Category Archives: Local Music

Art, Band Recommendation, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, Punk, Video

Band Rec: Fat Creeps

Leave a comment

Fat Creeps are a sweet band from Boston I saw Friday night at O’brien’s Pub. It appears they have been making a name for themselves and playing numerous shows around these parts, including one with Bundles of Joy, a band with Wakefield roots (Wakefield, MA is KLYAM’s hometown!) Fat Creeps are not the most conventional rock band, but they crank out some really catchy, inspiring tunes. I highly recommend this band to fans of unique pop music that places a stronger emphasis on passion over musicianship; so basically good music.

Here’s a video of the Fat Creeps playing at the Dirty Douglas in Lowell on Novermber 22, 2011. I’m kicking myself now for not attending this show. I procastinated as usual and had to write a Psychology and Women research paper. The irony is that Fat Creeps would have fit perfectly with my researach on women in music!

Fat Creeps @ the Dirty Douglas Lowell, MA from Brendan Brown on Vimeo.

“Fat Creeps full set. Live from the cigarette fumes and spilled beer smelling Dirty Douglas at UMass Lowell 11/22/11”- Brendan Brown

and while we’re at it, here is the Creeps’s kickass music video for “Nancy Drew.”

Art, Band of the Week, Local Music, Music

BOTW: SARALEE!

Leave a comment

Hello everyone, check out SARALEE our latest Band of the Week, truly a unique group that deserves a lot of praise. We have seen and reviewed SARALEE a few times now and they get better each time. Definitely one of the best bands in Boston right now. The first time I saw them they opened for Peach Kelli Pop (PKP’s very first show in America!) at the now defunct Problem House in Allston, MA. Allie Hanlon from PKP wrote about SARALEE in her tour diary: “Saralee was a girl Sara, who has the cutest / best voice, and Lee a great drummer, who lives at the Problem House and was a gracious host to us! I was happy to see them play.”- http://peachkelli.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-29T15:52:00-07:00&max-results=7
I couldn’t say it better myself! Here’s their Band Camp page: http://saralee.bandcamp.com/

Art, Local Music, Music, Punk, reviews

Review: SARALEE @ Gay Gardens (3/23/12)

Leave a comment

GG

Artists: SARALEE,  Guerrilla Toss, Happy Jawbone Family Band, Rotten Apples, Jacques Le Coque, GG’s House Band, and possibly others
Date: Friday, March 23, 2012
Venue: Gay Gardens aka “Gary’s Garage” (Allston, MA)
Comments: NOTE! Sadly, we were only able to see SARALEE :( which is a damn shame because I really wanted to see everybody, but we KLYAMERS live in the boonies and had to make the train ride home!


SARALEE– Fortunately, SARALEE is the band we came to see, so I am glad they play first. In the past year, I, well the KLYAM in general have started to branch out more into the local Boston scene(s) and SARALEE is definitely one of the best bands we have come across. I see a fair amount of bands, but few measure up to these two. It is funny how their name is so fitting The band is Sara (vocals and guitar) and Lee (drums), but in a lot of ways I almost do not see them as a duo, but rather like one whole entity. I know it sounds crazy, but the chemistry between the two is so solid I cannot think of anyone else filling their places. The music is fairly simple, but very effective. Lee’s drumming is mellow, never gets too in your face, but creates a wonderful aura. I don’t know, it is hard to describe, but seeing them live (this is the third time I have seen them now) I always feel like I am in some sort of haze, and this also may be chemically induced, but drugs aside, their performances are atmospheric and dreamlike. I cannot say enough how much I love Sarah’s vocals, seriously one of my favorites. It is quite unlike anything I have ever heard and that is certainly something I rarely get a chance to say. I can think of comparisons, but I would rather people listen to it themselves first. “Circle of Hands,” is an incredible song and as always they kill it. I feel like this band would be perfect for 1982 Olympia, WA, K Records. I can picture Calvin Johnson hopping around to SARALEE, baking pies and playing Twister. But, it is not 1982, it’s 2012, thirty years later and if I wasn’t broke, I would put out a record with SARALEE, if they were down with it. Some day soon, KLYAM Records will be up and running, keep your eyes open.
Here’s a link to SARALEE’s demo, it will knock you flat on your ass and if it doesn’t, then I will knock you flat on your ass. XOXO!
http://saralee.bandcamp.com/album/demo

