Music, News

Wavves + Best Coast To Play Paradise

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On Friday February 4, 2011, California rockers/bf/gf Wavves and Best Coast will be playing a show together at the Paradise Rock Club. There are about 26 other dates and you can check them out here: http://www.spin.com/articles/wavves-and-best-coast-plan-winter-tour. This will be Wavves third outing in the Boston area since June. They headlined Great Scott in June (a good show indeed that Chris & I saw) and then just a couple of weeks ago opened for Phoenix at the Agganis Arena (a very good one according to Matt). Best Coast headlined the Middle East Downstairs with UK punk band Male Bonding in late September.

According to Bethany Cosentino, front-woman in Best Coast: “We’re both in summery California bands and I think by doing the tour in winter, we’re bringing summer to places where it’s fucking freezing.”

Music, The Growlers, Video

The Growlers: Wilcox Sessions

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The Growlers played two songs (one from Are You In Or Out? and the other from their new EP Hot Tropics) for the Wilcox Sessions and …..

You can watch the videos here: http://wilcoxsessions.com/ !!!

Description From Wilcox Sessions Site: Who said rock n’ roll is all rainbows and unicorns? No one probably… definitely not the Growlers. These guys came into our living room ready to turn it out – or at least cover it in Mylar space blankets. Doing a number on the Bulleit bourbon and applying their Mylar space makeup, these guys were ready to kick ass and take names. The session was akin to a back-alley knife fight, and armed with our Deyermond boot camp training, we took it all in stride loving every minute of it. Bring it on boys – we’re ready for more

business, Local Music, Music, News

Harpers Ferry Re-Opening As Brighton Music Hall

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Harpers Ferry, which was the KLYAM go-to spot to see Jay Reatard, closed on Halloween. It will be re-opening sometime in January as Brighton Music Hall (the nomenclature is a reference to the street in Allston Rock City that it is located on). The capacity will stay the same (340 people), but there will be some internal overhauls such as a new sound system, painting, and bathroom renovations. Dum Dum Girls have already been booked to play there on March 2. The venue will serve as a “development” stage for lesser known bands to play on before moving up to the newly renovated Paradise Rock Club — a much larger and renowned venue located just down the street. That said, it is no coincidence that the owners of the Paradise are the executive partners for the Brighton Music Hall. Moreover, the Paradise, Orpheum Theatre, and the House of Blues are all operated by Boston Opera House Ventures LLC. The effect that the opening of Brighton Music Hall will have on local “competitors” remains to be seen. Great Scott, a favorite little venue of ours as well, is an independent club that is a little smaller than Brighton Music Hall, but has put on plenty of now quite popular bands such as Editors and MGMT. Great Scott does have some ties to the booking agent of the ‘Dise and House of Blues, so they aren’t too worried. The Middle East might see some increasing business from Leeds Entertainment, a hip-hop booking group which puts on some shows there, but that had a very close relationship with Harpers Ferry. Other than that, though, the new Brighton Music Hall might sucker some bands that would potentially play Middle East away from there and into the Boston Opera House progression. I’m not really sure how this side of the music business operates, but it only seems to make sense that a local conglomerate of sorts like Boston Opera House LLC would have some more purchasing power (or bringing in power) than independent clubs like the Middle East and TT The Bears, etc. It certainly is a little weird to think about this when, after all, we are talking about a predominately independent music scene.

Link to BMH website: http://www.brightonmusichall.com/

Beatles, Music, music video, Uncategorized, Video

Who Did it Better? Happiness is a Warm Gun

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In honor of The Beatles finally going on Itunes I figured I would try to see if anyone comes close to matching them, this time I have two good covers, but first up the original:

Next up is a Breeders cover:

Finally a very weird U2 cover:


My heart is defiantly with the original on this one, although I dig The Breeders cover, personally I think U2 missed the point of the song completely, but tell us what you think!

Art, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, No Age, pictures, Punk

No Age H & E

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Hopes I hope this is within my top 5 greatest shows ever. No Age plays all my favorites, which are way too many to name, but mostly from Nouns (2008) and they close with “Everybody’s Down,” as they previously did at the Middle East.

Expectations: No Age are as great as ever, if not superior. They play most of my favorites, but not all. The show ranks high for me, but not top 5, perhaps top 10 and almost cerain top 15.

