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).
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.
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.
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.
This shit is so good. This is a sick song from the recent Dylan Ewen & The Southern Gospel Gangbusters cassette. Pick that shit up from BUFU Records. Dylan just went on tour with Free Pizza and some of it is documented here in this video. I’m far too drunk to go into any other descriptions right now. Enjoy.
Atlantic Thrills are making the CMJ headlines today with a new music video for “Day at the Beach,” a song that appeared on the band’s 7″ last Summer on Almost Ready Records, the same label that is releasing their debut self-titled LP (also featuring ‘Beach’) on February 4th. Ya y’all know the scoop. For now, sit back and watch this hilarious, bubblegummy, acid trippy video at the link below.
The article is written by a guy who knows his shit: Eric Davidson, front man for classic garage punk outfit New Bomb Turks and author of We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, a chronicle of 1980s/1990s underground garage punk and a personal favorite of mine. Glad to hear Eric is digging the Thrillz.
On Wednesday, January 22 the dudes are playing at The Middle East Upstairs for The Televibes’ Tape Release Show along with Vundabar and The Guru. FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/328141533995242/
So, here we are again. 2013 feels like a blur, a fun blur though. It just seemed to truck on by so damn fast. It didn’t feel like it was all that long ago when I was making my year end lists for 2012. I must say, every year gets better around here and 2013 was definitely our best year. We met tons of people and went to more shows than ever before (significantly more). With that in mind, I will leap off into my top ten favorite shows from the greatest year KLYAM has experienced thus far…
Storm or Howl
10) TIE!: Boston Underground Summit VI @ Cambridge Elks Lodge (9/15/) & The Beets @ The Whitehaus (11/26) – I would start a top ten list with a tie. I simply could not leave out either of these shows from my top ten, so fuck it here’s both. Firstly, this was my first Boston Underground Summit and it was a totally unique live experience for me. The show was set up as a round robin in which a band would play one song and then as soon as they were done another band would play a song and so forth until about 9 different bands had played a song, and then it went back to the first band. My head’s getting dizzy just writing this – it was indeed a dizzying experiment; constantly walking back and forth between all 3 spots in the Elks Lodge (where 3 separate bands were each set up). I compare it to an aggressive wine tasting meets a live, physical playlist/mix. In any situation, it was refreshing and broke down any hint of monotony that may have been creeping in on my fairly consistent show going consumption. My favorite bands/performances included Storm or Howl, Funeral Cone (this one left me bleeding!), Dylan Ewen, and R. Nordac’s Crying Lessons.
Holy shit, the mighty Beets. It took us two hours to get to the holy Whitehaus, but we made it just in the nick of time to catch Los Beets who came all the way from Jackson Heights, Queens, New York!! As you may or may not know, The Beets are one of our beloved KLYAM bands and this year we caught them in the flesh twice within two weeks! This was a strange show for several reasons. We were running late and I feared that we would miss The Beets, having journeyed so long for nuffin. When we arrived at the Whitehaus (for our very first time, by the way) there were few if any hellos and it was near darkness – plus we’re half blind anyway. Seconds pass and those smooth, transcendent Uruguayan voices rang through my ears and down into the depths of my bloody soul. All the blood I have puked since I found out I have gas in my veins. When the set finished, we had to flee once again to catch that dirty old train. It all happened so quickly, like a drug, The Beets drug. I know y’all would like a piece of that! REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/11/27/review-the-beets-the-whitehaus/
Nice Guys
