Portland, OR's Eat Skull were once known for the sort of blown-out punk some called shitgaze but the band have begun turning the levels down to 9.3 and the band's move from Siltbreeze to Woodsist is telling. Eat Skull III, which came out back in February on Woodsist, is on the jangly side with forays into weird synth postpunk, plus melodies and everything. You can stream vaguely tropical "How Do I Know When To Say Goodnight?" as well as the whole album via Spotify, below.

Eat Skull are currently on a tour that will hit NYC this week for two shows: Wednesday (5/22) at 285 Kent with PC Worship, Vaz, LODRO, and Call of the Wild (who also play with Weed soon); and Thursday (5/23) at The Flat with Modra and The Abandos. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Portland band Eat Skull released new LP on Woodsist, on tour, playing two NYC shows this week (dates, streams)"

Tickets for the Beck Celebrate Brooklyn! show at Prospect Park go on Beck Fan Club, Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn, and Live Nation/LN Mobile App presales today at 11 AM ("BECK2013" is the password for the fan club presale). General on-sale starts Friday, May 10 at 11 AM.

As mentioned, Beck also opens the Bob Dylan/Wilco show that My Morning Jacket aren't on, and tickets are going on sale at 10 AM for those.

Jimmy Eat World are playing Central Park Summerstage on August 7. Tickets go on Summerstage Member, Jimmy Eat World Fan Club, and Live Nation/LN Mobile App presales today at 11 AM (Fan Club password: "DAMAGE"). General on-sale starts Friday, May 10 at noon.

Head HERE to see other Summerstage shows happening this summer.

Tickets for the Giraffage and Mister Lies show at 285 Kent are on sale now. You can stream a new Giraffage track below.

Total Slacker, Eat Skull, Vaz, and Call of the Wild are playing 285 Kent on May 22. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Ninjasonik are playing a video premier party The Studio at Webster Hall on May 13 with The Skins and special guests. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Ladyhawke is DJing the PopGun Northside party on June 15 at Glasslands. Flying Horse DJs too. Tickets for that party are on sale now.

Giraffage song stream below...

Continue reading "tix on sale: Beck, Giraffage, Mister Lies, Jimmy Eat World, Total Slacker, Eat Skull, Ninjasonik and more"

photos by Lukas Hodge, words by Fred Pessaro

Floor @ Saint Vitus, 3/29/2013

After an initial reunion in 2010, sunny sludge metal crew Floor are now an active band again, having signed a deal to release new material for Season of Mist! The record will be laid down in the days following the current Floor tour, which hit Saint Vitus on Friday (3/29) with touring partner Thrones (aka Joe Preston of Melvins/High on Fire/too many to name here) and locals Vaz (who filled in following the cancellation of Psychic Limb). Pictures and video from the show are in this post. More below...

Continue reading "Floor played Saint Vitus with Thrones and Vaz (pics & video), working on new LP"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Slug Guts, not Sisters of Mercy, @ Home Sweet Home, 10/17/2012

Post-punk maniacs Slug Guts joined headliner Cult of Youth with Soren (of Rosenkopf) for an appearance at the hazy, fog-dense basement of Home Sweet Home for the WIERD party last night (10/17), the first of three area appearances. Though Cult of Youth and Soren both ripped excellent sets, Slug Guts were mesmerizing in the tiny space, packing it to the gills.

If you missed the Australian band, make sure and catch them at either The Acheron on Friday (10/19) with Pop 1280 and Vaz or at the Life or Death showcase at 92Y Tribeca on Saturday (10/20).

More pictures from last night's WIERD are below.

Continue reading "Slug Guts played WIERD with Cult of Youth and Soren of Rosenkopf (pics)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Telepathe at Glasslands - 7/18/12

Telepathe, Feathers, Eraas, and Faith (DJ) teamed up for a show at Glasslands last Wednesday (7/18). Pictures from that show are in this post.

It was one of multiple NYC shows for Telepathe this summer, including their DJ set at the Blondes show at Santos last Friday (7/20), and a show at Cameo on Augsut 2 with Laurel Halo and Xeno and Oaklander (tickets). Todd P also recently revealed that they will be the special guest at this Wednesday's (7/25) Summerscreen in McCarren Park with Vaz, Prince Rama and a screening of Dirty Dancing.

