In the most beautiful purgatory you've only ever known, the unearthed tales of MS MR's dark twisted fantasy catch the slightest glimmer of light, and we're hanging on every last, tragic note. They're an enigmatic retro-pop duo from the depths of Brooklyn seducing us with brooding orchestral progressions and emphatic drum echoes to poetic, haunting vocals sung with a conviction not unlike that of Florence Welch. Unraveling in the decaying mansion of Miss Havisham's time-stopped regrets, MS MR is a sonic reincarnation of naive romanticism and the unabated ghosts of her unrealized desires. It's an exquisite oblivion. You'll linger on the traces of their ashes once they've transformed Glasslands into that "beautiful dance that happened by chance" on Friday 6/1. Tickets.
Kitsuné's been serving up compilations of the slickest sounds for years, and now this saucy stylin' French fashion/music house is doing it stateside. Their Kitsuné America mix is the perfect blend of chilled-out indie-popsicles and sizzling electro-dance beets to spruce up those summer jams with the freshest the USofA's got. And they're hitting up our hood to celebrate its release with Them Jeans' 6' 8" stature spinning hip-hop swag; Giraffage and xxyyxx's Starslinger-like, savvy productions of layered samples and instrumentals; DWNTWN's synth-infused, So-Cal free spirit vibes; and Selebrities' insatiable 80s electro sass. To top it off, they'll have the city's dopest DJs keeping it alive downstairs, including Friendly Greg twerkin' his cat obsessed, girl-pop guilty pleasures for your dancing delight. There really isn't any other logical option than to swerve on over to Santos Party House tomorrow night at 9PM and get your fill of all this fabness happening. Tickets
Carousel is another great band to emerge from Berklee College of Music. While we love our NYC bands, Boston bands always have a special place in our hearts. (As long as they are not openly Sox fans...kidding) They've had a ton of buzz in the blog scene and we are so excited for them to play here in the city! They are wizards at making catchy hooks, while evading the generic indie "pop" sound, keeping you locked in with mellow synthy sounds that keep you listening. Vocally, they're calming to listen to, yet the sound is upbeat enough to make you move! They'll be playing with BYD faves Body Language too. Basically, what we're saying is they're awesome so check em out on 6/7 (Tickets TBA)
With the onset of summer lagging one muggy overcast afternoon at a time,
luckily we can rely on bands like Slothbear to provide us with the sunshine and
excitement Mother Nature is withholding. Imagine a fragrant June day, lush
grass beneath your feet and an expansive blue sky overheard. Slothbear's
propulsive drum beats carry you there, with dreamy wandering guitar riffs and buoyant
vocals. At times they venture into psychedelic dissonance, channeling Modest
Mouse's early years or math rock strongholds such as Cap'n Jazz. Slothbear is
a band that transports you, and their show this Monday will hopefully usher in
the warmer season they are channeling. Tickets.
Dip your feet into the rivers and oceans of Isle of Rhodesand you'll find yourself embarking on a surprising expedition with this nautical indie alt-pop and rock two-piece from Brooklyn. Since surprises aren't our strong suit, we begin with their dynamic melodies, lush reverb, and eclectic vocal style evoking a chilled out, nostalgic rock sound that, believe it or not, is created without a single guitar! So what's rock without the jamming guitars, you ask?
Robert Farren is the vision behind the project and a classically trained pianist with an abundance of passion for and knowledge of music, vintage keyboards and analog equipment. Enter the band's namesake - a vintage keyboard made during the 1960s-80s and weighing in at 140 pounds - the Rhodes. With similar circuitry to the electric guitar, he need only the Rhodes and some help from his collection of old school analog equipment, including a 1973 tape box, delay box and pedals, and we're none the wiser of the guitar's absence. Sure, the Rhodes "is a physical, functioning thing" subject to the weather's wonky temperament. Where others consider it weary and antiquated, Rob sees as a storied soul to guide beyond perceived boundaries. Having such wide-ranging influences that include: Wagner's the Ring Cycle, Mozart, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Phil Spektor, the Smashing Pumpkins, the White Stripes, the Ronnets and the Crystals, it makes sense to say, "We have so many great things in the past that have been done - that, to just do one thing, for me, would be limiting".
