Monday: 12/1
- Brooklyn Paramount: Dijon
- Dijon’s new album Baby is a collage. Its patchwork creates something truly special; stretching the bounds of pop, soul, and R&B. Tickets are pricey, but it just might be worth splurging.
Tuesday: 12/2
- Brooklyn Steel: Blood Orange, voyeur
- Blood Orange’s residency at Brooklyn Steel spans until Friday. Dev Hynes new album Essex Honey is a work of art, a requiem for his childhood in England. The LP is a melancholic soundscape of a suburban upbringing, and it’s some of Blood Orange’s best work.
- Terminal 5: Earl Sweatshirt
- Live Laugh Love. Three cheese words to live by, and also the name of Earl Sweatshirt’s new album. All heart and style, in Live Laugh Love Earl Sweatshirt takes on serious subjects with swag.
Wednesday: 12/3
- Nightclub 101: The Besnard Lakes, Military Genius
- If you like my bloody valentine or Slowdive, you’ll love The Besnard Lakes. The Canadian quintet extends and transcends; all dreams and space. Listen to their new album The Besnard Lakes are Ghost Nation before the show.
- SOB’s: Nardwuar
- This isn’t a show, but how can you miss a chance to see Nardwuar live. Doot doola doot doo!
Thursday: 12/4
- Cassette: Wulfer, Christopher Emond, Kennedy Mann
- Wulfer’s self-titled album reminds me of Trick. Soft at its heart, it drives you down back roads and out into open fields.
- Knockdown Center: LCD Soundsystem, Automatic
- Yeah, LCD Soundsystem is still playing at Knockdown… James Murphy’s second home. This week’s lineup is with Automatic (my favorite of the residency) and plays December 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th.
- Racket: Algernon Cadwallader
- I love some midwest emo and I love Algernon Cadwallader. Please do yourself a favor and watch this youtube video of Some Kind of Cadwallader live from 2010.
- Sleepwalk: Public Circuit, Pop Music Fever Dream, Balaclava
- Public Circuit is on the up. After their week of opening for LCD Soundsystem during the first week of Murphy’s residency, the group is now playing The New Colossus Festival Holiday Party. Free entry!
- Union Pool: Illuminati Hotties
- Before they open for The Beths on Friday, illuminati hotties are playing a solo show at Union Pool. I haven’t really listened to Sarah Tudzin’s project since Kiss Yr Frenemies, but the group still knows how to rock.
Friday: 12/5
- Alphaville: Dogwood Gap, Simple Son, Sockeye
- I respect Dogwood Gap because they named themselves after a Songs:Ohia song. The band’s music channels Jason Molina too; listen to Red Ribbon off Probably Not Enough (a reference to Almost was Good Enough?)
- Brooklyn Paramount: The Beths, Illuminati Hotties
- The indieheads love The Beths. The Auckland band’s new album Straight Line Was a Lie stays true to their fun, poppy sound. It doesn’t deviate, and it’s still good.
- Kings Theatre: Erykah Badu
- In a New York Times interview, Erykah Badu said “when I have something to say, I write an album.” So, be patient. Someday it will come. For now, listen to Badu’s new single Next To You with the Alchemist.
Saturday: 12/6
- Baby’s All Right: Teethe, villagerrr, Aunt Katrina
- Texas based slowcore/shoegaze band Teethe recently released Magic of the Sale. Off the album, the track Holy Water is heat (its TAGABOW coded in a delicious way)
- Christ & St. Stephan’s Church: LEYA, Colle, Deer Park, Patch+, & Livecoded VFX
- I can’t imagine anything more sacred. Leya, Colle, Deer Park, and Patch+ playing beneath stained glass windows by candlelight.
- Elsewhere: MGNA Crrrta, The Dallas Cowboys
- I’ve got a brand new trick… it’s called not giving a shit. The Dallas Cowboys wrote my affirmations. I genuinely listen to Here’s my review: suck my fat cloud everytime I’m at the gym.
- St. Ann & The Holy Trinity: Suzanne Ciani
- Suzanne Ciani and her Buchla synthesizer… Ciani, a careered electronic musician, is bringing her modular electronic music to the nave. Listen to Seven Waves if you have a chance.
- Nightclub 101: Saudi Oil, Reality Enjoyer ft The Test, Pleasure Systems
- Reality Enjoyer dropped her first single Clown Heart last week. The song is sweet. With honest lyrics and a synth lead, Reality Enjoyer is onto something great.
- Cassette: Why Bonnie, Lena Bartels, Bill Dank
- Why Bonnie dropped an EP of bedroom recordings from Wish on the Bone in July. Blair Howerton’s project is pretty big, seeing Why Bonnie play a tiny venue like Cassette is a rare treat.
- The Sultan Room: Düül Suns (Album Release) Slomo Sapiens, Ira Oksman & The Satan Mares
- Psychedelic soul/garage rock band Düül Suns is having their album release at The Sultan Room. If you’re into psych rock, you’ll love what Düül Suns puts down.
Sunday: 12/7
- Bowery Ballroom: Snocaps
- The Anti-records power quartet we didn’t need, but we got. Don’t get me wrong, I like Snocaps self-titled debut, but it feels slightly forced. I’m sure I’ll go back to the album when it’s warm again.
- Union Pool: Ladybug Transistor, Giant Day
- Listening to 1990s chamberpop group Ladybug Transistor draws you into a fairytale. The band is associated with Elephant 6 (Beulah, Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control) and sounds like it, horns in all.