Frenchman Anthony Gonzalez named his shoegaze/experimental electronic act M83 after the galaxy for a reason. His guitar sounds reverberate around your body while the sounds of numerous synths swirl around inside your brain, giving you the feeling that you may, in fact, be floating in space. Last night, the group stopped at Bowery Ballroom in support of their newest effort, Saturdays=Youth. While this album takes the band in a new, more poppier direction, their sound is still distinctly their own. Whether it was interpreting older songs like “A Guitar and a Heart” into a full on club banger, complete with a pounding bass drum beat, or making a recent song like “Skin of the Night” go from what sounds like a kind of cheesy 80’s inspired song on the album, into a beautiful, transcendent experience in person; Gonzalez knows how to tweak his tracks just enough to get as much as he can out of them live. I had been waiting to see M83 for over two years now and after last night’s show, I can say that it was certainly worth the wait.

More photos can be found on flickr and after the jump.

[Read more →]

Tags: Live, bowery ballroom, m83, photos, show review by Jason
3 Comments »

The last time I saw 65daysofstatic, they had been awake for something like four days straight, been chewed up and spit out through Customs and barely made it to the first show on their tour. Despite all those circumstances, they put on one of the most memorable sets that I saw from the past year. Now, they are back in the states supporting The Cure and doing their own separate headlining shows. Sadly, Sunday night’s show only had about thirty people in the crowd (some blamed it on Mothers Day). Once again, that didn’t stop the boys from Britain from putting on an amazing show. Whether is was fan favorites like “Reatreat! Retreat!” or “A Failsafe,” the group thrashed around stage while creating a pummeling wall of sonic noise. Electronic drum beats crashed in the background, while distorted guitar tones blasted through the speakers. It may have been a slow night at the best venue in Hoboken, but you wouldn’t have known it by the way 65daysofstatic owned the stage.

More photos after the jump.

[Read more →]

Tags: 65daysofstatic, Live, photos by Jason
2 Comments »

The Misfits (currently Jerry Only, Dez Cadena and Robo) stopped by the Warsaw in Brooklyn on Friday night. The band, in whatever shape or member formation, has been around for thirty plus years, so they have quite an extensive discography to work from. The band gave the skull-face-painted fans what they wanted as they played all the hits, including “Helena,” “Some Kind of Hate,” “Skulls,” “Astro Zombies,” “Dig Up Her Bones” and the list goes on. Although, it was actually the shortest set I have ever seen the band play. They also dropped in some Black Flag covers at the end. (2/3 of the lineup was in Black Flag at some point so it only makes sense). Songs typically under two minutes normally were played at hyper speeds. I guess the best way to describe them would be that they were about the length it would take Danzig to howl “One Last Caress.”

Long Island hardcore act, This Is Hell were the sole opening band for the night, with people yelling terms of endearment such as “you suck” and “get off the stage” throughout their set. The band kept their composure though and even caused a small pit for a song.

Check out some pictures after the jump.

[Read more →]

Tags: Live, The Misfits, This is Hell, photos, show review by bill
1 Comment »

Don’t Worry, Be Happy and see more photos after the jump.
[Read more →]

Tags: Live, Man Man, photos by bill
No Comments »

I’m glad I brought earplugs to go see Om at the Middle East. As I may have mentioned about another band, any group featuring members of Sleep will be heavy and loud as hell. So it’s no surprise that Om are just that, even if they aren’t as forthright about it with crushing riffs or things like that, but instead play it much more subtle and even handed. On the last night of their current tour, Grails and Om certainly shook the foundation of the tiny Middle East Upstairs, while pissing off the venue at the same time. Read on after the jump!

[Read more →]

Tags: Live, News, Review, grails, om, photos by Jason
No Comments »