THIS is happening this weekend as part of Northside Fest 2011 - yep that's right I am once again excited and honored to be presenting a fun filled music showcase alongside my friends at Flavorpill and The Bellhouse . We have curated a stealth line up of some of Brooklyn's up and coming finest, and Russ and I will also be attempting to find that delicate balance between Witchhouse and Hall & Oates in our first duo DJ set. You can get more information and buy advanced tickets here [...]
When they first emerged onto the scene a few years ago, I was definitely not a huge fan of UK band The Horrors . I thought they were too unpolished, unfocused and overly styled to say the least. Sure they had an interesting look (don't even get me started on the number of teenage girls with Tumblr accounts devoted entirely to photographic imagery of these boys), but their musical output just didn't seem to have the same prowess. I went to see them live once, at Pianos, and ended up leaving about halfway through while one of them was [...]
Doing what I do for a living, I'm often tasked with being able to foresee trends and innovations before they actually happen. So when the fancy speaker making folks of JBL decided to ship me their On Air Wireless speakers to review, there was no way I could say no (free stuff + the fuuuuuuture = happy dork). I've spent a few weeks using the speakers now and trying out wireless music streaming for the first time, debuting them for my friends at a Memorial Day BBQ which would be the ultimate test. Below is what I liked, [...]
So. Excited. About. This. Still.
For anyone looking to get a jump start on their local music appreciation in advance of Northside Festival next month, The Deli Magazine has the perfect event series for you with their first annual Brooklyn Emerging Artists Festival . This mini-fest features four dates of local artists - including a show by Fang Island on Friday night at Brooklyn Bowl with a DJ set by yours truly! Overall the line ups get two thumbs up for me, especially Thursday night's show at Cameo featuring four bands that I have personally booked for showcases in [...]
Weekly features are effing hard! But please observe that I have now updated this blog with something EVERY DAY THIS WEEK. A sign of the impending rapture? Probably. Either way, at least you'll have some new music to go out to... combine with tequila and everything will be a-okay xo Nora Scattered Trees - Four Days Straight Hey Champ - Anything At All Hooray For Earth - True Loves Times New Viking - Ever Falling In Love [...]
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Hysterical from CYHSY on Vimeo . Hey guys, so Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are putting out their first new album in 4+ years. HOLD UP WAIT A MINUTE. I thought they hated each other? I thought they all went off to do other projects and everything was dunzo? Are they "pulling a Strokes?" Does it even matter? In case you recall, I have been a fan of the band since their I guess now somewhat infamous [...]
Check out the video for the first single from Art Brut's new album Brilliant! Tragic! out May 23rd on Cooking Vinyl/The End Records. Not sure what is going on with Eddie's voice on this track... why so whispery and raspy? The good news is that you can stream the whole album via Paste Magazine right now and he definitely doesn't sound like that on every track. Catch Art Brut on tour - still one of the most fun live bands around: May 30 Lexington, [...]
I wrote about the so very awesome Tidal Arms last year - and continue to rave about them as they've garnered a lot of very well deserved praise over the last several months with the release their debut album The Sun Exploding and supporting tour with Glassjaw. The other band that makes up this dynamic duo, Drummers , should be familiar to some since it features former members of one of my other favorite New England bands, Pretty & Nice - they play "something like post hard-core" - and play it quite well. [...]
Funny fact: I have posted 1,234 times on this blog. Until now that is. This post basically throws off the equilibrium of everything but since I've finally got a band to be super excited about, that's just how it is going to have to be. It's also a rainy crapola of a day here in NYC too, so any little burst of enthusiasm is a welcome caveat to my life. Today that burst comes courtesy of Allston, Massachusetts based band Young Adults , a trio of your typically scruffy young boys who create a pretty awesome storm of passionate [...]
Here's a million dollar question: Does your band really have a song called "Cinco De Mayo" that you email bloggers cleverly about ON May 5th oooooor did you just rename any old song "Cinco De Mayo" and email it to bloggers on May 5th hoping for coverage because hey... that's some sweet easy content right there? This song actually has the words "cinco de mayo" in the chorus so I'm going to let Tampa Florida based band King of Spain have this one. And it's also actually a pretty cute song, even though I'm [...]
It's spring, you guys. Bunnies and sunshine and rain(bows) for all! And this new song from a BK group I heart - Matt Pond PA - will certainly put a spring (ha!) in your step to say the least. Entitled "Love To Get Used," the track is from their new Spring Fools EP which they recently recording in Austin, Texas. Clearly it looks like the warmer climate definitely lent a boost of pep to the band's recording session and an infusion of southern charm which really translates into this pop-y offering. Love it. [...]
It seriously seems like an entire lifetime ago (5 years!) that I developed a massive crush on UK singer Tom Vek , a time when no one from New Jersey went out on the LES on the regular and "I Ain't Sayin My Goodbyes" was blasting out of every bar from Rothko to the (then cool) Darkroom. That was an interesting time, a turning point, and unfortunately Tom Vek didn't stick around for the fall out. But now.. he's back! And seemingly just as awesome as I remembered him to be. His new album, Leisure [...]
Here is a new weekly blog feature that I am hoping will last longer than... one week. Clearly it will be the five songs, every Friday, that I love and am sadly too busy/lazy to write a full post about but definitely think you should hear. This will likely feature a LOT of selects from my massively overwhelmed inbox so hopefully you'll discover something amazing. Have a great weekend! Yuck - The Wall Telekinesis - Please Ask For Help Young Widows - Right In The End [...]
I already really liked the last Cold Cave album. Lots. It was especially good for when I was in a particular gothy mood (maybe it's raining, but I don't feel like crying or wallowing, or maybe I"m just wearing a goth poncho and hanging out on a beach drinking a pina colada.. you know how that goes, right?. Is that actually the principle that new wave was founded on? Probably? I digress...). But back to the subject at hand: OH MAN if I thought their debut Love Comes Close was the [...]
What you see above is what happens when I arrive at a concert to find out that I have a *surprise* photo pass which subsequently makes me "that girl" in the photo pit trying to take shots with my iphone . While there are clearly some questions here about my photographic prowess, there are certainly NO questions that Brooklyn band Holy Ghost brought the party to a sold out Terminal 5 on Friday night as the openers for dancetastic Cut Copy. What I appreciate the most about what the Holy Ghost boys [...]
I am not someone who gets very worked up over most new releases. Sure there are a select few... new Radiohead albums obvs, other releases from some of my dearest favorites or perhaps a band releasing an album after a long hiatus (the Strokes, however, do not apply here). But this year I am just a teensy bit OVERWHELMINGLY anticipating the release of the debut album from NYC band We Are Augustines (Bill McCarthy and Eric Sanderson formerly of indie rock group Pela), entitled Rise Ye Sunken Ships . Due out for [...]
Going into SXSW I was prepared for a lot of awesome surprises and a lot of familiar favorites. My first of the awesome surprises category actually came during my own showcase (when you book a party with three other parties involved you don't get say in every band - but that can actually work out great because you get to see all kinds of new stuff from people whose opinions you trust), which was Norwegian group The Megaphonic Thrift . They've been generating buzz for a while, but sometimes seeing something live is what really clicks it all together [...]
Well, that was crazy. SXSW 2011 is now over, somehow I survived, and made the video above as a summary of some of what (I think) happened. Big thanks to my friends at HP for taking such good care of me - except for that time I got locked in the Spin Magazine shed that was full of free alcohol which was baaaaad news - and to everyone at Flavorpill , the Musebox and The Bellhouse for putting together such a fun day party. Special hugs go [...]
In their first trip down to SXSW, Brooklyn's Yellow Ostrich arrived yesterday at the Spin loft bright eyed and ready to.. totally kick my ass at a game of Angry Birds. I blame my lack of prowess at playing on one of HP's new giant touch screen computers which is more than a little bit different from playing with just your thumbs on a smartphone. Not to mention that with a band name like Yellow Ostrich I suspect they had just a bit of an advantage when it comes to slinging birds. Hopefully their total domination put them [...]
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Check Out: d’Eon – “Transparency pt. II”
the Weekender ::: New music from Catcall // the National // Summer Camp
KNIFE PARTY – RAGE VALLEY EP
