by CD

Collective Hardware is a DIY space on the east side of the Bowery just below Delancey. It's a cavernous, long room with a stage at one end and a folding table with drinks for sale at the other end. In other words, the perfect place for Oxford Collapse to play their final show.

The Beets and longtime Oxford Collapse pals CaUSE Co-MOTION played fun, frenetic sets ahead of the headliners, who took the stage shortly after midnight. The band, noted Back To The Future fans, used that movie's orchestral theme as their entrance and exit music.

The lengthy, twenty-plus song set spanned the trio's career. A shortened cover of Neil Young's "Powderfinger" gave way to "Please Visit Your National Parks." Former bassist Mike Henry joined for several songs. Dave Weston of Pennsylvania punk band Weston was invited onstage, where he performed one of his own band's songs with the Oxford Collapse as his backing band. Near the end, guitarist Mike Pace announced "Blues riff in B, watch me for the changes, and try to keep up," yet another Back To The Future reference before launching into an energetic double cover of "Johnny B. Goode" and Jim Carroll's "People Who Died," which featured the band switching between songs after alternating verse/chorus combinations.

The final song of the night was Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days." Fans sang along and many jumped onstage before the song devolved into a distorted, messy end. The Oxford Collapse said thank you and goodbye, and then they were gone.

--

One night earlier Oxford Collapse played a show with Frightened Rabbit at Maxwell's. A picture of the Collective Hardware setlist, and some videos from the show, below...

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse played its final show @ Collective Hardware"

photos by Tim Griffin

Frightened Rabbit @ the Siren Festival

"Before starting their encore, Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit admitted to the crowd, "We had such a crazy year of touring last year that it was like 'Oh fuck, touring again?' But you guys have changed our mind tonight." It was clear that he was being sincere. The sold out crowd at Maxwell's in Hoboken (7/17) was a rabid one. They cheered loudly after each song, listened intently to most, and sang along to a few. The band grew more comfortable as the set went on despite how hot the room got." [Blackraptor]

07.17 - Hoboken, N.J. @ Maxwells
07.18 - Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Siren Festival
07.19 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge w/ Headlights
07.19 - Chicago, Ill. @ Pitchfork Festival

Continue reading "Frightened Rabbit played the Siren Fest, Pitchfork & Maxwell's w/ Oxford Collapse (pics, setlists & video)"

photos by Tim Griffin

DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - Last American Virgin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - The Boys Go Home (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - Proofreading (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - Celebrity Art Party (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - Back in Com Again (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - The Money You Have Is Maybe Too Little (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - If It Dies in Peoria Then Who The Hell Cares? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - Grasses of Anne (MP3)

"Hey guys,

The venue for our last show has been moved to COLLECTIVE HARDWARE, 169 Bowery. Everything else stays the same. Hope to see yinz there! -Oxford Collapse

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse final show update ++ Pianos CMJ pics & MP3s"

Oxford Collapse @ Prospect Park (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Oxford Collapse announced on June 22nd that they are breaking up...

Hey friends,
After eight years, 450 shows, and four albums, we've decided that we've reached the end of the line. To paraphrase the Grateful Dead, "what a long, strange, eye-opening, stomach-bursting, heart-breaking, bittersweet, educational, enlightening, mind-numbing, 'why-are-we-doing-this-shit?'/'who-gets-to-do-this-shit?,' absurd, amazing trip it's been." To paraphrase another sage poet, "you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em." To quote G. G. Allin, "life sucks, scum fuc."

The band's final two shows will be July 17th at Maxwell's with Frightened Rabbit (already sold out) and July 18th at Under the Tracks (508 W. 25th St) with CaUSE co-MOTION!, The Beets and Rape Excape (aka The Great Excape who are reuniting for the Woodsist Fest on July 4th) (and promised special guests as well). We're not exactly sure what the venue is like, but the band writes "Don't worry about advance tix - this place is huge!"

UPDATE: The final show has moved to COLLECTIVE HARDWARE @ 169 Bowery

Full details and more of the band's goodbye note, below...

