Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Los Campesinos, Heavy Times, Brain Idea, Total Control, The Strange Boys and more in This Week in Indie
By Bill Pearis
DOWNLOAD: Heavy Times – Future City (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brain Idea – Oh I’m Free (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Los Campesinos! – By Your Hand (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Strange Boys – Me and You(MP3)
Noel Gallagher
I’m heading to the M for Montreal festival tomorrow which will keep me busy and entertained, but here’s what I’ll be missing this week while I’m there.
Like last night, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are playing tonight (11/15) at the Beacon Theater and there are still (pricey) tickets available for the show. He’ll then head to California for a few shows, and will be back in America in March (no NYC date yet). All Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds tour dates are at the bottom of this post.
As someone who gave up on Oasis about two songs into Be Here Now, I was a bit surprised by how much I like Noel Gallagher’s new album, which debuted at #1 on the UK album charts. While nothing strays very far from his wheelhouse, it sounds like he might have been saving up his best songs for himself. “Aka…What a Life!” is a dancefloor stomper that works surprisingly well, and the songs that revel in pomp and strings sound great loud. It’s a good album. There are videos for “Aka…What a Life!” (featuring, um, Russell Brand) and “If I Had a Gun” at the bottom of this post and Spotify users can listen to the whole album.
Unlike Beady Eye, Noel has no problem playing Oasis songs (he did write them after all) so you’re probably gonna get “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Wonderwall” (and probably some deep cuts) along with the entirety of his new album. Actually, you can look at last night’s setlist, and pictures too, HERE.
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! release their new album Hello Sadness today and are here for two shows: tomorrow (11/16) at Bowery Ballroom and then Thursday (11/17) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. All tour dates are at the bottom of this post.
Their first album made since (amicably) losing vocalist/keyboardist Aleksandra, Hello Sadness finds LC! “maturing” a bit: code for being less manic and shouty than previous albums. Which is fine, you can’t do that forever, and it suits the tone of lyrics. (It’s a massive breakup album.) There’s a fair amount of wallowing going on, but you also get some terrific singles too, like “By Your Hand” which has a giant, stick-in-your-head chorus and is downloadable at the top of this post.
Heavy Times
Chicago’s Heavy Times and Brain Idea are here this week, playing Shea Stadium on 11/17 and Party Expo on 11/18. Both are worth checking out. Heavy Times just released Jacker on Hozac Records and you can check out “Future City” at the top of this post. As I said previously, it’s one big snarl of an album and if you dig Obits and “I Wanna Live” era Ramones (or the HoZac label in general), this is right up your bowling alley.
Brain Idea
Brain Idea, meanwhile, make the kind of jangly guitar pop that was inescapable on college radio in the ’80s. (Flying Nun and the paisley underground scene come to mind.) An MP3 for “Oh I’m Free” from this year’s Mexican Summer-released Cosmos Factory EP is at the top of this post.
Cover to new Total Control/Oh Sees split 12″
The band I’m most bummed about missing this week is Australia’s Total Control, whose album Henge Beat is one of my favorites of the year. They’re here for three shows: tomorrow night (11/16) at St Vitus, and then opening for tourmates Thee Oh Sees on Thursday (11/ 17) at 285 Kent and Friday (11/ 18) at Le Poisson Rouge. All Oh Sees/Total Control dates are at the bottom of this post.
I’m just gonna quote myself here:
Although their web presence is minimal and enigmatic, Total Control’s lineage is not: Daniel Young is in Straightjacket Nation, and Mikey Young spends time in Eddy Current Suppression Ring and both are also in UV Race. (Fellow UV Racer Alistair Montfort, plus Zephyr Pavey and James Vinciguerra round out the live line-up.) After a string of 7″s the band released Henge Beat back in August, a real corker of a debut album. It divides its time between motorik synth workouts, jittery post-punk and more Eddy Current style stormers, with a nice layer of repetition repetition repetition coating the whole shebang.
You can stream one of the album tracks at the bottom of this post. If you go to one of the shows, be sure to pick up the split Total Control/Oh Sees tour 12″ too.
The Strange Boys
And finally, Austin’s Strange Boys are here this weekend, playing Friday (11/18) at Mercury Lounge, Saturday (11/19) at Glasslands and then a free in-store at Generation Records on Sunday afternoon (11/20, 4PM).
The band’s first album for Rough Trade, Live Music, came out last month and knocks a lot of the dust off the band’s grubby, in-the-red twangy R&B but I don’t think it’s necessarily to their detriment. There is grub to spare, and if you like dive bar rock n’ roll and can’t get enough of things that sound vaguely like early-’70s Rolling Stones you’ll probably dig. Check out an MP3 of “Me and You” at the top of this post. None of their records have really captured what they’re like live, anyway, which is the best way to experience them for sure. So go check out a show this weekend.
That’ll do it for this week. Some day-by-day picks follow for shows not mentioned above.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Hopefully you got tickets to Youth Lagoon‘s sold out show at Mercury Lounge tonight. Or did you go last night?
David Comes to Life comes to life tonight at Warsaw as Fucked Up perform the album in its entirety. Tickets are still available.
Not sold out and actually free is múm’s Kría Brekkan who performs tonight at Church of the Advent Hope along with Julianna Barwick and Aaron Roche, with artwork by EyeBodega.
continued below…
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Sexy Neighbors
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16
There’s a good roundup of local bands at Public Assembly tonight, with Sexy Neighbors, Gross Relations, Lost Boy and Crinkles.
