This Week's Nostalgia (4/30 - 5/6)

The Cranberries / Photo: Jess Baumung

By Trista Hou (Binshu Hou)

Do you still remember who the very first rock bands that enlightened you to start listening to indie music were? Do you still remember that once upon a time, there was an Irish frontwoman named Dolores, and her keening, powerful voice singing classics such as "Zombie,""Linger,"and"Dreams"? Yes, The Cranberries are back. The band even announced they would release their first new studio album, Roses, in over 10 years, which is due for release on May 5. Check them out at Terminal 5 on May 2 and 4 to reminisce, and let us know how many times your eyes well up with tears. 

Finishing her two-weekend journey in the Indio desert of California, Feist comes to town again touring in support of her album Metals, released in 2011. Considering its slow-to-bloom beauty, her live is still worth enjoyment. You can see her at Radio City Music Hall on May 5.

Xiu Xiu and Dirty Beaches are playing together and it only costs you $16 to $18? This is way too good a deal, alright? Xiu Xiu, a San Jose avant-garde group that has been active for the past 10 years, is the brainchild of vocalist Jamie Stewart--often earning a comparison to The Cure's Robert Smith. This is a band that you shouldn't neglect. As for Dirty Beaches, a band I am personally quite fond of, their lo-fi full-length album Badlands was released last year. With Suicide-like drum machines and hypnotic loops, Badlands conjures up images of surrealism, which could possibly drag you into an endless black hole.

Here are the rest of shows you should check out in New York City this week...

FN News Roundup: March 28, 2012

HAAAhahaha oh hey. Yes, so a lot of really great stuff happened in music today again, but you really need to see what's happening in the first bullet below first. Seriously.

• He's won awards for film soundtracks, rocked stages, and been the face of industrial rock for what feels like forever. But now the Internet has provided us with amazingly hilarious footage of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails performing "Down In It" on the late '80s / early '90s dance show Dance Party USA. This is so completely awesome that I'm not even going to put it under the jump. The rest of the news can wait while you acknowledge that This Happened (Echoing The Sound)
  
  

HA! OK, let's move on then.

• Punk supergroup OFF! have released the first single from their upcoming self-titled debut LP (May 8 via VICE). No, it's not just a clip - "King Kong Brigade" is our first taste of the 16 tracks that'll take a total of 16 minutes to listen to. They'll also be touring with the reunited Refused for a tour that'll bring them to Bowery Ballroom on May 16, so that's a must-see (Pitchfork)


• Sonic Youth axeman Lee Ranaldo is riding high on the release of his new solo album, Between The Times and The Tides, and now you can check out a new video for "Angles" after the jump (Slicing Up Eyeballs)


• You can check out the video for Shearwater's "You As You Were" there too! (Sub Pop) 


• ...And the video for Dum Dum Girls' "Coming Down!" Lotta new music videos today (Sub Pop)


• Bill Callahan (Smog) has a video out for his cover of Mickey Newbury's "Heaven Help The Child" out. Guess where you can watch it on this post? (Drag City)

Photos: Shearwater/Sharon Van Etten @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Shearwater

Sharon Van Etten

Shearwater/Sharon Van Etten @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - February 24, 2012

Photos: Chris

The last time I caught Sharon Van Etten, at the much smaller Mercury Lounge, she was basically testing out her new band for the first time with her latest material--performing Tramp in full for an audience who had not yet heard it. Her and her band's performance was flawless, but she was clearly reserved and a little nervous, barely speaking a word in between songs. What a difference a few weeks on tour makes. 

On Friday night, Van Etten headlined a very sold out Music Hall of Williamsburg where she looked extremely comfortable on stage, joking frequently with the crowd and her band--her performance no less flawless than I would expect. With The National's Aaron Dessner (who also produced Tramp) on guitar from the middle of the set on, Van Etten and her band played through most of her latest excellent album, along with "Save Yourself" and "Don't Do it" off her last album Epic. Highlights of the set included her performance of "Serpents," which, let's just say it: that's pretty much the best song of 2012 so far. And her encore-ending performance of "Love More" brought the entire show full circle, reminding me of why I fell in love with her music in the first place.

Major credit has to go to openers Shearwater, who are doing one of the most original things in indie today. Their latest album Animal Joy, which is one fine record, takes new shape in a live setting--with frontman Jonathan Meiburg leading a band of four highly talented musicians through a set of layered, melodic and rhythmically complex songs. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Shearwater are doing right now, but it's clearly not being done as passionately and unique by anyone else at the moment.

Below, take a look at a full set of photos of both bands including Van Etten's setlist...

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...

Stream Shearwater's "Animal Joy" In Its Entirety

"The cat's out of the bag. You can hear the new album here." -- Shearwater on Facebook

Well there you have it. As we shared last week, Austin's own Shearwater is releasing their new album, Animal Joy, this Valentine's Day on venerable indie label Sub Pop. And like clockwork, good ol' NPR has said LP up for streaming on this week's edition of "First Listen."

Check it out over here in case you missed that link a few lines up, and be sure to pick up the album in time for their two NYC shows on February 24 and 25 at Music Hall of Williamsburg & Bowery Ballroom with FN favorite Sharon Van Etten. Both shows are sold out, but find a way in because they'll undoubtedly be awesome. More tour dates after the jump.

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...