The L.A.-based trio Autolux—Carla Azar (drums and vocals), Greg Edwards (guitar and vocals) and Eugene Goreshter (bass and lead vocals)—formed in 2000 when Goreshter and Azar met while writing the score for a play. After performing live several times, they released their self-produced debut EP, Demonstration, in March 2001. When T-Bone Burnett caught one of their shows, he decided to sign them to his (and the Coen Brothers’) label, DMZ. Their first full-length, the shoegazing Future Perfect, came out in 2004. The band toured behind the album but didn’t release a new album—although they did put out a few singles—for quite some time, or more specifically, six years: Their second LP, Transit Transit, somewhat reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, came out earlier this month. So Autolux (above, doing “Supertoys” for From the Basement) is touring again. And you’ve got two chances to check out their new stuff when they play The Bowery Ballroom tomorrow and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday.
Posts Tagged ‘Music Hall of Williamsburg’
Two Nights of Autolux
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010Spend Saturday Night with Juliette Lewis
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Perhaps you first saw her as Wayne’s girlfriend on The Wonder Years. Or maybe it was when Robert De Niro stuck his thumb in her mouth in Martin Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear. And you probably had no idea Juliette Lewis could sing—unless you saw her do PJ Harvey covers in Strange Days—before she fronted Juliette and the Licks up until last year. Well, she can. And she’s back with a new band, the New Romantiques, a new album, Terra Incognita (produced by the Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez) and the same fiery, swaggering stage presence. See for yourself when Juliette Lewis (above, doing “Hard Lovin’ Woman” for Rolling Stone) plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday.
Amongst the Wavves
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Wavves - The Bowery Ballroom - August 2, 2010
For all his songs about weed, surfing and video games, Nathan Williams of Wavves has had to endure a lot of online criticism. Maybe it’s because it looks like he’s having too much fun. On his latest album, King of the Beach, out today, Williams has expanded his sound from lo-fi overblown fuzz into bigger, cleaner melodies that remain sloppy and enthusiastic. It’s still a barrage of jangly power chords with a thrown-together ramshackle feel. And if he’s got any kind of master plan, he’s fooling everyone—it’s more like the plan is to not have one and to make up the whole thing as he goes. From vague interviews to replacing the track “Mickey Mouse” with something he wrote yesterday because he’s being sued over the song title, he’s doing what comes natural.
The best defense against the backlash is to record another catchy melodic album about the mundane and to perform live like it’s his last show. Playing with Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes, Jay Reatard’s old bandmates, helps to take the focus off Williams, who reluctantly plays frontman. These guys have been through everything and are good stage distractions in between tunings, passing bottles of whiskey to the sold-out Bowery Ballroom audience, saying, “That last song is about killing yourself” and “in Sweden they asked us not to look so high onstage.”
After an extensive set Williams said, “Here’s how it’s going to work: We can finish this song and then leave and wait for you to clap and come back or we can just keep playing songs and then leave.” He leaned back and fell into the pit, playing straight through the surf. It was an unrehearsed moment that felt authentic, and that’s been the case so far with his albums and live show. He’s not out to con the audience or to play to the lowest denominator, he just happens to be having a great time doing it. —Jason Dean
(Wavves plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on 9/21.)
The South Rises in Williamsburg
Monday, August 2nd, 2010Appalachian Voices/Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Music Hall - July 30, 2010
Appalachian Voices with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Two ends of the roots-music sonic spectrum were on display during Friday’s show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, as New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Kentucky’s Appalachian Voices teamed up to bring a diverse night of Southern sounds to the Brooklyn landscape. Approaching its sixth decade of exploring the traditional jazz of the Crescent City, Preservation Hall opened with a rollicking 35-minute set covering such vintage classics as “Short Dressed Gal” and “Sweet Substitute.”
