Saturday, February 27, 2010

Bobbie Peru - Kill the Autopilot

CT-native Bert Genovese started Bobbie Peru in Manchester, UK around 2006 when he moved away from here to pursue a career in music. It looks like he was onto something, because a few years later, they have a huge following and have opened for bands like The Fall and Black Francis.

Kill the Autopilot was released in Oct. of 2009. The album is their second, and it's a non-stop insane thrash fest of prog-punk. The music is wild and experimental, and although the band is super tight, it all sounds as raw as a fresh wound. Just looking at the album cover, you can kind of imagine how seriously they take themselves, but I'm completely ok with that. I'm a sucker for immature humor and funny lyrics; and they do not disappoint. I mean, the title track has a chorus that goes: "flush me I'm shit!" You can't get much cooler than that. If you're looking for a smarter brand of punk, check these guys out.

It's hard not to draw a comparison to another CT band: Kimono Draggin'. I think these two are very similar in a lot of respects, whether is be insane lyrics, powerful punk rage or wild shredding guitar work; you can draw a lot of similarities. Interestingly enough, that's exactly who they're playing a few shows with in April, so if you dig either band, these aren't shows to miss.

Bobbie Peru will be jumping the pond and doing a short East Coast tour this April:

Double whammy on Apr 10:
Brass City Records (w/ Kimono Draggin’), Waterbury, CT - 2:00P
and then at
Cafe 9 (w/ Kimono Draggin’), New Haven, CT - 9:00P

Apr 23 - Snapper Magee’s (w/ Hudson Falcons), Torrington, CT - 8:00P

Apr 24 - Snapper Magee’s (w/ Hudson Falcons), Kingston, NY - 8:00P

Friday, February 26, 2010

Bear in Heaven Postponed Until June

~Walsh/AP

As you can see from the above picture, Toyoda is sad to report that the Bear in Heaven show tonight at The Space has been postponed until June. A new date will be announced soon and all tix will be honored.

**New date confirmed as June 27**

Mogli and Fairy Boy @ Elm City Infoshop

Both Mogli and Fairy Boy are on tour together all the way from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They both perform energetic acoustic punk with great melodies and sing-along choruses. Mogli performs with accordion and sparse accompaniment, while Fairy Boy feature tons of people, instruments and raucus vocals.

Also one the bill are locals The Book Slave who will be playing an acoustic set! How will they pull that off? If you haven't heard The Book Slave's cassette demo All Bad Things, you are missing out. The guitars are somehow so dissonant and yet so lovely at the same time. I'm really at a loss as to how they'll be doing that acoustic. Dulcimer playing folk-punk solo artist Feral Flowers will be playing his first gig in a while. The guy sounds a little like drone/punk band remeniscent of Jack Rose outfit Pelt or Six Organs of Admittance. Lastly, New Haven resident Adam Matlock's project An Historic will be debuting some new songs.

A lineup like this doesn't come around often, and this is the show you need to be at Tuesday. And, it's early enough where you can still make it out of there in time to catch another show.

Mogli
Fairy Boy
The Book Slave
Feral Flowers
An Historic

Tuesday, March 2
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Elm City Infoshop
810 State St.
New Haven, CT

Show starts at 6:30. Closer to on time because it's a weeknight show. Vegan Potluck, cash for touring bands, no bullshit, etc.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Weekend Rundown


First, I better mention that Ponybird, Lys Guillorn, and Baby G are slated as openers for the Arborea show I posted about, otherwise Jenn Dauphinais is going to give me a black eye. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities are also playing. Cabinet have played with Magnolia Electric Co., Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, and Dan Deacon to name only a few. Thanks for the heads up, Jenn.

Bear in Heaven is playing at The Space tonight. POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE. (Doors open at 7 PM – $12 - All Ages.) The Space posted some interesting details:
Bear in Heaven is a Brooklyn-based rock band formed by Jon Philpot. The sound of the band incorporates influences from psychedelic music, electronic music, krautrock.

Jon Philpot has previously released music as part of the duo Presocratics, in collaboration with guitarist and composer Need Thomas Windham. Presocratics released two albums on the record label Table of the Elements in 2001; both were produced by Philpot.

The first Bear in Heaven release (Tunes Nextdoor to Songs, Eastern Developments 2003) was an EP of solo recordings by Philpot, recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, with guest musicians performing on various instruments. Shortly after the release of Tunes Nextdoor to Songs, Philpot moved to Brooklyn, New York and joined with guitarist Adam Wills, keyboardist/guitarist Sadek Bazarra (a graphic designer with Brooklyn design collective GH avisualagency), guitarist David Daniell (of San Agustin), and bassist James Elliott (Ateleia, School of Seven Bells). Eventually drummer Joe Stickney (drummer with Paul Duncan, Rhys Chatham's Essentialist project, and current touring drummer with Panthers) was added to the lineup. Daniell left Bear in Heaven in 2005 to focus on his solo project.

Red Bloom of the Boom, Bear in Heaven's first full-length album with the full band, was released in 2007 by the Hometapes record label.

Elliott left the band after the completion of the recordings of Red Bloom of the Boom to focus on School of Seven Bells and his solo project, Ateleia. Bear in Heaven now performs as a four-piece with Philpot on vocals, guitar and keyboards; Wills on guitar and bass; Bazarra on bass and keyboards; and Stickney on drums.

Twin Thousands: By the time cellist Gretta Cohn left Nebraska in 2005, she had made a lasting impression with emo heavyweights Cursive, in addition to almost every other band calling Saddle Creek Records its home.

Having spent the previous four years on the road and in the studio with friends and labelmates including Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley and The Faint, she moved back to Brooklyn with vague notions of pursuing a solo project, but mainly looking for new collaborations.

Happily under the radar, Ryan Smith had been quietly studying the toy piano, crafting cleverly orchestrated pop songs and releasing music under the name A Million Billion, when he and Gretta shared the stage at a New York venue.

A couple of chance encounters later, the two found themselves with a batch of homeless songs, a handful of battered and beautiful old instruments, and a brand new band – Twin Thousands.

