Live: Fucked Up and Jeff the Brotherhood.

When: 6/25
Where: 285 Kent

Sadly, I missed Iceage at the Fucked Up/Jeff show.  But I did catch Jeff the Brotherhood, Nashville 4realz brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall.  Jeff the Brotherhood recently released their second album, an unabashed (and entirely self-aware) celebration of rock'n'roll cliches.  Their riff-centric psychedelic punk is criminally catchy, with exaggerated weight, excessive effects and extreme rockstar posturing.

At 285 Kent, Jeff played a great selection songs from both albums and played them well.  But somehow, I feel like Jeff are less than they once were.  I don't want to be one of those resentful motherfuckers who talks about when such-and-such band used to be good, back before they were so popular.  And it's an easy trap to fall into - shows are more exciting when you're lucky enough to stumble on something brilliant before anyone else notices it.  It's impossible not to miss the intimacy of those tiny shows, with 15 people instead of 500.

But my excitement over Jeff isn't just losing luster out of nostalgia for ye good olde days.  There are a couple of other factors at play here.  One is simply that Jeff are a bit superficial.  Of course, that the genius and joy of Jeff - they make rock music fun again.  But like any fun music, it fades over time and you move on to the next catchy thing. Which isn't to say that Jeff's music is disposable.  They aren't some one-hit wonder whose albums will show up en masse in used music shops in a year, the original owners completely forgetting the existence of the records the minute they walk out the door.  No.  I think people will keep Jeff's LPs and will throw them on from time to time and love them every time.  But few people will return to the LPs with the sort of urgency that draws people back to the greatest of albums.  That sort of emotional urgency, after all, would be a total buzzkill and ruin everything Jeff are trying to do.  So it's fine.  But it is the sort of infatuation that, despite what we might have thought in the heat of the moment, is far more about the thrill of discovery than it is about the potential for enduring, life-altering love.

Still, this doesn't fully explain my discontent. Yes, the sun has set on my initial crush, but the shows still seem emptier than they should.  And this is why: Jeff used to be showmen.  It's not that they aren't now, but they don't have the FLAIR they used to.  After all, the first time I saw Jeff in a "big" (400+) venue, Jake stood atop a huge amp giving a five minute guitar intro, visible in flickers from Jamin's barebulb flashlight.  Jeff still know how to build suspense and how to please a crowd, but they've scaled it back.  Note: I am absolutely NOT advocating for bands to do five minute guitar intros standing atop their amps.  But Jeff are different - what they do works because of their shameless willingness to revel in rock'n'roll stereotypes like a dog rolling around in dead fish. Like Queen or the Mars Volta, they are the kind of band you should be thankful exist and should be just as thankful only exist once (but not quite as extreme because if you heard another band that sounded like Jeff, it would just sound lame, not mortifying or terminally obnoxious).

So, Messrs. Orrall, what gives?  Why no grandstanding?  Why no crazy lighting?  If you're gonna own that shit, own it.  Otherwise, turn off the flange pedal.  And please, don't turn off your flange pedal!  You have a mission to complete and we're so close!  Granted, no one who hadn't seen the band back when would know any air had gone out of the balloon - but Jake and Jamin, you and I happen to know you can do even better.

And then, Fucked Up, billed as "secret guest."  What can I write about Fucked Up that I have not already?  Damian "Pink Eyes" Abraham went running all the way through the crowd and out the door at one point - if I had to guess, I'd guess he was going to give hugs to the folks working the door.  It was the first Fucked Up show where I heard bassist Sandy "Mustard Gas" Miranda step up to the mic, but I'm guessing it won't be the last, since extensive female vocals were needed on Fucked Up's recent rock-opera LP.  She was hard to hear but otherwise excellent.  There was good pit going too, if you like getting thrown around and drenched in other people's sweat - and if you don't like that, why are you in the pit?  It goes without saying that the band was impeccable.

Where Jeff are a fleeting infatuation, Fucked Up are more of long-term relationship material.  Theirs are the albums fans will return to with emotional urgency.  They are the heralds of a new day of hXc punk rawk, the ragged band exploring new frontiers most of us never would have thought existed.  Both bands are important and both have relevant - and rare - missions.  Having indulgent, shameless, rock'n'roll fun is underrated and underdone and we need Jeff to remind us of that.  But Fucked Up, with their boundless passion, sincerity and sense of purpose, will make the more lasting mark.

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!)

Album: Jeff the Brotherhood - We Are the Champions

Album: We Are the Champions
Infinity Cat
Rating: ******** (8/10)
Release Date: June 21, 2011

The new Jeff the Brotherhood album is exactly what fans of the band's 2008 debut will be expecting. It polishes the band's three-string psych rock and like their first album, it's a celebration of rock'n'roll excess. The indulgent fun of the album is first announced by an ungodly amount of flange at the beginning of the opening track. I'm not the only person who considers flange top among guitar's guilty pleasures - too cheap a trick to actually use in writing but super fun for enjoyment in one's bedroom. (For those that don't know, flange is an effect pedal that causes a "sweeping" sound without the guitarist actually doing anything.) But Jeff has always wallowed in cheap rock cliches, and in the best possible way. In the face of the wussy anti-rock bias of indie music, someone needs to bring back the wailing solo, the guitar hero posturing, the distortion pedal and the nasty riff. Oh yeah, and over that flange is not one but two guitar solos. At the same time. It's pretty sick.

Although the album does show the band moving towards more sophisticated musicianship, writing and production, they don't really step out of the boundaries they established on Heavy Days, just hone their craft within those boundaries. Some of the riffs even sound like particular riffs off Heavy Days, just reworked and embellished. That's not quite fair, but on the other hand, it's hard not to notice how familiar some of the songs ("Cool Out," "Mellow Out") sound.

The band does amp up their psychedelic side with songs like "Diamond Way," "Stay Up Late" and most of all, "Health and Strength," complete with Beatles-style sitar and high vocal wails. This may be a new dimension for the band, but it's such a 60's throwback that it doesn't really feel like an expansion. To the band's credit, though, they don't opt for a 60's vibe in the processing of their sound, using modern digital effects and beefy 90's guitar tones. As a result, as much as they consciously recall the 60's, their recordings wouldn't be mistaken for actual records from the time. Although they do seek a return to a time of simpler fun, Jeff aren't nostalgic in the sappy way of so many indie bands in the last decade and they aren't afraid to sound modern. They also aren't afraid to rock.

And in terms of rock, there's plenty here. Those thirsting for more ditties by the King of the Riff (Jeff's Jake Orrall) won't be disappointed by Champions, especially if they listen all the way through. Some of the early songs have the band tripping over their own ideas by adding too many complications to their ultra-simple formula. "Cool Out" and "Shredder" are rad tunes, but the album doesn't fully take off until "Ripper," one of the few songs that beats the raw power of the band's debut. Like the original raw power masters, the Stooges, Jeff don't shy away from the grittiest, simplest primal rock'n'roll urges - but unlike the Stooges, there's nothing anguished about Jeff. They're about raw fun.

