photos by Diana Wong

"One needn't be among the electronic music faithful to take away positive feelings toward Moogfest, Asheville's yearly electronic mecca. Since migrating from a single-night event in New York City to what was arguably the cradle of electronic music innovation after being settled by Robert Moog, Moogfest has been as edifying as it is entertaining. Few festivals defy their attendees to completely reassess how they listen to music in the way that a weekend at Moogfest does. The gray matter-frying, booty-shaking synth jams raged until early morning all across downtown Asheville, but oftentimes the lessons in musical futurology were just as fulfilling." [Yes Weekly]

Continue reading "Moogfest 2011 - Day 2 in pics (Amon Tobin, Suicide, CANT, Kode9, Toro y Moi & more)"

by Andrew Sacher

Toro y Moi at Pitchfork Fest (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Toro y Moi is releasing the Freaking Out EP on Tuesday (9/13) via Carpark. The EP is the followup to his full length, Underneath the Pine, which came out earlier this year on the same label. You can grab two tracks, "All Alone" and "Saturday Love" (an Alexander O'Neal & Cherelle cover), in exchange for your email address below. Though both will remind you of the disco-y pop of Underneath the Pine, the introductory synth frills on "All Alone" tell you right away that Freaking Out isn't an EP of leftover album tracks.

Toro y Moi's previously announced tour begins this week and hits Webster Hall on September 14 with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Ava Luna. Tickets are still available. All dates are listed below.

We're also giving away a signed vinyl copy of Underneath the Pine and a pair of tickets to the Webster Hall show. Details on how to win, along with MP3 widgets, album art, tracklist and updated tour dates below...

Continue reading "Toro y Moi kicking off tour, releasing EP -- 2 MP3s, updated dates & a chance to win tix to Webster Hall & a signed album"

According to Toro y Moi and Das Racist, this weekend's free Afro-Punk festival is unfortunately cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. That said, as of this post, the festival itself hasn't said a word about it.

UPDATE, it's official:

The City of New York has rescinded all event permits for Saturday, August 27th and Sunday, August 28th because of the impending Hurricane Irene. The Afro-punk festival has been barred from holding any public assembly in Commodore Barry Park this weekend. Afro-punk staff have been meeting with officials and sponsors to try and avoid cancellation but have had to cancel this weekend's festival due to safety concerns. The event organizers are regrouping to plan the next steps and will keep the public updated.

DOWNLOAD: SBTRKT - "Wildfire" (Drumma Boy remix ft. Shabazz Palaces) (MP3)

Back in June, we announced the killer initial lineup for Moogfest 2011 (October 28, 29, 30). That lineup just got even better with additions including TV on the Radio, Special Disco Version featuring James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, St. Vincent, SBTRKT, Flying Lotus, YACHT, John Maus, Araabmuzik Baths, Zomby, Active Child and more. It was also announced that Brian Eno, part of the initial lineup, will be presenting Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings and "Illustrated Talks" as part of this year's fest.

The initial announcement also included Suicide, Tangerine Dream, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Austra, M83, Little Dragon, Passion Pit, Toro y Moi, Moby (full band), The Flaming Lips, Battles, CANT, Brandt Brauer Frick (who will be on a US tour that hits Glasslands), and more.

Speaking of CANT (aka Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear), he revealed the song "Believe" from his upcoming debut LP yesterday. Stream the track below. The album comes out September 13 on Chris' own Terrible Records. He's also got an upcoming tour surrounding Moogfest which includes a show on October 25 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of SBTRKT and Little Dragon, Drumma Boy remixed the SBTRKT song with Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagano on lead vocals. Shabazz Palaces is also featured on the remix (compare that to Drake's version). Grab the track above via Gorilla vs Bear. Shabazz wrote on Facebook today, "Besides the release of Black Up, I don't think I've seen one article on here create such a surge of activity as this Wildfire Remix has. Amazing."

