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Art, concert review, Designer, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, Nice Guys, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Review: Fat Creeps, Nice Guys, Designer, Guerilla Toss @ Cambridge Elks (10/19/13)

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Halloween 2
Bands: Guerilla Toss, Fat Creeps, Nice Guys, Designer
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2013
Venue: Cambridge Elks Lodge

Designer (as Blink 182) – Up until now, I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Designer live. I can’t even say I have listened to their music before. I know, I know, it’s on my never ending to do list. They appear to be the talk of the town and over the last few months or more I have heard their name pop up several times in many a local band recommendation. So, I still have to see what all the hype is all about, but regarding this cover set as Blink 182  the band is a knock out.

Designer are under dressed – shirtless and down to their skivvies, wearing only black masks. They have Blink 182’s reckless, adolescent abandonment down to a tee. I myself am not a Blink fan, but you really don’t have to be to enjoy this set. The Designer dudes subvert Blink’s pop punk flavor, turning the radio friendly hits into nasty bolts of noise that vaguely resemble the originals. I recognize “What’s My Age Again?” “All the Small Things,” and half of “Mutt.”

Check out Designer’s original tunes here: http://designer1.bandcamp.com/

Nice Guys (as The Mummies) – The Nice Mums – the artists formerly known as Alex, Jake, Matt, and Cam – are covered in toilet paper and dressed in white suits appearing as though they are Mummies, though they look and behave more sinister than that. I’m feeling A Clockwork Orange; they’re up for anything, maybe a bit of the old ultra violence, which they dish out on their instruments and each other but not on the crowd members. After all, these are Nice Guys, excuse me I mean Nice Mums, sorry, Nice Mums.

Alex hollers on lead vocals and torments his keyboards, frequently picking them up and swinging them in the air, sometimes within the middle of the audience. Matt,  Cam, and Jake destroy on guitars and drums – also screaming on backing vocals. The crowd eats it up with some of the best moshing I’ve ever experienced at a Nice Guys show. I mean Nice Mums.

The Elks Lodge is a fantastic place to participate in a sweaty garage punk performance. There’s no stage or other goofy big rock club bullshit, thus lending itself to a more intimate atmosphere typically found in a crowded basement. It’s easy for performers to hop back and forth between the audience and the “stage,” breaking down that demonic divide between performer and spectator. With this band, we’re all one or at the very least there’s a feeling of inclusion that should be a focal part of any great punk/DIY show, and more importantly it’s fucking fun!

The whole set is a blast, an aging garage guru’s wet dream. No, I never saw The Mummies in 92′ old man, but I did catch the Nice Mums in October 2013 in all of their filthy, beer soaked, keyboard demolishing glory.
You Done Mummies well.
http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/album/mean-songs-demo

Fat Creeps (as The Cramps) – I got a big kick out of last year’s Halloween show when the Creeps played as one of my all time favorite bands, The Ramones! In terms of Fat Creeps Halloween cover sets, I didn’t think that show could be topped… and honestly I don’t think it has, but this one comes close!

The line up includes Mariam aka Lux Interior, Gracie aka Poison Ivy, and special guests Ben Katzman (bass) and Chris Geller (drums). Mariam slithers and slimes her way around the elks lodge floor, singing, shouting and flailing about in her leopard skin suit. She does an impressive Lux Interior and performs well with her co-conspirators.

Gracie (red wig and all) rocks out on guitar and seductively shakes her head and hips to the music. Chris pounds on the drums in the back like a champ, dressed in all black like all bad ass motherfuckers. Ben races around on bass, shirtless, often hopping into the audience, even crowd surfing at one point. Towards the end of the set, he drops his trousers, wearing nothing at all. Haha ohh boy.

Overall, the crowd is really into the Fat Cramps, in particular one Glen Maganzini tries so desperately to get a good mosh pit going, with some attempts better than others.

