this week in music

RICHARD THOMPSON

Guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson will play all-request solo shows at City Winery (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

City Winery
155 Varick St. between Spring & Vandam Sts.
October 21-23, $35-$60, 9:00
212-608-0555
www.citywinery.com
www.richardthompson-music.com
Richard Thompson is one of the most entertaining performers around, whether he’s with his full band or doing a solo acoustic show. Although we’ve seen him playfully shoot down fans screaming out for specific songs, last year he held three all-request shows in California, and now he’s bringing that act to the intimate City Winery, and we could not be more excited. From his days in Fairport Convention to his much-chronicled marriage to Linda Thompson to his outstanding solo career, Thompson’s wry sense of humor, cynical lyrics, and guitar virtuosity continue to make for excellent records and even better concerts. Make sure to come prepared with your requests; you never know what he’ll end up saying yes to. (We’ll be asking for “Calvary Cross,” by the way.)

Richard Thompson considers another request at City Winery show (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

update: We might not have gotten “Calvary Cross,” but what we did get was another stunning performance by RT on October 23, closing his three-night sold-out stand at City Winery. Digging into a big bowl filled with audience requests, Thompson pulled out such utter delights as the unforgettable “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” a free-spirited “Valerie,” a misspelled “Al Bowlly’s in Heaven,” a killer “When the Spell Is Broken,” and a gorgeous “Walking on a Wire.” Thompson, who turned sixty earlier this year, also played several covers, including Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” a stellar sing-along version of the Easybeats’ “Friday on My Mind,” and, for Halloween, the bartender-requested “Monster Mash.” In fact, whenever Thompson, as amiable and acerbic as ever, didn’t feel like playing a requested song after that, he claimed it was yet another person asking for the Bobby “Boris” Pickett novelty tune. The end of the show featured such great numbers as “I Agree with Pat Metheny” (a funny riff on Kenny G) and a sensational “Matty Groves” as he reached back to his Fairport Convention days. (We couldn’t help but notice that his ex-wife and former recording partner, Linda, was mouthing the words from her seat in the audience as he sang.) Once again RT delivered a generous, wholly engaging, and marvelously entertaining show. Don’t dare miss him next time he comes around these parts, which can’t be soon enough.

CMJ MUSIC MARATHON & FILM FESTIVAL

Cleveland's Shaky Hands return to CMJ this year (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

CMJ MUSIC MARATHON & FILM FESTIVAL
Multiple locations
Badge: $495
Individuals tickets available for nearly all events
www.cmj.com
If you’ve been a faithful reader of twi-ny, CMJ might not seem too overwhelming — more than a thousand bands at dozens and dozens (and dozens) of venues over five days. In recent years we’ve introduced you to such groups as Drink Up Buttercup, Takka Takka, the Forms, Nobody Can Dance, NYCSmoke, Die! Die! Die!, the Teenage Prayers, Team Robespierre, Robbers on High Street, the Shackeltons, Bear Hands, Das Racist, the Shaky Hands, the Wiyos, Japandroids, French Miami, Turbo Fruits, the Golden Filter, and Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, all of which are playing the 2009 festival. In addition to relatively new bands, this year’s marathon also features a handful of old-timers, from Ted Leo + the Pharmacists and J. D. Souther to Bebe Buell (in a tribute to Joey Ramone), the Trashmen (“Surfin’ Bird”), and Busta Rhymes. Among the more interesting double bills is the Fleshtones teaming up with those reunited Hoboken heroes, the Bongos.

Full-access festival badges are $495, but tickets for nearly all shows are available to the general public and should be purchased in advance for the more hotly anticipated bands. This year the CMJ Web site has added a terrific new interface that allows you to make up your own schedule of movies, concerts, and panels; somehow, we’ve still ended up with way too many things we want to do each day. There’s so much to recommend, but we’ve attempted to whittle it down to our top ten highlights (well, maybe a few more as the week goes on), listed below in alphabetical order.