They're also playing The Rock Shop on August 28 with Blonds (not Blondes who they DJed with last Friday, but this Blonds), a secret co-headliner TBA and 2 hours of free Brooklyn Brewery beer. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

More pics from the Glasslands show and a list of updated Telepathe dates are below...

Continue reading "Telepathe played Glasslands w/ Feathers (pics), playing more shows (including Summerscreen and 1 w/ a secret co-headliner)"

Some of you may remember art installation The Maze which took over Death by Audio back in Fall 2009 and at at Chashama's Visual Arts Space in 2009. Well it's back, as the You Are Here Festival has returned for a month-long residency at Secret Project Robot Gallery in Bushwick (389 Melrose St) from July 12 - Aug 4.

Just like in previous years, the festival will include a "gigantic life size maze", and will host a grip of performers on Thursday - Saturday during their stay at the space. Thursday's kickoff event (7/12) features Miho Hatori's New Optimism, ZS, Bachanalia, Ann Liv Young and DJ JG Thirlwell of various Foetus incarnations. Other performers throughout the month include Xeno and Oaklander, Hubble, Mick Barr, Dan Friel, Zs, VAZ, Amen Dunes, Extra Life, Diamond Terrifier and many many more. Full schedule for "You are Here" is below including details on the art exhibitions at the space.

The festival is also readying a limited mixtape, featuring unheard/rare tracks from many of the performers scheduled for the event. Get a copy at the shows and at the You Are Here site, and check out "Hubble Potatoes" by Hubble which appears on said comp below.

In related news, both Diamond Terrifier and Hubble will perform at Zebulon tonight (7/10), joining Excepter and Hagfish & Poet Lounge. The show is part of a month-long residency durated by Diamond Terrifier (Sam Hillmer of Zs) on Tuesdays at the venue. The remainder of shows will feature a Patrick Higgins electro-acoustic set with Sleng Teng, and Tetryl Red on 7/17, ATM, with Psychic Reality, and Chuck Bettis on 7/24, and the final show on 7/31 with Talibam!, Violet Raid, Sun Watchers, and GADDFJXR.

Full details on the fest are below. The group is currently seeking funding for a Berlin edition in September 2012, contribute if you can.

Continue reading "The You Are Here Festival (aka The Maze) is coming to Secret Project Robot"

The L Magazine's Summerscreen series, which presents free movies and music in McCarren Park, already announced this season's slate of films. Today Summerscreen announced the bands that will play before the screenings as curated by Todd P on behalf of Showpaper. This Wednesday (7/11) is the first one of the year, with 1999's Cruel Intentions paired with the sounds of Colin L. Orchestra and Indian Jewelry.

Summerscreen happens at N 12th @ Bedford Ave. Doors to the park open at 6:00pm, bands go on at 6:30pm, and films start at 8:15pm. Food and drink will be available.

The rest of the schedule is below...

Continue reading "Summerscreen 2012 bands announced (starts this week)"

words by Erick Bradshaw, photos by Keith Marlowe

feedtime @ Death By Audio in Brooklyn

Nearly twenty-five years after their formation, Australian underground rock legends feedtime (always with lowercase "f") embarked on their first US tour last week. This past weekend, the tour brought feedtime to the NYC area for three shows; Thursday at Death By Audio, Saturday at Cake Shop, and Sunday at Maxwell's. For longtime fans, and new converts, this was a rare glimpse into a corner of rock n' roll that the die-hards out there consider to be as essential as Detroit '69, Cleveland '75, and London '77. Early-mid '80s Aussie postpunk is among the rawest, most brutal, and utterly physical rock n' roll ever wrestled out of the classic bass/drums/guitar triumvirate. Feedtime epitomize this uncompromising stance as well as any combo before or since. Initially forming in 1979, finding their footing in the '80s via Aberrant Records, and achieving moderate international success via distribution deals with Rough Trade and Amphetamine Reptile, feedtime have come for their reckoning, thanks to a brand-new 4-LP box set on Sub Pop (collecting their Aberrant years) and a new LP/CD of previously unreleased material, Today is Friday (S-S Records).

Feedtime songs don't have riffs per se; they are made up of sinew, gristle, and sweat. The bass sounds as if it has been constructed from steel girders and the guitar is usually attacked with whatever is handy, resulting in a slide-frenzy that sounds like what having razorwire dragged across your face must feel like; it recalls the most savage of blues. And the drums, the drums are beaten mercilessly, much like the sun beats down on the unshaded in the Outback. Rich man, poor man, the sun don't care how much is in your bank account. Feedtime doesn't care either, but they do care about what's in the bank itself, as the debut album's "Fastbuck" notes: "Got a Pontiac/gasoline/grab the cash/split the scene." Why this wasn't used in a chase scene in Chopper is beyond me. There is a cinematic flair to feedtime; a dirty, sandswept noir sparsely populated by violent and unpredictable outsiders, desperate loners lurking on the fringes of society.

Thursday at Death By Audio was a well-attended example of the possibilities of amplified rock-like noise. Perpetual local no wave faves Sightings lurched through their patented short-circuit compositions, walking a jagged edge of falling apart/building up, unleashing waves of discomfiting deep-bass stabs and roiling sheets of slicing guitar noise. It was a night of veterans, as former labelmates (in their previous incarnation as Hammerhead) Vaz, brought a punishing set of their uniquely harrowing and pummeling take on hardcore.

Feedtime took the stage and fumbled through a few of their opening numbers. Did the old guys still have it? Suddenly, they found their groove and rode it like a freight train to Hell, all dense bass chug, perfectly on-point drumming, and that nasty slide guitar. As the set progressed it seemed feedtime actually became more unhinged and threatened to jump the tracks. There's something thrilling about a band that can maintain that nearly-falling-apart tension while also remaining firmly in control.

Two nights later, at the Cake Shop, feedtime came out like gangbusters, on fire from the very start. Songs like "Dead Crazy" and the catchy, relatively straightforward punk of "Don't Like" whipped the crowd up, but they balanced out the blunt instrument approach with cuts like the melancholic "Ever Again" and "Fractured."
Feedtime is also known for their excellent covers (their Cooper-S LP is all covers), and they didn't disappoint with a brisk run-through of contemporaries and inspirations, (Aussie) X's "I Don't Wanna Go Out," and a deconstructed cover of the Stones' "Paint It Black" that ended in a double-time hardcore blitz. Once again, drummer Tom nailed the band's feet to the floor, giving the other fellas plenty of room to roll all over you with that metallic (as in the substance, not the genre) bass and savage slide. Never underestimate the power of a gnarly bass tone.

While the crowd was smaller than the DBA show, it was like a pow-wow of several generations of gritty rock n' roll, as members of classic Oz/US bands like Lubricated Goat, Chrome Cranks, and Bird Blobs looked on with big smiles, and, just maybe, a napkin with a few notes scribbled on it. Good on ya, feedtime.

The tour ended on Saturday in LA, two nights after hitting Beerland in Austin with the OBN III's. Check out more pictures from the Brookly show, with some songs, below...

Continue reading "feedtime completed their first US tour, played Cake Shop & Death By Audio (pics & review)"

by BBG

Racebannon video still

"These Midwestern weirdos have a real knack for crafting some of the most out-there noise-core imaginable. Whether it's teaming up with the "God of Noise" Merzbow, for the Merzbannon project, or crafting a rock opera centered on somebody who makes a pact with the devil to become a transsexual rock star, these guys certainly know how to push the limits of extreme music and get under your skin.... [Verbicide]"

The dates are in celebration of the band's Six Sik Sisters, out now and featuring "Thee Desparate" which makes its debut in video form below. Video and tour dates below...

Continue reading "Racebannon announce tour dates & new video (debut)"

by BBG

Karp was a post-hardcore band from Tumwater, Washington, that formed in 1990 and lasted until 1998. The band was formed by Chris Smith aka Chris "Slayer", Jared Warren, and Scott Jernigan. They released three full length albums entitled Mustaches Wild, Suplex, and Self Titled LP. (Note that "Self Titled LP" is a literal title. The title is not "Karp." Even the CD version of the record is titled "Self Titled LP.") They also released several EPs and 7" records. Their recordings were released by several Northwest-related labels such as K Records, Kill Rock Stars, and Punk In My Vitamins. Karp managed to mix the terror of hardcore, The Melvins, and Black Sabbath with an ear for pop-influenced song assembly. The band name is inspired from a newsletter/zine that Chris Smith put out in highschool and is an acronym that stands for "Kill All Redneck Pricks".

