By Bill Pearis

One could argue (and we did, in our story on the band in the January-February issue!) that Fucked Up's rock opera David Comes to Life was uniquely resonant upon its June release because of the emotional synchronicity between an album that spilled forth with such an appropriately chaotic narrative and a year in which tumultuous disarray became the norm. But good lord, David Comes to Life could've been sung in backwards Tagalog and it still would've made perfect sense in 2011. That's the power of a gang of punks playing with Olympian levels of passion and purpose. [SPIN]

As you hopefully know, Fucked Up will be performing this Friday (12/16) at the BV-curated night of this weekend's Brooklyn Night Bazaar, a full evening of music that also includes Dom, Big Troubles, Caged Animals, Radical Dads, as well as Frankie Rose spinning tunes. Tickets are only $10 and still available.

There's a lot more Fucked Up news actually. Tonight (11/12) the band will be guests on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Holiday Special, which also features Christoper Walken, Norah Jones and a lot of extremely non-vegan cooking (though the Vegan Black Metal Chef is also a guest). Maybe Fucked Up will play in Bourdain's fridge, like Das Racist did on last year's Holiday Special.

Next Tuesday (12/20) in the band's hometown of Toronto, Fucked Up will perform David Comes to Life in its entirety, with proceeds going to charity. (PS I Love You, The Sadies and Quest for Fire also perform.)

Fucked Up are also releasing a split Christmas single with Sloan, with proceeds benefiting the COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program and the Barriere Lake Legal Defense Fund. Fucked Up's side is their take on "Jingle Bells," while Sloan tackle "The 12 Days of Christmas" (which is streamable below). Only 500 are being printed -- maybe they'll be some at the merch table this Friday?

The band have also announced the release of 2012's annual Chinese New Year single, "Year of the Tiger," which is out February 21. The 15-minute track features guest vocals from Austra, Duchess Says' Annie-Claude and Jim Jarmusch, which Matador claims is "MAYBE THE BEST THING FUCKED UP HAVE EVER RECORDED" but being their record label they're prone to such proclamations. But maybe it is.

Click through for a just-released video of "Turn the Season" plus video of the band performing "The Other Shoe" on Canada's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight show, as well as the entire rundown of SPIN mag's Top 50 Albums of 2011...

Continue reading "Fucked Up named Album of 2011 by SPIN, on 'No Reservations' tonight, playing Brooklyn Friday, releasing Christmas single w/ Sloan & 'Year of the Tiger' single"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Hospitality - Friends of Friends (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dive - Sometime (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Heaven's Gate - Salome (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can U Luv Me (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beat Connection - In the Water (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ski Lodge - I Would Die to Be (MP3)

Blouse

After a couple weeks with not a whole lot going on, we're back to jam-packed week of shows (at least in the TWII-verse). So let's get into it.

Portland trio Blouse are in town for two shows: Thursday (9/15) at Glasslands and then Friday (9/16) at Shea Stadium. After singles on Sub Pop and Captured Tracks, the band's debut is due out in November. You can stream the song "Videotapes" from it at the bottom of this post. The track has a nice melty quality to it that if I was listening on cassette I might think it was time to buy a new Walkman. I've liked everything I've heard from Blouse so far, as it hits my '80s sweet spot: icy synths, moody basslines, big choruses. I'm anxious to hear the whole record, and looking forward to seeing them play.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Both Blouse shows are appealing bills. The Glasslands show is headlined by Unknown Mortal Orchestra who are currently on tour with Toro Y Moi, a tour that hits NYC tonight (10/14) at Webster Hall. In addition to the Glasslands show tomorrow, UMO are also playing that Vice party tomorrow that is sure to be a scene. After that, UMO are basically on tour for the rest of the year with a pretty brutal schedule, daring America not to see them.

Also playing the Glasslands show are Hospitality (subbing for Woven Bones who had to bow out) who, you may have read, have signed with Merge. The label will be putting out their debut album in early 2012 and you can get an early taste at the top of this post -- the horn-filled "Friends of Friends." (The whole record is great.) I'm a big fan of this band and couldn't be more pleased to see them sign to a label I love.

Blouse is headlining the Shea Stadium show on Friday that is a pretty exciting lineup too, especially if you want to see a lot of new local bands. Dive is the new band from Beach Fossils guitarist/drummer Cole Smith (he was also in Darwin Deez) and the group's debut single, "Dive," is out soon on Captured Tracks and you can download it at the top of this post. It sounds a lot like Beach Fossils but it's catchy nonetheless.

