We mentioned before that Yuck would be carrying on with frontman Daniel Blumberg. Well the singer has just announced his new thing which is called Hebronix and that its debut album, produced by Royal Trux's Neil Hagerty, will be out July 9 on ATP Records (That's All Tomorrow's Parties' label if you were wondering). You can stream the first track to appear, "Unreal," below.

No North American shows lined up just yet, but there are Hebronix UK dates and those are listed below.

Continue reading "Ex Yuck frontman Daniel Blumberg forms Hebronix, debut LP produced by RTX's Neil Hagerty (stream a track)"

This guy is no longer in Yuck (more by Tamara Porras)

Back in 2009, Daniel Blumberg and Max Bloom left their Arctic Monkeys/Strokes-inspired Cajun Dance Party to form the Pavement/Teenage Fanclub-inspired Yuck. And now, Daniel is leaving Yuck to focus on his own music. According to a post on the band's Facebook page:

What's up! Lots of new things have been happening in Yuck world. We're getting ready to go to New York this week to record our 2nd album! Unfortunately, Daniel won't be joining us as he's decided to focus on other things. However, new music, new tour dates, and bigger afros will be coming very soon. So get ready. GET. READY

Hey guys, just to clarify, Daniel has left the band to concentrate on releasing his own music. The three of us have written an album we're all extremely proud of and we're all very excited about recording it. We hope you'll stick with us, your support means a lot to us. Max xx

Maybe when the rest of Yuck is in NYC, they'll do a show? Stay tuned. Meanwhile, a stream of Yuck's most recent single, "Chew," is below...

Continue reading " Yuck coming to NY to record a new LP (without their singer who left the band to release his own music)"

photos by Greg Cristman; words by Bill Pearis

Jeff Goldbloom / fish. @ Brooklyn Rock Lottery 3

The third annual Brooklyn Rock Lottery happened at Knitting Factory on Saturday (12/1). Musicians of varying styles and ages met at 10 AM and put their names in a hat and the five drummers picked their bandmates at random out of it. They then spent the day coming up with a name, writing original songs and practicing and made their stage debut that night. Proceeds from tickets and merch went to Hurricane Sandy relief. It was a lot of fun.

Even though the members were chosen at random, it seemed like the bands formed kind of naturally and had a cohesive sound. First up for the night was Jazz Karate, which featured Kenny Bernard (Ra Ra Riot), Franz Nicolay (ex Hold Steady / Against Me!), Pamela Martinez (Teletextile), Matt Singer, and Tom Blankenship (My Morning Jacket). With a harp and an accordion onstage, their music veered towards gypsy jazz and included a song about Tony Danza.

Next was Jeff Goldbloom whose members were Lua Rios (Gold Lake), Nick Sylvester (Mr. Dream), Noah Kardos-Fein (YVETTE), and Craig Lulada Pfunder (VHS or Beta). With a distinct sound -- heavy, shoegazy guitar epic-ry -- they were definitely the one group of the night that I'd actually want to see again. Good!

Then came the band I was most looking forward to, that had Yuck drummer Jonny Rogoff, Hospitality bassist Brian Betancourt, and Spanish Prisoners main man Leo Maymind, not to mention Dave Harrington from Nicholas Jaar's band and Gang Signs' Bryan Quackenbush. I was expecting melodic pop, but their name -- fish. -- shoulda been a giveaway. They played one 12-minute "jazz odyssey" type jam that showed just how good their collective musicianship was, but this has never been my thing.

Hardcore Lørd were next and it was almost entirely electronic, with tons of gear and lots of wires onstage. The band was Oliver Chapoy (Certain Creatures / ex Warm Ghost), Michael Sheffield (Sweet Bulbs / Heaven's Gate), Sara Lucas (Callers), and Christopher Puidokas (who toured with Blonde Redhead / The Silent Years). They took forever to set up but were probably my second favorite of the night, warm and ethereal.

The last band of the night was Nylon Guy and easily the most odds-n-sods, with Tyler Villard (Bezoar), Ian Young (touring saxophonist of M83), George Langford (Javelin), Jen Goma (People Get Ready / Sunny Day in Glasgow), and David Sheinkopf (The Subjects). No concessions were made to have a cohesive sound and everybody got to do their thing -- Villard doing a lot of hammer-on soloing, and Young smnoothing things out with his horn, and everyone else just kind of filling in the gaps. They did do a decent cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," though.

ANIMAL New York were there too and got straight-off-the-board recordings of everybody except Nylon Guy. Check out streams of the other bands, as well as more pics from Brooklyn Rock Lottery 3, below.

Continue reading "members of My Morning Jacket, Yuck, Hospitality & more joined forces for Rock Lottery 3 (pics, streams)"

Please welcome the third annual Rock Lottery to Knitting Factory on December 1st:

The premise is simple, but effective. Twenty-five hand picked musicians meet at 10:00AM at the evenings performance venue. These volunteers are organized into five groups through a lottery-based chance selection. The five separate groups are then released to practice at different locations. The musicians have twelve hours to create a band name and three to five songs (with a one cover-song limit). The groups will then perform what they have created that evening in front of a waiting audience.

2012 lineup for Rock Lottery and video from previous events are below.

Continue reading "Members of My Morning Jacket, Against Me!, Hospitality and more participating in third-annual "Rock Lottery""

photos by David Andrako

Refused/Levon Helm RIP - Friday @ Coachella

The second week of Coachella 2012 (and unfortunately not streaming online this time around) kicked off on 4/20 and continues today, Saturday, Record Store Day...

Once again this year, Record Store Day will be a big part of the festival and is on Saturday, April 21st! ZIA will be celebrating in style by having great music exclusives and special RSD pieces available at the ZIA tent.

Well over 200 Record Store Day Exclusive releases will be available this year and on sale at the Zia tent on the second weekend of Coachella (April 20-22). Zia will also have a limited amount of RSD Exclusives from prior years available both weekends.