Art, Film Review, Films, pictures, reviews, Video

Classic Film Review: Mister Lonely

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Full Title: Mister Lonely
Director: Harmony Korine
Year: 2007
Comments:”I just wanted to make a sequel to Caddy Shack”(1980). That was the explanation Harmony “Harmful” Korine offered David Letterman and his audience for why he wrote the screenplay for the controversial film Kids (1995). Anyone who has seen Kids knows that clearly Korine was pulling a fast one on the Late Show viewers. Kids follows twenty-four hours in the lives of a few teenagers in New York City as they have unprotected sex, consume copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, and commit various acts of anti-social behavior. Suffice to say both films share the common trait of having people in them, and that is about it. His next film Gummo (1997) was even more notorious. Gummo was an altogether new kind of film with images and sounds coming from everywhere. The movie has no real linear plot, but rather serves as a collection of highly impressionable and memorable scenes/vignettes. What we see and hear is almost always unsettling and more often than not downright vile. Following Gummo, Korine made one more full length feature film, Julien Donkey Boy (1999) before falling into a nasty drug habit and overall feeling of disenchantment. Eight years later, Korine bounces back with his biggest film yet, Mister Lonely (2007). With this work he pulls back a little bit and makes somewhat of a more conventional film. This time there is a narrative, in the traditional sense of the word, and more professional actors participate. Do not worry though, Korine still maintains his peculiar aesthetic as the story follows the life of a Michael Jackson look-alike (Diego Luna) living in Paris. One day the celebrity impersonator meets a fellow impersonator in the form of Marilyn Monroe (Samantha Morton), who invites him to live with her and other celebrity impersonators at a commune in the hills, where everything seems to be perfect.
I would wager that for Harmony Korine, making Mister Lonely is akin to a bizarre, obscure band finally making that album that is more commercially viable and not as strange, but still retains its weirdness. The album may hook in some new fans, it may push away long time devotees, but overall not much changes because the band is still too bizarre for most mainstream fans. Well, this sums up what ML does for Korine. Unlike his previous works, ML does not rely on the shock factor, but instead takes a more sensitive path, conveying an extreme care for its characters. Overall, the film displays themes related to isolation, self-hatred, withdrawal from reality, search for one’s dreams and one’s purpose in life, America’s obsession with fame and Hollywood, and ultimately the desire to be someone else. These issues are affectionately communicated to the audience, in stark contrast from the brutal, sometimes offensive nature of his previous films. There is far less ambiguity here and as a big fan of Korine, I cannot say this is a positive attribute. What I precisely loved about films like Gummo was the chaotic, seemingly message-less tone of the movie. In other words, one creates their own message, whatever is presented is there, but everyone is free to interpret their own meaning. This true of ML, but the film has far too much of a linear story for this to have the same effect. It feels as if Korine is attempting to make a more mainstream film and this is somewhat obvious because of the larger budget and so forth.
The look of the film is a significant departure from his previous works. The cinematography is mostly conventional and does not stand out as anything different, which is not necessarily a bad thing and perhaps will appeal to viewers that detest Korine’s usual style. His camerawork is as top notch as ever and certainly one of the strengths of the film. There are dazzling shots of nuns flying in the air and riding bicycles through the clouds. These shots offer strong imagery, but not nearly as evocative or as memorable as in the past.
Overall, this is a really good film with fascinating characters, excellent shot selection, and incredible use of music. The film has more strengths than weaknesses, but it is surely not without its share of flaws. It lacks cohesion and not in the good old Harmful sense for you fans out there. We have a (comparatively) normal structured film with a clear narrative, so when some randomness is tossed in, it does not quite fit, at least for my taste. In his previous movies, the scenes were filled to the brim with randomness to the point that it would be pointless for me to bring up cohesion as a flaw. Lastly, I will say I mostly found myself invested in the story and the characters, but at times I felt like it dragged on or appeared aimless, so for most viewers there is a good chance this will be far too vapid. With that being said, I recommend this to fans and non fans alike and I dare everyone to challenge themselves with a film they may otherwise overlook.

Grade: B

The background information in this review was taken from one of my past posts “Harmful For All Ages.”

