Category Archives: Local Music

Local Music, Music

//// Catching Up With Dew Myron \\

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Dew Myron is an underground musician in Boston, Massachusetts.

Q1. Alright Dew – it’s your turn. Where and when does Dew begin? I’m seeing 2018 as the earliest output – under your Proper Name. But given the caliber of “The Chain Will Remain Unbroken” – which surely has a place in modern sunshine-pop lore – I’d like to think you’ve been making stuff for years? 

Thank you so much G, my first band was in middle school and the first feedback I received was that I should quit guitar, i started writing songs, early performances were disastrous and it was common for promoters to cut my set short or for audience members to spit on me. 

I kept writing songs because god kept sending me messages, I bought my first tape machine with 75 dollars I found on the ground when I couldn’t afford it otherwise; and the tape machine I recorded ‘stranded in canton’ on was found on a curb walking down the street. I’ll stop making songs when god stops sending equipment. 


Q2. There seems to be a very distinct songwriter glamour to your rhyme and reason. I mean, I think Bradford over there called you the greatest. What’s your philosophy? There’s Pop and Catchiness all over the place throughout the solo discography and a bevy of styles. I’m a country musician at heart. I like melody and lyrics. Sometimes a kindly angel will sing through me but I am the son of a carpenter so I strive to be a craftsman of song! 

I’m a country musician at heart. I like melody and lyrics. Sometimes a kindly angel will sing through me but I am the son of a carpenter so I strive to be a craftsman of song! 

Q3. Relatedly (it all is) – any shout outs in your journey of people/bands that blew your mind? I think I’d say – “hey this guy likes the ’60s” but all of the other decades, too. Even up to the here and now. What’s in Dew’s bag? 

My growing band blows my mind, Bradford Barker III, Gavin Caine, Young Sam of Corporeal, M. Frontz, Will Heel, Misdy T, Ten Thousand Year Old Dog, Johnny Steines, babypresident420. I used to see ur friend Noah Britton, Miniature Philosopher and Frankie Cosmos a lot among others when I first went to shows in the greater Massachusetts area. I Listen to ‘like flies on sherbert’ axel chitlin, ‘heart food’ judee sill, ‘gilded palace of sin’ flying burrito brothers, ‘coquelicot asleep in the poppies’, smog and silver Jews, and the movie Dig! it’s all pretty much there 


Q4. Let’s bring it to the now. Or maybe this goes back, too. I’d say your Dew Myron music is very playful, but dealing mostly with ‘Serious’ subject matter. But your recent collaborative work on the other hand with bands like The Calendars, Death Snail, Kitty Fuckers – seems a little more loosey-goosey. First – could you give a little run down/description of these groups? Are these like-minded comrades that you’ve known for a long while or more of a recent fling? Brad was under the gun in the bathroom and didn’t muster up an adequate response. 

I met brad and Gavin pre-pandemic and started making music with them during pandemic, they are prolific geniuses and hot guy agents of Christ. We make music together for love and to kill all the hipsters. The Calendars is my main thing now, the trilogy of Dew Myron albums may be the last.. that’s okay, Owner Sounds is my most spiritual album. If in 2022 you still make soulless humorless music then please find god. 



Q5. What are your thoughts on Allston? Its walk-ability? Any favorite places to play or anything you want to shit on? What are your thoughts on the Boston underground? You also played Brighton Music Hall a couple years back which is something a lot of us frankly will never be able to say we did in this life of ours. Were there any good appetizers or stuff back stage.  

It’s the type of place where a guy like, say for example, Chris D might enjoy living. Very walkable, a kind soul for every vampire 50/50 is good odds in this housing market 

All I can say about Brighton music hall was it was nice and king khan was a friendly person, we’re a hardworking professional band, no appetizers.. :(

Q6. It’s hard to keep up with your output, but anything on the immediate horizon? Any tours or out of town shows? If you’ve hit the road, are there any places that are friendly?

Let me know if I forgot anything. Thanks Dew! 

I’m working on my best album ever with The Calendars, a Disney musical set in the depths of my unconscious: a chemical wedding and a mid-twenties symphony for God. 

