photos by Amanda Hatfield

Brooklyn Denim Co. and Nudie Jeans are presenting a free show on Wednesday (7/27) at Brooklyn Denim Co. in Williamsburg on 85 North 3rd St with Oberhofer and Porcelain Raft. The show runs from 7 - 10 PM, open bar included (presumably making the show 21+). To RSVP email rsvp@deathandtaxesmag.com. Flier below.

In August, Porcelain Raft is opening a bunch of dates for The War On Drugs, including Cameo on 8/19 and Mercury Lounge on 8/20. All dates are listed below.

Oberhofer recently played the 4Knots Fest at South Street Seaport. A second set of pictures from that show is in this post. More of them with the dates and flier, below..

Continue reading "more Oberhofer 4Knots pics, a free show w/ Porcelain Raft who's playing shows w/ The War On Drugs too (dates)"

photos by Chris La Putt & Amanda Hatfield

"Patrick from Titus Andronicus just jumped into the crowd!
They are so good live." - Nikki S

"Eleanor Friedberger's solo stuff = awesome!
She's owning the 4Knots stage right now." - Anna Hyclak

"Oberhofer are clearly having a blast at #4knots ...
Fun day so far, especially when cloudy." - Bill

"Davilla 666 delivering good Stooges-punk buzz.
Crowd surfing spotted #4knots" - Jason Gross

"I don't know who Davila 666 are,
but they're burning it down at #4Knots." - Brendan HIlliard

The inaugural 4Knots Music Festival took place at South Street Seaport for most of the afternoon and early evening on Saturday (7/16).

Bands played on the usual Seaport outdoor stage while DJs were around the corner inside on Front Street (Dan Deacon and Yeasayer included). The festival was headlined by The Black Angels and Titus Andronicus and also included sets by Davilla 666 (pics HERE), Oberhofer, Eleanor Friedberger (of The Fiery Furnaces), and Mr. Dream (but not Obits). 4Knots acted as the replacement for Siren Fest, which sadly is no longer happening in Coney Island. 4Knots' lineup wasn't quite as impressive as past Siren lineups which were spread over two much bigger stages, but the festival still left a pretty solid impact on the downtown Manhattan crowd.

Eleanor Friedberger (by Chris)

4Knots was Eleanor's first show since releasing her solo debut Last Summer on Merge last week. According to New Beats:

"Aside from carrying a sound that kind of reminds one of the Velvet Underground's Loaded, some of the songs also possess a groove feel, particularly the mid-tempo "Glitter Gold Year." In addition to performing a majority of Last Summer's songs, Friedberger also threw in a few Fiery Furnaces tunes, including "Lost At Sea" and the punkish, power pop "Tropical Iceland.""

The crowd was the biggest that Brooklyn's own Oberhofer has ever played to, according to Brad Oberhofer, and they seemed to make a bit of buzz while they were there.

"Oberhofer, yes. I'd forgotten how soft-loud-soft prog meets math they are, but so precise and vicious, and in the best way. Singer Brad Oberhofer, (once a lowly intern at Matador), is the amazing piece of gut-instinctual-movement-punk behind said band. While tuning, he mentions, "I'm not used to this, I'm used to luxury cars," and during the set, "This song is dedicated to my grandmother, and all your grandmothers and grandfathers too."

He says the right things to a crowd, and he and the whole band plays right along, and thus, it's a captivating show. Just listen to "Away From You" or "I Can Go", or any other track and you'll be transfixed." [Sentimentalist]

Titus Andronicus (by Amanda)

Titus Andronicus went on before The Black Angels, though according to the Village Voice, the upbeat punk crowd were possibly anticipating Titus even more.

"This was a Titus crowd, but how could it not be? The pier we stood on stands less than an hour's drive from the town of Mahwah, where frontman Patrick Sickles sings of spending his senior year on "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future." And if that wasn't enough, Sickles recalled a few Siren Fest memories between songs. I'm sure a few super-loyal fans were even using the show as an opportunity to even out the sunburn that coated the left side of their bodies as they screamed along to the free show the band played at the Williamsburg Waterfront on the other side of the East River a few weeks ago."

Continue reading "4Knots Fest in pics (Titus Andronicus, Eleanor Friedberger, Oberhofer, Mr. Dream, Davila 666 & more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

The Black Angels @ 4Knots

"The Black Angels, from Austin, play psychedelic rock as if the 1960s never ended, and they are absolute masters of it. It's the psychedelia of echo, stomp and incantation, of songs that sit on one chord and one beat to the point of hypnosis, with tendrils of bluesy, heavily reverbed lead guitar and wavery electric organ, and with lyrics like, "Rollin' fast down I-35/supersonic overdrive." The Doors and the Velvet Underground are the Black Angels' main models, merged for a haunted bicoastal drone, with glimpses of the Byrds, early Pink Floyd and 13th Floor Elevators from Texas. It's an old, familiar sound that hasn't lost its effect." [NY Times]

The Black Angels play a free Spotify-presented show at Mercury Lounge late tonight (7/18). As previously mentioned, that show is first come, first served, but we're offering the chance to get guaranteed entry. To enter, email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Black Angels). Be 21+ and include your first and last name. Winner will be picked at random soon. You can also up your chances of winning by entering for one of the pairs we're giving away to the same show on Facebook.

More 4Knots pics below...

