FRICTION NYC » music

Band of Horses “Laredo” Video, new album not bad

Nghia — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:55:37 +0000

Check out the premiere of the video “Laredo,” the first official single from Band of Horses’ third album Infinite Arms. I’m not sure what all the blogger backlash is about, their third album isn’t bad compared to Cease To Begin. Sure Ben Bridwell’s vocals come off a little pretentious with the 70′s gold sounding doubled vocals, just a little different than what we’re use to.

Writing about these guys sure brings back memories of seeing them play in the studio.

Ra Ra Riot “Too Dramatic” Preview from The Orchard LP

Nghia — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:33:38 +0000

Cannot wait for the new Ra Ra Riot album The Orchard out August 24th on Barsuk Records.

Ra Ra Riot “Too Dramatic” (Preview) from Barsuk Records on Vimeo.

The beautiful Orchard LP cover below plus multiple tour dates in NYC and Brooklyn.

July
21 Hiroshima, Japan – Hiroshima Club Quattro
23 Yokohama, Japan – Yokohama BLITZ
24 Tokyo, Japan – ZEPP Tokyo
27 Kyoto, Japan – KSB Hall
28 Kyoto, Japan – KSB Hall
August
01 Montreal, QC – Osheaga Festival
04 Columbus, OH – Columbus State Fair w/Devo
28 Toronto, ON – Molson Amphitheater w/ Tegan & Sara and City & Colour
September
05 Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot
09 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom/MFNW
12 North Dorset, UK – End of the Road Festival
18 Geneva, NY – Three Stories Benefit @ Cracker Factory
21 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
22 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
23 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
24 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
27 Northampton, MA – Pearl St.^
28 New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place^
29 Providence, RI – The Met^
October
01 Boston, MA – Royale^
02 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero^
03 Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel^
04 Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig^
05 Chicago, IL – Metro^
07 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre^
08 Omaha, NE – Waiting Room^
11 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre^
12 Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue^
13 Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club^
17 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
19 Pomona, CA – Glass House#
20 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box @ Henry Fonda#
21 San Diego, CA – Belly Up Tavern#
22 Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse#
24 San Antonio, TX – White Rabbits#
26 Austin, TX – Emo’s#
27 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live#
28 Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre#
29 Little Rock, AR – Rev Room#
30 Nashville, TN – Exit/In#
November
01 Birmingham, AL – Workplay Theatre#
02 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade#
03 Asheville, NC – Orange Peel#
04 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle#
05 Washington, DC – 930 Club#
13 Vancouver, BC – The Commodore*
17 Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall*
19 Saskatoon, SK – Louis’ Pub*
20 Winnipeg, MB – The Garric*

^ w/ Chikita Violenta
# w/ Givers
* w/ Wintersleep

O.Children Set To Release S/T

Nghia — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:27:18 +0000

Apologies for the lack of content, with the proliferation of music blogs since we started this site 6 years ago it was hard keeping traction with day jobs. We’ll keep at it.

London’s O.Children might be like nothing you have ever heard or seen before. Their frontman Tobi towers at 6 foot 8, but what stands out most is his booming Adams Family Lurch-esque vocals. O.Children’s heavy sound can be categorized as a post-punkish, psychedelic shoegaze that will make your insides feel like they’re being grinded to pieces inside out. You’ll hear serious nods to the likes of Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy, Joy Division and of course Nick Cave (who wrote the song the band took as their name). I’ve been listening to their demo CD for the past year and wonder how a little clean studio time will effect their sound. I hope not much.

Their self-titled debut full length ‘O.Children’ will be available digitally on July 12th on iTunes and physical copies here.

Preview the full-length album here. Video for O.Children’s Ruins below.

Vince Clarke and the Temple of Synth

Nghia — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:13:21 +0000

Vice’s Motherboard has a cool video of synth pop legend Vince Clarke. His digital and analogue synthesizer studio in the woods of Maine will make you go ‘whoa’. Who knew the founder of Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure ended up in America.

In other news if you are wondering; his musical partner Andy Bell from Erasure will release his second solo album, Non Stop, on May 25 via Mute Records.

