When: 6/24
Where: 285 Kent
Although I've loved the Coathangers for a few years now and consider them top-notch badasses, they reached a new level of badassery and awesomeness during their opening slot for Bush Tetras on Friday. The Coathangers are four attractive but intimidating ladies from Georgia. They play strange, energetic, sarcastic punk music. Their vocal styles range from gender-bending growl to possessed muppet, at times warbling, at times screeching - but somehow, there are melodies.
The Coathangers haven't changed that much since I first saw them but they have gone in a new direction on one thing: their approach to the keyboard. Once upon a time, about 90% of their keyboard playing involved randomly banging clusters of keys, but now they've moved away from that technique towards actual melodic riffs (though they still do some random pounding as well). Honestly, it's not better or worse this way - on the one hand, the music is a little less ferociously wild than it once was, but on the other, the band's songs are more distinct and more tightly constructed.
And around those melodic riffs, the band still rages like always. Seriously, don't fuck with these girls. Todd P and his sound guy tried to fuck with them by cutting the band off during one of their instrument rotations. Because their set was a little (ok, a lot) long and there were two bands yet to go, Big Brother decided to pull the plug and start blasting the Beach Boys (or something similar) through the PA, signalling the end of the set. The Coathangers ignored it and kept playing. And won. The music was shut off and the mics were turned back on. Pausing for only about two or three seconds to shout "don't turn off our mics" they launched into another song.
Twice more, the bossman tried to drown them out with shite, but the band refused to leave the stage. During one last instrument switch, someone decided enough was enough and cut off the mics for good. But did that stop our feisty foursome? Ha! They played their last song OVER the between-sets mix that was blasting out of the PA. I don't know how they managed to stay together with a whole other song going at the same time, but they pulled it off and it was awesome. True, the vocals were inaudible and although the band did what they could to encourage a shout-along, not enough people knew the words to make that effective. But even if parts of the song were lost in the cacophony, the point still got across: the Coathangers are nobody's bitch. [video (not this show)]
Granted, the Coathangers are a hard act to follow, but upon seeing Friends, I could see why the much superior Coathangers felt inspired to run over their allotment into the next set. Friends weren't all bad. But the parts that were bad were pretty awful. The band is more post-disco than post-funk, but they were a logical opener for Bush Tetras, warm but white female vocals over angular post-punk dance grooves. They were tight and some of their b-lines were pretty outstanding. Their rhythm section over all was tight and they had some good ideas. Unfortunately, they chose to use two of the most piercing and annoying sounds possible on many of their songs: wood block and claves (those two wood sticks that you click together in Latin music).
The main thing that put me out wasn't the whacking of pieces of wood together, however. It was the oversung pop singing of the frontwoman that really grated my nerves after a while. There were moments when the set was enjoyable, more than I expected, but the overarching vocals sounded a little too much like a showcase of vocal ability and not quite enough like pop hooks or genuine expression.
The band was also a bit grating on a personal level. They were informed mid-way through their set that New York had legalized gay marriage. They made several well-intentioned attempts to express their agreement with the decision but the more they tried, the more awkward and offensive their comments got. As if the vocals hadn't made me cringe enough for one night! Still, their hearts were in the right place. [video (not this show)]
The Bush Tetras closed out the night with a set that was a little too long, given the heat of the room, but they did hit most of their best songs and well, they are too awesome for words. And what words I can use for them, I just used a few days ago. [video (not this show)]
Showing posts with label Bush Tetras. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bush Tetras. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Live: Bush Tetras
When: 6/10
Where: Le Poisson Rouge
Another way overdue live review, but timely because the Bush Tetras are playing TONIGHT at 285 Kent and you should hear them.
For those who don't know who the Tetras are, here's a brief history: in New York City in the late 70's, a group of artists reacted to the commercialization of punk by making music that could never be co-opted by the record industry because it was pretty much unlistenable. That movement, dubbed "No Wave," included a broad variety of bands but all were noisy and eschewed conventional song structures and most were non-musicians. One of the main groups was the Contortions who had a guitarist named Pat Place. Once No Wavers had made their point, all the chaos started getting a little old, so they moved on to other things. Pat Place, along with a few other women from the scene, moved on to Bush Tetras, a group that took the dissonance and aggression of No Wave and channeled it into tight funk grooves that are jagged but actually danceable.
The Bush Tetras were a great band and an influential one, although they never reached massive commercial success (they weren't exactly aiming for the Top 40, obviously).
