words & photos by Andrew Frisicano

The Ex @ The Rock Shop

The Ex ended a three-year absence from NYC with two shows last week--one at LPR on Thursday and one the night before at the Rock Shop. The Dutch band's last appearance in the city was a 2008 Lincoln Center Out of Doors set with Ethiopian saxist Getatchew Mekurya (so it'd been even longer since they visited the city as a quartet). This was a newly restructured quartet at that, with guitarist Arnold de Boer was on-hand as main vocalist, a role he's been filling since founding member G.W. Sok left in '09.

At the Rock Shop, the band drew largely from Catch My Shoe, their new full-length that came out stateside in early 2011, and its relatively poppy pleasures "Cold Weather Is Back" and "Double Order," which came early, the Katherina Bornefeld-sung Ethiopian tune "Eoleyo" and punky jam "24 Problems." The set showcased the unique talents of each member of the band: Bornefeld's drumming (which used the entirety of her kit to build unorthodox repeated patterns), Andy Moor's rhythmic baritone guitar riffs, de Boer's interpolated doodles and shouts, and guitarist Terrie's litany of sounds and scrapes pulled from his creaking plank of a guitar. Terrie, trancelike at times, tapped out beats on his fretboard, palm muted distorted chunks, and tweaked his strings with a drum stick; at the end of one song, the only sound still ringing was a croak emitted by his guitar being pulled from its neck.

The band is still on tour now. Some more pictures from the Rock Shop are below...

Continue reading "The Ex played Le Poisson Rouge & the Rock Shop (pics)"

The previously mentioned North American Ex tour is now underway. They hit Chicago last night (3/8) and continue at a recently-added Brooklyn show at The Rock Shop TONIGHT with DJ/Rupture. Tickets are also still on sale for the Thursday night show at Le Poisson Rouge with Liturgy. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Ex are here (in Brooklyn tonight, touring) "

DOWNLOAD: The Ex - "Cold Weather Is Back" (M4A)

The Ex's music has undergone significant evolution over the years from their beginnings as a punk band. Founded in 1979 by singer G.W. Sok, guitarist Terrie Hessels, drummer Geurt and bassist René, the band debuted with a song titled "Stupid Americans" on the Utreg-Punx vinyl 7" compilation released by Rock Against records in Rotterdam. The release of their first 7" All Corpses Smell the Same followed shortly after that, in 1980. Through the decades their music has gradually developed into its current form of highly intricate, experimental punk/post-punk/no wave-inspired work.-[Wiki]

Celebrating more than 30 years as a band, The Ex will drop their 25th CD/LP release on their own Ex Records and 123rd overall release on January 25th, 2011. The record, called Catch My Shoe, features "Cold Weather Is Back" available for download above.

The Ex 2010 is:

TERRIE HESSELS - guitar, baritone guitar (1979-present)
ARNOLD DE BOER - vocals, guitar, sampler (2009-present)
ANDY MOOR - guitar, baritone guitar (1990-present)
KATHERINA BORNEFELD - drums, vocals (1984-present)

And less than two months after the release, The Ex will hit the road for a string of select North American dates in the first quarter of 2011, including a show in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on March 10th with Liturgy. Tickets go on sale December 10th. 2010.

Liturgy played Acheron on Friday 12/3 with Orphan and Dope Body. Their only other upcoming show is their appearance at Roadburn (with Winter!). They are no longer playing the 12/9 show at Glasslands. Video from the Acheron show is below.

The Ex visited NYC in 2008 and played the Big Ears Fest in Knoxville earlier this year. All current dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "The Ex announce new album, tour dates (NY show w/ Liturgy)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Sam Amidon, accompanied by Thomas Bartlett, ushered in the first show of the 2010 Big Ears Festival at the Knoxville Museum of Art on Friday (3/26) with "Wild Bill Jones," his own version of the Appalachian folk song, punctuated with a piercing scream half-way through. "These are all folk songs, some from around here," said Sam, which was the right thing to say at the KMA, an institution whose collection and staff brims with East Tennessee pride. After a welcome by festival organizer Ashley Capps (whose AC Entertainment also organizes Bonnaroo) and co-curator Bryce Dessner, Calder Quartet and violinist Iva Bittova led the audience through the folk-inspired world of Bartok, Janacek and guitarist/composer Fred Frith.

