The Walkmen released Heaven, playing Bowery Ballroom tonight (stream it live!)

The Walkmen at Brooklyn Academy of Music last month

If you haven't picked up a copy of The Walkmen's latest album Heaven (their seventh full length), then you've been missing out on one solid listen. In the twelve years since forming, the band has proven to be one of the most enduring and consistently great New York City-based bands around, outshining many of their similarly-influenced peers. Listen to the title track, and album highlight, "Heaven" below...



In support of Heaven, the band will embark on a tour at the end of June (all tour dates below), but first the band will play a very intimate hometown show at Bowery Ballroom tonight which will be streamed live via Spotify! You can tune in here to watch the performance beginning at 9pm EST. The next NYC-area Walkmen show will be at Terminal 5 on October 18. Tickets for that show will go on presale today at their website. Pay attention to Twitter for the exact time they go on sale.

While you're at it, stream Heaven via Spotify below...

Review: Gossip @ Terminal 5

Gossip @ Terminal 5 - May 22, 2012


Since the beginning of time, humans and even dinosaurs have agreed that the best parties are the ones without rules. No dress codes. No boundaries. No curfews. Following this triumvirate of indisputable knowledge, on Tuesday night we found ourselves at one of my new favorite dance scenes: Gossip at Terminal 5. 

Photos/Review: The Cranberries @ Terminal 5

The Cranberries @ Terminal 5 - May 2, 2012
Photos: Trista Hou (Binshu Hou) / Review: Jennifer Harmon

It was indeed a nostalgic journey back to the nineties as The Cranberries lit up the stage Wednesday night inside Terminal 5. The 3,000-capacity venue was packed wall to wall with concertgoers, many in the age bracket of 30 and up, who enjoyed a libation or two before the show and then hopped in a yellow cab to the venue. Cozy couples and clusters of friends approached the entrance and raced inside to catch the band.

It was 9 PM sharp when the lovely Delores O’Riordan appeared beside her bandmates, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. The alternative rock band from Limerick, Ireland, made the right choice by kicking off the party with a true fan favorite, “Dreams,” from Everybody Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?

The Hives are Coming to the NYC! (and other places, too!)

Smartly dressed Swedish rockers The Hives are heading this way in June, thankfully returning after tomorrow night's once "secret" show over at the Studio @ Webster Hall. Seriously, who won that contest?! 

Starting in May, the boys are taking their skinny-jean-wearing behinds to Europe for a spell, playing a whole shebang of festivals and undoubtedly leaving a trail of swooning, scissor-kicking and stage diving behind them. They're back in the states on June 19th, starting off in DC before playing the NYC's Terminal 5.

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: They Might Be Giants @ Terminal 5

They Might Be Giants @ Terminal 5 – March 10, 2012
Photos: Sam Cornwall

Saturday, March 10 marked the end of a lengthy tour for alt-rock legends They Might Be Giants, who headlined the massive Terminal 5 in their New York City hometown. According to Death and Taxes:

This was no mere boring show, where the band plays a calculated mix of hits while trying to promote their new material. No, this is a band that likes to turn a gig into a fun and goofy event. They performed a rarity in the form of “Mr. Me” and billed “Cow Town” as the first TMBG song ever recorded, plus yelled at people for throwing things from the balconies. There were a couple of interludes featuring sock puppet avatars, one of which also included a brief appearance by the Supreme Court.

Following the slightly dark performance of “Ana Ng” (which is one of my favorites) and “Careful What You Pack,” they divided the audience in half, saying that the time for love was over and that for the next “between 4 and 40 minutes” the crowd would be split for “an atmosphere of total intolerance.” One side of the crowd was “people” and the other was “apes,” and they cheered back and forth. People won, out-fist-pumping those damn dirty apes once and for all. They managed to make one fan pretty happy, by giving a signed copy of “Join Us” to someone who was decked out in a ton of TMBG gear — hoodie, t-shirt, the works — proving that being “that guy” at a show can sometimes work out for the best.

Jonathan Coulton, who toured with TMBG a lot this past year, opened the show and even brought Susan Vega onstage to help with a song. Our photographer Sam Cornwall was there to document the show for us, and you can take a look at his photos of both acts, as well as the setlist below…

Review: Kaiser Chiefs @ Terminal 5

As you may or may not be aware, FN contributor Mariel Marelli is in possession of several super powers. I was first exposed to said powers when I learned of Mariel’s inexplicable immunity to all things spicy. I have seen her eat an entire plate atomic wings with the nonchalance and grace of a mythical winged creature, all the while watching her friends choke and cry and sweat into oblivion.

