DOWNLOAD: You Say Party! We Say Die! - Laura Palmer's Prom" (Los Campesinos Remix) (MP3)

"RIP Devon Clifford. We have never met a more awesome dude than you. <3" - Los Campesinos!

The following event has been cancelled:

Los Campesinos
04/21/10 9:00 PM EDT
Maxwell's

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Oh well, they tried. The cancelled date was a new date after they had to cancel Saturday. They've also so far had to cancel Culture Shock, Vermont and Toronto. As of right now it seems they're still aiming to play the April 22nd show at Irving Plaza though. Stay tuned. (thanks Jarid).

UPDATE: Irving Plaza is rescheduled. And there are other changes.

Tonight's Toronto show, and tomorrow's show at Maxwell's, New Jersey are CANCELLED :(
Thursday's New York show rescheduled for Monday 26 April.
Saturday's Boston show will happen one day later than orginally planned on Sunday 25 April.

All dates below.

Above is a re-post of a recent remix LC! did for You Say Party We Say Die whose drummer Devon Clifford passed away over the weekend. According to the Canadian Press, it was a "massive brain hemorrhage that was the result of undetected congenital defects".

"Devon Clifford was an extremely gifted drummer and determined character," the band's publicist, Darryl Weeks, said in the statement.

"He loved his family, loved his band, loved travelling, loved being on stage and loved meeting people around the world. He was smart, witty, passionate, and music meant everything to him.

He was also incredibly generous with his love and respected everybody he came into contact with."

In the statement, Clifford's family reminded young people "to have the courage to follow their dreams like Devon did."

Los Campesinos! tweeted the above pic in remembrance. The bands have toured together. Video from one of their shows together, with those rescheduled dates, below...

Continue reading "Los Campesinos! cancelling more shows including Maxwell's, Irving Plaza & Boston rescheduled - updated 2010 tour dates"

"DEVON CLIFFORD 1979 - 2010 R.I.P." - You Say Party We Say Die

Devon Clifford (second from right) w/ his band

You Say Party! We Say Die! drummer Devon Clifford has died after collapsing onstage during a show in Vancouver. The Abbotsford, B.C., band had been playing a show on Friday night at Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre when Clifford suddenly collapsed. He was taken to hospital but died Sunday morning, according to the band's publicist. Darryl Weeks said Clifford died while surrounded by family and friends. The cause of death has not been announced. The dance-punk band released their third full-length album, "XXXX," in September. [Canadian Press]

This week has been a rough one. RIP Devon.

The band recently played SXSW and was in NYC soon after. They're scheduled to tour Europe from late April though the middle of June. A video is below...

Continue reading "Devon Clifford, RIP (drummer in You Say Party We Say Die) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Crayon Fields - All the Pleasures of the World (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rooftop Vigilantes - Seth No Jump (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: You Say Party We Say Die - Laura Palmer's Prom (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Love Is All - Kungen (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Wave Pictures - Come on Daniel (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oh No Ono - Internet Warrior (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oh No Ono - Helplessly Young (MP3)

A Sunny Day in Glasgow @ BV/Anso 3/18 day party in Austin (by Tim Griffin)

I'm still somewhat recovering from SXSW, so while I am taking it easy, catching up on my DVR queue, hopefully you're all taking advantage of all the out-of-town bands who're blowing through New York after their visits to Austin -- there's no shortage of them this week.

Firstly, I've got a pair of tickets to give away to see A Sunny Day in Glasgow and Mahogany at the Bell House this Monday (3/29). Just email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with "A Sunny Day in Glasgow" as the subject and we'll pick a winner at random. It's a double dose of neo-shoegaze goodness. ASDIG have been touring constantly since last fall and have a new-ish EP, Nitetime Rainbows, as well as last year's great Ashes Grammar. Mahogany, meanwhile, are finally getting around to following up 2006's masterful Connectivity!, promising a new EP, single and album all this year. Hopefully we'll get a taste of the new songs on Monday. Also on the bill: Brooklyn's Pacific Theater.

Crayon Fields

While on the subject of the Bell House, tonight's (3/25) the big Aussie BBQ with 12 bands from Sydney, Melbourne and other cities I can't name off the top of my head: The Crayon Fields, The Chevelles, Love of Diagrams, Pets with Pets, Paul Dempsey, Sherlock's Daughter, Children Collide, Oh Mercy, City Riots,Beaches, Bliss N Eso, and The Goons of Doom.

The Crayon Fields are also playing Pianos on Friday (3/26). I saw them at Bruar Falls earlier in the week and thought they were fantastic, and can really pull off the lush, late '60s baroque pop sound of their new album, All the Pleasures of the World, in the live setting with an ace cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking" thrown in for good measure. Go see them. They're also selling vinyl of the new album for only ten bucks. Video from the Bruar Falls show is at the bottom of this post.

