The Capstan Shafts (aka Dean Wells) released a 14-track album called Kind Empires to his bandcamp last night. The album release date is written as July 17, 2011, so maybe a physical pressing is coming, but right now you can download the album (name your price).

The Capstan Shafts will go on a short tour in September which includes September 9 at Cake Shop. All tour dates and album art below...

Continue reading "The Capstan Shafts made a new album, scheduled dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Bass Drum of Death - Heart Attack Kid (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bass Drum of Death - Get Found (MP3)

Bass Drums of Death

Mississippi duo Bass Drum of Death are in town for two shows this week: tomorrow (1/18) night at Glasslands with Smith Westerns (now sold out) and Wednesday (1/19) at Pianos where they'll open for the Captain Shafts (Smith Westerns were originally on this bill too, but dropped off a while ago).

On record, Bass Drum of Death is essentially John Barrett, but is augmented by basher Colin Sneed. After a slew of 7"s and EPs over the last couple years, BDoD are finally ready to drop their full length debut, GB City, on February 22. I think it's probably the most tuneful, enjoyable slab of garage pop since Ty Segall's Melted. You can check out two tracks from the LP at the top of this post.

If you can't make these shows, look for Bass Drum of Death on tour in the spring, including SXSW in March. Look for The Smith Westerns on tour through March.

The Capstan Shafts, on tour now, also plays The Rock Shop on Thursday with Medals (ex-Jaguar Club) and Cabinet while he's in town. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Bass Drum of Death releasing 'GB City', playing NYC w/ Capstan Shafts (MP3s & tour dates)"

"Elf Power" by Elf Power was released this week...

Elf Power is dedicated to the memory of dear friend, mentor, and close collaborator Vic Chesnutt, who committed suicide in late 2009. Chesnutt was long a guiding light in the close-knit Athens community; the Elves recorded a collaborative album, "Dark Developments," with Chesnutt in 2008 and toured extensively with him through the years. Elf Power's latest album found shape in the vacuum caused by Vic's loss, and finds the band exploring the void created by his departure.

Elf Power are supporting that album on tour now. Their next stop is The Rock Shop in Brooklyn tonight (9/17). Also on that bill: Folklore and The Capstan Shafts who also just released an album, and who will be back in town for CMJ.

Elf Power will next be back in town even before CMJ, when they open for Broken Bells at Terminal 5 on October 11th (tickets). Between now and then they also play many other shows. All dates below...

Continue reading "Elf Power released an LP, on tour - Brooklyn tonight w/ Capstan Shafts, T5 w/ Broken Bells, other dates"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Capstan Shafts - Quiet Wars (MP3)

Capstan Shafts @ Kung Fu Saloon, Austin TX in March

Since his first live show in 2007, Vermont songwriter Dean Wells (now a West Virginia resident) has been slowly expanding the Capstan Shafts, his bedroom-pop project that's prolifically released lo-fi albums since 1999.

Live, Wells now sings with support from a four-piece band, and they perform fairly frequently between Washington DC and New York (where they played a June show at Crash Mansion). They currently have shows set for DC and Baltimore, with plans to hit NYC for CMJ in October.

The live transition is reflected on their forthcoming CD, Revelation Skirts, due August 24th on Rainbow Quartz. On it, Wells collaborates with writer/producer/musician Matt LeMay (of Get Him Eat Him and Pitchfork, where he was a vocal Capstan fan) to mint a fuller studio sound. The first track from that album, "Quiet Wars," is posted above. The song, which first showed up on 2007's Dreamilys Throttled Revolts, mirrors the project's bedroom-to-studio evolution with a brief sonically-compressed intro before the crisp full band enters. Wells's acoustic, tape-deck-recorded albums have always drawn comparisons to Guided By Voices or Mountain Goats; cleaned up, the hooks come to the forefront for a sound closer to New Pornographers' smartly composed pop.

