Scorsese quality

Quick alert for NY'ers - The Film School, a group of 5 from San Francisco, is going to be at Mercury Lounge on Tuesday, May 23 (next week).

These guys are really local and self-produced, which makes me even more eager to give them praise for their first album. The songs take a page from Sigur Ros, but take it up a notch where Sigur can leave you wanting more. There are definitely influences of The Cure and Morrissey in there - emulating that oh-so-lovable British sense of lament. (See: Depeche Mode)

I'm eager to see them if only to check out their eye makeup...

Sample their music on myspace here (Sick of Shame is soft but poignant). FYI, they are actually doing a really cool project where they create a new poster for each U.S. they visit. Check out some of the examples here.

Speaking of upcoming shows at the Mercury, Forward, Russia! is playing there on June 14. These guys were recently featured on the front page of NME.com and have quite a bit of momentum behind them no pun intended. Ha. (Side note: I'm guessing their name is a reference to the literature and art of Russia at the turn of the 20th century just before their revolution. Everything from Kandinsky to Russian books like "Time, Forward" were all about bucking the government.)

The foursome is from Leeds, U.K. and has toured with both The Bravery and Art Brut. Apparently lead singer Katie is mesmerizing live, and can wail with the best of them. They've got a great range. "Sixteen" has a slow build, starting with minimal guitar and lulling vocals that eventually pick up speed to blow you out by the end. Meanwhile, "Seven" is fast the whole way through, even picking up speed at the chorus - sure to get you up and dancing.

Check out their music here, and purchase tickets for their appearance at Mercury here.