DOWNLOAD: Deer Tick - Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston Cover) (MP3)

Murphy's Law @ Culture Shock '09 (Serenaz)

The lineup is out for Culture Shock 2010, which will take place April 16th and 17th at SUNY Purchase. Headliners for this year's fest are pop-punk band Bayside (avoid the "Beautiful Girls" cover on their MySpace) (and check out another version above) and indie-pop collective Los Campesinos (who'll play Irving Plaza April 22nd) Friday night, and rapper Jay Electronica and The Books on Saturday. The rest of the bill is a varied mix that includes Surfer Blood, Black Milk, Maps & Atlases, L Mag Band You Need To Hear Ava Luna, Maluca, Das Racist, The So So Glos and Turbo Fruits. The annual event isn't technically open to non-students. The full lineup is below.

Last year's lineup was headlined by Drake and The Cool Kids. In 2008, Fucked Up's headlining performance was cut short by the police.

The bands were announced earlier this month via film at an event at the school. That video, the lineup and more are below...

Continue reading "SUNY Culture Shock 2010 lineup"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Beach Fossils & (crowd) Surfer Blood...

[Surfer Blood's] set on Saturday [2/27] was all material from the debut album, but what set it apart was the fun the band was having with the crowd -- enough so that a Weezer guitar tease gave way an audience-led run through "Sweater Song". The band persisted through some technical problems to end the show with a crazy stage and audience jumping version of "Swim" where most of the vocals were sang while John was held aloft by the crowd.
[NYC Taper who also recorded the set]

The show was part of Surfer Blood's tour with Tubro Fruits (they also played Mercury Lounge on Sunday, Feb 28th). That trip continues down to SXSW, where all of the above bands will be performing, and beyond. The full dates are below.

Morning Benders' new record Big Echo, which comes out March 9th on Rough Trade, is streaming online.

Upcoming shows for Beach Fossils include a Kidrockers show on March 7th at the Living Room with Bottle Up and Go. Tickets are on sale.

More pictures and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood, Morning Benders, Grooms, Beach Fossils & Turbo Fruits played Market Hotel - pics, audio, more dates"

Still Life Still @ Mercury Lounge in 2009 (more by Vincent Cornelli)

tonight in NYC
* Surfer Blood @ Other Music
* Robyn Hitchcock @ City Winery
* Teeth Mountain, Living Days @ Death By Audio
* Jonathan Kane's February @ Issue Project Room
* Ha Ha Tonka, Daniel Wayne, Josh Mease @ Pianos
* Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Bizi Gara, Asa Ransom @ The Cameo
* Wild Beasts, Violens, Still Life Still @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Surfer Blood, Turbo Fruits, We Are Country Mice, Radical Sons @ Mercury Lounge
* Kidz in the Hall, 88 Keys, Izza Kizza, Donnis, DJ K-Salaam @ Highline Ballroom
* Shooting Spires, Pterodactyl, Summer Recreation Camp, Unstoppable Death Machines @ Union Pool
* Brooklyn Psych Fest w/ Madam Robot and The Lust Brigade, Traveling Circle, The Runaway Suns, Heavy Hands, La Otracina, Naam, Asteroid #4, Sounds of Kaleidoscope @ Glasslands

Surfer Blood is playing a free-instore @ Other Music today (6:30pm) before their sold out show at Mercury Lounge. They played to a packed house at Market Hotel last night.

A poster for the BK psych Fest, at Glasslands today, is below.

Today is also the Brooklyn Record Riot at Warsaw.

Bad Lieutenant's video for "Sink or Swim" below...

The Hidden Cameras' video for "Underage", below...

Mumford & Sons' video for "The Cave", below...

A Place To Bury Strangers' video for "Keep Slipping Away", below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

Monotonix injured

The problem with being a performer known for exaggeration and extreme physical antics is, when something seriously goes wrong, nobody believes it at first. And so it went last night that when Monotonix frontman Ami Shalev called for a doctor barely 15 minutes into his band's headlining set, he was, at first, relentlessly heckled.

"I think we finally managed to make history," Shalev said. The crowd cheered, figuring it would be an announcement about the band's debut appearance south of Orlando.

"After more than 700 shows, I think I finally broke my leg," he continued.

More cheering. This was part of the stunt, right?

