words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

"I gotta go! I'm gonna ride my bike right out of here," said Jon Spencer at the end of the Blues Explosion's blistering hour-long set at the South Street Seaport yesterday (6/17). Playing to the riding masses as part of the Bicycle Film Festival kickoff, JSBX reminded those who braved threatening skies and this enduring spring's chilly temperatures that - as one foam finger displayed - the 'Blues is #1.'

The crowd may have been smaller than most to pack the Seaport but the New York-based Blues Explosion might as well have been playing for every single person in Lower Manhattan. Judah Bauer on guitar (and a fiery harmonica during the encore, "Bellbottoms") and drummer Russell Simins charged from one song to another with traditional reckless abandon.

Opening for the locals were French four-piece, The Teenagers. Their mashup of punk, pop and electronics was fun though lead-singer Quentin Delafon pulled much of the attention away from the band as a whole. Climbing over speakers and through the photographer's pit and over the barricade, Delafon spent more time strutting around off the stage, or handing his microphone off to audience members than he did on stage, even forgetting his cue at one point.

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Jon Spencer Blues Explosion & The Teenagers @ South Street Seaport in NYC (Bike Film Fest) - pics"

photos by Gabi Porter

The Jon Spencer BLUES EXPLOSION and The Teenagers to Play FreeBikes RockConcert at The Seaport

Kick Off to New York City Bicycle Film Festival
Wednesday, June 17, 6 p.m. Pier 17 Stage, The Seaport
Free

Continue reading "free Bicycle Film Fest show @ the Seaport w/ Jon Spencer Blues Explosion & The Teenagers who played CMJ (pics) "

Tickets are on Am Ex presale (@ noon) for the Webster Hall show Tokyo Police Club are playing. If you don't have an Am Ex, they also go on Artist Arena presale at 3PM. Regular Ticketmaster sale begins Friday.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Department of Eagles show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets for the upcoming Sharon Jones shows at Nokia Theatre are on Am Ex presale (at noon).

The Teenagers are playing MHOW on Thursday. Tickets are still on sale. Their other NYC show is opening for Vampire Weekend at Terminal 5.

Tickets are back on sale for tonight/Wednesday's Vampire Weekend show at Terminal 5.

Tickets are now on presale (PASSWORD = BUYTIXNOW) fot two shows Antony & The Johnsons are playing at Town Hall.

Martin Sexton is playing two shows at Town Hall in February too, and tickets are also now on presale (PASSWORD = BUYTIXNOW ?).

Tickets are on Am Ex presale (@ noon) for the recently added Black Keys show at Terminal 5.

OK Go are playing MHOW on March 8th. Tickets are on Am Ex presale (@ noon).

Tickets are on sale for the show Coliseum is playing @ Europa on February 27th.

Tickets are on Am Ex presale (@ noon) for the 2nd Crystal Castles show at MHOW.

Tickets go on sale Friday for Amanda Palmer's New Years Eve show.

The above design can be had on a t-shirt.

photos by Tim Griffin

Vampire Weekend shows
Dec 3 @ Terminal 5 w/ The Teenagers
Dec 4 @ Terminal 5 w/ Telepathe
Dec 6 @ Terminal 5 w/ Fiasco & Air Bombay
Dec 8 @ Wellmont Theater w/ Ra Ra Riot

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend openers, Woodies pics w/ Chromeo "

Black Lips @ Lollapalooza 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

Black Lips, Japanese Motors and The Teenagers are playing two Toyota parties during CMJ this year. Japanese Motors are also playing a VICE late night party @ The Studio. PLEASE NOTE the corrected lineups for that... and the Toyota Antics flyer below...

Continue reading "Black Lips & Teenagers playing Antics parties during CMJ"

photos by Leia Jospe

Teenagers w/ guests from the audience

The Teenagers (from France) and Team Robespierre (from Brooklyn) finished their tour together at Maxwell's (from Hoboken) on Saturday (May 10, 2008). Earlier in the month they played a show in Illinois....

