The lineup is coming together for Pop Montreal 2009 (September 30th to October 4th). Confirmed acts include Butthole Surfers, Fever Ray, Dinosaur Jr., Lou Barlow + The Missingmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Thee Oh Sees, tUnE-YaRdS, to name a few.

Those interesting choices (like Lou Barlow with some configuration of Mike Watt's band?) are just part of the fest's usually-strong lineup. Full lineup so far, below...

Continue reading "Pop Montreal 2009 - initial lineup (Fever Ray, Os Mutantes, Butthole Surfers, Lou Barlow + the Missingmen...)"

Sunday June 14th @ FORT TILDEN BEACH
:: FREE ALL AGES UNAMPLIFIED ACOUSTIC BBQ 2009
:: each year we throw an informal, quiet party in a beautiful public place, w/
:: many diverse musicians playing two or three songs w/ no amplification
:: this year, it's on Fort Tilden Beach in the Rockways! best beach in NYC! [Todd P]

Continue reading "Todd P's UNAMPLIFIED ACOUSTIC BBQ 2009 (at Fort Tilden)"

photos by Lori Baily

Matador Records helped Sonic Youth celebrate the release of their new record The Eternal with a party at Home Sweet Home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan last Friday. The semi-private show had local bands playing Sonic Youth covers while the actual Sonic Youth was hanging out in the crowd.

Bands included The Antlers, Tiny Masters of Today, Apache Beat, The Homosexuals (backed by members of Fiasco), and "The Goo Believers" (at least that's what I think they called themselves). They were Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine), Jemina Pearl (Be Your Own Pet, Ecstatic Peace label), Matt Krefting (Ecstatic Peace label), Zachary Cale, John Maloney (Sunburned Hand of the Man), and Jaiko Suzuki (Electroputas). You can see Thurston Moore watching them from the sidelines in some of the pictures below...

Continue reading "pics from Sonic Youth's 'Eternal' party @ Home Sweet Home (Homosexuals, a supergroup of Thurston's friends, more)"

photos by Tim Griffin

====| THURSDAY 5/28 @ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT |====

:: the Homosexuals
:::: TYVEK
:::::: caUSE co-MOTION!
:::::::: Imaginary Icons

| MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT |
128 River St @ Metropolitan Ave | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | 8pm | all ages | $7

Continue reading "Tyvek are back - 3 NYC shows ++ pics from Bowery Ballroom "

Sonic Youth @ No Fun Fest 2009 (more by Lori Baily)

Maybe you caught Sonic Youth's noise set at No Fun Fest or have been streaming The Eternal through Matador's Buy Early Get Now program.

If both left you wanting more, you'll have your chance tonight (May 22nd)

First, Bill Nace, ie. the guy who wasn't Lee at NFF, will play the late set at The Stone tonight (10pm). Joining him will be Greg Kelley on trumpet and Jake Meginsky on percussion. Before that, the Stone's May curator, Grey Gersten, performs with tape-guy G. Lucas Crane and drummer Ryan Sawyer.

If you'd rather follow the The Eternal route (ie. you're sick of listening to the record in your home), Matador is hosting a listening party for the album tonight (5/22) at NYC's Envoy Gallery (131 Chrystie St.) It's free admission, capacity permitting, but RSVP is required. Flyer below.

After that party, there's also an invite-only after-party with LIVE music at Home Sweet Home, which will be closed to the public. Local bands will be playing Sonic Youth covers. Those local bands include The Antlers (who played Bowery Ballroom last night), Suckers (who have a lot of other shows coming up), Joan As Policewoman (who recently played with Iggy Pop), Tiny Masters of Today (who are playing Citysol this year), and The Homosexuals (who are now Bruno Wizard with Fiasco as his backing band according to someone that got to the Dan Deacon show last week early enough to see their unannounced set), AND "more are being confirmed" (for tonight's show). We have three pairs of tickets (guestlist spots) to give away for the afterparty. Info on how to win them, below...

SY played a free 4th of July show last summer in Battery Park (to be released as a bonus disc with some copies of the new record). That gig was within eyeshot of the Statue of Liberty and other iconic landmarks. This summer the band is playing a free show under St. Louis' famed Gateway Arch on July 17th as part of that city's Live on the Levee summer festival. It's just one of the many dates on Sonic Youth's summer North American tour, the openers for which were recently announced.

