Nick Cave @ SXSW 2013 (more by Tim Griffin)

One of the Grand Dammes of the music festival world Glastonbury 2013 will happen June 28 - 30 in the UK town of the same name. (They skipped last year.) Announced acts include The Rolling Stones, Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, Primal Scream, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Vampire Weekend, Elvis Costello, Kenny Rogers (!), Portishead, Foals, Tame Impala, Alt-J, Billy Bragg, PiL, Smashing Pumpkins, Chic, Cat Power, The Horrors, Rodriguez, Palma Violets, Savages, Crystal Castles and a whole lot more.

No word on tickets yet. You can check out the full line-up on the flyer below.

Continue reading "Rolling Stones, Phoenix, Nick Cave, The xx, Primal Scream, Chic, Alt-J, Foals and many more playing Glastonbury 2013"

We try to keep tabs on various festivals around the world here on BrooklynVegan, many of which you'll eventually see pictures from. Today we focus on Belgium.

Pukkelpop goes down from August 16 - 18. That festival includes The Stone Roses, Bjork, Bloc Party, The Black Keys, Refused, Wilco, The Hives, The Shins, The Afghan Whigs, Lykke Li, Hot Chip, Feist, Flying Lotus, tUnE-yArDs, Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, The Tallest Man on Earth, Baroness, Ceremony, A-Trak, Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, and more. The full lineup is listed below. Tickets for the festival are on sale now.

Rock Werchter, which falls a bit more on the mainstream side, happens in Belgium even sooner, running from June 28 - July 1. That lineup includes The Cure, Jack White, X, Mastodon, Garbage, The xx, M83, Metric, Amon Tobin, Skrillex, Perfume Genius, Bat For Lashes, Michael Kiwanuka, Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket, Regina Spektor, Florence + the Machine, The Vaccines and more. Tickets for the festival are on sale now sold out.

The full lineups for both Pukkelpop and Rock Wercher are listed below.

Continue reading "full 2012 Pukkelpop & Rock Werchter lineups"

photos by Joe McCabe; words by Bill Pearis

The Horrors swept through town earlier this week, playing two nights at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Monday and Tuesday (4/9 and 4/10). I was there Monday night for what was a pretty good show. While I like their new album Skying a lot (it made my Best of 2011 list), the album's midtempo shuffle doesn't make for the most exciting live show, though the band came alive on more energetic songs like "I Can See Through You" and the motorik pounder "Moving Further Away" which closed the night. Primary Colours tracks "Scarlet Fields" and "Three Decades" still sound terrific.

The Horrors play Coachella this weekend and next, scooting up to San Francisco in between. Seattle garage rockers Night Beats opened the Monday MHoW show. Pictures of both bands, plus Horrors setlist, are below.

Continue reading "The Horrors & Night Beats played Music Hall of Williamsburg (pics, setlist), playing Coachella this weekend"

The Horrors at ATP I'll Be Your Mirror 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

The Horrors have an extensive international tour booked for 2012. Previously the only North American dates on that tour were their two Coachella performances, but they've just announced NYC shows happening on April 9 and 10 at Music Hall of Williamsburg, a few days before their first Coachella appearance. Tickets for both MHOW shows go on sale Friday (1/20) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (1/18) at noon. Only a few other North American dates have been announced but more to come (?).

All dates below...

Continue reading "The Horrors announcing tour around Coachellas, two shows in Brooklyn included (updated dates)"

UK music magazine Uncut weighs on this year's best albums. Like Rough Trade, they give Josh T Pearson serious placement. They put Tinariwen, who appeared on The Colbert Report last night (!) with Tunde and Kyp from TV on the Radio, at #18. Check out their whole list and video from Colbert, below...

Continue reading "Uncut's Top 50 Albums of 2011, video of Tinariwen & Kyp & Tunde on the Colbert Report"

Josh T Pearson @ BV-SXSW 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Check out Rough Trade's list of the Top 100 Albums of 2011 (yay Josh T Pearson!), below...