The recent release of their debut album, All Rivers and Oceans, transforms the rawness of the vintage analog sounds Isle of Rhodes achieves into a cohesive and fluid exploration of connectivity, continuity and the human experience through the overarching thematic of waters. It's more than sound and music - it's a body of art encompassing facets of their creative imagination and inspirations. They're drawn to the Ocean as "the only part of the earth that you can literally float from one place to the next" and Melville's allegories throughout Moby Dick of rebirth. While the lyrics speak of challenges, heart break, doubt and angst, their tracks emote a positivity from acceptance and resilience that are just part of the ebbs and flows within the universe. It's quite the adventure, isn't it? Time to get those flippy floppies on, a Red Hook Lobster Roll in hand, and head on over to The Knitting Factory this Friday 5/25 at 8PM to rock with and in the Isle of Rhodes. Tickets.
As opposed to the graveyard shift
monotony their name suggests, Brooklyn's Night Manager is a high-energy shoegazing
foursome. As guitars
swirl over a bed of low-fi drum static, their sonic wall of sound will surge on only to pare back and reveal a sultry bass line or looped harmonies, all accented
by a well-executed jingle jangle touch. The most noteworthy aspect of the group
is lead singer Caitlin Seager's commanding vocals. Her voice is simultaneously
sweet and attitudinal, at times oo-ing and cooing and at others dwelling in a
lower register. Night Manager's sonic sundries do not lie flat but envelop you,
wrap you up and consume you whole. Check them out on Thursday at Cameo
Gallery (tickets at the door)!
We've been fans of Filligar for a while, but they also came very highly reccommended through our amazing blogger friend, Lydia, at Sunset in Rearview who gave this band overwhelming praise and who wrote the guest-blogger introduction for today! We got the chance to interview Johnny and his answers are pretty awesome!
"Filligar is a young band from Chicago composed of three brothers
(Teddy, Pete and Johnny Mathias) and a life-long friend of theirs, Casey
Gibson. I was introduced to their music back when I went to a short
business program with two of the brothers at Dartmouth. These guys were
illusive and outright COOL. They sometimes came to class, other times
went missing...because they were touring the country with their band. No
big deal, right? Wrong. They are a big deal. They've been called one of
the "8 Best Live Acts in America." They've written and recorded eight
albums. They have a player (Casey) who plays the keys as well as anybody
else in this country, if not better. And they've won my heart. I know
that somewhere, somehow, my piano teacher is able to hear Filligar's
music and he is smiling. Shine on, Filligar. I'll keep listening with
eager ears."-Lydia
BYD: Q+A With Filligar
What was your reaction when you found out that you were going on tour with Counting Crows?
We were thrilled. Pete, Teddy, and myself were visiting our grandmother at the time, and we were explaining to her the news... Having to break it down from scratch sort of made us realize it was going to be a good time.
You guys have routinely been mentioned as putting on the best live shows in Rock right now...what's the secret?
I'd tell you if it weren't a secret. Go and youtube "Tommy Lee, Tacoma."
When you're on the road, what are the best and worst foods to eat?
This is a bit of a trick question because the best food to eat is usually the worst food. I'd say the number one from Chik-fil-A or the Chicago dog from Sonic. I was actually surprised that Sonic was really able to do it right. Even down to the celery salt.
Out of the four of you guys, who would win The Hunger Games and how would this go down? Each person has their own strengths. Ted's got sheer size. Pete's pretty crafty. Casey can camouflage... I'd say Pete would win... probably spring a couple traps. I'd be the little girl who caused riots in District 9 when she got mercked.
What are your goals for 2012 and what can we expect from you guys this year?
We're going to be doing another release in 2012. Exact date TBA. We'll be playing a lot more shows.
