I love this desciption of the self-titled PKP debut: “The 2010 release is a true pop confection for people who believe in love and put chocolate syrup on foods that aren’t supposed to have chocolate syrup on them. The cherry on top is the way she makes lyrics about dreamy boys sound heartfelt no matter how tried and true the rhymes.”
“Everyday is Christmas, on tour. We’re burning our box and hitting the road a gain in early June and then we’re going back into the box of the studio to keep working on the new album. We’re putting out this tape of 10 new demos and a live acoustic set, and a live radio set, to help us raise some cash to pay the beautiful dreamy angels of the sex dungeon. 70 minutes of music, zounds!!!”- Fat History Month
But wait there’s more!!!
A show tonight- Freak Flag Benefit/Tape Release at ZuZu in Cambridge
And of course the June Midwest Tour:
May 30th Boston Butchershop w/Habitat(New Orleans), Disco Doom(Switzerland), Pile
May 31st Montclair, NJ The Meat Locker
June 1st PA, TBA
June 2 Athens OH Lobsterfest
June 3 Bloomington IN Rockits Pizza
June 4 Gallatin, TN TBA w/Dust From 1000 Years
June 5 Nashville, TN TBA w/Dust From 1000 Years
June 6 Carbondale Skihaus? w/Dust From 1000 Years, Guerilla Toss, Sediment Club
June 7 Chicago at CASA DONDE 21st n Kedzie w/ Dust n Guerilla Toss N Sediment Club +
June 8 Chicago Plaines Project 1822 S Desplaines St
w/ Giving Up and Life Partner.
June 9 Bloomington IN The Sound Workshop w/Dust n Ponyboy
June 10 Cleveland, Castle Greyskull w/Guerilla Toss n Sediment Club
June 11 NYC, Death By Audio, 49 South 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY w/Guerilla Toss, Sediment Club
June 19th Philly at Teri’s w/ Giving Up and Life Partner +1(ZZ Bottom?)
Here’s a great live video of one of the new demos, “Bald History Month” from last Summer.
Artists: Atlantic Thrills, Roaches, Gangbang Gordon Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012 Venue: PA’s Lounge (Somerville, MA) Comments:
Act I: Gangbang Gordon– Do you wanna Gangbang Gordon? I sure hope so. Gangbang Gordon is the product of endless, gruesome hours spent alone in a bedroom with the Black Lips, Jay Reatard, Nobunny, and Ty Segall. Three years and hundreds of songs later, tonight is GG’s night. GG appears on stage wearing a blonde hair wig, black shades, a crooked Cornoa hat, a pair of blue jeans, and a tard shirt, ready to destroy the PA’s Lounge with unbelievable outsider, tard rock. GG’s vocals are mumbled, but they fit perfectly with his simple, “what the fuck is a chord?”, guitar strumming. He rocks through his set rather quickly, rocking so hard he leaps off the stage (in a humorously planned stunt), playing on the floor on his knees, and similar awkward antics ensue. My favorite moment is when he randomly brandishes a recorder for a few seconds before tossing it aside, deeming the instrument as unworthy. Thee (outside of) outsider finishes his set claiming that there will be no encore. Good, to have an encore after Gangbang Gordon is like asking for sloppy seconds. When one sees or listens to this man, you have to ask yourself, is it all a joke? At the same time, even asking this question means you are taking rock and roll too seriously. Isn’t it all a joke? I don’t know. GG certainly thinks so. In any case, I hope more kids hop on the gangbang.
Set List:
A) Damn Shame
B) Wanna Go
C) Same Meat
D) Slide Into Mountain
E) A Place To Cool Off
F) Do You Wanna Gangbang Gordon?
G) I Can Testify
H) Ping Pong With Natalie Pietrzak
I) The Breeze
Act II: The Roaches– The Roaches keep the garage rock flowing, but this time with much more musical chops. I have never seen the Roaches, but I have been meaning to for about a year. In fact, Glen and I actually met Eric and Joe Roach at PA’s Lounge, nearly two years ago during an epic Nobunny show. Great times! and the great times would continue on this evening. As I pound back a few more beers, the Roaches unleash a fiery performance filled with Oblivians esque garage rock. I love the guitar sound; these guys have some seriously great guitar riffs rolling. The bass is equally raw and the drums are fast and pouding. It’s a sweaty set that demolishes what is left of my hearing.
