Spunky and sunny, Brooklyn-based Team Spirit embodies all the characteristics of their name, creating a swinging surf sound with bursts of poppy cheer. The band is heading to Austin for SXSW and will release their second EP in April, under the wing of buzz creators (and conflict of interests defiers) Vice Records. Listen to the track streaming below from the upcoming EP - epic! - Read Meijin Bruttomesso's interview with the band

This week-end, courtesy of Heard, Paper Box is partying itself into fall with two sweet six-act line-ups in two days - nice one! After a hip hop showcase on Friday, you get as Saturday's (9.29) headliners Brooklyn's notorious art-punk duo Japanther  (who, on Halloween, will be opening for The Misfits!), sharing the spotlight with recent Deli NYC 'Artist of the Month' Team Spirit, and Unstoppable Death Machines, another mighty pair, who came crashing onto the radar in August with the release of their full-length 'We Come In Peace'. Also on stage that night, Cool Serbia and Malcom, as well as New Jersey's The Static Jacks who were added to the bill a little later. If some you're not familiar with, check out Heard's Youtube mix teaser - everything else you need to know, you'll find here. 

Former keyboardist for Passion Pit, Ayad Al Adhamy, certainly knows how to keep a room entertained. His Brooklyn/Boston based band Team Spirit played The Studio at Webster Hall on Tuesday, August 30th. Openers, Static Jacks and Beast Make Bomb (who celebrated their farewell show) set the right atmosphere, starting off the night with a lot of raw energy and catchy hooks. But Adhamy’s scratchy whine and his band's punchy material succeeded in the most challenging of tasks: getting a NYC crowd to bounce to the tunes. With fast-paced punk/pop melodies, the band was completely in sync with tight instrumentals and vocals. The spirited front man jumped off the stage numerous times, dancing with girls in the audience, jamming with fellow guitarist, Cosmo Kilburn Di Giulio, and at one point, encouraging the audience to squat on the ground before he jumped back on stage into an aggressive fit of screams and powerful riffs. Team Spirit will be oopening for Miniature Tigers tonight at the TT the Bear's in Cambridge, MA. - Chelsea Eriksen

The free all ages 4Knots music fest will kick off in high gear on Saturday July 14 from 1-8 pm downtown at the South Street Seaport. Browsing through the NYC based acts performing, we decided to focus on Brooklyn’s Team Spirit, since we covered all the other acts abundantly in the past (Devin, Hospitality, The Drums). This band's repertoire comprises boisterous and disorderly stompers that have the potential to inflame any rock'n'roll craving crowd. "Jesus, He's Alright!" (streaming below) merges 80's era Clash with the farfisa organ sound of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. The vocal phrasing and overall timbre, however lean more towards Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels of the mid 1960's. "Teenage Love" careens along at a similarly frantic pace, as a tale of initial love found inevitably derails and crashes. While "Fuck the Beach" (video here) weaves between the hard riffs and harsh lyrics of the verses to a bouncier surf-rock chorus. Headliners Archers Of Loaf, and Crocodiles round out an excellent day of free music in this (insane) NYC summer heat. - Dave Cromwell