by Bill Pearis

We've been waiting to see Scottish quartet Django Django ever since hearing their debut single two years ago, so Brooklyn Vegan is pleased as punch to be presenting with Popgun Booking the group's first-ever U.S. show at Glasslands on Saturday, March 10. It's a late show (doors 11:30), happening after the Daughter performance early that night, and will also feature the Stateside debut of Warp artist Kwes.. Consider this our pre-SXSW kickoff party. Tickets are $10 and on sale now.

Led by drummer/singer/producer David Maclean, Django Django released their debut single "Storm/Love's Dart" in late 2009. Back when bands still used MySpace, in the "influences" section, Django Django posted thumbnails of 168 albums, ranging from The Beach Boys' Smiley Smile, the first Fun Boy 3 LP, the Blade Runner soundtrack and the Beta Band's Hot Shots II and there's a definite kitchen sink mentality to their music. It's all basically danceable guitar pop, but anything goes.

Relocating to London, the band took their time releasing their debut album, which was released a few weeks ago on Because Music (home of Metronomy, Busy P and more) and is one of the more fun, inventive pop LPs to come down the pike in a while. Influences in a Cuisinart, yes, but cohesive. Django Django get compared to the Beta Band a lot, and there's a similar vocal style and groove, but DD are a little more focused and hyperactive. It's a great album.

You can stream Django Django's debut via Spotify buy it digitally from Bleep, Emusic or the retailer of your choice. (No physical versions in the U.S. yet.) There are also videos for recent singles "Default" and "Waveforms" you can watch at the bottom of this post. After visiting New York, Django Django head to SXSW so if you're gonna be in Austin in a month, do check them out.

Opening is London's Kwes, who has made a name for himself as a go-to producer, working with The XX, DELS, Damon Albarn, Micachu, The Invisible and others. After a couple singles on Young Turks/XL, Kwes signed to Warp who will release the Meantime EP in May. While you wait for that to come out, you can download non-EP track "Get Up" via a widget at the bottom of this post. Also down there is the installment of Vice's "Producers" video series featuring Kwes, which is well worth watching.

Continue reading "Django Django & Kwes playing a BV pre-SXSW show in NYC"

Nguzunguzu

LA producers Nguzunguzu and Salva are heading out on a tour together this March after Nguzunguzu plays a one-off in Chicago on 2/23. The tour includes SXSW and hits NYC on March 23 at 285 Kent. All dates are listed below.

Salva is currently on a UK tour with Shlohmo, which they kicked off after playing Glasslands together in January. A video from that show is below. Shlohmo has upcoming NYC shows too.

All dates and the video below...

Continue reading "Nguzunguzu touring with Salva (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Niki & the Dove

Stockholm's Niki & the Dove (aka Malin Dahlström and Gustaf Karlöf), who released The Drummer EP and "The Fox" single last year and made BBC's 'Sound of 2012' list, recently announced a short US tour which will take place this March and hit NYC on March 10 at Knitting Factory. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

The band just released the video for "The Fox," which you can watch below alongside a widget to download the track. There's definitely some Bjork coming through in Malin's vocals, and she's backed by thick, dancefloor-ready pop with synthetic brass, clap snares, and exploding choruses.

Also on the Knitting Factory bill is Clock Opera, who will release their debut album, Ways to Forget, on April 9 via Moshi Moshi, and quickly rising UK pop singer Charli XCX.

Charli XCX recently played an MTV show in London with The Maccabees, which Lana Del Rey was also scheduled to play, but cancelled like she did with SXSW after her SNL performance and an interview with Vogue where she said she might never record an album again. Like Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX seems groomed for mainstream pop-ularity and was one of the many singers Balam Acab remixed last year. Charli's other dates include a March tour of Europe with Sleigh Bells (who are the musical guest on SNL next weekend).

All Niki & the Dove dates, video and widget below...

