The Orwells destroyed the other night opening for Arctic Monkeys and Deerhunter at Agganis Arena. Yes, Agganis Arena, a corporate monstrosity, not very rock ‘n’ roll, but damn we just had to catch three bands we’ve loved over the years all packed together on one fine bill. Check out The Orwells on the rest of their tour with Arctic Monkeys and take a gander at the music video above for “The Righteous One” directed by Eddie O’Keefe.
All posts by Chris DeCarlo
Review: Kal Marks, Potty Mouth, Malatese, DB Cooper @ Craft House (1/31/14)
Bands: Potty Mouth, Malatese, Kal Marks, DB Cooper
Date: Friday, January 31, 2014
Venue: Craft House/ Crab Haus (Medford, MA)
We KLYAMERS scramble around Tufts University looking for this place for a good while until we finally see a big van with musicians unloading equipment outside of it. This is the place. I love these little clues when you’re searching for the right house that’s holding the show. I remember one time I overheard some dude respond to the doorman’s donation request with “hey man, this PBR 40 is all I have on me.” That always killed me, cause I knew right away this is the place.
I’ve never been to a show here before, but it looks like a lot of fun. A living room is packed with college kids, blowing off steam after a long, hard week of working and/or partying. It’s a relatively decent space and in fact there’s a camera set up on a tripod in the back of the room, catching all of the evening’s activity. I feel like this space is a much cleaner version of what the Die Slaughterhaus (Atlanta house venue, early double ohhs) must have been like. Ohh God, I would have killed to have caught just one Black Lips basement show in 2001 or 2005 or whenever. At least, I am here now and that’s all that matters. I am just going to sit back, wet my whistle, and let DB Cooper do all the work.
DB Cooper (formerly known as Dumpster Banana) – DB Cooper. Never heard of him or them before, but supposedly he or they are local Tufts legends. Before the show started I was informed that DB has elements of Husker Du in em’ and I can kind of see that, perhaps earlier, more hardcore driven Du, for there is plenty of fast, testosterone droolin’ grit to the DB Cooper band. I’ll point to fellow Minneapolis, alt rock losers ( and by loser I mean winners) The Replacements as a means of comparison. There’s that party hardy, loud, fast punk element, but there’s also a softer side with a heart to them. In fact, one of the songs is introduced as their “Replacements song.”
DB surely keeps the kids rocking as a tornado of smelly, perspiring bodies slam back and forth into each other at a rapid pace, crashing right into me as I stand in the back of the room on a tiny couch, trying to knock back as many bud lights as I can; I’m trying to catch up with you kids, but don’t knock over my damn beer! Makes me sad, I am no longer in college :(.
I have mixed feelings about DB Cooper. A part of me likes that Husker, Replacements vibe and just the sheer animal quality of their performance. Then again, I feel like, it’s sort of emo, death metaly high school stuff I am not too fond of, it could go either way. It’s fun, but not something I’d go out of my way to see again.
Kal Marks – Kal Marks is just the band I came to see. I fancy myself somewhat of a garage punk nut, though I don’t claim to be an expert or anything, but Kal Marks is one of the few contemporary bands I really dig that doesn’t fall under that category. Their songs may be bleak and brutally honest, but the band still rocks with so much vigor, it’s hard not to get excited when they play. Most of the songs are also quite catchy, but not in a cutesy or bubbly way. It’s all genuine, powerful, and ultimately profound.
For Kal’s set, I make sure I get a nice spot right up front, just inches away from the performers. It’s a packed crowd and like the first band, there’s a solid crowd response with lots of moshing and such. I’m actually surprised I’m able to stand up front the whole time without flying straight into the drum set.
As far as the songs go, there’s a lot of terrific material on display, much of which appears on their latest and greatest release Life is Murder. My favorite tonight is album opener “Love is a Song, Not an Answer.” Check out the whole album here: http://kalmarks.bandcamp.com/
Malatese – Malatese are on tour from Harrisonburg, Virginia and they are playing a couple of shows with their good buddies in Kal Marks. Tonight here and tomorrow night at Death By Audio in Brooklyn. Some day, I will attend a show there.
