photos by Andrew St. Clair

Trippple Nippples @ 285 Kent

For those who felt that one New Year's Eve wasn't quite enough, Todd P offered a second chance to fulfill your New Year's wishes with a late show at 285 Kent that counted down to 3AM. Headlined by DIVE (who played earlier that night too), the Friends-filled show included a set by Trippple Nippples, the Japan art-rock crew who closes their NYC run with a show TONIGHT. The band will team with Guardian Alien, Hard Nips, Bad Credit/No Credit and a suprise guest for the show at Shea Stadium tonight (1/3). $7 gets you in.

More (slightly NSFW) (are pasties NSFW?) pictures from that late night DIVE/Trippple Nippples show on (technically) New Year's Day are below....

Continue reading "DIVE & Trippple Nippples played a LATE show @ 285 Kent on New Year's Eve (pics)"

Todd P reports:

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!!

So, tickets are SOLD OUT to 2NITE's AraabMuzik NYE @285KENT AVE & tickets will NOT be released at the door.

... But what are you doing late nite? After the ball drops & after the amateurs go home, come out to @285KENT AVE again & 2012 it up starting @ 2:30am!
Trippple Nippples | DIVE | Shea djs @285KENT AVE 230am 12/31 aka 1/1 NYE
+ Reyka Vodka open bar starting at 3am
GET A 2ND CHANCE FOR THAT MIDNIGHT KISS... @ 3AM

Trippple Nippples also play Shea Stadium before they leave town.

photos by Jessica Amaya

Widowspeak @ BV-Holiday party @ Bowery Ballroom

285 Kent is throwing a holiday party tonight (12/20) with live sets from The Babies, DIVE, and Widowspeak and DJ sets by Matt Mondanlie (Real Estate, Ducktails) and Todd P. Doors are at 8 PM and entry is only $4, and:

Hot spiced cider will be available ++ xmas tunez ++ Ric Leichtung & John "Rambo" & Todd P all in Santa suits!

get in free if you work for Todd P or Ric/Rambo or JM/R or 285 KENT AVE or Market Hotel or SHOWPAPER or Shea Stadium or Big Snow or Death By Audio or Glasslands.

And it's the second holiday party in NYC during the past week for Widowspeak who just played a dreamy set at the BV Holiday Party at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday with Twin Sister and Ava Luna. To keep in the holiday spirit, Widowspeak did a cover of The Wailers' "She's Coming Home" during their set. Maybe you can hear that again tonight. Some pictures from from Bowery are in this post.

Speaking of The Babies and Real Estate, they're going on an east coast tour together in January. That tour doesn't include any NYC dates yet, but it kicks off the day after Real Estate plays Terminal 5 with Girls and King Krule (1/14). Tickets for that show are still available.

All dates, pictures and show info below...

Continue reading "Widowspeak played BV Holiday party @ Bowery (pics), playing 285 Kent's party w/ Babies & DIVE (tonight)"

Andrew W.K., in his snowboarding and general party outfit (more by Chris Doss)

Manhattan club co-owner Andrew W.K. is going to enter the realm of Brooklyn DIY for a special show on 11/13....

Saturday November 13th @ 285 KENT AVE
:: BABYCASTLES, DEATH BY AUDIO, & TODD P present
:: Andrew WK
:::: So Percussion & Calder Quartet
:::::: Tristan Perich
| 285 KENT AVE |
285 Kent Ave @ South 1st | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | 8pm | $tba | all ages

9pm - 1am @ 285 KENT (South 2nd & Kent Avenue)
$10
? Skeletons
?? So Percussion and Calder Quartet
???? Diamond Terrifier ( Zs solo )
?????? DJ Andrew WK

Premiering new music by Tristan Perich and Daniel Wohl.

Then five days later, before Andrew hypes the Turbonegro crowd at Santos on 11/18, he'll host a pre-party in the same venue...

The World Snowboarding Championship in association with Innovation Norway, Visit Oslo and Santos Party House will be hosting the international launch party for WSC 2012 on November 18th. This special reception is a pre-cursor to the WSC which will go down Feb 10th-19th 2012 in Oslo, Norway (the world's winter capital and coolest destination for snowboarding in Europe). It will be hosted by none other than world ambassador of rock and the man behind Santos, Andrew W.K.. W.K. will also perform the official theme song to WSC 2012 "Go Go Go Go" live for the first time ever as well as premiere the video to the song. The song personally shouts out some of the top international snowboarders in the world today including Mark McMorris (Canada), Tyler Flanagan (USA), Kazuhiro Kokubo (Japan) and Peetu Piiroinen (Finland) and is packed with the energetic and frenetic signature style that W.K. is known for.

Tickets are still available for the public Turbonegro portion happening later in the night.

Contest details and a couple of videos below....