Members went on to play with Tight Bro's from Way Back When, The Whip, Dead Air Fresheners, and Big Business (currently playing with The Melvins). Drummer Scott Jernigan died in a boating accident on June 10, 2003.

Spectacle Theater will host a bunch of music related films in the coming weeks as part of "ROCKUARY", "music-themed special events and films of all kinds- ranging from features, documentaries, shorts, remixes, live performances, and many special guests." The current slate of films include a documentary on Friends Forever, Shamans of The Blind Country (which will be scored by Diamond Terrifier), a documentary on Morrissey's impact on Latino culture (Passions Just Like Mine), Deadlock (which was scored by Can) and much much more. Head to the Spectacle site for more details.

In semi-related news, Pygmy Shrews and The Men have BOTH cancelled their 1/13 appearance at Union Pool.

All Kill All Redneck Pricks screenings and some videos are below.

Continue reading "Karp Lives! - Karp documentary on screening tour, screens tomorrow at Spectacle Theater (part of ROCKUARY)"

words & photos by BBG

What Cheer? Brigade @ Public Assembly

My Thursday night (10/20) during CMJ was mostly spent at the Ballistic Missle/Anchor Brain show at Public Assembly, with a stop at the Life or Death PR showcase at Cake Shop to catch an early set from the always enchanting Chelsea Wolfe. Pictures from Chelsea Wolfe's appearance that night (one of several, including Europa and our day party the next day), as well as pictures of noise-rock greats Vaz, ear-shredding spazz-noisers Doomsday Student (3/4 of Arab on Radar), marching band mayhem from What Cheer? Brigade (with Joey in tow), XDS, and the punishing 400 Blows are below.

Continue reading "CMJ Thursday night in pics (What Cheer? Brigade, Chelsea Wolfe, Vaz, Doomsday Student, 400 Blows & more)"

Details below...

Continue reading "final Monster Island Block Party reminder"

Extra Life at Webster Hall in 2010 (more by Sarahana)

Extra Life have a few shows coming including one at Death By Audio on September 25 with Little Women and Vaz and another at Glasslands on October 9 with Pygmy Shrews, Mick Barr (of Krallice), GDFX (aka Greg Fox who just left Liturgy), and DJ Caroline Teagle. Tickets for the Glasslands show are on sale now.

GDFX has other shows coming up including one tonight (9/7) at 285 Kent Ave with The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!, Knife City, and Extreme Animals. Greg also plays a record release show for his Guardian Alien project on September 23 at Shea Stadium. Guardian Alien also plays Bruar Falls on October 5 with Alan Watts and Zebulon on October 9, the same night as the GDFX show at Glasslands.

Your last chance to catch Greg playing as a member of Liturgy is on their tour with Boris and Asobi Seksu which hits NYC on October 27 at Irving Plaza. Tickets are still available.

Krallice also has shows coming up including 9/12 at the Bell House Wolves in the Throne Room and Thou. Krallice were supposed to open for the same bill on September 14 at Death By Audio, but they've switched shows. Krallice also play on September 17 at Union Pool with Urfaust, Black Anvil, and Ruin Lust

All dates below...

Continue reading "Extra Life, GDFX, Guardian Alien, Mick Barr & other shows"

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!

by BBG

Hull at Europa (more by Keith Marlowe)

BrooklynVegan and 1000 Knives are proud to present Hull their SXSW-bound tourmates Batillus (all dates TBA), and Caltrop and one more very special guest TBA on March 26th at The Studio at Webster Hall at 7PM. Tickets are on sale.

Hull are working on a new full length, and was last seen in NYC at Europa supporting doom greats Pentagram. The band will release their epic Viking Funeral EP on vinyl via Science of Silence records this spring.

Caltrop are currently finishing up the recording of their second full-length with the help of Nick Peterson (Megafaun, Horseback). The band is scheduled to play the Bull City Metal Fest in Durham, NC on 2/4 & 2/5 alongside bands like U.S. Christmas, Royal Thunder, Sons of Tonatiuh, Colossus, Music Hates You, and many others. Tickets are on sale.