Naomi Shelton will lead the Gospel Queens at Daptone CMJ showcase (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

DAPTONE RECORDS
Friday, October 23, Knitting Factory, 6:00 pm – 1:30 am
www.daptonerecords.com
The folks at Daptone know how to throw a party. For CMJ, they’re unleashing a night of R&B, soul, and funk at the Knitting Factory, with the unstoppable Budos Band, the royal sounds of Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, the manly Menahan Street Band, and those old mainstays, the Dap-Kings. Be prepared to shake your booty off.

Pat Mahoney and James Murphy will host DFA disco party at CMJ

DFA RECORDS
Thursday, October 22, Brooklyn Bowl, 8:00 pm – 4:00 am
www.myspace.com/dfarecords
DFA will be giving Daptone a run for the best party honors as they get down and dirty at Brooklyn Bowl, with live performances by Yacht, Still Going, Holy Ghost!, and Sh*t Robot. But we’re most looking forward to the DJ set by LCD Soundsystem stalwarts James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, who will be leading what should be a sweaty crowd through what they’re calling Special Disco Version.

Drink Up Buttercup promises crazy fun at CMJ (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

DRINK UP BUTTERCUP
Tuesday, October 20, the Delancey, 9:00
Wednesday, October 21, Cake Shop, 7:30
Friday, October 23, Brooklyn Brewery, 4:00
Friday, October 23, Glasslands, 9:00
Saturday, October 24, the Delancey, 2:45
Saturday, October 24, Etnies Showroom, 7:30
www.myspace.com/drinkupbuttercupband
Drink Up Buttercup knows how to have a good time. They play with a reckless, infectious abandon that is sure to get your mojo working. The fearless Philly foursome features Farzad Houshiarnejad on bass and keyboards (as well as vocals, wolf howls, and melodica), Ben Money on bass, keyboards, and percussion (in addition to melodica, vocals, and mannequin head), James Harvey on guitar and vocals (along with sawed-off seagull, walki, opera sounds, and baby head), and Mike Cammarata on drums (with water, lemon, and sugar packets). Onstage they are reminiscent of such bands as the Black Lips, Islands, the Shaky Hands, and Gringo Star, as they switch instruments, goof around, and bang on an aluminum trash can. All of that is fine and dandy, but the key to the group is that their songs are fucking awesome.

French Miami come up north for CMJ

FRENCH MIAMI
Thursday, October 22, Death by Audio
Friday, October 23, Market Hotel
Saturday, October 24, Cake Shop, 8:00
www.myspace.com/mrfrenchmiami
French Miami is neither French nor from Miami; the Bay Area trio — synth specialist/guitarist Roland Curtis, singer/guitar/keyboard player Jason Heiselmann, and drummer Chris Crawford — do their goddamn best on their eponymously titled debut disc, which includes such psychedelic trips as “Science Fiction,” “SFO,” and “The God Damn Best.”

The Golden Filter will keep up the mystery at CMJ

THE GOLDEN FILTER
Saturday, October 24, Santos Party House, 11:00
www.myspace.com/thegoldenfilter
Enigmatic group the Golden Filter features Penelope’s breathy, whispery vocals, Stephen on keyboards and percussion, and Lisa on drums. The techno-disco trio have no last names, and they never show their faces in photographs. Fortunately, their songs kick ass, so they can get away with the eccentricity / gimmick, claiming that it’s only the music that matters. In addition to such hot originals as “Solid Gold,” “Moonlight Fantasy,” and “Hide Me,” the Golden Filter has done cool remixes of Peter Bjorn and John’s “Lay It Down,” Cut Copy’s “Far Away,” Empire of the Sun’s “We Are the People,” and Little Boots’ “New in Town,” while a bunch of other artists have remixed “Solid Gold.”