9) FIDLAR, The Orwells, Nice Guys @ The Sinclair (10/23) – This was a nice slammer. It’s always fun to see a local favorite (Nice Guys) dazzle an audience of newcomers and it’s all the more exceptional when they are sixteen and rambunctious! The Orwells make my liver shiver and quiver OR that’s all the alcohol? Anyway, we’ve loved these dudes for years and they put on an excellent show. They have this real clean cut exterior to them kind of like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, real polished rock ‘n’ roll, but beneath there’s a slimy underbelly that represents some of the bands (Black Lips, Jay Reatard) we grew up and threw up on ourselves. And FIDLAR, I’m just happy you and your fans didn’t break my nose. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/11/15/review-fidlar-the-orwells-nice-guys-the-sinclair/
Shannon and the Clams
8) Shannon and The Clams, The Fagettes, Atlantic Thrills @ Great Scott (11/20) – This list is a testament that we’ve been blessed with a plethora of excellent shows this year, but I can honestly say only a select few are what I would dub a “stacked line-up” and this here is one of them. Our two favorite New England based rock ‘n’ roll bands (The Fagettes and Atlantic Thrills) on the same stage as one of the best in the whole land, the fabulous Shannon and The Clams. I saw the Clams earlier this year and, while that was a great performance, this time around the crowd went a lot crazier and that always makes the difference. The band’s cover of Del Shannon’s “Runaway” alone made my night :). REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/12/29/review-shannon-and-the-clams-fagettes-atlantic-thrills-great-scott-112013/
7) Guerilla Toss, Fat Creeps, Nice Guys, Designer Halloween Show @ Cambridge Elks Lodge (10/19) – Halloween is usually a good excuse for everyone to let loose, get wasted, and eat a shit ton of candy. Oh yeah, and to dress up like their favorite bands and play a set full of bizarre covers. That’s my favorite part. G Toss took to the role of one Meatloaf, Designer dropped down to their skivvies and cranked out a noisy set of Blink – 182 numbers, and Fat Creeps destroyed as the legendary Cramps. My favorite performance by far was the Nice Guys as The Mummies. Being somewhat of a garage junkie, I’d kill to see The Mummies and I felt like this came inches away from the real thang. Alex Mum demolishing his keyboards was priceless. Poor keyboards, they never had a chance. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/11/08/review-fat-creeps-nice-guys-designer-guerilla-toss-cambridge-elks-101913/
Wavves
6) Wavves, King Tuff, Jacuzzi Boys @ The Sinclair (10/1) – Wavves is one of those bands I’ve cherished over the years. One of the few bigger bands I still enjoy. I wasn’t overly enthusiastic with their latest record, Afraid of Heights, but it has grown on me. Studio work aside, this band still kills me live. It’s as if these songs were made to be heard exclusively live. From Wavves’ inception, there’s been a great anthemic feel to their music and this show at Sinclair is enough evidence for me that they can still kick out the jams like the best of them. It was also a pleasure to finally see King Tuff and Jacuzzi Boys, bands we’ve been aching to see for a few years now. And on a personal note, I was happy to chat with Wavves’ members Stephen Pope and Alex Gates about their past (and future) in the magnificent Memphis bands The Barbaras, Girls of the Gravitron, and Cretin Stompers. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/10/04/review-wavves-king-tuff-jacuzzi-boys-sinclair-10113/
A photo of three sexy men
5) Ty Segall @ The Bowery Ballroom (8/30) – What up New York City? We voyage to NYC once or twice a year to see some of our favorite bands. This time it was the man, Ty Segall, the global ambassador for rock ‘n’ roll. If rock ‘n’ roll had a representative at the UN it would be this man. For this show/tour Ty and his bodacious band played an all acoustic set, performing the album Sleeper in its entirety as well as some old classics such as “Girlfriend.” I’ve never seen kids (including myself) mosh and stage dive to acoustic music before and I may never again. Only you Ty, only you. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/10/08/review-ty-segall-bowery-ballroom-83013/
Hunx and His Punx