Many bands performing this year at Coachella will be releasing Record Store Day Exclusive pieces this year including The Black Keys, Santigold, Feist, The Hives, M83, Florence + The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, The Refused, Miike Snow, Childish Gambino, Mike Watt, Grouplove, The Black Angels, Kimbra, Gary Clark Jr., Laura Marling, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Real Estate, M. Ward, Death Grips, fIREHOSE and St. Vincent.

We will also have a few exclusives that will only be available both weekends of Coachella. First is At The Drive-In's amazing Vaya EP is being repressed on colored vinyl and will be limited to only 500 copies. Also Ximena Sarinana will be releasing a Coachella only 7" limited to 500. More exclusives are in the works so stop by and check us out.

ZIA Records will be offering shipping for items purchased over both festival weekends. ZIA will also have an option for customers who would like to have their items put on hold in the comfy, cool ZIA tent.

--
Mazzy Star/Frank Ocean - Friday @ Coachella

This week we're mixing up the photo coverage a bit. We wouldn't normally go to a festival Pulp is playing and miss them, but after seeing them at Coachella last week and two times in NYC, it seemed like it would be better to give others on the five-stage lineup a chance. That's also why you won't find any Black Keys (who were joined by John Fogerty), Madness and Amon Tobin in this post. Unlike last week though, you will find Explosions in the Sky, WU LYF, Frank Ocean & Yuck. No Hasselhof this time, but David did spot Richie Sambora checking out Gary Clark Jr.. More pictures from Friday (4/20), below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 Week 2 - Day 1 pics (Mazzy Star, Refused, M. Ward, M83, Dawes, EITS, Kendrick Lamar, WU LYF & more)"

Radiohead @ Roseland Ballroom in 2011 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Coachella which is taking place over the course of two weekends this year (April 13-15 and 20-22) revealed their 2012 lineup. Last week, Azealia Banks was the first artist confirmed, and earlier today they confirmed The Weeknd (maybe he found a band?), and before that, Jimmy Cliff, Breakbot, and Housse De Racket. The reunited Pulp then announced itself. The full lineup also includes headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, not to mention, as predicted, the reunited At the Drive In and the reunited Mazzy Star (!), and Madness and Refused (!) and Jeff Mangum and many, many more that you can see below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 lineup announced (two weekends worth)"

Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

On Sunday 27th May 2012 Alexandra Palace will host the first show in 13 years from Cincinnati's rock legends THE AFGHAN WHIGS. Formed in 1986, the bands career from then until 2001 saw them release six acclaimed albums highlighted by the classic Gentlemen LP in 1993. Fusing classic rock with grunge-era distortion and a heavy soul influence, Afghan Whigs were one of the most renowned live bands of their time and this long awaited reformation will no doubt be a very special event.

ATP are also pleased to confirm their return to Asbury Park, New Jersey USA where they will follow last year's debut in that city with a 2012 I'll Be Your Mirror event, the Saturday night of which will be headlined by The Afghan Whigs and curated by the Whigs' frontman Greg Dulli.

As you can see in the poster, tickets will go on sale in January. More of the lineup will also be announced at that time.

All Tomorrow's Parties' I'll Be Your Mirror UK, which just lost Guided By Voices, will host The Afghan Whigs and has moved further into the "unreal" category with additions of Wolves In The Throne Room, Yob, Dirty Three, Floor, Chavez, Balam Acab, The Oh Sees, Yuck, Archers of Loaf, Demdike Stare, and Siskiyou to appearances from Sleep, Melvins, Mogwai, Codeine and Mudhoney.

Full ATP I'll Be Your Mirror UK lineup is below.

Continue reading "Afghan Whigs reuniting, ATP returning to Asbury Park in 2012"

photos by Tamara Porras

AMNY: When did you discover the music of the '90s?
When I was around 17, I got introduced to some really good stuff by my friends, like Lambchop, Smog, Dinosaur Jr. and Will Oldham. That had a massive significance. It's the best feeling when someone shows you something new.

Many reviews said you seemed nervous onstage during Yuck's first shows. Has that changed?
We made these songs in Max's room without any fans. We didn't even know we'd be putting a record out. Then, suddenly, we're playing in New York. I guess it's something you get used to. Music is quite a personal thing -- it's abstract, and it's sometimes difficult to understand how people are connecting with what you're doing.

What was your first visit to New York like?
We had loads of issues with visas. We played a show at Glasslands where we had to rush from the airport and go right onstage. Then, on our second visit, we heard gunshots as we were checking into our hotel. That was interesting coming from the U.K., where we don't really have guns.

Yuck recently released a deluxe version of their self-titled LP for Fat Possum Records which includes a new song called "Soothe Me". Stream that below.

Yuck are finished with their US dates for now, excpet for a previously announced date on the Weezer Cruise in the new year. All international tour dates, that song stream, and more pictures from Music hall of Williamsburg are below.

Continue reading "Yuck, Porcelain Raft & the Babies played 2 shows @ MHOW (pics)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Razika - Eg Vetsje (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Razika - Nytt Pa Nytt (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dominant Legs - Hoop of Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dominant Legs - Where We Trip the Light (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nurses - "Fever Dreams" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tycho - "Dive" (MP3)

Razika

I guess this is the pre-CMJ edition of This Week In Indie which is a slightly less busy week than normal, though not by much. (And CMJ this year isn't the most exciting line-up I've seen for that matter, but we'll get to that next week.) In fact there's some pretty cool musical things you should be considering, so let's get into it.

As mentioned elsewhere on this site, Norway's Razika are playing Friday (10/14) at Cameo, their first-ever U.S. show, and only one for now. You may not think you need a Norwegian all-girl ska band in your life, and maybe you don't, but Razika do it really well. I wasn't expecting to like it. And really, what they do is more ska-tinged pop than actual ska. Which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. There's definitely a Lilliput/Kleenex vibe (or even Electrelane for a more modern comparison) to what they do. And the songs are crazy catchy. You can get half-price tickets ($5) if you use this link.

It's a good show all around at Cameo, with Ski Lodge whose EP I like a lot. As I've said before, it's like early Smiths meets Beach Fossils. The other band on the bill is Lips which is New Zealander Stephanie Brown who now lives in Brooklyn. I like the songs on her Bandcamp page, which are kind of laptop soul, not entirely unlike Little Dragon or, you. There's a really cute video for her song "One Not Two" at the bottom of this post.

