Upcoming Shows: Bellmer Dolls LAST SHOWS EVER! + more

Tonight! Wednesday, March 17

The Bellmer Dolls @ The Studio at Webster Hall | East Village, Manhattan | $10
Horrible news, friends. The Bellmer Dolls, one of NYC's great undiscovered bands, is calling it quits. They've got a few more shows before they throw in the towel, including this one tonight. The Dolls' garage goth is demonic and intense and their live show has the wild spontaneity that can only come from a legitimate disturbed genius. This is the real thing. [myspace]


TOMORROW! Thursday, March 18

Mahogany + Autodrone @ The Studio at Webster Hall | East Village, Manhattan | $10
Mahogany one of the greatest dream-pop bands ever. Unlike most bands of the genre, however, Mahogany doesn't rely on blurred, amorphous noise. Instead, a hundred distinct moving pieces weave together to create a thick blanket of sound. The whole thing is held together by sweet slow-pop melodies. And this show is all new songs, previewed from their forthcoming EP, so it will be exciting even to old fans. Autodrone play something similar, but with harder edge. Their raging lead guitar draws from proggy metal as much as shoegaze, but it never becomes burdensome. It just gives a sharp alt-rock edge to their dark, dense pop songs. [mahogany myspace] [autodrone myspace]


Friday, March 19

Oneida, Sightings @ Knitting Factory | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $10-12
I'm never quite sure how to describe Oneida, given they don't fit into a genre and given how many different directions they've explored in the last decade. They draw on krautrock and industrial, concentrating on rhythm and repetition. They tend to be heavy, but their latest LP showed as much world and club influence as metal. It's trancy, cold, loud, aggressive and wholly original. Sightings is even more out-there. They draw on noise, avant garde and no wave to create an unforgiving, skull-shattering noise. [oneida myspace] [sightings myspace]



[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
Saturday, March 20

Ain't shit going on. Everyone is in Texas, I guess. No SXSW for me this year...alas.


Sunday, March 21

Bellmer Dolls @ Coco 66 | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | $7
See above. This is their last show. Ever.


Tuesday, March 23

Black Lips @ Brooklyn Bowl | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $17
Black Lips play decent garage punk but I don't like Brooklyn Bowl or paying $17 for a show. Still, I thought I'd mention it, especially since there's nothing else worthwhile going on on Monday or Tuesday. [myspace]


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

March
24
Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom

25
Nada Surf play Let Go + surprise guest @ Bowery Ballroom
Jello Biafra and Guantanamo Schools of Medicine @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple

26
Nada Surf play The Weight Is a Gift + surprise guest @ Bell House
Spoon, Deerhunter @ Radio City Music Hall

27
Nada Surf play Lucky + surprise guest @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

30
Big Pink, A Place to Bury Strangers @ Webster Hall

April
1
Bonnie Prince Billy @ Monster Island Basement

2
The Bronx, Japanther @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Captured Tracks Showcase: Blank Dogs, Wet Dog + more @ Glasslands
Bonnie Prince Billy @ Monster Island Basement

3
Soft Pack, Nodzzz, Male Bonding @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

6
The Bronx, Japanther @ Bowery Ballroom

8
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Webster Hall

9
Pissed Jeans + Himalaya @ Knitting Factory
Xiu-Xiu, Tune-Yards @ Bowery Ballroom

10
Washed Out, Small Black @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

15
Liars @ Bowery Ballroom

17
Trans Am @ Santos Party House

18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Trans Am @ Market Hotel

20
The Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl

21
Apples in Stereo @ Bowery Ballroom

22
Quasi, Let's Wrestle @ Bowery Ballroom

25
Shellshag, Noun (Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females), Black Wine, Pregnant @ Mercury Lounge

May
3
Chapterhouse @ Bell House


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Live: Autodrone, Young Boys, Violet Hour

When: 8/13
Where: Public Assembly

It's been a long time since I last heard Autodrone live, mostly because they haven't been playing out a whole lot. I've spoken pretty highly of them in the past - their combination of shoegaze-inspired walls of sound and intricate, aggressive lead guitar is brilliant.

