by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Parlovr - Pen to the Paper (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Suuns - Arena (MP3)

Making good use of those year-long visas, Montreal trio Parlovr are heading back down to the States next week for a short North East tour, with two stops here in NYC: Wednesday, July 21 for an early show at Mercury Lounge and and Friday, July 23 at Knitting Factory. Both show are with fellow Montreal act Suuns. (More on them further down this post.)

Parlovr's 2008 debut just got a belated stateside release  -- download "Pen to the Paper" at the top of this post -- and the band are about to head back into the studio for its follow-up. As I've said before, they're an entertaining live band. Here's what I wrote from last year's M for Montreal:

The band's self-titled, self-released 2008 album does not do them justice, making them sound like a Wolf Parade Jr. Live, Parlovr are way more energetic, fun and melodic -- though it may have also had something to do with a fair amount of new material in their set. Singers Louis Jackson and Alex Cooper semi face each other from opposite sides of the stage rocking back and forth like manic Drinking Birds, flipping their '90s skate rat hair around, while mountain man drummer Jeremy MacCuish holds down the beat. They clearly enjoy playing, and it's a lot of fun to watch too.

Be sure to watch Parlovr's two new Takeaway shows which are at the bottom of this post. One of them features an unexpected run-in with a Montreal councilman, the outcome of which probably wouldn't happen in NYC.

After their U.S. jaunt, Parlovr will head back to Montreal, where they'll play a free warm-up party for the Osheaga Festival on July 29 at Cafe Campus that is being sponsored by Brooklyn Vegan, M for Montreal, Canadian music mag Exclaim and Blue Skies Turn Black. The 2010 Osheaga Festival is July 31 and August 1, with Arcade Fire, Weezer, Pavement, The National and Metric among the bands playing.

The BV/M4M show is one of a few "Osheaga in the City" events leading up to the big Festival weekend and also features Isis of Thunderheist and Sean Nicholas Savage.

Suuns

Meanwhile, Suuns will continue on in the U.S. after their dates with Parlovr. The band, who until just a couple month ago were known as Zeroes, will hit the road, opening for some of the dates on Land of Talk's fall tour. (Their portion of the tour will end before Land of Talk plays Bowery on November 6 though.) The band's EP, Zeroes, is quite good, sounding a little bit like Clinic -- dark and claustrophobic but also capable of going epic, as on "Arena" which you can download at the top of this post. This will be a good double-bill.

Those two Parlovr takeaway shows, flyers and tour dates for both Parlovr and Suuns are after the jump.

Continue reading "Parlovr touring w/ Suuns (who tour w/ Land of Talk), playing free BV-presented Osheaga show & other dates ++ MP3s"

The final lineup for Monolith Festival, which takes place at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, on September 12th-13th, is below. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Girl Talk headline Saturday night at the festival, and the Mars Volta and MSTRKRFT top the bill on Sunday. Deer Tick, Passion Pit, Doom, The Walkmen, The Thermals, and HEALTH are also some of the bands on the two-day bill.

Tickets and two-day passes are still on sale. We also has a pair of weekend tickets to give away. Details on that, with the full lineup, below...

Continue reading "Monolith Festival - final 2009 lineup ++ WIN a two-day pass"

photos by Lori Baily

Canadian electronic duo Thunderheist played Studio B on June 19th as part of their summer North American tour. Wallpaper opened. Live, Thunderheist's Isis and Grahm Zilla added a drummer to round out the lineup. PaperMag was there...

The threesome didn't take the stage Friday night until well into the wee hours, 2 a.m. to be exact (so, Saturday), and they commanded the room for about an hour. Grahm expertly fiddled with buttons and dials as Isis stole the show, lead singer and hype woman combined. "I was nervous," she confessed. She admitted to having been worried that no one would know who they were, that they'd be this random act without a fanbase to rev them up and bring the evening full circle. If indeed she expected this sad display, she and her team must have been happily surprised, as seemingly no one was unfamiliar with their set. Based on their energetic performance, it's safe to say anyone who entered with no knowledge exited a schooled fool.