Heaven's Gate

Also playing are Heaven's Gate which is the new band from a couple of the guys in the now defunct Sweet Bulbs. Like that band, Heaven's Gate are definitely on the shoegaze tip and also remind me a little of Bettie Serveert. Mind you, I've only heard two songs but both are quite good. (I was a big Sweet Bulbs fan too.) Download one of them, "Salome," at the top of this post.

Still more at Shea Stadium: Spacerock band Beige and Night Manager whose new 7" is pretty darn good.

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Sloan are in town. Did anyone go see them last night at The Bell House? They play Bowery Ballroom on Thursday (9/15) and Maxwell's on Friday (9/16). I've probably written enough about Sloan this year already, but needless to say these shows are highly recommended. And if you haven't grabbed the free Select Singles - 1992 - 2011 compilation yet, the download widget is at the bottom of this post.

Beat Connection

STRFKR (not to be confused with SBTRKT) are rolling though town this week, playing Knitting Factory on Friday (9/16). Despite the whole name-changing debacle (Starfucker --> Pyramid --> Starfucker --> STRFKR), the band's new album, Reptillians, isn't bad at all in a Flaming Lips/MGMT sort of way.

I'm a bigger fan of the opening act Beat Connection. This duo is from Seattle though listening to their debut, Surf Noir, from last year you might think they were Swedish -- Lo Fi FNK and, especially, Studio come to mind when you hear the Baeleric Beat influence that's all over the record. You can download single "In the Water" at the top of this post. I caught them at SXSW and thought they were pretty good though they could use a couple auxiliary members live.

Ski Lodge

Friday night (9/16) at Cake Shop is Ski Lodge which is the new band from Andrew Marr who used to be in the Clementines. There's an EP coming out on Dovecote Records and you can download a track from it, "I Would Die to Be," at the top of this post. There's a Beach Fossils approach to the arrangement of this song, but melodically it's more from the Smiths lineage of indiepop. The whole EP is good. I've never seen them live, but maybe Friday.

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And finally, classic postpunk band The Raincoats play Friday (9/16) at Warsaw with San Francisco's Grass Widow. More about that HERE.

A few more picks not mentioned above, by day, below...

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Japandroids are at Mercury Lounge tonight, road testing new material for their second album. Bass Drum of Death open. Sold out, but we're giving away a pair of tickets.

Grave Babies play with K Holes and Pop. 1280 at Cake Shop.

continued below...

Continue reading "Blouse, UMO, Hospitality, Dive, Heaven's Gate, STRFKR, Beat Connection, Ski Lodge & more in This Week in Indie"

by Bill Pearis

Sloan at Knitting Factory in June (more by Dana [Distortion] Yavin)

As previously mentioned, Sloan have three NYC-area shows coming up: Tuesday, September 13 at The Bell House, then Thursday, September 15 at Bowery Ballroom and Friday, September 16 at Maxwell's. All three shows are with Australia's You Am I.

As you also may remember, the veteran Canadian indie rock band are in the midst of their 20th anniversary. In celebration of this, the band are offering up a downloadable 14-track "select singles" compilation for the price of your email address and zip code. It includes "Underwhelmed," "People of the Sky," "Everything You've Done Wrong," "Money City Maniacs," "Losing California"... pretty much all their best-known songs. It's a great primer for the uninitiated. (You can "leave a tip" too if you feel guilty about getting all this for free.) The download widget is at the bottom of this post.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sloan are one of our great live bands, so go see them. All Sloan tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Sloan giving away 14 'select singles'"

Sloan at Knitting Factory in June (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

Canadian indie-rockers Sloan recently played Knitting Factory (6/30) as part of their spring and summer tour. Bill reviewed the show, and in his review mentioned that Jay Ferguson (who he interviewed last week) told him Sloan will be back this fall for "three shows (one being Maxwell's they hope) if all works out". Those dates have since been announced, and one of them is indeed on at Maxwell's, where the band will play on September 16. The other two are September 13 at The Bell House and September 15 at Bowery Ballroom. You Am I is on the bill for all three shows. Tickets are on sale now for The Bell House and Maxwell's. Tickets for Bowery Ballroom are on AmEx presale and go on general sale Friday (7/8) at noon.

Updated tour dates below...

Continue reading "Sloan announce more tour dates (3 in the NYC area)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin, words by Bill Pearis

"I'm going off-list!" declared guitarist Patrick Pentland a few songs into Sloan's set at Knitting Factory last Thursday (June 30) which was also the last night of their tour. It would not be the only time the Canadian band would deviate from their printed setlist that evening which was one of the more fun Sloan shows I've seen in a while.

Apart from songs from their great new album The Double Cross, the impromtu nature of the show knocked out almost everything from the band's 2001-on catalog save Jay Ferguson's "Who Taught You to Live Like That" from 2006's Never Hear the End of It. Which was probably all right with a lot of fans. (I can't think of the last time NYC got "Anyone Who's Anyone" from Once Chord to Another.) The band was in great spirits as was the crowd who kept the constant "Sloa-oan! Sloa-oan!" chants going in between songs.

