Ain't In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm will open at Cinema Village on Friday, April 19 which is, sadly, the one-year anniversary of the legendary musician's passing. Synopsis:

Director Jacob Hatley's intimate documentary finds Mr. Helm at home in Woodstock, NY, in the midst of creating his first studio album in 25 years. Shot over the course of two-plus years, ...[the film] shows Helm dealing with the burdens of renewed celebrity, continuing financial obligation and returning health problems. The man known worldwide for his soulful voice, as well as his singular and unparalleled drumming and multi-instrumental skills, permitted a camera crew inside his home to show the world an intimate side of his art and life.

Continue reading "'Ain't In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm' opening this week in NYC, elsewhere soon"

Death at Europa in 2010 (more by Ben Lozovsky)

Long lost protopunk band Death, who made a return in 2009 when Drag City released their debut album and have been sticking around ever since, have gotten the documentary treatment. A Band Called Death, directed by Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett, was released in 2012 and it will be screening at SXSW this year (screening times are HERE).

The film description reads:

Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early '70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field. But it wasn't until recently -- when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby's attic nearly 30 years after Death's heyday -- that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them.

Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and epic family chronicle, the story of Death is one of brotherly love and fierce, divinely inspired expression.

A Band Called Death trailer and a stream of their track, "Politicians In My Eyes," below...

Continue reading "Death (the protopunk band) are subject of new documentary, playing live at SXSW (BrooklynVegan show included)"

Already two Brooklyn shows, and the list keeps growing. New Postal Service dates go on pre-sale on Wednesday. All dates are listed below.

Meanwhile, a music video and a short documentary about the reunited band are in the works. The title of the doc, according to IMDB, is "10 Years of the Postal Service", and the one and only Tom Scharpling directed it, as he recently told Matt Pinfield:

"I shot two things with them," Scharpling says. "One is a mini-documentary, getting Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello to tell the story of how this weird band came together and how they were mailing each other CD-R's back and forth. It's a straight mini-doc thing that should be out shortly. The other is a funny video that takes place in 2002, that shows Jimmy auditioning potential lead singers for Postal Service. We got an amazing group of people to come through."

Continue reading "The Postal Service announce even more Tour Dates, made a video & mini documentary with Tom Scharpling"

I'M NOW follows Mudhoney's 25-year career, from their early beginnings in the Pacific Northwest through the band's most recent world tour. Complete with testimonials from friends, music industry veterans, and musicians such as Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard & Jeff Ament, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman, and the band themselves, the film is the ultimate document of one of the world's most influential and beloved rock bands. The film was directed by Ryan Short and Adam Pease.

Meanwhile, Mudhoney are prepping the release of Vanishing Point, the band's new LP due on April 2 via Sub Pop. Check out a song from the new LP for the price of an email address or stream it below. You can also check out Vanishing Point's track list, videos and tour dates that don't include NYC at the present time.

Continue reading "Mudhoney ready 'Vanishing Point' (stream a track), are subject of new documentary"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

The Salad Days documentary was celebrated over two days in Washington DC, when six hardcore bands of yesteryear reunited to play Black Cat on December 28 and 29. As discussed, the shows featured a reunion of Dag Nasty, along with appearances from Government Issue, Kingface, Black Market Baby, Youth Brigade and Scream. Check out video of all the bands below, including the full Dag Nasty appearance.

Also among the videos below are a pair of appearances from HR (of Bad Brains), who played the BB classic "Right Brigade" with Black Market Baby and "American Justice" with Scream, as well as apperances from Alec MacKaye (of The Faith) and John Stabb (of Government Issue) on a cover of "Steppin' Stone."

Videos below...

Continue reading "Dag Nasty reunited as part of 'Salad Days' celebration in D.C. with Government Issue, Scream and more (videos)"

Koyaanisqatsi, also known as Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, is a 1982 film directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke.