When I saw them on June 10, they had some gray hairs, but they were still as great a band as ever. They played old "hits" as well as some "newer" songs. Although original bassist Laura Kennedy is not in the mix, but Julia Murphy still bangs out some of the best b-lines I've ever heard - funky grooves but with that special angularity that sets the Tetras apart. (In case you're wondering, Kennedy hasn't played with the band in ages because of serious health problems. In fact, that was one of the major reasons for the band's 2007 reunion - she needed a liver transplant and her old band reformed to raise funds. Yes, they were successful and last we heard, she's got a new liver and is slowly rebuilding her health.)
The two most important band members are still very much in top form. They don't shy away from looking middle-aged, especially vocalist Cynthia Sley, who looks pretty much like every other artsy 50-ish woman from the Village, you know the kind of old hippie lady with the long hair and the simple, flowy clothes. Pat Place has always stood in a bit of contrast to this, with cropped hair and a tough, androgynous look. She's definitely the punk nihilist to Sley's sage flowerchild.
But Sley's lyrics are not so flowery. The band closed on their most well-known song, "Too Many Creeps," but all of their songs have a similar sense of mixed paranoia and ennui. Place's searing, discordant guitar certainly adds to the sense of claustrophobia but the entire band and their entire oeuvre seems to say "We're so bored and we're so totally screwed, but let's have fun and get down." Of course, they have some less nihilistic political points but it's all coated in the crime of New York City (and in particular the shithole that was New York City in the late 70's).
Most reunited bands are lucky if they don't look ridiculous doing what they do (the same could be said of bands that just never break up, amiright Mr. Jagger?) but the Tetras are miles beyond that. Maybe because they're so sincere, maybe because they're having so much fun, maybe because they never had a whole lot of glory in the first place so they haven't got some youthful folly they're trying to reclaim, they are as cool as they ever were. Maybe even more so. Yeah, they are who they are - it's not perfect - but they play tighter and rock harder than most of the wussy youngsters making indie "rock" today. So kids, take notes - this is how it's done.
Where: Le Poisson Rouge
Another way overdue live review, but timely because the Bush Tetras are playing TONIGHT at 285 Kent and you should hear them.
For those who don't know who the Tetras are, here's a brief history: in New York City in the late 70's, a group of artists reacted to the commercialization of punk by making music that could never be co-opted by the record industry because it was pretty much unlistenable. That movement, dubbed "No Wave," included a broad variety of bands but all were noisy and eschewed conventional song structures and most were non-musicians. One of the main groups was the Contortions who had a guitarist named Pat Place. Once No Wavers had made their point, all the chaos started getting a little old, so they moved on to other things. Pat Place, along with a few other women from the scene, moved on to Bush Tetras, a group that took the dissonance and aggression of No Wave and channeled it into tight funk grooves that are jagged but actually danceable.
The Bush Tetras were a great band and an influential one, although they never reached massive commercial success (they weren't exactly aiming for the Top 40, obviously).
When I saw them on June 10, they had some gray hairs, but they were still as great a band as ever. They played old "hits" as well as some "newer" songs. Although original bassist Laura Kennedy is not in the mix, but Julia Murphy still bangs out some of the best b-lines I've ever heard - funky grooves but with that special angularity that sets the Tetras apart. (In case you're wondering, Kennedy hasn't played with the band in ages because of serious health problems. In fact, that was one of the major reasons for the band's 2007 reunion - she needed a liver transplant and her old band reformed to raise funds. Yes, they were successful and last we heard, she's got a new liver and is slowly rebuilding her health.)
The two most important band members are still very much in top form. They don't shy away from looking middle-aged, especially vocalist Cynthia Sley, who looks pretty much like every other artsy 50-ish woman from the Village, you know the kind of old hippie lady with the long hair and the simple, flowy clothes. Pat Place has always stood in a bit of contrast to this, with cropped hair and a tough, androgynous look. She's definitely the punk nihilist to Sley's sage flowerchild.
But Sley's lyrics are not so flowery. The band closed on their most well-known song, "Too Many Creeps," but all of their songs have a similar sense of mixed paranoia and ennui. Place's searing, discordant guitar certainly adds to the sense of claustrophobia but the entire band and their entire oeuvre seems to say "We're so bored and we're so totally screwed, but let's have fun and get down." Of course, they have some less nihilistic political points but it's all coated in the crime of New York City (and in particular the shithole that was New York City in the late 70's).
