Ted Leo Solo - Dancing In The Dark - Video

After playing about 5 originals and 11 covers Friday night, Ted Leo came out and played one more cover. Probably the last song I will ever hear at Northsix before it becomes "The Music Hall of Williamsburg." Ugg. More on this show coming soon.

Aeroplane Pageant - Record Release Party

Aeroplane Pageant will be having a record release party for their new album, Wave to the Moon, at Mercury Lounge on Sat, Feb 24. Here's the full lineup:

- 11:30 -
O'DEATH
- 10:30 -
BLACK HOLLIES
- 9:30 -
NOUS NON PLUS
- 8:30 -
AEROPLANE PAGEANT

Excellent. I'll finally get to see O'Death too!

Cloud Cult @ Mercury Lounge - Sat April 14

Thanx to Bumpershine for the heads up that tix are onsale for Cloud Cult at Mercury Lounge on Sat(!) April 14. Very exciting. The band suggests that you get tix asap, because it will likely sell out, and I agree.



Can't wait to hear the songs from their new album, The Meaning of 8, which you can purchase at their website starting tomorrow, before it is in stores on April 10. Via their Myspace:

On Monday, January 29, 2007 Cloud Cult will begin posting songs from The Meaning of 8 on our MySpace page. One new song will be posted every day for 18 days. The Meaning of 8 will be available in stores nationwide on April 10, 2007. However, on Monday, January 29, 2007 the new album can be ordered online only at www.cloudcult.com. Albums will be shipped within 1-2 weeks.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the video for "Chemicals Collide", which is on the new album:

Chrome Children Videos

Have you seen these Chrome Children videos? In case you are wondering, Chrome Children is this.

Neon Lights @ The Delancey - Sat Feb 17

More info here.

Tokyo Police Club @ Mercury Lounge - April 9

Good news. The sold out Cold War Kids shows at Bowery Ballroom will not be your only chance to see Tokyo Police Club while they are in NYC in April. The band have added a headlining show at Mercury Lounge (yay!). But it's on a Monday (booo). Mon April 9th to be exact. No word yet as to who else will be playing with them. Their Myspace says that admission will cost $10,000! wow! Ahhh, the beauty of decimal places.

Update: Tix onsale. $12. Not $10,000. Phew.


Previously:

Vote For Tokyo Police Club
Tokyo Police Club, TL & Rx, Beirut
Top 5 Favorite EPs of 2006

Tonight @ Union Hall

Scott Sounds Off - Ten Speed Racer

Well he's not really sounding off this time, but anyway:

For a few years now I have been haunted by a single track that only seems to show up on random once every six months or so: "Don't Go Out" by Ten Speed Racer.

The band came strongly recommended by another Irish band, Orphan Code (formerly Nero), but here in the States I've found it very hard to find anything by them or about them. After some late-night googling I stumbled on this song and it stopped me in my tracks. An acoustic b-side version of a song that feels like I've known my whole life.

So on this semi-annual resurgence of the song I decided to do a little more searching and finally came across these 4 freebies (sadly, not "Don't Go Out"). Enjoy:

Awake
Ballad of a Greedy Man
Angel Headed Hipster
Sidewalk Monkey Typhoid

I couldn't find a website or Myspace for this band. This is all I could find. Anyone have any more info?








Previously:

Scott Sounds Off - The State

Nada Surf @ Nelson Hancock Gallery - Feb 1

As I stated way back in the beginning, I love seeing Nada Surf acoustic. I still find myself thinking about Matt and Ira acoustic at SoundFix. That was one hell of show. Fitting that their first NYC show in a while is an acoustic one. Not much info out there except for this - Nada Surf acoustic. Thurs Feb 1. Nelson Hancock Gallery. FREE!!. Barsuk says it's an "Acoustic performance for Peter Ellenby's opening party." The Nelson Hancock Gallery is located at 111 Front St. Their Myspace says that the show is at 7:30PM. If this is open to the public, I would recommend getting their as early as you can.

Sneak Peak - New Radiohead Album Art???

These and some other new pics over at DAS.