Unfortunately, the band brings back one rock cliche we could all do without on their ambiguously misogynistic "Wastoid Girl." I know that's not what the band's about, but it's still a bad move on their part.

That track aside, Champions is an enjoyable listen. For folks new to the band, I'd probably recommend Heavy Days. It's got more weak links but its best tracks still pack more punch than almost anything on the new record. Still, it's a toss-up and fans will find lots to love about the new disc - as long as they don't have the audacity to expect something new.

Live: Jeff the Brotherhood, Heavy Cream, Hell Beach + more

When: April 2, 2011
Where: Death By Audio

When I went to Death By Audio last weekend, I will admit I was not really in the mood for the music of the night - namely slightly southern-fried, post-ironic-hipster-idol-y, 60's-inflected indie rock.  But that doesn't change the fact that nearly the entire show was a disappointment.

When I arrived, Colleen Green was on stage.  The band is made up of two affected, Ray-Ban sporting women playing guitar and bass over a cheesy drum machine.  That's a setup that could go either way, but in this case, it went in a bad way.  The music was terrible, but that wasn't really the problem - in fact, that provided the only point on which you could argue the band had some merit.  My friend Pepe (thanks, random name generator) thought that the band members were courageous to take the stage even though they were so astoundingly bad.  However, I had the distinct feeling that this wasn't a brave presentation of incompetence in the populist tradition that runs from punk and No Wave through Beat Happening up to contemporary vanguard of bands that at least (sometimes) fake inability to play their instruments (e.g. Stupid Party, Total Slacker).

But Colleen Green is of a different tribe.  To me, their performance reeked of cowardice.  Their incompetence seemed distinctly calculated to allow them to take the stage without threatening insecure men.  This is one of the most disturbing faces of the nostalgia that has overwhelmed indie music and alternative youth culture in recent years - the relegation of women to a sort of Trix Rabbit role (silly girls, guitars are for men).  It's been difficult for me to put my finger on what separates the anti-feminist backlash of bands like Best Coast and Colleen Green from distinctly empowering female figures like Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells (who, after all, does not write the band's music or play an instrument, but whose ditsy bimbo character who thought she forgot her sunglasses is delivered with ambiguous derision and balanced with massive, nasty sound and one uncurbed scream).  Not every female in music has to be a bra-burning Riot Grrrl, but if you are female and playing rock or pop music, you are making a statement on feminism, whether you like it or not.  This isn't about what's fair, it's about reality, and in reality, Colleen Green says loud and clear that "girl bands" are a novelty.  We ladies of the music scene are good for a laugh, but let's leave the real music to the men.

Colleen Green were followed by X-Ray Eyeballs, an ultimately forgettable act of two and three chord songs.  I'd give them another chance, but their performance at DBA was not exactly something to write home about.

I wish Hell Beach was as forgettable as X-Ray Eyeballs, but unfortunately, the opening of their set, a song charmingly entitled "Dead Friends" is still seared in my memory.  The lyrics, which you can read for yourself here, are a tasteless, artless attempt to be edgy.  Or maybe it's an attempt to parody edgy rock lyrics.  Whatever they were attempting, they failed.  Actually, I should say vocalist Susan Tinsley failed.  The other two members of the band were pretty alright, with drummer Jolene Boyce having exactly the edge that Colleen Green was lacking.  Brad Holland managed to wrangle some nasty snarls out of his guitar - cliched snarls, but in a way that's more art-smart referential than uncreative.

The band is clearly going for some sort of goth punk or goth grunge.  Don't get me wrong, goth is all about having a sense of humor (a dimension of the genre missed by an entire generation of Hot Topic customers and sickly-looking gloomsters).  Goth's seminal single, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," is one of the of the funniest songs in pop history.  But that song was both lyrically clever and sonically creative.  "Dead Friends," on the other hand, is so obvious that you can actually feel yourself getting stupider as you listen - and not in a fun way.  I mean, c'mon Tinsley, how old are you?

The only band of the night that really did meet my expectations was Heavy Cream.  Part of the reason the band met my expectations is that those expectations had been lowered when I saw Heavy Cream at Union Pool (if I remember correctly) and found them to be nothing more than good Nashville-inflected garage rock.  I had hyped them up in my own mind to be the greatest thing since half-and-half (sorry) but this time, I approached the group with more reasonable expectations.

Nashville-inflected garage rock definitely still summarizes the band's sound.  However, there was something far more punk rock about their performance at DBA.  Part of it wasn't musical at all.  When guitarist Mimi Galbierz broke a string soon after the band took the stage, the set was stalled while the band tried to find a guitar to borrow.  (Jake's guitar, "Jamin," was suggested until the band remembered that guitar would only have three strings to their current five.)  While the band awkwardly pleaded with the audience to supply them a guitar, singer Jessica McFarland began berating the audience for their lack of creative contributions in the downtime.  Whether tongue-in-cheek or serious, McFarland's obvious contempt for the audience brought the show to a new level.  The band's frustration at being plagued with technical difficulties (the guitar being just one of several mishaps) was channeled into their music, giving it a harder edge.  McFarland can be compared to that other blond singer of the young Nashville scene, Jemina Pearl, in as much as both possess the stage with delightful arrogance and a sort of icy sexuality.  But McFarland's presentation is far more mature than Pearl's petulant (if captivating) behavior.

After the venomous performance by Heavy Cream, headliners Jeff the Brotherhood failed to impress.  I mean, they failed to impress me.  The audience seemed to dig it, moshing violently from Jake's first note on.  But the crowd at Jeff shows seems increasingly dominated by the kind of people who use the mosh pit as an outlet for macho aggression.  The pit is all about violence, which is obviously kinda the point.  But every scene where slam dancing dominates eventually seems to draw out a more bullying element, the meatheads who have ruined countless hardcore shows from the early 80's onward.  To be clear, these sort of meatheads didn't dominate the Jeff show - but I can feel a slide in that direction in the increasing roughness and decreasing fun of the audience.  People are starting to come not for the music but because they like to shove other people around.

But that's not the Orrall brothers' fault and it wasn't what made the show such a disappointment.  What ultimately ruined the set was simply the band's straightforward delivery.  The reason Jeff the Brotherhood shows have always excited me is Jake's ridiculous rockstar posturing, his command of the stage and piercing comprehension of rock'n'roll showmanship.  But last weekend, the band just played their songs.  They played well and with enthusiasm, but a spark was missing.  Whether the band is burning out, growing lazy or was just having a weary night remains to be seen, but whatever the reason, the band was simply not compelling or commanding.  Of course, in saying this, I am only comparing the band to themselves, their past performances.  Compared with the vast majority of acts out there, they are still one of the meanest live shows of 2011.  But for longtime fans, their current presentation seems distinctly uninspired.

