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King Khan, King Khan and the Shrines, Music, reviews

Review: King Khan & The Shrines – “Idle No More” [2013]

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Band: King Khan & The Shrines
Label: Merge Records
Date: September 2013

Tracklist:
1. Born to Die
2. Bite My Tongue
3. Thorn in Her Pride
4. Luckiest Man
5. Better Luck Next Time
6. Darkness
7. Pray for Lil
8. Bad Boy
9. So Wild
10. Yes I Can’t
11. I Got Made
12. Of Madness I Dream

Comments: I just saw a thing, announcing this as a comeback album for the sensational, one of my favorite bands for some time now, King Khan and the Shrines. That’s kind of true, I thought. Their last release – The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines – was my personal introduction to the band. It came out in 2008. But in the time between (5 years), I’ve had the great chance of seeing the Shrines three times, in ’09, ’10, and ’12. So they’ve always been around, putting on some of the finest shows a band can. The presence of King Khan as soon as he hits the stage is always met with crazy levels of reception. It is usually after the 8 member Shrines warm us up with their horny glory when Khan joins in on the madness. While Idle No More might be considered as taking it down a few notches, it is a still a bastion of psychedelic soul, R&B, and fuzzy rock ‘n roll that I haven’t found to be matched in the modern era. The older Shrines releases have some more grease to them, maybe a touch more slime, and easy flowing blunt force, but this is something of an instrumental masterpiece.

Maybe as I’ve gotten myself familiar with King Khan’s music over the years, I’ve begun to appreciate the finer aspects songwriting and recorded performance present in such an outwardly fun style of music. But yeah, what I’m trying to say, is that Idle No More has more layers and dynamics to it than the average r’n’r album, that it’s hard not to appreciate just the fact that something like this was pulled off with great success. There’s definitely some unexpected moments – like on songs like “Pray For Lil” and “Bad Boy” that feature vocals from Jena Roker who sang on “Unicorn Rainbow Odyssey” on Mark Sultan’s Sultanic Verses. That last bit of info I had to look up, but I remember a female singer from that song that was really a cool way to end an album. But yeah these songs are ultra-soul, but keenly poppy while maintaining the innate rawness of the Shrines. This is stuff that’ll most likely win over your friends that are afraid of getting into real good music. The first four songs on the album – “Thorn in Her Pride” and “Luckiest Man” are tops for me at this point – these are the ones that’ll get the people moving the most at the shows. They all sound faintly similar as far as being driven to climax by outrageously crisp horns and choruses that will struggle to leave your memory. “So Wild” is a tribute to Khan’s dear friend/one of this site’s most advocated artists Jay Reatard. The production of it recalls Jay behind the mixing boards – it sounds sorta somber at the start, but truly explodes during the chorus.

Some bands might get a little flak for songs sounding like each other, but the Shrines manipulate the formula often enough that distinct styles often shine through like the garage jangle on “Yes I Can’t” (a standout on the album for sure, a powerhouse of a song) and hand-clap galore, early Shrines throwback “I Got Made”. People who really dug The Supreme Genius oughta definitely appreciate that one, particularly. The one tune that makes it mark as a departure from the upbeat pulse of the record is the minimal “Darkness,” which is haunting and stands as a mini-closer. The real finishing touch is “Of Madness I Dream”. It sways slowly, builds progressively, and reaches a fuzzy tipping point, collapsing solos reign before Khan’s vocals re-enter to deliver the final lines.

Idle No More doesn’t quite have the sultry passion that dominates the Shrines earlier work, but for seemingly deeper songs, these still rock ‘n roll… time and time again. The stuff is held together well, a little grit has been traded in for sonic soundness and more often than not, this works great. One of the more interesting bands of our time with a just as interesting front man, King Khan and the Shrines have once again delivered to us modern rock and soul as rousing as it comes.

klyamrecommended

Art, concert review, Durt Dog The Band, Gangbang Gordon, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Ronnie Nordac

Video Review: Ronnie Nordac, Durt Dog the Band, Gangbang Gordon @ Club Bohemia (8/1/13)

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GBG
Bands: Ronnie Nordac, Durt Dog the Band, Gangbang Gordon, Animals & Sharp
Date: Thursday, August 1, 2013
Venue: Club Bohemia (Cambridge, MA)

So, I was not present for this wonderful, most likely life mutilating experience :(. Fortunately, Papa KLYAM viddied the whole show on his old school, analog, 1991 VHS styled camera. Good work sir! And with documentation being the name of the game I just had to write about the thing. In other words, this is technically not a live review, but rather a review of the performance via video. Ok ramblers, let’s get rambling.

Ganbang Gordon – Name a piece of music from the last twenty-five years that wasn’t influenced by Gangbang Gordon. Tough, considering this is only his third performance! His latest and greatest, a massive improvement from the last two shows, which were striking in their own fashion, but this one tops them all.

Firstly, GBG’s appearance is slightly different here. This time, he eschews the regular GBG garb (blonde wig, corona hat, shades, etc), wearing a casual shirt and shorts instead. Secondly, he is joined on stage by local musician and pal, Ben Tan on drums. Together the two bash through a set of standard GBG tunes including “Damn Shame,” “Passed In My MCAS Exam,” and my favorite “Life at the ABC,” a song by and for the working man. Another notable number comes in the form of a cover of Girls of the Gravitron’s “Weird World,” an obscure song from an obscure band; nonetheless, GBG captures it’s weird spirit.

