Beast of 'Unburden'

 

Another Halloween-ish music video...  this is Mode Moderne with "Unburden Yourself."

While there's a gloomy 1980s new wave sound, the song by the Vancouver-based band is from 2014. 

'Vapor' trail

 

Been looking for some new Halloween-seasonal music videos (something other than the EVG standby by Siouxsie and the Banshees!).

The above video is for the recently released single "Vaporized" by the Seattle-based Sea Lemon. (And yes — she does look like Wednesday Addams-Christina Ricci here.)

This is 'Elvis in the Army'

 

A. Savage, frontman of NYC's Parquet Courts, just released his second solo album, Several Songs About Fire (Rough Trade Records). 

The video here is for "Elvis in the Army."

The 'Kiss' of life

 

Blonde Redhead returns with Sit Down for Dinner, their first record in nine years (worth the wait!). The new songs are said to be inspired by a passage from Joan Didion's 2005 memoir, "The Year Of Magical Thinking" — "Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends."

The audio track here is for "Kiss Her Kiss Her." You can watch the band's epic video for "Sit Down For Dinner (Pts. 1 & 2)" only on YouTube. (There's an age restriction on it that prevents the embed function.) 

The NYC trio that formed in 1993 plays at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 10. 

P.S. 

Today is Bandcamp Friday.

'Paving' the way

 

A song in EVG's heavy rotation since its release last month — "The World's Biggest Paving Slab" by the UK (Leeds!) band English Teacher.

Subsonic Youth

 

Subsonic Eye, an indie band from Singapore, recently released its fourth LP, All Around You. 

The video here is for "Yearning." 

And you can check out the band's brand of jangle pop on tour out at Baby's All Right on Oct. 22.

'Thursday' on my mind

 

Seattle supergroup Who Is She? recently released a new LP, Goddess Energy (Father/Daughter Records).

The catchy track here is for "Thursday," a top-3 day of the week. 

Modern love

 

Tomorrow (Saturday!) night, Modern English plays at the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls, 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

And ahead of this, we've had several conversations with people about Modern English, known to many simply as the English band that made the iconic 1980s new-wave smasheroo, "I Melt With You." 

The band's first record, Mesh & Lace from 1981, is a moody, post-punk gem. Subsequent releases saw Modern English taking a more commercial-friendly tone... featuring some excellent tracks, like "Someone's Calling" (above) from 1983 and "Ink and Paper" from 1986... a rare two-for-Friday-at-5 combo!

 

Let the 'Goodtime!' roll

 

After two buzzy records, the Nashville-based Be Your Own Pet called it quits in 2008. 

Here then, 15 years later, the band is back with Mommy, which shows BYOP staying true to their garage punk roots. 

The video here is for "Goodtime!"

The 'Hole' truth

 

JessX, fresh off a great set in Tompkins Square Park on Aug. 12, released this video for "Hole" this week.

Find more of the local band's music here.

Night falls on 'Manhattan'

 

A Saturday night Friday-at-5 special edition... former East Village resident Cat Power (aka Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshal) released this track, "Manhattan," on her 2012 record Sun ... an instantly great song that some saw as "a celebration and elegy at once." 

Cat Power is the special guest on the Modest Mouse-Pixies bill this summer ... which includes two sold-out nights this Monday and Tuesday at the Rooftop at Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport.

Burning the 'Midnight' oil

 

The B-52s, the new wave icons out of Athens, Ga., are wrapping up a farewell tour.

Meanwhile, the group's singer and co-founder, Cindy Wilson, is releasing her second solo album, Realms, on Aug 25 via Kill Rock Stars. 

All early tracks sound solid, like this dance-floor groove "Midnight."

Stop, look and listen

 

Annie Hart, a member of the under-appreciated Brooklyn-based Au Revoir Simone, just released her fourth solo album, The Weight of a Wave.

The above video, in which Hart does a Yvonne Rainer-inspired dance, is for the Instagram-era single "Stop Staring at You."

And you can see her live on Aug. 18 at TV Eye in Brooklyn. 

Wet Hot American 'Stunner'

 

Every-Friday-at-5™ faves Osees (Thee Oh Sees!) have a new record, Intercepted Message, out this Aug. 18.

From that record, "Stunner."

See them live (no, really!) this coming Sept. 22-23 at the Warsaw. 

Love and basketball

 

Local band Rebounder released a new song/video this past week... ahead of their forthcoming record, Sundress Songs.

This is "Library," said to be about "a dissolving relationship" ... and featuring additional vocals by Eliza Callahan of Purr.

Meanwhile, Rebounder is headlining Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night.  

Lifeguard on duty

 

The young Chicago band Lifeguard has a new EP out now on Matador... this video is for the track "17-18 Lovesong." 

They were on the Summerstage bill last night in Central Park with Horsegirl, Iceage and Water From Your Eyes.

'gothgirl1' summer

 

Next month (Aug. 18!), local band cumgirl8 will see the release of their new EP on 4AD.

Ahead of that, cumgirl8 released this visualiser video for the single "gothgirl1."

You can see them live on July 28 at the all-new Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on Avenue A.

Check out the EVG Q&A with cumgirl8 here. 

A trip 'Wire'

 

Bush Tetras, the influential post-punk/no-wave band that got its start on the Lower East Side in the late 1970s, just released a new video for their single "Bird on a Wire." 

The video, featuring singer Cynthia Sley in front of EV storefronts that housed some iconic businesses, also includes a supporting role from East Village-based photographer GODLIS. 

The track is from the band's new LP, They Live in My Head, out on July 28. 

And catch Bush Tetras — with new members bassist Cait "Rocky" O'Riordan and drummer Steve Shelley joining original guitarist Pat Place — on Sept. 15 at Le Poisson Rouge on Bleecker Street.

Revisiting a classic 'New Amsterdam'

 

Something different for this Friday-at-5 segment.

This video premiered on June 23 ... "New Amsterdam" composed by Moondog and performed by Calefax Reed Quintet... and filmed and edited by East Village resident H. Paul Moon. 

You can read more about the making of the video here. 

As you'll see, the East Village has a supporting role, including St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, First Park and First Street Art Park. 

In addition, there's a scene where Moondog biographer Robert Scotto — a West Village resident — sits on the stoop of the composer's former address at 179 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

This piece from Untapped Cities has more about Moondog, born Louis Hardin in 1916 ... aka "the Viking of Sixth Avenue" ... 

Moondog was a fixture of two different worlds in New York City. He was both a respected musician who worked with big names in genres ranging from classical to jazz to rock music, as well as an enigmatic street performer.

Sweetness and 'Light'

East Village-based duo The Acute just released a new video (world premiere!) for their track "Light Change" from last year's EP, Alien Theatre. 

Read our Q&A with the band here.

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