There's the T-Model Ford show at Cafe Nine tonight, which Mr. Hall posted about last week.

In terms of regrets, missing Get Haunted again and again is driving me bonkers. Luckily our favorite cranky internet neighbor was there, and posted about them. (This was the Blood Warrior show we posted about.)

One of the things Brushback mentions is how packed Cafe Nine was. I happened to go to the Mates of State matinee show that same day, bringing both my kids along. The Space was jammed with people. I've never seen it so full. I was told it was going to be a kid-friendly event, but I had no idea the Mates would be bringing a small mob of children with parents and teachers in tow. All ages indeed. For a four in the afternoon show, to have that many people turn out is really something. Connecticut has one hell of a show-going crowd.

Speaking of which, MT Bearington slayed. The backing band was a crew of New Haven heavies, such as Kelly from Atrina on bass, and the madman Panos on noise and brass. Word is Panos is going to be posting videos on CT Indie as they tour, so you can look forward to that.

"Smif" shouted out about this last week - hope you didn't forget, but if you did, this Saturday is the Via Audio show at The Space! Speaking of Fictional West, one of the openers on this bill, looks like Tweefort found themselves in the right place at the right time. They released The Fictional West's single Giant Clouds, which you can download the single from Tweefort's page for free. Now Fictional West are getting plenty of well deserved notice.

As always, Whitney House is serving up a killer punk show this Saturday. THEM, Attentat, Crucial Times, No Love Lost, and Plan 9 are playing. Head over to their Facebook event page. Their March calendar is packed. I noticed Estrogen Highs are playing Whitney House on March 25, and they're playing the No Values event at Cafe Nine on March 7 (with Pierced Arrows and Lullabye Arkestra).

Medication is going to open the Awesome Color / Tyvek show on March 5 at Cafe Nine. Tyvek, by the way, are sick. It's a shame they weren't getting notice sooner, because they were one of the earlier grimy lo-fi garage bands, at least relative to what everyone is hearing now (like the Hozac bands). They've got way more balls than, say, the recent Woozy Viper. And, of course, it's always nice to see bands from somewhere other than Brooklyn that actually rock.

I think the last time Awesome Color came to town was for that April Fool's show last year, opening for Dinosaur Jr. That's when Daniel Street really started to become the place to see balls to the wall rock. Expect a hell of a lot more to come.

*Update* - 2 Ton Bug, Local Girl, florida=DEATH and Angry Times are playing tonight at the Charter Oak in Hartford. Thanks Brushback! Important to note, too, is that the 2 Ton Bug LP Wedding of the Century is going to be out on PRGNT Records really soon. Show starts @ 830pm, 6$ or 5$ with (vegetarian) canned good for Hartford Food Not Bombs.

*Oh Shit Update* D. Gookin, Teeth Mountain, Roman Wolf, Colorguard, and DJ Tim Daltry spinning: At the Warehouse in Hartford on Saturday. Facebook event page here! 9 PM - 21+ - $5 bones. Drink specials, ANSWR will be there selling shirts. - THX blotiefuzz!

*Another Update!* There is a HUGE punk show tonight at the El N' Gee club featuring Plan 9, Them, Suiciety, Attentat, Havnotz, American Infadels, The Clefts, AGA, and These Furious Days. It starts at 6PM and costs only 8 Simoleons. Check the Facebook event page.

The Weatherstar show at Heirloom Arts is postponed until March 19th. All tickets will be honored.

Former Thieves will be playing a Willimantic house show tonight, details which can be found in a previous post.

The Press & Straight To VHS will be at The Oasis in New London tonight.

Tomorrow, Jenny Dee & The Delinquints and The Shellye Valauskas Experience will be at Cafe Nine for Jenny Dee's CD Release party.

Also tomorrow, Old Man Lady Luck and Zevious will be playing at Rudy's in New Haven for $3. This will be a killer show, as any fan of Zevious will know. Also, Old Man Lady Luck is no slouch either.


Duchampion, Discourse

Even though they don't share information about their secret concerts (I heard a rumor that there's a Beach House show!) there's been some stuff coming out from two Wesleyan bands in the past few weeks that you should check out. Between bands like MGMT, Santogold and Das Racist, Wesleyan has a lot of groups that came out swinging in the big leagues (but always moving to Brooklyn before they do!). Anyway, if you haven't already heard this through the grapevine:

Duchampion just released their new EP called "One or Several Wolves." It's pretty stellar, something you should be listening to. There's some really cool guitar vamps, YLT and Pavement influences are unmistakable. You can steam it here:

<a href="http://duchampion.bandcamp.com/album/one-or-several-wolves">Swamp Thing by duchampion</a>


There's also a new band called Discourse which released a pretty sweet video:

Discourse - Golden Year from If And Or Magazine on Vimeo.


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Mono @ Daniel Street, May 29th

Mono recently posted some tour dates:

Apr 30 Emos Outside Austin, TX
May 1 The Loft Dallas, TX
May 3 Launchpad Albuquerque, NM
May 4 Plush Tucson, AZ
May 5 The Clubhouse Tempe, AZ
May 6 Casbah San Diego, CA
May 7 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
May 8 Slim’s San Francisco, CA
May 10 Berbati’s Pan Portland, OR
May 11 Neumo’s Seattle, WA
May 12 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC
May 14 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
May 15 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
May 17 Waiting Room Omaha, NE
May 18 TBA TBA
May 19 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN
May 20 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
May 21 Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
May 22 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
May 23 Magic Stick Detroit, MI
May 24 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
May 25 Brillobox Pittsburgh, PA
May 26 Lee’s Palace Toronto, ON
May 27 La Sala Rossa Montreal, QC
May 28 Middle East Downstairs Boston, MA
May 29 Daniel Street Milford, CT
May 30 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
Jun 1 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
Jun 2 9:30 Club Washington, DC
Jun 4 North State Sound Durham, NC
Jun 5 Masquerade (Hell Stage) Atlanta, GA
Jun 7 Exit In Nashville, TN
Jun 8 Hi-Tone Cafe Memphis, TN
Jun 9 Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, LA

I think I know where you'll all be on May 29th.

