fireworks (more by Chris La Putt)

The 35th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks returns to the West Side to delight New Yorkers and the nation with an awe-inspiring display of patriotic firepower. This year's extravaganza, "Gift of Freedom," will feature more than 40,000 fireworks expertly synchronized to a dynamic 25-minute score that includes a mix of American standards and the hottest pop favorites!

Not in New York? Check out our entertainment
special on NBC, July 4th at 9 pm EST.

"The Fireworks can be viewed from any area with an unobstructed view of the sky above the Hudson River. For the best views, head to 12th Avenue below 59th Street at the following access points along 11th Avenue." Note that: The Westside Highway will be closed from 22nd Street to 59th Street beginning at 4:00 pm. You can also watch from NJ. I wouldn't recommend trying to see them from Brooklyn, though it may be possible if you get up high enough somewhere. One option for watching the fireworks is aboard a Rocks Off ship.

Unfortunately there will NOT be a free concert in Battery Park this year, not that last year's was anything special (for people over 5 years old anyway). There will not be a free show on Governors Island this year either. Last year they had a free She & Him show and a Rosanne Cash show too. This year the beach on Governors will be occupied by a not-free Pacha-presented dance party (part of the four-day Dance.Here.Now. Festival).

4th of July NYC show options are pretty slim in general this year, though Shea Stadium is hosting Summerjam III with Extreme Animals, Sightings, Liturgy, PC Worship, Hubble, La Otracina, Fuckton, In Buenos Aires, Dubknowdub, Black Ribbons, Future Shuttle, and more. Zebulon, Brooklyn Bowl and Barbes are all also open that day.

July 4th is a Monday though, and it's a Monday you probably have off of work (like Bowery Presents does -- all their clubs are closed that day). That means you can stay up late Sunday, July 3rd which is when Panda Bear plays Music Hall of Williamsburg, Tinsel Teeth are at Death By Audio, The Hairs play a free afternoon show at the South Street Seaport Fulton Market, Jaga Jazzist play Le Poisson Rouge, and the Feelies play their third of three Maxwell's shows.

What else?

DOWNLOAD: Liturgy - "Generation" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Liturgy - "High Gold" (MP3)

Liturgy at Scion Rock Fest 2010 (more by Christopher Mumma & BBG)

Brooklyn black-metallers Liturgy released their sophomore effort Aesthethica on May 10 via Thrill Jockey. As previously mentioned, they play an album release party June 2 at Knitting Factory with Sightings, Matteah Baim, Swati, and Todd Pendu (DJ set). Tickets are still on sale. In July they head out on a month-long US tour. All dates are listed below.

If you want to understand the band better, or just need some light reading material for the beach, pick up a copy of the frontman's new book...

"Liturgy consciously inverts old-school black-metal nihilism, complete with theoretical undergirding--Hunt-Hendrix, a former philosophy student at Columbia, has even published a treatise on the subject, Transcendental Black Metal: A Vision of Apocalyptic Humanism.

"I think that to the degree that anyone involved in underground music has an anti-intellectual attitude, they are making a mistake," Hunt-Hendrix writes via e-mail between European tour stops. "I guess it's just difficult to a lot of people to see that music, philosophy and art share a living common root--in the 19th century everyone knew that." This high-minded rhetoric has attracted its share of critics--"[Transcendental Black Metal] belongs to a rich, collegiate tradition of taking a movement or piece of art that you enjoy and writing about it in a way that suggests you take no enjoyment from it whatsoever," Vice quipped--but anyone attempting to brand Aesthethica as passionless will rapidly dead-end. The record's most memorable tracks ("Generation," "Veins of God") come off like high-fives between Black Sabbath and Lightning Bolt: undiluted collisions of volume and intricate groove." [Time Out]

Continue reading "Liturgy released 'Aesthethica' & a black metal book too, touring (dates)"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Zs - Acres of Skin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Zs - Diamond Terrifier (Zebrablood remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Zs - AcresRMX (Gabe Andruzzi Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Zs - Gentleman Amateur (Leg Lifters "Professional" Remix) (MP3)

Unlike basically every other cultural outlet, the writers of Tiny Mix Tapes voted to give their Album of Year honors to an artist that isn't Kanye West. Instead, they gave it to NYC avant-noise/rock group Zs for their excellent 2010 album New Slaves. (Don't worry: Kanye still made #10.)