EP Review, Girls, Music

EP Review: Broken Dreams Club [2010]

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Band: Girls
Release: 11/10
Label: True Panther Sounds

1. “Thee Oh So Protective One” – A
2. “Heartbreaker” – A
3. “Broken Dreams Club” – A+
4. “Alright” – A-
5. “Substance” – A
6. “Carolina” – B

Comments: “Thee Oh So Protective One” is Girls first major composition. There are an array of horns, shakers, and other instrumentation that Girls have not historically taken a crack at. Another thing is the outwardly Latin American feel. “Heartbreaker” continues in the same spirit, though with far less instrumental explosiveness. I must say the lead and rhythm guitars on “Heartbreaker” are up there with the best of what we heard on Album. Typical Owens lyricism from the get-go, but most especially apparent on the slower “Broken Dreams Club.” It’s not just that Owens is lonely. It’s more macrocosmic than that. The world “keeps going nowhere” with wars, poverty, and broken dreams abound. “Substance” reminds me of the scene in Nice Dreams where the dude asks the other dude for the “key” to get him out of the nut house. Timothy Leary puts the “key to the universe” — LSD — in the dudes’ mouths and they go for a “simple ride.” “Carolina” doesn’t really pick up until the song is six minutes deep. Even then, it hardly picks up. Don’t worry though — the first four tracks are pretty spectacular. This is a really good record.

Grade: A- (92)

Art, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, No Age, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Classic Concert Reviews: No Age

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This is a Concert Review of No Age at Wellesley College that I wrote for our past blog Wakefield Etudiant.

Bands: Lemonade, The Beets, and No Age
Venue: Wellesley College
Date: April 2, 2009

Introduction: When the three amigos and Paul arrived at Wellesley College we searched for nearly a half hour for the music center. Slowly, but surely we reached the place we were seeking (I had to run, not cool). So, we asked to step inside, but of course we have penises and it was an all girl school, clearly not our turf. We were instructed that entrance could only be granted, if we knew someone that attended the college. Well, we did not, but with our impeccable boyish charm we were able to coax the sweet girl at the door to let us in. The show cost a mere five singles. An excellent deal by any standard.

Act One: Lemonade
Excellent dance rock meets hard rocking noise pop. This trio rocked out for sure. All three members were highly energetic, especially the drummer; it appeared as though he would smash his entire set at any second. Now, with all that being said, I don’t want to confuse readers, they are extremely poppy, but in a very endearing way. I hope to hear more of them in the future.

Act Two: The Beets
Not the Beets that Doug and Skeeter adored, but rather an early Black Lips meets Beat Happening kinda group. They meshed garage rocky, bluesy, noisy sounds (Black Lips) with 60s pop and somewhat callow musicianship (Beat Happening, but perhaps better musicianship than Beat Happening). They weren’t as good as the first act and certainly nowhere near the next act lol, but they were overall entertaining and clearly talented. I heard some hooks beneath the noise. Some flaws were the start stop thing that occurred at the beginning of the first number and most of the songs sounding alike.

Act Three: NO AGE!!!
Simply said, one of the top five greatest bands out there today. Glen, Ben, and I had the magnificent pleasure of chatting with the dynamic duo at various junctures throughout the show. We stood right between Dean’s drum set and Randy’s amps and hopped up and down, raising our arms straight in the air relentlessly as soon as they opened with “Teen Creeps,” a tune I personally requested to Randy Randal. I hopped back and forth between the mosh pit and the front where it was a bit tamer. The crowd (30 , give or take) shared in our enthusiasm and loved each song. Along with TC, they played such classics as “Neck Escaper,” “Every Artist Needs A Tragedy,” “Eraser” “Miner,” “Keechie,” “Cappo,” “Here Should Be My Home,” “Ripped Knees,” “Sleeper Hold,” “Brain Burner,” and two new songs. Unfortunately, the band did not play their triumphant anthem, “Everybody’s Down,” but what are you going to do? There was no stage and perhaps Randy thought it would be too much of hassle to find some way to do his signature crowd surfing at the end of the song. Oh well, it was still a fabulous show. Can’t complain.

Conclusion: Small Venues make the best shows! Not an absolute, but an experienced truth. As I said before, fabulous. My second favorite concert ever! and I’m sure it ranks fairly high for Glen and Ben. Grade: 10/10. I strongly recommend No Age to those who have not seen them, fan or non fan.