Closely Watched Trains

Closely Watched Trains' self-titled debut album is flawless. The group hails from New Haven, and consists of guitarist and vocalist Jon Schlesinger, drummer John Gage, violinist Taralyn Bulyk and bassist John Leonard. The band is super tight and recorded a really fine album.

Slow, sweet tunes sit like bookends on either side of the album. On the opening track "Viva Knieval," banjo and slide guitar sail effortlessly along and evoke a blustery day in the country, which acts as a nice introduction to the album, and it closes with flowing picking and slide on "Girl of My Dreams." You can quickly tell that the band is capable of creating beautiful sweet songs, but it's not just an album of pretty, laid back tunes. From the folk stomp of "Frames" to the slow build to the wild solo on "Emerald City," CWT shows they're not afraid to rock out once in a while, either. As a whole, the album works beautifully, and is a pleasure from start to finish.

The album has a folksy, rootsy, and almost classic rock undertone, and while they sound more than a bit like Phish, they never steps into the lengthy improvisational realm of being a jam band. If Billy Breathes was your favorite Phish album, this is for you. The album mixes modern rock sensibilities with the sounds of old weird America: squelching e-bow guitar work is layered on top of violins and harmonica; classic acoustic picking and vocal harmonies mixing with fuzzy guitar solos.

New Haven's Closely Watched Trains debut album was released late last year on DIY label Twin Lakes Records. They are giving it away for free for a limited time right on their Facebook fan page.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Straight to VHS - Self Titled


Straight to VHS released their "Self Titled" debut EP a few weeks ago on Cosmodemonic Telegraph. I don't know about you folks, but krautrock beats, lo-fi fuzzy guitars and earnest vocals are all I need to rock the hell out. I find myself revisiting this one whenever I need a good shot in the arm, it's just as good as black coffee. The whole thing just sounds perfectly unwashed and covered with grime, just like those jeans you've had hanging in the closet since 1993.

<a href="http://straighttovhs.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-2">Hey by Straight to VHS</a>

They also have a sweet video for "It's Fun." Check it out:


Monday, February 22, 2010

No Values featuring Estrogen Highs


NO VALUES is a monthly event operated by Brian Frenette (aka DJ Tim Daltrey) and Donovan from Redscroll Records, hosted by Cafe Nine. On the 4th Tuesday of each month, a different band will perform. That means, you better head over there tomorrow, because this week it's:

Estrogen Highs. That's right, you heard me, Estrogen Highs. I don't really need to tell you how much we dig on New Haven's finest garage band if you read us regularly, but you can check out Jay's review of their fantastic LP "Tell it to Them" right here.

DJs Tim Daltrey, Donovan, and Lee Berman will spin some fine records before and after the band's performance.

So get down to Cafe Nine tomorrow for a killer show and some great tunes.

Tuesday, 2/23
9:00 PM

Former Thieves play house show


Another great house show brought to you by OHYM is coming up this Friday (Feb. 26) and will feature:

Former Thieves an experimental hardcore band from Iowa on a tour of about a million shows in the next 4 months to promote their new album "The Great and Alleged Great" out on Mayfly Records.

The World is a Beautiful Place & I am no Longer Afraid to Die - a local atmospheric emo band from the Willimantic area

Posture & The Grizzly
- Willimantic instrumental rock

Friday February 26th, 2010
The Handsome Woman
271 Ash St
Willimantic, CT

7PM | $Donate! | Vegan Potluck

For directions, head over to the facebook event page.


Former Thieves - Control and Illusion (LIVE) from Tim Dodd on Vimeo.


Saturday, February 20, 2010

Low-Beam - Charge of the Light Brigade

Low-Beam released Charge of the Light Brigade this year, after 5 years in the making! Originally started in 2004, the band features Jaimee Weatherbee, Rich Freitas, Rich Martin, and Charles Stankewich. The album itself was produced by none other than Michael Deming, who produced some big name stuff (Silver Jews, Lilys, Pernice Brothers) and was released earlier this year on Cosmodemonic Telegraph.

So it all sounds great on paper, but how does the band sound? They sound fantastic, really reminiscent of late-80s shoegaze bands, but with a bit harder edge to them. There's wildly distorted sweeping guitars, early-60s keyboards, and fantastic boy-girl vocals. The whole album sounds like it's been worked on and tweaked and perfected for a very long time, and the end result are immaculate pop songs that are deeply rooted in their influences but still sound fresh and unique. I've been spinning this one since I got my hands on it, and it still sounds great.

You can stream the album below, and find out more by checking out their bandcamp site, or heading over to either Cosmodemonic Telegraph or the Mystic Music Archive.

<a href="http://low-beam.bandcamp.com/album/charge-of-the-light-brigade">AWOL by Low-Beam</a>

Friday, February 19, 2010

Arborea and Alexander Turnquist at The Space

Thursday, March 4, 2010:


Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

$10 - 7:00PM - All Ages

Arborea: This near-psych not-quite-unconventional Maine based folk duo is peculiar. Film director David Lynch has dabbled in music a few times (most recently with Ariana Delawari), and when I first heard Arborea, I was reminded of a Lynch team-up with Jocelyn Montgomery called Lux Vivens. That record might as well be the score to an unmade medieval Lynch movie. A similar mood-directing soundscape, although maybe not as dark, is the foundation for many of Arborea's songs.

But there was one song that I wasn't sure of, called "Dance Sing Fight". It jumps into a coda that uses lyrics from the chorus of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning". The thing is, the lyrics are altered slightly. Are they referring us to the original song's specific political point or are they putting these words into a new context to reshape their meaning? Whatever their intent, I can't decide if the nod works or not. I guess what makes it hard for me to pin down is that the first thing that pops into my mind when I hear those lyrics is Peter Garrett twitchily skanking in the desert. I mean, the guy seriously looked like a Conky 2000 run amok in the Australian outback. Sorry, where was I...