The Appalachian Voices singers joined the fray with Jim James grinding on a dirty “Blue Yodel No. 9” and Daniel Martin Moore guiding a gentle “Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea.” James closed out the collaboration by swinging a towel over his head and howling through an incendiary “St. James Infirmary,” significantly ratcheting up the intensity in the room. Inspired by the boisterous response, Preservation Hall’s Clint Maedgen immediately led the band through a more tribal and equally intense reprise to close out the set before an obviously excited crowd.
Headliner Appalachian Voices reversed the vibe with a subdued and poignant antidote to the opener’s raucous set. With James thanking the audience for remaining quiet and focusing on the evening’s messages about the beauty of Appalachia and the dangers of mountaintop removal, the quartet combined elements of folk, blues, bluegrass and jazz throughout their nearly two-hour performance. While the My Morning Jacket canon would be unavoidable, including a particularly explosive “Smokin’ from Shootin’,” rock star James often faced upstage and yielded the attention to his less-famous-but-nonetheless-worthy coconspirators, Moore and cellist Ben Sollee, the latter delighting with spiraling and occasionally funky cello solos that were met with loud ovations.
Singing of the Appalachian people, pathos abounded in stirring songs, like “Try,” “My Wealth Comes to Me,” and Lead Belly’s “Sylvie,” in which James thrillingly channeled Roy Orbison. The encore featured a droning, thunderous combination of both bands on “Dear Companion” and a driving cover of “Save the Last Dance for Me,” which sent the enthused assembly buoyantly bounding off into the Brooklyn night. —Brian Ferdman
Photo © Matúš Bence | http://idijot.tumblr.com
(My Morning Jacket plays Terminal 5 five times in October. Tickets remain available for the 10/18 and 10/19 shows.)
A Double Shot of the Cat Empire
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
The Australian alternative band the Cat Empire began as a trio back in 1999, with Ollie McGill on keys, Ryan Monro on bass and Felix Riebl on percussion. Over the years, they’ve added Harry James Angus on trumpet, Will Hull-Brown on drums and Jamshid “Jumps” Kahadiwhala on turntables and percussion (plus he’s even been known to bust a move). Although the lineup has changed, the band continues to deftly combine funk, jazz, rock, ska and a little Latin flair to make quality music—three live discs and five studio albums, the most recent of which, Cinema, came out earlier this month. But let’s face it: Australia is far from here. So the Cat Empire (above, performing “The Lost Song”) is bringing the music to you: See them play Webster Hall tomorrow and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday.
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See Appalachian Voices on 7/30
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
This Friday a Kentucky treat (with a side of NOLA brass) comes to Brooklyn when Appalachian Voices, featuring Jim James, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, along with New Orleans’ venerable Preservation Hall Jazz Band play Music Hall of Williamsburg. Want to go? Then try to Grow a Pair of tickets from The House List. Fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Appalachian Voices, 7/30) and a brief message explaining the greatness of Bourbon County, Kentucky. Eddie Bruiser, who could drink his way through that entire county, will notify the winner by Friday. Good luck.
SOJA - Music Hall of Williamsburg - July 16, 2010
Monday, July 19th, 2010
These Bastards Are All Heart
Thursday, July 15th, 2010Heartless Bastards - Music Hall of Williamsburg - July 14, 2010
If you were looking for in-your-face, fist-pumping rock and roll last night, you could’ve done far worse than Heartless Bastards at Music Hall of Williamsburg. In the wild jangle of electric guitars, wrecking-ball bass playing and heavy horsepower drumming, the true secret weapon was Erika Wennerstrom’s vocals, which seemed to be transported from beyond the grave—her compact frame channeling some long-passed, soulful blues legend. While other bands might build to a climax of dueling guitars at maximum decibels, the Bastards’ tension release came from Wennerstrom’s voice filling all of Music Hall like air in a balloon. Her “ooohs” during “Witchy Poo” had more energy and urgency than most frontmen could possibly consider.
