Live: Don Giovanni showcase

I'm happy to say I was right about the Don Giovanni showcase. It was a great punk show, the kind you remember when you’re telling your kids about your wild days in the New York music scene when you’re trying to convince them you were once young and hip too. Much to everyone’s surprise, I think, the show sold out very early on. I can’t tell you how nice it was to see Bowery packed with true underground punk types, most young and all truly there for the music and the community. Well, almost all – there was a mysterious contingent of bimbos around who took off pretty early. Which is fine, I’m glad they’re checking out such good music, I just don’t really understand how they ended up there. But, the more, the merrier!

The Groucho Marxists kicked it off with their hard-edged pop punk. They aren't original and I wouldn't call them bold, but they are true to their punk heritage and could easily be alt/pop-punk radio material, though a damn sight better than most of what makes it on the air. Their live show matched - nothing revolutionary, but certainly energetic. They're a bit more outward looking than most punk bands, just a little more audience-focused rockstar mindset. They're definitely still down-to-earth and having fun, though, and that’s what matters. [myspace]

Black Wine were a surprise favorite and while it’s hard to pick highlights from such a thoroughly amazing line-up, this would have to be one. It’s rare to see a band have so many things so right. Though the parts were fairly simple, they were just right for the songs and all three members played their instruments with comfort and intuition. Drummer Miranda Taylor particularly stood out, but everyone was right on. They also clearly have a knack for songwriting. Again, the arrangements and compositions weren’t too elaborate, but they were exactly right. The only real problem was when the band slid towards emo - I’m not one of those people who hates all things emo, but none of the band members had the singing ability to pull of the slower, more exposed melodies. Off-key singing is a fine aesthetic but it doesn’t work in all contexts and the band’s slower songs weren’t really doing it for me. Aside from that, though, this band shows a rare talent and I will certainly be keeping an eye on them from now on. [myspace]

The Measure played next and I have to say, they were the least memorable band of the night. Of course, that’s not too grave an insult with a line-up like that. They were energetic, with lovable pop punk tunes and creative arrangements. Drummer Mikey Yannich drove their music full-speed ahead, while Lauren Measure and Fid shared guitar and vocal duties with great male-female balance (she leading). You’d have to mosh pretty hard to keep up. [myspace]

Though this was certainly a punk show, it had two rock bands right in the middle. The first of them, Jeff the Brotherhood, positively killed. Guitarist Jake Orrall started the show with the lights out, standing atop his guitar cabinet. While gave the set a grand five-minute guitar solo intro, his brother and drummer Jamin illuminated the scene with a bare-bulb camping light. Jake leapt down and continued to solo while the audience’s anticipation built. When Jamin finally took his seat at the drums, everyone in the room was wrapped around the band’s little finger. They plowed through much of their recent debut, more or less in order, one great tune after another. Jake seems to enjoy playing the mighty rock god, but it’s got a hint of tongue-and-cheek. Only a hint though, because like it or not, he is a rock god. He’s king of the stage and master of the riff and everyone who was in that audience knows it. [myspace]

Luckily for everyone, one of the few acts that can follow Jeff the Brotherhood did - Screaming Females. Screaming Females are the greatest rock band on earth, and at Bowery, they were on fire. Marissa Paternoster is a bonafide guitar hero and an unforgettable singer/screamer to boot. She and her bandmates are a great songwriting team. Although the guitar riffs make take the spotlight, Mike Abbate’s rolling bass lines are just as good and he played them well, despite being already a bit worn out from being in the center of the moshpit during Jeff the Brotherhood’s set. But this band has got as much stamina as they have talent. Which is just one more thing that makes them the greatest. [myspace]

I never got to see Jawbreaker live, but they one of my all-time favorite bands and seeing Forgetters was as amazing an experience as you’d expect seeing one of your heroes for the first time would be. Blake Schwarzenbach is the same as ever, with the same sort of songwriting, the same jumpy guitar, the same lamentable lyrics and low, mumbly, major-key melodies. Bassist Caroline Paquita is different from Jawbreaker’s Chris Bauermeister - Bauermeister played with poppy jumps, while Paquita lays down a more solid foundation. And drummer Kevin Mahon also has his own distinct style, playing with more levity and energy but less rhythmic complexity than Jawbreaker drummer Adam Pfahler. The result is a post-grunge pop punk band with strong, steady songs but without the magical chemistry you usually find in a young musician’s breakout band.

Bringing the night to a close, everyone’s darlings Shellshag celebrated the release of their album. With seven bands, the night ran pretty late and most of the audience had cleared out by time they played. The crowd peaked for Jeff the Brotherhood and Screaming Females, but Shellshag are a cult act. I wouldn’t say there’s a limit on how large that cult could grow, but they don’t have the same mass appeal of some of the bands with whom they shared the Bowery stage.