Team Robespierre's secret to mayhem isn't a secret at all. Within moments of starting their first number, off from the stage jumped the band's lead singer, where he pranced around wailing as the microphone chord got tangled in amp wires (by the way, the term "lead singer" is used very loosely here: With Team Robespierre, the vocals are less singing and more non-metal shouting, and the "lead" part might be completely wrong, as all the members except for the drummer spent a considerable amount of time with their mouths on a mic). A quarter way into the set, three-fifths of the band was down with the audience. The keyboardist even took part, using the edge of the stage as his keyboard stand. I imagine this is a technique they use to recreate their natural habitat -- the illegal living-room venues in Brooklyn where the line between performer and audience is so porous and invisible it might as well not exist, where Team Robespierre is mildly renowned for turning run-down lofts and arty kitchens all sweaty and awesome. [North by Northwestern]

Continue reading "The Teenagers & Team Robespierre @ Maxwell's, NJ - pics"

photos by Leia Jospe

The Teenagers' performance at Mercury Lounge last time around was so-so. The thing that stuck with me the most was how "Nada Surf - Popular" their style of singing and talking was (not a good thing). That said, they're back and they've moved up the venue ladder with shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg (TONIGHT/Saturday) and Bowery Ballroom (Monday). They're also playing a free show at American Apparel in Park Slope on Sunday, and a show at Maxwell's in a week. All non-clothing store dates are with Team Robespierre. All dates, and more pictues from their February Cake Shop in-store, below....

Continue reading "The Teenagers - 2008 Tour Dates (American Apparel), pics"

Cut Copy's Manhattan show sold right out. Brooklyn is still on sale. You'll find tickets for The Teenagers' Saturday night Brooklyn show at the same link, and you'll also find The Teenagers playing a free in-store upstairs at Cake Shop this Saturday (Feb 2) at 6pm (a 4th NYC show I forgot to mention before). More Cut Copy dates here.

DOWNLOAD: The Teenagers - Starlett Johansson (MP3)

The Teenagers play their first of three NYC shows tonight (Jan 30) at Mercury Lounge. Their third show is Saturday February 2nd at Studio B, and then the day after that they're filming a video...

Continue reading "The Teenagers are in NYC, casting for a video "

DOWNLOAD: The Teenagers - Starlett Johansson (NARCTRAX REMIX) (MP3)

The Teenagers in Vancouver BC, Canada - Jan 18, 2008 (Michelle)

Above is the swelling Narctrax remix of The Teenagers ode to Scarlett Johansson. Below is the video for their massive single "Homecoming" (which reminds me of the video for Tokyo Police Club’s ~ Your English Is Good ).

The Teenagers digitally released their new record on Tuesday - the same day they kicked off their first North American tour (have you seen them yet? The verdict?). They're rolling into New York next week - playing at the coveted Mercury Lounge before doing the back to back behemoth of Hiro and Studio B. For a new band that has yet to prove themselves, we are waiting to see how they swing three nights in New York.

Do you want to go to the Saturday February 2nd Studio B show (a FIXED party that Hot Chip also happen to be djing)? We have two pairs of tickets to give away. To win, email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Teenagers). Include your first and last name. Two winners will be picked at random and contacted. Video below...

Continue reading "remixed, by Finger on the Pulse (Vol 2.1), The Teenagers"

DOWNLOAD: The Teenagers - Homecoming (sluttt 98% Done Remix) (MP3)

The Teenagers are three French dudes from Paris that sing “I fucked my American cunt,” in this popular single, “Homecoming.” Some American girls find the word cunt rude, but for the hundreds of skinny jean wearing girls that fill The Teenagers’ shows, they’ll ignore the word and wait for a French invasion.

Penetrating America are The Teenagers, kicking off their first American tour and cutting the challenges that most bands face in the beginning of their careers. “We didn’t have to go through the shitty van and touring the entire country phase. Thanks, MySpace!” says Michael Szpiner, 26, who used to be a graphic designer before doing the pop star thing. [Format]

Continue reading "The Teenagers - 2008 Tour Dates, MP3, video"