In typical GBG fashion, the outside rocker runs around the venue, on and off the stage, playing on the floor, creating piles of feedback and often hasslin’ the audience in the process. Thankfully, the crowd is rather warm and receptive with shouts and cheers, oohs and ahhs alike. The biggest response comes when he unleashes his epic Spanish rapcore ditty “Orguello de Rappers,” bringing the mic with him out on the floor, rapping directly for the people.

The set concludes with GBG and BBT (BIG BEN TAN) simultaneously boppin’ the drums, each with one drum stick in hand. The crowd eats it up and applauds while the pair step forward, bowing for their audience in mutual appreciation.

If you would like to learn more about Gangbang Gordon, go to your local library or simply click the link here: http://gbgordon.bandcamp.com/

“Have you been Durt Dogging it man?”
“Yeah, I’ve been Durt Dogging it dude. I Durt Dog it four times a day.”
“No no, I mean rocking out to the infectious sounds of Lowell based folk slimers Durt Dog the Band led by the one and only Brian Donovan.”
“Ohhh.”

Well son, now is your time to experience Durt Dog the Band. And if you haven’t  listened to Durt Dog the Band, listen to Durt Dog the Band. I don’t know how to make it any clearer. Brian Durt Dog Donovan is accompanied by several of his comrades and they provide us with a vast, intimidating set that lasts for fifty minutes! They even tag along a violinist.

The music is mellow, may even make you reflect upon your life up until this very moment and what great music doesn’t do that anyway? I don’t recall if they play it or not (gimme a break I’ve only seen the video once!), but “Rat Traps” off the album Weight is one of my favorite things right now in life. It’s encouraging, like when you are riding your bike for the first time as a child (no training wheels) and you realize that the mailman is no longer holding on to you, you’re doing it all by yourself… and now you’re desperately trying to get away from the mailman. Heavy stuff. Listen to the Weight and everything Durt Dog here: http://durtdogtheband.bandcamp.com/album/weight

Golly. That’s the best word I have to describe the music of Ronnie Nordac. Golly, what a fine young man we have here. Fine with his long, black hair and shades like Joey Ramone. I imagine in High School Ronnie was constantly getting chased by all the girls.

“Gosh, I’d love to go to the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance with you Ronnie Nordac!” Of course you do, sweetheart.

Ronnie Nordac lives life the way God intended us to: eating pizza, drinking 40s, and making out with babes. Paradise. In fact, Ronnie would fit in well with the Garden of Eden crowd; plinking away on his guitar, whilst Adam and Eve hop around naked – save for the green leaves on top of their crotches, and naturally they will be tongue wrestling, sipping on 40s, and emptying pizza box after pizza box. No heart attacks, no hang overs, no HIVs, just Ronnie. Do iT!
Listen up kids: http://ronnienordac.bandcamp.com/

Art, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, New Highway Hymnal, Nice Guys, pictures, Punk, reviews, The Fagettes

Review: Boston Fuzzstival (8/10/13)

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Bands: Nice Guys, Fagettes, Moniker, Guillermo Sexo, CreaturoS,  The New Highway Hymnal
Date: Saturday, August 10, 2013
Venue: Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge, MA)

I’m not the right person to be writing about the Fuzztival… and I assure you no one else will make that claim right off the bat to you in any other “review.” I also assure you that no one else has the the right to review this show more than me either. Reviews are pointless to begin with, don’t listen to reviewers, nothing but trouble. Never done me any good. But, I am going to write about this show anyway because that’s how it goes, that’s how it’s always been. The Middle East Downstairs, fuck man, this brings back memories. No other venue compares. KLYAM attended shows at Mid East Down way before there even was a KLYAM!  We saw Black Lips, No Age, The King Khan & BBQ Show, and Box Elders (opening for Black Lips) here. Here. These suckers, these fuckers, these icons were inches away from us; their saliva smoothly sailed down my beat up, gray Ramones shirt.  The next day at school I would brag about what I saw, oh boy! “Girlfriends” would feign interest, it was a glorious time to be alive. But, the fun can only last so long. Soon I would realize that they just thought I was cool because I read Noam Chomsky and Malcolm X, and indeed those men are cool, but these femmes never wanted me, they never wanted us, they never wanted rock ‘n’ roll . They just saw my slick, leather jacket and assumed I was cool. KLYAM began on the concept that cool was death, we were anarchists, rebels, nerds, dorks, sociopaths, retards,  reatards. Reatards. We didn’t know (and still don’t know) how  things work. Late at night/ early in the morning, you could listen to Black Lips, Jay Reatard, King Khan & The Shrines, The King Khan & BBQ Show or even that psycho gorgeous band Deerhunter and for two seconds it made sense! The world was a fucked up place, but these dudes were fucked up too and they loved it and they drank their own piss and  that was okay that gave us hope, honestly.

And with that lovely introduction, here are Nice Guys! Woooooo Nice Guys woooo. How many shows has it been? Fuck it, you been counting? Me neither (yeah right) have I, I don’t fucking know, calm down. NIce Guys are a funny band though they play this abrasive, semi-hardcore, quasi garage style of music that just makes the hairs on my testes jet up and dance, It’s fucking loud and fun and noisy. They shit out various hits y’all oughta know like “Herb Chambers,” “Cop Walk,” and “Burrito Boner,” which is a favorite among dental receptionists.

