by Bill Pearis

Jackson Heights' The Beets established their love affair with professional wrestling with their first album, Spit On The Face Of People Who Don't Want To Be Cool, the title of which was a reference to wrestler Carlito Colón. Singer Juan Wauters gets in the ring -- with women, a la Andy Kaufman -- himself in the video for his new solo single "Sanity" which was director by longtime Beets design associate, Matthew Volz. Official statement about the shoot:

We created a posting in search of girls willing to wrestle Juan for a video, we got one response and Juan ended up, accidentally, giving her a black eye. The other girls tried their best to pin him, and he tried his best to pin the girls. This video is a tribute to the art of wrestling, and to Andy Kaufman, but most of all it's a tribute to your surroundings and how you create within them. Juan Wauters doesn't make music from Queens, he makes Queens music. And this is what it looks like.

Juan will be on tour with San Francisco's The Mantles next month, including both stops in NYC: Shea Stadium on July 9 and Cake Shop on July 13. All dates are listed, along with that video, below...

Continue reading "The Beets' Juan Wauters wrestles women in video for new solo single, touring with The Mantles"

by Andrew Sacher

Brooklyn bluesy rockers LODRO, who have been hitting the local live circuit like crazy lately, have a few songs out and they've just recorded a new single, "Lazy Bones," which also happens to be the song in their first official video. Like their other tunes, this one comes awash in sludgy blues and psychedelia, and the dimly lit video complements that well. You can watch that video below.

Like we said, LODRO have been playing live a lot, and you've got two chances to see them in NYC over the next four days. Their first show happens on Saturday (5/11) at Mercury Lounge with DIIV, Xray Eyeballs, and DJ Dog Dick as part of Downtown Music Festival (tickets). Then on Monday (5/13) at Knitting Factory), they will play a BrooklynVegan-curated Red Bull Sound Select show with Foxygen, Amen Dunes, and Prince Rupert's Drops. Chris Gethard is hosting and BV's Bill Pearis has just been added as the DJ for the night. Like all shows in the Sound Select series, admission is $3 at the door. All ages, no advance tickets.

LODRO also play another show later this month at Shea Stadium on May 31 with a strong local bill of The Beets, Darlings, and Eula.

Video below...

Continue reading "watch LODRO's video for their new single, "Lazy Bones" (BV Premiere), catch them live Monday with Foxygen"

by Bill Pearis

As mentioned, San Francisco quartet The Mantles are releasing Long Enough to Leave via Slumberland on June 18. If you dig '60s garage pop, keep an eye out for this one. The band have just released a second track, "Hello," which you can stream alongside the previously-released "Brown Balloon" below.

We also knew that The Mantles were playing Cake Shop on July 13 which is with Piano Movers and Comet Gain/Crystal Stilts-related band Pale Lights. Turns out that is the final night of a short East Coast tour with Juan Wauters of The Beets. They've got a second NYC show as well at Shea Stadium on July 9 with the rest of the line-up still TBA. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "The Mantles release second track from new LP, announce East Coast tour (dates, streams)"

Phosphorescent at Brooklyn Bowl in 2011 (more by Tamara Porras)

As mentioned, the Northside Festival is returning to various Brooklyn venues from June 13 - 16, and like in past years, they'll be doing two free shows in McCarren Park as part of the festival. We already mentioned that The Walkmen are playing one on June 15, and that one just got even better because Phosphorescent (who just played Crossing Brooklyn Ferry) were added! The rest of the bill includes Friend Roulette and Abadabad. The show is free, but tickets are required and still available.

Solange at Bowery Ballroom in 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

The second free McCarren Park show was also just announced. It will be headlined by Solange (who also just played Crossing Brooklyn Ferry) and support comes from Petite Noir, Cable, and My Midnight Heart. Tickets for that one are on sale now too. If you have a Northside bade, you're guaranteed entry for both free shows.

Northside Festival have added other bands, like Braids, too. An updated list of artists playing (and still more TBA) and lists of all Solange and Phosphorescent dates below...

Continue reading "Solange and Phosphorescent playing free McCarren Park shows during Northside (updated lineup & dates)"

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 Bill Pearis

The Beets

When I caught Veronica Falls at Bowery Ballroom a few weeks ago, Juan Wauters was one of the opening acts and it was at that point that I realized I hadn't heard from his band The Beets in a while. Though it's been two years since their last album, Let the Poison Out, the band are still together and have just released a new video for "Doing As I Do" from that album. It was filmed at the far Rockaways before Hurricane Sandy took its toll on the area. The Rockaways still need your help and the band encourages you to donate to disaster relief.

You can catch The Beets tonight (4/9) at Silent Barn as part of a pretty great lineup that includes UK indiepop band Golden Grrrls (who have stuck around a little longer in NYC than originally planned), California's charming Sea Lions, local postpunks Household and Army Men (ex-German Measles). More info here.

Next week, The Beets will head out on tour that will hit both coasts and includes anther NYC show at Death by Audio on May 4 with Bass Drum of Death. All Beets tour dates are listed below.

Bass Drum of Death

Speaking of, Bass Drum of Death will be in town because that same night they're opening for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Terminal 5 (tickets). They're opening the whole tour and their dates are listed below. BDoD have singed with Innovative Leisure (Nick Waterhouse, Allah-Las) who will release their new album this summer. You can stream "Shattered Me" from it below.

Continue reading "The Beets made a video, playing tonight w/ Golden Grrrls + more dates; Bass Drum of Death ready new LP (stream a track)"

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

4 months....that's how long we've spent stone cold sober watching bands at the new Silent Barn. This Friday we're compensating for all that in one night.

