Art, concert review, Gymshorts, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Gymshorts, Grenades In The Archives, The Little Richards, Wet Dress @ Opus (6/12/14)

Leave a comment

Salem
Bands: Gymshorts, Grenades In The Archives, The Little Richards, Wet Dress
Date: Monday, May 12, 2014
Venue: Opus (Salem, MA)
We don’t come out to Salem often for shows, even though it’s just a stone’s throw away from us. Luckily, tonight one of our new favorite bands Gymshorts from Providence, RI is playing at the Opus. When we first arrive at the Opus, it looks like we’ve found the wrong place. It’s a bougey, uppercrust bar, at least that’s how it is upstairs. As we make our way to the basement we discover a different setting. Iggy is on the house PA and there’s a band setting up to play.

Wet Dress – Wet Dress is that band setting up to play. Plan 9 From Outer Space is playing on a big screen behind them. I don’t know which to watch the band or the movie? Anyway, Wet Dress is a two piece featuring a dude (Chris) on vocals and guitar and a dudette (Sam) on vocals and drums.

I have never heard of them until now, but they definitely fit on this bill. All of the songs are very loud and very brief. It’s a mixture of classic punk, garage, and twee. Twee as fuck. They have this K Records element to them. I kind of like it and then it kind of turns me off at the same time, what can I say?  The sound is decent, but none of the songs stick out to me. http://wetdress.bandcamp.com/

Set-List:
“Rumble”
“Vs Verse”
“Rant”
“Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl”
“All Right”
“(I’m Not Your) Manic Pixie Dream Girl”
“Brat”
“FUCC”
“Jerkoff”
“Summer Break”
“Slutever”
“Queer”
“Yr Mai Proct”?

The Little Richards – I saw these guys before at a show at O’Brien’s back in October with Atlantic Thrills. This set is pretty much the same as that one, except there’s a lot more people and they’re all over the Richards.

The Little Richards blitz through a series of speedy Ramones and pop punk inspired tunes. The crowd of fellow Northshorers eat it up, passinoately singing along to all of the songs.

I’m not overly into this style exactly (don’t get me wrong I LOVE the Ramones), but I can admire the band for putting on a good show and writing some decent songs. They always seem to be having fun and that’s all that matters. http://thelittlerichards.bandcamp.com/

 Grenades In The Archives – This is pretty sludgey. It’s deafening, almost unnecessarily so. If I’m losing my hearing I want to know it’s for a good reason. Lightning Bolt kicked the shit out of my eardrums, but it was all worth it. I can’t say the same in this instance.

More importantly, it just all sounds the same. Which could be said for The Little Richards, but at least with the Richards they have the songs to back up the style. I just can’t hear any songs here. I need catchy, distinct, impressionable songs. Listening to their bandcamp now, however, the songs come through a bit more. Still, not exactly up my alley. http://grenadesinthearchives.bandcamp.com/

Gymshorts – Hail thee almighty Gymshorts. These shorts never stop. They’re everywhere. They’re in Providence (their hometown), they’re in New York, they’re in Lowell, they’re in Boston, they’re standing right behind you ready to get HIGH and STONED 24/7 and 25/7 when it’s Daylight Savings. At least the time we gain an hour. When we lose an hour, aww shucks.

As always, Gymshorts plow through the room with a batch full of insane, fuzzed out gahridge phunk for the kids to rock and/or roll to. I’m not kidding on this one. One of these Salem witches rolls right across the floor during the shorts’ set.

This band always kicks ass and takes names, but sometimes the crowd can be too mellow and square. On this evening the crowd goes apeshit, but in an odd sort of way. There’s quasi moshing, all sorts of offbeat dancing. Is this some sort of ska shit? Haha, who cares as long as people are moving. There’s plenty of time to not move when you’re dead.

Ohh yeah and one gentleman even throws his shoes off, taking one of the band members’ requests quite literally. Whatever floats your boat. Salem always gives me the willies.