Rooftop Vigilantes

Before I get into more SXSW stragglers, I do need to remind you (and myself) that Lawrence Kansas' awesome Rooftop Vigilantes are in town. They played Shea Stadium last night and are at Cake Shop Friday (3/26) and are playing somewhere in the area on Saturday too, still seemingly TBA.

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Rooftop Vigilantes have headed back to Kansas. No NYC shows Friday or Saturday unfortunately.

We'll let you know when that's figured out. Here's what I wrote last month:

These guys are up there with BOAT in in the shambly, anthemic, super-catchy school of indie rock -- and if this sounds a little tighter, more pointed than anything on their debut, there's a reason. The band trekked to Baltimore, MD to record the album with Jawbox/Burning Airlines' J. Robbins behind the boards, which seems like a perfect match with Rooftop Vigilantes' sound which has been described in the past as "a very drunk Fugazi."

To get a better idea of what Rooftop Vigilantes do, check out new track "Seth No Jump" from the J. Robbins sessions above. And they are seriously fun live. The Cake Shop show, brought to you by in-house labels Cape Shok and Daed Pizza, is with Philly's excellent duo Reading Rainbow, Mississippi's Flight and The Ansazis. This is a good show.

You Say Party We Say Die @ SXSW 2010 (More by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! are in town for two shows, playing Knitting Factory tomorrow (3/26)  and Pianos on Monday (3/29). Their latest album, XXXX, just came out in the States and is a pretty catchy slab of new wave synth rock, high on melodrama and chunky hooks. Check out "Laura Palmer's Prom" at the top of this post and the video for "There is XXXX (Within My Heart)" further down. I caught them last November at M for Montreal and was pretty impressed. Dominick also just caught them at SXSW.

Love is All

Love is All are are back with a swell new album, Two Thousand and Ten Injuries, that finds the band stretching their creative wings a bit, going out of their manic pop safety zone for their most varied record yet. There's still plenty of the shouty "bah bah bah" choruses you've come to expect. (The albumjust scored an 8.0 on Pitchfork.) Anyone that's seen them know that Love is All are one of the best times you're gonna have at a live show this side of Think About Life. Which you can see for yourself, as Love is All play Maxwell's on Saturday (3/27 with Crystal Stilts and Beachniks) and Knitting Factory on Sunday (3/28 with Beach Fossils and The Beets).

And just wondering, did anyone go see Love is All's saxophonist James Ausfahrt play Bruar Falls last night? Totally forgot it was happening.

The Wave Pictures @ Knitting Factory pre-SXSW (more by Chris La Putt)

Sunday night (3/28) The Wave Pictures are playing Mercury Lounge (tickets). Maybe you saw them last week at our pre-SXSW party at Knitting Factory (or at our Friday day party at Club DeVille)? If so you know how great they are. I wrote of that performance:

Next up were the Wave Pictures who I'm pretty sure charmed everyone in the room. Singer David Tattersal, in addition to being a hell of a songwriter and pretty fierce guitarist, is a very funny guy. His between-song stories were just as entertaining and the music. At one point he accidentally unplugged his guitar mid-solo, but he hilariously covered the gaff made for one of the more memorable moments of the evening.

Definitely go see them if you haven't yet, and look out for their double-pack CD of their last two UK albums, which will be their first-ever U.S. release, out April 27. There's video from one of their SXSW shows at the bottom of this post.

Oh No Ono recording a Daytrotter Session (On No Ono)

A few more SXSW stragglers of note. Oh No Ono, who played Mercury Lounge last night, open for VV Brown and Little Dragon tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg. That's a pretty solid bill of foreign buzz bands. Sold out, but if you're going do get their early for Oh No Ono -- you've  never seen anything quite like Oh No Ono. Unless you've seen them before, of course.

New Zealand's Surf City channel the ghosts of Flying Nun past, play Mercury Lounge on Friday (3/26) (and Maxwell's tonight - 3/25). I wasn't exactly blown away by their live show when they played during CMJ, but I really like their records. Maybe they've spent the last six month practicing.

That's it for this week. Videos and tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Rooftop Vigilantes, Aussie BBQ, post-SXSW, Crayon Fields, Oh No Ono, Love is All, YSPWSD & more in This Week in Indie"

by Dominick Mastrangelo

The Middle East @ the BV official showcase @ Club DeVille

Early in the day The Canadian Blast BBQ & Showcase broadcast live back to Canada. I caught an in-form You Say Party! We Say Day! who, according to the presenting DJ, were making their first performance in the US in four years. (A little research found they were banned from performing after touring without visas in 2006.) Earlier on I managed to catch the last half of roots rockers Justin Rutledge and The Beauties. (The Beauties played their own official SXSW show later that night at Soho Lounge.) From there it was on to the evening showcases and the first stop being St. David's Historic Sanctuary for singer-songwriter Miranda Lee Richards who was at the grand piano when we walked in and nearly in the dark off to the side of the altar. She was followed by another singer-songwriter with backing band, Sweden's Sofia Talvik.