Continue reading "Niki & the Dove release new video, announce dates, a Brooklyn show w/ Charli XCX & Clock Opera"

Not to be confused with the BBG-manned day party we're doing at Scoot Inn on 3/16, or our TBA official SXSW showcases, BrooklynVegan will be holding it down on 3 stages for 4 days straight at Hotel Vegas and Vostead Lounge in Austin this year (1500 E. 6th Street). Save the dates (March 14-17, 2012), and stay tuned for lineups and much more.

When we first announced that rapper/DJ Spoek Mathambo will release his sophomore LP, Father Crepper, on March 13 via Sub Pop, we mentioned that he had dates including SXSW and NYC. A few of those dates, including a NYC show happening on March 22 at S.O.B.'s have since been announced. Tickets for the S.O.B.'s show are on sale now.

You can pre-order his album at the Sub Pop webstore and grab the single, "Let Them Talk," HERE. The album trailer along with all dates is below...

Continue reading "Spoek Mathambo playing SOB's after SXSW (and other dates)"

by BBG

High on Fire at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by BBG)

March 16th, March 16th, March 16th! If you're going to be in Austin, save the date on your calendar folks! On Friday March 16th, 2012 at Scoot Inn (1308 e4th St), BrooklynVegan, The Power of The Riff, and Southern Lord will combine forces for a MARATHON of events that kickoff at noon and end waaaaay after the sun goes down.

The FREE daytime portion, in conjunction with the four-day Thrasher/Converse "Death Match" event at the venue, is an all-ages shindig that will kick off at noon and feature a skateramp with skaters and bands all day long. Shortly after doors open, expect to see eleven bands across two stages including sets from the following:

March 16, 2012 @ Scoot Inn, Austin, TX (noon-6pm)
* High on Fire
* Off!
* Trash Talk
* Black Cobra
* Ceremony
* Deafheaven
* Full of Hell
* Heartless
* Balaclava
* Dead in The Dirt
* DNF (members of Trash Talk, Touche Amore)

As the day show comes to a close, we'll get ready for our night show at the same venue... amounting to a total of FOURTEEN HOURS of destruction! Not to mention the food trucks, a full bar, and so much more to keep you fed and hydrated (or buzzed, depending on your poison) during the onslaught. Stay tuned to BrooklynVegan for details regarding the official night showcase, and for more about the day show, including set times. In the meantime, head below for video of some of the bands playing our MEGA-show at Scoot Inn on March 16th!

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan, Southern Lord & Power of The Riff present a back-to-back day show/official SXSW showcase at Scoot Inn"

DOWNLOAD: Beach Fossils - "Shallow" (MP3)

Captured Tracks signee Mac DeMarco, who has an upcoming Brooklyn show opening for labelmates Beach Fossils at MHOW on 3/2, just scheduled his own show, which will happen one day later at Glasslands (3/3). Tickets for that show are on sale now, and UPDATE: Widowspeak and Quilt are now listed as playing the show too. You can stream a Mac DeMarco track below.

Speaking of Beach Fossils, they're set to release the "Shallow" 7" b/w "Lessons" on February 21 via Captured Tracks. You can stream that track below and download it above.

Speaking of Captured Tracks, read about their big show at 285 Kent last week, HERE, and don't forget DIVE opens for Frankie Rose at Knitting Factory on 2/21.

Songs and dates, including the lineup of the Captured Tracks SXSW showcase, below...

Continue reading "another Mac DeMarco show (with Widowspeak & Quilt) & a new Beach Fossils track"

JAMC at Webster Hall (more here)

Its been five years since the brothers Reid have made their way around the US as The Jesus & Mary Chain. Now it looks like the band will be back on our shores to play a select set of dates in and around SXSW including the 35 Denton Festival. "Underpinning the Reid brothers' three-chord assault on these 2012 dates will be (sometimes drummer and guitarist from Pyschocandy line up) John Moore on guitar, Phil King on bass and a drummer to be announced." Full tour dates, which do not currently include NYC, are listed below. It's unclear if any more will be added.