Continue reading "Andrew W.K. playing 285 Kent, hosting a private pre-party before Turbonegro at Santos too (win tix!)"

a scene from Market Hotel, 2009 (more by Leia Jospe)

"despite the travails of the scene and setbacks experienced by [Todd] Patrick himself--in June, Community Board 3 denied him and his partners a liquor license for a restaurant/avant-garde performance space on Avenue A--the summer also ushered a new era for him. He became a father in August. (He took a few months off.) Weeks later, he received a $100,000 grant to renovate Market Hotel, the Bushwick loft that was his flagship space until 2010. The space, which was founded in 2008 when he built it out with Ahearn and local punk outfit The So So Glos, has been largely inactive since the cops raided it during a Smith Westerns gig in early 2010, though a rotating cast of artists-in-residence has remained.

The anonymous grant was funneled through the Solo Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit that supports arts initiatives with social agendas. It will allow Market to make improvements and obtain a certificate of occupancy, a place of assembly permit, and a liquor license. Market Hotel will then be a licensed not-for-profit venue. "We won't have to hide in the shadows," Patrick says. The hope is that we can be open seven days a week." [Village Voice]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Monster Island (more by Leia Jospe)

Monster Island, Williamsburg's landmark center for the arts home to, Live With Animals, Secret Project Robot Art Space, Kayrock Screenprinting, Todd P. Practice Spaces, Mollusk Surf Shop, Oneida and a multitude of studios and rehearsal spaces would like to say goodbye in style.

Over the last 7 years we have always thrown an annual Block Party where we invite the entire neighborhood in to listen to live bands on the street, tour the building and host 2 giant art installations; as that this is our last block party ever (the building is slated for demolition in November), we'd like your help.

This year's block party will entail over 12 live music performances from building bands and members of bands such as Golden Triangle, Oneida, Man Forever, Soldiers of Fortune, DudknowDub, Cult of Youth, Vaz, K-Holes, Knyfe Hyts, Divine Order of the Blood Witch, TrycryTry and many more. It will host 2 art installations themed "Outer Space the Final Frontier" and "Liquid Gold." It will also host open studios, an all day BBQ, DJ's, a video installation in the basement by Robot Death Cult and live music in several practice spaces.

The block party will take place September 10th, 2011 from 2pm until 10pm. Monster Island will be closed by October 1st.

Secret Project Robot said back in January that they'll be moving to a new space. That is still true according to their website.

Oneida played Secret Project Robot in June. NYC Taper just posted a live recording.

In related news, Todd P recently wrote, "My show schedule this summer is very reduced, for happy personal reasons. More than ever, I recommend you check out SHOWPAPER for show listings (big announcements coming soon from that organization!) and also follow the list of links to independent, all ages venue/organizer folks on this page."

And the Silent Barn Kickstarter is now over $31,000!

"felt like i was gonna die from both heat stroke and excitement many times during @pictureplane at 285 kent last night" - Emmi Lichtenberg

"pictureplane 285 kent the hottest show of my 40 years earthly existence..
the good hot" - Steven Read

"Best out to Todd P, 285 Kent, Teengirl Fantasy & Pictureplane for helping me sweat out all those toxins, I had a good time" - Brandon Ynocencio

Pictureplane at 285 Kent (via Steven Read)

Pictureplane played 285 Kent on Saturday (7/23) as part of his tour with Teengirl Fantasy. The show was the album release party for Thee Physical, which was available as a cassette. Despite Todd P's valiant efforts to provide A/C at 285 Kent, they weren't able to cool down the extremely hot venue. Todd P retweeted Mookie Singerman of Lovepump Records (home of Pictureplane) who said, "AC IS ON AT 285 KENT!!! WATERSHED MOMENT IN DIY TODD P HISTORY." with the added, "Somebody spoke too soon!" And they did. Pictureplane said the show "was a high point in my 'career' as a performer. I didn't know my body could sweat like that." Those in attendance (tweets above) suffered the heat too, but feedback was still positive as ever.

I wonder what the A/C situation will be at 285 Kent tonight (7/26) for the Silent Barn Benefit. with Bomb the Music Industry and secret guests.

There are a few more dates on the Pictureplane/Teengirl Fantasy tour which culminates at the end of the month in Buffalo, NY. Each artist will also play their own Warm Up show at PS1 in August. Pictureplane's is on August 20, after he finishes a tour with Javelin. The PS1 bill also includes Juan Maclean, Blood Orange, Solange, Grimes, and Ford & Lopatin (DJ). After that, Pictureplane will play two more NYC shows. The first is on September 1 at Cameo Gallery. Lineup and ticket info coming soon. He'll then play a Jelly RockBeach show on September 3 with Wise Blood and others.

Pictureplane's tour with Javelin doesn't hit the east coast at all, but Javelin play their own NYC show at 285 Kent on September 17.

Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Pictureplane played a HOT show @ 285 Kent, announces more dates (Cameo, RockBeach, etc)"

Defeated Sanity @ Silent Barn (more by Samantha Marble)

"The Silent Barn is an immersion into the art of New York City as it lives. It's a double-floor music venue inside of a kitchen, an independent video games arcade, an art theater & performance space, a party surveillance system, a zine library, a museum of gigantic murals, and a home for Castle Oscar. Founded in 2004, The Silent Barn is now grandfather to a beautiful re-emergence of similar spaces across Brooklyn, and a quintessential model for all-ages DIY art and music culture in America. It resides proudly alongside Flux Factory and the Museum of the Moving Image as a rare contemporary art institution in Queens, New York. It has long been the headquarters of both Showpaper and Babycastles, young and booming art institutions in NYC. It has birthed the careers of The Dirty Projectors, Dan Deacon, Future Islands, Deerhunter, Teengirl Fantasy, Vivian Girls, Real Estate, The Black Lips, Pictureplane, and many, many others.

A recent and massive theft has put the Silent Barn in a position to temporarily close operations, and we are viewing this as an opportunity to begin our transition into a viably permanent, resilient, and safe part of New York City. After several years of a rotating cast of operators, including Skeletons, Todd P, John Chavez, and Andy Borsz, The Silent Barn has settled into permanent marriage to G. Lucas Crane (Woods, Nonhorse), Joe Ahearn (ART on AIR, Showpaper), Kunal (Loud Objects, Babycastles), and Nat Roe (WFMU). We are working to co-sign a new 5-year lease for Silent Barn, officially making this a long standing piece of New York City.

We are now raising up to $80,000 in order to ensure the viability of The Silent Barn as a permanent all-ages venue for independent and experimental music, games, and art...."

Check out a video of Dirty Projects playing the Queens venue below...

Continue reading "Silent Barn raising money to rebuild & be even better"

Woven Bones at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more by BBG)

Todd P is promoting some good shows coming up this weekend, and a lot of them. There are three tonight (7/15) and two Saturday (7/16).

=FRIDAY-6PM=-
| "BAD BITCHES" games opening - alt.sexy video games |
Woven Bones | My Teenage Stride | Easter Vomit | Teen Witch
@ 285 KENT AVE

-=FRIDAY-7PM=-
INDIAN REBOUND | Honey Dos | DDIILLIIAANN | Crazy & the Brains
@ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT

-=FRIDAY-11PM=-
I'M TURNING INTO | Dinosaur Feathers | Shark? | Sweet Tooth
@ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT

-=SATURDAY=-
ONEIDA | Notekillers | Call of the Wild | Gary Higgins
@ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT

-=SATURDAY=-
FRIENDS | New Sweet Bulbs | Vacation | Hunter
@ LIVING BREAD

To quote Bill,

Dinosaur Feathers, Shark?, and I'm Turning Into are at Monster Island [Friday]. I'm Turning Into's debut album, Parcel of Marbles, just came out on cassette and digital download. It's worth a listen for sure, especially as you can download it for free this week only at their Bandcamp site.

The Monster Island show on Saturday (7/16) was curated by Onedia and includes folk legend Gary Higgins who recently released rediscovered material from the early 70s.

Woven Bones, who play 285 Kent tonight (7/15), have also been added to the Beekman Bear Garden Beach Party this Sunday (7/17) with Xray Eyeballs, and Frankie Rose. The guys from Davilla 666 have also been added as DJs. Xray Eyeballs also DJ the show at 285 Kent tonight. That's also an Xray Eyeballs shirt Woven Bones dude is wearing in the picture above. (Xray Eyeballs and Woven Bones sitting in a tree...).

Catch Woven Bones later this summer when they open for Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Glasslands on September 15. Tickets are on sale.

All Woven Bones dates and Todd P show details below...

Continue reading "Woven Bones playing one of the many Todd P shows this weekend, added to Beekman Beer Garden gig Sunday too"

Puro Instinct @ Pianos - 7/1/2011 (photo by Scott Lapatine)

Puro Instinct played Glasslands and then Mercury Lounge and then a third NYC show at Pianos Friday night (7/1). See them for a fourth time Saturday night at 285 Kent...

====| SATURDAY 7/2 @ 285 KENT AVE |====
:: Beach Fossils
:::: Puro Instinct ------- formerly Pearl Harbor
:::::: Big Troubles
:::::::: Regal Degal
| 285 KENT AVE |
285 Kent Ave @ South 1st | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | 8pm | $10 | all ages

Black Lips @ Shangri-La during SXSW

[Tonight] at Sunshine Cinema we're screening our new documentary, New Garage Explosion!!. You might have watched it on your teensy computer screen as we rolled the episodes out on VBS over the last few months, but [if you're not] familiar with New Garage Explosion, ...what we did was pack a bunch of snacks and beer and hit the road to find out what the garage rock scene is like all across the country right now. Among the garage composers we spoke with were the Black Lips, Jay Reatard, Pierced Arrows, Thee Oh Sees, Vivian Girls, Davila 666, and Golden Triangle. And that's just a pube's worth of what's in the whole documentary. We talk to artists, writers, DJs, label owners... basically anyone and everyone involved with the garage rock scene.