Definitely a sick set. Check out Fat Creeps’ original material here: http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

Guerilla Toss (as Meat Loaf) –  His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson. That’s right, that’s Meat Loaf as Robert Paulson aka Bob with the bitch tits in Fight Club. And that’s about it as far as KLYAM knowledge of Meat Loaf goes. Ohh, he was also in South Park once and had a big selling album or something. But, tonight it is Guerilla Toss who is Meat Loaf, and like all G Toss (are we the only ones that refer to them as G Toss? I hope not) shows this one is spooky, alluring, amusing, and altogether head scratching. Alas, the Satanic lords of the underworld have cursed us with a shitty subway system that leaves Boston incredibly early and we missed at least half of the band’s set (not to mention during the first half, I could barely see over everyone’s heads, I’m only 5’3, help a brother out). Apparently, we missed Simon naked, we always do. I have a feeling there will be more of this though…
http://guerillatoss.com/

Enjoy this video from the amazing Avi Paul Weistein below. Avi shot many videos and pictures of this show. You should take a gander at all of them. Here’s the Nice Mums…

Art, Fat Creeps, Free Pizza, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Miami Doritos, Music, Nice Guys, pictures, Punk, Show Alert, The Beets

KLYAM Recommended Shows: 11/4/13 – 11/9/13

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klyamrecommended

Monday, November 4, 2013

FAST APPLE Presents: Guantanamo Baywatch @ Charlie’s Kitchen – 9PM – $5 – Portland’s garage surf punkers, Guantanamo Baywatch are hitting up Boston this Monday and speaking of which – word around the campfire is that they have a split 7″ coming out on Suicide Squeeze on December 3 with Natural Child! Several of Boston’s finest are opening this show: Fellow surf freaks, Beware the Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!, psych monsters, CreaturoS, and one of KLYAM’s favorite noisemakers, Miami Doritos.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

pRIMORDIAL sOUNDS Presents: The Middlesex Lounge is hosting its weekly PS nights and this night features the likes of insane doo woppers SKIMASK, anarcho punks Ancient Filth, and Teacher Mother Secret Lover. 10 PM $3

Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, 2013

Boston Hassle Fest 5! @ Cambridge Elks Lodge, Cantab Lounge, and Western Front and featuring wayyyy too many rad bands to mention, but if the names Lightning Bolt and The Beets mean anything to you then that alone should make you come out to Hassle Fest. More importantly, over 40 of New England’s greatest bands are playing this fantastic festival. Fat Creeps, SKIMASK, Nice Guys, Guerilla Toss, Free Pizza and so much more! 3PM $15 – $20 Sliding Scale.

For more info: WEBSITE – FB EVENT

Friday, November 8, 2013

Night Beats @ O’Brien’s Pub – 8PM – $10 – Seattle’s experimental garage rockers, Night Beats are returning to O’Brien’s for a fun ass rock ‘n’ roll show. Opening up is one of our local favorites The New Highway Hymnal as well as Thunderbloods and Gymshorts.

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If you think we missed any shows that a tru KLYAM gangsta would vant to see. Hit us up at KLYAMEMAIL@GMAIL.COM

Art, Back Pages, Music, pictures, Punk

Back Pages – Broken In Again

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Back Pages
If you haven’t listened to Orlando’s Back Pages yet, then LISTEN to Back Pages! One man in his bedroom recording fierce, teenage rock ‘n’ roll in the spirit of Jay Reatard. Songs are so good it’s scary…

KC Allen, the man behind Back Pages has been cranking out 3 song album releases via bandcamp  every month now since August and this new trio of songs is as sick as ever. I love me some sick garage, but KC has more fire in his belly than most other rockers I come across; more emotion comes through to me. It’s incredible.

Listen to Broken In Again and all of Back Pages here:  http://thebackpages1.bandcamp.com/

Art, Atlantic Thrills, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Atlantic Thrills, Sonic Avenues, Thee Legendary Rockin’ Prophets, The Little Richards @ O’Brien’s Pub (10/17/13)

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Prophets
Bands: Sonic Avenues, Atlantic Thrills, Thee Legendary Rockin’ Prophets, The Little Richards
Date: Thursday, October 17, 2013
Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA)

The Little Richards – While my mind conjures up an image of four mini men dressed up as Little Richard (I know it doesn’t make total sense, just roll with it) instead I see four average sized white dudes from the North Shore. Body sizes aside, The Little Richards are an impressive and lively bunch.