FRICTION NYC presents: The Golden Filter, Heartsrevolution, Pink Skull | 1.30.09 @ (Le) Poisson Rouge

justin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:48:17 +0000

We’ve followed the golden fox, held the golden key, and have seen the golden light. The band that’s piqued everyone’s curiosity for the last six months is about to shed their veil of mystery. On January 30th, New York City’s nu-disco outfit, THE GOLDEN FILTER, will make their North American debut at (Le) Poisson Rouge. HEARTSREVOLUTION with their distorted, punchy electro 8-bit and fine purveyors of dirty Philly tech-house bangers, PINK SKULL, round out this modern-day disco rager. FINGER ON THE PULSE DJs drop the jams all night. Presented by FRICTION NYC and (Le) Poisson Rouge. GET HYPE!

Advanced tickets are available at the (Le) Poisson Rouge website. Doors open at 10:00 PM, flyer, mp3′s, and more below.

“New York City’s THE GOLDEN FILTER may have just put out one of the sexiest jams of the summer with ‘Solid Gold’ and no one knows a single thing about them. A revved up, glittery disco-bassline and icy synths anchor your feet to the dancefloor while airy female vocals breeze past on rays of golden light – a combination that’s enough to cool you on the most humid of days.” [FRICTION NYC]
[MP3]: “Solid Gold”

“Beware; those who enter the HEARTSREVOLUTION world may never leave. Ben and Lo’s music takes hold of you with its silvery, digital clutch – cut’n’paste, overlapping beats, dream-like synths and mantra lyrics – and never lets you go.” [NME]
[MP3]: “C.Y.O.A.”

”
PINK SKULL‘s first full-length released earlier this year (Zeppelin 3), plays like a time- and genre-transcending masterpiece like nothing you’ve heard — a mélange of soundscapes ranging from dancefloor killers to experimental funk to psych-rock to ultra-low-key acoustic folk.” [Prefixmag]
[MP3]: “Unicorn Harpoon”

In part with:

FRICTION @ Mercury Lounge w/ Violens + Telepathe + Picture Picture + Zaza | 11.20.08

justin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:50:50 +0000

GET HYPE one last time in 2008! Prior to the mad-rush of the holiday season, FRICTION is back at The Mercury Lounge for one final show in 2008, closing out three full years of shows. This lineup features Violens, Telepathe, Picture Picture, and Zaza, four local acts you’ll be hearing plenty more from in 2009.

Advanced tickets are available on The Mercury Lounge website. Doors open at 7:30pm, flyer, mp3′s, and more below.

“VIOLENS clearly draws from the mid-’80s U.K. indie scene (Aztec Camera, the Pale Fountains, Prefab Sprout) but doesn’t sound derivative of anyone; the group’s evocation of that era’s internationalist style and wit comes wrapped in a cool emotionalism that also characterizes Violens’ onstage vibe. The only issue with their shows is that we can’t get them to play a song more than once.” [Time Out NY]
[MP3]: “Violent Sensation Descends”

“TELEPATHE forge largely improvised guitar gusts, woodsy chirps, wraithlike Bjorkian harmonies, and powerfully jabbed drums into minimalist baroque.” [Village Voice]
[MP3]: “Devil’s Trident”

“PICTURE PICTURE are nestled pretty nicely in the Brooklyn nu-psych scene that’s birthed MGMT, Yeasayer, and Chairlift. ‘Liftoff’ begins with an off-tempo blues sample that’s then doused in squirming moogs, autotuned falsettos and enough jagged editing to make your skull shake. It’s heady, for sure, but it’s also strangely enjoyable, never once seeming complacent or cliché, unless to be ironically so.” [RCRD LBL]
[MP3]: “Jealous Change Of Mind”

“New York-based two-piece, ZAZA, let their echo-laden vocals wash over waves of gothy, post-punk-influenced guitars and muscular percussion for a sound that is, at once, sensual and suspenseful. Erotic thrillers would be well matched with these eerie, enticing songs, which can make crime scenes and sex scenes alike seem more mysterious.” [Rumblefish]
[MP3]: “Sooner Or Later”

In part with:

FRICTION NYC & FLYING V present: Crystal Antlers, Pink Skull, Mythical Beast | 10.26.08 @ The Barbary

justin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:29:31 +0000

Making their Philadelphia debut, Long Beach, CA’s CRYSTAL ANTLERS (Touch & Go) bring their combustible live show to The Barbary on October 26th. With an explosive build-up of noise and melody blended with raw vocals and twisting riffs, this quintet has mastered the art of thrash. Philly’s hypnotic, dance-floor-friendly enthusiasts, PINK SKULL (first-ever all ages show!!!), and Kansas City’s fine purveyors of dark psych, MYTHICAL BEAST round out the bill. Be sure to knock back a couple of extra Bloody Mary’s at brunch and/or an extra six-pack of Kenzinger during the game before heading over to The Barbary for this Sunday evening jawn.