Dominant Legs

San Francisco's Dominant Legs  and tourmates Nurses are in town, playing Mercury Lounge on Friday (10/14) and Glasslands on Saturday (10/14). Dominant Legs released their debut LP, Invitation, last month on Lefse Records and it's an appealing take on effervescent '80s pop, completely with lightly funky guitars, glistening keyboards and big choruses. You can download a couple songs from Invitation at the top of this post.

As for Nurses, the Portland trio get called "psych-pop" a lot which I guess is code for "vaguely MGMT-ish" but it's the funkier side of that band and not really so much psych to my ears. There's a lot of echo on it, I guess that's psychedelic. That said, their new album Dracula is pretty catchy and danceable and is more directly comparable to fellow Portlandians Unknown Mortal Orchestra than anyone else. You can download a track at the top of this post.

Tycho

And lastly, Tycho is at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday (10/16). (Tickets are still available.) The Bay Area electronic artist released his new album, Drive, last week on Ghostly and I've been listening to it a lot. No doubt it owes a giant debt to Boards of Canada, more in the dreamlike synth sounds than in execution. Tracks like "Hours" (downloadable above) more blatantly danceable than BoC but it's still the kind of record you could sleep to as well. And though I no longer have a car, this would be good music behind the wheel, and not just because of the album title.

While listening to Drive, you might think that a live show might just be just a guy and a laptop, Scott Hansen has a full Tycho band that looks to be pretty good from the YouTube clips I've watched. Canada's Teen Daze are also on the bill, and blissed-out Swedes Korallreven are the DJs for the evening.

That's the major stuff for this week...though don't forget Lotion plays their first show in ten years on Monday (10/17) at Knitting Factory! More day-by-day picks are below.

Arkells

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

Early show tonight at Mercury Lounge: Canadian fourpiece The Arkells whose 2008 debut was one of that year's undiscovered gems, full of hook-filled, strident heartland rock that would've done gangbusters in the '80s. (You may remember me writing about them from M for Montreal.) Their new album, Michigan Left, is out next week in Canada.

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't given The Rosebuds' new album, Loud Planes Fly Low, enough attention but I definitely like what I have heard. You can download "Woods" at the top of this post. One of the nicest bands around, The Rosebuds are always good live and if you've never seen them before, they play Bowery Ballroom tonight. Want to go for free? We have a couple of pairs of tickets you can win if you email bvcontests@hotmail.com (subject: Rosebuds) right now. Include your first and last name in the email and we'll get back to the winners with instructions.

Xeno & Oaklander @ Home Sweet Home.

continued below....

Continue reading "Razika, Tycho, Dominant Legs, Nurses, Arkells, Laetitia Sadier & more in This Week in Indie"

UK-based lo-fi indie poppers Gross Magic have just signed to Fat Possum in North America. Gross Magic is the current project of Sam McGarrigle, started after the break up of his previous band Hocus Tocus. Gross Magic's debut EP, Teen Jamz, is available now on iTunes with a bonus track. The bonus-track-less version can also be streamed below. Fat Possum will release the physical version of the EP in the US on October 11. You can also check out a music video and a Bowlegs session of the EP's single, "Sweetest Touch," along with a Bowlegs session of bandcamp bonus track "P.Y.T."

Gross Magic will make their US debut opening for Fat Possum labelmates Yuck at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 13 and 14. Porcelain Raft is also on both of those shows. Tickets are still on sale. Gross Magic will stick around NYC too, to play Cameo Gallery on October 15. Tickets are on sale for that too.

All dates, videos, and EP stream below...

Continue reading "Gross Magic signs to Fat Possum, making US debut in NYC (opening for Yuck, playing Cameo too)"

Yuck at Bowery Ballroom in May (more by Tamara Porras)

Earlier this month, we mentioned that Yuck plays POPPED! in Philly this September, and that we wouldn't be surprised if they add a NYC date that same month. They haven't done that, but they did add two not long after. Yuck play October 13 and 14 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday (7/29) at noon with an AmEx pre-sale starting Wednesday (7/27) at noon.

Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Yuck add 2 NYC shows -- updated 2011 Tour Dates"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo & Josh Darr

Twin Sister

Pitchfork Fest Day Three (Sunday, 7/17/11) was the day to go if you were looking to dance. The last day of the fest was pretty heavy on the electronic music with Cut Copy, Toro y Moi, HEALTH, Baths, Darkstar, and for something way chiller, How to Dress Well. The third day provided lo-fi masters Kurt Vile, Ariel Pink, and Deerhunter, and complete opposite ends of the hip hop spectrum with the abrasive and utterly offensive Odd Future and the this-must-be-from-another-planet rap of Shabazz Palaces. Day three was also the one chance to see a metal band (Kylesa).

Sunday was headlined by TV on the Radio. TVOTR, like Fleet Foxes who headlined the day before, have a wildly impressive double bill at Williamsburg Waterfront in September. Theirs is with Broken Social Scene on September 8. Tickets are still available.

Twin Sister played Sunday, and you can catch them for free in McCarren Park this Wednesday night (7/27).

Pictures of OFWGTKA's set are HERE. Day Two HERE. Day One HERE. Pics from the rest of Day Three are below...

Continue reading "pics from Pitchfork Fest 2011 -- Day Three"

photos by Josh Darr

Flaming Lips @ Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on 7/7

Cruises are all the rage. There's Jam Cruise and Holy Ship!, and to a smaller extent Bruise Cruise, and now this January Weezer are launching the first ever Weezer Cruise. The cruise takes place over the course of 4 days (1/19-1/23) on the Carnival Destiny from Miami to the island of Cozumel, and features performances by a lineup curated by Weezer, who will also be performing themselves. The lineup is pretty heavy on members of the Dinosaur Jr. family including Dinosaur Jr. themselves, Sebadoh, J. Mascis, and Lou Barlow. Hey, they're all trapped on a boat together for four days, might as well mix up the formats. Other bands playing include Wavves, The Antlers, Yuck, and many others. Full lineup below.

