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Camera Obscura
Monday, January 22
The Shins
Virgin Megastore, Union Square
FREE (12 noon)
New Mexico’s finest export, The Shins are giving some back. Having quietly achieved in the last few years the kind of success that most bands only dream of while practicing their Townsendesque wind-milling in their garages, The Shins have - with the help of wise film and television placements transcended the status of anti-hero indie geeks to become multi-platinum selling megastars. The best aspect of their story is that they’re simply about crafting catchy indie-rock classics so infectious, you’ll be coming down with a severe case of the New-Mexican flu in no time. An illness mind you, that wont be cured quickly. Get there early.
Tuesday, January 23
A.R.E. Weapons
Mercury Lounge
$10
NYC’s very own A.R.E. Weapons give it 100% live. Layering their own brand of charged electro-rock with a distinctive confrontational style, they belt out a now plentiful set list of tracks that all but sets off a sonic grenade in the room.
Wednesday, January 24
Camera Obscura
Warsaw
$15.50 adv/ $17 door
This Scottish outfit led by Tracy-Anne Campbell on vocals lurked around in Belle & Sebastian’s shadow for years writing equally compelling twee-pop. Their most recent album, Let’s Get Out Of This Country, has performed well state-side due in part to their relentless touring schedule and let’s face it, because they’ve actually been given an adequate push by their label. A must see!
Thursday, January 25
Panthers
Northsix
$10
Serious rock n’ roll heavily mainlining political angst is what Panthers deliver with both swagger and acumen. This Brooklyn posse have performed with the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Dice and Liars and will get your conscience working overtime at the same time you’re working it all out crazy-style on the floor.
Friday, January 26
M. Ward
Town Hall
$25
A recent convert to M Ward, one Noel Gallagher was recently in the country and couldn’t shut up about his latest discovery, dropping M. Ward's name in interviews from coast to coast. Hey, if the free exposure is there, why not take it? Harnessing a uniquely gravelly vocal style, acoustic guitar, piano and mouth organ, M. Ward draws his listeners in with his accessible yet heartfelt stories of a romanticized American experience.
Saturday, January 27
The Books
Webster Hall
$20
Creating orchestral brilliance though their use of sounds from, well just about any source they can lay their hands on and set against a backdrop of stark rhythms, The Books create a sound that is compelling, uplifting and slightly quirky. A genuinely fun way to spend an evening whether you’re across their repertoire or not.
Sunday, January 28
Sunburned Hand Of The Man
Issue Project Room
$15
John Molony, describes this Boston collective’s sound as "a cross between the Melvins and Sonic Youth". Others refer to this relatively new movement as "Freak Folk" (see Brightblack Morning Light and Devendra Banhart). Whatever you want to label it, it’s psyched out, tripped up and causing rapid facial hair growth among a growing number of twenty-something hipsters.
Tags:
ARE Weapons, Belle And Sebastian, Black Dice, Brightblack Morning Light, Camera Obscura, Devendra Banhart, Electro Rock, Freak Folk, Indie Music, Issue Project Room, Liars, M Ward, Mercury Lounge, New Music, Noel Gallagher, North Six, Panthers, Scottish Bands, Sonic Youth, Sunburned Hand of the Man, The Books, The Melvins, The Shins, Town Hall, Twee, Twee Pop, Webster Hall, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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Posted on 1/21/2007
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