Jake and Jamin Orrall will get heavy at CMJ (photo by Bekah Cope)

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD
Thursday, October 22, Piano’s, 4:30; Crash Mansion, 6:00
Friday, October 23, the Charleston, 12 midnight
Saturday, October 24, the Knitting Factory, 2:00; Don Pedro’s, 6:00; Union Pool, 10:20; My Open Bar, 1:00 am
www.myspace.com/jakeandjamin
Nashville’s Jeff the Brotherhood, whose HEAVY DAYS disc is just out from Infinity Cat, play psychedelic garage rock on such tunes as “U Got the Look,” “The Tropics,” “Bone Jam,” “Screaming Banshee,” “Doo It,” and “I’m a Freak,” which features a great freak-out. Brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall let out a groovy barrage of sound with just drums and guitar, and they’ll be doing it all over CMJ; with seven shows scheduled, they just might be the busiest band of the week (before heading out on the road with Shonen Knife).

Sarah Guild will lead New Collisions in CMJ shows (photo by Liz Linder)

THE NEW COLLISIONS
Wednesday, October 21, the Delancey, 11:45
Saturday, October 24, Bowery Poetry Club, 8:00
www.myspace.com/thenewcollisions
“I can’t take it anymore / just standing still,” platinum blonde Sarah Guild declares on “Afterglow,” the opening song on the New Collisions’ fab debut seven-song EP, INVISIBLE EMBRACES, a gargantuan, refreshing blast of pure power pop that is due out November 17. There should be no standing around at their CMJ showcases; if you can’t move to “Parachutes on the Dance Floor,” well, then, there’s no hope for you. A sort of New Wave, edgy No Doubt — and we mean that in the best way possible — Boston’s New Collisions rock hard and sweet and are not afraid to have a lot of fun with their lyrics; witness these lines from the synth-driven “No Free Ride”: “There’s no free ride / for being pretty on the inside / The Berlin Wall’s still up in my heart, babe / Sam Walton stole the icing off of my cake / I’d be lucky to ride on a horse with no name / Oh, time to get away / The end is under way.” The end? No, this is just the beginning.

Turbo Fruits will turn things upside down in area shows

TURBO FRUITS
Wednesday, October 21, Cake Shop, 1:00
Saturday, October 24, Union Pool, 9:40
www.myspace.com/turbofruits
Turbo Fruits play an infectious mix of psychedelic retro garage surf punk with a heavy dose of humor, as one can guess from such song titles as “Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain,” “Broadzilla,” and “Naked with You” (which could be a lost Ramones classic) on their awesomely freaky new album, ECHO KID. Former Be Your Own Pet Jonas Stein Stein does a little Dylan on “Hold Me,” throws in a bit of the Troggs on “Get Up Get On Down (Tonite),” and really cuts loose on “Broadzilla.” It all makes for one hell of an impressive alterna-AMERICAN GRAFFITI meets QUADROPHENIA. The album is a nonstop party, one that should continue at their CMJ showcase.

Ume will be in town for several shows during CMJ week

UME
Wednesday, October 21, Ace of Clubs, 10:00
Thursday, October 22, Public Assembly, 12 midnight
Friday, October 23, Fontana’s, 1:00
Friday, October 23, Lake Johnson, 8:00
www.myspace.com/umemusic
The Austin-based trio of bassist Eric Larson, drummer Jeff Barrera, and singer-guitarist Lauren Larson are touring behind their explosive SUNSHOWER EP, which has been blasting out of speakers since its release this past February. Lauren Larson’s shrieking guitar rips it up through the five songs, tearing apart “The Conductor,” “Pendulum,” and “East of Hercules” while balancing in whispery vocals. Elements of punk, metal, and hardcore show up as well, with killer riffs driving the band’s powerful sound.