Continue reading "pics of The Black Angels @ 4Knots, a chance for guaranteed entry to the free show at Mercury Lounge tonight"

photos by Chris La Putt

"Stumbled on a live music popup
southstreet seaport. "Hospitality"" - Calamity Chang

Bill: You'll be playing in the Fulton Stall markets. What's your favorite vegetable?

Amber Papini (vocals, guitar): Cabbage. I love it in all ways: sauteed, braised or roasted, coleslaw, kimchi and sauerkraut.
Brian Betancourt (bass, vocals): broccoli // fun to eat tiny trees as a kid. also as an adult.
Kyle Olson (drums): Corn on the cob, because it's so tasty and reminds me of summers at the Minnesota State Fair!
Nathan Michel (guitar): celery because it's refreshing.

Continue reading "Hospitality played the Fulton Stall Market (pics)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Davila 666 @ South Street Seaport

Puerto Rico garage rock band Davila 666 are taping a performance for MTV Iggy in NYC on Wednesday, July 20th. MTV is "casting 50 lucky fans to be audience members at this once-in-a lifetime taping." You can enter to be one of the lucky at MTV Iggy's Facebook.

It would be better if they were playing a live set again today (7/17), but, as previously mentioned, Davila 666 will be in the house only to DJ the free Sunday show at Beekman Beer Garden. The live sets of the day will be delivered by Xray Eyeballs, Frankie Rose and Woven Bones. If you haven't figured it out yet, Beekman Beer Garden is at South Street Seaport, right around the corner from where Davila played yesterday (7/16) as part of the 4Knots Festival. Our full coverage of the fest is coming soon, but meanwhile check out more pictures from Davila's wild set below...

Continue reading "Davila 666 played 4Knots (pics), playing MTV Iggy show, DJing Beekman Beer Garden today"

photos by Amanda Hatfield and Chris La Putt

After an opening set by Asobi Seksu, The Radio Dept played their second NYC show in two days at South Street Seaport last night (7/15). Their next show is this weekend at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, though their set is not one you can watch online.

More pictures from the Seaport below...

Continue reading "The Radio Dept. played South Street Seaport (pics), Pitchfork Fest continues (stream it)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield and Chris La Putt

Asobi Seksu opened the Radio Dept show at South Street Seaport last night (7/15), on the very stage that The Black Angels will headline today as part of the 4Knots Music Festival. Upcoming shows for Asobi included a headlining gig at Brooklyn Bowl and an opening slot on the Boris tour that hits Irving Plaza. An updated set of dates and more pictures from the Seaport below....

Continue reading "Asobi Seksu played the Seaport --- pics & more tour dates"

4Knots, the replacement for Siren Fest, happens today (7/16) at the South Street Seaport in NYC. Set times for the free outdoor concert are below...

Continue reading "4Knots Fest today - here are the set times"

by Bill Pearis

The Radio Dept @ The Rock Shop in Park Slope

As hinted at, The Radio Dept played The Rock Shop last night (7/14), part of the venue's week-long One Year Anniversary. Whether people were seeing the night's many other worthy options or said hints were too vague, it felt like this was a kept secret for once as the Swedish trio played to a crowd of maybe 70. The setlist seemed to have been created to fit the setting, culling from The Radio Dept.'s gentler material, played at polite volume. On the dreamy "This Past Week" and "New Improved Hypocrisy," especially, I was a bit mesmerized.

I imagine we'll get a more rockin' set (a relative term for a pretty placid group) tonight (7/15) for their show at South Street Seaport. It's going to be a lovely night, the show is free -- you'd be dumb to miss it if you ask me. (I know you didn't.) Asobi Seksu open, a nice pairing indeed. Bring a tent and stay at the Seaport all weekend for 4 Knots Festival on Saturday (7/16), and the Sound Bites Series and Beach Party show on Sunday (7/17) afternoon. (Please don't bring a tent.)

You can also get The Radio Dept's newly-minted 180 gram vinyl reissues of their first three albums at the merch table. (Lesser Matters is near-perfect.) After tonight's show, The Radio Dept. then travel to Chicago for this weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival.

Video of The Radio Dept. performing at The Rock Shop last night is below.

Continue reading "The Radio Dept played the Rock Shop, Seaport tonight"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Wild Beasts - "Loop the Loop" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rayon Beach - Wave Pool Ether (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: John Wesley Coleman - Ooh Basketball (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Urge Overkill - Effigy (MP3)

Tom Vek

This week is kind of nuts. I know you're all probably just going to be spending it reading A Dance with Dragons or going to see Harry Potter, but here's your TWII action... let's get into it.

Tom Vek is here for two shows, his first U.S. shows since 2005: an early show tonight (7/12) at Mercury Lounge and tomorrow (7/13) at Union Pool. I don't think either are sold out. His second album Leisure Seizure -- six years in the making -- has remained in constant rotation on my stereo since getting a copy in May and I'm pretty excited for these shows.

The new record still sounds like Tom Vek -- the staccato drum beats, sparse arrangements, his laid-back vocal style -- and maybe it's the absence but it still sounds fresh. It's a great record and a welcome return. I have no idea who is in his band these days, but he was fantastic live back when he toured for We Have Sound in 2005. I have a feeling he's still got it.

