AMERICAN WHIP APPEAL ON TOUR (JANUARY 2018)

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American Whip Appeal rides again. James Coarse (vocals/guitar), Hannah Barbarian (bass), and Buck Palace (drums/guitar) doing their own realest rock, bizarre in content and presentation, and groovy and fun. Making their way down to New Orleans, where the _________________. Please do see them:

January 2 – Amherst, MA – The Internet
January 3 – NYC, NY – Live in LoveLove Studio
January 4 – NYC, NY – American Light Beer Reading (ask)
January 5 – Philly, PA – TBA
January 6 – DC – Slash Run
January 9 – Memphis, TN – Bar DKDC
January 11 – Birmingham, AL – The Nick
January 12 – New Orleans, LA – Snack Shack

Band of the Week: The Glue

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The Glue is no longer underground! In fact the New England based group is proudly our new Band of the Week.

Maybe you were at the KLYAM show they played on November 17 or perhaps you caught ’em a week later at the Newton Underground Pop Arts and Performance Showcase. Maybe not. The Glue said that they are a one/two-times a year band, but we’re hoping that is surely not the case.

One of the more unique outfits I have caught in the past year or so, The Glue is made up of Lily (keyboard/vocals), her dad Mike (cello), Lena (bass/vocals), and Martha (keyboard/vocals). Their sets brought to mind the short, sweet, cozy unpredictability of a band like The Beets, although with a whole different set of instrumentation and performance character. The Glue were in a perfect comfort zone without a PA as Lily emerges from behind her keyboard and shouts about Ten Mile Creek. This anything-is-possible, plus classical tinged cello improvisations, nature is encouraging and liberating. Just what we all need!

Check out The Glue on YouTube:

“Pie song”
“Ten Mile Creek”
“Field of Diamonds” (Johnny Cash)
“Cut Your Bangs” (Radiator Hospital) 

GONERFEST 14 HIGHLIGHTS PT.1 (L.A. & NOLA)

On By G. Gordon GrittyIn concert review, Goner, Gonerfest, Music, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Everyone’s Gonerfest is a personal Gonerfest. Everyone’s Memphis is a personal Memphis. Folks travel far and wide, or in some cases – not at all – to get to Gonerfest to see the best bands in the land. For us, this was our third trip down there. Veteran status? King Louie might beg to differ. At any case, if it was not for the precise organization of the heads at Goner and the cooperation of the city, venues, groups, and fans, this might be a different animal. Instead, it’s for the most part a meeting of minds, a reunion for many, or for the uninitiated – the first annual.

I will call it an international summit, with some representation of the past, present, and future. Where bands unite, where bands stop on tour, where bands play their first (and maybe last?) show. Is there a Goner sound? If anything I learned this weekend, it’s that no, no there is not. Maybe in 2009, but not in 2017. And the record label/store is better off for it. There are some sounds and scenes that curry a bit more favor across the board. Los Angeles and New Orleans have some wild bands, shoving that straight-ahead, raw, fast sound into our welcoming ears. Die Group (Los Angeles) are mainstays and were a definite highlight for me on Thursday night at the Hi-Tone. Almost from the second they begin to play, I’m into it and there is no resting after that. Sex Tape Records – Die Group’s record label – put on a Friday early morning afterparty at Bar DKDC and this was a choice shindig with the Sex Tape’s very own Brain Bagz (Salt Lake City) and Tenement Rats. Now, it being a long drunken night, I thought Tenement Rats’ Jonny Watkins was Pitbull. A garage punk Pitbull. Yes, that Pitbull. It took some clarification. Count me in as a big fan of both groups, both with the noisy, catchy immediacy we need in these modern times.

New Orleans deserves a paragraph of its own. From my very first Gonerfest (12), I gathered some intel that this is a very incestuous group of music playing individuals. Playing in each others bands, supporting each other. From the start we had NOLA king King Louie (weirdly called King Louis on a Memphis news website?) playing opening ceremonies in a new band with Abe White, formerly of The Manatees (Memphis). A few hours later BENNI started Night One at the Hi-Tone. With an album recently released on Goner, the mysterious BENNI might just be the weirdest project of the bunch. Armed with a few synthesizers and a talk box, he eased us into what would be a night of heavy rock ‘n roll. Kind of like Couteau Latex did last year. It would be more than 24 hours until we got another dose of freewheeling New Orleans punk – this time at the legendary Murphy’s for the Night Two afterparty. Gonerfest alum Die Rötzz, and Dummy Dumpster (both been around for more than a decade) along with newer crew Enoch Ramone got the booze spent revelers moshing around into each other. Maybe it was the peck on the cheek from Don Perry (eternal gratitude for the rides to the afterparties and the laughs), or maybe it wasn’t, but the Enoch frontman was in a frenzy start to finish, save for the “Gates of Steel” DEVO cover, which was sung by Sam from Trampoline Team. Maybe Murphy’s is the true second home of these NOLA characters as this year’s  Saturday afternoon Blowout brought us three performances: GUSHERS, IS IS, and HEAVY LIDS. While the first and last just mentioned groups are more in line with the above mentioned quick zip, speedfire r’n’r and absolutely rocked it, it’s that middle group that put on arguably the most subdued, but interesting performance. Masterminded by Giorgio Murderer and featuring members of Trampoline Team and Black Abba. This was the closest thing we got to that unmistakable Giorgio/Buck Biloxi sound. Click the link and go be offended.