[Friday, 3/29] is the first night that Silent Barn can legally sell beer + wine and drink all over our amazing, huge, multi-use utopia with all our friends.

Sick DJs!!!!!

DJ Jenn Pelly (Pitchfork, WNYU)
DJ Deep Cuts (WFMU's Marty McSorely, DBA's Brandon Perry, Silent Barn's barber)
DJ Ad Hoc (Ric Leichtung, also of 285 Kent/Market Hotel)
DJ ESP TV (Scott Kiernan + Victoria Keddie)

Entry is free to the entire space all night. Check out our studios! We'll fuckin cut your hair! We got a contraption that sometimes sorts and sometimes explodes fruit! We got a photo show of Discord Era DC political hxc!

Our doors open at 8:30. Our doors close...we'll figure that one out later. We're at 603 Bushwick Ave, off the Myrtle-Broadway JM or walkable from the Morgan L.

718-497-7148 is the number for Bushwick Car Service...that's all I'm gonna say.

It's like when Moses found Israel and then they had to wait outside for 40 years. And then drank a shitton of milk and honey on Friday night.

Other upcoming events at Silent Barn include The Beets & Sea Lions on April 9th, and as mentioned, Twin Sister & Empress Of on May 11th.

Empress Of, who played one of our BrooklynVegan day shows in Austin, last played NYC at Pianos

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Jeffrey Lewis - Cult Boyfriend (MP3)

Jeffrey Lewis @ Space Ducks party (more by Greg Cristman)

Jeffrey Lewis starts a U.S. tour on Thursday (11/8) in San Francisco that will wind its way across the country, finishing up with a NYC show at Knitting Factory on November 21 with Juan Wauters of The Beets opening the show. Tickets are now on sale.

If you haven't checked out Jeff's album from last year, A Turn in the Dream-Songs, you should definitely give it a spin, it's another trip into the mind of one of NYC's more thoughtful, witty songwriters. You can download "Cult Boyfriend" at the top of this post. Below is the video for his 2007 song "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" which remains one of the best ruminations on "indie famous" ever put to record (and the video's great), plus a full list of tour dates.

Continue reading "Jeffrey Lewis going on U.S. tour, finishing up in NYC (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Stepkids - Shadows on Behalf (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Stepkids - Legend in My Own Mind (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cuckoo Chaos - Just Ride It (MP3)

The Stepkids

Is it too late to say Happy New Year to all of you out there? Probably. Okay, nevermind. It is a New Year though, and the rock machine is already in full swing. If you haven't spent all your money on tickets to the chickfactor fest (I can't tell you how psyched I am to see Small Factory) there's some good options.

Top of my list this weekend is the previously mentioned Stepkids show at Knitting Factory on Saturday (1/14). Their self-titled debut made my Favorite Albums of 2011 list (#36) and don't feel it got enough attention. I wrote:

Like The Bees, The Stepkids recreate a specific era of sound -- early '70s psychedelic soul -- with such skill you might think it was some obscure Fifth Dimension album or outtakes from Psychedelic Shack. That it works beyond an exercise is mimicry shows how talented these three are.

And they are crazy talented. All three members write and sing and spent time playing with the likes of Alicia Keys, Lauren Hill and 50 Cent before deciding to take a stranger path in music. I do wish they'd make a 15-piece Stepkids Love Unlimited Orchestra so they could really do the complexities of the album justice in a live setting, but what they accomplish as a trio is still pretty damn impressive. (A killer light show helps in that department.) They were great when they played our day party at Public Assembly during CMJ week during which we taped them doing an acoustic cover of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" which you can watch at the bottom of this post. Also down there is the Tom Sharpling-directed video for "Legend in My Own Mind" which is pretty funny.

Cuckoo Chaos

Opening for The Stepkids are San Diego band Cuckoo Chaos who also play Friday (1/13) at Mercury Lounge with Country Mice. The band have toured with Anna Calvi and were last in town during CMJ. The band play an appealing take on afrobeat-y indie rock with nice harmonies. I do really like their song "Just Ride It" which is downloadable at the top of this post. If you like that one, check out their album Woman (listen on Spotify, buy at eMusic) and consider going to one of their shows this weekend.

Radical Dads at Brooklyn Night Bazaar, December 2011

A few spots above the Stepkids on my Albums of 2011 list (#29) is Radical Dads' debut, Mega Rama, which is nine tasty chunks of shouty/catchy indie rock wrapped up in one of my favorite sleeves of the year. They're also a total blast live, as evidenced by anyone who showed up early to the BV-presented show at Brooklyn Night Bazaar last month.

You've got your first chance to catch Radical Dads in 2012, as previously mentioned, Friday night (1/13) where they play Cameo Gallery. The whole evening's card is pretty stacked with local talent. Also playing are mellow folk pop band Backwords (stream their new album below), the sloppy pop of Moonmen on the Moon, Man and the electro-tinged stylings of Yanqui.

King Krule, last night at Mercury Lounge

I would mention the King Krule shows happening this weekend but as they're all sold out, you're either going or you're not. I thought he was good when I saw him at Glasslands during CMJ. He looks even younger in person, but that voice seems to be from someone 30 years older. Anyway, a few more weekend picks are below, day-by-day....

--

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12

Chain And The Gang, 5 Dollar Priest, Eleanor Friedberger, Nicole Atkins and many more play a Jonathan Toubin benefit at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight.

Next door at Public Assembly, the Juan Maclean and Com Truise are playing a party celebrating new MTV show I Just Want My Pants Back. Tickets were free with RSVP but list is at capacity.

continued below...

