by Bill Pearis

Feathers at Mohawk, October 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Feathers are making the trip from Austin with former Voxtrot singer Ramesh to play Mercury Lounge on March 5. The band have been making waves in Texas over the last few months and this will be their first NYC show, and their only scheduled show at the moment outside of SXSW.

Feathers is the new project from Anastasia Dimou who you may know from NYC band Cruel Black Dove (who are now broken up). Galexy from Ringo Deathstarr is also in the band. Band member Destiny Montague was in Shock Cinema and Midnight Masses too.

At this point, Feathers only have a couple tracks to check out -- you can stream them at the bottom of this post -- but "Land of the Innocent" is a good one, all pulsing synths and siren-song harmonies. Comparisons will be made to Austra and Zola Jesus, but Feathers are a little more dancefloor oriented, with some glammy stompers in their repertoire as well. The other track is a remix of the song "Dream Song" (which has no released regular version yet). The remix was done by Maya Postepski of Austra and Trust (who just signed to Arts & Crafts).

While waiting to hear more -- or see them live -- check out photos from our man in Austin, Tim Griffin, from their first-ever show back in October when they opened for Washed Out, and from a show they played not long after that at Beauty Bar, AND from last week's 'Free Week' show as well.

Songs below...

Continue reading "Check out Feathers -- making NYC debut @ Mercury Lounge -- song stream, a remix & live pics too"

Ramesh @ a Fun Fun Fun Fest Nite in November (more by Tim Griffin)

Last year, we discussed that Ramesh (formerly of Voxtrot) kicked off a solo career with a 3-track EP that you can stream at his website. At the time, he had no shows scheduled. Since then, he's played a number of shows (none in NYC) including a Fun Fun Fun Fest afterparty, which we just posted a belated set of pics from on the new BV Austin.

Now he's finally scheduled a NYC show, set to take place at Mercury Lounge on March 5 with Feathers who will be making their NYC debut at that show. Tickets go on sale Friday (1/13) at noon with an AmEx presale starting on Wednesday (1/11) at noon.

The Mercury Lounge show is the only announced show for Ramesh at the moment, but stay tuned for a possible Brooklyn show too.

by Andrew Sacher

Ramesh

Ramesh Srivastava, formerly of Voxtrot who broke up in 2010, is now recording solo material as Ramesh. He's recorded a short 3-song EP aptly titled EP1 which is streaming on his website. The first track, "The King" pretty much picks up where Voxtrot left off with their "Berlin Without Return" b/w "The Dream Lives of Ordinary People" single recorded the year before breaking up. Like those songs, "The King" features Ramesh's earworm vocal melodies backed by simple mid-tempo drums and, catchy lighthearted strings. You can download "The King" for free at RCRDLBL.

The EP takes a complete 180 on the next track, "Romeo (Void)" and delves into polyrhythmic 80's synth-pop with a much less relaxed vocal delivery than Ramesh had been delivering lately. The video for "Romeo (Void)", directed by Elizabeth Skadden (Flaming Lips, No Age), can be watched below. EP1 then shortly ends after a brief instrumental track centered around a melancholic piano piece and accompanying string arrangements.

Ramesh's rather intriguing website is fleshed out with more than just his music. The home page is a paragraph written in large letters that begins, "I wish I could have understood that the hardest part of becoming a man would not be the part where you had to find yourself, but rather the part where you had to lose your center, by walking away from everything that you love." Continue reading. He also has an obscure photo montage that he's titled Head Game.

Ramesh has also posted a podcast of him DJing the Radar Lisboa Radio Show. His set consisted of Nicolas Jaar (who plays Le Poisson Rouge tonight), Mary J. Blige, a demo of one of Ramesh's non-EP tracks "Lux," and others.

The Black

Unfortunately, Ramesh has no tour dates announced at the moment, but his ex-Voxtrot bandmate Jared Van Fleet (Sparrow House) plays Bruar Falls on Saturday (5/28) with The Black, the band in which Voxtrot's Matt Simon plays drums. The Black, currently on tour through June 10th, also play a NYC show at Cake Shop on Sunday (5/29).

(Voxtrot's Jason Chronis also played in The Black briefly, but now only focuses on his JC & Co project. Mitch is keeping busy with International Waters.)

Tour dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Ramesh is back with a website, EP & video +++ The Black are on tour (playing a show w/ Jared Van Fleet)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield and Timothy Griffin

Adventure (by Tim)

Braids (by Tim)

Braids and Adventure are on tour with Toro y Moi now. The three bands play sold out shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (4/10) and Monday (4/11).

As discussed and/or pictured HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, we threw a free, three stage party with M For Montreal at Swan Dive and Barbarella in Austin on Saturday, March 19, 2011.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, to all the bands who played and to Ramesh for DJing. Sorry to Bass Drum of Death for not getting to play due to some confusion. Thanks to the cast of Workaholics for stopping by and for doing some hosting (catch their show on Comedy Central now!). Thanks also to Izzoz, Sensible Portions, Honest Tea, VegAustin, Raw Revolution, NadaMoo, Firefly Vodka, Line 6, Korg, Vox, Blackstar, Nudie Jeans, and ASCAP. Thanks to everyone else that helped and to anyone I forgot.

A whole bunch more pictures from the whole day are below...

