First and foremost, take a listen to Twin Shadow’s remix of “Surrounded By Your Friends” to get excited about our Northside Festival showcase TONIGHT AT BROOKLYN BOWL with Keepaway, Glass Ghost, Oh Land, and The Babies (members of Woods and Vivian Girls).

Hooray For Earth’s debut label EP, Momo, was released earlier this month on Dovecote Records to much acclaim on the interwebs. Not to mention the waves they’ve created on their most recent tour with Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood.

We got a chance to catch up with frontman Noel Heroux about cheap beer, almost getting killed by a bunch of teenagers on drugs, and what it is exactly that’s so great about Earth.

I read a review recently that called your music twee– would you agree? What words do you feel describe your music best?

I think someone just said “twee” because we played with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.  Maybe “Surrounded By Your Friends” seems a bit twee-pop on first listen. Our friend Kurt [Feldman] recently called us “doom pop”.

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Steel Phantoms

I know I know, there are so many shows going on a the Northside festival it’s hard to catch all of them. I’ll just say: I caught Free Willy fave Steel Phantoms at Spike Hill for the Ear Farm showcase. And? I absolutely love the energy of these guys. Classically trained musicians, their punky pop tunes sound at times a little like Vampire Weekend got married to Joy Division and had a baby where the drummer could sing. Anyways, they’re playing Sunday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg (WHICH YOU CAN’T GO TO BECAUSE YOU’RE COMING TO OUR SHOWCASE, RIGHT?) or checkout their Myspace for upcoming shows.

Au Revoir Simone

So, thanks to server issues, this recap is going up now, but I caught Au Revoir Simone at the Warsaw on Thursday night.

I’ve had a soft spot for Au Revoir Simone since they did a benefit with Regina Spektor for Planned Parenthood two years ago. This was my first show in the Warsaw, and while the space is nice (they have a kitchen that serves Kielbasa next door) I have to say. The sound system? Waaaaay too heavy on the bass.

It would be one thing if we were having a trance party or maybe a punk show, but when you’re talking about the lovely, atmospheric melodies played by those three adorable girls with bangs, you want to be able to hear the music. Not, as my friend put it, feel like your teeth are vibrating in a massage chair.

Overall the show was good, and they even ended with a great cover of Summer of ’69 Don Henley’s “Boys Of Summer”. But, I’d strongly advise being strategic about which shows you see at the Warsaw.

Pics below.

Just for the Northside Festival, the Street Art loving Gallery Pandemic, on Broadway between Kent and Wythe, is holding a silk-screening party. Street artists buildmore, celso, darkcloud, deeker, gay sex, keely, matt siren, royce bannon and more will put their art on your on t-shirts, paper, tote bags, underwear, or whatever else you want. Stop by on Sunday between 12pm and 6pm, drink a bloody mary, eat some bbq, and get some art on your clothes.

More pics after the jump.

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We couldn’t be more excited to have buzz band Keepaway headlining our Northside Festival showcase this year. Raves by tastemakers including Prefix, Pitchfork, and well, us, are quickly establishing this Williamsburg -based trio as a band to watch.

We spoke briefly with Frank Lyon (drums) and Nicholas Nauman (guitar) about their EP, the Animal Collective comparisons, and of course, Christina Ricci.

Keepaway will be playing the FREEwilliamsburg Northside Festival showcase at Brooklyn Bowl this Sunday, June 27th along with The Babies, Oh Land, Glass Ghost, and Hooray for Earth.

What are you trying to Keepaway from?

Frank: The money, the cars, the hoes. I suppose…

Nick: It’s one word, buddy. Ballsports, secret cubbies, our band. A vibe.

(Keepaway were formerly known as the unGooglable IN)

Where are you all from and where do you live now?

Frank: I am from a few places, but I will go to Minneapolis to die. I currently live on Lorimer St.

Nick: Mike and I spent many formative years together outside of Boston. I got Kentucky and Ohio in me. Some California. I live fairly close to Frank.

Do you have a favorite Williamsburg hangout?

Frank: My bed.

Nick: Frank’s bed.

Do you tire of the Animal Collective comparisons or are they apt?

Nick: I don’t get it. We were trying so hard to sound like Wavves.

Frank: It’s cool.

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Last night, in celebration of the Northside Festival’s opening night, things got messy at the Knitting Factory– but not the kind of mess you may already associate with Nathan Williams (a.k.a. Wavves). I mean, of course, in that beer soaked slam dancing sort of way. And although some of his fans may not be on the path to adulthood just yet, according to his new band members the now frontman of Wavves, Williams, has quite possibly done some growing up [via]:

I left before Wavves took the stage after getting soaked in sweat scented beer (though the Village Voice caught me on the bright side), but let’s talk Dom and Cloud Nothings (and a live performance video that perfectly personifies them) after the jump.

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Busy weekend kids!

Both days of Williamsburg Walks from 2-7pm, the Southside CSA will be hosting a picnic block, inviting everyone from the community to join in.

On the 26th, will be hosting the “Williamsburg Picnic Challenge” http://southsidecsa.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/williamsburg-walks-picnic-block-basket-challenge/

Essentially, it is a picnic contest where each component will reflect a different ethnic group from the neighborhood.

$10 to enter; $5 goes towards the cash prize/ $5 will go the the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen.

TAKE BACK THE TWILIGHT VAMPIRE WALK AND RALLY

- Remember when vampires didn’t glitter?

- Like vampires better when they were eating teenagers not dating them?

- Think Twilight sucks (but not in the good way)?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this is your chance to do something about it. This is your chance to Take Back The Twilight.

WHAT: Take Back The Twilight Vampire Walk & Rally

WHERE: Meet at Union Square NYC

WHEN: Saturday, June 26th at 9:00pm

The walk will be followed by a free Anthology Film Archives screening of a new vampire show from the guys behind Ask A Ninja. The event will wrap up with an afterparty at Luca Lounge with FREE beer from midnight to 1am and $3 “blood” shots.

…so liking True Blood is alright? Also, when is there going to be a zombie backlash?

I feel you, McGinley– sometimes I wanna throw glass bottles at models’ heads too. Whoever can tell us who soundtracks the film (in the comments) gets a present! [Via]

The Imperialists are Still Alive!

In addition to the incredible lineup of bands that graced the stage last night for the first night of the Northside Festival, the Northside Filmfest also kicked off, at a beautiful new space on Kent Ave. called indieScreen.

Hosted by indieWIRE, Zeina Durra’s The Imperialists are Still Alive! (a title yanked from a Godard line) was a Sundance fave and brought a full house last night.

The story is about Asya, a Lebanese/French New Yorker who lives the bourgeois artist/model life while still keeping ties to the Middle Eastern community. When Israel’s war on Lebanon breaks out, her brother’s life is in danger and she is constantly awaiting his fate. At the same time, she begins a romance with a wealthy ex-pat from Mexico. Nothing much happens in the story, but Durra draws us into dramatic tensions in the lives of the Soho cognoscenti with a beautiful attention to those little familiar subjective experiences of living in New York.

You can find the full Northside Filmfest schedule here.