————
Editors Note: Definitely the second best show I’ve seen. The up-close and personal nature of the show contributed to its awesomeness. The fact that the group traveled out of their way to put on a show for a relatively small number of college students is simply impressive. The showmanship of Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt is second to none. – Glen

Here is a Concert Review of No Age Glen posted on the old blog WE about two years ago. Ohh the memories!

It’s always fun searching online for bands that play local all ages shows. Especially difficult is finding one at a small club-like venue. Not to worry for Chris, Ben, and I as we noticed No Age, an LA based noise rock band we saw back in July, scheduled to play at the Middle East Downstairs. Recalling No Age as one of the more preeminent live acts we’ve seen, we didn’t hesitate to make the journey to Cambridge on Monday night.

Act One: Silk Flowers – I didn’t really know what to expect from this trio. Judging from looks alone, I saw diversity. The guy on the left with the long hair seemed more apt as a 90s garage rock guitarist than a synthesizist (no such word, is there?). The center-man was just kind of there. That’s not a bad thing. He was doing some heavy duty rocking out and I greatly admire that. The dude on the left handling the drum machine (and singing…if we can call it that), who I figured out is Aviram Cohen, reminded me of Mr. O’Brien in his youth (not that I know what O’Brien looked like back then). The group showed flashes of potential with catchy dub beats and a tribute (or seemingly so) to the post-punk/industrial scene of the ’80s. I recall Ben comparing their music to ’70s horror music, a fairly accurate comparison. I admittedly heard more Palm (the electronic one-man band from the first No Age show) than Kraftwerk. Overall, it was quite a respectable performance for a three song set.

Act Two: Soft Circle – Guitar. Drums. Electronic Percussion. Vocals. Hiram Akira Bharoocha can literally do it all…in one song at that. He picks up the guitar and plays a one or two minute riff. He then goes over to the electronic percussion kit and mixes a string of noise. All the while he records a spacey chant. With the guitar riff, percussion noise, and vocals all on loop, he picks up his drum sticks and starts going nuts. Being able to do all of this effectively proves he is a masterful musician, but what impressed me even more were the songs themselves. They were more dub than anything else, but the heavy drum was really the kicker. Watch out for Soft Circle. That’s all I have to say.

Act Three: No Age – Words really can’t describe how good No Age is live. You kind of have to be there. Further, you kind of have to be in the front row. Starting things off with “Keechie” — an experimental and instrumental track off their 2008 highly acclaimed CD release Nouns — was a bit unexpected, but proved to be a great segue into more heavier, noise driven tunes. The crowd, rather shiftless during Silk Flowers and Soft Circle, went into an uproar as soon as Dean Allen Spunt, the drummer/vocalist, began pounding the bass drum. Randy Randall’s near flawless guitar play was an excellent complement as usual. Lesser known songs like “Brain Burner”, “Cappo”, and “Sleeper Hold” drew great crowd involvement in the form of head banging and dancing while more popular songs like “Here Should Be My Home”, “Eraser”, and “Ripped Knees” put everyone into a comfortable position to rock out and bang into each other. Two particularly awesome moments I recall were: Randy Randall playing “Eraser” right in front of me (I could’ve and should’ve memorized the chords) and an attractive female, approximately my age, dancing and throwing herself around with ease (whilst not giving any shit at all). I was a little disappointed when No Age left the stage having not played the classic “Everybody’s Down.” Of course, they came back for an encore. The first encore included Aviram Cohen on vocals singing a cover of G.G Allin’s “Don’t Talk To Me.” That was pretty much out of the blue, but awesome, and went along well with the pace of the previous set of songs. The second encore was in fact “Everybody’s Down.” This is definitely one of No Age’s better songs (Chris would argue its their best) and ended in a spectacularly awesome way — Randall crowd surfing while finishing the final minute of the song on guitar. He was thrown back on the stage and the concert ended. Amazing. Oh yeah, Aviram gave Ben and I high-fives. That was cool.

Final Comment: 3rd Best Concert Of All Time (Following Radiohead and Dinosaur. Jr/Meat Puppets/Built to Spill)

Finally, here is a review of the first No Age show we saw when we were not as familiar with the LA duo.

http://www.youtube.com/v/mrjO-mCl_yg?version=3

and
http://www.youtube.com/v/R02rZQUfFaM?version=3

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise