CMJ takes over NYC venues from October 18-22, and they just announced another round of bands that are playing. They are:

J Mascis, Shonen Knife, Gang Gang Dance, Boy & Bear, Cloud Nothings, Free Energy, T. Mills, Kendrick Lamar, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Casiokids, Oberhofer, Smif-N-Wessun, Pujol, Zomby, Joker, Painted Palms, Flatliners, Robbers on High Street, Bag Raiders, Young Buffalo, Skeletonwitch, Gary Clark, Jr. and 1, 2, 3.

Zomby is also playing Glasslands even sooner.

Petty Fest is returning to NYC this October, though unlike previous years, this year there will be "Two Nights To Get Drunk And Celebrate The Songs Of Tom Petty." The fest is taking place October 5 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and October 6 at Bowery Ballroom. The fest is (almost) the same lineup of musicians that usually get together for things like this, like Norah Jones, Nicole Atkins, Jesse Malin, Sammy James Jr. (The Mooney Suzuki), Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne), Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady, Josh Lattanzi of The Lemonheads, and others. Interesting additions inclue Har Mar Superstar and Jonny Corndawg. I hope they do a duet. And of course there will be "surprise guests". Tickets for both nights go on sale Thursday (9/1) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (8/31) at noon. $2 from each ticket will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Jonny Corndawg meanwhile will also be in NYC TONIGHT (8/30) for his record release show at Union Pool.

Full Petty Fest lineup, flier, and a recent video of Neko Case and My Morning Jacket covering "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" together, below...

Continue reading "Petty Fest returns in 2011, 2 nights, 2 venues"

The Hold Steady at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more)

Last month, we announced that Truck America is returning to the Catskills in September (the 9th through the 11th) and will be headlined by The Hold Steady and Okkervil River. The only other confirmed bands at the time were Ra Ra Riot and Wye Oak. The lineup has since been updated to include Fruit Bats, Vetiver, The Felice Brothers, CItay, Gary Higgins, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Takka Takka, Hospitality, The Low Anthem and others. Check out the full list below. Early bird tickets are still on sale.

For The Low Anthem, it's one of many dates they just announced including one at Terminal 5 with Iron & Wine.

Speaking of The Hold Steady, frontman Craig Finn posted to his Tumblr that he's making a solo album:

"I'm in Austin TX for a few weeks. Making a record. Staying in a friend's guest house. Got here yesterday. So far so good. I'll be tracking the progress here."

Check out the full Truck America lineup update below...

Continue reading "Truck America expands lineup, Craig Finn working on solo LP"

DOWNLOAD: The Stepkids - "Legend In My Own Mind" (MP3)

The Stepkids

Linfinity, Waking Lights, and Sister Anne will take on Pianos TONIGHT (1/13), as part of a residency for Linfinity at the venue in January. One week later (1/20) Linfinity returns with The Stepkids & Robbers on High Street while the final week will include Contramono, Monuments and Actualities. Listed set times for each show are below. There are no advance tickets, and the 1/20 show is the only upcoming Stepkids appearance

The Stepkids, who recently wowed the crowd supporting Aloe Blacc at Le Poisson Rouge, are also Aloe's label-mate. Congrats to the Bridgeport, CT band for signing to Stones Throw Records.

Of course, an awful lot of work went into bringing the Bridgeport-based band to this point. Guitarist/singer Jeff Gitelman and bassist/singer Dan Edinberg's collaboration dates back to jazz gigs they played in high school. In adulthood, Gitelman's session work culminated with a stint as Alicia Keys' guitarist, while Edinberg toured with reggae-rock band ZOX. Joining forces again in 2008 with drummer/singer Tim Walsh -- a songwriter and recording engineer in his own right -- they worked together on, and ultimately created, an entire album.

To find their own distinct sound, they realized they had to embrace the sounds they'd tried to run from. "I couldn't dedicate my time to writing another R&B song," Gitelman explains in a recent phone conversation. "We never wanted to make a photocopy of an old Motown record. ... We wanted a collage -- make a photocopy and then scribble all over it."-[Fairfield County Weekly]

Continue reading "The Stepkids signed to Stones Throw, playing a NYC show w/ Linfinity (who are in residency @ Pianos this month)"

Pete's Candy Store photos by Amanda Hatfield, Crash Mansion photos by Jessica Amaya, Pianos & Mercury Lounge photos by Chris La Putt, words by Rachel Kowal

Oh Land @ Rebel NYC (more by David Andrako)

You've been following the CMJ adventures of multiple BV contributors for two weeks now, including the day by day reviews from Rachel Kowal. Before too much more time passes, here is the conclusion of Rachel's week (with the end of day four and all of day five), and assorted pictures from four other shows all rolled into one big post. Check it all out, below....