Pt. Two coming soon…………………….

FALL FESTIVALS/SHOWS (9/28 to 10/7)

On By G. Gordon GrittyIn KLYAM Presents, KLYAM Recommended Shows, Local Music, Music, UncategorizedLeave a comment

SEPTEMBER 28 to OCTOBER 1 – GONERFEST 14 – Memphis, Tennessee – Simply stated the best rock ‘n roll festival in existence. Line-ups featuring some of the more exciting groups from all over the world. Headlining this year (Thursday night) is our Boston brethren, late ’70s punk heros and one of papagiorgio’s favorites – Unnatural Axe. Friday night headliners are some Aussies called feedtime and Saturday night we’ve got Derv Gordon (of the Equals). But those night time Hi-Tone shows are like dessert during this bender with weekend afternoon shows at Memphis Made and Murphy’s. And there is nothing like strolling into the famed After Parties at 2 AM. In between all the music there is so much to do and so little time. This is Memphis and there is still time for you to hitch a flight and check out what we rant and rave about every year.

SEPTEMBER 28 to SEPTEMBER 30 – Boston Fuzzstival 2017 – Boston, Massachusetts – One of our favorite local festivals for a few years now, this three day event is in its 5th year, and is curated by the trustworthy Jason of Illegally Blind. Bummer it has to be the same time as Gonerfest, but what can you do. Expanding beyond the primarily garage/psych niche of the initial runs, these gigs are jam packed with local up-and-comers alongside mainstays.

OCTOBER 6 – Johnnie & The Foodmasters/Dylan and the Ded Beets/_HighlightReel/Picnic Lunch – Cambridge, Massachusetts @ Club Bohemia – As you know, every now and then, or maybe “most of the time,” we KLYAM like to throw some weird shows. This is one of them – almost like a mini/smelly club version of our Mouth is a Mouth Noise fest. New Bedford’s PICNICLUNCH is an offkilter outfit, ramshackle, maybe but maybe not put-together post punk cubed. Happy to have them up for this one! Going further down the odd rabbit hole is _HighlightReel. We know jackshit about experimental (dance?) music, perhaps our most deviant foray since Field of Sheep graced Club Bohemia’s presence at one of our shows a couple summers ago. Dylan and the Ded Beets might be playing their first show? It might just be a one man band? Sounds like a deranged early Ty Segall or the reincarnation of the Maine Coons. Yup. The mystery can’t wait much longer. And the “two year anniversary” of Johnnie & The Foodmasters. You’ve seen the name, maybe you’ve seen them. There is the intersection of the musical and the nonmusical, bla bla bla but for the less descript – there is the proliferation of oldies, good time tunes. Love us, hate us, bye!

OCTOBER 7 – Crocodiles/St. Pe/Boston Cream/Second Becky – Cambridge, Massachusetts @ First Parish Church. Former lead guitarist of Black Lips stepped away from our favorite group a couple years back and turned his focus to his own music, which he had called The Fixed Focus, but is now known as St. Pe. He kept Fixed Focus for the name of his first album which dropped earlier this year. Now Ian is on the road, touring with poppy noise advocates Crocodiles. We’ve been tracking St. Pe ever since he casually released a music video for a song called “Movin On Up” in 2011. He was like a recklessly wild step-brother in the Black Lips with primetime quotes and a ubiquitous friendly spirit. His new stuff seems to be dialed back a bit, but rest assured this Ian guy is one helluva performer that we’re pumped to see play once again. And we’re pumped to see Boston Cream, a bonafide local music supergroup, as well as Second Becky, who we last saw play at Night 1 of the first Rama Lama Ding Dong.