Most reunited bands are lucky if they don't look ridiculous doing what they do (the same could be said of bands that just never break up, amiright Mr. Jagger?) but the Tetras are miles beyond that. Maybe because they're so sincere, maybe because they're having so much fun, maybe because they never had a whole lot of glory in the first place so they haven't got some youthful folly they're trying to reclaim, they are as cool as they ever were. Maybe even more so. Yeah, they are who they are - it's not perfect - but they play tighter and rock harder than most of the wussy youngsters making indie "rock" today. So kids, take notes - this is how it's done.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Upcoming Shows: Bush Tetras, Coathangers, Jeff the Brotherhood + more!
Tonight!! Thursday, June 23
Art Brut, Reptar, Miniboone @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Art Brut are an arty/"meta" sort of catchy punk band from the U.K. Sometimes the band is a little too clever for their own good, but mostly, they're good fun. Reptar have been getting a fair amount of hype lately. As for Miniboone, if you can imagine the Minutemen as produced by Phil Spector, you might get some idea what they're all about. They're the perfect opening act for this bill of big, rowdy, cerebral pop. [brut video] [minivideo]
Dinosaur Jr (playing Bug and interviewed by Henry Rollins), Fucked Up @ Terminal 5 * Midtown West, Manhattan
Well this is certainly a weird show. Dinosaur Jr, the band that brought guitar heroics back to indie music, inspired the entire shoegaze movement and set the tone for what would be known as "Alt Rock" a decade later, will be playing their classic album, Bug, live at Terminal 5 tonight. (Bug is not their best album, but it's up there.) Henry Rollins from Black Flag is apparently going to be there not to perform but to interview (?!). Opening is Fucked Up, the greatest punk band of the last decade. Fucked Up are hardcore superheroes who've reinvented the genre with their sheets sound and ambitious but never weighty concept albums (including their very recent rock opera, David Comes to Live). It's all very good, but it is at Terminal 5, which has the worst acoustics of any venue ever made (probably). It's a huge place and their shows are overpriced. However, they do have candy in the bathrooms. [dino video] [fucked up video]
Talk Normal @ Union Pool * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Talk Normal are make avant garde/noise music, but they've got melodies and songs and all that stuff too, more melodies all the time. They're rad enough to open for Sonic Youth and Teenage Jesus which means their about as rad as possible. [video]
Other Shows
Bob Mould @ 92YTribeca ($25)
Chairlift @ Glasslands ($10)
Tape Deck Mountain, Grooms, Dinowalrus @ Knitting Factory ($8/$10)
We Are Scientists, Milagres @ Red Hook Park (free!)
Tomorrow!! Friday, June 24
Bush Tetras, Coathangers, Religious to Damn @ 285 Kent * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10
Along with ESG and Liquid Liquid, the Bush Tetras were one of the original funk-punk bands that came out of the tail end of No Wave in New York City in the late 70's and early 80's. Featuring Pat Place of the Contortions, the Bush Tetras are a female-led group of funky post-punkers whose music echoes the bleak, nihilistic culture of late 70's NYC. Coathangers are one of the best new(ish) punk bands in ages and they will fuck your shit up. [tetras video] [coathanger video]
Other Shows
Sic Alps, Spectre Folk, Weekends, Phillip Seymour Hoffman @ Death By Audio ($8)
Strange Boys, White Fence, Babies @ 92YTribeca ($10/$12)
Saturday, June 25
Coathangers, Teen Witch @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $8
See above, yo.
Secret Guest, Jeff the Brotherhood, Iceage @ 285 Kent * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The secret guest headliner for the Jeff show on Saturday is quite intriguing because it's apparently someone more impressive than Jeff the Brotherhood, and that's not easy to accomplish. The show's worth attending just for the other two acts, rock'n'roll heroes Jeff the Brotherhood (who just released an album) and heavily hyped Danish punks Iceage, who will soon be very famous. [jeff video]
Other Shows
K-Holes @ Union Pool (free afternoon show!)
Archers of Loaf @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (sold out!)
Zulus, some other band featuring ex-mems PC Worship @ Bruar Falls (free!)
Sunday, June 26
Unfact (David Wm. Sims of Jesus Lizard, Scratch Acid, Rapeman), US Girls @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
I don't know the music of Unfact, but I do know the music of David Wm. Sims, who played bass in three of my favorite bands. (Three! Count 'em!) These three bands, all hailing from Chicago (sort of), are three of the nastiest, heaviest, most abrasive post-hardcore bands that ever existed - and three of the most influential as well. [video]
Other Shows
Archers of Loaf @ Webster Hall ($30)
My Teenage Stride @ Fulton Stall Market (free!)
