Christmas is two weeks away and you’re shitting your pants right now because you don’t know what to get your loved ones this holiday season… No need to fear KLYAM’s got you covered! Pick up Fat Creeps 10″ (VINYL) EP from KLYAM Records today! You can find the EP at the following local record stores:
Weirdo Records in Cambridge, MA
Armageddon Records in Cambridge, MA
And if you don’t want to freeze your ass off in this crazy weather or you don’t live in the Boston area then you can simply order a copy directly from us at KLYAM Records: http://klyam.bigcartel.com/
I could tell you about The TeleVibes, but I say you should just go see them. Chris tried telling me about the Salisbury Mass threesome a few months back after catchin them at Wilder Zangcraft, but per the ole usual he was a bit shithaused!! Anyway, I caught TeleVibes last night playing alongside Nice Guys (so sick, you know this) and Gymshorts (Providence band so sick) at Zuzu and damn these guys rock ‘n roll straight top of the tot pole style. I mean TVs are more unusual than a lot of stuff passing as Surf Rock these days – and I mean this assuredly. The drums pound harder and wilder, guitar playing like a constant barrage of twisty leads. All very pop. Though there wasn’t much chaos amongst the crowd last night, I’d say that’s probably coming any day now with these dudes on the ]no[ stage.
They’ve got a tape coming soon – January 22, 2014 – and a release show that same night at Middle East Upstairs. Playing with them will be our fave Providence dudes The Atlantic Thrills, Vundabar, and The Guru.
As y’all know we love The Orwells and we intend to spread our love all over this messy site as often as we can. And here’s an opportunity! The new music video from the Chicago fivesome is “Dirty Sheets” and ohh is it ever so dirty!
Video directed by Eddie O’Keefe.
Bands: Ronnie Nordac, Dylan Ewen & The Sulk Scouts, The Beets Date: November 26, 2013 Venue: The Whitehaus
THE BEETS of QUEENS performing in Boston, two times in about a three week span. I’ll take it. You’ll take it. Let’s make this a regular occurrence – why not? Thanks to Dylan and Ben (of BUFU Records, pictured above) and B.O.W. Shows, The Beets came through, full band/full visuals, to play the illustrious Whitehaus. Opening for the trio was the man himself Ronnie Nordac as well as Dylan and the Sulk Scouts. Now, a legitimate show reviewer might just omit the following, but I won’t: train delays and bus shuttles and all of that kinda crazy shit meant that we KLYAM were running a bit behind. We missed Ronnie and Dylan. And I’m still pretty pissed. But we ran as fast as we could, got pointed in the right direction by Naked Man Simon, and descended into a dark, crowded underground. The Beets were all set up, flash forward exactly one minute. They start playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BEETS – guitar/vocals Juan Wauters, bass/vocals Tall Juan Zaballa, and Chie Mori drums/vocals – are without any second guessing, simply one of my favorite bands to listen to – live, recorded, on YouTube, whatever. It was back in April 2009 that this band came into my life. Wellesley College opening for No Age. There weren’t many of us there, but you can ask Nick and he’ll tell ya all about it. I remember thinking Beets’ sound was a bit like Black Lips, like Beat Happening, two juggernauts themselves right there. Well whatever the case maybe, a couple years passed by, and we heard they were playing the Problem House. That was something else. I remember Chris begging for some “Broken English” and he did indeed get his wish. Then there was Hassle Fest, still very fresh in my mind. Their set was a highlight, a passionate affair. Ben Katz and Chris Collins going ape shit, singing along.
I will say…………..last night was maybe even more special! People were itching for more Beets, perhaps feeling like they’ve been missing something from their life these past 17 days. It was awesome to be surrounded by several people that may have been turned onto this show from Hassle Fest. Well anyway, with flags draped behind them, lights attached to microphones, The Beets went along. Jumping up and down at the hit of a drum, the pluck of the guitars, head bobbing. Most of the dozen or so songs that THE BEETS played are characteristically short, but characteristically oh so memorable for those of us obsessed. “Happy But On My Way,” “Why Should I Live If I Don’t Fit,” my top dawg “What Did I Do?, and the ultimate lil teaser, shout-along “The Devil” from Spit On The Face; 90 second clanger “Cold Lips,” “Watching T.V,” “Knock On Wood,” and “Flight 14” which they did as an encore (yo if they played more after this, don’t even tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!) from Stay Home; and from their most recent LP Let The Poison Out, we got “Let Clock Work”, “Doing As I Do,” “I Think I Might Have Built A Horse,” “Friends of Friends”; a pair of covers — Beatles “Day Tripper” and Howard Sterns “Silver Nickles and Golden Dimes”; and a really really really cool song sung by Chie. Am I forgetting some???? Maybe.
The bottom line right here is that The Beets are a must-see/must-hear group. Their minimalist rock ‘n roll ways go deep in that the experience is always like very few I’ve encountered in the many shows I go to. If the Beets were from around here, you’d be reading review after review, and honestly we’d never tire of writing about them. No exaggeration.
Check out the latest music video for “Parasite Brain” from Toronto’s most psychotic rockers The Soupcans. And hey, while you’re at it, check out this review of the band’s EP of the same name from The Needle Drop:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdXGEworpCI
This is a review of two different shows that took place one after another on the same night at the same venue (Lilypad).The first is a review of Fume Hood, Thick Shakes, and Fat Creeps and the second is a review of Hassle Night # 9 featuring Secret Lover, Extreme Animals, and JUICEBOXXX, though we missed Juice :(.
