Results tagged “blocparty”

For fans of the band and their hypnotizing, yet charged live performances, Deerhunter's recent shows have been a real treat. Gone are the gimmicks and outbursts that nearly defined these guys as a one-off freak show, and replaced is an often charming group of kids who know how to make abstract music truly engaging. Those in attendance last Tuesday night at (Le) Poisson Rouge got to see this band at their best. Frontman Bradford Cox is by no means shy at the mic, but he kept the banter light and amusing, and the attention on the music between quips. Despite some sound level issues at the club, the relatively short set was entirely on point, and shines a hopeful light on the future for this promising young band. If it wasn't clear already, they should be taken seriously.

Sure, you've been hearing a lot about it recently, but this weekend's festival is actually a pretty big deal. Historically, local giant fests don't go so well when set up near New York, but this one seems to have the backing and support to actually get done right. First off, it certainly helps to have a band like Radiohead headline two nights. You can count on one hand the bands who have the combination of mass appeal and credibility to truly give a new festival the bump it needs to establish itself. Second, the association with Coachella, which has become the high-water mark for the ever-growing number of American festivals, gives it a pedigree to live up to. The fact that the festival is actually going forward already puts it in rare company, considering the fates of Vineland and Field Day. Whether it will be able to become an annual tradition, rather than an Across the Narrows-esque one and done flop, is still to be seen.

The welcome trend of artists playing their entire albums through live in concert has spread to the country world. Lucinda Williams was in town this week for five (relatively) intimate shows at Irving Plaza and Town Hall, each featuring one of her five albums. Lucinda didn't stop at just recreating her past work -- after a short intermission set by up and coming singer/songwriter Fionn Regan, she'd come back up for another set of old and new jams while joined by some friends of hers. And at that, what went from a rather sedate and straightforward show erupted into a grand ol' hoedown, with all sorts of dancing and singing and goofing around. Perhaps the highlight on the night we went was seeing 80-something year old Charlie Louvin up on stage well after midnight, not only keeping up with the party, but stopping the room in its tracks with a stunning rendition of 'When I Stop Dreaming.' What a show, what a party.

SHOPPING: Everyone needs a little Betsey Johnson flair in their closet, and this week you can get some designer dresses without dropping too much dough. There's a two day Betsey Johnson warehouse sale starting now, 80% off!

Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse.

Earlier this week, Interpol (who if you haven't noticed is suddenly on the verge of massive international superstardom) played a local, intimate show at Bowery Ballroom to a select group of friends, label people and fans lucky enough to snag tickets when they quietly went on sale last week. The show was excellent and the band certainly proved that they've got the chops to push it to much bigger stages, even if their lonely, isolated sound feels much warmer from close up. The more exciting development, however, is that Bowery Ballroom seems to be the go-to spot for big bands playing intimate shows these days. Next week the club will play host to both Franz Ferdinand and the suddenly semi-respectable Maroon 5. As the battle for venue and promoter dominance heats up, we can only hope for more shows like this, in an effort to one-up the competition. Looks like so far, Bowery Presents is winning this battle. (Though Rufus Wainwright at the Gramercy Theatre is a strong counter). (Pic via Bao.)

On the night Lily Allen played her first post-bloghype show in New York, the ad wizards at Live Nation decided to officially rename the place The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza and drop some fake pseudo-hippie nostalgia to an already otherwise storied venue. It's an embarrassing and senseless stunt thought up by past their prime marketers in an attempt to make a consistent nationwide brand under the Live Nation umbrella. Irving Plaza is, and has been for a while, often the first step for a band that has grown out of its grassroots support and has begun its assault on the mainstream. So while the name change is really just that, it's another clear-cut sign that the homogenization of the New York rock scene in full effect. Any band playing at this new Fillmore now holds an even greater disconnect from the local scene that likely helped get them where they are in the first place. We hope the larger VIP section is worth it.