The band’s set consists of speedy pop punk songs with a pile driver edge that is tight and relentless. This is straight up pop punk, but it’s more of the gnarly variety, not that pussy bullshit that was extremely popular back in the early ohhs like Simple Plan – ahh God I’m starting to puke in my mouth just at the thought of that nonsense.  So yeah, The Little Richards pack in a good punch.

I’ve never seen The Little Richards before, but there is a familiar face in guitarist Joey Unis, one of the raddest and most upstanding gents I have had the pleasure of conversing with in my young career as a show goer/documenter guy, uhh yeah.  I’ve also seen Joey perform in The BFs and The Electric Ears and if you dig those bands then you will most likely enjoy The Little Richards.

Two songs that stand out to me are 1) the Ramones possessed (well pretty much all of these tunes are in the musical spirit of the Ramones) “Insanities” with its inclusion of “Pinhead’s” line  “Gabba gabba we accept you, we accept you one of us!” The song also has an image I can’t erase from my mind: someone falling down 40 steps and hitting their head on 39 as a sea of LSD leaks out of them. Ha! 2)  A seasonally apropos cover of The Misfits “Skulls,” showcasing the band’s gang  vocals. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Check out The Little Richards here: http://thelittlerichards.bandcamp.com/

Thee Legendary Rockin’ Prophets – Thee Legendary Rockin’ Prophets are here to praise the Lord and bring forth his holy message of salvation into all of your poor, lethargic lives. Hallelujah!

Dressed in classic mormon attire (plain white shirts with black ties and black pants) the Prophets are a six piece rock ‘n’ roll, garage soul ensemble featuring guitars, drums, keyboards, tambourines, and the limitless energy of the lead singer/preacher.

This show is a real spectacle  and in the traditions of other bands I have experienced such as King Khan & The Shrines and Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!,  and the lead singer is off the wall, out of control, and downright in your face (not to mention talented). He screams his heart out as he proselytizes to the audience, sometimes screaming right into individual crowd member’s faces.  It’s a perspiring, inspiring performance and I can honestly say that I have rarely seen a performer so committed to rockin’ and preachin’. He paces around the room like the roadrunner, knocking over mic stands and bottles in the process. He spends 90% of the set singing and dancing off stage, even climbing on one of the tables and hopping off it.

The Prophets’ set is surely a fun one, but I feel like the songs all sound the same. Granted, the band does have a great garage soul sound and I am certain that  if the Prophets’ had a wild, packed, beer guzzlin’ crowd in front of them the show would be pandemonium. Either way, check them out here: http://legendaryrockinprophets.bandcamp.com/

Atlantic Thrills – My dudes in Atlantic Thrills are back in Boston again and as always it’s a pleasure to see them. The foursome open with the Yardbirds hit “For Your Love,” kicking it extra slimy for all you garage dweebs out there. I especially dig Josh Towers’ drumming, gets me all pumped up like their epic original “Light Shines,” which they play later in the evening.  Towers also sports a funny ass shirt that proclaims “Fuck art, let’s Fuck.” Reminds me of that scene in Taxi Driver when Betsy tells Travis “Taking me to a place like this is about as exciting as saying to me ‘let’s fuck’.”  Somehow, I feel that some disco square bitch would say the same thing to me if I took her to an Atlantic Thrills show. Indeed, fuck art let’s fuck and dance to the Atlantic Thrills!

There’s plenty of vintage  punk slime for the Thrilz in this set including “A Day At the Beach,” “Drugs In It,” “Boozin,” “Almost Anything, ” and the aforementioned “Light Shines,” but tonight the Providence quartet spend a healthy chunk of their performance introducing a batch of fresh numbers. These include “Bed Bugs,” “Past Life,” and another untitled song.

The band remains a rowdy, rock ‘n’ roll beast, but with several of these new tunes they strengthen much of their tender side. I hear a lot of slower, doo wop fused vocals with all members singing at once. Like The Little Richards, Atlantic Thrills are masters when it comes to the gang vocals.

