Niki & The Dove playing Glasslands 6/14, performing live on YouTube

by John Dabrowski

Swedes not only know pop music, they perfectly craft and contort the genre into something fiercer, larger. A prime example can be found in Niki & The Dove. On June 12th, their album Instinct (Sub Pop) will be
available digitally on iTunes, and the single “Tomorrow” accentuates the group’s instinctive nature to carefully sculpt effortless electropop.

To celebrate their release, Niki & The Dove will perform for YouTube Presents on June 13th where you can watch and awkwardly dance along over at YouTube Presents as well as Niki & The Dove's own YouTube channel.

In addition, Niki & The Dove will be dazzling Brooklyn June 14th at Glasslands Gallery (21+) for the Northside Festival. Tickets ($12-$14) are still available. On August 31st, they kickstart a six week US tour (their first), that will find them opening for Twin Shadow for most of that stretch (all tour dates below). That tour will hit NYC on September 27 at Webster Hall (tickets on sale now). Make sure you catch the BBC Sound of 2012 nominated trio.

Watch their awkward video announcing the YouTube Presents performance, as well as the (much less awkward) video for "Tomorrow" below...

Grass Widow released Internal Logic, playing Knitting Factory 6/16

What do you get when you combine the raw energy and weirdness of The Shaggs with the coherency of The Raincoats and the three part harmonies of That Dog? You'd probably end up with a record that sounds something like the recently released Internal Logic by San Francisco-based trio Grass Widow. 

The new record, self-released by the band on their own HLR record label, is reminiscent of all the aforementioned female-fronted groups but with the freshness and accessibility that is sure to catch on quickly. I swear, sometimes records are written to directly cater to my tastes, and this is one of them. Listen to "Goldilocks Zone" below and decide for yourself...

The trio have been touring the East Coast and are making their way up to New York City to play the Northside Festival (mentioned in FN's Guide to Summer in NYC). On June 16 at the Knitting Factory you can catch Grass Widow during Panache's official Northside showcase. Tickets for the showcase are available now for $12. While you're at it, purchase a copy of Internal Logic, listen to the entire album via Spotify below and check out all of the band's tour dates...

Lindstrøm playing Webster Hall tonight, listen to a new remix by Oneohtrix Point Never

Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, the producer/electronic musician better known simply as Lindstrøm, just kicked off a short North American tour last night in support of his latest LP Six Cups of Rebel. The tour will bring him to Webster Hall tonight in New York City with Simian Mobile Disco as part of Girls & Boys, (aka those crazy dance parties that take place at Webster every Friday). You can buy tickets for the party over here.

Yesterday, Lindstrøm shared a new remix for his song "Call Me Anytime," done by Oneohtrix Point Never. The remix will appear on a limited edition 12" along with additional remixes by none other than Ariel Pink and Mark McGuire (of Emeralds). You can listen to the startlingly ethereal remix below. It gets really amazing at the end...



You can also check out Todd Rundgren's remix of "Quiet Place To Live" -- a more standard dance track reminiscent of Kraftwerk -- below, along with the rest of Lindstrøm's tour dates...




Lindstrøm 2012 Tour Dates
Thu. May 24 - Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Fri. May 25 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sat. May 26 - Toronto, ON @ Wrongbar
Sun. May 27 - Detroit, MI @ Hart Plaza (Movement Electronic Music Festival)
Thu. Oct. 11 - Miami, FL @ Grand Central
Fri. Oct. 12 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Sat. Oct. 13 - Chicago, IL @ Smart Bar

Watch: EULA's new music video "Honor Killer"

We love EULA. And you should too.

CHAPPO released debut LP - win tickets to tonight's record release show!

CHAPPO, the psychedelic-pop four-piece we took notice of a few months ago, released their debut LP Moonwater today (purchase on iTunes). A listen to the album on Spotify yesterday revealed that it's definitely something to get excited about--listen to the album below for yourself. To celebrate, the band will be playing an album release party at Dominion in the East Village tonight. Wanna go? Well we have a pair of tickets to give away! Details are at the bottom of this post.