As recently mentioned, Weezer and The Flaming Lips will set up "side-by-side" (sort of like "in the round") at their co-headlining shows happening at PNC Bank Arts Center in NJ (7/28) and at Jones Beach in NY (7/29). Both dates are with Yeasayer. Tickets for both are still on sale, and BrooklynVegan is giving away 2 pairs of Flaming Lips/Weezer tickets EVERY DAY between now and 7/26. Each day we'll award one pair of tickets to the NJ show, and one to the NY show. This will be the last time you see a post about it on the site though, but check our Facebook each day for an updated chance to win. Instructions on entering via email are below.

The Flaming Lips have also added more shows this summer, including a weird one: in Long Beach, Long Island on September 9. No more details on that at the moment. All dates are listed below along with a set of pictures from the 7/7 Lips show at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

The Flaming Lips, who released collaboration EPs this year with Neon Indian and Prefuse 73, are currently working on one with Lightning Bolt. According to Wayne Coyne's twitter, "Mixing the final master of Flaming Lips/Lightning Bolt tracks!!!!". Video below.

All tour dates, video, contest details, and full Weezer Cruise lineup below...

Continue reading "Weezer Cruise announced, more Flaming Lips dates & pics too +++ WIN TIX to Weezer/Flaming Lips (we're giving away 60!)"

Yuck at Bowery Ballroom in May (more by Tamara Porras)

As previously mentioned, POPPED! Music Festival is coming to Philly's FDR Park September 23 and 24. The festival will headlined by The Shins, Cage the Elephant, Girl Talk, and Pretty Lights. It also features performances by Titus Andronicus, Panda Bear, The Hold Steady, The Vaccines, Kreayshawn, and many others. Tennis, who are touring with the Vaccines, were just added to the lineup as were Yuck and Philly hero Questlove 2 Day Passes are on sale now and single day tickets go on sale Friday (7/8) at 10 AM.

Yuck is on tour for much of this summer, though they don't have any NYC dates scheduled at the moment. We wouldn't be surprised if they add a show in September though. All of their current dates and their recently released NSFW video are below.

Full POPPED! lineup and flier below too...

Continue reading "updated POPPED! lineup, Yuck tour dates"

Chad VanGaalen @ Bowery in 2005 (more)

WATERS @ BBowl Sunday (more by Jessica Amaya)

today in NYC
* Make Music
* Blue Note Jazz Fest
* Defiance, Ohio @ Europa
* Chairlift @ Cameo Gallery
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Talib Kweli @ Red Hook Park
* Art Brut, Reptar @ Maxwell's
* Cliffie Swan @ Cameo Gallery
* Tell All Your Friends @ Lolita Bar
* Flying Lotus @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Sade, John Legend @ Nassau Coliseum
* Joseph Arthur @ The Living Room
* Corey Tut, Decades, Bambi @ Ars Nova
* Questlove presents Booker T & more @ Blue Note
* Ivan & Alyosha @ One New York Plaza (12:30pm)
* Sabir Mateen, Matthew Shipp @ The Stone
* Alberta Cross, Ed Vallance @ The Rock Shop
* Realia, Widowspeak, Household @ Bruar Falls
* Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard @ Beacon Theatre
* Foster The People, Canon Blue @ Bowery Ballroom
* The Handsome Family, Daniel Wayne @ 92YTribeca
* Sabir Mateen, Daniel Carter, Tom Bruno @ The Stone
* Marina & The Diamonds, Gordon Voidwell @ Webster Hall
* WATERS, Exitmusic, Milagres, Anni Rossi @ Mercury Lounge
* A.T., Imaginary Weapons, Body Parts, Lost Boy @ Glasslands
* Montgomery Trucking, Ben Hope, My Gay Banjo @ Cake Shop
* Nu Sensae, White Lung, Pollution, Hunters @ Death By Audio
* Ben L'Oncle Soul, Catherine Ringer @ Central Park Summerstage
* Danny Fox Trio, The Bloomdaddies, Noam Weinstein @ Littlefield
* Haley Bonar, Holcombe Waller, Daniel Martin Moore @ The Bell House
* Foster The People (DJ Set), Hooray For Earth (DJ Set) @ Tammany Hall
* CSC Funk Band, Omlet, Ramble Tamble, Hurricanes of Love @ Silent Barn
* Chad VanGaalen, Nat Baldwin, Hospital Ships @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Yes Way, EULA, Slam Donahue, Magnetic Island, Diehard, Luff @ Spike Hill
* Mike Doughty, Emily Wells (Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival) @ City Winery
* Galactic, Chali 2na, Corey Glover, Corey Henry (Rebirth Brass Band) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, Gerry Visco, Magic Bryan, Sarah G. @ Bowery Electric
* Quiet Loudly, Wild Yaks, MiniBoone, Shark?, Quilty, Clouder, Weird Children, Serica Ux @ Spike Hill
* Smif N Wessun, Random Axe (Sean Price, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson), Maino, DJ Envy @ Highline Ballroom
* The Japonize Elephants, Secret Music, We Are Trees, Old Abram Brown, Kristeen Young, Donora @ Pianos

Make Music has stuff happening all over the place.

Daniel Wayne opens for the Handsome Family at 92YTribeca tonight, and though the Make Music site lists him, he doesn't appear to also be playing Bar 4.

Bon Iver plays Fallon tonight, and played Colbert last night.

Florence & the Machine (and Jack White) are on Colbert tonight.

