Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater (05/05/08)

Jonathan Meiburg, frontman for Shearwater, has announced that he is leaving Okkervil River to focus exclusively on Shearwater. Meiburg says the split is “completely amicable”, and that Shearwater has grown to the point that it excludes his further participation in Okkervil. “This is just a logical extension of the way things have been going since ‘Palo Santo’”, Meiburg adds. “Shearwater’s increasingly demanding schedule has meant that I’ve performed with Okkervil less and less over the past two years, and with ‘Rook’ coming out in June, we all felt that it would be best if I completely disengaged from Okkervil rather than stretch myself too thin.” [Press Release]

Announcing Evening Benefit Portion of After the Jump Fest 2008
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
June 21st, 7:30pm featuring:

HEALTH
Titus Andronicus
Pattern is Movement
Project Jenny, Project Jan
DJ XXXchange (Spank Rock)
and more!

Tickets onsale NOW!
Click here for more information about the show.

After the Jump is the joint effort of 20 New York City music bloggers whose sites attract over one million readers a week. Founded last year in support of underfunded city school music programs, *After the Jump* has planned and staged concerts in association with the massive South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas and the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City as well as our own all day and night festival last summer in Brooklyn. This summer, on *June 21st*, After the Jump will be partnering with Make Music NY to throw our second annual festival, taking over the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Galapagos Art Space, and the North 6th Street itself with four stages and over 40 bands.

After the Jump Fest 2008 is brought to you by our awesome sponsors:
Metromix.com
Stereofame.com
Snoozer Loser

AFTER THE JUMP IS ORGANIZED BY:
themusicslut . batteringroom . disconap . earfarm . ryspace . irockiroll . merryswankster . softcommunication . theunderratedblog . sitdownstandup . watercoolergossip . bumpershine . themodernage . productshopnyc . subinev . punkphoto . poptartssucktoasted . stereoactivenyc . jinners

For press opportunities such as interviews with the organizers or bands, please contact *publicity(@)afterthejumpfest.com* For sponsorship and all other requests, contact producer Jennifer Kellas: *jkellas(@)afterthejumpfest.com*.

On Thursday of last week, members of Community Board 6 of the City of New York, voted 6 to 2 in favor of a, “motion that denies Union Hall a renewal [of its liquor license] unless the business’ owners sign a contract stipulating that they will take measures to ameliorate noise, such as stopping the sale of alcohol after midnight. Although the motion is ultimately only advisory, the committee member who introduced it—Lou Sones, who himself owns a bar, The Brazen Head on Atlantic Avenue—described it as the community board’s “nuclear weapon” in terms of being a powerful indication to the State Liquor Authority that Union Hall is disturbing the lives of nearby residents.” [Brownstoner]

As a resident of the neighborhood, and a frequent patron of Union Hall I fervently believe that the board’s decision couldn’t be more wrong headed, short sighted, or reeking with the appearance of conflict of interest. Since its inception, Union Hall has become one of the premier venues for live music not just in Brooklyn, but in all of the five boroughs. In addition to being a great place for music, it’s a much loved community gathering place, it plays host to a top notch comedy night (Tearing the Veil of Maya was voted Best Comedy Night by New York Magazine), and it brings in internationally renown scientists for The Secret Science Club (which has presented talks by three Nobel Laureates). In its short existence, Union Hall has vastly enriched the cultural landscape of the Park Slope and any entity that wants or purports to change it, should be met with a healthy degree of opposition by the community and the public at large. In short, if Union Hall loses its liquor license, it will be a travesty of justice.

To write CB6 and voice your opinion, you can go here.

To call CB6 and voice your opinion, you can use this number 718-643-3027.

To take a look at what Union Hall has done to address the concerns of CB6 up to now, (and their associated lack of response), you can go here.

You can view some video of last Thursday’s meeting after the jump.

