by BBG

Cut Hands, who you may know as William Bennett of power electronics juggernaut Whitehouse, will play a select set of shows in the US in February. The tour, which mostly focus on the East Coast/Midwest, will kick off in Los Angeles on 2/14 (how romantic!) and eventually make its way to Brooklyn's Public Assembly on February 24th. The show will also feature appearances from Xeno & Oaklander, Pop. 1280, Veiled, & David E. Williams as well as DJs Pieter Schoolwerth, Caleb Braaten & ning nong; tickets are on sale.

Pop. 1280 recently celebrated the release of their new LP, and will play Saint Vitus on March 3rd (tickets).

Meanwhile, power electronics, noise and the avant garde are the focus of the ongoing Hospital Productions curation at The Stone. Tonight (2/3) the space will welcome Hell Hoarse and Luke Moldof + Reuben Son.

Check out a version of Xeno & Oaklander's "Sets & Lights" recorded in London last July , alongside all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Cut Hands going on tour, playing Public Assembly with Xeno & Oaklander, Pop. 1280 & more (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Plastic Flowers - Strange Neighbors (MP3)

Given the brittle, gloom-n-romance sounds he creates, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Sean Earl Beard named his musical pseudonym Plastic Flowers after the song by The Wake. (He's also a Felt fan.) Beard recently relocated from Tallahassee, FL to New York and has found a good home at Wierd Records who just released his new 7" "Strange Neighbors" which you can download at the top of this post. The video for it is below.

Plastic Flowers plays tonight (11/30) at the weekly Wierd night at Home Sweet Home which serves as both a record release party for the single and Wierd's 8th Anniversary celebration. DJing amongst the smoke machines will be Pre-Op Trans, Anthem(Frank(justFrank)) and Frankie Teardrop.

Click through for a couple more streamable Plastic Flowers tracks below (including the very good "Take Me Home") plus the "Strange Neighbors" video and tonight's Wierd flyer...

Continue reading "Plastic Flowers released a 7" on Wierd Records, playing the label's 8th Anniversary tonight"

photos by Mariah Karson, words by BBG

Anatomy of Habit

Chicago's Anatomy of Habit are celebrating a new record and played a rare show at Brooklyn's Saint Vitus on 11/5 with Vaura (mems Religious to Damn, Gorguts, Dysrhythmia, Kayo Dot), and Rosenkopf. As discussed, the BrooklynVegan/Wierd event was the only recent AoH show scheduled outside of their homebase of Chicago and a rare performance from Vaura (who are all busy with their own other projects). Pictures from the NYC show are in this post.

Toby Driver (of Vaura) has a pair of shows scheduled this week on his own, including Thursday (11/10) at Rock Shop as part of the Toby Driver/Jeremiah Cymerman/Mario Diaz de Leon trio supporting Les Rhinocéros and Kef (tickets) and Saturday night (11/12) at Lulu's as a member of Hazel-Rah (the solo effort of Tim Byrnes of Kayo Dot) with Lost Coves, The DRX, and Bangladeafy.

More pictures from Saint Vitus on Saturday are below...

Continue reading "Anatomy of Habit, Vaura and Rosenkopf played Saint Vitus (pics)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Xeno & Oaklander - Autumn's Edge (MP3)

Xeno & Oaklander are New York's premier minimal wave, and have been doing it 1981 style -- using patch bays and vintage equipment exclusively, no laptops -- for over five years. Despite the duo's neo-luddite approach to making electronic music, Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo have certainly gotten better at what they're doing, both mastery of their gear and in songwriting.

Sets & Lights, which was released this week on Wierd Records, is the band's third album and easily their best. Arpeggiated synths and sequencers bubble along and Wendelbo and McBride trade vocals... it's like the soundtrack to some gleaming baroque futureworld. You can download "Autumn's Edge" at the top of this post, and be sure to check out the genuinely spooky video to single "The Staircase" further down.

Xeno & Oaklander have a few shows coming up. Tonight (10.12), they celebrate the release of Sets & Lights tonight (10.12) at the weekly Wierd Party at Home Sweet Home. Friday night (10.14) they'll play the afterparty of the first night of the Neon Marshmallow Festival which is happening all weekend at Public Assembly.

Then next Saturday (10/22), Xeno & Oaklander play Altered Zones at the New Museum, which seems to be this year's attempt by Pitchfork at CMJ counterprograming. (Remember #Offline?) In addition to X&O, performers include AraabMuzik, Grimes, Teengirl Fantasy, Trash Talk, Eric Copeland, Prince Rama, Light Asylum, FORMA, and Dive. The show is 21+ and $25 for non-museum members and a portion of the proceeds goes to benefit the 2012 New Museum Triennial, an international exhibition of emerging artists. This actually sounds potentially cool. Flyer for the event is below.

Continue reading "Xeno & Oaklander released Sets & Lights, playing shows, Pitchfork Altered Zones not-CMJ party @ New Museum"

by BBG

Anatomy of Habit

BrooklynVegan & Wierd are proud to present the NYC debut of Anatomy of Habit in NYC, joined by the awesome Vaura and Rosenkopf. The show goes down at Saint Vitus on November 5th. Tickets are on sale.

Anatomy of Habit are welcoming their new doom crusher of an LP, which is up for sale now on vinyl and streaming in its entirety below. Mastered by Bob Weston (of Shellac, who play NYC tonight and tomorrow) and recorded by Andrew Ragin (of The Atlas Moth, who played NYC on Saturday), the LP is recommended for fans of emotionally charged doom metal like Corrupted, Neurosis, Monarch, and anything that pensively slashes-and-burns.

After a series of great live shows, Vaura are preparing to release their debut LP Selenelion on Wierd Records. The new long-player will see a release on vinyl/digital via the label early next year, but you can check out the first track "Obsidian Damascene Sun" below.

Rosenkopf released their Dispiritualized cassette in July of this year. Check out "Burning Spirits" from that release below, alongside the show flyer.

Continue reading "Anatomy of Habit will play 1st NYC show w/ Vaura & Rosenkopf (stream new music by all of them)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: HTRK - Eat Yr Heart (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: HTRK - Synthetik (MP3)

HTRK's new album Work (work, work) is out this week on Ghostly International and the band will play shows in California and New York to celebrate. Three shows happen in NYC next week: Wednesday, September 14 at Home Sweet Home as part of the Wierd party, then a free show at Sleep No More on Thursday, September 15 and then Saturday, Sept 17 at Secret Project Robot as part of Pendu Disco.

It's been a tough couple years for the band, originally formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 but now located in London. Bassist Sean Stewart took his own life during the making of the album, leaving surviving members Nigel Yang and Jonnine Standish to finish it. Dark and sensual, tracks like "Eat Yr Heart" and "Sythetik" would've fit right in on the soundtrack of an '80s Michael Mann film. Both of those songs are downloadable at the top of this post. You can stream the whole shebang at Bandcamp.

All 2011 dates are listed below.

Continue reading "HTRK release 'Work (work, work)', playing shows (dates, video, MP3s)"

by Bill Pearis

Mark Burgess will be bringing ChameleonsVox back to America in November including four shows here in the NYC area: Wednesday, 11/23 for the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home, then Friday, 11/25 at Littlefield, and Saturday, 11/26 at The Delancey with the final show Sunday 11/27 at Maxwell's. All ChameleonsVox tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

For big Chameleons fans, the Wierd party is the one not to miss, as Burgess is performing the Chameleons' 1983 debut, Script of the Bridge, in full. (They'll also do the same earlier in the month at Oakland, CA's The New Parish on 11/16.) Last year that album got a nice double-CD reissue from Blue Apple Music who, next month, will be reissuing it on vinyl. Hopefully Mark will be bringing that on tour with him.

Anyone who saw Burgess on last year's tour knows ChameleonsVox do an amazing job of recreating the mercurial, powerful Chameleons sound, and Burgess still has the pipes and passion that make it more than just a night of remember when. This tour features original Chameleons/Sun & the Moon drummer John Lever as well. The Chameleons remain a big influence on music today: look no further than the Captured Tracks roster or the new Horrors album.

Opener for all shows except the Wierd party are Black Swan Lane. Tyburn Saints are also on the bill at Littlefield, and Revel Hotel are first openers at the Delancey show. All ChameleonsVox tour dates are below, along with video from last year's Burgess/ChameleonsVox performance at The Big Takeover's 30th Anniversary party at the Bell House.

Continue reading "ChameleonsVox schedule tour, playing 4-NYC area shows (one where they'll play 'Script of the Bridge' in full)"

by Bill Pearis

Local trio Dream Affair are playing tonight's (8/31) Wierd party at Home Sweet Home. It's a record release party for the band's debut, Endless Days, which is out now on Avant! Records. If you like you coldwave/postpunk with a little Wax!Trax!-style clanging beats, definitely check 'em out.

You can download two tracks from the album via a widget at the bottom of this post. Also down there, the video for the album's title track.

Continue reading "Wierd hosting Dream Affair record release party"

by BBG

Psychic TV at Europa (more by Greg Cristman)

Psychic TV will perform "Live In Thee Wierd" at Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie St) TONIGHT (8/17), a rare show that will see Genesis team with Kevin Hufnagel (!) and Martial Canterel (!) to perform "classic trax from the albums Force the Hand of Chance (1982), Dreams Less Sweet (1983), A Pagan Day (1984), and Allegory & Self (1988)" at Midnight. $15 gets you in, more details are at the Facebook invite. Update: the Facebook event is dead or private and there's no mention of the show on Wierd's website, but we did confirm that this show tonight is Genesis acoustic (not the full band).

Psychic TV (the full band) will play their annual end of year show at Europa, most likely on December 15th according to Genesis. Update: Tickets are on sale.

