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) "

photos by Erez Avissar and Christopher Person

Julianna Barwick @ LPR

"Julianna Barwick started off the night and in very simple terms her set was incredible... Eluvium was next on the bill...and his set turned out to be also quite impressive. It was a mix of quiet but weeping guitar work, to harsh and fast played guitar buzz on top of low key to surprising beat driven piano pieces. Throughout the set there was various nature like samples being played as well as the other members in his live band using Wii remotes that were connected to there computers that were somehow manipulating the sounds of there instruments (something that was defiantly amusing to watch). While Eluvium set was quite terrific it was kind of overshadow by the earlier set of the night that had just left me so speechless." [Witchmond]

Continue reading "Julianna Barwick played LPR w/ Eluvium & then DJ'd Monster Island w/ Blissed Out, Todd P, Ryan Schreiber & others (pics)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

"happy to see Sleigh Bells packing Ridgewood Temple, sadly secret famous guest is ill, won't be appearing. mild bummer, awesome show" - Todd P

"Yeah, people were going bonkers. There were a lot of cameras and a lot of guest list action going on, but people came to rock. "A/B Machines", "Kids," "Crown On The Ground"? Total bangers." [Fluxblog]

Continue reading "Sleigh Bells, Cults & Sundelles (but no special guest) played Ridgewood Temple in NYC - pics & setlist"

by Andrew Frisicano

After spending four days in Austin for SXSW, my personal MtyMx experience started with an all-day trip from Austin to Monterrey on Sunday. I arrived to see Andrew W.K.'s set that night, the after-party at the Garage, and Monday from first to last band (minus the comedy set with Dan Deacon, though there are pictures of him too). I'm now writing this from Tennessee where the Big Ears Fest is about to begin. Stay tuned for reports about that, and check out my pictures from the festival in Mexico, with captions, below...

Continue reading "pics from MtyMx (Todd P & Yo Garage's Mexico Festival) "

Gumarot drinkin @ #mtymx listening to Health (TiTa_Elizondo)

Like many others, DJ Jonathan Toubin never made it to the MtyMX Festival in Mexico on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. His story is in a letter he posted to his website. You can read it below...

Continue reading "Jonathan Toubin explains why he didn't make it to Mexico for MtyMx, says he's not a pussy, has Jello Biafra DJing Wed."

by Andrew Frisicano

Neon Indian @ MtyMX

The experiment that was the first MtyMx Festival is over. The last day of Todd P's Mexican festival (3/22) featured 14 acts, half of which were from Mexico. Liars, HEALTH, and Neon Indian all made it for their headlining sets (the acts that were flown in had very few problems for the most part). The rest of the last day's lineup included Ratas del Vaticano (Mexico), Indian Jewelry, Lemonade, BamBam (Mexico), Jóvenes y Sexys (Venezuela), Mockinpott (Mexico), Best Fwends, High Places, Alexico (Mexico), Mentira Mentira (Mexico) and Sr. Amable & Mr. Racoon (Mexico). The Monday after-fest show that was held at Yo Garage for all three nights featured sets by Coasting, noisepunks XYX, and Mentira Mentira (again).

Bands that didn't make it for their Monday sets for one reason or another included No Age, Thee Oh Sees (they tried to get past the border at least twice), Liturgy, The Sandwitches, Javelin, Salem, DD/MM/YYY, Fergus and Geronimo, Big Troubles, Pictureplane, Gauntlet Hair, Tearist, Josephine and the Mousepeople, and Baths. Remember that was just day three. It was a similar situation each day, but I never planned on being there for the first day (SXSW), and I got there much later than expected on the second. As I write/dictate this, I'm currently waiting for a noon (note: it's two hours earlier here than it is in NY) Greyhound bus out of Monterrey that's going back to Austin (an approximately 8 hour trip that took about 11 hours of driving and 8 hours of waiting on the way in). There were two 1am Todd P buses that left last night directly after Liars, but our stuff (and a bed) was in our hotel room.