However, at Public Assembly, the band was simply not on their game. Part of this was due to the utter incompetence of the guy running sound. The guitar was way too quiet, the synth overpowering. But the band is to blame for even more of the problems. The tempo was all over the place, with synth rushing and drums dragging. Even the usually impeccable guitarist Jeremy Alisauskas wasn't locking in with the others.

Perhaps the silver lining in the band's weak and sloppy performance was that it gave singer Katherine Kennedy a chance to really carry the show. And this she did. Though she's always a strong singer, I've never heard her so confident and never seen her take so much control of the band - usually Aliksauskas runs the show. This time, amidst the mess of a performance, Kennedy kept the band's focus and never let on that the show was not going well.

The band finished the set with a new song, one that indicates the potential of their next album. The song is, on one level, one of the band's best, with guitar riffs and vocal melodies that could outshine any song on the band's excellent 2008 debut. On the other hand, this new piece goes on about four times as long as it should. I understand the urge to repeat excellent parts over and over, but bands need to learn to trust their audiences not to miss the good stuff the first time around. [MySpace]

Next up was Violet Hour, an electrogaze duo who I've heard a few times now. While not the most original band and probably not destined for any sort of commercial success, Violet Hour are an exceptional live act. The band often invites guest musicians for shows. When they don't (as with this show), they still alter their set and their arrangements, making each concert a completely different experience.

Violet Hour also complements their music with visual creativity, including two vertical lights used for part of the Public Assembly show. While many bands use visuals that distract or even detract from their performance, the effects at this show added to the experience - interesting and evocative but simple enough to keep focus on the music.

As songwriters, Violet Hour are generally unfocused and don't hand their audience their music in bite-sized tracks. I don't want to say all music needs to be song-based, but when it's as meandering as Violet Hour's, it can be awfully hard to concentrate on. However, for music to space out to, you could do a lot worse! The only problems specific to this show were in vocal pitch. I've heard issues with this before and would dare to suggest both members pay more attention to the accuracy of their singing in rehearsal and in performance. [MySpace]

The last band of the night, Young Boys, was new to me. As soon as they took the stage, I realized an unavoidable reference point: Crocodiles. Those of you who follow indie rock hype probably heard of Crocodiles this spring, a duo that (despite their protests to the contrary) generally sounds exactly like the Jesus & Mary Chain. Playing against programmed beats, Crocodiles sing heavily reverbed, British-styled pop songs under a glaze of distortion and feedback. On stage, they do this while sporting sunglasses.

Young Boys do the same thing. Only with more bad-assery. While Crocodiles intentionally leave their music rough around the edges, there is a certain amount of polish under the lo-fi affectations. With the Young Boys, the imperfections are more raw and more genuine. This is aided by the sparsity of their music, a minimalism enhanced further at Public Assembly because the band's preprogrammed beats had been erased. Throwing down drum tracks on the spot left the band's sound skeletal.

Combine this awesomeness with some top-of-the-line songwriting, and you've got a remarkable band that could show up the Crocs any day of the week. Keep an eye on these boys. [MySpace]

Upcoming Shows: Woods, Warlocks + more

A lot of good stuff coming up! And Wednesday to Friday will be three days of shoegazer heaven...

Tonight!! Tuesday, August 11

Shilpa Ray @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $8
Shilpa Ray is a tiny woman with a massive stage presence, who plays a hand-powered harmonium, screams obscenities and hops around stage. She loves her audience and always puts on a great show. Her backing band are damn good, too. My current made-up genre name of choice for the music is "soul-punk." That won't mean anything to anyone, and that's fine, because you really should just check it out for yourself. [MySpace]


Tomorrow!! Wednesday, August 12

Himalaya @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I haven't heard Himalaya yet, but they come strongly recommended by one "Salvador." From what I can tell, they play really loud music with dense, guitar-heavy shoegaze-inspired sounds, tinted with post punk darkness. Amidst this sonic assault, great pop melodies shine through. [MySpace]