New indie supergroup will play CMJ

UNINHABITABLE MANSIONS
Thursday, October 22, the Bell House, 10:00
www.myspace.com/uninhabitablemansions
Uninhabitable Mansions is an art collective and Brooklyn mini-supergroup that features Annie Hart from Au Revoir Simone, Chris Diken from Radical Dads, Doug Marvin from Dirty on Purpose, and Robbie Guertin and Tyler Sargent from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Their debut album includes a steady stream of inventive indie pop that enjoy stopping and starting, dropping in and out, with great harmonies, from the bouncy pop of “The Brain Is a Slow Wave” to the sweet urgency of “Do You Have a Strategy.” We particularly like the changing mood of “We Misplaced a Cobra in the UM,” which starts off slowly before kicking in with thrashing instruments and screaming vocals. (If you miss them at the Gothamist party at the Bell House, they’ll be at Union Pool on October 30.)

Elon James White will share his unique political and social insight during CMJ

ELON JAMES WHITE
Wednesday, October 21, the Living Room, 9:15
www.myspace.com/elonjames
Comedian Elon James White, a longtime FOT (friend of twi-ny), has had a breakout year, bringing his sociopolitical rants to the Huffington Post, CNN, and other major outlets, while his “This Week in Blackness” videos have been bustin’ loose as well. White’s take on everyone from Michael Jackson and Barack Obama to Henry Louis Gates and Kanye West are as insightful as they are funny.

The Wiyos' will bring their unique brand of Americana roots rock to CMJ

THE WIYOS
Friday, October 23, Gramercy Theatre, 10:00
www.myspace.com/thewiyos
With a calling card that reads: “Vaudevillian Ragtime Blues, Hillbilly Swing and Old Time Country,” the Wiyos are a four-piece who are in it for the love of the music and what it represents. Old 78 records. Jug band music. Gamblers and mule skinners. Twenties-era hokum. A healthy reverence for Harry Smith’s Smithsonian Folkways compilations. And a touch of what Greil Marcus once referred to as “that old, weird America…” The Wiyos reach for all of these touchstones of our musical heritage and more during their engaging live performances.

CMJ FILM FESTIVAL

George Clooney stares at a goat in flick premiering at CMJ

Clearview Cinemas, Chelsea West Cinemas
260 West 23rd St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Tickets: $10
www.cmj.com/marathon2009
CMJ isn’t just about music; there’s also a concurrent film festival that features several New York premieres, one world premiere, and a bunch of big-name stars. That said, a few of the movies are set in the rock and roll world. Things get started with Scott Rosenbaum’s road-trip flick, THE PERFECT AGE OF ROCK’N’ROLL (with Peter Fonda!), and continue with George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey in the highly anticipated THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton in the military drama THE MESSENGER (Harrelson and director Oren Moverman will participate in a postscreening Q&A), and Milla Jovovich in the sci-fi thriller THE FOURTH KIND, among several provocative documentaries. In addition, shorts look at luthier Wayne Henderson and cult favorites Kid Creole and the Coconuts, while Steve Vai stars in another one.

Tuesday, October 20 Opening Night : THE PERFECT AGE OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (Scott Rosenbaum, 2009), followed by a Q&A, 7:30

Wednesday, October 21 THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (Grant Heslov, 2009), followed by a Q&A, 7:00

Wednesday, October 21 BANANAS!* (Fredrick Gertten, 2009), followed by a Q&A, 7:15

Wednesday, October 21 MY MOVIE GIRL (Adam Bronstein, 2009), followed by a Q&A, 9:15

Wednesday, October 21 CMJ CineMini Short Film Contest: Documentary Short Films, including I AM A MAN: FROM MEMPHIS, A LESSON IN LIFE (Jonathon Epstein), NO SANA HOY (Becky Corman), FROM WOOD TO SINGING GUITAR (Shawn Lind), WELCOME TO MY QUEER BOOKSTORE (Larry Tung), and WATER IN THE BOAT (David Gutierrez Camps), 9:30

Thursday, October 22 DEAR LEMON LIMA (Suzi Yoonessi), 7:00

Thursday, October 22 THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF THOMAS LYNCH (James Merendino & Lisa Hammer, aka the Terror Twins), 7:15