[note: Andrew is now on the bus]

How to get home seemed to be the main focus on everyone's mind early on the last day. Once that was all figured out, things turned more optimistic and Todd P even made announcements referencing next year.

Dan Deacon was a constant presence at the festival. He actually replaced Thee Oh Sees on the last day as "Dan Deacon & friends", a short comedy set. Another group that performed for multiple days was Das Racist who treated late Sunday night arrivals to an energetic set at the after-party.

Though I only spent 36 hours total in Monterrey and saw fewer bands than I caught Thursday afternoon in Austin, I made lots of new friends, saw some great sets, and it was an experience that won't soon be forgotten. Safety was a big question, but though the festival had issues (including theft on the festival grounds, and at least one mugging), people actually getting hurt wasn't one of them.

For more, read yesterday's recap and follow the @bvSXSW Twitter. Videos from the event are below...

Continue reading "MtyMx finishes - 14 bands played Monday, many more didn't show (Andrew reports from his bus ride home)"

As anyone following along on @bvSXSW knows, after some serious transportation issues, Andrew Frisicano eventually made his way down to Monterrey, Mexico from Austin, TX (counting waiting for the bus to show up, it took him something like 18 hours which was 4 hours shorter than it took Ryan Muir) in time for a bit of the 2nd night and all of the third day (aka today, 3/22). Here is some of his story so far...

The Coathangers @ MtyMX (by TiTa_Elizondo)

"You Will Remember Tonight" was the song that stuck out in Andrew WK's headlining set at MtyMx Festival last night in Monterrey, Mexico. It was the second night of the fest, and the only set I saw because of a lengthy, complicated bus trip that started much earlier in the day.

There were a lot of questions coming down to Mexico: transportation, accommodations and food were mostly left in the hands of the festival, and at MtyMx now (5pm Monterrey time), most of those continue to be issues, sadly distracting from the bands who did make it. For some bands and showgoers the trip took 20+ hours of waiting and riding on buses, but if one thing has been consistent, it has been that no two MtyMx trips have been the same.

Due to spotty bus service from Austin, shaken confidence in the festival and scheduling issues, a number of the bands on the bill have canceled or been unable to make it down. Those bands (editor's note: which Todd P sarcastically addresses in a video below) include Washed Out, Small Black, Tanlines, No Age, Lucky Dragons, Anamanaguchi, Pocahaunted, Beach Fossils, MNDR, Sun Araw, Total Abuse, Talk Normal, The Wave Pictures, Fucked Up, The Sandwitches and Liturgy. On the festival's last day, arranging transportation back to Austin or elsewhere has been an overriding theme.

story continued below with video & more pics...

Continue reading "Andrew Frisicano reports from MtyMx (which he had much trouble getting to, and he's not sure how he's getting back) "

...five full days of parties at Cheer Up Charlie's

Todd P has been downplaying his participation in unofficial SXSW activities this year. He made people think he wasn't returning to Austin at all due to his latest effort in Mexico, the MtyMx Festival (March 20th-22nd in Monterrey).

Not only will he be in Austin, he's just announced five full days of shows at his old haunt Ms Bea's (though it's now called Cheer Up Charlie's). His final free Austin day show even overlaps with Mexico. That said, it looks like he did step away from SXSW at least a little bit. Almost every one of the lineups has a listed curator. You can check them all out below...

Continue reading "Todd P returning to SXSW in 2010 afterall..."

your future tent??

The lineup for MtyMx All Ages Festival of Art and Music happening March 20th-22nd in Monterrey, Mexico, has been updated with set times and additional acts (Liars, Health, MNDR, Twin Sister, more). The full schedule is below.

Registration is also open for hotel and tent accommodations, and bus spots to and from Austin. Info on those is below. Tickets for all three days are on sale online; or one-day tickets will be $15 at the door.

The Liars date is over two weeks before the band kicks of a tour that brings them to NYC twice in April.

More MtyMx info is in our previous post. Updated lineup and travel info is below...