Continue reading "Rough Trade's Top 100 albums of 2011 "

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Swans @ Paramount Theater

You saw pictures from Friday and Portishead from Saturday (and Portishead Sunday). Here are the rest from that 2nd day in Asbury Park. They continue below...

Continue reading "I'll Be Your Mirror 2011 -- pics from ATP Saturday (Swans, Ultramagnetic MCs, Battles, Beak, Horrors & more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

The Horrors @ Webster Hall

"Those who arrived early got a special surprise with The Stepkids. Hailing from Connecticut and with an album on the way from L.A. label Stones Throw, The Stepkids are the band you absolutely must see as soon as possible. The trio took the stage dressed in all white, and the house lights dimmed to near complete darkness. Swirling, brightly colored images projected off their outfits and the screen behind the group as they moved from one blissfully psychedelic tune to the next. Their harmonies are tight and their rhythms even more so. As the projections moved into shades of blue and green, it felt like the audience had dove headfirst into some funky, underwater paradise. As the set progressed, so did the intensity of the rhythm, until they concluded with "Cup Half Full," a tune so rousing that the crowd seemed almost unprepared for it." [LA Weekly]

Continue reading "The Horrors & Stepkids played Webster Hall (pics & setlist)"

Beirut @ Lollapalooza 2011 (more by Grant MacAllister)

today in NYC
* Big Teriffic @ Cameo
* Girls @ Other Music
* Anton Batagov @ The Stone
* Vincent Royer @ The Stone
* Opeth, Katatonia @ Webster Hall
* The Shakes, Breezin, Seequill @ Cake Shop
* Sole & The Skyrider Band @ Knitting Factory
* Dan Deacon, Ed Schrader's Music Beat @ Maxwell's
* Beirut, Laetitia Sadier (of Stereolab) @ Terminal 5
* Rpllnt, Spaces, Phone Home, Elyrians @ The Delancey
* Mike Bones, Ken Griffin, Brian Kalkbrenner @ Zebulon
* Mount Eerie, Nicholas Krgovich, Ed Askew @ 285 Kent Ave
* Celestial Shore, Pet Lions, Phil & The Osophers @ Bruar Falls
* Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Washington @ Irving Plaza
* The Olivia Tremor Control, The Music Tapes @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Jeffrey Lewis, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, Emperor X @ Maxwell's
* Endless Boogie, La Otracina, Rhyton (mems. Psychic Ills) @ Union Pool
* Frank Turner, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Into It. Over It. @ Bowery Ballroom
* Cymbals Eat Guitars, Hooray For Earth, Beige @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Mutwawa, Dubknowdub, Mincemeat Or Tenspeed, Shams, Flesh Control @ Death By Audio
* Alex Battles & The Whisky Rebellion, Thrift Store Cowboys, JP & The Gilberts @ Union Hall
* Zs, Burning Star Core, Mountains, Dinowalrus (Hipster Puppies Cassette Release Party) @ Public Assembly

Beirut's first of two shows at Terminal 5 is tonight (despite what I originally accidentally wrote in the "2 night stands" post).

Opeth play their first of two shows tonight too.

Why? were supposed to play two shows, both tonight, but they're cancelled.

Check out a video of the Horrors performing on KEXP, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

photos by Autumn Andel

Shabazz Palaces / The Horrors

The Horrors took matters to another level of performance.. [utilizing] brooding electric grooves and jeering melodies. Forget the spidery androgynous demeanor and spazzy mannerisms - these guys bring it when it comes to live performance, pure and simple. Their new album is a solid piece of work, a considerable triumph over their previous and an exciting sampling of their continuing creative evolution.