I didn’t get a good grasp on Malatese, but they were interesting to say the very least. Definitely far out and more experimental in nature than any of the other bands on the bill. Some say they are no wave and noise. I feel y’all on both accounts. If you’re into weird, but still rockin’ music, check out Malatese here: http://malatese.bandcamp.com/
Potty Mouth – I’ve heard a lot of folks rave about Northampton’s Potty Mouth, but I’ve actually never listened to them myself. Sometimes, seeing a band live for the first time is the perfect introduction. The band sounds decent with some tight, noisy, 90’s flavored rock, but for most of their performance I’m unable to actually visibly see the band play. There are too many bodies in front of me and I am simply too lazy to move up further at this point. To be frank, I am not sure if I stuck around for their entire set. Those bud lights finally caught up with me. Check out Potty Mouth here: http://pottymouth.bandcamp.com/
This show was presented by the good folks over at Apple Jam Productions. Let’s do it again sometime.
Video shot by Tufts University Television
Review: Ben Tan, Alex Marantz, Jasaon Zavala, Yankee Power, Só Sol @ Smokey Bear Cave (11/23/13)
Hi, I’m BBT. I come in peace.
Bands: Ben Tan, Alex Marantz, Jason Zavala, Yankee Power, Só Sol
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2013
Venue: Smokey Bear Cave (Allston, MA)
So yeah, as you can probably tell by the date above, this is EXTREMELY LATE. However, as you may or may not know, it’s okay, we here at KLYAM try to write about every single show we attend. Lately, we have been sucking at this! Too many shows, too much booze, too much school, too much work, and then not enough booze. Alas, I won’t waste anymore of your time droning on about our woes. Just dance to the music, and for a good cause might I add. This show here was a party to raise money for those suffering and starving in the Philippines. So bear with me (no pun intended) while I begin a series of dust blowing mini reviews and here we go…
Só Sol – Só Sol. So sick is more like it. They kill it. They kill it dead. Which, I haven’t decided how I feel about that phrase. It seems redundant. If you kill it, can’t we assume that it is already dead? But, in this instance, the usage simply feels right. That extra confirmation that Só Sol in fact killed “it” and that “it” is in fact dead. What is it? It is any hint of monotony, tranquility, or apathy. On a freezing November night, this Latin, folk based trio permeate sweaty, sexy, sultry vibes and dance throughout the crowded, yet still comfy basement space. I’ve seen these cats once before at P.A.’s Lounge, but this place is a lot cooler. Then again, most places hosting music is superior to P.A.’s Lounge. Either way, catch these people anywhere you can, including PA’s. http://sosol.bandcamp.com/
Yankee Power – Ahh Yom Kipour, the holiest. I mean Yankee Power, so holy. Radically different from Só Sol, but just as sexy. This is a change of pace for these yankees. I am more accustomed to seeing these gentlemen in above-ground settings such as Middle East, Rosebud, and Precinct. It’s certainly a different experience and an enjoyable one at that. They rock just as hard, but this time around I am not actually looking up to them on a stage or anything. There’s less breathing room. Bassist/vocalist Mark Fallon can attest to that as vocalist/guitarist Jeff Gallagher shreds on his guitar and shakes his booty in classic Jeff fashion, slowly planting himself on top of an uneasy Mark, with nowhere to go. They’re a fun bunch and my favorite song from this evening is “Because It’s Hard,” a Mark tune that always reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner at my house, which is a mere fours days away. Also, on this very night I bought myself a copy of the group’s bodacious rock beast: Zoo Traffic. And I got it on vinyl ooh la la, aren’t you jealous? Well, you can be just as cool as me starting today, starting right now: http://www.theyankeepower.com/
Jason Zavala – I was promised that Jay Z was playing this shindig and I won’t leave until Jay Z plays! I actually don’t even like Jay Z, but if I did then maybe I would belligerently shout this. Maybe. Jason Zavala, on the other hand, is a one man folk machine unleashing songs with his powerful, impassioned vocals. He truly is naturally gifted, which I can’t always say is true about most performers I see up to and including many of my own personal favorites. That aside, this sort of stuff isn’t exactly my thing, it’s too conventional and mainstream for my tastes. Some, if not all, of the songs are political in nature, but frankly half way through the set I find myself more enamored with the socialist, quasi lecture/rant my fellow Wakefieldian Chris Morrill is delivering elsewhere in the house. Still, here’s a shout out to Jason: http://jasonzavala.bandcamp.com/