Highlights for me were the new album's stomping "Beverly Terrace" and "Unkind," oldies "Coax Me" (another off-list number), "C'mon C'mon," a quite spirited "Underwelmed" and Andrew Scott's "On the Horizon" which gave bassist Chris Murphy a chance to go apeshit (Keith Moon-style) on the drums. Sloan's other drummer is better than most band's main drummer. The talent in this band is kind of insane.

I missed openers and fellow Canadians Hot Kit but we have pictures from their set. After the show, Jay Ferguson (who I interviewed last week) told me Sloan will be back this fall for three shows (one being Maxwell's they hope) if all works out. UPDATE: It all worked out (all three shows announced).

More pictures, a couple of videos & their setlist (written and actual) below....

Continue reading "Sloan played Knitting Factory (pics, setlist, videos, review)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Follow the Leader (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Wait In The Dark" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - "Today Is Our Life" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: John Maus - "Quantum Leap" (MP3)

Sloan

Holiday weekends generally mean less bands of note playing in NYC which seems to be the case this year for the Fourth of July, but there is some great stuff happening nonetheless. First and formost for me are Canadian rock icons Sloan, who play Bowery Ballroom tonight (6/29) and Knitting Factory tomorrow (6/30). If you missed it, I interviewed guitarist Jay Ferguson earlier this week which was a lot of fun. Here's him talking about playing Sloan's new fantastic album, The Double Cross, live:

It's fun, especially the first three songs on the record which are kind of a little mini suite that flow into each other. We play those right at the beginning, flowing together so it's a fun exercise to pull off. It's always fun to play the new songs. Maybe more fun for us than the audience. We've been around for 20 years and hopefully the audience is interested the new material but you hope you're not boring them. When Mick Jagger says, "Here's another new one from Bridges to Babylon," everyone goes to get a drink. Hopefully people will patiently listen until we play one of our huge hits from 1998.

It is Independence Day weekend which means The Feelies at Maxwell's. These are now becoming the summertime equivalent of Yo La Tengo's Hanukkah shows and there are three this year:  Friday(7/1)  and Saturday (7/2) which are both sold out and Sunday (7/3) which still has tickets.

In addition to the band's classic catalog -- and host of covers -- The Feelies have a new album this time out as you may know. Here Before is the band's first album in 20 years and finds Glen Mercer, Bill Million and the rest of the band picking up basically where they left off. But really, what else would you expect. It's a lovely album, probably most reminiscent of 1985's  The Good Earth with the prevelance of acoustic guitars. That magic interplay between Mercer and Million is still there. This is an album for early evening Sunday back yard barbeques. And anyone who's seen The Feelies live since they got back together knows they've still got it.

And if you can't make the Maxwell's shows, The Feelies play Celebrate Brooklyn on July 23.

If you want to let it all hang out, maybe go see Nobunny who plays Knitting Factory on Friday (7/1) and a late show at Mercury Lounge on Saturday (7/2). He will certainly be hanging out, most of him at least, as it's a rare show where he doesn't strip down to his tightie whities. The sleazoid schtick remains fun because Nobunny's songs are pretty undeniably catchy in a Ramones-y pop-punk meets Happy Days kind of way. As can be heard on last year's First Blood. Live shows remain unhinged. If you're in a Nobunny state of mind, it's a good time.

I do wonder about that mask, though. He does wash it occasionally, right? If you can wash it.

And if you're in an electronic pop kind of mood, Memory Tapes play a late show on Friday night (7/1) at Mercury Lounge. Main Memory man Dayve Hawk has crafted a lovely thing with his second album Player Piano which comes out next week. Using mostly live drums this time out gives it a real human beating heart, I think, and bodes well for the live shows this time around. (I was a little underwhelmed when I saw them at the Pool Parties last summer but that wasn't an ideal venue for what MT do.) I dig the record's songwriting and production, both of which are pretty teriffic. You can download two tracks from it at the top of this post. And do check out the very cool video for "Yes I Know" at the bottom of this post.

And that's mostly it for this holiday weekend. Happy America! A few more picks -- and shameless plugging -- below.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

John Maus and Puro Instinct are at Mercury Lounge. I caught both last night at Glasslands. Maus' show, which shouldn't work, does thanks to his dedication and intensity. A little goes a long way, though. (I really like the new album, I should say.) Puro Instict can really sing and play... better songs will come with time. They're young.

continued below...

