2812
TIMOTHY S. GRIFFIN

Wild Beasts, Morning Benders, Patrick Bower, Toro y Moi, Hospitality, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, more in This Week in Indie

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Toro Y Moi – Blessa (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Patrick Bower – The Dark Lord of Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Morning Benders – Promises (MP3)

Wild Beasts @ Union Pool in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)
Wild Beasts

Of all the things going on this week — and there is no shortage of options as usual — my number one pick would be for you to see Wild Beasts, who are on tour and play Bowery Ballroom on Friday (2/26, sold out) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday (2/28) Tickets still available for the Brooklyn show and we have a pair to giveaway. Details at the bottom of this post.

Their second album, Two Dancers, was my favorite album of 2009 and I still hear some new and amazing little detail every time I listen to it. I went to all three of their New York shows last September, all of which were great. The fluid interplay between the band is something to behold — a real case of four people working as one mesmerizing whole. And those who still haven’t gotten used to their vocal style, I say go see them live and everything makes more sense. Wild Beasts are one of a kind, at the top of their game, and you’re dumb to miss them.

Both shows feature Toronto’s Still Life Still as openers, and Violens will also play the MHoW show. Both openers also head to SXSW in March.

Morning Benders
Morning Benders

The other undeniable show this weekend is Saturday (2/27) at Market Hotel with a line-up that almost dares you not to go: Surfer Blood, Turbo Fruits, Beach Fossils, Grooms and Morning Benders. All bands I’ve written about in this weekly column more than once. Now most of these bands — including out-of-towners Surfer Blood and Turbo Fruits — play here enough that most people have seen them already. Except Morning Benders, recent transplants from San Francisco who have kind of blown up over the last two weeks thanks in part to a great new album, Big Echo (out March 9 on Rough Trade), as well as a killer live performance video (shot for Yours Truly) of the LP’s lead track, “Excuses,” that’s been making the rounds. The version on the album is already pretty lovely, but here, done Phil Spector style with the Big Echo Orchestra (John Vanderslice and Christopher Owens of Girls among them) is pretty special. You can watch it at the bottom of this post, and download the MP3 of “Excuses” from The Morning Benders website for the mere price of your email address. The MP3 for “Promises” is above. Anyway, see them now before the album comes out and they no longer play places like Market Hotel.

… or the Housing Works Bookstore where they’ll play tonight (2/25) with the garagey Shark? and twinkly folkies Cuddle Magic. Max Silvestri hosts. Presented by the Hype Machine, it’s also a CD swap where you can take all those CDs you’ve ripped and trade them for others you don’t have yet. Admission is $5 and at least one CD. Do bring something someone people would want to listen to, and not that CD of your cousin’s ska band, OK?

The Morning Benders also play Mercury Lounge on April 22 (tickets still on sale). All tour dates for the band are at the bottom of this post.

Some more show picks shows by day:

THURSDAY 2/25

Toro Y Moi is playing Cameo Gallery but surprise surprise: Best New Music + 75 person capacity = sold out show. There will be some tickets ($5) available when doors open at 8PM. Twin Sister are also on the bill so if you already have tickets for this, show up early and see them — they’re great. If you don’t make it in, Toro Y Moi rolls back through town on March 26 where he’ll play Brooklyn Bowl with New Zealand’s Ruby Suns. He’ll be at SXSW too. All tour dates for him are at the bottom of this post.

Patrick Bower
Patrick Bower

Patrick Bower and The World Without Magic are likely to play tunes from their new EP, The Dark Lord (of Love), at Bruar Falls. You can download the Scott Walker-esque title track at the top of this post. It’s pretty different than the more beardy folk of his solo work. I dig it. The show’s free and also features country-ish Beau Jennings & The Holy Tulsa Thunder and the delicate orch-folk of Balene.