Yuck made a NSFW video for "Shook Down." Check it out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday? (Make Music, Summer Solstice)"

Big Freedia & crowd @ FFFFest 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

today in NYC
* Risk! @ the Pit
* Brain Cloud @ Barbes
* Karsh Kale @ Highline Ballroom
* Glen Hansard @ the Met
* Dylan Fest @ Bowery Ballroom
* Questlove @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Ela Orleans w/ a Rooftop Film
* Bettye LaVette @ Cafe Carlyle
* The Donkeys, Citay @ Cake Shop
* Phyllis Chen, Cuddle Magic @ Barbes
* Big Freedia, Javelin @ Mercury Lounge
* Talibam!, Xalam Project @ Cameo Gallery
* Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ City Winery
* Jooklo Duo, Bill Nace @ Issue Project Room
* The Biters, The Booze, Wyldlife @ Maxwell's
* Aeroplane, JDH & Dave P @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Denman Maroney, Theo Bleckmann @ The Stone
* Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers @ The Stone
* French Horn Rebellion, Savoir Adore @ Glasslands
* The Ludlow Thieves, David Dondero @ Mercury Lounge
* Golden Animals, The Above, Boom Chick @ Shea Stadium
* Tribeca New Music Festival II @ Merkin Concert Hall
* El Jezel, The Whisperians, Birds in Weather @ Bruar Falls
* Noah Chernin Band, Takka Takka, Little Racer @ The Rock Shop
* The Prigs, The Yes Way, The Courtesy Tier, Monuments @ Pianos
* Across Tundras, Yorba Linda, Cavallo, Ominous Black @ Union Pool
* Ben Allison Band, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society @ Littlefield
* The Rassle, Ravens & Chimes, Living Days (Deli Fest) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* "Bhangra Dance Party" w/ Red Baraat & DJ Rekha @ Brooklyn Bridge Park
* Burning Star Core, Raft, Hiro Kone, Animal Hospital @ Public Assembly
* Menya, Tayisha Busay, Pomegranate, North, Jackpot Tiger @ Lit Lounge
* The Immaculates, The Splinters, Darlings, Household @ Death By Audio
* Bell, ARMS, Chairlift (DJ set), Bear In Heaven (DJ set) @ Knitting Factory
* Doveman, Rufus Wainwright, Sean Lennon @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Stornoway, Spirit Family Reunion, Sea of Bees @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Faith and Mark, Nidra, Teen Dreams, The Magick Report, False Positive @ Silent Barn
* Translations, Ravens & Chimes, ArpLine, Dream Diary, Prospector, Invisible Days (Deli Fest) @ Cameo Gallery
* Yc the Cynic, Add-2, Neak, Skotch Davis, Fresh Daily, The Black Sunn & 810, Sincerely Yours @ Public Assembly

Ravens & Chimes are not playing Cameo because Asher came down with pneumonia. Feel better Asher!

Lady Gaga and Good Morning America will be the reason there will be lots of people near Central Park Summerstage/Rumsey Playfield at 7am Friday morning.

Dylan Fest (night 1 of 2) tonight at Bowery features Norah Jones, Adam Green, Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis of SNL, Jesse Malin, Nikolai Fraiture (of the Strokes), Binki Shapiro (of Little Joy), Nicole Atkins, Tad Kubler (of the Hold Steady), Evan Dando, Reeve and Zane Carney, Danny Clinch, Adam Schlesinger and Jody Porter (of Fountains of Wayne), Sammy James, Jr. (of Mooney Suzuki), Ben Trokan (of Robbers on High Street), Steve Schiltz (of Longwave & Hurricane Bells), Antony Ellis (of Five O'Clock Heroes), Luke Rathborne, Jack Dischel (of Only Son), Josh Lattanzi (of The Lemonheads & The Candles) (Dylan Fest 2011) @ Bowery Ballroom.

Win tickets to see Fang Island tomorrow at Brooklyn Bowl on Facebook. We're also giving away a 3-day pass to the * Deli Fest shows at Brooklyn Bowl (starting tonight)

And congrats to the winner of the tickets to see Stornoway at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight.

Big Freedia plays her first of two NYC shows tonight.

Daily Show correspondant Wyatt Cenac is one of the comedians who will "tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share in public stories they'd normally tell close friends" at Risk! at the Pit tonight. Maybe you caught Wyatt Cenac's new Comedy Central special "Wyatt Cenac: Comedy Person"? If not it airs again Friday, June 3rd at 10:58pm. Maybe you were there? Listen to Wyatt discuss his friend's 30th birthday and Medieval Times in a video below.

Modern Weepers play Mercury Lounge this Friday night.

The Dodos have a new video for "Companions." Check that out below...

Yuck appeared on Jools Holland. Check that video out below too...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

photos by Tamara Porras

...From the beginning it was flawless, for better and, as the night ploughed on, a bit worse.

Several Yuck songs are built around searing and time-tested melodic riffs, indie rock made indie again. The way that Mr. Blumberg and Max Bloom, the band's other guitarist, creep from one chord to the next, slowly and deliberately, is eerie, the ghost of 1992 hanging above them at all times.

But Mr. Blumberg is also a naturally flexible singer, able to pull off a range of styles: there's a nasal Oasis sneer on "The Wall," and a more sensible and polite take on Pavement on "Suicide Policeman." He's even capable of occasional sweetness, as when singing in tandem with the bassist Mariko Doi on "Georgia."

But while the band cycled through songs nimble ("Coconut Bible," "Holing Out") and lethargic ("Suck," "Shook Down"), it never appeared unkempt. There was rarely any more disruption than the sight of Mr. Blumberg gathering the mop of hair atop his head and pushing it away from his eyes. At the end of the encore the band -- which also includes the drummer Jonny Rogoff -- left its instruments onstage, with feedback blasting for a couple of minutes, but even that didn't feel sloppy.
-[NY Times]

Bowrey Ballroom was one of the last US shows that the band has for a while, as they'll tour Europe starting this weekend before eventually hopping the pond to play Pitchfork Festival in Chicago on July 17th.

In other Yuck news, the band recently announced the new Get Away 7" that the band will self-release. Preorder it now.

More pictures of Yuck (though unfortunately none of the support bands), alongside all tour dates, below....

