brooklynvegan

David Byrne & The Roots joined Dirty Projectors @ Bowery Ballroom Sunday night - pics & setlist

Dirty Projectors completed their tour and four-night NYC run in style on Sunday (11/22). The evening started with a beautiful set of music by Julianna Barwick who was followed by the mind-blowing Tune-Yards. It's been said before, I'll say it again. Merrill Garbus is an extremely talented girl and the crowd went nuts for her as she looped and strummed and drummed and sang. Backed by a bassist, her performance was even more special because her parents were in the crowd. She mentioned them a few times and even thanked them at the end for having her.

I'd been hearing rumors about special guests possibly joining the Dirty Projectors at some point this week, but nothing happened at the first three shows (1 at Bowery and 2 at Music Hall of Williamsburg). Then Sunday the rumors started getting louder, especially the one about The Roots showing up.

The Roots and Dirty Projectors first met when DP were the musical guests at Fallon. Questlove was in love. Some thought that DP were going to join the Roots at a show in Brooklyn a few days after that TV appearance, but it never happened. It did this time though. Three members of the Roots, Questlove included, joined the band on stage for two songs ("Stillness" and "No Intention" I think?). The show was already great before that, but everyone went so wild and was dancing like crazy when the Roots came out. The energy in the room was off the charts, and stayed in the air even after the guests left the stage. The band was supercharged too as they finished their pre-encore set in one of the strongest ways I've ever seen them play.

During the short encore break another microphone was brought to the stage. At that point I knew there was no question that David Byrne would be joining Dirty Projectors once again (it previously happened at least two times - at the Dark Was the Night charity concert and then again at Bonnaroo). Sure enough, Mr. Byrne helped them end the two song encore with a slightly-unrehearsed version of Knotty Pine (the song he and the band wrote together for the Dark Was the Night album).

Amazing night. More pictures of the headliner and guests and the setlist below..

Continue reading "David Byrne & The Roots joined Dirty Projectors @ Bowery Ballroom Sunday night - pics & setlist" at BrooklynVegan.com

Valient Thorr played Santos Party House w/ Red Fang (pics) ++ new video & European tour dates

words by BBG, photos by Chloe Rice

Valient Thorr, laying waste

Valient Thorr and Red Fang cruised on through Santos Party House as part of an east coast tour on 11/17, the same day as the BrooklynVegan sponsored Dark Castle / The Atlas Moth / Wetnurse / Tiger Flowers at Union Pool (otherwise, I would have been there). Children opened the show....

Though the dates for the pair are kaput, the road warriors in Valient Thorr are moving the caravan to Europe until the end of the month, where they will play a string of shows including Speedfest with Death Angel, New Bomb Turks, Karma To Burn, GBH, US Bombs, and many others.

In other VT news, the band recently dropped a video for "Tomorrow Police", peep that, as well as a boatload of other pics from the show and tour dates for both bands below....

Continue reading "Valient Thorr played Santos Party House w/ Red Fang (pics) ++ new video & European tour dates" at BrooklynVegan.com

What's going on Sunday?

Devendra Banhart @ Webster Hall in October (more by Vincent Cornelli)

tonight in NYC
* Devendra Banhart @ Town Hall
* Hannibal Buress @ Knitting Factory
* Bonfire Madigan, Spirit Child @ The Cameo
* Mike Bones, Pillars and Tongues, Coconuts @ Cake Shop
* Camera Obscura, Papercuts @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Performa: Scratch the Grand Finale @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Talib Kweli, Jean Grae, Mickey Factz, Skyzoo @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Dirty Projectors, tUnE-YaRds, Juliana Barwick @ Bowery Ballroom
* Noveller, Picastro, Aiden Baker, The Color Guard @ Death By Audio
* Jack Oblivian & The Tennessee Tearjerks, John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives @ Southpaw

Echo and the Bunnymen were supposed to play Hammerestein Ballroom today.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?" at BrooklynVegan.com

Dark Castle, The Atlas Moth, Wetnurse & Tiger Flowers @ Union Pool in Brooklyn - pics

words by BBG, photos by Sam Marble

Stevie Floyd of Dark Castle

Dark Castle, The Atlas Moth, Wetnurse, and Tiger Flowers played on 11/17 as part of a BV sponsored event at Union Pool - part of a super intense week of NYC shows.

Young badasses Tiger Flowers started out the show with a steely dissonant hardcore intensity, but seemed to have a few nerves. As the set progressed the band became more focused, taut, comfortable, and WILD on stage. By the time they finished with personal fave "Drag", I was ready to hear another few songs.

