by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: City Center - Teardrop Children (edit) (MP3)

Here's an exclusive look at the upcoming new record from City Center, the project of Brooklyn-Michigan duo Fred Thomas (of Saturday Still Looks Good to Me) and Ryan Howard. The group been playing for a few years now, initially as just Fred, and their self-titled debut, a swirling collage of buried melodies, came out last year on Type Records.

I saw them last fall, shortly after their debut's release, and they were already moving toward a less-murky, more guitar-based sound. Fred says that this record expands in that direction. The album, tentatively titled See My Skeleton, doesn't have a label yet, but Fred hopes to have it out this September. A first look - an edited version of the song "Teardrop Children" - is above.

Their upcoming tour kicks off with a Monday, March 29th show at Death By Audio (with Soft Circle, Drawlings and Love of Everything). Full dates are below...

Continue reading "City Center - new record (MP3) & 2010 Tour Dates "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: City Center - Open House (MP3)

City Center @ Nakamura House Party 3/14/09...

[Fred Thomas of City Center/Saturday Looks Good To Me]:

I leave tomorrow morning for Olympia to get it together for 2 months or so of touring with The Hive Dwellers and Chain & The Gang. Hive Dwellers is Calvin Johnson's new band/new songs and I play drums for the band. C&TG is Ian Svenonius' (Make Up/Weird War/Soft Focus talk show) new jam. I play bass in that one. After the last two months of playing lots of shows, recording all the time and hanging so hard with Ryan all in the name of playing some fucked up music with City Center, I'm really sad to be taking off for so long and putting the CC on hold. Luckily we're gonna play a few shows on this tour, and we also have a ton of things we're working on that will come to light soon... [City Center blog, 4.1.09]

One of those "things we're working on" (or maybe "worked on") is most definitely the forthcoming self-titled debut record from City Center. Fred announced the disc, to be released by Type Records, on his blog a week earlier: "The record will be released on LP and CD, with a UK release date of May 25th and a US release date of June 8. It will be distributed by Forced Exposure and available directly from Type or by getting in touch with us directly here or on Myspace, etc. There will be some sort of digital media for it as well, just not sure what yet." New track "Open House" is available for download above.

The Hive Dwellers + Chain & the Gang tour dates mentioned above include two NYC shows: Friday, April 17th at 92YTribeca and Sunday, April 26th at the Market Hotel. Tickets are available for the 92YTribeca show, which also includes City Center on the bill.

Svenonius-led Chain & the Gang's debut Down With Liberty... Up With Chains! is coming out via Calvin Johnson's K Records on April 7th. Art and press release for that album below.

All tour dates, and City Center art and track list - also below...

Continue reading "The Hive Dwellers (Calvin Johnson), Chain & The Gang (Ian Svenonius) tour + City Center dates, new albums, MP3"

Yura Yura Teikoku

today in NYC
* DANCE
* David Dondero @ Union Hall
* Springhouse @ Sound Fix Records
* The Bronx & Love City @ Maxwell's
* Effi Briest & many others @ Glasslands
* White Denim & Amazing Baby @ Mercury Lounge
* The Pains of Being Pure at Heart & Women @ Cake Shop
* Yura Yura Teikoku, Obits & Invisible Conga People @ MHOW

The Bronx also have a CMJ show at Fontana's.

Obits are not playing CMJ because at least one of the members will be out of town.

White Denim aren't playing CMJ, but they also have another NYC show on Monday.

Women and Amazing Baby both have plenty of shows to choose from during CMJ.

CMJ starts Tuesday which is also the night of the BrooklynVegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Ponytail is one of the bands on that bill. Check out their video for "Die Allman Bruder" below...

Sarah Palin was on SNL last night. I posted one video. Another (rap) one is below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Saturday Looks Good To Me - Whitey Hands (High Places Remix) (MediaFire MP3 link)

Fred Thomas has been keeping busy during the current Saturday Looks Good to Me hiatus. Under the City Center name, he's kept a steady blog of his audio experiments, while sporadically posting old SLGTM gems, with tour photos and journal entries along the way.

Though the latest post states, "It pains me today to officially retire as a musician and producer," I am pretty sure the City Center show at The Stone tonight (August 29, 2008) at 8pm, is still on. All dates below...

Continue reading "Fred Thomas (City Center) - blog w/ MP3s & 2008 Tour Dates"

Calvin Johnson mural @ Dept of Safety, Anacortes, Washington (K Records)

Feb 14, 2008 - New York, New York
New York University, Shorin Hall - w/ Karl Blau 8PM All Ages

Feb 17, 2008 - New York, New York
Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery - 4PM

Feb 18, 2008 - Brooklyn, New York
Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 129 Russell St (at Nassau, Greenpoint, Brooklyn G-Nassau or L-Graham) -w/ Karl Blau & Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me) 8:00PM $7.00 All Ages

All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Calvin Johnson - 2008 Tour Dates, 3 NYC shows, Karl Blau"

DOWNLOAD: Fred Thomas - Last One (MP3)

The Creek and the Cave is a venue to see live music in Long Island City. You can find it on our venue map.

Fred Thomas is the singer of Saturday Looks Good To Me. They came out with a good album in 2007. That's them/him im the picture above playing the BrooklynVegan day party at R Bar during CMJ 2007. More pictures like that HERE.

Fred also has a new solo CD out. It's out on Magic Marker Records, and called FLOOD. All I've heard so far is the track streaming at his MySpace, and the one I have linked for download at the top of this post.

TONIGHT: Catch Fred Thomas live, at The Creek and the Cave. It's the album release show, and Brandon says it shoud be a blast.

DOWNLOAD: Saturday Looks Good To Me - Make A Plan (MP3)

After three years of relative silence, warped indie-pop collective Saturday Looks Good To Me return triumphantly with their fourth studio album Fill Up The Room which will drop on October 23. Following two critically acclaimed releases with Polyvinyl Records, this marks the beginning of the band's work with K Records, and a dramatic progression from their 60's tinged retro-pop sound to a more textured, experimental and colorful breed of pop music.

Whatever it is, I like it. One MP3 above, and two more new songs streaming at their MySpace. See them...

SLGTM in NYC, 2007
Oct 05 @ Gramercy Theatre w/ The Blow & High Places (TONIGHT!!!)
Oct 16 @ CMJ Day Stage, 3pm (CMJ badges only)
Oct 17 @ Luna Lounge (K Records CMJ showcase) (TIX)
Oct 19 @ R Bar (BrooklynVegan free day party w/ The Black Kids, Yo Majesty, etc...)

All tour dates below....

Continue reading "SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME - new album, MP3s & 2007 Tour Dates (w/ The Blow, CMJ)"