Batillus signed onto Seventh Rule for the release of their new LP, due out this year. We last saw the doom quartet in 2010 when they teamed up with Cough, Naam, and Sea of Bones at The Charleston. Batillus was recently contributed to the NYC Sucks compilation by MetalSucks which features new songs from faves like Tiger Flowers and previously released material from Made Out of Babies, Castevet, Naam and others.

A couple reminders while we're on the subject: Radiation Black Body (featuring Josh of Castevet), Vaz (2/3 of Hammerhead), Xaddax (Nick Sakes from Dazzling Killmen) and Fall of Another Day will play Bruar Falls TONIGHT (1/26) while Josh's other two projects (Castevet & Defeatist) will play Acheron on Friday (1/28) with Phantom Glue. Naam plays a FREE show on Thursday (1/27) at Union Pool with Liturgy, Your Youth and ARMS (the first show recommended in both an Evillive post and This Week In Indie).

Another reminder: Kylesa, Rosetta, Fight Amp, and East Of The Wall play Santos TONIGHT (1/26) and tickets are stil available. The show kicks off a shade after 7PM.

Some videos of the bands in action are below.

Continue reading "Hull, Batillus, Caltrop, Vaz & others are playing shows & stuff (Kylesa is playing Santos TONIGHT) "

photos by Michael Darpino, words by BBG

Today is the Day celebrating AmRep

BrooklynVegan/AEG Live/1000Knives are proud to announce, that in addition to the recently-added Keelhaul (and as hinted in that piece), Today is The Day will play the Corrosion of Conformity show at Highline Ballroom on 10/10. Tickets are still available.

Today is the Day recently played a show at Santos Party House with A Storm of Light (who played last night with Sleep, pics forthcoming), but also played the AmRep Anniversary Party in late August. More pics from the show (the first set is here) are below....

Continue reading "Today is the Day added to CoC show, played Santos & AmRep's Anniversary w/ Melvins & others (more pics) "

photos by Taylor Keahey, words by BBG

God Bullies

On what was a perfect day to celebrate anyone's anniversary, a sold-out crowd gathered at Grumpy's in downtown Minneapolis to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the legendary local label Amphetamine Reptile Records. It was an all-day event (on 8/28) that honored and saluted an influential and groundbreaking scene, as well a bunch of bands that perhaps never got their due back in the day. All the groups played to a large, receptive crowd that was, if not trying to turn back time a bit to see a bunch of bands that they never had a chance to, than maybe just feel younger for one day at least. Everywhere you looked there were old friends running into each other for the first time in years, and there were broad smiles plastered on everyone's faces (due in no small part to the $5 Surly's). It was a glorious commemoration of a label that still packs quite a punch and knows how to throw one hell of a party. -[City Pages]

Pics of both day one and two, as well as some video, continue below.

Continue reading "AmRep celebrated 25 years (pics & video) (Unsane, Melvins, Boss Hog, Hammerhead, Vaz, God Bullies & more)"

by BBG

As early as 1989 or 1990, a band came out of the moderately sized North Dakota town of Fargo. They were called Hammerhead. The line up was Paul Sanders on guitar and vocals, Paul Erickson on bass and vocals, and Jeff Morridian Jr on drums. At some point early on they relocate to Minneapolis, Minnesota...[where] they hooked up with Amphetamine Reptile Records, the invincible indie label that rose from the ashes of Treehouse Records and Glitterhouse Records. Between 92' and 96', Hammerhead released 4 full length albums, including many singles and comp songs as well... [helping to] propel Amrep to greater heights of popularity, and ...define that "minneapolis/amrep" sound of the early 90's. Some time in 96', however, Hammerhead suddenly broke up [as] Paul Sanders left the band. ...About a year later, word started to spread of a new band, called Vaz, featuring Paul Erickson on vocals, guitar and bass, and Jeff Morridian Jr on drums and vocals. Paul Sanders [reemerged] ...with The Heroine Sheiks, that disbanded in 2009.

The only other tour date on the sked for BOTH Hammerhead and Vaz is the AmRep anniversary show in Minneapolis on August 28th alongside Melvins (who just played two shows with Isis), Boss Hog, Today Is The Day, and many esteemed others.

Some classic videos from Hammerhead are viewable below...

Continue reading "Hammerhead reunited for AmRep Anniversay & a NYC show"

by BBG

STATS at Public Assembly (more by Justina Villanueva)

The city is always brimming with great art, whether from MSG to a loft in Bushwick. Here are some more NYC shows that are definitely worth a look over the coming weekend...