Thursday, August 13

Autodrone, Black Swan Green, Violet Hour, Vacant Lots @ Public Assembly (back room) | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
Another great shoegazy line-up by Vanishing Point Presents, this show features alt rocker/dream popper outfit Autodrone, an old favorite I reviewed early on in this blog. Their rich, full sound, masterful lead guitar, synthesizer sheen and angsty melodies combine to make a sound that could appeal to almost any species of rock fan. Black Swan Green is another I haven't heard yet, but "Salvador" again recommends, and I've heard good things all around. Like the others, Violet Hour has a shoegaze sound, but their music is more electronic, with layers of sound building on electro beats - wisps of vocal melody, coldly textured synthesizers, dissonant guitar feedback. Vacant Lots are kind of the odd ones out here - an excellent band, no doubt, but more garage punk than shoegaze. [Autodrone MySpace] [BSG MySpace] [VT MySpace] [VL MySpace]


Friday, August 14

The Warlocks + the Morning After Girls, the Vandelles @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan |
The Warlocks have been around quite a while now, and have garnered respect from their earliest releases. Their psychedelic music has taken a denser, noisier, darker turn in recent years, bringing shoegaze's wall-of-sound guitars into the fore. The Morning After Girls are similar, if less earthly. And the Vandelles, well, their roaring noise-surf is made for a much bigger space than Cameo Gallery, and I'm glad I'll finally have a chance to hear them on a stage that approaches the size of their music and their outstanding stage presence. [Warlocks MySpace] [MAG MySpace] [Vandelles MySpace]

Woods, Dungen @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $15
Woods are one of the best break-out bands this year, playing haunting psychedelic folk music that will leave you shivering. Dungen is an acclaimed psychedelic pop group from Sweden. At times, their music is a little too mellow for me, and at times too "fusiony." But you may as well check them out, since Woods is on the bill. [Woods MySpace] [Dungen MySpace]

Sundelles, Drums @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
If you want something smaller, cheaper or more off the beaten track, check out this show instead of the others. I keep trying to hear the Sundelles and missing them. Their music is some sort of old school garage-pop with sweet 50's melodies and an unpolished, noisy, DIY flavor. The Drums are headlining. I haven't heard them, but I've heard good things, so check them out. [Sundelles MySpace] [Drums MySpace]


Saturday, August 15

Pterodactyl @ Southpaw | , Brooklyn | $12
Pterodactyl just keeps getting better and better. Their frantic guitars and wild yelling are the sound of pure joy. The unique and intensely complex guitar and drum arrangements make brains happy. The passionate delivery makes hearts happy. Go to Southpaw, and be happy. (And get there on the early side, since Pterodactyl isn't the headliner.) [MySpace]

Upcoming Shows: Ringo Deathstarr, Vandelles, Blank Dogs + more

TOMORROW - Tuesday, March 10

Autodrone @ The Annex - LES, Manhattan
Autodrone's dense, dark rock combines hints of shoegaze, grunge, metal and new wave in perfect proportion. They seem to be opening, so get there on the early side. :: MySpace


Wednesday, March 11

Vandelles, Ringo Deathstarr and Black Swan Green @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $8
The Vandelles take 50's and 60's pop music and put it through an incinerator of psychedelia and screaming feedback. Ringo Deathstarr are, without a doubt, one of the best American shoegaze bands out there. They're just up from Austin, TX for a couple of nights so don't miss your chance to see them! Black Swan Green are a fairly new band on the scene, doing something shoegazy and cool. I haven't heard them, but I've heard a lot of good things about them, so show up early and see what they're all about. :: Vandelles MySpace :: Ringo Deathstarr MySpace :: BSG MySpace


Thursday, March 12

The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom - Midtown, Manhattan
The Pogues. Celtic folk punks. C'mon, they're classic.


Friday, March 13

The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom - Midtown, Manhattan
The Pogues. Again.


Saturday, March 14

Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs, Women + more @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - $13
The Crystal Stilts used to be one of my favorite NYC bands, but they recently broke my heart. I'm going to give them another chance but I'm mostly recommending this show because Blank Dogs and Women are among the opening acts. Blank Dogs run with Wavves, Woods, Nodzzz and the rest of the lo-lo-lo-fi crowd. Women is an experimental band that sounds somewhat like post-rock's forebears - you know, the ones that still knew how to rock. :: CS MySpace :: BD MySpace :: Women MySpace


Sunday, March 15

Takka Takka and the Secret Life of Sofia @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $10
Takka Takka are your typical experimental indie rock, though far above average. They can be a little odd and perhaps pretentious, but they've earned their reputation. The Secret Life of Sofia plays darkly ambient noise-folk, introspective and melancholy but loud enough to keep your attention. :: TT MySpace :: TSLOS MySpace

Upcoming Shows: Harlem Shakes, Swirlies, Mahogany + more

I already posted these last week, but just a reminder - these are all going to incredible shows!! I highly recommend all of them.

Wednesday, February 25
Tokyo Police Club and the Harlem Shakes @ Webster Hall - East Village, Manhattan - $18
If you missed the Harlem Shakes with Shilpa Ray on Valentines Day, then you really messed up. But all is not lost - you can still see the Shakes before they leave town. They are opening for Tokyo Police Club, another great pop band, at Webster Hall next week. It should be a very solid show. :: TPC MySpace :: HS MySpace

Thursday, February 26
Coin Under Tongue @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $7
To be honest, I don't know much about Coin Under Tongue except that it includes members of Dirty On Purpose and it's all the rage right now in the NYC underground. The second half of that doesn't really mean anything, but the first part (members of Dirty On Purpose) gives me pretty much blind faith that this band rocks. They are too cool to have a MySpace page, so I guess we'll just have to show up and see what it's all about.

Friday, February 27
Swirlies + Takka Takka, Autodrone @ Mercury Lounge - LES, Manhattan - $12
The Swirlies are a classic shoegazer band from the 90's, here again to capitalize off the current shoegaze fad - and who can blame them? They have chosen well for their supporting acts - Takka Takka is a pretty straight-up weird indie rock band that's been trendy for a surprisingly long time now. Autodrone is a band that could well be on the verge of a major break-through - their 2008 full-length debut reworks the darkest of New Wave ideas into 90's shoegaze soundscapes, with a touch of grunge and even prog just to keep it rocking hard. :: Swirlies MySpace :: TT MySpace :: Autodrone MySpace

Saturday, February 28
Mahogany and Blacklist + Cruel Black Dove and Depreciation Guild @ Mercury Lounge - LES, Manhattan - $10
Go to this show! Trust me. Mahogany's dream-pop and Blacklist's dark 80's soundscapes are going to make a delightfully varied but still cohesive evening (and a busy one for James Minor, who is a member of both bands). My last live review of Mahogany is here and my last review of Blacklist is here. And don't forget, those headliners are coupled with another 80's-esque, goth-influenced band, Cruel Black Dove, as well as electro-shoegazers Depreciation Guild, one of the best shoegaze bands around and also one of the hottest NY bands of the moment. This show is really, really, really going to kick some serious ass. :: Mahogany MySpace :: Blacklist MySpace :: CBD MySpace :: DG MySpace

Upcoming Shows: Werewolves, Harlem Shakes, Mahogany + more

Thursday, February 19
Werewolves @ The Annex (Club NME) - LES, Manhattan
If you have been paying attention, you already know all about the Werewolves. If not, start here. I cannot recommend them enough. :: MySpace

The Secret Life of Sofia @ Bell House - Gowanus, Brooklyn - $5
I feel like I never pimp this band enough, but TSLOS, despite the rather obnoxious name, is a great band. They play shimmering, lonely noise-folk that will draw you in without your even realizing it. :: MySpace

**Update - Apparently TSLOS released a free EP today online, which I totally overlooked until I saw it on I Rock I Roll. I'll give you the lowdown soon, but in any case, I guess this show will involve songs from that release so check it out.**

Friday, February 20
Weird Owl (CD Release Party) @ Union Pool - Williamsburg, Brooklyn - $8
I just reviewed Weird Owl, so check it out here. :: MySpace

Saturday, February 21
John Joseph (Cro-Mags) SPOKEN WORD @ Webster Studio - East Village, Manhattan - $10
I have no idea what this is going to be like, but I do know it involves a member of the Cro-Mags, one of the greatest hardcore bands of all time. It's probably worth checking out.

