Category Archives: Music

Jay Reatard, Kids Like You and Me, Music

This Day In KLYAM (July 3)

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Our first time seeing Jay Reatard live! 10 years ago today. We were disappointed because he only played for 30 minutes. And he called all of us in the audience “boring fucks”. The horror!

On a side note – there’s a YouTube poster  Reatard Live who has recently compiled a bevy of Reatard-adjacent (solo, Reatards, Lost Sounds, Bad Times, etc) live videos. Thank you to Reatard Live for all of these viddies, which as you can imagine, we at KLYAM can not get enough of. Jay’s influence on KLYAM may, without exaggeration, be one of the most prevailing.

2018: Nice Guys, Banana, Blue Ray, Pleaser – O’Briens Pub

2009: Jay Reatard, TV Smith, Pretty & Nice – Harper’s Ferry

Music, Ty Segall, Uncategorized, White Fence

Revisiting Ty Segall & White Fence’s Hair

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220px-hair_-_ty_segall_and_white_fence_album_cover

HAIR by Ty Segall and White Fence. Released in 2012. For a frame of reference: Ty and White Fence both are familiar names in the garage rock revival. Puke. I called it that, because it’s seven years later and that whole ‘prolific’ solo movement is a real thing, even though we knew it was at the time.

I remember thinking of it like this: White Fence was the more psychedelic of the two – a little rougher around the edges. But Ty, with a growing reference to not just the 1960s, knew how to make things weird, too. And they both adored the faux British accent. Put them together and this album is the dream album for a young person learning how to play rock ‘n roll. This album ranges from shorter back to the basics Easy Ryder/Crybaby punk to all out adventures of jamming out brilliance. How these guys were able to pull this one off? I – to this day – pretend that it’s Ty Segall & White Fence & G. Gordon Gritty. It’s easy. I pick up any instrument and play along to this album. I appreciate it more by being an honorary member. I’d like to think that this wasn’t really that much of a thought-out effort on the part of Ty & White Fence. But that’s what I would like to think. I don’t care. There are just so many different tones, leads, notes, effects, noises. It’s an album that makes fun of bands that try too hard just as much as it makes fun of slacker bands. Without a doubt one of the most influential records on my playing and recording.

Ty and White Fence are coming to The Sinclair in Boston on Thursday and I am super excited to see them work through some stuff that I’ve become pretty obsessed with over the years. HAIR holds up. Ya it does.

KLYAM Presents, KLYAM Records, Local Music, Music, Uncategorized

UPCOMING KLYAM SHOWS/RELEASES

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SHOWS
Thursday, October 18 @ Lilypad – 10 PM Doors – All Ages, $7 to $10 Sliding Scale – Dumb Vision (Madison, Wisconsin), Boston Cream, Request Freebird, G. Gordon Gritty – A classic KLYAM show featuring our buds on tour from Madison, Wisconsin (nice city, nice bands that roll through Boston regularly) along with what could be described as an eclectic medley of supporting acts: Boston Cream has been known to incite spontaneous wild dances, Request Freebird unforgettable sing-alongs, and G. Gordon Gritty confusion. Dumb Vision splits the difference with their full-steam-ahead punk rock attack.

TAPES
American Whip Appeal – Nevermind tape – Mischief country/country glam trio originating in Newton, Massachusetts. We put our their Live In New York ditty a while back and they wasted little to no time congregating for a spontaneous ‘gospel’ record. The quotes are necessary; these kind folk spend a good chunk of their livelihood in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Glue tape – The mysterious Glue, oft hailed on this very site as one of the most exciting NEW local bands, is getting together for a Last Chance record production. YouTube viddies and the irregular show have kept us satisfied, but imagine a tape of the hits? Cello, bass, keyboard, voice. Oozing passion. Get ready.

Bong Wish – Songs under a Minute tape – Stated best by Mariam: “These were all made on a PC computer from 2010-2011.. I had this generic program called “Sound Recorder” that only allowed you to record up to a minute..so that’s essentially why the songs are all under a minute. I also used headphones to record everything. Was heavily influenced by Guided by Voices and Beat Happening at the time. I was still in the process of teaching myself guitar, I didn’t know you were supposed to tune a guitar so I just played whatever sounded interesting to me.” If that’s not amateurism in its perfect nature, I’m not sure what is. This is a special tape.

The Migs tape – We’ve been sitting on a comprehensive Migs compilation for three and a half years. Waiting for just the right moment to release it to the world. It’s coming. You bet.

 

 

Band Recommendation, Gonerfest, Music, Uncategorized

En Attendant Ana Is The Best Live Band

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I had the honor of seeing Parisian band En Attendant Ana two Friday nights in a row: first in Boston at O’Briens Pub and then at the Hi-Tone in Memphis as part of Gonerfest 15 Night Two. I’m writing this post because I believe them to be the best live band that I’ve seen in a LONG TIME.