"Is there a doctor or paramedic?" he asked.

"Suck it up!" Someone yelled.

"Pussy!" Another heckler cried.

But Shalev was obivously in pain. "Fuck you!" he yelled, wincing and grabbing his thigh. "What I need is a doctor or a paramedic, or a wheelchair. Or just a chair." He repeated the request again at least twice.

Confusion then ensued as, yes, there was a doctor or paramedic in the house, who ran to tend to him. A massive bag of ice was produced from behind the bar, and helpers produced an Ace bandage.

Shalev, though, seemed to want to continue the show from a chair, insisting to his handlers and bandmates he could just ice it down. That seemed highly unlikely once the paramedics arrived with a stretcher. Shalev refused to leave on it, but didn't get up either. Nobody from the venue bothered to announce what was going on, instead sending a DJ to the booth to play indie rock as a few people lingered, trying to dance.

Eventually, most of the crowd trickled out. (Some actually demanded refunds. Really? Enjoy your extra $7 or $10, assholes). It was an anticlimactic, deeply disappointing end to what should have been the band's triumphant introduction to South Florida.[Broward-Palm Beach New Times]

UPDATE: Pictures from the hospital above, and below with a message from the band about what happened, cancellations, and all tour dates...

Continue reading "Monotonix singer (finally) broke his leg at a Florida show"

DOWNLOAD: Fresh & Onlys - Invisible Forces (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beach House - Norway (MP3)

Surf City @ Pianos/BV-CMJ Party 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Surf City was just one of the 'surf' bands that made a splash at this year's CMJ. Both groups (the other being Surfer Blood) are set to repeat the feat at SXSW.

Surfer Blood's tour takes a New York turn in late February, while New Zealand's Surf City hits NYC post-SXSW. They play a March 25th show at Maxwell's with Headlights (who play Bowery on their tour with David Bazan two nights earlier). Tickets to Maxwell's are on sale.

The next night, Friday, March 26th, Surf City play a late show at Mercury Lounge. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon.

Before both of those, Surf City will be on a bill with fellow New Zealander Bachelorette at Union Hall on March 22nd (ticket info TBA).

While in NYC, Bachelorette will also be playing at Cake Shop on March 20th before heading out on tour with Beach House from March 26th to April 19th (Beach House continue with Washed Out after that). Beach House celebrate their new record (and their 9.0 Best New Music) at Bell House tonight (1/26).

Surf City do make some pre-SXSW stops on their way to Austin too. One is in L.A. on March 13th with The Fresh & Onlys, who will also be in Austin March 17th-20th. In addition, Fresh & Onlys play Noise Pop 2010 in their hometown of San Fran, and tour with King Khan & The Shrines (with no NYC date unfortunately) in April. The track above is off The Fresh & Onlys' 2009 Woodsist album Grey-Eyed Girls - they have a new just-completed third record due this spring on In The Red.

All tour dates and a video are below...

Continue reading "Surf City, Bachelorette, Beach House, Fresh & Onlys and King Khan & The Shrines are playing shows, touring, etc"

Surfer Blood & Marnie Stern @ Cameo on NYE (by Abbey Braden /PunkPhoto)

Surfer Blood played the Cameo with We Are Country Mice, Beach Fossils, Frankie & The Outs (who played in their swimsuits) and others on New Years Eve. As you can see in the picture above, Marnie Stern (who's been quiet recently show-wise) joined Surfer Blood on stage at the party.

Surfer Blood has quite a bit of tour dates (with interesting tourmates like Monotonix) scheduled between now and SXSW. On Wednesday, January 13th, they'll play a sold-out Bowery Ballroom show with The Drums and Depreciation Guild. They'll also play Brooklyn's Market Hotel on February 27th with Beach Fossils and Grooms, and New York's Mercury Lounge on Sunday, February 28th with We Are Country Mice and Radical Sons. Both NYC shows are also with Turbo Fruits who they'll continue on the road with for a bunch more dates. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 8th at noon for the Manhattan show.