Continue reading "Yuck self-releasing a 7", played Bowery Ballroom (pics)"

today in NYC
* LAL8 @ The Stone
* Yuck @ Other Music
* Ice-T @ Barnes & Noble
* Roe Enney @ The Stone
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Big K.R.I.T @ Santos
* Bill Frisell @ Village Vanguard
* Brazilian Quarter @ Barbes
* Tell All Your Friends @ Lolita Bar
* Femi Kuti, Nutritious @ Highline Ballroom
* Oh No Oh My, Landlady @ Santos Party House
* Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter @ Bowery Ballroom
* David Johansen of the New York Dolls @ City Winery
* An Horse, Nik Freitas, Secret Music @ Knitting Factory
* Balkan Beat Box, Uproot Andy, Joro Boro @ Webster Hall
* Greensky Bluegrass, Spirit Family Reunion @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Martial Canterel, Automelodi, Dream Affair @ Death By Audio
* Jesse Harris, Kaki King, Thomas Bartlett & many more @ Le Poisson Rouge
* C. Spencer Yeh, Ben Hall, Jon Irabagon, Mike Pride @ Zebulon
* Millionyoung, Zambri, Beige, Rarechild, Bear In Heaven (DJ set) @ Pianos
* Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, Smoke DZA, Jah C & The Antidote @ Southpaw
* The Submarines, Pepper Rabbit, Yellowbirds @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Toby Goodshank, John Houx, Kung Fu Crime Wave, Jenn Kelly @ Silent Barn
* Atmosphere, Blueprint, Grieves with Budo, SAB The Artist, DJ Abilities @ Terminal 5
* Wires Under Tension, Ghastly City Sleep, Mussels, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire @ Glasslands
* Extreme Animals, Publicist, DJ Dog Dick, Sewn Leather, Shams @ Monster Island Basement
* Strange: A Patsy Cline Tribute, Abby Payne, Rebecca Haviland, Building Pictures, Sophie Auster @ Pete's Candy Store
* Dred Scott Trio, Triangle Shirt Factory, Michael Daves, Shira, Christopher Paul Stelling, Terje Nordgarden, Rod Picott @ Rockwood Music Hall

Right now on the BrooklynVegan Facebook, we're giving away tickets to tonight's Pepper Rabbit, Yellowbirds, Submmarines show @ MHOW, and to tonight's Balkan Beat Box show at Webster Hall, and to the upcoming Yacht show.

If you can't get into Emmylou Harris tonight at Bowery Ballroom (now with Josh Ritter opening), there's always Summerstage.

If you missed Yuck at Webster Hall last night, check them out for free at Other Music tonight (8pm).

Atmosphere plays Terminal 5 tonight, and is on the just-announced Lollapalooza lineup as are A Horse who play Knitting Factory tonight and then Bamboozle soon just like Freddie Gibbs and Big K.R.I.T. who play Southpaw tonight.

Big K.R.I.T. also plays Santos tonight.

Get Big K.R.I.T.'s new ReturnOf4Eva for free.

What else?

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

"Last night Yawn opened for Yuck. Indie rock has officially become an Abbott and Costello routine." - Simon Vozick-Levinson

"Had this awesome dream where Tame Impala covered Angel by Massive Attack. No wait...that actually happened." - Peter Sununu

Tame Impala @ Webster Hall

Tame Impala and Yuck and less-advertised opener Yawn brought their tour to a sold out Webster Hall in NYC last night (4/25). It was the headliner's only NYC show this time around, though Yuck will be back soon to headline their own show at Bowery Ballroom on May 27th. Tickets are still on sale for that. Oh, AND Yuck play a free in-store at Other Music TONIGHT.

About last night...

"[Tame Impala] had 9 flat screen monitors behind them that featured a light show that responded to the music. As you can imagine, it was a pychedelic delight. Aside from "I Don't Really Mind," Tame Impala played the entire "Innerspeaker" album as well as a cover of Massive Attack's "Angel." They even dug deep and played "Skeleton Tiger" and "Half Full Glass of Wine" off their debut EP (which is quite hard to find in the United States). The set was just about 70 minutes long and it was awesome." [According to G]

Continue reading "Tame Impala played Webster Hall w/ Yuck, Yawn -pics, setlist"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Raphael Saadiq

Duran Duran

Catching up a bit. Here's what Dominick saw in Austin on Wednesday, March 16, 2011...

Continue reading "SXSW 2011 Day 1 pics"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Yuck @ Stubb's

Yuck last and first visited NYC during a blizzard in January to play Glasslands after cancelling their Mercury Lounge show that was scheduled one day earlier which came after they cancelled CMJ due to similar visa issues. Earlier this month the UK band returned to America for a string of shows at SXSW that included a BV Day Party and a showcase at Stubb's which is streaming at NPR and which is the source of the pictures in this post.

The band are now already back on home soil, but Daniel Blumberg of Yuck will be back here soon to play Glasslands on 4/7 and a sold-out Bowery Ballroom show with Sebadoh on 4/9 as part of his side project Oupa (who also played SXSW). The Oupa shows precede a Yuck tour with Tame Impala that include Webster Hall on 4/25, after which Yuck will play their own, just-announced NYC date at Bowery Ballroom on May 7. Tickets for that show are on AmEx presale now with regular sale starting on Friday at noon.

The Oupa show at Glasslands on 4/7 is with Porcelain Raft, who played a few NYC dates in late February, and with Young Magic and Computer Magic. Tickets are still available. Oupa have a new record on the way, Forget, and you can stream the title track below.

All tour dates, the new Yuck video for "Get Away" and, UPDATE: a new streaming track called "Doctors in My Bed", and more SXSW pictures, also below...

Continue reading "Yuck played SXSW (pics & stream), add NYC show (dates) ++ side project Oupa is playing shows too"

Guided by Voices @ Irving Plaza, New Year's Eve (more by Chris Gersbeck)

"As previously announced, the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival will be taking place on Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th at Chicago's Union Park! Tickets went on sale on March 4th, and, as predicted, three-day passes sold out in a record time of 24 hours! That said, eager prospective festival goers should fear not, as single-day passes are still available for the totally reasonable price of $45.

And now, without further ado, the newest additions to the 2011 Pitchfork Festival lineup! Friday will see the addition of Guided By Voices and Neko Case; Saturday's lineup will feature No Age, Gang Gang Dance, G-Side, and Chrissy Murderbot; Sunday's stellar lineup now includes The Fresh & Onlys, Radio Dept., HEALTH, Shabazz Palaces, Baths, How To Dress Well, Kurt Vile, and Twin Sister. Stay tuned for more bands still to be announced in the coming weeks!"

