I'm gonna be straight with you. Doing Northside on Saturday and Sunday this year is pretty iffy for me. CD1 has a two-day swim meet. CD2 has softball and other activities. CoolMom leaves for an international business trip on Sunday afternoon.
Here's a preview, though, of the stuff I would love to see if everything goes perfectly and I'm able to head up to Brooklyn. Several of these bands play New Jersey -- even Asbury Park -- often; so, if you can't get to Brooklyn yourself, keep an eye on the listings here for your chance to catch them when they come around.
Saturday, June 13th
Bully, Alvvays at 50 Kent
I've been absolutely loving what I've been hearing from Nashville's Bully as they get closer to the June 23rd release of their debut LP. I tried to make it to Baby's Alright when they last came through NYC, but that show sold out quickly. Alicia Bognanno writes raw and emotional songs delivered in a package of 90s-infused rock.
The self-titled debut from Toronto's Alvvays has been my obsession for the last few months. It's one of those records that I just automatically turn to when I can't think of anything else. "Archie Marry Me," "Adult Diversion," and "Party Police" never get old for me.
Throw in the fact that Built to Spill and Best Coast headline this bill, and this is a can't-miss.
A Deer A Horse at Bar Matchless
I met A Deer A Horse singer / guitarist Rebecca Satellite back in February, and she gave me a download card. I've enjoyed the band's "urgent rock n roll" ever since. There's a strain of that late 70s New York poetry punk running through A Deer A Horse's DNA. This is an early show, so a tough one for me.
Lazyeyes at Black Bear
I went to The Saint for a last-minute show by Jersey City's Overlake and noticed that Lazyeyes were on the bill. You may remember that they were part of the Hearts Bleed Radio Brooklyn mixtape that I shared here a while back. The band do that jangly, reverby thing that I like and I'd love another chance to see them live.
Against ME! / Mitski / Cayetana in McCarren Park
What can I say about this one? This is the free show in McCarren Park on Saturday afternoon. Seeing Mitski has been a goal of mine for a while now. Cayetana made one of my favorite records of 2014. Against ME! are Against ME!
Hey Anna / Coastgaard at Knitting Factory Brooklyn
Despite having many, many opportunities, I've only ever seen Hey Anna one time. It was a late, end-of-night set at Asbury Lanes. They blew me away. Their brand of pop has a tropical feel to it, and they do it so well.
Now, if I do manage to head up to Brooklyn on Saturday, Hey Anna and I will probably pass each other on the road. They play a 1pm set at Knitting Factory (no chance I'll be there early enough), and then they head to Asbury Park for an evening set at APYC.
Also on this bill are Coastgaard. I reviewed the band's beach-tinged self-titled EP for Speak Into My Good Eye, and their live show at Shea Stadium lived up to the sounds of that set.
Viet Cong at Music Hall of Williamsburg
This Canadian quartet plays complex and intricate psychedelic post-punk. Viet Cong sound like they'd be a pretty wild act to see live. They're playing two nights at MHOW.
Toy Cities at Pete's Candy Store
Toy Cities played that same show at Shea where I saw Coastgaard. They do their own take on the post-punk / indie aesthetic. There are a few shoegazy elements here and there, and I remember being pretty impressed by their set. I'd like to check them out again.
Nude Beach at Union Pool
Nude Beach put out a ballsy record in 2014. 77 is an 18-song, 68-minute collection that mines some of the late-70s and early-80s sounds of classic rock and power-pop. Nude Beach bring a punk, DIY attitude to the whole thing; and audiences have responded extremely positively every time I've seen the band play. Some sounds never get old.
Sunday, June 14th
The Brooklyn What at Union Pool
I saw the Brooklyn What with CoolMom at Maxwell's as part of The Everymen's last show there. They put on a fantastic show, and some of the tracks from 2013's Hot Wine ("The Basement," "Punk Rock Loneliness") are actually quite brilliant. It's rock, pure and simple, rooted in The Replacements and Hüsker Dü; and it's a ton of fun.
Whiskey Bitches / Haybaby at The Gutter
More gritty garage rock with Whiskey Bitches. 2014's Never Enough is 4-tracks of bouncing, buzz saw punk.
Haybaby are another of those bands I saw at the Hearts Bleed Radio Showcase last year. They've since signed to Tiny Engines. Their debut LP Sleepy Kids is due this summer. Based on what I saw last year and what you can hear on Superpresent, Haybaby touch on quite a few classic indie rock sounds that I love.
Big Quiet at Black Bear
On Big Quiet's self-titled LP, Marisa Cerio's guitar and Mitch Easter's production yield a sound that blends shoegaze and southern gothic pop into something that was a wonderful discovery for me earlier this year. Big Quiet put their own stamp on some classic sounds by incorporating some noise and Cerio's unique vocals.
So that's it. Like I said, Saturday and Sunday are going to be gametime decisions for me, but head over to the Northside Festival website and make up your own schedule. Feel free to let me know on the Interwebs if you see anything really great.
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