Midset, Heartless Bastards were joined by a violin player who at first brought the volume to I-may-need-earplugs levels before making way for some acoustic numbers. The drummer left the stage, transforming the band into a living-room outfit. Bass player Jesse Ebaugh switched to banjo for an excellent version of “Had to Go.” Once the group returned to full strength, the home stretch of the show was an exercise in endurance rock and roll, with each song outdoing the previous in energy, length and volatile interplay. Ebaugh’s pedal steel work on “The Mountain” was a revelation. It was the highlight of the night, and you had to wonder why he only played the steel for one song. The encore featured Peter Pisano (of opener Peter Wolf Crier) singing in trio format with Wennerstrom and Ebaugh on a lovely “Be So Happy,” rounding out a 90-minute set that made the still-wanting-more crowd so happy indeed. —A. Stein
Delta Spirit Converts the Masses
Thursday, July 1st, 2010Delta Spirit - The Bowery Ballroom - June 30, 2010
(Photo: Jared Levy)
Three months ago the band YACHT played a sold-out show at The Bowery Ballroom. With a carefully constructed stage presence and songs utilizing loops and backtracks, they navigated through a set designed to meet their audience’s expectations. Most attendees, already familiar with the band’s music, heard the songs they wanted to hear and undoubtedly left satisfied. One striking moment, though, came when midway through their performance frontman Jona Bechtolt descended into the crowd to preach a performative gospel. Many people joined in the communal experience, but Bechtolt failed to rally a consensus. Yet, while one group could sell out a show without unfaltering loyalty, last night Delta Spirit made believers of their capacity crowd, capturing the audience with passionate playing and inexhaustible energy.
It is not an understatement to say that the pure joy people experienced during Delta Spirit’s hour-plus set was both entirely shocking and incredibly refreshing. Sandwiched between a middle-aged man who emphatically sung along with every lyric and a thoroughly drunk friend of the band, I stood in wonder as Delta Spirit conjured up unrelenting energy, feeding off the crowd and expelling back upturned folk and Americana. Two moments will stand out in my mind from this show: lead singer Matthew Vasquez’s rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” bleeding into Ode to Sunshine’s “Trashcan” (complete with trash-lid-banging accompaniment) and Vasquez effortlessly persuading the entire audience to kneel and rise to a cover of the Isley Brother’s “Shout.” If Delta Spirit continues to create this type of performance nightly, seeing this band will become a can’t-miss event. —Jared Levy
(Tonight’s Delta Spirit show at Music Hall of Williamsburg is sold out.)
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See Delta Spirit on 7/1
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Delta Spirit has a new album out, History from Below, and the band is coming our way for two sold-out shows this week, tomorrow at The Bowery Ballroom and on Thursday at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Want to hit the second show but don’t have tickets? Then try to Grow a Pair from The House List. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Delta Spirit, 7/1) and a brief message explaining your idea of a perfect Fourth of July. Eddie Bruiser, a lover of all summer holidays, will notify the winner by Thursday. Good luck.
Woodsist Records Showcase - Music Hall of Williamsburg - June 25, 2010
Monday, June 28th, 2010
There were no opening bands on Friday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg, just an amazing self-contained festival on one stage. Woodsist Records packed the bill, and no one was going to miss any of these acts. The balcony tables were secured long before Moon Duo took the stage to deliver their screaming fuzz-guitar and organ jams. It was something of a milestone, bringing these acts together. From the West Coast, San Francisco-based Moon Duo, Sic Alps and the Fresh and Onlys bonded with Brooklyn’s own Woods’ and Real Estate’s sunny vibes. Hearing them all together like this, there’s no doubt they’re all rooted in those ’60s mind-altering sounds, relying heavily on effects and abstract melody.
Sic Alps, which just recently opened for Pavement and Sonic Youth, brought heavy guitar experimentation to the table, drawing out their hazy blues into laid-back explorations in scuzzy feedback. Whatever song structure they originally had was abandoned, and they repeatedly broke them down with ear-splitting volume. Up next, the Fresh and Onlys took a traditional garage-pop approach to the swirl of effects, favoring a catchy melody over an extended jam. Tim Cohen, a friendly flannel frontman, cracked jokes and led the four-piece in tracks off their self-titled release, which leans toward a dense, smooth harmony-laden good time.
