Photos/Videos: Spirit Family Reunion @ Mercury Lounge

Spirit Family Reunion @ Mercury Lounge - June 15, 2012
Photos/Videos: Chloe Lee

On Friday night, Brooklyn folk act Spirit Family Reunion celebrated the release of their debut LP No Separation at Mercury Lounge. The album, which was self released and available on their bandcamp page, follows in the footsteps of other young Americana-influenced indie acts like Deer Tick and Delta Spirit, a scene that seems to be growing larger and larger lately. You can stream their song "I Am Following The Sound" off the album below...



The band will head to the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, RI on July 28, but for those in New York City who want to catch them again, Spirit Family Reunion will be performing a free show on August 4th at Prospect Park as part of Celebrate Brooklyn (all tour dates below). Our photographer Chloe Lee was at Mercury Lounge for FN on Friday, and you can check out a full set of photos, in addition to two exclusive videos of the band playing their songs "On My Mind" and "I'll Find a Way" and  below...

Plants And Animals Kick Off NYC Residency Tonight At Littlefield (Mercury Lounge Tomorrow)

Yo. Hey. ::snaps:: Eyes on the text, ladies.

The handsome gentlemen pictured above are none other than the Canadian post-classic rock trio Plants And Animals, who recently kicked off their Spring 2012 North American tour that'll bring them to NYC for the next 48 hours. They'll be performing tracks off of their recently released third LP, The End Of That (via Secret City Records), tonight at Littlefield in Brooklyn (tickets) and tomorrow night at Manhattan's Mercury Lounge (more tickets), so be sure to swing by, check them out, and say hi to FN's own Trista Hou who will be reviewing the first show.

...Gonna go ahead and assume you went back to staring at the picture, but after the jump you can check out the new video for End Of That's titular track featuring a spot-on Engelbert Humperdink impression. You can also check out the video for the very awesome album cut "Lightshow," streams of "Lightshow" and "Song For Love," and a cover of a song that'll net you some indie cred and possibly a cookie if you correctly ID its original creators in the comments. Be sure to catch them further along the tour if you're among the majority of people who don't live in NYC at the dates below too. Keep it rockin', Canada.

FN News Roundup: April 3, 2012

News time, my droogs!

• There's a tribute show for the legendary Curtis Mayfield taking place on July 20 at Lincoln Center. Considering Mavis Staples, Aloe Blacc, Tunde & Kyp from TV On The Radio, and The Impressions involved, you're going to want to be too - tickets on sale now (BrooklynVegan)


• It's been a good three years since 2009's Eating Us, but Black Moth Super Rainbow are officially recording new music!! Check out the great new cut "Spraypaint," and we'll keep an eye out for more (Pitchfork)


• Two of our favorite (and loudest) Future Nostalgia bands, Ceremony and Screaming Females, are letting their powers combine for a Spring / Summer tour! Kinda! While they won't be on the same bill here in NYC (Ceremony's got two shows on April 23 at Terminal 5 and Mercury Lounge, while Screaming Females will be here this Friday at The Bell House), they'll be rocking together in June from Austin, TX to Hamden, CT (Consequence of Sound)


• Speaking of Screaming Females, you can stream their new LP Ugly and pick it up via Don Giovanni today! (SPIN)


• Take this with the huuuuge grain of salt you need to apply to pretty much all NME articles, but the sons of The Beatles might form a band together. Once again: HUGE grain of salt (NME)


• Haven't been able to see the most excellent Deer Tick live? Wanna see them again, with the Levon Helm Band? Well get thee to Beacon Theatre this Friday! Tickets are still on sale (PhotoEveryone)


• And we'll head out into the night with the official video for Garbage's "Blood For Poppies" - their first new video in five years! - off of their upcoming album Not Your Kind Of People (due out May 15) (Spinner)

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...

Photos: Eight and a Half / Zeus @ Mercury Lounge

Eight and a Half's Justin Peroff

Eight and a Half / Zeus @ Mercury Lounge - February 23, 2012
Photos: Chloe Lee

With Broken Social Scene currently on hiatus, various members of the Canadian supergroup have gone on to form other projects to keep themselves occupied. After all, the band always has been one big collective of multiple projects, so it's no surprise at all that drummer Justin Peroff recently teamed up with The Stills' Liam O’Neil and Dave Hamelin to create Eight and a Half. A bit more electronically-tinged than I would have expected, but no less melodic and ethereal, the band have a great song called "Go Ego," which you can listen to below. Eight and a Half made its way to New York City last week and played Mercury Lounge last Thursday and Glasslands on Friday for two Arts & Crafts showcases.

Also on the bill at the Mercury Lounge show was another Toronto-based band, Zeus, who closed out the night. On the verge of releasing their new album Busting Visions on March 27, the band was recently featured on NPR, who described their single "Are You Gonna Waste My Time" as containing "muscular, Big Star-sized guitar riffs." You can listen to the track and decide for yourself below...

Chloe was there to photograph both bands for us, and you can take a look at her gallery, as well as Eight and a Half's video for their song "Scissors," below...

Photos/Video: Fujiya & Miyagi @ Mercury Lounge

Fujiya & Miyagi @ Mercury Lounge – January 21, 2012
Photos & Video: Chris

Since the year 2000, Fujiya & Miyagi have been gaining more and more notoriety as one of Brighton, England’s finest electronic-based acts, releasing four full length albums and garnering much critical acclaim for their unique blend of krautrock and indie-influenced dance music. Though their most recent album Ventriloquizzing came out a year ago, the band made a return to the US last week to play a string of dates, hitting Glasslands in Brooklyn on Thursday and then a sold-out Mercury Lounge on Saturday.