I’ve seen my fair share of Nice Guys sets, yeah yeah yeah yeah, and they typically rock, but this one is a comparatively exceptional rocker. Cam Slays on the drums, up on that little drum riser thing like a Greek God –  must be new to the Mid East Down, cuz I’ve never seen it before. Jake, Matt, and, Alex jolt back and forth on the guitars, bashing into one another, crawling over their bandmates’ sweaty skin, tangling in wires and such. My favorite moment in the set is when Cam rushes up from his drum set and tackles Jake to the floor. That’s what I like to see, I love aggression, I guess I am just a sick guy. Nah, metal folk are sick, I am just having fun. Nice Guys are fun and sweet! http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/

Set – List:
“Gary”
“Herb Chambers”
“Unholy Sacrifice”
“Free”
“Finale”
“Cop Walk”
“HD”
“MD”
“Burrito Boner”
Watch Nice Guys play “Draggins” at the Fuzzstival HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdqiUk8gGi0

Nice Guy Matt Garlick is back again in The Fagettes and he’s joined by Ryan, Melanie, Peaches, and Joe. Fagettes are a KLYAM fave, only a fool couldn’t tell you that. They lean toward the nastier side of rock and roll that we cherish. Besides delivering humorous and informative weather reports, they unleash many essentials including “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders,” “On Drugs,” “Water, Tea, and Alcohol,” “Tsunami,” and “Gonna Die Out Here.” In addition to the gunky classics, the fivesome also bash out some new numbers with “Bad Catholic” being my top jam for this holy evening. I too was a bad catholic, drank the holy water, bopped the bishop, and licked plenty of peanut butter.

A cool breeze just splashed over me, it’s a sign that Fagettes are the future of American pop music OR a favorite band of mine, Either way the future looks bright. http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/
Watch The Fagettes play “On Drugs” at the Fuzzstival HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jug1J4cAub0

Moniker – I catch flashes of  Moniker’s set, I dig, but I need to hear more to judge.  Find out for yo self here: http://whatsyourmoniker.bandcamp.com/

Now to Guillermo Sexo. Not as sexy as I would have thunk; not enough gunk punk in thee old junk. That’s okay though, I think some of y’all would dig them. For the first ten minutes or so, I’m feeling sexy, but then it just drags and my psyche yearns for some “Light Shines,” but that’s another band for another day, Ultimately, this is a decent band, just not exciting enough for my tastes. http://guillermosexo.bandcamp.com/

CreaturoS are a psych outfit that often pop up on local listings and rightfully so.  While, I can’t say that they are the right kind of punk slime dish that I prefer,  they do rock pretty hard, enough so to garner an onslaught of fuzzstivalers, friends, and fans up on stage moshing and boppin’ about.  A killer way to conclude a set.  http://creaturos.bandcamp.com/

During CreaturoS’ and Sexo’s sets, I”m clutching on to the monitors and dreaming about a three way between Betty Rubble, Wilma Flintstone, and myself. Gee whiz, that would be a swell time, but I must be at least a tad bit insane in the old membrane for me to conjure up such images. Ironically, The New Highway Hymnal put me in my place. Arguably, The NHH are the freakiest of the bands tonight and that works to their  advantage. Vocalist/guiarist Hadden Stemp utters “Let’s give it up for CreaturoS,” receiving very little crowd response. “That sucked,” Stemp accurately asserts.  He gives the Boston crowd one more chance and with a slight improvement we segue way into the New Highway Hymnal’s diabolic set. The trio, which includes Travis Hagan on drums and Amelia Gormley on bass and vocals, open with “Whispers,” the title track off their epic LP released last year on Vanya Records.  The fuzziness continues with the grimy album opener “Through Stained Glass,” and then my memory is fuzzy after that (yes just a few hours later). I think there’s some new cuts tossed at us or just stuff that’s fresh to my ears. Last I remember is “Hey Kid” and then Hadden i s suddenly on the floor with us in the audience, jumpin’ around and what not, and then he’s back up on stage like a ninja. He’s quick and I’ve had too menty, a deadly combination. In any setting, listen to The New Highway Hymnal’s Whsipers LP here: http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/releases

concert review, Music, Paul Weller, reviews

Review: Paul Weller, Matthew Ryan @ Royale (7/28/13)

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JULY_2013PAULWELLER 009

Bands: Paul Weller, Matthew Ryan
Venue: Royale
Date: Sunday, July 28, 2013

I’ve seen shows at the Royale with a decent degree of irregularity since the posh club opened its doors in 2010. No complaints as far as the performances were concerned; King Khan and the Shrines, Deerhunter, The Walkmen – all bigger names that have pleased me nicely over the years. Seeing Paul Weller fits right in there, especially in a standing room only setting like this one.

Kicking off the night was Matthew Ryan – one man with an acoustic guitar. He said it’s not easy being one man with a guitar opening for a legend such as Paul Weller. I agree. I’m not sure many solo performers of Ryan’s variety could do an adequate job of entertaining me in this kind of setting. He did seem to garner some interest, but there were just as many people chitchatting among themselves and ignoring the performance as there were genuinely curious onlookers. His set didn’t do anything for me, but I didn’t expect it to.

Paul Weller – I’m no expert on him, but seeing him a couple of times before this, and listening to his solo albums since I was very young, I’ve grown very appreciative of what he’s done. This was definitely the most fun I’ve had at a Paul Weller show. I would say that this might just be how other attendees feel as well. It may have been years since some of these people have gotten the chance to see Paul up close and personal. Having him and his band (made up of another guitarist, a bassist, an organist, and two drummers) wail away just feet in front of me is something I won’t forget. From this mini-tour’s itinerary, it seems like Paul made it a point to play at smaller sized venues, at least in comparison to the gigantic structures he regularly plays in his native country. As far as what the audience was treated to… about twenty songs from his old Jam days up through his latest Sonic Kicks LP. I was familiar with most of Paul’s set (shout out to setlist.fm for preparation), but the Stanley Road back-to-back of “Whirlpools End” and “The Changingman” is my favorite. Eight hundred 50-somethings chugging $13 mixed drinks may agree with me there. Paul came back for an encore and finished things off with customary Jam hit “Town Called Malice.” We were all pulling for a second encore, but hey that’s alright, we enjoyed a very memorable hour of music.