Fume Hood – It’s my first time here at the Lilypad. It’s a sweet little spot; art gallery, no stage, tiny bar, there’s something charming about it that I haven’t put my finger on yet. Not the best space I’ve seen for a crazy rock ‘n’ roll show per se, but a fairly comfortable, fun, fitting place for an underground music show, if you will. Glen says it reminds him of the 119 Gallery in Lowell, but I disagree. I think he was too fucked up to remember what the 119 Gallery looked like the last time we were there – it’s okay, I was equally shitfaced myself, but that’s a whole other story. We’re here now at the Lilypad and Fume Hood is playing (pretend that they are playing in front of you, use your wonderful imagination).
The first and last (up until now) time we saw Fume Hood was at the Boston Underground Summit this past September at the Cambridge Elks Lodge. With that show we only got a taste of the Fume Hood, we got teeny flashes of the fume because it was a round robin set – up, so we only heard one song at a time, ya dig? Tonight’s show is a standard back to back performance. I have to say I preferred them last time and this could be attributed to the fact that they are missing their lead singer. Or, I just have a really short attention span. A solid combo of both.
Fume Hood is fairly strange and psychedelic for lack of a better word. A bit experimental, artsy at times. Perhaps music that’s better if you’re really high, but then again what kind of music isn’t better when you’re high?
Fume Hood’s set also includes some special guest vocals from Gracie Jackson (Fat Creeps). Is dis a sign of future collaborations? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Thick Shakes – It’s been a while since we’ve seen our local Thick Shakes. Last show was at the Precinct in the Summer of Twenty Twelve. What a grande olde tyme. But, we go even further back with the Thick Shakes. Nearly three years ago we caught the Thick Shakes at the Dirty Douglas in Lowell, in fact that was our first basement show. A straight up surreal introduction to this weird, wonderful world of underground rock ‘n’ roll. Even more fitting is Thick Shakes’ grasp on garage rock ‘n’ roll; they lean towards the dirtier, noisier side of the rock ‘n’ roll spectrum and that’s what we love.
I honestly haven’t listened to Thick Shakes in a long time, so I am not all too familiar with their songs. But, my memory serves me right and they are still the same old garage punk band as I remembered. Fast, head banging, hip shaking, slimy punk jams. Though, they are missing an organ player, a key ingredient in the Thick Shakes plate.
Thick Shakes are a genuinely fun band and overall I dig their performance, but I would prefer it if there was a bit more of an edge to them. I don’t feel the same wild, reckless vibes I feel when I see other garage animals. I still would recommend them to people that dig the aforementioned style of music, especially Bostonians, since they play around town all of the time. Check it out: http://thickshakes.bandcamp.com/
Set – List:
“Dead Out”
“Nobody’s Girl”
“Glass Mask”
“Neighbor’s Goods”
“I Said So”
“Polyommatus Blues”
“Jaywalker”
“Go Back to New York”
“Banned From the Laundromat”
“Friends Like These”
Fat Creeps – I really wish I was drunk right now to write the rest of this. I’m just not feeling it anymore. I wish I was as drunk as I was when I saw this show. I’m sure they played “Nancy Drew” and “700 Parts” and a bunch of other songs, and I’m sure we all had a blast. You can thank Mr. Melody Matters for capturing the lovely, feed backy, “Going to the Party” on video below.
Fat Creeps have a new drummer named Chris Geller and he does a sound job with all of the Creeps tunes. Give him a great big kiss when you see him at the next show.
So, that’s the end of the first show…. Now to Hassle Night #9:
Secret Lover – I seem to be seeing Worcester’s Secret Lover a lot lately. I usually see them in basements, but the Lilypad works just as well. I can imagine no setting would be too big or small for lead singer Sally.
Sally is one of the most exciting performers I have come across. I just adore the way she delicately darts out into the crowd and passionately sings every word. You can tell she loves what she’s doing and loves to get people dancing.
Extreme Animals – Extreme Animals hail from New York and they are on tour with JUICEBOXXX. I like me some rap/hip hop for sure, but this just isn’t my style. It’s heavily electronic and just makes me feel like I’m at a robotic, mainstream dance club. I’ve been clubbing before and it sucks. I don’t know how others felt, but the crowd seemed kind of awkward, just didn’t feel like the right audience for this type of music. Still, Extreme Animals may be your thang. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/extreme-animals
Damn, we were psyched to hear that Deerhunter was opening for Arctic Monkeys at Boston’s Agganis Arena on February 6, 2014. Now, The Orwells are going on a whole tour with the Monkeys that includes our Boston show! I hate big ass venues, especially arenas, but fuck it, this is one helluva bill.
The Orwells Tour Dates:
1/30 Miami, FL – The Fillmore*
Sally Cinnamon shoots (and edits) the best videos! Check out this video of Black Lips performing “Bone Morrow” (from 2011’s Arabia Mountain) at the Exit/In in Nashville, TN on March 8, 2013.
Watch the Black LipsSesioneS performance in Mexico from last year. It’s a lot of fun. Quit jerking off and watch it. Or jerk off and watch it. We don’t care, we won’t judge you.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 