When: 5/13
Where: Monster Island Basement
The first band I caught at Monster Island Basement last weekend was Beast Make Bomb. They are a pop-punk (heavy on the pop) sort of band with a moderate feminist bent. The band is fronted by two women and backed by two men on bass and drums respectively. The main singer and rhythm guitarist isn't afraid to dance, which was kind of awkward but definitely a good thing anyway. The most impressive member of the band, though, is the androgynous lead guitarist. She's not Hendrix or anything, but she knows what she's doing and got a tasty overdriven sound out of her hollow-body guitar. Her backing vocals were low enough to be gender-bending. Meanwhile, the bassist spent a lot of time way up on the neck, well into guitar range. This gave the music a certain exuberant energy.
Ultimately, the band was kind of generic. They're fun and they're good at what they do, but they are one of those bands that so adheres to tried and tested formulas that their songs sound familiar the first time you hear them. I don't mean that they are ripping anyone off or that they are boring - just don't expect them to revolutionize your understanding of popular music.
The next band, Selebrities, made a deeper impression. I couldn't look away, but I'm not sure if that was out of horror or love. It depends on the band's intentions.
Selebrities play a synth-driven post-punk that recalls late Joy Division more than it does New Order. What immediately caught my attention was that out of the dozens upon dozens of bands I've heard rip off Joy Division, this was the first to have a female vocalist. I'm sure they aren't the only one, but they're the first I've encountered. But as their set wore on, their focus on synths and heavily processed guitar pointed more towards the Human League, Soft Cell, Erasure and their ilk, the futurist bands of yesteryear that now sound so very dated. And like those bands, Selebrities' songs were cheesy and overstated. There was little in the way of subtlety and nuance.
But before writing off Selebrities as a cheesy throwback, several things gave me pause. One is simply something I read about French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard recently. Godard was a critic before he was a filmmaker and I read a quote where he said he considered his films to BE criticism. Could Selebrities be offering something similar, musically?
Other than my pure good-hearted desire to give the band the benefit of the doubt (HA HA yeah right), the main indicator that Selebrities might have something beneath the surface is the singing. Singer Maria Usbeck was terrible. I hope to god she knows that, and if not, I hope she doesn't read it here, because that's the kind of thing that can screw up a young musician. But honestly, she didn't hit a right note once in the set. She was close enough that you knew exactly what the melody was meant to be, but she never got on pitch. And this was the band's main redeeming factor - in simple, cheesy 80's synthpop, the vocalist's correct delivery of the melody is simply a given. But this is different, and that interests me.
As I see it, there are two possibilities here. Either the band knows exactly what they are doing - artless, synthshit throwback - or they have no idea and just really like that genre and want to play it. If the former is true, they are amazing, providing a keen critique of the state of popular music. If the latter is true, they are awful. And honestly, that's the more likely option. Still, I'm going to give the band the benefit of the doubt for now. If nothing else, they have some courage to get up and play when they are so very bad. Which may sound like a backhanded insult, but I really mean it - I respect any band that puts themselves out there in way so vulnerable to derisive criticism (like this).
The highlight of the night, and the reason for my attendance, was of course Total Slacker. Total Slacker are so fucking cool. There's something about the tall, hunched guitar madness of Tucker (I dunno his last name) that recalls a young Thurston Moore, and indeed, with her frosty stoicism, bassist Emily (I don't know her last name) could be his own Kim Gordon. The band don't sound like Sonic Youth at all, but they have a similar wild energy, endlessly creative but never taking things too seriously.
Total Slacker play songs that suit their name, sloppy, out of tune songs about "taco people" and being freaked out by cops. I found it somewhat ironic that the band should spend ten minutes tuning (or playing "The Tuning Song," as they called it) when everything they play sounds blatantly out of tune. But of course, the secret to Total Slacker is that their chaos is controlled. It's genuine in their attitude, but as musicians, they know exactly what they're doing.
In fact, Tucker is a guitar hero on par with any of his contemporaries. He can shred solos with his guitar behind his head and when the solos sound like all wrong notes, it's because he knows which notes will sound wrong in the right way. Emily, for her part, is a mean bassist. She doesn't overplay and is willing to repeat the same damn riff for fifteen minutes if that's what's called for. But her succinct lines are near-perfect and nasty. Emily and Tucker share vocals that are as skillfully detuned as their guitars. Tucker is particularly sloppy, seeming to forget half the time that he needs to be near the mic. Which is, of course, perfect.
The musical chemistry also extends to drummer Ross (I dunno his last name) and all three seem to read each other's minds, anchoring their fuck-all-cares chaos to their satisfying and actually carefully written songs - nearly every one a gem in its own right.
