When: July 3
Where: Shea Stadium
How do I get so far behind on these?!
So some shoegaze bands played a show. The Vandelles played first which is weird because they never play first and are far too good to play first. So anyway, I missed their set as did most people. LAME. Anyway, some of their badassery was captured on video, which is cool but may make you (me) regret missing it all the more.
The next band to play was called Heaven. They're a sort of obscure shoegaze supergroup with a member of Ambulance Ltd and one from the Big Sleep/Snowden. Someone was telling me they had a member of Swervedriver, but I don't think that's true. It does look like two members played on Swervedriver's Adam Franklin's solo record so that's probably the origin of that story. One of them has also played with Dean & Britta (of Galaxie 500/Luna) so basically, what this means is that in their niche genre, they're about as pedigree as you can git.
They're newish and they were pretty good. Interestingly, they were by far their best when they were doing more ambient, hazy muzak than when they tried to get all songy. And this is coming from someone who has absolutely no patience with that wishy washy stuff. Which means two things: 1) they were really good at that wishy washy stuff and 2) they were really not great at more beat+plus+melody, faster paced songs.
At their subtler moments, though, the band was transcendent. Really spiritual stuff. Which is why I started like shoegaze in the first place (well, that and it's loud). It was in these moments when the not-very-groove-centric drummer was at his best, laying down massive slabs o' drum. Likewise, the vocals shined in these not-trying-to-be-catchy moments - there was something very genuine and natural about them. [video]
I wrote up Dead Leaf Echo pretty recently and I don't really have anything to add. It's just nice to finally see all their pieces fall into place. By the way, if you were wondering where the awesome bass was coming from (as the people behind me during the set were), the band is sans bassist, but their stuff sounds way better than your average prerecorded bass line. That's because they stacked several layers of properly studio-recorded bass on the track. Then, they routed the recording through a proper bass amp in addition to the PA. Which is freaking brilliant. It was, in fact, the best prerecorded bass I think I've ever heard. [video]
Of course, all of the bands were just building up to Austin-based shoegaze gods Ringo Deathstarr. This band makes me swoon. Their guitar can obliterate your speakers and ear drums. (In the best possible way.) This rich guitar, full of phantom melodies and shifting pitches, is straight out of Loveless, but the vocals are more tuneful that My Bloody Valentine's, a lot closer to the good old pop tunes of the Jesus & Mary Chain (who ripped them off the Beach Boys, but that's neither here nor there).
"Jasper" once asked an Austin shoegazer of his acquaintance about the band and was informed that everyone in Austin thought they were a joke and "that girl doesn't even play an instrument" or something like that. If that was ever true, the joke's now on him. "That girl," bassist Alex Gehring, is sick. She's an absolutely great bassist - her lines simultaneously groove deeply and punch you in the chest. As is typical in the genre, the bass carries a lot of melody while the guitar becomes sheer roar. Meanwhile, electro/dance-derived icy beats from drummer Daniel Coburn make the whole thing sound a lot like "Soon" (you know, that last song on Loveless that's everyone's favorite MBV song ever).
But what's really great about Ringo Deathstarr isn't that they write amazing songs and get mindblowing sounds out of their instruments. It's that they're genuinely insane. Cracked. Unhinged. Pure batshit out of their mind nuts. Which is what made this one of the most punk rock shoegaze shows of all time. I mean, first of all, in direct defiance of the name of the genre, guitarist Elliot Frazier at several points leapt into the audience midsong. Then at some point, they invited a bunch of people up on stage (primarily from the previous bands) and somehow things devolved such that both the guitar and drums had been seized by people who weren't in the band at all and the music fell apart in chaos. But that's not the insane part. The insane part is that after the song finally stopped breathing, Gehrig insisted that her two bandmates return to their instruments to finish the song (which had veered in the direction of crazytown before its as-recorded coda). Coburn, I believe, thought the set was over and had gone to the bathroom so the band announced that they would wait (and therefore all of us would wait) for the drummer to return to the stage. So everyone stood around awkwardly for a few minutes, and then Coburn showed up and they immediately launched into the song where they'd left off. For about twenty seconds, until the song was over.
I mean, who does that? Only a true genius. And only by accident. It was, obviously, one of the best endings to a show I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot. [video]....[more video]
Showing posts with label The Vandelles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Vandelles. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Upcoming Shows: Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd + more
TONIGHT!!! Thursday, May 13
The Buzzcocks @ The Fillmore * Union Square, Manhattan * $35
Um, hello? It's the Buzzcocks. One of the top four original UK punk bands. Then again, it's $35.
Big Troubles, My Teenage Stride, Knight School @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
These three bands have two things in common - they write great, catchy pop songs and they are noisy. MTS are the most conventional "twee" influenced group of the three. They play tightly but their songs are charmingly dorky. Knight School write amazing little pop tunes and soak them in some distortion and fuzz. Big Trouble are a little more rock'n'roll, with a heftier sound - actually, a sheer roar. Three bands for the price of one. And a great venue to top it off! [bt myspace] [mts myspace] [kf myspace]
Panda Riot @ Lit Lounge * East Village, Manhattan * $6
I don't normally advertise shows at Lit Lounge because the acoustics are horrible and the space is small and poorly managed. But Panda Riot are a really great shoegaze band that come all the way from Chicago and this is our big chance to see what they can do live. [myspace]
Tomorrow! Friday, May 14
Silver Apples, Oneida @ Abrons Art Center * LES, Manhattan * $15/$20
Silver Apples were a super obscure wacked out band in the 60's who really pioneered the use of synthesizers and were a precursor to every synth duo ever. They don't normally exist anymore, so this is a rare thing. Oneida play trance-inducing rhythmic music that doesn't really excite me that much but a lot of people think it's good. [sa myspace] [oneida myspace]
Talk Normal, Asa Ransom, Miniboone @ Glasslands * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
Seriously, you would be hard put to find three more different bands in New York. But they do have one thing in common - they are all great. And since Deli Magazine is highlighting the best bands in NYC, they picked well. Miniboone play large-scale, old-school pop with punk rock energy. Asa Ransom make dark, rhythmic dance punk. Talk Normal are pretty avant garde, with drones and pounding and rants. They are both ladies. (The other bands are all fellows.) [tn myspace] [ar myspace] [mini myspace]
Saturday, May 15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10
Parts & Labor are super loud. They make slamming, skull shattering noise with guitars and electronics and distortion. But winding through this soundscape are stunningly beautiful melodies any pop fan would love. Talk Normal, I already explained about (see above). [pl myspace]
The Vandelles, El Jezel @ Cameo * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10
The Vandelles play feedback but every second of feedback is tied into high-energy classic pop-rock gems. I haven't heard El Jezel in forever, but if I recall their influences are shoegaze and a little post-rock and lots of regular old cool, melodic indie rock. I could be wrong, though, it's been a while. [vandelles myspace] [ej myspace]
Aa, True Womanhood, These Are Powers @ Secret Project Robot * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10
Aa are an NYC mainstay of highly percussive, throbbing-beat music you have to dance (or head-bob) to. True Womanhood, well, they sound like Radiohead. Rhythmically off-kilter songs with spooky guitar. These Are Powers have the same throbbing-beat thing but are not nearly as good. I think they were aiming to fill a certain niche, but someone much better beat them to it. Still, should be a fun night, especially if you like to move. [aa myspace] [tw myspace] [tap myspace]
Mahogany @ Open Road Rooftop (Rooftop Films) * LES, Manhattan * $10
Mahogany, masters of noise pop and decade-long veterans of indie music, will be playing on a roof on the Lower East Side before a movie is screened on that same roof. Nice! [myspace]
Sunday, May 16
Silver Apples @ Coco 66 * Greenpoint, Brooklyn
A show that I'm guessing will be cheaper than Friday's and a little less weird (the other features a light show), I suppose I'd recommend catching Silver Apples (see above) here instead.
Tuesday, May 17
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5 * Midtown, Manhattan * $40
Don't go to this show to hear seminal post punk band Public Image Ltd - it's Terminal 5 and I promise you won't be able to hear anything. Go to this show to be in the same room as John Lydon a.k.a. Johnny Rotten. I need to touch him. [myspace]
The long view...
May
19
Public Image Ltd @
Diana Ross @ Radio City Music Hall
21
Fuck Buttons @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
22
Fuck Buttons @ Le Poisson Rouge
New York Dolls @ Warsaw
NYC PopFest: Wake, Boat, My Teenage Stride + more @ Bell House
27
Forgetters @ Bell House
28
Holy Fuck @ Le Poisson Rouge
29
Psych Fest: Weird Owl (yay), Hopewell (blech), Golden Triangle (blech), Psychic Ills (yay), Sunburned Hand of the Man (yay) + more @ Glasslands
June
4
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore
6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall
18
Melvins + Isis @ Webster Hall
Woven Bones @ Mercury Lounge
24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory
July
24
M.I.A. @ Governors Island
30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House
31
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House
Monday, April 19, 2010
Live: The Vandelles
When: 3/26
Where: Cameo Gallery
Just a quicky here, since I've reviewed the Vandelles more times than anyone should. I just can't help myself.
The Vandelles set at Cameo featured their usual musical onslaught of wall-to-wall feedback and their usual irresistible surf and rockabilly-esque ditties. The band is ferocious.
Among the many remarkable attributes of the Vandelles is the fact that they keep getting better. You can tell how hard these guys work and you can see exactly what they've been working on between each show.
Now, in one review of the Vandelles at Cameo, I remarked that guitarist Christo Buffam was "the least immediately captivating" member of the group. I didn't mean that as any insult then - the man is response for every nuance in the band's sonic attack - but in this round, he proved he's got the intense stage presence to match his intense noise. Brandishing his guitar as a weapon, he spent the show silhouetted in corporal battle with the pealing waves of sound.
The rest of the band were no less engaging. Jason Schwartz has a classic frontman's charisma while to his left, bassist Lisha Nadkarni dominates her instrument and her audience with a solid stance and cool focus. And in the back, the ever impressive Honey Pagliorola threatens to split every drum in half with each deadly stroke.
This band is about to catch on big time and all I can say is, it's about damn time.
[myspace]
Where: Cameo Gallery
Just a quicky here, since I've reviewed the Vandelles more times than anyone should. I just can't help myself.
The Vandelles set at Cameo featured their usual musical onslaught of wall-to-wall feedback and their usual irresistible surf and rockabilly-esque ditties. The band is ferocious.
Among the many remarkable attributes of the Vandelles is the fact that they keep getting better. You can tell how hard these guys work and you can see exactly what they've been working on between each show.
Now, in one review of the Vandelles at Cameo, I remarked that guitarist Christo Buffam was "the least immediately captivating" member of the group. I didn't mean that as any insult then - the man is response for every nuance in the band's sonic attack - but in this round, he proved he's got the intense stage presence to match his intense noise. Brandishing his guitar as a weapon, he spent the show silhouetted in corporal battle with the pealing waves of sound.
The rest of the band were no less engaging. Jason Schwartz has a classic frontman's charisma while to his left, bassist Lisha Nadkarni dominates her instrument and her audience with a solid stance and cool focus. And in the back, the ever impressive Honey Pagliorola threatens to split every drum in half with each deadly stroke.
This band is about to catch on big time and all I can say is, it's about damn time.
[myspace]
Friday, March 26, 2010
Upcoming Shows: Drunkdriver, A Place to Bury Strangers + more
Friday, March 26
Vandelles @ Cameo Gallery * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The Vandelles are a sexy band who play music with great old-school pop/rock songs and enough feedback to make your ears bleed. [myspace]
Nada Surf @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
Nada Surf were a bit of a "novelty band" (so saith "Wilbur") back in the 90’s. Now they are trying to grow publicity by playing a series of their albums at live shows. It’s not a bad thing. They are a quirky indie rock band and their albums are good and who wouldn’t want to hear that? Well, enough people to sell out all three nights. Snooze you lose.
Saturday, March 27
Hardcore show: Drunkdriver + more @ Market Hotel * Bushwick, Brooklyn
Drunkdriver is a great hardcore band with a tense frontman who paces the stage yelling into his mic while a friggin kick-ass guitarist and drummer show everyone what’s what. I haven’t seen the other bands but it’s an explicit hardcore show and I suspect it will be awesome. [myspace]
Nada Surf @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
See above.
Sunday, March 28
Landlords, Sightings @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I once saw Landlords and I don’t remember it, but only because I was extremely exhausted. I know they are good, noisy, unconventional and heavy. Sightings is waaaaaaaay out there massive NOISE with crushing bass and intense if inaudible vocals. This show is awesome, you should really go. [landlords myspace] [sightings myspace]
Tuesday, March 30
The Big Pink, A Place to Bury Stranger @ Webster Hall * East Village, Manhattan * $20
The Big Pink is a post punk band that’s pretty good but the real highlight is A Place to Bury Strangers, the loudest band on earth. Tense beats and h-bomb sized guitars. [bp myspace] [aptbs myspace]
The long view...
April
1
Bonnie "Prince" Billy @ Monster Island Basement
Soft Pack, Nodzzz @ Mercury Lounge
2
Bonnie "Prince" Billy @ Monster Island Basement (x2)
Bronx,
Captured Tracks Showcase: Blank Dogs, Wetdog + more @ Glasslands
3
Soft Pack, Nodzzz, Male Bonding @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Wetdog @ Death by Audio
4
Drunkdriver @ Monster Island Basement
Smith Westerns, Male Bonding, So Cow @ Mercury
5
White Suns, PRSMS @ Bruar (FREE!)
6
Bronx,
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
8
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
High Places @ Market Hotel
9
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Webster Hall
Pissed Jeans, Himalaya @ Knitting Factory
Pygmy Shrews @ Death by Audio
Xiu-Xiu, Tune-Yards @ Bowery Ballroom
14
A.R.E. Weapons @ Death by Audio
15
Liars @ Bowery Ballroom
18
Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
19
Snoop Dogg @ Brooklyn Bowl
20
Snoop Dogg @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Sweet Apple (feat. J. Mascis) @ Mercury Lounge
Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl
21
Apples in Stereo @ Bowery Ballroom
Killing Joke @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl
22
Gang Gang Dance @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Los Campesinos! @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Quasi, Let’s Wrestle @ Bowery Ballroom
24
Don Giovanni presents: Measure (SA), “Special Guest” (smart money is on Screaming Females, I think – but it’s no sure thing) @ Mercury Lounge
25
Don Giovanni presents: Shellshag, Noun (Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females), Black Wine, Pregnant @ Mercury Lounge
30
Styrenes (mems Mirrors, Electric Eels) @ Death by Audio
May
2
Echo & the Bunnymen @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
3
Chapterhouse @ Bell House
7
Broken Social Scene @ Webster Hall
Caribou @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
8
Broken Social Scene @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Caribou @ Bowery Ballroom
Primitives, Frankie & the Outs @ Bell House
11
Sleigh Bells @ Market Hotel
15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
16
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Bowery Ballroom
19
Spectrum, Vacant Lots @ Knitting Factory
July
24
M.I.A. @ Governor’s Island
Monday, March 15, 2010
Live: Miniboone, Quiet Loudly, the Vandelles
When: 2/26/10
Where: Cake Shop
I wasn't planning to write a review of this show, but it turned out to be worth a few words...
Quiet Loudly was already playing when I arrived. It's been ages since I've heard them and man have they changed! Before, their music was made of angular, teethy guitar and bass lines that would lock together in some sort of bizarre skeleton. Now there are melodies, structures and grooves - the band has hammered their jagged soundscape into a dense, restrained blues rock. Still, from time to time, a sharp guitar will slice through and the band suddenly transforms into their dissonant, broken former selves. But the groove always returns and what before were empty spaces are now filled with a wall of misty guitar and keyboard sound.
Hints of blues always existed somewhere at the very base of Quiet Loudly's sound but only now can they manage the unhurried, sighing phrases that make the genre what it is. Not that they are a blues band - their psychedelic leanings and the shadows of pop that cross their songs are pure indie rock. They've managed to strike the perfect balance of the two genres without resorting to a cliched drunken swagger or country drawl.
Unfortunately, in other aspects their music is not yet balanced. While they still make room for their sonic romps, without their jerky guitar lines, the band risks fading into a background. Moreover, the spaces they do make seem to go on a little too long and accomplish a little too little for their span. The band's long periods of jamming were more enjoyable than many, mostly because a song-oriented sensibility still governs the grounding but nimble bass and kicked-up drums. Still, self-indulgence is always a risk and seldom one worth taking in the world of music. Let's none of us turn into a jam band, okay?
Overall, though, Quiet Loudly are making vast strides, incorporating some (if not quite enough) of their innovation along into far more focused, well thought-out pieces. They're creative and they're on the right track. That's more than you can say for most bands. [myspace]
The Vandelles played next and they fucking ruled, like they always do. There was a bit too much downtime, but when they were playing, all four members owned the stage, sending a wave of feedback hurdling through the room. They seemed a little cramped up there - this is a big-stage sort of band - but they still threw themselves mentally and physically, 100%, into the songs. Their 50's and 60's throwback melodies buried under layer after layer of searing distortion, their drummer pounding primal beats like the devil's personal handpuppet, their deep bass and low guitars rumbling without pause, the Vandelles are a force to be reckoned with, that much is sure. [myspace]
And lastly, Miniboone, a band I've followed a least vaguely since their very first show. Like Quietly Loudly, these guys have transformed. Once they played a freaked-out, intellectual punk a la the Minutemen, with screams and spasms. Next I saw them, they were playing pop, and not just any pop but big pop, the kind with larger-than-life melodies and harmonies, following the finest pop traditions of the 1960's - girl groups, orchestrated am pop and all the rest.
But now, they've finally found themselves as a band. Their manic, brainy Minutemen-like bursts have found a way to fit naturally into their bigger pop instincts. It's awkward, in a way, but in a way that suits them, in a way that's fun and exciting. With jerky stop-and-start pieces coming together into guitar-swinging pop and with vocal melodies that are equal parts sixties radio fodder and eighties punk, Miniboone have found their niche, and they're definitely the only band in it.
But what made this show so extraordinary isn't that the members are gifted songwriters or that their music is unique. What made this show extraordinary was that everything broke. The mics stopped working, the amps were crapping out, nothing was going right, and all this only two songs in. The band was on the verge of giving up, but with some encouragement from their friends in the crowd, they hatched a plan. If the microphones weren't going to work, they would just need to find another way to amplify the vocals.
So they started a sing-a-long. Guitarist Doug Schrashun picked up a floor tom headed for the center of the audience while the band launched into some covers. The audience joined in with the singing(/shouting), also taking turns pounding the tom and playing what percussion they could grab. When the covers ran out and microphones were still out of commission, the band rounded out the set with a couple more originals. Luckily the audience knew most of these too and helped kick the singing up to audible levels.
It was a great show because it was unplanned, because it was a disaster. A good band can do some damage control, but only a truly great one can pull off a feat like this - making the crumbiest night imaginable into an unforgettable experience for all. Even a cold bastard like me left with the warm fuzzies. Miniboone are not just a good band, they are a great one and it's concerts like this that keep me coming out to hear new bands. Sometimes it seems like there are so many bands and so few new ideas that it's not possibly worth it to keep searching. But then I find what I'm looking for - something exciting and new and real. Miniboone may not play my favorite style, but they've got something special, something 99% of Brooklyn bands don't even know they're missing. And that's worth a lot. [myspace]
Where: Cake Shop
I wasn't planning to write a review of this show, but it turned out to be worth a few words...
Quiet Loudly was already playing when I arrived. It's been ages since I've heard them and man have they changed! Before, their music was made of angular, teethy guitar and bass lines that would lock together in some sort of bizarre skeleton. Now there are melodies, structures and grooves - the band has hammered their jagged soundscape into a dense, restrained blues rock. Still, from time to time, a sharp guitar will slice through and the band suddenly transforms into their dissonant, broken former selves. But the groove always returns and what before were empty spaces are now filled with a wall of misty guitar and keyboard sound.
Hints of blues always existed somewhere at the very base of Quiet Loudly's sound but only now can they manage the unhurried, sighing phrases that make the genre what it is. Not that they are a blues band - their psychedelic leanings and the shadows of pop that cross their songs are pure indie rock. They've managed to strike the perfect balance of the two genres without resorting to a cliched drunken swagger or country drawl.
Unfortunately, in other aspects their music is not yet balanced. While they still make room for their sonic romps, without their jerky guitar lines, the band risks fading into a background. Moreover, the spaces they do make seem to go on a little too long and accomplish a little too little for their span. The band's long periods of jamming were more enjoyable than many, mostly because a song-oriented sensibility still governs the grounding but nimble bass and kicked-up drums. Still, self-indulgence is always a risk and seldom one worth taking in the world of music. Let's none of us turn into a jam band, okay?
Overall, though, Quiet Loudly are making vast strides, incorporating some (if not quite enough) of their innovation along into far more focused, well thought-out pieces. They're creative and they're on the right track. That's more than you can say for most bands. [myspace]
The Vandelles played next and they fucking ruled, like they always do. There was a bit too much downtime, but when they were playing, all four members owned the stage, sending a wave of feedback hurdling through the room. They seemed a little cramped up there - this is a big-stage sort of band - but they still threw themselves mentally and physically, 100%, into the songs. Their 50's and 60's throwback melodies buried under layer after layer of searing distortion, their drummer pounding primal beats like the devil's personal handpuppet, their deep bass and low guitars rumbling without pause, the Vandelles are a force to be reckoned with, that much is sure. [myspace]
And lastly, Miniboone, a band I've followed a least vaguely since their very first show. Like Quietly Loudly, these guys have transformed. Once they played a freaked-out, intellectual punk a la the Minutemen, with screams and spasms. Next I saw them, they were playing pop, and not just any pop but big pop, the kind with larger-than-life melodies and harmonies, following the finest pop traditions of the 1960's - girl groups, orchestrated am pop and all the rest.
But now, they've finally found themselves as a band. Their manic, brainy Minutemen-like bursts have found a way to fit naturally into their bigger pop instincts. It's awkward, in a way, but in a way that suits them, in a way that's fun and exciting. With jerky stop-and-start pieces coming together into guitar-swinging pop and with vocal melodies that are equal parts sixties radio fodder and eighties punk, Miniboone have found their niche, and they're definitely the only band in it.
But what made this show so extraordinary isn't that the members are gifted songwriters or that their music is unique. What made this show extraordinary was that everything broke. The mics stopped working, the amps were crapping out, nothing was going right, and all this only two songs in. The band was on the verge of giving up, but with some encouragement from their friends in the crowd, they hatched a plan. If the microphones weren't going to work, they would just need to find another way to amplify the vocals.
So they started a sing-a-long. Guitarist Doug Schrashun picked up a floor tom headed for the center of the audience while the band launched into some covers. The audience joined in with the singing(/shouting), also taking turns pounding the tom and playing what percussion they could grab. When the covers ran out and microphones were still out of commission, the band rounded out the set with a couple more originals. Luckily the audience knew most of these too and helped kick the singing up to audible levels.
It was a great show because it was unplanned, because it was a disaster. A good band can do some damage control, but only a truly great one can pull off a feat like this - making the crumbiest night imaginable into an unforgettable experience for all. Even a cold bastard like me left with the warm fuzzies. Miniboone are not just a good band, they are a great one and it's concerts like this that keep me coming out to hear new bands. Sometimes it seems like there are so many bands and so few new ideas that it's not possibly worth it to keep searching. But then I find what I'm looking for - something exciting and new and real. Miniboone may not play my favorite style, but they've got something special, something 99% of Brooklyn bands don't even know they're missing. And that's worth a lot. [myspace]
Thursday, January 7, 2010
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)
#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)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Live: The Vandelles, the Morning After Girls
When: 8/14
Where: Bowery Ballroom
You know how I said I'd love to see the Vandelles on a bigger stage? Well, I got my wish when the scored the opening slot on the Warlocks' tour, which passed through NYC at the Bowery Ballroom. And it was just as I suspected - while many bands look smaller and smaller as they find themselves on bigger and bigger stages, the Vandelles have the opposite effect. Instead of dwarfing the group, the space made their giant stage presence even more visible.
The band sounded amazing - though I've seen the Vandelles a few bazillion times, I don't think I've ever heard with clarity what's really going on within their noisy songs. This time, each instrument, each detail was distinctly audible. There's a lot more to the band than just surf melodies and feedback!
The band made the most of the opportunity and seemed to be at the top of their game. That's not to say the set was flawless, but the energy they put in compensated for any mistakes. The band also did well to handle an emergency restringing by guitarist Christo Buffam - the band bravely played a song without him, and while the gaps in the sound were massive, it was a far better option than five minutes of silence. The band could generally work on minimizing downtime, but they did keep things moving. [MySpace]
Next up were the Morning After Girls, a band of Australian ex-pats. I had high expectations, and unfortunately, they just weren't met. The group was OK, but ultimately, seemed redundant, given how many bands out there make the same wall-of-sound, heavy pop/rock music, and how many of those bands do it way better. MAG were enjoyable, but if you've seen bands like Trail of Dead, BRMC, Autlux, Mercury Rev or anything else of that general persuasion, this band will just be a disappointment and a waste of your time.
The band's one really stand-out feature was its use of vocals. The frequent use of harmony and vast range covered by frontman Sacha Lucashenko and back-up vocalist Martin Sleeman (both also guitarists) were unusual and extremely well-executed. The singing was sweet and mature, yet powerful. Nevertheless, I don't think it's enough to make this band truly noteworthy. There's so much music in the world, so why listen to something that's just OK? [MySpace]
For strange reasons I won't explain here, I pretty much missed the Warlocks entirely, so I'll have to leave them unreviewed.
Where: Bowery Ballroom
You know how I said I'd love to see the Vandelles on a bigger stage? Well, I got my wish when the scored the opening slot on the Warlocks' tour, which passed through NYC at the Bowery Ballroom. And it was just as I suspected - while many bands look smaller and smaller as they find themselves on bigger and bigger stages, the Vandelles have the opposite effect. Instead of dwarfing the group, the space made their giant stage presence even more visible.
The band sounded amazing - though I've seen the Vandelles a few bazillion times, I don't think I've ever heard with clarity what's really going on within their noisy songs. This time, each instrument, each detail was distinctly audible. There's a lot more to the band than just surf melodies and feedback!
The band made the most of the opportunity and seemed to be at the top of their game. That's not to say the set was flawless, but the energy they put in compensated for any mistakes. The band also did well to handle an emergency restringing by guitarist Christo Buffam - the band bravely played a song without him, and while the gaps in the sound were massive, it was a far better option than five minutes of silence. The band could generally work on minimizing downtime, but they did keep things moving. [MySpace]
Next up were the Morning After Girls, a band of Australian ex-pats. I had high expectations, and unfortunately, they just weren't met. The group was OK, but ultimately, seemed redundant, given how many bands out there make the same wall-of-sound, heavy pop/rock music, and how many of those bands do it way better. MAG were enjoyable, but if you've seen bands like Trail of Dead, BRMC, Autlux, Mercury Rev or anything else of that general persuasion, this band will just be a disappointment and a waste of your time.
The band's one really stand-out feature was its use of vocals. The frequent use of harmony and vast range covered by frontman Sacha Lucashenko and back-up vocalist Martin Sleeman (both also guitarists) were unusual and extremely well-executed. The singing was sweet and mature, yet powerful. Nevertheless, I don't think it's enough to make this band truly noteworthy. There's so much music in the world, so why listen to something that's just OK? [MySpace]
For strange reasons I won't explain here, I pretty much missed the Warlocks entirely, so I'll have to leave them unreviewed.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Upcoming Shows: Woods, Warlocks + more
A lot of good stuff coming up! And Wednesday to Friday will be three days of shoegazer heaven...
Tonight!! Tuesday, August 11
Shilpa Ray @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $8
Shilpa Ray is a tiny woman with a massive stage presence, who plays a hand-powered harmonium, screams obscenities and hops around stage. She loves her audience and always puts on a great show. Her backing band are damn good, too. My current made-up genre name of choice for the music is "soul-punk." That won't mean anything to anyone, and that's fine, because you really should just check it out for yourself. [MySpace]
Tomorrow!! Wednesday, August 12
Himalaya @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I haven't heard Himalaya yet, but they come strongly recommended by one "Salvador." From what I can tell, they play really loud music with dense, guitar-heavy shoegaze-inspired sounds, tinted with post punk darkness. Amidst this sonic assault, great pop melodies shine through. [MySpace]
Thursday, August 13
Autodrone, Black Swan Green, Violet Hour, Vacant Lots @ Public Assembly (back room) | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
Another great shoegazy line-up by Vanishing Point Presents, this show features alt rocker/dream popper outfit Autodrone, an old favorite I reviewed early on in this blog. Their rich, full sound, masterful lead guitar, synthesizer sheen and angsty melodies combine to make a sound that could appeal to almost any species of rock fan. Black Swan Green is another I haven't heard yet, but "Salvador" again recommends, and I've heard good things all around. Like the others, Violet Hour has a shoegaze sound, but their music is more electronic, with layers of sound building on electro beats - wisps of vocal melody, coldly textured synthesizers, dissonant guitar feedback. Vacant Lots are kind of the odd ones out here - an excellent band, no doubt, but more garage punk than shoegaze. [Autodrone MySpace] [BSG MySpace] [VT MySpace] [VL MySpace]
Friday, August 14
The Warlocks + the Morning After Girls, the Vandelles @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan |
The Warlocks have been around quite a while now, and have garnered respect from their earliest releases. Their psychedelic music has taken a denser, noisier, darker turn in recent years, bringing shoegaze's wall-of-sound guitars into the fore. The Morning After Girls are similar, if less earthly. And the Vandelles, well, their roaring noise-surf is made for a much bigger space than Cameo Gallery, and I'm glad I'll finally have a chance to hear them on a stage that approaches the size of their music and their outstanding stage presence. [Warlocks MySpace] [MAG MySpace] [Vandelles MySpace]
Woods, Dungen @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $15
Woods are one of the best break-out bands this year, playing haunting psychedelic folk music that will leave you shivering. Dungen is an acclaimed psychedelic pop group from Sweden. At times, their music is a little too mellow for me, and at times too "fusiony." But you may as well check them out, since Woods is on the bill. [Woods MySpace] [Dungen MySpace]
Sundelles, Drums @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
If you want something smaller, cheaper or more off the beaten track, check out this show instead of the others. I keep trying to hear the Sundelles and missing them. Their music is some sort of old school garage-pop with sweet 50's melodies and an unpolished, noisy, DIY flavor. The Drums are headlining. I haven't heard them, but I've heard good things, so check them out. [Sundelles MySpace] [Drums MySpace]
Saturday, August 15
Pterodactyl @ Southpaw | , Brooklyn | $12
Pterodactyl just keeps getting better and better. Their frantic guitars and wild yelling are the sound of pure joy. The unique and intensely complex guitar and drum arrangements make brains happy. The passionate delivery makes hearts happy. Go to Southpaw, and be happy. (And get there on the early side, since Pterodactyl isn't the headliner.) [MySpace]
Tonight!! Tuesday, August 11
Shilpa Ray @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $8
Shilpa Ray is a tiny woman with a massive stage presence, who plays a hand-powered harmonium, screams obscenities and hops around stage. She loves her audience and always puts on a great show. Her backing band are damn good, too. My current made-up genre name of choice for the music is "soul-punk." That won't mean anything to anyone, and that's fine, because you really should just check it out for yourself. [MySpace]
Tomorrow!! Wednesday, August 12
Himalaya @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I haven't heard Himalaya yet, but they come strongly recommended by one "Salvador." From what I can tell, they play really loud music with dense, guitar-heavy shoegaze-inspired sounds, tinted with post punk darkness. Amidst this sonic assault, great pop melodies shine through. [MySpace]
Thursday, August 13
Autodrone, Black Swan Green, Violet Hour, Vacant Lots @ Public Assembly (back room) | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
Another great shoegazy line-up by Vanishing Point Presents, this show features alt rocker/dream popper outfit Autodrone, an old favorite I reviewed early on in this blog. Their rich, full sound, masterful lead guitar, synthesizer sheen and angsty melodies combine to make a sound that could appeal to almost any species of rock fan. Black Swan Green is another I haven't heard yet, but "Salvador" again recommends, and I've heard good things all around. Like the others, Violet Hour has a shoegaze sound, but their music is more electronic, with layers of sound building on electro beats - wisps of vocal melody, coldly textured synthesizers, dissonant guitar feedback. Vacant Lots are kind of the odd ones out here - an excellent band, no doubt, but more garage punk than shoegaze. [Autodrone MySpace] [BSG MySpace] [VT MySpace] [VL MySpace]
Friday, August 14
The Warlocks + the Morning After Girls, the Vandelles @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan |
The Warlocks have been around quite a while now, and have garnered respect from their earliest releases. Their psychedelic music has taken a denser, noisier, darker turn in recent years, bringing shoegaze's wall-of-sound guitars into the fore. The Morning After Girls are similar, if less earthly. And the Vandelles, well, their roaring noise-surf is made for a much bigger space than Cameo Gallery, and I'm glad I'll finally have a chance to hear them on a stage that approaches the size of their music and their outstanding stage presence. [Warlocks MySpace] [MAG MySpace] [Vandelles MySpace]
Woods, Dungen @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $15
Woods are one of the best break-out bands this year, playing haunting psychedelic folk music that will leave you shivering. Dungen is an acclaimed psychedelic pop group from Sweden. At times, their music is a little too mellow for me, and at times too "fusiony." But you may as well check them out, since Woods is on the bill. [Woods MySpace] [Dungen MySpace]
Sundelles, Drums @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
If you want something smaller, cheaper or more off the beaten track, check out this show instead of the others. I keep trying to hear the Sundelles and missing them. Their music is some sort of old school garage-pop with sweet 50's melodies and an unpolished, noisy, DIY flavor. The Drums are headlining. I haven't heard them, but I've heard good things, so check them out. [Sundelles MySpace] [Drums MySpace]
Saturday, August 15
Pterodactyl @ Southpaw | , Brooklyn | $12
Pterodactyl just keeps getting better and better. Their frantic guitars and wild yelling are the sound of pure joy. The unique and intensely complex guitar and drum arrangements make brains happy. The passionate delivery makes hearts happy. Go to Southpaw, and be happy. (And get there on the early side, since Pterodactyl isn't the headliner.) [MySpace]
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Live: Ringo Deathstarr + the Vandelles
When: 7/31
Where: Cameo
I reviewed the Vandelles pretty recently, also at Cameo, so I won't repeat myself. The band still rocked and this time, seemed to be genuinely having fun too.
I have said many times that Ringo Deathstarr is the best contemporary shoegaze band around. And that's because they absolutely are. The thickly layered, distorted, tremolo guitars are straight from Loveless, but coupled with the melodic sensibility of the Jesus & Mary Chain. No, it's not the most original music out there, but that doesn't change the fact that it's some of the most enjoyable.
To be honest, the band is about average live, not boring to watch by any means, but not anything unusual. To me, this point is almost negligible because hearing shoegaze live and loud is always rewarding. And though not particularly active or engaging while playing, the band still managed to gain momentum in their set by keeping the sound and songs flowing.
The band played the best songs off their 2007 EP and a couple other familiar songs, along with some new material. I heard one good Manchester-esque beat and some catchy new melodies too. I think there's an album on the way, so get ready!
The night was finished off by Blacklist, but I'm saving that for a separate review. Stay tuned...
Where: Cameo
I reviewed the Vandelles pretty recently, also at Cameo, so I won't repeat myself. The band still rocked and this time, seemed to be genuinely having fun too.
I have said many times that Ringo Deathstarr is the best contemporary shoegaze band around. And that's because they absolutely are. The thickly layered, distorted, tremolo guitars are straight from Loveless, but coupled with the melodic sensibility of the Jesus & Mary Chain. No, it's not the most original music out there, but that doesn't change the fact that it's some of the most enjoyable.
To be honest, the band is about average live, not boring to watch by any means, but not anything unusual. To me, this point is almost negligible because hearing shoegaze live and loud is always rewarding. And though not particularly active or engaging while playing, the band still managed to gain momentum in their set by keeping the sound and songs flowing.
The band played the best songs off their 2007 EP and a couple other familiar songs, along with some new material. I heard one good Manchester-esque beat and some catchy new melodies too. I think there's an album on the way, so get ready!
The night was finished off by Blacklist, but I'm saving that for a separate review. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Upcoming Shows: No Age, Ringo Deathstarr + more
Wednesday, July 29
Two shoegaze-y shows worth checking out - and the ambitious gazer might be able to swing both, since they are not more than a fifteen minute walk apart...
Screen Vinyl Image + Violet Hour @ Annex | LES, Manhattan
The Annex can be a little creepy and pricey, but Screen Vinyl Image are worth the trouble. An extremely loud, extremely dark electro-shoegaze outfit, SVI hail from Virginia. I haven't been quite as fond of them with their new drummer, but that may just be a matter of time and adjustment. Either way, the sheer volume and density of the music is exceptional. Violet Hour are a similarly-minded duo, less dark and less heavy, with a definite arty bent. They band frequently invites guests to join for sets, making each show a new experience. Bring earplugs!!! [SVI MySpace] [VH MySpace]
Soundpool, Me You Us Them @ Webster Studio | E Village, Manhattan | $10 adv. / $12 dos.
Soundpool's rich dreampop has been an NYC favorite for years, with swirling guitars, sweet melodies and warm distortion-fuzz. Me You Us Them makes a more post-punk form of noise pop, with more focus on vocals and the occasional open space than shoegaze proper. [SP MySpace] [MYUT MySpace]
Thursday, July 30
Method Man, Ghostface Killah @ Nokia Theater | Midtown, Manhattan | $35-$40
Every time I think of specific members of the Wu-Tang Clan, I start to say, "oh, that's one of my favorites," but then I realize they are all favorites. Bring da ruckus.
Iran @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15
Destroyer is actually headlining this show, but I don't really give two shitzus about that dude. I only recently got around to seriously listening to Iran's 2009 release, and I like it a lot. The band has the guitarist from TV on the Radio and while I recognize TVOTR has made greater strides in terms of originality, on a personal level, I prefer Iran, whose indie rock is more down-to-earth and satisfyingly cynical. [MySpace]
Friday, July 31
July goes out with a bang...
River to River: Polvo, Obits @ the Seaport | Downtown, Manhattan | FREE
Polvo were one of the original Chapel Hill math rock bands of the early 90's. Labelmates of Slint, Don Caballero and the rest of the best (on Touch & Go), Polvo rock loud and hard, arty, noisy and way better than the mathy post rockers of recent years (DD/MM/YYYY, I'm looking at you!). The Obits are far more recent, and play punk that's a bit easier to digest, but similarly hardhitting and similarly intelligent. [Polvo MySpace] [Obits MySpace]
Blacklist, Ringo Deathstarr, Vandelles @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
WOW. WOW. WOW. Three amazing bands, goth-tinted new wavers Blacklist, shoegaze masters Ringo Deathstarr and noise-surf rockers the Vandelles. Whoever selected this lineup is positively brilliant - it has plenty of variety, but enough common ground (post-punk/Jesus & Mary Chain influences) to appeal to the same audience. Ringo Deathstarr, I firmly believe, are the best shoegaze band of the present generation, and since they live in Austin, TX, you shouldn't miss the chance to hear them whenever they pass through town. [BL MySpace] [RDS MySpace] [Vandelles MySpace]
Mekons (acoustic) @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $15
I would be remiss not to mention the Mekons playing in town. Seminal punk/post-punks from the late 70's UK, the Mekons are known for the artistic daring and their ability to occasionally have a sense of humor. I don't think I'm trekking to Gowanus for an acoustic set, especially when so much else amazing is happening on Friday, but they are living legends and certainly merit a mention.
Saturday, August 1
Dean & Britta, Crystal Stilts @ Prospect Park | FREE
Dean & Britta are ex-Luna, and Dean ex-Galaxie 500. The two have been known to occasionally perform songs from their old bands, but their newer material together is equally excellent. British-inflected noise-pop so charming I dare you not to love it. And the Crystal Stilts...what to even say anymore? I don't like their attitude but I sure love their music. They sound like a C-86 version of Joy Division, or for those of you who have lives and don't spend your time reading about the indie rock scene in the 1980's UK, they have awkwardly jaunty but dark baritone vocal lines, melodies frequently coming from the bass, minimalist drumming and a certain noisy, unpolished guitar sound that's subtle but beautiful. [D&B MySpace] [CS MySpace]
So So Glos, Lovvers, Sundelles, Babies @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
So So Glos are punks with bad attitudes. Who doesn't love that? Lovvers are a really excellent UK punk band I just recently reviewed. Sundelles do a good job combining old-school rock'n'roll songwriting smarts with a noise-punk sensibility. I haven't heard Babies, but it features members of Woods and Vivian Girls. Which means it could go either way - painfully boring or amazing. I don't have high hopes, but we'll see. [SSG MySpace] [Lovvers MySpace] [Sundelles MySpace]
Sunday, August 2
Deerhunter, No Age, Dan Deacon @ Williamsburg Waterfront | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE
In what will probably be the best "pool party" of the summer, experimental noise rockers Deerhunter and enthusiastic noise punks No Age will share the stage. They are joined by Dan Deacon, whom I've never listened to because I find his name uninspiring (no, I don't think that's a good reason, just being honest here). What am I carrying on about? You'll be there. [DH MySpace] [NA MySpace]
Two shoegaze-y shows worth checking out - and the ambitious gazer might be able to swing both, since they are not more than a fifteen minute walk apart...
Screen Vinyl Image + Violet Hour @ Annex | LES, Manhattan
The Annex can be a little creepy and pricey, but Screen Vinyl Image are worth the trouble. An extremely loud, extremely dark electro-shoegaze outfit, SVI hail from Virginia. I haven't been quite as fond of them with their new drummer, but that may just be a matter of time and adjustment. Either way, the sheer volume and density of the music is exceptional. Violet Hour are a similarly-minded duo, less dark and less heavy, with a definite arty bent. They band frequently invites guests to join for sets, making each show a new experience. Bring earplugs!!! [SVI MySpace] [VH MySpace]
Soundpool, Me You Us Them @ Webster Studio | E Village, Manhattan | $10 adv. / $12 dos.
Soundpool's rich dreampop has been an NYC favorite for years, with swirling guitars, sweet melodies and warm distortion-fuzz. Me You Us Them makes a more post-punk form of noise pop, with more focus on vocals and the occasional open space than shoegaze proper. [SP MySpace] [MYUT MySpace]
Thursday, July 30
Method Man, Ghostface Killah @ Nokia Theater | Midtown, Manhattan | $35-$40
Every time I think of specific members of the Wu-Tang Clan, I start to say, "oh, that's one of my favorites," but then I realize they are all favorites. Bring da ruckus.
Iran @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15
Destroyer is actually headlining this show, but I don't really give two shitzus about that dude. I only recently got around to seriously listening to Iran's 2009 release, and I like it a lot. The band has the guitarist from TV on the Radio and while I recognize TVOTR has made greater strides in terms of originality, on a personal level, I prefer Iran, whose indie rock is more down-to-earth and satisfyingly cynical. [MySpace]
Friday, July 31
July goes out with a bang...
River to River: Polvo, Obits @ the Seaport | Downtown, Manhattan | FREE
Polvo were one of the original Chapel Hill math rock bands of the early 90's. Labelmates of Slint, Don Caballero and the rest of the best (on Touch & Go), Polvo rock loud and hard, arty, noisy and way better than the mathy post rockers of recent years (DD/MM/YYYY, I'm looking at you!). The Obits are far more recent, and play punk that's a bit easier to digest, but similarly hardhitting and similarly intelligent. [Polvo MySpace] [Obits MySpace]
Blacklist, Ringo Deathstarr, Vandelles @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
WOW. WOW. WOW. Three amazing bands, goth-tinted new wavers Blacklist, shoegaze masters Ringo Deathstarr and noise-surf rockers the Vandelles. Whoever selected this lineup is positively brilliant - it has plenty of variety, but enough common ground (post-punk/Jesus & Mary Chain influences) to appeal to the same audience. Ringo Deathstarr, I firmly believe, are the best shoegaze band of the present generation, and since they live in Austin, TX, you shouldn't miss the chance to hear them whenever they pass through town. [BL MySpace] [RDS MySpace] [Vandelles MySpace]
Mekons (acoustic) @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $15
I would be remiss not to mention the Mekons playing in town. Seminal punk/post-punks from the late 70's UK, the Mekons are known for the artistic daring and their ability to occasionally have a sense of humor. I don't think I'm trekking to Gowanus for an acoustic set, especially when so much else amazing is happening on Friday, but they are living legends and certainly merit a mention.
Saturday, August 1
Dean & Britta, Crystal Stilts @ Prospect Park | FREE
Dean & Britta are ex-Luna, and Dean ex-Galaxie 500. The two have been known to occasionally perform songs from their old bands, but their newer material together is equally excellent. British-inflected noise-pop so charming I dare you not to love it. And the Crystal Stilts...what to even say anymore? I don't like their attitude but I sure love their music. They sound like a C-86 version of Joy Division, or for those of you who have lives and don't spend your time reading about the indie rock scene in the 1980's UK, they have awkwardly jaunty but dark baritone vocal lines, melodies frequently coming from the bass, minimalist drumming and a certain noisy, unpolished guitar sound that's subtle but beautiful. [D&B MySpace] [CS MySpace]
So So Glos, Lovvers, Sundelles, Babies @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
So So Glos are punks with bad attitudes. Who doesn't love that? Lovvers are a really excellent UK punk band I just recently reviewed. Sundelles do a good job combining old-school rock'n'roll songwriting smarts with a noise-punk sensibility. I haven't heard Babies, but it features members of Woods and Vivian Girls. Which means it could go either way - painfully boring or amazing. I don't have high hopes, but we'll see. [SSG MySpace] [Lovvers MySpace] [Sundelles MySpace]
Sunday, August 2
Deerhunter, No Age, Dan Deacon @ Williamsburg Waterfront | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE
In what will probably be the best "pool party" of the summer, experimental noise rockers Deerhunter and enthusiastic noise punks No Age will share the stage. They are joined by Dan Deacon, whom I've never listened to because I find his name uninspiring (no, I don't think that's a good reason, just being honest here). What am I carrying on about? You'll be there. [DH MySpace] [NA MySpace]
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Thanks!!!
Hey, thanks for everyone who came out Saturday, it was a great night! And thanks especially to the bands, who played totally kickass sets. I'm not gonna review my own show, obviously, but I do want to mention that 28 Degrees Taurus finished (pre-encore) with the sickest version of "Crash and Burn" imaginable.
And one last time, thanks so much to our hosts at McKibben for letting us use their space and helping us promote the show. And to Vanishing Point, who were generous with their equipment and time - these guys rock and everyone should check them out and go to the shows they put on around town.
Here's the annotated playlist, if anyone is interested:
[[Gracefully]]
[[Ifwhen]]
[[28 Degrees Taurus]]
Somehow my playlist got changed around after the show, I think. Which is fine, it wasn't really a great playlist to start with. (To be totally honest, I snuck out during 28 Degrees Taurus's encore, so I'm not sure what happened.) Based on my "last played" list, this is what was played:
And one last time, thanks so much to our hosts at McKibben for letting us use their space and helping us promote the show. And to Vanishing Point, who were generous with their equipment and time - these guys rock and everyone should check them out and go to the shows they put on around town.
Here's the annotated playlist, if anyone is interested:
- I Believe - Skywave
- Flying - Telescopes
- It's You - Heavenly
- Stomach Worm (Stereolab) - It Hugs Back
- A Great Divide - Parts and Labor
- No Fun - Lovvers
- See/Saw - Jay Reatard
- Useless Inventions - Guided by Voices
- The Year without a Summer - Coltrane Motion
- [^This is my new favorite shameless pop band, only recently heard them for the first time.]
- Everyone Knows Everyone - The Helio Sequence
- [^I may have got a little carried away with the pop thing.]
- I'm Ok You're Ok - Let's Wrestle
- Starrsha - Ringo Deathstarr
- [The best shoegaze band of its/our generation]
- Glue - Sisters
- [^Since reviewing this band, it's really sunk in that they are one of New York's most promising new bands. Delightfully minimalist poppy garage rock.]
- Teenage Super Party - Wavves
- Clusterfuck - The Manhattan Love Suicides
- [^The MLS are every shoegaze/noise pop/indie pop DJ's dream. Dozens of perfect pop songs clocking in at well under three minutes.]
- How Will the Others Survive? - Tears Run Rings
- [^The second best new/contemporary shoegaze band, after Ringo Deathstarr.]
- See You Shine - Alcian Blue
[[Gracefully]]
- Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside) - My Bloody Valentine
- Like Flowers at Night - Panda Riot
- Sweet Girl - Ringo Deathstarr
- Love Is a Wave - Crystal Stilts
- Sky Ghosts - Depreciation Guild
- One Plus One Equals Three Or More - Mahogany
- Here Should Be My Home - No Age
- Death Ray - The Brother Kite
- Come Saturday - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
- Way Too High - Secret Shine
- My Aquarium - Drop Nineteens
- A Silent Tide - Flying Saucer Attack
[[Ifwhen]]
- My Weakness - A Place to Bury Strangers
- Why Don't We Do It in the Road - Lydia Lunch
- Cigarette in Your Bed - My Bloody Valentine
- Fever - Screen Vinyl Image
- Teen Angst - M83
- So Long - Brief Candles
- Supervitesse (Robin Guthrie remix) - Mahogany
- Sunday Night - Ren
- Sweet Abyss - Ecstasy of Saint Theresa
- Detroit Diesel - The Manhattan Love Suicides
- Noise-Bleeding Girl - Werewolves
- [^Werewolves helped set up this show, but I didn't play their song to pay them back, I played it because they are awesome.]
- Swallow - My Bloody Valentine
[[28 Degrees Taurus]]
Somehow my playlist got changed around after the show, I think. Which is fine, it wasn't really a great playlist to start with. (To be totally honest, I snuck out during 28 Degrees Taurus's encore, so I'm not sure what happened.) Based on my "last played" list, this is what was played:
- Tak! Attack! - Black Affair
- Bomb the Surf - The Vandelles
- Pleasure and Pain - Soundpool
- What New York Used to Be - The Kills
- First Communion - Gang Gang Dance
- Missing You - A Place to Bury Strangers
- Balloons - Foals
- You Can't Be Funky - Bush Tetras
- Darklooming - The Depreciation Guild
Monday, May 18, 2009
Live: The Vandelles + SikSik Nation
When: 5/15
Where: Cameo
I can't believe it, but looking back, I have not yet reviewed the Vandelles, one of my favorite NYC bands. The Vandelles run with folks like A Place To Bury Strangers, but their music isn't quite like anyone else's on the scene. Yes, it's pop songs laden with feedback and noise guitar, but these pop songs hearken back all the way to the 1950's and 60's, rockabilly and surf tunes at the core, despite the psych-influenced walls of sound.
The Vandelles are good on record but their live show is what's really outstanding. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the band consists of some of the best lookin' indie kids in New York. And they make the most of that fact by knocking out their tunes with maximum sexiness. They are an easy band to watch, let's just leave it at that.
The Vandelles* (photo by Eileen Schwartz)
The Vandelles showed remarkable chemistry on stage on Friday, locking in tightly with one another and delivering one roaring number after another with compelling confidence. Cameo is not nearly a big enough space to hold this band. Though their popularity does not yet justify a major venue, their stage presence is absolutely massive. Frontman Jason Schwartz's bold posturing and bassist Lisha Nadkarni's powerful poise lend the band a sense of professionalism. In the back, Sue "Honey" Pagliorola defies her slight build and girlish looks, proving herself one of the most aggressive drummers on the scene today. She slams the drums with mechanical fury. The least immediately captivating is new guitarist Christo Buffam, but that's only because he's pouring his attentions into his guitar and pedals, painstakingly crafting the subtleties of the band's sound.
Top-notch musicianship is not lacking from any of the four. The band's rhythms are unusual, but the term "syncopated" would be misleading, since most beats the term has been applied to are light-footed, and the Vandelles are anything but. Their syncopation so heavy, it obliterates the beat for everyone - except, apparently, the band, who somehow always reemerge from such passages as tight as ever.
I could go on and on, but I'll leave it there for now. Definitely, definitely, definitely a band to watch.
[MySpace]
Next up was SikSik Nation, a Detroit-based psychedelic trio making their first-ever stop in New York City. I didn't have the highest of expectations (for no reason except that I don't usually), but I'm very glad I stuck around for their set! It's easy to forget there's an indie-music world beyond the New York-Boston-DC axis, if only because there's so much going on here. But a band like this, fresh from Motor City, illustrates how insular the East Coast can be. Though the components of SikSik were not particularly original, their music explores a different alley from those inhabited by their New York counterparts, giving indie-psych fans a breath of fresh air.
The band's sound is more spacious than the shoegaze-inspired East Coasters', with more room for the listener to jump right in. Instead of arty noise rock, their music gains its kick from ever-so-slight nods to the garage rock that once made Detroit a rock music capital. Their playing was tight but flexible, working in the unearthly sounds of a theramin and a restrained amount of electronics while still kickin' it out old-school.
SikSik isn't groundbreaking, but they're solid and satisfying, and an hour in their audience is an hour well spent. Come back to New York soon!
[MySpace]
*The original guitar player (second from left in this picture) has been replaced with the talented Christo Buffam, but the only picture I could find with him kept looking really pixelated. Sorry!
Where: Cameo
I can't believe it, but looking back, I have not yet reviewed the Vandelles, one of my favorite NYC bands. The Vandelles run with folks like A Place To Bury Strangers, but their music isn't quite like anyone else's on the scene. Yes, it's pop songs laden with feedback and noise guitar, but these pop songs hearken back all the way to the 1950's and 60's, rockabilly and surf tunes at the core, despite the psych-influenced walls of sound.
The Vandelles are good on record but their live show is what's really outstanding. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the band consists of some of the best lookin' indie kids in New York. And they make the most of that fact by knocking out their tunes with maximum sexiness. They are an easy band to watch, let's just leave it at that.
The Vandelles* (photo by Eileen Schwartz)
The Vandelles showed remarkable chemistry on stage on Friday, locking in tightly with one another and delivering one roaring number after another with compelling confidence. Cameo is not nearly a big enough space to hold this band. Though their popularity does not yet justify a major venue, their stage presence is absolutely massive. Frontman Jason Schwartz's bold posturing and bassist Lisha Nadkarni's powerful poise lend the band a sense of professionalism. In the back, Sue "Honey" Pagliorola defies her slight build and girlish looks, proving herself one of the most aggressive drummers on the scene today. She slams the drums with mechanical fury. The least immediately captivating is new guitarist Christo Buffam, but that's only because he's pouring his attentions into his guitar and pedals, painstakingly crafting the subtleties of the band's sound.
Top-notch musicianship is not lacking from any of the four. The band's rhythms are unusual, but the term "syncopated" would be misleading, since most beats the term has been applied to are light-footed, and the Vandelles are anything but. Their syncopation so heavy, it obliterates the beat for everyone - except, apparently, the band, who somehow always reemerge from such passages as tight as ever.
I could go on and on, but I'll leave it there for now. Definitely, definitely, definitely a band to watch.
[MySpace]
Next up was SikSik Nation, a Detroit-based psychedelic trio making their first-ever stop in New York City. I didn't have the highest of expectations (for no reason except that I don't usually), but I'm very glad I stuck around for their set! It's easy to forget there's an indie-music world beyond the New York-Boston-DC axis, if only because there's so much going on here. But a band like this, fresh from Motor City, illustrates how insular the East Coast can be. Though the components of SikSik were not particularly original, their music explores a different alley from those inhabited by their New York counterparts, giving indie-psych fans a breath of fresh air.
The band's sound is more spacious than the shoegaze-inspired East Coasters', with more room for the listener to jump right in. Instead of arty noise rock, their music gains its kick from ever-so-slight nods to the garage rock that once made Detroit a rock music capital. Their playing was tight but flexible, working in the unearthly sounds of a theramin and a restrained amount of electronics while still kickin' it out old-school.
SikSik isn't groundbreaking, but they're solid and satisfying, and an hour in their audience is an hour well spent. Come back to New York soon!
[MySpace]
*The original guitar player (second from left in this picture) has been replaced with the talented Christo Buffam, but the only picture I could find with him kept looking really pixelated. Sorry!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Upcoming Shows: Ringo Deathstarr, Vandelles, Blank Dogs + more
TOMORROW - Tuesday, March 10
Autodrone @ The Annex - LES, Manhattan
Autodrone's dense, dark rock combines hints of shoegaze, grunge, metal and new wave in perfect proportion. They seem to be opening, so get there on the early side. :: MySpace
Wednesday, March 11
Vandelles, Ringo Deathstarr and Black Swan Green @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $8
The Vandelles take 50's and 60's pop music and put it through an incinerator of psychedelia and screaming feedback. Ringo Deathstarr are, without a doubt, one of the best American shoegaze bands out there. They're just up from Austin, TX for a couple of nights so don't miss your chance to see them! Black Swan Green are a fairly new band on the scene, doing something shoegazy and cool. I haven't heard them, but I've heard a lot of good things about them, so show up early and see what they're all about. :: Vandelles MySpace :: Ringo Deathstarr MySpace :: BSG MySpace
Thursday, March 12
The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom - Midtown, Manhattan
The Pogues. Celtic folk punks. C'mon, they're classic.
Friday, March 13
The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom - Midtown, Manhattan
The Pogues. Again.
Saturday, March 14
Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs, Women + more @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - $13
The Crystal Stilts used to be one of my favorite NYC bands, but they recently broke my heart. I'm going to give them another chance but I'm mostly recommending this show because Blank Dogs and Women are among the opening acts. Blank Dogs run with Wavves, Woods, Nodzzz and the rest of the lo-lo-lo-fi crowd. Women is an experimental band that sounds somewhat like post-rock's forebears - you know, the ones that still knew how to rock. :: CS MySpace :: BD MySpace :: Women MySpace
Sunday, March 15
Takka Takka and the Secret Life of Sofia @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $10
Takka Takka are your typical experimental indie rock, though far above average. They can be a little odd and perhaps pretentious, but they've earned their reputation. The Secret Life of Sofia plays darkly ambient noise-folk, introspective and melancholy but loud enough to keep your attention. :: TT MySpace :: TSLOS MySpace
Autodrone @ The Annex - LES, Manhattan
Autodrone's dense, dark rock combines hints of shoegaze, grunge, metal and new wave in perfect proportion. They seem to be opening, so get there on the early side. :: MySpace
Wednesday, March 11
Vandelles, Ringo Deathstarr and Black Swan Green @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $8
The Vandelles take 50's and 60's pop music and put it through an incinerator of psychedelia and screaming feedback. Ringo Deathstarr are, without a doubt, one of the best American shoegaze bands out there. They're just up from Austin, TX for a couple of nights so don't miss your chance to see them! Black Swan Green are a fairly new band on the scene, doing something shoegazy and cool. I haven't heard them, but I've heard a lot of good things about them, so show up early and see what they're all about. :: Vandelles MySpace :: Ringo Deathstarr MySpace :: BSG MySpace
Thursday, March 12
The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom - Midtown, Manhattan
The Pogues. Celtic folk punks. C'mon, they're classic.
Friday, March 13
The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom - Midtown, Manhattan
The Pogues. Again.
Saturday, March 14
Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs, Women + more @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - $13
The Crystal Stilts used to be one of my favorite NYC bands, but they recently broke my heart. I'm going to give them another chance but I'm mostly recommending this show because Blank Dogs and Women are among the opening acts. Blank Dogs run with Wavves, Woods, Nodzzz and the rest of the lo-lo-lo-fi crowd. Women is an experimental band that sounds somewhat like post-rock's forebears - you know, the ones that still knew how to rock. :: CS MySpace :: BD MySpace :: Women MySpace
Sunday, March 15
Takka Takka and the Secret Life of Sofia @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $10
Takka Takka are your typical experimental indie rock, though far above average. They can be a little odd and perhaps pretentious, but they've earned their reputation. The Secret Life of Sofia plays darkly ambient noise-folk, introspective and melancholy but loud enough to keep your attention. :: TT MySpace :: TSLOS MySpace
Monday, December 29, 2008
Upcoming Shows: New Years Eve
So many bands I love are playing shows in NYC on New Year's Eve, but I can only really recommend one event because going to any of the others would mean missing this:
MERCURY LOUNGE, 12/31
8 PM My Best Fiend
9 PM The Vandelles
10 PM Dirty on Purpose
11 PM A Place to Bury Strangers
Do whatever it takes to get tickets - they are kind of expensive ($25) but it's NYE in New York, so that's just how it goes. The show hasn't sold out yet, but it probably will. The entire line-up is amazing, but the real reason you must not miss this show is that it's the LAST SHOW EVER for noise pop champs Dirty on Purpose. Of course, the rest of the bands are swoon-worthy as well - the fuzzed out dark psychedelia of APTBS is always amazing and the Vandelles' massively feedback-laden, rehashed rockabilly is a great way to ring in 2009.
I'm nowhere near New York, so I guess I'll go to my grave without hearing Dirty on Purpose. But if I had known about this show before I bought plane tickets last month, I would have cut my vacation in half just to go to this. If you are in New York, you have no excuse!
MERCURY LOUNGE, 12/31
8 PM My Best Fiend
9 PM The Vandelles
10 PM Dirty on Purpose
11 PM A Place to Bury Strangers
Do whatever it takes to get tickets - they are kind of expensive ($25) but it's NYE in New York, so that's just how it goes. The show hasn't sold out yet, but it probably will. The entire line-up is amazing, but the real reason you must not miss this show is that it's the LAST SHOW EVER for noise pop champs Dirty on Purpose. Of course, the rest of the bands are swoon-worthy as well - the fuzzed out dark psychedelia of APTBS is always amazing and the Vandelles' massively feedback-laden, rehashed rockabilly is a great way to ring in 2009.
I'm nowhere near New York, so I guess I'll go to my grave without hearing Dirty on Purpose. But if I had known about this show before I bought plane tickets last month, I would have cut my vacation in half just to go to this. If you are in New York, you have no excuse!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Albums to watch for in 2009
***Disclaimer: This is a list of albums I hope to see in 2009. Most of them haven't been announced, and probably some of them don't/won't exist. I'm not trying to start rumors, I'm just an optimist!!***
A Sunny Day In Glasgow - This electro-dream-pop outfit made some waves in 2007 and now, we have it on good authority (their own) that they are heading into the studio again. Last time I heard them, their music seemed to be moving in a more aggressive direction, which means 2009 may well blow their already-excellent 2007 release out of the water. :: MySpace
The Harlem Shakes - I'd like everyone to note that I had faith in these guys all along. And now it's official, they're back! I'm going to go freak out now (in a good way). :: MySpace
Mahogany - They are noise pop legends, and I'm pretty sure I heard them say they were coming out with something soon. In any case, at their recent show, the new material was some of their best ever, which is hard to even believe. True, they may let us down, but they also have the potential to knock our socks off, yet again. :: MySpace
My Bloody Valentine - It's possible, right? :: MySpace
Ringo Deathstarr - The next best thing to My Bloody Valentine. I think they owe us an LP. I demand an LP! :: MySpace
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - I'm confused. But hopeful. Anyway, the only thing Shilpa [ex-Beat the Devil] is better at than confusing people is putting out crazy and amazing music. :: MySpace
The Vandelles - I could swear I heard these guys were working on an album, but I'm looking all over and I can't find the info anywhere. Nevertheless, I will be surprised if we don't see something substantial soon. And I will be even more surprised if it doesn't totally kick everyone's ass. :: MySpace
A Sunny Day In Glasgow - This electro-dream-pop outfit made some waves in 2007 and now, we have it on good authority (their own) that they are heading into the studio again. Last time I heard them, their music seemed to be moving in a more aggressive direction, which means 2009 may well blow their already-excellent 2007 release out of the water. :: MySpace
The Harlem Shakes - I'd like everyone to note that I had faith in these guys all along. And now it's official, they're back! I'm going to go freak out now (in a good way). :: MySpace
Mahogany - They are noise pop legends, and I'm pretty sure I heard them say they were coming out with something soon. In any case, at their recent show, the new material was some of their best ever, which is hard to even believe. True, they may let us down, but they also have the potential to knock our socks off, yet again. :: MySpace
My Bloody Valentine - It's possible, right? :: MySpace
Ringo Deathstarr - The next best thing to My Bloody Valentine. I think they owe us an LP. I demand an LP! :: MySpace
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - I'm confused. But hopeful. Anyway, the only thing Shilpa [ex-Beat the Devil] is better at than confusing people is putting out crazy and amazing music. :: MySpace
The Vandelles - I could swear I heard these guys were working on an album, but I'm looking all over and I can't find the info anywhere. Nevertheless, I will be surprised if we don't see something substantial soon. And I will be even more surprised if it doesn't totally kick everyone's ass. :: MySpace
Friday, December 5, 2008
News: Dirty on Purpose hangs up their hat
Sad news, friends. One of New York's best, Dirty on Purpose, has just announced they are calling it quits. Over the last six years, DOP's innovative take on shoegaze pop has been an inspiration to many of their NYC colleagues and has won critical praise from all corners.
Dirty On Purpose
They will play one last show together on New Year's Eve with two of my very favorite NYC bands, A Place to Bury Strangers and the Vandelles. It will be at Mercury Lounge, starting at 9 PM. It's going to be an outstanding show, probably one of the best of the whole year. In other words, don't miss this show for anything! DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW! Got it?
And buy tickets in advance, it will sell out.
Dirty on Purpose - MySpace (I'm going to try to include more links for streaming and info about bands from now on, by the way.)
Dirty On Purpose
They will play one last show together on New Year's Eve with two of my very favorite NYC bands, A Place to Bury Strangers and the Vandelles. It will be at Mercury Lounge, starting at 9 PM. It's going to be an outstanding show, probably one of the best of the whole year. In other words, don't miss this show for anything! DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW! Got it?
And buy tickets in advance, it will sell out.
Dirty on Purpose - MySpace (I'm going to try to include more links for streaming and info about bands from now on, by the way.)
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