Large or small, Shellshag’s fan base are intensely loyal and really the best of the bunch. Those left moshing to the duo at the front of Bowery at 1 AM were the true punks, and a great group of kids they were. And Shell and Shag are themselves a wild pair. Facing one another with their Y-shaped mic stand between them, they hollered and twisted to their f-u songs. At the band’s best, Shell’s bare-bones guitar and slurred baritone vocals dominate the band’s sound while Ms. Shag’s dry bells and primal pounding drop the bottom out of the whole thing. It’s boisterous, untamed and charmingly sardonic. No one has more fun on stage that these two. [myspace]

Upcoming Shows: Screaming Females, Shellshag, Jeff the Brotherhood, Forgetters (that's all one show!)

Sorry for my long absence. If I told you what happened, you'd never believe me. Suffice it to say it involves the Wild West, Mexican wedding dances, swine flu, two Buddhists, four evangelical Christians and a fraudulent hedge fund. No, seriously.


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]


TONIGHT!!! Thursday, February 4

Cold Cave @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | SOLD OUT!!
Cold Cave is a bleak and nihilistic New Wave synth group with hints of krautrock, but a dark pop edge. They are really, really loud. [myspace]


Friday, February 5

Sounds Like Brooklyn: The Antlers + Ra Ra Riot @ BAM | Fort Greene, Brooklyn | $20-25
The Antlers are sad and make incredibly sad music about abuse and mental illness and cancer. Peter Silberman has a unique and poignant voice that wavers over the shaky ambiance of his band. Ra Ra Riot are a poppy indie band with a whole bunch of young kids. They are really sad too sometimes because their drummer died. Musically, they are just so-so. Enjoyable, not exciting. [antlers myspace] [ra ra myspace]


Saturday, Feburary 6

Don Giovanni Showcase: Screaming Females, Shellshag, Jeff the Brotherhood + more @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $13 adv / $15 dos
IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, I know I'm totally nerding out but I am so excited about this show, I have been basically counting down the weeks (not days, I'm not that insane!). OK, so Don Giovanni is a great label. A first-rate punk label. The headliners of this show are 1. Screaming Females, who I have written about so many times now, I don't know what more to say. Best rock band of our g-g-g-generation. I mean that, 100%. If you know one better, show me. [myspace] 2. Forgetters, which is the band of Blake Schwarzenbach (formerly of Jawbreaker, Jets to Brazil). Jawbreaker has been one of my favorite bands (top 20, easily, maybe top 10) for many years, and since they are no more and have not been in existence for a long time, forgetters is what we got, and it's also got Kevin Mahon from Against Me! so that's not bad at all! and 3. Shellshag, that lovely punk duo who played my show in December. They are one of the most fun bands you can see live in NYC right now. They destroy things. They jump around and shout into their trademark Y-shaped microphone and "Shag" beats the crap out of her drums while "Shell" sarcastically croons and stabs at his guitar with his pick. They are PUNK RAWK and I love them in my little heart! [myspace] Opening, we have Jeff the Fucking Brotherhood, who are two brothers, neither named Jeff but both rock prodigies born of the Nashville music scene. They play the meanest guitar riffs out there, and all on three strings. [myspace] Veteran New Brunswick and East Coast punks the Groucho Marxists as well as the illustrious Black Wine and The Measure will also perform. [tgm myspace] [bw myspace] [meas myspace] This is the punk rock event of 2010. DO NOT MISS IT. I mean seriously, DO NOT MISS IT. You will tell your grandkids about this show.


Sunday, February 7

28 Degrees Taurus @ Bushwick Music Studios | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $5
Another band that's played a Radio Flyer Review show, 28 Degrees Taurus are from Boston. They are one of the most original bands around these days. Their bizarre psychedelic shoegaze is spacey and warped, nihilistic, fun and mysterious. [myspace]


Tuesday, Feburary 9

The Residents @ Webster Hall | East Village, Manhattan | $30
The Residents are some weird, weird folks. They formed in the 60's and nobody knows who they are because they wear big eyeball masks on their heads. They make strange, avant-garde music and really hit their stride in the early no-wave/post-punk years. Like Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa, their West Coast contemporaries, they mixed elements of noise, free jazz and avant-garde classical but the Residents don't have the hard rock of Zappa or the blues of Beefheart. There is little to hold on to, just strange spoken word, percussive electronic drones and distortion, mixed with too much acid and not enough ritalin. They may not be for everyone, but we are all indebted to their fearless exploration of new sonic terrain and redefinition of what rock could be.


