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NY Noise, The Sandwitches, Golden Triangle, Title Tracks, Pretty & Nice, Summer Cats & more in This Week in Indie

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Golden Triangle – Jinx (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Golden Triangle – Neon Noose (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Sandwitches – Back to the Sea (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Title Tracks – Every Little Bit Hurts (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pretty & Nice – Tora Tora Tora (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pretty & Nice – Tora Tora Tora (MP3)
DOWNLOADSummer Cats – Hey You (MP3)
DOWNLOADSummer Cats – Super (MP3)
DOWNLOADSummer Cats – Let’s Go (MP3)
DOWNLOADSummer Cats – TV Guide (MP3)

NY Noise

March is consistently one of the most insane months for shows, due to nearly every band being on tour thanks to SXSW. The flood doesn’t really kick in till next week, so view this weekend as the relative calm before the storm. Also, before we get into my recommendations, I’d like to mention that New York Noise, the NYC-TV show that has been documenting the local indie scene for eight seasons, is in danger of cancellation. Given it’s new Tuesdays at 5AM slot (and its showpage on the website now gone), it almost might as well be off the air — a worse fate than 120 Minutes ever saw. There are so few outlets to watch music videos on actual television anymore, let alone ones from semi-obscure indie rock bands, and even less done in such consistently clever, funny, fresh ways. (Breakfast at Sulimays was not the first to interview old people about indie rock.)

Music is a huge part of New York City culture and surely the only show on the air about it deserves to continue. If you feel the same way I urge you to sign the Bring Back New York Noise petition. You can read more about it and what’s going on with the show over at the Village Voice. And there are some highlights from the show at the bottom of this post.

The Sandwitches
The Sandwitches

Ok, back to the music. San Francisco’s The Sandwitches are visiting this weekend for three shows before heading off on a tour that will lead them to Austin for SXSW where they’ll play more than a few parties including the BrooklynVegan Thursday day party.

They play the Rockstar Bar tonight (3/5) and then Monster Island on Saturday (3/6) with Golden Triangle.  Singers Heidi and Grace both spent time in The Fresh & Onlys and drummer Roxy used to be in Brilliant Colors. Like Donnie & Marie, they’re a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. In a San Francisco indie sort of way, which means a fair amount of reverb.

Kelley Stoltz says of the Sandwitches: “Imagine a 60’s Girl-group is on tour and their van breaks down near a gothic castle high on the hill, Dario Argento invites them in to perform a concert for his tweaked actors in a big dark red room inside and, if the dream is right, it’s the Sandwiches – they’d fit right in with those misfits and speak the same language. I’d like to be there to dance.” I’m not sure I can top that description. I like their album, How to Make Ambient Sadcake, quite a bit and you can download opening track “Back to the Sea” at the top of this post.

After SXSW they’ll play Todd P’s MtyMx festival and then tour back to San Francisco with Thee Oh Sees and The Baths.

Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle

That Monster Island show on Saturday is the official record release party for Golden Triangle‘s debut, Double Jointer, which came out this week on Hardly Art. You can check out two songs from the album at the top of this post. I think you either like this sort of fuzzed out, reverb-soaked garage rock or you don’t, but this record is a lot of fun — a psychedelic art school party band that’s part B-52’s, part paisley underground, part Cavestomp.

Saturday should be a fun one, with an almost all-girl lineup. In addition to the Sandwitches, there’s Girls at Dawn and Coasting, all of whom I like. Golden Triangle are also playing a lot of shows during SXSW including the same Thursday BV show as Sandwitches. All dates are at the bottom of this post.

Title Tracks
Tital Tracks

Playing together two nights this weekend are Washington D.C.’s Title Tracks and Boston’s Pretty & Nice. They play Saturday (3/6) at Union Hall and then Sunday (3/8) at Cake Shop.

As mentioned before, Title Tracks is the new band from John Davis, previously of much-loved Q and Not U, and the great but unfortunately shortlived Georgie James. That said, Title Tracks’ just-released debut, It Was Easy, is pretty great, full of guitar-centric power pop in a late ’70s style that might bring to mind Rockpile, Marshall Crenshaw or the dB’s… or more recently Sloan and the New Pornographers. Two songs are at the top of this post. Davis is a fantastic songwriter (and performer) and while we may miss his previous bands, be glad he’s still cranking out great tunes.

Pretty & Nice
Pretty and Nice

Pretty & Nice‘s music tips just the other side of 1980, with slightly nervier pop (XTC and Chris Stamey’s songs with the dB’s being obvious influences) but just as catchy and their 2008 album, Get Young, didn’t get enough attention I don’t think. Hopefully they’ve got a new album out sometime soon and we’ll hear songs from it at one of the shows. They’re fun live.