I’m also making my debut film, a romantic period drama. Score by death snail working title is ‘Canterbury Snails’

The Chives is working on their second LP. I sing with them and wrote ‘all greased up’ with Johnny, coming soon

We’re playing in Portland Maine on April 3rd at the Apohadion and Charlie’s on April 11th. More shows soon too.. follow me on Instagram and tiktok.com

God bless,

Dewey 

interviews, Local Music, Music

// Catching Up With Bradford of Denizen Records, Furry Frat, and A Shit Ton of Bands \\

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I wanted to get to the bottom of the cult of Denizen Records – reading their website , perusing a lengthy Bandcamp discography, and shows at the Furry Frat (and elsewhere). Brad was nice enough to answer some questions from the bathroom of his workplace. Thanks buddy.

Q1. Thanks for the interview DENIZEN RECORDS. I’m going to link to your website, which is amazing in its early internet glory. A BRUTALIST website in 2022.  So from flipping around on there I’ve gathered that DENIZEN RECORDS started in the North Shore (Massachusetts?) in 2016, maybe as a high school collective of music nerds? Is that on point? Relatedly, there are tons of bands / projects / whatever on DENIZEN RECORDS. There’s a lot of information and a lot of music. Currently or even historically, was/is there a core group of you that are in all of these bands and would you like to identify yourself? 

Glenn. Thanks again for the interview , it is an honor to be the ee of an esteemed publication such as this and sorry again for the delay. First off you’ve got us all figured out throughout all these questions. My friend Sean Burke started denizen back then and it had a major internet success (punk against trump) along with releases from some high school related bands. After that I kind of usurped it (evil tyrant style) and the breadth of dzn015 and onwards are derived from torments near and dear to me and my friends

Q2. Just to dwell on the past for a little bit – what was the dynamic or impetus for starting all of these bands and releasing music? Any ‘influences’ in the game of high volume releases? Or with having a sense of humour about it all. Some might call it ‘A Joke’. Now that I think of it I may have stumbled across y’all years back when I used to browse Bandcamp for new music. I always thought – “shit, this is a lot to digest.” I wondered who was behind it. 

It’s great you found it all those years back.

One thing I’ll say for denizen is random people have a knack for coming across it  . It’s definitely one of those things where 5 people in the world would die for the cause but all

The 14 year olds on tik tok are gonna be in the darkness . There’s been many instances of people reaching out to us from various circles of hell . Beggars can’t be choosers !Your other question – a  joke me and Gavin have after writing a song is asking each other , “what part of my brain wrote this? ” I.e. Is this kitty fuckers or death snail or what . Lol 


Q3. Let’s fast forward to 2022. In addition to being a label, you’ve got some shows planned for this winter/spring. At some hot legit venues like O’Briens, Charlies Kitchen, sure. But also FURRY FRAT. Is it safe to say that the non-traditional venue known as FURRY FRAT is home base or HQ for Denizen Records? Can you give a little history of this lovely spot? I hadn’t heard of it until I was blessed to come and fill in for Matt in DBC (Dirty Babies Club) on a whim at the Fuzzstival afterparty. It seemed to be a mix of partychasing young adults and aged/seasoned show-goers. Classic. 

What a classic night. The furry frat is the bane of my existence but it’s the only thing saving rock and roll from the tik tok teens and the yuppy scum buying up venues everywhere with their Berklee parents money . I’ve lived in Boston my whole life and it’ll be sad to see all the real music fade away to be replaced by aforementioned yuppy scum , but they gotta put a new tatte somewhere I guess . And who’s gonna write the soundtrack . 

Q4. Also a more modern question. Indulge me a bit in your own words of the DENIZEN/associated bands that are or will be actively playing out in this post-pandemic environment. KITTY FUCKERS and DEATH SNAIL – I’m seeing these pop up from Denizen. But also seems like you have a kinship with THE CALENDARS/DEW MYRON, and maybe some of the ole TRIXIES PALACE gang. I’m just an outsider, so please enlighten me on these connections. 

