tUnE-yArDs - "Gangsta"

New video for the sensational tUnE-yArDs track "Gangsta" off the exuberant w h o k i l l.

Fleet Foxes played the Williamsburg Waterfront

After witnessing the best way to see the Walkmen (gorgeous orange-lit skies over Manhattan and golden glows back-lighting the band), according to Robin Pecknold, Fleet Foxes gathered on stage to begin a triumphant set that covered nearly every song in the band's catalog. The evening kicked off with "The Plans / Bitter Dancer" before a well received "Mykonos" in which the band displayed their epic vocal powers and supreme melodies. The band left nothing behind as they churned out fantastic displays from both their notable self-titled debut and the likely to be album of the year, Helplessness Blues. With true grace, the band delivered majestic vocals and autumnal lighting added extra warmth to their beautiful tunes. The marching rhythm of "Battery Kinzie" and mesmerizing vocals of the 1-2 punch "White Winter Hymnal" -> "Ragged Wood" segue delighted the crowed allowing for massive vocal response that was no match for the elegance of Fleet Foxes. Witty banter rose between songs, J. Tillman really likes brunch it turns out, and showed a less serious side of the band which transitioned to serious concentration for each flawless song of the evening. The band ended the main set in the same fashion of their brilliant sophomore display, stunning vocals ended the evening in the true spirit of the band. While many contemporary bands are trying to make vocal harmonies in spirit of the Beach Boys, this band has invented a whole new approach making them classics in their own write. Robin graced the stage for a solo track to kick off the encore before finishing the evening with a rousing rendition of "Helplessness Blues". The band was in stunning form last evening bringing summer to an end and ushering in autumn in the most appropriate way.

Set List:
1. The Plans / Bitter Dancer
2. Mykonos
3. English House
4. Battery Kinzie
5. Bedouin Dress
6. Sim Sala Bim
7. Your Protector
8. White Winter Hymnal
9. Ragged Wood
10. Montezuma
11. Lorelai
12. He Doesn't Know Why
13. The Shrine / An Argument
14. Blue Spotted Tail
15. Grown Ocean
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16. I Let You
17. Sun Also Rises
18. Blue Ridge Mountains
19. Helplessness Blues

Big Troubles played Glasslands

Big Troubles - Sad Girls from Slumberland Records on Vimeo.


Big Troubles came out swinging tonight, laying down jam after jam in support of their sophomore effort, Romantic Comedy, which is out next week via Sumberland. The band's progression on the newest record came through in full force during the performance, highlighting not only the cleaner production value, but also the maturity of the songwriting which seems to have risen to tremendous new heights. All, notably, without compromising the band's unique sound. The Brooklyn-via-New Jersey quintet delighted the hometown crowd consisting of members of Real Estate, Woods, and soon to be tourmates the Pains of Being Pure at Heart as they combined lo-fi/shoegaze jams and upbeat pop tempos recalling 80s and 90s dream-pop anthems. New tracks "Misery" and "Sad Girls" were epic crowd pleasers and definite highlights of the show as both tracks showcased the band's talent of combing 60s pop bliss and fuzzy rock hooks and should not surprise anyone if they ended up on many year-end lists.

Widowspeak played Knitting Factory

Roughly a month and a half after releasing their self-titled debut album, Dream-Pop trio Widowspeak finished up their run with Vivian Girls last night with a hometown show in Brooklyn. Molly Hamilton delivered sultry vocals, which have gained plenty of Mazzy Star comparisons, that shone through dueling guitar work and displayed nods to both Phil Spector inspired pop reincarnations, much like Tennis, and the oozing and graceful guitar strokes of Beach House. Up tempo numbers such their debut single as "Gun Shy" got the audience to move and a mid set cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" got plenty cheers. The band continued to thank their friends for the support and remarked on how excited they were to be back in home. The group's simplistic approach to their particular style of celestial pop still left plenty of room for letting loose on stage and the band was able to give everything an extra push, highlighting anything that could have been lost on the record.

Atlas Sound - "Te Amo"

New track "Te Amo" from Atlas Sound's forthcoming album Parallax (cover art above) out November 8th.

Atlas Sound - Te Amo by Pretty Much Amazing

TV on the Radio | Broken Social Scene played the Williamsburg Waterfront

It is not every day that Broken Social Scene kicks off an evening. The indie rock veterans are worthy headliners, but they took the opening slot tonight in Williamsburg to "warm things up and fight off the rain." The band was in full force as five men stood at the edge of the stage, guitars blazing, as they kicked off an extended "Cause = Time" which was just one of many well received jams. Classic tunes were carried out with extra ambition as it would be the last time Broken Social Scene would play New York for quite some time. Instruments were passed back and forth between each track and horns blasted for "7/4 (Shoreline)" but it was the cover of Modest Mouse's "World at Large" that really got things exciting. Prime cuts "Fire Eye'd Boy" "Shampoo Suicide"and newby "Texico Bitches" were pieced together through smooth transitions and closer "KC Accidental" assured Kevin Drew that the band would not be forgotten.

A hometown welcome ushered in the men of TV on the Radio and they responded with a career defining set of songs. "Halfway Home" heated things up reinforcing the excellence of Dear Science, and the hits kept coming as newer numbers "Caffeinated Consciousness" and "Will Do" were dispersed among long time favorites "The Wrong Way" "Province" and "Blues from Down Here". Tunde dedicated an empowering performance of "Young Liars" to the late Gerald Anthony Smith, taking the already brilliant song to new heights. The sky was of slate and the white sparkles of the Manhattan skyline provided a serene setting for the long time Brooklynites. The band ripped through "Repetition" and launched into a howling rendition of the band's epic "Wolf Like Me". Many thanks were said to Brooklyn and the neighborhood for the years of support and a stunning execution of "Satellite" brought the night to a close.

OMG!NYC - 5 Years Later

Celebrating the first 5 years of OMG!NYC, I take a look back at the things that shaped the way I listen to music and how my taste and interests have changed over the past five years.

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When I began writing this blog five years ago, the goal was to update people on life in New York and the primary focus was going to be on concerts I attended. Over the course of time, the focus has shifted from general events mostly surrounding music to a full functioning music journal. I'll begin this retrospective with a list of five shows I saw here in New York that had a profound impact on me. All of these performances were truly unique to New York and my time spent here over the past five years.

01. Arcade Fire | Judson Memorial Church | February 14, 2007

A little less than a month before Arcade Fire released their highly anticipated sophomore release Neon Bible, the Canadian baroque-pop outfit set out on a week long stand of shows at the intimate Judson Memorial Church on the southern tip of Washington Square Park. For five consecutive nights, the rising stars powered through hits from their already classic debut Funeral and previewed material from their forth-coming record. Since then, I've caught the band twice and at much larger settings (Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden) and while the band has been just as impressive at all locations, no performance will ever be as special and as cherished as this one. Only feet from the stage, it was the opportunity of a life time to see these now titans perform in a space of which others could only dream.

02. My Bloody Valentine | Roseland Ballroom | September 22, 2008

The shoegaze juggernauts returned to the U.S. for their first non-festival performance in nearly fifteen years and I still have no words. The sheer volume unleashed by the quintet was legendary when they split in the nineties and the memories held up. For over an hour the noise pioneers shredded through cuts from their classic debut Isn't Anything and their groundbreaking masterpiece Loveless. Without hesitating, the band's opening chords ripped through the suggested ear plugs and the intensity never let up eventually culminating in the now monumental live rendition of "You Made Me Realise" which to this day leaves me wondering if my ears will ever be the same again.

03. Fever Ray | Webster Hall | September 28, 2009

I cannot remember another show that went off as flawlessly as when I saw Fever Ray. Making her solo U.S. debut, I had some doubts about the show merely due to the fact that it would occur in my least favorite venue in the entire city. However, when I have that thought now I am simply embarrassed. Fever Ray arrived amongst a haze of fog and donning an elaborate headdress that would make Bjork jealous. Her incredible voice melted the crowed and showed a true stage presence to which I have never seen matched. Her power on stage was unlike anything I have ever experienced and her ability to wield attention proved that even as a solo artist, her performances will leave people begging for a chance to see her live for years to come.

04. Phoenix (feat. Daft Punk) | Madison Square Garden | October 20, 2010

I do not know if there is anything left to be said about this show. After a near perfect set which set Phoenix atop the highest pedestal, it seemed as if the Frenchmen could not get any bigger here in the U.S. And then they invited Daft Punk to join them for an encore. Part of me still cannot believe they pulled off the surprise; suddenly the arena went dark... and then Daft Punk rose from the beyond. Part of me still cannot believe that I was actually there to see it happen in all of the glory. This was a truly special moment that in and of itself could be the sole post devoted to the past five years of this blog. It was as special of a moment as there could have been for me personally and I'm not sure if anything will ever be able to top it.

05. LCD Soundsystem | Terminal 5 | March 31, 2011

At the beginning of 2011, James Murphy threw in the towel for his short-lived but utterly fantastic band. For the final outing, his bandmates joined him for four consecutive nights of over the top (and over three hours!) renditions of practically every song one could hope the band to play. The final event was a spectacle at Madison Square Garden, but I caught his last 'smaller' performance at Terminal 5. The set was broken down into three sets (encore not included) which included everything from b-sides, 45:33 in it's entirety, and almost every other amazing LCD song. It was an emotional night as many of us would never hear these songs played live again (some had tickets to the final MSG performance) but in more ways it was a ceremony celebrating an amazing catalog of songs played with more heart than ever before.

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The following songs left big impressions on me when they first came out for one reason or another and I still enjoy it when they come on the playlist. None of them were my favorite songs the year they were released and I believe all of them still fall just short, but they each still resonate with the same freshness as the first time they blasted through my speakers.

