When: 7/2
Where: Silent Barn
There were so many things to be confused by upon walking into the latest Shellshag-curated show at Silent Barn, it's hard to know where to begin. The band playing first (mid-set when I walked in) consisted of a couple of 250 lb, heavily tattooed, heavily tanned biker-ish dudes playing a bass guitar and a keyboard respectively (and their less noticeable but similarly presented drummer). And when I say keyboard, I don't mean synthesizer. I mean electric piano. The gentleman on the bass had long hair and was wearing overalls with one side undone, and no shirt, while the keyboardist (and lead singer) sported a wife-beater and mullet.
Their small audience, who on average were about fifteen years their juniors, were jumping around enthusiastically when they suddenly plunged into a brief but surprisingly faithful cover of "A Whole New World." The song from Aladdin. Aside from the singer's gruff voice, it was pretty true to the Disney original, but somehow fit with the rest of their blue collar hair-punk (like hair-metal, get it?). The band, as it happened, were called Chicken & Whiskey and it was one of their first ever shows (or so I was told). And you know what? They were good. Everything about them was just right - their not-so-typical-for-the-Brooklyn-DIY-scene appearance, the balance of their masculine sound and look with their not-so-manly keyboard and cover song selection, effortlessly tight, effortlessly and subtly melodic.
It's no surprise that when they finished their set, the audience called out for more songs. They're exactly the kind of songs you want to hear more of when you go to a place like Silent Barn. Then several audience members began calling for the band to "freestyle." And guess what! They did, and they were good at that too. [old video]
I've seen Fiasco many times and for all the band is impressive, the most enduring impression they made on me was as being a band of unequal skill. Not unequaled, unequal. While Jonathan Edelstein and Lucian Buscemi split guitar, bass and vocal duties, Edelstein's parts always outmatched Buscemi's. The band was great but it was frustrating to think how much better they would sound with two Edelsteins.
I didn't really have that issue at Silent Barn. Silent Barn is a stageless and equipment-strapped DIY space and while there are certainly worse acoustics to be found in the city, the audio isn't exactly pristine either. As such, I couldn't hear the minutiae that revealed the band's lopsided skills and was free to simply enjoy their energy.
All that aside, Fiasco are good at what they do. And what they do is awesome. Their incredibly fast and complex parts (often involving finger-tapping on guitar) flip between time-signatures without losing their brutal force. It's not the newest trick in the book, but it's a pretty good one. And one that's beyond the technical prowess of most bands as young as Fiasco.
I've only seen Unstoppable Death Machines once, and that was also with Fiasco. They are a duo with a setting that's nearly identical to Lightning Bolt - two guys, one bass, one drum kit, an echoey mic in the mouth and a whole lot of distortion. For all that, though, they sound pretty different from Lightning Bolt, who thrive on sheer speed. UDM's songs are more like, well, songs. Their tempos are slower and their rhythms simpler. Of course, they don't have the sheer originality of Lightning Bolt, but on the other hand, their music is easier to enjoy. And regardless of who they're not, they are pretty fucking ferocious.
Amid the massive distortion and skull shattering feedback, an interesting thing happened - the audience lifted the drummer and drumkit in the air at the end of the set. The drummer hopped on someone's shoulders while various other people lifted his snare and cymbals in reach. It reminded me, oddly, of the dinosaur rock bands and their interminable drum solos, during which the drummer's platform would rise up above the stage for an unlistenable ten, fifteen or twenty minutes. But while the drummer's levitation evoked such concerts, in a strange way, it was exactly the opposite. This is DIY and it's the opposite of a Rock God solo. Not only did the bass continue in its assault, but also those drums that could not be lifted were taken over by various audience members who pounded wildly on them for a good ten minutes. While the aerial rock drummer rises above the audience a show of superiority and separation from mere mortals, UDM's altitude was a part of the absolute annihilation between performer and audience. [video of a previous show at the same venue]
Or, more to the point, it was fucking fun.
I have nothing new to say about Shellshag, having reviewed them 8,000,000 times before. If they don't make you smile, your face is broken.
Showing posts with label Fiasco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiasco. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, June 4, 2010
Upcoming Shows: Black Wine, Pop 1280 + more
TONIGHT! Friday, June 4
Black Wine, The Measure SA, Slingshot Dakota @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $6
Black Wine are a punk band with good songs that are occasionally slightly emo but not in a bad way at all, actually in a really awesome way. The Measure are a poppy punk band that aren't quite as great as they should be but have fun and want you to have fun too. Slingshot Dakota are an emotive punk duo on keys and drums. This line-up is FUCKING AWESOME. [bw band] [measure myspace] [sd myspace]
Saturday, June 5
Pop 1280 @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Someone told me this band was good. My impression is that they are heavy and dark and unsettling. Go see them. [myspace]
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Wililamsburg, Brooklyn * $25
BJM are a psychedelic indie band with one fuckin' crazy dude named Anton Newcombe who has done a very lot of drugs. As with any band on a lot of drugs, they have the potential to suck live, but as with only a few bands, they also have the potential to be awesome. [myspace]
Sunday, June 6
So So Glos @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Loveable Brooklyn bros with anthemic hardcore. [myspace]
Tuesday, June 8
Fiasco @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
As always, all the best shows are at Death By Audio. Fiasco are a young math trio whose musical skill matured before their taste, but they are exciting and loud and get better with every show. [myspace]
The long view...
June
11
Jeff the Brotherhood, PC Worship @ Death By Audio
Hunters @ Monster Island Basement
Friendo @ Cake Shop
13
Friendo @ Glasslands
14
Coyote Eyes @ Cake Shop
15
Dan Deacon @ Red Hook Park
18
Marnie Stern, Anni Rossi, True Womahood @ Glasslands
Pissed Jeans @ Cake Shop
19
Pissed Jeans, Pop. 1280 @ Death by Audio
Melvins + Isis @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory
25
Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl
Silversun Pickups, Against Me! @ Williamsburg Waterfront
26
Fiery Furnaces @ Mercury Lounge
Titus Andronicus @ Newtown Barge Park
Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park
27
Les Savy Fav, Polvo @ Newtown Barge Park
July
6
B-52s @ Highline Ballroom
11
The Roots, Talib Kweli @ Prospect Park
13
Cheap Trick @ Radio City Music Hall
16
Weezer @ Williamsburg Waterfront
17
Siren Fest: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood @ Coney Island
22
Antlers, Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54
23
Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront
24
M.I.A., Sleigh Bells @ Governors Island
26
Flaming Lips @ Central Park
27
Black Keys @ Central Park
The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park
28
Black Keys @ Central Park
30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House
31
Sonic Youth, Grass Widow, Talk Normal @ Prospect Park
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House
August
12
Gang Gang Dance, Grizzly Bear, Walkmen @ Governors Island
15
Public Enemy @ Central Park
17
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall
18
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Upcoming Shows: Dan Deacon, Coltrane Motion + more
TONIGHT! Thursday, May 27
Dan Deacon, Dustin Wong, Big Troubles @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $10
Dan Deacon is some sort of DIY/punk hero and I never really paid attention to him but a lot of people do. Dustin Wong is the insanely awesome, brilliant, superhuman guitarist of experimental, gleeful noise-rock quartet Ponytail. Big Troubles are from New Jersey and they play rock music that is LOUD LOUD LOUD and they have good songs and are extra awesome and will be famous soon, I think. [dd myspace] [dw myspace] [bt myspace]
TOMORROW! Friday, May 28
So So Glos, Grooms, Fiasco, Ava Luna @ Monster Island Basement * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
In a typical Todd P line-up that is bound to leave everyone pissed off, four bands that have absoltutely nothing to do with each other - but three of the four are good. So So Glos are a melodic hardcore punk band and most similar to them, Fiasco play heavy, mathy, fast post-hardcore with screaming distortion. Grooms are plunked incongruously between these two. They play a dark, noisy, experimental post punk that's most easily compared to Sonic Youth. They are way slower and way quieter (or at least more restrained) than the other two. And then kicking it off is the shameful new face of anti-feminist backlash, Ava Luna - a band that features guys who play instruments and sing lead vocals (thank god for men) and girls who sing back-up vocals. There are seven of them and they get compared to Dirty Projectors which means they are probably the worst new band in Brooklyn (except Freelance Whales, maybe). They aren't very popular despite playing the game pretty well, so with any luck, they'll fizzle out and disappear of the music radar shortly. BUT the other three bands, despite being vastly different, are all awesome and since Ava Luna is playing before them, just go a little later. [ssg myspace] [grooms myspace] [fiasco myspace]
Darlings @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Darlings are crazy. They sound like any other really good poppy indie rock band except like they are on crack. Their live show is the kind that keeps you on edge because the whole thing seems about to fall apart, but instead it all comes together and is awesome and makes you smile. They interrupt their sugary hooks and melodies with abrupt noise and teeter on the brink of chaos and remain one of Brooklyn's best. [myspace]
Saturday, May 29
PC Worship, Needle Gun (mems Teeth Mountain, Matmos) @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
PC Worship play sad, lo-fi tunes and sound experiments (alternately or at the same time). In a city full of throwbacks and copycats, PC Worship are original. Needle Gun, well, I have no idea what they sound like. But they have people from very talented, first-rate experimental bands Teeth Mountain and Matmos, so check it out. [pc myspace] [needle myspace]
Tuesday, June 1
Coltrane Motion @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * FREE!
Coltrane Motion are one of my favorite favorite favorite unknown pop bands. They play a sort of electro indie pop that has got noise and out of tune notes and the best fucking melodies I've heard in ages. This show is free and you have to go, or we aren't friends any more.[myspace]
Wednesday, June 2
Sisters @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sisters are a duo who play in that new genre that's been christened "noise punk." They are highly recommended for fans of No Age, Male Bonding, Japanther, Japandroids and the like. Their songs are short and sweet with huggable riffs and melodies, but with crazy distortion and yelling and crashing and their live show is a sort of flailing, awkward affair and everyone, absolutely everyone, can love them. [myspace]
Led Er Est @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
Led Er Est play cold-hearted, post-punk electro that's experimental and fresh and new and people seem to be noticing them a bit more now. Another of Brooklyn's best rising bands, get 'em while they're hot. [myspace]
The long view...