If you’re living in Providence, then you’re one lucky dog because you have the potential to see Atlantic Thrills more than I do, but I most likely do see Atlantic Thrills more than you do. Point is, they’re the best and they’re always playing. But, Boston stooges don’t worry. Along side Fagettes, Atlantic Thrills are opening for Shannon and The Clams on November 20! https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticThrills

Set – List:
“For Your Love” (The Yardbirds)
“Drugs In It”
“So Long”
“Bed Bugs”
“Past Life”
“Holy Mountain”
“Light Shines”
“Almost Anything”
“A Day At the Beach”
“Boozin'”
New Song

Sonic Avenues – Sonic Avenues continue this evening’s brand of fast, pummeling rock ‘n’ roll. They came here on tour all the way from Canada and they are very grateful to be here. In fact, much of this set’s entertainment stems from one of the guitarist’s drunken rambles about how awesome it is to be here and how everyone should dance. Even though the crowd is small there is some dancing and people seem to genuinely appreciate Sonic Avenues. They sound decent to me, but I’m not huge into it. They have a solid grip on power pop, but overall I’m not a big fan. Still, I think you should check them out and decide for yourself. http://sonicavenues.bandcamp.com/

Art, Atlantic Thrills, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, News, pictures, Punk, Shannon and The Clams, Show Alert, The Fagettes

Fagettes and Atlantic Thrills Opening For Shannon & The Clams!

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So, we already informed you that the amazing Shannon and the Clams are coming back to Great Scott on Wednesday, November 20. Cool. Ohh, but it gets wayyy cooler than that…
Nov2012 032
Our Providence dawgs, Atlantic Thrills are kicking things off with their psychedelic, Peruvian punk slime. https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticThrills

MARCH2013 008
They will be accompanied by Boston’s rowdiest garage/rock ‘n’ roll band, The Fagettes! http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/

Our two favorite New England based rock ‘n’ roll bands opening for one of the best national rock ‘n’ roll bands today – this is the bill we have been dreaming for!

Art, Ben Tan, concert review, Free Pizza, Gangbang Gordon, Kids Like You and Me, Local Music, Miami Doritos, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Review: Miami Doritos, Free Pizza, Gangbang Gordon, Ben Tan @ Radio Down (10/11/13)

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KLYAM Presents
Bands: Miami Doritos, Free Pizza, Gangbang Gordon, Ben Tan
Date: Friday, October 11, 2013
Venue: Radio Down (Somerville, MA)

Ben Tan – This ain’t BBT’s (that’s Big Ben Tan for your information) first rodeo, aww hell no.  Ben Tan’s been rocking and shocking dance halls, basements, back alleys, and Vince McMahon’s private parties for over a decade now and he’s not stopping any time soon; he can’t he has that contract with the “dubbya dubbya E” aka WWE as he puts it in the folk anthem “Upper Lower Middle Class Blues.” It’s a Bob Dylan ode if I’ve ever seen one, what with the raspy voice, acoustic gee tar and harmonicai in tow.  You know, if you have a younging in the house and are looking for an alternative to the typical clown/magician spectacle than look no further than Ben Tan. Kids love Bob Dylan.

Ben continues with other signature originals including “Inside Out” and a song about a very special gal entitled “Marielle.”  These cuts showcase Ben’s natural talent as a singer – songwriter (God, I hate that term, but trust me it works here) and his incredible ability to imitate the pop music of the 60s with The Beach Boys and The Beatles being his top two objects of duplication. If you’re looking for the most original music in the world, then I’d say look elsewhere. At the same time, Ben is his own person and stands out in just about any setting.

After having enough fun with the guitar, he makes his way to the piana, where he busts out a few more OGs. He closes his set, asking for any crowd requests.  This leads to mershy pop numbers, R. Kelly’s “Ignition Remix” and Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You,” much to the crowd’s delight.  BBT’s back in the saddle again. http://bentan.bandcamp.com/album/inside-out

Gangbang Gordon – Following Big Ben Tan’s set is rock ‘n’ roll’s last tru gangsta, Gangbang Gordon himself and he is accompanied by my brother Justin on drums. This is GBG’s fifth show and his second with Justin, and with all biases aside I think this is his/their best set so far.

Alas as the two are about to run through the beginnings of an epic GBG set, the amp dies on them. Eh, well whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stranger, right? Luckily, Ben lends GBG his amp and all is well. The gangbang begins with an all instrumental jam that mixes surf and noise and sounds like The Ramones, Nobunny, and Fat Creeps. Then they slide into “Lost Touch With The Youths,” a song about being young and lost and feeling out of touch with those who are young and lost.