Continue reading "The Stepkids, Cuckoo Chaos, Radical Dads, Backwords & more in This Week in Indie"

by BBG

Total Control at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by BBG)

In addition to their previously discussed dates with Thee Oh Sees, Australia's Total Control have added a third NYC date which is actually happening before the others. The band will team with The Men, Nude Beach & Kicking Spit at Saint Vitus on 11/16. Tickets are on sale OR you can roll the dice and try to win a pair! Details on how are below.

Meanwhile The Men, who are going to SXSW in March, will support Russian Circles and Deafheaven at Bowery Ballroom tonight (11/14) and Maxwell's tomorrow.

Total Control's NYC shows with Thee Oh Sees happen at 285 Kent on 11/17 with The Beets and Doomsday Student who ripped it at Public Assembly (tickets), and at LPR on 11/18 (tickets).

All tour dates, contest details, and some streaming audio, below...

Continue reading "Total Control playing 3 NYC shows this week, The Men too"

As you know, Williamsburg music venue Bruar Falls is sadly closing at the end of this month. As just mentioned, tonight is their first "Last Night Ever". The full final (as of today) schedule below...

Continue reading "Bruar Falls is having its Last Week Ever"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Beets - Doing As I Do (MP3)

Like Xray Eyeballs before them, The Beets have signed with Sub Pop subsidary Hardly Art who will put out the band's third album, Let the Poison Out, on October 24. This is the fourth Brooklyn band the label has signed: Golden Triangle, Xray Eyeballs and La Sera are the others.

We've got the first-released song from it, the Turtles/Troggs-ish "Doing as I Do." Grab it above. It's pretty hi-fi, at least compared to the rest of the Beets releases, and the band clean up pretty nicely.

Judging from the new press photo, The Beets have a yet another new drummer. Maybe they'll keep hold of this one. The Beets also have a few dates coming up, including Saturday night (9/17) at Knitting Factory with fellow Hardly Art band Hunx & His Punx, as well as an Orta Blu fundraiser Monday night (9/19) at Skylight West Rooftop.

All dates and the album cover art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "The Beets sign to Hardly Art (new MP3 & dates)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Drive-By Truckers @ Stubb's

Y'ALL:
Last Wednesday, I fell down and cut my hand.
Fifteen stitches in my left palm.
Wish I had a cool story, but I don't.
The movie version would have me getting cut by a bottle of rot-gut whiskey in a bar fight.
No doubt defending the honor of someone or another.
My heroics bookended by a scene of me carrying my hand for reattachment by a disgraced former surgeon in the back of a grimy tattoo shop because lack of insurance would preclude being seen by a real doctor.
I would be brave and not cry or complain.

Hurling would be out of the question.

Ahh, the movie version.

Unfortunately, the truth is kind of tame, lame even.
I was picking my daughter up at first grade, carrying a bottle of water.
I tripped and fell (in front of her entire class).
I fell, shattering the glass which I then duly landed upon, pushing shards up into my hand.
My fucking left hand.
Fifteen stitches in my palm.
No biggie. No cut tendons or damaged muscle. Missed that artery (bled like a stuck pig though).
Hurts like hell, but it won't long and I will be as good as new in a month or less.
Unfortunately, I can't play guitar for a few weeks and we have a tour beginning this week.

In the words of Three Dog Night, "The show must go on".
My friend Kevin told me, as I was bleeding all over the playground, awaiting my ride to the Emergency Room, "You guys have too many guitar players anyway."
Nonetheless, to insure everyone's Premium Rock and Roll Experience, we have recruited our friend Will Johnson, from Centro-matic to fill in on guitar, covering the SG through a Fender Vibro-King parts.
I will be in full front man mode, on other words, it's dancing shoes time.
I always wanted to be Phil Mogg, and for the next couple of weeks...

We only have Will Johnson through New Orleans, then we will have to improvise, but that's one of the things we do best, so STAY TUNED.

So come out to this, hopefully once in a lifetime DBT Show.
We guarantee you a great time and a Premiere Go-Go Extravaganza that you'll be telling your Grandkids about (maybe sooner than later).

Oh and Bob, the 9th is my son's birthday and it's GO TIME.

Long Live Rock and Roll and Country Soul.
Captain Hook
(Patterson Hood)
(or is it Dr. Hook?)

An injured Drive By Truckers played a headlining show at Stubb's in Austin on 9/1 with Will Johnson on guitar and with Will Johnson's band Centro-Matic opening. The New Orleans date has now also passed, but the show goes on and DBT continue their tour on 9/7 in Tuscaloosa AL (a benefit for tornado relief).

The current trek never comes east, but in October DBT play a string of shows with Those Darlins not long after Those Darlins play The Bell House in Brooklyn with The Beets and Brothers. Tickets are still on sale for that show. Centro-Matic play MusicFestNW this coming weekend in Portland.

All dates and more pictures from the Austin show, below...

Continue reading "Drive-By Truckers played Stubb's, Patterson Hood cut his hand, Will Johnson filling in on guitar (pics & more dates)"

Live at the Gantries is a series of free, outdoor performances featuring a collection of Queens-based musicians as diverse as the borough. 2011 performances include: Latin jazz, indie rock, bluegrass string band, a gamelan orchestra, percussion chamber music ensemble, and a blues-rock band.

Live at the Gantries starts Tuesday, July 12 and continues every Tuesday through August 16. Every show starts at 7 o'clock and ends with a spectacular sunset at Gantry Plaza State Park, a 10-acre waterside oasis between 49th and 50th Avenues along the East River [in Long island City].

The Beets play the free show tonight (7/19). Full summer schedule below...