Video of Surfer Blood playing with Marnie Stern, other songs from their NYE set, and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood played New Years Eve w/ Marnie Stern, announce more 2010 dates (some w/ Turbo Fruits) "

Arctic Monkeys @ Highline Ballroom in August (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* Pink Martini @ Town Hall
* Seabrook Power Plant @ The Stone
* Antibalas @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Matisyahu, The Glitch Mob @ Webster Hall
* Mathias Tjonn, Land of Leland @ Sycamore
* Bear Hands, Peephole, Ribbons @ Littlefield
* Arctic Monkeys, Screaming Females @ Terminal 5
* Gary War, Ducktails, Infinity Window @ Cake Shop
* Suckers, Tanlines, Light Asylum @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Brooklyn sings for Health Care Reform @ The Bell House
* Colin Stetson, Matana Roberts, Shazad Ismaily @ Monkey Town
* Limbs, Right on Dynamite, Ludlow Lions, Susu @ Public Assembly
* Love as Laughter, Coconuts, Hallelujah, Ezekial Healy @ Death By Audio
* Spanish Broads, The Honey Dos, ACLU Benefit, The Everly Sisters @ Bruar Falls
* Holly Golightly & The Broke-Offs, Taylor Hollingsworth, She Keeps Bees, Vandaveer @ Mercury Lounge

Arctic Monkeys plays their first of two shows in a row with Screaming Females tonight.

Matisyahu plays his first of eight.

White Denim's new video for "I Start to Run" below...

Wayne Coyne brings us the Flaming Lips Silver Trembling Fetus Christmas ornament. Video below...

Videos of Surfer Blood on KEXP, below...

What else?

Continue reading "Whats going on Thursday?"

The Drums - new band picture

The Drums went from playing a lot of shows a few month ago, to disappearing for a while. That hiatus ends next year when they return to headline Bowery Ballroom on January 13th. Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon. Maybe the band is currently on vacation in their previous home state of Florida because they're also scheduled to play a show tonight (12/4) at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami. Their only other show between now and NYC is on New Years Eve in Chicago (the city with all the best New Years Eve shows this year).

Opening the Bowery show will be Surfer Blood who were most recently in town to open for Art Brut at Brooklyn Bowl. Surfer Blood also have a New Years Eve show scheduled, but theirs is in NYC at Cameo Gallery with Frankie (Rose) and The Outs, Beach Fossils, and We Are Country Mice. It only costs $10 which is a bargain for that night, though the venue is kind of small. Set times and other details about that show below.

A list of the the other New Years options in NYC (and elsewhere) is HERE. All SB & Drums dates below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood playing New Years Eve w/ Frankie Rose, opening for the Drums @ Bowery ++ other tour dates"

photos by Vincent Cornelli

Art Brut's most recent tour brought them into the NYC-area three times with three different sets of openers. Last Friday (11/13), the show was at Brooklyn Bowl with Surfer Blood and Midnight Masses. More pictures from that one, with the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Art Brut, Surfer Blood & Midnight Masses @ Brooklyn Bowl - pics & setlist"

photos by Bryan Bruchman

After an exhausting CMJ full of shows including the BV party at Pianos on Thursday (10/22), Surfer Blood are back as part a tour that keeps them on the road for the next month. They open shows for both Art Brut and Japandroids along the way. The Florida band is one of two openers for Art Brut at Brooklyn Bowl tonight (11/13). The other is Midnight Masses.

Right before CMJ it was announced that Surfer Blood signed to Kanine Records. The Brooklyn label will release their album Astro Coast on January 19, 2010. Art Brut also plays Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (11/15), but the openers on that show are Jeffrey Lewis and Murder Mystery.

All Surfer Blood dates and more pictures from Pianos below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood touring - NYC tonight w/ Art Brut ++ Pianos pics "

photos by Leia Jospe, words by Andrew Frisicano

the brothers JEFF

MyOpenBar presented a show Above the Auto Parts Store which was one of the last shows of CMJ's rainy Saturday night. Many, like Leia, came directly from the Pitchfork show at Market Hotel. I came from the Neon Indian and Almighty Defenders show in Williamsburg, and missed noise-pop duo Sisters and power trio Screaming Females but caught Surfer Blood (who play DBA tonight, 10/26).