May
June
3
Lil Kim @ the Fillmore
4
Slingshot Dakota, The Measure SA, Black Wine @ Death By Audio
Grouper @ Issue Project Room
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore
5
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall
8
Here We Go Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11
Jeff the Brotherhood, PC Worship @ Death By Audio
Friendo @ Cake Shop
13
Friendo @ Glasslands
14
Coyote Eyes @ Cake Shop
15
Dan Deacon @ Red Hook Park
18
Marnie Stern, Anni Rossi, True Womahood @ Glasslands
Pissed Jeans @ Cake Shop
19
Pissed Jeans, Pop. 1280 @ Death by Audio
Melvins + Isis @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory
25
Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl
Silversun Pickups, Against Me! @ Williamsburg Waterfront
26
Fiery Furnaces @ Mercury Lounge
Titus Andronicus @ Newtown Barge Park
Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park
27
Les Savy Fav, Polvo @ Newtown Barge Park
July
6
B-52s @ Highline Ballroom
11
The Roots, Talib Kweli @ Prospect Park
13
Cheap Trick @ Radio City Music Hall
16
Weezer @ Williamsburg Waterfront
17
Siren Fest: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood @ Coney Island
22
Antlers, Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54
23
Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront
24
M.I.A., Sleigh Bells @ Governors Island
26
Flaming Lips @ Central Park
27
Black Keys @ Central Park
The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park
28
Black Keys @ Central Park
30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House
31
Sonic Youth, Grass Widow, Talk Normal @ Prospect Park
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House
August
12
Gang Gang Dance, Grizzly Bear, Walkmen @ Governors Island
15
Public Enemy @ Central Park
17
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall
18
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Upcoming Shows: The Styrenes!!!!!!! + more
Thursday, April 29
Cold Cave @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $12
Cold Cave effortlessly combine the sweeping dramatics of early 80's New Wave with icy nihilism. Its a distillation of all that's good about synth-based music. [myspace]
Fiasco, Total Slacker @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
These are two punky DIY bands who have been slightly outstripped by the hype but are still worth checking out. They're pretty loud. [fiasco myspace] [slacker myspace]
Friday, April 30
The Styrenes @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Some strange things happened deep in the Midwest, deep in the mid 70's and at least in the world of rock music, Cleveland was at the center of the strangeness. There were only about a half dozen bands in the movement, and inbred bands at that, but they changed the course of music, opening the door to post-punk before the rest of the world had caught on to the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.
The Cleveland bands can be divided roughly into to cliques - on one side, you've got Rocket From the Tombs whose core members split to form Pere Ubu and Dead Boys. On the other hand, there was a wildly experimental noisefuck called Electric Eels and the slightly more pop-angled Mirrors, who would later morph into the Styrenes. Paul Marotta played with all three of these and when he and his bandmates decided to reunite, they rounded out the band's most well-known four-piece line-up of yore with the Electric Eels' notorious John Morton and original Mirrors/Styrenes founder Jamie Klimek.
So, six of the most insane, daring and violent minds in punk history will take the stage at New York's best DIY venue, the intimate Death by Audio. According to Cleveland.com, they will play a few Mirrors and Electric Eels songs as well as the Styrenes' material. I think I might die. [myspace]
Saturday, May 1
Styrenes + Tyvek @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $10
See above. And this time, no DIY, but a great venue nevertheless and with the lovable mad Detroit punks Tyvek warming up the stage. [tyvek myspace]
Sunday, May 2
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Mercury Lounge * LES, Manhattan * $10
Acclaimed and adored by critics everywhere and with one of the loyalest fan bases around, Shilpa Ray could school all of Brooklyn when it comes to rock. Her soulful, bluesy rock builds around a hand-powered harmonium and her punk rock energy and the fact that she's legitimately totally insane makes for one of the most fun live shows you can find in the New York scene. I mean, seriously, the woman is bonkers. [myspace]
Monday, May 3
Just to keep you posted, this show has been postponed, apparently due to visa issues rather than the volcano. When it happens, you should be there cause this is shoegaze at its finest.
Tuesday, May 4
See above.
The long view...
May
6
Yo La Tengo, Jeff Mangum, Kyp Malone, Portastic, the Clean, Claudia Gonson (Magnetic Fields), Sharon van Etten @ LPR ($75 and way SOLD OUT - I'm only listing it to make you cry cause I'm a mean person.)