Woods played with their trademark blend of high falsetto and the mysterious technical wizardry of G. Lucas Crane. They were taking obvious pleasure in teasing out the tracks into oblivion and reeling them back again long into the night. Finally, Real Estate, with themes of nostalgia for the Jersey Shore, was completely at home onstage before a packed audience. Matt Mondanile and Martin Courtney on guitar, playing off each other’s surf-inspired melodies, was the key to Real Estate’s lighthearted summer jams, with rivers and beaches making their way into the lyrics if you weren’t already staring into the sun. The band left the satisfied crowd to walk out into the humid night, with a comfortable dream-pop soundtrack for those slow 8 mm films of the boardwalk, the jerky home movies of friends running into the surf under the blinking lights of a run-down casino. —Jason Dean
Northside Festival Kicks Off at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Friday, June 25th, 2010Thao and Mirah with the Most of All - Music Hall - June 25, 2010
(Photo: Jared Levy)
Collaboration requires a delicate balance. In creating a unified whole, individuals must forgo the full expression of themselves. And, by doing so, the sum embodies a product that the parts are incapable of creating. This is the appeal of subjugating the personal to a group. However, the ingredients must retain their integrity. When musicians come together, it is their participation as a single entity that is judged as well as their contribution and authenticity. Take, for example, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who created timeless music as a folk-rock supergroup. While each shined individually, the group’s identity was fortified in their cooperative performance.
In the hopes of tapping into this spirit, the talented indie songstresses Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn and Thao Nguyen have teamed up to play a number of tour dates. On Thursday night, the two, joined by a backing band as Thao and Mirah with the Most of All, played a packed set at Music Hall of Williamsburg for the opening of the Northside festival. The fortuitous meeting of Mirah and Thao began when the two played a collaborative set at the Noise Pop festival in San Francisco. Both artists show flair for charismatic folk pop, perhaps explaining why their temporary union is ballooning into a intermediate tour.
For last night’s show, both women showcased their respective talents. Thao, a perpetual ball of energy, pounded and thrashed while Mirah took a more subdued and introspective approach. They traded songs, most successfully on Thao originals like “Bag of Hammers” and “Know Better Learn Faster.” Though these numbers came late in the set, Thao’s humor and charisma kept the audience present and engrossed. Thus, whether the partnership persists beyond their slate tour dates, it was a pleasure to see two talents share both stage and song. —Jared Levy
Northside Festival Starts Today
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Get ready for a flurry of indie rock in Brooklyn this weekend because The L Magazine’s second annual Northside Festival, today through Sunday, brings more than 100 bands to Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Of course you know The Bowery Presents is gonna get in on that, beginning tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Thao and Mira with the Most of All and These United States. Tomorrow brings the Woodsist Records Showcase featuring Real Estate and Woods to Music Hall of Williamsburg while Brooklyn Bowl hosts the Fiery Furnaces (below, playing “Keep Me in the Dark” for Seattle’s KEXP), who will also be at Mercury Lounge the next night. On Saturday, Music Hall plays host to a Brooklyn Vegan showcase, with Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, Dom and ZAZA on hand. And, finally, close out this festival in style on Sunday when Islands hits Music Hall of Williamsburg.
Five Questions with…Chris “Critter” Eldridge
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Punch Brothers Photo by C. Taylor Crothers
After the breakup of Nickel Creek, mandolin badass Chris Thile gathered some seriously talented musicians, Chris “Critter” Eldridge (guitar), Paul Kowert (bass), Noam Pikelny (banjo) and Gabe Witcher (violin), and formed the progressive-bluegrass outfit Punch Brothers. Their first album, Punch, came out two years ago while their second disc, Antifogmatic, is just a week old, and its accompanying tour brings Punch Brothers—below, playing “This Is the Song (Good Luck),”—to Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow night. Expect original material with some cool covers (think: Radiohead and the Strokes) in the mix. Ahead of this show, Brooklyn resident Critter (pictured, above far right) e-mailed The House List to answer Five Questions.