The film consists primarily of slow motion and time-lapse footage of cities and many natural landscapes across the United States. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and music. Reggio explains the lack of dialogue by stating "it's not for lack of love of the language that these films have no words. It's because, from my point of view, our language is in a state of vast humiliation. It no longer describes the world in which we live."[1] In the Hopi language, the word Koyaanisqatsi means "unbalanced life".[2] The film is the first in the Qatsi trilogy of films: it is followed by Powaqqatsi (1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002). The trilogy depicts different aspects of the relationship between humans, nature, and technology. Koyaanisqatsi is the best known of the trilogy and is considered a cult film. However, because of copyright issues, the film was out of print for most of the 1990s.[3] [Wikipedia]

UPDATE: video removed at copyright holder's request.

Sound City Studios is a two-building complex in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, which houses sound stages. It was most notable for being the recording studio for albums such as Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Nirvana's Nevermind. The studio is operated since 1970 by the Skeeter family, with the first album to use the facilities being Neil Young's After the Gold Rush. Until the closure of the recording studios on May 2011, the Sound City was used by artists such as Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, Rage Against the Machine, Johnny Cash, Metallica, and the last band to record there, Everclear. One of the mixing consoles was removed to make room for sound stages, and the mixing console is now owned by Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer and current leader of the Foo Fighters. -[Wiki]

Continue reading "Sound City documentary in the works... directed by Dave Grohl"

film producer Evan Kleinman and rapper Y-Love

Film director Jesse Zook Mann and producer Evan Kleinman made a new documentary Punk Jews, centered around Jewish artists in NYC, and it will make its world premiere in the city it takes place in on December 11 at JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave at 76th St). Tickets for the premiere are on sale now (there's an early show and a late show). The film description reads:

"Punk Jews" is an upcoming documentary film that follows an underground Jewish community expressing their identity in unconventional ways that challenge stereotypes and break down barriers. From Hassidic punk rockers to Yiddish street performers to African-American Jewish activists, "Punk Jews" shows an emerging movement in New York City of Jews asserting their Jewish identity, defying the norm, and doing so at any cost.

Continue reading "'Punk Jews' documentary premiering in NYC during Hanukkah"

Its been one month since Frankenstorm Sandy struck the coast of the Northeast United States, leaving ruined homes and devastated communities in its wake. Its also been one month since Occupy Sandy leapt into the void left by government agencies and big NGO's to demonstrate the power, joy, and necessity of mutual aid. New York City will forever be changed by these events, as it should be. Now is the time to break the climate silence, and shine a light on the climate crimes that made Sandy inevitable.

Join academy-award nominated director [tonight, 11/28] Josh Fox (Gasland), Occupy Sandy Relief organizers, 350.0rg, The Other 98%, and The Illuminator for a Guerilla Premiere of Fox's new short film "Occupy Sandy: A Human Response to the New Realities of Climate Change," which viscerally shows the damage left behind by the storm, highlights the heroic grassroots efforts of Occupy activists, and draws the connections between the storm, climate change, and the reckless greed of the fossil fuel industry.

After the film, we will hear testimonials from victims of Hurricane Sandy, who themselves are now drawing these same connections. The time is long overdue for us all to make these connections, and to demand that our elected officials and the mainstream media do the same.

If you want to come, join our cell phone text loop by texting @climatecrime to 23559, or follow the hashtag #climatecrime on Twitter. We will keep you updated. What we can tell you now is to dress warm, bring hot beverages, be prepared to move and to be moved..." - [Occupy Sandy Relief NYC]

Check out the trailer for the Occupy Sandy movie and a video invite to the Bell House party below.

Continue reading "Occupy Sandy documentary "guerilla movie premiere" tonight w/ secret musical guests; afterparty at Bell House"