I then moved on to the BV party to catch The Middle East who were playing their second-ever show on American soil. The set started slowly but was buoyant by the time they got to "Blood" off their recordings of The Middle East EP. A brisk walk across town and a behind schedule Tap Room at Six allowed me to catch all of England's indiepop quartet Allo Darlin. Behind schedule became a theme as I settled into the Galaxy Room Backyard (KCRW Showcase) where Fitz and the Tantrums were still setting up. Their set was something else. Fun all around, tight contemporary Motown dance numbers that had people dancing and singing and when the sound guy told the band they had only one more song, Fitz responded, "We're playing at least two more." Sadly, they did only play one more. The last band of the night was Sweden's Miike Snow and their dance pop numbers. It took nearly 40 minutes for them to change out from The Tantrums' set and the crowd had been patient but getting anxious by the time they went on. They battled a few sound problem during their set but Animal was the song everyone came to hear and when they closed their set with it, the crowd danced and shouted along to every word. Heading back to the car I stumbled upon Black Top Demon who were set up between 6th and 7th Streets along Red River. St. Patrick's Day revelers were moving and shaking in front of them and their stripped down kick drum, guitar setup as they played all kinds of blues and rock numbers and even a Johnny Cash tune.

More pictures from the day below...

Continue reading "SXSW 2010 day 1 in pics & review (YSPWSD, Miike Snow, the Middle East, Fitz & The Tantriums, Allo Darlin & more) "

DOWNLOAD: You Say Party! We Say Die! - Laura Palmer's Prom" (Los Campesinos Remix) (MP3)

Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos just released their third record, Romance Is Boring, on Arts & Crafts at the end of January. It's their first LP since keyboardist Aleks left the band to go back to school last year. She's been replaced by frontman Gareth's sister Kim on keys and vocals. A video for the record's title track is below.

Speaking of Arts & Crafts, it seems like the Canadian label has been especially busy lately. Upcoming album releases for them include Jason Collett and Zeus, and most excitingly, Broken Social Scene.

Los Campesinos! plays the UK and Europe in February and March before coming stateside in April. They'll be in NYC for an April 22nd show at Irving Plaza. Tickets are on sale.

The above-linked MP3 is a new remix LC! did for Canadian band You Say Party! We Say Die! (that's a lot of !'s). YSP!WSD! has an upcoming tour as well. Dates (in full below) include SXSW and a March 29th show at Pianos in NYC. Speaking of SXSW!, it was just announced that !!! will actually be there too.

The LC! tracklist for their new record, new video and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Los Campesinos! released an album (video), remixed You Say Party! We Say Die! (MP3) - 2010 tour dates (for both bands)"

by Bill Pearis

The Luyas

M for Montreal is an interesting festival, at times more like a conference or summer camp or one of those all-inclusive resorts -- but with better music. There are about 40 "international delegates" (of which I am one) who basically spend the whole weekend together, going to panel discussions, cocktail hours, dinners and, of course the nightly shows. It's not like SXSW or CMJ where there are 30 shows happening at the same time - we delegates see every band at M for Montreal.

Take opening night's (11.19) Selection Officielle at Juste Pour Rire. The venue is used mainly as a comedy club, but they have shows there too with a great soundsystem and, as You Say Party! We Say Die! singer Krista Leowen noted, "fancy lights" which have made it possible for me to take at least one non-embarrassing picture of each band with my crappy point-and-shoot. (Again, apologies to BV's many awesome real photographers.) Juste Pour Rire has two rooms -- the Bowery-sized Cabaret and the slightly smaller Studio, and while one band was playing in one space, the next band sets up, so there's little or no downtime between bands, apart from the time it takes to herd the audience from one place to the other.

While being industry-oriented, M for Montreal is open to the public and tickets to individual events are cheap. ($12.75 for individual nights.) And the public does come -- the place was packed and going bananas for Think About Life's headlining set. Having seen TAL a bunch of times in New York (including at the BV official CMJ showcase this year), even shows like the fairly off-the-hook one at Arlene's Grocery during CMJ last month -- it just doesn't compare to watching them with a hometown crowd. This line-up is still pretty new. Drummer and founding member Matt Shane left the band in October to go back to school, with Greg Napier taking over. More significantly, the band added a second singer, Caila Thompson-Hannant of Shapes and Sizes, to the fold, and she and Martin Cesar have great chemistry.