In related news, Kevin Hufnagel (Dysrhythmia, Gorguts) will team with Mick Barr (Orthrelm, Krallice) and Andrew Hock (Castevet) to play a rare solo guitar show on 8/29 at Zebulon. The show is FREE with suggested donation, and kicks off at 9PM. Mick Barr will release his new LP Coiled Malescence via Safety Meeting Records. Preorder it now.

Krallice play Union Pool on 9/17 with Urfaust, Black Anvil, and Ruin Lust. Tickets are still available.

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Kindest Lines - Destructive Paths to Live Happily (MP3)

One of the bands I'm personally excited to see at the Northside Festival this week is New Orleans trio Kindest Lines who will play the Wierd Records showcase Thursday night (6/16) at Public Assembly with Xeno & Oaklander, Lauren Halo and a whole bunch of DJs. Kindest Lines will also play tonight's edition (6/15) of Weird's weekly party at Home Sweet Home. They have no other dates at the moment,

While Kindest Lines certainly appeal to Wierd's black-clad demographic, I think the band's debut, Covered in Dust, could be the label's breakout hit. There's your requesite minor key synth rock, but Kindest Lines also allow more than a few rays of sunshine inbetween the clouds. They've also studied up on how to meld vintage synths with guitars -- New Order's 1984 classic Low Life is an obvious touchstone here. It's a solid record.

Check out single "Destructive Paths to Live Happily" at the top of the post. The video for it is below.

Continue reading "Kindest Lines are here, released Covered in Dust (MP3, dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Frank (Just Frank) - Coeur Hanté (MP3)

Minimal wavers Frank (Just Frank) play the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home tonight (6/1), the band's first live performance in two years. Frank (Just Frank) released their debut album, The Brutal Wave, last year on Wierd. Like most artists on the label, it's indebted to the '80s. You can hear vintage French synth wavers like Ruth or Casino Music, as well as the influence of R.E.M. and the Sound. (They are also big fans of black metal.) You can download an MP3 of album track "Coeur Hanté" at the top of this post.

This will be the debut of a new line-up for FjF, who were originally a Paris-based duo of Anthem and Kirti. Anthem, who was born in New Jersey, moved from Paris to Brooklyn earlier this year and has refashioned Frank Just Frank) as a trio. Which should mean lots more NYC-area gigs if you can't make this show. Anthem, who also has a solo album out sometime in the near future, is already working on a second FjF album with the new line-up.

You can read a new interview with Anthem over at Oakazine. A couple Frank (Just Frank) videos are below along with the flyer for tonight's show.

Continue reading "Frank (Just Frank) are back (as a trio)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Sun Splitter - "Northern Blood Tithe" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Swan King - "Staring Through Skulls" (MP3)

Terrence Hannum's "Hateshrine", and cover art for Sun Splitter II

Land of Decay have dropped the second release from Sun Splitter, a four-track release of killer ambient doom with touches of industrial music. Originally released on CD-R, the cassette features art from Locrian's Terence Hannum (who's art show opens today in Chicago) and is limited to 100 copies, so snag one of these ASAP via the label. Check out two tracks from the release: "Northern Blood Tithe" which is downloadable above and appears for the first time here, and "Earth Burner" which is streamable along with "Northern Blood Tithe" below.

While we're on the subject of Locrian, you can catch the band when they play Europa on April 17th with Martial Canterel, Gnaw, and Blacklist (whose singer Josh Strawn now also spends time in both Vaura and Religious to Damn). Tickets are on sale for the Stereogum's Haunting the Chapel & Wierd Records dark synth and metal event. Locrian released one of my favorite LPs of last year with The Crystal World.

Meanwhile just across town, another band of Chi-city ruffians are preparing a release of their own. Chicago's The Swan King have signed to Seventh Rule and will release their newest LP Eyes Like Knives on February 22nd. Featuring current and former members of Planes Mistaken for Stars, Asschapel, and Circle of Animals (that also features Bruce Lamont, who is on tour with his Led Zeppelin cover band), the band's newest LP was recorded by Sanford Parker and features the trio fusing riffy and mathy hardcore with High On Fire-style tones. Check out "Staring Through Skulls" available for download above and streaming below, and while you're at it, make sure and get the band's The Good Deeds EP which is currently available for free. It kills.

No more tour dates for either band, but all song streams and more details on The Swan King's Eyes Like Knives are below.

Continue reading "new songs by Sun Splitter & the Swan King ++ a Locrian show"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Weekend - Coma Summer (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Weekend - End Times (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Young Prisms - Sugar (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Acrylics - Nightwatch (MP3)

This will be a shorter column than usual (please hold your applause till the end) as I'm heading across the Canadian border to attend this year's M for Montreal festival where I'll be seeing the likes of The Dears, PS I Love You, Valleys and a bunch of bands who sing in French. (Also, Gene Simmons has been invited for some reason and will be filming his reality show while there.) It will also be about 20 degrees colder up there so, gentle readers, don't be too jealous of my international travels. There's plenty of cool stuff going on here.