The J&MC shows are in celebration of the band's upcoming slate of reissues which include additional bonus tracks and bonus DVD content. Head to the band's site for more info.

35 Denton also recently announced Atlas Sound and many more bands on its lineup.

All J&MC dates and some video below.

Continue reading "The Jesus & Mary Chain heading back to US, playing SXSW"

THEESatisfaction

As mentioned, Shabazz Palaces collaborators THEESatisfaction (aka Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White) are releasing their debut LP, awE naturalE, on March 27 via Sub Pop. We recently posted a non-album track, "Do You Have Time," which you can grab HERE, and the group have just revealed their first track from the album, "QueenS," which you can download below via a widget.

THEESatisfaction have also announced some dates in support of the album including one in NYC on March 9 at Cameo Gallery. Tickets are on sale.

They'll be arriving in NYC a bit before their tour kickoff to film the video for "QueenS" and they're looking to cast 20 black women aged 21-30 in the NYC area for the shoot. If interested, email your full name, age, high, and headshot to theesatisfaction@gmail.com or submit it via tumblr. Poster below. Head over to their website for more info. Casting ends February 17.

Shabazz Palaces also have an upcoming tour which hits NYC on April 13 at S.O.B.'s (tickets) and April 14 at Brooklyn Bowl (tickets).

All dates including SXSW and song widget below...

Continue reading "THEESatisfaction release MP3, playing a show & filming a video in NYC (casting call underway)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Daughter - Love (MP3)

Would you say you were folk? Or as the Guardian so nicely put it, 'Fucked up folk'?

I know right? That's quite funny. It's difficult, because I don't know what we are. We don't really think about it at all. We're more like 'this sounds alright - let's do that.' It did start off with my solo thing for years, which was very folky and acoustic. It definitely started out that way, but with me and Igor working together and developing things, it has all gone a bit more atmospheric and, I dunno, we're just trying to experiment with what we're doing.

People have mentioned that your lyrics are dark and depressing, but do you see them as a release of emotions - which is a positive thing. The Guardian, again, said '"Youth" plumbs Ian Curtis' depths of bleakness'. I wasn't expecting you to be so friendly!

I think it's a relief that I'm actually friendly as I probably would be the most depressed person in the world. I enjoy really dark music. I love Joy Division and don't think I can really write anything happy. I don't know if that's a conscious thing or I literally can't. If I didn't write songs, I think I'd be really weird [laughs]. I'd have a lot of shit that I just couldn't get out. I'd have about 10 cats and just mutter away to myself and play the saw. It's a release of emotion and I can just be rid of bad experiences. It is a bit like therapy where bad shit has happened but if you can put it down on paper and write about it and then sing it to people, then you'll be alright. I dunno where I'm going with that! ['Sup]

Originally a solo project for UK singer-songwriter Elena Tonra, Daughter is now a proper band with electric guitarist (and Tonra's boyfriend) Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella.

Daughter is coming to SXSW this year and has scheduled a few other shows outside of Austin as well, including a few in NYC: March 9 at Mercury Lounge, March 10 at Glasslands. There's also March 8 show with venue TBD. All tour dates -- including DC and Philly shows with Tennis and White Rabbits -- are at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading "Daughter sign to Glassnote, playing NYC, SXSW, other dates"

by Andrew Sacher

Hot Water Music

Chuck Ragan (of Hot Water Music) is taking The Revival Tour 2012 across the US and Canada this March and April. Like past Revival Tours, the shows feature a number of singers (usually of the punk scene) and their acoustic instruments collaborating on stage in a traditional folk music fashion. This year's tour hits NYC on March 30 at Bowery Ballroom, and in addition to Chuck Ragan, features Dan Andriano (of Alkaline Trio), Tommy Gabel (of Against Me!), and Lucero-associate Cory Branan. Tickets go on sale Saturday (2/4) at noon. The Revival tour also has ticket bundle options available with tour samplers, vinyls, posters, and more.