Wild Beasts

Wild Beasts are over for four East Coast shows, including two nights at Le Poisson Rouge on Wednesday (7/13) and Thursday (7/14). (They're also playing Philly and D.C.) These will be the first the band have done since releasing their third album, Smother, back in May. As I've said before, this is subtler album than Two Dancers that shows the influence of Talk Talk and The Blue Nile in particular. It's a grower, as they say, and a worthy successor to 2009's best album. Check out "Loop the Loop" at the top of this post.

Live, Wild Beasts are truly something to behold,  transcending their records every time (at least every time I've seen them). Sky Larkin's Katie Harkin is playing keyboards with the band on this Stateside jaunt which is an added bonus for some of us. The rest of North America will get a chance to see Wild Beasts in September when they come back for a proper tour.  All 2011 dates are at the bottom of this post.

Urge Overkill

Shifting gears wildly, we've got Chicago rock gods Urge Overkill in town for two shows this week. They play the Rocks Off cruise on Wednesday (7/13) and then the Rock Shop on Saturday (7/16) as part of the venue's big One Year Anniversary which is happening all this week.

Urge Overkill were odd men out in the '90s, doing suave, heavily postured cock rock in an era dominated by slacker indie and stoner sludge. 1993's Saturation is one of the decade's classics, all big riffs and attitude that has only gotten finer with age. The same can't be said for 1995's Exit the Dragon, which found the band succumbed to the rock n' roll excesses the band exemplified. (There were even rumors the band were too fucked up to even play on its recordings, having most parts subbed by session musicians.)

There were various comeback gigs in the '00s but I don't think anybody expected them to make a new album. Which made this year's Rock'n'Roll Submarine (great title) a double shock: it exists and, more importantly, it's pretty awesome. Kato and Roeser keep the same flame alive: badass riffs, supercatchy choruses, and that unfakeable rock n' roll spirit. (No Blackie Onassis, but some chemistry is just too volatile apparently.) There's also a world-weariness that keeps it all real. They aren't trying to pretend they haven't been through some serious shit. But to paraphrase "Effigy" (downloadable at the top of this post), they've always taken the loud way.

The Wooden Birds

Lovely Austin band The Wooden Birds play two shows this week as well: Thursday (7/14) at Mercury Lounge and Friday (7/15) at The Rock Shop. As you may know at this point, this is Andrew Kenny's post-American Analog Set band, which still has his drony motorik style but in a much more acoustic setting. The Wooden Birds' sophomore album, Two Matchsticks, is (in my opinion) much better than their debut: the arrangements are more dynamic and the addition of Matt Pond (both on guitar and vocally) adds a lot. (Matt Pond PA's Chris Hansen is a touring member as well.) You can check out the title track to the new album at the top of this post.

Tune-Yards @ MHOW (more by Amanda Hatfield)

What else? Hudson River Rocks starts this week (Thursday 7/14) with tUnE-yArDs and Austra which is a pretty hard-to-pass-up free show. While I don't reach for her album much, there's no denying Merril Garbus is a magnetic performer who can win over crowds easily. While Austra's Katie Stelmanis doesn't quite have that charm, there is no denying her stage presence either and I'm a big fan of Austra's debut album which came out earlier this year. Thursday is supposed to be beautiful and this show seems like a no-brainer.

Rayon Beach

Austin's Rayon Beach play three shows this week: Thursday (7/14) at Don Pedro, then Friday (7/15) at Bruar Falls and Saturday (7/16) at Death by Audio. I wrote this a year ago and I think it still holds true:

Like a lot of the bands on Hozac Records (or bands from Austin for that matter), this trio fit under the psych/garage umbrella but there's a decided Brit bent to their music. Baroque garage, is that a thing? Think Syd-era Pink Floyd or The Pretty Things more than Woven Bones. Make no mistake -- Rayon Beach can and do get plenty loud. It's just sometimes with pinkies extended.

Anglophiles might already know that Scottish indiefolk cult legend King Creosote is in town this week, playing a late show at Mercury Lounge on Thursday (7/14) and then at the Rock Shop on Sunday (7/17). Both shows are with the equally talented Jon Hopkins. I wrote about King Creosote back in March:

Scottish indie folk royalty Kenny Anderson, aka King Creosote. Anderson (whose brother Gordon was a founding member of The Beta Band and now fronts The Aliens) has been cranking out album after album of melancholic, wry songwriting since the late '90s. (Seriously, check out his discography.) Many of these have been self-released, but he's had records on Warner Brothers and Domino too.

The Radio Dept

And now another weekend of Seaport-related shows. Friday (7/15)  is the final night of this year's abbreviated Seaport Music Festival, with The Radio Dept. The band are in the U.S. for this and the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago and that's it -- so we should count ourselves lucky. If you wanted to see them somewhere small, you're out of luck. (Unless you maybe found yourself at a shop that rocked on, say, Thursday night. Maybe.) Last year's Clinging to a Scheme was one of 2010's best albums (according to me) and though I do wish they'd get a drummer to play with them at shows, they still sound pretty great live.

I'm hoping the merch table has the new 180 gram vinyl reissues of the band's three albums. In particular I want to pick up their classic debut Lesser Matters, one of the best albums of the '00s. Opening are Asobi Seksu which is a pretty perfect pairing. The weather's supposed to be gorgeous, the show is free...this'll be sweet.

