J Mascis with Dinosaur Jr at Coachella (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

One of the best things about summer is all of the free live music, and one of the great series in NYC is Union Pool's Summer Thunder! This year the series is even bigger, going every weekend from early June until September. The shows begin at 2PM, are 21+, and will feature drink specials all afternoon. The shows are FREE, and two of them are presented by BrooklynVegan and Invisible Oranges respectively.

Summer Thunder kicks off the season on June 1 with Rocksteady Yeti DJ Crew. BrooklynVegan will present the second Summer Thunder event set for June 8 featuring Heavy Blanket (featuring J Mascis) and Love as Laughter. Invisible Oranges will present the June 15 Summer Thunder, with Inter Arma and more TBA.

Heavy Blanket released their self-titled debut last year on Outer Battery Records and you can stream that below. Love is Laughter also play Shea Stadium on Saturday (5/18) with Starlight Girls, Honduras, Birthdays and more.

More details on the rest of June's lineup of Summer Thunder, including shows with Jonny Fritz (aka Jonny Corndawg), Endless Boogie and more, is below. See you there!

Continue reading "Union Pool free Summer Thunder June 2013 show lineup (BV show w/ Heavy Blanket, IO show w/ Inter Arma & more)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Jaill - Perfect Ten
DOWNLOAD: Jaill - Waste a Lot of Things
DOWNLOAD: Jaill - Everyone's Hip

Milwaukee trio Jaill, whose most recent LP was the tunefull Traps on the Sub Pop label, survived their trip to SXSW and, energized from that have decided to play some East Coast shows. That includes a stop in NYC at Knitting Factory on April 4 with Wild Yaks, Las Rosas, and Pop Zeus. Tickets are on sale now.

There are a few Jaill MP3s above if you haven't checked them out before, and all tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Jaill playing East Coast shows (dates)"

Cymbals Eat Guitars at MHOW in July (more by Chris La Putt)

As you may have noticed in today's What's Going On (11/18), there's a few Hurricane Sandy Relief benefits going on in NYC today.

There's one going down in both rooms at Public Assembly, which started at 1:30 PM and is continuing into the evening. If you head down there now, you can still catch sets by Wojick, Zula, The Veda Rays, Their Planes, Backwords, Pessanger Peru, Cool Serbia, Ski Lodge, and Slowdance. Admission is $10 at the door and all proceeds go to NY Cares. Those who bring three canned food items or one hygiene product will get one free Brooklyn Brewery Beer. The full schedule and more info is below.

Union Pool has one dubbed, "From Brooklyn with Love," starting at 5 PM with sets by Wild Yaks, Free Blood, Ice Balloons, Field Mouse, Sophia Knapp, Desert Stars, Firecracker Firecracker, Jess Williamson, Shenandoah and the Night, and The Monte Vista. Admission is a minimum of $20 and all proceeds goes to World Cares. "Big drink specials come to those who donate." The lineup is below.

There's also a Thanksgiving-themed benefit for Far Rockaway going down tonight at The Dalloway (525 Broome St) with DJ sets by Tanlines and Victor Vasquez (aka Kool AD of Das Racist). That party is hosted by Patricia Field, Erin O'Connor, Alana Zimmer, Jaquelyn Jablonski, Sara Blomqvist, Harry Brant, Scoot McNairy, Jeremy Kost, and Va$htie. It begins at 7 PM. Show flyer below.

Later this month, there will be a Sandy benefit at Pianos on November 29 with Cymbals Eat Guitars, Hooray for Earth, Zambri, Grooms, and DJ sets by Will Shortz between sets. Tickets ($12 minimum) are on sale now and proceeds will benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy in Red Hook.

Other upcoming Sandy relief benefits include Holly Herndon, Ducktails, and Oneohtrix Point Never at MoMA PS1, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and more at MSG, EDM for Sandy Relief at Gramercy, and more. The Bell House has a lot of benefits coming up too.

Show flyers, lineups and more, below...

Continue reading "upcoming Sandy relief benefits in NYC (Cymbals Eat Guitars, Slowdance, Ski Lodge, Field Mouse, Tanlines & more)"

Donations at Coney Island (more by Nick Childers)

From Brooklyn, With Love is a "collective of North Brooklyn businesses" who have taken to organizing drives and benefits for those afflicted by Hurricane Sandy. With more than 65 business on board to help, the collective have organized dinners, donation drives (like tonight/Tuesday at Rodeo Bar) and in the case of one business, a pair of music-related Hurricane Sandy relief events.

Union Pool in Williamsburg will host a Hurricane Sandy benefit mixer tonight (11/14), featuring DJ sets from Ryan Sawyer (LoneWolf), Adam Wills (Bear in Heaven) "and perhaps a secret surprise musical performance". A $15 minimum donation gets you in, and the venue will have food, drink specials and much more. Come discuss current future outreach events and stay for the drinks and entertainment.

In addition, Union Pool will also host a live event scheduled for for Sunday (11/18) featuring 10 bands. Kicking off at 5PM, the night will be headlined by Wild Yaks and feature performances from Free Blood, Ice Balloons, Field Mouse, Sophia Knapp, Desert Stars, Firecracker Firecracker, Jess Williamson, Shenandoah & The Night and The Monte Vista. A $20 minimum donation is required at the door, with "big drink specials" coming to those who donate. All proceeds will go to World Cares Center.