Alex Marantz – This fucking guy, this fucking guy here. Haha, I don’t know why I just wrote that. It just felt like a “this fucking guy” moment. Often, you’re cocked and twisted and you point at some motherfucker from across the room and you say “this fucking guy.” It’s a swine’s way of saying “hi, this is Alex. Alex, so and so. So and so, Alex.” Alex is a prolific singer-songwriter dude, a professed “lover of tape recordings and lo-fi bliss,” a fume hood, and a future day. That is to say he is a member of the bands Future Days and Fume Hood, both of which I have seen live. But, this is a solo effort and it’s a bit poppier than his work in those outfits. The set is relatively calm, soft, and dream like. Spacey – musically and lyrically. It’s accessible and not particularly controversial in any way. You could take your mother to see him, if she was hip. Yep, Alex does his thing and does it well, he’s still no Jeremy Piven though. http://alexmarantz1.bandcamp.com/
Ben Tan – Last and if you think least then I’ll knock you right square in the nads TWICE… BEN TAN!!!! Ben Tan, one of my best buddies and a talented multi-instrumentalist closes the show. One man pop guru. He cranks out BBT (Big Ben Tan) classics such as “Marielle,” “Upper Lower Middle Class Blues,” among others. Sadly, most at the party are not present for most of Ben’s performance and there is only a few of us remaining. This has nothing to do with Ben’s music itself, but rather the fact that by the time he goes on it’s nearing 3 AM. The set skids its way into a peculiar jam session and better yet an impromptu Revivalists reunion. The Revivalists were a high school band in my hometown (Wakefield) featuring Chris Morril, Liz Sullivan, Brian Hickey, and of course Mr. Ben Tan. Check out Ben’s solo work here: http://bentan.bandcamp.com/album/inside-out
Fat Creeps Announce Full-Length Debut on Gnar Tapes
Photo from SPIN
EXCITING NEWS! – KLYAM Records’ own Fat Creeps are releasing their full- length debut via Gnar Tapes this Spring! Gnar Tapes, the sick ass Portland, OR based label run by Erik Gage (White Fang/The Memories), y’all know. Below, you can hear the first single, “Comes in Loudly,” a Creeps live standard for a while now. WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
Read more about it here in this SPIN article written by Liz Pelly: http://www.spin.com/articles/fat-creeps-comes-in-loudly-stream/
And don’t forget to pick up a copy of Fat Creeps s/t 10″ EP from KLYAM Records: http://klyam.bigcartel.com/ get em’ while the getting’s good!
Review: The TeleVibes Tape Release w/ Atlantic Thrlls, Vundabar, Kid/Astro @ Middle East Upstairs (1/22/14)
Bands: The TeleVibes, Atlantic Thrills, Vundabar, Kid/Astro
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Venue: Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge, MA)
Kid/Astro – Originally, The Guru was slated to play this show, but unfortunately they couldn’t make it. No need to worry, Kid/Astro steps in as a last minute replacement and I can already hear them blasting away as I scuttle my way through the Middle East restaurant. By the time I make it to the upstairs venue space, the band’s set is nearly finished; at least, I’m able to catch a couple of tunes. They have a noise pop quality to them, reminding me of No Age and early Wavves. I’ll keep an eye out for them in the future. http://yokidastro.bandcamp.com/
Vundabar – This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Vundabar, but it feels like this is the first time I’ve seen Vundabar. I actually first saw the band perform at the Wilder Zangcraft in Lowell (The TeleVibes and Atlantic Thrills were on that bill too, y’all run with good crowds!) and that was way back in August, so my memory is a bit blurry. The second time I saw the dudes was in fact just last Saturday at O’Brien’s Pub. But, brother, boy ohh boy, I don’t have the foggiest….
In spite of my wayward shenanigans, oddly enough, when the Vundabars play I recognize most of their tunes. This is astonishing to me, because it usually takes me a while to remember how a song goes and the funny thing is I’ve never actually looked up their music on bandcamp or whatever. It’s like the group’s songs pitched a tent and camped out in the bowels of my subconscious, finally rising to the surface tonight at the Middle East. This is a rare feat and is a testament to the band’s ability to write a strong, distinct pop song.