Saturday is the Village Voice 4 Knots Festival which is going out of its way to let us know it's not trying to be the Siren Festival. It's a nice line-up of bands, though, scaled to fit the Seaport. Apart from Eleanor Friedberger and Oberhofer, it is a pretty rock line-up what with headliners Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Davilla 666 and Mr. Dream. If you like to dance, they've got an indoor lounge over at 210 Front Street with an all DJ lineup that includes Yeasayer, Dan Deacon, Brahms and the Finger on the Pulse dudes (also DJing as Punches) spinning tunes. Things kick off at 1PM.

Then Sunday (7/17) is the last show of my Sound Bites Series down at the Fulton Stall Market and I'm super pleased to have Hospitality on cleanup. When I found out we were going to be doing the series again, Hospitality were the first band I thought of. If you haven't heard them, you can download their 2009 EP for free from their Bandcamp site. It's quite lovely. The band have gotten less precious since then, though no less charming, and recently the band expanded to a four-piece with drummer Nathan Michel moving to guitar making them decidedly more skronky now.

I am quite enamored with this band and you should definitely come down and see them. They are seriously good. If you come to only one Sound Bites Show this summer... this is your last chance. Hospitality are on at 3PM sharp and I'll be spinning tunes from around 1:30 or so. It's free!

And right after Hospitality finish, you can head across South Street to the Beekman Beer Garden for this week's Beach Party show with Frankie Rose and Xray Eyeballs. Both bands feature on that free downloadable mix you can get over at Insound. The Frankie Rose track is one I hadn't heard before, a cover of Slapp Happy's "Blue Flower" which you may know from covers either by Mazzy Star or Pale Saints.

Last week (Cheeseburger and Hard Nips) was fun and pretty fairly low-key. The spot -- formerly Water Taxi Beach -- is a pretty popular spot on its own, so expect a mixed crowd of those there for the show and those there just for the view/vibe. Bands start at 4PM. It's free.

And that's about it for this week. A few more daily picks are below.

TUESDAY, JULY 12

It's a heatwave today but Cold Cave will have the A/C cranked for their show Knitting Factory tonight. I do really like their new album Cherish the Light Years which kind of reminds me of '80s band Lords of the New Church. The show is with gothy sea chanty singers Cult of Youth, and Zambri who are newly signed to Kanine Records (and who were impressive at Knitting Factory during the Northside fest). The show is part of a tour that ends at Bowery Ballroom with Austra.

The newly reunited Cibo Matto are at Brooklyn Bowl. Though advance tickets sold out, there will be limited availability at the door. Go early. The show is one date of a tour that also hits Bowery Ballroom.

continued below....

Continue reading "Tom Vek, Wild Beasts, Urge Overkill, Wooden Birds, Rayon Beach, King Creosote, Radio Dept & more in This Week In Indie"

photos by Tamara Porras

"At South Street Seaport this evening: Screaming Females absolutely tore it up and Ted Leo rocked like a rowboat in a hurricane." - Michael Azerrad

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Screaming Females played the kickoff party for 4Knots Music Festival on Saturday (7/9). As promised, Ted Leo played The Tyranny of Distance in its entirety, in addition to ten other tracks.

TL/Rx took the stage a little after 7:30 and came sprinting out the gate with "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" After a group of songs ending with one of my favorites, "Bottled in Cork," the band jumped into what would be a complete performance of their album The Tyranny of Distance. They even paused between "Stove by a Whale" and "The Great Communicator" in side A/side B fashion. (Their banter and band introductions in between was referred to as the album skit.) "You Could Die (or This Might End)" finished the set, but the boys came back for an energetic 3-song encore. [Dry Paint Signs]

Ted Leo will also appear as a special guest at the Mr. Coconuts Comedy Show on July 19 at Union Hall. The show is hosted by Gabe Delahaye and also features Max Silvestri and Nick Turner. Tickets are on sale.

The actual 4Knots Music Festival takes place back at the Seaport on Saturday (7/16) with Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Eleanor Friedberger, and others.

Screaming Females pics from the Seaport are HERE. More Ted Leo pics below...

Continue reading "Ted Leo & the Pharmacists played 'The Tyranny of Distance' @ South Street Seaport (pics, setlist video, another show)"

photos by Tamara Porras

"Screaming Females shredding the shit out
of the south street seaport right now" - Andy Hare

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Screaming Females played the free kickoff party for 4Knots Music Festival at South Street Seaport on Saturday (7/9). As usual, Screaming Females shredded during their opening set.

"The opening band was "The Screaming Females" and I gotta say they were fucking excellent. Lead singer Marissa dresses as a neo-goth Emily Strange type, and then proceeds to shred and scream at you. It was amazing. Really amazing. So amazing in fact that I am now having a debate with myself on whether I should put up with the punk crowd at the end of the month and see another Screaming Females show OR go to the TMBG/JoCo show. They're on the same day. WHAT DO I DO?" [the science of discontent]

Continue reading "Screaming Females played South Street Seaport (pics), playing House of Vans & other dates"

As promised, Mad Decent are presenting free, all ages Block Parties in NYC, Philly, Chicago, and LA this summer. Each party's lineup is different and will have surprise guest appearances, along with food and carnival games. The first party is in NYC on July 30 at South Street Seaport with Gang Gang Dance, Zeds Dead, Claude VonStroke, BAIO (Vampire Weekend DJ set), The Hood Internet, Bosco Delrey, and PO PO. Artists playing other cities include Diplo, Das Racist, Curren$y, Reptar, Major Lazer, Death Grips and more.

