Treasure Island Music Festival is returning to San Francisco, CA on October 15 and 16. The lineup includes Cut Copy, Beach House, The Hold Steady, Flying Lotus, Death From Above 1979, YACHT, Shabazz Palaces, The Antlers, St. Vincent, and many others. 2-Day passes go on sale Wednesday (7/27) 10 AM and single day tickets on Friday (7/29) at 10 AM.

Speaking of St. Vincent, if you haven't already, check out her new track at StrangeMercy.com. The full album is out September 13th via 4AD. More info and tour dates HERE. Still no info on tickets for her Met show.

Full Treasure Island lineup below...

Continue reading "Treasure Island Fest announces 2011 lineup, includes St. Vincent (who recently released a new song)"

today in NYC
* Cylinder @ The Stone
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB
* Lawnmower @ The Stone
* Lenny Kaye, etc @ 2A
* Tony Touch @ Santos Party House
* Pow Wow! @ Fulton Stall Markett
* Wizardry, Iron Thrones @ Acheron
* Los Lobos, Aunt Martha @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Vetiver, Yellowbirds, Meg Baird @ The Bell House
* Cheeseburger, Hard Nips @ Beekman Beer Garden
* Humanity Falls, The Leviathan's Mandible, Flourishing @ Port 41
* Arc in Round, Beige, Long Distance Poison @ Death By Audio
* Stephane Wrembel Presents The Django Experiment @ Barbes
* Zona Mexicana, Spook Houses, Toasted Plastic, Hollow-Eyed @ Maxwell's
* Hate Eternal, Origin, Vital Remains, Abysmal Dawn @ Santos Party House
* Nightmare & The Cat, Jump Into The Gospel, Nonviolence, Little Racer @ Glasslands
* Lily Virginia, PAPS, Schwervon!, Algae & Tentacles, Melissa and Paul, Man Lee @ Cake Shop
* The Verve Pipe, Zany Umbrella Circus & Oko Sokolo, Oran Etkin's Timbalooloo, Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, Brooklyn Steppers @ Central Park Summerstage

Pow Wow! play for free at 3pm @ Fulton Stall Market near South Street Seaport. Then head into Beekman Beer Garden for Cheeseburger, also free.

Check out This Week in Indie for more.

Tons of free shows this week.

Bongripper won't be here.

Coco66 got shut down last night so SBTRKT never got to DJ after PS1.

Warpaint's new "Warpaint" video can be watched below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Warpaint @ Brooklyn Bowl

"Letter by letter, they spelled out the words 'Billie Holiday' until they didn't register anymore, the sort of sing-songy chant you might hear on a playground. The letters, glazed in reverb and sung in unison, slurred into one another over the slack strum of guitar. Out of nowhere, the song suddenly cribbed lyrics from a girl-group anthem from the 1960s, Mary Wells's 'My Guy': 'Nothing you can say/ Can tear me away/ From my guy/ Nothing you can do/ 'Cause I'm stuck like glue/ To my guy.'

The song in question was called 'Billie Holiday,' and it encapsulated the hypnotic powers of the band singing it at the Paradise on Tuesday night. Warpaint is essentially a modern girl group, but one that lingers in a haze of '60s psychedelia and '80s shoegaze. The Shangri-Las on Quaaludes, if you will."-[BostonGlobe]

Continue reading "Warpaint, the Family Band & PVT played Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

Warpaint at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Warpaint is on the list for Coachella, one date as part of a larger tour for the band with PVT and Family Band. That tour includes NYC shows at Brooklyn Bowl on 3/30 and Bowery Ballroom on 3/31. Tickets for Bowery are currently on AMEX presale, and go on regular sale on 1/21 at noon. Tickets to Brooklyn Bowl go on sale Friday at noon as well.

Family Band meanwhile can be found supporting Asobi Seksu at Mercury Lounge on February 17th. Tickets are on sale.

Warpaint recently played The Studio at Webster Hall, and as we mentioned it would be, the show was is now viewable online courtesy of MTV.

All dates and a Warpaint video below...

Continue reading "Warpaint, PVT & Family Band -- 2011 Tour Dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Yuck - Rubber (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yuck - Georgia (MP3)

The BBC recently published its Sound of 2011 list, its annual picks of artists they think will be hot next year. A few of these you might have read about already: The Vaccines (playing here in January), Anna Calvi (playing here in March), Australia's The Naked and the Famous (maybe you saw them at Brooklyn Bowl in November), Esben and the Witch (been here a couple times), and Warpaint (already kinda big over here). There's also dubstep wizkid James Blake, hotshot producers Nero and more.

The list was determined via "160 influential UK tastemakers," and the artists selected must not have had a UK top 20 single or album by 14 November 2010, and must not already be famous (aka contender for TV talent competition, etc). You can see the whole list at the bottom of this post and the top five from the initial list of 15 will be revealed first week of the new year. Last year's list was topped by Ellie Goulding and also included The Drums, Marina & the Diamonds and, uh, Owl City.

Another of the band on the Beeb's list is Yuck who have scheduled and then cancelled U.S. shows twice this year already, but are now really coming -- they pinkie swear -- for two shows next month: January 25 at Mercury Lounge (on-sale 12/17 at noon) and Jan. 26 at Glasslands (tickets are on sale). Immediately after their NYC shows, Yuck heads out for a North American tour with their Fat Possum labelmates Smith Westerns. Yuck's debut album, loaded with warm and fuzzy indie rock a la early Teenage Fanclub or Yo La Tengo, will be out February 15. You can check out "Rubber" from the album above (and watch its NSFW video further down), as well as previously-released, super-catchy "Georgia."

Mona

Also on the Sound of 2011 list and also here in January are Nashville-via-Ohio band Mona, who play The Rock Shop on January 12, Mercury Lounge on January 13 and Union Pool on January 15. The BBC describes thusly:

The myth of the last gang in town is an enduring one in rock music. A small town, some big ideas and four kids who've grown up and grown so close that they finish each others sentences. Mona are those tender souls, hoping to outgrow the story that's been written for them. Says frontman/guitarist Nick Brown of their debut single Trouble On The Way. Nick: "It's pretty self-explanatory - there's a sound on the horizon and the volume's gonna grow."

The majority of this Nashville-based four-piece were raised in the church and learned their craft playing to the congregation: Nick and drummer Vince Gard as Pentecostalists and bass player Zach Lindsey in by Southern Baptist. Guitarist Jordan Young is the token heathen. For those within the faith, secular music was banned. Vince's mother would play him Creedence Clearwater Revival records and make him promise not to let on to his father - rock and roll as illicit, secret thrill.

Videos for Yuck and Mona, plus the entire BBC Sound of 2011, after the jump.

Continue reading "the BBC's Sound of 2011 list, new Yuck tour dates, Mona shows & more"

photos by Jessica Amaya, words by Rachel Kowal

Warpaint

Family is the new crystal. Wednesday was Family Portrait. Last night, 12/2, was Family Band. It's hard to put your finger on the vibe projected by Family Band. (They sound nothing like Family Portrait, for the record.) Their performance is characterized by a strange kind of understated intensity, which makes sense for a Brooklyn-based band that retreats to the Catskills to write songs.

Family Band kicked off the evening with a slow, melodic song, but as their set progressed and the room began to fill up, they gradually incoporated heavier, attention-grabbing arrangements to the atmospheric mix. Flanked by her three band mates, each dressed in white from head-to-toe, vocalist/guitarist Kim Krans stood out in her flowing, solid black outfit. Krans has the kind of soul-satisfying, world-weary voice characteristic of fabled singer/songwriters of fading generations. As the energy both on stage and in the room picked up, Krans' voice began to get overshadowed by the moans of the lap steel, but she quickly pulled the mic in closer, cooling retaining complete control over the situation. During the quieter portions of the songs, Jonny Ollsin (also on guitar) periodically walked over to the side of the stage, perched on top of a speaker, and sang along - off mic - in the shadows.

Though their interactions with the crowd were limited, their reservation increased the intensity of the performance and helped shroud them in an alluring air of mystery. Going into the show, I knew very little about Family Band, but their performance was deeply satisfying. At least there was one reward for arriving early.

Next up was the ironically titled artist, Rewards. Rewards is the relatively new project of Aaron Pfenning (formerly of Chairlift), but on stage he has help from three other musicians, including Lightspeed Champion's Dev Hynes. Rewards got off to a rough start. In the first song, there was a technical problem with the vocals. Pfenning quickly dashed over to the sound guy mid song, leaving his backing band to filibuster. After some difficulties, Pfenning's vocals temporarily came through speakers in unnaturally high octaves thanks to the fix.

Throughout the set, Pfenning made feeble (but humorous) attempts to engage the audience. "Hey did you just wink at me?" He asked one lucky audience member as he swaggered to the front of the stage. Family Band may have kept to themselves, but Pfenning seemed to be looking for any and every excuse to engage the crowd, often responding to random comments or even gestures.

Of course, there were also more promising moments - like when the Hynes and Pfenning traded off vocal duties. But for the most part, Pfenning's overwrought fervor threatened to turn the performance into performance art. In one final plea for attention during the last song, Pfenning walked to the front of the stage and leaned in inches from BV photographer Jessica Amaya's camera. (Is this the part where she's supposed to swoon?)

When Warpaint finally came to the stage to deliver us, it was nearly 11:30, and the crowd was eager. "How are you all doing?" guitarist/vocalist Emily Kokal asked the crowd. With the small talk covered, drummer Stella Mozgawa enthusiastically counted off for their opening song, "Bees." Though not particularly dance-y, many audience members greeted the band with surprisingly enthusiastic dancing from the opening bars. Kokal joined in on the action any time she could part with her guitar, and her frenzied movements were just as compelling as her vocals. Warpaint is fortunate enough to have two talented singers with distinct but complimentary voices.

Though the line-up of the band has changed some over the past few years, they seem to have struck the right balance with their most recent addition - Stella Mozgawa on drums. Warpaint's set-up on stage may be a bit unconventional - its two chief vocalists stand on opposite sides of the stage, leaving bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg to constantly roam around in the middle. But if the band lacks a central focal point, it's only because each of its members is positively magnetic.

After powering through much of their set (including the moody and mesmerizing "Undertow," which is more than vaguely reminiscent of Nirvana's "Polly"), Warpaint momentarily slowed things slowed down with "Majesty," but soon the kids were dancing once again. After hearing just seven songs, it was kind of a shock to get the last-song warning, but the band rewarded those who stayed with a two-song encore.