Continue reading "Gospel, STATS, Vaz, Psychic Limb & other upcoming shows "

Sam Hillmer (left) playing with Zs @ the Yard (more by Sarahana)

You Are Here (The Maze) is a performance festival in a sculptural maze taking place at Williamsburg's Death By Audio from September 10 - October 2, 2009. Emphasizing the sprawling and interconnected nature of New York's underground, a trip through the maze offers a peak inside NYC's diy art/music scene. A meditation on passage and desire, You Are Here engulfs the space and presents beckoning inhabitants, dead ends, and uplifting epitaphs. Medium and genre vary and overlapping and simultaneous performances are frequent, each performer establishing a different corner or dead end as his or hers.

Skeletons kick off the first night of the festival on September 10th as the Skeletons Big Band, a 12-piece band (expanded from their usual four) that's also playing September 7-9th at Roulette. There they'll be performing "New Works for a Larger Ensemble" which includes "excerpts and new arrangements from their record in progress "PEOPLE," a long form piece based around conversations in Greyhound busses and stations, and beyond..."

The full schedule for the Maze (and the lineup for Skeletons Big Band) is below...

Continue reading "Death By Audio's The Maze - schedule (includes 1 of 4 upcoming Skeletons Big Band shows & much more) "

Remember Death By Audio's 12-hour benefit on July 25th for something called You Are Here: A Maze?

Sam Hillmer & Laura Paris, who dubbed their art collaboration Trouble, had the first You Are Here festival in 2007, at 44th street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway. Paris drew out the floor-plan of the maze, while Hillmer, who plays tenor saxophone for the Zs, booked bands to play in the space and coordinated efforts to bring people inside to interact with the maze.

"It didn't seem like the kind of thing that could just sit in a gallery, it needs constant traffic," Hillmer explained. "That is the piece, people dealing with the situation [presented by the maze]."

This year's festival, scheduled for Spetember 10th through October 2nd, will take up the entire space of Death by Audio and feature a maze constructed out of salvaged doors from Built It Green, a nonprofit organization that sells surplus building materials. The space will also have woodchip-covered floors ("to reference mazes built out of bushes," Hillmer notes). The twists and turns of the venue will be littered by some 200 of Paris' sculptures, molded from some of her pieces and then cast repeatedly. [Greenpoint Gazette]

The preliminary lineup (aka almost a month's worth of shows at the venue while the maze is up) mixes interesting out of town names (Calvin Johnson, Ty Segal, The Coathangers) with local acts like Skeletons (as 'Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities'), Mick Barr (he is local right?), Extra life and Stars Like Fleas. Full lineup to be announced soon but more of it is below, along with video footage of the first Maze (starring Dave Longstreth, Thee Oh Sees and others), and other details and the flyer for the new Maze...

Continue reading "Death by Audio maze installation running Sept 10-Oct 2 (Skeletons, Mick Barr, Calvin Johnson, Extra Life, Ty Segall)"

On Saturday, July 25th, there'll be a 12-hour benefit at Death By Audio for You Are Here: A Maze, a "performance festival in a sculptural maze" to happen at the venue from September 10th - October 2nd. Both the event and the project are being put on by Trouble (Zs' Sam Hillmer and artist Laura Paris).

The lineup includes performances by Ninjasonik, Aa, Dead Science's Sam Mickens, Charlie Looker of Extra Life, and Hillmer himself (with Regattas). A DJ set by Dirty Projector Dave Longstreth is also on the schedule (for some actual singing by Longstreth, that takes place at the Williamsburg Waterfront this Sunday).

A full schedule of performers, with some info on the You Are Here project, is below...

Continue reading "12-hour art project benefit at DBA (DJ Longstreth, Aa, members of Zs, Extra Life, Dead Science, more)"

DOWNLOAD: Friendly Foes - Full Moon Morning (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Real Estate - Suburban Beverage (MP3)

Friendly Foes @ the Bell House (more by Tim Griffin)

The new band from Ryan Allen of Thunderbirds are Now!, Friendly Foes - not to be confused with Friendly Fires, is currently on tour and visits NYC this Saturday night (4/11) for a show at Pianos.

