Your New Favorite Band: The Subjects
The Subjects
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: Dr Dog, French Kicks, The Kinks
The Subjects - "Winter Vacation"
The Subjects aren't exactly a new band here in Brooklyn, but they're one that has never gotten a fair amount of attention. Lost somewhere beneath the success of their friends and peers White Rabbits and The Walkmen, The Subjects have been growing steadily over the years with their songwriting. Last year's New Soft Shoe EP was another leap for the band, and a hint at what's to come. The 60s-style melodies flourish over a tight rhythm section while harmonies enter in with perfect precision. If New York's scene loves the poppy songs of Vampire Weekend and White Rabbits, there's no reason The Subjects can't step up to a higher level with their next release.
Your New Favorite Band: Extra Life
Extra Life
From: Brooklyn,NY
RIYL: Dirty Projectors, Xiu Xiu, Mr Bungle
Extra Life - "Black Hoodie (Pre Album Version)"
For all the minimalist garage rock coming out of Brooklyn, there are still some new bands with enough technical precision and inventiveness to give us something new. The band's debut record, Made Flesh is out on March 30th, and it's quite an adventure. Starting with the frantic "Voluptuous Life," they come out the gates with a concoction of fused influences from Metal to jazz to pop. It takes the type of quick, calculated turns that only skilled musicians can pull off. Containing and overload of styles and complexities, this very dark collection of music is not for casual listeners. Much like Mr Bungle's Disco Volante, Made Flesh is rock music gone into the more adventurous avant-garde direction. Extra Life sounds nothing like any other band your listening to right now, and that makes them incredibly refreshing. If this is the direction that the Brooklyn music scene goes next, we're in store for something wonderful.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
02/22 - Providence, RI @ Machines With Magnets
02/23 - Kittery, ME @ Buoy
02/24 - Montreal, Quebec @ Green Room
02/25 - Toronto, Ontario @ Terange
02/26 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Arbor Vitae
02/27 - Detroit, MI @ Division Gallery
02/28 - Grand Rapids, MI @ DAAC
03/01 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle (free show)
03/02 - Minneapolis, MI @ 7th St. Entry
03/04 - Vancouver, BC @ Honey Lounge
03/05 - Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern
03/06 - Seattle, WA @ Josephine
03/07 - Portland, OR @ Ground Kontrol
03/09 - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern (w/Ora Cogan)
03/10 - Sacramento, CA @ The Hub (w/ Appetite, Afternoon Brother)
03/11 - Oakland, CA @ 21 Grand (w/ Religious Girls)
03/12 - Irvine, CA @ UC Irvine
03/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echo Curio
03/14 - San Diego, CA @ Radio Room (w/ Vaginals, Witt)
03/16 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture (w/ Xiu Xiu)
03/17 - Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space (w/ Past Lives)
03/18 - El Paso, TX @ Dominic's Piano Bar (w/ Past Lives)
03/20 - St. Louis, MO @ Lemp Arts
03/21 - Cincinnati, OH @ CS13
03/22 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
03/23 - Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class
03/26 - Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space
03/27 - Queens, NY @ Silent Barn (w/ Skeletons, Nine Eleven, Thesaurus, Zs)
Your New Favorite Band: Bad Veins
Bad Veins
From: Cincinnati, OH
RIYL: The Strokes, Okkervil River
Cincinnati duo Bad Veins is one of those bands whose location seems to be the reason they haven't broken to a bigger audience. Cincinnati just doesn't have the type of scene other cities have, or the hip factor. But the music being made by Bad Veins is not the type that just sits around and goes unnoticed forever. Stripped down to the simplest elements, they are a garage rock band along the lines of The Strokes, but they build off of that with an extra layer of more diverse instrumental elements.
Currently on tour with We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bad Veins should pick up a lot of new fans, and a bit more attention from the blogger world.
2/11 - Bowery Ballroom w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks New York, New York
2/12 - First Unitarian Church w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2/13 - Rock N Roll Hotel w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks WASHINGTON, Washington DC
2/14 - The Middle East w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Cambridge, Massachusetts
2/15 - The Knitting Factory w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Brooklyn, New York
2/17 - Casbah at Tremont Music Hall w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Charlotte, North Carolina
2/18 - The Masquerade w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Atlanta, Georgia
2/19 - The End w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Nashville, Tennessee
2/20 - Maxine’s Pub w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Hot Springs, Arkansas
2/21 - Hailey’s w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks Denton, Texas
Your New Favorite Band: Malachai
Malachai
From: Bristol, UK
RIYL: RJD2, The Kinks
Part 60s rock/part trip hop with a whole lot of other styles thrown in, Malachai's debut, The Ugly Side of Love is magical trip not unlike The Avalanches Since I Left You. Every minute seems to jump through time and space. It's not timeless so much as it is timefull.
