When: 4/16
Where: Death By Audio
Pepe says Controlled Bleeding were badass, but I missed it.
The first band I saw was White Suns, who I've seen before, also set up on the floor of Death By Audio. White Suns are a hardcore-informed noise group who use electronics and effects but still achieve very satisfying (deafening) lo-fi white noise. There are ways in which the noise genre is played out and I can't say White Suns add much that's new. But they do it well, with deafening roars and screaming but also with some more haunting, hushed moments. Each song is carefully structured and even if they sound chaotic most of the time, sharp dynamic transitions reveal them to be a pretty tight act. [myspace]
Captain Ahab played next. They were a sort of gay club outfit complete with a fellah in underwear dancing. It was definitely way more dark and way more raw than your average gay club music, and very arty, complete with projections. But ultimately it was more fun than it was interesting. And since I hate fun, I was kind of bored. But for people who don't hate fun, I suppose it was a good show. [myspace]
Of course, the highlight of the night was AIDS Wolf, a band who prove that there still are new directions for noise. AIDS Wolf's asymmetrical, harsh rhythmic pulse propels a screeching swarm of noise forward, while the hot but somewhat terrifying "Special Delux" (a.k.a. Chloe Lum) screams and performs fellatio on the microphone. I don't have anything new to say about this show, since I've reviewed the band before. Recorded, the band is an alluring, psychotic, skull-splintering assault, but their live performance still surpasses their records - confrontational, fascinating and grotesque, AIDS Wolf are one of the few contemporary bands giving hope for new directions in a world of recycled, nostalgic indie rock. [myspace]
#
Showing posts with label AIDS Wolf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AIDS Wolf. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Upcoming Shows: Z'EV, Bush Tetras + more!
Tonight!!! Thursday, April 14
R. Stevie Moore @ Cameo * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8/$10
R. Stevie Moore has been making crazy underground pop for many decades. He looks like Santa Claus but is even more bad ass than Santa, absolutely refusing to give a fuck. A highly underrated legend and cult act worth checking out. [myspace]
Other shows
Wye Oak (noise-folk) @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Sky Drops (shoegaze) @ Bruar Falls ($8)
Lichens (experimental electro) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Tomorrow! Friday, April 15
Z'EV, Bush Tetras @ The Kitchen * Chelsea, Manhattan * $10-12 (Sold Out?)
If you know these bands, all I need say is: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But if you don't, you should learn them, regardless of whether you plan to attend this show. These are some old mo'fos, especially Z'EV, who first gained recognition as a poet and percussionist in the late 60's. However, Z'EV have never been among the many washed up hippies who clung to the late 60's decades after the moment died; his music continued to move forward, one step ahead of the curve, putting him at the forefront of the nascent industrial movement in San Francisco in the late 70's and early 80's. Taking his training in African and Indonesian percussion, he applied his rhythmic sense to the new harsh tonality of early industrial, creating rhythmic soundscapes of primal energy and metallic timbre. The Bush Tetras were equally innovative, arising in the fray of Post-No Wave New York to inspire such trivial musicians as Sonic Youth (!!!). Formed by Pat Place of the Contortions, the Bush Tetras, along with Liquid Liquid, ESG and Place's ex bandmate James Chance, pioneered the use of minimal funk and dance rhythms in New York's arty downtown music scene. Although none of the bands from this scene achieved commercial success, their influence can be felt in everything from house music to early hip hop to noise and avant garde music to New Wave. [zev myspace] [tetras myspace]
Other shows
Passive Aggressor (hard-edged, noisy pop punk) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Young Boys (ultra-raw nasty noise pop) @ Coco 66 ($7, not headlining)
Saturday, April 16
AIDS Wolf, White Suns @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
AIDS Wolf are as awesome as their name (very). Basically, three guys make crazy noise on some instruments while a girl deep throats a microphone and screams for 45 minutes straight. While the band departs from nearly every convention of music (melody, key signature), they do have a complex rhythmic underpinning that holds it all together, if barely. Definitely a must-see. [myspace]
Come @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * $20
Twenty bucks is a bit steep for a band I'm pretty sure no one has ever heard of. That said, Come are fairly important for a band no one has ever heard of. Their moody alt rock was a hallmark of 90's indie, never breaking the surface but receiving acclaim from critics and musicians. I wouldn't spend $20 on it, but it's worth a mention. [myspace]
Other shows
Grouper (ambient noise) @ Glasslands ($10)
Spectrum (ex-Spacemen 3), Crystal Stilts (post punk, Joy Division and Velvet Underground rip-off) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($15)
Pop 1280 (noise, post hardcore) @ 285 Kent ($7, not headlining)
Sunday, April 17
Nothing to write home about.