Continue reading "free concerts in Gantry Plaza State Park"

DOWNLOAD: Pure X - "Dry Ice" (MP3)

Pure X photos by Grant MacAllister

Pure X opening for This Will Destroy You in Chicago in May

Austin's Pure X (formerly Pure Ecstasy) are releasing their first full length, Pleasure on July 5 via Acéphale in North America. A limited edition LP is available for pre-order on Acéphale's website. The first LP pressing is limited to 1000 copies on heavyweight vinyl, and the first 200 on ultraclear vinyl with red splatter. Grab the MP3 for "Dry Ice" above and check out the track "Twisted Mirror", along with the full tracklist and cover art, below.

The band recently finished up a tour with This Will Destroy You that hit Bowery Ballroom on June 2nd. A few pictures from their set on 5/28 at Bottom Lounge in Chicago are in this post

They've got a few upcoming dates in July, including two NYC shows: July 8 at 285 Kent and July 9 at Ding Dong Lounge. The 285 Kent show, presented by Chocolate Bobka, also has Tonstartbandht, FORMA, and RUN DMT on the blll. Ding Dong Lounge doesn't acytually list Pure X on the July 9th show which has Fungi Girls, Cough Cool, and Expensive Looks on the bill, but we'll assume for now at least that they are also playing it.

Fungi Girls opening for Hunx in Austin (more by Tim Griffin)

"Texas' Fungi Girls are back making news with a teaser of two songs from their second LP, Some Easy Magic, scheduled to be released July 11 from Hozac Records. Take a listen to two of the songs off the LP and feel free to download one of 'em. It's not a stretch to say that we'll be getting some more of that hazey, nostalgic, garage/surf that they do oh so well." [Chromewaves]

For fellow Austinites Fungi Girls, the Ding Dong Lounge show is one day of a much larger tour that also includes July 8th at Death By Audio with The Beets, Xray Eyeballs, and Fergus & Geronimo. All dates are listed below.

All dates, pics, soundcloud streams, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Pure X releasing 'Pleasure', playing shows, one with Fungi Girls (who are touring too) -- MP3s, live pics, dates"

As mentioned Merge labelmates Jonny and Apex Manor were forced to cancel their tour which would have hit Le Poisson Rouge tonight (6/9). All is not lost though. Apex Manor have scheduled a show instead tomorrow (6/10) at The Rock Shop with Chris Bathgate and The Long Eye. Tickets are on sale for what is now Apex Manner's only upcoming show

In other Merge news, The Rosebuds (as mentioned) and The Ladybug Transistor both released albums this week. "Clutching Stems" can be streamed at Merge's site (where you can also buy it).

The Ladybug Transistor's previously announced tour hits NYC on July 6 at Knitting Factory with The Beets and James Ausfahrt of Love Is All. Tickets are still on sale. Ladybug also recently announced a few west coast dates in September including MusicfestNW. Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Jonny still not coming, Apex Manor add a show, The Ladybug Transistor released an album (it's streaming)"

DOWNLOAD: Gardens & Villa - "Black Hills" (MP3)

Craft Spells at Culture Shock - photo by Hannah Tashkovich

Craft Spells are heading out on tour with Secretly Canadian signees Gardens & Villa in July. The tour stops by Mercury Lounge on July 30 with support from Selebrities. Tickets are on sale now. Craft Spells will immediately follow the July dates with a short August run supporting The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. In April they were here as part of a tour with Beach Fossils. They also played Purchase festival "Culture Shock" during that trip. A few photos from the school show are in this post.

--
Gardens & Villa...

Santa Barbara's Gardens & Villa are releasing their self titled debut July 5 via Secretly Canadian. Watch the video for the track "Black Hills" below and download the MP3 above. The dates with Craft Spells are part of a longer summer tour the band is going on in support of the album, including a run with Foster the People that hits at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 20 (sold out). They also play Glasslands on June 24 with The Beets, Tony Castles, and Moon King (not to be confused with Moonface). Tickets for the Glasslands show are still available.

All dates, more pictures of Craft Spells at Culture Shock, a video, and the Gardens & Villa album artwork and tracklist are below...

Continue reading "Gardens & Villa touring w/ Craft Spells, releasing an LP on Secretly Canadian (dates, MP3, video)"

Cocorosie @ MHOW in 2010 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Brooklyn venue Glasslands have booked a pretty impressive list of upcoming shows this month and next. We've already mentioned last night's John Maus show, the John Maus show coming in June, tonight's Julliana Barwick/Helado Negro show, Adventure and Pat Jordache (5/14), Cymbals Eat Guitars (5/20), an acoustic show with Dum Dum Girls and Crocodiles (5/27), and Love Inks (6/2).

Most notably, in addition to those, CocoRosie play Glasslands on May 23. At the moment it is their only US show before heading to Europe for a July tour. Openers TBA. Tickets are on sale now.

Meanwhile, Princeton play Glasslands on Wednesday, May 11 with High Highs, New Villager, and Ivana XL, before they open for CSS and Sleigh Bells at Music Hall of Williamsburg (5/12) and Bowery Ballroom (5/15). Tickets are on sale now.

High Highs also play a show on May 19th with Acrylics and Junip at Bowery Ballroom, and they open for Memoryhouse at two NYC shows in June. All dates are listed below.

Xylos, McDonalds, Mansions & Junipers, and Flashlights are playing Glasslands on May 12. Tickets are on sale now.

Dirty Beaches @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Dirty Beaches plays Glasslands with Psychedelic Horseshit, Pterodactyl, and Beige on May 13 (tickets), a day after they play Mercury Lounge with Widowspeak (5/12). All tour dates, South Street Seaport included, are listed below.