Also, following the screening will be a Q & A with Greg Cartwright (The Oblivians) and Todd P (Showpaper).

Flyer for the film, the full list of cities and venues hosting movie screenings (also all free with RSVP), and more pictures from a show the Black Lips played at the Sailor Jerry-sponsored Shangri-La during SXSW (same venue Bill saw the Trouble in Mind showcase at) are below...

Continue reading "Garage Rock documentary w/ Q&A @ Sunshine tonight (and other places), includes Black Lips (so here are some pics)"

"Todd Patrick, a.k.a. Todd P, tells us more about the venue he's planning to bring to the Mo Pitkins space along with the man who opened and closed Mo Pitkins, Phil Hartman of Two Boots; architect Mike House; and Javan Damadian, the lease holder of the space back when it was Aces & Eights, who we're told didn't have a management role in the bar. Patrick says the team is currently forming a curatorial board for the second-floor performance venue and is speaking to two restaurateurs about a menu of Pacific-coast-style Mexican food (think lemon and lime cured fish, tostadas, and tacos in the style of Jalisco or Sinaloa). As for the performances, Patrick says the venue "will not be an indie-rock club, dance club, or punk-rock club -- we'll be something more in the lines of Tonic," meaning "avant-experimental music" in the vein of the original Knitting Factory over on Houston Street.

"The hope is to bring a home back to Manhattan for esoteric free jazz performance," Patrick tells us. "We want to be about what the East Village came out of -- this downtown experimentalism and this reverence of the artistic." He mentions the Stone, John Zorn's nearby nonprofit venue that operates without a liquor license, and says the music here will be "maybe going somewhat closer to indie rock, or to what's called the WFMU record collector community" (think Thurston Moore's instrumental stuff). This isn't the club he's long talked about doing: "I can do indie-rock shows all over the place -- I don't need to do that here." Instead, he says, he and his partners are hoping to "right the wrongs" of the previous tenant ("we're not happy with what happened with the property after Phil left -- a lot of us don't care for what Aces & Eights was") and bring back some of the "downtown" music scene that took a hit when Tonic closed four years ago: "Downtown really lost something that had been essentially there since the sixties if not before -- the edgy, gritty, downtown-oriented intellectual experimental community. It needed to return to the city."" [Grub Street]

"secret location"

To quote Altered Zones...

[This MP3 is an] Excellent new romantic pop jam from innovator + former Ariel Pink/Panda Bear-collaborator John Maus, teasing his forthcoming album We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves, coming soon on Upset the Rhythm. (via Gorilla Vs Bear)

MP3: John Maus: "And The Rain"

Keep an eye on Upset the Rhythm for more info, or ask the man yourself at one of the two shows happening in Brooklyn, both after midnight, this Friday at a secret location and Saturday at Knitting Factory

UPDATE: Despite previously reported info, this MP3 of "And The Rain" is not the official album version and is a rough cut leaked by Maus' brother.

"Panda Bear is the project of Animal Collective member Noah Lennox. Tomboy, his long-awaited fourth album as Panda Bear, and follow-up to Person Pitch, is now complete and will be released on his own label, Paw Tracks on April 19, 2011.

Over the past six months or so, Panda Bear has released a series of vinyl singles on different labels, including Domino, Paw Tracks, and Fat Cat, with the final single forthcoming on Kompakt. The Tomboy album will be a compilation of these songs, along with new ones that have not been released. Additionally, all the songs have been added to and newly mixed with help from Sonic Boom to give the album a wonderfully rich and warm sound. stay tuned for more details." [PRESS RELEASE]

In related Animal Collective news, Animal Collective member Deakin will share a bill with Black Dice and Mirror Mirror this Saturday in Brooklyn at Secret Project Robot, a venue which is moving to a new location at the end of 2011. Meanwhile they have a full schedule at the current location. More details, more event listings (including a Knyfe Hyts residency) and this weekend's flyer below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear finished his album, Deakin & Black Dice playing Secret Project Robot (which is moving at the end of 2011)"

Ridgewood Masonic Temple (more by Jessica Amaya)

"A local events venue is in trouble with the police after a series of liquor licensing issues, with possibly dire financial consequences for the organization that owns it.

The 83rd Precinct elected to block alcohol sales at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple, at 1054 Bushwick Avenue, which caused a last-minute site change for a scheduled New Year's Eve show thrown by local indie-rock promoter Todd Patrick. Patrick is known to Brooklyn showgoers as Todd P.