"So they are officially the cutest looking band ever...making the cutest songs ever." (Me, just making a irrational jump to conclusions when I saw this Facebook picture of them. Royal Teeth creates wonderfully crafted pop songs with hauntingly beautiful vocals. The girl/guy vocal combo works extremely well for them, taking them out of the "bubble-gum pop" category and shifting more towards indie-pop as the beats progress and takes a very flowery, springy, happy approach to life. Basically what we're saying is: Listen to Royal Teeth=feel happy. Tickets.
You might know a bit about love in a hopeless place, but HandS (Hakon and Sofie) deliver a searing dose of electronic pop so raw and emotionally charged it could singe the strongest heartstring. With piercing vocals and sizzling synths over pulsing bass lines, the Norwegian duo's sound is prime, club-rocking gold. Scandinavia know's what's up, so acquaint yourselves and get ready for the HandS action that's only just getting started.
Tell us your story - when did you start making music, when did you meet and how did that bring you to HandS?
Well, our story is quite complicated and also quite weird! We met the day I (Sofie) turned 18. We saw each other, shared a kiss and then it all started. We hung around for a while and made the band Micropops. We toured Norway, and had some radio success, but after a while we decided to do something bigger. We wanted to challenge ourselves and began writing more complicated and bigger pop melodies. That led us from Bergen to the neon lights of London.
What led you to your namesake, HandS?
The name came along when we were on our way from a writing session at Hakons cabin - beautiful food, the sea, nature, silence and LOTS of wine. We made No Romance that day. The silence was quickly evolved to heavy electro beats. On our way back to Bergen, Mikal, our manager, sent us a text and Hakon wrote back and ended the text with H and S...and we were like.. woaaaaaah, it's us! It's the name of our band!
What are the elements of and how would you describe your sound? Are there any musical influences that have inspired it?
I (Hakon) usually arrange melodies on my guitar and Sofie gets involved with ideas. The lyrics mostly come from Sofie's broken heart. Sometimes it works completely differently. It just happens. Then I visit producers we like and work hard on the sound to make it sound HANDS. Our sound is dark, down to earth, quite original and advanced, but at the same time a million miles a way on some other planet in the pop universe. This planet is big, anthem and hot. if that makes sense. The thing is.. On the one hand we love The XX, Weekend, Grimes. On the other Rihanna, Robyn and such. We see, feel and make music from a broad genre of pop artists and want to connect an underground pop sound with something bigger.
What are your plans and what do you hope to accomplish in the short and longer term?
The most inportant thing for us now is to get to show the world what we've been working with, and make people understand that we're born to do this. We have grown over many years. We release on a sub label of Telle Records who discovered Royksopp and Annie and want to be as influencing as they've been. We want people to feel, to dance, to love what we do even if lyrics sometimes are dark. Wake Up is just the beginning of HANDS.
Magic Wands officially released their first full length, Aloha Moon last month and are getting around town this week. Proof: here. Magic Wands creates these dark, futuristic sexy songs. If really cool bands came out of Hogwarts, Magic Wands would totally be those dreamy indie kids who sing songs with insanely stylish wizard robes on. Ticket info below:
When you need to hear that lo-fi nostalgic sound, that noise that simultaneously soothes and excites you, you've found Big Troubles. Sometimes they rock a jangly pop sound or just play those happy pop-sounding songs, but if you dig deeper on the lyrics, it's somehow not as "happy" on second listen. It's different sounding than most of the bands in the scene right now. It's a bit dreamy pop, clearly inspired by a mix of influences, ranging from 90's bands to some brit pop. They're playing Glasslands on 5/18 with a ton of other awesome bands so get your tickets fast.
There's something special about our hometown BK bands, especially the four-piece band, Chappo, who has some of the catchiest pysch-rock songs we've ever heard. We're talking we've had their music on repeat...for weeks and weeks. These guys booked it to the serene state of Vermont to record their new album, Moonwater, escaping the craziness of NYC and experiencing a very different landscape and soundscape. The album should sound like purely positive energy, “We want our music to release the moon shaman within, for ourselves and the listener,” says keyboardist Chris Olson. Their LP drops May 15th and they're having a rager at Dominion to celebrate! We suggest you go...they're pretty awesome.