Head below for set times and more details on that one and other upcoming events...

Continue reading "'From Brooklyn, With Love' is a collective of businesses, helping North Brooklyn Sandy victims, hosting benefits"

Takka Takka whose sole announced upcoming show is the Ernest Jenning Record Company CMJ showcase at Grand Victory on 10/19 (with Dinosaur Feathers, Wild Yaks, Miniboone, and Daytona), have announced a new album, their first in four years. Listen to one of its songs, with more info, below...

Continue reading "Takka Takka announce new LP & song in time for CMJ"

Brooklyn's Wild Yaks will release their new album, Million Years, on November 20 via the folks at Ernest Jenning Record Co. We've got the premiere of the album's charmingly ragged, anthemic title track which you can stream at the bottom of this post.

Wild Yaks will be going out on tour to support the album's release, hitting the road with O'Death and World Inferno Friendship Society. While there are not NYC dates at the moment for that tour, Wild Yaks will be playing next week during CMJ: October 18 at Public Assembly for the My Socialist Day Party with The Intelligence, Roomrunner and Royal Baths; and on October 19 at Grand Victory for the EJRC showcase with Takka Takka, Miniboone, and Daytona.

All Wild Yaks tour dates are listed below, along with the song stream.

Continue reading "Wild Yaks releasing 'Million Years,' playing CMJ before tour w/ O'Death & World Inferno Friendship Society (dates, stream)"

Beach Day at Knitting Factory, June 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Hollywood, Florida's Beach Day are visiting NYC again, playing two shows: tonight (7/25) at Public Assembly with The Babies (of a few shows the Babies have going on), Wild Yaks and Daytona; and Cake Shop Thursday (7/26) with charming local indie poppers Chalk & Numbers, and Island Twins. All Beach Day tour dates are listed below.

As mentioned before, Beach Day have signed with Kanine Records who just released the band's debut 7". Echoing early '60s pop, it's custom-made for sunny weather and comes on white vinyl, to match your jeans. You can stream both sides of the single below.

Continue reading "Beach Day playing 2 NYC shows this week; stream their new 7""

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Levek - Black Mold Grow (MP3)

Levek

Gainsville, FL's David Levesque will release his debut album under his Levek alias, Look A Little Closer, on September 25 via Lefse Records. You may remember 2010 single "Look on the Bright Side," which dove deep into widescreen psychedelic funk. Look A Little Closer finds him dipping even more explicitly into '60s tropicalia be it Sergio Mendez-style trippy excursions to more trad bossa nova, as well as delicate folk. It makes for a refreshing listen on these hot humid summer nights we're currently experiencing. You can download the album's first single, "Black Mold Grow," at the top of this post.

Levek just launched a little East Coast tour that will hit NYC this weekend with two shows: Friday (7/20) at Pianos with Tropic of Pisces and Bad Girlfriend (tickets), and Glasslands on Saturday (7/18) as part of good line-up that includes Dent May and The Babies (tickets). All Levek tour dates are below.

The Babies

The Glasslands show is the first of four upcoming Brooklyn shows for The Babies who just wrapped up a tour of the West Coast. They're also playing July 25 at Public Assembly with Wild Yaks, Beach Day, Daytona and DJ's Total Slacker (tickets), July 28 at Union Pool opening for The Soft Pack, and August 15 at Union Pool with Deep Time. The Babies new album, Our House on the Hill, is due out on Woodsist this fall but the first single from it, "Moonlight Mile" (not a Rolling Stones cover), is out next month.

Continue reading "Levek readies debut LP (MP3), on tour, playing 2 NYC shows this weekend; The Babies playing 4 upcoming Brooklyn shows"

Bushwick slow food pizza haven Roberta's is throwing a block party (entire block of Moore Street between Bogart and White St.) on July 28 featuring the musical talents of Andrew WK (solo), Heems, Natural Child, Wild Yaks, and Naam. The fun starts at noon and goes till midnight. Roberta's, with its giant backyard, has been doing the party thing a lot this summer, be it hot dog eating contests, viking parties and what have you. There's an '80s style commercial for the block party you can watch at the bottom of this post.

Natural Child will play again the next night (7/29) at Union Pool with Birdcloud, Respect and Hector's Pets and advance tickets are on sale now. The Nashville rockers, who released For the Love of the Game back in April, have a second album coming out this year. Look for Hard in Heaven to drop September 11 on the fine Burger label. You can stream the album's first single, "B$G P$MP$N," at the bottom of this post.

The Brooklyn shows are part of a national tour that just got underway and all tour dates are listed at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading "Natural Child ready new LP (stream a track), touring, playing 2 shows in Bklyn including Roberta's block party w/ Andrew WK"

Black Bananas at Terminal 5 in February (more by Chris La Putt)

Black Bananas (formerly RTX) will be in NYC next month for the previously discussed free Hudson River Park show on August 18 with The Kills and Viva Viva. Though the show is free, physical tickets are required and it appears to be "sold out."

One day before that show, Black Bananas will play their own, not-free smaller show at Mercury Lounge (8/17) with Bosco Delrey and Wild Yaks. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (7/13) at noon with an AmEx presale starting today (7/11) at noon.