With all that being said, I’d prefer it if the jams were sloppier and rougher. It’s too clean for my tastes; I liken them to Interpol, Editors, and The Walkmen – and those are all great bands, so if you dig that stuff you may just want to gobble up a Vundabar. All in all, a solid band/show. http://vundabar.bandcamp.com/
Atlantic Thrills – Don’t even get me fucking started here. You think I need to tell you about Atlantic Thrills again? Well, apparently I do. I don’t know where you have been this whole time, but that’s okay. At least you’re here now. Last Summer, you should have spent a day at the beach with Dan Tanner, dropping acid and feeling titties while his song was on the radio. I know, you missed out. Again, it’s okay. You’re just in time for Atlantic Thrills s/t debut via Almost Ready Records. And I assure you, there will be plenty of acid and titties, more than your little mind’s eye can imagine.
It is a real exciting time for Providence’s finest. With a full- length album on the cusp of it’s official release and a month long tour (including a trip to SXSW) on the horizon, it seems anything is possible for the Thrillz. Fourteen shows deep for this guy and I can safely say it’s not enough! Glen and I have really grown to love and appreciate these songs over the years.
Tonight’s set is splattered with nearly all album cuts, those very songs we have held so close to us since 2011/2012. I can remember standing in this very spot, in front of the stage at the Middle East Up and being stoned out of mind as I first heard the 60’s slow dance ballad, “Foreign Lands” and thinking it sounded like Against Me!’s “Baby, I’m An Anarchist.” Or better yet hearing my favorite Thrilz number, “Lie to Me” (or “Lies” as we traditionally know it) and feeling like someone took the Black Lips and the King Khan & BBQ Show and hucked them in a blender. So yes, I’ve been to my fair share of Thrillz shows and this is one of the best, from the band and the crowd. Though, these dudes always kill it, but the crowd response varies in the sense of movement anyway. For this show, there’s plenty of dancing and some fun moshing, especially during set closer, “Acid Rain,” yeah that dirty one will do the dirty trick.
Lucky for you, there’s album release parties up the ass!
PROVIDENCE @ DUSK (Sat. Feb. 1: https://www.facebook.com/events/1456046647956164/
NEW YORK @ CAKE SHOP (Sat. Feb. 8): https://www.facebook.com/events/1417227038519220/?fref=ts
BOSTON @ TASTY BURGER (Sat. Feb. 15): https://www.facebook.com/events/254030581431595/
P.S. I love Dan’s Back to the Future reference! YOU KNOW THAT NEW SOUND YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, WELL LISTEN TO THIS! http://www.atlanticthrills.com/
Set-List:
“Problems”
“On My Mind”
“Light Shines”
“Give It Back”
“Lie to Me”
“Drugs In It”
“Day At the Beach”
“Boozin’ All Night”
“Foreign Lands”
“So Long”
“Holy Mountain”
“Mind’s Eye”
“Acid Rain”
The TeleVibes – You vibin’ hard or hardly vibin’ at all? Well, The TeleVibes (or The Tellies as I like to call them, no band is safe from my obnoxious nick names!) will take care of you, fix you up real nice. Perhaps, a hot towel, some reading material, and their brand spankin’ new EP Washed Up available on cassette via 456 Records.
Yes sir, these kids are busting out heavy, psych POP with a knack for savage SURF ROCK. It just makes my cold blood tingle and my ass jiggle. That kind of rhymes, ehhh…. I can’t help but feel sorry for anyone that hasn’t heard this band yet. We see a lot of bands, but there’s only so many that make us want to keep coming back for more and more, until we are completely stuffed and barfing all the way down Central Square, terrifying uptight, working class hipsters that want to remain clean, what a little puss. The TeleVibes are rock ‘n’ roll done right or wrong, which makes it right or wrong, I don’t know, I lost myself at vibin’.
A big shout out goes to the trippy, multicolored beast known as the Lysergic Factory Light Show, making everything look pretty and far out for all the bands, making them look even prettier. This is especially true for the Tellies, adding more flavor to their joyous rock ‘n’ roll show. My favorite moment is when Scott Loring (bass) and Charlie Northern (guitar/vocals) hop off the stage and onto the floor to rock out with the crowd of demented moshers. Good times. Meanwhile, Christian Hardy bashes away at the skins like they said something derogatory about his mother.
