This week is CMJ, and while most people are going to things every hour of the day I’m being very selective (shows aren’t conducive to studying)… but one of those things that I will be attending is happening tonight!

Group Tightener Records is having their showcase at Monster Island!

If you don’t know Group Tightener yet…you probably soon will…they are about to release the first Best Coast 7″. Best Coast is the lo-fi pop act of Bethany Cosentino, and has been drawing a lot of attention lately.  Cosentino was formerly a member of Pocahaunted, and has now moved on to make music that is a little more condusive for the laying in the sun.  While I personally have been moving away from the fuzziness something about Best Coast draws me back.

On top of  Best Coast playing I have heard a lot about Highlife (and the one single that has been released is pretty awesome….see below…features Sleepy Doug Shaw of White Magic) as well… and if these two weren’t enough… Alex Bleeker, Fluffy Lumbers and Ducktails will also be performing… and if you have been following the Great Pumpkin this year you know how big of a fan of Ducktails I am.  Group Tightener and Todd P have put together a line up that can’t be beat.

If you are still on the fence about the show hopefully this will help convince you:

[mp3] Best Coast- “Something in the Way”

“Something in the Way” isn’t on the Group Tightener 7″, but you can order that here.

[mp3] Highlife- “F Kenya Rip” (via Transparent)

[mp3] Ducktails- “Pizza Time”

“Pizza Time” is on the out of print Beach Point Pleasant 7″,  but you should really just pick up all the Ducktails stuff here.

[mp3] Fluffy Lumbers- “Cruisers”

“Cruisers” is not on the Weird Hug 7″, but you can buy that here.

[mp3] Alex Bleeker and the Freaks- “Never Goin’ Back” (via Chocolate Bobka)

If you are looking for something to do before the Group Tightener showcase…you should check out Alphabar NYC…it’s a drinking club that meets every other Wednesday.  Tomorrow is Alphabar’s first time in Brooklyn, and I is for Iona.  Drink specials start at 8pm.  Click on the links for more info, and join the facebook group.

Hope to see you there…this should be a great Wednesday!

Links:

• more on Ducktails here.
• more on Alphabar NYC here.
• Buy Ducktails releases here.
• Buy the Best Coast 7″ here.
• Buy Fluffy Lumbers releases here.
• Group Tightener’s website.

UPDATE 10/22/09: Check out videos of Best Coast live from Monster Island here.

Happy Birthday Barcade!  If you are in Williamburg this weekend it is probably worth stopping into Barcade to see what they have left over from the birthday celebration…the keg list was amazing.

Tonight Friday October 16th:

• Vashti Bunyan @92nd Y Tribeca
• MV & EE @ Issue Project Room
• Beach Fossils and PC Worship @ Market Hotel
• Raincoats @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
• No Age @ the New Museum
• Dirty Projectors @ The Bell House

Saturday October 17th:

• No Age, Soft Circle and more @ Market Hotel
• Free Blood @ Bruar Falls
• Small Black, Fluffy Lumbers @ Death By Audio
• The Glenn Branca Ensemble @ Issue Project Room
• Echo & The Bunnymen @ Mercury Lounge

Monday October 19th:

• Washed Out @ Santo’s Party House

Tuesday October 20th:

• Atlas Sound @ Le Poisson Rouge
• Small Black, Holiday Shores, Surfer Blood, Grooms,  Little Girls, and more @ Cake Shop (Day Show!)
  • Pop Tarts Showcase
• Best Coast @ Cake Shop (Night Show)
• Mountain Men, Julian Lynch, Alice Cohen, Family Portraits, Fluffy Lumbers, Africa Germany Germany @ Monkey Town
  • Chocolatebobka Showcase
• Cold Cave @ the Studio at Webster Hall
• Here We Go Magic, Titus Andronicus, Woods, Beach Fossils @ Webster Hall

Wednesday October 21st:

• Surfer Blood @ Cake Shop
• Screaming Females @ Mercury Lounge
• Ducktails, Highlife, Best Coast, Fluffy Lumbers @ Monster Island Basement
• Atlas Sound @ MHOW
• Holopaw,Real Estate, Surfer Blood, and more @ Pianos (Day Party)
• Cold Cave @ Public Assembly (Late Night Party)
• Real Estate (10:00 – downstairs), I Was A King (9:30 – upstairs), Small Black (9:15 – downstairs), Beach Fossils (7:00 – downstairs), and more @ Santos Party House
• Franklin Bruno, Kleenex Girl Wonder, Peter Hughes @ Union Hall

Thursday October 22nd:

• Yacht @ Brooklyn Bowl
• Nebula @ Cake Shop
• The Smith Westerns, The Beets, Beach Fossils, X-Ray Eyeballs @ Don Pedros
• Japandroids, Real Estate @ Glasslands
• Gary War, Eric Copeland (of Black Dice), Amen Dunes, Expo 70, Fluffy Lumbers @ Market Hotel
• Javelin, The Smith Westerns, Holiday Shores, Railcars @ Shea Stadium
• Small Black @ the Bell House
• The Bruery @ Spuyten Duyvil
  • featuring
    • Orchard White 5.7% (unfiltered witbier spiced with coriander, citrus peel and lavender)
    • Trade Winds Tripel 8% (brewed with rice and Thai basil)
    • Autumn Maple 10% (brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel plus cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup, and fermented with Belgian yeast)
    • Rugbrød (a new strong brown rye ale)
    • Mischief (a new dry-hopped golden strong)
    • White Oak (a brewery-only release; blend of a bourbon-barrel aged wheat wine and a Belgian golden strong)
    • CASK!: 2 Turtle Doves 12% (a dark, roasty Belgian-style ale brewed with cocoa nibs, caramelized sugar and toasted pecans)

There is a ton of stuff going on this week…this is just a small selection.  Check out venue websites for more info…lots of shows are free, cheap, sold out, or require RSVP.

As always more will be added as I see it.

All links to bands link to previous Great Pumpkin posts.

Photo from the Maze at Death By Audio.