he 2010 DIY Bushwick Music Festival (March 24-27), brought to you by the Deli, Bushwick Music Studios and Arts in Bushwick, kicks off tomorrow night! It will feature some of the neighborhood’s best bands, DJs, and artists, and will take place in nine of the area’s best DIY spaces. In addition to Bushwick Music Studios, the venues include Brooklyn Fire Proof, House of Yes, Northeast Kingdom, Party Expo, Don Pedro, Eastern District, Goodbye Blue Monday, The Opera House Lofts, and Castle Braid. Below is a quick rundown of each space, and some of the featured bands playing at each. You can see the full schedule and a map here: http://www.diybushwick.com/index.html

Bushwick Music Studios – 55 Waterbury St., Brooklyn

[Renmimbi at Bushwick Music Studio]

Bushwick Music Studios is one of the neighborhood’s most active DIY spaces, boasting some of the best local bands and performers and featuring top-notch sound. The space has the atmosphere of a fun loft party, the equipment of a professional venue, and can be credited with truly helping to foster the music community in the vibrant East Williamsburg/Bushwick area. Run by Tito Fleetwood Ladd, BMS is also a resource for independent engineers looking for a large tracking space, or for those in need of a rehearsal and performance space. It also serves as a lighting, sound and video sales and rental facility. Check the BMS Facebook page for upcoming shows after the DIY fest—there’s always something mind-blowing going on.

Featured bands: Shinobi Ninja (in the picture), Eskalators, GunFight!, Anton Glamb, The Twees, Memberz Only

Brooklyn Fire Proof – 119 Ingraham St., Brooklyn

Tucked away in a dim-lit alleyway, Brooklyn Fire Proof East offers a cozy nest of exposed brick and character. From morning to night there is an atmosphere of creativity and flow from the surrounding artist community. There is a café which offers an extensive menu of delicious breakfast and lunch options as well as coffee and loose teas. At night there is a menu of small dinner plates and cheeses. Seasonal cocktails, specialty bottled beers, as well as draft beers and a unique list of liquors are offered. Nightly events such as Bingo and Animal Parties get the night started and our special guest DJ’s keep the party going all night.

Featured bands: Aviation Orange (in the picture), Bern and the Brights, Datura, Lowry, Low Water, Otis Grove (MA)

House of Yes – 342 Maujer St., Brooklyn

House of Yes is hidden on the desolate end of Maujer Street near Morgan Avenue. Since opening in 2009, it has hosted everything from theatrical circus productions and performance-infused dance parties to dinner theatres and music showcases. The House of Yes is also home to Make Fun fabric studio and costume shop (makefunstudio.com) as well as Skybox Aerial Space (www.theskybox.org) where you can learn trapeze, silks, poll dancing and other impressive circus arts..

Featured bands: Not Blood, Paint; Tayisha Busay (in the picture); Consider the Source; David E. Beats

(image by leoxby.com)
 

After jet setting in and out of New York for writing and recording sessions, Reckless Sons have re-surfaced on the live scene with new material and a replenished swagger. Branded by Matt Butler’s distinctively gritty vocals and incandescent lyrics, that are complemented by unhinged guitars and a stomping rhythm section, Reckless Sons will rile up The Studio at Webster Hall on March 25, with their unbridled energy, rebellious attitude, rousing stage presence, and some surprises. These New York rockers have teamed up with fellow scenesters, The Auctioneers, Wyldelife, The Shooting Gallery, and Flight from LA for a highly anticipated show. Presented by renowned menswear designer, John Varvatos, who recently dressed Reckless Sons for a full-page ad in SPIN Magazine, this “NYC Line-Up" is guaranteed to be one of the better looking and better sounding events happening around town. The show is 19+, and doors open at 6:30 P.M. www.recklesssons.com -Meijin Bruttomesso

Bushwick Music Studios in association with Deli Magazine and Arts In Bushwick are proud to announce the official schedule for DIY Bushwick, A Musical Festival, taking place March 24-27, in nine venues throughout Bushwick. The inaugural festival will feature Brooklyn-based bands, DJs, and artists performing in alternative Do-It-Yourself spaces just a walk or a bike ride apart. Admission prices range from free to $10 with an average ticket price of $5. Festival passes will be available online for $20, with Friday/Saturday passes available for $10. This is part of an effort by festival organizers to make sure that the events are accessible to all.

Tito Fleetwood Ladd, owner of Bushwick Music Studios (one of the venues involved), decided to organize the festival in an attempt to galvanize the neighborhood’s flourishing music and arts scene. In the last few years, Bushwick has emerged as a frontier for DIY venues, attracting artists and musicians with the limitless opportunities provided by these raw spaces (check out a Deli article about this here). Although the scene has been growing for some time, a Bushwick-centered festival of this scale has never been attempted.

