The E-Xecutioners - The Knitting Factory - 09/05

The New York based, DJ group extraordinaire known as The X-Ecutioners are heading downtown for a night of scratch mayhem. It's a rare occasion to witness multiple turntablists working together on one stage. Since the disbanding of The Invisibl Skratch Picklz in 2000, there have been hardly any followers nothwithstanding the X who've excelled and gained comparable recognition as a turntablist band. Consisting of Rob Swift, Roc Raida, DJ Eclipse and Mista Sinista, the X-Ecutioners tend to dismiss melody in favor of a kind of rhythm that could be considered experimental or avant-garde. The idea that not one, but four DJs can scratch a word, such as "Fresh" and break down its sound and pitch into a sequence of reverberating fragments is something worth seeing.

NEGATIVLAND @ Highland Ballroom – 8/2

Half comical and half experimental, Negativland creates a unique world of samples pulled from all over the place, mushed and smashed together, ultimately ending in something as rare as it is undeniably interesting. This band has actually been around for nearly thirty years and only now is the rest of the industry catching up to their ingenuity by way of tape music landscapes and other such experimental forms of music. Much easier to listen to than Japanese counterparts such as Merzbow or more recently the Boredoms, some of Negativland’s sound collages is reminiscent of John Cage, John Zorn, or even Captain Beefheart. This is a show that is certainly worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre and are interested to see where many contemporary artists got their inspiration.


RIYL: Ween, Neu!, Dead Kennedys, Frank Zappa, Lightning Bolt, Pere Ubu

No-Neck Blues Band @ Greene Naftali Gallery 7/24

The mysterious improv/experimental collective No-Neck Blues Band (or NNCK, for those in the know) are coming out of hiding for a (free?) public performance at an art gallery in Chelsea on Tuesday.

Thurston Moore (helmsman of the greatest band ever in the history of the universe, Sonic Youth) claims they're "the greatest band ever in the history of the universe," an indication that they might be worth checking out. Beware though, NNCK appeals to the furthest stretches of musical possiblity - far out/out there.

RIYL: Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice, Acid Mothers Temple, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Excepter

Greene Naftali Gallery: 508 w 26th St, 8th Floor, 8pm

"The Black Pope"

Excepter @ Monkeytown 7/14

After several months of non-activity, the Brooklyn avant-electro fetishists known as Excepter emerge from hibernation this Saturday for a pair of live sets at Williamsburg's Monkeytown (8pm & 10:30pm). Now operating as a sextet, Excepter are ready to inspire awe with their unique take on psychedelic experimentation.


RIYL: Black Dice, Gang Gang Dance, NNCK, Animal Collective
Entry is $5, reservations recommended.

The "Rock" Stepper:

TORTOISE @ Webster Hall – 7/8/07

Genre-defying Tortoise has been wowing both critics and concert goers for nearly twenty years now with their unique vision of avant-garde music. It would be easy to say that these Chicagoans are solely an indie-rock jazz band, but that would really only scratch the surface of their true nature. A now six-man live act, combine a huge amount of influences from punk to jazz to European experimental electronica to heavy dub reggae and a whole lot more to boot. Their live songs themselves can run anywhere from a 2 minute Ramones-style aural blitz to a 25 jazz-jam that would embarrass any jamband not up to snuff. So if you are planning on catching them this weekend plan on expecting the unexpected.

RIYL: Can, Stereolab, Mogwai, Sea and Cake, Glenn Branca, Jim O’Rourke

Boredoms (77 Boadrum) @ Brooklyn Bridge Park 7/7

Osaka, Japan's avant-psych-rock gurus Boredoms have some pretty ambitious plans for this Saturday afternoon: a performance with 74 drummers in addition to their usual three (that's 77 in all, for the arithmetically-challenged). 77 drum kits sounding off on 7/7/07 -- a spectacle not to be missed. Among the guest drummers are Andrew W.K., and members of Gang Gang Dance, Excepter, NNCK, Prefuse 73, Lightning Bolt, and more. That's a pretty star-studded cast.

It's a free show, but guests are asked to RSVP in advance. Things kick off at 4pm.

Keith Fullerton Whitman & Ikue Mori @ Issue Project Room 6/15

It will be an evening of high-art electronics Friday at Brooklyn's Issue Project Room. 8:00 pm, $10.

Synthesizer whiz Keith Fullerton Whitman (AKA Hrvåtski) has been extraordinarily eclectic in his output in the last few years, issuing work ranging from techno-influenced dance music to experimental minimalism. He is in the midst of composing his first "through-composed long-form work...for Egyptian Oud, Serge and Doepfer Analog Modular Synthesizers, and computer control/processing." Hopefully he'll preview some of it Friday.

Ikue Mori began her musical career acting as drummer for late-1970s NY No-Wave trio DNA, where she developed her unique asymmetrical skin-beating style. She has since shaped herself into a composer, and has performed with many NY-based avant-gardists (including John Zorn, Kim Gordon, & Bill Frisell) over the past 30 years. Having largely abandoned live drumming in lieu of an array of programmed drum machines & samplers, Mori remains on the cutting edge of electronic & experimental musics.

Ikue Mori w/ Lotte Anker & Sylvie Courvoisier:

Melt Banana @ Knitting Factory 6/10

Melt Banana is sort of a misnomer. This Japanese noise-troupe is really in the business of melting faces, not potassium-rich fruits. Equally as tasty, they'll be at Knitting Factory Sunday evening in support of their latest, Bambi's Dilemma. Bring earplugs.

RIYL: Lightning Bolt, Boredoms, John Zorn, Merzbow

Gang Gang Dance @ Monkeytown 5/18

Our friends in NYC's own Gang Gang Dance are releasing Retina Riddim (their very first DVD) next Tuesday. In celebration, they're having a screening and afterparty Friday evening at Williamsburg's (recently mentioned in the NY Times) Monkeytown.

According to Monkeytown's website, the extravaganza is broken down into two parts:
7:30pm, Supper Seating; $5, $10 Minimum (limited capacity: 36)
10pm, Screening, DJ set, Live Music; $5 (open capacity: 180)

RIYL: Black Dice, Boredoms, Excepter, Animal Collective

A clip from Retina Riddim:

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. 4/26 & 4/27

Japanese experimental-psychedelic-unearthly-surf-rock occultists Acid Mothers Temple (in their "Melting Paraiso Underground Freak Out" incarnation) launched their North American "Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Tour" last week, and are hitting NYC this Thursday (@ Knitting Factory) and Friday (@ Southpaw). They're like the aural equivalent of the "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

RIYL: Boredoms, Melt Banana, Amon Duul, John Zorn, Guitar Wolf

Soft Circle @ Monkey Town 4/21

Accomplished visual artist Hisham Bharoocha, from 1998 to 2003, was the driving force (drummer) behind NYC noise/electro weirdos Black Dice. Prior to that, he was involved with this little RISD band known as Lightning Bolt. But when his former BD bandmates went off to pursue more electronic efforts as recent DFA signees, Bharoocha took his creative energies to a different (more psychedelic) place. In 2007, he released the album Full Bloom, the first of his solo performing moniker, Soft Circle.

He's playing at Monkey Town (58 N 3rd St, Brooklyn) on Saturday with fellow experimentors of sound David Daniell, Lichens, and Corridors. 9pm, $10.

Here he is playing percussion for a Doug Aitken piece at MoMA:

Black Dice @ Studio B 4/4

Experimental mzk concert guru Todd P is throwing an event this Wednesday at Brooklyn's Studio B featuring DFA darlings Black Dice.

I posted this on NYCUG back in November:
"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."

One-man-shred-factory Mick Barr (AKA Ocrilim) is opening, as well as No Age.