4) Hunx and His Punx, Hunters, The Fagettes @ Brighton Music Hall (8/23) – Let’s face it we’re fairly predictable around here – but that’s NOT a bad thing! because we are consistently enthralled with gorgeous music, at least I think so. It’s true! Hunx is a long time KLYAM favorite and a must see live band (seriously do it!). Just writing about Hunx gets me all revved up and ready to go. This year the band morphed into ultra punx with the release of their epic, early hardcore punk ode Street Punk, and they brought all the piss and vinegar with them when they destroyed our fair city last August. The set’s most memorable moment actually came from a couple of kinky crowd members, when a young man was accosted by a topless middle aged woman and the two proceeded to slobber over one another for the remainder of the show. I will never be able to listen to “Lover’s Lane” the same way ever again. “Just gotta touch you and squeeze you, and make you mine/I want to hold you til the end of time.” Yeesh, did they have to take it so literally?! Stellar set from Fagettes as always. Hunters were cool too. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/09/09/review-hunx-and-his-punx-hunters-fagettes-brighton-music-hall-82313/
3) Ravi Shavi, The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills “Rock ‘n’ Roll BBQ With Psychedelic Sauce” – We saw quite a bit of shows in Providence, RI this year and every single time we came to see our chief punk slime animals in Atlantic Thrills. Mix them up with fellow Providence soul machines Ravi Shavi and our Boston psych creatures The New Highawy Hymnal and I’m one happy camper. All of this madness was set to the background of the TRIPPY Lysergic Factory Light Show! I don’t think I’ve ever “danced” more in my life, charming some attendees, perhaps frightening most. Those were fucked times, fun times. I woke up the next morning covered in dirt and blood and my dick hurt a little bit (only a little bit). In hindsight, it was the perfect summer night. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/07/27/review-ravi-shavi-the-new-highway-hymnal-atlantic-thrills-in-providence-71313/
2) The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills, Polaroids, The Real Tom Hanks @ Wilder Zangcraft (2/23) – Once again, The New Highway Hymnal and Atlantic Thrills throwing straight up wild shows! This show took place at one of my favorite DIY spaces, a tiny basement in Lowell that was overwhelmingly consumed by 50 or more plastered college kids all accompanied by the perpetual, visual mindfuck that is the Lysergic Factory Light Show. NHH demolished my skin and bones as can be expected at Lowell basements shows. But, on this night my sweet, sozzled eyes have never seen such a fantastic, frenetic show from Providence’s finest, Atlantic Thrills. It was great to sing/scream along to all the songs, slam back pbr after pbr, and smash into my peers for a couple hours. In my primitive state of mind, I think I screamed “Lies” and “Demolicion” at the band about two hundred times. Lunacy at its most depraved. The Real Tom Hanks and Polaroids were both exciting and ethereal in their own rights. A memorable night in my life to say the very least. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/03/08/concert-review-the-new-highway-hymnal-atlantic-thrills-polaroids-the-real-tom-hanks-wilder-zangcraft-22313/
1) Hassle Fest 5 @ Cambridge Elks Lodge (11/7-11/8) – How could this not be number 1? This was/is the pinnacle of local underground music. A two day festival showcasing some of the best, most groundbreaking, and above all invigorating bands both at home and across the nation. So, as I’ve said before, it’s pretty much a microcosm for everything the Boston Hassle promotes all year long. Every single day. And we couldn’t salute y’all enough. I’ve found that several local music fans (some of which played the festival themselves) walked away with similar feelings as my own. I know we KLYAMERS have never seen anything else like it, just a constant barrage of band after band after band. It felt intimate and gigantic all at once. Unforgettable. My favorite sets included Fat Creeps, Guerilla Toss, Lightning Bolt, The Beets, and Kal Marks. REVIEW: https://klyam.com/2013/12/13/hassle-fest-recap-118-913/
So, that’s that. Top albums of the year coming up next.
It’s a beautiful thing – officially termed The BUFU 20 Minutes Or Less lil BB Tour featuring triple slicers Free Pizza and real talk duo Dylan Ewen (that’s one axeman Dylan, and the other dude drummer Chris G). They’ll be going up down and all around the New England/New York area, kicking off at a special place in JP, up to Brattleboro, down to Providence at Machines With Magnets, northwest to Feeding Tube in NoHamp, then straight to Death By Audio.
All these dates and venues can be accessed via that FB events page link above.