White Mystery, who just released their sophomore full length Blood & Venom, play Glasslands on May 17 as the kick off to a 5-night NYC run that looks like this:

05/17/11 Glasslands Brooklyn, New York
05/18/11 Generation Records New York, New York
05/19/11 Public Assembly Brooklyn, New York
05/20/11 Death By Audio Brooklyn, New York
05/21/11 Brooklyn Fireproof Brooklyn, New York

Tickets for the Glasslands show are on sale now. All of their dates and a NYC show flyer, below.

My Teenage Stride play an early show at Glasslands on May 21 with Sea Lions, Beachniks, The Surprisers, and Plains. No advanced tickets for that one, or for the free show they're playing at South Street Seaport this summer.

French Horn Rebellion, who recently released Infinite Music Of French Horn Rebellion, are playing Glasslands on May 26 for their album release party. The show is being opened by Savoir Adore, who play Brooklyn Museum on 5/13 and the In Vino Wine Bar on June 26 (Tickets). Tickets for the Glasslands show are on sale now. French Horn Rebellion are on tour with Yelle now.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who are currently on tour with Portugal. The Man and Telekinesis play their own show at Glasslands on June 4, one day after they play Webster Hall with those bands. Unknown Mortal Orchestra are releasing their self titled debut on June 21 via Fat Possum. Hear three songs off the album on Fat Possum's website. Tickets are on sale now for the Brooklyn show with with Balkans + more TBA. Updated dates are below.

The Beets (maybe you saw them Saturday at Cake Shop) play Glasslands on June 24. Openers TBA. Tickets on sale now. Meanwhile they are out on tour.

Videos and dates below...

Continue reading "Cocorosie, Princeton, White Mystery, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dirty Beaches, Savoir Adore & other shows"

by Bill Pearis

I absolutely hated Cake Shop, which opened around this time back in 2005, the first few times I went. Not the idea of the place, which was fantastic: part coffee shop, part record store, part indie rock venue. More the practicality of the place. The inclined floor meant that you had to (and still do) have to be in the first few rows of people to see anything. I was used to the clear sightlines of Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom and Knitting Factory. What the hell was this?

But the place became hard to avoid if you went to a lot of shows. The people booking seemed to get really good shows, and some surprising ones. And they clearly loved '90s indie rock and Flying Nun. I think it was the in-store with The Bats back in March of 2006 that finally warmed my heart to Cake Shop. It was around this time as well that I learned that if you wormed you way to the front of the downstairs room, not only could you see, there is an intimacy and connection with the bands you don't get at many other "legit" venues. Some of my most memorable shows of the last few years have been there.

While the record store has given way to more couches, Cake Shop remains one of the places in the city to catch emerging talent -- and cool veteran artists almost no one else would book. As previously mentioned, the venue celebrates its 6th Anniversary on Saturday night (5/7) with six bands for six bucks. Headlining are The Beets whose new album, Stay Home, is another fine slab of protopunk folk rock, this time slightly less murky. The guys, who managed to get themselves featured on the Howard Stern Show recently, are heading on tour with Eternal Summers soon and all dates for that are below.

Also playing are New Zealand's Surf City, whose sound reverberates with their country's indie rock past. They are maybe the most Flying Nun sounding NZ band never to be on Flying Nun. The new album, Kudos, is worth checking out. (They're here recording another.) Then there's Conversion Party whose anthemic pop stylings should be more popular (seriously these guys are good). If you can't make it Saturday, they play Cake Shop's sister venue Bruar Falls tonight (5/6).

More bands playing: Holy Shit who is San Francisco artist Matt Fishbeck (and sometimes Ariel Pink). At their website you can listen to what is certainly the only electro cover ever on Felt's "Final Resting of the Ark." Still more: reclusive Faunelle (dreamy, gothy synths) and poet Ariana Reines.

Holy Shit also play Monday at Glasslands with John Maus.

Beets tour dates below...

Continue reading "Happy Birthday Cake Shop (happy tour Beets) (Holy Shit)"

DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Kudos (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Crazy Ruler of the World (MP3)

Surf City

If you missed them in April:

NZ shoehazers, Surf City will hunker down in New York City to begin recording their follow up to the acclaimed Kudos (to be released by Fire Records in 2012). They will be stepping out for a few shows in the NYC area to rip through new material and a barrage of Surf City favorites.

05.04 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
05.07 - New York, NY - Cake Shop

Tonight's Brooklyn Bowl show is only $5.00 and with Xray Eyeballs and Darlings.

The Cake Shop show is the "CAKESHOP 6th ANNIVERSARY MELTDOWN! - balloons, festivalities, drink specials and all the usual awesome shy!!" Surf City play that Saturday night show before The Beets, and after Conversion Party, Holy Shit (not to be confused with Holy Fuck), Fanuelle, and Arianna Reines.

For 5-piece Brooklyn (via CT) band Conversion Party, the Cake Shop show is also the 2nd of two EP release parties. The first is one day earlier at Bruar Falls. Their new Sean Greenhalgh (drummer of CYHSY)-produced four-song EP was recently released on Kimono, and it's streaming in full at their Bandcamp page.

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: White Fence - Get That Heart (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: White Wires - Be True to Your School ('Til You Get Kicked Out) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Buffalo Tom - "Arise, Watch" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Modern Skirts - Happy 81 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Modern Skirts - Bumber Car (MP3)

White Fence

It's been kind of a bummer week with way too many great musicians lost (Gerard Smith, Poly Styrene, Pheobe Snow) but Spring is finally here and, well, the beat goes on. Lots of worthy shows this week.