As of now, there are five more events until the Brooklyn venue closes for good. Those include a "Fourth of July Independence Day Blowout" and a show with punk band Tragedy. Tickets for four of the events are for sale at Ticketweb.

More pictures from Friday and the full, final Studio B schedule, below...

Continue reading "Studio B - Thunderheist played (pics), 5 more events to go "

DOWNLOAD: Thunderheist - Nothin 2 Step 2 (Idiotproof Remix) (MP3)

Canadian electro-hop duo Thunderheist kicked off a North American tour last night (June 18th) in Boston. That trip brings them to NYC tonight (June 19th) for a show at Studio B's Finger on the Pulse 'Yikes' party. Also at the show will be Wallpaper and resident DJs Terry Diabolik and Never Forget. Tickets are on sale, and we have THREE pairs to give away. Info on how to win is below.

DJ duo Finger on the Pulse appear regularly at Studio B and elsewhere in the city. On August 9th (not 2nd - there are two dates floating around), they will be DJing at the free Williamsburg Waterfront show (that Simian Mobile Disco is also playing).

Thunderheist's self-titled debut LP came out on Big Dada earlier this year. The latest single from that, "Nothing 2 Step 2," was released on its own EP in May. A video for that song, with the EP art, track list, and all tour dates, is below...

Continue reading "Thunderheist - 2009 Tour Dates (Studio B tonight) "

Mutek banner in Montreal - May 27, 2009 (bneely)

Mutek, the electronic music festival celebrating its tenth year, is currently underway in Montreal. The five-day fest runs to Sunday, May 31st, and it's streaming online. Moderat, the Modeselektor & Apparat supergroup, performed at Mutek on Thursday, May 28th; the group plays NYC's Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, May 30th (the show was originally planned for Webster Hall). Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of parties up North this summer... three other biggies are Ottawa Bluesfest (July 8th-19th), Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 17-19th) and Calgary Folk Music Festival (July 23rd-26th). Each of those suitably transcend the "blues" and "folk" labels, hosting bands like The Dead Weather and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (in Ottawa), The Weakerthans and Rock Plaza Central (in Vancouver), and The Decemberists, Apostle of Hustle, Kid Koala and Akron/Family (in Calgary). Full lineup for the Calgary Fest (Ottawa in particular is much too massive to post) and ticket info below.

And don't forget about the previously reported Breeders-headlined Sled Island Fest in Calgary on June 24th-27th, Montreal's Osheaga, NXNE, and Toronto's Olympic Island Fest on July 11th, which will host Broken Social Scene and its Arts & Crafts cohorts.

Across the pond, UK's Glastonbury Festival, which runs from June 24th to 28th, has been sold out since February even though the full lineup wasn't announced until this week. Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Blur will be joined by The Specials, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Spinal Tap, Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Madness, Tom Jones, Animal Collective and many others.

And finally in the States, Monolith Festival, which runs from September 12th to 13th at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado, has announced its intial lineup, Girl Talk, Passion Pit, and The Walkmen included. The whole thing is posted below.

The weekend before Monolith, Bumbershoot will take place in Seattle (September 5th-7th). That fest's lineup has been updated too. New additions include Vivian Girls, Akron/Family, and Elvis Perkins. All new additions, with previously announced acts, are below. Tickets are still on sale.

In Michigan, the Rothbury Festival over July 4th weekend will feature the only summer fest performance by The Dead, as well as sets by Bob Dylan, String Cheese Incident, Broken Social Scene and more. A few more jam-friendly acts were also just added to the bill. Full lineup below. Tickets are on sale.

Info on all the above fests, with ticket info, below...

Continue reading "Mutek underway, Monolith & Glastonbury lineups, Rothbury, Bumbershoot, Calgary Folk & other festival updates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Winter Gloves - Smells Like Teen Spirit (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Winter Gloves - Let Me Drive (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pomegranates - Corriander (MP3)

Winter Gloves, who got stuck at the border when they were supposed to play here last month, are coming back to the US for a short tour in May, including a May 13 stop at Mercury Lounge. Here's what I said last time:

I caught Winter Gloves last November at M for Montreal where they were already local favorites. Not dissimilar from Tokyo Police Club, we're talking keyboard-driven dance rock with a lot of participatory handclapping. "Let Me Drive," which you can download at the top of this post, is pretty typical of their debut album, About a Girl, which came out last year. They're great live and worth the $8 alone.