Tuesday, June 28
Mariachi el Bronx @ Brooklyn Bowl * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * Free (with RSVP)
I don't think I'd recommend this show if it weren't free. Bronx are a good hardcore band and sometimes they turn into a mariachi band (really) and call themselves "Mariachi el Bronx." [video]
Funkmaster Flex & Guests @ Soundview Park * Soundview, Bronx * Free!!
This is one of the less impressive of NYC Parks Department's series of hip-hop shows this summer - or I'm guessing it is. The other shows feature old school and early hardcore legends like Eric B, Rakim and EPMD. On the other hand, this is free and you never know - the guest could be someone amazing.
The long view...
June
30
Fiasco @ Death By Audio ($7)
July
1
Dinowalrus, Total Slacker @ Monster Island Basement ($6)
Cro-Mags @ Bowery Ballroom
Ceremony @ Death By Audio
Nobunny, TV Ghost, Shellshag @ Knitting Factory ($10/$12)
Thermals, Big Troubles @ Bell House ($15)
2
Shellshag, Fiasco, Unstoppable Death Machines @ Silent Barn
3
Panda Bear, Ducktails @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (sold out!)
Ringo Deathstarr, the Vandelles, Dead Leaf Echo @ Shea Stadium
4
Sightings, Liturgy, PC Worship + many more @ Shea Stadium
6
Ladybug Transistor, Beets @ Knitting Factory ($12)
Zs @ Public Assembly
7
Liquor Store, Ex-Humans, The Fucking Ocean @ Death By Audio ($7)
8
The Wake, Weekend @ South Street Seaport
9
Ted Leo @ South Street Seaport (free!)
Grooms, Pterodactyl @ Death By Audio ($7)
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park (sold out!)
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory ($15)
Slick Rick @ Crotona Park (free!)
14
Tune-Yards @ River Rocks (free!)
Marly Marl @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 @ Union Hall ($8)
15
Radio Dept., Asobi Seksu (shoegaze/ambient pop) @ South Street Seaport
16
4 Knots Festival: Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Obits, Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) + more
Pygmy Shrews @ Union Pool
19
Kool Moe Dee (one of the first and best rappers of all time) @ Queensbridge (free!)
20
Talk Normal @ Glasslands ($10)
Torche @ Music Hall of Williamsubrg
21
Funkmaster Flex, Nore(aga) @ Queensbridge (free!)
Gang Gang Dance @ Rocks Off Cruises
22
Death From Above 1979 @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($43)
23
The Feelies, Real Estate, Times New Viking @ Prospect Park (free!)
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge (sold out!)
24
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge
28
Walt Mink (great 90's indie band that split up over 10 years ago) @ Bell House
29
West Memphis Three Benefit with Dez Cadena @ Southpaw
Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom
August
2
Sugarhill Gang @ Tappan Park (free!)
Sufjan Stevens @ Prospect Park
6
Cold Cave @ Bowery Ballroom
Crystal Antlers @ Glasslands ($10)
7
Friendly Fires, Cults @ Central Park (free!)
8
The Kills, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, A Place to Bury Strangers @ Terminal 5
9
The Kills, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, A Place to Bury Strangers @ Terminal 5
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($40)
*CANCELED* Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
21
Rakim, EPMD @ Central Park (free!)
22
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
23
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
25
Wavves @ East River Park (free!)
September
8
TV on the Radio @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($48)
23
The Descendents @ Roseland Ballroom
27
Swans @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
30
X @ Irving Plaza
October
1
X @ Irving Plaza
4
The Horrors @ Webster Hall
15
Wild Flag (ex-Sleater-Kinney) @ Bell House
18
Wild Flag (ex-Sleater-Kinney) @ Bowery Ballroom
22
The Damned @ Irving Plaza
29
Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) @ Town Hall (sold out!)
