The Bowery Presents

Music Hall of Williamsburg upcoming shows

Foals
official website
myspace
Foals are a band that have been on my“to do list" for quite some time now. A friend just caught them on the weekend at CMJ in New York and texted me “HOLY FUCKING SHIT. amazing" not to my surprise. Wrapping up post-punk in its most rigid package, these five from Oxford and Brighton are as tight as a duck's arse, as the saying goes. Out of the new wave that began back in around 2000 or so with acts like Liars, the Rapture, and so on, Foals make a case for being the most astute out of any band with a Gang of Four hang-up. Much like that legendary band, Foals are all fucking business; there's no room for cute catch phrases, pretentious wanking or obvious attempts to get playlisted on commercial radio. The focus is centered squarely on rhythmic tension and building it with an upsurge that never loses its clout. That they just so happen to know a thing or two about melody, well, that's all the more reason to blog like mad about them. They've come a long way since last year's debut single, “Try This On Your Piano." This year's pair of singles “Hummer" and “Mathletics" (especially the former) have put the band at the forefront of the UK's indie scene and ushered them into the New York studio of TV On the Radio's David Sitek. “Balloons" is their third single for the brilliant Transgressive label (out next month), and shows immediate signs of breaking these guys into the consciousness of a much bigger market. From the opening guitar riffs Foals demonstrate the same kind of calculative precision that's made Battles one of the year's most talked about bands. The guitars climb up and down with stressed out staccato, the sharp, danceable polyrhythms are fiercely meticulous, and the seemingly bothered singer Yannis Philippakis even invites some help to boost the chant-heavy chorus into a celebration. - Cam Lindsay, Exclaim
Girl in a Coma
official website
myspace
Naming themselves in homage of the Smiths' song "Girlfriend in a Coma," Girl in a Coma started in San Antonio, TX, with bassist Jenn Alva and drummer Phanie Diaz, two best friends who bonded thanks to a shared interest in Nirvana and the Smiths. The duo endured several failed experiments in both band lineups and musical styles before discovering that Nina Diaz, Phanie's younger sister, possessed talent as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Though Nina was only 12 when she performed her first song for them, both Alva and Diaz recognized her potential. After recruiting the younger Diaz, Girl in a Coma spent five years writing, performing, and touring before coming to the attention of label reps and tour managers in the summer of 2004. One of the managers sent a homemade demo tape to Morrissey music director Boz Boorer; after hearing it, Boorer invited the trio to London to record its first demo. Soon after returning, Girl in a Coma found themselves featured in a television documentary about emerging Latino bands. As part of the show, the group went to New York City for a show at the Knitting Factory and a surprise meeting with Joan Jett. While on camera, Jett and her producing partner Kenny Laguna praised the trio's set -- and invited the band to join the Blackheart Records label. Girl in a Coma accepted and released their debut album, Both Before I'm Gone, in May 2007.
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