Her second, and arguably more important, super power is her ability to win tickets to millions of shows in our glorious NYC. And not just any shows – shows you want to see. Approximately once per week, Mariel will gleefully announce another victorious win, and if you’re lucky enough, you will be invited to join her.

And that is how I found myself as Mariel’s lucky plus one for last night’s Kaiser Chiefs show at Terminal 5. I’ve gotta say, they totally kicked ass. Since their first full-length album, Employment, found its way into my CD wallet (yeah, I went there), I’ve loved their brand of punk-rock-pop-y sound.

Future Nostalgia: King Krule, Real Estate, Girls @ Terminal 5

Christopher Owens of Girls

Girls (w/ King Krule & Real Estate) @ Terminal 5
Photos: Chris / Review: Mariel Marrelli

On Saturday night, I saw Real Estate and Girls at the sold out Terminal 5 show. I could tell the show was sold out by my inability to move the entire time. Surrounded by swarms of kids with X’s on their hands (it was an 18 and older show), I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I had never seen either band before, but was pretty excited to check them both out.

Real Estate opened their set with "Green Aisles" off their latest Days album.  Singer and guitarist Martin Courtney would lead the band through most of the songs off that album, including "It’s Real," "Wonder Years," "Out of Tune," "Easy" and "All The Same." Guitarist Matthew Mondanile, who never stopped moving the entire show, covered Felt’s "Sunlight Bathed the Gold Glow." They only stopped jamming once to give a shout out to anyone who went to high school in New Jersey. The crowd went wild!   

After a break, which seemed to mostly consist of taping bouquets of flowers to mic stands, Girls took the stage. Lead singer Christopher Owens, clad in a t-shirt, button down shirt, and jean skirt, started off the set with Father, Son, Holy Ghost's "Alex." Stopping only to change guitars, they would play through most of the album including "My Ma," "Love Like A River," "Die," "Magic," and crowd favorites "Honey Bunny" and "Vomit." 

They also played through some of their earlier songs including "Heartbreaker," "Laura," "Substance," and "Hellhole Ratrace," before ending the set with "Darling."  Despite the somewhat mellow tunes and sometimes depressing lyrics, the crowd got very rowdy during the set and moshed the best they could.  The band seemed very humble, occasionally thanking the audience, but mostly sticking to the music.  They did, however, take a moment to let us know that the 49ers won that night.  

For an encore, Owens came out solo and performed "Jamie Marie." The full band then joined in for "Saying I Love You."  Girls then bid adieu to drummer Darren Weiss, it was his last show, before rocking out to "Morning Light" and showering the audience with flowers. 

Overall, I thought it was an excellent show.  Seeing both bands in one night really packed in a lot of great music. Real Estate blew me away and I could have listened to them for another hour.  It was their first time playing Terminal 5, so I suggest seeing them before they sell out even bigger venues.           

Favorite Band Moment:  Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondanile’s enthusiasm

Favorite song:  Real Estate: Green Aisles.  Girls:  Morning Light

Biggest Regret:  Not buying a beer from Sebadoh’s Bob D’Amico who was working the third level bar.

---

Check out a full set of photos of all the bands who played Saturday night below, including much-hyped newcomer King Krule who opened the night...

Photos: Ladytron @ Terminal 5

Ladytron @ Terminal 5 - October 8, 2011
Photos: Debbie Chou

Liverpudlian electropop band Ladytron have returned with a fifth studio album Gravity The Seducer, and have been on tour since September in support of its release. On Saturday, the band played New York City's Terminal 5 along with the Brooklyn-based VHS or Beta. According to Debbie (who took the photos), both bands were great. Below, check out a set of photos of both bands, and listen to selections from Gravity The Seducer below...

Ladytron have a new single, playing Terminal 5 10/8

On September 13, Ladytron will release their highly anticipated fifth studio album Gravity the Seducer, their first album since 2008's Velocifero. That is the album art above. Over the past couple of months the UK-based act have been releasing singles from the album, and on Tuesday they revealed their latest song, "Mirage" on the Nettwerk Music Group's website.

Ladytron are about to embark on a tour in support of Gravity the Seducer, which will come to New York City on October 8 at Terminal 5. VHS or Beta and Sonoio will open the all ages show and tickets are still on sale. You can take a listen to "Mirage," as well as three other songs off the upcoming album below, as well as all of Ladytron's tour dates, below the jump.