The show goes on for more and more  grotesque Gangbang Gordon tunes that make most cheer, some cringe, and then you have Ben Tan, who wants to start a riot. At one point he yanks my naragansett out of my hand, chugs it, and flips me the bird. I immediately rip the beer out of his hands, but he’s out of control as he swings some sort of cables around frantically dancing to the Gangbang.

The Gangbang slops over into its filthy climax with the Spanglish rapcore number “Orgullo de Rappers” in which GBG paces around the packed crowd, rapping in everyone’s face and hucking beer cans in the air. As GBG lays his axe to rest in a whirlwind of feedback, Justin piles through with a vicious drum solo that leaves the crowd thirsting for more. More Gangbang to come in the future…
http://gbgordon.bandcamp.com/

Free Pizza – Free Pizza is among one of the many fantastic artists I have come across in the Boston underground music scene this past year. They’ve been kicking around for a couple years now, but I only recently got turned on to them this past Summer. This is my second time seeing them and I am really digging their sweet, summery, surf sounds. How’s that for alliteration?

Recently, tragedy struck the band in the form of a skateboarding accident resulting in vocalist/guitarist Jesus Vio breaking his clavicle, leaving him unable to play guitar. But, the mighty Free Pizza soldiered on! Jesus keeps rocking on vocals and they have enlisted friend, Ben Katzman on guitar. Ben rocks. EVERYBODY ROCKS!

I am still learning Free Pizza songs, but right now my favorite is their signature bandcamp available tune “Net – Babes.” It’s a catchy little number and every time Jesus sings “we have no beaches” I hear “we have no bitches.” Haha, that’s just what I hear. It’s BEACHES folks, and Free Pizza will be surfing through your skull on a daily basis. Get with the times. http://freepizzarocks.bandcamp.com/

Miami Doritos – By the time Miami Doritos hit the mini stage I am feeling no pain. Who needs pain when you have Miami Doritos? Kurt (vocals/guitar) and Alex (vocals/drums) find the one kid in the audience that is feeling pain and they serenade him/her back to safety with their psychedelic thrash testosterone fueled noise.

Indeed, two pieces are fun. Just to throw that out there. I typically prefer a full band, but Miami Doritos stretch beyond the common limitations that two pieces meet every day. I mean there’s just two of them, but it takes two to tango, so why do you need more than two people in a band anyway?

If you’re looking for a swift kick in the balls and you’re sick and tired of being let down by indie rock losers, then go out and see Miami Doritos and you won’t be disappointed. http://miamidoritos.bandcamp.com/

This was a Kids Like You & Me/KLYAM show and Glen and I are thankful for all of the bands that played, everyone that came out, and the Radio for having us. We also want to thank Storm or Howl, who was originally scheduled to play, but could not make it. They are amazing and you should all check out their beautiful music here: https://www.facebook.com/stormorhowl

Art, concert review, Local Music, Music, New Highway Hymnal, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Review: Hanni El Khatib, Bass Drum of Death, The New Highway Hymnal, Future Spa @ Middle East Downstairs (10/9/13)

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Bass Drum
Flyer from Middle East Restaurant and Night Club

Bands: Hanni El Khatib, Bass Drum of Death, The New Highway Hymnal, Future Spa
Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Venue: Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge, MA)

Future Spa – I can’t say this enough, but my ears are slowly plunging into their watery graves. I’m seriously relying on the capabilities of future technology to preserve what remains of my hearing so I can slop, rock, and roll till the day I die. Somerville’s Future Spa aren’t helping my case right now because they are dishing out a hefty amount of damage on my ears with their rough noise fused garage onslaught.

We first caught these dudes at a toasty Mark Sultan show last December at the Starlab – going to miss that place! As with that show, Future Spa produce a quick slam in the bread basket with piles of noise rock, early 80’s hardcore, and plenty of shrieks and screams alike.

