Penis, pleased to meet you (Photo: Nicole Disser)
Interviewing Samara Davis and Sophia Cleary about their punk band is an exercise in willpower. It felt like no matter the topic we discussed, it was always punctuated by a double entendre and followed by a long guffaw or a hearty snort. How can you not acknowledge the elephant in the room — er, in this case the giant dong in the room — when you’re discussing a band called Penis?
(Flyer via Cooper Union/ Facebook)
PC Worship‘s EP release show is coming up this week at Palisades, as we trust you know from last week’s interview with Justin Frye. But there’s plenty else to get your hips poppin’ till then. Scroll your roll and see what’s in store.
An Evening with M Lamar
Monday, Nov. 30, 7 pm at Cooper Union: FREE
M Lamar is the “negro gothic devil-worshipping free black man in the blues tradition” you’ve undoubtedly been dying to see perform since we wrote about him back in September. The multi-talented, epically outspoken musician, composer, opera singer, and visual artist’s shows are enthralling not simply because M Lamar is a magnetic force all his own (just try being in a room alone with him, you’ve never feel so gazed-at in all your life, I promise), but because his operatic compositions wrestle with the deeply troubling history and harsh, continuing reality of racial injustice in this country. Lamar’s central aims are agitation and awakening, so prepare to be moved.
“Basement Hysteria,” PC Worship’s new EP is out on Northern Spy Records (Via PC Worship/ Bandcamp)
Let’s face it, this coming weekend is pretty much guaranteed to be a wash of regret and sorrow. But there’s a light at the end of this vortex of darkness (just the first in a long series of them throughout the holiday season): PC Worship‘s Basement Hysteria release party is happening at Palisades next week. We first spoke (extensively, too) with Justin Frye back in September when the band’s new release was still a fairly far-off thing. Now that the four-track EP is finally out we had some new questions for Mr. Frye. (Oh, and don’t go straight to the disappointed sighs– Basement Hysteria may be an EP, but it clocks in at over 40 minutes.)
(Flyer via Aviv/ Facebook)
Wow guys, big week for the DIY scene: Aviv turns a whole one year old. And actually, that’s kinda getting up there in DIY years. Though, of course, we wish them many more. The Greenpoint venue has wasted no time in becoming pretty much the (true) DIY spot in North Brooklyn. To celebrate, Aviv is hosting a b-day party on Saturday featuring Bambara, Parlor Walls, and word on the street (er, on Facebook) is that an appearance is inevitable by one Ronnie Stone— quite possibly Brooklyn’s only leather-licking, “Moldovan” ’80s-fetish band fronted by a keytar-wielding, struttin’ mustache. Definitely don’t miss this banger. Details on that show and more to preoccupy you in all that might-as-well-be-dead time from now till then.Â
Club Etiquette Vol. 3
Whether it’s because of excessive boozing and very often drugging, lowered inhibitions or cover of night, maybe even social expectations or bro-on-bro insanity, the list goes on– people can act like total shitheads at shows, dance parties, clubs, and bars.
Anuradha Golder knows this. She’s been partying for “a while now,” she laughed. “And I always thought, how can I make this better? How can I make this experience more enjoyable for myself?” Her zine, Club Etiquette, aims to answer those questions. Issue No. 3, which dropped in October, looks specifically at sexual harassment. “I understood the zine was eventually going to comment on bigger issues, but it got there pretty quickly,” Anuradha explained.
(Flyer via The Gateway / Facebook)
Are you looking for spooky Halloween-themed shows? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place. Stay tuned for our guide to legit everything worth going to this Hallows’ weekend. But for now, sate yourself with these totally, 100 percent normal show happenings. Well, strictly speaking they’re not “normal” at all, but you can pretend like it’s not Sexy Something Day for just one minute and stuff your ears with tunes instead of candy corn.
(Flyer via Aviv)
You know how leftovers are sometimes better than the meal was in its original form? That’s also true for CMJ apparently. It seems like some seriously great bands and musicians are lingering around town, taking breaks from their major projects and toying with new ones, old friends, and completely different sounds altogether. You too can dabble in all three this week (and beyond). See what we’ve got for you below.
(Flyer via Santos Party House)
CMJ is upon us, which translates to either the arrival of a complete shit show or (if you’re not really the observant type) venues suddenly appearing slightly more crowded with douchery than usual. Regardless of whether you’re in touch with the less-than-ideal reality for regular show-goers, or prefer to put on chakra glasses and render all those grayscale suits as rainbow zombies, you still gotta plan out this week just a little better than usual– having your friends drag you out of a cab, splash beer on your face, and carefully deposit your lifeless body at your favorite venue’s doorstep isn’t gonna fly. Instead, you’ll need PMA, advanced tickets, and whatever lies beyond this line.
It’s kind of a somber week (already) for show goers– mainly because one of the most reliable spots for an awesome underground/indie/neo-folk/punk/experimental/whatever show, the Silent Barn, suffered a fire late last week. Everybody’s OK, but the building itself is damaged (more on that later) to the point where shows have been suspended for at least the next month. They’re no dummies, they have insurance. But in order to act fast and get repairs done right-freakin’-now, Silent Barn is asking for donations. If charitable bitcoining isn’t your bag, there are other ways you can help.
(Photo via Pharmakon Facebook)
Where has the sun gone? It’s cool, we needed a break anyway. Thankfully mood-appropriate bands are scooting into town reminding us of our impending doom. This week, scoop up sounds by the dominatrixes of noise, the best of just-above-underground electronic music, and gothy post-punk devotees.