Zs will start the new year with a complement to that record, New Slaves II: Essence Implosion!, a collection of remixes that comes out on the Social Registry on Tuesday, January 25th. On the record, the band's tracks are reworked by the likes of Genesis P. Orridge, JG Thirwell, Gabe Andruzzi of The Rapture and others, and the whole thing starts off with a new track featuring Charlie Looker, Weasel Walter and WFMU's Marty McSorely. Two of those remixes are posted above, along with an exclusive mix not on the release done by Justin Pearson of The Locust (That's the Leg Lifters "Professional" Remix of "Gentleman Amateur"). You can also check out "Acres of Skin" from New Slaves, to give you a taste of the source material.

Zs have an album-release show for the disc Monday/tonight at Knitting Factory with Thee Majesty (Feat. Genesis P-Orridge), Ecstatic Sunshine, Cex and DJ DRUZZ (The Rapture/Throne Of Blood). The group has a special set (with an extra member) planned in honor of the release, so expect something unusual. Tickets are still on sale.

Also coming up, Zs: Black Crown Ceremony will play with Sightings, White Suns and Normal Love at Death By Audio on January 28th.

See a Zs live session from SXSW, the album's tracklist and more below...

Continue reading "Zs releasing 'New Slaves II' (MP3s), celebrating @ Knitting Factory tonight w/ friends (dates)"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Sightings - Tar and Pine (MP3)

Oneida

Brooklyn psych-rockers Oneida have already played out quite a bit in 2010. Videos from their January 29th set at Market Hotel, their January 30th in-store at Toronto's Sonic Boom Records, and the band's Ocropolis 3 show at Monster Island on February 6th are all posted below. If the clips are any indication, all three of dealt in extended improv. Most recently, their People of the North (side?)project also played with The Sadies at Mercury Lounge on Februay 27th.

Oneida play another hometown show on Friday, March 19th at Knitting Factory. Also on the bill are Sightings, The Library Is On Fire (at who also play Mercury Lounge on Tuesday), Spreaders and DJ Dr. Z PHd. Tickets are on sale. We also have two pair to giveaway. Details at the bottom of the post.

Sightings have a new record, City of Straw, coming out April 13th on Brah Records (distributed by Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian), and they'll play a record release show for that on April 15th at Death by Audio. MP3 from that album above. Cover art and tracklist below.

The above-described videos and all tour dates for Oneida (they have a show in Massachusetts and one in Canada scheduled) and the other bands listed above are below...

Continue reading "Sightings releasing record on Brah (MP3), playing Knitting Factory w/ Oneida (win tix) & other 2010 tour dates"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Twin Stumps - "Child Republic" Live at WFMU (MP3, via)

Mike Yaniro, in happier times

As you all may or may not know, a dear friend of mine named Michael Yaniro was a victim of violent robbery in the Ridgewood area of Queens (NYC). He was savagely beaten beyond recognition, and now he's got a long road ahead of him with many surgeries. To add insult to his injuries, he has no medical insurance!

A brief description of his injuries: His right eye socket needs surgery as there is a bone protruding into it... so it needs to be repaired to restore his ability to move the eye. (He has had this surgery, and will need more work in the future). He has a fractured jaw and nose which will require surgery to repair, as well as multiple broken bones in his face. Pieces of titanium metal is to be inserted in his face to support the bones.

His girlfriend Abby is trying to get him Emergency Medicaid, but that is really tough to get approved, and its doubtful whether or not it will be rewarded. That is why this fundraiser was started. Its not registered as non-profit organization (so if you're looking for a tax break, this is not the time and place for it), but as a way to possibly raise a little money to help him through his crisis. [Julie Finley]

If you can't make it on Friday, head to the Mike Yaniro site to see how you can help, or pick up a copy of the Twin Stumps LP (recommended!) here. Get back to rockin soon!

Pink Reason and White Suns tour dates, the show flyer, and a ton of videos are below...

Continue reading "help Michael Yaniro of Twin Stumps recover from attack - benefit show Friday (Pink Reason, Sightings, more)"

photos by Lori Baily

LA Record (via): When Teenage Jesus and the Jerks played in New York City last year, it was always set up as a one-shot deal. Yet here we are.

Lydia Lunch (vocals/guitar): I never thought I would have done reunions--it's ridiculous to me. It's Thurston Moore that's to be blamed with his no wave book that he put out last year. A few months before it was coming out he was actually in Barcelona on my couch and he turned to me and said, 'Well, what about a Teenage Jesus reunion?' I said, 'What about the fact that they're all dead except for Sclavunos? Are you ready to take the wrath of the wire coat hanger and play bass?' And he jumped up and down and said, 'Yes!' So that's how Teenage Jesus got together in the beginning. He decided he'd go under the coat hanger so we did the New York show and then we developed All Tomorrow's Parties. I guess the final nail in the coffin for the next couple of shows was based in the fact that in Montreal there's something called a Pop Symposium--they invited me last year with my multimedia thing and then they got the snifter of Teenage Jesus and they were so kind and I said, 'Well, I'm not going all the way to the States for one fucking show--I don't even want to come there for five shows!' Also the fact that I knew Thurston couldn't do it and so my favorite bass player in the world must be Algis Kizys from the Swans and he's doing it. This is what you get in L.A.--Jim Sclavunos, the original bass player, now on drums and Algis Kizys from Swans on bass--how could I say no? Mostly to me, it's kind of ridiculous. It's absurdist and I've always been absurd anyway. I've always considered myself a Dadaist and it's the most Dada fucking music, and it must be the most Dada idea that 30 years later we're doing this. One of the reasons is there is still not enough women playing ugly fucking music as a counter to all these pop princesses.

One night later Lydia Lunch joined JG Thirwell and a bunch of pop princesses for a benefit show at Carnegie Hall.

One night earlier (Friday), Pissed Jeans headlined WFMU Fest. Faust were the night before that (Thursday). More pictures from Saturday, below...

Continue reading "Teenage Jesus & The Jerks played (ugly music at) the WFMU Fest @ MHOW (blame Thurston Moore) - pics"

Teenage Jesus & the Jerks @ KF in 2008 (more by Lori Baily)

WFMU will be putting on a three-day Brooklyn festival at the Music Hall of Williamsburg from October 1st-3rd. Its Thursday and Saturday night bills will be headlined by two classic acts, German krautrock-ers Faust and NYC No Wave punks Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, respectively, while Friday night will feature Philly's Pissed Jeans (who have a new record out) in the top spot.

TJ & the Jerks last reunited in 2008 for a night at the Knitting Factory where Thurston Moore played bass. And like Faust, they're also playing Pop Montreal around the same time.

Tickets for all three WFMU days go on sale Thursday, September 3rd at noon. Pissed Jeans is only $12 advanced. The other two are $20 each.

The station writes, "These shows will not be broadcast over the air/net." Full lineup and poster below...

Continue reading "WFMU Fest @ MHOW - 3 days of shows w/ Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Pissed Jeans, Faust & more (Oct 1-3, 2009) "

We've got another slew of announcements for you today, starting with Swedish folk singer Kristian Matsoon, whose Tallest Man on Earth has been added to the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg (along with John Vanderslice and more TBA) on Friday, June 12. We're also pleased to inform you that the good people at the legendary Ninja Tune Records will be hosting a showcase, featuring Megasoid, Daedelus and Ghislain Poirier.

Continue reading "Northside Fest lineup expands w/ Ninja Tune showcase, etc"

photos by Lori Baily

AIDS Wolf

AZNightBuzz: You play with the U.S. Girls as well as some other great bands every place you visit. Who are you most excited about seeing?

Aids Wolf: Well, we've already played with U.S. Girls, Can't and Sightings, three acts we were most stoked to play with. We are also salivating for Love Tan, Mayor Daley, Puffy Areolas, PRE, Gay Beast, Shearing Pinx, Dead Machines, The Mayyors and Death Sentence: PANDA! We're really pretty excited for all our bills, playing with bands we are friends with and/or fans of is really important to us. Getting to see the bands we like is one of the things that make touring worthwhile.

Who are you listening to on tour?

Aids Wolf: Thee Oh Sees, Ornette Coleman, ZZ Top, Captain Beefheart, some sweet Balinese classical music, Babe Ruth, Ennio Morricone, Walter Wegmuller, U.S. Girl Meghan talking about eating meat and the sounds of Bob Gainey crying.