Trash Talk (more by Greg Cristman)

today in NYC
* Nass Gwana @ Zebulon
* Simon Amstell @ Theatre 80
* Ani DiFranco @ Town Hall
* Pedro Giraudo Sextet @ Barbes
* Louis C.K. @ St. George Theatre
* Bassnectar, GRiZ, Gladkill @ Terminal 5
* TRASH TALK, Mellowhype @ Gramercy Theatre
* Matt & Kim, Oberhofer @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Reagan Youth, Dust Angel @ The Grand Victory
* Dysrhythmia, Loincloth, Stats @ Public Assembly
* Mustard Plug, The Void Union @ Knitting Factory
* Said The Whale, The Tins, Andrew Keoghan @ Pianos
* Naomi Punk, Habibi, The Mallard, Noons @ Cake Shop
* Untold, Bryan Kasenic, Nihal Ramchandani @ 285 Kent
* Gary Wilson, Jan Teri, ZZZ's, Childproof, Aquadora @ XPO 929
* Ducktails, Scott & Charlenes Wedding @ 252 Norman Ave
* INC., Sky Ferreira, Dev Hynes, Physical Therapy @ Steel Drums
* Matthew Dear, Light Asylum, Beacon, MNDR @ Webster Hall
* Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, The Stepkids @ Beacon Theatre
* Math the Band, Infinity Shred, The Eskalators, Saffire Doors @ Death By Audio
* Heart of Darkness Hosted By Greg Barris with Sean Patton, Nick Turner @ Union Hall
* Professor Blastoff Live w/ Tig Notaro, Kyle Dunnigan, David Huntsberger, more @ Bell House
* Real Estate, Vampire Weekend, Devendra Banhart, The Walkmen, Cass McCombs, Dirty Projectors @ St. Ann & The Holy Trinity (sold out Sandy benefit day show)

PS I Love You, who Bill just caught in Montreal, is at Glasslands tonight.

Antony's movie "Turning" is playing at IFC Center. The Mark Sandman of Morphine documentary 'Cure For Pain' is screening at Nighthawk today and Sunday at noon. Trailer below.

A$AP Rocky's NJ show at Starland Ballroom tonight is cancelled, like all Starland Ballroom shows right now.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Follow BrooklynVegan on instagram.

Sign up to volunteer at the Park Slope Armory shelter tonight or tomorrow.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

Kembra Pfahler & Antony Hegarty

[Last night] at New York City's IFC Center, Antony Hegarty's long in-process Turning film finally began its American theatrical run, following the U.S. premiere last weekend at the DOC NYC festival.

The film, a collaboration with Charles Atlas (The Legend of Leigh Bowery), documents the pair's 2006 European "Turning" tour, which featured Antony performing alongside large-scale projections of 13 models, who individually took the stage and slowly turned on circular platforms. It includes backstage clips and interviews with each of the models, many of whom are transgendered or grappling with issues of gender and sexuality. At the premiere, Antony said he hoped Turning would unveil the essence of its subjects' humanity. [Pitchfork]

Continue reading "Antony's movie 'Turning' is screening (now at IFC w/ guests)"

photos by Gretchen Robinette

Staten Island after Sandy

We already posted some of Gretchen Robinette's pictures of Staten Island after Sandy. Here are some more. They're a reminder of how hard the borough got hit, a fact that not only needs to be remembered, but which needs to reach the right people. Like Obama maybe. The Staten Island Advance posted this letter to the president:

There would be no excuse.

When President Obama comes to New York Thursday to view the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy, his first stop must be the neighborhoods of Staten Island. Not Miller Field.

This borough is the scene of unspeakable devastation and personal tragedy. More than half of the city's storm victims -- 23 -- died here, and another Islander died in Lower Manhattan.

They were fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters -- and two young sons, ages 2 and 4.

Homes were lifted off foundations and deposited yards away, like pool toys. Other homes simply crumbled where they stood, or were smashed to bits by water and debris.

The wrecked remnants of houses, memories and lives line the streets, waiting to be taken away like trash. Some people are struggling to stay warm as they go on more than two weeks without electricity or heat. With 200 homes already declared structurally unsound and unsafe to enter, many here are homeless.

These people need help. They need their president.

Do please Mr. President, make Staten Island the centerpiece of your visit to this storm-weary city.

Speaking of Staten Island, let's not forget (maybe even remind the president who they'll be singing for next year), that it's home to the irresistible and talented kids of the P.S. 22 Chorus (the ones who recently covered Tame Impala). Luckily, as far as we've heard and can tell, the kids, chorus director Gregg Breinberg, and their families, all generally seemed to come out of the ordeal unscathed. Upon returning to school they recorded a version of "Chasing the Sun" by the Wanted, "the perfect choice with which to begin again after the unwanted hiatus." You can watch that below, but only after you vote for Once In a Lullaby in the Gotham Awards (they've already made it to the final round).

