Jonathan Richman @ Knitting Factory 2/1, 2/2 2/3, & 2/4

Since the eponymous Modern Lovers' album dropped way back in 1976, Jonathan Richman has been a prominent figure in underground rock music. That first album, culled from demos recorded by the Velvet Underground's John Cale, led directly to what would become American punk rock & new wave. Regardless of his backing band, Richman has been putting out solid gold ever since. His influence extended well into the 1990s, paving the way for indie rock groups like the Replacements, Pixies, and Pavement.

This former Modern Lover is kicking off his 2007 North American tour with four successive nights on the Knitting Factory's main stage.

RIYL: Talking Heads , Television, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop

Get tickets here, here, here, and here. They're $20 apiece.

DEERHOOF w/ Busdriver + Proton Proton @ Irving Plaza – Friday 1/ 26/07

Half cute, half insane, Deerhoof have carved their way into the independent music consciousness in recent years with the help of several terrific albums courtesy of Kill Rock Stars. Although their lineup has changed several times since their inception in the early 90’s, their mission and sound have stayed relatively constant. Deerhoof manages to toe a fine line between charming indie rock and noisy, no wave inspired punk. Their unique approach to music has garnered opportunities to share the stage with the likes of the Flaming Lips and the Fiery Furnaces. Offbeat rapper Busdriver will be opening this Friday.

RIYL: Black Dice, Cibo Matto, The Microphones

The Bad Plus @ The Village Vanguard, 1/23 - 1/28

Nearly four years ago, three Midwesterners—a pianist, a drummer and a bassist—rocked The Village Vanguard with a set that resulted in a recording contract with Columbia. Their debut, These Are The Vistas, appeared shortly thereafter. With re-arrangements of classic hits including Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” The Bad Plus are known to leave the scent of rock, while their rhythms are consistent with the flavor of post-bop.

Their show at the Blue Note several months ago had the audience captivated: you just simply didn’t know which guy to watch since Iverson, King and Anderson were all getting far too ill. Whether it be their colorful display of call and response, improvisation or the surprise in hearing a familiar bassline from an 80’s pop song, it’s clear that they thrive in a live setting. Now, having produced two more albums since their debut and having gone on worldwide tours, The Bad Plus is bound to deliver on this six-day homecoming stand.

Alarm Will Sound performs Edgard Varèse @ Miller Theatre 1/20

This Saturday, Columbia University's Miller Theatre presents a retrospective of experimental composer Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) as part of their ongoing "Composer Portraits" series. Alarm Will Sound, perhaps most famous for their 2005 album of Aphex Twin covers, will take on Varèse's work. This ensemble will perform 10 Varèse pieces, including his famous tape experiment Poème électronique (how they will perform this live, I am not certain):

Ionisation, Intérgrales, Offrandes, Octandre, Un grand sommeil noir, Dance for Burgess, Hyperprism, Poème électronique, Density 21.5, Déserts



Tickets are $25 for general public, $7 for Columbia Students

The Juan Maclean & Professor Murder @ Hiro Ballroom 1/18

The Juan Maclean AKA John Maclean: former Six Finger Satellite guitarist reinvents himself as an electronica all-star; the DFA's secret techno weapon. He's going without his backing band on this one, performing a DJ set Thursday night at the Maritime Hotel's Hiro Ballroom.

RIYL: LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, Kraftwerk, DFA

Up-and-coming fellow indie-electronicsters Professor Murder are playing as well. Their debut EP Professor Murder Rides the Subway came out this past year, and they're looking to show their live chops.

RIYL: Mixel Pixel, The Rapture, Le Tigre

The show is a steep $20, but evidently one can get in for free via this.

O'Death @ Sin-e 1/13

Brooklyn's genre straddlin' laddies O'Death seem to be playing about a bazillion shows in NYC these days. Their next appearance is this Saturday at Sin-e, with Mahogany, Daylight's For The Birds, and Relay, as part of the club's Friction series, a "monthly showcase of bands that are on the forefront of New York City's local independent music scene organized and sponsored by CrackersUnited.com."

O'Death fuses twangy country/bluegrass music (they've got banjos, fiddles, and the like) with a more agressive 'punk rock' feel. There's a hint of vintage college rock in there too (Tom Waits seems to be a clear influence- plus last time I saw O'Death, they did a bunch of Pixies covers). If you're looking for a full-fledged hootenanny this Saturday, go check them out.

buy tickets

DJ STEVE SHELLEY @ Googie’s – Thursday 1/11

The Lower East Side’s hotspot The Living Room has a newly renovated upstairs stage where faithful scenesters can see the occasional live show in a very intimate setting. This Thursday, you will be able to catch Sonic Youth’s very own Steve Shelley on the decks. When not drumming for the seminal New York noise pioneers, Steve has been known to DJ at various clubs in and around Manhattan, but don’t expect and insane scratching, as he has a much more laid back approach to the turntables. He has made a career out of adding ambiance for people in the know and Thursday should be no different. You should be able to expect some good tunes such as Suicide and Kraftwerk.


RIYL: Sonic Youth

Black Dice & Excepter @ Bowery Ballroom 1/6

I've seen both of these acts in the last 2 months. I've even written about both acts on this very website. Here is what I had to say:

"Black Dice, in case you don't know, are something of an anomaly. The only experimental act on an otherwise disco label (DFA records), the band makes use of all sorts of electronics to create the otherwordly tones their soundscapes are made up of. Use caution, though, casual music listener- a Black Dice show can prove to be overwhelming (and possibly pretentious?) to the unready ear."

"NYC's own Excepter kick out some of the most interesting electronic music of the 00's. This group seamlessly fuses experimental and house music, with results that can fall anywhere between psychedelic krautrock, abrasive noise squeals, and squiggly techno.
What should you expect from Excepter? Warbly synth tones, driving drum box beats, incoherent ramblings, the unexpected."

RIYL: carefully organized confusion

Prepare to be captivated/have your mind blown.

buy tickets here.

The Fiery Furnaces @ Northsix 1/5

NYC-by-way-of-Illinois-based brother/sister indie rock outfit The Fiery Furnaces are playing in Brooklyn this Friday night, and are not to be missed. Matthew and Eleanor have certainly kept busy these past few years, releasing 4 albums (5 if you count Matt's solo record) & an EP since their 1st one dropped in 2003. These siblings have a wonderful ear for music, adopting everything from pop, indie rock, electronica, and even showtunes into their idiom - creating somewhat disjointed yet cohesive mega-albums.

However, let it be known that the group makes no effort to have their live songs resemble their recorded counterparts (i.e.: playing all the keyboard parts on guitars, having Eleanor sing Matthew's vocal parts, cutting sections out of songs, playing songs at different speeds, etc.). This, by the way, is not a bad thing. Go and see for yourself.

tix

PARLOR MOB EP DUE OUT IN 2007

Thanks to everyone who came out on New Year's Eve, we all had a blast. And if you were there, you know The Parlor Mob absolutely killed it. Stay tuned to myspace.com/theparlormob for more info on the Parlor Mob's upcoming EP release, and remember to keep it here at NYCUG.com for the best underground music the city has to offer.