After years of steady dues paying, underground art-rockers Gang Gang Dance (above and below) are having a moment: The just-released Saint Dymphna, their most-focused offering to date, has drawn instant acclaim. Chalk it up to the dashes of pop melody and song structures that now dapple their already impressive repertoire of dense, fractured sonics, and future-primitive tribal rhythms. Gang Gang Dance headline The Social Registry CMJ showcase this Friday at partying-evangelist Andrew W.K's Santos' Party House. Also in attendance will be their equally hairy label brethren Growing, Psychic Ills. and Sian Alice Group&,dash;be prepared for a heavy dose of some of the finest local avant-rock.
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But it's not all rock at Santos'. On Saturday Primetime takes over Santos' downstairs for a dance throw-down featuring local disco masterminds James F!@$%^ Friedman and Eamon Harkin, with DJ legend Greg Wilson and his trusty Revox reel-to-reel as the esteemed guests of honor. Dancing shoes required. Santos', however, isn't AWK's only venture since he dialed down the head-banger messianism. He just produced Repentance, the new album from the 72-year old mad reggae God Lee "Scratch" Perry (below, left).
The Bowery Ballroom winds down the CMJ whirlwind this Saturday with local ear-bleeders A Place to Bury Strangers (above, left). Watch them defend their Loudest Band in New York moniker with assaults of gloomy white-heat guitar fire. Paving the way are guitar freak Marnie Stern, Shaggs-tastic garage brutists the Vivian Girls (below), and free-form Pitchfork darlings Crystal Antlers. Tinnitus, here we come.
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