photos by Phil Maier, words by BBG

King Dude @ Home Sweet Home

King Dude played his first NYC show with a full band in tow at Home Sweet Home on April 11th as part of "Wierd Wednesdays" at Home Sweet Home. The show was a rare one-off on the East Coast for the Seattle-based goth artist, and one of a very small number of shows for TJ Cowgill (also Book of Black Earth) overall, though you can catch him in Austin at Chaos in Tejas this year as part of a bill that includes Iceage (who play NYC twice in the coming months), Xeno & Oaklander, Pop. 1280, Kindest Lines, Dangerous Boys Club, Anasazi (who play Acheron next week), RØSENKØPF (them too), and YOU.

Pop 1280, who will embark on a US tour in May, play a NYC show at Death By Audio on Saturday (4/14) as part of a record release celebration for White Suns's new LP Sinews. Stream that release in its entirety at Spin now. Pop 1280 also play a Brooklyn show with O'Death in May.

King Dude pictures from Home Sweet Home are below.

Continue reading "King Dude played Home Sweet Home (pics); White Suns celebrate new LP in Brooklyn Saturday"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

"Just saw Beach House, Papercuts, Cult of Youth, Daniel Higgs, and White Magic live and feeling really inspired." - Chris Coady

"Cult of Youth: New Model Army for today's politically agnostic indie fan." - Toby

"Mueran humanos killed it tonight.soooo good.
Even better than last wednesday." - Kristen Y. Kim

Cult of Youth's brand new self-titled LP (out now on Sacred Bones) was celebrated at Secret Project Robot on Friday (2/25). Cult of Youth headlined the show and were joined by You, Blood Rhythm, and Mueran Humanos. Pictures and videos are in this post.

If you missed 'em on Friday, you have another pre-SXSW chance at Home Sweet Home on March 9th (131 Chrystie St, Manhattan) or when they're out on the road supporting Zola Jesus. That Zola Jesus tour, which includes dates with Naked On The Vague, hits Bowery Ballroom on April 23rd (tickets are still on sale).

Cult of Youth's full tour schedule and more pictures & some video from Friday night, below...

Continue reading "Cult of Youth played Secret Project Robot w/ You, Blood Rhythm & Mueran Humanos (pics & video)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Cult of Youth - Lace Up Your Boots (MP3)

Cult of Youth released their proper debut album this week on Sacred Bones and the band play a record release party tonight (2/25) at Secret Robot Project. The band next play the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home on March 9 before heading out on tour with Zola Jesus. Cult of Youth will also be at SXSW.

Originally a solo project for Love is Laughter bassist Sean Ragon (who also runs Greenpoint record store Heaven Street), under which he released some very limited edition records, Cult of Youth soon grew into an actual band. Mixing elements of goth, Celtic music (The Wicker Man soundtrack is frequently mentioned), and post punk influences. Nobody else in Brooklyn sounds quite like them. When I first heard them, I thought they were Australian. Nick Cave or The Gun Club is not an unfair reference point to what Cult of Youth sound like, but it doesn't encapsulate them either. (CoY also remind me of '80s San Francisco cult band The Ophelias if anybody remembers them.) The album is their first as a proper band, is a startling debut with tribal drumming, swooping violins, rum-soaked sea chantys, and Ragon's empassioned singing.

You can download "Lace Up Your Boots" at the top of this post. Tonight's record release party also has South American band Mueran Humanos (the last date of their U.S. tour), Philly darkwave act Blood Rhythm and You (that's a band called "You," not you you...though maybe you'll be there?). All of Cult of Youth's tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Cult of Youth released an album, touring (MP3, CD release party tonight & other dates)"