North Highlands, Dream Diary and Knight School are at Death by Audio. Now is the time to catch North Highlands, who were excellent at Bruar Falls last week and I think will be taking things to the “next level” (whatever that means) soon. Dream Diary are getting really good too, especially if you like Pastels-style indiepop, and Knight School are NYC’s nerdiest, funniest, catchiest, tinniest band.

And at the Bell House there’s laptop shoegaze maestro Ulrich Schnauss who made one of my favorite records of the ’00s, A Strangely Isolated Place, and apparently had a hand in recently coaxing Chapterhouse out of retirement. It’s actually a pretty cool night if you’re into dreamy soundscapes. Also on the bill is Mark Van Hoen who was a founding member of awesome ’90s band Seefeel (seek out 1993’s Quique) and who’s made music under the name Locust since the mid-’90s. Local dreamweavers Luxa open the night.

FRIDAY 2/26

If you weren’t able to squeeze into Cameo on Thursday, Twin Sister play the equally tiny Matchless. As I said recently, they’re probably the best new band I’ve seen in some time. I will say I’m predisposed to like their mix of Stereolab and Sade, but I was wowed when I saw them at Bruar Falls.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow

A Sunny Day in Glasgow are back in NYC, playing  Mercury Lounge (tickets). They’ve got a new EP, Nitetime Rainbows, coming out next week that shows off their more experimental, soundscape-y side. Which side will we get Friday? This is the start of a lengthy tour which of course includes SXSWAcrylics, who I love, are also playing the Mercury Lounge show.

Another chance to see Knight School, this time early on at Bruar Falls with awesomely loud (yet poppy) duo Sisters, sonic manipulator Noveller and the psych punk assault of Lame Drivers. After this show, Sisters hit the road with another Brooklyn duo, Coasting, for the tour heading to SXSW and then join up with Irish band So Cow after the fest. Tour dates are below.

SATURDAY 2/27

Hospitality haven’t played live in at least six months, due mainly to their bass player’s duties in White Rabbits. He won’t be at Bruar Falls on Saturday so we’ll be seeing a slightly different line-up of the band but I’m glad to have them back. Singer Amber Papini is quite the charming singer. They’re opening for Swedish duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums — who are also playing an early show at Mercury Lounge on Friday.

Another local band that hasn’t played in ages: The Hundred in the Hands, whose song “Dressed in Dresden” I listened to a lot last summer. It’s the only song on their Myspace, apart from about 10 different remixes. It’s a good track, but I’m curious to see how many other songs they have. With Glasslands doors at 11 and two other bands on the bill (Ra Ra Rasputin, Esque) it’ll be a late night.

SUNDAY 2/28

Go see Wild Beasts. Seriously.

That’s it for this week. Videos, Wild Beasts contest, and tour dates are after the jump.

Morning Bender

The Morning Benders – Big Echo

The Morning Benders – 2010 Tour Dates
February 25 || Housing Works || New York
February 27 || Market Hotel with Surfer Blood || Brooklyn
March 10th || Jonny Brenda’s || Philadelphia
March 11th || The Black Cat || Washington DC
March 12th || Local 506 || Chapel Hill
March 13th || The Drunken Unicorn || Atlanta
March 15th || The Bottletree || Birmingham
March 23rd || The Rhythm Room || Phoenix
March 25th || Troubadour || Los Angeles
March 26th || Casbah || San Diego
March 27th || Detroit Bar || Costa Mesa
March 28th || Muddy Waters || Santa Barbara
March 30th || The Independent || San Francisco
April 1st || Holocene || Portland
April 2nd || Crocodile Café || Seattle
April 3rd || Media Club || Vancouver
April 5th || Club Velour || Provo
April 7th || Hi-Dive || Denver
April 9th || The Vaudeville Mews || Des Moines
April 10th || The Maintenance Shop || Ames, IA
April 11th || Huckleberry’s Pizza – Presented by Daytrotter || Rock Island, IL
April 12th || Schubas Tavern || Chicago
April 14th || The Drake Hotel || Toronto
April 15th || La Sala Rossa || Montreal
April 16th || The Monkey House || Vermont
April 17th || TT The Bear’s || Boston
April 22nd || The Mercury Lounge || NYC