The NYC block party is 9 days after Gang Gang Dance conclude their tour with Nguzunguzu and Total Freedom by headlining Rocks Off Concert Cruise on July 21 (no opener), and a week after they DJ at Warm Up (7/23).

Full Block Party lineups and dates below...

Continue reading "Mad Decent Block Party lineups announced (Gang Gang Dance & many more playing South Street Seaport in NYC)"

The Wake and Weekend were scheduled to play the free outdoor show at South Street Seaport this evening, July 8, 2011, but due to rain, the show has been moved to Littlefield in Brooklyn. Doors are now at 9pm, but the show is still free. Bands at 10 & 11.

Poor Chris La Putt braved the weather and went to the Seaport to capture the action. His picture of the non-event is above.

In related news, tonight's Yankees game is postponed for the same reasons and that means Derek Jeter will have to wait a little bit longer before attempting his 3000th hit.

P.S. Want to see Animal Collective for free at Merriweather Post Pavillion (the MD venue) on Saturday night? We're running a last minute contest for two tickets now at our Facebook.

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Mickey - For You (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fungi Girls - Doldrums (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pure X - Dry Ice (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grooms - Tiger Trees (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Wake - Oh Pamela (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Weekend - End Times (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: pow wow! - It's Not That Easy (MP3) 

Mickey

Ok it's really hot out but don't let that stop you from seeing some great stuff this weekend. We've got a couple bands on the Hozac label in town this weekend. First is Chicago glam punks Mickey whose debut Rock n' Roll Dreamer just hit the racks. It's a sleazy vision of excess that is part The Sweet, part Johnny Thunders, part Schlitz malt liquor and three bags of glitter dumped on top. It's hook-filled debauched fun. Check out "For You" at the top of this post for a taste. I have not seen Mickey live but all signs point to chaos.

Mickey play Death By Audio tonight (7/7) with Liquor Store, Ex-Humans, The Fucking Ocean and Sleepies (this show sounds like trouble), and then Friday (7/8) at Cake Shop with Habibi, Jigglers, Teardrops and Siberians.

Fungi Girls

The other Hozac band is Austin trio Fungi Girls who I've been wanting to see for some time. They play Friday night (7/8) at Death By Audio with Xray Eyeballs and The Beets, and on Saturday (7/9) at Ding Dong Lounge as part of a Group Tightener curated show with the label's bands Pure X (more on them below) and Expensive Looks, plus Cool Cough.

Still in their teens, Fungi Girls seem to have already digested a lifetime of psych-pop influences and make a racket that sounds fresh and well beyond their years. (Why aren't these guys on Slumberland?) 2009's Seafaring Pyramids was excellent and I can't wait to hear the new album, Some Easy Magic, which is out next month. You can download "Doldrums" at the top of this post which was the b-side to a Hozac 7" that came out last year.

Pure X, who play with Fungi Girls on Saturday, are also from Austin and maybe you knew them as Pure Ecstasy which they used to be called. (A San Francisco cover band laid claim to the name.) Now Pure X, the band just released their debut LP, Pleasure, this week and you can download "Dry Ice" from it at the top of this post. Altered Zones has a stream of the whole thing. Recorded live with no overdubs, Pleasure is lovely and languid, not unlike the first Cowboy Junkies album or Galaxie 500. It's a nice Sunday morning kind of album as I'm fond of saying.

The band are in town for two shows. In addition to the previously mentioned Saturday show with Fungi Girls, Pure X also play Friday (7/8) at sweaty 285 Kent for a Chocolate Bobka curated show with Tonstartsbandht, Forma, and Run DMT.

Grooms

If you go see Mickey tonight, Fungi Girls tomorrow and wanna make it three smoky nights in a row at Death By Audio, on Saturday (7/9) it's the record release party for Grooms' very good second album, Prom, which officially comes out next week on Kanine. The show is with Pterodactyl and The Immaculates.

The new album is a big leap from the band's debut, Rejoicer. The overt Sonic Youth-isms have melted and Grooms have come into their own with this one which feels confident and accomplished. It rocks pretty hard too, at times, but has pretty moments as well. Check out album opener "Tiger Trees" at the top of this post. Grooms were fantastic when I saw them at Northside but I imagine they'll be even more on their game at their Death By Audio home base.

The Wake @ NYC Popfest 2010 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

And finally a bunch of Seaport-related shows. Friday (7/8) is the third installment of the Seaport Music Festival with Scotland indiepop legends The Wake. As I wrote when they played Popfest last year:

"While they didn't get the attention their Factory Records labelmates New Order and Happy Mondays (or even A Certain Ratio) received, The Wake's catalog is well-regarded, especially 1985's Here Comes Everybody which is a bona fide  indie classic. Check out "O Pamela" at the top of this post. The band's hazy, reverb-laden sound has parallels to current bands like The Radio Dept or Wild Nothing, or any of the chillwave groups out there."

(editor's note: I was definitely wondering what random tourists may have thought when they came upon John Lennon's son and his supermodel girlfriend playing a show on the same stage recently).

Saturday (7/9) at the Seaport is an official "warm up" to next weekend's 4 Knots Festival, with Ted Leo and Screaming Females. Ted has played the Seaport five times and often not under the best conditions. He played in torrential downpours and with generator power the night of the 2003 blackout. Saturday he'll be marking the 10th anniversary of his album The Tyranny of Distance by playing it in full. Weather is supposed to be lovely.