Local Music, Music, Nice Guys, Punk, reviews

Review: Nice Guys, Ex-Cult, OBN III’s, The Tampoffs @ Great Scott

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Bands: Nice Guys, Ex-Cult, OBN III’s, The Tampoffs
Date: Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Venue: Great Scott [Allston]

Maybe I haven’t been looking hard enough, but I don’t think that I’ve seen a ‘stacked’ purely garage/punk bill at Great Scott in months. That changes on this Tuesday night as all of these bands are teeming with the kind of energy and showmanship that most bands I see live unfortunately lack.

The Tampoffs take the stage and word around the band’s fascist book page is that this is their second to last show. One can hope that isn’t really true as The Tampoffs have been a local R’n’R staple for a long time now. I’m not exactly in a position to talk about the time I saw them at the RAT – but I will say I first saw them open for Nobunny at Church a couple of years ago. All I can remember from that show is that some moshing erupted and the band was loud and forceful. Not sure what they’ve been up to between that show and now. I didn’t know they played Gonerfest 6. There’s YouTube footage. It’s great. What makes up for my lack of knowledge of their songs is the feeling of watching the closest thing to the Oblivians that isn’t actually the Oblivians. This is a compliment. Tight, fun, times. The song toward the end that the drummer sings stands out as my favorite.

OBN III’s step up onto the stage. I didn’t see this happen, but I know it did. As I’m making my way back towards the venue (after stepping outside), I hear the band playing. I’m missing out on some crucial action. I hope I didn’t miss out  on much, but when I walk up to the front I see dudes and girls going wild. Familiar faces just really enjoying themselves. Several had seen OBN III’s before – I can tell – and several had not. Orville jumps into the audience, touches the heads of dudes like Joey Roach, all while shouting out instant jams like “Runnin on Fumes” and “You Wanna Bitch?”. I’m not even really familiar with OBN III’s, but I remember those really sticking out. So for people that know the band, I can imagine that these are incredible moments in show-going history and for others, it’s an equally satisfying performance. You can’t stand around the stage bored. You’ll get punched in the nose.

So after some pushing and shoving and falling to the ground, that kinda stuff doesn’t stop after Orville and crew finish. Of course, there’s the obligatory clearing of equipment and setting up of new stuff. Ex-Cult is cut from the same cloth as OBN III’s – energetic frontman included in the package. It’s all rock ‘n roll. I’d say Ex-Cult is more punchy, stompy, and darker than OBN. There’s more atmopsheric/cacophony guitar heroics. Swell Maps minus the Brit accent. I’m definitely won over as a fan. “Mister Fantasy,” their new single, is really good. Definitely a highlight. I’m fascinated by the antics of guitarist JB Horrell. Dude was making these crazy faces all throughout the set. Seemed like he was having a great time. They all were. We all were.

Some party poopers make a run for the doors after Ex-Cult. Not really sure what was going through their minds. Gotta stay for Nice Guys. Gotta miss trains for Nice Guys. I would think. Well the truest of rock ‘n rollers stuck around and I think we can all agree we were in for yet another treat. Nice Guys are a perfect fit for this bill as they pack in a lil bit of all the sweet qualities of the previous bands. It’s safe to say that “Cop Walk” is always a KLYAM favorite – it stirs things up and is memorable as can be. Of course there’s the perennial “Burrito Boner” and the specially dedicated “Free Slice” to Ryan from Fagettes. Good times all around. Add a dose of excitement to your night life and catch these guys always.

Art, Atlantic Thrills, Concer t Review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, New Highway Hymnal, pictures, Punk, Ravi Shavi, reviews

Review: Ravi Shavi, The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills in Providence (7/13/13)

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NHH BBQ
Bands: Ravi Shavi, The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills
Date: Saturday, July 13, 2013
Venue: BBQ in Providence, RI

Damn, it’s great to be back in Providence! Every time we come here it’s a blast, usually because we are seeing two of the best current rock ‘n’ roll bands: Atlantic Thrills and Ravi Shavi. Throw in Boston’s The New Highway Hymnal, burgers, and beer, and you got yourself one of the finest KLYAM attended shows all year.

Our journey begins with the masters themselves, Atlantic Thrills. Last night, we saw the Thrillz and The New Highway Hymnal at O’Brien’s Pub in Allston, coming off of that epic evening, I’m more than ready to dive into yet another sweaty rock ‘n’ roll show. Ohh and of course, it wouldn’t be a real psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll experience without the acid trippy imagery of The Lysergic Factory Lightshow, which consists of a constant barrage of bright colors being projected behind every band as they perform.

The fantastic foursome bash out several of their classic tunes – ” A Day At the Beach” (featuring the awe inspiring lead vocals of Dan Tanner, yeah buy that shit from Almost Ready Records on August  13, why don’t ya?!), “Light Shines,” “Shotgun,” “Drugs In It,” and my favorite “Lies.”  “Lies” always gets me screaming my lungs out! They also introduce a new, untitled song; my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I’ll have to keep my ears open for this one in the future.

