing another showcase today (6/14) at Silent Barn (603 Bushwick Ave). This one's also got a ton of great music (and free pizza), including two of Brooklyn's best upcoming punk bands, Sleepies and Low Fat Getting High, noise rockers Eula, Western Mass psych rockers Psychic Blood (who also play the ridiculously good show at Shea on Sunday with Nu Sensae, Destruction Unit, and Big Ups), other local live staples like Yvette, Miniboone, Shark?, Krill, Life Size Maps, and still more. Doors for today's show open at 3 PM.

More info on both shows at the Facebook event. Flyers for both shows and song streams from some of the bands playing below...

Continue reading "EISGTNSIDE13 starts today (Psychic Blood, Sleepies, Speedy Ortiz, Two Inch Astronaut, Fat History Month & more)"

by Andrew Sacher

Low Fat Getting High at Cake Shop earlier this month (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Brooklyn punks Low Fat Getting High have been playing raucous local shows for some time now, and as mentioned, they're finally laying down that intensity for a new EP, which is called Bad Yoga, and has just been officially announced. The EP will be out on July 18 via Dead Broke/Money Fire Records. It kicks off with three tracks of menacing, breakneck-speed punk, and culminates in a fourth track of Bleach-style noise and sludge. The whole thing is just over ten minutes and it's a real ripper so keep an eye out for it. You can stream the opening track, "Better Better Worse," along with the artwork and tracklist below.

Low Fat Getting High have a ton of upcoming shows as usual, including a previously discussed Gimme Tinnitus-presented show TONIGHT (5/22) at Big Snow with another solid local punk band, Big Ups, CYHSY-related Radical Dads (for whom the show is a record release party), and Miniboone. $7 at the door gets you into tonight's show. Doors are at 8 PM. All ages. Show flyer below.

After that, they've got a bunch of other local dates, including a Converse Rubber Tracks show on June 12; Silent Barn on June 14 with another great local punk band, Sleepies, noise rockers Eula, indie rockers Shark?, sludgy psych rockers Psychic Blood and others; a release party for the new EP on July 18 at Shea Stadium with Big Ups, Vulture Shit, and Flagland (who play with Butter the Children and Ovlov soon); and even more local dates, all of which are listed below.

In related news, as mentioned, Big Ups and Psychic Blood also play a Northside show with Nu Sensae and Destruction Unit.

All LFGH dates are listed, along with the song stream and album info, below...

Continue reading "Low Fat Getting High announce new EP & upcoming shows"

by Andrew Sacher

Nu Sensae at SXSW 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Vancouver noise punks Nu Sensae, who are still touring behind last year's bruising Sundowning, will be coming to NYC for this year's Northside Festival, and one of their shows has just been announced. They'll play an Impose/My Social List party on June 16 at Shea Stadium with a killer lineup of psych punks Destruction Unit, local post-hardcore band Big Ups (who have a ton of other shows) and Western Mass sludge-psych rockers Psychic Blood (who have toured with Nu Sensae before). Tickets for that show go on sale May 16 at noon. You can also try to get in with your Northside Badge.

That show is the second Northside show that Destruction Unit has announced so far. It happens one day after their tour with Merchandise and Milk Music hits 285 Kent (6/15). Tickets for that show are still available. Destruction Unit released their impressive new LP, Void, earlier this year, but as I said when I saw them at SXSW, you really have to see it live.

If you're headed to these shows from outside of Williamsburg/Bushwick, the L Train will be running, despite earlier reports that it would be closed for maintenance during Northside.

All Nu Sensae and Destruction Unit dates are listed, along with videos/song streams from all four bands, below...

Continue reading "Nu Sensae playing Northside show w/ Destruction Unit, Big Ups & Psychic Blood (dates & streams)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Mutilation Rites at Saint Vitus, Nov 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Mutilation Rites have added a last minute show with Slaughter The Prophets, Exshitence, Nerve Gas Attak, Hell Bent and Crusty P at The Swamp (258 Johnson) TONIGHT (12/7):

Mutilation Rites playing a benefit show at 258 Johnson tomorrow night - used to be the Lake. Its now called "The Swamp." It goes to a kid named Tomasz who got hit by a drunk driver on his bike and is now in a coma.

