Greenpointers Guide to Northside Music 2014

Northside Fest 2014 is finally here. This year, the music portion runs from Thursday evening through Sunday night and the best part is, it all takes place right nearby, with several shows at Greenpoint venues.  But with 400+ bands and people with badges wandering around from venue to venue, the whole ordeal can get a little overwhelming, so we did you a favor and used our encyclopedic knowledge of indie music to curate some must-see shows for the weekend.

Here are our official Greenpointers picks:

THURSDAY

Sharon Van Etten
Sharon Van Etten is also fresh of the heels of a new release, her fourth album “Are We There,” and will be playing the Music Hall of Williamsburg Friday night. Please don’t blame me if Van Etten’s haunting voice, honest lyrics, and folk-tinged ballads cause you to have an emotional reaction- it happens to the best of us. (more info)

TEEN and Saint Pepsi
TEEN just released a new album, “The Way and Color” that has a new funky, soulful edge to it. They will be playing the Terrorbird Media, Carpark Records, Kanine Records, and Insound showcase at the Cameo Gallery, with Saint Pepsi, a disco-pop DJ playing right before them, it is sure to be a big dance party. (more info )

Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus, the New Jersey indie punk heroes, will be playing the Scenic showcase at the Warsaw with Eagulls. If you’re looking to do some light moshing and maybe hear inspirational songs about the civil war and America, this is where you’ll want to be. Plus you never know what will happen. Last time I saw Titus Andronicus lead man Patrick Stickles ate a confederate flag that someone threw on stage and went on an anti-racist rant, so there’s always that. (more info )

FRIDAY

Axxa/Abraxas and Beach Fossils
Embrace summer vibes at the Captured Tracks and Scenic showcase at the Warsaw- Beach Fossils and Axxa/Abraxas will both be providing laid-back, lo-fi surf-rock tunes that sound like the car ride back from the beach at sunset. (more info )

Perfect Pussy and Hop Along
The punk purists will definitely be lining up to see this emerging girl-fronted punk band (I don’t think you’re allowed to have pussy in the name unless someone is a girl), who are notorious for raucous live shows. The secret edge to this show at Knitting Factory is, however, the band Hop Along playing beforehand, another female fronted band that leans more toward the emo side of punk. (more info )

Woods and The War on Drugs
It’s Father’s Day this weekend- and the dads and dad-rock fans in your life will probably enjoy the Woods and War on Drugs show at 50 Kent. Both bands make really pleasant 60s influenced guitar rock, so it should translate to a very fun and pleasant show. Also on the bill is experimental angel Juliana Barwick, for the cool, artsy dad. (more info )

Psychic Twin
The Personal Injury showcase is of course going to have a very unique line-up. Psychic Twin will be offering up the better electro-pop and ethereal vocals you’ll hear all weekend, plus Harvey Sid Fisher will be playing, and he wrote an entire album about astrological signs (seriously. Go listen to it. Your sign is on there.) (more info )

Marnie Stern and Tweens
Marnie Stern’s last album was called “The Chronicles of Marnia.” That should tell you that this show will be fun and lighthearted- but don’t worry, she will be doing a lot of shredding on the guitar and there will be tons of energy. Plus Tweens will be opening for her, and they sound like the type of band you wish you would have been able to see when you were a tween- at some awesome punk high school dance in a 90s movie.

 

SATURDAY

Courtney Barnett
If you can’t make it to Sharon Van Etten, you might be able to satisfy your singer-songwriter desire by seeing Courtney Barnett, an Australian woman who blends a bit of garage, a bit of folk, and a bit of singer-songwriter sweetness into badass perfection. (more info )

Leverage Models
Leverage Models are going to have a next-level energetic performance. They have nostalgic, 80s- New Order synth-dance tendencies, but with stronger, more interesting Afro-beats. You could dance, you could sway, you could even thrash to this music- you definitely won’t stand still. (more info )

 
SUNDAY

Swearin’
Swearin’ is a side project of Allison Crutchfield, who you may know from Waxahatchee. Swearin’ has some similar elements to Waxahatchee- smooth, seductive Crutchfield vocals and 90s garage sounds- but it’s definitely more on the punk side and will be a fun show to catch at Glasslands with Radiator Hospital and Bent Shapes.

Odonis Odonis
Canadian band Odonis Odonis are an industrial band that appeals to people who don’t even like industrial- they’ve got some shoegaze elements, punk elements, noise elements, and strong vocals that will have you leaving satisfied- but don’t forget the earplugs. This music is usually loud, but that’s how it should be. (more info )

Celestial Shore
If you lean more towards the experimental, but still have a gentle pop side, then this is the show you’ll want to be at. Celestial Shore are a Brooklyn band mixing some jazziness, psychedelia, pop, and math-rock into really enjoyable and fun grooves.

Riot Fox
Okay here’s a pro tip: there will be an open bar at Trash Bar from 8-9 on Sunday. But you should already be there to check out Riot Fox, a local no-frills punk band releasing their EP at this show before taking off on an East Coast tour. (more info)

Get out there and have fun!