“Why Union Hall’s Liquor License Should Be Renewed” continued after the jump

Kidzapalooza
August 1-3, 2008
Grant Park
Chicago, IL

2008 Kidzapalooza Lineup
Perry Farrell
Paul Green School of Rock All Stars
The Jimmies
Peter DiStefano & Tor
G Love
Tiny Masters of Today
The Dream Jam Band
Homemade Jamz
The Q Brothers
The Terrible Two’s
Suzy Brack and the New Jack Lords
John Yost’s Rhythm Revolution
…and many more very special guests!!!

While I enjoyed Ohbijou’s set at Union Hall on Friday night, I have to admit, I wasn’t totally blown away by them. They are a very low key band, perfectly charming and polite, (they are Canadian after all), but not quite yet ready to set on the world on fire I don’t think.

Ohbijou at Union Hall (05/09/08)

Check out the whole flickr set here.

This week Drake fawns over the latest from No Age and takes a closer look at the new EP from his perennial favorites, Animal Collective. -ed.

Drake’s Take: New Releases 05.06.08

This week is all about the latest Sub Pop starlets No Age, as the punk-meets-90’s shoe gaze sonics release what might just be the album of the year (it’s still too early to coronate). Elsewhere this week also sees the latest from Elvis Costello, The Last Shadow Puppets, Matmos, The Morning Benders, Neil Diamond, an EP from Animal Collective, and the return of Old 97’s (in Rhapsody a week early).

Playlist: New Releases 05.06.08

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Album: No Age - Nouns

Merging the styles of Loveless, New Day Rising, and Slanted and Enchanted, No Age’s (proper) debut on Sub Pop is taking the critical world by storm, and with good reason. Even though the LA punk duo is by all estimations still getting it’s bearings, Nouns seems to hit a sweet spot that’s been missing… sloppy DIY punk delivered via My Bloody Valentine guitar swirls, all encased with a tape-loop hiss that all together sounds far more accessible than you’d think it would. Songs like “Teen Creeps,” “Sleeper Hold” and “Brain Burner” create their own genre of punk-shoegaze-noise-rock anthems that sound familiar, like a hazy rememberance of what 1991 sounded (like before Nevermind came and squashed it). To that end, the vocals are buried, putting the sound at arms length, like those hard to reach memories (one of those hard to reach memories is Overwhelming Colorfast… another is early Don Fleming productions).

Of course, any discussion of the band No Age seems to be predicated on the recognition of the setting in which the band was born, namely the community surrounding the all ages venue The Smell. Much like Seattle’s The Vera Project, NYC’s ABC No Rio and Berkley’s 924 Gilman, The Smell is more than just a place to see shows, it’s a resource (and a vegan cafe). It seems it’s the politics and DIY ethics that propel Nouns beyond just a fine debut and push it into the realm of SCENE. Considering it’s only the duo’s debut, I hope their backs can withstand the weight of “NEXT”. It’s interesting, in that regard, that they opted for “Eraser” as the single instead of the obvious “Teen Creeps,” possibly not wanting to follow too closely down that pre-paved ‘Teen’ road.

Free album stream from AOL
Download: “Eraser” [mp3]

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Album: Animal Collective - Water Curses EP

It seems with every Animal Collective album, there’s an EP to follow, collecting odds and ends from the previous albums’ sessions, and containing at least one nugget worth it’s purchase. Water Curses contains perhaps the best ‘nugget’ to date, with the bubbly title track, already one of my favorite AC songs. “Water Curses” takes on a watery sound, floating with dense electro flourishes, a technicolor wonder that probably felt too light to fit in with some of the harsher sounds that inhabited Strawberry Jam. For all the accessibility of the title track, the rest of the EP stretches out in all directions away from that starting point. For an album, it would approach annoying quickly, but in the safe setting of an EP, it makes for a nice ride around AC’s crazy block.