Thursday, October 22 Downtown Doc Double Bill: PARDON US FOR LIVING BUT THE GRAVEYARD IS FULL (Geoffray Barbier, 2009) and KID CREOLE AND MY COCONUTS (Adriana Kaegi, 2009), Clearview Cinemas-Chelsea West Cinemas, 9:15

Woody Harrelson stars in CMJ marathon closing-night selection

Friday, October 23 Closing Night: THE MESSENGER (Oren Moverman, 2009), followed by a Q&A with Woody Harrelson and Oren Moverman, 7:30

Friday, October 23 THE FOURTH KIND (Olatunde Osunsanmi, 2009), 10:00

WEEKLY LISTINGS: Oct. 21-28

Artistically redesigned bikes are on view at armory before going to auction (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

ARTS AT THE ARMORY: STAGES
Park Ave. Armory
643 Park Ave. between 66th & 67th Sts.
Admission: free
212-616-3930
http://www.armoryonpark.org
http://www.livestrong.org

Through Thursday, October 22 Exhibit of bicycles used by Lance Armstrong while training to return to competition, designed by Damien Hirst, Yoshitomo Nara, Kenny Scharf, KAWS, Shepard Fairey, and Marc Newson, which will be put up for auction at Sotheby’s November 1, along with a preview of painting and sculpture that will be part of an exhibition at Deitch later this month, including works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Prince, Dustin Yellin, Os Gemeos, and a fab bike by Tom Sachs; all proceeds benefit the LiveStrong foundation

Vella Lovell (Andromache, seated) and Sol Marina Crespo (Hermione) star in new version of Euripides' ANDROMACHE

EURIPIDES’ ANDROMACHE
Workmen’s Circle
45 East 33rd St.
Tickets: $8-$20
http://www.fullofnoises.org

Through Sunday, October 25 Greek tragedy is staged in New York City is staged for the first time ever in a new version by Jesse Alexander Myerson

ANCIENT PATHS, MODERN VOICES
Carnegie Hall
57th St. at Seventh Ave.
212-247-7800
http://www.carnegiehall.org/chinafestival

Wednesday, October 21
through
Tuesday, November 10 Three weeks of special events and exhibitions celebrating Chinese culture

LOOKING FOR CALVIN AND HOBBES
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art
594 Broadway, Suite 401
Admission: $5
212-354-3511
http://www.moccany.org

Thursday, October 22 Nevin Martell, author of LOOKING FOR CALVIN AND HOBBES, in conversation with cartoonist Ruben (“Tom the Dancing Bug”) Bolling, discuss the life and career of Bill Waterson, 7:00

SUSIE ESSMAN
Carolines on Broadway
1626 Broadway at 50th St.
Reservations required
212-757-4100
http://www.carolines.com

Thursday, October 22
through
Saturday, October 24 Comedian and actress Susie Essman returns to Carolines hot on the heels of the new season of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and the release of her new book, WHAT WOULD SUSIE SAY?

R. CRUMB IN CONVERSATION WITH FRANÇOIS MOULY
Barnes & Noble Union Square
33 East 17th St.
Admission: free
212-253-0810
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Friday, October 23 R. Crumb and François Mouly team up in a discussion, visual presentation, and signing of THE BOOK OF GENESIS, 7:00

dangergiantess

GIRLS & BOYS PRESENTS THE AM ONLY CMJ SHOWCASE
Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Tickets: $15-$25 ($1 entry and $1 drinks with below link)
Girls get in free all night long
http://www.websterhall.com/dollardaze/friday
http://www.websterhall.com

Friday, October 23 Yes Giantess, Red Wire Black Wire, Vega, We Are Enfant Terrible, Body Language, Two Fresh, and Beast in the Studio (7:00 pm – 12 midnight), with Danger, Felix Cartal, Filthy Dukes, Bird Peterson, Mickey Factz, Wallpaper, 12th Planet, and Shout Out Out Out Out in the Main Room (11:00 pm – 5:00 am), resident DJs Alex English, Gavin Royce, Kids with Snakes, Gavin Royce, and Rekles, Trash! with DJ Jess & Alex Malfunction, and more, 10:00