Black Bananas recently made a video for "Foxy Playground" off their 2012 LP, Rad Times Xpress IV. Check that out below, along with a list of all dates...

Continue reading "Black Bananas playing shows (dates & video)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Total Slacker - Oblivion (Grimes cover) (M4A)

Total Slacker are about to head out on the road with Night Manager. Before they do, they'll play with Heaven's Gate and Turnip King at Cheap Storage in Brooklyn on June 2. Tonight (5/15), Total Slacker will DJ between sets at the Japanther/Night Manager/Wild Yaks/Eula show at the Studio at Webster Hall.

For the tour, Total Slacker have recorded a cover of Grimes' single "Oblivion" which we have for you, hot off the mixing desk (they finished it this afternoon) and free for you to download at the top of this post. Keeping the signature bass line intact, the band's version slowly builds to a post-punk crescendo that wouldn't have sounded out of place in fog machine filled dancefloor in 1981.

Additionally, Total Slacker have given us "Brain Slime," the a-side to the band's new single which is being released on Japanese label Sixteen Tambourines. The cover art for the single is below. The Brooklynites also have a UK split 7" with Friends due out this summer.

Total Slacker tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Total Slacker covered Grimes, going on tour w/ Night Manager"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Fenster - Fantasy II (MP3)

Fenster

Berlin-based trio Fenster are making their U.S. debut tonight (3/5) at Cake Shop. The band's charming, minimalist debut, Bones, is out next week on Morr Music. It's Sunday Morning Coming Down music with a little Beirut grandiosity to it at times. You can download "Fantasy II" from it at the top of this post and stream a couple more tracks below.

In addition to tonight's show Fenster will play Pianos on Wednesday (3/7) with Doe Paoro, then head to SXSW and then on the other side will be back in NYC for shows at Ars Nova on March 29 and the Knitting Factory on April 4. All Fenster tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

Daytona

Tonight's show, as well as the Knitting Factory date in April are with Daytona, which features Jose Boyer who is also in Harlem and Hunter Simpson of Wild Yaks. The Brooklyn trio's rounded out by drummer Christopher Lauderdale. All three sing. You can stream their debut EP at the bottom of this post -- it's definitely different than either Harlem or Wild Yaks. (Plaintive but poppy indie rock.) In addition to the two dates with Fenster, Daytona are also playing Littlefield on March 21 (opening for Ed Askew), plus some out of town dates as well, all of which are below.

Continue reading "Fenster are here, playing NYC before & after SXSW, sometimes with Daytona (dates)"

After an online leak that included false information about big headliners (like The Strokes, Odd Future, Fleet Foxes, Gayngs, Dan Deacon), and then a promised-but-never-happened announcement about something right after that, NYC show promoters Jelly have officially announced a series of shows at "RockBeach"...

TOPMAN and JELLY have announced their partnership to bring you 'ROCKBEACH'- a brand new festival concept taking place from July to September this summer in the Rockaways of Brooklyn. The series of six free weekend events will deliver the hottest acts and new talent from its brand new home and will also - for the first time ever - offer festival camping for the last three events in the series at the Floyd Bennett Field - the setting of New York's first ever airport.

"After 5 years of Pool Parties in Williamsburg, we are very excited to be moving out to the Aviator Sports Complex near one of our favorite summer destinations, Fort Tilden Beach. We are looking forward to leaving Bedford Ave behind offering an ultimate weekend destination and adventure for all ages." - JELLY

The whole ROCKBEACH experience will deliver weekends of the coolest music and total fun to festival-goers with the likes of slip n slides, dodgeball, beach volleyball and most importantly - swimming pools filled with ice cold water and giant inflatables.

Entry to the festival is free - all festival-goers need to do is register online at WWW.ROCKBEACH.US In addition, there will be a ROCKBEACH festival shuttle bus with roundtrip rides costing $20 - but there are 100 lucky bus tickets up for grabs for each event which can be won by registering online at WWW.ROCKBEACH.US.

The first ROCKBEACH will take place on Saturday 9th July 2011 and will include performances from Penguin Prison, Wild Yaks, Janka Nabay and The Bubu Gang, and Monogold.

Continue reading "Jelly announces RockBeach shows"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Amor de Días - Bunhill Fields (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Damon & Naomi - "Walking Backwards" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Damon & Naomi - "Shadow Boxing" (M4A)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX - Burn the Boats (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX - Garbage Strike (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beige - Folds (MP3)

Amor de Dias

This weekend is dominated, for me at least, by NYC Popfest but as I've already written an exhaustive (exhausting) post about that, so go read it and we'll discuss other shows here. There's lots more to cover anyway.

One thing, and this is Popfest related really, is that Amor de Días are here this weekend, playing Knitting Factory on Sunday (5/22) opening for Damon & Naomi. We've got a pair of tickets to give away to this show. Just send an email with your name to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with the subject line "Amor de Dias" and we'll pick a winner at random.

As you may know, the duo (Amor de Días) are Alisdair Maclean of The Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas, a group who played the first ever NYC Popfest back in 2007. I actually thought it was going to be Amor de Días in the "TBA" slot at the Thursday night Cake Shop show that turned out to be Pains of Being Pure at Heart. For this show to be happening at the same -- but not part of -- the 'Fest seems a little criminal.