Arborea have been busy releasing since 2006. They've garnered praise from NPR and our BBC cousins across the pond. Their tour is taking them around the world, and includes SXSW dates.

--

Whether it is a finger plucked 12-string or an ambient drone, Alexander Turnquist's instrumentals open expanses both internal and external. His MySpace has several songs posted that cover territory between Peter Broderick and Max Richter. But his record As the Twilight Crane Dreams in Color makes me wonder what Jack Rose might have done if he had ever wanted to cover Jóhann Jóhannsson. No doubt seeing Turnquist live will be very interesting.


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Fatal Film at Bank St.

As you can see from the ridiculously funny flyer; Friday at the Bank St. Cafe in New London, you can catch Fatal Film doing an unprecedented three sets. That's an incredible amount of space to fill, so you'll probably catch some awesome tunes you've never heard from them before and insane covers. I know most people will be at the Andrew W.K. show in Hartford, but if you're in the New London area this is gonna rock pretty damn hard as well.

Pattern is Movement w/ Via Audio @ The Space



Via Audio played with Lovers and Thieves at their reunion show a few weeks ago and kicked off a tour soon thereafter. Expect an easygoing night at The Space when they take the stage with Pattern is Movement.



The Space - February 27th
Pattern is Movement
Via Audio
Time: 8:00pm
Cost: $8

Slam Donahue - Marijuana Cops

There's a new Slam Donahue video. Check it out:


The City Skyscape - s/t


The City Skyscape is the brainchild of Christopher Mongillo from Hartford. He blends together electronica and indie pop in an almost modernized version of 80s new-wave bands like Depeche Mode and New Order. His self-titled album was released in March of 2009. On first listen, it sounds a bit like The Postal Service at times, and other times it's something way more aggressive. The lyrical content is very dark, and at times borders on the grotesque, so it's not exactly the kind of thing you normally hear in pop music, but it keeps you listening, wondering what will come next. Songs like "Baby's Been a Bad Girl" and "Our American Girlfriend" are full of terrible scenes and almost scary violent imagery. The latter half of the album dips into more traveled territory, and the songs are more traditional indie-pop lyrically, but remain fun and listenable. This is someone to keep an eye on for the coming months, as he's currently working on a new EP - it should be quite interesting.

You can hear some samples and snag the album on his myspace.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Hartford, I Heart You, with Andrew W.K.

Friday, February 19, 2010, Hartford Party Starters Union presents:


Andrew W.K.
Japanther
Ninjasonik
Lemonade
and DJ Rizzla

FREE - ALL AGES - FREE - LIMITED SPACE, ARRIVE EARLY!
and please make sure and tell your friends

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
600 Main St., Hartford
6:30pm - 11:30pm

Brianna Snyder laid out all the deets and then some in the Advocate, so we're borrowing her hard work:

For those unfamiliar with Andrew W.K. (Wilkes-Krier), here's a list of song and album titles to give you a sense of who this musician is.

In 2001, W.K. released his debut record. It's called I Get Wet. On that record are the songs "It's Time To Party," "Party Hard," "Party 'Til You Puke," "Fun Night" and, one of two bonus tracks, "Make Sex." His third record, being released in the States next month, is called Close Calls With Brick Walls. Some track titles from the two-disc set: "When I'm High," "We Party (You Shout)," "Big Party," "We're Not Gunna Get Old" and "The Party God." It's the ultimate party rock, written, produced, performed and packaged as nothing but party rock, and the result is something like metal meets Jock Jams. W.K. believes in headbanging, and you can get your rock horns out while you do it. Both of 'em.

As well as being a party rocker, W.K. is also a motivational speaker; he's toured around college campuses giving self-help lectures and speeches for much of the last decade. In 2004, he had his own mini-segment on MTV2 called "Your Friend, Andrew W.K.," on which the musician responded to letters seeking his advice by showing up at the doorsteps of the people who wrote them with a camera crew, then staying a day or two to help them sort some things out, and reminding the troubled letter-writers to "headbang hard."

Being a one-man rock/dance party and a self-help guru, Mr. W.K. has, as you can imagine, many, many admirers. Among them are the Hartford Party Starters Union, who, on a mission to brighten Hartford's nightlife, began organizing dance parties and shows all over the city about a year ago. Citing Andrew W.K. as an "influence" for their cause, Neil Brewer, HPSU spokesman, said he's "super, super excited" about the party rocker's upcoming (free) performance the Party Starters have booked, after much effort, in Hartford this week. And in a recent interview, W.K. said he's also psyched.

What's awesome about Andrew W.K. is he's pretty psyched about everything. His party ethos extends beyond booze, headbanging and blood, into his own philosophical ideas about partying, which make up the foundation of his motivational speeches.

"I look at partying as doing what you enjoy with a very aware and focused mindset," he said by phone from his NYC apartment. "When you party and celebrate, you're setting aside a special time to have fun and to celebrate your life. It's kind of like Thanksgiving in that you're giving thanks for the goodness in your life. I used to think of partying as specific things, like dancing or drinking alcohol or doing drugs. But it's really whatever you think is fun."

I asked him what else, besides alcohol, dancing and drugs, is fun.

"It could be reading a book or hanging out with your friends," he said. "Or hanging out with your cat and dog. Partying is doing what's appealing and enjoyable to you. Even your grandmother who might like to crochet, that's a party. Once I moved to New York [from outside of Detroit], I started thinking that way. That every time I'm doing something fun, I'm partying."

So, then, does he drink when he parties?

"Yes, of course," he said. "I really enjoy alcohol and think it's amazing. It's so powerful."

Other powerful drugs he said he enjoys include salvia, the still-technically-legal psychoactive drug that can get you pretty, pretty, pretty messed up. W.K. said salvia had a life-altering effect on him in one particularly mind-blowing experience. He described it as his one and only "10-out-of-10 salvia experience."

"I've done it many times," he said. "And have maybe even had a seven or an eight experience. But that was the only 10-out-of-10 experience."

He described it as terrifying, enchanting and humbling. "Not only could I not remember my name, I couldn't even remember that I was a person at all. I couldn't remember that I existed. I had no concept of what a human being was." Soon after that — though he says there's no relation to that salvia night of all nights — he began his motivational-speech touring.

"That's the kind of drug experience I'm fine to have happen once. I don't think I can ever have it happen again. That first time will always be special," he said. "It can be completely crushing and overwhelming and it can be really liberating. ... I would recommend it."

The Andrew W.K. show's surprising location, in the Avery Gallery of the Wadsworth Atheneum this Friday, lends extra appeal to the event (which also features other notable, if lesser-known, bands Japanther, NinjaSonik and Lemonade). Brewer said there's no list, so those hoping to get in should show up early. Doors are at 8 p.m., and capacity is 700. There will be booze — "We're told there'll be cheap Bud Dry," Brewer said. Black Bear Saloon is handling the beverages, and the HPSU hired a pro sound guy, Brewer told me with relief. "We're taking the night off." They deserve it.

Andrew W.K. is no doubt going to attract a whole legion of hard-partying fans, and America's oldest art museum seems a reckless choice of venue. But Brewer said that last year's Neon Indian show, also held in the Avery, was well attended and went fine (400 people turned up); the Wadsworth has continued to support the HPSU and their ongoing party-planning.

"It's gonna be insane," said W.K. about his debut Wadsworth performance. "We're all gonna go completely crazy. I'm ready to go crazy, always."

Blood Warrior, Sidewalk Dave, Get Haunted, Ponybird

Saturday, February 20, 2010, Safety Meeting Records and Manic Productions Presents:


LOCATION:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$5 - 9:00PM - 21+

Directions: Click

Tickets: Click

Blood Warrior is the culmination of a life long collaborative desire between Greg Jamie (O'Death), Joey Weiss (Super Monster), Kristin Kellas and Rubin Berger (Musee Mecanique, Laura Gibson, Mirah). Based in New York but made up of members who spend most of their time on the road internationally, Blood Warrior is a unique take on indie-folk and more traditional music of the Americas. Started as a recording project at Greg Jamie's childhood home and finished at a home studio in Portland, OR, the band has now realized their music in a live setting. Blood Warrior's distinct sound, consisting of guitars, casios, chord organs, autoharp, marching drums, lots of percussion and four part vocal harmonies, is ripe with unexpected hooks while nodding to roots in folk, gospel and psychedelia.
Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Sidewalk Dave is a four piece band out of New Haven, CT. Since 2007, their Alt-Country/Aggressive-Folk has conjured up the deep instinct for rebellious brotherhood... "whiskey smuggling fellow felons on their last breathe before the weather clears."

Get Haunted: Sticks and stones, Indian bones, and a box buried in a mound. Ghost stories on ghost instruments. "Enter New London's Get Haunted, Joey Macrino's post-Royale Brothers band. It's a primitive and marked sonic departure in which Macrino learned banjo as though from an Appalachian sin-eater. At the same time, his wife, Sarah, seemingly learned drums from beating on the skulls discovered in the crawl space of a serial killer who happened to really like the Louvin Brothers"- Rick Koster, New London Day

Ponybird: "These sparse folk tunes are spooky and smoky, dark but warm, the kind that would sound best on a back porch sometime in mid-September with a bonfire crackling and a cooler nearby. Every song is played in 3/4 time (think waltz), each with its own trance-inducing properties. The arrangements are simple and therefore shine — there's no extraneous instrumentation." - Mike Sembos, New Haven Advocate

Mates of State & M.T. Bearington tour

Local bands Mates of State and M.T. Bearington are going on a short and sweet New England tour together. If you haven't seen either of these bands live, now's your chance to catch them.

Mates of State are a super cute husband-and-wife indie pop duo originally from San Francisco and now settled in the New Haven area. They're basically the epitome of the indie pop duo; I'm sure you know who they are. An added bonus: according to their twitter, they're in the process of recording their new album of covers, so expect that real soon.

M.T. Bearington is a fun combination of freak-folk songwriting with psychedelic pop instrumentation. It's a fairly new project started by Matt Thomas, who's fronted tons of bands in the past. The band is really starting to pick up steam, and he's released a great album called The Cloak of Nouns and Loss which we reviewed a while ago right here.

This is a really killer lineup, both bands are excellent. They're playing some fantastic venues all over New England:

2/17 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
2/18 - Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
2/19 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse
2/20 - Hamden, CT @ The Space
2/21 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House

Tickets for The Space are on sale today, so buy them ASAP.

Hulk Smash, Fat History Month, Family Arrow, Florida=DEATH


Hulk Smash from philly (feat. the purrrrdiest curt of all blackest UGH GOD! style) will be destroying the new hawaiian tubercles with its fist pumps and hair gel gyrations as Fat History Month (www.myspace.com/fathistorymonth) will be storming our northern beaches with delta waves of sludge frequencies and pearl harboring your ever-loving metallica scalps. Family Arrows, who played their first show at the new hawaii will be coming back for slippery seconds, and this time, they're bringing more friends with them (maybe even a surprise guest of a band?!)... and florida=death makes their dramatic return to playing at the new hawaii with other people inside it besides migs and hobbs! so in conclusion:

Hulk Smash
Fat History Month
Family Arrow
Florida=DEATH
and more?!?!

The New Hawaii
139 South End Rd
Southington, CT 06489

8:00PM - No Cover, but BUY MERCH

The Ballet, Slam Donahue, Fayrey, Daypape

Friday, February 19, 2010 - Tweefort Presents:


LOCATION:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

FREE - 9:00PM - 21+ - FREE CDs at the door!

DIRECTIONS: CLICK

Tweefort Records will be releasing the second CD in their Home and Abroad Songs compilation series. This comp is a double disc with a CD of CT bands and CD of out-of-state and international bands. Free CDs while they last.

The Ballet is a pop band from New York whose latest release, Bear Life, got great reviews on indiepop blogs all over the world.

Locals Slam Donahue, FayRey will also play. Introducing Westbrook's DayPape.

As for the CD, the contributing bands are:

Home:
The Fictional West (New Haven)
Mixtape (New York/New Haven)
The Tyler Trudeau Attempt (New Haven)
Sewing Machines (Middletown)
The Inclined Plane (Hartford)
Titles (New Haven)
The Dayzies (Middletown)
The Jackies (New Haven)
Saint Bernadette (Bridgeport)
DayPape (Westbrook)
Women’s Basketball (New Haven)
Think Quick (Monroe)
Slam Donahue (CT)
Shark (New Haven/Boston)
Love and Hymen (Milford/New York)
Fay Rey (New Haven/New York)

Abroad:
Gustav and The Seasick Sailors (Sweden)
The Postcards (England)
The Ballet (New York)
Oberhofer (Wash./New York)
The Upstairs! (Penn.)
Ex Norwegian (Florida)
The Mother Z’s (Illinois)
Robert Church & The Holy Community (Sweden)
Mammoth Life (Kansas)
Fairmont (New Jersey)
The Adventures Of (New York)
Poland (Seattle)
Cleemann (Denmark)
Sunset Soundtrack (Georgia)
Sunshower Orphans (New York)
The Susan Constant (Mass.)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Mr Lif w/ Reef the Lost Cauze @ Toads Place - Feb 25



New England rapper turned backpacker royalty Mr. Lif will be dropping his complex rhymes on unassuming minds on February 25th at Toad's. Just being part of the Def Jux collective makes me think this will be one of the better rap shows.



Toads Place- February 25th
Mr. Lif
Reef the Lost Cauze
Times: 9:00pm
Cost: $13 adv. / $15 DOS

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Anti-Fling @ Dwight Hall Chapel - Feb 27th


WYBC does it again with another sick show. This time it will be the crazed rap duo Das Racist, experimental group Lucky Dragons (if you like The Books/Animal Collective you'll love them) and new comers Your Nature right before their show at Brooklyn Bowl.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

VulGarrity + Milquetoast & Co.+ Ovlov@ Larrys - Feb 27th



One thing you can say about the guys behind the Subrosa Party is that they never slack. Ovlov , Vulgarrity + Milquetoast & Co. will be playing Feb 27th @ Cousin Larrys , rocking the roof off. I hit up Vulgarritys myspace thinking I would listen to a few songs and move on but I pretty much ended up listening to all their tunes twice. Should be a good show.



Cousin Larry's - February 27th
Vulgarrity
Milquetoast & Co.
Ovlov
Time: 9:00pm
Cost: $5

Friday, February 12, 2010

Apathy @ Toad's Place - Feb 24




Its heartwarming seeing a Connecticut artist go big and still stick around. Apathy left Willimantic and became a hero in the underground rap scene , now he is back for a show in New Haven. Come see our own Nutmeg microphone checka at Toads on the 24th.



Toads Place - February 24th
Apathy
Time:9:00pm
Cost: $12

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Big Wilson River + Brook Pridemore + The Thin Heir + more @ The Tetonka Fortress - Feb 13



Pre-game Valentines day with this show at The Tetonka Fortress this Saturday. Brook Pridemore, The Thin Heir, Mutiny Amongst Friends, Big Wilson River, The Front Bottoms, Tyler Bussy and Liv Carrow will all be playing. The snow has melted now go see a great show.



The Tetonka Fortress - February 13th
42 Curtiss St,
Naugatuck, CT
Brook Pridemore
The Thin Heir
Mutiny Amongst Friends
Big Wilson River
The Front Bottoms
Tyler Bussy
Liv Carrow
Time: 7:00pm
Cost: Donate

Sale @ Hot Air Press

Hot Air Press is having a sale and you can snag ALL of their releases for only $14. You can also get other releases at a huge discount, so snag em now.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Bear in Heaven + Twin Thousands + Apache Kid




With this show I dont even know where to begin. There's so much awesome on this bill it should be illegal. Firstly theres Twin Thousands, made up from the former Cellist of Cursive and a guy whos played with pretty much everyone from Saddle Creek Records. Next up is Apache Kid, which I could best describe as CT's take on Animal Collective. Lastly/Headlining is Bear in Heaven , whose combination of breathy vocals and room filling instrumentals is a trip in itself.


T-Model Ford


There ain't many left like legendary bluesman T-Model Ford. He's not even sure how old he is, but after a real tough life he started playing since the 70s and hasn't looked back. His brand of stripped-down gritty Delta blues stomp that sounds like the man lives - hard as nails. He's been putting out albums on Fat Possum for years now.

Here's his bio straight from Fat Possum's site. If this doesn't make you want to see this guy you're insane:

"T-Model's credentials are impeccable; if anything he's over qualified. He was born James Lewis Carter Ford in Forrest, a small community in Scott County, Mississippi. T-Model thinks he's seventy-five but isn't sure. He was plowing a field behind a mule on his family's farm by age eleven, and in his early teens he secured a job at a local sawmill. He excelled and was later recruited by a foreman from a bigger lumber company in the Delta, near Greenville, and eventually got promoted to truck driver. Between that and working in a log camp T-Model was sentenced to ten years on a chain-gang for murder. He lucked out and was released after serving two. He says, grinning, "I could really stomp some ass back then, stomp it good. I was a-sure-enough- dangerous man."

Well, old times here are not forgotten. T-model is constantly arguing playfully with Stella, his girlfriend, about their more violent disagreements. When asked how many times he'd been to jail, T-Model responded, "I don't know. How many?" He seemed to think it might be a trick question. Upon realizing it wasn't, he answered to the best of his ability. "Every Saturday night there for awhile."

As disheartening as this is, it's also a refreshing reminder of how ridiculous the present image of a bluesman is. Nothing could be more twisted that the romanticized and picturesque standard; and old black man devoid of anger and rage happily strumming an acoustic guitar on the back porch of his shack "in that evening sun". Three quarters of a century old, and with a dislocated hip, T-Model Ford is the only musician making his debut who could just as easily be starring in the most competitive branch of the National Wrestling Federation: The Cage Match.

Although Fat Possum makes it it's business to trod some wild paths, the wildest yet has to be the one that T-Models drummer, Spam, lives on. We stopped en route to New York City just as Spam's girlfriend walked out of the door dragging an oxygen tank and holding a cigarette in her other hand-a situation that could have been easily blown out her rib cage if not the entire block. Spam didn't care about that, though. He was worried she might snip off the tips of his fingers with a box cutter again.

Tommy Lee Miles to the authorities, Spam to his friends, he has been T-Model's A-number-one drummer for the past eight years. Sam Carr and Frank Frost, T-Model's old friends, were brought in for one session. But the guest musician's smiles gave way to scowls as T-Model's constant refrain ("T-Model Ford is going to remember you sorry fuckers how it's done") became more and more emphatic. Seconds before "Been a Long Time" was recorded, Frank Frost felt compelled to sate, "I want everyone to know that I'm now playing against my will."

T-Model and Spam are the only men still playing on Greenville's Nelson Street. Most of the audience has scattered due to violence from the crack trade, and with the exception of T-Model, the street that once boasted Booba Barnes and others is dead. On a typical night Spam and T-Model will arrive at the club and unpack T-Model's guitar and amp, and the bass drum and snare he allows Spam to use. When T-Model feels there are enough people, they start banging away in their own post-war Peavey-powered hill stomp. It's nothing unusual for T-Model to play eight hours a night. They keep going until no one's left standing. After his equipment's packed up T-Model will coat himself with Outdoorsman Off and climb into his van to crash."




T-Model Ford @ Cafe 9
Friday, Feb 26th
10pm, $12

IIIII - Bear Mask



Who would have thought that slowing down Britney Spears a little would sound so good? This was the first thought passing through my mind when I heard IIIII's new album Bear Mask. Don't let the first statement fool you into thinking this is some corporate twee pop album, its not; this is a trip-hop sandwich with fat beats and other samples in between the slices. If you like what you hear check out their other work Owl Worship I & II. This isn't for everyone but if this is your style this will probably be one of your fav local releases. We could have a new monster producer in our nutmeg mists.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - screw the weather, brave the snow!


Meg's sound off: Since I'm a good hour away from New Haven, I shy away from area shows during the work week. However, this line-up may compel me to run on caffeine and five hours of sleep for a day. Manic Productions presents the lo-fi jangly surf pop of Beach Fossils, the slightly more enunciated melodies of Christmas Island, The Beets' old-time harmonies, and the synth-laden backbeats of hometown sweethearts The Procedure Club. With so many sounds, it's bound to be a good time. Since so many of the bands are playing SXSW, you should see them here first and avoid the crowds. Plus, $6 is a lot cheaper than a festival pass. Ka-ching!

The Procedure ClubCafe Nine - February 10

250 State Street
New Haven, CT
Time: 9:00 pm
Cost: $6

FB event page: CLICK

About The Beets:
Formed about two years ago, The Beets are yet another solid lo-fi pop band, just a little more eased back. Their strumming and plucking bounces through the spring reverb of what sounds like an old Fender Princeton. These guys are from Queens by way of Uruguay, Bolivia and Michigan, the trio consists of guitarist Juan Wauters, bassist Jose Garcia and drummer Jacob Warstler. Artist Matthew Volz supplies the eye candy. Their debut album Spit in the Face of People Who Don't Want to Be Cool recounts tales of the devil and loves lost. The band is more foot-stomping than toe-tapping. Welcome 60s garage in the year twenty-ten.

About Christmas Island:
There are actually three Christmas Islands; one off the coast of Australia, one in the Pacific Ocean (which also goes by the name Kiritimati) and one that released a self-titled debut album on In The Red in 2009. They're from San Diego, California. Christmas Island's music is scuzzy garage with a suburban white boy sneer.

About Beach Fossils:
The surfy self recorded ramblings of Brooklyn's Dustin Payseur, Beach Fossils offer fun tunes that blend sun-drenched riffs, kaleidoscopic rhythms and hazy lyrics. The S/T LP will be out in April on Captured Tracks.

About The Procedure Club:
All things are explained in an earlier post here: CLICK.


THE BEETS, CHRISTMAS ISLAND & BEACH FOSSILS full tour schedule:

02/09 - New York, NY Cake Shop
02/10 - New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
02/11 - Boston, MA The Cottage
02/12 - Annandale on Hudson, NY Bard College
02/13 - Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio
02/15 - Philadelphia, PA Terrordome (early show)
02/16 - Washington, DC Velvet Lounge
02/17 - Harrisonburg, VA Blue Nile
02/18 - Princeton, NJ Terrace @ Princeton University
02/19 - Wilkes-Barre, PA Corner Cafe
02/20 - Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg #
03/17 - 03/20 Austin, TX SXSW

# = w/ Crystal Stilts, German Measles

Mon Khmer + KC Quilty + More @ Heirloom Arts - Feb 21



Mon Khmer - languages from the autochthonous language family of Southeast Asia. I don't know where that is but I do know Mon Khmer is also a sick band from Brooklyn that will be playing at Heirloom on the 21st. With them will be The Last Minutes, Zen Dudes & The Universe and KC Quilty.



Heirloom Arts- February 21st
Mon Khmer
Zen Dudes & The Universe
The Last Minuites
KC Quilty
Time: 6:30
Cost: $8 ADV/ $10 DOS

Monday, February 8, 2010

It Happened but Nobody Noticed at Coffeehouse

In case you missed the original screening of It Happened But Nobody Noticed, or didn't catch it streaming online, it will be shown again at Coffeehouse Recording Studio in Middletown. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you're really missing out on a great moment in CT's music history.

'It Happened But Nobody Noticed' Showing!
Coffeehouse Recording Studio
510 Main St. Middletown, CT 06457

Thursday, February 18th, 2010
7:30pm, $5/door

Friday, February 5, 2010

28 degrees Taurus, Rapture Scum at Wrench

Tonight, Friday, February 5, 2010, Against All Odds Productions brings you:


Location:
Wrench in the Works
31 Moulton Circuit
Willimantic, CT
(it is a warehouse / parking in rear)

$5.00, 5:00 PM, All Ages

FB event page: CLICK

I've seen a couple of different lineups for this show. We know for sure that Caution is playing, a math rock band à la Tera Melos. This is their demo release show - $2 for the demo. On the Facebook event page, this is the lineup:

To The Depths (local spastic punk) 6:00
Bloody Swimsuit (From Worcester MA) 7:00
Angleworm (From Connecticut) 7:30
Caution (From Connecticut) 8:00
Wonder Catapult (from Cambridge/Boston) 8:45
Rapture Scum (Connecticut's Liz Larson & Mike (from A.T.G.G) 9:30
28 degrees Taurus (from Cambridge/Boston) 10:15

If Indra Zen Versus The World is playing, great, if not, damn. Hey, man, did you really split for the West Coast? Hunting Simon is a local pop punk act. Don't think they're playing this show, though.

UPDATE - lineup above is how this one is gonna roll.

Nathan Carpenter, Darren Deicide, The Old Man & his Po’ Buckra

Saturday, February 6, 2010:



Location:
Lil Tommy J’s Home For Lost Boys
20 Shelley St
Waterbury, CT

7:00 PM, $Donate, Potluck

Nathan Carpenter
Darren Deicide
The Old Man & his Po’ Buckra
Mutiny Amongst Friends (locals)

Freak blues from Jersey - a collision of roots and punk. Why not? Music never comes to a grinding halt, it just keeps grinding together.


La Strada, M.T. Bearington and The Fictional West

Saturday, February 6, 2010:


Tweefort and Safety Meeting Records present La Strada and M.T. Bearington with The Fictional West.

Rudy's
372 Elm St
New Haven, CT

$4 21+ 9PM

The last time La Strada came through Connecticut was for a Shaki Presents show with Wooden Birds. I said something about them being folk gypsy pop. I think that still holds. They've since gained a little more notoriety, including having had their song Loved You All Along being featured in the fourth episode of the new HBO comedy Bored To Death.



Some more La Strada dates:
Feb 12 2010 8:00P Bell House (Brooklyn) w/ The Watson Twins + Hanne Hukkelberg
Mar 17-23 2010 8:00P SXSW Austin, TX
Mar 23 2010 8:00P Cosmic Charles Lexington, Kentucky


Sometimes CT Indie looks like an M.T. Bearington fan site since we're down with all things Bearington. February will be spent touring with Mates of State, which you can read about here. Check out Meg's review of The Cloak of Nouns and Loss. We've posted this newest video from Bearington a while back, but here it is again.




Tweefort Records has released The Fictional West's single Giant Clouds, which is like a post-rock version of Orange Juice. West's Christian Laursen isn't as over the top as Edwyn Collins, but his vocal style is very similar. You can download the single from Tweefort's page for FREE!

Elsinore at The Space

Saturday, February 6, 2010:


Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

$10 - 7:00PM - All Ages


Elsinore
Dr. Rocktopus and the Nunks
Krispy and the Skinny Kids
We Landed On The Moon
Art Decade
The Coda Infinity

"Champaign, Illinois' Elsinore opened the show with a pretty flawless set of power-pop and space-rock. Singer Ryan Groff has a faultless falsetto and hair-metal pipes, and he puts them to good use on his band's kinetic, catchy songs. I already had him pegged as a less-mousy Ben Gibbard, and the balls-out cover of the Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" sealed the deal. Elsinore just wrapped up the recording of its next disc Yes Yes Yes, and if the dance-heavy title track is any indication, it should be stellar." By Christian Schaeffer, blogs.riverfronttimes.com

Dr. Rocktopus and The Nunks (Guilford; an odd combination of loud rock, huge drums and horns — maybe that's why they have a song called "Unusual Anthem") – Hartford Advocate

Krispy and The Skinny Kids (Guilford; poppy but earnest punk/metal with solid lead guitar skillz and '80s metal vibe) – The New Haven Advocate

We Landed On The Moon – "if you like super energetic, angsty 1980s-style tunes about failed love affairs and unsatisfactory men, this is your ticket." Pop Matters

Art Decade - Since being established by a bright-eyed, teenage Ben, Art Decade has been a rapidly evolving tribe of musical men. The trio consisting of Binod Kumar Singh, Benjamin Zachary Michael Talmi, and Chad David Montermini proves to be a young incarnation, but a spritely one at that. Since we've come together in February, we've played all over the northeast, devised fanciful yet functional marketing plans, conducted long, blister-inducing rehearsals, and most notably – wrote and recorded an Ep, entitled 'Royalty'.

The Coda Infinity is a new band from Brookfield, CT.

Rubber Pants w/ Brett the One Man Band @ Sullys Pub - Feb 6th


Rubber Pants and Brett the One Man Band will be playing at Sully's Pub tomorrow. Rubber Pants will bring in their mix of Catchy Garage rock while Brett the One Man Band brings in the pop.

Sullys Pub - February 6th
Time: 10:00pm
Cost: $5.00

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Lookbook + Dr. Manhattan @ Cousin Larrys - Feb 16




Dr. Manhattan and Lookbook will be at Cousin Larry's on Feb 16th. If winter has you down and you're looking to put the pep back in your step this is the show to be at.


Cousin Larry's - February 16th
Time: 9:00pm
Cost: $5

The Field Recordings

REMINDER, TONIGHT: FIELD RECORDINGS at THE SPACE

Check out the new single by The Field Recordings! It's some killer high energy stuff. This makes me really excited to hear their new EP. They're also playing some shows real soon:

1/20 - Arlene's Grocery, NYC
1/23 - Cousin Larry's Cafe, CT
2/4 - The Space, CT
2/13 - All Asia Cafe, MA
2/17 - Trash Bar, NYC

You can stream the new single below. Head over to their bandcamp site for more fun.

<a href="http://thefieldrecorders.bandcamp.com/album/the-sad-cataloguers">The Awkward Circuit Boards (Or: Look Out! I Think I'm Going To FEEL!) by THE FIELD RECORDINGS</a>