NYC

Chris Garneau releases new video and sophomore album

Posted on:

We’ve always been fans of Chris Garneau‘s sparse, mellow and theatrical songwriting. The half mechanical, half poetic world of marionettes fits perfectly Chris’ songwriting style, based on plodding piano parts, ticking percussions, string driven openings, and his unmistakable vocal style. A crew of 30 worked on this video, including director Ryan Gibeau and Michael Leach, arguably NYC’s most skilled and experienced marionette puppeteer, who handled the main puppet through the videos many challenges.

NYC

Gross Relations get wasted on camera + release video and 7″

Posted on:

I can SO visualize the day when the Gross Relations crew sat down at a pub to discuss ideas about their upcoming music video and somebody came up with this: "Dudes, I have an idea: we should just shoot a video about what we are doing right now! A video of us, our own faces, gulping down whiskey and getting progressively wasted, that’s gonna rule!". As a matter of fact the concept works well not only with the song’s title (Fuzzy Timelines) but also with the band’s lo-fi crooked musical aesthetics. Gross Relations is about to release a 7" of this song, pre-order it at Insound here.

 

NYC

Beyondo, Great Elk, Ego Puppets + More play Silver Sound Music Fest

Posted on:

On November 9 (tonight) Brooklyn Bowl will host the 2nd annual Silver Sound Music Video Film Festival + Band Battle. The evening will begin at 7pm with opening act Dinosaur Feathers, last year’s Band Battle victors, with the Festival itself commencing at 8pm hosted by Candy Slice.

This year’s competitors include a lot of NYC based artists: Beyondo (in the picture, the solo project of a member of Antibalas) Stereogum’s favorite Ego Puppets, Great Elk, Lisa Jaeggi, Lucius (recently highlighted by NYTimes as one of their picks for 2010 CMJ bands to watch for).

Among the 21 music videos being shown, there will be offerings from popular Brooklyn Bands Savior Adore, Surfer Blood, Wakey Wakey, and Lacrymosa.

NYC

NYC Artists on the rise: Lucius, live at Brooklyn Bowl Tonight

Posted on:


With a name more appropriate for a Roman general, Lucius is actually the project of peaceful and talented songstresses Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, of Bostonian origins. Their delicate voices draw gentle harmonized lullabies accompanied by sparse arrangements of acoustic guitars and occasional piano and simple percussions. The duo has just completed an east coast tour synchronized with a residency at Rockwood Music Hall, and will perform tonight (11.09) at Brooklyn Bowl within the MVFilmFest (see blog entry underneath this one).

NYC

Weekly Feature 224b: A Million Years

Posted on:

Brooklyn-based A Million Years released last month their debut full-length album, “Mischief Maker,” filled with guitar- and percussion-heavy indie rock ditties. Formed in early 2007 by Keith Madden (former touring guitarist in Pin Me Down and Longwave), he was joined by Andrew Samaha, Andrew Vanette, and Nick Werber to create Mischief Maker. The boys’ loud rock combines classic indie and punk spirit with a healthy dose of electronica and synth. Madden’s vocals add a moody melancholy to the otherwise catchy choruses. Keep tabs of the guys on tour with their new mobile app [http://tinyurl.com/2ajvmes] and get laid while listening to “Poster Girl,” per the band’s recommendation. – Read Whitney Phaneuf’s interview with the band here.

NYC

Weekly Feature 224a: Deluka

Posted on:

Birmingham-born and now, Brooklyn-based Deluka deliver delectable dance tracks suitable for clubs across all ponds on their latest record, "You Are the Night," released September 14. Ellie Innocenti’s brooding but lush vocal quality blends perfectly with accompanying bass drones, electronic effects, new wave nuances, and techno trends that permeate Deluka’s eleven tunes. – Read Meijin Bruttomesso’s interview with the band here.

NYC

Ceramic releases first full length album “The Past Ain’t Fair

Posted on:

“The Past Ain’t Far,” the impressive first full-length record from Brooklyn-based Ceramic, restores faith in the alt-country category. This isn’t another bearded hipster with a banjo, but rather elegantly produced, memorable music reminiscent of early Wilco, folky Beck, and Jason Molina’s Magnolia Electric Co. Led and produced by songwriter John Scheaffer along side producer Charles Newman (who worked on the Magnetic Fields’ “69 Love Songs” among other masterpieces), “The Past Ain’t Far” mixes roots rhythm and blues, pop folk, and wistful rock n’roll. The album opens with the dreamy, melodic strings and romantic acoustic guitar of “You Give More Than Enough” and closes with the Brian Jonestown Massacre-channeling-the Doors “Lose the King.” In between, stand out songs include the nouveau spaghetti western ditty “How’d You Get So Down” and the title track “The Past Ain’t Far” with its delicate fingerpicking amid the background of an old, faintly scratching vinyl record. – Whitney Phaneuf

NYC

Julie Peel plays Union Hall on 11.15

Posted on:

Folk singer, Deli favorite and all ‘round decent gal Julie Peel has been spreading her sound around Europe as of late, but will be returning to the US for a clutch of shows this month and next, three of which take place in New York. For the uninitiated, Peel pens charming folk-pop songs, driven by thick strums on her acoustic guitar, cheerful arrangements and a voice that is sultry and soulful. Don Miss the 11.15 show at Union Hall in Park Slope. – Dean Van Nguyen

NYC

Deli CD of the Month: Hooray for Earth – Pianos Residency in November

Posted on:

Hooray for Earth crafts a sonic galaxy of varied synthpop tunes with a rock ‘n’ roll flair on its latest EP Momo. The six celestial songs on the EP demonstrate that the band has come light-years from its Boston origins. On Momo, the band reduced the weighty, noisy drone that was pervasive on its self-titled album and Cellphone EP to welcome a lighter, mellower fare that elevates listeners to a higher plane. The euphoric “Surround By Your Friends” sets the tone of the EP with its expansive, sprightly synths and transcendent vocals that greets listeners with open arms. Although the EP is more pop-oriented than its predecessors, on “Comfortable, Comparable,” the band doesn’t pass up on the opportunity to shred and the quick turn in style works in its favor. The quartet really excels in assembling builds to fantastic, epic releases that feels like you’re racing through space, and at the end of the song, you’ve finally arrived at your destination: Earth. – Don’t miss the band at one of their residency shows at Pianos on November 10, 17 and 24. Nancy Chow