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse breaking up - final 2 show details (NJ & NYC)"

The Muslims aka The Soft Pack @ MHOW (more by Zach Dilgard)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Eugene Mirman @ COMIX
* Andrew Dice Clay @ Nokia
* Lil Wayne @ Nassau Coliseum
* nothing @ Zipper Factory
* Ida Maria @ Union Hall
* Jonah Smith & Luke Temple @ (le) poisson rouge
* The Raveonettes, Zaza and Nickel Eye @ Webster Hall
* Barghest, SpaceCamp & Big Honey Mama @ Zebulon
* The Fluid, The King Left & The Overcasters @ Maxwell's
* Future Islands, Anamanaguchi & Steve Moore @ Connelly's
* The Soft Pack, The Browns & Those Darlins @ Mercury Lounge
* The Rosebuds, The Love Language & Max Tundra @ Bowery Ballroom
* School of Seven Bells, Free Blood & The Juan Maclean @ (le) poisson rouge
* Infinity Window, Carlos Giffoni, Okkyung Lee, Sick Llama & Treetops @ 92YTribeca

Today is also Free Friday at the MoMA.

Nick Valensi of The Strokes was born today in 1981. Maybe he'll celebrate his birthday at Nikolai's show at Webster Hall.

Max Tundra also plays (le) poisson rouge tomorrow.

Eugene Mirman plays Comix again tomorrow.

The Fluid also play Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow, with Jemina Pearl.

Oxford Collapse's new video for "Young Love Delivers" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

Akron/Family played the final song at the Knitting Factory (Josh Haner/The NY Times)

"It was a particularly cacophonous performance of "Auld Lang Syne." But for the Knitting Factory's last night in Manhattan, it was appropriate, as the shaggy avant-folk group Akron/Family led a version of the Scots New Year's hymn on Wednesday night that mutated from a simple singalong to screeching feedback to a meditative one-note drone." [NY TIMES]

• Jan 09 - Bear Hands, Holy Hail, Atarah Valentine & Statehood
• Jan 24 - Oxford Collapse, Suckers & Real Estate

Leonard Street, 3-floor location, RIP.

Browse the archives for memories. Leave yours in the comments.

Video from the Cro-Mags show there on Sunday, below...

Continue reading "Knitting Factory (Tribeca), RIP"

Portastatic @ Sled Island 2008 (more by Rae Holtsabum)


It's the "CMJ Artist Lounge at Red Bull Space Presented By Paste, KCRW.com, and indie outlaw." Open to CMJ artist badges all day. Free to the public at night. Band schedule and flyer below...

Continue reading "free 2008 CMJ 'Artist Lounge' shows @ the Red Bull Space"

Friday October 24, 2008 @ Pianos in NYC

Upstairs room:
Pretty & Nice 8:00 - 8:30 pm
The Coathangers 8:45- 9:15pm

Downstairs room:
Cotton Jones: 8:30-9:00pm
Death Vessel: 9:15pm-9:45pm
Dutchess and the Duke: 10:00pm-10:30pm
sBACH: 10:45pm- 11:15pm
Oxford Collapse: 11:30-12am
The Ruby Suns: 12:15am-12:45am

Sub Pop has Death Vessel, Oxford Collapse and The Ruby Suns.

Pretty & Nice and Dutchess and the Duke represent Sub Pop's sister label Hardly Art who now represents six artists in total including Le Loup who are opening for Stereolab at Irving Plaza on October 4th.

sBACH (member of Hella), Cotton Jones (ex-Page France) and The Coathangers (friends with the Black Lips) are reppin' Suicide Squeeze. The Coathangers signing was announced September 4th. Cotton Jones was announced in August.

Sub Pop usually does a sell-out show at the larger Bowery Ballroom, so they're definitely taking it easy this year. Merge's is small too.

Check out the Pianos flyer below...

Continue reading "Sub Pop, Suicide Squeeze, Hardly Art, CMJ 2008"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Oxford Collapse play a free acoustic show at Sound Fix in Brooklyn tonight (August 17). Oxford Collapse play a record release show on August 21st at Glasslands. Then they go on a pretty big tour that gets them back home and in NYC and playing Mercury Lounge (with Takka Takka) on September 27th. All tour dates, more info, and more pictures from the show they recently played with We Are Scientists at Bowery Ballroom, below...

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse - Bowery pics, 2008 Tour Dates (tonight, etc)"

DOWNLOAD: Oxford Collapse - The Birthday Wars (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Death Vessel - Bruno's Torso (MP3)

Death Vessel


Oxford Collapse's new Sub Pop album "Bits" is out August 5th. Oxford Collapse have three NYC shows coming up including one tonight.

Death Vessel's new Sub Pop album "Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us" is out August 19th. Death Vessel played a show in NYC last night and has two more scheduled for the future.

Oxford Collapse actually have three NYC shows coming up. The first is this Wednesday at Southpaw with their tour partners Frightened Rabbit. The second and third are with their old friends and future tour partners We Are Scientists. All dates below....

