Upcoming Shows: Weekends, Total Slacker + more

Tonight!! Thursday, May 12

PC Worship @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
PC Worship play a strange sort of lo-fi folk meets free jazz.  I've found their shows hit and miss, but they are definitely one of the most interesting bands to crop up in the last few years. [myspace]

CSS, Sleigh Bells @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
CSS are Brazilian ladies who make ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude. Sleigh Bells are a duo who make ultra hip music using this recipe: danceable, heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming.  The bands are playing better venues later in the week (also sold out) so if you are able to get in, I'd recommend one of the others, because Webster Hall is a shithole. [css myspace] [sb myspace]

Other shows
Shark? (Pixies sound-alike), Radical Dads @ Cake Shop ($8)


Tomorrow!! Friday, May 13

Weekends, Total Slacker @ Monster Island Basement * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
I hear Weekends are really good.  They've got an arty chaotic sound like Ponytail, but with more pop-tailors songs.  Like Pterodactyl, if you've heard that band (and you should have cause they're the shit).  The last time I saw Total Slacker, they nearly killed everyone in the venue by lighting a guitar on fire.  In a second floor DIY venue without proper fire exits and a low quality wood floor.  Despite the attempted murder, I love this band; they are one of the only bands that I still get excited about seeing.  Their guitarist is sick and can play crazy solos, but most of the time he doesn't do that.  Their bass player is sick.  Their drummer is pretty sick.  The band plays like they just picked up instruments for the first time, except that they are secretly amazing musicians and if you listen closely, you can hear how tight they are.  They like to jump into the audience and destroy their instruments.  Which is awesome. [weekend myspace] [total myspace]

Other shows
...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (wall o' sound noise pop with some prog and punk) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Darlings, My Teenage Stride (charmingly messy indie pop) @ Silent Barn
Dustin Wong (Ponytail guitarist) @ Open Road Rooftop (Rooftop Films thingy)
Echo & the Bunnymen @ Irving Plaza
The Feelies @ Bell House (sold out!)
Psychedelic Horseshit (emphasis on the "shit"), Pterodactyl (see above!) @ Glasslands ($10)


Saturday, May 14

Echo & the Bunnymen * East Village, Manhattan * $39.50
I don't usually feature exceedingly overpriced shows, but there's just not all that much else going on Saturday since it looks like Pop. 1280 canceled their gig.  Echo & the Bunnymen are one of my favorite bands ever.  They're one of the original UK post punk bands, with the dark drama of the Cure and the mystical ramblings of the Fall.  They probably aren't worth $40, but if you're feeling flush... [myspace]

Other shows
Aesop Rock (electro whitefolk rap, but good) @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out!)
Coconuts, GDFX (poppy punky noise pop kinda typical stuff) @ Union Pool
Nine 11 Thesaurus (reasonably hard East Coast indie rap crew) @ Silent Barn
Here We Go Magic (lots of "world" rhythms, like recent Flaming Lips kinda) @ Mercury Lounge


Sunday, May 15

Soft Circle, Yvette, Hunters @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Although this is a solid line-up of nasty experimental bands, the highlight is opening act Hunters, one of the most violent post-punk bands in Brooklyn and one of my favorite live acts.  [myspace]

Other shows
Sleigh Bells, CSS (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out!)


Monday, May 16

Passive Aggressor @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Passive Aggressor are a good punk band that have some pop appeal but also yell all hardcore like and jump around and stuff.  You should go see them. [myspace]


Tuesday, May 17

Gold-Bears @ Brooklyn Fireproof East * Bushwick, Brooklyn
Slumberland Records indie pop band. [myspace]

Other shows
Vivian Girls @ 285 Kent ($10)


Wednesday, May 18

Dustin Wong @ Silent Barn * Ridgewood, Queens
Ponytail guitarist.  Arty, fast stuff with a loop pedal. [myspace]


The long view...

May
19
The Antlers (sad noisy music) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

20
The Antlers (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), I Feel Tractor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Glasslands ($10)

25
Hunters (see above) @ Bruar Falls ($7)
Converge @ Santos Party House ($15)

26
Big Freedia (dirty south rap in drag), Javelin @ Mercury Lounge

27
Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, Woven Bones (lo-fi post punk pop) @ Glasslands ($10)
Pterodactyl, Screens, Zulus (noize rock with experimental bent) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Times New Viking, Babies (lo-fi) @ Knitting Factory
Fang Island (lots of guitars) @ Brooklyn Bowl

28
Big Freedia (see above) @ Brooklyn Bowl ($5)


June
1
Zs (experimental/noise) @ Silent Barn

2
Liturgy (black metal crossover), Sightings (experimental/noise) @ Knitting Factory
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk) @ Europa ($20)

5
Against Me!, Screaming Females, Lemuria (first and last = BEST pop punk; Females = just plain BEST) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

12
TSOL (one of the best original SoCal hardcore punk bands) @ Santos Party House

14
Japanther (arty poppy punk) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

16
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)

17
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 (slowcore shoegaze) @ Bell House ($15/$20)
Northside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)

18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves, Surfer Blood, The Babies @ McCarren Park
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces, see above) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)

19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (aka Microphones, the best lo-fi noise folk since Neutral Milk Hotel) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
Swervedriver (classic shoegaze) @ Irving Plaza

23
Dinosaur Jr (late 80's/early 90's loud proto-alt rock, performing their classic album Bug), Fucked Up (wall of sound meets hardcore/thrash meets best thing ever) @ Terminal 5

25
Archers of Loaf (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
Coathangers (badass lady punks who come up here from Georgia to tell you to fuck off), Religious to Damn @ Monster Island Basement

26
Archers of Loaf (see above) @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)


July
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory

14
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 (noisy post punk and post punky noise) @ Union Hall


August
8
The Kills @ Terminal 5

12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront
Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
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