A little after 7pm at the gorgeous Bijou Theatre (est. 1909), Terry Riley and his quartet - consisting of his son Gyan on classical guitar, Tracy Silverman on electric violin and Ches Smith on drums and marimba - played a series of extended ragas and genre-morphing songs. By midnight, an ecstatic crowd of all ages filled the hall for the xx. Just a few hours before, University of Tennessee basketball advanced to the NCAA Elite 8, and the partly collegiate crowd carried the celebratory mood to the gig. Some danced in front of their seats or in the aisles, and cheered in anticipation - in one opera box, an exhibitionist couple shared a drunken embrace dangerously close to the railing. Clandestine cigarettes were smoked as the xx performed their moody rock alongside minutely choreographed stage lights.

The earlier jj were even more laid back than the xx, with a sole singer, Elin Kastlander, standing before video projections that included an Italian soccer game, romps on the beach by Elin and co-member Joakim Benon, and whales and other nature scenes. We also got to see Elin roll a big blunt on screen, which might speak to her onstage ambivalence and generally lackluster approach. She did pick up an acoustic guitar once, as did her blond gentleman collaborator, Joakim, for a few numbers. With the music on autopilot, everything else - from the canned "native" beats to the narcissistic video - seemed to follow suit.

The first act had much better luck: Nosaj Thing's post-apocalyptic electronica, riddled with blippy bullets and ghostly echoes, destroyed the darkened theater. The xx gig was one of of the fest's sold out gigs (the others are currently Vampire Weekend and Joanna Newsom) but those with all-access Inner Ear passes ($250 now, but cheaper if you bought earlier) had no trouble finding front-row first-come, first-served seats if they showed at least 15 minutes before doors. The passes are pricey, but a good deal even if you make it to only 1/3rd of the 30-some shows at the fest.

A few blocks away, Andrew WK and the Calder Quartet finished their set with a cover of John Cage's 4'33" - or as Andrew put it "Johnny Cage! Fatality! Mortal Kombat!" The room was divided between those trying to rebel ("Play music!"), those trying to explain the piece ("It's supposed to be people talking"), those shushing, and those just enjoying the spectacle. Andrew returned for an encore of "Party Hard" (piano, voice and crowd participation) and brought out Calder's Eric Byers for a Bach cello piece, accompanied by an interpretive dance by Andrew WK (think "an impressionistic karate kid") dedicated to the late Merce Cunningham.

The compact nature of the participating venues in downtown Knoxville (one mid- and one large-size theater and a handful of smaller club-like spaces) gives Big Ears an intimate feel, and the festival's musicians - most recognizably, Sufjan Stevens, though his only performance is in a supporting role with Clogs (The BQE is being screened too) - can be seen hopping from venue to venue along with the fans.

The difficult decisions of Big Ears day one - Dutch post-punks the Ex against newcomers the xx - only intensify as the festival progresses, with the headliners like Joanna Newsom, Vampire Weekend and composer in residence Terry Riley all going head to head on Saturday.

More pictures and video from Big Ears day one are below...

Continue reading "Big Ears Fest Day 1 - Sam Amidon, jj, The xx, The ex, Terry Riley, Andrew WK, Nosaj Thing, more (pics, video, review)"

Terry Riley

Joanna Newsom is one of the announced acts for this year's Big Ears Fest in Knoxville, TN, March 26th-28th. Others on the initial lineup include Vampire Weekend, St. Vincent, the Calder Quartet, Andrew WK, The Ex, Gang Gang Dance, Clogs, 802 Tour (Nico Muhly / Doveman / Sam Amidon with Nadia Sirota), The xx, Javelin, DJ/Rupture (solo), DJ/Rupture and Andy Moor, My Brightest Diamond, Gyan Riley, and jj. The fest's artist in residence is composer Terry Riley and a number of his works will be performed (including 'In C'). Bryce Dessner of the National is also one of the curators. Weekend tickets are on sale now. Tickets to invididual shows will be announced later this month, along with the schedule (shows are at different venues around town).

Some of those initial acts have tours booked around the same time. That is the case for Vampire Weekend, the xx and jj tour and Joanna. More info on the fest below...

Continue reading "Big Ears Fest - March 26-28 in Knoxville, TN (Terry Riley in residence, Bryce Dessner curator, xx, jj, VW, WK & more)"

Hello Everyone,

Myself [Mia Clarke of the indefinitely-on-hiatus band Electrelane] and Sara Jaffe (formerly of Erase Errata) have co-edited a book called The Art of Touring. The book features artwork, photography and writing reflecting life on the road, plus a DVD of live footage. Contributors include Sonic Youth, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Devendra Banhart, Electrelane, the Ex, Le Tigre, Explosions in the Sky, Jem Cohen, Tara Jane ONeil and many more.

The book is published by the wonderful Portland-based imprint, Yeti.