Continue reading "AIDS Wolf, Fiasco, Sightings, U.S. Girls & Talk Normal @ Death By Audio, NYC - pics"

Aids Wolf (DAVID WALDMAN. KWC)

"We are a cult . ************************ AIDS Wolf are the preeminent Formalist/Unknown Wave quartet, formed in Montreal, 2003. They have released two full-length records on SKiN GRAFT Records and Lovepump United as well as numerous collaborations, splits and seven inches. The membership is Chloe "Deluxxx" Skum on flamejob scream, Yannick "NoNo" Desranleau on Total Downward Thunder, Myles "BOP" Broscoe on Electric Mountain Range and Alex "Kozz" Moskos on Split-Skreen Desert Guitar. The band works and lives in Montreal, where they are presently composing material for concept record on Canadian Prime Ministers and French Military Strategy circa 1759, working on a Throbbing Gristle cover and eating well. **********************"

Continue reading "AIDS Wolf - 2009 Tour Dates (NYC tonight, US Girls, SXSW) "

Besides being a tongue twister, NY Eye and Ear is also...

a 2 day record fair and all-ages music festival celebrating NYC homegrown DIY recording labels and bands. This is NYC's only record fair devoted exclusively to NY record labels. The title is inspired from the 1964 Michael Snow film w/ soundtrack by Albert Ayler and from the all-too-familiar signs seen daily in the subway tunnels by riders of the L-train of the famous NY Eye & Ear Infirmary. The Fest will be held at Vanishing Point, a huge 4700 sq. foot industrial loft in Bushwick, Brooklyn (240 Meserole street, Brooklyn, NY 11206).

Friday, December 12 from 2pm -4am
Saturday, December 13 from 2pm -4am

Continue reading "NY Eye & Ear music festival and record fair (Dec 12-13)"

Sightings @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Lori Baily)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Adele @ Apple Store Soho
* Twi the Humble Feather @ 92YTribeca (postponed)
* Hank IV & Los Llamarada @ Cake Shop
* JDH & Dave P @ (le) poisson rouge
* Big Daddy Kane @ BB King Blues Club
* M83 & School of Seven Bells @ Webster Hall
* Wolf Parade & Listening Party @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Denison Witmer & Tyler James @ Union Hall
* Little Joy, The Dead Tree &, The Dig @ Maxwell's
* Hauschka, Tom Brosseau & Mischa Simonyan @ (le) poisson rouge
* Nicole Atkins & The Sea, Salt & Samovar & The Nouvellas @ Bowery
* Sightings, USAISAMONSTER, Silk Flowers & Miami Nights @ Silent Barn
* Jeffrey Lewis & The Jackals, Schwervon! & Urban Barnyard @ Mercury Lounge

Rev Run was born today in 1964.

The new Broken Social Scene / Brendan Canning video for "Churches Under The Stairs" is below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

Photos by Lori Baily

They were great.
Best encore ever.
― ian, Tuesday, 14 October 2008 17:06

lol
i fell asleep
― tramp steamer, Wednesday, 15 October 2008 20:34
[I Love Music]

Continue reading "The Dead C, Northampton Wools, Sightings & King Darves @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - pics"

The Annex is advertising tonight's show as "730p Safari So Good/8:15p Mike Bones/9p Special Guest!!!/10p Growing" (Social Registry bill). Anyone know who the special guest is? Mike Bones' tour dates say he is playing with Sian Alice Group (a UK group also on Social Registry). Maybe they are the guest for whatever reason.

Growing's friends and fellow noise-niks Sightings are also playing a show tonight (Feb 13), but in Brooklyn - at Union Pool with True Primes, Sabir Maten, Andrew Barker, and Hill Greene. Growing are also opening for Boris March 4th at Knitting Factory. A bunch of tour dates and videos below....

Continue reading "GROWING & SIGHTINGS tonight, MIKE BONES,special guest, Sian Alice Group, BORIS, SXSW, 2008 Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD: Sightings - Perforated (MP3)

Sightings came out with their sixth album on October 28th. "Through The Panama" was released by Ecstatic Peace (Thurston Moore's label), and was produced by Andrew W.K. Download a track from it above. Here's who's playing @ Cake Shop in NYC tonight (Nov 9, 2007):

1st: VIZUSA (Caitlin and Calder, ex Excepter)
2nd: METALUX
3rd: SIGHTINGS record release party
4th: ANDREW W.K. (solo keyboard performance)
DJS: Russ and Lea from Blues Control, Chris Freeman (fusetron) $7, 21 and over, 8pm doors

Continue reading "Sightings, Andrew W.K., Cake Shop, tonight"