Also, check below a new music vid from Dylan Ewen – live in the studio with a lil green screen trickery
Bands: Shannon and the Clams, Fagettes, Atlantic Thrills Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 Venue: Great Scott (Allston, MA)
Atlantic Thrills – It’s kind of crazy how life works sometimes. Take for instance these rock ‘n’ roll shows we go to. When we discover that a fantastic national band such as Shannon and the Clams is coming to town, we say to ourselves “gee whiz, wouldn’t it be swell if Atlantic Thrills and Fagettes opened?! What a fine bill that would be.” Fortunately, the stars have aligned for us, and here we are with the perfect bill! A casual reader might come across these words and say “wow, this dude’s reallyyy sucking these band’s dicks.” But, anyone that reads this site on the reg knows that Fagettes and Atlantic Thrills are two of our favorite bands, bands that we have repped hard for the last couple years. SO HATERS FUCK OFF!
Anyway, it’s awesome to see Atlantic Thrills on ye olde Great Scott stage. I’ve seen the band a gazillion times, but this is the first time I’ve seen them here at Great Scott, and it is ever so great. Old Glen caught the dudes here about a year ago with fellow Providence kingpins Ravi Shavi – yeah check out those dudes too! The sound is amazing and this is one of the best sets I’ve seen from the foursome. The sound definitely amplifies the Thrillz’ typically passionate, heartfelt, and above all beer chuggin’, beer spittin’, balls out fun set. The group’s, gang styled doo wop vocals come through clearer and more powerful than ever. And they’re starting to really bring out a lot more doo wop in these newer tunes.
The band also unleash a steady batch of cuts from their classic catalog – many songs we’ve come to practically memorize over the years. All fast, psychedelic garage punk songs with memorable choruses and admirable musicianship. To quote a sagacious young man I know, it’s better to play music drunk, loose, and sloppy – as long as you know what you’re doing. This quasi paradox could certainly apply here.
Now, The Thrillz have played many a Boston show, but with this show they surely charmed some fresh faces on to their punk slime cult. I saw some of you new kids buying seven inches and tee shirts, that’s right! And if you haven’t done so. Pick up Atlantic Thrills’ “A Day At the Beach” 7″ from Almost Ready Records: http://www.almostreadyrecords.com/arr.htm
Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming full length also to be released on Almost Ready Records on February 4th! Lastly, Atlantic Thrills will be playing at the Middle East Upstairs for The Televibes’ tape release show on January 22 w/ The Guru and Vundabar. Do it up.
Set – List:
“Almost Anything”
“Bed Bugs”
“So Long”
“Drugs In It”
“Bone Rattle”
“Light Shines”
“Foreign Lands”
“A Day At the Beach”
“Boozin'”
“Mind’s Eye”
“Acid Rain”
“Salvaje” (Los Saicos cover)
Fagettes – The Fagettes are up there with Atlantic Thrills when it comes to the cream of the crop of New England rock ‘n’ roll. They hold a special place in our slimy hearts.
This Fagettes set is a lot of fun and people are dancing more than usual, which is always a good thing. The place is packed as fuck, making it difficult to get to the front of the stage, but I do my best. After all, I need to clutch my set lists, being a rampant set list devourer.
As of late, Fagettes have been playing a steady slew of old and new tunes. They play one song called “Stems and Seeds,” which they have only performed three times in the past: in Philly, in Ohio, and in Cambridge (I believe this was at the May 16, 2013 Middle East Upstairs Fagettes show, yeah I know I’m solidifying my status as the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll nerd with these obscure facts…).
My favorite song from tonight is “The AA Took My Baby Away,” a sad jam that always puts a smirk on my face, go figure. By the way, I never knew that the AA had the authority to take away babies!
P.S. Did I see Matt wearing a Black Lips shirt? Looking sharp nice guy! Hahaha.
Set – List:
“Street Queens”
“On Drugs”
“Gonna Die Out Here”
“Mystery Pills”
“The AA Took My Baby Away”
“Chilly”
“Bad Catholic”
“Sleeptalking”
“Stems and Seeds”
Shannon and the Clams – What kind of music do you like? “Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Punk Rock,” “Pop.” Those are my top three answers to that dreadful question. But, as you all know those words mean different things to different people. For some clowns, 12 hour guitar solos = rock ‘n’ roll, this is time that would have been better spent shaking hands with the unemployed. When I mean rock ‘n’ roll, punk rock, and pop you damn well know I mean bands like Shannon and the Clams. I don’t own the definition of rock ‘n’ roll et al, but in my heart of hearts this is it. A buffet of distinctive, varied, and utterly sincere art and entertainment that stretches far and wide through the rock ‘n’ roll gamut. To get a better taste of the Shannon and The Clams dish, think Rosie and the Originals, Roy Orbison, Ramones, The Cramps, Circle Jerks, and the best of the best of both old and new garage spunk. FOR FANS OF HUNX AND HIS PUNX AND NOBUNNY FO SHO.
