by Fred Pessaro

Youth Code @ Nothing Changes, 5/15/2013

Los Angeles duo Youth Code played Nothing Changes at Home Sweet Home last night (5/15), their only show in the NYC area. Employing harder than hard EBM that reminded me of Ministry and Nitzer Ebb, the duo danced around their rigs and screamed into microphones while cranking out tunes from their latest demo cassette and their forthcoming LP on DAIS. Hardcore clearly runs through their veins (judging by their membership in Carry On, a Cro-Mags tee, and on stage discussion of the Judge reunion), and it was that high-energy that made their set so compelling despite almost endless gear issues. Check out pictures and video from their set below, along with a stream of their demo available now for pay-whatever on Bandcamp. Recommended.

Embarassingly enough, this was my first trip back to the former grounds of the party known as WIERD (eulogy here), and I don't quite know what I was waiting for. Nothing Changes has similarly good DJs, live bands, smoke machines cranked to 11, and much the same vibe. Change is always good in the long run, but if Nothing Changes can stay with a similar WIERD vibe and I'd be completely content. Upcoming Nothing Changes events include Craow, Outmode, Halves & Thirds on 5/22 and Tempers on 5/2.

More pictures, that stream and  video are below...

Continue reading "Youth Code played Nothing Changes (pics & video)"

Krallice at Saint Vitus in April (more by Fred Pessaro)

Krallice will play an all-ages event at Public Assembly on July 14, joined by support from Vaura, Psalm Zero (mems Extra Life & Castevet) and MV Carbon. The show is the only Krallice show on deck, and the last show in the back room at Public Assembly until the fall due to upcoming renovatiosn. Tickets are on sale.

In related news, Vaura will enter Colin Marston's studio to record the follow-up to their Selenelion LP. Look for that to surface this fall on Profound Lore.

Vaura frontman Josh Strawn has been busy with personal endeavors, Azar Swan and now another new project Vain Warr. The band, the name of which is derived from Milton's Paradise Lost, are preparing to release a pair of songs via Sacrement. Look for the Sanford Parker-mixed Deadline Season to see the light of day this summer.

Azar Swan isn't slouching either, readying a new single for Pendu's Single Series, and scheduling a local show as well, this time with LA goth-electronic band Bestial Mouths. Look for the pair to team up for a show at Glasslands on July 15. Tickets are on sale, and you can stream some Bestial Mouths material below.

Stream fromAzar Swan, Bestial Mouths and Vaura are below.

Continue reading "Krallice playing NYC one-off w/ Vaura & Psalm Zero; Azar Swan playing Glasslands; Vain Warr ready debut"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Though Dangerous Boys Club features members of Heroin, Antioch Arrow and Get Hustle, don't mistake their latest effort, Pris, for another hardcore-centric entry. The release, which features appearances from names like Joe Preston (Thrones, who recently played Saint Vitus), Mark Burden (Litanic Mask) and Kaetlin Kennedy (Lost Lockets), is more of a synth-based, over-driven slab of darkwave that stretches nine tracks across 23 danceable minutes. Look for the witchy album when it releases via Dais Records on April 9. In the meantime, though, blast the fog, turn the lights down low and slither the day away while you stream the record in full below.

DBC has a few live dates in their future, though nothing set for the NYC area thus far. Check out those live dates, listed below.

Continue reading "DBC readies 'Pris' for Dais (stream it in full)"

Rozz Williams

It was fifteen years ago today that Rozz Williams, better known as frontman of Christian Death and Premature Ejaculation, decided to take his own life. One of the last statements that the deathrock pioneer made was the short film Pig, co-directed with Nico B, who last year made a follow-up, 1334. Both films will be screened along with some giveaways on Friday (4/5) at Spectacle Theater in Williamsburg:

Created imminently before and after Rozz Williams's April 1, 1998 suicide, Pig has acquired the hallowed aura of something that seems to exist primarily as rumor. Mostly seen through extremely limited, long out-of-print home video releases, this shot-on-16mm and Super 8 film is now spotlighted by an new 2K restoration. Rather scrubbing away the film's mystique, the sharp transfer enhances the film's inherent grime and grain, taking away nothing from the film's unparallelled ability to inspire awe and revulsion. Williams's industrial soundtrack is more gripping than ever in a new 5.1 surround mix. PIG is now paired with its highly anticipated follow-up 1334, which harrowingly folds past and present, real-life tragedies and imagined histories into a hallucinatory, eschatological exploration of Rozz's suicide.