The band opened with the first song off new album Skying, called "Changing The Rain," fearlessly putting their newest foot forward in a challenge to those hung up on the band's earlier sounds. We took the evolution in stride, however, as the British quintet delivered a solid performance that continually dipped into new material, finally concluding around the midnight hour with the new 80s throwback "Moving Further Away". [Crave Online]

MFNW Day 2 pics HERE and HERE. Day 1 HERE. More pictures from day three, including shots of Marketa Irglova, Iron & Wine, Shabazz Palaces, and The Horrors, are below.

Continue reading "MFNW Day 3 in pics (The Horrors, Shabazz Palaces, Marketa Irglova & Iron & Wine)"

A letter from XL...

We work with some amazing artists, and we appreciate the support you show them. To celebrate their work, and say thank you to you, we've made a limited edition, double 12" vinyl sampler. It features a track from each of the artists we've worked with this year. It won't be available to buy anywhere.

We would like to give you a copy of the XL Recordings Sampler 2011. If you'd like a copy of the sampler, email your postal address to XL11@xlrecordings.com and we'll send you one, wherever you are in the world. We have 1000 copies to give away. First come, first served.

XL Recordings Sampler 2011 tracklist:

A1 Adele- He Won't Go.
A2 Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - I'll Take Care Of You
B1 Radiohead - Supercollider
C1 Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
C2 Friendly Fires - Show Me Lights
D1 The Horrors - Still Life
D2 Jai Paul - BTSTU (Edit)

Thank you,

XL Recordings

DOWNLOAD: The Stepkids - "Shadows on Behalf" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Stepkids - "Legend In My Own Mind" (MP3)

The Stepkids

Spotify Late Nights at Mercury Lounge continue this Thursday (8/18) with Delicate Steve, The Stepkids, Parlovr and DJ Young Elz (RCRD LBL/Our Show). Admission for the 21+ show is free, doors are at 10 PM and the show is first come, first served. Those in attendance will receive an access code for Spotify US.

The Stepkids also head out this September supporting The Horrors on their tour. The tour culminates on October 4 at Webster Hall. Tickets for that show are still available. The Stepkids will release their self titled debut LP on September 27 via Stones Throw. Grab two tracks from that album above, and watch a video for another below with all dates....

Continue reading "Stepkids playing free Spotify show w/ Delicate Steve & Parlovr, touring w/ The Horrors (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

The Horrors played their first NYC show in a year a half at the tiny Studio at Webster Hall last night (8/9), coinciding with the release of their third album, Skying, which takes them further away from the band's goth beginnings. In fact, the 11-song set was almost equally divided between Skying and 2009's Primary Colours, without a single song from their debut Strange House -- probably much to the disappointment of the folks I saw in line with the novelty contact lenses.

The show was also broadcast live online via MTV, and you can stream the whole thing at the bottom of this post. It's certainly a better sounding experience than what I heard standing stage left near the front. Despite a load of trucked in gear and a ton of techies, that space isn't ideal for as manicured a sound as The Horrors'. I could barely hear guitarist Joshua Hayward so well from my vantage point, though half the time I'm pretty sure he was running through so many effects pedals it didn't really sound like stringed instrument anymore.

That said, it was a good set. The band are tight and played most of what you'd want to hear off the last two (very good) albums. Frontman Faris Badwan is a master at hanging off the microphone, glowering underneath that mop of hair, which grew sweatier every song as the humid evening continued. MVP's of the show were the band's killer rhythm section, that laid down a solid groove through the 11-song set, their skill none more apparent than on Skying epic centerpiece "Moving Further Away" which was so good it pumped the crowd for an encore which never came. Maybe they should play that one next to last.

The Horrors will be back for a proper tour of the U.S. in a month, including a stop at Webster Hall (upstairs this time) on October 4. All upcoming Horrors dates, plus video stream of last night's show and the setlist are below.

Continue reading "The Horrors played The Studio -- watch the whole show now (video, review, setlist & more dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Horrors - Further Away (MP3)

If you were, like me, trying to figure out if it was feasible on Thursday (7/28) to see both Metronomy at Pier 57 and make it to The Horrors sold-out show at Studio @ Webster Hall... you don't have to sweat it anymore. The Horrors show has been moved to August 9. All previously purchased tickets will be honored. The Horrors will be back fora proper North American tour starting in September, which hits Webster Hall (main venue) on October 4.