MacLean and Núñez-Fernández formed Amor de Días back in 2008 and wrote and recorded whenever they had time, with help from current tourmates Damon & Naomi, indiepop legend (and master arranger) Louis Phillipe and Ladybug Transistor's Gary Olson. Their debut, The Street of the Love of Days, came out this week on Merge and is a lovely little album as you might imagine from the talent involved. Their styles and voices are a perfect match for one another and the arrangements are just perfect. Among the treats is a particularly nice version of The Clientele's "Harvest Time." You can download "Bunhill Fields" at the top of this post.

Damon & Naomi's new album, False Beats and True Hearts, is a really nice record too. And if it's still pouring out Sunday night, all the better. It's an evening of rainy day music.

BNLX

A much louder duo, also in town this weekend, are Minneapolis' BNLX, who play Pianos on Friday (5/20) and The Rock Shop on Saturday (5/21). I've written about them a couple times this year already and I do really dig their mix of rockin' tunes and corporate humor. I'll quote myself again:

Volume isn't just for punishment, though in the wrong hands it most certainly is. But sometimes you just can't achieve that clarity of sound, that particular strain of feedback, that shriiiiiiinnnnng you get from flicking the strings above the headnut, that tone...without cranking the amp. Ed Ackerson, a 20-year veteran guitar slinger of such Minneapolis bands as 27 Various and Polara, knows what he's doing. BNLX didn't just blow eardrums, they kinda blew minds...

...for being just two of them and a laptop, they made quite a racket at the Rock Shop. Normally I'm one to complain about bands using canned backing instead of a real drummer, but vintage drum machine sounds -- right out of 1987, be it Jesus & Mary Chain or Age of Chance -- are kind of integral to what BNLX are doing. With a stroboscopic lightshow (what, no smoke machines?) you didn't really need anyone else.

More interesting is what's happening earlier that same evening at The Rock Shop: a tribute to Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets featuring a cavalcade of indie rock talent. Here's the press release:

When Brian Eno's first solo record, Here Come the Warm Jets, came out in 1974 it turned heads. It continues to baffle great minds due to the sneaky way it overlays whimsical pop with the beginnings of Eno's whole philosophy of creativity and experimentation.

Indy music stalwart Rob Christinsen (Eggs, Grenadine, East Ghost West Ghost) and Rock Shop booker Jack McFadden team up to present this great curiosity of a recording LIVE with a melange of rockers and experimentalists.

"It sounds fantastic but one of the things that I tried to do with Warm Jets was to bring musicians together who would normally never play together and to play a music that they couldn't agree upon. The music would come from the chemistry. But of course, it was impossible to do. I couldn't expect any of the session people I worked with to go along with it. They literally fought." - Brian Eno, 1974.

In that spirit, fifteen singers and ten instrumentalists from all musical worlds team up to perform this masterpiece.

The evening will be emceed by walking/talking Brian Eno encyclopedia, WNYC's John Schaefer.

Of course the big tribute this weekend is Sunday's Our Concert Could Be Your Life which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Michael Azzerad's chronicle of the American indie rock scene in the '80s. The talent assembled paying tribute to the bands covered in the book is pretty amazing, and it's changed/expanded a bit since first announced:

• Nat Baldwin, David Longstreth and Brian McOmber play Black Flag
• Delicate Steve plays the Minutemen
• Citay plays Mission of Burma
• Ted Leo plays Minor Threat
• Grooms plays Husker Du
• Titus Andronicus plays the Replacements
• Tune-Yards plays Sonic Youth
• Callers plays Sonic Youth
• Dan Deacon plays the Butthole Surfers
• St. Vincent plays Big Black
• Wye Oak plays Dinosaur Jr
• Buke and Gass plays Fugazi
• White Hills plays Mudhoney
• Yellow Ostrich plays Beat Happening

[note: both Tune-Yards and Buke and Gass play a sold out show at MHOW one day earlier. Dan Deacon also plays more shows this week. Delicate Steve has a headlining show coming up soon at Brooklyn Bowl.]

---

Cymbals Eat Guitars

And lastly, Cymbals Eat Guitars play their first show in a long time this Friday (5/20) at Glasslands. The band are finishing up their sophomore LP which is due out this fall ,so hopefully we'll get a preview of what's to come which they'll be playing in full at the show. The whole line-up is pretty good, with fellow '90s loving indie rockers Radical Dads (whose member Robbie just announced a new album for one of his other bands), Iranian transplants Yellow Dogs, and the psychedelic sounds of Mirror Mirror.

A few more picks, day by day, are below.

THURSDAY, MAY 19

It should be a fun night at Union Pool with neo baggy kids McDonalds, volatile and soul-bearing Wild Yaks, and The Surprisers.

continued below...

Continue reading "Amor de Días, not Popfest, BNLX, Cymbals Eat Guitars, album & book tribute shows, Cheeseburger, Beige & more in This Week in Indie "

Wild Yaks @ Europa in November (more by Andrew Frisicano)

"Of course you don't believe me that this is the last Wild Yaks show ever. You think I'm your raving uncle? Like you have company over and I'm just talking and talking in the backyard and your guests are like, what's all that racket? And you're like, that's just my raving uncle." [Robert Bryn of Wild Yaks]

The full discursive, poetic (goodbye?) note from frontman Rob Bryn is posted below...