Future Spa show off their No Age and Sonic Youth influences in songs such as “No Age” and “Sonic Youth,” respectively. You can hear all of their garage punk anthems on their bancamp here: http://futurespa.bandcamp.com/album/my-aunt-brian

Set – List:
“Intro”
“My Aunt Brian”
“No Age”
“Turn On The Action”
“Lipshits”
“Surf Song”
“Sonic Youth”
“Blackinkcocaine”
“Gangof4”
“Fucking Mick Jagger”

The New Highway Hymnal – Shit, it’s been two months since I’ve seen these dudes. Last time was here at the Middle East Downstairs for the Boston Fuzzstival. That was a grand show, but this performance is superior and one of the best I’ve seen from the trio.

The set begins with an ear splitting batch of guitar feedback coming from Hadden Stemp’s amplifier and shortly thereafter the band kicks into Whispers staple “Hey Kid (Gotta Run),” a song typically whipped out towards the end of the set. The fiery tune gets me really amped up (amped up? whatever…) for the rest of the set and while the crowd is still building up, a few attendees are more than enthusiastic in their appreciation of NHH.

To the left of of me stands The Lysergic Factory Light Show’s Peter Colpack, a rampant supporter of the band, and while Mr. Colpack provides no acid trippy visuals tonight, he frenetically dances his ass off instead. His primitive, out of control style of dancing is akin to a one man mosh pit; it’s as if he’s possessed and fighting off a vicious army of fire ants crawling down his shaky spine.

The New Highway Hymnal’s sound runs through the rock ‘n’ roll gamut, splattering together the likes of The Doors, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre among other forms of music. It’s freak out music for the freaks and therefore you never know what kind of behavior may spew out during a NHH set. To the right of me are two more characters. One kind hearted old timer cheers the band on in his thick Boston accent as he brandishes his Boston Red Sox hat. Another woman shakes her booty rapidly to the band’s swift psych delivery. When they ask the sound guy how much time they have left? This woman hollers “How long is it going to take for you to fuck me?” Much to the band’s surprise/amusement.

The set crashes to its close in classic New Highway Hymnal fashion with Amelia and Hadden producing vast layers of screeching feedback from their guitars and Travis making a mess of his drum kit by smashing his cymbals into the snare drum and making use of anything and everything in front of him as a means of percussion. This conclusion is a microcosmic trance within the larger trance that is The New Highway Hymnal. Sit on that mind blowing piece of information while you pass time in work/school/church/ waiting in line for the post office.
http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/

Bass Drum Of Death – Here’s a band whose material I am not overly familiar with, yet I have kept them on the back burner for a couple of years now. Bass Drum Of Death are a heavy, pummeling garage rock band that most garage, punk, or simply garage punk fans would dig, but I’d go even further and state that fans of more general rock or other genres may also enjoy their music as well. And that’s certainly not a trait that can be applied to any old garage band. With Bass Drum, the music is more fine tuned, crisper. At the same time, there is still plenty of that slimy, sleazy element that we gunk punkers all know and love.

As I said before, I am not a huge fan of this band, simply because I have only heard a few of their songs, so seeing Bass Drum Of Death is comparable to seeing a sweet band, but not like waiting all year to see BASS DRUM OF DEATH!!! Though, this is not the case for much of the dudes in attendance. And yes I stress the word dudes, as I feel this set is filled with plenty of sausage and that’s okay, but I tend to prefer seeing an equal balance of the genders, damn I don’t how you metal folk do it! Anyway, much of these dudes are heavy duty Bass Drum Of Death folk and a small, but steady mosh pit explodes in front of the stage. Kids smashing into one another and screaming along to their favorite Bass Drum Of Death tunes and unleashing all of that teenage, hormonal frustration. It’s a lot of fun.

Hanni El Khatib – Now, with Hanni El Khatib I am totally unaware of their discography, having vaguely heard of the band a few times in the past. For this show, I came mostly for the local bands, and yes Bass Drum Of Death is a treat. Hanni El Khatib, I am not as impressed with – don’t get me wrong, they are fine, but I just don’t feel it as much as the three previous bands. Hanni appears to be more in line with blues and classic rock or I am just a crazy bastard and I’m hearing weird noises.  In either situation, they don’t floor me enough to stay for the second half of their set. Not a bad band, but just not the band I would go out of my way to see live. Lastly, I am not sure why they were paired with Bass Drum Of Death for this tour, given that their sounds are very different. Then again, that can be an immensely positive thing, hopefully bringing together fans of both styles of music and introducing new bands to both parties.