This is an ALL AGES EARLY SHOW!!! with doors opening at 6:00pm. Advanced tickets available here. The Barbary is located at 951 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125 (215 634-7400).

GET HYPE!

“Existing at the cross-section of so many styles, CRYSTAL ANTLERS debut EP (Touch & Go) finds the band at a more important nexus of potential and realization. In person, Crystal Antlers look like outcasts from six different bands, and at various points on this record, they sound like it, too: Merging psych, garage, lo-fi, prog, and countless other influences, the group easily maintains consistency despite a complete inability to be pinned to any specific movement or trend.” [Pitchfork, Best New Music]
[MP3]: “A Thousand Eyes”

“PINK SKULL‘s first full-length released earlier this year (Zeppelin 3), plays like a time- and genre-transcending masterpiece like nothing you’ve heard — a mélange of soundscapes ranging from dancefloor killers to experimental funk to psych-rock to ultra-low-key acoustic folk.” [Prefixmag]
[MP3]: “Unicorn Harpoon”

“Steeped in the darkest recesses of psych’s heart, MYTHICAL BEAST‘s tracks [on their debut album, Scales] smolder with scorched earth and the black taste of doom. But there is light at the edges of Mythical Beast’s universe and though the themes are dark there’s a sad hope that looms present behind the clouds of destruction. The band has pulled itself to the forefront of modern psychedelia, and this album [recorded with Greg Weeks at Language of Stone in Philly] will more than likely serve as a jumping off point for great things to come.” [Raven Sings the Blues]
[MP3]: “Cycle/Circle”

FREE CMJ Afterparty w/ Crystal Antlers, Best Fwends, & Ninjasonik | Tonight! @ Cake Shop

Nghia — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:55:50 +0000

FRICTION NYC and FUCK YEAH FEST bring a little bit of the right coast, left coast, and in between to the Cake Shop for this CMJ Afterparty TONIGHT! Austin, Texas’ BEST FWENDS, along with Long Beach, California’s CRYSTAL ANTLERS, and Brooklyn’s very own NINJASONIK get hype for CMJ. Best Fwends gets shit moving at 1AM. No RSVP bullshit — just show up and GET HYPE! Free PBR while it lasts!

I didn’t even write any of this people, I put in something else earlier. Justin changed my shit up, another case of not being able to delegate and being controllingly anal. -Nghia

“BEST FWENDS’ music is a big attention-deficit-disordered smash-up of punk, early Beastie Boys and unrefined 8-bit sounds. It’s a kindred sound to those of British bands like Gay Against You and Applicants: frantic, but rooted in pop and/or rock. It’s trashy, cheap, headachy noise, but noise that a lot of love has clearly been put into.”
[MP3]: “Orange Marker”

“Existing at the cross-section of so many styles, CRYSTAL ANTLERS debut EP (Touch & Go) finds the band at a more important nexus of potential and realization. In person, Crystal Antlers look like outcasts from six different bands, and at various points on this record, they sound like it, too: Merging psych, garage, lo-fi, prog, and countless other influences, the group easily maintains consistency despite a complete inability to be pinned to any specific movement or trend.” [Pitchfork, Best New Music]
[MP3]: “A Thousand Eyes”

“Looking for a good time? You might want to call NINJASONIK. These Brooklyn art-hop pranksters combine spiky beats with rhymes about grabbing asses and the skinny jeans they wear…Mostly, though, people have been talking about these foul mouthed Ninjas for their debauchery fueled live shows, which has seen plenty of crowd diving and drunken punk rock antics…Whoa! Don’t say we didn’t warn you.” [Brooklyn Radio]
[MP3]: “Tight Pants”

10.19.08 FRICTION: IN PICTURES

justin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:08:42 +0000

10.17.08 FRICTION: IN PICTURES

justin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:07:29 +0000