Darwin Deez plays his last NYC show of 2010 at Mercury Lounge tonight (11/17) with Bell (who just played Glasslands the other night with Suuns), King Charles (a UK artist who just got done touring with Mumford & Sons - you might have caught him the past two nights at Terminal 5 - he also plays the Rock Shop on Thursday) and Friends. Darwin's had a good year... in the UK. He came in at #10 on NME's Cool List 2010 (in between Marcus Mumford and Carl Barat, for context) and was pictured on the cover of the issue (see above - the guy with the string on his forehead), and his self-titled debut came in at #56 on Rough Trade Shops' Best LPs of 2010 list.

Here in his home town (or home country), Darwin doesn't get much press or blog love. Mind you, his album hasn't even come out in the U.S. yet -- it's due February 2011, nearly a year after its UK release. (I also don't think his look is doing him any favors over here.) When it does hit these shores, it's definitely worth checking out -- a poppier, funkier take on Strokes-style indie rock that shows off impressive melodic and lyrical talent. It's an immediately likeable record and he deserves more attention than he's getting. Check out the Cosmos-inspired video to his single "Constellations" at the bottom of this post.

Xeno and Oaklander @ PS1 in 2009 (more by Zach Dilgard)

Tonight is also the seventh anniversary of the Wierd parties which started at Brooklyn's Southside Lounge and grew into a label specializing in minimal synth and darkwave. Wierd Records has released some great stuff this year, including debut albums from Automelodi and Frank (Just Frank). Their weekly party now happens at Home Sweet Home on Christie St. in the L.E.S. and for tonight's special occasion, in addition to great tunes and smoke machines they've got Xeno and Oaklander performing live. These two perform like the last three decades never happened, strictly analogue, with piles of vintage gear strung together with patch cables. Squint and you might think you'd been transported back to Sheffield, England circa 1979.

Zoos of Berlin

Detroit's Zoos of Berlin are taking a break from recording their second album to hit the East Coast for a couple of NYC dates this weekend. They play Friday (11/19) at Cake Shop and then a show at Spike Hill on Saturday (11/20). I've written about ZoB a bunch of times over the last year and always try and catch them when they're in town. There's no other band that sounds quite like them, a mix (as I've said before) of Berlin-era Bowie and Steely Dan.

If you haven't checked out their music yet, now's a perfect time as they've made both their eponymous EP and first album,"Taxis," available as free downloads from their Bandcamp page. And do go see them play if you can, they're tight and surprisingly funny given their regal sound.

Acrylics

One of my favorite new bands of last year, Acrylics, have finally put the finishing touches on their debut album which will drop on January 25, 2010. It's ten songs of dusty, dreamy pop (Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac gets you in the right ballpark) that is above all else a showcase for the duo's enviable songwriting abilities. The sparkling arrangements and soaring harmonies are impressive too.

With the new album in the can, Acrylics are starting to play live again and have two shows this weekend. They play Friday night at Glasslands with Chicago's Light Pollution (who leave on tour with Delorean and Lemonade a day later), Blood Orange (Dev of Lightspeed Champion who opened for Glasser last night and who also plays a show at Union Pool tonight), and Unsolved Mysteries. Acrylics also play Cameo Gallery on Saturday (11/20) with their pals Amazing Baby , and two hard-to-Google bands I'm not familiar with: TEEN, and Psychic (at first I thought the band was Teen Psychic, but it's apparently two separate groups).

Acrylics, Amazing Baby, and, and Teen are also part of an upcoming John Lennon Tribute show taking place at Glasslands on December 8th along with Nicole Atkins, Beige, Eytan & The Embassy, Here We Go Magic, Psychic, The Rassle, The Royal Chains, and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson.

Big Troubles @ Mercury Lounge last week (more by Amanda Hatfield)

And I'll hopefully be back from Montreal in time Sunday night (11/21) to hit Glasslands for their killer bill of Weekend, Young Prisms, Minks and Big Troubles (maybe you caught them recently opening for Magic Kids), one of the more solid, well-curated line-ups I've seen in a long time. If you like any one of these bands, you'll probably like the rest. As I've said before, Weekend's debut album, Sports, is a superior slice of post-punk shoegaze that is both pummeling and beautiful. Weekend aren't reinventing the wheel, but the San Francisco trio are expert drivers. Two MP3s are at the top of this post.

Their tour-mates are fellow San Franciscans Young Prisms who practice similar hazy, loud sonics and will release their debut album on Kanine early next year. You can check out an MP3 from it at the top of this post. If you can't make this show, Weekend and Young Prisms will be back after Thanksgiving for a show at Cake Shop on November 27.

The rest of the Glasslands bill: Minks, whose debut album on Captured Tracks is one of my highly anticipated releases of 2011 as I've dug both their singles so far, as well as their live show.  And if you haven't heard Big Troubles' debut, which came out early this year on Olde English Spelling Bee, I recommend you remedy that, especially if you have a fondness for early-'90s shoegaze. Big Troubles know their stuff, have digested it all and come up with their own appealing version.

That's it for this week. Tour dates, videos, some others shows and flyers are below.

