Not quite a summer jam, but well worth a listen, this new Department of Eagles track may have you recalling cool contemplative winter evenings, which after these past few days of brutal NY summer heat is a welcome recollection indeed. Enjoy.
Download here
Cults, who I’ve mentioned a few times on this blog, have released a new song, “Oh My God” and a video to go along with it. The song’s catchy but doesn’t quite have the same haunting vintage vibe as “The Curse”, which I kind of miss. Still, its fun, and for a band that’s been around for less time than some food currently sitting in my refrigerator, I’d say their doing just fine.
Also, might want to check out the video, if for no other reason than to witness the work of balloon artist Jason Hackenwerth. (yes, balloon artist) Its pretty awesome, and even more so as the video progresses.
Download here
Sorry I have been m.i.a. these past few days, guys. Its been one of those weeks… However, I wanted to take a quick second to post this because I definitely think its worth checking out. On Friday, July 2, High Places and Toro Y Moi are playing a free show at The Whitney in the lower gallery/sculpture park. Show starts at 7PM, and its free with museum admission. (Admission is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 6–9 pm ) I am going to try to make this one for sure.
*Random side note: Toro Y Moi created some awesome desktop wallpaper for Kitsune Noir a while back, which has been on my computer all year. Its really rad. Check it out (and download FREE) here.
Tagged High Places, Kitsune Noir, Toro Y Moi, Whitney Museum
According to Brooklyn Vegan, Sunday Best is still going strong this weekend, same location, but no alcohol will be served, and you cannot bring any onto the property (No flasks allowed). Also, the venue is now being referred to as simply “400 Carroll Street”. For some reason, this all feels vaguely familiar… cough, Giuliani, cough cough.
*I wish I could credit the photo above. Sadly, there’s no mention online. Original source here.
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)
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
I am so sad to write this entry. The Brooklyn Yard has closed its doors. Last weekend (opening weekend!) was the last weekend to be held in the Carroll Gardens/Gowanus space. An excerpt from the email I just received below:
“Our landlord of the past four years, who used to share our vision for BKLYN Yard, notified us on Tuesday May 1st, that they would no longer honor our lease which had been in place since early this year. They chose not to give us an opportunity to renegotiate, and requested that we take what we have built, and terminate all of our confirmed plans and schedule for BKLYN Yard this summer” -MeanRed Productions
What a massive bummer. I have so many fond memories of this place. From live performances of High Places, Oneida, and O’ Death, to food truck extravaganzas, clothing swaps, and lots of sangria and good conversation. One of the most unique and entertaining NY Summer activities has come to an end. So. Sad.
Photo: Texas Malika Toussaint-Baptiste (www.kingtexas.net)
Last week, I took my intern to Marina Abramović’s ”The Artist Is Present” at MOMA. We both left speechless. I am going to attempt to make this brief, but it is exceptionally hard because each piece really deserves a blog entry of it’s own.
A retrospective of performance art is a hard concept to grasp. Is it possible to understand, to really get the full effect of an artist’s body of work through live re-creations, along with video, sound, and photographic documentation? In my (newly formed) opinion, yes. Each room I entered was a unique and profound experience. I felt connected to every single piece I watched/read/interacted with. I cannot recall the last exhibition that elicited that kind of response from me.
From video of a young Marina obsessively and violently brushing her hair, to re-creations of her collaborative work with former lover Frank Uwe Laysiepen (Ulay), to the final live performance of the artist’s silent interaction with audience members, I was captivated. Also worth noting, each piece really FELT like it was hers, reenacted or otherwise.
There is criticism that her work is ego-driven, and that turns some people off I suppose. However, I think that for an artist to present you with pieces that are each engaging and compelling in a completely different way, yet so personally connected to the artist that you cannot separate one from the other, is to truly succeed. I mean, isn’t that what it’s all about? Besides, what was ever so wrong with ego to begin with?
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.
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?
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 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…
Suckers
Local Natives
Local Natives
Local Natives
Local Natives
Craig Montoro on trumpet for Local Natives (Hi Craig!)
*All photos by the fabulous Underwhelmer
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 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
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, 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
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.