Head below for a video trailer of the event, and head to the Spectacle's website for more.

Continue reading "Rozz Williams films 'Pig' and '1344' screening in NYC"

In addition to Jeff Wilson's undertakings (pardon the pun) in Wolvhammer and Chrome Waves, the guitarist has announced another new death-rock/gothic project in Liar in Wait. The band, which also features members of Mourner, Iron Thrones and more, have released the first track from their forthcoming EP for Profound Lore, Translations Of The Lost. Stream that below in full.

That EP will be released while Wilson is out on the road with Wolvhammer, part of a trek with Glorior Belli in late May/early June which sponsored by Invisible Oranges. Union Pool gets the look on May 24. Check out the tour flyer below.

Continue reading "Liar in Wait (mems Wolvhammer, Nachtmystium, Mourner) announce new EP (stream a track)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Denton crew Vulgar Fashion wows 'em with the new track "Pact with the Devil," the latest song to emerge from the band's Colin-Marston-produced self-titled debut 10". Due via Handmade Birds on March 19, you can check out that noise-damaged gothic-synth-punk track below for the first time along with another track "Golden Showers" (not an R.Kelly cover)(sorry, couldn't resist).

Handmade Birds honcho R.Loren will join BV/ IO contributors Kim Kelly and Andy O'Connor and yours truly as part of the DJ squad set for the Pitchfork Show No Mercy showcase on 3/13 at Mohawk during SXSW.

Continue reading "Vulgar Fashion welcome new self-titled 10" (stream a track)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Natural Assembly

Natural Assembly's gothic, synth-heavy beats will sit alongside appearances from headliner Alberich, Endless Humiliation and Âmes Sanglantes as part of a show at Saint Vitus tonight (1/11). The appearance is one of only two for the duo (who played Philadelphia's Kung Fu Necktie last night), half of which will also perform as part of power electronics band Cremation Lily. Tickets are still available.

Head below for a stream of Alberich, Natural Assembly and Cremation Lily material...

Continue reading "Natural Assembly teams with Alberich, Cremation Lily and more tonight in NYC (streams)"

Profligate will headline this week's WIERD party, bringing Noah Anthony's John Carpenter-y industrial beats to Home Sweet Home tonight (1/9) alongside a set from Brooklyn's Young Male and DJs Goutroy and Frankie Teardrop. The show is in celebration of the release of the Come Follow Me LP and Videogames 12", both of which hit late last year. Check out a video for one side of the 12" and a stream of the other side below, and get your copy via Not Not Fun. Snag a copy of the LP via Bandcamp (also streaming below).

All Profligate streams plus a stream of a Young Male set from 12/30 are below.

Continue reading "Profligate and Young Male play NYC's WIERD tonight (streams)"

Soft Kill art for "Seven Hundred"

Portland's Soft Kill have started off the new year right with a new album AND a 7" available via Handmade Birds. The former, titled Circle of Trees, dropped on January 3rd and is currently available for purchase via their Bandcamp site (and is streaming below). The new single will be out January 22, is currently available for preorder and sees the gothic post-punk band channelling The Cure on "Current," the B-side on this "Seven Hundred" 7". Stream that below, alongside all of Circle of Trees...

Continue reading "Soft Kill released new LP, new single on the way too (streams)"

photos by Phil Maler

Belgrado @ Acheron, 11/23/2012

Spanish darkwave crew Belgrado played a rare show in NYC last Friday at Acheron (11/23) with Unholy Thoughts, Anasazi and Devil's Hand, part of a close to a larger US tour (Perdition reportedly didn't play).

Pictures of Anasazi and Belgrado from that show are below, along with video of Belgrado's set, as well as streams of Belgrado's latest 7" and 2011 long-player.

Continue reading "Belgrado played Acheron with Anasazi (pics, video)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Night Sins

Though the band passed through these parts a few weeks ago with the similarly great Nothing (who have a new LP and play A389), Philadelphia darkwavers Night Sins (mems Salvation/Mother of Mercy who also have a new LP) will play the Rituals party at K&M tonight (11/29 at 225 N.8 St) alongside an appearance from fellow Philly band Hot Guts. The party is FREE.

Speaking of Nothing, the band recently released a video for "Downward Years To Come" and you can check that out below.