If you like Death snail , you’ll love death snail live . I’m excited for kitty cause that’s also Gavin’s songs and he’s the one making marionettes of us all . Dewey is the best song writer I’ve ever met and together we make tres amigos I guess . I miss the dbc and trixy days . But rumor has it we’ll play a couple reunion shows. You know Neil said better to burn out than to fade away  

Q5. Oh yes – are you just releasing stuff digitally or have there been tapes / records / mini discs / other arcane formats? Wouldn’t put that kind of stuff past you. 

Death snail was originally all tape only , there’s over a hundred songs on those tapes which are my favorite things I’ve ever made . I think they’re all gone but I  have the masters if on the off chance anyone ever wanted to print more 

Q6. This is a guest question submitted by all the shitty music blogs. What do you make of the Boston underground music scene? It seems like there’s a bevy of basements actively putting on shows. Is it like a family or little isolated nooks? Is it better than the North Shore Music Scene (TM-trademark)? I’m from the North Shore and there seems to be a solid tradition of Pop Punk and Emo Screamo, dating back to at least the 90s or 2000s. Surely that’s growing up in Boston. Imagine growing up in Memphis with Goner Records and The Barbaras?  Would I be off in saying that you may have been a part of that pop punker tradition, but evolved to a broader landscape of experimentalism/weirder shit? I appreciate everyone’s journey. 

When I was In high school my first band was a north shore pop punk thing. It was the best band I’ve ever been in cause it was high school and all we cared about was punk and girls , both of which very far out of our reach  . Now we’re all so jaded but I try to be as pure as I was back then . The scene now as I’ve mentioned sucks , every house you gotta submit an application to Berklee and fill out 3 Google docs to get a presale. thats the only thing keeping the  furry frat going though I’m getting too old for this shit . sorry if this sounds more deranged than usual I’m typing really fast in the bathroom of work! 

Thanks again Glenn 

Yours , Bradford 
^^THE END^^

UPCOMING DENIZEN-RELATED SHOWS:

MONDAY, MARCH 21 – CHARLIE’S KITCHEN – NICE GUYS, DEATH SNAIL, BETTY MOODY

SATURDAY, MARCH 26 – FURRY FRAT – CORPOREAL, RANDY AND THE SHOWER STEAM, X-RAY SIERRA, SATCHEL + CAMILO

MONDAY, MARCH 28 – O’BRIENS PUB – KITTY FUCKERS, G. GORDON GRITTY, BLUES DREAM BOX

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 – FURRY FRAT – NICE GUYS 10 YRS ANNIVERSARY

interviews, Local Music, Music

// Catching Up W/ Alex Walton (Youth Against Satan), Playing Furry Frat 3/18 \\

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ALEX WALTON PLAYS THE FURRY FRAT (BOSTON) ON FRIDAY MARCH 18th – 8:30 PM – WITH THE CALENDARS, WILL MC HEEL, AND G. GORDON GRITTY. GRITTY CAUGHT UP W/ ALEX. SEE BELOW:

q1 – YOUTH AGAINST SATAN , thank you for this. Please introduce yourself(s) however you wish – is this an individual or a collective effort? According to some slight research, it appears that 2017 was the starting point with Hands Highway. Is that right on or was there stuff before then associated with YOUTH AGAINST SATAN. 

My name is Alex Walton, and I started Youth Against Satan in 2018 as an impromptu “record label” in order to create an overarching collection for the various musical projects I had done up to that point, namely Hands Highway, Semper Games, GSB, and under my own name. As time progressed, I started releasing music by my friends through it.

q2. Relatedly to the above – sorry if it’s come up a bit before in past interviews and media spells – South By South Wests and things – but the name YAS stands out. If you are at liberty to talk more on that. But if not, I was, too, wondering if Boston has always been homebase, if it is currently? 

We are called Youth Against Satan because we are vehemently against Satan, Lucifer, the Dark Lord, forces of hate, evil, nihilism, unTruth, and as such, we try to create love, good, purpose, striving towards the Truth In All Things. There’s so much shit out there that wants you to kill yourself, and we want to work against that. This doesn’t mean to be saccharine and gleeful at all times, I think you know what I mean. Redeeming, not deprecating. A song can save a life.

I started YAS in Boston, yes. Where it will go, if it goes anywhere, I am not sure. I’ve never been so good at predictions.

q3. Amazing music by the way. Noise pop, Proto or Post punk, surf, a little garage spirit that’s right up our alley so I’m inclined to think we’ve been missing the boat on your stuff – Group Sounds, Alex Walton, etc, etc – ; pre-pandemic were you playing shows in Boston / touring? Feel definitely free to give a run down/description or timeline of YAS associated bands. 

All of us have not played as nearly as many shows, pre- or post- killer virus, as we would have liked to, this city is rough for booking and short for venues. There were a small handful of GSB performances before and a handful after, but GSB has run its course and has been dismantled for the time being. AWSMASB (alex walton shame music all star band) has been getting a decent amount of shows, but people in this city need to wake up and book our other artists like Vim and Grilltones. We have had a lot more success booking and playing shows in New York with our friends John Variety and Matt Danger Lippmann (who incidentally just played a fantastic show here last week with Winkler), but it’s still rough out here.

q3a. Have YAS releases all been digital or any tapes, vinyl, other mediums at play? Any upcoming releases?

All digital file transfers as of yet, but there are plans for vinyl, CDs, a Group Sounds Band movie, a Youth Against Satan restaurant, Vim Jordan 4s, Jaden Cruz McDonald’s Signature meal, a SHAME MUSIC video game, Michael Grill AR-15, etc etc. whenever we may be given enough money to make it happen.

I am in the midst of producing a secret Jaden Cruz project, as well as a new Alex Walton ep/album/something with some remixes and special guests which should release sometime this spring. Lots of music videos.

q4. Alex Walton Band is playing at Furry Frat Friday March 18th – anything we can or cannot expect? Based on some bandcamp listens I so much feel the basement energy and getting in that spirit. Any preference of these underground gigs to their aboveboard counterparts? 

Expect a lonesome desert town in a pink glow. Expect an overabundance. Expect to find the love of your life. Expect seeing someone on stage fully invested in Quixotic ideals of pop music as art. Come with mirth in your heart and wish for nothing, you’ll find what you really want. 

The places themselves do not matter as much as how they sound. Most “venues” in Boston have not ideal sound people working much less than ideal PAs and try to run your entire band through a couple of shit monitors. I prefer all the elements to speak for themselves in an intimate space. I like playing at bars that give me drink tickets.

q5. Want to shout out what I see as a love of Alan Vega, Devo — is there a general kinship of protopunk & stuff of the like? And other modern musical favorites or even older, obscurer, whatever, things like that you feel aligned with on some level? 

Proto, post, whatever, the goal of pop music is transcendental Truth, and these descriptors mean nothing except division and abstraction away from this goal. We all want the same thing at the end of the day, to make someone somewhere at some time listen and feel and understand and be understood. I appreciate those who can create deep immediate significance from the most primal and obvious, and I don’t have much patience for “complex” and erudite music that loses what makes this all work. 

I am aligned with Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx (in that order), Arthur Rimbaud, Candy Darling, Egon Schiele, my bandmates Brendan and Jaden, everyone on YAS (especially Vim), Winkler, will.i.am, Liam and Jori from Comet Pond, the Modern Warfare 3 ads with Eminem, John V Variety, Lou Reed, Matthew Danger Lippmann, Takashi Mizutani, Patrick Gray, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Adrian Borland, and all other truth-telling liars and previous incarnations of myself. 

Duty Now For The Future,

Alex Walton

Local Music, Music, Rama Lama Ding Dong

KLYAM’s Rama Lama Ding Dong Returns – Sat Nov 13 @ O’Briens

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Our annual Rama Lama Ding Dong festival is less than two weeks away – mark your calendars for Saturday, November 13 at O’Briens Pub in Allston.

The 2021 edition is a spectrum of pop and punk but surely not pop punk.

We’ve got RLDD 2019 favorites/late ’70s punk legends Unnatural Axe back again. Mr. B called them “the most important punk band Boston will ever call its own”.