Balam Acab
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
I like the record but I’m not sure how entertaining it’s gonna be to watch: Balam Acab is at Le Poisson Rouge tonight.
Mannequin Men
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18
Some seriously great garage punk at Shea Stadium tonight: Chicago’s Mannequin Men and Tennessee’s Cheap Time (plus headliners So So Glos), and they’ll do it again tomorrow (11/19) at Cake Shop.
Keep Shelly in Athens are at Bowery Ballroom tonight… we’re giving away tickets to this one, don’t you know?
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19
This weekend’s opportunity to see Dive is at Shea Stadium, with Woodsman, Hear Hums, Holiday Shores and Flower Orgy.
OK, that’s it for this week. Tour dates and videos are below.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – “Aka…What a Life!”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – “If I Had a Gun”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – 2011 Tour Dates
11/14 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
11/15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
11/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Royce Hall
11/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Royce Hall
11/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
11/26 – Madrid, ES @ La Riviera
11/28 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
11/30 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
12/01 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
12/02 – Copenhagen, DK @ Koncertsalen
12/04 – Cologne, DE @ Palladium
12/06 – Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
12/10 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center (91x Wrek The Halls)
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – 2012 Tour Dates
01/16 – Tokyo, JP @ Tokyo Dome City
01/17 – Tokyo, JP @ Tokyo Dome City
01/20 – Auckland, NZ @ Big Day Out
01/22 – Gold Coast, AU @ Big Day Out
01/26 – Sydney, AU @ Big Day Out
01/29 – Melbourne, AU @ Big Day Out
02/03 – Adelaide, AU @ Big Day Out
02/05 – Perth, AU @ Big Day Out
02/13 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
02/16 – Belfast, IE @ Odyssey Arena
02/17 – Dublin, IE @ The O2
02/23 – Newcastle, UK @ Metro Radio Arena
02/24 – Glasgow, UK @ SEEC Hall 4
02/26 – London, UK @ The O2
03/01 – Birmingham, UK @ NIA
03/04 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
03/06 – Paris, FR @ Le Grand Rex
03/08 – Hamburg, DE @ Alsterdorfer Sportshalle
03/09 – Berlin, DE @ Max-Schmeling Halle
03/11 – Munich, DE @ Tonhalle
03/13 – Rome, IT @ Atlantico
03/28 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
03/29 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
03/31 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/01 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera
04/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
04/04 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
04/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
04/10 – Monterrey, MX @ Auditorio Banamex
04/11 – Mexico City, MX @ Teatro Metropolitan
Los Campesinos! – “By Your Hand”
Los Campesinos! – 2011 Tour Dates
7 NOVEMBER – LONDON, KINGS COLLEGE SOLD OUT
8 NOVEMBER – BRIGHTON, THE HAUNT
9 NOVEMBER – CARDIFF, THE GLOBE (16+)
10 NOVEMBER – GLASGOW, ORAN MOR
11 NOVEMBER – LEEDS, THE COCKPIT
16 NOVEMBER – NEW YORK (NY), BOWERY BALLROOM (18+)
17 NOVEMBER – BROOKLYN (NY), MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (18+)
18 NOVEMBER – PHILADELPHIA (PA), UNION TRANSFER (16+)
19 NOVEMBER – WASHINGTON DC, BLACK CAT (16+)
24 NOVEMBER – TOKYO, UNIT DAIKANYAMA
Heavy Times/Brain Idea – 2011 Tour Dates
Mon 11/14 – Lafayette, IN @ Black Sparrow
Tue 11/15 – Ann Arbor, MI @ TBA
Wed 11/16 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class w/ Heavy Cream
Thu 11/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium
Fri 11/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Party Expo w/Battle Ave, Lost Gloves
Sat 11/19 – Philadelphia @ TBA
Sun 11/20 – Columbus @ Cafe Bourbon St
Thee Oh Sees / Total Control – 2011 U.S. Tour Dates
11/17/2011 285 Kent Brooklyn NY w/ Total Control
11/18/2011 Le Poisson Rouge New York w/ Total Control+ Paul Cary
11/19/2011 AS220 Providence RI w/ Total Control + Doomsday Student (record release!)
11/21/2011 The Bug Jar Rochester w/ Total Control +Paul Cary
11/22/2011 Lager House Detroit MI w/ Total Control +Paul Cary
11/23/2011 Empty Bottle Chicago (early show) w/ Total Control
11/23/2011 Empty Bottle Chicago (late show) w/ Total Control +Paul Cary
11/25/2011 Granada Theater Lawrence KS w/ Total Control
11/26/2011 Moe’s Denver CO w/ Total Control
11/28/2011 Flying M Boise ID w/Total Control
11/29/2011 Crocodile Cafe Seattle w/ Total Control + Grave Babies
11/30/2011 Doug Fir Portland )AA) w/Total Control +Grave Babies
12/1/2011 Doug Fir Portland (21+) w/Total Control
12/04/2011 Verdi Club San Francisco CA w/ Total Control + Bronze
Mannequin Men/ Cheap Time — 2011 Tour Dates
Nov 15 Flywheel Arts collective Easthampton, MA
Nov 17 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA
Nov 18 Shea Stadium Brooklyn, NY
Nov 19 Cake Shop New York, NY
Nov 20 Golden West Baltimore, MD
Nov 21 Black Cat Washington, DC
Nov 23 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Nov 24 The EARL Atlanta, GA
Nov 25 Hi-Tone Cafe Memphis, TN
Nov 26 Springwater Social Club Nashville, TN
Dec 03 The Hideout Chicago, IL
