New York magazine compares them to Odd Future, calling Ratking “Harlem’s new rival to the Los Angeles weirdcore rap crew.” And while The New York Times says, “Plenty of albums are about the city,” it maintains the uptown quartet’s EP, Wiki93 (stream it below), “is thoroughly New York.” Rappers Wiki and Hak and producers Sporting Life and Ramon began to get noticed with the release of the video for “Wikispeaks” last March and they’ve slowly but surely been developing their frenetic live show. Watch them, above, doing “So It Goes” for Viva Radio’s Me + You, and then see what the fuss is all about when they play Mercury Lounge tomorrow night.
Hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Will Kill Them All is slowly trying to take over the world. First Tyler, the Creator, Hodgy Beats and crew burst onto the scene. Then came solo albums, including Frank Ocean’s, and a TV show, Loiter Squad. And now, the arrival of individual groups from within the collective—like DJ, engineer and singer (and lone Odd Future female member) Syd tha Kyd paired with beat maker Matt Martians, together making soulful trip-hop as the Internet. Their debut album, Purple Naked Ladies (stream it, below), came out late last year. They began playing live in the middle of May, and as part of a brief East Coast swing this month, the Internet (above, doing “Lincoln” for lastereo.tv) play The Bowery Ballroom on Sunday night.
It’d be difficult to guess just from the stage setup who you were seeing. With the sprawling Persian rug, two holstered guitars and the stool at center stage, it looked like the setting of MTV Unplugged. On appearances, you wouldn’t immediately suspect this to be the playpen
for Frank Ocean: R&B wunderkind, Odd Future crew member and, most recently cultural sensation. But, it also makes sense. Since his arrival by way of the debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, Ocean has separated himself from the pop pack by infusing lyrical sincerity, crafty songwriting and infectious personality into his music. So creating an intimate setting for the most highly sought after concert in New York City in some time felt like a clever personal touch, unexpectedly expected.
Frankophiles, the legion of fans who sang aloud with every song and pointed their iPhones toward the stage to record every moment of the show, accounted for the vocal majority of the sold-out crowd last night at Terminal 5. Before Ocean took to the stage, they chanted,
“Franky, Franky,” in a familiar sort of way. And from his quiet melodic opener of “Summer Remains” to the not-your-average-10-minute-single “Pyramids,” he wooed the floors of
people individually and collectively. The immediate impact of his masterful debut album, Channel Orange, was displayed as fans sang along to most of the varied set list. He gave a vocal performance that made one hour feel like an entire night: chanting to “Super Rich
Kids,” emoting on a tweaked version of “American Wedding” and mystifying with “Bad Religion.” It affirmed that Frank Ocean has the talent for stardom and the vision for
greatness. —Jared Levy
Odd Future—the short form of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All—is a hip-hop collective, although that doesn’t properly explain the group’s appeal. More than a year ago, they emerged from Internet stardom and began performing their playful creations to small crowds. But with a combination of crude lyrics paired with sinister beats and ecstatic live shows, their profile rapidly rose. The tipping point came last February when two of the group’s members—de facto leader Tyler the Creator and supercharged menace Hodgy Beats—performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. And now at the height of their popularity (some of it sparked by Frank Ocean beefing with Don Henley), Odd Future play Hammerstein Ballroom tonight. —Jared Levy
Frank Ocean – The Bowery Ballroom – November 27, 2011
On “Swim Good,” one of the surprise hits from his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra,Frank Ocean sings, “And I’ve got this black suit on/ Roaming around like I’m ready for a funeral.” The song, like most of his limited yet excellent output, is dark, complex and soulful. It also comes from an artist whose 2011 emergence rivals all others, going from unknown Odd Future crew member to almost instant popularity as a Watch the Throne collaborator.
Before a sold-out crowd at The Bowery Ballroom last night, Ocean performed in his aforementioned black suit with a red-and-white-striped bandanna. The hip and sophisticated costume drew attention, not only from fans but kingmakers in attendance. ?uestlove, seated on the balcony, felt compelled to comment on Twitter, saying, “@ffrank_ocean [sic] is a class act yo. Suit & Sade cover. Nice start.”
In addition to the Sade cover (“By Your Side”), Ocean sang a number of choice selections from Nostalgia, Ultra as well as a medley of his work on Watch the Throne (“No Church in the Wild” and “Made in America”). The diverse crowd knew most of his material, even unreleased songs familiar only to those who scour the Internet. But “Dissolution” and “Super Rich Kids,” both of which Ocean mentioned will be on his proper debut, are sure to be hits, and fans are right to take notice. So while Ocean was right about his outfit, he better not be ready for his funeral. —Jared Levy
(Tonight’s Frank Ocean show at The Bowery Ballroom is sold out.)
Odd Future—the short form of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All—is a hip-hop collective, although that doesn’t properly explain the group’s appeal. About a year ago, they emerged from Internet stardom and began performing their playful creations to small crowds. But with a combination of crude lyrics paired with sinister beats and ecstatic live shows, their profile rapidly rose. The tipping point came in February when two of the group’s members—de facto leader Tyler the Creator and supercharged menace Hodgy Beats—performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. And now, at the height of their popularity, Odd Future filled Terminal 5 on Wednesday, a school night for many of the all-ages attendees.
