by Andrew Sacher

Vampire Weekend at Roseland Ballroom last month (more by Robert Altman)

The new Vampire Weekend album, Modern Vampires of the City, comes out on May 14 via XL, but you can now listen to the whole thing ahead of its release date on iTunes. Similarly to Contra's relationship to their debut, Modern Vampires of the City doesn't drastically different from its predecessor, but it works new subtleties into their sound which make the new record as essential as the first two. There's huge hooks here, great production, and as always, a few eccentricities thrown in too.

Vampire Weekend just played Roseland Ballroom, and their tour has them playing a much larger hometown show on September 20 at Barclays Center (tickets). In the midst of all that they made videos with Steve Buscemi, played Coachella, were just announced for ACL Music Fest, and will be on SNL this week. Streams of three tracks from the new album are below.

Survival / Classixx

You can also stream the psychedelic alt-metal self titled debut LP from Liturgy's Hunter Hunt-Hendrix's new project, Survival, over at Pitchfork. Their release party for the album happens this Thursday (5/9) at Acheron (tickets).

You can stream the dance-y new Classixx record, Hanging Gardens, over at NPR. Their tour has them opening for The Presets at Terminal 5 on Wednesday (5/8) (tickets), and they'll play their own NYC show in June.

John Grant, who recently played NYC, and returns on tour in July, is giving his new synth-filled album, Pale Green Ghosts, a US release on May 14 via Partisan and you can listen to it now over at Paste.

Talib Kweli's new guest-filled LP, Prisoner of Conscious, came out today (5/7) and it can be streamed in full at Billboard.

Vampire Weekend song streams below...

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend streaming new album (Survival, Classixx, John Grant & Talib Kweli too)"

by Andrew Sacher

Nude Beach at Bowery Ballroom in March (more by David Andrako)

Brooklyn power pop rockers Nude Beach play a lot of local shows, and that will be no different this summer, for which they've already got two scheduled. First, they'll play an all ages show on June 16 at Fitness (1196 Myrtle Ave in Brooklyn) with Nervosas, Vacation, and Survival (not the one with Hunter Hunt-Hendrix). Admission for that show is $7 at the door. Then, they'll play a less DIY (but also all ages) venue on July 5 at Knitting Factory with Prince Rupert's Drops. Tickets for that show are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

Amongst all these gigs, Nude Beach are releasing a new 7" single on Other Music and you can stream the b-side below.

Cincinnati's Vactation, who open the Fitness show (and are on tour with Nervosas) are set to release their new album, Candy Waves, on June 18 via Don Giovanni (Waxahatchee, Screaming Females). The first single from the album, "Pyro Hippies," is a pop punk basher and it sounds like the kind of thing that's going to get kids on their feet on the band's tour this summer. Maybe you caught them in Brooklyn last year with Swearin' and Tenement?

Stream "Pyro Hippies" and the new Nude Beach track, along with the video for Nude Beach's "Radio" and all lists of tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Nude Beach ready new 7" & playing shows; one w/ Vacation, who are releasing an LP on Don Giovanni (dates & streams)"

One of the most eclectic lineups in the US, Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, will be back for 2013 on September 5 -7. Pulling from all genres, this year's line-up includes names like Big Boi (who plays NYC tonight), Spiritualized, Sleep, Wolf Eyes (who have a new video), The Breeders (performing Last Splash), John Cale, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Gorguts, Inter Arma (who play NYC on Saturday), Double Negative (who played NYC this past weekend), Swearin' (them too), Pissed Jeans, Dan Friel, Waxahatchee and many many others. Three-day wristbands are on sale now with individual day tickets going on sale in June. Full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Hopscotch announces 2013 lineup (Big Boi, Sleep, Spiritualized, Kurt Vile, Wolf Eyes, John Cale, more)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

I know what you're thinking by looking at the above promo photo, but Survival is light years away from the "transcendental black metal" or possibly "white metal" that shot guitarist/vocalist Hunter Hunt-Hendrix into the spotlight with Liturgy. In fact, the new project explores some completely different themes, delving into post-hardcore while dabbling into the vocal experimentation that marked some of the Liturgy releases. Check out the new track "Tragedy of the Mind" below from the band's forthcoming self-titled LP due on May 14 via Thrill Jockey.

The release of the new LP will be celebrated with a show at Acheron on May 9, when the band joins Alan Watts, STATS and Vaporizer as part of a Record Release celebration at the venue. Tickets are on sale.

Two members of Survival also play in the more hardcore-oriented Crushed, who are readying a release around the same time too. The band will drop their new Losing Shit EP with a celebration at Acheron on 5/8, joined by Sabertooth Zombie, Power and Go Deep (tickets). Stream that EP in full, and the new Survival track, below.

Continue reading "Survival is the new Hunter Hunt-Hendrix project; debut LP and NYC record release party in May"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Total Control at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Yesterday news broke that UV Race were heading out on the road as part of a tour toward Chaos in Tejas. Part of those dates were with the great Total Control, though the band were not involved in the UV Race show scheduled in NYC for that week. (TC is some of UV Race plus Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring.) Now comes word that an NYC show has indeed emerged for Total Control, and the bill is a whopper! Look for the band to headline 285 Kent on May 23 with Raspberry Bulbs, Crazy Spirit and Survival. $10 gets you in.

If you haven't checked out Total Control's recent 7"s (compiled into a single digital release) and their incredible 2011 LP Henge Beat you can stream some of those below.

Bill wrote in the post about Mikey Young's other other band, Oooga Boogas, "Trying to keep up with Eddy Current Suppression Ring-related bands can be a fulltime job." Now comes word of yet another related project, Lace Curtain, which is "James, David & Mikey from Total Control, Rat Columns, Rank/Xerox, Eddy Current Suppression Ring et al." Lace Curtain (singular) are not to be confused with Lace Curtains (plural) which is Michael Coomer of Harlem's band. Though it is confusing. Anyway, Lace Curtain have an EP coming out on DFA Records next month and can be pre-ordered here and you can stream samples over at Juno.

Updated UV Race/Total Control dates, plus those TC streams, are below.

Continue reading "Total Control add NYC date as part of an emerging tour; new offshoot band Lace Curtain have EP coming out on DFA"

by Andrew Sacher

Bay area punks Neon Piss released their self titled LP back in May on the consistently great Deranged Records, the label currently home to White Lung and once home to Fucked Up. And if you're a fan of the no-bullshit punk of either of those bands, you'll dig Neon Piss too. It's in the lineage of fast, ferocious Cali punk penned by Black Flag, The Germs, The Adolescents, and their peers. [The Damned / Alternative TV too - Bill] And like those bands, strong underlying melodies are always hiding behind their buzzsaw guitars and pummeling drums. You can stream the release in its entirety below or purchase it at bandcamp.

The band are playing a hometown show with Nu Sensae next week and the following month, they'll bring their show on the road, hitting NYC on November 16 at Death by Audio with a genre-appropriate bill of Nuclear Spring, Survival, and Shoxx. The band also plans to have a new 7" out on Vinyl Rites by the time the tour begins.

A video of the band playing at long-running Bay Area venue 924 Gilman, their album stream, and a list of all tour dates (some are still TBA) below.

Continue reading "check out Neon Piss, who are going on tour (dates, LP stream)"