Warpaint and Rewards also played The Studio at Webster Hall one night earlier. More pictures from the MHOW show, with Warpaint's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Warpaint, Rewards & Family Band played MHOW (pics, setlist)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

If you're wondering why Los Angeles buzz band Warpaint has been around for almost seven years with only two releases to show for it, blame Shannyn Sossamon.

The actress and model, who's probably best known for starring alongside Heath Ledger in the 2001 film "A Knight's Tale," was the founding drummer for the psych-tinged experimental art-rock quartet back in 2004. When she left a year later, it threw the other band members for a loop.

"I think that's largely why it took us so long to get to the point where we recorded an EP," says the band's guitarist and singer, Theresa Wayman, by phone from London's K West Hotel and Spa during a tour stop. "We disbanded after she left. We disbanded for, like, a year. And then we got back together as a threesome and had to spend a lot of time navigating our way through the songs and writing new ones, because some of the songs couldn't be played if they were any of the songs that she played drums on."

Eventually, Wayman, guitarist/vocalist Emily Kokal and bassist/vocalist Jenny Lee Lindberg (who is also Sossamon's sister) regrouped with Wayman as the drummer. Then, Sossamon reappeared. So, in 2007, the band made another go at being a quartet and set out to record a debut EP, "Exquisite Corpse," which was released in 2008 to great reviews and impressive sales.

"And then [Shannyn] left again, halfway through the recording of the EP," laments Wayman.

But the story has a happy ending: The band eventually recruited a new drummer, Stella Mozgawa, and put together a full-length debut, "The Fool," which dropped in October. -[Express Night Out]

More pictures from The Studio below...

Continue reading "Warpaint & Rewards played The Studio @ Webster Hall (pics) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: PS I Love You - Facelove (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: PS I Love You - 2012 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Warpaint - Undertow (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Never Swallow Fruit Dub (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Never Follow Suit (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Heaven's On Fire (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Luyas - All New Tiny Head (MP3)

The Radio Dept

After a long weekend of overeating and couchdwelling and Kanye overload, I hope you are all nice and rested up for what is a pretty great week of shows. Here's a bunch of stuff I recommend.

Sweden's The Radio Dept are playing two NYC shows ahead of their first-ever real tour of the U.S. and Canada this week. All dates are listed below, but the NYC shows happen at Knitting Factory Tuesday night (11/30) and Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday (12/01). Both are sold out. This will be the band's first visit to our area since the 2009 NYC Popfest.

It's been a busy year for the somewhat unprolific Scandinavian trio. In addition to their fantastic third album, Clinging to a Scheme, which came out back in April, The Radio Dept. just released a new EP, Never Follow Suit, which takes the dub-heavy album title cut (also on the album) and makes it even dubbier (download both versions above), plus adds three new blissed out tracks.

The band are also finally gathering up all their non-LP singles, b-sides and EPs for a double-disc compilation, Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 which comes out early next year. A lot of their great early EPs are out of print (like 2003's Pulling Our Weight) and it'll be nice to have them all in one place. Double vinyl too for those with turntables. With music spanning from their first single through tracks off Clinging to a Scheme, it makes for a nice overview of the band...but still holds together really well. Little has changed in The Radio Dept.'s sound over the last eight years, but they are one of the best examples of "don't fix what ain't broke."

Abd if you're going to one of the two Radio Dept. shows, be sure to get there early to catch Montreal's Braids, who I just saw play in their hometown.

PS I Love You @ Pop Montreal (more)

While on the Subject of Bands I Saw Play in Canada Recently, one of biggest hits of this year's M for Montreal festival were PS I Love You:

Most everyone seemed in agreement that PS I Love You were the best band of the night. The duo from Kingston, Ontario are an indie Mutt and Jeff, kind of like the Pixies with a new wave back-end. Yelper-guitarist Paul Salnier actually pulls triple duty live, playing bass parts too via a Moog bass pedal setup which is pretty cool. Drummer Ben Nelson plays heavy on the high hat a la New Order's Stephen Morris which gives their songs danceability.  Their record, Meet Me at the Muster Station, is good but, live, PS I Love You are a force.

Warpaint

Also visiting us this weekend are Los Angeles foursome Warpaint, who play The Studio @ Webster Hall on Wednesday (12/01) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday (12/02). Their debut for Rough Trade, The Fool, has gotten mostly good reviews. It's a record that has really grown on me in the last month, hitting that sweet spot between dustbowl new age goth and early-'80s post punk. Not that those are mutually exclusive terms. Spindly guitars, groovy basslines, complex percussion, dreamlike vocals... it's somewhere betweeen Haena-era Banshees and Bat For Lashes with just a smidge of Stevie Nicks. Which is a good thing if you ask me. If Warpaint aren't on the next Twilight soundtrack somebody's not doing their job.

The band are good live too, with an especially nimble rhythm section. And if you didn't like the album the first time you heard it, I urge you go give it another chance to sink in. Check out "Undertow" above, and there are a couple live performance videos further down this post along with all upcoming Warpaint tour dates.

Badly Drawn Boy

Like a lot of people, I loved the first Badly Drawn Boy album The Hour of The Bewilderbeast, which rightly won the 2000 Mercury Music Prize (at least given its competition). Damon Gough then went to Los Angeles and lost his way almost immediately after. Good songs here and there, yes, but none of his subsequent albums have been anywhere near as solid or as sonically interesting as Bewilderbeast. Yet I always give the new album a chance.