Set List:
Words
Hole
Our Mind
J. Roach
Sleepwatching
Worm
Afraid
Slob
Time
Mad
Act III: Atlantic Thrills: Atlantic Thrills is a fantastic way to conclude our evening of fun, garage rock and roll. In the past year I have seen them a few times now and each time it truly gets better. With the Thrills, the small crowd, really take it up a notch. People are dancing and moshing, singing their lungs out, the whole nine. Simply put, having fun. It is a classic Thrills set: psychedelia, fast rock and roll, slow ballads, and unmatched odes to the Black Lips and the King Khan & BBQ Show. They open with the strong rocker and one of my favorites, “Give It Back.” “Shotgun” and “On My Mind” are also stand outs to me personally. The set concludes with two classics. The first being an unexpectd, Los Sacios cover, “Demolicion,” which is the equivalent to injecting steroids for a garage rocker. The song instantly gets the KLYAM & friends rockin’and singing along! The final number is Thrills classic “Acid Rain,” the perfect way to end the night.
Set List:
Give It Back
Problems
Filthy Mind
Try & Try
Foreign Lands
Lies
Light Shines
Tamale
On My Mind
Beach
Shotgun
Demolicion
Acid Rain
I want to say thanks to all that came and particpated in the first Kids Like You & Me Presents show! Stay tuned for many more.
Hey all, here’s a fresh track from a local* kid like you and me, Michael D’Amore. His latest cut is called “Do What Ya Wanna Do” and it is has a nice, summery, home recording feel to it. This song reminds me of Sebadoh/Lou Barlow, especially in the vocals. Happy Saturday, enjoy!
*local meaning Wakefield, MA- a suburb of Boston. Yeahh Wakefield rockers!
Artists: New Highway Hymnal, The Migs, Friendship, Empty Phrases Date: Friday, 4/20/12 Venue: Wilder Zangcraft/ Wilder Woodcraft (Lowell) Comments: So, I am glancing at my 30 rack of Natti Ice and thinking I should start my Spring Weekend festivities off early this year. I have a lot of work to do this week, but nothing is more important than the music. So, here’s a review, if you want to call it that.
Firstly, 420 was so much apart of this show, I might as well give it its own section. So, I will.
Act I: 420– I myself am never overly enthusiastic about 420, because I don’t smoke “on the reg,” so to speak, but it seems to bring out the party in everyone. And I am glad for that because that always makes a show special. If people are joyous, then the occasion will be spectacular. High spirits (no pun intended) always makes an excellent concert dish. I’ve had some fun 420s in the past, but this one will go down as my favorite thus far. This is the first basement show at the Wilder Zangcraft and I am happy to have been apart of it. I hope they put on many more shows! Before the music begins, I take a gander at the space. Walking down the narrow staircase, using my poorly lit, 2001 model flip phone, I do my best to find my way to the basement and not fall flat on my ass, which has happened before. When I reach the floor, I see an interesting space indeed, which I was promised. The set up is odd in a good way. I suck describing shit like this, but basically the basement is more rectangular shaped. So, if one was to walk down the steps they would see a group of kids facing the band to the right of them, if that makes any sense. Also, I have to mention there is a nice little “stage,” here, which is in fact just a little step up, but it sure is fun to leap off of when you are rocking out! Tonight, we have Empty Phrases, Friendship, The Migs, and none other than the New Highway Hymnal. I like to write about my life experiences, so here is my reaction to what I saw. Happy 420 kids.
Act II: Empty Phrases– Empty Phrases are a Lowell based quartet and it is always a pleausre of mine to see them do what they love. I have dubbed them “The Empties,” and I am hoping that others will continue this trend, though it seems I am alone in this. Speaking of empties, I need to grab a few more beers. What’s a lowell basement show without a few beers or many beers or my lovely back pack full of beers as singer/guitarist, Ben Raymond points out to me. Yeah, that is right this back pack is locked and loaded, and no studying will be taking place tonight. I left the books behind. As the band is about to go on, I crack open another beer. Everyone is feeling pretty high at this point and Empty Phrases, thee empties themselves, begin their set. A great transition I must say. I have always thought their music had summery vibes to it, even in the dead of winter when I froze my balls off many a night. On those cold evenings I could have made myself a cup of hot cocoa or turned the nozzle up on the thermostat, but instead I turned on Empty Phrases, and a feeling of warmth ran through my soul. On this evening, I am practically sweating, but even in April it feels like Summer and the band’s music becomes a fitting soundtrack. Perhaps that is where the Incubus vibes people (including myself) speak of come from; a mellow, almost psychedelic tone, but with an ability to rock and get you moving at the same time, hopefully get you moving, unless you are a square. Earlier in the evening I discussed Incubus with some fine gentlemen and I believe one of them spoke of Incubus’s albums having this seasonal appeal. Incubus aside, I think the empties have got a great sound and this is my favorite performance by them. They are astounding young musicians, but what is even more astounding is how they got J Cole to this show on such late notice. Haha, I just had to say that! J Cole core is the next big thing. http://emptyphrases1.bandcamp.com/
Act III: Friendship– Friendship is a local band that I have heard of, but I have not seen yet. They are a three piece and behind their set up they are accompanied by an inverted American flag, which I love by the way. I love America too, but the American flag is a piece of cloth after all and at the end of the day no matter how great America may be it still is totally fucked up, unjust, inequal, and simply upside down. A fitting backdrop. Friendship is a fun live band and they have a pretty sweet dynamic to them. I love how they opened the set, playing a clip of Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping” from a vintage cassette player before rocking right into their set. Friendship is tight and the jams roll out within a blink of an eye. Anthony’s drumming stands out the most to me, he is defintely a powerhouse with those drum sticks. My favorite moment is definitely when Anthony starts mumbling the lines to Linkin Park’s “In The End” at an extremely rapid rate while Nick Eggs from Big Mess standing in the crowd joins in unison. When they reach the line “in the end” the band starts rocking instantaneously, right where they left off. I walk away impressed, cannot wait to see them again.