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More on the radar this week:
Elvis Costello - Momofuku
Old 97’s - Blame it on Gravity
The Lost Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement / Free album stream from AOL
Matmos - Supreme Balloon / Free album stream from AOL
The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans / “Crosseyed” [mp3]
Pattern is Movement - All Together
Sasha The EmFire Collection: Mixed, Unmixed & Remixed (Free AOL album stream)
mr. Gnome Deliver This Creature (Free album stream via Fanatic)
Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark / Free album stream from AOL
Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - Miles of Styles
The Republic Tigers - Keep Color / Free album stream from AOL / “Buildings and Mountains” [mp3]
Meho Plaza - Meho Plaza / Free album stream / “I Sold My Organs” [mp3]
Sinkane - Color Voice / “Autobahn” [mp3]
Armin Van Burin - Imagine
Sierra Hull - Secrets
Gentleman Auction House - The Book of Matches / “The Book of Matches” [mp3]
The Brakes - Tale of Two Cities / Free Album stream
Awesome Color - Electric Aborigines / Free album stream from AOL
Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward
Lykke Li - Little Bit / “Dance Dance Dance” [mp3]
Spark is a Diamond - Try This on for Size
Shy Child - Noise Won’t Stop / “Astronaut” [mp3]
Wildbirds & Peacedrums- Roll With You
Scott Kelly - The Wake / “The Ladder in my Blood” [mp3]
Everest - Ghost Notes
Hammock - Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
The Birthday Massacre - Looking Glass
Russian Circles - Station / Free album stream from AOL
Barenaked Ladies - Snack Time / Free album stream from AOL

Zune users can now download their friends’ nine most recently played songs, as well as nine tunes flagged as favorites. If you are amongst the 4% of Americans that own Zunes, this is awesome news!

The upgrade takes the community element a bit further by letting Zune users download each other’s nine most recently played songs, as well as nine tunes flagged as favorites. The playlists are updated each time a person connects their Zune to the PC.

In order for people to trade tunes, they have to subscribe to Microsoft’s mobile music service called Zune Pass. The service costs $14.99 a month and lets subscribers download onto their Zunes any of the 3.5 million songs in Microsoft’s library.
…
In other Zune news, Microsoft on Tuesday added television shows from Comedy Central, NBC Universal, Turner Broadcasting, and others to the Zune online store. Microsoft added a total of 800 episodes, including those from the popular South Park and Heroes programs. Each show costs $1.99 each. [Information Week]

Related Story: And should you ever find another Zune owner, sharing is now even easier

More details emerge about the not so friendly dispute between Craigslist and its minority shareholder eBay.

In a lawsuit filed under seal in Delaware Chancery Court last week, eBay alleged that Craigslist held “clandestine” directors’ meetings in recent months to dilute eBay’s 28.4 percent stake to 24.85, or less than a quarter of the company.

A redacted version of the suit was released on Wednesday.

“We are no longer comfortable having eBay as a shareholder and wish to explore options for our repurchase, or for otherwise finding a new home for these shares,” Craigslist Chief Executive Jim Buckmaster was quoted in the court papers as telling eBay’s then-CEO Meg Whitman last summer.

Meg Whitman, then eBay’s chief executive, responded via e-mail last July with an offer to buy out Craigslist. “We would welcome the opportunity to acquire the remainder of [the company] we do not already own whenever you … feel it would be appropriate,” she wrote to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster.
…
Reached by telephone late on Wednesday, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark said he would not be interested in a sale, even for billions of dollars. “Well, we have been saying consistently we are not interested in selling,” he said. [Reuters/InternetNews.com]

 

As the new female British Invasion continues, Adele has just added a second night at the Highline Ballroom on June 10 and tickets are apparently still available for Duffy’s show on Monday, May 12 at the Apollo.

Buy Duffy Tickets
Buy Adele Tickets (June 10) | Buy Adele Tickets (June 11)

Foals at Union Hall (05/08/08)

Despite much hand wringing I decided at the last minute not to attend this show, lucky for me, (and people reading this), Abbey Braden of PunkPhoto.com was there to capture all the action.

Top and Bottom Photos: Abbey Braden

Check out the full Punk Photo flickr set over here.