Then on Sunday (7/10) is the penultimate Sound Bites Series show with pow wow! who are currently finishing up their debut album. After garnering a lot of buzz (and playing what seemed like every week) back in 2009, they took most of last year off to regroup and rethink. With a slightly retooled sound -- they're definitely a little more '80s indie and a little less early '00s rock now -- they'll play the Fulton Stall Market at 3PM. I DJ before and after. Check out "It's Not That Easy" at the top of this post.

Then after the Sound Bites show, you should head over to the Beekman Beer Garden for the first of the summer's Beach Party shows. This week it's the wildness that is Cheeseburger, plus Hard Nips. I hope Beekman (formerly Water Taxi Beach formerly Spiegeltent) is ready for flying beer. This should be fun. With the truncated Seaport Music Festival schedule this year (and no Pool Parties) I'm glad more is going on down at the Seaport, one of my favorite places during the summer.

If you want to hear more from the bands playing the Sound Bites Series, the Beach Parties, as well as Hudson River Rocks, the Seaport folks partnered with Insound for some free downloadable mixes. Bands include Austra, Metronomy, Xray Eyeballs, The Beets, pow wow!, DOM, Raveonettes, Radical Dads and more. I curated the Brooklyn Local mix with bands who have played both years of the Sound Bites Series, plus some other Brooklyn bands I think people should check out. 

OK that's it for this week. A few more Thursday picks are below.

THURSDAY, JULY 7

Steel Phantoms, ARMS, and Shark? are at Brooklyn Bowl. It's free if you go before 7PM. After that it's five bucks.

Colorado band School Knights play Shea Stadium with The Hairs whose singer used to have a band called Knight School. Weird, right? Also playing: Grand Rapids and Radical Dads whose new video for "New Age Dinosuars" is at the bottom of this post.

contininued below...

Continue reading "Mickey, Fungi Girls, Pure X, Grooms, The Wake, Weekend, pow wow! & more in This Week in Indie"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

The Hairs @ Fulton Stall Market

The Hairs is the latest music project from Kevin Alvir who has previously masterminded NYC indiepop bands The Lil' Hospital and Knight School. Even though the band is pretty new, The Hairs already have a 7" on Portland's fine Magic Marker Records that contains four scrappy, charming songs. One of which, "Duh x 12," has gotten some attention for its video which was directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp who made internet sensation Marcel the Shell. [Bill Pearis]

If you missed it, you can try again when The Hairs play Glasslands TONIGHT (7/5) with Mazes, Beige, and Country Mice. Look for The Hairs also at Shea Stadium on Thursday (7/7) with Radical Dads, and at Littlefield on 7/13 with Glitter and Great Lakes (the show description merely reads "Summertime! Indiepop! Fun!").

Mazes' (not to be confused with the similarly monikered band featuring Frankie Beverly) played Bowery Ballroom on June 25th as part of their with White Denim. Glasslands is your last chance to catch them before they return to their native Europe where they'll be doing more touring this summer.

All Mazes tour dates, more Hairs pictures from Fulton Stall Market, the video and a stream of even more Hairs songs, below...

Continue reading "The Hairs played Fulton Stall Market @ The Seaport (pics), playing other shows (like with Mazes tonight)"

photos and video by Jessica Amaya

Lower Dens @ South Street Seaport

After losing Will, Jana Hunter put together a new Lower Dens which made its debut in Toronto during NXNE. That new band made its NYC debut at South Street Seaport Friday night, and will hit NYC again as part of its tour with Cass McCombs. Dirty Beaches, who also played NXNE, also played South Street Seaport Friday night. Pictures from that free NYC show are in this post. More of them, with videos and tour dates too, below...

Continue reading "Lower Dens (with mostly new band) played South Street Seaport w/ Dirty Beaches (pics, video & more dates)"

NXNE photos by Natasha Ryan

Dirty Beaches @ NXNE

Dirty Beaches played NXNE in Toronto earlier this month. Spinner wrote that his performance was:

At times eerie but always compelling. Whether on 'True Blue,' which he dedicated to the ladies, or the rockabilly-laced 'Sweet 17,' the music rarely give the audience a warm, fuzzy feeling.

If there was one miscue, it was a cover of Mattress' 'El Dorado' which had him sans guitar and crooning like a jilted lover from a David Lynch film. Acknowledging that he'd "graduated from playing basements" to NXNE's main stage at Yonge-Dundas Square (the same stage that New Wave icons Devo would grace hours later), Dirty Beaches ended the set with a grin on his face and a few fist pumps. A fine set, even if the songs provoke images of dark, dimly lit alleys -- a strange brew for a gloriously sunny day.

As mentioned in This Week in Indie (and other times before that) Dirty Beaches plays a free show tonight (7/1) at South Street Seaport with Lower Dens. Things kick off at 7pm.

We mentioned back in May that Dirty Beaches was set to release a split 12" with Ela Orleans. The split is out now and can be streamed and purchased at La Station Radar.

More pictures, video, and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Dirty Beaches is back (free show today), played NXNE (pics) "

photos by Tim Griffin

The Radio Dept @ The Great Escape

Swedish dream-poppers The Radio Dept are releasing all three of their albums on 180 gram vinyl. This includes the classic Lesser Matters, its followup Pet Grief, and the more recently released Clinging to a Scheme, which came out during a time the sound they helped make popular was achieving massive success.