August 9 is also the US release date for The Horrors' keyboard-heavy third album Skying which takes them further and further away from their goth beginnings. I might even call it a summer album -- Skying is certainly an appropriate title. It received a 7.5 from Pitchfork today:

Skying continues the evolution set in motion 2009's Primary Colours, but with an emphasis on melody and pop form. This time, the band recorded and produced in their own studio, crafting a sound that recalls both the gothic pomp of 80s new wave and the big-screen dreaming of early-90s shoegaze, just as it was beginning to transform into chart-conquering Britpop. That the record can be heard as a catalogue of influences is nothing new for this outfit. They've routinely been tagged as "record collector rock" for their unabashed aping of influences from the Cramps to Can -- and indeed their well-selected covers indicate a group that has spent some time in record shops.

You can stream the whole of Skying at the bottom of this post. Also down there: the video to single "Still Life" and all 2011 North American tour dates.

Continue reading "The Horrors postpone Studio show, now happening the day the album comes out here"

The Horrors head out on a North American tour in September. We mentioned that the tour includes ATP NJ and a NYC show on October 4 at Webster Hall right afterwards. No need to wait that link to see the UK band though. The Horrors will pay a visit to the US at the end July. We don't know what else they'll do while they're here but you can catch them on July 28 at The Studio at Webster Hall. Tickets for the intimate show go on sale Saturday (7/9) at 10 AM.

The Horrors' new album Skying gets released on August 9 via XL. Stream the whole thing now, over all the tour dates, below...

Continue reading "The Horrors add small NYC show, streaming new album"

All Tomorrow's Parties returns to the USA this September in the new location of Asbury Park, N.J. bringing an I'll Be Your Mirror event to the iconic waterfront. For the inaugural U.S. I'll Be Your Mirror, Portishead will curate and headline their firrst East Coast shows since 1998 on the Saturday & Sunday.

As well as Day Tickets, ATP have to date been selling two types of weekend pass - "Three Day Jeff Mangum" passes that include Jeff Mangum's Friday show and guarantee access to one of the Portishead shows (as well as everything else at the festival) and "Three Day Portishead" passes that do not give access to Jeff's Friday show but give guaranteed access to both Portishead shows as well as the rest of the festival. Today we announce a third type of weekend pass...

Portishead have invited Jeff to play an extra show on the Sunday night of the festival. Therefore this week we release new "Three Day Jeff Mangum Sunday Passes" - these give access to all three days of the festival to passholders who will see Jeff Mangum on the Sunday night and are guaranteed to see one of the two Portishead shows. The original Three Day passes for the event are now called "Three Day Jeff Mangum Friday Passes."

That means Jeff is playing Asbury Park three times, twice during the actual festival (see above), and, as you know, once on Monday (10/3) at Paramount Theatre (the day after ATP and not actually part of the fest itself). The Monday show has been sold out for a while now, but ATP are releasing a few more tickets for it. "To buy email feedback@atpfestival.com with JEFF MONDAY TICKETS in subject line, and tell us how many tickets you want. We will respond as soon as possible. Payments must be made by Paypal." A Hawk and a Hacksaw (ft. Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeremy Barnes) open the show.

ATP NJ has a few other lineup additions including Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 (they first reunited to play the Animal Collective ATP that recently happened in the UK), avant guitar hero Marc Ribot, avant sax hero Colin Stetson, avant comedian Reggie Watts, and others. Also: "Today we are also very pleased to announce that in conjunction with The Jonathan Levine Gallery, renowned artist SHEPARD FAIREY (who has created the art for this event and will also DJ) will be presenting an exhibition of his art over the weekend entitled Revolutions: The Album Cover Art of Shepard Fairey. More details of the exhibition will be confirmed soon."