Listening party flyer and contest details below...

Continue reading "Sonic Youth listening & after-party (w/ live bands covering SY) - WIN TIX +++ Bill Nace at the Stone TONIGHT"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Tim Griffin

Dan Deacon, wearing an arm sling because of a dislocated shoulder, played three shows in NYC over the weekend (3/16 & 3/17). The first was a performance at 979 Broadway Backyard, an open lot in Bushwick, Brooklyn under the M train. The spacious spot was a mixture of rocky terrain, freshly cut grass and refuse-laced rubble. Amazingly, even with stage diving through most of the show and Dan Deacon's constant dancing instructions that sent people running across the space, there weren't any (more) major injuries (that I know of) from falling on the dark, uneven ground.

Acoustically, Deacon and the band sounded much better than at their Brooklyn Masonic Temple performance last December (didn't see NYU in April). "The ensemble," as Deacon referred to his band throughout the night, played clearly, with a sound that added nuance to Deacon's usual overblown-synth sound.

Dan Deacon stood on stage all set and filled the space between songs with instructions for dancing, rants about elves, warnings about stavediving (particularly after someone knocked his gear on to the front row) and appreciation to the neighborhood. The heavy crowd participation (singing, making people-bridges, dancing in a circle) came off as genuine and matched the spirit of the ad hoc venue (which I'm sure took a lot of cooperation to get together), its summer-fest vibe and the energetic crowd.

Teeth Mountain and Future Islands opened the show. One commenter writes that "homosexuals were an unannounced special guest, right at 6:15."

The second and third Dan Deacon shows of the weekend were at the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, March 16th. How were they? On Sunday he played the 9:30 Club in DC, and like they did for Animal Collective, NPR recorded and is streaming the whole show.

More pictures from the Friday show with all tour dates from Dan Deacon's upcoming European tour, below...

Continue reading "Dan Deacon played Broadway Backyard in Bushwick (pics), Bowery Ballroom & the 9:30 Club (NPR stream) "

DOWNLOAD: Talbot Tagora - Internet Fixture (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Le Loup - We are Gods! We are Wolves! (MP3)

Hardly Art is an independent record label based in Seattle, WA. Founded in early 2007 by Sub Pop Records, Hardly Art is run by two full-time employees and is distributed by the Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) and Sub Pop. The label's name comes from a lyric the song "No Culture Icons" by [ex-Sub Pop band] the Thermals [who are in town], and the unofficial motto for the label is: Quality records for quality people since very recently. [Wikipedia]

Golden Triangle @ NYU Strawberry Festival 2009 (more by Lauren Monaco)

Golden Triangle's upcoming shows include a gig on Saturday, May 9th at Rubulad with the Homosexuals. The band then plays a free show on Tuesday, May 12th at Southpaw with the Phenomenal Handclap Band. They're also scheduled to perform June 12th as part of the Northside Festival (again with The Homosexuals). All tour dates below.

Earlier this year when Golden Triangle were still unsigned, the group won the Dickies Battle of the Bands down at SXSW. The judges for that included Black Bubblegum, GZA, and Randy & Dean of No Age (who, being signed to Sub Pop, are now label cousins with the winning band).

Hardly Art intends to release Golden Triangle's debut full-length in early 2010. Other new signings by Hardly Art include Seattle bands Talbot Tagora and Unnatural Helpers.

Unnatural Helpers are a pretty righteous Seattle punk band with two former members of The Catheters, an ex-Sub Pop band of which I was especially fond and whose presence on the musical scene I miss dearly. Unnatural Helpers is ex-Catheters guitarists Brian Standeford (also of Idle Times and Tall Birds) and Leo Gephardt (Tall Birds), The Dutchess and the Duke's Kimberley Morrison on bass, though the band is the brain child of Dean Whitmore, who drums and sings. [Seattle Weekly]

Only one other Hardly Art band has an NYC date coming up: indie-pop trio Pretty & Nice play Union Hall on May 14th with the Dig and Middle Distance Runner. Tickets are on sale.

All upcoming Hardly Art tour dates below...

Continue reading "Golden Triangle & other bands signed to Hardly Art (like Talbot Tagora & Unnatural Helpers) - 2009 tour dates & stuff "

photos by Lori Baily

AIDS Wolf

AZNightBuzz: You play with the U.S. Girls as well as some other great bands every place you visit. Who are you most excited about seeing?