Continue reading "Rachel's CMJ 2010 recap conclusion w/ lots of pics (Lia Ices, Sarah Jaffe, Ume, Robbers on High Street, Buke & Gass, more) "

In their own words, "PALOMAR is playing a "benefits residency" every Tuesday [at the Rock Shop] from Nov 16-Dec 14, called 5 GREAT NIGHTS, 5 GREAT CAUSES. The band will play songs from their new, yet-to-be-released album, and have roped in some big names including Nada Surf, Charles and Kevin of The Wrens and many more." Other guests at the shows include Walter Schreifels, Todd Barry, Dave Hill, Eugene Mirman, and Robbers on High Street. Right now only $40 tickets are on sale. That gets you into all five shows. Individual show tickets will be on sale Friday.

Exact dates, full lineups, flyer, and more below...

Continue reading "Palomar playing benefit shows w/ very special guests (Nada Surf, Wrens members, Todd Barry, Walter Schreifels, more)"

Halloween (more by Paul Birman)

What are some good Halloween shows happening this year? There's always the parade. And Todd P has his thing. Knitting Factory has all the metal you need. Hippies will be down the shore gambling. The Dresden Dolls are at Irving Plaza. World/Inferno Friendship Society do two shows at Brooklyn Bowl. The Felice Brothers and Adam H. Stephens of Two Gallants play MHOW (not a very Halloween-like option). Robbers on High Street will be ELO at Mercury Lounge. A Weezer cover band opens for them.

Deidre of Savoir Adore and French Horn Rebellion hosts Deidre's Hoochie Coochie Halloween at Zebulon. Michael T hosts a Rocky Horror Picture Show anniversary party at Le Poisson Rouge. The always-costumed Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black play Santos. What else?

There's always Saturday/Mischief night to celebrate. Since Halloween is on a Sunday this year, Halloween will probably last all weekend long (plus, Halloween technically begins at midnight). Guns n Roses cover band Mr. Brownstone are at Brooklyn Bowl this Saturday evening before Das Pop play the Halloween party there later that night. Allo Darlin play the Mondo Halloween Party at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn on 10/30. The previously mentioned Pelly Twins Pre-Halloween Partay is happening that night too:

Saturday October 30th @ 171 LOMBARDY
:: PELLY TWINS PRE-HALLOWEEN PARTAY
:: http://pellytwins.blogspot.com
:: DOM
:::: SMITH WESTERNS
:::::: Yellow Fever
:::::::: Total Slacker
:::::::::: Sweet Bulbs
| 171 LOMBARDY |
502 Varick Ave @ Lombardy St | East Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Grand St, G-Nassau | 8pm | all ages | $tba

What else?

Get in the mood with some videos below...

Continue reading "What's happening on Halloween weekend in NYC this year?"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Loose Limbs - Red Hands (Martin Clancy Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: New Numbers - Islands EP (Zip)

Broken Social Scene @ SXSW (more by Bryan Bruchman)

Aquarian Weekly: Where does Broken Social Scene go from here? Are there any cinematic soundtracks on the horizon?

Brendan Canning: We've got a lot of cinematic music in the can. There's a few movies we're working on while we do a month of touring and festivals to promote the record. We're involved with Daydream Nation, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, and This Movie Is Broken, which mixes Broken Social Scene live concert footage with a plot line that's half fiction thrown in. Now's the time to work hard, stay on top of things, and know this is our moment.

Continue reading "Zeus, Broken Social Scene, New Numbers, Penguin Prison, The Primitives, Alex Bleeker & more in This Week in Indie "

Field Music didn't make it, but there was a special reunion set by Pulsars, followed by the super duper Wye Oak who played before special guest Rumours last night at The Bell House in Brooklyn (12/3).

As advertised (at the last minute anyway), Rumours was a Fleetwood Mac cover band. Cover song experts Loser's Lounge made up the band and a rotating cast of singers came to the stage to play individual tunes. Those vocalists included Dave Hill dueting with Erika from Au Revoir Simone, Will Sheff dueting with Beth Wawerna, Matthew Caws, Britta, Sharon Van Etten, Wye Oak, and many more. The show was in honor of Bell House booker Skippy. Well, it was his birthday party, and he even came out to help perform "I Don't Wanna Know" with Mia Riddle. The full setlist (which did not include AC Newman or Eugene Mirman - both must be out of town) with a couple of videos below...