Up The Empire / Life In Bed - Moved To Galapagos

The other day I mentioned that Life In Bed would be at R&R with Up The Empire on Fri March 2. Just found out that R&R has closed and that the show has been moved to Galapagos:

Friday March 2, 2007
Galapagos, 70 N6th St., Williamsburg, NY
10pm-4am
Cover $8

Crashin'In Presents

Djs: Oil (KanineRecords), Toby Rascal (KanineRecords), and Gerald(OtherMusic)

Brit/Indie/PostPunk/Grime/Nu-wave/Remix Dance Tunes

(10:30pm) The Depreciation Guild live performance
(11:30pm) Saints and Lovers live performance
(12:30am) Vampire Weekend live performance
(1:30am) Up The Empire live performance
(2:30am) Life In Bed live performance

Air (Astralwerks) "Pocket Symphony" new album listening/release party with giveaways from Filter.

*new and old school sk8 videos projected on a huge screen all night long!

Let Me Plan Your Week

This week is ridiculously stacked with talent. Many excellent options every night of the week. If you need help deciding, here's my advice:

Tonight:

Go see Mason Proper at Pianos.

Tomorrow:

Go see Benzos at Maxwells (get tix quick, almost sold out) if you don't already have tix for this:



If Benzos sells out, go to this:



which is also this:



Friday:

Hopefully you got your tix to go see Ted Leo solo with Medications at one of the last Northsix shows. If you didn't get tix, go check out Cinema, Cinema at Fat Baby or this:
























Saturday:

The best show of the week BY FAR is this one:



If you are going to leave your house on Saturday, if should be because you are going to Sin-e, but I have to also mention that my friends The Mugs are going to be at Rockwood, Apollo Sunshine will be at Southpaw, Man in Gray/Jealous Girlfriends at Union Hall, and Muggabears/Mancino at Mercury Lounge.

Ace Of Clubs - Sat Feb 10

Previously

Oh, and I forgot to mention that this is Big Bang TV's live debut. Via their Myspace:

Fuuuucking Finally!!!!!!!!

On Saturday, February 10th, Big Bang TV will be giving their debut performance at the Ace of Clubs.

...I peed a little just writing that sentence. It's gonna be quite a spectacle, folks!

The spectacularity (spectaculiciousness?) of it all will be enhanced by sets from our esteemed collegues Fave Deddock, Square Wave Punch and Mussels.

Say goodbye to your beautiful faces, because come 12AM, February 11, they will have been rocked clean off.

I believe it.

BTW - While I was listening to The Undisputed Heavyweights' insanely good BreakThruRadio performance (do yourself a favor and listen to it), I noticed that BreakThruRadio are bringing Square Wave Punch into the studio next week on Tues Jan 30.

Almost As Good

This stupid outfit has been making me laugh, but it doesn't beat this.

Video - Sloan w/ David Cross @ Onion Party

Have you seen this yet?



ROCK!

Went down at this controversial show. Thanx to Scott (who drove from Albany to Buffalo to see Sloan, only find out that the show had just been canceled at the last minute) for pointing this out.

The Rosebuds - Acoustic - Wed Feb 14

While in town for a show at Union Hall on Sun Feb 11, The Rosebuds will also be playing a short, two 3 song sets as part of Amanda Sterns "The Happy Ending Music & Reading Series" at Happy Ending on Wed Feb 14.

I HIGHLY recommend attending this as part of your Valentine's Day activities. You know that Ivan and Kelly will be playing love songs and looking into each others eyes. C'est l'amour.

The following info is listed for tonight's show and most likely applies to the show on 2/14 as well:

show starts @ 8pm sharp
(doors open at 7:00pm)

It is recommended you get there early.

Books sold on-site by Mobile Libris

Host: Amanda Stern

Happy Ending Bar
302 Broome Street @ Forsyth; 212-334-9676
(B,D to Grand Street or F, J, M, Z to Delancey)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Mercury - Tonight

Tix onsale. $10.

Update: Sold out.