Sampha, who sings live with SBTRKT and on his album, also recently released his own song, "Indecision." Stream the track below. Moogfest is one of the stops on SBTRKT's recently announced US tour that also hits Bowery Ballroom on October 31 (with Araabmuzik) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on November 1. Tickets for both shows are still on sale.

Little Dragon plays a BV-presented Record Release show at Music Hall of WIlliamsburg TONIGHT (8/16). The show is sold out, but if you don't have tickets you can catch them in NYC again on their headlining tour which hits Terminal 5 on October 14. Tickets are still on sale.

Song streams and full Moogfest lineup below...

Continue reading "updated Moogfest lineup, new CANT & a Shabazz Palaces/Drumma Boy SBTRKT/Little Dragon remix (MP3s)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo & Josh Darr

Twin Sister

Pitchfork Fest Day Three (Sunday, 7/17/11) was the day to go if you were looking to dance. The last day of the fest was pretty heavy on the electronic music with Cut Copy, Toro y Moi, HEALTH, Baths, Darkstar, and for something way chiller, How to Dress Well. The third day provided lo-fi masters Kurt Vile, Ariel Pink, and Deerhunter, and complete opposite ends of the hip hop spectrum with the abrasive and utterly offensive Odd Future and the this-must-be-from-another-planet rap of Shabazz Palaces. Day three was also the one chance to see a metal band (Kylesa).

Sunday was headlined by TV on the Radio. TVOTR, like Fleet Foxes who headlined the day before, have a wildly impressive double bill at Williamsburg Waterfront in September. Theirs is with Broken Social Scene on September 8. Tickets are still available.

Twin Sister played Sunday, and you can catch them for free in McCarren Park this Wednesday night (7/27).

Pictures of OFWGTKA's set are HERE. Day Two HERE. Day One HERE. Pics from the rest of Day Three are below...

Continue reading "pics from Pitchfork Fest 2011 -- Day Three"

Cut Copy at Terminal 5 in April (more by Dana (DISTORTION) Yavin)

Cut Copy have announced their final US and UK dates in support of the killer Zonoscope, released earlier this year. Much of the tour is being opened by Washed Out, and Midnight Magic who also open for Cut Copy at Prospect Park in August (along with Foster the People). The new dates kick off in NJ on September 13 at Wellmont Theatre and end in late October in the UK. Washed Out and Midnight Magic are both on the Wellmont bill. Tickets go on sale Friday (7/8) at noon.

No new NYC dates, but according to Cut Copy's website, there are five shows missing from the tour announcement that they're not allowed to announce yet. Tickets for Cut Copy's Prospect Park show are still on sale.

Toro y Moi remixed the Zonoscope track "Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution" for the track's upcoming single release. The single will be available digitally on August 9 in the US and as a 12" soon after. Check out the remixed track below. Check out Toro's upcoming dates HERE.

Washed Out are not on the bill for the Prospect Park show, but they are currently on their own headlining tour which hits Bowery Ballroom on July 11 with Blood Orange and Grimes.

Midnight Magic play the Summer BBQ Blowout at City Winery on August 6th.

All Cut Copy & Washed Out tour dates and the Toro y Moi remix below...

Continue reading "Cut Copy touring w/ Washed Out & Midnight Magic (dates), were remixed by Toro y Moi (listen)"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

DOWNLOAD: Little Dragon - "Nightlight (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "How Can U Luv Me" (MP3)

UMO @ Glasslands

Unknown Mortal Orchestra headlined Glasslands on 6/4. Headless Horseman, Balkans, and Fort Lean rounded out the rest of the bill. Despite some gear issues, UMO played an hour long set that concluded with "How Can U Luv Me" to a relatively full crowd. UMO is currrently prepping to release their self-titled debut on Fat Possum on 6/21. Stream three songs at the label site and download one above along with a remix the band did for Little Dragon.

The Glasslands show was one of two NYC dates for UMO, who played Webster Hall with their tour-mates Portugal The Man the night before. They'll return both venues in September while on tour with Toro Y Moi who headlines Webster Hall on 9/14. Ava Luna is also on the bill and tickets are still available. One day later, 9/15, UMO return to Glasslands for another headlining show. Tickets are on sale for that too.