Continue reading "Pitchfork Fest expands lineup (Guided by Voices & more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield and Timothy Griffin

Menomena (by Tim)

After 14 hours of BrooklynVegan shows on Wednesday with barely a break (Emo's and then Swan Dive), and while BBG was holding down a stage at Emo's again, we returned to Swan Dive on Thursday, but this time with the addition of the two connecting stages at Barbarella for another full day BrooklynVegan Day Party. The 3-stage affair featured 19 bands, DJ Anika, and comedian Brody Stevens as host.

The day couldn't have started better, as we had one of the artists I was most excited to see playing live on the Swan Dive stage right at noon, and that was the tall, well-dressed and significantly bearded Josh T Pearson. I only wish I wasn't still hecticly dealing with issues after the doors opened so I could have been one of the people sitting down and enjoying his solo set of songs taken from his new album Last of the Country Gentlemen which is out on Mute on March 29. What I did hear sounded great.

Meanwhile, Savoir Adore kicked things off on the outside stage while Shannon & the Clams got things going inside Barbarella. Navigating the three stages and not getting lost was definitely one of the challenges we gave attendees at the venues we camped out at for day shows all week.

After Shannon came Hunx & His Punx who Shannon also plays with. As Andrew pointed out, "Hunx seemed pretty annoyed about the five-show day ahead of him. "Come see the last one," suggested Hunx, saving the goods for that final push. The Punx band showed off admirable chops though, with the drummer pounding away and girl-group-style backups by the bassist." Andrew continues:

"Out at the venue's back stage, Dominique Unique Young had a two-man band providing soulful hooks for her club bangers, which were just fine in the brutal sunlight. And then at Swan Dive, Rural Alberta Advantage made a push for anyone, like me, who hasn't checked out their new disc, Departing, yet to do so soon (live, drummer Paul Banwat easily does the work of two guys)."

"...arriving just in time to catch the end of Fergus & Geronimo and Beans' sets. Trying to navigate between the two connected clubs -- blazing sunshine at the patio stage, pitch black for the Barbarella inside stage -- was a bit tough.

I watched most of Yuck's set and thought they sounded great. Not the most exciting band to watch, but that's okay, not everyone can bounce around the stage like Superchunk to whom they owe more than a little sonic dept. Speaking of, Mac McCaughan was their for their whole set which I thought was kind of awesome. I asked him if he was there to collect royalties from Yuck. He laughed and said, "No way, I love these guys!"

From there it was out to the Patio for Obits' set. There's something about their pedal-to-the-metal rock that sounds a little better in Texas. Plus they played the two songs I really wanted to hear: "You Gotta Lose" from the new album Moody, Standard and Poor, and their first-ever single "One Cross Apiece."

After scarfing down some tacos (courtesy of the El Diablo truck in Barbarella's backyard, yes a sister truck to the one here at Union Pool), I caught a little of Screaming Females, rip-roaring as usual, and Menomena."

Mellowhype (by Tim)

But the main attraction of the day goes to... Mellowhype who were playing their second-ever show as Mellowhype (their first was a day earlier at their new label Fat Possum's party at Club DeVille), and who brought the whole Odd Future crew with them (anyone who was in Austin anyway), Tyler included. It was a beyond-packed house full of excitement...

"The assembled crowd of hipsters, blipsters, and media types went nuts when the beats dropped, as this still-teenaged hip-hop collective has been drawing favorable comparisons to early Wu-Tang, especially in terms of production aesthetic and overall energy." [Houston Calling]

Thanks to Izzoz, Line 6 (the mics), Korg (keyboard), Vox (amps), Blackstar (and amps), Sensible Portions, Honest Tea, ASCAP, NadaMoo, Raw Revolution, Sailor Jerry, SPARKS, all the bands, Zach, Nevona, our bartenders, sound guys, Ramone, everyone who stopped by and anyone else I'm forgetting.

Lots more pictures and videos from the whole day, below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan Thurs Austin day party pics (Mellowhype, Yuck, Menomena, Obits, Beans, Rural Alberta Advantage & more)"

by Bill Pearis

Yuck @ Barbarella (BV Party photo by Amanda Hatfield)

Moving on from Wednesday... Thursday, in some ways, was a bit of a bust for me. I blame St. Patrick's Day, one of my least favorite holidays. It is amateur hour. Attendance was up 40% at SXSW this year, and I'm guessing a lot of that was college kids on spring break all of whom already seemed to have had enough to drink by the time I hit 6th Street after the BrooklynVegan-curated portion of the Day Stage. It was a day spent trying to avoid getting puked on or punched.

Anyway, I headed over to our other Thursday afternoon event at Barbarella/Swan Dive, which was crowded but chill, arriving just in time to catch the end of Fergus & Geronimo and Beans' sets. Trying to navigate between the two connected clubs -- blazing sunshine at the patio stage, pitch black for the Barbarella inside stage -- was a bit tough.

I watched most of Yuck's set and thought they sounded great. Not the most exciting band to watch, but that's okay, not everyone can bounce around the stage like Superchunk to whom they owe more than a little sonic dept. Speaking of, Mac McCaughan was their for their whole set which I thought was kind of awesome. I asked him if he was there to collect royalties from Yuck. He laughed and said, "No way, I love these guys!"

Obits @ Barbarella (BV Party photo by Amanda Hatfield)

From there it was out to the Patio for Obits' set. There's something about their pedal-to-the-metal rock that sounds a little better in Texas. Plus they played the two songs I really wanted to hear: "You Gotta Lose" from the new album Moody, Standard and Poor, and their first-ever single "One Cross Apiece."

After scarfing down some tacos (courtesy of the El Diablo truck in Barbarella's backyard, yes a sister truck to the one here at Union Pool), I caught a little of Screaming Females, rip-roaring as usual, and Menomena before heading East to pick up my Fader Fort wristband. Probably a mistake to go to the one place with truly unlimited booze on St. Patrick's Day, it was a phantasmagoric scene of oversized spectacles, day-glo clothing, long lines, and marketing. And booze. Oh...and bands. Mazes, who I'd seen the night before, were playing and not many people seemed to be paying attention.