First up is White Fence who are making a rare trip to the East Coast this week, playing a few shows here in NYC: Thursday at 285 Kent with Woods and Spectre Folk, then Saturday (4/30) at Cake Shop. I feel fairly certain that they are also "Beige Swordfights" listed as part of a sweet Death by Audio show on Friday (4/29) that includes The Beets, Fergus and Geronimo and The Sundelles.

White Fence is Tim Presley who also fronts LA psych-rock band Darker My Love. Where that band is more groovy in a JAMC/BJM kind of way, White Fence sounds like a lost nugget from the late '60s flower power scene. White Fence released its debut on Woodsist last year, and the second album, ...Is Growing Faith, came out this January. Both records are weird and wonderful, lots of great songs made more interesting with vintage sound and old-school tape effects. If you like Love, The Left Banke or, more recently, the Lilys (to name three L bands) you'll dig White Fence's scene.

White Wires

Keeping with the color scheme, Ottowa, Ontario's White Wires are back in town for a one-off show on Thursday at Bruar Falls as part of a fun line-up of party rock and power pop. One of my favorite live bands of the last few years, White Wires play no-nonsense three-minute pop and do so with a joy you can't fake. White Wires new album, WWII, gets in and gets out in less than 30 minutes and should appeal to fans of the Nerves, early Tom Petty and The Undertones.

The rest of the show, brought to you by the good folks at Daed Pizza, looks pretty cool too with all-girl trio Babyshakes, and Games which is a new band formed from ex-members of Gentleman Jesse and Busy Signals. Obviously, this is not the synthy Games who now go by Ford & Lopatin. You can listen to this Games' swell debut single over at the Rob's House Records website.

Buffalo Tom

What else? Buffalo Tom play Bowery Ballroom on Thursday (4/28). The Boston trio were once dubbed "Dinosaur Jr. Jr." (being signed to SST and having J Mascis produce your debut, it was an easy joke) but became one of the most popular bands of the early '90s alt rock scene. 1990's Birdbrain and 1992's Let Me Come Over are indie rock classics that were unavoidable on college radio and Alternative Nation (or episodes of My So-Called Life) and still hold up.

The band went on hiatus around 2000 but returned with 2007's Three Easy Pieces and have just released a new album, Skins, which came out in February. It's pretty good. More mature, yes, but Buffalo Tom can still bring the noise too. If you have any doubt, you can download the entirety of Buffalo Tom's Mercury Lounge show from November 2010 courtesy NYC Taper. You can also check out a track from Skins at the top of this post.

Modern Skirts

And finally, Lord Huron are here on Thursday (4/28, the night of Too Many Good Shows) at Mercury Lounge. (And at tonight at MHoW with Femi Kuti) (we're giving away a pair of tickets on Facebook). I like their EP well enough, and the Merc show seems likely to sell out, so I'm really here to say if you're going do go early enough to check out North Highlands who play right before them. It's their first show in a long time, as the band have been putting finishing touches on their debut album which they've been working hard on all winter. The band are promising lots of new songs which is pretty exciting. Anyone who's seen them play know North Highlands are great live and I think 2011 is gonna be a big year for them. Go see 'em! And yeah, stay for Lord Huron I guess.

That's mostly it for this week. A few more daily picks are below:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27

Blogs may have gotten over their crush on Austin band Oh No! Oh My! but that doesn't mean they've gone stale. Hear their still-catchy indiepop tonight at The Rock Shop tonight. Go early to catch Atlanta's underrated Modern Skirts (check out two tracks at the top of this post).

Diehard, who've been busy recording their Kickstarter-funded debut album, try out some songs live at Cake Shop. One of NYC's best indie rock rock bands.

continued below...

Continue reading "White Fence, White Wires, Games (not Ford & Lopatin), Buffalo Tom, North Highlands, Modern Skirts, Yelle & more in This Week in Indie"

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 "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Dirty Beaches - Lord Knows Best (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Widowspeak - Harsh Realm (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Esben & the Witch - Warpath (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wise Blood - B.I.G. E.G.O. (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mr. Dream - Crime (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Duzheknew - Came Out the Other Side (MP3)

Dirty Beaches

We're 1700 miles and two weeks away from the eye of the storm, but you can feel the SXSW hurricane forming from here. People have begun talking about breakfast tacos and the clubs are filling with bands from Canada, Scandinavia and the UK. Even moreso than normal.  There is too much going on. Decisions, decisions. Let's get into it.

Tonight (3/2) marks the American debut of UK duo Summer Camp who play an early show at Mercury Lounge with High Highs.

Dirty Beaches play two shows this week: a headlining slot at Glasslands on Thursday (3/3) and then opening for Dum Dum Girls at Bowery Ballroom on Friday (3/4). The pseudonym of Montreal artist Alex Zhang Hungtai, Dirty Beaches sound like a band invented by David Lynch (or maybe Jim Jarmusch), like a half-remembered dream infected by an oldies station playing on a vintage transistor radio. It also kind of sounds like Suicide. Dirty Beaches' forthcoming album, Badlands (out March 29 and pictured above), is at times pretty, twangy and vaguely sinister. He's definitely got a vision to what he's doing. Check out "Lord Knows Best" at the top of this post for a sample.

The Glasslands show also has Austinites (and TWII faves) YellowFever on the bill, as are Widowspeak whose new single is out now on Captured Tracks (the a-side is downloadable above), and Ela Orleans. Plus, Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls is DJing. This should be a good night.

