THIS WEEK IN SHOWS

Hey…so we’ve been out of the show listing game for the past two weeks, partly because there just haven’t been too many shows going on due to the holidays, but mostly because the editors have been out of town, assessing our life goals and watching old movies in bed. Anyway, it’s a new year, so time to get back in it:

TUES, JAN. 5

Real Estate, Babies
Brooklyn Bowl
8:00 PM, FREE, 21+
I think our reviewer Kyle McGovern described the evocations of Real Estate better than I can. He said they call to mind “the kinds of scorched summers that seem tedious while they’re happening and glorious when they’re not.” I know I talk about the weather a hell of a lot on this, a music blog, but man, when the heat’s out (again) and you’re duct-taping your windows shut, sometimes sunshiney music is exactly what you need to remind you that it won’t be long till you’re once again dropping ice cubes down your shirt and sticking to the subway seats. Do all the imagining you can at this free show on Tuesday.

WEDS, JAN. 6

Babies, Total Slacker, Beach Fossils, True Womanhood, The Sundelles
Glasslands
7:30 PM, $7, 21+
Ever since we found out that Kevin from Woods and Cassie from Vivian Girls were getting together to make Babies, we were like, “Yeah, let’s cover that, man, that’s gonna be the hot new shit.” But we’ve yet to see them, so one of our New Years resolutions is to get on it – might as well plan to see them twice in one week in case we flake out again. Votes for Glasslands versus Brooklyn Bowl? Well, Max, the more sophisticated JM.com editor (if you ignore his taste in beer) truly loves him some Beach Fossils, and Erin, the editor with the more impressive collection of go-go boots, is a big proponent of The Sundelles.
More on This Week In Shows

Dan Deacon Went to the Hospital and Cancelled Shows Due to Extreme Pain in His Leg From Nonstop Touring; He’s Feeling Better, and Hopes to Reschedule All of His Shows. We’re Rootin’ For You Dan! C’mon, You Can Do It! [Pitchfork]

Watch Bob Dylan’s Video For Christmas in the Heart Cut “Must Be Santa,” In Which Dylan Adorns a Santa Hat and Resembles an Intoxicated Member of Twisted Sister…So, Uhh, Ring in the Holiday Cheer, the Bob Dylan Way, I Guess [Rolling Stone]

Extremely Authentic Scottish Emo Band The Twilight Sad Robbed at Gun Point While on Tour…Robbers Most Likely Confused Band With Frightened Rabbit, as that Band Sounds Identical to Twilight Sad, But Are Probably Asking For Some Petty Theft (That’s Right Frightened Rabbit Frontman Scott Hutchison, I’m Calling You Out) [Stereogum]

Former Neutral Milk Hotel Multi-Instrumentalist Julian Koster is Willing to Come to Your House and Sing Christmas Songs…With a Saw (I’m Ever So Tempted to Call them “Sawngs,” But That Sounds More Like a Gucci Mane Thing Than a Whimsical Holiday Treat) [Brooklyn Vegan]

Spin Puts up Sweet Photos From the First Stateside Cranberries Reunion Show; I Wonder If I’m Strangely Fascinated With the Cranberries, or Just Really Appreciate Yodeling [Spin]

Jack White Announces Plan to Produce An Album for Reigning “Queen of Rockabilly” Wanda Jackson (You Know, I Got to Thinking About It, and I Don’t Think She’s a Real Queen) [NME]

Bjork Writing Song About Moomins, Moomin Ancestry, and General Moomin Culture (Hopefully Loaded With Moomin Hi-Jinks…You Are Right to Be Confused as to What Moomins Are) [Pitchfork]

Stream Girls Playing a Bunch of Songs in Dallas, Finally Realize Band Called “Girls” Features Not a Single Female Performer, Look to Friends For Confirmation of the Humor in This, Realize You Are Mind Bendingly Unobservant [Gorilla vs. Bear]

Stream New Song From New York’s Own (Via New Jersey) Real Estate, “Dumb Luck,” Whjich is As Excellent a Song as Any Other Real Estate Track (I Have No Joke Here. Real Estate is a Great Band) [Stereogum]

compiled by Max Sebela

THIS WEEK IN SHOWS

At first I was thinking that this week would be a real bust for shows, but the few I’m looking forward to look like they’ll be all-consuming events. Chinese indie rock marathon, electronic music gods, and a ramshackle rock ’n roll supergroup? Perhaps we haven’t hit a post-CMJ, post-Halloween slump after all!