Bikinis and big booties and Atlantic Thrills on a hot Summer night y’all, that’s what life is all about! Catch Providence’s finest on tour right now! Check out the tour dates here:  https://klyam.com/2013/07/21/atlantic-thrills-summer-tour-2013/

Set – List:
“Almost Anything”
“Booze”
“A Day At The Beach”
“Drugs In It”
“New Song”
“Light Shines”
“Lies”
“Girls”
“Shotgun”
“So Long”
“Salvaie”

The hoppin’ and boppin’ and boozin’ and loozin’ continues with one of Boston’s  most promising bands, The New Highway Hymnal.  I’ve seen many a New Highway set, but I’ve never seen them outside, tis a slightly different experience. In fact, this is my second time seeing a show outdoors period. I’m digging the change of setting, it switches things up a bit, for sure.

Song wise tonight’s set isn’t too different from most New Highway performances and that’s fine for me. For months now, I’ve been listening to the band’s amazing  LP Whispers, which features most, if not all of the songs they perform live tonight, so it’s always a thrill to hear the way these tunes translate on stage (or in a backyard). In particular, I’ve always appreciated hearing the LP’s closer “Hey Kid (Gotta Run),” which is a fiery mess of guitar feedback, maniacal drums, and stab to death shrieks.

If you like The Doors, 13th Floor Elevators, or psychedelic pop music in general, then I would be shocked if you didn’t dig these guys. Check them out here: http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/

Following some miller lite and some truly punk slime drippin’, titty sucking back seat boogie, we soldiered on into the depths of the great Ravi Shavi. Ravi Shavi gets the kids dancing and moshing and a little bit of stumbling. I can’t help but dance my white dancin’fool ass off. Ravi Shavi simply bust out the hooks in their shirtless, soulful power pop. It’s a little bit of James Brown, a teensy bit King Khan, toss in an ounce of The Clash,  and slam it into a blender. You may get a disgusting meal or you can have Ravi Shavi. I choose Ravi Shavi.

Ravi Shavi has many terrific songs, but my favorite has to be “Accidental Mental.”  If this catchy number doesn’t make you burst into a series of erratic dance moves that would make Michael Jackson spin in his grave than do yourself a favor, hop in the Lexus and ride off the nearest cliff, because you suck so much. Ravi Shavi rules, definitely one of their best/most fun shows.

P.S. towards the end of the set, Atlantic Thrills join Ravi Shavi and unleash some nasty songs. Is this is a side project we should be expecting in the future? I hope so, either somebody slipped something in my drink or I am seeing Dan Tanner on drums. I’ll just have to find out next time. More importantly, go see Ravi Shavi live!

LISTEN: http://ravishavi.bandcamp.com/

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

Review: The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills, First Creature, CreaturoS @ O’Brien’s Pub (7/12/13)

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NHH OB
Bands: The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills, First Creature, CreaturoS
Date: Friday, July 12, 2013
Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA)

CreaturoS get the Freakfest started right and they are some loud motherfuckers, that’s  for sure. The kind of band where you may look deep into the eyes of the person standing next to you, who you have never met before, and say “CreaturoS bro, CreaturoS” and they will say “YESSS.”  Their brand of psych rock has some garage flavor, not in the sloppy sense, but plenty of grit like one’s hands after a hard day’s work. I honestly can’t think of too many comparisons here, but if you dig the headliners, The New Highway Hymnal (whom they have often shared a bill) I am sure you will also wet your pants when you hear theses guys, or you just have bladder control issues, I don’t know, I’m trying to help us all man!  http://creaturos.bandcamp.com/

Up next is the freaky deaky stylings of Virginia’s First Creature. In my short time on this planet, I have never come across First Creature, but there’s a first for everything as y’all know. Alas during their set, the crowd is sparse, but First Creature still does their thing and they do it quite well. Their knack for psych punk fits with the other bands on this bill and while I can’t say I got a complete taste of their potential, I am definitely intrigued. Check them out here:  http://firstcreaturerva.bandcamp.com/

The moments before Atlantic Thrills go on is like standing in line for a kickass roller coaster ride you’ve taken before, but one you never get tired of hopping on again and again. You know the ride is going to make you scream, possibly puke, and most importantly leave you with a frazzled mind, body, and soul. It’s been a good while, since we have taken the Atlantic Thrills ride (March I believe), so that certainly amplifies my excitement.

As usual, Glen and I are right up front bashing back and forth to the gut bustin’, beer chuggin’, slimy mess that is the Atlantic Thrills. Much like the Black Lips, the emphasis is placed upon pure fun and less about solos and other virtuoso garbage. That isn’t to say these dudes can’t play, they know their shit and they execute it well.

My attempts at encouraging others to come up and dance are futile at best, but the KLYAM crew makes the most out of it. We don’t give a fuck, so we continue to slam each other into the poles and on the floor and back again. At one point,  Glen even falls on to Dan Tanner’s equipment, making his guitar and vocals go out of tune for a few seconds. Most uptight bands would get their panties caught in an uproar over such shenanigans, but the Thrillz  realize that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t perfect. Their only concern comes from one  Kelly Riley (guitar/vocals): “just don’t knock over the whiskey.”

Atlantic Thrills are heading on tour later this week, check out the tour dates here: https://klyam.com/2013/07/21/atlantic-thrills-summer-tour-2013/  and stay tuned for an upcoming single entitled “A Day At The Beach”  on Almost Ready Records on August 13.  The label will also be releasing the band’s full length LP this fall.

Speaking of tours, this evening’s Freak Fest serves as the tour kick off for Boston’s psych monsters, The New Highway Hymnal. The New Highway Hymnal are a trippy band to begin with, but it gets even trippier when you throw The Lysergic Factory Lightshow into the mayhem. LFL’s own Peter Colpack describes the music of NHH better than I can myself.  He asserts that it’s like getting trapped in a fucked up acid trip you can’t escape. I can testify that the light show he and his companion Dylan put on certainly reflect the psychedelic experience of a New Highway Hymnal show.

The trio plays most of my favorite songs including “Whispers,” the title track off of their debut LP – pick it up, it’s a doozy.  For some reason, this song stands out to me more than any other song tonight; I am really tripped out by Hadden Stemp’s  line “Can you help me find my voice?” I suppose that is the reason, duh. Indeed, it is an odd line and Hadden delivers it well, honing in his Jim Morrison esque vocals.

As the set closes, all hell breaks loose as it appears that The New Highway Hymnal are on a mission to destroy their instruments, themselves, and everything else in their path. Atlantic Thrills’ Eric Aguiar says this is his favorite part of the set, and I have to second this notion. The whole show is a lot of fun, they play out often in the Boston area and beyond, so go out and see these talented kids.

LISTEN: http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/ For fans of psychedelic, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, punk, noise pop, garage, yeahhh all that good stuff. Click it.

CD Review, Local Music, Music, reviews

Review: Bellwire – “summEP”

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Bellwire – you might not know them now, but you might soon. They’re from New Hampshire, but will be calling Allston home in a little while. They’ve put on their [Bandcamp] a three song EP called summEP. So I checked it out and I like what they’re doing. Remember Afroman? Me neither, but to me Bellwire’s EP is like him producing that no longer existent Vice surf band, Japanese Motors. A cheesy combination on paper and one I’m still not entirely comfortable publishing, but let me get to the bottom of things. “The Bell Hop” is quirky rock ‘n roll – a style that I’ll keep praising as long as the practitioners keep things fresh. There’s borrowing and twisting of surf, Pavement, and punk. The other two songs, “Leaky Seams” and “Sunsick on Fisher Street,” venture into powerpoppy regions of sound yet maintain keen levels of freakishness in the vocals in the former and the latter is a modern update of “I Want Candy” (Strangeloves, not Bow Wow; I know I name dropped Afroman).  I’m curious about this band now. They seem like they’re having a good time.

 

klyamrecommended

Art, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion, concert review, Jacques Le Coque, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!, Jacques Le Coque, The Zookeepers, Polaroidz @ O’Brien’s Pub (7/5/13)

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Bands: Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!, Jacques Le Coque, The Zookeepers, Polaroidz
Date: Friday, July 5, 2013
Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA)

Polaroidz – Alright, alright, alright, alright, it’s Polaroidz! Polaroidz were originally known as Polaroids until recently it was unearthed that another Polaroids (of most likely, significantly less importance) already exists. Aww shucks! Unless, this is some sort of sick trick the band is playing on all of us and I fell for it, looking increasingly foolish with each word I type. Hopefully, this is not the case…

Anywho, last time I saw them was at a packed basement show at the Wilder Zangcraft and it was pretty ethereal. Since then, the band has changed a little bit with not just the alleged subtraction of the letter s and the zany addition of the  letter z, they have also added a new guitarist named Al. Oh and I should have probably mentioned by now that Polaridz also consists of Hadden Stemp (who you may have seen as the skull crackin’ vocalist/guitarist for The New Highway Hymnal) on guitar and vocals and Tim Oxton on lead vocals and keyboards. Altogether, the trio create a dreamy, mellowy brand of pop music not too unfamiliar to most music fan’s ears. Wow, that was convoluted. What I mean to say is that Polaroidz have a strong sound that bears resemblance to various artists in the modern rock/pop landscape such as Interpol, The Editors, Handsome Furs, New Order, and one that I never conjured up but Glen points to – Beach House. I feel ya man.

Polaroidz have summery vibes, but not like Beach Boys or anything of that sort, but akin to you just broke up with your girlfriend, so now you spend all of your nights alone at the beach with a pair of headphones, a bottle of wine, and an old book by some author with a last name I cannot pronounce. When all is said and done, the music is evocative, a bit trippy, but above all powerful – especially in the vocals. Lend your ears to their fine tunes. http://polaroidz.bandcamp.com/

The Zookeepers – For the record, I have never understood pop punk. I like pop music. Scratch that I la la love pop music. And as far punk goes, if it’s in the traditions of old school garage, Ramones, Germs and anything with similar aesthetics, then I am typically a fan or at least a supporter. But, pop punk, with very few exceptions (Descendants and Wavves) I disdain. It’s strange, because separately I love those two words, but together they make me want to vomit bags of blood.

And so with that introduction in mind, The Zookeepers are of the pop punk variety. Here’s the twist, they’re actually pretty good and if I was a fan of this style of music, I’d say they were amazing. As far as sweaty, balls out passion and enthusiasm go, these dudes have it and they also have some solid songs to boot. Seriously though, for fans of pop punk and that kind of music, check these guys out because they ROCK. The members often switch up instruments, but unlike most other bands that do this, they don’t stop for a single moment, they keep the momentum while they do the switcheroo, creating a nice little sing a long in the process.

