this week in music

PONTIAK / WHITE HILLS

Pontiak teams up with labelmates White Hills for trippy show at Cake Shop

Cake Shop
152 Ludlow St. between Stanton & Rivington Sts.
Monday, February 1, $7, 8:00
212-253-0036
www.cake-shop.com
www.thrilljockey.com

Thrill Jockey is hosting an awesome evening at Cake Shop on February 1 with two of its best artists, Pontiak and White Hills. Pontiak has been one busy band, having released three outstanding discs in the last year and a half, 2008’s SUN ON SUN, last spring’s bigger, more explosive MAKER, and this fall’s limited-edition SEA VOIDS (in addition to a shared record with labelmates Arbouretum in the summer of 2008). The Virginia-based brothers Carney — Jennings on bass, Van on guitar, and Lain on drums — once again deliver a sonic blast of experimental, very loud psychedelic thrashing on such songs as “Suzerain” and “Shot in the Alarm” along with the poetic, folk acoustic “Life and Coral” and “It’s the Life.” The LP concludes with the heavy, trippy title track, which segues neatly into fellow Thrill Jockey artist White Hills. Based in New York City but apparently from another galaxy, White Hills play psychedelic space rock that goes off in all kinds of heavy, far-out directions. Their recordings are often hard to track down, either self-released or released on small labels in very limited editions on vinyl and CD, although Thrill Jockey has been spreading the good word on such freak-outs as 2009’s HEADS ON FIRE and DEAD and a brand-new eponymous record, which comes out February 23. White Hills founder and guitarist Dave W., bassist Ego Sensation, and drummer Bob Bellomo take listeners on fantastical musical journeys; to get a taste of what they’re all about, visit the Thrill Jockey site and check out the streaming “Visions of the Past, Present and Future” from HEADS ON FIRE, ten minutes of furious jams, electronic meanderings, space-age blasts, and slowed-down, ethereal breaks (followed by the atmospheric twenty-six-and-a-half-minute epic “Don’t Be Afraid,” which is like a soundtrack to a creepy thriller set aboard a ghost ship). New York City psychedelic rockers Eidetic Seeing open what should be a tremendous night of live music.

SOUNDS LIKE BROOKLYN

Vivian Girls kicked off Sounds Like Brooklyn festival at BAM, followed by insane set by Les Savy Fav (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Brooklyn Academy of Music and other venues
Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
January 29-30, February 4-6
BAM tickets: $20-$25
718-636-4100
www.bam.org

The Sounds Like Brooklyn Music Festival, first held in 2007, has featured such local acts as the National, Chairlift , Citizen Cope, Mos Def, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Gordon Chambers, and Beirut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the festival’s home base. Not only do the annual two weekends of shows promote the World’s Greatest Borough, but it does so in style, with bands playing the elegant Howard Gilman Opera House. This year’s lineup includes indie punksters Les Savy Fav and shoegazing surfpoppers the Vivian Girls on January 29, Rain Machine and Anti-Pop Consortium on January 30, and Ra Ra Riot and the Antlers on February 5, three inspired pairings that should rock the house, even if the audience has to remain in their seats. (And don’t you dare think of taking any photos or video!) We can’t wait to see what LSF lead singer Tim Harrington has in store; the last time we checked out the band, the hairy vocalist tore off most of his clothes, hopped up on a monitor, and posed like Christ on the cross. The group tours relentlessly but is much more shy about recording; their last album, LET’S STAY FRIENDS, came out in 2007. Don’t be surprised if a nearly naked Harrington puts a garbage can over his head while singing the mellow pop of “What Would Wolves Do,” the angry punk of “The Equestrian” and “The Sweat Descends,” or the playful harmonies of “Patty Lee.” Meanwhile, the Vivian Girls — guitarist Cassie Ramone, bassist Kickball Katy, and drummer Ali Koehler — are touring behind their delightful 2009 disc, EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, which features such hopeful tunes as “Before I Start to Cry,” “Never See Me Again,” “Death,” “I Believe in Nothing,” and “The End.” An offbeat mix of 1950s girl groups and 1990s grunge, the Vivian Girls, named after bizarre characters created by lunatic outsider artist Henry Darger, should bring a different kind of note to the festivities. “At 3 AM I sleep again / Watch the tides rise right between my eyes / It’s in my head / Well, I’ll be dead before the sun will rise again,” they sing in “Lake House.”

Ra Ra Riot brings its captivating live show to BAM as part of Brooklyn festival (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Also on tap are the Dred Scott Trio and the Sweet Divines at BAMcafé, tuneyards, takka takka, and Rose Parade at the Bell House, Falling Short of Luxury and Fill the Hunter at Frank’s Lounge, Small Black at Brooklyn Bowl, Dance for Brooklyn with Maya Azucena at Galagos, Saxon Shore and American Dollar at the Knitting Factory, the Vandelles, Dinowalrus, and the Naked Hearts at littlefield, and other shows at Zebulon, Station 171, Sputnik, Southpaw, Pete’s Candy Store, le Grand Dakar, and Goodbye Blue Monday, offering a chance to see some up-and-coming bands at venues many people aren’t necessarily that familiar with.