THURS, NOV. 5

Fucked Up, Andrew W.K. (keyboards), Vivian Girls (backup vocals), Titus Andronicus, Katie Stelmanis
Brooklyn Masonic Temple
7:00 PM, $18, All Ages
Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up performs their 2008 album The Chemistry Of Common Life with Andrew W.K. and Vivian Girls as their backing band. Sounds noisy and weird, and sounds like a party

FRI, NOV.  6

The Chinese Underground Invasion Tour:
BEIJING vs. BROOKLYN edition
These Are Powers, Soft Circle, Carsick Cars, PK 14, Xiao He, & DJ Zachary Mexico
Glasslands
9:00 PM, $TBD, 21+
Honestly, I don’t know anything about the Beijing indie scene. I first thought to list this because the concept – a couple of Brooklyn bands playing with a bunch of indie bands from Beijing –  sounded cool. I figured that These Are Powers might’ve played with these bands on their recent trip to China, and if These Are Powers approves, I’m game. After listening to these bands further, I’ve decided I have to see this show. This’ll be a great opportunity to hear some sounds that could never come out of Brooklyn. From the more mainstream P.K. 14, whose immodest Myspace bio reads: “P.K.14 occupies a space in Chinese music that might be analogous to that of Talking Heads or Television in the New York of the 1970s” – pretty lofty statement, but you can hear the influence anyway – to Xiao He, whose songs range from the sweet, unusually instrumented indie rocker “mama,” to the airy 49-second minimalist “Rain” to the ten-minute long “macerata,” which sounds like the score to a barnyard spy-movie, complete with torture scene.
More on This Week In Shows

Jay Z and Alicia Keys Delay Performance of “Empire State of Mind” at Yankees/Phillies World Series To Thursday; Jay Set to Censor “Empire” For the Performance, Meaning All Uses of “Shit” Will Hopefully Get Changed to “Shoot,” “Poop,” or “Barnacles” [Brooklyn Vegan]

Watch Superchunk Frontman/Merge Records Founder Mac McCaughan Cover Merge Artists Spoon and the Magnetic Fields; He’s Playing “Come Back From San Francisco” Which Is One of the Loveliest of the 69 Love Songs [Spin]

Download Brand New Lil Wayne Mixtape No Ceiling Right Now; Man, The Next Weezy Mixtape May Be Live Mixed From Prison. Possible Prison Titles “Robitussin Prison Blues,” “Me and T.I. Out in the Stockyard,” “My Daddy (Remix)” [Nah Right]

Watch Strokes Frontman Julian Casablancas Sing/Laugh/Be Merry/Look Creepy During a Tonight Show Performance of “11th Dimension;” Upcoming LP Phrazes for the Young Released November 3 [Prefix]

Stream Swedish Duo Air France’s Remix of St. Etienne’s “Spring;” It’s Light and Organic, Unlike Most of Air France’s Material, Which Sounds Almost Directly Ripped From the Soundtrack of Sega’s Sonic Adventure [Gorilla vs. Bear]

Watch Video For Basement Jaxx’s “My Turn,” Which Makes Heavy Use of One of the Most Underrepresented Figures in Nature/Pop Culture: Bears With Swords [Stereogum]

Norwegian DJ Extraordinaire Lindstrøm To Record 40 Minute Version of the “Little Drummer Boy”; Elsewhere, I Pull Out My “List of Things I Really Don’t Need” And Add a 40 Minute Version of “Little Drummer Boy” [Pitchfork]

Watch Brooklynites Real Estate Jam Through a Bunch of Tracks in Uncomfortably Close Quarters in the Tripwire’s Studio; Imagine That it Must Not Smell So Good in that Studio [The Tripwire]

compiled by Max Sebela

THIS WEEK IN SHOWS

It’s time for CMJ again, which means the same New York bands you can see all the time in will be playing alongside some touring bands – who would’ve all come to New York at some point anyway – in marathon-length shows full of semi-interested badge-holders and grumpy photographers who get angry when you accidentally bump into them while rocking out in the front row. (Except our photographers, who are very cool and friendly.) We tend to complain about CMJ, but since it’s here, we might as well embrace it. It IS really fun to see ten of your favorite bands in one night, and, exhausting as it may be, it’s fun to do that five nights in a row! As usual, these are my totally subjective and incomplete recommendations for the coming week. You can flesh this out by telling us who you’re going to see… Send us some photos if you go. Or boycott CMJ; that’s totally respectable too. As for us, we’re just excited for a reason to shirk our other responsibilities for a week and rock out in the name of journalism.

TUES, OCT. 20

PANACHE/NEW YORK NIGHT TRAIN CMJ SHOWCASE
Upstairs: Heavy Trash, Golden Triangle, Lovvers, Harlem, Surfer Blood, K-Holes
Downstairs: The Stalkers, Unnatural Helpers, Flexions Dinowalrus, Julianna Barwick, SCREENS
Santos Party House
7:00 PM, $10/$12, 18+
It seems that every other show I get excited about is somehow connected to Panache Booking or New York Night Train (or both), and Tuesday night’s bigass blowout is no exception – just check out the lineup!!! I just need to figure out how to be upstairs and downstairs at the same time. I’ve yet to see Heavy Trash, though I’ve heard good things about their show, but Stalkers deserve some props too. They don’t seem to get much press, but they’re one of my favorite live bands: their songs are totally fun and anthemic, and besides, I’ve seen them throw cymbals, get naked, dribble vomit, and last time I caught their show, lead singer Andy Animal was tossing firecrackers into the crowd with a menacing glee. Alright!
More on This Week In Shows: CMJ EDITION!