Clearly, Keith Richards telling NME that he snorted his dad's ashes is huge news, or the tabloids just didn't take to the story about an appeals court making an insurer pay for a boy's breast reduction surgery (the teen is "burdened with unusually large breasts for a boy"). Though it has the better headline, the Post disappoints us by not whipping up some Photoshop fun - like Keith snorting something out of a casket-shaped urn.

Six years ago, whether you are ready to believe it or not, The Strokes emerged from a lost and muddled New York music scene and gave a kick start to the current indie rock phenomenon that we are experiencing today. The backbone of their sound and style was the rapid fire rhythm guitar of Albert Hammond Jr. Fast forward to 2007 and all of the emerging talents from the beginning of the century are all growing up and branching out. Modest Mouse found a sound that got them the #1 album in the US this week. Jack White sold out clubs around the world with three guys not named Meg. And Al Hammond is now touring to support a pretty darn good solo album, finding a balance that maintains the Strokes edge while forging a sound completely his own.

Right on the tail of the groundbreaking "bloggers drink in the LES" article in The Observer, The New York Times will not be outdone! Their article, Truly Indie Fans, is about black people listening to rock music, and it has caused quite a stir, with good reason. The article uses the term "blipsters" to describe black indie rock fans, as if another form of the already overused word "hipster" needs to exist - nevermind one based on race. The blog Colonel K Speaks has written an emotional response to the piece.

Things are starting to pick up around here. The weather was nice, people were out leaving the cave from the post-New Years hibernation and getting back on their feet. It's still coming around, but the rock scene is starting to show some life as well...

Many of us have been enjoying McCarren Park Pool this summer. The Sunday afternoon Pool Parties are free and the music and dodgeball are reason alone to head out there, L or no L.

This weekend starts the first in the series of free (and not-so-free) concerts at McCarren Park Pool. For those who didn't want to spend 50-something dollars on Bloc Party, JellyNYC has come to the rescue with some great shows. Each one of The Pool Parties has been "curated" by different groups of people, the first by our friends over at Stereogum.com along with IceCreamMan.com. If you don't know, the latter actually has an ice cream truck that is taken to shows and events to hand out free ice cream!

One of the most energetic and memorable concerts I've ever attended in New York City was Bloc Party at the Roxy for Motherfucker. They were just starting to emerge as the indie powerhouse they've become, and in a Presidents day snowstorm in Chelsea, the traditionally sour and indifferent crowd was more riled up than any I had ever experienced at a NY indie rock show. I still hear people wax poetic about how they wish "Every show could be Bloc Party at Motherfucker." It was really that great.

This one's gonna be short and sweet: here's a new, low-key bar offering cheap drinks and we like it. From the owners of Welcome To The Johnson's comes another bar below the Lower East Side, to BelDel, if we're still saying that. We like the comfortable seating, extended happy hour (4pm-9pm Weds-Sun, $2 beers, $2 well drinks) and their choice of a house beer, choosing, like Abilene, the very inexpensive PBR alternative Genessee Cream Ale ($2 all the time). We also like their nod to the bar's previous life as a candy store -- glass shelves and rows behind the bar showcase more choices than a concession stand -- Runts, candy laces, etc. A word to the wise, don't try to buy one of the golfball sized gobstopper by the register, they're only for show. There's no gimmick here, though, only simple decor, tried and true music (Bowie, Bloc Party), and no plans to add Nerds to drinks anytime soon.

EVENT: Every time a new song by Madonna, Bloc Party or...anyone really, come sout - it's pretty safe to say it'll be remixed within a week. Tonight DJ Spooky discusses the art of the remix at the Apple Store. All you need is a little imagination, some knowledge of modern sampling and production techniques and, of course, a Mac.

