by Bill Pearis

Head is probably best-known for his time as bassist in Swell Maps where he wrote two of the band's catchiest songs, "Harmony in Your Bathroom" and the great "Cake Shop Girl" which did indeed inspire the name of the Ludlow St. indie rock venue (where he's played before). In 1984 he began a ten-year stint with Television Personalities. Since the early '80s, Head has also released solo records with various backing bands, most recently last year's Diabolical Liberties as Jowe Head & the Demi-Monde. He's also an accomplished artist. -[BV, 2011]

Onetime Swell Maps/Television Personalities member Jowe Head is back in the States for a short East Coast tour that includes three shows in NYC: Cake Shop on April 11 with Man Forever and Kinski; Union Pool on April 12 with Fly Ashtray and Sapphire Mansions; and The Flat on April 13 with What Next? and Missing Documents. The Cake Shop show will feature Magnetic Fields' Claudia Gonson as part of Head's band. All tour dates are listed, along with a Spotify stream of Swell Maps' Jane from Occupied Europe, below.

Continue reading "Swell Maps' Jowe Head on East Coast tour, including three NYC shows (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

As mentioned, Belfast's Girls Names' new album, The New Life, is out March 12 via Slumberland. They owe a sonic kinship to their labelmates Crystal Stilts and the new album has a clear, ringing sound -- not to mention some excellent basslines -- and you can stream the whole album below.

The band are making their way across the Atlantic next month for the music swap meet known as SXSW and on their way there they'll stop in NYC for at Cameo on March 10. They'll play with Lazyeyes and the very Felt-ish Sapphire Mansions. Tickets are on sale now. It seems to be their only non-SXSW date over here, but their current tour schedule is below.

Continue reading "Girls Names streaming new Slumberland album, playing NYC before SXSW"

by Bill Pearis

Fear of Men

You may already know UK indiepop quartet Fear of Men will be here after SXSW, playing Pianos on March 20 (tickets). We had a feeling they'd add more shows and they just announced one at Glasslands the day before (3/19) with BOYTOY and Beverly. Tickets to that show are on sale now.

Fear of Men's singles compilation, Early Fragments, is out next month on Kanine, and you can stream a few songs below, including their cover of The Chills' classic, "Pink Frost."

If you're wondering about the opener Beverly, Fear of Men shed a little light via Facebook. They are "our friends Drew and Frankie who we met when we played with Frankie Rose in the summer." And that would be Drew Citron who has been playing keyboards (and singing) in Frankie's band for the last year or so. (Apparently Drew is the singer here, but we'll see.) Beverly will play NYC before that at The LAB on February 7 with Down Wires, Sapphire Mansions and Our Future. Down Wires is a new band from Scott Rosenthal who currently plays keyboards in Class Actress but this is decidedly more indie rock. (Closer to his band The Gytters if you remember them.) You can stream a couple Down Wires songs below and more info on the show is here.

Continue reading "Fear of Men add NYC show at Glasslands with Beverly (new Frankie Rose project) who have other shows coming up"