FRESH BAKED
in NYC
Real Estate
Atlantic City Expressway EP
2009 | Self-Released
B

It’s too bad New Jersey natives Real Estate can’t tack “Sunny Day” onto their name without facing a lawsuit. Their Atlantic City Expressway EP (released as a tour CD back in March) is all about summers in the suburbs. Drowsy Saturday mornings, sun-kissed strolls through sprinklers, going to the beach with your best friends because there’s nothing better to do – the kinds of scorched summers that seem tedious while they’re happening and glorious when they’re not.

Real Estate focuses more on their sound than lead vocalist Martin Courtney’s singing, which sets the mood successfully. Three out of the five tracks on Expressway are hazy instrumentals that somehow make Atlantic City seem like it could be a tropical place, while the chiming guitars, sleepy drumming, and vaguely fuzzy production do more to induce nostalgia than any attempt at a teenage anthem could.

Relying on lo-fi can be tricky, especially since it’s become so trendy. Some bands [Editor’s Note: Kyle’s call; not ours] use it as a crutch to make up for lackluster songwriting; Real Estate uses it to enhance theirs. These songs sound like memories: faded, though still glowing.
More on Real Estate | Atlantic City Expressway EP

LIVE JOURNAL
JezebelMusic.com @ Death By Audio
August 25, 2009 | Vivian Girls, The Beets, Real Estate, Best Fwends

photo by Thomas Wilk

Every night at eight pm, as the sun melts into New Jersey, bodies rise out of the sunflower patches and ashen alleys of Williamsburg’s South Second Street and saunter up to Death By Audio. Inside, Todd P is playing mash-ups that sound like April March on Adderall at a Bollywood circus. A girl with a wandering eye is talking about living in the ghetto and a woman near me is wearing her new “Eraserhead” tank top for the first time. I am drinking Efes, a Turkish beer available in Kensington for $.99 that gets its signature taste from the rice that is added to its brew. According to Efes Beverage group, Efes has a “tangy malt and hops aroma, rich malt in the mouth, and a bitter-sweet finish that becomes dry and hoppy,” precisely the tangy and dry feeling that night in Death By Audio.

After riding my bike through the dogged heat to the show, there was a new ecosystem growing down my neck, shoulders and back, and I sure was ready for some music to begin. Austin, Texas’ identically dressed Best Fwends opened the show with crowd-bombing jump kicks as they spazzed to their iPod, playing descending guitar chugs and fast beats. The vocals of this pair could be borrowed for a cartoon about evil motorcycle rats, who often take breaks from loitering in front of truck stops to belt out a Robert Palmer song.
More on Vivian Girls, The Beets, Real Estate, Best Fwends @ Death By Audio | 8.25.09

DAILY NEWS PICKS

Rivers Cuomo Explains Crappy Name For New Weezer Album, Ratitude: His Friend Came Up With It! Swear! [SPIN]

Hitch A Ride To Rock Rock Rockaway Beach Tomorrow For A Whole Lotta Music and Art [The Tripwire] 

Dead Man’s Bones (Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields) Announce First Tour. Better Start Rehearsing: Each Opening Act Will Be A Talent Show! [Pitchfork] 

Watch New Dan Deacon Video, “Paddling Ghost.” The Finger Puppet Ghost Is Cute, But The Finger Puppet Dan Deacon Is Even Better [Stereogum]

Ooh Ooh! This Just In, New Yorkers: Insound’s Tenth Anniversary Party Tonight At Brooklyn Bowl Featuring The Drums, These Are Powers, Cymbals Eat Guitars, And Real Estate. Hot Damn, The Week Is Lookin’ Up [FREEWilliamsburg] 

Jimi Hendrix Biopic In The Works [Prefix] 

What With Inglorious Basterds Opening Today, Why Not Read What Tarantino Has To Say About Some Of His Career’s Key Soundtrack Picks? [Rolling Stone]

Willie Nelson Stayin’ Busy With Myspace Show and New Album of Jazz Standards, American Classic, Out On Aug. 25, Available To Stream Via Myspace Tomorrow [The Tripwire] 

Harlem, Yeasayer, Kid Sister Added to Fun Fun Fun Fest Lineup [Gorilla vs. Bear] 

Bon Iver Just Got Way Cooler In My Eyes. Why? Oh, Just A Little Show He’s Gonna Play At Sunrise. In A CEMETERY! [The Tripwire]

compiled by Erin Sheehy