Art Brut, Reptar, Miniboone @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Art Brut are an arty/"meta" sort of catchy punk band from the U.K. Sometimes the band is a little too clever for their own good, but mostly, they're good fun. Reptar have been getting a fair amount of hype lately. As for Miniboone, if you can imagine the Minutemen as produced by Phil Spector, you might get some idea what they're all about. They're the perfect opening act for this bill of big, rowdy, cerebral pop. [brut video] [minivideo]
Dinosaur Jr (playing Bug and interviewed by Henry Rollins), Fucked Up @ Terminal 5 * Midtown West, Manhattan
Well this is certainly a weird show. Dinosaur Jr, the band that brought guitar heroics back to indie music, inspired the entire shoegaze movement and set the tone for what would be known as "Alt Rock" a decade later, will be playing their classic album, Bug, live at Terminal 5 tonight. (Bug is not their best album, but it's up there.) Henry Rollins from Black Flag is apparently going to be there not to perform but to interview (?!). Opening is Fucked Up, the greatest punk band of the last decade. Fucked Up are hardcore superheroes who've reinvented the genre with their sheets sound and ambitious but never weighty concept albums (including their very recent rock opera, David Comes to Live). It's all very good, but it is at Terminal 5, which has the worst acoustics of any venue ever made (probably). It's a huge place and their shows are overpriced. However, they do have candy in the bathrooms. [dino video] [fucked up video]
Talk Normal @ Union Pool * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Talk Normal are make avant garde/noise music, but they've got melodies and songs and all that stuff too, more melodies all the time. They're rad enough to open for Sonic Youth and Teenage Jesus which means their about as rad as possible. [video]
Other Shows
Bob Mould @ 92YTribeca ($25)
Chairlift @ Glasslands ($10)
Tape Deck Mountain, Grooms, Dinowalrus @ Knitting Factory ($8/$10)
We Are Scientists, Milagres @ Red Hook Park (free!)
Tomorrow!! Friday, June 24
Bush Tetras, Coathangers, Religious to Damn @ 285 Kent * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10
Along with ESG and Liquid Liquid, the Bush Tetras were one of the original funk-punk bands that came out of the tail end of No Wave in New York City in the late 70's and early 80's. Featuring Pat Place of the Contortions, the Bush Tetras are a female-led group of funky post-punkers whose music echoes the bleak, nihilistic culture of late 70's NYC. Coathangers are one of the best new(ish) punk bands in ages and they will fuck your shit up. [tetras video] [coathanger video]
Other Shows
Sic Alps, Spectre Folk, Weekends, Phillip Seymour Hoffman @ Death By Audio ($8)
Strange Boys, White Fence, Babies @ 92YTribeca ($10/$12)
Saturday, June 25
Coathangers, Teen Witch @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $8
See above, yo.
Secret Guest, Jeff the Brotherhood, Iceage @ 285 Kent * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The secret guest headliner for the Jeff show on Saturday is quite intriguing because it's apparently someone more impressive than Jeff the Brotherhood, and that's not easy to accomplish. The show's worth attending just for the other two acts, rock'n'roll heroes Jeff the Brotherhood (who just released an album) and heavily hyped Danish punks Iceage, who will soon be very famous. [jeff video]
Other Shows
K-Holes @ Union Pool (free afternoon show!)
Archers of Loaf @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (sold out!)
Zulus, some other band featuring ex-mems PC Worship @ Bruar Falls (free!)
Sunday, June 26
Unfact (David Wm. Sims of Jesus Lizard, Scratch Acid, Rapeman), US Girls @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
I don't know the music of Unfact, but I do know the music of David Wm. Sims, who played bass in three of my favorite bands. (Three! Count 'em!) These three bands, all hailing from Chicago (sort of), are three of the nastiest, heaviest, most abrasive post-hardcore bands that ever existed - and three of the most influential as well. [video]
Other Shows
Archers of Loaf @ Webster Hall ($30)
My Teenage Stride @ Fulton Stall Market (free!)
Tuesday, June 28
Mariachi el Bronx @ Brooklyn Bowl * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * Free (with RSVP)
I don't think I'd recommend this show if it weren't free. Bronx are a good hardcore band and sometimes they turn into a mariachi band (really) and call themselves "Mariachi el Bronx." [video]
Funkmaster Flex & Guests @ Soundview Park * Soundview, Bronx * Free!!
This is one of the less impressive of NYC Parks Department's series of hip-hop shows this summer - or I'm guessing it is. The other shows feature old school and early hardcore legends like Eric B, Rakim and EPMD. On the other hand, this is free and you never know - the guest could be someone amazing.
The long view...
June
30
Fiasco @ Death By Audio ($7)
July
1
Dinowalrus, Total Slacker @ Monster Island Basement ($6)
Cro-Mags @ Bowery Ballroom
Ceremony @ Death By Audio
Nobunny, TV Ghost, Shellshag @ Knitting Factory ($10/$12)
Thermals, Big Troubles @ Bell House ($15)
2
Shellshag, Fiasco, Unstoppable Death Machines @ Silent Barn
3
Panda Bear, Ducktails @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (sold out!)