Following the band’s performance, Glen and I hung around with the fellow attendees and discussed various topics ranging from music to anarchy. Some folks commented on our seemingly odd memory, particularly how we can remember every little nuance of each show we see. Of course, comparatively, we do not see that many and that explains a bulk of the reasoning behind this “phenomenon,” but I can say for myself, I do put forth an effort to remember anything and everything I can, unless it sucked, naturally. So, Paul, if you are reading this, what’s up dude?! Remember I gave you a bud light and I told you to check this site out, well if you are in fact reading this, good job. And, if you don’t remember me, no worries.  I also abruptly brought up Judge Judy and it was random as fuck  indeed. And Dave from New Hampshire, how’s the face book going? See, I don’t forget. I wasn’t just bullshitting y’all.

Art, Fat History Month, Local Music, Music, Punk, reviews

Concert Review: Fat History Month@ UML Fox Common (3/8/12)

Leave a comment

Artists: Gypsy Blood, Onslo, Fat History Month, Settler
Date: Thursday, March 8, 2012
Venue: UMass Lowell Fox Common (Lowell,MA)
Comments: NOTE: This is not the full review! A more complete review from our pal Justin Cole will be up before you can say fuck your yankee blues jeans… okay maybe not that fast, but fast. Read it and then send us money, just kidding, but it would be a lot cooler if you did.

Act I: Settler– “Instrumental fun rock from Massachusetts.”- Settler Band Camp page. Check it out! http://settler.bandcamp.com/

Act II: Fat History Month– The one  and only, Fat History Month, New England’s greatest band! For you newcomers, Fat History Month is a Boston based duo consisting of Sean on vocals and guitar and Mark on drums, and together they are two wild and crazy guys, and by wild and crazy I mean kind, courteous, upstanding gentlemen. FHM is easily one of the hardest working, DIY bands right now and for that I have a lot of respect. Though, there are a lot of bands out there that are dedicated to their craft, but few can mesmorize me the way these guys do. This is the fourth time I have seen the band and in my previous three experiences I saw them in basements, so the Fox Common is definitely a change of pace, but I like it.  The two look great on a stage, albeit a very small stage.  The Fox Common is clearly intended for full size bands, so seeing the duo together, almost cramped up in the corner of the stage is a perfect image. Well perhaps not the corner, but they are simply positioned in this classic Fat History set up and as always it is as striking as the music itself. Speaking of which, tonight the duo produce some of their greatest offerings from one of 2011’s finest LPs, Fucking Despair.  One of my favorite moments is when they play “Nature,” and Sean roars, “Your balls are on display!” I love hearing the song on record, but when I hear that line live it just brings home what makes Fat History Month Fat History Month: that fantastic juxtaposition of goofball humor and serious, genuine, emotion. Earlier in the night, Sean himself stated that he “went to clown college,” haha! In fact, the sound check consisted of the words “COCKS! BIG ONES!” Unless, I am losing my mind and it is only me hearing this, which could be true, what with my wacky imagination and all. Two other excellent staples are “No Safe” and the title track itself “Fucking Despair.” If you have not seen Fat History Month yet, you are missing out. They play all the time, go to one (or many) of their shows or else….
http://fathistorymonth.bandcamp.com/

Act III: Onslo–  LOUD, some  loud motherfuckers right here.

Act IV: Gypsyblood– If you like Jesus and Mary Chain, then you will probably love these guys. http://gypsyblood.bandcamp.com/

Art, Fat History Month, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, SKIMASK

Upcoming SKIMASK Shows!