As should Dum Dum Girls' show on Friday. Their new EP, He Gets Me High, came out on Sub Pop this week and you can download the title track at the top of this post. I loved DDGs' debut, but I think these new tracks are a definite improvement: a little tougher, the production's better and the songs are solid. And I dig the Smiths cover as well.

Former Dum Dum Girls drummer Frankie Rose is also on the bill, and she has dropped The Outs from her name... and the band. This show will mark the debut of her new group and perhaps a new sound? We shall see. Frankie is promising mostly new songs for this one and I'm curious as to what Frankie Rose Mark 2 will be like.

Rounding out the Bowery line-up are MINKS. Tickets are still available.

Esben and the Witch

Also here this week are UK neogoths Esben & the Witch who play The Bell House on Friday (3/4) and then Mercury Lounge on Saturday (3/5). While I'm not crazy about their debut album, Violet Cries, which meanders a bit and generally takes too long to get going, I do recommend going to see them live. Guitarist Daniel Copeman rivals The Edge or Kevin Shields for the Most Effects Pedals award and the sounds he creates with them is genuinely mesmerising. He is also a whirlwind onstage. They are so much more compelling live, and worth giving a shot even if the record does nothing for you.

Opening the Mercury Lounge show is Wise Blood who has gotten a lot of love from Pitchfork, Altered Zones, GvB, etc. The alter-ego of Chris Laufman, Wise Blood is firmly in the low fi sample-based collage world. Some of it is pretty interesting for sure  -- check out a track at the top of this post --  but I'm always a bit dubious about seeing this kind of stuff live. Maybe he'll pull it off. Maybe he'll be the next How to Dress Well. How was he last night at Glasslands with Young Magic? Wise Blood will also be at SXSW.

Duzheknew

Representing Canada this week are Duzheknew and Cousins who play Bruar Falls on Sunday (3/6) and Death by Audio on Monday (3/7). Both bands hail from Halifax, Nova Scotia -- a town that hasn't had much of a scene (from what I can tell) since its '90s heyday of Sloan, Eric's Trip, Jale and Thrush Hermit. Duzheknew, from the tracks I've heard (like the one at the top of this post), sound somewhere between Wolf Parade (vocally), early Talking Heads and their hometown indie elder statesman. Cousins are a little more straight-up garage rock. Both sound pretty good.

Mr. Dream

And now onto some local action. Mr. Dream's debut album, Trash Hit, was released this week and will certainly appeal to those with a fondness for early '90s indie rock, be it Nirvana, The Pixies, Jesus Lizard, etc. Which is to say it's loud, it rocks, there is some yelling and snarling... but it's also got hooks,  no shortage of tunes, and badass flinty basslines all over the place. You don't have to remember the early days of Late Night with Conan O'Brien to dig Mr. Dream. As far as I'm concerned this kind of stuff is timeless. You can download "Crimes" at the top of this post and stream the entire album via a widget below.

Mr Dream celebrate Trash Hit's release this Friday (3/4) at Glasslands, with Sleepies and Fort Lean (making their debut) along for the ride. I also hear Derek from Sleigh Bells will be performing as well, but not sure exactly in what capacity. Mr. Dream will tour with Sleigh Bells in April.

Shark?

Another Record Release show is happening Friday night, this time at Cake Shop where Shark? celebrate the birth of their new 7" single "Kreegah." It's too bad Shark? and Mr. Dream couldn't have coordinated their parties together as Shark?'s straight-up, super-catchy indie rock would have made a great opening act. You can stream both sides of the single below. Personally, I'm partial to the b-side, "You Don't Love Me (Anymore)." Both songs will be on the band's debut album, True Waste, which was produced by Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and should be out sometime soon?

Shark? hit the road next week, touring with the Sundelles on their way down to SXSW. Sundelles also have a show coming up at Glasslands with Cloud Nothing and Craft Spells. All tour dates are below.

And that is basically it for this week. Expect an equally-lengthy TWII next week. A few more day-by-day picks below:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

Tennis, La Sera, and Holiday Shores team up for their first of two NYC shows together, tonight at Bowery Ballroom. They then play The Bell House on Thursday (3/3).

Norway's Heroes & Zeroes play Pianos tonight before heading to Alaska to play a string of gigs in Alaska, believe it or not. Tonight's show is an eclectic bill to say the least, with with French psycho noiserockers Headwar and Koonda Holaa adding to the strangeness.

continued below...

Continue reading "Mr. Dream, Dirty Beaches, Wise Blood, Esben & the Witch, Frankie Rose, Duzheknew, Shark? & more in This Week in Indie"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Beets fans? (@ Don Hill's)

As Bill pointed out, "The Beets kick off their winter tour at 285 Kent, with German Measles, Beach Arabs and Big Troubles. Their second LP, Stay Home, came out last month on Captured Tracks and is quite good and a slight step up the fidelity ladder from their debut." That tour-kickoff show happens tonight (2/17). The poster for it, all dates, and more pictures from a Fashion week show they played the other night at Don Hill's (it was the Rebecca Turbow Fall 2011 Presentation and and the DJ's were Peggy Wang of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Connor Hanwick of the Drums), below...

Continue reading "The Beets played a fashion show (pics), kicking off tour w/ German Measles @ 285 Kent tonight (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: BNLX - Do Without (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX - Where is the Love? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX - When Doves Cry (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sweet Bulbs - Kissing Clouds (MP3)

Mitch Easter

A lot of cool shows this week/weekend, some of which might be a bit under the radar. Let's get into it. Alt rock legend Mitch Easter, in addition to being part of that upcoming Big Star Third show, is on a rare Northeast tour right now that pulls into town Thursday (2/17) at The Rock Shop.