Download New Songs From The Muggabears

Just got this. The brand new The Muggabears Night Choreography EP. Seven(!) amazing new songs. The EP is a bit more Interpol than Pavement (like their Teenage Cop EP), which is cool. Good to see the band expanding their sound and exploring new territory. The vocals are still Malkmus, but the instrumentation is a bit darker, moodier, and dare i say, atmospheric. On first listen it's hard to pick favorites, because every song stands out. Nothing weak here. I've got permission to throw up a song or two, so I think I'll go with these, which I guess are my early favorites:

We Were Priests - mp3

Automatic Others - mp3

You can also listen to two more new songs, "Dead Kid Kicks" and "Rings", at their Myspace.

I didn't think it was possible for me to get more excited for KNOCKOUT! Round 2, but apparently it is. I can't wait to hear this new material live. Come out to Union Hall on Fri Feb 16.



This Sat:
























Previously:

The Muggabears - CMJ Pics, Shows
The Muggabears / The Slats
The Mugs / The Muggabears
CMJ 2006 - Day 1

Free Blood / Myth Takes

Of the three bands playing the last ever show at Northsix, the one that I am most interested in is the !!! side project Free Blood. So far, only heard the two songs on their Myspace (which is where I got the pics. lots more of them there), but that's all that it took to get me excited. Currently, the final Northsix show (on Wed Jan 31 w/ Radio 4, The Big Sleep) is the only upcoming show listed at their Myspace. This is a band that I would love to check out at Glasslands. Someone make it happen.



Speaking of !!!, I finally got my hands on a copy of Myth Takes and have been listening to it and dancing around like a fool ever since. I think it's better than Louden Up Now, which grew on me. This I liked right away on first listen. It's good to hear the band playing to their strengths, experimenting but not taking it to far, and keeping it dancey. If you haven't heard Heart of Hearts yet, check it out at their Myspace.

I'm patiently waiting for the possible announcement of a last minute hometown warm up show before they leave in a few weeks to go dominate the world and don't return until May.

More Antifreeze Pics

Might not be that many more crappy camera phone pics here at The Battering Room. Jules got a brand new camera and is now official Battering Room staff photographer. She took the Life in Bed pics here and here and she just sent over some more pics of the rest of the bands at Antifreeze. Click pics for larger version.

The Lisps



The Lisps w/ "William S. Burroughs"



Another of Life In Bed



Beat Radio





Mistakes

The King Left EP Release Party

This show is also THIS show. Check out The King Left here and here.

Coachella Flyer

The mother of all flyers. Via Productshop:



Happy Mondays?!?! DJ Shadow! Sat is stacked. I imagine there will be a lot of sucky set time conflicts that day. Sunday won't be as bad. Regardless of RATM, still think I prefer the rumored Bonnaroo lineup.

Magnetic Field - This Friday - Jan 26

This could be interesting.
























Freshly banned from Piano's, Magnetic Field are proud to host FUCK MONKEYS, a night of off-the-wall entertainment featuring the writers, producers, comics, and musical acts behind The Colbert Report and Strangers With Candy!

Tonight's performers: Julie Klausner, Matty Goldberg, Roger Hailes, Victor Vornado, Katie Bruggeman, Zack Rose, and Catie Lazarus. Music by Mike Stock and Brian Ajjan.

More info here and here.

What A Game!!!

Well the Super Bowl just got a lot more interesting. Congrats to Peyton Manning for finally beating the Pats. A Super Bowl win and he's a lock for the Hall of Fame. Congrats to Dungy and Smith for being the first two black head coaches to make it to the Super Bowl. Can't even begin to describe how big the smile on face was seeing Belichick sweating on the sideline in those last two minutes.

KNOCKOUT! Round 2

As I've previously mentioned:

Advance tix are now on sale. $8.

The lineup:

8:00PM - The Antlers Myspace
9:00PM - The Muggabears Myspace
10:00PM - Sure Juror Myspace
11:00PM - Johan Myspace

Rachael of The Underrated Blog will be spinning between sets.

Flyer designed by Bunkre.

Cinema, Cinema

Brooklyn band Cinema, Cinema made my night last night. Got home, looked in thee ole' mailbox, pull out a package from the band. What do I find inside the package?