Ladd’s vision was that by working together, the Bushwick music scene would ultimately receive more visibility. “There’s this incredible energy and all these cool spaces with amazing talent in Bushwick,” says Ladd, “This is our way of showing that to anyone who wants to pay attention to us. We’re all doing it together.” When he reached out to several venues and organizations in Bushwick, he immediately received enthusiastic support.

Deli Magazine and Arts In Bushwick have both signed on to help coordinate and produce the event. Bushwick Music Studios will be joined by nine spaces including Party Expo, Don Pedros, Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn Fireproof, Castle Braid, The Opera House Lofts, House of Yes, Eastern District, and Northeast Kingdom. Corporate sponsors are nowhere to be found. DIY Bushwick is pure grassroots. 

The Deli will cover this event in depth, so stay tuned!

Via Audio‘s new CD Animalore – released in early March – gives us a fresh new sound, inspired to the glorious Motown years, but also reminiscent of some of the more elegant pop of the early 90s’ – for example, we hear some Prefab Sprout influences in the bands’ sophisticated jazzy melodies and arrangements. Jazz as a matter of fact seems to be the main new ingredient, bringing the band’s sound closer to orchestral pop artists like Claire and The Reason and My Brightest Diamond, with whom they also share high production values on record. Unlike these artists though, the upbeat pop element is still Via Audio’s trademark – check out the dancey track "Babies" (streaming under this review) and other tunes on their Myspace page. Currently on tour, the Brooklyn quartet will be back live in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on 04.17 – a venue particularly appropriate for their new sound.

The Gay Blades and J.A.C.K. are two of the indie bands with the most fun show in town – and as the town we are talking about is indie band capital NYC, this might even be one of the most fun shows you’ll ever see! Uhm, yeah, maybe we are parital to these guys because they played our Deli Parties several times and rocked da house. Jack is a weird beast of a band flirting with indie, blues, noise rock and metal, tied together by an insanely intense frontman. The Gay Blades play another weird mix of rock’n’roll, indie and pop that sometimes purposedly (and gayfully) enters cheesy territory – this is one of those bands that you MUST see live, as their recordings really don’t give the right idea of what the live experience is going to be. On the bill also slightly mellower indie pop group My Other Friends. Bowery Electric on March 26 – Do not miss!

The final day of SXSW 2010 moved in slow motion. Indescribably exhausted, I meandered through a more suburban part of town to Domy Books for the “What by Whatever Day Party.” In the backyard, the sunshine beamed down on a wooden stage that bounced with ever band, beginning with The Eastern Sea (bottom picture), a folksy seven-piece from Austin. Following them were fellow Austinites, The Frontier Brothers, whose vibrant energy radiated and awakened me from my zombie state. Last but not least, The Bright Light Social Hour (top picture) substantiated their recent award from the Austin Chronicle for the “Best Indie Band” (They should also win “Funniest Band.”), closing my SXSW on a high note. Final thought about SXSW 2010: fantastic event, great experience, I only wish venues in Austin were bigger: I had a great schedule planned out but I was unable to get into a lot of shows even with a wristband because they were too crowded… I guess everyone had the same bands in mind! – Meijin Bruttomesso

The penultimate day of SXSW took a turn for the frigid, making the festival challenging to endure. Bright and early, I froze in a two-block long line for “Mr. and Mrs. T and Rachael Ray’s Feedback Festival” at Stubb’s BBQ where Steve Conte and the Crazy Truth (NYC, bottom picture), School of Seven Bells (NYC), Andrew W.K (NYC), Street Sweeper Social Club (LA), Jakob Dylan and Three Legs, She and Him (Portland, top picture), and many more hit backyard and indoor stages. Miniature pulled-pork “sammies” and chicken quesadillas were almost unattainable, but a lucky taste test of the hearty h’ordeuvres satiated me for a short shopping spree at the American Apparel Flea Market and evening events. I caught a glimpse of The Cringe at The Texas Rockfest outdoor stage, and later, a full list of trios including New Madrid (NYC), at Mugshots Bar. The day’s highlight was an unforeseen recording session on the Lifestream AOL bus with Black Taxi, who astonished all aboard with their infectious songs and instrumental resourcefulness. – Meijin Bruttomesso