Continue reading "Night Sins and Hot Guts play Rituals party in NYC tonight; Nothing releases new video"

King Dude at Home Sweet Home, April 2012 (more by Phil Maler)

In addition to a recently acquired opening slot for Psychic TV on 12/7 at Europa (tickets), King Dude has also added a headlining show of his own at Union Pool on 12/9 with Cult of Youth. No word on advance tickets just yet. The show is part of a string of dates for the gothic crooner, who will play select cities on the eastern seaboard, as well as a stop in Chicago a month before his other stop in Chicago. Full tour dates are listed below.

King Dude recently released Burning Daylight which you can order a copy of at bandcamp and stream in full below.

Continue reading "King Dude touring, playing Union Pool w/ Cult of Youth (dates)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Slug Guts, not Sisters of Mercy, @ Home Sweet Home, 10/17/2012

Post-punk maniacs Slug Guts joined headliner Cult of Youth with Soren (of Rosenkopf) for an appearance at the hazy, fog-dense basement of Home Sweet Home for the WIERD party last night (10/17), the first of three area appearances. Though Cult of Youth and Soren both ripped excellent sets, Slug Guts were mesmerizing in the tiny space, packing it to the gills.

If you missed the Australian band, make sure and catch them at either The Acheron on Friday (10/19) with Pop 1280 and Vaz or at the Life or Death showcase at 92Y Tribeca on Saturday (10/20).

More pictures from last night's WIERD are below.

Continue reading "Slug Guts played WIERD with Cult of Youth and Soren of Rosenkopf (pics)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

As discussed, gothic post-punk crew Night Sins (mems of Salvation, Mother of Mercy) are out on the road with A389 signees Nothing, logging their first date on the road last night as part of their joint tour together. Much like Nothing, Night Sins are also proudly welcoming a new baby, the New Grave LP freshly birthed via Avant! Records. Check out the video for "Playing Dead" and the track "Wild Eyes," is making its debut here.

All streams and tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Night Sins released 'New Grave' & are on tour (dates, streams)"

While we patiently await the arrival of Australia's Kirin J. Callinan to the US during/around CMJ, the spacey, gothic post-punk guitarist has graciously dropped off a new mixtapes of jams to peruse. Spanning thirteen tracks, check out that mixtape for the first time below.

Since we posted about him last, Kirin has added a few NYC shows while here for CMJ. He'll play a live taping of "ESP TV" at Interstate Projects on Saturday (10/13) with Narcissister, Black Marble, Haribo, and Paul Haney.

Then during CMJ, he'll play the Terrible Records CMJ Party with LE1F, True and Regal Degal at Glasslands on 10/16 (tickets); and another Terrible Records party at Shea Stadium on 10/18 with Mirror Mirror, Regal Degal and New Look which is $8 and all-ages.

Then on Monday, October 22 he'll play Bowery Electric with Jack Ladder And The Dreamlanders, Kirin J Callinan, Plastic Flowers, The Dreebs, and Arc & Stones.

Mixtape stream and those dates in list form are below.

Continue reading "Kirin J Callinan releases mixtape of new material, adds NYC shows (dates, stream)"

Chelsea Wolfe at Highline Ballroom, Aug 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

Chelsea Wolfe is back with Unknown Rooms, hew new LP out one week from today (10/16) via Sargent House. The collection of acoustic songs is streaming in full below, alongside a recent video.

So far tour dates for Chelsea and her band are few here in the states, mostly on her side of the country (West Coast), but you can check out all listed dates (mostly in Japan and Australia), alongside that stream, below.

Continue reading "stream Chelsea Wolfe's new LP, 'Unknown Rooms'"

DOWNLOAD: Heavenly Beat - "Messiah" (MP3)

Xeno and Oaklander at BV-CMJ 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Brooklyn synth goths Xeno and Oaklander have an upcoming local show this week at Public Assembly on Friday (5/11) with Frank (Just Frank), and DJ sets by Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J, CREEP and Todd Pendu. (There's also an open Asahi beer bar at 9:30.) Tickets are still available.

Next month, the band will head to Austin for Chaos in Tejas, and upon returning home, they'll play another NYC show at The Studio at Webster Hall on June 11 with fellow goths Plastic Flowers and Religious to Damn and fellow electronic artist Autre Ne Veut. Tickets are on sale now. The flier for this show is below.