The Radio Dept have a few upcoming shows announced at the moment. On July 15 they'll play a free show at South Street Seaport with Asobi Seksu, and then hit Pitchfork Fest the next day. The only other show they currently have schduled in North America is in Dallas in November with Memoryhouse.

Memoryhouse meanwhile have been added as opener for some of Peter Bjorn & John's upcoming dates including the 9/12 show at Brooklyn Bowl. That show is the day before Sub Pop releases the Memoryhouse EP. Tickets are still on sale. No other openers have been added to PB&J's other NYC shows yet.

Asobi Seksu also plays a show at Brooklyn Bowl (on October 1). Tickets are on sale now.

On May 13th The Radio Dept. played the BV/M For Montreal showcase at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton with The Handsome Furs. A set of pictures from that show is in this post.

More pictures and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Radio Dept vinyl reissues & live pics, Memoryhouse & Asobi Seksu shows"

Ted Leo @ Europa (more by Amanda Hatfield)

The "probably" has turned to "definitely". Ted writes:

So, before I bury the lede, as I too often do, let me just get this out of the way and say that YES - we are, in fact, going to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of "The Tyranny of Distance" by playing it in its entirety (along with probably quite a bit of stuff from all the other albums as well) on July 9, 2011 at this year's *FREE* outdoor summer show at South Street Seaport, Manhattan, NYC - the "kick off" show for the Voice's new 4Knots festival.
This is not a big nostalgia trip!
We're not doing it to place this in some sort of "classic albums" necropolis! We've been mostly on tour for the entire ten years since this album came out, and rarely has a night gone by that we haven't played at least a few songs from it - it's as alive to us now as it was when it was first released!
We (or "I") have never "broken up" and moved on to other things, so we're not getting back together to celebrate "what was" - this is and always has been our life, and we're celebrating a milestone in that life!
This is not a "victory lap!"
Not the time to take a bow - there's more work to do, and we have tours upon tours upon tours still ahead of us!
We're writing, planning, thinking, working, etc., every day.
What this is, more than anything, is kind of a way to say "Thanks" to everyone who's been there and come along or joined us since, and something immensely fun and gratifying for us, personally, to be able to do.
For a long time, I've tried to do a free outdoor show here at home, in New York City, every summer, and what this ALSO is, is the 10th anniversary of that beginning with a solo show I played at South Street Seaport (with the great Radio 4, who we spent so much time with in those days!), as part of what was then WFUV's summer music series, then, as now, put together by the inimitable Stephen Dima, and the convergence of those two anniversaries makes this a really important show for us.
To that end, we're F***ING PSYCHED to have our friends, The Screaming Females, join us! Over this most RECENT year, they've become one of the biggest influences on OUR lives - giving us a constant source of inspiration and companionship and reminding us about what it was like for US ten years ago and why we started doing this in the first place and what it is that's kept us on this road the whole time.
I've got a lot more to say about this show, and The Tyranny of Distance, and the whole last ten years, and I'll amend this post as the day goes on, and probably all throughout next week. I'll announce those amendments and addenda on Twitter, but also, check back here if you want!
Still writing - more to come...

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.

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

"Ted Leo is possibly the most charming person I've ever seen in real life. Hot Tub was amazing tonight." - pete cartwright

Screaming Females at BV SXSW 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Ted Leo was a special guest at Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen at Littlefield Monday (6/27). According to Nate Buchik, "Last night, Ted Leo said they were performing Tyranny of Distance in its entirety at the South Street Seaport on July 9." That would be appropriate since the classic album turned 10 years old on June 19, but note that we were also told that Ted said he was "PROBABLY" playing the album. We'll let you know if that changes to "definitely." Hot Tub continues every Monday at Littlefield with different special guest comedians and musicians each week.

Ted's free South Street Seaport show is now being opened by fellow New Jerseyans Screaming Females. They just finished up their tour with Against Me! and Lemuria and only have a few other scattered dates at the moment. One of those dates is The Fest 10 in Gainesville, Florida which Ted is also playing (and which is sold out).

Ted recently taped a series of solo performance videos in "Room 205" for Incase. Watch those, with all tour dates and other videos below...

Continue reading "Screaming Females opening for Ted Leo who played Hot Tub & Room 205 (videos & dates)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger

South Street Seaport kicked off their season of free River to River shows on Friday night (6/26) with a headlining set by Sean Lennon's band The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.Blood Orange aka Dev Hynes of Lightspeed Champion opened the show. Pictures from the show are in this post.

The next Seaport show was Sunday afternoon when My Teenage Stride played a set at the Fulton Market as part of the Sound Bites Sunday series of shows that continues on July 3rd with The Hairs. The next free Friday show is this Friday, July 1st with Lower Dens and Dirty Beaches. The full list of Seaport shows (not counting the Beekman Beer Garden ones), and more pictures and videos from Friday, below...

Continue reading "The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl) played the Seaport w/ Blood Orange (pics, video)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Archers of Loaf - What Did You Expect? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Art Brut - "Lost Weekend" (MP3)

Archers of Loaf @ Sasquach 2011 (more by Josh Darr)

This weekend marks the return of '90s indie legends Archers of Loaf who play Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday (6/25, sold out) and Webster Hall on Sunday (6.26, you can still get tickets). Opening both shows are Mr. Dream which is as perfect an opener as you could imagine.