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse - 2008 Tour Dates (w/ FR & WAS)"

Frightened Rabbit can't get enough of NYC. They added some U.S. dates before their previously announced tour with French Kicks and one of the new shows is May 27th at Pianos (Tickets are on sale). All dates - including some with Oxford Collapse - below....

Continue reading "Frightened Rabbit add more 2008 Tour Dates (like @ Pianos)"

DOWNLOAD: The Narrator - SurfJew (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Narrator - Start Parking (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Narrator - Pregnant Boys (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Narrator - This Party's Over (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Narrator - We Call Police (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Narrator - The Cavaliers (MP3)

The Narrator

The Narrator are breaking up and their last show ever will take place at the Red Door in NYC THIS SATURDAY (May 10, 2008). Oxford Collapse are also on the $8.00 bill, and they describe it like this....

Continue reading "The Narrator's last show ever is Saturday in NYC"

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse - new album (soon), Tour Dates (TONIGHT)"

DOWNLOAD: Pylon - Cool (live @ Little Kings - Apr 4, 2007) (MP3) (via)

Pylon @ Earl Club, Atlanta, GA - Nov 1, 2007 (CRED)

Oxford Collapse sent out this message about tonight's Brooklyn show...

Subject: we play with PYLON!

dudez,

normally we're not all like, "come to our show" but this one is different, tomorrow, Thursday, Nov - 8, we play with one of our all time favorite bands, Athens GA's own PYLON! We're psyched to be sharing the stage with these sweet southern folks! It should be an all around awesome night, Free Blood is playing and Hugo from Gang of 4 is going to play records!

DO NOT MISS!

THURSDAY, NOV. 8TH
WILLIAMSBURG MUSIC HALL (????? - VOMIT) (OLD NORTH SIX)

PYLON
OXFORD COLLAPSE
FREE BLOOD
DJS ANDREW BUTLER AND HUGO BURNHAM
9PM, $12/$14 DAY OF SHOW

PS. dont forget your snapcase tixxxxxx!

...Pylon may not have made an album since 1990's Chain, but it was apparent they've still got the chops. Drummer Curtis Crowe and bassist Michael Lachowski, in particular, don't seem to have missed in beat -- nothing sluggish or sloppy about their playing. And Randall Bewley's wiry guitar lines still sound fresh. In fact, Pylon felt more of the moment than nine-tenths of the bands who have been aping post punk sounds since it came back in fashion five years ago.... [Sound Bites]

Before there was the "next Seattle" craze that led the music industry drooling in the direction of Chapel Hill, there was Athens, Ga. And before Athens' R.E.M. became a household acronym, there was R.E.M.'s favorite band, Pylon. [Independent Weekly]

Tien Mao brings us these photos from Sunday's (7/22) free show @ McCarren Pool...

Oxford Collapse

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse, Annuals & Band of Horses @ McCarren Pool"

DOWNLOAD: Menomena - Wet and Rusting (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Menomena - Let's All Unite! (MP3)

Menomena @ South Street Seaport, NYC- July 13, 2007 (CRED)

One obvious limitation we faced when booking the Citysol show was that we couldn't have any bands that were already locked in to play the Pitchfork Festival happening the same weekiend in Chicago. It meant we couldn't get local favorites like Professor Murder and Oxford Collapse on the bill, and though Gza really wanted to perform Liquid Swords while overlooking the East River, he just couldn't get out of his prior obligation (I kid). One band sort of did play both though - that's because the South Street Seaport portion of Citysol was Friday night and Menomena weren't playing the Pitchfork Fest until Sunday.

Menomena @ Pitchfork Festival 2007, Chicago - July 15, 2007 (CRED)

Though I was running around a lot, what I heard of Menomena at the Seaport sounded great. I obviously wasn't at Pitchfork, but Metromix says Menomena's set there was "significantly weakened by poor sound". Also on Pitchfork - The Daily Heave says that "Professor Murder really did try, but sadly was stuck on the third stage of doom", and Rachel reports that she likes Oxford Collapse "more than mastadons but they stuck the oxford collapse in the weird little fenced off corner stage area and I was NOT going back there.".......

Oxford Collapse are playing McCarren Pool this Sunday (7/22) with Annuals and Band of Horses.

Much like looking at the schedule of free stuff going on today for "Make Music New York", I totally procrastinated posting these pictures of Best Fwends playing my show at the Red Scoot Inn during SXSW (March 15, 2007)....