Aids Wolf: Well, we've already played with U.S. Girls, Can't and Sightings, three acts we were most stoked to play with. We are also salivating for Love Tan, Mayor Daley, Puffy Areolas, PRE, Gay Beast, Shearing Pinx, Dead Machines, The Mayyors and Death Sentence: PANDA! We're really pretty excited for all our bills, playing with bands we are friends with and/or fans of is really important to us. Getting to see the bands we like is one of the things that make touring worthwhile.

Who are you listening to on tour?

Aids Wolf: Thee Oh Sees, Ornette Coleman, ZZ Top, Captain Beefheart, some sweet Balinese classical music, Babe Ruth, Ennio Morricone, Walter Wegmuller, U.S. Girl Meghan talking about eating meat and the sounds of Bob Gainey crying.

Continue reading "AIDS Wolf, Fiasco, Sightings, U.S. Girls & Talk Normal @ Death By Audio, NYC - pics"

Phosphorescent @ The Bell House (more by Fresh Bread)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Doug Benson Interruption @ UCB
* Naughty by Nature @ Southpaw
* Big Terriffic With Max, Gabe & Jenny @ Cameo
* Clem Snide, Xylos, Heligoats @ Bowery Ballroom
* Ingrid Olava, Mark Steiner Band, Randi Russo @ Cake Shop
* Chuck Klosterman & Girls Girls Girls @ Highline Ballroom

SXSW started out right. I arrived in Austin late last night, but not too late to make it to a free Decemberists show (an IFC party) that I found out about via text message on my SuperShuttle ride from the airport to the hotel (Gomez played the same show before I got there). The Decemberists played a mix of old and new songs. Tonight at Stubb's is when they'll be playing their new album from start to finish for the first time (in NYC it will be at Radio City Music Hall).

The streets of Austin were filled with drunken St. Patrick's Day/spring break/SXSW partiers. There was lots of green everywhere which reminded me that I forgot to say Happy St. Patrick's Day yesterday! I did post the Pogues pictures though (which reminds me - the Decemberists also played a Pogues cover for in honor of the holiday).

Flights to and from SXSW are always fun because your bags are guaranteed to be sharing the overhead compartment with various instruments, and there is always at least one obvious band speaking a not-English language on the plane, and there's always at least a few familiar faces. Bruno Wizard of the Homosexuals (playing 6 shows at SXSW) was the most recognizable one this time. Bill Pearis is on a flight to Austin (with Rachael Ray) (who has her own party) as I type this.

Today in Austin is our BrooklynVegan day party at Emo's (It's on the smaller/inside/Jr/whatever-they-call-it stage. Fat Possum's party is on the main stage - both free) (BV flyer below), and then our official SXSW showcase at night (which includes the only non-NYC/CA performance of Phoshphorescent's new Willie Nelson tribute album from start to finish).

Video of Phos performing "Too Sick To Pray" at an Ohio show earlier this month, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

the Homosexuals @ WNYU (more by Leia Jospe)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* DJ Bob Mould @ Southpaw
* Yeasayer & Ponytail @ NYU
* Little Joy @ The Wonder Bar
* The Forms & Javelins @ Union Hall
* Drew Daniel of Matmos @ Housing Works
* Butch Walker & Jesse Malin @ Maxwell's
* Lebowski Fest w/ Tragedy @ Irving Plaza
* Sunburned Hand of the Man @ Silent Barn
* The Homosexuals & The Octagon @ Cake Shop
* The Giraffes & Goes Cube @ Mercury Lounge
* Kaiser Chiefs & Oxford Collapse @ Webster Hall
* John Zorn Improv night @ The Stone (early & late)
* Girl Talk, The Death Set & CX Kidtronik @ Terminal 5
* Fredrik, Twi The Humble Feather & Django James @ Pianos
* Calexico, Bowerbirds, & The Acorn @ Tarrytown Music Hall
* The Calder String Quartet w/ Andrew W.K. @ Le Poisson Rouge
* AC Newman, The Oranges Band & Bird of Youth @ The Bell House

@ Housing Works: "Matmos's Drew Daniel will read from his book on Throbbing Gristle (Throbbing Gristle: Twenty Jazz Funk Greats, 33 1/3 Books), answer questions, and do a solo dance music/noise laptop performance (aka dance party)."

