“Home” by Bird Courage - BTR Hear & There [ep78]
Bird Courage appeared on BTR Live Studio back when they were the duo of Sam Saffery and Erik Meier and accustomed to playing primarily in subway stations around Brooklyn. Since then, they’ve been making a name for themselves above ground, building a joyful ruckus with just three musicians — thanks to the addition of percussionist, Sean McMahon — and acoustic instruments. It’s a testament to their dynamic, highly-accessible songwriting that the music works in almost any situation, and their steadily-growing fanbase seems happy to follow right along, going so far as to successfully crowdfund their next album, Māia Manu, via Kickstarter in just 4 weeks. For this episode of BTR Hear & There, we found the trio playing in the entryway to Kavé Espresso Bar in their neighborhood of Bushwick.
Featured Song: “Home”
Latest Release Info: Mayshower is available now
Official website for Bird Courage: http://birdcourage.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/birdcourage
Twitter: @BirdCourage
Official website for Kavé Espresso Bar: http://shopsattheloom.com/kave-espresso-bar-event-space
Facebook:http://facebook.com/KaveBrooklyn
Twitter: @Kavebrooklyn
Pop Zeus - Serious Business on BTR [ep119]
Pop Zeus is the project of Brooklyn’s Mikey Hodges. As the story goes, it was impressed upon his young music-loving self that idols Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Todd Rundgren all played every instrument on their records. When Mikey was ready to start making his own music — less than two years ago — this idea stuck, and he banged out 10 power pop jams using borrowed gear. Here, he performs with his band and talks with Travis about their shared connections with Guided By Voices, among other thing.
Featured Song: “Hold You Tight”
Pop Zeus, the self-titled album, is available now from Burger Records.
Complete broadcast and radio playlist: http://b-t-r.co/14hFcEV
Pop Zeus on Bandcamp: http://popzeus.bandcamp.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/popzeusmusic
Twitter: @pop_zeus
Last night we headed to Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a trio of post-punk/shoegazey goodness at Glasslands.
The night started with Grand Resort, kicking off their set to a near-empty room, but quickly drawing a crowd for their pleasantly relentless beats (that drummer seems to be some sort of superhuman) and ringing pop tones. It perfectly set the mood for the night, which would only get louder.
Weekend, the San Francisco quartet on Slumberland Records, held down the middle slot, and pummeled the room with bass-heavy, feedback-laden grooves - one band member’s NIN shirt seemed perfectly appropriate as he used blasts of skronky, fuzzed-out noise to punctuate the songs. The stage setup for the evening created an interesting dynamic for both Weekend and headliners No Joy, placing the singer off to stage right, howling into the room as the bassists and guitarist stood front and center in almost confrontational stances. No Joy - long hair whipping all over the stage as the musicians headbanged their way through the set - proved to be the most vicious of the night, pushing the post-punk mood of the night ever-closer to thrashing punk.
No Joy tour dates
5/17 @ The Plant in Montreal, QC, Canada
Grand Resort tour dates
5/17 @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge in Brooklyn, NY
5/22 @ Shea Stadium in Brooklyn, NY
5/30-6/2 @ NYC Popfest in NYC, NY
6/8 @ Spike Hilly in Brooklyn, NY
Photos by Bryan Bruchman.
The Blank Tapes - BTR Live Studio [ep220]
Shades of classic rock and 50’s/60’s pop permeate The Blank Tapes’ stoner/pych-rock vibes. Hailing from San Francisco, Matt Adams is a prolific songwriter — not to mention a talented visual artist — with a timeless approach to music. Now in perhaps its leanest and strongest form yet, The Blank Tapes are a trio these days, featuring Adams along with girlfriend/resident-Moe Tucker-style-drummer Pearl Charles, and D.A. Humphrey on bass, and they’re ready to spread their songs across the land, taking us all on Vacation.
Featured Song: “Don’t Ever Get Old”
The Blank Tapes’ new album, Vacation, is available today from Antenna Farm Records.
Complete broadcast and radio playlist: http://b-t-r.co/12Lh8rt
Official Website for The Blank Tapes: http://theblanktapes.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/blanktapes
Twitter: @theblanktapes
Eternal Summers - Serious Business on BTR [ep118]
Eternal Summers — previously a duo of Nicole Yun and Daniel Cundiff, more recently fleshed out with the addition of bassist Jonathan Woods — are a band coming into their own. While previous releases explored post punk and lo-fi rock territory, their current power trio format pushes things solidly into its own territory, crafting a unique pop sound that’s entirely their own. The band is currently running a Pledge Music campaign, offering everything from vinyl pre-orders to sweaty shirts and house shows in order to facilitate the production of their new album.
Featured Song: “Gouge”
Eternal Summers’ Correct Behavior is out on Kanine Records and their follow-up is expected later this year.
Complete broadcast and radio playlist: http://b-t-r.co/13nb7UH
Eternal Summers on Bandcamp: http://eternalsummers.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/eternalsummers
Twitter: @EternalSummers
Villagers - BTR Live Studio [ep219]
Conor J. O’Brien — whose Dublin-based band, Villagers, has been nominated for a Mercury Prize, won an Ivor Novello Award, and shared stages with some of the biggest names in music — delivers an intimate, solo performance of his songs here on BTR Live Studio. In a departure from his previous effort, O’Brien embraces collaboration, instrumental music, and a whole lot of symbolism and poetic storytelling to achieve something that he feels is secular yet spiritual, and which sings the things that he can not say.
Featured Song:“Nothing Arrived”
Villagers’ {Awayland} is available now
Complete radio playlist and broadcast:http://b-t-r.co/10o5hxP
Official websitefor Villagers: http://wearevillagers.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/Villagers
Twitter: @wearevillagers
Prince Rama - BTR Live Studio [ep218]
While Prince Rama is a band in the sense that it contains people making music, recording albums, and going on tour, there’s a whole world of other activity going on with this Brooklyn-based group. Taraka and Nimai Larson have been experimenting with their music in different forms over the years in vastly different environs: living in ashrams, working for utopian architects, writing manifestos, and delivering lectures from pools of fake blood. They’ve used a clever blend of mysticism, technology, aerobics, and props, to build a constantly evolving world filled with inspiration and music.
Featured Song: “XO”
Prince Rama’s Top Ten Hits of the End of the World is now available
Complete radio playlist and broadcast: http://b-t-r.co/11RaYsn
Official website for Prince Rama: http://princerama.net/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/princeramaofayodhya
Twitter: @princerama2012
Clouder - Serious Business on BTR [ep117]
Formed in Brooklyn in 2011, Clouder made a big splash with their roaring, guitar-driven 60’s-inspired rock ‘n roll. After a brief hiatus as singer Eric Gilstrap moved south, the guys are back in action, playing shows up and down the East Coast and working on new music, pushing their psychedelic wall of sound into new realms, spilling beers, whipping hair, and breaking hearts — we welcome these men back to Serious Business On BTR with open arms.
Featured Song: “Phantom Girl”
Clouder’s Freakin’ Out The Squares is available now.
Complete radio playlist and broadcast: http://b-t-r.co/ZRX3Sx
Clouder on Bandcamp: http://clouder.bandcamp.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ClouderNY
Twitter: @Clouderband
Openly Gay In The NBA - BTR Pulse [ep123]
The landscape of professional sports changed on Monday, April 29th, when NBA center Jason Collins revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he is gay. Collins is the first active player in the history of major U.S. team sports to come out as openly gay. As opinions from notable NBA stars, as well as other well-known personalities, began rolling in, BTR Pulse’s Lauren Hawker asked people about the historical timing of this announcement and what the future may hold for sports and sexual orientation equality.
Featured Song: “Closet Astrologer” by The Ruby Suns
Photo by Joshua S. Kelly
Jason Collins on Twitter: @jasoncollins34
Month In Reivew: April 2013 - Chaz Mannenheim!
Chaz Mannenheim is once again seeking out the news and peoples’ opinions about said news. And boy, does he get what he’s looking for! Laugh and try to stop laughing as Chaz talks to people about the seemingly unfunny material associated with the Boston Marathon Bombing, California’s Attractive Attorney General, and the deaths of Margaret Thatcher and Roger Ebert!! All of it’s here with your favorite news
reporter, Chaz Mannenheim! It’s Month In Review, APRIL 2013!!!!
Chaz on Facebook: http://facebook.com/chazmannenheim
Twitter: @chazmannenheim
Photo credits: RoninKengo, roberthuffstutter
Matt Bauer - BTR Live Studio [ep216]
Songwriter Matt Bauer was born in Kentucky — though he recently lived in Brooklyn and currently calls Austin home — and the music of the region makes itself apparent in his work. Drawing on traditional mountain music, bluegrass, and folk, his songs tell carefully crafted tales with heavy tones and fantastically crafted orchestration.
Featured song: “Andaman Sea”
Matt Bauer’s No Shape Can Hold Me Now is available now on Crossbill Records.
Complete radio playlist and broadcast: http://b-t-r.co/10urCRD
Official website for Matt Bauer: http://mattbauermusic.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/pages/Matt-Bauer/97593575243
Twitter: @mattbauermusic
Butter The Children - Serious Business on BTR [ep116]
Butter The Children is an NYC-based quartet, newly signed to Downtown Records that features members of Le Rug, Sweet Bulbs, and Night Manager (who were previously featured on Serious Business on BTR). The band blasts out satisfying post-punk/indie rock tunes that would make the perfect soundtrack to just about any flick revolving around road trips, wild parties, or young lovers. Keeping the tempos up and the guitars going wild, no moment is wasted with this band. Also, as they tell Travis here, they may be working on a concept record — so there’s that.
Featured song: “Animal”
Complete radio playlist and broadcast: http://b-t-r.co/11w3LO5
Butter The Children on Bandcamp: http://butterthechildren.bandcamp.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ButterTheChildren
Twitter: @BTCNYC
Boston Marathon Bombing - BTR Pulse [ep122]
On Monday, April 15th, two bombs exploded in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three people were killed and more than two hundred others injured, leading to a massive manhunt, the lockdown of a major city, the death and injury of law enforcement officers, and the eventual death of one suspect and capture of another. BTR Pulse’s Lauren Hawker asks people their thoughts on the media’s coverage of the events as well as what rights and considerations they believe the suspect in custody should be allowed.
Featured Song: “I Was A Bomb” by Silent Rider
Photos by Jerome Gerrior Racing, Vjeran Pavic