Favorite song? The titular “Washed Up” is my pick. Damn, that bastard will haunt you. That fucking guitar riff is priceless, it will creep up on you like a spider that crawls all around your balls sack, sliming it’s way into your asshole. All you can do is twitch and moan, twist and shout “GET HIM OFF ME! GET HIM OFF ME!” If you’re not vibin’ by now, I’m gonna have to sick that damn spider on you. Listen up: http://thetelevibesofficial.bandcamp.com/
Last big shout out to Jason Trefts/ Illegally Blind, you put on some fine ass shows sir!
Fat Creeps in BDC Wire/Daykamp Music
KLYAM Records’ own Fat Creeps were just recently included in a BDC Wire article on Boston female-fronted punk rock bands! Here’s what they had to say:
“This trio popped up in late 2010 with a handful of short releases and a grittier breed of what bands like Best Coast and Dum Dum Girls were doing, and have since been recognized as kind of the original gangstas of Boston’s new wave of garage girl punk. There’s plenty of pop charm to its tunes, whether it’s the three chord progression of “Horoscope” or the surf shuffle of “Leave Her Alone.” There’s also a dire psychedelic haze behind the trio’s leading harmonies that puts a clean stamp on the band’s sound and keeps things mysterious.” – Perry Eaton (BDC Wire).
Read more about the other bands including one of my favorites, The Silkies!, here: http://bdcwire.com/list/after-a-huge-year-local-female-fronted-punk-has-a-big-week/
Photo from Daykamp Music
Daykamp has the right idea. Read about it here: http://daykampmusic.com/2013/08/07/fat-creeps-fat-creeps-ep-2013/ Thanks for the KLYAM Records shout out!
If you haven’t picked up Fat Creeps’ 10″ EP, I don’t know what you’re waiting for… It’s available here: http://klyam.bigcartel.com/product/fat-creeps-10-ep-coke-bottle-clear
Do iT!
Review: Nice Guys & Idiot Genes @ O’Brien’s Pub (1/18/14)
Bands: Nice Guys, Idiot Genes, Community Service, Vundabar
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014
Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA)
Idiot Genes – I’m a little too sober right now to be writing about Idiot Genes, but we’ll take a trip back to last Saturday to relive the sloppy mess that was this ‘Too Drunk 2014 event’. Indeed, this here is a fun loving, party hardy band of boys. Slimy, beer chuggin’ ruffians from Allston Rock City. The first and last time I saw them was right here at O’Brien’s chub. They gave me a bit of thee old chub back then and I’m feeling the sensation all over again. Shit, I’m failing to fulfill my New Year’s resolution to cut back on phallic imagery in my writing. Damn you Idiot Genes look what you have done to me!
I’m up front for these dudes, about six or seven beers deep now. The crowd is a bit larger than most of my experiences at this venue, but still building up. Overall, they are generally receptive with headbanging and screaming, but nothing too crazy. The band themselves however prefer to flop and frolic about all over the tiny stage. Lead singer/guitar guy Pete Bayko makes a shout to his daddy who is apparently in the crowd on this fine evening. What up pops? How you doin’?
Among the many choice numbers the group whips out, my favorite is “The Charles Mansion.” A simple, but catchy punk stomper filled with painful, negative emotions that oddly enough make me smile even when I want to cry. Life can’t be taken too seriously all the time. If you’re ever feeling so sorry for yourself you feel like you are going to explode, just remember this: there once was a funny man from the House of Representatives and his name was Dick Armey aka the DICK ARMY. Imagine paling around with this fool on the school yard. Bullies coming up to you, “You and what army?” “The DICK ARMY!” Ah, forgive me and my poor Idiot Genes, I inherited them from my father. Pay more attention to these Idiot Genes here: http://stupidpants.bandcamp.com/album/idiot-genes
Nice Guys – Ohh it only gets sloppier from here on… If there’s another band around these parts that can top Idiot Genes in serenading me into a drunken stupor then it’s Nice Guys. Fuck, it’s been over a month since I’ve seen these dudes in action. It feels great to catch another fresh set from one of my favorite bands. If you ever read this site (which of course you should) then you know Glen and I have been reppin’ the Nice Guys for the past year or more. I just love their gritty, loose, scuzzy sound. If you love this sound so much why don’t you marry it and have 80 million of its kids you may say. And maybe I will. MAYBE, I WILL!
