words and photos by Caroline Harrison

WHY? at MHOW, 9/13/2012

WHY? stopped in Brooklyn last night (9/13), headlining a sold-out show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Labelmates Doseone and Serengeti supported, playing to a more enthusiastic and packed house than most opening acts see. DJ Thanksgiving Brown spun between sets.

Serengeti raps without any hurry, imparting lyrics to the audience as if he and they were just having a beer together. His conversational style carried his impressive lyrical ability effortlessly. Serengeti's set wasn't flashy, but it had substance.

Doseone's stage presence is the opposite, with the demeanor of a caffeinated Looney Toon and a voice that sounds like he's inhaled a tank of helium. His adept rapping quickly won over any skeptics put off by the bizarre timbre of his voice. Dose rapped and sang over chaotic beats he produced with a complex synth & sample set-up. His infectious enthusiasm and smirking delivery were hard to resist.

WHY? played a healthy mix of old and new material, including rap-heavy "Jonathan's Hope" off their upcoming record, Mumps Etc. Much of WHY?'s appeal comes from frontman Yoni Wolf's confessional vocal delivery. However, the band's five multi-instrumentalists (including both Yoni's wife and brother) provided a rich, layered sound as critical to the set as Wolf's jaded and honest lyrics. As a part of the encore, Doseone joined WHY? on stage to perform a song by their former outfit cLOUDDEAD, "Physics of a Bicycle."

The Anticon crew heads to Philly tonight as part of their tour, but will be back in NYC on 10/21. WHY?'s new LP is due out on October 9.

More pictures from MHoW are below.

Continue reading "WHY? played Music Hall of Williamsburg with Doseone and Serengeti (pics, review)"

Cy Barkley at Glenn Danzig's house in 2009 (more by Paul Birman)

Cy Barkley & the Way Outsiders kick off a trio of NYC dates, their first ever, TONIGHT (8/22) at Matchless with "Bogus Bros" and DJ Thanksgiving Brown. But who are Bogus Bros... could it be that Bogus Bros are actually Jeff The Brotherhood? According to a post by Cy Barkley and hint by Jeff The Brotherhood, all signs point to yes. Jeff The Brotherhood played LPR with Pentagram last night, pictures are on the way.

If you can't make it to Matchless tonight, you have two more chances to catch Cy Barkley this week. Look for them at Death By Audio tomorrow (8/23) with Shingles, Enthusiasts, and Hunters ($7 gets you in, all ages) and Cake Shop on Wednesday (8/24) with Foster Care and Dry Feet ($7, 21+).

Cy Barkley & The Wayoutsiders released "Rock Together"/"Econoline" 7" via Jeff's imprint Infinity Cat earlier this year. Check out an amazing video for Rock Together below alongside all tour dates.

Continue reading "Cy Barkley are here to play their 1st 3 NYC shows (starting tonight with secret guests)"

Jeff The Brotherhood at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by BBG)

Like last year, Jeff the Brotherhood are heading down to Texas for SXSW this year, but not before they finish a European tour that is underway now. After Austin, the duo will scoot up the Northeast, hitting Princeton University with Screaming Females, The Meat Locker in Montclair and NYC along the way. The NYC show is at Santos Party House on March 31 with Ninjasonik, Juiceboxxx, Teen Witch, and DJ Thanksgiving Brown. Tickets are on sale, and full tour dates are below.

Jeff's partners in crime Heavy Cream are also planning a tour around SXSW this year including a string of dates with Ty Segall. The two groups will play Death By Audio on March 10th. Ty Segall is also scheduled to play NYC two days earlier at Mercury Lounge (on March 8th) with Devin Therriault (tickets still on sale).

Ty Segall has announced two shows at SXSW so far, 3/18 as part of the Goner Showcase at Beerland and 3/19 as part of the Panache showcase. All other Ty Segall dates, Heavy Cream dates and Jeff dates, below...