GYMSHORTS! http://gymshorts.bandcamp.com/

Music, Outdoor Vinyl Summer Series, The Modern Lovers

Outdoor Summer Vinyl Series: The Original Modern Lovers

Leave a comment

Band: The Modern Lovers
Year: 1981
Label: BOMP! Records

The Modern Lovers, I tell you, if you didn’t find this one among your dad’s record stacks plus you have no idea what these dudes were even about, I’ll try to explain a little bit. The back cover liner notes by Kim Fowley and Jonathan Richman shed size six font mounds of text, but basically here goes: Fowley comes upon The Modern Lovers, brings them to a studio, and the group finishes these recordings in one day under Fowley utterances like “think Sun Records! Think history!” Says a New York Rocker critic, had these recordings come out in 1972, “it would have changed everything that happened in the ’70s.” Richman – who is aided on here by Jerry Harrison, David Robinson, and Ernie Brooks – is a good deal more unassuming when it comes to The Original Modern Lovers. He notes that this LP was neither truly recorded in the Spring of ’72 as is advertised nor all recorded in a single session. I remember listening to this outside last summer (I believe for the first time… at least in a long while) and my mom commented ‘who is that kid singing? Sounds awful.’ Sheez I said, if this sounds awful how do I sound? She said better. I guess that is partially what moms are for. To me OML is gold. These songs aren’t ’60s garage fratters, they aren’t heavy, certainly not pop-polished. Instead, they stand firmly on their own, some truly rockin’ numbers like the MassFamous ‘Road Runner #1/#2’ with references to Stop and Shop, ‘Astral Plane’ and ‘Girlfren’. Inspiration – Iggy and Lou – that’s the inspiration Richman cites. You’ll hear figments of those guys on here. But beyond that, The Original Modern Lovers is an “i don’t care what anyone thinks, i’m gonna have fun and do what I do in my own way, with my voice and the tons of inflections and manipulations that I can think of” situation. That way of thinking is wilder than a lot of music that sounds wilder, it allows wasteful youths to sucker in rock ‘n roll history without taking abridged shortcuts. A silent trailblazer into some DIY musical landscape that started with punk and runs riot today. I like that people could be fronting all like what is this shit, he doesn’t know how to sing, is this even music. Jonathan Richman is content, somewhere. I’m down with that.

Music, Outdoor Vinyl Summer Series, Thee Oh Sees

Outdoor Vinyl Summer Series: Thee Hounds of Foggy Notion (2008)

Leave a comment

Band: Thee Oh Sees
Year: 2008
Label: Castleface Records

This is an islandy (deserted, of course) heck of a record that if you’re down with the style, you’ll be satisfied thru and thru. I am. Minimalism dominates, but there are some fleshed out moments resulting in more of the rock ‘n roll side of the group we’d see on later releases. Brigid and John’s vocals are angelic/psychedelic, matter of fact this might be more like a Jandek in his prime LP if it wasn’t for those two absolutely delighting our ears. The arrangements are pretty sparse with light, eccentric folk guitar and a Beets esque rhthym though Thee Oh Sees do just fine with little or no drums. Like an Island Carnivale wax export from Bermuda, there’s a real personal charm that’s directly connected to nature. The birds are singing along, perhaps fully aware that this group is primitively San Franciscan. Thee Hounds capture an endearing phase of chilled out Oh Sees that your I SAW EM SHRED HARD AT PITCHFORK FEST newbie would probably be surprised and hopefully glad to hear about. Perfect for outdoors vinyl spinning – your neighbors won’t be disturbed, grandma can sneak a nap in, mom will water the plants, and you’ll be there sitting with your shirt off (or on), pen in hand, gentle breeze, and green cup of iced water. Fuck you waited eight months for this moment. BUT this is conversely ideal, winter by the fire, loved ones in full existential quarter life crisis mode. Enjoy the sun while it’s out, you island raiders.

HIGH WAISTED, Music

HIGH WAISTED Acid Tapes Vol. 1 / Rough Trade NYC Show

Leave a comment

Won’t you look what we have here – HIGH WAISTED from New York City. Legend has it that they went to Nashville, recorded in a haunted house ON ACID, and lived to tell about it. Legends are reality for these four. I’m glad because they are performing very gripping surf rock ‘n roll in the big city. The Acid Tapes are as noir as you might imagine plus dreamy, slimy, and ramshackle. What fine traits to possess in 2014! Git on listening and hey if you are around, trip yourself to Rough Trade in a few weeks (Saturday, July 12th) to catch them performing on a bill that also includes Rose Windows.