There’s a plethora (haven’t used that word in a while, what can I say it’s just a plethora moment) of vintage Nice Guys tunes on display here tonight. Among the best are “HD Snobs,” my dad’s favorite Nice Guys song, “Boxfort,” a jam dedicated to the Allston underground venue of yesteryear, “Unholy Sacrifice,” which makes me tingle, it’s that unholy, and “Cop Walk,” a slow, but menacing number that sonically knocks you right the fuck out. Even better than those songs, however, are a couple of new sludgey, smudgey cuts for the raging and aging punk rocker in all of us. Even I don’t know how I feel about that last sentence. Anywayyy they are known as “Jamaican Vacation” and “Medical Envy” and they are coming to a theater near you.
Yesemm, these are nice guys, no doubt. But, they have a wacky wild side to them. They like to have FUN and this spirit is alive and well in their recordings and especially in their live performances. I especially dig Alex rocking out in the crowd, shredding on his guitar like a dominatrix tortures her humiliated male customer. Don’t worry, I assure you that guitar had it coming.
Set-List:
“Gary”
“HD Snobs”
“Whale”
“Jamaican Vacation”
“Boxfort”
“Cop Walk”
“Unholy Sacrifice”
“Medical Envy”
“Finale Dead”
Fo mo Nice Guys: http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/
So, I’ll be square with y’all I vaguely remember Community Service’s and Vundabar’s sets. Whoops! I may have taken the Nice Guys’ mantra of “Drunk As Fuck, Stoned As Fuck” a little too far. I do remember enjoying myself very much though. Yeahhhh, I wish I had some sort of snappy line to go out on, but I’ve tried nothing and I’m all out ideas.
No Age on David Letterman
Gotta watch your No Age kids!. Old school KLYAM favorites, No Age deliver a stellar performance of “C’Mon Stimmung” off their latest album An Object on David Letterman last night. They literally played the song on top of Letterman’s old, worn out body. Don’t believe me? Then you’ll just have to see for yourself.
Hey No Age, come back to Boston/New England pleaseeeee!
Music Video: Black Lips – “Boys in the Wood”
Well, look what we have here. The new music video for the Black Lips‘ “Boys in the Wood” off of their upcoming country fried album Underneath the Rainbow. Get a teeny taste of the rainbow with this video. It’s a wacky one, not exactly my dish, but I’m not too big into music videos anyway. I loved me some “Fad” though, hot damn!
My Top Ten LPs of Twenty-Thirteen
I know I’m a little late on this and I already ran my mouth off in my last post regarding my top shows of 2013, so I’ll do my best to keep this one short and sweet. Here we go…
10) Dylan Ewen & The Southern Gospel Gangbusters – Country Fried, Southern Pride (BUFU Records) – Gangbusters? More like Gangbangers! I really got into a lot of Dylan Ewen this year in his various projects and out of all of them this was my favorite. For my money, this has Dylan’s rawest, most in your face lyrics with a nasty, bad ass gangsta edge that puts him up there with Cube, Dre, and Mr. Big. So wild. AND it’s all set to a full backing band (drums, guitar, bass, viola, banjo, mandalin, harmonica, you name it) busting out southern gospel, bluegrass, and country. I had the pleasure of catching the band live in the heart of JP last month and I errr uhh nearly wet myself. TOP SONG: “500 Days of Bummer”
http://dylanewen.bandcamp.com/album/country-fried-southern-pride
9) Bent Shapes – Feels Weird (Father/Daughter Records) – I just received this record as a Christmas gift and I’m loving it. As a long time fan of Bent Shapes/Girlfirends this is a terrific mix of classics and some solid new jams. Every track is strong. On one hand, it feels like a greatest hits compilation and then on the other it comes across as a completely new entity. It works both ways. TOP SONG: : “I Was Here, But I Disappear”
8) Shannon And The Clams – Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art) – Shannon and The Clams is a big favorite of mine, so this album was a serious treat this year. This one falls in line with all of their previous work: rock ‘n’ roll at its purest. 50’s doo wop, garage rock, Ramones styled punk rock, and some of the best voices you will ever hear. It may not be the most original music, but it’s rock ‘n’ roll. This is the plateau, this is the ideal, this is the benchmark. TOP SONG: “If I Could Count”
