Category Archives: Local Music

Art, Big Mess, concert review, Fat History Month, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Fat History Month, Big Mess, Masingo @ UML Fox Common (9/13/12)

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Photo not from tonight’s show, taken from http://www.radioutd.com/2012/02/05/reviewinterview-fat-history-month/

Artists: Fat History Month, Big Mess, Masingo
Date: Thursday, September 13, 2012
Venue: UMass Lowell Fox Common (Lowell, MA)
Comments:
Act I: Big Mess–  Two months is way too long. It has been two long months since I have seen the mighty Big Mess. Their music has always struck me as the perfect soundtrack for  *insert your favorite action here* “Fucking!” Okay sir, fucking sounds good, we’ll go with that. So, it’s no surprise to me that guitarist, Nicholas Wiedeman introduces their perennial set opener, “The Hook,” as a song about making love. Indeed, it is a passionate tune that consistently energizes my spirit at each Big Mess show. The next song “Side A,” from last year’s split with S’eance is equally if not more effective, but perhaps not a number to do the wild thing to, well maybe if your more of the aggressive type, which hopefully you are. This song and the track “Drone Bee” demonstrate the band’s ability to produce powerful, headbanging guitar riffs and sledgehammer drums. In a live setting, truly the best way you can experience this trio, these songs are richer and naturally heavier. In general, Big Mess’s music has always made me conjure up images of classic horror movie madmen such as one, Jack Torrence.The whole set consists of classics and most of the crowd tonight appear to be fans that have experienced Big Mess time and time again; you can see in their eyes a deep admiration for their peers. I share this sense of admiration for the band and hope to see them again sometime soon. http://bigmessma.bandcamp.com/album/big-mess

Act II: Fat History Month– The show begins with Seanhistorymonth standing amongst the kids at The Fox Common, strumming his guitar and with his co-conspirator Markhistorymonth on drums, the duo sink into their weird, little world, taking all the kids aboard. Much like Big Mess, Fat History is a sound band in the studio,  but are perhaps better appreciated in a live setting. On stage,  you truly get to witness the unbeatable chemistry between Sean and Mark that you cannot experience simply from listening to one of their records. As always, the pair dish out some of my favorites, including, but certainly not limited to “Free As A Cat,”  “Old Lady Smokers,  and the Bad History demo “Everyday Is Christmas.” At one point, Sean expresses an appreciation for the decent turn out of bodies in attendance, much greater than he expected. This is no surprise to me however, in fact I would hope more kids got turned on to their music. But, those that show up are immersed in their peformance and when it comes time for requests, someone shouts NATURE! I find this to be hilarious because this is at least the third or fourth time now that I have heard “Nature” requested at a Fat History show. It is a terrific song, so why not?! What is great about this performance is the fact that they follow up “Nature” with the epic track “You Can Pick Your Nose, You Can Pick Your Friend’s Nose, But You Can’t Escape Your Horrible Family.” Up until this point I don’t believe I have ever heard this song live, so that is a definite plus. Not to mention that these two songs are next  to each other on their LP Fucking Despair (pick that thang up btw), thus giving this set a further feeling of completion. I am so glad we have a band like Fat History Month in Boston; it is always a pleasure to see them live and they play a shit TON of shows in this area and beyond, so get yer ass out to any or all of them! Man, I wish I had heard all of this great music when I was a little kid, instead of reading about Fidel Castro, watching old porn movies from the 70s, and getting placed in figure-four locks. Sure, Fat History Month is probably a little bit too bizarre for most children, but in this crazy world we live in they are going to get exposed to some fucked up shit anyway, might as well make sure it’s constructive, beautiful, fucked up shit. Why fill their little heads with hope now? Why not give them a tip before the weight of the the world wipes away all their precious dreams? Jeeze Chris, way to kill the party. Ahh, I’m only teasing, as they say everyday is Christmas, or at least everyday feels like Christmas when you have great bands like Fat History Month around you. Cheers. http://fathistorymonth.bandcamp.com/album/fucking-despair

Act III: Masingo– Masingo, damn Masingo I knew I had seen you before (on a bill with SARALEE @ the Ant Cellar last May), but for the life of me I could not remember them. My bad. Then when Masingo hits the stage, I have some flashbacks, still cannot recall too much, but now I remember these young lads. In particular the vocalist/guitarist has a great attitude and I do remember this quality from before. He is interactive with the audience, inquiring about college and informing the students about endorphins and other matters. He hops around quite a bit, shaking his shaggy hair in the process.  The other two members are equally skilled and their fast, punk delivery is admirable. I am not quite sure if it is my cup of tea, but they are entertaining. My favorite moment is when the vocalist/guitarist flies off the stage, with his guitar in his arms, and falls flat on his back, only to hop right back on stage as if nothing had happened. Check out their bandcamp page: http://masingo.bandcamp.com/