The updated lineup is below, along with updated Jeff Mangum tour dates (he added a few other shows recently too)...

Continue reading "ATP NJ adds another Jeff Mangum show, a new kind of pass & some more bands to the lineup"

The Horrors at Bowery Ballroom in 2009 (more by Oren Loloi)

The Horrors will release third third full length Skying on August 9 via XL. After a few European dates this summer, The Horrors will head out on a North American tour in support of the album. The tour kicks off on September 7 in Vancouver, and includes MusicfestNW and ATP NJ. The band will play NYC, right after ATP, on October 4 at Webster Hall. Tickets go on sale Friday (6/17) at noon.

Horrors frontman Faris Badwan's other band Cat's Eyes postponed some shows back in May. Still no information on rescheduled dates.

Check out the new single "Still Life" below, along with all tour dates, album art, and tracklist...

Continue reading "The Horrors announce new album info & tour (dates)"

Here is the initial lineup for Willamette Week's MusicfestNW, scheduled for Sept. 7-11, 2011 in Portland, Oregon, and it's pretty great. The multi-venue fest includes big outdoor performances by Band of Horses (Sunday, Sept. 11), Explosions in the Sky (Saturday, Sept. 10), and Iron & Wine (Friday, Sept. 9), in addition to shows with everyone from Archers of Loaf to Big Freedia to Butthole Surfers to Neurosis. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 3rd. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "MusicfestNW 2011 -- dates & initial lineup"

Updated ATP flyer

"Can we assume they'll be added to ATP, which starts a few days after the Bklyn date?," asked a commenter in the comments of our post announcing the Swans show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and that commenter was dead on.

ATP NJ (aka "Ill Be Your Mirror") has updated its previously announced lineup to include Swans, Peanut Butter Wolf (who will be DJing), Battles, Deerhoof, Jim Thirwell's Manorexia, and Oneida (who will again perform in Ocropolis formation, like in 2009) "ONEIDA PRESENTS THE OCROPOLIS III which will take place at the Asbury Lanes Bowling Alley - the band will perform continuously throughout the day, sometimes with guests from the rich array of musicians also performing in the festival, sometimes alone and mostly improvised."

Though 3-day passes for the Asbury Park Fest, which include your only shot at seeing Jeff Mangum, are sold out (now called the Jeff Mangum Three Day Pass), tickets are still available in multiple incarnations for the three day celebration, including a new "Portishead Three Day Pass" which allows "passholders to see everything else from Friday-Sunday as well as giving priority access with the day pass holders to BOTH Portishead shows on Saturday and Sunday" (the pass doesn't include entry into Jeff Mangum). The "Portishead Three Day Pass" will go on sale at 10AM EST Thursday (4/21) and individual day passes are currently on sale. The versions of the 3-day pass that are sold out only guarantee you one night of Portishead. "Existing Day ticketholders or Jeff Mangum Three Day pass holders who wish to switch to a Portishead Three Day Pass should contact ATP via feedback@atpfestival.com before May 30th."

The current lineup is below.

Continue reading "ATP NJ adds 'Portishead 3 Day Pass', expands lineup (Swans, Oneida, Battles, Deerhoof, more)"

Shepard Fairey is also DJing the event on Sunday

ATP Asbury Park ("I'll Be Your Mirror") has released the second wave of artist announcements including many of Portishead's choices for the bill! We already knew about Jeff Mangum, Bonnie Prince Billy, Shellac, Chavez and more. New additions include, not surprisingly, Portishead-related acts Anika and Beak> (and this time Anika will be performing live and not just DJing). There's also now a rare reunion of The Pop Group, an Ultramagnetic MC's reunion (WITH Kool Keith), Silver Qluster (Simeon of Silver Apples and Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster/Harmonia), Thee Siliver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Mogwai, Earth, The Horrors and more. The full list is below.

Jeff Mangum also just announced a slew of other shows aside from ATP Asbury Park, including a UK ATP.