Check out a deleted scene from the film (starring Gregg and his parents), the Wanted cover video, and more of Gretchen's pictures, below...

Continue reading "Staten Island still recovering from Sandy, urging Obama to visit; PS 22 Chorus movie up for Gotham Award (vote!)"

City Gardens flyer from 1988

City Gardens was larger than a club (it held almost 1,100 people) and smaller than most theaters. During its time it hosted a multitude of live events that traversed the entertainment spectrum; everything from the comedy of Henny Youngman and Sam Kinison to the raging chaos of bands like The Butthole Surfers and The Exploited. Punk, Hardcore, New Wave, Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop, Ska, Reggae, Oi!, Industrial, Alternative, Funk, Goth... all these influences converged perfectly under the uncanny direction of Randy Now to form a perfect storm of seminal, historic moments. Over the course of a decade-and-a-half, City Gardens played an active part in the rise of bands like Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Sinead O'Connor, Green Day, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, The Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Joan Jett and dozens of others who went on to international success while, at the same time, providing a home for the music that never made it to commercial radio. The list of performers who graced the City Gardens stage is long and varied, and includes legends like The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Agnostic Front, The Circle Jerks, Cro-Mags, UK Subs, The Pogues, The Mentors, Joe Strummer, Fugazi, The Toasters, Dead Kennedys, Sham 69, Peter Murphy, Soundgarden, Slayer, Black Flag, The Bad Brains and literally hundreds more. These monumental shows are recalled by the people whose lives were indelibly touched and forever altered by the experience. The voice is given to the people: the bouncers, the stage managers, the sound techs, the bartenders (including former booze-slinger and current host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart); the roadies and, most importantly, the fans.

Continue reading "City Gardens doc 'Riot On The Dancefloor' due in 2013"

We've all been there. Those big creative dreams we had when we were young fall prey to the practical concerns of student loans, rents, and families. Maybe we loved piano lessons as a kid but our father couldn't afford them. Maybe we fell in love with a sailor but our parents forbid us from seeing him. Maybe we went ahead and saw him anyways. And maybe when his ship sunk and he died, our mother told us: "what you refuse to give up yourself, God will take from you." After that, maybe we ran away to Iceland, where we worked odd jobs for many years until one day, at the tender age of 70, we rediscovered music.

Grandma Lo-Fi, the directorial debut of three Icelandic musicians, tells just such a story. The story of Sigríður Níelsdóttir, who recorded 600 songs in seven years, mixing together the sounds of household items, pets, found toys, and a Casio keyboard, achieving cult status among Icelandic musicians. One of her albums is all Cowboy songs, another has lyrics that are complete gibberish. Her passion and enthusiasm are infectious. Don't be surprised if by the end of the film you want to go out and get a Casio keyboard and hand-whisk and start recording homespun hits in your living room.

Shot mostly on Super-8 and 16mm film, Grandma Lo-Fi uses charming lo-fi animation and a delightfully quirky visual style to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman and her irrepressible creative drive.

In other Rooftop Films music documentary news, the PS 22 Chorus documentary Once in a Lullaby will screen for free at Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George (home of the Staten Island Yankees) in PS 22's home borough of Staten Island on August 14. (More info here.)

If you haven't heard about this film about internet sensations and Oscar performers -- a big hit at the Tribeca Film Festival (where it premiered) -- here's the synopsis:

Public School 22 in NYC has more than just an amazing chorus, they have an amazing story. These 5th graders went from performing in their school auditorium on Staten Island to closing the show at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards! It all started when their dynamic and caring teacher Gregg Breinberg starting posting videos of their performances on YouTube. The videos went viral captivating viewers from your house to the White House (where they performed for President Obama) with the students' pure love of music. Celebrities and Indie Rockers alike started flocking to the elementary school to visit and perform. Then, at their annual Christmas concert they got a surprise visit from Oscar Co-Host Anne Hathaway who invited them to perform at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. With unprecedented access our crew follows them from the hallways and streets of Staten Island to the Red Carpet and backstage at the Kodak Theater for their big Oscar performance. Back stage drama combines with homesickness as the 10 year olds navigate the world of the entertainment elite. The drama culminates when the chorus director and the producer of the Oscars broadcast clash over creative differences and half the chorus looses their voices screaming at Disney the day before the big show. This documentary is an inspiring feel-good story that shows us children have a lot to teach about music, and that a talented teacher can teach his students the most important lesson of all; within themselves is the power to do anything.