In addition to "Let Me Drive," check out their cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the band recorded recently in tribute to the 15th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death.

The Mercury Lounge show (tickets) is a great bill: BV-faves Wye Oak headline the show, and Cincinatti's fine Pomegranates also play, so that's three worthy bands. Wye Oak and Pomegrantes are on tour together and played the Bell House in Brooklyn with Croooked Finges the other night. Check out Pomegranates' "Corriander" above too.

Before heading across the border, Winter Gloves will be doing a series of opening dates for Thunderheist in Canada. All dates and the video below...

Continue reading "Winter Gloves tour dates - NYC w/ Wye Oak & Pomegranates"

Ida Maria @ Union Hall (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* papercranes @ City Winery
* Glasvegas, Ida Maria @ Webster Hall
* Gringo Star, Des Roar @ Glasslands
* The War on Drugs, The Drones @ Union Hall
* Oh Land, Jason Anderson @ Pete's Candy Store
* Sharon Van Etten, Virgin Passages, Regia @ Cake Shop
* DD/MM/YYYY, Wavves, Vampire Hands, Real Estate @ Mercury Lounge
* The Dead @ Roseland Ballroom, Gramercy Theatre & Angel Orensanz
* Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, miniboone, The Fumes @ Pianos
* The Hold Steady, The Rosewood Thieves, Black Gold @ Irving Plaza

Black Joe Lewis is also opening for Gomez at Bowery Ballroom tomorrow.

All Points West 2009 lineup announced.

Ladyhawke, Ida Maria, Yelle, Thunderheist (whose album is out this week) and others (including Kanye West, but not Lady Sovereign who cancelled) played the Perez Hilton (love him, or more likely hate him...) party at SXSW. A video compilation featuring live performances and interviews from that event, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

by Andrew Frisicano

Ida Maria @ Union Hall (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

I wanted to re-release my album, the way I wanted it to be.

I have designed the artwork, added three new songs, and changed the track listing.

Now it sounds, looks and feels like I want it to feel, and I am so excited again.

The story behind this cover is a story similar to a homebaked applecake.

You take what you have in your kitchen and experiment a little and hold tumbs that no one will notice you kinda forgot the recipe.

And then it turns out tasting good as hell and nobody can ever make it again.

My drummer Olle is a photographer (!) and has shot the genius cover photo in his apartment in Stockholm, with use of just the light that was there. Lamps in the livingroom, and pocket flashlight.

The cover art is designed by my friend Jon Edergren. -[Ida Maria's Myspace blog]

Fortress Round My Heart, Ida Maria's 2008 debut, is coming out in the US, digitally on March 24th and on CD, April 14th, on Universal's Mercury Records. The US release will sport a new cover and re-arranged track list, but won't include the bonus tracks described above (though new song "In the End" will replace previous closer "See Me Through").

Ida Maria is one of the many scheduled to be at SXSW this week. She was/is supposed to play KCRW's Showcase at Buffalo Billiards, a show at Maggie Mae's , and is on the bill of Perez Hilton's "One Night in Austin" party on Saturday.

"One Night in Austin" will feature Yelle, Solange, Lady Sovereign, Margaret Cho, Ladyhawke, Little Boots, Ida Maria and Thunderheist, plus "a very special Surprise Musical Performance." No word on who: "Not Tori Amos [but] one of our FAVORITEST acts of all time!!!!!!" [RSVP for the party].

UPDATE: Ida Maria never made it to her official SXSW showcases...

