Brooklyn band The Ks sent us a photo video in honor of the night. All we can say is we’re never drinking tea or wearing our three cornered hats again. Still keeping our fingers crossed that Sharron Angle loses.

BAL caught up with the uber-talented and super friendly Marnie Stern during her breakneck 7 show marathon at CMJ, where she granted us an on-camera interview and access to several of the shows she played at. What emerged was a portrait of tireless ambition, perspicacity, and dedication to a craft – one which she has mastered with colorful, yet reserved flair and renowned dexterity. Check out this short video which includes an interview as well as live concert footage from her shows at Santos Party House and local DIY spot The Pyramids, then head over to Big Ass Lens for more info on this rising star, as well as other videos from CMJ.

Cafe Blood Bath is a self-produced cartoon series by a few Brooklyn dudes in their spare time. It is awesomely hysterical.

From their site:
For three years we’ve worked tirelessly to write, record and animate two episodes of Cafe Bloodbath. While this is a major accomplishment, that’s only 2 of the 8 episodes that we wrote for the first season of the show. At this point, with our limited time and resources, it takes us roughly 8 months to record and animate one episode. With your donations, however, we could afford to hire the additional sound engineers and animators necessary to complete the entire first season of Cafe Bloodbath in that same amount of time.

Cafe Bloodbath: Mega-Burrito from The Cheap Thriller on Vimeo.

Cafe Blood Bath has the 2nd episode and a whole mess of packages to help get more episodes going. All you can eat spagetti dinner anyone?

Parisian buzz band Jamaica played several shows during this past weeks CMJ festival.  Here is a clip of them performing their first single, “” live at the Girls & Boys weekly party.

Like what you hear? Watch more clips HERE.

What better way to counter your Monday morning misery, than to catch some fresh and exclusive footage of Deerhunter playing in Manhattan last Friday? Probably one of the most hyped bands nowadays, Deerhunter have been cleaning up with monster critical acclaim from their latest album Halcyon Digest. Those lucky enough to get into the sold out show were treated to a diesel 15 song set that touched upon nearly all of their records. For a taste of it, check out the sweet BIG ASS LENS footage below of “Memory Boy”, “Rainwater Cassette Exchange” and “Don’t Cry”. More video of Deerhunter playing “Desire Lines”, “Hazel Street” and “Never Stops” over at BAL.

Links:
Listen to their entire DC concert (NPR)
Amid Cacophony and Rapture, a Plaintive Quality Prevails (NYT Review)

Miss last week’s Menomena show at Webster Hall? Probably not the wisest decision – this Portland based art rock trio put on quite the live gig, but rarely play in the Big Apple. It’s straight though, Freewilly and Big Ass Lens documented the experience on video, providing the next best thing to seeing them live. Watch them tear into new jams “TAOS” and “BOTE” before getting the whole house on their feet in “Evil Bee” in the video below, which will either make you really happy that we were there to capture the experience for you, or really pissed that you missed a rare opportunity to see them in person…or both. An equally gorgeous video with “Five Little Rooms”, “Muscle’n Flow” and “The Pelican” over at Big Ass Lens.

Linkies:
Music Review – Menomena and Suckers at Webster Hall (NYTimes review)
Menomena – Official Site

Rockaway Taco, A Selby Film from the selby on Vimeo.

Did you make it down to Rockaway this summer? No? They are still open, so for the love of god, go get a black bean plantain quesadilla.

Pavement played the first of many NYC reunion shows last night on the Williamsburg Waterfront, and Big Ass Lens was there to capture and document the experience. The band played material spanning their entire career, including “Unfair”, the video above. Lots more footage, including a 4 song mega mix, and review of the show over at Big Ass Lens.

Can’t front on the freeness! One of our favorite up and coming bands, Grandfather, are making it easy on our wallets this weekend. On Saturday evening they’ll release their Steve Albini engineered debut, Why I’d Try, with a free album release show at Cameo Gallery at the Lovin Cup Cafe on North 6th street.

Their debut LP has been getting major drop on the BAL record player. These New Yorkers create dynamic, intense and violent psychedelic rock. Their album is available for free on their website, grandfathermusic.com, and handmade CDs and vinyl will be for sale at the show.

Tremors by Grandfather

Should make for a proper, free evening – doors at 10:30, band at 11 sharp.

Big Ass Lens captured the band at the Knitting Factory a few months back, video after the jump.

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The all-girl, Brooklyn-based, indie, super group, Girl Crisis, have followed up their previous performance (Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” — after the jump) with a cover of another 90’s jam: Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It To My Heart”.

Formed by Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, Class Actress’s Elizabeth Harper and This Frontier Needs Heroes’ Jessica Lauretti and Bek Andersen, the ladies and a few friends meet twice a year to cover a mainstream classic — male singers (like Nirvana and Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”) in the winter and females (Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit and Sade’s “Smooth Operator”) in the summer — with a decidedly lo-fi twist. Songs are stripped down and re-arranged then performed acoustically in Harper’s Greenpoint living room.  The intimate scene is captured on saturated, jumpy Super 8 film and posted on their YouTube page.

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