EP Review, Kal Marks, Local Music

EP Review: Kal Marks – “Piss of the Century”

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Band: Kal Marks
Release: 2012

1. “Out in the Deep”
2. “My Guitar”
3. “Born Again”
4. “Piss of the Century”
5. “Fake Tits”
6. “The Chain”

Comments: The first two songs on this record are no less than incredible. Interesting way to start a review, huh? All the chips fall into place quite easily. It’s like they’ve got control of that Pixies loud-quiet-loud thing, but only if the lead singer of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah was born in Alabama. On “Born Again,” there’s a pulsating rhythm and some Fat History Month esque guitar picking. The sparsity of this song (no drums) makes me feel like I’m out in the woods or something. It’s comforting. “Piss of the Century” returns to the form of the first two, but with a big kick in the nuts. I like the contrast between this and the prior. The production of “Piss” stands out too, turn those amps up and mic those drums real well – check! The references to previously mentioned bands seem to come from individual parts of Kal Marks, not really the whole. I could toss some more out like The Loon era Tapes ‘n Tapes, but God only knows the familiarity they might have with them. “Maybe if I didn’t know my body/well maybe I know my self-worth” did I hear that right on “Fake Tits”? Haha, this is a funny one, at least to me. It is well-done and I knew it’d be interesting to give a lil attention to the words. The closer is a cool cumulative visitation to prior sounds previously given the light of day, but with some added features that collide perfectly toward the ending of the song, which kicks ya in the privates (for the second time). There’s some feedback/effects that blindsided me (in the good way) – anything’s possible with Kal Marks, right? I’ll stand by “Out in the Deep” as my favorite on here, because 1) it captivates me 2) it sounds terrific and somewhat familiar 3) the ending, man. It’d be unreasonable not to ask you to spend some quality time with this record. If you’re from the Boston area, it seems, too, that it would be a great tragedy to miss out on what these dudes are doing.

Art, Colleen Green, concert review, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Concert Review: Colleen Green, Plateaus, Empty Phrases @ unchARTed (9/10/12)

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Artists: Colleen Green, Plateaus, Empty Phrases
Date: Monday, September 10, 2012
Venue: unchARTed (Lowell, MA)

Comments: Tonight is my first time stepping foot into the unchARTed gallery in downtown Lowell and I am impressed by its small, but cozy and enticing atmosphere. The walls are covered with various, intriguing portraits, I don’t know much about art, but I can recommend art enthusiasts and purveyors to check this place out! Though, this is my first unchARTed show, I have heard of the place for a while now, so I am glad my introduction is with one of my favorite artists, Colleen Green!

Act I: Empty Phrases– Ahh my boys, the Empty Phrases, a budding four piece fresh out of Lowell and ready to take on the world. Alas, tonight they are missing guitarist Evan Walters :( next time brother! Fortunately, the group manages more than fine as a three piece and I can honestly say this is the finest performance I have experienced from these gentlemen. Tonight, they display a much more aggressive, almost a hardcore/noise rock possessed version of Empty Phrases, giving their summery, dream like sound an oddly  enchanting, sinister touch. All in all, a fun, loud, rocking set from one of Lowell’s most promising bands. http://emptyphrases1.bandcamp.com/album/empty-phrases%20

Act II: Plateaus– Plateaus were sick last night when I saw them at the Middle East Upstairs, but I prefer them even more tonight. The PA at unchARTed is a motherfucker, making all the bands sound quite loud, I love it! This is definitely the case for Plateaus, for their power pop sounds even better with the thunderous volume added to the mix. I don’t know if it’s just me, but their set tonight hit me like a ton of bricks and leaves me with an even greater impression of their music.  Check out this badass band! http://plateausband.bandcamp.com/

