Written by Patrick McNamara

Hey, man. This week may start breezy like a chill, protected tide pool. But don’t get cocky out there. Because it ends like riptide.

So let’s ease on into the goodness. The first few nights we acclimate. By the weekend, we dominate.

These are The Best Shows in NYC This Week.

Stay with me. Don't you give up on me!!!!

Monday - August 11th, 2014 A.D.

Haerts play Brooklyn Bowl. In spite of doing the deliberate typo thing this Brooklyn band’s synth pops pretty good. The radio could very well be interested in spinning some of their “cuts” (music industry insider term). Hell, maybe the radio already does. I don’t listen to the radio. I even made a custom t-shirt that says “I don’t listen to the radio.” It doesn’t make me look like an asshole at all. By the way. This show is free.

Princess Nokia (formerly known as Wavy Spice) plays Baby’s All Right. She describes her sound as being, “Like a teenage assassin in a never ending sci-fi anime.” In other words, these hip-hop beats under super smooth vocals go pretty big time. Alright. Enough already. Let’s drop the booms.

Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone, BONE, bone. Now tell me what ya gonna do (when there ain’t nowhere to run). When judgement comes for you (when judgement comes from you). God, I used to love that song. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony play S.O.B.’s tonight. Go and pour one out for Uncle Charles, y’all

Other notable shows = For a relaxing time make it Netflix time

SEE ALL OF OUR MONDAY PICKS

Tuesday - August 12th, 2014 A.D.

Tori Amos plays Beacon Theater. She’s one of those singer songwriters you either love or hate or feel indifferent towards or never think about. And let me tell you what. There’s not a lot of artists you can say that about.

(it's like, I don't like Mondays either, but I'm not going to write a sad song about it - try a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich sometime - they work wonders for the soul)

The Cult play The Paramount. They are/were that ‘80s British band that had those innocuous dirtbag power pop songs that you probably heard somewhere at some point.

I don’t know, man. You think this Tuesday night in NYC is a slow night if I’m talking about Tori Amos and The Cult? I just play it as it lays. Every night can’t KILL and RULE and DESTROY. How is that fun?

Don’t worry. It gets better. Stay with me, now. Stay. With. Me. Don't you quit me!!!!

Other notable shows = for a relaxing time make it Amazon Prime time

SEE ALL OF OUR TUESDAY PICKS

Wednesday - August 13th, 2014 A.D.

Chicago’s Twin Peaks play Mercury Lounge (and Thursday at Baby’s All Right). This band plays grimy glam-y power pop garage rock. On this standout song I’m about to post for you (because I’m always doing #sweet #things #like #that) singer Clay Frankel sounds like King Krule meets Iggy Pop. I shit you not.

Boston’s Kal Marks play Death by Audio tonight (with Sleepies + Left and Right + Washer). This wonderfully weird eccentro-pop* band will indie rock your face UP with their boozy melodic malaise. Even though their songs will remind you that one day we’ll all die you should still go see them. It’ll be fun.

(*yep - still trying to get eccentro-pop into the zeitgeist - since 2004 - I still believe)

DJ Dog Dick plays McCarren Park before whatever “Audience Choice” fun summer popcorn flick they end up showing for SummerScreen (I voted for Sophie’s Choice!). [UPDATE: It's Spice World] That’s DJ Dog Dick, ladies and gentleman. DJ...Dog...Dick.

Other notable shows = Imperial Topaz at Palisades + Tori Amos at Beacon Theater + Miwa Gemini at Bryant Park + Future Blondes at Home Sweet Home + Kings of Leon at Jones Beach

SEE ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY PICKS

Thursday - August 14th, 2014 A.D.

OK. Now we’re talking. Now the ball is rolling. Now the goodness is flowing.

Dancing spiritual rollers Holy Ghost! play a free show at House of Vans. You needed to RSVP. If you didn’t, well, look towards the skies because miracles have been known to happen. This one time I found a parking space in my neighborhood after circling for only 40 minutes! The Big Guy made that happen for me. I just know it.

Twee-ish indie popsters Frankie Cosmos play this new club called MoMA tonight for something cleverly titled “MoMA Nights.” My first job in NYC was selling tickets at MoMA* and directing people to the bathrooms. And now I do dynamic data entry concerning local music shows for my blob. Follow your dreams. Sometimes they come true.

(*I also sold Tom Waits a yearly membership. When I directed him to fill in his zip code on the form he looked up at me and said, “What’s a zip code?”)

Pretty & Nice (their "Farewell NYC" show) + Adult Dude play Glasslands. Here’s what I said about Adult Dude wayyyyy back in January. “If you like guitar music that’s on good terms with grunge but is also winking wistfully at the ‘90s indie rock while also bringing the bouncy melodies we know and love from the current alt rock of today, then Adult Dude just might be the new band for you.” And then I said something about Dinosaur Jr. and Superchunk and blah blah blah and such as and so forth. Good band, tho!

Other notable shows = Woodsman at Palisades + Weeknight at Rough Trade + Chris Gethard at Union Hall

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY PICKS

Friday - August 15th, 2014 A.D.

Now we’re talking, old boy. Now. We’re. Talking. It’s worth sticking it out with good old Whoa My Blobness. Let’s talk about not 1, not 2, not 3, but 6 really good shows tonight. 6! Yeah, girl. He went there.

Loud Brooklyn lads The Men lead a good lineup at Brooklyn Night Bazaar. We won’t tell you the other bands playing. Gotta keep things spicy around here. As always, this show is free. As always, I always say “as always” on this thing before saying shows here are free. Wheels within wheels, man. You won’t be able to hear a pin drop at this one. But you might hear a canon explode. Oh, wait. No. That’s probably just the guitars.