Art, concert review, Free Pizza, Gymshorts, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Con Tex & Secret Lover @ Midway Cafe (5/6/14)

Leave a comment

Babes
Bands: Free Pizza, Babes, Gymshorts, Secret Lover, Con Tex
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Venue: Midway Cafe (Jamaica Plain, MA)

The evening begins with a quick trip to the Whitehaus to say a few hellos and meet some friendly faces, both old and new. We have a grand old meeting of the minds with a member of the band Babes, whom will be playing later tonight. His name escapes me, but he is the gentleman wearing the Buck Biloxi & The Fucks tee shirt. If you’re reading this, how are you fine sir? We shoot the shit over Jay Reatard, King Louie, and various Memphis/NOLA based bands. All goodness.

After our quick visit, it’s off to the Midway Cafe. For whatever reason, we’ve never been here before, so it’s exciting to finally step foot in the place. I always dig experiencing a venue for the first time. The Midway is fairly spacious with a large bar area, plenty of room to dance, and a fairly big stage. Not bad, we’ll have to come here more often.

Kofi Thomas, a local stand up comedian introduces all of the bands and delivers some amusing comedy of his own before the show and in between acts.

Con Tex – Con Tex is a Whitehaus Family Records folk legend. We’ve been interested in his music for a couple years now and have ran into the man at several hootenannies, but we’ve actually never seen Con Tex live. A high crime indeed.

Tonight, Con Tex is backed by a full band. Altogether, they create a ginormous rawk sound. I picture these men practicing their music off somewhere in a cabin in the woods, playing for hours. There’s this woodsy feel to the music.

I can’t quite put my finger on any concrete comparisons here, but I dig it. At its best, it evokes the atmosphere found in a Girls Of The Gravitron song. Who? Yeah, I know you don’t know them, but check em’ out. I know I also just said that I couldn’t think of any comparisons, but then I did, so what? I could also see folks interested in Led Zeppelin and 70s rock moving to this music. Who knows? There is nothing in this world, but possibilities. http://contex.bandcamp.com/

Secret Lover – Worcester’s Secret Lover always finds their way onto the finest bills. I’ve never actually gone out of my way to see the band live, but I’ve seen them many times, because like I said they often play on sick bills. Regardless, they are a fun, hip shaking inducing party band. They always get people going, thanks in part to lead singer Sally’s never ending enthusiasm. So yeah, they’re a cool band. You should give them a listen or see them around New England, which shouldn’t be too hard because they’re always playing. http://secretlover.bandcamp.com/

Blasts, that infernal train! Once again it kept us from seeing sick rock ‘n’ roll music. Especially our faves Gymshorts and Free Pizza :( as well as NOLA’s Babes :(.  Babes were on tour, check them out here: http://babesuniverse.net/music.php

 

ACLU Benefit, Local Music, Music, reviews

New ACLU Benefit Release: “FINALLY”

Leave a comment

They travel far and wide to see him play and when he does, it is a show experience they do not forget. True T-shirts and postcards in his back pocket I can only assume – Noah Britton is back with a new album (which follows, as order has it, his really spectacular release Love and Fame that I wrote about last year) entitled yes I know you know FINALLY! because these songs finally sound great. Those aren’t my words; I’ve had my way with Benefit’s Bandcamp and I recognize some of FINALLY! from his recorded live sets. Check those out if you have not. The souls of sing-a-long staples “Love of my Life,” “Riding” and “Love Your Family” are kept in tact and beaming. The arrangements and production are courtesy of Dane Filipczak. Such dynamics push these songs further into beautiful abyss – pianos, toy instruments, percussion, extra voices. Noah is quite the minimalist, a master funny man, funny by way of bona fide lyrics. “Let’s sing to chickens, They like cock rock!” on new-to-me you say “You give me hope,” I sing these funny lines. Humor is not the case on “We Forgive You” well I mean it could be but I’m going to go with no. Flinty and affectionate. The cowshed burner, the closer,  is that which I mentioned earlier: “Love Your Family”. If I knew anything about ’50s musicality, I would go on about that, but here we have a dreamy oldie with a striking sense of modernity. It is perfect for feeling bad about missing an ACLU Benefit set in the name of leaving early to attend to family functions and longing for the next. Well well this six songer impresses me further. Noah’s been going at it for decades, knows his capabilities, and rolls the dice – in this case working with an arranger who by the end of it seemed to have just as much fun. Cease and resist.