"I have multiple personalities in songwriting," said Friendly Foes singer/guitarist Ryan Allen, referencing the more-fun-n-simple-style-sun bursts of the songs that served as the genesis for the trio - while comparing it to the splintery-jostle-punk pop of his other band, Thunderbirds Are Now! "I just wanted to do something that played into what I actually listened to," including mid-90's rough hewn indie rock and straight-up-fun-sugar-pop bands.
[Real Detroit Weekly]

Also playing that show Saturday at Pianos is Real Estate, who, are also playing a show on Friday (4/10, tonight) (and have plenty of other local shows scheduled over the next month). If you haven't caught them by now, well, you have lots of chances. All dates below.

The Friday Real Estate show (tonight) is a Showpaper benefit at Monster Island Basement that TK Webb & the Visions, Vaz, Necking, Sisters and Skeletons are also playing. It looks like a great lineup that was put together very last minute; one of two big Todd P shows happening this weekend - the other is Black Dice at Market Hotel.

Skeletons also just played shows at both Mercury Lounge and Zebulon. Andrew Frisicano writes:

Skeletons, who spent most of March in Europe, opened the Thee Oh Sees-headlining show at Mercury Lounge on Sunday, April 10th. The trio was sparse and on point, playing mostly the tuneful tracks of 2008's Money. An extended groove stretched out the middle of the band's set (the longest of the night) showcasing its counterpoint guitars and textured drums under the poetic, wiry vocals of frontman Matt Mehlan.

Continue reading "Friendly Foes, Real Estate & Skeletons - NYC shows, etc..."

photos by Tim Griffin, words By Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Iran - "Buddy" (MP3)

Iran @ CMJ 2008

Iran (WITH Kyp Malone) will play a show at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, TONIGHT (12/18). Also on the bill: Fakers and Lone Wolf and Cub (Ryan Sawyer of Tall Firs and Stars Like Fleas - not the metal band). Presumably, Iran will, uh, run... through tracks from their upcoming record Dissolver, due on Feb 3, 2009 via Narnack.

Back to CMJ for a second....before 2 Live Crew played, a Kyp-less-and-still-named-after-a-'rogue-nation', Iran, played a renamed-The Soft Pack-less (they cancelled) and Lee "Scratch" Perry-less (he cancelled) Narnack Showcase this year, at Santos Party House, with the Sundelles, Vaz and Restavrant. Check out the overdue pics from that show above and below, and note - that's Doug Anson that sat in for Kyp. That probably won't happen again though, as we're told that Kyp plans on playing many more shows with the band, including as part of a 2009 tour out of NYC.

In related news, Kyp Malone's other band TV On The Radio, is garnering accolades-a-plenty including album of the year from The Onion AV Club, and from everyone's favorite weirdo Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. The Onion AV Club also cornered Santos Party House co-owner Andrew WK about his favorite record of the year.... Lee "Scratch" Perry's Repentance. Hmm... didn't he have something to do with that record?

In more related-to-Glasslands-tonight news, Tall Firs have teamed up with Awesome Color to play the Knitting Factory on Dec 19th (tickets here). Ryan Sawyer's other band, Stars Like Fleas, are recording a new record and have scheduled a show at Le Poisson Rouge on January 24th with Au (tickets here).

A whole bunch of pictures from the Narnack CMJ showcase, and tonight's Glasslands flyer, below...

Continue reading "Iran shows with (tonight) and without (pics) Kyp Malone, TVOTR is #1?, Awesome Color, Tall Firs, Narnack & stuff "

Besides being a tongue twister, NY Eye and Ear is also...

a 2 day record fair and all-ages music festival celebrating NYC homegrown DIY recording labels and bands. This is NYC's only record fair devoted exclusively to NY record labels. The title is inspired from the 1964 Michael Snow film w/ soundtrack by Albert Ayler and from the all-too-familiar signs seen daily in the subway tunnels by riders of the L-train of the famous NY Eye & Ear Infirmary. The Fest will be held at Vanishing Point, a huge 4700 sq. foot industrial loft in Bushwick, Brooklyn (240 Meserole street, Brooklyn, NY 11206).

Friday, December 12 from 2pm -4am
Saturday, December 13 from 2pm -4am

Continue reading "NY Eye & Ear music festival and record fair (Dec 12-13)"