Grouper (see above) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($13/$15)
Spectrum (see above), Crystal Stilts (see above) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Monday, April 18
Really, nothing whatsoever worth seeing.
Tuesday, April 19
PJ Harvey @ Terminal 5 * Midtown West, Manhattan * Sold Out
Pros: PJ Harvey. Cons: terrible venue, expensive. I say skip it. But on the other hand: PJ Harvey! [myspace]
Wednesday, April 20
PJ Harvey @ Terminal 5 * Midtown West, Manhattan * Sold Out
See above.
The long view...
April
23
Grass Widow, K-Holes (lady noise!) @ Glasslands
24
Talk Normal, Grass Widow (lady noise!) @ Death By Audio
27
Low (ultra-restrained slowcore and occasional bloodcurdling screaming about Santa Claus) @ Bowery Ballroom
Battles (experimental electro) @ Le Poisson Rouge (Sold Out)
Lemuria (pop punk, emo, but good) @ Webster Studio
Lightning Bolt (post-thrash noise) @ 285 Kent ($12)
28
Lightning Bolt (post-thrash noise), Pterodactyl (crazy noise) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($12/$14)
30
Titus Andronicus (epic hardcore punk songs about history - but so much better than that sounds) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
May
4
Gang Gang Dance (experimental dub) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Foals (mathy dancy post punky indie rock) @ Terminal 5
6
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (saccharine indie pop with subtly dark lyrics) @ Webster Hall
10
Yo La Tengo (inventors of noise pop) @ Bell House (Sold Out)
11
Yo La Tengo (see above) @ Bell House (Sold Out)
CSS (ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude from Brazilian ladies), Sleigh Bells (ultra hip duo with danceable heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming) @ Webster Hall (Sold Out)
12
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Sold Out)
15
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
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
June
2
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk)
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
R. Stevie Moore @ Cameo * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8/$10
R. Stevie Moore has been making crazy underground pop for many decades. He looks like Santa Claus but is even more bad ass than Santa, absolutely refusing to give a fuck. A highly underrated legend and cult act worth checking out. [myspace]
Other shows
Wye Oak (noise-folk) @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Sky Drops (shoegaze) @ Bruar Falls ($8)
Lichens (experimental electro) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Tomorrow! Friday, April 15
Z'EV, Bush Tetras @ The Kitchen * Chelsea, Manhattan * $10-12 (Sold Out?)
If you know these bands, all I need say is: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But if you don't, you should learn them, regardless of whether you plan to attend this show. These are some old mo'fos, especially Z'EV, who first gained recognition as a poet and percussionist in the late 60's. However, Z'EV have never been among the many washed up hippies who clung to the late 60's decades after the moment died; his music continued to move forward, one step ahead of the curve, putting him at the forefront of the nascent industrial movement in San Francisco in the late 70's and early 80's. Taking his training in African and Indonesian percussion, he applied his rhythmic sense to the new harsh tonality of early industrial, creating rhythmic soundscapes of primal energy and metallic timbre. The Bush Tetras were equally innovative, arising in the fray of Post-No Wave New York to inspire such trivial musicians as Sonic Youth (!!!). Formed by Pat Place of the Contortions, the Bush Tetras, along with Liquid Liquid, ESG and Place's ex bandmate James Chance, pioneered the use of minimal funk and dance rhythms in New York's arty downtown music scene. Although none of the bands from this scene achieved commercial success, their influence can be felt in everything from house music to early hip hop to noise and avant garde music to New Wave. [zev myspace] [tetras myspace]
Other shows
Passive Aggressor (hard-edged, noisy pop punk) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Young Boys (ultra-raw nasty noise pop) @ Coco 66 ($7, not headlining)
Saturday, April 16
AIDS Wolf, White Suns @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
AIDS Wolf are as awesome as their name (very). Basically, three guys make crazy noise on some instruments while a girl deep throats a microphone and screams for 45 minutes straight. While the band departs from nearly every convention of music (melody, key signature), they do have a complex rhythmic underpinning that holds it all together, if barely. Definitely a must-see. [myspace]
Come @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * $20
Twenty bucks is a bit steep for a band I'm pretty sure no one has ever heard of. That said, Come are fairly important for a band no one has ever heard of. Their moody alt rock was a hallmark of 90's indie, never breaking the surface but receiving acclaim from critics and musicians. I wouldn't spend $20 on it, but it's worth a mention. [myspace]
Other shows
Grouper (ambient noise) @ Glasslands ($10)
Spectrum (ex-Spacemen 3), Crystal Stilts (post punk, Joy Division and Velvet Underground rip-off) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($15)
Pop 1280 (noise, post hardcore) @ 285 Kent ($7, not headlining)
Sunday, April 17
Nothing to write home about.