...According to Ridgewood Masonic Temple manager Frank Williams, an organizer for a non-music event in November did not get his permit in time, but threw his event anyhow. The police randomly dropped in on the event and discovered the infraction. Because of this and other previous incidents at RMT, the precinct decided to block the issuance of any more temporary liquor permits for events held there. Patrons are not even allowed to bring their own alcohol. Though the NY State Liquor Authority issues the permits, the local police precinct has jurisdiction to deny one. As a result, Patrick moved the event to 285 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, where he could legally sell alcohol.

"[Community Affairs] Officer [Damarys] Franco was very understanding," Patrick told BushwickBK, "her feeling is just that they've given [RMT] a lot of chances, and she's going to stop cutting them any slack."...

..Patrick's decision to move the event was social as well as economic. "New Year's Eve is not any fun dry," he said. "If we don't sell alcohol, we can't pay for the place. Unless you're not paying the talent, you're either [charging] $25 a head or you're selling alcohol." $15 tickets for the show sold out shortly after the location was moved. -[BushwickBK]

Deerhoof is is scheduled to play Ridgewood Temple on 2/8, but the BushwickBk article makes it seem like there's not much of a chance we'll be seeing a show at the venue anytime soon (unless someone buys the building, changes the zoning and keeps having shows there). We'll keep you posted if the venue changes. Tickets are still available for advance purchase @ Desert Island Books (540 Metropolitan Ave @ Union Ave | 718.388.5087).

We're not sure what the non-music event that caused the trouble in November was (see above article if you don't know what I mean), but Todd P last succesfully hosted a show at Ridgewood Temple on Halloween.

Oh, and as some commenters pointed out last week, this is not the first time a Todd P show (that Titus Andronicus was playing) that didn't happen at Ridgewood Masonic Temple because of alcohol issues. In 2008 a Titus Andronicus/Black Lips show was moved to Market Hotel last minute. Market Hotel meanwhile still can't host shows anymore either.

Listen to the speech Titus singer Patrick Stickles gave on New Year's Eve (at 285 Kent), below...

Continue reading "Ridgewood Masonic Temple can't have alcohol anymore (which is why the Titus Andronicus show moved)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Cassie & Justin as the White Stripes

"Todd P's Halloween party took place [Sunday] night at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple. most people were probably still recovering from Halloween observed the night before, but a respectable amount of ghouls and tricksters made their way to the show, headlined by so-hot-right-now hip hop ensemble Das Racist.

Halloween is a time when you can see what people are really about. They're either in a pre-packaged costume or they're trying too hard or they are legitimately clever and good-spirited. And for Das Racist, it can be all of the above all the time. These guys walk the lines between irony and sincerity; between novelty and legitimacy; between gimmickry and credibility. And while some people show up at the party dressed as a can of Four Loko, others as zombies or superheroes, Das Racist can just take the floor as themselves and still be baffling and maybe a little frightening.

This set was, by all definitions, a shit show. You know when your friends have an inside joke and they are cracking up about it, and the joke is sort of independently funny, but not nearly as funny as your friends' uproar would suggest? Combine that feeling with the feeling of seeing your little brother get way too drunk at a party you invited him to. That was what the stage presence of Das Racist was like. And it was a fucking party." [Free Williamsburg]

Blissed Out went on right at 8:00 along with the doors opening which meant not many people around to hear their set, but the 9-band show filled up as the night went on. More pictures below...

Continue reading "Cassie did play Jack! - Todd P/Panache Halloween show pics w/ the Intelligence, Das Racist, Pictureplane, Beets & more "

DOWNLOAD: The Intelligence - Thank You God for Fixing the Tape Machine (MP3)

Sunday October 31st @ RIDGEWOOD MASONIC TEMPLE
:: PANACHE + TODD P HALLOWEEN PARTAY
:: DAS RACIST
:::: PICTUREPLANE
:::::: the Intelligence
:::::::: the Beets
:::::::::: Cassie & Justin from the Babies --- as WHITE STRIPES
:::::::::::: Janka Nabay
:::::::::::::: Blissed Out
:::::::::::::::: more to come!!!!
| RIDGEWOOD MASONIC TEMPLE ]
1054 Bushwick Ave @ Gates Ave | Bushwick, Brooklyn
J,Z-Gates Ave, L,M-Myrtle/Wyckoff | 8pm | all ages | $13 in costume - $15 w/out

As mentioned all the way back in September, The Intelligence are currently on tour and will also play a NYC show at Cake Shop one day before Halloween with German Measles and The Beets.

By the way, Das Racist also play Southpaw, with Homeboy Sandman, on November 5th.

Updated Intelligence dates below...