Nathaniel Rateliff, who released his debut album back in 2010, is on a number of the dates too, but unfortunately will not play at the Bowery Ballroom show. However, he will play in NYC one day before that show as part of the Communion-presented "Austin to Boston" tour, which kicks off at this year's SXSW in Austin. That tour hits Mercury Lounge on March 29 and also includes Ben Howard, The Staves, and Bear's Den. Tickets are on sale now.

Chuck Ragan's band Hot Water Music, who have been reunited since 2008, have announced that they're working on their first new album since the reunion and since 2004's The New What Next. They've been recording the album with Bill Stevenson (Descendents) and it should see the light of day this May on Rise Records, the label they signed to over the summer. Hot Water Music released the single "The Fire, The Steel, The Tread," b/w "Up to Nothing" in September of 2011. There's no word of whether or not these songs will appear on the new album, but you can stream them both below.

Hot Water Music have a few shows scheduled in 2012 including Bamboozle in Asbury Park, NJ and SXSW. Single day passes for 5/19 when HWM plays Bamboozle, along with The Promise Ring, A$AP Rocky, Action Bronson, and others, are on sale now. HWM doesn't have many other shows announced at the moment but maybe they'll schedule a NYC show when they're in the area for Bamboozle like The Promise Ring did.

All dates, streams, and tour fliers below...

Continue reading "Revival Tour announced w/ Chuck Ragan, Tom Gabel, Dan Andriano & Nathaniel Rateliff (who has his own dates too)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD:Noisear - "Endless Reincarnation" (MP3)

Unearthly Trance at Saint Vitus (more by Greg Cristman)


Unearthly Trance shows are few and far between nowadays, but the band will awaken from their live slumber to play Acheron on March 1st as part of a bill that includes The Communion, Water Torture, and Syphilitic Lust. $8 gets you in the door. Check out the flyer below.

Horseback has completed their new LP Half Blood due via Relapse this Spring. Details are limited so far, but Roadburn has more details about the record and its "amalgamation of drone, doom, black-metal, psychedelia, post-rock, noise, and ambience recorded with a wide array of instruments including guitar, bass, drums, keys, piano, bells, contact mics, field recordings, drum programming, noise and various signal processors." Yep, sounds like a Horseback record!

Check out a new Noisear track from their upcoming three-way split with Antigama and The Kill above. The track features vocals by Mitchell Luna of ex-Maruta fame.

Perdition will join Varix, Murderer and Sad Boys at Heaven Street Records TONIGHT (2/3). Door entry will cost you zilch and beers will cost you a dollar. Sounds like a winning night of furious, crusty punk to me.

Drainland will share a split 7" with Crows due on Suburban Mayhem Records. Stream the material from that release below.

Slices are preparing their new LP Still Cruising for Iron Lung Records. Look for it in the coming weeks and stream "Greensleeves" from the LP below.

One interesting and important footnote to the upcoming Behold the Arctopus show at Saint Vitus on Feb 24th... Support will come from Mindless Blasting and Geryon, two bands which feature Mick Barr with Nondor Nevai and Nick McMaster with Lev Weinstein respectively. Basically, a night of Krallice-related projects... should be interesting. Tickets are on sale.

Like Flipper, a reunited Sleepytime Trio are playing a show at SXSW in Austin this year.

No NYC dates, but Ringworm, Cancer Bats & Primitive are touring from Ohio to SXSW and then back to Ohio together. OFF! were also recently announced on the SXSW lineup.

Mastodon/Opeth/Ghost tickets went on sale earlier today.

Saturday's Ceremony, Pissed Jeans, The Rival Mob, Hoax, Kim Phuc, Gods and Queens show @ Le Poisson Rouge is now sold out.

Converge announced a tour.

YOB recently visited NJ with Tool. Right before that, they headlined their own show in Chicago with Anatomy of Habit and an opening set by YOB's Mike Scheidt who is going to release a solo album this year on Thrill Jockey. BV Chicago has pics from the Chicago show.