It starts with a soulful homage to classic 70s film "The Warriors" and heads in about a million different directions over the next 12 tracks, finding its peak at the Zombies-esque "Another Sun" on which record crackle gives it a special nostalgic feel.
Your New Favorite Band: Twin Sister
Twin Sister
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: The Breeders, Wye Oak, Giant Drag
When I met Twin Sister at a bar in Brooklyn I had no prior knowledge of their music. At that moment they were friends of friends celebrating some press from Pitchfork. Naturally interested in the band after a few shared drinks, I checked them out the next day and downloaded their free EP from their website. The four songs make Twin Sister an immediate choice as a breakout band for 2010.
"Ginger" in particular is a perfect pop song with lovely vocals and the right amount of atmospheric reverby guitars.
Twin Sister is essentially playing every night in Brooklyn over the next month before heading to Austin to play SXSW, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to catch them.
2/4 - The Studio @ Webster Hall w/ Run DMT, Big Troubles, Alice Cohen, Pigeons, DJ Raw Thrills 2/6 - The Tank w/ Ava Luna, Data Dog New York, New York
2/25 - Cameo w/ Toro y Moi, Grandchildren, VDRK Brooklyn, New York
2/26 - Matchless w/ Lost Boy, Shadowbox, Post Magic Brooklyn, New York
3/6 - Coco 66 w/ Amniotic (Ex-Psycadellic Furs)
Your New Favorite Band: Paul & The Patients
Paul & The Patients
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: The Arctic Monkeys, Billy Idol, Wings
Paul & The Patients may not yet have a full length record, but look closely at their last year and you'll see a prolific songwriter in Paul Holmes. Aside from a 5 song EP released in mid 2009, Paul & The Patients have been self-releasing a song a week for the past 15 weeks. It's no easy task, and what has made this song-a-week problem so remarkable is the level of songs coming out of it. Each of these songs are gems.
To celebrate the 15 week mark, the band and their label American Myth Recordings put together a 5 song sampler of some of the best recordings to come out of the project. "Tiny Red Light," "Sensitive," "Best Of Me," "The Best of People, The Worst of Things," and "Bartending" do a great job at acting as highlights, but don't for a second think that these are the only songs worth hearing.
Recent additions "Second Hand Smoke" and "Twenty Seven" are probably my personal favorites from the series.
Paul & The Patients - "Second Hand Smoke"
Paul & The Patients - "Twenty Seven"
Paul & The Patients - "Complaint 15" from American Myth Recordings on Vimeo.
Your New Favorite Band: Oh No Ono
From: Denmark
RIYL: Queen, Mew, Mercury Rev
mp3: Oh No Ono - "The Tea Party"
For the next 2 nights, a band by the name of Oh No Ono will be playing shows in NYC with a bunch of my absolute favorite local bands. Only recently did I become familiar with this band, but my excitement about their arrival from Denmark happened fast.
It all started with a phone call. Noel from Hooray For Earth gave me a ring while I was walking back to work from a lunch break. Excitedly, he told me that he had just heard news that the band was booking a show at Union Hall, and he would do anything to play as their openers. At that point I knew nothing about Oh No Ono other than that my friend Noel was a huge fan will to pay to open for this band. Sure enough, I was able to help Hooray For Earth land an opening slot, and then not long later Depreciation joined the bill. Then something strange happened. Bear In Heaven, ArpLine and Jaguar Club were all announced as openers for the Mercury Lounge date. Suddenly 5 of my favorite local bands, all bands I know on a personal level, were opening for this strange band from Denmark.
Then I finally heard their record Eggs. The unique batch of songs is one of the finest pieces of production I've ever heard. It's a cinematic marvel that surrounds and engulfs a listener. They'll be compared with Mew for the more proggy aspects of their tunes but maybe the better comparison would be to classic Queen and Mercury Rev.
For the genius level of production alone, Eggs is one of the finest records heard in a long time.
They'll be playing tonight at Mercury Lounge with Bear in Heaven, ArpLine and Jaguar Club, and tomorrow night at Union Hall with Depreciation Guild and Hooray For Earth. I highly recommend checking them out. They're not from around here so your opportunities will be limited especially with seeing them at a venue this intimate.