Sunday, February 22
Team Genius @ Glasslands - Williamsburg, Brooklyn - $6
I've been trying to encourage everyone to check out this band for a while now. There are a whole bunch of people in the band and they play a whole bunch of instruments and make really pretty, fun, comforting pop music. Like the grown-up version of Los Campesinos! You can find my review of their last show at Glasslands (along with a review of their debut album) here. :: MySpace


I'm going to get a bit of ahead of myself here, but I'll repost closer to the date for these ones:

Wednesday, February 25
Tokyo Police Club and the Harlem Shakes @ Webster Hall - East Village, Manhattan - $18
If you missed the Harlem Shakes with Shilpa Ray on Valentines Day, then you really messed up. But all is not lost - you can still see the Shakes before they leave town. They are opening for Tokyo Police Club, another great pop band, at Webster Hall next week. It should be a very solid show. :: TPC MySpace :: HS MySpace

Thursday, February 26
Coin Under Tongue @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $7
To be honest, I don't know much about Coin Under Tongue except that it includes members of Dirty On Purpose and it's all the rage right now in the NYC underground. The second half of that doesn't really mean anything, but the first part (members of Dirty On Purpose) gives me pretty much blind faith that this band rocks. They are too cool to have a MySpace page, so I guess we'll just have to show up and see what it's all about.

Friday, February 27
Swirlies + Takka Takka, Autodrone @ Mercury Lounge - LES, Manhattan - $12
The Swirlies are a classic shoegazer band from the 90's, here again to capitalize off the current shoegaze fad - and who can blame them? They have chosen well for their supporting acts - Takka Takka is a pretty straight-up weird indie rock band that's been trendy for a surprisingly long time now. Autodrone is a band that could well be on the verge of a major break-through - their 2008 full-length debut reworks the darkest of New Wave ideas into 90's shoegaze soundscapes, with a touch of grunge and even prog just to keep it rocking hard. :: Swirlies MySpace :: TT MySpace :: Autodrone MySpace

Saturday, February 28
Mahogany and Blacklist + Cruel Black Dove and Depreciation Guild @ Mercury Lounge - LES, Manhattan - $10
Go to this show! Trust me. Mahogany's dream-pop and Blacklist's dark 80's soundscapes are going to make a delightfully varied but still cohesive evening (and a busy one for James Minor, who is a member of both bands). My last live review of Mahogany is here and my last review of Blacklist is here. And don't forget, those headliners are coupled with another 80's-esque, goth-influenced band, Cruel Black Dove, as well as electro-shoegazers Depreciation Guild, one of the best shoegaze bands around and also one of the hottest NY bands of the moment. This show is really, really, really going to kick some serious ass. :: Mahogany MySpace :: Blacklist MySpace :: CBD MySpace :: DG MySpace

Radio Flyer's Christmas List!

OK, here's the list of music-related Christmas gifts I gave this year. It's too late for you to use these tips for your own Christmas shopping, but I couldn't run this sooner because some of the giftees read this blog (or claim to). So hopefully you know people who have birthdays coming up, or maybe you have gift certificates to spend. (The names are from the random name generator - I can't get enough of that thing.)

Mom & Dad
Mom likes: things she can sing along to, female vocalists, NPR, NOT "headbanging" music (i.e. everything I listen to, or so she thinks)
Dad likes: hippies, music to listen to while driving, democrats, NPR
What I got them:
- Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
- Wye Oak - If Children
- Joan as Police Woman - To Survive

"Ursula"
Likes: feminism, female vocalists, badassery
What I got her:
- Marnie Stern - This Is It...
- Electrelane* - The Power Out

By the way, Ursula (who also likes "booty-shaking music") got me the new L'il Wayne and a CD by a band called Heathrow.

"Agnes"
Likes: weirdos, weird stuff, music
What I got her:
- Deerhoof - Reville
- The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers

"Helga"
Helga introduced me to Good Music when I was 15, first by lending me Siamese Dream, then starting me on Sonic Youth, the Pixies and eventually leading me to folks like The Cure, Dinosaur Jr., Jawbreaker, Slint, Minor Threat and even Joy Division.
Likes: black clothes, Bauhaus, walls of sound, heavily produced music, history, psychology
What I got her:
- Electrelane* - No Shouts, No Calls
- Autodrone - Strike a Match
- Blacklist - Blacklist [EP]
- Blacklist - Solidaire [EP]

"Wilbur"
Wilbur is going through a really tough time.
Likes: pop, cats, Electrelane*
What I got him:
- Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

*I just discovered Electrelane this year (as did Wilbur), which is why it's populating so much of my Christmas list.

Fifteen Bands to Watch in 2009 - Part 1

So you want to get ahead of the curve in 2009? Keep an eye on these fifteen bands (alphabetical over three entries) and you'll be the coolest kid in your class. Or not. But these are folks I hope are the future of rock music.


Antlers - Deer-themed names have been blessed the last few years. But more to the point, this atmospheric pop band is innovative and fun and has already captured the attention of some of the big NYC blogs. :: MySpace

Arms - Well-written songs and an excellent guitar-heavy sound should be enough for success, but it doesn't hurt that this band also has earned the interest and respect of a number of established groups. They're not a shoe-in yet, but they've got a decent chance to make it big. :: MySpace

Asa Ransom - This band is still new, but they have big plans. As I said in my live review of them, they have some things they need to work on (like melodies) - but their keyboard-heavy experimental post punk shows promise and they clearly have the drive to follow through. :: MySpace

Autodrone - Grunge-tinged dark wave-spirited shoegaze, these guys have all the talent and mainstream appeal to break through. If the fates are kind, we'll be seeing a lot more of this band. :: MySpace

Bellmer Dolls - Scoring opening slots for Nick Cave bodes well for these garage-goths. As does their superb talent and creep-chic good looks. :: MySpace


NEXT>> Part 2
Part 3

Album: Autodrone - Strike A Match

Album: Strike a Match
Clairecords, 2008
Rating: ******* (7/10)

This isn't the first review I've done of New York four-piece Autodrone (see my live review here). That's partly just due to timing, and not really a creepy obsession on my part, but this band is definitely worth getting excited about.

Autodrone plays a heavy, dark shoegaze, with biting edges reminiscent of alternative metal and post-hardcore - imagine if Page Hamilton or Omar Rodriguez-Lopez played lead guitar for Lush. Though not cutting-edge, Autodrone stands apart from their peers in that all four members of this band are true musicians, evidenced by the relentless complexity of Strike a Match.

The album starts out with the dense, guitar-driven title track which takes all of its spirit from the dark pop of the 1980's and all of its sound from the guitar rock of the early 90's. While the opening track is somewhat limited in its power, the band uses this blueprint on several of the subsequent songs with more success. "Final Days" stands out as an example, featuring some of Katherine Kennedy's most compelling vocals, from her tense, driving monotone in the song's opening bars to her passionate, wailing chorus.

I'm a stickler for songs, so I feel compelled to report that several tracks on the album are filler. But while I won't endorse this, these tracks (primarily "100,000 Years of Revenge" and "Rose Has No Teeth") actually do add to the cohesiveness of the record, making it a true album with a unifying vision, not just a scattered collection of songs. And the instrumental sonic experimentation of "Moth of July" is just plain beautiful.