Silver Synthetic are on tour from New Orleans! We saw them outdoors at Gonerfest so surely it will be wild to see the Third Man Records supergroup bring their warm & breezy sound to the cozy pub atmosphere of O’Briens.

The Swettes played our Holiday Party in December 2019 and surely won the hearts of the Dorchester Art Project faithful with their minimalist, adventurous, and immediate brand of rock ‘n roll. They met at Girls Rock Camp just a few years ago.

We’re excited to at long last do a show with Kathy Snax! Kathy just released a 7″ (Changeling b/w On A Winter Day) on Relief Map Records. The eerie/haunting vibe is real, but it’s the catchiness/pop of Kathy’s music that makes it feel not of this time/of this place.

Johnnie and the Foodmasters have played all of the RLDD and the streak continues. Musicality meets chaos in the context of the golden oldies.

This will sell out! Get your tickets ahead of time:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unnatural-axe-silver-syntheticjohnnie-and-the-foodmastersthe-sweeties-tickets-181182871847

4752 Fest, Music, New Bedford

4752 Fest Coming Back To New Bedford on October 23

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4752 Fest, New Bedford’s all-day music spectacular, returns this year! The first edition in 2019 was nothing short of inspiring – drawing in local music fans and bands from all over New England. The 2021 version of the festival will take place on Saturday October 23rd starting at 2:30 PM at the Fiber Optic Center loading dock. I caught up with organizer Devin Byrnes, proprietor of Destination Soups (one of the venues), and member of New Bedford dance-noise trio Picniclunch:

G: Hey Devin! Describe the magic of New Bedford’s 4752 Fest to somebody not from there but who is curious about what differentiates 4752 from the average music fest?

D: 1. The 4752 festival is a completely walkable, roaming music festival. It is set up in different venues scattered around downtown New Bedford. It is completely free and is all ages except for one venue. No two bands play at the same time, the set times are staggered, so as one band is ending, another act who might be a block or two away is set up to start their set. I wanted it to be a free flowing experience allowing the listeners to take in as much or little music as they would like.

G: There are 6 venues, including some that don’t regularly host live music – tell us a little more about each spot if you can!

D: Yes, absolutely… I would be remiss if I didn’t give a heartfelt thank you to each venue for agreeing to be a part of this, especially during these times. The venues are: the loading dock (only outside venue) at the Fiber Optic Center. They provide fiber optic technology for all sorts of businesses and the president, Ethan, not only is allowing us to kick off the event there, but he has been very generous in being a sponsor of the event, enabling us to pay the artists. Then we move to The Communal Space which is is a Bipoc led, arts cultivator space with an emphasis on community engagement and equity for all. Then we go to The Madlila, which is a store focusing on eclectic, newer and vintage clothing and accessories. Then to Destination Soups, which is my fast, casual, lunch restaurant. We move on to Paradise McFee Gallery, a really funky, vibrant working art gallery. Followed by last, but not least, No Problemo, which is one of the OG spots in the New Bedford, downtown scene. It’s a hip, delicious, Cali-Mexican place. Craig (who runs it) has been an ubermensch for years, by being one of the only spots to host original music Downtown. In my mind, these businesses highlight the eclectic make up of our Downtown.

G: The line up is a combo of homegrown NB talent and others from around the region – without giving too much away, what sort of sounds might we expect? It certainly seems like it could get loud & weird at times!

D: Yeah, I am really excited for this year’s line up. When I started booking it in July, it came together really quick and almost everyone I reached out to was on board. I think that was a reflection of how much people were really jonesing to play again. My formula for curating it is about a 50/50 split between New Bedford area based artists and artists around New England. Also, I am looking at different styles. I have some dreamy acoustic acts and some abrasive noise rock, a bit of everything. I try to focus on more underground artists that in my eye, bring something original and interesting to the table. If you come and walk around the festival, I think you will be entertained. I think to make something like this successful, you need a good amount of variety. If you really like a certain kind of music, great, but you probably don’t want to watch 13 acts playing that kind of music.

