This Week In Music: March 5 - 12

                                                                            Of Montreal



Monday, March 5

Under Byen

Bowery Ballroom

$13

What is it about Scandinavian bands that lead them to create such engaging, left-of-center music? Is it because they're not beholden to the gravitational pull of scenes within larger music markets? Is it symptomatic of the sun going down at 3pm in winter and it only getting dark (or almost dark) for a couple of hours per night in summer? Think Sigur Ros. Think Bjork. Think heavenly arrangements and otherworldly vocals set amongst fairy lights and full moon.

Grizzly Bear

Studio B

$12 adv/ $14 door (All ages)

Brooklyn's Grizzly Bear create a tapestry of folk melodies set behind soft-echoed vocals (at times sounding like the Beach Boys had Dennis not become pally with Charles Manson, Mike Love not been such an uptight tyrant and had Brian persuaded the whole band to take heroin).

Wednesday, March 7

Die! Die! Die!

$8

Kicking off their coast-to-coast US tour, punk-rock Kiwis, Die! Die! Die! are here to flog their Albini-recorded, self-titled album. If you like it loud enough to tear the walls, energetic, punchy and sweat-soaked these 3 lads are available and committed to prompt delivery of sonic cannon balls.

Thursday, March 8

Stellastarr*

Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)

$10

Stellastarr*? (That's effectively, "Starstar*" isn't it? If you include the asterix, it's…erm, "Starstarstar"?) Like Interpol and Editors, Stellastarr* are painted with a similar early 80's UK-independent brush. You've heard a bunch of these bands over the last 4 years or so but if you're ready to hit the "overload" button by all means punch it, but not before embracing the sickeningly hooky guitar licks (Eddie Van Halen anyone?), anthemic choruses and indie-poptastic high-hat/ kick-drum combos of Stellastarr*. Bravo.

Friday, March 9

Clinic

Gramercy Theater

$18 adv/ $20 door

The once-tipped-to-be-big Clinic have no reason to apologize. While other independent bands have emerged and eclipsed their modest sales (and success for that matter), 10 years strong, this Liverpudlian outfit has quietly and confidently churned out quality recordings of brooding punk-meets-southern-rockabilly-meets-fuzzy-organ-psychedelia. Watch out for their recently released, Visitations on Domino Records

Of Montreal

Irving Plaza

$16

With a pop non-sensibility on their sides, Of Montreal aim to hook you with humor and consistently polished sounds. Their recently released Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer (Polyvinyl) positions itself somewhere between upbeat and downright sassy. Fire in the Indie-disco!

Sunday, March 11

The Pipettes

Luna Lounge

$10 adv/ $12 door

Doo-wop and Girl-group influenced, The Pipettes perform in matching polka-dot dresses and synchronized choreography. While debate has arisen regarding whether or not the group is merely a manufactured pop band (which appears a distinct possibility when you hear some of the corny lyrics) seems irrelevant so long as they keep their high-entertainment value.

Tags:   Beach Boys, Bjork, Bowery Ballroom, Charles Manson, Clinic, Die Die Die, Domino Records, Editors, Gramercy Theater, Grizzly Bear, Interpol, Irving Plaza, Luna Lounge, New Music, NYC Bands, Of Montreal, Punk Rock, Scandinavian Bands, Sigur Ros, Stellastar, Studio B, The Annex, The Pipettes, UK Bands, Under Byen

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Posted on 3/4/2007 ( Permanent Link )
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