Continue reading "Sloan, Memory Tapes, John Maus, Feelies, Real Estate, Nobunny, Seaport shows & more in This Week in Indie "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Follow the Leader (MP3)

Sloan are on tour and in town this week, playing Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday (6/29) and Knitting Factory on Thursday (6/30). It's a big year for the veteran Canadian group, their 20th Anniversary and their new album The Double Cross is their 10th studio album. Despite the nostalgia that goes along with an anniversary like this, Sloan have delivered another solid bunch of powerpop with The Double Cross, garnering a Polaris Music Prize nomination (their first) and an 8.1 from Pitchfork.

It's business as usual for Sloan, though, who have a remarkably consistent catalog despite having all four members write and sing their own material. (Though it is perhaps a key to their success.) One of them, guitarist Jay Ferguson, took time out before the first of two hometown Toronto shows for Sloan to talk about the new record, the Polaris nomination, the difference between American and Canadian audiences and record shopping while on tour.

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BrooklynVegan: So it's a hometown shows tonight and tomorrow.

Jay Ferguson: It's a little nerve-wrecking because you have family, friends, stuff like that have to be corralled and attended to. Then you're also like, "Do I really know how to play that song that I played a week ago?" There's a lot of that.

BV: But it must be nice to be able just to go back to your home instead of some hotel room.

JF: That's true. I live literally around the corner from the venue so it's easygoing for me. I mean it's always nice to play in Toronto for family and friends. Sometimes it's just stressful for some of the folks in the band who have large families coming down. You want to make sure everybody's comfortable and having a good time. But sometimes on tour it's a little easier, you can just space out and concentrate on the show. We've played The Mod Club many times before so it should be easy and fun -- fingers crossed.

BV: How long have you been touring the new record?

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with Sloan (who are on tour now)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Follow the Leader (MP3)

Sloan's tenth album, The Double Cross, is out May 10 on Yep Roc and the veteran Canadian band have just announced a big North American summer tour, including two shows in the NYC area: June 29 at Bowery Ballroom (on-sale Fri 4/29 at noon) and June 30 at Knitting Factory (on-sale Fri 4/29 at 10AM).

The Double Cross, a punny reference to the band's 20th anniversary (XX), is a particularly strong album in the band's solid cannon. Fans of their late '90s records should be happy in particular. Most songs segue into one another, songs get reprised later in the record and there is more cross-polination between band members on this record than any since 1999's Between the Bridges. Chris Murphy sings on Jay's songs and vice versa, and Chris shows up for a verse on Andrew's "She's Slowing Down Again," which sounds like it could've been on Navy Blues. And Patrick contributes one of his best stompers in ages, "Unkind," complete with guitar harmonies right out of the Tom Scholz's Guide to Soloing.

Take this with a small grain of salt, you're reading a post by a Sloan superfan. As someone who grumbled at Pretty Together and, especially, Action Pact, I can safely say if you like Sloan you're really gonna like The Double Cross. And if you've never seen them in concert, Sloan are truly one of my favorite live bands ever. They always tend to play somewhere new in NYC each time, looking forward to seeing them at Knitting Factory.

All Sloan tour dates, plus an EPK for The Double Cross, are below.

Continue reading "Sloan releasing 10th album, announce tour (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Follow the Leader (MP3)

Canadian rock legends Sloan are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and are set to release their 10th album, The Double Cross on May 10 via YepRoc. The album's title is a sly reference to the band's age ("The XX"). You can download The Double Cross' lead track -- the Chris Murphy-penned stomper "Follow the Leader" -- at the top of this post.

After a shaky start to the '00s, Sloan have pretty much been in top form since 2006's epic Never Hear the End of It, with 2008's Paralel Play and 2009's Hit & Run EP equally good. As to the new record, Sloan guitarist/record collector Jay Ferguson comments, "I think every band always says of their latest LP, 'it's our best yet!' or perhaps 'it's our greatest work since Exile on Main St.', and then you hear it and you say to yourself, 'hmm, well, not quite, guys'. Hopefully I'm not joining those ranks, but for this our 10th album, I personally feel it's up there with my favorites of ours. Short and sweet with unexpected turns down different paths."

No word on tours yet, but nobody spends a big birthday like this at home. Tracklisting for The Double Cross and some classic Sloan videos are after the jump.

Continue reading "Sloan releasing 'The Double Cross' (MP3)"

The NXNE music festival (650 bands, 7 days, 40 films, 50 venues) happens in Toronto from June 14th-20th. The 2010 lineup for that fest so far includes Iggy & the Stooges, X, Les Savy Fav, Sloan, The Raveonettes, De La Soul, Man or Astroman, Thee Oh Sees and many more. The full list is posted below. Tickets are on sale.

Continue reading "NXNE 2010 - initial lineup, dates & tickets"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Big Pink - Velvet (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Big Pink - Dominoes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pants Yell! - Cold Hands (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: JEFF the Brotherhood - Bone Jam (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: JEFF the Brotherhood - Heavy Damage (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sisters - Accolades (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sisters - Street Cars (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Coin Under Tongue - Junksmith (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dinowalrus - Electric Car, Gas Guitar (MP3)

Field Music

Slow week my ass! The next four or five days are positively packed with shows, at least from a TWII standpoint. No time for small talk, let's get into it.

Tonight/Thursday's the big birthday celebration for Skippy who books The Bell House and Union Hall. I wish I could throw a party for myself and get bands like Field Music (one of two American Performances in 2009) and Wye Oak to play it, not to mention a rare appearance by the mostly defunct '90s electropop band The Pulsars. Also, a band (or someone) called "Rumours" is on after Field Music play. Skippy has been tight-lipped about what this is, but my money is on some sort of all-star Fleetwood Mac cover band. (And if that's the case I'd bet you $20 it involves Carl Newman.) You're invited, too, to this "Improbable Birthday Concert" as tickets ($12, cheap!) are still available.

I've had the new Field Music album, Field Music (Measure), on repeat for the last couple days and it's another knockout from the Brewis brothers, 20 tracks that further refine their distinctive mix of baroque pop, nervy new wave, prog, krautrock and whatever else they're into at the time. It's a Field Music album, no doubt about it, but it's less buttoned up, more rhythm heavy ("Let's Write a Book" shows that one of them's been listening to Can) and willing to give anything a try. If you've never seen Field Music live before, you should definitely come out, the Brewises are shit-hot musicians as well (David is an especially impressive drummer). There used to be a lot of switching instruments when they were a trio, but now as a four-piece I wonder if that'll still happen. We'll see tonight

UPDATE:. Field Music canceled, tickets good for tonight AND rescheduled performance, and Rumours details announced.

The Figgs

Long-running Upstate New York power pop band The Figgs are are in town for two shows (or three if you count Saturday night in Staten Island): tonight/Thursday (12/3) at Bruar Falls with the Nouvellas and Friday (12/4) at Cake Shop. Both shows are with Detroit's The Sights who open for The Queers at Maxwell's on Saturday (The Queers play Southpaw tonight).

The Figgs are a band who I've always liked but never closely followed. Luckily, my friend Steve, who writes a genuine photocopied fanzine The Reynolds Report (now also available in convenient blog form) is arguably the foremost Figgs authority (and you'd be a fool to argue with him on this subject), so I asked him to write a little guest paragraph for this week's TWII:

The Figgs have been creating great power pop for two decades now, with no signs of stopping any time soon. Steeped in the tradition of The Replacements, Cheap Trick and Elvis Costello, their annual Christmas shows are always a great time to catch them as the coming of winter seems to kick the trio's playing up just a notch. Look for them to break out songs from their upcoming album (due out in April), a choice Christmas cover or two, a wide selection from their nine albums and their brand new 45 "Casino Hayes." I'm pretty sure it's the best song about a gambling-addicted drummer (um, their own) ever.

There's a competition for the power pop dollar this weekend. If you're not going to the Figgs on Friday (12/4), it's probably because you're going to see Sloan at the Bell House. That's where I'll be. My love of these Canadians is no secret, and even when they've made a less-than-totally-awesome album they're always worth seeing in concert, one of my favorite live bands of the '00s. (I'm pretty sure I've seen them at least once a year since 2001.) They've got a new five-song digital-only EP, Hit & Run, which is pretty darn good. Chris Murphy contributes two tracks, including the excellent "Take it Upon Yourself," and the rest of the band each gets one. Tickets ($17.50) are still available. They play with fellow Torontonians, the lovely and talented trio Magneta Lane, and locals Deleted Scenes.

And wait there's more on Friday! Speaking of Canadian, maybe you happened across one of the 37 reports I recently filed from this year's M for Montreal festival. One of that city's more exciting underground bands, Red Mass, make their American debut at Live With Animals Gallery in Williamsburg (same address as Monster Island). Their brand-new EP on Montreal label Semprini is a nice chunk of psych-garage and they definitely put on a good show. The big question is how big a Mass will they be? I've seen them twice -- once there was 10 of them, the second time only four. Safe bet would be somewhere in between. (Canadians love a good excuse to come party in NYC.) If I wasn't already spoken for, I'd definitely being going to see them. Golden Triangle are also on the bill. Singer Choyce told me their might be a house party gig on Saturday too, so look out for that.