Here’s a sick video of Bass Drum Of Death from Joanna Trachtenberg!

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

Review: Colleen Green, White Fang, The Memories, Ronnie Nordac’s Crying Lessons @ Bathaus (10/8/13)

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Colleen JP
Flyer by Freak Flag
Bands: Smarty, White Fang, Colleen Green, The Memories, Ronnie Nordac’s Crying Lessons
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Venue: Bathaus (Jamaica Plain, MA)

Ronnie Nordac’s Crying Lessons – Damn son, has it been six months already? April 25th was the first time I saw Ronnie Nordac and the original Crying Lessons and the last time I saw Colleen Green. Six months go by fast, but not as fast as the ultra speedy songs that comprise a Crying Lessons’ set. I guess that’s how they make you cry… they want to keep you crying for more. I’ve been seeing them a lot lately, so it’s working. Doo Wop, bubblegum pop, rock, they got you covered. It’s all heavenly. “Like” them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CryingLessons

The Memories – Going into this show I had never listened to The Memories and only knew of them through their association with White Fang. I’m kicking myself now for not checking them out before, since they are one of the best live bands I have ever seen. The whole band is awesome, but much of this admiration is directed towards frontman Erik Gage.  Erik’s got that natural pizzaz to him, he’s all over the place and in your face, and best of all he and his bandmates got the music to back it up.

The Memories play slow, jam/psych fused garage pop.  All of the songs are super short, straight to the point and utterly hilarious. The Memories’ personality genuinely shines through in all of these colorful tunes. There are songs about fornicating with significant others while the rents are away, handing femmes your own prized art work only to  have them hand it back to you (what a bitch!), getting high and not going to work tomorrow (wish I could say the same), and a little something something that all of us need from time to time: “You Need a Big Man.” All of these absurd tunes remind me of Frank Zappa (especially in Erik’s vocals) and Ween  – the songs are goofy and not to be taken too seriously, but at the  same time they are well crafted and truly admirable.

Now, The Memories aren’t just a bunch of jokers. They also write important songs with serious subject matters. Erik introduces one of the set’s final numbers as their “most serious song.” This of course is “Go Down On You.” Listen to it here and giggle like the little school girl you are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTaR2Im0OHk
Listen to more here: http://thememories.bandcamp.com/

Colleen Green – Although I really dig White Fang and now The Memories, tonight I am mainly making the trek out to JP to see Colleen Green. I’ve seen Colleen a few times now and each time has been fairly different from the last. I’ve seen her play in bars, art galleries, and now basements. This seems to be a more natural setting for Colleen and her mellow music. It’s just Colleen, her guitar, and her drum machine. In my previous experiences, Colleen was accompanied with a full band (Plateaus) or her friend Marissa on guitar. So, just seeing her all by her lonesome is a departure, yet it feels closer to her recordings.

Colleen opens with “Only One” from her most recent release Sock It to Me (Hardly Art) and the packed basement’s attendees start to move and shake and twist and turn a little bit. She goes on to perform other CG classics such as “Dance the Night Away,” “I Wanna Be Degraded,” and “Worship You.”

As a whole, I wouldn’t say this is the most memorable Colleen Green show under my belt, but it’s still pretty sick and overall I can’t complain. If you haven’t heard Colleen Green yet, I urge you to check her stuff out RIGHT NOW. If you dig Ramones, Blink 182, Descendants, and all that spazz, then you oughta dig Colleen or I oughta knock yer lights out! http://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/

White Fang – I first heard White Fang earlier this June roughly around 11 AM at a bar known as Eugene O’Neil’s in Jamaica Plain. When you’re a KLYAMER no time is too early for a beer; we’re night owls and early risers at the same time. We’re everywhere and we’re growing each day. Beware. But, back to White Fang. A local peep by the name of Jeff Somers was working the bar at the time and he introduced Glen and I to the almighty White Fang. We were vibin’ to their infectious grooves alright, all night. You could say we were late to the White Fang hysteria, given the fact that these dudes have been around for years. Bradford Cox even wrote about them on the Deerhunter blog in 2008; he’s always ahead of the game, gotta love that dude.