01. The Rapture | "Whoo! Alright, Yeah... Uh Huh"

I saw the Rapture perform a free show at the Apple Store in SoHo during my first month in New York. At the show, I was invited to be in the band's video for their new single "Whoo! Alright, Yeah... Uh Huh". For obvious reasons, I will always think fondly of this song and play at whatever party I can. Five years later, it still gets people on the dance floor and it still makes me think that New York is full of awesome surprises and the chance to be in a music video is right around the corner.

02. Crystal Castles vs. HEALTH | "Crimewave"

This song came at the height of mash-ups, but it was unlike anything else at the time.It was elctro, punk, noise, and dance all at once. Just like the Rapture, this song still gets people on the floor, but it is still as innovative as it was in 2007. Crystal Castles have since gained a higher fame and HEALTH (unfortunately as they have many other solid jams) might still be best known for this collaboration. Indie rock has not seen a meeting quite like this since the song's release and it does not seem likely that something of this nature will rise to this height any time soon.

03. Portishead | "Machine Gun"

Perhaps living in London when Portishead released their stunning Third is the reason I love that album so much, but more likely it is because of brilliant songs like "Machine Gun". Loud music had been in my collection since middle school, but it wasn't until this song that I realized music could be loud and aggressive without being hardcore. After this song blew my mind, I went back and listened to Liars, No Age, and Deerhunter and really began to digest noise music. Not only did this solidify Portishead as one of my favorite acts, but it opened my ears more so than anything else in the past five years.

04. Dirty Projectors | "Stillness is the Move"

I saw Dirty Projectors in 2008 and just did not understand what was happening on stage. A year later I heard this song and everything clicked. Well... everything clicked in the sense that everyone on this track sounds like they were playing a different song, but that was just it. It was so different (and still is) from almost anything else being released it had it's own place in time. I still have not heard a song that echos any part of this jam because it is so forward thinking that people are still trying to break it down enough to make their own imitations.

05. Deerhunter | "Helicopter"

There have been few artists as productive as Bradford Cox in recent years and none have reinvented themselves in so many ways. The studio masterpiece that is Halcyon Digest is another example of the ways that Bradford is a true audiophile taking each album to a new creative level. Perhaps the best part about the gorgeous guitar sweeps on "Helicopter" is how out of place it would sound on any other Deerhunter record, yet it is the backbone of their latest album. It is delicate, grandiose, and accessible and it still sounds like Deerhunter. Their song writing capabilities are so unique that every album is in another direction and still sounds like no one else.

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I would like to thank anyone who takes the time to read this blog whenever I post. It really means a lot to me. I've been unbelievably fortunate to be featured on some of my favorite sites and have accomplished more than I ever thought possible with a simple blog. I hope to keep posting my favorite new music, reviewing amazing performances, and contributing to year end lists. Here is to another five years of OMGNYC and many more after that.

Keep it scene in the city.

IceAge played Secret Project Robot

Torrential downpour could not keep the punks away from IceAge's second of three shows in New York this weekend. After making their U.S. debut roughly two months ago and scoring critical acclaim for their self-titled debut album, the danish quartet blasted through their headlining set this evening with sheer power and attitude one would expect from a veteran act, not one where all members are under the age of twenty-three. The power and fury displayed by these youngsters fit aptly with the DIY setting and certainly met all expectations given their recent rise in popularity. Considering their album does not even clock it at thirty minutes, the band kept the set short and sweet and pounded through song after song barely giving anyone a second to breath. In a scene that is still not widely accepted or given a listen, the fact that these young men have gained such attention in a relatively short period demonstrates that given the right mood and setting, punk can certainly be something more attainable then most would care to admit. These brash songs rifled through the crowd and sent captive listeners into a mere frenzy. Then just like the album it was over before you knew what had hit you. As people filed out and back into the streets, it was apparent that no one could really comprehend what had happened. Some were in awe and some could not believe it was so quick. But no matter what the reaction was, people knew something big had just occurred and something even bigger could be on the horizon.

Feist - "Femme Fatale"

Feist ft. Nigel Godrich, Colin Greenwood, Hot Rats) Femme Fatale (Velvet Underground Cover) by TwentyFourBit.com

Feist and friends (Colin Greenwood, Nigel Godrich, Nicolas Godin and others) gathered in Paris recently to honor the legendary Velvet Underground during the Days Off Festival in Paris. Pitchfork has posted a glowing cover of "Femme Fatale" originally sung by Nico and featured on the band's landmark debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The indie-pop star will release her highly anticipated new album, Metals (cover art above), on October 4th in North America.

Sigur Rós - Inni

Icelandic post-rock titans Sigur Rós posted a new video on their website today, simply titled Inni. No information has been given at the moment but one can only hope that a follow-up of some kind (live album? DVD? anything?) to their last album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (which I named one of my favorite records of 2008) is on the way. In any case, enjoy the clip above and wait patiently.