Trailers for both Grandma Lo-Fi and Once in a Lullaby are below.

Continue reading "Rooftop Films news: 'Grandma Lo-Fi' screening this Saturday; PS 22 doc screens for free in Staten Island (also at IFC Center)"

The LCD Soundsystem concert film/documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits makes its one-night national theatrical run on July 18. Screenings on that date are sold out in NYC except for the recently-added 9:30 screening at Clearview Chelsea, and you can grab tickets for a recently added screening happening at Sunshine at 10pm on July 26.

The film's official NYC premiere, however, is Tuesday, July 10 and you can't buy tickets to that, but we've got two pair of tickets to give away to this invite-only event. The premiere happens at 7:30 and winners will receive theater location.

Details on how to enter are below, along with a list of all theaters showing the flick.

Continue reading "win tickets to the NYC premiere of LCD Soundsystem documentary 'Shut Up and Play the Hits'"

As previously posted and tweeted earlier today, the BAM-sponsored, weekly free series of lunchtime live music outside downtown Brooklyn office complex Metrotech - always well curated, continues this afternoon (6/28), somewhat hilariously with a performance by ska-punk legends Fishbone (if you're close by, it's time to take your lunch break!).

The band is currently on a tour that also brings then Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal this weekend. They're back in NYC by July 8th to play two shows at Brooklyn Bowl - an early family show and a late gig with Paranoid Social Club. The late show is part of the CBGB Festival which is also hosting a screening of documentary "Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone" at Anthology Film Archives (individual tickets are on sale).

Fishbone are also on the lineups of Riot Fest Chicago and Bumbershoot this year, and have a lot of other dates scheduled too. They're all listed below...

Continue reading "Fishbone playing free show at noon, CBGB Fest, two shows at Brooklyn Bowl and other dates"

"xxx ALL AGES xxx" The Boston Hardcore Film is a documentary film that explores the early Boston Hardcore music scene from the years 1981 thru 1984. Unlike earlier films that were centered on the members of the bands, this film delves into the social and communal aspects of that particular era. The community, culture, straight edge and DIY (Do it yourself) ethic of the time are all explored in the film. Never before seen archival footage, photographs, interviews and dramatizations make up the body of the film.

Additionally, there will be a DVD release party at Bar Matchless on July 1. The venue will host performances from The F.U.'s (First NYC show in over 25 years!!!), The K.W.E. with special guests Springa (SSD), Jimmy Keough (Stranglehold), Urban Waste, and No Control and the show will take place directly after the noon showing of the film at Nitehawk.

Check out a listing of screenings and a trailer for the film below.

Continue reading "Boston Hardcore doc 'xxx All Ages xxx' screening in NYC; Urban Waste, The F.U. & more playing DVD release party"

Archers of Loaf at Bowery Ballroom in April (more by Joe McCabe)

Archers of Loaf, who were last here in April, are part of this year's 4Knots Festival in July which will be NYC's first chance to see the reunited '90s indie rockers for free since reuniting last year. Before that, the band will head to Canada for both NXNE in Toronto and Sled Island Fest in Calgary. They also just announced a bunch of new dates which are listed below.

In other news, now there's a new Archers of Loaf documentary titled What Did You Expect? that will screen at NXNE, Sled Island... and at the CBGB Festival. The NYC screening will be July 5 at 7:15PM at the Sunshine, followed by a Q&A. Here's the synopsis:

Indie rock icons the Archers of Loaf reunited in 2011, and during the course of their reunion tour played two legendary concerts at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Combining in-your-face concert footage along with rare interviews of the band, this film by director Gorman Bechard documents those concerts, and captures the excitement and explosive energy of what its like to see this extraordinary band perform live.

The new album art and tracklistings for All the Nations Airports and White Trash Heroes are below, along with a list of all Archers of Loaf tour dates, What Did You Expect? screening dates and trailer.

Continue reading "Archers of Loaf documentary screening @ CBGB Fest, NXNE, Sled Island & elsewhere; reissues of final 2 albums due in August"

Descendents at Roseland Ballroom (more by Keith Marlowe)

O worshipers of the mighty ALL...

Nearly two years ago we rolled tape on the first of more than 40 interviews in an attempt to tell the story of not only our favorite band but some of the most over-achieving and under-documented people in music history. So it is with great pride that we present this preview of our upcoming feature-length documentary, FILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALL.

Now, to address the question that has (lovingly) plagued us from the get-go: WHEN CAN WE SEE THE MOVIE ALREADY, YOU JERKS!?... As you well know, the story of this band's 33-year career is vast. And our objective has been to touch on all aspects, diving deeply as often as we could. So when you put that up against the backdrop of four dudes working out of their own pocket during the hours after their "real" jobs have ceased, you can maybe see why this movie wasn't finished in the blink of an eye.
That being said, a commercial release date remains undetermined at this time. We will spend the upcoming months touring the festival circuit and figuring out the best means of distribution. However, until that is decided, we are excited to announce plans to hold public screenings of the movie in select cities across the country later this year, beginning with a premiere in the band's hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado.....

tickets for Descendents at Williamsburg Park go on AEG presale Thursday at 10AM and regular sale on Friday. Password HERE.

Continue reading ""FILMAGE: The Story of DESCENDENTS/ALL" in production"

Like they did at Sundance, Neil Young and Jonathan Demme will have a chat in NYC at 92Y's Kaufmann Concert Hall on Friday, Jun 8, 2012 at 8 pm....

Join rock legend Neil Young in conversation with acclaimed director Jonathan Demme (Married to the Mob, Rachel Getting Married) and see an excerpt from the forthcoming film Neil Young Journeys, their third collaboration, in which Demme follows Young on a road trip to his hometown in Ontario for the last nights of his world concert tour.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse's new album is out June 5th and they've announced an appearance at Outside Lands in August.

Neil Young Journeys is getting a theatrical release June 29 . Watch some videos below...

Continue reading "Neil Young & Jonathan Demme releasing film, chatting about it at Kaufmann Concert Hall"

by BBG

Give Up The Ghost (aka American Nightmare) (more by Stephanie Crumley)

Deathwish have announced their intentions to release a new documentary on the recent Give Up the Ghost/American Nightmare reunion, due via the label "soon". Check out the eleven-minute "trailer" below.

Reminder: GUTG/AN frontman Wes Eisold will play the Guggenheim on Friday (4/27) with Cold Cave as part of a series at the museum. Tickets are still available.

Check out that GUTG Reunion trailer below.

Continue reading "American Nightmare/Give Up The Ghost documentary on the way --- watch the trailer, see Cold Cave @ the Guggenheim"

by Klaus Kinski

Before Hamburger, you have GOT to catch Eddie Pepitone at the Gotham Comedy Club on May 29th. Eddie, who one could argue is the original Brooklyn Vegan (true! Born in Brooklyn, adheres to the Vegan lifestyle) (there's a hamburger vegan joke in here somewhere), released his first ever live album A Great Stillness in December 2011 and it is nothing short of brilliant. Pepitone, also regarded as The Bitter Buddha, is a living legend in the comedy world and has the respect and adoration of just about everyone in the biz. He is even the subject of a hopefully-to-be-screened-in-NYC-and-beyond documentary The Bitter Buddah. Hopefully he'll also do some smaller, more indie rooms around the city during that window of time when he is here for that Gotham show. He simply does not perform in NYC that often, and I urge one and all to see this man dominate. Check out the official teaser for the Bitter Buddah below.

