Ugh. The holidays were seriously rough. Like New Year’s Eve falling on Wednesday this year probably took years off my life and will most certainly result in a premature end to some of my relationships. But whatever, those people were on my shit list anyway. And hey, just because it’s cold as a witch’s mammary gland and we’re all still hungover, that doesn’t mean live music is on ice this week.
Tripped Out Trip Hop Trip Metal Trip
UXVIE, Tectonic Tonia, Psychic Book Club, and Greem Jellyfish
Thursday January 8th, 8pm at Palisades, tickets $8 at the door
Ok so maybe this show doesn’t feature either of the aforementioned genres, but we just wanted to emphasize how seriously trippy this show is going to be. This is experimental electronic music, and transcendental folk, and whatever’s left of Witch House for the laymen out there, not EDM. Gonna be real hip and weird we promise.
Deal of the Week
King Pizza Records Presents: the Rizzos, Nuddhist Monks, Ghost Punch
Wednesday January 7th, 8 pm at Don Pedro, tickets $5 at the door
Hey! For just $5 of your hard-earned cash and a few more for happy hour-priced drinks you can see a couple of fun local acts–The Rizzos (70’s rock ballads grounded with a killer vocalist) and Ghost Punch (old-school punk rock)–and one touring band, the Nuddhist Monks (high-energy pop punk from Athens, Ohio), brought to you by King Pizza records. By the way if you haven’t read our profile of the fresh Brooklyn garage label yet, you definitely should.
Awesome Tunes From Africa
Okay East Africa
Friday January 9th, 9:30 pm at Baby’s All Right, tickets $12-$15
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of new African music or are just looking to check out something different for a change, get thee to this show. Okayafrica (if you’re unfamiliar, it’s a blog that showcases Africa’s New Wave) has put together an expansive lineup of musicians from East Africa, featuring Hailu Mergia (Ethiopia- musician in the ‘70s and ‘80s who found a new audience thanks to Awesome Tapes From Africa), Low Mentality, Alsarah, and the Nubatones. Following the show, the Happy Show’s Findlay Brown will spin African disco, funk, and soul music.
We’ll Release You to the City for One Night
Nothing Changes
Wednesday January 7th, 10 pm-4 am at Home Sweet Home, tickets $8
Dark spirits of the musical abyss continue their reign at Nothing Changes (the weirdo Wednesday resident of the Lower East Side’s Home Sweet Home). This week brings Drew McDowall (formerly of Psychic TV, Coil, and, most recently, Compound Eye), Long Distance Poison (sick nasty drone), and Hoor-Paar-Kraat (experimental, well, noise). DJs to follow.
Welcome to Hangover City
Heaven’s Jail, Such Hounds, Milk Dick
Saturday January 10th, 4 pm at Baby’s All Right, tickets $5
If you go hard on Friday night, but don’t want to spend the entire next day being an unproductive sack of potatoes, the least you can do is crawl out of bed and make it to this late afternoon show. Awkward timing? Some people might say so. But don’t listen to them, listen to us. We promise nothing will be crazy loud– bands on the bill include mostly indie rock leaning acts like Heaven’s Jail and Such Hounds. Milk Dick might be the only exception, but maybe bratty garage rock will restore your faith in the virtues of being lively. And hey, you can grab some decent brunch at Baby’s All Right (really, it’s pretty good) at a reasonable hour and then wallow in your shame until showtime. Sounds like a perfect day to us!
Go Easy on the Ol’ Ears
Luke Jenner, Trace Mountains, Spirit of the Beehive
Tuesday January 6th, 8pm at Silent Barn, tickets $7 at the door
It’s only Tuesday guys, so take it easy at tonight’s show at Silent Barn. Luke Jenner of the Rapture is headlining, and is joined by Trace Mountains (a little bit Modest Mouse, minus Isaac Brock’s psychotic edge), and Spirit of the Beehive (bummer rock from Philly). Warm tunes for bodies wishing they were warm.
Old Dog, New Tricks
!!!
Wednesday January 7th through Saturday January 10th, 9 pm at Union Pool, tickets $10
The Australians are trying their damnedest to bring dance punk back, so why not revisit one of the OGs? Remember !!! (Chk-Chik-Chick)? No?!?!! I certainly do. Shortly after I discovered them years ago, I threw on their self-titled record for my high school friends. This resulted in one of the realest epiphanies of my young adult life–I have nothing in common with my high school friends. They immediately implored me to turn back on the Umphrey’s McGee and I just as quickly put down the bong and high-tailed it out of there. Needless to say, !!! are undeniably talented and dynamic musicians with a good number of sick releases under their belt, which explains why they’re holding down four whole nights in a row at Union Pool starting this Wednesday. And hey no need to feel weird about this band being “outdated” or something, because they’re about to record a new album and, rumor has it, will be playing new songs.
Uncharted Territory
Zula, the Gradients, Palm, and Advertising
Friday January 9th, 8 pm at Shea Stadium, tickets $8
Zula ain’t an easy band to pigeonhole – psyched-out noise is occasionally interspersed with tight rock riffs. If I had to compare their sound to anything familiar it would be Animal Collective, but even that association doesn’t really account for all of Zula’s complexities. This is the work of people who really know their shit, the result of countless hours messing around with synths and guitars and drums and all the digital possibilities of sound. Palm seals the deal. Though this Brooklyn band can be a little proggy (meh), they never let that tendency stick– instead, shit regularly hits the fan. Advertising is another local outfit that tends toward noisy sort of post punk jams. Go see ’em.
OMG Queens is SoOoOoO Far
Thursday January 8th, 8 pm at Trans Pecos, $7
This event is described by its gracious organizers as one where “the most depressed sad people [will play] the angstient music you never wanted and never asked for.” Finally. I thought I was going to go an entire week without stumbling across a show captained by kindred souls, but thanks Cash Bundles for making this sick lineup possible: Yonatan Gat Band (OMG get excited about guitar sounds again, Gat’s got a way of channeling the music of multiple far-flung locales at once. Give Iberian Passage a good once-over and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about), and The Yin Yangs (Nasty garage rock from Brooklyn. I think I saw them once. Maybe. Many beers ago. But assuming my memory would never betray me, thumbs up.)
Dead Tenants are also worth checking out, if not solely because they have a namesake song and bands that have namesake songs rule. And whoa buddy, the after party moves things all the way back to Brooklyn, where the bands will DJ the night away at Alaska.
EZ Jams
Oneida, Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, Mike Wexler
Saturday January 10th, 8 pm at Palisades, tickets $10
Let’s be real–you probably, definitely blew out your joints at that New Year’s Eve dance party. You’re not a dance machine! So stop listening to dance music for a minute, give your glutes a rest and take up swaying instead. Checking out Oneida is a good start. This New York band is all over the place, from Kraut Rock to their most recent foray into implacable glitchy soundscapes, but they will never bring you to the dance floor, never. Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band are also on the bill–our advice? Breathe in deeply, exhale slowly and completely. Chris Forsyth’s “Cosmic Americana” will take you far, farther West than you’ve been in a while. And finally there’s Mike Wexler, or simply the guy with “one of those voices you can never forget.” He’s on that same tip of other dreamy singer-song writers–gentle, psych vibes barely break waves over Wexler’s whisper. Soothing yeah, sleepy maybe. You decide.