The band played almost all of their great new album, Family, which is slowly starting to catch on down here in America. Pitchfork may be going gaga for "Having My Baby", but the Montreal crowd knew there are even better songs on the album. "Johanna," "Young Hearts" and "Set You on Fire" all had the crowd bouncing off the walls, some of which the band trotted out a horn section for, but it was Family's "Sweet Sixteen" that sent them over the edge. Though maybe that had something to do with special guest vocalist Cadence Weapon who clearly knew all the words. Think About Life may or may not make you think about life, but they will make you forget your troubles while they're playing.

continued below...

Continue reading "M For Montreal 2009 - night 1 in pics & review (the Luyas, Miracle Fortress, Think About Life, Rural Alberta & more) "

photos by Ryan Muir

DOWNLOAD: Think About Life - Johanna (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Think About Life - Havin My Baby (MP3)

Some things' strengths rest in the laurels of relative secrecy, allowing them to develop without the burden of public scrutiny or following. The opposite of the former statement applies to Think About Life, who Saturday night - or should I say, Sunday morning [at Pop Montreal] - proved yet again that they have the sharpest, most energetic, intensely electrifying, incredibly infectious live show this side of Parc Avenue during their late night spectacle at Pop Montreal's Espace Reunion. Toss in the fact that it was Martin Cesar's birthday, some unexpected (albeit extremely low-budget) pyrotechnics, and a strange character with his hand up a plastic owl's behind into the grand scheme of things, and you've got yourself an indomitable, impenetrable, unadulterated party on hand. Ripping through a raucous set that included old standbys such as "Cyanide," "Paul Cries," and "What The Future Might Be," as well as new fan favourites "Sofa-bed," "Havin' My Baby," and "Sweet Sixteen," alongside some exceptional samples courtesy of the likes of Lil Wayne and Biz Markie, the band (who were flanked by all its former members) stirred the crowd into an impassioned frenzy. Knocking knees, rubbing elbows, the mass below danced, bounced, even crowdsurfed through the impelling set, all the while glazed in a thick layer of perspiration. I could numerically gauge my enjoyment of Think About Life's performance by counting all of the bruises on my ankles and then dividing them over ten, but that would just be gratuitous." [the neighbours]

Think About Life's awesome new album Family got a US release last week (10/13) on Alien8 Recordings (the label put the disc out in Canada way back in May). Two vidoes off the new record are below ("Sweet Sixteen" and "Wizzzard") while a pair of MP3s (the first two of the album in fact) are posted above. More pictures from the above-described Pop Montreal set (from earlier this month), also below.

TAL will be in NYC for CMJ, but as usual their scheduled visit was short and random, and very easy to miss. To attempt to remedy that situation, I asked them to join the bill of the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Tuesday night. They accepted! They go on at 7pm sharp, before the Walter Schreifels set which is before the Wheel which is before Laura Marling which is before The Antlers which is before Fanfarlo (who SPIN says you should hear). Tickets are still on sale. Get there early!

Music Hall of Williamsburg is also where Think About Life played last time they came to town (with Ponytail and Real Estate).

Think About Life's only other, and previously scheduled, 2009 CMJ show is Wednesday, October 21st at Arlene's Grocery. That's the awesome M for Montreal showcase (flyer below) with fellow Canucks Duchess Says, Malajube, We are Wolves and Beast. More about this lineup later, along with a more-official announcement about Duchess Says being added to the free BrooklynVegan party happening at Pianos on Thursday (10/22) (not to be confused with the Dutchess and the Duke who are playing a BV CMJ show too).

And that's actually the second Canadian showcase at Arlene's in two days. The next night (10/22) the LES venue hosts "Canadian Blast!" with Priestess, Jets Overhead, Classified, Grand Analog and Spiral Beach.

After CMJ, Think About Life has a November Canadian tour with You Say Party We Say Die, but not until after TAL member Graham Van Pelt's band Miracle Fortress goes on a short tour with Liam Finn That trip includes a Bell House show on November 4th. Tickets are still on sale.

Think About Life played more than one show at Pop Montreal. In addition to the above-described showcase, they did a private taping for Canadian TV (to be broadcast Nov 4). Like he was for Tune Yards' La Blogoteque Take Away Show session, Ryan Muir was in attendance. Those pictures also below.

All of those pictures from Pop Montreal, more new album details, some videos, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Think About Life released album (MP3), played Pop Montreal (pics), playing CMJ (dates), added to BV CMJ show @ MHOW"

I like the monster...

Continue reading "VIDEO: You Say Party! We Say Die! - 'Monster'"