I don't think Ida Maria played either Maggie Mae's or Buffalo Billiards. I wanted to see her play while I am down here, but both nights, she was removed from the official sxsw.com website. She was replaced with Zee Avi on wednesday and with Val Emmich yesterday. I hope she actually plays the perez show. Looking forward to seeing her at MHOW regardless" [Ashok]

EW confirms that, "...Zee Avi, a tiny girl with a warm smile filled the lonesome last spot at the KCRW showcase on Wednesday night. It was huge opportunity for the newcomer -- her self-titled debut will be out May 19 -- filling in for Norwegian rocker chick/hype magnet Ida Maria, who was reportedly stuck in U.S. customs."

After the festival (if she makes it at all), Ida Maria is touring with Glasvegas through March, including a March 28th show at Music Hall of Williamsburg (on sale ) and a March 30th one at Webster Hall (on sale). Ida Maria also has a scheduled appearance at Coachella Festival on April 18th.

Ladyhawke visits NYC after SXSW. Little Boots was here in February.

All Ida Maria tour dates and the "Oh My God" video below...

Continue reading "Ida Maria - now on a major label, playing Perez Hilton's SXSW party???, Coachella & other places"

the Black Ghosts in NYC, CMJ 2007 (by Jefferson)

RSVP for the Saturday night party here (quick before it closes). Flyer below...

Continue reading "free Black Ghosts/Thunderheist show @ Glasslands tonight"

DOWNLOAD: Thunderheist - Jerk It (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Misfits- halloween (cousin cole vs flufftronix remix). (yousendit)

Thunderheist @ 205, NYC (BV & DB's Dance) - Oct 20, 2007

Dress up and get down tonight (Oct 31, 2007) at Flavorpill's annual Anniversary/Halloween party. Not only is it the scariest of parties, the line-up is stacked tonight with Peanut Butter Wolf, Swayzak, Japanther, and Thunderheist - maybe you caught their crazy set at our CMJ party at 205 (pics above). Swayzak have been doing live electronic (and minimal) since before laptops (and minimal) exisited. The Flavorpill party is in a secret location (and benefitting charity: water) so make sure you've texted the secret number and bring a little extra cash for charity: water. (RSVP - code= helix)

Ghostly International and DFA are teaming up tonight for a spooky bash at Studio B in Brooklyn (tickets here). It's the last stop for Matthew Dear's Big Hands live show along with Invisible Conga People and DJ support from DFA's T and T (Tims Goldsworthy and Sweeney), The Juan Macelan, Morgan Geist, and Ghostly's Derek Plaslaiko and Jeffrey Sfire. No word on whether Sfire's Ghostly's spooky tee shirts are condsidered a costume.

Where to dance like the zombies you are with the rest of the living dead...

Continue reading "Halloween, Thunderheist, DFA, Dance w/ David Bruno"

by Klaus Kinski

DOWNLOAD: Trail of Dead - Worlds Apart (MP3)

Trail of Dead (CRED)

On Thursday (Oct 18, 2007) I (Klaus) went to the Highline Ballroom for the first time to check out the Thunderheist/Yo Majesty/Trail of Dead/Islands/Enon/The Octopus Project CMJ showcase. Unfortunately I was only able to stay for Thunderheist, Yo Majesty, and Trail of Dead but these three acts packed such a punch that I left very satisfied.

Thunderheist (CRED)

I have to start by mentioning that I've never been to the Highline, but I was pretty impressed with the quality of the sound and the sightlines. It did have an all-too-polished, almost sterile look and the numerous security guards on hand made it feel a bit confined, but overall I dug the place. Thunderheist was up first at 8pm sharp and blasted through an absolutely phenominal set to an unfortunately empty and impotent room. As an old fart, I'm not prone to too much movement at shows these days, but this two-piece's agressive vocals, overwhelming stage presence, and superb beats almost had me moving. There was a 5-minute period in their set when I felt that the wind had been taken from their sails, and I thought they might be one of these bands that tend to start strong and fizzle out. However, they cranked it right back up and ended the set with a bang.