More details, a bigger Shepard Fairey-designed poster, and the full schedule below...

Continue reading "ATP NJ lineup expands (Pop Group & Ultramagnetic MCs reunions, Mogwai, Horrors & more Portishead-picked bands)"

by Bill Pearis

While we wait for the Horrors to follow-up 2009's excellent Primary Colours, front man Faris Badwan has started another band (he's adamant it's not a "side project"), Cat's Eyes, a duo with Rachel Zewffira, a Canadian opera soprano and classical multi-instrumentalist.  Musically, Cat's Eyes promises to be, in the words of the press release, "a romantic pop masterpiece fit to dine at the same table as mid-'60s productions by Phil Spector, Joe Meek or Shadow Morton, but with a fiercely modern, experimental premise, which constantly leaves you wondering just what you're listening to, and how on earth it was created."

That certainly sounds interesting. You can download "Not A Friend" over at RCRD LBL. I didn't wonder what I was listening to, or how on earth it was created, but it's a nice little understated song that's quite pretty. Cat's Eyes debut is due out May 3 (via on Cooperative Music USA / Downtown Records). That same week, Cat's Eyes will perform at Bowery Ballroom (May 5) and tickets are on sale now.

Cat's Eyes first live performance was at The Vatican. Yes, that Vatican. Badwan told NME: "We were actually in the Basilica, with all the cardinals in the middle of a Mass. We didn't even tell them  we werer going to do it. We just booked under the name of a local choir, sang along with them and then started playing our song "I Knew it Was Over" at the end. The cardinals were totally into it."

There's footage of that covert performance below. Cat's Eyes proper debut gig is March 14 in Manchester. All 2011 non-Vatican tour dates (California included) are below...

Continue reading "Horrors frontman forms Cat's Eyes w/ Rachel Zewffira (album coming soon, US shows announced)"

by BBG

Dan Auerbach, Jim Jones, Mos Def, Patrick Carney, and Damon Dash

Just in time for the holidays and to remind the hip hop listmakers that The Ecstatic was/is the truth, the two-time Grammy nominated Mos Def has scheduled a show on 12/20 at Highline Ballroom. Tickets, though not cheap, are on sale.

Mos Def was also recently announced as a contributor to the new Gorillaz record, along with a host of notables

The third Gorillaz album will feature one newly announced GPS voice, two iconic frontmen of the '60s and '70s, and more, lending to a contributing line-up as eclectic as the one heard on 2005's Demon Days.
The GPS voice, Snoop Dogg, plus Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, will be heard alongside Mos Def, Bobby Womack, The Horrors and the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra in Plastic Beach, out 2010.

The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have wanted to make a hip-hop album since they were teenagers....
"All the blues music I liked was super simple and stripped down. All the hip-hop I liked was super simple and stripped down," says Auerbach. "We always heard that connection."
The Black Keys' first demo reflected their hip-hop tastes. It featured drum loops and samples, which their first record label later told them to scrap. Years later, following recent praise for their minimalist, bluesy jams, The Black Keys have finally recorded a hip-hop album. Their collaborative ensemble is called BlakRoc.
"What makes this special is the guys' sensibility of hip-hop," [Pharoahe Monch] says. "The drum loop-like timing and patterns make a groove that is easy to rhyme to and to write over."-[NPR]

The Capo Jim Jones and Mos Def, along with the Black Keys, (BlakRoc) played Letterman last night (12/8) - the same night that Jawbox was burnin' Fallon to the ground. It was also rumored that the group might play a secret show at new venue Under 100 (in the basement of Damon Dash's building) later that night, but though Mos Def was there hanging out (again), he and the group didn't actually play (pictures from that event coming later).

Dig on the live Blakroc video from Letterman, the official video for the same song, as well as more videos from Mos, below...

Continue reading "Mos Def on new Gorillaz album, playing Highline, in Blakroc w/ Black Keys & Jim Jones (video from Letterman last night) "

The December issue of Q Magazine is an 'Artists Of The Century' special edition, covering all of the acts that the fine staff of the good ship Q feel are the most important of the century so far. As befitting a special edition of the UK best selling music monthly requires a special cover was commissioned world renowned photographer John Wright has spent over a year shooting 34 artists to fit on triple fold out cover.

The issue is packed to the gills with pieces written by Russell Brand on Noel Gallagher, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis on Coldplay and Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme on The Arctic Monkeys. In addition it also includes exclusive interviews and photos from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, U2, Dave Grohl, Lily Allen, Rihanna, Sir Paul McCartney, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Brandon Flowers from The Killers, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Pink, Muse's Matt Bellamy, Murdoc from Gorillaz, The Kings Of Leon, Mark Ronson, Mika, Nick Cave, Robert Plant, Florence Welch, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and Tom Chaplin of Keane.

Continue reading "Q Magazine's Top Albums of 2009 "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Beach Fossils - Vacation (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fool's Gold - Surprise Hotel (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Raveonettes - Last Dance (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Raveonettes - Suicide (MP3)

The Raincoats

It's almost CMJ time and if you (and by "you" I mean "me") were smart you'd rest up till Tuesday... but there's a lot of good shows between now and then, so it's easier said than done. If you don't mind the rain and cold that this weekend is bringing.

Perhaps the most interesting show of the night is at Knitting Factory where legendary all-female post-punk band The Raincoats play as part of The Royal Flush Festival. With odd instrumentation, unconventional songwriting and a generally itchy, discordant vibe, the London group's three original albums (1979's self-titled debut , 1981's Odyshape, 1984's Moving) were mildly successful on the UK indie charts but proved highly influential. (Their records have aged exceptionally well.) Kurt Cobain was a huge fan, and actually got his label DGC to reissue the Raincoats' albums and convinced the band to reform and open for Nirvana on a 1994 UK tour, though he would die a week before it was to start. But the reformation proved creatively successful, and Raincoats recorded a third album, Looking in the Shadows, in 1996. They've stayed sporadically active ever since.

Tonight's show also features Soft Power which is the project from onetime Autoclave/Helium singer Mary Timony -- reason enough for many to go right there. Timony was one of the '90s most distinctive guitarists and songwriters, and her post-Helium solo work has been good too. Soft Power is apparently more of a collaborative effort -- bandmates Jonah Takagi (who plays a homemade baritone guitar) and keyboardist Winston Yu write and sing as well. The two songs on Soft Power's MySpace sound pretty good. The show is rounded out by onetime Slits guitarist Viv Albertine.

If you miss it, Soft Power have another show scheduled on November 14th at Southpaw.

The Horrors @ Bowery Ballroom earlier in the tour (more by Oren Loloi)

The Horrors are back in town tonight (10/15) playing Music Hall of Williamsburg, wrapping up their U.S. tour (their Maxwell's show was cancelled) supporting their great new album Primary Colours, which I've gone on about a couple times already. But we are getting close to Halloween, so what better time to embrace your goth side with this show? Tonight's show is with JAMC/Spacemen 3-loving San Diego band Crocodiles, a definite good fit with The Horrors, and soul/blues/gospel/punks Black Diamond Heavies.

Air Waves @ The Yard over the summer (more by Sarahana)

Meanwhile, over at Market Hotel is a solid, all-locals line-up, headed by Beach Fossils. I've had quibbles with their sound in the past (silly vocal effects) and they need to write a few more songs, like soon, but they've become a good band very quickly, and the last time I saw them they really had it together. As I've said before, there's a definite New Zealand vibe going on (maybe a little early R.E.M. too), super catchy songs with bouncy arrangements. I like them a lot. Also playing are Air Waves who've been playing around for a while now but have just gotten around to releasing their first EP which is really quite lovely, in a folky Velvet Underground kind of way. Singer Nicole Schneit is a talented songwriter and Air Waves' keep things simple and focused on the songs. Rounding out the bill are acid-prog collective Prince Rama of Ayodhya and PC Worship.