G: Your band Picniclunch just headlined our SUPAPS festival and that was a blast. You’ve done some Covid-era gigs in Providence, too. Will this be a homecoming gig for y’all? Anything else you want to plug or share related to the Fest or Picniclunch?

D: Yeah, thanks for having us up to Somerville.. that was a great day. I loved how on a really nice day, all these people were using the public park space, punk bands, people shooting hoops, kids birthdays, etc. . yeah, this will be our first show back in New Bedford in probably a few years. Like you said, Providence is pretty close and we have played 3 fairly recent shows there. When Covid hit we started recording and we hope to get back at that soon. We have almost a full album worth of new material and are really excited by the newer material.

In closing, I just want encourage everyone to come check out the festival. I don’t really know many events like it – the bill is stacked and I think our home town is pretty great.



Local Music, Music, Uncategorized

We’re Still Here!

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Hope everyone is healthy and hanging in there. We wanted to let you know that we are still here and active.

With no new shows to book, play, or attend, we’ve shifted gears to a new medium: the Podcast!

Link is up at the top of the website and here. These have been great – one to two (sometimes longer!) hours of catching up with old pals, artists, and musicians. We try to cover formative experiences in music whenever possible along with what’s going on currently and in the future.

 

Local Music, Music

LOCAL EVENTS CALENDAR (JANUARY 2020)

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KLYAM Recommended Happenings:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 – JESUS DRINKS FREE @  The Haven in Jamaica Plain. Free. 21+. 9 PM to 1 AM. The first Thursday night of every month, DJ Dan Shea and cohorts (this time: Nadav & Spnda) spin soul, r&b, country, and yes certainly Gospel, for believers and non-believers. Calling all lovers of old time music from the ’50s through the ’70s.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 – NICE GUYS, Minibeast, Service, Freaking @ Great Scott. 21+. RTT Presents. A strong night of punk ‘n noise.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 – KARAOKE @ The Lilypad – 10PM to 1AM. $5. Karaoke with Erica & Maria has now become an institution.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 – DOG, Children of the Flaming Wheel, and G. Gordon Gritty @ Deep Thoughts in Jamaica Plain. $5-10 sliding scale donation. All Ages. Noise behemoths and utter legends DOG make a come back to Boston! Children of the Flaming Wheel are coming off a FIRE performance at our recent Holiday Party at Dorchester Art Project. Yours truly and band will open the show & expect the unexpected.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 – Baby Baby, Thighs, Lane, Russ Waterhouse, Frigid – Banshee Den, Everett, MA. All Ages. A new, DIY spot in Everett? This is one to pique curiosity. And the line-up is just as weird as you’d expect.

Local Music, Music, Uncategorized, Weird Energy

WEIRD ENERGY HAS ARRIVED IN BOSTON

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WEIRD ENERGY is
Wild, unkempt industrial chic
Haunted house roque
Shea likes alien voices and Grasscity
Trying to one up you with a vast, near academic knowledge of noise rock
Checks the box: will open for Lightning Bolt at Sinclair
This is like punching that Jimmy YouTube channel in the cheek
We’ve all been there, sometimes you just got to do it.

Local Music, Music, The Glue, Uncategorized

The Glue ‘Whatever Sticks’ Now Available On Bandcamp

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The propitious debut from outlaw country outfit The Glue Whatever Sticks is now on BANDCAMP.  Whatever Sticks was released by KLYAM on tape in late 2018. Rave reviews followed and those without a tape player were left in the wild, wondering ‘how can I listen to this amazing band?’ For this performance, the group consisting of leader Lil (vocals/guitar/keys), Lena Dips (keys/bass/vox), Yoyopa (cello), sleuth (Sax), and Satchmington Forresterson (writer) ventured to Basin Bay, Lake George, NY.  Close affiliate James Coarse was behind the boards. Six originals and three covers – this is a pure and intimate release.

The Glue will be performing alongside Coarse’s Whip Appeal for our Hungover for the Holidaze party at the Dorchester Art Project on Friday, December 20. Metaphorically roast chestnuts!