Mythology, symbolism and style surround Odd Future’s culture. A motto, “Free Earl,” appeared on numerous T-shirts, and a sheet hung over the back of the stage with a Photoshopped cat in the clouds and the OFWGKTA cross on the bottom. And when the group flooded the stage, most members were dressed in their signature style: skater shoes, tube socks and baseball T-shirts.
The band seemed humbled by the size of the venue. “This is a lot of fucking people,” said an initially bemused Tyler. But, as the show progressed, most members adapted their energy to engage the fans. During showstopper “French,” Tyler and Hodgy threw themselves off the second-floor balcony and into the crowd, a thrilling sight. And, while Tyler seemed agitated to perform his YouTube sensation “Yonkers,” most knew the lyrics and answered the call to rap the first few lines. Because second to Odd Future’s music is participating in the movement. —Jared Levy
It’s that time of year again: 20-minute sets; in midtown one minute, the Lower East Side the next; scarfing down food with minutes to spare before the next show. From Mercury Lounge to The Bowery Ballroom and beyond, the CMJ Music Marathon is upon us. Here’re which bands we’re specifically looking forward to seeing play live. New York City quintet Caveman transfers any pop sensibilities into a dreamy landscape of lush indie harmonies through love, nostalgia and other sentiments. In support of their debut, CoCo Beware, Caveman will play 10 shows during CMJ, including the Bowery Presents showcase on 10/22 at Pianos. —Tina Benitez
The CMJ Music Marathon, now in its 31st year, is back to make five days in October seem impossible to navigate. Expect packed lineups at each venue because every band you ever wanted to see is in town. The supergroup Wild Flag, featuring Mary Timony, from Helium, and Carrie Brownstein, of Sleater Kinney among others, kicks off things tonight at The Bowery Ballroom. And at the same time Afro-punk Presents Death to Hip-Hop, featuring technical death-metal pioneers Death and Brooklyn’s own skate-pizza punk, Cerebral Ballzy, whose name really says it all. Wednesday’s pick has to be the ever-controversial indie rap group Odd Future at Terminal 5. Then on Thursday try to get into the sold-out lineup at Mercury Lounge, with garage-rock Xray Eyeballs and Florida’s Jacuzzi Boys, followed by Memoryhouse’s atmospheric shoegaze and finally, J. Mascis. You will show up at 6:30 and stay the entire night. Friday has more fuzzed-out pop with Dum Dum Girls and Crocodiles at The Bowery Ballroom, and if you sleep over, on Saturday, Gang Gang Dance’s experimental electronic beats just might give you a chance to recover. And then sleep on Sunday for 24 hours before work. That’s your CMJ. —Jason Dean
Last year I spent the majority of CMJ camped out at Terminal 5 for My Morning Jacket. But this year I plan to get around. Not everyone has an abundance of free time, so if you can only hit one show, my money’s on the High Road Touring showcase at The Bowery Ballroom on 10/20. And despite it being a stellar lineup from top to bottom, for me the No. 1 band to check out during the whole festival is Alabama Shakes (above, playing “I Found You” for Live from the Shoals). The quartet, out of small-town Athens, Ala., has a four-song EP and an incredible bluesy-soul sound. You won’t want to miss Brittany Howard’s voice. Sure, she’s a postal worker by day, but she’s a bona fide rock star by night. Don’t miss this. You’ll be able to tell your friends you saw this band at the very beginning. —R. Zizmor
Hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All—sometimes known as Odd Future, at other times as OFWGKTA—comes to town for two shows this week. Tickets remain for The Wellmont Theatre on Thursday. But if you want to see the group’s sold-out show tomorrow at Terminal 5 and don’t already have tickets, your best bet is to try to Grow a Pair from The House List. Just fill out the form below, being sure to include your full name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Odd Future, 10/19) and a brief message explaining who you’re most excited during CMJ and why. Eddie Bruiser, who’s got a long list himself, will notify the winner tomorrow. Good luck.
To quote Neil Young, “Tonight’s the night.” Yes, Union Transfer, named after the original train-depot station that occupied the building, officially opens for business when Clap Your Hands Say Yeah plays the new venue’s very first show. According to Philadelphia Weekly, “Tonight marks two returns from the dead…. We’re talking about the venerable building at 10th and Spring Garden that formerly housed the culinary shit hole known as the Spaghetti Warehouse, but this evening gets its grand reopening as the gorgeous new music venue Union Transfer. And we’re also talking about the reunited Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, which will christen Union Transfer with lots of fresh tunes.”
The Courier Post opines: “It is being touted as a general admission, air-conditioned venue that can accommodate 600 to 1,000 music lovers, depending on the show.” And that some of Union Transfer’s fine attributes are a close-to-Center City location, a state-of-the-art sound system and a wide array of bands, from Odd Future to Chris Robinson to Gillian Welch. But remember, this is just the beginning. Expect lots of great shows week after week. Philadelphia, welcome to The Bowery Presents.
