still from Ari Marcopoulos's film Detroit...

Ari Marcopoulos's photographs and videos capture the rhythm and feel of diverse youth-oriented subcultures from snowboarding to underground music. His honest portraits depict, as he has stated, "something that just stands for life lived." This evening, he brings together musicians from the electroacoustic improvisation scene, including Orphan and Yellow Tears, for a night of performance and noise. [Whitney]

Participants in the "performance and noise" described above will also include Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. It'll happen at the museum at 7:30pm on Friday, March 26th during the museum's pay-what-you-wish Fridays (6-9pm). That's less than a week before Thurston, drummer Ryan Sawyer and Daniel Carter play Rose Live Music.

In other SY news, the Thurston-led hardcore band re-forming for SXSW, Society's Ills, has changed is name to Demolished Thoughts (the lineup is still Thurston Moore: Vocals, J Mascis: Guitar, Don Fleming: Guitar, Andrew W.K.: Bass, Awesome Allison: Drums). They're playing at the Ecstatic Showcase on Friday, night (3/19) and a Mog day party on Saturday at the Mohawk (with the Black Keys). For their set, they'll expand on their 7 Seconds repertoire with a mix of hardcore selections from scenes that include Boston, Detroit, LA, DC and NYC.

Back in NYC, Lee Ranaldo, photographer/artist spouse Leah Singer and their two sons will be performing at IVANAHelsinki & Love Contemporary pop-up store (238 Mulberry St btwn Spring + Prince) on Sunday, March 14th. The event, titled "What Is That Little Black Thing I See There In The White?" features Lee Ranaldo/Leah Singer/Sage Ranaldo/Frey Ranaldo doing "Music/Movies/Candy/Paper Cutting." It's all ages and runs from 4-6:30pm.

Videos of some recent Lee Ranaldo sound performances are below...

Continue reading "Ari Marcopoulos @ the Whitney, Demolished Thoughts & other Sonic Youth-related happenings "

by Andrew Frisicano

As part of a resurgence of activity, ANDREW W.K. will play a very special concert on MARCH 16th, 2010, at the FILLMORE NEW YORK at IRVING PLAZA, Manhattan, NYC. The performance will be Andrew's first headlining public concert in New York in over 5 years and comes at a time of building excitement and buzz, growing steadily ever since Andrew W.K. was first unofficially "removed" from regular live touring in 2005.

Also on the NYC bill for that show will be The Dirty Pearls and Chainsaw Trio. Tickets go on presale February 24th at 10am. General sale tickets TBA.

The show's announcement comes the same day as Andrew WK's "Ask Andrew W.K. Anything" event, happening at Santos Party House tonight (2/23). The show is sold out, but you will be able to stream it (@ 8pm EST) and ask questions online through a Justin.TV player that is also embedded below .

Andrew WK and band will be at SXSW this year, and we're beyond excited to announce that in addition to the super exciting announcement that Roky Erickson/Okkervil River is playing, Andrew will play a solo set at the just-announced BrooklynVegan/M for Montreal day party at Galaxy Room (formerly Radio Room) on Saturday, March 20th. Full lineup TBA soon.

He'll also be playing other SXSW shows (like an official showcase Wednesday night at Buffalo Billiards), some with the full band, and he'll be playing bass with Thurston Moore's reformed Society's Ills at the Ecstatic Peace showcase on Friday March 19th (though note: there is a rumor that Society's Ills are no longer playing the Ecstatic Peace show, but instead just playing a day party... stay tuned).

Other upcoming live shows include MtyMx (in Mexico), Big Ears (with an orchestra) and will be on the road all summer as a headliner on the Warped Tour. Andrew fits in everywhere! All dates here.

Andrew WK's previously import-only album Close Calls With Brick Walls was set to come out today (2/23) but will instead get released March 23rd on the Steev Mike label (? - Andrew WK's alleged alter-ego, something that I'm sure will be addressed at Santos tonight). It comes with a 'rare & unreleased' bonus disc called Mother of Mankind. One of the songs on the record is the awesomely appropriate at any age anthem "Not Going to Bed". The video, which came out in Japan after the album's initial release in 2006, is posted below along with a message from Andrew and an "advertisement" for the new record...