I'm happy to report that the vibe of BDB's new album -- the mouthful of a title It's What I'm Thinking Pt. 1: Photographing Snowflakes -- returns some of his debut's homespun charm. It's his first since parting ways with EMI and starting his own label and you can sense the freedom this has brought across its 10 tracks. (Parts 2 and 3 are due at some point in the future.) There may not be anything as immediately catchy as "Everybody's Stalking", but you can tell this is music Gough wanted to make, not music he thought someone else wanted to hear. It's a nice album. Give up your email address and you can download a few new songs at BDB's website.

Badly Drawn Boy plays Le Poisson Rouge this Friday (12/03) and Saturday (12/04). Badly Drawn Boy shows have always been a bit of a crapshoot. Shows are notoriously long, ramshackle affairs with extended noodling, rambling stage banter and other digressions. Gough is the only Mercury Prize winner I have ever seen to actually take audience requests, including other people's songs he has never played. (Think twice before you yell "Freebird!" at a BDB show, you may end up regretting it). But there are always moments of brilliance in there too that make you glad you went, which is I guess Gough in a nutshell.

That's the main stuff this week. A few more shows of note, day-by-day, of things not covered above follows:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1

Garagey soul band Fergus & Geronimo, who recently relocated here from Texas, headline a great night of music at Glasslands, that also features another bunch of recent transplants, former Arizonans The Young Friends. Also on the bill: Little Gold and We Are Country Mice.

Denver duo Tennis play Mercury Lounge, their first shows since a wave of hype packed Glasslands and Cake Shop back in August. Nice folks, but take away all that reverb that coats their recordings (as they do live) and the songs aren't quite as magical. The night's line-up is pretty good overall, with Family Portrait, Miracles of Modern Science and La Big Vic. Tennis also open for The Walkmen (and a slimmed-down School of Seven Bells) at Terminal 5 the next night.

continued below...

Continue reading "The Radio Dept, PS I Love You, Warpaint, Badly Drawn Boy, Raindeer, Peter Hook, Luyas & more in This Week In Indie"

MNDR (playing w/ Ronson last night @ MHOW) (more by Toby Tenembaum)

today in NYC
* Roger Waters @ Nassau Coliseum
* Tony Malaby @ The Stone
* Mike Birbiglia @ Barnes & Noble
* Mark Ronson @ Webster Hall
K. Lloyd, Erik Wunder at Union Pool
* Kruder & Dorfmeister @ Best Buy Theater
* Pepper, Brother Ali, Pour Habit @ Highline Ballroom
* Zebra and Snake, DZ, Zazen Boys, Wolf Gang @ Pianos
* Bowerbirds, Death Vessel, Des Ark @ Bowery Ballroom
* Murder Mystery, North Highlands, Neighbors @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Ben Folds with Nick Hornby @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
* Martha Colburn with Thollem McDonas @ Issue Project Room
* Mux Mool, Living Days, Expensive Looks, Warm Ghost @ Glasslands
* Mikolaj Traszka, Joe McPhee, Steve Swell, Jay Rosen @ The Stone
* The Universal Thump, Osso Quartet, Doug Paisley @ The Rock Shop
* Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan, Miguel, El DeBarge @ Radio City Music Hall
* Punches, Jacques Renault, Midnight Magic, Telephoned (DJ Set) @ Public Assembly

Nardwuar talked to the Drums (the band featuring the villain from Karate Kid and other members). Video below...

Orphan have a new video for "Fetus in Fetu". Check it out below...

Warpaint have a new video for "Undertow". Check it out below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Chris Juarez & Rachel Carr

Local Natives & the crowd @ FYF Fest Saturday

Yesterday was FYF Fest. We know all the problems... The lines... And are addressing them now. In no way are we sleeping on these problems. The bands were amazing and the turn out was unreal. I'm speechless. -Sean Carlson & FYF Fest

The day's short sets kept you wanting more from nearly every act, many of whom played for a half hour or 35 minutes (which expanded in 5 minute increments up to an hour for the headliners). That made for tough decisions between overlapping sets. Ted Leo and band blew through their 45 minutes, and Titus Andronicus could've continued for another 35 at least with the momentum from their Monitor songs. Those two, along with Screaming Females, were part of what Ted Leo termed the "New Jersey Takeover" - three punk bands with Garden State roots who all played great sets at the fest.

Ariel Pink

Los Angeles represented with a number of notable hometown acts. Growlers, in grey facepaint, brought an earthy, ramshackle sound and lots of friends. Best Coast, Abe Vigoda, Local Natives and Ariel Pink also repped their hometown - the latter two with mezmerizing late afternoon sets.

Other acts brought some nice surprises. A chorus of kids, costumed as zombie versions of dead historical figures, backed Dead Man's Bones' Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. The Blow introduced some of her new songs written for an unnamed celebrity (and played recognizable earlier songs too, including one "written with Sting...when [she] was 7"). And Big Freedia, the fest's only act with any trace of hip-hop, shocked the crowd with a short pre-headerliner dose of "Azz Everywhere."

Big Freedia

There was plenty of garage rock (Thee Oh Sees brought the man responsible for their cover art, William Keihn, to play tambourine), punk and metal. A reunited Sleep, in New York this week, grinded away, as !!! had people shaking their ass on the sister stage. On the fest's third stage, hardcore band 7 Seconds reminisced about their first time in LA almost 30 years ago and lead a spirited circle pit. Add to those bands, breezy folk from AA Bondy, the jams of Warpaint and Delorean to name a few.

If FYF's organizers are a bit defensive above, it may be with good reason: the few critical organizational errors were fairly memorable. A long line at will call (an hour would be a short estimate) kept many waiting in the 90 degree sun while the first bands of the day (Magic Kids, Let's Wrestle and The Goat) could be heard starting in the distance. Water inside was also an issue, with limited access to free drinking water and bottled water at $4 (which, according to Noah Lennox, ran out).

By the end of the night, the two final acts - The Rapture and Panda Bear - set up on competing stages. Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox interspersed his dreamy lullabies with patches of noise and dissonance while videos and images that could be described only as "trippy" played behind him; I think your response to the set depended largely on your state of mind after the long day: exhausted or ready for a patience-testing string of songs and sounds. He and The Rapture provided, alternately, a place to dance or doze.

--

Unsane also played a rare runion set at the festival where Off! shared a bill with Lower Dens. School of Seven Bells, Davila 666, Cults and Ceremony were there too.

Read what Noah thought about his own set, HERE. More pictures from the entire day, below...

Continue reading "FYF Fest 2010 in pics & review "

Stereogum listed the "40 Best New Bands of 2010". They have a lot more detail, but you can also check out their list, alphabetically, below...

Continue reading "Stereogum lists the "40 Best New Bands of 2010" "

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Devyn Manibo

Javelin @ the Whitney

Javelin and Warpaint played a show at the Whitney on Friday, August 13th as part of their now-finished tour together (previously on the trip, both bands played Lollapalooza). The pay-what-you-wish entry fee covered both the music and the museum's current art, which includes the vividly styled watercolors of Charles Burchfield (his previously mentioned Heat Waves in a Swamp retrospective) and Christian Marclay: Festival, a collection of the artist/composer's sound-centric work with daily performances.

On Friday, the line to get in stretched around the block: I arrived at 6pm and got in the door just before Javelin started their 7pm set. The duo, playing off their Luaka Bop-released debut LP No Más, brought their wall of dismembered, rewired and colorfully spraypainted boomboxes to project the sample-based songs. One half of the band, George Langford, stuck to the drums, playing cymbals and a digital pad, while "frontman" Tom Van Buskirk worked up a sweat on the mic. The excellent No Más covers a lot of '80s-inspired ground: breakbeats, New Wave, downtown disco, dream pop and so on. On top of the samples, Buskirk interpolated his own words with borrowed hip-hop verses and hooks from the same era to complete the circle. A neon-painted keytar and fuzzed-out kazoo rounded out the melodies.

Warpaint started shortly afterward, but I didn't see much of them, opting for a quick walk around the museum before closing (in hindsight, pretty stupid: the exhibits require a few hours). Like Javelin, Warpaint's funky drums got the crowd moving and bobbing along, and the band sounded at home in the crowded basement-like space. The sidewalk outside actually provided one of the best viewpoints on the action below.

Warpaint go on tour with the xx and Zola Jesus in September. That includes an October 2nd show at United Palace Theatre (tickets still on sale).

Javelin's next show is Friday, August 20th (TONIGHT) the Yard at Soho Grand along with a DJ set from JD Samson as part of their free Summer Hummer series (RSVP). Javelin also just cut a recently posted Daytrotter session.

The last Whitney Live show of the summer happens August 27th with DJ/Rupture and Tanlines.

More pictures of Javelin and some video of Javelin & Warpaint are below...

Continue reading "Javelin played the Whitney w/ Warpaint (pics, video), playing the Soho Grand (tonight) "

most of the photos by Josh Darr

The Strokes

Lady Gaga & Semi Precious Weapons (pic via Krista Davis)

Phoenix

"Lollapalooza wheeled out some big headliners in its sixth year on the Chicago lakefront, as a record 240,000 people poured into Grant Park over three days to see 130 performers, including Lady Gaga, Green Day and reunited grunge-era icons Soundgarden.

Size matters at Lollapalooza, as the festival expanded its reach westward by shutting down Columbus Avenue and spreading eight stages across 110 acres, up from 80 acres in previous years. Columbus Avenue was converted into a giant sidewalk lined with portable toilets, a simple but effective improvement that allowed fans to avoid the dreaded Buckingham Fountain bottleneck that had turned previous festivals into human traffic jams. The festival topped its previous three-day record of 225,000, reached the last two years.

Still, there was little room during some performances at the northernmost stages on Butler Field, where fans jostled shoulder-to-shoulder for space to see performances by Metric, Phoenix and Arcade Fire. Note to Austin, Texas-based promoters C3 Presents: How about widening the southern entrance to Butler Field or moving one of the stages onto Columbus Drive to relieve what is becoming an annual problem? It's only going to get worse if the festival approaches its new capacity of 95,000 a day in future years." [Chicago Tribune]

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2010 -- Day 1 & 2 in pics "

photos by Amanda M Hatfield

Warpaint

"What's enjoyable about their hour-long set was that they aloud the songs to breathe and play out. While they performed maybe 8 or 9 songs, they stretched it out for an hour giving their tunes a sense of space and grandeur. I can imagine how sweet it would sound if they brought out strings for the songs that have them. Another thing, I took away from them is how proficient musicians they are, especially the drummer." [Music Snobbery]

Continue reading "Warpaint & Sherlock's Daughter @ Mercury Lounge - pics "

Interpol, who just announced a summer tour that didn't include a NYC show, will play NYC's United Palace Theatre on Friday, November 5th. Tickets go on AmEx presale Monday, June 28th at 11am. General sale starts Thursday, July 1st at 10am.

