show: Velvet Davenport, Big Troubles + More! 11/13

Warmy Girls
Flyer by Parker Sprout

Parker Sprout's psych-pop troupe Velvet Davenport are back in town for the first time since May. Seems like a while ago, especially since VD dropped both the White Blue tape and Warmy Girls LP since their last visit to the Big Apple. Needless to say, super excited for this show, especially since the Minneapolis act will be a full band. With that in mind, it might be the band's last show in the US for a while, as Parker Sprout is headed to Berlin for a few months, which, if David Bowie's exile (or anyone, for that matter) in Berlin says anything, could spur a darker, more minimalist sound from VD, an aspect of the band's ultra-hallucinated pop I've been waiting for them to explore. Be sure to get their early to peep the damaged roots folk of Flower Orgy, Appalachian ragas and finger-picking ala Sacred Harp, Silent Diane's sweeping synthetic pop, and Big Troubles... well you already know what Big Troubles sound like. Myself and DJ Toly Sopralo will be spinning tunes between sets. Shea Stadium, Saturday Night. Do it.

Giving away a Guest List spot for the Show. Leave your most psychedelic moment in the comments to win.

Velvet Davenport- Never Ending Days

new: Silent Diane "Spell" | NYC debut

Riverside

Vintage drum machines and swelling synths may spell witch-house, or chillwave, depending on what set you roll in, however, in the case of Silent Diane those micro-genres couldn't be more inappropriate. Rather, the Austin duo of Christine Apprille and Eli Welbourne craft notably hi-fi (for their peers) dark-pop, with elements of Ketamin house and dark wave for good measure. The result is marveling mix of its components, as woozy and romantic, as it is spellbinding. The groups debut single on Answering Machine Recordings (also home to Austin compadre How I Quit Crack, who works in similar realms.) If "Juliet the Painting" and "Riverside" showed us what Silent Diane are capable of, "Spell" and "Aegion" hint at what the future may hold for the synth-duo.

Silent Diane are making their NYC debut this week and will be playing the Chocolate Bobka show at Shea Stadium Saturday 11/13 with Big Troubles, Velvet Davenport, Sacred Harp and Flower Orgy.

Aegion by Silent Diane

Spell by Silent Diane

news: RIP The Old Big Troubles, Hail The New Big Troubles

Back to (Pre-)School

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! BIG TROUBLES DID NOT BREAK UP. IF YOU BELIEVED THAT, YOU ARE HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR.

Seeing Big Trouble's first ever show in the summer of 2009, it was clear the shoegaze revivalists were on to something very heavy. However, in the midst of releasing their debut record on OESB, the group seems to have experienced a bit of a shake up, with founding member Ian Drennan, as well as drummer Sam Franklin, leaving the band, seemingly, for good. (Bassist Luka Usmiani hasn't officially quit, though won't be playing with the new incarnation nightly.) Sam Franklin's official statement:

"Sam's out, Ian said he'll do it when it "feels right"/"when I fucking give a shit again, OK?" and Luka plays whenever the bus is running on time. All who remains dedicated to Big Troubles is Alex. Alex and the children he has collected, recruited, kidnapped and outright stolen. Music enthusiasts: meet The New Big Troubles."

That said, it's nice to hear Big Troubles moving away from the cliche shoegaze realm into proto-rock riffing territory reminiscent of late 90's/early 2000's PRS-guitar rock. The dueling drummers here are definitely not Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman, and thank god!, cause these animals are murdering floor toms. Rumor has it The New Big Troubles will be touring with SwimJams in 2011. Stay tuned.

update: OESB

So Sing Along

Well, Todd just laid an Operative Dumbo Drop sized box on my mailbox. Major update from the always provocative Olde English Spelling Bee, who are finally putting Big Troubles debut LP Worry in the palm of the listener's hand. Been waiting for this for over a year, and couldn't be more stoked. Might as well be a major label debut, whatever that means these days. Be sure to grip it asap, which you can, as all orders will be going out this week. Don't hesitate. Seriously.