The band is about to embark on a tour that will bring them down the east coast, including two performances at Bonnaroo, and seven dates with the similarly-natured of Montreal. All tour dates are below. CHAPPO also recently premiered the NSFW video for "Hell No" at IFC.com. You can watch that below as well.

To win two tickets to tonight's show: Email chris@fuckingnostalgic.com with "CHAPPO" in the subject and your name in the body. A winner will be selected at random and contacted by 3pm. Good luck!

Photos/Review: Plants and Animals @ Littlefield

Plants and Animals @ Littlefield - April 17, 2012
Photos/Review: Trista Hou (Bingshu Hou)

What you might expect from the Canadian music scene should not be limited to catchy pop bands like noise-rock duo Death From Above 1979, or Bowie-inspired shoegaze band Destroyer. There is room for an acoustic-heavy folk and classic rock-inspired trio such as Plants and Animals as well.

The band kicked off their North American tour recently to promote their newly released LP, The End of That, and their show at Littlefield was their first night in NYC. The venue was no more than 1/5 full when the two warm-up bands, Indians and This Is the Kit, were performing, but as soon as P & A stepped onto the stage, people became interested and engaged.

Starting off with the classic rock riffs of “Good Friend”, one of the top tracks from their 2009 album Parc Avenue which was rated 8 out 10 by Pitchfork, immediately brought the audience back to an age when the Walker Brothers were still a member of British Invasion. Singing repeatedly “I wanna dance," frontman Warren Spicer swept the guitar with eyes closed, and offered the audience a perfect excuse to swing spontaneously.

Following up was “Crisis!”, the first song they played from the latest album. With highly discernible guitar loops as a prelude, the song helped to enter a small climax of the show. Warren controlled his voice at the very edge of its limit each time he burst out the line “somewhere between a crisis and a pretty good time," but you didn't have to worry about his failure in trying to do so. As the song came to an end, the instrumental effects climbed up to a peak which created a wall of noise, leading you to be drowned in its mighty strength.

And then Warren’s voice quickly intruded again as the melody of “Song for Love” began to fill the venue. He uttered his words clearly, and the singing somehow just reminded me of Damon Albarn. They covered songs from all three of their albums and put them in an order that wasn't abrupt in the transition of each track to the next. Apart from being the vocalist and guitarist, Warren also sang to the accompaniment of piano which he played by himself. Besides that, bassist Nicolas Basque picked up some sort of folk instrument which sounds like Koto to add variety into the sound effect.

The band played 11 songs in total, which lasted about an hour and a half. Overall, Plants and Animals' live show comes off as a rather intimate party among acquaintances rather than a star performing with high ticket prices.

Future Nostalgia: Washed Out playing Highline Ballroom this Sunday with Memoryhouse

Washed Out, the project of musician Ernest Greene, has pretty rapidly become staple in today's indie world since releasing their debut album Within and Without on Sub Pop last year. After giving it a few spins over the past few months, it's easy to understand why. The meticulously layered record is extremely accessible, and startlingly unique, easily differentiating itself from the current crop of synth-heavy bedroom projects by actually being just really good.

Earlier this week, Washed Out began its first headlining tour in support of the album, which will bring them to Highline Ballroom here in New York City this Sunday, April 22. They will be sharing the stage with their shoegazey labelmates Memoryhouse, a band I've twice caught randomly and have enjoyed both times (their cover of My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep" is particularly good). Tickets for the NYC show, unfortunately, are sold out. But take a look at the dates below to see where/when the tour may hit your city.

In related news, Memoryhouse were recently the victim of theft outside of their Washington, DC show on Wednesday. According to their Facebook page, "some" of their equipment was stolen, but if you take a look at the list on their website, you can see that A LOT of gear is missing. You can help out the band by donating to a PayPal account they setup and keeping an eye on craigslist or eBay for the equipment they listed. I'm certain every little bit will help.