Continue reading "Wild Yaks breaking up, playing their last show tonight"

DOWNLOAD: Team B - The Last Christmas (MP3)

Team B has been very generous lately. First came a free Christmas song (MP3 above). Then a 9-song EP called "The Lost Son" (cover art above). Download the EP at their website. Catch them live with Wild Yaks at Union Pool tonight (1/16). More info below...

Continue reading "a free Team B EP, Christmas song & a NYC show (tonight) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Kurt Vile @ Europa

Kurt Vile fit three shows into a recent two-day NYC trip. The first was a solo performance at an invite-only party at Public Assembly early Tuesday night (11/17). Later that night, he played a show at Europa with the Violators behind him and opening sets from Wild Yaks, Pink Reason and Home Blitz. Then on Wednesday (11/18), KV&V opened up for Big Star at Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

Kurt Vile and the Black Keys added a New Year's Day show after their NYE show in Chicago. In addition to his February tour with Fucked Up (the NYC dates of which are on sale), Kurt Vile will be playing a free show at Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday, December 1st with Small Black and DJ Rezound (as part of the Fader Bowl series).

The next show for Wild Yaks happens Saturday, November 28th at the Living Room. The gig is part of Hex Fest that's happening at Cake Shop, Pianos, the Living Room and Googies the same day. The lineup for that includes Das Racist, Your Nature, Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit, Weird Owl and others. Tickets and days passes are on sale.

More pictures and words on the Kurt Vile/Wild Yaks show at Europa are below...

Continue reading "Kurt Vile adds free Brooklyn show (dates), played Europa w/ Wild Yaks (who are playing Hex Fest) - pics & review"

Kurt Vile (in orange) @ Woodsist/CT Fest on July 4th (more by Tim Griffin)

At [D.C.'s] the Black Cat Backstage [Nov. 5th], [Kurt] Vile ambled through the final date of a month of shows with his three-piece band, The Violators, for what he said was the largest crowd he'd played. Double digits, still -- right-sized. He opened the 70-minute set with a solo take of "Peeping Tomboy," which, like so much of the spectral folk side of his songbook, seemed to waft in from some phantom radio. Even when the combo joined him for the stouter stuff -- like "Freak Train," the self-explanatory centerpiece of his just-released "Childish Prodigy" album -- the cacophony was more ethereal than kinetic.

After innumerable self-releases, his songs still sound like their paint's still wet, which is part of their appeal. It remains to be seen whether they can, or should, expand beyond the cult of sober head-nodders who paid their respects last night. The only person dancing was a British girl whose accent was pitched just-so to be perfectly audible through the din.

"They're really quite good," she chirped. Cheers. [Washington Post]

The gig comes one day before Vile opens for Big Star at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (11/8). Tickets to that appear to be gone.

In non-New York news, Vile will be playing a New Year's Eve show at Chicago's The Riviera with The Black Keys. Tickets are on sale. Half of the Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, plays Webster Hall on Wednesday, November 11th.

A flyer for Vile's Europa show and all upcoming tour dates (in which Vile goes to Europe this December) are posted below...

Continue reading "Kurt Vile playing Europa, opening for the Black Keys on New Years Eve (in Chicago) - 2009 Tour Dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Dinosaur Feathers - Early Morning Risers (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hospitality - Betty Wang (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Acrylics - Molly's Vertigo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beach Fossils - Vacation (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Family Portrait - Mega Secrets (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darwin Deez - Bad Day (MP3)

Cymbals Eat Guitars

It's hard to believe online indie record store Insound has been around for ten years. Actually it's just hard to believe 1999 was a decade ago, but the calendar says it's so. Insound is also based out of NYC, so we're lucky enough to be invited to their 10 year birthday party tonight (8/27) at Brooklyn Bowl featuring a hard-to-pass-up line-up of local talent: Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Are Powers, The Drums, Real Estate and at least one band yet-to-be-announced (sort of). $10 gets you in the door and there's free Brooklyn Brewery beer from 6 - 9.

Effi Briest

Another very good option in Williamsburg tonight (8/27) is happening at Glasslands, featuring Effi Briest, Mahogany, and Free Blood (but not Deradoorian). The all-girl Effi Briest are in the same spooky, rhythm-heavy realm as the Life Without Buildings or the Slits (and maybe just a little Siouxsie). They've got a split 7" with Telepathe that's out now and they're working on their debut album as we speak. Mahogany, whose new line-up now (nine-strong according to their Myspace) seems to have been nailed down with the addition of former Dirty on Purpose bassist DJ Boudreau, will hopefully be playing some new material as it's been three years since their fantastic Connectivity. Free Blood bring a surprising amount of heat for such a minimal sound, thanks to the chemistry between ex-!!! John Pugh and Madeline Davy. And rounding out the bill are (The) Tony Castles who share a member with Boogie Boarder and are about to hit the studio with Jake Aron (Chairlift, Yeasayer, Acrylics).