Act III: Colleen Green– Wooooooo! Night 2 of my Colleen Green extravaganza. KLYAM has the whole Colleen Green coverage as Empty Phrases vocalist/guitarist Ben Raymond puts it. Indeed, the Massachusetts coverage anyway. It has been a privilege of mine to see one of my favorite singers and her glorious backing band two nights in a row. I say this not to sound like a kiss ass as I am sure it may come off that way haha, but I love her music so as a fan the pleasure is all mine, and who wouldn’t want to experience something they love two nights in a row? Masochists that’s who. Anyway, Colleen and crew delivered a fantastic set last night at the Middle East Upstairs, so going into this performance I was ecstatic, rightfully so. The unchARTEd gallery truly is one of the best venues for a Colleen Green show in all of MASS and definitely the DIY atmosphere of this place feels fitting. Once again, I have to give props to the sound system here, I definitely think this is the best way to experience Colleen. When the bands gets their thing on, Colleen introduces the whole band as “Colleen Green,” which I think is awesome. Just like the previous night they rock into the Descendents tune “Good Good Things,” and transition into the fast, punk, Ramones ode “I Wanna Be Degraded.” The PA is nasty here and from what I am told it often unleashes some unpleasant noises (though tonight everything I have heard has been awesome), but the Colleen Green band is able to make everything sound great; nothing sounds harsh; in fact it’s all very soothing to my ears, which at this point are horribly damaged. Seriously, Colleen is one of my favorite singers, her vocals are so soft,  yet powerful, it’s incredible and I cannot think of anyone else that compares to her. Overall, the Colleen Green band destroys and I am a happy camper. I can’t wait to see her and her band again! KLYAM loves you! http://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/

7" Review, Bent Shapes, Local Music, Music

7″ Review: Bent Shapes – “Boys To Men / Brat Poison”

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Band: Bent Shapes
Release: 2012
Label: Cake Time Records

1. Boys To Men
2. Brat Poison

Comments: This is my first time listening to a Flexi Disc and let me say that it has been a positive experience! It’s a brief vinyl – less than 5 minutes of song – but Bent Shapes make me keep placing that needle back on #1. The first song “Boys To Men” is a magnificently catchy pop song — the melody reminds me of why I enjoyed Uninhabitable Mansions debut record so much (slower tempo rock ‘n roll with intriguing vocals). I’d safely say this has almost instantly become a favorite of mine from the Shapes. “Brat Poison” follows a more eclectic (yet still widely intriguing) road to the mind’s consciousness, sort of flowing like an old school hardcore number, but has me thinking “Rock Lobster” for whatever two word reason. Don’t let the repetitions at the end of the song fool ya, unless you are particularly fond of that sort of stuff. Not judging. Do yourself a favor and pop that needle back on #1 again and repeat. For however long you find fit. I’m curious about Bent Shapes after listening to this (and seeing them put on a great show last night as openers for Colleen Green) even more so after hearing a fellow KLYAMer profess his deep admiration for 2009 Girlfriends track “I Was Here, But I Disappear”. So yeah, great work Bent Shapes!

Art, Big Mess, Fat History Month, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, Show Alert

*SHOW ALERT* FAT HISTORY MONTH/BIG MESS/MASINGO @ UML FOX COMMON (9/13/12)

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Fat History Month Blog

Thursday, September 13, 2012, a glorious day for all because the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC) is presenting Fat History Month, Big Mess, and Masingo @ the UMass Lowell Fox Common. Doors at 7, show starts at 8. 3 badass local bands!
http://fathistorymonth.bandcamp.com/
http://bigmessma.bandcamp.com/album/big-mess
http://masingo.bandcamp.com/

Art, Colleen Green, concert review, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Uncategorized

Concert Review: Colleen Green, Plateaus, Bent Shapes, Bugs and Rats @ Middle East Upstairs (9/9/12)

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Artists: Colleen Green, Plateaus, Bent Shapes, Bugs and Rats
Date: Sunday, September 9, 2012
Venue: Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge, MA)

Comments:

Act I: Bugs and Rats– These motherfuckers diminish what is left of my eardrums, which is great. Bugs and Rats are a powerhouse band, a three piece that is LOUD and guaranteed to wake up the neighbors. They would serve as a terrific alarm clock, I must say. I’ll admit much of the music I listen to is of the “wimpy” variety so I’m not as big into Bugs and Rats, but damn they are a solid band and they rock pretty hard. Their music is easy to head-bang to – in fact I would find it hard not to. Though it’s not necessarily my cup of tea, I can definitely recommend it. I also admire the band’s overall enthusiasm, which makes this performance even more fun. The drummer looks like he is going berserk! Lastly, I notice there is a picture of Anne Frank on the guitarist’s guitar, I do not know why, but I find this interesting. I mean I think it is Anne Frank. Either it is her or I am a fucking idiot.
Go nuts http://bugsandrats.bandcamp.com/