If you missed it, check out my interviews we just posted with English Dogs guitarist Gizz Butt and Mark "Barney" Greenway of Napalm Death. (Pilgrim too actually.)

A list of suggested NYC shows with song streams, the "Beaten & Left Blind" video by Landmine Marathon, and a set of European SUNN O))) tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Evillive (Unearthly Trance, Noisear, Horseback, Slices & more)"

by Andrew Sacher

Field Mouse

As mentioned, Polica has dates coming up in support of their debut LP, Give You The Ghost (due 2/14 via Totally Gross National Product), including NYC shows happening on March 27 at The Rock Shop and March 28 at Mercury Lounge. Tickets for the Rock Shop show and the Mercury show are still on sale.

When we first announced those shows, no openers were announced, but they've since been added. The Rock Shop show (3/27) will be supported by Brooklyn's catchy dream poppers Field Mouse. They recently released a video for their track "Glass" (watch below_ and are releasing a 7" for "You Guys Are Gonna Wake Up My Mom" on February 28 via Small Plates. They have a number of upcoming local shows happening even sooner at Pianos on February 2 with SNOWMINE, Spanish Prisoners, and Ben Lear, Lulu's on February 4 with Procession, ERAAS, and Abandoned Lighthouse, Spike Hill on February 16 with Allison Weiss (who also plays bass in Field Mouse), The Explorers Club, and Color Bars, and February 22 at Union Hall with Shark? and Great Western Plain. They're also playing SXSW.

Polica's Mercury Lounge show (3/28) will be supported by UK reverby rockers Zulu Winter. They released the "Never Leave" b/w "Let's Move Back To Front" single last year on Double Denim. You can stream both of those songs below and grab them at iTunes.

Willis Earl Beal @ Schubas on 1/14 (more by Zach Pollack)

While Zulu Winter are here, they'll play SXSW and another NYC show the day after the Mercury Lounge show at Glasslands (3/29) with Willis Earl Beal, who we recently mentioned signed to XL imprint Hot Charity and is touring with SBTRKT. Stream his track, "Evening's Kiss," below. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale.

Polica's next Austin show is the fourth date in a Marijuana Deathsquads & Har Mar Superstar residency at Mohawk that begins tonight (2/1). Polica also played the fourth night of the same residency when it happened at Bowery Electric in NYC, which was right before Polica played CMJ.

All dates, videos, and streams below...

Continue reading "Willis Earl Beal, Zulu Winter & Field Mouse schedule shows (some with Polica, some with SBTRKT)"

Psychic Ills will make the trek down to SXSW for the 2012 edition, playing dates with R. Stevie Moore, The Men, Woodsman, and more along the way. In addition to the trek down to Texas, the band has added a few April East Coast dates as well, including one at Mercury Lounge on April 7th with Seattle band Night Beats. Tickets for the NYC show go on AMEX presale at noon on 2/1 and regular sale on Friday.

Psychic Ills and Night Beats are BOTH also scheduled to play Austin Psych Fest on April 27-29th. The latter, who released their self-titled psychedelia-inflected garage LP and a split with UFO Club last year via Trouble In Mind and The Reverberation Appreciation Society respectively, are planning more releases for 2012, though details remain sketchy. Meanwhile Night Beats have dates scheduled with names like Roky Erickson and White Mystery, and will be at SXSW too. All shows are listed below.

Psychic Ills released Hazed Dream late last year via Sacred Bones. Stream that in its entirety alongside tour dates and some video below...

Continue reading "Psychic Ills & Night Beats touring, playing SXSW, Psych Fest & other places (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Plants and Animals - "Lightshow" (MP3)

Plants and Animals at T5 in 2010 (more by Lionel Bergeron)

Plants and Animals will release the followup to 2010's La La Land; The End of That on February 28 via Secret City Records. Grab the single, "Lightshow," above and stream it below, along with the album art and tracklist.