So, yeah White Fang rules and most of the band comprises of members of The Memories including singer, Erik Gage. In similar fashion, White Fang is all fuzzed out with their gnar pop and chop. White Fang tends to be heavier though, and they get the crowd all riled up. There’s some quasi moshing during their set and everyone is having a gay olde time. Gay as a fox.

One of White Fang’s most memorable joints is a little ditty known as “Can’t Deal With Being Real” and it’s dedicated to all the (not so) kewl cats that aren’t in attendance tonight.  Here’s to White Fang for keeping it real, hope you last forever. http://whitefang420.bandcamp.com/

Unfortunately, we missed Smarty :(

The masterminds we call Freak Flag put on this holy show and they deserve a big shout and lots of love! Check out their blog here: http://www.freakflagboston.com/ They also host various DJ nights in the Boston area and publish a mind bending newsletter/quarterly that will make your head spin in all its awesomeness.

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

Review: Free Pizza and Secret Lover @ JP Drive In (10/4/13)

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Lust Cats
Bands: Lust-Cats of the Gutters, Mannequin Pussy, Secret Lover, Free Pizza
Date: Friday, October 4, 2013
Venue: JP Drive In/Ill Spot

Free Pizza – Free Pizza, it’s so beautiful.  Two delicious words. Free and Pizza, together as one.  Free Pizza is a mouth watering slice fresh out of the heart of Jamaica Plain, but plain they are not. This Pizza is filled with a palette of scrumptious toppings. Jesus Vio slays on bass and vocals, Santiago Cardenas tears shit up on guitar, and my old No Age buddy, Nick Rasmussen smashes the skins.

This is my first Free Pizza show and it is a pleasant first experience at that. During this performance I honestly can’t picture them playing anywhere other than a tight basement reeking of mold and steel reserved beer.  I’ve heard the term basement rock thrown around before and I always thought it was a silly description, but I feel like Free Pizza fits that description.

The vibes are all positive and there’s a very warm, homey feel to their set. It’s almost jammy (I don’t know why I keep adding the – y to all my descriptions here), like a mellow garage group, yet still ready to rock.

In the Free Pizza spirit of playing for and more importantly with the people,  for one song they lend the mic over to anyone that wishes to sing in exchange for a forty.  One of the dudes in Secret Lover grabs the mic and sings along with the Pizzas – ahh new nickname. I eventually find a nickname for every band.

Free Pizza rocks! It’s true and by far their catchiest tune is “Net – Babes,” a tune about surfing the interwebs and finding that special someone. Internet babes. Dayemmm, I gotta get me one of those. You can hear this song over here at their bancamper. http://freepizzarocks.bandcamp.com/

Secret Lover – I’ve seen these Worcester based dudes and dudette a few times now and this show is not too different from those previous experiences; pleasant easy to listen (and perhaps dance) to pop music. Though I am not overly engaged in Secret Lover’s music, I can appreciate its smooth, mellow, psychedelic flavor. There’s also a lot of power pop and classic rock elements to be admired, at least to my ears.

It’s nearly impossible to write about Secret Lover and not mention the feisty, powerful performance coming from lead singer/songwriter, Sally Horowitz. She careens around the basement floor and taunts the audience with infinite enthusiasm. Her singing brings to mind that of Deborah Harry (Blondie) and Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females).
Check them out here: http://secretlover.bandcamp.com/

It sucks big time that we had to depart early and missed most of Mannequin Pussy’s (NYC) set and all of Lust-Cats of the Gutters’s (Denver), but I highly recommend you check out their bandcamps and catch them on tour now! See tour dates here: https://klyam.com/2013/10/07/band-of-the-week-lust-cats-of-the-gutters-on-tour-now/

Lust-Cats of the Gutters:
http://lustcats.bandcamp.com/
Mannequin Pussy:
http://mannequinpussy.bandcamp.com/

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to meet Robin and Alex from Lust-Cats and they are the sweetest/coolest!! Hope you guys are having an excellent time with Mannequin Pussy!