I've liked Wetnurse for many years, and the local band were their usual intense and fun selves. They seemed water tight, possibly due to the show being the last of their touring cycle with The Atlas Moth. Frontman Eugene was in prime wild man form.

Chicago's The Atlas Moth were up next. The band's recorded output has been a recent favorite, but it doesn't match their live intensity and exacting execution; unreal live. The juxtaposition of vox/guitarist Stavros's high & low pitched screams against David's soaring and spot-on clean vocals sounded great against the wall of slight synths and crunchy guitars. I already can't wait to see them again.

It's hard to imagine such unholy bellows and thundering six-string power coming out of Dark Castle's thin as a rail frontwoman Stevie Floyd, and Rob Shaffer matches her riff-tensity with an intimidating drum kit. He uses both a marching snare and bass drum, with a floor tom that could pass for a regular kick drum and a rack tom that could pass for a floor tom. It was loud when i saw them at Lit Lounge, but through the more significant PA at Union Pool, needless to say, it was even louder. If you've never seen Dark Castle, you are truly truly missing out.

More pictures and Dark Castle tour dates below...

Continue reading "Dark Castle, The Atlas Moth, Wetnurse & Tiger Flowers @ Union Pool in Brooklyn - pics" at BrooklynVegan.com

What's going on Saturday?

Sonic Youth @ United Palace Theatre in July (more by Bao Nguyen)

tonight in NYC
* The Feelies @ Maxwell's
* Devo, JP Inc @ Irving Plaza
* Yo Gabba Gabba @ Beacon Theatre
* Nader Sadek @ Santos Party House
* Meat Puppets @ Mexicali Live (NJ)
* Tim Berne's Los Totopos @ Roulette
* Star Wars Concert @ Nassau Coliseum
* Vision Fest Benefit @ CSV Cultural Center
* Cinema 16 w/ These Are Powers @ Galapagos
* Dawes, Langhorne Slim @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Boy Crisis, Annie (DJ Set) @ Tribeca Grand Hotel
* The Ballet, MKNG FRNDZ, My Gay Bingo @ Union Hall
* Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Cold Cave @ Terminal 5
* Negative Approach, Guilt Trip, Black SS @ Southpaw
* Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Lovers @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Jad Fair, Lumberob, Orba Squara @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Pop. 1280, Manikin, Liquor Store, Foster Care @ Bruar Falls
* Bishop Allen, Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez @ The Bell House
* Performa 09/A Select History of Experimental Music @ Gramercy Theatre
* Mode Records Marathon w/ Philip Glass, John Zorn @ Abrons Arts Center
* Carsick Cars, Aa, PK 14, Knyfe Hyts 81, XIAO HE @ Secret Project Robot
* Trouble & Bass, Joker & Nomad, Bok Bok, L Vis 1990 @ Santos Party House
* Blowfly, NinjaSonik, Anal Cunt, The Stalkers @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Fluffy Lumbers, Average Girl, Family Portrait, Liam the Younger @ Cake Shop
* Dirty Projectors, tUnE-YaRds, The Tony Castles @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Little Dragon, Reredux, Body Language, Crystal Fighters @ (le) poisson rouge
* Land of Talk, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, North Highlands, Linfinity @ Mercury Lounge
* The Bloodsugars, Project Jenny/Project Jan, Savoir Adore @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Julia Wolfes Steel Hammer w/ Bang on a Can All-Stars @ Zankel Hall @ Carnegie
* Graffiti Monsters, Starscream, Nullsleep, The Blue & Red 3D Spectacular @ Shea Stadium
* The Beets, Beachniks, She Keeps Bees, McDonalds, Missionaries On Vacation @ Death By Audio
* Jaguar Club, Veil Veil Vanish, Religious To Damn, The Art of Shooting, Telltale @ Cameo

Bad Lieutenant was supposed to play Webster Hall tonight. Instead, they'll be here in the spring. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, with Nic Cage/Coppola & directed by Werner Herzog, is opening though. Its trailer is below.

Two classic bands play shows in NJ tonight. Feelies perform all of Crazy Rhythms at Maxwell's (like they did at ATP) while the Meat Puppets visit Teaneck for a show at Mexicali Live.

Sonic Youth play Terminal 5 tonight and two shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg during the week.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?" at BrooklynVegan.com

Annie - new albums out (MP3, video), DJing in NYC tonight

DOWNLOAD: Annie - My Love Is Better (Sunkh Knight remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Annie - I Don't Like Your Band (MP3)

Annie's second album, Don't Stop, was supposed to come out last year, and for the Norwegian singer's net-savvy audience, it basically did. The version of the record that is being commercially released now is a bit different from what leaked in 2008-- a few tracks have been cut, a few more have been added-- but since it is being released with a bonus disc that includes every notable excluded track save for her cover of Stacey Q's "Two of Hearts", the final product is less glass-half-empty and more cup-runneth-over. [Pitchfork]

The bonus disk is an EP called "All Night" - tracklisting below. Two tracks off the new album (one being a remix) above. A video for a different "new" song below.

Annie won't be performing live to promote the release, but she is in town as a DJ. You can catch her at Tribeca Grand tonight (11/21) where Boy Crisis is also playing. The flyer for that show and all dates below...

Continue reading "Annie - new albums out (MP3, video), DJing in NYC tonight" at BrooklynVegan.com

Pentagram, Screaming Females, Phish, Jay-Z & other tickets +++ Yo Gabba Gabba is here (3 Beacon shows today)

Festival 8 (more pictures by Fresh Bread)

Dead heads and pot heads take note. While the straight economy goes up in smoke with double digit unemployment, job prospects for hippies are booming -- and not just for boomers.

At the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) they're looking to hire an official Grateful Dead archivist.

And in Denver, where Colorado's medical marijuana industry is legally flourishing, there are these two recent job postings:

The alternative newspaper Westword is advertising for a pot reviewer, asking for a short essay from applicants on "What Marijuana Means to Me".

Similarly, a new biotech company, Full Spectrum Laboratories, needs scientists to test the potency of cannabis samples and salesmen to market their quality-control [ABC News]

Tickets are on sale for the Pentagram show at BB King's in January.

Tickets are on sale (Saturday @ 10am) for the Jay-Z shows at the Izod Center and Nassau Coliseum.

Screaming Females are playing the Bell House on November 25th with the So So Glos. Tickets are on sale.

ATP NY 2010 is now on sale.

Magnetic Fields and other tickets went on sale yesterday.

Tickets are on sale (Saturday @ 10am) for the Phish shows happening in Miami at the end of the year (New Years Eve included).

Eli Paperboy Reed plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight (11/21)

Negative Approach is at Southpaw this afternoon.

Yo Gabba Gabba perform their first of THREE SHOWS TODAY at Beacon Theater this morning! if you go, report back with what special guests they bring out (if any).

Happy Saturday!

Continue reading "Pentagram, Screaming Females, Phish, Jay-Z & other tickets +++ Yo Gabba Gabba is here (3 Beacon shows today)" at BrooklynVegan.com

Land of Talk - "It's Okay" video ++ tour dates (NYC tonight)

In honor of Land of Talk's return to NYC, the band's new video for "It's Okay" is posted (with all tour dates) below...

Continue reading "Land of Talk - "It's Okay" video ++ tour dates (NYC tonight)" at BrooklynVegan.com

What's going on Friday?

today in NYC
* Philip Glass @ BAM
* Devo @ Irving Plaza
* Ray Davies @ Town Hall
* Ned Sublette @ Joe's Pub
* Arhicpelago at Galapagos
* Timber Timbre @ Joe's Pub
* Earthless @ The Charleston
* (((microwaves))) @ Cake Shop
* Tune-Yards @ Permanent Records
* Times New Viking, The Axemen @ Maxwell's
* Wild Yaks, The Eskalators @ Shea Stadium
* Blind Pilot, Laura Veirs @ The Bell House
* Vision Fest benefit is at CSV Cultural Center
* Pillars and Tongues, Bear in Heaven @ Zebulon
* Javelin, Knyfe Hyts 81, Sleigh Bells @ Under 100
* Baroness, Earthless, US Christmas @ Bowery Ballroom
* Sam Micken's Ecstatic Showband Revue @ Death By Audio
* Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Brett Dennen @ Terminal 5
* Bishop Allen, Twin Thousands, Spanish Prisoners @ Union Hall
* Carsick Cars, PK 14, The Octagon, XIAO HE @ Ding Dong Lounge
* Reigning Sound, The Swinging Neckbreakers, The Jay Vons @ Southpaw
* Crystal Fighters, Tanlines, The Susan, Lemonade (DJ Set) @ Glasslands
* Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, These United States @ Mercury Lounge

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?" at BrooklynVegan.com

tUnE-YaRdS played MHOW (pics) & The Echo Park Time Travel Mart in LA (video), playing Permanent Records TONIGHT

photos by Ryan Muir

Dirty Projectors and tUnE-YaRdS played their second NYC show in a row together last night (11/19). It was at Music Hall of Williamsburg unlike the night before which was at Bowery Ballroom. They play the same two venues in reverse order on Saturday and Sunday with tonight (Friday, 11/20) being a night off.... except for tUnE-YaRdS who actually is playing a free show at Permanent Records at 7pm.

I'm not sure when, but some time in the recent past tUnE-YaRdS also recorded a "Dublab Session" at The Echo Park Time Travel Mart in Los Angeles. The videos of it just popped in my inbox today, and they're pretty cool, and you can check them out below with more pictures from her opening set at Music Hall on Thursday night...

Continue reading "tUnE-YaRdS played MHOW (pics) & The Echo Park Time Travel Mart in LA (video), playing Permanent Records TONIGHT" at BrooklynVegan.com

Carsick Cars, PK-14, Xiao He played powerhouse Arena (videos) & Glasslands (pics), playing more shows this week

photos by Lori Baily, words by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Carsick Cars - You Can Listen You Can Talk (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Carsick Cars - Zhong Nan Hai (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: PK-14 - Behind All Ruptures (MP3)

PK-14 @ Glasslands

Arriving late [to powerHouse Arena on November 5th] I found the place packed, but I was just able to set up in time to get Xiao He's last tune. This piece was a lengthy improv involving electronic looping, acoustic guitar, and Mongolian style throat-singing - all to bewitching effect. Next up were the catchily named Carsick Cars, a young and winsome trio who played just three songs, opening with the liberating 'You Can Listen You Can Talk' and closing with - reportedly a Chinese underground anthem - Zhong Nan Hai - a silly song about a popular cigarette brand that just happens to be named after the seat of Chinese Government. The point being, as I understand it, that being punk is being beyond politics. Lastly came P.K.14, apparently elder statesmen of the movement. Sporting a tight Swedish drummer, and singing in pure mandarin, one could discern a wide mix of influences from pop to punk, to post-punk, to freak-out rock. I've picked two tunes from them - the more melodic 'Eden' and the wild closer 'Some Surprises Happen Too Soon'. [Punkcast]

Punkcast was at the "China Underground Invasion" tour's kick off show on November 5th at powerHouse Arena. It was one of the four NYC shows for the tour that've already happened. Another was the next night (11/6) at Glasslands with These are Powers and Soft Circle. Pictures from the Glasslands show are above and below.

The trio of acts return to NYC on Friday, November 20th (TONIGHT) for a gig with The Octagon at UWS club Ding Dong Lounge with The Octagon. They follow that up with a tour-ending show at Secret Project Robot (NOT Monster Island Basement as originally listed in their dates) with Knyfe Hyts 81 and Aa on Saturday (Nov. 21). Knyfe Hyts 81 also have a show booked tonight in Manhattan with Sleigh Bells and Javelin.

Their label, Maybe Mars, lists one more stop for the gang. Guitarist Zhang Shouwang (from Carsick Cars) and Xiao He are slated to appear at the closing Performa 09 event, Scratch the Grand Finale at (Le) Poisson Rouge on November 22nd. But that isn't quite a conventional show - the fest writes that "invited artists will be asked to present a five to ten minute work responding to the following subtitles: Dining on Radio Waves; Lust is a Force; Between Noise & Silence; Songs for Architects; and Motion & Magic. The stage will be set with a arrangement of musical and Futurist inspired instrumentation and means from record decks, green light to perfume and the bassoon." Tickets are on sale.

Speaking of unconventional gigs, These Are Powers' next performance will be November 21st at Galapagos for a free edition (RSVP) of Cinema 16 (silent film+live band). For their set, the group will be scoring a pair of PSAs and one educational video from the '60s and '70s. Included in those will be "One Got Fat: Bicycle Safety" from 1963, summarized as such: "A group of children, wearing ape masks, the dangers of biking the hard way in this strange and dark PSA."

More pictures from the Glasslands show, videos via Punkcast from the powerHouse Arena gig, and more details on the upcoming shows are below...

Continue reading "Carsick Cars, PK-14, Xiao He played powerhouse Arena (videos) & Glasslands (pics), playing more shows this week" at BrooklynVegan.com

Javelin played Monster Island w/ Juiceboxxx (pics), plays new venue Under 100 TONIGHT w/ Sleigh Bells & Knyfe Hyts

words & photos by Erez Avissar

MNDR (aka Amanda Warner) opened the Brooklyn show at Monster Island on Wednesday night (11/18). Shouting, singing and rapping over techno-centric beats, she showed respect to tour-mate Juiceboxxx as well as a strong influence by him. She fared better than her mentor though, who played a super-brief, possibly truncated, set of less than 20 minutes. Opening with his most well-known tune/statement of intent, "Thunder Jam #5", Juiceboxxx positioned himself in sort of a "me against the crowd/world" way, alienating himself from the audience. It was unfortunate, because a basement show like this one could have been the ideal place to see him.

Even without their signature boomboxes, Javelin brought much-needed positive energy to the room with highlights like expanded versions of "Mossy Woodland" and "Vibrationz", as well as their skewed "Into The Groove" interpretation and some worldly tropical beats that turned the place into a dance party. The energy stayed with the crowd, who were more than happy to stick around after and dance to pop hits, ranging from Olivia Newton-John to Jay-Z, courtesy of Todd P's iPod.

Javelin live is not to be slept on. Catch them Friday (TONIGHT) with Sleigh Bells (who played Le Poisson Rouge last night) at a new DIY all ages venue in Manhattan called "Under 100." Get there early - Javelin goes on first (9pm). More details about that show and pictures below...

Continue reading "Javelin played Monster Island w/ Juiceboxxx (pics), plays new venue Under 100 TONIGHT w/ Sleigh Bells & Knyfe Hyts" at BrooklynVegan.com

Eli Paperboy Reed playing Brooklyn (Bowl), but not DC, Neon Indian tix on sale, Talib Kweli & other upcoming shows

Eli Paperboy Reed @ The Bell House (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

Tickets are on sale for the recently-added Neon Indian show at Brooklyn Bowl.

Soul man Eli "Paperboy" Reed is playing a show at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night (11/21). Tickets are on sale for that too. Eli, who also plays in Salem, Massachusetts tonight (11/20), was supposed to hit DC on the 22nd, but that's been cancelled "due to some logistical problems".

Jacob Blickenstaff took the picture of Eli you see above. If you happen to be in Memphis, check out his pictures on display at the Stax Museum of Ameican Soul Music.

Speaking of BV photographers with cool other projects, Justina Villanueva just released the first issue of her own magazine. Check out her recent photos from Jesus Lizard at Irving Plaza too.

Sunday is the Talib Kweli show at Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets are still on sale. It's one of three shows Talib will play in the city before the end of the year.

Other shows coming up at Brooklyn Bowl with tickets on sale include Julian Plenti, Dr. Dog, and Dangerous (All Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson). Dangerous also opened for Deer Tick there on Halloween.

It's been a year since Eli performed on Jools Holland. The video from that performance is below...

Continue reading "Eli Paperboy Reed playing Brooklyn (Bowl), but not DC, Neon Indian tix on sale, Talib Kweli & other upcoming shows" at BrooklynVegan.com

Jesus Lizard & Noveller @ Irving Plaza (night 2) in NYC - pics

photos by Lori Baily

"How can it be that in the wake of the ten year absence of this band, there's really yet to be a front man as captivating, ferocious, unnerving and entertaining? Sure there's Matt Korvette of PISSED JEANS and Eugene from OXBOW as current torch bearers, and I'm not sure that the world needs another GG Allin. Actually, scratch that...I am sure we don't need another GG. But those bands can't hold a 5W bulb to the music of the Jesus Lizard, and Yow's the propellant that gets it all going. He spent probably as much time in/on the crowd as on stage, and never missed a note while singing propped up by the hands of strangers. Highlights? Truly, there were no lulls. How can there be when you've got the mutated hybrid of "Chrome" coming at you, or the manic "Bloody Mary," or the insistent throbbing of "Gladiator"?" [Big Takeover]

The Jesus Lizard came to town. Night one pictures and discussion HERE. Night two setlist picture and more discussion HERE. Pictures from when they played a show on Halloween HERE. A whole bunch of pictures from the secomd night at Irving Plaza (11/17), with opener Noveller (aka Sarah Lipstate who also plays in Parts & Labor), below...

Continue reading "Jesus Lizard & Noveller @ Irving Plaza (night 2) in NYC - pics " at BrooklynVegan.com

Art Brut, Surfer Blood & Midnight Masses @ Brooklyn Bowl - pics & setlist

photos by Vincent Cornelli

Art Brut's most recent tour brought them into the NYC-area three times with three different sets of openers. Last Friday (11/13), the show was at Brooklyn Bowl with Surfer Blood and Midnight Masses. More pictures from that one, with the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Art Brut, Surfer Blood & Midnight Masses @ Brooklyn Bowl - pics & setlist" at BrooklynVegan.com