More info on the record and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "new Capstan Shafts (MP3 from Revelation Skirts - out soon)"

The Whitest Boy Alive @ Coachella 2010 (more by Rachell Carr)

tonight in NYC
* The Luyas secret show
* The Specials @ Terminal 5
* Kings Go Forth, Rafter @ Mercury Lounge
* Micachu & the Shapes, Mon Khmer @ Mercury Lounge
* Sonos, Peter Bradley Adams @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Capstan Shafts, USVS, Lame Drivers @ Public Assembly
* Sunglasses, My Gold Mask, Lagoon, Neighbors @ Union Hall
* The Thermals, Past Lives, The Tony Castles @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Whitest Boy Alive, Keepaway @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Midnight Sounds, Valleys, Sally Head, Psychic @ Glasslands
* Kelis, Maluca, Skeet Skeet, Sammy Bananas @ Santos Party House
* Apples in Stereo, Generationals, Laminated Cat @ Bowery Ballroom
* Mixel Pixel, Hosannas, Unicornicopia, Hermit Thrushes @ Cake Shop
* Jakob Dylan & Three Legs (with Neko Case & Kelly Hogan) @ Town Hall
* MATA Festival w/ Ensemble Pamplemousse, Lisa Moore @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Miniature Tigers, The Grates, The Stationary Set @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Amanda Diva, Apollo Heights, Black Thought, Styles P, Currensy @ Highline Ballroom
* Mastodon, Between The Buried And Me, Baroness, Valient Thorr @ Starland Ballroom
* Dusty & The Dreaming Spires, Atlantic/Pacific, The Oxygen Ponies, Cat Martino @ The Bell House

Miniature Tigers headline a show at Knitting Factory tonight, which is one night before they open for The Morning Benders at Knitting Factory which is four nights before they go out on tour with Free Energy and Jukebox the Ghost, which is three days before they are back in NYC with that tour to play Bowery Ballroom

The Grates open that show at Knitting Factory tonight. I guess the Australian band is still living in NYC.

The Luyas are playing a private/secret loft show tonight, so maybe check them out at one of their other three shows this week instead, while still getting your Canadian fix with Valleys who play Glasslands tonight.

The Capstan Shafts returns to town.

The Specials return to Terminal 5 (they played there last night).

Greg Ginn & The Texas Corrugators and Cinema Cinema were bumped from Maxwell's tonight by the rescheduled Los Campesinos!/Cymbals Eat Guitars show that's now canceled anyway.

Micachu and the Shapes will be replacing the volcano-canceled Mary Onettes at the Mercury Lounge tonight with Mon Khmer.

The Jarboe show at Union Pool tonight with Bezoar and Chaos Majik is cancelled because she is stuck in Italy.

Bad Lieutenant was scheduled to play Webster Hall tonight but the volcano made them cancel all US dates (including Coachella).

Real Estate and Family Portrait played a show at Monster Island the other night. Videos from that show by Ian Perlman are below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

Lee Fields @ Pop Montreal 2009 (more by Ryan Muir)

tonight in NYC
* Thrones @ The Stone
* Baye Kouyate & The Tougarake @ Zebulon
* Tinariwen, Fool's Gold @ The Bell House
* Jospeh Arthur, Chris Garneau @ City Winery
* Editors, The Antlers, The Dig @ Terminal 5
* Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck @ Madison Square Garden
* Fucked Up, Kurt Vile, Frankie & The Outs @ Europa
* Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger, Mi-Gu @ Union Pool
* The Death Set, Freshkills, Ghost Blazer, Hulk Smash @ Lit
* Elk City, Bird of Youth, Gold Lake, LookBook @ Union Hall
* The Capstan Shafts, The Octagon, Corsair @ Ding Dong Lounge
* Xylos, Pocket Knife, Emilyn Brodsky @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Boom Chick, The Powder Kegs, In Cadeo, Noah Nite @ The Cameo
* Game Rebellion, ESSO, Emilio Rojas, Donny Goines @ 92YTribeca
* Leslie & the Ly's, Christopher the Conquered @ Mercury Lounge
* Stars of Track and Field, Leisurely @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Goes Cube, Rosetta, East of the Wall, Restorations @ The Charleston
* Dirty Projectors & Alarm Will Sound @ The Allen Room at Lincoln Center
* Secret Machines, Bear in Heaven, Mon Khmer, Noveller, Papa @ Glasslands
* Dawes, Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, Jason Boesel @ Bowery Ballroom
* Truman Peyote, Many Mansions, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cop Magnet @ Surreal Estate
* Lee Fields & The Expressions, Charles Bradley and The Menahan Street Band @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Heads Up Display, No One & The Somebodies, William Manning, The Drinkers Themselves, TJ Desola @ Shea Stadium

Hi from Norway.