Check out videos of both bands, listen to both of their albums on Spotify, and check out their respective tour dates below...

Photos: 200 Years @ Zebulon Concert Cafe

200 Years @ Zebulon Concert Cafe - April 15, 2012
Photos: Chris

Every now and then I find myself developing an attachment to a band that evolves from simply discovering the artist randomly, listening to their music repeatedly, and finally, seeking them out in a live setting. This exact scenario took place for me over the past four months, which culminated in witnessing the lovely duo of 200 Years (featuring Ben Chasny and Elisa Ambrogio) at the quaint Zebulon Concert Cafe in Brooklyn on Sunday night.

It was a late show, and the imminent summer heat began to make the small venue a bit uncomfortable, but that didn't make it too less enjoyable for the relatively full crowd. The beauty of 200 Years' music lies in the subtle details of the soundscapes they creat--the dissonant overdriven scratching of Ambrogio's guitar strings, the way Chasny doubles her vocals in a Lou Reed-esque harmony, the airy synth sounds that creep up during choruses--all mastered within mellow and melodic songs that could just as easily been written in 1967. And all expertly recreated in a live setting that fit the characteristically relaxed venue to a tee. Practically all of their debut album was performed, and aside from an amusingly awkward anecdote about Neil Young lyrics, there was no stage banter throughout the forty-five minute set. Not that anyone was exactly egging them on for it.

It's difficult to predict where a duo such as 200 Years might end up in the coming years, that is if they continue to perform as this side project rather than in their respective musical outlets (Chasny with Six Organs of Admittance and Ambrogio with Magik Markers), but if you do ever get the chance to see them live, I highly recommend that you do. In the meantime, you can order their sole record directly from Drag City.

The show was the end of a brief tour for the duo, who only have one more show on the horizon in Montreal on June 18. Check out some photos from Sunday night's show, including a couple shots of ethereal opener Rowan below...

Doe Paoro playing Glasslands tomorrow, Cameo in May

Doe Paoro @ Pianos in March

Last month, we had the pleasure of stumbling upon the enigmatic Doe Paoro (a.k.a. Sonia Kreitzer) during a very sold out performance at Pianos. Since then, her excellent debut album Slow to Love has been on heavy rotation on all of our Spotify accounts, and we're anxiously awaiting to see how much the band has progressed since playing several showcases at SXSW in Austin. Tomorrow night, you'd be wise to grab a ticket to Doe Paoro's performance at Glasslands while you still can.

If you can't make it to Glasslands on such short notice, you're in luck as she and her band will be performing a residency at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg next month. Those dates include May 1 (w/ Rewards and Larry Guss), May 5 (w/ Jason Urick and Future Shuttles) and May 15 with special guests to be announced. These intimate (and $5!!!) shows are certainly not going too last long, so make it in while you still can, and don't say we didn't warn you.

Below, check out some videos of Doe Paoro, and if you're into remixing other artists, you can download the stems for her beautifully eerie track "Born Whole" over at her SoundCloud page...

Photos: Cloud Nothings @ Mercury Lounge

Cloud Nothings @ Mercury Lounge - March 27, 2012
Photos: Chris

After listening to Cloud Nothings' excellent new record Attack on Memory (listen on Spotify) last month, I was admittedly hooked pretty instantly. A culmination of everything that's just right about post-hardcore, pop-punk, lo-fi and shoegaze, the album is sure to be on a lot of year-end lists in December. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to finally get to check them out last night at the intimate Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side.

The band, led by main songwriter Dylan Baldi, shuffled through all of Memory throughout the set, extending sections of songs like "Wasted Days" and "Separation" into lengthy feedback-laden noise jams. But the band is not simply about being chaotically loud. Much of their set included bursts of pop gems like "Fall In," "Cut You" and set-opener "Stay Useless." In just under an hour, Cloud Nothings proved to be one of the most exciting new bands to watch in 2012.