Continue reading "Eddie Pepitone released a live album, is the subject of a documentary, is playing Gotham"

by Bill Pearis

It's a good week for fans of early '70s cult artist Rodriguez, as he plays a rare show at Joe's Pub Wednesday night (4/25), his first visit to NYC since 2009 December 2011 when he opened for Charles Bradley at Bowery Ballroom.

He's here as the acclaimed Rodriguez documentary Searching for Sugar Man, screens at the Tribeca Film Festival this week: tonight (4/24, 9:30PM) at the BMCC Tribeca PAC and then Friday (4/27, 6PM) at the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 7. Tickets are still available to both screenings. The synopsis:

Aspiring '70s folk rock musician Rodriguez never made it big. Despite critical praise, his albums bombed in the U.S., and he faded promptly into obscurity, leaving behind only urban legends of a gruesome onstage suicide. But somehow a bootleg copy of his album made its way to apartheid South Africa, where his antiestablishment message and distinctive sound resonated with the youth protest movement there, making Rodriguez an instant superstar. Decades later, two intrepid fans decide to investigate whatever happened to the mysterious rocker. While initially frustrated by a dearth of leads, they eventually trace his roots to 1970s Detroit and a producer named Mike Theodore, who drops a bombshell that completely changes the nature of their investigation.

Truly stranger than fiction, this story of a Mexican-American folk singer from Detroit and his unforeseen success spans decades and continents, and is aptly unraveled to the soundtrack of Rodriguez' own haunting original songs. Ultimately the fans uncover a convoluted and unbelievable true story of success, obscurity, politics, and the power of music itself.

Other music films in this year Tribeca Film Festival include Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey and a film about John Forte who also played a NYC show in conjunction with his film (at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday).

Click through for clips from Search for Sugar Man plus live performance footage from his 2009 tour.

Continue reading "Rodriguez playing Joe's Pub; documentary 'Searching for Sugar Man' playing in Tribeca Film Fest"

As others in attendance at our free screening of the documentary last week can attest, the new Bob Marley documentary, titled "Marley", is a fine flick worth and one well worth celebrating 4/20 with, so either get to a theater near you showing the film tonight, or watch it online (not free).

Oh, and a bonus for the first 15 people who arrive at the 7pm showing at Sunshine in NYC tonight, a free poster.

by Andrew Sacher

Sun Araw, M. Geddes Gengras, and The Congos - FRKWYS Vol. 9: ICON GIVE THANK

Speaking of Sun Araw (aka Cameron Stallone), he's part of the recently released ninth installment of Brooklyn label RVNG Intl's FRKWYS series, which brings together modern experimental artists and their influential forerunners to collaborate on an album. In the past, we've seen collaborative releases from Julianna Barwick and DNA's Ikue Mori; Daniel Lopatin, James Ferarro, Samuel Godin, and composer David Borden; and Blues Control and Laraaji, among others. The newest release, FRKWYS Vol. 9: ICON GIVE THANK, sees Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras, who were both members of the now-defunct Pocahaunted (whose lineup also included Amanda Brown aka LA Vampires and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast), teaming up with The Congos, who released the dub/reggae classic Heart of the Congos in 1977, produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. That's the artwork above.

The track, "Happy Song," which you can stream below, sounds too modern for a '70s reggae band but too genuinely nostalgic for modern psych experimentalists, and doesn't really fit anywhere in between.

ICON GIVE THANK was released in conjunction with the film, ICON EYE, a film documenting the album's making. That film will be screened as part of the Unsound LABS on Saturday (4/21) at Anthology Film Archives at 1 PM. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Sun Araw's Cameron Stallones, director Tony Lowe, and project producer Matt Werth.

The movie screening is one of at least three Sun Araw events in NYC this weekend, with the first being a full band show at Le Poisson Rouge Friday night (with Pole & Marc McGuire of Emeralds), and the last being the recently-mentioned DJ set with Heat Wave at Glasslands.

Film trailer, streams, album tracklist, and all dates, below...

Continue reading "Sun Araw collaborated w/ The Congos, appearing at 3 events this weekend (including a film screening)"