That show is a proper hometown show for the band that'll be debuting their new lineup at the semi-closed Creators show on June 26th. Other shows for the quintet include a string of dates in the North America this summer (with a few in New Jersey) and two tours in Europe (one with U2) going into December.

Speaking of the United Palace (and bands with monochromatic wardrobes) - the venue is hosting the xx on October 2rd. That show is part of a tour that'll pair the band with spacey rock group Warpaint and the gothy, operatic Zola Jesus (who just played Glasslands and will be in NY this July). Tickets are still on sale. Right around the time of the show, Zola Jesus will also be dropping a new EP on Sacred Bones (October 12th to be exact). Her tour dates (which include a whole run with the xx and Warpaint) are below...

Continue reading "Interpol adds NYC show, Zola Jesus & Warpaint touring w/ xx"

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 "

Tickets are on general sale at noon for the 2nd (actually the first) Faith No More show at Williamsburg Waterfront.

Tickets are on sale at noon Saturday at noon for the Silversun Pickups / Against Me! show at Williamsburg Waterfront.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the the Silversun Pickups / Against Me! show at Wellmont Theater.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the the Hole show at Wellmont Theater.

Tickets are on sale at noon for an August 26th Foreigner show at Wellmont Theater.

Tears for Fears, who also have a show coming up at Wellmont, are playing Hammerstein Ballroom on August 19th. Tickets just went on sale.

Phil Collins & Erykah Badu have Roseland Ballroom shows that are on sale too.

America is celebrating their 40th anniversary at Nokia Theatre in NYC on October 16th. Tickets are on sale at noon.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the Ween show at Rumsey Playfield aka Central Park Summerstage. Tickets may also still be available for the show happening at Starland Ballroom four months earlier.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the Junip (with Jose Gonzalez) show at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are also on sale for the Knitting Factory show that Mountain Man is opening.

Warpaint is playing Mercury Lounge on June 14th. Tickets go on sale at noon. They have a Knitting Factory show too, one day later. Tickets are on sale now.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros play Webster Hall on July 22nd. Tickets go on sale at noon.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the Grace Potter & the Nocturnals show at Webster Hall.

Squeeze & Cheap Trick, Alice Smith tonight, another Chapterhouse show, Omar Rodriguez Lopez & other tickets are on sale too.

HEALTH & Cold Cave play a free show on Saturday.

Continue reading "Faith No More, Silversun Pickups, Ween, Hole, Junip, America, Foreigner, Tears for Fears, Warpaint & other tickets"

Warpaint @ MHOW (more by Leia Jospe)

Tickets are now on AmEx presale for the Ween show at Rumsey Playfield aka Central Park Summerstage. Tickets may also still be available for the show happening at Starland Ballroom four months earlier.

Tickets are on sale at noon or the Eli "Paperboy" Reed show at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are also on sale now for the Eli show at The Bell House.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the Mates of States shows happening at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets go on AmEx presale at noon for the Junip (with Jose Gonzalez) show at Bowery Ballroom.

Active Child is playing Mercury Lounge on June 7th. Tickets are on sale.

Warpaint is playing Mercury Lounge on June 14th. Tickets go on AmEx presale at noon.

First Aid Kit is playing Mercury Lounge on June 16th. Tickets are on sale.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros play Webter Hall on July 22nd. Tickets go on AmEx presale at noon.

Tickets are still on Fan Club presale for the 2nd (actually the first) Faith No More show at Williamsburg Waterfront (password = reunited).

Tickets for the Erykah Badu show at Roseland Ballroom are now on "Fan Club", "Radio" and "Live Nation" Presale. The password yesterday was windowseat.

"The 2010 Lollapalooza line-up is official: Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and Phoenix will headline, joined by Social Distortion, MGMT, Jimmy Cliff, Hot Chip, and The Black Keys. With 130 bands on this year's bill, its sure to be a weekend long feast for the ears.

It's a monumental year for Lollapalooza, filled with homecomings, reunions, and first-times. Soundgarden, 1992 and 1996 Lollapalooza alumni, return to the Lollapalooza stage for their first performance since 1997. Green Day will rock Grant Park sixteen years after their first Lollapalooza appearance. While Lady Gaga will headline the festival only three short years after playing the BMI stage at Lollapalooza 2007.

Arcade Fire returns to Grant Park, having played the reincarnated Lollapalooza in 2005. This is the first Lollapalooza for The Strokes - and also their first show in four years. And making their Lollapalooza debut: Phoenix." - Lollapalooza

Continue reading "Lollapalooza actually announces 2010 lineup "

by Dominick Mastrangelo

SXSW Day Three started over at the free Dickies Sounds Day Party. Free silk-screened posters with all the bands playing that day (including She & Him and Surfer Blood at the official showcase that night) were printed up and handed out on the spot. People played ping pong next to the house while around the corner Greg Laswell played a few new songs, several old ones, as well as his incredibly depressing take on Cyndi Lauper's "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun". After a quick dash over to the convention center it was back to Dickies, where there was suddenly a long line, to catch the all-girl quartet, Warpaint, who were fantastic. Then Rogue Wave closed out the day portion. I still can't get excited about their new record, but live Zach Rogue and his newly configured lineup have it down and the crowd we're into it from the start. The highlight being "Lake Michigan" and a slow-building, two-minute intro.

For the evening I set up camp at the Mohawk for the Slumberland/Cake Shop Showcase. Sheffield's indiepop trio Standard Fare opened inside and their performance was great. A better batch of indie pop songs you'll be hard-pressed to find this year. Philadelphia drum-guitar duo Reading Rainbow were next and another indie pop band, the excellent Summer Cats (from Australia), followed. Frankie Rose and the Outs were up next with their hazy, lo-fi rock. I skipped out after that to nip over to the Galaxy Backyard to catch The Antlers (completely forgetting I would see them the following afternoon at another Party.) Their third show of the festival and they just nailed it. People around me who had not heard of them were won over after just one song (the increasingly uptempo "Sylvia".) By the end, one girl put her hands up in the shape of a heart right in front of Peter Silberman, eliciting a smile from the frontman mid-verse. From there it was a quick dash back up Red River to the Mohawk where both inside and outside were at capacity with Miike Snow about to go on outside (followed by Mayer Hawthorne, neither of who I caught) and Pains of Being Pure at Heart inside. "Welcome to the Cake Shop," said Kip Berman at the start of the New York indie pop band's set, pointing at the Cake Shop banner on the wall behind them.

Day One HERE. Day Two HERE. Day Three continued below....

Continue reading "SXSW 2010 day 3 in pics & review (Pains of Being Pure of Heart, Rogue Wave, Antlers, Cake Shop, Warpaint, more) "

photos by Leia Jospe

Warpaint

"Warpaint, a four-piece band from L.A., primed the stage with their sultry, pajama-clad jams. Call it psychedelic, call it sexy, call it what you will, whatever is going on here, I want more of it. I have no aversion to all girl bands, and Warpaint gives no reasons to complain. The reverb suspends the sound in a murky haze, with pounding drums in the background. Warpaint is both, exactly what I want to hear on an acid trip, and what I would want to hear if I was deep sea diving. Anything reminiscent of the unknown, dark, mysterious, and curious. These girls invite you to follow them into the rabbit hole, and I'm following their lead.Their EP, Exquisite Corpse is out now, and you can catch them all over SXSW in the coming weeks." [Intercontinental Breakfast]

Continue reading "Akron/Family, Warpaint & Please the Trees @ Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn - pics "

DOWNLOAD: The Morning Benders - Promises (MP3

Morning Benders...

Morning Benders, Shark? and Cuddle Magic all convene at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe for a show/CD swap at 6:30pm tonight (2/25). The event, hosted by Max Silvestri and The Hype Machine, benefits Housing Works and to get in you need $5 + at least 1 used CD (to trade).

The Morning Benders' new album Big Echo comes out March 9th on Rough Trade. You can check out a song from it above, or catch the band at one of their many upcoming dates, posted below. They'll be at Market Hotel with Surfer Blood this Saturday (2/27). The band will also tour to SXSW for shows that include the Rough Trade showcase at Emo's Jr. on Wednesday, March 17th with The Strange Boys, The Unthanks, Basia Bulat, Dylan LeBlanc and Warpaint. They'll be back in NYC for a show at Mercury Lounge on April 22nd with Minature Tiger. Tickets are on sale now.

A flyer for the HW show and all Morning Benders and Shark? tour dates are below...

Continue reading "CD Swap at Housing Works (tonight) & other Morning Benders tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: Warpaint - Billie Holiday (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Warpaint - Elephants (MP3)

Akron/Family @ ATP NY in September (more by Ryan Muir)

Akron/Family are currently in Europe, and they're playing Australia and New Zealand this December, but come March 3rd, the band will be playing a show at Brooklyn's own Music Hall of Williamsburg. Psychedelic folk ladies (and one guy) Warpaint open. Tickets go on sale AmEx presale Wednesday, November 11th at noon. General sale starts Friday, Nov. 13th at noon.

LA's Warpaint were another buzzy band this past CMJ. Their signing was announced soon after...

We at Rough Trade are happy to announce the signing of LA quartet Warpaint.

Warpaint weave intricate guitar lines,hypnotic vocals and driving post punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between psychedelia and intimacy.

At the core of the band are founding members Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman and Jenny Lee Lindberg who formed the band in 2007.

"We are all very excited about being involved with such a unique and inspiring group and we welcome them to the label".

A 6 track EP Exquisite Corpse will be available in the USA this October and UK & Europe in November through Manimal Vinyl. Rough Trade will be releasing a full length album next year.

Akron/Family's ATP NY set was their last "area" appearance. They write...

In the midst of this amazing tour we stopped off on the Borscht Belt to participate in the Flaming Lips curated ATP. It was a great weekend with one of the most mind/body/soul altering performances we have ever seen by the Boredoms. We also got to participate in Oneida's 10.5 hour performance on Sunday. We had the coveted early slot at noon.

Continue reading "Warpaint, now on Rough Trade (MP3s), opening for Akron/Family in Brooklyn - 2009 Tour Dates "

photos by Vincent Cornelli

School of Seven Bells

Friday night's show at Music Hall of Williamsburg had its share of problems. First it was moved from Webster Hall to Music Hall of Williamsburg (presumably for less-than-expected ticket sales). Then one of its openers, First Aid Kit, couldn't get into the country. They were replaced by the Depreciation Guild. Then the other opener, Warpaint, mysteriously disappeared off the bill and was replaced by Phantogram. Finally, to add insult to injury, School of Seven Bells were supposed to be the headliner, but not surprisingly, some of the crowd cleared out after the much hyped xx played third of fourth on the bill at the sold out show.