Continue reading "Jeff the Brotherhood, Heavy Cream & Ty Segall are playing shows (updated 2011 tour dates)"

"I am sorry 2 say that on this day at 2:05 Sept 19th we lost another incredible life...Dj Roc Raida died 2day my personal Dj is gone..." -Busta Rhymes

"I feel fortunate to have been able to catch this great man on the tables many times. He is one of a select few who defined the term 'turntablism'" - Black Bubblegum

RIP DJ Roc Raida
(X-ceutioners/X-Men)

he passed today. Was a NYC staple for countless years. He'll be seriously missed. Was a very good guy and always put together great events throughout the city. [Thanksgiving Brown]

Literally one of the single greatest trick DJs of all time, Roc Raida of the legendary X-ecutioners, has passed away. Last week it was being reported that Roc was "admited to the hospital after being involved in a car accident that left him with serious injuries", but today AllHipHop says,

..a representative for the DJ, [said] "Family and friends will miss him dearly. Please give the family their privacy."

The source refused to give details of his illness or injury, or even the cause of Roc Raida's death, but did state that previous reports of an injury during karate class or a car accident were inaccurate.

The rep confirmed that Roc Raida was hospitalized last week, but would only state that the DJ's death was totally "unexpected."

That was quickly followed by an article at Baller Status that says something slightly different:

"Raida was recently in an mixed martial arts accident, something that he has been practicing for several years," a statement from his family read. "Although he had under gone two surgeries with great success, he was released to an inpatient physical therapy facility and was in great spirits the past few days. This morning he started to have complications and passed. The family asks for privacy at this time."

Condolences to his family. Roc Raida RIP.

One of his recent NYC performances took place July 23rd in Crotona Park in the Bronx. In August he toured Canada with Busta Rhymes. Video from the show they played at the Metropolis in Montreal, and more, below...

Continue reading "DJ Roc Raida, RIP"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Themselves - Dark Sky Demo (MP3)

Dose One (Adam Drucker) and Jel (Jeffrey Logan) = Themselves...

[At the Force Field PR SXSW day party,] Themselves followed [Anticon labelmate Yoni Wolf of Why?] and deserve mention in their own right. The duo of Dose One (of Subtle fame) and Jel just droped the excellent FreeHoudini tape last week, and live, their performance was everything you'd expect from a Scribble Jam vet signed to Anticon. Ferocious double-timed raps performed by a guy in a Mohawk and argyle vest. I understand (and don't really blame) people who are put off by that, but if you can get past the aesthetic challenges posed, this is highly progressive hip-hop, and for once, I don't mean that as a perjorative.[LA Weekly]

On April 1st, Themselves will set out on a nearly-three-week tour, with two NYC shows: Friday, April 3rd at Union Pool and Saturay, April 4th at The Studio @ Webster Hall. (The Webster Hall show has advance tickets on sale.)

Both NYC dates are with Stabbing Eastward (featuring Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio) and DJ Thanksgiving Brown. The Union Pool shows will also feature Zizek.

Themselves' theFREEhoudini release, "a 40-minute, guest-packed mixtape" and limited-time free download, came out on March 16th on Anticon. The label says it'll host the free record for 90 days (till June 14th). A "deluxe version" CD copy of theFREEhoudini, with bonus material, came out on March 25th. Anticon reports that another LP from the band, CrownsDown, will be out later this year.

Themselves will also play Coachella in April. All tour dates, NYC-shows flyers, and a Themselves behind-the-scenes video below...

Continue reading "Themselves - 2009 tour dates, 2 NYC shows w/ Stabbing Eastward feat. Tunde TVoTR, a free mixtape "

Thanksgiving Brown, Jel and Sixtoo

Due to over-whelming demand from their near sold-out [December 18th] Anticon 3rd Annual 10 Year Anniversary show, the Knitting Factory NY adds a 2nd, more intimate Anticon collective event for Wed, Dec 17th in their Tap Bar! Limited to only 200 tickets, and at an amazingly accommodating 'Recession Rate' attendees can purchase an advance ticket for only $5.00!

Anticon Presents: The Visible Ant: An Intimate Night With The Most Personal Posse in Rap...featuring Jel (live set) + a night of music, stories and more with doseone, DJ Odd Nosdam, Yoni Wolf, DJ Thanksgiving Brown, and more!

Tickets are also still on sale for the bigger and more expensive party.

DJ Thanksgiving Brown is also the latest addition to New Years Eve at the same venue, AND he's hosting the Souls of Mischief show there on Tuesday, AND, according to his MySpace, he'll be at the last Variety Shac comedy show, and at the final KF hip hop show with Rakim.

Video of Jel playing "Sweet Cream In It" in his bedroom, below...

Continue reading "Anticon add 2nd, more intimate NYC show @ KF ++ other Thanksgiving Brown appearances"