Tim Harrington began special BAM performance with hysterical site-specific dance piece (pohto by twi-ny/mdr)

Update: Following a strong, steady set by Vivian Girls, Les Savy Fav tore apart the Howard Gilman Opera House at BAM on January 29, beginning with Tim Harrington, clothespins clipped to his beard, performing a site-specific dance piece, eventually going into the crowd and picking people in the front up out of their chairs one by one, then explaining that he would continue with his performance art until everyone got up out of their seats, which resulted in a stampede to the stage, security guards running for cover, and all hell breaking loose for the rest of the night, which included Harrington running up and down the aisles of the ornate theater, scuttling by on his butt, entering a plastic phallic object, taking the shirt right off a fan’s back, giving himself a giant wedgie, and eventually donning a bizarre monkey suit and howling. BAM will never be the same.

BOB MOULD: SOLO

Bob Mould goes solo at City Winery for two shows (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

City Winery
155 Varick St.
January 22-23, $30-$45, 9:00
212-608-0555
http://www.citywinery.com
http://www.bobmould.com

Twenty years ago, Bob Mould left seminal postpunk band Hüsker Dü and recorded his first solo record, the intimate, acoustic-based WORKBOOK followed by the gruffer BLACK SHEETS OF RAIN. Mould then formed the power trio Sugar, which released such impressive discs as COPPER BLUE and BEASTER, before continuing his solo work. Currently working on his memoirs – which will detail, among other things, his drug abuse and homosexuality – Mould also turned back the clock on his most recent album, the unflinchingly honest and personal LIFE AND TIMES (Anti-, April 2009). “What the fuck, what kicked up all this dust / taking me back to the places I left behind / the old life and times,” he sings on the title track, preparing the listener for both a trip down memory lane as well as a peek into the future. “I rewind the interstate in my distant memory,” he sings to his signature guitar sound on “City Lights (Days Go By),” adding, “I hope you understand I need to find my city lights.”

Recalling the sound of WORKBOOK, Mould, who recorded LIFE AND TIMES in his current hometown, Washington, DC, with just a drummer and himself, opens up about anonymous, casual sex (the hard-driving “Argos,” the smooth, melodic “Bad Blood Better”) and the end of love (“I’m Sorry, Baby, But You Can’t Stand in My Light Any More”) while also bringing up memory and the past on “Wasted World” and “MM 17.” At forty-eight, perhaps Mould is a little young to be looking back so much, but as he says on the album’s final track, “What a lifetime we have.” He’ll be celebrating that life at City Winery with two special acoustic shows at City Winery, playing songs from throughout his career. We’ve seen him several times over the years, and he always sweats out everything he can, whether blasting away with an unbelievably loud band or just by himself with an acoustic guitar. Trust us: This will be no mild folk concert; you can expect Mould to still slash across the stage to such possible songs as “See a Little Light,” “Poison Years,” and “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” as well as several Hüsker Dü classics (look for “I Apologize,” “Celebrated Summer,” and the simply amazing “Hardly Getting Over It,” among others). Jon Auer of Big Star and the Posies opens the show.

An amiable Bob Mould had a great time at City Winery gig (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Update: Just prior to Auer’s taking the stage on January 23, we had a chance to speak with Mould for a few minutes as he sat in the back of City Winery by himself, discussing, among other things, the difference between playing as a three-piece at Irving Plaza and doing a solo gig here. Mould showed that he is equally adept at both when later that evening he performed a wicked set that was one of the loudest solo shows we’ve ever seen. Starting off on the acoustic guitar, an amiable Mould offered up a mix of favorites and lesser-known gems, from “Wishing Well,” “Hoover Dam,” and “Needle Hits E” to the Hüsker Dü treasure “Hardly Getting Over It.” He chatted about Conan O’Brien, the new Highline Park, being gay and fifty and living in San Francisco, and even Peter Criss’s “Beth” as he turned up the volume. Things really took off when he switched to the electric guitar, filling the intimate space with a barrage of sound, highlighted by his absolutely shredding an extended version of “Brasilia Crossed with Trenton” before finishing up with such sonic blasts as “I Apologize,” “Something I Learned Today,” “Celebrated Summer,” and the finale, “Makes No Sense at All.” (For a slideshow and the setlist, go here.)

THE SHELLS

Bombshell trio brings cosmo-country to the Mercury Lounge

Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St.
Saturday, February 6, $10, 8:00
212-941-8100
www.theshellsonline.com
www.mercuryloungenyc.com

Not to be confused with the Austin-based indie band of the same name, the Shells are that rarest of breeds, a New York City all-woman country trio. Actually, their sound has been labeled cosmo-country, mixing in folk and pop elements and beautiful harmonies. Originally an a cappella group, Carrie Welling, Melanie Klaja, and Jessica Rae Waltz have been augmented with a touring band as they support their debut album, WRITTEN ROADS (October 2009, WeThreeRecords). The Shells, whose name came from “bombshell,” will be playing an early show Saturday night at the Mercury Lounge, so come on down and see what all the fuss is about.