John William Coddling adds a whole new level of fear to Christopher Walken

SUNDAYS WITH CHRIS
DVF Gallery
444 West 14th St. between Washington St. & the West Side Highway
Admission: free
http://www.sundayswithchris.com

Friday, October 23
through
Sunday, November 1 Exhibition of John William Codling’s obsessive paintings of Christopher Walken

Maya Lin exhibit will continue through October 24 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

MAYA LIN: THREE WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE EARTH
PaceWildenstein
545 West 22nd St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Through October 24
Admission: free
212-421-3292
http://pacewildenstein.com
http://www.salon94.com
When we saw Maya Lin’s “Systematic Landscapes” at the Corcoran earlier this year, each piece was squeezed into a different room, photographs were not allowed, and interaction with some of the works was not allowed. Things are very different at PaceWildenstein in Chelsea, where visitors can snap pictures, get up close and personal with the art, and even stick their heads through various openings. The three large-scale pieces offer environmentally friendly alternate takes on physical landscapes, from the ocean to mountains to a hill, and they are arranged so that all three can be seen at the same time, a boon for architecture lovers. While “Three Ways of Looking at the Earth” ends October 24, Lin’s “Recycled Landscapes,” consisting of colorful, smaller sculptures made out of plastic toys and other found objects, will continue at Salon 94 (12 East 94th St.) through November 13.

GREENPOINT OKTOBERFEST
Transmitter Park, Brooklyn waterfront
1 Greenpoint Ave. near West St.
Admission: free

Sunday, October 25 Beers and brauts, as well as root “bier” floats, pumpkin decorating, face painting, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, Hallo Berlin, Robicelli’s Cupcaes, live music by Michna and Cowboy Mark, DJ Synapse, and brews as Blue Point Old Howling Bastard, Nut Brown Ale, Hoptical Illusion, Black Chocolate Stout, Benegali Tiger, and more, 12 noon – 8:00 pm

GOODWILL NY/NJ COSTUME DESIGN CLOTHING SWAP
Boxcar Lounge
168 Ave. B between East Tenth & Eleventh Sts.
Admission: $5 Goodwill donation or one bag of lightly used, freshly laundered clothing
http://goodwillnynj.wordpress.com

Sunday, October 25 Crafters from I Love to Create will be on hand to help people make low-cost, environmentally friendly costumes for Halloween, with music, drink specials, 3:00 – 7:00

GRANA PADANO
Multiple locations
Admission: free
http://www.nycmarathon.org/schedule.htm

Tuesday, October 27
through
Sunday, November 1 In preparation for the New York City Marathon, Italian cheesemaker Grana Padano will be offering tastings and in-store promotions at BuonItalia in Chelsea Market, Di Palo’s Fine Foods in Little Italy, and Murray’s Cheese in Grand Central and on Bleecker St.

PORT O’BRIEN

Port O'Brien will be sailing into NYC behind brand-new album (photo by Joshua Caine)