"Their stage setup was really xxxxxxxxxx-core, with two large X podiums from the left to the right with the band members dressed up in dark colours. The band's stage presence was very striking; this only complemented their minimalist dream pop sequence.

The XX do not have the energetic stage presence that most bands at CMJ have. They just hammered out each song without any variation. It was as if their hearts did not skip a beat.

If the XX come to your town, expect a good show but not one that's too jumpy. You can shout out the lyrics from the audience but the XX will remain stoic, just to deliver and concentrate on putting on a live show." [B Sides]

Continue reading "The xx, School of Seven Bells, Phantogram & the Depreciation Guild @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (CMJ) - pics"

DOWNLOAD: The Purrs - Stay With Me (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pete & the Pirates - Jennifer (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Let's Wrestle - Tanks (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Records of a Flagpole Skater (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Surf City - Kudos (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: A Classic Education - We Can Always Run to Hawaii (MP3)

A Classic Education

DAYTIME:

Again today (10/21) I suggest you just stay on the Lower East Side for your free day party action. At Cake Shop is the Terrorbird Digital party with the mod-ish Black Hollies, dark and dreamy Zaza, Nashville's fun Turbofruits, LA all-girl trio Warpaint, Montreal's Silver Starling and San Francisco's Tempo No Tempo. Plus: free cupcakes while they last.

Up the street at Pianos is the Force Field PR party which has Real Estate, Kentucky's These United States, CMJ overachievers Surfer Blood (who were good yesterday at Cake Shop), San Francisco's good time party pals Still Flyin', noisy locals Grooms (who were also good at Cake Shop yesterday), Sub Pop band Holopaw, UK act Stricken City and L.A.'s Seven Saturdays.

And you might even wander down to Santos Party House for the Hype Machine/Babelgum party that has a nice lineup of dance acts: Australia's Midnight Juggernauts, retrofuturist VEGA, Brooklyn duo Sleigh Bells, smooth and soulful sounds of Theophilus London, and Norway's Alan Wilkis who puts his own spin on early '80s new wave funk. This one starts a bit later than the other day parties, at a civilized 3PM.

If you're in Williamsburg this afternoon (maybe to pick up your Vice Late Nights info at American Apparel) you might want to swing by Bruar Falls where they'll be a low key day show featuring Bologna, Italy's A Classic Education (who will also be playing the Brooklyn Vegan day party tomorrow [10/21] at Pianos). They were one of my favorites from SXSW. Also on the Bruar bill are three Brooklyn bands: My Teenage Stride, Knight School and Palomar. 2 - 6PM. Free!

NIGHTTIME:

Personally, this is my most conflicted night with at least three shows in completely different places that I feel I could stay at the whole night. If you're downtown at the day parties, you might want to head over to the M for Montreal showcase which starts with a 5PM performance from Parlovr. I was talking to a friend yesterday who was raving about their recent Pop Montreal performance and said they might be the next MTL band to break out. The rest of the M4M bill is solid, including Think About Life who were just fantastic last night at the official BrooklynVegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Also dont' miss BEASTand Duchess Says, the latter of whom will also play our free day party Thursday at Pianos.

Then there's also the great show at The Bell House with personal faves Pete & the Pirates and excellent New Zealanders Surf City -- both of whom are also playing the free BrooklynVegan/Bowery Presents day party on Saturday at Pianos. Also on the bill are Pete & the Pirates' Stolen Recordings labelmates Let's Wrestle, as well as North Carolina's The Love Language, the latter of whom will be playing our Friday night loft party. The Bell House show is $14 without a CMJ badge.

There's also a great lineup of bands at Santos tonight on two floors, including Cymbals Eat Guitars and DEASTRO (who both play our Saturday party), Free Energy, Real Estate, and Beach Fossils, plus a couple awesome bands from Norway: Ungdomskullen and I Was a King. It's $15 if you don't have a badge.

Richard Davies

And I'd like to highlight a couple artists who play their only CMJ shows tonight, at the same timeslot (9pm) in different Bleeker Street venues. (I know.) At Kenny's Castaways is Richard Davies who fronted the great Australian band The Moles in the late '80s/early '90s, and then moved to the U.S. where he formed chamber pop duo Cardinal with Eric Matthews, and their sole 1994 album remains one of the best things Sub Pop has ever released. After Cardinal, he put out three very good solo albums (1998's Telegraph is pretty great, actually), and then in 2000 or so, he decided to go to law school and has had his own practice since. But he's started playing again recently and, according to this interview, he and Matthews have restarted Cardinal, which is kind of exciting. But tonight here he'll play as a trio with a new band. Glad to have him back.

The Purrs

And down the street at Wicked Willy's are The Purrs who hail from Seattle and have just released their very good second album Amused, Confused and More Bad News. Mix a little '80s Paisley Underground with '90s Britpop and you're in the ballpark of their sound. You can download their song "Stay Here With Me" at the top of this post. 9PM at Wicked Willy's (149 Bleeker).

What else is good today? Hip Hop recommendations HERE. Flyers and day party set times, and all Classic Education dates, below.

Continue reading "CMJ 2009 - Bill's Wednesday picks & stuff (day, night parties, A Classic Education, Richard Davies, The Purrs, more)"