7
The Clean @ Bell House (Advanced Tix SOLD OUT)
11
Sleigh Bells + secret guests @ Ridgewood Temple
13
The Buzzcocks @ The Fillmore
15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory
18
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5
Woven Bones @ Mercury Lounge
19
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5
Diana Ross @ Radio City Music Hall
21
Fuck Buttons @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
22
Fuck Buttons @ Le Poisson Rouge
New York Dolls @ Warsaw
NYC PopFest: Wake, Boat, My Teenage Stride + more @ Bell House
27
Forgetters @ Bell House
28
Holy Fuck @ Le Poisson Rouge
29
Psych Fest: Weird Owl (yay), Hopewell (blech), Golden Triangle (blech), Psychic Ills (yay), Sunburned Hand of the Man (yay) + more @ Glasslands
June
4
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore
6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall
18
Melvins + Isis @ Webster Hall
24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory
July
24
M.I.A. @ Governors Island
30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House
31
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Upcoming Shows: Pterodactyl, Liars + more
Tomorrow! Friday, April 16
Pterodactyl, Dinowalrus, Fiasco @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
This is a fucking GREAT line-up, although the bands are playing the opposite order of what would be proper. Fiasco are young guys who play some mathy, lite-thrash, HARRRRDCORE post-hardcore with some sick riffs that are fast and loud and not made for parents or wusses. Dinowalrus play druggy, mathy music that merges electro, rock and punk into some crazy rhythms and madman sprawls. And Pterodactyl play mathy, highspeed noise rock that's insanely fast with crazy sixteenth-note guitar and jumpy drums and ecstatic, drawn out vocal melodies. All three are exceptional live bands. Do not miss. [fiasco myspace] [dino myspace] [ptero myspace]
Saturday, March 17
Sisters @ Death By Audio * Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sisters are two guys who are different in height but both enormously talented. They are a bit awkward and noisy, lo-fi pop and punk is absolutely bursting from them. They slam out perfect little songs with delicious imperfection. Death By Audio is their home base, so they should be at their best. [myspace]
Sunday, March 18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16 adv./$18 dos.
Liars play spooky, fragmented dance punk. No one was surprised when they moved to Berlin because they seem all dark and icy and their music has that inhuman krautrock thing to it, krautrock combined with funk combined with a weird, paranoid rhythmic punk. They are one of the most creative bands to come out of the last decade. Go to see them play. [myspace]
Tuesday, April 20
The Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16 adv./$18 dos.
The Thermals are a punk band who play catchy, fun music. Yup. [myspace]
PC Worship @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn
PC Worship make sonically experimental lo-fi music that slips deftly between sad songs and noise. They are one of the best emerging bands in Brooklyn. Get 'em while they're fresh. [myspace]
[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...
April
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: Screaming Females (I called it), Measure (SA) @ 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]
Pterodactyl, Dinowalrus, Fiasco @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
This is a fucking GREAT line-up, although the bands are playing the opposite order of what would be proper. Fiasco are young guys who play some mathy, lite-thrash, HARRRRDCORE post-hardcore with some sick riffs that are fast and loud and not made for parents or wusses. Dinowalrus play druggy, mathy music that merges electro, rock and punk into some crazy rhythms and madman sprawls. And Pterodactyl play mathy, highspeed noise rock that's insanely fast with crazy sixteenth-note guitar and jumpy drums and ecstatic, drawn out vocal melodies. All three are exceptional live bands. Do not miss. [fiasco myspace] [dino myspace] [ptero myspace]
Saturday, March 17
Sisters @ Death By Audio * Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sisters are two guys who are different in height but both enormously talented. They are a bit awkward and noisy, lo-fi pop and punk is absolutely bursting from them. They slam out perfect little songs with delicious imperfection. Death By Audio is their home base, so they should be at their best. [myspace]
Sunday, March 18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16 adv./$18 dos.
Liars play spooky, fragmented dance punk. No one was surprised when they moved to Berlin because they seem all dark and icy and their music has that inhuman krautrock thing to it, krautrock combined with funk combined with a weird, paranoid rhythmic punk. They are one of the most creative bands to come out of the last decade. Go to see them play. [myspace]
Tuesday, April 20
The Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16 adv./$18 dos.
The Thermals are a punk band who play catchy, fun music. Yup. [myspace]
PC Worship @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn
PC Worship make sonically experimental lo-fi music that slips deftly between sad songs and noise. They are one of the best emerging bands in Brooklyn. Get 'em while they're fresh. [myspace]
The long view...
April
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: Screaming Females (I called it), Measure (SA) @ 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
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Upcoming Shows: The Fugs, Screens + more
TONIGHT! Wednesday, January 20
BENEFIT FOR HAITI: Patti Smith, Yo La Tengo, the Antlers @ City Winery Soho, Manhattan
OK, this concert is too expensive, but then again, it's for Haiti, and it's Patti Fucking Smith, the punk rock poet without whom music as we know it today would not exist. And Yo La Tengo who invented American noise pop in the 80's and are still the coolest kids in school. And the Antlers, who topped my Best of 2009 list with their heartbreaking ambient/noise/pop album Hospice. But anyway, it's sold out, so that probably ain't happening.
