by Bill Pearis

Feathers at Mohawk, October 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Feathers are making the trip from Austin with former Voxtrot singer Ramesh to play Mercury Lounge on March 5. The band have been making waves in Texas over the last few months and this will be their first NYC show, and their only scheduled show at the moment outside of SXSW.

Feathers is the new project from Anastasia Dimou who you may know from NYC band Cruel Black Dove (who are now broken up). Galexy from Ringo Deathstarr is also in the band. Band member Destiny Montague was in Shock Cinema and Midnight Masses too.

At this point, Feathers only have a couple tracks to check out -- you can stream them at the bottom of this post -- but "Land of the Innocent" is a good one, all pulsing synths and siren-song harmonies. Comparisons will be made to Austra and Zola Jesus, but Feathers are a little more dancefloor oriented, with some glammy stompers in their repertoire as well. The other track is a remix of the song "Dream Song" (which has no released regular version yet). The remix was done by Maya Postepski of Austra and Trust (who just signed to Arts & Crafts).

While waiting to hear more -- or see them live -- check out photos from our man in Austin, Tim Griffin, from their first-ever show back in October when they opened for Washed Out, and from a show they played not long after that at Beauty Bar, AND from last week's 'Free Week' show as well.

Songs below...

Continue reading "Check out Feathers -- making NYC debut @ Mercury Lounge -- song stream, a remix & live pics too"

Trust

Trust, who features a member of Austra, and who released a couple of 7"s on Sacred Bones last year, have signed with Arts & Crafts for their debut LP, TRST, which is due out on February 28. Both singles that were released last year ("Candy Walls" and "Bulbform") appear on the album. We posted the video for "Candy Walls" HERE a while back and the band just revealed the video for "Bulbform," which you can watch below. The TRST artwork and tracklist is below too.

The band don't have any dates currently scheduled, but according to their website, more info to come on 2012 tour dates and SXSW.

Video and album info below...

Continue reading "Trust releasing LP on Arts & Crafts, reveal new video (watch)"

by BBG

Trust

You may know Trust from either their recent Bulbform 12" or their Candy Walls 7" both released via Sacred Bones, or via the fact that a member of the band serves on the rhythm section for Austra (and played together at Mercury Lounge).

Regardless of any association, the pair of releases cast their own shadow of darkness with gothic synths and baritone vocals. Listen for yourself below and see them TONIGHT (11/17). The Canadian band are in town to support Balam Acab at Le Poisson Rouge with True Womanwood as part of a round of dates for BA. Tickets are still on sale for the LATE show.

In related news, Fucked Up bassist Sandy Miranda is a fan of Trust, and created an "unofficial video" for "FTF" (from the Bulbform 12") by Trust. Check out that video, a video for "Candy Walls", updated Balam Acab dates, and Trust/True Womanhood streams are below.

Continue reading "Balam Acab on tour, Trust opens @ LPR tonight (dates/video/streams)"

by Rachel Kowal

DOWNLOAD: Austra - Lose It (MP3)

Austra @ Mercury Lounge - 5/23/11 (photo by Carina C)

"With the singer's ethereal Kate Bush-meets-Siouxsie (by way of Nico) vocal style dominating proceedings, it's impossible to deny Feel It Break's gothic undercurrent, but there is no place for tear-streaked mascara in Stelmanis' world. These are powerful, empowering songs, and whilst their place in the lineage of electronic pop music that stretches from Kraftwerk through to the Human League and onto Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails is clear, there is an aggressive energy present - particularly evident in Postepski's muscular drumming - that is almost primal. In a year when female-fronted albums (PJ Harvey, EMA, Tune-Yards, Planningtorock) are looking set to dominate December's Best Of lists, Feel It Break proves Austra can stand, triumphant and proud, alongside the conquering warrior queens." [Quietus]

--

Tickets were in short supply for the Austra show on Monday night, but instead of abandoning the Mercury Lounge for something larger as some fans suggested, the show packed out the 250-person venue. The space was cramped, and humidity hung thick in the air, but the dark, gritty impulses in Austra's music seemed to fit its surroundings.

Regrettably, I missed two of the openers, but I did catch complete sets from the two Toronto artists, Trust and Austra.

After a rather jarring and discordant instrumental intro, I can't say I had high expectations for Trust, but with the introduction of hypnotic beats and synth riffs, I began to open up. Though initially somewhat off-putting, Robert Alfons' vocals have an impressive range. Nasally one minute, he can switch to falsetto or a deeper baritone with ease, within the same song.

The sexy-electro stylings of Trust seemed a natural forerunner to Austra. Though Austra is arguably a much more dramatic performer than Alfons, the two artists share a similar aesthetic--and even a drummer: Maya Postepski.

Austra kicked things off with a couple of their strongest numbers, "Darken Her Horse" and "Lose It," the song that seems to best showcase singer Katie Stelmanis' impressive vocal range (she has operatic training) and the haunting nature of Sari and Romy Lightman's chant-like backing vocals. The combination of Stelmanis' moody vocals, Dorian Wolf's sinister bass line, and some startlingly upbeat keyboard jingles makes for quite a compelling sound.

But Austra leaves more than just a strong aural impression. Between Stelmanis' jerky but mesmerizing movements and the choreographed dance moves of the petite Lightman twins, Austra is certainly a band to see. It seemed as if Stelmanis were casting a spell on the audience with her sweeping arm movements. (Come to think of it, Austra does have a song called "Spellwork." Highly suspicious.)

After a brief set, Austra returned for a two-song encore, which included "The Noise."

Something tells me Toronto may be the next Brooklyn...

--

Austra's upcoming dates include a tour with Cold Cave that includes a Bowery Ballroom show, and a free outdoor show at Pier 54 even sooner. They are all listed, along with a video of Austra performing the intoxicating song "Beat and the Pulse" at Mercury Lounge, and the official video for single "Lose It", below...

Continue reading "Austra released an album, played Mercury Lounge, touring"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Naked on the Vague - Clock of 12's (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Trust - Candy Walls (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Fresh & Onlys - Do You Believe in Destiny? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cuffs - Privilege (MP3)

Naked on the Vague

It's spring, it's Passover/Easter, flowers are blooming...let's talk goth. Sydney, Australia's Naked on the Vague are here this weekend for two shows: tonight (4/22) at Coco66 with Sacred Bones labelmates Trust and Silk Flowers, and then Saturday (4/23) at Bowery, kicking off their tour with Zola Jesus and Cult of Youth.

Naked on the Vague's new platter, Twelve Dark Noons, which is also the name of a new film that made its U.S. debut last night (yes I'm a little behind) at 92 Y Tribeca, and the band played an "experimental music" set beforehand. Tonight's show is a little more normal for the band -- it's the record release party -- though may not be normal to you depending on what you listen to.

Core duo Lucy Cliche and Matthew Hopkins have recently expanded the band to a four-piece, making for a fuller-sounding dark and doomy racket. Hopkins describes the new album as "Dracula fronting the B-52s." I'm not sure that's how I;d describe it, but this is certainly a more accessible record than last year's Heaps of Nothing which came out on Siltbreeze. If you like the '80s goth touchstones, you'll be into this. Check out "Clock of 12's" at the top of this post and the video is below.

Trust

Opening tonight are Toronto duo Trust who played earlier in the week at the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home. You may recognize Maya Postepski if you've seen Austra play live (she's their drummer). Along with singer Robert Alfons the duo "combine dark synth arpeggios, live and programmed drum beats with haunting, effected vocals." Hear all those things in Trust's debut single, "Candy Walls," which is downloadable above. (And watch the well-photographed, vaguely creepy video below.) Similarities to Postepski's other group are evident, which is to say if you like Austra but wish the songs were sung by a guy who kind of sounds like the Crash Test Dummies dude...Trust is pretty close to that. And not a bad thing. Locals Silk Flowers open tonight's show.

Trust will open for Austra on U.S. dates in May (including 5/23 at Mercury Lounge) if you can't see them tonight.

the Fresh & Onlys

Keeping thing within the Sacred Bones realm, San Francisco's Fresh & Onlys are here tomorrow (4/23) at Music Hall of Williamsburg as they're on tour with Crocodiles. The band have been on a prolific tear for the last two years but have kind of slacked off in 2011. It's April and they've only just released their first record on the year. But it's a good one, Secret Walls (on aforementioned label), continues the band's differentiation from the SF garage scene they were lumped in with. There's not one rocker amongst its six tracks. Which is not a bad thing at all. Tim Cohen's songwriting just keeps getting better and the EP's expansive sound here is a great showcase for the superior musicianship found in all corners of the band. Lovely stuff.