Acrylics

This weekend is the After the Jump Festival which happens Friday - Sunday at Gowanus art space/venue Littlefield. ATJ is a group of bloggers that puts on events throughout the year, but this is the third year for their multi-day event and every night is pretty solid featuring some of the best new bands in NYC and a few from out of town. The full schedule and flyer is at the bottom of the post but I'll highlight a few from each night.

Friday (8/28): I have yet to see sound-collage dance act Javelin but I do like their records and am curious to see how they pull it off live. It's also their last show possibly November, so get in while you can. You can also catchy buzzy Florida band Holiday Shores (more on them below), indie pop royals My Teenage Stride, and the beachy Dinosaur Feathers.

Saturday (8/29): Philly's Free Energy (not to be confused with Free Blood) are a lot of fun if you have no problem with early '80s stadium rock or silly outfits. Despite a feeling I should know better, their live show and giant hooks won me over. Also: the Tom Waits-meets-garage-rock of Wild Yaks and the clattering, poppy Drink Up Buttercup. The night ends as a dance party with just-added Ninjasonik and the wacky Das Racist.

Sunday (8/30): Two of my favorite new NYC bands are playing on the early side. I've written a little bit about Acrylics before, but I've caught them three times over the summer and have been more impressed each time. "Molly's Vertigo," which you can download at the top of this post gives you a good idea of their sound, which is sort of '80s-ish with a dusty Southwest vibe, which maybe makes them a bit like the Rosebuds or Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac. Vocalists Molly Shea and Jason Klauber nail the harmonies and they've got an excellent pedal steel player. They're on at 8PM, don't miss them. Right before Acrylics are Hospitality, who I've written about before, are very charming live and don't play often enough. I haven't managed to catch them since May and am hoping for lots of new songs Sunday.

You can still buy discounted $25 passes for the whole shebang until Friday (8/28) morning. Individual tickets are $10 are night. There's also free beer each night from 6 - 7PM. Again, the whole After the Jump Fest schedule is below.

Holiday Shores @ Pianos in June (more by Tim Griffin)

More weekend recommendations. Fellow Brooklyn blogger Chocolate Bobka has put together a solid show at Cameo on Saturday night, with four bands that genuinely compliment each other. My previously-mentioned qualms with their vocals aside, Beach Fossils are hard to dislike and a lot of fun live. I've also been listening to the Holiday Shores (who also play the ATJ Fest the night before) dreamy, melodic debut, Columbus'd The Whim, a lot recently. It's a nice end-of-summer record. Connecticut's Sore Eros are pals with Kurt Vile and Gary War; and Washington DC's Family Portrait are part of the Underwater Peoples scene... Real Estate comparisons aren't entirely inappropriate and you can check out their song "Mega Secret" at the top of this post.

And also Saturday, there's an early show (7PM) at Glasslands featuring Phantogram, a duo who, for lack of a better term, are kind of trip-hoppy but in a '00s sort of way (breakbeats but no John Barry or Morricone samples). Chilled, atmospheric, but still danceable. Their debut album, Eyelid Movies, is a pretty good listen. Also playing are Savoir Adore who I've probably written about enough lately, and Darwin Deez.

Full After the Jump Fest schedule, some Flyers and music videos below...

Continue reading "Insound Party, After the Jump, Holiday Shores, Effi Briest, Beach Fossils, Phantogram & more in This Week in Indie "

Details below...

Continue reading "Bikes in the Kitchen show Saturday (noon-??)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Beets - What Did I Do? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pow Wow! - My House. Your House. Mine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pow Wow! - 23 19 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Browns - For the Saints (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Browns - Forgotten Son (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Browns - Two of You (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Sundelles - So Long (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gary War - Bounce Four (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Papercuts - Future Primitive (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Papercuts - Future Primitve (Ruby Suns remix) (MP3)

The Beets @ Bruar Falls

As you may have heard, L Magazine put out their annual "8 NYC Bands You Must Hear" issue this week. Tonight (5/1), three of the eight are playing live... and two of them are playing the same show. Those two would be pow wow! and The Beets who play at the Red Star bar in Greenpoint and I heartily give the thumbs up to both of them. I caught the latter last Friday when they played with Box Elders at Bruar Falls and thought they were great, maybe even just a smidge better than the Box Elders. In a weird way, The Beets kind of remind me of a more simplified version of '60s frat rock (The Troggs, Swingin' Medallions) by way of New Zealand. Though live their songs don't so much end as stop, somehow it all works. Their vinyl-only album, Spit in the Face of People Who Don't Want to Be Cool (a nod to WWE's Carlito), is well worth seeking out. They've got a new EP on Captured Tracks coming out sooner than later too, so be on the lookout for that too. An MP3 is at the top of this post.

I've written about pow wow! previously and have seen them a couple times now and they are a lot of fun, and have the kind of party vibe about them that would make them perfect for a residency at Ruby's Bar in Coney Island. If such things existed. At both shows I saw, pow wow! had the crowd dancing. Also on the bill are The Wild Yaks and The Subjects. Entry's only $4 and there's free Colt-45 from 9-10. Flyer below.