We are going to have a couple of events to celebrate the release of the book. The first will be in NYC on August 4th 2009. We will have a reading at Bluestockings bookstore in Manhattan from 7pm, featuring Sara Jaffe, Jem Cohen, Sara Marcus, myself and others. Then, from 10pm-2am, I will be DJing as one half of DARK HABITS at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn.

Any NYC-based people, it would be lovely to see you there!

Mia

The above-mentioned NYC reading & DJ sets are tonight (8/4) (not to be confused with the reading @ Union Hall) (or the Nick Cave one happening in September) .

Then tomorrow (8/5) at Bruar Falls:

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS reading series:
SARA JAFFE [ERASE ERRATA]
SUSAN HWANG [BUSHWICK BOOK CLUB]
AARON HARTMAN [OLD TIME RELIJUN]
SHARON VAN ETTEN 8PM

Portland, Oregon's Fontanelle Gallery is hosting an exhibition of photos from the book, which opens August 6th. The gallery is also holding a special event on August 22nd with Sara Jaffe, Tara Jane Oneil, and Julianna Bright (The Golden Bears). More info on the exhibit and event below...

Continue reading "The Art of Touring - a book w/ related NYC events (tonight) "

photos by heartonastick

Gétatchèw Mèkurya with The Ex @ Damrosch Park, 8/20/08

More pics from last night's show below.....

Continue reading "Gétatchèw Mèkurya, The Ex, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alèmayèhu Eshèté & The Either/Orchestra played NYC - pics"

On the bill, Holland's legendary avant-punks the Ex, playing live as an expanded 10-piece and joined for the first time in NYC by Ethiopian saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya. If you need even more dazzling news, Lincoln Center added two amazing East African/American collaborations to the bill: Either/Orchestra with Mahmoud Ahmed and Alèmayèhu Eshèté, plus Extra Golden. Thanks to the New York State Music Fund grant that enabled WFMU bring in the Ex and Getatchew, we've also been beefing up not only the forthcoming Free Music Archive, but also have obtained some new equipment to augment the station, and that's been resulting in some more great live broadcasts. So this week, we couldn't be happier to announce that this event now will be going out on WFMU's radio and webstreams as well! If you can't make it to the Park (no advance free tickets this time, so we recommend getting there as early as you can), you can tune in at home and be transported via our mini-Addis-on-the-Hudson on August 20th. [WFMU]

Check out video of The Ex playing with Gétatchèw below...

Continue reading "Gétatchèw Mèkurya & the Ex tonight, on the radio, in video"

DOWNLOAD: Extra Golden - Obama (MP3)

Extra Golden is a band that started as an inter-continental collaboration between Kenyan and American musicians. The music they've developed over two albums is of a style all their own, an innovative combination of east African benga guitar pop and American . This will be the band's second US tour, and their first time visiting much of the country, including the south and west coast. Their latest album Hera Ma Nono was released last fall...

Extra Golden are playing two NYC shows this summer. The first is the annual African Festival at Prospect Park Bandshell on August 3rd with Daby Toure and many others. That's free The second is 17 days later, also free, is sponsored by WFMU, and will take place at Lincoln Center with Either Orchestra and The Ex...

When WFMU was first presented with the ability to put on some free NYC concerts via the New York State Music Fund grant, the obvious first notion was "who would we like to see in NYC that has never played before?" So we wound up the ball and sent the pitch over to Lincoln Center's Bill Bragin: how about Holland's greatest punk exports the Ex coming over (which they have in the past on many occasions), but this time bringing over some of their great international musician friends? The ones only Europe usually gets to see (or Ethiopia, if you happen to be there when the Ex make their fabled stops). We passed contacts to Lincoln Center, Terrie Ex got in touch with his fellow travelers, and then the ball was knocked outta the park in a severe way. The result? Lincoln Center's Out of Doors series in collaboration with WFMU's grant giving you all the chance to see the US debut of a major international collaboration for free at Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park Bandshell on West 62nd Street at Amsterdam in Manhattan, Wednesday, August 20th from 6-10 PM. Yes, free. No advance ticketing. On the bill:

The Ex with Gétatchèw Mèkurya (renowned Ethiopian saxophone legend), and if that weren't enough, Lincoln Center added two amazing East African/American collaborations to the bill: Either/Orchestra with Mahmoud Ahmed and Alèmayèhu Eshèté, plus Extra Golden. [WFMU]

. All Extra Golden tour dates below....

Continue reading "Extra Golden - 2008 tour dates, free shows, The Ex & WFMU"