Big Troubles, My Teenage Stride, the Sundelles @ Le Poisson Rouge Greenwich Village, Manhattan $8
This line-up is sick, y'all. Big Troubles played the last Radio Flyer Review showcase where they plastered their audience against the walls with the sheer volume of their loud, catchy pop. Influences must certainly include the Jesus & Mary Chain, Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Jr - awesome melodies and walls of sound blasted as loud as humanly possible. My Teenage Stride is one of the best indie pop bands around, with great songwriting and tight execution. They will make you smile. And the Sundelles also played my last showcase, cranking out spirited garage rock with enough frenzy to break a bass string. FUCK YES. [bt myspace] [mts myspace] [sundelles myspace]
TOMORROW! Thursday, January 21
Darlings, Motel Motel, Gunfight! @ Union Pool Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Darlings make music by insane people for insane people. I find them charming, accessible but unpredictable and quite raucous when it's called for (which is most of the time). Motel Motel are one of those alt-country bands in the indie rock circuit and they aren't earth shattering or anything, but they are definitely a great listen, even for people who aren't usually into that stuff. Their songwriting is just solid. Gunfight! play cow punk and put on a rivetingly fun live show. [darlings myspace] [mm myspace] [gunfight myspace]
Friday, January 22
Screens, Pygmy Shrews, Fiasco, PRSMS @ Death By Audio Williamsburg, Brooklyn $8
@*^$ #*^%# *&@^$!!! << I normally go ahead and write out the words I think, but here it went a little too far. As in "@!*&# &^$%* *@^%! !*#%, THIS LINE-UP IS BLOWING MY #&%&@# MIND!!!!!!" OK, where to even start. Well, Screens are one of my "Bands to Watch in 2010." They are the cutting edge of indie music. Pygmy Shrews show no mercy as they shred your ears with nasty, DISTORRRTED electric guitar. Fiasco I've written about recently - they are a young band that plays HEAVY post-hardcore with intense complexity and fierce noise. And PRSMS I haven't heard, but I've been meaning to. I'm 85% sure they are awesome, but we'll have to find out together. [screens myspace] [pygmy myspace] [fiasco myspace] [prsms myspace]
Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers @ Knitting Factory Williamsburg, Brooklyn $12?
Shilpa Ray is that badass lady of rock and roll who plays a handpowered harmonium while belting out soulful and blues tunes with punk rock 'tude while giving you the finger. Her backing band is one of the most solid groups in Brooklyn. Yep. [myspace]
BENEFIT FOR TULI KUPFERBERG: Lou Reed, the Fugs, Sonic Youth + more @ St. Ann's Warehouse DUMBO, Brooklyn $75-125
This show is another expensive benefit show, this one to aid Tuli Kupferberg with medical expenses after he suffered two strokes last year. Kupferberg was a founding member of the Fugs, a highly experimental, art-rock/folk band whose influence in the 1960's helped pave the for punk and every other experimental and artistic movement New York has since seen. Despite their influence, The Fugs didn't exactly strike it rich, so Kupferberg's bandmates and friends are pitching in to raise some money. These friends include his bandmates, the Velvet Underground's Lou Reed and Sonic Youth, among others. It's a once-in-a-lifetime line-up and for a good cause. But a lot of us just don't have that kind of money lying around.
Saturday, January 23
Pterodactyl, Kid Millions @ Issue Project Room Gowanus, Brooklyn $15
Pterodactyl has been on this blog so much over the last year, you're probably like "shut up already." Well, screw you. Pterodactyl is one of the most interesting bands around. Their math-punk is jumpy, fast and pounding, with soaring, ecstatic melodies drifting over the flurry of guitar and drums. Kid Millions is from Oneida, who make experimental drone/punk/metal/electro music that will put you in a trance, but a HARDCORE trance. And no, I don't even know what that means, but it's true. [ptero myspace]
Sunday, January 24
BENEFIT FOR HAITI: Rosanne Cash, Nada Surf + more TBA @ City Winery Soho, Manhattan $50
Another show for Haiti, slightly less expensive (but with a slightly inferior line-up) to tonight's show. You should be able to spare $50 for relief efforts in Haiti if you aren't in dire circumstances yourself. You could just give that money to an organization, but if you like music, why not check out some music while pitching in?
Monday, January 25
Cheap Trick @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza Union Sq.-ish, Manhattan $49.50 adv. / $55 dos.
Don't hate, y'all! Cheap Trick were the definitive power pop band of the 70's. Their catchy rock albums may be arena-focused, but power pop built a foundation for much of indie music, taking harder and edgier elements and putting them with pop structures, not to lose edginess but to gain it. Cheap Trick are ROCK and ROLL.
The long view...