I can't say exactly why, but I loved them. They hit play on an iPod or something, and then jump around like maniacs singing to the songs they wrote. They look and act nuts, and they're really a lot of fun unless you don't think they're fun like my own best fwend who was standing next to me at the show and thought they were like Beavis & Butthead (in a bad way), and was pretty much embarrassed for herself to even be standing there in front of them at all. I wished they kept playing after they stopped.

VICE also had some not-nice stuff to say about them, but Gorilla Vs. Bear has been known to say nice things on their behalf.

So, maybe you'll love them, or maybe you'll hate them, but either way you can find out for free if you happen to be in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn today (June 21, 2007) when they play an incredible free show w/ the incredible Oxford Collapse (also BV show veterans), and Cheeseburger - who I'll even admit to liking sometimes.

More pics & info & tour dates & videos below...

Continue reading "Oxford Collapse, Cheeseburger & BEST FWENDS - the best free show today? (+ pics from SXSW) & TOUR DATES"

DOWNLOAD: Antelope - Mirroring (MP3)

About Waterfront Preservation Alliance

WPA is a neighborhood-based organization that has been working for the past year to identify and designate historic structures in north Brooklyn. Greenpoint & Williamsburg are undergoing major changes that will dramatically change the face of our neighborhoods. As we move forward into the future of Greenpoint & Williamsburg, our aim is to ensure that vital connections to the past are retained, through the preservation, reuse and rehabilitation of the historic buildings that define the character of our neighborhood.

Among the significant resources identified by MAS, the following are among the most architecturally and historically significant:

* Domino Sugar refinery buildings (Kent Ave.)
* Eberhard Faber Pencil factory buildings (Greenpoint Ave & Kent)
* McCarren Park Pool Center (Lorimer St.)
* Matchett Candy Factory building (390 Wythe)
* Weidmann Cooperage (75 North 11th)
* Rokeach & Sons Building (240 Wythe)
* Old Dutch Mustard Co. (80 Metropolitan)
* Harte & Co. Building (280 Franklin St.)
* 143 Roebling Street
* 55 Hope Street

Continue reading "Waterfront Preservation Alliance benefit - Antelope, Oxford Collapse, Rahim"

I just want to thank "writer, performer, musican", illusionist, stripper, contortionist Dave Hill again for being an awesome host at the first two BrooklynVegan CMJish day shows last week. Check out an interview he did for Gothamist on Monday.

DAVE HILL & BV FLYERS - UPSTAIRS @ FONTANA'S, NYC | NOV 3, 2006

It's hard to have to speak, let alone do comedy, at a rock show, and (strangely) Dave handled it like a pro. He was even graceful when bands like Forward Russia! and CSS failed to acknowledge his announced presence at the foot of the stage - they began their sets before he could say anything (not their fault really).

I was always running around, so I didn't catch all of his bits over the course of the two days, but I was luckily there Friday for the hilarious exchange he had with Edmonton rapper and Canada's fifth hottest band Cadence Weapon downstairs at Fontana's. Stereogum heard it too.

CADENCE WEAPON & DJ OUTSIDE FONTANA'S, NYC | NOV 3, 2006

Cadence Weapon played at Fontana's before Oxford Collapse who played before the Thermals. I took the above picture after he played, and after Dave Hill was done abusing him, and before he and his DJ took off to soundcheck for their gig later that night at Mercury Lounge.

Previously
A picture of Dave Hill & flyers @ Pianos
8 MP3s from the Friday show
Cadence Weapon | Canadian Hip Hop - MP3s

DOWNLOAD: The Thermals - How We Know (MP3)

NYC had been anxiously awaiting the return of the Thermals, and the Thermals finally delivered with not one or two, but three NYC shows in two CMJ days. All three shows were well attended, well played (or so they say), well reviewed, and much appreciated.

THE THERMALS @ FONTANAS, NYC | NOV 3, 2006

And I know not one or two, but at least three people that attended (or tried to attend) all three shows - we were especially hungry for the band from Portland - especially since they skipped NYC on their most recent tour with Cursive because....they had a wedding to attend back home. All is forgiven though, and all will be even better after the Thermals come back some time in the first half of 2007 during their first headlining tour (dates TBA) since releasing one of 2006's best (or so they say), but not much talked-about, albums.