While he's maybe best known as a producer (the first two R.E.M.'s albums [with Don Dixon], Pavement's Brighten the Corners, Moose's ...XYZ among other things), Easter has had a long career as a musician, as a part ofThe Sneakers in the late '70s and frontman/songwriter for Let's Active, easily one of the most underrated bands of the '80s. He's also an incredible guitarist, and Let's Active albums are resplendent with awesome axe-work.

I like everything they ever did but 1986's Big Plans for Everybody is especially great, one of my favorite albums of that decade. Mitch put the kybosh on Let's Active in 1990 and didn't release any original material until 2008's Dynamico, an album which showed he still has chops and songs to spare.

Mitch's set at The Rock Shop is going to be heavy on the Let's Active tunes and if there's a song you really want to hear, like "Talking to Myself" from Big Plans, you can make a request. Opening the show are Brooklyn's own Boy Genius whose album from last year, Staggering, was produced by Mitch and is worth checking out. Also playing: Overlord.

I'm pretty excited about this next one. Minneapolis' awesome and enigmatic BNLX play their first-ever NYC shows this week, stopping at Fontana's tomorrow night (2/17) and The Rock Shop on Friday (2/18).

BNLX seemingly stormed out of nowhere early 2010, releasing a new EP each quarter, featuring hand-printed, Neu!-esque sleeves and press releases like this:

-BNLX has been meeting and / or exceeding expectations since its inception in Q1 2010
-BNLX provides mission-critical services to the entertainment sector in the following categories:
--"music" (noise)
--found art -beatz / rhymez
--mélodies angéliques
--obfuscation / parallax
-these services are rendered in the live, recorded, and conceptual spheres
-BNLX is comprised of both organic and inorganic members
-this allows BNLX to achieve standards of performance surpassing nominal criteria
-Stage One of the BNLX First One Year Plan commenced in March, 2010; it has been successful
-Stage Two - the release of BNLX EP #2 - will be executed June 25th, 2010
-BNLX EP #2 will be available as a numbered limited edition CD art package
-it will also be available through iTunes, other digital retailers, and piracy

Keeping things mysterious, you could mainly only focus on the music which is pretty awesome: blistering post-punk inspired rock, with male/female, call-and-response vocals, feedback, harmonies, old-school drum machines and ridiculously catchy choruses. The first three EPs were all originals, and the fourth EP was all covers, including great versions of Rhianna's "Shut Up and Drive" and hometown legend Prince's "When Doves Cry." BNLX actually played the latter at First Avenue last month at an Onion party, which takes balls.

That obfuscation didn't last two long as people figured out that BNLX was the work of Minneapolis indie rock mainstay Ed Ackerson, who has led such excelent bands as The 27 Various and Polara over the last 25 years as well as running Susstones Records. His wife Ashley -- they're both also in Moodswings -- is the other half of the band. BNLX have culled the best of the four 2010 EPs as a free sampler which you can download for free. You can also check out a few of the songs, including that Prince cover, at the top of this post.

The Rock Shop show is part of the monthly Hard Light party which is a must for lovers of shoegaze, post-punk, '60s psych, Krautrock, metal, Sweden, feedback, '90s indie rock, and guitars in general. In addition to BNLX, Hard Light promises "drink specials- weirdo cult movies - and loudness."

Speaking of shoegazy stuff, Tamaryn is back in NYC for her first proper shows since CMJ 2010. She plays Don Hill's on Thusday (2/17), and then an afternoon show at PS 1 on Saturday (2/19). I loved her debut album, The Waves, which came in at #12 on my Favorite LPs of 2011 list, and it's still in pretty heavy rotation here at TWII Headquarters (aka my kitchen). It reminds me a lot of the first Verve album,  tsunami waves of guitar matched with a nimble, groovy rhythm section and Tamaryn's lovely vocals.

There are a lot of chilly ice princesses out there right now, but I think Tamaryn deserves the crown. (Though I haven't heard the Austra album yet.) I thought she and her band were great at Coco66, those three songs before the cops shut it all down. If you can't make these shows, she'll be back in April touring with The Raveonettes, including two nights at Music Hall of Williamsburg (4/20 and 4/21). All Tamaryn tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

Keeping with the theme, let's talk a bit about Sweet Bulbs, "Brooklyn's blurriest pop band," whose album came out this week on Blackburn Recordings. It's choc-a-bloc with seriously catchy songs that are buried under layers of swirly guitars and effects pedals and other sludge. As someone who loved bands like The Swirlies, Drop Nineteens, Lilys and Henry's Dress, this is right up my alley. For those mystified by that litany of obscure '90s indie bands, just know Sweet Bulbs make beautiful noise. You can download "Kissing Clouds" from the album at the top of this post.

Sweet Bulbs play Bruar Falls this Saturday (2/19) with White Laces, Arches, and Tungs. Do check 'em out.

That's the main stuff this week. A few more picks, day by day are below:

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

The Church play three albums from their catalog in their entirety tonight at Highline Ballroom: Untitled #23, Priest=Aura, and Starfish. That's over three hours of music, which seems like a lot to me even for a devoted Church fan. Maybe if it was Heyday instead of Untitled #23 I'd be more inclined to go. They'll do it again tomorrow (2/17) at BB King's.

Tonight is also the third week of ARMS' February residency at Pianos, this week with The Silent League, Your Youth, Inlets and Thunder & Lightning (which is the new band from Brent Katz who was Todd Goldstein's bandmate in Harlem Shakes). ARMS were teriffic last week, this is highly recommended.

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Continue reading "Mitch Easter, BNLX, Tamaryn, Sweet Bulbs & more in This Week in Indie"