Luis Vasquez, the secretive Californian behind the Soft Moon, inhabits old-fashioned goth much like his singer-songwriter peers cling to folk. His take on the style is mannered yet creepy, with spare synths and bass presented as murky echoes of Joy Division. Tonight the live-band version plays behind an album we included on our list of "2015's Best," Deeper.
In mid-2015, riot-grrrl institution Sleater-Kinney dropped some unexpected news by way of its reunion-tour schedule: a December date at the long-shuttered Market Hotel, marking a reopening six years and six figures in the making. A brainchild of Brooklyn independent-music-venue magnate Todd P (see Trans-Pecos and former digs Death by Audio and 285 Kent), the venue that sits along the Bushwick–Bed-Stuy border first closed its doors back in 2010 after cops raided a Smith Westerns show. With the proper licensing now securing its institutional legitimacy, the newly revamped space fortunately retains all its original grungy-as-hell charm: graffitied exteriors, a compact stage crammed in the corner and concertgoers wedged between now-infamous support pillars (the front one even boasts its very own Twitter). Emblematic of the space’s DIY tenet—prioritizing artistic diversity and providing all-ages access and affordable tickets—the inaugural winter-spring schedule features an eclectic mix of talent. Queer nihilist harsh noise (Dreamcrusher headlined the reopening party), experimental punk rap, gauzy indie rock…. It’s all on the menu. Here are our favorite picks.
RECOMMENDED: See our guide to concerts in NYC