Grouper (see above) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($13/$15)
Spectrum (see above), Crystal Stilts (see above) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Monday, April 18
Really, nothing whatsoever worth seeing.
Tuesday, April 19
PJ Harvey @ Terminal 5 * Midtown West, Manhattan * Sold Out
Pros: PJ Harvey. Cons: terrible venue, expensive. I say skip it. But on the other hand: PJ Harvey! [myspace]
Wednesday, April 20
PJ Harvey @ Terminal 5 * Midtown West, Manhattan * Sold Out
See above.
The long view...
April
23
Grass Widow, K-Holes (lady noise!) @ Glasslands
24
Talk Normal, Grass Widow (lady noise!) @ Death By Audio
27
Low (ultra-restrained slowcore and occasional bloodcurdling screaming about Santa Claus) @ Bowery Ballroom
Battles (experimental electro) @ Le Poisson Rouge (Sold Out)
Lemuria (pop punk, emo, but good) @ Webster Studio
Lightning Bolt (post-thrash noise) @ 285 Kent ($12)
28
Lightning Bolt (post-thrash noise), Pterodactyl (crazy noise) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($12/$14)
30
Titus Andronicus (epic hardcore punk songs about history - but so much better than that sounds) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
May
4
Gang Gang Dance (experimental dub) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Foals (mathy dancy post punky indie rock) @ Terminal 5
6
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (saccharine indie pop with subtly dark lyrics) @ Webster Hall
10
Yo La Tengo (inventors of noise pop) @ Bell House (Sold Out)
11
Yo La Tengo (see above) @ Bell House (Sold Out)
CSS (ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude from Brazilian ladies), Sleigh Bells (ultra hip duo with danceable heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming) @ Webster Hall (Sold Out)
12
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Sold Out)
15
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
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
June
2
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk)
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
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Upcoming Shows: AIDS Wolf, Sleigh Bells + more
Friday, September 17
AIDS Wolf, An Albatross, Sightings, Vaz @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
This should only be, like, the best, nastiest noise show of the year. Just go. [AIDS MySpace] [Albatross MySpace] [Sightings MySpace] [Vaz MySpace]
Saturday, September 18
Superchunk, Let's Wrestle @ Bowery Ballroom * LES, Manhattan * SOLD OUT
The quintessential 90's American indie band, leaders of the illustrious Chapel Hill scene and founders and flagship band of the indie great Merge, Superchunk are, if nothing else, a piece of history. Let's Wrestle are their okay-but-not-amazing signees from the U.K. [Superchunk MySpace] [Wrestle MySpace]
No Age, Small Black @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15
Noise-punk duo No Age combine contemporary punk and indie, catchy melodies and shoegaze noise. Go. And jump in the pit. Do it. Small Black is opening, they're a pretty good synth-based poppy, noisy band. Worth checking out. [NA MySpace] [SB MySpace]
Sunday, September 19
Superchunk @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
See above, minus Let's Wrestle.
Dinowalrus @ Union Pool * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
If you want to go to a show that's not sold out, go see drug experimental trio Dinowalrus. They are weird but you can dance to their music, especially if you do a lot of drugs. Even if you don't, it's got a brilliant, unpredictable pop edge. Plus, Pitchfork called the frontman a "heartthrob" and I can see it. [MySpace]
Monday, September 20
Sleigh Bells @ Webster Sudio * East Village, Manhattan * SOLD OUT
Sleigh Bells are the band of 2010. Their hip-hop beats, razor-edged hardcore-style guitar and saccharine, girlish vocals combine to make a sound fully the band's own, without ripping anyone off and without drenching themselves in nostalgia for one or another bygone decade. Why they're playing a leeeettle venue like this one instead of upstairs, I don't know. The show's sold out but maybe if you're clever you can find a way to get in. You should try, it will be worth it. [MySpace]
Tuesday, September 21
Wavves, Babies @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15
Oh Nathan Williams, our mullethawked, baby-faced, drug addict crash-and-burn SoCal lo-fi surf punk star, your detractors say you're passe, but that's simply wishful thinking. Guys, this kid isn't done yet. He's got real skill and he may not have handled his rise to fame with maturity, but cut him some slack, he's barely old enough to drink legally. His tunes are simple, raw, youthful punk gems drenched in noise. Babies is an NYC scene supergroup feature members of Vivian Girls, Woods, Stupid Party and Bossy (one apiece). Not a shabby roster. [Wavves MySpace] [Babies MySpace]
The long view...
