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Category Archives: Music
Check em out: Dinosaur Feathers
I might be a little late jumping on the bandwagon, but I have just stumbled upon the Brooklyn-based trio Dinosaur Feathers recently, and I’m pretty much driving my co-workers crazy playing their newest album Fantasy Memorial on repeat. Each time I listen to it, I detect a different set of influences, which by now has become a laundry list including (but certainly not limited to) The Beach Boys, Kinks, Dodos, Ruby Suns, and Animal Collective. Not a bad musical cocktail, huh?
Take a listen for yourself below, and maybe you’ll hear something worth adding to the mix. Also, you can download the band’s first EP Early Morning Risers for free on their site. And, here are some upcoming NYC shows where you can catch them live:
6/17 @ Cake Shop
7/02 @ Silent Barn
7/22 @ Pier 54 w/ The Antlers (FREE)
NYC Upcoming Shows List
JUNE
6/09 Plants & Animals @ Bowery
6/14 Warpaint @ Mercury Lounge
6/15 Warpaint, Beach Fossils @ Knitting Factory
*6/15 First Aid Kit @ The Bell House
6/16 First Aid Kit @ Mercury Lounge
6/17 Dinosaur Feathers @ Cake Shop
6/18 Suckers @ MHW
6/19 The Morning Benders, Freelance Whales @ Governors Island (FREE)
6/20 Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses, Karen Elson @ Williamsburg Waterfront
6/25 Real Estate, Woods @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Northside Festival)
*6/26 Titus Andronicus, Cults, Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park (Northside Fest)
6/29 Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club, Suckers @ Prospect Park
JULY
7/01 Toro Y Moi @ Glasslands
7/02 Dinosaur Feathers @ Silent Barn
7/07 Delorean @ Music On The Oval (FREE)
*7/09 Bear In Heaven @ South Street Seaport (FREE)
7/10 Tanlines @ Bowery
7/15 Langhorne Slim @ Brooklyn Bowl
7/17 Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Harlem @Siren Festival (FREE)
7/17 Dr. Dog @ Governors Island (FREE)
7/20 Rufus Wainwright @ Prospect Park
7/22 The Antlers, Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54 (FREE)
7/23 Free Energy, Best Coast @ South Street Seaport (FREE)
7/24 M.I.A, Sleigh Bells, Theophilus London @ Governors Island
7/27 The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park
7/27 & 28 The Black Keys @ Central Park Summerstage
7/30 The Swell Season @ Prospect Park (FREE)
7/30 Avi Buffalo @ Pier 54 (FREE)
7/31 Sonic Youth @ Prospect Park (FREE)
AUGUST
*8/01 St. Vincent, tUnE-YaRds, Basia Bulat @ Central Park Summerstage (FREE)
8/06 Yacht @ South Street Seaport (FREE)
*8/07 Local Natives @ Governor’s Island
8/08 The xx, Chairlift, Jack Penate @ Central Park Summerstage (FREE)
8/11 Wild Beasts @ Highline Ballroom
8/12 White Rabbits @ East River Amphitheater (FREE)
8/12 Grizzly Bear, The Walkmen, Gang Gang Dance @ Governors Island
8/12 Deer Hunter, Real Estate @ Pier 54 (FREE)
8/13 Deer Tick @ Webster Hall
SEPTEMBER
9/07 The Do @ Mercury Lounge
9/08 The Do @ The Bell House
9/11 Panda Bear @ Governors Island *AMEX pre-sale Wednesday, June 9th, general sale on Friday, June 11th.
Posted in Music, New York, NYC Shows Lists
Trampled By Turtles
I am digging on Trampled By Turtles this morning as I anticipate this onset of my 3-day weekend. Ahhh, nothing says “it’s summer” like a good ole fashioned kick-ass bluegrass band. These Duluth, Minnesota-natives have my foot tapping a bit recklessly under my desk as I wait for the clock to strike 1:00…Ye-haaaaaw.
Listen:
Download: Wait So Long
Listen to (and download) the rest of their Daytrotter session here.