As far as comparisons go, I’m not the best guy for this, but I can think of a few artists that remind me of The Zookeepers or vice versa. Firstly (and admittedly the glasses are a factor) the only original pop punk band I love, Descendants, appear to be an influence, especially in the band’s speedy songs. Another influence is the hip, stylish electronica outfit, Head Automatica. Lastly, one that feels very close to home is the phenomenal, virtually unknown Memphis monster: The Barbaras!  Like this band (one of my all time favorites), Zookeepers have this gauche, “I don’t give a fuck,” nerdy attitude to them; at times just plain zany, but ultimately fun. Though it’s not exactly my bag, if you’re looking for a pop punk that will offer everything they got and more  and some strangeness on top for you and your lover to dance to, then The Zookeepers are your men.  https://myspace.com/thezookeepers

Jacques Le Coque – Seeing Jacuqes Le Coque has held a spot on the KLYAM to do list for over a year now.  Coque (pronounced COCK) are on the same wavelength as KLYAM as far as punk slime goes. So, finally meeting these fine, upstanding gentlemen is a total pleasure. Pete Mazza (vocals/guitar), Jason Kyek (drums), RJ DeAngelis (lead guitar), and Brendan Toller (bass) are the four men that comprise Stamford, Connecticut’s hottest rock ‘n’ roll band. Though this is our first encounter with the dudes, we are able to reminisce of past shows that lie deep in our collective punk slime unconsciousness, such as Saralee and one particularly rambunctious Black Lips warehouse show in Brooklyn.  Can’t stress enough how great it is to come across some people that know their contemporary garage punk, and this quality totally comes through in Coque’s spirited rock ‘n’ roll.

Before the boys hit the mini O’Brien’s stage, Pete tells me that he is “ready to rock ‘n’ roll” and believe me it sounds significantly cooler in person than in print. And Pete and his brethren fully deliver – dishing out just what the doctor ordered – balls out garage punk slime with comparisons to Black Lips, Atlantic Thrills, and The Kinks (especially in Pete’s vocals, remind me of Ray Davies). It’s just fun, rowdy music, plain and simple.

Most of tonight’s set consists of brand spankin’ new material, tunes that are entirely fresh to my ruined ears. Tis a pleasure to hear these fine ass offerings, but I get the biggest boner when I can sing along and dance to some of my favorite Coque numbers such as “Sidewalk,” “Ain’t No Fun,” and the band’s catchiest ditty, “Grow Up,” a youthful, rebellious anthem I can identify with all too well for better or worse.

Of all the bands on this bill, Jacques Le Coque is the best and I’m really going to miss them. Until next time, I’ll just be rocking out to this beast: http://jacqueslecoque.bandcamp.com/album/jacques-le-coque

Set – List:
“Dead & Gone”
“Just Last Night”
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
“Stay With Me”
“Ruler Of My Heart”
“Can’t Keep Away”
“Pass It Around”
“Sidewalk”
“Grow Up”
“It’s Raining”
“Ain’t No Fun”

Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion! – Here’s a band that offered us one of the greatest live debuts of 2013, that is to say a KLYAM debut, having never seen or even heard of this all instrumental, horror surf punk machine until a key show this past January at the Great Scott. That performance was like a tornado hitting you with massive force and energy that I have rarely seen matched before or since, especially for a relatively unknown band. Needless to say, these disguised surf punks (and in particular a magnetic, tambourine playing gentleman) left a lasting impression on me.

Tonight’s performance is exciting and they reprise their roles as surf mad men on a mission to get the whole place moving and shaking. While, I can’t say that they are as successful in this endeavor as they were in my last experience at the Great Scott, they certainly unleash some gnarly, slimy sounds that stay true to the fun, relaxing, cool like vibes that often come with surf music, yet they are not afraid to veer off into weirder, more complex instrumental territory. So, yes it is fun and lively, but not as intense or as exhilarating as my initial experience, and I attribute this to two reasons:

1) O’Brien’s Pub is a small venue, optimistically speaking it is cozy and this works quite well for cozier bands like Fat History Month and Fat Creeps, among  several other local heavyweights  – but there is a bigness to BTDOAGS that simply is too giant for the cozy O’Brien’s space. Great Scott has a bigger stage and I think it lent itself to a higher quality performance from these mysterious men.

2) This time around the man playing tambourine is nowhere to be found OR somewhere in his musical journey he decided to pick up an instrument. In any situation, one of the most enjoyable features of that past Great Scott show was watching this one peculiar man bouncing around, on and off the stage, bashing away at a helpless tambourine and carrying a sign that read “Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion.” This doesn’t occur tonight, and I have to say I am a little bit disappointed. Then again, I  could see this tactic coming off as a gimmick to some, so who knows, maybe we’ll see it again, maybe not, I’ll keep my eye out for it anyway.

One last thing I would like to note is the strength of this music off the stage. Initially in January, I felt like these fellas were superior in the flesh, but after having listened to their music online, my appreciation for their musical  prowess has increased. Oddly, my notions are reversed – this time around I feel more flabbergasted by their work in the studio than being in the midst of a sweaty, steamy live performance. Nonetheless, I highly recommend you listen to their music on bandcamp  and go see them live. They are playing at Great Scott on Saturday, August 3 and word around the campfire is that a full length studio LP will be dropped upon us in the coming weeks. Don’t make yourself a stranger, check out these fine, talented gents right here: http://ghostscorpion.bandcamp.com/

Set – List
“Haltway”?
“Heads Will Roll”
“We Welcome The Living (But Only If They Come Here To Die)”
“Caught Dead”
“Cateye”
“Lovers”
“Texas Blood Money”
“SoS”
“Blood Drinkers”
“Black Crescent”
“Red River Tombstone Hustle”
“Rainmaker”?