Plants and Animals will tour the US and Canada in support of the album in March and April. The tour includes an appearance at SXSW and a NYC show happening on April 18 at Mercury Lounge. Tickets for that show are on sale.

All dates, stream, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Plants & Animals releasing new album touring (dates & MP3)"

Miike Snow at Terminal 5 in 2010 (more by Brook Bobbins)

Miike Snow will release their sophomore LP, Happy to You, on March 27 via Downtown/Universal. You can stream the album track "Black Tin Box," which features fellow Swede Lykke Li HERE, and watch the video for another, "The Devil's Work," below. The artwork and tracklist are also below.

Miike Snow will tour the US and Canada in support of the new album, surrounding their appearances at SXSW, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and Coachella. The tour hits NYC on April 24 and 25 at Terminal 5. The 4/24 show is sold out but tickets just went on sale for the 4/25 show.

All dates, video, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Miike Snow releasing new LP, touring, add 2nd Terminal 5 show (tour dates & a new song featuring Lykke Li)"

Bruce Springsteen @ Giants Stadium in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band recently announced a new album (new song and European tour dates included), and now here's the North American tour.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launch the first US leg of the 2012 'Wrecking Ball' World Tour on March 18 in Atlanta. Bruce Springsteen's 17th studio album 'Wrecking Ball' will be released on Columbia Records on March 6.

"We Take Care Of Our Own," the album's first single,' is "classic Springsteen" with "anguish and challenge [that] run thick and fast" (Rolling Stone); a "richly orchestrated Wall of Sound... that nods to the 'Born to Run' era" (Billboard).

The E Street Band's members are: Roy Bittan - piano, synthesizer; Nils Lofgren - guitar, vocals; Patti Scialfa - guitar, vocals; Garry Tallent - bass guitar; Stevie Van Zandt - guitar, vocals; and Max Weinberg - drums; with Soozie Tyrell - violin, guitar, vocals and Charlie Giordano - keyboards.

The tour, which does not-at-the-moment include a rumored Wrigley Field show, will hit the NYC-area in April:

April 3 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale Jan 27)
April 4 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale Jan 27)
April 6 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan 27)
April 9 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan 27)

All dates, which also do not include Austin (yet?), where Bruce is giving a SXSW keynote speech right before the tour starts, are listed along with a stream of the new song and more new album info, below...

Continue reading "Bruce Springsteen announces 2012 Tour, 2 nights @ MSG (dates, new song & album info)"

by Bill Pearis

As we hit the heart of winter in New York, the sunny climes of Florida sound pretty good right now. As does some of the music coming out of there, even if on the dark and moody side like West Palm Beach's The Band in Heaven. The group's debut 7" was just released on HoZac: four hits of fuzzy psych rock of varying prescriptions, from the driving lead track "Sleazy Dreams" to the tabla/sitar-fueled "If You Only Knew."

The EP ends with a methadone rework of "Sleazy Dreams" called "Sludgy Dreams" for which the band have just released a trippy music video, animated with cutouts a la Terry Gilliam. We're premiering said video and you can watch it at the bottom of this post, along with a stream of the entire HoZac EP. 2012 should be a busy one for these Floridians, with a second 7" due on Sympathy for the Record Industry later this year.

The Band in Heaven will also be headed to Austin for SXSW, where they'll play showcases/parties for HoZac, Austin Psych Fest, Cherry Sustainable, Get Bent and others. Look for details -- as well as more tour dates -- as March approaches.

In related HoZac news, Radar Eyes' long-gestating debut album is out February 7. Those in Chicago should hit the FREE record release show on February 6.

Check out The Band in Heaven's "Sludgy Dreams" video below, as well as audio streams and cover art to the Hozac 7".

Continue reading "Check out The Band in Heaven (video premiere, EP stream)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Hospitality - Friends of Friends (MP3)

Hospitality's long-in-the-works debut album is out next week (1/31) on Merge and the band have just released a video for the horn-filled "Friends of Friends." In addition to the band playing in someone's well-equipped kitchen, the video tells the story of a relationship stretched between coasts, as played by Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and Videogum's Gabe Delahaye (who was also recently in Real Estate's video for "Easy"). You can download the MP3 of "Friends of Friends" at the top of this post. The whole album's terrific, one of my early favorites of the year, and Spotify users can get an early listen to the whole thing here.

You can pick up the album at Hospitality's record release show at Glasslands next Friday (2/3) which also has Glass Ghost and Dustin Wong on the bill. The band are also heading out on a quick tour of both coasts and will be in Austin for SXSW. All scheduled tour dates are below.

In other Hospitality news, the band play WFMU's Seven Second Delay at UCB this Wednesday (1/25, 6PM) and have just released a Daytrotter session. Below is the "Friends of Friends" video and those upcoming tour dates.

Continue reading "Hospitality's new video stars Maeby of 'Arrested Development; album streaming on Spotify, tour announced (dates)"

SBTRKT in Sweden in 2011 (more)

SBTRKT, who released one of our favorite albums of 2011, is currently on a long international tour that brings him to North America for the sold out Coachellas and a NYC show earlier in April, happening at Webster Hall on April 3. Tickets for that show are still available, but they might be close to selling out because he just added another NYC show happening one day earlier at Music Hall of Williamsburg (4/2). Tickets for the Brooklyn show go on sale Friday (1/27) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (1/25) at noon. US support TBA.

UPDATE: The billing of the Brooklyn show is now "SBTRKT DJ Set and very special guests."

All dates, Ultra Music Festival and SXSW included, are listed below.

SBTRKT recently released the instrumental track "Atomic Peace," which he first revealed when he played it on a Mary Anne Hobbs Guest Mix in 2009. The track samples Múm's "Flow Not So Fast Old Mountain Radio", which is the reason he had not previously released it. You can stream it below.

Updated dates and stream below...

Continue reading "SBTRKT adds 2nd NYC show, playing SXSW, posted unreleased Mum-sampling track (song stream & updated dates)"

Yellow Ostrich at MHOW earlier this month (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Yellow Ostrich, who just announced that their next album, Strange Land, will come out March 6 via Barsuk, have scheduled a tour in support of it. The tour kicks off in early March with support from 1,2,3, hits SXSW, then includes a run with Howler, before concluding in a hometown show at NYC's Mercury Lounge on April 12. No opener has been announced for that show yet. Tickets go on sale at noon today (1/20). All dates are listed below.

Speaking of Mercury Lounge shows that go on sale today at noon, Grimes' third NYC show on her upcoming tour with Born Gold does. It's at Mercury Lounge on February 23, an early show before she plays a sold out show at the same venue later that night. Her Glasslands show (3/24) is now also sold out. Tickets for the early Mercury Lounge show (3/23) go on sale today at noon.

Hot Chip/LCD Soundsystem side project New Build also added a second Mercury Lounge show (3/14) happening one day after their sold out one (3/13). Tickets for the 3/14 show go on sale today at noon.

All Yellow Ostrich dates below...

Continue reading "Yellow Ostrich announce tour (dates); Mercury Lounge show on sale at noon (Grimes & New Build too)"

The Fresh & Onlys @ Psych Fest 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

The Reverberation Appreciation Society and The Black Angels have released the initial lineup poster for the 5th annual Austin Psych Fest. This year's fest, running from April 27th - 29th (in Austin), will take place at Austin's two newest big venues, recently opened Emo's East and the soon-to-be open Beauty Ballroom which is next door.

Emo's East is now the only Emo's since their Red River location closed on 12/30, and the Beauty Ballroom is (hopefully) having their rescheduled Grand Opening on January 27th (with Theophilus London and Treasure Fingers) and continuing on January 28th.

APF will feature around 60 bands over the three day, two room event. About 40 are included in the poster below, with another 20 or so to be announced in March. Announced bands include the Black Angels (who played Emo's East on New Year's Eve), the Black Lips, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow, Olivia Tremor Control, Wooden Shijps, and many more. Weekend passes go on sale this Saturday (January 21st) at 12pm CST at austinpsychfest.com.

Check out photos from the 2011 edition of Psych Fest (held at Seaholm Power Plant) HERE.

Chaos in Tejas, a different kind of Austin music fest that happens in June, also announced bands on their lineup today.

SXSW, which is in March, continues to announce bands all the time and recently posted their initial schedule.

Psych Fest 2012 poster, lineup and Bandcamp mixtape, below...

Continue reading "Austin Psych Fest annnounces initial 2012 lineup, new venue; SXSW posted their initial schedule"

Trust, who are releasing their debut LP on Arts & Crafts this February, are starting to reveal some dates in support of it. In late December, the band tweeted, "showz in nyc/austin/westcoast in march. deets to follow." Those shows haven't been completely revealed yet but we now know that the NYC shows are happening on March 8 at Mercury Lounge and March 9 at Glasslands. Tickets are on sale now for the Glasslands show and tickets for the Mercury Lounge show go on sale Friday (1/20) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (1/18) at noon. The Austin shows will be SXSW, and we assume California after that.

All currently known dates and some videos of tracks from the upcoming LP below...

Continue reading "Trust announce 2 NYC shows, planned March tour"

by Andrew Sacher

Big Deal

UK duo 2:54, who we suggested you check out when they made their US debut in NYC in late November, has a few US dates scheduled with fellow UK duo Big Deal surrounding SXSW. Those dates include March 11 at Glasslands and March 12 at Mercury Lounge, before they head to SXSW and finish up with a date together in LA. Tickets for the Mercury show go on sale today (1/13) at noon and tickets for the Glasslands show are not on sale yet but check ticketfly for updates.

Big Deal (aka Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe) will release their debut LP, Lights Out, on January 24 via Mute. They don't seem to be using more than an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and their voices. They've got enough indie rock tendencies that it's bigger sounding than folk, but with the complete absence of drums, it's not nearly as large as their songwriting could lead it to be, and it ends up working to their advantage. A few of the tracks from the album are available to stream below, including the single, "Chair," and an accompanying video, "Locked Up," "Homework," and perhaps the most memorable, "Talk," which revolves around the repeated chorus of "All I wanna do is talk/but seeing you fucks me up," a refrain with the brutal honesty of emo but without its stigmas. The artwork and tracklist for Lights Out is below.

2:54 @ Pianos in December (more by Erik Erikson)

2:54 also have some upcoming dates in the UK with another UK band, The Big Pink, whose new album, Future This, comes out next week and is streaming in full with track by track commentary from the band on SPIN.

NME also points out in their review of The Maccabees' new album, Given to the Wild, which came out 1/9 in the UK, that, "On their forthcoming tour, the band will be supported by 2:54." The two bands, who are now labelmates (2:54 signed to Fiction), also toured together in 2011. The Maccabees also have dates with another UK band we said you should check out, Trailer Trash Tracys, whose great debut LP, Ester, comes out February 7 via Domino.

In NME's review of The Maccabees' Given to the Wild, they called the album the "first classic album of 2012" and gave it a 9/10, the highest score they've given to any album by the band thus far (their first two got 8's). The album is pretty great. It was produced by DFA's Tim Goldsworthy, and he helps bring in a more ambient feel to their sound. It doesn't have the powerful choruses of Wall of Arms but it reaches similar heights by taking a step away from that and exploring layers of new and different sounds. Check out the videos for "Feel to Follow" and "Pelican" off the album below.

Speaking of bands that NME loves, Howler (who have 7 NYC shows coming up, 5 of which are this month) are featured on the cover of NME's 'New Music 2012 Special Issue' and their debut LP, America Give Up is streaming in full on NPR.

All dates, videos, and streams below...

Continue reading "Big Deal coming to US w/ 2:54, releasing LP; The Maccabees have a new one too; The Big Pink & Howler streaming theirs"

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"