Concert: SXSW-BK / Kordan, DeVries, Lagoon, Ghastly City Sleep @ Bell House // 3.19.10
You don't need to go to Austin for SXSW to discover the next great band... Like many others, I'm not able to make it to the annual music festival of industry schmoozing so rather than setting up a showcase down there, I've decided to host a special showcase of excellent up and coming Brooklyn bands here at home for all the rest of you who can't manage to make it down south for the endless party and tex mex.
Next year these will be the bands that everyone talks about at SXSW. see them now instead and stay ahead of the curve.
Jonny Leather Presents: SXSW-BK
Kordan
DeVries
Lagoon
Ghastly City Sleep
Friday March 19, 2010
@ The Bell House
Doors at 7:30. Bands at 8pm
Tickets only $5
Kordan
Kordan - "Hologram"
"Undiscovered Band of the Month / Kordan recently finished recording their debut full-length album The Longing. Taking cues from their earlier release, The Longing depicts a story of love in a hazy metropolis circa the year 2036, where the sky is tuned to a dead channel, the city glimmers with neon dreams, and holograms of lovers drift away."— Filter Magazine, February 2010
"Fantasy Nation is one of the most pleasurable releases from a Brooklyn act this year, on or off the dance floor."—Jezebel Music, B+ Review of Fantasy Nation EP
DeVries
DeVries - "Darkest Summer"
"...lushly melodic, Britpop-accented album" —Dave Segal, The Stranger
"Death to God is possibly the greatest Manchester album never to have been made in Manchester. a beautiful piece of work. Yes it sounds like it was recorded under a rain cloud but it’ll entertain you from start to finish. Simple. Precise. Haunting. Special. Death to God is a must have for all of those who spend more time looking at their shoes than should be considered healthy. Don’t miss it." —Damian Leslie, Incendiary Magazine
Lagoon
Lagoon's singer Alex Drewchin may be young, but take notice because she very well possess the most powerful set of pipes in New York's saturated indie scene and also has guitar chops. To greater compliment her gift, she's put together a really talented band willing to explore in ways many bands don't dare and couldn't even if they tried.
Ghastly City Sleep
Ghastly City Sleep - "Ice Creaks"
"It isn't often new music surfaces that is so deeply intense, just hearing it may induce instant nostalgia; the ancient sensations you get when the seasons change, a vivid dream involving the first person you ever loved. In the same way that select few can simultaneously achieve dark and uplifting songs, the Brooklyn-based quartet known as GHASTLY CITY SLEEP hone in on some immensely powerful elements to deliver a commanding, breathtaking first offering. On the GHASTLY CITY SLEEP debut, four tracks span thirty minutes... and when it's done, you actually feel different. While two pieces nearly reach the six-minute mark and the other two eclipse nine, the whole offering flows with a smooth liquidity, creating one solidified, captivating body of work. The four young men involved in GHASTLY CITY SLEEP don't stick to one instrument long, as the entire collective can be found playing everything from guitars, keys, various percussion and just about everything in between. The multitude of layers involved here are accompanied by a warm yet haunting array of vocals, all helping to produce this simply epic debut."—Amazon
Video: Christopher Stelling @ Union Hall // 2.3.10
Last Wednesday, I had the extreme pleasure of having Christopher Stelling perform at Union Hall as part of my February edition of my "You New Favorite Bands" showcase series. Cait Davis filmed his whole performance, which you can watch below.
Concert: Benefit for Jiamini @ The Bell House // 2.24.10
Jonny Leather/Good For You's Good For Me Presents:
A Benefit For Jiamini Scholarship Fund
The Subjects
ARMS
Uninhabitable Mansions
Frances
2.24.10 @ The Bell House
149 7th Street Brooklyn, NY
Doors at 7pm
21+
$10
proceeds will be donated to The Jiamini Scholarship Fund
The Subjects
The Subjects - "Winter Vacation"
"The line I want to use to describe The Subjects is from the exasperated phone call scene in 'Back to Future', where Marvin Berry- wth his bloddy, bandaged playing hand - punches his cousin Chuck's phone number and says, "You know that new sound you've been looking for? Well, listen to this..."—Daytrotter
Consequence Of Sound: "... classical work with eccentric pop work that is light and fresh with just enough thud and kick to it."
"...remarkably solid..."—Magnet Magazine
ARMS
"Arms' music is lo-fi but lovely and very, very good. There's truly not a bad song on here. 'Kids Aflame' rocks, shudders, weeps, and smiles as you reach to hit 'play' again." —The Guardian (UK)
"[Arms] readily demonstrates a knack for the slowly building, triumphant-sounding anthem that's still a little downbeat no matter what." —AllMusic.com
Uninhabitable Mansions
Uninhabitable Mansions - "Do You Have A Strategy"
At Bowery last Saturday, the Brooklyn art and music collective Uninhabitable Mansions opened for the Antlers and provided the packed house with abundance of talent and songcraft. Drawing members from the bands Au Revoir Simone, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, and the late lamented Dirty on Purpose, UM performed a thirty-five minute set of material from their excellent new release Nature Is A Taker. The songs combine elements of indie-pop and shoegaze and highlight the vocal harmonies of Annie Hart and Robbie Guertin, while focusing on the interplay between melodic guitar lines, keyboards and Doug Marvin’s driving drums.—NYC Taper
Frances
“All The While nails its grand aesthetic. It never descends to the pomposity of similar artists like the Divine Comedy, but still forges a friendly marriage between accessibility and mystery. Call it “chamber pop” or just call it like it is: a phenomenal debut album.”—Prefix Magazine 8.5/10
Learn More About Jiamini
Together with the New York Times and Thomson Reuters, Jiamini is honored to co-host a panel discussion addressing the role of education in Africa’s long-term development.
Event: Panel discussion
African Experiences: Development through Education
Date: February 16th | 5:30PM - 9:00PM
Panel discussion will begin at 6PM | Cocktail reception to follow
Location: 3 Times Square | 30th floor | New York, NY
7th Ave between 42nd & 43rd Streets
Panel Moderator: Matt Bigg, Atlanta Bureau Chief for Reuters
Panelists
- Ambassador John Campbell, former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria
- Dr. Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome (CUNY), Professor of Political Science
- Mora Mclean, President and CEO of theAfrica-America Institute
- Reverend Petero Sabune, Chaplain at Sing Sing Correctional Facility
Sponsored by: Thomson Reuters Black Employee Network
The New York Times African Heritage Affinity Group
RSVP Required | This is a free event | Jiamini.org/rsvp.php
Welcome Motel Motel to New York’s Music Elite
mp3: Motel Motel - "Forest" (Daytrotter Session)
I've been pretty vocal over the last couple years about my feelings towards the music of Brooklyn's Motel Motel. They're debut LP presented a very young band combining an overwhelming variety of styles to create an extremely ambitious folk rock record. Clocking in at well over an hour with 3 songs over the 7 minute mark, New Denver is only a hint at what Motel Motel is capable of.
In mid 2008, the band recruited multi-instrumentalist Erik Gundel to join the band. This brought an extra special something to the band that already meshed beautiful. Gundel's own EP that he released in 2009 is a treasure in itself, but nothing has people prepared for what's to come.
Over the course of 2009, Motel Motel played many shows, seemingly introducing a new song into each set they played, always hinted at something genius. After spending months away from the stage while writing and recording their follow-up to New Denver, they made their first live appearance since October at Union Pool last night. They songwriting and musicianship that was put on display during their set was of a level that very few ever see in such a small room. Spoon may have been playing Mercury Lounge on the same night, but I say now confidently that there's no way Spoon's performance was quite as incredible. Motel Motel's new songs have reached the fully-realized state from their earlier performances in 2009. Each song is an epic concoction of more musical styles than imaginable with multiple movements that flow seamlessly building from quiet and heartfelt to lush, harmonized finales.
The first time I listened to Motel Motel I knew I was listening to something special and that the band would grow into something, but I could have never imagined the level of growth that would come within only a couple of years and one record. This is a band that, once they release their sophomore effort, should raise to the top of New York's music seen to join the indie elite of bands like Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, The Antlers, TV on the Radio, Battles and The Walkmen. Ironically enough, while watching Motel Motel perform last night, the spine chilling set felt like a culmination of all of the best qualities of New York's best bands—from the harmonies of Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear to the prog of Battles to the Americana qualities of The Walkmen. I like to think of Motel Motel as prog-americana, but that would probably be a disservice to what they're doing.
Amazingly, they haven't been signed. I'd trade my soul to release their record, but don't feel worthy. It belongs with someone like Merge or Sub Pop, who can spread their music to the rest of the world. And to anyone who passes on the chance to sign Motel Motel for the release of their sophomore record, start kicking yourself now, because you're gonna miss the opportunity of a lifetime.
Concert: Your New Favorite Bands @ Union Hall // 2.3.10
Jonny Leather Presents:
The Royal Chains
Paul & The Patients
The Waylons
Linfinity (Dylan solo set)
Christopher Paul Stelling
2.3.10 @ Union Hall
702 Union St. Brooklyn, NY
Doors at 7pm
21+
$7 (proceeds will be donated to a Haiti relief fund tbd)
The Royal Chains
Paul & The Patients
"just damn addictive... psychedelic-based songs, the tracks consistently hook in your head" –rcrdlbl.com
"I am exploding with the need to talk about a band I am fucking obsessed with right now: Paul and The Patients" –ultragrrrl.blogspot.com
"Holmes’ knack for writing catchy songs. His vocals loom large over the music on the tracks—it’s mostly smooth, but at points is pushed to a perfect, raspy howl." –New York Press
mp3: Paul & The Patients - "Shooting Star"
mp3: Paul & The Patients - "Complaint 15"
The Waylons
"Their self-titled debut is a solid slab of rock that begs comparisons to other no-frills acts like the Replacements, Buffalo Tom, and even Sloan and the Shins." –popmatters.com
mp3: The Waylons - "Endless Supplies"
Linfinity (Dylan solo set)
"With an eclectic mix of influences brewing in its pot, Linfinity has developed a huge sound most easily comparable to Arcade Fire, Echo & The Bunnymen and DeVotchka." — New York Press
mp3: Linfinity - "Molly Mar of Rome"
Christopher Paul Stelling
Christopher Paul Stelling's rapid finger-picked acoustic tales evoke the genius of Tallest Man on Earth. And much like Tallest Man on Earth, Stelling knows how to engage a crowd.—NY Press
mp3: Christopher Paul Stelling - "Flawless Executioner"
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.