$5-$10 DONATIONS AT THE DOOR
258 JOHNSON AVE / L TO MONTROSE
DOORS 8pm / BANDS 8:30PM

Support for Von show at Saint Vitus on Tuesday (12/11) has been announced, including Magic Is Küntmaster and Anicon, the latter of which features Owen Rundquist (Trenchgrinder) and Lev Weinstein (Krallice). Tickets are still available. Swing below for  streaming Anicon tracks, it's worth a listen.

Head below for all Evillive-approved shows for the next two weeks and a new Despise You video (it's a bit hard to watch and reportedly their "first and last music video").

Continue reading "Evillive (Mutilation Rites, Despise You, Tinsel Teeth, Anicon + more)"

Naomi Punk

Olympia, WA trio Naomi Punk, who recently signed to Captured Tracks and rereleased their debut, The Feeling, on the label in October digitally and on CD (it's out 11/20 on vinyl), will be playing some shows in November leading up to the vinyl release of their album. Two of those shows happen in NYC on November 16 at 285 Kent with G Green, Parquet Courts, and Psychic Blood; and November 17 at Cake Shop with Habibi, The Mallard, and Noons. All Naomi Punk dates are listed below.

For Brooklyn's Habibi and San Francisco's The Mallard, the Cake Shop show is part of a November tour they'll be on together which also hits Death by Audio on November 18. All dates on this tour are listed below.

As for Parquet Courts, they just wrapped up a bunch of NYC shows in October, and this 285 Kent show appears to be their only upcoming scheduled date at the moment. If you're headed to that show, it's worth getting there early to catch their set.

Lists of all dates, some song streams and videos are below.

Continue reading "Naomi Punk going on tour; Habibi & The Mallard too (dates)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Nu Sensae at Tommy's Tavern 8/21/2012

Vancouver's Nu Sensae completed a pair of NYC shows with a vicous punk showing at Tommy's Tavern last night (8/21), joining tourmates Psychic Blood with Acid Problem and Now People (with Mikey Erg). The show, which erupted into a moshpit during Nu Sensae's set, was part of a round of dates in promotion of the band's new Sundowning LP, out now via Suicide Squeeze.

More pics from Tommy's Tavern are below.

Continue reading "Nu Sensae played NYC twice, including Tommy's Tavern with Psychic Blood, Acid Problem, Now People (pics)"

If Nu Sensae is the offspring of bands like Hole or L7, then consider them to be the mohawked and neglected step-child. The Canadian crew's Sundowning is punk rock through and through, as exhibited by the new song "Spit Gifting," the stream of which we're premiering below, where you can also stream the previously-released "Swim."

Look for Sundowning via Suicide Squeeze Records on August 7th. Preorders are currently available, or... you can try and win one! We have one preorder package with LP, shirt and more for giveaway! Details are at the bottom of this post.

Nu Sensae's tour schedule has expanded since we last talked, including two shows Death By Audio on 8/20 and Tommy's Tavern on 8/21, both with Psychic Blood. Check out all streams, videos, contest details and updated tour dates below.

Continue reading "Nu Sensae ready 'Sundowning' (stream a new song), expand tour (dates), playing two NYC shows"

DOWNLOAD: Nu Sensae - "Swim" (MP3)

Vancouver three-piece Nü Sensae has cultivated a style of punk that gives a tip of the hat to L7, pre-makeover Hole, and hardcore all in one angst-ridden, furious pass. The band is preparing its new LP Sundowning for release on August 7th via Suicide Squeeze Records, and have shared the first track "Swim" in both video and MP3 form. Check out the MP3 above and the video below.

Nu Sensae will tour in the days leading up to and after the release of Sundowning, swinging through NYC for a stop at Death by Audio on August 20th. The show will also feature Psychic Blood, one of a string of shows the two bands will play together.

While we're on the Subject of Vancouver: Nu Sensae's former tour mates  White Lung play NYC again tonight (6/28) at Tommy's Tavern.

All tour dates are listed below, along with the "Swim" video and a few other Nu Sensae clips.

Continue reading "Nu Sensae ready 'Sundowning' (MP3), touring (dates)"