Link: http://aclubenefit.bandcamp.com/album/finally

klyamrecommended

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

Review: Rock ‘n’ Roll BBQ Part II (5/3/14)

Leave a comment

BBQ II
Bands: Gymshorts, The Ar-Kaics, Atlantic Thrills
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2014
Location: Providence, RI

We always love making the trip down to Providence to see our favorite rock ‘n’ roll bands and say hello to some  friends, and who knows maybe make some new ones. Last year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll BBQ was one of my favorite shows ever and certainly the best from last Summer. Ahh the mammaries, I mean the memories. There’s always love and strangeness in the Providence air, isn’t that right Mr. DJ Studs Jerkel? Ahh my main man Studs!

Atlantic Thrills – If you were to make a movie about my youth Atlantic Thrills would have a sure spot on the soundtrack. Hell, they could even have a cameo. Needless to say, we’ve seen these guys a gazillion times and it’s always worth it. It may not be the most original music in the world, but that’s garage rock for you. I’ve come to recognize which bands recreate the sounds of the 60s well and which ones make a mockery of it. The Thrillz are definitely part of the former. Those sweet surf sounds, doo wop slop gang vocals, and catchy guitar licks rest easy on my wounded ears on this breezy  Spring night. Outdoors shows are the best, we need more of these.

It’s an awesome set, but something is missing or I should say someone. Much to my shock, guitarist/vocalist Kelly Riley is no longer in the band. It just isn’t the same without Kelly’s evil glares, hootin’ and hollerin’, and just overall enthusiasm. Definitely a focal part of the music. In his place tonight is Rafay Rashid of fellow Providence rock ‘n’ roll group Ravi Shavi. Rafay does a fine job with the tunes and it feels natural, still you can’t replace Kelly.

The foursome mix Thrillz standards such as “Acid Rain,” “Problems,” “Light Shines,” and more with somewhat newer tunes like “Bed Bugs” and “Almost Anything.” They conclude with an entirely new song (at least to my ears) about waiting for the weekend or something like that. I’ll have to hear it again sometime hopefully sooner than later. https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticThrills

The Ar-Kaics – Keeping the fierce rock ‘n’ roll spirit alive is Richmond, VA’s Ar-Kaics.  I’ve never heard of them until now, but they are more than up our back alley as far as rock ‘n” roll slime goes. They have a similar aesthetic as Atlantic Thrills, but with more of a mellow attitude. With that being said, they have an even greater grip on the 60s sound. I mean this is Back From The Grave shit right down to the bare bone. I also hear Seeds, Sonics, and 13th Floor Elevators. All that good stuff.

Before and after the set we have the pleasure of meeting and chatting with this charming bunch. Johnny gives us a nice little lecture on the history of garage rock and the various garage comps over the years that have helped shaped their style.

Impressed with their music, both Glen and I snag a copy of their “Make It Mine” 7″. It’s a keeper. Hope to see you old souls back in Boston/New England in the near future! CHECK IT OUT: http://thearkaics.bandcamp.com/

Gymshorts – Gymshorts, another local band, carry the garage punk torch and finish up this evening’s trilogy of badass music. These shorts have a like minded sense of loose garage noise, but they pack in a few more punches, a solid kick in the nads. It’s more of the punk in garage punk, if you will. After a while, these terms can get annoying and overused, but I’ll continue to employ them as a point of reference. Or maybe I should play with your head and tell you it’s late 90s swing revival. It could be, it’s just as fun.

I’ve seen the Shorts in Boston and Lowell several times now, but it’s sick to see the band again in their home turf. By the time they hit stage, errr I mean ground I’m feeling A OKAY,  all slop bop, and no pop. Their greasy grimy, feverish gunk only makes me want to flop and plunge to the pavement. In the process, I lose the top button to my shorts – they’re not my pair of gymshorts however, thank God. That would have been just too damn ironic. So, essentially I spend the whole set, rocking out whilst keeping  a grip on my shorts to make sure they don’t fall down on me.  What a sticky situation. I’m telling you guys, weird shit always happens to me in Providence. Oh Brother.

LISTEN UP! http://gymshorts.bandcamp.com/

 

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise