Christ, we hated those “Whasssssssssupppppppppppp!!!” ads. This spoof makes them all worthwhile:

If you’ve got some spare time during the afternoon tomorrow, you should certainly stop on over at Pianos. The generous crew from Bowery Presents is putting on a free showcase:

After that, you can easily stumble a few doors down to Cake Shop, for the Oh My Rockness Showcase. They know their shit, and it’s gonna be sweet stuff:

Yowzah!

The Physics of Meaning

Force Field PR took over Pianos last night, with superb acts playing in both main stage area and the upstairs lounge. Quite a few darlings of CMJ ’08 were on hand, including Tobacco, Bell, Stars Like Fleas, and PWRFL Power. More nostalgic and lesser-known groups like Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month added breadth to the sweetness of the lineup.
Fortunately the evening also gave us another chance to check out Au, with their rousing percussion, feline vocals, and experimental flair. We’re still not over them after being blown away last month when they opened for The Dodos.
Particularly impressive was the set put on by The Physics of Meaning ‚Äì it’s kind of a ridiculous name, but this foursome fronted by an intense violinist is destined for big things. They’ve got the same sort of integrity and gorgeousness that makes other North Carolina-bred bands (like Annuals) so loveable.
Good times!

The Physics of Meaning


Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month


Au

Photos c/o Mark Iantosca

Last night I was fortunate to make it out to the Carpark/Paw Tracks showcase. I think it goes without saying that bands like Ecstatic Sunshine and Beach House give pretty consistent stellar performances, so I would like to turn my attention to some of the lesser known acts.
I caught the tail end of Tickley Feather’s show, which was fairly melodic, lo-fi, and sometimes minimalist in all the good ways. I have seen her before and again she came through with a solid offering.
Next up was a personal favorite of mine. I will preface this and say that I understand that Excepter’s noisey/dancey/provoking aesthetic isn’t for everybody. However, they have provided me with some of the best dance shows I have ever seen/heard. Often, you can never predict what they will do. This time they leaned towards the noise, slightly performance art side of their performances‚Äîsinger John Fell Ryan even wielded a knife throughout a good portion of the set. All I have to say is give Excepter a couple of chances before you make up your mind.
Adventure was an artist that I wasn’t familiar with until this show. His sound is in keeping with the Baltimore future shock sound. And, he was able to get a good portion of the crowd dancing by the end of his set.
Last but not least, the newest addition to Paw Tracks is native Mississippians Dent May and His Magnificent Ukelele. This was the most unusual band on the bill. The sound has elements of country and folk music (perhaps a nod to zydeco) straight from the backwoods of the Delta‚Äîsung by a younger indie rock kid. At first listen, it might be difficult to understand how this act fits with the Paw Tracks family. However, I kept thinking of how charming and familiar the music sounded and didn’t really care if it fit with the overall Paw Tracks aesthetic. I will definitely catch him again when he comes around. Epic win.

Adventure

Dent May and His Magnificent Ukelele

This is so spot on, right? From Arts Beat:

‚”Who’s playing? Crystal something?”
‚”Crystal Antlers?”
‚”No. Crystal Castles?”
‚”No. I think it’s Crystal Stilts.”
‚”Yeah, Crystal Stilts. ‘Crystal’ is the new ‘wolf.’”

Check ‘em.

via gothamist: foliage in Prospect Park via hbomb1947′s flickr; Gothamist House flyer; The Bell House lounge by Sam Horine.
Gothamist would like to remind you that they’re pouring Bloody Mary juice all over their pickles today, or something like that, down at their CMJ Gothamist House, aka The Bell House, in Dumbo. Tomorrow…free beer! Open till 8 every day at 149 7th Street. In their own words:

It’s your daily reminder: Come on over to Gothamist House! We’re open and we’ve got delicious Bloody Mary’s (2 for 1!) being poured with McClure’s Pickles. Coming up next are sets by Reggie Watts, Fatula, Marnie Stern, Bad Veins and Twit the Humble Feather. There are still gift bags left as well, so come and get ‘em! Tip for tomorrow: we’ll have free PBR all day long.

The only thing better than free beer is free music, and they’ve got that too! For More…

Billy Hot Chocolate is running a fantastic weekly movies series which has a hilarious premise, of which I wholly and unconditionally support. For the next three Fridays, including tomorrow, swing over to Cafe Grumpy (193 Meserole) in Greenpoint to catch Hoodies, Wheelies and Movies. There, you’ll be treated to movies where characters wear hoodies and ride bikes, straight up!
Last week we missed ET (f**k!), but tomorrow it’s The Goonies! Then, on Friday the 31st its Donnie Darko followed by Nov. 7th with Rad. For more info hit up Billy Hot Chocolate at BHCfun@gmail.com, or simply visit the event’s facebook page.

Chairlift @ Fader Fort

Starfucker @ Crash Mansion
Yesterday marked Day Two of CMJ, and we did a lot of skipping around to different venues and showcases, starting off with Starfucker at Crash Mansion. The Oregon-based trio played for a small crowd at about 4 pm with infectious synth-pop that’s bound to catch on in the next year, so keep your ears peeled. We also got to check out Look Mexico who shined a bit less brightly than our new obsession, Starfucker.
Next on the list was the Fader party, set up in a gallery space off The Bowery. Chairlift played a brief and mellow set, building up to the other bands on hand (The Muslims, Crystal Stilts.) All I have to say about that whole affair is Blagh. We were instructed to leave our waterpark/hospital patient-esque Fader/Levi’s wristbands on for the next 3 days to (A) ensure re-entry to each day’s sets, which DO have amazing lineups, but will still be annoyingly crowded and with shitty sound (B) advertise for Fader/Levi’s. So we took the wristbands off afterwards. No ‘effin way.
After that, it was time to hit The Annex for the Bring on The Brits showcase, where people were clearly wasted (even at 8 pm the scent of Soco-breath lingered in the air.) Virgin Passages started off with a tepid reception to their male/female fronted indie-shoegaze amalgamated sound. Nothing new to report there….. and nothing new to report on Radio Luxembourg, who played cutesy yet ultra-rudimentary Britpop. As for Dirty Fuzz (‚”Rock’n'Roll’s not deeeadddd!!! Woooooooh!!!”) RIYL Duffy, Macy Gray, or other mom-rock/soul.
Everyone knew the main draw of the evening was Friendly Fires, who pulled through and managed to put on a great performance. Considering the teenie stage at The Annex results in severe space constraints for an active, dancing, thrashing band like Friendly Fires, the group still spazzed around and suited the soused and packed crowd quite well.
Phew, see you at Day Three -
À demain, mes chéries!

Look Mexico @ Crash Mansion

Radio Luxembourg @ The Annex

Friendly Fires @ The Annex

Free SoCo = Madness

Dirty Fuzz @ The Annex
Photos c/o Mark Iantosca and Clarissa Roudabush

Craft fairs were my mother’s favorites and now they’re definitely becoming mine. This Sunday marks the first ever Dead Herring craft fair. So, if you are in the market for something handmade, this might be your best bet.

If you want to RSVP, check it out here.