Continue reading "MtyMx Fest set times, more bands + how to get a hotel/tent"

The lineup has been updated for the MtyMx Festival happening March 20th-22nd in Monterrey, Mexico. As it stands, 69 of the 75 or so bands have been confirmed and are listed below.

New additions include Andrew W.K., Acid Mothers Temple, Grant Hart, Telepathe, Hunx and his Punx, Bitters, Male Bonding and Talk Normal. Dan Deacon and High Places will be MtyMx exclusive (as in not playing SXSW).

Three-day passes are still on sale. More info on the fest is HERE. The full list of confirmed bands is below...

Continue reading "MtyMx Fest expands lineup (Dan Deacon, Andrew WK, High Places, Acid Mothers Temple & other bands playing Mexico)"

the concert site...

==BIG NEWS!==

It is my pleasure to announce the inaugural MtyMx All-Ages Festival of Art and Music!

The MtyMx festival will happen on March 20th, 21st, and 22nd at Autocinema Las Torres in Monterrey, Mexico

The MtyMx festival is a collaboration between Yo Garage and Todd P and will feature up to 25 bands a day for three days, playing outdoors on two stages in a beautiful drive-in movie theater on the side of a mountain in the Sierra Madre Oriental. Over one third of the bands playing are from Mexico!

Tickets are $30 for a three day pass. 75 bands!

Confirmed bands include: Dan Deacon, Neon Indian, Washed Out, Thee Oh Sees, Pocahaunted, Indian Jewelry, Male Bonding, Best Fwends, Banjo or Freakout and many many more, along with Mexican groups Los Fancy Free, Los Margaritos, and more to be announced in the coming days. -Todd P

The only bad news (for SXSWers) is that Todd will not be bringing his multi-day fest of day shows to Ms. Bea's again this year, though he doesn't seem to be ruling out doing at least something in Austin before Mexico.

Scared of Mexico? In an e-mail, Todd P told us, "Monterrey has a lower violent crime rate than NYC, Dallas, or Houston, even accounting for international drug trade violence. A major goal of the festival is to dispel US misconceptions that Mexico is the 3rd world, uneducated, dangerous and backwards. Mexico is a modern country with a surging middle class and a vibrant, plugged in 1st world art and music community. Another major goal is to correct the disenfranchisement of Mexican artists and bands caused by strict US visa restrictions on Mexicans. In short: these bands and fans can't go to SxSW."

Details and reservations for Austin-to-Monterrey round-trip bus service, hotel options and onsite camping are forthcoming. More info on MtyMx is below...

Continue reading "Todd P officially announces MtyMx Fest (March 20-22) in Monterrey, Mexico (expanded lineup - No Age & more)"

photos by Stephen Kosloff

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Jason Trachtenburg & Rebecca Schiffman

On Saturday, September 26, the Red Hook-based gallery and artist collective Kidd Yellin, where I am an "artist-in-residence," hosted a benefit concert for ShowPaper, a free bi-monthly print-only newspaper which lists all-ages music and art events in the tri-state area and features a work of art on each cover.

The event was a collaborative mix of musicians and artists. Shilpa Ray (sans all-male "Happy Hookers") was backed by friends- including Kendrick Strauch (of the recently dissolved Harlem Shakes which featured my fellow Dalton alum, Lexi Benaim). Jason Trachtenburg played keyboard on two of my songs and Rachel Trachtenburg played drums for Kendrick Strauch, before the the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players' own set, which also featured Tina Trachtenburg playing the slide projector. Sarah and Michelle Cagianese opened the concert with pretty songs using vocal and cello harmonies, and Your Nature closed the evening with a hard rockin' bang! - Rebecca Schiffman

