Posted on 22 October 2009
After this week, it’ll seem like Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss have come out of nowhere to form the outfit on everyone’s CMJ breakout list. But there are roots, dug deep and spread far: Past members of Sleigh Bells went on to form buzz-band Surfer Blood. Derek’s old hardcore band Poison The Well toured with Give Up The Ghost, the defunct hardcore outfit of past BTW Cold Cave’s Wes Eisold. Alexis Krauss is a school teacher with a pop-singer past. All of which gives certain strength to their reinvention in this excellent new outfit.
It bears mentioning that Derek lived (and recorded most of these demos) down the hall from one of our apartments, and that his tracks were passed to us by hand some months ago — a true bedroom project. In that form the songs showed jagged promise, but after seeing them fleshed out and flooring the Hype Machine party at Santos yesterday, they’re no longer an “if” but “when.” In part because the rough edges of those demos’ combustible pop are now more finely razed, in part because of Alexis Krauss’s outsized yet totally natural stage presence.
Sleigh Bells are just a duo — Derek on beat production, guitars, and songwriting; Alexis Krauss on vocals — but their tracks ram together many sonic worlds. Their electronic beats thud with gut-rattling low end; guitars are distorted siren squalls (”A/B Machines”), or heavily gated and thoroughly crunched power chords (”Infinity Guitars”), or playful, beach bum strums (the Beta Band-y “Ring Ring”). Krauss flips easily from hip-hop hook sass (”Beach Girls”), to pop power to sunshined, coquettish coos. The demos that are floating around are all getting re-recorded soon, but you should have a few to get familiar:
Continue reading Band To Watch: Sleigh Bells…
Posted on 20 October 2009
CMJ starts in earnest today, but for Georgia-via-South Carolina multi-instrumentalist and ’80s sampler Ernest Greene it started and ended yesterday, with his Washed Out project’s second solo show ever, and first in NYC. We were saving our legs for the big CMJ kickoff at the Studio @ Webster tonight, but Santiago Felipe brought back these shots of Greene and opener, Tanlines/Professor Murder spinoff Restless People.
Posted on 18 September 2009
If you wanna do Fashion Week right, there’s a simple trick: know which bars all the “beautiful” people will be at, and then avoid them all so hard. It’s a simple trick that works wonders if you love to avoid terrible humans. Every so often, though, one of these designers/stores/whathaveyou will throw an afterparty with a musical act that isn’t Lady GaGa, and in those case you might tell yourself not to be so closed minded for a change and go have some fun. Especially when that act is of Montreal, who have made a career on suffering for fashion, and whose private performance at Santos for the Refinery29/Thrillist party was repeatedly teased as being full of craziness (actually, “cr8ziness” was the direct quote). The midnight set is a low-rent version of the standard oM spectacle, the band playing for mostly fashionheads but a few superfans who mouthed every word including (impressively) the night’s MC, comedian Kurt Braunohler. Not cr8zy.
The 2AM set is another story.
Continue reading of Montreal @ Santos Party House, NYC 9/16/09…
Posted on 11 November 2008
Posted on 26 October 2008
photos by Tim Griffin
As promised, 2 Live Crew helped close out CMJ with a show at Santos Party House on Saturday night (Oct 25, 2008). I would have loved to have been there, but was too wiped out from my own ten hour party at Knitting Factory that day. Someone told me they heard the old stuff was great to hear, but that they also played some new stuff. Tim, who was already at Santos for the Narnack showcase that night, also stuck around for the 2am show. This is what he saw….
Posted on 24 October 2008
2 Live Crew are playing an official CMJ show at Santos Party House on Saturday night. Doors are at 2AM - after the Narnack showcase that Lee Scratch Perry is not playing.
2LC also played a show at SXSW in March. Since then I learned that Luther “Luke Skywalker” Campbell is doing a reality show.
SEE ALSO: the 2008 guide to Hip Hop shows & panels @ CMJ
Posted on 09 October 2008
Howlin Rain - 2008 Tour Dates
Oct 09 - Santos Party House, NYC w/ Endless Boogie & Children
Oct 11 - the Palace theater Albany, New York
Oct 12 - Calvin Theater Northampton, Massachusetts
Oct 13 - Horseshoe Tavern Toronto
Oct 14 - Zoobizarre Montreal
Oct 15 - Merrill Auditorium Portland, Maine
Oct 17 - Boston Opera House Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 18 - The Town Ballroom Buffalo, New York
Oct 28 - Hammerstein Ballroom New York City, New York w/ Black Crowes
Posted on 06 October 2008
Lykke Li @ (le) poisson rouge (more by Ryan Muir)
Not long after I posted the latest set of Lykke Li tour dates that include two sold out (well, one is CMJ) shows @ Bowery & MHOW, I got this…
“BOOTLEG” KICKS OPEN@ SANTOS PARTY HOUSE
Armani Exchange Presents Special Guest Performance by
International Pop Star LYKKE LI
There’s a new dance party in town. Josh Wood Productions has teamed up with New York’s most influential new nightclub, Santos Party House, to launch “BOOTLEG”, a new monthly dance bash that is sure to blow the rafters off NYC’s nightlife.
Presenting Sponsor Armani Exchange is turning up the style for this inaugural event with special guest Swedish Pop Queen Lykke Li. The 22 year-old Euro Pop Phenom will perform a special acoustic set on Santos Party House’s mammoth stage.
Known for her Bjork meets Kylie Minogue sound, Lykke is already ruling American dance floors and iPods with her hits “I’m good, I’m gone”, “Dance. Dance. Dance.” and “Little Bit”.
On the main floor, DJ/Producer Hector Fonseca will ignite Santos’ killer sound system with his signature tribal, high energy sound.
Downstairs, John Lovett and Alessandro Codagoneof “Cruising” will launch photographer Joe Oppedisano’s new book, Uncensored. DJ Mike G spins rock and disco.
###
Josh Wood Productions and Armani Exchange
Present
BOOTLEG
Santos Party House
100 Lafayette (one block South of Canal)
$10 before midnight/$15 after
10pm to 4:30am
This show is one day before the one she’s playing in DC.
Posted on 01 October 2008
by Black Bubblegum
DOWNLOAD: Lee “Scratch” Perry - “Pum Pum” (MP3)
Perry, scratching his chin. Photo by Andrew WK
For a 72-year-old man, he sure gets around. Lee “Scratch” Perry is playing that Oct 25th CMJ show at Santos Party House with Restavrant, Iran, Vaz, The Muslims, and The Sundelles as part of a Narnack Records CMJ showcase.
AND the (mad) man has lined up a second date the night before (Oct 24th) at Gramercy Theater. Tickets are on sale. Just to be clear, that’s two NYC shows in two CMJ days for Lee “Scratch” Perry.
Perry recently released his latest album, Repentance, on Narnack in August with a lead single (download it above) and video entitled… ahem… “Pum Pum”. The album is produced by Andrew WK (part owner of Santos Party House where the CMJ party is) and features Moby, Don Fleming, Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt) and…. Sasha Grey? Is that where the “Pum Pum” comes from?
More tour dates TBA soon. Videos below…
Lee “Scratch” Perry - “Pum Pum” Video
An Interview with Lee “Scratch” Perry
Andrew WK discusses the making of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Repentance
Posted on 22 September 2008
photos by Kyle Dean Reinford
Cut Copy
The Presets
Cut Copy & the Presets played their first of two shows at Webster Hall in NYC Sunday night (Sept 21). The second show is Monday (tonight) and the afterparty is at Santos Party House. This afternoon they’ll be deejaying the Apple Store. More pictures from last night below….
Kordan…
The Presets…
Cut Copy…