The other L Magazine trumpeted band playing tonight are Darlings who'll be at the 92Y Tribeca. I'm not so familiar with them, but here's what the L said:

They call to mind a sloppier Teenage Fanclub or Sloan at times, with whimsical melodies that feel completely timeless. Then, out of nowhere, they turn into a loud, screamy rock band, like early Replacements or the Jason Lowenstein contributions to Sebadoh, or maybe even... Nirvana? Basically, they've held onto the idea that this whole music thing was always supposed to be fun because you get to bang on shit really, really hard -- it just so happens they bring an awful lot of other stuff to the table as well.

Speaking of, The Sundelles also play tonight (5/1) at Matchless with The Browns who made the L Magazine's "Honorable Mentions" list:. Both bands are on 1928 Recordings which is also home to The Soft Pack and sound not dissimilar to that band. (Actually, Browns frontman Ryan McReynolds owns 1928 Recordings so maybe it all makes sense.) And like The Soft Pack, The Browns do that uninterested-but-sneering-with-contempt attitudede thing particularly well. The Sundelles are a little happier and a little more low-fi, but also quite good. MP3s for both Browns and Sundelles are at the top of this post.

My other recommended Friday show would be The Dears.

Kurt Vile @ Silent Barn (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

Moving on to Saturday, there's a potentially good show at Silent Barn (not my favorite Todd P venue i must admit) featuring Kurt Vile and Gary War who have played together there before. They both share a love of putting out a zillion releases in every format and as many labels as possible. Philadelphia's Kurt Vile is a good musician -- don't let his low-fi aesthetic fool you -- and his Woodist album, Constant Hitmaker, is very good. (His EP on Mexican Summer is less interesting to these ears.) Gary War is a bit weirder, more psychedelic and, like Blank Dogs, he likes to run his vocals through weird, watery effects. And also like Blank Dogs, he gives away his music on his blog, including the whole of his new album, New Ratheonport, which features "Bounce Four," which you can download at the top of this post, and a way-trippy cover of Alan Parsons Project's '70s soft rock classic, "Eye in the Sky." Two bands separate Kurt and Gary on the bill: Sightings and Drunkdriver.

Papercuts

And last but not least this week, we've mentioned before that Vetiver are in town for two shows: Sunday (5/3) at Bowery Ballroom and Thursday (5/7) at The Bell House. As much as I like the headliners -- and I do -- I'm more excited about openers Papercuts, who've made one of my favorite records of the year so far, You Can Have What You Want, which came out two weeks ago. The nom-de-rock of San Francisco resident Jason Quever, his second album is dense, layered, melodic and sounds like a warm Sunday morning, not unlike Cass McCombs. I liked Papercuts' 2007 debut, Can't Go Back, but this new one is just miles better. I have yet to see Papercuts the band (Quever augmented with a few friends) play live, and I know previous NYC stops have gotten mixed reviews, but I can't wait to see what they're like.

Videos and tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Beets, Papercuts, The Browns, Gary War, pow wow! & more in This Week in Indie"

Brooklyn art-space 3rd Ward is hosting a party for its third birthday on Sunday, May 3rd. The free event includes performances by NY bands The Wild Yaks, Aa, Pterodactyl, Afuche, Lam, and DJs Drew Heffron & Clay Franklin.

Full details (with all upcoming Wild Yaks shows) below...

Continue reading "3rd Ward Block Party Sunday w/ Wild Yaks, Aa, Pterodactyl.."

Anni Rossi

Brooklyn label Social Registry is presenting the show at 92YTribeca in Manhattan tonight (3/27). Sian Alice Group, Lights, Zs, and a group we recently featured, Mountains are on the bill. Updated Mountains tour dates below.

Speaking of NYC shows happening tonight and Mountains... the Mountain Goats, and John Vanderslice are here for their show at the Society of Ethical Culture.

Also related to today (3/27)... Having just played a few shows at SXSW, including the official showcase of her (and the Mountain Goats') label 4AD, Los Angeles/Chicago's Anni Rossi is currently on tour and plays a show at Union Pool in Brooklyn tonight with Midnight Masses and Wild Yaks. You may have also caught Anni when she opened for her label-mates Camera Obscura at Mercury Lounge the other night.

To say that Anni Rossi has given new life to the viola is an understatement. Together with her alternative folk style and lilting vocals, Rossi has reinvented the way this classical instrument is typically used and given new light to how Americana music is structured and presented.

Entrancing and beautiful, Rossi shared several songs with the Current from her upcoming CD, "Rockwell," out in March of 2009. [Minnesota Public Radio]

Camera Obscura also played a show at The Bell House in Brooklyn the other night, and tickets are now on sale for the show they have coming up at Webster Hall.

Midnight Masses (playing Union Pool with Anni) just went on tour with, and share a member with, Trail of Dead (who we also caught at SXSW).

Continue reading "Anni Rossi, Mountains, Social Reg, Noah & the Whale & stuff"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Howlies - Chimera (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gringo Star - All Y'all (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Spacecamp - Girls on Bikes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swirlies - Chris R. (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swirlies - Bell (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Real Estate - Suburban Beverage (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Uninhabitable Mansions - We Misplaced a Cobra in the Uninhabitable Mansion (on WFMU) (MP3)

For about a year now, Cinema 16 has been giving short films a live soundtrack courtesy of local bands. Up till now, it's been happening at the Starr Space in Bushwick, but tonight (2/25) Cinema 16 heads to The Bell House for a double feature with four shorts and original music from Wild Yaks and Artanker Convoy.