Continue reading "Rumours (indie all-star Fleetwood Mac band) played the Bell House w/ Wye Oak & Pulsars - video & setlist"

photos by Chris La Putt, words by Bill Pearis

Au Revoir Simone have spent the better part of 2009 working on, promoting and touring in support of their second album, Still Light, Still Night, wrapping things up -- for now, at least -- with a Brooklyn show at the Bell House on October 24 (tickets), which is part of the CMJ Music Marathon. The Bell House is also where their new video, "Shadows," was filmed. You can watch it over at the David Lynch Foundation Television website. Lynch has been a fan ever since he and ARS were paired together for that Barnes & Noble Upstairs at the Square event two years ago. He even wrote a nice little blurb for the girls:

"I LOVE AU REVOIR SIMONE ..... THESE GIRLS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES ..... MUSIC JUST FLOWS OUT OF THEM SO NATURALLY - AND IT'S GREAT MUSIC ...... THIS VIDEO FOR "SHADOWS" - FROM THEIR NEW ALBUM "STILL NIGHT, STILL LIGHT" IS MIGHTY - THE COLOR AND THE LIGHT ARE STELLAR - THE MOVES AND LOOKS - MINIMAL - CLEAN - MODERN AND SOLID ..... IT ALL COMES ALONG SO WELL SUPPORTING THE GIRLS AND THEIR MUSIC ..... ANNIE, ERIKA AND HEATHER HAVE GOT THEIR ACT TOGETHER - THEY'RE BIG - BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE BIGGER - THEY'RE GONNA BE REAL BIG"

In November, Au Revoir Simone travel to China for shows in Beijing and Shanghai. Tour dates are at the bottom of this post, as are more pictures from Au Revoir Simone's Bowery show from back in June. Findlay Brown, who is also playing CMJ at the same venue (Bowery), opened that June show.

In between now and ARS's trip to China, ARS member Annie Hart will spend some time with her other band, Uninhabitable Mansions, which also features Robbie and Tyler from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Uninhabitable Mansions' debut album, Nature is a Taker, is out now digitally, with the CD version due at the end of October and vinyl in January. Uninhabitable Mansions, which now includes Annie Hart's husband (and former Dirty on Purpose member) Doug Marvin on drums, has two NYC shows coming up: a free show next Wednesday (10/14) at Cake Shop which is part of the MIXER Reading Series, then they'll play the Bell House on October 22 (part of CMJ) with Robbers on High Street, Freelance Whales (who are also on the Bowery Ballroom show Findlay is playing), Pomegrates and others. After that, they're going on a short East Coast tour, ending with a October 30 show at Union Pool. Then the band's on hold until the new year when they expect to launch a more extensive U.S. tour.

And while we're here, Robbie and Chris of Uninhabitable Mansions have another band,Radical Dads, whose new self-titled EP is downloadable for free.

CYHSY front-man Alec Ounsworth meanwhile has been doing his own thing and is appearing at Mercury Lounge during CMJ, as well as at a free BrooklynVegan day party at Pianos that same day (10/22). More details TBA.

Tour dates for Au Revoir Simone and Uninhabitable Mansions, plus more pictures from Au Revoir Simone's June 28 Bowery Ballroom show are below...

Continue reading "Au Revoir Simone, David Lynch, Uninhabitable Mansions, Radical Dads & CMJ - tour dates, pictures, free music & more"

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the two NYC Weakerthans shows coming up in September.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the WAVVES/Woods/Real Estate show at Bowery Ballroom.

$10 tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the 10 bands playing Terminal 5. $10 tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the 10 bands playing Starland Ballroom.

Robbers on High Street are playing Mercury Lounge on July 10th. Tickets are on sale.

The lineup of the Afrobeat Festival happening at Knitting Factory on June 2nd now includes BLK JKS, Geko Jones (Dutty Artz, Que Bajo), Uproot Andy (Bersas Discos, ZZK, Que Bajo), and Bajah + the Dry Yai Crew. Tickets are still on sale.

Doomriders, Zoroaster, Clouds, Sourvein, Javelina, Cough, Howl, and Wetnurse are playing the BV Black Bubblegum Northside Festival showcase at Europa on June 14th. Tickets are on sale.