Ringo Deathstarr, the Vandelles, Dead Leaf Echo @ Shea Stadium
4
Sightings, Liturgy, PC Worship + many more @ Shea Stadium
6
Ladybug Transistor, Beets @ Knitting Factory ($12)
Zs @ Public Assembly
7
Liquor Store, Ex-Humans, The Fucking Ocean @ Death By Audio ($7)
8
The Wake, Weekend @ South Street Seaport
9
Ted Leo @ South Street Seaport (free!)
Grooms, Pterodactyl @ Death By Audio ($7)
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park (sold out!)
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory ($15)
Slick Rick @ Crotona Park (free!)
14
Tune-Yards @ River Rocks (free!)
Marly Marl @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 @ Union Hall ($8)
15
Radio Dept., Asobi Seksu (shoegaze/ambient pop) @ South Street Seaport
16
4 Knots Festival: Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Obits, Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) + more
Pygmy Shrews @ Union Pool
19
Kool Moe Dee (one of the first and best rappers of all time) @ Queensbridge (free!)
20
Talk Normal @ Glasslands ($10)
Torche @ Music Hall of Williamsubrg
21
Funkmaster Flex, Nore(aga) @ Queensbridge (free!)
Gang Gang Dance @ Rocks Off Cruises
22
Death From Above 1979 @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($43)
23
The Feelies, Real Estate, Times New Viking @ Prospect Park (free!)
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge (sold out!)
24
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge
28
Walt Mink (great 90's indie band that split up over 10 years ago) @ Bell House
29
West Memphis Three Benefit with Dez Cadena @ Southpaw
Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom
August
2
Sugarhill Gang @ Tappan Park (free!)
Sufjan Stevens @ Prospect Park
6
Cold Cave @ Bowery Ballroom
Crystal Antlers @ Glasslands ($10)
7
Friendly Fires, Cults @ Central Park (free!)
8
The Kills, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, A Place to Bury Strangers @ Terminal 5
9
The Kills, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, A Place to Bury Strangers @ Terminal 5
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($40)
*CANCELED* Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
21
Rakim, EPMD @ Central Park (free!)
22
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
23
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
25
Wavves @ East River Park (free!)
September
8
TV on the Radio @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($48)
23
The Descendents @ Roseland Ballroom
27
Swans @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
30
X @ Irving Plaza
October
1
X @ Irving Plaza
4
The Horrors @ Webster Hall
15
Wild Flag (ex-Sleater-Kinney) @ Bell House
18
Wild Flag (ex-Sleater-Kinney) @ Bowery Ballroom
22
The Damned @ Irving Plaza
29
Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) @ Town Hall (sold out!)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Upcoming Shows: Bush Tetras, Pygmy Shrews, T.S.O.L. + more
Tomorrow!! Friday, June 10
Bush Tetras @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $12/$15
Along with ESG and Liquid Liquid, the Bush Tetras were one of the original funk-punk bands that came out of the tail end of No Wave in New York City in the late 70's and early 80's. Featuring Pat Place of the Contortions, the Bush Tetras are a female-led group of funky post-punkers whose music echoes the bleak, nihilistic culture of late 70's NYC. [video]
Other shows
PC Worship @ Death By Audio ($7)
Andrew Bird @ Prospect Park (free)
Saturday, June 11
Pygmy Shrews, Pop 1280, White Suns * Willliamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
Pygmy Shrews are one of the best bands in New York, but they are also flaky so don't be shocked if they cancel this show at the last minute. However, so far so good. They play nasty nasty nasty post-hardcore with lots of distortion. [video] Pop 1280 are a little more bleak but also nasty. [video] White Suns are a noise band and they are good at it. [video]
Other shows
Greg Fox (GDFX) & C Spencer Yeh (collaboration) @ Shea Stadium
Sunday, June 12
T.S.O.L. @ Santos Party House * Chinatown, Manhattan * $12
T.S.O.L. are one of the original hardcore punk bands from southern California. They are also one of the best. [video]
R. Stevie Moore @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * $10
R. Stevie Moore was making lo-fi indie pop before "lo-fi" and "indie" had been invented. The American godfather of DIY, R. Stevie Moore has a catalog of hundreds of quirky pop songs. He's a badass too. He may look a little like Santa Claus, but he will fuck your shit up. The man is amazing live. [video]
Other shows
GDFX @ Coco 66
C Spencer Yeh @ Zebulon
Monday, June 13
PC Worship @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan
PC Worship merge lo-fi folk with free jazz and avant garde influences. When the band is on, they're genius. [video]
Tuesday, June 14
Japanther, Shellshag, Heavy Cream @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Japanther are an art-punk duo who sing through a telephone mic but have lots and lots and lots of pop hooks and lots and lots and lots of energy! [video] Shellshag are also a duo. They get drunk and shout punk anthems and then knock things over and build a tower out of their drums. [video] Heavy Cream are from Nashville and play awesome southern/country/blues punk. And look good doing it. [video]
Wednesday, June 15
Say No! To Architecture, Zs @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn * $7
Say No! To Architecture and Zs are two of Brooklyn's best experimental (and largely instrumental) psychedelic bands. See them both for only $7! [SN!TA vid] [Zs vid]
Other shows
The Men (record release) @ Death By Audio ($7)
The long view...
June
16
HoZac Showcase: K-Holes, Xray Eyeball, My Teenage Stride @ Shea Stadium
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project), Lichens @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
Northside Festival: Eternal Summers, Reading Rainbow, Secret History @ Bruar Falls ($10)
Swervedriver (original shoegaze) @ Irving Plaza
17
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
Northside Festival: Beirut, Sharon van Etten @ McCarren Park (sold out!)
orthside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Dean Wareham (playing Galaxie 500), Vacant Lots @ Bell House ($15/$20)
The Books @ Prospect Park
18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves, Surfer Blood, Babies @ McCarren Park ($30/$35)
Bardo Pond, White Out (Thurston Moore) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($10)
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (Microphones) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
SLZRD WZRD (mem Lightning Bolt) @ Coco 66
21
Talib Kweli @ Red Hook Park (free!)
Chairlift @ Cameo Gallery ($10)
22
The Bronx @ Concert Cruises
23
Dinosaur Jr (performing Bug), Fucked Up @ Terminal 5
Art Brut, Reptar @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Chairlift, Telepathe @ Glasslands ($10)
24
Special Guest (??!), Coathangers, Religious to Damn @ 285 Kent
25
Archers of Loaf @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (sold out!)
Jeff the Brotherhood (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ 285 Kent
26
Archers of Loaf @ Webster Hall
My Teenage Stride @ South Street Seaport
July
3
Panda Bear, Ducktails @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
8
The Wake, Weekend @ South Street Seaport
9
Ted Leo @ South Street Seaport (free!)
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park (sold out!)
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory
Slick Rick @ Crotona Park (free!)
14
Tune-Yards @ River Rocks (free!)
Marly Marl @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 @ Union Hall
15
Radio Dept., Asobi Seksu (shoegaze/ambient pop) @ South Street Seaport
16
4 Knots Festival: Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Obits, Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) + more
19
Kool Moe Dee (one of the first and best rappers of all time) @ Queensbridge (free!)
22
Death From Above 1979 @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($43)
23
The Feelies, Real Estate, Times New Viking @ Prospect Park (free!)
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge (sold out!)
24
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge
28
Walt Mink (great 90's indie band that split up over 10 years ago) @ Bell House
29
West Memphis Three Benefit with Dez Cadena @ Southpaw
Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom
August
2
Sugarhill Gang @ Tappan Park (free!)
Sufjan Stevens @ Prospect Park
6
Cold Cave @ Bowery Ballroom
Crystal Antlers @ Glasslands ($10)
7
Friendly Fires, Cults @ Central Park (free!)
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($40)
*CANCELLED*Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
21
Rakim, EPMD @ Central Park (free!)
22
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
25
Wavves @ East River Park (free!)
September
8
TV on the Radio @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($48)
October
22
The Damned @ Irving Plaza
29
Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) @ Town Hall (sold out!)