Toro Y Moi – 2010 Tour Dates
Feb 25 Famous Friends Party @ Cameo Brooklyn, New York
Feb 26 Haverford College-Lunt Basement Harverford, Pennsylvania
Feb 27 Cafe Nola Frederick, Maryland
Mar 5 Bates College (Benjamin Mays Center) w/ Washed Out Portland, Maine
Mar 12 Muddy Waters w/ THE RUBY SUNS Santa Barbara, California
Mar 13 The Loft-UC San Diego w/ THE RUBY SUNS La Jolla, California
Mar 14 Rhythm Room w/ THE RUBY SUNS Phoenix, Arizona
Mar 15 Plush w/ THE RUBY SUNS and EXPLODE INTO COLORS Tuscon, Arizona
Mar 17 The Mohawk w/ THE RUBY SUNS Austin, Texas
Mar 17 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 18 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 19 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 20 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 22 Drunken Unicorn w/ THE RUBY SUNS Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 23 Local 506 w/ THE RUBY SUNS Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 24 Black Cat Backstage w/ THE RUBY SUNS Washington DC, Washington DC
Mar 25 Kung Fu Necktie w/ THE RUBY SUNS Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 26 Brooklyn Bowl w/ THE RUBY SUNS Brooklyn, New York
Mar 27 Middle East Upstairs w/ THE RUBY SUNS Cambridge, Massachusetts
Mar 28 The Monkey House w/ THE RUBY SUNS Winooski, Vermont
Mar 29 Il Motore w/ THE RUBY SUNS Montreal, Quebec
Mar 30 The Drake w/ THE RUBY SUNS Toronto, Ontario
Mar 31 Schubas Tavern w/ THE RUBY SUNS Chicago, Illinois
Apr 2 Turf Club w/ THE RUBY SUNS St. Paul, Minnesota
Apr 3 The Jackpot Saloon w/ THE RUBY SUNS Lawrence, Kansas
Apr 5 Hi Dive w/ THE RUBY SUNS Denver, Colorado
Apr 6 Kilby Court w/ THE RUBY SUNS Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 7 Flying M Coffee w/ THE RUBY SUNS Nampa, Idaho
Apr 8 Chop Suey w/ THE RUBY SUNS Seattle, Washington
Apr 9 Biltmore Cabaret w/ THE RUBY SUNS Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 10 Mississippi Studios w/ THE RUBY SUNS Portland, Oregon
Apr 12 Bottom of the Hill w/ THE RUBY SUNS San FranciscoCA, California
Apr 13 SLO Arts Center 1010 w/ THE RUBY SUNS San Luis Obispo CA, California
Apr 14 Echo w/ THE RUBY SUNS Los Angeles, California
Apr 16 Olde Club – Swarthmore College Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Apr 17 Wrongbar Toronto, Ontario
Apr 24 Eye Level Art Gallery Charleston, South Carolina

A Sunny Day in Glasgow – 2010 Tour Dates
2/26 – New York City, NY – Mercury Lounge
2/27 – Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
2/28 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
3/01 – Columbus, OH – Cafe Bourbon
3/02 – Champaign, IL – Mike N’ Molly’s
3/03 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
3/04 – Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
3/05 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
3/06 – Salt Lake City, UT – Burt’s Tiki Lounge
3/08 – Vancouver, BC – The Media Club
3/09 – Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
3/10 – Portland, OR – Holocene
3/11 – San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern
3/12 – Davis, CA – Technocultural Studies (TCS) Building @ UC Davis
3/13 – Los Angeles, CA – The Mint
3/14 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
3/15 – Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture Gallery
3/17 – Austin, TX SXSW
3/18 – Austin, TX SXSW
3/19 – Austin, TX SXSW
3/20 – Austin, TX SXSW
3/21 – Austin, TX SXSW
3/23 – New Orleans, LA – AllWays Lounge
3/24 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s *
3/25 – Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree *
3/26 – Nashville, TN – The End *
3/27 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor *
3/28 – Washington, DC – DC9
3/29 – Brooklyn, NY – Bell House
3/31 – Boston, MA – Great Scott
4/01 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
4/02 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison
4/03 – Montreal, QC – The Green Room
* w/ Japandroids

Sisters – 2010 Tour Dates
Feb 26 Bruar Falls with NOVELLER, Knight School Brooklyn, New York
Mar 11 The Ox with Coasting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 12 Outerspace with Coating Charleston, South Carolina
Mar 13 Ben’s Bikes with Coasting & Grape Soda Athens, Georgia
Mar 14 Betty’s with Grooms, Coasting, Heavy Cream Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 15 2Midtown with Coasting Memphis, Tennessee
Mar 17 SXSW Impose Showcase at Longbranch Austin, Texas
Mar 18 SXSW Covert Curiosity Showcase Austin, Texas
Mar 19 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 20 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 21 Bro Fest at Double Wide Bar with DUM DUM GIRLS Dallas, Texas
Mar 21 SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 22 The Conservatory with So Cow Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 23 Record Bar with So Cow Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 24 Antartica with So Cow St. Louis, Missouri
Mar 25 Hi Tone with So Cow Memphis, Tennessee
Mar 26 Belafonte with So Cow Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Mar 27 529 with So Cow – King Khan & BBQ afterparty Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 28 Nasty World with So Cow Athens, Georgia
Mar 28 Farm 255 with So Cow Athens, Georgia
Mar 29 Tipsy Teapot with So Cow Greenville, North Carolina
Mar 30 Snug Harbor with So Cow Charlotte, North Carolina

Wild Beasts – We Still Got the Taste Dancin’ on Our Tongues

Wild Beasts – 2010 Tour Dates
Feb 26 Bowery Ballroom – *SOLD OUT* New York, New York
Feb 27 Black Cat Washington, Washington DC
Feb 28 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York
Mar 3 Wedgewood Rooms Portsmouth
Mar 4 KOKO – *SOLD OUT* London
Mar 11 Warwick Uni Warwick
Mar 12 Sixty Million Postcards Bournemouth
Mar 13 Uni Queen’s Hall Leicester
Mar 15 Waterfront Norwich
Mar 16 Phoenix Exeter
Mar 18 Academy 2 Liverpool
Mar 19 Cluny – *SOLD OUT* Newcastle
Mar 20 Academy 2 Manchester
Mar 22 KOKO London
Mar 25 Roisin Dubh Galway
Mar 26 Cyprus Avenue Cork
Mar 27 Academy Dublin
Apr 1 L’autre Canal Nancy
Apr 2 Epicerie Moderne Lyon
Apr 3 Cabaret Aletoire Marseille
Apr 4 Le Ciel Grenoble
Apr 6 Le Romandie Lausanne
Apr 7 Theater Palace St Gallen
Apr 8 Snowbombing Festival Mayrhofen
Apr 9 Locomotiv Bologna
Apr 10 MIT Festival – day TBC Rome
Apr 11 MIT Festival – day TBC Rome
Apr 12 Magnolia Milan
Apr 13Kranhalle Munich
Apr 15 Maroquinerie Paris
Apr 16 Botanique Brussels
Apr 17 Gebaude 9 Cologne
Apr 19 Uebel and Gefarlich Hamburg
Apr 20 Lido Berlin
May 1 Live At Leeds’ Leeds Met Univeristy Leeds
May 22 Stag & Dagger Festival’ ABC Glasgow
May 27 Primavera Festival Barcelona
Jul 17 Lovebox Festival London, Victoria Park


TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO WILD BEASTS @ MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG: email [email protected] (subject: Wild Beasts). Include your first and last name in the email. One winner will be picked randomly and contacted ASAP with instructions. good luck!