Leave a comment


Photo from http://skimaskmusic.blogspot.com/ Check it out!  Here are some awesome, upcoming SKIMASK shows:

Wednesday, April 4 @ Middlesex Lounge Central Square Cambridge w/ Bugs and Rats

Thursday, April 12 @ Butcher Shoppe (Allston) w/ Mounds, Black Pus (Lightning Bolt), Buck Gooter

Tuesday, April 17 @ ….. somewhere in Brooklyn, NY w/ Arvid Noe

Friday, April 20 @ Twin Towers (Allston) w/ New Highway Hymnal, The Terribles, and Rotten Apples

Saturday, April 28 @ Paradise w/ Future Islands, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat

Wednesday, May 2 @ O’Brien’s Pub w/ Fat History Month, Pile, Ugh God

Art, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk

Awesome Boston Globe Article on Boston Hassle (12/9/11)

Leave a comment


Sam Potrkus (left) and Dan Shea (right)- Photo taken by Boston Globe

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2011/12/09/with-boston-hassle-underground-music-gets-more-visibility/2y93UMdjNYRHZ93ZeQdURP/story.html

Yeah, I know I’m about four months late on this, but I just came across it tonight and felt it was important enough to share with everyone. This article by Matt Parish does a good job of explaining what Boston Hassle is all about and the background behind its dedicated creators.

Art, CD Review, Local Music, Music, Punk, reviews

Album Review: Atlas The Atom Smasher’s “The Snowmiser Suite”

Leave a comment

Artist: Atlas the Atom Smasher
Full Title: The Snowmiser Suite
Release Date: January 1, 2012
Label: Self-Released
Comments: It’s 2012, the apocalypse is almost upon us and the end of the world is nigh. Alright, no, I personally don’t buy into anything relating to the mayan calendar or December 21st of this year. However, if you were to ask Atlas The Atom Smasher, it can be the perfect subject matter to base an album around. “The Snowmiser Suite”, the Punk trio’s newest release, is exactly that: one 12 minute, three part punk rock odyssey about finding oneself and making sense of the world’s problems right in the midst of, you guessed it, the apocalypse. The song’s three movements each call to mind different emotions that might come out of a situation such as this. At some points the lyrics reflect hope for mankind’s future, while in other places there is a sense of anger about the factors that might have led to the world’s destruction. Finally, the boys in Atlas seem to reach a point of understanding and even acceptance with the chaos they’ve depicted here.
The EP begins with ominous guitar chords that build right into the first movement “Snowmiser”; here frontman Aaron Hibbert sings with a kind of pained optimism. The state of the world he depicts is anything but pleasant, but he holds on to a small sense of hope as he proclaims “we’ll be okay someday”, a line that goes on to be a recurring idea later in the song.
The second movement, “Heatmiser”, abruptly transitions from hopeful anthem into furious hardcore driven by the relentless rhythm section of bassist Josh Wilson and Drummer Tyler Bisson. Whatever hope might have existed in the first movement vanishes here; Hibbert and Bisson trade off angry vocals, each railing against humanities’ choices and actions (Killing the mother for fuel to survive/ as if killing each other could keep us alive). To close out the second section, the band features some fine guest appearances, the first by vocalist Chelsea Maida, who brings back the idea that “we’ll be okay”. Guitarist Nicholas Wiedeman (Big Mess) provides a heavily distorted guitar solo over a slow, heavy, blues interlude that marks the end of movement two.
From here, the band progresses into movement three, a quick paced, straightforward punk rock romp that brings back that lighthearted optimism shown at the beginning of the record. Judging from the lyrics, Hibbert appears to have reached a point of peace and acceptance as he sings “I hope that I finally get to see the apocalypse”, as if he knows whats coming, yet has no problem with it. There are even clever jabs at subjects like religion: “raise up your arms as if praising the sun could save us from anything and all that we’ve done to ourselves”. This memorable EP comes to a close with Hibbert and company proudly exclaiming “we’ll be okay”. The difference this time is that they seem confident, as if over the last 12 minutes they were able to reach an understanding of the world’s problems that led to this horrible situation.
Overall, “The Snowmiser Suite” is a very impressive release that approaches the subject of doomsday from many different angles. Hibbert’s lyrics move back and forth between optimism and pessimism, hope and despair, and sometimes pure, unabashed anger. In the process, he brings up subtle political, religious, and even environmental ideas as they could relate to the end of the world. Underneath the vocals, his band moves flawlessly through tempo and meter shifts while effectively interpreting the different moods the lyrics evoke. Each movement captures a different element of modern punk rock. Sometimes it is melodic, other times aggressive, but above all it is quick paced and full of energy while still bringing a complexity not typically seen in punk today.