Bush Tetras @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $12/$15
Along with ESG and Liquid Liquid, the Bush Tetras were one of the original funk-punk bands that came out of the tail end of No Wave in New York City in the late 70's and early 80's. Featuring Pat Place of the Contortions, the Bush Tetras are a female-led group of funky post-punkers whose music echoes the bleak, nihilistic culture of late 70's NYC. [video]
Other shows
PC Worship @ Death By Audio ($7)
Andrew Bird @ Prospect Park (free)
Saturday, June 11
Pygmy Shrews, Pop 1280, White Suns * Willliamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
Pygmy Shrews are one of the best bands in New York, but they are also flaky so don't be shocked if they cancel this show at the last minute. However, so far so good. They play nasty nasty nasty post-hardcore with lots of distortion. [video] Pop 1280 are a little more bleak but also nasty. [video] White Suns are a noise band and they are good at it. [video]
Other shows
Greg Fox (GDFX) & C Spencer Yeh (collaboration) @ Shea Stadium
Sunday, June 12
T.S.O.L. @ Santos Party House * Chinatown, Manhattan * $12
T.S.O.L. are one of the original hardcore punk bands from southern California. They are also one of the best. [video]
R. Stevie Moore @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * $10
R. Stevie Moore was making lo-fi indie pop before "lo-fi" and "indie" had been invented. The American godfather of DIY, R. Stevie Moore has a catalog of hundreds of quirky pop songs. He's a badass too. He may look a little like Santa Claus, but he will fuck your shit up. The man is amazing live. [video]
Other shows
GDFX @ Coco 66
C Spencer Yeh @ Zebulon
Monday, June 13
PC Worship @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan
PC Worship merge lo-fi folk with free jazz and avant garde influences. When the band is on, they're genius. [video]
Tuesday, June 14
Japanther, Shellshag, Heavy Cream @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Japanther are an art-punk duo who sing through a telephone mic but have lots and lots and lots of pop hooks and lots and lots and lots of energy! [video] Shellshag are also a duo. They get drunk and shout punk anthems and then knock things over and build a tower out of their drums. [video] Heavy Cream are from Nashville and play awesome southern/country/blues punk. And look good doing it. [video]
Wednesday, June 15
Say No! To Architecture, Zs @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn * $7
Say No! To Architecture and Zs are two of Brooklyn's best experimental (and largely instrumental) psychedelic bands. See them both for only $7! [SN!TA vid] [Zs vid]
Other shows
The Men (record release) @ Death By Audio ($7)
The long view...
June
16
HoZac Showcase: K-Holes, Xray Eyeball, My Teenage Stride @ Shea Stadium
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project), Lichens @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
Northside Festival: Eternal Summers, Reading Rainbow, Secret History @ Bruar Falls ($10)
Swervedriver (original shoegaze) @ Irving Plaza
17
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
Northside Festival: Beirut, Sharon van Etten @ McCarren Park (sold out!)
orthside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Dean Wareham (playing Galaxie 500), Vacant Lots @ Bell House ($15/$20)
The Books @ Prospect Park
18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves, Surfer Blood, Babies @ McCarren Park ($30/$35)
Bardo Pond, White Out (Thurston Moore) @ Le Poisson Rouge ($10)
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (Microphones) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
SLZRD WZRD (mem Lightning Bolt) @ Coco 66
21
Talib Kweli @ Red Hook Park (free!)
Chairlift @ Cameo Gallery ($10)
22
The Bronx @ Concert Cruises
23
Dinosaur Jr (performing Bug), Fucked Up @ Terminal 5
Art Brut, Reptar @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Chairlift, Telepathe @ Glasslands ($10)
24
Special Guest (??!), Coathangers, Religious to Damn @ 285 Kent
25
Archers of Loaf @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (sold out!)
Jeff the Brotherhood (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ 285 Kent
26
Archers of Loaf @ Webster Hall
My Teenage Stride @ South Street Seaport
July
3
Panda Bear, Ducktails @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
8
The Wake, Weekend @ South Street Seaport
9
Ted Leo @ South Street Seaport (free!)
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park (sold out!)
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory
Slick Rick @ Crotona Park (free!)
14
Tune-Yards @ River Rocks (free!)
Marly Marl @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 @ Union Hall
15
Radio Dept., Asobi Seksu (shoegaze/ambient pop) @ South Street Seaport
16
4 Knots Festival: Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Obits, Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) + more
19
Kool Moe Dee (one of the first and best rappers of all time) @ Queensbridge (free!)
22
Death From Above 1979 @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($43)
23
The Feelies, Real Estate, Times New Viking @ Prospect Park (free!)
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge (sold out!)
24
Heartless Bastards (acoustic) @ Mercury Lounge
28
Walt Mink (great 90's indie band that split up over 10 years ago) @ Bell House
29
West Memphis Three Benefit with Dez Cadena @ Southpaw
Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom
August
2
Sugarhill Gang @ Tappan Park (free!)
Sufjan Stevens @ Prospect Park
6
Cold Cave @ Bowery Ballroom
Crystal Antlers @ Glasslands ($10)
7
Friendly Fires, Cults @ Central Park (free!)
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($40)
*CANCELLED*
21
Rakim, EPMD @ Central Park (free!)
22
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
25
Wavves @ East River Park (free!)
September
8
TV on the Radio @ Williamsburg Waterfront ($48)
October
22
The Damned @ Irving Plaza
29
Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) @ Town Hall (sold out!)
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
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