@ Le Poisson Rouge: The Calder Quartet featuring Andrew W.K. - Performing composed and improvised music for string quartet and chamber ensemble, as well as solo compositions to be announced, Doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm

@ The Stone: 8 and 10 pm - John Zorn Improv Night I--A Stone Benefit - John Zorn (sax) Scott Johnson (guitar) Ikue Mori (electronics) Jim Staley (trombone) Eyal Maoz (guitar) Trevor Dunn (bass) Ches Smith (drums) and many special guests. Come out and support The Stone! A night of wild improvisation East Village style to benefit The Stone. TWENTY DOLLARS.

@ Irving Plaza: Lebowski Fest New York Movie Party - Music by Tragedy (metal tribute to The Bee Gees), Creedence Clearwater Revival Revival plus a re-enactment of the Landlord's dance cycle by Paul Green. Followed by a screening of The Big Lebowski!

What else?

Photos by Leia Jospe

DOWNLOAD: The Homosexuals - Slow Guns (MP3)

There were about 7 people at the WNYU studio on Wednesday (10/22) to watch The Homosexuals frontman Bruno Wizard play some songs off their new album Love Guns? (out Nov 18). They're going to release it on very limited vinyl and each record will have a part of a story on it. No record will have the same part of the story and they'll be numbered so that people can combine their lines on a website and get the whole thing. I thought it was a pretty cute idea.

He sang "Don't Touch My Hair" off the new CD, which I thought was the best song...very silly and light. - Leia

Continue reading "The Homosexuals @ a WNYU CMJ in-studio, NYC- pics"

Matt & Kim @ McCarren Pool (more by Ryan Muir)

Friday October 31st @ DANBRO BREWERY WAREHOUSE

:: TODD P / PANACHE BIG HALLOWEEN BASH

:: MATT AND KIM
:::: DMBQ
:::::: PONYTAIL
:::::::: AIDS Wolf
:::::::::: the HOMOSEXUALS
:::::::::::: SCREENS

[ DANBRO BREWERY WAREHOUSE ]
address info to be announced later... | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
ALL AGES | no phone | doors 8pm

Continue reading "Matt & Kim - 2008 Tour Dates & a new song"

The Homosexuals - 2008 Tour Dates
Aug 22 - Union Hall, Brooklyn w/ Looker & Unsacred Hearts
Oct 24 - Knitting Factory - Panache CMJ Showcase NYC

photos by Leia Jospe

DOWNLOAD: Fiasco - Oh You Horny Monster (MP3)

====> TUESDAY 7/5 @ HARKET MOTEL <====

|| FIASCO TOUR KICKOFF
|| 2 stages!

|| NINJA SONIK
|||| FIASCO
|||||| THE HOMOSEXUALS
|||||||| Pony Pants
|||||||||| So So Glos
|||||||||||| Bat Attack

Impose is going to release their album "Native Canadians" on October 14th. See them tonight in Brooklyn with Ninja Sonik and The Homosexuals and others (see above). See them on tour (dates below), and see more pictures from the show they played Saturday night (August 2, 2008) with Monotonix at Bodega (below too)...

Continue reading "Fiasco - MP3, Bodega pics, 2008 Tour Dates (TONIGHT)"

RSVP by 6pm for James Chance/Homosexuals party tonight!

Tonight's Secret Santo will feature not one, but two legendary figures in the history of subcultural music - James Chance and the Homosexuals - sharing a bill for the first time ever! And, as every week, this new rock'n'roll dance party also features DJ Jonathan Toubin, Go Go Dancer Anna Copacabanna and a live projectionist, this week, the inimitable Spencer Bewley. Tell yr friends - and RSVP anytime before 6pm Monday at: mailinglist@newyorknighttrain.com [New York Night Train]

Continue reading "James Chance and the Homosexuals @ Santos tonight"

While searching for info on that Homosexuals show, I realized that tonight is the first night of a 'festival' going on at Trash Bar in Williamsburg. Full press release below.....

Continue reading "the 'Live At The Trash Bar Festival' is this week"

the Homosexuals @ SXSW 2008 (Randsom)

4th: (midnite @ Cake Shop tonight) THE HOMOSEXUALS featuring Bruno Wizard (loose-ish warm up show for their show at Trash Bar thursday, the evermost Bruno (in peak form) has an amazing new lineup that blitzed everyone present last march's sxsw...just added & and we're chuffed (again!, last time round was amazing too!)