Upcoming Shows: Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Werewolves + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

TOMORROW, Thursday, April 1

Werewolves + Soft Black @ Union Pool | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Either this is an extremely cruel April Fools prank, or Werewolves un-broke up and are playing a show at Union Pool. Werewolves, if you didn't know it, are one of my favorite NYC bands. They play some mixture of late 60's psychedelic rock'n'roll and 90's shoegaze, with warm layers of guitar and keyboard sounds and gnarled vocal melodies. [myspace]

Bonnie "Prince" Billy + Lichens @ Monster Island Basement | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $12
Bonnie "Prince" Billy plays intensely sad folk music that's more desolate and spooky than mopey. He was one of the seminal indie artists of the 90's. I don't know if he's still as good, though. Still, this is the most intimate venue at which you'll ever have the chance to see him.


Friday, April 2

Bonnie "Prince" Billy @ Monster Island Basement | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $12
Two shows, early and late. See above.

The Bronx @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15
The Bronx sits on the heavy, thrashy side of hardcore, but they aren't without their big rock'n'roll pop appeal. They are really rad. [myspace]

Blank Dogs, Wetdog (Captured Tracks Showcase?) @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $10
This was once listed as a showcase for the Captured Tracks record label, but it's not now. Doesn't matter, the bands are the same. Blank Dogs, a.k.a. Mike Sniper (who runs Captured Tracks) plays goth music buried under intense layers of lo-fi noise. It will give you the willies. Wetdog are a kind of post punk band of ladies from the UK and I'm not so into them, but they are quite well regarded and popular of late. [blank myspace] [wet myspace]


Saturday, April 3

Soft Pack (f.k.a. Muslims), Nodzzz, Male Bonding @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $12
Soft Pack were cooler when they went by Muslims but they are still pretty good, sort of alt-rock-ish pop punk. Nodzzz are really, really scuzzy, fuzzy lo-fi pop. And Male Bonding play exceptional punk rock, some of the best out there. As one of SubPop's newest signees, they won't be an opening act for much longer. [soft myspace] [nodzzz myspace] [mb myspace]


Monday, April 5

White Suns, PRSMS, Genders, Passive Aggressor @ Bruar Falls | Bruar Falls | FREE
Hardcore shows are always great, but when they're free...well you just can't beat that. Some of the best. Go to this show, no excuses. [white suns myspace] [prsms myspace] [genders myspace] [pa myspace]


Tuesday, April 6

The Bronx @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Williamsburg | $15
See above.

Asa Ransom @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Madhouse dance-punk quintet Asa Ransom are having a residency at Cameo. Their stark percussive sound and untamed vocal yelps make them one of the more interesting up-and-coming bands in Brooklyn. Check them out at this or one of their other Cameo shows (later in April). [myspace]


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

April
8
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
High Places @ Market Hotel

9
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Webster Hall
Pissed Jeans, Himalaya @ Knitting Factory
Pygmy Shrews @ Death by Audio
Xiu-Xiu, Tune-Yards @ Bowery Ballroom

14
A.R.E. Weapons @ Death by Audio

15
Liars @ Bowery Ballroom

18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

19
Snoop Dogg @ Brooklyn Bowl

20
Snoop Dogg @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Sweet Apple (feat. J. Mascis) @ Mercury Lounge
Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl

21
Apples in Stereo @ Bowery Ballroom
Killing Joke @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl

22
Gang Gang Dance @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Los Campesinos! @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Quasi, Let’s Wrestle @ Bowery Ballroom

24
Don Giovanni presents: Measure (SA), “Special Guest” (smart money is on Screaming Females, I think – but it’s no sure thing) @ Mercury Lounge

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

30
Styrenes (mems Mirrors, Electric Eels) @ Death by Audio

May
2
Echo & the Bunnymen @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza

3
Chapterhouse @ Bell House

7
Broken Social Scene @ Webster Hall
Caribou @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

8
Broken Social Scene @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Caribou @ Bowery Ballroom
Primitives, Frankie & the Outs @ Bell House

11
Sleigh Bells @ Market Hotel

15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

16
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Bowery Ballroom

19
Spectrum, Vacant Lots @ Knitting Factory

July
24
M.I.A. @ Governor’s Island


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Upcoming Shows: MDC, Mecca Normal + more

This is the most old school week ever, especially for punk rockers. (And if that's your thing, also check out Dead Milkmen and Meatmen tour schedules this week.)


TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 14

Wye Oak @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $12
Wye Oak are a really amazing noise-folk band from Baltimore who alternately make nice sweet songs and a really lot of noise. And sometimes they do both at the same time. Consisting of two amazingly gifted musicians, Wye Oak was rightfully the buzz of last year's CMJ Music Marathon. Check out my last live review of them for more information. [Website] [MySpace]


Wednesday, April 15

Nada Surf @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $15
Bell House has it going on this week! Nada Surf have been around forever. I know this, because many years ago, my very first band did a cover of their classic song "Popular." (However, we hesitated to perform it live since our vocalist would kind of go nuts and start screaming names of specific people we went to school with. But I digress.) With their slightly punky indie rock, Nada Surf have only improved since their initial hit (yup, "Popular"), with their quality steadily on the rise for at least 15 years now. [Website] [MySpace]


Thursday, April 16

Throbbing Gristle @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple | Fort Greene, Brooklyn | $35 (Sold Out??)
I would be remiss not to tell you that classic industrial band Throbbing Gristle is doing their first East Coast show in ages this Thursday at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. An offshoot of Krautrock and its unhuman electronic beats, industrial music was largely defined by Throbbing Gristle in the mid-70's. Without them, you'd have no Big Black, no Nine Inch Nails, probably even no Depeche Mode. And they have a reputation as an amazing live act, far exceeding their recorded material. Still, thirty-five bucks ain't cheap. [Website] [MySpace]

?? Rumanian Buck @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $8 ??
I can't figure out whether or not this show has been cancelled. I think it has, but it's worth looking into further, because Rumanian Buck features members of Big Sleep and the late Beat the Devil, two of NYC's best edgy, hard-rockin' bands.


Friday, April 17

Of Montreal, Janelle Monae, The Ladybug Transistor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | SOLD OUT
Wow, this is a monster of a line-up. Honestly, I stopped liking Of Montreal when they stopped being a creepy little twee band, but they do know how to incorporate a trumpet into a pop song, so they're clearly doing something right. The worst thing about them nowadays is that their stage performance is super gimmicky and lame - but they've kind of made up for that this time around by inviting two killer openers. Janelle Monae is a richly-talented singer who I've been rooting for way back before any of y'all knew her name. Her southern roots mixed with funk mixed with indie rock sensibility make her sound pretty hard to describe but pretty awesome to listen to. And the Ladybug Transistor, well, they're NYC's quintessential indie pop band and nothing short of irresistible. Together, the three acts have a lot of variety but a lot of great pop moments that make surfing craigslist for a ticket worth your while. [OM Website] [OM MySpace] || [Monae Website] [Monae MySpace] || [Ladybug Website] [Ladybug MySpace]


Saturday, April 18

MDC (unplugged) @ ABC No Rio | LES, Manhattan | $7 | 3 PM
MDC @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $10 | 8 PM
MDC are one of the great classics of American punk, a West Coast hardcore outfit who were contemporaries and equals of fellow San Franciscans the Dead Kennedys. You have two chances to see them Saturday, both in intimate environments. True to hardcore tradition, both shows are ALL AGES. [MySpace]

Asa Ransom @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $?
It's been a long time since I last checked in with my pals Asa Ransom, whose keyboard-driven, aggressive, experimental punk is comparable to Pere Ubu in no small way. Their live show is outstanding and their music is cutting edge. [Website] [MySpace]


Monday, April 20

Mecca Normal (K Records) @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $8
Mecca Normal is a classic K Records band, and while K Records is most famous for its wussy twee pop, Mecca Normal are far more badass than their label would imply. Though formed in 1981, the band didn't hit their stride until the late 80's and early 90's, when they combined the sounds of their scene - indie pop and early riot grrrl - with the more experimental sounds of noise rock, post punk and no wave. Check it. [MySpace]

The Bronx @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15
The Bronx are the leading hardcore band of the moment, so if the K Records crowd is too pansy for you, stop by here instead. [Website] [MySpace]