Continue reading "BV/M For Montreal Austin Day Party in pics (Braids, Adventure, Owen Pallett, Little Scream & many more)"

If you've been following along, you know that this is finally the NINTH and FINAL BrooklynVegan SXSW 2011 show announcement! This one happens on Saturday, March 19th in Austin, at both Swan Dive and Barbarella (they connect). It runs from noon-6pm and is 100% free. We are doing it with our friends from M For Montreal and it looks like this:

STAGE 1 (SWAN DIVE)
12:00 PM New Moods
01:00 PM Oh Land
2:00 PM Austra
3:00 PM Little Scream
4:00 PM Owen Pallett
5:00 PM Braids

STAGE 2 (Barbarella main stage)
12:00 PM Baths
1:00 PM Misteur Valaire
2:00 PM !!!
3:00 PM Trail of Dead
4:00 PM Mount Kimbie
5:00 PM Daedelus
HOSTED BY: the cast of Workaholics
DJs: Ramesh (of Voxtrot) & 70's Bush

STAGE 3 (Barbarella small stage)
12:00 PM Bass Drum of Death
12:45 PM Adventure
1:30 PM Versus
2:30 PM Malajube
3:15 PM Suuns
4:00 PM Weekend
5:00 PM PS I Love You

And this party will also have:

• FREE vegan Izzoz breakfast tacos while supplies last!
• lots of FREE snacks courtesy of Sensible Portions!
• a lot of FREE Honest Tea!
• FREE Raw Revolution bars to eat.
• FREE vegan ice cream from NadaMoo
• FREE Firefly Vodka cocktails all day (while supplies last.)
• more FREE DRINKS TBA.

• Our official microphone sponsor Line 6.
• and our backline sponsors Korg, Vox & Blackstar.
• our sponsor Nudie Jeans.
• and to ASCAP for sponsoring too.

To celebrate the BrooklynVegan + M for Montreal party, Nudie Jeans is also giving away 5 pairs of jeans (one pair for each day leading up to the party). For your chance to win, friend Nudie Jeans on facebook and send an email titled BROOKLYN VEGAN to nudie@wantagencyinc.com. For those at the party, we'll also be raffling off more Nudie Jeans you can win while you're there.

We're also happy to announce that, for the second year in a row, we'll be partnering with our friends at VegAustin to host a vegan bake sale for charity at the party. All proceeds will be donated to Compassion Over Killing.

Check out the flyer and stuff below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan & M For Montreal Free Saturday Austin Day Party lineup (3 stages @ Barbarella & Swan Dive)"

DOWNLOAD: Voxtrot - The Start of Something (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: International Waters - Olympia (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: International Waters - Cycle of the Chain (MP3)

Voxtrot @ the Mohawk in Austin - Nov 2009 (more)

Voxtrot are officially calling it quits, but before they go they'll play some final shows with all original members. That includes Ramesh Srivastava, Matt Simon, Mitch Calvert, Jason Chronis and even Jared Van Fleet (aka Sparrow House) who left the not-very-active band a little while back. I last saw them in November when they happened to play a show in their hometown of Austin during Fun Fun Fun Fest (see above).

There are seven goodbye shows total and the final one will take place right here in NYC at Bowery Ballroom on June 26th (tickets TBA will be on sale Friday). It will be a sad evening for sure. All dates and a long letter from Ramesh about this is below, but first let's discuss what all the individual members have been up to.

Mitch has a new band called International Waters, which has a new 10" record called It Felt Like that they'll be releasing soon. Meanwhile you can get two of those songs for free above. They'll be opening the West Coast Voxtrot shows.

Jared is still working on solo material as Sparrow House, and opens for Inlets at Union Hall on April 23rd.

Matt and Jason both play in Jason's band called JC & Co.. They're readying a full-length for July. Both Jason and Matt also play in The Black and Belaire.

Not part of the reunion, but once a member of Voxtrot, Jennifer Moore continues to do her thing in YellowFever.

Voxtrot, thanks for all the memories. Ramesh's letter and all dates below...

Continue reading "Voxtrot officially breaking up, announce final shows - 2010 tour dates & a goodbye note from Ramesh"

Black Dice @ Warsaw in December (more by Chris La Putt)

The artist formerly known as Santogold is performing for free tonight, 2/20, at the Apple Store in SOHO (7-8 pm). Santigold is also on the lineup for this year's Sasquatch Festival.

Blank Dogs has three NYC shows coming up in the near future. The first is tonight (2/20) at Le Poisson Rouge with Black Dice. The second is somewhere on March 7th. The third is March 14th at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Crystal Stilts and Women.

Voxtrot keeps popping back up randomly. Frontman Ramesh is DJing at Le Royale in NYC tonight (2/20), and the whole band is listed as playing SXSW in their hometown of Austin in March (though I hear there have been some lineup changes).

Ramesh solo @ The Syrup Room in 2006 (more by Bao Nguyen)

French house legend, Alan Braxe, is probably best known for the single "The Music Sounds Better With You" which he produced under the name 'Stardust' with Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk and Benjamin Diamond......

Lifelike on the other hand you will know from his classic track "Discopolis" with Kris Menace... but that's just the tip of the iceberg... he has produced and remixed more great tunes than you can wag a stick at. Alan and Lifelike will be playing in the main room [of Webster Hall], with Justin Miller (DFA Records), Jacques Renault a.k.a. Runaway (DFA Records), Alex English & Daisy O'Dell

In the Marlin Room [of Webster Hall], Grandmaster Flash and Dimitry!!! will be holding it down...

Downstairs in the Studio, we are very happy to announce that we will be joined by the lovely DJ Jess and DJ Alex Malfunction of the Trash! par ties... and there will be an early live performance by Ramesh of Voxtrot!!!

Continue reading "Voxtrot returns, well - Ramesh (NYC show Friday night)"