Act IV: The Migs– When I hear the word migs I instantly think of the psychopath Migs in The Silence of the Lambs. You know the one that flung his “babies” at Jodie Foster (Agent Starling). Well, these migs do not toss their semen in my face, which is always a good start, NO bodily fluids in my face, maybe at the end. The Migs are great though, a garage/rock and roll kid’s wet dream. Before each song they start off by stating “We’re the Migs and we love you!” What an introduction! Reminds me of great one liner intros such as “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” or “We’re the Black Lips from Atlanta, GA.” More bands should do this or maybe less bands should do this, because they are not cool enough. On this evening, the crowd is a little mellow, 420 really kicking in at this point, but the Migs do not give a fuck, they just have fun and rock, jumping into the crowd and rolling around on the floor, playing guitar. I appreciate the energy, it really gets me going. This is why I love this music, it is just all about fun. The band has a nice grip on the garage sound, but they venture off into other territories, dishing out doo wop and R&B numbers as well. Lukas from New Highway Hymnal joins the boys on “stage” for a cover of Them’s “Gloria,” and my balls drop, never to be found again.
Set List:
We Da Migs
What I Want
Follow Me Home
Take Take Take
You & Me
All The Things
Soul Records
Hate You More Than Satan
Gloria*
Achy Breaky*
Act V: New Highway Hymnal: The New Highway Hizzle, always an act I look forward to seeing. NHH are one of Boston’s finest and I cannot recommend them to you enough. NHH keep the Migs’s spirit alive and provide plenty of vigor and showmanship. Singer/guitarist Hadden Stemp and bassist Amelia Gormely hop into the crowd in classic NHH fashion. Every member is exciting to watch. In particular, I love how drummer Travis Hagan bashes away at his set and often makes use of the wall as a source of percussion. Guitarist/vocalist, Lukas Goudreault, keeps the garage rock flowing and his guitar playing reminds me of Thee Oh Sees; both bands are definitely on the same psych wavelength. Alas, the set has to be curtailed because of some pesky policemen in the surrounding area. Overall, it is a solid show as I expected.
Set List:
Through Stained Glass
Beach Glass
Killing Town
Factory Song
Breath, Bleed, Dream
Whispers
Hey Kid!
Destroy
*Bo Diddley*
So, unforunately KLYAM does not control time zones. Yeah, this is a massive dissapointment for me too. Apparently we cannot be in two places at once, fuck! This translates into us missing Gentlemen Jesse & His Men at Great Scott last night :(. We were too busy witnessing the awesomeness of Ty Segall live for the very first time at the Space Gallery in Portland, Maine!; Strange Boys and White Fence were nothing short of pure rock and roll/high quality entertainment as well. Okay, enough of that peter puffing for now, back to thee gentlemen. We’ve seen them a few times and they rock, of course, so it was too bad we missed one of our favorite Atlanta bands. Here’s a personal favorite, “Rest Of My Days,” that I like to sing when I walk to the liquor store or sleep in extremely late. Cheers!
Our Band of the Week needs no introduction, do your history! Mark Sultan has been a KLYAM fave since before there was a KLYAM. If you’re in the Boston/New England area, come to the PA’s Lounge in Somerville this Saturday, May 12. Sick local bands opening: Banditas, New Highway Hymnal, The BFs, and Girlfriends.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 