DOWNLOAD: Vivian Girls - When I'm Gone (MP3)

photos by Joseph Xu, words by Andrew Frisicano

7:07 p.m.: The Vivian Girls put out one of my favorite albums of 2008, and their brief but hard-hitting set [at the Pitchfork Festival] doesn't disappoint. Big, melodic bass lines provide a foundation for innocent harmony vocals, a mix of tart and sweet that proves irresistible. Only disappointment, they didn't play "Where Do You Run To." [Chicago Tribune]

That's a review of the Vivian Girls' July 19th set at Pitchfork Festival. The group will be kicking off their (relatively) short North American tour on August 25th with a show at Death By Audio. The Beets, who join them on most of their tour, open that gig. The trip leads up to the release of their sophomore album, Everything Goes Wrong, which comes out September 8th on In the Red. A track from that is above.

After a set of September/October tour dates in Japan & Australia, Vivian Girls are also tentatively scheduled to play a Halloween show that will "tentatively" (how Todd P lists it) happen at the Ridgewood Temple (1054 Bushwick Ave). Todd also lists two other shows that same night: Mount Eerie at the Market Hotel with Malkuth and Liturgy, and a show with Wooden Shjips, Religious Knives, and Crystal Stilts (who feature ex-Vivian Girl Frankie Rose on drums) at a venue TBA.

Meanwhile over in South Brooklyn, the Bell House will host a late show with Junior Boys and an early show with the King Khan & BBQ Show and Dum Dum Girls (who feature ex-Vivian Girl and current Crystal Stilt Frankie Rose on drums) (maybe not again though), on a Halloween that is shaping up to be a big night for NYC concerts this year (many that should not be competing).

Mroe pictures and interviews of the Vivian Girls at the Pitchfork Festival, with all tour dates, are below...

Continue reading "Vivian Girls vs Crystal Stilts vs Dum Dum Girls - Halloween 2009 in NYC & tour dates & pics & stuff"

Sunday June 14th @ FORT TILDEN BEACH
:: FREE ALL AGES UNAMPLIFIED ACOUSTIC BBQ 2009
:: each year we throw an informal, quiet party in a beautiful public place, w/
:: many diverse musicians playing two or three songs w/ no amplification
:: this year, it's on Fort Tilden Beach in the Rockways! best beach in NYC! [Todd P]

Schedule (subject to change) below...

Continue reading "Todd P's UNAMPLIFIED ACOUSTIC BBQ 2009 (at Fort Tilden)"

DOWNLOAD: Crystal Stilts - Love is a Wave (MP3)

Crystal Stilts @ Less Artists More Condos (more by Gabi Porter)

NYC's Crystal Stilts have four New York City-area shows on the horizon. The band, fresh off '09 shows in NYC, Europe, and a NYC-to-SXSW tour, will open for Comet Gain at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday, April 12th. (Tickets are still on sale.)

Two weeks later, the band plays Maxwell's in Hoboken on Sunday, April 26th for MusicSnobbery.com's 4th Anniversary Party with Mahogany and Motel Motel. (Tickets are on sale.)

Then, Friday, May 8th, Crystal Stilts play a Deli Magazine/After The Jump show with Blank Dogs, Religious Knives, and Dinowalrus at the Bell House. (Tickets are on sale.)

Finally, after touring Europe at the end of May, Crystal Stilts will play a Cake Shop show with The Pains of Being Pure of Heart on June 18th.

The Crystal Stilts' Bell House show (5/08) is not to be confused with the
Crystal Antlers show happening three days later at the same venue. (Tickets for that show are still on sale.)

In between the two "Crystal" shows, the Gowanus venue will host Horse Feathers with Joe Pug on May 9th (tix) and Chairlift, Takka Takka and The Secret Life of Sofia on May 10th (tix). Chairlift has lots of other 2009 dates, too.

All upcoming Crystal Stilts tour dates and two live videos of the band from 2008 below...

Continue reading "upcoming Crystal Stilts dates & other Bell House shows "

Tickets are on sale. Flyer below....

Continue reading "Ecstatic Peace night w/ Thurston Moore @ Knitting Factory"