Tonight Todd P hosts a monster bash at Bushwick's Market Hotel. Headlining is Surfer Blood, who have received massive attention nationally. They took hold when they visited New York in October for CMJ, during which they played at least 10 shows (we saw them at Cake Shop) and amassed a gargantuan following. They hail from West Palm Beach, FL and mix their southern coastal upbringing with indie roots to create a suave, prolific sound. Their music can be likened to that of fellow indie pop group Vampire Weekend, taking a great deal of influence from surf rock pioneers The Beach Boys, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Dick Dale, The Surfaris and (of course) The Beatles. In conjunction with their sunny tendencies, Surfer Blood's music has an epic, anthemic quailty, especially in tunes like "Swim" and "Floating Vibes."
As is Todd P's signature, there will be a slew of local opening acts, including the Turbo Fruits (always good for a brief and nutritious ear snack), Beach Fossils (erosive lo-fi vocals with grainy guitars, though they're never watered down), The Morning Benders (whose new album, Big Echo, we really dig) and Grooms.
Surfer Blood's reverberating tones will be well met by the Market Hotel's DIY space. Besides being one of Bushwick's many hipster-havens, the Market Hotel is all-ages. For 21+ers, friendly bartenders serve relatively cheap drinks from a table in the back corner (they do check IDs). The people are very nice, but the venue, especially on nights like tonight, can get extremely crowded, and they will likely close the doors to newcomers once people start falling down the back stairs. Don't be late.
Surfer Blood will also be DJing an afterparty at Beauty Bar just down the street, doing a free in-store performance at Other Music on Sunday, and playing Sunday night at Mercury Lounge on Sunday with Turbo Fruits, We Are Country Mice and Radical Sons.
Check out videos of Surfer Blood, Turbo Fruits, Beach Fossils and The Morning Benders below.
Surfer Blood - "Swim":
Turbo Fruits - "Naked with You":
Beach Fossils - "Vacation" (live at Cameo Gallery, by Chocolate Bobka):
The Morning Benders - "Excuses" (by Yrs Truly):