"When social hour ended, we went upstairs where we were treated to insanely good performances from CSS, The Thermals, The Album Leaf, and the perennially wonderful boys from Portland known as (guess….) The Shins." [Loudersoft @ Bowery]

"Punk-rockers the Thermals sweated buckets and stayed biblical with an aggressive, exhilarating set at Sub Pop's Bowery Ballroom showcase." [SPIN]

"The Portland pop-punk trio, augmented by second guitarist Joel Burrows, blazed through the most electrifying set I've ever seen them play, making up for various technical snafus with atomic amounts of energy. Bassist Kathy Foster bounced around the stage in a riot grrrl-era dress, while singer/guitarist Hutch Harris took advantage of Burrows to unleash his inner showman, gesticulating wildly and sweating up a storm." [Pitchfork @ Bowery]

"Brooklyn Vegan Day-time show with Cadence Weapon (meh), Oxford Collapse (rad), and The Thermals (soo rad! heart! heart! heart!)." [Pavla @ Fontana's]

"Of course the older songs inspired some serious sing-alongs and fist-pumping. Hot." [Sub-inev @ Fontana's]

"The first full act I saw was The Thermals. By the time the Portland act came on, Studio B was completely packed." [Music slut]

"Best Set - The Thermals @ Studio B" [Battering Room]

"The Thermals played a great set of good, clean-sounding pop punk. [A Big Big Love @ Studio B]

"The Thermals were amazing and people were going absolutely nuts for them!" [The Likely Broads @ Studio B]

"The Thermals from Portland, OR will probably become a well-known indie rock band in a few months ... if not already" [Music Snobbery @ Studio B]

Continue reading "The Thermals @ Fontana's (BrooklynVegan day show), NYC | pics & more CMJ reviews"

MP3s to DOWNLOAD
1) The Mugs - Firm Ground (via)
2) Lo Fi Fnk - The Boxer
3) Forward Russia - Nine
4) The Changes - Such a Scene (via)
5) Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything
6) Cadence Weapon - Black Hand
7) Oxford Collapse - Please Visit Your National Parks
8) The Thermals - How We Know

See all of them @ Fontana's this Wednesday.

Previously
7 more MP3s from the Wednesday show
7 MP3s from the Wednesday show

"We Are Scientists is pleased to announce 4 new headlining shows in December with special guests The Grates and Oxford Collapse."

WAS | 2006 TOUR DATES
Dec 7 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs (18+)
Dec 9 - Brooklyn, NY @ Northsix (16+)
Dec 10 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Dec 12 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat

Tickets are on presale (thx all).

Previously
Oxford Collapse playing free BV show
Arctic Monkeys & We Are Scientists @ Roseland, NYC | pics
The Grates @ Mercury Lounge, NYC | pics

This is it - the fourth and final BrooklynVegan day show lineup announcement (unless you include DJs which are still in the works). This show is at Fontana's - located in NYC's Lower East Side - from noon-5:30pm on Friday November 3rd, 2006. And here is the lineup:

* The Thermals
* Oxford Collapse (pics)
* Cadence Weapon (info)
* Forward Russia! (pics)
* Chin Up Chin Up (pics)
* The Changes (pics)
* Lo Fi Fnk (info)
* The Mugs (info)

This is another FREE during-CMJ show brought to you by BrooklynVegan - @ Fontana's - no CMJ badge required. Still working out all the details - like free food and alcohol and if it makes sense to make you RSVP. (21+ - sorry)

The bands are playing in Fontana's cozy basement. There will be DJ's playing in the huge upstairs area (TBA).

----

This is one of three Thermals show during CMJ this year. The first is Thursday night at Bowery Ballroom during the sold-out Sub Pop showcase (though some badges will get in). The second is this BV show (Thermals go on at roughly 4:45, but due to capacity limitations you'll probably need to get there much earlier if you want to see them). And the third is later the same Friday night (Nov 3rd) --- ProductShop NYC presents The Thermals, Horrors, Birdmonster, Sam Champion, and Ra Ra Riot @ Studio B in Brooklyn.

----

This show has partially been made possible by Guitar World magazine and Rounder Records.

WANNA BE LISTED HERE AND EVERYWHERE? Contact me.

----

Stay tuned for more info. like set times and who will be serving the (hopefully) free beer (for you to drink at noon).

Previously
during-CMJ Wednesday day show @ Pianos (upstairs) - lineup
during-CMJ Saturday day show @ The Annex - lineup
during-CMJ Wednesday day show (main stage) lineup
BrooklynVegan during-CMJ shows coming

DOWNLOAD: Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Everything (new MP3)

"Chin Up Chin Up's new album on Suicide Squeeze will drop October 10, 2006 and the band will hit the road with Cursive in October." Before and after the Cursive/Thermals dates, Chin Up will play a lot of shows with Sub Pop's Oxford Collapse who will play even more shows while Chin Up's busy with Cursive. All dates below...

Continue reading "Chin Up Chin Up & Oxford Collapse | 2006 Tour Dates"