The show was sold out, as is tomorrow's show at Glasslands, so expect this to be the last time you'll catch Cloud Nothings in venues this size in New York City. Almost positive their next stop is headlining Bowery Ballroom or even Webster. Check out some photos from last night's show and the remainder of the band's tour dates below...

Future Nostalgia Review: Mikal Cronin @ The EARL

Mikal Cronin @ The EARL (Atlanta, GA) - March 11, 2012
Review: Jeffrey K.

Someone needs to tell Mikal Cronin that he's too young to sound so jaded. He's fed up: fed up with his doomed romantic relationship, fed up with the structured life of youth, fed up with having to slog through college to finally show the world what he's worth. If his eponymous debut masterpiece is any indication, he should only be looking forward. Not only was it the most overlooked record of 2011, it was also the best. The brilliant first cut, "Is It Alright," is the perfect primer for the gem of a record that follows. It opens with lush, Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies and ends with a furious, psychedelic-garage freak-out, complete with a flute solo. You immediately get the sense that he would have fit in as well with the Elephant 6 Collective as he does with the San Francisco garage scene where he cut his teeth.

Future Nostalgia: Doe Paoro @ Pianos

Doe Paoro @ Pianos - March 7, 2012
Photos: Chris

It’s quite telling when the talent of a band shines through in a live setting even when their set is plagued by sound issues. Such was the case last night for Doe Paoro, a Brooklyn band who played an overbearingly packed Pianos last night to a crowd that was eagerly anticipating their set. When I was asked what they sounded like before they came on, the only thing I could come up with was, “R&B... I think.” I don’t know if that’s exactly an inaccurate description. That label has really just diminished in the past thirty years, but there’s clearly still a literal use for it when a band’s sound is comprised of… well, rhythm and blues.

When lead singer Sonia Kreitzer took the stage (after a lengthy turnover from the previous band), the crowd quickly fell silent as she began singing the intro to her recently released album Slow To Love, and then went right into “Born Whole”--an extremely addictive and soulful song that is as beautiful as it is haunting. Unfortunately the drum pads her drummer was using were just not working, and was unsuccessful in getting the sound guy’s attention for the entirety of the song. As a drummer, I felt his pain, but the rest of the band (a standup bassist and keyboardist) did not miss a beat and plowed on with the song. Luckily, the band revisited the song, full drum sounds intact, at the end of their set.

Photos: Bachelorette @ Cameo Gallery

Bachelorette @ Cameo Gallery - March 4, 2012
Photos: Chloe Lee

As previously mentioned, New Zealand native Annabel Alpers (a.k.a. Bachelorette) performed a headlining set at Cameo on Sunday night before heading out on tour with Magnetic Fields for the remainder of this month. Our photographer Chloe Lee was there to take photos for us and you can take a look at her gallery below. The show, which also had sets by Baby Alpaca and Bermuda Bonnie, was apparently less filled than Chloe would have expected—surprising considering she’s going to be opening for one of the bigger indie bands of the past decade. But that’s what makes concerts like these all the more special.

Take a look at Chloe’s photos of the show and the remainder of Bachelorette’s tour dates below…

Shearwater & Sharon Van Etten in New York City tonight and tomorrow (Stream Shearwater's Animal Joy)

Sharon Van Etten @ Mercury Lounge in March (more here)

If you've been paying any attention to the new music we've been drooling over in 2012 so far, then you're probably well aware of the excellence of Shearwater's Animal Joy and Sharon Van Etten's Tramp. Two records that beg to be given consideration to as album of the year despite the fact that it's not even March yet.

Which is why you'd be smart to find some way into the sold out shows both acts are playing together--tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg and tomorrow at Bowery Ballroom. Sharon Van Etten plays an additional show on Sunday at Bowery with Carter Tanton and Glass Ghost (also sold out). Check StubHub though, because there actually are reasonably priced tickets available on there right now.

