Jason’s Picks: Oct. 7-Oct. 13

On the road promoting his upcoming DVD for his short film The BQE, Sufjan Stevens makes his way to Williamsburg with a seven piece band, and weirdo chamber pop group Cryptacize opening for him. The DVD (which Stevens also scored, wrote, and directed) is Stevens most Brooklyncentric work to date. After promising to write an album for each of the fifty states, the work about the inner-borough expressway was not only Stevens declaration of love for his current habitations, but also his first excuse to say that he may have been joking about the fifty state thing. Cryptacize is also a not-to-be-missed group. Sounding something like a cross between a soundtrack for a Spaghetti Western and the Fiery Furnaces, the band seem to be finding their footing.
10/7, Music Hall of Williamsburg, 15 dollars

People are getting excited for Pow Wow! for all the right reasons. The band know pop music, and wear their twee-ness on their sleeves. Yet somehow though, they don’t come off sounding at all related to bands like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but more like the early Belle and Sebastian singles, if filter through K Records. It’s a refreshing take on a familiar sound that has earned them praise all over the internet, and being named one of the “8 NYC bands you need to hear” by L Magazine.
10/7, Public Assembly, 10 dollars

Maybe the south is rising again? They are doing something right by churning out all of these really good mutant garage bands. Wizzard Sleeve are definitely mutant something or another, not necessary garage, maybe more like the angry step-child of Devo, lashing out by getting into LA punk rock from the late 70’s? Whatever the case, one of the best named bands in rock n’ roll find their way to Shea Stadium on Thursday.
10/8, Shea Stadium (not the baseball stadium), 7 dollars

What better way to christen the new Williamsburg version of the Knitting Factory, than by a little bit of Canadian heavy metal? 3 Inches of Blood are hardly playing around anytime they hit the stage, and their Judas Priest worshiping has garnered them a pretty large fanbase. This one will be wall-to-wall headbanging.
10/9, Knitting Factory, 15 dollars

If you don’t mind trekking all the way to the outer-edges of Bushwick, Market Hotel has a large-sized bill for you, that is sure to be an all-night party featuring not only local glam punk outfit Stalkers, the damaged psychedelic fuzz of Turbo Fruits, but also the main attraction of Israeli band Monotonix. The group never seem to stop touring, but honestly, we can’t complain, as just about every show is just as insane as the last. This one will probably leave you hungover the next day.
10/10, Market Hotel, price TBA