January 2010
27
BENEFIT FOR HAITI: Walkmen, Cold War Kids, Ted Leo, Wrens, AC Newman, Here We Go Magic + more @ Bell House
29
Asobi Seksu @ Le Poissson Rouge
Here We Go Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom
Oneida @ Market Hotel
Sounds Like Brooklyn: Les Savy Fav, Vivian Girls (yick) @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
30
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom
Sisters, Fluffy Lumbers, Total Slacker @ Shea Stadium
February
3
Atlas Sound @ Bell House
4
Atlas Sound, Neon Indian, Sisters @ NYU Kimmel
Cold Cave @ Mercury Lounge
5
Sounds Like Brooklyn: Ra Ra Riot, the Antlers @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
6
Don Giovanni showcase: Shellshag, Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood + more @ Bowery Ballroom
9
The Residents @ Webster Hall
10
Harlem @ Mercury Lounge
12
Jonathan Richman @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
13
Jonathan Richman @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
The Magnetic Fields @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
14
Jonathan Richman @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
19
Fucked Up, Kurt Vile, Frankie Rose & the Outs @ Europa
Andrew W-K @ Santos Party House
20
Crystal Stilts, Beets, Beach Fossils, German Measles @ Music Hall of Williamsubrg
21
Dum Dum Girls, Frankie Rose & the Outs @ Mercury Lounge
26
Wild Beasts @ Bowery Ballroom
27
Glenn Branca (record release) @ Le Poisson Rouge
28
Wild Beasts @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
March
5
Muse, the Silversun Pickups @ Madison Square Garden
6
Titus Andronicus, Parts & Labor, Babies @ Bowery Ballroom
10-11
The Magnetic Fields @ Town Hall
12-13
Henry Rollins @ The Fillmore
18-19
Killswitch Engage @ The Fillmore
23
Black Lips @ Brooklyn Bowl
25
Nada Surf play Let Go + surprise guest @ Bowery Ballroom
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
15
Liars @ Bowery Ballroom
18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Monday, January 11, 2010
Live: Fiasco + Unstoppable Death Machines
When: 12/18
Where: Death By Audio
Upon entering Death By Audio for the Fiasco show, we were greeted by a delightful sludge-racket called The Unstoppable Death Machines, with a set-up basically equivalent to that of Lightning Bolt (drummer and bassist, effect-laden vocals through mics strapped right on/in the mouth). However, the music isn't so much Lightning Bolt-esque beyond that. Sure, it's heavy and blasted with distortion, but Unstoppable Death Machines rely far less on complexity and speed than their older Rhode Island counterparts. Instead, they base their music off of simple, crushing riffs. That's not to say there isn't a high level of musicianship, but just that these songs would be learnable to most bassists - Lightning Bolt's music, not so much. While not the greatest or most original band on earth, UDM were pretty delicious. They want to rip your face off. [MySpace]
The young Fiasco took the stage next. And "young" is the operative adjective when it comes to this band. Their mistakes are all characteristic of young players, but so is their particular brand of pure enthusiasm and concentration. Musically, the band plays an involved post-hardcore, with little focus on vocals and a whole lot on complex time signatures, technically difficult riffs and DISTORTION.
At times, their music seemed unnecessarily complicated. I've seen young bands do some crazy stuff just because they can. And I like technically sophisticated music, but only if all the time signature changes and high-speed riffing strengthen the songs instead of gumming them up. Fiasco were hit and miss in this regard.
They also made errors in stage presence. First of all, they allowed way too much downtime between songs - I don't know if this was a product of technical difficulties or just poor planning, but they need to work on closing those gaps - if you can't shorten them, fill them up with something, please! Otherwise, all that momentum that builds during the songs - and they are great songs! - gets lost. Second, the band apologized for being underrehearsed and messing up. They were clearly underrehearsed, but apologizing for it just drew attention to it. If you mess up, you just have to own that as part of the show, say "this is how we play, so fuck off." That's much more fun for the audience than being told they spent their time and money to see something subpar.
Jonathan Edelstein and Lucian Buscemi switch on guitar and bass and alternate vocals, and while I enjoy the variety that adds, it did highlight the discrepancy in skill between the two players. When Edelstein played guitar, guitar led the songs. When he played bass, bass led the songs. His vocals were strong and melodic, while Buscemi could only sing whatever note he was playing. Edelstein also had a more engaging stage presence, while Buscemi looked like he might rather hide behind an amp. Musicians in a band certainly don't have to be equal, and sometimes what a particular musician has brought to a band can't be seen on stage. However, I was a bit surprised at the difference and frustrated by Buscemi's many missed opportunities.
Don't get me wrong, the band is great. Their effort and focus on stage is clear and their music is explosive. They just have some growing up to do - and just think how good they'll be when they get there! [MySpace]
Where: Death By Audio
Upon entering Death By Audio for the Fiasco show, we were greeted by a delightful sludge-racket called The Unstoppable Death Machines, with a set-up basically equivalent to that of Lightning Bolt (drummer and bassist, effect-laden vocals through mics strapped right on/in the mouth). However, the music isn't so much Lightning Bolt-esque beyond that. Sure, it's heavy and blasted with distortion, but Unstoppable Death Machines rely far less on complexity and speed than their older Rhode Island counterparts. Instead, they base their music off of simple, crushing riffs. That's not to say there isn't a high level of musicianship, but just that these songs would be learnable to most bassists - Lightning Bolt's music, not so much. While not the greatest or most original band on earth, UDM were pretty delicious. They want to rip your face off. [MySpace]
The young Fiasco took the stage next. And "young" is the operative adjective when it comes to this band. Their mistakes are all characteristic of young players, but so is their particular brand of pure enthusiasm and concentration. Musically, the band plays an involved post-hardcore, with little focus on vocals and a whole lot on complex time signatures, technically difficult riffs and DISTORTION.
At times, their music seemed unnecessarily complicated. I've seen young bands do some crazy stuff just because they can. And I like technically sophisticated music, but only if all the time signature changes and high-speed riffing strengthen the songs instead of gumming them up. Fiasco were hit and miss in this regard.
They also made errors in stage presence. First of all, they allowed way too much downtime between songs - I don't know if this was a product of technical difficulties or just poor planning, but they need to work on closing those gaps - if you can't shorten them, fill them up with something, please! Otherwise, all that momentum that builds during the songs - and they are great songs! - gets lost. Second, the band apologized for being underrehearsed and messing up. They were clearly underrehearsed, but apologizing for it just drew attention to it. If you mess up, you just have to own that as part of the show, say "this is how we play, so fuck off." That's much more fun for the audience than being told they spent their time and money to see something subpar.
Jonathan Edelstein and Lucian Buscemi switch on guitar and bass and alternate vocals, and while I enjoy the variety that adds, it did highlight the discrepancy in skill between the two players. When Edelstein played guitar, guitar led the songs. When he played bass, bass led the songs. His vocals were strong and melodic, while Buscemi could only sing whatever note he was playing. Edelstein also had a more engaging stage presence, while Buscemi looked like he might rather hide behind an amp. Musicians in a band certainly don't have to be equal, and sometimes what a particular musician has brought to a band can't be seen on stage. However, I was a bit surprised at the difference and frustrated by Buscemi's many missed opportunities.
Don't get me wrong, the band is great. Their effort and focus on stage is clear and their music is explosive. They just have some growing up to do - and just think how good they'll be when they get there! [MySpace]
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Upcoming Shows: The For Carnation, Fiasco + more
TONIGHT!!! Tuesday, December 15
The Antlers + Sharon van Etten @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | SOLD OUT!
The Antlers are a very sad trio who make very noisy ambient songs about abuse and loss. Their 2009 album is easily one of the best of the decade. Comparisons to Radiohead, Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel are in order. [MySpace]
Cold Cave, Small Black @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE!
Since the above show is sold out, try this one. It's free with RSVP, which it's apparently not too late to do (click here). All they ask is your e-mail address so they can stalk you and bombard you with liquor adverts for the rest of your life. But, um, it's free! Cold Cave is awesome, playing despondent electronic music really loudly. Small Black is pretty good too, also using the synthesizers. Check it! [CC MySpace] [SB MySpace]
TOMORROW! Wednesday, December 16
Raekwon @ The Fillmore | Union Square-ish, Manhattan | $23 adv. / $27 dos.
Raekwon is one of the best MCs of the Wu Tang Clan. His long-awaited album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II is one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. His cool delivery sets him apart from most hardcore rappers, but he's as hardcore as any of them.
Thursday, December 17
The For Carnation @ Knitting Factory | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SHOW!!! The For Carnation is the band of Brian McMahon, ex-Slint and Squirrel Bait. McMahon brought us two of the most original and important bands of the late 80's/early 90's and you should go see him play (even though it's a little expensive).
Big Troubles @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $7
Big Troubles just played my showcase on December 4. They are a newish band from New Jersey who aren't too cool to admit they like the Smashing Pumpkins and who play REALLY REALLY LOUDLY. Highly recommended, but for that it means missing The For Carnation. [MySpace]
Pterodactyl @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Pterodactyl are one of the most innovative bands in the NYC scene right now. Their music is fast and complex but melodic, and their live show is outstanding. But you should still go see The For Carnation instead. [MySpace]
Friday, December 18
Fiasco @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Fiasco are an awesome hardcore/post-hardcore band. They are really young, but they are really great at their instruments and perhaps it's their youth that prevents their punk/speed metal from getting to big a metal:punk ratio. They are one of the best bands I've heard live recently. [MySpace]
Saturday, December 19
False Prophets @ ABC No Rio | LES, Manhattan
MATINEE! Classic hardcore punk.
Eric Bachmann (ex-Archers of Loaf) @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $12
Eric Bachmann was in Archers of Loaf, which means he's a hero to everyone who ever loved 90's indie rock.
Monday, December 21
Nymphets @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $8
The Nyphets are a minimal poppy DIY punk lo-fi garage [insert adjectives and genres here] band. They are a good time. [MySpace]
Tuesday, December 22
Whatever... Holiday Party: True Womanhood, Drink Up Buttercup + more @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
My new friends at the "Whatever..." blog are having a little party with - of course - awesome bands playing. True Womanhood are creepy, experimental, ambient-inspired rock and Drink Up Buttercup are more straight-forward indie rock. Both are good! [TW MySpace] [DUB MySpace]
The long view...
