XL Recordings

For the last few summer's JellyNYC's Pool Parties have been holding it down as arguably New York's funnest free show series (a urprisingly competitive title). Held at Greenpoint's gigantic McCarren Park Pool in the past, the Pool Parties were nearly as notable for their hot-weather activities (dodgeball, a huge slip 'n slide) as for the bands they hosted.

McCarren Park Pool is about to reopen as an actual swimming pool, so this summer, the JellyNYC people have a new location: East River State Park on the Williamsburg Waterfront. They're still calling these shows Pool Parties, though, and the dodgeball and slip 'n slide will make their triumphant returns. UPDATE: the slip 'n slide has been replaced with kiddie pools!

More importantly, the JellyNYC folks have just announced their schedule for this summer, and this thing is a monster. Mission of Burma and Fucked Up and Ponytail and Jemina Pearl from Be Your Own Pet on the same day? The epic Deerhunter/No Age/Dan Deacon round robin tour? Grizzly Bear and Beach House? Dirty Projectors and Magnolia Electric Co.? Girl Talk and Max Tundra and frickin Wiz Khalifa?! All the broke, unemployed people in New York will now have something to do with their Sundays.

Schedule below.

July 12: 
Mission of Burma, 
Fucked Up, 
Ponytail
, Jemina Pearl

July 19: 
Dirty Projectors
, Magnolia Electric Co., White Denim

July 26: ...And You Will...

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"The people we worked with were great, but I think there's a lot of outdated morons at major labels spending too much money on young bands. And we were fortunate enough to be one of them."

-- Former Be Your Own Pet and current Turbo Fruits guitarist Jonas Stein, reportedly still living off his advance money four years after signing to Universal. (via the Nashville Scene, via the Daily Swarm)

The official live return of former Be Your Own Pet singer Jemina Pearl wasn't a big deal by design. On Saturday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, she was just the opening act for reunited hard rockers the Fluid, after all. And her new band, featuring BYOP drummer John Eatherly on guitar, sometime Turbo Fruit Max Peebles on bass, and the Tall Firs' Ryan Sawyer on drums, didn't sound all that different from her old one on this initial run through. Though there were no food fights this time around.

"It feels weird to be back on stage," said Pearl, and you could see her try to break through her old BYOP identity while maintaining the same hand-on-hip antics that made her BYOP identity so fun to watch. (Hence the Transformer button?) She mostly kept mum on her old band, only admitting the breakup was "a bummer." But even playing a bunch of never-heard-before songs to an audience that was more curious than excited, Pearl fell on the floor, made freaky faces, and let plenty of spit hang from her lip. What felt weird for her felt right for almost everyone else.

If you missed it, check out our recent interview with Pearl, where she talks about her old band, her new band, and seeing The House Bunny with Thurston Moore.

Here's video of a new song called "So Sick", via Stereogum.

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Photo by Andy Parker

If you're still crying about Be Your Own Pet's sudden end last August, you are a wuss and you don't deserve to be a true BYOP fan. Seriously, that shit was five months ago. Get over it.

Just look at former lead Pet Jemina Pearl-- it's not like she's sitting around watching "Gossip Girl" while eating a pint of mint chocolate chip. She's soundtracking "Gossip Girl" with the help of Thurston Moore. Plus, she's getting a new band together, writing and recording songs, and playing her first solo show. That show happens this Saturday, January 17, at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg opening for recently reunited punks the Fluid. What have you done in the last five months?

Pearl's new band may look a little familiar. It includes ex-BYOP drummer John Eatherly along with Turbo Fruits bassist Turbo Max and Ryan Sawyer, drummer for Brooklyn country-folkers Tall Firs. Will the new group rip your head off and hurl it in a gutter a la BYOP or is this Pearl's "quiet" moment when she sits on a stool and hums "Big Yellow Taxi" to herself?

New items in the merch store that have never been sold in the USA before and just in time for the Holiday Season! Plus you might qualify for free shipping!  Check out our merch page yo!

Holiday offers in the Be Your Own Pet Official StoreNew this week - Be Your Own Pet - 2008's Get Awkward UK ONLY Edition - LPNew this week - BYOP 7' Box Set - No Longer In Print!!!!Free item - Spend $...

Holiday offers in the Be Your Own Pet Official StoreNew this week - Be Your Own Pet - 2008's Get Awkward UK ONLY Edition - LPNew this week - BYOP 7' Box Set - No Longer In Print!!!!Free item - Spend $...

We have a few exciting offers in the Be Your Own Pet Official Store!First, check out our brand new 7" LPs (one for each band member - collect them all!) and buttons.As an added bonus - spend $20.00 or...

Straight from the UK - 7 inches and buttons!  Check out our merch page for all details and the special poster promo!

We have a few exciting offers in the Be Your Own Pet Official Store!First, check out our brand new 7" LPs (one for each band member - collect them all!) and buttons.As an added bonus - spend $20.00 or...