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

February
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

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Upcoming Shows: Slits, Reagan Youth, Fiery Furnaces + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
TONIGHT! Tuesday, December 8

Parts and Labor @ Brooklyn Bowl | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE!
My new friends at The End of Irony caught this, which was somehow missing from my calendar. Parts and Labor are easily one of NYC's best bands. They make intensely, intensely loud music using bass, drums and electronic noise. It's like a jet engine in your face. This din, however, supports wide-open, heartfelt pop melodies. Bring earplugs. [MySpace]


TOMORROW! Wednesday, December 9

Darlings, She Keeps Bees @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $6
Get there early, the good bands are first! Darlings mix pop hooks with completely bizarre, unexpected arrangements for music that's smart and interesting but still easy to enjoy. She Keeps Bees are a minimalist blues band disguised as an indie rock band, and their singer, Jessica Larrabee, is really good. [Darlings MySpace] [Darlings RFR Review] [SKB MySpace]


Thursday, December 10

Reagan Youth @ Trash Bar | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
Reagan Youth were one of the original NYHC bands of the early 80's. Playing political hardcore punk in the greatest American tradition, Reagan Youth were stars at CBGBs and the A7 club back in the day. Go see them. [MySpace]


Friday, December 11

Fiery Furnaces + Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15 adv./$17 dos.
The Fiery Furnaces are one of the most insane bands ever. They are a brother and sister, but if a classic evil villian living alone in a castle at the top of a mountain in Romania were going to make an indie pop album, it would sound pretty much like Fiery Furnaces' Blueberry Boat. Assuming that evil villain knew quite a bit about writing hooks and melodies. And Shilpa Ray is opening. Her raw blues-punk is centered around her hand-powered harmonium and ability to scream the f-word very loudly. (That's a good thing.) [FF MySpace] [SR&HH MySpace]

Forgetters @ Market Hotel | Bushwick, Brooklyn
Forgetters are a punk band formed by Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker and Jets to Brazil, along with Against Me! drummer Kevin Mahon and visual artist Caroline Paquita. There is no one on earth who can conceive of how deeply I love Jawbreaker. Um, fuck yes.


Saturday, December 12

Fiery Furnaces + Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15 adv./$17 dos.
See above.

Tyvek @ Silent Barn | Ridgewood, Queens
I want to mention Tyvek because they are from Michigan so you can't see them any old time. They are a punk band. However, they come to NYC pretty often and Silent Barn is an awful venue, so I'd skip it. [MySpace]

A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Jaguar Club @ Union Hall | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $10
I've kind of cooled off on electrogazers ASDIG after their disappointing album earlier this year. Jaguar Club, on the other hand, is an unquestionably awesome rock band. Maybe not anything to write home about, but definitely a great way to spend a Saturday night. [ASDIG MySpace] [JC MySpace]


Sunday, December 13

Blank Dogs, Led Er Est, Silk Flowers @ Monster Island Basement | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
Blank Dogs play extremely lo-fi gothy post punk. Led Er Est are also goth-influenced, playing minimal electronic-based post punk with a psychedelic edge. I haven't decided how I feel about Silk Flowers, but they involve synthesizers and slurry, neanderthal-styled dark post punk music. So basically, this line-up actually makes sense, with each band sounding different from the others, but all fitting into the gloomy, measured style of the early 80's, and all putting their own experimental spin on that sound. [BD MySpace] [LEE MySpace] [SF MySpace]


Monday, December 14

The Slits + Sisters, the Sundelles @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $15
The Slits were one of the greatest punk bands of the initial punk explosion in London in 1977. These ladies hung with the Sex Pistols and were as just as badass. Their influence on punk, indie pop, grunge and riot grrrl is immeasurable. Also, apparently, whoever is picking out their opening acts has the same tastes as me, since Sisters and Sundelles just played at my showcase Friday and were totally awesome. The Sundelles play energetic, balls-to-the-wall garage rock. Sisters play lo-fi noise pop with insane drumming and hummable songs. This is worth way more than fifteen bucks, don't miss it. [Slits Website] [Sisters MySpace] [Sundelles MySpace]


Tuesday, December 15

The Antlers + Sharon van Etten @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $13 adv. / $15 dos.
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]

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

December
16
Raekwon @ The Fillmore

17
The For Carnation @ Knitting Factory
Pterodactyl @ Cameo

29-31
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom

January 2010
15
Gang Gang Dance, DJ/Rupture @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

16
Dinosaur Jr @ Bowery Ballroom

17
Dinosaur Jr @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

25
Cheap Trick @ The Fillmore

29-30
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom

February
6
Don Giovanni showcase: Shellshag, Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood + more @ Bowery Ballroom

9
Residents @ Webster Hall

13
Magnetic Fields @ Brooklyn Academy of Music

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]