Yo Majesty (CRED)

Next up was Tampa's Yo Majesty and they absolutely blew my mind. The DJ kicked things off solo, spinning a fantastic up-tempo beat to get the crowd in the mood for what was about to begin. Then Shunda K & Jwl. B came out and tore into a set that was explosive, aggressive, and relentless. By this time, the room had filled up a lot and Yo Majesty completely had us all in their power. And as has happened in the past, toplessness ensued. I cannot recommend them enough; see them live, buy their records, download their tunes, just do yourself a favor and acquaint yourself with them. I am so glad I did.

The third and final band up was Trail of Dead. People nowadays seem sort of wishy-washy about how they feel about Trail of Dead. Some people think they've still got it, others think they're not as good as they used to be. But last night's set of anthemic, powerful tunes put them back on my list of bands one must see live. In addition to being totally on top of their game, they were so goddamned loud my shoes came untied.

----

RELATED: Islands played this show and the BrooklynVegan party at R Bar. Yo Majesty didn't play R Bar, but did play Irving Plaza the next day. Thunderheist played the BrooklynVegan afterparty at 205 on Saturday night. Trail of Dead play Bowery Ballroom on November 23.

Why RSVP? So we know you're there for the BrooklynVegan party. That said, we can still only fit as many people in that will fit in 205 (205 Chrystie St), so get there early if you want to catch Thunderheist and Walter Meego.

DOWNLOAD: Thunderheist - Horny (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thunderheist - Sueños Dulces (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thunderheist - Bubblegum (Hatchmatik Birdflu in June Remix) (MP3)

Thunderheist (CRED)

The pursuit of fun has proved to be a successful artistic method for Thunderheist. Grahm lived in Montreal and Isis in Toronto. They were MySpace friends. “He accidentally sent me a remix he made for Spank Rock,” tells the lady on vox, “and I spit over it.”

“Anywhere there were gaps in the vocals, she was like, ‘Mwew, mwew mwew,’” Grahm says, using his disposable coffee cup as a mic. The chemistry was clear. “So I started cranking out beats and sent them to her.” They went into their first show having never played in the same room.

Earning a rep for her onstage antics, Isis trades shots for lap dances, gets the crowd hyped and provokes dirty dancing by showing how it’s done. “Our live shows got people talking,” Grahm explains contently. [URB Magazine]

Thunderheist played the Big Stereo party at Studio B Wednesday night. Then they played Highline Ballroom with Yo Majesty, Islands, Enon, and Trail of Dead last night (Oct 18). In case you missed them, David Bruno and I just got confirmation that they accepted our invitation to also play at our Saturday night party @ 205 (RSVP). We also have a whole bunch of DJ's at the two floor event, doors are @ 11:00 pm, and the live acts look something like this:

11:30 pm: Thunderheist
12:15 am: Walter Meego
01:15 am: David sugar
02:15 am: King Oppression.

RSVP. Get there EARLY (and by "early" I mean 11pm). All Thunderheist tour dates below....

Continue reading "Thunderheist - MP3s, CMJ, Saturday, Tour Dates"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

Osheaga 2007 (CRED)

A label rep I was talking to told me that it takes a festival four to five years of good reviews and turnouts to be considered a serious destination on the festival circuit. In its sophomore year, Osheaga has followed up their triumphant debut with an impressive lineup that should continue the reputation they built for themselves last year. Once again, I was granted the task of covering this event...

Thunderheist @ Osheaga 2007 (CRED)

Arriving for day one of the two day festival around 12:30, I could hear the tail end of Apostle of Hustle opening the festivities on one of the alternating main stages. I made my way to the smaller stages on the other side of the park. Hopes were high for Thunderheist, a local hip-hop/house outfit comprised of DJ Grahm and female rapper Isis,. Taking the stage, Isis seemed to apologize in advance saying "we've been up all night." What followed was a rather limp set that took the wind out of my sails. I chalk it up to just a bad set, as I've heard that their smaller shows around town have been really good. It happens to the best of them. Over on the main stage, Jamie T performed to a somewhat apathetic audience. Unfamiliar with his music before that day, he vocally reminded me a lot of The Arctic Monkeys, a point I'm sure he'll have to have to answer questions about for years to come if his career gains traction.

Continued below...

Continue reading "Osheaga 2007 - Day 1"