Let's hope it was just an off night and not the start of the decline of indie's rockingest band.

Live: Jeff the Brotherhood, Screaming Females and Stupid Party

When: 2/23
Where: Death By Audio

This one is gonna be a bit short, because I recently reviewed all three of these bands. But the Death By Audio show was different enough to warrant a few words.

Stupid Party were themselves as they've been lately. There were too long instrumental parts and with their fourth member, they aren't able to be quite as charmingly reckless - at least not yet. But their slurring, unaffected grungy punk is still refreshing and they belt it out with the same fun. They're still the coolest kids in Brooklyn. [myspace]

Screaming Females followed. Their set was a far cry from their recent Bowery performance. At Bowery, the band nailed their rock songs with precision so fans of their albums could follow, note for note. At Death by Audio, though, the band let go. They rearranged their songs to create wide spaces for raging guitar solos and jamming. Familiar songs morphed into something entirely new while our generation's greatest guitar hero, the diminutive and frumpy Marissa Paternoster, cut loose, shredding her strings and our ears into oblivion.

Nothing is without its price, though. The band's reinvention cost them their usual tightness - a close listener could hear more than a few stumbles - and put a dent Paternoster's singing abilities, pitchwise. But the band sized up their audience correctly. The people cramming Death by Audio at midnight on a Tuesday were the band's most loyal fans, true music lovers and notably many musicians themselves (members of Titus Andronicus, Vivian Girls, Woods, Sisters, A Place to Bury Strangers and These Are Powers to name a few). It was an event for the indie community and the band provided its audience with something fresh, something DIY, something you just won't get at Bowery Ballroom or Terminal 5. [myspace]

Jeff the Brotherhood closed out the night with their usual masterful showmanship. Rocking the best riffs anyone's written in years, the two Orrall brothers sparked a moshpit that quickly engulfed at least half the room. They tossed out a couple of large inflatable aliens to surf the crowd, and these were soon joined by some terrestrial surfers, Jake Orrall included. Too my surprise, although we were crossing the 1 AM mark on a weeknight, the crowd did not thin at all. Wall to wall, fists pumped, heads banged and moppy hair flopped to the beat. [myspace]

The whole time, I was haunted by a little sadness. These bands can pack a room after midnight on a Tuesday and for fans who saw them first in crowds of twenty or thirty, this is the end of an era. The secret is out about both Screaming Females and Jeff the Brotherhood, and while that gives me hope for American culture, it also means bigger crowds cramming between me and the stage, the bands rapidly shrinking into the distance. It's right, but it's bittersweet. Congratulations, guys.

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: Fucked Up, Screaming Females, Trail of Dead + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Tomorrow!!! Friday, February 19

Fucked Up + Kurt Vile, Frankie & the Outs @ Europa | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | $13
Fucked Up have redefined what hardcore punk can be. And they are one of the most powerful live acts you can see. [(unofficial) myspace]

Andrew WK @ Santos Party House | Chinatown, Manhattan
Andrew WK y’all. Rock’n’roll pianist.

Secret Machines + Bear in Heaven @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $12 / $15
Secret Machines once had a bit of a hit. Alt rock with just a touch of shoegaze, nothing to write home about. But if you like them, you should see them at Glasslands because it’s the coziest venue you’ll see them at.


Saturday, February 20

Pygmy Shrews @ Bruar Falls | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE!
These guys are fucking awesome. They are hardcore mo’fos with song titles like "your party sucks." Their cutting distortion and feedback this like a bulldozer. And this show is free. [myspace]

Coyote Eyes, El Jezel @ Union Hall | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $8
Coyote Eyes is one of the most promising bands in Brooklyn, and they’re coming into their own more and more. Their dark web of sound is laced with captivating, catchy melodies. I haven’t heard El Jezel in a long time but they’re pretty okay themselves. [coyote myspace] [el jezel myspace]

Crystal Stilts + Beets, Beach Fossils, German Measles @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $13 adv. / $15 dos
Another big line-up of bands that think they are super cool. Unfortunately for all of us, the Crystal Stilts make some of the best music around. They have a pretty uninspiring live show, though. I’d skip this, but thought I’d let you know just in case. [myspace]


Sunday, February 21

Dum Dum Girls + Frankie Rose & the Outs @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $10
Dum Dum Girls are mostly one girl who is not dum at all. Her name is Dee Dee and she writes great songs and sings them well. She’s a little lo-fi, a little indie pop and maybe a little smidge punk. [myspace]

PRSMS, Unstoppable Death Machines @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Both these bands play aggressive experimental punk. PRSMS are great. UDM are not quite there yet, but they are certainly enjoyable. [prsms myspace] [uds myspace]


Tuesday, February 23

Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood, Stupid Party @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Umm. This is only going to be like the greatest show ever. No big deal. Seriously, Screaming Females are the best rock band on earth right now. Jeff the Brotherhood are not very far behind and Stupid Party, more than any other band right now, represent what is good and right in punk. See, you probably think I am exaggerating, but I’m not. Three of the best bands ON THE FRIGGIN’ PLANET at the best venue I know. [screaming myspace] [jeff myspace] [stupid myspace]

Her Vanished Grace @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | FREE!
The only reason you should miss the above show is if you’re dead. But if you’re dead, you might try this one, because it’s free. Her Vanished Grace is a great noise pop band who know how to take control of a stage. Great melodies, great songs, great noise, they’ve got it. [myspace]


Wednesday, February 24

…and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (original line-up) @ Union Pool | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I am trying to figure out if I am hallucinating this listing. You had better double check. [myspace]


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

February
26
Wild Beasts @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out!)

27
Glenn Branca (record release) @ Le Poisson Rouge

28
Wild Beasts @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Shilpa Ray, Asa Ransom @ Cameo
Shoot Spires (mems. Parts & Labor), Pterodactyl, Unstoppable Death Machines @ Union Pool

March
4
Japanther @ Mercury Lounge

5
Muse, the Silversun Pickups @ Madison Square Garden

6
Titus Andronicus, Parts & Labor, Babies @ Bowery Ballroom

7
Awesome Color, Tyvek, Talk Normal @ Market Hotel
Washed Out, Small Black @ Mercury Lounge (sold out)

8
Dinowalrus @ Cameo
Washed Out, Small Black @ Mercury Lounge (sold out)

9
Aa, Screens @ Death By Audio

101
The Magnetic Fields @ Town Hall

11
The Magnetic Fields @ Town Hall
Iran @ Knitting Factory

12-13
Henry Rollins @ The Fillmore

18
Killswitch Engage @ The Fillmore

19
Killswitch Engage @ The Fillmore
Oneida + Sightings @ Knitting Factory

23
Black Lips @ Brooklyn Bowl

24
Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom

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

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

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

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

April
2
The Bronx, Japanther @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Captured Tracks Showcase: Blank Dogs, Wet Dog + more @ Glasslands

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

6
The Bronx, Japanther @ Bowery Ballroom

8
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Webster Hall

10
Washed Out, Small Black @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

15
Liars @ Bowery Ballroom

18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

21
Apples in Stereo @ Bowery Ballroom

May
3
Chapterhouse @ Bell House


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

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]

Guest List: Best Live Acts of 2009

The ever alluring "Jasper" put together a list of best live acts he saw in 2009. I threw in links to any reviews I wrote of those shows we saw together.

#15   Sonic Youth put on a just plain great rock show. The fact that they are an essential piece of rock n' holl history in the flesh and the props they get for still doing it this well 30 years later is what elevates them above the hundreds of other great rock shows this year and earns them a place here.
(RFR Review)

#14   Animal Collective makes truly unique and often astounding music, but their shows are about more than just reproducing it live. Considering how many of their tracks are either heavily produced or exude a very personal, almost private, feeling, it is impressive how they transform them to fill the vast concert halls they now frequent. Combined with their quirky, honest, no holds barred stage presence and you have a show unlike any other. Were it not for the occasionally excessive jam sessions, they would have been higher in this list.
(Jasper Full Review)

#13   JEFF the Brotherhood are gritty, loud and rambunctious, yet still technically polished. Simply put, their shows have been some of the most fun I've been to all year. In a underground music culture rife of overly self-conscious, pretentious and just plain wimpy hipster cliches, two guys unafraid to play good old rock n' roll (that is nonetheless innovative) and mean it are as ballsy as they are refreshing.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#12    That the Vandelles' shows make you simultaneously want to dance and sing along AND cower in a corner with your hands pressed tightly against your ears is impressive enough. Throw in a charismatic front man and a drummer whose unmatched aggression only adds to her sex appeal and you've got one hell of a show. Who am I kidding? The whole band is exceptionally good looking and know how to work it and as much as we hardcore music fans want to tell ourselves that it's all about the music, we're only human.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#11   Titus Andronicus - Though I could never much get into listening to their albums, I have to admit that the TA shows I've been to have been some of the best all year. Committed and adept performers, they inspire a contagious enthusiasm in their fans. Beyond that, they embody the true spirit of punk: agressive and confrontational, yet communal and inclusive.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#10   Stupid Party - Forget committed, these guys are just plain nuts. With equal parts agression and abandon, they appear to pour every fiber of their beings into their shows yet exude the spontaneous joy of kids at a playground.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#9   Lightning Bolt - Never had I been to a show where the entire room erupted into a mosh pit at the musician's first touch of his instrument - and that was just the sound check! We all know that they are supremely skilled musicians, but there is something in their music that transcends technical virtuosity and sends a jolt through their fans unlike anything else I have yet witnessed.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#8   Beluga - Plenty of bands have loud guitars, infectious hooks and effective arrangements. Few have a striking front woman who refuses to remain still, dances with the audience and writhes on the floor. This is the real thing kids, don't miss it!
(RFR Review)

#7   Screaming Females shows are all about the uninhibited yet astoundingly skilled antics of front woman Marissa Paternoster. She sings and screams and shreds with an aggression and technical prowess not typically associated with diminutive women - but boy does she show 'em how it's done.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#6   ...And You Will know Us by the Trail of the Dead put on shows as sweeping and dramatic as their name, without the off-putting excess that's often part of the package. How? They deliver every note and word with unwavering and uninhibited passion. They are truly one of the most powerful bands I have ever witnessed.
(RFR Review)

#5   Fucked Up also perform with grandeur and power uncommon in today's hyper self-aware landscape, although their shows are as much about sonic assault as they are moving their audience emotionally. Not in years (dare I say, since Black Flag?) has anyone so raw been compelling on so many levels - visceral, emotional and intellectual.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#4   A Place to Bury Strangers - Speaking of sonic assault, these guys do it better than anyone I know of on the scene today, while simultaneously undermining any image of themselves as traditional rock stars by obscuring their own figures with smoke and strobe lights. To witness their shows is not so much to encounter a rock band but a force of nature.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#3   No Age - This one might not be be fair since they are a perennial favorite of mine, but I am hard pressed to think of any band that, no matter where or how many times I see them, it is literally one of the most fun nights of my entire year. Sophisticated, shoegaze influenced soundscapes are backed by a good ol' fasion punk rock spirit. Also, their shows always seem to inspire an unusually spirited yet mostly non-violent mosh pit. Don't miss these guys the next time they come around!
(RFR Review, sort of)

#2   Pterodactyl have pretty much everything I have pointed out so far that makes a great live band: charisma, visceral force, technical prowess, a hint of insanity, a whole lot of fun and the sense that they really mean it. But what puts them ahead of the pack is their undeniable musical originality and, more importantly, the fact that their live shows evolve continually. Rather than finding a formula for success and sticking with it, every Pterodactyl show I've seen has been distinct: sometimes loud and abrasive, sometimes poppy and sing-songy, sometimes noisy and experimental (not to mention, all of these at once). While every band on this list puts on a great show and has something unique to offer, this extra level of risk-taking is exceedingly rare.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3 / 4)

#1   Ponytail - I've detailed the characteristics I value in a live band so many times by this point that to list everything good about Ponytail's shows would be redundant. Suffice it to say they have it all and take much of it just one step further than the rest (in particular, the antics of their lead vocalist, who is physically small but larger than life in sound and personality). What is really extraordinary and different about their shows however, has as much to do with the atmosphere as what the band is actually doing on stage: to be at a Ponytail show is to be surrounded by hundreds of kids literally jumping up and down for experimental free-form noise rock.

This uncommon combination of spontaneous joy and high-art appreciation among fans points to what makes Ponytail's music and their shows so striking and important: their ability to synthesize disparate or even seemingly contradictory qualities. Their music is at once visceral and intellectual, arty yet fun, experimental yet widely appealing. In this way, Ponytail represents all that rock music can be, in the tradition of some of my greatest heroes like the Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth. Such a comparison is a high compliment indeed; however, what makes Ponytail even greater is that they do not achieve what these bands did by aping them. Rather, their music is some of the most original and truly unique out there today. So there you have it: a band that both returns to what was so awesome about the greatest of the past and moves the the art form forward into the future.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

Best of 2009 according to Screaming Females, Dinowalrus and Pterodactyl!

Why take my advice on the best albums of 2009 when you can take the advice of some of the best musicians of 2009?


Screaming Females

Jarrett's list:

1. JEFF the brotherhood - Heavy Days (Infinity Cat Records)
2. Cheeky - What the Heck (Freedom School Records)
3. Stupid Party - s/t (Freedom School Records)
4. Songs for Moms - I Used to Believe in the West (Thrillhouse Records)
5. Bad Blood - Tongue Twisting Tunes for Tiny Tots (Dead Broke
Rekerds/ Sweet Dreams Records)
6. Mattress - Babystar Gallactica EP (Self-Released)
7. Teenage Cool Kids - Foreign Lands (Protagonist Music)
8. Delay - Plain Language (Plan-It-X Records/ Salinas Records)
9. Double Dagger - More (Thrill Jockey Records)
10. Ex-Wife - Everything Was Beautiful (Self-Released)

Michael's list:

1. Songs for Moms- I Used to Believe in the West
2. Stupid Party- s/t
3. Jeff the Brotherhood- Heavy Days
4. The Thermals- Now We Can See
5. Bad Blood Revival- Tongue Twisting Tunes for Tiny Tots
6. Dinosaur Jr.- Farm
7. Cheeky- What the Heck
8. Pissed Jeans- King of Jeans
9. Cheap Girls- My Roaring 20's
10. Jay Reatard- Watch Me Fall
11. ANS- Pressure Cracks
12. Batrider- Why We Can't Be Together
13. Batrider- Bag Wine Forever
14. King Tuff- Was Dead
15. Arctic Monkeys- Humbug
16. Ex-Wife- Everything Was Beautiful
17. Lighten Up- Absolutely Not
18. Super Furry Animals- Dark Days Light Years
19. Kreamy 'Lectric Santa- Operation Spacetime Cinderblock
20. Delay- Plain Language

[MySpace]


Dinowalrus

Fifteen Albums that Pete Dinowalrus Fell in Love with in 2009 that Didn't Come out in 2009

The Chameleons UK - Strange Times
Cows - Cunning Stunts
Dizzee Rascal - Maths and English
Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era
Trans Am - Red Line
Giorgio Moroder - From Here to Eternity
Gong - Angel's Egg
Guns N' Roses - GNR Lies
Happy Mondays - Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Automatic
Neu - Neu 75
Venom - Welcome to Hell
Loop - Fade Out
Spectrum - Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)
Six Finger Satellite - Law of Ruins

[Dinowalrus MySpace]


Pterodactyl

grass widow - s/t (captured tracks)
dirty projectors - bitta orca
deerhunter - rainwater cassette exchange
yellowfever - s/t
telepathe - dance mother
strange boys - and girls club
pc worship - nyc stone age
marnie stern - this is it...
colorguard - shared planet
king tuff - was dead (Burger Records Reissue) - this one came out in 2008 I believe but this reissue was handed to us by a guy from Thee Makeout Party and blew our minds over and over and over again while on tour.

[Pterodactyl MySpace]

Best Albums of 2009, Part 1: Rules and Runners Up

Some years in music seem better than others. Last year certainly had some great albums, but it still seemed unsatisfying. This year, on the other hand, was outstanding. From bigger and more established bands to undiscovered kids recording in their basements, this was a year to raise expectations of what a good album can be.

This year was also an important year for me personally. Thanks in part to the influence of "Jasper" and in part to a few bands I heard near the end of 2008 (namely Wavves, Titus Andronicus and Beluga), my tastes and interests shifted towards more confrontational music - in other words, "punk," at least in the broadest sense. In making this list, I've tried to balance my old priorities with my newer ones.

However, this list is a "Best of" list, not a favorites list. And what "best" means to me, at least when it comes to music, is "most exciting." Albums that push boundaries or explore new territory are the most exciting, but some albums are just exciting for being damn good, or for appearing in the right place at the right time or for reminding the world what music has the potential to be. Exciting can be challenging or it can be beautiful or it can be fun - and the most exciting music is all three.

As a side note, I didn't really follow rap this year, so its representation in this list is pitiful. Sadly I can't keep up with everything at once, but I'm sorry that rap specifically has lately fallen through the cracks. Next year, I will do better, I promise!

And now for the honorable mentions! These didn't quite make the cut, but are well worth checking out:

The Brakes - Touchdown (Fat Cat) [MySpace]

Eat Skull - Wild and Inside (Siltbreeze) [MySpace]

Ex-Wife - Everything Was Beautiful (self-released) [MySpace]

Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away (Thrill Jockey) [MySpace]

Japandroids - Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl) [MySpace]

Jeff the Brotherhood - Heavy Days (Infinity Cat) [MySpace]

Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Downtown) [MySpace]

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers (Domino) [MySpace]

Next>> Part 2: #25-21
Part 3: #20-16
Part 4: #15-11
Part 5: #10-6
Part 6: #5-1

Live: Jeff the Brotherhood, Dinowalrus, Sisters

When: 12/7
Where: Mercury Lounge

I'm almost getting caught up on my live reviews...

Sadly, I missed Coin Under Tongue, the first of four great bands to play Mercury Lounge last week Monday. When I arrived, Sisters were setting up the stage. I've said enough about Sisters to try to keep this short. Sisters are two guys of different heights who play noisy indie pop songs with exceptional melodies and youthful exuberance. Aaron Pfannebecker makes a really lot of noise with his guitar and Matt Conboy sounds like at least three drummers playing at once. They are endearingly awkward but also confrontational, and make the music our inner 90's-reared teenagers would make if they could play instruments that well. [MySpace]

Dinowalrus were up next. Pete Feigenbaum mentioned to me over e-mail after my last review that their new material is more "baggy" a la Happy Mondays. And watching this set with that in mind, I could definitely see the band turning towards more bobbing acid-house grooves. It's difficult to compare Dinowalrus to anyone, though, past or present. They are definitely doing their own thing. Masterful beats, noisy drones, sparkling guitars, bizarre blasts and electronic pulsing - the band covers a lot of ground, synthesizing a myriad of influences into a single, cohesive style. It's not easy music, but it's not unbearably challenging either - the beats and melodies are strong enough to translate the experimentalism into something easily head-nod-able and very certainly fun. [MySpace]

The infamous Jeff the Brotherhood headlined to a pretty big crowd. Brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall play some of the best guitar rock around, using only three guitar strings and drum kit. Their heavy guitar riffs and great songwriting draw from psychedelic and grunge. With one foot in the late 60's and one in the early 90's, JtB are somehow still fully 2009.


Jeff the Brotherhood (photo by someone named Kahan, I think)
The Orrall brothers, like the other former members of adolescent punk outfit Be Your Own Pet, are children of the Nashville music industry, in this case, the sons of musician Robert Ellis Orrall. If I were them, I'd probably be sick of people pointing out my music pedigree, but it does help explain Jake and Jamin's commanding stage presence. Most musicians their age (early 20's), even when they consciously put on a great show, don't seem to fully step into the role of rock star as performer. Rock star as musician is great, but a concert is an experience that transcends just the notes played. Jake, with his slight 'stache, leather pants and pointed stare, cuts a memorable figure on stage without doing anything over the top. He pulls off a guitar hero pose or two while Jamin's relaxed smile balances the scene.

They may be young, but their old-school common sense and musical skill prove them more professional and mature than most indie rockers will ever be.

What the fuck am I talking about? Geez. Their music is fucking good. That's all needs be said. [MySpace]

Upcoming Shows: FRIDAY @ Monster Island Basement

Shellshag - "The White Stripes on steroids and crack" (Jersey Beat 2007) [MySpace] [Official Site]

Big Troubles - "Big Troubles is Ian and Alex, two guys from Ridgewood, New Jersey looking to give you a sonic shoulder rub if you can stand it. Just as their fellow Ridgewoodians Real Estate tend to dunk theirs underwater, Ian and Alex blanket most melodies in loads of fuzz and distortion. Lots of kids are doing it these days, few are doing it as well as these two." (The Tripwire) [MySpace] [Official Site]

Sisters - "The Brooklyn duo Sisters pull nineties alternative rock into the twenty-first century, skillfully tempering Gen X slacker aesthetics with an earnest optimism and youthful vigor." (The New Yorker [!!!]) [MySpace] [RFR Review]

The Sundelles - "The band's sound is as classic garage as you can get and there is something reminiscent of Sid Vicious in the singer's voice. This track is filled with youthful exuberance and defiance. Definitely mixtape worthy!" (Rock Insider) [MySpace]

It's at Monster Island Basement a.k.a. Secret Project Robot art gallery a.k.a. 210 Kent Ave., at the corner of Kent and Metropolitan. Doors at 8 PM, costs $7.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
Wednesday, December 2

Werewolves @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $5
I wouldn't hold my breath because the Werewolves have cancelled the last two times I tried to see them. But assuming they are going to do the show, you should be there. Werewolves manage to still the best of pretty much every variety of psychedelic music, from 60's rock and roll to shoegaze to noise. Hazy sounds, great melodies and squalling noise combine to make some of NYC's best music. [RFR Review] [MySpace]


Thursday, December 3

Young Boys @ Shea Stadium | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | $7
Young Boys are a badass noise pop duo who sound like an even drunker, even more nihilistic Jesus & Mary Chain. Everything is minimal, from the simple vocal melodies to the untamed, feedbacking guitar to the programmed keyboard beats. It's fucking great. [RFR Review] [MySpace]


Friday, December 4

Shellshag! Sisters! Big Troubles! Sundelles! See above!


Saturday, December 5

The Nymphets @ Dead Herring | Williamsburg, Brooklyn

The Nymphets are a minimal punk duo from Canada. Their music is simplistic and raw, their songs instantly lovable and their attitude badass but endearing. Check it. [RFR Review] [MySpace]


Monday, December 7

Jeff the Brotherhood, Dinowalrus, Sisters, Coin Under Tongue @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $8
Um, only four of the best bands on the scene right now, plus a DJ set by a fifth great (my recent obsession Stupid Party). Jeff the Brotherhood play raw psychedelic punk. Dinowalrus make experimental music that rocks hard but with complicated rhythms and unusual sounds. Sisters write enthusiastic, lo-fi pop songs. Coin Under Tongue yell all post-hardcore/thrash style into the microphone while making mammoth, distortion-laden riffs. However you look at it, this is a dream line-up. [JtB RFR Review] [JtB MySpace] [DW RFR Review] [DW MySpace] [Sisters RFR Review] [Sisters MySpace] [COT RFR Review]

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

December
10
Reagan Youth @ Trash Bar

11
Fiery Furnaces @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Forgetters (mems Jawbreaker, Against Me) @ Market Hotel

12
Fiery Furnaces @ Bowery Ballroom

13
Blank Dogs + Silk Flowers @ Monster Island Basement

14
The Slits + Sisters, Sundelles @ Highline Ballroom

15
The Antlers @ Bowery Ballroom

16
Raekwon @ The Fillmore

17
The For Carnation @ Knitting Factory
Black Dogs, Led Er Est @ Death By Audio
Pterodactyl @ Cameo

29-31
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom

January
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
9
Residents @ Webster Hall

13
Magnetic Fields @ Brooklyn Academy of Music

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Happy Thanksgiving!

In celebration, here is a list of the ten bands I am the most thankful exist right now. In alphabetical order because I love them all equally(ish).

The Antlers - Definitely the wimpiest band on this list, but wimpy doesn't necessarily mean unedgy. This music explores the traumas of abuse and loss with nearly unparalleled honesty. It's the kind of music that will save lives. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Fucked Up - This band is, as I've previously explained, the superman of punk rock. They give closet punks like me hope. [RFR Review] [Unofficial MySpace]

Jeff the Brotherhood - This is what rock music is about. Great songs, aggressive guitars, powerful drums and sheer awesomeness. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Marnie Stern - Marnie proves that electric guitar can still be groundbreaking, if you play it weirdly enough. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Ponytail - Ponytail is one of the most refreshingly original bands of the decade. After half a century of rock music, it's hard to sound totally new, but there's just no one else on earth who sounds like this. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Pterodactyl - Pterodactyl are on this list for mostly the same reason as Ponytail. They don't sound like anyone else. There is no reference point. Unlike Ponytail, they keep the song/melody-orientation of most popular music, but they've found a way to be exciting while still accessible. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Screaming Females - If anyone can save rock music from the disaffected, icy grasp of the hipsters, it's these guys. They pretty much take everything that's ever been good about rock music, distill it into great pop songs with raging guitars, and somehow make it sound relevant to 2009. And their passion for their music is the ultimate anti-hipster statement. Anyone who hears them will have to admit rock is better this way. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Stupid Party - This band has a truly independent spirit. You can tell from watching them on stage, they just don't give a fuck about any bullshit. They want to make their songs come out of their instruments and probably to drink some beer afterwards. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Titus Andronicus - This band restored my faith in hardcore punk. While the thrashy Fucked Up is thoroughly experimental, Titus Andronicus keep it more old school at the core. Still, it's not outdated. Songs about classic paintings and the New Jersey suburbs are definitely post-2000. And while many bands touch on subjects like these, most do it in a despicably unaware celebration of their personally privileged backgrounds. Titus Andronicus comes from an entirely different angle, expressing themselves with intelligent questioning, raw emotion and a truly worldly perspective. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Wavves - The indie scene was in bad need of another band like Wipers or Flipper. And we got it with Wavves. All distorted guitars and brilliant melodies, no hyper-selfawareness and no crap. [RFR Review] [MySpace]

Upcoming Show: Shonen Knife, Jeff the Brotherhood

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
Tuesday, November 17

Shonen Knife, Jeff the Brotherhood @ Brooklyn Bowl | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $12
Apparently I was suffering from a massive stroke when writing my last upcoming show list, because I listed Dinowalrus as the alternative show to Jesus Lizard next Tuesday. Dinowalrus is mad awesome, but they live here and play around NY all the time. The must-see show for those not at Jesus Lizard is Shonen Knife with Jeff the Brotherhood at Brooklyn Bowl.

Here is what I wrote about Shonen Knife in a listing last time they stopped in town: Formed in the 1980's in uber-conservative Japan, Shonen Knife consisted of three women who worked as secretaries by day and led secret lives as indie pop musicians at night, unbeknownst to their families and employers - it was considered unseemly for a woman to play rock or pop music, but Shonen Knife gave chauvinism the finger and kicked out some jams, motherfuckers. [MySpace]

Here is what I wrote about Jeff the Brotherhood after I saw them play a few weeks ago: Their music has hooks and doesn't try to sound quaintly spare or incompetent. For only two guys, they make a rich, full sound and don't try to hide the fact that they are fuckin good at guitar and drums. Come to think of it, I can't thing of a single bad thing to say about the band. There's no gimmick, there's no detached posturing, there's just rock music at its best. [MySpace]

And do go see Dinowalrus another time soon!

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

CMJ Summary - Part 3 (the last part)

The best showcase I caught at CMJ - and probably the best one that there was - was the free afternoon showcase at Knitting Factory on Saturday.

It was my first trip to the new Knitting Factory - they opened their Williamsburg location a month or two ago - and I was pretty impressed. It's a little fancy-seeming both compared to the old Knitting Factory and compared to Luna Lounge, the space's last incarnation. What was once one big room is now split into a front room, with a bar and beer garden style tables, and the room with the stage, visible from the front room through glass windows. The stage is at the back wall, making the area for the audience shallow and wide, good news for visibility. The sound was great too.

The first band I caught was Jeff the Brotherhood, featuring brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, founding members of Be Your Own Pet. The two rock prodigies, Jake on guitar and Jamin on drums (don't be confused that the guitar says "Jamin," Jake named it after his brother), play irresistible tunes that move deftly between punk and classic rock. Classifying the band is pretty pointless, just resulting in nonsense terms like "psychedelic grunge-pop." Anyway, they sound pleasantly familiar, but refreshingly unlike most of the buzz bands of the moment.

I wrote up the band once before, and was equally impressed this time. Their music has hooks and doesn't try to sound quaintly spare or incompetent. For only two guys, they make a rich, full sound and don't try to hide the fact that they are fuckin good at guitar and drums. Come to think of it, I can't thing of a single bad thing to say about the band. There's no gimmick, there's no detached posturing, there's just rock music at its best. [MySpace]

After this, Screaming Females took the stage. This was the third time I've seen them and this time, they finally completely won me over. The first time, I couldn't really hear the singing (I'm increasingly thinking that was a bad night and not reflecting the band's abilities at the time), and the second time, the sound was a bit too messy for me to get the full effect. This time, everything was perfect.

To put it simply, Screaming Females represent everything that has ever been good about rock and roll. That may sound like an exaggeration, but I mean it genuinely. Frontwoman Marissa Paternoster sings like PJ Harvey channeling John Lennon and plays guitar like every rock hero from 70's arena blues-rock to 90's punky alternative. Despite her unassuming mumblings between songs ("hiwe'rescreamingfemales"), she's one badass lady, giving the finger to the un-edgy leanings of the current indie scene. (Certainly, I'm not the only one who is sick of edgeless bands like Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent and the rest.*)

And if Paternoster is doing more for BIG, un-shy guitar than anyone since the likes of J. Mascis and Billy Corgan**, the rest of her band aren't doing any less to remind the world of what a good ROCK AND ROLL rhythm section can be. The bass leads carry the weight of the songs while the drums supplement head-banging worthy guitar riffs.

I really can't say enough about this band. If the future of rock music rests in their hands, I feel pretty sure we'll be OK. They've got it into them to defeat the reign of hipster crap once and for all. Let's hope they do. [MySpace]

The final act of the show was SubPop's Obits, who were miserably disappointing. I thought the Obits were a punk band. I apologize if I misled anyone into believing this. I'm still trying to figure out if I had them confused with someone else or if I just got the wrong idea from some song I heard. In any case, Obits are basically a bar band. They aren't bad, but there are thousands upon thousands of bands that sound just about the same. [MySpace]


* Just to be totally clear, Screaming Females seem way too nice to hate on other bands. The hating is all me.

** Don't hate! (And yes, I realize that sounds hypocritical. I don't care.)

Upcoming Shows: CMJ Music Marathon

The CMJ Music Marathon is nearly upon us, and it's time I give you my recommendations.

Here is my recommendation: AVOID CMJ. Skip the bands from this area or any you have the opportunity to see in other circumstances. CMJ is awful. It is expensive. It always runs late. The bands are hustled on and off stage in half an hour. Forget proper sound checks. If you want to chance the latest thing, you're going to be in some filthy basement you've never heard of, crushed against the wall by boring hipsters. It is just not worth it.

That said, there are some bands you should hear at CMJ because they don't play around NYC much. Here's my list:

Dum Dum Girls (Los Angeles, CA) - That DIY crowd got old fast, but there are a few bands in the bunch still worth listening to. Dum Dum Girls (actually just one girl, plus a touring band) are one of those, with good songs sung in a beautiful voice. Check it. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Saturday, October 24 * 8 PM * Mercury Lounge (LES, Manhattan) *

JEFF the Brotherhood (Nashville, TN) - Ex-Be Your Own Pet, these brothers are brilliant musicians who slide smoothly between punk and metal, with a familiar sound that's easy to love but hard to classify (psychedelic? garage? lo-fi?). They will be back in NYC before too long, though, so don't break your neck to check them out at C(rap)MJ. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Friday, October 23 (technically Saturday) * MIDNIGHT * The Charleston (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) *
 * Saturday, October 24 * 10:20 PM * Union Pool (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) *

Let's Wrestle (UK) - Let's Wrestle are a fine lo-fi indie pop band with really, really catchy, lovable songs. I haven't seen them live yet, but love the recordings. [MySpace]
 * Wednesday, October 21 * 11 PM * Bell House (Gowanus, Brooklyn) *
 * Friday, October 23 * ?? * Glasslands (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) [unofficial]*

Little Girls (Toronto, Canada) - One of my bands to watch, Little Girls just put out an outstanding debut which I haven't written up yet because the release date snuck past me. Gloomy, gothy post-punk, with a very lo-fi aestethic and a nervous, lively stage show, Little Girls are the shit. (The only thing I don't like them is that pedophiles sometimes accidentally end up on my blog when I write them up, due to poor google searches. Not kidding.) [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tuesday, October 20 * 1:30 PM * Cake Shop (LES, Manhattan) *
 * Wednesday, October 21 * ?? [not on CMJ schedule, for some reason] * Union Pool (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) *
 * Friday, October 23 * 10 PM * Pianos (LES, Manhattan) *

Lovvers (UK) - Fun, rowdy and somtimes nasty UK punks. Ladies, stand up front for a chance to get a smooch. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tuesday, October 20 * 11 PM * Santos Party House (Chinatown, Manhattan) *
 ? Thursday, October 22 * ?? * Pianos (LES, Manhattan) ?
 * Saturday, October 24 * Afternoon * Brooklyn Bowl (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) *
 * Saturday, October 24 * 11 PM * Union Pool (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) *

Male Bonding (UK) - I first paid attention to this band because I think I once read that “Male Bonding” was the name of an early incarnation of Sonic Youth and I liked the name when they used it. Presumably, this band’s name is unrelated, since that’s some pretty obscure Sonic Youth trivia (if it’s even true). But I’m glad I noticed the band, no matter the reason, because they are awesome noise punk, with simple, raw songs, endearing melodies and some loud-ass guitar. [MySpace]
 * Tues. (actually Weds.) * 1 AM * Cake Shop *
 * Thurs. * 11:45 PM * The Delancey *
 * Fri. * 11:10 PM * “On the Side” at Seaport *
 * Sat. (actually Sun.) * 2 AM * Mercury Lounge *

Ringo Deathstarr (Austin, TX) - The best shoegaze band of our generation, highly underrated, extremely awesome. Massive walls of sound, deep, entrancing melodies, pitch bends and sick beats. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tuesday, October 20 * 11:30 PM * Fontana's (Chinatown, Manhattan) *
 * Wednesday, October 21 * 9 PM * Cake Shop (LES, Manhattan) *
 * TWO NON-CMJ SHOWS - 10/22 & 10/23 - See their myspace page for more info *

True Womanhood (Washington, DC) - Radiohead-esque experiental rock from DC. Up-and-comers who put on a great live show. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tuesday, October 20 * 8 PM * Cameo Gallery (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) *
 ? Saturday, October 24 * 3 PM * Death By Audio (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) ?


Here are some other shows you might want to know about:

Atlas Sound (Atlanta, GA) - Experimental, arty low-key rock from Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox. [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 10 PM * Le Poisson Rouge *
 * Weds. * 10 PM * Music Hall of Williamsburg *

Broadcast (UK) - Highly lauded electronic duo with hints of shoegaze and post-rock, but with strong pop vocals. [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 11 PM * Le Poisson Rouge *

Busta Rhymes (Brooklyn, NY) - well, duh. [MySpace]
 * Thurs. * 11 PM * B.B. King *

Harlem (Austin, TX) - on the thrash end of the hardcore punk spectrum, Harlem are one of the best of their genre today. [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 10 PM * Santos Party House *
 * Fri. * 8 PM * The Suffolk *

Múm (Iceland) - Beautiful post-rock electronics, though perhaps a bit too gentle for some. [MySpace]

Pissed Jeans (Philadelphia, PA) - noisy, punky band in the SubPop tradition. They are hardcore but not at all off-putting, and make a real racket with their guitars. [MySpace]
 * Sat. (actually Sun.) * 12 AM * Mercury Lounge *

U-God (New York, NY) - mem. Wu-Tang Clan. Enough said. [MySpace]
 * Tues. (actually Weds.) * 12:10 AM * Southpaw *


And if you insist on checking out local bands, here are the absolute best:

Ambulance LTD - shoegaze-influenced rock with a guitar sheen and good songs. [MySpace]
 * Thurs. * 10 PM * Mercury Lounge *

The Antlers - a sad band that has some ambient influences and some electronics but is still a rock band. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 10:15 PM * Music Hall of Williamsburg *
 * Thurs. * 10 PM * The Delancey *

The Black Tie Party - some good DIY punky goodness. [MySpace]
 * Thurs. (actually Fri.) * 12 AM * The Charleston *

Cold Cave - not actually local, but they play around here a lot these days. A very interesting electronic group that can be really fucking loud and dissonant and in your face. [RFR Live Review] (...they've grown on me since then) [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 10:30 PM * The Studio at Webster Hall *
 * Fri. * 11 PM * The Suffolk *

Coyote Eyes - post-punk with interesting rhythms, guitar experiments and amazing, distinctive vocal melodies. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Weds. (actually Thurs.) * 12:30 AM * The Delancey *

Darlings - their simple, DIY aesthetic is kept interesting by their apparent insanity that makes the sometimes appear to be playing completely different songs at the same time. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Weds. * 10 PM * Glasslands *

The Depreciation Guild - massive electro-shoegaze walls of sound. And good-looking boys. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Weds. * 8:15 PM * Cake Shop *
 * Fri. * 9:30 PM * Cake Shop *

Dinowalrus - off-the-wall, edgy music that defies convention, kicks out insanely complex rhythms and rocks as hard as anything. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 9:30 PM * Santos Party House *
 * Weds. * 10:30 PM * Cake Shop *

Hunters - an experimental punk band with a lot of creativity and no pretence. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Thurs. * 10 PM * The Charleston *

Japanther - local pop-punk with a true youthful spirit and a pretty big following. They aren’t commercialized or dumbed down, they’re smart and uncompromising. They just also happen to be catchy and energetic as hell. [MySpace]
 * Weds. * 10:15 PM * Suffolk Back Room *

Knight School - lo-fi indie pop with sweet little melodies and a lot of fuzz. [MySpace]
 * Fri. * 8:15 PM * Bruar Falls *

Obits - first-rate hardcore punk. [MySpace]
 *Sat. (actually Sun.) * 1 AM * Mercury Lounge *

Screaming Females - PJ Harvey does classic rock? Gutsy guitars, hard rock common sense and a punk attitude, from one very small, very rad woman. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 *Weds. (actually Thurs.) * 12 AM * Mercury Lounge *

Screens - I don’t really know much about this band, but from the little I know, I have a good feeling about them. They are probably not the most accessible, but they are doing something original and exciting. I haven’t heard them live, but I have a hunch they’re worth checking out. [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 7:30 PM * Santos Party House *

Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - bluesy and rootsy, but challenging, punkish and just plain weird music by another very small, very rad woman, this one with a hand-powered harmonium and a very foul mouth. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Thurs. * 11 PM * Pianos *
 * Sat. * 11 PM * The Delancey *

Young Boys - like the Jesus & Mary Chain, messy, feedback-laden noise with solid, head-bobbing melodies under the surface. One of the coolest bands in New York these days, and one of the few the scenesters have yet to uncover. [RFR Live Review] [MySpace]
 * Tues. * 7:45 PM * Fontana’s *