Continue reading "Andrew WK playing full band shows in NYC & at SXSW, playing solo @ a BV day party, answering questions & streaming live tonight at/from Santos"

DOWNLOAD: Sweet Apple - Do You Remember (MP3)

Thurston w/ Sonic Youth @ MHOW in November (more by Lori Baily)

Society's Ills: In 1994 Society's Ills (Moore, Cadena, Watt, Markey) made their world premier with the now coveted "Skins, Brains, and Guts" release - a slab that managed to cram (9) 7 seconds covers onto one 7". In 2010, the band is back and once again fronted by Thurston but he brings with him a new crue of slayers to launch the hardcore fury:

Thurston Moore: Vocals
J Mascis: Guitar
Don Fleming: Guitar [SY producer & Velvet Monkeys/Gumball frontman]
Andrew W.K.: Bass
Awesome Allison: Drums [from Awesome Color]

This set is their first, but don't worry if you miss it cause I'm sure we can put this together again in another 15 years! [Ecstatic Peace]

Society's Ills play in addition to Thurston Moore solo, Talk Normal, The Entrance Band, Violent Soho, the Slits' Viv Albertine, Awesome Color, Jemina Pearl and more at the Ecstatic Peace SXSW Showcase happening Friday, March 19th at Red 7 in Austin. Curious about Society's Ills? Their version of 7 Seconds' "I Hate Sports" is below.

J Mascis will also be playing at SXSW with Sweet Apple, who are playing Mercury Lounge on April 20th. One of their SXSW sets will be at the showcase for TeePee Records, who are putting out the Sweet Apple debut, Love & Desperation, a track from which is above. That show is Thursday, March 18th at Habana Calle 6, and also on the bill are Priestess, Iron Age, Nebula, Naam, Imaad Wasif and more. Full details and a poster are below. Tee Pee Records has also teamed up with BrooklynVegan and Chronic Youth for another day party taking place on Saturday, March 20th in Austin. This is the first we've mentioned it. Stay tuned for more info.

Lou Barlow will also be at SXSW (backed again by The Missingmen) - one of his shows will be the Merge Records showcase at Cedar Street Courtyard on March 18th also featuring Let's Wrestle, She & Him, and others. Full lineup below. For She & Him it's one of two official SXSW shows. They also play Saturday night (March 20th) at Auditorium Shores (with Justin Townes Earle & TBA). Cheap Trick play the same slot at Auditorium Shores one night earlier.

Merge's showcase mentions that one slot will be filled by "Special Guest". We don't know who that is, but we'd have to guess Superchunk is a strong possibility since Mac & Laura have a speaking engagement (in a bookstore) on March 17th, and another one (official SXSW) at the convention center on March 19th (with Michael Azerrad), and the band is on the bill of the Village Voice day party happening at La Zona Rosa the afternoon of March 19th (with the xx, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Surfer Blood). It's definitely not Spoon who play the NPR show at Stubb's on March 17th with Deerhunter (their tour-mates) and The Walkmen.

Society's Ills Bassist Andrew W.K. will also be performing separately (and speaking) at SXSW (and at MtyMx in Mexico).

Kim and Thurston are playing with the Plastic Ono Band in their two-night Brooklyn Academy of Music run. They were at the dress rehearsal (aka the first night) last night (2/16). BV photographer Greg Cristman was in the audience and told us, "One definite highlight was Thurston and Kim played with Yoko as a trio and did a killer version of Mulberry from Unfinished Music No. 2 while the film Fly was projected on a huge screen behind them!" - a (poor quality) video clip of one of the other songs is below.

Full lineups for the showcases and videos are below...

Continue reading "Thurston Moore (& Kim) rehearsed w/ Yoko @ BAM, recreating Society's Ills (w/ Mascis, WK), appearing @ SXSW (like She & Him, Merge Records, Tee Pee...) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Jemina Pearl @ Union Pool...

The audience was left to wonder exactly what happened when Jemina Pearl walked off stage less than 30 minutes into her headlining set Saturday night (2/13) at Union Pool. The question wasn't the shortness itself, but the abruptness of her departure: after getting increasingly frustrated with something, she kicked the drum set, gave the one-finger salute to her band and left, to the stunned then embarrassed faces of her supporting trio. The show was really just getting started. "As long as everyone had fun, that's what matters," said the bass player sheepishly before getting a lit cigarette thrown at him by the singer, in a brief return to the stage.

They did manage to get through "I Hate People," a cover of "Band on the Run" and a handful of others (though not "Heartbeats" which one of the most enthusiastic fans requested as a not-to-be encore). It was an awkward hometown end to nearly a month of touring.

Openers Harlem were admirably sloppy and enthused (it's hard not to think of a less manic Black Lips). Their animated, banadana-ed singer/guitarist and more straight-laced drummer swapped roles halfway through the set, which brought out a different dynamic for sure - round two was cleaner with more of a focus on pointed guitar riffs and less on effusive vocals. The Austin band's second album is due this summer on Matador, and they'll be touring the West Coast for the next few weeks.

Jemina's next scheduled show/shows are SXSW. The full Ecstatic Peace SXSW showcase lineup (Thurston Moore, J Mascis & Andrew WK included), more Union Pool pictures, a video and Harlem tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Jemina Pearl played Brooklyn w/ Harlem, stormed off stage (pics), playing SXSW w/ Thurston, J. Mascis, Andrew WK"