Continue reading "Showpaper Benefit pics & video (Kendrick Strauch, Shilpa Ray, Trachtenburgs, Rebecca Schiffman, Your Nature, more) "

photos by Erez Avissar

"Leichtung moved from San Francisco four years ago to study music technology at NYU's Steinhardt School. While perfecting his scruffy college boy look - think black-framed glasses, beat-up Converse sneakers, lots of band t-shirts and a permanent five o'clock shadow - Leichtung also found himself getting sucked into the DIY scene. He started out interning for Todd P, but now lives and works at the Market Hotel along with four friends and a revolving door of artists who rent out storage and rehearsal space for $394 a month. Though the Warhol's Factory aura of the Market is creatively appealing, Leichtung confesses, "Trying to go to bed before 4 a.m. around here can be a problem."" [The Brooklyn Ink]

Continue reading "Vega, Tanlines, Pictureplane, Reading Rainbow & friends @ Market Hotel in Brooklyn - pics "

words & photos by Erez Avissar

MNDR (aka Amanda Warner) opened the Brooklyn show at Monster Island on Wednesday night (11/18). Shouting, singing and rapping over techno-centric beats, she showed respect to tour-mate Juiceboxxx as well as a strong influence by him. She fared better than her mentor though, who played a super-brief, possibly truncated, set of less than 20 minutes. Opening with his most well-known tune/statement of intent, "Thunder Jam #5", Juiceboxxx positioned himself in sort of a "me against the crowd/world" way, alienating himself from the audience. It was unfortunate, because a basement show like this one could have been the ideal place to see him.

Even without their signature boomboxes, Javelin brought much-needed positive energy to the room with highlights like expanded versions of "Mossy Woodland" and "Vibrationz", as well as their skewed "Into The Groove" interpretation and some worldly tropical beats that turned the place into a dance party. The energy stayed with the crowd, who were more than happy to stick around after and dance to pop hits, ranging from Olivia Newton-John to Jay-Z, courtesy of Todd P's iPod.

Javelin live is not to be slept on. Catch them Friday (TONIGHT) with Sleigh Bells (who played Le Poisson Rouge last night) at a new DIY all ages venue in Manhattan called "Under 100." Get there early - Javelin goes on first (9pm). More details about that show and pictures below...

Continue reading "Javelin played Monster Island w/ Juiceboxxx (pics), plays new venue Under 100 TONIGHT w/ Sleigh Bells & Knyfe Hyts"

photos by Leia Jospe

Delorean

Though the Saturday night Pitchfork-curated Showpaper-benefit show at Market Hotel promised two special guest headliners, the addition of Cold Cave, who played before Cymbals Eat Guitars, was the only lineup change come Saturday (10/24).

The lineup, which also featured Delorean, Real Estate, the Smith Westerns, Javelin, Small Black, Bear in Heaven, Surfer Blood and Highlife, highlighted some of CMJ's busiest, most talked-about acts - especially nice since, unlike much of CMJ, Market Hotel is an all-ages venue. Aside from sound problems causing bands to cut out, it seems like it was a great night.

DJ's on the bill for the early-morning party afterwards included Lemonade, Neon Indian/Alan Palomo, Jaime from the xx and 20 Jazz Funk Greats (and Pitchfork also lists Deerhunter's Moses Archuleta as one of the people who spun).

I personally didn't make it over to the Brooklyn show, though I caught The Smith Westerns and a face-melting set by an under-the-weather-frontman-fronted Cymbals Eat Guitars earlier the same day at the BrooklynVegan/Bowery Presents show at Pianos. I also stuck around Pianos that night and saw an awesome danceable set by Spain's Delorean at the True Panther show at midnight (after their set at Market Hotel) - definitely one of the best new bands I caught at CMJ for the first time.

Leia, who also saw Cymbals Eat Guitars at Pianos, made it to Market Hotel in time to see Real Estate, Delorean, Cold Cave and Cymbals Eat Guitars (she then took off and went to the Above the Auto Parts). The rest of her pictures, below...