Your New Favorite Band: The Waylons
The Waylons
From: New York
RIFYL: Teenage Fanclub, Wilco
mp3: The Waylons - "Endless Supplies"
For quite a few years now, The Waylons have been one of the greatest hidden treasures of the New York music world. For one reason or another The Waylons have gone relatively unnoticed by press, blogs, and seemingly everybody. It's one of those things that makes me question exactly what makes me a fan when everyone else is listening to someone else. So I put on their self-titled debut record and within the opening seconds of "Front Porch" I can't help but hear perfect pop rock with a hint of folk and excellent hooks. I was introduced to their music when their cd found its way onto my desk when I was just starting to work as a music writer. They had no label, they didn't look hip, and no one was talking about them, but the songs were so good that I would see them perform live multiple times that year. All 4 members proved to have an excellent grasp on the art of songwriting, and the live performances lived up to the recordings.
The members of The Waylons aren't in their early twenties, and have grown content with releasing an occasional record and playing a couple shows a year, so their chances of indie-stardom of very small. But knowing all this, with one listen of their new EP Out of Love, it's hard to imagine that blogs like BrooklynVegan aren't even listing their show tonight at Bruar Falls. When I hear these songs I hear bits and pieces of Teenage Fanclub, Steven Malkmus, early Wilco, and Simon & Garfunkle.
Take one listen to "Rachel" or "Endless Supplies" and tell me you don't love this band.
1/20 - Bruar Falls (Out of Love record release party)
2/3 - Union Hall
Your New Favorite Band: Dinosaur Feathers
Dinosaur Feathers
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: Ruby Suns, Animal Collective
mp3: Dinosaur Feathers - "Cold Arabella"
On Wednesday, Brooklyn's Dinosaur Feathers catches their first big break with an opening slot for Charlotte Gainsbourg at The Bell House. Until now the group has been pretty low profile, playing loads of shows with other up and comers like Zambri and Julianna Barwick. I stumbled upon the band during this summer's 1st annual Northside Festival—a Williamsburg-based music festival thrown by L Magazine. A trusted friend had caught them on the street a day earlier and was impressed so we decided to catch them at Public Assembly. From that moment on I was a fan. Though their performance wasn't perfect, it showed immense promise. Though they are yet another band that is very clearly drawing heavy influence from Pet Sounds, it's the mix of tropical and mechanical sounds that make them unique. The band's debut 4 song EP Early Morning Risers was one of the best debut recordings by anyone in 2009, and one can only hope that a full length is on its way in early 2010. As good and catchy as Dinosaur Feathers are, 2010 should be an extraordinary year for this young band.
Download Early Morning Risers for free at dinosaurfeathers.com
If you don't have a ticket for Wednesday's sold out show with Charlotte Gainsbourg, there will be plenty more opportunities to catch Dinosaur Feathers in the near future:
1.28 - Bell House w/ CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG
1.30 - Cake Shop w/ Carnovires, Shark?, and more TBA
2.06 - *Secret Salon* (Brooklyn, New York) w/ Manson Family Picnic presented by MusicIsFreeNow.org
2.09 - Sycamore w/ Pearl & the Beard and Matt Singer
2.13 - Piano’s w/ Blair (in residency) and Xylos
3.05 - Fort Useless Celebrates Mardi Gras (Brooklyn)
3.06 - Fantasy Memorial CD Release Show - the Studio @ Webster Hall
Your New Favorite Band: Ravens & Chimes
Ravens & Chimes
From: New York, NY
RIFYL: Leonard Cohen, The Arcade Fire
mp3: Ravens & Chimes - "So Long Marianne" (Leonard Cohen cover)
mp3: Ravens & Chimes - "Hearts of Palm"
When Ravens & Chimes frontman Asher Lack made the decision to record a cover of Leonard Cohen's "So Long Marianne," there's no way he could have imagined that the recording would go over so well that the legendary Cohen would not only hear the cover but also reach out to Lack and express his own fandom of their version. It's an honor to have such a brilliant and influential musician express such positive feelings towards your music, and Ravens & Chimes surely appreciated it. Cohen has always been one of Lack's greatest influences.
Cohen's influence shined through on Ravens & Chimes debut record Reichenbach Falls, which drew far more comparisons to The Arcade Fire. Lack has developed into one of the best songwriters in New York. With a sophomore record on its way, Ravens & Chimes should definitely be high on everybody's radar, especially after hearing new song "Hearts of Palm."
Your New Favorite Band: Christopher Paul Stelling
Photo by Jenn Sweeney
Christopher Paul Stelling
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIFYL: Tallest Man on Earth, Elliot Smith, Bob Dylan
mp3: Christopher Paul Stelling - "Flawless Executioner"
Everyone was born to do something. Christopher Paul Stelling was born to play music with an acoustic guitar. Luckily at some point in his youth an acoustic found its way into his clutches and Stelling learned to play it. Not only can the man play an incredible finger-picked melody, but he learned how to compliment his playing with compelling lyrical storyelling like the legends of the past. His sound is not of a contemporary time but rather the roots of our whole American musical existence.
Stelling is for the Dylan lovers who've found a new idol in Tallest Man on Earth. And much like Tallest Man on Earth, Stelling can hold your existence in a way most singer-songwriters fail so often. He knows how to engage a room.
Your New Favorite Band: Mani Pedi
Mani Pedi
From: New York City
RIYL: Liars, Siouxie & The Banshees
mp3: Mani Pedi - "ENYGSM" (rough demo)
mp3: Mani Pedi - "Pictures + Seesaw"
Combining the talents of Hooray For Earth frontman Noel Heroux, Zambri frontwomen Cristi Jo and Jessica Zambri, and Wild Light drummer Seth Kasper, Mani Pedi is an interesting new experimental project with loads of potential.
Mani Pedi recently made their New York City debut at the wonderful Monkeytown (which closes later this month). In a hot hot room surrounded by friends and a few other adventurous souls while video projections covered the walls, the quartet bombarded us all with a raw, noisy set. And for all the kinks that still need to be worked out in the infancy of the band, "ENYGSM" already has hit written all over it, taking '60s girl group pop and throwing it through a meat grinder with a batch of shrooms.
The only recordings that exist so far are very rough demos, but we can expect to hear some better quality recordings in early 2010.
Your New Favorite Band: Monogold
Photo by Lizzy Sullivan / lizzysullivan.com
Monogold
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: Wild Beasts, Dappled Cities, early Radiohead
By the end of 2009, I was starting to feel my old age. 27 years old and after 3 straight years of an average of 3-5 concerts a week, I was finally growing tired, choosing to stay in and listen to a record instead of going out. Part of this was because the music scene in New York was becoming over-saturated with decent bands who kept multiplying into a bunch of bands with the same members. It became boring, hard to keep up with, and blogs like Brooklyn Vegan couldn't get enough of it. How many side projects can Real Estate and Vivian Girls have, and are any of them all that enjoyable to see perform live? I think they should focus on one thing and make it good. It's all been one big magic trick, keeping people too distracted with new material for them to really focus on the fact that something is lacking. Every new band I've been hearing about in Brooklyn sounds the same, and they're all side projects of the bands they sound like.
Then, last night I caught Monogold open for Hooray For Earth at Pianos. For the first time in quite a while I saw a band play with no prior knowledge of their music and was immediately hooked. This is why I do what I do. This is why I love what I do. Seeing new bands all the time is a gamble. Even if their recordings are good they could be lacking with their live performance. Seconds into their performance, Monogold had lit up the room. Last time I saw that happen was with The Drums, and they've become one of the biggest stars of our scene with an upcoming headline gig at Bowery Ballroom in less than a week.
Monogold sounds like the American counterpart to England's Wild Beasts or Australia's Dappled Cities. The songs have a theatric quality mostly due to lovely, playful vocal interplay. They may not be as developed as Wild Beasts, or as theatrical as Dappled Cities, but Monogold is onto something really great and refreshing for a city heavy with 3 chord bands that sound like they're playing from within garbage cans.
Because of Monogold, my adventurous spirit is returning. They have reminded me that there are great new bands still here waiting to be heard by a crowd of people outside of their circle of friends. For Monogold, the immediacy of their sound suggests that success could happen sooner than later.
And don't just take my word for it. The girls at For The Beat felt the same way.
Your New Favorite Band: Drink Up Buttercup
Drink Up Buttercup
From: Philadelphia, PA
RIYL: Man Man, Dresden Dolls, Beirut
mp3: Drink Up Buttercup - "Sosey and Dosey"
Yesterday, Drink Up Buttercup announced the release date for their much anticipated debut, Born and Thrown On Hook. On March 23rd the world will get their first full glimpse at a recorded Drink Up Buttercup. We can only hope that Born and Thrown On Hook can capture the energy of the live shows, because anyone who's ever seen Drink Up Buttercup can tell you that their are easily one of the most fun young bands around. Characterized by floor-stomping, trashcan-pounding sing-a-longs, they've been able to generate a devoted live following without a full release to their name.
Catch them at The Bell House (Brooklyn, NY) on January 15th with Ravens & Chimes, Miracles of Modern Science, and Milagres
Your New Favorite Band: Uninhabitable Mansions
Uninhabitable Mansions
FROM: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dirty on Purpose, The Pixies
mp3: Uninhabitable Mansions - "Do You Have a Strategy"
House Band
Recession or not, now's the time to get into Uninhabitable Mansions
At one point, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dirty on Purpose and Au Revoir Simone were considered three of the best up-and-coming bands in New York. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's career represents the current state of indie music within blog culture, blowing up with the band's debut and then fizzling out a bit, eventually deciding to take a break in 2009 to work on side projects. One of those side projects is Uninhabitable Mansions, and the band's debut, Nature is a Taker, justifies the break.
Combining the talents of CYHSY's Tyler Sargent and Robbie Guertin, Doug Marvin of Dirty on Purpose, Au Revoir Simone's Annie Hart and guitarist Chris Diken, Uninhabitable Mansions is a local indie-rock supergroup.
The collaboration goes beyond just music, though. With the formation of Uninhabitable Mansions the band also came Uninhabitable Mansions the art collective. The bands members along with a few other artists have been participating in art fairs, publishing books, drawing comics and even scoring a dance piece.
Opening for The Antlers at Bowery Ballroom on Dec. 15, the band will be one to watch in 2010. Guitarist Chris Diken, who also plays in Radical Dads with Robbie Guertin, took some time to talk to us about the origins of Uninhabitable Mansions and the many talents of his bandmates.
New York Press: Where does the name Uninhabitable Mansions come from?
Chris Diken: I read it in an interview with an architect—someone from the era of Walter Gropius, although I don’t recall his name. He was asked about his family and whether he considered them to be part of his oeuvre, and the architect said, 'Oh yes, my children are my little uninhabitable mansions.' I have no idea what it means.
What led to the formation of the band?
In college, Robbie and I were in a band called The Glorious Nosebleed. The band broke up when we graduated, but fortunately we made a (nose) blood pact: Someday we would play again. Five years later, we reconvened in a suburban basement, next to a massage table. At first all we had was the name, some guitars and the table, which loomed in the shadows and made no sound. Then we decided to get serious and become an indie-rock supergroup. Fortunately we had numerous friends who were in bands of excellent repute.
Which idea came first, Uninhabitable Mansions the art collective or Uninhabitable Mansions the band?
The band came first. Shortly thereafter, we were asked to contribute to an art exhibition in Chicago, and we needed to call ourselves something. Surely our real names wouldn’t do. We decided to forgo imagination altogether and use this name that we were already using for something else. Really, Uninhabitable Mansions makes sense for any application. We’re opening an accounting firm next year.
How has your past work with bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dirty On Purpose and Au Revoir Simone affected your approach and ability to book shows and get people to listen?
I think it hurts us because people expect us to be as good as those other bands and we’re not. Thankfully we can use the excuse, “We’re an art collective, what do you expect?” and wave around strange objects as a distraction. Name-dropping doesn’t work as well as some might think. It turns out that your songs have to be semi-listenable as well. If only we’d known.
Music collectives like Elephant Six, Black Mountain, and Broken Social Scene have generated many great bands who have shared musicians and ideas. Is this the direction Uninhabitable Mansions is headed?
Yes. Ideally we’d like to absorb those groups into Uninhabitable Mansions and become a supercollective. If that were the case, I think we’d also build a supercollider and conduct terrifying subatomic experiments.
How do you balance having multiple songwriters and singers?
It wasn’t easy at first, but we eventually came up with a solution: songwriting boots. If you’re wearing the boots, you can write the song and decide who gets to sing and play what parts. But if someone wrestles the boots off you mid-song, you’re back to strumming idly at boring rhythm guitar chords. Some vigilance is required, but it’s very fair.
>Uninhabitable Mansions
Dec. 15, Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie St.), 212-533-2111; 7:30, $15
Your New Favorite Band: Shout Out Louds
Shout Out Louds
From: Sweden/Australia/LA
RIYL: The Shins, Spoon, Guided By Voices
mp3: Shout Out Louds - "Walls"
Stockholm natives Shout Out Louds are finally set to release a follow-up to Our Ill Wills (2007) on February 23, 2010. Their 3rd record and 2nd on indie titan Merge takes a more stripped down, straight forward approach than their past work. Unlike past records, Work was written with the band members spread all around the world. Singer/songwriter Adam Olenius did most of the initial songwriting, sending the demos across continents to keyboardist Bebban Stenborg in Los Angeles, and Eric Edman (drums), Ted Malmros (bass) and Carl von Arbin (guitar) in Stockholm.
"Walls," the first single released off of Work, clearly contains the charming melodic pop Shout Out Louds are known for, but it's definitely a different sound for the band with more deliberate pacing. It's pretty far removed from stunning debut Howl Howl Gaff Gaff in a lot of ways, but fans have nothing to fear.
Shout Out Louds - Walls from Merge Records on Vimeo.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
3/1 - Music Hall of Williamsburg (album release party) - Brooklyn NY
Your New Favorite Band: The Silent League
Photo by Noah Kalina
Photo by Noah Kalina
The Silent League
From: Brooklyn, NY
RIYL: Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, ELO
mp3: The Silent League - "Yours Truly"
mp3: The Silent League - "Here's A Star (Neon Indian Remix)"
On the verge of releasing their third record, But You've Always Been the Caretaker, The Silent League are starting to finally receive a bit of attention for their ambitious expansive soft rock operas. Led by Justin Russo is a collective of incredibly talented musicians whose playing showsa knowledge far beyond conventional 3-chord rock. But You've Always Been the Caretaker plays like a big rock symphony, with very little emphasis on the rock part. It won't hook you with catchy choruses or quirky sounds, but rather instead it'll slowly guide you to another place. The more time you give it, the more it'll give you back. The futuristic pop of "Yours Truly, 2095" has the most immediate effect of any song with its auto-tuned vocals.
It took me a while to really appreciate all of the nuances that make But You've Always Been the Caretaker such a stunning record, but can now safely say that the results measure up to the ambitions, and it is definitely the best work of Russo and The Silent League's career.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
1/16 - Record Release Party @ Gramercy Theatre w/Elefant - NEW YORK
1/28 - Bruar Falls with New Numbers - Brooklyn
Your New Favorite Band: Asa Ransom
Photo by k.la mere - ishootrockstars.com
Photo by k.la mere - ishootrockstars.com
Asa Ransom
From: New York City
RIYL: The Clash, Wild Beasts, Dappled Cities
full ep: Asa Ransom - The Gold EP
When I caught Asa Ransom live at The Delancey during CMJ 2008, thanks to a friend, I thought they'd be exploding onto the local scene in no time. But as it approaches the end of 2009, no such thing has happened. Asa Ransom continues to tour the country relentlessly, but haven't been able to put a dent in the local scene, sticking to mainly playing their shows at the diy venues. But with a sound more in line with later-era The Clash, they're not just another one of those lo-fi bands. There's no reason to believe that they won't be the next big Brooklyn band. They just need to catch that first break.
11/29 - SUNSET TAVERN - Seattle, Washington
11/29 - BALLARD MINE - Seattle, Washington
11/30 - NEW CROMPTON - SEATTLE, Washington
12/8 - AUDIE’S OLYMPIC/CLUB FRED - Fresno, California
12/17 - BLUE CAFE @ Huntington Beach - Huntington Beach, California
12/18 - The Ruby Room - San Diego, California
12/21 - Crane’s Tavern - Hollywood, California
12/31 - A SECRET FOR NOW NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION!! LA!! - LOS ANGELES, California
1/1 - Echo Curio - Echo Park, LA, California
Your New Favorite Band: Foreign Born
Foreign Born
From: Los Angeles, CA
RIYL: Echo & The Bunnymen, Arcade Fire, Talking Heads
mp3: Foreign Born - "Vacationing People"
Foreign Born's Person to Person is likely to go down as one of the year's most overlooked records, despite receiving a very favorable 7.9 from Pitchfork. A couple tenths of a point higher and the record would have gotten the "Best New Music" label that seems to launch records into indie success. What the LA band is doing so well is infusing afro rhythms and percussions into Echo & The Bunnymen style rock. It's not anything totally new, but they're doing it really well.
Your New Favorite Band: Wild Beasts
Wild Beasts
From: Leeds, UK
RIFYL: Foals, Radiohead, Dappled Cities
mp3: Wild Beasts - "This Is Our Lot"
In England they're already becoming quite big, and Pitchfork and the blogs are starting to give them press. Having recently announced their first full scale US tour, their US takeover is on the horizon. What makes them special is their unique use of 3 vocalists. Having falsetto, baritone and tenor singers, they play their voices like instruments, coming in at the right times.
11/20 - Brixton Academy w/ White Lies - London
11/21 - Paradiso, "London Calling" - Amsterdam, Netherlands
11/22 - Crossing Border Festival - Anwerp, Belgium
11/23 - Turmzimmer - Hamburg, Germany
11/24 - Karrera Club - Berlin, Germany
11/26 - Club Laiterie - Strasbourg, France
11/27 - Point Ephemere - Paris, France
11/28 - Guess Who Festival - Utrecht, Netherlands
11/29 - Aeronef - Lille, France
12/1 - Cabaret Electric - Le Havre, France
12/4 - Super Bock em Stock Festival - Lisbon
12/22 - Brewery Arts Centre - Kendal
1/29 - Laneway Festival - Brisbane, Queensland
1/30 - Laneway Festival - Melbourne, Victoria
1/31 - Laneway Festiva - Sydney, New South Wales
2/6 - Laneway Festival - Perth, Western Australia
2/10 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, California
2/11 - Independent - San Francisco, California
2/13 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, Oregon
2/14 - Chop Suey - Seattle, Washington
2/17 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, Minnesota
2/18 - Schubas - Chicago, Illinois
2/19 - Schubas - Chicago, Illinois
2/20 - Pike Room - Detroit, Michigan
2/22 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, Ontario
2/24 - Great Schott - Boston, Massachusetts
2/25 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2/26 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, New York
2/27 - Black Cat - Washington, Washington DC
3/4 - KOKO - London
Your New Favorite Band: Grandchildren
Grandchildren
From: Philadelphia, PA
RIYL: Fuck Buttons, Hooray For Earth, Parts & Labor
mp3: Grandchildren - "Cold Warrior
Earlier this year, I ventured out to Death By Audio for a late night show by my friends Tropic Of Nelson (members of Depreciation Guild, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, North Highlands). After they ripped through a set of powerful Jesus Lizard style rock, I nearly decided to call it a night and take my tired self home. Instead I decided to stick around to see if the following band Grandchildren was any good, and to provide another body to the very empty floor before them. I'm really glad I stuck around, because the Philly band was nothing short of incredible. Their music has a kind of post-apocolypic feel combining heavy electronics and percussion with more acoustic sounds. Oddly enough, when Grandchildren finished their set, the musicians moved about, switching instruments and transforming into yet another band, Rad Racket. And at that point I wasn't leaving, and the similarly sounding but not identical Rad Racket played an equally mesmerizing set.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
11/21 - Hemlock Tavern- San Francisco, California
11/24 - Valentine’s - Portland, Oregon
11/25 - Backspace - Portland, Oregon
11/26 - Smiley O’Neill’s - Vancouver, British Columbia
11/27 - tba - Seattle, Washington
11/28 - Caterina Winery - Spokane, Washington
12/1 - 501 Club - Minneapolis, Minnesota
12/2 - Turf Club - St. Paul, Minnesota
12/3 - Viaduct Theatre - Chicago, Illinois
12/4 - The Vollrath - Indianapolis, Indiana
12/5 - The Clinic - Bloomington, Indiana
12/6 - Al’s Bar - Lexington, Kentucky
12/7 - Pilot Light - Knoxville, Tennessee
12/8 - New French Bar - Asheville, North Carolina
12/9 - 529 - Atlanta, Georgia
12/10 - Farm 255 - Athens, Georgia
12/11 - Outer Space - Charleston, South Carolina
12/12 - Tipsy Teapot - Greenville, North Carolina
12/13 - Wham City presents @ Jesus Camp - Baltimore, Maryland
12/17 - Cameo - Brooklyn, NY, New York
Your New Favorite Band: Dappled Cities
Dappled Cities
From: Australia
RIFYL: Radiohead, Wild Beasts, David Bowie
mp3: Dappled Cities - "The Night is Young At Heart"
Widely regarded as Australia's answer to Radiohead in their motherland, it's surprising that Dappled Cities haven't made a bigger impact on Americans. They're not quite Radiohead, trading in the expansive experimentation for theatrics. Much like current indie buzz band, Wild Beasts, impressive falsetto vocals seem to be their calling card.
Dangerbird Records is giving away their 2006 record Granddance for free here: http://www.tinyurl.com/granddance. It's an incredible record, so you can begin thanking me now.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
12/29 - Peats Ridge Festival - Glenworth Valley, New South Wales
12/31 - Falls Festival - Lorne, Victoria
1/6 - Sunset Sounds - Brisbane, Queensland
1/8 - Southbound - Busselton, Western Australia
1/29 - ST JEROME’S LANEWAY - BRISBANE - Brisbane, Queensland
1/30 - ST JEROME’S LANEWAY - MELBOURNE - Melbourne, Victoria
1/31 - ST JEROME’S LANEWAY - SYDNEY - Sydney, New South Wales
2/5 - ST JEROME’S LANEWAY - RADELAIDE - Adelaide, South Australia
2/6 - ST JEROME’S LANEWAY - PERTH - Perth, Western Australia
Your New Favorite Band: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
From: Los Angeles, CA
RIYL: Polyphonic Spree, Peter Bjorn & John, Arcade Fire
mp3: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - "Janglin"
Not all hippies start jam bands, only the evil ones do.
Every day a new star is born. Charismatic, charming, talented—singer Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros has the qualities that make a star, and after seeing the band's performance at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night, it shouldn't take long before that happens.
The former front man of Ima Robot found his musical calling after some rough times, and embraced his inner hippie creating the fictional character of Edward Sharpe, a messianic figure that according to Ebert, Sharpe "was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love."
Shortly after the large ensemble band was formed under the name Edwarde Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. With that name, Ebert will have to get used to being referred to as Edward Sharpe, but like Bowie's Ziggy Stardust before him, it should be a character he can embrace as alter-ego.
On stage, with long hair, a beard and wearing white pants and an open white sports jacket (revealing his bare chest), Ebert had the presence of the messianic figure that he created for himself. Energetic and uplifting, the songs shed an overwhelming joy over the sold out Bowery Ballroom. The normally motionless New York City crowd fell into a frenzy of dancing. Even my normally arms-crossed-and-head-bopping-self got sucked into the whirlwind of fun for the entirety of the set, arriving with very little previous knowledge of the band.
I had discovered the band a couple months ago via their Daytrotter session, and although the happy, southern gospel-influenced tunes (think of a more folksy Polyphonic Spree without the choir) were pleasant, I wasn't totally won over upon first listen, but with my interest perked I decided to catch them live.
It's safe to say that the recordings are good, but they do no justice for the band. Their whistling-heavy set finale "Home"—a song now popping up everywhere—was the highlight of the night, with Ebert and Jade Castrinos sharing a perfect vocal exchange, while Ebert spent much of the song from within the worshiping crowd. My other highlight from the night came midway through the set was the darker, mood-changing "Black Water" which revealed a different side of the band and really emphasized the vocal strength of Ebert.
At times reminding me of Joe Cocker, Ebert is an incredible front man gifted in the art of commanding a crowd. It's a power the best front men have and a gift that makes for a star.
Fellow LA bands Local Natives and Fools Gold both played exceptional sets in their roles as openers. Local Natives sounded a bit like a more rock-infused Fleet Foxes, while Fools Gold felt like a Latin-heavy !!! (Chk-Chk-Chk). Expect to hear a lot more about them soon.
The three bands will continue their tour tonight at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg
Your New Favorite Band: The Big Pink
The Big Pink
From: UK
RIFYL: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, A Place To Bury Strangers, Ride
It's ok to be derivative, if you're this good. I don't mind and neither will the legions of fans they'll soon have.
mp3: The Big Pink - 'Dominoes"
Upcoming Tour Dates:
11/18 - EL REY - LOS ANGELES, CA
11/19 - DJ SET ORIGAMI VINYL - HOLLYWOOD, CA
11/20 - DETROIT BAR - COSTA MESA, CA
11/21 - DJ SET M THEORY - SAN DIEGO, CA
11/21 - CASBAH - SAN DIEGO, CA
11/23 - LARIMER LOUNGE - DENVER, CO
11/23 - DJ SET TWIST AND SHOUT - DENVER, CO
11/25 - 7TH STREET ENTRY - MINNEAPOLIS, MN
11/27 - EMPTY BOTTLE - CHICAGO, IL
11/28 - MAGIC STICK - DETROIT, MI
11/29 - LEE’S PALACE -TORONTO, ON
11/30 - LA SALSA ROSA - MONTREAL, QUE
12/1 - DJ SET NEWBURY COMICS - BOSTON, MA
12/1 - PARADISE - BOSTON, MA
12/3 - BOWERY BALLROOM - NEW YORK, NY
12/4 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURGH - BROOKLYN, NY
12/5 - BLACK CAT - WASHINGTON, DC
12/6 - JOHNNY BRENDAS - PHILADELPHIA, PA
12/16 - XFM WINTER WONDERLAND @ BRIXTON ACADEMY
1/21 - ANTIPODE - RENNES
1/22 - MARCHE GARE - LYON
1/23 - RIDERS CLUB - LAAX
1/24 - TUNNEL CLUB - MILAN
1/25 - ARENA - VIENNA
1/26 - 59-1 - MUNICH
1/28 - NOUVEAU CASINO - PARIS
1/29 - TRIX - ANTWERP
1/20 - ACADEMY NME TOUR - NEWCASTLE
2/5 - BARROWLAND NME TOUR - GLASGOW
2/6 - ACADEMY NME TOUR - MANCHESTER
2/7 - ACADEMY NME TOUR - LEEDS
2/9 - ROCK CITY NME TOUR - NOTTINGHAM
2/10 - UEA NME TOUR - NORWICH
2/11 - ACADEMY NME TOUR - BIRMINGHAM
2/14 - CARDIFF UNIVERSITY NME TOUR - CARDIFF
2/14 - ACADEMY NME TOUR- BRISTOL
2/15 - DOME NME TOUR - BRIGHTON
2/16 - ACADEMY NME TOUR - BOURNEMOUTH
2/17 - PYRAMID NME TOUR - PORTSMOUTH
2/19 - CORN EXCHANGE NME TOUR - CAMBRIDGE
2/10 - BRIXTON ACADEMY NME TOUR - LONDON
3/10 - GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL - RESCHEDULED - SAN FRANCISCO