Black Dice on Peruvian TV:

NO FUN FEST @ Tonic – 3/22

Tonic will be hosting a plethora of underground bands this week in their No Fun Festival series. Most notably, this Thursday will feature the likes of the legendary jack-of-all-trades Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth as well as underground artists such as Keith Fullerton Whitman, Prurient, and Burning Star Core among several others. You can expect to hear some tape music, experimental, avant-garde, and other noise sub-genres from this marathon. If you are an avid fan of these artists or are looking for a great introduction to the underground, you can’t miss.

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

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.

Psychic Ills & Indian Jewelry @ Knitting Factory 12/16

Psychic Ills and Indian Jewelry are closing their joint U.S. tour this Saturday at the Knitting Factory. It is a night of kicked-out jamz not to be missed.

The Social Registry's latest it-band, NYC's own Psychic Ills, create a seamless blend of psychedelia, drone, and shoegaze; imagine an even-spacier Spacemen 3. Their live show is a captivating and somewhat overwhelming spectacle (expect a full-on wall-of-sound assault). Check out some of their tunes on the band's myspace.

Indian Jewelry come from a similar school of thought as their touring buddies: they too encorporate electronics and psychedelia amidst their (carefully-planned) chaos & confusion. Have a listen here.


Psychic Ill's fellow Social Reg. labelmates Telepathe are opening.

tix

THE EX w/ Aloha @ Knitting Factory – 12/13

Post-punk granddaddies The Ex reprieve their angst-ridden songwriting from the early 80’s to a new generation of the disenfranchised, all of which is on display this week at the Knitting Factory. Formed in Holland over two decades ago, The Ex was a forerunner in the experimental noise genre coupled with the political and social commentary mostly associated with punk music. They were never really overly commercially successful and some claim their pitfall may have been their ingenuity, as due to their guidance, the post-punk genre started to lead to other genres such as industrial music in the late 80’s. No one can argue their influence, however, which has led them to work with such music industry giants as the late John Peel and Steve Albini. Jazzy experimentalists Aloha will join them this Wednesday.

RIYL: Crass, Sonic Youth, Wire, Einsturzende Neubauten

MY MORNING JACKET w/ The Slip @ Roseland – Thursday 11/30

For those of you unaware of the phenomenon known as My Morning Jacket, read on. Formed in Louisville, KY, the five-piece headed by frontman Jim James concocts a uniquely haunting and dreamy blend of americana harmonies rooted in the classic country and western style. Their sound, however, is embellished by the liberal use of reverb and distortion on guitars and vocals resulting in an often watery and spacey feeling for the listener. With four excellent albums and counting to their credit, MMJ is currently touring behind the latest release of a live album/DVD entitled Okonokos. Not to be missed is one of Jim James’ favorite underground bands, The Slip, warming the crowd for MMJ.


RIYL: Mercury Rev, Neil Young, Galaxie 500, Flaming Lips, Black-Eyed Snakes

Avey Tare & Kria Brekken @ Tonic 11/26

Tomorrow night @ 8pm @ Tonic, Animal Collective's Avey Tare is teaming up with múm's Kria Brekken (aka Kristin Anna Valtysdóttir) for a night of acoustic goodness. This is not the first time these two have crossed paths- Kria plays keys on Animal Collective's 2005 masterpiece Feels. For those fans who enjoy AC's quieter moments, be sure not to miss this.

Some live mp3s from an April Avey/Kria show can be found here.

Beach House and Over the Atlantic are opening.

tix

Black Dice @ Uncle Paulie's 11/18

Unfortunately, Brooklyn noisemakers Black Dice recently had to cancel their upcoming tour of Scandanavia, disappointing their decibel-loving Euro fans. This, however, works out for the NYC fan, as Black Dice have decided to play a hometown show in its place.

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.

Telepathe is opening.

The show is $8, 8pm @ Uncle Paulie's - 460 Monitor Street, Brooklyn NY 11201