UMO also has a bunch of dates scheduled with Yuck.. All dates and more pictures from Glasslands below...

Continue reading "Unknown Mortal Orchestra played Glasslands (pics), touring with Toro y Moi, playing Glasslands again (dates)"

Ariel Pink @ Coachella 2011 (more by David Andrako)

today in NYC
* Dayna Kurtz @ Barbes
* Tony Malaby @ The Stone
* Questlove @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Rachelle Garniez @ Barbes
* Matthewdavid @ Cameo Gallery
* Stiff Little Fingers @ Europa
* Martin Sexton @ City Winery
* Bettye Lavette @ Cafe Carlyle
* The Radiators @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Variety Shac w/ Michael Showalter @ UCB
* Geoffrey Burleson with IMPETUS @ The Stone
* Lovers, Household, Skeleton Head @ Cake Shop
* Lie Still, Amputee, Artificial Brain @ Silent Barn
* Matt Bauer, The Loom, Melaena Cadiz @ Union Pool
* Electric Six, Township, Les Sans Culottes @ The Bell House
* She Wants Revenge, Nico Vega @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Powder Kegs, Team Genius, Mary Page @ Cameo Gallery
* Love Inks, Rewards, Slowdance, Celestial Shore @ Glasslands
* Daniel Knox, Lewis & Clarke, Judson Claiborne @ The Rock Shop
* George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ MetroTech Commons (noon-2pm)
* Fiasco, Balkans, Parquet Courts, Shingles, Moodrings @ Shea Stadium
* The Barracudas (redux), The Barreracudas, Baby Shakes @ Union Hall
* This Will Destroy You, Nighty Night, John LaMonica @ Bowery Ballroom
* Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Silk Flowers, R. Stevie Moore @ Irving Plaza
* Liturgy, Sightings, Matteah Baim, SWATi, DJ Todd Pendu @ Knitting Factory
* Silverstar, The Stairwells, The Davenports, The Thousand Pities @ Bowery Electric
* Xray Eyeballs, Night Manager, Teen Witch, Sunny Ali & The Kid @ Death By Audio
* Country Mice, Delilah, Hey Battlefield, Ed Vallance, Show Is the Rainbow @ Pianos
* loadbang, Pygmy Jerboa + On Structure (performing Alvin Lucier's 'Queen of the South') @ Issue Project Room
* Either/Or (music by Robert Ashley, George Lewis, Steve Reich, Richard Carrick and Andrew Byrne) @ The Kitchen
* Pieta Brown, Craig Magnano, Zack Borer, Rumblefoot, Sasha Dobson, Jesse Ruben, Orly, Andrew Gregory, Gabrielle Aimee @ Rockwood Music Hall

Ariel Pink plays Irving Plaza tonight with R Stevie Moore, and then the Roots Picnic this weekend.

'This Week in Indie' coming soon.

The Strokes played "Gratisfaction" on Ellen yesterday. Check out the video below.

Jane's Addiction released a NSFW video for their new single "End to the Lies." Check it out below.

Toro y Moi, who was just announced on the Moogfest lineup, and the Afro-Punk fest lineup, and who has a Webster Hall show coming up, played an acoustic session for Rolling Stone. Check out a video of him performing the unreleased track, "Lately," below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Suicide at ATP 2009 (more by Ryan Muir)

The initial lineup is out for this year's Moogfest, which is taking place in Asheville, NC on October 28-30. This year's lineup has some pretty impresive names including three pioneers of electronic music; Tangerine Dream, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Suicide, who are performing their highly influential 1977 self titled debut album in its entirety. The Flaming Lips, Crystal Castles, Little Dragon, Passion Pit, Toro y Moi, Chromeo, Austra, M83, Tim Hecker, and many others on there too. Tickets go on sale Saturday (6/4) at noon. Check out the full initial lineup and a video below.

Continue reading "Moogfest initial 2011 lineup (Suicide, Tangerine Dream, Flaming Lips, Little Dragon, Passion Pit & more!)"

Janelle at Afro-Punk 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Afro-Punk 2011 will take place in Fort Greene's Commodore Barry Park on August 27 and 28. This year's crazy lineup consists of Cee Lo Green, Janelle Monae (who played the fest in 09), Fishbone, Santigold, Jay Electronica, Toro y Moi, Reggie Watts and more. The festival will also a hold a Skate and BMX competition, and other related events. Admission is free to the general public.

Full lineup below...

Continue reading "Afro-Punk 2011 -- free Fort Greene fest lineup (Cee Lo, Janelle Monae, Toro y Moi, Santigold, Fishbone, Reggie Watts, more)"

Toro Y Moi at Bowery Ballroom (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

Shortly after enjoying a relatively leisurely summer compared to his year so far (SXSW, Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge) , Toro Y Moi will hit the road after Labor Day for a string of U.S. dates that will include a stop at Webster Hall on 9/14 with Ava Luna. Tickets for Chazwick Bundick's biggest NYC show yet go on sale at noon on Friday (5/20).

Toro Y Moi welcomed the Underneath The Pine LP in February, and will follow it up with the Still Sound Remix 12" via Amazing Sounds on June 13.

Toro Y Moi recently made a mixtape featuring awesome names like King Tubby, Dorothy Ashby, Ennio Morricone, and Goblin. In related news, Goblin's Claudio Simonetti will play Santos Party House on May 24th as part of Daemonia, his metal band that updates classic songs by Goblin. They'll be joined by Wolf Eyes and tickets are still available.

All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Toro Y Moi announces tour dates (Webster Hall included) & new 12" +++ Daemonia playing Santos w/ Wolf Eyes"

The Outside Lands Festival, which runs from 8/12 - 8/14 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, released their 2011 lineup in April (and now it's May, so consider this a catch up post). Tickets are on sale.

This year's fest will appearances from The Shins, Muse, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Phish (two sets), !!!, Erykah Badu, Big Audio Dynamite (who played Coachella and are also playing Lollapalooza), Girl Talk and many more. The full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Outside Lands 2011 lineup"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Toro y Moi @ Bowery Ballroom

Toro y Moi, Braids, and Adventure toured through NYC earlier this month, playing two sold out shows at Bowery Ballroom while they were here. Pictures from one of those shows is in this post.

Adventure returns on May 14th to play a show at Glasslands with Pat Jordache. Tickets are on sale. All future tour dates for all three bands and more pictures from Bowery, below...

Continue reading "Adventure played Bowery Ballroom w/ Toro y Moi & Braids (pics), playing Glasslands & other dates"

The second annual Hopscotch Festival will go down in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, across 12 different venues with over 135 bands, from September 8th through 10th. The lineup this year runs the gamut of independent music... from traditional indie staples (The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Superchunk) to southern-inflected rock (Drive-By Truckers) to noise (Prurient) to hip hop (Beans) to garage (Jeff The Brotherhood) to funk (Budos Band) to metal (Krallice), and everywhere in between (Swans, Rhys Chatham, etc etc). Tickets are currently on sale. Full lineup is below.

Hopscotch happens almost three months after Guided By Voices play a Brooklyn Northside Festival show in McCarren Park (tickets) which is one day after Beirut plays a Northside Festival show on the same McCarren Park stage with... Sharon Van Etten (though she may have been accidentally announced at one point, they officially kept her placement on the bill under wraps until after Saturday's Music Hall of Williamsburg show). Tickets for Beirut/SVE are still on sale, and another opener will be added too.

Guided by Voices (whose Brooklyn show also has more openers coming) are also playing Pitchfork in July with Animal Collective whose Prospect Park show is now on AmEx presale.

Swans' upcoming NYC show is now on AmEx presale too.

Hopscotch lineup below...

Continue reading "Hopscotch Fest returns to Raleigh (2011 lineup announced), Sharon Van Etten officially added to Northside Fest"

DOWNLOAD: Tyler The Creator - "French" (Toro Y Moi Remix) (MP3)

Left Brain at Santos (more by Brook Bobbins)

As mentioned yesterday, "MellowHype (Hodgy Beats & Left Brain) just announced that they will be re-releasing their most recent record, 'BlackenedWhite,' with two bonus tracks. No details on a label or signing yet, but I'm sure it won't be long before we hear more." As announced today:

MellowHype (OFWGKTA) sign to Fat Possum for a hard release of BlackenedWhite. It was originally featured on Odd Future's website back on Halloween and has since been remixed and remastered with bonus content for a physical release on CD and Vinyl this summer.

In related news, Toro Y Moi recently dropped a remix for Tyler The Creator's "French" from the Bastard LP (download it above/stream it below) and Funny or Die posted a video of the crew getting signed that features Paul Scheer and many others. Check out the video alongside the song stream below.

Continue reading "MellowHype signs to Fat Possum, Toro y Moi remixes Tyler the Creator, Paul Scheer signs Odd Future"

photos by Graeme Flegenheimer

"To try and characterize Toro Y Moi's live set in a few words is a difficult task, to say the least. The band manages to simultaneously embody a number of genres, while at the same time defying all of them. There's an unquestionable poppy melody element, but it's balanced by rock solid dance beets. Then there's the wide swath of atmospheric synth sounds, overlaying instrumental parts that verge on jazz at it's best. A comparison to Stevie Wonder at the height of his powers would be apt, but still not really embody everything that's going on." [Hippes Are Dead]

Cloud Nothings have a new self-titled LP out today (January 25th), and you can stream all of it at Fader.

If you missed Philip Seymour Hoffman, like our photographer did, then maybe you caught them on Saturday (1/22) with Dan Friel at the 42nd Street Showpaper Space with Happy New Year and Attached Hands. If you missed both of them, there's still February 4th with Megafortress, Family Portrait and Headless Horseman at Pianos.

More pictures from Mercury Lounge and tour dates and a video from the show below...

Continue reading "Toro Y Moi, Cloud Nothings & Indian Rebound (and Philip Seymour Hoffman) played Mercury Lounge (pics & video)"

Toro Y Moi at MHOW, supporting Caribou (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

As previously discussed, Toro Y Moi & Cloud Nothings & Indian Rebound (how old are those guys?!?) & Philip Seymour Hoffman are playing Mercury Lounge on 1/19. The show is now sold out, but Toro Y Moi has already plotted his return to NYC as part of a tour with Baltimore's Adventure... and the shows are considerably bigger. They will play April 10th at Music Hall of Williamsburg and April 11th at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for both shows (MHOW on 4/10, Bowery on 4/11) go on AMEX presale on 1/12 at noon and general sale on 1/14 at noon.

In February Toro Y Moi heads to New Zealand and Australia and then in March he'll play more shows with Cloud Nothings before hooking up with Adventure. All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Toro Y Moi touring w/ Cloud Nothings & Adventure (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Toro Y Moi - "Still Sound" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cloud Nothings - Understand At All (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oberhofer - "Should Have Taken Acid With You" (MP3, Neon Indian Cover)

Toro Y Moi at MHOW (more by Chris Doss)

Labelmates Cloud Nothings and Toro Y Moi (who just DJ'd MHOW) will team up at Mercury Lounge on 1/19, one date on a week-long tour for the former, but the only upcoming date for the latter. Tickets are on sale. Both are welcoming new releases from Car Park in the new year, with Cloud Nothings's self-titled LP hitting on January 25th and Toro Y Moi's Underneath The Pine impacting on February 22nd. Check out tracks from their respective releases, either streaming below, or in downloadable MP3 form above.

Oberhofer @ Monster Island (more by Erez Avissar)

On the non-NYC dates, Cloud Nothings will be joined by Oberhofer. Though Oberhofer isn't on the Mercury Lounge show, you'll have a few chances to catch them in the area in January: two shows are with The Vaccines (Bowery on 1/20 tickets, Glasslands on 1/22 tickets) and the third date will see Oberhofer will play a Kidrockers event at the Living Room on 1/9 (you can go if you have a kid with you). Brad Oberhofer is also taking part that Rock Lottery at Knitting Factory on 12/18. A week after those Vaccines dates, Oberhofer will hop on tour with Tapes N Tapes, though Oberhofer are currently not scheduled to appear with them at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 2/4. Full Oberhofer schedule is below.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is also scheduled to appear at the Cloud Nothings/Toro Y Moi Mercury Lounge show, though probably not the PSH you are thinking of. The Mercury Lounge show is the LA band's lone East Coast date, but they are scheduled to play a few shows in their hometown including the FMLY Fest on 12/26 & 12/27 with Truman Peyote, Vacation Dad, Nicole Kidman (not that one), Kevin Costner Saves the World, Back to the Future The Ride, Insects vs. Robots, Halloween Swim Team, and many many others. Flyer for FMLY Fest and all PSH dates are below.

All tour dates, as well as the Cloud Nothings & Toro Y Moi tracklistings and song streams are below.

Continue reading "new Toro y Moi & Cloud Nothings MP3s & albums & dates ++ Oberhofer & Philip Seymour Hoffman too"

photos by Chris Doss

Jason Chung is Nosaj Thing (get it? Jason -> Nosaj), and the LA artist/beat-killer played Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday 12/3 with Mary Anne Hobbs, Toro Y Moi, and Dirty South Joe. The very visual show was also marked with an acrobatic performance (literally, not just on the MPC/drum pads) by Brooklyn aerialist Anya Sapozhnikova to accompany the glitchy thump.

More pictures and an 18+ minute video from the show, along with a revealing documentary on Nosaj Thing produced during a recent trip to Brazil, below...

Continue reading "Nosaj Thing, Toro y Moi, Mary Anne Hobbs, Dirty South Joe & an aerialist performed @ MHOW (pics & video)"

"What a mesmerizing thing it was to watch this guy [Nosaj Thing] alone on stage, his own shadow looming against the projection screen behind him, turning knobs and slapping out drum hits while the crowd (in a singular head-nod) just stood there in shock. The way a DJ "performs" on his decks, Nosaj Thing's feet were in a constant two-step dance while his arms and hands flailed when the music became bigger or started a transition. After 45 minutes, Nosaj left the stage and the crowd slack-jawed while Warren G.'s "Regulate" played during the encore's interim. Nosaj Thing's roughly one hour set was a perfect union of lights, sounds and total crowd control." [Reverb]

Continue reading "Nosaj Thing is here - Brooklyn show w/ DJ Toro y Moi ++ other tour dates"

photos by Chris La Putt

Blood Red Shoes @ MHOW

After Chris left the BV Loft Party all the way back on Friday, October 22nd, he headed over to Music Hall of Williamsburg for the Blue Flowers-presented CMJ showcase for a lineup of mostly UK bands including Chapel Club, Everything Everything, and Blood Red Shoes (who toured North America with Sky Larkin in October). Pictures from that show are in this post.

The occasion (to post these belated pics)? SXSW has already announced an initial lineup of bands playing in Austin from March 16-20, 2011, and Chapel Club is on that list (and I wouldn't be surprised of the other 2 mentioned bands end up coming too). Also on the list: Lia Ices, Braids, Asobi Seksu, Wye Oak, Suuns, Sun Airway, A Place to Bury Strangers and more. Full list under the rest of the MHOW pictures, below...

Continue reading "Chapel Club played CMJ w/ Everything Everything & Blood Red Shoes (pics), playing SXSW 2011 (intial lineup)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Deakin

"This solo project from Animal Collective's Deakin (or Deacon, or Josh Dibb) was just as psychedelic, but in more of a dub vein, with spacey, ambient guitar over echoing reverberating distorted drum-pad beats. A pair of smoking-hot yoga-body hipster girls were dancing throughout--no idea how they found a beat to lock into, as loose as the rhythm was, but none of the guys nearby were complaining." [Dallas Observer]

If indie rock/pop/chillwave was all you were looking for, or even just dancing and hip hop, you had more than your share of best new music to keep you occupied from noon to 10pm on the Orange and Blue stages. Sunday alone featured Deerhunter, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Deakin, Magic Kids, Best Coast (Wavves played the day before) and Cults, not to mention Yelle, Polvo, P.O.S. and A-Trak. Those are most of the artists pictured in this post which continues below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest - Day 3 pics (part 2) - Deakin, Best Coast, A-Trak, Yelle, Polvo, Deerhunter, Washed Out, Toro y Moi, more"

Javelin @ Bowery Ballroom in February (more by Jessica Amaya)

Whitney Live: Summer 2010
Presented by Keds
Fridays: July 2, July 23, Aug 13, Aug 27
Lower Gallery / Sculpture Court 7pm

JULY 2
HIGH PLACES + TORO Y MOI

JULY 23
BEAR HANDS + DARLINGS

AUGUST 13
JAVELIN + WARPAINT

AUGUST 27
DJ/RUPTURE + TANLINES

Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg and Wye Oak's Andy Stack are playing a show at the museum on Friday, June 25th to ring in an exhibit of art by painter Charles Burchfield.

Last year's summer Whitney shows included Vivian Girls & These are Powers and the Feelies.

The Biennial just closed at the museum - there's a video tour of it below...

Continue reading "Whitney Live 2010 - free shows @ the museum in July "

DOWNLOAD: Toro Y Moi - Blessa (MP3)

Toro Y Moi @ Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 7th (more by Ben Lozovsky)

Toro Y Moi is still on the road with Caribou - they swung through New York for two sold-out MHOW shows on May 7th and 8th,and keep going into June.

Toro Y Moi also has other tour dates beyond that planned, and those include a gig at Glasslands on July 1st. Tickets are on sale.

Toro's debut, Causers of This, came out in February, and you can look for a new 7" (also on Carpark) out July 20th. That'll have an a-side of "Leave Everywhere," and b-side "First Date." All tour dates and Toro's Chazwick Bundick doing his song "You Hid" live are below...

Continue reading "Toro y Moi - updated 2010 tour dates (Glasslands on sale) "

by Ben Lozovsky

Caribou makes luxurious music for unflappable spirits. At the first of two area sold out shows Friday, they laid a heavy blanket of pounding kraut and sumptuous new disco over at Music Hall of Williamsburg (they played Bowery Ballroom on Saturday) with a technical wizardry that not only felt comforting, but truly enveloping for the senses.

Even as the members, led by Daniel Snaith, remained stoically tethered to their respective corners in a tight square setup on stage, often obscured behind mounds of equipment and wild projections, Caribou never hid their intentions. The music was always burning with an anonymous, or rather all-inclusive, emotional base - it didn't boast any distinct nationality or heritage, instead speaking a collective modern language in electronic, jazz-scented and prog-driven words.

In fact, the diverse group of songs performed from Caribou's (formally Manitoba) wide catalog, often as stylistically distinct as each passing record, felt like one long flowing conversation. Each number would churn and wobble until a glowing boiling point, like the rapturous ending of "Melody Day," only to be circumvented by the slow ascent of the next one.

Opener Toro y Moi took some cues from Caribou's textural playbook, as Chazwick Bundick' enhanced his more melodically driven chillwave with backing musicians this time around. The results of the full band addition might have been unpolished at brief moments, but was nonetheless rich with detail and tension, a positive sign that Chazwick's obvious promise was on the way to being more fully realized.

--

Hounds of Hate were first of third on the bill, but Ben missed them. More pictures from the music Hall show with some videos from Bowery, below...

Continue reading "Caribou & Toro y Moi played Music Hall & Bowery (pics, video) "