Our proud rock ‘n’ rollers roll out the soft and ever so sweet “Done With You” as tonight’s opener. A sweetie from the group’s 2011 mind mutilating LP Sleep Talk. The sound of Shannon and the Clams is bone crushing, shivers down my spine, slithering all the way down to my testes, so slimy it makes my balls drop. It’s an intimidating, gargantuan sound and presence. The vocals are easily some of the greatest in modern rock ‘n’ roll. Shannon’s and Dan’s voices are lunatic, we’re talking crazy good. The judges on Idol and Voice would wet their panties and spill out their guts if they were ever in its vicinity, except they won’t because those shows suck ass. It’s still worth noting, since most rebel rousers in this line of work scream and shout their little hearts out, true, but few actually have professional pop singer voices (and that’s usually a good thing). In this instance, it works. Shannon and Dan are up there with the all time greats: Ms. Kline, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Orbison, and that charming Canadian fellow, Mr. Sultan.
Thee Clamers (not KLYAMERS ha!) rip through a searing batch of tunes from Sleep Talk (2011), Dreams In The Rat House (2013), and beyond. One of my favorite moments is when the trio performs a cover of the Del Shannon classic “Runaway.” I told you these punks have a soft spot. Speaking of punks, there is plenty of feisty enthusiasm on display from both the band and the audience. Patrons dance and mosh and slam all around. It’s a solid time had by all. One of the best shows I’ve seen all year. Read the set – list below and then cry like a stupid, weak, little baby if you were one of the sad saps that missed out on it. Look at the weak little baby! You’re stupid! You stupid, weak baby!
Set – List:
“Done With You”
“Hey Willy”
“You Will Always Bring Me Flowers”
“Warlock In The Woods”
“Oh Louie”
“King Of The Sea”
“Rip Van Winkle”
“Into A Dream”
“Woodsman”
“Runaway” (Del Shannon cover)
“You Can Come Over”
“Tired Of Being Bad”
“Ozma”
“The Cult Song”
“Troublemaker”
“Rat House”
Our town’s own SARALEE released their self titled debut full-length earlier this year by way of Ride The Snake and yup, I am a happy man. SARALEE’s that rare band that I fondly remember seeing then obsessively continuously listen to ’til the present. That was two and a half years ago roughly. Sounds a little intense I know – but you go ahead; open up seven song Demo. Positively I can say, this record Saralee is more of the same as that: intimate, nostalgic, rock and roll. Leave the labels on your desk, the duo go hard, go soft, go at a pace that works so very well for them. They haunt the rest of us. As I hear this record through my speakers, the drum set in my room is vibrating. There’s no obvious drumming on “Bugs In My Coffee,” but I picture Lee’s set making similar noise. Sara and Lee complement each other so well that their minimalist aesthetic is a continuous stream of ‘gettin it right’, just really how they like. It reminds me of my very first basement show which wasn’t that long ago. A perceptive experience that you want to perpetually familiarize yourself with. That’s Saralee and with them I can’t quite find any points of musical reference. Pop music for the non-masses, it’s too real stuff for most people to handle. I feel this way about The Beets as well. Count every song as a favorite of mine though special props to “Jackalantern House” as one that’s sorta planted on the back end of Side B, but has that trademark saralee ending that ya, I can never properly write about. Check out the organ part that concludes “Lead The Fire” for enchantment. Also this is the most neatly packaged record that I bought this year with silk screen cover and insert. Very nice.
SIDE A
1 Lead the fire
2 The Motion
3 White pipes
4 Sidewalks
5 Silence
Side B
6 Children of the night
7 Hesitation
8 Cold Feet
9 Jackalantern House
10 Bugs in my coffee
11 On a train