It was at least Surfer Blood's tenth set at the five day festival, but they didn't let it show. Attempting to bring some much needed energy to the waning crowd, the band's additional fifth member worked a percussion rack and a tiny, standard-issue MicroKorg and passed out maracas and shakers to the crowd. Surfer Blood loads its echoey pop with familiar musical and lyrical references. Their song "Twin Peaks," which makes mention of the frequent indie muse (see Mount Eerie's newest album), has a certain Vampire Weekend buoyancy but with a harder edge. Instead of crisp sounds, spacey vocals take the lead through their winding melodic lines and African-inspired rhythms. Surfer Blood were good, but in a tough spot, sandwiched between Screaming Females and JEFF the Brotherhood - two bands that radiate full-on essence of rock - in a mostly empty second-floor garage at 2am.

Spacious as the massive garage was, and with a crowd sized more for a smaller venue like Death By Audio, once JEFF the Brotherhood took the stage everything changed. People who had been idly dozing off, or smoking on the entry ramp as it seemed like more than half were, lined up along the front of the stage to pound their fists on the plywood floor, jump around and more or less go totally fucking nuts. The band (actual brothers) has a heavy, crunchy sound for only two members (something to do with Jake's three-string guitar?) and the rock riffs are leavened with bubblegum hooks and direct choruses that resonate even if you're floating on a sea of hands. It was the perfect introduction to the band.

It was one of a ton of shows for JEFF, including three earlier in the day and a showcase for their Infinity Cat label on Friday, but not their last for long. They go on tour with Shonen Knife (which has two NYC-area stops in November) and open for Ted Leo at Bowery Ballroom on December 6th.

Screaming Females' next show, before they head out with Arctic Monkeys (at Terminal 5 on December 11th) and play a holiday show with Bouncing Souls, will be a benefit at Asbury Lanes for 180 NJ, a non-profit organization set-up to help combat domestic violence & sexual assault. That happens on November 21st with Full of Fancy, No Connection, the reunited Kanamits, Sick Fix, Black Kites and Human Failures. A flyer is below.

Surfer Blood will soon go on tour with Art Brut, and both are scheduled at Brooklyn Bowl on November 13th. Finally, Brooklyn's Sisters have an upcoming TBA Halloween show and a gig at Market Hotel on December 4th with Pterodactyl.

Darren Mabee and Sally Burtnick were in the crowd, especially during the Screaming Females set, and they let their presence be known. More pictures (NSFW), below...

Continue reading "JEFF the Brotherhood, Surfer Blood, Screaming Females & Sisters @ Above the Auto Parts Store (NSFW pics)"

You had plenty of CMJ chances to see both Surf bands in NYC last week. In case you didn't, Surfer Blood is at Death By Audio tonight (10/26). It's a great bill with Parts and Labor, Small Black, and The Sundelles also playing. Surf City is at Market Hotel tonight.

Also here last week, though not part of CMJ was the first-ever NYC-area appearances by The Trashmen, makers of the a famous tune called "Surfin' Bird". They played at Maxwell's, Southpaw and at the WFMU Record Fair. Video of almost all of their set at the latter, below...

Continue reading "The Trashmen were here. Surf City & Surfer Blood are still"

by Bill Pearis

Surfer Blood

NIGHTTIME

As I mentioned in that big post about Montreal bands at CMJ, The High Dials are among them and are just great live -- sort of country-tinged jangly shoegaze -- and they're impressive live. They play Lit Lounge at 10:15 and then Arlene's Grocery at 12:30AM. If you like Ride, The Byrds, or Brian Jonestown Massacre, you shouldn't miss these guys. Also playing at Lit Lounge, earlier in the evening (8:30) are Montreal's Black Diamond Bay which features a couple former members of the Dears and feature a similarly bombast rock sound. They're very good live too, especially if you have an appreciation for the live musician O Face.

If you like electro /dance there is an insane lineup at Santos tonight. And it's free. No badges required. The killer lineup includes three UK dancepop acts: Dan Black whose album Un is pretty fun; the borderline-novelty (but fun) Man Like Me and trio We Have Band who played here back in March. It keeps going: there's also Australia's Midnight Juggernauts, Montreal's We Are Wolves, Denmark's Spleen United (somewhere between Placebo and Presents), Toronto's Parallels, and LA's Paparazzi. There's also a slew of NYC acts: Maluca, The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, Lemonade,Heartsrevolution, Javelin, and The Golden Filter. Did I mention it was free?

At Union Pool, the folks at Panache Booking are showcasing a big handful of their bands, many of which have unnecessary repeated consonants: recent Brooklyn Vegan Day party veterans JEFF the Brotherhood and Lovvers, plus Flexions, zZz, Turbofruits, UUVVWWZ, and Dark Meat. Having seen at least half of these bands, I'm going to go ahead and say this'll be quite a party, whether you like it or not.

If you're going to the Pitchfork/Showpaper show at Market Hotel and wished that it was rock all night instead of switching over to electronic acts/DJs after midnight, your admission will also get you into the show happening down the street at Todd P's Above the Auto Parts Store venue (600 Bushwick), which has four great bands: Sisters, Screaming Females, Surfer Blood (again) and JEFF the Brotherhood (again). To get in for free you need to get there before 11PM; afterwards it's $10.

Or, you might think about heading to Silent Barn before or after (or instead of). Popjew has a great line-up of bands, including much-loved-by-me Let's Wrestle, A Classic Education (who were great at our Thursday day party), twangy West Coasters Slang Chickens, My Teenage Stride and the electro-rock of Jacques Detergent.

And at The Bell House, there's Au Revoir Simone and the related (literally, by marriage) Pursesnatchers; the lush, 60s-ish chamber pop of Florida's The Postmarks, indiepop ska band Still Flyin' and Brooklyn-via-Australia band The Miracles of Modern Science. The Bell House may seem like truly dedicating your night to one venue, but luckily it's one of the nicest, most comfortable in the city.

Other shows tonight include Mum, Sufjan's BQE screenings, the Sub Pop showcase, the Kemado/Mexican Summer showcase, and the Topman party with the Almighty Defenders and Neon Indian.

And then we rest. Saturday day parties HERE. Hip Hop shows HERE. Flyers and set times below.

Continue reading "CMJ 2009 - Bill's Saturday nighttime picks"

Showpaper #16

Details below...

Continue reading "Pitchfork Todd P Showpaper benefit @ Market Hotel Saturday"

sorry it took me so long to get a post up on this...

DOWNSTAIRS
12:00 Moonbabies
12:45 A Classic Education
01:30 TBA Sky Larkin
02:15 Surfer Blood
03:00 Lovvers
03:45 Duchess Says
04:30 JEFF the Brotherhood

UPSTAIRS
01:00 Freelance Whales
01:45 Rebecca Schiffman
02:30 Peggy Sue
03:15 Chris Denny
04:00 Holly Miranda
04:45 Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
05:30 Alec Ounsworth (CYHSY)

And in between those two, see you at Fontana's on Friday.

Moonbabies, on at noon, are making a rare appearance from their home in Sweden. This day party is in addition to their other two previously-announced CMJ shows.

You can also catch Duchess Says today (10/21) at the M For Montreal showcase at Arlene's Grocery.

More later. If I type any more this post will be even more late. Duchess Says and Rebecca Shiffman video below...

Continue reading "free BrooklynVegan day show - Thursday @ Pianos -------------------- 14 bands, free drinks, good times"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Records of a Flagpole Skater (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Kudos (MP3)

Surfer Blood @ Bruar Falls

Florida's Surfer Blood went from being ignored to super-hyped overnight. One night in particular, actually: August 27, 2009. The band had been in town playing a string of woefully attended gigs. The last was to be at the Surf Bar, only to get a venue change to Bruar Falls that night. Thanks to the Internet, they manage to play to 30-40 people at Bruar that night and I think just about everyone who was at that show felt at least a little like I did:

It's not very often you go into a show blind and leave wowed but that what my reaction to seeing West Palm Beach, Florida's Surfer Blood last night at Bruar Falls. I think I was expecting a slightly poppier take on the shambolic noise skuzz that blows through smaller Williamsburg venues these days. But, despite reverbed vocals and echo guitars effects that would sometimes seize and glitch like an episode of Tim & Eric, Surfer Blood make accomplished, hook-filled indie rock with clever arrangements and great harmonies, as performed by four guys who can actually, you know, play. You hear so little music like this anymore from new bands -- Seattle's BOAT come to mind -- that is this catchy, skilled but not polished. It's not going to change your life or anything (yes, they do sound a little like the Shins), but it'll have you humming and awaiting the next time they come through town.