In the meantime, you can stream Shearwater's Animal Joy in its entirety below...

The Big Sleep releasing new album Tuesday, playing Knitting Factory Thursday (2/2)

Last month, we had the opportunity to check out Brooklyn-based indie band The Big Sleep film footage for a new music video at The Fort in anticipation of their upcoming album Nature Experiments. The album is their first release since 2008's Sleep Forever, and from what I heard them play that night, Nature Experiments is going to be a really exciting record. As a collaboration between Frenchkiss Records and Goodnight Records (Goodnight is handling the vinyl release), you can preorder the album from iTunes for its release on Tuesday (1/31) and the vinyl release over here. The vinyl won't be released until February 14, but comes in both single and deluxe versions.

To celebrate the album's release, The Big Sleep will be performing a hometown show at the Knitting Factory on Thursday (2/2), for which some tickets are still available. Be sure to pick up a pair and see the band perform some new songs, and hopefully they still have "Murder" in their repertoire. Check out the tracklist for Nature Experiments, a video for the album's awesome first single "Ace," and the Big Sleep's upcoming shows below...

Photos/Review: Real Estate @ K&K Super Buffet

Real Estate (w/ Dogleather, The Babies and Black Dice) @ K&K Super Buffet - January 28, 2012
Photos: Chris / Review: E

The emaciated all-ages crowd was wrapped around the edge of the Chinese buffet’s parking lot when I arrived there at 9:45, forty-five minutes after the doors were scheduled to open, and cut in line with Chris, who was already there. Up ahead, the red neon lights for K&K SUPER BUFFET were half burnt out, so that the only letters illuminated were K SUPE FFET. I noticed the audience was mostly underdressed for the weather -- too many hoodies and not enough winter coats -- and the crowd more than doubled in size over the next half-hour, until the final Chinese buffet patrons finally stopped eating lamp-warmed crusted slop and exited.

This was a highly unusual venue for an indie rock show. The inside immediately smelled of rotting steamed seafood, and after being stamped appropriately we shouldered through the buffet lines. My theory was that the remaining food, which would have to be thrown out anyway, was included in the $5 admission, but this wasn’t made clear to us upon entry. I grabbed a plate anyway, passed on the “saunteed[sic] squid,” and loaded up with boneless spare ribs and chicken skewers (the cutlery had already been hidden from us). Beyond the buffet tables, which were clogged with patrons similarly squirreling away unappetizing leftovers as the staff scrambled to put a metal cover over everything, was a stage area fit to hold, at most, three hundred people.

Photos/Video: Cass McCombs @ Bowery Ballroom

Cass McCombs @ Bowery Ballroom - January 25, 2012

Photos & Video: Chloe Lee

On Wednesday night, the enigmatic Cass McCombs performed a headlining show at Bowery Ballroom, as the singer continues his tour behind last year's two LPs, Wit's End and Humor Risk. Our photographer Chloe Lee was there for us and her photos adorn this post. Here is what L Magazine had to say about the performance:

"But even more than familiar/unfamiliar songwriting, the lure of Cass McCombs’ music is still that slightly dusty, slightly bittersweet, super world-weary croon. His voice was very high in the sound mix. We never saw his face, but his presence in the room was overpowering. And on something as pretty as “County Line,” extended forever, draped over that elegant bass part, it seemed like he could keep cycling through its heartbreaking melody for days. On the right song, you might not even mind if he did." - Jeff Klingman

Cass will continue on with his tour with Frank Fairfield through the beginning of February, and will play a few dates in England in March. Check out the remainder of his tour dates, a set of photos from the night, as well as an exclusive video of Cass McCombs shot by Chloe below...

Shearwater releasing their Sub Pop debut, playing pair of NYC shows

Back in April of 2011, it was announced that Austin-based indie band Shearwater had signed with Sub Pop Records to release the follow up to their critically acclaimed record The Golden Archipelago (released on Matador in 2010). Well my friends, the time is almost upon us for that new record to be unveiled. Animal Joy will be released on February 14 and is currently available for preorder over at the Sub Pop website.

