At first glance, one could try and dream up the sounds of Diamond Rings– a name derived by one man show John O’Regan, explaining the dichotomy of his “multi-faceted and tough” yet thoroughly “glitz and glam” range. Yes, there is Diamond Rings’ certain showmanship quality, reminiscent of a sexy hipster Hedwig, but more importantly, the Toronto-based performer’s music is emotionally charged and mixed with the zip zap of dance activating synapse.
Diamond Rings is a the perfect blend of syrupy vocals, computer generated beats, rainbow colored sneakers and grunge guitar– sparking a visual in the brain of Kurt Cobain dressed up and writhing around in place of Madonna’s classic wedding dress moment.
You’ve got two chances to catch Diamond Rings in the next week, Monday at Mercury Lounge and this Saturday at Glasslands- a show we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to one of our lovely readers. Just click on through to check out the interview with O’Regan after the jump and let us know which Dimond Rings video is your favorite for a chance to win!
Those wacky Australian, now Brooklyn based funbags, The Death Set (changed spacing), have really gone and done it now. This is an amazing 43-track party mix that will make for a great party but I wouldn’t put this on at a house party because it will turn into a whirling tornado of humping and grinding, bumping and jiving, slamming and sliding.
Don’t play this at a house party!? Puh-lease! I want to extend a special thanks to The Death Set kids for releasing the soundtrack to my birthday party just in time.
And if you want to get your hump on, swing by The Cove tonight to celebrate the release of Artificially Sweetened with open bars, a live performance, and DJ sets galore! Details after the jump…
If it looks like the people in this video are having a good time, well, it’s because most of us just consumed at least 80 ounces of malt liquor… and if you’ve ever tried to climb out onto a fire escape to smoke a cigarette with Colt 45s taped to your hands, then you know what I’m talking about.
Your Youth along with the wonderful Jay Buim, who shot this party gem documentary style, threw a house party that ended with not only some serious debauchery, but also with me falling down in the street from drunkeness– a feat that has never been accomplished before due to my Polish genes and high tolerance. So, mission accomplished.
Sadly, for all of you, that wasn’t caught on tape. Here’s what was:
Tonight at Gallery Bar, you all have a chance to do something good with your alcoholism– a benefit for the Jukumu Letu Center of Kenya.
FREEwilly friend DJ Whitney Fierce will not only be entertaining us with her musical skills, but acts as director of the foundation which hopes to change the lives of the women and children living in the slums of Nairobi.
Miss Fierce will be heading to Kenya tomorrow to work in the community she hopes to aid with tonight’s event– which includes a star-studded DJ lineup, a photo installation by WMP, and cocktails.
There is a $10 suggested donation which can feed a Kenyan child for over a month. So don’t be a douche, come out and support!
10pm-4am, $20 shirts will be available to add to donations.
Oh hey, you like Morning Benders!? And Cults too? What about Twin Sister?? Well then, we’ve got a show for you! On Thursday 11/18, all three of these super stellar bands will be taking the stage at Webster Hall for your entertainment pleasure and we’ve got tickets for one lucky reader!
With the Morning Benders release of Big Echo earlier this year, which included a co-producer credit from Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, the Brooklyn-by-Bay Area band had an instant hit. In the shadow of their debut that largely failed to reach a wide audience, Big Echo actually reverberated much like the hollow bouncing sound the album shares its name with. Their truly texturized sound has basically got us yearning for what comes next from them.
If you like the feeling of being enamored, I suggest this is a show you should not miss. And if you win, well, free tickets are nothing to shake a stick at. Comment below to enter to win!
Brooklyn’s Mon Khmer recently released their dreamy Birthplace, an EP which fuses a multitude of influences from jazz, to classical, to country, and they’ve become the soundtrack to many a night in my cold apartment– lights dimmed, hot tea in hand.
The title track and first single, “Birthplace” builds off of a tribal beat indigenous of the Khasi people in Hammarsing’s hometown in Northeast India, and the song is said to best capture the band’s aesthetic with its intricate guitar work and Hammar’s atmospheric voice.
They’ve shared the stage with many of our favorite acts (including Bear In Heaven, Micachu & The Shapes, Beach Fossils, Tony Castles, and Deradoorian) and are adding another to their roster with a place on the bill of Hooray For Earth’s third installment of their Piano’s residency on Wednesday, November 17th. And we wouldn’t be FREEwilliamsburg if we didn’t have a pair of tickets to giveaway.
So check out the interview with two parts of Mon Khmer after the jump to get to know them a little better. You’ll be interested to know a drummer can be a driving force, and what it’s like to have The Smiths call you brilliant. And don’t forget to comment for your chance to win! Besides, if nothing else, Mon Khmer’s website sure is pretty.
We love New York City for a number of reasons. Mostly because we’ve figured out our prewalk to every possible place we may be going, but also for the gems the city has to offer. Sure, The Cloisters and Socrates Sculpture Park are pretty rad… but we’re talking about truly hidden below ground. Now we can all enjoy the long abandoned and beautiful City Hall Station, all we need is a little extra time on the 6 Train.
If you ride the 6 train to the end of the line and get off at the Brooklyn Bridge stop, you’re missing out on something incredible. As the train loops around to go back uptown, it passes through an abandoned and beautifully preserved City Hall station from 1904. [...]
The station is still not open to the public, but there’s a trick you can use to see it for yourself. Until recently the MTA would to force passengers to get off before the train made the loop, but now passengers are allowed to stay on. So the next time you reach the end of the line, keep going.
You guys have all figured out that I may have a bit of a girl crush on Williamsburg-by-Copenhagen’s Oh Land by now. This little love affair started when we booked her to play our Northside Festival showcase, after which we played NYC Taper’s recordings over and over. But now, with an EP floating around, props from folks like Missoni, Nylon, Perez Hilton, Vogue, and so on… we wish we could raise our fists and cry “firsties!!”… but that would be a touch tasteless.
Anyway, Oh land is amazing and will be playing at Mercury Lounge on Monday (11/15) and not only will we be there, but we have a pair of tickets to give to one lucky reader. All you’ve gotta do is tell us which Oh Land song is your favorite in the comments!
Glasser, if you don’t know by now, is the singular work of one Cameron Mesirow– an ethereal one woman electro-orchestra which rings in tune to acts that we adore such as Alaska In Winter, except with a femininity that seems to float effortlessly above the rhythms of each song.
Around the time of Glasser’s debut release in 2009, Apply had plenty of company in the realm of breathy electro femme fatales (see: Class Actress, Zola Jesus, Florence & The Machine, Bat For Lashes, and so on)– yet Mesirow’s work managed to stay afloat amongst her, can we say, competitors. Luckily in music, when you like a sound there’s always plenty to go around.
Did we mention a pretty stellar live set goes a long way? Well, if you haven’t had a chance to check out Glasser during her stunning live performances (see: The Fader Fort during CMJ), you’re in luck– because we’ve got a pair of tickets to see Glasser at Music Hall of Williamsburg next Tuesday (11/16) with ARP and all you have to do is comment below with something interesting to say for a chance to win!
While you’re at it, pick up a copy of Glasser’s debut full-length, Ring, out on True Panther now… and check out the video for “Mirrorage” after the jump…
At first glance, one could try and dream up the sounds of Diamond Rings– a name derived by one man show John O’Regan, explaining the dichotomy of his “multi-faceted and tough” yet thoroughly “glitz and glam” range. Yes, there is Diamond Rings’ certain showmanship quality, reminiscent of a sexy hipster Hedwig, but more importantly, the Toronto-based performer’s music is emotionally charged and mixed with the zip zap of dance activating synapse.