Their upcoming debut LP, Astro Coast, is choc-full of super catchy indie rock. And soon back for CMJ, if you miss Surfer Blood this time, it's because you're actively trying to avoid them -- according to their MySpace, they're playing 10 shows (announced so far) here next week. If there's a band playing more shows, I haven't heard about it. All dates below including the free BrooklynVegan day party at Pianos on Thursday, October 22nd (noon-6pm) (full details TBA).

Surf City

Giving them a run for the money is New Zealand's Surf City, easily one of my most-anticipated bands of CMJ 2009, who are playing three official CMJ events and a bunch of day parties. They had a full schedule posted on their MySpace last night including eight area shows...which has since been taken down. Guess things are in flux. It's been a long time since a new Kiwi band so evoked the classic Flying Nun sound, and had such good songs to boot. Not that they've released much to date -- an EP and a song for MORR Music's tribute to Flying Nun is about it -- but everything so far is pretty great, especially if you're a fan of The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, and The Bats. Check out "Records of a Flagpole Skater" and the especially good "Kudos" at the top of this post.

Official CMJ shows: There's an opening night Giant Step party on Tuesday at the Red Bull Space (40 Thompson) where Surf City are part of an all-Kiwi line-up, including Die! Die Die!, Bang Bang Eche, Kingston, Motocade, Kidz In Space, David Dallas, and Smashproof. The show is FREE with RSVP, and you can check out videos and MP3s from all the bands at the RSVP page.

Surf City play again later Tuesday night at Cake Shop with ZZZ, Moi Non Plus and more ($8 without a badge) and then Wednesday (10/21) at The Bell House with Pete & The Pirates, Let's Wrestle, The Love Language, and Dawn Landes. ($14 without badge; advance tickets are available.) Surf City are also on the bill of the other free BrooklynVegan day party at Pianos that is happening on the afternoon of Saturday, October 24th (in partnership with Bowery Presents). Check the band's MySpace hopefully soon for full day party schedule.

All scheduled dates for Surfer Blood (who are also playing a bunch of dates with Art Brut including the November Brooklyn Bowl show) and Surf City, plus videos, below...

Continue reading "Surfer Blood (Florida) vs. Surf City (New Zealand) - MP3s & tour dates (both playing CMJ & BrooklynVegan day parties) "

by Martin Longley

Er, well, I fucked up slightly. It's my first time at The Bowery Electric and I arrive at eleven, thinking that the gig's happening until midnite. By eleven-twenty, Heavy Trash have fully climaxed, and there's not going to be an encore, despite the crowd doing an extremely good job of baying out over the rockabilly/blues disco. Even so, the Heavy Trash experience is so densely intense that such a brief exposure almost feels equivalent to most other combos playing a full gig. The Electric's an impressively cave-like basement den, and Heavy Trash are completely dominating its intimate space. The gangly Jon Spencer is going for a Mexican Elvis look, testifying down on one knee, or down on the floor, or casting his blank gaze up to the ceiling.

Having witnessed his Blues Explosion several times over the years, this is my first exposure to Heavy Trash. It's a natural evolution back in time to rockabilly, and even rock'n'roll, but fed through the Spencer grater, amped up into a frothing frenzy. He's doing his extended band-introduction speech, but the Spencer mind's going blank and he's being fazed by familiar faces in the crowd-front. All of the band are providing sweet-toned backing vocals, magnifying the cabaret-irony vibrations. Spencer's strumming an electrified acoustic guitar, with Matt Verta-Ray handling the electric-twang soloing. Reverb soaks all, not least Spencer's hiccup-ing vocals. The drums and upright bass pick up their pace and there's a full re-launch into song as the Trash deliver their final frenetic surge. Fortunately, they're playing again at Santos Party House next Tuesday nite...

The Tuesday (10/20) show in question is the Panache/NY Night Train CMJ showcase that is happening on two floors of the venue. Flyer and set times below....

Continue reading "Heavy Trash played Bowery Electric, playing NY Night Train CMJ show at Santos Party House (full lineup)"

photos by Oren Loloi

Cymbals Eat Guitars

"It's hard to believe online indie record store Insound has been around for ten years. Actually it's just hard to believe 1999 was a decade ago, but the calendar says it's so. Insound is also based out of NYC, so we're lucky enough to be invited to their 10 year birthday party at Brooklyn Bowl featuring a hard-to-pass-up line-up of local talent: Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, The Drums, Real Estate and at least one band yet-to-be-announced (sort of)." [Bill Pearis @ BrooklynVegan.com]

Brooklyn Bowl is a great place to hang out, bowl, and especially see a show (and I guess eat).