Finger on the Pulse, Deejay Collective

It's tough not to notice a band that can get you to dance like this. There has been a bit of growing buzz around these guys of late for their angular dance-rock that draws obvious comparisons from legends such as Gang of Four to contemporaries like Thunderbirds are Now! and Bloc Party. Some may claim that this sound has already hit its peak and has become a bit played out, but with bands like Foreign Islands still emerging from the basement clubs of New York, it's hard to see the sweat drying up anytime soon. They have earned the reputation as one of the best live bands in New York City and we are looking forward to seeing for ourselves at the Mercury Lounge tonight. Have a listen to the mp3's below from their self-titled EP and come out later to see what all the fuss is about.

A few times a week, Gothamist publishes music reviews by our contributor Jeff Baum. The opinions below belong entirely to the author.

The summer concerts are here (and so is the summer). From now until around mid-August, the weeks are full of free outdoor show options. We'll try to keep you informed of what's hot (besides this weather). R&B vocalist Lizz Wright is playing four shows at Joe's Pub this week. You can see her for free on Tuesday at the World Financial Center Plaza. The summer concert series at Prospect Park kicks off Wednesday night with signer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones. Thursday it's over to Rufus King Park in Queens for an after work party with the "legendary" DJ Mix Master Ice and others. Friday it's back to Prospect Park for the best in jazz with the Bad Plus (also playing Knitting Factory this week). Saturday head to Central Park Summerstage for soon to be R&B legend "neo-soul singer and pianist" John Legend.

Hello Gothamist readers. Allow me to introduce myself. Some of you may know me as the music-obsessed blogger over at BrooklynVegan.com. Now you'll also know me as the music-obsessed blogger here at Gothamist. I'll attempt to keep you informed of the shows you don't want to miss each and every week. I'll try my best not to miss anything, not make mistakes, and bring you as much variety as possible, but unfortunately I'm only human. Work with me. Use the comment section to offer your own recommendations, suggestions, and corrections. And now on to the shows...

Lots more after the jump...

Luckily for us, New York didn't feel too far away as we bumped into a few of our favorite downtown bands. The Cloud Room, Asobi Seksu and Morning Theft were all there enjoying the festivities. We had a chance to catch The Cloud Room yesterday at the Fader/Levi's party and will be telling you all about it after our nap. For now, check out photos here of our time in Austin thus far.

Bloc Party can't be from the UK. They just can't. This is the country that invented the pub crawl, a place where they wean you straight from breast milk to beer. No. I refuse to believe a band from the UK could make an album this premeditated. British people drink too much to be this well thought out. Bloc Party must be German. I'm convinced. Just look at the name Bloc Party. Germans are ruthlessly efficient. They never have anything superfluous. Have you seen how much they love the letter K? SauerKraut. Kraftwerk, Der Kommisar. Those K's have to be coming from somewhere.

Ah, Presidents Day Weekend is here. Really not much to say about that, except those of you with office jobs can add an extra day to your weekend. Which probably means that the LES bars will be equally annoying on Sunday night. To fill up the extra 24 hours of non office time, here are some suggestions which include (but are not limited to) porn and existential clowns:

great, but want to check them out for ourselves, since we do like this video. Also check out the last sell outs post for more info on future shows we're not relisting here.

Coachella confirmations are starting to appear, after many many rumors. This year, the 6th, will be held April 30th to May 1st at Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA (same venue as last year). The lineup is still unconfirmed but you can probably expect Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand and the Killers. Others asked to perform this year are the Futureheads, Snow Patrol, Keane, Bloc Party, Secret Machines, Hot Hot Heat, Phoenix, The Bravery and Radio 4.

Since Londonist has reported on their local rockers (Bloc Party) done good, we'll report on ours. New York's The Bravery has been given the number one slot in the BBC Sound of 2005 poll. Meaning what exactly? That this is (apparently) THE band to watch in 2005. Last year Keane was named number one, and in 2003 rapper 50 Cent held the position.

Gothamist doesn't really like New Years Eve, it's overhyped and too expensive. So short of suggesting you just stay at home here's a little list of things you could do to ring in '05.