Continue reading "The Intelligence coming, Cassie Ramone playing Meg White (at Panache & Todd P's Halloween Partay)"

by BBG

Villains at Europa (more here)

Joe Preston and his solo project Thrones returns to NYC tonight (10/13), as part of a larger tour with Christian Mistress. The duo will team up with Villains to tear down Acheron at 9pm (a joint BrooklynVegan & Todd P production). $10 gets you in.

In other news, though Joe Preston hasn't recently logged any time at the studio, he has a an LP on the way from when he served time as a member of Earth:

A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra Capsular Extraction contains the entire 1990 Smegma Studios sessions which are the debut recordings from Earth. Previously available scattered via the Extra Capsular Extraction EP and Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars CD, ...[this] collection contains every note from the infamous first Earth recording sessions. Earth was founded by Dylan Carlson circa 1989 and in this infancy stage contained several different members including: Slim Moon (Kill Rock Stars label), Joe Preston (Thrones, Melvins, Sunn 0))), High on Fire etc..) and even Dylan's close friend Kurt Kobain.

Tonight's show is one of many Todd P and BrooklynVegan presented shows in the next few days. Thursday will see Todd P present Silk Flowers and CNTRL TOP (mem These Are Powers) along with an art exhibition, prints and film at Elizabeth Foundation For The Arts (323 W 39th St #3 @ 9th Ave in Manhattan) starting at 6PM. Friday (10/15) Todd P will bring Lightning Bolt, Dan Deacon Ensemble, special guests Otouto and the last NYC appearance from Casiotone for The Painfully Alone to the Ridgewood Masonic Temple. Advance tickets may still be available at Desert Island Books (540 Metropolitan Ave).

Desert Island Books also has your $10 tickets (while they last) for the Todd P-presented A Place to Bury Strangers, Japanadroids, Justin Wong, and Grooms show happening at Death By Audio on 10/26. Ticketfly has your tickets for the Japandroids show at Maxwell's.

BrooklynVegan will present a pair of shows at Union Pool: Rosetta, Constants, and Cleanteeth (doors at 9) on Friday (10/15) and Saturday (10/16) means The Gates of Slumber, Hour of 13, and Disma (doors at 9).

Speaking of tickets, want to win tickets to Thrones, Lightning Bolt, Rosetta, or The Gates of Slumber? I have a pair of tickets available for giveaway for EACH. Details on how to win, as well as some videos are at the bottom of this post... (And this concludes the first ever post to incorporate both The Gates of Slumber AND Dan Deacon).

Continue reading "Thrones tonight, Earth, Japandoids tickets, a Dan Deacon contest, Silk Flowers & other upcoming shows & stuff"

camera phone photos by Leia Jospe

"apparently there was a secret Yeah Yeah Yeahs show tonight in Brooklyn.
If you went, I hate you" - Matty Aye

Yeah Yeah Yeahs played about an hour, starting around 10:40pm, on Wednesday night at Monster Island to the select few who were able to land themselves a ticket. It was hot and sweaty (the fans didn't help) and people were going nuts. As advertised, the band stuck to mostly older and more obscure material (though they did play the-always-crowd-pleasing "Maps") in celebration of their 10th anniversary as a band playing shows in NYC.

Leia Jospe was one of those who got a ticket to the Todd P-presented show. She left her camera at home, but managed to get a few snaps on her phone. Those, along with a shot of the setlist sent in by special agent PP, below...

Continue reading "Yeah Yeah Yeahs played Monster Island (pics & setlist) "

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Don Hill's - Sept 15, 2010 (cory Kennedy)

A MESSAGE FROM KAREN O & YEAH YEAH YEAHS:

Spank You Very Much 10 YYYears Anniversary Show Happy Birthday YYYS!

This week marks 10 years since YYYs played our first small club show in the big city! Our birthday wish is to play a show as small or smaller than back in the day and get NOSTALGIC with our friends Todd P and Secret Project Mighty Robot September 22. So dust off your Machine EPs or maybe give Yeah New York! a whirl because we're digging up some oldies but goodies, heavy on the early catalogue. It's back to basics, just the three of us and a couple hundred of you. Accommodations will be tight so we'd like to apologize in advance to those who want to be there but don't get in, we thank you for humoring us with this selfish wish to make it so puny!

Talk Normal will be popping off the festivities and Barry London will spin us through the breaks. Looking forward to bashing up this birthdayyy with you!!

Luv,
YYYs

-=WEDNESDAY-9/22=-
YEAH YEAH YEAHS . Talk Normal . dj Barry London
@ SECRET PROJECT ROBOT

all ages!!!

Continue reading "Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing tiny Brooklyn show "

"The new location is a pristine secluded beach area called Raptor Point, at the North end of the main (decommissioned) runway of the abandoned airport, right on Jamaica Bay. Gorgeous views of Jamaica Bay, Mill Basin, and of the distant Manhattan skyline; and a pretty phenomenal sunset spot." - Todd P

Details below...