In other OESB realms, Bobka favorites Pigeons are back with a new 7-inch, the first since their heavenly Lunettes last year on Soft Abuse. Clark & Wednesday are now back in the States, and somehow found time to produce a video for "The Paradise," the A-side from the new single. (View above)


It's been a while since we heard from Greatest Hits, the danse pop machine fronted by Zak Mering (Raw Thrills) and Tyler Thacker. Last I saw them they were DJ'ing at Silent Barn between sets by Speculator, Tonstartssbandht and Run DMT. Seems like they've been re-working their dance floor sensations in bedrooms across Bushwick and are now ready to drop their debut single. If you slept on their (formerly) free to download record Greatest Hits Vol.1, stop dreaming and hop to. The rest of your 2010 will be incomplete if you do not funk on the madness that is "Danse Pop" and "Make You Mine." Serious jammers, for serious party people.

OESB, along with our homeys at Upstairs CDR, are also proud to bring the debut (lots of debuts) from Autre Ne Veut to the listening arena. A bombastic blast of pop sorcery, AVN's been splicing synthetic tracks together 'neath the murky streets for a while, occasionally popping out of a manhole to wiggle & wail on the floor of a beer soaked "venue." His jams are often headphone appropriate, with nether land swirls bringing ethereal melodies to light under solar examination. Been intrigued with his live show and the tracks on MySpace for a minute, as well as his last (NSFW) video, but "Soldier" is what really grabs me. Unpretentious drum-machine enabled bliss pop. Check the video below. Highly rec'd.

And last, but not least, some new shit by OESB mainstay Ducktails. The label's got the new 7-inch, featuring "Hamilton Road," a cut from the forthcoming Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics LP, set for November release on Woodsist. Also, Ducktails Live on WFMU 12-inch from Inflated just came today, and the mastered version of this LP sounds phenomenal. DL it here, and make sure to delete your old unmastered copy.

video: Big Troubles "Bite Yr Tongue"

Worry


After viewing the (phenomenal) video for Jackie Chain's "Haze," Fader writer SHS wrote, "Imagine the brainstorm session. Was Jackie Chain just like, Okay so this song is about weed, so I was thinking for some of it I could be driving a car and smoking weed, and for other parts I could be smoking in a room with another dude. Then the director decided it worked perfectly, so they filmed it and went home and took a rest so we could all blog about it." That's pretty much exactly how I imagined the treatment for this Spencer Dennis directed Big Troubles video went down. Basically, these dudes love fastfood and are going to gorg themselve until...well...yeah. The environment (classic North Jersey roadside establishments) is appropriate. Sorta like how all the Further videos were filmed on the beach. (Those videos rule.)

Big Chuggles are playing tonight at Glasslands with a whole ton of bands. You probably already know that though.

PS- Props to BT for hitting up the real White Manna.

comp: Various Deficiencies Vol.1

"Hey Sue"
Jonathan from Blackburn Recordings has been telling me about this killer comp he's been set to release since we randomly bumped into each other at the Shake Some Action Ethiopean jam during SXSW. I was pretty stoked about it at the time, but that may have been because the dude manning the keg in the parking lot went inside and I kept pumping the keg myself. Either way, was a real pleasant surprise to get my computer back today and simultaneously get an email from Jonathan with the comp. Various Deficiencie Vol.1 hits like a massive headwind bulldozzing down Norman Ave, a heady combination of rough and tumble garbage blowing amongst the translucent blue radiation spewing from the Newtown Creek. It's tough to pin down, but there are some serious heavy hitters involved, including Big Troubles, Cloud Nothings, City Center, Sleep Over, Coasting, Sore Eros and many more. Peep the tracklist and download the comp below, you won't be sorry. In addition, the comp will also be available as a limited edition cassette in the near future, so keep your eyes/ears peeled for that one too.

Blackburn Recordings Presents...Various Deficiencies Vol.1
City Center - Grow Up Again
Big Troubles - Chalk Circles
Cloud Nothings - Leave You Forever
Campfires - Oh Golden Dawn
Sore Eros - Melting
Brett Marren - Love Is A Jawbreaker
Possum - Red Hot
Coasting - Snow Song (Live on WNYU)
Lame Drivers - Working Song
Metal Rouge - Fast Flora Lights
Cursillistas - Trail of Tears
sleep in sundays - Flour
Falsetto Boy - Hey Sue
mountainhood - Coney Island
Sleep Over - The Key
Island's Eyelids - Western Cameo
Sultan - There Goes My Girl

Download Various Deficiencies Vol.1

post-SXSW: Big Troubles 7"

"Bat Bomb"

So I went to SXSW. It was fun. I had a good time. Hung with a lot of cool peeps, ate tons of Migas, stayed out of the chaos, and, for the most part, chilled super hard. Not surprisingly, SXSW felt like a vacation home. All Brooklyn & Jersey homeys chilling hard on Spring Break, drinking free Lonestar and trying to find someone with rolling papers. One of the acts I saw everywhere was Big Troubles. Every five feet or so I'd look around and see Sam or Alex or Ian or Luka or Mr. Gooch. Of course, I didn't even see them play, but I did manage to snag a copy of their super limited first pressing of their new 7" on Olde English Spelling Bee. The single is actually the test pressings for their new 7" and comes enclosed in a gold sleeve with custom collage art unique to each disc. Highly limited to 55, it is easily one of the coolest things (along with Sleep Over's erotic art zine) that I picked up in Austin. The 4-track 7" includes Big Troubles live staples "Drastic & Difficult" and "Grey Dayz" on the B-side, while "Bad People" and "Bat Bomb" compose the A-side. This 7" is really wetting my palette for the bomb that is sure to be their debut full-length.

Big Troubles- Drastic & Difficult

Big Troubles- Grey Dayz

mp3: Big Troubles "Worn Out"

"Sleep"
If you've been paying attention, Big Troubles (and Twin Sister) have been all over the web this week. Their debut seven-inch on Blackburn Recordings came out a few weeks back and I was lucky enough to snag a copy at the Julian Lynch show at Bruar Falls last month. Boasting 4-tracks, including an alternative version of the shoegaze pop anthem "Freudian Slips" and the oft-blogged "Wouldn't Mind," "Worn Out," a track which has been a live staple for the band, almost gets lost in the mix. Where the recording tends to keep the speed limit, the live version is all "I can't drive 55", with Ian and Alex kicking it into high gear and plowing down anything in their way. I'm sure they'll be doing that tonight, in a fog machine haze.

Tonight's Show Info:

The Studio at Webster Hall (aka Downstairs)
125 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003
Thursday, Feb. 4th
8 pm doors
9 pm show
$5 advance / $7 at door

Buy the 7" here.

Big Troubles- Worn Out

show: Twin Sister, Big Troubles, Pigeons, Alice Cohen....

"Nothing But Violent"
We're hosting another great event this week, this time with the inimitable Olde English Spelling Bee. Running the line between blissed out fantasy and fantastical reality, this show might be one of the best curations of talent in NYC right now. Not only does it feature both Twin Sister and Big Troubles, who have been slaying Brooklyn audiences for months, but also the fragile psych of Alice Cohen and Pigeons AND the warped scapes of Run DMT. Not trying to melt completely into utter Fantasia, all good, as DJ Raw Thrills, aka Zak Mering, will be pointing you in the uber-zone, where idiosyncratic twist & shouting is not only demanded, but required. Not really sure what that means, though I can guarantee Thursday night will be a good time.

The Studio at Webster Hall (aka Downstairs)
125 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003
Thursday, Feb. 4th
8 pm doors
9 pm show
$5 advance / $7 at door

Twin Sister- I Want a House
Big Troubles- Sick Days
Pigeons- Tendress

Raw Thrills- Why Can't I Say Let Go


Alice Cohen- Memories of Glaciers

mix: Underwater Peoples Winter Review

"Sun to the Moon"
A quarter pound of green beans, six candy canes and enough beers consumed for my parents to reconsider "creating" me, I came home last night, the eve of the birth of the little baby Jesus, to find the Underwater Peoples Winter Review nestled in my cozy inbox. It was drapped in swaddling clothes...whatever the fuck those are.

In the spirit of giving, it is my pleasure to share this with you, fine citizens of the world, this wonderful compilation. Download it, upload it to your iPizzles, burn a CD, dub a tape, or, if your really cool, copy that shit to 8-track, you'll be the only kid in America with an 8-track of, well, anything worth listening to. Enough of the bullshit, though, as there was lots of hard work put into this hand crafted Christmas gift for you. The UP crew, who is, like, hella International right now, doesn't care if the economy left you delivering papers, they just want you to enjoy whats left of 2009, to roll into the next decade with the momentum of a freight train powered by a vat of Red Bull and an Intervention's worth of crystal meth. Ok, maybe not the meth part, but the full force, straight on til morning vibe is still relevant. Like Sawyer said, 2010 is all about Love. And friends. Think about that while you aurally devour the Winter Review. Also think about how goddamn adorable the infant version of Michael Mimoun was (thats him on the gracing the album art). Goddamn that kid was/is a cutie pie. Hope Santa was good to you. Peace be with you.