7) Idiot Genes – S/T (Self-Released) – The third (but not final!) Boston band on this list, Idiot Genes are one of the most recent bands I have listened to in 2013. I first caught them at a show at O’Brien’s Pub last August and I was enamored with their oddball sense of humor and surly, apathetic punk attitude. Subsequently, I hopped on their bandcamp and I was blown away by what I heard. I related to the band’s sloppy, lethargic, wasted narrative. The feeling of being fucked and fagged and shagged. I was frustrated and hearing the Idiot Genes reminded me why I hold rock ‘n’ roll so near and dear to me in the first place. It is my elixir, the temporary cure to all of life’s problems. They are almost like a different kind of party band, an after party band, a hangover band. This all sounds like one miserable hangover, and by miserable I mean extraordinary. Makes me want to drink too much and then regret some of it the next day, especially when the hangover doesn’t go away by 5 /6 PM like it usually does, so then you just drink more, until the next day after that when you’re even more hungover AND still a little drunk. So, what do you do? you crack open a beer and drink some more and then you listen to Idiot Genes, one of my new favorite rock ‘n’ roll elixirs for that temporary cure. Drunk Consistently. Listen here and join me in a nightcap. Cheers. TOP SONG: “The Charles Mansion” http://stupidpants.bandcamp.com/album/idiot-genes
6) Colleen Green – Sock It To Me (Hardly Art) – Sock it to me? Ok. Ms. Green is one cool cucumber with all her Richard Nixon and True Romance references on her latest album Sock It To Me. Much like Shannon and the Clams, with this album Colleen maintains the same rock ‘n’ roll flavor she’s always had, it’s just stronger than ever. Just a great example of how pop music doesn’t have to be a big mass machine product, instead it can be as simple as a guitar, a drum machine, and passionate vocals. TOP SONG: “Number One” (The Queers cover)
5) The Monsieurs – Rock The Night (Self-Released) – Damn son, this past October I had the enormous fortune of cumming across my legs when I came across The Monsieurs at the Brighton Music Y’all opening up for the holy King Khan & The Shrines. I’ve heard plenty of great garage spunk this year, but this new release from The Monsieurs was/is a real dessert, a dish best served cold. A cold, sudden punch right in the nads that is. Seriously though, these dudettes and dude really fucking rock and pack in the punches. This band has all the bells and whistles and bubblegum and grit that you and your buddies get off on every time you listen to Hunx and Nobunny and hopefully Fagettes at home on your dad’s worn out stereo, BUTT Monsieurs turn it up to 11. From the first few seconds of “Shadow” to the last gasping breaths of “At the Hop,” this record is garage pop on steroids. Lead singer Andy Macbain is a beast, a force to be reckoned with, and his vocals are out of control, off the wall. It’s all sludgey and thuddy and LOUD. If you like rock ‘n’ roll with a rambunctious ummphhh up your ass then here ya go – yet, it’s still as sweet as a little old lady taking 20 hours to cross the street with her little old cane? So sweet it helps that sludge go down smoother… I see big things for The Monsiuers in Twenty Fourteen. In 2014, let their album Rock the Night become your musical lubricant! TOP SONG: “Kari Ann” http://themonsieurs.bandcamp.com/album/rock-the-night-8-song-digital-album
4) King Khan & The Shrines – Idle No More (Merge) – It’s always a great year whenever one of our Honorary KLYAMERS releases an album and King Khan is among our top OG’s. You could say he helped make us who we are today to paraphrase a line in the tune “So Wild,” a song dedicated to the late, great Jay Reatard. RIP Jay forever and ever. For once your wild spirit may rest in peace… the chaos of the world so foreign, yet so familiar, you feel this tone on King Khan & The Shrines’ Idle No More, their first album since 2007. It’s a very personal album, the most mature to date. Highly spiritual as ever, yet it still maintains that fantastic Khan spirit of ubiquitous joy. Love. And coming back to the KLYAM, that’s one thing I love about rock ‘n’ roll (as we see it), all the bands we rep, and this record. No matter how torturous the world can be, there’s still a light. Khan and his crew take the misery, the darkness, and they turn it on its ugly head, ultimately receiving a boisterous, fun filled album as ever been conceived by the Shrines. TOP SONG: “Bite My Tongue”
3) Nobunny – Secret Songs (Goner) – Nobunny continues the trend on this list of artists releasing albums that preserve their raw, rock ‘n’ roll character and yet augment their craft at the same time. Secrets Songs is stacked with smash hit after smash hit haha; every tune is a blast, no filler. Love Visions will probably always be my favorite, but I have to send my accolades to Mr. Bunny here. This LP has the most variety ever on a Nobunny record lyrically, musically, and aesthetically. There’s several fast poppers, screeching hardcore punks odes, and a batch of soft gentle numbers for the ladies and in particular for the Birthday Girl. NO NO 4 LYFE! TOP SONG: This is a toughie, but for now I’m going to go with “Bye Bye Roxie”