Continue reading "Todd P's Unamplified Acoustic BBQ is Sunday (new location) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Intelligence - Like Like Like Like Like Like Like (MP3)

The Intelligence @ Market Hotel in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

One of Seattle's finest, The Intelligence, have a new record and are gearing up for a big fall tour, including an October 30 stop at Cake Shop and will also play the Todd P Halloween Show somewhere in Brooklyn, details TBA. The band were last here about a year ago supporting one of 2009's best albums, Fake Surfers.

Its follow-up, Males, is the band's sixth album (third for In the Red) but marks a couple of firsts for the band. It's the first Intelligence album that wasn't played entirely by main brain Lars Finberg and marks a bold leap into fidelity. Scraping off the scuzz hasn't removed any of the band's weird charm -- Males is quite possibly their best album yet. (And Fake Surfers was hard to top.) You can download "Like Like Like Like Like Like Like" at the top of this post.

Finberg discusses  these new developments in the Intelligence's sound in a very entertaining interview over at The Finest Kiss:

Each new Intelligence record seems to sound a little more 'produced'... and you seem to have become more collaborative if not with the rest of the band at least with the producer. With Males you've even let the rest of the band into the studio. Are you weakening in your old age, or just more open to collaboration?

I'm weakening, I'm lonely. It's more fun to make something with everybody else now, it's new. My ears are just tired of the 'LO-FI' sound for us, I'm also sick to death of being called that, it's stupid but nothing gets called mid-fi or hi-fi, such a tired and petty complaint I know. I thought the most interesting thing we could do would be to try to make a big clean record. But really it's just the most interesting path to go down for me, we can record on dirty blank cassette tapes forever, it's easy but the challenge of having real bright vocals up front was scary and fun. Also our bass sound is cool with Susanna I wanted the record to have a lot of low end. Beren is a great drummer and we wanted a record with US as a band playing, since the 3 of us have been together a long time now it's just more fun to have something we make as a group. Plus if it sucks it's THEIR FAULT TOO.

Hi-fi or lo-fi, you seem torn between them (ie. Surfers vs Pacman). What is your preference and has it changed over the years?

It's Hi-Fi for now, I want our records to sound good with the windows down! I want it to sound good on a P.A. in a club and DJ's to be able to play it next to Adam Ant and the Buzzcocks without people involuntarily grinding their molars.

Meanwhile, Finberg's old band, the under-appreciated early-'00s A Frames, have come out of retirement -- albeit without him. (He left the drum stool in 2006.)  Earlier this year saw the release of 333, an odds-n-sods triple platter of 7" sides and demos and with it came some new shows.

A Frames are making it to the East Coast in October, playing Cake Shop on 10/8 and Death by Audio on 10/9. They also play Philly on 10/7 at the Danger Danger Gallery. Video from a recent show in Seattle is at the bottom of this post

All Intelligence and A Frames tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Intelligence releasing new LP & touring (A Frames too) - a Todd P Halloween show & other tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: People of the North - Tunnels (MP3)

Oneida's Ocropolis @ ATP NY 2009 (more by Ryan Muir)

Started by Kid Millions and Bobby Matador of Oneida, People of the North is an ongoing but sporadic outgrowth of that restlessly experimental Brooklyn assemblage. Since the first tour in early 2003, POTn has served as another language emanating from the screaming mouth of the O. It has always included Kid and Bobby, and usually other members of Oneida as well. The entirety of Oneida has performed together under the POTn label at venues including the Frying Pan and the Mercury Lounge.

People of the North has provided compositions that have worked their way into Oneida's most cherished repertoire, including "Up with People" (from Happy New Year) and "Lavender" (from The Wedding).

While there are no clearly defined boundaries separating POTn from Oneida, it might be fair to say that the music tends to be more staunchly devoted to minimalism, repetition, improvisation, and sternness than the wide-ranging efforts of the big brother band.

Deep Tissue was recorded at the Ocropolis in early 2009, with the participation of much of the O. The sessions were deep, and the skies were gray." [Jagjaguwar]

Catch People of the North live Friday night at Bowery Ballroom where they'll be opening for Portishead side-project BEAK>. Tickets are still on sale. It's BEAK>'s only NYC appearance, and one of only four they're playing in the U.S. Another one is Saturday at ATP upstate. The other two are in California (and they're all listed below).

Not leaving town this weekend and can't make it to ATP? Todd P and friends present another reason to not feel so bad, and Oneida (who were a big part of ATP NY in 2009), are involved in that too. Oneida will headline a 17+ band lineup (that also includes Oneida side-project Man Forever) at Monster Island on Saturday. The "Monster Island Block Party" kicks off at 2pm and is free. Full lineup and more details with all Oneida and BEAK> dates, below...