Low To Join Iron & Wine In Concert In October

It's been a great year for local Low fans, with the slowcore giants releasing the outstanding C'Mon in April and putting out live performances like the one we attended at Bowery Ballroom that same month. This afternoon, the band made the year even better by announcing another NYC show via Facebook, this time with bearded folk rock hero Sam Beam (a.k.a. Iron & Wine) in what will likely be the chillest combination of bands in a long time.

The show will take place on October 12 at Terminal 5, with tickets going onsale at noon tomorrow. Pick one up and get ready for an early autumn bliss-out. Check out the video for "Try To Sleep" below (featuring Low fan / former "Uncle Jesse" John Stamos), or go over here to see Low rock a cover of Toto's "Africa."

Listen: New Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Tigers"

Via Facebook

As we've previously reported, the Highlander of indie rock Stephen Malkmus (dude seriously does not age) and his band The Jicks are getting ready to release their new album, Mirror Traffic, on August 23, with a fall tour that brings them to everyone's favorite NYC venue Terminal 5 on September 26 (tickets are still on sale).

Two very excellent tracks have surfaced from Mirror Traffic to date - Stereogum recently shared "Senator," and today have dropped "Tiger" via Cerys Matthew's BBC 6 Music program. Check out the Beck-produced goodness via the above links and grab a ticket to see them performed live - yeah it's Terminal 5, but it's Stephen Malkmus, dammit.

Photos/Review: Matt & Kim @ Terminal 5

Matt & Kim @ Terminal 5 - June 29th, 2011
Photos: Chris; Review: Jennifer Harmon

Brooklyn’s very own dance-punk duo Matt & Kim returned to the Big Apple Wednesday and rocked the night away at Terminal 5.
 
The couple, known for their thousand-watt smiles, has matured as performers and songwriters since their initial start together in 2004. Their fan base has exploded too, compared to when I first caught their enthusiastic act at Lollapalooza in Chicago in the summer of 2007. Back then it was a small day show and not that many people knew anything about the pair. What a difference a few years makes. There were at least 3,000 fans in attendance at the all-ages show, which sold out three months in advance of the gig.
 
The two-piece burst onto the stage with Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” blaring in the background. “Let’s hear it for New York,” Matt & Kim sang along with the words of Alicia Keys. The couple quickly took their spots on a small platform set up on the stage.  They only needed a few square feet to rock out. Frontman Matt Johnson quickly got comfortable on keyboards while drummer Kim Schifino settled into the seat behind her silver drum kit.
 
“This is the best tour we have had in our whole life,” a characteristically giddy Matt exclaimed to the audience. “This is the best city in the world!”

Photos/Review: Dinosaur Jr. @ Terminal 5 (w/ OFF!, Fucked Up & Henry Rollins)

Dinosaur Jr. performing Bug @ Terminal 5 - June 23rd, 2011
Photos: Chris; Review: Jennifer Harmon

Fans were mesmerized last night from the very first moment alt-rock trio Dinosaur Jr. hit the stage at Terminal 5 to perform Bug in its entirety. Luckily we were able to cover the performance in conjunction with Vancouver music blog, the Backstage Rider. Visit BSR for even more photos from last night's show.

Singer-guitarist J Mascis said he was glad to be back in New York, the place where the band has always felt the most at home. It was crystal clear the audience reciprocated the love for Mascis along with bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph.

The massive three-floor venue was packed with an eclectic crowd of young and old concertgoers, including preppy guys and plaid-clad fellows. Some couples even brought along their kids, also lovers of kick ass rock music, who sat with their legs dangling from beneath the balcony - probably one of the best views of the stage.

Photos: Blonde Redhead & Interpol @ Terminal 5

Blonde Redhead & Interpol @ Terminal 5, May 8th, 2011
Photos: Dana (distortion) Yavin

Blonde Redhead and NYC indie darlings Interpol played a benefit show for Sickday Safety Net, an organization "dedicated to providing New York’s uninsured creative community with access to affordable, acute/urgent medical care - delivered at your home or office." The event, Sickday Fuzzy Sock Hop, was a celebration of the company extending their services past Manhattan and into Brooklyn. The stellar lineup of Blonde Redhead and Interpol was definitely a great way to pack people into Terminal 5 and raise awareness for this service.

Though both bands will be taking a short break from touring, they still have a plethora of shows ahead of them for 2011. Blonde Redhead will remain in the North America throughout the summer while Interpol head to Europe for a number of high profile festival spots including Barcelona's Primavera Festival and Venice's Heineken Music Jammin Festival. Click on those links for each band's respective dates.

Photographer Dana (distortion) Yavin was there to document the night for us and her photos (including Interpol's setlist) are below....