Speaking of Air Waves, they're looking for a drummer:

Someone reliable, good drummer, quick learner, committed, fun. After a bunch of CMJ shows, we have a 2 week European tour for February, and a March tour down to SXSW for the third time.

20-34 if possible. Female or male.

Love, Nicole

Fool's Gold

L.A's Fool's Gold, not to be confused with A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs' record label of the same name, hit town for a string of shows that begins tonight (10/16) at the Cameo, continues Saturday at Cake Shop and runs through CMJ. Conceived by Israeli-born singer Luke Top and guitarist Lewis Pesacov, Fool's Gold are draw heavy influence from Afrobeat, but sing almost exclusively in Hebrew, and the band numbers anywhere from 8 - 11. There's a lot of buzz about Fool's Gold right now, the video for single "Surprise Hotel" has been making the rounds (and you can download the MP3 above). I'm not 100% on these guys yet, but I'm curious enough to see them live. The Cake Shop show also features a DJ set from Lemonade.

In November, Fool's Gold goes out on tour in support of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. That tour includes shows at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for both are on sale. All Fool's Gold dates are at the bottom of this post.

I should briefly mention Echo & The Bunnymen who play tomorrow (10/17) at Mercury Lounge which will certainly be a fun tiny place to see them if you got tickets. If not, they're back playing Hammerstein Ballroom on November 22. Much like 2005's Siberia, the new album, The Fountain, is better than I was expecting it to be, thanks mainly to Will Seargent's still-inventive, soaring guitar-work. He's a true original. Ian McCulloch's cigarette-fueled vocals are like a great big hug, warm and nostalgic, though his lyrics at times are more than a little cringeworthy ("I love that sweet sack you're in / I love your saccharine"). But they still sound like the Bunnymen (well, circa 1987).

And finally, if you missed The Raveonettes at Webster Hall (or Maxwell's) earlier this week, you can still see them at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday (10/18). The band have never really strayed from their Phil Spector meets JAMC formula, but Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo began perfecting and elevating it with last year's Lust Lust Lust, and while they turn down the volume (or at least the distortion) for the new In and Out of Control, I think it's their best batch of songs yet -- nearly every song on it could be a single. You can download two of them at the top of this post. And even when they were making less inspired records, The Raveonettes were always a good live band. And here they're coming off two strong records. Go see them. Opening are Austin's Black Angels, who sound a lot like the Brian Jonestown Massacre but do it pretty well.

That's it for the weekend. Get ready for the CMJ onslaught. Tour dates and videos follow.

Continue reading "The Raincoats, Soft Power, Fool's Gold, Air Waves (need a drummer), Horrors, Bunnymen & more in This Week in Indie"

photos by Oren Loloi

The Horrors and Crocodiles played a September 17th show at Bowery Ballroom. The Horrors also performed at a fashion week party while they were here. If you missed them, both bands will be back within a month - their tour together ends with an October 16th show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets are still on sale.

The Horrors' (post-Crocs) tour used to include a show at Maxwell's on October 17th, but that show has been canceled due to a newly-scheduled trip to Mexico that has the band playing in Guadalajara on October 18th.

The Hoboken venue now has Art Brut as that night's band. It's one of several NYC-area shows on Art Brut's tour. Tickets for the show are on sale.

Crocodiles shared a guitarist with Dum Dum Girls at their Woodsist Fest live debut, but that lineup doesn't look to be permanent. Dum Dum Girls' CMJ appearance and their late October shows with The King Khan & BBQ Show conflict with Crocodiles' upcoming European tour.

Updated tour dates for both the Horrors and Crocodiles and more pictures from Bowery Ballroom, below...

Continue reading "The Horrors & Crocodiles played Bowery Ballroom (pics), not playing Maxwell's (canceled due to Mexico)"