2) Peach Kelli Pop – Peach Kelli Pop II (Burger) – I know this came out in 2012, but I heard it in its entirety in 2013 and I loved it so damn much that I just couldn’t leave it off the list! This is one of the greatest pop records I have ever heard. Like I said earlier regarding Colleen Green, pop music doesn’t have to be mass produced and this certainly applies here. I was in love with PKP’s first album and I didn’t think it could be topped at the time. What was I thinking?! As awesome as her debut is, it doesn’t have anything on its sequel. Holy shit, this thing is incredible. PKP II is like Terminator 2, if it was a movie. A full blast of immediate, catchy pop songs from start to finish is what we have here. Peach Kelli Pop – Allie Hanlon channels bubblegum, garage, and 60’s Girl Groups in all of these short, but ever so sweet songs. It’s like injecting yourself with bubblegum pop music and feeling that instantaneous sugary high! This record always puts me in the best mood. Cheers. TOP SONG: “Red Leather”http://peachkellipop.bandcamp.com/
And the weiner is…
1) Hunx and His Punx – Street Punk (Hardly Art) – I know, I know I’m a Hardly Art whore. Haha, that should be a marketing trend. Labels should pick up on this. I can picture it now “I’m a Burger Whore!” or “Be a Burger Whore!” Shirts, pins, posters, let’s do it! I say this all with love. Anywhooo, since the dawn of KLYAM five years ago, Hunx and His Punx is one of the only, if only (possibly?) band that has consistently put out new, exceptional releases each year. With this album, Hunx and his cronies have snarled their way into the bowels of the rock ‘n’ roll/garage/punk landscape. I just adore and admire the way the band mixes up early hardcore punk (Germs, Misfits, Black Flag) with their classic garage rock style. Half of me says it’s an affectionate satire and the other says this is the real deal, this is the music itself. It feels like Circle Jerks or whoever comes to mind. When Hunx says he wants to beat you with a baseball bat, his screams are terrific and serve as a true homage to the aforementioned punk legends, but let’s not forget he’s saying this all because of his BAD SKIN! That’s part of the fun. I’m glad someone finally made (I could be wrong here and I very well may be missing out on loads of great, similarly styled albums) a piece of work that connects the dots in these various styles of pure rock ‘n’ roll music, which is not very pure to begin with. It’s so satisfying. I’ve always felt like that early wave of hardcore punk was like garage rock’s weird, fucked up cousin. It’s all coming from the same place essentially. It’s all about total and agonizing frustration and partying your ass off to cure that frustration. Hunx and His Punx get it. By the way, some of Shannon Shaw’s finest vocals! TOP SONG: “Mud In Your Eyes”
So, that’s it. That’s my list, but before I depart I have to give some mo’ shout outs. Here are some honorable mentions. Ben Tan – Inside Out, The Memories – Love Is The Law, Kal Marks – Life Is Murder, Saralee – S/T, The Gabba Ghouls – S/T, Kaviar Special – S/T, and last but certainly not least Lust Cats Of The Gutters – S/T , an album that was released in 2012, but nonetheless one of the best albums I heard all year.
2013 was also the first year of our record label KLYAM Records. We were/are extremely proud that our first release was one of our favorite records from 2012: Fat Creeps S/T EP
I chose not to include it on this list, because A) It was one of our own releases, B) It was originally released in 2012 and that’s when we heard it and loved it, and so forth, and C) It’s an EP and this is a list of my top LPs. Still, I couldn’t go without repping this record in a year end list of top records. Furthermore, if you haven’t picked up this album yet, then do yourself a favor and grab one now before it’s too late You can order it from KLYAM Records here: http://klyam.bigcartel.com/ The record is also available at Weirdo Records and Armageddon Records, both in Cambridge, MA.
We look forward to 2014 as we have more records and shows and reviews then can be imagined! Stay tuned, then turn on, and then drop out, and we’ll meet up and listen to records or something.
Peace 2013!
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 