by Bill Pearis

Parquet Courts, SXSW 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

It's that time of year again, when The L Magazine picks their all-NYC "8 Bands You Need to Hear." Like usual, it probably includes some bands you've already heard, some you've maybe heard of, and some names new to you. Parquet Courts are without a doubt the band on the list. Here are their 2013 picks with their next NYC show (if applicable):

Free Time
Parquet Courts (April 20, Bowery Ballroom w/ Iceage)
Coastgaard (May 1, Mercury Lounge)
Juniper Rising (April 11, Death by Audio)
Celestial Shore (April 18, Silent Barn)
Caged Animals
Big Ups (tonight [4/10], Shea Stadium)
The Denzels

So who should've made their list but didn't? Who shouldn't have been on the list? Streams from all eight bands if you wanna check out any you haven't heard.

As mentioned, The L Magazine is celebrating its and Kanine Records' 10th anniversary tonight (4/10) at Union Pool with complimentary drinks and performances from Montreal's Valleys, Royal Baths offshoot LODRO and Xray Eyeballs. RSVP is now closed for this free event.

Cover to the "8 Bands" issue of The L, plus those music streams, are below.

Continue reading "L Magazine names 8 more 'Bands You Need to Hear' "

NYC indie rockers The Big Sleep released their third album, Nature Experiments, earlier this year and have been playing a number of local (and non-local) shows since. You'll have three more chances to catch the band in NYC this weekend and early next week. First, they'll support dredg at their Bowery Ballroom shows tonight (11/9) and Saturday (11/10). At tonight's show, dredg will be performing El Cielo in full and at Saturday's, they're playing Catch Without Arms. Ben Henderson is also on both dates. Tickets for both shows are still available.

Then after that, The Big Sleep will headline their own show at Brooklyn Bowl on Monday (11/12) with The Denzels and Life Size Maps. That show is free before 7 PM and $5 after.

Those dates in list format and a video below.

Continue reading "The Big Sleep playing Brooklyn Bowl after opening for dredg in NYC this weekend (dates)"

photos by Joe McCabe

"Best band to worst crowd ratio of the year so far is def cloud nothings vs mercury lounge. Goddamn this band rules." - Nick Stern

Cloud Nothings @ Mercury Lounge - 3/27/2012

Playing with almost rhythmically mechanical precision made the noise and distortion of their guitars seem that much more deliberate. This was especially true during the frantic improvised guitar jams of "Fall In" and "Wasted Days." When it seemed impossible for Cloud Nothings to play any louder or faster, they did again and again. Applause finally came during the final cool-down period of "Wasted Days," which easily could have been mistaken for the climax of the song only five minutes earlier. In an era in which people have access to almost all the music in the world for free, it's refreshing to know that young bands can still come around and make people realize what they've been missing. [The House List]

Cloud Nothings were last in NYC for a one-off at The Studio in January which sold out at the last minute. Due the success of their great new album, Attack on Memory, shows on their current tour have been selling out much quicker, including both of their NYC shows this week, the first of which happened last night (3/27) at Mercury Lounge with A Classic Education and The Denzels. More pictures from this show are below. How was it?

Cloud Nothings do it again tonight (3/28) at Glasslands with A Classic Education and Crinkles. Tonight's show is sold out as well but they'll return to the NYC area next month for SUNY Purchase Culture Shock (4/27-28) (technically only open to students and their guests), whose lineup also includes Grimes, Islands, Tycho, Big Freedia, Pissed Jeans, Idle Warship, The Felice Brothers, and more.

More pics from Mercury Lounge below...

Continue reading "Cloud Nothings played Mercury Lounge w/ A Classic Education & The Denzels (pics)"