NY Noise – Vampire Weekend Cribs

NY Noise – Tuung “Bullets” – Kids Comments

NY Noise – Adam Green on “Music Journalism”

The Real Housewives of New York Noise

The Sandwitches at Cafe du Nord

The Sandwitches

The Sandwitches – 2010 Tour Dates
MAR 5 NYC w/ Sludgehamer – Pornography Benefit Show NEW YORK
MAR 6 Monster Island w/ Golden Triangle (record release) NEW YORK
MAR 7 The Black Lodge w/ Eww Yaboo & We the People SCRANTON / WILKES-BARRE
MAR 8 The Zodiac – w/ AK Slaughter and the Dodgers BALTIMORE, MD
MAR 9 The Nightlight CHAPEL HILL, NC
MAR 10 The Tin Roof w/ Teenage Owl CHARLSTON, NC
MAR 11 The Wormhole SAVANAH, GA
MAR 12 Tasty World ATHENS, GA
MAR 13 529 ATLANTA, GA
MAR 14 TBA GAINSVILLE, FL
MAR 15 The Circle Bar NEW ORLEANS
MAR 16 Denton TX DENTON TX
MAR 18 BrooklynVegan/AnSo Day Party – Spider House AUSTIN, TX
MAR 18 SXSW – The Beauty Bar – Bay Bridged Showcase AUSTIN, TX
MAR 19 SXSW Mexican Summer/Gorilla vs. Bear Showcase – CLUB KRUCIAL/Carribean Lights AUSTIN, TX
MAR 20 SXSW The Mohawk – Panache Showcase AUSTIN, TX
MAR 21 SXSW – Panache Hangover Show – Beerland AUSTIN, TX
MAR 22 MtyMx MONTERY MEXICO
MAR 24 TBA – w/ Thee Oh Sees & The Baths PHEONIX, AZ
MAR 25 TBA w/ Thee Oh Sees & The Baths LOS ANGELES
MAR 26 UC Fullerton w/ Thee Oh Sees & The Baths

Golden Triangle – Neon Noose

Golden Triangle – 2010 Tour Dates
03.06.10 – Brooklyn, NY – Monster Island ^
03.09.10 – Columbus, OH – Cafe Bourbon Street
03.10.10 – Memphis, TN – Hi Tone *
03.11.10 – New Orleans, LA – Spellcaster Lodge
03.13.10 – Monterrey, Mexico – Festival Normal %
03.15.10 – Houston, TX – Mango !
03.17.10 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03.18.10 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03.19.10 – Austin, TX – Beauty Bar (Panache Showcase)
03.20.10 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03.21.10 – Austin, TX – Beerland (Panache Party)
03.22.10 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Conservatory #
03.23.10 – Lawrence, KS – Replay
03.24.10 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
03.25.10 – Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class $
03.26.10 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar $
04.01.10 – New York, NY – Knitting Factory @
05.04.10 – New York, NY – Monster Island +

^ – w/ The Sandwitches
* – w/ The Pharmacy
% – w/ Tyvek, White Rainbow, Awesome Color, more
! – w/ Thee Oh Sees
# – w/ So Cow
$ – w/ Screens
@ – w/ Garotas Suecas
+ – w/ The Fresh & Onlys

Title Tracks – Piles of Paper

Title Tracks : Piles Of Paper from John Davis on Vimeo.

Title Tracks – 2010 Tour Dates
3.5.10 Cambridge, MA Middle East Upstairs w/ Pretty & Nice, Gary B & The Notions
3.6.10 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall w/ Pretty & Nice, Gary B & The Notions
3.7.10 NY, NY Cake Shop w/ Pretty & Nice
3.11.10 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop w/ Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
3.12.10 Pontiac, MI The Crofoot w/ Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
3.13.10 Chicago, IL The Bottom Lounge w/ Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
3.14.10 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon w/ Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
3.15.10 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue w/ Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
3.17-20.10 Austin, TX SXSW

Summer Cats – 2010 Tour Dates
March 5 – New York, NY – Don Hills
March 6 – Philadelphia, PA – England Belongs to Twee at King Fu Necktie
March 7 – Brooklyn, NY – Bruar Falls
March 11 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean
March 12 – Milwaukee, WI – Bayview Brew Haus
March 13 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
March 15 – Boston, MA – Great Scott
March 19 – Austin, TX – End of an Ear records in-store (SXSW)
March 20 – Austin, TX – Waterloo Cycles SXSW Party
March 27 – San Francisco, CA – Slumberland 20th Anniversary Show at The Rickshaw Stop
March 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Slumberland 20th Anniversary Show at The Echo