How John Mayer Makes Music (FunnyorDie.com)

Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver, just announced a bunch of new US tour dates including two in NYC on July 29 (Bowery) and July 30 (MHOW). Bon Iver is currently in the midst of a European tour and all of his US shows (except for the festival dates) will be with either Bowerbirds or AA Bondy. Tickets for the NYC shows go on sale 5/13 at noon.

All Bon Iver US tour dates after the jump.

“Bon Iver Tour Dates (Bowery, MHOW)” continued after the jump

Ohbijou

Toronto’s Ohbijou, (who I’ve been meaning to mention here for a long time), played their first US gig last night (05/08) at the Knitting Factory and they will be playing their first Brooklyn gig tonight at Union Hall. Here’s what NOW Magazine had to say about them recently:

Started as the solo project of singer/songwriter Casey Mecija, Ohbijou can be traced back to Casey’s bedroom where she began timidly showing her songs to little sister Jennifer Mecija. After a few solo shows, Casey was joined by Jennifer on backup vocals, organ and violin. Upon moving to Toronto, the Mecija sisters enlisted the help of Heather Kirby (bass/banjo), Ryan Carley (piano/keyboards), James Bunton (drums/trumpet), Anissa Hart (cello) and Andrew Kinoshita (mandolin/guitar) to complete their delicate ensemble. Since its inception, Ohbijou has become the mouth from which Casey relays her whimsical stories of romance, heartbreak, and living in the big city. [NOW Magazine]

Ohbijou are good friends with The Acorn, who talked them up at their UH show last week. They are also good friends with The Forest City Lovers who are another great Toronto band that I’ve also been meaning to mention here for a long time.

You can listen to a CBC Radio 3 Session with Ohbijou over here.
You can listen to a CBC Radio 3 Session with the Forest City Lovers over here.

Ladyhawk

Photo: Braden Barclay

Vancouver’s Ladyhawk have an awesome new album out now called Shots and they are currently in the midst of a big tour to support it. Ladyhawk rolls into town tonight (05/09) with a show at the Mercury Lounge, then they’ll be over at Union Hall on Saturday to complete back to back nights of Canadian headliners.

You can hear Ladyhawk talk about and play songs off of their new record on CBC Radio 3 Podcast #150.
DOWNLOAD: Ladyhawk - I Don’t Always Know What You’re Saying (mp3)

All Ladyhawk tour dates after the jump.

“Canada In NYC | Ohbijou and Ladyhawk” continued after the jump

BAM Presents: The Cinematogrpahy of Ed Lachman

True Stories (1986) 90min
Sun, May 11 at 3, 8:15pm*
*Q&A with David Byrne and Ed Lachman
Directed by David Byrne
With David Byrne, John Goodman, Spalding Gray
Talking Heads’ David Byrne travels to a make-believe town and meets the bizarre inhabitants. Based on stories from the tabloid Weekly World News, the film features brilliant musical interludes and Lachman’s images create an otherwordly universe. “…an unprecedented crossbreed: a rock film with a brain, an ‘art’ movie with belly laughs, a state of the nation address without boredom.”—Time Out London
Buy Tickets

See the whole schedule for the series here.

Neil Diamond at The Bitter End (05/07/08)

Neil Diamond greeted the long line of fans stationed outside The Bitter End on Bleeker Street, saying hello and posing for pictures. Once inside the club, Diamond, backed by a small band consisting of members from both his studio and touring musicians, gave an energized acoustic performance of “Solitary Man”, “Don’t Go There”, “Home Before Dark”, “Pretty Amazing Grace”, “Kentucky Woman”, “Cherry, Cherry” and “Sweet Caroline”. The club placed speakers in the windows during the performance allowing the hundreds of fans who couldn’t get into the club to sing-along on the street and sidewalk and participate in this once in a lifetime event.

As mentioned previously, Neil Diamond is playing MSG, a third show was just added.

A few more shots after the jump.

“Neil Diamond Played The Bitter End” continued after the jump