September
25
Titus Andronicus, Screaming Females @ Webster Hall
PC Worship, MV+EE @ Death by Audio
26
Xiu Xiu, Merzbow, Ecstatic Sunshine @ Le Poisson Rouge
27
M.I.A. @ Terminal 5
28
Schonen Knife, Grooms @ Knitting Factory
Forgetters (album release) @ Death by Audio
30
Film School, Depreciation Guild, Home Video @ Glasslands
October
1
Foals @ Bowery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
2
Foals @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
3
Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss, Mahogany @ Bell House
Efterklang, Xylos @ Glasslands
4
Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss, Soundpool @ Le Poisson Rouge
5
Marnie Stern @ Rock Shop
8
Swans @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
9
Swans @ Bowery Ballroom
13
Deerhoof @ Le Poisson Rouge
23
AIDS Wolf, Heavy Cream, Screens @ Knitting Factory
26
Japandroids, A Place to Bury Stranger @ Death by Audio
27
Jeff the Brotherhood, Ninja Sonik, Elks @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
November
7
Guided by Voices (original line-up) @ Terminal 5 (SOLD OUT)
AIDS Wolf, An Albatross, Sightings, Vaz @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
This should only be, like, the best, nastiest noise show of the year. Just go. [AIDS MySpace] [Albatross MySpace] [Sightings MySpace] [Vaz MySpace]
Saturday, September 18
Superchunk, Let's Wrestle @ Bowery Ballroom * LES, Manhattan * SOLD OUT
The quintessential 90's American indie band, leaders of the illustrious Chapel Hill scene and founders and flagship band of the indie great Merge, Superchunk are, if nothing else, a piece of history. Let's Wrestle are their okay-but-not-amazing signees from the U.K. [Superchunk MySpace] [Wrestle MySpace]
No Age, Small Black @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15
Noise-punk duo No Age combine contemporary punk and indie, catchy melodies and shoegaze noise. Go. And jump in the pit. Do it. Small Black is opening, they're a pretty good synth-based poppy, noisy band. Worth checking out. [NA MySpace] [SB MySpace]
Sunday, September 19
Superchunk @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
See above, minus Let's Wrestle.
Dinowalrus @ Union Pool * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
If you want to go to a show that's not sold out, go see drug experimental trio Dinowalrus. They are weird but you can dance to their music, especially if you do a lot of drugs. Even if you don't, it's got a brilliant, unpredictable pop edge. Plus, Pitchfork called the frontman a "heartthrob" and I can see it. [MySpace]
Monday, September 20
Sleigh Bells @ Webster Sudio * East Village, Manhattan * SOLD OUT
Sleigh Bells are the band of 2010. Their hip-hop beats, razor-edged hardcore-style guitar and saccharine, girlish vocals combine to make a sound fully the band's own, without ripping anyone off and without drenching themselves in nostalgia for one or another bygone decade. Why they're playing a leeeettle venue like this one instead of upstairs, I don't know. The show's sold out but maybe if you're clever you can find a way to get in. You should try, it will be worth it. [MySpace]
Tuesday, September 21
Wavves, Babies @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15
Oh Nathan Williams, our mullethawked, baby-faced, drug addict crash-and-burn SoCal lo-fi surf punk star, your detractors say you're passe, but that's simply wishful thinking. Guys, this kid isn't done yet. He's got real skill and he may not have handled his rise to fame with maturity, but cut him some slack, he's barely old enough to drink legally. His tunes are simple, raw, youthful punk gems drenched in noise. Babies is an NYC scene supergroup feature members of Vivian Girls, Woods, Stupid Party and Bossy (one apiece). Not a shabby roster. [Wavves MySpace] [Babies MySpace]
The long view...
September
25
Titus Andronicus, Screaming Females @ Webster Hall
PC Worship, MV+EE @ Death by Audio
26
Xiu Xiu, Merzbow, Ecstatic Sunshine @ Le Poisson Rouge
27
M.I.A. @ Terminal 5
28
Schonen Knife, Grooms @ Knitting Factory
Forgetters (album release) @ Death by Audio
30
Film School, Depreciation Guild, Home Video @ Glasslands
October
1
Foals @ Bowery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
2
Foals @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
3
Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss, Mahogany @ Bell House
Efterklang, Xylos @ Glasslands
4
Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss, Soundpool @ Le Poisson Rouge
5
Marnie Stern @ Rock Shop
8
Swans @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
9
Swans @ Bowery Ballroom
13
Deerhoof @ Le Poisson Rouge
23
AIDS Wolf, Heavy Cream, Screens @ Knitting Factory
26
Japandroids, A Place to Bury Stranger @ Death by Audio
27
Jeff the Brotherhood, Ninja Sonik, Elks @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
November
7
Guided by Voices (original line-up) @ Terminal 5 (SOLD OUT)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
