Little known and inconspicuous, Brooklyn venue 285 Kent is a tiny warehouse riddled with graffiti. It is a dark, hot, and, yes, dirty space where the beer and mixed drinks appear to be store-bought. Oddly enough, all of these things make it one of the Williamsburg neighborhood’s most interesting and enjoyable venues — assuming you love being tightly sandwiched between bespectacled, skinny jeans-wearing music junkies…and I assume you do.

On Saturday, January 21st, the warehouse became home to the polyrhythmic, noise jam experts, Akron/Family, who took to the stage after openers Dustin Wong and Bad Weather California, both of whom put on an impressive show.

They enticed the frothing and surging all ages crowd with bombardment of experimental textures and sounds before moving into the opening song, “Gravely Mountains of the Moon.” With no end, but rather a heavily reverberating progression they rolled into one of their more well known tracks, “River,” which pleased fans immensely, who screamed along with them. “River” came to its signature climax and erupted with an onslaught of energy from both artists and fans, who jumped in time with Dana Janessen’s percussionary pyrotechnics.

One of the most incredible — if not most heart-warming — moments of their insane performance was the elaborate and sprawling version of “Island.” The track is from their new album, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth of and Journey of Shinju TNT, and it took the audience to another place. Seaton and Olinsky prepped the audience for the mesmerizing journey with witty and sassy dance instructions. Putting their “asses out,” as Seaton said, and with no shame at all, they encouraged fans to throw one finger up in the air. With hands held high, the completely mesmerized group of concertgoers swayed gently from side to side. From there, the harmony grew and the bass swelled into a pulsating and beautifully explosive anthem to an island somewhere far away. The crowd fell silent for the first time all night, entranced in the slow progression and climax of the song. It was an unexpected but happily welcomed change from the combustible web of noise that preceded it.

That moment of powerful emotion was quickly countered by the band’s need for noise, and as the night progressed, so did the chaos. Between jumping and moshing fans came improvisational chord progressions, kaleidoscopic sounds, and the erratic burst of song. After endless prompting from their frenzied listeners, the band finally caved and produced a hypnotizing rendition of “Say What You Want To.”

In signature Akron/Family style, the trio moved between moments of quiet introspection to elongated and distracted waves of distorted sound. As things began to come to a close, Bad Weather California members slowly began to join in the party, making their way both onstage and into the pit of hyped-up fans. As sweat dripped from beards and articles of clothing were ripped apart, Seaton and Olinsky ran their microphones through mixers creating an ambient thunderstorm of sound. They franticly scratched guitar notes and manipulated every chord with pedals and noisemakers into echoing waves.

They made their way off stage and in typical concert fashion, the crowd refused to leave. They sang a random assortment of lyrics from various songs and cheered with hopeful excitement for just a little bit more. Never ones to leave fans unhappy, the group made their way back onstage for an encore — and as fans sang the refrain to “There’s So Man Colors,” it was clear that these Colorado natives have a second home in Brooklyn. They ended with “Light Emerges” and a deep admiration for the crowd that had provided the shot of adrenaline for the show.

Verbicide Free Download: Click here to download “Silly Bears” by Akron/Family

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

• Diamond Terrifier

Check out Jammi York‘s great photos from the Diamond Terrifier show at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn!

• King Owl

  King Owl

• King Owl

  King Owl

• King Owl

  King Owl

• King Owl

  King Owl

• King Owl

  King Owl

• Grandfather

  Grandfather

• Grandfather

  Grandfather

• Grandfather

  Grandfather

• Grandfather

  Grandfather

• Grandfather

  Grandfather

• Grandfather

  Grandfather

Jammi York is shooting CMJ Music Marathon 2011 for Verbicide! Check out shots from his first night out on the town — he caught Grandfather and King Owl at Trash Bar in Brooklyn.

Formed in NYC by kindred musical counterparts, Ian Jacobs (guitar/vocals) and Michelle Feliciano (drums/vocals), The Wicked Tomorrow have garnered attention for their visceral, raw and melodic sound citing comparisons to Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Black Keys and The Velvet Underground by press and fans alike.

For The Wicked Tomorrow, live performances are where this band is really at home. The band’s shows are a juggernaut of sonic treats and intense stage presence, compiling a sound and vibe much bigger than a two-piece would ever suggest. As a result, the band was chosen to represent Brooklyn at the Quiksilver Music Festival in NY alongside Interpol, BRMC, Flaming Lips, Matt and Kim and many more notable acts this past summer. They have also toured the U.S. extensively as support for Mike Watt and The Missingmen, Francis and The Lights, Japanther, Company of Thieves and The Dig, exhibiting the undeniable live energy of their songs and chemistry on stage. Check out their full album at thewickedtomorrow.bandcamp.com.

Click (right click for pc) to download!

Click here to download "Perfectly Wanted" by The Wicked Tomorrow

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

• Dead to Me

A patriotic citizen attempts to start a USA chant on the Brooklyn-bound L train in Manhattan the night of President Obama’s address — and nobody is having it. Oh, New York. -Christina Drill

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Click here to download "You Gotta Lose" by Obits

About the new album, London explains, “I wrote this EP, five songs about modern love, to document what love is in 2011.” His modern point of view shines through, from the uncertain longings in the upbeat “Strange Love,” to the party anthem “Girls Girls $.” His Facebook references and constant cellphone quips are just a few of the ways the he chronicles an ever-changing society and the way people interact.

There’s something unique in the way he crafts his songs. From the upbeat and bass-heavy backbone (reminiscent of ’80s Michael Jackson hits) to the snappy flows and clean samples, it’s a completely fresh twist of retro and neo-pop that makes it no wonder why Warner Bros. wanted to get their hands on him. Guest appearances by Solange Knowles and Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara propel the opening and final tracks as the strongest on the EP, adding a nice contrast to London’s deep-tenor voice.

At 22 years old, the crazy-talented Theophilus London proves himself a legitimate force in the pop music industry. His full length on Warner Bros. will be put out this spring, but until then enjoy the work he does on Lover’s Holiday. His sound is mature, sleek, and eccentric; Kid Cudi on caffeine pills. Any modern pop fan should take a look for themselves.

(Warner Bros., 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505)

The first track, “Tomorrowland,” starts with familiar distortion and drumstick clicks — sounds as pleasing as the cracking of a cold beer.   From there, it’s a fuzzy power-chord anthem chronicling the brutal wait between today and a girl.   The second cut, “Just For You,” is speedy and dark, complete with lines like “feel the kiss of the razorblade.”  The themes here are typical lovesick and lonely, but put forth with enough conviction to invoke some emotion.  The final song, “The Lost Horizon,” gives us a glimpse into the musical potential Object may be holding in for the right moment.  There’s more to this band than they’re willing to give on the EP, but their strongest suit is still present: the inexplicably loud sound put forth despite being a duo.  Object’s full sound easily gives The White Stripes or The Black Keys a run for their money.

(Velcro Kitty Records, no address provided)

• Cobra Skulls

• Cobra Skulls

• Dirty Tactics

• Dirty Tactics

• Mirrors and Wires

• The Jukebox Romantics

Peter Borghard shot Fat Wreck Chords’ Cobra Skulls at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on February 6th. He said that Cobra Skulls played a tight set, and that Dirty Tactics “crushed it,” that they were probably the best band that played. Mirrors and Wires and The Jukebox Romantics also played. Check out his pics.