 

Band Recommendation: American Whip Appeal

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It’s been a quick minute since we have continued the tradition of band recommendations and actually, it’s been a quick minute since we have written anything of any kind on this very site. Just honesty right there. And a perfect segue for a talk on American Whip Appeal.

There’s a lot that can be said about this group from Boston. A lot of history. But for most of you folks out there in the world, this might be your first taste of the American Whip Appeal crew. The band is relatively new or old, whatever. All I know is I first saw em play a circa Thanksgiving rip roaring, Nattie Ice drinking, house show set. Gee whiz almost one year ago. That was Dylany, loose and probably more country.

Recordings have emerged. In fact, Stop & Freak is the group’s first full length effort, available right now digitally through Bandcamp. It’s been over a month and dare I might suggest I accumulate multiple daily listens? I will. I am a full on, out in the open, appreciator of these cool, boppin tunes. Listening I get this feeling of camaraderie among the group and an intimacy (not sure if they are the same thing). This is what it is like for me to listen to my favorite groups. From the performance – just last week opening a show at Deep Thoughts – to the ragged sound of the recordings, this is “what’s up”.

I was almost going to name this article, respectfully, Anti Country. American Whip Appeal and I hadn’t one drink in my system that night. I’m not talking out of my ass here. James Coarse (vocals/guitar), Hannah Barbarian (bass), and Buck Palace (drums/guitar) are doing their own realest rock, bizarre in content and presentation, and groovy and fun. That’s where the anti-comes in; Coarse is ,probably unknowingly, flashing some Adam Green showmanship and comedy. He’s been in the game probably just as long – approximately since the infant years. But at the same time THIS IS SOME SERIOUS STUFF. BUT IT’S NOT. Ah I don’t care, I like singing along and not knowing what I’m saying because that experience, or hyperbolic version of a semblance of some actual-ish events. Story telling and totally pleasant, awesome, etc – musical accompaniment from all directions. This is what I want out of it all. Thanks American Whip Appeal.

And that brings up a good point – we put together a show that is happening real soon in fact – THIS UPCOMING MONDAY AUGUST 21 at ZuZu in Cambridge. 10 PM. featuring American Whip Appeal, The Maje, a gentleman whose music I have positively diatribed in a similar fashion as above for a half decade or so – his band Love Strangers, and of course, the royalty of noise pop immediacy, Earthquake Party. Great starting point for all!

Check Out Cody P’s new “Hapless Podcast”

On By G. Gordon GrittyIn Music, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Our bud Cody – who you may know from the excellent local rock ‘n roll groups Future Spa and Tiki Twins or maybe from those funky, memorable flyers he has kindly designed over the years – has started his own podcast up and IT IS ACE. It is called The Hapless Podcast , currently streaming on Soundcloud.

For one, I love learning about new music, old music, any kind of rock ‘n roll that twists and turns, is noisy and harsh, etc, etc. I can’t say I ever had heard of the first two bands that he played on the show, but this is the thrill of having an awesome curator. Showing the appreciators some things. That’s right!

BLACK LIPS – Still The Greatest Band

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Black Lips – the mere mention of those two words has gotten KIDS LIKE YOU AND ME excited, stoked, etc. Whatever you wanna call it – our fandom has been anything but passive. We created this very website dedicated to passionate rock ‘n roll music because of BLACK LIPS. We are the dudes that have Google’d and YouTube’d the shit out of the band over the past 9 years (which is really only about half of their existence [formed in 1999]), traveled a handful of times to New York to catch them, and played Mr. Driver on the jukebox at an Irish dive downtown.

Now we can go on and on about why Ain’t Comin’ Back should be as regular a staple in the set as O Katrina, why we obsess about the Gaye Blades and why no one is going to touch the Old King Cole Younger solo album with a ten foot pole.

Plain and simple we are the Black Lips ultimate fans. Now, that’s not to say we take everything they have ever done and just gush and bow down to it. Underneath the Rainbow is pretty much just an average album and hey, I heard they’ve got a new one out. Their discography from the very first cuts through Arabia Mountain stands on its own for pushing ‘garage’ into noisier and more experimental directions. Where other bands play it safe or just plain fuzzy, the Lips always seem to have a genuine sense of humor and an amateur vibe of not caring. This is the kind of stuff that got me to pick up the guitar, drums, and sing, and not worry about doing it ‘right’.

My 13th time seeing the Lips last night at Brighton Music Hall reminded just how giddy I am thinking about and living the experience. This is just FUN. For most bands a short set is decent, but with the Lips I just want it to never end. And life goes on, too. The members have changed so probably certain songs will never be played again and what not. But at the heart of it is a band that still has heart and puts on the best time for those that care.