Wild Yaks perform to leftist group Public Theater's Pie in the Sky and Edwin S. Porter's early cinema (1906) short Dream of a Rarebit Fiend. I actually caught them doing this at Cinema 16 a couple weeks ago and their ramshackle, Tom Waits-y wailing rock fit well especially with the Depression-era Pie in the Sky (which stars Elia Kazan!). Artanker Convoy, whose music leans toward the instrumental, atmospheric and trippy, are a more obvious fit for this kind of project. They'll be performing to an abstract animation by Harry Smith and Robert Enrico's Oscar-winning 1962 short, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, which was shown in America as an episode of The Twilight Zone. Again, both bands have composed original music for this that's unlikely to be heard anywhere else, so it's definitely something worth checking out. Also: free ice cream.

Howlies

Thursday (2/26) at Death By Audio are two of Atlanta's better rock bands (and there are a lot of 'em down there, let me tell you): Howlies and Gringo Starr. I particularly like the Howlies, who are celebrating the release of their debut album, Trippin' With the Howlies, which is one of the more fun rock records I've heard in a while. While steeped in nods to the '60s (surf rock, the Zombies, Love, the Troggs, etc) they've got good songwriting chops to go along with their good taste. Gringo Star, apart from the groan-worthy name (though it's better than A Fir-Ju Well which is what they used to be called), are a garage-rockin' party band not unlike Mando Diao that don't seem to have more of an agenda than having a good time. (And wanting you to have a good time too.) Which these days, should be enough. I can't say I listen to their latest album, All Y'all, a whole lot but they're fun live. Also on the bill: Brooklyn-via-Brazil duo Soundscapes who make '80s-inspired ethereal guitar pop, and Bonnie Baxter who you may have seen open for Apes and Androids at Music Hall of Williamsburg last month.

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Friday (2/27): The Spicy Times blog (a joint production of the ladies behind Jinners and I Rock I Roll) is having its monthly party at Union Hall with a pretty great lineup with two bands I've written about before: Uninhabitable Mansions that features Robbie and Tyler from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Annie of Au Revoir Simone and who will be selling their debut 7" at the show; and Spacecamp, who are as we speak finishing up work as backing band on Lightspeed Champion's second album. Maybe they'll bring him along? Weirder things have happened. Also on the bill: Staten Island's all-girl seven-piece Vessels and free Colt 45.

Also Friday is that Swirlies show at Mercury Lounge, their first NYC show in five years. Swirlies also play Philly tomorrow (2/26) and Boston on Saturday (2/28).

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Saturday (2/28): It's Cake Shop's monthly The World's Birthday Party party. If your birthday is in February you get free admission, a gift at the door and two free drink tickets. If you're not a February child, it's $8. Bands include Boston's Major Stars who should light up the joint with their stoner hard rock riffs, and Spectre Folk which features Mike of Magik Markers.

Real Estate

Late night Saturday at Cake Shop, it's a free show with New Jersey's Real Estate who are kind of getting a ton of hype right now from the likes of Pitchfork and Stereogum and Gorilla Vs Bear and others, all on the back of one three-song, white vinyl 7" which I have to admit I do like a lot. (Also having Matt Mondanile [aka Ducktails] in the group doesn't hurt.) Galaxie 500 seems to be the go-to reference for Real Estate and there is that dreamy vibe to their songs, but I'd also site criminally-overlooked '90s band Acetone as well. They've got a second 7" due out soon on Woodsist, so don't expect the interest to die down anytime soon. In addition to the Cake shop show, Real Estate have shows next week at Glasslands and Dead Herring, as well as an upcoming tour that includes a bunch of stops in Austin during SXSW (though none of them at official showcases). All tour dates at the end of the post.

Also Saturday: lovers of shoegaze, dreampop and goth should head straight to Mercury Lounge for a pretty stellar bill of Mahogany, The Depreciation Guild, Blacklist, Cruel Black Dove, and Home Video. Tickets are on sale.

That's all for this week. Tour dates and some videos after the jump....

Continue reading "Real Estate, Cinema 16, Howlies, Spicy Times, Major Stars, Mahogany, Swirlies & more in This Week in Indie "

Gothamist: So you're curating this New Year's Eve show. What does curating a concert entail?

Miles Seaton of Akron/Family: Oh, man, you should ask my girlfriend; she's a curator. The Knitting Factory wanted us to get all the bands together for this last night at the club, and it's been a lot of back-and-forth during a really busy time for us and the club. But it means the opportunity to have Dirty Projectors and Deerhoof play, and also our friend Greg Davis and our other friends like Megafaun play. And also, to keep an eye on what the night looks like for people and the pacing of the night.

How is this going to work in terms of set times? Are people going to have to choose between Deerhoof, Dirty Projectors and Akron/Family?

You know, that's the thing that curating would normally entail but we haven't really had a chance to communicate with the club a lot about the production end of things. So I can't answer that, to be honest with you. But I imagine they'll try to stagger it a bit, you know; start one show on the hour and another show on the half hour. And we also just got two of the guys from Oneida to play; they call themselves Groover's Paradise.

P.S. I think the special guest at Santos Party House recently played Market Hotel