I saw a lot of bands at Gonerfest 15, including some true OG favorites like Oblivians and Carbonas. I love these guys and thought their sets were amazing. I was familiar with the songs they performed. I’m new to En Attendant Ana, having only briefly listened to their most recent album Lost and Found. I liked it a lot, but seeing them live was a transformative experience. Perhaps you can relate to a band that blows your mind even if you can’t name a single song. Hit after hit, hook after hook, there is no downtime or stagnation over the course of the set. There is a constant stream of musical euphoria and that larger-than-life feeling of music-as-inspiration. A pop band with a noisy rock ‘n roll sound. The trumpet adds a layer of character that works brilliantly in this group.

Check out all their music and, if you can, go see them perform. I don’t think larger festivals and bigger shows are far out of reach. En Attendant Ana would easily blow away and bring something fresh and exciting compared to what a lot is bandied about as “pop” these days.

Local Music, Music, Uncategorized

KLYAM Most Watched Bands

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Shows that we attended (together and/or separately). 10 show minimum for locals, 6 show minimum for non-locals. Note: list does not necessarily indicate our favorite bands as we may have seen them less than the minimum amount!!! And bands we are in, not included.

Local (Boston/New England Based Bands)
Nice Guys – 89 Shows
Fat Creeps – 37 Shows
Barbazons/Fagettes – 31 Shows
Atlantic Thrills – 29 Shows
Black Beach – 27 Shows
Littlefoot – 26 Shows
Creaturos – 24 Shows
Gymshorts – 20 Shows
Miami Doritos – 19 Shows
The Monsieurs – 19 Shows
New Highway Hymnal – 19 Shows
Birthing Hips – 18 Shows
Free Pizza – 18 Shows
Televibes – 18 Shows
Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion – 17 Shows
Earthquake Party – 17 Shows
Big Mess – 16 Shows
Guerilla Toss – 16 Shows
Midriffs – 15 Shows
The Cavemen – 15 Shows
Ursula – 14 Shows
Andy California – 14 Shows
Kal Marks – 13 Shows
Request Freebird – 13 Shows
Electric Street Queens – 12 Shows
Jim Leonard – 11 Shows
Trim – 11 Shows
Blue Ray – 11 Shows
Steep Leans – 11 Shows
The Migs – 10 Shows

Non-Local/Touring Bands
Black Lips – 17 Shows
The Orwells – 12 Shows
Nobunny –  10 Shows
King Khan & The Shrines – 7 Shows
The King Khan & BBQ Show – 7 Shows
No Age – 6 Shows
Ty Segall – 6 Shows
Wavves – 6 Shows

Band Recommendation, Rene Chambers, Uncategorized

RENE CHAMBERS – KREMLIN BATS

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Plastic Response Records – Listen / Buy Tape

Boston’s very own Rene Chambers has a debut record to show the world. Kremlin Bats is an 11 song digestif, fruitful and satisfying. Enrolled part-time, at least, in the Mickey Bliss school of rock and roll with R. Stevie Moore as adjunct professor, Rene Chambers (Rene as in a nominal combination of the just retired Bruins national anthem guy Rene Rancourt and Herb Chambers) produces a mostly one man show of late night synth-obsessed observations. Midnight hours, neon signs, okay that’s just two examples. But the barely removed Chambers with his slightly British affectation offers us dark, but danceable new-new wave nuggets. The ultra crisp production makes for a luxurious listen, possibly ushering in a new kind of Vegas lounge performer right here in Boston.

Music, Rene Chambers

Summer Flashbacks

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The following are excellent songs to listen to this summer. They aren’t new or old.

Saralee – “Take What You Can Carry” – What might be the greatest Boston basement band of the early 2010s? Saralee is in the running, without any doubt. Stoned haze, half drunk High Lifes, and pungent mildew perfectly communicated with as little as drums, guitar, and vocals. Sara and Lee. I think I’ve called Saralee “memory music” and I wonder if anyone disagrees? This particular song is the most exemplary of my past descriptions. Sorry if you didn’t get a chance to see them in the old days, but not too sorry because you can close your eyes, too.

Wakes – “Widows” – Timmy hit a sweet spot of dynamite “bedroom pop” before that label became more associated with industry plants! A label in the UK was wise enough to release the Feral Youth LP. I’ve thought this album, this song, was like audio mumblecore. Emo, but not the shitty, whiny stuff. Anxious, superstitious, you know, your average 20/(now?) 30-something laments.

Rene Chambers – “Kathy Cross” – A local anthem has emerged! Like the two previous songs, this one is cloudy and introspective. The tale of Kathy Cross is familiar. She’s runnin away to upstate NY from the city. After a day, the guy is getting kind of worried because she hasn’t returned his calls. It turns out that her getaway was a legit vacation, not some existential escape from academia as he might have suspected. “She just wants to be somebody.” Always count on Rene Chambers (now an active band in the Boston area) for intelligent rock ‘n roll commentary/comedy on the young and confused.