PORT O’BRIEN

Wednesday, October 14, Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston St., $12, 7:30
Friday, October 16, Union Hall, 702 Union St. at Fifth Ave., $12-$14, 8:00
http://www.myspace.com/portobrien
http://www.unionhallny.com
http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com
We don’t think it’s us, but too many of the indie bands we’ve been covering lately have suffered problems on the road. The latest is California band Port O’Brien, who recently noted on their blog that “our van was broken into in broad daylight in downtown portland. the thieving robber wasn’t very good, but still got some good stuff. there’s always more stuff, we’re getting over it.” They’ll be getting over it at two area shows, at Mercury Lounge on October 14 and Union Hall on October 16, playing with Sea Wolf and Sara Lov. Started in a bedroom in 2005 by salmon fisherman Van Pierszalowski and head baker Cambria Goodwin, Port O’Brien is touring behind their solid new CD, THREADBARE (TBD Records, October 6, 2009), which mixes their rollicking indie folk with harsh reality as Cambria deals with the tragic loss of her younger brother. The acoustic-based album features sweet hooks (“My Will Is Good,” “Sour Milk / Salt Water”), haunting ballads (“Threadbare”), gripping choruses (“In the Meantime”), pure pop (“Leap Year”), and at least one ode to Neil Young (“Calm Me Down”). Although the disc begins and ends with alternate versions of “High Without the Hope,” bright light does occasionally shine through, as on the sparkling, familiar-sounding “Oslo Campfire”: “Everything we have chalk it up to love,” Van sings, because after all, it all comes down to a matter of heart.

THE RAVEONETTES / THE BLACK ANGELS

Sharin Foo will attack her bass at three area shows (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

THE RAVEONETTES / THE BLACK ANGELS

Tuesday, October 13, Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St., Hoboken, $22, 11:00
Wednesday, October 14, Webster Hall, 125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves., $22, 8:00
Sunday, October 18, Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North Sixth St. , $22, 8:00
http://www.myspace.com/theraveonettes
http://www.myspace.com/theblackangels
Formed in Copenhagen and now based in L.A. and New York, the Raveonettes — Sune Rose Wagner, who loves goofy hats, and Sharin Foo, who could not look cooler hiding behind dark sunglasses and black outfits, her straight golden locks flowing — play an endearing brand of pure pop heavy on retro-1950s and 1960s rhythms; indeed, their name is a combination of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” and the Ronettes. Their brand-new album, IN & OUT OF CONTROL (Vice, October 2009), is not a blast of Norwegian black metal, despite such song titles as “Bang!,” “Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed),” “Oh, I Buried You Today,” “Suicide,” “D.R.U.G.S.,” and “Wine.” Instead, it’s their most ambitious record to date and should sound great live; the band played a solid, groovy set, as always, at this past summer’s Siren Festival in Coney Island.

The Black Angels were named after Velvet Underground song (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

The Raveonettes are on tour with Austin band the Black Angels, whose name and look recall motorcycle gangs but play hard-edged psychedelic garage rock, as featured on such albums as last year’s DIRECTIONS TO SEE A GHOST and 2006’s PASSOVER. The Black Angels, named after the Velvet Underground tune “The Black Angel’s Death Song,” cite the Raveonettes as an influence on their MySpace page and will be opening up at the Webster Hall and Music Hall of Williamsburg shows.

NO AGE

L.A. punk band No Age will be playing several very offbeat shows in the city

Wednesday, October 14, (le) poisson rouge, $15, 10:00
Thursday, October 15, Museum of Modern Art, $15, 7:30
Friday, October 16, New Museum of Contemporary Art, $15-$20, 7:00
Saturday, October 17, Above the Auto Parts Store, 8:00
http://www.myspace.com/nonoage

No Age rocks out next to Rodin's Balzac statue at MoMA (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

LA experimental punksters Dean Spunt and Randy Randall are coming to NYC for an extremely ambitious four-night stand, doing something quite different for every show. “The music is an invitation and rallying call for individuals to get involved in a community which celebrates art and experimentation,” Randall notes on their Sub Pop page. “It’s DIY on a different scale, an attempt to reacquaint people with the notion that art is a crucial part of everyday life.” Their artistic sojourn begins on October 14 at (le) poisson rouge with Woods and Silk Flowers. The next night, they’ll be at MoMA’s PopRally! skateboard party that’s part of the Spike Jonze film exhibition. On October 16, they’ll play live accompaniment to Jean-Jacques Annaud’s film THE BEAR at the New Museum. And on October 17, they’ll be Above the Auto Parts Store with Male Bonding and Soft Circle.