Continue reading "Monster Island Block Party Saturday, People of the North opening for Beak> Friday & other Oneida dates"

La Sera

"La Sera - the brand new project of Katy Goodman (Vivian Girls, All Saints Day) - has signed with Hardly Art for their debut LP. La Sera makes lush, dreamy songs of heartbreak, love, and death, all written by Goodman and recorded with Brady Hall in Seattle. Hardly Art will release the first original material by La Sera on November 16th via a 7" featuring the album track "Never Come Around" b/w exclusive b-side "Behind Your Eyes", which will be followed by a debut full-length in early 2011 (release date tbd). La Sera will also have a cover of "Watch Me Jumpstart" on an upcoming Guided By Voices comp, though I don't have further details on that release.

Further! Related to both new projects, the unofficial Hardly Art CMJ showcase - AKA The Great All-Nighter - will be presented by Todd P and will take place on Thursday, Oct 21 at Shea Stadium (20 Meadow St.) in Brooklyn. The lineup is:

Xray Eyeballs
Circle Pit
La Sera
Fergus & Geronimo
Secret Special Guest
Woven Bones
Golden Triangle

photos by Ryan Muir, words by Rachel Kowal

Casiotone

When I saw a man wearing skin tight gold lamé leggings, a sports jersey, and a jean jacket mingling in the crowd at Monster Island Basement Sunday night, I didn't think too much of it. But as it turns out, the wildly dressed mystery man was John O'Regan, the man behind Diamond Rings, the evening's first opener.

After taking copious notes on John's appearance, I was pleased to hear that the Toronto-based glam pop artist seems to take his music fairly seriously. Sure, he's working with prefab beats and samples, but he also juggles guitar and keyboard duty, which makes his songs more relevant in a live setting. Then there's John's voice, which is surprisingly sonorous. His appearance may be over-the-top and flamboyant, but his smooth, deep vocals level out his music nicely.

Next up in Todd P's bag of tricks was the Sierra-Leonean musician Janka Nabay and his spirited group of musicians and back-up singers. Janka's set triggered an instant dance party both on stage and in the audience. The two women on stage left the bulk of the vocal responsibilities with Janka, but their energetic dancing complimented the tribal beats and celebratory music well.

Following Janka Nabay's lively set, Owen Ashworth, the man behind the moniker Casiotone For the Painfully Alone, walked on stage and began to methodically unpack a series of keyboards, samplers, and mixers. After he had finished assembling his one-man-band, he leaned into the mic. "I'd be happy to start if we want to do the changeover," he said over the din of the house music.

"Thanks so much for coming folks. I really appreciate it," he said as he warmed up. "I really like playing in Brooklyn. I'm not just saying that. Do not tell Albany that. [...] I just basically booked this short tour as an excuse to come visit friends and hang out in New York for a few days." And with that, he launched into a couple of newer song from last year's Vs. Children.

Unlike a number of artists who rely on laptops to generate significant portions of their songs, Owen builds most of the layers on stage, by navigating through a mass of wires, knobs, and keys - his arms often crossing to get the job done. There are definitely perks to seeing an artist who has been creating music for the better part of thirteen years. Owen has an impressive body of songs to pull from, and constantly finds ways to rework them in a live setting. Casiotone songs often fall between the 2 and 3-minute mark, but Owen manages to pack a story into each song thanks to his creative, humorous, and candid lyrics. Owen makes music akin to the heartfelt and often painfully (but endearingly) awkward mumblecore films Mark Duplass and Andrew Bujalski make.

Then, about midway through his set, Owen dropped the bomb. "Thanks to Todd for making the show happen. This is my first time here [at Monster Island] and I'm going to be playing here again in October and that's actually going to be the last Casiotone show in New York. I'm going to stop this in December... and I'll do something else after that."

After this big announcement, Owen began to take requests, and he was immediately met by an avalanche of song titles. "Cold White Christmas!" "Grandmother's Pearls!" "We Have Mice!" "Parthenon!" "When You Were Mine, please!" After just a few seconds, Owen jumped back in. "Alright, alright. Those are good suggestions, thanks." The crowd may have been relatively small, but there's something to be said of fans who actually care enough about the music to have an arsenal full of requests to call out when prompted. "Grandmother's Pearls," ended up winning this time. After each song, audience members called out more and more requests, and Owen usually obliged - even with "Young Shields," which he initially claimed was too bass-heavy to play. Owen closed out his set with "White Jetta" before stepping off stage and making his way through the crowd, receiving pats on the back as he went.

Be sure to check out Casiotone for the Painfully Alone while you still can. The last New York show is on October 15th at Monster Island Basement (all dates on that "final tour) still TBA).

More pictures and Casiotone's setlist from Monster Island, below..

Continue reading "Casiotone for the Painfully Alone played one of his last NYC shows @ Monster Island w/ Janka Nabay & Diamond Rings (pics, setlist) "