Day three of SXSW left me speechless. A mid-day slot at Rusty Spurs with Deadbeat Darling lifted my spirits before a two hour wait for LA’s leather-and-sunglasses-clad Black Rebel Motor Cylce Club the Filter Magazine Party. I stepped foot in Hyde Park Bar and Grill ONE more time for the “NYC Mixer,” another show I had co-arranged. The gig united bands from across the country, serving Texas a sample of Miss Derringer (LA, top picture), Pearl and the Beard (Brooklyn), Middle Distance Runner (DC), Outernational (NYC, bottom picture), Milo and the Fuzz (NYC), and The Frontier Brothers (Austin). Jetting back downtown to an over-packed Ghost Room, an all-star line-up, including Middle Class Rut, Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls, Michael Stipe (REM), Chris Shifflet (The Foo Fighters), Billy Bragg, Tom Morello and Boots Riley’s project, Street Sweeper Social Club, and more played mini-sets and jammed for Jail Guitar Doors, a program that rehabilitates inmates with music. To top off the night, a photo-op with Tom Morello preceded an after party at The Belmont. – Meijin Bruttomesso

Day 2 was the day of honing navigation skills. The Baeblemusic.com Party at the Scoot Inn lined up promising acts that alternated between indoor and outdoor stages. A park-style area was decorated with paper lanterns and framed by two bars and a food cart, and listeners relaxed on tree stumps and patches of grass. Seabear, a sextet from Iceland, melded strings and acoustic guitars into a pleasant and exotic folk rock. Inside, Washington DC’s These United States upped the energy with a Southern rock lilt and grimy Gospel flavor, and back in the sunshine, Australia’s Dappled Cities played avant guarde electro-pop. Off the main drag at the 21st Street Co-Op, a “clothing optional” shindig hosted Austin natives, MoTeL Aviv (pic below), in an abstractly painted dorm common room. I found the city’s friendliest taxi-driver en route to Hyde Park Bar and Grill (South) for The Deli’s second sponsored show, and completed my night with some 6th Street sight-seeing.

The Deli Magazine and CitizenMusic joined forces to educate Austin on some of the best artists from New York at Hyde Park Bar and Grill (South). A spacious restaurant and bar, home to the best French fries around, opened into a patio where a tent housed the live music for the evening. A SXSW suppertime party, the “NYC in ATX Showcase” entertained a group of all-aged diners, families, and rock ‘n rollers with five Big Apple acts, including Blackbells (picture below), New Madrid, The Shake, Deadbeat Darling, and Black Taxi. Blackbells offered guests free EP’s and a superb set after traveling thirty hours straight to Texas. The fiery New Madrid pushed forward with outstanding vivacity, and The Shake’s second evening at Hyde Park resulted in enthusiastic feedback and a new population of fans. The wind picked up and carried Deadbeat Darling’s blissful and stirring reggae-rock throughout venue, and Black Taxi almost blew a fuse with their high-powered instrumentation and charisma. Mission “Rock Austin” accomplished. – Meijin Bruttomesso

As you may know, bands biz is a very strange biz… we got this message from The King Left (who reached #8 in our Best of NYC 2008 list)… excited for the debut album / sorry to hear they are breaking up… the day the album is released!!!

"After nearly six years of making music together, we’ve decided to retire The King Left. The band has always been about the goals and vision of four great friends, and after Mark decided to pursue new opportunities, we found it fitting to conclude this amazing chapter of our lives. Nothing less than the four of us would truly be "The King Left."
Over the course of the past year, we’ve been tirelessly recording our debut LP, and we’re extremely excited for you to hear it. So, we’d like to announce a simultaneous final show and record release party.
The show will be Friday, May 14th at Mercury Lounge in New York City. It’s an early show (doors at 7pm, TKL at 8:30pm), and tickets are on sale now via the Mercury Lounge Box Office and Ticketmaster. Make sure to get tickets early, as we expect it to sell out in advance.
The album, titled Perfect Without People, will be released the same week in May via digital download and as a limited-edition vinyl (sold at the show and on our website if there are any remaining). You can check out the album cover and tracklisting by visiting TheKingLeft.com and you can download an mp3 of "The Way To Canaan" by clicking here.
And in the meantime, Corey, Ian, and I have begun collaborating with Kat Lee (formerly of Heads Up Display) and hope to have new sounds for you soon. We’re pretty excited if we do say so ourselves.
Thank you all for going on this amazing journey with us. It’s been a truly life-changing experience, and none of it would have been possible without all of you. We hope to see you on May 14th."

Brooklyn trio ARMS (Todd Goldstein of Harlem Shakes & co.) have announced a free download of their brand new self-titled EP – the follow up to their US debut, Kids Aflame (Gigantic Music). The band played 5 shows in Austin – the last one will be today at Kung Fu Salon at 4 pm. The EP can be downloaded here.

Sometimes you stumble upon a song that literally freezes time, stops your day – I guess that’s why they say "arresting". Lia Ices‘ voice and songs commend attention like only great singer songwriters do. If her live show delivers what this video promises, the lady is going to blow up within a year. (Lia Ices will play live at The Knit in NYC with JJ – the show is sold out).