I didn't care for their later records (or Eric Bachman's Crooked Fingers) but Archers of Loaf's 1993 debut, Icky Mettle, is an indie rock classic that stands tall alongside No Pocky for Kitty, Slanted & Enchanted, There's Nothing Wrong with Love and Sebadoh III. 1995's Vee Vee is pretty awesome too, and both records are getting the expanded reissue treatment from Merge Records in August. You can download "What Did You Expect?" (a 1994 7"-only release) at the top of this post.

Speaking of Mr. Dream, despite the Voice saying that the lineup was final, they added Mr. Dream today to the upcoming 4Knots Fest at South Street Seaport, and DJs and an indoor lounge too...

The Village Voice is excited to announce the addition of the 4Knots Indoor Lounge during the 4Knots Music Festival on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The lounge, located at 210 Front Street, will be open from 2PM till Midnight with free admission, 21+ only. DJ Sets will take place all day from: Yeasayer, Dan Deacon, Finger on the Pulse, PUNCHES, Brahms, and others TBD. Drink specials from Sailor Jerry and Bud Light will be available along with a PopChips photo booth, and much more.

The inaugural 4Knots Music Festival with also include live music on South Street Seaport Pier 17 from 1-8pm. The Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Davila 666, Oberhofer, Eleanor Friedberger and Mr. Dream and are all scheduled to perform on the outdoor stage at the free, all day, all ages music festival.

While we're in the '90s milleiu, Mazes are here opening for White Denim on Saturday night (6/25) at Bowery Ballroom. I'll just quote myself here:

When you think Manchester, England you may think Stone Roses and The Smiths, but in the case of Mazes, it's more Sebadoh and Soul Asylum. Not unlike Yuck, this trio owe lots to '90s indie rock as can be heard on their debut album A Thousand Heys which came out in April.

And if you can't make it this weekend, Mazes return for a headlining show at Glasslands on Tuesday, July 5 where they'll play with Beige, Country Mice, and The Hairs.

Art Brut

What else? Art Brut are on tour and played Maxwell's last night and will be at Music Hall of Williamsburg Thursday (6/23). The band's new album, Brilliant! Tragic!, finds Eddie Argos taking it down a notch and almost singing. Almost. It's really more of a whispery type thing -- not unlike Jarvis Cocker -- and for the most part I think it works pretty well. I especially like the single, "Lost Weekend," which you can download at the top of this post. More than anything, I think the music is the best Art Brut have come up with since their debut. And the band remain a lot of fun to see live. Argos is the real deal.

Sic Alps

Sic Alps roll through town on Friday, playing Death By Audio with Spectre Folk and Weekends. As previously reported, founding member Matt Hartman -- who was half the band originally -- has left the group which is kind of weird Mike Donovan is carrying on with the name with Eric Baur and some kid named Ty Segall (who had briefly joined the band a couple years ago). Shouldn't they be called Sic Andes or something now?

Granted, Mike Donovan did most of the singing (and maybe wrote most of the songs) and I'm gonna bet this new version of the band is pretty awesome. Sic Alps most recent album, Napa Asylum, is another smoldering, thick stew of swamp garage. A lot of bands use the low-fi thing as a crutch, but Sic Alps have always used sludge like it's a member of the band. A new 7", perhaps the first fruits of this new line-up, is out in August.

Fulton Stall Market in 2010 (more by Chris La Putt)

And finally, a little shameless plugging. Sunday afternoon, June 26th, is the first of my four Sound Bites Series shows which take place at the Fullton Stall Market down at South Street Seaport. You can get your vegetables and jingle jangle indiepop all in one place. This Sunday the latter is provided by scene stalwarts My Teenage Stride. The fun (which includes me DJing before the band) starts at 2PM, and it's all free. Do come down and say hi.

This is the full Sunday show lineup:

JUNE 26: MY TEENAGE STRIDE
JULY 3: THE HAIRS
JULY 10: pow wow!
JULY 17: HOSPITALITY

Some additional daily picks follow:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22

Iceage play a free show at Other Music today.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23

Black Dice's Eric Copeland, McDonalds and Regal Degal play Secret Project Robot. It's a record release party for both Copeland and McDonalds, so do check out the merch table. The Copeland record, Waco Taco Combo, is only a 500 copy pressing.

Dinosaur Jr. are at Terminal 5 performing their classic 1988 album Bug (that's the one with "Freak Scene") in its entirety. And probably some other songs as well. Many people will be going just to see Fucked Up, not to mention Off!.

Beach Fossils and Javelin play Santos Party House. It's a free show if you RSVP.

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Continue reading "Archers of Loaf, Mr. Dream, Art Brut, Mazes, Sic Alps, Iceage, Sundays @ The Seaport & more in This Week in Indie"

The number of great and FREE NYC shows set for this summer grows by the day, and now we have a new set to occupy six Sundays. The new Beekman Beer Garden at the South Street Seaport will host a six week "Beach Party" series kicking off on July 10th.

With the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and East River as their backdrop, the respective bands will take the stage on the Beekman Beer Garden's 200-ton sandy beach at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoons.

Presented in association with producers involved with the indie-oriented Seaport Music Festival on Pier 17 (south side) and the RiverRocks series on Pier 54, the Beach Party concerts are free, and limited to 1,100 people. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and all shows are 21 and over.

Continue reading "Beekman Beer Garden hosting 6 free shows (Raveonettes, Mission of Burma, Cheeseburger & more)"