MUSICAL TALES AND ADVENTURES

Neil Gaiman will get out from behind the signing table and hop onstage at the WFC to read PETER AND THE WOLF (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

PETER AND THE WOLF & AND BOLD TO FALL WITHAL — HENRY HUDSON IN THE NEW WORLD
World Financial Center Winter Garden
220 Vesey St.
Saturday, January 16, free, 7:00
212-417-7050
www.artsworldfinancialcenter.com

Neil Gaiman (SANDMAN, STARDUST) has been having quite a time of late. He won the coveted Newbery Medal for THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, his creepy tale CORALINE was turned into a Golden Globe-nominated film, he gets to hang around a lot with close friend Tori Amos, and he’s engaged to singer Amanda Palmer. Gaiman, the rock star of the literati, will be in New York on January 16, reading Sergei Prokofiev’s PETER AND THE WOLF, accompanied by the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra. Following that performance, the orchestra, with tenor Jason Danieley, will continue with the world premiere of Gary S. Fagin’s AND BOLD TO FALL WITHAL — HENRY HUDSON IN THE NEW WORLD, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Hudson arriving in New York harbor.

EMERGENCY BENEFIT CONCERT FOR HAITI

Patti Smith will be among the many, many participants at the annual Poetry Project New Year's Day marathon (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Patti Smith will headline one of four City Winery shows raising emergency funds for Haiti (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

City Winery
155 Varick St.
January 20, 21, 24, 25, $20-$75
212-608-0555
www.citywinery.com

New York City has come together over the last week, holding numerous benefits to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti. One of the most ambitious series of events will be held at City Winery, which is looking to raise $100,000 with four nights of extraordinary performers at the intimate TriBeCa club, with all of the proceeds going to Partners in Health, Doctors Without Borders, and the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center. On January 20 ($75), the all-star roster includes Patti Smith, the Swell Season, Yo La Tengo, John Wesley Harding, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Joshua Bell, while January 21 ($50) features Lewis Black, Marshall Crenshaw, Willie Nile, Rich Pagano + the SugarCane Cups, and Vernon Reid and Corey Glover of Living Colour. Rosanne Cash headlines the January 24 show ($50), with Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tabou Combo, Madeline Peyroux, and BETTY. And more than a dozen indie artists will take the stage on January 25 ($20), among them the recently reunited Bongos, Ari Hest, NYCSmoke’s Howie Statland, Vienna Teng, and Amber Rubarth.

MEDEA AND ITS DOUBLE

Medea is split in two in South Korean reinterpretation (photo by Zita Bradley)

La MaMa First Floor Theatre
74A East Fourth St. between Second Ave. & Bowery
Thursday – Sunday through January 24
Tickets: $18
212-475-7710
www.lamama.org
www.seoulfactory.co.kr

Seoul Factory for the Performing Arts, under artistic director and founder Limb Hyoung-taek, has brought its own unique twist to Euripides’ classic Greek tragedy of a woman scorned in MEDEA AND ITS DOUBLE, playing Thursdays through Sundays through January 24 at La MaMa. Mixing in Shakespearean bravura, contemporary dance, and even some emotive Korean soap opera, Limb divides Medea into two characters: mother (Koo See-yeon) and lover (Lee Kyoung). The work begins with a way-too-long textual introduction projected onto a bloodred scrim, summarizing the tale of Medea, the heartbreaking story of the tragic marriage between Medea and Jason, of Argonauts and Golden Fleece fame. After learning of her husband’s betrayal with a wealthy princess, Medea takes out her vengeance on her two children and Jason, leaving behind a bloody mess. The introduction does set up the drama, which is performed in Korean without subtitles, but it also tries to prime the audience as to how they should react to what they’re about to see.

Medea the mother comforts Medea the lover as bloody conclusion looms (photo by Zita Bradley)

The two Medeas first appear as children, playing with Jason (Lee Do-yup) and other friends; marriage and children ensue, beautifully communicated in evocative dance. Rectangular pools with floating candles flank the stage, offering beauty and life, but once Jason returns from his dalliance, Medea divides: The lover, wearing a devilish red coat, tries to suppress Medea the mother, robed in pure flowing white, and exact her brutal revenge. Limb’s inventive production includes singers and musicians behind the scrim, adding a foreboding mood to the proceedings even though, once again, everything is in Korean. And just wait till you see how he handles the two babies. The lead actors are all excellent, particularly Koo as Medea the lover, who evolves from sexy to dangerous to psychotic while moving skillfully around the stage, incorporating Asian martial arts and Beijing Opera elements into her portrayal. This strong, emotional production deserves a bigger venue, where it can really show off its bold and inventive attributes.