Black Keys FREE show: Classic Car Club 5/15/10
all photos: Bao Nguyen via Brooklyn Vegan
“Have you even seen the Black Keys perform?” “No” I replied. “Well, just wait till you see the fans. They freak out or pass out- every time. Consider yourself warned”. This was my conversation at the bar down the block from Classic Car Club Saturday night, as we waited for the doors to open for the Microsoft-sponsored free performance.
The initial vibe in the event space was very commercial, a lot of Microsoft-trying-to-be-hip promotional materials covered the walls, etc, which felt a little weird and forced. However, if you can imagine the kind of fans who’d line up for hours around the block eager for a chance to see the BKs, then I’m sure you can also imagine the vibe changed a bit once the flood gates opened and the ultra-fans came pouring in. It got EVEN WEIRDER.
The gentleman from the bar earlier was right. Through the course of the evening, I was witness to a hand-made Keys tee-shirt, which later turned into a flag that the (then topless) crazed fan waved around eager for some kind of recognition from his idols, a girl with her eyes closed and tears pouring down her face, and a few frat boys who busted my ear drums each time the band started up a new tune. Oh, also a looooot of fist pumps.
However, the band wailed. They were great. I was a little disappointed they didn’t play any new songs off Brothers, especially since the album is streaming on NPR but who am I to complain. They put on a good show. The crazed fans were appeased, and (to my knowledge) no one passed out. Success?
Sleigh Bells & Cults @ Ridgewood Temple 5/11/10
Above are some shots from last night’s show at Ridgewood Temple. All three acts (The Sundelles, Cults, and Sleigh Bells) put on great performances, but the night was really all about Sleigh Bells. Energy was high after the release of their album that afternoon, and the crowd pretty much exploded the second Alexis Krauss jumped on stage. The floor boards were shaky and the majority of the audience became a big sweaty dancing mosh-pit of energy. The “special guest” (rumored to be M.I.A) apparently fell ill and didn’t show. No matter, by the time Sleigh Bells were finished, that was the last thing on anyone’s mind.
Sleigh Bells album released today, streaming on NPR
Sleigh Bells album Treats releases today, and is streaming in its entirety on NPR. I am listening to it right now in preparation for their show tonight at Ridgewood Temple with Cults. Word on the street is that MIA might be a “special guest”, since she showed up at their last show at Coco66. One can only hope…
Local Natives, Suckers @ Bowery Ballroom 5/7/10
Suckers
Local Natives
Local Natives
Local Natives
Local Natives
Craig Montoro on trumpet for Local Natives (Hi Craig!)
*All photos by the fabulous Underwhelmer
NYC Upcoming Shows List
MAY
5/06 Beach House, Washed Out @ Webster Hall
5/06 Local Natives, Suckers @ Bowery
5/06 Lemonade @ Santos Party House
*5/07 Local Natives, Suckers @ Bowery
*5/11 Cults, Sleigh Bells @ Ridgewood Theater
5/12 Elliott Brood @ Pianos
5/13 Beach Fossils @ Brooklyn Bowl
5/13 Laura Marling @ MHW
5/14 Twin Sister @ Open Road Rooftop (Rooftop Films)
5/17 Mumford & Sons, The Middle East @ MHW
5/19 Phantogram @ Bowery
*5/20-23 LCD Soundsystem @ Term 5
5/28 Besnard Lakes @ Bowery
JUNE
6/05 Delorean @ Glasslands
6/09 Plants & Animals @ Bowery
6/14 Warpaint @ Mercury Lounge
6/15 Warpaint @ Knitting Factory
*6/15 First Aid Kit @ The Bell House
6/16 First Aid Kit @ Mercury Lounge
6/18 Suckers @ MHW
6/20 Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses @ Williamsburg Waterfront
6/25 Real Estate, Woods @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Northside Festival)
*6/26 Titus Andronicus, Cults, Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park (Northside Fest)
6/29 Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club, Suckers @ Prospect Park
JULY
7/07 Delorean @ Music On The Oval (FREE)
*7/09 Bear In Heaven @ South Street Seaport (FREE)
7/10 Tanlines @ Bowery
7/17 Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Harlem @Siren Festival (FREE)
7/20 Rufus Wainwright @ Prospect Park
7/22 The Antlers @ Pier 54 (FREE)
7/23 Free Energy, Best Coast @ South Street Seaport (FREE)
7/27 The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park
7/27 & 28 The Black Keys @ Central Park Summerstage
7/30 The Swell Season @ Prospect Park (FREE)
7/30 Avi Buffalo @ Pier 54 (FREE)
7/31 Sonic Youth @ Prospect Park (FREE)
AUGUST
*8/01 St. Vincent, tUnE-YaRds, Basia Bulat @ Central Park Summerstage (FREE)
8/06 Yacht @ South Street Seaport (FREE)
*8/07 Local Natives @ Governor’s Island
8/08 The xx, Chairlift, Jack Penate @ Central Park Summerstage (FREE)
8/12 White Rabbits @ East River Amphitheater (FREE)
8/12 Deer Hunter, Real Estate @ Pier 54 (FREE)
8/14 Neon Indian @ Governor’s Island (FREE)
Posted in Music, New York, NYC Shows Lists
Cults: free 7″ download & upcoming NYC show
Cults are rad with a capital R. Not only have they put out an amazing 7″ of three delicate, contagious tracks that are reminiscent of 50′s pop and early Le Tigre all at once (or dare I say Julie Ruin for those of you who really know where it’s at), but they are also an interesting breed of musicians for today’s hype-focused, internet-promoted music scene. Here’s why: They aren’t particularly focused on hype or promoting themselves. AT ALL. (Their name is practically un-Google-able for starters) However, that hasn’t stopped the hype from finding them.
Pitchfork managed to pull together a charming interview last month in which the band talk a bit about the old-fashioned mystique that has pretty much vanished from the music industry we know today.
“Back in the day, there was kind of a mystery to rock and roll, where you could look at album covers and imagine what their [the musician's] lives are like. Now we’re not satisfied unless we know exactly what they do everyday, who they are, where they live. Putting the songs up online without any info was partially just a coincidence, but it’s also a reaction to that attitude– trying to inject something bigger into what’s become an extremely compartmentalized music industry.”
Anyway, I think that’s pretty cool. Its refreshing. And more importantly, I LOVE the music these guys are making together. Regardless of who they are, where they’re from, what they had for breakfast, I know one thing: These songs are great.
-Download the album for free on the group’s bandcamp site.
-Check em out live here in NYC at RIDGEWOOD TEMPLE next Tuesday, May 11, where they’re playing with Sleigh Bells, $8, All ages.
Posted in Music
Tagged Cults, Go Outside, Julie Ruin, Le Tigre, Ridgewood Temple, Sleigh Bells, The Curse
Fanfarlo cover Fleetwood Mac
What is it about covers that are so gosh-darn satisfying? I just realized I have a chock-full-of-em here on this blog. There’s something about listening to a song you already have familiar feelings associated with thru a new filter that is so pleasing to the ear. Mmmmhmmm. Here’s a Record Store Day release of Fanfarlo, covering What Makes You Think You’re The One by good old FM.
Posted in Music
Slow Club- free EP download
Slow Club, the folk-rock duo from Sheffield, England are giving away their first EP Lets Fall Back In Love for free today, available for download here. If you dig this stuff, then pick up their debut full-length album, Yea So, out now on Moshi Moshi.
Posted in Music
Tagged free download, Lets Fall Back In Love, Moshi Moshi, Slow Club
The Antlers cover The XX
Check out the Antlers covering The XX’s VCR on University of Illinois radio station WPGU. They also play their own songs Kettering and Bear (one of my favorites). All lovely.
Crystal Castles new album
Crystal castles are scheduled to release their second album (self titled, like the first record) June 8th. Meanwhile, two things to hold us over:
1. They are releasing a limited edition 12″ single on April 17th, Record Store Day, with new track “Doe Deer”, as well as 3 other songs that the band recorded in 2004, before they added electronics to their music. (Intriguing, right?)
2. Read this article by Emily Bick, who had a chance to preview the full album. She goes through each song track by track. (Personally I have a hard time reading about how music sounds without the ability to hear the real thing for myself, but she does a pretty good job.)
Stream Dr. Dog new album: Shame, Shame
I’m a little late in the game on this one. (I was in LCD Soundsystem-dance-party-heaven last week, so forgive me for not posting about this sooner) Dr. Dog’s newest album Shame, Shame was released April 6th. You can stream the album in its entirety on npr today. Or, better yet, go buy the album like I just did!
LCD Soundsystem @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 4/8/10
all photos: Jon Wilde
I f*cking loooooooove you, you f*cking Irish Bastard!” screeched the 220 lb die-hard-LCD fan next to me in the crowd, his face suddenly resembling that of a 12-year old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert. I peer up at the Music Hall of Williamsburg stage as James Murphy grabs the mike to address the crowd. “There’s good news and bad news.” he says “The good news is we’re here. The bad news is I’m wasted.” The crowd erupts in the first of many explosions of approval. What will turn out to be the best show I’ve seen all year is about to begin.
I am not exaggerating with that last statement. The 90 minutes that followed were truly epic. As Murphy reminded the crowd several times throughout the show, this was their first performance in nearly 3 years, the longest stretch of time ever for the band. AND it was on their home-ground, which resulted in several charmingly emotional, sweaty rants from Murphy on his love of Brooklyn and New York, to which the crowd reacted like crazed unrequited lovers lavished in long-overdue affection.
Basically it was a perfect set. They played only 2 songs off the new album, the rest were all hits like “Us vs. Them”, “Tribulations”, “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House”, “Yeah”, and a very appropriate “NY, I Love You”. close.
By the time the show let out, everyone in the audience was emitting the same glow as that die-hard fan. James Murphy, we f*cking love you!!!
*Please, please grab tickets for their Webster Hall show on Monday (just added) It may be your smartest decision all year.
The Return of Corin Tucker (first solo album since Sleater Kinney)
Ok, I know you have heard me go on about my inner-teenage-self quite a bit on my blog as of late. (Mostly related to this year’s Courtney Love revival.) While I definitely feel all sorts of nostalgic when discussing Sleater Kinney (One of the greatest, most influential bands of my riot grrrl heyday), my current 28-year old self is just as excited about the return of Corin Tucker (former Sleater Kinny lead singer, guitarist) as the inner 16-year old me.
I’m not the only one who has grown up. Since 2006, when the band officially went on hiatus, Corin has shifted her focus from touring, performing and writing music to what she refers to as just “becoming a civilian” and raising 2 children. Her new solo album, due out sometime this October, will be a mix of those two worlds. Backed by the Golden Bears’ Seth Lorinczi and Hungry Ghost’s Sara Lund, Corin plans to do a small-scale tour of the East & West Coasts (Yippie!)
As for what we can expect from this album, and whether it will sound like Sleater Kinney or not?
“I think some of the songs are in the ballpark. It’s definitely my voice and my songwriting style. But it’s different instrumentation on some of the songs and a different collaboration. Seth’s producing and arranging things, so that’s different, too. It may be more traditional with some of the arrangements.” -Corin Tucker via The Portland Mercury
I can’t wait.
Just Announced: LCD Soundsystem play MHW tomorrow!
According to Brooklyn Vegan, tickets for LCD Soundsystem at Music Hall of Williamsburg go on sale at 9 am this morning for tomorrow’s show here. If you are in the NYC area, and are allergic to Terminal 5 (like yours truly), this may be your best shot at seeing these guys on their present tour.
Band to Watch: YAWN (+ free EP download!)
What if Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend spawned a group of eclectro-tribal, afro-pop teenage sons? What if they were kind of bad-ass? They’d be YAWN.
The Chicago-based four-piece, previously known as Metrovox, has been going by YAWN for about a year now, and they even released a free EP on their website, which you can download here. If that’s not reason enough to dig these guys, check out the 2 songs below. I’m a new fan.