Continue reading "Darwin Deez, Xeno and Oaklander, Weekend, Zoos of Berlin, Acrylics, Big Troubles & more in This Week in Indie"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Wild Nothing - Golden Haze (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cosmetics - Sleepwalking (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Magic Bullets - Lying Around (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Stereo Total - Baby Ouh (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unnatural Helpers - Sunshine/Pretty Girls (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unnatural Helpers - Girl in the Window (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bare Wires - Seeking Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Sundelles - Gold (MP3)

Wild Nothing

It's another Double Issue sized column this week with a lot of exciting stuff this week. We'll start with a contest. Wild Nothing headline an all-Captured Tracks bill at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night (8/28) with Cosmetics, MINKS, and Blank Dogs...and we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show. Just send an email to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with the subject line "Wild Nothing" and we'll pick a winner at random.

There's a lot going on in Wild Nothing's world. The band, who hail from Blacksburg, VA, are packing their bags and moving Brooklyn. Not really surprising, except that it took this long. They also have a new EP, Golden Haze, coming out on Captured Tracks sometime in the near future. Apart from the title cut (which you can download above), tracklistings on the CD, 12" and digital versions will vary, which reminds me of the way they used to release multiple versions of UK CD singles in the '90s to get a higher chart position. Fun with formats, or milking the fans? I guess if all the songs are worth hearing it won't matter.

No matter which one you buy, "Golden Haze" is another sparkler from these guys who have been playing a lot of new songs at their shows. And if you haven't picked up their debut Gemini yet, I think it's one of the year's best. And with a permanent line-up (and a new, really solid drummer), Wild Nothing have been a really good live band too.

P.S. Captured Tracks will be giving out free mixtapes at the Bowery Ballroom merch table

Cosmetics

Also on that Bowery bill are Vancouver synthpop duo Cosmetics who are playing a string of NYC shows in this week: tonight (8/25) at the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home, then the Bowery show on Saturday, and finally at Glasslands for Pendu Disco on Tuesday (8/31) with Cult of Youth and Seattle's King Dude. Cosmetics only have two singles out at the moment, though both are pretty good shavings of retro-futuristic minimal disco. (Not too far off from what Glass Candy does.) You can download the A-side of their current single, "Sleepwalking," at the top of this post.

Stereo Total

If you want more minimal beats but with an angular, more arty bent, Stereo Total are playing tonight (8/25) at Le Poisson Rouge. The veteran French-German duo have been supercolliding styles for nearly 20 years. Krautrock, chanson, new wave, punk, garage...Stereo Total make it their own. They were the first band I ever saw at Bowery Ballroom, sometime in 1998, and I still remember a medley they did that featured covers of Salt n' Peppa's "Push it" and Hot Butter's "Popcorn." That's sort of Stereo Total in a nutshell. Their eighth album, Baby Ouh!, is a lot of fun. Check out the album's title track at the top of this post.  The band are just getting started on their North American tour, and all dates are at the bottom of this post.

Magic Bullets

If you're going to see Tennis at Glasslands on Thursday, make sure you get there in time to see San Francisco's Magic Bullets. The band's debut album, just out on Mon Amie Records, recalls the early '80s days of Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Haircut 100 and The Style Council, with a little C-86 in there as well. (That's basically the formula to get me to come see your band. Well, one of them.) In addition to drawing from a bunch of influences dear to me, they write some fantastically catchy songs. Download one of them, "Lying Around," at the top of this post.

If you can't make the Glasslands show, Magic Bullets are also doing an in-store at Permanent Records in Greenpoint on Friday (8/27) afternoon and then play Pianos Saturday night with Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion) and Staunton, VA's Cinnamon Band.

Unnatural Helpers

Still more! Seattle's Unnatural Helpers released one of my favorite songs of Summer 2010, the addiction-loving "Sunshine/Pretty Girls," which can be found on the band's Hardly Art debut, Cracked Love and Other Drugs. It can also be found at the top of this post in MP3 form. Download it right now. If there's nothing else quite as glorious on the rest of the album, that makes the rest of it merely very good.  Frontman Dean Whitmore plays drums in The Intelligence (whose forthcoming new album is pretty fab) but where that band is making cerebral garage, Unnatural Helpers punkish driving force is man's other frontal lobe. If you know what I'm saying.

Unnatural Helpers are in the area for four shows. They play Bruar Falls Dead Herring (it moved from Bruar Falls) on Saturday (8/28) with Bare Wires (more on them in just a sec), Shea Stadium on Monday (8/30) with the Babies, Maxwell's on Wednesday, September 1st, and then Cake Shop on Thursday, September 2. The band are then going on tour with Mudhoney, and those dates are at the bottom of this post.

Bare Wires

As mentioned above, the Saturday show at Bruar Falls Dead Herring is with Bare Wires whose new album (their second) just came out on John Dwyer's Castle Face Records, a label that only seems to spring to life when the Ohsees frontman finds a band he likes. (Previous Castle Face releases include debuts from Ty Segall and the Fresh & Onlys.) Though the two previous sentences might lead you to believe Bare Wires to be blown-out low-fi garage. They are in fact a really great power pop band in the tradition of The Nerves or even The Sweet,  and the album, Seeking Love, is decidedly mid-fi. Don't believe me? There's an MP3 of the album's title track up there amongst all the others. These guys know their way around a hook.

In addition to the Bruar Falls show on Sunday (a kind of don't miss in my book if you can tear yourself away from Mad Men and True Blood), Bare Wires also play Friday (8/27) at Monster Island Basement with Xray Eyeballs and Liquor Store.

---

And finally, Montreal's incredible Think About Life were supposed to play two shows/cruises on The Boat on Friday (8/27) but the concerts struck a metaphorical iceberg and sunk. (It got canceled.) Luckily, Think About Life abandoned ship and are now playing Santos Party House instead. I've said it a zillion times in the last year, TAL are one of my favorite live bands of the moment and they'll be one of yours too if you go see them. No matter how bad a mood you're in, you'll leave smiling. Don't be dumb...go to this show!

---

And a few more recommended shows not covered above.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25

Florida's awesome Jacuzzi Boys are playing Knitting Factory tonight for another of those Scion Garage shows, this time with Nobunny headlining. Free with RSVP. I'm not sure what it is about their sound -- the singer's voice, the more garagey Feelies-esque jangle -- but I just love them. Nobunny is fun too, of course, but I kind of wish he'd spring for a new bunny mask. It's getting really, really creepy.

Austin's TV Torso play Death By Audio tonight. Their new EP, Status Quo Vadis, is darkly romantic, atmospheric, and rockin'. It's also a free download via their bandcamp site. I dig it. Also playing: Juston Stens & Get the Real Gang, and Slow Animal.

Tennis play the first of their NYC shows at Cake Shop.

continued below...

Continue reading "Wild Nothing, Cosmetics, Stereo Total, Magic Bullets, Unnatural Helpers, Bare Wires, Jacuzzi Boys & more in This Week in Indie"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Automelodi - Buanderie Jazz (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Martial Canterel - Windscreen (MP3)

Automelodi

Synthy Montreal Automelodi trio are visiting NYC this week, playing two shows: Wednesday, July 21 at Home Sweet Home, and then Friday, July 23 at Glasslands.

I'm not sure I understand the differences between darkwave, coldwave, minimal wave, minimal synth and what have you, but am a fan of the bands and scene to whom they owe a debt. (Think early Mute Records, OMD, Dalek I Love You, French New Wave, etc) The problem with a some of it for me -- and it's a problem with many sonically-specific genres -- is that aesthetics can come before songcraft.

Not so with Montreal's Automelodi who most definitely are channeling 1981 but have songs as well-crafted as their haircuts. I heard them for the first time last November while attending M for Montreal and have been listening to their self-released EP ever since. A couple of those EP tracks have resurfaced on Automelodi's debut which was released last week on Wierd Records, which is kind of the label for this scene. Main man Xavier Paradis knows his way around a hook, and fleshes the production out just enough to keep things interesting. That most of the songs are in French adds to the sophisticated, enigmatic vibe. It's a solid album start-to-finish. Have a listen to "Buanderie Jazz" at the top of this post and there's a video for "Schéma Corporel" below.

Martial Canterel

The Home Sweet Home show is part of the long-running Wierd night; The Glasslands show is a record release party that also features Martial Canterel (Sean McBride of Xeno and Oaklander) whose new album will be out on Wierd in November. Until then you can check out "Windscreen" which is from Wierd Compilation Volume II: Analogue Electronic Music 2008.

Dates, flyer and a video below...

Continue reading "Automelodi released an album (MP3), visiting NYC (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Géraldine - Toi Dans Mes Bras (MP3)

Géraldine

"We sing in English too... just not today," said Automelodi singer Arnaud Lazlaud at the start of their set at Cafe Campus. Kind of the theme of the day, as it was all francophone bands for this Saturday afternoon M for Montreal showcase (11/21). Some might dislike having to watch six bands in a row singing in a language they don't understand, but I actually liked a lot of it.

When you think of French pop, striped shirts, berets, ukuleles and accordions might come to mind. That style is alive and well and still popular in Montreal and we got two bands of just that sort on the bill. Caracol was a little more on the folky/American side, but the songs were jaunty and they could really play. Quirkier were La Patère Rose who were kind of a hipper version of the chanson stereotype. Charming and tiny singer Fanny Bloom is a real pistol and played an accordion nearly as big as her. They even busted out some choreographed dance moves. I could see either of these bands going over gangbusters at NYC's Joe's Pub.

For a day show, the joint was packed (the main room was probably 300 capacity) and was mostly Montreal locals, many of whom were there to see La Patère Rose and Marie-Pierre Arthur who was probably my favorite straight-up (albiet in French) rock act of the whole weekend. She's sort of Montreal's version of Nicole Atkins, mainstream but not in a bad way, a very good songwriter and a skilled musician. I left humming more than a few of her songs.

Things took a left turn after that. Automelodi have a sound that would've been a perfect fit on Mute Records in 1980, or maybe a lost track from that BIPP: French Synth Wave comp): chilly synths, heavily-treated guitars, melodramatic singing. I think singing in French actually helped here, giving an air of mystery to the proceedings. As far as this sort of pastiche style goes, they do it really really well -- and did a good job for them playing at three in the afternoon -- with some very catchy songs. Their debut EP is available via their MySpace, and the band have signed with Brooklyn's home of darkwave/post wave, Wierd Records. They already made their NYC debut at one of their parties at Home Sweet Home in October.

In a similar, if decidedly more idiosyncratic vein was Géraldine which is both the name of the band and of its singer. I'd met Géraldine the day before and she couldn't have been sweeter, telling me about her music through broken English and an endearing laugh. "We wear ski masks," she said. "We use Godspeed's old practice space and they left the masks in there, so we decided to use them." So there they were in ski masks, with Géraldine singing into a pedestal fan while playing it with a violin bow. The crowd laughed nervously. Things got a little more normal after that, as most of her songs, while definitely on the arty side, have hooks and melodies. And despite the ski mask, her charm still comes through. You can download a track at the top of this post.

Headlining the francophone event were hodgepodge funk act Orange Orange. Don Hamel was in Gatineau (who played M last year) and has retained much of that band's schtick, including a variety of old cheapy Casios (including the much-loved Rapmaster) and using an old telephone receiver as a microphone. But Orange Orange drop most of the hip hop aspects of Gatineau in favor of musicality and sex appeal, the latter coming mainly from Sabrina Sabotage. Like many Montreal acts, they put a lot of thought into the performance. I'm not sure I'd listen to the record very often but I'd go see them play again.

While there were plenty of electronic acts at the fest, there was no hip hop. We got a nice dose of it at last year's event (Gatineau and Radio Radio) and I missed it -- whether it would have been in English or French (Cadence Weapon did make two guest appearances this year, but sang at both.) I'm not convinced the French language and rock music work so well together, but it pairs perfectly with a good rapper. Maybe next year.

M for Montreal 2009 so far: Friday night, Thursday night, Wednesday night.

Saturday night coming soon. A few more pictures from Saturday day, and video of Automelodie, are below...

Continue reading "M For Montreal 2009 - day 3 in pics & review (Géraldine, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Automelodi, Orange Orange & more)"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Felt Letters (feat. Ian Svenonius)- Let's All Dream (MP3)

Ian Svenonius...

Ian Svenonius has his Soft Focus online TV show (where he recently interviewed Pierced Arrows), he contributes to projects like the Journal of Popular Noise with Felt Letters (sample above), and he continues to turn the cogs of his political garage group Chain & the Gang (whose K Recs debut came out in April). That band will go on the road this fall in a trip that includes two early October NYC stops. Those will be October 3rd at Brooklyn's Market Hotel and October 4th at the Mercury Lounge.
. Tickets for the Mercury Lounge show go on sale Friday, July 24th at noon.

Opening the Oct. 4th show will be Silk Flowers, a New York-based band that just released their debut LP on Post Present Medium (artwork below). Its CD release show was last Saturday (July 18th) at the Cake Shop.

"I went to see Silk Flowers (members of Soiled Mattress and The Springs) record release show Saturday Night July 18th at The Cake Shop. Silk Flowers are truly one of my favorite bands...They have taken their own spin on minimal/cold wave and industrial pop. It is truly zooming this style of music into a modern window and changing how to make pop music. They play everything live, including live drum pads, keys, and samples with very little sequenced parts. Also Aviram Cohen's voice is haunting. One of my favorite voices I have ever heard and also his live performance is awesome and sounds even better. The keyboard parts (played by Peter) are sonically distinct using new synth sounds and complicated parts with a lot of development. The third, noise/concrete layer is played by Ethan and is no less some of the best use of sonic layers in a pop set I have heard. They play a lot and their blog is killer." [MNDR]

Continue reading "Chain & the Gang tour dates include Market Hotel & Mercury Lounge w/ Silk Flowers (whose debut just came out)"

by Andrew Frisicano

NY EYE & EAR FEST II - JULY 9 - 12, 2009!
4 DAYS - 3 VENUES - 2 BOROUGHS
Knitting Factory & 92Y Tribeca in Manhattan & Death By Audio in Brooklyn
Pendu presents: NY Eye & Ear Fest II ... a massive 4-day New Music and Arts Fete showcasing some of the most exciting bands, artists, and filmmakers currently living and working here in NYC. In addition, NYE&E assembles a Record Fair featuring NYC-based Record Labels and Vendors selling LPs, CDs, 7''s, cassettes, lathes, comics, zines, stickers, and art prints.