Which band have you seen play live the most often (excluding bands you’ve toured with)?
It’s hard to say, but when I lived in Nashville I used to always go to the Station Inn to see the Time Jumpers, an old-school Western swing/classic country group. I am convinced that they are one of the greatest bands in the world.
Which bands that you listened to growing up do you still listen to?
Since both of my parents are banjo players, bluegrass is the music that I was surrounded by during my childhood. Probably because of that, I wanted nothing to do with it for years. However, lately I feel that I can learn a lot by hearing how direct really good bluegrass, like Bill Monroe or the Stanley Brothers, can be.
What’s the toughest part of playing New York City?
This city has been one of the world’s epicenters of great art and music for a long time, which can be intimidating. But ultimately it is actually a good thing because it absolutely demands that you dig deep and pull the very best out of yourself. A disproportionate number of best shows that I’ve been a part of have taken place here.
Do you have any crutches when writing a song—are there certain words or styles you feel you lean on too much?
I do have a crutch in that I have four great musical minds that I get to develop musical ideas with. If ever I have an idea that seems worthwhile but I can’t figure out how to proceed, they always have a good solution.
Your after-party is at Hi-Fi, the Avenue A bar known for its endless jukebox, and The House List gives you a buck. Which three songs are you playing?
“Move It on Over” by Hank Williams Sr., “The Curse” by Josh Ritter and, finally, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by the Band. —R. Zizmor
One Last Chance to See Isis
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
The post-metal L.A.-based band Isis has deftly balanced ambience and aggression since originally forming in Boston in 1997. The quintet has released five studio albums, including last year’s Wavering Radiant. And last month they announced plans to retire at the end of this tour. Fittingly, the band’s final show—a week from today—will be played in the same city as their first gig, Montreal. Kind of a bummer, right? Well the good news is that Isis and the Melvins are playing two shows in NYC this weekend. Saturday’s show at Music Hall of Williamsburg is already sold out, but you can still see Isis (above, in the studio for the Wavering Radiant sessions) one last time on Friday at Webster Hall.
Phenomenal Handclap Band - Music Hall of Williamsburg - June 12, 2010
Monday, June 14th, 2010
Alberta Cross Does It Again
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010Alberta Cross - Music Hall of Williamsburg - June 2, 2010
Small, intimate shows are nice, but some bands just sound better in bigger spaces. Alberta Cross’s set last night proved that, as they traded up from shows at Mercury Lounge and opening slots at The Bowery Ballroom for a headlining affair at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Being that they are fresh off of a tour with Them Crooked Vultures, Alberta Cross has clearly gotten used to a bigger sound. With additional room to breathe, their infectious songs sounded more potent and less raw, adding an ambient quality to their music that suited them well.
Petter Stakee’s thin, huddled frame reflected that of the bent microphone stand in front of him, as his piercing voice rang out from under a shroud of hair that spilled out beneath his brimmed hat. He and his band picked up things early with “Taking Control,” the first of many songs in the set that were so good they collectively get stuck in your head. “Low Man” and “Song Three Blues” slowed the pace and brought out a more blues-rock-based sound, while “Broken Side of Time” had a more assaulting Muse-like quality to it.
Guitarist Sam Kearney provided much of the ambience, helping Stakee fill the room with Alberta Cross’s modern spin on the sonic styles of older country and blues. Kearney twisted and flailed along with each note, seeming wildly possessed yet always in control. The band finished the (now expected) incredible set with a two-song encore, taking requests from the crowd instead of following the one-song plan written on the set list. —Sean O’Kane
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
© 2010