The Big Pink

Oh crap, there's still more. The Big Pink, who are making a stink in the UK, are on their first major tour of the U.S., stopping at Bowery Ballroom tonight (12/3) and Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow (12/4). Haven't seen them live, but their album A Brief History Of Love is a nice slice of electro-shoegaze that reminds a lot of 30-somethings of early-'90s band Chapterhouse. The anthemic, fist-pumper "Dominos" might not stand the test of time but as an of-the-moment signifier, it's one of 2009's more memorable indie singles. You can download it at the top of this post. I hope they use lots and lots of dry ice and strobes. Crystal Antlers and Von Haze open both shows.

Pants Yell! @ The Bell House on 11/14 (more by Tim Griffin)

If you missed them when they played the Slumberland 20 party at the Bell House a few weeks back, you can download the audio from that show, and you can catch Boston's Pants Yell! at Bruar Falls on Saturday night which might be the last time they ever play the NYC area as they've vowed to break up next year. They'd be going out on a good note if that holds true, as their new album on Slumberland, Received Pronunciation, is another charming slice of deceptively gentle guitar pop. Pants Yell! rock more live than you might expect, they're drummer in particular is kind of a beast on the kit. They also know their indie rock history, from the Pastels and Felt to the Aislers Set, Unrest and beyond. The cover art, complete with a faux Japanese Obi strip, was done by Unrest/Teenbeat/Air Miami/Flin Flon/Cotton Candy maestro Mark Robinson.

Also playing at Bruar Falls on Saturday: Fluffy Lumbers, The Surprisers and comedian Mike Albo. Should be a good night.

JEFF the Brotherhood @ Glenn Danzig's House in Nashville (more by Paul Birman)

BV faves JEFF the Brotherhood, who've had a pretty good 2009, are back in town for the zillionth time this year (seems like they're here as much as Nashville) but that's okay, you don't really tire of their awesome power. Have you heard their album, Heavy Days? It's great. I know I tend to like the cardigan pop, but riffs and grooves this intense can not be denied. And they are just the best live. The vinyl of Heavy Days just got a second pressing with a new back cover, and there's also a new single, "Heavy Damage," which you can pick up at the merch table. The play Saturday (12/5) at Bowery Ballroom opening for Ted Leo (sold out), and then again on Monday (12/7) at Mercury Lounge for what they say is their last show of '09.

The Monday show is solid as a rawk. (Did I just write that? I'm doing this super late at night.) Also on the bill are Death by Audio's Sisters (noise pop backed by a foreboding amp monolith) and Coin Under Tongue (old school riff-heavy hard rock), plus Dinowalrus (kitchen sink psych not unlike early Flaming Lips). Sure it's a Monday, you're tired, but this bill is like aura caffeine. Show's eight bucks and tickets are still available. It's a bit weird to have JEFF in town and not playing Death By Audio, but if they can tear up Pianos on a Thursday afternoon (as they did at the BV day party during CMJ), they can destroy Mercury on a Monday night.

Dinowalrus, fronted by Titus Andronicus guitarist Pete Feigenbaum, are also at Union Pool tonight (12/3) with Dan Friel and others.. The MP3 on top of this post is from their debut album "%" which comes out on Kanine in January.

The Besties

And finally, Brooklyn indiepop mainstays The Besties are calling it quits. I know, it's sad. Here it is in their words, straight from MySpace:

The Besties are officially done. As happens with many awesome relationships, stuff happens and things get hard, and so you end it and remain friends and all that junk. It's like that. We guess? Well, Kelly moved to Asheville, and Frank renewed his vows with the city of Boston. And other stuff. So there's that.

Here's the good news! We are playing two last shows around NYC in December, and we plan on going out with a serious bang. So sell some CDs (keep the Lemonheads ones), bodily fluids or organs for plane ticket money, start hitchhiking, do whatever you need to do - let's party!

Like the Besties, I must now say goodbye. But just for this week. Flyers and applicable tour dates follow...

Continue reading "Field Music, the Figgs, Sloan, Big Pink, Red Mass, JEFF the Brotherhood, the Besties & more in This Week in Indie"

the girls of Magneta Lane pose w/ Nardwuar

So.. surprise tour!

Technically we weren't suppose to tour till January but we figured since an opportunity came up with Sloan we couldn't say no. We've toured with the guys before and it was a blast, so here we go for a second round in 2009!

Now along with the good news we have a not so happy announcement to make for Magneta fans and for us :-(

Sadly, French won't be able to make it on this tour. Because of the late notice and spontaneous nature of the tour French must stay back and finish her exams cause she cant put back anymore school at this point and/or flunk out cause that would be a waste of a brain. She is actually a very smart cat and has always balanced music and university at the same time. And over the years has always put Magneta first and we support her now so she can be back on the road with us sooner rather then later, Its her last year folks!

She'll be joining us again right after the holidays. French we luv ya!