Their Viva! EP! Listen to it straight through about 4X. Hot damn, this fucking rocks. Love the guitar sound. I definitely hear the Radiohead sound (which I am notoriously a sucker for) that they mention on their Myspace. Now I want to see the band live. Good thing they have 2 dates coming up:

Fri Jan 26 - Fat Baby

Sat Feb 24 - Lit Lounge

Go to the band's Myspace and listen to the EP. And then when you begin to feel the same way I did, go buy Viva! here.

Who Wanna Rock With The Aqueduct?

Um, yes please.

Rockin the joint that he rocked so hard during CMJ '05. Mercury Lounge. My first time, of many times, seeing him live. Dance! What a great show. Made up for arriving at CBGB earlier in the night and finding out that The Whole Fantastic World had just canceled. Aqueduct saved the night!

And now he's coming back to Mercury Lounge on Tues April 10.

Seriously though? A Tuesday? Ugg.

This show is part of a tour that begins late next month in support of his new album, Or Give Me Death, which Barsuk is releasing on Feb 20. You can listen to three tracks from the album, "Living A Lie", "As You Wish", and "Keep It Together", at his Myspace. Or you can download:

Living A Lie

As You Wish

I'm very familiar with "Keep It Together". I think he played it every time I have seen him. Love that song. "Bitch, don't even try." Living A Lie is vintage Aqueduct. Very fun, electrotinged, sweetness.

Checking In With The Antifreeze Bands

The Lisps



In addition to the FREE show above, The Lisps will also be at Fontana's w/ Bell, La Laque on Thurs March 1. Word on the street is that the band may also be opening for a certain awesome band at a certain awesome venue in Brooklyn on a certain Sunday in February. Hmmmmmm

Life In Bed

Life In Bed will be back in NYC on Fri March 2 for a show at R&R with another one of my favorites, Up The Empire. It's a safe bet that I will be in attendance.

Here's another pic of the guys from Antifreeze:



Beat Radio

This one should be extra cool. Wes has asked Beat Radio to participate in one of his special acoutic Cross Pollination shows at Pianos this Tues, Jan 23. Speaking of Wes:



And oh yeah, here's Beat Radio's Antifreeze set list:



Mistakes

Attention Rude Boys - Mistakes have TWO NYC shows coming up. One is at Cake Shop on Sat Feb 24 w/ Call Me Lightning, Chariots, and Titus Andronicus. The other is at Galapagos on Fri March 9.


Previously:

Checking In With The KNOCKOUT! Bands
Antifreeze - Tomorrow

Introducing....Johan

I was going to write up a little post about Johan (Myspace), but figured that my friend Adriaan, who helped facilitate getting Johan to appear at the next KNOCKOUT, could do a much better job of it. Here's what Adriaan has to say about them:

Johan was founded by Jacco de Greeuw. They released their debut album Johan on Excelsior Recordings in 1996. Johan instantly put Excelsior Recordings on the map as THE indie record label in The Netherlands. Three singles were released; 'Swing', 'December' and the 1997 anthem 'Everybody Knows'. Johan was out there and the press and public were ready for the follow-up.

But Jacco takes his time when it comes to song writing. 5 years after their debut album, Johan released Pergola. Rave reviews, prestigious awards for another excellent album. 3 more singles: 'Pergola', 'Tumble and Fall' and the classic pop song 'Day Is Done'. Pergola is one of those albums that are on the Dutch All Time Albums list. The album brought the band to New York for the first time, playing the CMJ festival in 2001.

Frontman Jacco is a man of traditions. All the wrong ones unfortunately. So we had to wait another 5 years for another release. But it was surely worth the wait. 10 years after their debut, Jacco is the only member left in the band. Currently the band plays with Jacco de Greeuw on vocals and guitar, Maarten Kooijman on guitar and vocals, Diets Dijkstra on bass and backing vocals and Jeroen Kleijn (of Daryll-Ann fame) on drums.