The set ended in chaos, but not with the destruction of a guitar, which makes this the first Total Slacker show in which an ax wasn't axed. The band is heading out on tour so maybe they realized they can't keep up smashing their shit and lighting it on fire indefinitely. I knew (or hoped) they weren't going to destroy their guitar when Tucker didn't change instruments for the final song, instead staying on his absolutely gorgeous 70's Fender Stratocaster. I may not have the most acute ear for the nuances of guitar sound, but with that one, I could hear the difference. And although the band's deconstruction of popular music didn't extend this time to the physical deconstruction of a guitar, Tucker was all over the place with wild energy, running to the back of the room with his guitar on the final song, while Ross stacked and then toppled his drum kit amid the feedback and disintegration of the closer.
Total Slacker may be my favorite Brooklyn band right now; they are certainly the most fun to watch. Words can't do them justice - you'll have to check them out yourself. Maybe on their tour.
Weekends closed out the night. An energetic art-punk duo in the vein of No Age (and also comparable to their Baltimore kin Ponytail, duos Japanther and Lightning Bolt and kindred spirits Pterodactyl), Weekends play noise pop, feeding guitar through layers of distortion and delay and playing drums noisy and fast, which is the best way to play drums. The two members switch places behind guitar and drums. They jump around a lot and knock things over. Brendan Sullivan, who played the guitar first, cut his thumb wide open on a falling cymbal, so the guitar neck was covered in blood for the rest of the set.
Although they were infectiously energetic, there was something missing. The band has all the right ingredients but seems unsure how to make the soup. They also drenched the vocals in completely superfluous amounts of reverb and delay. Lightning Bolt does this, but their vocals are so minimal and ancillary, it makes sense. When Weekends did it, they just sounded rudderless. Maybe 25% of the time, the effects made sense, but the rest kind of seemed like the band was trying to disguise their lack of singing abilities (c'mon guys, who cares! none of the other bands who played friday could sing!). Maybe they just thought the vocals would work better with the effect-laden guitar that way, but if so, they were mistaken. The songs would have been more enjoyable if there'd been a vocal line to grab onto. Without that sort of melodic (or even anti-melodic) spine, the songs sounded amorphous and samey.
Weekends are great, but the whole is less than the sum of the parts. Although they've been around a few years, they're a fairly young band so I'm hoping it's only a matter of time until they figure out what they're trying to do and fuckin do it. When they do, they'll be one of the best bands around.
Showing posts with label Total Slacker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Total Slacker. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Upcoming Shows: Weekends, Total Slacker + more
Tonight!! Thursday, May 12
PC Worship @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
PC Worship play a strange sort of lo-fi folk meets free jazz. I've found their shows hit and miss, but they are definitely one of the most interesting bands to crop up in the last few years. [myspace]
CSS, Sleigh Bells @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
CSS are Brazilian ladies who make ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude. Sleigh Bells are a duo who make ultra hip music using this recipe: danceable, heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming. The bands are playing better venues later in the week (also sold out) so if you are able to get in, I'd recommend one of the others, because Webster Hall is a shithole. [css myspace] [sb myspace]
Other shows
Shark? (Pixies sound-alike), Radical Dads @ Cake Shop ($8)
Tomorrow!! Friday, May 13
Weekends, Total Slacker @ Monster Island Basement * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
I hear Weekends are really good. They've got an arty chaotic sound like Ponytail, but with more pop-tailors songs. Like Pterodactyl, if you've heard that band (and you should have cause they're the shit). The last time I saw Total Slacker, they nearly killed everyone in the venue by lighting a guitar on fire. In a second floor DIY venue without proper fire exits and a low quality wood floor. Despite the attempted murder, I love this band; they are one of the only bands that I still get excited about seeing. Their guitarist is sick and can play crazy solos, but most of the time he doesn't do that. Their bass player is sick. Their drummer is pretty sick. The band plays like they just picked up instruments for the first time, except that they are secretly amazing musicians and if you listen closely, you can hear how tight they are. They like to jump into the audience and destroy their instruments. Which is awesome. [weekend myspace] [total myspace]
Other shows
...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (wall o' sound noise pop with some prog and punk) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Darlings, My Teenage Stride (charmingly messy indie pop) @ Silent Barn
Dustin Wong (Ponytail guitarist) @ Open Road Rooftop (Rooftop Films thingy)
Echo & the Bunnymen @ Irving Plaza
The Feelies @ Bell House (sold out!)
Psychedelic Horseshit (emphasis on the "shit"), Pterodactyl (see above!) @ Glasslands ($10)
Saturday, May 14
Echo & the Bunnymen * East Village, Manhattan * $39.50
I don't usually feature exceedingly overpriced shows, but there's just not all that much else going on Saturday since it looks like Pop. 1280 canceled their gig. Echo & the Bunnymen are one of my favorite bands ever. They're one of the original UK post punk bands, with the dark drama of the Cure and the mystical ramblings of the Fall. They probably aren't worth $40, but if you're feeling flush... [myspace]
Other shows
Aesop Rock (electro whitefolk rap, but good) @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out!)
Coconuts, GDFX (poppy punky noise pop kinda typical stuff) @ Union Pool
Nine 11 Thesaurus (reasonably hard East Coast indie rap crew) @ Silent Barn
Here We Go Magic (lots of "world" rhythms, like recent Flaming Lips kinda) @ Mercury Lounge
Sunday, May 15
Soft Circle, Yvette, Hunters @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Although this is a solid line-up of nasty experimental bands, the highlight is opening act Hunters, one of the most violent post-punk bands in Brooklyn and one of my favorite live acts. [myspace]
Other shows
Sleigh Bells, CSS (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out!)
Monday, May 16
Passive Aggressor @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Passive Aggressor are a good punk band that have some pop appeal but also yell all hardcore like and jump around and stuff. You should go see them. [myspace]
Tuesday, May 17
Gold-Bears @ Brooklyn Fireproof East * Bushwick, Brooklyn
Slumberland Records indie pop band. [myspace]
Other shows
Vivian Girls @ 285 Kent ($10)
Wednesday, May 18
Dustin Wong @ Silent Barn * Ridgewood, Queens
Ponytail guitarist. Arty, fast stuff with a loop pedal. [myspace]
The long view...
May
19
The Antlers (sad noisy music) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
20
The Antlers (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), I Feel Tractor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Glasslands ($10)
25
Hunters (see above) @ Bruar Falls ($7)
Converge @ Santos Party House ($15)
26
Big Freedia (dirty south rap in drag), Javelin @ Mercury Lounge
27
Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, Woven Bones (lo-fi post punk pop) @ Glasslands ($10)
Pterodactyl, Screens, Zulus (noize rock with experimental bent) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Times New Viking, Babies (lo-fi) @ Knitting Factory
Fang Island (lots of guitars) @ Brooklyn Bowl
28
Big Freedia (see above) @ Brooklyn Bowl ($5)
June
1
Zs (experimental/noise) @ Silent Barn
2
Liturgy (black metal crossover), Sightings (experimental/noise) @ Knitting Factory
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk) @ Europa ($20)
5
Against Me!, Screaming Females, Lemuria (first and last = BEST pop punk; Females = just plain BEST) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
12
TSOL (one of the best original SoCal hardcore punk bands) @ Santos Party House
14
Japanther (arty poppy punk) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
16
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
17
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 (slowcore shoegaze) @ Bell House ($15/$20)
Northside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves, Surfer Blood, The Babies @ McCarren Park
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces, see above) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (aka Microphones, the best lo-fi noise folk since Neutral Milk Hotel) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
Swervedriver (classic shoegaze) @ Irving Plaza
23
Dinosaur Jr (late 80's/early 90's loud proto-alt rock, performing their classic album Bug), Fucked Up (wall of sound meets hardcore/thrash meets best thing ever) @ Terminal 5
25
Archers of Loaf (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
Coathangers (badass lady punks who come up here from Georgia to tell you to fuck off), Religious to Damn @ Monster Island Basement
26
Archers of Loaf (see above) @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
July
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory
14
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 (noisy post punk and post punky noise) @ Union Hall
August
8
The Kills @ Terminal 5
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront
Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
##
PC Worship @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
PC Worship play a strange sort of lo-fi folk meets free jazz. I've found their shows hit and miss, but they are definitely one of the most interesting bands to crop up in the last few years. [myspace]
CSS, Sleigh Bells @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
CSS are Brazilian ladies who make ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude. Sleigh Bells are a duo who make ultra hip music using this recipe: danceable, heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming. The bands are playing better venues later in the week (also sold out) so if you are able to get in, I'd recommend one of the others, because Webster Hall is a shithole. [css myspace] [sb myspace]
Other shows
Shark? (Pixies sound-alike), Radical Dads @ Cake Shop ($8)
Tomorrow!! Friday, May 13
Weekends, Total Slacker @ Monster Island Basement * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
I hear Weekends are really good. They've got an arty chaotic sound like Ponytail, but with more pop-tailors songs. Like Pterodactyl, if you've heard that band (and you should have cause they're the shit). The last time I saw Total Slacker, they nearly killed everyone in the venue by lighting a guitar on fire. In a second floor DIY venue without proper fire exits and a low quality wood floor. Despite the attempted murder, I love this band; they are one of the only bands that I still get excited about seeing. Their guitarist is sick and can play crazy solos, but most of the time he doesn't do that. Their bass player is sick. Their drummer is pretty sick. The band plays like they just picked up instruments for the first time, except that they are secretly amazing musicians and if you listen closely, you can hear how tight they are. They like to jump into the audience and destroy their instruments. Which is awesome. [weekend myspace] [total myspace]
Other shows
...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (wall o' sound noise pop with some prog and punk) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Darlings, My Teenage Stride (charmingly messy indie pop) @ Silent Barn
Dustin Wong (Ponytail guitarist) @ Open Road Rooftop (Rooftop Films thingy)
Echo & the Bunnymen @ Irving Plaza
The Feelies @ Bell House (sold out!)
Psychedelic Horseshit (emphasis on the "shit"), Pterodactyl (see above!) @ Glasslands ($10)
Saturday, May 14
Echo & the Bunnymen * East Village, Manhattan * $39.50
I don't usually feature exceedingly overpriced shows, but there's just not all that much else going on Saturday since it looks like Pop. 1280 canceled their gig. Echo & the Bunnymen are one of my favorite bands ever. They're one of the original UK post punk bands, with the dark drama of the Cure and the mystical ramblings of the Fall. They probably aren't worth $40, but if you're feeling flush... [myspace]
Other shows
Aesop Rock (electro whitefolk rap, but good) @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out!)
Coconuts, GDFX (poppy punky noise pop kinda typical stuff) @ Union Pool
Nine 11 Thesaurus (reasonably hard East Coast indie rap crew) @ Silent Barn
Here We Go Magic (lots of "world" rhythms, like recent Flaming Lips kinda) @ Mercury Lounge
Sunday, May 15
Soft Circle, Yvette, Hunters @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Although this is a solid line-up of nasty experimental bands, the highlight is opening act Hunters, one of the most violent post-punk bands in Brooklyn and one of my favorite live acts. [myspace]
Other shows
Sleigh Bells, CSS (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out!)
Monday, May 16
Passive Aggressor @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Passive Aggressor are a good punk band that have some pop appeal but also yell all hardcore like and jump around and stuff. You should go see them. [myspace]
Tuesday, May 17
Gold-Bears @ Brooklyn Fireproof East * Bushwick, Brooklyn
Slumberland Records indie pop band. [myspace]
Other shows
Vivian Girls @ 285 Kent ($10)
Wednesday, May 18
Dustin Wong @ Silent Barn * Ridgewood, Queens
Ponytail guitarist. Arty, fast stuff with a loop pedal. [myspace]
The long view...
May
19
The Antlers (sad noisy music) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
20
The Antlers (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), I Feel Tractor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Glasslands ($10)
25
Hunters (see above) @ Bruar Falls ($7)
Converge @ Santos Party House ($15)
26
Big Freedia (dirty south rap in drag), Javelin @ Mercury Lounge
27
Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, Woven Bones (lo-fi post punk pop) @ Glasslands ($10)
Pterodactyl, Screens, Zulus (noize rock with experimental bent) @ Death By Audio ($7)
Times New Viking, Babies (lo-fi) @ Knitting Factory
Fang Island (lots of guitars) @ Brooklyn Bowl
28
Big Freedia (see above) @ Brooklyn Bowl ($5)
June
1
Zs (experimental/noise) @ Silent Barn
2
Liturgy (black metal crossover), Sightings (experimental/noise) @ Knitting Factory
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk) @ Europa ($20)
5
Against Me!, Screaming Females, Lemuria (first and last = BEST pop punk; Females = just plain BEST) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
12
TSOL (one of the best original SoCal hardcore punk bands) @ Santos Party House
14
Japanther (arty poppy punk) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
16
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
17
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 (slowcore shoegaze) @ Bell House ($15/$20)
Northside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves, Surfer Blood, The Babies @ McCarren Park
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces, see above) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (aka Microphones, the best lo-fi noise folk since Neutral Milk Hotel) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
Swervedriver (classic shoegaze) @ Irving Plaza
23
Dinosaur Jr (late 80's/early 90's loud proto-alt rock, performing their classic album Bug), Fucked Up (wall of sound meets hardcore/thrash meets best thing ever) @ Terminal 5
25
Archers of Loaf (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
Coathangers (badass lady punks who come up here from Georgia to tell you to fuck off), Religious to Damn @ Monster Island Basement
26
Archers of Loaf (see above) @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
July
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory
14
Gary War, K-Holes, Pop. 1280 (noisy post punk and post punky noise) @ Union Hall
August
8
The Kills @ Terminal 5
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront
Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
##
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Upcoming Shows: Total Slacker, The Measure (Last Brooklyn Show!!!) + more
Tonight!! Thursday, May 5
C. Spencer Yeh, White Suns, Drainolith (mem. AIDS Wolf) @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Great noise music, with more emphasis on "noise" than "music" - all of these musicians play with sonic assault, drones and minimalism. They are the best of the nastiest side of avant garde music. And for only $7. Go to this show! [yeh myspace] [suns myspace] ['lith myspace]
Thermals, Tyvek @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $10
If you can't handle the avant garde waging war on your delicate ear drums, this show....well, it probably won't be much quieter, but it will have some melodies! Thermals are a poppy punky band from the northwest coast. Tyvek are opening! Tyvek are awesome! They come from Detroit. They play punk music. They have that Michigan/Ohio attitude of artiness combined with post industrial decay combined with fucking shit up. They are fun to watch. [thermals myspace] [tyvek myspace]
Other shows
Fiery Furnaces (blues meets indie pop meets psychosis) @ Rockwood Music Hall ($20)
Tomorrow!! Friday, May 6
Total Slacker, Beaches, X-Ray Eyeballs @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
The last time I saw Total Slacker, they nearly killed everyone in the venue by lighting a guitar on fire. In a second floor DIY venue without proper fire exits and a low quality wood floor. Despite the attempted murder, I love this band; they are one of the only bands that I still get excited about seeing. Their guitarist is sick and can play crazy solos, but most of the time he doesn't do that. Their bass player is sick. Their drummer is pretty sick. The band plays like they just picked up instruments for the first time, except that they are secretly amazing musicians and if you listen closely, you can hear how tight they are. They like to jump into the audience and destroy their instruments. Which is awesome. [myspace]
Other shows
K-Holes, Electroputas (lady noise!) @ Cake Shop ($8)
Lightning Bolt, Pterodactyl, Ducktails, So So Glos @ NYU Strawberry Festival (free afternoon show!)
Saturday, May 7
The Measure (SA) @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
This is, apparently, the Measure's LAST BROOKLYN SHOW EVER OF ALL TIME. They are a lovable pop punk band (more punk than pop), they are on Don Giovanni Records and you should go hear them play because it's your absolute last ever chance. [myspace]
Sunday, May 8
Nothin'
Monday, May 9
Nothin'
Tuesday, May 10
Yo La Tengo @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
Yo La Tengo are one of the bands who invented noise pop back in the 1980's. Their music is A) noisy and B) poppy. Very much both. They are getting up there, but have played continuously and released consistently solid records for well over two decades now. Their music can be relaxing but it also has teeth. And they are amazing live because there are only three of them but it always sounds like there are about eight people on stage. [myspace]
Wednesday, May 11
Yo La Tengo @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
See above.
CSS, Sleigh Bells @ Webster Hall * East Village, Manhattan * SOLD OUT
CSS are Brazilian ladies who make ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude. Sleigh Bells are a duo who make ultra hip music using this recipe: danceable, heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming. The bands are playing better venues later in the week (also sold out) so if you are able to get in, I'd recommend one of the others, because Webster Hall is a shithole. [css myspace] [sb myspace]
Vaz @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $7
Here's a show that's not sold out. Vaz are mean and loud and experimental. They will sound very good over Cake Shop's powerful P.A. system. That 'bout sums it up. [myspace]
The long view...
May
12
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Sold Out)
13
Echo & the Bunnymen (classic post punk) @ Irving Plaza
...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (heavy wall of sound with major pop appeal from a refreshingly uncool band), Surfer Blood @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Total Slacker (see above) @ Monster Island Basement ($8)
14
Echo & the Bunnymen (see above) @ Irving Plaza
15
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Soft Circle, Yvette, Hunters (mean experimental post punk noize) @ Death By Audio ($7)
19
The Antlers (sad noisy music) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
20
The Antlers (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), I Feel Tractor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
26
Big Freedia (dirty south rap in drag), Javelin @ Mercury Lounge
27
Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, Woven Bones (lo-fi post punk pop) @ Glasslands ($10)
Pterodactyl, Screens, Zulus (noize rock with experimental bent) @ Death By Audio ($7)
28
Big Freedia (see above) @ Brooklyn Bowl ($5)
June
2
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk)
Liturgy, Sightings @ Knitting Factory
5
Against Me!, Screaming Females, Lemuria (first and last = BEST pop punk; Females = just plain BEST) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
12
TSOL (one of the best original SoCal hardcore punk bands) @ Santos Party House
16
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project)@ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
17
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 (slowcore shoegaze) @ Bell House ($15/$20)
Northside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves @ McCarren Park
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces, see above) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (aka Microphones, the best lo-fi noise folk since Neutral Milk Hotel) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
23
Dinosaur Jr (late 80's/early 90's loud proto-alt rock, performing their classic album Bug), Fucked Up (wall of sound meets hardcore/thrash meets best thing ever) @ Terminal 5
25
Archers of Loaf (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
26
Archers of Loaf (see above) @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
July
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory
August
8
The Kills @ Terminal 5
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront
Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
C. Spencer Yeh, White Suns, Drainolith (mem. AIDS Wolf) @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Great noise music, with more emphasis on "noise" than "music" - all of these musicians play with sonic assault, drones and minimalism. They are the best of the nastiest side of avant garde music. And for only $7. Go to this show! [yeh myspace] [suns myspace] ['lith myspace]
Thermals, Tyvek @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $10
If you can't handle the avant garde waging war on your delicate ear drums, this show....well, it probably won't be much quieter, but it will have some melodies! Thermals are a poppy punky band from the northwest coast. Tyvek are opening! Tyvek are awesome! They come from Detroit. They play punk music. They have that Michigan/Ohio attitude of artiness combined with post industrial decay combined with fucking shit up. They are fun to watch. [thermals myspace] [tyvek myspace]
Other shows
Fiery Furnaces (blues meets indie pop meets psychosis) @ Rockwood Music Hall ($20)
Tomorrow!! Friday, May 6
Total Slacker, Beaches, X-Ray Eyeballs @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
The last time I saw Total Slacker, they nearly killed everyone in the venue by lighting a guitar on fire. In a second floor DIY venue without proper fire exits and a low quality wood floor. Despite the attempted murder, I love this band; they are one of the only bands that I still get excited about seeing. Their guitarist is sick and can play crazy solos, but most of the time he doesn't do that. Their bass player is sick. Their drummer is pretty sick. The band plays like they just picked up instruments for the first time, except that they are secretly amazing musicians and if you listen closely, you can hear how tight they are. They like to jump into the audience and destroy their instruments. Which is awesome. [myspace]
Other shows
K-Holes, Electroputas (lady noise!) @ Cake Shop ($8)
Lightning Bolt, Pterodactyl, Ducktails, So So Glos @ NYU Strawberry Festival (free afternoon show!)
Saturday, May 7
The Measure (SA) @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
This is, apparently, the Measure's LAST BROOKLYN SHOW EVER OF ALL TIME. They are a lovable pop punk band (more punk than pop), they are on Don Giovanni Records and you should go hear them play because it's your absolute last ever chance. [myspace]
Sunday, May 8
Nothin'
Monday, May 9
Nothin'
Tuesday, May 10
Yo La Tengo @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
Yo La Tengo are one of the bands who invented noise pop back in the 1980's. Their music is A) noisy and B) poppy. Very much both. They are getting up there, but have played continuously and released consistently solid records for well over two decades now. Their music can be relaxing but it also has teeth. And they are amazing live because there are only three of them but it always sounds like there are about eight people on stage. [myspace]
Wednesday, May 11
Yo La Tengo @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * SOLD OUT
See above.
CSS, Sleigh Bells @ Webster Hall * East Village, Manhattan * SOLD OUT
CSS are Brazilian ladies who make ultra hip crazy dance pop with punk attitude. Sleigh Bells are a duo who make ultra hip music using this recipe: danceable, heavy hip-hop beats + girly vocals + metal/hardcore/industrial sheets of guitar noise + some screaming. The bands are playing better venues later in the week (also sold out) so if you are able to get in, I'd recommend one of the others, because Webster Hall is a shithole. [css myspace] [sb myspace]
Vaz @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $7
Here's a show that's not sold out. Vaz are mean and loud and experimental. They will sound very good over Cake Shop's powerful P.A. system. That 'bout sums it up. [myspace]
The long view...
May
12
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Sold Out)
13
Echo & the Bunnymen (classic post punk) @ Irving Plaza
...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (heavy wall of sound with major pop appeal from a refreshingly uncool band), Surfer Blood @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Total Slacker (see above) @ Monster Island Basement ($8)
14
Echo & the Bunnymen (see above) @ Irving Plaza
15
CSS, Sleigh Bells (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Soft Circle, Yvette, Hunters (mean experimental post punk noize) @ Death By Audio ($7)
19
The Antlers (sad noisy music) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
20
The Antlers (see above) @ Bowery Ballroom
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), I Feel Tractor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
26
Big Freedia (dirty south rap in drag), Javelin @ Mercury Lounge
27
Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, Woven Bones (lo-fi post punk pop) @ Glasslands ($10)
Pterodactyl, Screens, Zulus (noize rock with experimental bent) @ Death By Audio ($7)
28
Big Freedia (see above) @ Brooklyn Bowl ($5)
June
2
Stiff Little Fingers (late 70's UK punk)
Liturgy, Sightings @ Knitting Factory
5
Against Me!, Screaming Females, Lemuria (first and last = BEST pop punk; Females = just plain BEST) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
12
TSOL (one of the best original SoCal hardcore punk bands) @ Santos Party House
16
Northside Festival: Atlas Sound (Deerhunter side project)@ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
17
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 (slowcore shoegaze) @ Bell House ($15/$20)
Northside Festival: Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers, Grooms, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory ($12/$14)
Northside Festival: Woods @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
18
Northside Festival: Guided By Voices (original line-up), Wavves @ McCarren Park
Northside Festival: Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces, see above) @ St. Cecilia's ($15/$17)
19
Northside Festival: Mount Eerie (aka Microphones, the best lo-fi noise folk since Neutral Milk Hotel) @ St. Cecilia's ($12/$15)
23
Dinosaur Jr (late 80's/early 90's loud proto-alt rock, performing their classic album Bug), Fucked Up (wall of sound meets hardcore/thrash meets best thing ever) @ Terminal 5
25
Archers of Loaf (one of the best 90's indie bands) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
26
Archers of Loaf (see above) @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
July
12
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
Cold Cave @ Knitting Factory
August
8
The Kills @ Terminal 5
12
Sonic Youth @ Williamsburg Waterfront
Streets, El-P @ Terminal 5
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Upcoming Shows: The Styrenes!!!!!!! + more
Thursday, April 29
Cold Cave @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $12
Cold Cave effortlessly combine the sweeping dramatics of early 80's New Wave with icy nihilism. Its a distillation of all that's good about synth-based music. [myspace]
Fiasco, Total Slacker @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
These are two punky DIY bands who have been slightly outstripped by the hype but are still worth checking out. They're pretty loud. [fiasco myspace] [slacker myspace]
Friday, April 30
The Styrenes @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Some strange things happened deep in the Midwest, deep in the mid 70's and at least in the world of rock music, Cleveland was at the center of the strangeness. There were only about a half dozen bands in the movement, and inbred bands at that, but they changed the course of music, opening the door to post-punk before the rest of the world had caught on to the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.
The Cleveland bands can be divided roughly into to cliques - on one side, you've got Rocket From the Tombs whose core members split to form Pere Ubu and Dead Boys. On the other hand, there was a wildly experimental noisefuck called Electric Eels and the slightly more pop-angled Mirrors, who would later morph into the Styrenes. Paul Marotta played with all three of these and when he and his bandmates decided to reunite, they rounded out the band's most well-known four-piece line-up of yore with the Electric Eels' notorious John Morton and original Mirrors/Styrenes founder Jamie Klimek.
So, six of the most insane, daring and violent minds in punk history will take the stage at New York's best DIY venue, the intimate Death by Audio. According to Cleveland.com, they will play a few Mirrors and Electric Eels songs as well as the Styrenes' material. I think I might die. [myspace]
Saturday, May 1
Styrenes + Tyvek @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $10
See above. And this time, no DIY, but a great venue nevertheless and with the lovable mad Detroit punks Tyvek warming up the stage. [tyvek myspace]
Sunday, May 2
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Mercury Lounge * LES, Manhattan * $10
Acclaimed and adored by critics everywhere and with one of the loyalest fan bases around, Shilpa Ray could school all of Brooklyn when it comes to rock. Her soulful, bluesy rock builds around a hand-powered harmonium and her punk rock energy and the fact that she's legitimately totally insane makes for one of the most fun live shows you can find in the New York scene. I mean, seriously, the woman is bonkers. [myspace]
Monday, May 3
Just to keep you posted, this show has been postponed, apparently due to visa issues rather than the volcano. When it happens, you should be there cause this is shoegaze at its finest.
Tuesday, May 4
See above.
The long view...
May
6
Yo La Tengo, Jeff Mangum, Kyp Malone, Portastic, the Clean, Claudia Gonson (Magnetic Fields), Sharon van Etten @ LPR ($75 and way SOLD OUT - I'm only listing it to make you cry cause I'm a mean person.)
7
The Clean @ Bell House (Advanced Tix SOLD OUT)
11
Sleigh Bells + secret guests @ Ridgewood Temple
13
The Buzzcocks @ The Fillmore
15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory
18
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5
Woven Bones @ Mercury Lounge
19
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5
Diana Ross @ Radio City Music Hall
21
Fuck Buttons @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
22
Fuck Buttons @ Le Poisson Rouge
New York Dolls @ Warsaw
NYC PopFest: Wake, Boat, My Teenage Stride + more @ Bell House
27
Forgetters @ Bell House
28
Holy Fuck @ Le Poisson Rouge
29
Psych Fest: Weird Owl (yay), Hopewell (blech), Golden Triangle (blech), Psychic Ills (yay), Sunburned Hand of the Man (yay) + more @ Glasslands
June
4
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore
6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall
18
Melvins + Isis @ Webster Hall
24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory
July
24
M.I.A. @ Governors Island
30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House
31
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Upcoming Shows: Coin Under Tongue, Agent Orange, Beluga + more
TONIGHT!!! Wednesday, January 6
Babies (mems. Woods, Vivian Girls), True Womanhood, Sundelles, Beach Fossils, Total Slacker @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I haven't heard Babies, they might be good or they might be awful. I have heard True Womanhood and the Sundelles and they are both great! True Womanhood play eerie, disorienting rock and the Sundelles play garage rock. Beach Fossils are okay and Total Slacker has been a buzz band lately, so all in all, it's a pretty sick line-up.
[Babies MySpace] [TW MySpace] [Sundelles MySpace] [BF MySpace] [TS MySpace]
TOMORROW!!! Thursday, January 7
Coin Under Tongue @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Coin Under Tongue play sludgy, deliberate post-hardcore with a certain intangible indie pop sensibility.
Japanther @ Santos Party House | Chinatown, Manhattan
Japanther are an arty pop-punk duo with GREAT songs.
[MySpace]
Friday, January 8
Ex-Humans @ Don Pedro | Bushwick, Brooklyn
Don Pedro is a lousy place to hear bands - its stuffy and has poor sound. On the other hand, Ex-Humans are cooler than you and they make good punky music.
[MySpace]
Saturday, January 9
Drunkdriver + Blues Control @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Drunkdriver are loud and not very friendly. Their noise/hardcore/punk is extreme and amazing. Check them out.
[MySpace]
Sunday, January 10
Agent Orange @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $10 adv. / $12 dos.
Original southern California hardcore, still at it.
[MySpace]
Tuesday, January 12
Beluga @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Beluga are lady punks (and one guy). The singer is a Brazilian (ex-?) fashion model who screams and writhes on the floor. They are one of the best and most underrated bands in NYC. They are angry but also fun and their simple, Nirvana-influenced songs stick in your brain.
[MySpace]
The long view...
January 2010
13
The Drums + Surfer Blood, Depreciation Guild @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
14
Coyote Eyes, Frozen Warnings @ Death By Audio
15
Gang Gang Dance, DJ/Rupture @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
16
Dinosaur Jr @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Dinowalrus record release with Aa @ Cake Shop
17
Dinosaur Jr @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Sold Out)
Mos Def @ Highline Ballroom
18
Dinosaur Jr @ Brooklyn Bowl
22
Bob Mould @ City Winery
23
Pterodactyl @ Issue Project Room
25
Cheap Trick @ The Fillmore
29
Asobi Seksu @ Le Poissson Rouge
Here We Go Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom
Sounds Like Brooklyn: Les Savy Fav, Vivian Girls (yick) @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
30
Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom
February
3
Atlas Sound @ Bell House
4
Atlas Sound, Neon Indian, Sisters @ NYU Kimmel
Cold Cave @ Mercury Lounge
5
Sounds Like Brooklyn: Ra Ra Riot, the Antlers @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
6
Don Giovanni showcase: Shellshag, Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood + more @ Bowery Ballroom
9
The Residents @ Webster Hall
10
Harlem @ Mercury Lounge
12
Jonathan Richman @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
13
Jonathan Richman @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
The Magnetic Fields @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
14
Jonathan Richman @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
19
Fucked Up, Kurt Vile, Frankie Rose & the Outs @ Europa
Andrew W-K @ Santos Party House
20
Crystal Stilts, Beets, Beach Fossils, German Measles @ Music Hall of Williamsubrg
21
Dum Dum Girls, Frankie Rose & the Outs @ Mercury Lounge
26
Wild Beasts @ Bowery Ballroom
27
Glenn Branca record release @ Le Poisson Rouge
28
Wild Beasts @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
March
5
Muse, the Silversun Pickups @ Madison Square Garden
6
Titus Andronicus @ Bowery Ballroom
10-11
The Magnetic Fields @ Town Hall
12-13
Henry Rollins @ The Fillmore
18-19
Killswitch Engage @ The Fillmore
25
Nada Surf play Let Go + surprise guest @ Bowery Ballroom
26
Nada Surf play The Weight Is a Gift + surprise guest @ Bell House
27
Nada Surf play Lucky + surprise guest @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
