Artist: Acid Jacks

[Photos by acidjack] Brooklyn's EULA have been on a tear lately, just having wrapped up a slew of local shows that brought them to many of my favorite venues (and some newer ones like Big Snow and NXL LVL). It was hard to pick the perfect time and place to see them with so many good options, but Cameo Gallery seems to have a been a great choice. The stage wasn't overlit, the sound was spot-on, and the band, well, they were on fire. EULA's sound updates the classic three-chord postpunk of the [...]

[Photo by Ken Grand-Pierre. See his Flickr stream here ] Food Will Win the War may have been opening for the Lemonheads on this night, but they put a headliner-level of intensity into their set of acoustic folk-rock, and were rewarded with a mostly full house to do it. They are one of those big, "musical" bands that puts thought as well as energy into their performances, using their fairly large (six) number of players and diverse instrumentation to produce finely-honed, thoughtful arrangements. Yes, as rock music goes, they are about [...]

[Photos by acidjack] In a north Brooklyn scene that has both thriving indie rock and metal scenes, Grandfather are one of the few bands that bridges that divide. The band plays intelligent, aggressive hard rock (not quite metal) that capitalizes on the outstanding guitar work of Michael Kirsch and the focused, balls-out vocals of Josh Hoffman, already a consummate rock frontman even in his rookie years. The closest reference point sound-wise for the band is probably the mighty Tool , but these guys clearly listened to plenty of Nirvana and other Seattle bands in their [...]

[photo courtesy of Maryanne Ventrice ] On nyctaper, we take pride in recognizing the talent and potential of bands long before they hit it big. We have had a nice little track record and the results are archived in five years worth of posts on this site. But we're also perfectly willing to admit when we miss one entirely. Two and a half years ago, I recorded Hospitality at Littlefield but did not post it on nyctaper, because, well, I did not see the band's potential. This week Hospitality [...]

[Photo by acidjack] It's one thing to be unaware of an amazing live act for far too long; it's another for them to be from your own backyard and to be totally clueless about them until they're opening for an established band at Bowery Ballroom . But such is the truth of my discovery of Brooklyn's Superhuman Happiness , and I'm happy to say I'm glad I made my way to them eventually, even if I arrived late to the party. Like the band they were opening for , Superhuman Happiness utilize a [...]

[Photos by acidjack] I suppose one could fairly accuse this site of not featuring enough heavy music. There are several reasons for that, not least being that a lot of "metal" bands aren't into being recorded. But here's to hoping that changes, especially since Brooklyn has had a vibrant metal scene going for quite awhile now, as chronicled by BrooklynVegan among few "indie" sites that acknowledge metal even exists. Naam are one of the first bands that made me realize such a gap existed in our coverage, when I saw them open for Om [...]

[Photos by acidjack] Rubblebucket is a Brooklyn-by-way-of-Vermont band that is building a fan base the old-fashioned way: outstanding live shows and the positive word of mouth that results. With a touring schedule that has blanketed the eastern seaboard and made them regulars in their home region, the band has come by every new fan and every new gig as honestly as possible. That's why, although you may have never heard of them, they sold out the Bowery Ballroom handily on a Saturday night. They may have gotten their start on the college music circuit, [...]

[Photos by Jill at fortheloveofbrooklyn ] While Wasilla, Alaska will forever be inextricably linked with its most famous resident, a certain former vice presidential candidate, music fans may know it as the unlikely birthplace of Portugal. The Man [punctuation theirs]. Now based in Portland, the young band is an unabashed classic rock throwback, with semi-psychedelic, jammable songs that take their cues from the sounds of rock's late 60s - mid 70s period. I fully admit to them being one of those bands that flew completely under my radar, until I noticed one day that they were headlining [...]

[Photos by acidjack] In an excellent piece in the L Magazine entitled "101 Secrets to Indie Rock Success", the magazine advises that "[p]laying instruments on a stage isn't all there is to a performance. It's got to rise to the level of a show. There are different ways to put one on, but just playing instruments, even quite well, isn't enough." Our Mountain have obviously taken that to heart in a big way - they're one of the most dynamic, engaging new live bands I've seen in awhile, and they look the part. [...]

[Photos by acidjack] The Phantom Family Halo deserve your attention - and they've already gotten their fair share. Last year's The Mindeater EP with Bonnie "Prince" Billy , another artist with some Louisville roots, earned them mention in the New York Times and beyond. Bandmember Dom Cipolla also participated in another high-profile collaborative affair recently when he contributed to a live session at Joe's Pub that covered Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets . This Monday night show at Glasslands , however, was dedicated to the band's own material, [...]

[Photo courtesy of the band and hosted at the band's Facebook page ] I started my musical 2012 off right with a dose of feel-good rock from Brooklyn's Clear Plastic Masks at the always-welcoming Mercury Lounge in Manhattan. Despite the continuing interest in various forms of bedroom recordings and keyboard-and-loop heavy atmospherics in the Brooklyn scene, there remain a solid cadre of new bands making organic, straight-ahead rock, and CPM fall into that category. The most obvious reference for their bluesy rock sound is The Black Keys, but being a four-man act (Charlie [...]

[Photos by acidjack] The very first band I saw in 2012 was a bit of a shot in the dark - I wasn't really aware of THE FIELD RECORDINGS (capitalization theirs), but scanning the first-week schedules of my regular haunts, I came across their gig with Clear Plastic Masks at Mercury Lounge , checked out their music on bandcamp , and liked what I heard. The New Haven, CT threesome didn't disappoint, delivering a set of ambitious, well-crafted guitar-driven noise pop. Their upbeat guitar sound and penchant for unusual time changes recalls some bands [...]

[Photo from night one courtesy of EarDrumNYC ] That life is short is one of those well-worn cliches. It's also true. Knowing that this would be the only Yo La Tengo Hanukkah show I would see this year - and knowing that YLT frontman Ira Kaplan might not have been able to make it at all - that old cliche came to mind in full force. This is a band that consistently holds nothing back - a band that, whenever its career is over, will wind up its run with no regrets. The same can [...]

Thurston Moore at Williamsburg Waterfront. Photo by anonymous Live music in 2011 saw several newer bands consolidate their hold on greatness, while well-established acts from the 90s brought out crowds for reunion shows and, sadly, farewells. For those of us at the site, we were inspired by crowds of people who were, in a lot of cases, younger than we were checking out bands like Archers of Loaf live for the first time, or finally gaining appreciation for the work of artists like Cass McCombs and Bill Callahan. At the same time, favorite new or [...]

[Photos by acidjack] I have wanted to see Royal Baths for over at least a year now, since this site last attempted to cover one of the band's New York shows. Last year's ill-fated attempt was a gig at Monster Island Basement that, let's just say, suffered from some human failings. But I didn't care - the band's debut album on Woodsist Records , Litanies , was one of my absolute favorites of last year. Woozy, dark and catchy as hell, the record sounded perfectly like their hometown of San Francisco, evoking that city's [...]

To mark the end of the year, @labombe are releasing their 11th record 'Four of a Kind' which is a selection of unreleased tracks from never-before-released artists with tease of what to look forward to in 2012. The first track on this four track EP is done by @Surrend3r - an artist formerly known as 'Opptimo' - and this delightful, uplifting beauty is taken from his forthcoming debut album which will be out early next year. It is such a sweet and happy, disco house track that there is a genuine feelgood vibe [...]

• I Need? - Sifonette
• La Bombe - Arveene & Misk - Latin Piano (Acid Jacks Remix)
• La Bombe - Four Of A Kind
• La Bombe - Transistorcake - Endorphin
• Surrender - Conflicted

[photos by David Andrako ] If you haven't heard a truly great voice lately, you might want to check out Daniel Wayne . There's no doubt that distinguishing yourself as a singer-songwriter can be difficult; it's a style where it's easy to be mediocre, difficult to be great. But that voice puts to rest the doubters - sweet through the middle and upper ranges and flawless on the high notes, Wayne is instantly recognizable as well as accessible. A good example can be heard on the haunting, lonely solo number, "Pub's Crawl", which also takes an abrupt turn into a [...]

[Photo courtesy of Brian Stollery] Another of the bands we make no secret of our love for is Real Estate . Over the past three years that we have been following the band, we have watched the mature and develop sonically, culminating with their release of the new album Days on Domino Recording Company - their first for the tastemaking label. Days continues a run of good news for the band, who have continued to tour hard and earn accolades from critics and fans alike. This show at [...]

[iphone photo by acidjack] Bardo Pond belongs to a select group of contemporary bands that are beyond categorization. Arguably their nearest contemporaries are Godspeed , but even that is an imperfect comparison. Bardo performs sweeping guitar based soundscapes, but within a song structure. At Death By Audio last weekend, the band performed a representative hour-long set to a modest but enthusiastic crowd. Along with 285 Kent, DBA has become a primary Brooklyn DIY venue with an upgraded sound system and excellent staff. The atmosphere was perfect for the Bardo show, as the [...]

[Photos by Dominick Mastrangelo ] Jessica Lea Mayfield sure is a heartbreaker. She has the affect of the pretty, reserved, stonerish girl in the back of the class - you always wondered what that girl was thinking. If that girl actually was Mayfield, well, that girl would have a hell of a lot deeper feelings than her air of ironic detachment might suggest. She'd be all-but-given-up on God ("Bible Days"), head-over-heels in love ("The One That I Love Best"), or maybe flat-out horny "Grown Man." And that voice of hers... well, it would hold your [...]