December
23
Fiasco, Shapes @ Shea Stadium
29-30
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
31
Titus Andronicus + So So Glos @ Mercury Lounge
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom(Sold Out)
January 2010
2
Mattress @ Death By Audio
13
The Drums + Surfer Blood, Depreciation Guild @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
15
Gang Gang Dance, DJ/Rupture @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
16
Dinosaur Jr @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
17
Dinosaur Jr @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
25
Cheap Trick @ The Fillmore
29
Sounds Like Brooklyn: Les Savy Fav, Vivian Girls (yick) @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom
30
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom
February
3
Atlas Sound @ Bell House
4
Cold Cave @ Mercury Lounge
5
Sounds Like Brooklyn: Ra Ra Riot, the Antlers @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
6
Don Giovanni showcase: Shellshag, Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood + more @ Bowery Ballroom
9
The Residents @ Webster Hall
13
The Magnetic Fields @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
19
Fucked Up @ Europa
Andrew W-K @ Santos Party House
March
5
Muse, the Silversun Pickups @ Madison Square Garden
12-13
Henry Rollins @ The Fillmore
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Live: Pterodactyl, Fiasco, Childbite
When: 11/13
Where: Death By Audio
Michigan's Child Bite stopped off at Death By Audio a couple of weeks ago and I caught about half their set. They may boast strong northern-Midwest accents, but Child Bite are no stereotype. Their songs are wild and aggressive and fun, capped with spastic Pere Ubu-esque vocals. Any singer whose clearest influence is David Thomas is a singer I love. The performance was high energy and the sound delicious. True, the band wouldn't make my list of all-time favorites in the punk/DIY scene (their individual songs didn't strike me as quite as memorable as those of the very best), but they are definitely worth checking out next time they're in town! [MySpace]
Fiasco played next, and this band might just make that short list of favorites. I couldn't see them at all, since they played from the floor, but what I heard was amazing. It was just one long barrage of high-speed, high energy punk with a slight "post-hardcore" edge (by which I mean there was some serious technical prowess in addition to punk's loud/fast rules). And in addition to all that, there were very memorable songs with great - if intentionally sloppy - melodies. The ring of moshers around the band prevented me from getting too close but I can't think of a bad thing to say about what I heard. Not even anything lukewarm. A+ [MySpace]
Pterodactyl was, of course, the reason I made it out to the show. There's not much to say about the band that I haven't already said. They are boldly original and yet still appealing. Their music is made up of frantic guitars (usually on some major key arpeggios) and frantic drums and slightly more measured, high vocals, all delivered with true passion. All together, it evokes exploration, thrill and pure ecstasy.
And the band only gets better. Since I first heard them last spring, they've never stopped evolving. Their live shows have become increasingly intense, and their music always more exciting. It's so fast and complex, you feel the band and audience alike are holding on for dear life. And now, more than ever.
The only concern I've had about Pterodactyl was that they'd abstract too much from their songs in a way that would become unfocused. After this show, I'm not too worried about that anymore. The band continues to reinvent their songs, morphing some entirely, but the new versions have just as much punch as the originals, and sometimes more. At this show, Pterodactyl incorporated experiments and improvisation without devolving into "jam band" monotony. It's possible yet they'll go down that road - many a great band has - but so far, so good! So good! [MySpace]
Where: Death By Audio
Michigan's Child Bite stopped off at Death By Audio a couple of weeks ago and I caught about half their set. They may boast strong northern-Midwest accents, but Child Bite are no stereotype. Their songs are wild and aggressive and fun, capped with spastic Pere Ubu-esque vocals. Any singer whose clearest influence is David Thomas is a singer I love. The performance was high energy and the sound delicious. True, the band wouldn't make my list of all-time favorites in the punk/DIY scene (their individual songs didn't strike me as quite as memorable as those of the very best), but they are definitely worth checking out next time they're in town! [MySpace]
Fiasco played next, and this band might just make that short list of favorites. I couldn't see them at all, since they played from the floor, but what I heard was amazing. It was just one long barrage of high-speed, high energy punk with a slight "post-hardcore" edge (by which I mean there was some serious technical prowess in addition to punk's loud/fast rules). And in addition to all that, there were very memorable songs with great - if intentionally sloppy - melodies. The ring of moshers around the band prevented me from getting too close but I can't think of a bad thing to say about what I heard. Not even anything lukewarm. A+ [MySpace]
Pterodactyl was, of course, the reason I made it out to the show. There's not much to say about the band that I haven't already said. They are boldly original and yet still appealing. Their music is made up of frantic guitars (usually on some major key arpeggios) and frantic drums and slightly more measured, high vocals, all delivered with true passion. All together, it evokes exploration, thrill and pure ecstasy.
And the band only gets better. Since I first heard them last spring, they've never stopped evolving. Their live shows have become increasingly intense, and their music always more exciting. It's so fast and complex, you feel the band and audience alike are holding on for dear life. And now, more than ever.
The only concern I've had about Pterodactyl was that they'd abstract too much from their songs in a way that would become unfocused. After this show, I'm not too worried about that anymore. The band continues to reinvent their songs, morphing some entirely, but the new versions have just as much punch as the originals, and sometimes more. At this show, Pterodactyl incorporated experiments and improvisation without devolving into "jam band" monotony. It's possible yet they'll go down that road - many a great band has - but so far, so good! So good! [MySpace]
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