We'll be taking our good friend Kat from a favorite Toronto Indie band Lipstick Machine and making the trek together to some American cities and some Canadian... check out the tour section!

Love,
Lexi

As Lexi pointed out above, Magneta Lane will join Sloan on their previously announced tour that includes stops at Maxwell's and The Bell House. All dates and a video below...

Continue reading "Magneta Lane released an album, touring with Sloan (dates) "

Sloan have updated their tour date schedule since we last spoke. Tickets are still on sale for shows at Maxwell's and The Bell House. All dates below...

Continue reading "Sloan - updated 2009 Tour Dates"

by Bill Pearis

Canadian rock stalwarts Sloan play the Bell House in Brooklyn on December 4 and tickets are on sale today at noon. The band seem to be embracing the loosey-goosey nature of the new world of self-released records and digital downloads. A new EP is due any minute, with the lead track being a free download via the band's website. Here's a recent missive from the band:

Continue reading "Sloan made an EP (MP3), coming to the US, playing Brooklyn"

Alt-rock kingpins the Pixies will make their live return to the U.S. this fall!

Frontman Frank Black tells SPIN.com that the Boston-born quartet will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking release, Doolittle, by playing the album in its entirety in Oakland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, New York City, and "maybe Montreal" this fall.

"I believe we're doing the Wang Center in Boston," he says of his hometown gig at the 3,600-capacity venue.

Exact dates have yet to be confirmed. The U.S. tour is expected to follow a run of Doolittle shows in Europe scheduled for October.

The gigs will coincide with the release of the Pixies' ambitious Minotaur box set, which will arrive in October on 4AD Records (order yours now via Artist in Residence).

It was also just announced that the Pixies will play the Ontario Virgin Festival on August 29th. The full lineup of that two day festival also includes Grizzly Bear, Sloan, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Pet Shop Boys, Plants and Animals, and one of Nine Inch Nails' final performances. All European Pixes dates below...

Continue reading "Pixies planning US/NYC Doolittle shows - current dates include Europe & Virgin Festival Ontario (full lineup)"

The Mountain Goats @ Webster Hall (more by Faith-Ann Young)

"We are going to light out for the Territories in a van with two acoustic guitars, some notebooks, our soundman Brandon and a pouch full of charms against ill omen. We are going to get elemental. We are going to stomp our feet and hammer at the strings until we get what we want from them. We, a couple of guys named John, are going to tour, is what we're going to do. We're going to stand alone onstage and play our guitars and sing old songs & new, and then we'll probably play together. We are going to sit side by side with our acoustic guitars like two out of the five guys on the Five Man Acoustical Jam album, only with fewer Tesla songs. Because the whole point of playing an acoustic guitar is not to unplug. It's to get raw and draw blood."
[John Darnielle aka The Mountain Goats]

The Primitive tour kicks off on March 18th in Asheville, NC, and the NYC show will take place at the Society For Ethical Culture on March 27th. It's part of the Wordless Music Series. Tickets are on sale. John and John each also have some other interesting shows lined up between now and then...

Ten years ago John Vanderslice founded the Tiny Telephone recording studio in San Francisco, CA. To celebrate the occasion, John will be performing a show at the Great American Music Hall on January 30 with The Magik*Magik Orchestra in a 30-piece configuration. "Together they will pull favorite tunes from his catalog, and introduce new songs from a forthcoming album currently being recorded at Tiny Telephone." Special guest DJ Aesop Rock will spin records before and after the performance. All proceeds from the event will benefit Magik*Magik, the house Orchestra of Tiny Telephone.

The Mountain Goats are keeping busy before March comes too. First of all there's Ships & Dip V...

Barenaked Ladies and Sixthman are up to some more shenanigans! It's the real McCoy - Introducing Ships and Dip V, sailing through the Caribbean February 1-6, 2009. We're bringing you the goods again, in what's sure to be the craziest, zaniest time at sea!

Join Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea, The New Odds, Boothby Graffoe, The Weakerthans, and more bands to be announced throughout the year, as we set sail on the Norwegian Jewel for 5 days of revelry, recreation and boatloads of musical fun! With NCL's Freestyle Cruising, you won't get the bum's rush for doing exactly what you want! You can get dolled up, or keep it casual. With 12 restaurants and 11 bars and lounges to choose from, a luxurious spa, a full service casino, and plenty of other features, there won't be any trouble making your cruise experience the cat's pajamas. We set sail from Miami to NCL's private island of Great Stirrup Cay and Cozumel, Mexico- two great places to get some sun on those gams!

When you're not jiving to the amazing artists, relaxing by the pool or dining in one of the many hot spots on board, you can be sure to find tons of other activities to keep you on your toes!