Act II: Bent Shapes–  So, y’all know Bent Shapes were formerly known as Girlfriends, right? Alright good. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen this band since they opened for Harlem at Great Scott back in April 2010, so it is a real pleasure to see them tonight.  I was always struck by their music before and I have been meaning to see them again for quite some time now, but for whatever reason it just never worked out. Fortunately, tonight is my night and I get a chance to see this excellent band.  Bent Shapes definitely has some outstanding pop hooks and they remind me of one of my favorite bands, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart.  I also hear a lot of pop punk a la Wavves in their music. Glen concurs on this point. Without a doubt my favorite moment is when they play “I Was Here, But I Disappear,” a favorite of mine. Not just a favorite from the band, but one of my favorite songs of all time. I did not expect them to play this song at all, so this is a real treat. Admittedly, I need to listen to more of their material and I plan to. You should too! http://bentshapes.bandcamp.com/

Set List:
Public
Brat (“Brat Poison”)
Panel (“Panel of Experts”)
Bites (“Bits and Scratches”)
Big M (“Big Machines”)
Space
Bhead?
Disappear (“I Was Here But I Disappear”)
Hex (“Hex Maneuvers”)
Leave (“Leave It Till You Need It”)
Boys (“Boys to Men”)


Act III: Plateaus– Before tonight’s performance I have never heard of Plateaus, but now I am convinced they are a sound band and I plan on checking out their music. Their songs are not as stripped down and catchy as those of Bent Shapes, but they keep up the same power pop/ pop punk sensibility. I am also feeling some strong garage vibes and in this way I can see them fitting well with the kind of music we typically champion on KLYAM. Their set is definitely fun and gets me pumped up for Colleen, even more so than I already was. http://plateausband.bandcamp.com/


Act IV: Colleen Green– Before I start my little babbling, I am going to take a mini trip back to April 2011. April 29, 2011 to be exact. Glen and I had had little exposure to basement venues (a couple of shows in Lowell and that was about it) and so when we arrived at the Starlab in Somerville to see one of Ottawa’s finest, The White Wires, we were a bit perplexed. As I recall we paid the seven bucks or so for admission (which included a stamp of the word “fuck” on my hand) and then we left the venue momentarily to smoke a bowl. One of the dudes running the show caught up with us and said that it was cool for us to smoke inside. So, we did. More importantly, why am I telling this story?! What I forgot to mention was that Colleen Green was headlining this bill, but at the time we had no idea who Colleen Green was, we came to see White Wires as I had mentioned earlier. I remember sitting down Indian style in the basement of the Starlab, waiting for the band to play- actually the dudes from Luau (also on the bill that evening) were setting up their equipment and I began to aggressively converse about G.G. Allin and Charles Manson the way I often do when I’m left unsupervised. Around this time, Colleen approached Glen and me, oh and Dan, damn I forgot that motherfucker came with us, he’s the man! She sarcastically said something to the effect of “You aren’t those guys that are smoking weed are you?” She then politely introduced herself as Colleen and within seconds I began vigorously raving about my favorite bands as I tend to do if given even the slightest opportunity. I stated that my top three current favorite bands were/are 1)Black Lips 2)Deerhunter, and 3) Hunx and His Punx. This led to a brief discussion of the Hunx tune “Cruisin,” a fabulous song indeed. Alas, we weren’t able to stay long enough to catch Colleen’s set that night, but I remember thinking anyone that appreciates greats like Hunx and His Punx is worth checking out. So, I YouTube’d a few songs and live vids and I was instantly hooked. But, between 21+ shows and lack of transportation we KLYAMERS missed out on all the remaining Colleen Boston gigs :( Until now! Ahh shit, it’s 4:20 (I didn’t plan this btw) why am I still writing this? Why am I still up? I need to be awake and alert in a vapid classroom setting within four hours. Oh well. So yeah, tonight is very exciting on the account that not only do Glen and I get to see Colleen Green live for the first time, but with a whole band including members of Plateaus. The Colleen Green Band opens with a cover of the fine Descendents tune, “Good Good Things,” before moving into what may just be my favorite Colleen number “I Wanna Be Degraded,” goddamn that song is catchy! The whole set is spectacular. Colleen can be pure rock ‘n’ roll and totally mellow all at once. It’s like she doesn’t have to shout, but you can hear every little nuance of her vocals. I don’t know what I’m talking about- to quote a friend of mine-“I don’t know art, but I know what I like!” One of my other favorites is “Dance the Night Away,” a killer tune that surely stood out as one of 2011’s finest. Colleen and crew close the set with “Nice Boy (I Want A),” another classic that leaves me in great anticipation for tomorrow night’s performance in Lowell. I can’t wait! http://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/

Art, Fat History Month, Local Music, Music, pictures, Tours, Video

Fat History Month/Guerilla Toss/Cave Bears Midwest Tour!