The MHoW show is a pretty happening bill. In addition to Crocodiles, you've got Bay Area shoegazers Young Prisms and Bass Drum of Death, the latter of whom also play tonight at Glasslands.

Karkwa

Shifting gears, tonight at Pianos are Karkwa from Montreal who you might remember won the Polaris Music Prize in 2010 for Les Chemins de Verres, the first-ever Francophone album to receive the award. Yes, that means they sing in French though that really shouldn't stop you from digging them. I've described them before as the French-Canadian Radiohead, which is reductive but gets you there. So if you can listen to Sigur Ros and not worry about what they're saying, you can do the same for Karkwa. Check out their video for single "Le Pyromane" at the bottom of this post. They play giant rooms in Canada so to be in a room as tiny as Pianos should be interesting.

Cuffs

As previously mentioned, former Swell Maps and Television Personalities guy Jowe Head is here, playing tonight at Bruar Falls and tomorrow (5/23) at Cake Shop. Tomorrow's show is especially enticing, as it's the NYC debut of Cuffs which is the new band from Andrew Churchman who fronted much-loved Boston band Pants Yell! (That's their exclamation point, not mine.) Cuffs also has Pants Yell! drummer Casey Keenan, as well as "a member of Reports and the blonde kid from Big Troubles."

Cuffs are working on some real recordings as we speak but you can listen to some demos at their Bandcamp site, one of which you can download at the top of this post. For those familiar with Churchman's previous band, you already mostly know what to expect here. He's still writing delicate indiepop, though Cuffs have a little more groove. I remember him saying at Popfest (PY!'s last NYC show) that the new stuff would be more Prefab Sprout influenced and you can hear that lonely jazzy sound in "Albert Kroft."

Pants Yell! were always a louder, more rocking band live than on record, and I bet the same holds true for Cuffs. There also seems to be a little jammy-ness with them too (maybe the Big Troubles factor), so I'm really curious/excited for tomorrow's show.

That's the main stuff this weekend, but there are a few more day-by-day picks below.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Personal & the Pizzas, who played last night at Maxwell's, are at Cake Shop tonight laying on the cheese with Georgia's Barreracudas and Los Vigilantes. Personal & the Pizzas and the Barreracudas also play Bruar Falls on Sunday (4/24).

The Bass Drum of Death show tonight mentioned up the post is also with So So Glos, Xray Eyeballs, and Night Manager.

If you like The Drums, check out The Young Friends (who are signed to the Drums' Holiday Records) at The Gutter with Beacon and Kosovo.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

It's a hard-to-pass-up bill at Glasslands tonight, with Hunx & His Punks, Shannon & the Clams (who played Cake Shop already this week), the wonderful Grass Widow and the K-Holes. Catch Grass Widow again on Sunday (3/24) at Death by Audio with Talk Normal.

And if you want to see that show, chances are you wish you could see Davilla 666 (who played Cake Shop earlier this week too), The Beets and Xray Eyeballs at Knitting Factory.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24

Personal & the Pizzas play Bruar Falls.

That's it for this week. Tour dates and videos are below...

Continue reading "Naked on the Vague, Trust, The Fresh & Onlys, Cuffs, Karkwa, Personal & the Pizzas & more in This Week in Indie "

Ongoing battles between the entertainment industry and illegal downloaders are contributing to a damaging fall in consumer trust, according to new research from the PR agency Edelman. The number of UK consumers who said they trusted the industry fell from 47% in 2007 to 31% this year, with confidence disturbed by moves by the music industry to track down and punish illegal music copying, and high-profile scandals in broadcasting.

Surveying younger consumers aged 18-34, Edelman found that 55% would take "direct action" against a company if they objected to its practices, 53% would share negative opinions with friends and 46% would ignore a firm's marketing and advertising. Even more damning, a further 39% said they would not invest in those companies. [The Guardian]