I missed Real Estate who went on at 7:30, but I got there in time to see an energetic (maybe too energetic) set by The Drums whose music I've listened to so much lately I realized at the show I could sing along with almost every song they played.

Suckers, who went on next, have that one good song, and they played it last (I wasn't too into them).

These Are Powers came on around 11:00, and I was nervous that the bowling crowd would all start fleeing from the venue as the music segued from the danceable, radio hits that the DJ was playing to TAP's brand of, um, well...

"A trip to These Are Powers' Last.fm page will tell you that they're commonly referred to as noise rock, experimental, art rock, and their own made up genre, ghost punk (among other already poorly-defined terms). I'm not sure about you, but a couple of those don't exactly measure up to the uncomfortable force these three Brooklyn-Chicago interminglers gravitate around. In reading some of the other press about this alienated trio, I have yet to find anything that accurately describes precisely what they do" [Aural States]

...which is unfortunate because Cymbals Eat Guitars justified their spot as headliner of the night. They were so good. Catch them on tour with Pains of Being Pure At Heart. And then I went home. More pictures from the whole night below....

Continue reading "Cymbals Eat Guitars, The Drums, These Are Powers, Real Estate & Suckers @ Brooklyn Bowl in NYC - pics "

DOWNLOAD: Inlets - Pictures of Trees (MP3)

Ladybug Transistor opening for Of Montreal at MHOW in April (more by Tim Griffin)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Surfer Blood @ Bruar Falls
* Sway, Lady Bright @ Bruar Falls
* Inlets & Glass Ghost @ Sycamore
* John Roberts & David Cross @ Comix
* The Silent League, Bear in Heaven @ Union Pool
* Geronimo, Pollution, Hex Machine @ Death By Audio
* Spindrift, The Electric Tickle Machine, Werewolves @ Cake Shop
* Effi Briest, Mahogany, Free Blood, The Tony Castles @ Glasslands
* Doug Gillard (ex-GBV), Get Help, Eastern Anchors, Dave Hill @ Maxwell's
* Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, The Drums, Real Estate @ Brooklyn Bowl
* These United States, Motel Motel, Company of Thieves, Nick Howard @ Mercury Lounge
* Ladybug Transistor, Meeting Important People, Kevin Barker, Grand Salvo @ Union Hall

Geronimo, who in the midst of a short tour, join up with Pollution and Hex Machine at Death By Audio tonight.

Spindrift are in back on stage tonight at Cake Shop, playing a second show in NYC after supporting Hopewell last night at Union Pool. The band professes to be influenced by Carnival Music, Vampire Soundtracks, Norwegian Classical Folk Music, Swamp Blues (Lonesome Sundown), Outer Space, Henzig and ICE-T O.G. among other things, but I hear the gunslinger moments of Ennio Morricone on acid tabs. Electric Tickle Machine and Werewolves support. - Black Bubblegum

Comedian John Roberts kicks off his residency at Comix tonight alongside special guest David Cross. - Klaus Kinski

West Palm Beach, Florida's post punk beachcombers Surfer Blood play the last of their four NYC shows tonight at, appropriately enough, The Surf Bar Bruar Falls (it moved) in Williamsburg. I spaced and forgot to put them in TWII this week -- worth checking out. - Bill Pearis

Ex-Guided by Voices guitarist Doug Gillard plays an electric set at Maxwell's with Get Help and Eastern Anchors, plus comedy from Doug's sometimes-bandmate Dave Hill.

These United States just opened for Deer Tick and Dawes at the Bowery Ballroom. Tonight they headline a show at the Mercury Lounge with Motel Motel, Company of Thieves and Nick Howard.

Union Hall hosts E6 band Ladybug Transistor with Meeting Important People, Kevin Barker and Grand Salvo.

Insound's 10 year anniversary show comes to the Brooklyn Bowl, with a great lineup that includes Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, The Drums and Real Estate. Real Estate, who go on first, at like 7:30 tonight, also played earlier this week at Vivian Girls' tour kick off at DBA. Two videos from their set are below...

New Peaches video for "Take You On" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"