Couch Slut play Cake Shop (with Vulture Shit and some other lovely bands, I’m sure). Here’s the thing you need to know about Couch Slut. They scare the POOP out of me. Here. Watch this video concert live music show snippet posted below. Then go see them do it for real. Unless you’re chicken. Bawk! Bawk! I kind of am.

(why did the chicken cross the playground? to get to the other slide. shut up, suckness)

Montreal’s Sean Nicholas Savage + Brooklyn’s Nicholas Nicholas (if you click that profile you will see that on September 17th, 2013 I compared Nicholas Nicholas to Sean Nicholas Savage - you see? - a blobber prepares) play Death by Audio. Both play bittersweet personal pop for alts who find beauty in pain and darkness in pleasure. Party music, it’s probably not. And you might have to dig a few layers to find the sublime moments of musical transcendence at work here. But it’ll be worth the work. If it were easy, everyone would love it. And where’s the fun in that?

The two-day Daylight Festival starts tonight at Europa. It’s mostly real dance-y*. Teengirl Fantasy + Pictureplane lead the moves. Click here if you want to know who else is playing. And what the hell, click here and we’ll even tell you who’s playing there tomorrow too. We go the extra mile around here at Rockness HQ which is also my bedroom.

(*”mostly real dance-y” - my god, that’s dynamic descriptive digital content)

Oakland stoner sludge band High on Fire play a free show Music Hall of Williamsburg. Bring earplugs and nobody gets hurt. Yes. This was also an RSVP situation. I hope you did. Or, I hope you don’t like stoner sludge and don’t care that you did not. I just want everybody to be happy.

Beverly play pretty pop swirls to Rough Trade. I once said this breezy summer beach bliss has bite (circa June 17th 2014 A.D. - ahhh, those were simpler days, weren’t they?). And you know what? I completely 100% agree with myself - all these weeks later.

Other notable shows = Doug Stanhope at Highline Ballroom + ARMS at Mercury Lounge + Psychic Twin at Glasslands + Xeno & Oaklander at Baby’s All Right

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY PICKS

Saturday - August 16th, 2014 A.D.

Blood Orange (aka Dev Hines + crew) play Central Park Summerstage (also with Sean Nicholas Savage who I sooooo already sweated about). That dude has had a tough year. But he’s still pumping out the solid hits (PS did you know he also wrote this and this? - he truly is the Prince of Pop). In summation, this good show is FREE.

By the way, I can’t believe I’ve gotten this far without mentioned our Free Summer Shows list again this week. I’m really losing my edge here.

The stunningly sublime lo-fi college whiz kid Alex G plays Shea Stadium. He should really tour with Kurt Vile sometime. And I should mind my own business. You’re going to like this guy’s strong blissed out folk pop. I guarantee it.*

(*guarantee not a guarantee - we are all different - like little snowflakes - you do you - it’s your journey, man - but if you don’t like Alex G - I hope you melt)

Remember when I included Free Time on this dynamic feature last week? It’s OK if you don’t. I don’t expect you to cherish these words forever - no matter how precious. But if you do - you’ll remember I said Jonah Maurer was in that easy breezy pop band. He’s also in this easy breezy pop band Shorts (when he’s not in this easy breezy pop band called Real Estate). Anywho, Shorts play Cake Shop tonight. And this right here is an easy breezy pop JAM.

Echo & the Bunnymen are the 2nd best band to ever come out of Liverpool (the #1 being totally obvious…. Frankie Goes to Hollywood*... duh). These moody post-something Brits have been slinging the underground pop hits since 1978. What a year that was. See them at Irving Plaza tonight (and tomorrow too).

(*most leading music critics disagree with me about the #1 band to ever come out of Liverpool, of course - they say A Flock of Seagulls)

Other notable shows = MoMA PS 1 Summer Warm Up + Doldrums at Silent Barn + The Double (whoa - blast from the past) at Union Pool (free) + Midnight Magic at Rippers + DJ Juan Maclean at Output + Neighbors at Glasslands + Jacco Gardner at Baby’s All Right + DJ Dog Dick at Europa...that’s DJ Dog Dick, ladies and gentlemen...DJ...Dog...Dick

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY PICKS

Sunday - August 17th, 2014 A.D.

If you missed beautifully brutal United Nations + brutally beautiful Frameworks play Saint Vitus the other week, I have good news for you. They both play Asbury Lanes. Now for the bad news. Asbury is in New Jersey. Don’t get me wrong. New Jersey is a very nice place. I summer there. But it’s not that nice of a commute if you live in NYC. But you’re going to deal with it and do it. I know you will. Because I believe in you.

Spanish electro pop masters Delorean play a free show at The Surf Lodge. Good news. They’re good. Bad news. The Surf Lodge is in Montauk. Montauk is a very nice place. But I’ve never summered there. Because I’m not an asshole. (Except when I wear my “I don’t listen to the radio” shirt.)

And finally. Veteran Canadian metal punks Propagandhi play Webster Hall. Did you know they’ve been slinging the goodness since 1986? My how time flies when you’re shredding ideologies. Believing in something always makes the day go by faster.

However. You will never get the minutes back that you spent reading this. It’s a good thing for you and me this content was so #dynamic.

Other notable shows = Prince Rupert’s Drops at Union Pool + Hannibal Buress at Knitting Factory + Echo & the Bunnymen at Irving Plaza (again)

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY PICKS

Thanks for sticking it through this week. We went from tidal pool to riptide. And the 13 of you who made it all the way to the end are not only closers, but you’re also my bffs. Yes. I’m talking about you, bb bae bae boo boo.

Let’s do it again sometime. How’s next week sound? Say nothing and it shall be so. Great. That’s a deal.