Art, Big Mess, concert review, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Concert Review: Atlas the Atom Smasher (CD Release)@ UML Fox Common

Leave a comment

Artists: Atlas the Atom Smasher, Big Mess, Bella Birds, In the Direction of the Sun, and Crashing Cars
Date: Friday, March 2, 2012
Venue: UMass Lowell Fox Common (Lowell, MA)
Comments:
Act I: Crashing Cars– Nice alliteration in the title! Crashing Cars is seriously a great way to describe this band, there’s a lot of aggression to their performance and they play driving, loud, fast rock music.  I definitely get a lot of early to mid 90s  grunge vibes and there is a lot of emotion in each of their songs. and the performance itself.  It’s not exactly my cup of tea, but they are undeniably talented musicians and I can imagine there is a decent amount of appeal for their angsty approach to this style of music. Check out their band camp page here: http://crashingcars.bandcamp.com/

Act II: In the Direction of the Sun– Unfortunately, much of the audience that witnessed Crashing Cars vanish in the time between Act I and II. Which is a  damn shame because these guys really rock hard and give it their A game … for just the four or five of us that are left standing there. It is a set full of tesosterone fueled, angry, death metal/hardcore blast after blast. Once again, this isn’t my kind of music, but I commend them for a charismatic and passionate performance, especially considering the sudden decrease in attendance. At times, I feel like it is the death metal version of Atlantic Thrills, which of course is a great “I don’t give a fuck, let’s just have fun and go wild!” attitude. The best attitude to have. If you’re big  into heavier, more diabolical stuff check these guys out here: http://inthedirectionofthesunma.bandcamp.com/

Act III: Bella Birds– Next up is Bella Birds, a charming folk duo with strong hooks and strong harmonies. A bit more people show up and it is cool to see yet another transition in genre/style/approach, which is a characteristic I always note about thse Fox Common shows. Their performance is engaging and they interact well with the audience, often with light humor and positivity. Here’s the link to their site:  http://www.thebellabirds.com/

Act IV: Big Mess– Ahh yes, the mighty Big Mess. Generally speaking, I’m not the biggest fan of instrumental music, but Big Mess is a massive exception. This trio rocks and kills it at each and every show. The bands plays slow, haunting quasi metal/hardcore with an equal proportion of sludge and pop sensibility. The songs aren’t poppy, but all of them have incredible hooks that get stuck in my head on a daily basis. When I wear my badass, redneck esque snowboots “The Hook” instantly pops in my head, for example. If I worked out I’m sure Big Mess would appear on my playlist. During this performance I hear a lot of My War/Slip It In era Black Flag in their music.  The Big Mess on this evening is no different than the Big Mess on any other evening, but I walk away with those early hardcore/crossover metal, mid 80s-SST vibes. I see a lot of similarities in the two bands, though Big Mess is more in control in their musicianship, it’s less chaotic, but just as cathartic. I’ve seen them several times now and the sets are always familiar, but it never gets old, the songs are strong enough that it’s  always refreshing. http://bigmessma.bandcamp.com/album/big-mess

Act V: Atlas the Atom Smasher– Atlas the Atom Smasher is one of the hardest working local bands in Boston and tonight’s show is a celebration for the release of their latest CD, The Snowmiser Suite, a 12 minute punk epic about the impending apocalypse. Despite the dour subject matter behind the muisc, Atlas is infinitely positive and enthusiastic, especially drummer Tyler Bisson, and this is reflected in their music. They play loud, fast punk driven songs, but with a bit more variation and experimentaion than most bands that fall under that category. The sound is incredibly loud and much of that can be attributed to the Fox Common’s permanent ear damaging PA, but it certainly fit really well with the music. Their performance overall is impressive as is The Snowmiser Suite itself. Give it some much earned ear time: http://atlastheatomsmasher.bandcamp.com/album/the-snowmiser-suite