by Bill Pearis

Former Swell Maps and Television Personalities member Jowe Head, who you may have heard guest DJing recently on WFMU, is in NYC this week for three shows: Wednesday (4/20) at Rock Shop, Friday (4/22) at Bruar Falls, and Saturday (4/23) at Cake Shop.

Head is probably best-known for his time as bassist in Swell Maps where he wrote two of the band's catchiest songs, "Harmony in Your Bathroom" and the great "Cake Shop Girl" which did indeed inspire the name of the Ludlow St. indie rock venue (where he's played before). In 1984 he began a ten-year stint with Television Personalities. Since the early '80s, Head has also released solo records with various backing bands, most recently last year's Diabolical Liberties as Jowe Head & the Demi-Monde. He's also an accomplished artist.

Backing him up for these shows will be a nine-piece all-(indie)-star band, including Hamish Kilgour of The Clean, plus members of Crystal Stilts, Cause Co-Motion, Ladybug Transistor, The Surprisers and Barbez. I'm told they'll be playing material from throughout Head's long career.

There's some pretty good openers as well, some of whom will be doing double-duty in Head's band. At the Rock Shop it's McDonalds (who I just wrote about) and German Measles. At both the Bruar Falls and Cake Shop shows you'll The Surprisers. The Bruar show has a set from The Mad Scene (Hamish Kilgour's other long-running band) and Devin, Gary & Ross (featuring famed punk rock artist Gary Panter who has designed the sets for Pee Wee's Playhouse amongst many other things). Cake Shop has the NYC debut of Cuffs, the new band from former Pants Yell! front man Andrew Churchman.

Continue reading "Swell Maps' Jowe Head playing 3 shows w/ all-star indie backing band & friends"

"I aim to sum up something so neatly that my friend Muiris will go, 'Ah, nicely said,'" So Cow main man Brian Kelly told the blog Hi-Fi Popcorn last year. "I like the idea of someone listening and going, 'Ah, that's what I thought!" If you've ever been young and unlucky in love, the Irish multi-instrumentalist has a song that will strike exactly that kind of emotional chord. Like Television Personalities or the Clean [who have a new album coming out] at their most engaging, Kelly plays rickety guitar-pop that sounds homemade without feeling insular. So Cow compiles the best of Kelly's singles and self-released CDs so far, remastered by underground rock luminary Bob Weston. Sing-along hooks and scruffy charm abound. [Pitchfork reviewed the new LP today]

You've had a bunch of chances to catch Ireland's So Cow play live in the United States over the course of the past two months. Tonight (6/15) is your last before he leaves, and as previously pointed out, it takes place at the Bell House in Brooklyn with "new DFA signees Free Energy and '90s indie rock ifluenced Brooklynites Diehard". It also only costs $5.00.

A bunch of cool live videos were captured on other dates of the U.S. tour where So Cow, in addition to originals, was playing covers by bands like NoBunny and Television Personalities (who are referenced in the review above). Some of those videos are compiled for your viewing pleasure below...

Continue reading "So Cow live videos +++ last NYC show tonight (for now) "