Photos/Review: Hospitality & Eleanor Friedberger @ The Bell House

Eleanor Friedberger

Hospitality & Eleanor Friedberger @ The Bell House - April 18, 2012
Photos/Review: Chris

Last night at The Bell House, Merge labelmates Hospitality and Eleanor Friedberger shared the stage for what turned out to be a showcase of two of the stronger artists in the indie scene today. I’ve seen Eleanor a couple times in the past, as both a member of Fiery Furnaces and as a solo artist, so I was a little more excited to finally check out Hospitality--whose recent self-titled album released in January has received considerable attention (and plays on my Spotify account). Their live show didn’t disappoint. Frontwoman Amber Papini possesses one of the most satisfyingly unique voices I’ve heard in a while, and the band’s songs exhibit a genuine and playful sense of songwriting. If you haven’t heard their album yet, give it a listen at the bottom of this very post. And prepare to listen to it repeatedly.

FN News Roundup: April 10, 2012

Hi! Come hang out at Don Pedro Lounge in Brooklyn tonight - it's our friend Jen's birthday and a lot of cool bands will be playing.

And now: here's more news.

• Us local night owls got an excellent treat in the form of the legendary Pulp taking to the stage on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon - their first US TV appearance in 14 years - to perform "Common People" and "Like A Friend" in advance of their Radio City Hall residency beginning tonight. Check the clips after the jump (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)


• In what was essentially The Show Heard 'Round The World, At The Drive-In played the first show of their celebrated reunion at Austin's Red 7, blowing everyone's minds in the process. And oh yes, there's footage of that (Stereogum)


• The cryptically awesome Aesop Rock is releasing his first new album in five years, Skelethon, on July 10 via Rhymesayers, and it's first single "Zero Dark Thirty" is a blistering lyrical whirl that reminds me why I became a fan back in the Labor Days days. Stream it below the jump (Rhymesayers)


• You can also stream Battles' new remix album, Dross Glop, over hyah! (Prefix)


• And finally, check out the new video for Eleanor Friedberger's "I Won't Fall Apart On You Tonight" from the excellent Last Summer, and be sure to catch her at The Bell House on April 18 (tickets) or elsewhere on her tour (Merge)

Photos/Review: Wild Flag @ Maxwell's

Wild Flag / Eleanor Friedberger @ Maxwell's
Photos: Nadia Chaudhury / Review: Josh Kurp

Only hours after seeing Carrie Brownstein discuss putting a bird on things as part of the Portlandia panel at New York Comic Con, we watched her again at (our favorite venue) Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey--this time as one-fourth of Wild Flag--scream “cunt” as loudly as she could into a microphone. Just another day in the life of the former Sleater-Kinney band member, who teamed up guitarist/vocalist Mary Timony (formerly of Helium), keyboardist Rebecca Cole (The Minders), and drummer Janet Weiss, also from Sleater-to form Wild Flag last year. They sound like if The Woods was more Who than Zeppelin, with a bit of a psychedelic space-rock vibe in there, too.

Brownstein, whose intensity is quite terrifying in person, sings in urgent jabs and slanted hiccups, but it’s Timony who stole the show. She may not be as flashy as the punkier Brownstein, who furthers the Who comparison with her take on Pete Townsend’s swirling guitar strum, but Timony’s more poised and sly, and her restraint makes the songs give off a sort of haunting feel. When they’re trading licks back and forth, though, like on “Glass Tambourine,” that’s when the real magic happens.

Wild Flag plays Bowery Ballroom tonight (as part of CMJ), along with Eleanor Friedberger, who opened the Maxwell’s show with a set of songs from her excellent debut solo album, Last Summer (“I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight” is particularly affecting live). You’d be wise to find a way to get into the sold-out show. Check out a full set of photos of both Eleanor and Wild Flag below...

Watch: Wild Flag -- "Romance" Official Video

Hope all of you in the States had a great holiday weekend (and that everyone else had a great weekend anyway). If you're already kinda over the workday, indie rock supergroup Wild Flag has a treat for you. Their official video for their self-titled album's first single, "Romance," premiered on Pitchfork this morning and features the band as office workers who throw on masks and have some fun on the town during their lunch break. It's kinda like Office Space but weirder and with fewer staplers, and Carrie Brownstein's acting makes me fiend for the next season of Portlandia to get here already.

Check out the video below, and you can listen to Wild Flag The Album over at NPR until its release date on September 13th via Merge. Looking like tickets to their shows at The Bell House on October 15th with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and October 18th at Bowery Ballroom with Eleanor Friedberger are sold out, but definitely find a way in if you can.