The order of tracks on the album left me a little uncomfortable, with the album's most upbeat numbers falling at tracks 10 and 11. I think I would have liked to see these songs a bit earlier on, where they could have broken up the near-formulaic similarities of the earlier tracks. But placing these songs at the end does add a concept-album-esque arc to the album, bringing an unsettling and dark journey to a warm and comforting close. If that was the intention, it falls a little short with better transition needed (the major keys seem a little jarring at first), but at the very least, it's interesting.

The stand-out track on the album is, without a doubt, "Sometime." The song, propelled by Dennis Lehrer's rumbling toms, emerges out of a beautiful cloud of sound. Jeremy Alisauskas's always superb guitar truly shines here. Sparkling gently in the verse, it swells to a roar and then bursts into a frantic and beautifully-executed prog-metal riff throughout the chorus.

Though far from perfect, Strike a Match proves Autodrone to be a band of remarkable skill and great promise. They have what it takes to make it big, so keep an eye on them in 2009.

Strike a Match hits the shelves tomorrow. Autodrone is also throwing a release party this Thursday at the Annex, so if you can wait an extra two days to get your hands on this, you can grab your copy there.

Live: Clairecords Showcase feat. Autodrone, Ifwhen, Brother Kite, Averkiou

As a part of CMJ, the wonderful Clairecords hosted a showcase of some of their finest bands from New York and beyond.

Averkiou - This quintet from Gainsville, FL, plays straight-up poppy shoegaze. They do it well, but it's nothing particularly memorable. My biggest complaint: if you're going to have three guitars, you've got make them all count. To give the band the benefit of the doubt, maybe it was the venue's poor acoustics that masked the details of the guitar arrangements - but the music I heard didn't justify the presence of so many strings, pedals and amplifiers in one place. The one major exception was the second-to-last song in the set (can anyone help me with the name?) which maintained the group's pop sensibility but showed a much higher level of musicianship and composition. If more of the bands songs had such interesting rhythms and three-guitar-worthy arrangements, they would make the leap from the high end of mediocrity to excellence at once.

Ifwhen - This is one of the most pretentious bands I've ever met, but I have to say they've earned it. I was joking recently about creating an uber-pretenious fake genre called "no-gaze," but seeing Ifwhen reminded me that it's already been invented and not as a joke. This band is, as far as I can tell, truly original - which is something I rarely say about any contemporary group. Numerous reviewers have described Ifwhen as sounding like several completely different songs are playing simulateously, and it's true, the music is remniscent of the sound when you accidentally tune into overlapping radio stations - only really fucking loud. I'm extremely dubious of artsy music like this, but there's something genuinely powerful about Ifwhen, and frankly, I am compelled to love them.

Autodrone - These kids are badass in the sweetest possible way - approachable, despite wearing a lot of black and metal and sporting the illest tatoos I've seen in a long while. The band is young and seemed refreshingly nervous to take the stage, but they had no cause for concern. The performance was spot-on, and each member showed remarkable musical prowess throughout. The music was immensely shortchanged by the venue's accoustics, which obscured much of the detailed guitar work by Jeremy Alisauskas and stripped Katherine Kennedy's voice of all the richness you can hear on the band's recordings.

The band made the best of a bad situation, though, and rocked even harder to make up for the acoustic limitations. Their set consisted of their standard shoegaze-inspired alternative rock, with definite hints of progressive influences - I'm pretty sure hear some Mars Volta in there. Their songs are catchy and engaging, but sometimes too long and lose their punchiness by the end. That's small beans though - expect big things from these guys in the near future!

The Brother Kite - Honestly, this band was a disappointment. I've really enjoyed their recorded material, but hearing them live for the first time, I was let down. Like Averkiou, their sound did not justify the presence of three guitars (one of them - for some songs, anyway - being a double-necked 12-string/6-string Epiphone). If you're going to have 30 guitar strings on stage, you've got to show you need them. The sound was less lush than I expected and I don't think the venue's poor acoustics alone are to blame. Though the songs are still well-written, the band's newer material seemed to signify a decline from their earlier efforts. The Brother Kite is still a fun listen, definitely, but at least at this show, the band sadly did not reach its potential.