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03/31/15 2:19pm
03/31/2015 2:19 PM |

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Welcome back to another installment of our esteemed show list. And this week we have as diverse a lineup as ever, we promise. While spring is tugging us, rudely I might add, between wintery blues and like just wanting to lurch forward with all of our pent up energy into the sunlight and never come back, our ears are responding in kind. At least me and this guy I know are craving the cathartic darkness of black metal and some pop-timism, and don’t fret– we’ve got those ends and every in-betweens for you right here. Open wide.

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03/24/15 3:45pm
03/24/2015 3:45 PM |

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Kitties, we’ve got shows, shows, shows galore. SXSW is freaking OVER which means bands are headed our way once again. Thank heavens! Not that we don’t have a slew of local band babes we’re crushin’ on, always. This week in Brooklyn live music, we’ve got a heady mix of noise boys, anti-folk lasses, more garage than you can throw several bundles of sticks at (this is the age we live in, people), and singular forces of magnificent flesh who will blow your damn Gulliver clear off your spine. Glad to see the Brooklyn music scene is back to normal, now get back out there team.

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A Tornado of a Man

Kirin J Callinan, Donny Benet

Wednesday March 25th, 11:30 pm @ Baby’s All Right: hella free

Who is this guy? And why is this the first I’m hearing of him? I’ve been on an Australian music kick for a hot minute now but I’ve also been stuck in a punk vortex. However I’m thinking maybe it’s time I climb the frick out– this guy, Kirin J Callinan being the number one reason I should get my head out of my bum. He’s like Tom Waits without the cigarettes and booze. Or maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, maybe Kirin J Callinan’s voice hasn’t been graveled by time and vice just yet. For now Callinan’s a smooth baritone unadulterated by anything but pure feeling, and he’s got a hell of a lot of it. Legend has it his live performances are out of this world, so even more reason to catch him at the relatively bitsy venue, BB = OK. [Nicole Disser]

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Garage Licks

Wand, Babes, Scully

Saturday March 28th, 10:30 pm @ Baby’s All Right: $10 in advance/ $12 at the door

Go for mathy space jams from Wand, but go early for the openers. At first I was all like wow these guys (Babes) sound like Burger Records in a blender, then I realized I was listening to two songs at once , which clearly I should do more often. You can imagine I was prepared for disappointment. But I wasn’t, disappointed that is. This New Orleans garage band is sufficiently nasty to be interesting, as they should be– these are bayou boys we’re talking about here and they certainly do act like it. Photos from SXSW indicate these Babes are no strangers to getting buck naked (pronounced Neck-Ed in the South, right?) And unless they’ve slipped into a bucket of extra-strength wax they should be the same ol’ balls of hair promised to us by aforementioned photos.

I haven’t gotten a chance to see the ladies of Scully just yet, I’ll admit. But my hold out might be wearing thin– their tracks present a sound rife with too-cool-for-school Western vibes and boppy pop garage beats. If everyone lets loose this show should rule. [Nicole Disser]

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Whimsical Glockenspiel 

Little Cobweb, Pony Farm, Guts Club Thelma

Sunday March 23rd, 3 pm @ Palisades: $5

Pony Farm are galloping in the vein of weird punk. Words are croaked from a putrid voice box of mysterious origin (man, woman, or horse?) and some invisible hand brings up the rear with a freaking xylophone of all things or maybe I’m hearing wind chimes? A triangle? Oh wait, outside sources have confirmed it’s actually a glockenspiel (even better!).

Guts Club is the solo anti-folk, found video collage project of Lindsey Baker and her acoustic guitar. And it’s gutsy stuff indeed. Baker is raw as hell on her record, The Arm Wrestling Tournament, where we can hear her voice crackling and earnest. Little Cobweb aka Angel Carlucci is bedroom music, literally (she recorded her album Indelible Marks in her actual, real life bedroom) and figuratively (I would imagine this is the kind of stuff you’d find yourself stressin’ bullets over when you’re lying prone in bed after getting dumped or something). Should make for a perfect late afternoon show. [Nicole Disser]

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Leave the Acid at Home (This Time) 

Jerry Paper, Helado Negro, Trabajo, Macula Dog

Wednesday April 1st, 8 pm @ Silent Barn: $10 

A man trapped inside a MIDI universe (named Jerry Paper) swallowed an auto-tuner, an accordion, a Casio keyboard, and maybe a pan flute. The result is a demented trip through the World Wide Web 1.0 and if net art had a sound, this would be it. If that sounds mean, well call me insensitive but it certainly wasn’t meant to be. I love being creeped out by music and at once pleased, and Jerry Paper succeeds in this department 100 freaking percent.

Helado Negro (Roberto Lange) brings his particular brand of dreamy, dark dance pop to the mix. Trabajo are regulars about town, so  their fractal sound sheets are probably familiar to you by now. Always worth loaning an ear to. Macula Dog have perhaps a less familiar sound, though it’s nearly as psychotic and screws-loosed as Mr. Paper. But this crew encapsulates a Weird Science, ’80s Teen-Com sensibility that is sheer memory terrorism. [Nicole Disser]

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Surprises In Store For All You Fancy Music Minxes 

Friday March 27th, 8 pm @ Alphaville

Las Rosas have a familiar, but nonetheless welcome, lonesome desert rock sound. BOYTOY write bordering on twee, pop punk about love and cute stuff. I won’t say I wouldn’t listen to this on a very low volume on my headphones when in absolute solitude. Can’t let anyone see past this rough exterior I’ve worked years to hone, how else to hide my softest of hearts deep, deep below the surface?

And there’s a surprise involved guys! Don’t you love surprises? Threats is playing. Don’t know who threats is, you say? Well you shouldn’t, coz it’s the top-secret, brand-ass new project brought to you by members of post-punk band Drowners. BUT WHICH MEMBERS?! Dunno, go see and let me know pretty please. All in all, these bands are all good excuses to go check out Alphaville, a “dive bar” in Bushwick we/ I reviewed a while back that’s blossomed into a wee venue all it’s own. [Nicole Disser]

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Sinister Atmosphere

Wednesday March 25th, 8pm @ The Silent Barn: $8

603 Bushwick Ave $8 Event https://www.facebook.com/events/1593033454273967/

Copley Medal, Fire Death, Grasshopper, S.I.E., KHF, DJ Adrian Rew

I wish I could go to this show, but (un)fortunately I will find myself at City Center seeing Bjork for the first time. HOWEVER, I like to think that if Bjork was going to a show, other than her own, it would be this. Because of course, Bjork is attracted to dramatic soundscapes and the unexplored edges of music. This bill is full of talented noise veterans who have spent years experimenting in sound. There are no factory settings. Everything is the result of whittled down hours of research. Decoder Magazine really said it best, in their description of Grasshopper,“Trumpets + drone is probably the best combination ever. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, only more sinister.” Everyone playing this bill creates an all consuming atmosphere and they also make for a delicious sandwich. [Sarah Lutkenhaus]

03/17/15 4:49pm
03/17/2015 4:49 PM |

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Unless you’re some kind of masochist, I know no better place to spend St. Patrick’s Day than far from the crowds of heathens at a  local music show. There’s at least one red-headed shredder to check out so you can still feel like you’re doing something vaguely Irish, right? Just say yes. I already did my part today– I saw two rotund white dudes with equally white, flowing mustaches bedecked in green, shamelessly ogling teenaged lasses on the train. They suggested I smile, offered me a hug (which I respectfully declined) and then asked for directions to “the parade”– you better believe I sent them straight to Canarsie. But unless you did a similar service for society, I suggest you check out some local music makers tonight. You can see your drink maker pals any other night and let’s be real, now of all days will be their worst. And lo and behold there are plenty of other rad shows happening later this week if you’d rather stay inside and hide completely from all the dimwitted debauchery. Find our weekly picks below, please and thank you.

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02/24/15 4:14pm
02/24/2015 4:14 PM |

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Hello again friends, welcome to another cold ass week in hell. You think there’s an end in sight to Old Dude Winter’s icy grip around your numbed extremities? Sorry, nope. At least not for the foreseeable future. But if you’re nothing but a whippersnapper now and still planning to live a good long life–first of all, good luck with that. But secondly chill out on this deep freeze, relatively speaking it’s only temporary. Hope you caught that New York City Panel on Climate Change report that dropped like a bomb (rather bombogenesis, remember that scare?) earlier this week, because you’re gonna need it. The report detailed that chya, just as we suspected before the Big Freeze of 2k15, things are about to start heating up. Which means that, despite the spew coming from climate “experts” trying to tell you otherwise, it’s getting hot in here. End times y’all, boom. Time to boogie. (more…)

02/17/15 3:33pm
02/17/2015 3:33 PM |

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The last thing you want to hear right now is another person kvetching about the shit weather. Yeah it’s horrible out–venues are freezing right now, beers turn to slushies before you can sip em, and everyone can see you’ve been crying because your tears turn to icicles before you even have a chance to wipe them off your face. Woe is everyone, y’all!

Best way to stop feeling terrible in this final stretch of winter–seriously, just blink and when you open your eyes, you’ll be paper bagging it at Prospect Park, eating tacos on the curb, and frolicking out at Fort Tilden–is to warm yourself by the fire of these rad performances. I don’t know if you’ve heard of live music or remember what life was like before Spotify, but we’re here to inform you of one of the few real joys earned from subjecting yourself to the painful daily drudgery of living in money city: the long list of great shows happening in your own backyard. (more…)

02/10/15 5:24pm
02/10/2015 5:24 PM |
(Pawns Self-Titled 7")

So normally I’d be all like rah rah Valentine’s Day is for dweebs or something, but to be perfectly honest this year I’m feeling pretty #blessed about being free of romantic obligations. I can legit strip down to a pair of very unattractive underwear, crack a bag of Cooler Ranch, and spread out on my bedroom floor amongst an array of Crunchwraps (Supreme, BLT Slider, Spicy Chicken–the options they’ve got these days are truly mind-boggling) and like listen to records or something. I won’t be disappointing anyone except myself. (more…)

02/03/15 10:49pm
02/03/2015 10:49 PM |
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Wow guys, so I heard some of you actually subjected yourself to the Super Bowl and thus Katy Perry earlier this week. Personally, I’m ashamed. Even if you “just watched it for the ads,” like, gross– I’m still disappointed in you. Redeem thyself not with X number of Hail Marys, spellcasting, or prostration in front of candelabras, but by supporting what most humans would recognize as actual music. And, please, don’t think of this is as a chore, because this week there are two of us bringing you a bulletproof list of excellent music sound happenings.

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Our Top Pick For The Week, Yep

Young Gutted, Show Me The Body, Mannequin Pussy, Heeney

Saturday February 7th, 8 pm @ Shea Stadium, tickets: $8 advance, $10 at the door

If you can only make it to one show this week– first of all, I pity you because this is New York City, baby– but secondly, you won’t be disappointed if you pick this one.

Featuring Show Me The Body, a surprisingly acoustic sludge band led by apparent badasses who ain’t got time for “transplants” and are politically astute to boot. All proceeds are going to the National Lawyer’s Guild. Why on earth would anyone want to give money to lawyers, you might ask? Well these lawyers are chillers because they provide free legal representation for protestors.

Yung Gutted (aka Antonio Hernandez) will tickle the opposite side of your auditory cortex with his deep, rich bass-heavy R&B beats. The Brooklyn-based producer released his first beat tape just two years ago– it’s available on Bandcamp for whatever price you feel is fair but, like, be nice–  however he’s developed a pretty loyal following since then and has garnered the attention of big-deals like Ratking.

Joining the headliners are Mannequin Pussy, a Philly pussy punk outfit that is probably the most badass amongst the pack of pussy bands, and Heeney will bring home the good boy rock n’ roll. [ND]

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Yearn For The Mud

Wolvves, Aeon Rings, We Are Temporary, Skeleton Head

Friday February 6th, 8 pm @ Trans Pecos, tickets: $8 advance, $10 at the door

Do not dismiss these party garage punks for their adult transplant probz: “I’m going  home today/ I can’t think of what to say/ Coz my mom will see all my tattoos and I won’t know what to say.” Wolvves is so much more than that. Juvenile, perhaps, but who’s ever heard a good punk song replete with mature themes? Not me.

We’re not exactly sure what’s going on with the line up here, but lest we choose a slow death alone in the desert of NotCool, we won’t question the lovely people at Trans Pecos. I’m sure they knew what they were doing when the slapped a supremely cheesy goth band, Aeon Rings, on the bill along with another nostalgie de la boue-ish, ’80s outfit, Skeleton Head. Get this stuff while it’s hot because it won’t be around for long, we’re hoping. And that’s not necessarily because we don’t like it, we didn’t say that. It’s because we’ve got money on this. We’ve bet actual cash that this trend is nearing saturation. PM me if you wanna join the betting pool. [ND]

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Act Now, Seriously

Screaming Females, Priests, Tenement, Vacation

Sunday February 28th, 10:30 pm @ Knitting Factory, tickets: $15

Hey! Just because there are like ten million bands participating in the Don Giovanni Records Showcase this weekend does not mean figuring out which show to attend should hurt your brain. We’ve subjected ourselves to brain pain for you. That’s what we’re here for, K?

If it weren’t for recent developments, we might have regretted to inform you that our pick– Screaming Females, Priests, Tenement, Vacation on Sunday night– was sold out. Dang! But something truly amazing has transpired: they’ve added a second show! A later one! So seriously make quick like jack rabbit and get your tickets now. Yeah, yeah we know this show is a couple of weeks off, but trust– we’re doing you a favor by giving you a heads up. If you’re seriously impatient, you can check out what’s happening this weekend instead.

If you’ve been living under a boulder (Or maybe in Boulder? Sorry, Colorado sucks) then maybe you haven’t heard of Screaming Females. This fantastic trio writes catchy indie diddies vaguely recalling 90’s rock, but really by now they are kind of their own institution. Also, the band juuuuust released a new album on Don Giovanni, Rose Mountain, and this show is the official party for that achievement. Priests will bring their fist-pumping sassy punk anthems from D.C., Tenement contributes their Midwest pop punk tunes, and last but not least is Vacation out of the Great State of Ohio, the land of a thousand disgusting punk bands. [ND]

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Hopefully You Didn’t Sleep On This One

Parquet Courts, Future Punx, Eaters

Monday February 9th, 8 pm @ Palisades, tickets: SOLD OUT

Everyone is goo goo ga ga for Parquet Courts. Yeah, yeah they sound like Pavement blah, blah blah. But for reals, these guys put on a fun show. But we don’t have to tell you that, the fact that tickets usually sell out within a handful of minutes probably convinced you already. That’s why we’re hoping you were smart about this one and bought your tickets ahead of time, otherwise you’re plumb outta luck.

Joining The Parkays are their label mates Future Punx, another band with a bunch of good shows under their belts. They seriously tore shit down at Aviv several weeks back, amirite? And the addition of Eaters– experimental minimal electronic meets catchy rawk riffs– to the bill really just emphasizes the need to get to this show at all costs. [ND]

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New Ambience

Stage Hands, Tallesen, Jono Mi Lo, Middle Grey, Dean Cercone

Monday February 9th, 8 pm @ Silent Barn, tickets: $8 at the door

What happens when you combine soothing New Age vibes with a Netcentric outlook? This show, that’s what. You may remember our profile of Jono Milo over at Brooklyn Magazine– we spoke with the current artist-in-residence at Silent Barn about his experiments with algorithmic sampling. Chances are he’ll be breaking that program out at this show, and if you’re curious about what the hell he’s on to, we’re positive he’ll give you a rundown if you ask nicely.

Joining him is ambient act Stage Hands from um wtf where, Pennsylvania, and three local acts on a similar experimental electronic tip– Tallesen, Middle Grey, and Dean Cercone. [ND]

 

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Noize Boyz & Girlz

The Tinnitus Music Series with Vessel, Container and Noveller

Wednesday February 4, 8pm @ The Wick, tickets: $15

YAY. It’s that time again for the down right flawlessly curated Tinnitus Music Series (dedicated to the forefront of extreme noise). Thanks to Blackened Music and Pitchfork’s Show No Mercy we are reminded of at least one reason we continue to live in New York. This week’s pairing of Vessel and Container is about exploring the stomping grounds between techno and noise. Both projects make incredibly human rhythms by pushing their instruments to lumber, crack, and pound forward.

Container’s Ren Scholfield leads you around in ferocious patterns that never settle anywhere long enough for you to stop moving. Sebastian Gainsborough (aka Vessel) comes out of the Bristol techno scene, but has baffled categorization with wandering melodies and grinding drums. Opening act Noveller may not be as pummeling as her bill mates, but the soundscape she builds will sharpen your senses and transport you to a celestial atmosphere, right before you dance your ass off. [Sarah Lutkenhaus]

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Forget It’s Winter

Human Resources, Train Trash, Plebian, Negative Gemini

Saturday February 7th,  9pm @ Bohemian Grove, tickets: $ a few

Jeremy Krinsley, member of Alan Watts, also plays solo as Human Resources. He’s been on the low as of late but for good reason– Krinsley is at work on a new Human Resources release for Godmode, which will be out sometime this year, hopefully soon. His last solo release, Oxyc Woody II (2012), is a collage of sweeping cinematic sounds and fractured melodies which are endlessly listenable. Building on the vocabulary of his previous releases, we can expect something at once modern and nostalgic. You can come see what he’s been up to in this tropical basement, and all but forget that it’s winter. Additionally, Train Trash has spent years hoarding gear and learning to make it work together in unlikely ways. The set will undoubtedly take you through many different dimensions. [Sarah Lutkenhaus]

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Come Get Lost

Hubble, Nick Klein, die Reihe

Sunday February 8th, 9 pm @ Silent Barn, tickets: $8

This is truly a night to indulge in sound. Ben Greenberg (Pygmy Shrews, Zs, The Men, Uniform) is the kind of guy you want to strangle and say:“STOP doing so many awesome things!” Of course, then you would be deprived of a lot of awesome things, so instead we get to  wait and see what he’s gonna do next.

Hubble is the culmination of Greenberg playing guitar for hours upon hours on his roof in the summers. He summons a flood of tones and patterns by tapping his guitar at light speed. This time he is even one-upping himself with a 1-2 hour-long piece with quadraphonic sound. Hear it, and believe.

Nick Klein, too, are you kidding me? So good! His music manages to create rhythmic pulses that are urban and simultaneously isolating. He bends the notes to the edge of comfort and has mastered the use of silence to build tension. Not to be missed. Die Reihe should more than satisfy your appetite for modular synth exploration and insane sounds. [Sarah Lutkenhaus]

Nicole Disser is tweetin’ away on Twitter @mlledisser

01/27/15 8:12pm
01/27/2015 8:12 PM |

bigmuff

Hi, not sure if you’ve heard, but a blizzard happened this week. Doomsday prophecies aside, it’s actually been a pretty chill affair. We have no clue what you’ve been up to, but we’ve spent most of the day lounging horizontal on the couch listening to reggae and sipping Modelos. While working of course! But we’re well aware you can’t get away with living the island life all week long, so when you’re ready to strap on your snow booties and mush out onto the frozen hell-tundra our beloved borough has become, you know where to go. (more…)

01/21/15 11:18pm
01/21/2015 11:18 PM |

 

(Amen Dunes, Cowboy Worship EP, Sacred Bones)

Oh hey, did you miss us on Tuesday? We bet you did. But to be honest this week has been a wild one already– Martin Luther King Day was not spent being productive, we’ll tell you that much. We’ve been playing catchup and have failed to bathe, forgotted to feed our roomate’s fish, and have been literally sleeping in a pile of garbage and dirty laundry since we were trusted with a three day weekend. Never again. So naturally, we thought we’d give ourselves an extra day to gather our wits because chances are you needed one too. Here’s to hoping you made not-like-us and spent the long weekend resting up for all the sick shows happening starting now.

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01/15/15 6:28pm
by |
01/15/2015 6:28 PM |

photoIt’s your roundup of this weekend’s parties and shenanigans to ensure you never sleep ever.  This weekend is going to be an especially good one because it is especially diverse! Tragically, Bossa Nova will be closed temporarily for construction, so you’ll notice a depressing absence in our roundups, but it will all be worth it if the backyard will finally be usable again when they reopen. Fingers crossed!  No matter which party you pick on Friday (You should definitely do both if you can!), you’re going to be supporting a seriously powerful cause in addition to receiving an awesome dose of vibes.  And on Saturday, a pack of Detroit legends at Output, including one of the most important and interesting names in techno, will hands-down be worth coughing up the cash for. Oh, and if you’re one of the blessed ones who are off Monday for MLK JR. Day, you definitely MUST take us up on the extra credit assignment we’re offering (5 AM- 2 PM after-hours party AKA the very spirit of Sleep When You’re Dead.) Or, uh, even if you do have to work Monday, you should still go. You’ll survive. (more…)