The record is expected to be more rock-oriented than their last few experimental recordings, the trilogy of albums that included Palo Santo, Rook and The Golden Archipelago. Which makes perfect sense, considering Shearwater's drummer Thor Harris was last seen playing percussion in, um, the heaviest band on planet Earth--Swans. And with the new record only weeks away from release, that means the band is about to hit the road in support of it.

For those of us in New York City, the tour will bring Shearwater to Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom on February 24 and 25 respectively, opening for the wonderful Ms. Sharon Van Etten (with whom they are touring with). Van Etten has a new album coming out of her own, which we just saw her play in its entirety last week. Tickets are still available for both shows, so grab one while you can--they are likely to sell out. Below, take a listen to "You As You Were" off of Animal Joy, and check out where Shearwater will be playing near you...

Future Nostalgia: Howler @ Cameo Gallery

Howler @ Cameo Gallery - January 20, 2012

Photos: Chloe Lee

How some bands achieve extreme notoriety outside of their home country rather than, you know, at home, remains a mystery to me. The Pixies were always much more popular in England during their original incarnation, as were The Strokes (initially at least) -- but what exactly is it that so immediately appeals to the British that takes us Americans so long to digest? Is it a fashion thing? A particular level of distortion used? Subliminal messages? A CONSPIRACY?

The latest band to become a "victim" of British-music-press-overload is the Minneapolis-based group Howler, whose highly-addictive debut album America Give Up was just released January 16 on Rough Trade Records (listen to it on Spotify). A melodic garage-rock record complete with fuzzy guitars and shoegaze-y production is sure to pick up momentum as the band tours extensively this year (they already have shows booked through April, many in Europe). As one might expect, NME has gone crazy over them, while over here the band was able to play the modestly sized Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg without too much fanfare.

The Cameo performance was one of five consecutive shows for Howler, playing at Other Music, Death By Audio & Pianos twice, and our photographer Chloe Lee was there to take photos for us. Howler will be back in New York City for two shows this spring--April 10 at Knitting Factory and April 11 at Mercury Lounge (tickets on sale now). Take a look at a full set of photos of the band's set at Cameo, in addition to opener St. Lucia, and check out a live video and the rest of Howler's tour schedule below...

Future Nostalgia: Cass McCombs playing Bowery Ballroom 1/25

Since 2002, when Cass McCombs released his debut EP Not The Way on Monitor Records, the American singer-songwriter has toured and recorded endlessly, releasing five LPs and performing with the likes of Thurston Moore, The Walkmen, Deerhoof and The Arcade Fire. In 2011, McCombs released two critically acclaimed albums, Wit’s End and Humor Risk on Domino Records, the former being an album I listened to on repeat for short bursts of time throughout the year. It’s a record with production that could easily pass as being recorded in 1972, but the songwriting featured throughout is truly unique to McCombs, while also harkening back to artists such as Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and John Vanderslice.

Next Wednesday (1/25), Cass McCombs will be making his way to New York City to perform at Bowery Ballroom, for which tickets are still available. Check out his recent video for “The Same Thing,” the single that was released for Humor Risk last year, and also find the remainder of Cass’s tour dates below…


Cass McComb Winter 2012 Tour Dates

01/19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
01/20 – Saxaphaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom *
01/21 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *
01/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie *
01/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
01/26 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
01/27 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison *
01/28 – Detroit, MI @ Pike Room *
01/29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
01/30 – Madison, WI @ High Noon *
02/01 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
02/02 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
02/03 – Denver, CO @ Hi@Dive *
02/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
03/05 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
03/07 – Liverpool, UK @ Leaf Cafe Bold St.
03/09 – London, UK @ Union Chapel

^ = w/ White Magic
* = w/ Frank Fairfield