TT & SS

Takka Takka has three NYC shows coming up at the moment. The first is the previously-mentioned Guilt By Association party this Saturday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg that Jukebox the Ghost, Lowry, and Robbers on High Street are also playing. It's a "Guilt by Association" party because that's the name of the new album that all the artists on the bill contribute a cover track to. Tickets are still on sale.

Almost a month later Takka plays a show at Mercury Lounge. It's February 27th with the Swirlies. And the third show is March 15th at Cake Shop. That one is also the first night of a tour they're going on with Sister Suvi that will bring both bands from NY to SXSW (and then also other places).

Sister Suvi is Patrick Gregoire of Islands' other band. Here's a live review...

Montreal/Toronto three-piece Sister Suvi blessed the hundred-plus patrons at the expansive Hart House performance hall with a relentless display of innovative, energetic (and alternating) instrumentation, so much so that lead singer Merrill was tinged crimson by the second song. Her comedic character carried the songs with impressive gusto, and her ukulele skills were not to be scoffed at, especially when she pulled out her violin bow and went to town with an even more animated display of performance power. [NOW Toronto]

Continue reading "Takka Takka & Sister Suvi - 2009 Tour Dates "

Tickets are on sale @ noon for the upcoming M. Ward show at the Apollo Theater.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming Passion Pit show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for the Beirut / Kaki King show at BAM.

Tickets are on sale for the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Chairlift show at BAM.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming Modeselektor show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming Black Lips show at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming Black Lips show at Music Hall of Williamsburg too.

Tickets are on on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming AC Newman show at Bowery Ballroom. AC Newman is also playing the Bell House.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Ben Kweller show at Town Hall.

Tickets are on sale @ noon for the Pretenders show coming up at Roseland Ballroom.

Robbers on High Street are playing the Guilt By Association party at Music Hall of Williamsburg on January 31st. Tickets are on sale (@ noon).

Tickets are on sale for Antony's upcoming shows at Town Hall.

A bunch of shows also went on sale Thursday.

DOWNLOAD: My Brightest Diamond: Tainted Love (Soft Cell/Gloria Jones cover) (MP3)

My Brightest Diamond is playing a show with Clare & the Reasons at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on December 13th. Tickets are on sale. In other MBD news,

[the new album] Guilt By Association Vol 2 was conceptualized and produced by [former BV contributor] Wesley Verhoeve and lends towards danceable covers of some of the artists favorite pop songs. "We wanted to take what was done on Volume 1 and pour it into a cohesive framework. We're big fans of pop music, but also of indie music and in that sense there's nothing ironic about this project. Together with the artists we picked pop songs they loved that might sometimes be painted as guilty pleasures by some (but not us), and then attempted to shine a light on them in a way that exposes what is so awesome about these songs," says Wes.

The Forms's cover of Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start The Fire' or My Brightest Diamond's take on 'Tainted Love', are transformed into a slamming modern indie dance party track that fits right into today's' Brooklyn scene. Others like Matt Pond PA's version of My Chemical Romance' "I'm Not Okay" provide us with a quick mellow moment of melancholy.

Continue reading "My Brightest Diamond - 2008 Tour Dates, a new covers comp w/ The Forms, Takka, Matt Pond, Frightened Rabbit, more (MP3, stream)"

photos by Chris La Putt

September 18th was the official opening of the Bell House, the new venue in the Gowanus of Brooklyn. Though a private show happened Wednesday, Thursday night was the public's first look at the place which bears a slight resemblance to its sister bar, Union Hall. No bocce at this one though. What did you think?

The night was a celebration that included sets by Takka Takka, Robbers on High Street, Matt Pond PA and headliner Lilys - all free.

Tickets for upcoming events at the Bell House are on sale. That includes the BV Presents Department of Eagles show on October 6th.

More pictures of the venue, and of all three openers, below...

Continue reading "Takka Takka, Matt Pond PA & ROHS @ the Bell House - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Robbers on High Street - Seasons Greetings (MP3)

The song is originally found on an American Song-Poem Christmas album called Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four? On Bar None Records. It was written by Raymond Moberly and performed by Teri Summers and the Librettos. Song-poems were a pop culture phenomenon in the 50s, 60s and 70s where normal people would mail in their poems to "professional musicians" who would then set music to the poems for a fee, usually a few hundred dollars.