Most people seemed to be having the Best Time Ever but it was just a little much for me, so I opted for the green grass and relaxed vibe of the French Legation to catch Edwyn Collins which was just a pleasure. With a shit-hot band, including legend Dave Ruffy on drums, we got a 40-minute or so set, half of which was from his new album Losing Sleep, the rest from his back catalog, mostly from his Orange Juice days.

Missed opportunity: they didn't play OJ classic "The Day I Went Down to Texas." But otherwise no complaints. Just like at his Rock Shop show, the set's highlight was Losing Sleep track "In Your Eyes," with Edwyn's son Will singing co-lead, the part sung by Jonathan of The Drums. The Drums' Jacob Graham came out and played guitar with them too. Like his dad, Will Collins has pipes perfect for croony melodrama. Get this kid his own band!

Edwyn Collins @ French Legation

I zoned out at the Legation for a while before heading to Beauty Bar to see Swedish soft pop band Pacific! I love Pacific's first album, Reveries, a melange of '78-'82 soft rock influences, but had no idea what their live show would be like. I certainly wasn't expecting them to come out in cloaks and hoods. Backlit, they looked like Grim Reapers, albeit ones making music that would fit right in beside Air Supply and Falco.

From there it was off to Emo's Jr. to catch San Francisco's Magic Bullets. If you are ever in need of a pick-me-up, go see this band. Their singer is the dancin-est frontman I have ever seen, and the whole band really seems to enjoy playing...which is infectious. They ended their set with a cover of Altered Images' "I Could Be Happy," which fit right in with the band's sound (that owes more than a little to early-'80s Scottish pop).

Austra was playing at Emo's proper so we went to catch them. Buzz is just started to build for them but I think when their debut, Feel it Break, hits they will be unavoidable. The record is all hits and they've got a really good live show too, including identical twin sisters as backup singers. Eminently danceable, with soaring choruses, Austra have got it. I left before the Kills who went on next at what was the Domino showcase.

From here I met up with friends at Palm Door, near the Convention Center, and caught the tail-end of We Barbarians' set. The Long Beach trio's sound is not a million miles away from Bear Hands or Local Natives, dancefloor friendly rock. I thought they were pretty good. They hit New York in a couple weeks for two sold-out shows with Foster the People and Grouplove: Mercury Lounge on April 8 and Knitting Factory on April 9.

"You ready for some killer dubstep?" That's Shaun Durkan, bassist/singer for Weekend, who were up next. He kids, he kids. Intense and very, very loud, Weekend take a load of post punk influences and really do make them their own. They are just so good at what they do. You're knocked back by sheer force as Durkan's vocals swirl in and out as if from a parallel dimension. Easily one of the best sets I saw at SXSW. Weekend are in town in two weeks, for two shows: opening for Wire at Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 5, and then an early show at Mercury Lounge on April 6 with Toronto's Little Girls.

We decided to end the night with Gayngs at large outdoor club Mohawk who are supposed to be on at 12:30 but are still setting up equipment an hour later. With what seems like 30 people in the band, I can see how it would take so long but my energy flagged and I took off before they played, deciding to catch the Night Owl bus back to my friend's apartment instead.

A few more photos below, some video, and applicable tour dates...

Continue reading "Bill's Week in Austin (Day 2 - Yuck, Austra, Obits, Edwyn Collins, Weekend, Magic Bullets, We Barbarians & more)"

words & photos by Andrew Frisicano

Wednesday

Twin Shadow @ Fader Fort

A crowded backyard tent filled with cigarette smoke, free open-faced tacos (pork, chicken, brisket or veggie), a man carting a dolly of Lone Star cases through the crowd, and a pair of middle-aged guys picking a fight with each other on a Wednesday afternoon. "Doesn't he know I'm a ticking time bomb?" the offended guy says, a bit like he's not joking. JEFF the Brotherhood is playing too, which is more or less the occasion for all of this, my first show of SXSW 2011. The JEFF brothers aren't really the focus though, since they'll be playing a dozen other times this week, and most of the people are concentrating on the tacos, their conversations or their inability to get away from the door of the totally (did I say?) packed room.

In spite of that, the band is tearing through songs from Heavy Days and their new LP We Are the Champions, and between songs tossing out free vinyl singles into the crowd: "Those are going to slice someone's neck open," says Jake before slinging a few more across the room. They go into "Bummer," a ballady, Dino Jr.-style headbanger, that's one of the standout new tunes.

Trash Talk @ BV/Feed the Beat Day Party (photo by Samantha Marble)

Ty Segall's entertaining and totally worthwhile band is up next, but the BrookylnVegan day show at Emo's is also currently happening, the highlight of which has to be the simulatneous staging of Cali punks Trash Talk (who went on before Kylesa) and Mister Heavenly (who went on before Surfer Blood). Mister Heavenly are a supergroup of-sorts you've heard about. On the inside, Trash Talk frontman Lee Spielman towers over everyone with the body of a scarecrow and a scary-as-hell perma-scowl; he smashes his forehead with the microphone a few times to draw blood. "Stick around for Surfer Blood," he says, before crawling into the crowd and standing on what I can only hope were someone's shoulders. People start edging toward the door. On the outside stage, Mr. Heavenly performs an appropriately lovely set, its two frontmen trading verses in their own styles.

After that, the Fader Fort brought Twin Shadow on stage, the bedroom-pop project of George Lewis Jr. that's become a wildly good live band. For an outdoor venue, the system sounded impressively balanced and clear - which would turn out to be a rarity at the festival. That was 'specially good for Yelawolf, whose songs sounded vital in a way that your iPod just can't do. With no crew to speak of, his solo athletics put in an early bid for best-of.

Yelawolf @ Fader Fort

Later that night at Stubb's, Yuck and James Blake played what would be the first of several for both. Both did well on the big stage, a portent of things to come, vibing out in their respective styles: fuzz rock and chilled-out pop. Check out both of their sets for yourself at NPR- Blake and Yuck.

continued below...

Continue reading "Colin Stetson, Twin Shadow, Odd Future, James Blake, JEFF the Brotherhood, Yelawolf, more (Andrew F's week @ SXSW)"