Chris Garneau will be Joseph Arthur's special guest tonight at his City Winery residency (not Kevin Devine as originally listed).

Leslie and the Ly's (at Mercury Lounge tonight) is the project of Leslie Hall, "also known as Mother Gem" - you know her from the video below.

Synthy locals The Death Set will be at Lit Lounge tonight (and SXSW, for those interested in that).

Vermont-based The Capstan Shafts have confirmed that they'll be at SXSW. They play NYC's Ding Dong Lounge tonight.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

The Capstan Shafts @ Stannard Church, Stannard VT, 10/6/07 (tasrepus)

Since the first Capstan Shafts live shows in 2007, Vermont songwriter Dean Wells has been playing out more and more. He hit CMJ in both 2008 and2009.

The one-time bedroom act is currently playing and recording as a full band, and they're in NYC for a show at The Delancey tonight (1/22) with Esque, Adams Castle and Violent Soho.

It's not their only show - they have two dates in D.C. Wells blogs about a possible trip to SXSW. Video from his first ever show (played solo) in 2007 and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Capstan Shafts, now a full-band - dates (NYC tonight)"

By Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: The Capstan Shafts - Middles of June (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Capstan Shafts - Anthropecene Stealers (MP3)

After his first-ever show, an acoustic performance in October 2007, bedroom-pop singer-songwriter Dean Wells (aka The Capstan Shafts) has been playing live more and more. He appeared with a backing band both at last year's CMJ and this August during his visit to NYC (Knitting Factory setlist below).

This Saturday (10/25), The Capstan Shafts will perform at the CMJ Rainbow Quarz showcase at Arlene's Grocery (95 Stanton St) at midnight (21+, $10 cover, limited CMJ badges free).

Hopefully he'll bring a few of the homemade CD-Rs that've put him on the radar of the college music crowd (he frequently drops new, self-recorded and -produced discs in the mail to stations unannounced). If you're like me and missed the release of the follow-up to 2007's Environ Maiden, Fixation Protocols, last July, this is a great time to catch up before the show - four of its tracks are now streaming on his Myspace. Plus the two above ^^^^.

UPDATE: The Capstan Shafts is also playing a free day party at Knitting Factory on Thursday (10/23).

Here's the full line-up for the Saturday night show:

Continue reading "The Capstan Shafts is playing CMJ (again)"

Scott Matthew @ Bowery Ballroom - Aug 26, 2008 (more by Chris La Putt)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* FREE STUFF
* Paramore at Summerstage!
* Xiu Xiu @ Bowery Ballroom
* Dissapearer @ Union Pool
* Lykke Li @ (le) Poisson Rouge
* Robbers on High Street & Radio 4 @ Fontana's
* The Capstan Shafts, Charles Bissell & Get Him Eat Him @ Knitting Factory

Common Eider, King Eider (aka Rob Fisk) is opening for Xiu Xiu. Paperthinwalls has a track with an accompanying review by...Xiu Xiu (Jamie Stewart). Rob Fisk used to be in Deerhoof whose original name was Deerhoof by Fisk. Fisk quit in 1999.

The Capstan Shafts (who it ends up have a MySpace) are also playing Glasslands tomorrow.

What else?

The Capstan Shafts @ Stannard Church, Stannard VT, 10/6/07 (tasrepus)

"On October 6th, Dean Wells (aka the Capstan Shafts) played his first-ever live show at a tiny church in Stannard, Vermont." [Matt LeMay, PitchforkMedia.com]

I think The Capstan Shafts then visited NYC soon after to play a small CMJ-related show. I have no idea what the Jandek-like Dean Wells has been doing since. Probably writing music...

With over 17 releases since 1999 (self-released under his own Ladder The Xmas Monkey and through labels such as Asaurus and Yellow Mica), describing The Capstan Shafts as steadily prolific would be an understatement. However, until now, there has never been a properly distributed release, although word on Wells' deliriously prodigious recordings has been percolating in the indie pop underground and building momentum with each new release. The band has signed to Rainbow Quartz in 2007 to release a brand new 29-track LP, environ maiden. (Think early GBV meets Lou Barlow with a dash of the entire Elephant 6 collective.)
[from an October 2007 press release]