Continue reading "the Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice: Gone Primitive (2009 Tour Dates), Ships & Dip & Tiny Telephone too"

Sloan @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - June 19, 2008 (SoundBites)

"[Sloan] know all the Rock Moves by heart and know how to use them without being self-consciously showy, although bassist and defacto leader Chris Murphy is a real ham who isn't afraid to do something retarded (like lick the mic stand) in the name of a laugh or good crowd reaction." [Bill, before the show]

Sloan play Bowery Ballroom again tonight (June 20, 2008). More tour dates HERE.

by Bill Pearis

help us name this new column in the comments!

Sloan in Detroit - June 15, 2008 (PhilipSouthern)

In Pitchfork's review of 2004's Action Pact, Alex Linhardt wrote, "Sloan is not anyone's favorite band." He'd obviously never been to a Sloan show. People are nuts for them. Sloan fans are obsessive, protective and they stand by them even when they make a less-than-great album (cough cough Action Pact).

There are a number of reasons for this. For all the success they've had over their 17-year carreer, Sloan are an anomaly. All four members of the band write and sing, each with distinctive styles, which makes them nearly impossible to categorize. And they usually change their sound from album-to-album, reflecting what they've been listening to - which was, more often than not, out-of-step with what everyone else was doing at the time.

Here's a band that started off being called the Canadian Nirvana (though really they were more the Canadian My Bloody Valentine) on the release of their first album, Smeared, but have channel-flipped over the years from Beatlesque and other '60s pop to Thin Lizzy style cock rock, '70s AM Gold, pop-punk, etc, etc, etc. It does not make for casual fans. It breeds obsessives, though. For all the style-hopping, it's those four good songwriters and musicians behind it all that make it work.

The real reason I think fans stick by them is their live shows. Sloan are one of the most consistently awesome live bands of the last 15 years. They know all the Rock Moves by heart and know how to use them without being self-consciously showy, although bassist and defacto leader Chris Murphy is a real ham who isn't afraid to do something retarded (like lick the mic stand) in the name of a laugh or good crowd reaction. He also does an amazing Keith Moon impersonation (all fills, all the time) behind the kit when regular drummer Andrew Scott comes forward to sing his songs.

And with nine albums under their belt, including the just-released Parallel Play (which is really good and you can stream the whole thing ), you're bound to get a cherry-picked setlist with at least a handful of classic Sloan fist-pumpers like "Iggy & Angus," "Losing California," "Money City Maniacs"... and maybe even "Underwhelmed" which is kind of their "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and at least some of the band loathe it but I think still holds up.

But don't just take my word for it. Sloan are playing Bowery Ballroom this Thursday (tix) and Friday (tix) and if you've never seen them, I suggest you rectify that immediately. Neither show is sold out. I really don't think you'll be sorry if you do. If you care to read more about them, I've got at least three concert reviews on Sound Bites. If it's not made clear, I am a Sloan superfan. All dates at the end of this post.

I have Sloan on the brain, but I am aware there is other cool stuff going on......

Continue reading "Sloan, Band of Holy Joy, Dirty on Purpose side projects & more in this week in Indie "

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for two June Sloan shows at Bowery Ballroom in NYC.

Sloan will launch their new album, Parallel Play with a run of US dates.....We are happy to be returning to some of our favorite venues with our friends The Golden Dogs supporting on most of the shows.

Plenty of updates on the horizon including photos and video from the making of the new album, summer shows, and a fall tour of Canada. -Sloan

Continue reading "Sloan - 2008 Tour Dates (2 shows @ Bowery), new album "

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Who Taught You To Live Like That (new MP3)

DAVID CROSS & SAMANTHA COLE, NYC | AUGUST 30, 2006

The Onion's Annual Obligatory Party
Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 8:00pm
@ Union Hall (702 Union St. at 5th Ave.), Park Slope, Brooklyn

"We love fake news. First the good people at The Daily Show throw a concert/party and give all of the proceeds to 826NYC, and now, exactly one month later the good people at The Onion are throwing a concert/party and giving all of the proceeds to 826NYC. The Onion's Annual Obligatory Pary is a holiday blow-out featuring performances by Sloan, David Cross, Whitest Kids 'U Know, Jessica Rose & The Hi-Life, and Found Footage Festival's Holiday Collection. We hear there will also be DJs, raffles, food and drinks—all for a mere $15 requested donation. Again, the proceeds come to support our programs." [826NYC] (thx Klaus)

UPDATE: Per the Onion, this is a private event. THE RSVP is now closed, sorry.

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The above Sloan MP3 is one of thirty tracks appearing on their new album out January 7th on Yep Roc. Sloan are also playing some other dates in January.

Previously
David Cross & Modest Mouse play One Bank