The Fest then switches to the 92YTribeca on Saturday for a concert and a free record fair. Also at 92Y will be a program called "Women of NYCinema," with films and music from Sarah Lipstate (aka Noveller), Liz Wendelbo, Rachel Blackwell and Dirty Churches. The vendors range from big names like Matador Records to the recently featured Journal of Popular Noise to notable jazz label ESP-Disk.

The fest's final, fourth day moves to Brooklyn for a closing party at Death by Audio. That lineup includes Murdertronics, Team Robespierre, Talibam!, Total Abuse and Drunkdriver.

Tickets for Thursday, Friday, and a variety of Saturday packages are available.

Separate from the festival, on Thursday, July 9th the 92YTribeca will screen filmmaker Brendan Toller's I Need That Record, a documentary about the problems facing record stores around the country. It will be the NYC premiere of the movie that was getting some attention already all the back on Record Store Day 2008. The movie includes interviews with Thurston Moore, Ian Mackaye, Mike Watt, Chris Frantz and more. Toller will be on hand for the showing. Tickets are on sale.

More details on the film (with video trailer) and the Ear and Eye Festival, below...

Continue reading "NY Ear & Eye Fest II - shows & record fair this weekend @ KF, DBA & 92Y Tribeca (also screening 'I Need That Record')"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: SpaceKamp - Girls on Bikes (MP3)

Spacekamp

This week's post is going to feel a bit like a clip show because I feel like I've talked about all these bands before, but still there's a lot going on in NYC.

Tonight (11/18) SpaceKamp are playing Williamsburg's Black Betty. As you may remember, this trio also back Adam Green (with whom they just got back from a European tour) when not making their own brand of extremely catchy '60s-ish guitar pop. So while they've only played a handful of shows as SpaceKamp, they've got many, many more under their belt together. And they've finally put songs on their on their MySpace page to check out, and there's one at the top of this post to download. (I've also got a different song over at my blog.) It's also the drummer's birthday tonight, so expect the show to be extra festive. Also on the bill: Joe and the Flying Spoons, featuring Dirty on Purpose's Joe Jurewicz as well as former members of Au Revoir Simone and Tralala. I've never seen either band before, so I'm looking forward to this one. (And full disclosure: I know members of each band, but I don't post about stuff I don't genuinely like.)

Previously on Lost

Thursday (11.20) there are three good options, the most interesting of which might be at The Bell House in Brooklyn. Previously on Lost claim to be the world's only "recap rock" band, who spent the first half of 2008 writing a song for every episode of ABC's island mystery series' fourth season -- you know, in case you missed it. And if you're jonesing for Season 4 to be released on DVD (Dec. 4) maybe seeing the whole shebang performed live will hold you over. The "Live Experience" features props and such -- I'm curious if they'll have a live smoke monster. Making the night all the more enticing is the incredible Reggie Watts who if you've never seen him do what he does live, it's reason enough to go. A couple of Previously on Lost videos are HERE.

Violens @ South Street Seaport (more by Chris La Putt)

Also Thursday is Violens at Mercury Lounge who are fresh off their European tour with MGMT. I was really impressed the last couple times I saw them (their show at the Seaport was especially good) and am hoping their debut album isn't far off as I've worn out their three-song EP. Word of warning: Violens can be monsterously loud. Bring earplugs. Also on the bill are two two local electronic duos: Telepathe and Picture Picture.

The Secret History

Over at Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos), we've got The Secret History and Mahogany. The Secret History is the new project from Michael Grace, Jr who used to front indiepop new wave lovers, My Favorite. This new project features most of his old band, but adds vocalist Lisa Ronson (unlike Mark or Samantha, her dad actually is late Bowie Guitarist Mick Ronson) to the fold. While the ties to the '80's are still there, especially the romanticism, The Secret History are bigger, more of a sweeping Roxy Music sort of feel. The band just released their debut EP, Desolation Town, on foppy Detroit label Le Grand Magistery. Meanwhile, Mahogany do classic shoegaze better than just about anybody else, writing great songs, are skilled with effects pedals and know how to put on a show.

Mahogany @ PopFest, Music Hall of Williamsburg

And speaking of Mahogany, the band's ever-morphing line-up has absorbed Blacklist's James Minor into the band. I mention this because Blacklist (of which Minor is still a major member) are playing on Friday (11.21) as part of Wierd Records' Fifth Anniversary party. The former goth in me still digs Bauhaus, the Bolshoi, Southern Death Cult, the Chameleons, etc. and Blacklist deliver the goods in that respect. Wierd Records, which could be described as a modern day equivilent to labels like Some Bizarre or Wax Trax!, began it's life as a weekly party at Williamsburg's Southside Lounge (later Home Sweet Home on Christie) and grew as it gained likeminded artists and musicians interested in the cold wave/industrial/noise, and yes, gothy side of pop. I don't know too much about the rest of the night's lineup but it includes Xeno and Oaklander, Led Er Est, and Opus Finis. I can only hope there will be strobes and smoke machines. Tickets are on sale. The flyer is below...

Continue reading "The Secret History, Violens, SpaceKamp, Mahogany, Wierd Records & more in This Week In Indie"