In May 2006 Johan released THX JHN. A thank you for all the fans that had to wait so long for a new album. The 'Oceans' single had an accompanying video that features Marta, a fan who travels from Argentina to the Netherlands to see Johan play their first show in years. Besides 'Oceans', Johan released the singles 'Walking Away' and 'She's Got A Way With Men'. THX JHN topped end-of-the-year lists in The Netherlands in 2006. You can watch an excellent video of the band's performance at Paradiso in Amsterdam on Oct 25, 2006 here.

But now it's 2007. Time to see Johan perform in New York for the first time since 2001! Check them out on February 15th, supporting The Mooney Suzuki at Rebel and February 16th, headlining Battering Room's Knockout at Union Hall (Tix on sale).

THX JHN!

Well there you have it. My first guest post! Thanx Adriaan!



Wow. I don't know if all those folks are going to fit into Union Hall.

*Rumor* Bonnaroo '07 *Rumor*

UPDATE: The real lineup has been announced. Check it out here.

Maybe you have seen this already, maybe you have not. A lil birdie just whispered this in my ear:

The Police, Bob Dylan, and Pearl Jam have been confirmed to headline the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival. The lineup also includes Tom Waits, Willie Nelson, Umphrey's McGee, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Black Crowes, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Keller Williams Band, Hot Chip, America, TV on the Radio, Fountains of Wayne, Modest Mouse, Les Claypool, The Shins, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Toots and the Maytals, The Roots, The Decemberists, Of Montreal, Cat Power, Ozomatli, Perpetual Groove, Band of Horses, John Butler Trio, Nickel Creek, Medeski Martin and Wood, Lily Allen, Neko Case, Keiren Hedben (Four Tet) & Steve Reid, The Hold Steady, Earl Scuggs, Charlie Louvin, Man Man, Grizzly Bear, Konono #1, The Slip, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Uncle Earl, Annuals, Beirut, M. Ward, Cold War Kids, and Girl Talk. Superfly Productions plans to officially announce the lineup on January 31st.

Wow. The Police and Pearl Jam??? Insanity. Is this the year that Pearl Jam finally break down and do a festival?

And what about the rest? Moving even further away from the jam band model? This lineup had me at Man Man. Between this and Jeff's ravings about last year's fest, perhaps 2007 is the year that I finally get my ass to Tennessee.

The dates for Bonnaroo '07 are June 14-17. Early bird $125.00 tix are already sold out.

Update: The Police are headlining Coachella. And apparently Rage Against The Machine are also headlining.

Reminder - Tomorrow @ Trash

Square Wave Punch / Mussels @ Ace Of Clubs

If you missed Square Wave Punch yesterday or Mussels at Subinev's showcase, like I did, here is a chance to catch them both together, and it's a Saturday. Sat Feb 10 to be exact. Ace of Clubs. $8. The full lineup:

11 PM Mussels
10 PM Square Wave Punch
9 PM Big Bang TV
8 PM Dave Feddock

I've gushed plenty about Mussels, but have not yet about Square Wave Punch, one of my new favorites. They sound like a collision of the first two influences listed on their Myspace - Pavement and The Beatles. I also hear a little bit of sunny California in there as well - think Rooney, Phantom Planet.

Bonus - Big Bang TV. Just recently heard them for the first time. Very promising. Via their Myspace:

If the Pixies, Igor Stravinsky and DJ Shadow (subverted all we know about biology and) had a child…

…well, that child would be absolutely hideous looking.

But somewhere in the magical afterbirth there’d be a chunk called Big Bang TV.

Yummy.

BTW - This is only one of two (!) upcoming shows that Mussels have posted on their Myspace. The other is at Southpaw on Feb 25. Keep it up guys! And how's the new album coming along?

Speaking of past KNOCKOUT bands, in addition to their show at Rockwood on Sat Jan 27, The Mugs will be at the brand new Luna Lounge on Sat Feb 10. Can't wait to see the new space! I'm not the only one.

Anyone Want To...

...fly me out to San Fran so I can go to this show tomorrow:



Please?


Previously:

Finest Dearest - New Song
Finest Dearest - New 7"
WOXY / Finest Dearest