Art, concert review, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Kids Like You and Me, KLYAM Records, Local Music, Music, Nice Guys, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Bleeding Rainbow, Fat Creeps, Nice Guys @ Great Scott (7/2/13)

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Bands: Bleeding Rainbow, Fat Creeps, Nice Guys
Date: Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Venue: Great Scott (Allston, MA)

Nice Guys – When the show was just Fat Creeps and Bleeding Rainbow I was intensely anticipating this evening, but when Co – KLYAMER Glen informed me that Nice Guys were added to the bill, hot damn! Seriously, a great thing to hear when you’re sweating your balls off at work. Speaking of sweating balls off, Nice Guys consistently produce sweaty, screaming, clamorous (KLYAMorous!) sets that jostle the hairs on my sweaty testicles and tonight’s show fits in well with that description.

I have seen a healthy chunk of Nice Guys sets now and most of them have been in DIY settings that tend to lend themselves to looser, wilder behavior. These nice dudes however, don’t let the typical rock venue, performer/crowd barrier get in the way of a good time and they put on one of their most entertaining sets thus far. Guitarists Alex Alexson and Matt Garlick even hop off stage into the crowd at one point during the set.

The foursome play several familiar tunes such as boneshakin’  essentials like “Drunk As Fuck, Stoned As Fuck,” (aren’t we all guys? aren’t we all?) “Pizza Bong,” and my favorite “Cop Walk.” I’ve sucked Cop Walk’s sonic dick (sonic dick, ooohhh I smell a band name!) long enough now, but you know what? I think I’m going for seconds or should I say fifths or sixths, I lost count. When Cop Walker hits those violent bolts of guitar fuzz and sledgehammer drums it’s like those little, involuntary spasms a dude’s dick gets before an orgasm is achieved. Well, the orgasm is achieved tonight at Great Scott. Jesus Christ.

Set – List:
“Free”
“Herb Chambers”
“Unholy”
“New” as in a new, untitled song.
“HD”
“Cop Walk”
“Drunk As Fucked, Stoned As Fuck”
“Pizza Bong”
“Pilgrim”
“Finale”

Make it your life mission to listen to these bad boys, errr I mean Nice Guys right here and for all eternity: http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/

Fat Creeps – Local outlaw Ben Tan has created a drinking game in my name in which one of the rules is every time Chris DeCarlo name drops Fat Creeps in a review you take a drink. I would advise you not to play this drinking game, for I see various lawsuits against KLYAM in the near future. Point being, Fat Creeps have been a household name on this site for over a year now and I am proud to say our first release (10″ Vinyl EP) on KLYAM Records! So, it is exciting to catch the band live at Great Scott in the middle of their first major tour ( https://klyam.com/2013/06/19/fat-creeps-bleeding-rainbow-summer-tour/) with Bleeding Rainbow. Congrats guys!!!

The trio kicks things off right with Creeps classics such as “Nancy Drew” and “700 Parts,” which are often, if not always played side by side. The former is an upbeat, jangly pop number while the latter is a slow, murky ballad – both are immediate and showcase the band’s talents better than anything else in their catalog.

The band continues with some songs introduced in 2013 including “Blue” and “He Comes In Loudly.” It’s funny, I always mistake “Blue” for “He Comes In Loudly”  until they play “He Comes In Loudly” and I don’t realize it until they sing “he comes in loudly.” Wow, that’s a lot of he comes in loudlys. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many he comes in loudlys  jam packed into one regular sized paragraph ever before in my life. Now, I’m curious exactly how he comes in loudly.

In addition to Fat Creeps (you know I be pluggin’ that 10″ EP YO!) gems like the surfy hits “Fooled” and “Leave Her Alone,” and one of my favorite album openers “Secrets,” the band also performs a new song entitled, “Having So Much Fun.” I’m not exactly sure how it goes or what it sounds like, but I’m going to keep my eyes and ears open for this newbie at future Creeps shows.

After nearly two weeks of shows, Fat Creeps are still kicking it and sounding fresh as ever, without a single hint of weary. Their lively and fun filled performance is well appreciated as Great Scott attendees sway and bop back and forth to the Creeps’ light noise pop; a sweet soundtrack for a sweet Summer night, brings me back to last Summer when I first started actively listening and seeing these guys on a regular basis. Fittingly, they close their set with a heavy, headbanger known as “Going to the Party!”

Party with the Fat Creeps here: http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

And pick up  dat 10″ EP (VINYL – Coke Bottle Clear & White) from KLYAM Records! http://klyam.bigcartel.com/

Got me another set list!
“Nancy Drew”
“700 Parts”
“Blue”
“He Comes In Loudly”
“Leave Her Alone”
“Fooled”
“Having So Much Fun”
“Secrets”
“Going to the Party!”

Bleeding Rainbow – I don’t know a whole lot about Philadelphia’s Bleeding Rainbow other than checking out a couple of songs before the show, so I am going in with an open mind, expecting to hear some sweet, chill tunes and while I can’t say I am in love with the band, I do enjoy myself. At this point in the evening, I am pretty sauced and Bleeding Rainbow is a smooth, dreamy soundtrack  to my intoxicated state of mind. The only song I recognize is “Waking Dream,” that guitar riff is pretty neat!

Bleeding Rainbow don’t fuck around and they are most likely hitting up your city some time in the not so distant future. Check em’ out: http://bleedingrainbow.bandcamp.com/