Continue reading "Delorean, Real Estate, Cold Cave, Cymbals Eat Guitars & others played the Pitchfork/Showpaper show @ Market Hotel - pics"

Showpaper #16

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Continue reading "Pitchfork Todd P Showpaper benefit @ Market Hotel Saturday"

photos by Leia Jospe

Went to No Age last night and it was pretty insane. Craziest mosh pit crowd ive seen since warped 05 -CGEsperanza

At no age- have't seen legit crowd surfing since 1999. Love -dandybandit

No Age's show at "Above the Auto Parts Store" on Saturday, October 17th was the last and most straight-ahead of the band's four-show NYC run last week. With shows at two contemporary-art institutions and a well-equipped downtown club, closing out with a packed warehouse show (that featured a carted-in sound system) made sense.

The bill was rounded out by new Sub Pop band Male Bonding (who's going to be around quite a bit during CMJ), Soft Circle and Hot Box. NYC Taper was on hand and recorded No Age's 40-minute set, noting one pre-encore incident - "the show came to a halt when one over-ambitious jumper hit the stage and began bleeding at the end of the song -- and you can't make this stuff up -- called 'Get Hurt.'"

No Age's Losing Feeling EP came out October 6th on Sub Pop. More pictures and tour dates (which include FFF Fest in Austin) are below...

Continue reading "No Age, Soft Circle, Male Bonding & Hot Box @ Above The Auto Parts Store - pics, recording"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Ryan Muir

some of the stars of ATP NY 2009

What's almost the exact opposite of a soothing set of Seven Swans performed by one of the most delicate singers in indie rock? Try nine drummers (including Hisham Bharoocha, Zach Hill, and Kid Millions among other notables) bashing your fucking skull for so long that the stage manager has to come out to unplug their gear and remove toms from underneath them! That's how I started my ATP Day 3... with the Boredoms blowing my mind.

Starting off with sparse chords on the monstrous multi-neck guitar/percussive device, Eye set a calm and reflective mood... and then the cymbals. And then the toms. And then eight drummers pummeled away led by Yoshimi P-We. And then the synced rimshots that recalled an Animal Collective beat. All of this happened before a ninth drummer was carried into the show like an emperor while doing a call and response with the other eight.

Within about 10 minutes, I knew that Boredoms would take the prize as best show at Kutsher's that weekend. The sheer power of the coordinated drums, along with pregnant pauses and killer synth effects performed via keys, CD-DJ tables, and broomsticks (!) were beyond jaw dropping.

Following Boredoms, I poked my head into Oneida's Ocropolis for the first of many times. For 10+ hours, Oneida basically had the small and very decorated room all to themselves for a long jam session with their friends. Reportedly, the band had tape rolling the whole time (Ocropolis is the name of their Brooklyn recording studio) and had visuals provided by the Mighty Robot AV Squad. With local standbys like BJ Warshaw of Parts & Labor/Shooting Spires fame, Chris Weingarten (ex P&L), Todd P, and many others spotted in the Sportsman's Bar, it seemed like Brooklyn in the Catskills. Unfortunately, I missed every single special guest appearance (word is, and in part according to a sign on the door, Soft Circle, Yoshimi, Aaron from Tall Firs, Zach Hill, Steven Drozd and many others all popped in) but the band was very interesting to watch, alternating between songs, and droney ambient jams.

Caribou was next in the main room and the 16-piece(!) band including Sun Ra Arkestra member Marshall Allen, Koushik, Kieran Hebden (Fourtet) and many others. I had no expectations heading into the set and was pleasantly surprised, although I found the mix to have waaay too much low end.

I ducked out of Caribou early to catch the last twenty minutes of Hopewell who was billed to be playing "The Desperation Suite," "complete with a female choir and avant-garde saxophonist Mark Marinoff". From what little I saw, the three person "choir" did little but coo, ooh, ahh, and coordinate a dance, but the band did close with a rousing cover of Jane's Addiction's classic "Of Course".

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Continue reading "ATP NY 2009 - Day 3 pics & review (Boredoms, Caribou, Deerhoof, Boris, Jarmusch, Oneida, that crazy guy...)"