The band plays Toronto tonight, and will continue to tour the States through the remainder of January (all tour dates below). We made it into the Mercury Lounge show and had a chance to witness the band in all its glory, as they riled up a crowd of 250 patrons at the stroke of midnight. Take a look at some photos we shot during their set in the slideshow below, as well as a short video we filmed from the front of the stage…

Photos/Review: Sharon Van Etten @ Mercury Lounge

Sharon Van Etten @ Mercury Lounge - January 18, 2012
Photos: Chris / Review: Jennifer Harmon

Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten delivered a beautiful, heart-stirring performance at The Mercury Lounge last night, sharing for the very first time new songs from her third studio album Tramp, which will be released February 7 on Jagjaguwar.

We stood quietly in the perfect spot nestled close to the stage, prepared to savor every word. At around 8 PM, the lights dimmed and Sharon Van Etten and her band made their entrance. Dressed in all black, the lovely raven-haired singer captivated us immediately. After greeting the audience and adjusting her guitar strap, she launched an hour-long set, playing the new album in its entirety, filled with alluringly anguished vocals mixed with ripe, full arrangements of guitars and drums.

“I loosen my grip from my palm and put it on your knee/You’re the reason I’ll move to the city. You’re why I’ll need to leave,” she sang during the heartbreaking tune, “Give Out.”

She became one with the guitar, allowing her dark locks to cover the left side of her face as she bent forward. Under the shinny haze of the red and blue stage lights, I was mesmerized by the way Sharon’s body and voice showcased such a wide range of happiness, fear and pain.

With a guitar pick in her mouth, we did not mind the fact that she apologized to the crowd at least a couple of times for “being clumsy” in between songs. Her voice was outstanding, showcasing powerfully passionate lyrics on all of the songs from the new album. The foursome sounded superb at Mercury Lounge, with the luscious mix of guitars and vocals, and even a harmonium, ukulele, and an omni chord in the mix.

She thanked the crowd numerous times for coming out on hump day - on a cold, winter Wednesday night. “But it’s still early so you can go on a date and have dinner still,” she told us.

It was not surprising that one female fan was close to tears. Sharon told her, “It’s okay to cry.” Her distinctive voice digs into your soul. At this small, intimate venue, I glanced around and observed how multiples faces in the audience appeared hypnotized by her voice and the lyrics off of the new album. At times, I felt overcome by sadness and regret but I also experienced a deep sense of satisfaction and hope. I longed for more.

“I am alone in this room with you/I tried,” she sang out during the last song of the night.

Sharon’s latest gig at Mercury Lounge performance is proof that this New Jersey native has taken her songwriting abilities to the next level. Her new material is a brilliant experience of everything she has created thus far. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

---

Tramp is currently available for preorder over at Jagjaguwar's website. Sharon will be playing Bowery Ballroom on February 24 and then Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 25 and 26. Tickets are still available for all three. Below, take a look at a full set of photos from last night's show...

Future Nostalgia: Sharon Van Etten playing Mercury Lounge 1/18, ticketson sale at 12pm

While poking around on the Bowery Presents website this morning, I happened to notice that one of my favorite artists around today--Sharon Van Etten--will be playing the intimate Mercury Lounge next Wednesday, with tickets going on sale today at 12pm. Van Etten recently just opened for The National at the Beacon Theatre, and is about to release her third album Tramp in February, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner for Jagjaguwar. Tramp will be the much anticipated follow up to her excellent album Epic, one of my favorite records of 2010. If you’re smart, you’ll grab a ticket to this and revel in one of indie’s greatest young talents, playing a venue considerably smaller than she will be playing in the months to come. See you there.

Future Nostalgia - CHAPPO @ Mercury Lounge

CHAPPO @ Mercury Lounge - December 17, 2011
Photos: Sam Cornwall

On Saturday night, Brooklyn-based pych/indie band CHAPPO headlined Mercury Lounge, bringing their raucous show to a packed crowd. Photographer Sam Cornwall was there to document the show for us, which he described as including “confetti, glitter, crowd-surfing and three encores.” As evidenced by the photos, it looked to be quite the party. The band released their latest EP, Plastique Universe II: Pisces Princess back in August, which you can download on iTunes over here. We ran our very first ticket contest for the show (hopefully the first of many) and you can check out Sam’s awesome confetti-ridden photos below…

Future Nostalgia: Win a pair of tickets to CHAPPO @ Mercury Lounge this Saturday

If one were to give just a single listen to Brooklyn-based CHAPPO's extremely addictive "Petrified Sand," off their latest EP Plastique Universe II: Pisces Princess, you'd probably be able to pigeonhole their influences in an instant: MGMT, Neon Indian, even Neil Young. But forget for a second who they sound like on the first track... when you dig deeper into the EP and realize that their sound is ultimately defined by their lead singer's extremely dynamic voice--which delves into a Prince-like falsetto, contrasted by random bouts of Marc Bolan-esque growls--you're reminded of just how few bands these days are willing to take risks that many are afraid of.

Luckily for those of us in New York City, CHAPPO will be headlining Mercury Lounge tomorrow night (12/17), and we have a pair of tickets to give away so you can check the band out for yourself. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to chris@fuckingnostalgic.com with "CHAPPO" in the subject, and your first & last name in the body of the email. A winner will be selected at random by 4pm today and notified with details. Your email will not be used for anything other than entering the contest. Be sure to follow the band on their Twitter page to keep up to date on future shows, and below, check out their video for "Come Home," an undeniably catchy track off their last EP Plastique Universe. Good luck, and see you at the show!