Underwater Peoples Winter Review
1. Julian Lynch - Es's
2. Pill Wonder - Restless
3. Ducktails - Apple Walk
4. Fluffy Lumbers - Adoration
5. Big Troubles - Former Selves
6. Andrew Cedermark - Ad Infinitum
7. Frat Dad - Totally Afraid
8. Dana Jewell - My T-Train Girl
9. Air Waves - Sweetness
10. Family Portrait - Killer Statements
11. Alex Bleeker - These Days
12. Mountain Man - Dog Song
13. Real Estate - Orchard
14. Rainbow Bridge - Rain Nair
15. Liam the Younger - Please See

Download Underwater Peoples Winter Review (direct download)

UPDATE: Underwater Peoples Sawyer Live from Vietnam:

video: Big Troubles "Freudian Slips"

"Oh No"

Young fuzz devotees and Geocities enthusiasts Big Troubles have only played a handful of shows since their inception in late July, yet they've managed to damage the ear canal's of at least two dozen attendees, which, I guess, is sort of the point. These guys don't know the definition of "too loud," and if the sound guy at Cameo Gallery had known this he probably wouldn't have said "the guitars are still too loud." Everyone in the room could've agreed, but instead, they laughed it off, popped in ear plugs and let Alex Craig and Ian Drennen, backed by Luka Usmani and Sam Franklin, speed up our inevitable deafness. No saxophone solos or doo-wop vocal arrangements here, just delectable melodies ensconced in enough distortion to blow all the wax out your ears.

wknd: Spanish Prisoners, Zeroes, Big Troubles

"Sick Dayz"
(Big Troubles at Market Hotel)
Lots of stuff going on this wknd, including the opening of Lombardy St, a new Todd P venue in Greenpoint (f yeah!), which launches with a show by True Panther synthetic tweakers Lemonade. In other North Brooklyn DIY news, Spanish Prisoners will play their 7" release show tonight at Shea Stadium, with My Teenage Stride, I'm Turning Into, and Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk. Spanish Prisoners, who have played shows with Daniel Johnston, but sound more like a celestial pop band, have been nice enough to send along a copy of Los Angeles Guitar Dream, their new 7" , to give away. Send name and address to {mcgregor [at] me.com} with the title "Spanish Prisoners" to enter. If ya don't win, you can pick up the limited edition vinyl at InSound. Spanish Prisoners also play Saturday night at Don Hill's in Manhattan.

Also on Saturday night, Rachel from PopJew is hosting a Rosh Hashanah rager at the Silent Barn with Bobka favorites Big Troubles, Dream Diary, and the Kezners. Big Troubles have been crushing it, so I highly recommend heading out to the Barn. Apples & honey, like whoa.

Sunday is the closing party of Abbey Braden's PunkPhoto 5th Anniversary Show at Littlefield. Aside from viewing Abbey's photos, which, apparently, she'll be giving away, Montreal band Zeroes will make their US debut. Zeroes, which contains members of Land of Talk, Kill the Lights, Silver Starling and Young Galaxy, produce a heady, four on the floor based blend of dark, electro-rock, for lack of a better term. Think a more ethereal Rapture rolling deep in a K-hole, which should go nice in dark confines of Littlefield. Peep "Mudslinger" below, and click here to pick up the new EP.

Zeroes- Mudslinger
Spanish Prisoner- Los Angeles Guitar Dream
Big Troubles- Sick Days

mp3: Big Troubles "Sick Days"

My Tummy Hurts
Big Troubles "Sick Days" sounds like a sick day. Your head hurts, your mom is forcing Robitussin down your throat, while simultaneously making you drink flat Coca Cola and pressuring your into taking an oatmeal bath. (Side note: Was I the only one forced to bath in oatmeal?) Anyway, Ian and Alex apparently know this sentiment all too well, as the boys have crafted a song as uncompromisingly slacker, sedated and washed out as any sick day I've ever had, and I've had my fair share. Sort of sounds like two teenage kids who couldn't afford weed decided they should just go steal Coricidin from the Grand Union and make an afternoon out of while Mom and Dad were at work.

Big Troubles- Sick Days