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Fat History Month

Photo from Boston Hassle

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Guerilla Toss

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Cave Bears

Photo from Boston Hassle
Midwest look out!
Sept 25 NYC Death By Audio
Sept 26 Bard College NY
Sept 27 Pittsburgh- THE VATICAN’T
Sept 28 Cropped Out Louisville KY, just hangin out
Sept 29 Cropped Out
Sept 30 Nashville Tower 2 WTC
Oct 1 Murfreesboro, TN TBA
Oct 2 Carbondale IL SKIHAUS
Oct 3 St. Louis Blank Space
Oct 4 Iowa City- The Mill
Oct 5 Chicago at Situations
Oct 6 Athens OH house show then Casa
Oct 7 NYC TBA
Oct 8 Purchase College, NY
We’ll update this as soon as things our finalized, but I figured I’d give y’all a headstart. If you live in any of these cities, get yer badass out to the show!
http://fathistorymonth.blogspot.com/
http://fathistorymonth.bandcamp.com/
http://soundcloud.com/guerillatoss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muFMH-MaO2Y

Art, Local Music, Music, New Highway Hymnal, Show Alert

THE NEW HIGHWAY HYMNAL STREAMING “WHISPERS” LP/ RELEASE SHOW @ GREAT SCOTT (10/18/12)

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Hey kids, one of the raddest bands around town, The New Highway Hymnal released their latest LP Whispers on Vanya Records and you can stream a preview TODAY! Right here: http://soundcloud.com/vanyarecords/sets/the-new-highway-hymnal
To celebrate the release of this album NHH is teaming up with the likes of Earthquake Party, Ribs, and Infinity Girl for a Record Release Party on Thursday, October 18 @ Great Scott!
Link to facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/141265559350188/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

Art, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, music video, pictures, Punk, The Migs, Tours, Video

FAT CREEPS FIRST TOUR!!!

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WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  Now kids across the Northeast can experience  KLYAM’s favorite Boston band and one of the most breathtaking live acts as of late. Seriously, if any of you KLYAM readers out there live in Providence, Portland, Northampton, Bennington, New York or nearby, I seriously recommend you go to one of these shows! Check out these badass fliers!

09/21 – Allston, MA @ The Pill at Great Scott

09/22 – Providence, RI @ Ladyfest Providence @ Machines with Magnets

09/27 – Portland, ME @ Matthew’s

09/28 – Northampton, MA @ The Basement

09/29 – Bennington, VT @ Bennington College
 w/ The Migs
09/30 – New York @ Cake Shop

Art, Fat Creeps, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

EP Review: Fagettes- “If I See Him Again” (2012)

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Artist: Fagettes
Release Date: July 17, 2012
Label: Self-Released
Track List:
1) If I See Him Again
2) On Drugs
3) My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders

Comments: Fagettes! Here’s a band that delivers just what the doctor ordered. It’s raining like a motherfucker right now, so I might as well stay inside my dorm and put on some nice, soothing music. Enter Fagettes. One of the hardest working bands in the Boston underground music scene, Fagettes have been around the block for a few years now and have played with the likes of Hunx and His Punx and Shannon and The Clams; after listening to this EP I can strongly recommend them to fans of those bands and like minded weirdos across the galaxy. “If I See Him Again” is pleasing to my ears, bringing some sunshine to this rainy day. The title track is fun and brings to mind the aforementioned Shannon and The Clams, Velvet Underground, Violent Femmes, The Vaselines, and local heroes, Fat Creeps. “On Drugs” sounds just like what it is, but in the best possible way. Fagettes seem to live in some strange, hazy world and with this tune they do their best to wrap you up real tight and take you with them. I’m turned on.  I love the mix of male and female vocals, and this song feels like a grand ode to Beat Happening- with the vocals specifically reminding me of Heather Lewis.  Beat Happening, but more savage, slip some acid in dat hot chocolate boy!  The band continues in this mellow, almost apathetic approach in the EP’s final song “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders,” and this time they whip out a funky harmonica, which helps make the track stand out on its own. Thunders culminates in some fantastic shrieks from the two lead vocalists, with each ferociously shouting “FEEL ALRIGHT!” Yes, I do feel alright. The weather may be shitty, but after hearing this little ditty, I’m feeling alright.  Actually, more than alright, I’m feeling pretty sexy. Listen to Fagettes today, if you want to feel sexy:
http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/releases

Hey, hey, by the way! Catch Fagettes playing a Halloween show along with Fat Creeps, Earthquake Party, and Fedavees on Friday, October 13 at the Rosebud in Somerville, MA! Shit just got even spookier…