// Category Archive for: Upcoming Events

Doctor Ew Presents Gadzooks At The Imperial Pub!

By Less Lee Moore

From the photo on his MySpace page and the rather suggestive name you might think Doctor Ew is a goofy tribute to Doctor Demento. Nope, try again.
(more…)

MoogFest 2010: If You Build A Synth Fest, They Will Come

By Less Lee Moore

MoogFest 2010 is an extraordinary three-day festival which takes place Halloween weekend (October 29-31) in Asheville, NC. MoogFest will celebrate the innovative spirit of sonic pioneer Robert Moog, who developed the Moog synthesizer in the 1960s.

A Moog (pronounced “mohg”) is actually a series of “modular voltage-controlled analog synthesizer systems,” which has been utilized to create a lot of awesome music by the likes of Perrey & Kingsley, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Hot Butter (of “Popcorn” fame), Giorgio Moroder, Gary Numan, Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and Brian Kehew of The Moog Cookbook, and way more musicians than can be listed in this article.
(more…)

From Coast To Ruby Coast

By Less Lee Moore

Ruby Coast are a five-piece band from Aurora, ON. They’ve been around since 2006, released an EP in 2008 called Projectable Collections, and toured with bands like Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club, and Ra Ra Riot, in addition to Toronto’s own Born Ruffians.

The band wrote and recorded their first full-length album this spring with Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade), and Brian Paulson (Wilco, Dinosaur Jr., Beck). It won’t be out until 2011, but don’t be sad: you can listen to a couple of tracks on their MySpace page now.
(more…)

It’s Raining MEN!

By Less Lee Moore

From MEN‘s press release:

MEN, the Brooklyn-based band fronted by Le Tigre’s JD Samson . . . began in 2007 as the DJ/production/remix team of Le Tigre members JD Samson and Johanna Fateman. When the duo began to write new songs, it made sense to merge with JD’s live band named Hirsute, which she had formed with Michael and Ginger. JD Samson, Michael O’Neill and Ginger Brooks Takahashi now comprise the core of MEN, with Johanna and artist Emily Roysdon contributing as writers, consultants, and producers.

But what do they SOUND like?
(more…)

“And Then It All Went Wrong”—VH1’s Behind The Music

By Emily Carney

Finally, the Rock Gods have heard my prayers, and they are bestowing unto us an episode of VH1’s infamous rockumentary series Behind the Music on. . . the Rock Widow of the Ages herself, Courtney Love.

This show will debut on June 21, and previews have shown it to be, well. . . interesting. At two hours length, I am curious if it will fill the void left from the 2006 Return of Courtney Love documentary from the UK’s Channel 4; will it address her musical output instead of her many tabloid travails over the last decade?
(more…)

Download The New Single From UK Band Peggy Sue: “Watchman”

By J Howell

Here’s something that might appeal to fans of artists like Eleni Mandell or even Tom Waits. Smart, stinging lyrics delivered in harrowing harmonies backed by clanging percussion, Peggy Sue‘s “Watchman” has left me eager to hear more.

This Brighton, UK band—comprised of Katy Young, Rosa Slade, and Olly Joyce—is now on the fine Yep Roc label stateside, and on tour in the US through June. The video for “Watchman” is interesting too, featuring animation by Betsy Dadd. Easily one of the most impressive tracks to cross my path recently, “Watchman” has put Peggy Sue on my short list of bands to keep an eye on. Brilliant.

Watch the video for “Watchmen” here.

Peggy Sue’s album, Fossils And Other Phantoms, comes out June 1 on Yep Roc. Be sure to catch the band on tour.

June 9: Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia, PA
June 10: Piano’s in NYC
June 11: Paradise in Boston, MA
June 12: Le Divan Orange in Montreal
June 13: Sneaky Dees in Toronto
June 14: Schuba’s in Chicago IL
June 20: Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR
June 21: Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco CA
June 22: Spaceland in Los Angeles CA

New Single from Reflection Eternal

By Less Lee Moore

From Sneak Attack Media:

It might not be news to you that Reflection Eternal (rapper Talib Kweli + producer Hi-Tek) are about to release a new album—Revolutions Per Minute—their follow-up to Train of Thought, out in 2000. Revolutions per Minute comes out May 18 via Blacksmith/Warner Bros, and the duo is also on tour through the spring. . . remaining dates are below.

Here’s a track off the album for you, featuring Estelle, called “Midnight Hour.”
(more…)

1991: The Year Punk Broke Screens At Hot Docs

By Less Lee Moore

The title of this film—which documented the 1991 European club festival tour of Sonic Youth, a pre-world-famous Nirvana, and other bands—was intended as an ironic comment on the music industry. Although the film came out in 1992 and it was released on VHS shortly thereafter, it is still not available on DVD. How is this possible?

“It’s not on DVD because the rock & roll industry is full of shit,” quips filmmaker David Markey. “There I said it. Also, I totally blame Lady Gaga and her fans,” he adds sarcastically. In fact, Markey prepared a “deluxe” DVD package in 2004, including bonus live performances by Sonic Youth and Nirvana, audio commentary by Markey and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, and a 2003 panel discussion of the film at the Arclight in Hollywood with Markey, Moore, and others.
(more…)

We Are Going To Eat You, Too

By Less Lee Moore

Click the image for
a larger version.

If you live in the Atlanta, GA area, do not miss “We Are Going To Eat You, Too,” a sequel to the 2009 show at MINT Gallery, which opens on Saturday, April 17. (Hell, even if you don’t live in the Atlanta area, it will be worth the trip.) And unlike many horror movie sequels, this one promises to be just as amazing (if not more so) than the original.

Eric Weber is once again curating this artistic tribute to underground and cult movies. Eric writes for Popshifter, and is also an artist, photographer, and sometimes-draftsman of floor plans for the layout of the Golden Girls house. (For serious.)

Check out the MINT Gallery site for details and read more about Eric’s motivation for putting these shows together in the preview feature about the exhibit on Creative Loafing.

You can also read a great interview with Eric about his art from Popshifter‘s September/October 2009 issue. Don’t forget to check out his other Popshifter articles while you’re at it!

“We Are Going To Eat You, Too” runs from April 17 through April 25 at the MINT Gallery, a non-profit community oriented art gallery located at 684 B John Wesley Dobbs Avenue in Atlanta, GA.

What Are YOU Doing On Record Store Day 2010?

April 17, 2010 marks the third year of Record Store Day (they grow up so fast). According to the event’s website, it was founded as:

“. . . a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally. . . [t]his the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music.”
—Record Store Day.com/About Us

The first official Record Store Day was held at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008, christened by none other than Metallica. It is now celebrated on the third Saturday of every April. This year it will be held on Saturday, April 17.

This year, Sonic Boom in Toronto, ON will be hosting various in-store performances by Sloan, Adam Green, The Meligrove Band, Metz, Buck 65, and Valery Gore, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, but they encourage everyone to bring non-perishable food donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank, which is running low on inventory at this time.

Here are some shout-outs to favorite record stores from Popshifter readers and writers. Next time you’re in that town, be sure to check them out!
—Less Lee Moore

(more…)