We got the chance to catch up with the wonderful lead guitarist, Dave Feddock, to ask him a few questions and between Craigslist experiences and Bonnaroo (!) we got the lowdown on Chappo
Not many bands can say they met through finding a roommate on Craigslist....any other Craigslist adventures you care to share?
Actually the one and only time I tried to get a date on craigslist it worked. I posted a pic of myself standing in my kitchen (fully clothed) and in the ad I said I was looking for someone to come see my friends band (our drummer zac's old band) with me. Got a couple responses...I got in touch with one girl who didn't make it to the show but made it to my birthday bash a couple days later. Some initial sparks flew and we had a nice little summer love until I broke up with her in Tompkins Square Park about a month later.
You guys are all over Alt-Nation right now! What was your reaction the first time you heard your song on the radio?
I still haven't heard it yet… but I'm really glad we're getting played!
What's your favourite city to play in? Why?
I wanna say DC. Although I did miss the van ride to our friends apartment and ended up wondering around the outskirts of town all night. I finally found a hotel but it was way to expensive!! I couldn't stay but I got lost trying to go out the back way and ended up in the basement. It was a giant hotel with all these empty conference rooms and I just found a dark corner to lay down in for a while. It was an exhausting night actually... Maybe San Diego? It's really beautiful there and it's on the beach.
What can we expect from your new album, Moonwater? What is the significance behind the title?
You're gonna find a couple tracks that you can shake your booty too. A few fun sing-a-longs. Moonwater is something that alex sang in the song M.O.O.N. W.A.T.E.R. The person in the song is reflecting on past experiences with someone in their life who didn't support their dreams I would say. I think this album is the embodiment of some of those hopes and dreams.
Alright...everyone has a rapper alter-ego. Let's hear yours! Eazy E
What are your plans for the rest of 2012 and beyond?
Well our album comes out May 15th and we're planning a wicked release party/show at Dominion for all our New York peeps. Then we're hitting the road for pretty much the next month and half straight with a double header at Bonnaroo (!!!) and some really fun shows with of Montreal. After that maybe a little vacay. I can't really think any further ahead than that right now.
If you're all about convenience, Kishi Bashi has you covered on your trip to Lincoln Center and indie-pop fix with just himself, his violin and loop pedals. Seriously though, his prodigious loop tricks, savvy string skills and badass beatboxing need no supporting acts on stage to deliver spectacularly whimsical, orchestral lush pop that had us questioning the merits of Caribbean sunshine and coconuts back in our February post. Fresh off the release of his stunning debut album, 151a, Ishibashi chatted with byd guest interviewer, Tyson Adams, below and will be dazzling us at Le Poisson Rouge in two weeks, so clear your calendars and get your tickets now!
Who were your musical influences in your youth and who are your present musical favorites that you draw inspiration from?
Being a violinist, I grew up with a lot of classical music. I had a very healthy dose of the Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart. As I got into high school, I really got into more contemporary composers. I played a lot of Ravel, Schostokovich, and Hindermith. Now I listen to a lot of everything and I just get inspired a lot by improvising with my loop pedals.
Who inspired or how was the decision made to incorporate beat boxing into live shows?
It was more of a necessity. I had always been doing it for fun, but I quickly found out that it's an interesting performance thing to put it into your set. I used to have a drum pad, but I left it behind once when I had to fly to play a show, and I've never missed it.
On your website there is a picture of you sitting cross-legged and very zen-like - do you have any meditation, yoga or other (spiritual or nonspiritual) practices that help you create music?
Haha, no. I find myself most creative when I have a lot of idle time.
Team Spirit lures you in with their welcoming name. Who doesn't like a band called Team Spirit? So happy! Their sound is like something you would have listened to at a 50's beach party if the decades of music following didn't pave the way for some ass-kicking rock songs. It's a cool mix of sounds, really retro, hard, fun rock and roll. Give these songs a solid listen to. "Fuck the Beach" has some awesome "dancing in the moonlight" lyrics that seem way too fun for dance parties ! Tickets
