I don’t really want to call Sam Amidon a folk singer. He plays acoustic guitars and banjo and sings traditional Appalachian tunes, but does so much more with this than anyone else performing live music today. Whether he’s re-imagining R. Kelly’s “Relief” or telling a stream of consciousness tale about Christian colleges and Don Cheadle, he is extremely captivating and refreshingly innovative.
Last night Amidon played at Glasslands with Lone Wolf and The Great Republic of Rough and Ready. Along with him on stage was Shahzad Ismaily, a frequent collaborator. The set was a mixture of songs from I See the Sign and All Is Well, two wonderful albums by Amidon. (more…)
While many music fans were glued to their couches on Sunday night watching the coolest-in-a-long-time Grammy Awards broadcast, a sold-out crowd filled the Bowery Ballroom to see MINKS, Abe Vigoda, and primarily, Wild Nothing.
L.A.’s Abe Vigoda hit the stage around 10pm, playing enthusiastically and graciously. Their live set demonstrated how the band’s sound has developed over the past few years – going from what was more of a noisey punk blend on 2008’s Skeleton to what now includes of a dancey sensibility on their more recent songs.
The appropriate pre-Valentines vibe offered by a Wild Nothing concert was answered by their dreamy set. Jack Tatum & co. played most of last year’s debut album, Gemini, including favorites like “My Angel Lonely” and “Live in Dreams.” Wild Nothing’s live shows are mellow, and Tatum remains shy on stage, but the performances offer new depth to the gentleness of their recordings – something that helped to generate tons of buzz for the band during CMJ 2010. A very rich and developed version of “The Witching Hour,” as well as a Primal Scream cover helped to impress the shoegazey audience, who left satisfied knowing that the band will likely be very indie-famous sooner or later.
Controlled Bleeding, alongside Syphilitic Lust and Occultation ripped a big fat hole in our collectively bleeding hearts at the Lit Lounge on Monday. Yes, it was Valentine’s Day. Yes, this and only this was the appropriate soundtrack to it. You missed it? Sucks to be you.
This song is a serious mid-week jam. MEN enlist Antony Hegarty on this anthemic “Who Am I To Feel So Free.” Imagine summoning the biggest power jam you could ever summon and just dancing it out in the club. This song is that power jam.
Ian Svenonius and gang played to a packed and sweltering house last Friday. I literally have never seen Dead Herring that crowded. The video below doesn’t do the situation justice. From the front to the back it was the human equivalent of a can of sardines. Also on the bill were the fabulous Girls in Trouble and Calvin Johnson. The latter at one point performed a duet with an audience member. Clips of all that and more are below.
Watch clips of Calvin Johnson and Girls in Trouble after the jump. (more…)
This year’s Williamsburg Fashion Weekend will feature over 14 new and emerging fashion designers
and 7 of the most exciting bands from Brooklyn.
Shows will run the gamut from fashion as conceptual art to ready-to-wear, incorporating live music, theatre and dance, always raw, experimental and forward thinking.
Williamsburg Fashion Weekend
February 18th and 19th
At Glasslands Gallery
289 Kent Ave. Brooklyn, NY
Doors open at 8PM
First show goes on at 9PM sharp
$8 cover each night
21+ with I.D.
http://williamsburgfashionweekend.com
A couple of clips from last years event are after the jump. (more…)
Over the weekend Music Hack Day came to New York. Participants had the weekend to come up with and execute their unique projects. “Music + software + mobile + hardware + art + the web. Anything goes as long as it’s music related.” The winner of the $5,000 first prize was Tim Soo, who used a Wii remote and an iPod touch to create invisible instruments. Watch him demo violin, guitar and drums in the video below and check out his website for more info.
2011 is going to be big for The Forms. Over the course of the past 8 years, the band has been the opposite of prolific. They have released two great records (Icarus and The Forms), gone through a bunch of member changes (from a three-piece to a four-piece and now down to the core duo of Alex Tween and Matt Walsh), and played shows sparsely. Saturday night at The Rock Shop, the band celebrated the release of their newest EP Derealization, a re-working of songs from their past with star-studded liner notes and an updated flare. This year, people need to take notice of this band.
Along with The Forms, Monogold preformed and BRAHMS provided a DJ set of amazing ’90s hits. (It had been a minute since I heard Salt ‘n’ Pepa’s “None of Your Business.”) This lineup – along with the appearances on Derealization by members of Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent, etc. – solidified the fact that these dudes have some seriously rad friends.
I don’t really want to call Sam Amidon a folk singer. He plays acoustic guitars and banjo and sings traditional Appalachian tunes, but does so much more with this than anyone else performing live music today. Whether he’s re-imagining R. Kelly’s “Relief” or telling a stream of consciousness tale about Christian colleges and Don Cheadle, he is extremely captivating and refreshingly innovative.