In related news, Martial Canterel (aka Sean McBride aka 1/2 of Xeno and Oaklander) is opening for Iceage at LPR on 7/22 with Dirty Beaches and RØSENKØPF. Tickets are still available

RØSENKØPF also plays Glasslands with King Dude soon, in celebration of a new record. That record has a song called "Light The Way" which has a video which you can watch below.

In addition to DJing the Friday Public Assembly show, David J is also DJing tonight (5/10) at Elmurst club Arena Queens. Besides his gigs in Bauhaus and Love & Rockets (and Porno for Pyros and The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy), David J has a long solo career as well, having released his eighth album, Not Long for This World, last year on Starry Records. You can stream some of it here.

In more related news, Plastic Flowers have a NYC show coming up at Glasslands on July 10 with Captured Tracks bands Cosmetics and Beach Fossils side project Heavenly Beat (who has a new song out, download above), and Psychobuildings. Tickets are on sale now.

Speaking of both Cosmetics and Dirty Beaches, Exclaim points out that Montreal's Grand Trine have broken up and member Shubhayan Roy has joined Dirty Beaches while Tobias Rochman has joined Cosmetics.

All dates, stream, and flier below...

Continue reading "more Xeno & Oaklander dates; Autre Ne Veut; David J the DJ; new Heavenly Beat MP3 & a RØSENKØPF video too"

DOWNLOAD: Living Things - Oxygen (MP3)

Dee Dee?? (Living Things @ Highline / more by Leia Jospe)

St. Louis garage rockers Living Things are about to appear as one of their hero bands, the Ramones in the now-filming The Runaways, the biopic about the groundbreaking 70's all-girl hard rock group led by Joan Jett. Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame plays Jett, with Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon as the band's "Svengali" Kim Fowley...Living Things have already recorded a cover of "We're A Happy Family."

In addition to having a useful resemblance in attitude to the punk progenitors, the band has a direct line into the production - singer Lillian Berlin is the husband of the film's writer and director Floria Sigismondi.

In other movie news, the The Sun UK reports that "drug-guzzling shock-rocker" Marilyn Manson will be filming a musical, "Goth-inspired" version of Cinderella with Harry Potter's Emma Watson. 500 Days of Summer, starring She of She & Him, has an indie rock soundtrack that includes Feist, The Black Lips, and She & Him. Funny People, in addition to featuring characters wearing indie rock t-shirts, also has an indie-friendly soundtrack. Oh, and Patton Oswalt is a Big Fan.

A pic from the set of The Runaways movie, with Living Things tour dates, and some trailers, below...

Continue reading "a film about The Runaways starring Living Things as The Ramones + Marilyn Manson in Cinderella & other movie news"

"Secret Cover Tour '09: To coincide with the staggered release of 4 single covers, the Secret Cover Tour will include a preview of new material from Peter's forthcoming album (to be announced in the near future). More touring is planned to follow U.S. & Europe." - [Peter Murphy]

"He only played a few songs from his solo back catalog, so if you are expecting another greatest hits tour, this isn't it. But I have heard those songs before many times so for me it is much more exciting to hear new songs. Especially when they sound this good!" - [strangelets in San Francisco]

"Tonights show was great! all except the venur security who did not want us to tak esetlists home as mementos. Sorry if you guys planned to reuse them. We always print nw ones out. Never in my life have I had my arm pulled behind my back to the point of snapping and ushered out without putting up a fight and then thrown out. All I wanted was a memento to remember the show by." - [Steve Lane in Portland]

Continue reading "Peter Murphy is in NYC ----- updated Secret Cover tour dates "

Tickets are now on "Citi Cardmember Presale" for 2 NYC Peter Murphy shows at Blender Theater (June 26 & 27). Tickets are also on sale or going on sale for a bunch of other U.S. dates.

Bauhaus have a new album out.

Love and Rockets are playing Lollapalooza and Coachella with Prince. All dates below.....

Continue reading "Peter Murphy tour dates (presale), Love & Rockets playing festivals, & a new Bauhaus album"

Goth Ditto

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has vowed to stop reporting on artists signed to SonyBMG after the record label issued a lawsuit against the gossip website.

Writing on his website, Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, said that artists such as Justin Timberlake, Adele and The Gossip were now considered "dead to us".

"These are some of our favourite musicians," he said.

"It really, truly pains us not to talk about them. But, it is something we have to do!" [Gigwise]